Scheer Joy Academy

The Bible in 90 days - Day 2

2011-02-17T04:19:00.000-08:00

I am reading my Bible through in 90 days, and this morning the read Genesis 19. It is the chapter where God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. God is going to destory Sodom and Gomorrah for their sin. Two angels of the Lord are sent to get Lot's family out of the city. That evening the "men" of the city came to have the angels come out so they can "know" them. Lot stands at the door and is reasoning with the men. "Here, take my virgin daughter, they have not known a man." What???? When I read this passage this morning, I thought of a typical Christian (including me), living straddling the line between God and the world. The world is pressing us, it is crowding us, it is pressuring us. Give us more-give us what we want-give us your family! We are standing in the doorway trying to comprise and appease both the world on one side, and God on the other. Then we without being aware of it - give the world our children. Didn't Pharoah want the Israelities to go, but to leave our children. The Devil wants us, but not as much as he wants our children. They are the future! Then we stand back in later years and wonder what we did wrong, or what happened to our children. Why are they full of the world??? Shut the door on the world! The angels had to pull Lot back and shut the door for him. They told him to warn his family about the impending destruction and his family laughed at him. What a terrible testimony Lot has with his family. If you had to do what Lot did, what would be your family's reaction? Have you been a poor testimony for Christ? So many Christians want to be part of the world, participate with the world, and love the dainties the world offers, and try to please the Savior at the same time. Matther 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Then when condemnation of the world is brought to their attention, they get huffy and pull out Matthew 7:1 out of their pocket and says "Judge not, that you be not judged." What a sorry state God must see us in, our robes of His righteousness covered in the filth of the world. I'm pointing to my life too. We need to clean up, wash up in the water of His Word, and stop trying to appease the world. Have you ever had someone is your life that you had to appease all the time? It gets old after a while, and you get weak and you just start giving in to their demands. Kick Satan to the curb, get him of your house! Even after Sodom was destoryed the angels told Lot to escape to the mountains, lest he be consume. He argued with them..."Can't I not go to the little city instead?" Oh, what a condemning picture we see of our lives through the life of Job! Shut the door on the world! Stop straddling the fence! End you love affair with the world! Fall in love with our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. II Corinthias 3:17 " Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

Old habits are hard to break!

2010-08-20T04:57:00.000-07:00

As I have been working on my health the past few months, I have found many habits that needed worked on. The past few weeks, the scale has went back and forth from lost .5lb to gained .5lb. I've been trying to figure out what to do to move past this. I am going to try to break the habit of eating after 7pm. This will be a hard one. My plan is to try to drink some decaffenated coffee or tea after 7, and only eat after 7pm on Sunday nights (after church). I don't know what my next habit is....but I guess I will work through them one at a time. I keep thinking about the saying, "If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten." So change is a good thing! I don't want to get what I have always gotten. It is time to go the opposite way.

Family Update

2010-08-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hey! I know it has been a long time since I've updated my blog. So here goes..... My last couple of posts were about my health. After I had posted my last entry, I found out that I had border-line hypertension. I kind brushed it off not thinking it was very serious. I went back to my doctor in June and my blood-pressure was still high. She put me on a couple of medications and really urged me to start losing weight and exercising.

I finally decided I needed to do something and that I was the only person that could do it. I started going to a Health Management nurse at my husband's work. I see her every week for my weight and my blood-pressure. She encouraged me to go on a 1800-1600 calorie diet and to drastically lower my sodium. I've been going to her about 5 weeks. I have to keep a food journal and take my blood-pressure a couple times a day.

I also started exercising. I joined Curves and have been doing various other exercises. I am down more than 10lbs, and can already tell a difference in the way I feel. My husband has started excercising and watching his calories also. It helps that we are doing it together!

We have had a great summer! The Lord had allowed us to spend the majority of the summer at home together, and I think we are closer as a family. We got to take a vacation to my in-laws and had a blast. We are going back the week of Labor Day.

We are having Jacob and Caleb's Birthday party on Saturday, so there will be some pictures to post!

The Official Start..........Week One Day One.....

2010-03-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Guess what girls, I've gained alot of weight over the last 10 years. My life has been consumed with being a wife, mother, teacher.....ect. I think when your kids are small we all go on survival and convience mode. What is the fastest thing I can make or eat just to get through. You are also surrounded by "kid-friendly" meals all the time. Macaroni and Cheese, chicken nuggets, hamburger, chips,......you mom's know what I'm talking about.

The time has come for me to step back and look at what I am doing. My blood pressure has been up and it really got my attention. I need to start thinking about health. I am going to have to learn and teach my kids to eat healthy and like it. So here we go...............our adventure begins!

The Homekeeper's Journal 3/10/10

2010-03-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

In My Kitchen..... Not much today, Wednesday is church night so we always have something simple for dinner. Tonight is Hot Dogs and Macaroni and Cheese.

With Our Marriage..... Peter and I are trying to working in date nights every now and then. We have such a great time together!

With the Children..... Homeschool work in winding down. We are trying to add more chores for the boys.

What I've Been Reading.... KJV Bible, "Cheaper By the Dozen", "The Potluck Catering Club" Series

What I've Been Noticing..... I've been noticing different ways I need to organize and freshen up our home. I want to love it, not just live in it.

On the Back Burner of my mind...... VBS, Spring, and Vacation!

In the Deepest Darkest Recesses..... Dealing with my shortcomings and learning to realize how much God loves me.

Christian Homekeeper Network

A real me post..................

2010-03-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

Here it is................a real Miranda Scheer post................my house is a wreck and totally disorganized right now. I'm considering posting pics, but don't know how real I really want to get. I feel like I have 3 or 4 full time jobs and is needed at all of them at the same time. Job #1 - Wife Job #2 - Mother Job #3 - Teacher Job #4 - Housekeeper....but my most important job is to be a Daughter of the King. I wonder what my heavenly Father would say about all this.........? I'll let you know tomorrow, I need to ask Him.

Hello!

2010-03-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I posted on here! I will admit I have become addicted to FACEBOOK. I love facebook! It has allowed me to connect with a ton of old friends and acquaintances. You know, the people that you say, "I wonder what ever happened to them?" Now I know. Most importantly I pray that I get an opportunity to witness to them. So many people are unsaved and drifting through life with no clear direction. I pray I can be the Christian witness to them that I wasn't in junior high or high school. Time is such a fleeting thing. I really want to use my time wisely.

I've been praying about what to do with my blog. I've considered deleting it, revamping it, or going a different direction with it. I guess I want to have a set purpose for it. I mean does anyone even read it? Should I try to be a blessing to others or just be real about the ups and downs of a homeschooling family trying to do things "God's Way." I've seen tons of blogs....ministry blogs......family blogs.....blogs from people who are gifted with writing.....anything you can think of there is a blog for it. But for my blog, I want to just be real, not the person I want people to think I am, but just me. There are going to be days when I vent and weep, but there are going to be others days when I shine with joy and appreciation over a child finally "getting it!" Maybe someone will stumble upon this blog and be blessed or encouraged to keep going on. So, in the next few month this blog will be under construction. I'll be adding stuff and rearranging stuff. I've even considered having some guest bloggers. So please excuse the mess......

Snow, Snow, Snow.......

2010-01-06T04:21:00.000-08:00

It's been snowing for about a solid week here. My favorite snow is when it just flutters down. I like big snowflakes. It's made for a quiet week at home. Not much going on, kids are getting along fairly well, and school work is getting done. I'm really looking forward to my birthday this weekend. My hubby is taking me out to a fancy resturant! A wonderful couple in our church called and offered to take our boys to see the Monster Trucks, and his wife will watch Liberty! That is such a blessing! I hope you have a wonderful day! "Seek ye first, the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

New Year, New Things......

2010-01-04T04:12:00.000-08:00

It's a brand new year! 2010! Wow! Who would have ever guess we would get to 2010? Well, we are here! 2009 was a great year! Nothing really terrible happened (other than the presidential election, but we won't go there....:( )We were all healthy throughout 2009. God blessed us throughout the year with numerous blessings. I turned 30 in 2009 and loved it! I accomplised some of my goals I set and I finally learned that homeschooling my kids is ok and that I can do it. That was a hard thing to get through my head. You know the whole "I'm really screwing them up, thing..."

I'm excited about 2010. I love a new year! It's a blank slate to write on. I know how to do the things I need to do. I know how to lose some weight, I know what I need to do for the kids in school, I know how to have a schedule for our household, I know how to save us some money in groceries, and I know how to make our marriage glorious. But all that is nothing if I don't let God lead and guide me in everything I do. All this is nothing without HIM. I'm praying that I will not spend this year worrying about things and relaxing and enjoy the moments given to me by Jesus. For example, the last two weeks our family has been sick. I didn't feel like doing housework and frankly I didn't want to do housework. Even when we weren't sick we were having fun being a family (watching movies, and playing wii). School starts back today. I didn't get anything I wanted to do finished. I wanted to organize and clean, blah,blah,blah. I started to get upset about it last night. I was thinking about how I didn't get it done, and how it will make my job harder trying to do it while homeschooling. My husband made me stop......he said. "We had fun! Don't ruin it by being like this." He was right. 99% of the time I miss the moments because I'm worried about the house. I had to ask the Lord to forgive for missing ALOt of blessings because I was upset about the house. I hope I learned my lesson, but I'm sure I'll have to learn it over and over. The last two weeks were amazing! One reason was I wasn't harping at everyone to clean up and I wasnt working myself up to a tizzy worrying about things. I know I still need to maintain order, and the children still need to learn how to do things, but there has to be a fine balance in orderliness and family harmony.

I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! Can't wait to see what it will bring for each family. The Lord certainly has blessed us beyond measure!

Simple Woman's Daybook - November 16th, 2009

2009-11-16T04:38:00.001-08:00

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window My neighbors are leaving for work

I am thinking I should be getting off the computer to go ready my Bible!

I am thankful for The spirit of Thanksgiving

I am wearing Still in my pjs

I am remembering Thanksgivings when I was little and my Grandparents would come and celebrate with us. Dad always got a deer and my Grandparents always brought presents because we wouldn't see them at Christmas.

I am going Maybe to Charleston today. Tonight is Cub Scouts

I am hoping for a wonderful week!

On my mind Alot of things.....mostly good this morning....a rarity!

From the learing Rooms Working on memorizing the boys speech for their Davy Crockett projects, Reading, Math, Spelling, and English

Noticing that the sound of my children sleeping is so precious!

Pondering these words Deuteronomy 32:7 "Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; they elders, and they will tell thee."

From the Kitchen breakfast, lunch, and Wild Rice and Chicken for dinner

Around the House Things are scattered from the weekend. Memories of our dinner guest still hang in the air

One of my favorite things is my warm coffee in the morning!

From my picture journal

Summer lunch with the kids from church!

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Jump!!!!

2009-11-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

New Liberty Video!

2009-09-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

Slow and Steady Get Me Ready...............

2009-08-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

I'm Still Here...............

2009-08-26T04:14:00.001-07:00

Good Morning Everyone! Thought I would write a quick update. We are busy, busy, busy. Our new homeschool year has started and so far it is going great. I'm still trying to get the kinks out of our schedule, but God has blessed. I need to find some extras to put in. Jacob, Caleb and Peter started piano lessons yesterday. I hope they like playing. I didn't like it that much as a kid, but I love that I can play now.

Liberty is 18 months olds now. She is our little doll baby, but she can hold her own too! She charms everyone she meets. I am so blessed to have my children!

Fall is just around the corner! I LOVE Fall! Our September is packed with Tent Meetings, Homecoming, Chris comes home for R & R, small town festivals, and getting ready for a mini-vacation!

Well, my coffee is getting cold. Hope to see you all soon!

A Video for Chris and Ben....

2009-08-14T03:49:00.000-07:00

Mom shot this video of Liberty at her house. Pause the music on the sidebar to hear it. Yes, it is sideways....I know....

A Pillowcase Dress..............

2009-08-14T03:48:00.001-07:00

Smores and a Campfire.......

2009-08-14T03:30:00.001-07:00

A couple of fridays ago, we went up to my parents for swimming and smores~ I always love going to my parents house. Mom always makes her house feel warm and welcoming. We ate dinner, then got to swim for a while. Next, Dad built us a wonderful fire and we chowed down on smores! Dad had purchased Liberty some camo boots (The picture at the top of the blog....was actually taken by my mother....I didn't realize it was pseudo-copyrighted :)) She loves to wear them. So most of pictures you will see of Liberty will be in her boots! Thanks Mom and Dad for a great evening!

Good Morning......

2009-08-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say "Good Morning to all!" This afternoon I will sit down and update my much-neglected blog. I have pictures and video to post and commentary to write. I would do it now, but I am not awake enough for that yet.....see you this afternoon!

Froggie Frolic

2009-08-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Beach Fun!

2009-07-31T10:40:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Liberty Ready for the Beach

2009-07-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

This video is for Uncle Chris and Benjamin. We Miss you! Pause the music on my sidebar to hear.

2009-07-10T05:18:00.001-07:00

Ten years ago today I married my best friend. He has been my lover, my protector, my support, my world, and the father of my children. He has made me laugh, cry, smile, and wonder in amazement how I could have been so blessed. I am so thankful God created him for me. I could never put in words my love and admiration for him. It has been an awesome 10 years. I can't wait to see what the next 10 years will bring! Thank you Peter for choosing me to be your wife and letting me share your life and vision for our family. I love you!

Homeschool Science Day

2009-07-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Our little homeschool group had a science day. Us moms each came up with an experiment to show the kids. I did somethings with magnets. Miss Angie did an experiement with an egg in vinegar. Miss Cindy did an experiment about taste, and Miss Leigh Anne made a volcano. All the kids had alot of fun, and learned some pretty cool things. The day was ended with hot dogs, chips, and cookies. Can't wait for next month!

Family Game Night

2009-07-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jacob, Caleb, and I attended Family Game Night at our local library. We had a blast! The librarian read a couple of books to the kids, then they did a puppet show. Games were set around the room for the kids to play. They had twister, Hi Ho Cherrios, Chutes and Ladders, a big table to build blocks, and giant floor puzzles for the kids. It was so nice to be able to have fun with the boys and not worry about doing something else. They are having family movie night tomorrow. We are planning to attend. You have to wear your pjs and bring pillows. The library provides snacks. The kids are so excited!

2009-06-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

I have been awarded a lovely blog award! I am so excited! I've always wanted a blog award!!!! I was awarded it by one of the sweetest, kindest, and greatest Christian young moms I know, Rachel So I am passing it on to some blogs that I find really lovely and the people behind the blogs are just as lovely!
Here are the Rules:

1. Accept the gift and post it on your blog along with a link to the person who gave the award to you.

2. Pass the award on to other blogs that you enjoy and find to be lovely.

1. Sarah Walker

2. Tara

3. Patty

I hope you visit each one of these blogs, and leave a comment!

Vacation Bible School 2009

2009-06-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy time at our house. Peter and I were the vbs directors for this year. And finally last week all the preparations came together! We had the theme "Knights and Maidens of Honor". We really wanted to focus on teaching Christian character. We divided the boys and girls in two different classes. It really worked out well, because we could focus the lessons specifically for boys or for girls. We didn't have a large crowd, but we had a great time! We always have a penny march every year, for the boys and girls to bring in money for missions. We have a contest to see who could bring in the most money. The girls lost, so I got a pie in my face. It wasn't too bad, it was a vanilla pudding pie.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Life gets busy sometimes! The week before vbs we had a death in our church, and that really took a toll on us before vbs began. I think I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel in regards to catching up on my regular things. Hope it doesn't take too long to catch up.

A Good Read

2009-06-04T05:04:00.000-07:00

We have a family friend that is a Talk Radio Host. His show is heard in our Tri-State area. He cited this blog entry this morning and I thought it is pretty poignant. Try to read it if you can...it will get you thinking about the state of our country and our churches. Here

Video we made for Chris and Ben...

2009-06-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

DANHO picnic

2009-06-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

What is DANHO you may ask? It's our church's Wednesday night kids club.
D- doers
A- and-
N- not
H- hearers
O - only

Saturday was a last activity of the year with our kids. We all went to the Barboursville Park for a picnic and games! We had a blast! It threatened rain the whole time, but it only rained a little. It wasn't too hot so everyone had a great time. We were all wore out at the end. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Happy Memorial Day.....

2009-05-25T05:20:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the men and woman who are serving in our military to keep our country safe. Thank you for leaving your famililes and your homeland to go to foriegn shores to protect our freedom, which is sadly being taken away from us by our own governement. Please know your sacrfices are not in vain and that there are still people who hold you in the greatest honor. Thank you to all the veterens and soliders who gave their lives on the battlefield fighting our enemies. Thank you from the bottom of our the hearts. ~ The Scheer Family

Pictures from Iraq...

2009-05-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

My brother Benjamin posted these pictures of him in Iraq and I thought I would share them with you.

Ladies' Tea.......

2009-05-20T10:52:00.001-07:00

The Ladies of our church went to the Bea-tea-ful Moments Tea Room on Saturday. We had a wonderful time together. I thought I would share some pictures. The first pictures were of the little girls room that can be reserved for birthday parties. The rest are of our beautiful ladies.

Titus 2:4-5.....

2009-05-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

My absolute favorite book besides my Bible is Created to be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl. I have went through and read it numerous times. I pulled out my copy yesterday to find some answers and realized I had really paid attention to the first half of the book (on how to make your marriage glorious) and not paid much attention to the second part of the book. When I started putting what I learned in this book to practice our marriage completely changed! It helps alot that I have the greatest husband! It is amazing when you receive Biblical truth with all your heart and believe it and put it in to practice, how it transforms your life! There are fifty million books on marriage, but are they filled with biblical truth or man's truth?

The second part of the books deals with Titus 2:4-5. She takes every part of those verses and breaks them down word for word. Titus 2:4 "That they may teach the young women to be sober...." What does that mean?????? The definition of sober is to do one's duty, be moderate, self-controlled, thoughtful, and to learn to make wise decisions and judgements." WOW! That means all our planning, scheduling, organizing ect.....is actually what we are supposed to be doing? I know from experience once that goes, everything falls apart! My focus this week is to work on being sober. I have my list ready to go, and I will make adjustment accordingly! Lucky for my I have two organization masters at my disposal! Rachel Smith and Jennie Bender are just a click away! What can you do to be sober this week? Isaiah 33:6 "And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure."

Mother's Day Pictures

2009-05-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

I gathered the kids to take pictures for the Grandmothers for Mother's Day. I'm not a photographer, but I thought they turned out okay, But my subjects are the best~!!!

My flower boxes.........

2009-05-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

I planted these flower boxes this weekend. I thought I would post some pictures. My hens and chicks have really taken off! I might have to get a different container!

Rain, Rain, go away.....

2009-05-04T05:16:00.001-07:00

It's beginning to feel like Noah's Ark around here. It has rained since Friday, and it is supposed to continue to rain all week. The bright spot is everything is really green!

The busyness of the spring and summer has started. Peter has been preaching at different churchs every weekend. We actually got to attend our home church yesterday. It was so good to be home! We had our first VBS meeting yesterday. Peter and I are the coordinators. Rather than going with a boxed VBS we are making our own. It will be a medieval theme focusing on the armour of God. We are dividing the boys from the girls and teaching about how to be young knights and ladies in waiting. I am so excited!

We are winding down school for the year. My goal is to be done by June 15th. I am starting to put the boys portfolios together. Pray for us as we finished our year.

I had a wonderful quiet time this morning. I read Jeremiah 16 and 17. I wanted to leave this verse to ponder on .....

Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

This is so cool!

2009-04-23T11:03:00.001-07:00

I stole this picture from my sister-in-laws myspace page. This is a picture of my brother Christopher's plane leaving for Iraq. In the picture there is a rainbow in the sky. When I saw that I almost started crying. It was like God's personal promise to us that He would protect him and bring him home safely. Thank you Lord!

Amen Sister!.

2009-04-21T04:38:00.000-07:00

I was scanning some blogs this morning, and I read this post and I needed this today. http://nataliewitcher.blogspot.com/2008/05/guilt-free-living-aint-no-such-thing-is.html Sometimes Satan's guilt attack is more pronounced in my life than others. The last few weeks has been one of those times. I have learned over the years to just try to keep my thoughts in submission to God, and to sit and think through why I feel guilty about almost everything. What Satan tells us always has to have an element of truth in order for us to listen to him, but it is an element of truth mixed in with lies. I pulled out the book "The Holy War" by John Bunyun and started reading it last night. I have never read it. In the book in order to attack the city of Mansoul the enemy had to mix lies and truth in order for the people of the town to stop and listen to them. If it was an outright lie, the towns people would recognize it right away and flee. When we are aware of Satan's tactics, they aren't as useful anymore. But believe me he'll find new ones! With the Lord's help, I am going to live today in freedom, not bondage, be content and delight in my roles today. I'm tired of living life guilt-ridden.

Backyard Fun..............

2009-04-18T14:21:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Charleston, West Virgina Tea Party....

2009-04-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

We couldn't attend yesterdays Tea Party, but supported it 100%!

My Kids!

2009-04-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

We Really Miss You, Mr. Jefferson!

2009-04-10T04:40:00.001-07:00

Last night at our house.....

2009-04-09T04:31:00.000-07:00

JACOB GOT SAVED!!! We are having revival meetings at our church this week. Every night Bro. David Harrison has been right on target in his preaching! Last night he preached on revival. Jacob always goes to the altar with Peter, so I really didn't think anything about it. As soon as we got home last night, he said,"Dad, I need to talk to you." Peter went into the office with him. We have been talk to Jacob about salvation for a long time. We told him it would be the Lord speaking to his heart about when to get saved. Jacob said that when he went up to pray, he knew that Lord was telling him to get saved. He said,"Mommy, I almost cried." Peter led him to the Lord, and you could just see how happy and relieved Jacob was! He was hugging everyone and smiling! We called all our family to tell them the good news! And we celebrated with popcorn! I am so thankful that God hasn't forgotten about us and is still in the saving business!!!! Praise the Lord!

Another thing God has done for me is put me back in touch with some of my closest friends from years ago. This is picture of me and my best friend when I was in elementary and junior high school. My mom gave her my email address and we have not stopped talking since! I would have never imagined we would be together again. When we saw each other for the first time, we couldn't stop talking! We are so alike it is scary! Our kids are about the same ages, and we are still serving the Lord. This is Sarah with her daughter Selah, and me with Liberty. Praise the Lord for good friends!

Our President.....

2009-04-07T10:14:00.001-07:00

This was President Barak Obama in Turkey yesterday.....

The West Virginia Home Show....

2009-04-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we attended the West Virginia Home Show in Charleston (WV). We go every year because the company my brother in law works for,always has a booth there. Go here to see their website. Scott (b-i-l)made all the furniture, cabinets, and desks on this website. Anywhoooo...First, my hubby took us to T.G.I.Friday's YUM!

Then we went to the Charleston Civic Center and found Scott's booth, then we headed over to meet "The World's Strongest Man" Phil Pfister....

He was so nice! He signed a picture for all our kids, and some for my family. We took a group picture, but my camera decided to die right before, so Patricia (my-sister-in-law) took a picture. I did manage to take one picture.

It was a wonderful family day!

My sewing project....

2009-03-27T11:01:00.001-07:00

I am trying to learn to sew, and this is a dress I made for Liberty. My mom is an excellent seamstress. I am so proud of myself. I made a matching headband. It still needs buttons, and Liberty won't be able to wear it until later in the summer, but I am really glad it turned out nice!

Spring 2009

2009-03-27T07:13:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I'm considering doing this....but can I?

2009-03-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

This is a great idea! I spend too much time on the computer! Even a really good thing can turn bad when it gets to be too much! I am going unplugged after 11:00 am today till tomorrow! See you then!

A Great Book!

2009-03-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

Jennie had recommended some books from her library that her children loved. This inspired me to go get some books for my boys and really start reading with them. This spring and summer in our family will be all about reading. When next fall rolls around we will be totally prepared from 2nd and 3rd grade! Here is one my boys loved (especially Caleb!) He loved every picture, and wanted to read it over and over again! Then he said, "Mom, what's a moon pie?" Moon pie's are not my favorite, but for my Caleb I will eat one. Moon pies for everyone!

Any ideas????

2009-03-24T13:45:00.001-07:00

I have been trying for years to think of ideas to decorate our bedroom. I thought I would take a picture of our bed, and see if anyone had any ideas. I really would like to paint the walls, but would like to keep the bed as is. It's an antique and I love it!

Nice, Organized Laundry Room.....Thanks Flylady!

2009-03-20T09:00:00.001-07:00

Check out this lady's food storage room....

2009-03-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

All I can say is WOW~~~ Can I go live with this lady? Go here click on her food storage room link! I aspire to do this....if I had a bigger house!

Guest Post from my husband.....(I copied this from his blog!)

2009-03-20T06:04:00.001-07:00

Party, Politics and Pragmatism or Principle - Where do you stand?
The year 2008 was a turning point for me. My eyes were opened and I saw the light so to speak. I voted for George Bush twice, and both times he won. However, the longer that he was in office, the more I began to see that voting for the lesser of two evils was no longer good enough. A supposedly Conservative President that had a supposedly Conservative Congress for nearly eight years, did little to nothing to return our country to the Constitutional Republic that it is supposed to be.

Massive Government spending, lip service on abortion, deceit in selling a war to the American people, a Patriot Act (ie. supposedly Patriotic) that opens the door to untold government intrusion into the lives of American Citizens, and the list could go on. All of this was done under the watch of a "Conservative" government.

As the 2008 elections neared, I had already made up my mind that I would no longer be a political party lemming and vote for the lesser of two evils. I saw in one Republican candidate the character to go against the grain. This candidate actually mentioned the Constitution when he gave answers to questions. This candidate vocally opposed the North American Union, and was vocally in favor of the USA retaining its sovereignty as a nation. This candidate had in each session of Congress presented a bill that would not only have made Abortion illegal, it also would have taken the issue out of the Supreme Court's jurisdiction. This candidate actually believed that there is no Constitutional authority for the US Dept of Education and a thousand other departments that politicians have created over the years. This candidate believed that the Federal Reserve is a dangerous entity that should be outlawed and a Gold standard re-established. This candidate was an actual LIMITED GOVERNMENT CONSERVATIVE, who believed that the Constitution is the law of the land and no politician, including the President, should be allowed to go around the law of the land. This candidate was called Dr. No by many, because he always votes NO when Congress wants to spend more money unconstitutionally. This candidate was Ron Paul of Texas.

I already knew that the Constitution Party was around and that their candidate would be a true Conservative, and I had determined that if a true Conservative was NOT selected by the Republican Party that my vote would go with their candidate. Ron Paul was called a kook by the talking radio heads and many people followed their lead instead of thinking for themselves. Ron Paul was shut out of one debate by FOX News and was ignored in many of the other debates. Yet, he remained until the end.

Conservative fundamentalists went with Mike Hukabee, who now has a show on FOX, thinking that he was conservative, yet he was willing to pander to the CFR like most of the other politicians. Personally, I believe that Hukabee was in it to keep good Conservative people from voting for Ron Paul. Alas, the Republican Party ended up with John McCain. McCain no doubt was a great soldier and served this country valiantly, however as a politician he has been anything but conservative. He is so liberal that John Kerry approached him and offered him the Vice-Pres. position in 2004. In order to bolster his non-existent conservative credentials, McCain chose a soccer mom Governor from Alaska, Sarah Palin as his Vice-President.

At this announcement and after hearing her speak, many conservatives, like James Dobson, who were riding the fence swooned and decided to support McCain. Many stated plainly that their vote was for Palin and not McCain. However, if Sarah Palin was a true conservative, how could she join the McCain campaign? The answer is simple. Party loyalty and pragmatic politics.

The question that I must ask is this. When do Conservatives begin to once again stand on the principles of their beliefs? Is constitutional conservatism really worth standing for or is it optional?

The majority will say, "Well, if you vote for a third party candidate you're just throwing your vote away." That is exactly the thinking that has led us to the mess that we are in. Too many Democrats and too many Republicans cannot get past their political party to actually cast a vote that comes from their conscience. VOTING YOUR CONSCIENCE IS NEVER A WASTED VOTE! IT IS THE ONLY VOTE WORTH CASTING.

I decided at the beginning of 2008 before the candidates were chosen that I would vote my conscience. I was not going to be pressured by the threat of a Hillary Clinton or a Barack Obama in office, to vote for a Republican Candidate that I had no confidence in. This was especially true in light of the fact that there were great CONSTITUTIONAL Candidates to vote for.

Ron Paul was not chosen by the Republican Party so my decision was simple. Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party was still in the mix and his beliefs about our country matched mine so he received my vote. No, he didn't win, and didn't really have much of a chance at all, but when I lay my head on my pillow at night, my conscience is clear because I voted based on the principles that I believe in -- not Party, not Politics, not Pragmatism.

John Quincy Adams said, "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

Let us all put PRINCIPLE above petty party political pragmatism.

Peter Scheer, Jr.

Lessons to be learned....

2009-03-19T04:27:00.000-07:00

Even as an adult, and especially a homeschooling mom, I find I still have alot of lessons to learn. These are becoming painfully clear the more I try to establish a routine with my home, school, and family... One thing that I have learned about homeschooling that is magnifies flaws, bad habits, and bad attitudes. I saw this quote and I am going to type it out and put on my refrigerator for a reminder!

The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days; while she who lets their habits take care of themselves has a weary life of endless friction with the children. -Charlotte Mason

Have a blessed day!

Blog all about the homeschool case in North Carolina

2009-03-18T05:03:00.001-07:00

www.hsinjustice.com

Have you guys been reading this????

2009-03-18T04:52:00.000-07:00

YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK
Judge rips homeschool mom's choice of churches
Quotes critics, calls their condemnation 'credible'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 17, 2009
10:31 pm Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A North Carolina judge under fire for ruling in a divorce dispute that three children must attend public schools against their mother's wishes has cited critics of the mother's choice of churches in his ruling, calling their condemnation "credible."

The ruling came today from Judge Ned Mangum in Wake County, N.C., in a temporary custody order for the children, 12, 11 and 10, of Venessa and Thomas Mills.

As WND reported, the judge ordered that the children be allowed to finish this school year in homeschool with their mother. But by fall, he said, they must be enrolled in public schools, against the mother's wishes.

Mangum, when contacted by WND at that time, explained his goal was to make sure the children have a "more well-rounded education."

He also said the public schools could "challenge" what the children had been taught by their mother.

"I thought Ms. Mills had done a good job [in homeschooling]," he said. "It was great for them to have that access, and [I had] no problems with homeschooling. I said public schooling would be a good complement," he told WND.

The judge said the husband has not been supportive of his wife's homeschooling, and "it accomplished its purposes. It now was appropriate to have them back in public school."

Mangum said he made the determination on his guiding principle, "the best interest of the minor children," and he conceded it was putting his judgment in place of the mother's.

"It will do them a great benefit to be in the public schools, and they will challenge some of the ideas that you've taught them, and they could learn from that and make them stronger," the judge told the mother.

Vanessa Mills says she will appeal Mangum's ruling.

"EXPELLED": Get the hot new documentary that is blowing the lid off censorship of ideas in American universities - particularly anything to do with the fact that God might actually exist.

Mangum, who had admitted the children were "thriving" under Mills' instruction but said they need to be exposed to the "real world," demanded that all objections to his order be filed by Sunday, the day the mother observes the Sabbath.

Venessa Mills says she was unable to meet the deadline for two reasons – because it was Sunday and because she was up until midnight helping her estranged husband move out of the house as part of the judge's order.

The judge then cited a number of critics of the mother's church, Sound Doctrine Church, in his ruling.

He quoted Venessa Mills' mother, Dawn Lewis, and father, Dan, who said they were "concerned" about her involvement in the church. "The Court finds this is a credible statement," the judge wrote.

"In numerous sworn affidavits submitted to the Court, witnesses describe this group as a 'cult,'" the judge said. "The Williams (church leaders) encourage members to call them variations of mom and dad. Vanessa Mills does this. Her children refer to the Williams as variations of grandma and grandpa."

The judge quoted a "former member," Tina Wasik, who said, "Sound Doctrine is not a healthy place for kids to grow up it is run by fear and manipulation."

"Mothers, who are former members of Sound Doctrine, provided under oath to this court that Timothy Williams made several inappropriate sexual comments about girls as young as 4 years old," the judge wrote.

He also said the husband reported his wife's conversations consisted "almost exclusively of quoting scripture or parroting Sound Doctrine religious rhetoric," that Venessa Mills' mother was "concerned" about the children's emotional stability and Venessa Mills' father reported she was "domineering" with the children.

"The Court finds this as a fact," Mangum wrote.

However, church officials said they had provided a long list of affidavits rebutting each of the accusations, but the judge refused to quote from any of them.

Church assistant pastor Malcolm Fraser insisted to WND, "It's pure gossip allowed to run out of control and into a courtroom."

He cited the church's doctrinal statement on its website recognizing it is not the only church, and its members are not the only Christians, a statement few cults would publish.

"It is one of the reasons why we include that statement," he said. "We do not in any way, shape or form believe that this is the only church."

Fraser said the Enumclaw, Wash.-based worship center has been accused of being a cult before.

"It's not exactly new. Anybody who reads the Bible can see Christians in the New Testament were accused of being a sect," he said. "It's not unusual for gossip and slander to be circulated in this form. We try to make it very clear. Certainly we're conservative. Certainly we have strong beliefs."

The assistant pastor said the judge was stating as fact statements based on hearsay and gossip.

"I think it's pretty obvious what's going on here. None of these things was ever raised before Vanessa went public and pressure was brought to bear on the judge. Now all of a sudden his order is absolutely filled with this stuff, with no rebuttals from Venessa," he said. "We submitted affidavits on her behalf that thoroughly dealt with all these accusations.

"These affidavits showed this was gossip and not accurate, conjured up by ex-members with their own personal agendas and axes," he said.

A comparison by WND of the proposed order, submitted by attorneys for the husband, and the judge's, in fact reveal large sections added by the judge to address the mother's choice of churches.

Among other statements, the church's "truths" include:

Love, empowered by the Holy Spirit, for God and man is the most important matter and the essential goal in Jesus Christ. Everything else at Sound Doctrine Ministries has its foundation in Christ upon this.

The Bible is the inspired Word of God and only through the Holy Spirit may we understand it.

Only through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross can mercy be freely given by God to worthless sinners. Jesus paid the price of punishment for our sins.

The concept of Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, with each being separate yet fully God is supported in Scripture.
The church's website also quotes well-known 20th century evangelical minister and author A.W. Tozer.

The comments the judge included alleged church leaders directed a "boot camp" training for young children and multiple comments linking young girls to sexuality.

"Simultaneous with Venessa Mills' decision to join Sound Doctrine in 2005, she began to consider withdrawing her children from public school," the judge said.

The judge noted the father agreed to that on a temporary basis, and that under the mother's teaching, it was "clear to this Court that all three children are intelligent and have thrived academically."

The father's submitted a statement admitting adultery, but the judge's ruling said he "became completely miserable in the marriage" and attributed that to "Ms. Mills involving herself and [the] children in the Sound Doctrine Church to such a degree that [the] entire household was turned upside down."

The judge ordered that the children attend public school for the 2009-2010 school year, that each parent could expose the children to whatever religious practices they choose and custody would be shared.

A friend of Venessa Mills, Robyn Williams, told WND the judge's "findings of fact" "rely almost entirely on hearsay evidence directed against Venessa Mills church, for which no effort was made to verify. … Almost no material from rebuttal affidavits filed on behalf of Venessa Mills is included."

She said the judge was using the accusations against the church to "divert attention away from his own bad judgment on the homeschool issue."

One of my friend had sent me the first story that was reported about this family. This is a real situation. I know of a very similar situation that happen in West Virginia. The pastor of a church we know of got involved with another woman, and decided to leave his church and family. His wife had homeschooled their children, and their church had even started a Christian school. In the divorce hearings he wanted the youngest child to be put in public school. Total flip from his life he lived as a pastor (of an Indepedent Baptist Church)! The child had to go through psychological testing and everything. Finally I think he got to go to a Christian school. This is such a scary situation for moms! This situation scares me! We need to pray for this family! I am going to see what other news stories I can find.

Happy St. Patrick's Day...We made lapbooks!

2009-03-17T08:46:00.005-07:00

I decided that we were going to make lapbooks for St.Patrick's day. They were alot of fun to make! I hope to do more of these with the boys in the future!

This is Jacob's lapbook...

This is Caleb's lapbook...

Some really great things....

2009-03-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

The love of my life...best friend.... and many other things! :)

Flylady has made it so much easier to tackle my housework that piles up while I homeschool. I now have certain things I do everyday. I do my routines, zone work, and Kelly's mission everyday. This help to keep semi-order in my house. It has freed me up to actually take my time during the day rather than rushing to get everything done and not doing a good job...Check it out!

Lapbooks We haven't done many lapbooks in the past, but I was trying to find on to do on the pioneers and came acrossed this site. It has several free lapbooks to be downloaded. We are going to do some of the Christian character lapbooks. My boys are still at an age that they enjoy doing these.

The 912 project On Friday night we attended a "We Surrond Them" viewing party. We had alot of fun, and met some great people. Check out this link for more information! We do not like the way our country is headed. We refuse to let our nation become Socialist! We want to return our country back it the way our Founding Fathers wanted it! I'm working on some project for our family to do our part!

Free Couponing Class

2009-03-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

CHoysterCash is offering a free couponing class. I found this link on Moneysavingmom.com's website. I am a newbie at couponing, and I needed someone to take be through step by step. Here is the link to sign up. Please leave me a comment to let me know you signed up! Thanks!

Liberty's New Best Friend and Jacob and Caleb playing Wii.....

2009-03-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

Caleb

Jacob being Jacob...

Jacob and Caleb challenging each other in Star Wars...

Liberty's 1st Birthday!

2009-03-02T12:29:00.001-08:00

Our Morning.........

2009-02-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

This is Jacob learning to count money.

Jacob working on some math problems on the board. Who has a dry erase board in their kitchen? I do!

Caleb working in his handwriting notebook.

Caleb finishing his math worksheet.

M.R.E.'s for lunch. If you have brothers in the military, and little boys in your house. You are bound to eat an M.R.E. sometime. ( If I had to eat them all the time, I would definately lose weight!)

As you can see our mornings are pretty filled. My house is a wreck, laundry needs done, and dishes need washed but these moments will never come again!

Homeschool Field Trip

2009-02-17T15:56:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, we took a field trip with our homeschool group to WVHU radio station in Huntington, West Virginia. Bro. Tom Roten was kind enough to give us a guided tour. The kids had fun learning about doing a radio broadcast and how they would sound on the radio. We then toured T-Shirt International Printing. They screen print shirts. It was really neat to see all the processed one shirt goes through. We got to see the process from the design to the finished product. The kids had a blast, and we were all worn out from the day, but fascinated by all we learned.

New Valentines Pictures

2009-02-16T03:49:00.002-08:00

New Valentines Pictures added at bottom of page....

My husband has a blog!

2009-02-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

My husband Peter just got on the blogging bandwagon and now has a blog! It is The Black Regiment Chronicles Check it out!

2009-02-11T04:29:00.001-08:00

"There is nothing in all the influences and surroundings of the home of tender childhood so small that it does not leave its touch of beauty or of marring upon life...Where a child grows up it carries in its character the subtle impressions of the home in which it lives."

- J.R. Miller "Homemaking"

"A Young Mother"....

2009-02-11T04:28:00.000-08:00

I saw this posted on another blog and I thought it was so true!!!

They slay their own children!

(J. A. James, "To Young Mothers")

A mother should never forget that those little engaging
creatures which play about the room so gaily and so
innocently, with all the unconsciousness of childhood, are
young immortals--beings destined to eternity--creatures
placed on earth on probation for heaven--and that much
will depend upon her, whether the everlasting ages shall
be spent by them in torment--or in bliss!

This is an overwhelming thought!

All should realize the sublime idea that . . .
their houses are the schools for eternity;
their children the scholars;
themselves the teachers; and
evangelical religion the lesson.

Those parents who neglect the religious education
of their children, whatever else they may impart,
are more guilty than Herod!

He slew the children of others,
they slay their own children!

He slew only the body,
they slay the soul!

He slew them by hired assassins,
they slay their children themselves!

We shudder at the cruelties of those who sacrificed
their babes to Moloch. But how much more dreadful
an immolation do they practice, who offer up their
sons and daughters to Satan, by neglecting the
education of their souls, and leaving them to grow
up in ignorance of God and their eternal destiny!

Mothers! Your religion, if it is genuine, will teach you
at once the greatness of the work, and your own
insufficiency to perform it aright in your own strength.
Your business is to train immortal beings for God,
heaven, and eternity!

Caleb and Liberty....

2009-02-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

This is a picture I took of Caleb and Liberty before church this morning. I thought it turned out really good!

Making your own Laundry Detergent

2009-02-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

These days we need to save all the money we can. At our ladies meeting at church tonight we are discussing how to be thrifty. My mom and I have made our own laundry detergent for awhile now. A few people has asked me how to do it. I found this youtube video that explains the whole process. Enjoy!

Falling in love with scrapbooking again....

2009-02-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night, I got invited to a scrapbooking crop at my friend Sarah's church. I had a blast. Sarah and I have been trying to get together for a couple months now. Sarah and I were best friends when we were little. We lost touch with each other over the years, but reconnected recently. It has been so much fun catching up! anywhoooo.....I dug through my scrapbook stuff and got out the essentials and headed to my mom's house, who was going to join me.

At the crop I finished about 6 pages! Yeah! I've really gotten hooked on it again! I've done about 8 pages since Friday. I also met some really great women. One of them was Tara. it is so great to meet people who are so nice and creative! I hope to scrap with them again soon!

What I Love my Husband # 3 - #12

2009-02-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

3. He is a great provider for our family
4. He loves me for who I am.
5. He thinks I'm funny (even though he won't admit it)
6. He likes my cooking.
7. He makes me smile.
8. He makes me laugh!
9. He understands when I don't get all my work done that day.
10. He picked me.
11. He is an awesome father.
12. I want to grow old with him by my side!

What I Love my Husband # 2

2009-01-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

I love my husband because of his love for the Lord!

Motivate Me Monday - Do I really trust God?

2009-01-26T04:12:00.000-08:00

"Do I really trust God?"

At first reaction to this question, any "good" Christian would automatically say "of course." But when it comes right down to it....do we really trust God to do what He says He will do?

This year has been a very trying time for my immediate family. My two brother's have been scheduled to go to Iraq in March of this year. We all knew that it would eventually happen, but their deployment kept being pushed back and we kinda just put it out of our minds. As 2008 progressed we knew time was getting shorter and shorter. My heart just broke and it still breaking knowing that one of them was leaving a wife behind. As a family we tried to make the most of every occasion and celebration, and spend as much time together as possible.

Finally the day arrived when they had to leave for their training. For me the hardest part was my brother Benjamin leaving. He is so young, and really hasn't got a sense of what the Lord has for him in his life. I worry about him the most. After a very tearful goodbye, I came home with a broken heart. I really hadn't had peace from God about them leaving. When I got home, I sat down at the computer and saw my Bible laying there. A still small voice asked me if I really truly trusted what it said..."Yes, I do trust what it says." At that moment I had the peace of God that passes all understaning, and I KNEW everything was going to be fine.

We say alot of time with our lips we trust the Lord, but when the rubber meets the road, do we truly trust the Lord, in our souls? If we truly trusted in the Lord in all things, I think it would drastically change our lives. What would I do with all my worry time?? LOL

All by myself.....

2009-01-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

Isn't this a great picture of me and my hubby! Don't you love our 24 cups???

This weekend I was all by myself (except for Caleb and Liberty). Peter went to South Carolina this weekend to take my mother in law home. It has actually been a pretty relaxed time. I unfortunately was sick all weekend with the crud (a Teays Valley,WV term). Caleb had been looking forward to this weekend for a while because I promised that we would get Chinese food. We also watched "Horton hears a Who". Have you ever noticed how politically correct children's movies are??? The world is trying to indoctrinate our children from everyside. Even my kids tell me I need to be "green".....

I've missed blogging! Sometimes I just too busy. For me it is much easier to check other people's blog than to post or comment on other blogs......

We as a family have really been trying to cut down our expenses. I have been cutting coupons for a few months now, and last week it paided off.....I saved $70.00 at Kroger off of our grocery bill! I was so proud of myself! I will be really proud when I reach $100.00! I have found some really cool sites all about saving at the grocery store. One of my favorites is www.moneysavingmom.com! Check it out! Let know how much you start saving!

Everyday from now till Valentines Day I am going to post one thing I love about my husband. Here is #1 : (These are in no particular order)

I love my husband because of his gentleness!

Morning Thoughts.....

2009-01-15T04:04:00.000-08:00

"Elijah and the Widow" I Kings 17:8-16

When Elijah had asked the widow to make him a little cake fist. I know she had to stuggle a litte, knowing that she only had enough for her and her son. Sometimes when I am at the end of my rope, and God asked me to do one more thing or serve someone else first, minister to another family, or fill-in for someone at church. I know struggle with my flesh. But, she decided to put the man of God first, and she recieved God's blessing and provision.
My pastor preached on this passage a couple of weeks ago. I had always had it in my mind that when God filled the flour and the oil, they were all filled up, but what if God only gave her enough for everyday? I bet the first couple of days she worried if she would have enough tomorrow. Then she realize that God would be faithful each and everytime! Eventually you have to wonder if sometimes Satan would come to her and try to make her doubt and worry if God really would come through again. Just as he does to us....
I know the widow rejoiced each morning to see that God had enough for another day. What has God provided for you today? He gives us what we need for each and every day. God is a day-to-day. We humans tend to be future people. Let's rejoice and thank Him for his daily blessings and provisions!

The Call to Dunkirk

2009-01-14T04:36:00.001-08:00

Starting some new habits in 2009!

2009-01-13T04:01:00.000-08:00

I just wrote a medium-sized post and my 10 1/2 month old just deleted it......ugghhhh..I guess I will write again later today~ ```````````

Blog Under Construction..

2009-01-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

This blog will be under construction for the next couple of weeks....until the moderator finds what she likes....Thanks for your patience!

Happy Birthday to me......

2009-01-10T18:38:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was my 30th birthday. I have been looking forward to this birthday for awhile. I was just excited to be turning 30 and to finally leave my 20's behind! My twenties to me were so stressful.... Getting married, having three children, starting homeschooling, Peter pastoring, losing grandparents, ect..

I think I know myself and like myself alot better now than I ever have before. I know that is a very hard thing for a Godly wife and mother to say....but at some point I was going to have to stop fighting reality and wishing I was someone else (and looked like someone else!)

Peter suprised me with a party at Red Lobster! My parents, sister and brother in law, my nephew Keith, and Pastor and Barbara were all there to wish me Happy Birthday. They had all kept a very good secret! They had all slipped up a couple of time and almost gave it away, but I didn't catch on. It was a blast! We were all so loud I think we disturbed the next table. OH WELL!!! It was a great birthday and I can't wait for the coming year!

Getting back to school.......

2009-01-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

This morning we start back to school. We are starting bright and early this morning. Peter had the boys up at 7:00 am so we could start at 8:00. I think that it is going to work really well! I have really struggles with being consistent with homeschooling since Liberty has been born. I know that we are doing okay, but needed some major improvement. For those of you who don't know, my husband is a born teacher! He is an excellent Bible teacher and could teach anyone, anything! (even trigonometry!) We sat down together over Christmas vacation and reviewed our schoolwork, and he showed me ways that we could improve it. I am so thankful for his counsel! I am so excited to see how everything works out!

I came across this poem I had printed off a long time ago. I thought I would share it with you today. It is a reminder for the new year!

Motherhood is not for wimps!

There are those who would spurn the vocation of mothers
And say of careers, it's inferior to others,
I'll have to admit that it's not easy work,
It's relentless and from it you cannot shirk.

It takes all your energy being a mother and wife,
Requiring daily commitment and a disciplined life,
It demand all your resources of patience and love,
Long-suffering and wisdom from the Father above.

It takes self-control and continual endurance,
It need constant faith and great perseverance,
It means total sacrifice, forgetting your self,
Sometimes you think that you're left on the shelf.

And what about time? It's no longer your,
It belongs to all those who come in your doors,
Claim your own rights? No, they're all gone too,
Like your right to sleep the whole night through.

It's not easy to crawl into bed with a book
or go off and dream in some quiet little nook,
It seems like you're totally losing your life,
To be a good mother and a submissive wife.

But oh, faithful mother, please do not despair,
In God's perfect plan you do have a share,
To fulfil your destiny planned from creation
Which is to nurture children and BUILD A NATION.

You're walking in the footsteps and Jesus your Lord
Who sacrificed all, His life he out-poured,
He didn't cling to his rights with selfish futility
He didn't claim any privilege but walked in humility.

He gave up His life to save millions of others,
This principle works in the lives of all mothers,
When you lose your own life you'll find it again,
A rewarding life, without guilt or shame.

So lift up your head, embrace your calling so high,
You're in God's perfect will, there's no reason to sigh!
You may often feel worthless - don't listen to this lie,
Your influence goes higher than the clouds in the sky!

As you nurture and train your God-given seed,
As your sharpen these "arrows" by word and by deed,
You shape the nation - you determine its course,
Your mothering's not wasted, it's a mighty force!

As your children leave home and go into the world
The proof of your training will soon be unfurled
You'll influence countries where you've never been,
And down the generations its effect will be seen.

Your work is so powerful, no wonder it's tough
But God is behind you, He's the GOD WHO IS ENOUGH!
His strength and His wisdom He will give to you,
He stands by His promise which are totally true.

He'll always be with you right through the end,
As you follow His leading and deny the world's trend,
Each morning you wake, your strength He'll renew,
He'll fill your home with His presence and His blessed peace, too.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.....

2008-12-29T05:05:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I haven't posted for a couple of days, but I have been busy with Christmas, and family. We had a great Christmas. We celebrated with my family on the 23rd. We didn't buy for each other, but had a yankee swap. We had some great food and a great time with my brothers! We then went to Peter's family and spent the 24th and 25th with them. My niece Jennifer came from OK and we finally got to meet her baby Todd. We draw names in Peter's family, and Jennifer had mine. She got me a homemade quilt that is gorgeous. btw....my camera has pretty much died, no pictures to post.

My m-i-l is staying with us for a couple of weeks. I love when she comes! We always have a blast, and she is always willing to help in any way.

The new year a couple of days away. I love the feeling of making a new start. I am going to sit down and review homeschool goals and things today. Jacob is still struggling to read. He is a whiz in every other subject, reading just eludes him. Does anyone have any suggestions? The thought is always in my mind that if he went to school, he would be reading. On the other hand if he still couldn't read,and he was attending school, would they take the time needed to help him. I don't know. This issue has weighed on my heart for a long time. Is it my fault he can't read......Could I have done something more........I don't know.

Chris graduates from West Virginia deputy sheriffs academy.....

2008-12-20T05:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a great day in our family, my brother Christopher graduated from the WV deputy sheriffs academy. We are so proud of him! We all went to the graduation ceremony then went back to the academy to watch them march formation and had refreshments. It was a great ceremony. The boys loved every minute of it. We all then went back to my parents house for lunch. Later that evening we all attented the christmas play at Chris and Heather's church. It was hilarious. My kids loved it! Jacob couldn't stop talking about it when we got home. Thank you Lord for the blessings of family and friends!

Today is a busy day of shopping getting ready for Christmas. My best friend Samantha and I have been reminding each other when we get stressed this year, that next Christmas may be different than this Christmas, we need to really slow down and enjoy this year. My kids will be year older, our country could be different, and our families could be different. Please take time to enjoy and cherish this next week and make some memories!

New Pictures Added at Bottom.....

2008-12-17T07:01:00.001-08:00

I am adding some new pictures at the bottom of my blog.....Take a look!

Hellmann's Parmesan Crusted Chicken

2008-12-16T12:26:00.001-08:00

This is my new favorite go-to recipe! I have made this at least twice a month for a couple of months now. I usually have the ingredients on hand, and this recipe is delicious!

1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4 chicken breasts
4 tsp. dry bread crumbs, preferable italian seasoned

Combine mayonnaise and cheese. Spread on chicken, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

This is what is for dinner tonight. Yummy!!!!

Updates from our home.....

2008-12-15T05:12:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a couple days, so I thought I would give you guys an update. My ankle is getting better. I don't have to walk on crutches now. I hated those things! I still have a limp, but I can handle that.

I am almost through with my Christmas shopping. I should have some packages arriving today. Christmas is finally becoming real to me. I am excited that this is Liberty's first Christmas and she is old enough to enjoy it. We had our holiday jubilee at our church yesterday. We had 3 preachers and a wonderful dinner. Every message preached yesterday was for me.

We have lost the cd for our church's cantata on Sunday. I ordered another one yesterday. Everyone pray that it gets here on time to practice before Sunday!

My Absolute Favorite Show

2008-12-11T05:20:00.001-08:00

Guess What....

2008-12-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

I've sprained my ankle. It happened last night about 4:30 p.m. I was going outside to close the back of our car, and I stepped out of our door and twisted my foot. Instant pain! Luckily Peter was already home from work. I had just went and picked him up because his truck had quit on him, then I got hurt. We finally decided I needed to go to the hospital. They x-rayed it, and said it was a severe sprain. Crutches and a splint for me. This morning has been pretty interesting with the kids, but it has been kinda fun figuring out new ways to do things. Caleb was worried about me last night, while they were waiting in the waiting room for me to be released, he asked Peter if I was going to be able to make him lunch tomorrow. I thought that was hilarious!

What is funny is that I just went rollerskating Saturday, and didn't get hurt. Go figure. Being in the hospital last night really made me thankful that I was only there for a short time! I started thinking about the people who are constantly in the hospital or have cancer, people who don't have any family anxiously awaiting for them, or the older ladies in a nursing home. After their full life of family, they sit in a nursing home hallway waiting for their family to come. Thank you Lord for my life now! Please help me to savor every moment!

2008-12-08T13:46:00.000-08:00

Nothing much is going on here today. We did some school work, had lunch and ran some errands. I'm trying to get some Christmas baking done early. I learn lessons every Christmas about how to do things better and more efficient for the next year. By the time I get really good at Christmas, I'll have grandkids! Thanks for all the encouraging comments about my last post! I think it was just one of those days!

Day not starting out to good....

2008-12-05T06:07:00.000-08:00

"And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret,...." I Samuel 1:6

I have been getting up early in the mornings this week to have my quiet time, and this verse seems to apply to me today. Hannah had a physical adversary provoking her, I have the devil. It seems like there are alot of things going on at the same time, and i am starting to fret. It is almost Christmas, and like everyone else we are in a money crunch. More like money famine. People are starting to lose their jobs here. Two guys who used to attend church with us lost their jobs on Tuesday. Not layed off, completely gone. As some of you know, Peter is employed at Toyota. We are not sure what his future will hold.

The holidays are starting to overwhelm me. I don't know why, but it happens every year. It's sad but I am starting to not like Christmas. It stresses me out! Family, presents, church things, baking, cooking, homeschooling, housework, a nine month old baby, LAUNDRY, and NO MONEY! There are my feelings in one sentence.

Now that I have written everything, I feel I can safely go on with my day.

Christmas is just around the corner.....

2008-12-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

I'm going to shock you all and tell you that we do not put up a Christmas tree in our house for Christmas. We choose to focus on the Christ's birth. When we were in Missouri for Rachel and Aaron's wedding we noticed that her parents had a nativity scene with presents rather than a tree. We have since adopted this for our Christmas celebration. These are pictures of our nativity scene this year.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas trees. I have actually been known to beg my husband every year to get a tree. I usually help my parents decorate theirs, but this is how we celebrate Christmas in our house.

The 5:16 Club......

2008-12-01T04:04:00.001-08:00

One of my new favorite hobbies in reading people's blogs. I love it! There are so many wonderful biblical women doing what God has put in their hearts! I found a new favorite "Like A Warm Cup of Coffee". I have joined her 5:16 a.m. club. In this club you get up at 5:16 a.m. and have your devotion time with God. I love the concept, accountability, and the warm cup of coffee in the mornings. Today was my first morning. I know that this will be a life-changing (in a spiritual way) thing and I am so excited! Check out the blog, and join me in the mornings! It is easier to do when you know someone else is doing it too!

Congratulations to my friend Beth who is pregnant with her first child! After 8 years of trying, God has answer her prayers! It makes me realize God never forgets, and loves us sooooo much!

2008-11-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

2008-11-26T06:47:00.000-08:00

We will be leaving for my parents tonight after church, so I wanted to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to everyone! You are some of my greatest blessing this year. I am also going to share a photo of my kids, my blessings from God. More photos will be added at the bottom! God Bless You, because He certainly has me!

Happy Thanksgiving !!!!!

2008-11-24T04:58:00.000-08:00

Caleb Got Saved Today......

2008-11-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

Caleb accepted the Lord as his Saviour, this morning during church service. I knew the Lord had been dealing with him for a while. I could just tell that he was more aware of things. Pastor Spurlock was preaching a message about the flames of hell, and Caleb started crying, and told Peter that he didn't want to miss being saved. Peter took him into the church hallway, and Caleb asked Jesus to save him. When he came back in church he had the big smile on his face! You could tell he really truly got saved! He was so excited! We had watched the new "Pilgrim's Progress" last weekend, and I think that really explain things to him. I highly recommend that movie! Just wanted to share our big news!

A Homemade Christmas......

2008-11-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

I found the instructions on how to make a paperbag scrapbook, so I decided to try it out. The pictures are kinda blurry, but I loved making it. My mom has invited me to make some crafts for a craft show in a few weeks. I like I will make some pre-made books to sell.

Marriage is all about compromise.....

2008-11-20T17:53:00.000-08:00

This was our tater tot casserole on Sunday. Peter likes the soup on the top. I like the soup on the bottom.

Daddy's Little Girl........

2008-11-20T17:51:00.001-08:00

My family is sick......

2008-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

It finally happened. After staying well the last couple of months. Peter came home from work sick on Tuesday. He tried to go to work yesterday, but called to have me come and get him. Caleb was sick on Sunday and Monday with a stomach virus, now Liberty has dirahea (sp?) and won't eat. I am just so thankful they are sick this week and not during Thanksgiving! Hope everyone else is fairing better...

Have you ever....?

2008-11-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Miss Tori's and I thought I would try it. If your want to post this on your blog...copy my post and highlight the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band - Junior high and high school marching band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang/played a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Gotten flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Made a baby - 3

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee