Friday Faves #11 - Beverage

Friday Fave #11 - Favorite beverage

Well, I do enjoy a nice cold ice tea or lemonade in the summer-time, but hands down my favorite beverage of all time has to be COFFEE! I admit it, I'm a coffee-a-holic! Is there really such a thing? There should be!

I love going to Starbucks, Barnes & Noble Cafe, or any other fun coffee hang out with my homeschool-mom friends for a cup of hot coffee and some fellowship! When I'm home though, I love to pop a K-cup in my Keurig coffee maker and drink it while reading a good book. If you don't know what a Keurig is, take a look:

Wikipedia describes it best: Keurig is a coffee machine manufacturing company that is a subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. Their machines are all designed to brew a single cup of coffee at a time, in under a minute. The coffee grounds are in prepared, single-serving K-Cups. The user is required to insert a K-Cup, place a mug under the machine and press a button."

Here are some fun and interesting facts about coffee:

• With the exception of Hawaii and Puerto Rico, no coffee is grown in the United States or its territories.
• The term "Cuppa Joe" came from "G.I. Joe," who always had his coffee.
• It is estimated that 100 million Americans drink a total of 350 million cups of coffee a day!
• In 1732, Johann Sebastian Bach composed his Kaffee-Kantate. Partly an ode to coffee and partly a stab at the movement in Germany to prevent women from drinking coffee as it was thought to make them sterile.
• A mature coffee tree will produce one to two pounds of coffee per growing season.
• Some of the worlds most powerful business, including Lloyds of London and the New York Stock Exchange, started life as a coffee houses.
• In 1683, one pound of coffee in New York was worth as much as 4 acres of land.
• Espresso has 1/3 of the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee.
• We say coffee beans although they are really berries.
• Beethoven who was a coffee lover, was so particular about his coffee that he always counted 60 beans each cup when he prepared his brew.
• Dark roasted coffees actually have LESS caffeine than medium roasts. The longer a coffee is roasted, the more caffeine burns off during the process.

Well, I gotta go grab a 'cuppa joe' and finish the book I'm reading.

Thursday Thirteen #8

13 Things I love about our new dog

Our 15 month old dog, Cody, is more of a rescue dog than just a new dog we purchased...he was pretty much neglected where he came from. He was left outside all day long and didn't get much, if any, human interaction. We are giving him a warm loving home. We hope and pray that he will feel like he's an important part of our family. We love him already!!! What do we love about him?

1. He's adorable
2. He doesn't make my allergies go crazy!
3. His coloring - more like a golden retriever than a poodle
4. His big eyes
5. The cute paw prints he makes out in the snow
6. He makes my children happy
7. His big fluffy tail
8. He doesn't bark - not yet anyhow ha ha
9. When you pet him he just lays there and enjoys it
10. He is slowly realizing that our home is 'safe' for him
11. When he tilts his head, he looks so cute & innocent looking
12. He lays down in front of our food pantry, causing us not to eat as much since we don't want to bother him - that's a good thing! ha ha
13. He is giving our children a sense of responsibility!

Our newest family member has arrived!!!

Well, Cody arrived home and is safe and sound!! We are so thrilled to have him in our home. As of now, he is still quite traumatized from flying in from Kansas! He went through a lot yesterday, and it will take some time for him to get used to being here in his new home. Here he is with Lionel:



Cody is a 15 month old Goldendoodle and looks more like the Golden part than the doodle part...if that make sense. He is Lionel's dream dog since we can't have a Golden Retriever due to allergies.

Please pray for us and for Cody...that his transition will go smoothly. He is very quiet and is not being social right now as he is trying to figure out what happened to him yesterday. We are giving him lots of love and are doing our best to be patient with him. He will need to be leash trained as he was a farm dog - always outside and always without a leash. It won't be easy, but with persistence and patience, we'll get there. I did talk with the vet today and they were encouraging.

Here are a few more photos from our trip to the airport to pick him up...

The plane landed safely...


Getting ready to unload...


Unloading the baggage and cargo...Cody is there somewhere!


The first moment we met...one very nervous (and rightfully so) dog!


Finally home...time to unload.


At home in the kitchen...where he is still wondering where he is and how he got here.


I'll be posting more photos once he comes around and livens up. I don't want to take too many and scare him even more with the flash! Please remember to pray for us all...thanks!

Photo Hunt #98 - Wooden

Lionel's violin is wooden...and it sounds simply gorgeous!


In keeping with the whole musical theme I'll include some other instruments we have...our wooden piano, wooden piccolo, wooden flute, and wooden alto recorder. I left out my husband's entire clarinet collection - it was just too much to ask him to drag them all out simply for a photo!

Friday Faves #10 - Magazine

Friday Faves was officially canceled, but I had so much fun doing it, so I decided to make my own Friday Faves graphic and keep it going. If you'd like to join me, feel free to use my graphic (copy it, don't link to it!) for your site and post a comment here letting me know. I hope to put a Friday Faves list on my sidebar soon so you can participate and know ahead of time what the next 'fave' topic will be. For now, check here each week for the fave topic.

Friday Fave #10 - Favorite magazine

I love reading magazines of all types. I enjoy Country Woman, The Old Schoolhouse, Creation Magazine, Digital Scrapbooking, the History Channel Magazine, Birds & Blooms, and Home Education, but my absolute favorite magazine lately has to be Log Home Living!

I always wanted to be an architect, I love anything country, and those two are definitely represented in this magazine! My husband often brings me home various log home magazines (there are a few great ones!) and I sift through them all and drool!! I will always wish I pursued my dream career, but as long as I have these magazines to read, it'll be enough for now. My life is definitely complete, so I don't need to be going back to school again...I still have 11 more years of homeschooling ahead of me! When all is said and done, I'll have gone to (or taught) for 38 years of my life! That's enough for one person, don't ya think?

Thursday Thirteen #7

13 of my favorite movies

I love watching movies, especially when snuggling up on the couch with my hubby, a warm blanket, and a hot cup of tea! I do enjoy movies of all styles, but my favorites are period movies, suspense/thriller movies, and of course the old stand-by, romance movies. It won't be easy picking 'just' 13, but here are the ones that come to mind without too much thought...

1. Sense & Sensibility (as if you couldn't tell!!)
2. Becoming Jane
3. Return to Me
4. Pride & Prejudice
5. Amadeus
6. My Best Friend's Wedding
7. Anne of Green Gables 1 & 2 mainly
8. The Sound of Music
9. Miss Potter
10. Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum
11. The Princess Diaries 1 & 2
12. The Net
13. The Queen

Photo Hunt #97 - Free

Revelation 1:5-6 sums up what it means to be 'free' quite well....


Yes...I this is an actual photo that I took myself...a macro of the verses in my Bible...for anyone who may have thought I scanned the page. = )

Homeschool Convention or bust!

I know it's still early, but I am quite anxious to go to the homeschool convention/curriculum fair this spring!!! There's just something exciting about planning out the next school year and buying the books and supplies that make me happy. Is that sick or what? ha ha

I'm doubly excited about it this year because we're taking Lionel and Sweet-Pea with us. The fair we attend is about an hour away. We could go up for just one day, but the fair lasts all day Friday right through to the end of Saturday, so it's worth making a weekend event out of it. In previous years, Edward and I would go up alone for a nice romantic weekend, but we figured that this year we would make it a family event. There's not a whole lot of time for romance anyhow when picking through books all weekend long! hee hee I'm actually excited about having the kids along this year...it'll be fun to see their reactions at all the vendors and books available to them.

If you've never been to a homeschool convention, here are a few hints I'd like to share with you...

• Take a quick walk-through when you first enter the vendor hall...they're usually overwhelming and if you know what lies ahead, you won't be foolish and spend all your money in the first aisle. Make a plan of attack!
  
• Bring your own bags or even a suitcase with wheels (the kind airline pilots use) so you don't feel bogged down with all your purchases. Many convention sites have a baggage check-in so you don't have to carry it all around, but a rolling suitcase or large shoulder bag does help!
  
• Be prepared with a list of your favorite curricula - look at those first and before you make any purchases, go and check out all the other vendors to see if another curriculum suits you better. Don't go with your blinders on...look around...open up books and read through them. Look at the scope and sequence. Most importantly, speak with the representatives...yes, they are there to sell you their items (I have yet to come in contact with someone who has been pushy and tried to 'sell us' on something), but they are also quite knowledgeable about what they're selling. Many times you'll find the creator of that particular curriculum there as well.
  
• Bring a notebook and pen/pencil for taking notes during the various seminars they usually offer. At the fair we attend, you are able to purchase audio cd's of the speakers which is wonderful. If you don't have time to hear every seminar on your list, buy the cd instead...but buy the ones that interest you most so you can refer back to them over and over again. When you're done, donate them to your homeschool group library if you have one.
• Bring a calculator and notepad so you can keep tabs on your purchases - as homeschoolers, many of us are one-income families so money is tight. Be careful not to overspend...it's so easy to do with all the 'goodies' around..and I don't mean food!
• Grab a brochure from each vendor if you're able to. Bring them back to share with others in your homeschool group who may not have been able to attend.
• Get on every mailing list you can...some of you may not agree, but in my opinion, the more options you get in the mail for homeschooling ideas and curriculum the better. You can always opt out later on with most companies by sending a quick email. You'll even find coupons and some freebies this way!
  
• You may want to carry a bottle of water with you...although if I had to make a choice between carrying a few extra books or my water, I'd put the water down in a heartbeat!
• Don't go alone!! I highly recommend going with your spouse if that's possible, but if not, go with a homeschool friend.
• Pray! Pray! Pray! This is key. Don't jump into the convention without first going to God about the gazillion decisions you'll have to make. Pray that He will guide you and will help you make wise choices for your family.
• This important tip I learned quickly...don't go home with 'just' books for your children. Buy them something fun to play with. Some items we've purchased in previous years include: stuffed puppet animals, a huge wooden map puzzle of the USA (4'x6'), various board games, audio books, coloring books, dolls and more. The ideas are endless and most likely what you'll purchase will be very educational.
  
• Keep in mind who you are there for and what your purpose is!!!
  

Well, I'm off to start my list for our next school year...I'm so excited...but maybe you've already figured that one out.

February 14th

Happy Valentine's Day!

Remember...even if you don't have that
'someone special' in your life...Jesus is always
there for you and He loves you very much!!!

Thursday Thirteen #6

13 things I love about Scotland

Scotland is one of my favorite places on earth! My family comes from Scotland and my dear husband and I went there on our honeymoon... what a romantic place! So, with that said...here are 13 things that I absolutely love about Scotland.

1. The beautiful rolling hills covered with purple heather.
2. Castles...especially the very romantic ruins of Castle Kennedy!
3. Tea time, complete with tea, clotted cream, jam and fresh scones.
4. The people! There's something so wonderful about them.
5. Kilts! Need I say more?
6. The music of Scotland...especially bagpipes, but also the more mellow celtic styles.
7. The many little kirks (churches) and lochs (lakes) scattered throughout the country.
8. The bright yellow fields of oilseed rape (which is used to make canola oil).
9. Shortbread - especially my Gramma's secret recipe!
10. The quietness of life in the highlands and various places throughout the lowlands.
11. Quaint little tea houses and gift shoppes in places you'd never think were there.
12. Gardens overflowing with gorgeous flowers, complete with old stone walls surrounding them....oh, and don't forget the sheep and cattle wandering all over too!
13. The eerie feeling you get at 'night' when the fog settles over the loch while the sun still shines bright at 10:00 p.m.

That's the short list...If you get the chance, check out the "Monarch of the Glen" series which was filmed in the highlands of Scotland for Scotland TV. I also highly recommend reading the Christian fiction books by Liz Curtis Higgs on Scotland! I especially love her book entitled "My Heart's in the Lowlands", which takes you on a journey with her through the lowlands of Scotland. She is an incredible author and you'll feel as if you're standing right there with her the whole time. My husband and I are reading the book together, and memories of our honeymoon just keep flooding back in our minds.

OK, I could just go on and on about what I love about Scotland. I truly consider it 'home' since that's where my heritage lies. Experiencing Scotland is so much better in person if you can get there...photos do not do it justice, but here's a peek anyhow to get you started.

Our family is growing!

No, I'm not pregnant...gone are the days of diapers, strollers and sleepless nights! What's the good news then? How is our family growing? We're getting a dog!!! An adorable 14 month old Goldendoodle (Golden Retriever/Poodle mix)!!

I'd like to introduce you to: Cody


The breeder told us today that we will be getting him on either Monday or Tuesday of this next week. Yipee!! Lionel is beside himself with joy, but Sweet-Pea is a little bit nervous about the whole thing. Our previous dog was a lot smaller, and she doesn't remember him much since she was just a baby when we had him. So...please pray for her. Pray that she is comfortable around Cody, and that he is the perfect fit for our family...a gentle and loving dog. We really put a lot of thought into what kind of dog we wanted, so we're hoping we chose well.

I will post photos of his arrival and update you on how he's doing some time next week.

Putting the books away...

Today the kids put their books aside so they could pan for gold, mine for gems and dig for some really cool fossils...on a field trip!

PANNING FOR GOLD:
Lionel had fun panning for gold in the freezing cold water. He was able to take home all he could find in 10 minutes...a huge cup full! Good thing it was just 'fools gold' or all the parents would have joined right in!! Every time the kids found 'gold', they had to yell "EUREKA!"...it was hysterical.


Sweet-Pea took the more dainty approach...she pulled the pan out of the water and sifted through it one finger at a time. Despite her slower attempt at finding gold, she made out well! She even managed to say "EUREKA" in her own soft spoken way, but had she been in California during the big gold rush, no one would have ever heard her!


DIGGING FOR FOSSILS:
This big cave had a huge fossil of a dinosaur on the bottom. (Well, not a real one, but a replica) The kids were to uncover it by using the same methods that paleontologists use - slowly, carefully and with a soft brush. They found the fossil and learned all about it - minus the whole 'millions of years' mumbo-jumbo.


MINING FOR GEMS:
Looking for the gems was cool! The kids gathered in this big dark cave where they all got buckets to fill. They had to sift through all the sand to find semi-precious stones. Whatever they found they could keep! Sweet-Pea had a great time picking up one little rock at a time.


Lionel stuck to the outside - away from the other kids. He was able to dig deeper and find some really cool stones this way...which he so nicely decided to share with his little sister.


PICKING OUT A GEODE:
The kids picked out a geode (still uncut) and watched it as our tour guide put it in the machine to cut it open. Her face was priceless as she unveiled the inside! It was very pretty, so the kids picked a great rock! You never know what you're going to get - some are duds, but you still have to pay for the rock you choose.


TIME TO SHOP:
Here the kids were posing in gallery of the gift shop. They had huge geodes, and other stones for sale along with jewelry, toys, shirts and tons more fun thing. Obviously som things were a bit pricey, but we did manage to buy a few inexpensive things to bring home.


Well, we had a blast and can't wait to go back again. Next time we'll bring Daddy and ask him if he'll buy me that $5,000 Amethyst geode that I had my eye on. Actually, the only 'rocks' I want him buying me are diamonds! hee hee

Woo Hoo, another package!!!

Wow, I can't believe it - my Secret Sister sent me more goodies in the mail. She is just so sweet!!



This time I got 2 journals, beautiful bleeding heart notecards, a Thomas Kinkade book (I LOVE Thomas Kinkade!), a notepad and a card. Sweet-Pea got a box with 3 different American Girl card games in it - boy was she excited, and Lionel got a paint by number set of an adorable dog.

I appreciate you thinking of me, but thinking of my kids...that means so much more. I appreciate you and your thoughtfulness!!

Have a happy day!

Photo Hunt #96 - Heavy

We had trees removed from our yard last year...
here is Lionel sitting on top of the very heavy branches!


Here they are being taken away....after they hit our brand new siding with the tree! OUCH!! (The dent is half way up the downspout to the left of the orange cones).


Lionel with part of the heavy tree trunk.