Love

My hubby and kids love surfing. Well most of the kids love it...BUT each time my man goes out surfing he drops to his knee and offers up prayers of thanksgiving and protection. Our kids have joined him in this--and my nephews too! This sight warms my heart. Enjoy!

Happy Memorial Day!!!

I think it is sad how in today's world Memorial Day is simply about bbq's and the start of summer vacations. There is SO much more to it.

A quick history lesson for you....
Memorial Day History:

When was Memorial Day first celebrated?

Memorial day was first celebrated on May 30, 1868. It was observed by placing flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers during the first national celebration. Gen. James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which around 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.

Why is Memorial Day celebrated on May 30?

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. This date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

I love history and learning more of the "whys" to what we celebrate. My daddy served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years and I am incredibly grateful for his service. My brother served in the U.S. Army and I still have many friends serving in our armed forces. My thankfulness and gratitude goes out to those currently serving and those who have served in our armed forces. Take some time this weekend and thank a veteran.

GOD BLESS THE USA!!!!!!

Choosing Curriculum Creates Craziness

ACK!!!  It's that time of year and I want to pull my hair out.  I really think pulling it out one strand at a time would create less of a headache than trying to figure out what to use next year for my kiddos.  I am confident *think* I might have some things figured out.  Maybe.  Possibly.  Or not.  

My mind is all jumbled up.  I keep trying to write coherently and all I can think of is: Apologia, Paths of Exploration, Notgrass, Real Science 4 Kids, Christian Light Publications, Saxon Math....and it continues. Then, once I "decide" on something I have to go to the all knowing guru, Cathy Duffy, and see what she has to say about my choice.  What am I doing to myself?!  Just when I think I've found what I want I see or hear of something else that might work too.  I need to remember, K.I.S.S....Keep it simple Stupid.  :)  

I want next year to be our best yet.  I want my kids to enjoy school.  I want to make a schedule and stick to it.  I want to find a co-op that I can reasonably pull off---financially, time commitments, and age ranges of my babies.  (Will I ever stop referring to them as my babies?  Probably not.)  

Right now I want a dinner fairy to come and cook for me and my family tonight, but since that is unlikely I guess I need to run.  :)  What curriculum issues are ailing you?

BTW, I can't add the promised picture until I delete stuff from my hard drive.  Apparently my hard drive is full.....

Finding joy in the small things

This economy has hit just about everyone I know.  And it's a little more difficult when it hits your own checkbook, right?  We have definitely been in better financial times, but even so we are making things work and finding ways to be creative.  The past several days I have been *extremely* down when it comes to where things stand for us.  I've doubted God's hand in our finances and other things---which I know is not the right place to be in.

This morning I was talking to my SIL when the phone beeped with a call from "Verizon" I answered and it was a recording telling me that we have been getting overcharged and within the next 2-3 billing cycles we should see a credit on our account.  I have no clue how much this credit will be, but I'm so thankful.  The call could not have come in at a better time.  It lifted my spirits and reminded me that God is in control even when I don't "see" it.  I needed that.

Yesterday He used my girlfriend, Sarah and her husband.  I got a package in the mail and it was a beautiful plaque that Chad had made with his CNC machine of all of our names.  It is beautiful and will forever be cherished.  (I'll post a picture tomorrow)

How blessed I am to have a God, family, and friends that love me and are always here for me.  How has God shown Himself to you in your life lately?

A Hundred More Years

I know not everyone loves Francesca Batistelli like I do, but this video and song *might* change your mind a little.  It is just a sweet song and I had the privilege of seeing her in concert in October of 2011 at the Extraordinary Women Conference in Lynchburg, VA.  She was amazing!  :)  Enjoy---l

So.....what did you think????

I love you Grandpa.

I have so much to say but not enough time.  This past week has been a very trying week.  We've had a lot going on with day to day family stuff and little additional stressors here and there.  But last Tuesday my grandpa was put into hospice care.  My dad flew out to Nebraska and was able to spend his last days with him.  Grandpa left this earthly world on Monday December 5th.  I am so thankful that I will be able to see him again, but it is still hard.  I hadn't seen him in years and I had not made as much of an effort on my part to build our relationship.  I had never taken my kids to Nebraska to meet him either.  It sucks.  I've dealt with a lot of guilt over the past week.  I am happy that he isn't in pain anymore.

That helps.

I love you Grandpa.  Forever and always.

I love Fall

I love the crisp mornings of Fall.  I love the beautiful reds, oranges, yellows, and browns of Fall.  I love the crisp smell in the air.  I love waking early in the morning, sitting outside with my coffee and smelling fireplaces warming homes.  I love the kids playing in leaves.  I love sitting in our hot tub in the evenings and allowing the hot water to soothe my day's frustrations away.  I love the smell of apple cider, pumpkin muffins, chili, and corn bread on any given day.

I love snuggles with my babies after they have woken up or played outside and need to get warm.  I love having coffee (decaf) in the cool evenings with my 7 year old and listening to him share his heart.  I love seeing my mums in bloom in my flower beds.  I do not love seeing only half of my mums because the other half has been defeated by a runaway basketball.  I love watching football games---even if my Colts aren't doing too hot this season.  I love throwing a football around with my boys and watching my kids play games of basketball in the driveway.  I love watching the beautiful Egrets and the Blue Herons fly into the marsh and fish for their breakfast.  

I love seeing that this list could last forever, but I must end it so that I can get ready for school and teach the ones I LOVE the most!  Have a fantastic day!

The Love & Respect Experience

I was very excited to get Dr. Emerson Eggerichs book, The Love & Respect Experience in the mail this past week.  It is a 52 week devotional.  The front of the book says, "A Husband-Friendly Devotional that Wives Truly Love" and I couldn't say it any better myself.  My husband and I have been talking about finding a devotional for the two of us and this really seems to fit what we have needed.  

The design of the book is to not make the husband or wife uncomfortable at all.  Dr. Eggerichs suggests reading a chapter a week.  In that week you are to meditate on it and allow God to speak to your heart.  In some cases it may be difficult to talk about much more and that's alright.  As you feel comfortable, you should share with your spouse---as a woman, I know I'll probably do more sharing than my husband.  

Some may look at a title such as The Love & Respect Experience and be turned off due to the name, but there is so much to learn from this book!  The Bible tells us that men are to love their wives and in return wives are to respect their husbands.  That has been lost in our culture today.  If a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the church then the wife *should* have no problem respecting her husband.


I know in our marriage, there are times when respecting my man is a little difficult, but in the end it's worth it.  There are so many great insights in this book and for couples that want to grow closer to the Lord and closer to one another then pick up this book!!!  And while you are at it, buy one for another couple.

This book was sent to me free of charge from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.

My babes

I've decided that as much as I love the banner picture of my babes, it's time to update it with a new one....Considering this pic is about 3 years old.  I can't believe that they are all so big now.  Where does the time go?  It seems like just yesterday they were running around my feet and we were starting our family.

When Brad and I got married, Haeley was 4, Jasmine was 3, and Gabe was 2!!!  Justin and Benjamin weren't even on the horizon.  And now, Haeley is 13, Jasmine is 12, Gabe is 11, Justin is 7, and Benjamin is 6!  As crazy as it may sound, I miss the days of diapers, bottles, middle of the night feedings, and cranky teething babes.  I miss the sweet feel of a babe sleeping on my chest.  I miss the times of simply staring into my baby's face and declaring my love for them.  Now, when I stare at their face they think I'm crazy and they leave before I'm able to profess my deep undying love for them.  :)  

But I love the conversations I get to have with my babes now.  I love Haeley and I talking and growing closer as Mom and daughter.  I love seeing their personalities blossom.  I love seeing them victorious over previous struggles.  I love their creativity and seeing them love on one another.  I love listening to them pray and seeing them learn more about the Lord.  I love seeing them not only learn about the Lord, but putting their faith in Him too.

It's a good life and I don't want to take my babes for granted for one more day.  I want to cherish each moment that I have with them.  The good moments and the ugly ones too.  

The Roller Coaster Begins Again

I think I've mentioned that Brad's job situation has not been great and he's been pursuing other options.  A couple of weeks ago we received a job offer.  Brad and I had discussed this job in length and he accepted the job.  Golly it was a hard decision.  But I know it was the right one and so much has been revealed to me in the past couple days that has further confirmed that it was definitely the right decision.

We closed on our house here January 29th of this past year.  It was quite the adventure us moving from IN to VA.  Brad was in VA and the kids and I were in IN until our house was ready to be put on the market.  The kids and I have been back in VA for about a year now.  We all moved in with Mom and Dad for about 3ish months until we closed on our house and were ready to move in.  We gutted the living room and kitchen and made it beautiful.  We took the carport and turned it into a great garage.  We replaced the wood around our hot tub and were able to get it up and running.

And now all of that will be for another family.  

Brad's new job is in Richmond.  He will be commuting for awhile and spending some of the time at my aunt's house.  I'm very thankful for Aunt E opening up her home and taking him in for this period of time.  In the meantime, we get to put a new roof on our house, put some new windows on and make the big decision---Do we rent or sell?

We love our house and selling would absolutely break our hearts, but we need to be together as a family.  And we need a down payment for another house.  So...here we go again.  Decisions that are hard, separations that are harder and circumstances that sometimes seem so insurmountable that it makes my head spin.  And yet through all of this, it doesn't take too much to cheer me up.  One of the very best cheer ups.......This:

Without a doubt this face, those little eyes, those arms that wrap so tightly around my neck, and that sweet little boy can cheer me up in an instant.  My babies will help me get through this time.  We will hold tightly to each other once more.  We will grow closer as a family and we will start over in a new place again.  

School minus my school room

This year has not been my traditional schooling year.  With having my nieces here I have to be a bit more scheduled and disciplined in my school day.  We stay in our schoolroom and every one is at there designated spot.  It is very much like your classroom setting.  This week I've had some sickies in my house and due to that we have not had school at my house.  I got my SIL set up with everything she needed and let her do all but Monday on her own.

As much as like having them over I really enjoyed just schooling my kids.  We did school in the living room---not our school room!!!  We stayed in our jammies.  We did school on the couch.  We didn't start until 10 some mornings--11 on others.  And Thursday we didn't do school at all!  I had a bunch of errands I had to get done and by the time I got home at 3:30 I was POOPED!  Today was so much fun.  Typically my girls are in a completely different room than we are and I have to run back and forth between everyone.  But today, we were all in the living room and dining room and I could see everyone without needing to go upstairs and through 2 other rooms to get to them.  

We sat on the couches and lounged around a bit, but we got our work done.  I loved our day.  I loved getting to sit around and not be confined to our schoolroom.  Next week we will go back to the day to day routine.  I pray that we are able to easily go back to the routine and that I am able to enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed my past week (minus the sickies).

A Funny for you

'Nuff Said.

But....I tried this on my children.  The older three responded and ran outside laughing.  Justin stood there staring at me like I was crazy.  He had on only underwear and didn't understand what a "Fire Drill" was all about.  I tried being serious and I said, "JUSTIN!  It's a FIRE DRILL!!!  You have to go outside RIGHT NOW!"  He looked down and said, "But I only have on underwear..?"  I said, "That's why you should always have on clothes, you never know when we will have to have a fire drill."  Then he realized I was just being silly and tried to actually run outside in his underwear.  

Kitty Kitty

This here is "Kitty Kitty".  She has adopted our house.  I think a can of tuna and a piece of bacon may have helped her come to the conclusion that she likes it here though.  :)  She is a sweet little thing.  The kids are in love and if I'm honest I like her quite a bit too.  She's been here since Friday and has shown no desire to leave.  She staked her claim Friday night when another cat came in the yard and she chased that cat away.  Last night Brad and I went to the store and she was perched on the roof of the garage.  From what I can tell, she's not going anywhere.  Every morning she is at the back door or in one of the windows crying.  

This morning she was crying at the door in the rain.  It was pitiful.  Brad told me to call the Humane Society and see what they charge to have her spayed.  ;-)  Tomorrow she has an appointment at the vet at Petsmart so that we can have her checked out before investing a ton of money in her.  She really is the sweetest thing.  AND, where I initially thought Gabe was allergic to her, that doesn't seem to be the case. I guess that's a good thing, right??  So...I need some help.  "Kitty Kitty" needs a better name.  Everyone throw me some names so we can make a decision!!  :)

Stop and smell the Roses

The past couple weeks have been CRAZY!  It's been a good crazy, but crazy nonetheless.  :)  Monday I had my 5 kiddos and my 2 nieces to homeschool by my lonesome.  Usually my SIL is here and she is a lifesaver because she's pretty much taken over the 2nd grade.  But Monday she was in Roanoke with our MIL.  And if you know anything about it me you know that I don't let seemingly impossible tasks keep me down.  That's how I found myself going ahead and starting school at 8:30 Monday morning.

By about 10ish I was ready to pull my hair out.  It was all me and everyone needed me at the same time.  I gave everyone something to do and decided to take a little breather.  As I was walking around my house I saw one single solitary rose on our rose bush.  I went over and inhaled the most beautiful scent I think I ever have in my life.  I was instantly calmed downed and refreshed.

I look at how many times I run, run, run and do not take the time to stop and "smell the roses".  How often I ignore the beauty that God has placed right before me.  He knows the little things that help me get through the tough times and He lovingly places them before me and waits to see if I'm paying enough attention to Him.  I know I have a terrible habit of trying to do it all on my own without going to Him to help me through it.

E-Women Lynchburg

This past weekend, Melissa and I had our much awaited Women's Conference.  We drove to Roanoke to visit with our MIL a little before we headed back out to the conference.  I've been to Beth Moore Conferences before and the Indiana SBCV has put on several conferences and I was expecting something like one of those.  That was *not* what I experienced at this conference.

The theme this year is Everlasting Hope and this year's verses were taken from Isaiah 40:28-31.  "Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble fall; but those who HOPE IN THE LORD WILL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH.  THEY WILL SOAR ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES; THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY, THEY WILL WALK AND NOT BE FAINT."  (Pardon the caps, but those parts really spoke to me.)

We had speakers and music that put this tender heart through the wringer.  :)  We had stories of complete tragedy and then the hope in the Lord that brought healing.  Julie Clinton was the conference host.  Our speakers were: Carol Kent, Lysa TerKeurst, Donna VanLiere, Jennifer Rothschild, and Sarah Palin.  Each of this women has had something/s tragic happen in their life that has made them sit back and evaluate where their Faith lies.  Carol Kent talked to us about James 1:2 (which is one of my all time favorite verses) and gave me quite a bit to think about.  Gosh, I wish I could get into what all of these speakers said, but it would take forever.  :)

I'll try over the next couple weeks to share what each of them shared that made me think.  :) :)  I think the biggest thing that I left the conference with was knowing that I have not been putting the Lord first in my life.  I've gotten upset and irritated with the way things are going in my life and I have allowed myself to distance myself from my personal walk.  I still go to church, and sing songs of worship...but I've not wanted to really talk with Him because I'm mad.  Mad might be too strong of a word.  I think the better word is heartbroken.  I'm heartbroken because of where it looks like our lives are headed.  (More on that later.)

Please join us in prayer that in this season of our life that we would allow the Lord to be glorified.  And please pray that I would desire to seek the Lord daily.  Thanks.

Family Visitors

We've had another busy week, but it has been wonderful!

My sis-in-law, Erin, and my two nephews, Joshua and Daniel are here visiting.  It was a surprise for Momma.  She didn't know that they were coming and we pulled it off beautifully.  She was surprised and really stunned.

Joshua and Daniel have warmed up to me and I have been in heaven having them here with me.  Tomorrow they will be going to my Momma's for a couple days.  I will miss them so much.  This has been such an amazing time.  Joshua is 3 and I had not met him until this past Thursday.  And Daniel is 10 months so this too has been my first tim with them.  Joshua is all boy!  He has killed me no less than 100 times over the past couple days with his guns.  Then he has a special gun that pulls the bullet back out.  However, he doesn't always use that gun---sometimes I'm left to just lay there on the floor waiting.  Then he erupts into a fit of giggles.

Daniel is one of the happiest babies I have ever had the pleasure of being around.  He truly only cries when he is tired, hungry, or needing a diaper change.  He loves his Momma and playing the back and forth game.  He doesn't crawl as much as he does a scooty-crawl like thing across the floor.  And this baby EATS!  He and Joshua both love Salt & Vinegar chips.  If Daniel sees them he will fuss until he gets to have one.  I love it.

I am so thankful and blessed for the time that Erin and I have had together.  She is a wonderful Mommy and she loves my brother so much.  And, my brother, he adores his wife.  I know that he is not here, but he calls her constantly because he misses her.  He loves his kids and his wife.  He's a good Daddy and husband.  For that I am soo thankful.  Erin and I have really gotten to know each other a bit better and I am enjoying her company.  We stayed up until 2 AM last night.  We were both DRAGGING this morning, but I think it was worth it.  I'll get some pictures up here soon, but for now I'm going to bed!

G'nite!

Visit with Sarah

This past weekend and the early part of the week one of my dearest friends came out to visit. I've mentioned Sarah before and there are really no words to explain just how special she is to me and my family! I didn't tell the boys that they were coming. All the boys knew was that we were going to have a guest of sorts. They didn't know how many or anything!! Chad had a conference in Virginia Beach and they came a couple days early. I cherish the time that we were able to spend together. Things didn't go exactly as planned, but we made it work. Tuesday we were going to go down to the beach and visit them in the hotel and we were going to swim there also. That morning we awoke to find that our power company had taken more out of our account than they were supposed to and we were left with next to nothing in the bank. I spent the morning trying to get our finances squared away and by 12:30 we still hadn't left. I grabbed the kids and we ran to the the bank where I pleaded my case. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to take care of everything as needed but I knew I needed to try. Thankfully we were able to get money from another account transferred to our local account and that is all well and good now. In the process of all this, I didn't think to grab the kids swimsuits and towels. I didn't want to waste anymore time---I just wanted to get the beach to see Sarah and the boys. I knew my kids would be perfectly content to play in the sand and wether or not they got to go in the water was not as important. The hotel was beautiful and the pools inside were amazing!!! After going through I was glad had forgotten our suits and towels because it just wouldn't have been right. There was a sign posted next to the pool that said, "For registered hotel guests only". We were not a registered guest. And I know it may sound silly, but I don't want to show my kids it's okay to break the rules just to have fun. We were able to talk about that on the way home too---after seeing the pools they were disappointed that we didn't bring our suits, but they understood. For that I am thankful!

 

Happy 9th Anniversary

It's that time of year again. The time I get to be all sappy and tell about how much I love my husband. :) Sometimes I still can't believe that we have actually been married for 9 years. I know I've said it before, but Brad is such a tremendous blessing to me. Even though my initial plans for the night were changed around Brad and I still managed to have a good evening. I made dinner for he and I and we ate it in somewhat of the candlelight. :) After we got the kiddos to bed we went out for some time in the hot tub. The mosquitos were AWFUL and I spent most of my time trying to hide from them. We had a nice 2-3 minute downpour and that helped cool the evening off some. More than anything, I truly enjoyed spending time with my man. I love the time we get to spend together and the wife that I have grown into over the past 9 years. Nine years ago I remember being so excited to finally be Mrs. Smith! I remember the first couple days feeling so nervous and anxious. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to be the wife and mother that I had just pledged to be. Here we are 9 years later and somedays I'm still not sure if I will be able to be that wife and mother---but I'm trying my best and having fun with it all the same. I am incredibly blessed with my life. It's been 9 years and I can't wait to see what the next 9 and more bring! Like I told Brad, having him by my side is all I'll need.

Ramblings from Pity Party Central

:WARNING: Pity Party begins now. It's been quite a while since I have posted and I'm not sure exactly why. Wait, I take that back. I am sure why. School has started, I'm homeschooling my 5 kids and my 2 nieces. We are under so much stress right now. Brad's job is not too stellar right now and that has put a lot on us. There is the possibility of another move. I know...really? Another??? We have not even been in our house a year and I HATE to think that we may have to move. I hate it. BUT it's the reality right now. I finally sat down with the kids and told them. I wanted them to have time to get used to the idea instead of "Hey guys, guess what?! We are moving AGAIN!!!!" They took the possibility very well. I'm proud of them. I explained that moving is not what Brad and I want but it may be what is necessary. Ouch. It hurts just to type that out. This afternoon I have felt slightly depressed. And I know the many reasons for that one... One of my closest and dearest friends and her family came out for a visit. Sarah's husband has a conference in Virginia Beach and they came early so we could all have a visit. My heart has just soared the past couple days having them all here. Sarah and I stayed up WAY too late Saturday night talking about everything under the sun. We talked about our kiddos, homeschooling, our husbands (good stuff there), and the way we have been able to see the Lord working in our lives. I so enjoyed our short time we've had so far. We watched the Colts and Steelers game last night and loved seeing the Colts rally enough to almost win the game. They left for VA Beach this afternoon and then I was left alone with my thoughts. Well, not quite alone...I've got five kids here...but you know what I mean. I was able to think for a little while and it's got me in a bit of a funky place. My desire is to be in the will of the Lord. I desire to follow Him and His plan for my life. I desire for my kids to see me live my life for the Lord. I do not desire to move. But I will try and desire that if we feel that is where the Lord is leading us. Even as I type this out I just want to cry. I'm so tired. My mind is weary from worrying about what lies ahead. I do not want to move away from our family. My heart grieves when I think of that. I do not want to move away from our church. I have come to love and adore our church. But one thing I have noticed---I have not jumped in and gotten involved like I thought I would have by now. I have been keeping to myself a bit more than usual and I've been reluctant to let myself get too attached. I want to. I want to get involved and sing in the choir. I love singing and I miss it. And I want a puppy. Brad's not on board with us getting a puppy right now. I understand with everything that is going on he doesn't want to add that to the list. I think I miss having a baby in the house and I want something small to nurture, love on, and cuddle with. My boys don't just come and cuddle with me anymore. If they do it's typically because they want something. ;-) I'm just a jumble of emotions. I think it's time to make a cup of coffee, turn up the Praise music and try and get myself out of this funk. Thanks for listening/reading my pitifulness! :) ...........and in all this, I almost forgot my anniversary is in 2 days!

Surfing Babies

The kids have been dying to learn to surf for the longest time. Since we've moved back to VA they have been BEGGING Brad to teach them. I have a little of an ulterior motive to this though---Learning to surf=P.E. YAY! We can count all of our surfing days as school days. Okay, so really---I won't count them, but it is a little on the tempting side. :D

Last Saturday we had a bit of a leisurely morning until Brad said, "The surf is up! Let's take the kids!" And the whirlwind of preparations began. We got the kids ready only to discover that Jasmine's bathing suit was MIA. After everyone else was ready, Brad dropped Jasmine and I off at Kohls while he and the rest of the kiddos went and grabbed lunch. Jas and I were in Kohls and done within 15 minutes. I found her two tops and a pair of shorts and a new top for me!

Then it was onto Sandbridge beach where the real fun began. To say that the kids had a blast would be a bit of an understatement. They were thrilled. And they did wonderfully. Justin has no fear to begin with and this was in his element. Brad got him ready to go and out they went. Justin would ride a wave in and then jump back on the board and paddle out to Brad. He did this just about all day. We had 3 boards and for the most part there was someone on a board at all times. Justin got up on both feet, but never let go of the board. Jasmine got up on both feet and tried standing before she bit the dust. Haeley also got up on both feet but bit the dust before she could actually stand. Gabe tried a couple of times to stand, but he preferred to just get used to riding the waves in on his belly. Benjamin tried one time and the wave worked him over good. After that he was done with surfing---for now at least.

I even went out and tried my hand at it again. I need to work on my upper body strength before I will be successful at all. I took almost 400 pictures, but I will not subject you to all of them. Here is a sampling of my babies and their first time surfing.