Happy Monday to ya!

WOW! After chugging along for seven weeks, we are taking some time off.

Yes, you read that right. I'm a crazy momma who started our school year in the middle of July. But hey! It was hot, and no one wanted to be outside - so why not get started?!?!

I hope to do a "Homeschool Open House" kind of post shortly about what we're using and some great resources I've found....

But not today....

Maybe not even tomorrow...

'Cause we are on BREAK!

We've got some windows to clean (not sure why I write "we" but, the kids will be in the house, so technically....) and we've got some sewing to do. I've been a good girl and haven't let the temptation of sewing distract me from our studies. This is my reward, if you will, for the past 7 weeks of work.

I'll still be around though - fear not! My BREAK is from homeschool not from blogging!

OH! And I want y'all to head on over to

Mary's blog

I know, today isn't Tiny Talk Tuesday and I'll probably be sending you there again tomorrow - but she's got a new blog look. We started in, um, spring, (LOL) and I was finally feeling a little creative.

I don't know how people can redo blogs for a living, I need chunks of time to think and get creative!!! Anyway, all that to say, stop on over at her blog - and I'm sure she'd love to know you stopped by (if you don't read/comment already!)

A fun "God Story"

This past year would have marked my 15th year out of high school - sadly, my high school class is pathetic at planning reunions. We had one at 5 years, but nothing since then...

Ok, I won't dwell on it, so anyway, back to the God story.

Last year, when I started blogging, I had no idea how many fun people I would meet and become good friends with. It still amazes me and you all know I'm thankful for each of you, don't you?

Well, let's back up to about a year ago. I can remember it being a late evening and a football game was on. I was chatting on goo.gle.ch.at with my new-found bloggy buddy, Sarah.

I had been lurking in some of her older posts and found a city name I recognized. I remembered it as a place another bloggy friend, Ginger, had visited. We realized the two of them were very close to each other. They were able to meet up a few times and I was always kind of sad I didn't get to be there.

In this same conversation, she asked me where exactly I was in "dlkfjskjfsdk" county. When I told her the name of the town, she said one of her college roommates grew up in that town.

She typed in "Lynn" and I right away typed back the last name of the only Lynn I knew in high school. It was the same Lynn. This could only be the Lord's doing as I'm not leaving it to coincidence.

Lynn was 2 years behind me in high school, so I didn't know her real well. She was in the band, and knew T, but I was in the orchestra and that was probably as much as our paths crossed.

At some point in the conversation, Sarah mentioned Lynn was thinking about starting a blog as they lived in Korea! I was shocked, how does anyone growing up in our little town get to live in Korea! ;-)

When Lynn started her blog, it was so fun to "meet" her family and see what they were up to.

Early in the summer, I learned they were moving back to the states and living with her parents before they settled.

Yesterday, after almost two months of Lynn being home, we were able to meet together for lunch.

WOW, did those two hours fly by! What fun! I've been enjoying Lynn's take on life and her humor from her blog, but how much more fun to sit across the table from her!

How is it, that two people can attend the same small town high school, but not really know each other, only to reconnect almost 15 years later through blogging - and through a mutual friend, many states away? It's only because of God!

I had a wonderful time with you Lynn and can't wait to get together again! We must get our girls together to play!!! :) Thanks for a fun time and thanks Sarah for being a part of this reconnect!

Also, a HUGE thank you to each of our moms who watched our kids so we could enjoy lunch together!!

Wordless Wednesday

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Quintin had a 6 year check up with the doctor in June. The doctor, after comparing his height with other 6 year olds, told him his height is great and he'll make a great soccer or baseball player. (Meaning: He's not going to be real tall so if basketball is a favorite sport, try to sway him now, LOL.)

Quintin heard only the baseball part and came home wanting to play and play for the next several weeks. Growing tired of baseball, we asked him about kicking the soccer ball.

Quintin says, "But the doctor said I should play baseball."

We assured him that she also said soccer, and she wasn't limiting him to just those two, he can play any sport he chooses too (with the exception of basketball, of course)!

He became worried and then asked, "Should we call the doctor and ask?"

(Oh, little boy, you are just so precious!!!)

To read what other Tiny Talkers are saying, head on over to Mary's.

The day I realized ...

...that homeschooling was a good fit for our family, was the day I woke up and noticed that 20 minutes had passed since the private school bus went by and an hour had passed since the public school bus went by.


And that my friends, is the beauty of what we do! ;-D

Wordless Wednesday

Post could also be titled "Phun with Photo.shop" ;-D

(click pictures to enlarge)

original:

Weekend Fun

Our plan was to go to T's parent's cabin this past weekend, but neither of us wanted to go up with me being sick. We've tried a couple other weekends up there while sick ... and it. is. not. fun! 

We had some extras planned for the weekend to do while driving up and home.  Even though we stayed home this weekend, we still did our extra trips and we are so glad we did!

I just have to say thank you to my two best friends, acetaminophen and ibuprofen, for helping me get through the weekend!

Here's a little smilebox slideshow of our weekend!  It was so much fun!

Make a Smilebox photobook

(Yes, T calls me "Mum" in case you were wondering when you heard it on the video clip) 

Mumma Roar :)

Life goes on ...

Friday morning...

and then came this...

My kiddos took good care of me!!

Attitude

There once was a girl who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything. Choose to have a great day!

I may have posted this before, I'm not actually sure, but I have always loved this story of this little girl with such spunk!

I'm battling a cold right now and it would be so easy to complain that while the weather is beautiful, I feel miserable. But, since attitude is everything, I'm choosing to have a great day and enjoy propping my feet up and sleeping - even if nothing gets done ... sigh.

Have a wonderful weekend - and CHOOSE to make it great!

What are you eating?

Need some dinner ideas? Yeah, me too. Here's two I've made recently ...

... Stromboli ...

... Angel Hair with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese ...

The stromboli is great because you can make several at a time and freeze them to have an easy meal - just thaw and bake! The angel hair pasta is great (mostly because of the goat cheese) and is also a fast dish to fix.

We love them both and you can find the recipes HERE!

Have any to share with our family? I'd love to have some new recipes.

Be sure to come back and leave me a comment if you post any on your blog! I can also add your links to this post so we can share with everyone!

******UPDATE********

Double Nickel's Applesauce Bread

Wordless Wednesday

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Its been a little bit since I've recorded some of the Tiny Talk happening in these parts. Its not because they haven't said anything worth recording though. :-D

We were driving and came up behind an Amish buggy. There were 3 blonde-as-blonde-could-be little boys with their heads popped out of the back of the buggy. As they turned off the road onto their farm lane, T and I waved to them and they got big smiles and waved back.

Elle, not knowing we had waved, watched them and exclaimed, "They are waving at me!"

It was just so precious how she got excited thinking they were waving just to her. It melted our mommy & daddy hearts!

To read more Tiny Talk, head on over to Mary's!

Credit - Original painting done by WilmaLee Eckman

Play Tent

I got this tent a few years ago planning to use it on the beach during vacations.  The black rods were too much of a bother for a quick setup on the beach so it became an indoor/outdoor playyard around the house.  The kids have always enjoyed it.  Its been a teepee, a pirate ship, a cowboy hideout, among many other things...

...just make no mistake, though,

strollers are not welcome! ;-D

I love it when He does that!

A lesson about Jonah ::

One of the things I love about homeschooling (besides that we can start early and stay in the a/c while it's too hot to be outside and then take a break when the wonderful fall weather comes) is seeing God's hand in our educational pursuits.

Not just that we study the Bible and pray - but that God is a wonderful conductor orchestrating our days to bring honor and glory to Him.

Yesterday was one of those days.

Seemingly insignificant events ... all came together for a great purpose ... and a Bible story came to life. It was a story about Jonah.

We started in the morning talking about Jonah and how he traveled by foot, by boat and by whale.

We made our whales with Jonah inside praying. I tweaked the lesson a bit so we didn't have to use paint. :-)

I didn't have anything else planned for the story and with the kids having taken a shorter rest time (and a storm on its way); we headed outside to play 'til supper.

I grabbed some chalk and thought about making our story of Jonah come to life. Elle was not enjoying the thunder in the distance, so Quintin went solo on the re-enactment.

"Jonah" taking a ship to put distance between himself and Nineveh.

"Uh-oh! Look at these raindrops and our ship is being tossed about."

OVERBOARD!

"I seem to have found myself inside the belly of a whale. What will I do now?"

"I know!"

Being tossed out to dry ground.

Our next move was inside as the thunder was coming closer and supper was soon ready. Here is where I marveled at God's work. I had already put the kids' supper in the oven before we went outside and I took a break during our re-enactment to prepare supper for T and me ... not even thinking about what I was making. As we headed inside, the kids asked what was for supper. Then it hit me - and I had to chuckle at how God put the events together - T and I were having tilapia and the kids were having fish sticks - or as I told them, "Whale sticks!"

As we sat down to supper, the rain began. I looked at each of the faces around the table and asked, "OK, which one of you was the cause of this storm? Who do we need to throw overboard?" The kids chuckled and I continued to marvel at God's hand in our lesson. It is my hope that the kids will remember our fun Jonah lessons and that it will bring a smile to their faces. Well, once Elle forgets about the booming thunder she heard outside! :D

So, yeah, I love it when He does that!

The craziness that is our days! (and I love every minute)

A week with no internet leaves...

time for this.....

Quintin: "Oh yeah, bring on the water!!"

Elle: "Yay! Wait a minute, I'm not so sure....Yay!"

Colin: "Um, I think I prefer to stay back here, thank you very much!"

and some of this...

and this...

time to play with some of our 12 cousins...

...more cousins

more of this...

And all of that...makes us very, very, very tired!

...while we had a great time, I still missed my internet! ;-D

Blogs not opening?

If you, or someone you know, uses sitemeter on their blogs, their blog will not open with Internet Explorer. You can remedy this problem by going to your dashboard and deleting the sitemeter page element.  Just open the box where you have the sitemeter code and click 'remove.'

I don't know if sitemeter is working to fix this problem, but if you desire a new application to track your blog traffic and stats, I'd recommend statcounter.com.

Have a great weekend!