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Well, all I can say is God moves in mysterious ways.... I few months back, I was given an opportunity to work with underprivledged children in a nearby city.... I accepted without even thinking!  Throughout this journey I have found out many things about myself, like for one, I am not the strongest person, I have never shed so many tears for so many young souls... Souls that haven't yet had a chance, souls that haven't even experienced a hug or a loving word.  My first day, I held a two year old boy for FOUR hours, all he wanted was to sit on a womans lap, he had never felt this from his mother, and never will :(  It touched me so very deeply, I even felt guilt, guilt that I have passed these city streets numerous times and never once thought that here were children who were neglected, abused and told they were unwanted, never told they were loved or worth anything, I told that little one how very much God loved him and how very much *I* loved him, and he smiled that cute smile of a two year old and said, really????  I said YES, and I wanted him to know that out there somewhere was a Mommy and Daddy that God had chosen for HIM, and that made HIM so SPECIAL.  So my days and months were filled with so many emotions that only recently have I been able to write about these things, my time is coming to an end there shortly, in December actually, and I am then moving on with a group of ladies to another city, we will be doing nothing but rocking tiny, little babies that were abandoned and abused.... I know God is telling me something pivotal, I can not wait to learn all He is trying to show me through this... maybe that I take my nice warm home, loving hubby and wonderful children for granted.... Maybe I, like others have closed my eyes to the traumas of these innocents, but let me tell you this, I will NEVER look into the face of a child, ANY child the same ever again.  They are ALL wonderous, beautiful gifts from the Master Himself, each to be held lightly and touched gently.  So know that I have that all out, I feel that my life has now taken on a deeper more meaningful purpose, is this the purpose I have sought after all these years?  Only time will tell.

On another note, we have been dealing with my DH and his broken leg, he broke it so serverely, he had surgery recently but he is on the mend and I am thankful for that, you dont realize how much you depend on his strong muscles until YOU are the on hauling in groceries and moving out the trash and this and that and on and on! LOL

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I have seen this on many boards and blogs... what is MOTH?  Sorry for being clueless, but I am interested in what exactly this means! LOL  I am inquisitive, what can I say?

Thanks a bunch ya'll!

God Bless!

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Well, first off, I can't Spring Clean until I de-clutter.... so that is what I have been doing these last few days..... and I can finally say.... I AM DONE!  De-cluttering that is :o)  Just walked out of my attic and it is spic and span!  So tomorrow and over the weekend, I am taking a break, then come Monday, Spring Cleaning it is!  Nothing else exciting to speak of, but hey, that is the way I like it, nice and laid back!

Just wanted to update, hope everyone that reads this has a wonderful weekend!

God Bless!

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Today it is chilly yet again in NE Ohio!  I should ahve known... I should have known   I have done laundry today, and also cleaned out the inside of my car.... ew! LOL  I love a clean house, but my car, well that is another story!  It seems to just multiply garbage in it!  But it is all cleaned out now :o)  I am trying to sweet talk my hubby into taking me out for dinner tonight... I miss my time with him!  Or we could go out for coffee and pie, I don't care what we do, I just want to be with him for a few hours and catch up.  His work hours have been crazy this past month and I am usually asleep on the couch when he gets in.  Then I get up, get his supper warmed, and then I end up going to bed.  I miss him!

Tomorrow we have a birthday party to go to, one of Ashley's little friends, should be fun for her.... she made her a little picture album with pictures of them every year since they were born ( me and her Mom are really close friends!) so that will be nice for her to have!

Well, I am pretty sure I am making dinner tonight, so it is going to be pork chops, stuffing, and gravy, with some corn on the cob and bread... always bread! LOL

Have a wonderful weekend, whatever you choose to do!  Oh and btw, my pup is 100% better and she is growing like a weed!  Will post pics soon!

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Took my car to get serviced and thank the Lord nothing out of the ordinary was wrong!  That is a true blessing! LOL  Dinner was good, and the kids ate seconds, which I LOVE to see!

I have been thinking about homesteading and all I want to accomplish.... When I get an idea, I run wild with it, then putter out and feel all guilty that I didn't accomplish what I set out to do... SO I have decided that for this year, I am going to focus on.... cooking more from scratch and reducing our budget in all areas possible.....

As far as cooking from scratch, I am going to say up front that I will not be able to go full force in this, I need to take my time and slowly implement certain things at certain times, I will reach my goal slower, but it will stick longer... make sense?

And as for the budget, well me and my DH have decided that we are both spenders :(  This is not a good thing, but not the end of the world either... we have been reading some books about budgeting and simplifying and plan to use the things that will work for us.... is also will be a slow process, but be all the better in the long run.

So there ya go, to workable areas of our life that we are going to process throughout this year.  I will take you along with our goals and let you know what we are doing and when :o) Prayers for a smooth sail will be much appreciated!

So the rest of this week and next, I will be working on making meals to freeze, and also really work on making breakfasts easier for me to feed my family that are healthy and easy to do!

For the budget, I am sitting down tonight and writing out everything we spend and go from there... wish me luck!

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I don't have much time today, need to take the car in to have it serviced   I hate spending that money, but it will pay off in the long run!  Got all my baking done for the week, and I also made a cake and used Applesauce in it , Not sure how it tastes yet, but looks super moist!  For dinner I threw some chicken breasts in the Crock pot, and chopped up some tomatoes and green chilies and poured that over the Chicken, I will make some rice to go along with that and a nice salad... yum!

That is all that is happening in Ohio, I also am making Granny Squares out of all my left over yarn, will have a funky blanket when I'm through! LOL

Blessings to all!

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Today, it is chillier than they predicted on the weather, but I was prepared!  Living in NE Ohio has taught me that much!  Laundry was on the list today, as well as a good scrub in the bathrooms and baking... I got some baking done, but with it being so chilly out, my bread was rising kinda slow, so took a LONG time!  It is supposed to warm up by Friday, so maybe I can sneak in a few loaves then!

Tonight, we are having Turkey Breast and Gravy, mashed potatoes, bread, and Corn... yummy!  Ashley has girl scouts tonight and then we have a Chruch leadership meeting.... then bedtime!

Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!  God Bless!

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Well, I took Harley to the vet yesterday for shots and all, found out its a German Shephard/Husky mix, and also that he is a SHE :o)  Fine by me though!  Well, she got her shots and all was well... until 3 am this morning!  She was just howling in her cage so I came down and took her out, she had the most horrible Diarrea I had ever seen :(  So I called the vet at 9 this morning and took her back, they gave her meds and some special food she has to eat for three days, since the meds she hasn't had anymore episodes!  I hope this is a good sign.... oh they have no clue why she has Diarrea, but her stool came back negative for any parisites, so they assume it is a small reaction to her first shots :(  My poor lil puppy.... but she seems on the med so yay for that right!

Just wanted to update on my puppy love that is forming quite fast for my little pup!  Just hope with me that she is going to be all better and NO MORE REACTIONS!

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There are a lot of woof and meows going around my home today!  Harley (pup) has settled nicley in the family and is starting to flex his puppy muscles, especially where Tiger (cat) is concerned!  And we all know that cats LOVE to feel superior!  Tiger will get up high, JUST out of pup's reach and just...sit and wait! LOL  Harley about goes CRAZY trying to bark and jump and just get Tiger! LOL  It is amusing to be sure.

It is a lazy day around the Carter homestead, we are all just hanging out and trying to figure out if we want to do something, or just chill out the rest of the night.... I vote for the second option. 

OK, I am off to feed the kidlets, DD just came to say She is HUNGRYYYYYYY!!!!!

God Bless!

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Hello everyone!  I hope this finds you and yours happy and healthy!  THings around here are fine and dandy, the new pup (Harley) is doing great, he is going to the door when he needs to do his business and he hasn't had an accident in the house since Monday :o)  I am SO pleasently happy with him, I didn't think in the beginning I wanted a dog, I already have a cat for goodness sakes!  But hubby brought him home and I fell in love, I had MAJOR stipulations though, I gave him two weeks to be housebroke or it was a no go, I am strict like that! LOL  Well its only been 6 days and he is doing wonderfully!  I feel safe with him here already and he is TINY, but will be much bigger soon!  He is the kind of pup that follows you all over and just flops down beside you where ever you stop!

Other than the pup, my hubby and I are planning a little trip down to Dalton (southern Ohio) tonight to see my friend and her NEW BABY!!!!!!!!  He is three days old today, I can't wait to hug him and just look at him!  She is so happy to be a mama now, I know she will be great and that baby will be blessed to have her and her hubby as his parents!  THen tomorrow we are off to look at a Minivan, we are going to get one, and we really need it now with a dog in tow!

My cousin called me yesterday with news of her pregnancy, I am so happy for her as well!  She just found out though and is visiting with the midwife on March 13th, so please say a prayer for her and her unborn :o)

That is the update from NE Ohio, laundry is being done, and just general cleaning!  God Bless!

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Hi everyone!  I have been busy, busy, so I haven't had a chance to update my blog lately..... we have a surprise addition to the family.... not a real baby, a real puppy :o)  He is a lab/husky mix and was dropped in our laps basically..... his owner couldn't take him with him when he moved, he is only 8 weeks old and just a sweetie... he is doing well with being cage trained and house broke, he already goes to the door and whimpers when he needs to go.... here is a picture of him, my DH named him Harley,,,, isn't he just the CUTEST! LOL

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Yesterday my DD turned 8!  She is really growing into a beautiful young woman and I value every second I have with her!  We had a quiet little day at home for her birthday, family is coming over on Saturday.... We also had a surprise day off school today for some reason, high winds played a factor in it I think. 

Here she is with the Gerber Daisies her Daddy bought her :o)  They are by far her favorite gift!

Today, I have managed to clean the kitchen, bathroom, and do a few loads of laundry, we had homemade pizza for dinner last night so we had the leftovers for lunch today, easy, yay!

My DS has told me the past two days he doesn't want to be homeschooled :(  Have any of you encountered this?  How do you handle this?  I feel like he should have a voice, but at the same time we are his parents and I think we know what is best for him... but I feel sad for him that he thinks he is going to miss out on anything by being HS.... So any advice would be much appreciated!

OK, Computer time is over, time to go get some more laundry done, vacuum, and change sheets!  God Bless all!

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Well, the big day is over.  My *little* Valentine's made me tons of little cards all day :o)  My big Valentine brought me some beautiful flowers and a card   I was impressed!  I made a wonderful dinner for them all so all in all it was a wonderful day :o) 

I have been researching my heart out about Homeschooling and everything I am reading is making me more and more excited (and a little confused!LOL)  I have a question, it may sound silly, but... did ANY of you pull your kids out of public school to homeschool?  And if so, how did you test them or know what age appropriate curriculum to buy?  Are there tests I can give them when this year is over to see where we should start next year?

Tomorrow I am hitting the library to see what books about Homeschooling they have.  I also and going to call a mom I know that Homeschools to see if I can *sit in* on one of her mornings to see what she does, just to get some ideas, ya know?

I am in the process of writing out my Homeschooling goals and plan for next year, I want to be as prepared as possible, I am one of those people that I like to have things written down so I can SEE where I am heading and where I am at... weird I know! LOL

Well, I should get to bed, I am tired and I plan on doing some baking tomorrow as well as laundry, library, helping hubby pay bills and general cleaning!  Busy day tomorrow it seems!

God bless you and keep you all!

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I have looked and looked and looked and my husband has looked and we decided to go with Alpha Omega for the core subjects :o)  I found a place to get them cheaper and I really feel lead to this, I feel as though it will be helpful in the first year of homeschooling until I become more comfortable planning the curriculum I will use.  Now I just have to figure out what to do for health, art & music, Phys ed, first aid and safety... which Ohio requires as well... so yeah, I feel good and at peace over our decision!  Praise God that he lead me to what I needed!  He truly knows best and I feel as though our choice is His choice.  I have been thinking AO for a while and I laid out some things for hubby to look over, not telling him my 1st choice and he immediately was drawn to AO as well :o)  So that just iced the cake!

Just wanted to share that half my battle is over now!  For the rest of it I can pretty much wing it and intertwine health with Phys ed and safety :o)  Art and Music is a no brainer... my kids LOVE anything art and Aaron takes guitar lessons and Ashley takes Piano, so I will just elaborate on what they already know!

God Bless and Good Night all!

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Hi all!  I hope this finds you happy and healthy! 

Today was a typical Monday, taking the kids to school (blah!), laundry, and general cleaning.  Same ole, same ole.... but I love my life and I wouldn't have it any other way... except to HS my kidlets which is gonna happen soon!  I have been looking through all the catalogs I received from vendors and I also joined the hslda... so yeah, I am on my way... I am just looking into seeing if there are any HS fairs close to me I can go to.... does anyone know of any in Ohio and when they are?  I would love to go LOOK at curriculum and flip through it.... so if you know of any, please let me know!  Thanks in advance!

Dinner tonight was Pork Chops, Stuffing, Green Beans and bread... dessert was chocolate covered strawberries my honey brought home for me :o)  I shared with everyone!  They were so delicious!

Tomorrow, I have a MOPS meeting in the morning and then more cleaning :o)  I have to make my menus for the next month, grocery list, and more laundry.  That is my tomorrow, how bout yours?

Have a wonderful evening everyone, I am off to get in my jammies, and Crochet!  WooHoo!

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Hello all!  Thank you all for your prayers for my family and for me during our difficult time.  They were greatly felt :o)  I feel much better about things today, pretty much normal!  God is good all the time!  His ways are so much bigger (and better) than our ways, I can not even discribe what He means to me, but you all know right?!?  I have decided on the Square Foot Garden this year, my yard is oddly shaped and this way will work best.  I am thinking about green beans, tomatos, cabbage and hot peppers defintely, not sure about what else yet, I got the Square Foot Gardening book, I guess I should read it huh! LOL

The kids Valentine's Parties were today at school, so that was fun for them, and I was there for both so it was fun for me too :o)  I still long for this year to be OVER so I can HOME SCHOOL!!!!!  I am so excited and really feel strengthened by all of you and your experiences here and at Homeschoolblogger.com!  I joined BTW and you can go read my other blog anytime! It is  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/openarms/  so go have a looky anytime, there is nothing there at the moment, but a few little entries, but I hope to log my days as a Homeschooling Mama there soon!

Well, that is all for now, I am off to read to my sweeties, hubby is at the Church doing Sound Check stuff and I am about to print some pictures for the photo albums as well... Have a wonderful weekend and God Bless you and Keep you!

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