What if you had/needed to go back into the workforce or go back to school so that you could eventually contribute financially to the household. This is something my husband and I are discussing for me. I am having a hard time processing this right now. I don't want to send my daughter, who is starting 2nd grade to public school.  How about only for a year or two?

I was thinking of doing Medical Transcription, would need to study it for about a year online, then I would probably have to go out and work for a year or so for experience. But then I could work at home parttime making around $20,000.

I don't know. I am kind of stressed right now about it. But I know he is really stressed right now with not finding work. It has been almost 6 months, he thinks part of it is because he is over 50. He wants us/me to have something to fall back on.

Well, I have wedding stuff to concenstrate on today.....

• Comments (4) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Am I tired, my feet hurt, and I really need to go take a nap. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures, but I'm sure I'll get one later from the brides family. The bride and family loved what was done, decorations. The one sister who was visiting from England asked if I did it for a living.......um.....no!  But it did make me feel good to hear.

Next, I need to start working on my daughters..........but first, I need a nap.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I would like to try as much as possible to only spend $25 on food this week, not counting a box of peaches that didn't come in last week.. In order to do this I need to plan our meals. Luckly I'm still pretty stocked on things.

Breakfast:

• oatmeal
• multigrain waffles
• bannana muffins
• eggs and toast

Lunch: this is usually what ever is leftover from the night before. Back up will be p&b sandwiches.

Dinner:

• taco soup
• hambergers, corn on cob, baked potato
• hotdogs (were playing campout one night this week with tent and everything), potato salad
• bbq chicken, grilled green beans, grilled onions
• potatoe soup
• spaghetti
• buffet at a wedding on saturday

Dessert:

• Mock Apple Pie- I found this recipe that uses zuchinni instead, and I have alot of zuchinni
• Zuchinni Bread

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Yes, I'm kind of up to my ears in wedding decorating. Not only is my own daughter getting married the end of September, but I was asked to do the decorating for another girls wedding from the church. Our families have been close since we moved to this area, our girls are like sisters. Her wedding is next weekend, so I've been kind of concentrating on hers today.

So today I went shopping for the last bit of stuff. For the wedding itself, she just wanted an arch, which were renting, with vines and red carnations. Then she also wanted pew bows, and I had to get the flowergirls baskets and petals.

For the reception, the tables will be set up in threes. In the center will be a bridesmaid boquet, then a few votives off each side, then a bud vase with two carnations, and a few more votives. Also red petals will be sprinkled down the center and there are also bells that I have been putting their name and date on (still working on this). I also have to wrap a box for the cards. Nothing extravagant, just had to do the finishing shopping. The hardest part was finding the right red, not Christmas red, more like a burgandy red.  She's expecting 200 guest.

For my daughters wedding, were only having around 60 guest. Tomorrow the m-i-l and I are putting together  corsages and maybe the bridemaid's flowers. We bought the boutineers already made at Walmart for $2 each, and my mother had made the brides flowers about a month ago and sent them. My daughter has terrible alergies, so there won't be any real flowers, it's also cheeper.

I'm also going to make the bridemaid (sister to girl getting married next week) and flowergirl (my youngest daughter) their dresses. I really need to get started on those next week.

I also need to finish making and sending "shower invitations" out. Got about 35 sent today, have another 35 to do tomorrow.

So this is just one of my many things I'm involved in right now. I happen to be one of those people who have to have my hands in everything. But I'm also a great procratinator, so this can be kind of stressing at times. But things are going well right now. Friday I will for sure be stressing.

• Comments (3) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Today I have been busy canning. I canned green beans: 16 pints, 7 quarts. Still have another batch to go, will probably get another 5-7 quarts done tomorrow. I also did pickles: 6 pints, 2 quarts. I have never done those before. Someone told me to just use one of the mixes you find at the store. It takes 4-6 weeks of sitting before we can try them, so I guess we will find out then what they taste like.

Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can get some peaches and pears at the country store. I also want to get some more kidney beans to cook up and freeze. I save so much money doing that. I can make two crockpots full of chilli and spend less than $2.00 on beans. Can't do that buying them already canned at the store.

Food I've already put away: I froze 10# of blueberries, 20# of yellow cherries, 1gallon-size bag of cut up rhubarb, and 2-1gallon size bags of strawberries. Usually I'm able to get sweet corn, but the farm I get it from didn't grow any this year. They are so generous to us, thats where I get my rhubarb, greenbean, and cucumbers for free. I have no where to grow really, so this comes in really handy. They are members of the congregation we go to, we also have class with them each week at there house, so we do all the driving. But this helps out with that.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Yes, my husband is still looking for work. He has been out of work since early March. He has been diligently looking ever since. Mostly within a 60 mile radius of our home, but also out of our state too. Yesterday he took a skill test for an apparatus company, wish I knew what that was, not really important. It's an hour away, but in a cute little town. We drove through several neighborhoods, didn't see a junky house. Some may have needed some paint, maintance, but they had clean yards. Wouldn't mind selling and moving there.

He also has a phone interview on Monday with the state college for their power plant. This is about 40 minutes away.

At any rate, we will sell our present home when he finds something. We want to find something much cheeper, maybe even smaller. Come September we will be down to 3 people, so we really don't need 4/5 bedrooms anymore.

So thats where we are at right now.....

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Today was the first day back to school, didn't follow the schedule exactly, but that was o.k. I did get up at 6am, started the coffee, did some computer and then did some weights. Started the dishes and woke dd up at 8am, she had a late night so wanted her to get a few more minutes. By the time we got chores done, breakfast, dh wanting me to play cards with him, we didn't get school started till 10am, but that was o.k.. Reading is still going along well, I can see that math isn't going to be her favorite subject. We played a math game and did some addition flash cards. I'm going to be ordering Singapore Math next week sometime, well start at the beginning, see how it goes. We also did some piano, we really haven't been doing much since the end of March when we stopped taking lessons. Right now I'm just reviewing with her what she had all ready done with the teacher.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Last year I made up schedules according to what was going on in our days, I've taken and updated them. We basically have our home days, h.s meeting days (1 X/mo), and co-op days (2 X/mo).

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I've been putting off posting, not because I don't want to post anymore, but because I have just been out of pratice. Appearently it has been several months. I don't know why, I just kind of stopped. I think part of it was because my husband is still out of work, so he spends alot of time on the computer looking for work. And with him home, I just don't have so much free time, I have to entertain him.

So I guess I need to do some updating, school planning, and just getting my life back in order. I don't have any kind of schedule anymore, which means nothing really gets done around here. Monday we are starting school back up, I have a few things to finish before we can start MFW Adventures.

Stay tuned......

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

It's been a few months since I wrote down any goals, thought I would try picking it up again.

• dry 80% of our laundry outside.
• redo the floors
• know what the plan is with daughters wedding.
• continue with Bible reading. (we are starting Joshua today)
• loose 10#
• do weights 3times/week

• Comments (3) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Realized its been awhile since I posted anything. Hi everyone. Guess I should do a little update on my life, what I've been doing, any changes.

• "Old Glory Grows Up" - thats the name of the play we had been working on the past few weeks. It's about the flag growing up. We had the performance last Friday night, went real well. I was in charge of costumes again, I always seem to get volunteered for this job. This year there really wasn't alot I had to make, yeah. This is actually a great intro to our studies for next year.
• Mark Your Bible study- been working on another study, should have it posted sometime this week. It's about our resposibilities toward fellow christians.
• Wedding- the plans for this change on a daily basis. One day were having a large wedding with 175 guest, then maybe just 60, then going to the court house. I think we are going to have about 30 guest and have a bbq afterwards or go out to a nice resturaunt. When she said they were thinking about the court house, hubby was very very sad. He said, "I get one job, and I don't even get to do that". He really wanted to walk her down the aile (how do you spell that!!). But now, at least for the next few days, were looking at doing it in a small building, casual. She has never really wanted a big to do wedding. And that's o.k. with me.
• Job hunting- hubby is still looking. Seems like every week he gets another lead on a job. Thank God he was able to get unemployment. Told we will be fine till September, then I'll start gettting nervous.
• Co op- I'm in the middle of putting together a homeschool co-op for next year with five other ladies. So far we have 16 families who are wanting to participate. Right now we are trying to get information from the "teachers" about their classes so we can put together a class description list. Then we will plan a sign-up night where they can decide which class to take and pay their fees.
• School has been going well. We haven't been keeping up with the curriculum very well because of other subjects getting in the way at this time. I guess this is where summer comes in great, spending an hour a day completing things. Kind of helps us keep some sort of schedule that way. Besides, I'm down to one, helps with the "I'm bored mom". But her reading is really great.. I am so impressed with the way it's being taught, and it's all bible stories. What a great foundation.
• Seasons in your life...went to an all day ladies gathering saturday. It was so great. Lots of tears, laughter, hugging, eating, and singing praises to God. We had four studies. One for each season in a womans life. Summer, Spring, Fall and Winter. I'll post more on this later as I have time. Just the fellowship with 20 some woman........what can I say.....WOW!!

Well, I think this is all. At least for now. I'll try be more consistant........maybe....lol.

By the way, IT'S SNOWING!!!

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I came home from Bible class last to dd-19 and her boyfriend, who told me they were getting married. Actually dd hemmed and hawed for about 15 minutes till she got it out. Then we went to talk to husband, who just kept talking and making conversation so that fiance couldn't get a word in. (he could actually go on for hours). Finally fiance was ablet to ask. Of course we've known this was going to happen for quite a while.

So....how do you do a cheap wedding??

• Comments (4) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Well, it has been about 3 weeks since husband lost his job. Nothing has come his way yet. We were really hoping for a job with the water dept. in a nearby town, but they appearently hired someone else. He will be going to take a civil test on Saturday, hope that will result in something.

I do have to say though, I really have enjoyed having him around. I've always thought that when he retired he would drive me nuts being home all day. I think we get along better than ever. So now I am looking forward to that day down the road when he does retire, we should have a lot of fun.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Sorry I didn't get back and let you know how it went with the doctors. At the time I just didn't feel up to it. And then when I did I had to compete for the computer against my husband who is home ALL day long, using the computer to look for a job. So my time on the computer is kindof limited now.

Anyways......I ended up with some kindof sinus infection that would drain into my chest. I had an x-ray on my lungs, had some stuff, so he put me on antibiotic. I thought I would start feeling good by Saturday night/ Sunday morning, but it wasn't till tuesdy morning that I was feeling better. Finally got to sleep in my own bed, first time in 11 days.

Gotta go, husband is wanting to use the computer, I should put this extra time into good use....nah

• Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

• Comments (3) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I started feeling it yesterday, woke up with no energy at all. By 5pm I knew I was getting it again. I am acky, swollen throught (can't spell either), coughing again. And of course today is a beautiful day out, should have known I would be sick. Well, I hope the rest of them don't get it again.

Husband took dd to see "Horton Hears a Who". We were suppose to all go, but just told him to go without me. Just wanted to rest, and besides, that would make it cheeper. We were also suppose to go out to dinner with one of the gift cards we got from Christmas, but well do that another time.

Happy Easter to all in whatever way you celebrate it. I have to hardboil a few eggs for dd. I bought a couple chocolate eggs and a chocolate bunny for her basket. Thats about all we really do, sometimes get together with family. Just hoping I feel good enough to go to worship tomorrow.

• Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

......for a good week. We had that upper respiratory stuff. It didn't help that I started with a 2 day migrain and ended with a 2 day migrain. I can still feel it in my chest, but everyone is doing much better.

Saturday was our piano recital, dd-7 went with daddy, while I stayed home with  a migrain. Not only did I miss her playing, but I didn't get to play my recital. I would have been the only adult with 11 other kids. No pressure there. Now I'm trying to get in contact with the teacher and let her know we won't be doing lessons for awhile with my husband out of work. By the time you figure gas and cost of lesson, were talking a good $100 a month. I'll continue praticing and teaching dd-7. Then after he gets a job, well start up again. Luckly she is a very understanding person and does this because she enjoys it, not because she has too.

My husband is doing a great job looking for work and taking care of things like medical. He's spending 8 hours a day working on this. We found out that all this time we had insurance through the military and didn't even know about it. That we could have used them as a second insurance to cover cost. Bummer. Thats the bad thing about living in an area with no military. In Washington, I would have found out about this just by talking to other retired military wives right away.  I found out that the meds I take for migrain will be $9 for 90 day supply. It has been costing me with insurance $50/month. This is good.

• Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

....or should I say "lack of". Yes, he was officially fired Thursday afternoon. It doesn't look good if you have two accidents in 5 years with the company truck. In a way, he says he's relieved. He said he has hated this job for a long long time. He does get pay till the end of the month, so that is great. I haven't actually sat down and checked the figures yet, but we will be fine for the next 6-8 weeks. Hopefully he will find something by then. Then of course, it depends on whether he makes near the same or not as to if we will need to sell the house and find something smaller. Ladies, that will be fine with me. Our house is way too big with way too much stuff, I would love to downsize. Anyways, things will work out fine, we just have to be patient and pray that we will be able to handle anything thrown our way in the way that God would expect us too.

• Comments (4) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I wrote that my husband rear ended someone on Thursday. He went to work Friday,  then called me at 1pm to come pick him up. They have put him on Administration Leave till they can give him more answers concerning his job. There is a good chance that he will be asked to leave/fired.

I feel so sorry for him, he is so dissappointed in himself, told me that he has failed us.  I told him no, that he hasn't failed us, he has always been a good provider, and I KNOW he will continue to do so. I don't think he will have a hard time finding another job. The man has been running plants that produce oxygen for foundries, hospitals, paper factorys for the past 8 years. He retired from the milatary before that. So I know that things will be fine.

We also have enought put away to support us for two months, not counting unemployment. Food: we have a whole freezer full of meat, so we just don't need to spend too much there.

O.K., I know I'm getting alittle ahead of myself. We won't know anything till Monday. But this is when I do my planning. Need to know our options.

Will let you know more on Monday......

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

.....went really well. I wasn't sure if dd-7 was going to make it or not, she hadn't been feeling well most of the week. Annnnnndddddd, I didn't get any pictures. Got there and realized that the battery was dead. A friend of mine did take a picture of our project, but probably won't get anytime soon if she is like me.

We did: "What do roots, stems and leaves do?" . We drew out a plant on the board and she traced and colored it in. Then she wrote what each one does, and we put the explanation next to each part. We also found a verse to copy for our board. We had seeds in a glass that were starting to sprout, a jar full of blue water with celery in it to show how water gets up the stem. We also had a plant that we took out of the soil to show the roots. Then we had carrots and celery to snack on. I know, I used a lot of we, but she is only 7, so I did help alot.

Another project that someone else did that I think alot of you might appreciate: Diaper Comparison.  One of the girls took diapers from different companies and compared how much liquid they would hold. Pampers, Huggies, Roundys (store brand from Copps or Pick n' Save), and Aldi's brand.

Guess which one held the most?

                                                             Aldi's Brand

And which one held the least?

                                                             Pampers

Anyways, all the kids got participation certificates, with jugdes comments, and a bag full of goodies from surrounding companies and resturants. We also had lunch at the end. Lots of fun.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link