Perfect By Design

A new location for my thoughts...make a note of it

2011-07-20T14:47:00.002-04:00

I am in the process of moving everything from this blog and my other one to a new location. You will still be able to read these, but any new posts will be over here....I wanted to have just one location for everything and this seemed to be the easiest way. Hope to see you over there!

More about Logan...

2011-07-20T13:15:00.003-04:00

For any of you who may be interested, click here for daily updates about Logan's missions trip. You will get to see some of the crazy pastors from our church, and learn a little about what is going on in the community where they are serving. Be sure to watch the video for the post titled 'We're on the News!'....watch carefully and you will see Logan in one of the clips. I also just got to see a photo of him doing crafts during VBS with a sweet little boy. He looks as if he is finding joy in serving.

My latest Goodwill finds

2011-07-19T10:44:00.003-04:00

The hideous orange dog she just had to have....Some books for Corbin...
A grocery cart....we have one we bought for Emma but for $4.24 I couldn't pass this Little Tikes one up.
A desk for my corner.....hoping to reduce some clutter in the kitchen.

More about Autumn, and Logan's trip

2011-07-19T10:25:00.002-04:00

Autumn has gotten her 2nd tooth, and is now working on a 3rd (popping through now) this week. Guess where it is? On the bottom right.....not the top, which is where all of our others' (third tooth) came in. It's strange...guess she's not gonna be one to follow the crowd. Her birth was completely different, her personality was completely different, her development has been completely different....not sure why it still surprises me when she is not doing 'the norm'. =)

Logan is on his 2nd day of his mission trip. We don't have any contact with him but I've been praying for him. We are allowed to send an email, but with the understanding that we won't get a response. They will print it out and give it to him. I think I will send him one today, just to let him know we miss him and are praying for him.

Logan's missions trip is tomorrow....

2011-07-17T19:58:00.003-04:00

We drop Logan off at 7:15 a.m. tomorrow for his local missions trip....6 days he will be gone. He will be helping with VBS, among other things, while there. Prayers for our boy are much appreciated. We will give an update once he returns. :)

Saturday Confessions #8

2011-07-16T20:04:00.002-04:00

1. I went with my family to an Ikea store today...it blew my mind. I could totally spend a ton of $$$ in there....not that I have a ton to spend. Just sayin'.

2. I took pictures while there...that bloggin' thing ya know, it's with me all the time.

3. My husband and I decided we will need to get someone to keep the kids so we can go back to spend a day there deciding what to get....it's that amazing!

4. The kids' play area and the restaurant were closed today....a boil water order or something. We were taunted throughout the store by signs showing delicious food and low prices. We totally would have eaten some $1.99 pasta! Next time.....

5. After 'the store' we went to Pollo Tropical....only Karl had been before. It was quite delicious and we will be frequenting the one right down the street from us. I love me some Mojo Roast Pork in guava bbq sauce, with rice and beans. And yucca fries? Mmmmm....

6. I am totally in love with the video feature on my new phone and will be using it a lot.....probably annoyingly so. Emma is becoming quite skilled at performing for me. =)

7. I am so tired tonight...should probably go to bed...but I won't. I never do what's best for me, even when I know what it is. (well, maybe not never, but often)

A Thank You From Logan...

2011-07-16T10:09:00.002-04:00

We have been meaning to get this letter out to all of you who helped with Logan's SLU trip. He had a great time, learning a lot and meeting some goals...one of which was to ride the coasters at the amusement parks, which he had kind of avoided before. I'm posting it here for those of you who read our blog and I may send it to some of you via email. We are so grateful for your support and prayers!

Dear friends and family,

Thank you for helping with my expenses for the Student Leadership University. I had a lot of fun there, and I learned a lot, too! I’m going to tell you about the silly and serious parts of my trip.

The trip begins in the bus. Almost to our hotel, we were now well acquainted with each other. We started dancing to the music on the radio and the van we were in shook a little. Then we organized a game.

We started shaking the van until it really started tipping. Then we saw the girl’s van in front of us shake. As you can see, even the bus ride was entertaining! Once we got to the hotel, my Pastor, Ryan, told us where to go to get to our rooms, and told us when to be at the conference room. My roommates were named Jim, Trey, and Erik. We went to our rooms and unpacked, and then Jim and I explored the hotel complex.

We went back to our room to get our books and then it was time for the first conference.

I knew one of the speakers, Brent, from a leadership thing I had at church a few months ago. A new speaker was named Dr. Jay Strack.

The first session was about excellence, the Latin word meaning “to rise above”, and mediocrity, which means“to go halfway, and then stop”. Another point was “I’ll miss 100% of the shots that I never take”.

That night, once the session was over and we finished a very, very fancy dinner, Pastor Andy and Bene took us to Target to get snacks and such.

Once that was finished, we returned to our rooms (it was 12:00 am), and slept.

I woke up to a clock alarm and quickly shut it off. Then another alarm went off. Trey, Erik, and Jim woke up to that alarm. Trey tried to figure out which one was going off, and Erik discreetly left to the bathroom.

He returned to Trey getting ready to throw the clock alarm. Erik pressed a button on his phone and the alarm stopped. We all laughed.

We ate breakfast and got on a bus so we could go to Sea World! We learned about relationships that day. I rode on the Manta and Kraken roller coasters, and I was very glad I did. My life did not flash before my eyes. We were going so fast, my life flashed after them!

Once we returned to the hotel, a speaker named Chuck Allen told us a generalization of people’s personalities. D was for dominance. I was for influence. S was for Steadiness. C was for correct. It’s called a DISC personality. Here is a DISC example.

A D walks in a room to move chairs. If you ask him why he’d answer with “because I can.” A few I’s walk in and one says “Let’s everybody move chairs!!!” The rest reply with “Yeah!!!” Two S’s walk in and one says to the other, “I tried to tell them…”

One C walks in and starts directing them all to reason how best they could move chairs.

I thought it was funny. You may not understand, because I’m not explaining it right, maybe.

The next day we had an entire day to ride the coasters in Islands of Adventure. The first thing we did was to dare someone named Caleb to ask for a picture with Mickey Mouse. He did it!

After that we rode the Harry Potter ride. It was fun. After more rides we rode the Hulk. My life did not flash before my eyes. My life did not flash after them. My life flashed before someone else’s eyes!

That night we went to the shop in the hotel complex to get food, and then we sat in the pavilion. Any time someone went by, we would yell “heeeyyy!!” Soon several more people gathered with us and we had lots of fun.

And that was my trip to SLU!

Best regards,

Logan Woerner

Mobile Blogging

2011-07-15T15:06:00.002-04:00

I don't know if I've mentioned here that I lost my iPhone recently. Yeah....not cool. We think I dropped it at the theater on Tuesday and someone found it. We were able to turn everything off, changed all our passwords (probably needed to be done anyway), and Karl went out the same afternoon to get me a new phone. So now I have the 4G. There are some cool features but I'm still getting familiar with them all. I tried to blog from my phone before...never could...don't know if it was the phone or just my lack of tech-savvy. But guess what I'm going right now? Yep, I'm blogging from my phone! While I could be using my computer....I mean I am literally sitting right next to it....I had to try this out. I'm just using a FREE, lite version of....well, whatever it's called....but I may pay the $2.99 if I find I like this. There are many times I would like to post something and have to wait until I'm home. Now, I won't have to. Really cool.

And thanks darlin' for the replacement phone....I'll try to make sure I don't lose this one! :{

An impromtu family night out....

2011-07-14T00:16:00.004-04:00

Tonight (well technically last night) we headed out to meet some friends at a local park to play sand volleyball. Even though I was not planning to play myself (could be a bit difficult with Autumn in tow in the baby wrap!), I was excited about watching everyone play. ...it's been many years since we used to go play/watch at the beach. However, upon arriving at the park our friends let us know that all 4 of the courts were taken....but we could go to a different location and play. Before we could actually get everyone back in the car and headed over to the new location though, they received a call from another family that was joining us....it was raining 'cats and dogs' at the dog park (heh heh). So, on to plan C, which was for our hosts just to say, "Come on over to our house, we'll do game night instead." Very gracious of them.....

We weren't too sure how it would be. I mean, we were just starting our night out when the babies would normally be going to bed for the night. Plus, a trip to the park meant we brought completely different things with us for the little ones than we would have had we been planning to go to someone's house for a couple of hours. We decided to give it a try anyway, and I'm so glad we did! Autumn, once fed at our friends' home, played sweetly on her blanket on the floor for a while. Emma was given some toddler-friendly Legos to play with and a mesh trash can....she was kept busy with just that....well, and the 10 other kids' antics during the evening! She even sat on Hailey's lap and played one of the games with the big kids. Corbin and the youngest son of our hosts are the same age. When they tired of playing the 'big kid' games they went and started a game of Monopoly....8-year-old-style. When Autumn got bored playing on the floor I held her a while. Emma helped our hostess get snacks and water ready, colored a bit (and not even on the floor like I was worried she would!), and generally just wandered around inspecting everyone, making friends. She's a bit of a social butterfly. =) Autumn was perfectly content to hang out with me while I talked with the grownups. It was really nice to spend some time with friends, meet some new folks, and watch the kids in action with their friends.....

I'm glad we gave it a try, and I think we've proven to ourselves now that we can be at least a little bit spontaneous.....what's the worst that could happen? Maybe the real question is, what's the best? I think we found that out tonight.

Many thanks to Michelle and Tim for welcoming us into your home.

Autumn's 9-month checkup

2011-07-11T10:38:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was Autumn's 9-month birthday, so today she had her 9-month checkup. Thankfully, she only had to have one shot and was happy for most of the visit, really only crying when they stuck her with the needle. Her weight is 18 lbs. 13 oz and she is 29" tall. The doctor says "She's gonna be a tall girl." Her 2nd tooth finally popped through the gum yesterday and I was told by the doctor today that "the top ones will come through soon." By the end of the visit she was pretty tired so I put her right to bed when we got home. She is sleeping somewhat fitfully, but otherwise is doing well. Next checkup......after her 1st birthday. I can't believe it!

Our breakfast treat

2011-07-09T21:58:00.004-04:00

Since my waffle iron broke, Saturday mornings have become a special-request breakfast day, a kind of what-can-we-think-up-next sort of thing. We've done Everything Bagels...our own version of the ones they serve at the cafe of the church we attended when we lived in Central Florida.....which includes scrambled eggs, bacon, tomato, green onions, and cream cheese all thrown between everything bagels.......delicious! We've had pancakes, plain and with fruit or chocolate chips mixed in (or both). We've had omelets. I promised the kids donuts for breakfast today. Yes, they were thrilled! Little did they know I had 'healthy' donuts in mind. ;)

I followed a recipe from here, where I have found several yummy things lately. I even substituted almond milk and vegan butter for regular, so they would be diet-friendly for Corbin and Emma. We will have to tweak the oil temperature next time we make them, as they turned out a little too dark. I'm not sure if the oil was too hot, or something that just occurred to me, could that be from the above-mentioned substitutions? Anyway, they turned out quite good....the kids loved them....but I want to improve their color and crispiness (maybe a little softer). I served them with powdered sugar and chocolate icing on the side.....letting the kids choose their topping......and milk and coffee for drinks.

Here are some photos of my efforts.

I think the donut holes were actually my favorites!

Saturday Confessions #7

2011-07-09T21:27:00.005-04:00

I have been baking bread today, competing with my husband who is also baking bread, though a different kind. Is it wrong for me to want mine to be better than his?
I love that my older children are learning how to care for and enjoy their younger siblings. It will be such great preparation for the future. It makes me want to keep having babies so each child will have that experience under their belt.....well, that's not really (the only) my reason but it sounds good, right?
I need to get my hair cut, it has absolutely no style, but I'm not sure what to do......I may start with highlights and go from there.
I've been wishing for some land, a farm house, and a bunch of kids to fill it all. One out of three ain't bad, I guess. ;)
My baby will be 9 months old tomorrow and that overwhelms me. The time has flown by and she will be crawling, walking, talking......Sadness.
I'm getting really tired of all the media hype about a certain 'case' in our state.
Well, it is my 7th confession, so you had to know I would end here.

Have you linked up with Melissa yet?

Mango Envy

2011-07-09T10:51:00.012-04:00

Our neighbor has mango trees, with big, beautiful mangoes hanging from the branches. When the branches are filled with mangoes, they hang over our fence.......just dripping with mangoes.

We have longingly gazed at those trees each year, wishing we had a mango tree. We have watched our neighbor prune, water, and pamper her trees. We have discussed mangoes together.....most recently learning that mangoes do well in Florida because they "thrive on austerity". We got that tidbit from a radio show that Karl was listening to on his way to Miami and kindly shared with us. He also learned, and shared, that there are over 500 different types of mangoes. Occasionally, our sweet neighbor has given a mango or two to our kids to bring inside and several times has rang our doorbell with gift in hand. She did that again just this week, and I think we ate it all in one sitting. They are just so delicious! Yesterday afternoon our doorbell rang. It was our neighbor again, this time with a basket of mangoes.

When Logan brought them in, we discovered two lovely avocados nestled in, as well. We were so thrilled to receive such a gift (we love mangoes here!) and tried to convey to her our thanks.......really, we are so grateful to be the recipients of such bounty. We have bought them from the store, when on sale, but they are nowhere near as good as her homegrown ones! We love them so much, that we have recently acquired a Pampered Chef Mango Slicer (thanks Erin!).

Funny, but Karl confided in me recently that when I bought it he thought it would be an item we never used. Now it's one for 'the list', you know, of those other things he thought were useless and now loves! (= Our well-used Bumbo is one of them....

Here is the delicious lunch I made with the homegrown fruit she brought to us yesterday. That is a homemade, sun dried tomato tortilla that Karl made with the pasta attachment for our KitchenAid. Doesn't it look tasty?

Family Fun

2011-07-08T16:41:00.005-04:00

Karl had today off, so he was able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast with us. Once Autumn went down for her nap, he and I even went for a short walk in the neighborhood. Later, he took Hailey to her lesson so he could watch her and try to get some good pictures. Those are coming soon. Now we are preparing for Family Fun Night. I'm really not sure yet what we're doing except that it will definitely be an inside activity. It just started raining pretty hard! Karl is making dinner...homemade fettuccine with some sort of chicken/lime/something sauce. I'm sure it will be quite tasty! :) I will prepare the salad and we'll serve it alongside the rye bread Karl made on Wednesday. (Yes, he's become quite the bread maker!) Maybe it's a good game night. We'll have to wait and see.

Karl will be off on Fridays for the next 7 weeks, due to 'summer hours' at work. It was the same when we were in NY and has just started here this year. I'm hoping to fit in some fun field trips on a few of those days off.

Pondering this and that...

2011-07-06T14:06:00.006-04:00

I still have not found out the best way to 'fix' my labels up top...sorry. It is annoying, I know. One day there will be something there....just too much gong on right now. Plus, honestly, I just haven't thought more about it.

I'm reading another book by Jodi Picoult, Harvesting the Heart. It's pretty interesting, but I'm not that far along with it yet. Next is Mercy, by the same author.

I began anew my vegetarian diet, for weight loss this time. So far I've lost 2.4 pounds.....just started yesterday. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables and minimizing everything else really makes a difference. I hope to see a change in the fit of my clothes soon! Then on to getting in some exercise on a regular basis....again.

I broke out the juicer yesterday. I've been talking about making juice for Emma and the baby, instead of buying it. Bottled juice is so high in sugar, preservatives, etc. Making it when we need it, from fresh ingredients......just what I want to do. I made some for myself yesterday, then Emma, Corbin, Hailey and I had carrot-apple juice this morning. Everyone liked it....Karl even tried it and thought it was kind of good. I made him a small glass of his very own pineapple juice from part of a fresh pineapple we had in the fridge. Planning to continue trying different juices. They are very good for you, and tasty I think. Hailey is excited about it too. Hopefully it won't be too expensive, but I guess the better health benefits are worth it.

Hailey and I are way overdue for another pedicure.....just sayin'.

The 4th of July....

2011-07-05T13:48:00.002-04:00

Our July 4th celebration was fairly quiet, but good. We stayed home, smoked ribs, ate a late lunch together. Karl and I hung out outside with Emma for a while.....she was funny. When she heard any fireworks, she would say, "We gotta wun....we gotta hide!" She's really not a fan of loud noises, though she didn't cry or anything. Those were just the little ones....the loud ones that went off after she was in bed? Not a peep out of her.

Karl took the oldest three out to see the real fireworks put on by a nearby city......launched off a barge. They were right up front, dangling their legs off the pier. Karl says the best part for him was getting in and out of there without having to wait in traffic. I don't know how he did it, but they were home by 10 p.m., after a 9:00 p.m show. He's awesome. ;)

I stayed home with the babies and enjoyed a quiet evening to myself. I caught up on some reading, watched a Lifetime movie I had already seen, had some snacks that I did not have to share! Life is good.

How was your 4th?

Saturday Confessions #6

2011-07-02T20:20:00.005-04:00

1. I have been thinking all week that I had missed Melissa's Saturday Confessions link-up.....since I did mine early last week. Then I would remember....and promptly forget again. I'm glad the day is here for the next one and I can get back 'on schedule'.

2. I was up until 5 a.m. this morning (don't ask, you don't want to know). I got almost 2 hours of sleep before the babies woke me up. I had to take a nap at 4 p.m. after falling asleep in my chair while holding the baby. I actually went up to my room and crawled under the covers. It was awesome! I feel better now, but still plan to go to bed early to catch-up.

3. My daughter is becoming quite the little cookie-maker. Now on to meals, and soon I won't have to cook! Actually, I love to cook, but it will be nice to have someone to share duties with.

4. My children argue. Often. Surprised?

5. Emma has suffered from eczema since she was about 6 months old. We have taken her off of dairy and peanut butter. That seems to help a lot. But, she still gets things sometimes that she's not supposed to have......and it shows up quickly with those scaly, cracking, bleeding spots on the insides of her elbows and knees again.

6. Corbin had eczema as a baby as well...we took him off dairy and it went away. He seemed fine when we re-introduced milk and cheese later......but we had him tested when he was about 4 and discovered he has lots of other allergies.........to things like trees, dust mites, etc. But, I noticed this week that he has discoloration on the insides of his elbows, but no cracked or bleeding areas. When I asked him if his elbows had been itching, this was his response: "Well, I have been itching them."( hee hee) I think we're going to switch him back to 'no dairy' and be more strict with him and Emma to see if things improve. Tips from some of my readers would be great. I know some of you have dealt with this issue.

7. I came across this site a couple of days ago....and I am intrigued. I want to buy an RV and hit the road. Would we survive?

Link up with us.....click below.

Logan's missions trip...

2011-07-01T10:29:00.003-04:00

Logan leaves for his missions trip on the 18th. The month of June flew by and I can't believe his second week away is rapidly approaching! He's excited about going away to spend time with his friends and serving the community. I am praying for a life-changing experience for him. He should get a good picture of exactly how fortunate he is compared to lots of others. I need to begin working through the checklist for his 'camp' supplies to be sure we have all the necessities ready to go. Special prayer for our family would be awesome during the week of July 18-23. Thanks so much!

Out of the mouths of babes

2011-06-29T20:42:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, after work, Karl was playing with Emma. She asked him to have a tea party with her. They tried sitting at her little table with her little chairs....sorry, but Karl is not quite small enough to fit in toddler-sized chairs! So, he proceeded to sit on the bottom step of our stairs that lead to the second story, since it was right next to the table. Well, Emma then proceeded to get her tea cup, walk over to the other side of the stairs, and sit down to 'tea'. It was too funny...we had to tell her to come back to the table and explain why Daddy was on the step. :)

Moments later, never having had a 'tea party' before (and not realizing this was poor tea party etiquette), Karl was playing with the Velcro on the wooden apple Emma had given him as a snack. Emma looks up quickly and says, "No Daddy, don't play with your food!" I wonder if maybe she's heard that before?

Our house-cleaning adventures...

2011-06-28T17:07:00.004-04:00

Our weekend was great! Well, after a rough start it was....I traveled up the turnpike, as we usually do, but was unaware that it had been closed for a 14 mile stretch due to a fire. So, about half-way to our exit we came to a standstill. We got to sit in traffic for about an hour, traveling about 2 miles in that time. It was quite stressful, mostly because other drivers get impatient, go around on the right....then cut back in up ahead when they find out they can't actually get around....thus causing me to have to wait that much longer. Overall, it wasn't too bad. I had a migraine by the time we arrived at Karl's parents' home, but Excedrin Migraine took care of that pretty quickly. The kids did well.....though we did have to make a stop at the first rest area we came to after exiting, for a potty break. :) Once we got to my in-laws' house, we were able to have dinner, get the kids settled in, then Karl and I headed to our house to clean up. We met with the realtor at 10 am on Saturday, had the house listed immediately, and got our first 'lookers' that afternoon. We did some touch-up painting, sweeping and mopping, some minor repairs, and a few light bulb replacements. We also ordered a new dishwasher, since the old one is really old and does not work. It will be installed on Wednesday. Saturday evening we had a nice dinner out, then went to a movie. It was great to be able to do that, knowing the kids were well-cared-for and having a great time with their grandparents. Sunday morning we had a late breakfast at our favorite pancake house, picked up a few groceries, and then heard from the realtor that we had another potential buyer stopping in at 2 pm. We were still working at the house but stepped outside when they arrived, to allow them to look at their leisure and in private. We traveled back home Sunday evening (the kids and I...Karl had to work there on Monday and pick up some things from the house). Karl got another call Monday from the realtor......yep, 2 more showings that day. And an offer.

We were discussing this morning how we wanted to handle the offer....when Karl spoke with the realtor and learned that we had a second offer. Let the bidding wars begin! Actually, we have already accepted an offer (we ended up with asking price when the first family found out there was another offer on the table) and signed paperwork, so as long as nothing happens we will close in about a month. I am amazed at how quickly it all happened. We priced the house aggressively....and it paid off! We will only have to make one, maybe two, of our mortgage payments before the new family takes over. That is a huge blessing! I am so thankful for God's provision. I am a little sad to be selling.....we have 8 years of memories in that house......but I do realize it is best.

A weekend to ourselves...

2011-06-24T09:25:00.004-04:00

We're packing today. The kids will be staying with their grandparents while Karl and I head to our house in Palm Bay. The renters moved out while we were on vacation so we're gonna go clean up, do repairs, etc. We are meeting a realtor on Saturday morning so he/she can look at the house, we can set a price, and hopefully get it sold quickly. Please pray for my in-laws. They are very capable and I'm sure they will have a great time with the kids, but 5 children is a lot and extra prayer is always helpful! :) Thank you Ron and Pearl for being willing to have them in your home so we can go do this. It will be a working weekend, but it will also be some very welcome time away.

Saturday Confessions......5

2011-06-23T07:28:00.003-04:00

1. I'm doing Saturday Confessions early because I won't have Internet access on Saturday.

2. I'm stressing over my husband's job....is that weird?

3. I do not enjoy getting up before 7 a.m., yet it is the only time I get completely to myself so I do kind of like it.

4. Today I read Proverbs 23......it was enlightening.

5. I am reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult....it's really good.......I'm almost done and really don't want to be. Do you ever feel that way about a book?

6. My baby is in 9 month sizes now....I really don't know where the time went....how can she be approaching 1 year already?

7. I almost always end my 'confessions' on #7......why is that, ya think?

Showing compassion....

2011-06-22T08:40:00.003-04:00

As you may have noticed, I have an 'ad' for Compassion Internationa l on my sidebar. In February, we began sponsoring a child through them. He is 7 and lives in Nicaragua. For $38 I help provide for him....schooling, meals, etc. I have already received 2 letters from him, which I love! I have been able to write to him as well, and a great thing about their site is that sponsors have the option to send a letter via email. The translators still print it out and then hand write the translation, but it is so easy to just write it up online and press send. I have done that twice, and I also make my payments online......you can set it up to be an automated debit if you like. Please check out the web site. It really is a worthy cause, truly helping so many children. You will be able to choose which child you would like to sponsor.....there are pictures with their names and information about them to help you decide. It has been a very rewarding experience for me already, being able to show the love of Christ and meeting some of his practical needs as well. Take a look.

More pictures are up....

2011-06-20T10:35:00.002-04:00

Most of our vacation pictures are over here. Take a look, if you want.

Saturday Confessions...4

2011-06-18T14:57:00.003-04:00

1. I'm very proud of Logan for how he conducted himself while at leadership camp. He did not miss a single bus, meeting, or meal the entire time! And according to him, he and his group (4 boys including him) were early at most of the sessions, meals, and to leave for the parks. Yay!

2. Along with that 'pride' is the humble realization that I only have a few short years left with him at home....and that we are very blessed to have a 13-year-old son who is talking to us, and even enjoys it!

3. I realized again today how very blessed I am to have 5 children when I heard another mother talking about how she and her husband hadn't wanted to stop at 2 but that it hadn't been in God's plan for them. Thank you, Jesus.

4. I was so pleased to receive a special gift this week, and it wasn't even my birthday or anything. Thank you Aunt Sandra for the bread booklet! I'm hoping to use it this week.

5. I still have not kicked my Coca-Cola habit that I allowed to flourish while we were on vacation....it's getting the best of me. :{

6. I'm going to really miss having the boys from Logan's Life Group come by each week.....we had our end-0f-year party at the park today. Complete with a water balloon toss, tug-of-war, and some good food....everyone had fun. It was nice to spend some real time with some of the parents too. I can't wait until it starts up again in the fall!

7. I'm feeling tired but extra-blessed today.

Link up with Melissa today....it's good for the soul, ya know. ;)

Logan is coming home!

2011-06-16T17:32:00.004-04:00

Logan is coming home tonight, after 4 days away! I can't wait to hear how it all went and I plan to have him write an update himself so you can all hear (read), too. It has been odd not having him here. We've missed his presence....even though he may be in his room sometimes and we don't see him...it's strange. I know his siblings missed him a great deal, and of course, I did. His dad even commented the first night about how weird it was not to be able to talk to him. Update coming soon!

Another shopping trip....

2011-06-14T13:49:00.003-04:00

I went to Walmart and Publix this morning. I really do not like to make any trips to the Walmart here, but I needed a highchair, some clothes for Hailey, a protractor, and potting soil....all of which are not to be found at Publix. (Well, maybe the protractor but it would have cost more.) So, we endured it. I always leave there feeling very stressed out and vowing never to return!

Our visit to Publix was much more pleasant. I came away with a lot f goodies but I wasn't able to save as much money as last time. I had 2 coupons........ a $5 off of a $30 order as well as $6 off of Enfamil. The rest of my savings was due to BOGO. I also had to buy some items that usually are not on sale, such as produce and some special birthday cake things that I wouldn't normally have on my list......Corbin's birthday is Friday. My total savings was $58.22. :{ Better than nothing I guess, but I really wanted to save more. One good thing is that I have plenty of pasta, sauce, bagels, chicken, ground beef, potatoes, rice, beans, and flour to create many meals. I should only need to go back to get fresh fruits and/or veggies for a while. I do plan to take advantage of the sales again next week, at least somewhat.......still have to see what is left in our budget. I also plan to be armed with lots of coupons that I'll find here and here. This week I didn't have time to do that due to just returning from vacation, plus our printer is low on ink and is not printing very well right now. I can't wait to get the sale paper tomorrow though, and start planning! My eventual goal is to save more than I spend....you know, spend $5.00 and save $82.00.....we'll see how long it takes to get there (if ever). :)

Saturday Confessions Number 3

2011-06-12T13:35:00.005-04:00

Well, I am late again....BUT, Melissa over at a familiar path was too and she says it's okay. ;) Oh, and you should link up some 'confessions' with her. It's kind of fun. :)

1. I ate A LOT of Oreos while on vacation.

2. I drank A LOT of Coca-Cola while on vacation....and now I'm having withdrawal. :(

3. Those two above are the reason I gained 4 pounds in one week....

4. They are also the reason I am beginning my diet anew......just as soon as I finish this Icee I had to run out and buy to curb my withdrawal symptoms as mentioned above!

5. Corbin's birthday (Friday) does not count and I will not be dieting that day.

6. I read two books during vacation week.....staying up way too late when I knew I had to get up at 6:30 with the little girls (Yes, they decided to continue getting up early, even on vacation!)......Gods in Alabama, a novel by Joshilyn Jackson and Expecting Adam, a true story written by Martha Beck. I don't know how long it's been since I read two books in one week....probably a year ago when we were at the cabin.

7. I already miss our morning ritual of getting breakfast and coffee together, a bottle for the baby and milk for Emma, bringing it all up to the balcony on the third story (where our room was), and gnoshing while enjoying the view and sounds of the river.....and the sounds of our beautiful girls' voices so early in the morning. :)

A sneak peek...

2011-06-09T00:34:00.001-04:00

Here are just a few photos.

Rambling on and on about nothing.....

2011-06-08T23:42:00.005-04:00

Do you ever just want to write, but you're not sure what the topic should be? That's me tonight. I posted on my other blog about our day....not too interesting really, but a little. That was specific....documenting our vacation. Often, I will sit down at the keyboard with an idea, a specific thing I want to say. Other times, I will sit down not really knowing what it is I will say, just with a general idea of a few things. Still others, I won't even be in front of the computer. I blog in my head sometimes. Do you do that? I kind of think all writers do.....and yes, I consider myself a writer. Is that weird? I am not a creative writer.....I'm much better with factual, real things. My two oldest kids are creative....they make up stories, pages and pages of words. That's not me. I write about the mundane, and try to add a little humor to it.....probably not the kind that most people get, but sometimes I will get a chuckle out of my husband. That's all I'm really going for.....I don't dream too big. :) I've thought about having my blog made into a book, (each year) then giving it as a gift to someone....like my mom. But then I think "Why would she want to read all that?" Then I think about doing it for myself, but I can log on anytime to read.....just thoughts I have.

This week I have taken A LOT of pictures, but I haven't posted any yet.....mostly because I haven't felt like I have had the time. Then again....I've had so much time, but I've been reading.....sometimes I like to do that more than writing. I'm guessing all those photos will just have to wait until we get home and settled back in.....but I have been blogging in my head about them. We have some awesome shots, huge things happened. It's been great! I can't wait for you all to see. These things sometimes keep me awake at night.....odd, right? I love it, though. I always enjoyed writing as a teenager......poems, mostly. But I did pretty well in high school, then college, in my writing courses. I really enjoyed my history writing assignments in college! Amazing that I despised history throughout most of my elementary and high school years, except for a year or two when I had a really interesting history teacher. I love it now.

I find myself wondering what my 'readers' would like to read about. I do have some readers, and I'm so glad. But, really, how full of myself can I get?! Like anyone really spends much time thinking about my blog and how they can't wait to get here and read what I have written.....if you do, I'm so grateful. And....er....I wonder if you need some help?! Just kidding.......;) That's how I think, though. I vacillate between being confident and doubting myself....in ALL areas of my life. I land on the 'doubting myself' side the majority of the time. I'm working on it.

Anyone else out there in bloggy-land feel like me?

About those labels up top.....

2011-06-07T23:02:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to let you all know, those labels up top, they're 'under construction'. I'm experimenting, trying to figure out how to create pages for my blog, in hopes that I can combine my (several) blogs into one, with categories. So, if you click on one of the labels and find there is nothing there, that is why. I haven't figured much out yet. If they disappear, don't worry. They may appear again soon....but maybe not.

A little surprise early in the morning...

2011-06-05T22:39:00.004-04:00

Autumn wowed us with a 'surprise' this morning. She has her first tooth! I've been checking every so often and nothing, but today, Wammo!, there it is. She will be 8 months old on Friday. I think she is the oldest of all my babies for getting their first tooth. It's possible her preemie, oldest brother took longer, but I'm not sure. I'll have to check his baby book when we get home. Anyway, we're very excited for her. She's on her way, now.......

2011-06-04T15:04:00.002-04:00

Saturday Confession # 2

2011-06-04T13:48:00.003-04:00

1. Every time we go to the cabin in Georgia on vacation, I want to move there. I'm sure my husband is tired of hearing me lament our 'city' life.

2. I am spending this week drinking Coca-Cola, guilt-free. There is plenty of time for diets and guilt when we return home.

3. I spent the hour between 5;30 and 6:30 this morning on the couch in the living room, dozing, while waiting to see if my baby was actually awake or just 'talking'. When she dozed back off I was able to spend one more sleep-full hour in the bed downstairs. :)

4. My children had a very tired, cranky mommy to deal with yesterday, thus making the first day of vacation a not-very-fun one. :(

5. Today has been way better.....we all got some much-needed sleep last night.

6. Holding my baby girl makes me wish I could have another (or more). What's 1 (or 5) more when you already have that many? ;)

7. Having a teenager in the house is interesting....weird that we're that old already.....and sometimes difficult....but it's not so bad. He's fun to be around and I like watching him learn how to be an adult.

8. Seeing my children playing happily, together, in the river causes me to wish we lived here. Wait.....did I already say that?

Relaxation has begun!

2011-06-03T14:39:00.004-04:00

We left Florida around 7:30 last night and with stops and all we made it to the cabin by 8 a.m. That included a 5:30 a.m. shopping spree at the local Walmart and breakfast at the local IHOP. I do not like to travel all night....for lots of reasons. But, I will say it was nice NOT to be getting in and out of the car, taking extra-long stops at rest areas etc., because we had to ALL get out of the car. We stopped for gas twice and combined potty breaks with those......I think that was it. I can feel myself relaxing already. The bubbling water over rocks, being surrounded by the green trees, feeling the cool breeze, being able to see the beautiful blue sky (okay, we can see it in FL too, but this is just different!), looking forward to grilling, tubing, relaxing.....aaaahhhhh. It makes me think of moving here every time......a girl can always hope, right?

By the way, we have the two girls napping in the same room here. Out of necessity, really. When my family gets here they would have to be in the same room, so we decided not to bother trying to put them anywhere else just for one night. At home, they already sleep in the same room over night....have been for months now....but I've kept them separate during naps, even when they got on the same afternoon schedule, because i was afraid of possibly losing Emmas' nap altogether. She only takes one nap a day now...and it is needed by ALL! No need to have worried.....they did perfectly. And now, once we go home, I can start putting them in their bedroom together for naps as well. That means no more playpens being moved from hallway to bedroom (Hailey's) to hallway again each day......AND Hailey will have her room back during the day for drawing, reading, etc. She will be very happy about that!

Going on vacation....

2011-06-01T19:39:00.002-04:00

We leave tomorrow for Georgia. I don't know if I'll get to blog again before we leave so I wanted to let you all know. If the Internet is working well there then I'm sure I'll be posting either on this blog or here, so check both. We cannot wait to start our week of relaxation. See ya!

A shopping trip

2011-06-01T14:48:00.002-04:00

I took the little girls with me to Publix after dropping the bigger kids off at summer SAINTS this morning. We leave in a couple of days for our week in Georgia, but I wanted to take advantage of the sales anyway. Plus, our pantry and freezer will be stocked and I won't have to rush right out to the store upon arriving home. Most of the items I bought today were Buy One Get One. I had two coupons for grocery items and some coupons for diapers as well, but the diapers I payed for separately as we're trying really hard to track our food purchases right now and I don't want to have that confusing me. We may add diapers and formula back to our food budget eventually. We need to get our costs down with the actual food first.

I was very happy with how much I got for the money and with how much I was able to save just with buying on sale. I usually take advantage of the sales, but this time I paid very close attention and did not get much that was NOT on sale, maybe a few items like brown rice and cream cheese that we use all the time. I also tried not to buy too many sale items that were prepackaged convenience items......frozen pizza, boxed cereal, etc. While cheap and easy, they are not necessarily healthy and we are trying to go a little healthier route these days. I did get some hot dogs and some BBQ pork.......we will use those as Family Fun Night meals. Everything else I should be able to use easily in simple casseroles, soups, quiche, or alone with a side dish. I still need to buy fresh fruits and veggies when we get home, but I feel sure that what I got will feed us for two weeks once I do that, maybe longer.

I took a picture of my receipt. You can see what I spent and how much I saved......not bad for my first real try in quite some time. The photo is a little blurry but that's the best my phone could do.
I will update each time I go shopping. I'm looking forward to finding out just what I can get, and save, when I begin using more coupons along with the sales.

A link for you

2011-05-31T10:56:00.000-04:00

Read here for more info. about our morning......if you want.

My first Saturday Confession....

2011-05-31T10:22:00.002-04:00

1. I've been wanting to link up with Melissa at her site for Saturday confessions, but haven't felt like anything I had to 'confess' would be interesting.

2. I am still in my pajamas....and often am at 10:30 a.m.

3. I am doing a Saturday Confession on Tuesday......I'm rogue like that.

4. I love that my baby wants me to hold her a lot, even though that means she may not sleep in her crib next time. :{

5. I got a thrill out of seeing my kids' test scores this year, even though I know testing is not really necessary.

6. We have a family picture that we have been putting off, well, for about 7.5 months (which is as long as Autumn has been around!)

7. It has been so long since going through my oldest son's clothing that he still had size 8/10 shorts in his drawer....even though he is 13 and wears size 16 now!

8. I'm doing this 'confession' and I don't know how many I'm supposed to do.....for a rule-follower like me that is pretty risky.

Making Whole Wheat Bread...

2011-05-29T16:07:00.003-04:00

Here is my first attempt at making whole wheat bread with my KitchenAid. It did not rise as I had thought or hoped it would, so the loaves are a little narrow.I did a taste test and it has a nice flavor.
Any tips on how to encourage better rising?

Some sweetness for you...

2011-05-25T11:00:00.005-04:00

It has been a sweet morning. The older kids are at SAINTS and I have been home with my little girls. They are always sweet, of course. But this morning Autumn couldn't (wouldn't?) sleep in her crib so I got her out and put her in my wrap. It works every time. She may not sleep as long as she would in her crib but usually goes for 45 minutes or so. She would have made it longer than the 30 minutes she got in this morning, but the click from my camera (capturing her sweetness) woke her up. She is happy though, so no harm done. She'll sleep well this afternoon, I expect. Here's the photo I got of her...

Isn't she pure sweetness?

Some cooking

2011-05-24T08:20:00.005-04:00

Recently, I came across this site, and I have been reading ever since. Her recipes look delightful, and yesterday I decided I HAD to try this one. They are a favorite of the kids but I don't usually buy them anymore....too expensive, unhealthy, and leave you feeling hungry an hour later.But when I saw the above recipe, well, I had to experiment. If I could make homemade pop tarts they would be healthier (not healthy, just better than store-bought!) AND a lot less expensive. Corbin and I gave it a whirl yesterday afternoon. Here are some photos of our time cooking together.

Rolling out the dough
Corbin crimping the edges of our first batch
Some of our second batch before crimping
A close-up of crimping
The finished product
Don't they look lovely?

My mama is amazing....

2011-05-18T15:34:00.002-04:00

I have been watching The Biggest Loser for many seasons. I don't even know how long it's been on...but I've been into it since the very beginning. Each season I am amazed as I watch the contestants lose weight.....and I LOVE the finale, where I get to see them completely transformed, inside and out. But none of them amaze me the way my mama does.

My mama is amazing! She has been on a weight loss journey all her life. She's lost, then gained......lost, then gained. But about 2.5 years ago, something changed. She began again, and has lost about 100 pounds. She is now within 10 pounds of her goal weight! The difference in how she looks is amazing, no doubt. But the difference in her voice, her activities, her happiness is even more amazing. I am so excited when I call her each week to hear all of the things she has been doing. At one point she had stopped driving, was using a walker, could not do much for herself at all, and certainly not without help. Now, she is driving anywhere she likes, she is cooking, cleaning, sewing, doing yard work......these are all things that she used to do when I was a kid. They are true signs that she is healthy and well, inside and out. I am overjoyed to see it, to hear it, and to know that her diabetes is under control. I am amazed at her determination, her willpower, her strength......and I am so proud to call her Mama and friend. I thank God often that she is happy, and healthy, and here with us. I have always known that she could achieve this. The difference is that she has learned that she can achieve it, and that has been the key to her success, I believe. And she didn't even need The Biggest Loser to learn it! I love you, Mama.

Words are profound

2011-05-18T10:17:00.003-04:00

Profound(#4 in particular), that's what I feel today about what I've just read.

.....so I have a link to share....I think I've recommended this sweet lady's blog before. She has such a way of writing....it pierces my soul. It's a God thing.....she is a gifted woman, with her writing but in many other ways as well. As I read, I begin to dream that my life might be like hers....reflecting Christ in the things that I do. She would, and does, say she is not perfect....and she is not. But she is an inspiration to me, just from reading about her life, her struggles, and I think some of you may feel the same if you spend some time reading. Check it out if you want.

Some time with family...

2011-05-17T16:41:00.001-04:00

We had a visit from Grandpa and Grandma this weekend. Everyone had a fun time.
The girls especially loved be read to by Grandpa.

Pictures from our week....

2011-05-16T15:09:00.002-04:00

Sacked outLoving some cuddle time
Riding in her car
"I made!" She was building with Hailey.
More horseback-riding

A snapshot of our year together

2011-05-12T07:44:00.000-04:00

'Our' boys, playing football before the study last night. We only have two more weeks left with them, then our season is over. I'm sad they won't be coming over anymore, but we'll see them at church. And, maybe some of them will be in Logan's Life Group next year.

Some activities of the day...

2011-05-09T20:47:00.003-04:00

Having a snack in her new tiger chair (Auburn tiger...or at least we're calling him Aubie).I found this today at Winn Dixie for $9.99. I got one for Autumn too, even though it will still be several months before she can use it. I feel confident this will be Emma's 'sweet spot' once football season starts.
Wearing her "towboy hat".

She knows just how cute she is!
The KitchenAid Professional 610
I never knew how much I wanted it until I saw it work.
My little helper....."I watch."
Rising in "a warm spot with no draft."After the first rise......
then formed into cloverleafs and rising (again) in "a slightly warm oven"
The finished product......
and they were delicious!

SLU finance update

2011-05-09T13:57:00.004-04:00

Wow! I wanted to update all of you on Logan's SLU camp financial status.We have received $475! That's over two-thirds of the total cost. We have been so blessed by all of you who have given towards his trip. Thank you so much! He is looking forward to it with great anticipation! He just told me this morning that he thinks "the leadership camp will be good for me."

We are beginning to think about what we will need to pack for the trip. Our family vacation is the week right before the camp, so we will need to have everything packed and ready to go for his trip before we leave for Georgia......he will head right back out a day or so after we return.

Emma's new 'crib'

2011-05-07T11:55:00.002-04:00

Emma got the new crib and mattress. It will later transition to a toddler bed, then full size.Her bedding does not match the walls......such is the life of a renter. Oh well, we do what we must and live with the consequences. :)

Cradle to Crib

2011-05-07T11:37:00.004-04:00

Autumn has outgrown her cradle.

This morning we switched her to the crib.
Her 'new' bedding was only $5 at Goodwill....I LOVE it!

We are also moving her and Emma into Corbin's room, which is bigger. He will now be in their old room. We're not finished making the transfer, hence the 'mess' in the background.

Baby-tested......
AND approved!

Ultimate Homeschool Expo

2011-05-06T14:44:00.002-04:00

Here is a link to what I've been up to this week.....it's been a wonderful, learning experience.

Random pictures

2011-05-03T20:54:00.003-04:00

Pre-Algebra classCutie pie
A project

The finished product
Holding her "sis-tah"
Drawing
In the Bumbo
Joining the family for dinner
Can you see her?

Pictures from the last few weeks

2011-04-30T10:47:00.003-04:00

"Beheading" the shrimpMaking a 'garden'
Snack time
Happy girl
Tummy time

Horseback-riding lesson

God's Answer to My Prayer.....

2011-04-27T05:43:00.002-04:00

I woke up early this morning, and so thankful. God is a God who is in the details. I have believed this for quite a long time, but He still amazes me with how He answers something that seems trivial!

Last night was the used curriculum sale through our home school group. I had planned to be a seller at the event this year, but for a couple of different reasons was unable to. I attended as a buyer only. I really did not have anything specific I was looking for....had a couple of ideas for what I may want to look at if I saw it........went with a list from Corbin and Hailey for what they wanted. As I left our community I realized the money I had in my wallet was enough for anything I might find, but was in larger bills, so I decided to stop at Walmart to try and exchange them for smaller bills. I was not impressed with their helpfulness (add un to that!). After asking at the customer service desk and being directed to the money center, I was told they "can't do that". No explanation for why, and I did not have time to ask.

So, as I left the parking lot I said a prayer. I told the Lord that He knew if there was anything there that He wanted me to have and that He would need to make it possible despite my money dilemma.......you know these kinds of things often don't have change and all. I asked Him to please show me what He would have me buy.

At the first table I came to I was informed by the seller that it was mostly high school items. That was okay. Though I do not have a high schooler yet, I am getting in that mindset and beginning to think about what we'll do, because in another year Logan will be there. As I flipped through her selections I came to a book called Senior High: A Home-Designed Form+u+la by Barb Shelton. If you have read much of my other blog you know that I have been reading some books by her and recommended by her, as well as several books by Marilyn Howshall since the beginning of my home school career. The book was $5 so I immediately bought it.

I got several of the booklets by Marilyn Howshall at the end of our fist year of homeschooling, for free. I have been going back to them over and over throughout the last 5 years, reading about this Lifestyle of Learning, trying to get it into my head to be "led by the Spirit in your home school" as Marilyn says. Last year I bought some books from Barb Shelton (she's a huge supporter of the Howshall family and their 'approach' to learning). At the time I only got the ones pertaining to children up to age 12, thinking I would get some for the older ages later. Well, that's where this book fits in.....it is for middle and high school kids, showing how to use the Lifestyle of Learning and still create a transcript, etc. At the next table I visited I found several more booklets by Marilyn Howshall, including the main four that are called Wisdom's Way of Learning. Of course I bought them....for just a few dollars. I have felt that God was leading me to lean more towards this method of learning in our home school since the end of that first year. However, I have continuously gotten caught up in myself, my worries, and have no fully embraced it. Here He is though, answering my prayer and leading me straight to what He has for us. I need to listen! I will be spending time reading over these new booklets as well as the other ones I already have. I will also be perusing the Form+u+la book to get an idea for what I'll need to do for transcripts for the kids as they get older. I am so very excited! God is so good and He will lead us if we will only allow it. I know this is the right direction and I am so glad that He is so faithful.

I did find a few other books that I think the kids will enjoy, though not the ones on the list they sent with me......some science books, a craft book, one on horses, and a great visual guide of all things Star Wars.

One other thing that we were just talking about yesterday as a family was foreign language. We already have Rosetta Stone Spanish and Rosetta Stone Japanese....for myself and Karl, respectively. I said yesterday at dinner that the kids should learn both of those as well as American Sign Language. The older two were taking a class in New York at our co-op, and loving it, when we had to move. So what did I find? Instant Immersion American Sign Language on cd-rom! Is that amazing or what? It is not Rosetta Stone, but it doesn't matter. I am impressed with how God leads. I am thankful that He allowed me to see what He was doing.....not just a coincidence there.

I just had to share this morning. I hope you all will look for His leading today......He is there in the tiniest things.

Heading Home.....

2011-04-25T09:40:00.002-04:00

Well, we're on our way home. We left my mom's around 4 a.m. and just left Cracker Barrel in Tallahassee, where we stopped for breakfast. We're hoping to make it home by mid to late afternoon. So far traffic is minimal and the kids are traveling well. We're sad to leave all the cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents........but it will be nice to be home and get into our own routine again. Now we just want to be there.....instantaneously! Thanks for all of the time spent with us. We created some more great memories!

Passing on to the other side

2011-04-19T20:38:00.002-04:00

Today Karl and I had a funeral to go to, on his side of the family. A brother to Karl's grandpa passed on and since we were here we wanted to attend the service. It was very nice. Much of the family was there, and the youngest sister spoke fondly of her brother. I love to hear her speak. This brother (I did not really know him, though I have met him at family gatherings a few times years ago) was number 8 of 17. There are only 4 left here on earth now. The rest are celebrating with their mother and father, and all the other Saints, in heaven today. They are living with Jesus. What a beautiful picture! Though the family will miss him immensely, I know they realize he is rejoicing where he is, and I pray that they will have peace in the knowing.

We made it!

2011-04-18T08:58:00.003-04:00

We made it safely to Alabama Saturday evening. It's been a fun-filled 36 hours already! The kids are thrilled to be here and are looking forward to the adventures of each day. Check my other blog for updates too, as many things we do here will be learning experiences and as such will be posted over there.

Letters are in the mail.....

2011-04-15T14:07:00.001-04:00

Remember those letters I talked about here? Well, I finally sent them out today. Those of you who receive them, please don't feel obligated just because you got a letter. We also wanted to inform everyone about what is going on. There are other ways to support him besides financially. If you feel the desire to do that, we so appreciate it! If not, then he could still use your support through prayer, cards, etc. We are excited to see how this opportunity grows him!

Oh, and if you want a letter but don't think you'll get one (because I don't have your address?), you can comment here, find me on Facebook, or email me, and I will send you one. Thanks.

6-month check-up

2011-04-14T19:01:00.003-04:00

Autumn's appointment went well on Monday. She weighs about 16.5 pounds and is 27 1/4 inches tall. She had to get two shots and an oral immunization. She was very happy and cooperative...until the needle stick. After that, it was over! Once I held her for a minute or two she calmed right down. And we had no fussiness or bad reactions this time, which was awesome! Food choices include cereal, fruits, vegetables, and now meat (which we haven't tried yet). While we were there our doctor informed me that he is leaving the practice, going back to New York to be near his children......kind of bummed about that, but I understand. Hopefully we'll like the other doctors there just as much. He told me I have a beautiful family (I agree!) and wished us well.

Some photos

2011-04-13T11:06:00.000-04:00

Click here for pictures.

Where did the time go?

2011-04-10T21:18:00.002-04:00

Today was Autumn's half-birthday. I can't believe she's 6 months old already! Time flies.....I didn't get a picture but I'll try to tomorrow. She goes in for her 6-month check-up in the morning.....shots, I'm sure. :{

New things she's doing:

rolling onto her right side
her first 'real' laugh for her big sister (the little one)
grabbing her feet and holding on
eating rice/oatmeal cereal, fruits, and vegetables....not the biggest fan of some

A haircut and some training....

2011-04-09T19:47:00.005-04:00

We have been meaning to cut Corbin's hair for several weeks now. Karl finally got around to it today. Didn't he do a great job?! And Corbin LOVES it (so does Mommy!), even though he wasn't sure he wanted to let go of those curls. He said, "This feels so good!" And the smile on his face when he came to show me said everything. :)

I've been spending a little bit of time each day, for the last few days, training Emma in how 'blanket time' works. I set the timer, place just a few toys on the blanket with her, and she must stay there until the timer sounds. She is getting better with it each day and I hope to use it to keep her safely occupied at different times throughout the day while I am reading or doing math, English, etc. with my older children. This will help her to learn to play alone some and it will also help her develop important skills....it's her focused learning time. Autumn has blanket time too.....we'll just have to keep with it as she gets older and she'll already be trained when she becomes mobile. That's the idea, anyway!

Things change quickly....

2011-04-07T17:36:00.005-04:00

We had a fairly uneventful morning, just doing some book work and I continued training Emma in 'blanket time'. It's really just her sitting on a blanket, and staying there for a certain amount of time, playing with a few toys. She also had some sticker fun with Hailey.

Things can change quickly, though.

After lunch, Emma had already gone down for her nap and Hailey and Corbin were getting things ready to do some arts and crafts together. I was in the middle of a diaper change for Autumn when I heard Corbin yell from inside the bathroom, "Hailey, could you get me a bandaid?" She went in to see what was up. After less than a minute I had them come out to the kitchen so I could see what he had done. Apparently, he had been playing with some scissors while sitting at the table waiting for Hailey to get some supplies. They were not regular, child-friendly scissors, more like hair-cutting scissors, and I don't know why they were even in the drawer where he found them. Anyway, Hailey had already told him to stop playing with them but he didn't listen and kept on clicking them open and shut. His index finger on his left hand eventually got in the way and he ended up cutting himself. If you've ever cut your hand or finger, you know that those kinds of wounds bleed A LOT even when it is not a bad injury. It took us (Karl was home to help me) a while to get the bleeding to stop long enough to see exactly how bad it was. Corbin cut a decent chunk out of the tip of his finger. Not good, though not too serious.

I did take him to the doctor, just to make sure it was all fine and that they didn't need to put in a stitch. There really wasn't anything they could do besides clean it, put on some antibacterial ointment, and bandage it. He did really well....he didn't even cry at home when it first happened. He told the nurse, "I shouldn't even have been playing with the scissors in the first place." So, he understands what he did wrong and realizes cutting himself is the consequence for his actions. We discussed with him the possibility that it could have been more serious and could have had lasting consequences....maybe an eye injury, etc. He gets it. Hopefully and prayerfully this will teach him that he really does need to listen...the first time....which has been something he's been struggling with lately. He's still learning that his older brother and sister are authority figures for him. Here's a photo so you can see that he is, in fact, okay. ;)

Our morning activities...

2011-04-02T16:03:00.000-04:00

A link to what our morning entailed.

Thankful for the storm...

2011-03-28T15:39:00.004-04:00

Rain! Finally, and I can't believe it. It wasn't a whole lot and didn't last too long, but hopefully it was enough to breathe some life back into our grass before it dies completely. The lake is still very low but maybe it will rain again and help that situation. I'm not really one who loves rain....not like my mom and brother who love to hear it, who will go sit outside just to listen to it hit the roof and fall to the ground, who miss it when it doesn't rain because they love a good storm. No, that's not me at all. But I will say that I had begun to miss it, it's been that long. It was nice to see the sky graying up and the wind getting blustery....and the rain came. Nice.

Some ramblings....and one very important piece of info

2011-03-23T21:35:00.004-04:00

I've been gone too long again, I know. I really have been thinking of you. We've been busy schooling and playing....living.

I have no pictures but I really want to get some up soon. I plan to try to get Karl to do a real photo shoot of all of us....maybe not a group picture but in twos and threes, so we'll have some recent, really good, photos. He's the expert photographer here, ya know. And the weather has been beautiful lately. Maybe we can get some on the beach. I'd love that!

You can read here what we've been learning lately. Good stuff.

I do have one important thing to share. Logan attended a youth conference through our church a couple of weeks ago. It was called Leadership Rocks and was about....well....leadership. He had a great time learning from the speakers as well as hanging out with his friends. We found out a few weeks ago that Logan is invited to attend a leadership camp over the summer. It's called Student Leadership University, and this first one (101) will take place in Orlando. Check out the link, there's a ton of information there for you.

We are so proud of Logan for standing out as a leader in his Life Group and at church as well. Out of about 300 students at our campus only 20 students in grades 8-12 were invited to attend. We're so excited to see him reading his bible more and trying to do the right thing. And it's encouraging to see how that is helping him to step forward, answer questions, etc. in these group settings. He absolutely loves church and the learning he does there! We have decided to let him attend, and the camp takes place the week of June 13th. This is the first in a series of 4 camps that he will be able to attend each summer over the next few years, and I can't wait to see how he grows in his knowledge of the Lord, in confidence, and in his ability to discern God's call on his life. We have had Logan prepare a letter and many of you will be receiving it soon. We thought it would be a great opportunity for him to say in his own words why he wants to go and what he hopes to learn from the experience. Logan is asking for support from anyone who wishes to help financially, too. He is attending a week-long, local missions trip in July, so it will cost nearly $1000 for both together. We are requiring him to bear some of that responsibility by having him ask people to sponsor him and possibly by doing some work locally, if we can find any opportunities for him. If you have a desire to give, please let us know. In any case, Logan would be built up by any words of encouragement you may have for him through cards, a phone call, email, etc. Thanks so much! We'll keep you up-to-date on how things are progressing over the next months. We are very excited to see where God will take us.

A visit to the dentist

2011-03-17T18:49:00.004-04:00

I forgot to share before now, but Emma had her first visit to the dentist last week. I had decided to go ahead and take her in, when they suggested it, just to start getting her used to the people and the equipment, etc. I had no idea how she would do......well, I actually expected her to refuse to do anything they asked, but I just wasn't sure. The hygienist came out and wanted to take her back without me...because I had the baby and she thought it would be easier for me. However, when she asked Emma to take her hand and go with her, Little Girl was not having that. The hygienist asked me how I thought she would be and I said, "Like that." pointing at the way Emma was backing up and starting to whine. So, I took the baby and went with them. She started to tell me about a 'technique' they have, something about holding the child on their lap, holding down the arms and legs.....I told her at the age of two I was not ready to put her through that. I mean, really? So, Emma sat on my lap, they showed her all of the tools and were very kind about asking her if they could show her how things worked....it worked! She sat quietly and engaged in conversation with the hygienist and dentist. They were able to clean all of her teeth....said whoever is brushing Emma's teeth is doing a wonderful job (it's Emma herself! ;) ), and then were even able to get x-rays of her teeth......all with her just sitting nicely on my lap. Amazing, that child! We went there expecting to just have an early let's-get-used-to-the-dentist-office visit....and we were able to do everything. Yay, Emma! I'm so proud of her and I know we're very blessed that she is such a good girl.

Family time and "church day"

2011-03-13T20:39:00.011-04:00

Today Karl's parents came for a visit. We joined them at Foster's Grille for lunch then came back home together. We all enjoyed visiting with them, and Corbin even got to take a walk around the lake with Grandma. They cleaned up the neighborhood by taking plastic bags with them and picking up any trash they saw along the way. Corbin enjoys doing this when he goes on a walk with his dad as well. He's a budding environmentalist.....

Today was also "church day", as Corbin likes to call it. (He asked me to pray with him a couple of weeks ago, by the way, to help him "get Jesus in my heart." We are so thrilled!) We were a bit late this morning but we made it all the same. Believe it or not, it wasn't because of the time change....we're often late. We're still working on that. :( It was a great service, and what we caught of the music was good, too. The kids always enjoy their time there, and Logan absolutely loves going to church. I'm so proud of him for that.....

Way behind.....

2011-03-11T20:17:00.002-05:00

I just noticed I only have 30 posts here for the year. Wow, I'm way behind my goal for 2011! I am actually way behind on a lot of my goals for this year......:( I'll just keep plugging away, maybe I'll get better at meeting them as the year goes on. Thanks for reading anyway, even when there's not much here to keep you busy.

Busy-ness, and hoping to rest

2011-03-11T20:04:00.004-05:00

I'm glad this week is over, honestly. We've just been busy.....with doctor visits, a library trip, going to the post office, SAINTS, the boys' study, horseback-riding lessons.....more than usual and I am tired. I just want to stay home for a day, try to get some stuff done here, and maybe go to the grocery store.

Logan is at a youth leadership event through our church. He was pretty excited to go and was planning to meet his group leader and a lot of the boys from his study group there so they could all find seats together. I'm sure he's having a great time. He has part of the day there again tomorrow....9-3, I think. Karl took him and was planning to go to a movie while he's at the event rather than drive back home then have to go back out to get him.....too far and gas just costs too much! Hailey and Corbin and I are having our own version of Family Fun Night without them. Homemade pizza, homemade chocolate chip cookies, a movie....we're doing just fine. ;)

Tidbits.....

2011-03-09T16:38:00.004-05:00

Tonight is the boys' study that we host. I spent the afternoon trying to get the house cleaned up a bit more than I've been doing lately. We have a guest speaker coming, and I don't know who it is, so I don't want him to be surprised by a less-than-spotless house....well, he will be anyway, but the point is that I put in the effort, right? The guys have been doing a great job...still a little rowdy, but overall learning a lot. We have a second leader that's been coming each week and he seems to really enjoy the boys, the teaching, and relates to them well. I've been trying to sit in (out of sight) too so I can hear what they're learning and get to know the boys a bit. I could sit in in sight, but sometimes subjects come up that I'm not sure they would discuss in front of me, so I try to lay low. ;) I'm usually in the kitchen, so they know I'm there, but not so conspicuous as if I were sitting right in the room with them.

I'm glad to say most of us are well....some have sniffles but nothing serious. We're just trying to avoid passing it around a second time. We did go to the library yesterday so that was exciting.

I have to go make dinner so we can all eat before the boys arrive, then I need to take Hailey to get some shoes. We'll do that, then be back in time for the babies' bedtimes. We might be able to squeeze in an ice cream cone before coming back home.

Later, all.

Church

2011-03-06T08:05:00.002-05:00

After two weeks 'off', the two little ones and I are going to be joining the rest of the family for church. Yay! I think they're well enough to attend so we're gonna try it.

Illness update

2011-02-28T19:58:00.003-05:00

I took Autumn to see the doctor today. She's fine, just a little congested, which is what has been causing the coughing. He said her lungs and ears are clear and that was my main concern. He gave me some tips on how to help her to feel better, so we're using Vapo Rub, giving her watered-down formula for 24 hours, propping up her mattress a bit, and suctioning her nose/mouth when she has too much mucus. I will take her back if she gets worse, but the doctor said he thinks she will be much better by Wednesday or Thursday....and really, I could already tell a difference between yesterday and today, so I agree.

Colds and coughs make for a rough time...

2011-02-27T20:37:00.003-05:00

What a day! Emma has had a cold for two weeks...no fever so she's fine, but she has been so cranky. Autumn ended up getting a little cold and cough too by the end of the week, so it's been a double-wammy weekend. I stayed home with them and Karl took the older ones to church this morning. Emma's very whiny and needy. Combine that with her new-found I'm-two-and-I-want-what-I-want-exactly-when-I-want-it attitude and you get quite an experience. And, she won't even be two until Tuesday! Don't worry, I'm laughing so I won't cry.

Everyone but Logan is in bed now, and he's heading there soon, so we will be able to relax a bit with a movie, a snack, and some time together. We definitely need it.

Missing the beauty of New York

2011-02-23T17:01:00.002-05:00

A friend who lives in the town we were in while we lived in New York was talking about the daffodils in her yard that are starting to 'sprout' up. This comment reminded me of the tulips that are so prevalent there in the spring, and made me miss our time in New York. The brisk weather, the beautiful flowers and the intoxicating scent of them, the new lambs in the fields and their shorn mamas, sugaring (which we never got to experience!), the return of the geese.....aaahhhhh, good times. I also miss the beautiful winter scenery...the white snow on bare branches, the way the snow falls so fast, the accumulation of it on the ground, throwing snowballs, sledding. Just got me thinking, and missing......

New things

2011-02-22T17:46:00.004-05:00

Something new to read about.

When I see it from the other side, I'm sure I'll understand...

2011-02-21T12:54:00.004-05:00

Do you ever tell yourself that? When things happen that you can't find an explanation for, that have no rhyme or reason, don't you wonder why? I do, and then I think, well it will all be clear in heaven. And then I think....why can't it be clear now?! He has His reasons...he IS God after all. So many times in my life I have been able to look back and see His hand...and even in the midst of things sometimes I can see His hand, His work. But many times, I don't.....I can't. He doesn't always tell us all the steps. He will reveal one thing, and expect obedience. That's it. "Trust me.", Jesus says.

That. is. so. hard.

It's something I constantly revisit. It can get messy....because I am the one who makes a mess of it. I rant and I rave. I have tantrums. I am not thankful.....so ungrateful. But then, I remember. I am given memories of all the times He has carried me, that He has guided my way even when I didn't ask Him to or even want Him to. He has a better plan...than I can even imagine. Who am I to think that I can make any kind of plan that could even touch His?! So, I am trying to surrender, to give up myself, to lay down my life. It's tough, it's messy, I drag my family through the muck with me when I wouldn't have to. But, I think that's where we begin to grow....He is almighty, He is all-knowing........and it won't even matter, my understanding, when I get there. My challenge is to learn to hold things lightly in this life, and to give thanks for everything, even the hard stuff, because He sees the big picture, even when I don't.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ~John 14:27

Hoping for a re-connection with family....

2011-02-19T10:15:00.002-05:00

I have an aunt and uncle on my dad's side whom I have not had contact with in several years. They've been in many different places in the country. Last time they left no forwarding address, no phone number, no way to find them. There were words spoken that hurt feelings, made them angry, and so we have things....unsaid. It hurts my heart. I would like to speak with them again, know them, visit. I keep hoping that they will call my parents...I think my uncle did one time but he left no number still, didn't say where they are. Things have happened, I don't even know if they are aware, and my heart still aches for them, for that missing link in our family.

She helped plan my wedding, she watched me dream over dresses, she made my prom gowns along with my mom, she made a quilt for my 3rd-born that he still sleeps with at the age of 7.

He helped build my parents' home, they went on some trips together, it was the way family should be. I miss them, and I think my parents do too even though they don't talk about it.

I have been praying that they will forgive, that they will find their way somehow back to us....a letter, a message, a phone call. If I could I would write a letter...to explain, to ask for forgiveness for my part, just to tell them that I want them in our lives. Will you pray with me that we can have reconciliation?

Our days of late, in picture...

2011-02-17T22:05:00.001-05:00

More of what we're doing

2011-02-16T14:58:00.000-05:00

Details about our days....

What's on my mind....

2011-02-16T10:54:00.003-05:00

Wow, a week has flown by! Sorry. I really have been thinking of blogging...never made it past that. Trying to get and stay on a decent schooling schedule has been taking up my time I guess.

Autumn had her 4-month check-up last week. She weighed 14 pounds and was 26 inches long. The doctor said she looks great and "You're doing a great job with her." ;) We started her on rice cereal, just a teeny bit once a day, on Friday. She does okay with it but is far from gobbling it down....in time, I'm sure.

I called my mama yesterday. I usually do on Tuesdays. When my dad answered the phone I could hear people talking in the background. They had invited some of my aunts and uncles over for the noon meal. Hearing them all visiting made me miss my parents and extended family......made me wish we lived close enough to visit at least weekly. I am glad that they can all get together regularly...it's wonderful....just makes me a bit envious. (okay, A LOT envious!) And I just don't get all that good country cookin' around here!

Boys' group

2011-02-10T19:57:00.003-05:00

Last night was the boys' bible study again. I have to say, we were a little concerned beforehand. During the couple of weeks leading up to our visit to Alabama, the boys had been getting more and more rowdy. I had a feeling it was due to going outside to play football before the study started and they weren't able to settle down after that. So, we did not allow them to go out last night until after the study. They were disappointed and tried to talk Karl into allowing it, but we stuck to our guns. We actually talked with them for a few minutes and once they got started things went much better. Several of the boys responded to the questions, they were reading passages of scripture, and they were listening to one another and the leader. It was a relief....but even more it was such a blessing to see them do what we knew they could. I am thankful for each boy and the commitment that they each have made, along with their parents who drive them, to be here every week. We are prayerful about next week and are looking forward to having them in our home again.

Shining as light in the darkness.....

2011-02-09T08:11:00.003-05:00

Logan comes into the living room this morning and says, "Wow, I never knew the Bible could reflect so much light."

This is what he had seen.....

It was rather funny, because of course he knows that the Bible, God's Word, is light. Funny that God had that message for us this morning....shining His light on His Message.

God-breathed....

2011-02-09T07:51:00.005-05:00

I came across another verse last night, on this post. I had never seen it before. (that seems to be the running theme with me lately, right? so much I don't know.)

“He breathed the word, and all the stars were born” (Psalm 33:6 NLT).

I love the way the author of the blog emphasizes it....God breathes stars. Wow.

I've always known and understood that He breathed and does breathe everything into existence. But do we really understand? His omnipotence? His almighty power? Think about it.

all He has to do is breathe.....

A beautiful verse I had to share....

2011-02-07T19:45:00.006-05:00

I stumbled across this verse in one of the posts on this blog . I'd never read it before.....

Today is recorded in the heavens and its pains are written with the wet of tears of God who “hurts with the hurt of my people.”~Jeremiah 8:21

And another.

You have recorded my troubles.
You have kept a list of my tears.
Aren’t they in your records?~Psalm 56:8

A discussion of One Thousand Gifts...

2011-02-06T21:21:00.003-05:00

Here is a link to an online discussion of the book I recommended in my last post. The author herself is taking part. You may find it interesting, enlightening, encouraging, life-changing.....get involved, buy the book and get in on the discussion.

A book recommendation...

2011-01-23T21:34:00.004-05:00

Some time before Christmas, while I was ordering gifts online, I pre-ordered a book that was to come out this month....then promptly forgot about it. When Karl told me last week that Amazon had sent him a notification that one thousand gifts was on its way, I was kind of stumped. I had to actually think about when I may have ordered a book...and we joked about how we have so much money (NOT!) that I can just order a book and forget about it. ;) Well, it arrived in the mail on Saturday and it is so good. I can't stop reading and I'm already thinking I will have to read it again to catch all that she is trying to share. And I'm not sure, if it had come before now, that I would be getting as much out of it.......God always has perfect timing, and this is no exception. I encourage you to click on the link and read the first chapter of the book. I feel sure you'll want a copy too.

Hailey's birthday festivities...

2011-01-22T13:54:00.004-05:00

Hailey turned 11 on Thursday. She had requested pumpkin muffins for breakfast (her favorite!) so I got up and made those for her first thing. Then she unwrapped her presents. She got an Easy Bake Oven, some baking mixes to go with it, and a box of Shrinky Dinks. She also received some cards and money (as did Logan on his birthday) from some aunts, cousins, and both sets of grandparents so thanks so much for remembering her. For lunch, we went to Macaroni Grill, which is her favorite restaurant. I have to say it's at the top of my list, too. They have delicious bread, a wonderful Warm Spinach Salad that Karl and I both love, and of course their pastas are scrumptious, too! Hailey's favorite is their macaroni and cheese, which she orders every time.....her birthday was no exception. Once we were back home the kids played lots of video games (Karl, Corbin, and Logan went out and got a couple new ones this week with birthday and Christmas money they all received), read books, and played Apples to Apples Jr. I made brownies and cream cheese frosting, which is what Hailey had asked for as her dessert. After a dinner of sliders and french fries, I put 11 candles on top of the iced brownies, lit them, and we sang the birthday song. She blew them out....eventually....as I had bought the re-lighting candles that she loved and thought were so funny when everyone else had them! She still thinks they are fun....It was a good day.

A free book for large families.....and maybe some that aren't

2011-01-21T15:02:00.001-05:00

A giveaway is going on here. Click on the link to see if you want to enter to win.

Questions and more questions

2011-01-19T10:41:00.003-05:00

It seems like we are always waiting......anticipating......something. For months we waited to hear about the house we bid on (the third one). We had begun looking at houses again in case we didn't get it when we heard that the bank had foreclosed instead of taking our offer...not sure why. So, we decided to make yet another offer on a 4th house that truly seemed to fit our needs and wants. It needs a bit of work, but is almost $100, 000 less than the other so would be affordable to repair and fix up. However, we waited, and waited, and waited some more...a couple of weeks, rather than the 72 hours we were told it would be. Amidst all this, we talked about things....would we get it, why have we bid on four homes and still haven't gotten any, is there some bigger, better plan we don't know about yet? Plus our landlord was getting impatient to find out if we were renewing our lease, and wanted a year-long one. After waiting and not hearing, we told him last Wednesday that we will renew but he still has not brought the paperwork. Yesterday, our realtor called and said the owner of the house counter-offered but also indicated that he would probably take our offer anyway. What?! We just aren't sure what is going on. Why would that happen when we had made peace with our decision to stay in the rental? We took yesterday to talk and pray about it all, and decided that we are going to stay in the rental. There are just too many things going on right now for us to feel comfortable purchasing a home here right now...things that are unclear and have popped up quite recently. We're okay with that, but still wondering "why". We know God has great things in store for us. He always does. It's difficult to wait and see. Prayers are requested, just in general, that we can make whatever decisions are necessary regarding all the 'stuff' and that we will know His will and His plan. Thank you so much. We love each and every one of you and appreciate your efforts on our behalf. ;)

Not doing a great job with the blogging...

2011-01-17T14:02:00.003-05:00

Funny how it sneaks up on you. You can be doing so well then let one day slip......before you know it days have gone by, a week, two weeks.....and you've stopped doing what you set out to do. That's how I feel about blogging. I love it, have always loved to write, but time just gets aways from me or we don't do anything (and I can't think of anything) blog-worthy.....so I just don't. My goal was to blog

every.

day.

So far....FAIL! But, I'm getting back to it. Too many days haven't gone by, but it doesn't take long. How 'bout those other goals? How are you doing with yours?

Yet another link....

2011-01-14T08:06:00.001-05:00

A link to a touching blog post.

Change can mean success....

2011-01-12T10:02:00.003-05:00

John Maxwell has been speaking at our church for the last three weekends. His message on Sunday was about growth and changes, etc. One thing I had already decided to do on Sundays was get up earlier....and earlier...until I found a good time that allows us all to be ready and not rushed out the door. I wanted to get to church and drop the kids off before the service starts. I think I've found it....6:15 a.m. After hearing the message, I decided to continue getting up at that time during the week, and to make sure the kids are up earlier, so we could get a better start to our days. It is only Wednesday morning, but I already feel so much better about our week! I have not felt nearly as overwhelmed by all there is to do. I actually had both little ones fed, as well as myself, by 8 this morning. I was able to start a load of laundry and wash the dishes before calmly leaving to drop the kids off at their sports class. We didn't have any yelling to "hurry up" or stressing out because we were late. It was so nice. Who knew what just one little change could do? I encourage you to listen to the message if you have time. Maybe you need to make a change, too.

Game Day...

2011-01-10T21:41:00.001-05:00

Tonight is a BIG football night in our house. Auburn has made it to the National Championship after a season with NO losses. They are going in as number one against the number two team in the country. It's a big deal. We're settled in, ready to see a win for our team. Lots of nerves....Go Auburn!

To buy or not to buy...

2011-01-08T10:54:00.005-05:00

Anyone who reads our blog knows all about our housing issues. We have been looking for a house for close to 6 months. We have made 4 offers on 4 different houses (our latest just two days go...should hear by Monday evening) and were beat out by competing offers on the first two. The third, we just found out this week was foreclosed on.....we waited from September 'til now to hear the status. It was a short sale and we knew it would take a while, so we had already started looking at other homes because our lease is up Feb. 1. We decided to make an offer on a 4th. We have to move out, renew the lease, or buy this house (our landlord has asked us if we're interested) by then. He has been calling this week, pressing us for a decision about what we're going to do. There are other things going on too....and we're just unsure at this point what it all means for us. Should we buy a house here? Do all these problems mean we aren't meant to own a home here....are we going to be presented with some other opportunity and that's why nothing has gone through? We are consumed by questions...well, I am. So, please pray for us. We need clarity and wisdom to make the right choice. We want God's best for our family, and sometimes it's hard to see what that is.

An Autumn update...

2011-01-07T13:47:00.003-05:00

Autumn has become quite a happy baby. We were having a difficult time for quite a while with her sleeping (or NOT sleeping!) and as a result she was cranky much of the time. Even up 'til Christmas we were still trying to work out her sleeping issues...too much during the day then up too late at night. However, since returning home, we seem to have gotten her on a good schedule. Autumn is awake more during the day, is taking good naps, and has been sleeping through the night. Yay! She still seems to struggle sometimes with gas and that will cause a crying jag, but overall she is much more content. She has big grins and coos at us often. She enjoys looking at the toys hanging from her play gym and she always has a smile for anyone who talks to her. I don't know how much she currently weights but she is definitely getting longer. Her one piece outfits are getting too short and she'll be moving into the next size as soon as I can get them all sorted. Her feedings range anywhere from 4-6 ounces with the average being about 5 ounces, 5 times a day. We are getting into somewhat of a groove...have a long way to go with schooling and cleaning, etc.....but normalcy is returning. I'm so glad!

My goals for 2011

2011-01-05T22:17:00.005-05:00

1. Create something with my sewing machine....I want to make at least one gift this year.

2. Learn to use my new canning set that I got for Christmas, complete with labels, and make something with it...maybe some jam?

3. Begin to exercise, with a goal of 4 times per week.

4. Lose 20 pounds.

5. Write every day on each blog.

6. Begin to read aloud to my children again, outside of 'school time'.

7. Spend more time in prayer and reading God's word.

8. Teach Logan and Hailey to cook at least 5 meals each.

9. Get control of the clutter!

10. Plan more field trips with the kids.

As you can see, some of my goals are carry-overs from last year, some are new, and some did not make the list.

Did you meet your goals for 2010?

2011-01-05T22:11:00.002-05:00

Last year I set some goals. You can read them here. I didn't meet many of mine, did you?

1. 338....that's the number of my blog posts (combined) last year. I didn't quite meet my goal of 365, or 1 per day, but I came close. It does mean I blogged more frequently, so I'm happy with that.

2. The 'last ten pounds'.....still haven't gotten there, I think we all know why. ;) I did just lose the last of my 'pregnancy' weight last week so now I can start on the pre-pregnancy, pregnancy weight...understand?

3. Did NOT exercise 4 days a week...too tired and ungainly. Planning to try to get to that in the new year.

And 4-10.....we didn't do those either. We had a crazy year, completely unexpected at the time I wrote down those goals. Life happens, often in a way that we aren't planning. God is good all the time though, and those were just my goals. His plans for our lives were different.

I am looking forward to setting and sharing some new goals for this year soon. What are some of yours?

A favorite song...

2011-01-04T13:34:00.001-05:00

I heard this song this morning on someone else's blog...it had been quite a while since I'd heard it but it is one I love. Hope you enjoy it, too!