February 6th!

Yesterday was our 11Th Anniversary! How exciting for us. We were able to go out on Saturday for a nice dinner and then hang out and watch the Superbowl yesterday. I know that I say over and over that I need to write more because I really do enjoy doing it. I think that I am going to pick a topic later and write about it. I don't have much time right now but I think later I can. We are cleaning and I am debating about dinner! And the kids are making lunch at the moment because when you wake up early, you eat lunch early!

~Becca

Wanted to share an awesome giveaway!

I have no idea if I am doing this right but I wanted to share this giveaway. Check it out!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Giveaway-on-Chore-Charts-and-Multiplication-Table-Resources.html?soid=1108971494357&aid=0a6KBRzpY5o

Back to it!

I never realized how much free time I had when we had no internet at the house, along with no TV and no nothing.
Kal is healing great from the implant of his stimulator. There have been a few bumps in that road but nothing that we can not overcome with the help of God. I feel totally blessed with this family.
The kids have been doing wonderful with school.
Sadie got a new phone. She has been struggling with friends and then she felt like we were not as caring about her allergies and her epilepsy as we once were. Well honestly, we are not. We have gotten into this grove over the last 7 years, that we hardly concern ourselves with it anymore. It is just a routine and this is our life. Anyway, she is doing great. She is doing awesome with school and she LOVES her new curriculum. She is realizing that it is much harder than last year but she is confident that she is going to do well.
Lilly LOVES school. She always has. She is a natural learner. I believe this is why she has always wanted to be a teacher. Still she wants to be a teacher. She believes in learning. She believes that she can teach and teach well. I am so proud of her and her passion.
Gabriel is doing great. He is doing more and more independent work. He is working so hard. He is really enjoying being home and being able to work at his own pace and being able to nap. At almost 7 he surely does need a nap most days. The little guy is just so tired!
Well I believe that is it for now. I am just happy to be able to get on a computer again and be able to update everything!

School has begun!

The kids have been harassing me to start school already so we went ahead and started today. I am happy to announce that they are doing great. They are currently on a break while making lunch. WOOT WOOT for that!

Almost ready for school!

Well it is the middle of August and we are starting to prepare for our school year. The kids are very excited. They are ready to begin this new adventure. I have to admit that I am too. I am excited about what we are going to be doing and learning.
I really came to peace with it the other day when I read an article in the paper about how only 3 Suffolk schools made AYP. That was shocking and made me feel as though we made the right choice for the family.
I am ready for whatever God has in store for us.

Summer Time

I started this post this morning. We discontinued our internet service this month so I have my phone to work with and it has not been easy to figure out how to do everything on here.
So summer is upon us and we have started out with a bang. We were able to spend time with our Julia and her wonderful sister Sarah. Julia was Jenn's exchange student last year and we just fell in love with her. We went to the beach twice and just hung out. It was wonderful. Last week my van died and we got a new car. I got a Mazda 5. I love it.
We are heading to Maryland at the end of the month for a wedding and that is our while vacation this year. We do have the zoo pass and we have gone a few times and will continue all summer. I love the zoo.
That is about it for now.

It is almost Sadie's Birthday!

Sadie is going to be 12 in 4 days! I have no idea where all that time went. I think that it has just flown by.

So our new family news is that we are homeschooling all of the children next year. There are so many things with these public schools here that really upset us and we have made the decision that we are no longer going to subject our children to that sort of education.

I have been praying and praying about it and I know that it is the right choice for us. I am actually excited about it, terrified but excited! I have my same old same old worries about failing the kids but I know that if we give all those fears and worries to God that everything will be alright!

We are still going to be using Abeka for all 3. Sadie will be in 6th grade, Lilly is 5th grade and Gabriel in 1st grade. I am so happy that they are excited too. They have been asking to "do homeschooling" everyday. We have been doing a little here and there. I plan to officially start in August I think. Once I get ever piece of the curriculum and 2 more rolling back packs. Oh and the spelling I am going to use is Spell to Write to Read. I have seen it, read about it, saw it in action and I am excited to be able to use it. I think that it will be wonderful for them.

I think that our lives are slowly changing into something different. We planted a HUGE garden this year, which might be a little much, because we want to can. We want to become more self sufficient, more able to take care of our own families needs, and less relying on the government for things. We want to teach our children the same because we want to fully prepare them in case of a revolt. I honestly see that in our futures and I want them to be able to survive without help, but that is another long story!

So that is a short update. Kal is returning to the back surgeon this week so I will try to update then.

Thinking I really need to be more organized!

I am so disorganized. I think that I need to be more organized. I inputted grades from last week for Sadie and she is doing well in everything but History...well I hate history so I can not blame her. She is going to try to earn $10 if she has all A's by the end of March...Kal made that deal with her. History is probably the only thing that will stop that.

I am also going to figure out this sock pattern!

New email to go with the new Phone

I am getting a new phone tomorrow so I got a new email address to go with it! I think that I am going to completely get rid of my yahoo and I am ready for that!

Christmas is over and there is LOTS of snow!

This is my can on Sunday Morning. The snow started to fall late Christmas night and this is what we woke up to. In total we got 14.2 inches in about 24 hours. The kids were stuck at their grandmas because they closed highways and the tunnel and we could not get them. Enough about that for now!
Here is our tree this year after Santa came. I think that it is beautiful. The kids really got a lot of really great things this year. Each year we have been doing less and less. This year it was about 1/2 of what we did last year. Shopping this year we realized that it was really difficult to shop for the girls. They are getting older and I can not just get them a toy because they don't play with them.

I did however get the best gift other than being with my family, Kal bought me a pair of shape ups. He got them for 60% off so I can not really complain that he "cheated" at the present buying thing. He was only supposed to spend $20 and he spent $50 on those plus I got a new brush and a thing for my crochet hooks. I kind of feel like a butt because I followed the rules and got him nothing because I didn't pick him. Oh well I always have our anniversary and there are NO rules for that.

Gabe got tons of new hot wheels stuff. He is begging to put it all together but 1st we need to get rid of the Geo tracks otherwise there is no room.

Lilly finally got her quick gems. She is really happy.

Sadie got her MP3 player and is in a state of bliss.

That is about it for today. I am going to try to be better at this blog thing. I really do think that it is a good idea and peaceful.

~Becca

It's Christmas EVE!

And what am I doing???

Cleaning, breaking up fights and trying to stay sane!

Doesn't that all sound like fun. Well it is sort of. The kids have taken to putting a rubber snake in each others beds thinking that it is so funny.

Gabe is being mean. He just won't stop hitting and being a down right bully. He thinks that he can just bully his way into getting whatever it is that he wants. Soon he will learn that is not the way but until then I am at a complete loss as what to do. Any ideas out there?

Lilly is the same old Lilly. She doesn't speak to us very often and we have NO idea what is going on in her little world. On Wednesday I was in her class helping to teach the kids how to hand sew. That was an adventure. It was nice to see that she is shy there too, it made me feel like it was not just us.

Sadie is doing much better with her schooling. Kal had a nice little chat with her about what she needed to do or she was just going to have to go back to school where she did not want to be. She wants to get caught up and be where she should be before that happens but that attitude is hard to deal with at times. I am very happy that she is doing better.

Kal is good. He has yet to get a deer this year. I hope he does soon because they are running out of meat.

I am good. I am excited to get all my sewing stuff organized over this Christmas break so that I can sew some things. I have a few presents to make and I want to do them. Some people can not cook in a messy kitchen, well I can not sew in a messy sewing space. Kal and I are going to tackle that soon. First we need to get through tomorrow.

There are lots of gifts already under the tree from our wonderful families. They are all so thoughtful this time of year and I feel like a bum because I never do cards even. Maybe I will start next year with that. Who knows...I make no promises.

The kids are staying the night at Grandmas tomorrow and I am going to use that opportunity to mop....yes I said it...mop. I figure if I do it when they are gone, I am guaranteed at least 24 hours of a clean floor!

We are really missing Julia right now too. I wish that she could be here to have Christmas with. I never in my life thought that a 17 yr old girl from Germany could touch my life the way that she did. She is such an amazing child and a wonderful part of our little family.

Well that is all I have for now. I hope that everyone has a Wonderful Christmas!

~Becca

October is almost over!

So above is the blanket that I made for our Applefest at church. It will be a door prize! It is VERY blurry but it is very cute!

Then I have a favorite picture of Lilly! She is just so BEAUTIFUL!
Then we have Sadie's Halloween Costume! Yes she will have clothes under it. She just looks so grown up to me.

Then we have Gabe's 1st stitches. He fell in the bathtub and hit his eye on a toy. He then told everyone that he "got in a fight with a bear"

And that is all I am doing tonight. I am going to make a goal of November to blog everyday...we will see if I can keep that!

~Becca

Great Day!

Today was a wonderful day. Sadie and I (for the most part) took a mental health day. We met with some other homeschooling families at Kid Zone park for lunch. We also talked about the start of the Suffolk Christian Home-schoolers group. I can not wait for that to officially start. It will be wonderful to be able to get up with other families and have Sadie get that same sort of socialization that Lilly and Gabe get at school. Jenn and I talked about the things that will want to do for the co-op that we are starting in October. It is going to be a little crazy in the beginning but I think that it is going to be wonderful. The kids are all doing work right now and I am about to start dinner. Tonight we are having Skillet Ham and Potatoes. It is a new recipe so I hope it is yummy!

School started again!

So school started last week! Things have been busy but good so far. Lilly is in the 4th grade and is as smart as ever. Gabe started Kindergarten and LOVES it. And Sadie is still home schooled working on 5th grade.

Kal and I are doing great. We went to a new Sunday School class on Sunday hoping to like it and we did. It was an absolutely wonderful experience. We learned something and I want to share it because it is quickly becoming my newest favorite bible verse.

Philippians 4:4

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done.

To me this is very powerful. This is not talking about telling God that you need to win the lottery or a brand new shiny car but telling Him that you want peace of mind for a certain situation or that you would like to release something in you that is making you angry or anxious. I have never thought about that before. I always thought that I had to work through something on my own and not "bother" God with something that I felt was so small in comparison to everything else in this world. Now I know.

I am reminded about the little saying "Don't tell God how big your problems are, Tell your problems how big your God is". I really like that. I have slowly started changing my attitude to this. It is not something that is easy. It is something that overtime I hope to fully be like. And the biggest thing I can do to help this change along is to talk to God and pray.

Well that is about all I have for today. Sadie is finishing up her lessons and then we are going to have lunch and visit with a friend.

I am going to put the venison jerky into the dehydrator and hope it all works out

Until next time....

Such a slacker

A great picture of Kal and the kids from the 4th of July! This was the first year since Lilly was 1 that we have been able to see fireworks. She did amazing and was not scared. That is all I am writing today. I will try tomorrow.

It is amazing how much things can change in the matter of just a few months. The first picture was taken about 2 weeks ago when I got all of my hair cut off. Well not all of it, just about 9 inches! That was so hard for me. It was such a violent haircut too. She was so rough on my head. I thought that she was going to scratch it off when she was washing it and then she actually caught my eyebrow ring with the stupid comb. I left there with having had a horrible experience and a wet head but also with a happy feeling that it was straight...isn't that just nuts. I was happy that she was so awful with my head!

This next picture was taken in December...so less than 6 months ago. I was blonde and it was long. I loved it. Dying hair is really bad for your hair. I really like this picture though. I guess it was the lighting in the bathroom where I was. Kal likes it too. I guess that is just a plus!

This week has been wicked crazy. I have been working very hard on finishing Jenns dress and still trying to school Sadie. She has been giving me nothing but problems for the last 2 days. I am praying that tomorrow will be better. I do not think that I can take another horrible day with her.

My brother broke his leg too. I wish that I could be there to help Mara with whatever she needs. I am sure that this is going to be hard on her because my brother is a hands on dad. Those kids just really love him. I can't wait to see them this summer. I can not wait for Kal to meet Harlon and spend time with them.

So that is all I really have to say right now. I think that I am going to relax on the couch and watch a little TV and make a bracelet. Most people made friendship bracelets in high school but I had few friends so I didn't!

I will post the dress and the bracelets hopefully tomorrow!

It is only Tuesday and it has been a CRANKY week!!

So yesterday would have been wonderful if one thing had changed: If it NEVER happened! I was so cranky. It just seemed like no matter what I was just irritated. Everything bothered me. I am sure that I snapped at a few people and I should be sorry but honestly I can not say that I am. I wasn't altogether rude or anything. I think that I was just slightly tired of life for a day. I vowed to make today better...I am not sure that is going to happen on only 2 hours of sleep.

Today I am going to try to get most of Jenn's wedding dress complete. I can not wait to post pictures. I have dreamed about it and I have this vision in my head and I really hope that it matches with what I create.

That is all for now. I am going to start before I lose all motivation to complete it!

Long but fantastic day

I really didn't think that today was going to turn out that great since I have yet to be able to see out of my right eye. Something happened this morning and my eye has been stuck in an unfocused state since. It is way more annoying than it is painful. I am praying that when I go to bed tonight and I do not use my eyes while I sleep that it will just get better.

Today I hung out with my friend. I dyed her hair. Some how the dye fell on the floor and I did not notice it. When when I finally did, it was because her child stepped in it. When I cleaned it up but it stained it...it the shape of a cat with ears and everything. I am going to have her send me the picture because it is very funny!

Sadie did her schooling over there. Lilly and Gabe were late for school today and my reason is always "life". Life gets in my way and I lose track of time.

I was going to post more but this storm that we are having is pretty bad so I think I will just end now because it is better than waiting for the internet to cut out on me.

Think it is time to start this up again

It is a turtle, a frog and an octopus. I really enjoyed making these little guys. My best friend Jenn...(I should really use BFF in this case because we can be really upset with each other over something "serious" and it never lasts a day. She is defiantly a wonderful person to have in my life) has taught me how to make just about anything out of yarn. I have found that I REALLY enjoy crocheting more and more these days. Anyway Jenn has a web store that you should all check out. She is AMAZING! It is www.crochetedwithcare.webs.com

Here is my favorite picture of my wonderful family. Kal is looking extra handsome these days, I love his hair. Sadie is back to having the hair cut that I think looks fantastic on her, Lilly is such a pretty little girl, and Gabe is so grown. How can you go wrong with the purple and blue hair and a Mohawk! I am blessed to have the family that I have and I think that God knew what he was doing when he placed each one of them in my life.

I really am going to try to be better about posting. I enjoy it and I hope those of you that still are following this are interested in it, or at least somewhat enjoy reading.

Here is a short update until I have a chance to just start posting again.

Sadie is now being home schooled....long story short, she was being robbed of an education because she has some challenges because of her epilepsy. I had enough and after much talk with Kal, friends and a lot of prayer, we felt that we could get her on track and teach her better at home and she would be able to work at her own pace. She is doing wonderful.

Lilly is just as sassy as ever. She is so smart. Every time I look at her, I just wonder what wonderful things she is going to end up doing when she is older. She is such a natural learner. She still absolutely loves school and her teacher this year is just awesome! She has such patience with these children and you can just see that she is a born teacher.

Gabe is doing wonderful in school. He is sad every Saturday when he gets up and realizes that there is no school. He does however get happy again when he then realizes that Sunday means he gets to go to Church and Sunday school. He is writing a few words including his name. I got the best card from him on Mothers day that he wrote himself that said "Happy Mothers Day. I love you." That will be a keeper.

I am doing good. We are actively looking for a treadmill so that I can get in shape a little better. I am just terrified to walk down the driveway by myself...I am scared of bears! I admit it. So until the day that we get a treadmill I will just complain that I do not have one. I have been thinking about leaving to get the kids from school about 130 everyday and walking in town for 1.5 hours but I think that might be a little too much for Sadie to do with me. I am sure that I will think of something.

Well that is all that I have for tonight.

Is November 1st here yet???

I have been totally MIA these days. Applefest is almost over and then I will not be so busy. I will still have my Monday Mornings with the Ladies for our PSM. We are thinking of other things that we can do with that group too. I think that it would be awesome if we could plan a mission trip up in the mountains to pass out warm blankets. I would love that.

So I have not much to write now. My children and husband just got over the swine flu so I will have to post about that. I quit the Love Dare. Oh well. I tried and I think that I really made it about 9 days but then again after a while I was not into it. Not because I was not wanting things to get better but because of some other things that were going on at that time. I let all that get in the way and I stopped remembering why I started it.

Night all....expect a LONG POST next week!!!