Just got back from seeing fireworks tonight. MIL and FIL took me and the kids. It was the first year Alyssa really enjoyed them! Tristan loved the first 3 mins and then kept saying "Lets Go mommy, Lets Go"

My dh is out with the church guys. They are having a HUGE UFC Pay Per View Fight Night. They are using the church projector and audio system and have it set up on a screen outside. Frying a turkey and grilling. All the women in the church are jealous. I am proud of Justin because he set it up. He is very excited. I think it is going to be bad though. It did not start until 10:30 and there are 3 fights! Everyone is going to be sleeping tomorrow in church!

We are looking at buying a house. We had our offer accepted and we went ahead with the inspection. But the inspection found 3 or 4 things semi not good. The owner said she was not going to fix anything if the inspector found it. We have the option to walk and get our money back. I am so nervous. We are requesting she does fix the items wrong. She is not going to sell the house if she doesn't to anyone that is smart. It has already been on the market over a year. The inspector said it was a VERY NICE old home and in great shape. If the few things are fixed then we have a great place.

PLEASE pray. I really want this house. I will have my own homeschool room and small kitchen for homeschool!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a big old house converted to a duplex and we will be opening it back up into a grand home again. But I am keeping the kitchen and diningroom upstairs for my homeschool.

I want Gods will. I am praying. I would apprecate all the prayers I can get. I do not want to walk but I am not taking a house with problems either. So please pray the seller fixes them. She is 85 and already in Florida. We live in Pennsylvania.

We homeschooled through a week of the sickies at my house. I am so proud of us! Sonlight helped so much because even when Alyssa was sick on the couch we were able to curl up and read. We worked a tiny bit on our workbooks the worst day by putting her lap pad desk on her lap. She did two sheets and we saved the rest for the next day. I am really proud of her.

Thursday night is my first night meeting the new homeschool group I found. I am excited and nervous. It is a mothers night out. I think that is a great way for me to join, by being introduced to the mothers night out first. I hope they like me ::::BITING NAILS::::::  I tend to go two ways. I am either really shy or super chatty and overbearing.

Speaking of which.... a new friend from church, Mary has asked me one simple question about homeschooling. Now I think I am bombarding her! lmbo. I guess she struck my newest passion and she got information overload. Slow down Linda her kid is not even one year old yet! I gave her my last issue of the Old Schoolhouse since I just got my new one. Which is just as good as always!

Well I am up late and I need to get to bed. Justin got hurt at work today so please say a prayer for him. He tore his stomach muscles and if I attempt to tell you what he was doing I would butcher it. He is a FedEx Freight truck driver so it had something to do with connecting the trailer to the tractor. He is on light duty for 2 weeks and cannot lift more than 3 pounds. PLEASE pray for him and ME. Because it is going to be tense. I love him but I have a tendancy once one - two days go past to want him to suck it up and move on. BAD BAD WIFEY. It is going to be hard not to count on him to just even pick up the baby when I need it. Basically with how mischievious Tristan is, I am not going to be able to leave him with the kids until he gets the drs ok. That is going to be tough on us. So please pray for me to have mercy on him like I SHOULD! And that he heals quickly. And for finances. Workmans comp is going to cut out all the OT we are used to. Not that bills count on it but grocery shopping sure is easier with it yk?

Here is a vacation picture of just some highlights.

Well it was a short trip but just enough. We flew to Georgia to go to my nephews 4th birthday party. It was the first birthday party we have actually gotten to go to. Flying with a 3 and 1 year old was interesting but PRAISE GOD it was not bad at all! My parents are AMAZING! They helped soooo much!!!

Alyssa was happy and what an experiance. She got to ride, Planes, Trains, Buses, People Movers, Elevators, Escalators, and a big Van all in the same day! There were dinosaur bone statues in the Atlanta Airport and she really enjoyed seeing those. Then when waiting in a loooooong line for security she was delighted to follow the dinosaur footprints as we went. They were really airplanes on the dividers but she told the security person they were dinosaur footprints.

She also got a lesson in our Armed Forces. So many of them were leaving for Iraq yesterday. Bless their hearts. I told her all about them protecting us from the bad guys. We were in the gift shop and a Navy Soldier was there. He was in his BDUs also. Alyssa was so excited. We thanked him and she got to talk to him. She was thrilled. It was also great as we ate lunch and the soldiers walked through everyone got up and clapped. I just thought it was a great lesson to teach her respect for them and their service. Maybe someday she will choose that life too. Maybe not. I will be proud either way. Scared but proud.

I almost went into the service. I sent my big brother first! And he talked me out of it each day as he called from basic! lol. But he LOVED it after that.  He served 4 years active infantry at Fort Benning, GA. I really enjoyed participating in JROTC in high school. I made it to second in command. That is something I will be sad my kids do not get to participate in by homeschooling. But not sad enough to change my mind! HA! no way.

Oh and before we left for the plane coming home Alyssa says - mommy - can you please bring a homeschool book for me to do on the plane? Awww! Melted my heart. Sorry honey I did not bring any. Drats! It would not have mattered, Two seconds into the flight she was zonked out asleep. And Thank You Jesus - so was her little brother.

Sarah declared Tuesday "10 things I love about my Spouse Day" But as usual - I am behind! lol So I am making it Today for me and anyone else who is behind in their week! lol

1. As I have learned with my move - he is a super hard worker. Dedicated to getting a job done.

2. as a super hard worker it makes him have a great job allowing me my dream of staying home with my babies and homeschooling.

3. He is super cute! :) Hey - he is!

4. He is very smart, Just being saved in 2000 I am AMAZED at the information and Bible he knows. He is like a sponge - if he hears/learns something he knows it forever!

5. He is not a man afraid to say I love you. He tells and shows me all the time.

6. He is fun. Loves to make time just for me even when I resist because of so many other things needing done. He loves to have dates and we love to laugh and be together.

7. He makes me so proud when he is doing things at church. Running power point , doing NURSERY! and creating the church website. He is very good at what he does and it makes me proud to see him use his talents for God.

8. He is supportive. If I have a wacky dream or something I want to do, he is very supportive and will help me make my dream come true. Or not say anything when it does not work out.

9. He is a fantastic cook!

10. He makes CUTE KIDS! lol and of course it is fun making them

Let me know if you do this on your blog so I can read them too.

If you are wondering where my fun posts have been... I am down to 2 days of work! So I am bogged down with odds and ends here.

Then I am going to check in once a week or so. I will be updating my blogs for all my message board friends to keep in touch with me while I am on my limited internet access time.

So just wanted you to know that I am still an active blogger just right now my brain is busy with what needs to be done here.

Thanks for sticking with me! And praying for me and my up coming Move and Career Change!

What a delight last night. My favorite thing to do is get the mail. I love it! I even get my mothers mail for her each day. Something about getting mail just brightens my day.

And as normal I thumbed through the junk mail and got a letter! I felt like Joe on Blues clues. Wanting to sing "We just got a letter." Oye. You know you are a mom when daily things get you singing show tunes!

It was from Hannah! What a sweetheart she is. Hannah Graduated Homeschool last year. She is such a sweet girl and she reads along here every so often - I am not sure how often but I know she stops by. She sent me an article from her homeschool magazine "the Ohio Homes School Companion - March/April 2006" Called The Myth of Superwoman.(written by Jennie Chancey) (article linked behind the article name if you want to read it)

I read it before bed last night. What a great article. A few key things I took from the article that I thought I would share are as follows...  These are quotes are from her article you can read here.

• If you house is immaculate, but your children are worn down by outburst of anger, you do not have a home.
• The next generation is more important than anything you can put on your to-do list.  
•  The things that take up so much of our time will one day perish (and no one will miss them). But the people we train up and leave behind will affect the world for good or ill for generations to come. They are the only lasting legacy we can leave.
• If you meals stun people with their artfulness, yet your family sits around the table sullenly refusing to talk to one another, you might as well be eating Spam. (Proverbs 15:17 - Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.")
• The truth is that the more we take on, the less we are able to do thoroughly and beautifully.
• Trying to be superwoman does not help anyone. It cannot be done. It is the sure path to failure and disappointment.
• Instead, work hard today on what is most important and what will make your home a love-filled place for your family and your community. Do it beautifully! Do it without guilt. Your are a keeper of the home, and that is sacred trust that requires an ordinary human being who loves others more than she loves herself.

But I thought this was a GREAT article and something worth blogging about so I can go back and think about it later. I am adding the print article to my homemakers binder that I keep at home. Thanks Hannah!

Oh and one silly little thing before I submit this entry for today. I was shopping last night and got new underware and bras. This morning when I was opening the pack I saved the cardboard inserts because they were cute flat pieces of cardboard - white on one side. Perfect for Alyssa to draw a picture on. I had to laugh at me and though, you might be a frugal homeschooling mom if you save packaging from your undies to give to your kids! I won't tell her where that came from! lol

Nothing new with me...

This is my last month at work. I am in the decision process of answering my boss ifI want to take my work home and work from home for my coworkers maternity leave... $$$ is it worth it?

I plan to start Alyssa back on HWT next month. If I can get Tristan down for a nap we can work on it together. I also want to do some math tonight. I don't want to let too long of time pass before she works on some more. February was a blah month.

Anyone know of a super 3 year old bible study? Or something like that? I want to make a routeen of bible first thing in the morning once I am at home. I have "Leading little ones to God" But I think that needs to be saved for later.

Well I went home sick from work  yesterday... then Justin called and he was sick all day... then Alyssa got sick. That was horrid. Now mom said she is feeling icky...

Lord Please let this all be gone soon because Saturday is Tristans first birthday party! Please please please Lord!

I was laying in bed reading last night and started reading the Astronomy book from Jeannie. Wow! I am so loving it! I am learning so much. I cant wait to take it over to mom to show her. I want to show her and my dad the way science is taught. Just amazes me how over and over it brings the focus to God. It is almost like church in a science book. And I think about how God was always seperate in my life. I am getting thrilled thinking on how God will not be something set apart but a thread in all we do in homeschooling. At least these are my desires.

I plan to use that book when Alyssa is 6 and Tristan is 4. That way I can do it with 2 kids at a time instead of just one and then redoing it again. Although it is interesting enough I dont think I will mind reading it a few times. Justin wants to have two more kids so maybe if we have them close in age I can just do two waves of it. lol Look at me planning for kids I dont even have yet. I just dont get how people do school with tons of kids. Since I have yet to officially start with one kid, I am nervous about it. But I know it will get easier as the years go on.

I have not been doing much with Alyssa because of being sick. But mom said she worked in her workbook a bit at her house.

So not much new to blog about but I wanted to blog something.

Well I am sitting here contemplating whether or not to go home from work. I stayed home yesterday because Tristan was sick. And the little booger was kissing all over my mouth! I did not have the heart to not let him and I am paying for it today.

The good thing though yesterday was I was home to get the DHL package. I had ordered shipping to my mom's house but like another business I recently ordered from they did not get that part and shipped it to me. That is ok. I got my science books! Yeah! As nice as I expected. :)

I am praying that everyone gets this bug outta here because SATURDAY is Tristans Birthday Party. Blah. Why is it always this way? Christmas everyone was sick... is there like a schedule for all holidays?

Tristan Loves that he can get into our cupboard with her school things

And off he goes with the vanilla bean body spray (we used it instead of vanilla on her hand to make it smell for HWT)


Can't catch me!



Cooking class? ha ha ha right.

Ok I am going nutso on the weekends with no internet or tv! Actually it isn't so bad at all. It is not until MONDAYS when I realize how awfully behind I am.

I am so bummed. I cleaned my entire homeschooling cupboard out and no sign of Alyssa's Singapore Math book. I just KNOW that we left it at MILs but she says no. This is just making me nuts. If you care to pray with me that I find it I would really appreciate it.

Alyssa and I are on a count down now. 7 more weekends to go until I am a SAHM.

Should be an exiting time but my mother cried to me again this morning. I am not sure what she wants. Me to give up my dream and say I am sorry, fine you raise my kids until they are teens then I will take them. I really am just at a loss at what to say to her. She just keeps hammering me with how I am going to ruin them. Thanks. And I am stubborn because I won't even listen. Um no it was my family decision.

Please bear with me as I get through this rough transition. Change is hard and what is supposed to be so exciting and the dream of mine is being dampened by guilt trips. I know her side but for ONCE I have to think of my family that I married into and had. My brothers live STATES away. I am moving 10 more mins and life is over.

I told her I would come in EVERY Friday and Sundays for lunch. She said that I have to let her see the kids more. I said fine - YOU can come to MY house once a week or ANY time you want. Nope. She said she won't be able to get there. She NEVER comes to my house. Neither does the mil. What is wrong with My house?

Tristan HATES his first shoes! ha ha ha

Last night I was on the computer pumping away... cant wait to stop that... and Alyssa was at the table with her white board. This is what she came over to me all proud about. This is a picture she drew about the Land Before Time Characters. She told me this is Grandma with Cera on her head and Littlefoot. a Blue Sky and a Yellow Sun. I thought she did really good. But then again she is my kid so I could be partial.

And she wanted me to also share a picture of the SECOND one she drew...

Justin tried out my new pressure canner yesterday while I was at work. BLAH. The first thing canned in it was DEER veggie soup. YUCKO! How depressing! lol My friend told me to consider it a trial run for the good stuff!

OK! I am ESTATIC! (is that how you spell that?)

I  have been reading all about being a homestead mom. I am getting the itch real bad... Hey, I am a 25 (almost 26) year old modern women living in a convience world who wants to learn to be the women God intended me to be. To find joy and satisfaction. It will take time and lots of learning but....

I checked out my savings bond.
http://wwws.publicdebt.treas.gov/BC/SBCPrice
it was worth $138 something. Woohoo.

I went to order and found a coupon code at amazon...

So I got :

Ball Blue Book of Preserving [Paperback] $8.95
Progressive 5-Piece Canning Kit [Kitchen] $9.99
Presto 01781 23-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner [Kitchen] $79.99
Rival SC7600 6-Quart Oval VersaWare CrockPot Slow Cooker, Brushed Stainless Steel [Kitchen] $49.99

I needed a new slow cooker. ok I WANTED a new one. My lid is broken on mine. I can use it but there is a hole in the lid. So now I have two. one for a spare and the new one!

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL THAT AND $25 more off!

So all that for $123.92

That is $ LEFT from my bond! YEAH!!!

I am so thrilled because I forgot I still had the bond. So many times I was GOING To use it but kept waiting. So I feel like I got this stuff for free. Actually it WAS for free because it was a gift bond. So my aunt Linda bought me all this stuff when I was born!

YEAH!!!!

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Anyone have any tips? I also noticed NOONE gave me any good recipes on my post the other day where I BEGGED for some! Noone wants to help out a Titus 2 girl in the making? Come on all my older Christian mentors  <- yeah right! I can't live without my dishwasher!

ETA - just went back and saw Christi said she would if I wanted some... sooo YES PLAESE! And in honor of my new crockpot... those kinds would be wonderful!

ETA one more time...

Wow! I just got an email that I won a one year subscription to the old schoolhouse magazine from the carnival! YEAH! I am so glad I found this blogging site! Praise God because this is such a nice suprise. Wonder if not that many people emailed because I NEVER win anything... hmmmm Strange.

I did email her back though because I won a year from JenIG's site and I wondered if this was fair and ok. Could I tack it on to make 2 years won? yk? I do plan to homeschool for 20 more years (tristan through highschool) soooo.... I would appreciate the magazine. Just not sure if they would want to make someone else win. I did not see rules anywhere. Ok well that was a long yah - hoo!! and praise. How FUN!

I am longing for staying at home as soon as God permits. In my longing I started thinking about cooking meals again. I am a list/organizer/planner type girl. I have not cooked for our family regularly since August of 2004! Because of jobs and schedules.

I am thinking of making themed nights. Examples - one night being homemade soup/salad night. Crockpot night. Casserole Night. Italian Night. Mexican Night etc. And each week keeping days like that but different recipes.

Then I can shop for the coming week.

So my needing help is... anyone have any GREAT family friendly recipes? I would love some ideas of meals. Not really sides or desserts. I am looking for main meals. The more using the crockpot the better! :wink: Love my crock pot. Although I did break the lid and could use a new one....