Well, we did it.  We finished school for this year.  LarryGirl graduated to grade 6, Curley to grade 4 and Moe to grade 2.  It was a good year with only a few down points.  We finished a lot later than other years, but oh well... we made it.

Next year is not quite decided.  There have been some issues that I really cannot discuss on this public blog, but please pray with me that God's will be done. 

As for summer plans... the kids and I are going on our annual cousin camp out next week.  The kids are also attending our church's day camp thanks to someone who sponsored them.  More camping, more days at the beach, visiting friends,  ahhhhhhhhhhh!!  I. LOVE. Summer!!!

I won't be able to post this on the actual day, but Sunday is my birthday.  I am looking forward to visiting with my parents and hanging out with my kids.  I hope the weather is wonderful, although they are calling for rain!

Hope your summer is great.

I can't believe I did this all by myself.  I'm certainly growing in this area.  Now I have to figure out how to post videos!!

Hope you like the songs I picked.

Love mlpinky

PS  I could really use some prayer, as I'm going through some real stressful times.

Bring out your tissues, this is an amazing video.  It kinda ties in with the last one.  GOD CHANGES LIVES!!!  Bring your "mess" to God and see what HE does with it!!!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrGfA6y9fNI

I haven't figured out how to post videos.  Anyone who knows how and would like to tell me, please leave comment.  Anyhow, I found this on someone else's blog and it moved me to tears.  I have been going through a difficult situation, but I know so many people are hurting.  I don't know how I would get through this without Christ.  It breaks my heart seeing people try and go through life with so many hurts and do not go to Christ for healing that only He can bring.  I hope it touched you as it touched me.

Love mlpinky

What to say Lord it's

You Who gave me life and

I can't explain just how much

You mean to me

Now that You've saved me Lord

I give all that I am to You that

Everyday I can be a light that shines Your name

Every day Lord I'll

Learn to stand upon Your Word

And I pray that I

That I may come to know You more

That You would guide me in

Every single step I take that

Every day I can be Your

Light unto the world

Every day it's You I'll live for

Every day I'll follow after You

Every day I'll walk with You my Lord

It's You I live for every day

It's You I live for every day

(Hillsong United)

Just a note to let you all know that I'm struggling a bit over here.

So far this month has been painful.  I do see my rheumatologist tomorrow.  My right foot is so painful, I'm limping, can hardly wiggle my toes, and can only wear my crocs.  I  have another nodule on top of an already existing nodule on my knuckle.

Probably this is due to some stress that I'm having personally.  This past weekend has been quite stressful due to some very hurtful, unthoughtful things that someone has done.  I need wisdom in knowing how to deal with this.

On a happier note, Curley and Moe past their yellow belts in Karate.  Moe was over the moon excited.  The three of them are so excited about karate and want to join the Karate Tournament Team.  I hope I am financially able to do this for them.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers...

Today was a very full and busy day.  A friend and I went to the Homeschoolers Conference in town.  It was fun looking at all the displays and thinking about the future.  I was specifically looking at Canadian Geography and writing curriculem.  I went to a seminar with Donna Ward who wrote "Canada my country" and really enjoyed it.  I am interested in using her stuff.  Also I was interested in Writing Strands and wondered if anyone here has used it.  I have looked at Excellence in Writing course and have heard really good things about it.  It is a little more expensive.  I enjoyed hearing my friend Donna Fawcett (homeschoolblogger.com/authorDonna) speak about what she would change and wouldn't change in her homeschooling.  I was really tired by the end of the day but I had something really exciting happen!!  I won a Tim Hortons "roll up the rim to win".   Finally after weeks of buying timmy's, I won a coffee!  Yippee!

Can it be true?!  Can my little girl be eleven already?  Amazing how time flies.  She is turning into such a wonderful young lady.  She is kind, thoughtful, loving, tenderhearted, has a burden for the lost, beautiful.  I am so blessed to be her mom.  I pray that God will give me the wisdom and patience as she continues to grow into a fine young woman.

We are having a birthday celebration dinner on Thursday with 16 family and friends.  She wanted a spanish dinner this year, so I am making spicy lasagna, spanish pasta bake and tacos.

Happy Birthday my angel-girl!! 

I had a GNO tonight.  What a wonderful refreshing time to be with my three best friends.  I met these women at Bible College many moons ago and we have been friends ever since.  About six years ago, we realized that we were letting the busyness of our lives separate us.  It wasn't a consious thing, we didn't mean it to happen, but we were not seeing each other for long periods of time.  We decided that we need to make time for each other, so the four of us take a turn every three months to host a GNO.  We absolutely love getting together.  Sometimes we go shopping, or go out for dinner, do an activity, or like tonight, just hang out and talk and talk and talk.....  I thank God for my three friends that I can be real with, pray with, cry with, and laugh until we cry with.

Last night I had the opportunity to see the Toronto passion play.  My mom's boss rented a nice bus and invited the staff and families to go see the play and have dinner.  So I went with my mom and dad.

The play was excellent.  I really enjoyed it.  It began with explaining Jesus' birth, Jesus in the temple when he was twelve, Jesus' baptism, and went on from there.  There were over 300 people acting, dancing, singing.  It was really well done.  I would love to go again and take my children.

Easter is early this year.  It's kind of hard to believe it's already here.  Especially with snow on the ground still.  I am looking forward to this coming week and remembering just how blessed we are.

Thank you Jesus for your wonderful gift of forgiveness.  Help me to slow down this week and remember your love for us.  Help me to give you all the devotion you deserve. Amen

For three years now, the girls have a sleepover in the middle of march for their birthdays.  It falls during our "March Break".  This year the girls had invited one friend each, so four girls altogether. 

First off the girls opened a present from one of the girls and were very excited to get another Webkinz.   Then the girls decided to put on a fashion show.  We have a large bin full of dress-up clothes, so using those and some clothes they brought, they put on quite the fashion show.

For dinner I made tacos and make your own sundaes with lots of toppings.  The girls loved doing that.  After a little while, we did a craft.  I wasn't overly thrilled with the craft I bought.  I'm not that crafty, so I bought a kit.  It was a beaded watch bracelet.  The watches didn't all work, but the girls had fun doing it anyway.

Finally it was time to start to the movie and hopefully quieten down a bit (yay right!).  We ate chips and popcorn and watched 101 Dalmations.  At 11:30 it was lights out.  I went to bed, but had to get up a few times to "help" the girls.  They finally all were asleep around 1:30.  The girls had a blast.  It is amazing how four 9 and 10 girls can trash a place!!

Last night we had quite the storm.  It snowed and snowed and snowed!  I believe we got about 40 cm of snow when it was all over.  I haven't seen this much snow ever!!  I heard on the radio that we have had more snow this winter than in the past eighty years! Our church service was cancelled this morning.  The plow broke as it was clearing the church parking lot!  Our parking lot just got ploughed now and it is almost noon.

As much as I am ready for spring and would like to see all the snow disappear, the snow does look beautiful.  It has been kind of fun working with our neighbours and trying to dig out of all this snow.  That being said, I still would like spring to come.  I think the groundhog lied when he predicted an early spring!

It's hard to believe that my little girl turned nine on Wednesday.  I think back at her early arrival and it seems it was just yesterday.  Curley was six weeks premature and weighed five pounds.  We spent 11 days in special care.  But I remember looking at the other tiny babies and thanking God that she didn't have too many problems.

Curley is a special tenderhearted little girl.  She loves pink, ballet, animals, playing with her dolls and being with her family.  She loves going to church and loves her school work.  She has been a joy to parent and I look forward to the years ahead as she continues to grow and mature into a young woman (although the thought does scare me a little;) )

Curley wanted a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, squash, dressing and veggies.  She wanted apple and pumpkin pie as well as Lime Ice Box Pie.  We had 15 family and friends over and we all had a blast.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEANUT!

Just thought I'd write a quick note on how cool the lunar eclipse looked tonight.  I got up Curley a few minutes ago to show her.  We are study astronomy this year, so it's cool to see it.

Curley goes in the hospital early tomorrow for another round of tubes and adenoids.  It's the third time for adenoids and I've lost count of the amount of tubes she has had.  If you think of us, please pray that everything goes smoothly.

I can't believe how much snow we have right now.  Yesturday 20 cm of snow came down again.  I guess it's a Canadian thing to talk (and complain) about the weather.  I am getting a little tired of being snowed in.  I can't recall having such a snowy February.  The snow is beautiful, but I don't always like driving in it.  I think we have about 45 cm of snow on the ground at the present.  However, this morning the sun came out and it has been quite pleasant.

It's hard to believe that we are half way through the month.  I have to say that compared to all the other January and February, this year has been the best homeschooling winter ever.  Usually in January and February we all get in the "I don't want to do school" funk.  But we are doing great.  No complaining, whining, sniveling, dragging feet.  It is wonderful.  I am not in a funk at all and I'm already thinking about choices for next year.

We are coming up to birthday season.  The girls definately don't NEED anything.  They have all the toys and clothes that they can fit in their room.  I have a few ideas but does anyone have any ideas for GIRLS TURNING 9 AND 11??  Thanks in advance for your comments.

***Lily can you email me?  Because I have lost everything on my old computer, I have lost email address and websites.  I have a new computer now (thanks to my friend!!)

It is -16 C today, but feels like -30 C with the wind chill.  There is a wind/blowing snow winter warning out.  If it wasn't Sunday, I would not go out at all.  I can't wait for this winter to end!!! The snow looks nice, but I'm not a winter person, as I find the cold very hard on my body.

LarryGirl is not feeling the best today.  She is coughing, sniveling a bit.   I hope she keeps it to herself.  I don't want the rest of us to get it.

We had a nice relaxing weekend, which is so wonderful.  We do have a busy week ahead of us. 

I am a homebody.  I love being home, curled up in my chair, reading a book or watching t.v.  I love the quietness of the house and the pitter patter of my children's feet.  I love watching my children play with each other, read to each other, and generally being really nice to one another.

However, because we homeschool, we are out a lot of evenings.  Mondays we do Karate for Christ.  Larry is in yellow belt, Curley is in advanced red, and Moe is in red belt.  Tuesdays the children have activities they do with their father and I am able to go to a bible study.  Wednesday the children have swimming lessons in the afternoon and Olympians in the evening.  Fridays we all go to Divorce Care (divorcecare.org and DC4K.org) a wonderful program helping separated and/or divorced families.

So after reading about our weekly schedule, you will notice that there is nothing on Thursdays.  Nothing!!!  It is becoming our favourite day of the week.  We use this day to relax, play games, watch a movie with just us at home, or we take the opportunity to go visit friends.  Tonight we were invited to visit my cousin and her family.  It was wonderful to relax (and I got to hold her baby girl a lot), talk about stuff, and enjoy a delicious meal together.  It was great.

After several months of computer woes, internet struggles, I am finally back online.  Yahooo!  Now I have to remember how to use the darn thing!!

Well I guess I should update you all:

Healthwise I am doing very well.  This is one of the best winters yet (so far).  I am taking my medication faithfully and I am able to manage my pain fairly well.  I am looking forward to spring, when the cold doesn't give me as much pain.

School is going great.  My three love doing school, and rarely ever whine or grumble which is very nice.  Moe is now reading and we are half way through the blue handbook for reading (Abeka) and looks forward to his daily clifford book.  All of them are doing very well in math (Saxon) especially Curley.  She amazes me how quickly she learns.  The girls are struggling a bit with grammar, but  Abeka is very repeatitive so they are getting lots of practise.

I may have mentioned this earlier, but we moved in October.  We love our new townhouse.  We move units in the same complex.  It gave us a fresh start that we all needed and left the memories in the old unit.  The layout in this townhouse is open concept and we even have a room for school (which I love).  My mom, a friend, and I painted the whole unit except for the two bathrooms.  I love the colour we picked it makes it feel warm and cozy.  It is a sort of mauvy brown colour.

Well, I am doing well.  It is amazing how God is providing for me.  I would not have chosen this path, but I have seen God's hand leading me.  I do continue to pray that God's heavy hand will be upon Paul, and that he will be restored to faith and our family.  But I am living for the future and God is healing my broken heart.  Thank you for your continued prayers.

My computer is working, but I cannot get online yet.  Still talking and waiting on my provider.  I am using the library computer at the moment.

Don't have time for a long post but....
...I am doing well.
...school is doing well.
...we moved at the end of October and I love my new place.
...church is wonderful.
...my family and friends are great.
...not overly looking forward to Christmas (first one on my own).

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and hopefully soon I can get my computer working so I can be in touch more with you all.  (If I don't throw the whole computer out the window!!)

... went very well.  It was actually amazing how well everyone took to starting back to school.  Even little moe (grade one) is so excited.  Still waiting on french and geography but we'll start those when they come in.  I am actually amazed how excited I am about starting school.  At the end of June, I didn't want to see a text book or be in our classroom ever again!!!  But the month of July was a wonderful break.

Still don't have my computer back (using my in laws computer still), but I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Thanks for the emails and comments welcoming me back.  I guess I was just supposed to have a summer fast from the computer.  The kids complained a little at the beginning about having no computer, but then they were having way to much fun outside!!!

Ellen, would you give me a call.  I lost your number!!

Love Mlpinky