Wow!! I can't believe how time has passed so quickly. We flew through spring and most of summer already.  Now, here we are in August, looking at the start of school yet again.  Unbelievable.

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Summer was busy but awesome for us.  The boys were on two swim teams so we were at the pool each morning and each evening.  We would also play in the pool in the afternoon if  the weather was nice.  We never seem to get tired of the water.

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In mid July, we went with my mom on a once in a lifetime vacation to Europe.  We went to Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg.   What an amazing time we had.  I'll post some pictures over the next week.  It was amazing.  I told my mom I felt like I was a princess in a fairytale.  I was truly an awesome experience.  They were 19 days, I pray, we never forget.

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Now, as we close in on mid August, we are engrossed with the Olympics, especially gymnastice, swimming and diving.   In the in between times, I try to wrap up my school year planning.  It is going to ba a good year, busy, but good.  

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It feels good to be back in the homeschoolblogger community again.  I pray to catch up with each one of you in the next week or so. 

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God Bless!   

It is so nice to have spring here again.  I could wait to get the clothes out on the line again.  It has been so wet and cold, I haven't hung my clothes up except once since before Thanksgiving.  Aahhh, the wonders of spring!

HE HAS RISEN!!

HAPPY EASTER

Inspired by photos other people placed on their blogs of flooding, I decided to post a few as well.  It is totally amazing the amount of water that is floating through middle United States right now. 

The boys and I have been out trucking around the area checking out water levels.  I must admit, I have NEVER seen anything like this before.  It was astonishing. 

See the baseball fencing in the upper right of the picture?  Wow!

Anyone have a boat? 

One of my favorite pictures! 

See how high the water level is here?  Well.......

on the other side of this flood gate wall, it is bone dry.  Amazing.  See the boys on top?  This was a huge wall! 

It seems that in every corner of my house, you will find some kind of knitting and crochet stuff.  One of these days I am going to get one centralized location for it all....

Gotta love those candles.....We burn all but the decorative ones.  Many times,  we have dip candles the boys have made hanging on these pegs, as well as others around the house.

A cozy little corner for the boys Bible stuff....

The ladder to HisCross' Kingdom!

Pioneer boxes the boys made, complete with leather hinges

Ironing and Sewing Corner  

A day in the life......

It is sleeting, freezing rain, and icing outside today.  A great day to be inside.  It is quite dangerous to be on the roads around here today so we will just stay put. 

It's a great day to curl up with pillows.....

And quilts.....

To do your school work.

For Mama, Its a great day for a cup of hot tea....

And to catch up on some much needed laundry.  This is my high class laundry shoot..

Here's the question of the day....Where do those matching socks go?  Honest, I think my washing machine must eat them 

Ever wonder what happens when you turn a young child loose with a can of whipped cream on Valentines Day?  Well, let TheBean demonstrate the results for you......

First, they innocently start putting it on their nummy strawberries

Then, before you know it, they have a HUGE pile.

Not too soon after that, it has somehow left the top of the strawberries but seriously missed the mouth of the young child........

How?  That I can not tell.....I do believe it only a child has that knowledge to share.  

We are on the mend here, slowly.  We all spent several days in bed with various animals taking care of us    Here is HisCross with our sweet Frackie keeping his little feet warm and cozy. 

The dogs were my nurse maids.  They were wonderful but once our yellow lab got on the bed, there wasn't a whole lot of room left for the Bichon and myself  :-)  

Now, fevers are finally gone but a nasty cough and lots of stuffy noses remain.  We are also quite weak and get very tired as the day rolls on.  I heard that these symptoms can last up to 2 weeks after the fever breaks.  This has to be just about the worst flu that has ever swept through our house.  I pray all of you are staying healthy this season.   May God strengthen you and keep you well.

There is an old saying in this part of the country, if you don't like the weather, just wait a day.  It is hard to believe we have gone from this--

To this--

In just 48 hours. 

The only sign of snow in our yard is a small patch of snow in the garden--

It is an absolutely beautiful day here.  It is in the 70's and the sun is shining.  I have all the windows in the house open letting in much needed fresh air.  It is perfect day to be outside. 

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AtTheCross is going to be able to spend much time outside enjoying.  He is so excited to have nice weather.  He is my one that really goes crazy if he doesn't have outside time (though he had lots of it in the snow the past several days). 

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My other two, however, aren't so lucky.  We are unfortunate to have somehow contracted influenza here at the house.  TheBean tested postive Saturday at the doctor.  He had a high fever (103.8) for several days.  He is down in the 99's today but still feeling lousy.  HisCross just started this morning and his fever has gone up hourly since he awoke. I am thinking I might be next  :-(  Looks like we are in for a fun week. 

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We are all praying protection for AtTheCross because he has a hugely important swim meet this weekend that he has worked so hard for.  We don't want him to have to miss it.  If you would remember him in your prayers, we would appreciate it. 

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In the meantime, we will enjoy our open windows and sunshine from inside.  I'll will get out briefly to take down the Christmas lights (finally, I know) but, then, it's back to playing nurse.  I try to look at the blessings, lots of cuddle time with the ones I love  :-)

Let it snow!!!!

Looks like we have a big storm heading our way.  We are ALL anxiosly waiting.  Yes, I said "all."  I love snow as much as the kids.  Can't wait!

Let it snow!!!!

Our Christmas and New Years were wonderful.. Thought I would share a few photos. 
We were able to spend time with my beautiful mother, who is my best friend this side of heaven. 

The boys had a great time with "Santa Claus,"

 Their Cousins (the ones NOT in stripes)

And our best friends, who were in visiting from Belgium

We also toasted in the New Year with a little Grape Juice.

We are ready and praying for a wonderful 2008. 

What a busy month.  I can't believe it has been that long since i updated.  Well, we had a wonderful Christmas.  We were able to spend it with my family in Chicago.  It wouldn't be the same any other way.  Christmas day came and went with the wind but the spirit is still here with us, alive and well.  It is a beautiful thing!

During our visit to Chicago, our best friends  (who have been in Belgium for almost 5 years) came to visit.  The boys and I had such a great time being with them again.  It is amazing to me how time can pass but, when the relationship is strong, you can pick up right where you left off.  It was like that for both the boys and myself.  The visit was way too short but we will cherish the memories of the time together, little as it was. 

Now, we are trying to settle back into some sort of schedule with school.  It has been slow going for the past 2 weeks.  We are getting everything finished but it seems to take most of the day.  It's a good thing it's winter and we aren't missing outdoor time due to school.  We have added Spanish back in this semester and we are all enjoying it a lot.  I am hoping we can be a bit conversational with it before too long. 

It's good to be back blogging again, after a wee break.  I hope to have some photos up soon of our last months adventures  :-) 

In Him who is able to do, more for me and you, than we could ever dream! 

Today we had the most wonderful icicles hanging from the house.  As we have a little melt off, it just continues to stay beautiful.

They had wrapped themselves around our Christmas lights.  It was really neat!!

Some of them were as long as 2 feet and 3 inches in diameter.  These things were fantastic.  The boys wanted to eat them all.  :-) 

TheBean found some smaller ones he thought were "bean" sized. 

The older two spent a a good while outside sledding again.  This is what winter should be like.  TheBean wasn't up to it so he and I just stayed in and did some "Top Secret Adventures" from Highlights and nibbled in pretzels.  It was a nice afternoon.  I think we have one day more with the snow and then most of it will probably be gone.  I pray we get lots more this winter. 

I was tagged a while back by HisWillingVessel and am now getting around to it.  Better late than never I guess.   :-)

Here are the rules:

*Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.

*Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.

*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.

*Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

1)  I am originally from Chicago and love, love, love snow!  A snowy winter is one of my favorite things.  I love taking walks in it, sledding in it, skiing, playing in it and having snow ball fights.

2) My favorite type of food is Thai and my favorite Thai dish is Green Curry Tofu.  Second would have to be Tofu Pad Thai.  Num!

3) I am a huge animal lover.  There really aren't any animals I don't love.  (One reason I don't really eat meat.)   I would have an animal rescue shelter if I could.

4)  If the Amish/Anabaptist were more in line doctrinally with what I believe, I would be Amish in a heart beat and live the plain life. I love the community, simplicity and way of life.  It fascinates me to no end.

5) I, like Brenda, wear dresses most of the time.  I even sled in them, which amazes many people.  Hey, no pants to split  LOL! A nice pair of warm leggings under the dress and you are nice and cozy.

6) I LOVE to garden.  I love feeding my family food I am confident is natural and clean, I love working with the soil, and feel so close to the Lord when working in my garden. 

7) Hmmm......one more thing to share, how about.....I hate a messy house but my house is always messy.  Go figure. 

Don't know who all I am going to tag yet.  I'll update and let you know. 

OK, HisCross wants me to do an entry of links so, here it goes.  This is for you, HisCross :-)

Here are some of the places I go on a daily basis, or at least close to it.  Hope you enjoy.

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HisCross

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TheBean

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AtTheCross

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KDQSwims

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TeamBettendorf

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Enchanted Learning

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No Greater Joy

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Tapestry of Grace

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Raising Godly Tomatoes

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Path To Freedom

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Down---to---earth

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A Mom Just Like You

We made it through the weekend and into the next week without the boys getting this fly.  It is a terrible bronchitis type thing that has had me coughing badly and quite miserable for 7 days now.  I am praying health for the boys, feeding them TONS of fruit, encouraging much hand washing, giving them Emergen-C twice a day, garlic and letting them sleep as late as their little bodies need to each morning.  I am trying to keep their immune systems as healthy as possible, praying that will help their bodies fight this off.  So far, so good.

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At one time, atthecross wasn't feeling too well and we thought he was getting sick.  Thebean, being the sweet, sensitive child that he is, made him a little surprise on his bed out of pipe cleaners all by himself.  We were all so surprised.  Too cute!  Atthecross never did end up getting sick, praise God.

The weather has cooperated so the boys have been able to spend lots of time outside, out of the germy house.  They love to be outside jumping on the tramp, playing in the creek, playing with the neighbors, climbing trees, riding bikes etc.  To help me out and give me a little rest, a neighbor (who also homeschools) took them all on a bike ride.  They had the most wonderful time.  What a blessing it was for all of us. 

Time sure has a way of getting by.  I can't believe it is already Thursday.  It is a beautiful fall day and the boys are looking forward to spending the afternoon outside with their friends.  It should be a very nice day. 

The boys all swam this past weekend in a meet.  They had so much fun and all showed so much improvement from their meets this summer.  It is so rewarding when they can see that their hard work at practices has paid off.  They were all happy with their times and felt very encouraged by the meet.   We look forward to another meet in 1 1/2 weeks.  We actually get to travel for that one.  Should be a blast.

This week has been a little bit different.  I have come down with some sort of flu and not been up to par.  It started with the aches and has now all settled in my chest with a pretty intense cough.  No fun.   We have managed to get all the basics in school finished but have not done any extras, like Latin, Art or Science.  We are way ahead in hours so I am not in the least bit concerned but I hate to not cover everything on the scedule for that day.   

Needless to say, i haven't taken any pictures from the week nor done any entries.  I have rested during my spare time and crashed at the same time as the boys each evening. The family has been so kind and are taking good care of me.  I am so blessed to be surrounded by little munchkins who love their mama.   I should be up an running again soon.

A chilly, misty fall day outside today.  It is great day to be inside, snuggled in the sweet security of the Lord and the home He has provided for us.  I love this time of year when the air starts turning cooler and the leaves start changing colors. 

It is such a warm time of year, if that makes any sense.  We love to light candles, sip hot cocoa, eat homemade soup with homemade rolls, curl up and read a good book or just snuggle and talk.  

The candles on our kitchen table where we eat.

Normally, school takes place downstairs, especially in the summer.  But those first days of fall,  as our bodies are adjusting to the coolness, we like to do it upstairs, snuggled up in different places.

We have had a fun day today.  Typical "school" was less than normal but they boys learned so much more today and had fun doing it. 

Fall is probably my favorite time of year.  After coming out of a terribly hot and humid summer, fall air is so crisp and clean I wish i could just bottle it, though I guess I wouldn't appreciate it as much then.  In the heat of the summer, if we aren't in a pool or river somewhere, we are inside and that is really tough on us.  We LOVE to be outside hiking, climbing, biking, camping, walking......when this cooler air begins to come in in the fall, we rush outside.  We do school outside, have campfires and roast lunch (the one and only time the boys get hotdogs/meat), take nature walks for science, visit the zoos and nature preserves, anything outdoors, and just soak in all this wonderful air. 

We also get to plant that last crop of the year which tastes just as nummy as that first tomato each year.  It is nice to be outside tending to the garden since that brutal heat is gone now.  I could spend hours working in the gardens.  And, the boys love to dig in it (the only place they can dig unfortunately) since much of the garden is done til spring.  They get to dig and my garden gets turned over.  They get to find worms and I get the comfort of knowing my soil is improving each year as the worm population grows.  They get very dirty which makes them so happy and I get the joy of hearing the giggles and laughs as they do so.  It is a wonderful time of year, fall.

Oh, and the colors, aren't they wonderful?  Things are only just beginning to turn colors around here and it is so exciting to see.  I love the many different colors, the boys love finding leaves in as many different shades and colors as they can.  And leaf piles......they are so much fun for jumping.  Last year, we put all the pine needles and leaves in a huge pile, huge a rope swing above them and let the boys swing into the pile.  It was a blast.  They can jump, bury, throw, dig tunnels.......spend hours playing with a leaf pile.  Oh the joys of fall.

Then, those wonderful cool nights, oh, they are the best for sleeping soundly.  I love opening the windows to cool things down (can't do that in the summer because it is still in the upper 80's/lower 90's at midnight many nights) then dozing off under a nice warm comforter.  Comforters and blankets are so cozy and warm and, well,...comforting  :-)  They house cools down so nicely at night, the air conditioner can go off until next spring when things start heating up again.  It is so wonderful. 

Though we enjoy each and every season God has created, and they are so wonderful for different reasons, I really think fall is my favorite.  Happy Harvest!

Life is busy, life is good, life is blessed.  We seem to over th chicken pox with my oldest and no signs of it with the other two yet.  School is back in  full swing, as is swimming.  We are at the pool from 6-9 pm or 7-9pm depending on the day, but we are there every night with someone swimming.  I am using that time to menu plan, crochet washrags and refrigerator drawer liners and start to plan for Chirstmas presents.  We are going to make them all this year (except a couple thing for the boys) so we need to get to work. 

The weather has been so gorgeous here lately.  I love , love, love fall and there are signs of it everywhere.  We are really enjoying the cool night now, also.  We can get the house cooled down quite a bit so we have turned the air conditioner off for the season.  There are days I am tempted to turn it back on, but we have ceiling fans and know a cooler evening is coming.

The fall garden in coming in nicely.  I have  planed, peas, broccoli, lettuce and spinach and they are all up and doing great.  It will be so nice to have some garden vegi's this fall.  Num. We are having to water quite a lot, which isn't normal for this time of year,  but it allows me a great opportunity to check on things.  I will be thinning the lettuce in the next day or two.  I sometimes miss the right time to do this if I don't have to water because I don't check as regularly as I should. 

Well, off to make some nummy granola for breakkfast.  I'll try to get a couple of our favorite  recipes posted in the next day or two.   Many have messaged me asking for recipes and I'll try to get them posted.  In the meantime, have a blessed day.  Keep your focus on the Lord and your day will be wonderful!