Saturday, November 20, 2010

1st Marching Band Experience

Here is Tyler's band Marching in our local Gilbert Days Parade. It was a perfect day for a parade and they did a great job!

 



Here is an up close look, in case you can't see him in the previous picture.

 

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Honor Band

I have to write, brag and post here to let you know that my oldest tried out for district honor band and ended up making it.  He will be playing the tenor saxophone in the band.  He is so excited! In fact, during this past week of fall break he was actually bummed and disappointed that there was no school becasue he missed going to his band class.  Now that is dedication!

Way to go Tyler! Congratulations!!

New Time Consumer

Thanks to my wonderful sister and brother in law, I now have an iPhone. I love it! I have already poured tons of time into learning it and playing around with new apps.  I am looking forward to learning and playing around with it some more as the days go by.  I just wish it had an app that would clean the house and do laundry.  Now that would be wonderful!

Some of the apps that I have discovered so far are: Facebook, Words with Friends, Twitter, Poynt, Geocaching and Angry Birds.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Flagstaff

We went to Flagstaff this past weekend and it was, oh so nice! It is still in the 100's here and to be able to get a little relief from the heat was very much welcomed. We went for one of Kyle's soccer tournaments.  They played 4 games all within a 30-hour time period.  It was a tough tournament with only 1 win out of 4 games.  However, they had to face the #1 and #2 teams in the state, for their age group.  They could have very well beat them both as the scores were within 1 goal during both games.  All the boys on the team seemed to take a pretty good beating through all the games and most of them ended up (from what I know) staying home from school just to recover.   It was some pretty intense and competitive soccer, for sure.   We have another tournament that is only 2 weeks away.  I hope everyone recovers quickly. 

My hubby is the one behind all the pictures.  I will have to see if he can share a few for me to post here. 

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

"Do as I say, not as I do"

Oh my! Well, after reading my last post and then counting the weeks that we have been in school, I realized just how long it has been without a post here.  Okay...I guess I can claim many excuses, but I would like to think of them more as just staying busy with family rather then excuses. 

We have been really busy with soccer, soccer and more soccer.  It seems like I am always saying that .  But, hey, that's what we are all about right now. I just started playing indoor at a new place that is much closer to home.  My outdoor season starts this Friday.  I am the one coordinating everything for my team.  I can not believe how hard it is working with adults.  They are worse then kids. It is like a supernatural act to get them to even return an email.  Uhhggg. 

Kyle's season is officially underway, although it seems like it is never ending and therefore has never really even started.  That kid is always on the soccer field, it seems.  We started official games with an out of town tournament in California at Huntington Beach.  Yes, I enjoy soccer, but soccer in Huntington Beach...ah, now that is double the fun! It was a rough tournament, but by the last game they seemed to find their groove, with a 5-0 win!  Kyle's team also participates in local league play.  This year, to everyone's surprise, the team was placed in state level play.  It is an honor to play at that level, as it is by invitation only.  However, for the parents it is turning out to be driving, driving and more driving.   In the end it is a lot of fun and excitement.

Tyler is also playing soccer again this season.  We thought that he would be returning to hockey soon, but that has not been the case.  He is discovering that he really likes soccer.  He played on an indoor soccer team this summer (you have to do indoor in AZ, it is just too hot otherwise) and loved it.  I predict that once he finishes the outdoor season that he is playing right now he will return to indoor. Tyler has also discovered this past summer that he likes tennis.  So, who knows what he will be doing next.

So, I know what you are thinking now...so what about the hubby and his soccer...well...no, there is no soccer for him.  Our church has a triathlon team that trains and competes together.  He is thinking about join them sometime in the near future.

Shifting gears a little....We are in our 6th week of school and things are moving right along. We are learning some cool stuff.  I will do  my best to share our cool stuff and experiences here.  One of the assignments that I have for the boys is completing a blog post on their blog, at least once per week.  Yes, even the kids fall behind with their posts.  So, now that it is an assignment for them, I guess I should set the example and do the same myself.  It is starting to sound like that aweful saying, "do as I say, not as I do".  I don't like that saying, so I had better get to posting!

So, with good intentions, see you next week (if not before).

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Back to School

We are in our 3rd week of school and things are finally starting to feel like we are in a groove.  YeaHa!  For some reason it has been hard to settle into a routine. So with that, it seems like we are already behind becasue a lot of our time has been spent on redoing and undoing, specially with our new science book this year.  Having the boys getting used to the "higher level of learning" books (ie Jr high and not elementary) has been really difficult.  It is taking  more time then I had expected  but it is coming along.

Other then the massive science book, our other books of undertaking for the year are: Math, Latin, Grammar/Composition, spelling/vocab and Bible.  We are still working towards finishing our American history book from last year.  That is the only book that we did not finish.  With moving, and everything else, during the summer,  I decided that it was not worth it to make the boys work through the summer and finish it.

In addition to the academics, both boys are involved with music and sports. Tyler is taking concert band at the local school right by our house and  both boys are playing soccer.  Tyler plays in the rec program and Kyle is still playing competitively on a travel team.  Kyle stays very busy with his soccer as he is on the field at least 4 out of all 7 days during the week.  I would say that is quite a bit being that he is only 10yrs old. He loves it though.   

It should be a fun year.  I will do my best to keep posting updates here.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Back to blogging

I guess this is the story of my blog...catch up and updates.

We have been REALLY busy with moving and all that comes with that.  What comes to mind right now are Boxes, Boxes and more Boxes. Uuuggg.  And we still have boxes scattered around.

Mixed in with moving we had soccer practices, soccer games, church camp, tennis camps, a family reunion and birthdays.  Whew...that is a lot to keep up with.  At this point I am so glad that we are homeschooling again this year.  Most schools started this past week.  I am not sure that I would handle having to send the kids to school right now, too. 

Our new house is wonderful! For the first time in 17 years I finally feel like I can settle in somewhere. With every place we have ever been in the past we knew that we would most likely not be staying for longer then about 7 years.  This one...well we are staying until it is time to downsize (kids are out of the house) or we get too old to take care of the place.  So what does settling in mean? It means unpacking everything and if there is not a place or spot for it then it does not stay. For someone like me...that is so freeing! 

So, now that we are finally feeling a little settled, I will do my best to make this site a priority and get back to blogging here. 

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

New Home

Well the BIG Day is finally feeling like it is in sight.   The "IT" that I am talking about is our move in date for our new home.  WooHoo.  We are all so excited for this BIG day! We are on a countdown now and the number right now is 18.  Yeah Yeah!!

Fun in the SUN!

Well, my ideas of putting my "blogging time" on my calendar or on my daily lists (so I would write more here) didn't work.  None the less, I am here now and this is becasue I have intentionally made myself not think about "my list" for the day.  In fact I have not been home most of  the day to even look at it much less think about it. 

We took the day today and went out to one of the most awesome public city pools.  Seriously, it is like walking into a miniature water park.  They have it all: the water slides, whirl pool, lazy river, adult pool, kid beach play pool, diving boards and even lap lanes for those that are the serious swimmers. Whew! That is a lot.  And the best part...it cost less to spend the day there (for a whole 3 people) then what most Starbucks drinks cost.  Now that I like!

So, the worst part of the day was definitely, with out a doubt, stepping in the shower at the end of the day and realizing that you are burned even more then you realized.  I guess it is time to start teaching my wonderful boys how to rub sun screen on their poor moma's back.

All in all we had a great time. I even joined them on the water slides and lazy river.  Yes, we had a lot of Fun in the SUN! 

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Time to Write

I hate that I go for so long between posts here. For some reason I just can't find the time, energy and motivation to pull myself to this "post" screen on my blog to write.  There is so much to write and share here, that is not the problem.  I might have to schedule it into my calendar or add it to my daily lists.  Maybe I will try that....Or maybe by next week you will find more of me here, after all our schooling for the year is complete!  Yeah! Can't wait for that. I think I am more ready than the kids.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

W & P Sunday: Addison Road - What do I know of Holy?

I has been a while since I last posted a W&P Sunday song.  I thought that I would get one in today. 

The one that I would like to share is from Addison Road called What do I know of Holy? We were fortunate enough to have this band visit our church this weekend.  They performed a concert last night and then lead us in worship this morning. I have not followed the band that much, although I do listen to and love their songs that are regularly played on KLOVE and Air1.  It is always more special and significant when you can meet and learn more about the people behind the songs. I am sure I will follow them more closely now. They started their band in college and have been together for 10 years. 

This one that I am sharing today is one of my favorites by them.  I did not post the lyrics here as they are in the video. Enjoy!


Saturday, May 8, 2010

A God Thing!

I haven't talked much about this with most people and have never posted anything regarding it here on my blog.  However, this definitely, now, deserves acknowledgment so I though I would share it here.

A little over one year ago, I went in for a routine doctor check.  As with most routine doctor checks, I also had blood work done.  This blood work showed that I had possible issues with my Thyroid.  So, I was referred to a specialist.  Being that there are not very many specialists that treat thyroid issues where I live, I had to wait 3 months for my first appointment.  Finally the first appointment had arrived and I was so upset and frustrated becasue all the doctor wanted to do was put me on medication right away, before really studying what was going on.  If you know me, you know that I am not one to just take any medication.  I only take it if I REALLY have to.  So, with that I was on the search for another doctor for a second opinion.  Again, another 3 month wait.  Finally, the appointment arrived, I met and talked with the doctor and then began the process of many more blood draws.  This doctor did what I thought the first should have done, and that is study and watch some blood counts over a period of time.  So after a few blood draws and more numbers I was back in the office again, only this time, all the counts came back normal.  I could tell by the look on the doctors face and the way that she spoke to me that she was even a little surprised at this.

There is really so much more to the story, but the bottom line here is that this is definitely a GOD thing.   I had peace from the very beginning and knew everything would be okay.   I just prayed and prayed that I would not have to take any medication. Specially for Thyroid issues, as once you start on Thyroid  medication it is usually something that you end up taking for life.

ALLELUIA!!! I give all the Glory to God!

Mighty Mitered Flanged Pillow

 Here is my final pillow that I have been working on for my Grandmother.  I have to make this its own post as it really deserves it!  I say it deserves its own post becasue this was the first time that I have made anything that has a mitered flange on it.  It sounds and looks easy enough, right?  Well, it isn't.  At least it wasn't for me.

With all the pillows that I have made in the past month, I have learned how to do 2 new t hings.  The first was I learned how to sew an invisible zipper and the other was this mitered flange.  The difference between the two were day and night.  I used the wonderful internet (YouTube) to find tutorials on how to sew an invisible zipper, however you would not believe that I could not find ANYTHING on how to sew a mitered flange.  I could not believe it (and still can't).  I thought that maybe I was not searching for the right thing so I tried everything I could think of.  When I finally gave up I asked my wonderful hubby to help.  He can find ANYTHING on the internet.  So, I began to give him a quick lesson on what I was trying to do and told him all the possible names and "terms" that this could possibly be found under and then let him go at it.  Even he couldn't find anything (video tutorials).  Finally, he did find a PDF document with some basic and mismatched steps.  So, I printed it out and studied it for days, trying to make out what to do, how to do it and where to begin.  In the mean time (during these few days of internet searching), I decided to try and figure this all out on my own.  It never happened.  I can't even remember how many times I ripped all the stitches that I sewed.

Finally, it clicked, after much time of reading and rereading this list of steps that I found, I did it! Now, I have to say that it is not the best.  There are quit a bit of nips and tucks around the pillow, specially around the corners, but overall  it looks okay and it is completed.  Here are a couple of pictures of this "mighty mitered flanged" pillow. 




This last picture is the back of the pillow where you can see the invisible zipper that I put in it.  I am still working on perfecting the invisible zipper as you can see just a little bit of it on the left.  You shouldn't be able to see any of it, hence the name "invisible" zipper.




Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Band Star

It is that time of  year again... the "end of the year" ceremonies and concerts. Although we are a home school family we still participate in couple of the programs that the local public school has to offer.  One of those programs is Band.  Tyler has been attending band classes all year long at the middle school.  He took a mini band class last year when he was in school and played in the percussion section. This year he decided to change instruments and learn how to play the Tenor Saxophone. Changing instruments meant he had to start back in the beginner band all over again.  He was fine with that and has loved every minute of it.  He worked hard all year and made tremendous improvements.  Just a few months ago he was given the honor of moving up to play with the intermediate band.

This past Monday we got to see (hear) the fruits of all his labor at their end of the year concert. As it turned out, we learned that there were only two students the entire year that got to move up to the intermediate band, and Tyler was one of the two.  The teacher had both students stand and recognized both of them for all their hard work all year long.  I, actually, had no clue that Tyler was one of only two students.  I also didn't realize what a big deal she was gong to make about it.  So, I have to say, I was one PROUD mama!  I also didn't realize that the intermediate band only has 9 students in it (out of probably 70-80 total band students).  So I guess you could say he was definitely in the top minority. 

Way to go Tyler! We are so proud of you!



These are the 9 intermediate band students doing their performance.

 Tyler playing with the intermediate band.

 The two students standing and being recognized for all their hard work.



 Tyler doing a "speaking" part and introducing the next song that they were going to play.



The entire beginner band. They all did a wonderful job. 

I can't end the post with out recognizing the Band teacher. She did an awesome job with all the students. 

Monday, May 3, 2010

May Already?

Oh my! I can not believe that it has been a full month since I last posted here. Man, how time flies. So much has happened in this past month.  Here is a quick recap of life around here: 


-The biggest news and most exciting for us is that we finally are getting somewhere with finding a new (to us) home for our family. It seems that 99.99% of all homes for sale (where we live) are all short sale or foreclosures and that means WAITING WAITING and more WAITING...on the banks!  We had an offer on a home that seemed to be going NO WHERE and then Bam! there was actually a home that came available that was a "regular" sale. We jumped on it and are now only 2 weeks away from closing and finally having someplace that we will be able to call "home".  We are very thankful for the rental roof that is over our head now.  Somehow it is just different when you know you have someplace to really call home. 


-With April also came the end of the NHL hockey season and the beginning of the playoffs.  Our awesome Coyotes actually made it to the playoffs this year and we splurged and went to their home games.  It was so much fun and great family times and memories.  They didn't make it past the 1st round but we still love and support our team! 


-Sickness has hit our house pretty hard this month. We very rarely get sick around here (thank you Lord) but unfortunately most of the month of April we have all been fighting some sort of sinus and respiratory illness.  We have gone through more tissue in one month then we normally go through in one year.

-Soccer was in full swing as well.  Kyle spent most of the month in tryouts for next season.  Tyler's team wrapped their spring season and I was right in the middle of my 2 seasons (both indoor and outdoor).

-In the midst of everything else we are still moving right along with school.  Yep...we are in our 31st week of school and counting down until we are all done for  the summer.  It will not be long.  The nice thing with home school is that we don't count down by weeks or days but rather by how many pages are left before finishing up the work in our books.  It looks like, if we stay on track, we should be all done by the end of May. Woohoo!


I will leave you with a picture of us at a Coyotes White Out game.  Fun times and lots of memories!



Sunday, April 4, 2010

Something Fresh from the Familiar

Thanks Jen for your post about Max Lucado and his words on this day, The Saturday of Silence.  I have often thought about this day and wondered: "What about Saturday?  There has to be something that God has for us on this day, too."  Well, today God revealed it to me through Max (via Jen).

Once again, I found the words to describe it while sitting in front of my facebook page.  Here is what I posted regarding my revelation on this Saturday of Silence.  

There is Good Friday & Resurrection Sunday, but have you ever thought about the day in the middle, the Saturday of Silence? Here again, as God does all throughout scripture, He uses this day of Silence as a parallelism to show us that we too have a day (time) of silence when ever we experience times of suffering and trials here on earth. But, there is always new life (resurrection life) at the end. Hallelujah! 

Ahhh, I love it when God reveals something to me that is Fresh from the Familiar!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Sewing projects

I finally pulled my sewing machine out, after moving a few months ago.  I had a small pile of clothes that needed a little extra help, a few pillows and a BIG quilt project to get started on.  I finished my clothes mending and one pillow.  I have 2 more pillows to complete and then I can get started on the quilt.  Here are a few pictures to share with you on what it all looks like.

This is the one pillow that I have finished.  It was hard becasue I am learning how to sew invisible zippers. I purchased the special invisible zipper foot attachment for sewing machines, but of course it would not work on my machine.  So, I logged into my online friend, ebay, and found the exact one that I needed, that would fit my machine.  I received it yesterday. Yay! I never would have thought that I would have been so happy to receive such a small piece of plastic. Ha!


Here is the "before" picture of the next pillow that I will be putting together. I am so excited about this one as I looked and looked for the perfect fabric to match the rooster. You can't really see just how perfectly all the colors match, but they do.  

This picture is one of the blocks that will make up the king size quilt that I will be starting soon. This will be a BIG project.  I hope that I can cut out time each day to work on it so that I can finish in a short amount of time. I hope to have it completed by mother's day.

I will try to post and document my progress here.  Maybe it will help motivate me to get it all done by the deadline that I have given myself. We shall see...

Friday, April 2, 2010

Autism Awareness Day

Today is Autism Awareness Day and even though I don't really have anything profound to share with you about that, I did share a little about our son on my hubby's Facebook page the other day.  I thought that I would share it here too.  This is what I posted...

Even though we have been through the "ringer" with all that we have had to deal with over the past 10 years, I would not change our son for anything. I love our son so much for who he is and who God made him to be. He is an awesome child and person. God has used him greatly to teach us and others about many things in life, some things that most people never learn or come to appreciate in life. Most of all God has used him to bring our whole family closer to HIM. That is more wonderful than anything! God is Good! "Thank you, God, for what we see as trials, and carrying us through them." 
When it comes to Autism and all the information out there about it and how it has changed our lives, I tend to get a little overwhelmed when it comes to sharing and documenting in a place such as this blog.  There is so much...Where do I begin? I never know. So, for any of you out there that might want to know more or those that have specific questions, please ask here and I can use that as a guide for a future post here.  I would love to share with you becasue I truly believe that the LORD gives us trials and situations in our lives so that we can help others.  Not to say that we have it perfected or our son has been "cured" but rather, we have found things that work and have learned to rely and on each other as a family and have grown deeper in faith becasue of it all.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Going Natural...

...or at least trying!

A few years ago I was introduced to the idea of what it would be like to totally replace all my cleaning supplies in my home with ones that were non-toxic and "all natural". That's when it all began.  I was a bit skeptical at first, but thought that I would take the advice and see where it went.   So, I slowly (emphasis on slowly) started to try these new products (new to me anyways).  I was raised on the basics of the everyday grocery store cleaners, so before I could purchase anything to try I had to open the mental envelope and start to dump out what had been stored for many years and make room for some new ways of doing things.  Old habits and learned behaviors are hard to break.  So, once that was done, one of the first things that I replaced was my everyday basic cleaner (the basic 409 stuff, you know).  Along with that was my laundry soap and dishwasher soap.  It took a little while to get the ball rolling, so to speak, and convert over to my new products.  Once I did I knew that I would never go back. So, after I was (pretty much) convinced I did some more research and started to find many other things that I needed to replace (at least try to). After spending many hours on the internet I was amazed at how much bad "stuff" is in so many things that we willingly bring into our homes.

So, one thing lead to another and before I knew it I was thinking, "change it all". I started with the cleaning supplies. Then I turned to body products, stuff that goes on our bodies, such as lotions, shampoos and conditions (etc).  And now I am trying to change what goes in our bodies.  I have to say that cleaning supplies and external body products were a whole lot easier to research and change then all the "stuff" that we eat and put "in" our bodies.

I have only begun to scratch the surface with reading, learning and changing these foods and products.   There are so many food options and choices out there, not to mention all the manufactured and synthetic stuff that is used in all of today's manufactured foods, too. For now, I am just taking it a day at a time and trying to make wise and  logical choices. I will share that the one rule I made for myself and have come to adopt is the "ingredient" rule. That is, if the list of ingredients is too long to keep my attention or if the list of ingredients are ones that I can not even pronounce then it is probably not good and it should probably not enter my body. Now, I obviously can not say that my rule I made up is accurate or fool proof but rather just a guide that I personally use to help me learn and keep track with what I am eating.  I am not a nutritionist, by any means. In fact, now I realize why that is a 4 year degree plan. Ha! 

After a few years of working to make these changes there are a good selection of products that I have grown to love.  I will share some of those in future posts, so check  back to find out more.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

W & P Sunday - "The House of God, Forever" by Jon Foreman

I have chosen this song today for W&P Sunday for a few reasons.  The first is simply because it is one of my new favorites. Also, I started a Bible Study this week where I will be walking through Psalm 23 verse by verse. This song is just that, Psalm 23 to music. Very Cool! I am excited about my study over the next 6 weeks and when I can tie a song to something that I learn about or experience it makes it that much more memorable and significant.  Another reason I like this song and wanted to share is because I love the beat and the music.   The beginning of the song brings visions to my mind that transports me to the early 1900's where I am sitting in a small church house, in the middle of an open prairie, somewhere. Ahhh...I love going places like that in my mind.

Enjoy!




 The House of God, Forever
by Jon Foreman

God is my shepherd
I won't be wanting
I won't be wanting
He makes me rest
In fields of green
With quite streams
Even though I walk
Through the valley
Of death and dying
I will not fear
'Cause you are with me
You are with me

Your shepherd staff
Comforts me
You are my feast
In the presence of enemy
Surely goodness
Follow me
Follow me
In the house of God, forever

God is my shepherd
I won't be wanting
I won't be wanting
He makes me rest
In fields of green
Like quiet streams
Even while I'm walking
Through the valley
Of death and dying
I will not fear
'Cause you are with me
You're always with me

Your shepherd staff
Comforts me
You are my feast
In the presence of enemy
Surely goodness
Follow me
Follow me
In the house of God, forever
In the house of God, forever
In the house of God, forever 




Friday, March 19, 2010

So Happy and Sad all at the same time!

Okay, I know that I just posted about not really knowing what direction I will be taking with my blog.  Guess you could say I have the Blogging Blues". Well, wouldn't you know, as soon as I post about having these blogging blues, I am suddenly finding things to share here.

This post is about something that I witnessed today with my youngest child.  Now really, all you  moms (and dads, if you are really reading here) don't you just love talking about your kids.  Yea, well I am not any different.

Okay on with the story...The other day Kyle got a phone call from one of his best friends that he met in school last year.  This friend ended up suddenly moving with his family to Texas during the middle of the school year, last year.  He left but said that he would be back to visit on occasion as his Dad (he moved with his mom and step-dad) lives near us in the same area.

The purpose of this phone call was to let Kyle know that he would be in town for spring break and was looking forward to getting to see him again. Well, yesterday (and today) was the day they got to spend some time together.  In fact his mom extended their trip by one day so that he could spend the night with Kyle and have a sleep over at our house. They get along so well and truly enjoy being with each other. 

This Morning, when it was time for his friend to leave, I chatted a bit with his father while they said their goodbyes.  You could tell that neither one really wanted to depart from one another but had to. As they drove away and we turned to walk inside, I looked down at Kyle and noticed that he had a flushed face and was working really hard to fight back the tears.  I almost started to cry just watching him.  Oh my! I know goodbyes are hard but this totally caught me off guard.  Most males have that non-emotional side to them when it comes to stuff like this. It is good to know that my son really does have a sensitive side to him, although it hurts to see him so sad.  He was so happy to be able to spend time with his friend but so sad to see him leave.  Their next time together will be in a few months when he is back for another visit in the summer.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Question...Running?

For any runners out there...How do you get started and then once you do how do you know that your body can handle it?

I have been wanting to start training my body to be a runner however, it just seems so overwhelming. I have started by forcing myself to walk (a fast aerobic type of walk). I will admit that I am having a hard time being consistent though. The thing that is hard about being consistent is the getting into a routine and doing it at the same time everyday.  I am really not a morning person and it is painful crawling out of bed to do it before "Starting my day".  Evening is hard because I am always fretting over what to do or make for dinner (for those that REALLY know me, they know that dinner time is my LEAST favorite time of the day) and I forget about getting out to exercise  (plus in a couple more weeks it will not be possible to get out in the afternoon due to the extreme heat). I guess I am going to have to pull myself out of bed and do mornings.  Ok now that I have that taken care of....

How do you know if running is something that your body can handle?  I have been walking for a while now and the other day I found myself walking so fast that I thought "I might as well run", so I did. Well, it didn't last long as I found myself huffing and puffing like a panting dog. I also started having really heavy chest pains.  I don't know about you, but this didn't seem right or normal. I have yet to try again. Maybe I need a little more time and conditioning, or maybe it is time to find something new...hummm?

Anyone out there?

After a long evening of reading through other peoples blogs I find myself here, at mine...wondering...Is anyone out there...reading mine? Is my blog really worth the time and effort like other people put into theirs? 

Yes, I know, to all of my whole 8 followers, you are thinking, I'm here. And yea, I know you are and I am thankful for you.  However...really? I mean, what is my blog writing for anyways?  As you can see I have not posted much at ALL (starting back from when I first began). I guess I feel like it is a little bit of wasted effort for me.  I mean really, my blog is not the only way I communicate with my family so I can't really say it is for them.  And my personal friends out there, well I see and talk with them on a often enough occation for us to "keep up" with each other.  So that leaves everyone else...do people really care about what I have to say, my family, my thoughts, yadda yadda yadda?

Sharing is really hard for me becasue I am a really private person.  I am so private that I don't even like keeping a journal or diary for me to share with myself later in life.  I have so many thoughts that run through my head all the time but they are never spoken or written down.  I am not sure way I am like this.  Just am. I still have to consciously make an effort to communicate and share with my hubby on a daily basis, after almost 17 years of marriage.

Maybe it is time to attach a purpose and a vision to my blog.  Maybe that is what it (I) needs. Instead of making it all about me, my family, yadda yadda yadda....I will make it about some vision and purpose.  You know, like others have on theirs...from sharing recipes, Bible studies, book reviews, movie reviews, I don't know...need time to think about this one.
Any ideas...?    

Sunday, March 14, 2010

W & P Sunday - Live Life Loud by Hawk Nelson

Ok, this would not typically be "my" kind of song, however after many years of living with all males things are starting to change in our house and with me, specially as our boys are getting older.  The more upbeat and "heavier" songs are really starting to grow on me. This is a new "hit" on Air1 and one that always gets the "turn it up" request.  :)

Live Life Loud
by Hawk Nelson



Someone throw your hands up
If you wanna take a chance, then
You gotta sing a little louder
Let’s wake this crowd up

Someone throw your hands up
If you wanna take a chance, then
You gotta sing a little louder
Let’s wake this crowd up

I got a hankerin’ for something special
Tonight’s the night it becomes official
Don’t stop the rock, hold both your hands up
S-show these people how to shake things up

I’m not sittin’ down ’til I’m older
And I’m not shuttin’ up ’til it’s over
Raise your hands and shout if you’re with me
Then once we start it won’t make a difference

If you wanna live life loud, throw your hands up
If you wanna scream and shout, lemme hear you
Takin’ all the fakers out if you’re with me
Everybody work it, just keep living

Wow oh oh, wow oh oh, wow oh oh

I started figurin’ with good intentions
Listen up now, give me your attention
Don’t make a sound if you don’t believe me
You won’t wake up, you’ll just keep living

I’m not sittin’ down ’til I’m older
And I’m not shuttin’ up ’til it’s over
Raise your hands and shout if you’re with me
Then once we start it won’t make a difference

If you wanna live life loud, throw your hands up
If you wanna scream and shout, lemme hear you
Takin’ all the fakers out if you’re with me
Everybody work it, just keep living

Wow oh oh, wow oh oh, wow oh oh
Every time that I close my eyes,
I catch a glimpse of the west coast sunrise
And I can tell you you’re just as beautiful

Someone throw your hands up
If you wanna take a chance, then
You gotta sing a little louder
Let’s wake this crowd up

Someone throw your hands up
If you wanna take a chance, then
You gotta sing a little louder
Let’s wake this crowd up

If you wanna live life loud, throw your hands up
If you wanna scream and shout, lemme hear you
Takin’ all the fakers out if you’re with me
Everybody work it, just keep living
Wow oh oh,
Wow oh oh (Just keep living)
Wow oh oh


Sunday, March 7, 2010

Worship and Praise Sunday - "Rise" by Robbie Seay Band

This is a song that I first heard at our church that we sang for worship.  Again, as I always say, I really like the beat and feel of the music and the lyrics are great. The song is a reminder to us that we need to give of ourselves. The words at the end are powerful...  "We're not safe, but we will rise."




Slow down, be still
Let go, we will
Be here, be now
Slow down, be still
Breathe in, refill
Be here, be now

If you choose to love
To know that the call
Is to give all you are
To give love away, away
Rise, rise, people of love rise
People of love rise, give yourself away
Rise, rise, people of love rise
People of love rise, give yourself away
Give yourself away, give yourself away

Slow down, just breathe
Be still, believe
Be here, be now
Slow down and see
It’s all you need
Be loved and free

And to hear the call, is to give your love away
And to hear the call, is to give your love away
And to hear the call, is to give your life away
Is to give your life away

We’re not safe, we’re not safe
But we will rise
Ringtones Send "Rise" Ringtone to your Cell Ringtones

Friday, March 5, 2010

Commercial From Our Church

Our Church, Mission Community, created this commercial to share with everyone what we are doing in celebration of moving into our new expanded facility.  Instead of spending the money on someone who is "famous" to come talk, give a message or lead in worship through music, our church is giving the money to help others in need.  That is just so awesome and classy.  I can not think of a better way and use of money.  


  

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Worship and Praise Sunday, God of Justice by Tim Hughes

Wow, it has been a full week since I posted last.  It has been a long and busy week, I guess. Anyways...

Today, for worship and praise Sunday I want to share a song with you that talks about what the mission of our church is all about.  It is an awesome song about doing justice, showing mercy and walking humbly with our God. This is taken from Micah 6:8 which says:
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. 
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy 
and to walk humbly with your God."




God Of Justice 
by Tim Hughes

God of Justice, Saviour to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God

You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give


Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord

This song really touches my heart becasue I love our church and what it is all about.  We attend a church that truly GETS what we are to be about in this life.  About doing justice and loving mercy all while we are walking humbly with God.

I could make this a very long post focused around our church and why we  love being a part of it, how it is doing justice and showing mercy and walking humbly, and how God has showered blessing after blessing upon it but I will save that for another post.  For now, enjoy this song and be blessed in the LORD!



Sunday, February 21, 2010

Worship and Praise Sunday

This is one of my new favorite songs and thought I would share.  I love the beat of the song, as well as the message in it.  This is the type of song that would go great with a jazz or hip hop type of dance routine. I can just see someone dancing to it in my head.  Maybe I should try being a dance choreographer...awww then again, maybe not. :)

For more Worship and Praise Sunday head on over to Following The Footsteps

Beckah Shae - Here in This Moment






So here I am, ready to have all of you
So here I am, waiting for you

Oh, nothing can change the way I feel when I'm with you 
You give me a peace that surpasses all understanding 
And no one can tell me there's a better place Than with you, you give love everlasting

Oh, here you come (come) with arms open wide (come and fill me) 
Oh, cuz you are the one (you are the one) who fulfills all my desires

chorus
You are Love, you are Life
You're the air that I breathe, you're my day and my night 
You're my Joy, you're my Peace You're the wings for my flight and vision to my sight 
You are Truth, you are Power 
Gave me faith to believe, brought me straight to my knees 
Now I'm standing here in this moment with you 
There's nowhere I'd rather be

Oh, there's only one who can truly satisfy me 
Only You can give me everything that I need 
And as high as the heavens are above the earth 
You show me your love so unconditionally

Oh, here you come (come) with arms open wide (come and fill me) 
Oh, cuz you are the one (you are the one) who can fill me with this fire

chorus

There's nothing that I can do without ya 
I know life only because of your love 
I just can't breathe without ya, I'm so crazy about ya 
And I know love only because of your life 
Oh, you overwhelm me with your love (all your glory overflowing) 
Oh, you overwhelm me, you overwhelm me, you overwhelm me, you overwhelm

chorus

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day

We had a great family day today.  We have been attending church on Saturday evenings for the past few months and since we already attended church last night we were able to start the day with a little sleeping in time.  Aww...that was so nice.  We were able to turn off the alarm clocks and not have to worry about being up and ready by any certain time.  After we finally crawled out of bed, we exchanged our small valentine gifts with each other.  We, typically, don't go all out for the kids or each other (me and the hubby) on valentine's day.  It is so encouraging to see the kids get so excited over the smallest gifts.

This year I had the idea to do something a little more fun for them.  About a month ago I was in Paradise Bakery and saw that they were advertising heart cookies that were iced to look like the "conversation heart" candies. I thought that was such a cute idea and decided that I would order one for each of the boys for valentines day this year.  I didn't order them that day because I wanted to get hubbies thoughts before I did.  After talking with him about it he thought it was a great idea but made the comment that it might mean a little more and actually taste a little better if they were home made.  My first reaction was "whatever", but after thinking about it I decided that I would give it a try.  I have to say that even though they didn't look as professionally done, they were quit tasty.

In addition to the home made cookies there was also candy and cards that we exchanged.  Of course you have to have the valentine's chocolate, at least for Tyler and I. Hubby and Kyle like the sweet and sour sugar candy (what are they thinkin'?). ha!

Here are the cookies that I made the boys.  They are Sugar Cookies with Butter Cream Cheese Icing. Mmmm...


You can tell by the look on their faces that they were a little surprised that I actually made the cookies.

One last gift that I received from the hubby was a night out next weekend to hear Gary Thomas speak.  Gary Thomas is the author of the book "Sacred Marriage".  Our church has started a new Marriage Ministry, called TwoIgnite, along side Ted Cunningham's church (Woodland Hills Family) in Branson, Missouri.  (Ted Cunningham has co-authored a couple books with Gary Smalley) Each month there is a focus/theme for the ministry and the church usually has something cool to go along with it.  This month is called Two Risk.  To go along with this month's theme of Two Risk the church is bringing in Gary Thomas as a guest speaker. This is something quit special to me as Gary's book was a huge blessing in a desperate time of need for me almost 5 years ago.  I am so excited to be going to a marriage building night together at the church with my hubby but it is even more thrilling to be going together to hear Gary Thomas.  I can't wait.  Oh yea...and I don't even have to plan the child care. How awesome is that!

Worship and Praise Sunday - Divine Romance by Phil Wickham

Divine Romance by Phil Wickham

With today being Valentine's Day I thought I would choose a song that communicates what our love and our relationship with Christ should be...A Divine Romance. This is an older song from Phil Wickham. If you are not familiar with this artist I encourage you check him and his songs out. It is very evident by the songs that he writes and sings that he has an amazing love for the Lord. He is a very talented writer and musician. His songs bring you to the feet of Jesus and prepare your heart and mind for worship with HIM, our God.


\

The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty’s all I see
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied

For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love

A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied

Friday, February 12, 2010

My Latest "Deal"

I am so excited about this awesome deal I found, I just have to share.

I took a quick trip to Sports Chalet the other night to try and find some new soccer cleats for Tyler.  Well, I didn't have any success with finding what I went for but I did finds these...

They are Asics Harumi running shoes.  Ok, I am not much of a runner but have found over the past few years that running shoes are some of the most comfortable shoes that you can find.  I have always wanted a pair of Asics but all the ones that I like or that fit me right are never in the "affordable" category for my budget.   These are SO comfortable that they almost feel like wearing slippers.  I have worn them the past 2 days now and my feet have not even slightly hurt by the end of the day.   Ok...so I know your asking...how much did I pay for them?....a whole wapping $25.  Yep that is it!  YeeHa!  


Monday, February 8, 2010

Gem and Mineral Show

One of the coolest things ever about homeschooling are the wonderful field trips that you get to take.  The past couple of months we have been learning about some earth science.  Specifically, rocks, minerals and gems. The boys have been learning so much about the different types of earths rocks and minerals.  There are so many kinds and types and so much information that it would take years and years of learning and studying to even begin to come close to learning everything that this earth has to offer.

This past week we took a couple of days and hit the road to attend one of the worlds largest Gem and Mineral shows.  It is located right down the road from us in Tucson.  We met some family there who attend every year.  They know the place and the vendors like the back of their hand. They were our tour guides, so to speak. It was great to have them there to show us around and tell us where all the good deals were for a few items that we purchased and brought home with us.

Here are a few things that caught our interest and decided to bring home with us:


 
This is a small Amethyst Cathedral.  It is amethyst crystals that are what is called "In Matrix" or their natural form.  These are pretty pricey just to walk into any retail gem shop and purchase.  One like we purchased would cost anywhere from about $50 to $80.  We were able to get it for $14 at the Gem show.  It is the coolest thing, specially at a price like that! The Cathedrals are priced based on their size and the quality of the crystals.  The larger and darker the crystals the more valuable they are.  Maybe next year we will get a larger one.  

These are different types of lava rocks. The name "Lava" is their everyday street term.  The scientific name for the top one is Spider Web Obsidian.  The spider web name comes from the small lines throughout it that looks like spider webs.  This type of lava is real smooth and looks almost like glass.  The bottom rock is called Hematite and has little bubbles all over its surface.  The differences in the two rocks is determined by the rate at which they cooled after erupting from the volcano. The top one has a glassy surface becasue it is cooled at a very slow rate where as the bottom one has bubbles all over it becasue it cools almost immediately after leaving the volcano.  The bubble rock probably came from an underwater volcano and cooled instantly upon hitting water after the volcano erupted.


This is what is know as Peacock Ore, or more scientifically speaking, Chalcopyrite.  This is a type of rock that naturally has all different colors through out it.  It is just amazing all the things that God created...even rocks!

We brought home quit a few more samples with us but I don't have any pictures of them.  One that I don't have a picture of is a rock that looks like it was perfectly polished by humans, but actually was not.  It is a rock that is only found in a river in India.  They are all the same shape (an oval egg shape).  They are called Shiva Lingam rocks.  They are known, mostly in Asia, for their spiritual powers.  That is not the reason why I think they are cool.  Again, I see it as another amazing act of God.  He isn't just our creater of all things he is also the perfecter of all things.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Worship and Praise Sunday

Here is my first post for Worship and Praise Sunday.  It is a song that we have been listing to and singing in our home for a while now.  To be honest I am not sure what the spiritual side of the song is. However, we first heard it and it is played a lot on Klove.  It has a very upbeat rhythm and some fun lyrics.    

It is Fireflies by Owl City.  It is one of those poetic type of songs where you have to read more into the lyrics then just taking them for face value.  There have been several thoughts and explanations from different people as to what exactly the message is in the song.  I will not try to give a full explanation, but if you would like more information on it you can find it here

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Thanks Jen!

Thanks to Jen I have a new look.  She rocks!

I also have to give credit to my wonderful hubby for the awesome photos.

Thanks guys!

Hiking

We went on a hike the other day with some other families from our home school group and discovered that it is something that we all enjoyed doing together.  It was just so awesome to be outside on such a beautiful day and having so much fun together.

We hiked the Wind Cave trail. It is a 3 mile round trip hike.  We didn't actually make it all the way to the cave because there were some families with younger children that were not able to make it all the way to the top.  We hiked about 3/4 of the way there and turned around and headed back.  The boys are looking forward to going back so that we can make it all the way to the cave next time.

Here is a picture that I took when we stopped for a quick rest. 

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

New Blog Look

I know that I have not been keeping up with my blog and making posts like I used to.  I hope all that will change with a little inspiration and help from my sister.  She is the one that put my blog togehter and designed it all for me.  She is planning on helping me again with updating the look a little.   She is so good at it!

With my husband being the aspiring photographer that he is, I have some new and awesome photos to use that will help spruce things up a little.  He actually does not like the photos but then again he is really critical and has a real keen eye for photography.  I know Jen is working on it now and the new look should be up soon.  So, only time will tell if the new look will give some new inspiration.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

55 in 6

I just saw on this blog a video that stated that kids (if on a recommended vaccination schedule) receive a total of about 55 vaccinations by the time they are only 6 years old.  Oh My!! This just screams...."Not Right"!  What have we come to?  Is our nation really that endangered by disease that it has to recommend that many vaccinations for children.  How pathetic!!! What it really screams is...."MONEY!!"  There is more money then we can even imagine that people are pocketing every time a child gets "stuck" with a needle.   It is all about money...NOT PROTECTION!

Really?  Think about it......don't be a lemming!

BTW....this statistic was from the summer of 2008.  I am sure it has increased since then.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Bit the Bullet

Well, I didn't literally bite a bullet.  The figurative bullet that I am talking about is the new cell phone in the family that we purchased.  Yep, we "bit the bullet" and bought a cell phone for the boys to share.  Although I say it is the boys, it is actually "our" (mine and hubby's) phone. 

After moving into our rental house the boys have discovered a whole new world. See, we came from a house that was on an acre of land with not much around us.  There wasn't much to do right around our house and they would have to cross very dangerous high traffic streets or open fields with all kinds of wild stuff around to get anywhere. Now that we are living in a neighborhood with sidewalks and parks all around us the boys are out and about a whole lot more then they used to be. I think it is great for them to get out and explore a little and even meet some new friends here and there. However, I am not used to them being gone and I get a little freaked out at times when they are not around.  So, for my peace of mind (somewhat) I got them a cell phone to carry with them so that I can get a hold of them when I want to check on them.  We just got it yesterday so we will see how they do with it. 

Being With Family

When asked of Tyler, from the many people that he saw after Christmas, "What was your most favorite gift that you received for Christmas?" he would answer, "Being with family".    Wow! What a response.  The first time I heard him tell someone this I wasn't sure that I heard the entire conversation correctly.  Then, I think it was the next day, someone asked him the same question again.  His answer was the same.  Yep, I did hear him correctly the first time.  What an awesome response from a young kid.  I was and am so proud of him for seeing and realizing that all pleasures are not just found in material things but in things that money can not buy.  You rock, Tyler!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Welcome 2010

Well, I guess I can't say that I made a new year resolution to keep my blog updated.  No, I don't see me keeping that one.  I can't believe that it has been almost a full month since I was last on my own blog.  Oh my!

A lot has happened in the past month.  Here are a few things going on here:
  • We had an AWESOME and very blessed Christmas
  • We had a wonderful time in TX visiting family.
  • We are finally moved into our temporary rental home and somewhat settled for now.
  • We are back in full swing with our schooling
  • Soccer has started again.
  • We submitted and had an offer accepted on a new home.
Yep, the last one there is quit exciting for us. However, it is an offer on a "short sale".  For those out there who are not "up" on what a short sale is, well let me sum it up with one word...."waiting"!  We put the offer on the house before Christmas (about 4 weeks ago) and have not heard a single thing from the other realtor except that the seller accepted our offer.  We assume that the other agent has things under control and is working on getting some answers from the sellers bank but that is just all assumption right now. Who knows what to expect in a housing market like we are in right now.  It is am awesome house that has about 99.9% of what we are looking for AND perfectly in our price range.  SO...we are willing to wait right now.

Our visit to TX was one that was well worth the trip.  My boys were able to meet some family that they had never met before. It was so cool, but at the same time makes me feel really old because the last time I saw some of the same family members I was just a child and we were all playing together.  Now we are all (most anyways) grown and have our own families.Kind of weird to think about.

After returning home I gave the boys a few more days to relax and unwind before hitting the books again. With school also comes soccer.  Kyle's team has played 2 games already this year and has won both of the them.  One was today and boy was it a nail-bitter! They ended up winning but only in the last couple minuets of the game with a score of 4-3. Kyle had 2 of the goals and one assist. Way to go Kyle!