Apr. 29, 2009 - Higher Hope by Robert Whitlow

Robert Whitlow, in his second book of the series Tides of Truth and titled Higher Hope, has done a fantastic job on a story that combines intrigue, mystery and romance.

Tami Taylor formerly Tammy Lynn Taylor comes from a strict religious background. Her family has many heartfelt beliefs that could be considered old-fashioned or even fanatical by an outsider.  On closer inspection it is revealed that they are very loving and desiring to serve the Lord in the best way possible.

Tami is a home school graduate on summer break from college and is working as a law clerk. She is caught between her beliefs and her job. Tami must make some life changing decisions. Will she be able to stay true to her convictions while at the same time doing the job that the firm needs her to do?

As Zach and Vinnie vie for Tami’s affections and Ramona Dabney fights to keep her church, Tami is left to wonder just exactly what God has planned for her future.

Robert Whitlow in conjunction with Thomas Nelson Publishing has again proved himself as an excellent writer.  He has given us another great book to treasure.  To find out how Tami Taylor chooses to deal with life’s surprise find Higher Hope at your local bookstore.

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Apr. 22, 2009 - Journal Entry

April 22, 09

We have had a quiet day today.  One of the girls was at a birthday party and Alexander is sick with a cold and so we only did a small amount of school work.  I took Anne on a bike ride and she shined the rest of the day. It is amazing to me that just a little time from mom can light up a child's face for the rest of the day.  I need to remember to take time to do the little things.

I am getting ready for a yard sale on Saturday to raise money for Anne to go to summer camp.  I looked at the weather and there is a 30% chance of rain so I am hoping that it will hold off until we at least make the $ she needs!  I need to weed my tiny garden and mow tomorrow (in my spare time)!  So much to do so little time!

Friday night at church is our Secret Sister Spring Fling and I need to get busy preparing the lesson there is nothing like waiting until the last minute to do something.  We could just eat and visit and forget lessons! HA!! Not me, not when I have a captive auidience. 

Life is moving fast right now during this season of our lives.  I cherish days like today and enjoy the quiet.  All too soon I am sure I will have more quiet days than I want. I am so thankful for my noisey, busy kiddos and the joy they bring me!

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Apr. 22, 2009 - Yellow Doily

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Apr. 21, 2009 - Teaching Reading Painlessly

Teaching Reading Painlessly

Teaching reading has been one of my greatest delights in home schooling.  I am a little sad everyday as Alexander learns just a little more.  I love to teach kids to read. I love how their eyes will light up when they finally get it.  So how do you do it? Teaching reading is different for every child/parent relationship.  In other words what worked wonderful with child number one may not work at all for child number two.  So be prepared to change your approach if needed.

This is what teaching a child to read looks like in my home:

The first thing we do is read, read, read all the time.  Letting our preschooler see us reading for pleasure. When my kids turn three we go to the library and we check out books.  I do this on a regular basis (at least once a week) and we bring home 10-15 books.  And I read, dad reads, sister reads... everyone reads to the preschooler. 

Each of my children have come to me between the ages of three and four and said mommy I want to learn to read.  I promptly tell them that reading is lots of work so we need to practice working hard and then I teach them to make their bed and fold the dish towels.  These are things they have usually already been doing but now they become chores.  We practice working hard. I have them dry dishes, wipe the table, try to sweep (this is too funny to watch).  After a few weeks of working hard then we are ready to learn to read.  This has helped to accomplish several things.  The first it helps me to find out if my child is obedient because after folding the third dish towel the child will say, "I'm tired".  They must obey and finish the job even though it is hard. You can not teach a disobedient child. It also helps to build their excitement about reading. 

When I think they are ready I pull out the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and I start going through it with them.  I go at the child’s pace.  If they are tired after one exercise we put it up for another time.  I watch them for tired cues squirming, rubbing their eyes, yawning, mixing up letters.  Little ones tire easily especially if you are teaching reading very young.  I never push.  Short lessons are the key to success.  I never spend 20 min. at a time.  Usually the lessons are less than 5 minutes in one sitting.

I do not do the writing component of the book at all.  I teach my children to read before I ever teach them to write. If you are teaching an older child the writing can be taught easily along with the reading.  I make reading lesson time a cuddle time. We curl up in a chair with the book and do our lesson.  I never let my child see my frustration if the forget the sound for the 100th time.  I promptly correct any mistakes they make by just saying the correct sound and then I have them start the word over.

This book has worked for three of my four children.  My oldest learned to read before the age of four.  My third child learned to read a little after four. And my son is now learning to read at almost five. We have had no tears over reading with these three kids.  The two girls each quit using the book about 3/4 of the way through and were reading at a second grade level.

Now you ask what about the one it did not work for.  You will probably have a child that struggles with reading.  I believe that every homeschool mom usually does because children all have different gifts.  I used this book with my second daughter at the age of 3.5 for several months and decided it was not time and I put it down.  I picked it up at 4.5 for several months and decided it was not time.  I tried again at 5.5 and realized we might have a problem.  I tried using another curriculum that made the problems worse. At the age of 6 she told me that she did not need to do school that it was okay.  Now we were still reading those 10-15 library books a week to her during this time and even had started longer read alouds. She did participate in school and was required to do all the hands on activities and coloring.  So I promptly decided to quit reading to her! (gasp) 

She needed to be motivated.  I bought another curriculum which did not work.  I cried daily in the solitude of my bedroom and told my husband I thought she would never read fluently.  I prayed for God to intervene.  She was 7 by this time and still only barely reading words such as cat, bat, hat.  I picked up a used curriculum at a yard sale when we were out of state visiting my grandmother that summer. So she was 7.5 years.  The curriculum was "Sing Spell Read Write" She was reading by the time she was 8.  I do not even know how it happened. We were struggling daily through the lessons.  One day I walked in and she was reading to her younger sister.  My mouth was hanging open!  I truly do not think it was the curriculum that we used I think that she just needed time. 

My encouragement to you if you have a child that is struggling with reading is to not give up.  To keep going forward but to not push too hard.  Each child will read when they are ready.  Always make reading enjoyable and a delight and they will want to learn.  Throw out any and all curriculum that steals your joy or that of your child. 

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the ability to read and write.  I take such joy in reading Your word.  Help us as we teach our children this skill. Show us how to best teach our children.  Help us to not compare them with others of the same age but to let each child grow and mature in the way you made them. Help us to seek you for wisdom when we need it and to listen closely to Your leading for each of our children. Amen.

 

 

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Apr. 21, 2009 - The Great Curriculum Search

 

The Great Curriculum Search

  Homeschooling has been the greatest adventure of my life. I have learned more through the years of teaching my children than I ever thought possible. I am so thankful to the Lord that He has lead me to home school my children it has been one of biggest ways that He has worked in me.  I am so blessed to have the privilege to teach my children, to hang out with them and to just be.

  Through the years I have read about, researched and bought many different curriculums.  The Lord has lead me down many paths and I have lead myself and my children down more than one wrong path.

My curriculum journey has been wide and varied.  The goals have always remained the same.  I home school so that I can have relationship with my children and keep them close to my heart.  It is my desire that they learn to love the Lord with all of their hearts.  I home school so that my children can learn by experiences and learn from great literature and great people.  I home school only because God called us to teach our children at home. 

I have used a variety of curriculum for a variety of circumstances.  I believe my children have had a good education.  It has not always been what I dreamed of and desired for them.  Most of the time the curriculum we had was what God provide and not what I had dreamed of: The curriculum of real life and life experiences.   Used book store finds or better yet yard sale finds.  Sometimes I even did get to purchase the things I had longed for and sometimes those things set on the shelf.  

As a home school mom I know the hours that can be spent searching for just the "right" thing.  The stress over not having the money for the perfect thing you found.  I know because I have been walking down that path yet again the past few weeks.

My kids are growing and we are entering a new phase.  My oldest daughter has one more year until high school.  I have labored over the decision making process until my brain hurt. The problem:  I teach with unit studies heavily using hands on activities and living books but it requires lots of teacher planning.  The curriculums that I use have things for high school but they recommend that the high school student work independently of the family.  This troubles me.  It has always been my desire that we do school together and we always have.  I have researched for hours and driven myself batty to only find that every curriculum I can find that follows my approach sends the high school student off to be independent.  I did find one option but the cost is outlandish which makes it a non-option for our family.

So where do I go from here? I like to have a plan and I usually make a plan for my plan.  I have no idea at this point what the Lord has in mind for our family and for the high school years.  I do know that He will provide exactly the curriculum, the experiences and the people that my children need in their life.  As home school moms we have to plan it is a part of our job.  In our planning though we have to remember the One who works all things together for our good. He loves these kids even more than we do.  We have to take the curriculum and experiences that He does provide and use them to the best of our abilities.  He desires that we walk in peace and contentment.  I would encourage you to trust Him to meet your every need.  If you are longing for a curriculum or an experience for your children but the money has not been there I encourage you to let it go and walk in the way God has set before you.  He knows what you and your children need even before you ask. 

Thank you Lord for knowing what my family needs this year. Thank you for teaching me yet again about your provision for our needs.  I do trust you and I give my home school to you.  You are a great and might God and Your ways are not our own.  Help me to walk in Your ways today. Amen.

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Jan. 4, 2009 - My Grandmother's Chesse Ball

Chesse Ball

2 packages of cream chesse

2 cups of grated cheddar

2 T chopped onion

2 T chopped bell pepper

1/8 t garlic

Dash of Worchestshire

Blend together and form into a ball by laying on sara wrap and mashing into the ball.  Chill for about 3 hours.  Then unwrap and roll in chopped pecans.  Serve with your favorite crackers.

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Jan. 4, 2009 - Goals for 2009

Goals for 2009

1.  Live each day as if it were my last.  Live in such a manner that if I were to die today that I would have touched someone for Christ today.

2.  Make my husband's goals my goal's, his dreams my own.  Strive to make him feel like a Prince.

3.  Tye the relationship strings tighter with each of my children.  Investing time and effort into what is important to each of them. 

4.  Guard my quiet times more closely.

5.  Write more

6.  Stop drinking soda!

7.  Do things that minister to my heart so that I have more to give those around me.  Stop letting myself get burned out before I take a break.

8.  Laugh more.

9.  Serve more.

10. Pray more.

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Jan. 4, 2009 - Year in Review 2008

2008 In Review

Jan:  My oldest daughter turned 12!!

          We found out I was pregnant for the 10th time.

Feb:   My second daughter turned 11!

           Pregnancy sickness overtook our lives I threw up constantly.

Mar:   I turned 33 and my youngest daughter turned 8.  I continued to be very ill

April:   Our unborn son went to be with Jesus at the end of April, we named him Isaac.

May:   Recovery and schooling in earnest trying to catch up on all we missed the first part of the year.  Tim turned 39. I went to a bed and breakfast with my best friend.  It was bittersweet as it was the weekend after we lost the baby.

June:  Our 15th wedding anniversay!! 

July:    Schooling continued through the month of July.

Aug:    Our short summer break! Lots of library trips, movies and video games for the kids- too hot to play outside much.

Sept:  School started back up and I started a part time job.  Awanna started and the youth group class.

Oct: Fall break from school and the fall festival.  We got a zoo membership and went to the zoo. 

Nov: Thanksgiving was spent with family having two different get togethers one with each side.  We enjoyed the break from school and work.

Dec:  Christmas Canta at church.  We enjoyed getting to participate in this.  We celebrated christmas with four different family gatherings and were so blessed to see and hug many of our family members.  We had a nice long Christmas break and enjoyed the kids.  I hate to see it end this Monday!

2008 was one of the hardest years we have had.  I think it was a result of losing another baby after all the others we have sent to be with Jesus.  However, the Lord worked in our hearts and in the hearts of our children through this hard year.  He has been faithful and ministered to us when we most needed it.  He has provided in such huge ways.  My working has been a great stress on the kids but even through that they have grown and learned.  I am so thankful.  God is so great and able to provide our every need.

           

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Sep. 28, 2008 - Month in Review

Journal Entry

We have had a joyous September.  It has been very busy.  I started working a part time job and school is in full swing.  There have been days that I have not known which way was up.  The good news is that everyone seems to be adjusting to the new routine of me working.  I am learning to let the house work go in favor of meeting the needs of my kid's hearts. 

I don't mean that the house is horrible but there is always something that can be cleaned or that needs doing.  I sometimes struggle with stopping and looking my kids in the eye and really listening to them.  This is especially hard when I am very busy.  I am however learning to let the small things go in order to do the most important thing I will ever do.  Teaching my children that they are important and taking the time to listen to them.  I hope that they grow up knowing how much I love them and that they remember I truly listened when they talked or better yet that I ohhh and ahhhed over every little slimey green creature they brought me. 

We have had a good month.  I can not believe it is all but over.  I did not accomplish half of what I thought I would.  It is amazing to me that it doesn't matter how much we plan things always turn out different. 

So guess what!! Now I am going to go and plan October. 

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Sep. 7, 2008 - Fantastic Cabbage Soup

This is a yummy frugal meal!  My family eats every bite.

1 head of cabbage cut into chunks

Potatoes , peeled and cut into fourths

1 package of smoked sausage cut into small bite sized pieces

Place all in a soup pot and cover with water.  Add 1/4 stick of butter.

Cook until cabbage and potatoes are tender. 

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with rolls or cornbread.

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Sep. 7, 2008 - A Few Frugal Cooking Tips

• Out of eggs - use 1 Tablespoon Soyflour and 1 Tablespoon water (you can buy soyflour at walmart for about 2 dollars it is in a brown box) I used this in muffins, corn bread, and cake and they all turned out great.  I did add a little more liquid until the batters looked correct. 
• Only buy meat that is under $1.50 a pound and when it is that price buy as much as you can.  (yep- you have to give up the boneless skinless-)
• Make your own bread, rolls, cornbread (serve bread to your starving kids at every meal) REFRAIN from eating the bread yourself at every meal or you may be having to buy new clothes which would undo the frugalness!!
• Serve soup at least once a week.  Make a huge pot and serve for dinner and then for lunches several days.  Add homemade rolls and the kids will eat it up. (at least after the first month or so they will)
• Use powdered milk in all of your cooking.  You can not tell the difference. 
• Cabbage is very high in vitamin C if you are having trouble affording fruit.  I will post a Cabbage soup recipie that we love!
• Buy some treats and partial them out so your family doesn't get burnt out on your frugal meals.
• Make weekends exciting!  Homemade pizza or chicken wings!

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Sep. 7, 2008 - Frugal Cooking

A Frugal Cook

  I have always thought of myself as a frugal cook until I have recently had to take it to a higher frugal level.  I have become nicknamed the food police at our house (which I do not enjoy by the way).  There just has not been surplus cash for groceries and with costs at the store rising it has been a strugggle to feed my family and feed them well.  It is amazing how inventive one can get when there just is NO more money and you have two weeks, a week or three days until pay day!  I am amazed at the things my family has learned to do without.  I am also amazed at the amount of complaining and whining that I have encountered. 

Teaching our children in America that God will provide for their needs is a very difficult thing.  Do we ever allow them to have a real physical need?  America is a country of surplus.  My family along with many others have never served our children the same type of food many times over.  Or let them go without shoes until God provides.  I have come to realize that I need to allow my children to see how God will provide for us. I see that my children need to know what it is like to be unsatisfied after a meal so that they better understand how it feels to be and do without.  Now it is not as if my children get new clothing, and we eat steak.  We do not and never have, however my children have never truly been hungry or even just tired of eating pinto beans (until now that is). I can truly say that I have not been enjoying this season of my life very much but with just as much conviction I can say that God is using it in the lives of each of my family members.  He is shaping and growing us.  Where and how is He growing you?  Are you enjoying it?  I pray the Lord helps you get a different perspective about your struggles today so you can laugh and dance in the midst of them.  He is faithful.  (even when pintos are cooking on the stove)

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Aug. 22, 2008 - Week In Review

Week number four went fairly well the crying and whining did take a dive downward this week.  It has been a hard adjustment getting back into a routine.  Since they have been out of one since January pretty much.  I was so sick with the pregnancy and then grieving over the loss of Isaac that most of their school from Jan.-June was student led learning or online and independent.  They learned so much this past year and much of it went beyond academics. 

Some of the things they learned: how to serve, how to care for their brother when mommy was throwing her guts up, how to take care of someone who is throwing their guts up, the older girls learned to cook more dishes independently, they learned how to trust God even when bad things happen, my two oldest learned how to comfort someone who is grieving.  The have both grown so much through this hard time of our lives. I can not imagine how much harder it would have been without them by my side.

So the best part of the week was our mapping activity with Ancient Civilizations and the Bible.  We learned so much about the Fertile Crescent.  The vocabulary game we played  yesterday was a big hit, too! Charades with the vocabulary words.  Even my four year old son joined in on the fun. 

I let the older girls pick their own spelling words from their reading this week.  Well, my oldest daughter picked several sciencific names of lizards and as a result made a 60% on her test yesterday.  I don't think she will do that again.  This worked great with daughter number two though and she did exceptionally well on her test. 

My second-grader had a great week, too. We have been reading Heidi outloud which she is loving!! Only three chapters left and she is ready to go to the library for another read aloud.

And lastly, I have started 100 Easy Lessons with my little guy.  He is so different than the girls.  He is very smart and learns fast only there is one small problem he won't sit still!!! 

So thats our week in review.  We are having a crazy fun time on this grand adventure of learning at home. 

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Aug. 19, 2008 - Betty Crocker Refrigerator Dough

This is a very good dough.  I used it to make cinnamon rolls, garlic rolls, regular rolls.  I think it would work for lots of things and it was great to have it already made and in the fridge.  It took about five minutes to make the garlic rolls and put them in the oven.

1 pk yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

2/3 cup of sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 cup mashed potatos (you can also use the instant potato flakes)

7 cups of flour

 Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Stir in shortening, eggs, potato.  Add 4 cups of flour.  Beat until smooth.   Mix in enough flour to make dough easy to handle. Knead 5 minutes.

Place in greased bowl greased side of dough up.  (I sprayed a little Pam on it) and cover. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Keeps up to 5 days. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

The dough will rise in the fridge so make sure you have a big enough bowl.  Mine kind of grew over the edges. 

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Aug. 18, 2008 - Our Schedule

Our Schedule

5:30:   Groom, Room, Pets, Breakfast and Private Devotions

7:00:   Mom teaching time: We always start with our prayer request journal where we write our requests and answers. Then we pray and read the bible together. The readings tye into our History study since we are studying Ancient Civilizations and the Bible by Diana Waring this year.  We then talk and discuss for our History at this time so that it is all connected.  I then usually read to them from another book, either a biography, poetry, fiction... Then I go over the plans for the day with them and answer any questions they have about their work.  This session takes 1 to 2 hours depending on the day.  The kids do handwork, draw, or build quietly while I am reading.

 9:30:  The children do their independent work from their day planners. 

12:00: We eat lunch and I sometimes read to them again.

12:30-1:00: I give help where needed and we work on any special projects. Sometimes this can take a couple of hours if we are sewing or crafting.

1:00- :The kids finish up their work for the day and then have productive free time and chores.

5:00:     Dinner and clean up

8:00: Bedtime for everyone

We have co-op classes on 10 Fridays each semester.  The off Fridays we do not do school.  The children do a math lesson each weekend. 

The children do not watch tv, videos, video games, or computer time Monday - Friday.  Unless there is a special occiasion or I am having an off day!!

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Aug. 18, 2008 - Our Curriculum for 2008-2009 School Year

Curriculum for 2008-2009

Language Arts: Copy Work, Institute for Excellence in Writing, Easy Grammar, Learning Grammar Through Writing, Various Writing Handbooks

Spelling: their spelling words come from their writing.

Literature: We read about what we are studying.  The older girls are taking a book club type class at co-op on the Narnia books. We log every book that they read in full, or selections of.  The list is very, very long by the end of the year.  I also have them do impromtu narriations periodically.

Math: Life of Fred (for seventh grader), Saxon 65 (for sixth grader), Math U See (for third grader)

Science: Bob Jones Life Science (co-op class for sixth and seventh grader), nature journals, library books, ect... for all the kids

History: Ancient Civilizations and the Bible by Diana Waring

Other:  Typing, Polished Cornerstones, Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History, God and the History of Art, We plan to start relaxed spanish in December.

Co-op classes: Sixth and seventh grader: crochet, Narina, quilting, Life Science. The third grader:  government, creation class, and two arts and crafts classes.

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Aug. 18, 2008 - Kitchen Diasters

Have you ever had one of those weeks when everything you cook seems to flop?  On Saturday I spent the day cooking with new recipes.  I started with chocolate cake which had cinnamon in it which no one in the family liked.  Then I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Sunday morning....new recipie... frosting was SO GROSS!! So lunch for Sunday I tried a new cassarole... needless to say it was not a hit.  It was rice,spaghetti sauce and hamburger meat.  Well The rice did not get all the way cooked and was crunchy.  So today I had the idea of making it into a soup.  So I added some water and mixed veggies and set it to cooking. I served up lunch to the kids, did a few things and then served mine.  They had all been eating quietly for about 10 min. I took one bite and spewed it out of my mouth.  It was so awful and tasted burnt... I had not stired the soup, just set it to simmer on low there was so much rice that it sunk to the bottom and was burning. It certainly did not smell like it was burning, in fact the soup smelled great. So I called the kids in and asked if they liked it.  All three girls just smiled at me. Guess they did not think mom could take one more ruined meal.  So funny!!

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Aug. 18, 2008 - Mothering Heart Ministries

  Welcome to my blog.  This is a new adventure for me and I am glad that you stopped by for a visit.  What is Mothering Heart Ministries? It is a ministry born out of my heart to love and nurture those around me starting first in my home and then extending outward.  It is my desire to fill up the hearts of those around me, pouring out upon them the love that Christ has so freely given me.  So welcome to my little part of the world. 

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Aug. 18, 2008 - Wish List for crochet swap

Are you a knitter or crocheter??   crochet
I love to make.....                  everything!! afghans, doliies, potholders, baby things
I really want to make......         a prayer shawl
My favorite yarns are.....           different yarns for different projects I love the soft soft yarns available now
My wish pattern is......          Prayer shawl pattern
My favorite hooks or needles are.....          The wooden hook that belonged to my Granny
I really wish I had.....              more yarn!!!  And a hook case instead of the ziplock bag I keep them in.
My favorite colors are...            browns, burgandy,green, purple, jewel tones
My hobbies...                                  the kids, crochet, sewing, quilting, reading, writing
My kitchen theme and colors..        red and yellow
My bathroom theme and colors...         burgandy and gold
My dislikes....                               umm... cottage cheese!! oh that is not crochet related.  I can not thing of any.
My crafts..what I like.... crochet, sewing, quilting, cross stitch,
My allergies...          none
My favorite pets...      well the kids have 2 lizzards, a turtle, a bird, a dog, 2 cats- I like the cats best
My favorite scents...        vanilla, apple, pumpkin
My favorite novels or magazines...  oh my that is too hard of a question! I love to read! EVERYTHING!
Other stuff about me...  I have been married to my hubby for 15 years.  We have four children which are homeschooled. 

 

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