Let 'em have it! Only wish he would do that in the USA

Mercy...

WOOOO HOOOOO! Look at that good looking couple!!!!

This past weekend Mike and I celebrated our 24 year anniversary. It's very seldom that we get to really spend any time alone so Mike planned a get away for us, WITHOUT KIDS!!! Mike was 22 years old and I was 19 the day we got married! 19 years old!!!! We were out of our minds!!! We have literally grown up together. We've seen each other at our worst and at our best.

I can't imagine not ever having him around. His corny sense of humor, the way he irritates me, how he gags himself when he brushes his teeth! LOL!!

You know, all of those endearing qualities!!

Then a day before our 2 year anniversary, our first baby was born. This weekend, he turned 22. My baby is 22 years old!!! This is probably the most precious picture we have of Michael. He has turned out to be a good, Godly, young man. He's grown so much. 

I look at him and think, your Dad was your age when we were married. That blows me away!

Now Michael's going to college, working and becoming a really good man! 

I pray that God sends him someone extremely special!

Homeschool Co Op-Apologia General Science

 

 Our little Co Op has begun for the year. The older kids are studying Apologia General Science and the younger ones are going through the Apologia Anatomy. These are pictures from the experiments the kids performed during the first week.  Above is Amanda writing down her analysis of one of the experiments.

 

The jar on the left contains hot water, the one on the right holds cold water. This experiment showed that atoms are always moving even though the water is still. See how fast the food coloring mixes with the hot water? 

 The picture above and below shows you about chemical reactions. I mixed them up when I uploaded them but boil a red cabbage leaf and save the water. Pour vinegar into a coke bottle, remember, vinegar is clear, right?

 Pour the water(which is blue) from the cabbage leaf in with the vinegar. Look, it turns pink!!! Then add baking soda into a balloon. Place the balloon onto the coke bottle and empty baking soda into vinegar mixture.  And VIOLA!! the chemical reaction forms a gas that blows up the balloon.

This was probably the coolest experiment they did!!! It showed the density of substances. First, pour vegetable oil into a clear glass about 1/4 of the way. Then pour the same amount of water. After that pour the same amount of corn syrup into the glass with the other liquids.  Now remember, how the liquids were poured in? Look at the picture. The corn syrup is now on the bottom, water in the middle and the vegetable on top!!!!!

Mason, my nephew conducted this experiment. He's really into Science but he's learned it from a non-christian point of view. He then dropped a rock in the glass that went straight to the bottom. A grape that landed on the "shelf" between the corn syrup and water. Lastly, he threw in a cork and piece of ice which stayed in the vegetable oil.

I honestly think the moms were more impressed with all of the experiments!! LOL!!
If you haven't checked into Apologia Science you really need to!!! I didn't realize how involved the church was in science until the "Enlightenment" and Industrial Revolution.

Seriously,  check into Apologia. I wish I had Science classes like this when I was in school. 

Night on the town

 

Last night Mike and I took Amanda and her friend, Lauren out for a treat. Above are friends from church that we meet out at the Superpages Center in Fair Park. Fair Park is in Dallas. That's where the Texas State Fair is held each Sept.-Oct. The lovely young ladies you see here are: Samantha, Lauren, Amanda, Emily and Jordan.

 

See, can't you tell that Dad is having a GREAT time! He's trying to listen to the Dallas Cowboy game. It's the season opener and they're playing the Washington Redskins. What a night to treat the girls to a night out, right?

 

If you haven't figured it out yet, we took the girls to see the Jonas Brothers! Above is the one that ALL of the girls think is cute, Nick. They actually put on a pretty good show. It was the whole Camp Rock 2 tour, which was suppose to be in July but due to adding and canceling shows the Dallas one was moved to September. 

I realized last night, that I have failed my daughter. For some reason, I have never taught her how to act at a concert. She and Lauren pretty much stood on the seats, sang and watched in amazement. Somewhere along the way I never told her your suppose to scream and go nuts!

Although, we did see plenty of that! Mike said he had never witnessed "female testosterone" unleashed like that. According to him, he was scared! LOL!! Every little girl, tween and teen girl from Texas and some from Oklahoma were there.  The strange thing that we noticed was women, women my age, you know, the 40ish type. Grew up in the 80's, big hair, leather or parachute pants, Flash Dance shirts, or jeans that you are poured into, you know the type. Not that I was that type...

Anyway, there were women there dressed like that going to this concert with their daughters! We couldn't believe it! Even if I could get away with wearing leathers, skin tight jeans or shirts that hang off of you. I certainly wouldn't take my kid to a concert wearing it.

    The concert was good, Dad couldn't get the Cowboy game on the amazing IPhone, the girls enjoyed themselves and it's something they will never forget! And it's something that I don't think Dad will forget either!!!

First Day 2010

 

Today was our first day of the new school year. This getting up at 6:30am is about to kill me! Amanda and Mason woke up around 8:00am, ate breakfast and began doing work about 9:00am.

In the pictures, they are doing their math work. They use Teaching Textbooks. 

Tomorrow we will be ending lessons early to meet others about the Apologia General Science our 

Co Op will be using. The past 2 years we've used Apologia for Science and everyone has loved it. We can't say enough about it. BUT this year, we are all a bit scared of it. We've decided to split the kids up for this subject. Taking the older kids through General Science and the younger ones will be using the new Anatomy that Jeannie Fulbright has put out.

 

I know the kids are all looking forward to getting together. I've got to get myself up to the church and clean out the rooms for Co Op and get any supplies ready for Sept. 15th. 

Did I mention getting up at 6:30am is killing me?

Anyway, the first day went really well and I think the kids will enjoy themselves.

Last week of freedom...

Last week we enjoyed our time away as a family. We did have an addition, an extra 13 year old girl. Amanda's friend, Lauren went with us. Those two make us laugh. Lauren fits right in with us. She can joke, carry on, talk and hang right there with us!

We didn't do much except lay around on the beach or by the pool. At one point, there were dolphins swimming out in the gulf. Which was so cool. It was amazing watching the waves come up and wash back out to the gulf. There are still some places around there that haven't rebuilt from Hurricane Ike.

This contraption right here is a floating oil rig. Mike use to work in the oil field. It fed us for many years. Mike would be flown from Louisiana to a much bigger rig there in the gulf. He would be gone for two weeks then home for two. I'm grateful that those days are over.  Having Mike home now is very nice!

This is our last week of freedom. Next week Mason will be here and we'll begin school. I've been trying to organize, clean, wash and catch up on some things around here before we get started. I'm excited about it. Getting back into the whole routine of things and such. Come Monday, I'll be taking pictures of our first day of school and try to post them. I'm debating on whether to let the kids create a blog in Writing and Grammar this year.

 

I'm just trying to figure out how to get "technology" into the curriculum and thought that would be an interesting way to do it. I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Anyway, I'll be posting about our first day sometime next week. Pray everything goes good!!

After a long week...

We all deserve a week of relaxation!!!! This is my man and our daughter in the picture.  Aren't they pretty????

Our church has held a Father Daughter Banquet for the last two years. So far, both Banquets have turned out great! Different but GREAT!!!! Everyone had a wonderful time.

Now, I'm not saying that it isn't a stress free function or anything. I thought by mid week, blood might start shooting out my eyes!  What if this doesn't get done, what if this happens, what if the photographer doesn't make it?? What if, what if, what if????

Anyway, everything turned out fine. I have made it known that I do not want to EVER be in charge of getting the thing together. I will do my part in putting together the dvd and hanging things from the church ceiling.  By the end of the week, I had a huge zit and a bad case of PMS!

I found out also that you can not plug in 4 roasters in the kitchen or the side room...breakers #19 & 20 will blow!!! Therefore, leaving you without power in the kitchen and sound booth.

Tomorrow, we leave for Galveston!! A week away and full of nothing except laying on the beach. No plans, no agendas, no deadlines, NOTHING!!

We're all looking forward to this trip. Michael begins college next Monday and we begin our school Aug. 30. Mason, my nephew will be back this year for school. I'm excited about it actually. I've found some pretty cool stuff for him to learn.

We've decided in our little Co Op to have the older kids go thru Apologia General Science.  I think I might end up with a huge zit and another bad case of PMS though.

Anyway, have a good week! I know we will!!!

Year 2

Today marks the second year of Mom being gone. I know that all of us are still feeling the effects of that. Two of my sisters and I have moved on, at least have tried to get on with life because "life goes on". One is having a difficult time of it.

It's strange how people deal with the loss of a loved one. Some become so depressed they can't function. Some just go right along without any show of emotion whatsoever and others bottle everything up and can't afford to lose it to begin with.

I miss seeing Mom's truck go by the house or hear her honk. I miss just hearing her voice, even her LOUD cacklin' laugh!! I miss going over to the house and seeing the "new" thing she had done in the yard.

I finally shredded and hauled off Mom's old paperwork, receipts, bank statements and things like that this past March. But there are some items I've hung onto. Like, all of the cards and book that people signed at the funeral home. What does a person do with that?

Go through it and see how many people Mom's life touched? When I still want her to be touching lives!  Am I mad? You betcha!! I'm mad that nothing could be done to help her, although the doctor and staff tried.

I'm mad that my kids, nieces and nephew no longer have their Na Na! I'm mad that one of my sisters is now divorced from her husband. I'm mad that Mom didn't get to take a trip this summer before she had to get back to work. I'm mad that I've lost my best friend and that I don't have a best friend.

I'm mad that the stupid dog keeps peeing in the floor! I'm pissed that I'm overweight. That Mike and I are now:

Jack Sprat could eat no fat.

His wife could eat no lean.

And so between them both, you see,

They licked the platter clean.

It ticks me off that I feel as though I'm unable to trust people at our church due to things that have happened in the past.  And that there are double standards at how people are treated there. Isn't that weird? you would think that church would be a safe place.

I'm on a roll...That my uncle has found out that he has prostate cancer and that the other uncle has gone loco. That Pa Pa is old and unable to take care of himself. That I am an ORPHAN!!

It's upsetting to know that my father in-law is in that big 'ol house by himself. That no one had cleaned his bathroom from January to July. And all he'll be doing is sitting in the kitchen, drinking beer watching Fox News. Well, at least he'll be well informed...

We have trash sitting by the front door for the last two days and no one bothers to take it out...

I'm growing up to be an old, bitter woman!! I know it!

Of course I see all of the blessings that we do have. Our children are smart, healthy and happy. Mike has a great job that allows him to be at home two days a week.  I'm allowed to stay at home and govern our little corner. We are able to homeschool, we have nice things and really want for nothing.

There are times that I am done, worn out, kaput. I'm tired of putting on a "happy face" and pretending that things don't bother me. I'm tired of turning the other cheek and acting as though every things alright.  I'm tired of acting. I've had to learn to do that the last couple of years.

I've become quite good at it also.  I would like to thank the Academy for this award...

In order to keep the peace at home, at church, I've learned to keep my mouth shut and act as though nothing bothers me. Stone Cold, unemotional, detachment.  Survival of the fittest. If you haven't noticed, I'm the one that shows no emotion whatsoever...I'm just sayin'.

I use to able to vent to Mom. She would tell me to get over it and go on. Cause in the big picture no one cares, it doesn't accomplish anything and it's not worth the aggravation.

When some people take commitment more seriously than others. That gets me too! You know you have a commitment during the week and then choose to do something else, even though you know you have something else going on. 

Every bit of this is completely out of my control. Including the dog peeing in the floor and I may have to have her put to sleep for it...

Then you hear people say, God has it all under control. Do you ever wonder about that? Does He really? Do you ever wonder why this person gets a "miracle" and that person didn't? For two years now I've wanted to know the "qualifications" on how to receive one of those life altering miracles.

Then in January when Mike's mom died, I wondered the same thing.  Why didn't he get one? I know that Mike hurts just as badly as I do about losing a Mom. But we both deal with it differently. Maybe he's come to terms with it all and I haven't. Or maybe he  hides it just as well.

Why did Brett Michael's get a "life altering" miracle and our families didn't?? What in the world has he or his family done to warrant that?  Is that a legitimate question? Does it even make sense?

It irritates me that we have a President that is "fundamentally changing" our country and NO ONE seems to care!!!!! That Glenn Beck is going blind and people are happy about that!

Is there a just cause for all of this whining, bitterness, jealousy? Or is this just delusional rantings of a crazy person who really can't afford to lose it? Is this a real life or it this just fantasy??  oops, that song might start making sense to me now.

I have NEVER been or have wanted to be one of those "little wives" that is a emotional wreck. One of those that cries at the drop of a hat. One that has so much drama going on in their life that people look at them with pity and do things for them out of that pity. And I can't allow that to happen now.

It seems that we are merely players, performers and portrayers. Oops, another song that I might understand now.  Maybe next year, I won't be as mad...

Cousin Trip

This past weekend, I experienced my first "cousin trip".  Last year was the first time anything like this happened. With Mom dying two years ago, I think the rest of the FIRST cousins thought they might need to spend some more time with one another.

Mom and her first cousins were all pretty close. They would run around and do things with each other. They mostly enjoy each others company and that's what we did this weekend. Although I'm a second cousin to each of these wonderful ladies, they were gracious enough to allow me to go.

From top to bottom, left to right.  Suzette Toney Brown, Lezlee Toney Cheek, Jennifer Brown, Gina Cross Brown, Beverly Toney Brown, Baby Aubry Ellis, Tina Gunderson Litchfield, Patricia Sapp Perkins, Jodi Cheek Ellis, Sheri Gunderson Terri, Nancy Sapp Purdy, Kathy Gunderson Groom, Dreama Moore Cooper, Donna Gunderson Lovell
Someone please remind me not to ever wear STRIPES!!!!!

Anyway, we had a good time running around looking at antiques and getting lost on the way there. I'm looking forward to next year!!!

Lazy Day

Oh my! It's Monday and we're all trying to recover from our busy weekend! Amanda and I are sitting here in the den typing away on our laptops, watching "Pirates of the Caribbean II".  Speaking of laptops, here's my new one.

It's a MAC! I was so excited to be able to get it. This year during school Amanda and Mason will have their own laptops to do research and papers on!! It will also give them a chance to be portable.

Beside resting today, we did laundry and had our hair done. All three of us are sporting new hair cuts. Our niece, Mary did a great job. She also foiled mine. It's been such a long time since I had my hair done "professionally".

The rest of the week here we are likely to hit the Kansas City Zoo, search for a dress for the Father/Daughter Banquet and try to get back in the pool. If it will ever stop raining.

I went through some old pictures of the family searching for some of Mike when he was a baby. It was so funny going through those and showing Amanda.

My how things change and how some things don't.

Trip to Kansas

Today we did something that we haven't done in years!!!We actually took off to Kansas City to spend the 4th of July with Mike's family. It's been quite some time since we've done that but the city that my sister in law lives in still has the parade. Everyone from people running for senate or Governor to the people in the Renaissance Festival were there.

Amanda and her cousin, Kaya, went around selling paper flowers they had made the day before so they would have money to buy fireworks.  The police, fire department, Shriner's, bands and old timey cars got into the act too.

So, I'm a day late...

Happy Father's Day!!! yep, I'm a day late in posting but we did celebrate on the right day. After church we headed to our local Mexican restaurant with some of our friends from church. Then last night, Michael cooked steaks for dinner. Mike did nothing since it was Daddy Day. He tried telling us it was Daddy Week but we didn't buy it, LOL!!

Oh Mike. Twenty three years ago, I never would have imagine that we would be celebrating him as a father. It's funny looking back at how far he's come! This is a man who wanted nothing to do with God and everything to do with Bud.

It's amazing what God can do with a person.

Anyway, Happy Father's Day Mike!! We love you!

What a difference a day makes

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WHEW!! What a day! Yesterday around 3:30am most of us in our sleepy, little East Texas town woke up to thunder storms. It was mainly the lightning that did it. After the tornado blew through here a couple of months ago, most of us are pretty leery.
Like I said, after the lightning and thunder lightened up we didn't think anything about the rain. After all, we need it!!!
I woke up around 7:20ish. Mike was pulling out of the drive but he was backing up down the road instead of going forward. You know, R for reverse and D for drive. I couldn't figure out what he was doing.
So me being the nosy person I am, I called and asked "what the heck are you doing"? He proceeds to tell me
that there is water backing up on our little piece of land. (pic. 4)
WHOA!!! Then I begin to look around while turning on the morning news. He's describing to me what he's seeing around town and not believing it.
The day before I had taken pictures of what our yard looked like, all pretty and put in order. NOW it was under water!!
Pretty scary, huh?? We were blessed and thankful that nothing happened to us.
Hhmm, let's see what happens tomorrow...

Back yard fun

I enjoy working in the yard. I guess I got that from Mom. She was either reading or working outside. Most of the items I have in my yard belonged to her. Above is a fountain that I had given her for Christmas one year.

The black table and chairs came from Mom. She has this in her kitchen at one time. I always told her that one day I was going to steal it and put it in my yard. She was ALWAYS taking things out of mine and transplanting it in hers!!! Notice the birdcage hanging from the fence. I'm sure it's a flea market find. The white cart belonged to my grandmother. Mom got it after Ma Ma died.

Here's another sitting area. I love the color RED!!!

See the small bunny hiding? I thought I'd post some pictures before it got too hot here and things began to turn BROWN!!

Defying Gravity

Guess what we're doing this coming weekend??? I'm so excited to be able to share this with Amanda!!!

Remember Me

Cloudy with a chance of brisket!!

WHEW! It's hot here in the Grand old State of TEXAS!!!  I woke up this morning to smoke blowing by the window and my husband sitting outside smoking brisket!!! Wooo Hooo!!!

Our church is hosting some women from an abuse center this evening. So we are cooking for them and kicking off the Memorial Day Weekend! Shucks! That means I have to share! LOL!!!

The past month, my nephew has been staying with us and homeschooling with Amanda. Thursday was their last day! All they have to do this summer is math. Then we'll begin again the last week of August. It'll be nice taking 3 months off!

We're planning to head to Kansas sometime in June to visit Mike's dad. It'll be nice to get away for a while.  Hopefully, they'll have the pool open by the time we head up there. I finally got our pool cleaned and ready! I wasn't sure it would be up and running by this weekend. I think I'll be taking better care of it this fall and winter though. You know, actually cover it and run that pump so all that goop doesn't build up!

Let's see, June 12th we are heading to Dallas to see WICKED!! Needless, to say I'm ecstatic!!! End of June headed to Kansas, July 4th Party at our friends house north of town, July 27th-JONAS BROTHERS CONCERT!! Needless to say, Amanda is ecstatic!!!  Then maybe we can head to the coast or something for our family vacation. I've never been to Galveston or Rock Port. Relax on the beach and enjoy spending time together. Not that we don't spend time together here. It's just different when you take off. There's a sense of freedom as you drive off and head into a new place.

AAWWW, SUMMER!!! I'm so glad you're here!!!!

What in the world???

Okay, I'll admit it...when I first heard about homeschooling I thought "those" people where a bunch of weirdos. "Those" fanatically religious" people who kept their children in the basement and made them listen to Mozart all day long!
Well, now I'm one of those people but not one of "those" type of homeschooling people, LOL!!
Anyway...
 Before beginning school this morning, I was watching GMA. Much to my surprise, they were about to do a story on "unschooling".
Unschooling, hhmmm, unusual concept.
Around here we try to do hands on stuff, read and textbooks.
Unschooling requires no books, no rules, apparently it requires nothing...
Please click here
It's not really the whole unschooling thing that bothers me, those parents can teach or unteach they way they want.
What blew me away was the statement that one mother made:
"It's amazing when you broaden the scope of what you see as learning as opposed to worksheets," the mother said. "There is no hierarchy in our house, so there is no punishment, no judgment, no discipline. They get what they want for breakfast and eat whatever they want. It's all a matter of what feels right to them."
What has happened to us? When did we completely lose our minds?  No hierarchy, punishment, judgment or discipline...God help us all.

Thinking...

Guess I need to blog in April before the month is over! Three weeks ago we began homeschooling my nephew. He's a smart kid and can do the work, it's the social skills that he lacks. I can't believe a kid who's 13 years old has never developed or been taught those types of things.

It's been an eye opener for Amanda though. It's even lit a fire under her. She jumps in and gets her work done. I think she just wants to try and show Mason up...I guess a little competition never hurts.

April 15th was Tax Day but it was also Mom's birthday. She would have been 64. "Would have been", that's still so strange to say when talking about her. We all miss her so much!  But life goes on...

Mike has been extremely busy at work but received a really nice raise, Praise God!! Michael is still attending Criswell. He's been busy writing papers and taking test.


On the agenda for this week will be school, going to see The Lion, Witch and The Wardrobe on Wednesday, and piano lessons.

May will bring a trip to Jefferson, Texas for the civil war living history day. The Arlington Bookfair happens the second weekend in May, then, THEN it's clean up for our county. This gives everyone an opportunity to haul off all the junk you may have around your house! I'm so excited cause we're gonna get rid of the mess we pulled out of the attic during March.

The plants are beginning to bloom, my blue truck looks green with all of the pollen that's floating around and the pool needs to be cleaned.

We are trying to stay on task with school so we will be finished in June and be able to take July-August off. I've been going through a John Piper study with two other women. It's been a blessing for me and I hope for them. They approached me about doing a "Godly wife" study and I thought, "Whoa, you probably should have asked someone else"! LOL!!

I believe that all of us have benefited from it though. I've enjoyed getting to know them and hopefully lead them in the right direction.

Randomness

Whoa! it's been quite a while since I've been around. Since the middle of January, it's been such a mad house around here. We were in Kansas for about 3 weeks came home at the beginning of February, took off from school for about 3 weeks in March due to my father in law spending a week with us. Mike took off one week and we cleaned out the attic THEN Michael was off for Spring Break from school!!!

So much for my well laid plans!! Although the attic did need cleaning out! We had stuff in there from 1986, when we got married! We carried that stuff around all these years! I can't believe some of the stuff we found! Check books and registers from 86-2005, a bag phone from the 90's, kids baby clothes, old high school stuff WOW!!! I'm glad it's gone now!

Let's see...we went with friends to see "The Phantom of the Opera". Traveled back in time to the Civil War in Beaumont, Texas. Had snow in February and on the First day of Spring AND tonight is DANCING WITH THE STARS!!!!!

Now we have inherited my 13 year old nephew during the week. I'm homeschooling him with Amanda. Mason is a smart kid but needs some guidance, instruction and discipline. My sister is having a hard time and we've agreed to help her out with him. Ultimately, we want their family to be whole again.

The health care bill passed last night and our President will sign it tomorrow. Right now, all we can do is pray! Pray that God will open the eyes of people and pray that His will be done.

I've lost 4 pounds! We've cut out cokes, drinking more water, just trying to eat smaller portions and better.

I've finally caught up entering grades for Amanda from February and found time to jump on this thing to blog. I'm still trying to do my "Breaking Free" study but haven't gotten to far. I've been getting together with two other ladies and doing a John Piper study about the biblical roles of men and women. It has been wonderful so far!!! He's brought out so much stuff that I have never thought of. It's so refreshing when that happens.

It looks like I've got about 10 minutes before DWTS comes on...see ya later!!

Whirlwind Month

After four days of laundry, I am finished! For about three weeks we have been up in Kansas burying my husbands Mom. Oh the heart break that comes along with burying a parent. It was just a whirlwind of a time. The beginning of January, we were getting back into the groove of school, trying to get Co Op back up and running. Amanda turned 12 so of course, we had a house full of young ladies who stayed up til 6AM!!!

Carolyn's birthday was the day before Amanda's and I called Mike to remind him of it. She is buried at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. When Ted passes away he'll be there with her. It was really sad, they had her cremated and Ted made the comment driving over to the base that "this is the last time I'll be able to hold her". WOW! 53 years with someone you love and all you have and known is in a box. It is hard to phathom.

While we were in Kansas, we visited downtown Kansas City. We spent one day at Union Station, Science City and made our way over to Crown Center through the Link. Amanda saw "real" snow and spent time playing with her cousin in it.

Michael began his new semester of school. He ended up being home for 2 weeks while we were up north. He had to cook, clean and do stuff for himself! LOL!! He sent a text saying, "he either needed to find a wife or we needed to come home".

Now, it's February. Where did January go? Tomorrow we'll be getting together with friends to purchase PHANTOM OF THE OPERA tickets!!! WICKED tickets go on sale March 8th!! We are looking forward to seeing both shows.

Amanda has finished her math book and will begin her new one on Monday!! Praise God!! So far this year, school has gone pretty good! I'm so pleased with her progress! It is only due to God!

I'm trying to get back into my Breaking Free study and reading my Glenn Beck book. My place was lost in it now it looks like I'm gonna have to start completely over!! UUUGGG!!!

Anyway, please continue to keep Mike and his family in your prayers.

Changes

Don't you just hate change? Maybe hate is too strong of a word but dread change, annoyed with change. When Mike and I first married, we moved every two years. He worked in the oil field so with that a move or three was expected.

The past 10 years I had grown accustomed to my little corner of town with my little family. No drama just everyday routines that were followed. Losing mom almost 2 years ago made me aware that change will always happen and sometimes routines are not always followed. This week, Mike and his family learned about that type of change.

Mike's mom passed away this week. It breaks my heart that he would have to go thru that type of heart break and change. What is really the toughest part is his Dad will be completely lost. Carolyn did EVERYTHING for him. Pay bills, make appointments, laundry, cook, clean. You name it, she did it.

We'll be staying here for about 2 weeks or so to help him in whatever way he needs. This house is a tri-level house including basement. I can't imagine him roaming around this big house by himself. Everywhere you look you see Carolyn.

Mike is able to work from up here and of course, school can be done also. Amanda was thrilled beyond belief that we are able to carry our school stuff with us!! LOL!!!

She actually saw "real" snow! We rarely see the good stuff there in Texas. She and her cousin made a snowman and played in it for 2 days!

From Leslie's blog it sounds like things are going good in India. A newly married couple in our church found out they were expecting a baby, but now their not. See, change.

I know that none of this is a "surprise" to God. He's got it all under control.

Back to the grindstone

The tree and decorations are all put up and I'm exhausted! I need a break from the Christmas break!! Aren't we suppose to return back to school well rested??

Yesterday, we returned to our routine or at least tried to. We managed to get school going and head up to Co Op for Spanish. It's nice to be able to do school in your pajamas every once in a while!!

I've been trying to do some reading and the Breaking Free study by Beth Moore. It's funny, you go from studying Isaiah to reading Arguing with Idiots.

Christmas with the Sisters was good this year. A niece and nephew came to stay a week over the holidays, which was good also. The one thing that bothered me is that I've seen my niece wear a pentagram at Thanksgiving and at our family gathering. She says she's holding it for a friend but it worries me!

We talked to her about God while she was here. Not trying to "push" anything on her, just what we as Christians believe. Amazingly, she had asked Amanda some questions about God while they were taking walks around town!

Hopefully, the seed has been planted there.

This Friday will be my baby's 12th birthday! TWELVE years old! Where did the time go? She's growing up way too fast! Seems like yesterday that she was wagging around 3 pacifiers on her string. Amanda had a clip that attached to her clothes so she wouldn't lose her pacifier. On that clip she had 3 pacifiers, when she tired of one she'd swap.

A group from our church is headed to India this weekend. They're headed over there to help out here. Please be praying for them. I know that some are NERVOUS leaving the USA and heading to a different country.

So much for my first post of 2010! So much excitement!!