Wife to a supportive, hard working husband and Mom to 2 boys soaking up every moment while trying to prepare them for the adventure ahead! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 9 Jun 2009 22:14:00 -0500 Tue, 9 Jun 2009 22:14:00 -0500 My baby is 5 :(  What??  The strong silent type - a very independent observer - ready to try anything - cow riding- check - jump off the top of the bunk bed - check - this could be a long list.  Your sense of humor is contagious and oh, that laugh!  What a joy this journey has been.  You are ever curious - asking the other day how many more days it would be before Jesus comes to pick us up - I said are you in a hurry?  Yes, Mommy, it will be awesome up there!!  It is a pleasure to see you growing into yourself - my ball player - the one true passion in your life - any and all kinds of ball - you are in constant motion throwing, hitting, kicking, catching balls!!  Often you become irritated at our inability to be as accurate as you are!  Thank God for choosing me to be your Mom - you keep me on my toes.  Happy birthday buddy! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/699805/ Tue, 9 Jun 2009 22:14:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/699805/ My fellow is the big 1-0.  So sad, I am!  Where did all this time go?  I was looking at pictures today of him at 2-4 years old and cannot believe that he went from that little boy to a pre-teen with a foot just a half size smaller than mine.  His favorite thing to do is to measure himself to hubby and I to show us how close he is to being as tall as us - hate it!!!  I look at him all the time and wonder where the time went - when did he grow up so much ?  Again - hate it!!  There are things I love about his age, but I selfishly wish he'd never grow up!  He is so responsible and likes to show that.  He continues to love drawing and his computer games - he's hoping to try his hand at football this year - He's a dabbler -likes to try new things and have a little experience in many things - Hunting is still a passion - he's very excited to play basketball on our homeschool coop team this fall - E, you are a joy, I'm so happy that God chose me to be your mom - It is a a pleasure (even if a little heartbreaking) to see you grow and blossom - you have a firm foundation to stand on and are very grounded in your faith - your ability to speak to others about God without apologies is a gift - While I would be happy if you could still fit into my lap for a little rocking, I love seeing your potential - What does your future hold?  Daddy and I look forward to every moment!  We love you! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/688825/ Mon, 11 May 2009 22:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/688825/ Happy Mother's Day!  Who would have ever thought this would be the toughest job I'd ever love!  Doesn't being a parent make you love your own parents a little more?  Wishing that you'd never made them worry while they sat up late waiting for you to come home...all those kid things you do and have no idea how much it impacts your parents.  My Mother's Day was a little eventful.  We have a calf that is not doing so well, so we had to chase him down so I could force him to take his bottle - Hubby was working and the boys were helping - So I've got my legs around this calf and am holding the bottle with 2 hands to keep it in his mouth - the boys were keeping the other calves busy and were behind the shed where I couldn't see them.  Next thing I hear is E saying, "Hold on T, don"t let go!!!"  I look to the right and here comes T with both hands around our largest calf's neck trying to swing his feet up on him - the calf is jogging, but decides to run -I'm fixing to yell,"you're going to fall", but I didn't have time to get it out - here goes T falling off and the calf steps on him with his back leg - Blood curdling screams take place and E brought him over to me - I just knew he had a broken arm and we'd be heading to the ER trying to explain how this awesome mother, on Mother's Day, let her child, unsupervised, ride a cow - Well the arm was not broken, but he had a beautiful, perfectly shaped, red imprint of a cow hoof on his forearm -the palm up side - I said, 'T what were you doing?"  He said(while half crying/sobbing, you know that tone), "I just want to be a cowboy!"  Well there you go! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/688819/ Sun, 10 May 2009 22:16:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/688819/ Hubby and I stole a little time to ourselves the other night and attended a concert - My Mom had the boys and we went out to eat (spent a lot of time talking about what the boys were doing) and did not have to get up to take anyone to the bathroom or cut anyone's meat for them - we ate our food while it was hot and did not have to share any bites off our plate!  Kinda nice!  We then went to see Michael W Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman in concert.  They are like our dream team!  MWS was hubby's first Christian music hero and SCC was mine - we love them and have enjoyed growing with them over the years!  It was a great concert - they had so much fun with each other - made fun of each others style choices from the past and sang each others old songs - they spent a great deal of time with each other on stage, but did do their own seperate bits.  We sang our hearts out along with the rest of the audience and it felt like the most awesome praise time you could experience!  We had been lucky enough to see them at Ichthus in years past, but they were not together - I think that made it much more dynamic!  One of the most touching parts of the concert was hearing SCC talk about his daughter that died not quite a year ago - he talked about the dark place he was in for a time after that - questioning God, etc and then he remembered a conversation he had with his dtr (age 5) a few weeks before she died.  She asked her Mom if God really had a big, big house with lots and lots of rooms waiting for her in heaven - Mom said yes - does it have a big, big table with lots and lots of food? - Mom yes - And Mom added - I bet there is a big, big yard where you can play football - her dtr said how did you know that.  We all know that this is the "big house" song, but the dtr was so impressed that her mom knew this - she ended up telling her Dad that she could not wait to go to the big house where she could stay forever.....Their dtr was adopted from China - as it turns out SCC and his charity organization are completing a 6 story facility for special needs orphans in China and SCC will be performing Christian songs at the opening ceromony in communist China - way cool - guess what the name of the facility will be?  Maria's Big House of Hope - I just loved that - Don't we often get slammed with the unbearable - what a great testimony of turning a tragedy around to show God off - If we could all be this blessed!  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/683932/ Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:21:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/683932/ Well today was the bestest day ever T said - I must admit it was a fun one!  We are preparing (at the last minute, like every year) for our annual homeschool coop EXPO.  The kids enter different categories of their interest.  This year the E wanted to enter the science fair, photography, drawing and wood construction.  T is entered in drawing, painting and wood construction.  Yesterday we completed everything except wood - that was today- on the bestest day ever!  We skipped our regular books and spent the day coming up with and building their plans.  E is building a "cave" for baby goats to keep warm in when the are born and T is building a nature collection thingy.  E kinda did his own design, cutting, constructing - T had a plan and we worked hard to get it to work.  We took 4 jars that salsa come in (yes I save jars...L, I know) and built what looks like a wood thing (that carpenters carry their tools in) that would hold and secure his jars and allow him to carry it for collecting critters.  It turned out pretty good for his own plan.  The bestest part of the day came when it was time to collect things for the jars.  We spent several hours in our creek turning over rocks looking for tadpole eggs, live tadpoles, crawdads, frogs and fish.  We ended up with quite a collection.  On the way up to the house  T decided that he needed some worms in one jar, so the digging started - we spent our afternoon in boy heaven which made it the bestest day in the world... http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/681914/ Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:52:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/681914/ The title says it all - a weekend of female bonding!!  I left with 3 of my homeschooling Mom friends to go to OH for a homeschool convention.  We attended seminars and visited vendor booths to look at materials for next year...I am so recharged!  We did pull an almost all nighter on Thursday night - haven't done that for years - it was like a sleepover of 12 year olds - we decided that the responsible thing would be to go to bed and get a little sleep - the minute the lights went out - you females remember those sleepovers - giggle...giggle...giggle...and then FUNNY stories came out - then ones that you don't repeat...the embarrassing ones, you know!  The boys had great Daddy bonding time and Mommy got some grown up time!  One of the speakers that we fell in love with was a man named Paul Hamby (owns a company called Lamplighter).  He was a dynamic speaker that combined a wonderful sense of humor with just enough conviction to get you crying and thinking!  The last seminar we attended by him was so moving that many people (including our group) stayed in their seats after he was finished talking drying their eyes and reviewing what he had said.  He spoke of trials and hardship and overcoming them, the power of prayer, and blessings.  The most thought provoking part related to our children.  God created them with passions and a plan...our job as their parents is to foster that talent and allow them to receive blessings from us, others and God...not in that order.  Don't we often squish their passions if they do not fit our mold or ideas...maybe they like to draw and we find "more important" things for them to do...maybe they have a servants heart, but they wear us out being under foot at our every turn trying to "help".  Whatever it is we often do not handle it correctly and squish 'em without realizing it!  I would not even attempt to try and put it into Mr Hamby's words, but it got you thinking about how you respond at times.  Don't miss the blessings....I by no means take our time together for granted, but like everybody else - I'm not on my game everyday (much to my dismay!!), but I'm inspired to try a little harder, even on the bad days, to give the boys the Mom that God intended for them to have...one that messes up daily and asks for forgiveness from God and them when she does..one that knows their strengths and weaknesses and uses that knowledge to make them better people...one that encourages their passions and ideas even if I don't get it...and one that puts their relationship with God as the top of the priority list for everyday, helping them to find the man that God desires them to be...deep...better go, looks like I have a lot to do! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/680763/ Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:28:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/680763/ I have been trying to make more time for myself to do a little reading before I go to bed..the down side is once I start, I can't stop!  The two books that I have just finished reading  - well, awesome does not describe them.  They have challenged me to think and evaluate.  The first one is "90 Minutes in Heaven".  It is written by Don Piper.   He is a minister that was in a car wreck and pronounced dead on scene...he spent 90 minutes in heaven...he was then discovered to be alive and is telling his story of his time in heaven.  What sticks with me about this book is his inability to find "human/earthly" words to describe heaven.  He said many times that we do not have words that do what he experienced justice!  This book makes you want to call everyone you know and say, "Do you believe?"  It makes you want to make sure that nobody would miss out on this forever that the Bible promises!  I won't tell you more (don't want to ruin it for you if you read it), but would encourage you to pick up a copy.  Way cool! The second book is "The Shack" by Wm Paul Young.  It is a fiction book and under the title says "where tragedy meets eternity".  I will share that this man, Mack, goes through an experience that would be a nightmare to each of us and begins his spiritual journey for answers.  This book addresses rules vs relationships...what is love.....why does God let this happen?...what is faith...How do God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit work...and so much more.  It breaks the sterotypes that we are often taught (by people) about who our God is - Really enjoyed this book.  The end result is that God never created this world to be full of independence, pain and suffering, evil.  We were created to be in perfect union and we chose/choose to map our own quest instead of enjoying where our relationship with God can take us.  Grace is readily available and the Holy Spirit is always ready, but we often deny it in our independence.  Would love to see what you thought of these books if you read them....if you haven't...it would be a blessing for you..take it! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/679484/ Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/679484/ We went to church tonight and had a wonderful Easter service - I love this time of year - it is symbolic of so many things- plus more sunshine, flowers and green things are never bad!  It is nice to be reminded of our physical birth and our spiritual birth and to know that The price was paid for our eternity.  I am so thankful that my parents put me on a path to follow God.  And I am equally as thankful that I have a husband that works so hard so that the boys and I can homeschool and have God be a part of our every lesson!  We have a friend that has been having an Easter party the weekend before Easter for as long as our boys could walk and carry a basket and this year was wonderful.  The weather cooperated and we and so much fun in sack races, bunny hop, kite flying, egg hunting.  It was a great day!  I had to take a few pictures of the boys with the baby animals.  I had grand visions of little goats, bunnies and chicks all around - apparently the chicks and the bunnies did not get the memo that today was picture day - they did not cooperate - lots of pictures had half an ear or a couple of feathers, so we gave up on them, but the goats did pretty well.  Hope you have a great day of reflection on the price that has been paid and the promise of heaven!  Happy Easter! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/678334/ Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:48:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/678334/ A very exciting day indeed!  A little history first - My brother is getting married in May and the boys are in the wedding - so the engaged couple wanted to give the boys something that would be special. but pratical at the same time - we were planning to get some calves this spring for the boys to bottle feed, so we thought that might be a great present - they could sell the cows and put the money in their accounts and then do this again next year, on and on and on to see their money grow - and it would all have started from the wedding.  So we searched for calves and ended up going to the stock yard and instead of getting 2 we ended up with 4 - you know the price was right!?  They have been lovingly named Oreo, Brownie, Coal, and Unkie Chad -my brother now has someone to carry on his name - a heifer named after him - thanks to T for picking out the cow that should carry that name!  The brown cow standing is Unkie Chad - lovely, don't you think?   In addition to the calves - our goat, Delilah, started showing some signs of early labor the night before we went to get the cows - I was up til 3 in the morning checking on her - no changes - next morning she looked no closer to having the babies, so we left - I said, " you know now that we've left she'll have them?"  Well when we pulled in the driveway with the cows the boys went running down and started yelling," we have babies" - she was still cleaning them up - we just missed it!  She ended up having 3 kids- 2 girls and 1 boy - 1 girl is named Patch - she's easy to spot - she is the runt but the most fiesty - Snowflake is the other girl and Butterball is the boy.  They are the sweetest things!  Momma's doing a great job taking care of them! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/674907/ Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:58:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/674907/ Should a grown person be as excited as her kids at the thought of a new bunny, guilty!  My birthday present this year - a black bunny - so sweet - I love black, so she's perfect!  We had her in a box in the house for a while, because it is so cold outside and she's used to being inside - the cat was ever curious - look at this-- http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/674900/ Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:55:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/monkeyX4/674900/