More of Him - Less of Me
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Jul. 4, 2009
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It's Out!!
The new Summer issue of "The Old Schoolhouse" is out and on the newsstands - with my article in it! I was so excited to see it! I had picked up my mail before going to physical therapy and had to take it in to show all the therapists! LOL
Here's what the front cover of the magazine looks like:
 I'm so happy with how it came out, although, I was shocked at how large a picture they put in of my hubby and I! LOL
Mainly, I hoping that my article will encourage others who have gone through illness or other hardships while homeschooling. I give the Lord all the credit for getting us through the hard times. Believe me when I tell you, without Jesus by my side, I couldn't have done it. That's the truth, plain and simple. Jesus gives me my strength and my confidence that I can make it through each and every trial that comes my way.
I have also updated my website and hope that you will visit me. Please sign the guest book while you're there, too! I'd love to hear from you!
www.JulieDanielson.com
Until next time, God bless you - Julie |
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Jul. 3, 2009
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Graduation - Part II
Here's the Graduate! Cody wore his tux to the Graduation and looked quite handsome, in my humble opinion.
 We had 5 cakes for the reception (which turned out to be way too much, but who knew?) and this was the one that was so special. They turned a photo of the Graduates into sugar and put on top of the cake. Isn't that amazing? Such a beautiful cake and the centerpiece of the food area.
 Here I am trying to gain my composure. I had been okay until I looked at my son and he had tears streaming down his face. That did me in. I had to stand there for a few minutes and then I could speak again. My hubby was no help. If you look closely, you'll see the tears in his eyes, too.
 Here we are handing him his diploma and his tassel. I got a beautiful diploma made and all the Graduates received a tassel. It was a very special moment.
 Cody performed at the Graduation. Here he is with my other son, Shane, on the left and Cody's best friend, Eric, on the right. They did two songs and Cody sang for one of them.
 Cody picking out his solo here.
 Another pickin' picture. :o)
 Here's the proud parents all smiles before the Graduation. I really like this picture of my hubby and me. I plan on printing it out and framing it. I think my hubby is such a handsome guy!
 Here's Cody and his best friend, Eric, who happens to be the son of . . . .
 my best friend, Kym. Here we are after the Graduation. I was so happy that she was there to share in my joy as I graduated my last child. She was a huge part of my homeschooling adventure. I'm very blessed to have such a wonderful friend.
Here's the family after the Graduation. That's me, Cody, my husband's Mother, my hubby, and my oldest son, Shane. We had a hard time getting pictures of Grandma as she kept talking about cake and wanted to get to the reception hall! LOL
 I hope you enjoyed seeing these pictures. The Graduation was a lot of work to put together, but it came out so beautifully and it was definitely worth all the work.
My homeschool journey is now at an end, however, I am going to still be a part of the homeschool community. It was the greatest thing I ever did or will ever do. As I said as I spoke at the Graduation, "I always said that I would be a success if, when my children are adults, they both loved the Lord, Jesus Christ, and followed Him with all their hearts. I can honestly say that as I stand here today, I am success." Homeschooling gave me the opportunity to have the Lord in our lives every day and allowed my children to get to know Him on a very intimate basis. I'm very thankful for the past 10 years of homeschooling. It made our family better and made us all closer to the Lord. Thank you, Lord, for leading us to homeschooling.
God bless you - Julie |
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Jul. 2, 2009
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Graduation - Part I
As promised, here are the graduation photos from my son's homeschool Graduation. This first photo is the church sanctuary. We had to set up the morning of the Graduation as they had a function in the church the night before. All hands were on deck at 9:00 that morning. We had to move more chairs into the sanctuary to accommodate all the guests that were coming. We also had to move things from the stage area.
 Thank goodness for my friend, Rose (shown here pointing), who was so organized about getting the sanctuary done. She wrote down where all the chairs came from and how many there were so we could return things to their proper place after the Graduation. She really was my right hand buddy throughout the Graduation preparation!
 Here's Cody getting his mike all set up for that night when he played his mandolin and sang. His friend, Josh, who was also graduating is an old pro at setting things up electronically as he's been doing it for his youth group for years.
 Here's a picture of the reception hall after it was decorated. The class colors were Royal Blue and Gold. We were very blessed to find those colors at the local party store and found some really nice things. I bought two air tanks so we could fill the balloons for the reception. Hint: If you do this, get some of the gel to put in the balloons before the air (I got mine from Oriental Trading) as this will keep the balloons flying high for days and days! We wanted them to stay nice for the reception that night.
 Here's another shot of the reception room. One of the lades made gold table runners from beautiful, gold fabric. They really set the tables off nicely and gave them that extra touch.
 I hope you enjoyed seeing the Graduation prep pictures. Stay tuned to see the pictures from the Graduation.
God bless you - Julie |
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Jun. 18, 2009
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Total and Utter Exhaustion
Oh, dear friends, I can't tell you how exhausted I am - physically and mentally. Just ready to drop. I asked my hubby this morning, "Is it possible to die from being so tired?". I know this sounds dramatic, but it's exactly how I am feeling. What's happening, you ask, that I'm feeling this way? Let me enlighten you.
First we had my son's high school graduation that I was in charge of. I had done this before so I thought it would be a cake walk. Not so. I had a low budget, no supplies from years past, and a couple of parents who made it their mission to make my life very difficult. However, we got through this and the Graduation was absolutely gorgeous (pictures soon, I promise!). During all this, my step father-in-law was put into the VA nursing home and we found ourselves taking care of my mother-in-law who is showing strong signs of Alzheimers. We knew she had been doing poorly in the memory area, however, working with her every day soon made us realize how really bad she is. So, the decision has been made to move her here to our home as soon as possible. This requires us to pack up her home and get things moved here. This is a woman who is 84 years old and a collector. A dish collector, to be exact. I have packed dishes, dishes and more dishes and, believe it or not, there are still some dishes left to pack! We don't want her to have to make the hard choice of what to keep or get rid of right now. She has enough emotional stress right now and her life is not what it was a month ago. We are letting her deal with all that first and maybe in the Fall, she will feel more capable of going through all these dishes and making decisions. I know how stressed out I am and it wasn't my husband who was put into a nursing home and it's not me who is having to leave my home. I am trying to make this as easy on her as possible, but it's making it harder on me because I'm bearing the stress of it all right now. However, this too shall pass and soon we can all take a break and rest (I hope!).
My hubby has taken my mil to the doctor because of our great concern with her mental failings. She has had her blood and urine tests done and this next week, she will go and do a memory test to determine how bad things are. If they want to ask my hubby and I how bad things have gotten, we can give them a book full of stories! We will tell her something and she will not remember it in 15 minutes. Or she will ask something, we answer her, and soon she is asking the same question again. She never remembers the answers until we say it so much - over and over - that it seems to penetrate this invisible barrier in her brain. She remembers (and tells) her childhood stories with great accuracy, but she can't remember what she ate for breakfast. It's really sad and hard.
In the middle of all this, we moved the shed that she had in her backyard to our yard. She wanted me to take it and make an art studio out of it for myself! Oh, my! This is really a dream come true! The moving of the shed was really quite easy - I thought this would be the difficult part - but the hard part has been in the electrical wiring of it. We asked a friend of ours to do the wiring but he was trying to be nice and help out a guy from his church that is out of work and needs money and suggested we use this man. HUGE mistake! This man is so crooked that our bill ended up being 3 times what it should have been. He padded the bill so much, it's laughable that he even thought we would fall for it! He charged us for wire he didn't use and then charged us for two outlets that were all ready in the building! He also charged us over $100.00 more to rent the trench digger than it actually cost to rent from Home Depot! To top this off, he charged us for 25 hours of labor when he actually worked about 10 hours. He tore up the insulation in the building when he said he wouldn't, and the zinger of all zingers, the wiring doesn't even work! There is a short somewhere because when we plug something in to use it, it trips the breaker - so it doesn't even work!! Yes, he had a straight face when he handed us this bill - and he actually thought we would pay it! So now, we have this new problem to deal with. Our friend, who recommended him, is feeling horrible about this but it's not his fault. I do have to say, though, I am actually afraid of this man who did the electrical work. I'm usually not afraid of people, but I am of this man. I didn't feel good about him when I met him (never a good sign) but now I'm just downright afraid! Until this is resolved, I will be looking over my shoulder and sleeping with one eye open, believe me.
I'm hoping we will have the house completely packed up tomorrow. That will be such a relief. I will have a mess to deal with in my own home, but that's something easier for me to handle. I can take a break when I need to rest my back and knees and I won't feel the pressure to get it all done quickly. I can take my time. I've tried to stay seated as much as possible while packing things because of my knees and back, but it's not always possible, nor is it always the most comfortable position. I'm having to take pain meds more often right now just to get through the days and nights.
I feel like I've done nothing but complain in this post. I hope it hasn't come off that way. I just wanted to let you know where I've been and what's happening. Soon, I will have happier things to report and will also have lots and lots of pictures to share of the Graduation and other things.
Just keep me in your prayers! So much is happening, I feel the need to hide under the wings of the Lord and allow Him to shelter me and give me strength. He has done that and more! I'm so glad I have the Lord, Jesus, to run to. Honestly, I couldn't do all this without Him - and I don't have to! Praise God!
God bless you - Julie
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May. 11, 2009
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Some thoughts
How was your Mother's Day yesterday? Mine was wonderful. It was a quiet day filled with the ones I love. What could be better? My hubby gave me a beautiful card and wants to take me out to get me something in the jewelry category. :o) What a guy. My oldest son gave me a beautiful card and a Nintendo DS game (yes, I have a Nintendo DS) that I have been wanting and searching for, "Professor Layton & the Curious Village". It's a riddle/puzzle game that has my poor 47 year old brain really working. My youngest son gave me a really beautiful card that he made himself and the first season of one of the great TV shows of all time, "The Dick Van Dyke Show". I've all ready watched 2 discs! Yes, it was a wonderful day - not because of the presents, but because of the thought that went into them and the fact that my children love me - just as I love them. It really is all about the love. The gifts are just a tangible showing of that love. They all put so much thought into their gifts. I love those guys!!
I did spend part of the weekend in my chair with the heating pad. I went out and pruned a rose bush (which wasn't easy on my back), but then I came in a picked up a heavy box filled with files and that did me in. I felt something "give" and knew I had done something dumb. The pain went down my right leg and I had to rest for the duration of the weekend. That's another reason my Mother's Day was quiet. LOL Today it's better, but I can tell I need to get into my physical therapy - and soon!
I've been helping my in-laws with their paperwork and bills. My poor mother-in-law came over to the house about a week ago all upset because everything was such a mess and the bills were either over-paid or not paid at all. She is getting more confused about things, so I had my son go over to her house with her and gather up all the paperwork, bills (paid and unpaid) and then we had to get them in piles and file them in a box (the aforementioned box that hurt my back). I have been making phone calls like crazy getting balances, the address changed so the bills come to our home, and getting past due things paid. I'm just so glad I can help them. I don't know what would become of them if I didn't. I was very concerned that there were a couple of utility bills past due - it would be awful for the power or water to be shut off on them. I'm relieved that my hubby and I won't have to worry about that now.
A final thought -
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:15-16
Who do you say Jesus is? I say what Simon Peter said so profoundly and so accurately. He is the Christ - the Son of the living God. No matter what you're going through, remember that Jesus is there for you - remember who He is! Nothing is too big for Jesus.
God bless you - Julie |
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May. 4, 2009
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Birthday Present
Remember when I told you that my boys got a fun birthday gift and I would have pictures? Well, here they are!
 What are they doing here, you ask? Why, boxing, of course!
 Isn't that just too amazing?
They pooled all their birthday money and got themselves a Wii. We've all been enjoying it, actually.
 One of their favorites is Raving Rabbits. Have you played that one before? It's hilarious and even this girl likes playing it. Fun games that everyone can do and silly Rabbits, to boot! How can you miss?
 They even got their Dad to play! You are witnessing a miracle here, folks! My hubby has NEVER played any kind of video game and has always been rather negative about them, but he actually liked playing the Wii bowling!!
 How do you like those slippers? Very stylish, don't ya think? LOL It was fun for us all to play together and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually glad they got a new video game system.
God bless you - Julie |
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Apr. 10, 2009
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No Greater Love
 On this Good Friday, I am reflecting on the fact that Jesus laid his life down for me. The perfect lamb, who knew no sin, was beaten severely and then nailed to a cross to die a horrible, painful death. For me. For you.
I am so thankful that my life belongs to Jesus. I am so thankful that He cares so much for me.
No greater love.
God bless you - Julie |
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Apr. 8, 2009
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Sick, again?
I caught that horrible flu my poor hubby had/has. Yes, he's still coughing a bit and really tired. He has been sick for over a week! I really thought I was going to be fine, but unfortunately, woke up sick on Sunday morning. I'm coughing up a lung (well, it feels that way, anyway) and just miserable. I had a lot of things I needed to do this week, so I was on the phone rearranging things.
I had a graduation meeting scheduled for Tuesday and knew Monday morning I probably wasn't going to be able to make it, but kept waiting throughout the day to see if I would get better. Nope. I had to call all the graduation families and tell them we would reschedule. I really thought we could do it next week, but now I'm wondering if I should wait until the next week. I just can't imagine at this point that I'm going to be well enough to do it next week. Thank goodness, it's April and it won't be putting us in a bad situation to wait an extra week to get together.
I also had two different doctor appointments set up that I had to reschedule. They weren't something that couldn't be put off either, so that was good. I guess more than anything, I'm really tired of being sick. This winter has been a horrible one for our family as far as sickness goes.
My son and I have been able to work on our Easter study this week. It's been such a blessing and we will probably finish it up after Easter (since I'm sick), but that's okay - the story of Jesus and his death and resurrection is a wonderful subject for any time!
I haven't been doing anything very exciting or fun - again, because I'm sick. Can you tell I'm more than frustrated with being sick? I tried to crochet some dish cloths, but I kept making errors and having to pull the stitches out. I finally gave up and decided it's probably best to wait until I'm well. I've been reading which is always a lovely thing. I read this book
and it was really excellent. It's a suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It also has a side romance line (not sweetly sick) that will have you rooting for, too. It's definitely a Christian suspense and it really does explain the Christian walk very well. In fact, when the heroine is explaining what Christianity means to her, she explains it in such a way that totally makes sense, without being condemning to the person she was witnessing to. I highly recommend this book - you'll really enjoy it.
I am now going to read a book that Glenn Beck recommended called, "5000 Year Leap". I will let you know how I liked it after I've read it. It looks very interesting, though!
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter Week!!
God bless you - Julie
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Apr. 4, 2009
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Getting back to the basics
I don't blog as often as I used to because I always feel such a pressure to put pictures and all that on my blog. It didn't start out that way. I wanted my blog to be a place where I shared what was going on in my life and to, hopefully, encourage others along the way. I think the pressure to make my blog something more is from reading other peoples blogs. There are a lot of blogs out there that I know they must spend tons of time on. I just don't have that kind of time. So, I've decided to get back to my roots. Writing. If I have time to share photos, I will, but if not, I'm not going to put off writing on here and keeping in touch with you all. Maybe I won't get as many readers, but so be it. It's just where I am in my life right now.
This has been another week filled with sickness. I had a stomach bug and then my hubby caught that cold that my younger son had. He has been really sick and I'm praying that he gets over it soon. I always worry about him since he has the health issues he has. The wind here has been horrible and I think all that pollen getting stirred up has only made his cold worse. I was sitting in my car the other day after getting out from swimming and you could see the pollen, thick like dust, on the windshield! It's horrible!
I have been busy with the graduation preparations and sometimes it really hits me that in less than two months, I will be finished with homeschooling my children. I'm excited for what the Lord has in store for me, yet I'm also sad because homeschooling really has been the greatest thing I've ever done! I'm so thankful that my homeschooling group wants me to continue to write articles for the newsletter and also be a mentor for the other mother's that are homeschooling. I just don't want to lose touch with the homeschooling community.
I haven't shared the fact that our family has been in search of a church again. We finally decided to go to my best girlfriend's church as we had heard so many great things about it. One up side about it was the fact that the assistant pastor at this church was the assistant pastor at another church we went to for years. After he left and moved out of state, things changed drastically and we left that church. He and his wife moved back and are working at this church now. Anyway, after making that hard decision to go there, another church opportunity came up. After that first time of visiting this church, my husband and I went to Safeway to pick up a few things and we ran into another assistant pastor that we knew from another church. We had always liked this man and his wife and had learned so much of the Bible under him. However, this church was having issues because the wife of the pastor was going around telling everyone that she wasn't called to be a pastor's wife and it created turmoil. Enough so that we decided that we had to leave there. Anyway, he told us that he was going to be starting his own church and we told him we were very excited about that and would interested and knowing more about it, which we are. However, it does create a turmoil for us because we aren't sure where the Lord wants us. We are in prayer about this but isn't it funny how we were searching for a church and then end up having to decide between two different churches the same day?
God bless you - Julie
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Mar. 24, 2009
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Enjoy your Children
We've had a strange sort of spring so far . . . we've had extremely warm days and then over the last few days, the wind has been just horrible! I wondered if our house would be picked up like Dorothy's in the Wizard of Oz. We've had huge dust storms and even had a 15 car pile up not far from here because people couldn't see through the dust on the highway. It's warmed up again today and I hope it stays that way.
I had been having problems with my blog here on HSB, but one of these very nice administrators in the forum helped me! It was quite simple, really, but I had no idea what was wrong. Hopefully from this point on, all will be able to see my blog and comments from here on out. Many thanks to my helper
We are getting ready to do an Easter unit study. I'm very excited about this and have collected all the books and movies I need. This will be very special for my son and I since it will be the last holiday study we do together before he graduates from high school. I know I've said it before, but it's worth repeating; I just don't know where the years have gone and it's hard to believe my children are both grown. Enjoy each and every moment with your children because they grow up really fast!
I have truly enjoyed each and every moment with my children as they have grown up and I'm enjoying them now as young men. We are all very close and I'm very thankful for that.
I'm in physical therapy for my knee and it's been good so far. I had physical therapy for my back a few months back at a different clinic. I'm just amazed at how different the therapy is. The last place actually made things worse and I was in horrible pain. With this clinic I'm going to now, it's all about strengthening my muscles and if I have pain, they react and don't let it get out of hand. In fact, today I started having pain behind my knee and she said I had strained my tendon. She did deep tissue massaging and I thought I would jump out of my skin, it was so painful. However, after the initial pain, it felt SO much better. They had me come home and use heat on it, and it's much better. It really is amazing to me how one clinic can be so much better than another!
I hope you're having a great week and, remember, enjoy your children each and every minute!
God bless you - Julie
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Feb. 9, 2009
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Winter Wonderland!!
This is my front yard. I took this shot in color but it was snowing so hard, it made everything look black and white! I hadn't bothered to take the bird bath apart and cover it because we've had such beautiful weather. I hope I won't be sorry and end up with a cracked bird bath! The bird-feeder on the pole to the right of the bath will definitely need to be refilled tomorrow for my feathered friends.
 This next picture is looking out East from my front door today. There is a mountain range that normally you can see quite clearly because I'm only about 15 miles from it's summit. However, with all the snow, you can't even tell there are mountains there!
 You can barely make out our neighbors house in the distance. We haven't seen it snow this hard in quite a while!
Here's another pictures of my front yard. All the trees are so beautiful with their snowy branches! So clean and white! I have to enjoy it while I can. When this all melts, it will be a muddy mess! lol
 In other news. . . I finished my hubby's Valentine book. I will share it with you all after I give it to him on the 14th. He does read my blog sometimes, so I don't want to spoil the surprise by having him see it here first. It was truly a labor of love and I'm so happy with how it came out. I was able to do it while sitting and nursing my knees again. Yes, again. They seem to be better today, so I'm hoping tomorrow I can do a bit more around here. It's really frustrating sometimes having arthritis!
My brother-in-law went to the neurologist and they say this growth is on the outside of his brain tissue which is really great news! They will continue to monitor it with MRI's and so forth, but right now they say surgery is not necessary and, in fact, could do more harm than good. Thank you for your prayers!
Hubby is feeling better after his horrible ordeal with the eye doctor. I give him credit - I'm not sure if I would want to go back. I think the only reason he is choosing to is because it has improved his eye sight. Since he is diabetic, any good news regarding his eyes is very welcome and encouraging!
We are supposed to have our Valentines Party with our homeschool group tomorrow, however, I'm wondering if we really will. I know that if it looks like it does right now out there, I am not going to want to venture out. Since we are supposed to get more snow tonight and tomorrow morning, I have a feeling the party may be canceled. This is so sad for our family because it will be the last Valentine Party we'll have with our homeschool group and we have always looked so forward to them every year. We have always tried to make it to them, no matter what.
Hope you're all staying dry and warm!
God bless you - Julie |
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Feb. 8, 2009
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Sunday Devotional
Joyful Security
I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
(Isaiah 41:10)
Fear of falling is wholesome. To be venturesome is no sign of wisdom. Times come to us when we feel that we must go down unless we have a very special support. Here we have it. God's right hand is a grand thing to lean upon. Mind, it is not only His hand, though it keepeth heaven and earth in their places, but His right hand: His power united with skill, His power where it is most dexterous. Nay, this is not all; it is written, "I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." That hand which He uses to maintain His holiness and to execute His royal sentences—this shall be stretched out to hold up His trusting ones. Fearful is our danger, but joyful is our security. The man whom God upholds, devils cannot throw down.
Weak may be our feet, but almighty is God's right hand. Rough may be the road, but Omnipotence is our upholding. We may boldly go forward. We shall not fall. Let us lean continually where all things lean. God will not withdraw His strength, for His righteousness is there as well. He will be faithful to His promise, and faithful to His Son, and therefore faithful to us. How happy we ought to be! Are we not so?
by Charles H. Spurgeon
Isn't it wonderful to know that the Lord's hand is upon us - guiding us, loving us and keeping us from falling?
God bless you - Julie |
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Feb. 6, 2009
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Passions, Parties, and the search is on
I'm beside myself over the horrible decision by our president to not go forward with the trial of the man that masterminded the USS Cole bombing. I mean - really. What about all those wonderful Sailors that lost their life in this terrorist's act of cowardice? Don't they mean anything? I can't even imagine how he can justify this decision to the families of the fallen or the other Sailors that were on the ship that day.
I've decided that I probably need to start another blog where I discuss one of my passions - politics. Not so much politics as the mission to save our country from the liberal bent it has started on. It's getting worse and worse. I honestly cannot believe that any president would choose to let a man go that did that to our servicemen. It's something I can't comprehend. When and if I get this new blog going, you'll be the first to know.
On the home front. . . . Hubby had another shot in his eye yesterday and this time it wasn't completely deadened. Can we all say, "Ewwwww"? Oh. My. Goodness. I can't even imagine what my poor hubby went through. The shot he had last time was fine - no pain or anything. I think this doctor has the tendency to over-book and so there were so many people in that office. I'm not sure if he can actually do things as well when he's so busy. Hubby is supposed to have more shots, but of course, now he's really nervous. I told him to focus on the first shot and that we will make sure his eyes are completely deadened in the future. On the up side, they do see some improvement in his vision, so that's good.
I'm nursing my knee today. I'm not sure what's happening - it's probably just my arthritis acting up again. I'm hoping tomorrow it's better. I had to use my cane today because it kept buckling and I was afraid I would fall. I'm praying for healing.
We are preparing for the big Valentine party with our homeschool group next week. We will be going to Peter Piper Pizza for lunch with everyone and then onto the ice skating rink for skating and a Valentine exchange. I talked to the mom who is planning it all and so far we will have over 70 children who are going to exchange Valentines! We will have more families than that as some children won't be doing the Valentines, so it's sure to be a fun party for everyone. We used to always go to the ice-skating rink out of town as we didn't have a rink here. Honestly, it was so fun to go to the out of town rink. It was something all the families looked forward to. We would eat out at a burger place that was in that town only, go skating and bring snacks to share with everyone and decorate the locker room where we had the party, and then head out to the used bookstore when everyone was done skating. It was so fun! It's easier for everyone to go to this local rink, though, and it will still be fun!
I had a phone call today from the leader of our homeschool group and she wanted me to pick a date out in April or May on a Saturday as the group is going to give 3 of the homeschool mom's a party. I'm one of the 3! Yes, it's true. I'm one of the old guard that will be graduating my youngest this year and I've been a part of the group for a long time. They want to celebrate our time in the group and send us off in style. Isn't that sweet? I'm very touched that they even considered this sweet gesture! It seems so odd that I'm actually going be done with my homeschooling this year. *sigh*
I'm still on the hunt for the missing centerpieces for our graduation. For years our group has had a set of mirrors, candles, and tableclothes that we use for the graduation receptions. In the process of getting new leadership, the centerpieces have gone missing. All my feelers are out, though, and I'm hoping for a phone call any day letting me know where they are. It really saves us money when we re-use the things we've used before. If I can't find them, we will figure out something new - hopefully cheap - that we can use and then pass on for the next graduation.
Hope you have a very relaxing weekend!
God bless you - Julie |
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Feb. 2, 2009
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Children maturing and growing up
I didn't get much done today. I didn't feel that great and woke up with this weird swollen cheek - like someone had punched me! No - no punching going on in my house, so not sure what's going on. My hubby said it looked like I had a cold in my eye or something, but it doesn't feel like that. Didn't hurt either. Just weird looking - or I should say - weirder than I usually look. lol I was really tired and just plum tuckered out, but why, I couldn't say. I feel better tonight, so we'll see what I look like in the morning.
I'm so proud of my son. English Composition is a difficult subject for him. Not because he can't do it, but because he's unsure of himself with it. Today he didn't come and ask me for help, so tonight I asked him if he got everything done and he said, "Yes". I asked, "Even your English Comp"? He said, "Yes". He then went on to tell me that he decided that he needed to do it on his own because the only way he was really going to master it was to force himself to do it on his own and only ask for help if he really needed it. Wow! I was so impressed! Normally, no matter what the assignment is, he wants me right there to walk him through it step by step. I knew this wasn't the best way for him to learn, but I also knew until he realized that, it would only cause problems. I was so proud of him! He said he did okay and would see what I thought tomorrow when I graded. *sigh* Did I say I was proud of him?
I'm in charge of the graduation for our homeschool group this year. Some of you may remember I did it two years ago for my oldest son. We had our first meeting and we've settled on a date for June 5th. So I'll officially be done homeschooling on June 5th. Okay - here come the tears. . . .
I have more I want to share - some exciting news - but I want to wait until I have everything in place first.
I hope you all are doing great after the first month of 2009! Remember to enjoy each and every moment with your children. They grow up so fast!
God bless you - Julie |
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Feb. 2, 2009
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Crying in my coffee
I'm going to try not to make this a horribly sad post, however, I'm just SO sad that the Cardinal's lost the Super Bowl yesterday. Yes, I'm excited they made it to the Super Bowl, but sad that they didn't win it!
I'm also upset with the Steelers over the horribly dirty playing I saw on the field yesterday. Yes, football is a brutal sport, but lets not make it worse by pummeling a man in his back while he's down on the field. What was with that?!! I saw lots of punches and shoving done by the Steelers, too. I mean, really, were they that threatened that they had to resort to that kind of dirty play? I'm saying this coming from a position of being a former Steelers fan - I say former because I can't be a fan of a team that acts that way. My Dad was a Steelers fan and I grew up wanting to be like Daddy, so I was a Steelers fan, too. I even had a Steelers license plate holder on my truck - until this morning, that is. Over the top? Maybe. I'm just not happy that these players act this way for our children to see. Then we wonder why our children are dirty players, into the steroids, and all the other stuff our children are doing. They look up to these players and that's how they are. Disgraceful!
I am not saying all this because of "sour grapes" on my part that my Cardinals didn't win. I wouldn't even be writing all this if I hadn't seen such poor behavior - AND - if the Cardinals had played dirty, you can believe I would be writing about that, too!
I've been a Kurt Warner fan for a long time. Why? Because here's a man of principle. He's a believer of Christ and acts that way on and off the field. He's a man I can point to for my two sons and tell them I'd be proud for them to emulate Kurt Warner. He's had a terrific influence on the team with his Christ-like behavior. So many on the Cardinals team are Christians because they have been influenced by a man like Kurt Warner. For that reason, they won the Super Bowl in my heart and mind.
This is just how I see it. Okay - I'll get down from my soap box now.
God bless you ~ Julie |
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Jan. 28, 2009
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Wednesday Update
I am finished with my stress tests - thank goodness! Monday I went in and had the chemical stress test. It wasn't horrible and I'm glad I went ahead and did it. I can't do the treadmill test because of my poor, wittle knees. The guy who put the IV in was very good - but my veins being what they are, didn't hold the IV in two of them and he finally had to do a third. I looked like a pin cushion when I left there. Tuesday I had to have another shot and, do you know, to make my life exciting, the tech had to give me the shot in the underside of my wrist in one of the veins? Oh my. I can't really explain the pain except to say I had a bite mark on my other hand from biting myself so I wouldn't scream or jerk away. All my other "good" veins were "blown" and couldn't be used. Suffice to say, I did survive, and since I haven't had a frantic call from my Cardiologist telling me to get in there, I think I can assume that I don't have any major problems.
I had the most wonderful phone call today. Honestly - it made my day, month, and year - all rolled into one. I am in charge of the graduation for my homeschool group this year and I had a homeschool Mom call me to let me know about her daughter being in the graduation. Eventually the conversation moved to my articles I write for the homeschool newsletter. She told me she loves my articles (I love hearing this and am humbled every time) and especially was touched by this months article entitled, "God's Valentine". She said when she received my the newsletter she had been having some "family issues" in her house (we all do at times!) and that she whipped out my article to share with her hubby, whom she was having some words with, and they were both able to laugh and rejoice in each other after reading my article. Oh, my. Can I just tell you here that it is totally NOT me - but the Lord, Jesus Christ, that gives me the words to say in my articles and in all my writings? When she shared this with me, I just had to thank the Lord for showing me, once again, that He wants me to write! He is using me to share HIS Word with others and I need to continue to do more! I am SO humbled that something I wrote touched a family so deeply. I can't even express how really humble I am.
I try to post my article on my website, however, I'm revamping my website and don't have the last couple of months articles up. As soon as I can I will put this particular article up on my website. I know the Lord is showing us all how much He loves us and how much He wants us to love others. We truly are "God's Valentine's".
I've been sewing up a storm this week. I went to JoAnn's Fabrics when they were having their huge 1/2 sale on fabric. I got some beautiful cotton fabrics for quilting (are you reading this, Bren? You know I needed more fabric like a hole in the head. LOL) and then some really cute flannels for some baby projects I'm making. I have SO enjoyed sewing again! I am supposed to be cutting out my pieces for a quilt I'm making (you know which one, Bren!), but haven't done it yet! *sigh* I really, really need to do that tomorrow so I can start working on this new quilt. When I was at JoAnn's they had some really neat musical prints. I have been collecting musical prints for a quilt I want to make my oldest son who is majoring in music in college. I have enough now to make it - so no excuses! I couldn't believe all the people in JoAnn's the day I went! Of course, with so many fabrics at 1/2 off and the Simplicity patterns at 99 cents, I'm not surprised. I'm seeing a lot more people in the craft and fabric stores these days because it really is cheaper to make things than to buy them. Plus, I think people are turning more to home in these tough economical times.
Hubby and I have been discussing what we want to do for Valentines Day this year. The past three Valentines have been tough because either I had just had surgery or he had. This year will be very special because we are both okay! We won't do anything expensive (who can afford it?) but we do want to do something special. I am making him a wonderful Valentine book that will documentate our wonderful 27 years together. He is a real softy and loves getting mushy things like that. lol I'm so glad he's that way!
We had a scare in my family last week. My brother-in-law had been having headaches and dizzy spells for quite a while. Normally, he probably wouldn't have thought much about it, but his mother died last year of brain cancer. So, he talked to his doctor about getting an MRI - for peace of mind - if nothing else. They did the MRI and found a mass. Immediately we started praying it wasn't cancer. They did another MRI with dye and have determined it isn't cancer! Praise God! However, he will have to have surgery, more than likely. I told my sister about the Barrow's Institute that is only 2 hours from her home (and mine!) and about the Neurosurgeon that I consulted for my back. Of course, they are the best. She was really concerned that her insurance wouldn't let her go there, but they will! Again, we are praising the Lord! We would so appreciate your prayers for my brother-in-law. We are also praying for his salvation - which is even more important. If you think of it, would you pray for Larry?
God bless you - as always.
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Jan. 18, 2009
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Arizona Cardinals - NFC Champs!
I'm just thrilled! Yes, my beloved Arizona Cardinals won the NFC Championship! It was a nail biter game for this gal - but they won - as I knew they would! Everyone really did discount the Cardinals and that fact that they are a good team ready for the Super Bowl. I've been a big fan of the Cardinals for quite a few years now and it's so nice to see my team go to the Super Bowl! I think the thing that impresses me so much is the faith of the quarterback, Kurt Warner. In everything, he always gives thanks and praise to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He doesn't care how much he says this or what others think, he gives the praise where it belongs. My children and I met him when he was here with the Cardinals for Spring training. He was so kind, polite and nice and stopped to have his picture taken with my oldest son. Here is that picture.
This is definitely a picture that our family treasures. I'm so glad we got to meet Kurt Warner and I am so glad that such a godly man represents our Arizona Cardinal team!
I do have a lot more to share with you, but I'm tired and will update what's been happening with me in another post. I just really wanted to share my excitement about our NFC Champions - The Arizona Cardinals!! GO CARDINALS!!!!
God bless you ~ Julie
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Jan. 2, 2009
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New news in 2009
If there is one thing I absolutely want to focus on in the year 2009, it's this. To trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean into His understanding and not mine. As the title of my blog says - More of Him and less of me! My goals for this year are to take the time each day to spend time with the Lord in prayer and in reading His Word. Then I know that He will direct my paths.
Of the paths I hope that the Lord will lead me on is to pursue my writing and get the book done that I've been working on. I also would like to pursue more avenues for my writing. I'm also looking foward to doing more of my artwork this year and my quilting. I have a shameful amount of fabric that I've stashed away for about 20 years (gasp!!) now and it's about time to start making those quilts again. One of my projects will be this beautiful quilt called Harvest Sky that I'm going to do with an online friend. She was kind enough to ask me to do it with her and it's the boost (push?) I needed to get started quilting again. I'm excited to start working with my beautiful fabrics again.
Christmas was lovely at our home, although quiet. My dear sister and her husband didn't come because when I woke up Christmas morning, I checked with the weather band and they said we had a severe winter storm coming our way and if you didn't need to drive, don't do it. I was afraid to have her come if we were going to get such a vicious storm, so I called her and told her about the weather report. It was a very sad thing to have to do because I was so looking forward to seeing my sister and her husband - especially for Christmas! However, it wasn't worth the risk. Wouldn't you know it, though? No snow here - only a bit of rain. *sigh* But of course, we didn't know that at the time. I'm hoping we can spend Christmas together another time. My mother-in-law did come and it was so nice to have family for Christmas.
I have all my Christmas decorations put away. I wanted to get it done before we start back to our schooling next week. It didn't take us long at all to get everything packed away and back into storage. It was beautiful while decorated, but I'm really glad to have things back to normal again. I haven't gotten all my regular decorating done, but everything is cleared off and a clean slate waiting for me to finish.
I've been doing paperwork today and cleaning and organizing my desks for the new year. I work in our home office with my hubby and my desk had gotten woefully messy and unorganized because of the holidays. It's now completely cleared off and ready for the new week. I'm working on my other desk where I do my writing, now, and that should be done tomorrow easily. I've really been in a cleaning/organizing mood. It's not necessarily something I enjoy doing, but I do love the results!
I had a horrible thing happen the other day. My computer completely fizzled out and died! I knew it was coming because our computer tech had warned me this day was coming, but still, I was shocked when I went to turn it on and nothing happened. I went to WalMart and found an emachines computer that wasn't too expensive. I'm praying that it will work okay (there have been a couple of glitches, so I'm watching it closely - has anyone out there had any experience with the emachines?) and that I can get used to this new Vista program. I'm not entirely sold on it yet, but I need to work with it.
I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed New Year in 2009!
God bless you ~ Julie |
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Jan. 1, 2009
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Happy New Year 2009
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Dec. 24, 2008
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Merry Christmas!
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