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August 28, 2012

Family-Favorite Poke Cake

Hello, dear friends!!!  Popping in to quickly leave you a Tummy Tempting Tuesday Recipe!  This is a quick and simple dessert that works for any occasion.  As a matter of fact, I think I might make it this weekend for my little crew! :)  Hope you're having a fantabulous Tuesday!

Family-Favorite Poke Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
10 fun size Milky Way candy bars, divided
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 jar (12 oz.) Milky Way ice cream topping (or I have just used any caramel ice cream topping)
1 carton (12 oz.) whipped topping

Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13-in. X 9-in. baking pan. Chop 6 candy bars.  Remove cake from the oven; immediately sprinkle with chopped candy bars.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Using the end of a spoon handle, poke 20 holes in the warm cake.  Pour the condensed milk over cake; cool for 10 minutes.  Pour the ice cream topping over cake; cool completely.

Spread whipped topping over cake.  Chop remaining candy bars; sprinkle over cake.  Cove and store in the refrigerator.  

Yield: 12-15 servings

August 27, 2012

A Day in the Life of Our Homeschooling

TOTALLY RANDOM QUESTION ALERT:
I have a question that I would LOVE for any and all to help me with.  I have completely changed the way I homeschool - leaving the world of textbooks and "regular school"- and I am now teaching using the Charlotte Mason living book method.  However, I am finding that many of the excellent quality books that are recommended, our library does not carry - even through their interlibrary loan program.  Is there a book swap out there?  Do you have a great place to buy used books?  I am just not finding a lot of options except buying brand new through Amazon or used through half.com.  I would love to buy all of our books, but money or space does not allow for that.  Please let me hear how you work this in your family!

AND NOW, BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED POST:
Well, it's MONDAY!!!  Are you ready for the week?  I have found that whether my week dies or survives is determined by how well I spend my Saturday!  I almost always enjoy a lazy Saturday morning, but if I stretch the laziness past morning, my week is doomed!!!  The rest of Saturday I try to spend preparing for the next week - making sure the laundry is caught up, planning my menu, making my priority to-do list, putting the house in order and now, since school has begun, planning out the next school week.

Today, I am linking up again with the Not Back to School Blog Hop, and we are sharing what a Day in Our Life looks like! (I would add what a day in our Crazy, Mixed Up, Somewhat Random Life looks like!) We have already completed our first week of school, and I was thrilled with how well my schedule worked!  It has been several years since I have had such a successful first week of school! YAY!!!  There were a couple of small things that I am going to adjust, but overall, this schedule seemed to fit our family very well!  Because I have 5 kiddos who are 9 and younger, and they all still need me right there with them during most or all of their schooling, I keep a fairly rigid schedule.  As they grow more independent, I am hoping to lessen the rigidity. Also, just a disclaimer...this schedule is not always followed to a T.  Part of the greatness of homeschooling is the flexibility it gives us, but for the most part, this is what works best for us. So here it is!

 


August 24, 2012

Time Out for Praise

Today is....good, beautiful, right!  I love it when days like this happen!  It's not been perfect, but it has been good.  I love this 75* weather with a nice breeze and lots of sunshine!  The windows are open, the music is playing, the kiddos are resting, and so I began to read a few of the Psalms - which is one of my favorite things to do when I'm very happy or very sad!  Here are a few of my favorites!

Psalm 146:1-2
Praise ye the Lord.  Praise the Lord, O my soul.
While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

Psalm 135:3
Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

Psalm 116:5
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

Psalm 106:1-2
Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?

Psalm 95:1-3
O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

Psalm 92:1, 2, 4, & 5
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
To shew forth they lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

I could give you many more, but I'll stop here and let you take over!  What are your favorite praise verses? May we take every opportunity we have this weekend to just stop and praise the Lord for His kindness, faithfulness and grace that He has so undeservedly blessed us with.  Happy weekend!

August 23, 2012

A Word Picture of My Students

Today, I am linking up with the Not Back to School Blog Hop.  We are putting up pics of our kiddos' first day "back to school."  I'm being a little tricky though!  The Mr. doesn't care too much for my posting pics of our family all over the internet, and to tell you the real truth of the matter, I am NOT a photographer...so you really aren't missing out on too much!  I AM going to take the kids' pictures tomorrow evening (once I get the laundry folded so we can actually find something decent to wear!), but for now, I thought I would give you, the blogging world,  a word picture of my five little kiddos.  (We have to include the newbie because for one, he's just too cute not to include, and another because truly he is beginning to learn what is probably the most important lesson of all - obedience!). 

Student Number One is Miss E.  Miss E is a fast and independent learner.  I can explain something to her once and usually leave her to complete it alone.  Last year, we did have a terrible time with math, and she began to have a few "issues" with school.   All summer long, she continued with the "issues."  As a matter of fact, Miss E's "issues" are what put me on the research wagon to find different ways to homeschool kids and give them a LOVE for learning!  I am so thankful for all the different paths that God guided me through to bring me to the place I am today!  Her writing assignment for today was to write half a page of what she thought about her first week in fourth grade.   She wrote: "I have had a fun time and I'm telling the truth! (You can tell she's a little surprised herself!)  It has been fun!....Math is the BEST!"  What?  Do my eyes see correctly?  I have been on cloud ONE HUNDRED AND NINE today!  This has been such a WONDERFUL and HUGE answer to a prayer I have been praying for MONTHS!!!  Thank you, God, for hearing my prayers and answering them in Your time.

Student Number Two is Mr. A.  He is in 2nd grade this year.  He's my laid back, "Can I go outside with Daddy yet?" student.  He loves all things outdoors.  As a matter of fact, I was explaining to Miss E yesterday all the different things you can study at college, and Mr. A let all of us women know that he was going to study hunting! :)  However, as much as he loves being with Dad and staying outside, he did a great job in 1st grade and has begun 2nd grade with a wonderful attitude.  He has jumped right in as though we never even had a summer break, and he hasn't even made a fuss over penmanship...yet!  

Student Number Three is Mr. G.  He's my busy, cannot sit still nor be quiet to save his life 5 year old!  He has done amazingly well though!  He is enjoying his Math and Phonics time and quickly learning his letters and their sounds.  So that I can keep order to the day, I have a Quiet Box for him and Miss M to play with when they are not in school, and so far, he has even handled his quiet time well.  Biggest struggle....Bible time!  As I said, the child cannot sit still to save his life.  We are working on this, but I have a feeling I will still be saying this when he's 16!

Student Number Four is Miss M who is my sweet, cuddly but somewhat attitude-ish 4 year old.  I decided to try to teach her along with Mr. G after realizing that as much as she loves the newbie and tries to take care of him, it is an impossibility for her.  I have never seen a child who can make another child annoyed so quickly!  Bless her pea-pickin' heart!  She has great intentions, but....it's just not happening!  She has jumped right into school and LOVES it!  She was the one who was counting down the "sleeps" until school started, and she is the one who gives me a great big hug almost every day and says, "Kanks (thanks), Mom, for letting me go to school!"  So far, she is staying right up with Garrett, and as long as she is interested, we'll keep going!

Student Number Fivc is the newbie - my sweet, easy going little 9 month old!  No one could ask for a better baby.  Beginning school has been great for him because he no longer has older brothers and sisters interrupting his nap or hauling him around for no apparent reason!  He usually sleeps from about 9:30- 11:00, and we are able to get much of our schooling done during that time.  He then spends the rest of the time floating between the playpen, the exersaucer and my lap.  Even with teething and a slight fever, he has been a super trooper!

All in all, our first week of school has been a huge success!!! This is the first year since I've taught more than Miss E that I feel like it may be possible to finish the year! :)  I am sure...absolutely sure...that we will still have our fair share of bumps along the way, but I have been so encouraged by how things are starting off!  It's almost one of those...This is a little too good, something really bad is going to happen soon....things!!! But, we won't go there! For now, I'll enjoy every minute I possibly can of this wonderful blessing God has given me!  And...tomorrow's FRIDAY! ;)

August 21, 2012

Miscellaneous Ramblings and A Fun Back to School Snack!

Alright!  So, I've crawled out from under the piles of books and laundry and dishes long enough to say hi!  We began school this week.  Monday - a little rough!  Tuesday - much, much better!  However, I am still trying to figure out when I can actually sit down on a regular basis and write!  (Don't tell the teacher, but my schedule says I'm supposed to be practicing my violin right now!)  I have got a million and one things I'd love to write about, but because my violin lesson is tomorrow, and I do desperately need the practice, I'll keep it short and sweet today! 

Number 1:  I love the way we are homeschooling this year!  I know we're in the "easy" stage right now, but seriously, we all look up when the Mr. walks in for lunch and can't believe how fast the time has gone!  I love the variety, the hands on materials instead of so many textbooks, the many, many interesting books we are reading, and the lack of papers to grade at the end of every day!  It thrills my soul! :)  Just in case you are worried, we are having school here!

Number 2:  I have found several super good reads in the last week on a couple of blogs that I follow.  I thought I would share.  This one is from Girl Talk - a mom and three daughters who write together about every day life while giving  good bits of practical teaching from the Bible.  They are in the middle of a series concerning social media.  This article definitely made me squirm a little!  The second article is from At the Well, and it perfectly expresses my feelings on "sheltering" our children.  (Yes, I'm one of those weird moms who does that!)  This author hits the nail on the head and has given me a way to answer those who may question why the Mr. and I parent the way we do. A MUST READ!!!

Number 3:  Get ready for this!  I have started over in my 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge!  Yes, roll your eyes - that's what the Mr. did! (He didn't roll his eyes because he doesn't want me to read the Bible! :)  As he pointed out, I have a tendency to not finish things unless I can do them perfectly.  So, I either start things over a million times or never finish them!)  Anyway, I wanted to try it again from the beginning with a routine in place.  So far, I'm right on schedule...it's only day 2! :P

Number 4: I drank (had to google which verb form to use on that one!)  8 glasses of water, exercised and practiced my violin (well, I'm going to get out of this chair in just a minute to practice) every day this week...it's only day 2! :P  We'll see how long this lasts!

Number 5: It's Tummy Tempting Tuesday!!!  In honor of Back to School Week, I thought I'd give you a cute little snack to try out.  My kiddos loved helping me make it and enjoyed eating it even more.  Unfortunately, I don't think it will pack well into a lunch.  So, you either need to begin homeschooling your kiddos (hee! hee!), or you can opt to fix it for an after school snack!  Either way, it adds a little variety to snack time!

Apple Sandwiches
Apples
Peanut Butter
Granola

Core the apples and then slice them across so that you have the hole from the core in the middle of the slice. (Did that make any sense?)

Slather the slice of apple with peanut butter.  (Miss E and I REALLY slather!)

Sprinkle granola on top and enjoy!  You can make your own granola, or you can take the easy route (like I did) and buy some.  We really enjoyed Cascadian Farm's Fruit and Nut Granola!  

Well, that wasn't as short and sweet as it was supposed to be!  I really need to get to that violin now!  Have a wonderful Tuesday!


August 17, 2012

What Our "School Room" Looks Like

I'm squeaking in at the very last minute to get this posted with the Not Back to School Blog Hop. Alas, that seems to be the story of my life! :)  This week we are sharing what our school rooms look like.  As I was trying to organize and sort through everything, I quickly realized that my less than 1200 square foot humble abode is apparently shrinking!!!  It took me an entire day (well, with lots of interruptions from the newbie who has decided that since the other 4 kids are gone, he needs ALL of mom's attention!) to figure out where to put everything! Many of our books are still in boxes.  I took some very strategic pictures (strategic in that they do not show any of the clutter and mess surrounding my newly organized area) of our "school room."

The first picture shows our school shelves.  Each grade has their own shelf with Mom's being the top two.  It's very ironic that they are the ones in school, but my shelves have the most books! ;)  We also use the desk for one of the two older ones.  We discovered last year that Miss E and Mr. A can get somewhat off track when they are too close to each other.  (That would be putting it mildly!)


The next picture has our table for the littles - Mr. G (5) and Miss M (4).  They are excited about using their very own table that is just their size.  Behind them is our craft/miscellaneous book shelf.  (Please pardon the coat rack.)


Our couch and kitchen table are the places we work at most.  Because the couch was a little buried at the moment, I thought I'd share a picture of our lovely table!  Nothing says home like the kitchen table!


So...today I actually had someone ask me who was going to keep the newbie while I taught the rest of the kids!!!  Well, obviously part of the reason I homeschool is so that I can be with my children all day; however, there are days that would be a dream.  Instead, this is the newbie's contribution to our homeschooling!


This is the new thing I am looking forward to using the most. I use it to write down anything I don't want to forget.  The kids don't care for it so much because a) they are not allowed to write on it or erase it and b) I write down extra chores/consequences that need to be fulfilled. (Hence, came the no erasing rule!)


Lastly, I had to show you what made me the coolest mom in town (according to the kids!).  I am the owner of a...rubber band ball!!! Yes, that's what makes me cool!  I'm so thankful my kiddos are still easy to convince!  And yes, I have a weakness for cute little sticky notes, but of course, if you're a mom, you know that more than half of them will be "used" by the kiddos.  I am also a mother "of very little brain" and use them a great deal! So I buy lots when they are on sale! 


Well, I'm off to finish up some more things around the house!  If you do not hear from me for the next little while, you may assume that I have been overwhelmed by school!  Have a wonderful weekend! 

Not Back to School Blog Hop

August 13, 2012

Practicing Prayer

My brain is feeling a bit fuzzy and muddled right now because I have spent the majority of the afternoon making lesson plans for school.  Accomplishing that in three different grades is almost impossible!!! But I still enjoy it!  It's like putting the pieces of a puzzle together, and I know that once I get it all fit just right, I will rejoice! :)

God has been working in my heart this last week on the topic of prayer.  Can I just reveal two little secrets here? Secret 1: Prayer takes a lot of self-discipline.  Secret 2: I am not a very self-disciplined person.  These two secrets make a huge problem!!!  In the last 2 or 3 weeks, God has answered some big prayers of mine, but in the last 2 or 3 weeks, I have also received 2 more big things to pray about!!! It is encouraging to see God answer prayer in such an awesome, only God could have done that way, but it has also reminded me that prayer is an important assignment and responsibility given to me by a most High God.

Here are a couple of ways I have been trying to practice prayer.  Maybe you can try them or even add a few more ideas to the list!

1.  Just do it!  Like I said before, prayer requires self-discipline.  It is one of those things that you just need to do.  Put aside all excuses and make it a priority. We make time for what we really want to do.

2.  Set aside a certain time every day to spend time in prayer.  I have decided that 6 AM  is my time.  I wake up, make myself some coffee or juice, and either go for a walk or sit in my comfy chair and spend the next 15 minutes praying.  I know...I know....15 minutes is shabby, but it is a start. (Just as a side note: I do try to pray throughout the day while cleaning, nursing the baby, etc, but I feel I need a more focused time as well.)

3.  Remember God desires this time with me.  He longs for me to talk to Him and to tell Him what is going on.  He wants to hear my heart, and as my Father, He LOVES to answer my prayers!  

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
~Matthew 7:7, 8 & 11

4.  Prayer is not meant to be a time of listing all my wants or needs.  It is meant to be a time of tuning my desires with God's - a time to search God's heart.  It is also a time to worship, praise and give thanks to this wonderful Savior of mine.

There is so much more I could say about prayer and how God is speaking to me about it, but this is a great start!  How have you been practicing prayer?  I'd love to hear!  Happy Monday to you!
 

August 8, 2012

Homeschooling Time!

Like it or not...it's that time of year (I happen to be one of those crazy people who love it!!!)...it's BACK TO SCHOOL time!   I have always loved school - well, for the most part!  Math wasn't particularly appealing in high school, but I LOVE SCHOOL and LEARNING and now TEACHING!!!  I always told the Mr. that if anything ever happened to him, I'd pack up and go back to Alma Mater and get my master's!  Hmmm....12 years and 5 kids later, I think I better come up with a different plan!

Now, I teach my own kiddos at home, and can I say one more time, that I LOVE IT!!! I am not being fake about this to give me the much coveted hero mom status!  I really do love it.  I love sifting through the endless amounts of curriculum and books and coming up with ideas that will help make learning fun and practical.  I love watching my kids as they learn new things!  There are those days when I wonder what in the world I was thinking, but the good days outnumber the bad days by far!

This is my fifth year of homeschooling and will probably be my most challenging year so far.  I will have my fourth grader, my second grader, and I am going to attempt to teach both my 4 and 5 year old (mostly in the hopes of giving them something constructive to do besides annoy the 8 month old newbie!).  I have also completely changed my perspective on homeschooling in the last 5 months.  I read the book Educating the Whole Hearted Child written by Clay and Sally Clarkson.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering homeschooling or has already begun. 

I have so many people who ask me what curriculum/books I use, so I thought I would link up with the Not Back to School Blog Hop and share what we're doing this year! I have always been a curriculum oriented teacher, and deep down, I think I probably still am. :)  This year I have used simplycharlottemason.com to provide a curriculum guide that is not quite so rigid and classroom style. 

The heart of homeschooling for our family is to disciple our children and help them to become more like Jesus everyday.  Each morning at breakfast, we read a chapter from The Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos.  This year our Bible and History will be put together because we will be studying the history of the Bible in chronological order along with the history of the world. I think it is going to make the Bible much more real to the kids and myself to see other events taking place in the world at the same time as the Biblical stories that we already know so well.  We will be using the Greenleaf Study Guide to the Old Testament as well as some of the Veritas Press Bible Curriculum. We are also going to attempt to memorize the Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5, 6 and 7....like I said, we'll attempt it! :) 

I am still using A Beka Book's phonics program for my 4 and 5 year old.  I am also using their Letters and Sounds 2 for review with my 2nd grader.  I love the good foundation and confidence it gives, and I am too much a scaredy cat to try something else when this has worked so well for us!  However, I am not planning on following the curriculum as rigidly as I have in the past.

Literature is my favorite subject, and I have become a huge advocate of reading real literature to my children and having them read whole, living books.  For both my 4th grader and 2nd grader, I am using books recommended by simplycharlottemason.com, Sonlight and Veritas Press.  Most of them, we will check out from the library, but I am known for having a huge weakness for book buying!  We are looking forward to reading such books as The Jungle Books, Black Beauty, The Chronicles of Narnia, Robin Hood and so many more.

Math has been the biggest change this year.  I am going to begin using Right Start.  I do not know much about it except for what I have read and researched on my own.  Everything I have heard makes it sound amazingly fun and practical!  If you use this and have any tips, I'd love to hear from you!

For our study of Science, we are using Apologia.  We will be going through their study on astronomy. I love the way this curriculum focuses it's attention on  God the Creator.  My kids have always enjoyed anything we have ever used from Apologia!

History, my second favorite subject, is also a grand experiment.  I am using  Veritas PressThe Greenleaf  Guide to Old Testament History and simplycharlottemason.com's Genesis through Deuteronomy & Ancient Egypt: A Family Study Handbook.  We will be doing a ton of reading from whole, living books.

We will also be studying one poet, one musician, and one artist every twelve weeks.  I especially recommend simplycharlottemason's Picture Study Portfolio's. They are reasonably priced and a wonderful investment in surrounding your children with true culture. 

My fourth grader will be using English for the Thoughtful Child Vol. 2 in her study of grammar, but we are choosing to focus mostly on writing and journaling.  My tentative plan is to give her two writing assignments each week having one day for a rough draft and the next to correct and rewrite.  She will be keeping a journal of everyday happenings, writing stories, plays, and her own poetry as well as copying quotes and writing out the application that can be taken from them.

For practice in penmanship (which I am stickler for and which unfortunately, my older two kiddos are not!), I have found the most beautiful books from Queen Homeschool Supplies here and here.  I think I may practice my own penmanship with these! :)

We are also going to attempt to learn two words in Sign Language each week using this amazing little book. 

So, I'm exhausted just writing about all of this.  I know that once we get into the nitty-gritty of school, there will probably be several things that we will need to change, and I'm sure some of my expectations will need to be lowered, but I always aim high to start with then we are sure to go farther.  I would LOVE to hear your ideas, hints and helps - whether you homeschool or not!  

I have spent WAY too much time on this post.  It is going to take me an hour to get my house put back together, but it has been fun to share!  It makes me even more excited to begin! But first...I. MUST. GO. CLEAN!  I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday! :)

 Not Back to School Blog Hop

August 7, 2012

Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole

Wow!  It's Tuesday night already!  We spent the 107* day at the POOL and had a blast.  We got home just in time for the Mr. to light up the grill for hamburgers and are now about to go out for smores and a camp out in the yard!  I would say it's been a very summery day here! :)  

It might be late, but it is still Tuesday.  So, here's the recipe for the week.  I found this one courtesy of my addiction to Pinterest! :)  This is a delicious breakfast recipe that made a huge hit at our house last week!  It's super easy to make and can also be made ahead of time.  Hope you have a chance to try it soon because I guarantee you do NOT want to pass this one up!

BREAKFAST TATER TOT CASSEROLE
  • 1 pound ground pork breakfast sausage (or cubed ham or bacon, whatever you like best)
  • 2-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 pounds frozen tater tots

How to make it

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Spread the sausage, bacon, or ham evenly in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Spread cheese over meat. I use 4 cups of cheese, but you can use less if you prefer to reduce the calories.
  • In large bowl, beat together milk and eggs. Pour over cheese. (May be refrigerated overnight at this point).
  • Top with frozen tater tots.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Some ovens may take more or less time. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

August 6, 2012

The Wrong Focus

It's time for some brutal honesty here today.  For the last two months, I have struggled with that feeling of not being able to find my place, fit in, and be completely content with all of the relationships I have (or have not) been given.  I think this is something that, if we are honest, everyone, in particular those of the female gender, struggle with!  This weekend, I finally sat down and did some good soul-searching.  As I was reflecting, I recognized that nothing around me has changed.  The people around me, my circumstances - they are all still the same.  Between my soul-searching and our Pastor's message Sunday evening, I came to the conclusion that the thing that had changed was - ME.  Yep, that's right!  Me as in what I was choosing to focus on and look to for satisfaction.  I realized last night that instead of letting God fill me completely with Himself, I had begun looking for and depending on people and relationships to satisfy me.  There's a big problem with that.  Well, two big problems actually.  Number one: no person (not even my sweet mr.) can ever completely satisfy me.  Number two: The more you have, the more you want!  It seems like the more people compliment you, the more popular you become, the more you dominate everyone else's life, the more you want compliments, popularity and that place of priority.

I have to say this conclusion took me by surprise.  I really felt that my heart's desire was to please God and to walk close to Him and have that special relationship with Him.  Last night, I realized that I needed to once again realign myself with God's Word and give myself fully to my relationship with Him - particularly in the area of prayer.  I'm so thankful that God's Word never runs dry.  No matter how many times we may hear a verse, the Holy Spirit can always speak through it.  I'm so thankful that the Holy Spirit continues to work in my heart even though I lose my focus and am not always the best listener.  This morning, I woke up with Psalm 73 on my mind:

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
But it is good for me to draw near to God.
~Psalm 73:25, 26, 28a

So, today I am choosing to fill my heart and mind with the truth of God's Word instead of the lies of Satan.  I am choosing to make my relationship with God the priority relationship in my life.  Does that mean today has been an amazingly awesome day?  Well, let's just say it's been a Monday here at my place, but it's been a Monday with a right focus, which has made it a much better Monday! :)  

I hope you are enjoying your Monday, and I pray it's filled with the right focus on the One we should desire above all others!

August 4, 2012

The News Around Here and a 90 Day Bible Reading Update

The news around our house:

We experienced a cold front yesterday....It only got up to 91*!  It's been a hot summer here, but I'm trying not to complain because all too soon it will be cold, and I'm not a big fan of cold!

The Mr. and I just spent Wednesday night with 14 1st through 6th graders and had a ton of fun!!! It was a lot of work, but we really enjoyed it!

Most of the school books have arrived, and so I am up to my eyeballs in trying to figure out how to teach 2 kindergartners, a 2nd grader and a 4th grader and still have time for keeping the house somewhat clean, the laundry somewhat done, and putting a few meals on the table! :)

I am still slowly but surely working my way through the 90 Day Bible Reading.  I have decided it will probably be more like a 180 Day Bible Reading.  I am on Day 22.  I seem to get only about 1/2 of it completed each week, but I'm going to keep at it!

I was able to peel off some old wall paper border in our bathroom!  It took me a good two hours, but I was glad to finally be able to mark it off of  "The List!"

I can feel the newbie's first little tooth!  This makes me so very sad!  My little man is getting too big too fast!  He has also come up with this new face he makes when he's crying.  It is truly hilarious!  I must confess...the Mr. and I have been guilty of laughing at the poor little guy while he's crying!

We are "Celebrating Summer" every day with a little extra something.  We only have 16 days before we begin school!

I won something!!! I never win anything, but I put a comment on my favorite mommy author's blog so that I could have a chance to win, and I won TWO of her books (which have been on my wishlist for awhile)!  I will say it again ...if you are a mom, you need to visit Sally Clarkson's blog at itakejoy.com.  She is such an encouraging and inspiring person! (I really need her to just come live with me until my children are grown!)

The only other news I can think of for the day is that Miss M has volunteered me to marry Mr. G when he grows up because Miss E informed him that since he was so rude no little girl will ever want to marry him.  Of course, we have also all been informed by Miss E that this can only happen if Daddy dies first! Obviously, the Mr. and I need to explain the rules of marriage some time in the future! :)

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend looking for the little blessings God is pouring out!  I'm off to go enjoy mine!