Gustav & Great Thanks!

Today mom said... "She really didn't want to leave."

Oh, it is hard to leave it all behind. I'm thrilled to enjoy my family here. We've enjoyed Bodacious today. Worship reminded me that God is my strength and His grace is enough!! A great reminder :)

Lovebug has so enjoyed playing and watching Austin!! She loved giving him a bottle tonight... and later making him giggle and giggle.

Great thanks to those who have so thought of us!!!

• Proverbs 31:20 She extends her hands to the needy.

You have been so kind!!! We have all kinds of cokes & juices... apples and snacks... a huge box of corn dogs... crackers & cheese.... baby food & toys....

Thank you Thank you!!! I hope all evacuees are so blessed by the very hands & feet of Jesus!!! Keep us in your prayers....

We are still following the storm. This site has the info for our family... look at the press releases.

G'night!! Grace! ss

Our Gustav Evacuation

We are an evacuation hot spot!!! Gustav is impacting my life!!! This is a replay of our Rita hot spot....

• Mom & Dad are in the library.
• Aunt Karen, Jenny, Nicole 6 & Austin 6m are in Lovebug's room with Pooky their dog...
• Uncle Eric is in Ladybugs room.
• Ladybug & Lovebug are in my room... camping out!!!

Friday we were thrilled to get an early leave to visit Mom & Dad in Beaumont... as we got within an hour of Beaumont, we started seeing the flood of people and RVs heading north, as we made good time south.



Friday night we became very aware of hurricane Gustav.... and Saturday the mandatory evacuation was called for Sunday morning..... The girls did not want to leave... and Daddy pulled from our Proverbs daily chapter....

• Proverbs 27:12 The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.
  

Yikes!!!! Oh... we have to head out... We headed out north on 96 and it was a wonderful drive... with a lousy ONE HOUR wait for a stop light in Center!!! Horrible!! No kidding... we waited an hour for that light!!!!

We beat the family by a couple hours... and we've done a fruit box turnover!!!! All of the stuff sitting around has "vanished." We've moved lots of things into the garage....

We surprising have 3 tvs up and ready!!! The PC.... our tv has moved into the living area... and mom & dad have one in their room. They were thrilled to find we now have cable & can actually get some news!!! This is truly an upgrade since Rita.

Blueberry muffins are made!!
Hubbie & I are planning to hit 2nd service.
We must hit a grocery... and soon....


Knowing He hold us in his hands!!!
Grace!! ss

School.. Sour... and Sweet...

Monday we started... it turned sour at 7:30... "I don't want to!" My hope was for solo math time... ha...



Tuesday started with "math is good" and we headed into the day... this 2nd day soured too.... much later than the first... and with the same "I don't want to!"



Each of these days of resistance were met with great displays of attitude, many assigned chores in lieu of education, and a very involved Daddy... as well as a loss of all things sweet... as well as incremental consequences...



Today.... this is why I homeschool.... when one day in the mix goes right.... the day is truly sweet!!!

(7a Mama started with her devo! I'm jumping into Matthew... )

7:30 We started the day with a great math time solo (that solo is hard to find!)

8:00 Get dressed & ready, breakfast, teeth brushed, beds made...

9:00 Devo's start our schooling on the couch...

Lovebug heads into independent reading for 15 minute intervals...

Ladybug starts her daily reading SSRW lesson with mom.

Then follows handwriting for each... together reading all for us... outside & water the garden... another math lesson.... and in the midst a chore brought a quick attitude change...

12:00 It was lunch time and we were done... really!!! Hard to believe... done...



Now here's my favorite part... The girls headed to their rooms for the traditional quiet afternoon. My devo was done... and it was beautiful out.... so out we went...



The God provided a nature lesson :) After being dive bombed by a red wasp... we killed that sucker!!! and looked at him... and read of him too!!! Cool!! I wanted to draw him.. but that did not work out.



Then it was too hot... so we came inside and ALL of us did handicrafts!! We all knitted. The girls enjoyed spool knitting. We looked at our artist study... Then we got hungry...



We enjoyed a Tea Time at 4:00 filled with our Bach composer study. I want to track down our joke book we've enjoyed in days past.

Somewhere we also listened to our folk song.... I thought the "Drinking Gourd" would be a bar song... but it was a Civil War era song that told the slaves to look to the Big Dipper to find the Underground Railroad. Cool!!!! Our library even has a book on it!!!



Wow!! It all fit... and it was so not arranged by me!!! I so enjoyed it all!!!! I'm thrilled to be home with my girls. Thrilled to juggle these two!! I'm still challenged by so much... Spanish is at the top of that list... And I do love ending with Thanks be to God!!! For His indescribable gift!!! Salvation!!!!

By Grace!! ss

Start today!?!? please...

(An interview with my First Grader. The pic is for a height reference! She wanted to start TODAY!!!! Not me!!! She!!!)

(Tell me about school.)

It was fun.

And Paddle in the Sea was very fun. Paddle to the Sea lived
in... (going to get the globe)... lived in Canada. And he carved a
little boat. And he put a spoon over the fire to melt.. what?...
(lead). And he went to the sea. (Is that what happened
today?) No. giggle. giggle.

My favorite is and he carved the boat. (I thought something else was
you favorite?)

MATH!!! It was very very fun. And I did colors of cars.
The End.

(Why did you want to start today?)
Because I was eager to get math.

Ladybug 8/22/08

(Lovebug is holding out til Monday! It was fun starting Ladybug solo.)

Praying Jesus is our teacher!!!

Grace! ss

Little Mellons

I found 2 little watermelons!!! How fun!!! I was pulling the trails up so Hubbie would not mow them!! He said they'd not be in danger :)

The two cantaloupe are getting huge!! One trying to pull the vine down! I had no idea they were going to be airborne! I'm waiting for the stem to die... that indicates they are ready.

This is my very first squash! Just when I'm thinking to pull them all up for fall planting. Our neighbors tilled and planted their "real" garden with blackeye peas & beans... I want to plant lettuce.. but it is yet early for that endeavor.

Here's a great grasshopper!! We've also been visited by our rabbit!! He did not get our poor little carrots...

We've also had HUGE caterpillars.... and some little bug making the tomato leaves like lace... a lace bug???

My tomatoes are just starting to pinken.... and I'm ready to think of a fall garden.. What do you plant in a fall garden?? and when??

Growing!!! ss

Printed! Schooling prep...

I'm so getting ready for school!! The girls are in first & third grades this year. That's AO1 & AO3.

Today... so cool I picked up my print order for about 250 pages from Kinkos.com. The best part is yesterday I uploaded the files in the rain :) No getting out & no waiting.

My bonus was one job was printed wrong. I print our poetry as a cute little book. They quickly reprinted the order and we were out the door. Great service.

What all did I printed?

• Math.. 175 pages. We use a really cool free program found online. MEP. Printed & spiral bound. Ready for the year for Ladybug. I had Lovebugs print last year. I heard lots of this math on the main AO list. There also a group for MEPers.
• Poetry for the year. William Blake & Sara Teasdale and Hilda Conkling & Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• Color prints for our art study. The yahoo group AO Art Prints has a file for each term. We are studing Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) Florentine Renaissance, Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) German Romantic & Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) Dutch Post-Impressionist. AO has a good site about our Art Study.
• Our AO1 & AO3 side by side schedule. I've combined the weekly list from AO & ligned up each week side by side in excel. I hope it well help me keeping up with now 2 in school! Right now 2 seems a challenge... how do moms with more balance this???!!!

So I'm glad that's done! It does make me want a duplex laser... but that is a want not a need.

I'm yet cleaning. Today I got to the bottom one school drawer from our coffee table... one more to go. Then I need to conquer the math drawer that's crowded with a mountain from our wooden train... hummm faith to move mountains!!! I yet need to collect all AO3 for the bookshelf!!! We'll start schooling on Monday....

I asked the girls if they wanted to start today.... they pondered it and gently said they had a few project yet to do!! Hum.... like me!! One project was hanging glow stars with daddy!! Glow fun!

I'm also praying for Kim today. Her surgery is today & she's is to get out of MD tomorrow. Then head home this weekend. Praying!!

Grace!! ss

Please Pray for Kim

My girls always play with our neighbors Hannah & Lexi!! We even put a gate & arbor in to cross easily between our yards! Their mom, Kim came to the hospital when Hubbie had his surgery!!

This week they've been covered in chalk as they collect the dust in containers! They've come with us to AWANA.

Pray....

This week Kim & Butch & their girls have headed to MD Anderson... Kim's been thru 2 rounds of chemo.... her surgery is this week. Oh, pray!!! Pray for healing and wisdom for the Drs. Pray for peace & protection. Pray for the girls. Pray that they walk in faith and are not overcome by fear. Pray that God would be big! Pray.

Praying!! ss

Blueberry-Coconut Cheesecake Bars

These looked so fun!!! I'll take them to our homeschool tea tonight!




Blueberry-Coconut Cheesecake Bars

• 1/2c butter
• 3/4c finely crushed graham crackers
• 1/2c flour
• 1/2c flaked coconut
• 1/2c ground pecans
• 1/4c sugar


• 1&1/2c pkg cream cheese, soft
• 2/3c sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1T milk
• 1t vanilla
• 2c blueberries

My Notes!! Use lemon juice in place of milk! Parchment paper made them a breeze to remove from the pan & cut with a pizza cutter!!

Lovebug said they were "yum yum yummmmmmm." Alas, Hubbie, I'm sorry, I'm taking them all tonight!!

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease 9x13x2 baking pan.
2. Crust- In sauce pan, heat butter until it is the color of light brown sugar.
3. Stir together graham crackers, flour, coconut, pecans & 1/4c sugar. Stir in butter til combined. Press into prepared pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes til tightly browned.
4. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese & sugar. Add eggs, milk, vanilla. Pour over hot crust. Sprinkle blueberries.
5. Bake 18 to to 20 minutes until center appears set. Cool. Cover & refrigerate. Cut into bars.

(Prep 30, Bake 8+18, Chill 3 hrs, Oven 350, Cal 136, Fat 9, Fiber 1, WWPoints 3)



I'm feeling bummed today. Baking is my pick me up!! I'm struggling with everything.... my clothes... car 3rd day in the shop.... emissions fixed & struts, I think.... prep for schooling.... cleaning that yet need so much of me.... more & more cranberry juice...

I'm wearing pearls!! The remind me my Hubbie loves me!!! They too are a pick me up when I'm struggling!! Like today!!!


God is great and greatly to be praised!!!

The Cutest Blog on the Block

Hummm.. I've tried lots of their blog backgrounds!! Fun!! I've finally found one that to stick with... for the moment!!!

www.thecutestblogontheblock.com

Tooth Fairy!!??

Look at that hole in Ladybug's smile!!! I love it!!!

She has been wiggling & wiggling those loose bottom teeth!! You know that wiggle that make you squirm, yuck!!! She's had lots of offers for pliers & string to help!!!

Before breakfast she twisted her tooth and out it came!!! She's so excited!!! And sister is talking all about fairy dust from the Tooth Fairy!!

That's the end of her Peter Pan teeth!!!

Loving it!!! Grace! ss

Expanded!

After 6 months Lovebug finally and much expected... got her expander out!!! She's officially expanded!!




She was thrilled to get gum!!! Now we've added some gum rules... no gum at home (it gets in their hair!)....


We'll wait 2 months to make sure the teeth will stay put!! If needed they will do a retainer.


Glad that's done!!! Grace ss


I'm looking for the before & after photo :)

Grand Grands

We spent a wonderful week with Memom & Grandaddy in Beaumont!!!



We weathered the wan-a-be tropical storm Edouard. Living down south I remember lots of hurricanes!! By God's grace none of my memories are the likes of Rita that brought my family evacuating here in 2005. This storm only closed some businesses... the rain and wind did not even damper the day.



Planning to stay only the weekend, we packed for a weekend. As mom's schedule opened up we were thrilled to stay the week! We did laundry daily and enjoyed going shopping! THANKS MOM!!



Bible School... We also caught the VBS program of my parent's small Church. Each evening the girls were thrilled to go with their friend Nicole. We so wished the girls' cousin could come too. Alas, Lovebug was a lone girl with her group of boys and she was not alone. She stood on her own and enjoyed the songs & motions of the program! Yea!



My brother was working and he has a schedule that's hard to catch! He works 3p to 3a!! We were glad when his daughter could come to play! Cousins are great!!



The girls spent many hours coloring the back patio brick. Grandaddy had the best chalk. It was HUGE. The girls colored each brick & then painted it with water. It made a lovely colored walk! How did I miss picturing that??



Hubbie joined us for the weekend. The opening of the Olympics was fabulous!! Mom & Dad have a great spot to watch the events!!



We headed to church & then 200 miles to home on Sunday. We made it to my favorite zoo! We enjoyed our stop at the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin. The raccoons were out... the otter was swimming & eating... the baby flamingos were grey... a worked carried around a baby sloth (he's on their web sit too)... the bear even posed for a shot with us... God's Creation!!!

Love ya Mom & Dad!!!!

Grace!! ss

Walking... too far??

After yet another round of car in the shop... I asked Hubbie how he got home yesterday.

He was not quick to respond... finally he said....

He walked from the car spot on the loop.... to home. Oh! That's far.... Could he not find a ride? "He did not want to inconvenience anybody....."

I was in the same situation!! Just a week ago, I was thrilled to have Aimee rescue me!!! Should I have walked?? A firm "No."

So! What do you think???? Was that too far?? Would that have been too far from everybody???

Grace! ss

El Aserraoero x4

We prayed for clouds and headed into the 100+ degree heat at Six Flags!! We were determined to use our tickets thru the reading program!! We missed it last year... with the surgery route!! We covered in sunscreen & hit the park!

Their first & only roller coaster was a bust! Neither girl enjoyed Judge Roy Scream... an older wooden coaster... bumpy....


We took many pics with these ageless characters!

This year we had a wonderful time riding El Aserraoero over & over & over & over!! That last time we just had to make a picture run!! Ladybug supports a frown... translation, that's her afraid look!!! They both were thrilled to ride it 4xs.!!!

Our fast pass made this possible!!!

Daddy's ride was Superman!! That waiting in line to be dropped like 20 stories!!! Not me!!!

We waited a bit with the absolute luxury of a fast pass.... as we waited we measured the girls... would they? could they ride?

Lovebug made the cut!! She was tall enough, but unwilling to ride it!! Like her mama!

Very disappointed... Ladybug fell short. She was so saddened.

Eventually, Hubbie gave up his ride for his girls!! He was our Superhero!!!

We enjoyed a 3D trip to the moon!! It was great to get off our so tired feet!

We left the park at dark.

Dinner at a BBQ spot was fun as a small boy was wowed to be around caped hero's!! We enjoyed his excitement & gave him our batman cape!! It was one of those God appointments!! What would my girls do w/ a Batman cape!?!

I'm so thankful we had a blast!! Hope you enjoy our perspective!!! Grace!! ss

House Hunt Lessons

We've recently looked at 2 houses...

Our goal is to cut Hubbie's travel time & move to the other side of town...

Little House-
The first house was a cute little house on a big 1 acre yard. The house became very small when I realized I had to drop 3 rooms to move!!! Drop my loved sun room... my formal dining that's covered in crafting.... and my 4th bedroom that's my Chicago Red Library.... Oh, that's alot to loose.

It also was an 80's house with the icky popcorn ceiling! I already have that ceiling....

Neat 90's-
The second house... was beautiful!!! Here's the description.... 2400 sq. ft. , 4 bedrooms 3 baths, (split MBR) high ceilings, hardwood and tile floors, built l998, with a very neat landscaped yard (about 1/2 of the acre, with remainder in big trees) and a very nice gunite, SALT FILTERED pool. It has an aeorobic system.

It already has our gas logs... and a wonderful sitting area on the back side of the thru fireplace!! The back patio was spacious... the salt pool sounds just like what Ladybug needs... she reacts to chlorine pools.... Here the girls also enjoyed a first time play on a Wii...

I told Hubbie... the home is beautiful!! And very much a DUAL income house....

Lesson- I don't want to be in a dual income house... then we'd have a house only to sleep in... no living in.... no homeshcooling... no life..... for us. I've asked God to remove the images of that house!! Maybe someday a 90's home will be ours.

Today I'll enjoy my girls playing in the back yard with the neighbors girls. I'm thankful for my sun room where my computer sits. I'm thankful Hubbie's driving a good gas mileage car and pray it lasts!! I'm thankful for our home!!

I'm also challenged to declutter.... I could not sell as if even if I wanted to!! The piles & boxes.. the unfinished project in limbo.... When we finish school... these will be my priority!! and my very big challenge!!

Grace! ss

OH Finally Home

Ther's no place like home. There's no place like home. If only I could close my eyes, click my heels three times.... and be home!!

In Texarkana I wondered if we'd ever make it home. Nerves were frazzled at best. I was tired of being folded up like a knot in the car. My ice cream stop gave us time to walk a bit.... sugar for the last hundred miles...

We ordered a pizza once we hit 259 & it arrived as we were in the midst of unloading. All on the driveway chalk messages welcomed us home. Wow!! How fun!!! The girls LOVED it and they were so loved by it!!! Thanks Aunt Jolene & Jen & Josh!!!!

My couch has residence in my car until it has a designated location.... Oh, I've not posted that yet.... (more OH to come!!) It is a OLD horse hair couch.... it was so cute!! Now it is in pieces for MY PROJECT. Anyone know anything about recovering/restoring one of these???

We even did a lion share of unpacking!! Now laundry is started... and Hubbie is back at work. I woke this morning wondering where I was. It is good to be home! I have one cucumber :) tomatoes are one in the garden and up front weeds have tried to win in our absence!!

Grace!
ss

OH8 Ohio Phone GPS

Tripping and a GPS go hand in hand in my book.


Yet we passed birthday, anniversary & all... and no GPS. I'd even been clipping ads! Then it did not seem right to make a Father's day gift for what I wanted....


We debated the usefulness of a GPS. Hubbie wanted the PC variety. That would do me absolutely no good with out him... like my recent Ikea trip! I don't want to be dependant on a PC in the car....


We looked into new another phone company, Verizon, that had seemingly cool GPS systems... but in the evaluation the monthly cost was way more than our current plan... no go. If there's something I don't want... it to increase a monthly expense!


Sprint??? Do they have a GPS? In our store they were inept at best. Yet this was our cheapest available option..

We had a Sprint Phone & Web was already enabled... and used often for email & such.... so we downloaded the application and were ready to go.


We used the Sprint GPS free trial on my phone heading north. Cool!!! Through Nashville it showed us just what roads to take and we hit each one. Yet when we were stopped in traffic in KY it was totally useless. We finally headed on back roads & then the GPS had no signal... KY back roads with out a map... humf.... It cost us about 3 hours... Sprint was not the best in that area, humf!

Heading home Sprint's own GPS had a nation wide outage! Yuck... I've downloaded a Mapquest version... it lacks traffic info... but has been a little help...


It did remind me of what I liked about Sprint GPS... good traffic info... and it totally navigated us around traffic one day in Cinci... I could also find the cheapest gas which I think the Grands would have been thrilled about. My biggest critique of it would be availability... too many times we were totally in the dark with out signal or whatnot...


In the end of our tripping. I don't want invest in a GPS... and maybe the phone GPS will improve... at 2.99 a day's use... it will take many days to equal a handheld device..

Now, I've found many downloadabe applications for Travel GPS and some of these I'm eager to try...
TeleNav GPS Navigator, AAA Mobile , Garmin Mobile

Some of the programs were harder to hear... I've wondered how much it would help if I was solo...

I've seen them running from $3/day, $5/month & $10/month... I'm just using them on occasions... so a one time hit of $10 is much cheaper than other options.

Here's some info on GPS for your phone!!? Cell Phone GPS Navigation Hits the Mainstream

Finding our way home!! Grace! ss

OH7 Ohio A Couch

Biking... we rounded the neighborhood as the lightening bugs glittered.

I peddled past a cute couch on the curb... circling around I looked at this quite old little couch with a great rose wood piece across the back... The yellow matches an antique piece I have... Oh, no... I call K back & speak with the gal putting it out...

She purchased it at an auction with the intent to recover. It was is old & filled with horse hair(!!??)... then it was rejected by her husband, a big man, and it was ousted to the curb for trash. (Would trash men really pick up a couch?? They said a firm yes.)

Surely we cannot fit it in the minivan.... I was ready to give it up. That must have been a grand challenge to Grand'Pa. He spend the evening pulling out handmade square nails and pulling apart the very well made couch.

Oh, no!! I have a couch to take from OH to TX. Where will I put it? Where will I work on it? I know not. I can imagine this as a cool project for the girls and I... I'd like to get it done this fall.. and either put in one of their rooms... or even sell it... I hope we can get it back together!!!

Taking apart this part... the couch is peculiar!! The nails are ALL SQUARE!! It is heavy and all wood frame! It's put together very very well as the guys work into the night taking it apart!!

Oh!! Now what am I going to do with it??!!! Weeks later it is yet!! in my car!!! Alas, it must come out soon!!!

Packing more than we brought!!! Grace, ss

OH6 Ohio Six & Eight Tripping

We've traveled many times with these girls.


I especially remember when Lovebug was tiny. Mom & I headed to Arlington for a sewing convention... She cried the whole way home. We'd stop & check her... rearrange her & she's quiet... put her back facing backward... As we started again she'd wail... That was a long trip.


The frequent 200 miles to our closest family has been filled with memorable moments. The only time they slept started about 30 miles from our destination. Alas, they do not sleep in the car (like their mama). Even when we start in the night... they yet don't sleep. Our best travel help has been a DVD player. Then we're challenged what was worth the hours invested. The best movies have been our home movies thru the years.


Now... 6 & 8 is Great!!!


They've traveled good. They've enjoyed all our adventures. That is an amazing statement!!! They've been a JOY!!!! We've had the usual attitude adjustments. Even this morning we had the weekly meltdown as Ladybug decided her only Sunday dress was tooooo tight. To Daddy's surprise she did wear it... to get orange juice :)


We had tons of movies & cd & Adventured in Odyssey. We watched only 2 movies. We listened to lots fo Adventures in O! I'm thrilled they've finally aged enough to enjoy them!!! We've collected these adventures since we started making that 200 mile drive!!


We read Robin Hood and enjoyed that!! That was even schooling!!


The biggest enjoyment was the 100 mile goodies.

I pray the joy of this trip repeats!!! Grace!! ss

OH5 Ohio 20th Reunion

There were some 100 of Hubbie's class at his reunion!! Add spouses and the VFW building was over full & stuffy. It was good to hook up with Bill & Sandy... They are standing right by Hubbie.

A stark reminder of those years gone... "If someone didn't speak to me in HS, they did not speak to me now." It seemed so many were playing the same HS games. That was sad.

20 years makes me ponder! Has it really been that long!? What connections are really left with the years gone bye?

The 80's music was too LOUD... Is that a sign of age...

I've sent some e's to classmates as I head into my reunion. I've seen friends that I've not seen in so many years. Friends I'd worked with thru 5 years at Chick-fil-A.

I'm much happier than 20 years ago. I would not trade anything to go back. I love my husband & girls. Life today is so much better... by God's grace!!!



Thanking Him!! Grace! ss