Carrie's Country Cottage

I wanted to pop back in to share with you one of our favorite CHRISTmas traditions.

We try to avoid all the commercialism that the world has made of this HOLYday. So, we emphasize that this day is all about Jesus (and not ourselves); that allthough we do receive gifts from loved ones the ultimate gift was given years before by the One who loves us the most.

For this cake you will need: --1 recipe (or boxed) white cake mix, --1 - 1 1/2 recipe (or canned) white frosting (we use cream cheese frosting); --green and red food coloring, --1/3 cup choclote chips, --1 T. oil, --yellow decorating icing (about 1/2 cup), --red candy hearts

--Divide the rest of the batter in half and place in two small mixing bowls. Add red food coloring to one batch and green to the other; mix well.

Now for the fun part, be sure to have the kiddos help with this part and share with them the symbolism (feel free to change the wording I have to best suit your family and children's understanding; use your favorite Scriptures to illustrate).

--After the cakes have cooled completely: place the chocolate cake first on the cake dish. This is our sinful human nature; this is us dirty and unsuited to fellowship with our Lord and Creator.

--Place the red cake layer on next. This is the blood of Christ shed for us that we may once again have one-on-one fellowship with our God. --John 3:16 is great for little ones.

--The green layer comes next. Now, because of the ultimate sacrifice of the One that loves us even more than Mom and Dad, we have new life, free of sin. With that gift come the responsibility to live in a manner that brings honor to our Creator and our Savior.

--The white frosting covers all of the cake. Now, as He looks down upon us, the Lord sees us as spottless and free of blemish as if we had never sinned.

--Finally decorate the cake with a yellow star of David (We find it easiest to draw first with a toothpick --two triangle, one point side up and the other point side down one on top of the other so that they overlap in the center-- and then trace the outline and fill in.) and hearts around the edge so that when served each piece/person has a heart showing God's love for them.

--This makes a great witnessing tool at parties. (I had wanted to post photos, but could not find them. I think they were lost in the "great computer fiasco of '06/'07". I will take photos this year and edit them into the post after the first of the year.)

Many Blessings from our home to yours and may you drink deeply of the Lord's love for you.

I have moved

After much thought (and encouragement from the family) I have decided to move to a different blog. Those of you who would like to come by and visit at my "new home" please leave me a note and I will get you my new address.

It has been great getting to know all of you ladies and I will stop by and visit often.

Month of July Update

Back in March, when I usually would have begun to prepare the ground for planting, we thought that we would be moving soon, and therefore would have to abandon our *little* garden here in town. Well, "soon" is a relative term. It is now better than half way through the growing season and we are still here. When May came around and my poor garden plot sat sad and empty I brought an idea to the family: What if we planted in containers that we could take with us when we move. Hence the 5-galon buckets. One of the wonderful by-products of this form of gardening is the ease of weeding. The only weeds we need to pull are the ones that spout up within the bucket. . . . "Easy Breezy" . . . The rest of the weeds are coverded in grass clippings gathered from the lawn and quickly gotten under control. (The buckets are now 4 feet apart for ease of watering and picking.)

We did our yearly standardized testing the week Doodle Bug returned from his visit with his mom. The test results came back a week later. Doodle dropped 7 percentage points. (We had tested him also in August of '07, and his score last year was not all that high.) So, I have taken this drop as an indication of how I have taught him. After 5 months of being in our educational environment I had thought that his scores would be through the roof (a bit of pride there?) Manly thinks that Doodle did not fully try to put his best effort at it (wanting to "just go home", or his head was still on vacation) because he has markedably improved on all his seat work, quizes and tests.

So, where do we go from here? That is a GREAT question! The original plan (back in Feb.) was that Doodle would stay here for 6 months, get his grades up so that he could pass into the 9th grade, and then go back to LV to complete his education. Well, Doodle does not have passing grades. He has not yet met the requirement of completing the 8th grade, and will not until Feb. of '09. Manly shared that information with Doodle and his mom. Both were unhappy about the news, but could not dispute the facts. So, IF Doodle goes back to LV it would to attend the 8th grade over again. Doodle is already at the older end of his class, it would be hard for him to stay back to repeat the grade. No formal agreement has been made, but I am thinking that Doodle will stay here at least until Feb. One of the blessings of home-educating: you can slow down to meet the needs of a struggling student and then pick up the pace, catch-up to where he "should" be and move right along. I think it will GREATLY benefit Doodle to have the time to fill in the gaps left by his public education.

I do not understand how a mother could sit back and watch her blessed child fail out of school for FOUR YEARS and not step in and make a change. It is our (not the state's)responsibility and privilage as the parents to equip our children with knowledge of our Lord and the word that He created. I am deeoply saddened that Doodle does not have the basic elementary school foundation of phonics and arithmatic down at the age of 15. He knows all the "tricks" but not the consepts behind the gimiks to understand how to apply it in the real word.

The ripple (or maybe tsunami) effect of Doodle Bug's negative attitude about staying here has enveloped the entire family. It is taking a lot of grace and mercy to smooth over the chain reaction of grumpy fellas. I pray that Doodle's heart will be softened that he may see that we are doing this for his best interest; it is a sacrifes on everyone's part. But, he is worth every bit of the extra effort.

Back in the middle of June Manly and I attended the Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC) conference for our first time. It was absolutely wonderful, why did we wait this long? During the lunch break on the first day the two of us met a morgage broker to turn in our application for financing on our project. We were assured that with the info. he saw and the type of loan we wanted that it would not be difficult to get a good deal. The first session Manly sat in on after that lunch break was Doug Phillips speaking about how so many of us cut off the blessing (children) and apply for the curse (DEBT). Manly's first thought during the session was "What have we done? We just handed over our information asking . . . begging for the CURSE!"

Much discussion took place in the weeks to follow. After 2 weeks of not hearing from the morgage broker, Manly called for an update and found out that 2 of the 3 companies no longer provide the type of morgage we were requesting. When it came back that the 3rd company also stopped offering that type of morgage (rolling over your construction financing directly into permanent take out, locked in at the rate the loan was started) we were certain that we were not to finance the project. So, what do we do now?!?!

Before Manly's brother, Buddy, knew about all of this going he had mentioned the idea of paying for the project as we go. (***Quick little side note: A while back, Buddy had offered to let us live in his "barn" during the year or so while we build our house.***) Us paying for the house as we go would take closer to 5-7 years to build. So, what do we do? Can we afford to pay a morgage in town and still save enough to build out in the country? Would Buddy want us *squatting* on his land for that long? This opened up a whole new set of questions, ideas, fears, ideas, trust (in the Lord), answers, and peace.

Buddy is okay with us living in his barn (with a few stipulations) for an extended period of time if we are doing so in order to become/remain debt free. WOW -- what a wild journey this is starting out to be and we have not even broken ground yet! It looks to be a fun ride ahead.

The house we had drawn up apparently will not stand. When we bumped the downstairs walls out it changed the load/bearing points. So, Manly is meeting with the engineer this week to discuss options. Fun, fun, fun. I will keep you updated.

I'm IT ~ I've been tagged

1.) Where were you (and what were you doing) 10 years ago? ~Manly, two little bugs and I were living in a little apartment and looking to buy our first house. (There was another little one on the way.) I was doing day care for two families, Manly was building log homes with his dad up in the mountains. He was often away all week and we saw him only on the weekend. (Funny how history sometimes repeats itself ~wry smile~.)

2.) What are 5 things on my "To-Do" list? ~Our older children are off school for the next two weeks. So, Manly will take them to work as much as he can so that I can get my "Spring Cleaning" done (now that it is offically SUMMER). 1.) Get business cards ordered/made for Manly; 2.) Plant the poor pepper plants that are still in the peat pots they came in; 3.) Help my dear friend to clean/organize her home; 4.) Spring Clean: the kitchen, the living room, the bedrooms, the playroom, EVERYTHING! ~ tackling one room/area each day; 5.) Catch up on correspondences ~ I have let too many calls, letters, e-mails sit without a responce. 6.) Make 16 batches of granola ~ the ingredients have been sitting in my pantry for a month.

3.) What are some snacks that I enjoy? Apples and carrots dipped in peanut butter, GORP (raisins, peanuts, dry cereal, and M&M's of equal proportions mixed together)

4.) What would I do if I were a billionaire? We truely have a heart for the "widows and fatherless". We would dump a large amount into our friends' inner-city ministry. Donate to the battered women's home. Build our dream home debt free. Then we would want to adopt as many children as we could and hire the help to LOVE on each precious blessings.

5.) Places I have lived: I have lived in Colorado ALL my life. I currently live just one mile from the childhood home my parents bought (and still live in) when I was 4 years old. I went to college for 2 years on the other side of the divide, but that is the furthest I moved away.

Who would I like to tag . . . . . ? I think everyone I know and whose blog I read has already been tagged. So, if you have not been tagged yet please answer the questions and drop me a note to let me know that you did so that I may stop in and see what you wrote.

Guidance

I attended my first CHEC (Christaion Home Educators of Colorado) Homeschool confrence last weekend. It was incredible (and completely overwhelming). I have two fellas going into the ninth grade (officially HIGH SCHOOL!!) next year, and I needed some encouagement and "tools of the trade" from those who have gone before me. I found both in abundance. There was almost too much information. I could not attend the third day. My brain was full. So, we purchased the audio recording of the entire confrence. Now Manly and I can go through it in small chunks, pause and rewind to catch any information we may have missed, and enjoy deep conversations about this wisdom from goldy men and women.

In one of the clinics the speaker/vendor was giving out copies of her magazine. At home later, reading through it I found an article that was interesting. I enjoy word pictures, and this provided a good one. The author is unknow, but this came out of TEACHmagazine.com:

"When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

"When one person realizes that and lets the other kead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two bodies become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

"My eyes drew back to the word 'Guidance'. When I saw 'G,' I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'. 'God', 'u', and 'i' dance. God, You and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

So, I need to trust God and his "Guidance" for lessons next year. It will most likely be quite the adventure. Two high-schoolers along with 3 other student in the home AND building our house (things are moving along . . . just slowly). I am excited to see where and how He will guide us.

Two Saturdays This Week

I have been trying to post the rest of our Memorial Day Weekend, but have had a dickens of a time using my Photobucket account. I did have a few other things that I could share with you while Manly, our older fellas, and I try to figure out how to use Photobucket, and then, hopefully, I will stop loosing previous photos each time I post new ones. (Any suggestions are welcomed!!!)

June has started out wonderfully. We are still doing lessons 3-4 days a week, and will most likely continue to do so throughout the summer. (A number of little set-backs have added up.)

Monday: We started week #30 in CORE (there are 36 weeks in the planner ~ almost done with that!) Then, I did review and lessons with the oldest two fellas. We are now revisiting those areas that proved the most difficult throughout the school year. So, it was a long process trying to clearify these problem areas. After lunch I made a batch of yogart and 4 loaves of banana bread. The other children were not ready for review and I had a call from a friend who NEEDED a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. So, I talked and baked. So, no one else had one-on-one time with me today. Manly was able to be home by 3 in the afternoon ~ He had gone up to the high country to oversee / wrap up the final installation of kitchen appliances and fixtures. Since there was a LOT of daylight left after getting home, he took the biggest fellas over to a local skate park (a reward for having their responsibilities completed although they "did not know the time or hour" that their dad would return.) Before leaving for the park he asked me NOT to make dinner. He wanted to treat us to dinner out. (A local Italian Buffet has a "Children Eat Free" special on Mondays and Tueaday.) Then at 9 the guys did the bread run for me. I was feeling rather spoiled ~ I liked it!

Tuesday: WARNING: Graphic Pet Details!!! One of the puppies had an accident in her crate overnight and then when she went out to go potty for the morning, she was pooping blood. My first thought was that she was in heat. (She is after all 10 mo. old) But it was coming from her bottom and only when she squated to go potty. This was VERY concerning. I called the vet and was told that she had no openings today due to surgeries, but could be seen tomorrow at 1:30 in the afternoon. We kept an eye on the puppy and she seemed to be a little off kilter, but still wanted to play and was eating, drinking and pottying. So, we waited for the Wed. appt. Manly headed out to his folks place today to work on the shop some more and then out to his brother's farm to clean up some construction trash in preparation to finish the spreading of gravel on the lower level of the garage. Again he was home mid/late afternoon. It is rather nice to see so much of him lately. Started another batch of yogart before going to bed. We are swimming in milk and I do not want to thow it away. Since yogart lasts longer . . . I am making yogart.

Wednesday: We are done with Dog Class. Just knowing that helped today to go better. Dog class is still going on, but we (Manly and I) have decided that the children have fulfilled the requirement we put on them for Obedience Training their puppies. We feel that due to the puppies being just that, puppies, that it would be best to wait another year before trying to compete in 4-H shows with them. That will give the puppies another year to settle down and for both the boys and their dogs to practice Showmanship and Obedience techniques. So, dog class is over for this year (~deep sigh of relief~) That said . . . We did CORE (from 8 until 10) and then I sat down with the oldest fellas to review. Neither of them had completed their math assignments. They are not understanding it. So, we started with English and Science. That took the rest of the morning. Hug Bug took the first piano lesson time slot (our neighbor 2 houses down teaches them) so that he would be home to take his dog to the vet. After having lunch, he and I headed out with puppy to the vet. Puppy has "colitus" (sp?), basicly all the compost that she has been eating (we do not know how she is getting into it) has irritated her colon and given her a nausty infection. Easy to care for ~ 10 days of antibiotic should get her back on track. (Now to keep her out of the compost.) It was now 3 in the afternoon and I needed to review with the rest of the guys (Only the top two have had any attention this week) and start thinking about dinner. Manly called to let me know he was on the road and what time to expect him home. He is the best! When I told him that I was overwhelmed withwhat was NOT getting done this week he asked me to tell him 3 things he could do for me when he got home . . . and he did them!

Thursday: Today my mom stopped by after CORE to spend some time with us. She only lives 1 mile away, but still we do not see her enough. She stayed until shortly before lunch. After lunch I was able to review with the younger guys. It was a better "school" day.

Saturday #1 (aka: Friday): Manly took the 5 oldest boys up the hill to help clean the house. There is an Open House this coming Wednesday and the house is covered in construction dust and debris. So, he took up our labor force and cleaned the place up. I took Lady and Busy Bugs and did our once a month shopping**. Typically when all the guys go off to work it is on a Saturday. So, all day I was thinking it was Saturday and was gearing up for church tomorrow. I was delighted each time I remembered that is was in fact Friday and I still had a "real" Saturday tomorrow. Shopping took from 8 am. until noon. We went to Sam's Club and FILLED 2 carts (with no big helpers to assist). After all the cold things were packed into coolers we headed off to Wild Oats to get the fixins for granola and then to the Wal-Mart next door to W.O. (they have the type of sippy cup Busy uses and that the puppies keep chewing up.) Then off to Sears to buy my new vacuum ~jumping up and down with excitement. Our old one has been struggling for a while and then the other week one of the fellas knocked it into the wall and broke an essential piece off. So, I looked on Consumer Reports and found a GREAT vacuum at a reasoble price. It is so fun to have new toys. And this on the fellas cannot touch. (Manly fixed the other one "well enough" and the boys can use it to touch up their rooms mid week.)

** Once a Month Shopping is going . . . okay. The more organized I am the better it goes. I made a master list of what we tend to go through in a month and then took inventory as to what we had and how many. Each month I learn something more about how to be more effeiciant and tweek the system to better meet our needs. Hopefully by the time we move out to the "Farm" I will have the system down and can limit my trips into town. (I tend to be a home body. So, this is a double benifit to me.)

Saturday #2: Manly headed off with 4 of the 5 oldest once again. (Stink Bug stayed to help me around the house) This time out to his folks place to unload everything that they brought down the hill and then off to Buddy's to finish the dirt work in the garage. I had a rather laid back day and was able to have a nice walk even. Another batch of yogart is going, Last one for a while I hope. We now have 21 pints of it.

Sunday: We headed out to church on time, but needed to get fuel. So, we knew we would be a bit late. Half way there we realized that we forgot the milk (2 families at church buy milk from Manly's mom and we are the go-between). We turned around, went home, got the milk, headed to the fuel station and then to church. We got there only 3 minutes late. WOW! After church we talked with a family we had not ween in a number of weeks for 35 minutes; needed to pick up milk jars at the home one of the families we suppy milk to (they live just 2 blks. from church), stayed there and talked for 20 minutes and then had to stop by our friends' church (they had stayed late for a luncheon) to give them some outgrown clothes and some books; we needed to pick up from them some maternity clothes (not for me) and her carpet cleaner. By the time we got home it was . . . 2 o'clock?!?!?! Manly took the oler 4 boys to see the movie "Prince Caspian" and I set to work getting out a terrible stain on our stairs while Busy Bug slept and Lady and Flutter Bugs watched a movie here at home.

P.S.: Most recent batch of yogart did not turn out right. Maybe the milk is too old. I am straining it to see if I can make it into cream cheese. I have never made cream cheese. I hope it turns out. That would be fun.

Memorial Day Weekend

The Memorial Day Weekend we spent out on the land. We camped on my bil and sil place ajacent to our place (they have water and electricity and we do not yet). Thank you guys for extending these ammenities!

This is our home away from home. (It belongs to Manly's parents.) Mama and the two littlest bugs sleep in here . . . . .

The fella's sleep in the loft of "Buddy's" barn. It is a great adventure. Here is the tent that the teen bugs share with their "Fancy" dog . . . . .

And this is the tent (at the other end of the 16'x84' loft) that Daddy and the three middle bugs share with their "Emily" dog. Notice how the top of the support poles are up into the rafters. The tent just barely fit. I think there was only 1 inche to spare on either side of the poles.

I want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to those who selflessly served our nation by standing up for what our nation stands for; for putting your life on the line so that my children, loved ones, and I may live in freedom. Thank you for endless sacrifice.

Children Say The Funniest Things

I had a rough ~~week~~ month and had sat down to write a ~~blog~~ Pitty Party about it. But after reading what I wrote, I decided that I would rather celebrate my blessings than dwell on their imperfections. So, I thought I would share with you how they make me smile (and sometimes laugh out loud).

"Why does Baby Bug have a nose?" asked my Flutter Bug when he was 5 years old. "Well, sweetie why do you have a nose?" I returned. After a bit of deep thought he replied, "If I did not have a nose then when I sneezed I would probably explode. I am glad that the baby will not explode!"

Our Love Bug has always had quite the imagination. When he was 5 years old (that is sure a fun age!) he would wear his wooden sword, that his daddy made for him, in his belt everywhere he went. I asked him one time if he always had his sword with him. "Yes, I even sleep with it," was his reply. "Why do you sleep with it Love?" I asked. He shared with me, "There are pirates that live under my bed and I need to be ready." I was a bit concerned for my little man's safety and asked if the pirates scare him. He casually replied, "No, not really. Most days they sleep in and I am ready before they are."

Grandma had come in from the cold one evening and Hug Bug (almost 4 years old), fresh from a bath, was sitting in only a towel on the couch. Grandma said, "I have very cold hands, where should I put them? (on a naked tummy?)" Hug Bug became very concerned and blurted out, "In . . . uh . . . (deep breath) some mittens!"

Flutter Bug (5 years old) sat down with Daddy to watch some football. He sat directly between Daddy and the television. Daddy said, "Little buddy, I cannot see now. You are blocking my view." Flutter Bug thought about this and responded, "Then I will tell you what is happening. One of the big red guys is trying to throw the ball and the other big guy is trying to take it from him . . . . "

We borrowed my in-laws Suburban to drive to California for my sister-in-laws collage graduation (this was a number of children ago). The one rule was that we could not have any food or drink in the car because they did not want any spills. We set up a bed in the back so that we could take turns sleeping on the trip. Stink Bug (then 2 1/2 years old) was not feeling well. When we stopped for breakfast Nonnie (Grandma) insisted that Stinky eat something (or at least drink some orange juice). When we started driving again I curled up with the little guy in the back to try to get him to sleep some more. All of a sudden he started crying, "I spill my tummy, I sorry, I spill my tummy!" He had thrown up and did not want to be in trouble with Nonnie.

There are many more, but I will end with this one. Hug Bug (5 years old) had been caught lying, and was sent to Mom's room for a spanking. When I arrived to administer the discipline, Huggie was in tears. Through the tears he sobbed, "I said the sinner's prayer, but I am still a sinner, what am I gonna do?" That broke my heart. As I was hugging my little man he asked, "So, are you going to have grace?" (Of course I had to!)

Children are a blessing from the Lord. I am thankful that my cup runnith over with such cute and snuggle-able blessings.

Missing my Man . . . and . . . Teething Troubles

Hubby~ Manly has been working crazy long hours while his parents went on their "Trip of a Lifetime" to Greece and Turkey. (Manly is the supervintendant on one of his dad's jobs ~ a VERY large job.) To boot, while his dad was gone Manly caught the terrrible chest cold we all had here. He could NOT take time off to rest so that he would get better, so it has drug on and on . . . . . Now that Dad is back in the country things are still pretty crazy as they try to wrap up this project, but now his dad is there to help with the responsibility. ~big smile~ We are hoping that Manly's duties will be done "up in the high country" here in the next couple of weeks. Then he will be able to work out on his parent's land / house / shop / office projects (only 20 miles away) AND he will be able to come home every night instead of only twice a week.

Children~ We have had a lot of teeth issues lately. Our oldest, my step-bug, (14 yo) got braces this past Monday. When he was 5 years old he had his two front teeth knocked out while playing tether-ball at school. It took a year and a half before the adult teeth grew in. We were told that without those baby / "milk" teeth to support the adult teeth during developement, that is what caused the teeth grew in crooked -- at a 45* angle. He is VERY excited to get this process underway. (Although he was not to sure for much of this week with all the discomfort.) We found out from the Dentist (during a routine cleaning) that our Stink Bug (he chose the name and assures us that the smell is simply "muscle exhaust") (13 yo) does NOT need braces as originally thought. Everything has adjusted on their own as he has grown, lost more baby teeth, and grown more adult teeth. The next bug down, our Hug Bug (11 yo) and our Flutter Bug (6 yo) do not seem to have any teeth at this time. They are missing 4-6 teeth each. Love Bug (8 yo) and Busy Bug (almost 2) are both cutting teeth ~ a full set of 4. Love bug is getting molars and Busy is getting his eye teeth ~ ouch!!! This makes for an interesting meal-time. There are a lot of soft foods on the menu. Lady Bug (almost 4) has escaped all the teething issues.

Building Project~ Seems to be on hold at the moment as Manly gets things wrapped up "in the high country". He has made a number of contacts though that are willing to pass along their trade discounts. The plumber alone will be able to save us 40% on the cost of materials and supplies. Our next step is to submit for permits. We think that this will take 6-8 weeks to get taken care of. That is just about how much work there is out at Manly's folk's place. God does have perfect timing!

School~ We will wrap up or 3rd quarter this week. Manly's health ordeal back at the beginning of the school year put us behind 6 weeks, and I have not been able to re-gain those weeks. So, we are thinking that we will need to just push on through the summer with school. We will do a modified schedule that will accomidate building and studing. What an adventure!!!

Garden~ We have had a number of dinner-time conversations as to whether or not we should plant a garden this year. Most of the children and I are in favor of it. Manly and one of the older children think we should pass and wait until we are settled out on the Homestead next year. They do not want us to go to all the work of a garden and then have to leave it behind if we move before harvest. I do not want to play the "what if" game and think that we should just "go for it". I enjoy the time of harvesting the "fruits of our labor" and the beauty of the canned goods staring out at me from the pantry; the time spent weeding to pray, think and ponder; about lessons learned ~ sin is like weeds: difficult to get rid of and ready to return uninvited. So, we decided to plant some of the (75'x15') garden, but we have not decided exactly what we will plant and what we will do without this next year. Decisions . . . Decisions!

Family Farm Day

We packed up the family and the dogs and headed out to our land to lay out where we want to build our house.

This first picture is as you head west down the drive. Our van is facing north to south and when we pull into our garage we will face west. The van is parked just north of were the garage will be.

This second photo is looking south-east. This is what we will see as we look out our bedroom window.

The final photo is looking west. This will be our view from the Dining / Great room windows. Long's peak is just beyond those trees. Our home will be slightly elevated on the back (north-west corner). We should be able to see most of the mountains from the main level and certainly from the upper bedrooms.

We are so very excited. My Manly is ready to dig. He is just chomping at the bit.

Updates

I have mentioned a number of things in previous blogs that I have left you hanging on. So, I would like to uppdate you on our House Project; whether we have been successful with Once A Month Shopping; show you we organized the storage room to address All That Clutter; about the Health of our household.

House Project: The achitecht has finished drawing the plans and we LOVE them. So, now they are off to the engineer to make sure that everything is structurally sound and do-able. There should not be any issues. We are not doing anything fancy. It is a simple, yet beautiful Cape Cod style home. The boys will have their "Barracks" in the 27.5' x 17' space above the garage. Our Lady Bug's and the Guest room will be upstairs of the main house. Everything seems so BIG as we are looking at the plans. The new house is less than 4,000 square feet, yet will be more than doubling our living space from what we have now. We liked this plan because of the main floor Master Suite. When all the children have grown and moved out my Manly and I can comfortably live on the one level. It is a very straight forward and comfortable house. The next step is to get the "Site Plan" stating where on the land our house will sit, the we will get the permits for the well, electrical, and septic. So, that is what we are working on now.

Clutter: It is amazing how much stuff a family can aquire over 9 years. We have been slowly going through all the stuff that is everywhere . . . in the storage room . . . in our bedroom . . . in the children's bedrooms . . . in the garage and sheds. I have been getting rid of everything that I have not used in the past year and will not use in the next 4 months. My Manly is not as willing to part with his "collections". Some of the children are better at purging than others. So, we gave each of the older 5 boys a clear bin that will fit under their bed. They can keep whatever fits in that box, with the lid on. That way they can decide what is important to keep and what they can do without. I have organized the storage room so that I can put pantry over-flow items down there. I have three 2'x2'x5' shelves to hold all the dry and canned goods.

Shopping: Speaking of storing all those groceries . . . The once a month shopping is going better than I had expected. It still needs some tweeking, but I like the freedom of NOT having to go out every week to get goods. (I have been making it every 3 weeks.) I am not one to make a menu for the month and shop accordingly. I am not that creative/organized/structured in regards to meals. And now that the older three fella's are each cooking dinner once a week, we need a more flexable "menu". What I have found to work is a "Master Shopping List" that states how much of each item we typically go through in a month. The evening before we go shopping my helper takes inventory of what we have and then I know what we need more of. The only challenge I am having with shopping once a month is fine tuning the list. I am getting there though.

Health: I think I am finally winning the battle against Bronchitis. I have gained a new sympathy for those who suffer with chronic health issues. It has been nearly a month that I have not been able to sustain a "normal work load" (not to mention not being able to go on a walk

). I have decide to pray for my friends and family with chronic health issuses while I am trying to catch my breath after bringing up a load of laundry; when I am sad about not being able to accompany my neighbor on our afternoon walk; when I am lying awake at night just trying not to cough because a coughing fit will cause me not to be able to breath. I am truely bless with an abundance of health and I have gained a new appreciation for that wonderful mercy from the LORD!

Van: We were able to purchase a 15 passenger van with our tax refund. Everyone is very excited, but for Mama, this is huge. Since the first of the year my two babies have been riding in the trunk of our Suburban (they fit the best because they are the smallest and with their car seats Manly assured me that they are safe.). We have an extra seat that is bolted into the frame of the vehicle into the rear space (facing backwards). It was legal and (supposedly) safe, but I did not like it every time I buckled them into the TRUNK! Now everyone can ride in the passenger space of the vehicle and has elbow room to boot.

Well, I should probably get back to cleaning, organizing, purging in the children's rooms. So . . . . . my blogging break needs to be over.

The Speechless Teacher

We, like most of you, have had the yucky gunk going around our house. Our's was a nausty chest cold and the cough that hangs on for weeks. We all got sick early last week. So, by this week we were well on the mend. For me though things turned ugly. Monday I was not feeling great, but was able to do most everything. I just needed to take a nap still when the little ones did. Then Tuesday I was feeling rather tight in my chest and alomst a bit sick to my stomach. My cure-all is to go for a walk. So, that is what I did. It was a very slow walk; I was having a hard time breathing. Then at the playground I had a hard time keeping up with our 20 month old to make sure he did not head for the "big kid" areas. Tuesday night was a rough one. I had to really focus on my breathing and sleep sitting up. Wednesday was much the same as Tuesday; again we went for a walk. I just knew that fresh air and exercise would help me kick the last of this. Well, at the half way point (1.5 miles from home) I could not breath! I had to really focus on the walk home just to breath in for one step and out on the nest step. By the time we got home I was breathing in for three steps and out for three. I called Mom (who has a rescue inhailer that I could use) hoping that she would be getting off from work soon. (We live half way between her work and her home.) GOD IS GOOD!!! Mom was just down the street from me when I called. She was soon here with meds in hand. Long story short . . . . . I have Bronchitis (Asthmatic Bronchitis to be exact). It is something I have had twice before, but not in the last 9 years. So, I missed all the warning signs. I am now feeling MUCH better.

All of this made doing lessons interesting. Since talking makes me cough and coughing makes me unable to breath, I have been a "Speechless Teacher". The most I have been able to talk is a whisper and only for 10-20 minutes at a time. The children have been GREAT. They have really stepped up to fill the need of caring for the little ones and being my voice. I often times have to catch whoever is nearby and ask him/her to holler down the stairs/into the back yard for who I am in need of. They think this is sort of funny since most times I tell them: "Go down/out and tell them. I could have hollered if that was what I wanted."

I think God gives us Independent Spirits trials like this so that we are forced to depend on others. It is good to let, even need, others to serve us.

Unexpected Day Off

Now normally we would not see St. Patrick's day as a reason to take off from school. This year we had reason though. I had the wonderful opportunity to be a Labor Coach / Dula for a dear friend. It was amazing witnessing the miracle of birth from a different perspective. Aimee had to have a C-section with her previous child and was determined to have a 100% natural birth this time. (You are awsome girl- friend) I sat with Aimee all day yesterday as her once very steady labor fizzled out. Then at 3:30 this morning I got the call that she was unmistakeably in real (hard) labor. I grabbed by backpack and off I was (after dear Manly cleaned off the snow and ice from car for me). Aimee had wanted to stay at home and labor as long as possible. Her goal was to make 5 cm before going to the hospital. When we arrived, she was at a good solid 9. WOW! One problem: When she was not pushing, she stayed at a 9, but while pushing her "naughty cervix" would swell shut to a 6. Very frusterating for her. After some coaxing and persuading Little man was born at 5:54 a.m. He is so beautiful. I know you have to say that about your frineds' children, but he REALLY is that beautiful. It was a wonderful experience. I am blessed that my dear friend wanted to share it with me. Finally at noon I headed home for a nap. I know I did not do nearly as much work as the new mama but, I am achy and tired. Go figure.

Well, I am off to love on my dear little ones. Maybe we will curl up with my littlests and a warm blanket and a stack of books. Blessings to you and your loved ones this week.

A Day In My Life: 14 March

Miss Shan at "Honey Hill Farm" invited us to join her and Miss Jenny at "Little Jenny Wren" in sharing with one another on the 14th of each month what a "Day In My Life" looks like. Well, here is what my blessings and I did today:

6.27 a.m.: I got out of bed (27 minutes) late; read Ecclesiastes 4 and John 11; prayed for my husband's "Health" and "Protection" and the children "Developing a Hunger for Things of God" and "Being the Person God Created" (I am using Stormie Omartains' books to help me with praying for my loved ones each day of 2008)

7.10 : Breakfast: banana bread (that Little Princess helped me bake last night) and kefir smoothies

7.50 to 10.20 : CORE (Sonlight Curriculum) with all 7 children. Love Bug was on "Busy Bug Patrol" he helped our Busy Bob not to get into everything

10.20 to 10.40 : Talked with a dear friend that is struggling with a major decision and wanted to get an unbiased opinion; gathered books for review with the oldest two boys while talking

10.40 to 11.50 : Reviewed with the oldests; tring to get on the new schedule that Manly and I worked out while on our get-away is taking a bit of getting used to (I am being more consistant and the boys liked the relaxed, grace that was relyed heavily upon previously); there was a lot that was incomplete and needed to be done before lunch.

12.20 : Biggest fella's eat lunch while little ones have recess and I snuggle little "Busy Bug" and have some special time with him. He is such a great little cuddler. I nearly fell asleep also and had a hard time getting back to doing reviews.

1 to 3 : Review with my fifth grader. He was struggling with some concepts a couple weeks back and so we spent extra time working through those things. Now he is a bit behind and we are needing to do two-a-days to try to catch up. So, review was a bit lengthy today.

2.20 : Manly came home from work early. It was a surprise. We were not expecting him until dinner time. We all miss him very much. It is hard when he has to spend nights away from home. Well, I was able to finish review with my 5th grader with the promise that the sooner we finish the sooner he can go have "Daddy Time" and the other boys would then need to review with me.

3 to 4 : Worked with both my 1st and 3rd graders (hard to do both at the same time, but we were behind schedule)

4 : Had a nice family walk. Our sweet neighbors were able to join us. It is fun for the boys to have their friends to ride their bikes/skate/etc. with

5 : Home from the walk/playing at the park. Turned on the potatoes that I had peeled and chopped while the boys were re-working math problems during review. (I had put pot roast in the Crock-Pot earlier in the day.) Tidyed up the house real quick (I usually like to have this done befroe Manly comes home, but he surprised us to day.

), finished the last preps for supper and set the table for: Pot Roasts with carrots, mashed potatoes and gravy.

6.45 : The boys started evening chores and I finaly got some one-on-one time with my man.

7.30 : Start getting the youngest two ready for bed while the oldest wraped up evening chores

8 : Everyone in bed (even Daddy) and I have time to sit down to pay bill, type up and/or copy lessons for next week, catch up on Care Group e-mails, etc.

God is all around us!

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us.

Moral of the Story: Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there. 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7 ~

--What a great reminder. Even when we are scared, pushed beyond what we feel we can handle (it has been that kind of week here) God is there by our side. He would not leave us.

-- I am currently reading through the book of Ecclesiates and yesterday was chapter 3. Today I received in the e-mail the following link (along with the preceeding story). It is beautiful. Turn on the sound to your computer and enjoy.

I have seen other ladies participating in "Show and Tell Friday". So, I thought that I would share this with each of you ladies. I had down to the pantry to get some applesauce for my littlest and as I set aside the jars that were in front of the one I needed I thought the colors were just so beautiful. Left to right: dill pickles, tomatoes, applesauce and dill-pickled beans with carrots (a favorite family snack) Summer-time in a jar.

Step-Blessings

It has been a little over a month since my step-son came to stay with us. He had been earning failing grades for the past 3 years while living at his mother's home. So, it was decided that if he had failing grades for the first semester of this (2007-2008) school year that he would be sent here (his dad's house) to work on lessons with us for 6 months and then go home. I am having a very hard time with all of this for a number of reasons. I will try to share with you were I am at and still remain respectful toward all people involved. (That is a standard that I set for myself when I started to blog -- I want to share our lives with dear friends and family members that are geographically seperated from us. I want my words to lift up and encourage others that may be in similar situations. I do NOT want to use this forum to tear down anyone. So, if now or in the future I say something that is hurtful, please let me know so that I may evaluate my motives behind the comment and remidy the situation. Thanks!)

I have always struggled with the self-righteousness of thinking that I am the perfect mom and that I have perfect children. Not that I ever put it into those words. I just find myself on a regular basis thinking: "I cannot believe that anyone would let their child (fill in the blank)." So, the idea of having to (patiently) work through someone else's "failures" with their child has made me come face-to-face with that heart issue (okay it is SIN) of mine. My step-blessing has been taught to aspire to a different set of standards than what my Manly and I are trying to insill in our children. I am needing to evaluate "Why do we have (such and such) standard?" and "Is their (such and such) standard a preference issue or a sin issue?" I am needing to stop judging the preferences and only make an issue out of the sin items.

Before my step-blessing came to live with us I had been having difficulty keeping up with having one more student this year. I seemed to always be 3 steps behind and unable to figure out how to catch up. (I think the 6 weeks we got behind with Manly's illness at the start of the school year is what started it all.) So, adding yet one more student has truely been a challenge. I am finding myself frusterated at my step-blessing for me not being able to complete my list each day. I am trying to gauge my sucess on a man-made list of what is expeced of me (how foolish is that?) and when it is not met at the end of the day I become frusterated with the one I feel caused the short-coming. Frusteration: Isn't that simply selfish anger? Sounds like another sin issue in MY heart.

So, I have decided to search out the positive not only in the life of my step-blessing, but also in the situation. Having my step-blessing here has: 1.) enabled him to see us live out our faith. He does not have that exposure at him mom's home; 2.) forced our other children to hold firm on their convictions and not allow other people's choices to influence them (this is a tough one); 3.) provided my Manly and I the opportunity to explain why we do what we do (in regards to homeschooling, tithing, single income home, home industry, etc.); 4.) showed me more clearly where their is SIN in my heart. I need to let go of anger and allow God to fill in the missing years / understanding between SB and Manly & I; 5.) has helped me to evaluate my own motives behind not only what I say about other people, but also what I THINK.

Looks like I have discoved a number of areas that I can improve in my own heart (and I am sure we are just getting started). Self-evaluation sure can get icky and sticky!

Time For Projects

This weekend was VERY productive !! On Saturday I went shopping for the entire month of March. This is something new that I am testing out. It seems that the grocery bill is climbing TOOOO fast. I understand that growing children eat a lot, but this is too much too fast. I am hopping that by stocking up on what we use regularly and buying produce that is in season (or at least on sale) we can keep this part of the budget under control. I tend to cook with certain foods regularly and so that is what I made sure I have plenty of. After shopping we headed out to the in-law's farm to pick up 2 1/2 gallons of fresh goat milk. I had only the two littlest ones to be in charge of and a big guy to help with the shopping and lifting. I felt practically naked.

When I got home I found that my dear Manly had helped one of the boys clean out the fridge (I am talking Spring Cleaning come early!) so that I had a place to put all those groceries. After all the parishables were attended to I headed down stairs to attack the storage room so we would have a place to put the dry and canned goods. I did not clear out as much as I had hoped, but I have a shelf and a half to use for groceries. I stocked those shelves and even had time to clean out the garage fridge (That is typically used only in the summer to store all the garden veggies.) to put the extra produce from shopping in. I am praying that I can make this new system work. For what I bought (that I think should last one month) it cost the same as two weeks of "normal" shopping and only took me an extra half hour. So, it was WELL worth the time and money IF it lasts as long as I figured.

On Sunday church was cancelled due to blizzard condidtions. So, after a bit of Family Church I was able to work on my MANY projects. I finally finished the children's Christmas pajama pants. Busy Bug did not get a pair this year. My pattern only goes down to size 4/5 and he is in 2T, but Manly got a pair to wear as thermals. Here are all my dear loved ones modeling thier sleepwear. (yawn)

I cut out 20 or so pairs of bloomers. I want to have plenty for Miss Lady Bug before summer comes; I have a friend that wants to buy a few pair for her girls and they make great gifts for Lady Bug's little girl-friends. (Whom all seem to have summer birthdays.) The colors are so fun!!

TOO . . . . . MUCH . . . . . CLUTTER ! ! ! ! !

Back in November of last year I decided that I was going to clean out the storage room as part of our fall cleaning. We lost some panrty space in the process of re-arranging things when Austen came, and I was hoping to clear a bit of space on the storage shelves to use for boxed goods. Well, we all had the flu that week and did not get anything done. Gradually some of the other cleaning has gotten done. But, I have not yet ventured to start the storage room because I know that it will create a much larger mess before I can reduse the mess.

WELL . . . . this weekend it is getting done! I have asked Manly (okay lets be honest, nearly begged) not to work out at his folks this weekend so that he can be POD while I clean and organize. I am hoping to start shopping only once a month for groceries and I NEED to have someplace to put all the "stuff". It is odd, I am a bit excited to have the time to myself to clean. I am rather looking forward to it.

While cleaning I need to brainstorm. Our 14th anniversary is coming up next week and I want to do something special for Manly. He is a very spontaious guy and always surprises me. I want to plan something fun yet inexpensive. If you ladies have any ideas they would be welcomed. (One year I filled his car with balloons that each had a Hershey's "Hug" or "Kiss" candy in them. Manly had to pop the balloons just to get into his car to go to work. He was finding candy all the way up to Memeorial Day. He would bring the candy in and ask: "How about a Kiss / Hug?" It was fun.)

Nonnie's Granola

Now that we have yummy honey and will soon be able to make yogart, it is time to head to the local Whole Foods to pick up the fixin's for . . . . .

I usually make 12-16 batches and freeze them in gallon bags. After letting the granola sit on the pans and cool for a couple of minutes I dump it into a brown paper bag to cool. (Otherwise it tends to stick to the pan if allowed to cool completely on the pans.) My children love to snack on this (before or after it has been cooked) whether plain or with yogart and fruit. It is a family favorite.

Milk and Honey

It feels like spring around here. My mother-in-law's milk goats are kidding and that means that we have fresh, raw, goat milk again. During the end of the gestation the does have to be "dried off" so as not to put too much stress on their bodies. We have been getting milk again for only 2 weeks and already the children are anxious to start making yogart. (That is still a month or two off, when that kids wean.) For now though there is enough milk for drinking and making kefir (every other day).

Then last week a friend told me of a local man who raises honey bees. I went and picked up 60# (5 gallons) of beautiful, raw, unfiltered, locally grown honey. We use honey for nearly everything. We found out a few months ago that one of our children does not process refined white sugar well. (It was causeing almost an allergic reation.) Not that we have sweets all the time, but it is surprising how many things have a little sugar here or there in the recipe. Switching to only natural sugars has made a dramatic difference for our little guy. I am also going to try having my husband eat a Tablespoon of it each day and see if that will help deminish his June allergies.

I am off to kiss and pray up the little ones and then cuddle them down into bed for the night.