Healing

I haven't posted a blog for a couple of weeks, and so much has happened. I think that we have had another 7 inches of snow and the winter just keeps going on.

Kevin, Jordan, Alivia and myself in addition to my mother-in-law went to Disney on Ice in Feb. Our girl scout troop went (47 total) and we all had a blast. Then we went to the Clay Center for a Women in Engineering Day. We made very tasty ice cream, a rubber ball, snow and pryamids out of newspapers. We saw the science fiction costume display and now the girls all want to be Wonder Woman.

I have been sick for about 2 weeks now. I have had at least 3 ailments. I go back to the surgeon (Dr. Short) on Thursday to see what we do now. They think I have a tear somewhere and hopefully it will heal itself. I feel better than I did, but I am not fully restored. I am so thankful for all of the prayers that have gone before the Lord in my name. I am a true believer in the power of prayer.

I am looking for places to vacation during the summer. We know that we want to go to the beach somewhere, just not sure of when. Either OBX or Myrtle. I don't care, I have been to both and I just want a nice quiet and cheap vacation. I don't know if they make such a thing.

I hope that each of you have a wonderful week and that God Blesses each of you.

The Camera Explosion

I didn't know that digital cameras could explode. I wonder if Samsung knows this? This past Saturday night I took a picture of Kevin's first pie. He used self-rising flour instead of plain, and it grew and grew and grew. IT was everywhere in the oven. I took a picture of it and then I shut off my camera and it made a popping sound, like a 22 and that was all she wrote for it. When you shake it, it sounds like a light bulb that has shot. I am so disappointed. I haven't even had it for two years. I guess I am now in the hunt for a new camera. We went furniture shopping yesterday and I am amazed at how much furniture actually is. There was a set of queen size mattresses that cost almost $3,000.00 and I almost lost my breath. I can make my house payments for almost 10 months with that. Bunk beds for the girls cost as much as a bed for me and kevin. Maybe this is why so many people are struggling to buy these things, they are overpriced. I can see paying 1,000 for a real oak bed and a dresser and mirror and a nightstand, but when they say 5 piece and they are talking about the rails, and footboard and headboard for a 1,000 and they are made of chipboard, then I would rather just buy a metal frame and forget about it. It is CRAZY!!!Just for kicks I thought I would post the pictures that killed the camera. Believe it or not, the pie was very good, it was my favorite....chocolate chip pie. The other pictures are from our boredom when the power was off for several hours and the jewelry box workshop that the Girl Scouts did at Lowes' on Saturday.

God Bless each of you this week.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone. My plans for a nice dinner were cancelled, as if that was a surprise. An outside force plus a serious sinus infection were to blame. I did still enjoy my day though, as much as a snotty nose would allow. This morning the girls and I went to a Lowe's Create and Build Workshop and made jewelry boxes. I am not a carpenter, but they turned out very well. They earned a patch from it for their tunics. I did take a nap, because the sinus meds I am taking are a killer. Through all of this, I think of I Corinthians 13. It tells us what LOVE is and what it is not. I have to read this chapter quite a bit about how love does NOT act. I read it as a reminder of how I need to love my family, my husband, and even myself. The part about being rude is especially for me. If I don't get my way, then I can get so rude with Kevin that after the fact, I am so embarrased. Today is a day to think about the Bible verse John 3:16, Jesus was God the Father's Valentine to us. We get Him everyday, not just once a year. In that verse is the word VALENTINE. Write it out, and look for it.

Can

This and That

Today it was just Jordan that had to do school. Alivia is sick, and she slept until 12:30. She has a head and chest cold. The coughing is just starting. Last night I taught about 15 kids in children's church. Jennifer and Linda helped. It me remember that those women who have 17 kids are absolutely crazy. I had a great time though, and I can't wait until it is my turn again.

Jordan is learning to count by 5's and she is doing quite well with it. I was going to start working on telling time this week, but I decided to wait until next week. I want to let her practice more on the counting by 5's. We also began the long E sound today. We have to write a story tomorrow that uses long E sounds. I have a feeling that there will be queens and dreams mentioned in this one.

I have been reading my new devotional book that I purchased in Pittsburgh. It is called the Power of a Positive Wife. Right now.. at this moment, they are all fighting in the living room and I am thinking.. positive yea right. It is a good book though, and I am glad I bought it. Here are a couple of new pictures that we took last night when we were getting ready for church. I think they are great.

Family Saturdays

Alivia has been fighting a nasty cold for a couple of days, on Thursday morning she must have gotten too hot, because she vomitted and she just felt miserable the whole day. She didn't do much with school on Thurs. of Fri. She is feeling somewhat better today and she is now playing the drums with her popcorn tin.

Kevin is fighting a sinus infection today and he gets so sick with them, I think he would be better off to get the flu. He is whiny when he is sick, as I guess most males are. Anyway.....

Today the girls and I cleaned the house. Most of it anyway. We mopped their room, which was a disaster area, and the hallways and living room. I can't wait until summer so that we can sand and wax our floors. The only thing I hate about hardwood floors is the fact that you have to sweep 2-3 times a day around here.

To take a break, the girls and I made brownies and then we made Rice Krispie treats for children's church tomorrow night. We put red food coloring in the marshmallows and made them a pretty pink color. I threw in some peanut butter too. I thought it would be nice to watch Wall-E on PPV this evening. So I bought it and then realized that the dumb thing doesn't come on until 11:00 tonight. What a crock! So, I will DVR it and watch it between church goings tomorrow.

Jordan is a good helper around the house. She loves to dust, help mommy mix up things and then she loves to eat what we have made. She must be going to grow more, I haven't been able to fill her up today.

I am thankful that the girl scout cookie orders are almost over. Our service unit sold almost 6,000 boxes of cookies. That is really good, since there are only 60 girl scouts in our county at the present time. The Diana troop actually sold 1700 boxes themselves this year. They were the county high sellers. I am proud of my troop. They have overcame alot and stuck together. The parents have been very supportive of my leadership, and I am thankful for my little group.

Kids

Today after school Alivia was playing on our big whiteboard and she tells me to "Watch and learn, mommy." She is so funny. Yet- this evening when I was fixing supper I started to think about something. I am not one to watch and then learn. I am the one who learns the hard way. I don't read the directions to a project and then I wonder why the bookcase is lopsided.

I am learning side by side with my kids in school. Sometimes what works with Jordan does not work with Alivia and then vice versa. I have to watch them and learn that something isn't working for them. My kids have a different learning style than I do at this stage.

We got our books from Alpha Omega this week. I was so excited to get them. I love Alivia's set of books, but I think I messed up on Jordan's. I ordered her the Kindergarten level, and the only thing in the math book that we haven't covered is the telling of time. The Language Arts section is about the same. It does show how other letter combos make the long vowel sound. So once again I am resourcing from the internet and other matierials that I have here at home. It is a dillema that I am in. I don't want her to work ahead, but I don't think that I have much of a choice at this time.

At this moment my kids are playing dodge balloon with their daddy in the living room. So far nothing has been broken and noone is crying. That is a miracle in itself. They have such a good time playing with their dad, but the house suffers for it afterwards.

I am still doing laundry and putting up my clothes from my weekend in the panhandle. I think about my friends and the lives that we lead now. It is great to see that everyone is doing the works of God, in some way or another. What ever your calling, do it with all of heart, soul and being and you will inherit the kingdom of God. What a great incentive.

Revelations!!

I know the title of the blog sounds like the book from the Bible, but my thoughts aren't about that. Well. entirely. I took a long weekend to myself this past weekend. Something that I thought I really needed, and I did need a break from the same old same old, but it was not from my family, it was my physical environment. I admit it, I love the faster paces, the convenience of every store imaginable being within 15 to 20 minutes. The culture and opportunity. Then one the morning I was set to leave, I began to dread the 3 hour trip home. It was then that I realized that I would have to drive this far to see my family and to be able to slow it down a little bit. I love the fact that my yard is flat and that I can let my kids play in the yard safely while I am in the house. I can grow a garden in my yard. So after all of this rambling, I came to the fact that I can always drive to the city for a weekend, but I couldn't unwind or play outside as much or not worry about who my neighbors were. God put me in this little community for a reason, and it will just take time to see why.
I did enjoy so much seeing my old friends. I am glad that each of us are still with God and they have a wonderful ministry. They work with the youth of their church and I think that is so important especially in today's time. It is neat to see each of them with kids, especially Howie and Toni. They have a cute little girl who makes the funniest faces.
As I said before, God puts us where he wants us. Each of us has a purpose, to reach one or to reach many.

Memories

Today would have been my granny and papal's 59th wedding anniversary. I miss her more each day. It was a sobering morning, then my attitude changed. I am finally going on a ME ME ME weekend. That may sound selfish, but I have been selfless for the past 7 years. I so need a break from the daily grind.

The title of this blog is memories. That is what I am hoping to make this weekend. I plan to visit some old friends from college and to see some neat little sites along the way. I want to make it up to the Marble King, the Homer Laughlin Plant and to a spa. I haven't had my nails done in 8 years. Most of all I am looking forward to a weekend to spend some time with alone with God, to get my bearings and just seek Him. I want to find out what He has in store for me and what works that I need to be doing. It is amazing at my own change in attitude. Things that used to upset me just don't have that privilege anymore.

I have my trip almost planned out. I am still working on the little things. I am looking for neat places to eat. My trip one way is 189.17 miles. That is directly to my friend's house. So I am guessing 250 each way.

My kids are not happy about this trip. They wonder what they are going to eat while I am gone, plus they just don't like to be left behind. Jordan is especially upset with me. She wants to shop, do her hair and nails and hang out with mom. Alivia- I think she could care less. Kevin is especially supportive of the trip. He knows that I need this. He simply asked me when I was coming home. He didn't TELL me, he ASKED me. It is nice when a marriage works that way. Consideration. A gift that is learned.

Enjoy your weekends, hopefully no snow will invade our plans.

Snow .....Again

I woke up this morning to about 5 inches of snow. I am begining to wonder if Global Warming has came to WV or if it is completely passing up by. The month of January has been mostly all white. I believe that Webster County has had at least 6 school closures, and numerous 2 hour delays. It has provided my girls with alot of fun. I love the snow, until someone drives through it and it gets dirty. I have been wanting to get outside, but it is raining here and the weather channel says that there is a possibility of flooding. Good Grief.
An update on the plans for Valentine's day. I am still looking for something to compliment the Italian dinner. I have been trying to locate some of Kevin's family that is still in Naples, Italy. I am not having much luck in it though. I spent about 2 hours on it last night and came up with one similar spelling. Pray for me as I really think this would be a neat gift for him.

Love is in the AIR!

Oh...Valentine's Day is coming up and every year I try to think of something neat to do for Kevin. This year I though it would be cool to take in some authentic Italian cuisine. My husband's paternal grandmother was a GI bride from Naples, Italy. She passed away shortly after Kevin and I started going out. He misses those hearty meals of lasagna, spaghetti, brushola, and numerous other dishes. So, I started searching the web and realized that there was a highly rated cafe just 1/2 hour from my home. Cafe Cimino. I found their website and checked out their menu and my mouth started watering!!! I can't wait until Valentine's day myself. I actually get to dress up and go out to dinner with my husband! We are celebrating our 6th Valentine's as a married couple and I think it is important to still go on dates. I love the freedom to laugh, go to the bathroom alone, and not share my food with someone who doesn't like their's. If only for a few hours. It is those few hours that reconnect you with someone or even yourself. I haven't made up my mind about what else I am going to do as part of a "Package of Heritage" gift. I don't have much time to come up with it either. If any of you have ideas, tell me on facebook. (in the message section). I hope that each of you have a special Valentine's day. You don't have to be with someone to appreciate yourself. Hey- pretty profound isn't it?

GEOCACHING HERE WE COME!!

As a Girl Scout Leader in a very rural area it is hard to find things to do that are accessible and affordable at the same time. I was browsing the web and saw something about geocaching. I had heard about it from one of my friends on facebook, so I started exploring. I have signed up for it and am now looking for an affordable GPS unit. I can't wait to take my troop on a treasure hunt. I think they will be great at it. Another thing that I hope to expose them to is glass making. WV has a long history of glass making. In March we are checking out the WOW Factory in Mo-town WV. I hope to schedule a demonstration at Hinkle's or another one in Weston that day, to show them how people make glass.
We are gearing up for the Disney on Ice show in February. After that we are going to the Clay Center to participate in "Girls in Engineering" day. There are going to be several displays and booths for us to participate in.
Hope everyone is warm. It really won't be long until the tulips and Easter Lillies are poking through the ground.

The sun was out today and it was a welcome change. The girls were disappointed that the snow melted. I was busy today wiht getting things ready for our girl scout meeting. We made birdseed biscuits. The girls did a great job. I found the idea in a FamilyFun magazine. There are so many ideas to be found in that magazine. I have found some interesting websites on the net. I have been looking for ideas to make lessons more interesting for Jodie and Liv. World Thinking Day is coming up. It is a Girl Scout day in which we learn about girl scouts in other countries. We have chosen Ireland this year as our country. Most of us are of Irish descent, so it seemed the obvious choice. I can also incorporate it into my homeschool lessons in March.

Tomorrow we will finish up our third week of school. It has came a long way. We are going to starting preparing for the Iowa test next week. Pray for us!!

I am trying to upload photos of our day in the snow, but I am not having much luck with it. Hopefully I can figure it out. I have been busy this evening with finding places for people to get together at Myrtle Beach this summer. Hopefully I can find something cheap. Several of us are interested in getting together. The beach sounds like a nice place when I look out my window and see 5 inches of snow.

Let's Play in the Snow!!

Snow, Snow and more Snow. The public school system hasn't had but 3 days of school in the last 10. We have trucked along though, we did take Monday off for MLK jr. Day. Today was a good day. Jordan is learning the long a sound and that most of the time the e is magically silent. Our ocean unit is going well. We read the book, "She Sells Seashells by the Seashore" today. Yes- it was hard for me to read. They thought it was funny. Alivia is counting objects to 10. Jordan is counting objects by 2's. Today we used seashells as our objects. We start on counting by 5's next week and also subtraction. We were very busy today. We are still talking about Day 4 of creation and the seasons.
Kevin didn't have to work today due to the weather, so after school and lunch we headed outdoors for some fun in the snow. There has got to be some use for it after all. The girls and their dad had a blast sleight riding. I was the camera woman. I laughed so much I think I have wrinkles around my eyes now.
I will bet it amused our Lord too. To see grown people enjoy this day with their children must make His heart glad. I am thankful each day for my children and the joys of hearing their laughter. My husband laughs just as loudly as my kids. Next time it snows, get outside and just laugh. It does a heart and your soul good.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

I used to love the snow, but it has snowed constantly for about one week, not to mention that it dropped below zero a few times as well. I think snow is fantastic from December 23rd to January 2nd and then it needs to warm up to 65 degrees. My kids on the other hand, think it is the best thing. Alivia (4 yrs) thinks that it is Christmas when it snows. Today we went to the library and the whole time we were there she could not wait to get home to play in the stuff. She loves to make snow angels. I have a heavenly host all over my yard. Jordan loves to bomb her dad with snowballs whenever he is in the vicinity. She laughs the entire time she is outside. It is a great noise that I love to hear. This snow isn't the best for snowmen and thank goodness for that, because every time they make a snowman, I lose my hats, scarves and gloves. I find them when the snow finally melts about a week later.

School went well today. We are doing a unity on the ocean. We did math with seashells and we talked about salt water and fresh water. Liv thinks that her beta Ol' Blue would like to live in salt water. So, I had to hide the salt shakers. It amazes me at how interested in marine life my girls are. Jordan is learning a new /a/ sound. She picked it up very quickly. Liv is learning the letter D and we are still working on the number 2. She makes them backward but she knows how to count objects out. We have been working on fine motor skills too. Scissors can be tricky for 4 year olds. Hopefully we will start piano lessons in the near future and that will be fine art exposure for them. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Girl Scout Cookies

It is that time of year again when the little Brownies and other troops are selling Girl Scout Cookies. I am the leader of a troop of multi-aged girls. We have Daisies, Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes. I set a team goal of 1200 boxes. Which is actually 100 cases. I don't think we are going to have the problem of selling that many cookies. My troop is doing a fantastic job of reaching their goals.

The problem I have with the Girl Scout cookies is that they are ADDICTIVE!!! The samoas and the thin mints, it is hard to stop at just one box. Let alone one cookie. My entire family loves them. To date, Jordan has sold 90 boxes and she has just 60 boxes to go to meet her goal of 150 boxes. I am proud of her and her efforts. She does great for a 6 year old. This is a picture of her and buddy Abbi at a hockey game in early January. They are wearing their Daisy uniforms. We paid for this trip with money they made from selling the fall product. We set a goal of 308 items and they sold over 400. Way to go.

New to blogging.

Thought we would try this blogging thing to update as many of our family members as possible at one time. Today was warmer than yesterday's high of 4 degrees. Last night it actually got down to -10 or so. That is cold.
Kevin hasn't had to work since Tuesday and he doesn't have to go back until Tuesday the 20th. We are expecting more snow-- YUKKO.
We finished up the 2nd week of homeschooling and God is blessing me each day. I am learning right along with the girls. Jordan will start prepping for her standardized tests next week. Alivia is learning her letters and her numbers. We start on the Letter D next week and the number 3.
Kevin came forward in church and asked to be baptized. We have finally found a church that we are comfortable in and that teaches the word of God. We have came a long way and we are not perfect. We are, however, FORGIVEN.
We have been reconnecting with old friends on Facebook and sometimes it makes us feel old, but for me (Stephene) I am finding some of my old accountability partners and rekindling that element in my life. It is impressive to see where some of us are and how many kids we have.
Christ is good. It reminds me of the verse Jeremiah 29:11 -- "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."
God Bless each of you.