July 4th Glitter Graphics ~ Myspace Comments

Last week, I was standing at the sink, doing the dinner dishes when Bean came running into the house. 

Bean:  "Where are the long handled tongs?  Where are the long handled tongs?  You know, the ones you grill with?"

Me:  "Where do you think they are?  They are right where they should be if you would just look........they are holding the kitchen window open, silly!  What do you need them for?"

Bean:  "Well, Dad is outside by the poot trying to get it ready to open, (yes, I know what the date is....but better late than never, right?) and he found a snake moving in the tall grass by his feet.  But he needs something long to get it because it keeps striking at him."   

Me:  "OMGosh........" I said as I ran back to the kitchen window, grabbed the tongs, and gave them to Bean, and ran in the other room.

Bean:  "Where are you going?  Aren't you going to come out and help Dad?"

Me:  "Are you crazy?  It's a snake!  I'm going to get the camera!"   

COOL! 

Bean and I looked it up on the internet and from what we could see, it looks like a Rat Snake, which it says, are non-poisonous.

Blessings~
Laura

WOW........another giveaway.  Don't you just love 'em?  If you do, hop on over and visit Tiany.   To enter, all you have to do is post about the Toolbar, grab and post the button on your blog, link your post to Mr. Linky, and then leave a comment for Tiany.  It's that simple!  But hurry, you only have 7 days left until they do a random drawing at Random.org on July 4th. She will pick two winners and each winner will get to choose a $25 Gift Certificate from one of the following online Stores:

The Homeschool Lounge is very excited to introduce an amazing and handy resource for homeschool families, the ultimate toolbar for Homeschool Moms...

The Homeschool Toolbar!

• Homeschool Resources
• The Latest Homeschool & Parenting News
• Web search using Google
• Integrated Homeschool RSS feeds
• Homeschool blogs
• Category browsing
• Search highlighter
• Tons of quick shortcuts
• Weather forecast
• Quick links to The Homeschool Lounge
• Organizing tools such as a To do list, notepad, calculator, conversion charts, maps and more
• Radio connected to "Positive & Encouraging K-LOVE" , NPR or your favorite local radio station (this feature is optional and can be added or removed, as can all features..)

Lastly, it will NOT slow your computer down!

To learn more about this amazing and resourceful tool  and download your own you can visit the Homeschoolbar website at  HOMESCHOOLBAR.COM !

If you have a blog,or website  you think the homeschool community would benefit from, please contact The Homeschoolbar HERE They are also taking submissions for Homeschool Mom owned businesses!

Get your Homeschool Toolbar today! You wont want to surf the web without it!

Blessings and good luck~
Laura

Myspace Comments @ DazzleJunction.com

I know this is Wordless Wednesday, but I saw this graphic and just HAD to use it!  It really made me smile and that is something I think we all need to a LOT more!

Most of you know that I fell down our front stairs on New Year's Eve and have been having trouble with my shoulder ever since.  I finally got my appointment with the orthopedic/sports medicine dr. last Wednesday.  He said I had a frozen shoulder which was the result of having bursitis.  I was given a RX for an anti-inflammatory which I take twice a day, one for pain, and also one for physical therapy.

Yesterday was my first day of PT.  Let's just say that I WILL make sure I take my pain mediation BEFORE I GO today!  LOL  I had a wonderful, sweet young lady named, Jennifer.  She applied heat  and also electrical impulse therapy to my right shoulder.  WOW.......that felt wonderful and I almost fell asleep.  After that......OUCH!!!!    She worked both of my shoulders and made them move in ways I didn't know I could!  I was also given three different stretching exercises to do to help loosen everything up.  The dr. wants me to go three times a week, but Jennifer believes that two times a week will be good.  Even with my insurance and only having to pay my co-pay, that still comes out to $50.00 a week/$200.00 a month.  EEEEKKK!!!   So, don't forget to stop by my eBay store and see what's on sale!!    ROFLOL!!!  Jennifer said that I really NEED to go or my shoulder will get worse and that if there were simple things that I could do at home instead of therapy, she would gladly tell me what they were.  She was really great and will work with me on some kind of a payment plan so I can continue.

Please pray that it won't take 18 months for my shoulder to get back to normal as the dr. predicted!

Blessings~
Laura

Since we decided last year to homeschool and found out what all the requirements were, I had been worrying about whether or not I would be a good enough teacher for my son, Kiddo.  Having to show progress and having him pass a test, never really bothered me until then.  I would sit and beat myself up about it.  How do we know what curriculum to chose?  Which approach to take?  Will it be the right one?   When it came time for testing, would he would pass it with flying colors?  Would he fail and we would be put on probation for a year?  Or would he fail and have to go back to public school not allowing us to continue on our homeschooling journey?  EEEEEKKK!!  How many nights I would sit and cry worrying about all this. 

I had worked in the public school system for 11 years in Special Education, but now that the remainder of our son's education was in my hands, I began to feel completely underqualified and scared-to-death!  We knew that my quitting my job and going back to a one-income family, was a risky thing to do and there was a good great possibility that we would lose everything.  Skippy has even been working three jobs to make our desire to homeschool possible.  GOD BLESS, MY HUSBAND!!   But then we realized, that by not doing it, we were not completely putting our trust and faith in God.  That hit my heart very hard.  What kind of Christian I am to not believe that God will provide for us?

Don't we, as Christians, believe that through Him, all things ARE possible?  Well, we DO believe that, and together, Skippy and I took a giant leap off the proverbial "cliff", and guess what?  Our first year has passed and we are still here and moving on.  Kiddo finished his testing and we got the results back.  He scored above average in all areas but one, and that was in the average range.  PTL!  GOD IS GREAT and is providing for us, and our "needs" are being met!  Praise The Lord!

I will be sending in our "proof of progress" letter this week to the school board.  I have already purchased some of our curriculum for next year inexpensively off of eBay.  I am really excited about starting full force again in the fall as I have so many things I want to do.  Now that I know more about the whole process and have gone through our first year of basically not knowing which end is up, I am feeling much better about things and my ability to teach my own son!

We will be using the following curriculum:

Math:  LIFEPAC Gold from Alpha Omega
Bible:  King's of Isreal by A Beka
Science:  Science of the Physical Creation by A Beka
History and Geography:  LIFEPAC by Alpha Omega
Spelling:  On-line web site
The rest of our curriculum is undecided

May God continue to bless us all with our homeschooling journeys!

Blessings~
Laura

Monday - BBQ ribs, homemade mashed potatoes, corn, cole slaw
(If we go to my sister's for dinner, we will have Greek chicken folded pitas)

Tuesday - Marinated chicken breast w/sauteed onions, glazed carrots, rice and/or sweet potatoes

Wednesday - Baked Catfish nuggets, cheesy garlic pasta, peas

Thursday - Seasoned pork chops, homemade mashed potatoes, apple sauce

Friday - WW egg salad, homemade potato chips

I pray you have a wonderful week!

Blessings~
Laura

 By Joanna Fuchs

I just LOVE this pic of my DH!  It makes me smile! 

 

WE LVE YOU!

I am in the process of designing my own blog layout, but in the mean time, I wanted something that was nice and FINISHED!   Without being able to use the computer in the office and get on-line, it is hard to use Microsoft Frontpage, where I can lay everything out and view it on the internet to make sure it looks right and all the links work.

I had gotten my last layout from Jo over at RecycledTemplates here on HSB.  She has layouts that you can use that others have made and would like to share.  It's a really great idea she came up with.  If you have any layouts that you would like to share, please stop by and leave Jo a message.   You will get the credit for your donation.

When I hopped over there yesterday to see if she had any new ones, I saw a link for Eye Catching Designs so I had to check out it out.  I was very impressed!  Eye Catching Designs, is run/owned by a 15 year old high school sophomore named Brittney.  She has a few templates up with the codes for you to grab, and is working on some more with a "country" theme.  I certainly can't wait for those......I just  country and primitive things.

So what do you think of my layout?  I really like it, but I am trying to figure out how to add the third column to it.  Anyone have any idea how to do that?  Your help would be greatly appreciated!!

If you get a chance, why not take a hop over and visit these two girls.  I know they would love to see you!

Blessings~
Laura

This past weekend, my family and I went to Atlanta, GA.  For the past two years, my sister, Barbara, has been attending The Salvation Army Evangeline Booth College to become an ordained minister. 

Becoming an officer has always been Barbara's life-long calling, but God had some other ways he wanted her to serve Him first.  She is the proud mom of 3 beautiful children; Mishelle, Michael, and Megan, whom she has raised in a Christ-centered home.  Both girls attend The Salvation Army and Mishelle, PTL, has heard the call to officership just like her mom. 

After two years of intense classes, field assignments, helping with Hurricane Katrina disaster relief, open air meetings, food distribution, kettles, a trip to Guyana, and so much more, 44 cadets, were ordained and received the rank of Lieutenant.

We are so PROUD of Barbara and all that she has accomplished.  I wish our parents were here today to witness this wonderful event.  I pray that she will continue to grow in her faith and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and by His grace, will continue to bring those who are ready to receive and have a personal relationship with God, closer to Him!

God bless Barbara, God bless her new fellow officers, and may God bless The Salvation Army!!!

Blessings~
Laura

 

This was home for two years.  The campus is absolutely beautiful!

Presentation of The Salvation Army flag

Getting ready for the cadets to come in

God bless us all!

Many were led to Christ that day.......PTL!

And some made a declaration of wanting to become an officer

Barbara's daughter, Mishelle, has declared here desire for officership, hopefully to enter with her husband within the next two years................Praise God!!