Farewell

After much consideration, I've decided to close down my blog. I just don't have the time to maintain it the way I used to. I would like to start scrapbooking again (which I haven't done in over a year!) and I would always excuse myself from it thinking, "well, it's on my blog". So a big THANK YOU to all who have faithfully visited "In Him, Through Him, For Him" and have taken the time to leave comments. I will still be checking in to the blogs I follow and love so much. And I just know that after I hit "publish post" there will be a million ideas of things I just have to blog about. Ha!

So may all we are, say and do be in Christ, through Christ, & for Christ. And may He bless you abundantly.

Love and Blessings,
Laura

Check It Out

I really enjoyed Jose's most recent blog post...you might, too!

http://josej.conocerle.com/

Our Ultrasound

We finally had our ultrasound today! Last night I was like a kid going to Disneyland the next day. I literally woke up 5 times throughout the night with excitement. My girls had made a paper chain counting down the days and our big day was finally here!

Everything went really well. The baby is right on target for my March 4th due date. The doctor had no concerns at all (except for health care reform which he vented about for a good 10 minutes!). We are excited to welcome this new little person into our lives. I guess that's about it! Oh wait, am I forgetting anything??? Ohhhhh, you want to know if it's a girl or boy. Well here is Bekah's note to the doctor...it tells all...(you may want click to enlarge for a clear view)

Talent

A couple months ago my Uncle Dan in Virgina emailed me a picture of a drawing he sketched.

















And look at this amazing painting he turned it in to...














Isn't it beautiful!? I wish I lived in a place that looks that way. And I wish his talent for art was passed down to me. Unfortunately I can only draw a straight line with a ruler. : / However, I think a little of the ability may have made it to Annie. She has always loved to draw since she could hold a pen. Yesterday I gave her a book on how to draw airplanes and left her alone. I returned to find these drawings:




















Not too bad for a 6-year old little girl, I think?

P.S. Dad and Uncle Jeff...maybe it's time for Annie's first air show? = )

What We've Been Up To

Last week we kept busy! Here a few pictures for an update:













Annie learned about the seasons of the year and since there weren't any hands-on activities to compliment it, I decided she would make her first lapbook (a file folder displaying many mini-books). She had a great time doing it!













Her lapbook includes a spinning wheel telling the months in each season, a little blurb about her favorite (or not) season(s), a pocket with drawings of her favorite activities for each season, a flapbook with general info. about each season, and a mini-flapbook containing the holidays found in each season.


**Note** I am so proud of how well she is doing with her cursive handwriting. She is picking it up quickly and sticking with it.













Last week we made a home for worms after studying insects and other critters close to the ground.













Yay!! Annie finally got the concept of counting dimes. It took her a little while but this week it finally clicked.













And of course Bekah wants to do whatever Annie is doing. Out came all the coins!













As part of Bible Annie is learning about the Jewish calendar.












Don't worry, she is also learning about our calendar! :)



The girls also started their acting classes this week. They both enjoyed them, although since Bekah's is for 3 & 4 year olds, it was more like storytime than anything else. Annie loved hers and made a new friend. I think I'm going to enjoy my Thursday afternoons the next couple months. Their classes are at the local library so I get one hour alone with each girl to work on school work or just read together, and an hour and a half in between to do whatever we want (the library is at the mall). Just to be safe, I think I'll forget my wallet at home. Too much damage can be done in an hour and a half!

Happy Birthday, Jose!

Happy Birthday to my amazing husband. The girls and I love you more than you can imagine. It has been so awesome watching the Lord work through you as you are faithful to your call in His kingdom. Your homecoming is still my highlight each day you go to work and our home is happier when you're here. May your birthday and every day be blessed!

MFW Blog Roll

I'm so excited! I saw this button on Bridget's blog and I had to click since I'm a My Father's World curriculum fan. It lists a bunch of moms using the same publisher for homeschool curriculum so everyone can share what they are doing. I've already found some terrific ideas and can't wait to find more!

PDA

And by PDA I don't mean Personal Digital Assistant. I mean Public Displays of Affection. Has anybody else noticed people more frequently and publicly displaying their affection lately? Well I have and NOTHING bothers me more! I'm all for holding hands, walking with an arm around eachother, or a quick peck. But all those lovebirds out there have had me blushing lately! Seriously, in the children's section of a department store in the middle of the aisle?! Come on! (sigh) Okay, I feel better I got to vent a bit. Thanks for letting me rant.

Such A Sweetheart

Yesterday I had my monthly dr. visit but this time it was with his nurse practitioner who also happens to be his wife. I just love her! She found my baby's heartbeat (music to my ears!) and then started asking me about my previous miscarriages, especially since I'm 17 weeks now which is only 1 week earlier than when I lost Elizabeth. She was so nice! She said that to put my mind at ease I can go in anytime she is in the office and she'll do a quick ultrasound scan to be sure everything is ok...like every week if I want to! I so appreciated her concern. So far things are going well and I can feel little nudges and kicks more each day (in fact he/she must know I'm writing about it cause its kicking me now!). I've done my best not to live in fear with this pregnancy and the Lord has been so faithful. So next appt. is Oct. 15th...is it a boy or a girl??? Lord-willing we'll find out then!

Fall!

Oh just look at all the Autumn goodness on here. I LOVE the colors of Fall! It may be a super hot, dry, windy day but oh well. I need some kind of Autumn around me, even if it just is my blog.

Pottery Jars

Our theme for the school year is Bible history from Genesis to Revelation. So right now the kids are learning about how the Bible was written on scrolls and kept in pottery jars. So yesterday we made our own small jars and stuck tiny brown scrolls inside. Fun! These are the little hands-on things I've been wanting to do again and we're finally doing them. It gets the information in the kids' brains and they have fun while doing it (I have fun, too!).

Fun at the Fair

On Thursday we took our annual fieldtrip to the fair. We had a great time and I am happy to report we did not have to leave early due to my allergies (unlike last year!). After meeting up with our homeschool group we split off and headed to see the animals. Of course we loved seeing them all, especially the piglets and lambs...so precious! Although, the sheep and goats got a little crazy so we got outta their petting zoo pretty quick. Then my very gracious dad met us there...he's such a trooper! He had a meeting that morning in Riverside and rushed out to meet us. He didn't even get to change out of his dark long-sleeved shirt and dark pants. It was 97 degrees that day! Annie earned 9 free rides by doing book reports. Bekah also made book reports even though the minimum grade to participate was Kindergarten. The lady at the booth was so gracious and gave Bek a few ride tickets for her hard work. Here are a few pics of our day:




One of Annie's FAVORITE foods is corn on the cob. She always cleans the cob.

The kids pet a baby alligator in the dinosaur display building.

The girls each had a rag doll made. They were are so cute and the girls absolutely love playing with them. They named them Rose and Frances (after their own middle names).

They got a kick out of the little red school house and the slates the children used to use instead of paper.

Both girls got to sew a little.

One of my kids' favorite insects is a preying mantis so they were excited when they found this photo opp. We get them in our yard often and the other day Annie said, "I think preying mantises come to our house because they know we like to pray."

Lovin' My Saturday Mornings

A couple months ago I asked my hubby if I could take a few hours on Saturday mornings to do my grocery/household shopping ALONE. You moms know how it is loading and unloading little ones who can't stand grocery shopping and want all the sweets and expensive stuff. And of course they always have to use the bathroom when you're out. And they fight over riding in/pushing the cart. And they touch everything in the checkout line that they're not supposed to. Okay well maybe yours don't, but mine do. So I now treasure my Saturday mornings when I get up and leave by 6:30, sing along to praise music on the radio, head to Starbucks for some good decaf (usually good-decaf is an oxymoron), do a few lesson plans for the next couple weeks while I'm there, and head out to more than one supermarket to get good prices and no crowds. I come home to bright-eyed and bushy-tailed children who are happy to see me (or maybe its the week's worth of new food they didn't have to shop for they're happy to see!), and a wonderful husband who frees me up each week. I love my Saturday mornings!

Blown Away

Wow! God is good! This morning we had our first Spanish ministry service. It was packed out! The first room we had reserved did not hold all the people the Lord brought so halfway through worship they announced we would be changing rooms. We made the quick journey to another building and guess what...we packed out that room as well! The worship was a blessing and the message was magnificent (okay, okay so I'm a little biased)! Actually I didn't understand all that much but I sure enjoyed being there and witnessing God's answer to prayer in bringing so many to hear the Word in Spanish. We saw roughly 150 people in attendance. Alright so about 100 were our family members (j/k). Actually, our prayer is not for a huge crowd, but a crowd that is hungry for God's Word. We will see what the Lord will do in the near future!

Today was just a blessing overall. It was a beautiful day and it was so wonderful to see so much of our family come to church and just all be together. And Jose and I were both so encouraged all morning as so much of our church family prayed for us and were just excited with us, sharing the anticipation and joy of a new adventure. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us...and please, keep those prayers coming! :)

Say "Ahhh"

Annie had a very successful dental visit yesterday. No cavities!!! Why is it that as the dentist was looking at her x-rays my heart was pounding and I was dreading to hear if there were any cavities, feeling like I would be a bad mom if so? Would it be my fault if there had been? The only disappointing news for Annie is that according to her x-rays, it will be another year before she loses any baby teeth. She has been anxiously waiting for a loose tooth but she'll have to wait a little longer. I was relieved to hear that's normal. Someone had even told me, "ooh, they might have to pull her baby teeth to let the others come down." Thanks for the encouragement. j/k Anyway, Bekah was such a crack up (we can always count on her for some comedy). She sat in a chair watching Annie and making comments the whole time. She also received a balloon and goodies (even though she did nothing to earn them). The one thing she didn't get that Annie did was a cute little 2-minute hourglass to remind her how long to brush for. Even though she wants one, Bekah says she won't go to the dentist until she is 6. We'll see about that...

Help Is On The Way...

Yay! I got to order my new curriculum I've been wanting! After a very sweet mom who homeschools in our group let me come over and check out the curriculum I've been praying about and eyeing, Jose said I could go ahead and order it. I am so excited! I think the girls are going to enjoy going through the history of the Bible on their own level, as well as throw in some geography and science. There should be much more creativity going on when we get in to it. I will keep using A Beka for the language arts and handwriting portion of school and Saxon for math. This is only my 2nd year homeschooling and I feel like I am just scratching the surface of how to go about it all.

Grateful

Lately I've just been feeling so grateful that I can be a stay-at-home mommy. It is seriously a privilege that not everyone has. We may not drive new cars or own a big home or buy designer clothes (which of course are not bad things and hey, maybe one day we will have them), but I get to be with my childen and have the freedom to do what needs to be done during the day. I do not have to fight crowds in the stores on the weekends or evenings, I don't have to cram laundry all into Saturday, I don't have to worry about taking time off work if a child gets sick, etc. My husband works hard everyday to provide for his family and allow me to be home. And I work hard everyday to make his life a bit easier with meals and clean/ironed clothes and errands that need to be run, etc. This works so well for our family. And for any moms out there who read this and also work outside the home, I ADMIRE you! I do not know how you do it every day. Seriously. And having felt sick with being pregnant the last three months, I couldn't help but think of how much harder my life would be if I went to work, too. I know there are seasons in life and my season as a stay-at-home mom could be for my whole life or could change next month. We never know what life will bring, but I am so grateful to the Lord for this season I am in right now.

Baby Update

I really wanted to post my most recent ultrasound picture but I think my scanner hates me, so that's not happening soon. I had my appointment last Thursday (at 13 weeks) and the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat. Of course a million thoughts raced through my mind, primarily about my daughters and what I would say to them. So after a couple minutes he did an ultrasound and, lo and behold, there was a VERY active little baby in there with a beating heart and long arms and legs doing some funky dance. = ) It was a relief and a thrill and I'm still amazed at how this all works. I mean, there is a living, growing human being inside me. It still blows my mind and kind of freaks me out. But more than anything it makes me thankful for the blessing the Lord is allowing me to have. Thankfully the nausea has mostly worn off and I'm just tired now. In the next couple weeks I am looking forward to some new energy (Lord-willing)! I guess I'm showing enough to not hide it as I received a few belly rubs yesterday. I warned them that it's mostly all the fat that has been pushed out...the baby is still pretty small. Ha!! Annie and Bekah are still thrilled about our new baby and daily talk to him/her. As far as names we're leaning towards Charlotte if it's a girl and Joseph if it's a boy...though that can all change.

Homeschooling Update

We began our school year in early August and so far it's been , eh, okay I guess. The curriculum I chose has absolutely served it's purpose in being incredibly strong academically. But I'm bored! I miss my old curriculum terribly but have already invested in my new one. It isn't all bad, I mean Annie is learning cursive and doing a fantastic job, the kids are flying through the phonics, and we are picking up math where we left of last year. But the fun and imagination are gone. So I'm on a quest to find the balance - the balance between strong academics, biblical content and concepts weaved throughout, hands-on learning, and the joy that comes from learning and accomplishing goals.

Un Ministerio Nuevo

If you understand Spanish, you'll know my title says "A New Ministry" (I hope it does...I'd better check with Jose on the accuracy!). Anyway, I'm excited to share with everybody that my hubby gets to teach the new Spanish ministry beginning at our church starting next Sunday, September 13th. We are looking forward to what the Lord will do through it. There are already so many servants who have signed up to help out. I'm still praying about what my role is and how to best help out Jose and the ministry. I will be there to support him and do what I can with my limited Spanish. Most importantly I will be praying for him and everyone else involved, especially those who have yet to commit themselves to Jesus Christ. Will you please add this ministry to your prayers? Also, pray for my husband - as I've stated before he is superman and now he will be juggling work full time, school full time, teaching a full Bible study weekly, oh yes and his daughters and pregnant wife.

Books

All last spring I told myself that I would read a new novel this summer. For the last few years all I have read are non-fiction books (which I do enjoy), but sometimes it is nice to just be entertained with some well-written fiction. Well since the beginning of summer I have not felt like reading anything and it was far easier to sit in front of the TV...not the best idea. So finally last week I picked up a novel. Not a new one, an oldie, but definitely a goodie. I re-read "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. It is 400 and some pages and I read it in two days while feeling crummy, homeschooling, through a Dr. appt. and the regular hub-bub of life. That should say something about how amazing it is. I got convicted that I haven't even been running to my Bible that fast or as excited to turn the next page. But the story is one that inspired me (again) to fall more in love with my God and be more loving and open with my husband. I think I'll go back down my favorite books list and one by one re-read them.

Just a post to say that I'm still here, still not feeling great, and I do plan to resume maintaining my blog sometime in the near future. I'm sorry for the long delay! It's just not on the top of my to-do list lately with feeling so crummy...but I will be back!

The Lazy Days of Summer Are Almost Over

I cannot believe that this is our last official week of summer vacation! We have been out and about plenty with swim lessons and play dates, etc. and spent more than enough time just relaxing. But it still seems too soon to end. We will be starting homeschool again on August 3rd. My plan is to start 4 weeks early to allow myself the month of March off when the baby comes. That sure seems like forever from now! We also decided to let Bekah do Pre-K again for a year. She has an October birthday and even though academically she would do awesome in Kindergarten, I don't know that she would ever catch up socially. Why rush?

So I've gotta get motivated! I was so enthused 2 months ago about our new curriculum and having a great new school year. Honestly, I am not looking forward to it now. I know it's all the 1st trimester symptoms screaming at me that make me feel this way. Somehow I'm going to have to kick myself into gear and start getting up early again, preparing lessons, keeping attitudes in check, staying on track with chores, less leisure time on the computer, and the many other things that are required in routine. I'm just going to keep telling myself "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phil. 4:13.

Something I am thankful for is the Lord answering my prayers over the last few months in regards to what activities to be involved in this coming year. Last year I way overextended myself and I just can't do it again this year. He has been faithful to show me what I can and can't do. He also is allowing us to begin a new adventure which I can write more about later, as well as putting another adventure on hold for the time being. Can't wait to see what He is going to do!

We had our early ultrasound today and saw our little baby and his/her heartbeat. So finally we told the girls that we're having a baby. See their faces? Totally the reactions I expected. :) Bekah didn't have much to say about it. Annie is happy as a clam and can't wait til March.

Clean Up on Aisle 4!

You know how you're not supposed to take from the bottom of the pile of produce? Well I don't and I promise I didn't today, but the onions came rolling down like I did. Sooo embarrassing!!

Thank You!

I just want to say thank you to everyone for their sweet comments on my last post. I feel so loved!! We really appreciate everyone's prayers and excitement...you're making me more excited! Lord-willing, only one more week till we can share our news with Annie & Bekah. I can't wait!

Guess What?!

We're having a baby! (sigh) I've been wanting to post that for the past 3 weeks. At first we were determined that nobody would know until our mid-way ultrasound. Yeah right! Then we said we wouldn't tell anybody until we saw a heartbeat a couple months along. Obviously I'm not that patient. :) So in early March we're expecting a little bundle of joy. We absolutely covet your prayers as this is my sixth pregnancy and obviously have two children with us. On a side note...our girls do NOT know yet and we would like to wait until we see the heartbeat before telling them. Annie had too much of a broken heart from the last pregnancy. So please do not mention this to our girls if you see them. My next appointment is two weeks from today so Lord-willing we'll see that little flashing heartbeat and be able to share our excitement with our daughters.

Weekend Recap

I know...its Thursday and I'm doing a post called "Weekend Recap". I just haven't made the time to sit down and post some pictures. We had a full and wonderful weekend. On Saturday Rebekah and I celebrated my cousin, Marina's, college graduation. It was a fun party with a live reggae band and Bekah danced her little heart out. I stood back and watched, wondering at times what in the world kind of moves she was doing. The next day she informed me she did the "hot dog dance" like Goofy on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So that's what she was doing. Meanwhile Jose took Annie to their first "father/daughter" banquet at church. Annie was excited to get all dressed up and even borrow Mommy's pearls for her big date with daddy. Look how nice they looked!















It was a fiesta theme...















The next morning was Father's Day and we were up early with lots of love and cards for Daddy. Off to church we went in Canoga Park for the second Sunday. Jose was asked to preach for a classmate of his from seminary...in Spanish. Every opportunity Jose has ever been given to preach is in Spanish. I'm thinkin' I ought to make a conscious effort to learn it. I took my 2 years in high school but it's the conversational Spanish that I get totally confused with.

In the picture above, Jose got to address the fathers for Father's Day and the children were able to go present little gifts for them. Annie included....it was really sweet. And each time Jose has ever been allowed to give the message I've always wanted to take a picture, but I suppose that would be a little inappropriate :) . So the next best option is having my 6 year old do it while he prayed. :) We won't do it again, but at least I got a picture!

Here is my wonderful husband with the two beautiful reasons he can celebrate Father's Day...

We topped the day off with a yummy dinner at Vince's with my dad, Jeff, Renee, and of course my honey and sugars.

It Finally Feels Like Summer

After the last couple weeks of awful June-gloom, it finally feels like summer! I am bound and determined to get my kids out for a good time in the next couple months. I can be rather boring and un-imaginative, but that shouldn't stop my kiddos from having a great summer. So since Mondays will be Jose's days off until August, I know we'll be taking advantage of that. This last one he took Bekah out on a date to make a Good Will donation, then on to their favorite Pho noodles restaurant, on to Jiffy Lube (hey, a 4 year doesn't care as long as its still her daddy and her), then to Krispy Kreme's for a little treat. On Wednsday we went to the movies for FREE! It was awesome....I popped popcorn at home, packed snacks & drinks, and waltzed right in to the theater. I'm hoping to do this several more times before the summer ends. Here is link if you don't have it already: Regal Movies. Today we went to the park with our friends. We had a good time with them....although its difficult having a complete adult conversation with kids :). Hopefully my friend and I will get to have coffee one day soon. Her little boy is super funny...he had me smiling the whole time we were together. Look how cute...














Tomorrow Jose and Annie are off to their first father/daughter banquet. So sweet! I told her she has to take lots of pictures so Mommy can see everything that happens. :) On Sunday Jose will preaching for the 2nd week in a row for a Spanish minstry his seminary classmate leads. It was so awesome watching him last Sunday. Even though I couldn't understand every word, I got the major points. He did a wonderful job and I have no doubt this Sunday will be any different.

Congratulations, Annie!

My little girl graduated from kindergarten last Friday. She looked so stinkin' cute in her red cap and gown. I was so proud of her getting her certificates and reading trophy then sitting nicely through the rest of the ceremony. She is a big 1st grader now...man I feel old!!

Sister Love

I just love love love having my two girls. I love it that they are only 21 months apart. I love it that we can save money and use clothes twice. I love it that they can easily share a room with pink walls. But most of all I love that they have that sister love. They truly are best friends and understand one another. Sure, they also fight every now and then, but the worst consequence in the world for them is to not be allowed to play together. My desire is that they grow up looking out for one another, loving one another, and sharing their lives together.

There isn't much they don't do together. They draw and color together, play with toys and use their imaginations together, watch the same shows together, read with mommy together (it can never just be one at a time), and of course one of their favorites....catch bugs together. My girls are pretty girly except for the catching bugs thing. The other day they caught a caterpillar and a moth. They even caught their first lizard a couple weeks ago. And in case you're wondering...I still have ants at my house.

There Are Ants in My House!!!

The kids' final activity for homeschool arrived in the mail on the first day of summer vacation :) . Bad planning on mom's part but oh well, the kids are still loving it. We did a unit on insects and so now the kids get to observe a real ant hill. Those ants are huge and strong! I'm just glad there is no way for them to get out! :)

Every Now and Then...

I meet a person who truly encourages me in the Lord and the endeavors He has placed before me. A couple days ago I met the sweetest lady ever. She has five children and has home-schooled them K-12th grade, each and every one, and is graduating her youngest this month. Wow. And you know what? She isn't glad to be done. She is actually sad that this season in her life is ending. She only had wonderful things to say about her family's experience and reminded me of a few very important things like that we are making disciples of Jesus Christ. She gave me her phone number and most sincerely offered to talk or get together if I would like to. She is definitely someone I'd like to spend time with. I see where she is as something to shoot for. I know homeschooling in no way guarantees children who follow the Lord whole-heartedly, but hers are. And the family all seems very close...and highly functional socially (for anyone who is wondering). :) And stong academically. These are my goals in our homeschool and I got to meet someone who crossed that finish line.

I thank the Lord for people like her who are willing to reach out and offer help to those of us just starting out.

Gotta Love the Honesty

Today I was reading some stories to my children. We came to one where the question was posed, "What would you do if you were walking on the street and found a purse full of money?" I asked Annie what she would do and she said, "I would pick it up and walk door to door asking whose it was and give it back." Great. I'm happy with that answer. I asked Bek what she would do. She said (with a delight-filled smile), "I would pick it up and get the money and put it all in my piggy bank!" Well, at least she's a saver not a spender, right?

We had a little talk.

Ah, the Scent of New Workbooks...

If you know me at all, you know that the above picture brings excitement to my heart, a smile to my face, and delight to my sense of smell. :) I know, I'm so wierd, but apparently I'm not the only wierd one. I've heard of others who love the smell of a new book.

I received a large portion of my kids' curriculum for the next school year last week...it felt like Christmas opening that box! :) I love paging through and seeing all the wonderful things they'll be learning and mastering. Annie has shown quite an interest in learning cursive, so all her writing next year will indeed be in cursive. I hope she sticks with it! I guess she has to since we already paid for the books. I ended up changing curriculums for next year after much prayer and consideration. I loved using what I used this year, but after a few months it became apparent I needed to supplement the academics. I have decided to go with A Beka for everything except math. It looks challenging academically and excellence in academics is something Jose and I both feel strongly about. If we are going to be responsible for our children's educations, we want to do it whole-heartedly and with the best materials the Lord guides us to. One of my conscious endeavors next year while using this curriculum is to keep things fun. We did lots of crafts and outings this year and I don't want that to end. I'll just have to be creative with time management.

We only have 3 days left of school! I can't believe how quickly this school year went with the kids as well as with Jose in seminary. By the way, between online school and actual "in-person" school, he earned a 4.0 GPA in his last semester, all the while working full time, loving and caring for his family, and serving in ministry. Yes, I am married to Superman....and am quite proud of him! :) Here is to a much-needed summer break for all of us!

Glimpses I Don't Want to Forget

I love these shots. The one of Bek is actually her dancing face. :) She makes this face and shakes her little body around. She is SUCH a character! I love her little personality...she is like a ray of sunshine, bringing so much joy to me as well as laughter, and lots of cuddles.

The shot of Annie is just her working away on her school work. She is so stinkin' cute, I just love looking across the room as she focuses and works away. She is such a mama's girl. She is 6 years old, but still gets upset when I leave the house without her. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this little girl loves her mommy. She is always telling me that I'm so pretty, or that I'm her favorite sweater, or just that she loves me. She keeps me on my toes...I need to be a good example for my daughters.

Lesson Plans ... Scratch

What is a homeschool mom to do when she unexpectedly gets a little bundle of joy to babysit all day? Cancel all bookwork and schedule in some life-learning in the area of "child development". That's justifiable, right? :)

Mother's Day Pictures

One More Why

I have one more "why" to add to my list (see 2 posts below).

Why on earth would the oldies radio station be playing "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys ???? I was in grade school when that came out. It jogs memories of Uncle Jessie on Full House singing it with the Beach Boys. I am not old enough to hear songs I remember coming out on an OLDIES station!

Awards

On Sunday Annie received an award at her first little awards ceremony for Kid's Club at church. She got it for memorizing her monthly Bible verse. Its so much fun being a proud mama. :)