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Hi Everybody, sorry it's been almost a month since I last posted. I attended a really fun Mom's Night Out at my friend Amy Beth's house and brought these really yummy crock pot enchiladas. I've had a few request the recipe so here it is: Crock Pot Cheesy Enchiladas 1 lb ground beef OR chicken (dark meat is really good) 1 small onion or onion granules 1TBS of Mexican seasoning (I use Pampered Chef, but others will do) 1 Can of Mushroom Soup A good squeeze of lime juice (1 TBS or so) 1 small can of diced green chiles 1 can (10-12 oz) Enchilada Sauce 10-12 Corn tortillas (non-fried) 12 OZ shredded cheese (at least 12 oz. HA) Sour Cream and Tortilla chips to eat with it.. Mix cooked meat with soup, green chiles and chopped onion. Pour enough sauce on the bottom Of the crock pot just to cover it. Place about 4 of the corn tortillas on the bottom, put enough of the meat mixture On top and sprinkle cheese over it. Keep doing this in this order until you end with cheese on top. Cook on High for about 3-4 hours although I’ve found if you let it cook on low for about 8 hours, it tastes much better. The sour cream and tortilla chips are great to eat with it. Enjoy!! I have to tell you that I'm really excited about making my own laundry detergent and vanilla flavoring from some recipes that mom2fourtreasures has posted on her blog. I go through laundry detergent like crazy and we all know how expensive real vanilla is. |
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I've just joined the HSB Literary Club!! I'm was really wanting to, but couldn't afford purchasing the book. I looked on Ebay today and found a vintage copy for $3.50!! It looks pretty vintage alright, but the pages are all there and intact so that is all I need. I"m really excited!! Now, I'm going to figure out how to get one of those pictures on my sidebar!! I met with one of my bestest friends last night with her brand new little sweet baby. He's so warm and cuddly...... |
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I know you've all seen the advertisements!! Work from Home and earn lots and lots of $$$$! Well, my husband and I need something that we can do from home to supplement the income he makes from his job. I've stayed at home with our children since our first dd one about 4, she's almost 13 now. We've never had any problems financially until about 3 years ago. My husband lost his job and with it a very good income. He has a great job now, but as most of you know, things just don't pay so great in the area that we live in. What I am seeking here is some advice from you that may do jobs from home. I know there are some legitimate companies out there. I need some advice on who they are. We're really anxious to get started on something. So, are any of you doing this, know someone who has or is now? Let me know!! Thanks a lot!! |
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I stopped in this afternoon to check out the Igarashi party!! Boy, they were having a really good time. I wish my hubby could have been there so we could have tried out The Virginia Reel and The Sweetheart's Dance. They were totally fun to watch and I can only imagine how much fun they were to do!! I saw a lot of my friends like Maria, Betsy and Angie. Of course, Jen and Gena too!!! I also met a few new ones from homeschoolblogger; The Dixons!! Everyone looked really pretty in their fancy attire!! Someone I missed, that would have been there if she only hadn't had her third sweet baby yesterday!! Annemarie has had a beautiful baby boy!! I can't wait to meet him. Does the news of a brand new beautiful baby make you wish you could have another one as much as it makes me???? Homeschooling is going well!! We finished up our first semester in January. I'm still trying to find my rhythm. Am I doing too much- am I doing to little?? The most important thing is they're here safe at home!! Well, I need to help with some painting my girls are doing!! |
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I hope everyone is having a great start in the new year. There has been lots of sickness of dear friends. It sounds like most are on the mend. My family has been very fortunate and except for some chest colds, our health has been really good. Before I decided to homeschool, I volunteered at our local crisis pregnancy center. God has really put a burden in my heart for this ministry. I'm unable to volunteer now since I'm home with my children. I decided a way to "stay connected" with the center would be to join the Board. I've done that and I am really glad I have. It's given me a different view of the center and the hard work that goes on there. Most towns/cities have a crisis pregnancy center, so maybe you could say a prayer for your's today. |
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Hello everyone. It's been quite a long time since I've blogged. I've been in the "blogsphere", but I've just not been contributing much. I plan on doing better after I share this most special time of the year with my wonderful family who I am richly blessed to have!! Thank you My Sweet Jesus for ALL the many blessings. I could NEVER list them all. Thank you for dying for me. I love you Jesus. Happy Birthday. |
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At the request of one of my friend's, it's time for an update!! It's been busy!! And with the holidays coming up, it's fixing to get even busier. I'm writing this from Lynchburg VA. We are on our way to visit my parents. They live in Florida. We're going to drive down the coast at stop at St. Simon's Island to tour a lighthouse there. It's going to be a lot of fun. I've never seen one in person before. For those of you that have cable and watch t.v., Sunday night on the History Channel there will a special about the Mayflower at 8:00 pm. I can't wait to watch it. I've been reading a book about the Pilgrim's and it's amazing at all they endured!! I hope all of you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!! |
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Well, we made it to the pumpkin patch. It did end up being delayed a week. Everyone had a really great time. We walked through a corn maze, picked apples and then took a wagon ride. Of course, there were a few simple rules to follow before everything was started. For my 5 yo, those rules made her just a little nervous. Let me tell you about them. The very nice gentleman that owns the farm was the one that "laid down the law". It was basically this: 1. Don't eat the purple berries you might see, they're polkweed berries. If you eat too many, you'll die.... 2. If you feed the goats (totally optional), cup your hands like this (he demonstrated) and you won't get any fingers eaten off... Okay then, my little one if grabbing for me to pick her up in tears saying "I don't want to feed the goats." So, you can see why she was slightly TERRIFIED!! Poisonous berries and finger-eating goats....what kind of field trip is this???? Seriously, it was absolutely great!! We picked the cutest little pumpkins and got them all carved up last night and they're sitting on the fireplace!! There was also apple cider and fried pies!!! YUMMM. We bought a gallon of the cider. My middle daughter says it's the best juice she's ever tasted! It was a cold Fall day, but very sunny and beautiful. What a great field trip! I love having my kids at home! |
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We went to a play on Friday. Based on the children's book series Junie B. Jones. It was really really fun. I love watching adults acting like little kids HA HA!! After that, my girls and I had lunch and stopped at a costume shop. It was a nice day. We're keeping our fingers crossed for our pumpkin patch field trip scheduled for this Tuesday. Rain is in the ol' forecast and tromping through a muddy pumpkin patch just doesn't sound like my cup of tea. I'm sure hoping it all works out. We're going with our homeschool group and one of my bestest buddy's around is gonna be riding along with us with her two kiddos. Fall is here and it's just great. I love experiencing all four of the seasons God has created even if some of them just last a few short weeks. School is going great. My middle daughter ( age 8) was asked the other day if she missed public school and she replied, "The only thing I miss is the chicken chunks." (from the cafeteria)!! So, I take that as one big compliment!! HEE HEE . I love having them home safe and sound!! |
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Yes, a bomb threat has taken place at the very school I took my girls out of!! It happened just a few days ago!! There are three suspects and they're all middle-school aged girls!! The police are doing a handwriting analysis on the note that was written on the girls bathroom wall. They evacuated the children while bomb-sniffing dogs went through the school!! How thankful I am that God changed my heart and opened my eyes to bringing my girls HOME!!
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You know what that means......it's cooling off here in the beautiful state of Tennessee!! Sandals and flip flop weather are just about done for the year. Don't get me wrong, I like sandals and some flip flops (most of them bug me between my toesies). It's just I LOVE mid-70 low humidity weather!! It's so refreshing!! School is going great. I'm still pretty tired by the end of the day, but it is soooo worth it!! We got a new fish last week. We got a beta this time and his name is "Bo." He seems a little more laid back than our goldfish, so I don't think he'll take the "jump" of all "jumps", but just in case he might, we have a lid on the tank now!! He lives in our schoolroom. I assisted my 5 yo in counting to 100 today and yesterday she read her first little reader "Nat Ran, Ann Ran" Isn't that exciting!!! YEAH!! My 8 yo is doing multiplication and skip counting and my 12 yo is conqering pre-algebra one day at a time. She taught the music lesson today to her two younger sisters and she did an awesome job. I sat back and enjoyed the music. Have a great week everybody!! |
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What do these three things have in common you ask?? I'll tell ya.. I took the girls to the dentist today for a checkup. Our youngest daughter's first visit actually. If it wasn't for the the fact that my other two daughters LOVE going to the dentist, my young one might have been more nervous than she was. Our oldest went first, which left me and my other in the waiting area. A lady walked in and was pretty familiar with the receptionists. She started talking about being bitten by a chipmunk!!! How in the world does one get bitten by a chipmunk!! She had to have a shot in her belly button and arm!! I was telling my little one about the chipmunk bite!! She thought that my oldest daughter that was getting her teeth cleaned had been bitten by this little creature while she was getting worked on!! After I straightened that out, everyone was fine. All girls walked out with new toothbrushed and a good report, NO CAVITIES!! Now the goldfish: a few blogs back I told you about "Goldie" our goldfish. Well, I walked into the kitchen this evening and there was this little orangish-gray lifeless body laying there. Goldie jumped out of his tank!!!! Maybe he got word of the attempted "cannabalism" from our youngest and figured that is not how he wanted to go!! We "flushed" him into eternity and our youngest waved goodbye... |
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According to the title of this entry, you can see why I haven't blogged in a while. We're adjusting to our new lifestyle. But I have to be honest and tell you how TIRED I've been since we started. I'm sure that will change as we go along. I LOVE all our curriculum. Everything is running very smoothly. We're looking forward to the field trips planned with our local homeschool group, the FREEDOM of not being under the public school's rules and knowing that my girls are home and SAFE is just immeasureable!! I have recently been filled in on some things at our local high school. One word for that...SCARY!! We chose HomeLife Academy as our charter school. They have requested three times to have our daughters records transferred!!! I guess we'll have to go to the school and get them ourselves. Personally, I think they're keeping our girls on their roll for financial benefits! Fall is in the air and I'm looking forward to the changing of the leaves that we enjoy here in East TN.
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My 5 yr. old daughter wants to eat our goldfish!! The other day, my hubby and I were in the kitchen where "Goldie" happlily lives in his tank in a corner on the kitchen counter. My 5 y.o. walks in and asks if she can feed Goldie. My hubby says, "We're going to eat Goldie for supper." Soooo, I'm expecting our little one to go "NOOOOO", but instead she says, "OKAY". There's a skillet on the counter and hubby explains we're going cook up the tasty little morsel right in there...."OKAY" she exclaims again!! She can't wait to go tell her older sister which claims Goldie as her own what we'll be having for supper.
7 yr old "We're not going to eat Goldie" 5 yr old " Yes we are" 7 yr old "No we're not" Mommy "Okay girls, daddy was just kidding. "We're not eating Goldie. We're having chicken" 5 yr old "I want fish."
So, anyway, Goldie is still happily living in his tank in the kitchen and we had fish sticks for supper!!
By the way......we start school on MONDAY!!!!
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My oldest daughter and nephew were having a conversation with me about the town of Boonesborough KY. The place where Daniel Boone grew up. They asked ME if I knew anything about it or Daniel Boone. Here was my response:
"All I really know about Daniel Boone is he was at The Alamo".
Whoopsie!!!
My daughter made this comment: "Mom, that was Davy Crockett and we're going to homeschool?" (HA)
In which I responded, "We'll ALL learn together!!"
It's going to be an interesting year!!!! |
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Wow, it's been a few days since my last entry....Let's see...here's a little of what's been going on here in the Perkins' house:
My oldest daughter is finally back from her trip to her grandparents in Ohio!!! YEA YEA YEA!! I missed her sooo much. Everything is in it's "place" again. My in-laws brought her home on Monday and stayed til this morning. They are super duper grandparents!! My MIL is a retired school teacher and is still telling me I can change my mind about homeschool. That bothers me some. She worries about the "load" I'm going to have. She doesn't understand but I can't let it bother me. I went to the hospital yesterday for an ultrasound (no baby), but to see if there might be the possibility of Endometriosis or ovarian cysts....anyway there's something going on and anyone that has dealt with this or irregular cycles can relate. On the weight loss news: 12 lbs. so far!!! Blood pressure is steadily coming down and so is the blood sugar!!! And one more thing....I LOVE HOMESCHOOL BLOGGER and TOS!!!! Both are tools that I will use in our homeschool!!! They are staples for me!!! |
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that's really how we should take most things isn't it!!! I've been struggling a lot lately with WORRY. My husband started a new job in the spring and he absolutely loves it! It's a sales position which pays strictly on commission!!!! So, from month to month, we're not really sure what he will bring home. We have an idea from what he sells, but we never know when he's going to sell something you know. So far, it's been great. But I find myself worrying all the time. I'm on pins and needles each day waiting to hear from him to see how his day went. I have to stop feeling this way. First and foremost, worry is totally against trusting on the Lord to take care of our needs. He has always taken care of our needs....ALWAYS!! I WORRY about starting homeschool. Can I do it?? Am I going to make my kids dumb? etc. etc. I know I can do it. And of course, if you read my last post, my health isn't exactly up to par right now and that WORRIES me too. (4lbs lost by the way since I started my new diet). Let go and Let God has to be my motto!!! No more worries!! |
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Grrrr...I hate diets, I really do. But I've let myself go in the past couple of years and it is time to make some changes. My recent dr. appointment brought to my attention that I have high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high chlosterol, high sugar, etc. etc. It's not just about how I look in a certain outfit or being a size 8 now, it's about my HEALTH. All the above mentioned things run in my family. I want to do all that I can on my own before having to take medicine for these things for the rest of my life. I understand that in some situations medicine is a necessity. But, I've also read up on all this stuff and in ALL of them, weight is a major contributor. I have decided to try the Nutri-System diet. I need something that already has portions measured out. I have been on it for 4 days and so far it has been pretty good. You add your dairy, vegetables, fruit to their pre-made meals. This is what I've discovered so far about me and food......It's an addiction!!! I've been mourning for certain things, mostly sweets. I have to let it go and it's hard. I have to do this for me, my health and my family. So, I've made changes in my families diet by purchasing low sugar low, fat items, more fruit for snacking, etc. What does this have to do with homeschooling you may ask?? If I'm the healthiest mom I can be, there's NO DOUBT that will contribute to a better homeschooling life!!! Pray for me and I would love to hear from anyone that might have been on or currently is doing the NutriSystem plan or anyone that just wants to say Hi!! |
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Incredible!! I've watched the astronauts spacewalking on the Internet and it's amazing. If you have hi-speed internet, you have to check out nasa.gov for LIVE pics. of the astronauts working on the international space station and space shuttle. There's live audio too, so you know what's going on. And to see Earth in the background...WOW!! News here on the ground: My oldest daughter is leaving for two weeks to visit her grandparents in Ohio. The first week there, she'll be attending their church's summer camp. She's excited but nervous too. It's a big step for her as her first big trip from this far from home. We're going to miss her!! I now she'll have a great time. The summer is just moving along. I haven't decided yet when our first day of homeschool will be. I was thinking maybe September 1st. I need to start making preparations, you know, some type of weekly planner type thing. Any suggestions or materials that any of you use will be much appreciated!! |
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Yep, you read it correctly. As I write this post, I'm all by my lonesome. It's so quiet!! My husband decided to take our girls to Gatlinburg today. He has this pass so they can ride an aerial tram up to Ober Gatlinburg where they have a small amusement park. It's all FREE He just called on the cell phone and they're having a GREAT time. I'm usually NEVER home alone. There's always someone here and honestly when we go somewhere, we're ususally all together. I hadn't been feeling well the last week or so or I would be with them right now. I know you're wondering....so what have you been doing since you have the house to yourself?? Answer....Napping!! That's about it. I feel like I should be cleaning house, going through toys to get rid of, stuff like that. Anyway, have a great 4th of July!!! We'll have fireworks for sure cuz my dear hubby would spend thousands on them IF we had it to spend. HA HA. |