Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Heading Out

Me and my girls are head to Soul Fest for four fun days filled with teachings and great worship. I love Casting Crowns and they will be there, along with lots of other great groups. The boys are here with dad and I'm sure they will have a good time too.
See ya on Monday!! :o)

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Weight Watching ~~ Week 3

I seem to have fallen slightly off the wagon this week. My eating has been good, I have really kept my portions down. My exercising has been a little less, but at least I did not stop all together. 

Monday~~ 30 minutes of walking ( my lower back was really sore )
Tuesday~~ 30 minutes of walking + light stretching 
Wednesday~~ 30 minutes of walking 
Thursday~~ 30 minutes of walking
Friday~~ Walk Away the Pounds 2 Mile Walk (30 minutes)
Saturday~~ Stretching + 30 Minutes of Walking 

I hope to be back up to 40 minutes again, but my lower back was hurting for some reason. 
How did you do this week? Are you meeting your goals? 

Friday, July 24, 2009

My Testimony (Part 1)

" But by the grace of God, I am what I am. His grace which is within me, was not in vain. Though I labored more abundantly then they all, not I but by the grace of God that was within me." 1 Corinthians 15:10


That is my life verse.

I was born in August of 1967 to an unwed mother, my father had been a married man, though not married to my mother. When my mother was 3 months pregnant with me he died suddenly. I'm sure his wife, as well as my mother were devastated. His wife was left with 6 young children and my mother had a toddler and was pregnant with me. Turbulence, shame, and guilt are a few things that come to mind.

In 1967 abortion was illegal, so she did not seek out that option. No one in her family knew she was pregnant and adoption became a real thought. I'm not sure how my mother hid her pregnancy from those around her, but she did. It wasn't up till hours after I was born that she decided to keep me. My understanding was that she overheard a nurse talking about how women have babies and then give them up and she didn't understand it. Apparently it hit her heartstrings, because she took me home.

Through the years, my mother did the best she could. She was single, in a time when being single was not in fashion. She also had committed the sin of adultery and had not one but two children as a reminder. As tough as it must of been she always took us to church and made sure we knew about God. We prayed over our meals, prayed at bed time, and read the Bible stories. My mother planted seeds that stayed with us forever.

As time went on she found a man. This man desired my mother, but not her children. She made a choice, and that choice was him. For at least a year my sister and I basically lived alone. I was seven years old and she was nine. Our lives consisted of going to school, going to day care, heading home to eat a frozen meal, television, maybe homework, and bed. We rarely saw our mother and when we did she would take us to her boyfriends house. He was not a nice man and I have many bad memories of him, which I'll share later.

After about a year, our grandmother came to visit. She must of realized something was up, because she came back to live with us. I can tell you that having a loving adult influence made a huge difference. My grades were terrible, from lack of trying and I'm sure my attitude was worse. She got me caught up in my schoolwork and in no time I was with or even ahead of my peers. The teachers were amazed and actually asked her to tutor other students!! I think that's where my love of homeschooling started. ;o)

My grandmother lived with us for about a year, and then decided to head back to her own home. We lived in Massachusetts and she lived in Connecticut. She asked my mother what she wanted to do. Was she ready to make a decision and could she live with the decision she would make? I would like to think my mother agonized over this, but in truth she did not. Her and her boyfriend drove off and we were headed toward a new life without her............ (to be continued)


Thursday, July 23, 2009

Simple Womans Day Book (July 22, 2009 )

For Today... July 22, 2009

Outside my window... green trees blowing in the wind.

From the learning rooms... taking a little break from schooling.

I am thankful for... a great group of ladies that the Lord has brought into my life.

From the kitchen... my son made tater tots for me for lunch. Does that count? :o)

I am wearing... a pair of brown jean type pants, a red short sleeved shirt, a red zippy, and my dds sneakers.

I am reading... 2 Chronicles, The Flames of Rome (for the kids upcoming school year), The Care Net Handbook, and Worship Warriors.

I am hoping... that God will use the broken pieces of my life for His glory.

I am creating... songs of healing.

I am praying... the same thing I'm hoping for. That God would use my broken life for His glory.

Around the house... DDs are at work, DS is a friends, and my other DS is upstairs in his room.

One of my favorite things... worshiping the Lord in song.

A few plans for the rest of the week... heading to ds physical therapy, getting ready to go to Soul Fest next week, and hopefully going to the 'street fair' on Saturday.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Splinted Goat





This morning I was woken up bright and early by my son saying, "Dad I think there's an animal in the barn after the goats." My husband looked at me and said, "What did he say?", I asked again and he repeated the same thing. We both jumped up, but hubby is more practical then I am and put on his sneakers and got bullets for the gun. I, on the other hand, ran up the stairs and out to the barn with nothing on my feet and no protection at all. When I got to the barn I heard the goat baaing (is that even how you spell it?) like crazy. All the other goats were standing around, but were joining in the chorus. I couldn't see where the goat was, she is smallish and black. Then I saw her in the back corner of the barn hanging from her right leg!!


She was flipping out, and when she saw me she flipped out even more. I went to get to her and the plan was to attempt to hold her so she wasn't hurting her leg. The plan failed. She squirmed and before I could actually get there I heard a snap and she fell to the ground. I was pretty certain she broke her leg and it was later confirmed that I was right. :o(

My husband, being the avid researcher that he is, found out some great information about broken goats legs online. Apparently it is not uncommon for goats to break their legs, because they are mischievous and often get stuck. Who knew?

We got the stuff together for a splint and went over what we were going to do before we headed to the barn. Kind of like how the doctors go over their surgery beforehand. My only job was to hold the goats head and try to keep her calm. My sweet husband did all the other things, and now we have a goat in a home made splint. She is up and walking around, so we are praying that she heals up good.

I will try to post pictures later on so you can see the great job that hubby did. :o)

Monday, July 20, 2009

Ramblings for the Week

This week will be filled with:
house cleaning
barn cleaning
chicken coop cleaning
menu planning
coupon learning
swimming
walking
laundry
bringing ds to physical therapy
getting ready for Soul Fest
making a menu for Soul Fest
visiting a brand new friend (I'm excited about this!! I have really been stepping out of my comfort zone and have been getting to know new  people. This new friend is one of my dds best friends mothers. I have only met her once, so I look forward to having coffee with her and getting to connect with her.)
reading 
and of course spending time with family. :o)

What are your plans for the week? Are you doing something new this week? 


Friday, July 17, 2009

Praise God for His Blessings!! :o)

I want to praise God today for His blessings that He has bestowed upon us.

Yesterday I was in need of milk, and seeing as I had just paid the mortgage our checking account was almost bare. I did not mention this to anyone, but the Lord knew. I got a phone call from a friend who had used her WIC vouchers and got 4 gallons of milk of which 2 gallons she wanted to give to our family. I was blessed!! :o) When I went to her house to get the milk, I told her what a blessing it was.

Today I was checking my email, and found out that I had won a free ticket to the Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Conference!! :o) I am so very excited, because I wanted to attend but really could not squeeze it into the budget right now. By the way the gal running the concert is Masha and here is a link to her blog if you want to go check it out and say hi. Click HERE.

A third blessing came awhile ago, but I haven't shared it here yet. Me and my girls will be attending Soul Fest, a 4 day christian concert event. We were blessed with three half price tickets, and my 17 year old paid for our campsite!! :o) Now I get to spend 4 days with my girls as well as other friends, worshiping the Lord. God is so good!! :o)

How about you? How has God blessed you this week? I know that its not about the blessings, but it sure is nice to "count your blessings". Praise God in the big and praise Him in the little. Praise Him in the calm and praise Him in the storm. Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you. :o)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Abortion Lie (Part 1)

Information is a good thing, the more informed you are the better able you are to make a decision. It is that way in all areas of our life, from the very big to the very small. However, there are some people out there who think the less you know the better off they are. What exactly am I talking about?

Abortion.

Let me start by saying that I volunteer for Pathways Pregnancy Care Center which is part of Care Net. I am currently going through training, specifically in the area of abortion and post abortion. I will share my story about how I got to that point in a later article. For now I want to discuss some of the things I learned today.

Let me start with some facts:

"In 1973 in the now famous case of Roe vs. Wade, the United States Supreme Court ruled that state law banning abortion was unconstitutional."* Basically the right to privacy for a woman was more important then providing for the unborn baby. It is important to note that during this time, abortion was outlawed and those who performed abortions were treated as criminals.

There was a woman named, Norma McCorvey, who already had two children (which she did not have custody of) and now was pregnant with a third. She wanted an abortion and sought to get one at ONE clinic, which was closed. This young woman was referred to two lawyers, Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee. At the time that Norma went to see them, these two lawyers were already working on a case to have the Texas abortion law overturned. The Texas law stated that abortion was permitted only to save the mothers life. They found who they needed in Norma McCorvey.

She willingly changed her story to make it more appealing and compelling. Instead of her being a young woman you accidentally got pregnant, she now became a young woman who had been brutally gang raped. She also claimed that she had sought numerous doctors to perform the abortion, which she hadn't.

It went to court and low and behold the rules changed. Now the fate of the unborn was not so crystal clear. In a 7-2 ruling the Supreme Court ruled that:

* "A woman's constitutional right to privacy includes the right to determine the outcome of her pregnancy."

* "An unborn person is not a "person" within the meaning of our Constitution."

* "A state may only ban abortions in cases when the unborn child has already reached viability and there is no threat to the woman's health."

This is just one example of the many lies that surround a woman's "right to choose". I will be exploring more and doing a weekly posting on them over the course of the next six weeks. Please feel free to leave a comment, just try to be kind. I know this topic can be heated, but believe me I am judging or condemning anyone. My reason for doing this is to give whole information, which is often not given out today. Many just accept Roe vs. Wade as standard law, but never really wonder why or what the ramifications are. I think as we look at it, we will see that things are not always as they first appear.

* Serving With Care and Integrity, A Training Resource for Pregnancy Center Volunteers.

* Norma McCorvey became a christian, converted to the Catholic faith, and now is an avid speaker against abortion. You can find her web-site here. She was also arrested for protesting at the Sotomayor confirmation hearing, you can check that out here.

I love this picture. It is of my 15 year old dd and she at Lower Falls. Just thought I'd share. 

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Couponing Mentor

I love to save money, and these tough financial times it is becoming more of a necessity. For years I have been couponing, but I never really seem to get those great deals you often hear about. Today a friend of mine, who is an avid couponer, blessed me by teaching me what she knows about couponing. I have been to the various web-sites, but it didn't really click till I saw and heard it in person. She even let me go through her coupons and take what I wanted and she also gave me the organizational tools. I came home from the 'meeting' excited about giving coupons another try!! :o) She told me not to get discouraged, because it takes about 3 months to build up a good supply of coupons. She also shared with me ways to get more coupons, ebay for example and ways to match up coupons with store sales. Not only that but there is a website, couponmom.com that actually does that for you!! :o) It shows all the sales and which coupons to use and how much you will save and it's all FREE!!! :o) Another great resource is going right to the coupon web-sites, ya know the ones that you get in the Sunday newspaper?

I will be sharing weekly my couponing journey. I'll let you know how much I save, any tricks I learned, and definitely seeking advice. Please keep an eye on upcoming postings. If you have any couponing advice or comments, please feel free to leave a comment. :o)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Home School Planning

It seems like I cannot get out of the home school mode, so what better time then to start planning for the upcoming school year. I shared some of curriculum choices already, so now I will share how I plan the lessons.

~ Pick curriculum (pretty much done)
~ Look over curriculum to decide what to teach, how much to teach, and how long it will take to go through the book. (working on this) I normally use a couple of tools for this step. One is a three ring binder and another is a lesson plan book that I buy at Staples. In the three ring binder I keep all important papers, calendar, list of curriculum's that we have used and are using, a list of web-sites, and a section for each child detailing the goals for the year. I check these goals in the middle and end of the year. I also keep recipes and other household things, but that's another post all together.
~ Get out a calendar and plan what the school year looks like. I printed a 2009 and 2010 calendar off and marked the days that I already knew we would not be doing school. I also marked starting dates as well as graduation. :o)
~ Once the above is in place, I go through the books again but this time I look for reports and projects. I set up a time for those on the calendar. This has really helped keep me focused as I teach and it helps the kids know what is expected and when.

I don't actually write out things in the assignment book till a week before. I do long term planning, set up goals, and then the short term is actually writing things out. The reason I don't fill the assignment book too early is because, life happens. Some times we don't finish a book or it takes longer then expected, it's okay.

How about you? How do you plan for the school year? I would love to read your comments and ideas.

Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Conference

Last year I was able to attend the Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Conference and I'm so glad that I did!! It was my very first homeschool conference ever, and I have been homeschooling since 1995. I learned so much and I kept notes, which I used throughout the school year. One of things I loved about it was that I didn't actually have to be there to hear the conference. During the beginning of the conference last year one of our goats died. She had two babies only less then a month before she died. I was able to tend to her, as well as her babies. This was something that I was not expecting, but I did not lose or waste my money on the conference, because I could go back and listen to what I missed. Lets face it, life happens. Whether its a dying goat or kids needing attention (literally children, not the four legged kind LOL) you can do what needs to get done and still 'attend' the conference.
I believe the cost of the conference is $12.95, which is actually an investment in your education. For more information here is the link... http://www.hotmconference.com/
I hope to attend this year, and hopefully you will too!! :o)

Monday, July 13, 2009

Weight Watching~~ Week 2

I posted earlier that I was trying to shed some pounds, and I thought it would be fun to share the journey with others. Every day I will post something about reaching my goals, but I will not post it till Friday that way the whole week will be in one post. I am not counting calories, but my intention is to eat a healthier diet and exercise consistently. I honestly have no idea how much weight I will lose, because I don't own a scale. Maybe once in awhile I'll weigh myself at my sils and post it here. I know my starting weight is 180. I have been that weight for years, with the exception a few years ago when I was on the South Beach Diet. I think I got down to under 160, but not totally sure. I know I went from a size 16 (which I am now) to a size 12. Unfortunately I stopped doing the diet, and gained all the weight back. So, all that out in the open I will share weekly about my new endeavor. If you are trying to lose weight or live healthier, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.

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


Monday~~ 30 minutes of walking on treadmill


Tuesday~~ Walk Away The Pounds 2 Mile DVD (30 minutes) plus 10 minutes of stretching.


Wednesday~~ Walk Away the Pound 2 Mile DVD (30 minutes) + 10 min. of stretching.


Thursday~~ No exercise


Friday~~ 40 Minutes on treadmill + 10 minutes of stretching.

Saturday~~ 30 Minutes of Walking + 10 minutes of stretching.
_________________________________________________________
170 minutes of exercise and stretching 

How did your week go? Do you have any specific goals you would like to share?

HOME

My ds is home from college, he has been since May 1st. The poor kid has not been able to work, but he did have knee surgery to replace his acl. Yes, he tore it way back in January and dealt with it the best he could till he came home. He had his surgery a few weeks ago, and is now having physical therapy to help build up his muscle. The interesting thing is that the therapy is mainly for his 'donor' knee. You see, his replacement acl came from his good knee, which now is.... well, lets just say mending. ;o) 
He is heading back on August 18th and I think he will be very happy. Happy to see his friends, happy to hit the books, and happy to not be bored. LOL  I'm so blessed that he is home, but this has been a long hard summer for him. I hope next summer is better. ;o)

Grass is Greener......



Do you see this goat? Doesn't she look innocent and sweet?


That very goat, the one looking all sweet and innocent, is the most troublesome of all our animals. Why, you ask? She is not content being where she is supposed to be and is always trying to escape or succeeding at escaping. We have four goats and those four goats have a huge area to eat grass, chew on trees, run around, and do plain ol' goaty things. They even have 'toys' in the area for them to jump on and have fun. Is this little goat satisfied by being the area? No! She thinks the grass and trees are better on the other side of the fence. Same grass. Same trees.


The thing this little goat does not seem to get is that we live on a fairly busy road. Busy for our area any way. There is danger lurking in the form or cars and trucks, but she doesn't get it. When she gets out, instead of staying in the back she has to make her way to the front of the house, which is by the road. Hmmm....why does she do that? Why is she not content in her area? She thinks something better is outside her safety zone.


That goats reminds me of......me. There have been many times in my life when things are going great, but I need to explore and do more. I don't want to be in a confined area, I want to see just how far I can go. The area may be safe, but another area looks better and is more appealing to me. It may be the exact same stuff, but for some reason it's different because it's some where else. Then the Lord gently nudges me back to where He wants me, just like I do to the goat. He lets me know that He has placed me in certain areas for a reason, and He has provided what I need for that time. When/if the comes to move on, He will provide the right place. There will be no wandering and I don't have to worry about the hazards, because He will be the One directing my paths.



Saturday, July 11, 2009

Ramblings for Next School Year

As I look out over the beautiful green landscape, my thoughts are about our next years school. I have several things already, but I still need more. Here is a list of my haves and some of my wants:

Have:
History of Gods Kingdom, Sonlight
Write Shop
Alpha Omega Math for ds
Apologia Chemistry
Money Matters for Young Children
SAT Practice Books

Want:
Teaching Textbooks, Algebra 2
A Beka Grammar
Physical Education ( not sure what I'm going to do )
Health-- Alpha Omega Computer Version
SAT Practice DVD
Chemistry for Junior High
Demolishing Strongholds

That might be it, but I think I'm missing a few things. This year is going to be an intense year, I have a senior a possible junior (dd is looking to graduate early), and a 7th grader who really needs extra attention. My 15 year old dd is going to start in August, the 13 year old has already been doing some summer school, and the 17 year old is start in September. I am also planning on going back to school part time, so we will really need a strict schedule to get everything done. 

Are you already planning your school year? How is it looking? Please feel free to share. :o)

Friday, July 10, 2009

Weight Watching

I am almost 42 years old and my body is not the same as it was in my 30's. I have decided to get on the offensive and actually do something about it. My plans are not grand, they actually are pretty simple.

* Eat smaller portions.
* Eat healthier food.
* Exercise every day for at least 30 minutes.
* Drink lots of water.

That's it. I'll let you know how it goes. :o)

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Car Games

If you drive a vehicle and you have kids, then you have heard the, "Are we there yet?" phrase probably one to many times. Although we live in a time when gadgets can keep kids busy and quiet, why not play games together and make those miles disappear? I remember playing games in the car with the family on trips to Maine and years later I played the same games with my own family.

Grandmas Attic:
Start with the letter A and go through the entire alphabet with each person saying a word that starts with that letter. You use this phrase, " In grandmas attic there is a Apple." the next person, "In grandmas attic there is an Apple and a Bear." It goes on all the way through the alphabet. This is a great memory builder, so you are not only playing but also stretching those brain cells.

Car Bingo:
This takes a little extra work, but it is worth it. Print up some cards with words or pictures of things that you may possibly see on your trip. Then laminate the cards or put clear contact paper on them. As you drive along the kids find the things on the cards and mark them off with wipe off markers. You can keep all the parts in a holder in you vehicle, then when you head to the road you are ready.

ABC Game:
This is an old favorite of mine. Each person in the vehicle races to get all the letter of the alphabet off road signs, license plates, bumper stickers, and anything that is outside your vehicle. The person has to identify the letter and say where it came from and that place can only be used once by one person. This is a tricky game if your traveling in the country, but if you go through the cities there are plenty of letters out there.

This or That:
My daughter and I played this game a lot when she was young. I would start out by saying, " Would you rather be____ or _____ (fill in the blanks with whatever comes to mind), then she would answer. She would then ask me a new "this or that" question. It's an easy game that really can get you thinking, especially if you explain your answers.

I hope you have fun playing these games!! :o) If you have any more games please feel free to add them in the comments section.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Womens Day Book ( July 7, 2009 )


FOR TODAY July 7, 2009

Outside My Window... grey clouds, rain, and lots of trees.

I am thinking...about how much my husband works and how I can make life easier for him.

I am thankful for... a husband who has a job.

From the learning rooms... summer school is in session, which includes math and reading. I'm also gearing up for next school year by working on a schedule, our calendar, and important things for my dds senior year.

From the kitchen... cheesy alfredo.
I am wearing... comfy jeans, sweat shirt , and an old pair of sneakers.

I am creating...nothing at the moment.

I am going...to stay home tonight and hopefully watch a movie with hubby.
I am reading...Worship Warriors, 1 Chronicles, and a book about the lives of various missionaries.
I am hoping...that the rain will stop, it has rained pretty much every day since June.

I am hearing... the toilet run.
Around the house...the girls are getting ready to go the movies, the boys are hanging out, and I'm waiting for my love to come home.
One of my favorite things...long hot showers.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Clean the house, get all caught up on laundry, work on home school things, make menu, and grocery shop.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Thoughts of a goat....

                                                "Hello, do you see me?"
                                      " How about now? Arn't I pretty?"            

                                            "Hey you with the camera!! Did you get a good picture?"

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy Fourth of July!!! :o)

May you and your family have a very happy Fourth of July and remember those who are fighting for your freedoms today.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Fourth of July Treats (Popsicles)

Who doesn't like a cold popsicle on a hot day? Save some money and make your own with these great recipes. I remember when we young we loved to pour juice into the ice tray, cover it with Saran Wrap, and put toothpicks through it for the handles. What would come out was yummy, but not very stable popsicles!! :0) If you would like to add a link or add your own recipe or idea please leave a comment.

Ice Pops

Easy Popsicles

Fourth of July "Bomb Pops"

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Fourth of July Firecracker Shirts

A couple years ago we made these fire cracker shirts. I found the craft at the Family Fun website and since it was a couple of year ago I thought I would share it here too. First you take two pipe cleaners and twist them together in the middle and then open them up like a star. Then you take fabric paint and either squeeze the colors onto paper plates (like in the photo above) or squeeze right on the "star" (like the photo below). Next you take the "star" and put it on the t-shirt, like a stamp. Remember to put newspaper down on the table, so the mess is easy to clean up.
Notice the pressing of the "star" here. Also notice those are little hands, yes it's that easy.



Here is one almost finished project.


Here is a finished project. What we did here was take the fabric paint and added a little more detail, so the fire crackers would really "pop".


This was so easy. My dd was 12 or 13 at the time and headed this up herself. She did this during a Fourth of July barbeque that we had my sils. The kids loved it and so did the parents!! :0)



Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Works for Me Wed.

It has been a long time since I participated in the Works for Me Wednesday meme, and I have missed it. I'm jumping back in this week and happy to see that it is a themed addition put on by We Are That Family. The theme this week is simple summer recipes. I can't wait to go back and check out what all those yummy recipes and then try them out.

I don't have any pictures for this recipe, my digital camera is some where along the Ammonsuc River, but that's another story. On to the recipe!! :o)

Pink Stuff

Ingrediants:
Red Jello
Tub of Cool Whip or Kool Whip, not sure of the spelling.
1/2 small tub of small curd cottage cheese
1 can of fruit cocktail drained

Method:
Mix the package of Jello (not cooked, just the crystals), Cool Whip, Cottage Cheese, and Drained Fruit Cocktail in a big bowl. Mix. Chill in fridge. Eat. :)

Yes, its really that simple!! :o)
If you are a cherry fan you can add extra cheeries. If you are not a cottage cheese fan don't add it. If you want another color use another flavor of Jello.

This is always a hit no matter where I bring it. I hope you like it too. :o)

Womens Day Book (July 1, 2009 )


FOR TODAY July 1, 2009

Outside My Window... grey clouds and lots of trees.

I am thinking...about the church I'm currently a member of.

I am thankful for... the brain capacity to think!! ;o)

From the learning rooms... summer school is in session, which includes math and reading.
From the kitchen... nothings brewing there yet, but my plans for supper is spaghetti and sausage.

I am wearing... comfy jeans, blue t-shirt, and an old pair of sneakers.

I am creating...this new blog. :o)

I am going...no where today.

I am reading...Worship Warriors

I am hoping...that the rain will stop, so we can go strawberry picking.

I am hearing...the fan blow and the kitten purr.

Around the house...hubby's napping and the boys are hanging out.

One of my favorite things...blogging.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: go get sneakers tomorrow for kids and me, get Soul Fest ticket for dd, fourth of July parade, and then picnic with family at the camp ground.

~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Getting Settled In

I'm getting settled in to my new place over here from ruralmommasramblings.blogspot.com  I'm still shifting things around, putting pictures up, getting my links together, and making the place homey. Once this is all set up I will delete ruralmommasramblings for good, and this will be my blogging home. 

I'll be sharing recipes, frugal tips, homeschooling joys and woes, pictures, Bible studies, and whatever else life throws our way. I love to hear from readers and I also love to read others blogs. I look forward to hearing from old friends and making new ones too!! :o)