Daily Reflections of my Life

Aerial Views

2011-06-23T13:39:00.004-04:00

As promised, here are some of my favorite aerial photos from flying with Lionel. I have a ton of photos that I'll share over time, but for now, here is a small taste.

Lionel is the pilot, I'm the photographer...the perfect combination, don't you think?? OK, here goes:

So, there you have it....a few photos I've been able to capture from the air. I'm sure you'd all get a kick out of seeing me in the back seat snapping photos away. I go from one window to the next, leaning, contorting my body in ways I never knew I could, just to capture that 'perfect' shot. Who knows, if they offered me a seat up on the wing, I just may accept! Well...ok, maybe not, but you get the picture....right?

More to come soon. I have SO many. =)

Flyboy

2011-06-21T22:33:00.001-04:00

Lionel really should have a new nickname. It should be Flyboy. He LOVES to fly. He is passionate about it, and is determined to get his pilots license before his driver's license. It's kind of exciting really. I couldn't be prouder!! He began to take flying lessons last August, so it's been nearly 1 year already. He is now an official flying club member, has his medical pilot certificate and just the other day, got his own brand new headset.

He has been doing well in his lessons. He's been taking off and landing since his very first time up (they don't waste time!) and now he knows how to do all the pre-flight and weather checks. He is learning so much and he has a wonderful Flight Instructor, so I have every confidence he will do well.

Here he is with one of the planes he flies:

Doing the pre-flight check. This is THE MOST IMPORTANT part about flying! Taking-off and landing are minor compared to this, believe it or not. Safety first!

Once the pre-flight check is done, he can head out towards the runway and prepare to take off after a simple engine check.

Lionel has done a great job landing the plane! I love flying with him.

After the flight is over, they put the plane back into place and tie it down.

Some of the best moments are while we're up in the air. Everything looks so different from the air, it's incredible!! I will post some of my favorite photos in my next post.

Pray with me as I continue to pray for my son. Pray that God will bless him with safe flights, knowledge on how to fly, and wisdom when needed. There are days when he flies without me as a passenger in the back. Those are the days I seem to pray most. It's not that I can do anything to help him while we're up in the plane together, but watching him take off into the 'wild blue yonder' alone (with his instructor but no parent) is very difficult for me. We, as parents need to hold our children with open arms. They belong to God alone. I am literally letting my son 'fly from the nest' as he grows and matures. It's not easy, but God gives me the grace, the peace and the comfort when I need it most. It's all about faith, and trusting Christ in ALL things!!

Submarine Field Trip

2011-06-12T20:29:00.004-04:00

What a great day the kids and I had while visiting a submarine and Naval Base on a homeschool field trip! Before our 'official' field trip, we got to walk around the submarine museum and go down into a nuclear sub. I had never been on a submarine before, and most likely I won't go down again...those things creep me out, but it was so much fun!! Here's the sub we went on:

It wasn't only disturbing to know we were under water and had no way out but through the opening in the top, it was scary to know that only a few yards away from where we were, the nuclear reactors were sitting. Old as they may be (this is now a retired sub), they still must be unsafe to be around. Radioactive materials don't just go away! I don't generally get claustrophobic, so the fact that it was cramped and uncomfortable inside, didn't really bother me. The small doorways were a bit hard to walk through though because you have to not only duck your head, but step over and through. Here's Lionel posing in one of the the doorways:

This door doesn't look as small as most because it's not, but the lower we got in the sub, the smaller the doors got. It was kind of funny actually!

Sweet-Pea kept joking that she was going to find "The Button" and push it. See?? Good thing she's not planning to join the Navy. Ha ha ha!

While we were there, it was exciting to see a crew coming home! This sub was out on active duty and was scheduled to return this afternoon at 2:30. It arrived at the sub base not a minute too soon or too late- that's the Navy for ya, right on time! I'm sure the family members of these guys were very excited that they were finally coming home! I thought it was cool to see the men standing on the top of the sub while it was coming in...just like in the movies. =)

After our visit at the museum, we were transported to the Naval base where we got to ride on a submarine simulator. That was SO COOL!! Lionel and Sweet-Pea got to run the controls and cause the sub to dive down several hundred feet, then make a quick return to the surface...the kind of return where the sub jumps it's nose out of the water then settles back down into the water. This simulator is not for the weak at heart!

The officer (bottom center) is setting up the simulator for our 'ride'. I'm in red, just behind him, Lionel is behind me (can't see him sitting there) and Sweet-Pea is on the right sitting at the main controls...probably still looking for "That Button".

Here is part of the group on their return to the top after diving down deep. You really do need to hold on or you'll go flying. Sweet-Pea is in purple sitting near the officer, Lionel is at the bottom in the red/blue shirt.

Some of the kids who came with us on the trip posed with the officer after their 'mission' was over. What a great time we had!!

This field trip was one of my favorites. We had never done anything like this before, so it was quite a treat. We also learned a lot too....things I could never teach at home in our classroom.

Snippets from the past year

2011-06-11T23:28:00.007-04:00

Like I mentioned last night, I'm not going to take the time to write about everything that happened last year, but after thinking it through I decided to mention some of the highlights month by month. This way when I look back on my blog there's not a huge gaping hole of information. I'm such a Type-A person, that it would bug me to no end if I didn't. It's like reading a book and finding a few chapters missing in the middle. They're not ultra important, but they are still a part of what makes my life...'my life', so I'd like to remember them just like I want to remember the other parts. Make sense? Probably not, but that's OK, not everyone understands me. =) Anyhow, here's a quick year(and a half)-in-review. Feel free to completely skip reading this entry if you want to. I won't be offended at all because it's really here for me.

Here goes:

January 2010: I injured my foot and spent a while on crutches. Nothing else exciting.
February 2010: Enjoyed time with friends and family over fun game nights, Valentine's dinner and more.
March 2010: Lionel turned 15 years old! He also had major surgery on his knee. He did well, but it wasn't without lots of pain and lots of physical therapy after. I'm happy to say that his knee is perfectly fine today and he's not had a problem since.

April 2010: Rob celebrated another birthday. Zachary got to put his Biology tools to good use as he dissected a few specimens, and Sweet-Pea and I got to meet some great skaters face to face after seeing the Stars on Ice performance. Here she is with one of them...Sasha Cohen.

May 2010: The definite highlight of our year...a 2 week vacation in Walt Disney World!! We saved up for years just to go on this trip. It wasn't the first time I'd been there (my parents brought us several times while growing up) but Rob and I had never been together, and the kids had never been at all. It was so exciting experiencing it through their eyes. We had a blast! Soon after coming home, Rob and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary too. =)

June 2010: This month was when Lionel made the decision to take flying lessons. He is now pursuing his dream of flying planes with the hopes of eventually going to the Air Force Academy in Colorado. Lord willing he will!! We are so very excited for him! He also went to Ohio this month with the youth group (and our church's Bible quiz team - who won 1st place!) for a National Conference. He came back a changed young man, and we were so very proud of him.
July 2010: Sweet-Pea turned 9 this month! She celebrated by having an American Girl slumber party...her first one. The girls had a great time together. I also got to spend a "sister's weekend" with my older sister. We hadn't talked in almost 2 years, so we took the time to reconnect, heal and move forward. It was the best thing we did and I am so thankful to God for the opportunity! I'm going again next month for another great weekend away with her...can't wait. Here we are posing for a funny photo together just to laugh about how silly it was to waste those 2 years apart (I'm the one on the right with the knife!! Ha ha!)

August 2010: My sister and her family (all 6 of them) came up to spend a few days with us. We had an awesome visit with them all, and the cousins were so excited to finally spend quality time together. I also got to go up to Camp-of-the-Woods with a friend (and my 2 kids) for a day, just to take photos and walk around. I worked there for 10 years as a teen and loved every minute of it. Such a great place! The highlight of this month...Lionel officially started his flying lessons!!

September 2010: Homeschooling had already begun in August, but we activities resumed with the homeschool group that I lead, with a family picnic, great boating field trip around the local islands and more! We did a few family hikes up to Kent Falls, and enjoyed the cooler weather. Sweet-Pea also continued her skating and Lionel resumed his violin lessons after a short break. Life was back in full-swing after a nice relaxing summer.

October 2010: Autumn is the best time of year! We took a few nice family day trips to some of our favorite places....Sturbridge Village, Yankee Candle, Deerfield and more. We truly enjoy being together as a family and we take advantage of it every minute we can. I'm so thankful for children and a husband who love family, field trips, and travel as much as I do!!
November 2010: We enjoyed the first snow of the year in early November. I had yet another birthday (right on Thanksgiving Day)....goodness, they just keep popping up every year! =) I turned the big 45 in 2010....does that mean I've reached the top of the hill, or is that at 50? Either way, you're only as old as you feel and I don't feel a day over 100. Ha ha Actually I don't feel old at all...I'm enjoying life and aside from a few signs of wear and tear on my body, I still feel rather young. Thanksgiving was rather dull aside from my birthday. It was the first one we spent all alone - just the 4 of us. To be honest, it was kind of sad. All my life I had huge family Thanksgivings, but this year it was not meant to be. Sigh...
December 2010: We had a homeschool-free month this year! No schooling at all...just for fun. We started extra early this year, so we enjoyed a guilt-free holiday that lasted for 5 weeks! We baked, decorated, baked, cleaned, baked, visited with friends and oh yeah...we baked! ha ha! Christmas was wonderful. We had the in-laws over and we celebrated with lots of fun, family and food!

January 2011: New Year's Day was SO MUCH FUN!! We had an Open House for family and friends. It was so much fun, that we can't wait until New Year's Day 2012 to do it all over again. It was also a NYC month for us. Lionel flew he and I over NYC. All I can say is "WOW!" If you ever get the chance to go over the city in a plane (only 1,000 ft up) then do it!!! I also got to spend a day in the city with Rob as we went to see the Phantom of the Opera, my absolute favorite Broadway Musical!! We had a great day and enjoyed the city while snow fell on us.

One of the photos I took while flying over NYC:

Waiting for the Phantom to begin!

February 2011: SNOW!!! To say we got a lot of snow this winter would be an understatement. It snowed long and hard. Know what though? I loved it! I enjoyed every minute of it, even the shoveling. Watching the snow get higher and higher was a riot. At one point we had to walk through a narrow path about 3 1/2' high just to get to our front door. We haven't had snow like that in years. Lionel also started to make progress on his HUGE Lionel train layout. Photos coming in a later post I'm sure. Here I am standing in the snow...barely!

March 2011: Tea parties, flying, Play Doh, museums, photography, and field trips sums up the bulk of March. Lionel turned 16 this year which was very exciting!! We celebrated big and he got to open up his Time Capsule that we had stored away from when he was 1 year old. Inside were letters from my parents (both deceased), Rob's parents, Rob and I. Also included was a letter written to him from our Pastor from the day he was dedicated to the Lord. It was a very tearful afternoon, especially when he read the letters from my parents and from our pastor. Pastor Dave passed away only 1 week earlier after a long battle with cancer. These letters will always be precious to Lionel, I'm sure.

Getting a little emotional while listening to the letters being read out loud to him. He started to read them but couldn't make it through...not that it was easier for us either. =)

April 2011: Sweet-Pea and I got to go meet more skaters at the Stars On Ice show once again. This year was better than last! We got there early, talked to several of them and got to watch the show from the front row, right in the center of the rink. The only better place to be would've been right on the ice with the skaters! Rob celebrated his birthday this month, Lionel had his 16th birthday party (a couple weeks after his actual birthday) with friends, and we had our big homeschool Literature Fair, where both our kids brought home 1st place trophies for their work!! What a great month!

Sweet-Pea and Kurt Browning!!

Lionel as 'Sherlock Holmes'

Sweet-Pea as 'Jane Austen'
I made this dress for her too! First time sewing like that ever!!

May 2011: May flew by, mainly because we went away for a couple weeks down to Virginia. What a great trip! We went to Williamsburg, Newport News and Virginia Beach/Chesapeake Bay areas. We enjoyed seeing the many places full of history, before heading home via Charlottesville where we stopped in to see the Waltons Mountain Museum...such a fun place! When we got home, we had our homeschool group graduation and before we knew it, June and the heat of summer arrived!

Phew! That pretty much brings the blog up-to-date...sort of. I took you on the turbo tour of my life from the past year and a half. Lord willing I won't ever let time go by again like I did. Now...on to our regularly scheduled posts.... thanks for being so patient with me and sorry for such a long post.

A New Beginning...

2011-06-11T22:56:00.003-04:00

I thought about deleting this blog and starting over completely, but I just couldn't. I couldn't erase the incredible memories that were recorded here, both good and bad. So...instead of such a drastic change, or the pressure of trying to update this blog with everything that I missed writing about, I've decided to just continue writing as if I never stopped. I will also try not to think about the year of blogging that I missed. Sigh.....

That being said, my first official post will begin tomorrow.
Night friends, it's good to be back!

OK, OK, I get the hint!

2010-12-03T11:08:00.004-05:00

I know, I know...I've been a very bad blogger lately!

A regular conversation between my son and I goes something like this:

Lionel: "Did you blog yet today?"
Me: "Nope, not yet."
Lionel: "Why not?"
Me: "I don't know."
Lionel: "You know, it's been a long time since you've said you were going to post something."
Me: "Yeah, I know...I just don't have the desire to keep it up anymore."

That's when Lionel shakes his head. So... ~~to get him off my back~~ in honor of him, I'm posting today! I do miss it but honestly I haven't been that inspired. This past year has been quite a year...so many changes and new things happening in my life, yet I'm enjoying them so much more than I enjoy blogging about it. Does that even make sense? Probably not.

Now that the holidays are upon us I should make more of an effort. I wanted to blog about our homeschooling adventures here and keep it as a reminder of all we've been through over the years together, but I've been very negligent in my efforts. Can I make up for lost time? Nope...not gonna happen. That's how I used to scrapbook....I'd get all crazy trying to play 'catch up', so I learned not to let it stress me and to simply move on from that point.

So, that being said, I will post about our Thanksgiving Day and a little about what we've been doing the past 2 months and then just try harder to post more often. That OK with you, Lionel?? I love you...thanks for the much needed 'push' to get me going again!!

Scenic Sunday - #18

2010-10-10T09:56:00.005-04:00

One of my favorite places on earth!!

(Click on photos to enlarge for a much better view!)

Photo Hunt #157 - Stripes

2010-10-09T13:22:00.003-04:00

At first I wasn't sure what to put down for stripes, but then I saw these photos from our trip to Disney and thought they were perfect, especially the last one!!

Lionel, Sweet-Pea and Tigger...

Sweet-Pea and Piglet....
these two are SO much alike it's not funny!!

You can't live in American and hear the word 'stripes' without thinking of our flag! I took this photo outside the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum down in Georgia. I still get chills when I see it and think of all the men who have served, especially those who have given their lives, for our freedom.

"Elementary my dear Watson... elementary"

2010-10-07T14:08:00.010-04:00

We planned a day trip to go visit Gillette Castle, and despite the rainy weather, we had a great time! Actually the dreary weather was quite appropriate while visiting this 'creepy' castle. It's not the type of building you'd think of when you think 'castle'...it was built to look a little run down and rough along the edges. It's not a romantic place either, it's kinda eerie, yet the rain just made it more fitting.

This castle was built by William Gillette, the stage actor or portrayed Sherlock Holmes. He lived here back in the early 1900's with his 15-20 cats and as you can tell, he was quite an eccentric gentleman!

Here are Lionel (in brown jacket) and Sweet-Pea (in purple jacket), standing beside the castle sign with some of the other kids in our homeschool group.

Very cool gate near the entrance. The stone work was absolutely amazing, both inside and out!

View of the castle from the ground...sorry about the rainy white spots...the rain was kind of misty so it got my lens wet.

The back section of the castle where the greenhouse is.

Inside the front door...pretty impressive 'foyer' huh?

Very cool glass window....I imagine on a bright sunny day this looks even more beautiful!!

This is where you end up after walking into the castle from the foyer...

The 'living room'...

The beautiful fireplace...

Our family posing beside the main stairway...

Gillette's library

Gillette's office...where there were multiple doors (of multiple sizes). The place was FILLED with so many unique things. I've been here before and every time I go, I see new things...it's more like a 'fun house' than a castle. ha ha

The kiddos in the greenhouse...complete with pond where Gillette used to keep two 'pet' frogs...

Upstairs hallway. Even the light fixtures were pretty cool! The halls were narrow and quite dangerous, so I guess it's good that Gillette had no children. Can you imagine your kids running in the halls here? They get knocked out cold by the stones protruding from the walls!

One of the three (yes, only three) bedrooms...complete with full bath though, which in those days was quite rare!

Another bedroom. (All the dressers were built in and had very unique features...strange handles, cubbies etc.)

Some of the items Gillette used while on stage....carpet bag, binoculars, his violin and a pair of very ~~weird looking~~ 'girly' slippers. ha ha

Yup, that's me heading down the back stairway from the 3rd floor.

View of the back stairs from the bottom floor

Back outside, it was still raining, but I managed to capture some decent photos. My husband took this one of me holding our very cool umbrella. Gotta love the colors!!

Hopefully we will get back up there someday just to walk around the gardens. The whole area is a 21 acre state park, so it's worth another trip.

Today it's back to school and our daily activities as usual....figure skating for Sweet-Pea, violin lessons for Lionel and cleaning up the house for me. It was such a nice break from all that yesterday, even if it did rain.

Til next time...

Hail!!!

2010-10-04T21:37:00.010-04:00

The weather today was so crazy! This morning when I woke up the sun was shining. By noon, it was starting to rain...downpour, actually. I went out on a few errands with Sweet-Pea for a little while and only minutes after we arrived home, the heavens opened up! WOW! The rain started, thunder clapped and then HAIL...and LOTS of it!!!!!

Within 5 minutes, our ground was covered!

Once it was over, the kids went outside to see what was left behind. Here's Lionel with a handful of ice...

See how deep it was??? Totally unbelievable! Sweet-Pea thought it was so cool. She loves snow in winter, so this was lots of fun for her.

The weird part about this hail?? They were all different sizes (this is a small one Sweet-Pea picked up) and they weren't round. It was as if they melded together on their way down and were all lumpy...pretty amazing.

The rain stopped within 20 minutes and again the sky was beautiful. It didn't last long...the clouds rolled in, but there wasn't much more rain. Just a weird weather day overall. If nothing else, it made for an excitement afternoon!!! Rob and I were just glad that it didn't do much damage. The hail was large enough to cause problems, but it was short-lived, so everything (with the exception of a few of our plants) was fine. Phew!

Hopefully we'll have some 'normal' crisp, clear autumn weather in the days to come. I'm SO ready for it!

Bible Quizzing

2010-10-02T16:24:00.006-04:00

Lionel has been on our church's Bible quiz team now for 3 years. Each year, he improves just a little bit, but this year he's doing extremely well! We are SO very proud of him. The teens are studying the book of John this year (last year it was I & II Corinthians, two years ago it was Luke, and the year before that, it was Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.) It's such a great thing to see your teenage son walk around the house with the Bible in his hand while studying so intently!!

They had their first quiz meet of the year last weekend and they did pretty well. There weren't many teams there, but they still had a LOT of fun! Here are a few photos:

Lionel, getting in some last minute studying before quizzing begins.

Part of our church team...ready to quiz.

Lionel answering one of the questions. During this particular quiz, he got 3 in a row...woo hoo...way to go Lionel!!!

Jumping for yet another question. Keep in mind, these kids are quick! They hear one word (or actually 'part' of one word) and jump to answer the question before most of us adults would even be able to process it! Ahh, youth!

Here is the team enjoying a bit of fun and games before lunch. These are truly a great group of kids!!! I'm so glad Lionel is enjoying quiz team so much this year.

A few more photos....

I look forward to seeing how the team does this year. Even if they don't win first place like they did last year (at Nationals!!!), they are still #1 in my eyes. These teens are treasuring God's Word as they continue to hide it in their hearts. I pray that Lionel will always keep it with him as he grows into the man God intends for him to be. I'm so proud of him already...can't wait to see how much more he grows over the years.

P.S. Thanks to Coach Mark for a few of the photos above. Most are mine, but I have to give credit where credit is due. =)

What's Been Happining??

2010-09-30T13:53:00.005-04:00

Wow, it's been over a month and a half since I've blogged. I don't know what happened, but I suppose I've just been in need of some 'time off'. I have missed it, but I think the time away did me some good.

I have been wanting to post about our family vacation to Disney World as well as other things we've been up to, but it's kind of late now. Instead, I'll post a few of my favorite photos...highlights from the past few months.

Summer flowers in bloom, simply gorgeous!! I love taking photos of flowers. They're so beautiful and have so many details that really pop when photographed. I took these photos at a flower farm near us.

I went on an overnight trip to PA with my sister and we had a total blast! We spent a couple hours driving around simply taking photos of the beautiful scenery. The best part was the quality time we got to spend together.

Ahhh, Camp-of-the-Woods, my home away from home for so many years. I have been going there every summer with my family since I was born, and I had the privilege of working up there on music staff for 10 summers. Such a great place where I've met so many wonderful people...many who are still a huge part of my life today. I am truly blessed!! I was able to escape for a few days with the kids to head up north to camp simply for the purpose of taking photos. So...here are some of my favorites...

As you can see, Camp is a beautiful place. The memories I made up here will last a lifetime. I cherish them every day of my life and am thankful for each and every one of them.

The kids and I up at Camp-of-the-Woods...

My sister and her family came for a visit in August. We had a wonderful time laughing, playing games, and simply hanging out together...something we haven't been able to do for a very long time. As you can see, we're quite the crazy family!!

All the cousins had a blast playing together...literally!!!

Our homeschool group had a family picnic and unfortunately not many families were able to join us, so a few of us took a hike through the woods just for fun despite the humidity and heat!

Our family LOVES going on hikes together through the woods! On this hike we went up to the top of a waterfall and back down the other side. It was a beautiful day out and we were able to get some really great photos and have a lot of laughs along the way!!

We've been homeschooling already since the end of July!! We started extra early this year because we love taking the month of December off for the holidays. The kids also have been keeping up with their extra curricular activities for the most part. Sweet-Pea has continued her skating and is improving more and more each week.

Lionel started something new in August!!!! He is now a pilot in training! It's almost hard to believe, but he's loving it. He has been up twice so far, and is due to go again soon. He's hoping to get his pilots license before his driver's license. What a trip, huh? His dream to attend the Air Force Academy is slowly becoming a reality...at least the flying part. So far he's already taken off twice, he flew the plane for almost the entire ride both times and on his next trip up, he will be landing the plane! Keep him (and me as his nervous Mom) in your prayers for safety, wisdom and peace while he's learning to fly. You can catch a video of his very first take off in my previous post. He flew a Piper Archer ii then, and in the photos below (his 2nd flight) he flew a Piper Warrior.

Our homeschool group also began our field trips. On this particular trip we took a boat tour around a bunch of nearby Islands. It was VERY fun and we got some wonderful photos since it was such a beautiful day!!

So, as you can see, the past few months I've been keeping busy. Life has been full, crazy, busy and interesting. Hopefully things will settle down a little bit now that Autumn has arrived. The weather is still pretty warm out, but we're looking forward to seeing the leaves change color soon. It's my favorite time of year...the crisp air, gorgeous colors, scents of fall, warm fires, and falling leaves. Ahhhhh!

Thanks for being patient with me as I took a little break from blogging. My family has been getting after me to continue, so Lord willing, I will be more faithful in the days to come.

Up, Up and Away!

2010-08-16T00:35:00.007-04:00

Happy Birthday Sweet-Pea!!!

2010-07-18T09:20:00.002-04:00

My little baby turned 9 today! I can't believe it. Where on earth has the time gone?? The one thing about remembering when she was born, is that it also brings back sad memories of my Mom dying. Sweet-Pea was born only 2 months before my Mom succumbed to cancer. So, part of me wants to remember the excitement and happiness of our little blessing from 2001, but part of me wants to forget 2001 'cause of losing my own Mom. It was quite a year for us!

That being said, I am so very proud and blessed that I have two beautiful children. Sweet-Pea has grown into such a beautiful young lady over the past year. I am very excited to see what the future holds for her. Here she is through the years:

2001 - A few hours old...all 10 lbs 2 oz of her!!

2002 - 1 year old

2003 - 2 years old

2004 - 3 years old

2005 - 4 years old

2006 - 5 years old

2007 - 6 years old - Kindergarten homeschool graduation

2008 - 7 years old

2009 - 8 years old

2010 - 9 years old!! My little girl has blossomed into a beautiful young lady!!

"Happy birthday my dear sweet girl! I love you beyond words. May God continue to guide you and bless you as you grow. Always keep Him in the center of all you do. Love Mommy"

Lionel's Violin Recital

2010-06-14T23:40:00.004-04:00

Lionel played Vivaldi's "Winter" for his recital piece this year. He did an amazing job...even had it memorized!! We are so very proud of him!!!

Photo Hunt #156 - Bubbles

2010-06-11T19:17:00.002-04:00

Sweet-Pea LOVES blowing bubbles, so it was easy finding photos for this topic.

Here's an old one I took of Lionel a few years ago. One of my favorite photos!!

Scenic Sunday - #17

2010-05-30T12:52:00.010-04:00

My favorite photo from happiest place on earth!!! We recently got back from our vacation there. I'll be posting more photos soon.

(Click on photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Photo Hunt #155 - Memorial

2010-05-29T15:32:00.005-04:00

The word this week is "Memorial". It's not only an appropriate word for this weekend, but because Lionel has decided he'd like to join the Air Force when he graduates high school in 2 years. He hopes to go to the AF Academy out in Colorado Springs to become an officer. Here are a few photos from our recent vacation, where we happened to stop to visit an Air Force Museum down in Georgia.

Lionel's dream is to fly...to become a pilot. If he doesn't get to fly while in the Air Force, he still wants to get his pilots license and fly privately, but I'm praying he will get to live out his dream and fly for our country!

My handsome son Lionel...I'm so very proud of him!!!

Take the time to remember those who have given their lives up for our freedom in this country. One of the saddest funerals I ever attended was for a friend whose 21 year old son was killed in Iraq while serving as a US Marine. A big thank you to those who are in the military serving our country. You, and those who have gone before you should be honored this weekend.

Fun with the 'Light & the Glory'

2010-04-26T12:10:00.005-04:00

Sweet-Pea and I have been enjoying her history this year! Currently we're reading through "The Light and the Glory...Discovering God's plan for America from Christopher Columbus to George Washington." by Peter Marshall & David Manuel.

The reader (on the left) is fantastic! I love that each chapter begins with a Bible verse that is applicable to what you'll be reading, and that there is an activity book (on the right) to go along with each days work. We are finishing up the sections on the Puritans and are just about to start on the Great Awakening, but to complete this section Sweet-Pea put together and is painting a log cabin. As you can see, she loves the hands-on activities that go along with each lesson.

The best part about these books? They are from a Christian point of view, and they have wonderful thought provoking questions in the back for each chapter. This helps you not only learn the material better, it shows how God's hand of providence is always with us!! The Pilgrims, Puritans, Indians and others mentioned in the book experienced so many blessings and miracles when going through tough times!! Those who followed God were truly blessed...a great lesson for an 8 year old, don't you think?!?

Scenic Sunday - #16

2010-04-25T00:00:00.004-04:00

(Click on photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Earthworms are icky!

2010-04-24T17:49:00.006-04:00

Well we dissected our first specimen, the earthworm. It wasn't as bad as we thought, we actually had a great time identifying all the body parts. Fascinating stuff!! It's amazing how small these little critters are and how truly amazing God's creation is!!!

Here is Lionel opening up the package containing the earthworm...

He was very brave and didn't complain once! He actually said he had a great time dissecting it and can't wait to do the other specimens.

Cutting open the worm...

Pulling the Setae apart in order to open him up...

Here he is...

Checking out the details with a magnifying glass...

Our 'mad scientist'...

Sweet-Pea decided that looking at the worm wasn't as much fun as drawing one, so she left the room and created this masterpiece...

You can see the black intestines running down the length of the worm....by this point he was pretty much mangled inside, but we did find many parts, some very very small!!!

All done...now it's time to dispose of this little guy and lay him to rest...
and in case you're wondering...we're getting rid of the worm, not Lionel!! =)

Our next dissection will be the Crayfish. That should be fun as it's a bit bigger than the worm. Look here for more photos if you dare!!! Now...I've got to go see about how to get this smelly formaldehyde smell out of my nose. Eeww!!!!

Dissection Day!!

2010-04-24T12:25:00.003-04:00

We're 'finally' getting around to dissecting our specimens for Lionel's Biology class. These critters have been sitting in their packaging on the floor of our dining room for a couple months now. Don't worry, they're sealed up very well...so our dining room isn't contaminated. ha ha

We've set up 'shop' on the kitchen island...covered it with garbage bags and laid everything out so it's all organized. Now we just wait until Daddy gets home and we start the process...slice and dice! Mmmmm...lunch anyone??

I'm not sure if you all have memories of dissecting specimens in high school or not, but the memories I have aren't all that great. I vaguely remember the actual dissection process, but what "jumps" out in my mind (pun intended) are the times the boys in class threw frog guts at all us girls. It was so disgusting!! The cow's eye was even worse. Then, when I was in college, we had to work on an actual cadaver, which totally creeped me out!!! The memories...they still haunt me. Fortunately my kids won't have to worry about those things. They will dissect their specimens and enjoy the learning experience without flying frog guts or cadavers.

Our 'lab'...or operating room...whichever you prefer:

Lionel isn't too sure he's ready for this!! Some of the specimens are pretty big!

Our dissecting tools:

"Wiggles"...our earth worm:

"Mr. Snippy"...our Crayfish:

"Slime"...our Perch:

"Prince"...our frog:

I will post photos in more detail once we're done with them all. It should be fun...minus the smell and slimy feel. I am excited to be doing this with my kids though, most parents only have memories like I do from dissecting animals; this gives me a chance to make new ones. Even Sweet-Pea is interested in getting in on the action. When it's her time to dissect, she'll be a pro at this! Time to get to work....

Sweet-Pea's Dream...

2010-04-21T11:00:00.009-04:00

Sweet-Pea and I went to see Stars on Ice....we had a total blast!! We had tickets front and center, right on the ice! Since she has been taking figure skating lessons herself, it was fun to see her eyes light up as the skaters performed. Also, after the show we were able to meet some of the skaters which was a real treat.

I brought my camera (of course!) but was not able to get the best photos. They are very strict with their rule about not zooming in with your lens or using flash photography, and when you have a larger SLR camera like myself (Nikon D90) it's hard to hide it when you zoom, let alone flash...especially when sitting right in the front row! That being said, I did take a ton of photos, but they weren't nearly as good as I'd have liked them to be. Thanks to Scott for some of his tips on how to set my camera. It helped with the lighting, but I'm afraid most of my photos didn't come out as well as expected. With a bit of practice though, I'm sure I'll 'get it'...

Anyhow, here are some of the photos I managed to capture....enjoy, but please do not copy them or use them. Thank you!

Sweet-Pea with Sasha Cohen....awesome moment!

Sweet-Pea with Marai Nagasu

Posing with her very first figure skate (one she no longer wears)...which she had autographed by the stars. How cool is that?!?

Alissa Czisny

Todd Eldredge

Sasha Cohen

Michael Weiss in mid back-flip

Alissa Czisny & Sasha Cohen...so elegant!

Todd Eldredge saw I had my camera up ready to take a photo, so he came right over to me. As I shot his photo he got even closer for another, laughing the whole time. Gotta love it when they interact with the audience!

The whole cast...

Todd Eldredge with Michael Weiss in the background

Jeremy Abbott

Meryl Davis & Charlie White skating beside Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto

Michael Weiss, Yuka Sato, Todd Eldredge & Jeremy Abbott

Sasha Cohen - my favorite outfit and song, hands down...she skated to Alleluia.

Michael Weiss

Yuka Sato...such an elegant skater

The whole cast...final performance

I wish the show wasn't over, but hopefully we'll be able to see it again in 2011. It'll be the show's 25th anniversary, so I'm hoping they'll bring back some 'old' skaters from the past!! Tomorrow is Sweet-Pea's skating lesson, and I'm sure her coach will get an ear full about how wonderful the show was!! Can't wait.....as much as I love seeing the professionals perform, there's nothing like watching your own child out on the ice!!!!

Photo Hunt #154 - Covered

2010-04-17T12:36:00.003-04:00

Hmmm, this was a no-brainer for me. Covered bridges are so beautiful...I wish there were more of them. There's something so mysterious about them, and I love their nostalgic feel. These are two bridges we went to visit here in New England in the fall. One on a field trip and one as a family.

Spring!!!!

2010-04-13T15:44:00.008-04:00

My absolute favorite seasons are Spring and Fall...Spring because of the gorgeous flowers, and Fall because of the incredible foliage colors!! I've been wanting to drive around and take a few photos of 'spring', so when Rob suggested we drop the kids off at his folks and drive around town together, I grabbed my camera and off we went! Not too many trees are out in full bloom yet, but my favorite is...the Weeping Cherry tree! Here are some photos from our drive...

Beautiful Weeping Cherry!!!

Gotta love these type of roads...so mysterious and beautiful...

This is simply beautiful in the fall...here's a link to a photo I took back in November...the 4th photo down:

Yup, looks like they're praying, doesn't it?!?

Just me...

Rob...

Sooooo pretty!!!

Gorgeous sky at sunset!

'Til next time.....

Scenic Sunday - #15

2010-04-11T12:59:00.004-04:00

(Click on photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Homeschool History Fair

2010-04-10T19:24:00.006-04:00

Well, we did it! All the hard work planning the fair and getting the kids to complete their projects on time is over!! I am the president of our homeschool group and planning the big fair each year is my 'baby'. This was our 4th one so far. We've done a geography fair, an art fair, a science fair and now a history fair. This was one of my favorites. The kids all worked very hard and did a wonderful job. Many of them even dressed up to bring their history project alive.

Some of the older boys...Lionel is in the center here...

Sweet-Pea did the 1970's....as if you couldn't tell by her outfit! Don't you just want to shout "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha"???

What's a homeschool get-together without a big spread of food?!?

All the parents judged this event. They were not allowed to vote for their own child (each of them had specific judging sheets which did not include their own children...so we covered our bases!! ha ha) One child from each age category won a 1st place trophy. Everyone got an award medal for participating in the event as well, so no one went home empty-handed.

Sweet-Pea and one of her best friends!

Lionel won 1st place for his age group...we were very proud of him! He worked hard on his project.

Here is Lionel with his display on the Battle of Midway. Ask him a question and he could answer just about anything about it....he really did his 'homework' on this one!!

Not only did Lionel win 1st place, but Sweet-Pea also took 1st place in her age group!! She also worked hard and again, we were very proud.

Sweet-Pea standing beside her display. Note the homemade disco ball hanging from the top of her project. (You can see it just above the bright pink flower)

Next year we'll be doing a totally different fair and I am SO EXCITED about it. We'll be having a "Literature Fair." The kids will each have plenty of time to read and research before the big night since we'll be formally announcing it in September. I'm hoping to get a kid's author to come in and speak to them at the fair, so I too have lots of planning and work to do! Hopefully it will turn out just as fun and exciting as our History fair was.

I was looking forward to the fair, but honestly I'm glad it's over because of all the hard work it took to put together. I can look forward to graduation now, and then a bit of relaxation during the summer months before thinking about next year! Yahoo!!!

Birthday Wishes

2010-04-06T14:28:00.003-04:00

Today is Rob's birthday. He decided that he wanted to go out for brunch to celebrate, so he came home from work early today. We had a nice time with his parents who also came with us.

Here he is with the kids getting ready to open up his gifts...

Happy birthday honey! Hope you are enjoying your special day!

Happy Easter!!

2010-04-04T12:31:00.001-04:00

Photo Hunt #153 - Sweet

2010-04-03T05:02:00.000-04:00

There's only one thing SWEETer than candy...

My two beautiful children are SWEETer!!!!

Springtime at the Beach!

2010-04-02T17:19:00.005-04:00

Spring is finally here...the temperature is warm enough to walk around outside without having to wear a jacket...yipee!! We had friends visiting with us this week, so we decided to take them to the beach so we could all walk around and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Not a cloud in the sky!

Here are Lionel and Sweet-Pea posing with my friends' two boys...

Sweet-Pea and R...

Since the tide was out, we found many interesting creatures laying in the sand....

Sweet-Pea showing Lionel a pretty shell she found...

Gandalf's staff...well...he pretended it was anyway...

The kids all had so much fun throwing sticks, shells, and rocks back into the ocean!

Now you see it...

Now you don't!

The perils of wearing shoes to the beach...
(I have NO idea why Sweet-Pea wore boots, she cracks me up!)

Walking around the tower at the nearby Audubon Center...

Getting ready to head home...Lionel spotted a tree that looked like camouflage. Too funny!

It was so great getting back outside and enjoying a bit of sunshine. With all the rain that we've had lately, we were beginning to wonder if the sun had disappeared! =)

Now...time to get back to reality and get some school work done. Our big history fair is coming up next Friday and we are not ready for it just yet!!

Happy Birthday "Lionel"!!!

2010-03-29T00:27:00.010-04:00

Woo hoo, today is Lionel's 15th birthday!! I can't believe how quickly the years are passing by. The older he gets the quicker they go too. In just 2 years he will be graduating. We are confident that whatever he does, (which at this point is to pursue his dream and enter the Air Force Academy), he will spend time in prayer about it first, asking God to lead and guide his every decision.

He will always be my 'little' guy whom I adore and love with my whole heart!! I am very proud of him and feel totally and completely blessed that God chose me to be his mom!

Below are photos from a previous birthday post. I've simply added more photos from the past couple years at the end.

Through the years....

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000 - Homeschool Kindergarten graduation

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006 - Homeschool Grade 6 Graduation

2007

2008 - On his birthday with Cody (and his new very cool Civil War Union Cap!)

2009

2010

"Happy birthday sweetie! I love you so very much!!! It seems like just yesterday I brought you home from the hospital. The years with you have been simply wonderful and I can't imagine my life without you in it. God has blessed me far beyond my imagination. You bring both challenges and happiness into our home (like all teens do!), and I wouldn't trade any of it for all the riches in the world!! Keep Christ in the center of all you do, be a wonderful example to everyone you meet, and remember that I am here for you, and I will always love & support you!! I look forward to seeing what God has in store for your future."
Love, Mom

"Beyond Words"....

2010-03-26T12:57:00.006-04:00

I want to share my friends' story with you all.

Stephanie and her husband recently lost a baby...the whole ordeal was so difficult for them, and will be for years to come. This was not their first baby, they already have 3 beautiful children, but it was just as devastating as if she were their only child. They were told during her pregnancy that their beautiful daughter, who is now safe in the arms of Jesus, would not survive long if at all, once she was born. Unfortunately they never got to see her alive, but they did get to hold her and love her before finally 'letting go'.

Here is a link to her blog...full of such emotion and inspiration:

Why am I sharing all this? I want you to support her and the family in prayer, but I also want to share with you something that God has placed upon her heart. If you have ever lost a child, you can feel and associate with her pain. Stephanie is an artist who has come up with a great idea...check out her website. It's worth it, and you just may be interested in what she has to offer!

"Love you Stephanie...and am praying for you and the family!!!"

"Far out" surprises...

2010-03-26T12:06:00.008-04:00

Our homeschool group is having a History Fair in April, and the kids are both working very hard on their projects. Lionel is working on "The Battle of Midway" and Sweet-Pea is doing "The 1970's". They are learning lots, but Rob and I thought we'd help encourage them along...so we bought a couple things for them.

Since Lionel LOVES building balsa model planes, we purchased a couple models for him to build...hopefully in time for the fair. One is a USA F4F-Wildcat plane, the other a Japanese Float-plane...perfect for his "Battle of Midway" project.

Here he is building the USA plane, the F4F-Wildcat:

I will post more photos of him building the models, along with the finished results when he's done. The photo above shows how much he was able to do in just a few hours!! He's pretty amazing if you ask me. =)

Sweet-Pea's purchase was a bit different...you can tell that Mommy was behind this gift. ha ha! Below are photos of her unveiling the surprise: (PLEASE ignore her hair...I honestly don't know WHAT'S up with it...such a mess!)

Here she is opening the box, but unsure still of what it is...even though she SHOULD recognize the size of the box right away - she's done this before! =)

Her excitement was building now as she realized what it is....

YES!!!!!!!!! A new American Girl doll!!!! Notice her BIG smile!

It's Julie...the 1970's doll...appropriate for her project, don't you think?

Hannah and Julie...

Sweet-Pea also has the best outfit to wear to the fair...a 70's 'far out' dress that she'll wear with white knee hi's and a headband. Ahh, gotta love that retro look! Don't worry, there will be photos!!

The fair is coming up in just another week and a half, so they've got their work cut out for them. It will be a great event though...there are over 25 participants and we're expecting over 100 people. This is my favorite homeschool event, hands down. It's my 'baby'...I plan it every year, right down to the award medals and trophies! Lots of work, but lots of fun as well.

Dodge Ball...It's NOT Just For Grammar School Anymore!

2010-03-18T23:46:00.012-04:00

"Third time's a charm" right? Not for Lionel!!

He attends the Youth Group at our church every week and really enjoys going. I love that he's learning about Christ and that he brings home some valuable lessons, but there are a few things I'd rather him leave behind at church....all his injuries!

The first time he got hurt it was a fractured finger. The second time he got hit in the face with a ball and got a very bad bloody nose. OK, we dealt with both of those...life went on and he healed pretty quickly from both incidents. Well, the third time happened just less than 2 weeks ago....

He was playing Dodge Ball with all the other teens...not a bad sport, but...they do NOT play like I remember playing it when in Grammar School!!! These kids play to win, they play hard! They are out for blood and they love every minute of it. It's really all 'innocent' fun, but as they say (whoever 'they' are) "Keep fooling around...and somebody's going to get hurt!" That somebody was Lionel!

Somehow he managed to hurt his knee. It wasn't bad the first night, but as he kept walking on it, the pain began to increase. Long story short...when he was playing Dodge Ball, he tore the cartilage in his knee. The medical term: Discoid Meniscus

I so lovingly decided to share my crutches with him (the ones I used when I injured my foot doing Wii-Fit - don't ask)!! He used them for a couple days and we headed to the Orthopedic Doctor for an exam. They took x-rays and sent him for an MRI. They both revealed a tear in his knee, and that he'd need surgery to not only repair the tear, but to shave down, reshape and reposition the cartilage in the knee. OUCH!! His knee was a MESS...all from playing a ~~simple~~ viscous game of Dodge Ball!!!

Two days ago he had that surgery. Here he is the morning of...notice the shirt. Yeah...he really is a 'Fun-Guy'...

It was pretty much uneventful as far as surgeries go, minus the 5 tries it took them to get the IV in his arm!! The operation took a bit longer than they anticipated, but after an hour or so, he was in recovery.

Here he is, just coming out of surgery - in recovery. Every Mom hates to see her children like this...and I'm no exception. I knew he'd be fine, but it was still hard to see him laying in a hospital bed with oxygen on. Sigh...

After only an hour, he was sitting up. He did feel nauseous, but he was able to eat a bit before going home. He doesn't remember, but he was asking for Rob and I right after surgery...see...He really DOES love his Mom and Dad!!! ha ha

When we arrived home, there was a package for him on the front porch from our dear friends. Thank you K, M, T, L & J, what a wonderful surprise for Lionel!!!!!

A closer look at his leg post-surgery.

Fortunately the anesthesia worked well and he felt pretty good the whole afternoon. When evening came, he started with the pain meds and is still taking them. He's had a rough couple of nights, but he's getting better each day.

The next day we went back at the surgeon's office for a post-op visit. The large bandage came off and he was able to put little ones on. It's pretty amazing that only 1 day after surgery, they can do this. These days you don't get to wallow and enjoy being waited on in the hospital...it's in-and-out..."drive by surgery" as I call it!

Today Lionel started with Physical Therapy. The evaluation was quite difficult as the PT had to measure how much he can stretch and bend his leg. I could see pain in Lionel's eyes as he went through the motions. Hopefully with each day he will improve and get full range of motion back. They say that with this injury/surgery you go back to 100% which is a blessing!!

So, there you have it...our lives the past couple weeks...the reason I haven't blogged in a while. I know I really need to get back on here more often. Hopefully I'll be more faithful....unless something else comes up! Hmmmm, maybe he should stay home from Youth Group for a while. Ha ha!

Please pray for quick and complete recovery for Lionel. Pray that the pain will decrease and that he will feel better. Thanks so much!!

Photo Hunt #152 - Foreign

2010-03-05T23:47:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite places on earth...SCOTLAND

Here are a few photos taken over 15 years ago - sadly, the last time I was there. I'd love to go back there one day again. My family all came from Scotland, so it's not just a 'foreign' country I love, it's a part of who I am.

Eliean Donan Castle....

Me, sitting outside the Eilean Donan Castle...

Dunrobin Castle...very majestic!

A private castle in the Highlands...I'd love to live there!! Can't you just imagine those brown hills covered with beautiful purple heather come Spring?? Simply gorgeous!!

Staying the night at Lockerbie Manor...

Being silly at the top of Edinburgh Castle...

Glamis Castle...

The beautiful gardens of Glamis Castle...

I continue to dream that maybe one day in the future, I'll get to go back!!
Sigh....

Slo-Mo

2010-03-05T21:38:00.007-05:00

Such a great commercial for someone who loves both dogs and photography.....me!!

Just a few more roses...

2010-03-03T12:34:00.003-05:00

Roses...

2010-02-24T12:00:00.005-05:00

“The rose speaks of love silently, in a language known only to the heart.”

“Do not watch the petals fall from the rose with sadness, know that, like life, things sometimes must fade, before they can bloom again.”

“If I had a rose for every time I thought of you, I'd be picking roses for a lifetime.”

“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”

" The fragrance of the rose, remains on the hand that gives it."

Oh, my luve’s like a red, red rose, that ’s newly sprung in June;
Oh, my luve’s like the melodie that’s sweetly played in tune. ~ Robert Burns

Feathers, Furs & Scales

2010-02-14T16:12:00.003-05:00

Field trips are so much fun, especially during the winter. Sometimes I go stir crazy being home all the time, so it feels good to get out. I'm sure the kids would agree with me. This past week we went to the local Audubon Center & Coastal Society for a class on "Feathers, Furs & Scales."

The Audubon Center...a very cool building surrounded by trees filled with birds and beautiful scenery. It's right on the coast, so in the warm weather it's fun to walk around on the beach too!

Lionel and Sweet-Pea posing on the upper levels of the porch. It was too windy and bitter cold to go up to the very top though! I was afraid they were going to blow away!!

One of the adorable bird 'condos' in the marsh area.

As part of the class, the kids learned all about birds and their feathers...Sweet-Pea is holding a turkey feather here...

The touch tank wasn't as good as it usually is....most of the critters were hiding under the sand, but we did see some cute fish swimming around.

This bearded dragon was so cute...he sat still most of the time, as if posing for the camera! (He's the one on the right - ha ha)

Pretty colors in the tank AND on the bearded dragon!

This turtle was so very cute...his face was very expressive. Sweet-Pea and Lionel both loved this guy...

This turtle wasn't as cute, but he was fun to watch.

The instructor from the Audubon showed the kids several animals. This was one of the more exciting ones....a Corn Snake. The underside of his belly actually looks like Indian corn...thus the name. She put him down on the floor and boy did he move fast!! He even managed to scare a few of the moms! =)

This Box Turtle was adorable! He was actually faster than I thought. At one point he went into his shell too...very cute!

Sweet-Pea raising her hand to answer a question the instructor asked. See? Even homeschoolers know when to raise their hands! =)

Lionel was a bit old for this particular class, so he sat with the Moms on the sidelines and watched. I'm sure he still learned a few things...I know I did!!

Looking out across the water for birds. Not an easy task since most of them have gone south for the Winter!

We had so much fun on this trip...can't wait to go back when the weather is warmer to see all the birds as they return home! Our next trip is to a local nature center to learn about Maple sugaring. We've done this several times, but honestly, it never gets old!!

Scenic Sunday - #14

2010-02-07T11:11:00.005-05:00

(Click on photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Girls Night Out

2010-02-03T15:26:00.004-05:00

Well, last night Lionel had Youth Group at church, so instead of driving him all the way there, coming home and then driving back later to pick him up, I decided to spend the evening out with Sweet-Pea....just us girls! We had a total blast!

We dropped Lionel off and hit the road to go shopping! The first place we went was the shoe store....our favorite! Sweet-Pea and I both got a pair of shoes. She got these very elegant white heels for spring (can ya tell we're anxious for warmer weather?!?), and I got a very pretty pair of black heels. I don't normally wear heels seeing that I'm already 5'8", but these were too pretty to pass up!!

Here's Sweet-Pea holding up her new shoes:

She saw a pair of boots she wanted, but I was able to talk her out of them since the season is almost over. =) After that we went over to the department store, to Hallmark for a bit, and then....the jewelry store!!! You should have seen us drooling over all the pretty things....diamonds, rubies, emeralds and more. Sweet-Pea was most interested in the earrings since she now has her ears pierced. As much as I love jewelry, I had more fun watching her admiring everything with those big brown eyes! She was just so sweet!!

When we finally pulled ourselves out of the jewelry store (actually the prices scared us off...so it was easy to walk away), we drove to Starbucks where we sat and talked for almost an hour. She had her orange juice, I had my decaf coffee, and we talked about anything and everything! It was so cute...every time we'd finish one topic, she'd say "So, what do you want to talk about next?" as if if was up to her to try and keep the conversation going. I could tell she felt like such a grownup and I loved every minute of it. Thanks Sweet-Pea, I love you so much!!!

These times with my children are few and far between...with the hustle and bustle of our daily schedules, life often gets away from us and we don't get to sit and just enjoy one another. This is one evening I'm hanging on to for a very long time.

Writer's Block

2010-01-25T11:04:00.007-05:00

I haven't felt much like blogging these days...not sure why...but once in a while I simply cannot sit and concentrate to write. I suppose you can say that I have a classic case of writer's block. That being said...I'll just do a quick update on what's been going on.

I'm still on crutches. It was a week on Saturday since my trip to the Emergency Room, so I figured "why not try to walk without them and see how my foot feels?" Stupid stupid!! My foot started aching again on Sunday morning when I woke up. It was great all day on Saturday, even ventured to the beach for some great sunset photos, but...the pain quickly returned. This afternoon I will be picking up my x-rays from the hospital and venturing over to the Orthopedic Doctor to see if there's truly any improvement. I'm hoping they take more x-rays. We'll see. In the mean time, I will continue to hobble around with my crutches.

Lionel had a great weekend. He went away to the Mid-Winter District Bible Quiz Meet with our church's quiz team. His team came in 2nd overall - we're very proud of him and the rest of the team. These kids are incredible...they memorize a good portion of Scripture for these quizzes, and study the rest. They don't even have to think of the answer, it just comes to them. This year they are studying I and II Corinthians. The year is half-way over, so they still have lots more to work on. The best part? They are learning Scripture and are hiding it in their hearts....there's nothing better than that!!

Sweet-Pea enjoyed the quiet weekend without her big brother around. We played all sorts of games together while he was gone...even a few rounds of pool! This girl is GOOD! She beats me almost every time now. She was able to spend the afternoon with one of her good friends though which was nice. She came home with a pillow and new clothes for her Barbies....all made with her own hands! Now she wants to go to the fabric store and buy material to make more. Sounds like fun to me!!

We missed a few days of school due to Lionel being away, but we're catching up this week. He's got 4 things to dissect in Biology this coming week....a worm, a perch, a crayfish and a frog. We got them all in the mail the other day (ordered the Apologia Biology Dissecting Lab & Specimen Kit from CBD) and when I opened them all the memories came flooding back from high school Biology. Hmmm, will I get through this next week? I certainly hope so. Nothing is as bad as when I was in college though....we had to work on a human cadaver. That was awful!!! I'll be posting photos here when we get to the actual dissection process...stay tuned if you're brave enough!!

We had another homeschool group meeting...the first one since November!! We take the month of December off every year, but it always seems so long in between meetings. We usually go out to dinner in December, so at least we get together (besides field trips!), but I do miss the meetings. I'm the president of our group, so planning them isn't always easy...but worth it. There are times when we put lots of effort into it and hardly anyone shows up (about 14 out of 30+ families), it's easy to get discouraged when that happens. Believe me, some evenings I'd love to skip them all together, but I don't have that freedom. I do believe my time leading is coming to an end though. I started the group 7+ years ago and worked hard to get the group to where it is today. Lionel has 2 years left of high school before he graduates (boo hoo)....I believe that will be my last year leading the group....the perfect time to step down and get a new President. Any volunteers? Actually I will probably choose someone the year before and train them for a year...there is much more involved in leading a homeschool group than one can truly imagine.

My favorite past time lately has been photography...as if you couldn't tell! After Rob gave me the new Nikon camera a few months ago, I have found a new passion for taking photos. I look forward to days when I can get in the car, drive around and take photos. I'm seeing things through the lens that I never saw with my own eyes. The little details in things amaze me and it makes me realize just how complex our lives are and just how infinite God is!! My favorite things to photograph....flowers, sunsets and people.

That's about it around here. My life isn't exciting enough to write a book about, but at least I can capture it on film and write it down here...for my own enjoyment, if nothing else. =)

Scenic Sunday - #13

2010-01-23T21:35:00.004-05:00

(Click on photos to enlarge for a much better view!)

Scenic Sunday - #12

2010-01-17T09:17:00.004-05:00

(Click on photos to enlarge for a much better view!)

Ouch!!

2010-01-16T13:58:00.003-05:00

Well, I just got back from the ER and now have a new mode of transportation!

Two days ago I was having a great time exercising with my Wii-Fit. I've been using it for quite some time, but that day something 'popped' while I was running. So...after a long day of suffering with pain, I decided I should see a doctor. Since it was Friday, no one was open for me to see, but I was able to make an appointment to see an Orthopedic Doctor early Monday morning.

Long story short...the pain was so intense, that I ended up going to the ER this morning. I simply couldn't wait to see the Orthopedic Dr. on Monday. I'm glad I went though. After a few hours, I was told that I had a very nasty sprain. At first they thought it was a fracture or even broken, but thank goodness it wasn't that bad! I'm relieved, yet am still bummed because I have to stay off my foot for a while. I don't do well just being planted in one place, but hopefully I'll learn to live with it since it's only for a short while.

Pray that I heal quickly so I can get back to doing my Wii-Fit!! I just know my 'coach' will yell at me for not being there for several days. =)

Wish they grew this way!

2010-01-13T13:27:00.004-05:00

I LOVE flowers!!! I love looking at them, smelling them, photographing them...everything about them. The prettier, the brighter, the more unique, the better!!

Well, the other day I was feeling a bit 'blue', so my hubby came home from work and gave me a bouquet of beautiful flowers to 'brighten' up my day....check out the colors!!!

If only they grew this way, huh?!? So pretty!!!

God's Grace...

2010-01-11T13:56:00.007-05:00

...STILL amazes me!!

I am so unworthy, yet God gives me more than I need or deserve!!

Scenic Sunday - #11

2010-01-10T12:54:00.006-05:00

With all the snow we've gotten around here lately, I figured a nice summery photo was in order!! Unfortunately this is an older photos...it wasn't taken with my new Nikon D90, so it's not very clear.

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

A Yummy American Girl Treat!!

2010-01-09T20:10:00.005-05:00

If you have a daughter like mine, they absolutely LOVE the American Girl dolls!! Sweet-Pea's collection just keeps on growing. She recently has gotten into the activity books put out by the American Girl Co. besides the dolls, so that's a good thing. Many of them are very educational as well as fun!!

The most recent book she's working her way through is called
"Molly Just for Fun"

Inside this book was a wonderful recipe for 'Frozen Fruit Cups'. They are SO good!!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup of orange juice
15 ounce can of crushed pineapple in it's own juice
7 ounce can of mandarin oranges
1 pint of strawberries
2 bananas
1 1/2 cups of ginger ale (use diet if you need to)

Other things you'll need:

measuring cup with spout
large mixing bowl
can opener
knife
cutting board
mixing spoon
5 ounce paper drinking cups (we used large plastic ones!)
plastic wrap

The process: (written in very simple terms for children)

Measure the orange juice into the mixing bowl.
Open the cans of crushed pineapple and mandarin oranges.
Add the pineapple and its juice to the mixing bowl.
Drain the juice from the mandarin oranges into the sink. Cut the mandarin oranges into small pieces and add them to the mixing bowl.
Wash the strawberries. Use the knife to remove the stems and cut the strawberries into small pieces. Add the strawberries to the mixing bowl.
Peel the bananas and cut them into small pieces. Add the bananas to the mixing bowl.
Stir the fruits and juices together, and then stir in the ginger ale.
Dip the measuring cup into the mixing bowl. Fill the measuring cup with the fruit mixture. Pour the fruit mixture into the cups.
Cover the top of each cup with plastic wrap.
Put the cups into the freezer for several hours or overnight.
Enjoy!!!

We used tall plastic cups...they hold up better in the freezer.

Mmmmmm...ready to eat!

The delicious result!! They are very refreshing...especially after a good workout on Wii-Fit...I'd know...that's when I had mine! =)

Sweet-Pea enjoying the 'fruits' of her labor!!! (pun intended!)

Photo Hunt #151 - Bulky

2010-01-09T09:01:00.003-05:00

This guy was quite 'bulky'...Lionel had to squeeze his way onto the bench just for a photo!

These bean bag chairs were ridiculous since they were so very 'bulky'! We ended up getting rid of them because of their enormous size...they kept growing!

This guy's got plenty of 'bulk' on him, so I think he's appropriate for today's theme, don't you?!?

My hobby...

2010-01-07T17:19:00.003-05:00

If you know me well, you know I absolutely love taking photos, especially with my new Nikon D90 camera!! My kids say I'm the paparazzi, but I know better...I simply enjoy being behind the lens rather than in front of it!

Here are a few of my most recent photos...just for fun:

T minus 12 hours!!

2010-01-03T22:23:00.002-05:00

It's been almost a month since we've done school. We took the entire month of December off and it felt so good, but unfortunately it's almost over. Since we started school on August 3rd this year, we are right on schedule, so taking the month break was legit. The only problem now, is trying to motivate myself enough so I can motivate the kids to get back into school-mode. I'm actually looking forward to having a real schedule once again, so I think the transition will be pretty easy for me, but the kids? I'm not so sure.

So...this afternoon I spent most of my time going through their books, writing up new schedules, and basically figuring out what we need to get done for the rest of this school year. Hopefully we'll stick to the schedule, and will be done by the end of May...we'll see.

Sweet-Pea did most of her history before our Christmas break, so I'm going to add a couple extra books to her curriculum list which she's actually very excited about. The books were both written by Peter Marshall and David Manuel and are activity books covering some of the subjects we've already read about this year.

"The Light and the Glory"...visits American history from Christopher Columbus through George Washington's presidency in 1789. They can make a canoe adventure down the Mississippi or decide what to take to the New World on the Mayflower. They may even assemble their own colonial house. The many activities display God's grand work in the North American wilderness.

"Sounding Forth the Trumpet"...brings to life one of the most crucial epochs in our nation's history - the events leading up to and precipitating the Civil War. It opens with John Quincy Adams' struggle to preserve the right to petition in Congress and closes with the election of 1860.

There is a third book in this series "From Sea to Shining Sea" which we'll do if we complete the other two books.

One other 'fun' book I've added to Sweet-Pea's curriculum is simply entitled "Great Map Games". This book, created for grades 3-6, is full of 20 fun, easy reproducible games that build key map and geography skills. I love geography, so I'm really excited about this book!! I'll update and post about some of the games here as we go through the book.

As I was working, I noticed Lionel post something on his Facebook page...."School tomorrow!!!! I am excited." I guess I don't need to worry as much as I thought about motivating the kids. Yaay!!!

Well...gotta run and finish organizing everything for tomorrow. Only 12 hours until school!

Scenic Sunday - #10

2010-01-03T12:22:00.005-05:00

Gorgeous snow-covered trees in the woods near our home.

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Photo Hunt #150 - Lick

2010-01-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

It wasn't easy finding photos for this theme, but I managed to do so thanks to Sweet-Pea eating a Popsicle this past summer, and the dog just being....well, a dog! =)

Winter's Beauty

2010-01-01T17:30:00.004-05:00

We took a drive around town today to look at the pretty trees covered in snow. It wasn't the best day for taking photos since the sun wasn't out, but I managed to get a few I was happy with. The dreary gray skies reminded me of the poem "In the Bleak Midwinter" written by Rosetti...

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

As we were nearing home, the skies brightened up quite a bit....so pretty!

The only thing I enjoy photographing in winter more than trees covered with snow, are trees covered with layer upon layer of shimmering ice. I'm sure there will be plenty opportunities for those photos as well; it seems to be a very cold and snowy winter already.

2009 - Year in Review

2009-12-31T00:00:00.003-05:00

2009 is over already!! Where did the time go?!? Compared to last year, this year was pretty calm.

The beginning of the year kept us busy as we dealt with the stresses of trying to sell our home in this very tough market! Towards the end of summer...just after our move, things calmed down and we were finally able to relax and simply enjoy life.

Here are some photos - our year in review....

January:
We watched as our new house was being built...only we had no idea this would be our home one day! We had a deposit on a house 2 doors down at the time. God had other plans and this house turned out to be SO much better!!!

Lionel continued with his violin lessons...

Sweet-Pea continued with her figure skating...

February:
Lionel's quiz team had their mid-winter competition.

We had a fun homeschool field trip to the bakery for Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day flowers from Rob...gorgeous roses, my favorite!

March:
Cody got a serious infection after being groomed, but his medication helped him heal quickly.

Lionel turned 14!!

The serious packing began and we were ready for our big move!

Soon after most of the house was packed and ready to move...the deal fell through and we lost our buyers. We also lost this home we were going to buy...but in the long run it was a HUGE blessing for so many reasons!

April:
Daddy's birthday:

Decorating Easter eggs:

Lionel's quiz team finals where they placed 2nd overall:

Sweet-Pea visited a local equestrian center in preparation for her science fair project:

May:
Enjoying spring!!

Our homeschool group had it's annual fair. This year it was a Science fair. Here is Lionel with his completed project on "Jet Propulsion".

Sweet-Pea posing with her completed science fair project on "Horses", all set up for the fair. Gotta love the horse tails (in yarn) on the edge of the table!

Rob and I got married 15 years ago this month in our home church:

June:
Our home officially sold! Finally our buyers pulled through and we were able to close on June 30th, three months after our original closing date was set!

We found out that there was a skunk family living under our shed...8 of them! Fortunately we didn't have to deal with them for long since we moved out at the end of the month. They sure were cute though!

Father's Day with Daddy sporting his new vintage car shirt:

July:
Moving day!! Could they pack it any tighter?? Yikes!

Our new home...such a blessing from the Lord!!!

Sweet-Pea's 8th birthday. Here she is with all her friends:

Fun family outing to a local Civil War fort:

August:
I got an awesome surprise gift from Rob:

School began on August 3rd. Sometimes we had school inside in our schoolroom...

Sometimes we had school outside...

Sweet-Pea got her ears pierced...a belated birthday gift:

September:
Our homeschool group's first field trip for the new school year. The group keeps on growing...

Lionel spends his 'free time' building balsa model planes...some by himself, and some with Grandpa who taught him how to build them.

Sweet-Pea has been improving quite a bit this year with her figure skating lessons. She has an amazing coach!

Autumn arrived...my favorite time of year:

October:
Riding lessons:

Taking care of the horses together:

Family get-away in northern New England:

Yankee Candle Co. - South Deerfield MA

November:
We went on a homeschool field trip to a local Indian Reservation:

Being silly with friends is always fun!!

We had a great Thanksgiving Day with family this year:

I got new glasses...bifocals...yuk. Guess I'm officially old...especially since I turned 44 this month as well! Here I am sporting them while on a field trip with the kids:

December:
Sweet-Pea's church musical performance was wonderful:

The kids decorated their own tree this year for Christmas:

Christmas 2009 in our new home:

We celebrated my father-in-law's 79th birthday just before the New Year:

So there you have it...a 'quick' year in review. We had a great year overall, and on top of enjoying our family and friends nearby, we were able to reconnect with some pretty great friends and family who live far away thanks to Facebook....even some of you, my faithful readers. God is good and I am so blessed!

I pray that 2010 will be filled with good health, happiness and many wonderful blessings from the Lord!!!

Scenic Sunday - #9

2009-12-27T13:33:00.004-05:00

Gorgeous tree farm near our home...

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Photo Hunt #149 - Twelve

2009-12-26T10:40:00.003-05:00

We got the kids a new pool table for Christmas....so this was the perfect photo op for the number 'twelve'....

It's Christmas!!

2009-12-25T00:24:00.005-05:00

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." ~ Isaiah 9:6

Festival of Lights....sort of

2009-12-24T21:39:00.000-05:00

Every year at some point during the week of Christmas, our family gets in the car and drives all around town to look at how people have decorated their homes with Christmas lights. It always puts us in the mood for the holiday and it's fun to see some really pretty decorations...and unfortunately some pretty tacky ones. This year we noticed a lot of lights, but not too many had that 'wow' factor. Here are a few homes we passed....

Ooh, there's a package on their front porch! ha ha

This Weeping Willow tree looked so pretty, especially with all the snow!!

This house seemed to have a tree in almost every room!!

Every bit of decor here was illuminated....it was pretty yet strange!

Countdown to Christmas clock....6 hours, 8 minutes 15 seconds to go!

Right off the Hollywood movie set...well...sort of...

They even had these chasing lights cover their driveway...wow!

Classic...much prettier in person

This house is enormous...and I have to say I thought they 'under-did' it. They could have made it look amazing with so much more....

Next year we'll head on over to another neighborhood that has always impressed us. We wanted to go see our old home this time, so we went a different way. Unfortunately, the only lights on our old home, were the ones inside....boring! We still had a blast though and although I had my husband pull the car over a million times for photos, I think he still loves me. ha ha ha!

Christmas is almost here!

2009-12-24T12:10:00.008-05:00

I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas already!! This year has flown by and soon enough we will be in 2010. God is good...we have had a busy Christmas season, but a good one. We look forward to spending time tomorrow with family and hope that you and yours have the most wonderful day!!!

Remember to keep Christ in the center of your day, He is why we celebrate Christmas. His free gift is the best one you'll ever get!! Every Christmas morning we read the story of Christ's birth in Luke before even touching any of our gifts. I hope you take the time with your family to thank the Lord for all He has done for you!

Here is a new take on the famous "Twas the Night Before Christmas" story. Read this with your family and reflect on the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas!

'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "it's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Someone got a haircut today!!!

2009-12-21T21:03:00.004-05:00

Cody is one happy Doodle!! He spent the day at the groomer and not only looks wonderful, but smells wonderful too. He's all ready for Christmas now! Let the celebration begin!!!

Snow...the perfect way to start Winter!

2009-12-21T12:06:00.003-05:00

We got bombarded with snow the other day. It's very cold and windy outside, but it sure is pretty!! I have to say though, the older I get, the less and less I enjoy the snow. I finally understand why my parents felt the way they did in winter. Shoveling it, driving in it, and all the messes that come with it, don't make me a happy camper. I do love seeing the kids' eyes light up as it's coming down though...seeing them happy is enough to make me happy again.

We got lots of snow this time, so we were all outside, shovels in hand, trying to clear out the driveway and 5' of road that the plow somehow seemed to overlook. Hello?!? I'll give them the fact that this is a new road, so they may not know where the curb is, but still....one lane down the middle doesn't cut it!

Beautiful snow covered trees:

Even Cody enjoyed the snow this time. He doesn't usually going outside, but he ventured out with us this time and had lots of fun. Good thing he didn't run around in the deep snow though...his hair would NOT be easy to comb through with snowballs embedded in it!

Sweet-Pea making a snow angel...

OK, this kid cracks me up sometimes!! He wanted to be buried so we obliged. The funny thing was that he couldn't get out of the snow bank once he was buried!! After a while he did need digging out, and little sis was happy to help...don't ask me why 'cause if it were my brother, I'd have left him there! =)

Taking a moment to enjoy the snow...

The trees with snow on them are simply gorgeous!!

So...today is the first official day of Winter. Looks like this will be a snowy one for us. Our old home was right on the shore, so we didn't get much snow, mainly slush. It was awful. At least here we'll get some pretty snow. Even if it does annoy me now and then, at least the kids are happy!

Homemade for Christmas

2009-12-19T18:22:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, we put 10 wreaths on all the windows of our home...I thought it was pretty, but one thing was missing...a wreath on the front door.

I've always wanted a real cranberry wreath...not one you buy in stores, but a handmade one. So, this year I undertook the task of putting one together!

Here is the finished project:

Here it is on our front door:

Putting it together was easy yet time consuming. Fortunately, Sweet-Pea helped load the toothpicks with cranberries which saved me a ton of time!!

Now the house looks ready for the holidays! Don'tcha think?!?

Reflections...

2009-12-18T00:08:00.009-05:00

The past couple days for me have been busy, yet somehow I've had lots of time to think about how my life has changed. When I was young, I had not a care in the world. I never had to worry about things...Mom and Dad took care of me, raised me well and taught me some pretty valuable lessons. They instilled in me some pretty wonderful Christian values that I too am teaching to my own children.

Now that I'm ~~a little~~ much older, I can appreciate my parents for the incredible example they were to me, and how much they invested in my life. Oh to be able to see them just one more time to let them know...

Word of advice: If your parents are still around...please take the time to let them know you love them. Tell them how much they mean to you, and tell them how thankful you are to them for all the time & money they've spent on you, and for all the sacrifices they've made for you!

Anyhow, as I've spent time with Rob and the kids getting ready for Christmas (decorating, baking, and shopping), I've reminisced about the traditions my own family had. I miss having family around. When I was growing up, I had a very large family that used to get together every holiday. We had wonderful times, and many memories were made that still make me smile today! Most of my family are now gone...so I don't see anyone on my side during the Christmas holidays. It's very hard for me and it hurts that my children have no cousins or other kids their age around to make memories with, even from Rob's side. It's been something I've struggled with for a few years now, and I think this year it's really hit home. Yup...I've got too much time to 'think' these days! That's what happens when you take a month off from homeschooling! =)

I try not to talk about it much with my own family so they don't realize the pain, but I'm sure it shows. (Not to mention the fact they they read my blog, so they'll see it here!) Fortunately though I have a wonderful family and we're making our own memories. I pray daily for my children...that they will grow up with fond memories in their hearts as I have in mine, despite the differences in the way we've grown up. Despite that they don't have much family to celebrate with as I did. God puts people in our lives at just the right time. He will never let us down like people do. He always provides what we need when we need it, so I'm trusting that He will always protect my children and give them family and friends when they need it most.

Pray that my kids have the best Christmas ever this year. It's not about the gifts, it's not about the food or the decorations (although those are all so much fun!!)...it's about Christ, being together and enjoying the gifts that we have been blessed with.

I have so many wonderful friends who live far away....you know who you are...my very dear close friends from COTW, friends from RSA , from college and those of you who are faithful readers here. I wish you all a wonderful, safe, happy and healthy Christmas. I pray that God will bless you in years to come, and that you always follow your heart as He leads you.

P.S. The candle photo above is a Woodwick candle...the company is based out of Virginia. The scent is called 'Frasier Fir' and it smells incredible. I love these candles more than Yankee Candle (Shhh! Don't tell) because they not only smell better, but they are prettier and they make a wonderful crackling noise as the wood wick burns down. They last forever too! Just my .02 cents.

Finishing Touches

2009-12-14T10:18:00.007-05:00

We finally got our tree up and decorated!! It took quite a lot of hard work to get it up in the tree stand, but once it was there we were quite pleased. It fit in the room perfectly!

Rob put the lights on it one evening, and then we all decorated it the next day. We were going to put more ornaments on it, but the tree started to get too heavy and at one point started tipping over, so we had to stop! We didn't put many ornaments on the back of the tree since it's in the corner and no one would ever see them there, but all the weight in the front caused the tree to tip towards the living room. It was scary, but we managed to save it before it went over. Rob was laying on the floor next to it fixing the stand when it happened. 200+ lbs of sharp blue spruce needles may have caused lots of pain...I'd know...I'm the one who ran over to it to stop it from falling over. Ouch!

Anyhow, here's the finished tree. It makes the room feel so warm and cozy....especially when the lights are on and the fireplace is lit!

Lionel & Sweet-Pea beside the tree:

Notice the Lionel train set beneath the tree...it's the Polar Express!

Close up of our mantle decor...

Cody loves the tree....hopefully not enough to try anything though. =)

Well...now that things are decorated, it's time to start baking...we still have lots to do before next week. I still can't believe Christmas is only in 11 days!

It's beginning to 'feel' a lot like Christmas!

2009-12-09T22:17:00.009-05:00

Yesterday we headed over to the local farm to cut down our Christmas tree. It was a long afternoon....but we had lots of fun!! We hiked all the way up to the top of the farm (which is VERY big) to find our tree. It's not that there weren't any good trees on the way up, but for some reason, we just love walking around and looking at them all.

This time we went further than we normally do. It was pretty, but it did pose one problem. Since it was a weekday and not a busy weekend, it was hard for the workers to know how far people were walking, so the truck (that usually goes all over picking up trees people cut down to bring down the hill) never came up to the very top. We ended up calling the place on our cell phone asking them to send a truck to come pick up our tree. It took an hour! We were so cold by the time they showed up, but waiting wasn't so bad...we posed for some silly photos and listened to pretty Christmas music.

The trees had just enough snow on them which was perfect for taking photos!

The kids loved hiking to the top of the hill! Did they take the designated paths? Of course not...but it sure was fun!

Sweet-Pea found a great walking stick to help her get up the hill.

Looking down at the farm shows how big this place really is. You can't even see the entrance where we parked...it's way down past the pond to the left. There are many directions you can walk to in order to find that 'oh-so-perfect' tree.

Finally...Lionel found this beauty! Here Edward trying to figure out if it's too tall, or if it will fit in our living room. He cut it just 1' above the ground, so it must be the right size. I believe he said it weighs approx. 200 lbs. and is about 11 1/2' high!!! We will probably have to cut another foot off the bottom in order to get our angel up on the top though...we'll see.

Sweet-Pea found this 'Charlie Brown' tree on the ground and thought it was simply the best tree around!! We brought it home, so she can decorate it herself. Too cute!

Lionel, Sweet-Pea and myself standing beside our tree (which is on the right).

Cutting it down was a job, but the boys did it. Daddy started the job and Lionel finished it. Unfortunately Daddy forgot the rope with the tarp, so they had to pull the tarp itself...not an easy task with hardly any snow on the ground for maneuvering. They only had to drag it a few hundred feet to the pick-up spot, so it wasn't too bad.

When the tree is up and decorated, I'll take more photos. We waited until today to put it in the stand, but found that half of our lights weren't working, so we will have to finish it tomorrow. More to come another day...in the mean time, check out this surprise....

When we woke up around 6:00 this morning to take Cody out, this is what we found. Almost 6" of snow on the ground!! The forecast called for rain...lots of rain. They didn't even mention snow! It was a nice surprise though, but boy was it a surprise. Edward was so glad it was his day off!

The snow looks so pretty on our little 'fake' outdoor Christmas trees. I love taking photos of them when they're covered like this!

After the snow surprise, the rain finally started to fall. It rained pretty much all day. Most towns around us had enough rain to melt the snow, but we are on a hill top, so it's colder and the snow tends to hang around. Lionel was outside shoveling today but it wasn't fun since there was a lot of water mixed with the snow....slushy anyone??

Fortunately the rain stopped. Now we can enjoy the beautiful snow that was left behind...til it turns to ice!!! Ha!

We are having such a great time this December....decorating, Christmas parties, shopping and more. We will start baking soon, and then we'll really feel like the holidays are in full swing! This month seems to be flying by, so I'm trying to take it all in and enjoy every minute of it....all while taking a million photos with my new camera to share with you here. =)

"...at the Camel Lot"

2009-12-07T08:26:00.004-05:00

Sweet-Pea had her Christmas musical at church last night. As always the kids did a fantastic job!! This year the musical was entitled "Camel Lot"...it was very cute. The sets were adorable and as always, we were among a crowd of very proud parents!

Sweet-Pea is in the 2nd row towards the right...you can see her legs between the 2nd and 3rd boys from the right in the front row.

Sweet-Pea singing her heart out...(She's right in the middle - only girl with bangs.)

Closing prayer...glad to see she closes her eyes. =) I always love taking photos like this...it shows the true innocence of our children. I was so proud of her for showing her love for the Lord in this simple way.

Great job Sweet-Pea...I am so very proud of you. You worked hard and sung your heart out!!!

Grandma and Grandpa (Edwards parents) were able to come see her sing, so she was very happy.

It's sad to think that these years are almost over. She's only got 2 more years of being a part of the kid's choir, and Lionel has only 2 more years of high school left. Hmmm....maybe I better prepare myself for some major changes in 2 years. Whoever said that kids grow up so fast was absolutely correct. Don't blink...they'll be gone before you know it!!! I try to savor each and every moment with them these days....they are a big part of why I get up every morning!! I am truly blessed!!!!!

Scenic Sunday - #8

2009-12-06T00:00:00.001-05:00

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2009-12-05T22:25:00.003-05:00

This morning it was raining, but by mid afternoon the snow started to fall. It's so pretty outside and it's still coming down! We're definitely getting more than the inch they predicted.

The snow plow already went by our house twice which totally surprised us!! In our old home, we'd have had to wait several hours before the plow came by. Usually it would pass by just after we shoveled the driveway, blocking us back in. It was always so frustrating...just one more reason we're so glad we moved!!

The back deck...it looks so pretty out there with the lights.

We don't have that much right now, but hopefully there will still be some snow on the ground for Tuesday...when we head to the farm to cut down our Christmas tree!

Lights...Camera...Decorate!

2009-12-03T21:35:00.004-05:00

Today we spent most of the afternoon putting up our outside decorations for Christmas. We purchased 10 Christmas wreaths at the local nursery (ooh, they smell so wonderful) and I added pretty bows to them to give some color.

Edward, hanging up the wreaths...while trying not to fall!! He was a bit nervous way up on the ladder, but he did a great job!

View of the house at night. It's hard to see the wreaths, but they're there. Since we live in a Saltbox style home, I thought about how perfect it would be with candles in the windows, but honestly...walking around to every room each night to turn them on and off was not something we wanted to do. Maybe next year.

Front view with flash photography...so you can see the wreaths.

Hopefully we'll be getting our tree next week...I'm hoping it snows, but I highly doubt we'll get any. It's always more fun to cut down a tree when traipsing through the snow!! Here are a few photos from previous years:

As you can see, we have a great farm nearby with beautiful scenery and tons of trees to choose from! We're at the top of the hill...the farm extends beyond the water and pretty far in each direction as well.

2005:

2006:

2007:

2008:

Can't wait to see what tree we get this year!! When I look back at previous years, our trees have all been so different except for one thing...they're all TALL! This year will probably be no different. As long as we can get that angel on the top it's all good. =)

Concentration

2009-12-01T22:13:00.003-05:00

Every week I look forward to watching Sweet-Pea out on the ice during her skating lesson. I either sit in the bleachers with Lionel (while he reads or does school work), or I stand by the side of the rink...~~usually~~ always with camera in hand.

Today I didn't get very many good shots...but I managed to get a couple decent ones. It's not easy taking clear photos of a moving object! Anyhow...I love the concentration on her face in this photo:

She's been working on a couple new moves which have been very challenging for her. Remember, she's only been taking lessons for 1 year, so she's not an advanced skater, but she's overcome many obstacles already. Just today, her coach told me that she's progressing far better than others who started lessons before age 7 like she did. We are very proud of her and all her hard work. Lord willing, one day she'll be able to get out there and do some really cool jumps and spins. For now...these simple photos of her working hard at what she can do, are proof as to how far she's come already.

Can't wait 'til next Tuesday when we go back to the rink!

An early start!

2009-11-28T10:39:00.007-05:00

Christmas hasn't been exciting or even fun for our family for a few years now. We have been through quite a bit together and have endured some pretty difficult times.

2005 -
This is "The year of the Renovation". We put a large in-law addition on our home so my Dad (who was not able to live alone anymore) could move in with us. The construction lasted over 5 months. They began in late fall of 2005 and the worst part was right around the Christmas holidays. Besides the bedrooms, we had only 1 room to live in...and 1 half bathroom!! No kitchen, and no private shower (had to use one that you see in the background in this photo....it was awful. So, needless to say, Christmas wasn't all it should've been that year!!!

This was our kitchen....

The dust and debris all over caused me to get pneumonia that year too. Such a joy! NOT!

This was the extent of our Christmas decorations...a lit up wreath on the construction workers port-o-potty! I have to say though, it was a BIG HIT! So many people thought it was a riot and the workers loved that we thought of them. =)

2006 -
This year was better than the last, but there were issues with Dad that made it an adjustment. He was all moved in and we were adjusting, but he was already having some medical problems that took up a lot of our time and energy. We managed to enjoy the holidays a bit, but not like we used to.

2007 -
Dad's health got much worse. He was having seizures due to his Alzheimer's and his diabetes wasn't under control as a result. A major seizure just before Thanksgiving was the turning point....he ended up in a nursing home unable to walk or care for himself at all. He needed nursing care 24/7 and unfortunately we weren't able to give that to him.

Christmas with Dad at the nursing home was difficult! We missed him dearly and felt a huge loss when he wasn't around.

2008 -
Life took a major turn this year! The Lord called Dad home just before the holidays in 2008. This was the most difficult year for us as we not only said 'good bye' to my Dad, but we listed our home and put it on the market. Lots of changes...lots of stress...lots of sadness.

2009 -
We look forward to a new beginning this year in our new home. Dad is with the Lord...reunited with Christ and with my Mom. That's a good thing. I have peace. I am content knowing I will see them again. I do not miss our old home and some of the memories we had there. Of course there are great memories too, but leaving the bad ones behind was a good thing.

So...with all that said...this year will be different. We are moving on to a new chapter in our lives. We don't know what the future holds for our family, but we do know that God is good and that He has blessed us and has been with us all along our journey the past several years. He allows us to go through difficulties so we can grow and mature in Him...but He also blesses and that's where we feel we are now. We are enjoying our new home, our new found 'freedom' (for lack of a better word) and the holidays are just around the corner...so we're getting a head start on them!!

Yesterday the kids put up their own Christmas tree. They have the entire upstairs to themselves so they put a tree up on the landing just outside their bedrooms. It looks beautiful and you can see it lit up from downstairs, so we're all enjoying it. We hope to get our real tree for the living room soon...and we're secretly hoping to get snow before that happens. It's always more fun traipsing through snow to cut down a tree than mud!

Sweet-Pea 'wearing' the garland...

Lionel and Cody waiting to put up the tree. (He's sitting on the steps to the bonus room upstairs....a play room for the kids. It was empty space that the builder decided last minute to turn into a room. It's one of our favorite rooms too...very cozy!)

Decorating the tree...

Almost done...just needs a tree skirt and a star on top!

I think they did a great job decorating their tree, don't you?!?

I hope you all had a wonderful Thankgiving, and that you will find a way to enjoy Christmas this year despite what challenges you may be going through. Keep Christ in the center of all you do and remember why we celebrate!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-26T05:37:00.001-05:00

OK...this was my post from 2007, but I loved the verses and comics so much I decided to re-post it. (Is that tacky? Hope not!) Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!!!

We certainly have so much to be thankful for. God is so gracious and always gives us what we need and often so much more!!! Remember to thank Him today for His many blessings!!!

Psalm 92:1 "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High."

Psalm 100:4 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless his name!"

A little humor for your holiday....

This is just too cute...and almost sad...

Pretty smart turkeys!

OK, I hope no one is offended by this one, but I'm sorry, I just cracked up when I saw it. I was never a huge Sesame Street fan, so to me, it's funny!

Morning surprise...

2009-11-25T22:23:00.004-05:00

This morning when I woke up, I found these on the counter in our bathroom...

20 gorgeous red roses! They're from 'Edward'. What for? Today was my birthday. He never ceases to surprise me on my birthday in one way or another. I knew he wasn't going to buy me a present since he bought me that brand new digital camera a couple months ago...so I didn't expect to see these when I woke up!! (Excuse the 'vase'...he said he couldn't find one in the dark when setting these up, so he used Tupperware! ha ha)

The kids were great...not only did they come down to wish me a happy birthday first thing in the morning, but they (along with Daddy) took me out to dinner then gave me a very cool digital macro lens to go with my new camera. To most people this wouldn't be all that exciting, but believe me...I was THRILLED to get it!! I LOVE photography (it's a new hobby of mine) and macro photos are my favorites. So...hopefully I'll put it to good use soon and post photos here.

I am truly blessed!!! My birthday, even though it's so close to Thanksgiving Day and all the busyness, was very special!

Scenic Sunday - #7

2009-11-22T18:35:00.001-05:00

You can always count on a great sunset during the autumn months!

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Birthday Doodle!!

2009-11-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

Our sweet dog Cody is 3 years old today!!!

He's come a long way since being rescued him from a horrible life in Kansas. He came to us completely shut down and full of diseases. It took weeks before he'd eat well and months before he'd wag his tail and show his affection. It was all worth it...

Now, he is happy, healthy and is the most affectionate dog I know. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him instantly...we are so proud he's a part of our family!!

Cody's sweet side....

A happy 'doodle' just hangin' out...

Cody's more serious side...which we hardly ever see!

"Wanna play ball?"

Happy Birthday sweet 'Doodle'!!

Field Trip Fun

2009-11-16T20:34:00.006-05:00

One of the perks of homeschooling, is that I get to go on lots of great field trips with the kids. Our homeschool group plans a minimum of 3 field trips a month - way more than most schools ever do, so the kids get to experience so many wonderful things on top of their daily work at home.

This month our favorite trip was to a local ~~Native American~~ Indian Reservation. It was a blast! Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos in the museum (except for the main hall where the photos below are from), but I did capture a few on our hike.

Lionel and Sweet-Pea are posing beside one of 2 canoes they set up in the main hall. The people look so real it's almost scary!

Sweet-Pea pointing to one of the men, who is pointing at her. She thought of this pose herself...very creative girl!

Here are some close-ups of our favorites:

This is the guy who was pointing at Sweet-Pea

After our tour we ate lunch, then went to our class called "Inside the Fort"

The class included of a hike through the woods in search of an Indian fort that was found on the reservation in recent years. The archeologist taught the kids all about how to find artifacts, and determine what the various areas of the fort were located (kitchen area, blacksmith area etc.)

The logs in the background are part of the fort walls.

Corner of the fort.

Here the kids are learning about how and where the fort and many artifacts were found.

Lionel and Sweet-Pea beside the fort.

After our class, we enjoyed a nice hike through the woods. It was a gorgeous autumn day!

The ride home was long and we were all very tired, but the view was beautiful!

Scenic Sunday - #6

2009-11-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

Since we just had Veteran's Day, I thought this scene was appropriate...taken in Gettysburg, PA.

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Photo Hunt #148 - Music

2009-11-14T05:36:00.003-05:00

This was a very easy one for me since music has always been a huge part of my life!! I took 13 years of piano lessons, 18 years of flute...and I've taught flute lessons for many years as well. (We won't discuss how far I actually got on the piano....once I started the flute the piano was obviously not a priority for me....'nuf said.)

♪ ♫ My Haynes flute, one thing I'm very passionate about:

♪ ♫ Our piano...simply for enjoyment:

♪ ♫ Lionel's violin...I love hearing him play:

♪ ♫ Sneaking a photo of Lionel while practicing:

♪ ♫ Sweet-Pea practicing her flute - just like Mommy:

Photo Hunt #148 - Veterans/Military

2009-11-07T00:00:00.002-05:00

My Dad was honorably discharged from the service, but unfortunately I have no photos of him in uniform, except for one in an old newspaper clipping and that didn't scan well, so I chose the photos below...

He was buried with military honors one year ago.

Scenic Sunday #5

2009-11-01T12:25:00.005-05:00

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

I must be crazy...

2009-10-27T12:41:00.005-04:00

....my new neighbor thinks I am!

As you know, we recently moved to a new house in a brand new neighborhood. We only had 1 neighbor until last month...now we have 2. There are 4 more houses going up, one is completed but not sold, and yet another is sold but not completed (go figure). Anyhow, the people who purchased the unfinished home were outside the other day, so we went out to welcome them and introduce ourselves. They were very nice and we talked for a while before she asked that dreaded question....that's when it all changed!

Her question: "Where do your kids go to school, and how do they like the school system here?"

I only dread those questions with strangers because I don't know how they're going to react to my answer. I simply said "My children are homeschooled." Let me tell you, that woman's face changed quicker than you can blink. She looked at me as if I had 2 heads!!! She didn't hold back either...at least most people are kind enough to think I'm crazy without showing it. She even did the 'ole eyebrow lift and nose squint. Honestly I just wanted to smack her and tell her to stop being so judgmental, but I was kind and I told her that we love it and that my kids are 'normal' so she need not worry...just to try and lighten the mood. That's when I got the eyebrow lift for the 2nd time. Ugh!

I'm sure she was thinking in her head...."oh great, we have weird neighbors. The wife will be walking around in her denim jumper, the kids will be shy, in a bubble, and they'll be raising goats in their backyard." ha ha! We are so the opposite of the stereotypical homeschooler (where ever they are!!) it's not funny. I don't wear denim jumpers, my daughter (although she does have long hair) doesn't wear a dress 24/7 with her hair in a bun, and we don't raise farm animals. We are a normal American family who simply chose to keep our children home from the public school system. We did look into private school before thinking about homeschooling. Since it wasn't a decision we took lightly, we prayed about it for a long time before making the decision. We figured that since the only decent private school in the area cost almost as much as it was to send your children to college, that homeschooling would be best. If they went to private school, I'd have to work (which is fine) but all the money I'd earn would go out the window towards school...so why bother.

Some people still think we're totally crazy, but for the most part our family, and close friends respect our decision and are amazed at how we're doing. Homeschooling is difficult, it's not easy and it's a huge sacrifice, but it's SO worth it. No, it's not for everyone, but for us it works, it's fun and I love seeing my children grow and mature...mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I love it when they 'get it' and grasp a new concept. I love to see them learning, studying and working hard. No one knows them better than we do, so we know what they need to grow and mature into what God wants them to be. There's nothing better than that. If they grow up to be successful (not necessarily financially...but in every aspect of life), I've done my job well. Only after time and lots of prayers, will I see the fruits of my labor. It's been over 10 years so far...and by the time I'm done with Sweet-Pea, I'll have homeschooled them for 20 years!! (If I add up all MY education plus teaching them, I'll have been 'in school' for 49 years! Wow!!)

I'm interested to see how our neighbors react once they actually move here into their new home. It may not be for a while, but I'm sure they will be watching us like hawks once they're here. I'm good with that though...if I can use our education experience to be a light for the Lord in this neighborhood, then so be it!

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Last days of Autumn

2009-10-26T21:03:00.006-04:00

It seems as if autumn has finally peaked here. The red trees are quickly falling, and the yellows and oranges aren't too far behind. So...it was time to grab my camera and drive around town. I hope you enjoy looking at these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Click on the photos for a full size view - it's much nicer that way!

OK, gotta go look for a rake, we'll be needing it soon!!

Scenic Sunday - #4

2009-10-25T06:25:00.003-04:00

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Photo Hunt #148 - Tied

2009-10-24T06:45:00.005-04:00

This is as close as I could get for a creative photo that I had already taken...the trees look like they're 'tied' together.

Autumn...

2009-10-23T21:53:00.004-04:00

I haven't felt much like blogging lately...got lots on my plate...lots on my mind. This time of year doesn't help either. Even though it's my absolute favorite season with all the beautiful trees turning all shades of reds, yellows and oranges, there's a sadness in the air.

That being said, I still want to post a few photos from a day trip our family took this week...

There's a very pretty covered bridge not too far from where we live. It was built in the 1800's, and is constructed with trusses and has tree-nails holding it together...pretty impressive for back then! Anyhow...it's simply gorgeous, especially with the trees in full color...

The inside of the bridge is long, so walking across is fun, yet a bit daunting - especially when cars goes by and makes the whole thing shake!

Sweet-Pea and Lionel at the base of the bridge...

View of the river and mountain from the bridge...simply beautiful!!

I could spend hours just sitting beside the river looking at the beauty, with the crisp cool air surrounding me, as I smell the typical scents of autumn with it's leaves blowing and fires burning.

After visiting the bridge and hiking for a while, we decided to go to a local state forest. It was so pretty and so quiet...there was no one around.

If it wasn't overcast, the view would've been so much prettier, but it was still pretty amazing. I never knew there were so many hills around here!

Our ride home was just as pretty...

When I'm feeling like I have been lately, all I need to do is simply take a look around and realize how much I have to be thankful for...including the beauty all around us. God is good and He has given us so much.

"For everything created by God is good..." 1 Timothy 4:4

Emma

2009-10-19T12:10:00.005-04:00

I'm so excited!! BBC created a new 4 part mini-series adapted from the original works of Jane Austen entitled "Emma". Currently it is only available in England, but soon enough it will be out for the rest of us to enjoy!!

From the BBC Website: "Nothing delights Emma more than meddling in the love lives of others. But when she takes protege Harriet Smith under her wing, her plans can only end in disaster..."

If you care to watch the first episode in this mini-series, click here.
(Sorry, I cannot embed the video directly, it was disabled.)

Romola Garai as Emma...

Beautiful village of Chilham used in the series as Highbury...

Gorgeous scenery - this almost reminds me of the whole Willoughby scene from Sense & Sensibility!

Cast of characters:

Emma Woodhouse — Romola Garai
Mr Knightley — Jonny Lee Miller
Mr Woodhouse — Michael Gambon
Harriet Smith — Louise Dylan
Miss Taylor / Mrs Weston — Jodhi May
Mr Weston — Robert Bathurst
Frank Churchill — Rupert Evans
Jane Fairfax — Laura Pyper
Miss Bates — Tamsin Greig
Mrs Bates — Valerie Lilley
Mr Elton — Blake Ritson
Mrs Elton — Christina Cole
John Knightley — Dan Fredenburgh
Isabella Knightley — Poppy Miller
Robert Martin — Jefferson Hall
Mrs Goddard — Veronica Roberts
Mrs Cole — Liza Sadovy
Miss Martin 1 — Eileen O'Higgins
Miss Martin 2 — Sarah Ovens
Mrs Churchill — Susie Trayling
Mr Dixon — Frank Doody
Miss Campbell / Mrs Dixon — Amy Loughton

Film locations:

Promo video from BBC:

Behind the scenes video:

I've only been able to see the first episode so far, and am anxiously waiting to see the rest of them since it was so good!! The series will be airing sometime in January on Masterpiece Classic in the USA! Personally, I'm hoping they put it on DVD so I can add it to my ever growing Jane Austen collection!

Scenic Sunday - #3

2009-10-18T06:37:00.005-04:00

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Ahh, the Sound of Music is back!

2009-10-15T23:36:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago Lionel was playing basketball with a couple friends, and he ended up fracturing one of his fingers. Generally it wouldn't be a big deal, but since he plays the violin, he needs that finger to play, especially since it was the pinky on his left hand!! That left hand is vital to a violinist!!!

This isn't the first time it's happened either. He broke a finger a while back which was much worse (he slammed it shut in the car door - OUCH!), but fortunately he wasn't playing the violin at that point. Let's just hope that he doesn't break any more.

Due to the fracture, he had to take a few weeks off from practicing and lessons which isn't a good, especially since he just started up lessons again after having the summer off. He stated playing again a few days ago and it seems to be perfectly fine now. Phew! I'd hate to think that he wouldn't ever be able to play the violin again. I try not to sound like a paranoid Mom every time he wants to go play sports with his friends, but I do make a point to remind him that he IS a violinist. =)

Last night he was practicing and it was such a joy to hear him play again. Since beginning the instrument at the age of 9, he's come such a long way! I'm very proud of him, and I pray that he will always use this gift that God blessed him with.

Lionel, happy to be able to play again...well, I'm happy he is!

Concentration...

You can tell he's practicing hard when the rosin gets on the violin.

"OK Mom, enough photos, now let me practice!"

'Just Mom and Me Having Tea'

2009-10-14T17:33:00.005-04:00

Sweet-Pea and I had wonderful time this afternoon! We had a tea party together with 2 of her favorite baby dolls....'Drowsy' and 'Emma'. She has really gotten into having these little parties lately, and I have to say it's a lot of fun to see her smile, laugh and pretend to be a Mommy.

There's a great devotional book out there for mothers and daughters if you're looking for one. It's entitled "Just Mom and Me Having Tea" by Mary Murray. It's a wonderful book suitable for young girls from 6-9 years of age that you can use while having a similar tea party. I got ours from CBD for only $8.99.

Here's Sweet-Pea with her 2 baby dolls.

Drowsy (who thinks she's Snow White!) and Emma (who need some serious hair transplants!)

The spread of food Sweet-Pea prepared for our tea party!

'Eating' her food and having a wonderful time playing pretend!

I know one day Sweet-Pea will make a wonderful Mommy!! She's got such a tender heart and is so full of love!

I had a blast this afternoon with my beautiful daughter. I will cherish these days, and although I'm always not in the 'mood' to have a tea party, I'm glad I stop and take the time to do so with her. One day all this will be simply a memory of the past.

If only time could stand still...

You wanna do what?!?

2009-10-13T09:08:00.006-04:00

We've been cleaning out the basement the past few days in hopes of getting rid of some extra 'stuff' that we moved here. When we packed, several boxes could easily have been marked "pack for now 'cause I'm not sure we're gonna to use this in the new house or not." Those are the boxes we're sorting through. It's easy to get rid of some things...extra dishes, clothes, decorative items etc. but things from our past...things that remind us of growing up or that have been handed down to us...are often difficult to part with. Those are the ones we keep.

We're getting there, slowly but surely. Lionel has been bugging us to complete our job. You see, he's got an ulterior motive. He wants desperately to start building his ~~big~~ huge Lionel train layout. Last I heard it was going to be something like 12' x 20'. He's been working on the layout plans. Oh boy...it's going to cost us our retirement to build this thing!! Maybe I should add a 'Donation' box on my blog...anyone care to donate money for the layout can simply Paypal us the money. Just kidding!

Anyhow, we got to the section in our basement where the Christmas stuff is. We went through it all before we moved which was great, but we decided to rebox it all into nice plastic bins. It's much nicer now! As we're moving the boxes, Edward looks at me and says (very seriously) "We should pull the Christmas stuff out and start decorating since we can get to the boxes now."

My response: "You wanna do what?!?"

Is he out of his mind? ha ha Probably...I hope it's just temporary. =) In his defense, we really lost out on celebrating Christmas like normal last year. Because of my Dad's death, and the fact that our house was on the market, we didn't celebrate a whole lot and we certainly didn't decorate like we usually do. We really missed the holidays. So...I'm thinking he wants to make up for lost time. Personally, I don't like to see Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving is over. If he wants to decorate that evening or the next morning, go for it! I jokingly said that when my family comes over for Thanksgiving dinner, we'll simply put them to work decorating for us. ha ha! (Hey Nancy & Patty...if you're reading this...I'M JUST KIDDING!)

I'm still enjoying fall this year. The autumn leaves are just starting to hit their peak. The colors are gorgeous and I am soaking in every minute of it this year. It's been so long since I have had time to appreciate the things around me. I had been consumed with caring for my Dad, that things I normally love simply slipped by without my notice...pretty sad, huh? One day at a time...one moment at a time...that's how I'm living now. I no longer am thinking about how stressed I am feeling, wondering when this season of my life will pass. I am thankful though for the tough years we had in the past...it only made me stronger. It made me appreciate the people in my life more; made me learn to love better; made me trust in God more and it made me understand that everything we do has a purpose.

So...our tree will NOT be going up any time soon, but when it does, I can assure you it'll be big, it'll be exciting, and it'll be enjoyed more this year...especially by Edward.

Have a blessed day and live it to the fullest!

Scenic Sunday - #2

2009-10-11T07:35:00.003-04:00

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

More on "Becoming Jane"

2009-10-10T23:15:00.003-04:00

Awesome movie, awesome actors, awesome settings, awesome music and well written! This is an incredible movie and if you're a Jane Austen fan, you truly should see this one. I know I recently posted about this movie, but I wanted to share a few more things about the movie I loved.

THE MUSIC:
Listen to this music while you're reading:

(There are 4 others just like it, so click on over to YouTube to hear the rest.)

THE MOVIE:
From the IMDB site: "The year is 1795 and young Jane Austen is a feisty 20-year-old and emerging writer who already sees a world beyond class and commerce, beyond pride and prejudice, and dreams of doing what was then nearly unthinkable - marrying for love. Naturally, her parents are searching for a wealthy, well-appointed husband to assure their daughter's future social standing. They are eyeing Mr. Wisley, nephew to the very formidable, not to mention very rich, local aristocrat Lady Gresham, as a prospective match. But when Jane meets the roguish and decidedly non-aristocratic Tom Lefroy, sparks soon fly along with the sharp repartee. His intellect and arrogance raise her ire - then knock her head over heels. Now, the couple, whose flirtation flies in the face of the sense and sensibility of the age, is faced with a terrible dilemma. If they attempt to marry, they will risk everything that matters - family, friends and fortune."

THE ACTORS:
Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen

James McAvoy as Tom Lefroy

Julie Walters as Mrs. Austen

James Cromwell as Rev. Austen

Anna Maxwell Martin as Cassandra Austen

Laurence Fox as Mr. Wisley

Maggie Smith

THE QUOTES:
Some of my favorite quotes from the movie:

Tom Lefroy: I am yours. Heart and soul, I am yours. Much good that is.
Jane Austen: I will decide that.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Cassandra Austen: You'll lose everything. Family, place. For what? A lifetime of drudgery on a pittance? A child every year and no means to lighten the load? How will you write, Jane?
Jane Austen: I do not know, but happiness is within my grasp and I cannot help myself.
Cassandra Austen: There is no sense in this.
Jane Austen: If you could have your Robert back, even like this, would you do it?
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Mrs. Radcliffe: Of what do you wish to write?
Jane Austen: Of the heart.
Mrs. Radcliffe: Do you know it?
Jane Austen: Not all of it.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Mrs. Austen: Affection is desirable. Money is absolutely indispensable!
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Tom Lefroy: What value will there ever be in life, if we are not together?
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Jane Austen: [she has just kissed him] Did I do that well?
Tom Lefroy: Very. Very well.
Jane Austen: I wanted, just once, to do it well.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

THE SETTING:

The movie was filmed in Ireland instead of Hampshire, England...the true birthplace of Jane Austen, mainly because the landscape was pretty much unchanged from what it was like in England in Jane Austen's day.

Charleville Castle in Ireland

Higginsbrook House - the setting of Jane Austen's home

Bray, Ireland - where Tom Lefroy died in real life.

Now, go grab yourself a cup of hot tea, a cozy seat in the family room, and pop in the 'Becoming Jane' DVD. If you love it even half as much as I do, you'll enjoy the movie a great deal!

Photo Hunt #147 - Sports

2009-10-10T06:00:00.002-04:00

Horseback riding is considered a sport to most of us...but to Sweet-Pea, it's just plain 'ole fun!!

Scenic Sunday - #1

2009-10-04T00:01:00.006-04:00

I love photography (as if you couldn't tell) and I found this great Meme entitled 'Scenic Sunday'. How appropriate...to share God's wonderful and amazing creation on the Lord's day! Enjoy...

(Click on the photo to enlarge for a much better view!)

Photo Hunt #146 - Words

2009-10-03T09:03:00.002-04:00

I haven't participated in PhotoHunt for a while...life just got crazy and finding the 'perfect' photo was time consuming. Now that I've got a new camera and a bit more time, I'm anxious to get back into posting my favorites. Click on the link above if you'd like to participate.

Taken at a local trucking museum...gotta love it!

A broken heart...

2009-09-26T23:53:00.013-04:00

The past few days have been extremely difficult for me. My heart is overflowing with sadness as I remember the death of my parents.

Eight years ago yesterday my Mom died. Cancer destroyed her body, but Christ called her home on September 25, 2001 to deliver her from that pain.

One year ago tomorrow my Dad died. Alzheimer's disease destroyed his body, but Christ called him home on September 27, 2008 to deliver him from his loneliness and pain.

The 7 years that separated their deaths were difficult as we watched Dad get worse and worse. It is a relief knowing that they are once again reunited in Christ, but it's so hard to be the one left behind!! It's so hard knowing that I will never get to speak with them again on this earth. I will never get to pick up the phone and share my every day stuff with them...the things that most people take for granted!

I think I cried yesterday harder than the days that they died. I cried so much it hurt. I just felt such a loss, such loneliness and such abandonment. Besides my husband and children, I have no one. I have family, but I don't see or get to speak with them often. I have friends, but most of them don't understand what it's like to feel such a loss. I know I'm not alone...many people have lost loved ones...but for me this is obviously personal. It hurts!

Music soothes the soul, and I have been listening to a lot lately...maybe not the wisest thing since it does bring tears to my eyes, but I also find it comforting. Here's one of my favorites sung by Kim Hill..."You Alone"

In You alone is where I find my comfort. In You alone, You're my only hope
In You alone my heart has found a resting place. In You alone...In You alone

Amen!

Washington

2009-09-26T11:54:00.004-04:00

If you have children in the early elementary grades (K-3), I highly recommend the book "Boys and Girls of Colonial Days".

From the book: "From the young pilgrims in Holland to youngsters at Mt. Vernon this reader will provide today's child with a better understanding of how the events and personalities of colonial America affected the lives of young people who lived during this time of history. Includes great stories about children encountering great Americans such as George Washington. Also includes stories of brave little American rebels who would not stand for British tyranny. Delightful reading for young families."

We have been studying all about early American history this year with the Teaching Character Through Literature series, put out by Beautiful Feet. We are truly enjoying this series as the books have been so enjoyable. Lately we've been learning quite a bit about George Washington and the early days of our country and how it was established...through this simple child's book. I not only love the book, but the illustrations are great as well...they're very sweet.

Today we read about how George Washington was a General, yet a servant. He never used his important role to benefit himself. He always put others first. One of the rules Pres. Washington always tried to live by: "Make sure you are doing what is right with God - then do it with all your strength." The Bible verse we learned during our lesson today says: "He that will be chief among you, let him be your servant." Matthew 20:27

One of my favorite portraits of George Washington was the one painted of him praying beside his horse while at Valley Forge. This may or may not have happened as it's portrayed, but I believe we can surely say that this was a great man of God who did take the time to pray for our country on his knees!

After our lesson, I had Sweet-Pea draw a picture of President Washington. So...without further ado...here he is....the 1st president of the United States of America...

Gotta love it! I think this version would look better on the dollar bill, don't you?