The Up side of soaring gas prices

Ok, I know you all are thinking there cannot be an upside to gas prices being so high. Yesterday I put $50 in my mini van and it barely hit the half full (or would that be half empty?) mark. We, as a family, like everyone else have been trying to cut back and I have noticed some improvements in our lives by this. So here is my bright side to the gas gloom:

~ I do more home cooking. I have always liked to cook, but now I am planning fun Sunday evening meals, like pancakes instead of McDonald's where for the grand price of $30 we can clog our arteries and fill up on msg.

~ We are staying home more on the weekends. No more trips down to the beach or to Orlando. We have been playing more board games. Last weekend Esther kicked all our booties in monopoly. Family time has increased and been sweeter
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~ We are not going to see every movie that comes out! There are free older movies at the theater in the summer, so we will go to that and then when the kids get to go to see a new release it will be a treat. It also keeps the mind numbing Hollywood mindset away, but that is a far longer ,more serious post.

~ Appreciation for extras is beginning to take place. I have not bought any type of cokes for a long time and yesterday at Publix they were 5 cases for $11, so everyone got to pick out a case. There was great dancing and rejoicing in the aisle.

~ I am shopping less for frivolity. We are making due with what we have and we are not lacking.....who knew that could happen!!

I know that there are a lot of people that are in a lot worse financial shape than us and I realize that the economy is serious, but I just wanted to list some good things this crunch has taught us in the last few month!

Summer Entertainment

I have been able to watch quite a few movies since it is summertime and I wanted to give my humble reviews:
Miss Potter ~ a delightful movie about Beatrix Potter that is just so sweet and Abby and I loved it. Even Greg enjoyed it.
Amazing Grace ~ I honestly can't believe that it has taken me so long to sit down and watch this movie! It was a very very moving and inspirational and thankfully, clean.
Prince Caspian ~ I thought it was even better than the Lion, the witch and the wardrobe. My kids loved this movie and we will most likely be buying the dvd!
Kung Fu Panda ~ Not bad, not great. I would have rather rented it than go to the movies
Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull ~ One of the dumbest, unbelievable movies I have watched in a long time! When it was over, I wished that I could perform mental bulimia and throw up the previous wasted hours! Take a tip...don't go see it!
We just rented The Sacketts mini series that I guess was on tv at one point in time. Nathan is on a western kick and I am trying to find some without the bad language and really bad violence (that knocks Clint Eastwood out!). I will have to let you all know if it is good in a later post.
Here is my Summer Reading List too:
The Crossroads by Bev Lewis
Tales of a Hollywood Nobody by my pal, Lisa Samson
Crazy Love by Francis Chan * I am almost through with this book and would highly recommend it * (Click on the title to go to his website)
Biography of Beatrix Potter ( see review of Miss Potter above)
Biography of Daniel Boone (we will be studying frontiersman in school this year and I want to be ready!)
Biography of William Penn
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
Growing up Plain by Shirley Kurtz
The Pillars of Earth by Ken Follett ( I have heard good things about this book and I am hoping to read it this summer, but it better be really good for me to stick with this almost 1,000 page novel)
The brides of Webster county by Wanda Brumsetter (4 books in all)

Any "must read " books or "must see" movies anyone would like to share with me??

My simple Daybook

I found this really cool blog and how women are posting a daybook once a week. Since I am going through a serious case of Bloggers Block, I thought I would give it a try! Just click on the picture if you want to see all who are participating (there is a bunch!!) Maybe I am just nosy, but seriously, I could read other people's blogs for hours!



FOR TODAY (June 17, 2008)...
Outside My Window... The sun is shining bright
I am thinking...I really need to go finish folding clothes
I am thankful for...My family and all the love I feel from them
From the kitchen...I made yeast rolls and chicken for lunch
I am wearing... a jean jumper and green top
I am creating...a new blog post..about time!
I am going...to the movies tonight
I am reading...The postcard by Beverly Lewis
I am hoping...we can sell our house soon
I am hearing...nothing, which makes me wonder what my children are doing!
Around the house...I am going through closets and getting rid of junk
One of my favorite things... is coffee on a cool morning
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:... finish decluttering my house, mop my floors, maybe even scrapbook a little.
Here is the picture I am sharing....

It's Summertime

We are in the heat of summer here in Florida and boy do I feel it! I have zero energy when it is so hot! I am trying to have a garage sale on Saturday, but every time I go out in the garage to work, I quickly find a reason to come back inside!! So bright and early Saturday morning I will be in the driveway selling "treasures". Love going to yard sales..having them, not so much!

The kids have VBS this week and seem to be enjoying it. We have a wedding Greg is preaching next weekend, and guess what??It's outside!! Abby said she is not going unless she can wear her bathing suit....can't say that I blame her. Poor Greg, he will have to wear a suit.

We have a few weeks of just being home before we fly up to Virginia for a few days. I am looking forward to swimming in mom and dads pool and hopefully enjoy some cooler nights.

We have only been out of school 3 weeks and I am already itchy to get back at it. I went to a curriculum sale in Orlando and scored a KONOS Vol 1 for $6 (new it is $99). I am working on my planner for next year and trying to plan out a year long calendar.

Greg and I had our 13 year anniversary yesterday. I am so thankful God let me marry my best friend. We had a good date night out last night. We went to Outback (my fav.) and coldstone. Lets just say I didn't keep up my ww points yesterday.

Hope everyone is doing good. I miss my parents and Virginia "peeps". I miss my new NC friends. Love you all and see ya soon.

Esther's graduation

Here are some pictures of Esther's kindergarten graduation~!

Revisiting Mitford

Every few years I decide to reread the Mitford Books by Jan Karon. They are by far my favorite series of books. I have probably read the first book, At home in Mitford about 5 times! It is such a sweet gentle read and I enjoy it so much. If you have never read any of these books, I would highly recommend them.

I tend to relate the type of books I read like beverages. I know that is weird...but, work with me here and think of it like this:

The Bible ~ like milk... Does a body good, necessary for growth
Christian, self help books ~ Orange juice. Some times pretty good, other times taste like aluminum foil!
Modern day christian romance books ~ Diet coke, won't hurt, doesn't help a lot either just enjoyable.
Historical Fiction ~ A fruit smoothie ~ More substantial and still yummy!
Classic English literature ~ A v8. It is good for me, but I tend to have to hold my nose to get it all down...and not very often.
Mitford Books ~ A venti pumpkin spice latte ( and those that know me know this is high praise!)

So if you like coffee, v8s ,diet cokes or smoothies, drink something so you don't dehydrate and always remember to have your daily dose of "milk".

End of the school year photos

Since I took pictures when we began the school year, I thought I would post some pictures of the end of our school year. My, how they have grown in the last 10 months!

closet cleaning

Confession: I am a clothes hawg!!! :)

I love buying clothes and keeping clothes.I am a collector of clothes! I have been going through and trying to weed out things I no longer wear though and I have two large garbage bags in my garage to take to the goodwill now.

Last night before church, I was trying to find a certain black top to go with my pink summer skirt. I looked and looked. Now, mind you, I have 6 (yes, that is right 6!!) black tops in my closet of various styles and shapes,but I wanted a certain one that I think I put in the goodwill bags.
Let me tell you, the urge to pull those bags open and rifle through for my long lost shirt was tempting, but if it was in the bags, at one point I had decided I didn't need it anymore! I didn't really need that shirt, I just wanted it. I ended up choosing a whole different outfit, but it got me thinking...

How many times in our lives do we give something over to the Lord and say,"take it, it is not good for me, I don't need this _______ (sin, habit, thought pattern,image, guilt), it is not good for me" and then we go and try to claim it back again just like I did with my shirt.

"I, even I am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25) If the Lord takes theses things and remembers them no more, then we should not either. If you are trying to bring something back into your life that you have given to God, be it for guilt or pleasure, don't. Just leave it in God's hands...that is where it belongs.

How many times do you hear a voice in your head telling you that you are nothing or a failure or worthless? Those thoughts are not from God, put them in the garbage bag! How many time do you feel guilty for sin you have already ask the Lord for forgiveness from? Garbage bag!
Satan wants this garbage in our life. The clutter of it keeps us from seeing the blessings God has given us and the confidence to serve Him. While it is a very good idea to clean out the closet and weed out the junk, it is even a better idea to do the same to our hearts...and leave the garbage where it belongs!

Now, off to reevaluate those garbage bags in the garage, I think I threw my cute pink capri's in there too....just kidding!

A Verse for the Day

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

There was a CD out about a year ago called Glory Revealed that a few contemporary christian artist had gotten together and taken scripture and put it to music. Mac Powell from Third Day was one of the artist, so I had to buy the cd. It was an awesome cd and one of my favorite songs was from the verse above. I have been a christian for almost 30 years ,went to christian school and Bible college and I never remember hearing this verse until that song.

I am reading Max Lucado's book Just like Jesus right now in my quiet time and I read about this verse again this week. Now this book was written about 5 years ago and I am just now reading it. Why have I never heard this verse before? In my opinion, it should be one of the first verses a new believer memorizes!

The God of all creation rejoices over me! He sings over me He quiets me with His love. The image of a mother rocking her newborn to sleep, singing a lullaby, cooing love for the child is what I see when I hear this verse. We don't have to have had a good day and been a good boy or girl to get this love...we only have to be His child.

If there is anyone out there who reads my blog that feels alone or in need of a hug, just climb right up in God's big ol rocking chair and let him sing you to sleep and love on you. It's not a chore...He delights in it....He delights in you!

Homeschool year in Review

Well, it is May and so I thought I would redo my blog a little and make it more springy! Greg said he did not like the "weird, bambo" look I had going on in April. :)
Ah, if only redecorating my house was as easy as redecorating my blog! Happy May Days Ya'll!

The little boy that we thought would be up for adoption isn't. As of right now the hearing has been continued another 6 weeks in order for the birthmom to get her act together. She has not visited the child one time in his whole life, but she still claims to want him. Just thought I would let you all know and thank you for praying.