Hello and welcome to a place where there is crazy rambling, funny comments, and sometimes something meaningful and coherent comes out! My hubby and I are striving to raise two wonderful Godly Gentlemen full of love and integrity! This blog is a little peek into how that's workin' for us! Enjoy! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Fri, 6 Feb 2009 10:59:00 -0600 Fri, 6 Feb 2009 10:59:00 -0600 Hello all! I'm still alive! It's been a roller coaster at my house for a few months now!! Nothing crazily dramatic-just life! You can all relate, I'm sure!! I want to share something the Lord has done in my life! One of many!!! I praise Him for the amazing power of His grace in restoring broken relationships!! Here I am 5 yrs later and He didn't forget! He didn't forget the pain and anquish when that friendship was torn from me. He didn't forget the anger and bitterness I struggled to get over. And He didn't forget the feeling of absolute loss and grief I suffered from. I stand here today completely reconciled to that wonderful friend. We are working at restoring the beauty of that Godly relationship to a better place than it ever was!!! I want to share a song that ministered to me during my trek in the desert w/this friendship! (Turn my player off first. It helps!)     May you be blessed as I was!!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/655254/ Fri, 6 Feb 2009 10:59:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/655254/ My brother sent this to me in June of this year and I have been chompin' at the bit to post this!! I can't wait any longer!!!! : } Oh, by the way, you'll definitely want to turn my player off!!! IT'S WORTH IT!!! : }   "Oooooh, do you believe in love? " I love that line!!! It's a very accurate statement on the times we live in!! So, for me, it'll ALWAYS be MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/622721/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:46:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/622721/ Hello all my wonderful bloggy friends!! I'm still alive!!! : } I've been MIA for awhile! We started school a few weeks back and I wanted to get the kids and I in the 'habit' of doing school the right way for us!! (ie - getting up, doing devotions, getting right on school and THEN playing! ) Well, by the time it came to 'playing time', it was time to finish up the housework, do dinner, and then I  was just too tired to 'play'!! Now that we're in a rhythym I thought I'd catch back up with everyone!! We have been doing some crazy science experiments; music theory, and my 13 yr old has started writing persuasive papers!! Wow. He's getting pretty good at trying to persuade me! : } We've also been doing some election stuff in our 50 states co-op. I'm really learning A LOT of stuff. Stuff I never really understood when I was in school!! I just love that about homeschooling!! I get to learn too!! : }  Well, that's it for the short recap!! I hope to have pics up in a few days!! As Tigger would say...TTFN!! Ta Ta For Now!!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/620900/ Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:38:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/620900/ I received this from a friend and I felt I needed to share the 'love' with ALL of my friends!!! he he he If you need a good laugh, turn the player in my sidebar off and give it a listen...   Ok, are ya done laughing? So, whaddaya think?! he he he Well, I'm sure at the time we were all ministered to by this. I'm not doubting their hearts or their intent. I just think it's fun to look back and see, in living color, how far we've come!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/614081/ Mon, 3 Nov 2008 20:04:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/614081/ TGIF!!!!!!!! And if it's Friday, than this must be Show and Tell!! And if this is Show and Tell Friday, you'll need to please go see Mary over @ Canadagirl to get the details to join us for the fun! We did it!! We started school this week!! WHAT?! I know. Some of you must be thinking...'Does she KNOW it's almost November?' Yes, I know what time of the year it is. We school through the summer. It's WAAAAAYYYYY too hot in the summer here to do much outside so we do school. That way we can take time to play outside when it seems everyone else is holed up inside!!! It's a trade-off! : } Here is what I had waiting for the boys on the first day of school... They loved it. It seemed to make the day very enjoyable!! Kung Fu Panda even commented that they'd never gotten presents on the first day of school before!!! : } I gave them their school supplies that we had purchased a few months ago when the stores were having their sales. The supplies have been sitting in one of the baskets I cleaned out earlier this year as part of my Anti-Procrastination project. They didn't seem to care!! The idea of getting their 'stuff' as a gift was a HUGE hit. I'll probably do this every year!! Well, this has been a great first week of school!! It only seems fitting to end it with a fun Show and Tell!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/612536/ Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:12:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/612536/ I was recently asked 'How do you love someone who has disappointed you?' I really didn't know how to genuinely answer that. Oh, I could've given the 'good christian' answers. Ya know, like...'Through Jesus.' 'With grace and mercy.' And my personal favorite...'Pray about it and see where the Lord leads you.' I'm not saying these aren't good answers, but sometimes I throw these out there without truly seeking a specific answer. The 'grace and mercy' thing kept resonating with me though. As the day moved on, a song I recently came across on Michelle's site kept going through my mind...Mercy Seat by Vicki Yoh'e. If you haven't heard it, I encourage you to listen all the way through. It truly ministers to me EVERY time I listen to it. Thank you Michelle! I hope you know how you have truly ministered to my heart with this song!! You'll want to turn off the player in my sidebar. Trust me. It'll be worth it!   This is where I'll start! Runnin' to the Mercy Seat!!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/610438/ Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:09:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/610438/ What's today? You guessed it...It's Show and Tell Friday with our wonderful host Mary! If you'd like to join or want to visit other wonderful show and tells, please go see her over @ Canadagirl and check it out!! Well, last Friday, Shani and I decided to take the boys to a  local pumpkin patch/corn maze! There were pumpkins, a bounce house, a corn maze, AND 95 DEGREE HEAT! I don't think that's even right in October!! We had a great time!! We started by splitting up to do the cornmaze! Guess who won?! None other that the moms!! WHOO HOO! Oh, and I must add that her hubby was with us so technically he won too! Even if he IS directionally challenged!! he he he Next came the 'littles'... don't tell them I said that. They wouldn't like it! And last, but not least was the big boys... After drinking MUCH water, IT WAS HOT, the boys decided to do the pedal cars... I must insert here that Piper is almost 6' tall! It was hysterical watching him! I did get video! he he he Oh, and he DID lap people!! Must be the long legs!! Next came Cooper Kid... ...and then Kung Fu Panda... Yes, that is my son with the BLACK beanie cap on in 95 degree heat!! Oh well!! What can I do?! His dad had just returned from a business trip the day before and that was his present. He HAD to wear it!! : } And then we have Jigger... I was told he STRONGLY dislikes bikes because he has to pedal. At one point, each of the other boys were trying to push, pull or 'bumper car' him to the finish line!! It was hysterical to watch!!! All in all, we had a grand time!! And, it wouldn't be a pumpkin patch visit without this annual picture... I don't care how old they get. I want that picture!! he he he Valerie, you will be pleased to know that those around us ALSO had a grand time! (Except for the lady Shani got wet with the water bottle!! he he he) I just hope it's cooler next year!!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/609401/ Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:26:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/609401/ Hello all!!! This is my Anti Procrastination post. If you'd like to be encouraged in getting those pesky little jobs done, please go see Mary over @ Canadagirl and join us! : } I did it!! Thank you, girls, for the wonderful words of wisdom and encouragement last week. I took 15 minute increments and worked on it!! And a BIG thank you to my wonderful friend mansemamma for that last little push last week. Thank you my sweet friend!! ; } Here are the boys' desks BEFORE... Cooper Kids. He must get that from his dad! : } Kung Fu Panda's. I can hear it...'That's not messy.' Oh, but it is. He's just hiding it. You can't see it, that's all. He must get that from me. he he he Cooper's AFTER...You can actually see the bottom of the desk! Whoo Hoo!! See? I told you. This is Panda's AFTER! I even spent time doing the first weeks lesson plans... Kinda blurry, but it's there. I still need to order English for Cooper Kid and Writing Strands for Kung Fu Panda. Do you even know how good this feels?! Whew. I'm in the last leg. Hmm, I wonder what I'll tackle next! : } http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/608395/ Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:35:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/608395/ Happy Tightwad Tuesday everyone!! If you'd like to join us in sharing a tightwaddy tip, please go see Mary over @ Canadagirl and join us!! Ok. It's been a few weeks since I've had a tightwad tip so I'm excited about this one. I'm excited because I just stumbled upon it when I was making dinner last week!! How cool is that?! I wanted to make Crockpot Italian Chicken for dinner, but I didn't have any Italian dressing. Well, I pulled out my trusty Pampered Chef Dressing Maker and...VOILA... recipe for Italian Dressing. Here goes... 1/2 c white wine or balsamic vinegar (I didn't have either of these so I used what I had...apple cider vinegar. It was great!!) 1 c vegetable or olive oil  (I only use olive oil) 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp dried oregano 2 pressed garlic cloves 1 Tbsp sugar I put these together in this order in my 'mixer'... Mixed it together and voila... I have my own homemade Italian dressing!!! : } It doesn't get much better than that!!! Oh, and dinner turned out fabulous! We had leftovers the next day and finished it off. ALL, let me stress ALL of us loved it!! Enjoy!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/607840/ Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:42:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/607840/ Hello all!!! Welcome. Today is Show and Tell Friday!! If you'd like to participate or see what others are showing and telling today, please go see Mary over @ Canadagirl and check it out!! Today I'm sure you'll utter the words..."She's a dork." That's ok. Today, I AM a dork!! I'm showing my new refrigerator. Well, it's not BRAND new, but it's new to me. We have the most wonderful christian landlords. They purchased a new refrigerator and immediately thought of us when wondering what to do with the 'old' one! YEAH!! Yes, that's the new one, complete w/my 'junk' already on it! he he he See, I have the most wonderful hubby in the world. Not only did he go get it from them so they wouldn't have to pay a mover, he moved the old fridge out, reloaded the new one AND 'redecorated' for me!! It's a side by side!! I LOVE THAT!!! (Whoa, you can certainly tell A LOT about a person when you peek into their fridge! ~hmm, maybe I shouldn't have shown this one. he he he  : }  ) It comes complete with an ice and water dispenser! WHOO HOO!! I've never had one of those before!! I'm totally loving it!!! (The kids are too!! ) Well, that's my show for today. Thanks for stoppin' by!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/606074/ Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:29:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sonoranstamper/606074/