Melanie is mobile!! I'm loving it!! She's really starting to explore, and it's a lot of fun to watch. I have to keep her out of the kitchen, and the girls usually keep their bedroom door closed. It's almost hard to believe she'll be 8 months old on the 27th!
In this video she's crawling from the living room to the kitchen. Please pardon any mess on the floor and the nasty broom by the trash can.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Inspired!
I finally figured out how to add a weight loss tracker to my blog!!! YEAH ME!! My inspiration comes from Emily, my best friend from college. She has one on her blog so I checked out the website. After a few tries I finally figured out how to add it to my blog!! I'm not as computer savy as I would like to think. :) Anyway, I think this will be a great visual for me and help me keep trying to get the weight off!!
I have really struggled with my weight the most after giving birth to our girls. I became a member of Weight Watchers after having Naomi, and I lost a lot of weight!! Unfortunately I quit before I reached my goal because we got busy, and I was missing meetings. After having Melanie I knew I needed to go back to Weight Watchers if I was going to get rid of the weight again. I struggled with the decision for a while. I figured if we were going to have a fourth child why bother losing the weight. I was only going to put it back on, and then have to start all over again. Then Andy helped point out that if we do end up having a fourth it would be better for me to lose some weight so that I would be healthier for the pregnancy. Point taken. Plus, it's no fun to try on maternity clothes only to find out that they don't carry them in plus sizes except online! Ugh! Let me just interject that I AM NOT PREGNANT. This was just part of the thought process.
So now I'm in WW. I still struggle with making the right eating choices. I've decided to abstain from ice cream until the end of June--baby steps. Staying home makes it harder because food is such easy access. Thankfully I don't keep a lot of junk food in the house, but if I make cookies it's all over. I have a really hard time with self-control.
As far as exercise goes...I would love to walk in the early morning, but when Melanie wakes up at 0'dark thirty it's hard to want to get out of bed to go walking an hour later. I know it's all about discipline--something I desperately need to work on. I do like to walk in the evenings when it's a little cooler. Most times the girls will go with me either on their bikes, or Anne likes to "roll" on her heelys. So, I'm getting some exercise in.
Okay, that was a long post just to really say that I was excited about figuring out how to add the weight loss tracker. :) Have a blessed day!
I have really struggled with my weight the most after giving birth to our girls. I became a member of Weight Watchers after having Naomi, and I lost a lot of weight!! Unfortunately I quit before I reached my goal because we got busy, and I was missing meetings. After having Melanie I knew I needed to go back to Weight Watchers if I was going to get rid of the weight again. I struggled with the decision for a while. I figured if we were going to have a fourth child why bother losing the weight. I was only going to put it back on, and then have to start all over again. Then Andy helped point out that if we do end up having a fourth it would be better for me to lose some weight so that I would be healthier for the pregnancy. Point taken. Plus, it's no fun to try on maternity clothes only to find out that they don't carry them in plus sizes except online! Ugh! Let me just interject that I AM NOT PREGNANT. This was just part of the thought process.
So now I'm in WW. I still struggle with making the right eating choices. I've decided to abstain from ice cream until the end of June--baby steps. Staying home makes it harder because food is such easy access. Thankfully I don't keep a lot of junk food in the house, but if I make cookies it's all over. I have a really hard time with self-control.
As far as exercise goes...I would love to walk in the early morning, but when Melanie wakes up at 0'dark thirty it's hard to want to get out of bed to go walking an hour later. I know it's all about discipline--something I desperately need to work on. I do like to walk in the evenings when it's a little cooler. Most times the girls will go with me either on their bikes, or Anne likes to "roll" on her heelys. So, I'm getting some exercise in.
Okay, that was a long post just to really say that I was excited about figuring out how to add the weight loss tracker. :) Have a blessed day!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
I'm So Excited!!!
Some of you might be surprised to hear about this, but I just can't help it. NO, I'M NOT PREGNANT!!!! Just wanted to clear that up first. There is an issue that I've been praying about, and it looks like God is beginning to show me the path He would have me to take. As you know I home schooled the girls this past year. It was a good experience, and I believe we all learned quite a bit through it all. You also know that I used to teach in the public school system prior to this year. I was a middle school math teacher so please do not critique my grammer. :) Andy and I have been praying about the girls' education. Do we continue to home school? Should we seek out private Christian schools? Our desire is for them to receive a Christ-centered education first and foremost. We knew the public school system was not going to do that. So, I resigned from teaching public school to teach the girls at home.
Well, while I have enjoyed teaching the girls I have also missed teaching in a regular setting as well. I definitely DON'T MISS the stress that goes along with it. Most of the stress came from making sure enough material was covered so the students would be ready for the tests the state mandated. Then there's the stress of waiting to see how your students did. Did they improve from last year's results? What's the percentage of students that are advanced, proficient, basic, and below basic? And on and on and on!! I have missed making a positive difference in the lives of those students, seeing the light bulb come on over their heads when they finally get it, and having interaction with more than 4 people. :) I have a sanguine personality so that last one is pretty important. Please don't misunderstand what I'm sharing. I love my girls to pieces and have enjoyed investing so much of myself into them. But staying at home for me, as much as I would like to think that I can be Mrs. Suzy Homemaker and Mom of the Century, is not the easiest thing for me to do. I'm probably being more transparent than some of you want to read. :)
Anyway, this past year I wasn't completely happy with the curriculum I was using so I began researching other options once again. Teaching the girls this past year has given me good insight into how they learn. While looking at other curriculum I became curious about Christian private school options as well. My sister, Kari, is a member at FBC in Centerton, AR, and they have Lifeway Christian School. I had heard excellent things about it so I checked out their website. After finding out what their tuition was I knew the only way that school would be an option is if I taught there. Well, you can imagine my conflicting thoughts. If I felt called to home school, then why am I entertaining this idea? What is God's will concerning this for our family? Am I just being selfish and wanting out of the house? And on and on. So, finally I prayed and told God that if this was His will then He would have to make it happen. So, I went ahead and filled out an application, updated my resume, and turned it in to their office. I didn't hear from them for a couple of weeks so I called their office, but only to leave a message. Still I didn't hear back from them so I called again a few weeks later. Andy's suggestion was to just go up there, but I didn't want to arrange a sitter, drive to Centerton, and then not be able to talk to anyone. Plus, I was letting God take control right? :)
So, after not hearing anything from the school I decided that maybe this wasn't what God wanted. I started making decisions regarding the girls' curriculum for the next school year. Through all of this I was really at peace. I knew that God would provide for our family and give me what I need to continue to stay at home with the girls. I kept reminding myself that I was letting God have control of this one. Well, much to my surprise the Headmaster at Lifeway Christian School, Dr. Sneider, called me this past Tuesday. They have a middle school Social Studies position available. It will be a part time position this year, but become a full time position the following year. I have an interview with Dr. Sneider on June 18th at 10am. There are still some issues that have to be prayed through, but I'm just excited that I heard from them. I would have been happy to hear back from them even if it was that they weren't interested. I just wanted to hear SOMETHING. :)
I know this has probably been one of the longest posts I have typed, and I'm sorry if it hasn't all flowed very well. This has been on my heart, mind, and prayers for a few months now. I'm in awe of how God works when we let Him. Even if the interview reveals that this isn't the best option for our family, at least I was given the opportunity. So, if we are ever in your thoughts over the next few days we would appreciate your prayers regarding this opportunity. Our only desire is to be in God's will. He knows what is best for us!!
A side note: we have recently been approved and signed papers for a construction loan. We are adding on to our house, and it will double the square footage. We are extremely excited about this as well, but there will be much going on at our place this summer. So praying for that to go as smoothly as possible will be much appreciated as well. I'm sure the blog will be full of those updates as the summer goes on. Thanks!
Well, while I have enjoyed teaching the girls I have also missed teaching in a regular setting as well. I definitely DON'T MISS the stress that goes along with it. Most of the stress came from making sure enough material was covered so the students would be ready for the tests the state mandated. Then there's the stress of waiting to see how your students did. Did they improve from last year's results? What's the percentage of students that are advanced, proficient, basic, and below basic? And on and on and on!! I have missed making a positive difference in the lives of those students, seeing the light bulb come on over their heads when they finally get it, and having interaction with more than 4 people. :) I have a sanguine personality so that last one is pretty important. Please don't misunderstand what I'm sharing. I love my girls to pieces and have enjoyed investing so much of myself into them. But staying at home for me, as much as I would like to think that I can be Mrs. Suzy Homemaker and Mom of the Century, is not the easiest thing for me to do. I'm probably being more transparent than some of you want to read. :)
Anyway, this past year I wasn't completely happy with the curriculum I was using so I began researching other options once again. Teaching the girls this past year has given me good insight into how they learn. While looking at other curriculum I became curious about Christian private school options as well. My sister, Kari, is a member at FBC in Centerton, AR, and they have Lifeway Christian School. I had heard excellent things about it so I checked out their website. After finding out what their tuition was I knew the only way that school would be an option is if I taught there. Well, you can imagine my conflicting thoughts. If I felt called to home school, then why am I entertaining this idea? What is God's will concerning this for our family? Am I just being selfish and wanting out of the house? And on and on. So, finally I prayed and told God that if this was His will then He would have to make it happen. So, I went ahead and filled out an application, updated my resume, and turned it in to their office. I didn't hear from them for a couple of weeks so I called their office, but only to leave a message. Still I didn't hear back from them so I called again a few weeks later. Andy's suggestion was to just go up there, but I didn't want to arrange a sitter, drive to Centerton, and then not be able to talk to anyone. Plus, I was letting God take control right? :)
So, after not hearing anything from the school I decided that maybe this wasn't what God wanted. I started making decisions regarding the girls' curriculum for the next school year. Through all of this I was really at peace. I knew that God would provide for our family and give me what I need to continue to stay at home with the girls. I kept reminding myself that I was letting God have control of this one. Well, much to my surprise the Headmaster at Lifeway Christian School, Dr. Sneider, called me this past Tuesday. They have a middle school Social Studies position available. It will be a part time position this year, but become a full time position the following year. I have an interview with Dr. Sneider on June 18th at 10am. There are still some issues that have to be prayed through, but I'm just excited that I heard from them. I would have been happy to hear back from them even if it was that they weren't interested. I just wanted to hear SOMETHING. :)
I know this has probably been one of the longest posts I have typed, and I'm sorry if it hasn't all flowed very well. This has been on my heart, mind, and prayers for a few months now. I'm in awe of how God works when we let Him. Even if the interview reveals that this isn't the best option for our family, at least I was given the opportunity. So, if we are ever in your thoughts over the next few days we would appreciate your prayers regarding this opportunity. Our only desire is to be in God's will. He knows what is best for us!!
A side note: we have recently been approved and signed papers for a construction loan. We are adding on to our house, and it will double the square footage. We are extremely excited about this as well, but there will be much going on at our place this summer. So praying for that to go as smoothly as possible will be much appreciated as well. I'm sure the blog will be full of those updates as the summer goes on. Thanks!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
A Snack for the Summertime!
I thought I would share a really good snack idea. It's healthy with the exception of the M&Ms. :) There are a lot of people out there who can put together various ingredients and get a tremendous snack or meal in return. I am always in fear that if I do that then I will end up with GUNK! Gunk is what you end up with on Webkinz if your ingredients don't mix well. Anyway...I found this in "Taste of Home" June/July 08. It makes a GINORMOUS batch. Since I don't have a bowl that big I halved it instead. It still took the largest bowl I had. I do realize the temptation for some children to just eat the M&Ms and leave the rest. So, tailor it to your needs, likes/dislikes, etc. I'm sitting here eating a small serving myself. :)
ENJOY!
Motoring Munchies
1 pkg. (18 oz.) granola without raisins
1 can (17 oz.) mixed nuts
1 pkg. (15 oz.) raisins
1 pkg. (14 oz.) milk chocolate M&Ms
1 pkg. (14 oz.) peanut M&Ms
1 pkg. (12.25 oz.) Honey-Nut Cheerios
1 pkg. (8.9 oz.) Cheerios
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in a covered container or large resealable plastic bags. Yields: 4 1/2 quarts
**If anyone reading this has another great snack idea, please feel free to comment. I can use all the ideas I can get!!
ENJOY!
Motoring Munchies
1 pkg. (18 oz.) granola without raisins
1 can (17 oz.) mixed nuts
1 pkg. (15 oz.) raisins
1 pkg. (14 oz.) milk chocolate M&Ms
1 pkg. (14 oz.) peanut M&Ms
1 pkg. (12.25 oz.) Honey-Nut Cheerios
1 pkg. (8.9 oz.) Cheerios
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in a covered container or large resealable plastic bags. Yields: 4 1/2 quarts
**If anyone reading this has another great snack idea, please feel free to comment. I can use all the ideas I can get!!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Family Retreat
We don't have any plans for Memorial Day Weekend, but last weekend we enjoyed a family retreat with 7 other families from our church. We drove from Gentry to Jasper on Friday. The first picture our state lovingly refers to as the Arkansas Grand Canyon. Yes, a far cry from the real thing I know, but beautiful none the less.
The third picture is the retreat center we all stayed in. It has 8 rooms all with their own bathrooms as well as a large living area, kitchen, and dining areas. It was a beautiful weekend. We traveled with two other families on Friday. The rest of the families arrived in the evening. We enjoyed time around the campfire, homemade ice cream, and fellowshipping together. Saturday a few families went canoeing on the Buffalo River, and a couple of other families went fishing. Those of us with smaller children stayed at the cabin and just relaxed. On Sunday we checked out of the lodge and headed to Lost Valley for a small church service, picnic, and hiking. The last picture is of Andy and Mel during the praise and worship time. After the picnic Andy carried Mel in that front pack on the ENTIRE hiking trip. I'll have pictures of that later. Despite our children getting sick while we were there we had a great time. Anne and Naomi had a lot of fun playing with the other kids. I know it's something we'd sign up for next year if they continue to make it an annual event.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
She's getting SO BIG!!
I FOUND MY CAMERA!!! So here are a couple of pictures of Melanie taken today. She was playing happily in her activity center while I was doing dishes this morning. Naomi put her princess crown on her, and I couldn't resist. :)
This is Melanie this afternoon after our trip to Fayetteville. Today was my hair appt., which Melanie screamed through the last half of. I still don't know why. One minute she was happy. The next minute I guess she'd had enough. I couldn't even get her to calm down. She finally did when we got to the van--Ugh! Thankfully she was fine the rest of the day. We ate lunch at Taco Bell. I tried their "fresco" menu--not bad. Then off to the mall to walk and look around. Next was Wal-Mart and a final stop at Sam's--Whew!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Happy Mother's Day!!
Yes, I realize it's the day after, but it was quite busy around here this Mother's Day weekend. It started Thursday evening with Andy taking me out to eat and to a movie. A new Texas Land and Cattle restaurant opened at the Promenade mall so we tried it out. It was pretty good. Then we watched "Drillbit Taylor" afterwards. Our babysitter made it through the night with the three girls. The only challenge was when Melanie just started screaming around 8:30pm. Our sitter called me afraid that she had done something wrong, but I assured her otherwise. Mel is such a mommy's girl. She was sleepy and wanting me. Melanie did fall asleep shortly after the phone call and stayed asleep until we returned home. Lucky for the sitter. :)
Friday was a fairly normal day. Melanie had her six month check up. She now weighs in at 18 lbs. 10 oz. and is 28 inches long!! A healthy girl indeed. She has two bottom front teeth in as well. Ahhh, the joys of teething. :) Next, we met Andy at La Hacienda for lunch. Then he decided to take Anne with him for the afternoon while Naomi, Melanie, and I went grocery shopping. It was nice to shop with just two instead of three tagging along. :)
We took the girls and our niece, Aspen, to the Shriner's Circus on Saturday. Coye, Aspen's dad, was given free tickets and passed them along to us. We went to the afternoon show and the girls absolutely loved it!!! Melanie got fussy because of the noise so I and Andy took turns sitting with her elsewhere so that the noise was minimal. Then we had dinner at NWA's famous AQ Chicken House. It was there we decided to go to the drive-in movie theatre. Little did we know about the storm that was brewing outside. We no sooner got back in the van when the skies opened up and poured rain, hail, and gusty winds. Thankfully we didn't see any tornadoes, and it really cleared up nicely. We went to Sam's club to get a couple of lawnchairs and other things before going to the drive-in. We still had quite a bit of time to kill so we headed to Shake's Frozen Custard for dessert--a favorite of mine and Andy's. :) Shortly after arriving at the drive-in I guess Anne's stomach had more than it could handle because she threw up IN THE VAN!!!! We thought the evening was over for us, and we would have to head home. Thankfully the people who ran the theatre were very nice. They gave me a brand new role of paper towels, trashbag, and cleaner to clean up Anne's mess. Needless to say, Anne felt better after that ordeal. :) We stayed to watch both movies, "Fool's Gold" and "Bucket List." Both were very good. By the time we were all home and in bed it was about 2am!
Sunday, Mother's Day, we attended church. Then my family came to our house for grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, and homemade strawberry pies!! After lunch Mom, Stephanie, Courtney, and I went to Sam's and Wal-Mart to look at landscaping items/ideas. Sunday was a much calmer day then the previous ones. :) The day ended on a relaxing note which is always good.
Now today we begin the last week of the girls' homeschool!! Yeah! This first year of homeschooling has had it's ups and downs as most first years do. Will we continue? Yes! I'm looking forward to making next year a better year. Will I continue to use the Sonlight curriculum? Right now I'm still planning to mainly because of it's strong literature content, but I am researching some other options. Once we're done with this current year I plan to dive into researching other curriculum possibilities. The only other option that I'm still playing with is putting the girls in a private Christian school. I have really missed teaching, and the school that I'm looking into is a really good one. Of course the only way we can afford it is if I work there. So, I'm praying about it, and will possibly call them about a couple of the positions they have available. I have a peace about it because the girls would still get the Christian education we desire for them to have, and I could continue to fulfill a ministry of teaching students. If I don't get hired, then we will continue to home school the girls. They will still get the Christian education, and I'm still teaching students. :) It's a win/win no matter which way it goes. :) I like those kinds of odds. :)
Sorry there aren't any pictures. My camera is currently MIA. I have no idea where it is, which is really frustrating!! I've got to find it over the next four days, though, because we are going on a family retreat with other families in our church this next weekend! Hopefully it will turn up soon!
Happy Mother's Day to all!
Friday was a fairly normal day. Melanie had her six month check up. She now weighs in at 18 lbs. 10 oz. and is 28 inches long!! A healthy girl indeed. She has two bottom front teeth in as well. Ahhh, the joys of teething. :) Next, we met Andy at La Hacienda for lunch. Then he decided to take Anne with him for the afternoon while Naomi, Melanie, and I went grocery shopping. It was nice to shop with just two instead of three tagging along. :)
We took the girls and our niece, Aspen, to the Shriner's Circus on Saturday. Coye, Aspen's dad, was given free tickets and passed them along to us. We went to the afternoon show and the girls absolutely loved it!!! Melanie got fussy because of the noise so I and Andy took turns sitting with her elsewhere so that the noise was minimal. Then we had dinner at NWA's famous AQ Chicken House. It was there we decided to go to the drive-in movie theatre. Little did we know about the storm that was brewing outside. We no sooner got back in the van when the skies opened up and poured rain, hail, and gusty winds. Thankfully we didn't see any tornadoes, and it really cleared up nicely. We went to Sam's club to get a couple of lawnchairs and other things before going to the drive-in. We still had quite a bit of time to kill so we headed to Shake's Frozen Custard for dessert--a favorite of mine and Andy's. :) Shortly after arriving at the drive-in I guess Anne's stomach had more than it could handle because she threw up IN THE VAN!!!! We thought the evening was over for us, and we would have to head home. Thankfully the people who ran the theatre were very nice. They gave me a brand new role of paper towels, trashbag, and cleaner to clean up Anne's mess. Needless to say, Anne felt better after that ordeal. :) We stayed to watch both movies, "Fool's Gold" and "Bucket List." Both were very good. By the time we were all home and in bed it was about 2am!
Sunday, Mother's Day, we attended church. Then my family came to our house for grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, and homemade strawberry pies!! After lunch Mom, Stephanie, Courtney, and I went to Sam's and Wal-Mart to look at landscaping items/ideas. Sunday was a much calmer day then the previous ones. :) The day ended on a relaxing note which is always good.
Now today we begin the last week of the girls' homeschool!! Yeah! This first year of homeschooling has had it's ups and downs as most first years do. Will we continue? Yes! I'm looking forward to making next year a better year. Will I continue to use the Sonlight curriculum? Right now I'm still planning to mainly because of it's strong literature content, but I am researching some other options. Once we're done with this current year I plan to dive into researching other curriculum possibilities. The only other option that I'm still playing with is putting the girls in a private Christian school. I have really missed teaching, and the school that I'm looking into is a really good one. Of course the only way we can afford it is if I work there. So, I'm praying about it, and will possibly call them about a couple of the positions they have available. I have a peace about it because the girls would still get the Christian education we desire for them to have, and I could continue to fulfill a ministry of teaching students. If I don't get hired, then we will continue to home school the girls. They will still get the Christian education, and I'm still teaching students. :) It's a win/win no matter which way it goes. :) I like those kinds of odds. :)
Sorry there aren't any pictures. My camera is currently MIA. I have no idea where it is, which is really frustrating!! I've got to find it over the next four days, though, because we are going on a family retreat with other families in our church this next weekend! Hopefully it will turn up soon!
Happy Mother's Day to all!
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