Wow the time flies. I was really trying to keep up on this but oh well. I don't know if the Station Fire is out yet, I know Friday when there was a fire in the field behind our house that it wasn't out yet but it move away from us to the east.  By the time we went to bed Friday night the fire behind us was 90% contained and we didn't see any smoke the next morning.  DS2 is doing better now and is his normal 2yr old self. Last week we went to Laughlin Nv to meet up with and Celebrate some more birthdays. My father-in-law turned 80 and they came in from Taos New Mexico. It had been a couple of years sense we had seen them. DH was the day after his dad's, his sister, my mom and step fathers birthdays were the next day. None of them were able to make it. My Step Father has cancer and was goin in for surgery that Monday only to find out there was nothing they could do for him. They are now trying to figure out if Kemo and radiation treatments will do him any good. We got back from Nevada last Wednesday after three days of being gone, hubby had the rest of the week off and helped me out with the kids schooling for the rest of the week. That was a big help and it was wonderful having him home.

I am now officially license to make and sell "Tinkle Time Trainers" Whooo Hooo, here are some pictures of what I have made so far.

Before leaving on vacation I received a bunch of new knit fabric to make some more. I should go and take pictures of those, just haven't had time.

Last weekend we went to a Fall Festival near by and picked up a couple of boxes of apples yummy, also got an idea in making some Fairy/Princess skirts to sell at our up coming craft fairs. DD1 and I bought the fabric but she was called away Thursday, Friday and Saturday to help a neighbor get ready for their daughters birthday party Saturday. She also helped with the party, so DD2 and DD3 helped me cut out the fabric and put the skirts togeather. DD1 will need to help me make the last 6 skirts if she hopes to make some money with us. ha ha.

It is my DD1 17th birthday today yeah!!!.

Had to run and take DD1 to urgent care. She smashed her pinkie in the drier door. Fortunatly it is only badly sprained.  I will try to post again later this week. I have more pictures! ha ha

Things started off well this week. Station Fire is no 50% contained, they still think it will be until September 15 until it is out. The smoke got real bad this week by Wednesday. DD1 and DD2 had a PE assesment Wednesday morning and during the 1 mile run DD2 got light headed, sense she has already passed out on me twice this summer I ran out to where she was to help her back to the rest of the group(ok I have never been a runner and being 4 months pregnant I might not have really run but jog/walke) She is like me and doesn't handle extrem heat very well. We were at the park for 2 1/2 hours that morning. The smoke didn't get real bad until the afternoon.  School was light that day for in the afternoon I had an eye appointment. Thursday afternoon I noticed my DS2 was having a hard time breathing and there was now a wheeze in his cough. Thought I had better check it out to be on the safe side, back in November he had to go on breathing treatments. His plus ox was 92 and he was working really hard to get air so they gave him two breathing treatments and a steroid shot, then told me he still wasn't stable enough for a chest xray so they were going to transport us over to the hospital. Now it was my DD4 5th birthday and we were going to have pizza and presents that night. It had to be postponed until Friday. I was thankful that DD1 had gone with me to the doctors so I had her drive the van home, one less thing to worry about. Just before the ambulance came, my DH called to tell me his truck broke down, fortunatly he was in town and auto club was on the way, just a blown water hose. The ER was crowded, they gave my son (2 1/2 years old) 2 more breathing treatments and then put him on a continues one, took chest xrays. Turns out he has pneumonia. Then the doctor walks up to the young girl in the chair next to us and says she needs to put on a mask because she has the swien flu. Well the release us after 10pm, we go back over to the doctors offices and pick up all our prescriptions and make it home a little after 11pm. I call the morning to make a 48 to 72 hour follow up. Oh they are closed Monday do to the holiday and Tuesday is to far off for a baby with pneumonia so  we go back Friday afternoon. DS2 is better, still not out of the woods they tell me but do his breathing treatments every 4-6 hours and slowly increase the time inbetween them over the next couple of weeks and take the other meds the ER gave us. Now we are three days behind in school work. Thats ok, hubby is home for three days and between the two of us, we knock out the school work in two days.  Yeah!!! I can start this week off all caught up.

Wednesday I was able to finish my shawl I was working on.

You can't really see the beads on the boarder but they are there. I no sooner finished this, took off for my eye appointment and stopped by the mail box and this was there! My O-wool to make some Budgie Bloomers! Then when I got home this is what UPS had left on my door step.It's the Cestari fine merino that Bridget also recommened for the bloomers and I already had some Peace Fleece so I had a side by side compairison of the different yarns to see which I liked better.Blue Peace Fleece and Artic Peace Fleece. I casted on the O-Wool to make a friend a baby shower gift, not much knitting got done on Thursday and Friday, but I did finish my first pair of Budgie Bloomers on Sunday.So now I need to work on my Tinkle Time Trainers, some for my son and a sample to go to the designer so I can get my license to sell them. I still need to make some more progress on my sweater and yes we are going on vacation!!!! We are celebrating 5 birthdays in a 3 day period. My Father-in-law, my husband, my mother and her husband, and a couple of my sister-in-laws.

Oh I did say that my DD4 had her 5th birthday this week. It was fun and we spread it out over three days. ha ha. The day of her birthday she got to pick her breakfast and lunch, dinner got moved to the next night along with cake and presents. Then Saturday morning hubby and I took her out for breakfast, just the 3 of us and boy is she a chatter box. She talked non stop even when I took her to the restrooms. LOL

We are far enough away from the fires but this is what our skies look like at 1:30 this afternoon. I opened up our garage door and this is what I saw.

It is this dark, and orange. Reminds me of the begining of "While You Where Sleeping" when Saundra Bulock was saying she didn't remember her memories being so orange.The skie over the houses across the street.It's even changing the color of the houses. My poor pomegranate tree, it has some fruit, looking forward to it rippening this fall.Looking down toward the end of the street. This is all smoke from the fire about 20 miles as the crow. I was suppose to go to knit with some ladies on the baby booties but I think I will stay home until my doctor appointment and work on my shawl.I am further than this but don't have a picture of it. Once this is done I need to go back to work on my brother-in-laws sweater. This is an up to date picture of it. I should get back to knitting if I want to finish my shawl in the next couple of days so I can work on this sweater so then when my yarn gets here I can cast on for my "Budgie Bloomers"

Oh my I was almost finished posting all we had done and I hit something that whiped out my whole post. AAGH I will try again. Man that will teach me not to save my work from time.

We had three birthdays in two week period. Here is the first my DS1 who turned 7.

My DD3 calles this Ants in the Panties. LOL

My oldest wanted to make him brownies for his Birthday cake.

10 days later was DD3's 9th birthday.

Learning from past mistakes that 3 cakes in two weeks was too much this is what she had for her "cake"

Our church just happened to be having a pool party that afternoon for TGIF Thank God For Families, so after presents we took off for an afternoon of pool fun. Here are the suits I made the girls for the summer.Pattern is from Modest Swimwear Solutions.

4 days after her birthday was DD2 15th birthday.

We had 3 in swim lessons this summer. DD3, DD4 and DS1.

This is DS1 and DD4, it is very hard to take pictures through a chain link fence. We were not allowed to be in the pool area during swim lessons.

Here is DD3, she was the only girl in this class.

Here is the update on DD4's Skirty made fromBelladonna Designs

Here it is all done.

These are a pair of newborn longies I made with the same pattern. I have an other pair using the reverse, light blue for the waist band and cuff and the darker blue for the main body and legs, that I need to make. Still need to cast on, but I have so many other projects to finish, that I don't want to start on any new ones till I finish the projects I am working on now. LOL

Did you see these? I made them just for fun, DS2 has a pair of longies made out of the same yarn as two of these.

Now here is a pair of newborn capris crochet fromWigglebunz Creation pattern

 These are called Slobber Soakers, they are knit with supper wash merino so they can go right in the wash. The pattern is from Adorabubble Knits

I made these bras earlier this year but haven't had a chance to post them.

These are the patterns from Anne St. Clair over at Needle Nook Fabrics. Back in Febuary Anne and her friend came out. You can see my post from earlier here.

I am working on trainers for DS2, I have this one completed and three others ready to go. They are made from"Tinkle Time Trainers" there are options for one side snap, both side snaps or just pull up. I opted for the pull up ones.

He loves to wear them, but then he poops in them too. Oh well one of these days. ha ha

This is a new stew reciep that I tried. I ran out of time so I only cooked it on the stove top instead of putting it in the oven for two hours. This one didn't turn out as thick as the one I made last night which I started on earlier in the day so it was nice and thick.

This was a big hit and I will be making it quite a bit through out the fall and winter. YUMMY

I just purchased an other new knitting pattern and can hardly wait to cast on. This is from Bridget over at Purityseekers but you can either buy the pattern at her store TheEast Side  if you are a knitter or if you are not then you can have a pair custom made just for you. They are sooo adourable. I have been drooling over her "Budgie Bloomers" for about a year now just waiting until the pattern would come out so I can knit them up.

This is one of my all time favorites......well until the next one. Everytime she posts a new bloomer I fall in love with it. Like this one.

Or what about this one?Just look at all the work Bridget put into these. I melt everytime a new one comes out.

Do you have a favorite yet? Are you drooling like me? Then go CHECK IT OUT BEFORE YOU LOOSE YOUR MIND! ok one more.

I am waiting on some yarn that Bridget recommened in the pattern so I can cast on. I am glad its not here yet, remember I said I have to finish some other projects first before I can start an other project. So what am I doing on line updating my post for! I have work to do so I can play with my new pattern. LOL

Last but certainly not the least of everything going on, God has blessed us with an other child on the way. I should be 13 weeks this Friday, and I have been so sick by the afternoons, which is a blessing. That means HCG levels are still there hence the baby is still alive! I have my next appointment on Saturday and looking forward to hearing that heart beat! If all goes well baby #7 should be arriving around March 5, 2010.

You all have a wonderfull start of a new school year!

Wow I can't believe August is here and do you know that some of the Public school in my area started back today!!! I have two off to summer camp this week. I have been busy doing things but not keeping up my blog. I have posted things to Facebook, Ravelry and a KAL but I haven't had time to upload photos to an online site to then turn around and blog about our summer and post pictures.

I have been collecting school supplies for this next year.....and beyond. LOL I figured when I found great deals on the curriculum I like to use I would buy what I need for everyone to finish school. I had the old verison of Easy Grammar (ie. 34,45,56) that I had used with my oldest two and now that they have upgrated I went to the company earlier this year and asked if they had any left over workbooks for the levels I needed for the four younger ones (8yrs old down to my 2yr old) They had most books except for one level and each work book was only $5. WOW what a savings!!!! I have been able to fill in the rest with great deals on ebay. Last year someone was having a clearance on Pathway Readers and I did the same thing. So my reading and grammar is covered for Elementary grades and some Jr. High. I have History of the world volumes 1-3 with workbooks that I have made copies for my kids which is allowed for the owner for their kids so I use that, I am thinking of picking up volume 4. My High schooler I have picked up the Sicence and History requirements for our state with SOS so that too can be used with all children following. I found an online sign language course for free that qualifies for 1year foreign language in our state, but also picked up level one spanish Rosseta Stone for homeschoolers which I am finiding I need just to help out my grandmother (she doesn't speak spanish but lives in an area that they just about only speak spanish) I love my new Homeschool Tracker Plus program, I have been creating lesson plans that I will be able to use year after year with each different program, subject and publisher. I only have to create it once and it is saved forever or until I delete it. ha ha  15 to 30 minutes now creating a lesson plan for a subject for a whole year that in the future will only take me 2 minutes to apply to the next one who needs it. Talk about time saving. I have a summer schedule in there and love that I enter the points earned out of the points possible then go to generate a report card and it has my grades for me. Then there is the Library, all I have to do is input the ISBN number of my book and wala it puts in the rest of the info for me. I can then assign that book for reading, school lessons or just have a record of what I have and where I have it, if I borrowed it from someone or lent it to someone, If I borrowed if from the local library, when it is due and can have an alarm sound so many days before its due date so I don't forget to return it. Ok love it love it love it!!  I have been doing the Dave Ramsey High School Finance Course with my two high schoolers this summer, they are bumbed when one of them is away at camp because I won't work on it with one gone.

DD2 went to Jr. High camp even though she is going into High School this year, they were allowed to go this summer, much cheeper than High School Camp $65 , HS was $175. We told the girls that they needed to help pay for their camps. Well DD2 baked chocolate chip cookie (ground the flour and all) and took them to the church's bake sale and raised $130, paid for herself and an other girl who need fund to go to camp. I was so proud of her. DD1 now had earned money by babysitting, dog walking and dog sitting and paid her $50 deposit they then had a Bar-B-Que at church (same day as the bake sale) to raise money for 4 High Schoolers to go to camp.They raise $100 for each of them $400 total to go to camp which then DH and I paid the last $25 for her to go to Hume Lake. DD1 went to camp the Sunday after DD2 came back. While DD2 was at HS camp VBS was going on so DD2 helped out and DD3, DS1 and DD4 attended! they had a blast. Yesterday DD1 went to camp with DD3 as a Jr Counsoler.  All the while DD3,DS1 and DD4 are in morning swim lessons. DS1 loves Friday fun days (every two weeks) because he can jump off the Lifeguard towers. I have been knitting and sewing as well. Once I get a chance to upload picture to another site I will post them. I have swim suite I made for the girls, longies, Skirties, Capris, stegasoures, baby booties for the Pregnancy Crisis Centers in California, monthly socks for the KAL and still working on my brother in laws sweater. Yep I am still here but haven't found a whole lot of time to blog. ha ha

I love this time of year, Ali over at Skeins Her Way is doing her yearly motivating contest. Go to her blog, read the contest rules, make your summer knitting list and have fun.

I have some UFO's I have been finishing up

Baby Cardigan, done(last week)

Dish cloth (last week)

Baby booties for Pregnancy Crisses Centers in California---- this is on going, just started with the group on Saturday. These are two I have finished so far, but trying to finish up UFO socks for DD1

Wool Skirty for DD4

Socks for DD1

Black Sheep Jacket for brother-in-law (on hold til LYS can get the size circs I need to keep my stiches from jumping off needles)

longies

shorties

skirties (I am addicted, I just bought lots of worsted weight yarn to make longies/shorties/skirties)

Smiple Raglan - I now have both pattern and my 7 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Died Cotton in malard

I also want to learn how to dye my own yarn

Fun, Fun , Fun!!

You have until midnight on June 21 to enter.

Can't believe how fast things are going. We just finished up our home schooling PE class for this year and it's sad not to be getting together with the other moms every week. Though I have made several more friends this year and look forward to seeing them over the summer. One lady and I are going to teach our high schoolers next year sign language for their foreign language course.  California requires one year of foreign language to graduate from high school and sign language is deemed a foreign language, it is also recommended for those with an audio learning disorder ADD is one of them. I did some research and found this course online that is free, I am really excited about it. ASL University go to the syllabi and scroll down to were it says ASLU Level 1 [Home School / Self-Testing. 

I have been so frustrated with Edu Track and I have read several blogs over the last several months of people who were frustrated with Edu Track and recommended Homeschool Tracker so I thought I would check it out. Oh man was it so much easier to use and the customer support was awesome! They have training videos, discussion group and live chat (haven't had to use the live chat) The people have been very curtious and helpful. I have been having a blast creating lesson plans and getting things ready for next year. Having several kids needing or going to need to use the same books over the next several years, I liked that I can make a lesson plan for say Math U See Zeta and be able to save it to use in the next coming years for the next four kids. All lesson plans are reuseable for years to come, hence make a lesson plan once and then assign it as offen as you need to, the work is already done. Plus there are already made lesson plans that are shared for free in a yahoo group that you just have to download them import. There is so much I can do with this, I love it!

Dear Hubby is on vacation for two weeks!!! We were given free 2fer tickets and went to California Adventure this last week. (Have pictures but haven't had time to down load them yet) We had a blast! None of us had ever been there before. This week we plan to go to Disneyland, "regular" school isn't out yet so it shouldn't be too crowded.

DS2 unsure about the tram from the parking lot to the park.

DD1 and DS1 with DD4's back of the head. They all liked the tram rideDD4 and DS1, excited about the day.

DD1, DH holding DS2, DD2 front row DD4, DS1 and DD3

Hey look a real family picture, I made it in the photo and with Goofy to boot, does that tell you something about us. LOLHad to take pictures of these doors, I could relate. Ha ha

Must be the government door.

HMMMM.

Aah my little peanut. She was my  riding buddy for the day.DD1 and DS1 were riding buddies.DD2 and DD3 were riding buddies.DS2 and DH were riding buddies, looks like son is starting to get use to the rides.Videos of trip will be loaded on my Facebook. Don't know how to imbed them in the blog.

We all got the flu Thursday night into Friday, it was yukky and painful. Friday DH and I were suppose to take my van in to get new tires, brakes and oil and filter change, neigther one of us felt up to going so tomorrow we will and have a breakfast date at the same time! Do to the flu, DD2 wasn't able to go to her PE class's swim party. I was bummed.

DD1 is off at the wedding of her youth pastor today. The wedding is at the church I grew up in and became a christian at. The reception is up here so when she is done she will call and we will go get her. I just got some more yarn in the mail yesterday that I plan on making a skirty for my daughter and longies or shorties for my son. DD1 doesn't think the blue is boy enough.

I will get to it one of these days. Now I love my friend Bridgets longies, skirties but unfortunatly she has no pattern for sale yet so I had to go and get an other pattern to hold me over.  I have knit both sleeves to my brother in laws sweater and a wonderful lady on Ravelry explanded how to attach my sleeves to the main body. Now do to not having long enough circular needles so my stiches wont commit suicide by jumping off the end of my needles, I contacted my "local" yarn store to see if they had the ones I needed, Well they are in the process of moving closer to me but haven't finished their move yet, but you can call or email them and if they have or can get it they will mail it to you. Great!!....but they emailed me to tell me they were in Idaho until June 5 or 6, so I just have to put the sweater on hold until they get back :(

Ok I am in the process of downloading my pictures and I need to use a new place to store them so maybe I will be back to edit this post with pictures. Oh an I believe there are pictures of the fire that was just across the way in the open field on Thursday afternoon. DD2 took pictures, after calling 911 to report a brush fire and watching it for a time I was feeling to achy so she took the pictures while I laid on the couch.

Yes this is what it looked like looking down our street. Thankful that the wind was plowing the other direction. Remember the sheep I told you about in an earlier post? This is why.

It's that time of year again. Ali over at Skeins Her Way is doing another contest, giving away 3 skeins of the new 'Sweater' yarn from Spud & Chloe. All you have to do is hop on over to her site, read the contest instructions(which is easy) By midnight on Memorial Day and you get entered in.

Ali is the one who inspired me a couple of years ago to branch out in my knitting with one of her contest. That time we had to say what are knitting goals where for the summer. I had only one item on my list and that was a sweater. I had never knit a sweater before that, I did finish it and then turned around and sold it at a church craft fair in the fall of that year. Sense then I have tried many other project that I never thought I could do. It has been fun....Still haven't won any of her yarn, but I have bought a few of her pattern designs. LOL

Ali is also a home schoolin mama with 7 wonderful blessings. I have enjoyed reading her blogs over the last couple of years. So go over and check out her blog and dream of what you can be knitting this summer.

I love this time of year. The kids are finishing their school books, wow what progress has been made. I have been ordering books for this next year. Oh how fun to plan and think and to reflect. Each one has made great strides in all areas of their lives. It is truely fun to sit back and watch from the oldest driving herself to youth, deciding where she want to go to college or what degree, to the youngest as he learns the different parts of his body and how to say words. My second oldest was in PE this week and one of the boys was picking on her, an other boy got between her and the "bully" and basicly told him that he is not to be picking on girls. I was told it was a word fight with the one boy chewing out the boy who was bulling my daughter,(His mother and I were at an other part of the park with his 2 year old sister playing on the slides) the whole class gathered around and the coach stood and watched, when it mellowed at the coached asked the "bully" if he was done then sent him to run some laps. My daughter said it was the first time the coach didn't step in and the boy who stood up for her didn't get in trouble. I told her that the boy who stood up for her had done right, as christians we have been teaching our sons to respect and protect women/girls. He had listened well to his parents and the coach felt he had done what needed to be done. I let my friend know what her son had done for my daughter and she was glad to her he had been listening to her and her husband. That made me feel good knowing others are teaching their kids what God wants and not the way of the world.

I have lots of pictures of what we have been doing but I need to find an other photo place to up load them to. Flickr use to be free through Verizon but their contract ended between them so I have limited space to post now. Any one know of an other place which is free?

I need to go snuggle some kids.  I pray you all have a wonderful week.

Nothing to exciting going on here. Still recouping and getting a little stronger everyday. We did start back doing school a two weeks ago. I take naps when I can catch them ha ha. This weekend I started cutting out fabric for diapers and putting snaps on them. (must say my legs turned to rubber an hour after standing at my cutting table and after working on and off for four or five hours I slept hard all night long) I have a baby shower to go to this next weekend, though her gift is already made. I have had several local orders to fill for other showers around town. People have been afraid to ask me to make them some for fear of hurting me. I must say I am doing alot better than I thought I would. Three years ago I had a blighted ovem and it was hard but I told myself at least there was no baby only a sac and placent, I didn't know how I would feel if I saw a baby in the ultra sound. Well I saw a baby with a strong heart beat this time and have the ultra sound pictures, the night I wound up in the ER I saw the baby on the ultra sound again but this time there was no heart beat. Yes I have cried and I probably still will every so often, but I know God has a reason, this wasn't ment for harm,but for His good. I still hope that He will give us another but if not I have been totaly blessed.

Of course most of you have allready seen this but I thought I would share it anyway. I love to watch it over and over again.  Susan Boyle

Well this last week was freezing cold but this weekend has been in the high 80's to mid 90's. Looks like summer is trying to come in. This weekend they had the sheep in the field behind our house clearing the brush, this is the first time they have been this close.  Should have taken pictures but I was to wiped to go out and do that. We turned in our AWANA Grand Prix cars tonight and the race is this Friday so I think I will turn the camera over to one of my kids to take pictures and share them with you all later.

I started bleeding last Thursday night and was told not to worry. Started bleeding heavier on Tuesday evening. I did a 48 hcg test and the levels dropped quite a bit. I am having a miscarrage, The cramping started about an hour ago. I will go see the doctor on Saturday. The kids are finding it hard to know that there will be no little baby at the end of the year.  I have been listening to the song "Blessed Be Your Name" the last few days. Yes we will bless His name in the good and bad times. My oldest said "Mom it is interesting that we just finished up our lessons in Job this week at youth group" Yes God knows what we need to be ministered to.

I am stil here. Morning sickness wiped me out and I only did what I had to do to get through the days. I have worked on a few project but my motivation was not there. No socks for Feb, but I did start on a baby sweater though when I sat down I never had the urge to work on anything. I do have the back and two fronts and almost one sleave done. I have started my March socks and yesterday my 16 year old got me started on a dishcloth. I wasn't going to do one, she had picked up my book a patterns, asked if she could use it and if I had any cotton she could use. Mind you she likes to crochet more than knit but hey go for it. She made a mistake and to it all out then casted on again at which point I found a green striping cotton (which is her favorite color) and asked if she wouldn't want to use that one instead. She then went and got my needles and said here, switch the yarn from my needles to yours and we will knit one together. ha ha she sucked me in. I now have on needles a sweater for my brother in law, a sweater for the new baby, socks for March and a dish cloth.

Now I did have Anne St. Claire come out and measure use and show me what to do with making bras. I have made one for my 16 and 14 year old. I have pictures which I will need to post one of these days. Kids took a ton of pictures while I was sick so I need to weed through them.  I went to down load and I had almost 100 pictures. Yikes now I need to label them and put them in the right folders. I have also traced and cut out patterns for a maternity skirt for my self, which I have a few fabrics I hope to make up a few skirts with and some slips. I also have a couple of fabrics to make my younger two girls some summer dresses with. I have patterns to make training underware for my son and regular underware for my 8, 6 and 4 year olds.  Hopefully in a few days I will be able to get some stuff done. I have to make up some newborn  and small diapers for some ladies at church who are interested in my diapers. I have quite a few mediums and some larges do to those are the ones my son is in, but only a handfull of newborns. The one lady is due in March with twins and she wants to go in with an other lady who is due at the end of October. They figure if they can  share the cost and share the diapers because the one will be out of newborns by the time the October baby comes and same with the smalls. Likewise, I need newborns and smalls for our new little one.  We don't find out what we are having so I will need to make up several of boys, girls and  neutrals to be sure I have enough on hand. ha ha.

I need to finish getting ready. Today is PE day with three of my kids, and the older one is having a cross country meet and next week it will be a track and field meet. My younger two are at one park and at the same time my older one is at a park 15 minutes away. A friend has volunteered to take the younger ones so I can stay and watch the meet, I will then bring her son back to the park afterwards and we will swap kids. She has two that are at the other park doing a class that overlaps her son's class. Schedualing can be fun when one teacher switches parks and you have kids in more than one of the classes. This year I have three in two different classes. Until my oldest one did in her ankle I had four in three different classes. We will see what happens next year, I think we will still have four in three different classes. It does turn out to be a fun time though. Like I have said before, there are hundreds of homeschoolers up here and we pack the park. lol

I can hardly believe that it is the middle of January. We have been so busy, but I have been loving it. DS2 is changing from baby to little boy. Oh it is so precious to watch. How I love each stage of child hood. DD1 took her drivers test last week but missed it by one. I think that she was driving the Sprinter Van didn't help much. The instructers were questioning if it was a class C license or not and no one really wanted to get in that thing. She has been doing very well and didn't get her licence because she didn't check her blind spot when moving into the left turn lane....now I don't because I figure who the heck is going to fly by me as soon as it opens for me...they would have to go into on coming traffic to go around me and then get there before me..doesn't make sense, but then have you seen how some of these people drive. She will retake the test on the 27. Reading skills are improving all around huge plus. Did I say that I had made 4 dresses for Christmas for my 4 girls?

Made a hat for hubby so he wont freeze at the train station. DD1 made him a matching scarf but I don't have a picture of that.Now he wants gloves to go with the hat and scarf. Will have to start sometime this week.

Finished both December and January socks for the KAL.

December

January

Finished Secret of the Stole III KAL(should have been done in September I think) It is being blocked now but I don't feel like running upstairs to take a picture and then downloading it on to my computer then uploading it to Flikr right now. ha ha

Look...We got snow that didn't melt in a day!!!! DH had to stay down in LA at work because all roads leading up to our valley were closed and the train ..well that was a whole other story.

Front yard in the morning stared snowing around 7am

Back yard by noon

The snow was still on the ground a week later...most melted but WOW what fun!!! I can say that because we don't get it like this very often. We have lived in this valley for nine years and this is the first time it snowed like this sense we move here.

There was a Christmas party at Knotts Berry Farm and the company paid for it ALLL!!!! Wow what a blessing. I had so much fun watching the kids have a ball.

I am plugging away on a sweater for my brother inlaw. I am farther than this picture but again the camera thing. This is the ribbing and right now I have about as much of the main body done as the ribbing, but I got my Lenox (80% Alpaca and 20% merino) Yarn from WEB to make the Tanglewood Cascading Cardigan in baby blue. It is turning out to be a quick knit. I am dieing to get back and knit on it some more.

Oh and the new sewing thing is to make bras for me and the girls. My older two had a sewing class last summer and the instructor keeps us up dated on event. Well Anne St. Clair is coming to LA in Feb to do a seminar. It sound very exciting except I can't make it so I went to her web site to see if she had the patterns and instructions. You have to call to order and I spoke with her!!!! wow Very nice lady and very helpfull. I have instructions and patterns in hand, she sells the kits as well but told me to hold off on buying the kit because they may be able to stop by our house between seminars and measure all of us, answer any questions and let us look through an assortment of fun fabric kits!!!! Wow I am blown away that she would do that. 

Sorry for being so wordy this time. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to 2009.

Wow I can't believe I haven't been blogging. I have been sorta keeping up todate with Facebook. We are taking a two week break getting ready for Christmas and New Years. Had lots of fun. Got quite a bit of sewing, baking and knitting done, an other pottery class and DD1 got a cast. I will try to post pictures if you all don't mind my sharing. I have been very excited how things have been going with schooling this year. I have switched to Landmark Baptist for our Science and History which has worked well for us. Math U See for math, Rod and staff for Preschoolers, Pathway readers for the other grades. Love To Learn was having a clearance so I bought all I needed for all my kids from Kindergarden all the way up as far as it would go.  Unless God blesses us with more children, we should be set for our reading. I have been using Easy Grammar and just reading whatever has been interesting to the kids. We have just about finished up the Left Behind Series which sparked my teens to start reading this year in  full force to a point where we have to tell them to stop reading and do their chores. LOL I never thought I would have to tell them that, but it has been a great motivator to get chores done so then they can read to their hearts content.

I had bought a program at the begining of the summer which I had hoped it would help me keep better records and all but I found it frustrating. I had called for tech support to walk me through but they don't offer it. AAAGGGG One of these days I hope to figure it out.  If any of you are using Edu Track Home school and are willing to help me understand it I would really appriceate your help.

Hubbies car blew an engine a few weeks back so we are down to one car and learning how to "share" ha ha. So far it is working well, I do get some earlier mornings though when I take him to the train or late nights when he gets stuck at work.  Well I need to go try to up load some pictures to Flickr so I can post them here. I hope you all have a wonderful New Years.

I was visiting my friend Anni's blog and this is what she had posted. It is so true

With less than 6 weeks before Christmas REMEMBER:

Jesus is Better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole.

JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh

JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year

JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies

JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited

JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters
your heart.

You have to stand in line to see Santa

JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap

JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi
little boy or girl, What's your name?"

JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know
our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He
even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly

JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO

JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry"

JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.

Santa's little helpers make toys

JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs
broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but

JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree

JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.

It's obvious there is really no comparison.

We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put Christ back in Christmas.

Jesus is still the reason for the season.

May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your loved ones
this Christmas 2008

And may He prosper and bless the work of your hands in
the New Year.