Finally, I am sharing what I am using this year for my girls! Here is what we are doing:
Annamarie (8th grade):
Bible: Reading through the New Testament, weekly memory verses, and required book reading. This year she is reading Before You Meet Prince Charming, So Much More, Joyfully at Home, and Raising Maidens of Virtue.
Math: Teaching Textbooks Math 7
Language: Online writing class through Time 4 Writing, then after that we will use Wordsmith for writing; Wordly Wise 8 for Vocabulary. We're taking a year off of formal grammar, but grammar will be covered in the writing courses.
History: Truthquest Ancient Egypt/Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, Map Skills Workbook
Science: Apologia Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day. I know it's technically an elementary book, but I've found these books to be quite advanced. I myself am learning sooooo much and find them so interesting and fun! She'll be doing the notebooking journal with it, along with extra projects I assign, and a frog hatchery kit with her sister.
Critical Thinking: Building Thinking Skills software
Foreign Language: French 1 through Rosetta Stone online
Music: Flute and Piano lessons: Flute with instructional DVD, and Piano with Adventus Piano Suite Premiere
Art: She is hoping to take a cake decorating class.
Abigail (3rd grade):
Bible: She is hoping to return to our local Awana program, but as of now we are still waiting for a leader to step up. Right now, we are using our Keys for Kids devotionals that we get from our church. She is also assigned a memory verse or two each week, always from her handwriting books, and sometimes from church.
Math: Teaching Textbooks Math 3
Language: Alpha Omega Language 3 LIFEPACS, Wordly Wise 3, and A Reason For Handwriting Transition, Typing Instructor
History: Truthquest American History for Young Students 2, Map Skills 3 workbook
Science: Apologia Zoology 2 like her sister, along with the notebooking journal and frog hatchery kit.
Critical Thinking: Building Thinking Skills software
Music: Piano using Adventus Piano Suite Premiere
PE: Gymnastics
Art: Drawing class
I also have a list of read alouds that I would like to get through.
I must say that if you were to do all that I am doing, it would get veeerrryyy expensive! I have been very blessed to be able to do all of this, and have it funded for me. My parents pay for all of the Christian curriculum, and everything else--including gymnastics, art class, etc--is funded by the school district. I am very grateful for this!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
I Need Your Help!
Dear ladies, please share your ideas with me. How do you bulk up your meals in order to feed all of those growing hungry tummies, without spending much money?
I have a super duper small food budget. I also have a 16 year boy who is weight training and needs lots of calories. He is always hungry, and I feel so bad that with food prices I keep trying to cook less. He needs to eat a lot! Along with him, there is also my construction worker husband, and three other growing children.
What to do? Here are some of my ideas:
Lots of rice
Piles of potatoes
Lots of pasta
Bake homemade bread or rolls to add to a meal
Make some homemade beans along with meat, to double up the protein
Please share your ideas and/or recipes. I'd like to do a second post and share all the input I get, along with a link to your blog if you would like.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Miscarriage Story...Part Two
For those of you who may be wondering, I will share what ended up happening with my miscarriage. As I shared in my last post, I started bleeding on my own. Unfortunately, that dragged on for over a week and got REALLY old. I was miserable...still feeling icky and nauseous but for no reason anymore. I wanted to get it done and over with, so I called my OB to schedule a D&C.
The day before my D&C was scheduled, I was sent in for an ultrasound, just to make sure that there was actually a need for the procedure and that the pregnancy had not passed on its own. I hadn't had any major bleeding or cramping so I thought it highly unlikely that I had passed anything, but still prayed that it was all gone so I wouldn't have to undergo the surgery! But as I suspected, everything was still intact...the sac, the embryo... EVERYTHING. At that point I was 13 weeks along, and was told that the embryo looked like it had stopped growing at 6 weeks. So sad. All that time, I was no longer pregnant and never even knew it.
Around the time of the ultrasound--I think just a little before I got there--I started cramping pretty badly. At first I thought it was because I hadn't taken any advil for awhile, because I'd been taking it frequently since the bleeding started, due to the aching and mild cramping. I left the ultrasound and drove home, and when I got home I was in pretty bad pain. Eventually it got to the level where it felt just like labor pain. This was NOT a fun time. Suddenly I found myself in the bathroom, doubled over in pain, sitting on the toilet passing tissue (sorry if this is too much information). Meanwhile, for some reason, my 16 month old decided to start screaming and would not stop. He stood on the other side of the bathroom door screaming. This was just an absolutely horrible time for me. I was in severe pain and couldn't leave the bathroom because stuff was coming out of me, and my toddler was inconsolable. You know how little ones can pick up on when something is not right. My two daughters, bless their hearts, were doing the very best they could on the other side of the door, but he wouldn't stop crying. I finally threw on a pad and ran out of the bathroom, grabbed Adam and hugged him, and just cried. That lasted a minute or so, and then I had to run back to the bathroom and just took him with me. My poor daughters! They are so kind and brave, but they were so worried. I kept passing tissue, and then suddenly I started bleeding heavily. So heavily that if I put on a pad, I instantly soaked through it. I knew this was not okay, and that the bleeding was too heavy. I needed to get to the hospital.
I had to think quickly about what to do. My husband wasn't home. He was working a very rare late day, and wouldn't be done until about 8 pm, and it wasn't quite 6:00 yet, and I knew there was no way he could get out early. Should I call an ambluance? Could I drive myself? (Yes, I'm crazy, but I did consider it...but then decided that all the blood loss may cause me to pass out while driving.) Who should I call? I ended up calling my friend Edith, and she hurried over right away. We headed for the closest emergency room, which is about 15 minutes away.
The nurses and doctor at the ER were very kind. I was still bleeding heavily when I got there, and the doctor did an exam and kind of "cleaned" the area out. Not fun, but I was glad that I was in good hands. Eventually the bleeding slowed down and they did an ultrasound to see if I had passed everything. Unfortunately, I was told that there was still one piece left. After about four hours, I was sent home, told to take cyctotec at bedtime to help that last piece pass, and call my doctor in the morning.
I did what I was told, and in the morning my doctor told me to come in for another ultrasound. When I used the bathroom that morning, I passed a big piece of something, so I was excited and confident that everything was out. After all, I had just been told that there was only one more piece, and I just passed a piece, right?
So on to the ultrasound I went. When I got there, I was very upset to find out that not everything was out of my uterus yet! I was so upset! And I was soooo hungry! I had missed dinner the night before due to being rushed to the ER, and had eaten just a little bowl of cereal when I got home. At breakfast that morning, I had poured a bowl of granola, but had gotten distracted and didn't eat much of it. I was so confident that I wouldn't need the D&C, that I figured I would eat when I got back from my ultrasound. But that was not to be! It was around 10 am, and my D&C was scheduled for 3:45, and I was not allowed to eat anything before it. I left the ultrasound hungry and in tears!
Compared to all of this drama, the D&C was a piece of cake. It was quick and easy. My OB said that there was still a big piece left in me, so she was really glad that we did it. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely have scheduled the D&C right away in the very beginning, as soon as I found out the pregnancy was not viable. It was a pretty good experience, and the actual miscarriage was NOT. I didn't expect that, as my first two miscarriages were not nearly so hard.
After the D&C was done, the grief came back and hit me hard. I spent a lot of nights crying. I'm doing better now though. I know God is sovereign, and this all has a purpose.
Thank you for letting me share my story. This has been a long hard summer. I'm thankful that God's mercies are new every morning!
The day before my D&C was scheduled, I was sent in for an ultrasound, just to make sure that there was actually a need for the procedure and that the pregnancy had not passed on its own. I hadn't had any major bleeding or cramping so I thought it highly unlikely that I had passed anything, but still prayed that it was all gone so I wouldn't have to undergo the surgery! But as I suspected, everything was still intact...the sac, the embryo... EVERYTHING. At that point I was 13 weeks along, and was told that the embryo looked like it had stopped growing at 6 weeks. So sad. All that time, I was no longer pregnant and never even knew it.
Around the time of the ultrasound--I think just a little before I got there--I started cramping pretty badly. At first I thought it was because I hadn't taken any advil for awhile, because I'd been taking it frequently since the bleeding started, due to the aching and mild cramping. I left the ultrasound and drove home, and when I got home I was in pretty bad pain. Eventually it got to the level where it felt just like labor pain. This was NOT a fun time. Suddenly I found myself in the bathroom, doubled over in pain, sitting on the toilet passing tissue (sorry if this is too much information). Meanwhile, for some reason, my 16 month old decided to start screaming and would not stop. He stood on the other side of the bathroom door screaming. This was just an absolutely horrible time for me. I was in severe pain and couldn't leave the bathroom because stuff was coming out of me, and my toddler was inconsolable. You know how little ones can pick up on when something is not right. My two daughters, bless their hearts, were doing the very best they could on the other side of the door, but he wouldn't stop crying. I finally threw on a pad and ran out of the bathroom, grabbed Adam and hugged him, and just cried. That lasted a minute or so, and then I had to run back to the bathroom and just took him with me. My poor daughters! They are so kind and brave, but they were so worried. I kept passing tissue, and then suddenly I started bleeding heavily. So heavily that if I put on a pad, I instantly soaked through it. I knew this was not okay, and that the bleeding was too heavy. I needed to get to the hospital.
I had to think quickly about what to do. My husband wasn't home. He was working a very rare late day, and wouldn't be done until about 8 pm, and it wasn't quite 6:00 yet, and I knew there was no way he could get out early. Should I call an ambluance? Could I drive myself? (Yes, I'm crazy, but I did consider it...but then decided that all the blood loss may cause me to pass out while driving.) Who should I call? I ended up calling my friend Edith, and she hurried over right away. We headed for the closest emergency room, which is about 15 minutes away.
The nurses and doctor at the ER were very kind. I was still bleeding heavily when I got there, and the doctor did an exam and kind of "cleaned" the area out. Not fun, but I was glad that I was in good hands. Eventually the bleeding slowed down and they did an ultrasound to see if I had passed everything. Unfortunately, I was told that there was still one piece left. After about four hours, I was sent home, told to take cyctotec at bedtime to help that last piece pass, and call my doctor in the morning.
I did what I was told, and in the morning my doctor told me to come in for another ultrasound. When I used the bathroom that morning, I passed a big piece of something, so I was excited and confident that everything was out. After all, I had just been told that there was only one more piece, and I just passed a piece, right?
So on to the ultrasound I went. When I got there, I was very upset to find out that not everything was out of my uterus yet! I was so upset! And I was soooo hungry! I had missed dinner the night before due to being rushed to the ER, and had eaten just a little bowl of cereal when I got home. At breakfast that morning, I had poured a bowl of granola, but had gotten distracted and didn't eat much of it. I was so confident that I wouldn't need the D&C, that I figured I would eat when I got back from my ultrasound. But that was not to be! It was around 10 am, and my D&C was scheduled for 3:45, and I was not allowed to eat anything before it. I left the ultrasound hungry and in tears!
Compared to all of this drama, the D&C was a piece of cake. It was quick and easy. My OB said that there was still a big piece left in me, so she was really glad that we did it. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely have scheduled the D&C right away in the very beginning, as soon as I found out the pregnancy was not viable. It was a pretty good experience, and the actual miscarriage was NOT. I didn't expect that, as my first two miscarriages were not nearly so hard.
After the D&C was done, the grief came back and hit me hard. I spent a lot of nights crying. I'm doing better now though. I know God is sovereign, and this all has a purpose.
Thank you for letting me share my story. This has been a long hard summer. I'm thankful that God's mercies are new every morning!
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Lord Giveth, and the Lord Taketh Away...
Blessed be the name of the Lord! My plan has been to do several posts on homeschooling, which I will be getting to, but I've recently been thrown off and thought I would share what has been going on. I am currently going through my 3rd miscarriage.
On July 2nd, I was overjoyed to find out I was expecting. I spent most of July and August nauseous, tired, and completely drained. I was hardly able to do any of the things that I had wanted to do: gardening (I've kept up on the garden but didn't do nearly as much as I had hoped to), canning, making jam, etc. I put off my OB appointment for awhile, and from time to time wondered why I didn't feel quite as nauseous as I normally do. I wondered if maybe something wasn't quite right, but kept pushing it to the back of my mind and telling myself not to worry about it. In fact, that's why I put my appointment off for so long, because I was afraid of bad news.
Last Wednesday evening, I went to the bathroom and noticed a little bleeding. I hoped it was nothing, and was grateful that I had an appointment and ultrasound the next day. Looking back, I am glad that I had the warning of the spotting the night before, because it mentally prepared me for the possibility of bad news the next day. The next morning, at what should have been 11.5 weeks pregnant, I had an ultrasound. I could tell immediately by the quietness and the face of my doctor that all was not well. Unfortunately, the baby had never hardly developed. There was basically just a big blob on the screen, and no heartbeat. With my last pregnancy, I had gone in at 10 weeks pregnant and seen an obvious squirming little baby on the screen, so I knew this was not okay. I started to cry, and the doctor and nurse were so kind and sympathetic. As you can imagine, this was very hard news for me to accept. All my dreams of that little baby suddenly were squashed. The baby was not there. There would be no little precious life being born in the spring. My teenage daughter texted me soon after to check on things, as I had confided in her that I was spotting and that there was a chance of bad news. I was thankful for texting because I was crying so hard I couldn't talk. I told her the news and asked her to pass it on to Daddy and her brother and sister. It was very hard.
I was given three choices: wait and let my body miscarry naturally, take a drug called Cytotec to induce miscarriage, or schedule a D and C. I opted to wait it out, but was told if it didn't happen within a week, I needed to choose one of the other 2 options. After a lot of research, praying, and talking with my husband, we decided to go with the D and C if my body didn't do it on its own.
God is good, and in His way that only He can do, He allowed me to grieve the loss very quickly. I cried for a day, and woke up the next morning totally fine. I grieved that fast. He has helped me to focus on the positive, which are many, many things, the biggest being that I do have four beautiful, healthy children. I am so grateful for that! The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
I have been praying hard, begging God to cause my body to miscarry naturally. I was thrilled (I know that sounds a bit backward) to wake up this morning to a little bleeding and cramping. It looks like I may do this on my own after all! It is very slow going though, so I am praying the pace picks up a little.
So that's what is currently going on with me. I haven't blogged much this summer due to the pregnancy. I appreciate your prayers for quick physical healing!
On July 2nd, I was overjoyed to find out I was expecting. I spent most of July and August nauseous, tired, and completely drained. I was hardly able to do any of the things that I had wanted to do: gardening (I've kept up on the garden but didn't do nearly as much as I had hoped to), canning, making jam, etc. I put off my OB appointment for awhile, and from time to time wondered why I didn't feel quite as nauseous as I normally do. I wondered if maybe something wasn't quite right, but kept pushing it to the back of my mind and telling myself not to worry about it. In fact, that's why I put my appointment off for so long, because I was afraid of bad news.
Last Wednesday evening, I went to the bathroom and noticed a little bleeding. I hoped it was nothing, and was grateful that I had an appointment and ultrasound the next day. Looking back, I am glad that I had the warning of the spotting the night before, because it mentally prepared me for the possibility of bad news the next day. The next morning, at what should have been 11.5 weeks pregnant, I had an ultrasound. I could tell immediately by the quietness and the face of my doctor that all was not well. Unfortunately, the baby had never hardly developed. There was basically just a big blob on the screen, and no heartbeat. With my last pregnancy, I had gone in at 10 weeks pregnant and seen an obvious squirming little baby on the screen, so I knew this was not okay. I started to cry, and the doctor and nurse were so kind and sympathetic. As you can imagine, this was very hard news for me to accept. All my dreams of that little baby suddenly were squashed. The baby was not there. There would be no little precious life being born in the spring. My teenage daughter texted me soon after to check on things, as I had confided in her that I was spotting and that there was a chance of bad news. I was thankful for texting because I was crying so hard I couldn't talk. I told her the news and asked her to pass it on to Daddy and her brother and sister. It was very hard.
I was given three choices: wait and let my body miscarry naturally, take a drug called Cytotec to induce miscarriage, or schedule a D and C. I opted to wait it out, but was told if it didn't happen within a week, I needed to choose one of the other 2 options. After a lot of research, praying, and talking with my husband, we decided to go with the D and C if my body didn't do it on its own.
God is good, and in His way that only He can do, He allowed me to grieve the loss very quickly. I cried for a day, and woke up the next morning totally fine. I grieved that fast. He has helped me to focus on the positive, which are many, many things, the biggest being that I do have four beautiful, healthy children. I am so grateful for that! The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
I have been praying hard, begging God to cause my body to miscarry naturally. I was thrilled (I know that sounds a bit backward) to wake up this morning to a little bleeding and cramping. It looks like I may do this on my own after all! It is very slow going though, so I am praying the pace picks up a little.
So that's what is currently going on with me. I haven't blogged much this summer due to the pregnancy. I appreciate your prayers for quick physical healing!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Our Homeschool Curriculum 2011-2012
I'd like to share what we're doing for homeschooling this year! I'll do it one child at a time each day, starting with the oldest.
Andrew is 16. He is basically doing 11th/12th grade simultaneously this year. He's been working really hard to complete 4 years of high school in 3 years. That is one of the joys of homeschooling--being able to do that. So if his list looks LONG....that is why!
Bible--Switched on Schoolhouse: 12th grade Christian Faith and Living, Vision Forum's "Defending the Christian Worldview", the book "In His Steps"
Algebra--Teaching Textbooks (math is not his strong suit, and we are not making a big deal about it. The line of work he is going into does not require high levels of math.)
Language Arts--online writing classes through Time4writing.com. He'll take Essay Writing, and then Essay Writing for the SAT. Wordly Wise 11 and 12 for Vocabulary.
History--Truthquest History Age of Revolution III
American Government (1st semester)--Alpha Omega Lifepacs
Economics (2nd semester)--Alpha Omega Lifepacs, "What Ever Happened to Penny Candy?"
Spanish--Rosetta Stone online: he has half of Spanish 2 to finish (he would have finished this summer but we ended up with computer issues), then he'll go onto Spanish 3 and 4.
Flash Animation: online class
Biology: Alpha Omega Switched on Schoolhouse: He has the second half of this to finish.
Health: Abeka
That's it for Andrew! He's excited to finish up. We're going to do a graduation ceremony through our local homeschool organization. He's excited to go to the local college and get into radio broadcasting.
I'll share more tomorrow....
Andrew is 16. He is basically doing 11th/12th grade simultaneously this year. He's been working really hard to complete 4 years of high school in 3 years. That is one of the joys of homeschooling--being able to do that. So if his list looks LONG....that is why!
Bible--Switched on Schoolhouse: 12th grade Christian Faith and Living, Vision Forum's "Defending the Christian Worldview", the book "In His Steps"
Algebra--Teaching Textbooks (math is not his strong suit, and we are not making a big deal about it. The line of work he is going into does not require high levels of math.)
Language Arts--online writing classes through Time4writing.com. He'll take Essay Writing, and then Essay Writing for the SAT. Wordly Wise 11 and 12 for Vocabulary.
History--Truthquest History Age of Revolution III
American Government (1st semester)--Alpha Omega Lifepacs
Economics (2nd semester)--Alpha Omega Lifepacs, "What Ever Happened to Penny Candy?"
Spanish--Rosetta Stone online: he has half of Spanish 2 to finish (he would have finished this summer but we ended up with computer issues), then he'll go onto Spanish 3 and 4.
Flash Animation: online class
Biology: Alpha Omega Switched on Schoolhouse: He has the second half of this to finish.
Health: Abeka
That's it for Andrew! He's excited to finish up. We're going to do a graduation ceremony through our local homeschool organization. He's excited to go to the local college and get into radio broadcasting.
I'll share more tomorrow....
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Should Moms "Follow Their Dreams"?
I ran across an article recently that didn't totally sit well with me, and it really got me thinking. The article was about a homeschool mom being able to "follow her dreams" even while she homeschools. Well, what do you think? Should a wife/mother/homeschool mom "follow her dreams"....or not?
I say NOT. I know, my blog is always spoiling all the fun, huh? But a woman's dream is most likely just that: HER dream., not necessarily God's. It is something that will divert her focus off of God's calling for women, which is to be a helpmeet to her husband, a keeper of the home, and a nurturer and trainer of children. These three things make a woman's plate very, very full! Add on homeschooling, and we've got an overflowing plate! If God has called women to these things, then why would he call them elsewhere, away from there?
We are called as Christians to walk as Jesus walked. This means we are to LAY DOWN our lives for others. Does this mean you may have to lay down a dream you have? It just might! If you have dreams and ambitions for your life that are outside the sphere of caring for your home and family, I greatly encourage you to take these to the Lord. Ask Him to take away the desire if they are not of Him. It may be that the desire will be totally taken away, or it may be that they are for a later time in your life when your kids are grown up. But please, lay these down before the Lord. This is the way we are called to live. Not pursuing our dreams, desires, and passions, but laying these down and seeking the Lord for what His desires are. Then His desires will become OUR desires.
"But God has called me to this," you may say. "God has called me to be a teacher," "God has called me to work outside the home,"...has He really? Are you sure? God will never go against His own Word. Please be SURE. Study His word very, very carefully.
I am speaking from experience here! Several years ago, I had a desire renewed in me to be on stage. I love to sing, act, and dance, and have been told by many that I have talent. I have also been encouraged by some well meaning people that I need to be pursuing these gifts that God has given me. Well, I did pursue them for awhile. But everything I did took me away from my calling to my family. As I pursued MY dreams, I found my focus greatly changing. I became very self-focused, and actually started resenting my family because I felt that they were keeping me from my dream. My husband could see what was happening, and told me that I needed to lay down my desires and focus back on my family. I became angry at him for "keeping me from chasing my dreams". Do you see my point here? They were MY dreams! Not God's! God's desire for me is to focus on my husband and children and home. Thankfully, I eventually became flustered with my continuous unfulfilled desire to be on stage. A couple of times I had solos in a show, and ended up giving them up because the stress of it (I'm very hard on myself!) was too much for my family. So I ended up praying that if this was not God's will for me, that He would take away the desire. I prayed this believing that the desire would never go away, because I couldn't imagine it being gone! But it did go away! I can tell you right now, I no longer have any desire for this. I still love to sing, but I use my voice now to sing to my children.
Well, that is just my two cents for today. Have a blessed day, and I welcome your comments!
I say NOT. I know, my blog is always spoiling all the fun, huh? But a woman's dream is most likely just that: HER dream., not necessarily God's. It is something that will divert her focus off of God's calling for women, which is to be a helpmeet to her husband, a keeper of the home, and a nurturer and trainer of children. These three things make a woman's plate very, very full! Add on homeschooling, and we've got an overflowing plate! If God has called women to these things, then why would he call them elsewhere, away from there?
We are called as Christians to walk as Jesus walked. This means we are to LAY DOWN our lives for others. Does this mean you may have to lay down a dream you have? It just might! If you have dreams and ambitions for your life that are outside the sphere of caring for your home and family, I greatly encourage you to take these to the Lord. Ask Him to take away the desire if they are not of Him. It may be that the desire will be totally taken away, or it may be that they are for a later time in your life when your kids are grown up. But please, lay these down before the Lord. This is the way we are called to live. Not pursuing our dreams, desires, and passions, but laying these down and seeking the Lord for what His desires are. Then His desires will become OUR desires.
"But God has called me to this," you may say. "God has called me to be a teacher," "God has called me to work outside the home,"...has He really? Are you sure? God will never go against His own Word. Please be SURE. Study His word very, very carefully.
I am speaking from experience here! Several years ago, I had a desire renewed in me to be on stage. I love to sing, act, and dance, and have been told by many that I have talent. I have also been encouraged by some well meaning people that I need to be pursuing these gifts that God has given me. Well, I did pursue them for awhile. But everything I did took me away from my calling to my family. As I pursued MY dreams, I found my focus greatly changing. I became very self-focused, and actually started resenting my family because I felt that they were keeping me from my dream. My husband could see what was happening, and told me that I needed to lay down my desires and focus back on my family. I became angry at him for "keeping me from chasing my dreams". Do you see my point here? They were MY dreams! Not God's! God's desire for me is to focus on my husband and children and home. Thankfully, I eventually became flustered with my continuous unfulfilled desire to be on stage. A couple of times I had solos in a show, and ended up giving them up because the stress of it (I'm very hard on myself!) was too much for my family. So I ended up praying that if this was not God's will for me, that He would take away the desire. I prayed this believing that the desire would never go away, because I couldn't imagine it being gone! But it did go away! I can tell you right now, I no longer have any desire for this. I still love to sing, but I use my voice now to sing to my children.
Well, that is just my two cents for today. Have a blessed day, and I welcome your comments!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Some Wise Words from Our Lord
"Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." Luke 12:15 NASB
"Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33 ESV
"Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33 ESV
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
I'm Still Here....
Hello everyone! I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I'm still here...just a lot going on. I promise I will get back into blogging soon. There are some things going on that I am not ready to share yet, but eventually I will.
For now, life has been busy with children, gardening, and planning for the fall. I've been working on getting my orders together for school curriculum, and I will be placing them in the next couple of days. I am pleased that my oldest son has taken quite an interest in playing guitar, and he's been working hard on teaching himself to play. My oldest daughter will be taking on learning the flute, and my youngest daughter will continue with piano. This is the first time that my children have all really shown an interest in learning music, and I'm very happy about this!
The garden is growing well. It will be awhile before we can harvest anything because the weather has been so horribly cooperative around here. But I am so very thankful to have a nice big garden this year! I was having some problems with slugs eating my pumpkin plants, but my beer trap has worked very well and I've caught many slugs. HA!!
Just letting you know that I am still here! May God bless all of you and your families.
For now, life has been busy with children, gardening, and planning for the fall. I've been working on getting my orders together for school curriculum, and I will be placing them in the next couple of days. I am pleased that my oldest son has taken quite an interest in playing guitar, and he's been working hard on teaching himself to play. My oldest daughter will be taking on learning the flute, and my youngest daughter will continue with piano. This is the first time that my children have all really shown an interest in learning music, and I'm very happy about this!
The garden is growing well. It will be awhile before we can harvest anything because the weather has been so horribly cooperative around here. But I am so very thankful to have a nice big garden this year! I was having some problems with slugs eating my pumpkin plants, but my beer trap has worked very well and I've caught many slugs. HA!!
Just letting you know that I am still here! May God bless all of you and your families.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday's Dinner
I wanted to share what I made for dinner on Tuesday, as it is cheap, fast, simple, nutritious, and tastes good!
First of all, I made a pot of chili. I use the same basic recipe everytime, but sometimes I tweak it a little. I usually brown a pound and a half of ground beef or turkey; this time I had some leftover beef from the roast I cooked on Sunday. I chopped it up and put it in the pot. Then I added: 2 cans tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can corn, 2 cans beans (this time I use 1 kidney beans and 1 black beans) that are drained and rinsed. Then I chopped up half an onion and half a bell pepper, and sauteed them in olive oil until tender, then added them to the chili. Next I added: 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, 3 cloves minced garlic. I normally let this simmer in the crockpot all day, however today I put it on the stove for a few hours, as I got started late. An hour before it was time for dinner, I put potatoes in the oven to bake. Then I prepared a salad. I got a great idea from Crystal at Homemaking on the Homestead about a great way to make salad. This way, everyone can put what they want in a salad, so more people will eat it. Often times, there is one ingredient that someone doesn't like, so they don't eat salad at all!
Well, that's it. I know a lot of women are looking for frugal dinners to make these days. Throw in tasty, simple, and nutritious, and you've got a winner!
God bless!
First of all, I made a pot of chili. I use the same basic recipe everytime, but sometimes I tweak it a little. I usually brown a pound and a half of ground beef or turkey; this time I had some leftover beef from the roast I cooked on Sunday. I chopped it up and put it in the pot. Then I added: 2 cans tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can corn, 2 cans beans (this time I use 1 kidney beans and 1 black beans) that are drained and rinsed. Then I chopped up half an onion and half a bell pepper, and sauteed them in olive oil until tender, then added them to the chili. Next I added: 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, 3 cloves minced garlic. I normally let this simmer in the crockpot all day, however today I put it on the stove for a few hours, as I got started late. An hour before it was time for dinner, I put potatoes in the oven to bake. Then I prepared a salad. I got a great idea from Crystal at Homemaking on the Homestead about a great way to make salad. This way, everyone can put what they want in a salad, so more people will eat it. Often times, there is one ingredient that someone doesn't like, so they don't eat salad at all!
Well, that's it. I know a lot of women are looking for frugal dinners to make these days. Throw in tasty, simple, and nutritious, and you've got a winner!
God bless!
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