Lizzie's Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

 

This is our sweet little Lizzie.

 

She's such a faithful companion.

 

And if you had told me 2 years ago that I would have a dog inside the house, and that she would capture a part of my heart, I would have laughed at you.

Valentine's Day

 Cupcakes I made completely from scratch for the Valentine's party at AWANA.

I told you I am trying to trim my grocery budget and one of the ways I am accomplishing that goal is to not buy box mixes and packets of pre-made food items.

My Doctor Visit

Mike insisted that I make an appointment with my doctor today, so I did and he was able to see me this afternoon. At this point, he doesn't suspect my sickness is related to the mold in our house. I tested negative for strep throat. He said he could hear wheezing and some rattling in my chest, but he says it's not bronchitis or pneumonia. He diagnosed me with an upper respiratory tract infection. He also said both my ears are filled with fluid and are infected, as well. He prescribed an antibiotic, lots of fluids for this congestion, and lots of rest.

Just an Update on the Water Damage

My plans are to share updates on this water damage situation as we make progress.

 

Here's what has happened today...

 

Home Schooling...Just My Thoughts

When we first began our homeschooling journey in 1999, my oldest child (and only student at the time) was in 4th grade. (I also had a preschooler and a toddler.) I had no ideas of my own as to what home education would look like for my family, only that this was what God was telling us to do. Several homeschooling families that I knew were educating their children using Abeka curriculum, and since Abeka publishes curriculum for the traditional classroom, I chose to utilize their materials in our homeschool. I thought that was what I would be most comfortable with, given my traditional public school background.

My Surprise for Today

I sat down in my chair today just after finishing lunch, planning to check email, facebook, etc for a few minutes while Will was taking a break, when this catches my eye...

(oops, I took the picture after I removed all the books)

 

Homeschooling in High School

Will is going to be in high school in 6 months. I can't believe my *baby* is going to be in high school in just 6 short months. I'm aware we haven't even finished this school year and yet, I am already contemplating curriculum for high school.

I didn't have to worry about this with my first two children. They both went to the Christian school in Baxley for their high school years, but Will has been pretty adamant that he wants to continue to homeschool. So even though we still have about 3-1/2 months of 8th grade left, I've already begun poring over catalogs in search of the right curriculum for us.

The Little Boys

I totally forgot to post this!

 

Remember our little boys? The ones we fostered for 2 weeks in July 2011?

 

They now, as of October 2012, officially have new last names!

 

Their adoption is final. No more waiting. No more court dates. They are in their forever home with their forever family!

 

And you know what is so cool? This sweet family allows us to stay involved in the boys' lives. To them we are Uncle Mike and Aunt Melissa. 

Rainy Days

 

This is all we have seen today.

Rain, rain, rain

Still Waiting...

I realized I haven't shared an update about our adoption process in a while. Not that there's much to share.

There have been no calls from our resource developer for a few months now. Back before Thanksgiving, we did receive an email asking if we'd be interested in a sibling group of 3. Their picture was just beautiful. Three little brothers, aged 2, 3, and 4. If I could figure a way to use symbols on this keyboard to depict my jaw dropping, I would! Three little boys 4 and under??? Was this some kind of joke? Didn't we already prove that we are no match for little fellas in that age group?

A Song in My Heart

Here's a song that's been on my lips and in my heart recently. I'm so very thankful for His grace and mercy.

How We Afford Our Vacations

Recently, after seeing on my facebook page all my pictures of our summer travels, I had a friend ask me how we were able to afford all our traveling, that we must be rich.

I know the comment was made in jest, but I have to admit, it stung a little.

We are not rich. ~ Well, I suppose that depends on how you define rich. If you mean rich in God's abundant love, mercy and grace; rich in family and friends; rich in love for each other, then YES we are overwhelmingly rich! If you mean rich with much money at our disposal, then no, sadly we are not rich.

I was slightly taken aback by that comment, but it did get me thinking. How do we afford our vacations and travels? I thought about that and I came to some conclusions, so I made a list. And it got me thinking, these are simple things that anybody can do, so why not share them with others?

2012 Highlights in Pictures

January

 

just a little gemstone excavation kit I found to enhance our geology study...

Off to a Good Start in 2013

Well, January has come and gone. Thankfully, I didn't make many New Year's resolutions, therefore, I haven't broken any. *wink*

Pretty much the only resolutions I made this year were to continue doing what I can to live healthier, to be more frugal and resourceful with what I have, and to live a more simple life.