Wow... Shazam... Only 3 more months and 21 days til Christmas

This past month cruised by... did I tell you it cruised by?

I got home from a business trip late Wednesday and I realized that I have missed the 4 month countdown dooflachee that I typically send out to all those who I like to keep up dated.

Last night one of my daughters came in and looked at me and said "Dad, you are getting a lot of grey hairs!" I told her that is what happens when you get older. She said she does not want me to get older. I told her I did not think I could stop it without other undesireable results. All that said... Shazam... this month disappeared FAST and I am getting older much quicker than I used to! Some of you on here probably have no clue where "Shazam" came from so you will have to look it up.

I have spent a lot of time on the road this month traveling over to one of our power plants near Waco doing training and start-up testing so not being home has been tough. On this last trip my company rented me a full size F150 truck (2009) and it has been great. Last Friday night I got back about 6:30pm and when we were done eating I told Stephanie to load up the girls we were heading up to Lake Bob Sandlin and we were going to lay in the back of the truck and watch the stars until we fell asleep.
We loaded up blankets, a great big rug to lay on, pillows, water, fresh baked cookies, popsicles, and headed out. We got to Lake Bob Sandlin around 9:00pm and we all hopped in the back of the truck and watched the stars. It just happend to be a new moon so there was no moon, the sky was clear as the ocean in the Bahamas and we could see Jazillions of stars, including the milky way. We lay there for two hours and we saw multiple shooting stars each and they had super duper long tails... it was COOL! We didn't fall asleep there but we got back home around 12:30am and had a bunch of fun.

Don't forget that Jesus made all those stars and his birthday is like almost here.

Save me some red M&M's.

TTFN,
KjS

A New Co-op... Fruits & Veggies

OOOoooooo I'm in another Co-op!! This is our all new area Organic Fruits & Veggies Co-op. They company is out of Dallas... Your Health Source...

Here's the list: 2 romaine lettuce, 4 corn on cob, potatoes, 3 onions, 3 peaches, 3 nectarines, 4 plums, 2 mango, 6 zucchini, 7 yellow squash, 2 garlic, 3 cucumbers, and a bag of green beans!!!

I'm thrilled with the variety. I better use it all! I'm not sure it is a fit since it has blown our budget!! Yikes!! The box ran $50!! The co-op runs every other week!! And I've signed up for next week and we'll see how well this goes...

I'm still in the fresh milk coop and every week I'm making yogurt!!

Does it sound too expensive to you??? hmmm... pondering & calculating...

Grace!! ss

5 more months...

Ok here is the monthly reminder that time is growing short. No I did not forget on Saturday that I needed to send this out... I just decided it would need to be after the weekend since things were running crazy.

This month has been a great month... it all started with L's birthday on the 3rd, then the 4th of July and off to the beach for a week's vacation. I am not going to make this one long to make up for the extra minutes that you burned last month reading my novel.

For the 3rd we went to see the grandparents in Beaumont for L's birthday (see attached photo).

Then we went to the beach for a week you can see our beach "cabin" (attached) and threw in a day at the Schliterbaun for good measure. The day at the Schliterbaun was the most eventful as L and I got separated and that was not a pretty scene. Then that night we went to the beach area in Galveston and ate at Fishtales (where we normally eat). L told me that she was not paying attention when she stepped off the top flight of stairs and tumbled head over heels down one flight of stairs. We ended up in the ER in Galveston, it is still tore up from the hurricane but it is still pretty top rated. She was complaining that her back hurt and she was not walking very well. When we got to the ER she needed a bathroom and since I could not go in there she walked in without too much trouble so we left without seeing anyone... she was fine by the time we got to the ferry.

My brother-in-law and I went fishing the next evening and night. You can see his catch, (Eric by himself), and my catch, (both of us attached too). We caught lots of crabs too. We caught them right where everyone was swimming, nice huh?

Here's to hoping for a nice time tomorrow at Six Flags over Texas...

I have taken a bunch of time off this month and it has been great.

Don't forget that Jesus said we are to be fishers of men... and His birthday is coming up!

TTFN,
KjS

AO4 Shakespeare

School is officially out for the summer!!! I have immediately delved into the coming year with schedules and plans for the fall.

Today Ladybug declared to Daddy "I want to school but Mama doesn't let me!" WHAT?!!! This is the girls who merely days ago finished 1st grade!!! I love it!

Today I am trying to chart our Shakespeare study. Now we've studied Shakespeare for years now, yet this is the first time we will be studying the real in all the old English plays in AO4. How do you study such a creature!?

Generally you read first and watch a movie after. This has been a hard fast rule. Shakespeare is the exception. Now we are looking for approved movies to watch before we head into the plays!! The AO site links a list of movies...

Second we will read Lamb's...Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare is a book Lovebug has read before as we studied plays. Now it will be her into to the real thing.

Extra we will look at a fun book... (at this very moment my girls have swiped my book!!! I'm glad they are eager!!! Yet these books are off limits for now!!!) Williams' Tales from Shakespeare is a cartoon cartoon version of six plays. (She was reading Hamlet!) Another option is the illustrated plays by Bruce Coville.

Third, finally we'll hit the true plays. Right now I'm looking for audio unedited versions of the plays. I've started with Librivox. They have our term 1 play, A Midsummer Night's Dream and I've downloaded it. The other plays for the year are in their work in process. Maybe they will finish before we jump into the real plays.

Forth I understand it is helpful to act out the play!! Where are my other AOers?? We are going to need our own Shakespeare troupe!!! Any takers??? Even if you are not an AOer... want to work on a play??

That sounds to be a far stretch. Time will tell an we'll see how Shakespeare goes. This is my first punt at the playing field. We'll yet see if it is caught!!

Grace!
ss

btw blogging just has not happened!! Birthdays Beach, Anniversary, Plays have yet to hit the blog! Hummmm life goes on!! To catch up... or just get back in stride?? Alas, I know not!

A Lovely Birthday

Yesterday was wonderful!! The best birthday!!!

I shared the best breakfast with Hubbie. We then packed a lunch and headed with the girls to Daingerfield State Park to hit their bike trails.

What a ride!!! We hit the easy loop to start! We lerned to avoid the sand bogs. Then we hit the A Trail.

We started down hill... that was fun and fast. As we had to head back up Ladybug was ready to tun back. She was done!

With a big rest off the path, we started again with a big dose of encouragement. "You can do it." "Walk if you need too." "I can do all things thru Him who gives me strength." "To go back the way we've come is all up hill." "You're doing good." "We're almost to the top of the hill." It was hard!

You can see Ladybugs face all flushed. We were all hot and downing the water.

We completed the trail and we were glad to get in the car for the A/C!!! We drove around the park and headed home. We'd thought to stay the day but the heat drove us home.

I'm so ready to go back!! My bike's tires are slashed from the rocks on the path and it has flats too. That's a bit of recover but I hope to go back soon!!! Maybe the girls will swim.

Once home we cleaned up to get out for dinner. We enjoyed Texas Roadhouse!! A treat for sure!!!

It was a best birthday ever!!! Filled with family and fun!!! The Facebook notes were great too!!!

Thank you Husband for a wonderful birthday!!!

ss

Phone Squelch

Yesterday I bought 2 of the LG600 Tracfone. Today I returned them both. After they said NO to the return... they did take them back! Thankfully!

After calling to cancel Sprint, we've worked out a psudo plan. Alas, my phone & Hubbies have been totally squelched. All we can do now is call... and text. I'd wanted and iPhone! Ha! "I'm cutting bills!!!"

I cannot count the times I've tried to use the phone to catch up on email... or read the news. Now with a blocker on the phone there's no service... and no extra charges. "I'm cutting bills!"

So, bottom line I've cut my Sprint bill from $110 to something like $30.
We have 350 minutes... no roam... Sprint calls free, and any 5 #s free... and 100 text. That may be a test... without the accessories I'm finding using the texting more... "Yet cutting bills!"

As long as my phone works... today I'm with Sprint. I'll not commit to any years so there's no breaks in phone prices. In the store they actually told me to hit ebay!!! Hummm.... Anybody have an good used phone???

Cutting bills!!!
Grace! ss

Blueberry Festival Countdown

This is the weekend!!! It IS Blueberry Festival time!!

In 2007, I think, we actually camped at Palistine's Railraod Park to catch the blueberries. We all enjoyed the pancakes!! Yumm....

Here's the official site for the Texas Blueberry Festival!!!
Here's a news blast on it...

Oh!! The Great Texas Balloon Race is just around the corner!!!

Grace! ss

A new kid...

We have a new kid on the block...

She and Maple are not getting along well... Maple want to herd her and runs endless circles around the kid.

The girls are thrilled! Hubbies made a table for the kid to climb on! They were all eager to have her here. Hope the neighbors feel the same!!

We are borrowing the goat for a month... if we can keep her contained that long. For now she's in a harness and tethered. That required a new tether to keep Maple from herding.

We have bleating at night and she woke the fam this morning before 7a. She quiets when the girls are out to play.

She's a sweet blue eyed kid... baaaabaaaa...

Grace! ss

Daddy

What are Daddy's made of?
Snakes & Nails & Alligator Tails!!

Love you Hubbie!! Grace! 123

Phone or House

We have the option...
We can either pay for the cell phones or pay off the house??

What would you choose?

Snip.. there goes another rubber tree plant!

Grace! ss

Follow up... the Paid off in 10 is only in theory... humf! We needed a car fund. Now to cut everything we can to make it happen!! Snip!

Shattered the Grill

Bummer! Drats!

Instead of grilled chicken... 2 kinds for dinner.... I've managed to destroy the grill as the glass shattered destroying both the grill and dinner.

The girls heard the glass burst as the grill was aflame. I lost a shoe running to turn off the gas and now shoeless with a blistered foot. I'm glad the girls were not near the glass nor Maple as the girls had her on the leash.

I hope the milk is good... It must be a cereal night....

Hmmm. Father's Day approaches. How does that fit in the budget!!!

Grace! ss

Alas, there's too much to blog today!!!

The 10 Year Plan

We'll is it official... we are hooked on a new financial plan. Thru the years we've tried to go no debt.. the minivan & A/C system busted that.... we've tried to follow the teaching of the Bible... Larry Burket and Austin Prior... and other Godly teachers.

Only now have we started heading in the direction to pay debts and save.

Here's what's changed our direction:

• Spend EVERY dollar before the month begins
• Absolutely no credit
• Now we're looking at 10 years to be free & clear.

I've listened to the CDs. Then I bought the books and read them.... The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace Revisited, and I'm listening to the podcast of Dave Ramsey.

We started this journey in March thanks to our Small Group with FBC. Relunctly, I spent the money for the materials for the study. I had the hope that maybe this would get Hubbie and I on the same page. He'd been frustrated for quite some time. I'd only kept the checkbook yearly or so. I'd decided my time with homeschooling did not give me time to account for us. Our quicken program needed an upgrade and I'd refused to do the quicken thing. We'd done quicken since 1993 and it had not helped yet!!!

It has totally changed our direction!! Now we've been spending every dollar before the month since March.

This week we've had the break thru. I've been running numbers like crazy...

EVERY available dollar to an Emergency Fund of 3-6 months of expenses. That's till sometime next year.
Then we're debating a car fund. That's till 2011.
Next is the 15% to retirement & college funds for the girls.
Pay off the mortgage.

As I ran those numbers there was just not enough at the end to attack our mortgage.

Refiguring over and over... I've tried to find how can I add about 400 a month... what can I do to help... just $100 a week. The numbers have been running and running in my head. How can we do this!??? The pieces just did not fit.

In the late night hours I found the key.

To pay off the house as well as the retirement & college fund... we have to pay early NOW and not wait till these others are done. Then it will all fit. Praise Praise Praise!!!!
Really, we are treating our 30 year mortgage like a 15 year. This is what puts us on the 10 year plan!!!

10 years to be debt free!!! 120 months or so! I hear the grass feels different then... :)

Only God can bless our plan and make it happen!!! It's all HIS!!! I do feel like we are on a better stewardship plan than we've ever been.

Grace!!! ss

Followup: In review we just cannot make it fit!! Alas, we need a car fund for we cannot drive the house. Soooo we are working on ways to cut expenses like the phone bill to pay off the house!! Snip!

How do you boil water?

Ladybug asked "How will you boil water?"

It as a genuine question! Alas, my electric kettle has keeled over. The base has a short in it and with all Hubbie's efforts he's been unable to repair it. So we'll need to figure out how to boil water... or get a new electric kettle...

Why boil water?? We're always making Hubbie's pick of peach tea... and my pick of mint tea. Do come over and we'll treat you to an iced glad of tea!!

In the meantime, I'm boiling water on the stove top in a saucer... I don't even have a kettle!!

Grace! ss

Gleaning from the Conference!

Gleaning! I like to glean. Sort thru another's lessons and glean the ones for me. Somewhere in this mix is my gleaning.

1. School breaks with exercise, put up shoes, chore, activity


2. Positive incentives to obedience: Noah, Samuel, Esther; cast a vision of obedience and availability to God


3. Recognize & teach the valley of indecision, habit of obedience


4. Practice Obedience, right away & cheerful


5. Handel whine quick, remove eg. food, tone matters


6. Busy is less opportunity for trouble


7. Tithe & Save 10/10 then 50% left for child's house


8. Listen for the rebellion & address at voice inflection


9. Discipline/Affection/Pray


10. Pray for a duration, set a timer 5 min


11. Keep children with you, touching


12. In the valley win the battle: Helen Keller


13. Read the Bible: encourage underlining & journal a comment about the verses


14. Intentional children are the priority, no the phone or computer


15. Relationship over Academics Keep your eye on the goal, don't loose heart


16. Break the will


17. Thankfulness is for them: Thankful & Please counter on fridge

This is just a smattering of the lessons that are following me. It was good to write them all down on the ride home. Thanks Kim for the help! They remind me of Jesus' parable of the seeds that fell on the path, rocky soil, shallow, & those in good soil. May some of these find their way to good soil and produce a crop 100x fold.

I really enjoyed Renee Ellison of Homeschool How-To's. Her workshops are always stuffed stem to stern. Hubbie & I also just made it to Tod Weaver of the Familyman. I'm thrilled for Hubbie to get that scope for us in the journey of us homeschooling... He hit a mark with us.

Maybe you can glean something too!! Grace! ss

Homeschool Book Fair!!! & Half Price

I so enjoyed this year's Homeschool Book Fair. I even enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Kim- our Friday nearly ran my feet off!!! We did better Saturday. I definitely want to do this again!! Hope you do too!!!

The workshops were the best use of my conference time... that's a whole new post...

Here's all I came home with...

Of all this only 2 books up top with the art supplies and 3 books from the stack are from the book fair.

Most of these are from my new favorite book store!! This was my first ever visit to a Half Price bookstore... and I had so much fun!!!

Kim & I enjoyed it so much we found a 2nd one on the way home!! I've since heard I've not hit their big store. I'm eager to go!!!

Todd Weaver of the Family Man was a laugh & a challenge to not give in to lies we believe! Hubbie came just to catch up with Todd... he's the Be d'Dad man...

This was the girls first time to join me! Ladybug found a squashible pig & Lovebug picked an American Girl book. She has a growing interest in everything American Girl.

We stayed at the perfect place!! Remember this: the Sheardton is closer to the conference than their parking lot!!!

That's the loot!! Next for all I've gleaned!!

Grace! ss

Coupons Coupons Coupons! Clip & File

Done~~ I've clipped all my coupons and filed them!! Evelyn, did I do good???

I'm officially couponing... and trying to catch the best deals. I'm learning alot in Evelyn's group. Thanks to all those who help figure out the best deals!!

Here's my coupons all organized in photo keepers... ( they were 40% off at Hobby).

I have them filed according to their category...

• Out to Eat & sundry of place coupons & credits
• Candy
• Fridge
• Meat
• Frozen
• Paper
• Baking
• Chips
• Cereal
• Olay
• Shampoo/Toothpaste
• Meds
• Soap
• Laundry
• Misc

Here's the coupons that are on my scope to use!! I've pulled them out and stapled them together to make sure and catch 'em.

Lastly is my CSV catch w/ the best deal on cereal, coupons too & a credit to boot~~ I'll make out good on these. Alas, I bet when I shop on Monday they will be all out. Maybe I'll get a raincheck?! I'm ok with that to stay out of the stores to REST on Sunday!!!

This time my system was better! With 3 coupons sets from local papers and a double coupon from a bigger paper, I stack all like sets together. Then I actually clipped all 3 identical pages at one time! Next I immediately filed them in the photo holders.

My big lesson was to only cut what I'll use. My first time I cut EVERYTHING!! That was horrible to file!! This was more manageable. I keep the other stuff in one file to go thru if someone finds a good deal.

Now I'm done!! Next is to save!! All I have to do is clear the coffee table! ... and hope I can find the coupons when I need them!

Grace! ss

10 Homeschooled Celebrities

This is so cool! I found it thru the HSLDA.

10 Homeschooled Celebrities - check it out~~ it's from CNN...

Story Highlights

• Inventor of the telephone was homeschooled until his mother went deaf
• Poet Robert Frost got physically ill at the thought of going to school
• President Woodrow Wilson didn't learn to read until age 12
• Photographer Ansel Adams exhibited "undisguised contempt" for teachers

I do love homeschooling my girls! The days have their challenges... like all our days. I like sharing the highs and lows in these fleeting years. I love learning together because there is so very much to learn.

I'm so very thankful to have my Hubbie's full support. He is doubles my joy and halves my burdens.

This week we've traveled the Great Lakes with Paddle to the Sea, we've seen China with Marco Polo. We've jumped into multiplying 2&5&3&10s as well as adding and subtracting to 10 :) We walked not making a sound to watch a otter. For a first we've site read piano music! Wow! We've watch a nest of Tommy Titmouse birds and listened to the little one chirp. We've watched Robin Redbreast building a nest with the neighbors trailings from a late night wrap. We think we may have seen an American Kestral. We're reading more and more words.

Tomorrow we'll dive right back in!! I'm thankful!! Challenged and thankful!! Grace! ss

Birdhouse Not for Rent

For years our bird house has been spurned by all birds. We'd only found spiders where we wanted a little family!

We are thrilled to have renters!

Tommy Titmouse & Tammi are diligently caring for their brood. We found the little ones chirping on 4/15. Mom and dad have been feeding the often running from the front yard feeders to the back yard nest.

Here's their specs:
Tufted Titmouse
Clutch: 3-9 Eggs
Incubation: 12-14 Days
Nestling: 15-16 Days (We found them on the 15th and 12 days would be the 27th today!!)

Playing outside today the girls said the birds have gone. Oh, I do hope not yet!! Maple has given the birds and especially hard time barking endless as they come and go. Tommy has played hide and seek leading Maple around and around the tree before he sneaks into the house!

I hope they all escape Maple and we need to keep our watch up! Birding!! Grace! ss

Herb

I'm thrilled with my little herb garden. Each item is marked with a rock from our travels!! How fun!! The girls have picked up rock from all over! Some of these we took the flight with us from Colorado! I have yet to add dill.

Maple has enjoyed my garden as well... she pulled up all my silver leaves for decoration and I think she ate the marigolds. At least she did not eat the herbs but she does like to land in my rosemary!!

9 More months (oops)... Only 8 More months...

Well... I guess I am sending this e-mail out into the black hole of the Internet. I decided to do a test and see how long it would take for someone to remind me that I had forgotten to send out my monthly notice for Christmas. Since no one reminded me I figure I will discontinue it but then after figuring and re-figuring I figured I would not get into a pity party over the fact that I am as busy as the next person and can't stop to send even a two sentence e-mail to all my friends that Christmas is just around the corner.

My daughter's are growing up rapidly and so I thought I would send out a little tribute to their uniqueness (see the attached photos).

M had her second piano recital and then the other night while M was at an activity I took L out for a night on the town with dad doing whatever she wanted. We ended up hitting all the pet stores in town and she wanted a few pictures with some of the animals.

Don't forget to hug your kids... My aunt Shirley passed away this past Friday. She retired in June with big plans for retirement only to discover she had cancer. She fought diligently for five months until she succummed this last week. We will miss her!

Don't forget the reason for the season... He made the sunrises and the sunsets! He knows how many we have remaining to live.

Just an FYI... I am also thankful for plastic spoons and rubber gloves.

TTFN,
KjS