Embracing the Paradox

Melted

2011-12-28T17:37:00.000-08:00

Maybe it is because she is my last baby. Maybe it is because she has the cutest smile ever. Maybe it is because she has her first loose tooth, (which she is ecstatic about by the way).

But today I today I looked at her teeth and was overwhelmed my their cuteness.

You can imagine my delight and surprise when I read this today in our read aloud, Peter Pan.

"She had come to save him, to give him her nest, though there were eggs in it. I rather wonder at the bird, for though he had been nice to her, he had also sometimes tormented her. I can suppose only that, like Mrs. Darling and the rest of them, she was melted because he had all his first teeth."

How lucky Olivia is to have a mom who is sometimes "melted because (s)he has all her first teeth."

Hold Me by Jamie Grace ukulele cover by Mandi

2011-11-16T05:07:00.000-08:00

God Girl by Jamie Grace cover by Ukulele Mandi

2011-11-16T05:06:00.000-08:00

God's Heartbeat

2011-09-13T06:35:00.001-07:00

It was just the two of us. The others had gone to Night of Joy. We had already bought a new outfit and eaten supper. Now we were in a quiet house, with a few hours before bedtime. As we sat on the kitchen floor, chatting, she said, "Let's play the ukulele. I know how to play a few chords."

She ran to get it, unzipped the case and said, "It might need to be tuned." I smiled as she put the tuner on the ukulele and plucked a string. Then she announced, "The A string is good."

How does she know these things? The answer to that question flooded me with emotion. As she showed me the chords that she knew, all I could think about was how beautiful this moment was.

Yes, I do enjoy watching my 6 year old play an instrument, but the movie playing in my head was so much more precious to me. I was seeing a little sister watching her big sister play the ukulele. I was seeing a big sister hand her little sister the ukulele and show her how to play. And I was thinking about how valuable that time was.

The value was not in the information learned, but in how it was learned. It was learned through a relationship. God's heartbeat. I saw God's heartbeat that day!

That Girl!

2011-07-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

My girl, Mandi, has taken to music like a fish takes to the water. When I watch her play, I get the feeling that every mother loves to get. I get the feeling that she is doing what she was created to do. She works hard, like 9 hours in a day hard, but she wouldn't do it if she didn't love it.

In one of my many searches for songs for her to sing, I found a worship singer named, Mandi Mapes. A line in her bio got me thinking. Mandi Mapes wrote, " Now, the joy that I have in Him surpasses any short lived happiness I’ve ever experienced in this life and it is my greatest privilege to take my lips and my guitar and make His glory known in coffee shops, music venues and living rooms all over the world. "

I thought, "You know, when I hear Mandi Mapes sing, I get the feeling that she is doing what she was created to do and now she is connected to her Creator. What could be more beautiful! All the distractions, lies, and destructive behavior that the enemy would have for her are being pushed out of the way. She is living in the way that her Creator intended for her to live and it is a beautiful thing. As she grows in the Lord, it will only become more beautiful!"

This is my prayer for my Mandi, that as she does her thing, making music, people will get the feeling that she is doing what she was created to do, that she knows her creator, that she has great joy in knowing her creator, and that they want to know Him, too.

Not only that, but that they will be inspired to find something that they were created to do, work hard at becoming great in it and bring glory to God in doing it.

I want to be like That Girl!

Mandi teaching Olivia to play Zaccheus on the Piano

2011-07-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

This makes me happy!

Mandi plays Did You Ever Talk to God Above on the ukulele

2011-07-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

Mandi plays Hold Us Together on the Ukulele

2011-06-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

Books

2011-06-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

I remember the sound of my shoes tapping on the terrazzo floor and the smell of dusty shelves. Everything was taller than me and no one talked to me. But I loved this place. My mom loved this place, so I did, too.

I do not remember ever checking out a book. But I do remember looking at the rows and rows of books and knowing that they were all there for me. They were all there for me to discover. They must be important if someone had taken the time to organize them on the shelves. I couldn't read yet, but I was drawn to all those books.

Now I find myself drawn to old books. The ones with black line drawings are the best. They may not seem like exciting books, but sometimes I discover an old way of thinking or speaking connected to a timeless truth. I feel connected to the time and the people who lived in that time. It feels like a treasure hunt.

The treasure I am finding is priceless.

Mandi plays Jamaica Farewell

2011-06-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

Mandi came up with the arrangement. It reminds me of a mission trip I took when I was 17.

Thank you MCT!

2011-06-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Michael Clay Thompson is a man who has changed the way I educate my children. Maybe I should say, has confirmed my intuition about teaching my kids. He is a man who loves the English language and is able to convey his feelings to his readers. He writes in a way that is not insulting to a student's intelligence, yet he makes it easy to understand his point.

This past school year, I decided to focus on his first level of language arts books with my three oldest kids.

Now at the end of the year, their messy notebooks are filled with similes and poems that they have written. It is writing that they can be proud of.

They can tell you the most horrible grammatical mistake you can make in a sentence.

They have started to notice if a writer is a good writer or not.

They have started to appreciate classic literature.

They have started to value poetic elements and recognize some poets.

They have started a journey and I am thrilled to be taking it with them!

2011 Fair Elementary Division First Place Winner

2011-04-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

She pulled us aside and said, " I want you to know, you have been given a gift. You will always remember hearing this. Never sing anything that you do not feel in your heart. You can not give anything to the people, if you do not know it yourself."

Dick and I had been telling her, you will be there to give a gift to the people in the crowd. You want to give them the best gift you can. That is why you need to practice so hard and pick a song with perfect message.

She took our advice, listened to our suggestions and gave a passionate gift to the people at the county fair.

New Dog?

2011-02-15T04:24:00.000-08:00

Our 4-H dog trainer informed me that she thought we needed a different dog. She was afraid that Lyla was going to hurt someone. She had seen the way Lyla responded to Grace, when Lyla did not want to obey anymore. I gulped and asked her what I should do next.

She said, " I will trade you dogs. I have a litter of puppies that will be ready in a few weeks and I have some adult dogs that might work."

After waiting a long week and a half, we finally made the switch. We now have a 3 year old boxer that we are trying out for a few weeks. She is the perfect dog. She has fallen in love with Grace and Grace feels the same way. We porbably will keep her. We just have to find out the details invloved. The trainer wants/has to breed her one more time, because of an agreement with another breeder. I need to know what money, time, and responsiblity will be required of us.

The dog's name is Rainy and her father is a world famous dog. He has more titles than I can name his puppies are sought after because of their temperment. We are blessed for the opportunity to have her.

The Eight Pals by Levi

2010-12-31T05:26:00.000-08:00

The eight parts of speech were waling along when they saw a man taking some money from an old lady.

"Look," said verb.

"Where," asked adverb.

"Over," said preposition.

"...there," finished pronoun.

"Oh, no," exclaimed interjection.

"Vile, " said adjective.

"But," said conjunction.

"...handsome," said adjective.

"Man," said noun.

"Nice," said adjective.

"Huh," asked interjection.

"Man," repeated noun.

"Nice," repeated adjective.

"Oh," said interjection.

Then they all realized the old lady was giving the man the money.

Christmas Joy

2010-12-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

These cousins love to be together. This Christmas, they have giggled, shopped, performed, tried each other's clothes on, sang, and here they are dancing together.

The Joy of Giving 2010

2010-12-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to pick presents for 30+ kids. A member of our church shops for deals all year and donates items for prizes and presents. So this year at our Christmas dinner, we were able to give each kid a present. Since I am the children's pastor, I was in charge of deciding who got what. It was neat to realize that since I have a relationship with each kid, I knew what they would like. Each conversation we have had, made it easier and a joy to pick out their present. The joy came from knowing each child. The joy came from the relationship.

I am thanking God for the joy of giving, the joy of relationships this Christmas!

So should I just quit now?

2010-10-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

There is is scene in the movie Akeela and the Bee, after her first spelling bee. She has just blown the competition away and it is quite obvious that she has natural talent. An adult is talking to her about the one word that she missed and she blurts out,"So should I just quit now?"

That question rings in my mind quite often and I have to chuckle at myself. Like last week at our first 4H club meeting. Ruff and Ready is our club name and you can guess it is a dog training club. We met the dog trainer for the first time. She is a boxer and boston terrier specialist, has 17 of them at home, and shows them all over the country. She immediately started playing with Lyla and when it was her turn to speak, she looked at Grace and me and said, "This one is going to be a handful. " Then she gave me a wide eyed stare. The one that says more than the words spoken.

I gulped, wondering, "So should we just quit now?"

Grace apparently didn't read into the trainers words like I did. On the way home, she said, "Lyla did really well, mom. I am excited.

So, we move forward. Lyla isn't the only one learning.

A New Perspective

2010-08-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

I was talking to our worship leader about the songs we sing. He said he was tired of a certain song and I chimed in that I was tired of many of the songs we sing. He said he wasn't really tired of them, he just wanted to have more variety. We proceeded to start the service and I stood in my normal position on the left side of the stage, behind the keyboard.

I played and sang along and noticed the young lady visiting for the first time. I only knew her name and that she had just gotten out of jail. She obviously didn't know the words, but it didn't seem to matter. She was listening intently, singing some, bowing her head some, crying some, raising her hands some, and nodding in agreement.

It was the most beautiful thing I have seen in a long time. When you are in the ministry, this is one of those moments you live for. You give everything you have over and over again for moments like these.

Those songs that I said I was tired of, now had new meaning. I had a new perspective.

What's new?

2010-08-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

Mandi, my 8 year old, can bake a loaf of bread, by hand, from memory, all by herself. It turns out great!

Levi has started reading classic literature for pleasure, like Robinson Crusoe, Sherlock Holmes, and Kidnapped.

Mandi led worship at church last week. Our worship leader was out of town. She played the piano and sang 4 songs. She even played quietly while her daddy was praying. I wanted to do that at her age but didn't have the confidence. She is very comfortable doing it.

I am so enjoying being frugal. It leads to a much simpler life and I get so much more done. We are eating healthier, spend more time together and the kids are learning more about living real life. I keep thinking about how lazy we Americans are. We will pay people to do so many things that we could easily do ourselves. We pay people to entertain us, when we could probably have much more fun if we would do it ourselves and we would be more connected to the ones we love. We pay for people to cook our food. I am noticing how often we buy plastic in various shapes and forms. I am thinking about toys, containers, office supplies. The list goes on.

All Stars

2010-06-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

Mandi and Levi both made the All stars this year. We had two tournaments today. One here and the other an hour away. I stayed here with Levi. He had a 10:00, 12:00, and 2:00 game. The last one had rain delay, so we were there until 6:30. Levi didn't play much. He is more of a substitute player.

Dick went with Mandi. She had a 10:00 and 2:30. Dick said she played very well. She plays second base and made some great catches and throws to get people out. She slid under the ball to be safe at second. I could tell Dick enjoyed helping to coach her team. They didn't win the last game but played really well.

We do it all over again next week and the next week. I am glad that someone is enjoying it. I
think I would if it wasn't so hot. I won't leave my dog out in this weather, but somehow we have to stay out in it all day long. The things we do for our kids.

Lyla 4 months

2010-06-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

Lyla is changing everyday. Yesterday, she learned how to undo the latch on the gate outside. She was so excited when she ran into the front yard. She ran in huge circles non-stop. Then when I put her in the crate, she somehow undid the latch on it, too.

She was doing so well on her walk, but things are changing. Grace came home with the dog tags in her hand. Lyla had pulled so hard on the leash, she had stretched the metal ring into a skinny u-shape and broke free. She wanted to play with the dog next door.

That was the day I told Levi it was time for him to start rollerblading with her. He loves anything that makes him go fast and he is very good on skates so Lyla is a perfect fit. He is supposed to take her once or twice a day and then when we walk Lyla, she will have some of her energy used up.

Lyla still has to be on a leash around new people, especially little ones. She wants to play so much it hurts (them).

She can officially destroy anything she gets her teeth on. My Mom's shoes were gone in no time.

If she knows or thinks we have food, she is a perfectly well behaved dog. So, I am constantly looking the the next great treat for her. I am applying what I learned in a behavior modification class I took when Grace was 2. Reward good behavior and gradually, randomly take away the reward, until they do not know when they will get the reward, but continue the behavior in the hopes that this will be the time.

I am hoping Lyla helps me get in shape. As I said before, the Dog Whisperer says that a dog need two 45 minute walks a day. We are working up to that with her. She gets 2-4 short (10 min) walks a day. Sometimes I jog part of that time, which I would not be doing if Lyla didn't need it.

Pass the Puppy

2010-04-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

My aha moment came when we were at Lyla's puppy class. It was time to play pass the puppy. All the puppy owners sit in circle and pass their puppy to the next person. This is to get the puppies used to other people touching them. I was panicking. Lyla tends to get mouthy if she gets over stimulated. She did and I panicked.

Then the instructor noticed Lyla's behavior and calmly said, " Lyla is done. It is time for her to go back to Mommy. She is not ready to be is such a large circle." I knew this was true. I know my puppy.

Next, I had a flash back to the days when we first got Lyla and I realized how far she had come. She no longer is like a tornado when we put the leash on her. Most of the time, she is calm and polite with us, instead of drawing blood on the kids and bringing them to tears.

We had invested so much time into Lyla, and we knew what she was capable of and what was a challenge for her. I knew that the pass the puppy game was going to be too much for her. I am able to see the small steps she makes and celebrate, because I have taken the time to know my dog.

I think that many people don't have anyone who takes the time to know them where they are. They do not have anyone who knows them well enough to celebrate the small steps they take and encourage them to keep taking steps.

Today, in puppy class, Lyla almost made it all the way around the circle and I am celebrating!

Lyla 3 months old

2010-04-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Levi Came in Fourth Place...

2010-03-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

In the Lake County Library Bookmark

His entry is here

Out of 800 entries in his age group!

Who's the boss?

2010-03-24T05:31:00.001-07:00

This is what we are teaching Lyla. So far she seems to get that I am the boss, but she thinks she is the boss of the kids. They are scared of her if she gets in one of her aggressive moods. She is playing, but she thinks she is dominant. We are learning how to show her otherwise.

Cesar Milan, the dog whisperer, says the most important words to remember when owning a dog are Exercise, Discipline, Affection in that order. The exercise comes from at least two daily long walks, the discipline comes from rules, boundaries, and limitations, and the affection is hugs, and cuddles or the part that we want to do first.

We are working on getting the walk down. Who would have thought that just getting a puppy used to a leash would take over a week. She still doesn't always cooperate on the walk, but at least she doesn't attack the leash and look like she is a tornado.

Lyla knows that she has to sit to get what she wants- food, to come inside, a treat. She has learned to come when called (most of the time). She is learning that the person goes in or out the door first. She is not allowed to roam all over the house. She is either in her crate or she is is a small gated area in the living room. And of course, she is learning to potty outside and not in the house. She is doing well for us, but did not do well at my parent's house when the watched her for us.

We have no problem with the affection part.

She gained 2 pounds in one week and now weighs 12 pounds.

We are aliens in this world. 1 Peter 2:11

2010-03-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

This was the t-shirt that our family and another family wore to Epcot. The shirts were lime green and on the front they had 3 eyes. Over and over people asked, "Why the eyes?" We would show them the words on the back and you could immediately tell if the person was a Christian. One lady said, " You are speaking my language." Other responses were "O-o- o K-k-k?" " That makes sense, I guess?" People tried to act like they understood, but if they didn't get it you could tell. I want to come up with a way to respond that would lead a person to Christ and not just confuse them.

What's on my mind?

2010-03-10T16:50:00.000-08:00

-We are getting Lyla, our boxer puppy, on Saturday. We saw her today. She is so cute. I have read so much about training puppies that I am tired of reading about it and ready to do it. I don't think Grace tires of studying dogs. I think she has found a passion.

-Mandi wrote a worship song and played and sang it in church. It was beautiful!

-Baseball season has started. Dick is coaching 2 teams, and helping coach another team. We have games every weeknight except Wed. Levi, Mandi, and Olivia are playing.

-The Sunday after our church dinner, we had four visiting families. We are having another dinner the end of this month.

- I think I need to do a student led unit study with Mandi. She usually has good ideas and learns better if it is her idea.

Alien Kids

2010-03-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

This Sunday, we start a new series in children's church. It is really more than a new series, really a revamped children's church. Every so often, I get inspired to redo the way we do things in children's church. So a few months ago, I started researching and planning. We will be using High Voltage Kids Ministries Curriculum and the first series is Alien Kids. We will be learning how we are different as Christians. I had invitations made with the Alien Kids logo. The kids were excited when I gave them out last week. I told them to invite their friends and they will earn points to spend in our new prize store. They will also earn points by coming, winning games, memorizing verses, and participating. Right now, we have less than 10 kids on any given Sunday. I am expecting and praying for at least 20 kids to attend Alien Kids.

I think about those kids while I am looking for new music, buying the Alien themed gifts to give them each week for coming, studying the lesson, finding puppeteers and actors, designing and ordering t-shirts that they can earn, and planning the decorations.

I need to finish this post because, it is time to finish preparing for Alien Kids

Thanking God for an amazing night!

2010-02-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

Last night, we had a church dinner. We usually only have them on holidays or special occasions. But this dinner was just to bless the community. Our church meets at the civic center of our small town, which is in the heart of downtown. Dick and I have had a burden for this small area of working class families. Over the past 5 years, a few families have visited, several kids have become regulars or come when they feel like it. But nothing like the vision God has given us.

If you have worked in a church for any length of time, you know that just having a desire and working hard does not always draw the people you are trying to reach. Many times, you plan, work, pray and then nobody or very few people come to your event. It is hard not to give up. You pray for wisdom and keep working. That is what we have been doing for the last 5 years.

After our Christmas dinner, two of our members, were impressed to start having once a month dinners to bless the community. It was a great idea, but a little scary. What if we invested all this time and money and then nobody came. We decided to try one or two and then decide if we would continue.

Well, last night was the first one. We planned for 100 people. Fifteen minutes before we were scheduled start, we had about 15 church members there and maybe 15 guests. We were thinking about what we were going to do with all that chicken. 6:30 came and the people started pouring in. We lost count at 75. Remember, only 15 of that 75 were our church, and that was including 6 kids. The rest were families from our little downtown. There were smiles all around ! It was a sweet evening of good food and good conversation. One of our church members stated it best, " We wanted people to feel the love of God and I think they did. There was such a sweet presence here tonight and I think that people felt it."

One family in our church, accomplished in a few days, what we have been trying to do for years. The L's own the convenience store across the street from the civic center. It is the only one downtown, so just about everyone who live downtown shops there regularly. Almost all of the people that came to our dinner, came because the L's invited them. It was wonderful to see Mrs. L light up as her friends came through the door and she hurried to greet them. She made sure they had enough to eat and introduced them to the pastor and friends.

I can't wait until our dinner next month!

Mandi plays Jackson Blues

2010-02-16T12:45:00.000-08:00

We just decided to add the rhythm tracks today. Fun!

Mandi plays I could sing of your love forever

2010-02-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

Mandi singing and playing Honey Dew

2010-02-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

I have changed

2010-02-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

I have never considered myself a dog or animal lover. We did have a few cats and dogs when I was growing up, but mostly, I just hated having to clean up after them. I vowed to never have an indoor animal when I grew up. My kids came along and at first, a pet was out of the question. I was too busy taking care of them to take care of a pet. I knew that the day would come that we should get a dog for the kids, but I was not looking forward to the day.

About 7 years ago, Dick told me that his mom wanted us to come over because she had a surprise for us. The kids were thrilled to see a 4 month old basset hound puppy sniffing around Memaw's front yard and even more excited to find out that she was ours. She was an outside dog, but I still got mad because she knocked over Mandi all the time. She eventually outgrew that habit and the kids started playing with her more and were proud of her because she was so cute and funny.

By the time she was about 4 years old, we began letting her in the house when we were playing with her and she did fine. Grace started taking Rosie on regular walks and they all played with her more and dressed her up and played chasing games with her.

When Rosie was 6 years old, she was playing with the kids and hurt her back and became paralyzed in her back legs. What followed was 2 1/2 gut wrenching months of hoping, praying and working my tail off. I did things I never thought I could or would do, all because the vet said there was hope she might get better. Her last visit to the vet, was sad, but obviously had to be made.

Last week, I was talking to a friend, and realized for the first time, how much I appreciated all that Rosie taught me. She showed me that I was a stronger person than I thought I was. That I could see what needed to be done, find out how to do it and do it. I could do gross jobs. I could do a job, even if I wasn't an expert at it. It needed to be done and I was the one to do it. She stretched me as a person, in a different way than having kids did.

She changed my kids, too. They learned about compassion, first hand. They learned that Rosie was still the same Rosie, just not able to move her back legs. They also learned that we do what needs to be done, even if it is unpleasant. They learned how much Rosie meant to them and what a miracle the ability to walk is, even for a dog.

Now, in about one month, we will be bringing home an 8 week old boxer puppy named Lyla. We have been reading and watching videos about how to choose a breed, find a puppy, and train a puppy. I have gained an appreciation for a good breeder/owner who gives the puppy a good start in life. I keep finding myself being excited about things I never thought I would be excited about. And the best part is that I am sharing it with my kids. We are excited together and it is a beautiful thing.

What to do with Mandi?

2010-01-21T14:45:00.001-08:00

The pediatrician told me, "You're going to have your hands full with this one." Mandi was a 6 month old who could crawl, jump on the bed, and get my keys out of my purse with no thought at all. At 7 1/2 months, she could go from a squatting position to a standing position without holding on to anything and then stand for several minutes. She did this repeatedly for a full month before she took her first steps at 8 1/2 months.

I knew she was ready to potty train, when at 26 months, she informed me, "Mom, I'm pooping. You got any wipes in the car?"

If she wasn't pouring her own juice, she would tell me after I offered her a drink, "Mom, now you say, 'Mandi, which juice do you want?'"

She won a coloring contest at 2 1/2 and loved rhyming words at 3.

When she started kindergarten, she completed her handwriting book in 2 days and went from not knowing all her letter sounds to reading at a second grade level in about 4 months.

In first grade, she started writing poems, wanted to start cursive writing, started playing the piano by watching me, and amazed people with her golf and baseball ability.

Now, in second grade, she finished her English book by Christmas and was advanced in her math skills, but she was getting bored with our routine.

So, over Christmas break, I came up with a new plan for Mandi. One that involved time and space for her to create and learn as quickly or slowly as she needed. As we are beginning to implement it, I hear her saying things like, " Oh, I have an idea!" or "I like this book better than that one. Can I read it again, Mom?" or " Before we studied the continents, I wasn't that interested in them, but now I am noticing them every where."

And yesterday, she was so excited that she learned to play Amazing Grace on the piano in one day! Today she learned to sing and play the first verse and is now determined to learn every verse. I know she won't stop until she does.

She is enthralled with Monet right now and wants to do a painting of water lilies and wants to go to Paris to see Monet's garden.

Can you guess that WE are having fun in school again?

A God story from our past

2010-01-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

Dick reminded me of the time he was a youth pastor and he and the youth group boys were redoing the roof for the music pastor. They had just climbed up on the roof and were assessing the situation, when Dick noticed something strange.

He saw a dove walk toward the skylight and get electrocuted. Evidently, the skylight was leaking and conducting electricity.

Dick believes that God sent the dove to warn the group. They quickly got off the roof and didn't come back until it was safe.

A movie you've got to see!!

2009-12-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

Gifted Hands- the story of Ben Carson.

We rented it from the Redbox. It is based on the book by the same name. Ben Carson is a pediatric brain surgeon who started out with learning problems. His single mom required that Ben and his brother go the extra mile in their schooling, and the world now sees the end result of all their hard work. I think we need to watch it every year, to remind us of the connection between hard work and making a difference in the world.

Christmas Black Light Show

2009-12-23T06:52:00.000-08:00

Preparation for our kid's Christmas program was easy this year. We are repeating the same show we did last year. We had a one hour practice and we were ready. We had most of the props from the last performance. We didn't get to the point where everyone was sick of practicing. It was nice to give the kids and parents something to look forward to. One Mom is supposed to be coming and she has never been to church, even though her kids have been coming for two years. I am excited and praying that she makes it.

Counting the Cost of Following Christ

2009-11-18T04:52:00.000-08:00

One of the head rests in our van has a chunk of foam carved out of it. I have never seen a pocket knife in any of my kids' hands and none of my kids sat in that seat the time that it had to have happened. The person that was sitting there during that time was found with a pocket knife, but denies that he did it.

So why would we be spending time with a destructive, lying juvenile? Because that is what God has called us to do. I am not sure how we will handle the situation, but when I see the chunk of missing foam, I will pray for the boy. His salvation is more important than our van headrest.

what's new?

2009-11-05T03:26:00.000-08:00

What's new at my house?

Fallball- Levi and Mandi are playing baseball and Dick is coaching both teams. We are at the ball field 5 or 6 days a week.

The Maker's Diet- I went on the Maker's Diet. The first three days were miserable. Once I passed that hurdle, I loved the results. Joint pain went away. I had much more energy and positive outlook on life. My skin cleared and no headaches. Now I am on a modified version of the diet and it seems to be a good balance for me.

I love seeing Mandi's toothless grin. She lost her top front tooth two days after she discovered it was loose. She is a determined girl.

Grace has braces. She is doing great for a girl with sensory integration issues.

For the first time since we started homeschooling, I have been writing lesson plans and chore plans for the kids. We have been accomplishing more school and more chores are getting done.

I discovered it is frugal to clean your house. We found the missing library book, several new socks, Mandi's missing favorite skort, shoes, and Olivia's favorite toys under Olivia's bed. Now I don't have to spend money to replace those items.

For the first time in my married life, I handed out candy on Halloween. I have never wanted to celebrate Halloween, but decided to embrace the opportunity to connect with the kids in my neighborhood. We gave out a Christian music cd, The Lads Band, to each family that came and had Christian music playing. It was really fun and I am looking forward to next year.

I walked 4 1/2 miles in one day. I heard my dad say that if you walked 3 miles, any stress you were feeling would go away. I was having some unexplained anxiety, so I thought I would try it. I decided to walk around the baseball field near my house. I walked what I thought was 3 miles, but it was really 4 1/2. I had a wonderful time with the Lord and most of the anxiety was lifted. God gave me these two verses to stand on;

The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2:20

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love and of power and a sound mind. 2 Tim. 1:17

Good Bye

2009-09-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

We took Rosie to the vet for the last time. It was time to say goodbye. The kids were ok with it because they had been around her long enough to know that we had done all that we could do. I am thanking God that the kids enjoyed her so much the last year of her life.

Olivia swimming 2008

2009-09-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

Olivia was 3 years old when this was taken. Now at 4 years old, she can swim the length of an Olympic size swimming pool and back, thanks to Infant Swimming Research. She started lessons at 13 months old.

School this year

2009-09-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Here's what we are doing this year.

Everyone

Bible- Children's Church memory verses

Reading aloud portions that go with History

Grapevine studies (maybe later in the year)

Studying morals and manners with the Book of Virtues

History- The Mystery of History vl. 1 (finishing finally)

Geography- the Usborne Internet linked Children's atlas

Science- Great Science Adventures -The World of Light and Sound

The Periodic Table of Elements- How to Teach Science Newsletter

Piano- I am teaching them using Alfred's Teach Yourself to play Electronic Keyboard, Musicademy Modern Worship for Keyboards, and Simply Music (I just ordered this and am anxious to try it out.)

Poetry- Poetry memorization from Favorite Poems Old and New

Typing- Dance Mat Typing

Art- Art lessons at a local library, Creativity Express Computer game

Cooking- Cooking class at the same local library

Grace

Right now, my mom is working with Grace on her math and language. She is using various books and curriculum. Both my mom and I feel like this is going to be the year that Grace makes great advances in her learning!

Levi-

Language Arts- The Grammar Key This is online and I love it!

Spelling Workout 6th grade

Handwriting Without Tears

Reading- I am still deciding on this. Right now I am assigning him science reading and quizzing him for comprehension.

Math- Rod and Staff 6th

Science- Crime Scene Investigations This is a curriculum meant for a classroom, so we will be adapting it.

Electronic Snap Circuits Student Guide ( Hands-on Program for Basic Electricity and Electronics) So far, he loves this!

Mandi-

Language Arts- Rod and Staff English 2 and 3

Handwriting without Tears

I am still looking for reading comprehension and vocabulary and/or spelling.

Math- MEP mathematics 2nd and 3rd

I will be adding Wordly Wise or Getaclue.com for vocabulary for Levi and Mandi.

Two fun learning games we have been playing are Monopoly Jr (adding small numbers) and Totally Gross- The Science Game.

2009-08-26T02:59:00.000-07:00

Rosie injured her back while playing with the kids on July 7th. Whe stayed at a friend's house for 3 weeks, then we brought her home. When she came home, she was able to stand for about 30 seconds if we propped her up. She would occaisionally move her legs and her tail.

Now, she can stand about 1 min. We still have to prop her up and we are supposed to do it several times a day.

I did some research and found out that water therapy is very helpful for parylized dogs. So we borrowed a horse feeding trough and have attempted therapy with her. What we do is fill the container up just so that Rosie's back legs are extended, she is standing on her front legs,and her back is floating at a level position. Then we entice her with treats to make her walk from one end of the container to the other, over and over.

The first day we did therapy, she shook her hind quarters for the first time. She was shaking herself dry and I had only seen her shake the front part of her body before. That was an encouraging sign.

We do have some concerns about Rosie. One is that she has developed sores in several places from when she drags herself. I put triple antibiotic cream on them, but they continually stay raw. And I don't know that getting them wet from the therapy 2 a day is good for them.

I haven't seen Rosie move either leg in a while. I don't know if she just doesn't want to, or if she can't. I am concerned that one leg may be atrophying. It just doesn't look right. The other leg seems stronger.

Any ideas for the wounds or how to do the water therapy?

Olivia said...

2009-08-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

"Mommy, what does it feel like to be a Mommy?"

After I told her she was loud, she whispered, "Mommy, I'm not always loud."

When I was complaining about a boy leaving his things at our house and threatening to send it all to Good Will, "Well, if it was his favorite, he wouldn't have left it here."

When we were discussing what time we would get up for school everyday, "We get up when we get up."

When I asked her about a book that she had checked out and the library said we had not returned it, she said this. " It is yellow and it is on the shelf at the library."

And she was right! It was!

I love talking to my 4 year old girl!!

Thanks for the Swagbucks!

2009-08-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

To all of you who signed up for Swagbucks with my referral code, THANKS! I will soon be able to get a $30 gift card for Target or Amazon. I think I am going to wait until I get to $50 so I can get free shipping from Target.

I think I will buy new bath towels since I have destroyed so many caring for Rosie.

The Magic Kingdom

2009-08-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

We had a great day, even though it was hot and crowded. We rode most of the rides we wanted to , thanks to the fast passes and found air conditioning when we got too hot.

I worked at this attraction 21 years ago.

2009-08-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

I had a blast showing my kids where I used to work.

Libby's Fun!

2009-08-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Levi's Favorite Ride

2009-08-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

Our First Trip to Disney!!!

2009-08-17T18:53:00.001-07:00

Rosie Update

2009-07-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

We are bringing Rosie home tomorrow. She still can not walk, but is gaining strength in her legs. She has moved her tail several times. She has been to the vet twice a week and he is continuing to see improvement. We still do not know exactly what happened ( we chose not to do x-rays), but the doctor says he has seen dogs snap out of this. He says it might just take some time, like maybe 6 weeks. It has been 3 weeks so far.

So we are bringing her home and this is what it means I will be doing (with some help from the kids).

-Lifting her up and positioning her on her hind legs several times a day.

-Helping her and cleaning up after her when she needs to go potty. She has control, just can't get outside in time.

-Making sure she is clean and dry, giving her a bath every other day. Checking for rubbed areas on her back legs and applying antibiotic ointment as needed.

-Letting her scoot on the carpeted porch and in the grass (doctor prescribed)

Thanks for the prayers. I have hope that she will one day walk again. She is happy and is glad to see us when we visit and sad when we leave. I think she will be glad to be home.

We are praying for Rosie

2009-07-12T13:06:00.001-07:00

Our basset hound, Rosie, is paralyzed in her back legs. Last Tuesday, she was playing with the kids and did something to her back. She immediately yelped in pain and went into shock. She is on pain meds and is staying at a friends house. They rescue animals and are used to dealing with sick animals . We all miss her so much. We are praying and waiting for her healing and return to our house.

A Vacation to Remember

2009-07-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

I don't remember where we went or how old I was, and I don't think my parents had any idea the lesson that I was learning. We were on our way home, probably from my grandparents house. I think I was around 10 years old. I think we were on an interstate in Georgia when our car broke down. I was excited. I couldn't wait to see how God would take care of us this time. He had done it before, and I knew He would that He would do it again. I know we must have immediately started praying and here is how God answered.

At our last rest stop, my parents had met a Christian family that lived near our hometown. They saw us on the side of the road and pulled over to help. I was so excited that we would get to ride the rest of the way home in their conversion van. They had kids that we got to play with the rest of the way home, while mom and dad chatted with their parents. I always remember that God worked it out for us to have the right people at the right place at the right time to make sure that we were protected and taken care of. I never forgot that feeling of security and comfort from my Heavenly Father.

Swagbucks

2009-07-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

I found a way to make money by doing what I am already doing everyday, searching the internet. I signed up for Swagbucks and use it as my search engine. The more I use it, the more points I get. Then when I have enough points, I will go shopping in the Swagbucks store. I am planning on getting either the Target or Amazon gift cards. They are 45 points for $5 gift cards. I am hoping to be able to redecorate my house with the gift cards. Maybe not redecorate, but buy new towels or kitchen gadgets.

I have made Swagbucks my home page and taught everyone in the family to search with Swagbucks, even if they are just checking their email.

If you decide to join, click here. I will get get bonus points if you join from my referral.

Thanks if you join, and I hope you get lots of points.

Hillbilly Housewife

2009-06-04T04:57:00.000-07:00

This week we are eating the $45 emergency menu from Hillbillyhousewife.com. There is no emergency in our household. I just wanted to see how we would like the menu and if we could do it. The $45 amount is really 2006 prices and now it is about $75. But really it is less than that because she included items like salt and pepper and ketchup.

It is a weeks worth of beans and bread. We are on day 5 and I have to say that the meals have been tasty and had variety. I am shocked that all my kids have eaten all or most of their beans at every meal. Last night we had creamed tuna over pasta, but only half of my family ate it.

Everything is from scratch, so I have spent a little more time in the kitchen. I made flour tortillas for the first time and they were delicious. I also made skillet corn cakes for the first time.

We have not followed the menu exactly, but mostly. We have eaten what we usually eaten for breakfast, but I did add a glass of orange juice every morning. That has been a hit around here. We added sausage to the beans one night because we had company and didn't want to give them just beans.

We also made the Magic Milkshake recipe that I found on the website. It is like the Wendy's frosty and you make it without ice cream. It was really tasty.

This is also the website that I used to learn how to make bread. She has a beginner's bread recipe that is very easy.

Surprised by My Kids

2009-05-22T04:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, each one of my kids did something that surprised me. When we first started homeschooling, I had a picture of what schooling would be like at my house. As the days turned into months, it was so hard not to get get discouraged. My kids were no where near what I had envisioned.

Years have gone by, and somehow, little by little, my kids are turning into the students I had pictured in my mind. And yesterday, each one of them took a big step in that direction.

It all started when we attempted our first lapbook. I have always loved the concept of lapbooking, but didn't think it would work in our house. A class they are taking online, included a lapbook, so I decided to try one.

Well, first off, they were arguing who was going to do the cover, so I found out that they each wanted to do their own.

Then, Levi, the one who I thought would not want to do it the most, took great pride in how his looked. He thoughtfully decorated it and them lamented that he did not have a picture of the scientist. I tried to contain my joy as I told him that he could find a picture and he could add anything he wanted to add. The next thing I knew, he had printed a picture and was saying, "Mom, this guy discovered lots of elements. He even discovered oxygen." I was so excited, I almost cried.

Next, Mandi piped up, "Wow! He must be the most famous scientist ever!" And later, she said," Mom, I know how to spell 'discovered' . I memorized it." She still wanted me to write hers for her, (I didn't) but she was learning so much by being a part of the process.

Grace struggled to get started. It was a new thing for her, so it is normal for her to have a hard time, but by the end she was enjoying it. She told me that she wanted to start writing history reports. I swallowed hard and replied, " Yes, you can start doing that. In fact, I already had that planned for next year."

Later, Grace surprised me again. We were at a friends house, learning about bats. Grace had a piece of paper and was writing on it while the friend was reading aloud about bats. I thought Grace was doodling, but when we were done, I saw that Grace had taken notes. She had written down 5 or 6 facts about bats. This is a child who still struggles with fine motor skills, so hand writing is exhausting for her. And she still struggles with processing. I did not know that she could listen and write at the same time, but she did! I was so proud of her.

Lastly, Olivia is illustrating the poem "The Creation", by Cecil Frances Alexander. It is the one that starts "All things bright and Beautiful.." It was my idea, but she is excited about it. I just noticed that she has been drawing lots of pictures and making up stories to go along with them. We are both having fun with this project.

Thanks, kids! I needed a day like that!

Simply in Control- revisited

2009-05-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

I failed to mention in my last post, that Dick and I have a goal of saving a certain amount of money in a certain amount of time. When I saw how much we were able to put in the bank because of not eating out, it inspired me to try to save in other areas. So, the extreme saving is not a permanent way of life for us. It is more like a challenge we have given our selves. I'm sure that we will learn from this time and continue in some areas and not in others.

In the past few months, we have been able to put money in the bank and use some of it to go on a trip to GA, and buy a computer. In the next few months, we will be buying some vinyl fence and Grace and I will buy some new clothes for our birthday.

Simply in control

2009-05-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

Dick and I have always been frugal, but up until about a year ago, it was normal for us to go out to eat once or twice a week. Then two weeks went by and we had not gone out to eat. We decided to go for 2 more weeks and not go out to eat, just to see what it was like. It was not easy, but we kept reminding our selves, it is only until the 2 weeks is over. Once we were at the end of the 2 weeks, we realized that we were OK with not going out to eat, we actually preferred the food that we cooked and would like to keep eating at home.

Little did I know the effect that it would have on me. I began to compare the cost. I found that it cost at least 3 times as much to eat the same meal at a restaurant. So any time I would think about eating out, I would think long and hard about how much effort it really took to cook the meal myself. Most of the time, I chose to cook it and save the money. Instead of feeling disenfranchised, I felt empowered. I was in control of where we spent our money, not the marketing department of some restaurant.

I began to think about how I spent our money in other areas. I have always shopped at yard sales and thrift stores, but still would feel the need to buy new clothes for my kids. I decided to check at thrift stores when my kids needed clothes and if I still couldn't find it, then I could buy it new. I found a thrift store that sells kids clothes for 25 cents and started going about once a week. Now I rarely buy new clothes for my kids. Also, I found that if I didn't rush out and buy the needed item, many times a friend would just so happen to give me a bag of clothes that had just what we needed.

When I needed an item for the house, I slowed down and thought about where I could get it used. For instance, our vacuum cleaner broke and I decided not to go to the nearest store and buy a new one. I prayed that God would guide me to the vacuum cleaner that we needed. Just about the time I broke open the bank to buy a new one, I found an old one on the side of the road. All it needed was a belt and a new bag and it is a great vacuum. I don't know how long it will last, because it seems to be over 30 years old, but I am enjoying it right now. I recently saw an add for a good vacuum at Big Lots and I said to myself, " I am in control of where that $250 goes and not the marketing department of Big Lots."

We also decided to not spend money for family time, besides food and gas money. This was harder to do. What do you do if you don't go to theme parks, don't go out to eat, don't go shopping, don't go to movies, don't play putt putt golf, don't go bowling, don't slot car race, and don't get your hair or nails done. Well, we spent some time sort of in withdrawals. But after spending some time not doing much of anything, we began to come up with ideas that we found fun and I realized that the other things were not as much fun as we thought they were. And if we do get a chance to do them, now they are much more appreciated. Since our lives are not so cluttered with activities that our culture tells us is fun, we have a clearer vision of what is truly enjoyable for our family and individually.

Now that our lives are simpler, I feel more in control of how we spend our time and money. My life is full of the things we have chosen and we are enjoying a richer life.

Blessings from the clothesline

2009-04-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last month, my father in law mentioned that his power bill was back down to $50 where it should be. I asked him how he did that because my power bill is never less than $100 and that is even with the air conditioner not running. He said he doesn't use his clothers dryer. I thought, " Wow, if I could save $50 a month, I'd hang my clothes out to dry, too."

I decided to give it a try, thinking it was going to be very inconvenient, but worth a try. The first day, I was excited, thinking about the money I might be saving. As the days went by, I started to see some amazing benefits of not using the dryer.

First, I started to notice that some of the clothes we were wearing were not worth the effort it took to wash them. I started getting rid of even more clothes than I already did. I began to see the laundry as individual items, instead of a load of clothes that I put in the dyer.

Next, I noticed that laundry was not piling up on the couch, waiting to be put away. I did not want the clothes to stay out in the sun too long or stay outside and get dirty all over again, so I always brought them in and put them away.

I began to have a better laundry routine. I needed to get them out in the morning sun, so I could put them away by lunch time, other wise I would forget about them, or get too distracted. So every morning I was quick to get a load done and out on the line. I even made sure to do a load before I left the house for the day, because I wouldn't be able to do it at night. And I didn't want the laundry to back up.

I enjoyed an excuse to get outside. I had just read Amy Grant's memoir, and she said that every day, the first thing in the morning, she step outside and talked to God. I found myself doing the same thing, and feeling refreshed.

Today, I am doubly blessed. I opened my power bill to find a $59 bill. I really didn't think it was right. I checked and double checked. It was for a 30 day cycle and appears to be accurate. Who knows what our bill will be next month, because I have only been hanging out the clothes for a few weeks.

So what I thought would be a burden has become a double blessing!

Jesus

2009-04-06T17:55:00.001-07:00

Whenever I hear this song, ( see the previous post) I am transported to several times in my life that were "desperate days". I learned early in life, that there was power in the name of Jesus and that if I could pray nothing else, just saying his name was more than sufficient.

One of the earliest times I remember was on a sleepless night as a teenager. I was anxious and could not even put my thoughts together to pray. I remember lying in bed, just saying His name over and over. Now I realize that it was an act of surrender and an act of humility. I was "screaming from my soul... giving up control. The only hope I knew was Jesus."

A few years later, I was a college student and had just heard that a very good friend's dad was in a serious car accident. I couldn't talk, all I could do was cry the name of Jesus.

Another time, I was in the delivery room having Levi. I was not prepared to have Levi without an epidural, but was forced to do it because of timing. I called out repeatedly the name of Jesus. I heard the doctor chuckle and tell me, " He can't help you now." I later found out that he was not a Christian, and he was not right! Jesus did help me !

The last major time that comes to mind is when I found out that Olivia's cord had prolapsed. I was on my knees with an oxygen mask on my face. Again, all I could say was "Jesus" over and over. My doctor was on the bed, too, frantically trying to keep pressure off the cord, giving orders to everyone. She took the time to ask," What is she saying?" I had the feeling she knew that I was praying and she was glad that I was.

So as I sing along with the song, "Any desperate day, one word I can pray, all I know to say is Jesus." I mean it with all my heart.

Jesus-Robert Pierre-with English subtitles

2009-04-03T13:43:00.001-07:00

I will be writing about what this song means to me.

Look for it next.

GivMusic: Bluetree - God of this City

2009-03-31T05:45:00.001-07:00

I think I am just going to have to...

2009-03-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

...buy these books, A Child's Introduction to Poetry by, Michael Driscoll and Favorite Poems Old and New by Helen Ferris.

I have always wanted my kids to have a love for poetry but didn't really know how to start. A few years ago, I read that the book by Michael Driscoll was a good overview. I didn't want to buy it if we wouldn't use it, so I requested an interlibrary loan and got it. I just started from the beginning and read it to my kids. Some of it went over their heads, some they discovered that they did not like, but they did become familiar with different styles and different writers. It is now in our library system and I have checked it out 3 more times. I hate it when I have to return it.

I have also heard from more than one person that Favorite Poems Old and New is a comprehensive collection of classic and quality poetry. Again, I did not want to buy it if we would not use it, so I checked it out. The introduction to the book was fabulous. I had goose bumps as I read the author's description of her family's love of poetry and how it enriched their lives. That was what I envisioned for my kids.

I started by calling Mandi, my poetry lover, over to look at this book. I read her part of the introduction, showed her the table of contents then we both picked out a few interesting ones to check out. She was hooked. Especially when I read her "Casey at the Bat".

The next night, as we skimmed the table of contents, Mandi said, "Look Mom, Emily Dickinson! And there's Robert Louis Stevenson! "

Then, she earnestly searched for more familiar authors. I tried to get her to give me the book so we could start reading, but she wanted to keep searching. I finally showed her how long the table of contents was, over 2000 poems, I think, and she said, " I'll finish looking next time."

So what I have been doing and plan on doing, is reading poems aloud to my kids that have to do with something we have enjoyed that day or recently. Then, when we find one that we particularly like, memorize it together. My plan is to rea

d lots of poems and memorize a few.

I think the first poem we will memorize is "Geography" by Eleanor Farjeon, because we are studying geography and Grace is studying countries.

Mandi will have a smile on her face if I do buy these books and I will, too!

Windy Day

2009-03-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing...

2009-03-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

I declared a T. V. free day. I think 4 y/o Libby has been watching too much t. v. On the day that I said no to it, I overheard here asking her siblings if they remembered when John and Kate went to get their teeth cleaned. When I questioned her, she went into detail about their trip to the dentist.

Happy 4th birthday!

2009-03-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

We spent Libby's birthday in the snow! We were on a ski trip in NC. The kids played in the woods behind the hotel. There was only about 3 inches in the shade, but it was fun for our Florida kids.Libby liked picking it up and putting it in a bucket.

At first, all she would do was walk around in it because it felt different and she liked her foot prints.

Fun faces

2009-03-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

Mandi's drawing of a baseball field

2009-03-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

I like the way she put 4 people in the infield and lots of people in the stands.

Fun with Rosie!

2009-03-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

My kids have been having so much fun with our dog, Rosie, lately.
Levi has been taking lots of pictures and video of her. I think he wants to make a card or a movie of her.

This one made us laugh!

Opening Day!

2009-03-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

The last words Mandi said before she went to sleep were, "I had so much fun today!" It was opening day for her baseball league and they played their first game. She waited quite a long time to get her face painted and it was her idea to get her team emblem and her number on her face. She has moved up to machine pitch instead of coach pitch, so she struck out for the first time today, but she was okay with it. She even had to play outfield for the first time and she would much rather play infield, but she's still lovin' it!

Fruitless Fall, by Rowan Jacobsen

2009-03-07T13:36:00.001-08:00

I just finished reading Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis. It tells the story of the mystery of colony collapse disorder and the bigger story of how necessary bees are to our lives.

It is written in the form of investigative journalism and is full of details and easy to read. Of course, I was ready to start bee keeping as I was reading the book, until I really thought of all that it would entail. I don't want to get stung by bees or have that many creatures to look after. I am still fascinated by bees and am now much more aware of their place in nature.

I do recommend it, especially if you are a nature loving, homeschool mom like me.

It was like a game show in my head!

2009-02-17T05:06:00.000-08:00

There is a new game show on t. v. called, Game Show in My Head. The idea is that the player has hidden headphones on and is hearing instructions from the host, to accomplish a difficult task in a short time. If they do, they win money. For, instance, one contestant was supposed to stand at a the entrance to a restaurant and convince a person that was trying to enter, that they were not allowed to go in the restaurant. Usually, people just look at them like they are crazy.

Yesterday, Levi said he felt like he was on that game show. Here is what happened. The kids and I were on our way to a cookout with some friends. We were short on time and I needed to buy gas and pick up some potato chips. I stopped at a convenience store, prepaid for the gas and bought the chips. I put the chips in the car and drove off without getting the gas. I realized what I had done just as I was driving down the road. I decided to pull in to the shopping center next to the gas station, only to see that I could not get there from here. I sat there looking at the empty pump, and knew that it was going to take a few minutes to get back there, because of how the road was designed. I was going to have to drive down the road a bit, do a u-turn, and then wait at a light.

I sent Levi to tell the attendant what I had done and that I was on my way. He took off and soon I saw him standing at the pump. I watched him as I tried to make my way back. Everything was ok until I watched him from the light. A car drove up to the pump. I started praying that Levi would know what to do. I saw him talking to the man and things didn't look right. The man just stood there. He should have been getting back into his car, but he just stood there. Then he leaned in to talk to the passenger in his car. As I was finally driving up, I waved at the man and motioned, "It's me!" He walked over to me and laughed as I told him I forgot to get the gas that I had paid for.

Levi later told me, the man seemed perplexed as he tried to explain. He also said he felt like he was on the game show and maybe the man thought it was some kind of hoax. He said the man thought I was in the store, but where was my car?

I drove away, feeling grateful that Levi was with me, because that could have really been a mess.

If being frugal is fun, Sunday was like going to Disney World!

2009-02-13T04:24:00.000-08:00

Sunday, I fed 15 people for about $6! Sav-a-lot had everything for a spaghetti dinner BOGO. So we had spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. I knew that on Sunday afternoon, we sometimes have neighborhood kids eat with us, so I bought it just in case.

So, not only did I have fun being frugal, I had a blast serving the people that God had placed in my life to serve. Nothing could have felt more right.

There is nothing I love more than being used by God!!!

Baby steps add up

2009-02-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

I have been having fun being frugal in the kitchen the past few weeks. I have been thinking about how many baby steps ( Thanks for reminding me about baby steps, Ann Marie!) I have had to take to get to the place that I am now. I've still got a long way to go, but I am much better than I was 18 years ago when we got married.

I like rules and I realized that over the years, I have compiled several rules for myself that give me some guidelines for being frugal in the kitchen. They are not hard and fast rules, just general ones and I go through times when it is all I can do to keep my kids fed.

-It is always cheaper to eat at home than at a restaurant.

-Plan ahead. One week at a time.

-Meal planning steps.

1. Check to see if I have any items that need to be used up. Google ingredients to find a

recipe.

2. Check store circulars online.

3. Check my running list of favorites and choose what sounds good.

4. Choose one or two new frugal recipes online or in cookbooks.

-Learn to make convenience foods from scratch.

bread

biscuits

frozen breakfast foods

muffins

pizza dough and sauce

chicken nuggets

refried beans

- Use dry beans instead of canned.

-Freeze chicken or turkey broth when it is available.

-Shop at Sav-a -lot.

-Beans once or twice a week.

-Only buy meats (other than hamburger and chicken) when they are on sale

-Get grocery money in cash and only spend that much.

-Only go out to eat if you have left over grocery money. ( Usually I don't want to spend the money I saved, so we don't go out to eat.)

-Don't serve a meal too often or it will become despised.

-Eat homemade popcorn instead of potato chips.

-Serve leftovers for lunch.

-Make snacks out of leftover ingredients. for example

celery

carrots

saltines

-Get kids on board by showing them the money we save by the sacrifices they made, like eating beans instead of going out to eat. Occasionally, give one of them a bonus from the money saved and use the saved money toward a family treat, like a trip or electronic device.

-Always remember, a meal doesn't save any money if no one will eat it.

I would love to hear some of your "rules" in the kitchen.

Olivia 2008

2009-01-30T13:56:00.001-08:00

He had lots of questions

2009-01-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I was cooking supper, and one of the "good" kids was at our house. He peeked over my shoulder and asked me, "So what ya' cookin'?" I told him and he said it sounded good. He proceeded to ask me why I homeschooled my kids, how long have I homeschooled them, how long have we lived in this house, where did we live before that, why did we move, what kind of house was it, who bought it, how much did we sell it for, and what did we do with all that money?

I answered each one as best as I could and told him that the Dick had fixed up our last house until it was almost perfect and now we needed to fix this house up.

He looked around and said, "What is wrong with it?"

I then pointed at the floor in the laundry room, the one coat of paint on the walls, the unpainted trim work, and explained that we wanted to redo the kitchen and the bathroom cabinets.

He said, "Oh, I see." Then he asked for a drink of water and a few minutes later he left.

Later that night, I was talking to another mother who told me the boy I had talked to was recently living in a tent in the woods with his brother, his mother, and her boyfriend. And now they were living in an r. v.

Now my conversation had so much more significance. I was thinking that my house was inadequate and we need to get it fixed up as soon as possible and he wondered what was wrong with it. Our house probably seemed like a mansion to him. Something unattainable.

My heart has been aching for him and so many other kids that I can not help. I can not provide physical needs for all the kids that I meet, but I am determined to point them to the One who can meet all their needs, no matter what this life brings them. They need more than anything the One who can do what no man can do, bring them into the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace and joy.

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, by Deborah Hopkinson

2009-01-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

I love any book I've read by Deborah Hopkinson. The first one I read was Apples to Oregon. I liked it so much, I searched for any other books by the same author. So when I saw that our library had a new book by her, I couldn't wait to read it to my kids.

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek is a historical fiction picture book, based on true events. It is the tale of one of Lincoln's boyhood friends and how he saved Lincoln's life. It is funny and inspiring and it is in our library system. Check it out!

People are always more important than things

2009-01-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, one of our neighborhood boys was playing at our house. He has adhd and was being particularly impulsive. It seemed as if everything he touched either broke or was lost. It was so bad, that even the kids didn't want to be around him.

He is one of those "good" kids that I have written about. A person that I feel God has put in my life to fight for. But this day, it was all I could do not to fight with him and tell him to leave my house. He wasn't really doing anything bad, just so full of thoughtless energy.

So I left the house to get groceries and put Dick in charge of the kids.

When I got home I found my kids playing with handmade puppets with this boy. He was making puppets for each of them and they had made props and were having a grand time.

But, these puppets were made out of socks, and not just any socks. They were our good socks. The ones that had just come out of the wash, some of them brand new.

So, I let them have it and of course every one pointed to the boy. It was his fault. I proceeded to ask him if he knew how much socks cost. He said no. I told him we did not have the money to be wasting the only good socks we have. I reminded him that I had told him this before and he was not to ever do this again. He said he was sorry as he handed Libby her freshly made puppet which she was thrilled with.

Later that night, it hit me. I had put more value in those cheep socks, that maybe added up to $5 than in one of God's prized possessions, the crown of His creation. And really, it was a wholesome way for a 12 year old boy to spend his time. I mean, I have seen him hanging around some pretty rough people and who knows what they do when no one's watching.

I went to to boy and told him that I really liked to see them being creative. So I was going to make a bag of socks for him to use the next time he wanted to make sock puppets and would he please use those socks instead of the first socks he sees. He said yes and the next day in church, he told the whole children's church that I was going to give him a bag of socks to make puppets out of.

And I was so glad that I did.

The Thoughtful Child

2009-01-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

I am reading Emil and the Detectives to the kids. Last week, a passage in the book really touched me, because it reminded me of my Levi.

In the book, Emil is taking the train to his grandma's house. On the way, a man steals the money he is supposed to take to his grandma. He decides that he will catch the thief himself, and enlists the help of the local children.

One of the boys asks Emil about how he gets along with his mom. Emil says she lets him stay out until 9, but he comes by 7 because he can't stand the thought of her eating by herself. He says that she gives him money for a field trip and he always brings most of it back, because he knows how hard she works for the little money she has. That is what reminded me on Levi. He is thoughtful.

Then, we went to a birthday party on 80+ acres. He asked me if he could go in the woods with some of the kids. I said yes and when he got back he said, "Mom, did you know which woods I was talking about? I was worried that you didn't know."

Later, he went with a group of kids to another part of the property. About 15 kids piled into a Suburban with 1 adult. When they reached their destination, everybody jumped out and Levi asked the adult, " Maybe we should get a head count." The adult said, "That's a good idea."

Then when they took a group picture, Levi said, "I think now would be a good time for a head count."

I also heard that Levi was taking good care of Mandi the whole time, just like his dad told him to do before we left.

I left the party, feeling proud of my "Thoughtful Child".

Horse back riding

2009-01-14T14:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Mandi!

2009-01-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

Mandi and I made a Peppermint Marble Angel Food Cake for her 7th birthday.

December Pictures

2009-01-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

My sister, Nadia, at the park with us.

Levi and Noah at the park.
Cousin Katie with Mandi and Olivia

Cousins on Christmas Eve at our house.

Christmas at My Church

2008-12-23T07:08:00.000-08:00

Olivia was hiding from the camera, so I turned around and Bonnie took a picture.
One of our black light song presentations.
Mandi with her rope light on, so she can be a dancing stickman.
Getting Olivia's food from the buffet line. A rare photo of me with one of my kids. Usually I am behind the camera. Thanks Bonnie!
Playing with the Florida snow, torn up paper, after the show. They had so much fun, we might just have to tear up some paper at our next party. Olivia even got down on the floor and made a snow angel.

Almost Christmas

2008-12-20T07:39:00.001-08:00

A greeting from Olivia.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick

2008-12-10T17:09:00.000-08:00

We finished reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret and I do recommend it as a family read aloud.

It is about an orphan boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station. He is trying to solve the mystery of a mechanical man that belonged to his dad.

The book was a new reading experience, combining elements of picture book, graphic novel and film. The 284 pages of drawings help tell the story. I felt like I was watching a silent film as I looked at the pictures, which I read that the author was trying to create that effect.

At the end of the book, there is a website to find out more about a mechanical man like the one in the book. If you read the book, you do not want to miss this. It included a video of the mechanical man in action.

I googled the name of the book to find two great websites with lots of info and fun.

www.theinventionofhugocabret.com

www.scholastic.com/hugocabret/index.htm

The scholastic website has about 20 short videos by the author expounding on how he wrote the book, came up with ideas. We watched them and recommend them if you read the book.

Finally together!!

2008-12-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

Olivia waited so long for this day to come. She finally was playing with her best friend and cousin Emily. She asked almost everyday for months, "How long til Thanksgiving."

Because that was when her cousin was coming to visit from Georgia.

November Pictures

2008-12-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

My adorable nephew, Micah, who lives with us right now with his mom.
My sisters, Nickie and Becky, and Becky's 2 boys, Micah and Malachi.
My kids made the cake for Micah and Malachi. We gave them a container of white frosting and they came up with a baseball design on their own.
The kids decided to be secret agents, dressed in black, so they could hide and spy on people. I liked this game because they were so quiet.

My first Thanksgiving dinner at my house

2008-12-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

I feel so grown up.

I cooked my first full Thanksgiving dinner, my first turkey, in fact. We usually go to two or three houses and have a potluck style Thanksgiving. But this year it turned out that we needed to have a dinner at my house. My parents were here from Georgia and my two sisters wanted to spend some time with them and none of them would be able to cook anything, so I did it.

I followed Flylady's plan for Thanksgiving dinner. I followed it almost to a tee. The only thing I did not do was make the roasted sweet potatoes. The plan started 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and included your grocery list. Most of the work was done before the big day, so it really was a peaceful day. I planned all the serving dishes 4 days before, started cooking three days before, and set the table the night before. I loved having a timeline to follow. She even told me when to put the butter on the table.

When we sat down to eat, the food on the plate looked so pretty and traditional. I couldn't believe that I was able to put that together we such little stress. It was all very tasty, too.

And Dick bought a coffee maker at a thrift shop, so my parents could have coffee. We don't drink coffee, (except Levi and Mandi try to.) So now we have a coffee maker on our kitchen counter for the first time in our married life ( 18 yrs)

I feel so grown up.

Mandi sings and plays

2008-11-19T19:33:00.001-08:00

This is what I have been hearing first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. I can't wait to teach her how to play more songs, for more reason than one.

Olivia's faces

2008-11-18T16:18:00.000-08:00

   "Oh, no!!!!"
   " This is what an elephant sounds like."
   "This is how a camel eats."

More of Olivia's faces

2008-11-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

My kids

2008-11-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

New Family Photo

2008-11-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

My kids reading aloud to me

2008-11-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

I have been having my older girls read aloud to me while I am working in the kitchen. It has been a beautiful thing. Here are some reasons why.

-I get so bored while I am working, so it is fun to become engrossed in what they are reading to me.

-It is so good for them to read aloud. I read that when a person has brain glitches, like my oldest, it is like rewiring their brain to read good quality literature aloud. So the more she can do it, the better.

-It is a time that I can share with each child. We enjoy the book together.

-It is a fun and stressless time of schooling.

Her choices changed my life!

2008-11-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

Tonight Olivia and I went to the funeral of the doctor who delivered Olivia and saved her life.

Of course, I am heartbroken and feel like a part of me is gone. I didn't know her on a day to day basis, but our lives crossed in a way that neither of us would ever forget. I knew how I felt, but wasn't quite sure how she felt until I saw her obituary. She said she felt that God put her on earth to mother her children and to deliver Olivia Sue Huchingson and another baby in Kansas.

My doctor chose to do the right thing, even though it was a hard thing. She chose to what she had to do, knowing that I would feel the pain, with only local anesthesia. When I asked her later, " How did you do it? " She answered," I knew it was what you wanted." She was right. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Because she had the bravery to do the right thing, I have a healthy bundle of joy.

My doctor humbled herself enough to admit when she saw God's hand at work. Her first words to me after I woke up were, " It's your faith." She cried as she spoke. Later I asked her what she was referring to. She said there is no way you could have stayed so calm without your faith. Now I already knew that I had felt God's presence the whole time like I never had before, but I did not realize the physical miracle that had taken place. I did not know that I reacted any differently than anyone else would. She assured me that my reaction was not ordinary. She also saw that there were many circumstances that fell into place to make it possible for Olivia to be alive and she didn't think that they were all coincidences. Her humility made it possible for me to understand to a fuller extent the work that God had done in my life.

Thank you, my doctor, for making choices that changed my life for the better, forever!

Fun Pictures

2008-11-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

Our dog Rosie,
Libby as as princess,
Mandi as a lion.

The Lads Band Pictures

2008-11-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

Cable Knit Sweater

2008-11-02T17:24:00.001-08:00

Cable Knit Sweater is Levi's favorite song that the Lads Band sang at the concert. The chorus says, " I was knitted together like a cable knit sweater. I'm an original. There is some one who I have to be."

Can you tell we had fun!

The Lads Concert

2008-11-02T16:37:00.001-08:00

We used music from The Lads Band for Fun Faith this summer and had a blast with it. So when I saw they they were in concert locally, we made every effort to be there. I wanted to see how they engaged the audience, to learn from them, and to give the kids a vision for what can be done for the Lord. We were not disappointed. The kids were thrilled to be there and then we got to meet all three band members. Dick and I talked to them and told them thank you for doing what they do. We told them what we are doing and they were very encouraging. I think it was a boost of encouragement and excitement for everyone who went with us.

Fall Festival

2008-11-02T15:28:00.001-08:00

We went to a fall festival on Friday. Mandi was upset that she couldn't ride the "big" slides because of her age. She perked up when she was able to play the games and win prizes. Libby only was happy when I bought her cheese nachos. It was a beautiful night at a well planned church festival, followed by an awesome concert!