Our Olympic Weekend

We had chinese food, made an Olympic Cake and watched tv this weekend.

I found this poem on a homeschooling website and loved it!

If I had my child to raise all over again, I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites. I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the new house later.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd teach less about the love of power, and more about the power of love.
~~Diane Loomans

Random blogging

The Countdown has begun...13 days until Disney! 18 days until we move! 25 days until we start school! Until then, here is some random thoughts, opinions and updates:

*I have been reading this series of books by Stephenie Meyer called Twilight. The last book came out Saturday and has been criticized so much. I, for one ,just want to say I thought it was a good book. So many people said they didn't like it because the ending wasn't "real" enough. Seriously, the books are about a girl who falls in love with a vampire! How real can the be??

* If you ever need to move, the best place to get boxes are Bed Bath and Beyond. They have awesome boxes and they smell good! Just a warning, if you go more than 5 times, the stock boys might start asking you if you are married or if you have plans for the evening....not that I would know or anything!

*I am addicted to Panera Bread's Asian sesame chicken salad and baked potato soup. Every Wednesday this summer the kids have went to my Mother in Laws to play and I have had a day to myself. I go to Panera and take my teacher's planner and work on the coming school years plans. It has been so relaxing and productive to go there.

*We are going camping at Disney World for 4 nights. I toss back and forth from being excited to terrified. Camping? In August? It will either be a blast or a disaster...I'll keep ya posted.

*I really love my ipod touch that Greg gave me for Mother's Day. I am getting more and more comfortable with it and rarely leave the house without it. The only problem is it is making me into a bit of a tech junkie. I am looking at electronic websites and dreaming of computers, video cameras and cool cell phones...weird

* Never underestimate the power of a $20 pedicure. It really can lift your spirits and make you feel pretty.

Third Days new cd Revelation is awesome! It is so good I cannot even pick a favorite song. Mac just keeps getting better.

Hope everyone has a really good end of summer. 45 days until fall. Yippee Skippee

The Church and the parsonage

Moving

I have been hesitant to make this post on my blog until we were able to tell everyone that we needed to tell, but we are moving. Greg was voted in as the pastor at Goodwill Baptist Church in Kernersville, NC in June. We will be moving at the end of August or the beginning of September.

The 4 years we have lived in Florida have been such a learning experience for us. I am thankful that the kids were able to spend some time with Greg's Papa before he went to heaven, I am thankful that Greg was able to work with his dad, I am thankful that our marriage has survived my homesickness and is stronger for it. I am thankful for all the friends we have made, our Florida family and our church family.

Greg has felt that God was calling him back into full time service for a while now and we have prayed that the Lord would lead us to the church that HE wanted us at. A retired pastor from WV called us about Goodwill and thought we would be a good match, and so we prayed about it and went to visit...
It is so awesome when God gives you a peace about somewhere and that is what He did for us with Goodwill. We are excited to begin our ministry there. We are excited to get to know the people we have met in the church.

We are going to live in the parsonage and I am still going to be homeschooling. I will post a few pictures for those who were wanting to know where we will be. Please pray for us as we move and adjust and as the kids adjust. Right now they are very excited and I have a lot of cool activities for school planned this fall, but I would appreciated your prayers for them as we leave Florida.

Vacation

We had a great time in North Carolina and Virginia last week. The kids loved playing in Nana and Gramp's pool. Church on Sunday was really good. I can't wait until we are moved in and settled.

4th of July

We had a very low key 4th weekend. We thought about going to the beach, but just couldn't get motivated to go! So we stayed home and grilled hamburgers and made yummy peach ice cream. I took the girls to see the American Girl movie, Kit ( a big thumbs up to that movie!!)

The kids played in the rain that afternoon and then we had a camp out in our bedroom and let all the kids sleep in there. We told stories and watched fireworks out the bedroom window. Here is a few pictures I thought I would share!

Shout OUT!

A friend of mine that I taught school with in King, NC has just become a published author! She also speaks to ladies groups and has a really great testimony. If you like reading christian fiction especially mysteries, I encourage ya'll to buy her book!
www.lizzyarmentrout.com

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
.
~ 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.