Isn't he just so handsome?! I'm taken yet again! :) He is so very precious and I am just so happy to have another baby brother to love and hold! :D I know that picture isn't enough, so here is more:
• Nov. 9, 2009 - Apollo Eight Astronauts Read From Genesis 1968
Posted By jaminacema
The other night my daughter came to me with her Awana book and said "It says in here that in the 60's the Astronauts read from the book of Genesis on Christmas Eve from the Moon. Is that true or something Awana just made up?" I happened to be sitting at the computer so I played this for her...
I am assuming I don't remember this from the original airing since I was only 3 in 1968! But I do remember hearing it before. It is quite touching to listen to and somewhat sad to think about how much our world has changed in the last 40 years. I can't imagine something like this happening today and obviously neither could my daughter since she thought they had made it up for Awana.
I am praying for a revival for America! How awesome it would be to NOT be surprised to hear prayer in this country! How wonderful it would be for my children and grandchildren to live in an America that honored the one true God! Please join me in praying for our country.
We are in the process of adopting Kate from Latvia. She is a handicap girl who dresses herself with her teeth. She will be visiting us during Christmas. The orphanage doesn't want her any longer. They were putting her through training courses to learn "independent living" so they could ship her out. She is only ten years old. How do you live independently when you can only use your mouth to dress yourself, let alone use the bathroom? Her fate is certain death if she stays. The orphanage complained that she was too much for them to lift any longer. Our hearts hurt for Kate. If you would like to help us adopt her, send a check in care of Kate to :
Open Door Adoption
PHONE: (229) 228-6339 EMAIL: opendoor@rose.net
P.O. Box 4 218 E. Jackson Street
Thomasville, GA 31799
Thanks!! This is a picture of her at eight years old. She is now ten years old.
• Nov. 8, 2009 - An Early and Amazing Christmas Gift
Posted By Toni
I had the most amazing experience this weekend...
This has been a particularly challenging season in our lives. Most of you know, I have been having some crazy unexplainable health issues going on. We are also reaching the end of James's slow time at work. This is always a financially tense time of year for us- a time we really have to put our trust in the Lord that he will keep on providing for us. Some of you also know that I really enjoy photography. More than just enjoy it, I think it does for me what playing basketball does for James- releases tension and just helps me to refocus again. With all the doctors visits and just plain feeling crummy, I haven't been making time to do any photography work and I've really noticed how its begun to wear on me. Plus, we have had computer issue after computer issue that at one point made me question if maybe this was a sign that shouldn't be investing my time into it.
Well, the latest problem that we had started as a blessing. We had some gift certificates to Best Buy and James, who is incredibly supportive of my job (I work from home) and especially my photography, insisted that we use them to buy a new computer monitor since the one I had was from the computer stone age. I was so excited. We took our time picking it out and when we finally made a decision, we bought it, brought it home, set it up, and... THUD. That was the sound of my heart hitting the floor after turning it on because the color and brightness, and pretty much everything was so far off that I knew I would not be able to do any photo editing until it was fixed.
After countless hours playing with the monitor controls, I knew that I wasnt going to be able to get it right on my own. I began researching monitor calibrations. I found that there were free programs, and then there were $200 programs. Hmph. James and I have a motto after several good intensions for saving money that ended in a bad way- you get what you pay for. But, I still had hope that maybe one of the free ones would be ok. So emailed a couple other photographer friends and praise the Lord, one of them had a calibration tool (one of the really good ones) that I could borrow.
I borrowed that calibration tool, sat down with anticipation as I set it all up, and then... THUD! There went my heart on the floor again when I noticed that my sister in law's hair, in all of her pre-wedding pictures I took, appeared purple. She definitely does NOT have purple hair in real life or in the picture I printed out on our printer (So I knew it had to be the monitor, not the picture itself). I tried running the calibration tool several more times and still she had purple hair. So, I called the person I had borrowed it from and he gave me a few ideas to try or said it might be my video card. I tried his suggestions, I researched online, and when neither worked I called the computer repair shop we go to.
They didnt seem very hopeful that they could help me, as they dont usually do monitor calibration, but they said that if I didnt mind paying them $39.99 possibly for nothing, they would give it a shot. Oh, I minded. Thurs night I prayed. I told God that I didnt know how to fix this, and that I really needed him to do it. I told him that we couldn’t afford to take this computer in AGAIN to be worked on. I told him I believed that He wanted me to do photography in some sort of capacity but that I couldn't do that until He fixed my monitor. I was up half the night praying and running the program and in the end Cherie not only had purple tinted hair, but part of it turned green too. I woke up the next morning tired, mad at myself for not being able to fix it, and confused and frustrated as to why God didnt fix it. After talking it over with James we decided to go ahead and take it to the shop.
We got to the computer repair shop and the guy quickly looked at my computer and said that it was more than likely the video card, as was first suggested. I asked how much that would cost and he said $59.99. I asked- is that including or in addition to the $39.99? He said in addition too. I told him that I would need to talk to my husband but that I really didnt think we could afford the card at this time. As I'm talking with him, this lady stands up and comes over and says- "If that is all that is wrong with her computer, I'd like to pay for the card." My mouth dropped open and told her no, that was ok, she really didnt have to do that. But she insisted. She went on to say that she had been where I was at and understands what I was going through and told me that if I could cover the cost of the labor, that she would love to pay for the video card. And that I should consider it an early Christmas gift.
Wow. I was so overwhelmed by her kindness and generosity, I didnt know what to say. My eyes welled up and I asked her if I could give her if I could hug her. She laughed and said yes. Then she told the man at the counter that they had her credit card number and that if I needed the video card to make sure it got charged to her account. And then she left.
A great reminder for me that God always provides, even if its not how I ask him or expect him to. AND, what an amazing way for Him to prepare my heart for the upcoming holiday season.
My grandpa, my Papafather's dad, was a country vet. He had a little office off the side of the house where he did small animal surgery, and exams. He made house calls all around the country, some trips taking him an hour or more to reach the animal in need of help, be it cow, horse, sheep, or pig. Very often he would have one of his children in tow. He had 10 of them so there was no shortage of helpers. It all sounds very James Harriot like, and in a way it was. James Harriot's stories are popular with that side of the family and each story reminds them of one like it that grandpa experienced.
Grandpa's office was, as I said, just off the house. Just off the kitchen to be exact. My grandma had a dutch door put in so that she could just open up the top half to talk to him and yet keep the little ones inside. Think about that. A vet's office, just off the kitchen. Do you recall how a vet's office smells? That smell still lingers in that office to this day and it's been over 10 years since my grandpa died.
Aside from the smell, I never gave grandpa's office much thought. We would traipse our way through it on the way to play outside, to gather in the clothes from off the line, to pick grapes, collect eggs, or to find grandpa. The office doubled as grandma's laundry room so I suppose that's why it didn't seem like a room that needed much attention. I never spent any time in it other than to get from point A to point B. Which is strange now that I think about it, all those fascinating instruments, chemicals, medicines, and the like just within reach. I never touched them or was ever tempted to do so.
One temptation I did give in to was a special barrel out back that held two skunks. Grandpa would warn us to leave those skunks alone. My numerous cousins and I would stand around the barrel peering in, and those skunks would peer back. The lot of us cousins would look for only a moment and then run away as fast as we could before we got sprayed. I didn't find out until I was much older that those skunks couldn't spray because my grandpa had "deskunked" them. I don't know if my cousins were aware of this at the time or not, they ran just as fast as I did. Grandpa's warning hadn't been for us, he had been worried that we would torment the skunks.
Skunks actually make a great pet and are positively darling, if you can legally keep them. My uncle kept one for awhile. She was just like a cat, had a litter box and everything. Her name was Rosie, and then some, but I won't repeat that part.
We have a family story, told every couple of years or so I guess, about grandpa and one particular skunk he was de-scenting. While in the process of removing the gland that contains the hideous skunk musk, it was ruptured. It squirted all of its contents right in my grandpa's face. He came into the kitchen to clean up and the only thing he said was, "It's such a beautiful color." Apparently skunk spray is an amber color, and my God fearing grandpa could still recognize the beauty of God's handiwork even in a skunk's musk.
Funny, while my aunts and uncles roar with laughter about this story every time they tell it, I don't remember anyone talking about the smell lingering in the kitchen or what on earth my grandma said or did. I'll have to ask them about that.
After the laughter dies down, someone will always mention how my grandpa was such a quiet, gentle, and patient man. Oh he had his moments when a cow would stomp him, but how many men do you know who would take it from a skunk and only comment on it's beauty?
On Oct. 1st the kids and I were in the car headed to the pumpkin patch! They were all dressed in fall t-shirts and I was ready to take some great pictures! Then it started raining...I pulled over and made a few quick calls to the homeschool friends we were suppose to meet. We all decided to go another day. Little did we know it was going to rain for 30 days straight! (I am exaggerating a little here, but honestly this is the wettest Oct. I have seen in my life!) Meanwhile we were in the middle of moving. The rain meant we were moving in the mud and the last thing I wanted to do was trek out into a pumpkin patch and collect even more mud. As the month headed to a close I started to realize a trip to the pumpkin patch was not going to happen. So I did the next logical thing...I decided to have a Pumpkin Party! LOL
What is a Pumpkin Party??? Honestly it's something I made up. But, we had our first one on Nov. 2nd with 97 people in attendance! Thankfully the rain finally stopped and we found a park with lots of concrete to keep us out of the mud. The party was a huge success and a LOT of fun! Here are the highlights....
We started out with the kids each decorating a pumpkin cookie.
Then they ate their cookies while waiting for the pumpkin story to start.
Next we listened to the Pumpkin Gospel You can read all about the story at the link below http://ginaconroy.com/ginablog/wordpress/2007/10/30/the-pumpkin-gospel/
Then we played pumpkin games!
Pumpkin Parachute Game. I got a package of Fun Foam Pumpkin and made a smiley face on one with a marker. Then they would put all the pumpkins in the parachute, throw them up in the air and the person who found the smiley face got a piece of candy. Repeat until everyone wins!
We also had Pumpkin Hot Potato.
And we had Pumpkin Relay Races!
We finished off the party with lots and lots of pumpkin food! Everyone brought a pumpkin dish to share. We had pies, breads, cakes, cookies, pumpkin dip. The food was amazing!
It was a great day and I am sure we will have many more pumpkin parties in the future.
It just so happens that all five of the people in our family have birthdays in a six-month period. So from mid-August to mid-February it feels we are constantly in birthday mode. Tomorrow is my husband's birthday, so that got me thinking about what birthday freebies are out there. I found some great ones, including a list of restaurants that give free food on your birthday! There are also free printable cards, cake ideas, and much more!
I hope you enjoy this week's birthday freebies!
Family Fun has a wonderful selection of birthday cake ideas you can easily make at home. I have made many of these for my family, and they are always a big hit!
This is a neat website. You can see a time capsule of the day you were born. Find out what bread cost, or how much you would have paid for a car. Learn what the minimum wage was and lots of other fun information!
When I was a young and silly girl I really wanted a certain record. Yup, I said record. They still existed even though cassette tapes were beginning to make their appearance. The problem was, I didn't own a tape player, I owned a record player.
I can't even remember now how this record made it to the top of my wish list. I'm guessing that what really happened was that I had seen it while digging through the records at the store and it called to my fickle heart. I trotted off to the nearest money source, which just happened to be my Aunt Sissie. I was spending a couple of weeks with her during the summer. Her children were all grown and possibly gone, that part of my memory is a little fuzzy. Anyway, I guess Aunt Sissie saw nothing wrong with indulging me and she bought it. Oh, I was a happy music lover! I listened to that album for years. Perhaps all of two-years.
I have no idea what my mother thought of this present. I don't recall her ever expressing it to me. I may have to ask her about that. I do remember that my aunt loved me and wanted to give me something simple, like a two week invasion of her home and privacy wasn't enough. She was just like that, quietly giving.
So what record sang to me and held my attention for so long? Irwin the Disco Duck In the Navy.
Groovy! Here are the popular titles on this record that I boogied to:
In the Navy
Macho Man
Y.M.C.A.
Music Box Dancer
Last Dance
Knock on Wood
Le Freak
Instant Replay
I Love the Night Life
Goodnight Tonight
What a horrendous track of songs! I think the only reason they threw in Music Box Dancer was to appease parents who thought the record might rot brains. I know it did mine, but at least I still love Music Box Dancer. Believe it or not this album was made by Peter Pan Records, a company that made records for children.
I'm sure it was that dashing figure of a duck in his sailor uniform that caught my eye in the first place. I wanted to join the Navy after all! As one of those grown cousins that no longer lived in the house was in the Navy, it was probably what tipped the scale in my aunt buying it for me. I wouldn't buy anything like this for my own children, let alone my nieces.
It is however a somewhat fond memory, mainly because of my Aunt Sissie. I can't ever hear Y.M.C.A. without thinking of this record, and I can't think of this record without remembering her.
I am a homeschooling mom of five (ages 6 - 20) and co-owner of Trigger Memory Systems, producer and marketer of non-traditional learning materials. This blog is an outlet for my various passions; several of which are creative homeschooling, frugality and decorating (frugally, of course. You just never know what you're going to find! So come browse and enjoy and don't hesitate to share your thoughts and ideas!
This is a picture of her at eight years old. She is now ten years old.
You can read all about the story at the link below
I got a package of Fun Foam Pumpkin and made a smiley face on one with a marker. Then they would put all the pumpkins in the parachute, throw them up in the air and the person who found the smiley face got a piece of candy. Repeat until everyone wins!
The kids loved this! I got the idea here: 
