Thursday, May 28, 2009

Seasons

1
Spring rain is soo beautiful. It's a gentle soft fall from the heavens to the ground.
We live on a very small lot. I tend to refer to it as a postage stamp. I try to make the most out of my lot, and use it to the best of it's abilities. It's been many years of trial and error to see what will work and what doesn't. Below are some pictures of what we having going on right now around the 'homestead'. :)


There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot


Basil, Organeo, Italian parsley, and mint.
I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.Leviticus 26:4
For the first time in 5 years this rose bush bloomed, a single bud.



This is the most yellow blooms, I've had on this bush in years.






I have more planting to do yet. But I'm waiting for my hubby to make the rest of the garden area. Because we live near the Ocean, we don't really have dirt. We have sand and rock. So we will go to the dump get some free land fill and create the rest of the garden. We are hoping to use a 6x6 railroad tie to create the border. And then fill it with zucchini, eggplant, peppers and greenbeans. I would also like to create a potatoe bin, not sure on how I want to do it yet, read about using a garbage can or recycled tires.
I look forward to any suggestions anyone might have on container gardening or gardening in small spaces.
blessings





Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Something New...

So after 12 years of service to us, we retired our old King Size bed. Now this bed deserved retirement, it had a huge sag in the middle, it lasted through 5 children, a black lab, and much more torment. The box spring no longer had spring, as a matter a fact it was being held in place with plywood. Yea, it was bad.

We had no choice but to buy a bed ASAP, as their was an unexplainable accident that caused the bed to finally be declared "done".

Now keep in mind, this Mama pays full price for NOTHING!! So to be able to find a bed on sale in one day was a task. Especially since my last bed cost me $400.00, now I knew I wouldn't find that same deal. But two people had mentioned Sleepys to me, I took that as a sign.
So off to Sleepy's me and my mom go. In their clearance warehouse they had 3 queen beds but no kings!! Oh, man....Now way can we downsize!! We are use to having all that room....What to do..
We lay down on the beds and one of them feels like heaven....I call Big Daddy and have him come down to try it out..Feels good to him too!
So off we go with a Queen.
Took us at least a week to get used to it. But we love it.
Below is some pics of the luxurious sheets I got for $29.99-600 thread count..
and the comforter set included all you see for $59.99.
The bed itself is one of the new "green" beds, is a Sealy "Cottonblossom" mattress.
It's made of cotton, aloe and natural latex, no petroleum products.
I'm super happy with it!



Missing a decorative pillow here. But you get the idea.


love the chocolate brown sheets!!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Photos from Stepping Up

the graduates

Ashley and Daniele



Donny and Alex looking dapper!




Cristian being so GQ.




Can she be any cuter?!?!?!?!






Ashley and Julie! So beautiful...





The guirls! Lauren, Julie, Ashley, Lauren, Daniele, and Miss Emma!





The cupcake tree of all kids dreams!!!!






The Grad's table!









The table set up!





Another year down..

Every May we celebrate what we call a Stepping Up. Each child in our homeschool support group is recognized for completing another year of school, and they are able to showcase thier talents in one wonderful evening.
I love this event. Although the amount of work that goes into it, I could pass on. It's like planning a wedding every year. :)

This year was special three great boys we know graduated high school. Both these moms have served as mentors to me, in my homeschooling ventures as well as other areas of my life. They are some special ladies, I gotta tell ya! ;)
It is evident in their children how Christ is exemplified in their lives!
I so love appreciate and love them! I am so thankful to God for my friends that he has brought into my life. Proverbs says " A friend loves at all time" and I'm lucky enough to have some gal pals that truly do love me. (and if they don't they do a good job and making me think they do ;P ) insert my usual wit. But I digress, I'm richly blessed in this area.

We started our Stepping Up day in the Emmons house at about 5am, Mama couldn't catch anymore zzzz's, as I had too much on the mind.
Grandpa was here he stayed in the camper the previous night and brought us bagels in the morning. Gosh how I love when someone else does anything for me! What a blessing!!! And one LESS of a thing I had to do that day.

I got every one's clothes ready for that evening, as this was a "black and white" event. Ran errands of bank, Costco, and storage unit. Came home and loaded all the equipment we would need for the evening as well as our bags, stroller, drinks, shoes, you name it we stuffed it in our suburban. I should have taken a picture of that!!! I barely fit the kids in by the time we were done. And off to Ocean Grove we headed.
The hall came out soooooooooo beautifully, thanks to the ones mentioned above. I do get a little green eyed with their talents, as this mama severely lacks in the creativity department.

For the first time ever the kids Grandpa got to see what it is a homeschool family does. (more on Grandpa at a later date)
He thoroughly enjoyed the evening and was thrilled with all the accomplishments, and talent he saw that evening as well as God's love that was soooo evident.

I'm so thankful for the oppertunity to homeschool my children, it seems as each May comes and goes I get rejuiventated again. Oh, yes this is why I homeschool~
Thank You Lord!!!!

My dh worked his tail off that evening, I'm grateful for his commitment to his family.
My dd sang so beautifully (even tho she doesn't think so). I'm so pleased with her resolve and with how much she loves the Lord. And I'm soo impressed that she has equal counterparts in this journey. We are blessed to know many young adults who are trying to live for the Lord. Really trying. Holding eachother accountable, encouraging eachother in righteousness, loving eachother in the Lord.

All the kids had a great time. It was as always a memorable event.
Praise be to God and it's for his glory that I continue on the adventure of homeschooling. It's been 11 years so far and I have at least 18 more to go. :)
Photos in next post.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

The Mother of all homeschool conventions..

Sooo!! We were away for a few days at the biggest, bestest, hugest, most funest (lol) homeschool convention I've been to in a loooonnnngggg time!

CHAP in Pa. What a great convention. I got to see Doug Phillips speak..(ooohh, how I love him) He was fantastic! The curriculum was OVERWHELMING!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a great time camping with the Davis and Glosenger families!!

We sat around the campfire and sang some tunes. Just had a great time!
On the way home dh took me to our favorite amish place to eat some yummo chicken and I got to visit with my amish friends. We hit a few yard sales and came home.
Life is good!

Friday, May 1, 2009

A Walk to the Park..

So here's my crew heading out for a walk yesterday. I thought I would photo walk you with us, and show you some of the beauty we saw.

Forcinthia bush, I absolutly LOVE the yellow this blooms in early spring. For me it's the first sign of spring. God is sooo good!

Here's the bay.




Some red tulips!


Pretty purple!




Mr. Goose





My neices Lilly and Gabby feeding the goose some leftover blueberry muffins from breakfast.





Pink tulips.










another view of the bay.








more pretty purples!



















Then we made it to the park, where we let the kiddos run and play for an hour at least!


Lilly going down the slide!













Jake helping Gabby!












Miss Emma, walking down the slide.















Gabby and Emma, sharing a ride on the swing together!











Matt hiding in the trees!













Swinging fun!











Most of the kids on the swing set.





















Lilly!










All in all is was a wonderful day, to play and have some fun. I was exhausted when we started our walk, but felt invigorated afterwards. We came home, made dinner from my MOMYS cookbook. Cleaned up and all kiddos hit the sack early last night!