MEMORY LANE

I was looking through some of my pictures and going down memory lane. As I look at these pictures it just amazes me how much my babies have grown. I am hoping that I can find some of the pictures of the older two kids when they were little. I am sure I have some on cd's somewhere. When we had our flood in the basement it ruined all the pictures I had ready to scrap book and never got to. Luckily I did get some done in the scrap books so its not a total loss. And if I get desperate I will be calling family members for copies...... But since most of my stuff is already packed it might be awhile till I get it done.

Elisha and Stormie


Samuel: it seems like yesterday you born.


Elisha and Stormie, were has the time gone?


This is my favorite picture of Samuel and Scooby our dog. Scooby loved to kiss and lick his snotty nose. Lee's mom hates it.

HOMESCHOOLING

I have decided that I need to post on what I have learned as a home school mom. I decided to start homeschooling when Elisha was 4 years old and Stormie was 2 years old. As I reflect on how I did, I realize that I thought I had to do everything so perfect. I had my kitchen all set up to teach them. I had the bulletin boards all over the walls. It would of been so much more fun if I would of been so much more relaxed. I wanted to be the best I could and this stressed me out. I remember thinking I was going to lose my mind. Only if I would of relaxed a little. I totally was not thinking of how young they were. The best times were the times me and Michelle would do things together with the kids. I miss those days!! It seems like yesterday then I look at our kids and the time has flown by. Thank you Michelle for being there for me during my times of distress and the times of joyfulness. Those memories of our kids together will always be precious.







I was so stressed out from teaching preschool that I decided to put Elisha in Kindergarten. I think this actually made it worse. So half way through the year I went ahead and pulled him and decided to home school. I remember teaching him to read and how stressed I was about it. I called my sister in law Chantel for some advice and she told me to find something he liked like calvin and hobes. This was the best advice ever, my little boy loved these comics and would look at them for hours. And I must say with that and the hooked on phonics program we were successful. He is the best reader now. He would read all the time if I will let him. The only problem is we don't live close to a good library and books are expensive when you read one a day. No joke he read the Harry Potter book in 3 days.

Through the years I have found myself more lad back with my kids and there schooling. Almost to much at times. There has been times that I was just praying I have done enough. We live a busy life at times and things would get behind. This last year we decided on the computer schooling " Switched on School House" by Alpha Omega. I have really loved this program my daughter has finished all her subject except (history, and science). Elisha is almost done with his he has finished two subjects totally. We also do math-u-see and I just decided to do some Shirley English also. The Shirley is more for me I have never been that great at language and I wanted to have something for us all to do together. We are starting from the beginning and doing it together to better ourselves. I hope I can keep up with it. Since Stormie has finished her computer mostly we have been working on her handwriting. I have decided to make her copy information out of a book about weather. This will help her handwriting, spelling, and even get some science information in her head. When I was a kid if I wrote things down I always remembered them better. I am hoping this works for her.

The greatest joy to me as a home school is knowing that I taught my kids to read, write, math, all the other things in between. My children have become excellent readers and both excel at math. This gives me a great accomplishment as a MOM....

I might not be perfect but I hope they look back on this and realize that I took the time and taught them.






On another note my baby Samuel has been dry for awhile now. And has started going to the bathroom on his own. He just went and did his job in the toilet. I am so thrilled, I just hope he keeps up the good work. We are finally on the right track for potty training.

EARLY

I am not usually a early morning riser, but I just can't seem to sleep. My mind has so many thoughts rolling thru it. So many questions about how things are going to work out for us and this move. I have seen so many things just fall into place. I knew that we had so many things to get done before this move could happen. I believe with all my heart that the Lord is in this and that he will work things out. But it still is hard to visualize the future. I am hoping and praying for the best, I am just human and have to think everything apart.

We have lived in Oklahoma for 11 wonderful years and I have made some wonderful friends here. This place is my comfort zone, and now it is time to leave that comfort zone and start again. Time to make new friends, who I believe will be just as dear to me. It is time to start our business over in a new state, and I believe this scares me the most. When we first started it here, we had some hard times back then. And now our bills are way more than they were back then.

My mind wanders on what we will need to make it. How much can we afford for rent? This little brain could bore you forever of my worries, but I want to have complete faith in God. He has never left us without a home, food for the table, clothing for our backs. So I know things will be alright, I just still have to worry. I am a woman what else can I do?


On another note I was watching t.v. the other day and saw this recipe for " EDIBLE PLAY DOUGH" so here it is.....

equal parts of PEANUT BUTTER, HONEY, POWDER SUGAR.

Now I have not tried this yet. But it does sound fun for little kids who have a tendency to put things in there mouth. I wanted to write this down before I forgot so later on I can look back and find it.

To the love of my life...

Well it's late and I can't sleep. I keep thinking of all the things we have been through together and all that you mean to me. So I'll put it here and tomorrow when you wake up you'll know that I love you more each day. I love how you give of yourself without thought of anything in return to me and all of your friends. I see the days when your not feeling well and yet you still are willing to drop whatever is going on to help a friend or run an errand for me. I love our "story " of how God brought us together and how our love grows the longer we are together. I love how you sacrifice your own needs, wants and sometimes sanity for our children.... and me. I was remembering when we went to hawaii for our 10th and we didn't even need to plan anything we just enjoyed each others company and drove and visited, just like we do here. It caused me to see that we don't need a special place for us to love one another, the special place is when we are together. You help me in every aspect of my life and I would not be the man that I am without you. I love how God seen me long ago and knew that it would be you to hold my hand from here into eternity.... you are a true helpmate and the love of my life..I love you.


Lee

FISHING

Saturday was a very eventful day for our little family. We had decided that we wanted to do something with our kids. So we decided on a fishing day. Bro. John has a beautiful pond by their house and we called to see if we could bring the kids and do some fishing. We woke up in the morning and started to get around when all the sudden my cell phone rings. It was a lady interested in our house. So we got the house clean so they could come and see it before we went fishing. They seemed real interested in it. She said they were going out of town for the weekend but when they get back they were going to go and talk to the bank. She didn't make a offer though she seemed to just want it. I don't have my hopes up, I am just waiting for the end of the week to come and see if they contact us again. So my fingers are crossed and I am praying the Lords will be done. After they left we took the kids to fish. It was a nice experience for the kids and they enjoyed themselves tremendously. I was a little wore out by the end of the day.





Elisha casting his pole.




Lee and John enjoying the peace.





Daddy showing Samuel the ropes of fishing.




Samuel showing us how big he is.




Stormie posing for the camera.





Elisha fishing his heart out.





Stormie learning to cast her new pole.

SHOWING AFFECTION

I have noticed at times that I am not as affectionate as I would like to be. Don't get me wrong I love on my kids and husband. But I catch myself pulling away from Elisha at times. I don't mean to I think he is growing up so fast, and he likes to lean on me a lot. He usually is pulling my hair or has to much body weight on me. I am really trying to show him how to be more careful. He has a hard time with us loving on Samuel and not him. We do love on him but he is a big boy now and Samuel is still a baby. I can't hold him like I can Samuel. He seems to get a little jealous at times. But I do know in no time he won't want us to love on him and that will make me so sad.

We were at some brethren's home the other day and they were talking about how they raised there kids. They mentioned how they wish they would of showed more affection to there kids. They have noticed that there kids don't hug them when they leave from seeing them. And this made them a little sad. Since they were the ones who taught them that. He was saying how he would watch his brothers kids and how they always gave there parents a hug everytime they saw them. And this touched him.

This made me think about how I act towards my mom and Lee's parents. I started looking at me and how I act. I have noticed that it doesn't come to me naturally. If someone gives me a hug I am all over it. But I hardly ever initiate the hug first. I feel sorda awkward. Then I look at different ones in my life and I paid attention to my sister-in-law Julie and noticed every time she leaves our in-laws house she always gives them a hug. I admire this in her, it tells me she was loved a lot as a kid. I am not saying I wasn't loved, I just feel that my Grandpa was a very hard man. I don't ever remember him hugging me. And I think this was passed down. My mom and dad did love on us when we was young. But I think it is something we all have a hard time with. When we don't see each other for along time then we seem to hug. But when we are around each other daily it just doesn't seem to be the thing to do.

I would really like to break this cycle. I want my kids to be affectionate and to be proud of it. I think ((HUGS)) are one of those things that do so many people so much good.

Cold Shower

I am very serious about this potty training thing. I have been told by several mom's that when there kids would poop in there pants they would take them off and put them in a cold shower. So I decided what could it hurt. I have been keeping Samuel in his big boy undies. With the hopes that he wont want to pee or poo on spider man or cars. So this morning he was doing so good. His undies were staying dry, I even took him to the bathroom and he went poo in the toilet. Yaaaaa for me right...

A few minutes later I was sitting on the couch and I noticed his pants were drooping a bit. So I called him over so I could pull them up. Guess what I found, ya you got it he went poo..

Grrrr......................

So I took him to the bathroom pulled his pants off, rinsed them in the toilet, then stuck him in the shower and turned the water on with hopes this would cure him. He wasn't very fond of this so I took him out and did the normal talking to him.

Mom: Samuel no potting in your pants do it in the toilet, tell us so we can take you.

Samuel: O.k.

So as the day went on this little man had another peeing accident....GRRRRRRRRRR

We take him to the bathroom constantly and this little guy always goes when we take him, why won't he tell us when he needs to go?

When dad got home I noticed his pants were drooping again...GRRRRRRRRR So we took him to the bathroom and I had to clean another mess. So I did it again and cleaned his pants and put him in the shower....

Mom: Samuel do you like cold showers.

Samuel: ya I like cold showers.....

What am I going to do with him?

I really don't think he likes the cold shower but I just don't think he cares were he goes. If we get him on the toilet in time he will go there, but if we don't he will go anywhere.

Samuel I love you, but please help momma out on this one.