Daybook

For today...

Outside my window...sunny & hot

I am thinking...that we are doing alot this week

I am thankful for...places to go, people to see, crafts to work on

From the Learning Rooms...learning, learning, learning

From the kitchen...Split Pea Soup for dinner

I am wearing...black shorts, purple top, slip on tennis

I am creating...lots. We are starting to work on Christmas gifts and I need to work on the quilt

I am reading..."Outlive Your Life" by Max Lucado

I am hoping...that my yucky tummy feeling goes away soon.

I am hearing...the garbage truck drive up the road

Around the house..school, ballet, get dinner in the crockpot

A few plans for the rest of the week...ballet lessons today, jazz lessons tomorrow, Sewing class, church, driving to GA to see mom & Allen, celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary

This and That

So, how do you get poison ivy when its been a week since you worked out in the yard? I know the Lord has a sense of humor, but did I have to get this again? 3 weeks of my summer were spent with steriods x3, antibiotics x2, and allergy pills. Maybe if I ignore it, it'll to away. Or maybe I should order a bubble suit to wear outside. Actually, its just a small spot on my arm, if it decides to grow...I will be at the dr.s.

On July 24th, I blogged about our doggie fiasco. Well, it appears that Hershey is gonna be a Mommy. Yep, I think grand puppies are on the way...maybe around my birthday next month. Her belly is no longer skinny and she is always looking for food...sounds like pregnancy to me. We plan on selling the puppies but Amy may have heart failure when it actually happens. Amy is my animal expert and loves all of them.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard about a program called BookSneeze by Thomas Nelson Publishers. You can sign up for this program if you have a blog. After you sign up, they approve your blob/account and you can pick a book you want to read and review for them. There are lots of different categories. The first book I picked was "Out Live Your Life, you were made to make a difference" by Max Lucado. I received the book today and will start reading tonight. If you like to read like me and have a blog, you may want to check out this program. The website is

BookSneeze.com

The book I chose is the newest by Max Lucado and is on the cover of all the book catalogs I have received recently. I'm excited to read the book and start the review process. And, free books are a wonderful blessing!

Our history/science co-op with Marie and Izzy is going great. This was our 4th week to meet together. We are all learning different things and the kids enjoy meeting together. And in all honesty, I get to chat with my friend too! The kids did a nature walk in our backyard today to find blooming flowers to sketch for their notebooks. They had okra, cucumbers, roses, tomatoes, gardenias, and lantana to chose from. The sketches turned out good and they will be a great addition to their science notebooks. Another fun project they have worked on is Bible verses for Creation. Our books have little folders and notebooks for verses that pertain to the unit we are working on. For history, we studied Christopher Columbus and his voyages. After reviewing all the lessons, the kids colored maps, and made the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. They all knew most of the answers to the History review which is a great way to "test" their knowledge. We've got some good textbooks we are using as the basis for our studies, but are scouring the internet to come up with projects to do. They learn and retain the knowledge, with more hands on activities and projects. Next week will end our Botany section of the Biology book and next is the human body. We will continue to study about different explorers in History, but the kids are ready for Pocahontas and John Smith.

Time to start reading. Hope everyone had a great Monday!

Multitude Monday 431-451

431. Grace

432. Forgiveness

433. Love

434. Compassion

435. Peace

436. A Savior (THE Savior of the World & ALL HIS Creation)

437. Creation

438. God's sense of humor

439. Music

440. holding precious hands during prayer

441. Gods continual blessings

442. recognizing those blessings

443. personal Revival

444. hugs from friends on Sunday morning

445. Sunday dresses

446. suits & ties (its too hot for them right now, but I really love Greg in his suit & tie)

447. decisions for Christ

448. "like minded" fellowship

449. our family filling a row at church

450. the knowledge that the Lord always welcomes you "home"

And most on my mind this week......

451. Celebrating 5 years of marriage to my beloved, Greg
(our anniversary is Friday!)

In Memory

Do you remember the children's prayer...

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
if I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Have you really thought about the words?

Last night a friend of mine in GA layed down to sleep and woke up this morning in the arms of Jesus! Karen was 51 years old. She has a husband and 2 daughters. They are now without a wife and mom. She also has a mom & dad, 2 sisters and a brother & their families.

They are all in shock. I so remember those feelings.

Soon the questions will come...
Why now?
Why did this happen?
Why her and not me?

But they will not question where she is.

Karen is safe and well and protected and loved in heaven.

The Lord can take us at any time, in any way and without warning.

If tonight is your turn...where will you wake up?

I pray that all my friends will wake up in heaven when their time comes.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Contrary to popular belief, all religions don't lead to the one true God.

Please examine your beliefs against the Lords word. We should believe God and not man.

I am by no means an expert or authority on the Lord, the Bible or Christianity.
I am a 50 year old Mississippi Mama who gave her life to Christ at the age of 12. It was the best decision I have ever made and I have never regretted it!

God Bless You All!

I am praying for Karen's family!

Daybook

For today...

Outside my window...sunny & hot

I am thinking...that I don't like to feel jealous

I am thankful for...a Father in Heaven who hears my hopes & dreams & prayers & concerns and loves me all the time.

From the Learning Rooms...Algebra, Biology, Early Am. History, Language, & Spelling plus lots of reading

From the kitchen...we need to get the dill pickles made or the cucumbers will be fed to the pigs

I am wearing...a skort, t shirt, no shoes

I am creating...skirts for me, pillowcase dresses, and a baby quilt that a lady from church wants to buy from me for a gift (yippee!)

I am reading...finished "Family Driven Faith" (WOW, what a book) and started reading "Parenting from the Heart" by Marilyn Boyer (a mom of 14)

I am hoping...for a peaceful, easy homeschool day

I am hearing...cars drive by and the children in the kitchen eating breakfast

Around the house...school, cleaning, cooking, living

A few plans for the rest of the week...Keepers, bible study, church

Multitude Monday 401-430

401. A friend that "gets" me

402. Learning new things together

403. Fun lessons for history & biology

404. new friends wanting to join Keepers

405. Spice Cake (even though they fell completely apart)

406. bulk spices

407. shopping at our local "hippie" grocery

408. a freshly cut yard

409. new shelves for Greg's workshop

410. a freezer full of food

411. surprising Mom with a crocheted dishcloth

412. surprising Rie with a crocheted dishcloth

413. "liking" crochet now

414. quiet times with the family

415. no tv

416. Or decent tv

417. finding out the Lords plan a week after you visit someone (or finding out something the Lord already knows about someone you visited from the church)

418. getting chores accomplished on Sat. and still having "swim time"

419. the routine of school

420. home cooked meals

421. watching children ages 1-17 swim in your pool and having a wonderful time together

422. hot dog/hamburger cookouts

423. making 3 new skirts

424. a new apron pattern

425. feminine daughters

426. trying new recipes

427. drinks with sugar not HFCS

428. a paintable nativity set from Hobby Lobby

429. $$$$ to complete projects

430. dreams of the future

Sewing class fun

Our sewing class started back this week. We meet 2 mornings a month. The girls have learned different quilting patterns and some have completed projects for the State Fair. And some have projects almost completed. This week, they are making an apron. They had to take the basic pattern, fit it to them and make their own pattern. Then comes the fabric cutting and sewing.

All of the aprons will be beautiful and unique just like our daughters.

Many, many thanks for Miss Karen for her knowledge and passing on her love of crafting. And the fact that she does this out of the goodness of her heart is very appreciated!

Proverbs 31:13
"She selects wool and flax & works with eager hands."

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

*1 cup butter or shortening
1 cup sugar
*1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
*1 cup peanut butter
*2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup rolled oats

Cream the butter and sugars together. Add in the eggs and peanut butter and mix thoroughly. Add the flour/soda/salt, a little at a time and blend well after each addition. Then mix in the oats.
Roll dough into small balls and place on a greased cookie sheet (I usually skip the rolling part and just drop spoonfuls of dough onto the sheet) Mash each ball in a criss-cross pattern with a fork (dip the fork in sugar first)
Bake in a 350 degree oven till golden brown.

I got this recipe from Mom many years ago.

Here are my variations on the original
*****I always use butter to bake with, substitute sucanat for the brown sugar, organic peanut butter for the regular, and fresh ground wheat for the flour.

Want to really thrill your children? Let them eat the cookies along with fruit and juice or milk for breakfast. Mine love to do this and its a wholesome "cookie". And they tastes great.


I remember mixing these by hand, way before the blessing of Kitchen aid Mixers.

Its not a good idea to try and wipe off the top of your mixer right after you put flour in the bowl.
Your dishcloth may "catch" the control and flour fly everywhere...

and it makes a really big mess!

But the finished cookies are worth the mess!

Note: sometimes the organic peanut butter is not as firm as the regular (I guess since it doesn't have hydrogenated oils in it) and your cookies could spread out on the cookie sheet during baking. If you want a more uniform cookie, add a little more flour as you are mixing. The taste isn't affected at all, we like them on the crunchy side not soft.

Our dogs like them too and beg for fresh cookies out of the oven...

Daybook 8-17-10

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... it looks kind of cloudy right now but it will probably burn off and be hot and humid all day.

I am thinking... how blessed I am to be able to stay home everyday with my children. The only ambition I have for a job is to work in our "family business" with my husband and children. Right now, we don't know exactly where Jackson Farm Enterprises is going.

I am thankful for... the precious homeschooling friends the Lord has given me

From the learning rooms... Some double lessons for language, spelling and math since tomorrow is sewing class and Keepers.

From the kitchen... Dirty Rice for dinner. The cookie jar is really empty, so maybe some peanut butter cookies will be made.

I am wearing... capris, top, and my favorite Clarks sandals (which are trying to fall apart, when that happens my feet will be very sad)

I am creating... with the Lord's help, a biblically focused home

I am going... to enjoy each day with my children, they grow up and leave home way too fast.

I am reading.. I'm on chapter 10 in my "Family Driven Faith" book by Voddie Bauchum. He keeps hitting me with truth. I am looking forward to the new Beverly Lewis series which starts in September.

I am hoping... that I have time to sew later. I've got projects to finish and some to start.

I am hearing... AFR (American Family Radio), we switched from talk radio in the morning...they were really starting to bug me.

Around the house... school books, reading books, crochet projects, cooking plans, lots of love

One of my favorite things... team-teaching with Rie. Science & History are great subjects to share. My kids are loving it.

A few plans for the rest of the week: sewing class, Keepers meeting, bible study, dinner theater at church on Friday, a date with Greg



Please visit http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ to read more daybooks entries!

What I want for my children

I have been giving alot of thought lately to what I want my children to be when they grow up. My children are ages 26, 22, 22, 21, 17, 16, & 14. And this list of Mom wanna-be's is for all of them...

I want them to be HONEST. Honest in their replies to their Dad & I. Honest in their dealings with other people. Honest about their where abouts and with who. Honest about their grades. Honest about their job searches. Honest about everything. Their Dad & I may never know when they are dishonest (but we usually have a really good idea) but God always knows.

I want them to be HARD WORKING. In their chores, school work, for pay work, etc. Being lazy is not acceptable. Everyone has a down day, but many days in a row without a medical reason is just plain lazy. When they are given a job, they should do it in a timely manner, not draw out the process. Work hard and be rewarded for that hard work.

I want them to act like the CHRISTIANS that they are. Watch where they go, who they hang out with, what they watch on tv or at the movies, what they listen to with music, how they act when we aren't there. I want them reading their Bibles, listening to Christian music, attending church services, and behaving. Again, God will know! There are many statistics on young adults permanently leaving the church in their college years...up to 75% of them. I don't want my children in that %.

I want them to be able to PROVIDE for their future families. I want the boys (5) to be able to fully provide for their families so that their wives don't have to work. I had to work so that we could survive, its very tough with little ones. And by provide I mean...housing, power, food, clothing, the fancy stuff can be acquired little by little.


I want them to be DEBT FREE. A home loan is ok, but not to have one would be fabulous. They don't need car loans, credit cards, payday loans, etc. to survive. Save up money and pay cash (I wish someone had banged this into my head way back when). Greg and I do have one credit card, its the Kroger card. We get a discount on gas and rebates quarterly for our grocery shopping. But, we've only had it 2 years and both of us have agreed to give it up at anytime. You have to be really self-controlled and accountable & we do pay it off every month.

I want them to be SELF CONTROLLED. Self controlled in their speech, clothing, habits, etc. I don't want them to follow after the crowd. If they know something is wrong, use that self control and NOT do it.

I want them to GROW UP. They need to be self supporting, lead adult lifestyles, take responsibility for themselves, be Adults. So many in todays society are still "teenagers" even when they are in their 40's or 50's. I found that out on Facebook with some folks I went to highschool with. The phase "teenager" is less than 100 years old. In the "olden days" children 14 & 15 years old were working all day in the fields with Dad or in the house with Mom, their family survival depended on it. (Actually younger than 14 or 15) Look at the Amish lifestyle, while I don't agree with their theology all the time, I do applaud their lifestyle and work ethic.

I want them to be SELF-SUPPORTING. Pay their own insurance, rent, cell phone bills, groceries, etc. They all have cars, they need to be responsible for them. We don't mind helping in an emergency, but every month isn't an emergency.

This list will grow as I think of more things.

I want them to be happy, healthy adults. I want to have adult relationships with all of them. They are all great young adults.

Multitude Monday 366-400

Friends

366. Marie

367. Angela

368. Rosana

369. Betsy

370. Dawn

371. Sandra

372. Jennifer

373. Daddy's wanting to start a boys group

374. learning new things

375. remembering things we learned last year

376. finding "lost" items

377. Vida Jo's giggle

378. soft chicken feathers

379. ordering bulk spices

380. praying for Greg while he is doing visitation for church

381. rainy weather

382. 4 completed crocheted dishcloths

385. talking to Allen on the phone

386. beginning week of college for Greg, Rob, and Andy

387. organizing

388. still more cucumbers~Katie is going to make dill pickles this time

389. canning jars

390. freshly cut grass

391. shopping for fabric with friends

392. anticipation of new sewing class

393. excitement over meeting internet friends...Hi Trixi

394. a Sunday afternoon cross stitching

395. breakfast at Cracker Barrel

396. "where to find it in the Bible" resource book

397. homemade bread

398. organized grocery lists

399. hugs at church

400. my children helping in the nursery on Sunday mornings

The Weekend

It is so nice to fully enjoy the weekend knowing that the first week of school is finished and we accomplished all we had planned. Fridays are normally "no school days" at our house meaning NO math, language, etc. This year we are using it for makeup days. Amy and Will still had some biology worksheets to complete and a paragraph about Leif Erickson Day for history.

We got the laundry done and hung on the line where it could bake in the very hot weather. The pool got swept and groceries were bought. I love going to Kroger and saving $70 - $80 on my total after sale prices and coupons are subtracted! My grocery toters were ready when I got home. After lunch as gal stopped by to sign up for our new homeschool group. We've now got 13 or 14 families...not bad for a group thats 3 weeks old!

Our sewing class starts next week and we met 'Rie and Isabella at Hancocks for fabric shopping. I really wish we had a JoAnn's here or that Hobby Lobby was closer because I do not like Hancocks, they make me mad every time. Besides the fact they are slow and rude, they would not renew my teacher discount card (my old one expired 2 weeks ago). So I am going on the warpath and investing in a professional looking, laminated, picture ID so that I can get my discounts. We found a couple of places by going through the swagbucks search engine and looking for Homeschool ID's. It will be ordered in the next day or so.

Last night we had a great time at Angela's house eating Taco's and playing Apples to Apples. Its so nice to finally have some friends that "understand" me...Christian, homeschooling, stay at home Mom. The Lord has blessed me abundantly in the last year with these friends and I am so thankful.

This morning was date morning...it started with sleeping a little later and waking up to NO alarm. Ahhhhh, so peaceful. Greg and I ran a bunch of errands and went to eat breakfast at Cracker Barrel. It was sooooooo cold in there. I ordered hot chocolate to drink and the warmth was very welcome. Then we stepped outside and remembered quickly that it wasn't fall yet. We remembered to make me a spare door lock key for my car. So this Christmas, in all the busyness, I will have a spare if I lock my keys in the car (I've done that the last 2 Dec.).

Now its pouring down rain. Lots of thunder and lightning. The thunder is the type that just rumbles for several minutes across the sky. My backyard rain barrel is overflowing and the pool water level is near the top. A plus is, we haven't had to water plants in over a week. The Lord is watering it from the sky. We are making plans to get another barrel to put in the front for collection to help with watering the fruit trees next year.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Friends

This morning I met some friends at the local movie theater to see "Ramona and Beezus". 4 moms and 11 children trouped into the empty theater for our own private showing of the movie. My little twin friends were part of the 11. It didn't matter if they got fussy, it was just us in the movies!

The movie is based on the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. I read these as a child and so did my children. I was very surprised that Hollywood could take a classic childrens book and do a good job with the movie. We laughed at Ramona's antics throughout. The little actress did a great job.

There was no language that wasn't family friendly. (tv shows can't even pull that off these days) I had heard a couple of people had an objection to Beezus and Henry Huggins kissing but honestly I wasn't that offended by that. My only concern came with the low cut tops that Beezus wore and showing her in pj's with spaghetti straps. It wasn't anything terrible just inappropriate, in my opinion.

Its a cute movie. There were even some parts that were "teary-eyed" for me.

Overall, I loved it (and I didn't think I would)!
The 3 boys that were with us enjoyed it too!

Learning Through Life

One of my favorite verses in the Bible and one I claimed for our homeschool verse is

Proverbs 24:3-4
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established. Through knowledge it rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."

I want my house to be filled with knowledge and understanding.

We are learning everyday. Whether it a phonics or spelling rule, an algebra concept, or writing an outline. We are learning about nutrition, food additives, chickens and pigs, gardening, crocheting, quilting, getting along with others, pool cleaning, earning money, honesty, diligence, scheduling, serving others, at home college, etc.

We can also learn "new" treasures each time we read the bible. One I have recently discovered is Genesis 2:6 " When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, WHO WAS WITH HER, and he ate it." I have read this passage many, many times in the number of years I have been a Christian and looked over the WHO WAS WITH HER PART. He was standing right there. I just figured in my mind that the serpent tempted Eve and then took the fruit to Adam and he didn't realize what it was. Boy, was I wrong. Adam could have told Eve NO. He could have reminded her of exactly what the Lord had said about the fruit of that tree. But instead, he listened to the serpent, saw Eve take the fruit, eat some and then when it was handed to him, he ate also.

Here is another one...got this one from a Voddie Bauchum sermon. How many races of people are there in the world...can you count them? Do you want me to help you? You only need to count to ONE. Thats right, its just the human race. We are all descendants of Noah's family. They were the only people left on the earth after the Lord destroyed it with a flood. There are many different skin tones, eye & nose shapes, body types etc. but just one race. Now, when Greg and I listened to this we were stunned, we never thought of that! But its true, Genesis 9: 7 says " As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it." The Lord destroyed the earth and all but 8 people. Noah, his wife, his 3 sons and their wives are the only people left to be fruitful, multiply and increase the earth. So how can we be different races if we all came from one family? Just something I had never thought about or considered.

We have been downloading sermons and listening to them as we travel and before we go to bed at night. We've only found one guy we didn't care for, not because we didn't agree with him, but because he talked in such a monotone voice that he was putting us to sleep. Some have caused us to question "what we had always heard or been taught", some have solidified our convictions, and most have made us dig deeper in the word to discern or verify what we heard. I can't think of anything that wasn't biblically correct when we looked up the passages for ourselves. The Lord is just showing us "new things" or allowing us a more mature outlook based on his Word.

Learning of a different kind...
Sometimes learning isn't fun. Its very hard work. You can watch someone do something and think it looks fun and want to give it a try. Yeah, I am talking about crocheting. For several days on this venture I was gritting my teeth, thinking unkind things and wondering what everyone loved about this craft. It did nothing for me and it was very hard. I was ready to throw in the crochet hook but I didn't. Now I am on dishcloth #3. Its somewhat fun, ok relaxing, and I will end up with something I can use. I am crocheting at night during the sermons we listen to. Wonder if I can take it to church and explain that I listen better when my hands are busy?

Daybook 8-10-2010

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... sunny & hot, with a great chance of thunderstorms later (has happened everyday for a week)

I am thinking... that starting the school year is a tiring process

I am thankful for... starting my 15th year as a homeschool mom and I am praying my children learn as much as I do everyday.

From the learning rooms... EVERYTHING! We started our school year yesterday. Had a great time with my friend Marie in our history/science co-op.

From the kitchen... baking bread today, making rice krispie treats for snacks, Pirate Stew in the crockpot for dinner

I am wearing... black shorts, pink blouse, slip on tennies

I am creating... a Christian home full of learning, loving, and living

I am going... no where today, I hope

I am reading.. " Family Driven Faith" by Voddie Bauchum, "Age of Opportunity: by Paul David Tripp and "Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World" by Ken & Steve Ham

I am hoping... to get adjusted to our school routine quickly. We are getting up earlier and going to bed earlier.

I am hearing... the dishwasher being loaded, the washer running, children talking, a pencil sharpener

Around the house... school work, laundry, cooking, reading, and more

One of my favorite things... hugs from friends

A few plans for the rest of the week: school, Keepers at Home, Bible Study, dinner at a friends, projects on Saturday after my date morning with Greg

Here are pictures I am sharing...

Katie & Amy both came downstairs in the same dresses this morning...couldn't resist the "cheesy" sister moment

Homeschooling means we don't have to wear shoes!

The younger Jackson Family Scholars

One of our favorite "first day of school" traditions...Lunch out! This year we went to a Mexican Restaurant and Greg met us!

To visit more daybooks you can go to:
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.bot.com/

Multitude Monday 351-365

351. the beginning of our new school year

352. team teaching with a friend

353. History Channel programs we can use in our studies

354. lunch out for the 1st day of school with Dad

355. new routines

356. earlier bedtimes for all of us

357. excitement over a Biology lesson...lots of hands on fun

358. making my own word search puzzles

359. back to school sales

360. back to school sales clearance (this is when we shop)

361. Sunday afternoon drives with Greg

362. rain...keeps our watering the garden bill and filling the pool bill down

363. easy dinners

364. seeing my little twin friends at church yesterday in dresses I smocked

365. baby drools and smiles

Year 15 is About to Begin

Tomorrow is the BIG day. My 15th year as a homeschooling Mama. When I began this journey in 1996, I never imagined all the blessings and difficulties it would bring. It has been more fun than I ever thought possible.

Highlights of the last 14 years

*Watching the lightbulb click on over a math concept (me and the children!)

*Teaching a child to read (Amy didn't like it to start with and struggled till she was about 9 1/2 and then everything fell into place. If you can't find her know, check her room, she is curled up with a book)

*Graduating 3 children from highschool (James, Allen & Katie)

*Spending hours studying history complete with tank/airplane coloring pages, war footage videos with James and Allen: With Greg, Katie, Will, & Amy touring Nat'l Parks & Battlefields, Presidential homes, & Washington DC.

*Watching & participating in children becoming young adults. Being with my children 24/7 offers me unique opportunities that I wouldn't have otherwise.

*Turning everyday life into a learning adventure. Yesterday, we scooped up frog eggs from our pool and now the kids are watching for tadpoles. We've been avid chicken watchers this spring/summer...they are funny to watch.

*Seeing my younger 3 children become really good friends.

*Watching the transformation to homeschool Dad in Greg. He plans wonderful adventures and trips for our family to take advantage of educational opportunities.

*The knowledge that every day, the Lord gives me the strength to handle that day and all the situations that arise.

Crocheting

Several months ago, us Keepers Moms came up with the brilliant idea of the girls learning how to crochet. They were all going to make a dishcloth to enter in the State Fair. When we sat down with the fair book, we discovered they needed to enter something larger, so they are all doing a scarf. Hopefully, there will be some completed ones.

So who did the adorably cute, wonderfully colorful dishcloth in the picture, you may be asking....ME. I can't believe its done AND that it looks decent (ok, I think its great for the first attempt). Well, its almost done, tomorrow I will have to learn how to do the border around the outside. I've got enough yarn left for another one, so it'll get started soon.

My grandmother (MaMa) crocheted ALL the time. She made beautiful afghans, bedspreads, baby sets, hats and scarves. Yesterday, when I posted on facebook that I was learning to crochet, but I wasn't convinced it was fun...My sister told me to "let out my inner MaMa." I was really thinking the inner MaMa skipped my generation, but maybe a little, tiny bit lingered. She was extremely talented and maybe she would be excited over my little dishcloth.

MaMa, we miss you bunches!

The Creation Museum in pictures

There are some things I just never thought about. Noah built the Ark for over 100 years and tried to reach his neighbors, acquaintances, in-laws, outlaws, etc with the message that the Lord God was going to destroy the earth and everyone on it. ALL they had to do was believe. Instead they made fun of Noah and his family, they scoffed at his efforts, they looked in disbelief as the Lord brought the animals. And they still refused to believe. Don't you imagine they were believers as the Lord carried out HIS plans and destroyed the earth and every living thing on it. Don't you think they would have been yelling and screaming for Noah to let them on the boat. There are many times in life that disasters bring us to the realization that the Lord is in control of EVERYTHING and not us. Do you think they believed as they were drowning? In Genesis 7 verse 8 the Bible says "The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. The the LORD SHUT THEM IN." (emphasis is mine). God gave them over a 100 years to repent and believe and they refused, then the Lord made it impossible for Noah to open the door to let anyone in.

Genesis 8:20 "Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. & 22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." & 9:11 "I establish my covenant with you; Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood, never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. & 9:13 "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

One of the several stained glass "pictures" in the museum.

A clache of fossilized dinosaur eggs.

There are still scoffers in the world. People completely ignorant of the Lord God.

Matthew 1: 21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
Luke 11:9 "Ask and it will be give to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be oped to you. 10. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
Luke 18: 16 "Let the little children come to me, do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
John 4:23 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24. God is spirit, and his worshipers mush worship in spirit and in truth."
Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me."

Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being"

having Technical Difficulties

I am having technical difficulties with the blog.
I want to change the background, but it won't stay. When you first get to the page it shows a cute background and then in about 2 seconds it changes to plain.
I am not fond of the orange-y color but its stuck on there. It is better than the black from before.
I don't know why there is a block in the middle of my screen that travels down the screen from photobucket (I haven't downloaded anything from them).

However, if you would like to read a new blog, my daughters have started one. It is aptly named...Random Thoughts of 2 Sisters. Its listed under my blogs that I follow.

If anyone has any suggestions, a blog background doctor, some tylenol for my aching head, or anything that could help...please comment and let me know!

Daybook

For today, 8-3-2010

Outside my window... sunny, hot, humid, summer...105 degrees yesterday

I am thinking... that I still have too many unfinished projects

I am thankful for... Allen's safe trip to GA, our family dinner on Sunday night, a husband who love to grill

From the learning rooms... straightening baskets, drawers, and binders for school to start next week. Planning for our Biology/History co-op with Rie.

From the kitchen... more cucumbers to cut up for relish, spaghetti for dinner, I need to get the discipline for Menu Planning back since our school schedule will start on Monday.

I am wearing... clothes, no shoes

I am creating... I finished the smocked dresses for the twins (they will get ironed today and delivered tomorrow). Have finished the word kitchen in my Donna's Kitchen picture and almost done with one N. I am also creating orderly bookcases for Greg & I. Maybe this will eliminate some endless searching for books we "know" are here somewhere. We are also creating a workshop for Greg and will be able to move his tools from the garage.

I am going... to keep organizing, to Walmart, to Walgreens to get my printer ink refilled

I am reading... Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr. This is an excellent book and easy to read but it takes time to "digest" what he writes. Its not a book to just sit down and read cover to cover. It is making me think about how much more diligent we all need to be about training and disciplining our children so they know why THEY believe, not just because we believe.

I am praying... that Allen finds a job soon in GA.

I am hearing... talk radio, computer keys being typed on, cars driving up and down the road, a lawnmower

Around the house... making the most of our last week of "Christmas in July" (we added a week since we were in VA for a week), enjoying our last NO school week (well except for Katie who is studying her College Plus books), organizing & cooking

One of my favorite things... working together as a family to finish projects "Many hands make light work"

A few things for the rest of the week... swimming, crafts, bible study, reading

Multitude Monday 321-350

321. completed baby dresses for a friend

322. Saturday morning dates with my beloved

323. safe arrival of our Mission Team to Haiti

324. boxes of new school books

325. a dinner table packed with family (I missed you Allen)

326. the smell of fresh baked wheat bread

327. payday

328. braces that make smiles even more beautiful

329. watching/hearing my 3 youngest children sing during the offertory at church yesterday with 3 of their friends

330. having books in their new home

331. back to school ads

332. the excitement of a new homeschool year starting next week

333. new crayons

334. indoor projects to do on these hot summer days

335. fresh baked muffins

336. comfortable clothes

337. sandals

338. help in the kitchen

339. praying with Greg

340. looking forward to football season

341. a successful shopping trip with Allen

342. a lunch date with Al before our shopping

343. Greg getting off work early

344. new locks and alarms on doors

345. piles of fabric

346. free homeschool resources on the internet

347. adult conversations with our children

348. the love of my husband

349. hugs & prayers with my youngest daughter

350. Allens' safe trip to GA