Loving, Losing, & Living

Our Day

2012-02-24T14:27:00.000-05:00

Just a few pictures from this morning. Little Maddie has been fighting some upper respiratory issues. After sleeping 14 hours last night, she is doing a lot better. But, still laying around a bit - loving some computer time of her own. :)

This weekend is going to be a big one for us. Tomorrow night is the Father/Daughter dance through our homeschool organization. We've bought a new dress. :) I'll be making lots of pictures!! Then Sunday Newt Gingrich will be speaking at our church. Rick Santorum was there last Sunday night. I didn't go. :( Really wishing we had gone now, especially since we will be seeing Newt this weekend. Our Music Minister asked our group to sing on Praise Team, so it's gonna be a looooong day for me. Got rehearsal at 8am; service from 10:30-12:00, and Children's musical rehearsal from 12:30-3:30. Shew!

Anyhooo.... here's today's pictures. More from the weekend to follow!

Having a little computer time.

Becoming one of our new favorite spots for homework.

Just my sweet little pup!

Tumblin' Audrey

2012-02-22T22:55:00.010-05:00

Tuesday was Audrey's last day of tumbling, so parents got to come in and observe. She's working so hard to get her walk over. She will get it!! Sadly, Maddie was sick and missed her last class, so there's no video of her. :( They both start their Extreme Cheer class next week. They're both so very excited!

Couponing

2012-02-21T20:24:00.000-05:00

I tried my hand at some couponing today. Nothing extreme. But, I was proud of my $47 savings. =) Granted it was only a 20% savings, but it was a start. Not sure what the savings were on the sale items. I basically only bought what was on sale if I didn't have a coupon. Considering I hadn't bought groceries in a few weeks, my $183 went a long way! lol

President's Day

2012-02-21T09:50:00.000-05:00

Had to share this sweet video of my girls saying The Pledge of Allegiance. :)

Our Week in Pictures

2012-02-17T21:32:00.000-05:00

Enjoying some beautiful spring like weather - in February!

Reading with my girls - Maddie wasn't happy because I was cutting her nails. lol

Maddie making valentines in her preschool party.

Someone got into the make up & nail polish while mommy was resting.

She said she wanted to "be fancy". Love her!

Finally found a home for my shoe rack! It is now part of my scrapbooking nook housing all of my cutters and punches.

100th Day of School

2012-02-07T13:48:00.000-05:00

Today is our 100th day of school. I'm not gonna lie - it started out a little rough. My youngest daughter has recently started going through some relapses in her sleeping. She gets up once or twice a night and tries to get in bed with us. Honestly, after so many nights of not getting enough sleep, she has been coming in our room around 4-5:00 in the morning and I didn't even realize she was in my bed. (Yikes!) So, I made a conscience effort to break her of that - starting last night. She came in my room at 3:15 am and I immediately took her back to her bed. This turned into a meltdown, which in turn woke up her older sister. I'll spare you all the details, but the short version is this: From 3:15-4:45 AM!, one or both of the girls was crying. Ugh! We'd get one settled down and the other would start. Nobody wanted to sleep in their own beds. So, finally at 4:45, hubby said, "Forget it, everybody up!" So, we all started our day at 4:45 am this morning. It is now 1:45 in the afternoon and I'm starting to really feel the effects. My body is exhausted. My kids are getting cranky and picking at each other immensely. We're going to try to make it to gymnastics class at 3:30 and then off to Nana's house for dinner (thank you, Nana, for the sweet invitation to dinner!). I'm betting everybody will be asleep by 7:30 tonight!

Anyway - we still managed to pull out a couple of 100th Day of School projects. Each of the girls made a picture of what they think they would look like at 100. And, I did a little double duty with the second project - cleaning out old candy (helpful to me!) while sorting by 10's to 100. :) Enjoy!

Weather Workshop

2012-02-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

Here are a few shots from our Field Trip today. We went to Sawnee Mountain Preserve and attended a 2 hour Weather Workshop. They learned about weather, temperature, clouds, fog, storms, etc. They had several hands on projects.

Maddie didn't last very long. She just wanted to play in the dirt.

Trying to figure out what kinds of clouds were out today.

Flying her kite they made.

Everyone flying their kites.

Homeschool Fun

2012-01-31T22:46:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share some photos from yesterday and today. We're enjoying our week so far. :)

Our first field trip with FCHE.

Her sweet friend from church is in the same home school group.

She wanted to write Thank You notes to the fire fighters and her science teacher. I thought it was a great way to practice her writing since she is so resistant to it.

And she drew pictures on the back. =)

Fun times this morning. We spent almost all day in pj's.

Sweet girls hard at work. =)

Homeschool Feedback

2012-01-27T14:17:00.001-05:00

Many of you have asked how "homeschooling is going", so here goes. We've learned some things, changed some things, and are continuing to seek out what is best for our family. The first semester is over and we're a couple of weeks into the second semester. We're doing some things a little differently to make it "work" for us. For example, I love the "homeschool room" in our home we created, but we're taking a break from it. We've moved to the kitchen table and cuddling on the couch. Seems to help on the "off" days.

I finally realized that Math U See was not working for us. She was bored! It was just videos and worksheets (and D was not a big fan of the manipulatives). So, for now we are doing just a fun workbook - and she's doing really well. It is not just worksheet after worksheet, but math games that incorporate several different skills. We just started adding 2 digit numbers and she "got it" quicker than a lot of the concepts in MUS. Maybe that method will work with Maddie later?! Anyway, Audrey's reading has progressed wonderfully! She has just recently started reading books "for fun" on her own. (Yay!!) She's reading some pretty big words, too. She's mastered the level 1 books, doing very well with level 2, and we're moving on to level 3. She'll be reading to her sister's class again next month. Her comprehension is still through the roof. She's a smart kid, but lacks serious motivation. She absolutely does not like to write (still), so we started cursive writing. She CAN print - and when she takes her time, does a nice job. But, she has been asking for some time to learn cursive so I just said, "Why not?" If she wants to learn, by all means, I'm gonna teach her! Believe it or not, her cursive is stronger than her printing. It's that whole have to versus want to mentality.

This semester we put Audrey in some enrichment classes through a homeschool program at a local church. She only goes one day a week. She is taking Science (the same curriculum we were doing at home that got left behind a lot), Art, Spelling, and World Cultures. I love that she has the freedom to do these kinds of things. How many 1st graders get to take a World Cultures class - learning about different countries, their cultures, taste their food, etc.? We also joined a Homeschool group that I'm excited about. We have a few upcoming field trips - Harry's Farmers Market, Fire Station, V'Day party, & Father/Daughter Dance. So cool!

OK, so what are the pros and cons I'm seeing so far? First of all, it is a huge commitment! It takes time and planning. I am so guilty of being unprepared some days and it just makes it tough on both of us. This responsibility falls directly on me and I will continue to work on this. Of course, I do worry sometimes that she isn't "getting enough". But, I am seeing and hearing from other parents that she really is getting more than I think. We don't have to get through every single thing that's planned. There are days when she wants to read more, so something else has to wait until tomorrow. She's getting lots of hands-on that she wouldn't necessarily get otherwise.

I do love the flexibility of it. We had no one to report to when we went to Disney while everyone else had to go back to school. When she's not feeling well, we just stay in pj's and do our work. Field trips are awesome. We didn't do as many as I would have liked the first semester, but this semester is filling up FAST!

Everything is one on one. When she is struggling with something, we just take it slow and work on it more. She doesn't get left behind nor does she get held back! I also love that when she asks questions and the lesson goes in a different direction - great! She's just learning that much more! It is amazing to get to be there with her as she learns and seeing the accomplishment in her face when she realizes something new.

I love that we get to read our Bible stories every day. We say our blessing before every meal. And, most importantly I get to teach christian morals every day, all day. She is not being negatively influenced by other kids whose parents have questionable morals (ouch - strong words, I know but I speak from experience). I can equip her at home for when she's older and can handle herself better.

And, the cons...

Because she is in her most comfortable place being at home she is becoming more and more lax. I feel like she is getting lazy and losing her motivation. I know that she loves to learn, but she does not put a great deal of effort into it. She has become sloppy with her work. This causes a lot of friction between the two of us and makes for some very long, stressful, emotional days. My sanity and patience are tested daily. Sometimes I wonder if I'm helping or hurting our relationship long term. Would she do better for someone else? This really is our major issue. But it is a HUGE one.

Sacrifice! Time & finances are a major sacrifice in this world of homeschooling. Would it be easier to put her on a bus every day and send her to school? Heck yeah! To have 3 days a week to myself sounds dreamy (Maddie goes to preschool 3 mornings a week). My house would be cleaner(er). I could go to the gym every morning. I could go to the grocery store or run errands alone. Homeschooling is an added expense. We have to buy our own curriculum (another pro also) while our tax dollars go to pay for public education (stinks). But, at least I know WHAT she's learning and not learning things I don't want her to know yet!

What's easiest isn't always best. Homeschooling IS HARD! In exchange, I get to see her every day, all day. I don't just see her for a few crazy, chaotic minutes in the morning and a few hours before she goes to bed in the evening. I am a part of the process, as painful as it is at times.

Will we homeschool forever? I honestly do not know. Right now, I still feel this is what we're suppose to do. We do have some other options for next year that include a hybrid school and private school. But, we'll finish out this semester and take it from there! Thanks for tagging along this journey!

Our Family - 2011 Update

2012-01-26T16:23:00.000-05:00

Hi, friends! Remember me? =) Several have asked where I went so I thought I better check in before you give up on me. Thanks for hanging around! Here's our update:

Cheerleading - Audrey's group had a fantastic year winning all 3 local competitions, were Georgia state champs, and 2nd place at Nationals. Pretty impressive if you ask me! More importantly, Audrey was happy. She loved it! She has some new skills. Her shyness dropped at least one notch. :) She even won the "Blossom" award this year. Both her coaches spoke highly of her and the changes in skill and personality she made through the season. She wouldn't speak to anyone in the beginning, but by the end she was leading and helping other girls. So proud! She couldn't do a cartwheel at the beginning of the season and now she has a beautiful one, a spectacular round off, and working on a back walk over. Both girls are currently in a gymnastics/tumbling class and love it!

Disney - Cheerleading Nationals were in Orlando this year, so we made it a full blown family vacation. We were there seven nights. We stayed in a beautiful resort. When the team commitments and competition was over, it was time to play! This was, after all, the girls' first visit to Disney! We had a 4 day hopper pass and we wore it out! Day #1 was Magic Kingdom. The girls really enjoyed meeting the characters (starting with Rapunzel) and all the cool rides. Love some animatronics (is that a word?)!! Day #2 was Animal Kingdom which I like to refer to as a zoo on steroids. This was my first time there and although we didn't get to do everything we wanted, we were exhausted by the end of the day. (Maddie fell asleep at 6:30 on the shuttle ride back to the resort and didn't wake up until 7:30 the next morning!) I LOVED the Lion King show. And, Maddie got chosen to be in the show, which was adorable! Derek got me on a crazy roller coaster, but I survived. lol Day #3 was to Epcot. First time I've ever been there, too. Loved all the countries. Again, lots of characters to meet (aka lots of standing in line). Great shows! We all loved the Spaceship Earth (?) ride. I was totally impressed with how intrigued Audrey was and how as we went through the different time periods, she remembered (and was excited) at all she knew that we had studied. She asked questions through the whole ride. Day #4 was Hollywood Studios. I really enjoyed this one (Hello, Tower of Terror is there!). We had some rain that day, but nothing terrible. All in all, we had a fantastic time. The 8 hour trip was not bad at all. The kids did really well. But, I seriously needed a vacation to rest from my vacation of fun when we got home. LOL

Derek is sooo loving his job! He is traveling a lot more than he was, but he is so happy. And, they are really pleased with his work. He's a smart dude! =) Silly boy has put himself in the running to go to Singapore for a year, so stay tuned! He's still active in his culinary group, as well. We've found a new Bible Fellowship at church that we both like and he's had some activities with the guys there. Other than that, he works a lot. And, he's trying to re-enroll at UT to finish his PhD.

I am still very active in singing at church with the WOW group. LOVE, love, love it! The ladies are amazing and the ministry opportunities are fantastic. I'm also getting to do some more choreography through the church. Our Children's spring musical is coming up soon and I'll be doing a flag number, ballet number, and cheer routine. Fun!! I'm doing a couple of songs with the Conservatory of Music for their spring production. I'll also be helping with some other programs in the coming months, but will wait to elaborate on that later. =)

I will do a separate post for homeschool for all those interested in how that's going.

Christmas Time

2011-12-19T23:54:00.000-05:00

Can you believe Christmas is only 6 days away?! Where has the year gone? I absolutely love this time of year! The music, the shopping, the decorations, the movies, the lights, etc..... I get a little sad thinking it will be over soon. True confession! My girls are at the perfect age to enjoy the magic of Christmas. They are so excited! Oh, if you haven't done so already, you must get your kiddo a personalized video from Santa at Portable North Pole. FUN!

I have to share with you a tradition that we started this year. You can find the original idea and post at this awesome blog from Confessions of a Homeschooler: Mini Van Express. I downloaded the tickets she provided, laminated them, and hid them in the girls' beds. We got the girls ready for bed as normal - pajamas, brush teeth, potty, etc. When they climbed into bed, they found their tickets. I shouted, "All aboard! The Mini Van Express will be pulling out in 2 minutes." (I had already placed their slippers at the front door and jackets in the van.) I punched their tickets as they got in the van (and every time we got out and back in the van). We drove around and looked at lights, saw Mr. & Mrs. Clause, and grabbed a snack. It was a late night, but worth every minute of it. Can't wait to do it again next year!

So, I actually got all my Christmas shopping done before Christmas. LOL I think everything is actually going to be here in time. WooHoo! I'm super excited about one gift in particular that I'm giving, but I can't share until after Christmas because I think she reads my blog. I'll be sure to share afterwards though. =) As for the girls, it's another Barbie year intertwined with Lalaloopsies, a password Diary, make up, and cheerleading. What did you ask for for Christmas? I'm hoping for Project Life. =)

Is everyone on their winter break? We started today. The girls celebrated by wearing bathing suits and playing "beach" upstairs. Hahaha! Our post a little picture of the grusome scene they were playing earlier. We are so going to enjoy our break!

Taking care of a lot of sick babies.

Blessings

2011-11-22T22:32:00.000-05:00

Realized I hadn't checked in in a while. We have been so incredibly busy the last few weeks. I wanted to update you on a few things. First of all, got yet another diagnosis on my eye and it was not Shingles - shew! I was told it was either "Pink Eye gone bad" or some sort of cold sore in my eye. Fun, huh?! In any case, I did get my 3rd eye drop and it seems to have done the trick! :) The real test will be to see if it comes back or not. So far I've gone the longest without it returning.

Derek has been traveling a lot for work. He spent a couple of days in New York, came home, and then went back for a week. He's in Boston today and will be going to Arizona for a few days coming up soon. We miss him when he's gone, but I'm so grateful for the opportunities that he has. He truly loves his job. He also has started the process of re-admittance to UT to finish up his PhD. He's been so close for so many years. He just needs to carve out some time and get that dissertation done! :) Along with his full time job and request to write 2 books by two different publishers... oh, yeah and the contract work on the side... I'm sure he can find some extra time here and there. LOL Poor guy!! I'm so proud of him though!

First public reading =)

The kindergarten class she was reading to

Maddie got to hold the "Old Lady" that swallowed a fly.

Speaking of being proud, Audrey read for a kindergarten class today. She did soooo well! Anyone that knows her personally will know what a big deal this is for her. A dear friend of mine is a music teacher at a local elementary school and she invited us to participate in a special day that they have where everyone wears pajamas to school and read all day. I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity for Audrey. She has been talking about it for several days and practicing on her reading. We got to class before any of the kids did and she sat down in the teacher's chair with her books. She was so excited! But, you should have seen her face when the kids walked in. All the color left her face and I could see the terror starting to move through her body. Mrs. Susan started class by singing some songs and loosened everyone up. Then she asked Audrey what story she wanted to start with. She jumped right in and started reading. Granted, she didn't smile or interact a great deal, but she made it through both books beautifully! She started to ease up quite a bit by the second book. Huge step for her!! I was very proud. :) She said she really enjoyed it and wants to find some other classes to read to, so we will absolutely be doing that. It was a great experience for both girls today. They both got to participate in the whole music class and had a super time!

Audrey is doing fantastic in cheerleading. They've won all 3 competitions so far. They have state championships in December and then we're off to Florida for nationals in January. I can't wait!! Audrey is just blossoming. :) She is doing perfect cartwheels and round offs. Her jumps are getting much better. She has even started working on a front hand spring. She's trying really hard to do a back walk over. We're hoping to start tumbling classes as soon as cheer is over.

As for school, I don't feel like we've done as much "traditional" schooling lately just because of all the activities we've had going on. We've done a lot more real life learning, which I think is extremely important, especially at this age. We've been to the zoo. She helped me prepare for a dinner party at church and learned how to properly set a table. She's been doing a lot of workbooks and reading, which she enjoys. The math seems to be too easy and she's getting bored, so we're going to have to reassess that. As I have talked about before, she really dislikes handwriting. It's not that she can't do it, she just doesn't enjoy it. She has been asking for several weeks to learn cursive writing. I bit the bullet and got some material for her. Experienced homeschooling moms out there, do you think it's ok to start? I don't want to jump in too early on things, but if it's something she really wants to learn, I'm thinking, "Why not?". One thing we are doing next semester is a school one day a week at a local church. She'll be taking some supplemental classes (Science, Art, Spelling, and World Cultures) on Mondays. I think it will be great (for both of us) to have something a little different. She'll enjoy being with other kids and I'll get some one on one with Maddie.

Maddie is doing well. She seems to do wonderfully at school, maybe even a little too well. She has a few boys that are currently fighting for her hand in marriage. LOL She has a few little girls that also argue for her attention. It so stinking cute, really. She's such a sweet kid and so happy all the time. I'm also learning that she's a bit of a perfectionist and gets a little frustrating with herself when she doesn't do things exactly right. She's starting to write more, but she wants to do it perfectly and gets upset when she can't. We're working on it though! My sweet girl will be 4 years old next week. Hard to believe! We're going to celebrate at school on her birthday since it is a school day. Then, we're going to have a big birthday party at Monkey Joe's over the weekend. She's super excited about that. =) She also just finished up her first session of gymnastics. We're going to start a new session next week, but it is a combo class of dance and gymnastics. Can't wait to see her do that!

As for me, I'm doing so much better. I've got a lot of the anxieties I was having under control. God has been so good, truly. I feel blessed more than I can possibly express to you through this blog. The group of friends that He has placed around me are amazing. They are strong, wise women that I respect and admire greatly. They have taken me in as though I've known them my entire life. God is so good! We have also been quite busy with numerous opportunities to sing lately. What a blessing it has been! It has been quite time consuming as we rehearse and prepare new music to share, but I love every second of it. It has really pushed me to do better and taken me out of my comfort zone at times. I really feel like I'm learning and growing both spiritually and musically as never before. God is so good!

In closing, I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there! Thanks for hanging around even when it's quiet over here. Take time to stop and think about what is most important in your life. Never forget where those blessings came from!

Cheerleading, Birthdays, Halloween, and More!

2011-11-01T21:39:00.003-04:00

Checking in, friends. Didn't mean to keep you hanging on that last downer of a post. I'm feeling a wee bit better today. I actually went to the doctor this morning with what I thought was my 4th bout of pink eye! Yes, I said 4th... in only 2 months. Turns out I have SHINGLES in my eye. How crazy is that?! Needless to say, they are being more aggressive with treatment and I will be seeing an Ophthalmologist tomorrow. Prayers are much appreciated as they said it is pretty dangerous stuff to have in your eye. Leave it to me to be the weirdo. LOL!

So, we've celebrated a couple of birthdays in the past few weeks. Derek turned 37 and I turned 36. Shew. There, I said it. I'm grateful for another year, but I'm not gonna lie... I'm a little freaked out that I'm crawling ever so closer to the big 40. I do believe I will freak out when that time comes. Ahhhh!! Anyhoo... moving on.

My sweet little Audrey competed in her very first cheerleading competition on Saturday. She did fantastic!! I could not have been more proud of her!! And, to top it off... they placed first! It just does my heart good to see her so happy. She truly loves it!

Yesterday was Halloween. We started with a Fall Festival at church. It rocked... as usual! Then we met up with some neighborhood friends for some T&T fun. Had a great time! The girls looked adorable - if I do say so myself. Granted, I don't think most people knew what they were, but hey - they were cute nonetheless. :) FYI, they were Lalaloopsy Dolls. You can check 'em out here. My girls love them! Derek & Audrey picked up the wigs on a whim a few weeks ago when Maddie was sick. We just found some cute outfits here and there to put together - and wha-la! We have our own Lalaoopsy Dolls.

Since today is the first day of November and we're counting down to Thanksgiving, I wanted to say how grateful I am for my family. They are incredible and I love them so very much! My husband is fantastic. He "gets" me. He loves me. He's an amazing husband and spectacular dad. So thankful for that! My kids truly light up my life. They make me laugh. They make me smile. They make me want to be a better person. I love, love, love 'em!

That's it for now. I thought I'd post some pictures of our recent activities... as well as catch up on some previous promised photos. Enjoy!

These are the behavior lights I talked about here.

Little sister ready to cheer on big sister!

My cheerleader before the competition.

My cheerleader after the competition with her first place medal!

Our LaLaLoopsy Dolls

Our pirate ship in the front yard. Ahoy, Mates!

Just one of those days....

2011-10-28T15:55:00.001-04:00

I'm in a funk. I'm feeling blue. Call it hormones, perhaps. Strange things are happening to this now-36-year-old body. Could just be Satan himself trying to bring me down because he knows how much God & I have been talking lately. Whatever it is, I don't like it. I'm not feeling so much like myself these days. And, why is it when we're down, we feel the urge to drudge up more sadness from the past in hopes it makes us feel better today? Seriously, how ridiculous is that?

"Snap out of it already", I hear you saying from the other side of the screen. Don't get me wrong, I know how good I've got it! I'm blessed with an amazing husband who truly loves me as I am. I have two beautiful, healthy daughters. We live in a wonderful home with great neighbors. I have an abundance of precious friends and a loving family. I have a God that cares about me and accepts me in the raw. I have it better than most, I'd say. So, what's my deal?

I battled depression in my mid to late 20's. I don't know if it was triggered by difficult situations of the time or if it's just a chemical or genetic thing since I know there's a history of it my family. In any case, I'm feeling blah. So, I'm going to go have some chocolate, take a hot shower, say a prayer, and go love on the blessings I have! Thanks for letting me have a downer kinda day, friends.....

First Quarter - Check!

2011-10-11T23:51:00.000-04:00

Hi, friends! Happy October! My favorite month of the year. I love the cool fall weather, changing colors, and falling leaves. (Ok, my birthday may have something to do with it, too. lol) I LOVE decorating for fall. We totally splurged on a Halloween decoration (which we don't normally decorate for). But, we love pirates and found one of those big lawn blow up pirate ships (Yeehaw!). I swore I'd never put one of those things in my yard, but I love it. LOL (I'll take a pic tomorrow since I finally found my camera battery and am charging it now). I'm still looking for the perfect wreath to hang on the door. I may just have to hop over to Pinterest and find one to make myself. =)

I'm feeling better. Don't know if I shared earlier, but I had my third bout of Pink Eye in six weeks. My face broke out terribly with knots, bumps, and splotches. Turns out I had some sort of viral infection that seemed to overtake my left side. (Several people said it looked like Shingles.) Finished up my last dose of meds today and am starting to look more normal. lol Other than that, I'm just feeling a little run down. I've had some emotional ups and downs. I hate losing my patience with the kids, but I feel overly sensitive lately. Don't know if its the virus, hormones, meds, or what - but it's not pretty. I've had a hard time balancing everything the last week or so. Story of my life, huh? We're working some things out though and it really helps. Hubby has committed to taking care of dinner every night. It takes a great load off my shoulders. He's an amazing cook and enjoys it. I am incredibly grateful for that!! I do all the other "stuff", but we are going to have a housekeeper start coming in once a month. I'm super excited about that! I just need a little helping hand here and there. Between homeschooling, the kids, their activities, and church commitments - I just need a little fresh air. What a blessing it will be!!

We are a quarter of the way through school. Can you even believe it?! I think we've found our groove. We still have our ups and downs, but that's part of the parent/child relationship as much as it is teacher/student. We'll be finishing up our first I Can Read It book this week, as well as our first full unit (10 lessons) in Math. That's exciting!! We're still slowly catching up on Science. She still loves her Bible and history stories. Again, still not doing well with the spelling, but we're enjoying a great free website a friend recommended: www.SpellingCity.com. Check it out! It has some great games to play using their spelling words. We may start adding in the Sign Language soon, too.

We did get some disheartening news today that I thought I'd share. I know it could be worse, but I'm honestly a little bummed. Audrey had her repeat EEG a couple of weeks ago. We were hopeful that she had outgrown the Epilepsy, but the seizure activity has actually increased. The test shows that even on medication she is having seizures in her sleep, when she takes deep breaths, and now with certain lights. We now have to be cautious of places with strobe lights, as well as monitor her television & computer exposure. She can't sit too close to screens or watch in the dark (which isn't good for you anyway). Her medicine is going to be slightly increased. And, she we will have to continue the meds and monitoring for two more years before they'll retest her. Again, I know that it could be so much worse. We're truly blessed that we're able to treat this and keep it under control. Please continue to pray with us that it will eventually go away completely.

Hello Fall!

2011-10-02T23:20:00.001-04:00

Hello, out there! Shew, have we had some happenings around here! The blog is falling to the wayside again. Sorry. Where should I start? How 'bout if I break down like this....

School: We've almost completed 7 weeks. We've had more good days than bad. (Yay!) I really do see some improvements in reading. I'm working with her to build her confidence. She is capable of reading much more than she is. She surprises herself at times. :) We've just finished reading The Hundred Dresses and will be starting Johnny Appleseed this week in our read alouds. We've discovered the books on CDs. It's a great reward for her. She just finished Beverly Clearly's Beazus and Ramona and is currently listening to The Secret Garden. Her handwriting is continuing to improve despite her aversions. :) She's moving a little slowly in math right now, but I want to make sure she "gets it". Still behind in Science, but we'll keep working! She loves history! Last week we starting studying Medieval times so the whole family went to the Medieval Times Dinner Theater last night. The girls LOVED it! Maddie was mesmerized by the horses. :)

Health - I've been totally depressed about my health and weight lately. I've had pink eye twice in the last month. Then I had some sort of virus and my face broke out in sores. Looks awful! Then, got bit by a spider and my leg turned red and swelled up. Not pretty! I'm feeling better today. I even got myself to the gym (and Greenway) and worked out twice. Hubby and I rode 10 miles on the Trikes today. It was wonderful! Earlier in the week I walked a 5k. It felt good to exercise again. Gotta keep it up!!

Audrey - She had her EEG last week to see if the Epilepsy is gone. We should have results hopefully this week, if not, definitely by the next. I'm praying for complete healing! I'm hopeful she can come off her medicine.

Craziness - Two nights ago, both of our cars were broken into. Sucks. But, I'm fortunate that they didn't take my van. The spare key was in D's car, which is how they got into my van. They only took my GPS (and a half a day of time lost hanging out with the police). They hit several cars in our neighborhood and the one across the street. I'm ok with the GPS, but admit I feel violated. :(

Needless to say, with our week, we had an impromptu "fall break". With Wednesday's EEG, I had to sleep deprive her the night before, so that day was out. Thursday is my normal morning commitment to Bible Study, but the afternoon (usual school time) was filled with outings and getting the van fixed. Then, Friday was a day with the police because of the break ins. We will be finishing up last week's lessons this week and starting on the next week. Thank goodness for flexibility!

That's it for now!

Enjoying a day at the park

Fun times at the quiet park ;)

Line leader on picture day

BFF's waiting for pictures

One of Audrey's new favs - Pattern Blocks

Medieval Times - The knight threw the flower to Maddie =)

Perfect attire for our evening at Medieval Times

First Grade Picture Day

Picture Day outfit chosen by the 3 year old herself - and then there were press on Princess nails =)

Week 5 Recap

2011-09-19T22:52:00.001-04:00

So the last couple of weeks have been a bit rough. No pretty way to put it. We've had some good days and some bad days. Our schedules did change a bit last week with the addition of some activities, so we had to adjust. Audrey just wasn't in learning mode so much. We had a few meltdowns - and yes, I said, "We". Mama's not proud, but it is what it is. I'm better now. :) I will say that this week has started out MUCH better!

Despite the ups and downs, we did accomplish some things. She continues to do well with her reading. She lacks motivation when it comes to spelling. She can spell most things phonetically, but that's a problem when it comes to double consonants and sight words. Couple that with her lack of love for handwriting and I had to get creative. I wrote spelling words all over the room for her to copy - on the chalkboard, whiteboards, paper plates, paper, etc. with different writing tools. It seemed to work. She was more enthusiastic about copying and working on her words.

We spent awhile on Lesson 8 with math on finding the unknowns. But, we did start Lesson 9 at the end of last week with adding by 9's. We'll review another couple of days and possibly move on to adding by 8's the end of this week.

She loves history! Last week we learned about the Vikings. We learned about where they lived, what they did, what they ate, etc. Audrey made her own Viking Longhouse.

We got through her Read Aloud early again. We were reading My Father's Dragon. Cute book! We finished a few days early so I found a cool Lapbook for it online. We aren't completely finished with it, but I'll try to remember to post pictures when we do. This week we're reading The Hundred Dresses. I'm not familiar with this one, but she's enjoying it so far. Because she enjoys books so much, we picked up some books on CD at the library. She has already finished Beverly Clearly's Beazus and Ramona. We'll start on The Secret Garden tomorrow. They're perfect when she's working on copywork or waiting for me while I pick up Maddie or something.

Confession - we haven't been working on science as much. We had some experiments that we needed to do with the sun, but we had a week of rain and overcast, so it has fallen behind a bit. No worries - we'll catch back up! Same thing with our additional Bible Study. I love the study, but we're a little overwhelmed right now. We're still doing our daily readings in the Egermieres Children's Bible Stories and a lot of our literature is based on the Bible. Additionally, we're working on her Sparks verses and stories. We'll pick back up with the Apologia's 'Who Is God?' in a few weeks.

We started back to Awanas the 7th. Maddie is old enough this year, so she is a Cubby. Audrey is enthusiastic about her verses. She's doing well! We also started Children's Choir the same week. Maddie is now old enough to participate. :) She loves it! I'm teaching 2nd grade choir and love it. Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to.

Art project - Painting with string

Audrey's Viking Longhouse

So proud

Had to throw one in there of our new student ;)

Day at the park

Good times!

In Our Class

2011-09-05T23:13:00.001-04:00

Here are a few pictures of things we're trying this year. So far they're working pretty well!

These are our workboxes. I fill each box at night with her daily assignments for the next morning. She works through them one at a time. It lets her see what she has accomplished and what still needs to be done. It helps me organize all of her assignments and make sure that we get through everything. The boxes are just the right size to hold her books, worksheets, supplies, etc.

These are our rules. I had an old frame and left over material from recovering her desk chair. I just put the material in, printed out our classroom "rules", and taped them on!

This is our reward system. We bought some colorful rocks from Michael's. I already had a cute glass vase. She sets a personal goal she wants to work for (right now she's working towards a new game for her V-Tech). She earns rocks for completing her assignments &chores, for not whining, for going above and beyond, etc. Once she fills the vase, she earns her new game. I figure she'll earn something once or twice a semester.

One more thing we do that I need to get a picture of, is a red/yellow/green light for behavior. I just cut out a circle of red, yellow, and green cardstock and glued it to a black rectangle cardstock to look like a stop light. I laminated it. (I made one light for each girl.) Then I took a picture of each girl and laminated them. I added velcro stickers to the back and attached it to the "light". The goal is stay on the green light. If we have issues throughout the day and their picture makes it to red, they lose their outside play time with neighbors. (I'm sure the consequences will change, but right now this is the "biggie".) Yellow is seen as a serious warning. So far nobody has made it to red! =)

Week 3

2011-09-01T22:42:00.000-04:00

Just sitting here eating some singed angel wings. Ever had those? They're just toasted angel food cake slices. Yummy! Anyhoo... gonna admit something gross. I've got the pink eye :( I'm praying I didn't pass it along to 100 other choir members at rehearsal last night. I've never had it before and thought I just had a clogged tear duct. I woke up this morning with an incredibly unpleasant feeling in my blood shot eye. I went to the doctor and she informed me of the "very contagious pink eye". Great! I felt pretty miserable this afternoon. However, after my second dose of eye drops this evening, I'm finally feeling some comfort. =)

Schooling is going well. Man, am I grateful for the flexible schedule! I've had to work in a few doctor appointments between Maddie's allergic reaction to a topical cream, my vertigo and pink eye. We've been doing school throughout the day. It breaks up the day nicely though. She's doing pretty well, too. She still has some aversions to writing anything, but we're working on it. How do I encourage her to not be sloppy? I'd love some suggestions!! She can do her work, but she doesn't care that it's a mess. And, she loves to doodle on all of her papers. I'm ok with that except that I'd prefer that she not curly q all of her "g"s until I know she can write them correctly. lol As for math, we've sailed through to Lesson 8. I think we'll be spending a little more time here. It's definitely a new concept for her (and quite frankly, it seems pretty advanced to me for this young), but she's starting to catch on. The manipulatives have really helped! The concept is finding the unknowns. (Think of finding X in an algebraic equation.) I'm fine staying here until she's ready to push forward. She's progressing well in her reading materials. I just wish I could get her to want to read for fun on her own. :/ She LOVES for me to read to her, so I do not discourage that. We've moved on and added a lot to our reading list.

Maddie started preschool Wednesday (Monday was orientation). I think she's loving it. She's going to the same Christian Academy that Audrey went to - and has the same teacher. She loves that she has to take her lunch to school. ;) Here are a few pictures....

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

2011-08-31T22:32:00.000-04:00

Any of you ever heard of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo? Well, after 3+ years of a spinning world, it appears I have been properly diagnosed and treated. When I first started experiencing vertigo, it was ear issues. I just assumed that's what it always was. I'm usually sensitive to my left side and tend to "spin" when I lay on that side, turn my head too quick, etc. A few months ago I went to the doctor because it was really bothering me and I just figured it was inner ear issues again. Instead, my ears were perfectly fine and the doctor suggested it was Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. She referred me to Physical Therapy for it. Who knew you could get PT for vertigo?! Let me tell ya though - it has worked! Granted, the PT was NOT pleasant. (Is PT really ever pleasant?) Remember those little hand held games where you tilt it around trying to get the little silver ball in the holes? That's what the therapist likened the treatment to. She had to move my head around, make me dizzy, and readjust some things. So far so good!

First Field Trip

2011-08-29T22:07:00.000-04:00

Friday the girls and I went on our first field trip of the year. Audrey finished all of her lessons a day early, so we took a trip to Gainesville, GA to INK (Interactive Neighborhood for Kids). We went last year on Audrey's only kindergarten field trip. She loved it! Maddie had not been so this was fun for her. We actually bought a year family membership and will be able to visit a variety of Children's Museums across the country. There are some in Atlanta, Knoxville, and Chattanooga that we'll easily be able to go to. Looking forward to it. Here are a few pictures from our day:

Serving in the diner.

Playing in the Vet Hospital. (BTW, turns out we know that little boy's parents. Small world.)

Maddie weighing the dog.

Captain Audrey

Co-Pilot Maddie

Maddie loved digging in the garden.

Milking a cow!

She even added the boots. :)

Grocery shopping (Mommy is the cashier)

Just her size.

She loves the Salon.

My little actress/model playing in the dress up clothes.

Actress/Cheerleader =)

Week 2 Review

2011-08-25T15:50:00.002-04:00

I know, I'm jumping the gun a bit. The school week isn't over until tomorrow, but we're really finished with the bulk of our stuff. Tomorrow will be a good review and finishing up of some things. We've been a little more flexible with our schedule this week. The days were a little longer than the first, but we threw some extra "recesses" in. ;) Maddie starts preschool next week, so this is her last full week at home every day. The girls have enjoyed playing. No worries, we have gotten all the essential information in and even added a few things of our own.

Audrey has thoroughly enjoyed The Boxcar Children (ok, mommy has, too), so we jumped a week ahead and finished the whole thing. She made her own diorama of the boxcar. I was very proud of her creativity! We also finished her reading assignments a day early. She has done very well with her reading. We've been talking about similes, commas, short a sounds, and double consonants this week. We finished up with a creative writing assignment about her family. It's always fun to hear what the kiddos think about their family! =)

In our history core, we've looked at ancient civilization and Egypt. We did some virtual tours of the Pyramids, learned how to mummify a person (which she thought was very cool, btw!), and made some Egyptian neck dressings. Fun stuff!

The kid is going through math quite easily right now. She's a little bored. So, we just touched on lessons 2-4 and started 5 today. I have a feeling we'll be moving through to 6-8 next week. I realize that most of this is review for her for what she already knows. But, this will give us more time to get into the new stuff more in depth and not worry about not having enough time this year. I think she's going to be fine.

Handwriting is still a bit of a struggle - an attitude struggle, that is. I've done less "lessons" in writing and just made the corrections as needed through copywork in other subjects. I have noticed an improvement already in these past two weeks. :)

She's still not overly excited about Science, but we did work with the planets a little bit more. We made our own mnemonic for learning and remembering the order of the planets. (My Valentine Eats Mommy's Jellybeans Says Uncle Norton.) We attempted a model clay solar system, but that was a project FAIL. They looked pretty good, but wouldn't stay on their strings to hang. Mommy clearly doesn't do well with some of these projects. We're all suppose to be learning here, right?

We are continuing our reading through Egermeier's Children's Bible Story Book. I really like it! Audrey is retaining the information well. I've found some great supplemental work to go along with it - like coloring sheets, puzzles, quiz sheets, etc.

Derek started teaching Audrey Tai Chi today. (Yes, dear, I know that is not the proper spelling, so feel free to comment with the correction.) ;) In September, D will be with Audrey on Thursday mornings while I sing and participate in our Women of Worship Bible Study at church. D agreed to add this to their time together. I think she enjoys in.

Did I mention we got a dog this week? Yeppers - she still doesn't officially have a name. Her original name is LuLu. Her shelter name is Tootsie. I don't particularly care for either, but we can't seem to agree on anything else. ;) She has enjoyed school with us this week, as well.

That's it for this week's review, though I will leave you with one funny. Since we finished with the Boxcar Children a week early, we started reading The Secret Garden. I had been reading to her for a while when she decided she needed to get up and do something. She says, "Can you pause it? I'll be right back." Love that kid!

Math is much easier with a doggie on your lap!

The Boxcar Children Diorama complete with grass, real pine straw beds, Jessie & Violet, a clothesline, waterfall, swimming pool, and fire pit.

Daddy is a great teacher!

Week One Done

2011-08-19T20:58:00.003-04:00

Well, we survived our very first week of homeschool! Yay! We had our ups and downs, but mostly ups. I'm learning more about my child and her learning styles. She is a pretty smart cookie if I do say so myself. :) But, she's also pretty darn stubborn when it comes to things she doesn't like..... handwriting. We'll make it through though. I did notice that she's singing her handwriting technique songs she's been listening to this week. Maybe they'll help more than me standing over her telling her over and over how to do it. :) I thought I'd share a few things that I have learned this week:

1. Be flexible! I heard this over and over at the conferences I went to, but this week I discovered what it truly means. A pretty little schedule written out neatly in an organized binder looks nice, but that doesn't mean we're going to stick to it exactly! If she says, "Read me more", than by all means I'm going to keep reading! If she wants to build more math problems and work through our science block - we'll do extra tomorrow. :)

2. Be prepared! I did a pretty good job this week of being prepared, but one day I spent a little less time and it was the day that was the least productive. It is important that I know exactly what needs to be done and have everything ready to go.

3. No TV before school! One morning I allowed her to watch a cartoon before class so I could get a couple of things done. Not a good idea. It immediately gives her an unproductive mind set and it's hard to get her back into the groove. It's important to start school as soon as possible. She did a good job sticking to her morning "Busy Bee's" routine. We just have to jump into class afterward so we don't lose momentum.

4. It takes time! I spend a lot more time at night than I thought I would preparing for the next day's lesson. I'm sure in time I'll have the hang of it and won't have to spend quite as much time preparing. As for lessons, it takes us about 4 hours a day to get through everything. Gives us a full afternoon to have fun and spend time together.

5. Be creative! Take every opportunity to teach. It's about making the lessons come to life. If she finds a bug and wants to know about it - run with it! Turn it into a lesson and find out as much as possible. If something isn't working, do something different. Teaching her without her knowing it is priceless. ;)

6. My kid is cool! Not that I didn't know that before, but I've really enjoyed spending time with her this week in this capacity. She's a smart little girl and she really enjoys learning. I love watching her get excited about learning. And, I'm grateful for the opportunity to share along beside her and not miss out on her education.

So, that's the wisdom for this week. I'm sure there will be many more insights and "ah, ha" moments this year.

Happy Copywork =)

New roller paint and rainbows.

Prepping the box for our Solar System activity.

Third Day Is a Charm

2011-08-17T23:59:00.003-04:00

Third day is a charm. :) No meltdowns to report. I kinda threw the original schedule out the window and followed my instincts. I had both girls today so we started with our daily calendar activities (Audrey actually got downstairs first and did all the changes herself). Then we sat in the floor and read some of our library books. I also had Audrey read with me while reviewing some of our sentence structure and capitalization rules we've been working on. I pulled out some flashcards for sight words. Afterward we did our Bible study with some copywork. We also turned on the Handwriting CD for fun and had an impromptu dance party while we learned some writing skills.... and to my surprise Maddie then picked up a marker and wrote letters on the whiteboard!

The girls wanted to play outside a few minutes and in the process found a rollie pollie in the yard. Audrey asked if she could keep it as a pet until we get our dog Saturday. We found a container to put it in. She named him Harold. :) She was asking me questions about it that I didn't know, so we researched and made a lesson out of it. (I'm really liking this!) She even spouted off some facts to her Nana this afternoon.

I decided to go back to the science lesson today since she had not been so receptive Monday. I got her involved in a coloring sheet while I read to her. It sparked some excitement in her when she remembered she had seen an episode of Magic School Bus related to what we were studying. So, I found it online and let the girls watch it. Even Maddie was glued to it. The show reiterated what we had been discussing. What really surprised is that before we watched the show, she was telling me lots of details - and it has been several months since she's seen it.

Afterwards, we needed to do math, so I asked Audrey to teach Maddie. I was hoping to see if she really understood what she had been taught. I was able to see what she could do, as well as do our new lesson without her really knowing she was being taught. LOL After math we did our Read Aloud books. Audrey read both stories really well. I read her a couple more chapters in The Boxcar Children while she and Maddie made an art project with stamps. I really wondered if she was paying attention, but noticed several times her stopping and listening intently. And, as always, she answered all the comprehension questions easily. I'm starting to see that she may be a kinesthetic learner when I thought she was an auditory learner. She was reading her sight words aloud to me earlier in the day while Maddie was jumping all over her and they were pushing each other over in chairs. She often complains that she's bored and doesn't like when she has to sit still. Hmmm... we may be on to something here! Anyhoo, we ended the day with the first video in our Etiquette class. Audrey was a little bored with it, but I'll add an activity to it next time and spruce up a little. :) I'd call it a good day!


Ok, I don't normally allow my kids to stand on furniture, but she was really into her handwriting music. LOL

Reality Sets In

2011-08-16T23:53:00.000-04:00

I don't expect to post every day, though in the beginning I want to share the ups and downs and the reality of our journey. Yesterday was so awesome. Today was a little more "real". lol Funny how quickly the novelty of it all dissipates when you have to do things you don't want to do! We started out pretty well. Maddie jumped in to some of the activities. I added her into our Handwriting Without Tears by pulling in our double sided easel so each girl could write as we listened to our music and played along. She added her own little dance and then was off to play again. Audrey enjoyed our Bible reading through Genesis as well as history as we talked about how the first people lived. We took a virtual tour online through the caves and even made some of our own cave drawings. However, when it was time to sit down and work on handwriting (something she does not enjoy), the attitude monster came out. We had a few moments that weren't pretty, but it was a good teaching moment. In an "ugly moment" I was actually able to turn it around and into a math lesson without her really knowing it. Ha! For me, day #2 was about realizing early on that not everything is going to go as planned. We're not going to get everything done every day. And, it's ok! I'm learning that I have to be creative when it isn't working. And, it's ok to put it down and come back and work on it later!

Maddie gets in on the action. She, too, changed into different pajamas for school. :)

Making cave drawings on stone.

Handwriting activity

Maddie enjoyed it, too.

Maddie's first day of gymnastics.

The Journey Begins....

2011-08-15T22:54:00.000-04:00

And, we're off! Today was officially the first day of First Grade at "Norton Academy". ;) Audrey was so excited! I have to giggle a bit because one of the perks of HS that Audrey has been so excited about is wearing pajamas to school. lol So, we went "Back to School clothes shopping" yesterday and she got 5 new sets of pajamas. She put a new pair on to sleep in last night - and then changed into a new pair for school today. LOL

I'd say the first day went really well. Adjustments will need to be made along the way, as expected. It was nice to have the whole day to ourselves without any distractions. Tomorrow we'll be adding Maddie to the mix. Should be interesting. LOL

Our day went like this: Audrey started with her "Busy Bees": Bathroom, Brush (hair & teeth), Bed (make it up), and Breakfast. Then we headed downstairs about 8:30 and started our lessons. We went over expectations, how the workboxes work, reward system, etc. Then we started with prayer (guess what - we can do that every day at our school!!). ;) We did a Bible lesson (Apologia). We talked about the importance of building strong foundations like that of building a house on solid ground rather than sand. And, that the Bible is our instruction manual as compared to an architect's blueprints. Audrey did awesome with all her comprehension questions, made her own blueprints, and wrote & drew in her journal. Then we went on to history. Funny thing here - the one thing she said she did NOT want to learn about in school was dinosaurs. However, the very first page in her Usborne Children's Encyclopedia assigned for today was about dinosaurs. lol She enjoyed it though. I gave her a pre-spelling test for her vocabulary today - she got them all right. We're working on 'at' words. She read her assigned story, aced all the comprehension questions, and kept on reading. She did her copy work a bit. Then we did our Read Aloud time which is The Boxcar Children. She was really enjoying it, so we read an extra chapter. Looking forward to some of the activities with this one! We'll be reading it throughout the week and some of next. After that we worked on Math. She was a little bored with the DVD itself. (Note to self: watch the DVD myself and just teach her.) She was pretty resistant to it at first, but once he started explaining the actual blocks (we're learning place values by using manipulatives) she started getting into it. Again, she aced all the quizzes, activities, and worksheets. I'm going to review tomorrow because I want to make sure that she understands the concept, not just the "doing". If I think she's mastered the concept, we may just move on. I think she was starting to get bored, so I pulled out something just for fun. We checked out a few computer games from the library, so we put in the I Spy Treasure Map CD and worked on it through lunch. Man, I love those games! After lunch I had her do one more math sheet - just to make sure! Then we went through her Science. She really didn't seem to care for it, but she did retain the information. (We're doing a whole year of Astronomy.) I asked her about some of the things we learned tonight like: What is Astronomy? What is a constellation? How do the birds use the stars during migration? At least she got it - even if she didn't like it. lol That's ok - we have some hands on activities coming up that I think she'll enjoy. We also worked on Handwriting Without Tears. This one I really need to work on. I think I'm a little confused about the layout of the lessons. But, we did do some fun exercises with the music. We're just going to have to take some serious time working on her letters. She wasn't really taught how to write correctly, so she's all over the place with writing. Baby steps!

Anyway, that was our day! She did ask me repeatedly when it was time for recess. She didn't seem to get that when we were done with everything by 1:30 today, the rest of the day was recess. LOL Here are a few pictures from our very first day!

So excited to be a first grader!

Just a little something for the new school girl.

Math time!

Lunch and computer time.

Newest Addition

2011-08-13T22:28:00.002-04:00

One of the things my hubby and I like to do is try new restaurants. We'll drive a little further away from home to try out a new place that he has usually read or heard about. :) Today was no different. We all loaded up and headed to a cool hot dog joint called Barkers Red Hots. Pretty yummy place! As an added bonus, one of our favorite shopping spots that we rarely get to visit was in the same shopping center - Trader Joe's! (For my non-ATL peeps, you seriously need to come visit so you can shop here!) Right next to the TJ was a PetSmart. There was an adoption group set up outside and the girls had asked to go see the dogs after lunch. There was a big crowd gathered around the enclosure that housed the dogs and the volunteers were starting to pack up. We walked up, looked around, petted a few, and read some descriptions of the adoptable dogs. Then something miraculous happened. My husband, the "I'm never going to have an animal in my house" man, fell hard and fast for a sweet little 5 pound gray Chihuahua named Tootsie. At his suggestion, I spoke with the lady about specifics and before we knew it, we were talking adoption. I held her and she just snuggled up under my chin and went to sleep. She is so precious! She's 3 years old. She was rescued and is currently in "foster care". She was used as a breeding dog. :( I wish she could have come home with us today, but she is scheduled for some dental work and surgery this week. We hope to be able to pick her up Saturday. The more I think about her, the more excited I get! The girls are just giddy! They have been wanting a dog for a long time. Since dog sitting our little friend a few weeks ago, they've really expressed an interest. I guess it’s time to teach some new responsibilities while giving a sweet little dog some much needed love and companionship. :) Here's a picture of her. These are from their website. She is currently named "Tootsie". Audrey wants to name her "Sarah". I'm throwing around some more ideas like Marley, Molly, or Izzy. We have a week to decide!

Having Fun!

2011-08-10T22:11:00.000-04:00

It's almost time!! The county kids start school tomorrow, but we're going to start Monday. We're enjoying a little more summer time. We took a little trip to Splatters and painted some pottery. We went to Michaels and bought some colorful glass "rocks" for Audrey's incentive glass. I'll take pics later and post. :) We also made some "Caterpillar Soup". ;) And, then "painted" the drive way with water. Fun times! (And, I may have snuck away for an hour an got a haircut!)

Our Classroom

2011-08-07T22:12:00.001-04:00

Ok, I have to admit... this is my favorite!! I have been looking forward to being part of this Blog Hop for MONTHS. Seriously! I found the 2010 classroom Blog Hop around Christmas of last year and have probably checked every single one. I just love to see what everyone does! So, here's ours. =) We are very fortunate to have a full basement. We actually just did some construction because none of the rooms were closed off and my husband started working from home last month. He needed some privacy - and so did we. :) So, here is our new, bright classroom!

This is our newly constructed wall (Daddy's office is on the other side). This houses her computer, work table, workboxes, her artwork, and some storage underneath.

Workboxes are ready to go!

This is our classroom wall that houses our maps, charts, calendar, etc.

This is our shelf that houses the curriculum, textbooks, readers, manipulatives, extra paper, and my laminator (that I love!).

This is my area. :) I still have a shelf and some "stuff" to hang, but this is my space. You can also see the chalkboard that is on the wall between mine and Audrey's desks.

This is actually a large hallway in our basement that is purely for storage. It still needs some work, but I'm grateful for the storage space! (My scrapbooking goodies are all stored across the hall on the other wall.) =)

This is just what's behind the curtained shelf. You'd think we'd been homeschooling for years as much stuff as we have. lol We love some crafts!

More crafts, games, and books!

This is actually in the playroom. I wouldn't dare show you the playroom right now. It looks like a tornado ran through it. But, this is one more storage area more for fun games, puzzles, preschool activities, and various worksheets and lessons I've gotten. This is also a great table for group projects.

2011-2012 Curriculum Choices - First Grade

2011-08-04T23:03:00.001-04:00

Hi, everybody! I'm excited to participate in my first Homeschool Blog Hop! This is our first year journeying into the world of homeschooling and I can't wait! I have a first grader and a preschooler. We have actually made the decision to do part time preschool through a Christian Academy for my preschooler, so I don't have anything formally for her. Though I do have a hodge podge of resources over the years to choose from. As for my first grader, I have relied pretty heavily on the recommendations of friends. From all I have seen so far, I am incredibly excited about the choices we've made and am looking forward to jumping in next week! Here's what we're going with:

Sonlight. We're doing Core A - Intro to the World: Cultures with the First Grade Readers. This fulfills Language Arts, Spelling, Reading, Bible, and the added bonus of World History.

Apologia - We are using Apologia for both science (Astronomy) and Bible (Who Is God?).

Math-U-See - We're starting with Alpha.

Handwriting Without Tears - First Grade

The Etiquette Factory - This was an unplanned "elective" that I fell in love with at the Southeast Homeschool Expo. There's 11 lessons that both of my girls will be participating in. They can't wait!

We will also be doing some Sign Language informally with flashcards, books, and the internet. She will be participating in our Children's Musical program at church. And, she is on a competitive cheerleading team. I think we'll have our hands full!


Just like Christmas morning when the FedEx man brought Sonlight!

Happy Homemaker

2011-08-04T22:40:00.001-04:00

I am officially a stay at home mom again! My duties have been handed over to a precious lady that is willing and able to take it on. I will not feel guilty any more about not financially contributing to my family. My worth is not measured with money. I am the mommy and the wife. My responsibilities are to first take care of my family. I clean. I cook (sometimes). I pay the bills. I make the appointments and make sure everyone gets where they need to be. I play with my girls. I do the grocery shopping. I educate. I may not be the best at everything I do and may not always enjoy everything that needs to be done (like the dishes), but I do it because I love my family. I am incredibly grateful for the role I play in my family. And, I realize that we are immensely blessed with my husband's job and opportunities that allow me the privilege to stay home. Until God tells me otherwise, I will stay home without question. I will not take advantage of the time I have to spend with my children who are quickly growing before my eyes! It may not be everyone's calling to stay at home with their kids, but it is MINE. I accept it. I embrace it. I am exactly where I want to be.

That is all!

Faith Like a Child

2011-08-01T22:48:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm going to share a personal story - not to brag - there is a lesson. It is easy to talk about all the cute things our kids say, the sweet things they do, and just simply how precious they are. I probably share too much about my kids at times - and I'm trying to be more sensitive to that. But, what I witnessed today was so encouraging. It just proved to me that kids really are listening to what we teach and say. And, God uses children, too!

Audrey and Maddie had some friends over to play with for a little while this morning. I overheard part of Audrey's conversation with her friend. It went like this: "I got baptized. Do you know what that means? Do you know where Jesus lives today? In my heart. Have you made that decision yet? That is the most important decision you will ever make." Those, my friends, are some powerful words no matter who says them, but coming from a 6-year old kinda blew me away. How many of us adults have the courage to say those words? That was a proud moment!

Even little Maddie is starting to "get it". A couple of days ago Audrey said her foot was hurting. Maddie said, "If you want it to feel better, all you have to do is ask Jesus." Oh, to have faith like a child!

Convention Review

2011-07-30T23:17:00.000-04:00

I just had a 3 day whirlwind at the Southeast Homeschool Convention. It was amazing! Seriously, though, my brain is on overload! But, I am coming away with a wealth of information, encouraging insights and ideas, most of my curriculum, and a great new friend! I'd say it was a successful weekend for sure. :)

I thought I'd share a few highlights from the weekend that really spoke to me. Day #1 was Homeschooling 101. It was purely for the newbies. I chose to go to Rebecca Powell's classes. She was great! She really just confirmed that what I am doing is the best thing for my child in this season of life. She also gave me confidence that I can do this without royally messing her up. And, she gave me some insights to discovering more about my child, her personality, and learning styles to educate her better. Rebecca also provided some practical ideas, suggestions, and resources for the day to day scheduling and obstacles.

There were a couple of reoccurring statements throughout the conference in a number of workshops, so I think this was a strong indicator that I need to listen, take note, and take these things seriously. First of all, we must devise a vision for our family - not just in the sense of home schooling, but also as a Christian family, a close family unit. Secondly, home schooling is so much more than teaching facts and concepts. It is about building character and strengthening the relationships with my children. Thirdly, consistency is key. My kids need structure and order. Kids need to feel secure and they find that in routines and knowing what to expect. It is up to me to see that that happens for them by planning ahead.

If I didn't learn anything except this, it is important to know that I am the one that sets the tone for my kids, their behavior, and their environment. Kids model what they see. If they see chaos and disorganization, that is what they will become.

Another great speaker that I sat in on several of his workshops, was Kirk Martin with Celebrate Calm. I realize that I do not always have the most calm attitude, kids, or home. He kept it real, so to speak. He made it very clear how my approach, reactions, and attitude directly effect my girls. I can't expect them to change their behavior if I don't have myself in check. Most outward behavior issues are really internal issues that need to be addressed. We have to realize, too, that we can not control a human being, but we can teach them how to control themselves!

I went to another fun workshop by Monica Irvine from TheEtiquetteFactory. I did not originally have this on my list of "have to attend". But, I felt led to attend with my new friend. It ended up being one of my favorites. It was also my Not-Planned-To-Buy splurge for the weekend. :) I enjoyed the information so much that I stopped by her booth later to find a really cool electives curriculum for the girls. I thought it would be something they'd really enjoy taking and there are some very practical lessons that need to be learned including: Sincere Apologies, Magic Words, Cleaning Up, Table Manners, etc.

In addition to all the great workshops, there was some pretty serious shopping going on. I bought or ordered all of our curriculum for the year. So exciting! I can't wait for the last of it to be delivered in the next few days! I'll share with you our choices in a later post.

I'm always amazed to see how God plans and works in my life - even with the smallest of details. One sweet bonus I received from the convention was a new friend. You can never have too many friends, but there are those that come into your life that you instantly know are orchestrated by God. I am so grateful that God led Christy to sit next to me for that first class. We instantly connected. It's a little bit scary just how much we have in common! By the end of the third day, I felt like I'd known her for years! And, although we don't live super close to one another, I know that we'll make the time on this new journey of homeschooling together.

Some of My Favorite Things

2011-07-26T23:21:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd share with you a few of my new favorite things. We've tried a few new things week and I just have to share. :) First of all, we went to Brain Freeze for the first (and second) time this week. Derek and I went the first time and we just HAD to go back to take the girls. :) YUMMY! If you've never visited, it's a self serve frozen yogurt place. They have about 15 flavors to choose from and more toppings that you could possibly count. You pay by the ounce and it's really reasonable. Loved it!

So my girls scream when I brush their hair every day - one a little more than the other. lol But, a friend told me about something called a Knot Genie. Love it! Granted, it isn't perfect, but as ratty as my girls' hair gets, it is a huge help! One child doesn't cry at all and the other only screams a little now. ;)

My dear friend, Allie, officially has me hooked on Pinterest! I am addicted! It is seriously awesome. Check it out!!

Lastly, I have to share with you the awesome deals I got today! I went to Michaels today looking for some small shelves to use as the base of Audrey's school desk (her grandfather made the desk top for me a few years ago as a craft table). What was regularly $50 each, I got for $19. But, the biggest deal I got was the Cropper Hopper 10-Drawer wheeled cart. I've been tracking it for several weeks because I wanted to use it for Audrey's workbox (thanks to the idea from Confessions of a Homeschooler.) The cheapest I have seen it was $49... until today! It was on clearance for $35! I jumped on that!!

I also got some incredibly cute material (with matching ribbon) to cover the chairs and closet with. I am using the ribbon to outline the chalkboard. Can't wait to show you the end results of the new classroom!

2011-07-24T23:30:00.000-04:00

My brain is a big ball of mush today. So many thoughts running through my head. I'm just trying to get them all organized so that I can transfer them into words to type. :)

My first thought - and one that has been heavy on my heart for a few days - is just how fragile and short this life is. I have had such overwhelming sadness for a sweet friend. She lost her husband, who turned 41 a couple of weeks ago, after a 5 year battle with cancer. They have 3 young children ages 6, 7, & 13. Although I did not know her husband very well and am still in the early stages of my own friendship with her, I've had the pleasure of working with her children at church the past year. We've even kept their dog a few days while he was in the hospital. I cannot fathom what this family is going through. My heart aches for her and those precious babies. I remember fondly watching this sweet couple most Sunday mornings sitting together on the front row and praying together at the altar. What an inspiration! What incredible people! The first time I really met him and spoke with him other than Hi and Bye when dropping off his kiddos, was a mission trip to a homeless shelter a few months ago. He was so warm and friendly. And, seriously, one of the funniest guys ever!

I don't know if any of you have had the chance to read Heaven is for Real, but I strongly suggest it. It is about a little boy's encounter in Heaven when he was very sick. I know there are plenty of skeptics out there, but this child could not have known such details had he not been there. One of the most amazing things to me was that over several years he revealed so many details and talked of all the different people he met, yet when asked how long he was in Heaven, his response was "3 minutes" (or was it 30 seconds?). In any case, it just reminds us that we put time in a box and our life is but a blink of an eye in comparison to the eternity that awaits us.

I guess I will end my post there. I'll continue to organize all my other thoughts and share with you plans as we get closer to our new school year. We are currently working on a small construction job in the basement, getting ready to attend a conference, and purchase curriculum all while D settles into his new job and travels across the country. Good night, friends. Hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight.

New Page

2011-07-15T23:21:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I'm thinking I want to change up the page. Last time I tried, I could not get the background to change. Been playing with the heading though. What do you think?

July 2011

2011-07-15T13:32:00.001-04:00

Excuse me while I break a major blog rule by "cleaning out the cobwebs" and posting an update. Give me the rest of the month and I'll be back to my regular blogging! Seriously, haven't had time to do much of anything with the summer schedule we've had. I'll share a few updates and pictures for you. Thanks for being patient with me as we close some chapters and open some new ones in the weeks to come.

Derek started his new dream job a week and a half ago. He now works from home with several upcoming travel ventures ahead. Working from home has presented a few changes in and of itself. The way our basement is laid out needs to be altered. We have one large room where the girls play (and I scrapbook). We have a large hallway, not really a room, that houses our bookshelves and storage, and there are 2 separate smaller rooms for offices. There are no doors, only pass throughs - atleast until now. We have added a wall between Derek's office and my office/classroom. There's still some work to be done, but hopefully we will have it finished this weekend so I can begin painting and decorating in preparation for the new school year! He will also be adding a door to his other office entrance. It is currently open to the playroom and bathroom, so the girls cannot be downstairs in their room when he is working. Again, hoping to get that built this weekend! So grateful for a handy, knowledgeable husband who can build things! ;)

Audrey had her adenoids and tonsils removed two weeks ago. They also had to take out her loose tooth... her first! So, she came out missing a few parts. lol When they say it takes 14 days to recover, they mean 14 days! Seriously! They had it all laid it out day by day what to expect and she was pretty textbook. For almost 14 days she was begging for pain meds 3 1/2-4 hours regularly. Then suddenly by the 14th, 15th day - she was totally fine! I, myself, had planned to get a lot accomplished during her recovery time - knowing that Maddie would be spending a few days with her grandparents so we could focus more on Audrey. However, I got sick the night we got home from the hospital - and was laid out over a week myself. We were a mighty sad bunch around here for a couple of weeks. lol

Happy Birthday, Audrey - and her first lost tooth

For Audrey's birthday, she chose 2 friends to go to Sweet & Sassy for manicures. How cute are they?

Audrey also turned 6, just two days after her surgery. She was baptized two days before her surgery. She has had a big 3 weeks!

We just finished up our first week of VBS. We had nearly 1400 kids. It was truly an amazing week! We have one more next week with about the same number of kids. I can't wait to see how next week goes! I am teaching music this year and it is totally up my alley! There are those that have the gift of teaching in a classroom and there are those that do not. I would be a member of the later. But, I will say I'm totally in my element with the music and loving every minute of it! God is using this ministry in such a big way. I'm anxious to hear all the reports after next week.

My VBS music room (minus the light up Broadway sign). We're doing Big Apple Adventure, so this is my Broadway stage.

One of the hallways. Some people are just so crafty!

Big Apple Adventure 2011 VBS - our sanctuary

So, what is everyone doing fun this summer?! We have spent some serious time in the pool this year. My girls LOVE to play in the water. And, honestly, it has been so hot - that's really the only thing to do. Maddie would rather be outside than ANYTHING and it is just too hot do anything outside of hanging in the pool. And, no way am I letting my kiddos in the pool without 100% supervision, so I've pretty much stayed with them IN the pool. My poor house... it's so neglected and dirty. LOL That's ok. My kids will only be small for a short time. I have truly tried this summer to put myself aside and focus on them. We have done some serious playing this summer. :)

That's about it for us. I'm gearing up for VBS week 2 and then heading to the Southeastern Homeschool Convention the next week. I'm trying to get everything together. I'm so excited!! Hope you're all enjoying your summer. =)

Checking In

2011-06-13T23:33:00.001-04:00

Looks like I'm only good for an occasional update lately. My bad. I'm just enjoying the summer too much. What can I say? ;)

My replacements are trained. I'm working from home some, but mostly hanging out with my girls. We've been to the Sprinklers, swimming pools, movie; had some cookouts; and lots of play dates with the neighbors. I've thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them! I'm afraid this summer is going to pass entirely too quickly.

I have to brag on my husband for a bit. He just got back from California talking with his favorite company about his dream job. He was told today that they would be sending him an offer this week. He is so excited. I'm incredibly proud of him. Not only is he getting his dream job, but he was also offered a promotion at his current job. God is so good!

Speaking of God being so good... I paid off a credit card today! We have been diligently working towards being debt free. We're about 2 1/2 years into the plan and it feels so good to see that light at the end of the tunnel!

We'll be traveling to TN this weekend for a quick trip for a friend's wedding. I actually haven't seen him in at least 8 years. Very excited to see him get married. There will also be many other friends there that I haven't seen in a really long time. Should be a fun reunion. Of course, I always get super self conscience because of this dog gone weight. :( It is a never ending battle. Gonna have a good time nonetheless.

Audrey's baptism is this Sunday. I can't wait! She is ready and excited. We have a lot of family coming in for the occasion. We're going to go ahead and celebrate her birthday, too, since she'll be recovering from her surgery on her actual birthday.

I'm going to be traveling the following weekend back to AL with the group to sing at another church. As always, I'm looking forward to seeing how God will work through the music! We're debuting a new song next weekend (at Audrey's baptism) that is beautiful.

I want to share a few of my favorite pictures we had made for Derek for Father's Day last week. He got them a little early because:

1. I'm incredibly impatient when keeping a secret about a gift.
2. He saw the charge on the bank account.

LOL! I thought it would be fun to have the girls dress up in Daddy's clothes. ;) Enjoy...

Update

2011-05-23T22:59:00.000-04:00

Checking in with my blogging peeps. Hope you guys are all doing well - and keeping safe. Can you believe all the tornadoes and crazy weather we've had around the country lately?!

We're all doing well as the school year comes to an end we're anticipating lots of changes around here. The girls officially have 2 days of school left! WooHoo! I absolutely cannot wait to be home with them full time again! We're actually leaving the day after school gets out and heading to The Wilderness for a mini-vacation with D's family. Looking forward to that. I started training my replacement at work today. I'll go in tomorrow to finish up some more projects and with the exception of a couple more training sessions, I will be working from home the rest of the summer.

Audrey had an appointment with an ENT today because of her reoccurring Strep Throat and ear & sinus infections. She is scheduled for surgery June 28th to have her tonsils & adenoids removed. It is scary to think about her having surgery - as minor as it is these days - but I am so relieved for her. The success rate is 90% so she should feel a lot better and not get sick so frequently. He also mentioned that she should sleep a lot better (and hopefully cut down some of her crankiness). :) When we get the tonsil issues resolved, we'll get her in to the GI specialist to check on her possible reflux issues.

Speaking of ailments and procedures, I had my first retreatment of an old root canal on Thursday afternoon. That's right - as if it wasn't bad enough to have a root canal 7 years ago, an infection was found at my recent routine cleaning and x-ray. Once he got into it the tooth he found that 1) only 3 of the 4 roots were done to begin with 2) one of the holes was made too wide which led to an infection seeping in and cracking the wall of the tooth. So what does this mean? In addition to the $1500 procedure (ugh!), I will have to go in for at least 2 more treatments which is about 1.5-2 hours each time and recovery time of 3-4 days each. Are ya jealous? lol

Here's the 411 on my job situation. He has finally hired another person. Yay! She started today. I worked with her a couple of hours. She has a very limited schedule, so I won't see her again until next week. But, she is great! I really enjoyed working with her and talking with her when she was in last week. She's already a great help to me. And, when the time is right, I know she'll step right into my place with ease. :) I think he is also offering the job to another lady who will be in the office mostly doing administrative duties and promoting his fundraising line. I still have several things to catch up on, but it is such a nice feeling to know that I'm not the only one responsible and can have a little breather. I have one account and can work from home.

I'll leave you with a few sweet pictures of my girls. We've had some fun with field days, field trips, and family outings. Enjoy!

Field Day

Hiking at the Indian Seats

Playing with her BFF at the Sprinklers

Norton Catch Up

2011-05-13T23:05:00.000-04:00

Just sitting here on a Friday night. The girls are sleeping over at their grandparents. First time they've done that in quite a while. I worked until 7:00 trying to catch up at the office. Now we're vegging out, watching a movie, and reading blogs. Yep, we're living the life. ;)

We've had a busy week (what's new, right?). Audrey had strep AGAIN. The doctors were quite impressed with her "kissing tonsils". We now have an appointment with the ENT to schedule having her tonsils - and probably her adenoids - removed. Not looking forward to the process, but will be glad to finally get her some relief.

My boss has finally started and almost completed the interviewing process for my replacement/help. What relief! This summer I will work from home about 8-10 hours a week and fade out by the time school starts in the fall. So grateful to have had the opportunity to work such a great, flexible job when I really needed it. Even more blessed that I no longer need it and can be home again with my girls!

Gonna have to have some expensive dental work done next week. Not excited about that. But, am grateful they found it before there was any pain. Apparently I'm going to have to have an old root canal redone. They found infection on my last x-ray at my 6 month cleaning. Not cool.

Derek & I usually splurge for our anniversary, so this year I chose a "Spring Cleaning" by a maid service. Four ladies came for a couple of hours yesterday. I will say that my expectations were a little too high. My house really isn't in bad shape and most of upstairs has been cleaned well since we recently switched around all the bedrooms & deep cleaned. So, I was really expecting a deep cleaning of the stuff I don't do every day - like the baseboards, windows, stove, etc. Not so much. Though it was nice to have everything done for a day. =)

School is coming to an end. Lots of exciting stuff going on. Audrey had field day last Friday. Monday she is having Fun in the Sun day. Thursday I'm going with Maddie's class to the new Sprinkler park. Yay! We have really missed the Splash Pad in Knoxville, so I think this will be really close. It just opened last month.

Saying some prayers for Derek. His dream job has opened back up. This company started pursuing him last year and then funding fell through several months into the interviewing process. (Yes, I said months!) They contacted him recently and he's had another interview. The only hangup is that Derek doesn't want to move to CA or NY, so they just have to decide if they want a remote employee. In other good news, he's one step closer to being approved to write a book. It's a technical book that the publishers requested. Lots of things happening for D right now. So proud!

So there's a little update on us. No deep thoughts tonight. :) Just keeping you all in the know.

Love, Sweet Love

2011-05-07T17:45:00.000-04:00

It was 7 years ago today that I married the man of my dreams at his parents' home in the beautiful Smokey Mountains. We had not really told many people, as there were a few snarls of me "moving too fast". (We met 3 weeks before my divorce was final in October, engaged in March, and married in May!) OK, so it was fast! BUT.... it was truly a "God thing". I will admit that I was getting comfy in my cute little townhouse, living on my own for the first time, and getting some attention from the boys. lol It was certainly playing to my insecurities! However, when I agreed to go on a blind date with a guy that I knew I'd have very little in common with, was the opposite of what I was looking for, but was everything I needed... it was a much higher authority orchestrating this union! All I knew about him was that he was a Christian, loved to travel the world, was an amazing chef, and was working on a PhD. Um, other than God, that was pretty much the extent of our similarities. I really wasn't in to blonde hair and blue eyes either (I know, crazy, right?). LOL It was a "safe" date. I wasn't looking for a commitment. A free dinner was coming, so what did I have to lose? ...... Everything, as I would later learn.

After a nice dinner and a fun round of miniature golf (go ahead, roll your eyes & laugh), I thought 'this guy is really nice, but it's not going any where'. (And, had he known there was a hole in the bottom of my shoe, he would have been mortified and dumped me on the spot. LOL) Funny thing is, he told his mom the exact same thing... "aw, she was nice, but it isn't going anywhere." What we really meant was, "Aw, s/he's nice and this is going somewhere FAST."

Our second date was postponed because I got my first bought of strep throat. (We're just starting to learn that Derek may be a carrier of this lovely disease and also likes to spread it to his children.) We made up for that lost date with dinner & a home movie. The more time I spent with him, the more I wanted to spend with him. He exposed me to a lot of cultures (and foods) I had never known. (Did I mention the first meal he made for me ended with the most delicious Chocolate Souffle ever?!) We spent time hiking, UT functions, playing board games, and taking lots of walks. He met my family at Thanksgiving. I traveled to Pennsylvania with his family at Christmas. By the end of the trip, I was pretty certain he was "the one", but internally I fought it pretty hard. I still had so many "issues" to work through. (Medication helped with some of those things. LOL) When he proposed to me in March, it may have lacked some surprise since I knew he had been ring shopping all day. And, he was so excited to give me the ring that he didn't even wait until I got into the house. He proposed right there in the drive way. Haha!

So, the wedding itself was perfect. We put it together in about 6 weeks. I got my dress, I believe, two weeks before. It was completely laid back, comfortable, and fun - exactly what we wanted. Although we really didn't invite many people, we had about 75 show up. I had some special friends from an internet group I had been a part of for several years (though never met in person) come, as well as many students, friends, and family members. I walked down the wrap around deck (hand built by D, his dad, brother, and grandfather) in my bare, freshly pedicured feet. Ahhhhh. I actually walked across the winterguard floor that we had just used that season to our bluegrass show (it had been hand painted by a friend to look outdoors, meadow-y). We married in the little garden his grandparents took care of. And, my dear uncle (a Navy Chaplain) conducted the ceremony. The day was beautiful! The wystheria was in bloom. The wedding cake was perfectly designed by us. I really could not have asked for a more perfect day (followed by a perfect cruise!).

My husband is amazing. It just needs to be said. I do believe that he was handpicked by God for me. We are a great team. We are very different, but balance each other well. It has been a fun journey so far! We've made a beautiful family with the addition of our daughters and I truly could not be any happier! Happy Anniversary, D!

Production Notes

2011-05-05T23:11:00.000-04:00

Hey, friends. I have been MIA for some time now. My apologies. I've been super busy with end of school activities, musical productions, and work. I'll share with you all some of the cuteness of the productions. :) I was so proud of my Audrey! And, my 2nd & 3rd grade flag girls were adorable.

We had a great day today! It was our last Women of Worship Bible Study this morning. Then I attended a free workshop at the Georgia Home Educators Association convention. It was a great Homeschooling 101 Conference. Wish I could go the rest of the weekend...... Anyhoo, had a sweet dinner with my girls and mother-in-law at our church's Spring Fling. Maddie even won the door prize! Tomorrow is Audrey's Field Day. I'm also judging a colorguard audition in the afternoon. Saturday hubster and I will be celebrating our anniversary. Big weekend!

My Audrey was one of the cute flipper girls =)

Under God's Sea in 3D - super production!

That's right... I got a flag team worked into the production! They were great!

Field Trip!

2011-04-25T22:52:00.000-04:00

The girls went straight for the hair salon.

We went to the neatest place for Audrey's one and only Kindergarten field trip last week. It's a place called INK (Interactive Neighborhood for Kids). It's similar to the Children's Museum of South Carolina we went to a few weeks ago at the beach, but bigger and nicer. We'll definitely be going back a lot. (They have a home school day once a month with half price admission. We will definitely take advantage of that!) It's like a little indoor town that is kid size. There's a Post Office, Dentist, Doctor, & Veterinary offices, hair salon, restaurant, grocery store, bank (with working ATM machine & play money), court room, school room, a stage, fire truck, airplane, & police car - to name a few things. It really is a great place for kids. They get to role play and really learn & explore. So fun! Here are a few pictures to enjoy.

Shopping in the grocery store.

Real checkout counter to play in!

The kids took turns using the ATM card and machine that shot out play money. There was also a working computer at a desk to play bank teller and "open accounts".

The Veterinary Clinic

The kids really loved playing in the diner - taking orders, "eating", and making food.

Audrey and her buddy in the real airplane.

The jury has spoken!

One of Audrey's favorites - playing dentist. Even her teacher got in on the action. :)

Loving, Losing, & Living Update

2011-04-19T23:25:00.000-04:00

LOVING
We've had a couple of really good weeks with the girls... but the last few days have been challenging again... more so with Audrey. I was just talking with Derek about it and I'm wondering if her issues are directly related with her seizure medication? The side effects of her medication is "behavioral problems". I know from her previous seizures and EEG results that she is most prone to them when she's tired. We also realize that she acts out the most when she has missed some sleep. This isn't your normal run of the mill crankiness. Her meltdowns are normally following a restless night, it's late afternoon/evening, and she falls to sleep shortly afterward. She got in bed almost 2 hours late last night, followed by nightmares at 5:00 this morning. Needless to say, we had a very trying evening. Not sure why I didn't put it all together before. Her medication dosage has been reduced for over a month now, so I'll be calling the neurologist tomorrow to schedule her EEG.

LOSING
My family and I joined the YMCA last week. I had my initial consultation last night. We went over where I am physically right now and where I want to be. We went through some exercise programs that I'll be doing. The Y is super cool! They have touchscreens at every machine. When I first come in, I log in at the desk and it tells me where to start. We set all of my info in each machine last night (seat positions on the machines, how much weight per station, reps, etc.). As I do each one, it logs it into my account. It records everything I do. Cool, huh? Now I just need to find a program to use at home to record my food.

It felt good to exercise again last night. It's been over 6 months since I regularly worked out. But, my head isn't quite in it yet. I don't know if its because I still have a few more time consuming commitments left and it's hard for me to justify doing anything else. (Remember, I have that "balancing" issue.) In my head I know that something needs to be done. It's just making the time again and taking the steps. It is discouraging to me the thought of starting this journey all over when I came so far before... only to put it all back on. But, at least I know it can be done!

LIVING
My family and I (along with the WOW singers and other church friends) had an opportunity over the weekend to serve at a homeless shelter for women and children. We just spent time loving on them, serving them lunch, and then worshiped with them in a service. It was amazing watching some of these ladies worshiping in the aisles as we sang knowing they have no home and are going through who knows what! One lady gave her heart to Christ during the service. It was just an amazing day.

I spoke with one young lady, 18 years old, while I painted her finger nails lime green. =) She's only been there a few weeks. She's a senior in high school and we had marching band in common. There was some apparent abuse in her life and my heart broke for her. I didn't see her in the worship service and couldn't find her before we left. I haven't forgotten about her though. Audrey really took up with a little girl, KK. We're going back this Saturday so they can play together. There was a 6 year old that glued herself to me for awhile. When it was time for lunch, I asked her to get her mom so we could get food together. With her whole body wrapped around me, she said, "I don't need my mom." Broke my heart. She also told me that her brother was a bad boy and was in jail. I still don't know who her mom is. I don't know if she ever came out of her room or not. (And by room I mean cubicle.) I can't imagine what some of these children go through. But, having an almost 6 year old myself, I'd be devastated if she felt like she didn't need me. :(

I think it was a good experience for the girls. I'm not sure that Maddie understood. I'm not even sure how much Audrey understood, but she did pray for KK on her own that night. She's very excited to possibly play with her this weekend. I'm looking forward to going back and seeing some of the ladies and kids again. I've already got the van loaded with several boxes & bags of clothes! They need them much more than we do.

Audreyisms & Maddieisms

2011-04-14T15:09:00.001-04:00

I realized I hadn't posted any Audreyisms or Maddieisms in a while, so it is time. I know I've talked about a few individually as they happened, but here's a review for you. ;) Straight from the mouths of babes!

Maddie, Age 3

She commonly refers to curtains as "gates".

“Audrey, you are SO cute!”

“Mommy, read me a story with your mouth. Say, ‘Once upon a time’.”

So Maddie was in time out when I picked her up from preschool today. She had thrown her bear across the room during nap time (among other things). When Daddy asked her during dinner conversation why she threw it - she replied, "I wanted to see him fly". =) (Why else would one want to throw a stuffed animal across the room, right?)

Maddie was having a difficult time staying in bed one night. Mommy put her back in bed. She got out. Daddy put her back in bed. She got out. So, the last time Daddy went in there he said, “Maddie, if you get out of bed again you have to get a spanking. Do you hear me?” She whispered, “I’m sleeping.” (Seriously, how cute is that?!)

She wanted to get out the Clorox wipes and her Nana told her no. She said, "It's ok. My mommy lets me play with chemicals." Ha!!

Audrey, Age 5

“What’s up with that outfit? Your head looks like a lollipop and your body like the stick.” (She's just keeping it real!)

“Daddelyn McCrae Norton” (That would be a combination of her sister's name and Daddy.)

“I want the freedom to choose what I eat for supper. Yeah, we learned about freedom today.” (And, she lost it with that comment!)

“He said the really bad ‘S’ word. He said “stupid” and then Maddie said it. I didn’t remember what a bad boy he was. He needs to change his attitude.” (Tread lightly around her, friends.)

Audrey saw two guys smoking outside and freaked out, "Mom!! Those boys are smoking. They're either going to die or get 'Hair Cancer'!" She was very concerned.

She had a small scratch on her face and she said, “It looks like I was in war and got shot doesn’t it?” (Overly dramatic much?)

“Quiet, my leg is asleep.” (Hystarical!)

“Look, it’s a particle potty.” (She tends to mix her up words on occasion.)

“I don’t remember. Snuffy, my brain pet, makes me forget. He plugs into my brain. I have to wake her up.” “Mom, you need a brain pet.” “Audrey, how do you get one?” “Use your imagination.”

We were reading our fortunes from our cookies at dinner. Audrey turned hers over and read off all the numbers. She said, “These are my lucky numbers”. Derek said, “How do you know”? She replied very matter of fact, “It’s ON the fortune.”

Good Times

2011-04-10T22:53:00.000-04:00

I was just reading some older posts and realized I'm a Debbie Downer quite often so tonight I'm focusing on the positive! I have thoroughly enjoyed my week with the kids. Audrey has been exceptionally good this week. I am so proud of her. She really stepped up and willingly helped with some things around the house. She has been pleasant and obedient. Even in the moments where she has made bad choices, she has apologized and moved on. The only meltdown she had was after missing 2 doses of her medicine and then back on - coupled with going to bed 2 hours late (yikes). Shame on me for letting that happen! The girls have really enjoyed playing together this week, too. Only a few more week until summer vacation and we can be together every day! :)

I haven't officially made the announcement on here yet, though it has been talked about and around, but we are definitely homeschooling in the fall. =) I'm incredibly excited!! This is something I've been thinking about and praying about for over a year. We're all on board and it has been very fun researching and talking with other homeschooling families over the last several months. I can't wait to get started! There's a convention coming up in May that I'm hoping to go to. I'm looking through several curriculum choices, organizations, and activities. So many choices! Watch for more homeschool "episodes" coming up. :)

Bedroom Switcharoo

2011-04-09T22:23:00.000-04:00

I had to share with you how crazy productive we were today! I got all the girls' fall/winter clothes put away, the spring/summer clothes out & organized, and several donation bags ready to go. Also, we've been talking about switching all but the Master bedroom for a while. Only one of the 3 extra bedrooms upstairs had a decent closet - which happens to be in the guestroom and the least used. So, it made sense to switch Audrey into that room and make better use of the space. And, Maddie is starting to get an opinion - LOL - and wanted a pink & purple room (instead of her 'nursery'). Since she was in the smallest room, we figured the guest room should be there. Are you keeping up?! So, here's how it goes: Audrey has the old guest room, Maddie has Audrey's old room, and the guest room is in Maddie's old room. LOL My only major concern was moving the guestroom into Maddie's mint green room. We had decided to paint Audrey's new room because we could just paint the top half and be done (it went from blue/brown to pink/brown). But, since all the guestroom stuff was blue/brown - moving in to a room with mint green walls could pose a problem. No fear! I remembered a nice white comforter that had been dry cleaned some time ago just hanging in the back of the closet - and wa-la! It actually turned out to be a bright, cheery tranquil room. I'm quite pleased! I'll post some before/afters for you. Keep in mind the kids' rooms are not done. Audrey has no wall hangings yet (polka dots to be put up tomorrow - and possibly new bedding later). But, after our full day, I had to share (better quality pics later). =)

Guest Room BEFORE - now it is Audrey's room


Audrey's New Room with more space and pink/brown walls, minus the wall hangings. Polka dots on the way & new bedding on the way.

Guest Room BEFORE - Maddie's sweet nursery

New Guest Room - Calm & Relaxing


Maddie's Room BEFORE - Audrey's sweet room (old pic)


Maddie's new Big Girl room!

Bye, Bye Spring Break

2011-04-08T23:37:00.000-04:00

Spring break is nearing the end... sad, but true. We had a good day yesterday. Took a little road trip to visit my sweet niece who will be 2 next month. She is the sweetest, happiest little thing. :) My girls adore her - especially Maddie. She talks about her every single day. She loves that she's bigger than someone. Funny thing is, Maddie is so little - and well, baby Aly's genes are a lot more promising for height opportunities. It will be a sad day if and when Aly shoots up and Maddie realizes that Aly is bigger than her. ;)

I have to share a couple of funny quotes from Audrey on our trip. I haven't updated my "Audreyisms" in quite some time - but I will be adding these to the list. She was sitting in the back of the van after about an hour and a half and we were all talking. She says, "Quiet - my leg is asleep". LOL That just struck me as funny. Another thing that she does a lot is make up words - or mix up words. Prime example yesterday: we passed a construction site and she said, "Look, it's a porticle potty." She's so stinkin' cute!

So an enjoyable day off yesterday = long work day today. I ended up working until 5:00 trying to catch up on stuff and filling in for my boss who is on vacation this week. So much for working part time, huh? Still so far behind on paperwork because every time I go in the office there are so many other requests that I don't have time to do what I'm suppose to be doing. Makes the time go by quick though!

Derek & I have agreed that me working outside of home is not working for us. Seems like the girls have been sick a lot more (took the girls to the doctor Wednesday for the 3rd time since the end of January). Maddie has been acting out a lot since starting daycare. I've hardly cooked at all which means we're spending more money eating out - and it's much less healthy. I've had no time to exercise. The house is a mess most of the time.

I haven't officially told my boss I'm leaving, but he knows that I won't be available much this summer because both girls will be home every day. I also mentioned that we'd be homeschooling in the fall, so I probably won't be here at all after summer. I haven't given him an actual end date. He's suppose to start looking for an extra person next week when he gets back (I am working 2 positions right now). I know that leaving work will be a gradual process. I promised him from the beginning that I'd give him ample time to find a replacement if I ever decided to leave. He's a one man show, so I will not leave him high and dry. He's been great to me.

Well, that's my thoughts for the day! Looking forward to a stress free, commitment free weekend before the crazy week ahead starts!

Monday Musings

2011-04-04T23:55:00.000-04:00

Spring Break, here we are! What ever will we find to do? Let's see - we started out with two beautiful, sunshiny days and are currently listening out for storm and tornado warnings. Yikes! But... no fear, the much needed mulching got done just in time to blown away! We got the play set in the backyard taken completely apart without the help of the treacherous winds. Maybe they'll just blow it all away and we won't have to worry about hauling it off! Ok, enough about yard work and weather... Here's a picture I just had to share. I've been passing this house for over a year and every time I pass it I think, "man, I need to take a picture of that!". So today I did. Sorry for the quality - I was the passenger trying to take a quick shot through the driver's side while we were driving by. ;) Anyway, this sooo reminds me of a family I grew up with. They lived in a mobile home for many years while they saved up and built their dream home (directly behind the trailer). They, of course, moved the trailer after the house was built. I'm assuming that is the case with this house. I don't know how long they've lived in the trailer, but I'd guess a pretty long time. The house (ahem... mansion) behind it still isn't finished, but man what a house it is!

Cool, huh? Quite a sight for sure!

Moving on....

We had a great afternoon at the park with the girls today. Seems that a lot of people had the same idea as we did. :) Nonetheless, the girls got ample time on the swings (since theirs is in a heaping pile in the backyard) and climbed on the play sets. Derek also flew our kite for a while. It was a great day for it!

Did I mention WHY the play set is disassembled? We've been saying since we moved here that it needed replacing (the previous owners left it behind). Just like most of the do-it-yourself projects that were done by previously mentioned owners, the quality of workmanship on the play set was mediocre at best. :/ It was ok for a while because really, how much damage can a 25 pound person make? But, now there are two of them - more rambunctious - and the safety was concern. We've also been working in the yard a lot and decided we'd build a playhouse instead (and by "we", I of course mean Derek). He's got grand plans to include the slide and swings. He's so handy like that!

Well, enough of my ramblings for one night. The storms have successfully woken my 5, going on 15, year old who is asking some pretty deep questions. I'll leave you with a few more pictures of our day.

Go fly a kite!

Climbing the wall

Weeeeee

Vacation Days

2011-04-02T22:10:00.000-04:00

I promised to add a few more pictures of our vacation. What a great time we had! The weather wasn't very warm and we had a lot of rain, but we had a fun time way. Saturday we took the girls to the Children's Museum where we spent a couple of hours playing, meeting Clifford the Big Red Dog, and experimenting in different centers. I've got some great pics to share. :) We spent the afternoon driving around and walking around Barefoot Landing. We bought a kite and flew it on the beach when we got back. Sunday we spent most of the day just hanging out at the villa. It was really cold and rainy. We put together 2 puzzles and played Uno Moo & Old Maid a lot. :) The girls just enjoyed being somewhere new and playing with each other. We left early Monday morning to head home. It was 39 degrees and rainy when we left. The girls were troopers on the long drive. Can't wait for the next trip!

At the Children's Museum

Playing restaurant

Meeting Clifford the Big Red Dog

Playing in a raft

Making pizza

Driving a slug bug =)

Digging for fossils

Maddie loved playing post office

In the Magic Schoolbus

Making Ooleck like Dr. Seuess

Flying our kite

Big girl flying her kite

Loving, Losing, & Living UBP 2011 - This is Me!

2011-04-01T23:22:00.000-04:00

My name is Kim and I'm excited to be participating in my first Blog Party! I've been blogging about a year - and like me - my blog is ever changing. :) It started out as a place to document my weight loss journey, but has evolved into a place to share the day to day life of balancing kids, husband, work, and play. I blog about being a mommy trying to balance it all (LOVING), the struggles of weight loss (LOSING), and a Christian seeking to know Him more (LIVING). We have decided to be a homeschooling family next year, so a lot of focus has turned that direction. Parenting 3 & 5 year old girls is an adventure in and of itself. I frequently seek advice from fellow moms and love to share in others' life journeys, as well.

I'm a 30-something year old from TN, but now live in GA. I've been married almost 7 years. I spent 15 years as a Colorguard Instructor for marching bands. I still dabble in choreography for different musical productions here and there. I love to sing! I am an avid scrapbooker (and other crafts) - though I really don't have much time these days. I'd like to say I'm highly organized, but really - I enjoy reading about getting organized and envision the day that everything in my home is neatly tucked away and properly labeled. :)

That's me in a nutshell. I'm a hodge podge of a gal just trying to make it through this life one day at a time. I hope you'll come along for the ride!

First Family Vacation

2011-03-26T22:19:00.000-04:00

That's right... we're just taking our very first family vacation. We'll definitely be making it a priority to do each year from now on. The girls are getting big enough to travel and enjoy some time away. I'm hoping we can do even more now that we'll be home schooling. We can incorporate our travels into lessons - and won't be so restricted on when we go. And, Derek's new job offer should be here any day. With his new job, he'll be working from home - which means he can also work remotely. God has really been paving a path for us and I'm soooo excited!!

Anyway... just wanted to share a few highlights of our trip so far. I know it isn't over yet, but I thought if I documented it while it's happening, I won't forget the details before I scrapbook it. ;)

We drove over to Myrtle Beach on Thursday afternoon. The girls traveled pretty well. With all of our stops, we made it in about 7.5 hours. The place we're staying in is BEAUTIFUL! (We're using my in-law's time share.) We are right on the beach. We have a 3 bedroom villa on the 7th floor. It is so nice! We've eaten breakfast & dinner here - only going out for lunch. It's worked out great for us.

Friday we spent the day on the beach. The girls LOVED playing in the sand. Even though its still way too cold to swim in the ocean, they chased the waves a bit wading in the water at the edge of the beach. Audrey actually fell in a couple of times - but she loved it. She especially loved chasing (and feeding) the seagulls. We walked down to the pier and had some lunch. We built sand castles. Audrey won a turtle race. :) We found LOTS of seashells and "treasures" on the beach. We came back to rest - and Maddie fell asleep in the floor with her hiney in the air. So cute! D & I played games and put puzzles together with Audrey. Then we went swimming briefly in the indoor pool. And, finished the day off cuddling in bed watching a movie!

Saturday we slept in a bit. We first went to The Children's Museum of South Carolina. They really enjoyed that. It was Dr. Suess week, so they had several activities with that theme. They made Ooleck. :) They got to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog. They got to play all kinds of different things like restaurant, post office, pizza maker, paleontologist, bus driver, sailor, etc. Afterward, we drove around Myrtle Beach and found a place to eat - 2 Dogs 'a Walkin'. LOL Then we went to Barefoot Landing and walked around a bit. We bought a kite there. (And, I bought those stick figures to put on my van. Ya know, the ones that represent your family. Silly, I know, but I've always wanted some. LOL) We came back to the beach and flew the kite for a while. It was GREAT! It was so windy that the kite went up immediately. Audrey did great! We didn't stay out long because it was late and really cold. Maddie doesn't seem to be feeling very well, so we came in pretty soon. Though, we did stop by the activities center and play a little ping pong ball. :)

So, that's it for now. We're having a great time! Can't wait for tomorrow. It's the last day, sadly - and is suppose to storm all day. We'll just have to get creative!

I'll have to post more pictures from home. The internet at the resort is not very strong.

Happy Friday!

2011-03-18T12:01:00.000-04:00

I know, I said I wouldn't get back to you until next week, but I'm waiting for something to run at work - so I thought I'd pop on. The weather is beautiful! I'm really looking forward to a fantastic weekend. I started a great new Bible study yesterday called Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted. We watched the intro video yesterday and it is going to be fantastic. And, after a 5:30 am wake up call this morning from the Harley across the street, I just got myself up (ok, maybe not immediately - but way earlier than I normally would) and started reading it. It actually felt kinda nice to be up before everybody. The house was quiet. I even popped some cinnamon rolls in the oven for breakfast. I could get use to this. :) Amazing the things we take for granted when we don't have the luxury of being at home all the time!

On that note, there's going to be some changes happening around the Norton house in the next few months. God is working things out and laying a plan for our family. I'm so excited about what He's doing. I've said it before and I'll say it again - He knows the desires of our hearts and rejoices in providing in His time. A new season is about to begin and I can't wait! (And, no, I am NOT pregnant. That would be a miraculous conception! LOL)

Blessings to my friends. Have a great weekend! I look forward to reporting back from the great weekend ahead!

The Devil went down to Alabama

2011-03-16T23:05:00.000-04:00

I've got a few minutes by myself this morning and thought I'd just post a few random thoughts for my blogging friends. We all know how therapeutic this can be. ;) We've been pretty busy and I know ya'll need a recap. LOL

We've had some sickness (again) at our house the last few days. Audrey has had an upset stomach since Saturday. I finally took her to the doctor yesterday - and it's just viral. Nothing they can do. She seems to be a lot better today.

On that note, I finally sent myself to the doctor. I've been dealing with vertigo for over 3 years now. I've just learned to live with it. I'm sensitive to my left side. I know that I can't turn certain ways without spinning. In the past it has been from wax build up. Sounds gross, I know. I promise, I wash my ears....LOL... but some things you just can't control! Anyway, I don't normally have pain in my ear, so after 3 days of it, I decided I should go to the doctor. Much to my surprise, there was no infection or wax. Kinda puzzling. She did find out that I have something called Nystagmus. Basically, I have some involuntary movement of my eyes when trying to follow some things. She said, "No wonder you're dizzy." Ya think?! She also referred me to some sort of Vertigo Physical Therapy. Who knew?! I'm also going to make an appointment to get my eyes checked considering I don't remember EVER having had an eye exam. (Shame on me!)

Let me say, I need an attitude adjustment again. This week has made me sooo resentful of my job. I am incredibly grateful for it. My boss is great. But, my "part time job" is getting in the way of life and consumes me. I didn't go in Monday, but worked from home because Audrey was sick - so I'm grateful for that flexibility. But, the less I do, the more it piles up (funny how that works, huh?). I've talked to my boss about adding someone else, as there use to be 2 people working for him. He's been talking about adding someone else for months - but nothing yet. When summer is here, I have to drastically cut back hours. The problem is that I think about it all the time. I feel like I'm constantly thinking about work and what needs to be done. I don't just go to the office, work 4 hours, and go home. Because I can work from home & there are so many things to be done, I have this cloud hovering over my head all the time to get it done. Many nights, like tonight, I'm sitting here at 11:00 at night answering e-mails, placing orders, and figuring out what I have to do in the 1 free hour I have tomorrow. Truth be told, I just want to be home taking care of my girls like I did before. I don't want to question *if* I have time to spend with them when they're sick. I'll just keep praying that things work out as they should. In the meantime, I'll tweak my attitude and work on my time management.

Let me tell you how excited I am about our upcoming weekend in Alabama! The group I'm singing with now will be doing 2 concerts Sunday. I'm really looking forward to a weekend with the ladies - just getting to know them and having some "girl time". I'm prayerful that our music will be worshipful and that God will work through us to reach those in need of Him. Satan sure is working though! He knows that a good thing is about to happen and he's reaching in where he can to try to stop it. Our group has had some sickness and hit one member really hard today with some devastating news. But, we are on our hands and knees praying that the Lord will intervene and bless this trip. He will be present and He will beat the devil down!

So... this post didn't actually get posted this morning - because those "few minutes alone" weren't enough to organize these crazy thoughts. There are more thoughts to organize and share with you... but I'm so tired right now... I'm doing good to get these posted. So, I'll leave you with these thoughts and I'll return again soon. And, by soon, I mean probably next week. :)

Veritas Press Giveaway

2011-03-15T22:10:00.000-04:00

There's a GREAT giveaway over at Raising Homemakers. Check it out!!

Revelations of Revelation

2011-03-10T22:14:00.000-05:00

We just finished up our amazing new Beth Moore study on the Book of Revelation. Amazing! I did miss last week's video - and missed a piece of homework here and there (which I do intend to go back and finish), but I still got so much out of it. I've studied the book of Revelation somewhat halfheartedly in the past (if I'm being honest here...), but this is the second study in the past year that we've been involved in at our church. I feel like there is soooo much that I don't know, so I am incredibly grateful for our church, the teachers, and the people that God has surrounded us with since joining First Redeemer. It has been a major heart change for me. I'm humbled by how much I don't know!

With all that being said, WOW, what an eye opening study this has been! Today was our final lesson - just a wrap up with a time line provided by one of the great teachers at our church. I thought I'd share some of the things I've learned in this study that really stuck out to me. First of all, the parallels between Genesis and Revelation. It truly is full circle. God is The Beginning and The End. He is Alpha and Omega. What God starts in Genesis, He finishes in Revelation. (There are also some great parallels in the book of Daniel I want to dig into.) Another thing we touched on that I want to dig into deeper, purely out of fascination, are the Bowls of Wrath and the idols/gods the judgments parallel. Also, a huge revelation for me was in realizing there is nothing left to be fulfilled before The Rapture. Simply put, it's next on the checklist! We have no idea when it will take place, but there are no prophecies to be fulfilled before then.

Along the lines of the rapture, there is still one issue that I'm struggling with. I did not realize this until the study - and there are still some questions that I have and am researching independently and with friends. It had never occurred to me the possibility that those that have heard of Jesus, but reject him prior to the rapture, will not have another opportunity afterward. (Those that have never heard will have an opportunity.) But, it isn't until after the 2nd Coming that new generations will receive the opportunity to accept Him as Savior. I guess I can understand that point of view - ok, you've been told, you chose to reject sight unseen, the rapture happens, and now you want to believe after seeing what you just saw? I don't think so! So where's the back up scripture to this? God states in 2 Thess 2:10-11 ...."and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false"....... So, I'm kinda leaving this one open ended. I'm sure there will be those that disagree. And, as I stated, I'm still researching. It's just been on my heart all day. I may be confused about the events, but nonetheless, it gives me a new sense of urgency to share the gospel. I have never been very good with witnessing to others (shame on me), but I feel God tugging at my heart to make that a priority. Please pray with me that He will teach me and guide me as I learn more and more about Him each day and that He will give me the wisdom and the words to say.

Project Life Week 10

2011-03-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

Our week in pictures... ENJOY!

My big girl! She just looked so big eating her cereal before school.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! This is my friend and Audrey's Awana leader (who also teaches preschool). She was all dressed up for Dr. Seuss's birthday. Isn't she cute?!

PUZZLE time - Photo courtesy of Audrey :)

My splurge! Don't know when, with what, or how I will wear them, but I had to have them!

Missed the really good moment, but the girls were loving on each other (Audrey hiding her face because she doesn't want her picture made.)

Pedicures all around! Thank you, Nana!

Our countdown calendar - 16 days 'til the beach. Our very first family vacation!!

The Season of Singing Has Come....

2011-03-04T12:52:00.000-05:00

"I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding." 1 Cor. 14:15
"Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts." 1 Chr. 16:9
"I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing the praises of Your name, O Most High." Psalm 9:2
"Sing to Him a new song..." Psalm 9:2
"Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 63:7
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." Ecc 3:1
"...the season of singing has come..." Song of Sol 2:12
"...sing and make music from your heart to the Lord." Eph 5:19

When I got to singing rehearsal with my new sweet friends Wednesday morning, these were the verses that were written down and handed to me by our fearless leader. Perfect reference to the events that unfolded in the next few minutes. Today was the first day back for the lady on maternity leave that I have been filling in for. I knew my time was almost up, but they had asked me to stick around a little longer because another member would be going on a mission trip in April, so it just made sense to all sing together until the end of her trip. So, back to the verses I began with. The leader handed me the card with these verses on them and asked me to read them aloud to the rest of the group. There's this part of my brain saying, "Oh, it's time to say goodbye and they got me this sweet card." (Because, seriously people, these are the most precious, genuinely thoughtful ladies E.V.E.R!) However, at the bottom of the page there was an arrow pointing to the other side. I flipped it over and began to read aloud - until the tears started and I couldn't talk any more. My heart rejoiced, my brain did a 180 (yes, in my head), and I felt like a giddy little girl as I read about half way down the page to these words... "We would be honored if you would join us as a member of WOW - officially - and sing His praises with us as a permanent member!"

Are you kidding me?! I am just beside myself with excitement! What an absolute honor and privilege to be part of this amazing group, who by the way, have been singing together for 7 years! I know God knows the desires of our hearts, so I should not be so amazed when He provides such blessings, but I am! God is so good! He knew what I had need of. He knew my heartfelt desire. And, He paved a path for me - putting these lovely people in my life for a reason. "I will rejoice and be glad in it!"

Now, the reality side of me, in all seriousness, is scared. Not just because of the great commitment I just made. But, I know how Satan loves to try to crush things that are pleasing to God. And, I remember a time when I was part of such a group that was singing His praises before - and Satan attacked each of our families in a mighty way. But, I know that my God is bigger! We are going to have a good time singing and praising. I in no way feel worthy of this position, but I am incredibly grateful beyond any words that I can type in this space! =) Thank you, Jesus, for your grace & mercy!

Project Life Week 9

2011-03-01T22:25:00.000-05:00

I didn't get my Project Life pictures done last week. My camera was MIA. But, no fear - it has been found! I'm really thinking I'd like to have a new camera. Mine is at least 4 years old. It's time for an upgrade, don't you think? ;)

2/24 Maddie's "dress up": pants, ballet skirt, t-shirt, Twinkle Toes, wings, & headband

2/24 - The girls at their friend's house for a pizza/tea party. My girls didn't want their pictures made. lol

2/26 My "girls" all grown up! This is my last full class of guard girls. I had them in middle school and part of their freshman year of high school. I got to see them perform in Atlanta this weekend as Seniors!!

2/27 Modeling in mommy's shoes - hands on hips.

2/28 Maddie's field trip to Chic-fil-A - she was intrigued by the kitchen tour.

The Ups and Downs

2011-02-22T22:24:00.000-05:00

This has been such a week of ups and downs. Today, specifically, has been a roller coaster of emotions. I don't know if there's something in the air, if its residue of the ongoing sickness, or a result of my hectic schedule but I'm ready for a meltdown myself. Seriously. I can't seem to keep up with work, house, activities, and kids. I don't feel like I'm getting much help in the way of the day to day housework, yet my workload remains the same. Very frustrating. I really don't like to complain about that stuff. I'm grateful to have such an amazing family, blessed with a big, beautiful house, a flexible job, and super opportunities at church. I just need a little more help. Guess it doesn't help that we've all been sick. Unfortunately, the world doesn't stop and wait for us all to get better. If I stop, it just piles up higher.

I've felt like such a crappy mom lately, too. I question all my decisions. Am I doing the best thing for my kids? Am I warping them forever? What can I do better? I feel like I butt heads with my 5 year old a lot. She is strong willed and defiant. I'm a pushover and inconsistent. Not a good mix. When I do try to put my foot down and hold strong, she becomes more defiant and disrespectful. My 3 year old is just that - a 3 year old! We never had the "Terrible Two's", so we're making up for it with the "Tremendous Three's"! The sassy mouths from both of them are about to put me right over the edge. I can handle most things - but the talking back sends me into monster mode. I try to remain calm and then BAM, enough is enough! I swore I would never raise my voice to my children because I grew up in a screaming home - and I hated that. My husband and I have never once talked to each other in loud voices. Never. So, why do we have shouting matches with a 3 and 5 year old? I feel so disgusting afterward.

The attitudes seem to cycle. We'll have a good month - and then we have a horrible couple of weeks. Then we'll have a great month followed by a really bad week. It's just a vicious cycle. Right now our major fight is with the girls' first response to everything they're told to do is "No". It's like they don't even think before they speak - it's an automatic response to anything we say. They argue with everything and I am so over it! Don't think that it goes without punishment. We go in steps - starting with time out, followed by a spanking at the next offense, and then spending a long time in their room alone, etc. It just doesn't seem to be working. We're going to have to find something new. I've tried taking all the toys out of their rooms, taking the TV away, etc. Today I got creative. Maddie was so cranky this morning and yelling at me in the car disrespectfully. I pulled the van over right then into a church parking lot, took her out of the car, and put her in "time out". (Don't worry.... I didn't leave or even pretend I would do such a thing. She just wasn't allowed back into the car until she calmed down.) She did much better throughout the day - until tonight. Did the same thing with Audrey this afternoon. She was mouthing off as we were pulling out of the drive way. I pulled the car over and made her get out. She couldn't get back in until she apologized for her behavior and assured me she wouldn't do it again. (Again, no worries. She was never in any danger.) Everything was great until we got back home. Tonight was a BATTLE. It was just one thing after another that ended with her losing her bedtime story and songs. It broke my heart because that is a special time we share together at night. But, I had nothing else to take or do. I'm trying so hard to understand her. It's such a roller coaster with her. I don't want to make excuses for her, but I don't know to what extent (if any) her medication plays in her behavior. She is on medication for her Epilepsy with side effects being "behavioral problems". She is NOT a bad kid, she just has her moments.

So, to share the "ups" of this post. Tonight on the way home from rehearsal we got on the subject of "keys". (She loves to unlock the front door by herself.) So, out of the backseat I hear her say, "I wish I had a key to my heart so I could open it up and let Jesus in." I told her she didn't need a key to let Him in, all she had to do was ask. She responded, "I already did that." To which I replied, "when did you do that?" And, she said, "One night in my room when I was praying." Then we went on to discuss baptism (and her fear of going under water). I was so elated for her.

This is the same child that went to bed screaming and fighting with me following that beautiful conversation.

Sigh.

Project Life Week 7

2011-02-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

2/8 - My favorite picture of the girls - taken on Audrey's 3rd birthday. (Also, love my red dining room walls. heehee)

2/9 - We've had a few spring like days lately. And, Audrey had her little friend over for the first time.

2/10 - A place where a lot of time is spent "thinking". =)

2/11 - Just a sweet picture of my girl.

2/12 - Maddie loves walking home with all the big kids from the school bus.

2/14 (1) - Can't see it for her arm, but Maddie wore her "I Love Santa" for Valentine's Day. LOL

2/14 (2) - Girls & Nana with their Valentine's Day goodies.

Kid's School Work

2011-02-12T23:35:00.000-05:00

I like to think of myself as having kicked the pack rat habit. But, there are some things I just can't part with right now. One of those battles has been what to do with all of Audrey's work that comes home each Friday afternoon. Her graded homework, themed coloring sheets, writing practice, math problems, and art projects to name a few. I can't throw them away! However, they are piling up higher than I'd like. I finally found a solution to some of it. I remembered today that I have a large empty binder and a few boxes of clear page protectors that my mother-in-law passed on to me when she moved. So, I got everything neatly tucked away in a notebook (with room to spare for the rest of the year) and we can actually go back and flip through to see how she has progressed.

Just thought I'd share! OH, and if you have any suggestions for all those great art projects that don't fit in a binder... feel free to pass those ideas along. I haven't quite decided what to do with those.

This was part of the pile. I usually just stick them in one of the two wire baskets (seen in the pic) hanging on the wall. I cleaned them out today! (And, added a basket for Maddie.)

Everything is now neatly organized into the large binders and sheet protectors to view.

Not every single sheet is visible. If they had a sticker or smiley face, they are definitely visible. =) But, those that were incomplete or similar to others, are tucked neatly behind others.

Valentines Mailboxes

2011-02-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

It's Saturday and we're having a pajama day. Everybody is sick at our house, so I thought it sounded like a good idea. And, what makes pajama day better? A craft, of course! I pulled out some old shoe boxes and my new BFF - Mod Podge - and created Valentine Mailboxes for the girls to take to school Monday. They can take their Valentines cards for their classmates - and bring back all their goodies in their own box.

Very simple to make! I'm sure we've all made them at least once as a kid. I just wrapped each shoe box with left over red Christmas wrapping paper - using the Mod Podge. After it dried, the girls and I punched out hearts, cut out scrapbooking paper, and found heart stickers. The girls decorated them however they wanted and then we covered everything in Mod Podge. They're nothing fancy - but they're cute, made by the girls, and serve their purpose. Enjoy!

Maddie LOVES to "paint" with the Mod Podge!

Just wrapped the top and bottom like a gift - only with the Mod Podge instead of tape.

Covered everything with a coat of Mod Podge - let it dry - then add the decorations.

Audrey didn't want her face in the picture, but she did a great job decorating.

Just waiting to dry....

Final product, photographed by Audrey! You can't see it, but we spelled out their names on heart stickers on the sides.

Project Life Week 6

2011-02-08T21:08:00.000-05:00

This past week was a lot about Maddie. She started preschool and was very excited. I've misplaced my camera more times than I care to admit this week, so I may be a picture or two short. ;(

2/2 - Caterpillar Soup - a favorite activity!

2/3 - My sweet friends that I'm singing with, bought me a Vera Bradley planner like they each have - how precious are they?!

2/4 - Pudding mouth and crazy hair - that's the norm around here.

2/5 - I'm really digging Maddie's outfits lately. She wears those mittens and hat with everything (even her pajamas)!

2/6 - My scrapbooks!! If I could only take one (set) of things to a deserted island.....

2/7 - Maddie LOVES preschool!

Baby Steps

2011-02-07T23:11:00.000-05:00

So, I've posted about Audrey's crippling shyness... but we're making progress!! I am so proud of her! There is an older girl on her school bus that lives a few houses down. Audrey always talks about her, but not so much to her. So, over the last few weeks, I've encouraged her to talk to her as they walk down the street from the bus. It started out with her just saying, "Hi, Regina" and "Bye, Regina". Audrey has asked me several times if she could go to her house - yet she wouldn't talk to her. Last Thursday she asked me again as we were walking home from the bus and I replied, "If you want to play with her, you have to ask her yourself." Much to my surprise, she turned around to Regina without hesitation and said, "Can I come to your house and play some time?" Regina said, "Yeah, I'd like for you to. I'll ask my mom." So, today was an official play date! They did so well together! Regina, who is in the 4th grade, played so sweet with Audrey. (Regina is an only child and would like to have a little sister. Of course, Audrey loves older girls. They're so "cool".)

This whole play date was a "God thing". My plan was to just drop her off "like a big girl", but Regina's mom really wanted me to come in, too. I was somewhat hesitant because I left Maddie at home with a sick husband (and she was sad she didn't have a play date) and honestly, I thought it might be awkward because I don't know her very well and thought the conversation might be hollow. I've walked to the school bus stop with her several times, but never much more than chit chat. This may sound silly, but I have a hard enough time understanding people that speak perfectly good English - give me someone with a thick accent and I struggle to hold up a conversation. Seriously, I think there's something wrong with my ears - or at least the line going from my ears to the brain that comprehends what it hears. I say, "huh and what" a lot. Anyway... back on topic.... Regina's mom was an absolute joy! Turns out they moved to the US 20 months ago from Mexico City (where she was an auditor for the government) - and they did not speak any English. Let me say, to have only started learning the language 20 months ago, she is doing amazingly well! She said she really wants more opportunities to practice English conversation. She's at home alone a lot. She doesn't work. And, her husband is gone for long periods of time for work. This time he was gone for 50 days - or was it 15? That whole "hearing" thing again. Anyway, I asked her if she went to church anywhere and what other activities she was involved in. We had a nice visit, exchanged phone numbers, and agreed to get together again more frequently.

It's always nice to meet a new friend! Here I was worried about Audrey - when I think it was really the adults that needed the interaction. God sure is crafty! =) And, He sure is good!

Intervention

2011-02-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

Ok, friends. I need an intervention. I caught a glimpse of myself on the screen at church this morning. Shew. Disappointing to see what I've done (or haven't done) in the past few months. My clothes are tight. :( I'm tired. I have no energy. This time last year was when I started my get healthy journey. It's time to reignite the fire! I started this blog a year ago to document my journey to health. It has slowly turned into everything BUT health. We're joining the Y as a family next month. Can't wait!

Caterpillar Soup

2011-02-04T22:01:00.000-05:00

I read this activity in a book a few years ago. It's a great activity for the kiddos while you're cooking in the kitchen. ;) I put a large bath towel down to cut down on mess. Then, add a large bowl, mixing spoons, funnels, cups, measuring spoons, etc. I also fill up squirt bottles with water (add food coloring to create "sauces"), old spice bottles with salt, and sprinkles. They mix it all up and "cook".

Project Life Week 5

2011-02-01T21:34:00.000-05:00

1/25 My big helper with a "powerful" hand vac. Loving the hair!

1/26 Love to catch a sleeping baby any chance I can.

1/27 - On my nightstand - Bible, prayer journal, and new Pandigital that I'm starting to love.

1/28 - Our "Treasure Box" - the girls can take a trip to the box on Fridays for earned goodies. Thank goodness for the $1 bin at Target!

1/29 - We had a beautiful spring like day. The girls and the neighbors loaded their babies into the inflatable jumping house and played for hours.

1/30 Two days in a row of spring like weather. Loved this pic of the girls on their bikes. We spent hours playing in the cul-de-sac.

1/31 - Maddie's first day of preschool. She did NOT want her picture made!

In/Out of the Spotlight

2011-01-31T22:42:00.000-05:00

There are those that love the spotlight and others that don't. I find that every day with my girls. I have one that would rather sit back and take it all in - never wanting to be seen. While the other jumps in head first to see what kind of laughs she can get.

So, I've been thinking about my own light. I'd say for the most part, I've been a spot light kinda girl. I like performing - rather it be dance, colorguard, singing, etc. I use to really like to be the life of the party. But, not so much any more. I'd rather sit back and watch - have an intimate conversation and not be the center of attention. I've played many leadership roles in my 30-something years, but I'm learning it's nice to sit on the sidelines and watch every once in a while. Not to say that I don't still have opportunities that come my way to take the lead. However, I'm seeing that with life there are many seasons. There's a time to learn and a time to teach. I think the process is on going. And, I'm in a new season.

God has humbled me many times. He sometimes has to speak loudly and frequently - I'm a little hard of hearing. He has also shown me that I am still capable of learning and that He will use me where HE sees fit, not necessarily where I want to be.

Now, let me preface these next thoughts by saying that I in no way want to seek credit in any talent I may *think* I possess. ;) God gives and God takes away. God uses our talents for His glory and when we abuse that, I think He can and will put them back where they came from, so to speak. But, I also know that God wants to give us the desires of our own hearts. With all that being said, I want to share with you some exciting stuff! =) And, I want to thank God for the opportunity, no matter how short or long the time I am given on this project is.

Several years ago I was part of a women's quartet at my church in TN. I honestly don't remember how we formed our group because we didn't know each other that well. We were all in choir together, knew each of us had some knowledge of music & voice, and had a desire to sing more. Never did I think such a bond would be formed. Aside from all the music we made, I know for me, we created lasting friendships that I will never, ever forget. God worked through us, if for no one else, for the 4 of us. Yes, we sang several concerts, sang at different churches, and gathered once a week to rehearse the music. But, had it not been for those 3 ladies, I would have really struggled through some difficult times. They ended up being the ones I turned to when I didn't know where else to go. We all went through very similar situations at different times and were able to help each when it was our time to go through the valley. I, to this day, love those 3 women! We sang together for roughly 3 years, but eventually we all went separate ways because of life changes (and moves). I miss them so much! I have not felt another bond like that since.

Now fast forward to my new life in GA. We started out at a very small church (similar to all the churches I grew up in) that we loved for two years. But, with lack of child care, there were very few opportunities for us to attend classes or Bible studies. I called a local church that I passed every day taking Audrey to PreK. I saw they had a Women's Bible Study, so I was curious if child care was provided. To my surprise, it was and I jumped on board immediately. The first time I went to the study, a sweet older lady asked me to join her. She has grown to be such a cherished friend. Anyway, they opened up the study with praise and worship. Five ladies got on stage and sang the most beautiful harmonies I had ever heard. And, you could just tell they were truly singing for the Lord. I got a little teary eyed watching and listening to them that first day. I had to call each of "my girls" to tell them how much they reminded me of our quartet days and how much I missed them.

I continued going back week after week and was blessed each and every time I heard them sing. It really made me miss the old singing days with the girls. I'd be lying if I didn't say there was a longing within me to be up there with them! Within a few months, God very clearly showed us it was time to move to a new church. He had already been paving the way to First Redeemer starting with that first day at the Beth Moore Bible Study. We have been at our new church for a year now. God has opened up so many doors for us there. The girls have learned so much and look forward to going every day.

I personally have never been a member of such a large church. I was afraid I'd get lost in the crowd. But, I have been pleasantly surprised at how wrong I was. And, back to that humbling thing I talked about earlier in the post. ;) Being part of small churches, I was given many opportunities to sing solos and be a big part of the music ministry. I think I took a lot of those things for granted. God has placed me in an amazing music program where the talent is truly unbelievable! He has shown me just how small I am, while placing me exactly where I need to be and allowing me to grow in spirit. But, He is also loving and gracious.

A couple of months after joining the church & choir, I auditioned for the Praise Team. (First time I've ever had to audition for a church thing. That was a lesson in and of itself!) Shew. I made it. I was a little intimidated at first, but have really learned a lot singing with such great talent! The end of last year I was honored to be asked to audition for a part in the Christmas program - a small ensemble for one song. It worked out and the program went great! In that process, I got to work with a wonderful lady who is also the leader of the women's quintet from our Bible Study that I so adore. After our first rehearsal, she gave me the sweetest compliment ever --- she asked me to fill in for one of her girls in the group!! After I picked my jaw off the floor, I graciously accepted. One of their members was having a baby and they had been praying and looking for someone to temporarily take her place. After hearing my voice, she thought that I would blend great with them. I started singing with them this month and it has been the BEST time! Music aside, these ladies are amazing! They are the most precious, loving, Christian ladies ever. The time we spend "rehearsing" is filled with stories, laughter, music, and worship. It's been wonderful! Sunday was my first time singing with them for the worship service (we do the Bible Study service on Thursdays) and it was incredible.

God has shown me, I don't have to be the "it" girl. I don't have to have all the solos or be in the spotlight. The gift He has given me is a blending voice. And, as long as I keep the focus on Him and less of me & the music, He will use me. I am so guilty of wanting more and more, but I don't need it. God certainly knew the desires of my heart and mercifully obliged! I'm not sure how long I will have with the ladies, but I'm cherishing every moment. To be completely honest, I wish it wasn't temporary (that more and more attitude again), but I know God has a plan for me when it's all said and done. He's still teaching me. I'm seeking His will and that is the focus. I'm just grateful for what He has allowed me to do and anxious to see what He will have me do in the future.

Miscarriage - The Truth

2011-01-28T23:21:00.000-05:00

I've had some conversations with new friends recently and read some Facebook statuses & blogs lately that got me thinking about a different time in my life. I rarely talk or think about the past any more. But, I think sometimes others can benefit from our experiences. There are some things that need never be forgotten.

For generations, miscarriage was a taboo thing to discuss. It hurts my heart to think of any woman going through such an ordeal without anyone to talk to. Thankfully in this day and age, though it may be awkward to some, talking openly about these situations can be therapeutic. I took comfort in hearing from others that had experienced the same as I had. I remember after my first miscarriage, I was almost embarrassed to talk about it. I just didn't know what to say. It was especially awkward when someone didn't know and asked how the baby was doing. Honestly, there's no right answer, no perfect response. People generally offer up heart felt condolences, while others tend to brush it off with "Oh, you're young. You have plenty of time to have a baby." It may seem insensitive, but I think this is just some people's lack of understanding.

My first pregnancy was from my first marriage. I had just turned 24, my father-in-law had just suddenly passed away, and I found out I was pregnant. It was bitter sweet. But, I was so excited. I always wanted to be a mom. I hadn't felt very well and was super tired. I had no idea what doctor to go to, so I turned to a friend who had recently had a baby. She suggested a doctor in Knoxville, who happened to be a high risk perinatal doctor. It was no accident! The first doctor appointment went well. I got my "welcome bag" with all the pamphlets, magazines, samples, vitamins, etc. The exciting stuff! :) After a few weeks, I started feeling a little better and my next appointment went well, but they were telling me I wasn't as far along as they originally thought. No major concerns, but I was certain of my cycle and a little puzzled at what I considered a "set back". Ya know, every single day and week counts to a pregnant woman, right?!

Then came Christmas Eve. I was about 10 weeks along and feeling "off". I had some light spotting, so I was just taking it easy. We had our annual Christmas Eve open house - and I remember wearing flannel pajamas the whole time. (Funny the things we remember.) Anyway, Christmas day (which was on a Saturday), I was feeling a little worse and bleeding a little more. My family and I decided we should take a trip to the ER. Not exactly how I imagined spending Christmas! They hooked me up to an IV, filled my bladder (the worst part!), and gave me an ultrasound. The baby had a faint heartbeat and was only measuring about 6 weeks. They sent me home with instructions to call my OB Monday morning. Monday, they told me there was really nothing they could do. It was just a matter of time. Tuesday I started having severe cramps and a lot of pain in my lower back. A few hours later, thinking I needed to go to the bathroom, I actually had a contraction and passed the baby.

There was this brief moment of panic. I didn't know what to do. The next thing I'm going to say, I've never told before. It breaks my heart to say it. It may seem funny to some. It may be appalling to others. But, I truly panicked. My first reflex was.... to flush. There, I said it. That is what I did. I'm sure it happens every day to women who do not even know they are pregnant. But, I did. For a brief moment, I saw this tiny being, about the size of my thumb nail. And, in my moment of panic, it was gone. Tears are streaming down my face as I write this. I have never told anyone - except the nurse when I called her on the phone. I have always felt so guilty. I know there is nothing that could have been done. The doctors office would have done the same. I've always thought, if I could have taken the baby to the office with me, they could have run tests on him (I was convinced it was a boy) to see what was wrong. We never got that chance.

One of the hardest parts was sitting in the waiting room of the OB's office for my follow up appointment. Sitting there in a room full of pregnant ladies with an empty belly, was excruciating. I was very sad, for a long time.

About a year and a half later, I found out I was pregnant again. And, boy was I sick! I was nauseous - a lot. I had to pull over on the side of the road more than once! I definitely thought this was a good thing! The first appointment went well, but my "keeping it real" doctor always reminded me how high my chances of miscarrying again were. I was pregnant for several weeks. I even moved into some maternity clothes. I had a couple of ultrasounds that helped ease the nerves a bit, though once again the baby was measuring behind what it should have been. I went in for a regular check up. They were having a hard time finding the heartbeat, so they said I could get an ultrasound. We were in there for a while and the ultrasound tech left. I knew something was wrong. When the doctor came in, my heart sank. He reviewed the u/s and then delivered the news. There was no heartbeat and the baby had stopped growing. Although I should have been at least 12 weeks, the baby was only measuring about 9. Since the baby was too big to pass on its own, I had to schedule a D&C. This was on a Friday and they couldn't get me in until Tuesday.

I think that weekend messed with me the most. I just kept thinking about the life inside me that no longer lived. It was such a difficult time. But, I will say that my doctor was so wonderful. I didn't realize how big of a deal a D&C was. I just thought you went to the doctor's office and it was a simple procedure. I was wrong! It was an outpatient procedure in the hospital. I was under full anesthesia. I remember lying on the table and my doctor came in. He hugged me, told me how sorry he was that he had to do this, and he rubbed my face until I went to sleep. When I woke up, it was over. There was no more baby... again. I felt so empty.

A few weeks later we received the test results from the baby. The baby had a chromosome disorder called Trisomy 18 or Edward Syndrome. The baby would not have survived long. Additionally, it was discovered that I had an autoimmune disease called Antiphospholipid Syndrome (say that fast 4 times). What exactly does that mean, you ask? That my body reacts to a baby as if it were bacteria. It forms blood clots in the placenta as a defense mechanism to keep any nutrients from getting to the baby. (This is why the babies always measured smaller than they should have.) The good news? It was treatable. I would have to take daily injections of a blood thinner called Lovenox when I got pregnant again. That was promising. But, it would be 3 more years and a new husband before I'd get the chance to find out. ;)

Honestly, I had a more difficult time with the second loss than the first. I don't know if it was because I was further along. Or, just a combination of two losses. I was depressed. I had lost two babies... and was also losing my husband.

Fast forward about 3 years....

Baby #3.... a little different. No real closure. I was newly remarried - about 5 months. I took a couple of tests - they were positive. By this time, I really knew my body. I knew what it felt like to be pregnant. The tests were all positive, but by the time I got to the doctor I was no longer pregnant. I never knew exactly when it happened. The doctor couldn't 100% confirm it, but agreed he thought it was another miscarriage and added it to my ever growing file.

I got pregnant (#4) the very next cycle. It's hard to get excited after so many losses. At one of my early visits, my doctor thought I would miscarry again. I loved the man, but he was, by nature, a pessimist. The three doctors at this practice were very different. Dr. Roussis was the straight to the point, keeping it real, worse case scenario guy. Dr. Stephens was the sweet, nurturing, we're going to make this work kinda guy. And, Dr. Bruner, was the laid back, no big deal man. Anyway, Derek & I cried the whole way home because we thought this was the beginning of the end, again. We prayed. We cried. We prayed. What could we do? I took my shots. Tried to keep my vitamins down. And, waited. Week after week we took as one step closer. The journey wasn't always easy. There was about 20 weeks of 24/7 morning sickness, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, daily injections, sleep apnea, and loss of amniotic fluid. I had plenty of "woe is me" moments as I stood there some mornings unable to find an unbruised belly to poke another needle in. But, I was truly grateful for every single day.

At my 34 week appointment, I was told "you're having your baby today"!! I freaked out. This was 6 weeks too early! Somehow, all of my amniotic fluid was absorbed and GONE. Not only that, she was breach and they could not try to turn her without fluid. Since I had just given myself the blood thinner, we had to wait 12 hours for it to leave my system so they could operate. (I'll share the whole birth story another day.) The end resulted in a beautiful, healthy 5.8 pound baby girl... that the doctors tell me will be about 5 ft 10 in when she stops growing! And, a remarkable 2 years and 5 months later, another beautiful 7 lb 10 oz baby girl was born by scheduled c-section at 38 weeks.

I am grateful for every baby, both born and unborn. I don't know why God chose me to carry those babies for a short time. I don't know why He gave me Audrey & Maddie. But, He did. I truly believe that I will one day meet my angels face to face. Until then, I will cherish every day with my girls on this earth. They are a true gift from God.

Thanks for allowing me to share my story with you.

Give Away!!

2011-01-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

My sweet friend, Candace, at His Mercy is New is giving away some great books!

Be sure to stop by and follow her.

Project Life Week 4

2011-01-25T08:31:00.000-05:00

1/18 - After bath "helper' of the laundry folding.

1/23 - Finally got a picture of the girls in their new dresses.

1/19 - We found a super cool book at the library that showed acrobats making all the letters of the alphabet with their bodies. Here is Daddy & Audrey making a "P".

1/20 - My nook. This is where I curl up at night after the girls go to bed while D & I watch TV and I enjoy all those wonderful blogs. ;)

1/21 - When D's parents moved the rest of their things from TN to GA, they found his original Star Wars toys. He loved sharing them with the girls. Audrey especially enjoyed them.

1/22 - One of my favorite "pretties". My Longaberger cabinet with my favorite mini collectible baskets.

Overextended. Blessed. Frumpy. Excited. Disappointed. Loved. Refreshed.

2011-01-21T23:55:00.000-05:00

Overextended. Blessed. Frumpy. Excited. Disappointed. Loved. Refreshed.

Am I a crazy mess or what?! I've been a roller coaster of emotions this week. I've sat down to blog a couple of times this week and just didn't know where to start. Nothing specifically has happened, just a hodge podge mess of a schedule. Remember, one of my resolutions was BALANCE and a will to say NO? I haven't taken on anything new - and have no plans to do so, but the things that I was already committed to have revved back up and I'm having a hard time keeping my head above water. Yes, I realize I do this to myself, but I'm a work in progress. I'm still learning....

Overextended. Ever feel like you're being pulled in so many directions that you don't even know where you are? That has certainly been me this week. I've been trying to play catch up from the week off of snow. Work is a little more demanding. I've been bringing home a lot of work (which I'm grateful for). But, since I am the only one working for him now - if I don't do it, it doesn't get done. I feel a lot of pressure in that regards. On top of my "day job", I have a paid choreography gig. It doesn't seem to be coming together as I'd hoped and is taking a bit longer to get through. Again, feeling pressure to please and there's a time line pushing me. I think just having a creative type job adds another level of pressure. Additionally, there is a volunteer choreography gig I committed to some time ago that starts tomorrow. It should be a lot of fun, but is another sacrifice of time. Thankfully, Audrey is involved, so it is something we can do together.

Blessed. Through all the chaos, I do not lose sight of the blessings. I love my family so much! My girls are amazing - and so is that wonderful man I married. ;) I have been greatly blessed with some wonderful new friendships. God is so good! He has surrounded me with some amazing people and I can't wait to see what He has in store!

Frumpy. Gotta balance the good with the bad.... I've got that old frumpy feeling back. I really, truly want to get back to working out again. I miss it. My body misses it. My clothes are tight. I feel sluggish. I don't like looking in the mirror. My second chin is back. Stinks!

Excited. I guess this really goes hand in hand with the Blessed. God has temporarily opened a door for me to fill in with an incredible vocal group - which has resulted in some beautiful friendships. I absolutely love singing with these talented ladies and am completely honored to be a part of it, even if only for a short time.

Disappointed. Audrey asked me tonight what the "F word" was. It breaks my heart to the core. I am so glad she is open and talks with me about things she hears at school. But, I want her home. I want to teach her the right ways. I don't want to control her, but I do want to control her environment right now. I need to better equip her for this crazy world. I can do it.

Loved. I am loved. My children love me. My husband loves me. Even when I mess up. When I can't balance everything. When the dishes aren't done, laundry is piled up, and floors are gross. I am still loved. My heavenly father loves me unconditionally. Through all things, I am loved.

Refreshed. Amazing what a new haircut will do for a girl! Such a refreshing feeling. Kinda reminds me of a new year. A new start. Does that sound silly? I love the excitement of starting something new. We've started a new study on Sunday nights about the Attributes of God. And, we're 4 lessons into our Revelation study with Beth Moore. I'm also reading through the Bible. I feel this excitement and joy that I haven't felt in a long time. I just can't get enough! I'm learning things and seeing things in a light. It's exciting and I can't wait to share all that God reveals in the days to come.

Project Life Week 3

2011-01-18T23:27:00.000-05:00

1/11 - We were snowed in without girls, so we started a big cleaning/purging/organizing project. These were a few of the containers I emptied out!

1/12 - A rare occurrence in Atlanta - shoveling ICE! Derek got a great work out.

1/13 - Audrey's art work and our snow day craft - cute decorated clothespins. =)

1/13 - More snow day crafts - we all loved the Mod Podge!

1/14 - Has mommy been taking a lot of pictures lately? Maddie found the old camera and is helping with our Project Life 365!

1/15 - Real life - mounds of laundry!

1/16 - After Audrey's first (and possibly last) guitar lesson. =)

Painstakingly Shy

2011-01-17T21:36:00.000-05:00

Ok, friends, I need some advice. My 5 1/2 year old is so incredibly shy that it's almost crippling. I honestly don't know if something needs to be done or if I should just let it go and let her be. We've always dealt with it as best as we knew how and thought she might grow out of it. She won't speak or even look at people some times. It's usually an ordeal each week when we take her to Sunday School (because there isn't a permanent teacher, so parents rotate teaching). She has a hard time adjusting to change. She even has issues with people she knows if she doesn't see them on a consistent basis.

I took her to her very first guitar lesson tonight, thinking she might prefer one one on interaction (since she doesn't seem to care for group activities). She's also been asking to learn to play the guitar - and Santa brought her one for Christmas. Anyway, she would not speak to her teacher the entire class. She spent a third of it in tears not wanting to even look at him. She's always had a hard time talking to people - kids, too, not just adults. I'm glad that she's cautious and doesn't talk to total strangers, but at what point is it disrespectful?! She won't answer when spoken to or anything. But, what can I do? Seriously, I can't pull the words out of her mouth!

I thought we made some progress - and in some regards we have. There was a time she would rather go without than have to ask someone for it. So, one day at McDonald's she asked a person for more barbecue sauce and we were thrilled. That was a huge deal! We've had several more instances like that in recent months, but deals like today make me feel like we've taken a big step back.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Mod Podge #2

2011-01-14T15:39:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm so getting into the Mod Podge. Why did it take me 30 something years to realize it's wonders?! LOL So, we decoupaged a little box that I bought several years ago (along with the Mod Podge) just as I had planned BEFORE children. Hahaha! Who knew it would sit in a craft box waiting for a snowy day WITH children. =)

The girls really enjoyed helping me decorate it. We just ripped up tissue paper & covered in MP - then waited until it was dry. Then we decorated with various scrapbooking flowers & stickers and recovered it all in MP. Maddie really loved the "painting" with the MP. I think Audrey enjoyed peeling the dried MP off my hands the best. Silly girls!

Clothespin Project

2011-01-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

So, occasionally the craft bug hits me and I need to make something. Since we just redid our offices (and possibly classroom), I thought it would be cute to make something to display the girls' art work. I had seen these on another blog a couple of months ago and knew I wanted to make them. So, here they are! Very simple to make. Enjoy!

Just cut some strips from some scrapbooking paper I had, glued it down to the clothespins & covered it in Mod Podge (my new favorite thing). Then we just took some scrapbooking embellishments and buttons (hot glued the buttons) - again, covered in Mod Podge.

The girls enjoyed decorating and picking out flowers & buttons.

I just tacked a piece of ribbon to the wall and used the clothespins to hold the art work. Fun, huh?

2011-01-13T23:39:00.000-05:00

Here's my first attempt! Now I need to figure out how to add to the blog. lol