Carolina Mommy

We started school today! It is still hard to believe that Catherine is already at the "schooling" age. We are using My Fathers World again this year as we were pleased with Kindergarten and are looking forward to all that this curriculum offers. Unfortunately our school day did not get off to the start that I had hoped and planned for. My calendar still isn't ready (oh well) - I did however have everything I needed for the lessons today. There is a rule to Homeschooling - I'm not sure if anyone has ever written on it - I am sure some wise person has, as I have heard it over and over again. "Do not plan anything in day during lesson time." (ie. appointments, errands, etc.) If you do it is so hard to get back to "school". Well my nurses visit to confirm pregnancy was this morning at 10 - right in the middle of the school day. With God's help we prevailed this afternoon and stuck to the plan that we mapped out for our "school"

While I was in Atlanta leaning all about the new product lines for PartyLite (just a teaser) my wonderful hubby was home with the girls! This is his third year with them on his own and he is always so willing to let me go for the week. This year he surprised me a bit more than usual. Normally I come home to a nicely put back together house. This year it looked the same (if not worse) - but NO complaints from me. They had an amazing time together. Now he didn't take them all over SC by himself (his mom did go with him) but just the same amazed that he even thought about it. On Thursday he took them to Hampton Plantation. Which was actually built by the Horry Family however many hundreds of years ago. Then on Friday he tried to take them to Cypress Gardens but ended up downtown Charleston because they got there too close to closing. Still ready to go out yet again - they all went to the beach on Saturday. Which I must confess he got in trouble for as it was Samantha's first tim

So I just foud this "new" quilt shop not even 5 mintues from the house. Turns out not so new, has been around for almost 2 years. Where have I been.....oh yeah, way too busy doing way more than I should be. I have enjoyed the time home with my babies so far. I definitely think that I have more than enough to keep my busy at home for those who thought I wouldn't. And my house is getting back to some sort of order (its about time)

Webb and I got home one night from a night out alone (few and far between these days) and little Sam had fallen asleep on Cat's bed. Just too cute not to snap a photo.

I saw a post not long ago about hanging clothes out on the line instead of putting them in the dryer. Well it got me thinking and talking with some friends. Now that I will be home (only 19 days left) I think this is something I might do. With Summer coming(feels like its here already) I know the electric bill is going up with the AC running all the time so I figure this might cut back on the bill ~ yes I know not enough to compensate for the extra time on the AC but it should help. I have been asking my hubby for a couple months for the clothes line and here it is. He is a contractor and everything he builds is the best that he can make it ~ hence the anchors tying it down. I don't think it is going anywhere for awhile.

Well we made it through our first year of Homeschooling. Yes, I know it was only Kindergarten , but still, we were both new at it. I have learned that it doesn't have to be like the public schools, that our school is flexible and is focused on my children's needs. I am looking forward to next year already. Mainly looking forward to giving my children the time that they deserve and not having to cut things short to run off to work. (June 30 th is coming quick.) I am also looking forward to the CHEC Conference next weekend now that I will have a better idea of what I am looking at. Here is a picture of my little graduate. The Saturday before her graduation she had her first ballet recital. Needless to say May was pretty busy.

I have been reading (and re-reading) A Mother's Heart by Jean Fleming. The subtitle is A look at values, vision, and character for the Christian mother . I have really learned a lot from it and have been trying to apply it. It is a little overwhelming, but biblical and practical ~ I keep reminding myself to take it in baby steps (hence why I have to re-read it). Well I am about mid-way through the book and this struck a cord with me. I will be printing and putting up several copies for myself. At the end she challeges readers to meditate on it and rewrite it for themselves. I may or may not get there....but here is her paraphrase. If I keep my house immaculately clean, and am envied by all for my interior decorating, but do not show love in my family~I'm just another housewife. If I'm always producing lovely things~sewing, art; if I always look attractive, and speak intelligently, but am not loving to my family~I am nothing. If I'm busy in community affairs, t

Do you ever wonder "What if?" I do. I don't know if it is right or wrong to wonder, but I confess that I do. What if I had never moved to SC, what if my first "love" had loved me back, what if I had focused on college instead of the guy I met while there? Believe me it keeps going on from there. It seems that one question leads into so many more. But the one big question that I always end up at is would I have come to know my Savior if everything didn't happen as it did. You see, had I not left CA or if it had actually "worked" out with the guy back home then I would have never met my husband. He was/is the guy I met while in college. Needless to say I spent a good bit of my time with him. I may have "met" him from CA, but probably never had made the first date. You see, we actually met online at good 'ole Yahoo! We started chatting in November of 2000. Our first date was Jan 5 th 2001. Engaged March 31st and married N

Not many know, but we don't keep the "normal" kind of pets. We have had goats since our oldest (child) was a baby (~6 years). We started with 2 and had 6 (until last week as our herdsire Phillip passed). Below is our original herd. Chelsea is the momma. Stephen & Briar Rose were born March 2008 and Edward & Lilly were born in October 2008. Chelsea is expecting anytime now. They are Pygmy/Nubian crosses. As we are approaching the day that I will be home full-time ~ my husband is working to find ways to provide (as he has just started his own construction business after he was laid off last fall). So what does this have to do with goats you are asking??? We are going into the Goat Business. Surprisingly there is quite a market for it. This is where our new additions come in. Our Pygmy babies are just not suited for making big babies or good for milking. So here is the start to our "business" herd. Lilly Pie, originally Lilly, but we had a Lilly and didn&#

I got this in an e-mail today and it really made me think. As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in every day life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding

We continued in the week with The Crucifixion and how God worked it all to happen just as He said. We counted out 30 pieces of silver and talked about Judas and his betrayal of Jesus. We also had our own Seder Meal. Our niece came over and joined in for it. The preparation of it I don't think was "kosher" but it was good and meaningful. We talked about the meaning of each item according to Jewish custom, but also talked about the significance in relation to our Lord and Savior and how Christ was the ultimate Lamb sacrifice. We had Lamb and Rosemary & Garlic Potatoes. On our Seder plate there was a Hard Boiled Egg, Parsley, Salt Water, Horseradish, Charoset and Matzo. The Lamb was a bit dry, but tasty -- I think I cooked it too long in the crock pot. This was the first time any of us had ever had lamb. We all enjoyed the Matzo bread and my girls like salt (not a good thing I know ) so the Parsley in the salt water didn't bother them. The Horseradish on the other

What a wonderful week we have had...and it's not over yet. This is the first year that we have really taken the time to be in the Word as a family and really reflect on what this week is all about. Thanks to the wealth of ideas posted by Monica and ideas in Homespun Memories for the Heart it has been an exciting week in which we have learned so much! So here is our week so far... "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" John 12:13 Webb cut palm branches and we read from our Read and Learn Bible. Then we laid our jackets and blankets down on the floor and waved our palm branches shouting "HOSANNA!" The girls had a lot of fun with it. We talked about how excited we would be if Jesus had walked in and walked across the path that we made for him. "Then He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded." John 13:5 "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, wash

If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind , and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Ephesians 4:21-24 It is so tough to lay aside my old self at times. But, with Christ all things are possible! As I am made more aware of his truths I must choose to obey or not to. I have done the "not to" so many times in the last 4 and a half years and have found that it is so much easier to just obey the first time. Growing pains are rough at times, however, I am grateful for them. It is through them that I grow closer to my heavenly Father. I'm sure you have guessed by now that we are going through some growing

Actually it was yesterday but I'm just now getting around to writing about it. It was not quite as eventful as birthdays when I was a kid. They never seem to be anymore. The last one that a fuss was made over was 18 (I didn't do the whole "21" thing). These years they just seem to come and go like about everyother day, with the added benefit of dinner out. This one has definietly made memorable. It really was a great day depending on what perspective you take. I must say last year I wouldn't have looked on it all with such optimism. It started with breakfast with Belle and Cinderalla at Chick-fil-a. And of course my three most precious princesses were there to enjoy it with me. I even talked my hubby into coming and being our photographer for the morning. We made tiaras and the girls had their nails painted. Then they played in the Princess Bounce House. It was some very enjoyable girl time. After breakfast we went to Michaels. I haven't been th

It is very hard to accept that your first baby is actually growing up. I knew it was going to happen, and happening, but it just dawned on me about 2 weeks ago. Catherine is 6, yes I know only 6. But as my oldest each year seems to go by faster and faster and she seems to get older more quickly than I ever imagined. And having been working away from the home for her whole life I know that she has not always had my best. I'm sure all this thinking is coming about now that I am focusing my thoughts and energies on preparing to be a worker at home. I cannot help but to wonder where she would be at if I had been home with her, giving her the best hours of my days. God is wonderful though, he makes beauty out of the mess of flesh. We do have a few discipline struggles, but for the most part she obeys. She likes to help out around the house, most of the time. She takes care of her younger sisters. She loves to sing and dance. She has been in dance for about 9 months now, but even before

Okay, so I am still working my j-o-b. But, I have to wonder why. I don't get paid when I am supposed to and quite frankly my heart just isn't in it. My heart is torn out of me every time I have to leave my babies to go have people yell at me all day about why their orders are so ridiculously late. I truly am counting down the days, only 4 months, actual work days are only 70. I guess I shouldn't say "only" since 70 is a lot, but there is an end in sight. I just had to complete our 2nd progress report for Kindergarten, due tomorrow. Catherine has been doing well. I look forward to next year and being home with her & her sisters all day so that we can do so much more. She has surprised me so much with everything that she has learned. Children really are little sponges. I also just completed our family page for the yearbook, it is supposed to sum up our Homeschool year, I wanted to use a Bible verse, however my verse knowledge is still in the primary s

Okay, so this morning I was listening to Alistair Begg on WAGP and the whole "rat race" thing became clear. It is not so much the need to make time for the "important" treasures, but to find the moments in the middle of the race. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 He is in control of where I am every second of the day. So when I am seeking after His will - when my will is that of the Lord's - then I am not in a "rat race" but in His will, fulfilling His purposes. My focus is on Him and and conforming my will to his. Which means a lot of checks and balances throughout the day of my flesh...

It has been a very hectic past few months. My oldest is now 6 and my middle child is 3, oh me, time is going by way too quickly! All followed up by my youngest turning 1 in October. eek! So the countdown started yesterday. I gave notice and my last day working outside of my home will be June 30th. Yes a long notice...but I felt like it was necessary. Even more necessary is for me to take on my God given role to raise up my children in the way they should go. I am excited and yet nervous. I am coming home to be a worker in my home - to the most important job that I could ever do! I definitely don't want to mess it up. So not only is the long notice for my current boss, but also so that I can prepare myself for all that awaits me. Things will definitely be changing in our household, but I am sure that they will all be for the better so long as we keep our gaze on Him.