Where do you connect?

This is a thought that has been lingering for quite awhile. I believe that we all have the longing desire to connect with people. (I don't mean the needy kind of connecting, but the kind that is a blessing.) Maybe this has been in the front of my mind because we have recently moved...again. I grew up in a family that required frequent moves. When someones asks me where I am from, I never know what to say. Do I say the foreign country that I was born in? The state we lived when I was in early grade school or the one for jr. high or high school? Or where Chuck and I have lived most of our married life? Now that I have kiddos of my own, I desire for some roots for our family. Not just for the kids but for me too.

I know that I am not alone in my desires. I long to connect. With friends who share some of my values. With people that make me laugh and think I am funny. We have found most of our connections in our church friends in the past. I have also found friendships in our neighborhood, or co-workers, family, childhood fiends, people we have ministered with, other homeschool group, friends of the girls...the list goes on. But for me my newest connection has been through the blog. I have been able to connect with others and share experiences, struggles, prayer requests, trials and joys. I love that I can relate to people all over the country and travel the road with them.

So my questions is for you...where do you connect?

Highlights of the week

I wanted to share some pictures of the highlights of the week. If you caught me on Monday, you saw it wasn't a great day, and my fear of the beginning of a bad week. But as the week wore on...I became even more determined to focus on the positives. I think I am beginning to understand that my perspective and attitude have so much of an effect on how life turns out. I have the ability to focus on the positive things in life. *To cling to those things.* I am not the only one in the world that has struggles. In fact, my struggles are mild compared to some.


So, I got some perspective, and the week turned out great. My dear friend Leslie came and drove an hour to visit with me and the kids. We had a great time together (despite some ant bites on the kids). The girls were so blessed to have some familiar friends to play with.

We had an educational time at a field trip with a new homeschool group. Learned about habitats and enjoyed the great outdoors. I was able to get to know some of these families and begin to foster new friendships.









I believe strongly in taking advantage of the area that you are in and making the most of it. This field trip was at a local nature center and it is a wonderful resource. A hidden place that I had never heard of before. So glad we ventured out of our comfort zone and took a chance.

Tagged

I was tagged by my blogging friend Christine. So I am to tell you 7 random things about me. After some thought this is what I came up with.

1. In the last year, I have given up wearing contacts. I have worn contacts since 8th grade and love them, but I have had a bunch of eye problems as of recent. I miss my contacts but for the betterment of my eyes, glasses girl is here to stay. (health over vanity)
2. I lettered in badminton in High School. And loved it.
3. I cook with pepper but never pepper my own food plate.
4. I hate the sound of the exhaust fan in the bathroom or kitchen. Chuck loves any kind of noise, but it makes me feel like I can't think straight.
5. I find it ridiculous of how much we have to * move the food * for grocery store shopping. From the shelf to the cart, the cart to the belt, the bag to the cart again, then into the car, from the car into the house, at home onto the counter and then into cupboards. Not to mention getting it out again when I am cooking with it.
6. I struggle with insomnia. It comes in waves every few weeks or months.
7. My baby pinky toe nails hardly exist. You almost have to paint the skin.

The rules are to link the person who sent this to you and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit yours. ~Post the rules on your blog~Share 7 strange/weird facts about yourself~Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog~Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I must confess I would like to tag some of my blog readers...but they don't have blogs yet...ehhhh hem.

So I tag Kristie M, Annie, Tina, Christy, Tiffany, Susan my sis, my nephew JT.

Precious

Tonight I was reminded of how precious our children are. Our lives are so busy and *daily* , we don't always get the chance to just appreciate the wonderful gift of parenthood. Believe me, today had many moments of dredging through the trenches of being a Mom. But tonight...in the quietness of the evening...I was gently reminded of the preciousness of a child.

Precious (according to dictinary.com)

• of high price or great value; very valuable or costly
• dear; beloved
• darling

These were just a few that I noted from the definition. So true. Children require so much and yet so little all at the same time. Tonight I sat on the floor, kneeling next to Tristen, just stroking her hair and praying the fainting would pass. A regular occurrence after a long day. (see this post) Knowing that there is little I can do to make her feel any better, but I would take the pain myself if I could. Praying that God's grace would make it pass quickly, all the well knowing that she must feel awful.

These precious children that God has given to us. I am willing to pay the high price that it takes to raise them. They are so dear and beloved to me. How thankful I am that they have a safe, loving home. I am thinking of all those orphans who are waiting to go home to a permanent family.

And yet, I am again reminded, that God loves them even more. They are more precious to Him than to me. Something my mind can hardly comprehend.

Precious...adored...beloved...cherished...treasured...valued...child

What lifts your spirits?

Right now our life still seems a little up in the air. Chuck has had some struggles with work the past few months that tend to over take our emotional energy. I could easily find things to be discouraged about. But...I choose to be positive. I chose to focus on the good things in life. And if you know me at all, this is a choice, it doesn't always come natural. So after a bummer of a day on Monday, I felt like Tuesday lifted my spirits. These are the things that encouraged me...

• We had a great day a our Precepts Bible Study
• We found a bunch of great books at the library
• I have a dear friend coming to visit this afternoon
• I met another new homeschool family at the library
• Tally's math only took her 8 mins. to do yesterday
• There are hints of spring in the air

So...what lifts your spirits? What encourages you? What is the positive in your life that you are focusing on?

Is it just me???

My mind is all over the place this Monday morning.

• I wake up regretting that I didn't grocery shop yesterday. I didn't even get milk.
• Chuck pressure washed the pool deck and sidewalks this weekend. It looks great but magnifies more things we need to do. (paint the pool deck and house)
• I should have gotten farther in the laundry this weekend. The pile seems to have grown overnight.
• We now have a "clink" sound. Along with our beep. Somewhere in the bathroom area. Could it be a pipe and water??? Is it the house just having a party somewhere? Or is it trying to tell us something?
• I am still waiting for some school books that should have already arrived in the mail. Do I press on with out them?
• We need to finish the 10,000 projects that we have already started because I have a million more to add to the list. (OK, OK, a little exaggerated)
• Should I let the girls continue to grow out the bangs??? They are driving me nuts. The cute hair stage is long gone and the rag-a-muffin look is here to stay.
• Is Chuck's job ever not going to monopolize our life???
• Will we ever fit in at a church?
• How com January is the slowest month ever???

Is it just me, or do you think of random misc. thoughts on a Monday morning too?

A real live COUNTRY BEAR JAMBOREE

Last night we went to a local country jamboree. Chuck stumbled upon this and thought it would be interesting. I felt like it was a scene out of a movie. I have never seen so many banjos and geetars (guitars) and fiddles. It was fun to listen to all these groups and watch the people enjoy the music.

After checking out the groups outside, we went inside and got some dinner (sloppy joes and fries) and watched the group on the stage. Each group gets a chance to jam out on the stage in the community building.

One of the things I am determined to do it just enjoy what each area has to offer. This happens every Saturday night at this community center. Everyone could tell we were newbies.

100th Day of School

We have to celebrate the little things in life. We decided to go all out and get crazy for our 100th day of school.

The task was crazy hair and crazy clothes. Tissy wins for best hair. Tally for best outfit. And me...most willing to look like a fool for the entertainment of my kids.
A few highlight of our school day. Can we even learn and concentrate on a day like this. With the teacher looking like a crazy person?

80's Dance Night

Chuck loves music. He is sharing his love for 80's music with the girls. On Friday nights, (after our pizza night), we get up and jam to 80's music on a local radio station. Great way to work off any extra pizza we might have eaten.

These girls have got the moves. They know how to get down. Notice I am not in the pictures. Not sure I know how to dance all that well.

Dinner anyone?

When we bought this house I thought the dinning area would be perfect for a big long farm table. We started hunting for one and realized we weren't willing to spend $1200 for one with out chairs. It was Chuck's idea to use our current table as the "bones" of a new one. He and my dad made this beautiful 8 foot table.

We revamped the chairs with new fabric on the cushions and painted black with the distressed look. Martha Stewart would be so proud.

Precepts

I have joined a new Bible study group this year. A precepts study group in the book of Daniel. I was interested in it because they have a program for homeschool kids. It has turned out to be such a blessing. The girls love their class. I love mine and we are all in the Word. I feel like I am back in college. Challenging myself. Stretching myself. And growing in God's grace.

Brain Teaser

I love games. Our school room has a big closet full of them. My favorite ones are the kind that you don't find at the local Toys R Us or Target. I will often order them from catalogs when I am ordering some other homeschool supplies.

My Mom has mentioned that as they get older, how it seems to be important to stretch their minds and try new things. I just heard that a great way to do this is to try brushing your teeth with your other hand (mine would be the left). I love learning new things. Challenging myself.



I have noticed how important it is to teach my kids how to think. Not just the right answer, but logic and thought process. We do a lot of this through games, or story problems or even "game shows". Chuck will play "game show" with them as he is tucking them into bed. Asks them to name different kinds of cereal, or tells them 4 items and asks which one doesn't belong. These things make them think.
I love this game called Rush Hour. You have to move the ice cream truck off the street as you move the cars around. Again, it makes you think. Anything that clears out the cobwebs and gets our thinker working again.

Down and Out...

Sorry guys, I am down and out with a nasty head cold. All that talk about our healthy eating and how we have been so healthy. UGH. I got my dose of humble pie. It has hit me hard and like a ton of bricks. The girls were able to fight it off pretty well. I, however, feel like I am walking around in a fog.

What are you PASSIONATE about?

We all have different backgrounds and different values. And somehow these experiences make us PASSIONATE about different things. Over the years I have come to be PASSIONATE about a few different things.

• Good leadership
• Handling my emotions in a healthy way
• Effective parenting
• Reflecting Christ

These are things that evoke strong emotion. According to dictionary.com it means compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling. Lately, Chuck is dealing with some struggles at work and I think it is helping him define what he is PASSIONATE about. Both for his career and personally. I love how the path we travel shapes who we are.

So, what are you PASSIONATE about?

Fresh Milled

A few years ago I started milling my own wheat and making bread for my family. I was looking for an alternative way to get my kids healthy. At the time, Tristen was struggling with sinus infections and we couldn't find anything to get her healthy. I started doing some research and found how important it is to consume fresh milled wheat.

After trying it out on a friends machine, I took the plunge and bought my own mill. It has taken some time to learn what I am doing and make things that are yummy and delicious.






It really doesn't take that long to toss a few cup fulls of wheat berries into the hopper and turn it into flour.

Then I use my Bosch mixer to make the dough. I follow the recipe I got when I ordered my mill from this company.


I have made it a tradition to make pizza every Friday night. When I make my dough I use half of the dough for pizza and the other half for bread or cinnamon rolls.


It has been great to see my family come to really enjoy this type of food. I have expanded my recipes to include spelt pancakes, soft wheat brownies, and stuffed bread (our favorite).

I have seen a huge difference in the health of my family. I really understand what goes into our bodies makes a big difference in how we feel and the sickness we can shake off. Don't get me wrong, we still eat some junk food and other things that most families have in their cupboards. We are far from perfect. But I have become a fresh milled Mama. I will include some pictures later of some of the other things we have made.

"Sorta Done"

Get it?? Sorting turns into sorta. I know, it's not funny if you have to explain it. And I know that this post isn't very interesting. But the sorting and organizing is done. I worked with Chuck this weekend to get the rest of the job done. It turned out to be a good way to spend "quality time" with him and work together.

The big question is, will it stay like this? All neat and tidy. Who knows, but I never thought tools and nuts and bolts could look so beautiful. =) Tim, the tool man, would be proud.

Sorting

I have spent the last 2 days working in the garage. I first sorted our things that stay in storage...Christmas, memory, china, sports...Let's just say again we have too much stuff.

Today I have tackled the WORK BENCH. That is total MAN ZONE. I am sorting through tool boxes and such. Even boxes of things that the previous owners left for us (how nice of them). I feel like I should be on one of those Messy Makeover shows on HGTV.

I am trying to be a blessing to Chuck. He has had a super hard week at work and he has been meaning to get the garage sorted since we moved. He wants to get a peg board up and get it all organized. Hopefully this will help him out. Now we should have no excuse for not finding the tools we need.

If you have ever read about 5 languages of love than you would understand that one of my love languages is acts of service.

Tissy Medical Update

If you have known us for long you know that Tristen has had a variety of medical issues. Just wanted to give you a quick medical update. We just got back from her yearly visit to the cardiologist. All reports are good. Tissy is doing really well.

Last year we started her on medicine for her fainting and we saw good results from the medication. This year the doctor believes it is a good idea to keep her on the medicine and use it as needed.

Tissy is a good sport with all of this and I am thankful that she continues to handle her condition well. The doctor described it well today, reminding us that she does not have any extra reserve of energy and when she has used hers up, that is when the fainting will take place.

She always gets nervous when it is time to go and see the doctor and do the tests. She doesn't like the EKG even though it doesn't hurt. The whole day is exhausting. Now that we moved, we live 2+ hours from the hospital and it makes for a long day for all of us. We always bring our school work and get it done while we are waiting.

I am thankful for the good report and grateful for God's grace in her life.