Building on the Good

God's Rewards

2010-03-07T22:46:00.010-06:00

We had a great day working on our farm today. The sun was shining and the weather was just wonderful, so we decided to do some clearing in our woods. After a long day of dragging and burning brush, we walked to the top of the hill to return all of our tools to the barn and found two new additions.

We are so grateful that they picked such a wonderful afternoon to come into the world. Enjoy the pictures and be blessed!

This is Lilly and her new son and daughter Kramer and Elaine. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Shhhhhh don't tell on me....

2010-03-06T11:13:00.000-06:00

O.k. so I think there is this "unspoken" rule among the great photographers that says you don't show your original unedited photos to ANYONE. But since I don't consider myself even a very good photographer, YET, and you all know how I feel about rules, I don't feel that this applies to me so here goes.

Shhhhhhhh........o.k. for those of you who don't have all that fancy editing software, a.k.a., me...I used the photo editing software that came with my laptop. You heard me the "l-cheapo" software by Microsoft. My challenge for myself was to edit all of my pictures taken during the I Heart Faces Photo Walk with my free software.

Now, do I realize that there is an abundance of neat stuff that can be done with above mentioned expensive soft wares? Well the answer is a resounding YES! But I am not in a place right now to purchase said software so here goes nothing!

Just for fun:

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So that's it folks. I'd love to hear your comments. Let me know what you think! : ) And I promise that next time I'll try not to wait so long to post.

I Heart Faces Photo Walk

2010-02-08T09:00:00.001-06:00

So I was lucky enough to be able to make the trip to Nashville TN Sunday morning to go on the I Heart Faces Photo Walk. It was so much fun to meet and see so many other bloggers/photographers.

Not that I would even put myself in the same category as them as far as either goes. None the less it was great fun! Freezing cold but great fun.

I'm editing the pics now so hopefully I'll have them up this week. I am also not a great photo editor nor do I have all the expensive software to go along with it. But I do the best I can with what I have and I think that's just great, that's what Building on the Good is all about anyway, isn't it?

Here's a little preview of what I shot......

stay tuned!

Happy Valentines Day!!

2010-02-07T17:15:00.013-06:00

I know it's not Valentines Day yet but I felt "lovely" today so Pink-Laptop and I decided to make our treats for our home school Valentines party. Later this week we are going to meet with all of our group and make Valentines for our Meals on Wheels friends and then hang out with our friends at the Waves center.

These little candy holders are so easy to make. Here's how:

First cut a piece of card-stock 6x6 inches square. Then score at 4" and then again at 2" turn paper and score again at 4" and 2". Then score the corners just to the first fold. Punch holes in the 4 corners, run a small ribbon through the holes gather around a sucker and voila your ready to fill with candy.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

My Ears Are Burning

2010-01-27T10:03:00.010-06:00

Lately there has been much controversy and discussion among my Charlotte Mason friends about my use of Switched on Schoolhouse so I dedicate this post to them and to all of you out there in Cyber-Space who have questions about the dreaded "Which Home School Curriculum will I use Drama".

First let me preface this post by saying everyone is DIFFERENT! We all have different convictions and callings from the Lord. In order to truly follow what He has called us to do we need to fully trust in Him, keeping our eyes focused on Jesus and not the other runners in this race we call life.

I believe that the Charlotte Mason method is a wonderful way to teach your children, grow closer to them ,and spend sweet moments reading books that you may have never heard of when you were in school. I have loved these moments with my kids and they have continued through this curriculum change. There is no reason to ever stop reading to your children.

In my opinion, each of us at some point must determine to help our children become independent learners and show them what that means. My way of doing this has been through Switched on Schoolhouse.

Some of you may find this shocking but, I am not Super-Mom and I am happy to admit that I do need a little help grading my kids work, coming up with what they should study, and creating a lesson plan. Can I do this on my own? YES, I have for the last 5 years. Do I love that with Switched on Schoolhouse it is already done for me? YES!

Most articles I've read recently say deadlines are not respected by home school students at the college level. I find that very telling of what home school children need to be taught when considering the gaps that the anti-home school community speak of.

Has this been an easy transition? NO! Did I want to throw in the towel and quit many times? YES! But there are few times in my life that I can remember anything that was beneficial to my family being easy. In fact I don't know of many examples in the Bible, my road map for life, where a blessing was just handed over with no preparation before hand. God wants to mold our thinking. He is the potter and we are the clay.

Take this time to let Him mold you into the mother and teacher He wants you to be. It will not be easy but it will be rewarding.

Lastly, although Switched on Schoolhouse is a complete curriculum and you don't need to add anything to it you can combine it with the Charlotte Mason reading philosophy and have the best of both worlds.

Until next time, enjoy the journey!!!!

On a roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-04T21:51:00.003-06:00

I had a great time making this for my nephew's 4th birthday. I think some of my favorite kiddos will be getting these for Christmas. : )

Go here to make one for yourself.

From My Kitchen Window

2009-10-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is what I see when I look out my kitchen window.

It's the view I take for granted because I am usually washing the dishes when I look out. Sometimes I look out and I wonder why I get to be so lucky to have all that I have.

Then I remember singing a song in church as a child, "Count Your Many Blessings See What God Has Done", and I stand there in awe of how good He has been to my family and me.

I don't just mean monetary things either. I have the most wonderful, hard-working husband in the world. My kids are healthy and happy. My parents, sister, and in-loves live just down the street. My friends are always there when I need them. I am truly in the place I used to only dream of.

I challenge you to take a look at the "little things" and realize how great they really are.

God is good.

Basset Hound Puppies

2009-10-09T19:07:00.005-05:00

On Tuesday night around 10pm our basset hound "Flash" went into labor and had had 5 puppies when I decided to go to bed at 2 am. When we got up Wed. morning we were delighted to find that she had given birth to a total of 7 puppies. All of them were healthy and as far as I could tell we didn't even have a runt.

We were able to spend two wonderful days playing with all 7 of them and have fallen in love with each one of them.

Then unfortunately this morning when went up to the barn to check on them, two of them were gone. Vanished without a trace. We are so saddened by this but are happy that we still have 5 puppies and a healthy mom and that we were able to move them into the laundry room of our house to ensure their safety.

If anyone out there knows what kind predator I might be dealing with I'd love to hear any tips on how to eliminate it!!!!!

We have been blessed. Enjoy the pics : )

I ♥ Faces "Completely Candid" Photo Challenge

2009-09-21T11:26:00.007-05:00

I am posting an entry for I ♥ Faces. This is a website that my BFF discovered and I thought that this picture was perfect for the "Completely Candid" contest.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my niece. I took it this summer while we were on vacation. I love to watch her eat, as food always ends up all over her!

Remember I don't in any way claim to be a photographer so I am entering this strictly as a beginner!!!! I'd love to hear you comments and constructive criticism! Wish me luck!

Super Cute Card

2009-09-21T10:00:00.006-05:00

I made this oh so cute card for hubbies cousin who's having a baby soon. She painted her nursery lime green and trimmed it with white and black. I haven't gotten to see it but I'm sure it's just beautiful. I have to admit I though it was an odd choice of colors but after using the colors to make this card the scheme has really grown on me.

I just can't get over how great it turned out because most times when I try to make one of these something goes wrong. This is definitely going to be my go to card from now on. It looks so complicated but really isn't that difficult. Thanks to The Craftiblog for the super easy tutorial. Stop by and make your own.

I also decided to make a fancy envelope because a card this cute deserves it!

Baby Boy Scrapbook Album

2009-09-19T22:00:00.003-05:00

Tonight my BFF and I decided to hang out and scrap at my kitchen table. After we stuffed ourselves with queso and chicken quesadillas we broke open the new Creative Memories Baby Boy PicFolio Quick Kit that she brought over. I ordered it, with mother and sister-in-love, as a gift for hubbies cousin who is about to have a baby. Because as we all know no one has time to scrap with a new baby. It is fabulous and so very simple. It only took me 30 minutes and as you can see from the pics it is super cute!! Now all she has to do is add her pictures and voila shes done!

The New Cricut Gypsy

2009-09-19T09:34:00.005-05:00

For all you scrappers out there who love your Cricut as much as I do, you have to head on over to Cutting Above for a chance to win the new Gypsy. It goes on sale Sept. 24th on HSN!! It's like having design studio at your fingertips with no computer to carry around. You can upload all of your cartridges to it. Just think all you have to carry in your scrappin' bag is this little Gypsy no more hauling all of those cartridges. And it will plug into any Cricut!!!!

Don't forget to look around on Cutting Above . They have some wonderful tutorials to help you with all your scrappin'!

Good luck everyone!

Hello Again!

2009-09-16T18:15:00.011-05:00

Well it was a busy summer and an even busier start to the new school year. Everything I thought I'd do didn't get done and everything I had no intention of doing did get done. Go figure! That's my life.

I started a completely different school approach this year for both of my kiddos. So, needless to say we had a rocky start! R2D2 was not a fan of all my new ideas and Pink Laptop just jumped right on the bandwagon which made R2D2 that much angrier.

As we have worked out the kinks things have gotten lots better and we have had lots of days smooth sailing! Praise God!

This is our workload for the year. Let me know what you think.

R2D2 is doing-

7th Grade Switched on Schoolhouse-Bible, Language Arts, Science, and History/Geography

Picturing America Art Study

Math-U-See Pre-Algebra

Sonlight Core 5 Eastern Hemisphere Readers, Read Alouds and History Books

The Big Book of Lively Latin (This is our most favorite thing this year!)

Pink Laptop is doing-

4th Grade Switched on Schoolhouse-Bible, Language Arts, Science, Math and History/ Geography

Picturing America Art Study

Math-U-See Delta (Yes that's two maths, she needed the review.)

Sonlight Core 5 Eastern Hemisphere Readers, Read Alouds and History Books

The Big Book of Lively Latin

Art Academy on Wednesdays (At a local church.)

So that's what our school year looks like so far. It will be interesting to look at this come April or May and see how much it has changed. : )

That's all for now. Don't forget to build on all the good that's in your life. Chances are you'll forget there ever was any bad!

Until next time....................

Weekend Camping!

2009-06-14T17:39:00.011-05:00

We finally got to go camping this past weekend. I thought you'd all enjoy seeing how silly my family really is! Sat. morning we decided to go swimming and unfortunately, due to a tornado in May, this is what we found! Luckily there was another pool at the front of the campground.
For some reason my kids like for their dad to throw them in the air?
"Filing Triple" (Prince Charmings BFF) takes a dip and a flip.

"Pink Laptop" soars through the air!

"R2D2" slides on the water!

We got a little exercise on our bikes and found out how young at heart "Prince Charming" and "Filing Triple" are!

We even made a new friend! This box turtle was very friendly and let me get right next to him to catch a great photo.
Although R2D2 didn't catch anything big enough to keep he had a great time fishing!

Indoor baseball was a blast! I couldn't get that beanbag through the hole to save my life but it was great fun anyway! The taunting from "Filing Triple" was relentless but that's why I call him "Filing Triple" because when I met "Prince Charming" he came along with him! "Fix-all" (my dad) even got in on the fun while "I'd rather be in Paris" (my mom) watched and laughed at us all!

"Filing Triple" and his better half "Hounds Tooth".
"Filing Triple" and "Pink Laptop"

"Pink Laptop" and "Hounds Tooth"

Now you see um, now you don't

2009-06-02T22:27:00.009-05:00

Due to her tiny petite mouth "Pink Laptop" had to have braces just before her 8th birthday, in order to make enough room for her permanent teeth to come in. She was such a trooper through the whole thing. I couldn't have been prouder of her. But I was thrilled when the day came to get them off!

As the tears filled her eyes she tried to keep herself together.

I held on tight to her had and said some prayers for her pain as well as prayers of thanks that I brought her instead of her daddy who wouldn't have been able to handle it!

I don't know that I fully prepared her for the pain of the removal. She wasn't expecting it to hurt quite so much. This is the look I got after all the brackets were taken off.

This is our kind orthodontist who nicknamed her "sweet-girl" and was so wonderful to work with.

This is the yummy past that goes into your mouth to make the mold. I remember having this done when I was a kid and thinking I was going to choke as it filled up the back of my throat.

This is what "R2D2" did in the waiting room. As you can see he makes himself at home no matter where we go!

The end result.....BEAUTIFUL!

Spring Babies

2009-06-02T19:55:00.005-05:00

Say hello to a few of our babies, born this spring!

"Hay"-Watch Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-29T22:38:00.009-05:00

My dear sweet father-in-love has an obsession with hay. He eats, sleeps, and breaths it this time of year. Well he doesn't really eat it but this time of year is a crazy time for him as he drives his tractor from field to field in the pursuit of COW FOOD!

Tonight, however he is counting his blessings. And I count him lucky to be walking away unscathed.

This afternoon as he drove down my neighbors driveway he flipped his tractor over while moving to avoid the "Super Deadline Seeking UPS Man"! The package got delivered on time though, because the driver only paused long enough to shout "are you o.k.", and then sped off to make his next delivery. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I think I'll be using the U.S.P.S for my next few packages!

Father-in-love is doing fine and only had to replace a few tractor parts.

God is good, all the time!

Schools Out for Summer!!!!

2009-05-16T08:02:00.003-05:00

We finally finished our school year! Yahoo! I don't think I've been this excited to finish school since I was in school myself! I love homeschooling but come about April "I AM DONE"! Now for summer plans.....well I have 2 weekend getaways planned so far, just for me. And as for the rest of the summer I plan to:
-read/study my Bible
-blog
-sew
-scrap
-ride my new bike
-cuddle with my kids and nieces and nephew
-make a quilt for my sons bed
-go crazy making stuff with my cricut
-paint and redo my daughters closet
-lounge by the pool!
-lounge by the pool!
-lounge by the pool!
-continue meeting you guys
-reconnect with friends
-make gifts for all the people in my life that are having babies

So what are your plans for the summer???

Pay It Forward

2009-05-08T22:21:00.006-05:00

I saw this post the other day on Anne of Blue Gables . I, too always like to make things for people, so I decided to participate. I am totally borrowing Annies rules, so here we go:

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. This is an adventure!

2. What I create will be just for you with love and good wishes. It will be made of actual materials, not of cyberspace.

3. It will be done this year (2009).

4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be!

5. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your Blog and create five things for the first 5 people to respond to your post.

6. Send your mailing address after I contact you.

IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if you do not post on your own blog to pay this forward.

Please post a comment or "drop me a line" if you'd like to participate.

Llama Llama Lost Their Pajamas!

2009-05-05T11:19:00.006-05:00

We had our Llamas sheared yesterday. It was over in no time but Kuzco wanted no part of it!

He fought hard but as you can see from the pictures he lost!

Gracie was as good as ever.

She is such a sweet girl!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!!!

2009-05-02T19:32:00.005-05:00

Today is my Dad's birthday. Tonight we enjoyed lots of food and a great time with each other.

Best of Friends

2009-05-01T18:59:00.004-05:00

What is a BFF anyway?
I listened to a talk recently from a home school mom about friends and how having too many "friends" can literally suck the life out of you. I agree and disagree with this. I agree because a good friend can mean more than a coveted cup of morning coffee. (I have some really great friends.) A great friend can teach you more about yourself than you may have ever figured out on your own.
On the flip side I've starting thinking what kind of friend I am? What kind of friend do I want to be. Am I that friend that is sucking the life out of someone? Or am I someone that is making someones life better by being in it?

I remember as a child being on the playground and someone coming up and saying will you be my best friend? Only to find out the next day that she was best friends with someone else.
So how many friends do you have? Do you have one or many. What kind of friend are you?

Our New Baby Goes Outside

2009-04-05T10:11:00.004-05:00

Elizabeth ran and jumped and seemed to love the sunshine while her mom, Lily got to munch on some fresh cut grass. They are both doing well and we are so thankful.

I got a great picture of our barn as well. I just love our farm in the spring. Everything is so green and beautiful and there is new life everywhere. It reminds me of how faithful God is and how he always takes care of us. And makes me think of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus tells us not to worry as even the birds are taken care of by our heavenly father. He is awesome and amazing.

Mini Truck Show-First Place and Best of Show

2009-04-04T21:07:00.010-05:00

UPDATE: Look who won First Place and Best of Show, Mini-Truck! Congratulations, Little Bro!

We enjoyed a great day with my brother-in-love at a local Car Show that he entered his truck in today. He has worked so hard on it and we are so happy for him. At the last show he entered he walked away with First Place in his class.

Dear hubby and his baby brother.
My dream car.... I know it's cheesy, but I love it and some day dear hubby's going to buy us one so we can go out west.
Dear hubby's dream truck
My silly kiddos!!!!

Mom's Pizza Crust Recipe

2009-04-03T10:44:00.007-05:00

O.k. I have to give a shout out to my mom, "Hi, Mom"!

My Mom has the best and easiest pizza crust recipe ever and I wanted to share it with all of you.

1 to 2 tbsp. butter

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Place butter in a 13 x 9 pan and melt while preheating oven to 400. (Being careful not to burn the butter.)

Beat milk and eggs in a bowl with a wire whisk. Add in remaining ingredients, beating until smooth.

Remove pan from oven and tilt to coat sides. Pour in batter (it will be VERY thin, don't worry) and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 and bake for 10 minutes longer.

Top with you favorite sauce and toppings and place back in oven for 8 to 10 minutes to melt cheese.

Makes about 4 servings.

Feel free to add your favorite spices to the crust mix to add a little kick!

Thanks Mom!!!!!

The things we do for love.....

2009-04-02T10:00:00.007-05:00

A few weekends ago we went to Bristol TN to the Nascar Race. Now let me assure you that racing is not really my thing but when we surprised our son with the tickets for his birthday I thought he might pass out.

Really who would think that a little boy would get that excited to watch cars go in circles 500 times?!# Wait a minute am I talking about dear hubby or dear son?

But the most amazing reaction was from our daughter! She was speechless (if you knew her you'd know how amazing that really is)! She almost couldn't control herself!

We had a great time camping with my Dad (who provided us with our wonderful camping accommodations) and dear hubby's best friend who always provides us with side splitting laughter!

It's a Girl!!

2009-03-31T16:56:00.005-05:00

Say hello to the first baby born on our farm!!!!

Dear Hubby just happened to go outside this afternoon and there in the woods was the new nanny with her very first kid! They are both doing well, happy and warm in the barn.

This is Elizabeth.

As we were watching mother and baby in the barn my dear son said, "Mom we don't even have to do anything to learn about stuff around here....we just have to watch." I couldn't agree more!

Quote to Ponder

2009-03-26T10:00:00.003-05:00

And Remember,
No Matter Where You Go,
There You Are.

Some of my Favorite Scrapbook Pages

2009-03-25T10:00:00.003-05:00

Every year my very talented BFF comes over and takes pictures of the kids in the front yard with all of the leaves.

I thought these pictures were some of the best yet! She always manages to capture my kids perfectly!

I used my Creative Memories papers and cut the embellishments using my Cricut.

Decorating Your Home with Creative Memories and Your Cricut!!!!!

2009-03-24T19:00:00.001-05:00

I have been meaning to post something about how much I LOVE the Cricut Expression that my parents gave me for Christmas and am now finally finding the time to not only tell you all how much I love it but hopefully inspire you to make something for yourself as well.

I saw a really cool idea on this blog and decided to tweak it to my own taste.

Instead of using fabric I used my Creative Memories scrapbook paper and various other things I had in my craft stash. I went to my local craft store and bought some canvases already stretched onto frames and then added the paper and embellishments. I made the letter T using my Cricut and hung the ribbon of various lengths all over. My daughter loved this project and I have to get on the ball and help her make some of these for her room.

I think it turned out really cool. The best thing about it is that I can change out the pictures anytime I want.

For more info on Creative Memories click here for my BFF's website.

Snow Day

2009-03-03T22:18:00.004-06:00

We started out the snow day with some buttermilk pancakes..........

O.k. now we've had our one "good" snow and I'm ready for SPRING!!!!!!

Indoor Tent

2009-03-03T19:39:00.003-06:00

My kids love to build tents all over the house and it drives their Dad up the wall! Tonight, though they got a free pass and took advantage of it.

Think they'll get any sleep?????? We'll see.

Fragile X hope, one day at a time.

2009-03-03T18:55:00.001-06:00

Fragile What?

2009-03-03T18:02:00.006-06:00

In my search for more information on Fragile X, I came across a website with useful videos on it and thought I would share some of them with you.

What is the Fragile X Syndrome

Nature Study

2009-02-27T21:31:00.038-06:00

I am trying to make a better effort to study nature with my children. Even when it is still cold and dreary outside. We've started reading The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock you can see it HERE. It is a wonderfully written "old" book that is great for someone like me that has little science wisdom. We also enjoy visiting THIS blog which has some great tips for using the book.

Here are a few pictures of some of the things we enjoyed on our walk.....

This is a picture of our "curly tree". It's in what I guess you would call the back 40 of our yard, only it's not a back 40 it's a back 10 but who's counting?

We also noticed this interesting bracket fungus on another tree.

We ended our afternoon study by taking some time to write in our nature journals.

Warmer Weather, Finally!!!!

2009-02-12T19:57:00.001-06:00

We enjoyed some much needed outdoor time recently. It's been so cold that we haven't spent more than 10 minutes outside in weeks!

As you can see everyone was very happy to see us!

May I have your attention-PLEASE!

2009-02-10T22:23:00.000-06:00

As I have been digging to my study of Charlotte Mason and her teaching philosophies I have been convicted to start working on habits. The politically correct name for this would be character traits which if you've been to your local public school lately, or driven by it you know that this is something that over the last few years has become very important there as well. (I wonder why this is?)

Charlotte felt that the their were three very important habits to start your habit training with; attention, obedience, and truthfulness. She believed that when teaching these habits you should make sure that the habit of attention was obtained first. Because if your child can't pay attention then how will you be able to teach them any habits?

So we began our habit venture with attention because if any of you have ever been around children you know getting them to pay attention is HARD!!!!!

Proverbs 4:20 says "My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words". And
Proverbs 12:11 says "He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment."

I always find it comical that when you decide to work on something in your life it starts coming at you from all sides. For instance yesterday my son came to me with three new very complicated creations and began a very detailed explanation of them. Now being the good example that I try to be I dropped everything and listened intently to how they were assembled and what their attack and defense modes were. And let me tell you when you have 5 thousand mommy things that you have to do it is hard to pay attention! And then it seemed that all at once the phone started ringing, the menagerie of animals needed attention, the laundry needed folding, you get the idea. But I just stood there and listened and then it dawned on me....how can I expect my kids to pay attention if I can't even do it myself.

So once again the Lord has impressed on me that He is my only source of strength and if I want to teach attention skills to my kids I have to always pay attention to that still small voice that says let me lead your life and everything will fall into place.

So no matter what season of life you are in think about whether or not you are paying attention to the Lord and the people he is bringing into your life. He may have something really big in store for you and if you aren't paying attention you may miss it.

A Laptop Birthday!!!!

2009-01-19T20:30:00.000-06:00

We celebrated my daughters birthday this weekend and I just had to show you all how talented my husband is.

I spent the weekend at a scrapbook retreat but before I left I baked a cake and since I ran out of time (which keeps happening to me lately) I told my dear hubby to just go to the store and get some icing and pipe the words Happy Birthday on it.

So as you might imagine I was shocked and amazed when I came home to this beautiful cake!

Why a laptop you ask???? My dear daughter has been working and saving her money for about 8 months and as of last night has a laptop on order!!!! We are so proud of her for not giving in and accomplishing her goal!!!!

Friday Night Dancing

2009-01-10T10:00:00.000-06:00

My Grandfather-in-love has enjoyed going to a local "dance hall" on Friday nights for the last several months. A few weeks ago my kids got to tag along and had a great time!
My two little sweethearts.

My daughter and her "PaPaw"

"The Junk Yard Band"

My Little Hunter

2009-01-05T11:39:00.000-06:00

My son got to go on his first hunting trip with my Dad recently. Although they didn't have any luck with the hunt they had a great time together!

Fruit of the spirit

2009-01-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

I spend LOTS of time stressing about my parenting abilities or lack thereof. Then God brings me a little light and I see something like this.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace,...... patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control Galatians 5:22-23

I am so happy that my children are being taught by God how to care for others and how His gentle love can be spread by them even in the small things.

The Hiding Place

2009-01-02T17:12:00.000-06:00

I just finished listening to the audio of the book The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. I can't recommend it enough. It is a wonderful story that is not only heart breaking but uplifting. It is the true story of Corrie, her sister and their father and what they endured during WW2. After being captured for hiding Jews, Corrie tells what it was like to live in a concentration camp. It is truly amazing how God's hand was over her and how he provided in unbelievable ways, once with fleas, so that the message of his love could be spread to the hopeless.

It's books like this that make me sad that I don't have a better education and also make me thankful that I have the opportunity to teach my own children and expose them to great literature.

I have also realized that I should, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I hope if you have the opportunity you will read this book and thank God for using every circumstance in your life (negative or otherwise) to grow His kingdom.

Until next time.........

A Red Letter Day.....

2008-12-05T22:31:00.000-06:00

Lately my mother-in-law has been unknowingly teaching me to appreciate the magic of ordinary days. I didn't however realize how much that appreciation is spilling over into my kids.

Today on the way home from a home school field trip, my kids expressed how wonderful their day was by calling it a red letter day. (This is a phrase my mother-in-law uses but I never really considered the meaning of.) So when we got home I, being the Google University Graduate that I am, decided to look it up.

Wikipedia defines it as "any day of special significance". Which made me start thinking about all of the days I have taken for granted the special things, and how I need to show more appreciation for those things so that my kids will do the same.

You know what I mean, everyone has those "any days" when nothing really spectacular happens. We are often on auto pilot with our list of to-dos or in my case a list of books to read, math problems to check, laundry to fold, bills to pay, meals to cook, phone calls to return, you fill in the blank.

We tend to let the simple but special things just float by without ever really realizing the significance they could have in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

As this time in my life passes so quickly I am thankful that I am getting to live everyday with my kids and for this special red letter day.

Our newest addition.

2008-12-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

Please welcome our newest edition, Scarlet. Born on October 28th.

A Great Thanksgiving Photo

2008-12-03T20:54:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my husband's family. He managed to take this beautiful photo of our daughter with her great-grandmother. "Granny" is 92 and we love her dearly.

100 Things about me, which I'm sure is 99 more than you wanted to know.

2008-11-23T09:00:00.000-06:00

1. I love Jesus. Without him I would be face down on the floor with the only piece of dirt that exists in the room on my forehead.

2. I fell in love with my husband the first time I saw him.

3. He came into the video store that I worked in and rented a movie.

4. He was so handsome I almost fell over!

5. When he returned the movie it smelled like his cologne.

6. My friend and I sniffed it for the rest of the night.

7. I asked him to help me take out the trash.

8. He asked me out.

9. On our first date we listened to the Diamond Rio CD Love a Little Stronger about 5 times.

10. We drove around for two hours while we waited for the movie The Lion King to start.

11. We got married when I was 19 and he was 20.

12. We weren't even old enough to buy a drink.

13. But we could buy a house.

14. I wore this puffy sleeved wedding dress that I wish I had simplified.

15. We didn't go on a honeymoon.

16. We didn't have any money.

17. Because we bought the house.

18. My husband did not sing to me at our wedding.

19. He sings really well.

20. In fact he was soooo nervous at our wedding that he did not move.

21. He is in the same exact spot in every picture that was taken.

22. He sings to me now, almost every day.

23. I love to sing but I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.

24. I always sing in the car.

25. I apologize to my kids.

26. They tell me they love to hear me sing.

27. They just sing right along with me.

28. I love them.

29. I was born and have always lived in Tennessee.

30. I had my first child at 20 and second at 23.

31. I'm glad I was young, I couldn't do this if I was old!

32. I love a tank-top and a pair of flip-flops.

33. I wore flip-flops in November last year and loved it.

34. My husband's aunt said, Beth, honey you have on flip-flops!

35. I think she thought I didn't know.

36. I prefer jeans over shorts or skirts.

37. Miranda Lambert's song Crazy X-Girlfriend would have been my theme song if it had been out when I was a teenager!

38. I'm a homeschooling mom.

39. I only have to be one day smarter than my kids.

40. So far, so good.

41. I love to cook.

42. I also love to eat.

43. This can be a problem.

44. My husband doesn't love to eat.

45. My husband loves sports, football is his favorite.

46. I'll never understand football.

47. This can also be a problem.

48. I love my friends.

49. I don't like it when my family looks over my shoulder when I type!

50. I had braces as a teen....wear your retainer.

51. I was raised Baptist and now I am non-denominational, just a Christian that loves Jesus.

52. This is a problem for my mother.

53. I still love her anyway.

54. I love to drive my Lexus.

55. I gave birth to both of my children with no drugs!

56. I love gory medical shows, like E.R and Plastic Surgery Before and After.

57. My husband makes me turn them off.

58. I went to college for 3 weeks.

59. I wanted to be an E.M.T.

60. I wish I hadn't quit.

61. I love to get and give hugs.

62. My house is very clean.

63. I started a house cleaning business 10 years ago.

64. Now my husband runs it.

65. It pays our bills.

66. I hate getting bills in the mail.

67. I wish I could pay everything at the beginning of the year and then not think about it again.

68. I have lots of books in my house.

69. Last time I counted I was up to 850.

70. I guess I should be smart because of this?

71. I wonder what happened.

72. I love Dr. Pepper and Cherry Pepsi.

73. I can't drink them often.

74. The caffeine makes me pee, a lot.

75. I had to have a hysterectomy right after I turned 28.

76. I wanted to have more kids.

77. Hormone replacement STINKS!

78. I hope I have lots of grandchildren.

79. Everyone in my house knows how to turn the lights on.

80. No one in my house knows how to turn lights off.

81. My house was built in 1827.

82. It is beautiful.

83. We remodeled it.

84. It took 2 years.

85. I hope we can remodel a house again, soon.

86. My husband says NO.

87. We'll see if I can change his mind ; )

88. My idea of a good time is taking a house apart and fixing it.

89. That is not my husbands idea of a good time.

90. But he loves me and sometimes he'll do it anyway.

91. I have 2 bunnies,

92. 3 ducks,

93. 2 dogs,

94. 3 sheep,

95. 2 calves,

96. 7 goats,

97. and 2Llamas........for pets.

98. I had 2 dogs growing up,

99. and some guppy fish.

100. I don't think my kids are missing out on anything.

An eventful day....

2008-11-22T13:14:00.001-06:00

Anyone who knows me knows that instead of spending today in the woods repairing fence that I would rather be inside my nice warm house with a good book or working on a scrapbook page. They also know that my dear sweet husband, who is at a football game, should be fixing the fence.

In fact every time my mom comes over she says I bet you never dreamed you would have all of these animals did you. Sometimes I think she is asking herself that because she never dreamed I would have them, but anyway the point is that instead of sewing some Christmas presents for my nieces (which was the original plan) I got to spend the day waiting for my dear sweet father-in-love to come and help me fix the fence. I say help I really just watched him.

You see the beautiful goats that we received yesterday(more on that later) decided that the grass was a little greener on the interstate side and they would like to live life in the fast lane and decided to venture over and see what they could find! So after begging them to forgive me for apparently not accommodating them to their standards they came back over.

When my father-in-love arrived to help with the fence he had an early Christmas present for the kids. Meet Drake on the left and Zachariah on the right.

So come spring, if all goes well, I guess we will have some kids and lambs??????

All together it was a day well spent on the farm.

What are you teaching/what have you learned?

2008-11-21T18:09:00.000-06:00

Our local home school group has a moms meeting every month. This month we met at my house and listened to Andrew Pudewa's talk "How to Teach Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day". Mr. Peduwa has 8 children that he has/is home schooling and is the creator of the Institute for Excellence in Writing program that we use for writing/grammar.

(You can read more about it here http://tinyurl.com/5srz85 )

It was a wonderful talk and sent me on a thinking journey with myself about how I teach my kids and what I have learned from them.

When I started homeschooling I looked at the "veterans" and said I can't wait until I can be like that. You know, they looked liked they had it all together and were comfortable and overall just able to home school with no problems.

Now 5 years later I've realized that it is just like being a Christian, it just gets better all the time. No one ever feels like they have it all together, no matter how it looks from the outside. We are all just waiting on the Lord (or some spiritual outside circumstance for those who aren't Christians) to lead us into the direction we need to go.

Home schooling is just like life. It's never easy and you never quite know just how to do it. It takes lots of research, prayer and meditation but with each season you grow and learn. As my husbands best friend would say "it's a marathon not a sprint".

Homeschooling for me is just an extension of my mothering, it will never end. My children will always learn from me. Even when I am unknowingly teaching things that don't benefit them.

So what are you teaching those around you and what can you learn from them? After hearing Mr. Peduwa I'm going to try and make sure I'm open to being taught.

In loving Memory of "Kody". We miss you very much. Thank you for teaching us how to love.

My Saint Goes Marching in Camo

2008-11-18T19:06:00.000-06:00

My dear sweet son has worked so hard to learn this song. I am so proud of him! He decided to record it while sporting his new camo coveralls. Ha! Boys will be boys!

Thank you to our wonderful piano teacher, we love you Miss. Rachel!

Yummy biscuits

2008-11-12T12:02:00.000-06:00

We recently read the book The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed. I highly recommend it for anyone reading about early American settlers. Patience was the only girl on her ship and naturally became the cook. In the end of the book there are some wonderful recipes and I wanted to share one of our favorites with you.

Patience's Biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lard
3/4 cup buttermilk (for those of you who don't have buttermilk mix 1 tablespoon vinegar with regular milk to make it sour)

Preheat your oven to 450 F. Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in the lard or shortening with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk just until blended. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently until the dough forms a smooth ball. Roll out 1/2 inch thick and cut into circles with a biscuit or cookie cutter.

Place biscuits close together, edges touching, on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown. Makes about 12 biscuits.

I have also made several batches of these and kept them in the freezer in a plastic bag . They cook up wonderfully, just increase the cooking time by 5 to 7 minutes. Be sure you individually quick freeze them before putting them in the bag so they don't stick together.

Happy Baking!

What are you thankful for?

2008-11-11T13:00:00.000-06:00

First and foremost I am thankful for my lord and savior Jesus Christ who makes all things in my life possible. Secondly I am thankful for my husband. Who is the hardest working man in the world! Thirdly I am thankful for my healthy children. And fourth-Barkley, Flash, Gracie, Madeline, Speedy, Petey, Wheaty, Angel, Snow, Little Bill, Lily, Nanny McPhee, Bessie, Velvet, Brownie, and Beatrix (our animals). Some other things that I'm thankful for that certainly make my life more enjoyable are....

-Homeschooling
-Charlotte Mason
-Cheesecake
-Pizza
-Sushi
-Dr.Pepper
-In laws
-Fireplaces
-Books
-Coffee with whip cream
-My Laptop
-Chenille
-Bubble baths
-Grace Chapel
-Antiques
-Hardwood Floors
-Cozy Sweaters
-Quilts
-Front Porch Swings

-Grandparents

-Music

-Animals

-Seasons of life and nature

-Nieces and Nephews

-Friends old and new

-Trees

-Creeks with waterfalls

-Clean Houses

-Spinach Artichoke Dip

-My Kitchen

So in closing don't forget to be thankful, even for the "little things". Remember in this time of uncertainty in our world to lift your eyes to the Lord and think him for his faithfulness and protection over you.

Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday!

2008-11-10T11:10:00.001-06:00

Yes, I did write happy four times! In this family we start November out with a bang! My brother-in-love, nephew, husband and then our dog Barkley all have November birthdays!

This is my husband with his brother at our house for a family birthday party.

This is my sweet nephew and my sister-in-love blowing out his 3rd birthday candle.

And this is the cake that we made for him. He had a cow themed birthday because he has learned to say mooooo and loves to say it all the time!

Barkly had a great birthday as well. We got him a girlfriend! Her name is "Flash". I'll post a picture of the two of them soon. She is a wonderful dog and we love her as much as he does.

Today, I discovered my pre-teens stash!

2008-10-29T15:40:00.000-05:00

Today as we were reading in our Apologia Science book concerning insects I was presented with something that I didn't even know existed.....in my own house.

Let me explain: There is a section in each lesson titled Try This! and in this particular lesson the author encourages the teacher and student to go out and catch an insect in a jar to observe.

Now being that I was nice and cozy on my couch in my warm house I had no desire to venture outdoors and hunt for insects, I had already decided that we would just look at the pictures and pretend we had a real insect. But,oh to my surprise my wonderful son already had that covered!

Mom he says, "I have a ton of insects in my room, I can go get them if you want!" Now this as you might imagine brings a quizzical look to my face and even a little worry to my mind but I proceed to follow him to his room to find this box "filled" with insects, thankfully all dead, a snake skin, rocks and several casts. For those of you who like me aren't scientists a cast (my son informs me and we soon read in the lesson) is part of an insects molted exoskeleton that is shed when they grow too large for it.

So this is my son's box of most prized possessions.

I must send out a hearty thanks to my dear sweet intelligent son who never ceases to amaze me and is JUST LIKE HIS FATHER who is always pulling something over on us all! (I can hear the laughter from our relatives who are reading this.)

And his wonderful sister who he teaches everyday and is eager to learn form him.

So there's another home school day for the books. I pray that we are lucky enough to make exciting discoveries like this everday.

Face

2008-10-22T06:51:00.000-05:00

What exactly does that word mean? We all have one. But what will you "face" today, this week, this month? And then what will your face look like?

I look at this face and I don't see a challenge, I see a face of love and potential.
This is the face of my nephew, pictured this summer, during a wonderful afternoon of fun with the sprinkler and slip and slide.

We have recently been told though, that this is one of the many faces of Fragile X. So, now we are facing many obstacles and questions. But all I see in this sweet face..........is a child with not a worry in the world. So, what are you facing today?

Feminine Appeal

2008-10-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

I just finished the Bible study Feminine Appeal. In my opinion, it is a must read for any wife/mother that would like to strengthen her walk with the Lord. I wanted to mention one section specifically though. This is a touchy subject in most churches and many marriages and I wanted to give kudos to the author, Carolyn Mahaney, for putting it all out on the table and really giving a wonderful explanation of what God meant when He said the verses in 1 Peter 3:1-6. We've all heard it before.....wives SUBMIT to your husbands, and thought WHAT????

1 Likewise, wives, be subject to you own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives-

2when they see your respectful and pure conduct.

3Do not let your adorning be external-the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing-

4but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

5For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands,

6as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. NIV

Carolyn first discusses verse 1, she says, "It is crucial that we pause and consider these two points of clarification-First of all, note to whom this command is addressed: to wives. Submission was not our husband's idea, and neither are they responsible to enforce it. This command is not divine permission for husbands to assert authoritarian leadership. Nowhere in Scripture does it say, "Husbands see to it that your wives submit.""

She goes on to say, "The requirement to submit to our husbands comes straight from God, to us as wives. And we are answerable to Him for our obedience. We cannot blame our husbands for our lack of submission. The responsibility is entirely ours!"

"Secondly, we ascertain to whom we are to submit. As married women, we are not to submit to all men, but rather to our husbands. Conversely, we should not seek leadership from other men. apart from our husbands, no matter how worthy they are of honor or respect. We are to be subject to our own husbands."

She also focuses on those two little words that create such anxiety in the church, "be subject". To most people who read these words a brainless robot with little to no value or status pops into mind. But as Carolyn explains, being subject, is an honorable role that calls forth the full measure of our energy, ability, and godly character. For as we see in Genesis 2:20, woman was called to be man's helpmate, NOT his helpless mate.

She also mentions that we as wives have been graced by God with such unique gifts that are intended to be used to support our husbands and that we are to contribute our ideas and suggestions, offer wisdom and insight, PRAY and encourage, as well as correct. "When we carry out these acts of service in all humility, we help our husbands to lead and fulfill our biblical duty to submit."

So, in a day in age where only 50% of marriages succeed why don't we all try to go back to Gods design for marriage and let Him be glorified!

Oh, you home school, you must be SOOOO patient.

2008-10-01T13:47:00.001-05:00

This seems to be the first response I get when someone finds out that I home school. Well no, not really is my answer. In fact I think that is why God has called me to home school, so my patience can be tested daily. And as we all know the only way to truly learn something is to be tested.

For example this week both of my children are learning multiplying with double digits. (The older one with decimals.) So as I sit and explain for the umpteenth time that we have to carry and line up all of the numbers and WRITE NEATLY, God is helping me form patience.

So if you're planning on homeschooling or you already are get ready to "form some patience" !

Maiden Voyage

2008-09-24T17:53:00.001-05:00

Well my kiddos decided to build a "raft". They used several unconventional items and even got into my fabric stash.

Yes, those are feed buckets!

I think I'm raising little engineers. With the help of his younger sister my son built it using his own tools. I'm so proud of them for being so creative.

My daughters side took on a little water. But she didn't seem to mind. Thanks goodness it was a warm day!

We also got to see a snake in the water. YIKES! And yes my daughter high tailed it out of the water!

My son on the other hand stayed right in and decided to throw rocks!

After the 3 hour tour we stopped by my parents' neighbors and got a new baby calf. Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen? He will be a week old on Thursday so we will now be bottle feeding, again.

Oh the things I do for my kids......I must be losing my mind. : )

Furry Friends

2008-09-23T22:26:00.000-05:00

Let me introduce you all of our furry friends........this is Barkley. He was our first pet and I guess you could say "we left the gate open" after we got him.

Next are our ducks. They were a great addition to our farm and have never left the back yard. They love our pond and are lots of fun to watch from the kitchen window.

This is Kipper, Kody and Brownie. Our goats and bunny. We got the bunny for Easter last year and Kipper and Kody were born on Easter 2008 and then given to us after just after their birth. It was a huge challenge bottle feeding them for a month!

This is Bessie and Velvet. They are angus beef cattle and were a gift to the kids from their grandfather. They have grown like crazy and are hopefully going to be mommies next spring.

This is another picture of Brownie resting after his photo shoot for an Easter advertisement in a local magazine.

These are our sheep Angel and Snow. They are "hair sheep" but obviously were bred with a non-hair sheep as all of their fleece did not fall off and we will have to have them sheered!

This is Nanny McPhee (we couldn't resist). She was given to us after having been sick and we nursed her back to health. She is very happy "fighting" with the sheep. They have a great time!

Madeline "Maddie" is one of our Llamas. She's other wise known as "Miss Attitude". She is 19 years old and loves to roll around in the dirt.

This is Maddie's sister Gracie. She is very gentle and likes to be led around the field.....when you can catch her!

I hope I haven't forgotten anyone.....oh wait we do have a new bunny-Beatrix. We just got her last week and we are hoping she and Brownie will hit it off if you know what I mean!#?

Scrap-tabulous!!!!!

2008-09-23T21:21:00.000-05:00

Well how can I ever thank him????? My dear, sweet, wonderful husband put the finishing touches on my scrap/craft/sewing/painting room!!!! It is sooo wonderful!!!!! I can hardly believe that all of my stuff will be accessible and I won't have to go from room to room looking for it.

Isn't it funny the things that make us happy as an adult. For me it's a new washing machine or a shiny new stainless refrigerator.

For my son who decided to make a list of the things he "wants", it's monkey glue (aka-gorilla glue), a saw (not the electric kind), a level, wood........wait this looks like the list my hubby took to Home Depot, like father like son. : )

On the other hand my daughter was blissfully happy to know that she can keep her scrapbooking supplies in the cabinet with mine and even asked me if we could scrapbook tomorrow instead of "doing school".

We bought the bottom 4 door cabinet at a local cabinet shop along with the counter top. Dh built the rounded cabinet for the side and the top cabinets. He also built a chalk-board to cover the ugly electric panel.

And to think that all of the wood for the top shelves was just sitting in Home Depot yesterday minding it's own business. I have to hand it to him he really whipped it together in a flash.

I LOVE IT!

Great Sundays

2008-09-21T19:50:00.000-05:00

Isn't Sunday one of the best days of the week? Sometimes there's time for a nap, many times there's time for a nice drive in the country and there's always time to spend with family and friends.

Today after church my kids enjoyed a ride in their paddle boat and played in their forts in the woods. My husband enjoyed watching football all day...his favorite past-time! It's been a great weekend for football for him because all of his teams won.

As for me, after enjoying a wonderful worship service at our church I got to steal and hour for a nap and then be complemented on cooking a great meal. A favorite at our house; steak, potatoes, green beans and garlic bread. My husband said the potatoes were the best he'd ever had! And my daughter said, "Hey Mommy you should put the recipe on your blog".

So here you go:

Smashed Potatoes

2 large baking potatoes

dash sea salt

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 to 1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup butter (only the real stuff here)

bacon bits for top

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain off water, return to pot and mash potatoes. Add milk, butter, sour cream, cheese (reserving some for topping) and salt while stirring over low heat. Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon. Place in oven on 350 for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This is my very simple version of smashed potatoes and could be done with new potatoes as well but my picky, picky husband doesn't like new potatoes!!

2008-09-20T16:53:00.000-05:00

Wow, my first blog post, this needs to be good to keep you interested. So......let's start with building on the good. What does that mean anyway and why did I choose that for the title of my blog?

I love quotes. An author that I love recommends keeping a journal of them. "Building on the good that you have instead of dwelling on what you don't have or can't do",(author unknown) is one of my favorites so far and since I don't always recognize the good in my life (even though it is abundant) I thought if I picked that for a title it would remind me and all of those that read this that there really is a lot of good in all of our lives.

Have you stopped and taken the time to see, really see, the good in your life today? Do it.....you'll be glad you did. Then, take a moment to thank God, so He who gives all can rejoice with you.