busygirls

Rescheduled Sleepover!

2012-01-27T10:21:00.017-05:00

Stephanie had her birthday back in December, but we have dragged it out to last over most of January! It is not because we just love celebrating... it just has been a month of sickness! WHew! But, just like January is coming to an end, so is the coughing and hacking and dosing of medicine morning and night.

We actually had rescheduled the sleepover for two weeks after Stephanie came down with fever...but when that day came around, her sister had the fever, and I just could not expose a bunch of girls and their families to this germ. So thanks to Aunt Sam and Uncle Aaron, we moved the party to her house. Now that is a true friend!

This was the cake that never got ate. Or lit with candles. It just sat there and looked pretty!

This sweet group of girls were hilarious. We ate meatball sliders with some munchies.

I had bought some necklace making supplies off of Etsy with hopes of making them for Christmas gifts, but the girls made them and they turned out so nice.

Jammies and makeovers. That pretty much took over the night. They are really good at it. Some of them have even watched youtube videos on how to put it on the right way!

And there was Just Dance 3!

Then we got all the supplies that had been donated for the pencil bags that Stephanie collected as part of her birthday Share. We had enough to make 60 pencil bags. The girls enjoyed packing the bags, and next week she will present them to Pastor Ron who is taking them to Nepal.

Stephanie received many nice gifts...duct tape being a highlight! We REgave her the sewing machine that she had changed her mind about not wanting. ;) It was a sweet surprise.

Kay Kay was there to support and help celebrate! They all adore her.

The highlight of the night was the CHOCOLATE fountain. Stephanie got this as a gift from Mee-maw and Aunt Kaitie! It was so fun! Easy clean up too! I definitely could have had more strawberries...

She is eleven. Lovely. Beautiful. Kind. Helpful. She is growing up. I am so proud of her and I love her so. Her heart is sensitive and she pushes herself to be good at many things. Her creativeness shines so brightly, she is not good at just one thing. What a treasure she is!

A worthy check-off list

2012-01-08T19:09:00.002-05:00

I read this today, and I will tell you, Steve must have read this list long ago, because he could check off most of these ideas. He is a superb father. He shines as an example and my girls are the luckiest around. I knew back when we were figuring out this "wanna get married thing" that he was going to hit it out of the ball park when it came to fatherhood and being a great husband. It is not Father's Day, or our anniversary, not his birthday or even a holiday... but it is worthy of my first blog of the year 2012, and much much more.

Christmas Eve and Day

2011-12-31T17:50:00.030-05:00

We had a whirlwind of family time... in 24 hours we went down to St. Petersburg, back home to Bushnell, over to Tarrytown, then off to Umatilla and back home. We were blessed with more gifts than we could imagine. The girls were in tears as they reflected on their day and just were overwhelmed by all the love.

Grandparents gave the girls a laptop... we had been making it with one and some days of school we just needed more than one!

We all were made vests by Mickie. We did pose nice, but we also had to get in a Gansta pose!

Vinyl and satin vests! Bet it was not on your Christmas list!

Our dear friends here from North Carolina wanted to get in on the action of the vests. Good times!

Take that! Someone got too much stuff! (me! Thanks honey!)

First thing out! I had turned their clocks back so we got an extra hour of sleep! Did not work, we were up at seven! Turkey in and into the presents!

Our annual photo of the kids...my how they have grown!

Teddy pretended we were not there... too much hoopla!

Next was Finn world! The house was full of people and food! We had a blast. Everyone was surprised at their gifts! Besides the "picture" controversy, it was a super time!

Conrad and his TV!

Steph and her new camera!

Liv and her Ipod touch!

Then birthday!

The day after! Vests and guns...nice hair dudes! Merry Christmas!

Celebrating Family Style

2011-12-22T21:38:00.019-05:00

This is what keeps me on task during a month like December. I used to make my own countdown every year, but my sister saved me from that this year and sent me this cute knitted mitten to fill count down. I fill each day with an activity of some sort, caroling, baking, calling someone you love, writing a letter to King Herod, the Christmas story from someone or some thing's perspective (like the sheep or the donkey), go see The Gift, just to name a few... we have had a blast! Good traditions!

This house in Fruitland Park set the lights to music, and it was amazing. The owners came out after we sat there for a little too long, I think they were wondering if we were stalkers! Steve got the info on how it all happens. It was really cool!

Every year a group of us who have been friends long before marriages and kids get together for some good food and time to catch up! We are never disappointed by the display of food and we try to get a pic so we can see the kids change from year to year. This year the oldest (Kelley) is 20 and the youngest (Maddie) is 7. We won't give away any of the adults years, too many to count! All I know is that this group of people are living flesh of the scriptures where we are told that He provides for all our needs. These friends have done that for me again and again. Good times!

They drew for gifts this year, and it was fun.

Olivia ended up with a cup of candy! Big smiles.

Another generation of friends that are family.

The Warehouse Church aka Vineyard, had their annual Christmas program and it was centered around ministries of the church. Each department had a part. The girls danced a "Nutcracker" performance, and were wonderful as always. They told jokes and sang "Do you hear what I hear?". It was nice to take time to honor Jesus for His birthday.

This was our family Christmas card we sent out this year. This phrase had been running through my mind for weeks, so I thought we should use it. The girls insisted we had a real card this year, no photo card, so I gave in.

The inside. It is a photo taken in the Atlantis, in the Bahamas!

Bethlehem Live

2011-12-21T17:24:00.004-05:00

This year we again traveled to High Springs to visit Bethlehem. There is a church up there who put on a whole town display and it feels like traveling back in time. Between the markplace, the Roman soldiers and the sheep out in the fields, it was just perfect.

Between Charlie Brown (Olivia's new favorite) and all of the celebrating of the Miracle of Christmas... we have filled up our days of December. What a wonderful and memorable time we have had.

Hanakkah

2011-12-21T16:53:00.011-05:00

What an absolute privilege we had to spend the day learning about the Jewish traditions of Hanukkah. We were taken back in time to the struggle for freedom of worship of the Jewish people. The horrific battles, the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem and the hiding of the Torah that had to be done by God's chosen people. We were caught up in the miracle of oil lasting eight days... we were ready to celebrate with the lighting of the candles and feasting on fried foods. It was a life altering morning as we felt God's presence in our midst as we sought after the truth of the holiday.

The kids learned the real reason of the dreidel. The education of the Torah and how the children had to hid their parchments and play the game... a life lesson for even today... that sometimes we get half, sometimes we get it all, sometimes we get none, and sometimes we have to pay it all...but everyday we spend the dreidel in life and we see what may come.

The goodies.

Ms. Mela.

Our home now has one. We will light our menorah each night of Hanukkah to be a witness of our faith.

Christmas baking

2011-12-21T14:19:00.008-05:00

We set a Friday aside for some serious Christmas baking. There were 7 of us around here because Kay Kay and Marisela came and did the hard part! The girls were super busy, making most of it themselves.
Puppy Chow

Santa hat brownie bites

Rolo Turtles

Brownies in cookie cutters

Our stash to eat and give away!

Christmas crafts

2011-12-21T14:11:00.012-05:00

The girls and I crafted it up a few times this month. Here are just a few ideas...
Shatterproof ornaments with magnets for the frig.

Oranges with cloves. I have always wanted to do this with the girls.. we also read Oranges for Frankie by Patrica Polacco.

This was the last of many years using handprints in their crafts... their hands are so big, but still cute!

We made good use of the pinecones that are everywhere this time of the year... they make great branch stuffers when you have a hole to fill in near the trunk in the christmas tree.

I also made a hanging for the kitchen window. Lots of fun!

Dade Battlefield and Wahoo Swamp

2011-12-21T13:57:00.010-05:00

Our field trip in December included battles that took place in Sumter County. The Battle of Wahoo Swamp was just one of many, but significant because of the road that is still used today... it is just now covered in pavement rather than be dirt. Records have shown that DeSoto traveled this road as well. The swamp was not accessible to the kids (thank goodness) but Mr. Tim made the story even more real with his descriptions and details.

We also went to Dade Battlefield. Ranger George was dressed up in frontier clothes and shared with us many details of life. He was great at including the kids in the conversations and questions.

Super cool...and loud!

Behind where we were sitting is where the soldiers made a small encampment and surrounded themselves after they had been attacked by ambush of the Indians. It put them at greater risk, and only two survived. It is a great park to visit and there is a re-enactment in early January if you are in the area!

Surprise Family Vacation

2011-12-05T22:27:00.002-05:00

We surprised the girls with a cruise for our family vacation this year. In this time of budgets being so carefully watched, we were able to save for this by me taking on a very small job, and cutting coupons. All the money we saved allowed us to have this dream vacation. It was so amazing. The girls were shocked and squealed with delight when we pulled up and told them the news. We had four days all together in a small cabin and went and explored the islands.

We are very fortunate and blessed. We were all so taken care of by the staff on the Carnival Sensation. It was a delight to make this memory together. More pics will come later.

My beach lovelies.

We are off on the December whirlwind now...decorating, finishing up this semester of school along with crafting and cooking. Our plates are full, and our hearts are too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T21:06:00.019-05:00

What a fabulous celebration of thanksgiving we had in our family this year. We had 15 loved ones in our home at a variety of times during the day, and it was just wonderful. This was the first time in five years we have been home and I loved every minute of cooking and serving.
This was our centerpiece made by the girls. They collected the pine cones and found a branch and then put fall leaves on the branches with things they were thankful for written on them. The girls were so much help and it was fun sharing the kitchen and the decorating with my girls. It was a nice glimpse into our future!

I considered getting out my grandmothers dishes and serving dinner on them, but after cooking two turkeys and most of the fixings, we just were blessed by Chinet! This is just a sample of the goodness, too bad you can't taste it!

This was my favorite picture of the day. It brought back warm and fun memories of my childhood. I remember when I was young and we would travel to the Grandparents and go "shooting" out in the clay pit, and then dig the bullets out of the clay... this was just a BB gun with a paperplate turkey taped to the fence, but it was fun and we had a few good laughs! My grandpa still could shoot pretty well even at 92 and with only one eye!

Olivia impressed the crowd as well!

Finn found himself in "timeout" and getting a little encouraging talk from his uncle Todd. I hope it was something like,"learn from my mistakes little man, and walk the straight and narrow!"

The Buhmeyers stopped by for dessert, but ended up just visiting with Sherri and Conrad! It is amazing that just a few short years ago all of these paths did not cross, but God's ways are perfect, and His timing is perfect. We continue to have that truth woven into the fabric of our lives. What a joy to have them over for Thanksgiving.

Girls with Uncle Todd, they were hoping to not get a tight squeeze!

This was a great time of pics. The grands with Mee-Maw! Pictures were part of her gift!

This year I guess the holiday was a little more special because of having Conrad here with us. We had a little scare this past year with him, but with our God's grace and mercy all mistakes were righted! We love and cherish him. Thanksgiving had a new flavor this year, and it had nothing to do with food.

Family and good food! (These smiles were hours and hours before we had combed through the ads over and over and then went and participated in BLACK FRIDAY SALES!)

Just beautiful, my girls and my Grandfather, Roy. Completely humbled by the blessings in my life.

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Mee-maw's Surprise 60th Birthday Party! aka Fiesta!

Kaitie pulled it off... Sue was completely surprised and the grands were there to soften the blow!

Mee-maw and her mojito!

My girl and her sprite!

She loves to do this everynight...read....begs for more minutes....this night she had a friend!

Legoland

2011-11-21T19:29:00.000-05:00

Free slideshow design made with Smilebox

Awakening

2011-11-17T11:19:00.007-05:00

The girls performed Sunday. They had been working on a rountine in their Ballet class. It was to the song Awakening by Chris Tomlin. It was really pretty! They are so graceful and very good at dancing. Their dad got choked up and full of tears, my heart swelled with pride. We are so thankful for these two blessings.

Acorns

2011-11-17T11:10:00.003-05:00

Thankfulness reigns around here! We celebrated with our church family recently with a soup fall picnic. One of our contributions were these fancy little snacks! Chocolate acorns! We had fun feeling all creative. It was even more nice because Conrad was here to join in the fun!

Ingredients:

Kisses

mini vanilla wafers

butterscotch chips

We used a griddle to heat the bottoms of the kiss and chip so that it would stick to the wafer. Whala! Done!

End of Fall Ball

2011-11-01T14:01:00.009-04:00

Olivia finished up her first season of baseball. She was a star player. We were not so sure how it would be when we started on this adventure back in August. Practices were hard, hot and coaching was hard, especially when it came from her Dad. We tried having some family nights of hitting the ball and catching practice back in August, but it was so hot!

She stayed with it, and she surprised not only us, but her coaches and team too! She was one of the best on the team. Steve kept up with her stats (surprise, surprise!!) She ended the season with a batting average of .650 !

Stephanie was the constant cheerleader! She helped carry the equipment and was her biggest fan. Kay-Kay made it to almost every game too! We were not lacking in the family support, we almost never were there alone! Olivia beamed with pride at the love! One of those weeks Conrad showed up and it was a huge surprise! Finn made it to three of the games himself!

Great team and coaches!

Only two girls on the team...and they were both great. D'Yani is a great first base player and runs like the wind. She is as sweet as she is cute, and we loved having her over for some fun this season too!

Most games she had to share the outfield with another player, but she always got to bat! She still needs to work on knowing where to throw the ball and when to steal a base and then she might be ready for the big leagues!

I loved her stance and her great attitude! GO NUMBER NINE!

Museum of Florida History

2011-10-08T19:44:00.011-04:00

This was our first official field trip for this school year. We went to Gainesville and visited one of the best museums around. It was even more special because we planned for the Dads to go, so they are scheduled on Saturdays! It was super nice to let some of them take the lead on giving out information and keeping up with the younguns! It was a really nice day!

We had access to the traveling exhibit on sound and music. It was really cool. Steph played this gigantic xylophone, and she could actually bang out a tune!

Good and smart kids!

We were watching for the storm that was coming across the plain!

The statues of the traveling tribe were so realistic we could not help but bow and give the chief honor!

Mangroves and the nursery of lower Florida.

She was told to not touch the displays!

These dioramas were amazing. It was hilarious how culture has shaped our kids minds...Stephanie came around the corner and immediately imagined how the scene would play out if they all came alive like they did in the movie, Night at the Museum!

We found this information right at the end of our tour. I must research this information!

Chicken Pot Pie

2011-09-30T10:27:00.003-04:00

Chicken Pot Pie

3 cups cubed cooked chicken (I prefer dark meat, about 3 thighs)
2 cups mixed veggies(frozen, I like to add them to the meat while it cooks, along with the spices)
1/2 tablespoon of celery seeds
1/2 tablespoon of dried minced onions
garlic, salt, pepper to taste
After cooking, stir together remaining ingredients and pour into the pie crust. Cover with other crust.
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup of milk
1 can of cream condensed soup of choice. I usually use cream of chicken.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes-1 hour.

I usually make a double batch and freeze 1/2 on the chicken mix. Then when I need a dinner on the fly, I thaw it out, throw it in a pie shell and whala, homemade dinner!

Our visitor this week

2011-09-29T16:46:00.005-04:00

Our nephew, Finn, stayed the week with us. His parents were on a cruise and he could not have missed them at all, because my two girls were there at his every beck and call. Literally. Whether it was for food, drink, toys, sleep, fun, diaper change or whatever...they took care of it. I really only helped out when he was misunderstood and frustrated. He was a complete joy. It was a special time to spend it with him!
His best sleep was when he bunked with Liv... Steph and I like our space when we are sleeping!!

He cheered Liv on one night at the ball field. Snacks from the concession helped with keeping him busy...his favorite was the Ring Pop!

Legos, cars and balls were the hit around here. I loved how he laid down on his tummy to play! My girls always sat to play...interesting!

He was fine in the pool, but he really preferred to chase the kitty around or to just run around outside! Mosquitoes love him though, so it was dangerous territory!

Aunt Katie and Uncle Paul found all kinds of goodies to reward all of us for our efforts, but Finn's love and attention was enough. He is welcome any time!

Pumpkin bread

2011-09-22T16:17:00.004-04:00

Nothing says Fall like a batch of what we call Pumpkin Bread.

Ingredients:
1 box of spice or carrot cake
1 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin (you could use fresh)
1/2 water

Mix all ingredients in a large ziploc. Once blended together, cut the corner and fill up the cupcake liners. We also use it in the mini muffin pan with no liners. If so, we oil the pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 350.

We prefer no icing. And some recipes skip the water and the batter is more dense. Our family likes this moist recipe. This is super easy and quick clean up...great for young bakers!

Fall Ball

2011-09-22T16:05:00.007-04:00

Olivia is playing Fall Ball. This is a shorter season, only 12 games. She has surprised us all and is of course just good at it! She is as cute as can be in her uniform...and she always has her hair done! Some things are just a given.
#9

Oh yes! She is a cutie!

This is warm up for the big game!

First time up to bat...we were all a little nervous. The pitching machine is sending it 40 mph, and all I could do is hope! First ball... SLAM...right past second...into outfield and she got a double! Then she got the first run of the season for her team! Oh you should have heard the screams of joy!

This was the first hit! Second game, she not only got a great hit, she made an RBI and got a run too! She is loving ball, but she has told us she is going to try cheer leading too someday!

Thanks for those who are coming out and supporting Olivia, she does appreciate it!

Florida History Part 1

2011-09-22T15:47:00.010-04:00

Our first stationed co-op of the year was on Florida Indians. We had four stations. At one of them the kids went outside to play a game that some of the Appalachee Indians played. We did not play it as fierce or with such endurance. Inside Ms. Debbie shared with the students some of the foods the Indians might have eaten. There was much represented that came from the land. I am not sure any of it was a great hit, but it was very educational.

At anther station they made weapons and jewelry with rocks and shells! Fun stuff!

Some kids went with the idea of "the more the better", "not less is more!"

The soffkee was really good when mixed with the deer meat stew!

We are sure the Calusa, Timucans, Tequestas, Tocobagans and even some of the unknown Indians have such great histories, and we have had such a great time learning about them!

Florida Indians: People of the River

2011-09-14T09:32:00.013-04:00

This week we went to visit Crystal River State Park for a field trip. It was a little last minute, but we pulled it off and it paid off, to my great surprise. The park is an amazing area to walk around and see where some of Florida's first people lived along the river. The Ranger was super great and so filled with facts, that even though he had plans for the day, he made time for our small group. The park includes a number of shell middens (trash piles) and two burial mounds. Before we went I wondered how anyone could tell if a small mound was just dirt or was an archaeological site, because after all, here in Florida every other mile there is a small hill or two. Of course I learned that many times it is not known until digging occurs and then "things" are found. This park is right next to a neighborhood. It is right along the River heading towards the Gulf. It is overgrown with all kinds of oaks, Magnolias and other hardwood trees. Grass covers all of the once white sanded, shell piled grounds. I think that was the most difficult part for the kids... transferring the vision of the model inside the museum to the outside green world. It was worth the drive and the large ceremonial shell midden was amazing! So was the stele with the face!
This is one of the burial mounds. It was the larger of the two. Fifteen feet down they dug and found a skeleton of a man with some artifacts surrounding him. They stopped digging once they released it was a burial ground. The other smaller mound is flatter. It was for the common people who were buried without tools or supplies for the afterlife.

This was atop the tallest midden. It was strange to find large oak trees growing out of the top of the pile. I like that it demonstrated how long that pile of oyster shells had actually been there....hundreds and hundreds of years.

This is the walkway up the shell midden.

This is the southern side of the large shell midden that was dug out when the sea wall along the river was being built. This is how the area was discovered. It is amazing. The kids were funny when they started talking about the chores of the Indian kids and how many times they had to take out the garbage to make a pile that big!

Most of the midden is covered in grass and weeds now, but under the stairs you can see the shells. Way cool!

The Ranger gave us great explanations of the time periods and some of their tools. I thought it was pretty interesting that the "spools" they wore in their ears like modern day "gages" were probably used for gathering of fibers...after all, pockets in clothing were limited, and it was a convenient way to always have it.

The Ranger took the group outside so we could practice using an ancient spear like tool called an atlatl. The kids were pretty good but they realized it would have taken LOTS of practice to have good aim. An extra portion of the tool was added years later by the Indians to make the spear move farther and faster with just a flick of the wrist. It was super fun to try them out!

We all were aiming for the trees. None of us hit the mark!

This is an adz. It is a tool that was used for many things. The whelk shell was a common find around the shores of Florida and multiple tribes used them. One story I read mentioned how some trees were covered with the shells that had been "holed-out" so as the branches grew, it would make a tighter fit. Some used sinew to tie the shell on.

If you need an outing for the day, it is worth your few dollars of entrance fee and a great place to spend a portion of your day. Bring bug spray, the little biting gnats and ferocious mosquitoes are awaiting!

Home schooling on the road

2011-09-07T14:08:00.012-04:00

This is where we spent the past week living and home schooling. Yes, we are going to miss the turning of the seasons, and all the magnificent leaves as they turn their reds, yellows and oranges, but we got to enjoy the beginning of apple season. Since we were staying with the Russ family at the Smith house, I was able to plan a week of schooling that centered around apples. Yes, to some it was very primary...but we read some books, learned some facts and mostly had fun. The girls were blessed by a neighbor up the hill to have a morning of learning how to can apples. Another day we made an apple pie and shared it with friends and family. I would say it was a success.

An assortment of apples went into our sauce. Cortlands, delicious, granny smiths and a few others.

We peeled and cut up two huge bowls full. We ended up with many jars!!!

Keeping a watchful eye on the pot kept it from burning. It sure made the work load easier with so many hands!

At moments it was messy, but now they all know how to can !

Later in the week we all went to Barber's Orchard. It was the first time I had seen a tree full of apples.

They couldn't pick these... but they had to pose with them!

This is the way the Smoky Mountains looked as we were leaving... the morning fog had not lifted and it was dreamy like. We love it here and appreciate being able to visit. Steve's grandparents had a home for many years in Linville, NC...someday it would be great to have one too. A girl has to dream! I will forever be a Florida girl who is within miles of a beach, but those mountains have a pull all their own!

Tumeric

2011-08-24T09:57:00.003-04:00

Yellow Chicken (tumeric)

six cubed chicken thighs
olive oil
salt/pepper
1 tbsp tumeric
1/2 tbsp of paprika
1/2 tbsp of garlic
1/4 tbsp of basil

basmati rice
sour cream

Optional: cubed zucchini, diced onions, carrots (any veggie)

Add chicken and all spices to pan and cook on medium for 5-7 minutes. Put lid on and turn down heat to low. Slow cooking will keep the meat tender, and will add liquid, from the steam, to make a small bit of sauce. Depending on how soft you like your veggies, add them when rice is minutes from finishing. Crunchy veggies are a nice contrast to the soft meat and rice! A dallop of sour cream is a cool sharp taste to finish the bite!

Florida History

2011-08-24T09:33:00.007-04:00

This was our first project made at home and finished at our intro co-op meeting. It is made from a manila folder refolded, paper folds, and cut-outs from a advertisement magazine we found when we were at the beach this summer. It is a great way to store a lot of information in one area. I punched holes in the side so they would fit in a three-ring binder.

Front cover: Map and info

Back cover: Common shells, seal, flag and Florida birds. Both shells and birds papers open up to include information.

Inside(clockwise): Sharks teeth found in Florida, endangered animal wheel, places to visit pedal fold, palm trees of Florida accordian fold, De Soto beach- a favorite, Florida tab book, and Florida's salt water fish booklet.

Open view of inside.

Monday school

2011-08-24T09:25:00.006-04:00

For the fall semester on Mondays, two friends come over for school. Emma and Maddie are here for a day of learning about Florida. First up was an overview of the state. We covered animal, seal, flag, bird, flower...all those items! We spent some time going way back into some of the land changes and the fossils found around the state too! This past week we began learning about some of the Florida Indians. They made maps and we are going to attempt weaving.

It is much more fun to draw in shaving cream than just on paper when you are practicing the shape of the state!

They all decided they smelled like "man-dudes" because of using their Dad's shaving cream!

Tea time for two!

2011-08-24T09:14:00.005-04:00

The girls celebrated their first week of successful school with a tea party! I made them a plate of salty and sweets for an afternoon High tea! Cream in their tea of course, was their vote! They dressed for the occassion... and broke out in their accents as well! Sweet girls!

Menu: Dill pickle, cheeze-its, cheese cubes, cocoa rice krispies, banana twin, cereal swirls, and fugde striped minis. The little dainty cuts and portions made it extra special.

Friends from NC

2011-08-24T09:08:00.005-04:00

It is not even fair to say we had friends visiting from NC. Not at all. But we do, and we did. The Russ clan has made their move. We are all in transition, making it work. While Chloe was here in FL, she mentioned coming down to our house...so I called Brent and we set it up so they could have dinner and hit the favorite ice cream shop Lickety Splits. It is Kid night on Monday's, cheap treats that include ballons and face painting. We all had a great time!

Ring the bell!

2011-08-09T09:55:00.005-04:00

Let the school year begin!

What a privilege I have to have another year at home with the girls. The opportunity that I have to teach and train them is quite an honor. Reading, math, history, science and all the rest of the typical subjects pale in comparison to sharing life and serving the Lord. Is every day one for the record books? NO! Do I make mistakes? YES! I just love the chance that we get to work out life together.

One of the greatest, most rewarding points of our day is their devotions each morning. Both of them use the books God and me! It is a daily scripture and life application story along with a little game! Most of the lessons are independent, but there are times that it requires some discussion. This year we are also going through Proverbs, a chapter a day. Now that takes some discussing. But how great is the wisdom!

Olivia is beginning third grade. She is my little organizer. Her desk area stays neat all day. She likes how there is a plan for the day and the week in the plan book. She keeps me accountable. She is hard on herself, always wanting to be better. She feels things deeply. She is the first to cry in a movie and always wants justice. I wonder where she will go in her future. She is my social butterfly but reminds me of a momma hen, always wanting to know where her chicks are. She struggles with fear. She is very competitive, which will aid her this fall while she plays baseball with a bunch of boys! She is doing well in piano, I love to hear her make up tunes. Looks like this year is going to be great!
Third grader!

Fifth grade is getting a second dose of Stephanie. We had to come to this decision last year when Steve and I realized that her mind could handle the work of a sixth grader, but we did not want her to begin "middle school" events at 10! So, we are doing round two! She is so smart and there is so much to learn in life, she is not being held back. That is one of the joys of homeschooling. No stigma of failure, just success at what is set before you. She is more creative than ever, using her summer money to buy things like air-dry clay, paint, dreaming of what she will make in sewing this year, and loving music whether it is singing or playing the piano! I can't keep enough books in the house for her to read. She mostly loves collections of stories, because she loves the characters. That is her hook in a book. She started her own book this past weekend...we will see where that leads! Stephanie still is a processor of information...she has been that way from very young...I can always count on her strong silence to be revisited later when she needs answers.

It is going to be a great year. Stay tuned!

Vacation Part 1

2011-08-04T17:56:00.018-04:00

Our family went on a short weekend getaway for a last hurrah before the new school year began! The Symonds went too, and we both got rooms at Hotel Isis, in Redington Beach. It was lovely, but a little small by the last day. We went to a few local restaurants and our favorite for seafood was Keegan's. The best she crab soup I have ever had! Another night we went to Dockside Dave's and had their seafood bisque and it was HORRIBLE! Live and learn!

The weather was gorgeous! We swam with stingrays, but they minded their own business and left us alone! Our minds were on bigger creatures of the water since we had found Discovery Channel and realized it was Shark Week! Yes, it stayed on the channel the whole time! Crazy!

Our hotel had hammocks but no shade! They had cornhole too, so we all got our game on! Fun stuff!

These girls just keep growing... I found some pics from 2006 when they were on this same beach, and it brought tears to my eyes... so many memories!

Olivia needed to be protected by her Dad, always looking for a stingray!

Still her favorite spot to be... on the beach digging and collecting!

They momentarily forgot about the feeding frenzy going on right by their behinds!

Just a few of them!

Riding in the waves, even if they are small!

Freeze pose! Playing in the parking lots!

Sunsets and kite flying! Perfect ending to our vacation

This little gem was found... my ice cream radar girl, Stephanie... but this was even better cause it had candy too!

Steve found some Moxie! It was a soda his Grandmother mentioned in her book. We had to call and tell her we had picked her up a bottle too!

Ten in a row! Cartwheel perfection! Go Olivia!

Hero Academy 2011

2011-07-20T21:11:00.012-04:00

This year both of the girls went away to camp. It was three nights and three days. Olivia has been looking forward to it for a year (or more), and Stephanie is an old pro with this being year number three. A few changes were in store, and unexpected things too. They had a new camp speaker, and a talent show this year. The speaker was great at keeping their attention and teaching them about being a "Super Hero" for God. Being prepared with the armor of God and by living a life empowered by the Holy Spirit. They had some great time of worship and quiet time as well.

The talent show was a new event, and Stephanie wanted to sing a solo without any music. She loves Mandisa's song "Stronger" and did an incredible job, so I hear. I have no pictures or video since we were not there, but she was the top girl. A boy beat her out for first place with his original piano piece. We are both so proud of her ability to get up in front of her peers and pull that off! Olivia was a cheerleader in the crowd, and I guess a very loud one!
Lots of friends!

Theme verse, 2 Peter 1:3

Still getting settled and kicking parents out!

Parent night. I love them, and yet He loves them even more.

Worship service.

Abbie and Olivia were the newbies this year. They were brave as they were on different teams than their closest friends. It was good for them, made them stretch and be confident.

Maddie came as a visitor, she will join in next year. She was making the "deals", and walked away with three bags of skittles after a night of fun!

This is the dorm the girls stayed in. Camp Geneva in Fruitland Park was the host of the camp this year. There is a lake to swim in (yikes, I had to just pretend it was a pool!) a nice big pool, and lots of land to play on. The girls made memories that we hope will last them a lifetime!

Happy 12th!

2011-07-12T19:26:00.003-04:00

We decided to celebrate "in house" style this year. Cut backs and all! No, really, we wanted to relax and we brought goodies home from Fresh Market. They have so many good little dishes in their deli, we picked a bunch to chose from.We also picked up that cheesecake as a celebration to our wedding cake. It was a splendid cake. Three layers of cheesecake. Blueberry, strawberry and raspberry. This small one had fresh fruit on top and it was DELICIOUS!

I had the best time with Steve. We caught a glimpse of what life would be like someday with the girls gone. It was quieter, and it was just the two of us with a vote on the menu! I could have never imagined life to be more complete and full of peace as it is being married to Steve. I love him. He is such a living example of love that is expressed in I Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

He is patient, and kind. He does not keep record of wrongs. He rejoices with me and cheers me on. He is a grand protector and keeps an optimistic outlook on life. I only know in part what God knows in whole, but I like and love what I see. Very blessed I am.

Graduation 2011

2011-07-12T19:16:00.008-04:00

Conrad Cooke Meade graduated in June. It was a long road there, but he got there. It was a fun day to celebrate and we made lifetime memories. Family is worth the effort!

Celebration dinner at Carraba's (Sherri's place of employment. Good people!)

Guiness World Record called me and wanted to pay me for this photo (Not really) cause NO ONE ever thought it would happen. But a little kindness and quick thinking can do wonders!

Bragging Rights

2011-05-31T19:27:00.006-04:00

This past year part of our weekly schedule was a BUSY Wednesday! We left the house each week around 8:30 a.m. and we did not get home until around 8:00 p.m.! The day included P.E. and Art class. Lunch and play time at the park. An afternoon of library and computer school. Hanging out at Aunt Sam's house. And finally going to First Baptist of Wildwood for AWANA.

It is a weekly club where the kids learn scriptures and earn badges. Olivia shot for the stars. She did an amazing job. In one year she did what is written in the curriculum to take 3 years. She was on a mission. Her teachers Ms. Debbie and Ms. Trina were her biggest cheerleaders. Every Wednesday at the end of club the entire kids program would meet back together and recognized by their peers for their hard work. I think all but one week of the year she had her name called and all cheered!
She received a special plaque and a beautiful bible as her reward for all of her efforts. Her tenaciousness gives her braggin rights for a long time! We are so very proud of her!

Notice all her badges!

Chloe was like the little engine that could....she never gave up and the last night of class was beaming from ear to ear and proud of her ribbon and completion of her book too! She was braggin that she decided not to be a "slacker" anymore! Gotta love this girl!

This is the lovely Ms. Trina. I don't think Olivia knew she would love her teacher so much...I did! I always knew she would be the student who won the heart of her teacher and would wear the badge of "teacher's pet" proudly!! Olivia will miss her, but I bet there will be lots of hugs next year when she can sneak away to find Ms. Trina!

What an incredible treasure this church body has given to our family. Our kids have always loved VBS with them, and summer camp too, now they can add AWANA to the list! Olivia can not wait to go to her first overnight camp that is coming in July!

Bugging out at MOSI

2011-05-31T19:20:00.008-04:00

One of our end of the year field trips was to MOSI. We went with good friends and ones that really "bugged" us! The exhibit was amazing. The wall decor and the doll house structures were fantastic!! Put it on your to-do list for the summer. We watched two great IMAX movies as well. Thanks Amy for sharing the fun!

Bugs were everywhere!

Fun Times

2011-05-10T10:40:00.012-04:00

I had the most wonderful Mother's Day! My girls gave me coupon books full of coupons for pedicures, bed making, dish doing, laundry folding and even some hugs and kisses! I love them so much, some days I can't believe they are mine! They are funny and so kind. One thing that I love most is that they don't just save it for the one day a year that Mother's are celebrated, I get shown it all the time !

One of my memories this year will be of the woman we met during lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. We were sitting inches away from her and as she sat alone, my heart went out to her wondering if she was a mother. Could I have this table full of blessings with my girls, and yet she be alone and uncelebrated? The whole restaurant was full of Mother's getting a lunch out but with someone to share their meal with. We gently began conversation. The girls complimented her on her jewelry and we soon learned that she was Mother of five grown kids, 12 grand kids and 6 great grands. Her sporadic conversation soon came with ease and developed into a details of her life here and the life in Ohio she had left. I was so glad to have shared the day with her. We never exchanged names, we just shared life on this great day of both being Mothers. My girls told me when we got in the car that they were proud of me for sharing my Mother's Day with a stranger. I was glad too!

Saturday, May 7th, we had our end of the year Science Fair. Each of the kids worked on a project and presented it to their peers and to the adults who came. They all did a tremendous job! Stephanie's was on the lastability of gum. She was quite the presenter!

Olivia had worked on finding out which lip gloss lasts the longest. She was in her element!

I felt it was necessary to celebrate Cinco de Mayo last week. So I had a plate of redneck nachos. Yes people, we keep it simple around here.

We have had some cat drama around our home lately, but Greyday has decided she is staying. Her stress has been so high she is losing her fur, but we are doing all but give cat spa treatments to reduce her stress.

Another day recently, a group of us headed to MOSI to take in the day. We had a great time. It was nice to have them be older to wander the areas on their own...they knew we were right on the other side of the wall, but they liked their independence. We saw two great movies and the BUG exhibit. It was amazing to see what can be done with dead bugs!

This picture was back from Easter. I love it. The girls love their Papa and he adores them. Soon they will be taller than him, but he just gets cuter all the time.

I never posted about Easter, but we had our usual egg hunt in the house. They crack me up... I wonder if at 19 they will want plastic eggs hidden down the hallway in plain sight. Their baskets were filled with things they needed like shorts, bathing suits and new nightgowns, of course some candy too! Later Olivia asked me if I was the Easter bunny, so I confessed I was! She said, "Yeah, I knew you were, but I was just going along with it!" I think she thought the baskets might end if the truth was told, funny girl!

The pool is open and being used daily. They were being creative this day....I just wonder why do we need a hose on when the pool is full of water! $$$$$$$$

Quite brilliant they are!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T15:22:00.000-04:00

This is amazing! How Great He is!

Hot wheel school!

2011-04-21T15:19:00.008-04:00

Sir Issac Newton would have been happy to spend the day with us recently as we were focusing on the concepts of acceleration, friction, speed, velocity and the Laws of Motion. We thought it would get accomplished with great success if we made it FUN! Therefore, everyone brought a Hot Wheel car and we spent the day practicing these words and laws!

The end is near....Co-op will be ending and it has been a super year of Science. Electricity and the Science Fair is all that is left. Then we get to look forward to next year and learn all about FLORIDA!

Best Sleepover Ever!

2011-04-21T09:39:00.017-04:00

Weeks have flown by and Olivia has been eight since the 2nd! We celebrated by having the Greatest Fun and Games Sleepover with ten of her friends! It was a night to remember and one she has had on her list of things to do for the longest. She and four of her close group of friends have a birthday within days of each other so it is a time of bargaining and scheduling when it comes to April parties. This was the year of Olivia's sleepover. Stephanie's contribution was that it needed organized games. So I pulled out all the stops and tried to make it happen!
No cake for this one! She wanted ice cream with all the fixings! She even painted all the insides of the waffle bowls with chocolate!

All the girls! They were all so cute with their flower headbands! What a special crew!

The first group of games were relays. We balanced dice on forks. If you made it then it was two high. Then three. Maddie and Alma were the most graceful of the bunch.

Next race was outside eating donuts off of strings with no hands. Some even ate it off the ground so they could WIN!

Next we played pass the lifesaver on a toothpick. They were hilarious...and some of them were missing teeth, so it was even funnier!

There are crazy huge Easter marshmallows out this year and they are shaped like Bunnies! Therefore we had to play the gagalicious game called "I love chubby bunnies!" Stuffing them in to the mouth and saying the quote will make those who are watching want to gag! Maddie and Emma won...but off camera Kay Kay got five in her mouth before she almost threw up in my kitchen!

Another realy was blow up your balloon and then sit on it to pop it with your butt! They were so funny!

A favorite of the night that we played several rounds of was the ball game! Sitting in a circle and tossing it around, when you caught the ball you had to answer the question that your thumb was touching. The questions were really important ones like, "Who is your hollywood crush?" "What are you most scared of?" "What was your last dream about?" " What would your superhero talent be?" They were funny!

For dinner we made personal pan pizzas! They all got to make their own with their choice of toppings.

Present time was great. Squeals and screams dominated the time! All the girls went home with special gifts of bracelets, lip gloss and those cute flower headbands The part of the evening I had been waiting for was the Fear Factor game! Oh I knew it was going to be fun. We played five rounds. The winner would get five bucks! These girls wanted that money at any cost! They outlasted ice cubes, grasshoppers, onions, smelly sardines, eating babyfood and finally Raelynn won!

Maddie lasting a minute in a jar with large grasshoppers!

At eleven thirty the movie went in, popcorn was made and blankets brought out....By 1:30 all eyes were closed, and I would have done it all again the next day cause this bunch of girls were a blast. It was a fun party and my little eight year old loved it too!

American Girls Photo shoot

2011-03-25T09:41:00.001-04:00

Just some creativity flowing around here. This was the all the girls doin's! It did make me happy to know they still love their dolls so much!

Silver Lake

2011-03-20T19:01:00.011-04:00

The film Silver Lake is on YouTube! This is a short film written, directed, edited (well, everything except he had to borrow the Flip camera) by Steve. It is a scary movie...lots of screaming. Beware. But it is the usual cast of actors. We did not even have to pay them! It was filmed on a weekend camping trip at Silver Lake. The mamas decided it was high time to celebrate and therefore last weekend we had a Premiere Party to watch it and to honor the Director. He got an Oscar for his labors.

Olivia played Sunny. She was amazing. The gown was Rafa, and Harry Winston jewels. Her hair was curls curls and more curls. This girl was made for the red carpet!

Stephanie played Willow. She was also a cinematographer. Just great. Her shining moment is when she will make you jump as you think she is merely sleeping. Her gown is Amelia. Her hair was rag-tied to get a full tight curl. She was still recovering from a week of illness, but she still made it to the red carpet event!

Here is the director, Stephen J. Porvaznik and his girls. Dapper in a suit. Sears not Armani!

Part of the cast and a few fans! They were getting ready to face Mary Hart aka Ms. Traci on the carpet, so there were some nerves!

We had a special guest appearance by Eminem aka Brent. He was the comic relief.

Inside the Russ Mansion, we had a vast amount of food. Everything from homemade oatmeal cookies to BBQ ribs from down the road yard sale! Everyone had a great time, there were some in the crowd who found the film a bit frightful, but in the end, all who viewed it slept through the night without getting up from bad dreams. There are hopes and dreams of a Silver Lake 2, only time will tell!

A moment passed

2011-03-07T09:38:00.002-05:00

Is it really March? Time is flying by... I still have a Christmas present undelivered and Thank-you's from Valentines Day unmailed...paint cans still out from the redecorating... and a basket of clothes not unloaded from our camping trip two weeks ago. Guilt is lessened by the fact that so much of my spare time before this weekend had been filled up with a fantastic bible study I was a part of. I still have a few weeks of "homework" to do, but Beth Moore's "A woman's heart, God's dwelling place" is completely compelling and addictive. If you are looking for a study to be a part of, buy the workbook and download the sessions here.

This past weekend though we found ourselves stopped in our tracks. Stephanie came down with a fever. High fever. Meds could not seem to touch it. Temps like 104.5, 103.2, 102.7 were common on the digital readout! Her little ears were red and hot to the touch. But, she is a trooper. No complaining, just laying there wondering when it would end. I would not choose sickness for my children, but it allows those little places of a Momma's heart that get used less and less as the kids grow older to be revisited. Last night came a soft request of "Momma will you rock me?" Getting up in the night to take a temperature or administer meds reminded me of years ago with middle of the night feedings... How grateful I am that I caught a glimpse of love like this again.

School is rushing past and Spring has sprung around here.

Changin it up!

2011-02-08T19:00:00.002-05:00

Okay,here are a few things that have made me more than a little happy lately.

1. I saved $124.00 and spent $84.00 on my last grocery shopping trip at Publix!
2. We picked up a new card game called Ratuki and it has made more than a little fun around here.
3.I am involved in a women's bible study that is not just finger lickin' good, but my heart, mind and soul feel refreshed and fed.
4. Another night of chicken and rice was making me a little sad, so I threw in a few extra spices like cinnamon, ginger, curry, garlic, cilantro, and a dab of tandori spice and yee-haw it was so good Olivia could not even resist!
5. I used the orange infused olive oil I received as a Christmas present from "Nan" in our brownies the other night, and they are just something!
6. My Grandfather has sold and given out almost a hundred books to date and it makes me so happy and proud of him!
7. We have been about 3 weeks without any freeze warnings....which means our power bill will be less!!!!
8. God's continual protection and healing power over my kids was evident over the weekend when Stephanie fell and most likely had a concussion, but I just encouraged her to lay down and take a break...after she said "everything went black, and then I just woke up!" I realized what I had done and not done....Love how He covers me.

44

2011-02-03T11:36:00.009-05:00

So I am offically 44! A group of us went to a favorite place of ours, BOMA. It is in Disney and we went for dinner. I had a great birthday...it started with my girls greeting me first thing with a bag of gifts and visions of breakfast! We had a sweet relaxing day before we headed out to Orlando. Our poor server at the restaurant sure did earn his tips because we went through a series number of plates. It was a buffett. The soups, salads and desserts were the big hit. The meats were a little less impressive. Besides the plates, our server for three hours kept bringing us refills of water and tea. Yes, laughter rang through the air and our tails were numb from sitting there talking for so long. Good friends. What a treasure!

The camera did not capture the sparkle in my eye that I only get from this man!

That is not a table decoration in front of Traci...it is her purse! Oh my!

These three were dreaming of their day in the future when they get to have an evening out!

That is not a bowlingball on Brent's head... it is a shadow or an imagination bubble beginning.

David and Krista trusted us on this tastey menu, it was their first time!

Jill, Curtis, Anita joined us too! The decorations on the ceiling are very appealing to the eye, even David thought so!

The food was great. Just had to share!

Homeschool Co-op Space

2011-01-31T19:34:00.010-05:00

We spent two Fridays over the past two months reviewing planets and space. Learning some new facts and having some great fun. One of the highlights was our trip on a Friday evening up to University of Florida to hear the professor share about space and to be able to look up at the Night Sky! We were able to see a number of constellations and even Jupiter! Some of us even saw all four of its moons. It was amazing. The bands were shown that night in a north south rotation, and usually we are accostumed to seeing them east to west.

This observation was done to show how meteor hit and land on the moon and how without gravity the dust moves and lands.

Phases of the moon was a big hit!

That darn revolution, rotation and moon and stars left some minds just swirling!

Gravity and the raw egg....everyone but me was successful at packing it in and the egg staying protected...mine... BUSTED!

Author Study: Tomie dePaola

2011-01-31T19:10:00.007-05:00

If you had been a fly on the wall the past two times we have met to do an author study, you would have heard things like... "gratiz", "Mangia!", "Ciao Bella", "amore y abaci", and "Mama Mia!" and a few others. We had our Italian hats on and had a blast. Tomie dePaola wrote many books about his childhood and many others that had a setting of old Italy. We had fun! We made cookies at the end of today using inspiration from Mr.de Paola.

Along with math we also spent some time using Ywam's collection on missionaries. I have mentioned it before, and it is worth repeating. These books tell the story of obedience and sacrifice in a way like none I have seen. We learned about Nate Saint and Jim Elliot who gave their lives down in Ecuador. We then watched End of the Spear, a film made of this poignant story.

Seeds. Just planting seeds. Some days I water, some days I prune. Some days I see growth, some days I wonder if birds have plucked away all the goodness. Good stuff people!

Cleaning out

2011-01-25T13:40:00.002-05:00

Today is one of those days when I think God allowed me to have two beautiful girls so I could learn to be loved by Him more. I have been so busy in the past months, I do all the right things to get by, to show love, to extend kindness, to teach responsibility, to administer jobs, to listen and to still find time to be so overwhelmed by my duties I become blind to obvious actions by my kids who are needing attended to.

I was cleaning out this weekend and found some school papers that had been hidden away and not completed. My first response was "That little stinker!" And then I was saddened by the awareness that I have been so "busy" I was unaware of what had been hidden from me. How holding onto secrets makes such distance between those who love each other. So, with much grace and forgiveness I patted myself on the back and started today with an agenda of restitution and new resolution, thinking I had gotten "it". URRRGH!

I guess the Lord thought I needed a bigger push to get the message across of hiding from our sin and how the burden of carrying the secret was worse than if we just confess it and then move along in the forgiveness offered. Yep. I found a whole bunch of more hidden papers. So, when truth finally came out into the light of day and not hidden in the darkness of a curtained corner, the shoulders sagged and the whole secret came out. She was so ashamed of her actions, she thought we would not love her if we knew the whole truth.

Oh, how common is this for all of us. How often do we try to hide our sins from the Father. How often do we keep the truth from Him, because we think He cannot love us if He only knew about ALL of what we had done.

So today I shared with my little one again, how there is nothing she can do to separate my love from her. And how her heavenly Father feels the same way. I was able to help her know the freedom that comes with confession. As I was gently leading her along this path, I sure felt my heavenly Father holding me close yet again, and reminding me of the same thing. He loves me. No matter what. And how I can walk in freedom when I am unburdened by those secret sins. I am so thankful grace abounds for us all.

The new rooms!

2011-01-13T12:07:00.011-05:00

So this is how the old room was decorated. I painted it by looking at a sippie cup of Stephanie's when she was about three. Olivia and Stephanie have shared a room from the very beginning and it was first a land of frogs...then they progressed to princess land. Now, for about a year they have been asking to separate into their own rooms. So, the process began. We looked for bedding for a few months and then decided to do it and to have it a part of Christmas gifts. It has been nice to have everyone add a little here and there through the presents. The girls have not been so very gracious when it comes to be painting over the old castle, and seeing my two little ones become independent and have their own need for space. They actually told me "Mom, it is just a painting, get over it!" We all laughed, (my heart crushed), and we began the transformation.

They were right. It was just a painting. The new colors and "stuff" are just wonderful!

This was just some of the piles we took out of the playroom in order for it to become Steph's room. Oh my goodness!

This was Olivia using her own decorating skills on her Liv dolls!

And this is it! Olivia loves her new blue wall (not pictured). And she has told me thank you and that she loves it about a million and one times in just a week.

This was the hardest part of the whole project. Finding a lamp proved to be more than I could take, so I just painted and recovered an existing lamp. It is two sided dots and two sided stripes to match her bedding.

And this is Stephanie's redecorating project of the Liv dolls and the "band"area!

Stephanie is not one for change, so we did hers second. She still on the day of work and painting was hesitant. She loves the final result and is so happy with her pink and brown color scheme.

She loves her area to showcase her work, drawings, and pictures. Being the collector, I had to find and make room for all those goodies too!

It has been so fun watching come into their own space... I know with the future that independence will broaden, and I hope they find just as much fun and contentment with it then as well.

Thanks everyone who bought things for their rooms, we could not have done it without you!

Stephanie's 10th

2011-01-11T10:59:00.014-05:00

On one of our most coldest mornings, we woke up to a birthday! Stephanie's 10th came on December 28, 2010. It was due to be a busy day, even though her party was not until the following evening. It is difficult to see, but our roof and yard looked like it had a sprinkling of snow, but it was ice, and it melted within minutes of the sun shining on it.
This beautiful young lady did not want a cake, so we had warm blueberry muffins for breakfast...and a girl has to have candles! How quickly these ten years have been, and how exciting the ones in the future seem. Stephanie still melts me at times when she comes up and just needs a hug. She is not one to show physical affection frequently, so I cherish it. She is still one of the most creative kids I know. Whether it is mud or beads, playdoh or sticks, she is making something out of it. She is an avid reader and can still win at any game that requires memory. Her heart is tender towards little children and she is still trying to find her way when it comes to "school yard" conflict. I love how she wrestles with conviction and chooses her own path. It makes me know she will find her own way.

We started a new tradition in our family this year. Double digits (10) allowed some changes in the way we celebrate. We are very blessed, and so from now on, instead of so much being spent on gifts for the birthday girl, she will choose a ministry or charity of her choice to receive a gift.

This year Stephanie chose to be a part of the missions trip her Kids Church Pastor was going on to India. With his help they came up with the idea of pencil bags full of pencils, pens and goodies. All together we collected 17! It was eye-opening to hear how grateful and excited the kids would be over a few pencils. Perspective. That is the key!

For the party, we thought it would be fun to go to the Drive-In Theater. Yes there are a few still around. The crowd gathered at our house for hotdogs and chips. They made there own candy bags at the Porvaznik Concession Stand.

Another webkinz!

More Liv doll stuff!

It was a chilly evening to bundle up in the back of the van and watch a movie....and so much fun!

And enough popcorn for everyone!

Yogi Bear was the first movie of the night, and it was a good one for this party! Lots of laughs!

Good inexpensive family fun!

Family time

2011-01-04T13:47:00.011-05:00

This holiday season has left us with so many great celebrations and times with family. We are so blessed to be loved and cared for by so many. Our girls are not short on being given love and we hope their hearts overflow because of it.

It starts at home. Dad's love is an ever constant.

Christmas at Mee-Maws was extra special this year because of Finn. He will be one in Feb. and even with feeling a little sick, he grinned and shared his love.

Mee-Maw found some great treasures this year!

A new connection for all of us this year was our time with Gary and Peg aka Poppy and Nan! We snuck in two visits...cause one was not enough. The vast amounts of art supplies now fills our home and the girls are putting it all to use!

We had an early Christmas dinner with Grandpa. He requested his favorite, turkey wings and the fixins. So we did. We had some good laughs, Olivia really cracked him up!

Our church brunch was so much fun. The girls were dressed so pretty and there was delightful entertainment. Olivia played "Jolly Old St. Nick" for her first in public piano playing and Stephanie sang " Deck the Halls" and stayed on pitch!

Gray-day, had a few in house visits this colder than normal December. She would come in for some warm milk and then go and lay under the tree. We thought it was very cute, but within minutes, she was ready to go back outside.

Our annual Christmas time with the Gideons and crew was great again. The kids had their own table outside to be loud and it seems all the presents were the best ones for each kid!

We ended up our weeks-long holiday celebrations with a New Year's lunch at Grandma-ma's. The girls love visiting their great aunts, the cousins and their Great-Grandmother. The pets always are the entertainment and my girls love all the art around the house too!

There is something to say about Family. Some come from the gene-pool and some are just gifts to make life more enjoyable. We are thankful for both. Many of our other times were not included in this post, but were just as important. Our Christmas eve was spent with Steve's parents and his siblings. The squeals from the girls and the dancing from Theresa made it a very special time, I was so busy enjoying myself I did not take photos. We were able to spend some time with special friends, Mr. and Mrs. Russ...it reminds me every time we are around them how God's plans for our future are His alone. We are thankful for Mr. Russ and the quick healing of 2010.

And so we begin this year with nothing certain except for Christ. He is ever faithful. His love endures all. His mercies are new every day. He is my hope.

Thawed out!

2010-12-17T15:43:00.002-05:00

It is a gorgeous day here in sunny Florida, and we just finished up a few days of bone chilling weather. But it seems the pretty lights of the Christmas tree, the sweet caroling of my girls always in the background of life and the abundance of lists to complete have made me really enjoy this season.

We had our Christmas party today with the home school group and it was so great. I know I mention how great our group is very frequently, but I am so very thankful! The kids made crafts and cookies to give away this year instead of the normal gift exchange. There was not one disappointed child. They loved making the placemats for the local soup kitchen, the cards for the local Hospice House and the ornaments for our nursing home down the road. The cookies were for neighbors or parents. We had a fun little feast at the end, and they all chowed down!

Last weekend we had a wonderful time at EPCOT! We used our free DISNEY, Give a day-get a day vouchers and it was great. The crowds were not too bad, and the weather was a little wet, but the stories from around the world were once again a favorite and we just love Soarin' and Test Track! It was a huge blessing to add to the celebration of the season.

Here is a post that left me thinking...if you have time read it.

Christmas cheer

2010-12-09T13:07:00.002-05:00

So a funny thing happened yesterday, to some it is not so funny....but I chose to find the joy in it, and chuckle, because well, why not!

The kids were left in the car with a pile of presents in the rear area. The pile was covered with a tablecloth, tucked in good and snug....Sam and I headed into another store and did not even consider mentioning for them to STAY OUT! What were we thinking? Yes, we just went on our merry little way. After quickly getting another thing on the list, I arrive at the van to giggling girls. They were playing tricks on the lady who was roaming through the parking lot putting flyers on the car windows for the Chinese take-out! She would put it on the windshield but it would quickly disappear. I did not even see glimmers of guilt in their little eyes, but when Samantha came and opened up the rear....the evidence was a shining!

Confessions and tears began. One was innocent. Two were guilty. One was moderately guilty. The hardest part was how we as parents reacted. Because, I am here to say, I found it hard not to snoop as a kid. I did my fair share. I ruined a few surprises of my own. Life lessons. I shared my disappointment. But I had to make myself not crack up as my seven year old shared how she had not seen any presents. She had only seen a lamp! Oh, won't she be surprised on Christmas morning when she opens up a beautiful new lamp that goes with her new bedroom collection! She has NO idea! And she really thinks she did not see any presents! The other ones said they were just feeling for the wrapping!

Family Vacation Part 7

2010-12-04T22:21:00.013-05:00

The visit to the Capitol was great even though we were feeling the end of our time draw near. I loved how the kids were so aware of the importance of this building and what it represents. They were well versed on the Senate, the House of Representatives, the statue Freedom and even if no one else was impressed, I was. The visitors center is very impressive and grand. The movie we watched at the beginning was informative and reminded all of the viewers of our motto, "E pluribus unum" which means "From many, one" as a people and a nation.

Beneath us is the visitors center...we were all hungry and the smiles not so real.

Maddie lost her very first tooth in the Dining area of the Capitol. It was a fun memory!

The painting in the middle of the dome was magnificent.

The sky was turning...we had to book it home if we did not want to be drenched.

This security guard for the Capitol building was willing to take a picture with this crew, even if his buddies were harassing him in the background!

This is the House side of the building....I loved it that the kids knew it and reminded the adults.

The beauty was worth recording.

The keeper of the tickets!

The fall leaves were still out and added to the views! Another great day!

Family Vacation Part 6

2010-12-03T22:41:00.011-05:00

WARNING: All but one of these photos were borrowed from the Internet due to not being allowed a camera on our visit in the White House. BUT, all of the story in info is mine!
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When we were planning our trip to Washington DC, I was blessed to have a great Representative, Ginny Brown-Waite and her office staff coordinate so much of our trip. Kate (staff) was the most helpful anytime I called her and needed help. So months out, we made plans to get tickets to go in the White House and see it ourselves. It ended up being more than we imagined. Getting there for a nine o'clock tour was no easy task...but we made it on time and without any of our "stuff" (cameras, phones, bags)! Everyone but Faith and I were cleared by the Secret Service, but the two of us were sent into the waiting area to try and get cleared a second time. It was a little scary, every thing I have ever done wrong crosses my mind...but finally we were cleared. There were only two tours that day, and once we finally got into the House, we were close to the last tour of the day. It was kinda nice, cause the Secret Service were very willing to talk and "share".
This pic is from the top of the Washington Monument.

See the green grass in front....something way cool happened right there!

See those windows in the Blue Room....something way cool happened there!

This is what happened while we were INSIDE the White House. Yes, the Chopper landed out on the green grass, right on three little marker plates so the grass would not get damaged! The super cool Marine dude came out and opened both doors and stood awaiting his Commander and Chief! While we stood gazing out the windows from inside, we were told that the pilot has a tendency to turn off the blades, cause President Obama tends to run a little late! HA! I found that funny! Soon we saw him leave the White House, walk across the yard and board the aircraft.

He went in the front door and shook hands with the pilots and took a seat. His cohorts went in the back door and put the headphones on and off it went. We were like little kids seeing a rock star. So, getting put into the time-out area and being at the end of the line had its advantages!

We were very impressed!

This is where we exited. The middle door under the hanging light. The windows above and to the left and right had the shades drawn. What the girls thought was so great and they got a kick out of was in the window, to the left and up, one of the Obama girls must have went in and stuck a gellie sticky window display of a butterfly in the window. We noticed it! It made it seem less ornate and more the home of the First Family.

To the right of this picture is a stage of lighting...and we wondered what it was for, but this week I have noticed on the morning news that this is where the news people stand and give their reports. It is not fenced off, so they probably don't have to have the clearance for every news story....and further to the right in the construction of the Executive Branch office building....I am sure there is some underground passage ways for these people to move back and forth with ease!

What a great day this was starting out to be.... next was Union Station and the Capitol!

Family Vacation Part 5

2010-12-02T10:24:00.018-05:00

Different days brought visits to different SMITHSONIANS! We watched a hilarious video with Ben Stiller about the Smithsonians in the castle, and it was super motivating. Of course, the movie, Night at the Museum had done its part in that area as well. In all, we only went to four of the smithsonians, but we were on a time limit. The Museum of American History was a favorite because of the pop culture area. The original Star-spangled Banner was there as well. It was so touching as the girls broke out in song of our national anthem as we were standing there in front of the glass, gazing at the stars and stripes. Some soldiers were standing there enjoying the moment as well, and applauded afterwards. It was a special moment we shared with strangers who shared the same history.

This was a grand doll house full of ideas for playing.

Dorothy's shoes from The Wizard of Oz got our attention, FOR SURE!

This picture was taken for a special friend, who loves the Muppets!

This is Lincoln's top hat! Amazing!

Another museum was the Natural History Smithsonian. We were all in goofy moods this day, and we took all kinds of crazy pictures. Most of them were on the verge of irreverent, especially if you are a museum connoisseur.

My point exactly!

Guess they just saw a grizzly!

Watching a video about the evolution of man included a monkey in the crowd. Our bunch know what they believe, cause as they traveled through this portion of the museum, they all made up a chant about "I ain't no monkey....didn't come from one either!" Oh my!

We found the Dum-Dum statue at the exit and had to stop and pose!

Another day we traveled out to Dulles Airport for the newest Smithsonian. It is the second Air and Space Museum. It is spectacular. We were basically in a hanger with a plethora of air craft. Aaron had been waiting on seeing this Blackbird and did a great job of educating all of us on its magestic-ness! It was super cool!

There were a few pieces of 9/11 in a display. It included a piece of the World Trade Center and a piece of the Pentagon.

This aircraft, the B-29 Superfortress, Enola Gay, is the one the atomic bomb was dropped from in Hiroshima, Japan. It is massive and has a story all its own!

There is a portion of the hanger that is designated to space travel. There is an actual size Shuttle in it. The rocket boosters are HUGE! The display of how things have progressed from the beginning of our space adventures was interesting...and strangely odd as I thought about these vessels being out in space.

Family Vacation Part 4

2010-12-01T07:51:00.009-05:00

Another day in Washington had us visit the Union Station. It was like a huge shopping mall. We were gawking like tourists and taking pictures to keep up with our reputation. It is another beautiful building.

We were surprised to find President Obama and the First Lady in the Station. We smiled!

Olivia has been a long time fan of Sarah Palin. She still wears the election shirt proudly, and we all like the show.

We went on the tour at the Bureau. It was so cool seeing all that money. So here is a tidbit of info...bills or notes are printed at the Bureau and coins are made at the Mint. Our posers did not disappoint.

THEY ARE BOTH WORTH WAY MORE!

Family Vacation part 3

2010-11-30T18:37:00.008-05:00

A few random pictures here and there.
Here I am with the head hauncho! At Cherry Hill RV Park camp store!

This ride on the METRO we were at the very end. This particular day we still had a little daylight left on the ride home

The Fall leaves were still out and I could not resist. They were so beautiful!

This statue was not of particular importance to us, but it was the first one we saw and there was a horse...therefore a picture was a must! Plus they did think it was Theodore Roosevelt!

This was some of the most gorgeous architecture around DC that we saw. This was the Archives building. Having learned about the columns last year in world history made all of the kids take notice of the Roman and Greek influences.

Family Vacation part 2

2010-11-29T18:23:00.015-05:00

First day in DC was all about the Monuments and the Memorials. We walked and walked and were super tourists. The night before, when we were driving by, there were squeals and screams as the sites came into view. Steve said I was the loudest. I doubt it! We became very acquainted with the METRO and everyone we met in the area was super helpful and kind. When we rounded the corner and the Washington Monument came into view, there was a collective gasp. It seemed like we would never get there, but we did.
This was the view seen most often. These six blondies were always at the front of the pack. They had become well versed in their map skills, and knew the location of most of the places we were visiting.

This was the view from the east window at the top of the Washington Monument. Amazing.

This was out of the west window. The newest memorial World War II was very impressive. Out the north window was the White House. It was very strange to see so many surrounding buildings. I was most surprised at how close the Pentagon was to everything...memories of 9/11 came flooding back.

This picture was taken at the Ranger Station where we had lunch. The girls were their typical monkey selves, climbing all over things!

The WWII memorial was very inspirational. The metal scenes that lined the walkway told the unforgettable story.

In front of the reflecting pool. It is about to be under construction...no more green water.

This was one of the top favorites of all of us. We loved reading the wall, climbing the stairs and just being there.

Being respectful and quiet while at the Vietnam Wall just came natural. We had a special moment listening to soldiers talk with a volunteer about serving this country. It was one of my favorite memories of the trip.

Jefferson Memorial. We just did the drive by.

Another drive by. The Pentagon. Up on the hill at the Iwo Jima gave us this perspective of the city. The Arlington National Cemetery was just to the south. We were able to walk over and see the vast sea of white markers. It was breathtaking.

This is my most loved photo of our trip. It was the girls' idea to stand at attention and salute. They were very serious. They loved knowing Uncle Aaron was a Marine and it helped make the connection between us and history.

Family Vacation part 1

2010-11-29T11:13:00.011-05:00

Our first leg of the trip was a stop over in Brunswick, Georgia. We were able to spend some long overdue time at Nan and Poppy's home. We felt right at home. The girls enjoyed Spot and Missy, their sweet dogs, and the beautiful harp. Stephanie was won over instantly with the plate of brownies, and Olivia had a special kinship with plucking the harp. Steve and I felt like we had just won a grand prize and it was a stay at a comfy bed and breakfast. It is so great to be loved and taken care of! Gary and Peg took the Friday to show us around and treat us so kindly. After breakfast we went to see where "spys are trained", so said the girls!
We were limited in our picture taking, but I got a few in here and there.

Getting security clearance!

In Poppy's office where it is serious business!

Memorial near the Chapel.

We headed out to St.Simons Island next. The beaches were very dark sanded and murky, but shells could be found! It was so windy and the tide was WAY out!

Climbing the Lighthouse was next! It was 129 stairs up and we did it! It was such a pretty sight. We could see across the inlet to Jekyll Island and there were some shrimp boats pullin' in too!

Lovely sights!

Next stop was Hardeeville, SC. Then a whole day of driving to finally get to College Park, MD.

My how time flies..unless you are a rock!

2010-11-11T09:43:00.010-05:00

Time seems to be fleeting around here when it comes to life and school. This past month has included getting Grandpa's book to the publisher..done! A church yard sale, which included cleaning out closets! Teaching school and enjoying the fun of the fall festivals were just added bonuses!
This month we are focusing on the earth and geology! Once again, I am going to sing the praises of the group of families we home school with. It is a tremendous blessing! These moms bring their A game and teach serious school. The girls would not be so successful without this group! I am very thankful for this time we have and I do not take it for granted. Being able to stay home and teach them and extend our time learning about life together is a treasure for Steve and I. His willingness to work so hard and all the coupon cutting, short cuts and fruggle-ness I find myself being a part of is worth every cent, even on left over night!

Classifying rocks! Who knew it could be so easy to understand! Thanks Krista!

Microscopes big and small....how cool was it to see!

Rice Krispies and marshmallow sure helped when learning about the layers of the earth! That magma looked hot, but it was just fluff!

Paleontologists have nothing on this crew....using toothpicks and brushes they found fossil after fossil of chocolate chips in cookies....are retrieved them in perfect condition!

A short field trip to the polling office on Voting Day! I was almost embarrassed when one of them whispered (loudly) about me voting the way Steve TOLD me too while I was using the "cheat" sheet!

The two princesses came with us to have a fun backyard party at Ms. Doris King's on the Friday before Halloween! We had a table full of tricks for those "Trick or treaters". It included eyeballs, a dead man's hand and guts...all to be touched without looking in the boxes! HA!

Princess of Russia and Princess of Paris. Gotta love their cleverness !

And last but not least, Dr. Wong was correct when he told us back in April that all the teeth were growing just fine. I am loving the gummy smiles and the cuteness of toothlessness around here. It will be gone before you know it, so we are enjoying it!

Roamer

2010-11-01T08:07:00.002-04:00

My Grandfather's book, Roamer is now out and available for purchase. It was a labor of love and we are so proud of it. I love that I will have his story around now to share of his adventures and the heritage of God's provision for four plus generations.

Bushnell Fall Festival

2010-10-23T10:48:00.006-04:00

Not participants, just mere spectators this year! I must admit, I was keeping this secret from my family...hoping that we would skip it this year, you know, just give it a break this year...well, thanks to Ms. Postmaster they were clued in to the festivities and therefore we put it on the to do list! It was a fun day, and we saw some fancy twirling seniors from The Villages, and the people watching was worth the morning out. The girls were on a budget, using their own money, and they did very well. The ladies from Mount Moriah Baptist Church made some vittles that were "slap-your-momma" good: collards, chicken perleau, black-eyed peas and fried chicken!

Stephanie has wanted to climb a rock wall for the longest time. She used her money and was able to do it! She was awesome!

A horse kind of day!

2010-10-22T16:41:00.011-04:00

We went up to Gainesville to visit the Aunts and the horses. To celebrate a friend's birthday (super late) we made plans to spend the day with Lady and Trooper. The girls were so excited sleep was hard to find and breakfast was even more difficult. But once there, they seemed to be in heaven. They jumped right in with directions from Aunt Marge with the brushing and jobs to be done for the prep of riding.
Lady and Olivia getting in some grooming time.

Taylor fell in love with Trooper and did not care how dirty she had to get!

Stephanie was a little trepidatious over the large animals, but she persevered and made the choice to have a great time. She was very brave.

Lady had to be rode with the Aunts on the lead rope, because she gets a little fussy! Lady is a beautiful horse and lovely to watch.

Lady is over 15 hands high.

Taylor rode Trooper like a pro. She was able to get him into a trot and even into a canter. She was patient and seemed to be a natural.

Trooper earned his name this day, all the girls took their turns pulling on the reins and leading him this way and that. It was such a great time.

Olivia just took over and lead Trooper all around one end of the ring back and forth over and over. She let him have weed treats and had complete control over him. I was very proud!

We ended the day rewarding the horses for their hard work, and then rewarding ourselves as well. Having lunch with Grandmama and Aunt Dee Dee was icing on the cake!

Where has the time gone?

2010-10-09T21:19:00.006-04:00

It feels like yesterday was September and all of a sudden it is almost the middle of October. We have been a little busy around here. We have decorated for Fall, and Olivia has found a new hobby called vacuuming! I love it! She has taken the horns of second grade and came on full speed ahead! She is loving reading now, which makes me more relaxed. I need that since I have been spending the last eight weeks or so popping antihistamines and trying to figure out the abundance of hives all over me! I lived with this for the first five years of our marriage, and I am not about to do that again....but I must testify, this weekend has been so much better!

We are knee deep in American history, focusing on the Presidents and sights that they will get to see in November when we go north to Washington DC! Science co-op is so great, I hate to brag, but it is GREAT! We are in the middle of body systems which have proven to be very thought provoking to my kids. Apparently, my kids are the questioners like none of their peers. I got some doozies this week, and this is without even bringing the reproductive system into play! Oh my! Olivia shared with me how strong love must be for her to grow in my tummy, yet she looks like her dad....she knows it is cause we are married, but "that is some really strong love!" Yes, this is the kind of stuff I get!

We have two additions to our family. Bob and Dart!

This was craft afternoon when they were trying to channel Betsy Ross and plan their own flag!

Kay-Kay is now working at our local ice cream shoppe and that means we are visiting it a little more often. Monday nights are kids eat free night along with face painting and balloon man!!!! They loved it!

I saw this truck the other day after the GATORS lost so badly to Alabama! Funny stuff. Between the Bucs and the Rays, it is big fall sports around here!

You will hear no complaining from me about how great our weather has been this past week. We have been sleeping with windows open and the girls are starting school a little later due to yard time in the morning. The other day, they got tempted by the pool, it still looks so appealing, but after about five minutes in, they were out and chattering at the back door. It did not take much convincing for me to make them some hot cocoa with a marshmallow on top!

I was reminded again this past week at the uncertainty we have of tomorrow....it really puts things into perspective...like spilled koolaid and the getting out of bed one more time. I want to remember in each moment the blessings and gifts I have.

Monday School

2010-09-24T12:57:00.004-04:00

This school year, we have a special day on Mondays. Emma and Maddie are joining us for a day of learning, and so it is extra special. We have a BIG field trip planned for November that includes Washington D.C. and so we are doing some learning about our nation's history. We have learned about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and their homes and Mt. Rushmore too. The girls have glued, cut, stapled, written reports, interviews and even performed some small skits. Learning the preamble (singing it to the old tune of schoolhouse rock) (thanks Youtube) and watching Liberty Kids on Netflix has added to our learning too. Oh, I feel so up-to-date using technology in my classroom. What a blessing.
We have not forsaken the always handy dandy public library!

Oh, these girls have some serious drama inside that is screaming to come out!

And one of the best parts of the day is recess in the pool and lunch out on the deck!

Time with Finn

2010-09-18T10:46:00.007-04:00

We spent our day on Tuesday with my nephew Finn. He is my sister Kaitie's son. Oh how we love him! He cracked us up so many times we lost count. His laugh is infectious and we could not get enough! Our day started out at Burger King. He just watched us eat breakfast!

After getting home from the doctor's because of Olivia's earache, anddropping off a script, we had to get back for some school work. Finn decided on doing his reading in his little chair!

Curious George count to ten!

He tried out what long hair would be like!

And we had recess in the pool aka hottub!

So who needs a nap in the crib, when one can just lay out under the trees and watch the leaves blow!

And for lunch we snacked on PICKLES! Everyone loved them! What a fun day!

Every two years

2010-09-10T17:39:00.005-04:00

This was not planned, but today when we were at the Florida Aquarium, I remembered I had taken pics of the girls in the past in this shell. Oh how time flies and how the girls have changed. Once they fit so nicely and now....well, just take a look.
2006 3 and 5 year olds

2008 5 and 7 years old

2010 7 and 9 years old

It does "Matter"!

2010-09-09T12:43:00.019-04:00

Our first science co-op of the year focused on Matter. The states of matter, viscosity, molecules, and the mixing of liquids. The kids all seemed to love all the stations, and they really looked like scientists with their clipboards for recording of information, and their goggles. With our aprons and microscopes next time, we will be even more official!

One of the stations demonstrated a non-Newtonian fluid called Oobleck. It has many names, but the cool thing is that it does not follow the rules for a solid or a liquid! Everyone loved it!
At each station the kids had to make a hypothesis and record their conclusion at the end. Good stuff!

Water and corn starch! Fun in a bowl!

It just makes you happy! It is like clean mud!

Even little miss sassy pants who does not like to be dirty loved playing in it!

And the big girls liked it too...they could not keep their hands out of it!

This was from another station. It was called Glurch. It is two liquids mixing together and forming a colloid. It is just liquid starch and glue. You end up with something like...

...SILLY PUTTY!

Showing how certain liquids do not mix was explored at other stations. They walked away with an art project from this one!

And after watching some serious videos from YouTube about matter, they were able to build molecules out of toothpicks and jelly beans! And then they ate them!

Twenty kids, ten moms and lots of fun! Who could ask for more when learning about science!

We took some time to think about Albert Einstein and his quirky ways and smart imagination! We discovered he was a lot like us, just more willing to step out of the normal way of doing things! We also recognized that in Collossians 1:16-17 we are told that "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Amazing concept!

It's official!

2010-09-07T10:41:00.003-04:00

There is a huge gaping hole in Olivia's mouth! She is more than adorable!

Science is Cool and Hot!

2010-08-31T22:10:00.008-04:00

Bill Nye the Science Guy has nothing on David Schott. He was the Science is so Cool it is Hot, guy last week when we had our Science Kick-off meeting with all of our home school families. We are up to 19 this year in our group, and these are just some of the anxious faces of the crowd.

Here he was showing everyone how matter is still matter no matter what size it is. This rock is still a rock if it is broken.

This was the neatest thermometer...it was a laser one! It got some serious oohs and ahhs!

Here we were adding heat to some really cold molecules and trying to make them get moving so they would spread out!!!! Melting ice in a Ziploc had never been so fun!

This is what happens when you put a bar of Ivory soap in a microwave and had heat to those molecules...they really move around....it turns into a pile of foam!

Outside we were going to witness fire....I missed the photo...but it was FANTASTIC! Like something in the movies!

And then the liquid nitrogen came out....and we froze grapes, hot dogs, balloons, and made a mess! Great fun!

So when the evening was finished, the kids were wound up with great expectations of science for this next school year! It will be one filled with great learning and lots of fun!

To celebrate!

2010-08-19T18:41:00.006-04:00

This special surprise came at the end of our first day of school. A neighbor, Ashely, stopped by and the girls got to see her and her horse. They were both so hot, an apple was not even a treat.
We had this yummy end of year treat with some friends who came over to celebrate their last weekend of freedom before their school year began! Dessert kabobs!

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And this is how we ended our first week of school. A little math measuring gave us the end result of Nestle Toll House cookies. It has been so long, but some of my fun baking times with my mom and grandmother....figured it was the time to share the secret with my little girls.

Yum! And the left overs were stored in the freezer for a little snack here and there.

Indulge me...with a little dose of nostalgia

2010-08-12T20:27:00.008-04:00

AND IT WAS NOT SO LONG AGO....4 1/2 years ago!

Emma and Steph

Maddie and Liv

A normal day (sorta)

2010-08-05T10:21:00.003-04:00

I have had a number of people ask about how and what I use to home school. So, I thought I would share a skeletal map of our day. I also thought I would share about one of our greatest assests in our education: our Co-op group. But first let me include the majority of our curriculum.

Bible: The Young Reader's Library (biographies on missionaries)
God and Me- independent two-page spread daily lessons
Handwriting: A Reason for Handwriting (this is their memory verses too)
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise
Reading/Language Arts: Scott Foresman Reading Street and McMillian Florida Treasures (these reading components are used in the public school systems, and the consumable workbooks are available for purchase online through a variety of sites) I have found that teaching from these organized and sequential materials allows for a thorough coverage of skills.
Math: Saxon and weekly extension activities on BeeStar.org (vital for expanding critical thinking skills)
Science: Science by the grade
Geography: Evan Moore's collection of US workbooks and I love History Pockets
P.E./Art: We are able to use a City Park out of Ocala that offers classes for minimal fees.

Periodically we do monthly author studies, and it is great for searching the library for books and for learning about an author.

Testing: I require an annual test in some manner for the portfolio and for a measurement tool. I have used FCAT (released tests) and ordered The Standford 10 through BJUPress.

I really love the reinforcement that the site Time4Learning offers. It is a monthly charge, but it really helped in years past make difficult skills stick!

Our day looks a lot like this:
8:00 up and morning stuff, breakfast, chores etc.
9:00 school (bible, math, language)
10:30 break
10:45 school (reading)
12:15 Lunch
1:00 School (science, computer)

Co-op:
This is a group of home school families who get together and share in the teaching of a subject. We always work with a variety of ages. We have tried both approaches of using the group sessions as a pre teaching or a post teaching element to the subject and have found that post teaching works best. We have covered areas of world geography, animal habitats, colonial American, westward movement, world history, US geography during different years. Using centers or stations has helped us share the load of activities and skills being taught. This year we are doing Science. We have taken a subject by the month and then broke it down into two sessions per month. We use a community center on a bi-monthly basis because of our large group. In the beginning we just rotated in homes. The stations are organized for small groups to advance through three or four stations each week. We have a meeting large group time in the beginning and have a break with snacks. We finish by lunch time and go to a near by park to end our day. This is an incredible opportunity, and it only works with a great level of commitment of the teachers and planning.

If you have any questions, please ask me, I might be able to help.

I have found our success is greatly influenced by the support of the mothers/teachers around me. All of us have our struggles and victories and it is great to have someone to share it with. Lastly, having the support of our families and a great principal (Dad) is icing on the cake!

New school year

2010-08-02T15:47:00.003-04:00

My second grader. Her favorite part of starting school was her new organizational cubbie for her pencils and junk. She arrived to her desk with a glimmer in her eye and a skip in her step in anticipation of the new year. She has become quite the reader and I look forward to all the fun we are going to have!
This is my fifth grader. It is difficult for me to even imagine this...my years teaching fifth grade to a classroom full of kids is now at my doorstep. Stephanie is ready for all of the academics, she speeds through books so fast, I told her I am done buying them, we will only check them out from now on! She is still very studious and self-motivated and will craft it up on any chance she gets!

Both of these girls are growing up so quickly, and I am admonished daily to offer them more than the typical textbook. One of the highlights this year will be studying the United States and taking part in a study through the young readers books from YWAM. With confidence we are going to be adding to our regular curriculum as well as opening up new worlds of opportunities!

This about sums up our time in NC

2010-07-27T16:24:00.002-04:00

The Tuckaseegee River held our interest for a few days. The girls loved this rock and we could even tube a little. Friends of ours live right on this river. The Smith's house where we stay is about ten minutes up the mountain. Good times!

Busy fun times!

2010-07-21T16:28:00.014-04:00

Ormond Beach

We went for a little get away. It was perfect weather. The Atlantic Ocean was amazing for riding a boogey board. The pools were super great for a little fun! The room was just right for six girls to hang out and relax. Thanks Ms. Doris, you really are a great Nana!

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Mission Possible CAMP for the Big Sisters, fun times for the little sisters!

It was a hot busy four days for the older girls to get away for the annual Church camp offered through First Baptist of Wildwood. Pastor Nick was super great again. He shared truths and put a "spy" edge on all of the teachings. The younger girls were kept busy by spending the night at friends, bowling, skating and shopping.

Parents and siblings were invited to the last night's worship time and teachings. Then they opened up camp for a Water fun time. The slides were a blast and the snack shack was a hit! Look at the lake that bordered the camp. It was one of my kid's fondest memories in life. She filled up her little independent tank, and it is nice to trust her to such a great group of people.

Trust,valleys and clay

2010-07-13T08:26:00.005-04:00

I had the utmost pleasure of attending a women's meeting last night where a dear friend whom I have known for over twenty years spoke. It was not the kind of "know" like her birthday, even her address and phone number....but the "know" many of us have of people we go to church with. How unfortunate. I knew her as a young teen and I had not seen her for years. Many. She and her husband now are attending The Vineyard and I am happy to say I "know" her differently now. Okay, introductions aside. Her story (just the chapter I heard) was outstanding. She had us laughing, crying, nodding in agreement, sighing with understanding, raising our hand in agreement and captivated. I must share a few nuggets.

Trust. Do I fully trust God? I want to believe I do. Deeply. Immensely. Life abandoningly. Will my feelings be hurt when a day will come and I will be in a valley and I "think", "I should be saved from this?"

Valleys. We are told time and time again in God's word that this is where God's power is shown. Most battles are fought and won there. Even David and Goliath fought in one. Victory is accomplished there. We are proven there.

Clay. It is the tools, and the effort of the Potter that produce the desired vessel. Some tools etch, smooth even wetten. Constant motion keeps us centered. The grip and pressure of the hands are what molds it.

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:1-4

Sue, my friend, recently experienced breast cancer. Her valley has been wrought with battles of trust. She has been reformed into a vessel that was filled last night with wisdom. Then she was emptied out for a room full of women to receive encouragement and hope.

4th of July

2010-07-07T12:47:00.011-04:00

We had a blowin' up-blastin'-time on the fourth. It was a day full of hot muggy mosquito fun!

The girls even were able to enjoy some wet fun with the "rigged" up sprinkler on the trampoline. You can barely see it...look behind the vine in the bottom right corner.

The girls and I had made an old fashioned jello drip cake and it was good, but we were so full from the hamburgers and fries that the chef cooked.

This is just the beginnings of the rounds of gunpowder we had in our hot little hands. It was a serious amount.

These are called MIGRAINES!

The twirlly whirls in the box (with the black propellers) were the favorites. There were also some screamers that I thought my ear drum had burst it was so loud.

Had to still have some sparklers.

There was just a burn or two... but we survived.

This is a roll of nothing but fire crackers. The guys unrolled it about four times and would let it blow up across the yard. It sure made Aaron do a dance. The last round burned and popped for a minute forty nine seconds. Whew, the smoke and noise.

I guess the fireworks and the smoke, fire and blasts get adrenalin pumpin' and testosterone flowin'!

This was the only shot I got of the actual sky. They were very beautiful. I am one of those oohher's and auhher's and even give a wahoo when it is one of those really big ones that fill the sky. Right on guys, you did a great job.

Through the eyes of a child

2010-07-04T16:08:00.005-04:00

Movie night this weekend was a moment around here.... we reread the book over dinner and talked about dreams. This was a preventative measure because my youngest has been struggling with dreams and being scared. I thought this would help her see another perspective of imagination. We are got settled in for the movie, had popcorn popped, pillows and blankets gathered and I kept the remote handy for the moments to push the pause button.

It was a good movie. We stopped and talked a lot. The director should have recorded us for the commentary. Geesh. But it was all good. Olivia at one point shed tears. Real ones. Sorta sobbing. I did not think it would affect her this way. I think the ideal life that Max wanted is how Olivia thinks too. We really liked how the characters were associated with the Wild Things. We liked how powerful a dream could be. We liked how everyone searches for a King. We liked how the "big sister" protected Max. We liked how the Momma shows she cares, no matter what.

I did not expect to see my kids play "Where the Wild Things Are" the next day!

2010 Youth Retreat

2010-06-28T16:51:00.002-04:00

We were so honored to be apart of the Youth Retreat again this year. It was a week of fun and the sun. Our girls are blessed to be a part of a group of teenagers who are a good example and love the Lord. The group takes part in a photo scavenger hunt each year, but this year our girls had their own. In our "search for significance" this week (which was our bible study), we all saw sides to ourselves that need a little more work, but we also celebrated the parts of us that are "fearfully and wonderfully made"!

Late nights and later mornings

2010-06-24T10:33:00.009-04:00

St. Augustine has been a land of great adventures this week. We have been sunnin and funnin it up for four days with two more to go...last night us girls had us an adventure of epic proportions. It was night of evening of kid duty during evening service and we went on the hunt. We headed out to the lighthouse. Trees were climbed, creatures were discovered, castles were built and ice cream was eaten. It was a time of making our nights last longer and our mornings come later.
These four girls have been inseperable. Fun times.

Workin it yet again.

Amazing....

2010-06-21T11:55:00.004-04:00

I need a few minutes to share with you something that is amazing. It is Steve. Some of you might think you know him and agree that he is amazing. But, I get reminded every day how completely and incredibly amazing he is.

We are on the annual Youth Retreat with 41 other people this week in St. Augustine, and he without hesitating, gave up his Father's Day. We had taken him out for breakfast Saturday before leaving and gave him his goodies, and so Sunday seemed to be just another day. BUT, with him, things are not just ordinary. He is the most giving and patient person I know. He loves his girls in the most incredible way. He will stay up late playing, or go to bed early holding the hand of one who is scared. He will still carry his girls to bed and kneel to pray with and for them. Countless trips to the pool or the beach or the park are part of his playbook. He does not have boys to raise with the love of sports, but both of his girls will know the rules and regulations of the common sports and be able to partake in conversation with their future husbands and sit along side them to enjoy the game.

He is amazing. I mostly dreamed of marrying someone who would love their kids no matter what. Never leave them. Never be too busy. Always count them as special and irreplacable. To hold their hand,hug tightly, even carry them when needed. Stand in the gap for them and in their corner too. I got all of that when I married Steve eleven years ago this coming Saturday.

A sheep story

2010-06-15T09:10:00.004-04:00

Oh to be a little girl learning all the great stories of life....Olivia gave me a good laugh this weekend and I am still loving it even two days later. I can finally open my eyes more than a slit from the busyness of the weekend and tell you Kelley graduated. It was a great celebration. While Steve and I were at the four hour event enjoying the conversation amongst friends, the talk included the new information of THE DONUT KING in Minneola, FL...the girls were at First Baptist Church for a Friday night bash to kick off the summer.

Stephanie and Emma were transported back in time with their memories to last summer when they went to camp for the first time. Their leader, Nick aka RockStar, was there for the evening of fun. I wonder if Justin Beiber could have made such smiles come out! WhenUncle Aaron walked in to get them, he found all the girls down front at the end of the service...they had gotten saved "again"!

The funniest part was when Olivia was telling me about the service she painted a great word picture. It went like this.

" Mom, you know Jesus is like the shepherd who has 100 sheep. He has all of them together but only counts 99. He leaves the whole group to go and find the one. He found him and carried him back on his back." (I could picture the famous painting with the shepherd and the sheep draped across his shoulders...she must have too!)

I interrupted her then and commented how she is just like that one lost sheep. She is worth it too. Jesus loves us that much to come and find us.

"MOM! No, no, no...that is not what it is...he brought back the sheep to the whole group and they had a 'sheep party'!!! The shepherd was so happy to have them all back together."

I did not correct her, but I think it was so sweet how she mixed up the two stories about The Prodigal Son and The Lost Sheep. Mostly I am thrilled that she knows we are that important to the King of Kings.

Training?

2010-06-08T22:10:00.004-04:00

A conversation ensued this evening....it must be written down lest we forget it.

It was between Stephanie and Steve.... I was just an observer and giggle-er!

"Dad, when am I going to wear a training bra?"
"Some of my friends are wearing one."
"When will I get to?"

"WHAT!?"
" What do you need to wear one for?"
"What are you training?"

(THAT WAS THE BEST LINE I HAVE HEARD IN A GOOD WHILE.)

"Da-a-a-a-a-a-a-d!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A non-enviromentalist's opinion

2010-06-04T15:00:00.011-04:00

I call myself a non-environmentalist for a few reasons. I have always felt a stronger need for people needing saving rather than sea turtles or dolphins, although I really love dolphins and sea turtles. I do not litter and have raised two kids who feel the same way, but I don't compost or put out recycled materials and I love some people who do. I do not want to jump on a soap box of being someone I am not,

BUT....
I am having a hard time with this whole BP oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico. It saddens me and is making me be careful about judgements being passed against our authorities and government. My heart breaks for these families who have worked so hard to make ends meet and now they cannot even go fish.

What am I doing, you might ask? The only thing I can. Pray.

I grew up on the beaches of the Gulf. Vacation on the Gulf. Love the Gulf over any beach I have ever been to.

Mostly I wanted to post these pics so it was a part of our families' memories and to have a voice in my concern.
This is a beach a friend of mine spends lots of time at...it is west of Panama City and absolutely gorgeous. The oil is miles from the shores.

This picture and the following are some I found online while I was researching some of this horrific ordeal.

This was the kindest picture I found where it involved animials. I saw dead birds, turtles and a porpoise dead and covered in oil.

Mangrove islands as well as the marsh lands of Louisanna.

This is the porpoise.

Not a great spin on taking a walk on the beach.

It is beginning to feel a lot like Summer!

2010-06-02T15:27:00.005-04:00

This week we are wrapping up some odds and ends for the school year. We finished a semester of Art and PE at a local park in Ocala and the kids had a blast. Stephanie was able to be a part of four field trips with the City Parks Program. Coach Dan was so great. They canoed, fished, hiked, swam, shot bow and arrows, make cast prints, and a bunch of other stuff. The ones who did not go learned all about Mario. I kid you not. They did. The younger bunch supported, and encouraged each other to the next levels. Olivia's confidence soared. It has even improved her reading. I'm not even kidding.
This project was done today at Trailer School. It is located in Oxford. The group from ages 6th grade to Kindergarten participated. They came home with nasty jiffy store feet and a poster of fun and a lapbook of sorts with all their learning. Kudos to Ms. Amy for being our "teacher of the year". No plaque, no money prize, just the satisfaction of a job well done.

Monday was spent doing not much more than this. It was memorial day and we shared some of our thoughts as a family and took time to enjoy each other. Stephanie and I were enjoying our books, Steve was working on the new and soon to be released, Myakkans2 movie. Be watching for it! Olivia seemed to be everywhere. We were pooped out after a busy weekend that included the Florida Homeschool convention, hanging out with the whole crew and having a fine steak cooked by Aaron Symonds. Life is good.

Beach Camping!

2010-05-27T09:55:00.007-04:00

We went to one of our favorite spots this past weekend to camp. Fort De Soto. It has amazing beaches and it is no wonder why it is voted one of the top beaches in the world. Two days was not enough, but the sun had baked a few of us so we did not go back for day three. The company was especially nice because we had Matt, Kay Kay and Marse with us.
We did the stingray shuffle all weekend, and there were no incidents!

Stephanie spent as much time in the water and diving for sanddollars as she did at the shore-digging. It makes her heart happy.

Olivia flitted from one thing to another...and she was a great motor for pushing me around on my great new floatie chair!

Those poor coquinas! It was hilarious watching some of them learn how to skimboard...Alma is pretty good, but her ankle is still getting over the weekend.

The eight movie/DS playin' culprets hanging out in my camper.

This is mah jong. Ancient Chinese secret! Actually, it is great fun.

And this is the view we had as we played our games, fished or just hung out. It was the Schott's site, but we might stay here some day!

This one is for Amy!

2010-05-24T16:48:00.004-04:00

Friends. They are great. Sometimes they help you through rough times, and sometimes they make you laugh. Then there are times when they help you out with problems. This is what my friend Amy does. She can cook up a mean meal on the sly, she always has something that will enhance a school lesson (like a sombrero or a stuffed armadillo) she has gadgets that would make most people green with envy, and she is my friend.

We share custody of a mah jong game. More of that later.

This past weekend a whole slew of us were camping down in Fort De Soto. Eight kids and many more adults, but somehow we felt outnumbered. Our last evening there, some of the Dads went fishing, some watched a movie, the moms played mah jong and then it started raining. Really sprinkling. So, eight kids piled up in our pop-up camper and had an evening of Nintendo DS playing and/or movie...unsupervised. No big deal right? Well, that would normally be the case, but the last time Olivia and Maddie were left in the camper they devoured a box of fruit roll-ups, got into the Cheetos and had their own PARTY!

Well, after two hours of seaside card playing goodness, we started hearing noises of FUN in the distance. I tried to ignore it and it seemed like everyone else could. We were about 100 yards away and with each squeal I could imagine other neighboring campers wondering what was going on!! So, I called my cell phone and Stephanie answered, I told her to control the noise. "Yes ma'am" she said so sweetly.

Twenty minutes later, the noise had continued to escalate and we began discussing some parenting pointers. We talked about micro-managing, failures, successes all while playing mah jong. Amy just listened. I called Stephanie back. "You guys need to be quieter." "Yes ma'am." she said, oh so sweetly again.

Ten more minutes passed. I was losing terribly. I could not keep my mind on the game. Finally Amy said "Give me that phone." She called. She told Stephanie " This is Ms. Amy, the Rangers are riding around and giving out tickets for people being too loud. Now you kids need to quiet it down." "Yes ma'am." she said yet again.

Lies. All lies. No Rangers. No tickets. But we got to finish our game. The Dads never had a clue. And Amy told me afterwards... "Now, that parenting tip you ain't gonna find in no book. Blog that!"

Thanks. See, friends like Amy help you get your kids raised.

Happy Mother's Day getaway!

2010-05-17T16:39:00.005-04:00

You did not know I was one of six new models for Carraba's? Well. We liked to think we were. I had the gift (besides this pretty pink skirt...it was the first clothing ever bought by my little girlies, and they did a great job!) of a weekend getaway to a resort in Orlando with some of my closest friends. We stayed at the Mike Ditka Resort. The room was just beautiful and had so much space. The beds were comfy and the pool was divine. The lounge chairs were super nice and the pool was clean and not packed. There was a separate kid's pool and hot tub.

We ate our share of good food (thanks to Dawn!) from BoneFish(Fri.) and Carraba's(Sat.). We found a hot spot (literally) Saturday night when we happened upon a Krispy Kreme. Oh my! We had a newbie among us, and for some reason thought we needed two dozen donuts. We ended up leaving a few for housecleaning. And there seemed to be 7-11's on every corner...and I love slurpees.

I cried tears from laughing so hard over the hilarious-ness of these women and have never felt so blessed to be surrounded by such supportive and Godly and REAL women. My three cheers go out to Steve and the girls for letting me go and have this time. I had a wonderful time.

Sleepover and other fun!

2010-05-17T16:31:00.004-04:00

Kay-Kay had her senior prom....She was gorgeous.

This is how we spent the morning after a few friends slept over. A late movie night and a full day of pool had not allowed any DS time...they were keeping me company while our chef made eggs this particular Saturday.

I was completely assured that this vine was NOT poison ivy. She had a complete jewelry collection done. Anklet, bracelet, necklace and crown. My little outdoors girl.

Gymnastics recital

2010-05-17T16:15:00.008-04:00

This weekend the girls had their annual gymnastics recital. Due to extenuating circumstances, I was not there for the big hurrah! Apparently I did not miss a whole lot...but they did a fabulous job. I do, almost daily, get to see the cartwheels and handstands that took place on the platform of the local church....so, I feel like the future therapy sessions of my absence will be abated.

This is what happens when a wonderful and adventurous Dad is in charge of two girls (who were on their way to a performance) with hair and make-up done. They stop for a picture on a local WWII tank. Gotta love 'em.

This fake smile on Olivia's face is due to the fact that her costume was less than what she expected. Ms. Lori was not quite prepared for this group of girls and their outfits...but they were cute nonetheless.

Warm ups and stretches.

I am not quite sure if this "FAN" movement was a part of the show or not...but it was fun!

Strong arms. She loves gymanstics!

And now to watch the show! The girls also did a signing to song with another group of girls. It was lovely. I was very proud of their efforts and hard practices.