Mom's weekend off!

This weekend Cari and I traveled up to my mama's house for some "sweet" girl time. We planned our little getaway for candy making, pedis and just good old fashioned girl talk. And not much else, which was the point. The kiddos stayed home, with daddy's and grandma's.

 



Saturday we worked all day in chocolate. So Saturday night we had a nice dinner out and shopped til mom dropped. We came home to a nice warm house and spent the evening sipping hot tea and coffee. What a treat!  What a fun day of being silly and enjoying one another's company.

Cari reminded me today that we have been best friends for 13 years. It feels like a lifetime. Although I have childhood memories without her of course, our friendship feels like we have been friends forever. I cherish that, and I thank God for her. She is an answer to a prayer that I had prayed often. Women need each others support and friendship for the good and the bad times in life. She has been there. I am sincerely thankful for her!

Lilly Kate

You will never guess what Lilly Kate just did! We had dance this morning, so I told her to go change out of her tutu. So she goes to her room and gets a pair of pants. Cute ones with a white and pink heart stitch around the pocket. She comes back into the living room and says that she can't find the shirt that matches. So I tell her that it is in the dryer, she says o thanks mommie. So she runs off and is gone for a while, then she comes out of her room fully dressed with 2 bows that match perfectly put TOGETHER and in her hair!!! I said, who put the bows in your hair? She says, I did, I know how to put my bows together now,mommie. Ms matter of fact.  Some needs to figure out how to keep our little girls little. And quick before it's too late.

Thanksgiving 2010

The Thanksgiving blog. Thanksgiving kinda snuck up on me this year, not so much that I didn't know what the day on the calendar said, but I wasn't feeling very thankful. I had put my focus on my situation and my own selfishness and "sufferings".  Being thankful is a choice. You have to choice to see the blessing right before your eyes. Not only do we have to see them but also choose to feel grateful. I must confess that I haven't been very good at it lately.
It took a bad experience to see what I have before me. I needed to see how bitterness was creeping into my heart and changing how I was dealing with everyday life. It's hard for me to admit it. But in a moment of humility, my perspective changed. Thank you Jesus for humbling me once again. Thank you for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Thank you God the Father for sacrificing your only Son to take my place on the cross.
Just in the nick of time I see what I have to feel grateful for. Thank You Sweet Jesus!
Happy Thanksgiving.

Late night

I am sitting here at the computer as I do most nights now. Travis is at work and the kids are sleeping soundly. It's probably mostly out of boredom, but tonight it is loneliness. So in my melancholy mood I decided to blog. Maybe not the best idea...
Today was a hard day. I saw someone from my past that I probably hadn't seen in twenty years. I asked  a direct question and I was totally ignored. I haven't changed that much. And we were at church, so I would have thought that the fact that our lives have changed so much for the good, it could have been something to rejoice over! So I guess that it hurt my ego a little.
I pulled into Target yesterday, and got the worst cussing I have ever received. And it was totally some chick, pulling through into a parking spot that I was going into, she was lucky she didn't get creamed! It is still bothering me.
There is a lot stuff going on with friends right now that weighs down my heart. Sickness, busyness, drug addiction, bad relationships, strained family relations... it seems to be all around. I suppose it always is. There is never an end to our prayer list. But I think sometimes it is closer to us than other times. I don't feel like I have anyone to talk to. BINGO The root of it all.

But tomorrow is a new day and a new school day. The Lord's mercies are new every morning. I pray that tomorrow will bring a day filled with the Lord's grace, blessing and HEALING for all the friends and family that I love.

Update on Life as we Know it!

I have been hoping for long time, to actually start blogging again. I naively thought that with homeschooling I would have time for it. We are almost half way through our year (we started early) and well I wanted to blog our whole experience. Luke and I have had to find our groove. And well... to say that has happened might be overstated a little. We decided to homeschool Luke his 3rd grade year for several reasons.  His age played a huge role, we wanted to see if we could do this at a young age, but no so young that his behavior would be an issue constantly. (how did that work out???)  We have organized sports to participate in outside of school. That is a huge thing for me. I want my kids as active and social as possible. It is going well I think. We have a homeschool group, HSN, that provides plenty of outside the home activities for us to attend. A once a week school day and then plenty of field trips and other activities. So as usual the phrase "home" school, is anything but. As parents, we realize that all moments of their little lives are teachable moments. My kids are out in the "real world" learning and growing, but the best part is that I get to watch and learn right along with them. Luke is a great student. I definitely know the areas of study he likes and the ones he doesn't. Math was one of his favs and now it is getting hard for him.  Luke is soo creative he loves to draw and play the piano. And what a mind for memorization.
A shocker for me has been Lilly Kate. She is so ready to read. If she was the first born and I had time to give her 24/7 undivided attention, she probably would be! She is so smart. And so eager to learn. So fun. She know her alphabet and which ones are vowels. She can count to a 100 with a little help, not much, and if she is looking at the numbers. She also loves to color and be creative. She has such a sweet heart. Having and teaching a little girl is so fun and different. I love being a "boy mom" and kinda wondered how I could switch gears having a girl. It really is different. She has a maternal instinct that is there from birth that you bond with. She is caring and loving and loyal. She loves her babies and her doll house. Where Luke instincts were more activity driven and more athletic. Luke is very orderly and systematic. He has a great Love for God and his family. I love being with them to help them with their strengths and weaknesses. Something no one else on this planet could do as well. Thank you, Jesus, for this season in our lives.
As for Travis and I we are good. Travis is working nights, which is hard for all of us but especially for him. We are adjusting, but praying that a day shift will become available. He is going back to school, via the Internet. So in a sense, we are all homeschooling! I'm so proud of him.
I have recently had the doctor confirm that I have some health issues. I have always known that something wasn't right. But scared of  the alternatives I chose to delay going to the doctor, All that being said I have come to terms with it and now feel that my family needs me to do what is best for my health. We have been eating healthier and exercising. For me, I have been doing a low carb diet and doing some hormone therapy. I feel better than I have in years. seriously. So it has difinitely been a good thing.
That is a glimpse into our life right now. I hope to keep it up, as I always say and then get too busy to. Here are the latest pics of the kids Lilly Kate at dance and us in the school "room".