Thankful Turkey Feathers

Each year, at least one of my girls comes home with a Thanksgiving Turkey craft where they write something they are thankful for on each colorful turkey feather.  What would I write on my turkey feathers this year?

1.  My marriage.  It has been nearly 11 years since we said our "I do's" and I would rank this past year as one of the best.  We have faced life challenges that could have knocked us down hard but we chose to stick together as a team -- we have weathered the storms together.  I can not express enough how thankful I am for my husband, his friendship and his love.

2.  A Warm House and Food on My Table.  When my husband changed careers 11 months ago, we knew we would take a hit financially, as he was starting over from scratch in a new industry.  And yet, God has taken care of our needs literally one day at a time.  There is not enough time to write every provision, but I am in AWE of how God cares about every little detail.  Thank you, God!

3.  New Jobs.  Speaking of my hubby's career change, I am so thankful for his new career path.  I see the fulfillment he gets from helping people with their financial plans, and I love the heart of the company he works for.  I love their mission to honor God and love people, while still working in the financial industry.  I didn't know such a company existed!

AND there is my new job as a Thirty-One Consultant.  I started a couple months ago, and I LOVE the flexibility, the fun, practical products as well as girls nights out :)  What a special blessing Thirty-One has been so far!  I'll blog more about it soon.

4.  My Daughters.  I've never know two people to give me so much joy.  It is amazing to watch a child grow before your eyes - physically, socially, academically and spiritually.  I know God uses my girls to keep me humble, to remind me what is really important, make me laugh uncontrollably and to keep my faith strong.  I'm so proud of my little chickadees!

5.  Music.  Sigh... I love music.  Listening to music, singing and more.  I have loved the opportunity to continue to sing with a full, live band all year with Momentum Christian Church.  Two of my favorite things about singing in the band:  1) I love, love, love singing harmonies with others. 2)  I love worshipping God through music and having the energy of a full band is just awesome!

There's so much more to list:  family, my church, my wonderful friends, living in Cleveland and more.  It's a good thing that turkeys have a lot of feathers!

Happy Thanksgiving!  What would you put on your Turkey Feathers?

Chicken Pot Pie

This chicken pot pie recipe is AWESOME.  I'm grateful to a friend for sharing it with me a couple years ago.  It's changed my life. :)  A few things to note:

-It does take some time to chop all the veggies, sometimes I do it the day before to spread out my time. (I also use my Pamp Chef food chopper - so fast!)
-I usually add some extra veggies/potatoes to make 3 pot pies instead of two.
-Sometimes the day before or that morning, I'll put chicken breasts in the crock pot for several hours on LOW with a little bit of water or chicken broth.  Then the chicken is nice & tender, pulls apart easily and I can put it right into the recipe. (saves time!!)
-I use refrigerated pie crust on bottom and top, but that's just because I love crust :)
-I usually make three pot pies, and give one of them away.  It's always fun to think about who in your life needs a chicken pot pie that week :)  I highly recommend this -- a chicken pot pie can brighten someone's day!


Aunt Kathy's Chicken Pot Pies

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/3 cup melted butter
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup flour
1 cup half and half
4 cups cooked chicken (see crockpot tip above)
1 cup frozen tiny peas
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Pastry
pie plates

Saute first 4 ingredients in butter in a skillet over
medium heat until tender.  Add flour; stir until
smooth.  Add chicken broth and half and half and cook
until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in chicken, peas,
salt, and pepper.

Put chicken mixture into two pie pans.  Cover each
with pastry.  Cut some slits for steam to escape.

Label and cover to freeze at this point OR

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or
until crust is golden brown.  (cook longer if frozen)

Every Person Has a Story

It's Sunday morning, and I am in a dark, large movie theater.  I'm at Momentum Church and it's near the beginning of service. I'm standing in the very bottom front under the screen on the stage with a full band.  Because the spotlights & lighting are shining on the stage, I'm basically blinded.  I can't see all the audience but I can see a few nearby faces and if I look hard, I can see silhouettes and "gray shades" of people all the way up to the top of the theater.  Momentum isn't a huge church but it's still large enough where I don't know everyone - plus, new people visit all the time.

Random pic from a 2010 Momentum Sunday

Something comes to mind that someone once told me to remember when you are in a band that helps lead people in worship:


Every person in this audience has a story.


The music starts and it's one of my favorite rockin' songs, "Salvation Is Here."  It talks about the freedom that Jesus can give me, that God is on my side, that His promises in the Bible are true, that the world can't knock me down.  I look out at the audience while singing with them.

I see someone I know who has struggled with addiction.
I see someone who takes care of her ailing husband.
I see someone who welcomed a new baby into his home this year.

We sing "Momentum of Love" which describes how God's love can change things in incredible ways.

I see a young woman who just got engaged.
I see someone who decided to follow Jesus last year, and she strives to keep the faith through very trying times. 
I see a friend who doesn't know what's next, but knows something has to change.


We sing "Never Let Go" with phrases like "You never let go -- through the calm and through the storm, You never let go of me" and "for the heart that holds on, there will be an end to these troubles, but until that day comes... Still I will praise You...."

I see a 20-something woman who lost her father this year.
I see someone who is just checking this "God stuff" out & is probably glad the theater is dark so she doesn't have to be noticed.
I see a middle-aged man who has fought the unemployment battle for at least 2 years.
I see a mom who works so hard and has to be exhausted today.
I see a family that has been willing to serve sacrificially to help love others.


And I see a theater full of people who are remembering the horrific events of September 11, 2001.  And they are singing their hearts out!

I feel like I have the most beautiful view in the theater.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were so many stories in that theater this morning.  People of different ages, races, economic classes and different places in their spiritual journey -- taking moments to honor God or simply observe.

They sang praise
to the One who gives us freedom,
to the One who allows us to see incredible things because of His love,
to the One who Never Lets Go.

Tooth Fairy vs. The "Red Stuff"

She lost her first tooth!  It was extremely wobbly and practically horizontal (aka TIME TO COME OUT)  She asked me to take turns with her at attempting to pull it out.  She would pull it, then I would pull it, then back to her, then me.  Finally, I pulled it out.  She had mixed emotions - she was ELATED that it came out, but NOT AT ALL happy about the blood (which I had warned her about in preceding days).  Fortunately, the excitement exceeded the panic about the b-l-o-o-d so it was a great evening.

The next morning, we saw that the Tooth Fairy had left four quarters - so exciting!  However, the happy bubble was burst when she decidedly announced several times that she was NOT happy with me for pulling her tooth out.  I reminded her that we had decided to take turns trying to pull it, remember????  It didn't seem to matter.  Apparently, the thought of the "red stuff" won out over the excitement on day #2.

I have a feeling I won't be asked to pull another tooth.  But I still can't help but smile & even giggle when she flashes that "missing tooth smile" at me.  Adorable. :-D

Latest Memory Verse

So I slacked for the first time and skipped the July 1st memory verse (referring to my New Year's resolution to memorize something from the Bible twice a month all year).  But I'm back in the game here in mid-July with a topic that has been on my mind all week.

Proverbs 16:24, NIV
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Ah, so true and so good to remember every time I open my mouth to speak. :)

Rest & Relaxation

Ah, the summer break is in full effect.  And I feel that truly I have had some restful moments.  I resonated with a blog I read the other day called Ways to Find Personal Rest, which offers great ideas on how to relax and take some moments for yourself during the summer.

Besides a little traveling to see some family, a few of my favorite ways to chill out this summer include:

- Making time to read some good books.  Less TV & computer, more reading = relaxation!  So far, I have read "Scarlet Nights" by Jude Deveraux (mystery/romance) and "The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven" by Kevin Malarkey (LOVED this book).  I registered for the local library's summer reading program along with my kids, and I've already won a prize!  I won a book (surprise, surprise) but hey...I'm a winner! :)  Maybe I'll win the grand prize of having my birthday party at the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame!  Yes, prizes motivate me.  And yes, I really am 35 yrs old & not a 2nd grader.

- Eating dinner with the family/friends outside on the patio.  I love summers in Cleveland.  The temperature feels just right in the evening & the sky looks amazing as the sun begins to set.  The kids usually end up playing in the backyard after eating.  I have loved those "after dinner" conversations with my husband while we relax on the patio with the kids playing nearby.  Sometimes we take walks too.  Even though there's nothing fancy, nothing planned, these evenings are some of my favorite family memories.

- Borrowing some cookbooks from the library to get some new ideas (even if I don't cook them, I like to drool over the recipes - I'm weird).  I've been looking at a few vegetarian cookbooks, which has been fun and different.  At the moment, I'm going through Gwyneth Paltrow's new book called "My Father's Daughter."  If I find a recipe that looks easy enough, I actually enjoy the whole process of creating deliciousness :)  We tried a Greek Tortellini recipe last week - a perfect, easy dish for summer. YUM.

- Rest from Facebook.  I miss Facebook, but it has been a good break.  I plan to log back in at some point, but it's been a good two months of rest and quiet for my mind.


How have you relaxed this summer?

A Day in the Country

The girls and I are on a little adventure visiting my parents in Pennsylvania.  I forget that I don't see mountains very often until I drive from Cleveland back to my parents' home in south central PA.  The majestic mountainous views complemented by the clear blue skies are breath-taking!

Today was filled with adventure.  We drove through winding back roads (my girls yelling WEEE!), past wheat fields being harvested, orchards and dairy farms.  We arrived at our destination, a little pond filled with bluegills & large-mouth bass just waiting to be caught by some girls and their grandfather!

Yes, my five-year-old caught a 17 1/2 inch bass!

This one just makes me laugh!  Don't get too close to the flopping fish, big sis...

We stopped by a farm that makes and sells cheese, appropriately called the "Cheese Haus."  We got a quick impromptu tour and saw how they were making 600 lbs of baby Swiss!

I splurged on an Italian Cheddar block and had to get some Colby Jack for my little one.  Delicious!

A great day in the country for three city girls!

Chopped It Off

Yep, I did it.  Chopped it all off.  And it feels great! 

Yes, my locks were so long that my hairstylist made sure I wasn't going to punch him after he cut it all off.  haha  I'm not sentimental about my hair, so it's not hard for me to get it cut.  However, I am lazy about fixing my hair, so it must be easy to maintain.  I will say that my neck muscles are feeling weird because my hair was so heavy before the cut!

Shout out to 1st Grade!

Somehow this week, my blog management system emailed out some old posts I wrote last summer about homeschooling.  I have no idea why, except that I was playing around with settings and probably pushed a button.  I'm SO not a blog expert!

But it was fun to reread what I wrote, and reminded me that I'd love to give a last shout out to this past year of school! 

First -- I am very thankful for Ohio Virtual Academy (OHVA).  It was truly a blessing to have everything planned out for me, and yet still allowed me some flexibility with my child as she reached her learning objectives.  OHVA uses K12 curriculum, which is highly-rated and intuitive.  The curriculum uses textbooks, workbooks, interactive online lessons & materials for hands-on projects.  The 1st grade curriculum covered Math, Language Arts, Phonics, History, Science, Music and Art.  I also logged hours towards Health, Physical Education and Technology lessons, but I could supplement those with whatever curriculum/topics I preferred (a lot easier than I thought). 

One of my favorite things about OHVA was having a teacher accessible to me throughout the year.  I viewed her as my coach.  She was constantly encouraging me AND my daughter, giving me ideas and helping me throughout the year. We had a conference every couple of months, but I could contact her anytime if needed.  She offered online classes once a week, where the students could get together online and learn as a group.  These online classes were fun & a nice change up from the normal day.  My daughter loved it.

Speaking of my daughter, I have to give her the BIGGEST SHOUT OUT of all!  My 7yo is a happy-go-lucky girl who gets excited about anything and everything.  She is a very motivated learner, so she made my job easy!  Not that every day was perfect -- there were certainly days FULL of challenge -- but her positivity and joy for learning helped me stay positive too.  (Shouldn't it be the other way around? haha, I hope it was)  We both worked really hard to reach our goals, and it was so fun to celebrate how much we accomplished by the end of the school year. Our celebration included the Cleveland Museum of Art, a stop by a bakery in Little Italy & the Big Dipper with whole family that evening.  Fun times!

Congratulations, sweet pea!  I'm so proud of you :)

Reading Blogs

Different blog posts come through my Inbox, and I read some of them when I have time.  Do you ever have those times when you know you needed to hear something?  That's the way I felt when I read this blog below.  I don't even know the author, but it was worth the read. 

 Turn Your No into God's Yes -- Dare to Jump In  by Bonnie Gray

My Baby, Growing Up

You came into this world, ready to cuddle in my arms.  You loved being swaddled with warm blankets that December and within three months, you found your special "silky" blanket and thumb to comfort yourself. You weren't so sure about strangers, but you felt safe in your Mommy and Daddy's arms. By the time you were one year old, you already knew how to play tricks on your sister and make everyone laugh.  You didn't even try to walk until you knew how to do it perfectly, so you waited until almost 15 months and then walked flawlessly.  And we all celebrated! (and nibbled/kissed your irresistible chubby cheeks!)

You are more comfortable being quiet in public, but we are not fooled.  You have a lot to say. 

You notice everything -- from who is in the room to what kind of door handles are on the vehicle driving by.
You are a great listener... you don't miss a beat! 
When I lose something, I ask YOU where it is because you will know.
You love music, singing and dancing. 
You love your sister and your friends.
You light up when Daddy comes in the room.
And let's not forget the lip gloss, fashionable boots and leggings.
You know exactly what you want, without a doubt! You are very persistent -- a quality that keeps me on my toes but I know will help take you where you want to go in life.
I can see the pride in your eyes when you accomplish something that requires you to be very BRAVE.
You have the best smile in the world.

There are so many things I love about you, my baby girl... I could go on and on.  But today, I take a moment to tell you how PROUD I am of you. Congratulations on graduating from preschool.  I can't wait to see what's in store for you in Kindergarten. :)

A Cure for Cysitc Fibrosis

Hey friends - My family is walking this weekend in the Great Strides walk to help raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Our 9-yr-old friend, Mylee, has CF.  She is a rockstar & one of the most amazing kids I know.  We've seen firsthand how much she and her family have gone through to battle this disease.  We've heard how CF docs have been progressing with their research and they are getting closer and closer to finding a cure.  We want to WIPE OUT CF!!  Will you help us?

We are joining this walk late in the game, so we're way behind on our fundraising goal.  A donation of any size will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks for considering & while you're at it, please say a prayer for Mylee and others who face this disease every day.  Also, pray that a cure comes quickly - it is possible! 

Here is the link if you would like to donate:  http://www.cff.org/great_strides/AmyCaton

Thanks, friends!

New Year's Resolution - in May!

In January, I posted a New Year's resolution.  I wanted to memorize two Bible verses a month.  I joined a blog community to help me with this journey, along with some friends.

Here's how it goes:  I have a little index card sized flip notebook.  Each time I learn a new verse, I add it in my notebook.  So as of today, I've learned 10 verses this year.  I can flip and practice them anytime.  I also have my 7yo write the verses out as part of her handwriting practice & both of my daughters help me memorize them.  Nothing like a little one making sure I know my verses! :)

I've wanted to give up on this resolution several times already, but I've pushed through so far.  Why learn these verses?  Memorizing verses from the Bible has had a huge impact on my every day life.  Reciting verses can calm me down, give me peace, encourage me, challenge me and make me feel loved.  I believe that the Bible is truly inspired by God. I don't know how else to explain it other than God's word in the Bible is powerful. 

So, I'm going to practice my verses now by typing them out.  I'm not perfect at remembering WHERE these verses are located in the Bible, so I'm working on that.  (Also a note to those who are interested: websites like www.biblegateway.com are helpful with viewing different verses and versions quickly.)

Psalm 65:11, NLT
You crown the year with a bountiful harvest.  Even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.  

Jeremiah 29:11, NIV
"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."

Romans 12:12, ESV
Rejoice in hope,
Be patient in tribulation, 
Be constant in prayer.

James 1:19, NIV
Dear brothers, take note of this: be QUICK to listen, SLOW to speak and SLOW to become angry.

Judges 5:21b
March on, my soul;  be strong!

Proverbs 16:3, NIRV
Commit to the Lord everything you do.  Then your plans will succeed.

Philippians 4:13, NLT
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Psalm 121:1-3
I lift my eyes to the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Jeremiah 32:27, NIV
I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.  Is anything too hard for me?

and the one I just added today........

Psalm 27:14, NET
Rely on the Lord!  Be strong and confident!  Rely on the Lord!

Thank You, Moms!

Did anyone catch the Mother's Day episode of "The Middle" sitcom last week?  It was all too real and so funny.  The mom of three was given the gift of a full day of alone time.  She was thrilled!  However, instead of relaxing on the couch with her TV remote and stack of magazines like she intended, she spent the day doing chores and dirty, nitty-gritty jobs around the house.  By the time she sat down on the couch in the evening with her magazines, the family returned home -- telling her about all their wonderful adventures that she missed out on.  She was devastated, angry at her husband & ended up getting a "do-over" Mother's Day the next weekend (which turned out just as bad).

If you are a mom or a woman who invests her time into building up and encouraging other people, I hope you were celebrated yesterday.  The quote below landed in my Inbox this morning.  I hope it encourages all you Moms out there.

“Children do not accidentally become righteous leaders or emotionally healthy and productive adults – any more than seeds thrown randomly to the wind grow to be part of a thriving, beautiful garden.

Someone needs to take responsibility for their nurture, protection, nourishment, intellectual development, manners, recreation, personal needs, and spiritual development. Someone needs to commit time and energy into staying close to them as they grow, encouraging, loving, correcting and teaching.

God designed mothers with a capacity to call forth all that is great, excellent, true, pure and righteous in a child’s heart and to cast a vision for their children to bring these virtues about in their own lives, and in their generation. When a woman embraces her design and call by God, there will always be hope for each generation."  
- Sally Clarkson

Thank you, Moms, for all your hard work and investing into the lives of our children to make the world a better place.

Happy (day after) Mother's Day!

Goodbye, Facebook

Hey everyone - I'm deleting my Facebook account.  I know it sounds extreme but I've been wanting to take a break for a while. Why?

#1 - I spend a ridiculous amount of time on Facebook.  A couple years ago, I remember my daughter excitedly showing me a picture she drew.  She said, "Mommy, I drew a picture of you and your best friend!" I was curious whom she considered my best friend.  Would it be my husband?  Or one of my close girlfriends?  I looked the picture and the only thing I saw was ME... holding my iPod Touch!  Hilarious and horrifying.  I do not want my kids' main mental image of their mother as someone "staring at a screen" throughout their childhood.  Since I'm home with the kids, FB is accessible to me all the time.  It sounds stupid, but it's truly difficult for me not to check it.  Just a habit!

#2 - Do you ever have those times when you need to clear your head? Facebook isn't physically loud (well, that depends, I guess - ha), but it is a lot of voices and a lot of thoughts filling my head all day, every day. (Told you I was on FB a lot!) A lot of chatter.  Not all bad chatter, just a lot of chatter. Information overload!  I need to eliminate some of that noise, and I think this is a great way to help make that happen for me. (You mean I won't know what sale Kohl's is having today?!)

All of that said, I do not believe Facebook, the Internet or other technologies are evil.  I love keeping in touch with people in a unique way through FB.  I will miss that part the most.  Especially venting about  things like Celebrity Apprentice & American Idol.  Matt may have to do the dirty work for me!

The great news is that I am still alive in the technology world!  If you still want to connect with me online, you can sign up on the upper right side of this screen to receive my blogs in your Inbox or you can become a follower, if you'd like.  I look forward to keeping up with events and pictures of my life through this blog.  And of course, I will have email too.

I'm also alive in the REAL world!  I'm not trying to isolate myself.  I love my friends & family.  Just trying to create some new habits & fill my time in new ways. :)

I may come back to FB someday, but for now, I'm looking forward to the change!

Farewell, Facebook....

You are Royalty

The Royal Wedding!  Some people could care less while others are obsessed.  I am excited about this wedding for several reasons.

#1 - The girlie side of me can't wait to watch a beautiful girl marry her prince.  I pretended to be Princess Diana for years after watching her wedding.  I still want a ring just like that sapphire one!  (Matt, are you reading this?)

#2 - I look forward to making a memory with my daughters, who are so excited to see the beautiful bride marry her prince in all their splendor.  We will be up in the morning with our tea & treats, ready to watch!

#3 - Since my children were born, I have reminded them that they are princesses. God's princesses, to be exact.  God is our King and ruler, and we are his children.  (Romans 8:16-17)  The girls always giggle when I remind them they are princesses.  But it is true...

Every one of us are held in such 

high esteem in God's eyes.  

I love that this earthly royal event gives my girls a visual for the importance that God places on each of our lives.  We are that beautiful bride & groom riding in a carriage, the whole world stopping to make way for us, being led down the street with the highest regard.

It is a LIE to say that we are worth 
anything less than that.

Yet before we get full of ourselves, we must remember how we became royalty.  Our Father, our King, created us to honor him with our lives -- the duty of a true prince or princess.  Being royalty requires humility, sacrifice and hard work.  Work that will take a lifetime for me to accomplish.

Enjoy the wedding!

One Little "Green" Thing

I wrote a post last year around this time ("Gonna Make a Change"), just thinking through some changes I could do as an individual to help our earth. I've stuck to these, and it's been awesome.  My city makes it so easy to recycle glass, aluminum, plastic, cardboard -- just put it out with the trash in a blue bag.  Plus there are paper/magazine drop-offs at every school & plastic bag recycle containers at my grocery stores.  Now that I've started separating paper & plastic bags, I am AMAZED at how much we were throwing away in the past.  NO EXCUSES left for me!

So here's my "one little thing" that I have decided to change.....

Lately, I've been using more cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.  I am self-proclaimed "napkin fiend" -  meaning I use a lot of napkins all the time.  (Hey, this girl does not like to be a mess!)  Anyway, I need to get some more cloth napkins so I don't have to wash them every day, but I know it will be a great investment.

Less paper in the landfill, more money in my pocket.

Have you made any earth-friendly changes lately?  Feel free to comment.

Happy Drawings

I love random drawings like these.  So fun :)

Take Heart

There are times when a song just speaks to me.  This song is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a long time.

Truthfully, I didn't even want to listen to it when I first heard it because I knew it would make me think through some things I didn't want to deal with.

But I finally did listen to the lyrics.

And it is powerful. 

Click here for to hear it for yourself: Take Heart by Hillsong United

Back to Brick & Mortar

Quick follow up to my last school blog....  {I'm chuckling about my blog title because until last fall, I didn't even know "brick & mortar" was a slang term for school in an actual building.  Ah, I've learned so much.}

My daughters will be attending a local charter school next fall!  I have been intrigued and hearing about this specific school for several years & I knew it had excellent ratings.  (One reason I had avoided it in the past because I knew if we went there, I would be driving all day to two different schools for my two kids.)  I finally took a tour in December, and the girls came with me -- I wanted their opinion too.  We made a deal that we would check out the school, ask our questions and then talk about it after we left.  I was very impressed with the school's systems for learning, open communication, "small school" feel & the great resources available... including awesome technology!

We got back in the car after the tour and both my girls immediately said, "MOM, WE LOVE IT!"  and I said, "SO DO I!"  A few weeks ago, we found out they were accepted, so they will begin in the fall with full-day Kindergarten and 2nd grade.  (aka MY LIFE IS GOING TO CHANGE DRASTICALLY)

As I've said in previous posts, there have been so many great things about homeschooling.  I totally "get" why people do it!  There are AMAZING people who homeschool.  They are inspiring.  And I've learned that people choose to homeschool for so many different reasons.  Who knows, I may go back to it again someday.  (I'm still learning to never say never)  But I have been feeling really overwhelmed and not great about homeschooling both girls next year.  I know people do it all the time with 3 kids, 6 kids, 10 kids -- but I'm just not feeling it's best for me or the girls if we continue next year.  Especially if there is another option that we really like!

So I've told some people about the school change, and some say, "Awwww, so homeschooling didn't work out."  Maybe it's my pride getting in the way (which is a good possibility!), but I really don't feel that statement is completely true.  I do not have any regrets.  I have been able to spend a lot of time with my 7yo & 5yo -- time that I have treasured!  (Less time together will be the hardest part of this change!)  I'm so proud of all we have accomplished.  And we have learned A LOT academically and about ourselves this year. :-)

This change will be difficult and exciting all at the same time -- you may not want to be around me the first couple weeks of September.  But until then, I've got lessons to teach!  Gotta go...........

photo courtesy of Heather Mariano Photograpy

And the moral of this story is...

My 7yo has been learning some classic fables this week.  She has kept a list of all the lessons or morals from their stories.  I think they are appropriate for me as a "grown-up" just as much as for a child.  So here's the list:

1 - Don't be selfish.  You will lose much more than you gain.
2 - Being greedy will take you down.
3 - Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
4 - Misery loves company.
5 - When some people can't get what they want, they say they didn't want it anyway to make themselves feel better.
6 - It is best not to lie because people don't believe liars, even when you tell the truth.

Beautified and Beaten Up

Totally random but I have to get it out... I'm bearing my soul to you -- true confessions.  haha

I received a lovely gift from my husband -- an appointment at my favorite local salon for last weekend.  I had put off my salon services to try to save a little money.  But it was time.  Waaaay past time, sister.  In fact, my eyebrows were starting to compete with Michael Dukakis.

So I arrived at the salon, ready to be pampered.  The eyebrow technician helped me first.  I started apologizing immediately about my appearance (ladies, I know you have been there).  The problem was, she was very happy to agree with me.  In fact, she threw in her own zinger about how bad the eyebrows looked. Uh oh.

Seven minutes later, I'm already looking better, whew.  I'm on my way to the hair stylist's chair.  He immediately said, "Wow, we really should have scheduled you to have color done too."  Darn it, he was absolutely right.  I haven't seen that many grays since I saw Betty White looking HOT in Cleveland.  But I hadn't had one moment to call my own over the past week or I would have colored it.  Or maybe I would have just sat and watched TV or played on Facebook.  Anyway, I got a nice mini-facial and I hear him say in a horrified voice, "Your skin is SO dry!?!" Dang it all, the one time I forgot to moisturize in the morning.

Yes, I know.

 I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW!  

This is why I am here at the salon.  

So you can make me beautiful.  

I need all the help I can get, people.

My stylist was actually fantastic & I looked 3000% better after leaving.  Beautified.... and a little beaten up.

School is Cool

Many of you have asked how homeschooling is going.  Here is a non-exclusive list of my thoughts.

Good parts:
-I have really enjoyed spending a lot of time with my kids. (This cannot be overstated enough!!)
-It has been so cool to see each step of learning.
-I love seeing my 7 yo go from feeling unsure to fully confident in a topic like subtraction.
-I love waking up later than 6:30am. :)
-I am enjoying learning right along with my kids.
-I am being stretched and challenged to do new things all the time.
-My kids definitely get social time with friends and peers, contrary to the belief of many "naysayers"
-OHVA's (K12) curriculum is laid out so nicely and easily that I do not have much to prepare.  What a blessing.
-I have to be disciplined with work habits to get things done & it's awesome to look back and see how much my girls & I have accomplished.  I should definitely mention that I try to remember to rely heavily on God's strength.  One of my goals is to ask for His help daily.  There's no way I want to do this on my own!
-I have seen how God has grown my confidence.  We, as parents, know our children better than anyone else.  Of course, it's wonderful to get wisdom from others, but follow your instincts too.

Hard parts:
-I get close to ZERO time alone, which is hard for someone like me who likes alone time. (This cannot be overstated enough!!)
-I put a lot of pressure on myself.  Not just a little.  A LOT.
-My house is a lot messier.  And it was already messy when I wasn't homeschooling. {insert favorite stay-at-home mom Oprah/bon-bon joke here}
-My life is filled with many other activities & it's challenging to prioritize them all.
-Balancing my attention between both kids is hard when I need to help the oldest one with tough concepts. This is a challenge EVERY day.
-OHVA does not allow as much flexibility as I would wish.  It's not hard to get the 25 hours of school per week, but there are times I find myself wanting to supplement something (like a certain science topic) and straying away from K12's curriculum.  I have to keep a certain progress going with their curriculum, so it's important to stay on track and not get too far behind.  So it's definitely different than traditional homeschooling.

I have no regrets about choosing to homeschool my 7yo this past year (and my 5yo when she isn't in preschool class!).  Yes, there have been challenges, but the girls are thriving, growing and learning like crazy.

I find myself hesitant to write blogs about my homeschooling experiences because people do get kind of crazy about the topic and take things so personally... no matter where they land on the subject.  The only reason I'm still posting this is because I know several of you have genuinely asked how it's going.  And I can only be ME, so that's what I'm writing about:  my experiences.

So it's decision time for next year... 

and I am choosing NOT to homeschool.  

Don't be shocked.  

Maybe you're not shocked.

I'm excited about what's ahead.

More info in an upcoming post!

Madame Presidents

My daughters decided they wanted to run for President this morning.  They wanted me and my husband to vote for them, so they made presentations.

My 7-yr-old's ideas:
1.  Low prices at stores.
2.  Parks should have playgrounds.
3.  Free stuff when signs say.
4.  Do not put grills on super high or there will be a fire.
5.  Books must have covers.

My 5-yr-old's ideas:
1.  Everyone should have 100 million dollars.
2.  Let kids play.
3.  Help people.

Life in Abundance

I rarely make new year's resolutions, but this year I am excited about this one.  I have committed to memorize verses in the Bible twice a month throughout 2011.  (see the Dec.26th post on the Living Proof blog if you want more details)

Someone suggested a verse for me to start with, and I decided to go along with it even though I hadn't really read it before. The more I recite it, the more I love it.  It's found in Psalm 65:11, NLT version:

"You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance."

If you know any of my story of 2010, you know that things have been challenging for me and my family.  There have been hardships and huge victories along the way.  We have awesome stories about how God continues to confirm that we are on the right path, and He has provide in so many different ways.  He's so much more creative than I am!

Matt reminded me last night how God really has blessed us like crazy over the past seven days, just like this Psalm 65:11 says.  We had car problems, and a very kind friend offered to fix it & helped us get the part for minimal cost.  We got an unexpected $25 gift card from our bank.  (When does THAT happen?  Never, in our case.)  I have spent special time with dear friends.  My girls have brought me so much joy and laughter this past week.  I am surrounded by friends and family that love me.  I fell and sprained my ankle and had to call off work, and received an anonymous monetary gift in the mail on the same day. 

My life overflows with abundance in 2011, even if I wasn't the Mega Millions lotto winner this past week.  (I didn't even buy a ticket, maybe that was the problem!)  The thing is, I know I'm no different than anyone else.  Each day doesn't go perfectly, and I know I'm the definition of imperfection.  But God loves each of us.  May God bless you and crown your year with a bountiful harvest and may your hard pathways overflow with abundance.