Enlightening or Embarassing?

Why not keep going with a good thing?


10. My dog is the Candy Cane Caper. Our 13 year old husky has apparently developed an affinity for the striped goodness. That means there can be NONE wrapped up under the Christmas tree lest he sniff them out and tear into them.

9. Bubble wrap is still the best Christmas gift. Every year I remember this--after I've spent untold amounts of money on the things it comes wrapped around. (Yes, I ended my sentence with a preposition. What's scarier is that I called myself out on it. Maybe it's time to get some work!)

8. For the first time in my life I love drug reps. I was recently diagnosed with allergy induced asthma and came away with some costly samples. Keep on, time-hoggers.

7. Fast food is the enemy. No matter if it's from Taco Bell or the local pizza place, it's nasty, provides no nutrition, and makes my muffin top bigger. Time to cook large amounts of food and freeze.

6. I am a terrible mother. My children asked me if I would color with them, and I pushed them off to write this blog post nobody will even read. Really?! I have a need...a need for...words. Not as exciting when it doesn't rhyme :(

5. Boys' dress shoes are rare and priceless. They will wear these shoes for caroling, Christmas, to celebrate the first Saturday of the year, when the sun shines past 5pm, for Easter, until their toes pop out the end, because at these prices I will force myself to learn how to make them into sandals.

4. I own a hair crimper. And I nearly used it tonight. On my 11 year old daughter. I used to use one on my 11 year old self. I am officially old. I should have gotten the hint when they started playing "my music" in elevators at JC Penney.

3. I like getting away with girlfriends. Soul Restoration 2 inspired me to do something I've always wanted to do, so I planned a girls' getaway. It. was. so. fun. I got some bad news while I was away, but my friends wrapped me in love. They are the awsomest!

2. 40 is going to be a good year. I learned so many things during 39 that I can finally live in the freedom I know is mine. Thank you Jesus!

1. It's important to love extravagantly while I have the chance. Because someday the chance will be taken from me.

Camp Week

This year ALL FOUR children were at CAMP at the SAME TIME.

I didn't know what to do with myself.

I thought maybe I should be constructive and industrious and CLEAN the house.

That idea lasted about half a second.

I laid on my SWING

 

 (sans children)

and worked my way through a NOVEL or two.

I had a fabulous DAY-LONG DATE with my hubby.

We ate a fabulous GOURMET BREAKFAST at Miss Shirley's.

I had Coconut Creme Stuffed French toast.

BLISS

Hubby had Surf and Turf Omelette.

UM...YUM

We went out on a SPEEDBOAT TOUR of our city's harbor afterward.

That was a lot of FUN!

We also ate this perfectly yummy soft-serve-ice-cream-tasting banana 

at ANNIE'S BANANIES in the Light Street Pavilion.

I visited my favorite consignment BOUTIQUE, The Shabby Button in Kingsville.

I had LUNCH WITH A FRIEND at my all-time favorite lunch spot, Open Door Cafe.

I'm already working out how much MONEY we need to SAVE each month

so we can afford to send the kids to CAMP NEXT YEAR.

summer fun: silly photo booth

The kids bought foam core board and poster board at the dollar store,

 

put together some fun frames,

 

and signs,

moustaches 

and kissy lips, 

and dragged out a few props from the playroom 

 

to create this 

totally 

fun 

 photo 

booth.

And just because I'm faithful to all two of my regular readers,

I'll throw in a little extra shot my facebook friends didn't get:

Yep, that's me trying to do my Rocky thing.

I know, didn't work so well.

Maybe next time I'll try a moustache!

It's My Birthday!

 

 

 

source

I'm not supposed to toot my own horn, but...

TODAY'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!

I love birthdays.

 

They are a special time to celebrate what GOD has done~

and He has redeemed this lost life.

 

He has brought me from darkness into light

in His own way.

His own timing.

 

Thank You, God, for one more year of blessing!

 

There's a Wedding Today!

My baby sissy

is in Key West right now

tying the knot with a great guy we've come to love.

 

 

Enjoy the wonder of the day, you two!

My Look-a-Like

Brooke and I entered a local Mother-Daughter Look-a-Like contest.

We didn't win. But we sure had fun.

After finding matching outfits in our closets,

we had dinner together

and eagerly waited for the judging to begin.

I was so proud of Brooke--

she told a joke to the entire audience when it was time to introduce ourselves.

This kid has no fear. Is she a future thespian?

This is a First!

I'm excited about my home school review in a few hours!

source

That's BIG!

I mean s.e.r.i.o.u.s.l.y BBIIGG!!

I can't think of one single time in the past seven years 

that I haven't been a huge nervous wreck 

about end of the year home school review.

Here's what's different this year:

1. I have a new reviewer. I LOVED my former reviewer, but she moved away. I'm excited because my new reviewer uses KONOS, too! Wahoo!
2. I've already filed beginning and middle of year work samples for each subject into a binder for each child, leaving only a few miscellaneous items and final samples to be filed. Awesome!
3. I am older and wiser, and more confident. I know, I know, silly. But I mean it. It's only taken me SEVEN years to get to the point of confidence in what I've done with my kids all year. I'm going to enjoy this (sure to be short) season totally.

I'm taking the next two and a half hours to sit in the sun, drink something cold and yummy, and read a novel. Maybe I'll even squirt on a little coconut lime spray to usher in summer.

credit

See you soon, Sherri, sunglasses and all!

Brad's 9th Birthday

My oldest son had a big birthday recently...9! 

This is how he woke up that special morning.

We started a new tradition I read about on a blog (wish I could remember which one).

I hung 9 balloons, each filled with $1. 

But I made up my own rules: no using your hands to pop them.

He was pretty smart. He got his siblings to hold them while he popped them.

 Pretty smart, eh?

After all the popping, he partook (is that a word?) in his annual box of sugar cereal.

It's a really cool tradition a handyman passed along to us--

each child gets a box of sugar cereal on his birthday morning to eat and share.

He chose Cookie Crisp.

Yum for the sharing part!

 

He was so excited to read all his cards.

So were the other children.

(I couldn't resist adding that one. There are a dozen similar to it.)

 This is how he wanted to spend his special day--riding bikes at the local state park.

 

Of course, being as musical as he is, he had to give a little to his paper jamz guitar.

He asked for the four layer All American Chocolate Cake from Costco. 

(I'm so glad he did. It's super-yummy.)

It was a pretty cool day.

This is the exact moment he turned nine.

Awesome, eh?

 

That's because he's one AWESOME kid!

Happy 9th Birthday, Bradley!

Sharing Our Days

A fellow home school mom re-inspired me to blog our daily fun this week.

So, here's a little giggle for you:

The best part is she wore them during our whole Costco shopping trip. The employees and other customers just ate up her cuteness.

(Don't you just love my new template? I got it for $5! That's my kind of price.)

Holy Week Celebrations!

From the archives:

What shall we do this week to usher in Easter? How can we keep our hearts fixed upon Him during this time of candy and bunnies?

Here's a list of things we've done in the past to celebrate Holy Week. (Click on the title for the link to the original post.) Happy reading!

Create Mary Jars

Usher Him in with palms

Create an Easter Tree

Read Legend of the Sand Dollar

Send some Easter cards

Acknowledge your own nails...

Cook up some Resurrection Rolls

And just for fun...

Play around with eggs

Play around some more

Our Easter Reading list Part One

 

Part Two

Easter Archives: Basket Fillers

From Easter 2008:

One year, when the children were  very young, I put tiny strips of paper into eggs in their baskets, which read “Jesus loves Brad,” and “Brian is special to Jesus.” They have asked us to read them over and over again over the past few years.



Last year I made Scripture tags with specific Scriptures for each of them. I hope these become as well-worn over the years.

In addition to the Scriptures, I also slip into each basket a mug (for tea with Mommy), some form of light (a plastic lantern this year) since Jesus is the light of the world, a prayer journal, and a handful of sweets.

This year (2011) I'm going to swap the mugs for a bag or box of their favorite hot beverage. We are abundantly blessed with mugs. TeeHee.

Sabbath Sweetness: Memories

Here are a few photos from this year's Daddy Daughter Dance at church. The girls and my hubby just love this night out.

 

Oh, so sweet!

This year while the girls were out with Daddy, the boys ventured out with Mama.

 

 We went to a campfire program on the full moon. It was pretty fun, and right on the water. (There's always water when Mama's involved.)

We love these children so, so very much and hope they remember all these good times in their hearts and minds. They are truly treasures from God.