Sunday, October 25, 2009
Just some quick words
I just wanted to pop on here to say that I may be missing in action for a few weeks. I'll try to write if I can, but at this point I really don't know how much time I'll have. We are ironing out the final details for our move and we plan to leave by about Nov. 7, if not before then. We have a lot to do as far as figuring out what to take, what to leave, what to get rid of or sell, how we will travel (by plane or by car?), etc. We also have to find a house that will be ready to move into by about the 11th. Plus, the company will need to then get furniture in the house for us(they're providing a furnished place). I think Karl has decided that he will fly down next weekend and spend a few days with a realtor looking at houses. We've found several that we think would work, he just needs to check them out to make sure. Then he'll have to be in VA for a little while. After that he'll fly back here and we'll leave. So, if you don't see any new posts you'll understand why. I'll fill you all in on everything that happens once things settle down a bit. Until then....
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Changes are coming
It seems like there are always changes happening in our house. If it's not a new baby, it's moving to a new location! Which is it this time? ;) Well, we're moving...to Palm Beach County, Florida. Though we weren't expecting it, it's not an unwelcome change. The weather here is COLD and we are more than ready for some sunshine and warmth. I'm hoping we won't be too hot....Karl will still be working with Harris. They've asked him to help get a new office (a company they bought, so new to Harris) back on it's feet. We've known for about a month that it might be happening but we didn't know where we would be going so we kept it quiet. Now that we know, we had to spill the beans! I think it almost killed me to be silent that long....;)
I don't mind the changes. Karl jokes that we have to do something to keep the spice in our lives, but it's not that far from the truth. We have plenty of spice and interesting things going on all the time, but I believe these changes help keep us relying on God and not ourselves. It would be very easy to just sit where we are in our comfortable little world with our nice, christian friends (whom I love, by the way!) and never go anywhere else. There's comfort in that. If it had been up to me I would never have left Baldwin County. I would have stayed right there where I grew up, near my family....which is not necessarily a bad thing. Lots of people do that and that is what God has for them. However, and it took me a very long time to realize this and come to terms with it, that is not what God had for us. My husband was made to do what he is doing now and he is GREAT at it! And my Jesus knew that I needed to stretch and grow. He's used this career of Karl's to achieve a lot of that. I never wanted to live on my own, and didn't. I never wanted to stay overnight by myself, and didn't until I had to....then I complained about it and was afraid. I never thought I was cut out to stay home with my kids, much less HOME SCHOOL THEM? It just goes to show that it really doesn't matter what I think, does it? Once I learned to listen to God's voice (and believe me I still have to sit and listen or I can easily dismiss it) I was able to begin to change. They've been small changes, and have come s-l-o-w-l-y, because I've resisted. But it's so sweet to look back and see the role God has had in my life, even when I've sinned, made poor decisions, disobeyed and dishonored my husband and my God.....He has always been there, gently guiding me back to the straight and narrow path. So, these changes are just things I see as necessary to grow us all. It honors my husband to follow where he leads, and though I am far from doing that all the time, in this I have learned to do so. His job is our livelihood, and he excels at it. How could I be the one to keep him from it? I'm excited about the new things to come. We are sad to be leaving our friends.....but right now it is a temporary move and we could be back by the end of next summer. However, if it becomes permanent, I am confident that we will meet more friends and find another church, etc. to help us get grounded in that community. Would you pray with us that things will go smoothly as we prepare to make this transition? We all so greatly appreciate it.
I don't mind the changes. Karl jokes that we have to do something to keep the spice in our lives, but it's not that far from the truth. We have plenty of spice and interesting things going on all the time, but I believe these changes help keep us relying on God and not ourselves. It would be very easy to just sit where we are in our comfortable little world with our nice, christian friends (whom I love, by the way!) and never go anywhere else. There's comfort in that. If it had been up to me I would never have left Baldwin County. I would have stayed right there where I grew up, near my family....which is not necessarily a bad thing. Lots of people do that and that is what God has for them. However, and it took me a very long time to realize this and come to terms with it, that is not what God had for us. My husband was made to do what he is doing now and he is GREAT at it! And my Jesus knew that I needed to stretch and grow. He's used this career of Karl's to achieve a lot of that. I never wanted to live on my own, and didn't. I never wanted to stay overnight by myself, and didn't until I had to....then I complained about it and was afraid. I never thought I was cut out to stay home with my kids, much less HOME SCHOOL THEM? It just goes to show that it really doesn't matter what I think, does it? Once I learned to listen to God's voice (and believe me I still have to sit and listen or I can easily dismiss it) I was able to begin to change. They've been small changes, and have come s-l-o-w-l-y, because I've resisted. But it's so sweet to look back and see the role God has had in my life, even when I've sinned, made poor decisions, disobeyed and dishonored my husband and my God.....He has always been there, gently guiding me back to the straight and narrow path. So, these changes are just things I see as necessary to grow us all. It honors my husband to follow where he leads, and though I am far from doing that all the time, in this I have learned to do so. His job is our livelihood, and he excels at it. How could I be the one to keep him from it? I'm excited about the new things to come. We are sad to be leaving our friends.....but right now it is a temporary move and we could be back by the end of next summer. However, if it becomes permanent, I am confident that we will meet more friends and find another church, etc. to help us get grounded in that community. Would you pray with us that things will go smoothly as we prepare to make this transition? We all so greatly appreciate it.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Dreary and Cold...brrrr
I have to say that I am really getting tired of the 'cold' weather here. It's mid-October, but there's only a high (forecasted) of 39 today. What is up?! My beautiful fall weather just disappeared, apparently not to return. I'm sad about that. While the changes in the leaves are still beautiful, it's just not as enjoyable when it's cold and overcast. :( I thought I saw a teeny flutter of snow yesterday...turns out Karl heard on the radio that one of the radio personalities in Rochester did too.) Crazy! We have the heater running in the house, we're wearing sweatshirts and jeans, and I even turned on the space heater in the basement this morning. We're gonna have to buy coats and snowsuits for the kids before long....
We are able to get our school work done though, because we are not even close to being tempted to go outside....we'll wait 'til we can at least go sledding or build a snowman first. I guess I could venture out to take them to the bowling alley or something but so far I'm not motivated to do that either! Maybe I'll focus on de-cluttering and throwing away junk.
Emma is doing great, though she's kind of funny about her nap times these days. She often wakes up 'early' (according to the schedule) and won't go back to sleep. We just adjust and move on when that happens, but she's so much happier if she actually sleeps the prescribed amount of time, and so are we. ;P She is sitting up very well now on her own, eating finger foods like those Gerber veggie/fruit puffs you can buy and soft fruits or vegetables in tiny pieces. She loves spinach and broccoli, all fruits, bread, and has even had some wee pieces of chicken recently. I have just begun giving her a cup with water or juice (watered down) in it, so she's still figuring that one out. I discovered that I do need to be careful about those fruit puffs though. They have added sugar and I didn't realize it. We don't typically give our kids sugar before they're a year old....for health reasons, but also because we love to have their first birthday be the day they get their first, very special, and sugar-filled cake and ice cream. Our baby is 7 months old now and I can't believe it! She has a cute laugh, but doesn't do it that often....when we tickle her belly with our mouths is the most likely time for her to giggle. She does have a different 'laugh' that she uses often....it's a kind of snort-y, breathing through her nose kind of thing. It's very cute! Her hair has grown in some, but still isn't that long. It seems lighter to me, but is still a darker brown like Karl's and Hailey's. She loves to be with Mama most of all, like all babies, but she gets very excited when her daddy comes home. She grins and kicks her feet, holding her arms out to the side. (she doesn't reach for anyone quite yet) Emma is a big fan of her sister and brothers. I have recently assigned each of them separate times to play with her and it is going well. As long as I stay out of sight she is usually quite content to play with them, and the kids are doing a great job relating to her and playing with her. We are waiting on a special lens Karl has ordered for his camera, then we will be taking family photos, posting some here, and hopefully sending them out to family. I know I keep promising, but we will do it. Things have been extremely busy around here lately....well, really since Emma's birth.....so our to-do list is very long. Please continue to be patient!
I can't think of anything else that I need to write about at the moment. We do have a couple of other things to mention here soon but we're waiting on final details. So, until then.
We are able to get our school work done though, because we are not even close to being tempted to go outside....we'll wait 'til we can at least go sledding or build a snowman first. I guess I could venture out to take them to the bowling alley or something but so far I'm not motivated to do that either! Maybe I'll focus on de-cluttering and throwing away junk.
Emma is doing great, though she's kind of funny about her nap times these days. She often wakes up 'early' (according to the schedule) and won't go back to sleep. We just adjust and move on when that happens, but she's so much happier if she actually sleeps the prescribed amount of time, and so are we. ;P She is sitting up very well now on her own, eating finger foods like those Gerber veggie/fruit puffs you can buy and soft fruits or vegetables in tiny pieces. She loves spinach and broccoli, all fruits, bread, and has even had some wee pieces of chicken recently. I have just begun giving her a cup with water or juice (watered down) in it, so she's still figuring that one out. I discovered that I do need to be careful about those fruit puffs though. They have added sugar and I didn't realize it. We don't typically give our kids sugar before they're a year old....for health reasons, but also because we love to have their first birthday be the day they get their first, very special, and sugar-filled cake and ice cream. Our baby is 7 months old now and I can't believe it! She has a cute laugh, but doesn't do it that often....when we tickle her belly with our mouths is the most likely time for her to giggle. She does have a different 'laugh' that she uses often....it's a kind of snort-y, breathing through her nose kind of thing. It's very cute! Her hair has grown in some, but still isn't that long. It seems lighter to me, but is still a darker brown like Karl's and Hailey's. She loves to be with Mama most of all, like all babies, but she gets very excited when her daddy comes home. She grins and kicks her feet, holding her arms out to the side. (she doesn't reach for anyone quite yet) Emma is a big fan of her sister and brothers. I have recently assigned each of them separate times to play with her and it is going well. As long as I stay out of sight she is usually quite content to play with them, and the kids are doing a great job relating to her and playing with her. We are waiting on a special lens Karl has ordered for his camera, then we will be taking family photos, posting some here, and hopefully sending them out to family. I know I keep promising, but we will do it. Things have been extremely busy around here lately....well, really since Emma's birth.....so our to-do list is very long. Please continue to be patient!
I can't think of anything else that I need to write about at the moment. We do have a couple of other things to mention here soon but we're waiting on final details. So, until then.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A link (or 2) for you
I have come across a couple of really great blogs lately that I just have to share. First, check this one out. Melissa's got some wonderful photos up, and her blog's a great read. Next, look here to find out how to save money at the grocery store and save time while cooking. I'm planning to use some of Gayle's tips and continue reading to learn more. Enjoy, and happy saving!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Lazy Sunday
Today was a lazy and productive day. Lazy because we didn't make it to church. We slept in a bit late for the early service and Karl was leaving for an afternoon out with some customers, so I didn't want us to miss the time we could have with him in the morning by leaving for church. Maybe next week we can get there. While he was away, the kids enjoyed playing some video games. Emma was taking her morning nap, so I did a little reading.
The main thing I accomplished (and here's the productive part) was to create a new chore chart/school schedule that I plan to implement immediately tomorrow morning. Up 'til now we've had no schedule and the chore charts were not working well for us. So, I had this idea today to create chore cards. I got out the index cards that I use for Corbin's reading lessons and proceeded to write a chore (or two or three) on each card, also labeling at the top whether it's a weekly or daily chore, what day on which it is to be completed, and in which room. Here's an example:
Kitchen-Weekly-Tuesday
Sweep/Mop
Clean fridge, microwave, stove, dishwasher, sink
Wipe down counters
Now, my thinking is that we will keep these in a recipe box that I have and am not currently using for anything else. I have our chore time scheduled at specific times (slots) in our schedule, and we will look in the box, choose a card(or cards) for that day, and complete the chores listed on the card. If we all work at the same time it should not take very long to complete those chores. I also created a chore card for each child and myself that lists all the chores that each child should do each day, such as brush teeth, shower, make bed, etc. I know there will be some chores that were forgotten (such as wash dishes which is one I just remembered!) and we will just have to add these as they come to mind. I'll be back to tell how it went once we've gotten a couple of days under our belts. I also went ahead and created my schedule....some times are listed for certain things but it's really more of a routine. I don't plan to let times dictate what I do as much as one thing follows another, if you know what I mean. I am so glad I have finally done this. It's really been overwhelming me just thinking about getting it down on paper! Now, we'll find out if it works. I'm thinking it will make things easier, we should accomplish more, and we will all be happier because of it!
I really do enjoy these supposedly lazy days. I watched Hailey walking around most of the afternoon with a book practically glued to her face, up the stairs, into the kitchen, etc. because she was so into what she was reading. What a difference from our first year of homeschooling when she did not believe she could ever learn to read! We didn't make it to church, and I did miss the worship and message time, but it really was a successful day in other areas. I'm so thankful I can be home with my family to see it all happen.
The main thing I accomplished (and here's the productive part) was to create a new chore chart/school schedule that I plan to implement immediately tomorrow morning. Up 'til now we've had no schedule and the chore charts were not working well for us. So, I had this idea today to create chore cards. I got out the index cards that I use for Corbin's reading lessons and proceeded to write a chore (or two or three) on each card, also labeling at the top whether it's a weekly or daily chore, what day on which it is to be completed, and in which room. Here's an example:
Kitchen-Weekly-Tuesday
Sweep/Mop
Clean fridge, microwave, stove, dishwasher, sink
Wipe down counters
Now, my thinking is that we will keep these in a recipe box that I have and am not currently using for anything else. I have our chore time scheduled at specific times (slots) in our schedule, and we will look in the box, choose a card(or cards) for that day, and complete the chores listed on the card. If we all work at the same time it should not take very long to complete those chores. I also created a chore card for each child and myself that lists all the chores that each child should do each day, such as brush teeth, shower, make bed, etc. I know there will be some chores that were forgotten (such as wash dishes which is one I just remembered!) and we will just have to add these as they come to mind. I'll be back to tell how it went once we've gotten a couple of days under our belts. I also went ahead and created my schedule....some times are listed for certain things but it's really more of a routine. I don't plan to let times dictate what I do as much as one thing follows another, if you know what I mean. I am so glad I have finally done this. It's really been overwhelming me just thinking about getting it down on paper! Now, we'll find out if it works. I'm thinking it will make things easier, we should accomplish more, and we will all be happier because of it!
I really do enjoy these supposedly lazy days. I watched Hailey walking around most of the afternoon with a book practically glued to her face, up the stairs, into the kitchen, etc. because she was so into what she was reading. What a difference from our first year of homeschooling when she did not believe she could ever learn to read! We didn't make it to church, and I did miss the worship and message time, but it really was a successful day in other areas. I'm so thankful I can be home with my family to see it all happen.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Busy and busier
Well, it's been a very busy week or so since I last blogged. I had a dentist appointment, the kids had flu vaccines, and then Hailey and Corbin ended up sick two days in a row. We thought maybe they had the flu, but I'm not sure now. Both of them had high fevers but only for one day. All the kids, except Emma, have the sniffles now so I'm wondering if they have just been fighting colds. In any case, they are all feeling okay today and no one has a fever. Yay! We did have to miss our co-op classes yesterday because we just couldn't take the chance of infecting the other kids and parents. We missed going but it was also nice to just stay home and 'veg out' together.
Today we had pancakes and eggs for breakfast, then we did some cleaning in the living room which was really necessary. After that, Karl watched Star Wars:The Clone Wars with the kids (it's a Saturday morning tradition) and now he's watching College Game Day and getting ready to watch Auburn play Arkansas. He is a major college football fan as most of you know, so in the fall our Saturdays normally include at least one game...and more if he can get away with it!
I don't have time now to write anything else...there's not much of interest left anyway. I need to go get Emma so I can feed her and then get lunch ready for the rest of us.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Today we had pancakes and eggs for breakfast, then we did some cleaning in the living room which was really necessary. After that, Karl watched Star Wars:The Clone Wars with the kids (it's a Saturday morning tradition) and now he's watching College Game Day and getting ready to watch Auburn play Arkansas. He is a major college football fan as most of you know, so in the fall our Saturdays normally include at least one game...and more if he can get away with it!
I don't have time now to write anything else...there's not much of interest left anyway. I need to go get Emma so I can feed her and then get lunch ready for the rest of us.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The Missing Tooth Fairy
Well, Corbin lost his second tooth yesterday. He was just playing with his Lincoln Logs in the living room when I heard him say, "Mom, another tooth fell out. See, it's bleeding." He's so matter of fact about it. ;) Unfortunately, the tooth fairy failed to show last night and his tooth was still sitting under his pillow this morning, along with a very detailed letter he and Hailey wrote together asking her all sorts of questions (where do you live, where do you get the money? ,etc.). I told him to just leave it there, maybe she wasn't expecting him to lose another one so soon, and to try again tonight. Now to make sure she shows up this time! I'll try to get Karl to get a good picture of his toothless smile and post it soon, but he's been really busy lately with work and school so no promises.
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