Yea, A New Kitchen!

Before: ugly wall paper
This is the cleanest the kitchen has been since we moved in! Ha! Matthew kept raving over how big the room is and how much counter space there is. It really is just that his mother chocks it up with junk.
Stud muffin working! After one days work!

The Gang's All Here

Here is our gang. They are all here. But are they all there? You be the judge!

Say What?

I have seen this sign several times as these people are "professional" yard salers. I always get a hoot out of their signs. Not all of them are misspelled but they often have one of their 7-8 signs that look like this one.

Andrew's Wedding- Behind the Scenes

Just what you want your child to do at a wedding. Something dangerous!

Julia and Sydney, the flower girls, admire themselves in the mirror. Julia found snails, then Nicholas found one too.
Then Nicholas stomped on them. "That is what Grandpa said you are supposed to do to snails" he said.
The flower girls pick the flowers in the beds on the veranda. (a much better word than porch I think!)
The pillows the kids sat on had grapes sewn on the corners. Ella and Calvin tore them off the pillow they sat on.

Something tells me Calvin doesn't want to take anymore pictures.The rest of my pictures can be seen here on my facebook site.

Lots of Rain and a Roasted Pig

A couple of weekends ago we went to Georgia for a going away party for our friends the Laterzas, who were soon returning to China. It rained the whole way there and the rain continued during the party most of us stayed under the carport type area of the barn but Joe, Matthew and Anthony had to go fishing. This is Joe in his gortex which keeps him completely dry. He's as happy as a lark with his coffee and pole in one hand and a cookie in the other.

Matthew came back to the barn soaking wet.

Anthony is all business when he fishes.
Penny Sue and I walked down to see the pond and take the coffee and cookie to the guys.

Poor piggy! This is what was left of him- his head. But he sure was yummy!

A Tip For No More, Okay Less Ironing

Wow! It has been a long time since I posted. I actually have a ton of stuff to put on but have been busy. I was just thinking tonight about a great laundry tip I got from a lady at church. You may have already heard this but it was new to me. The key is to put your clothes (mainly I do dress clothes) in the dryer for 5 minutes (on high if you have a choice) then take out the clothes and hang them up. By morning ours are aways dry and I iron very little. It works on stuff that would normally shrink in the dryer without being ruined because they just steam for a short time. Just make sure you set a timer or you may do like me and forget. Then I get them wet and start over because I like this no ironing thing! It works great on all fabrics except linen but it does cut down on the wrinkles tremendously-it just doesn't do away with them. I guess I will find out if you already knew this (duh!) or it is new info to you (THANKS!) based on the comments you leave! HAHA!

Withering Grass and Vanishing Smoke

1Pe 1:24 ¶ For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.
Jas 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Today I went to the funeral of a tiny little girl-only 4and half years old- who died from brain cancer. I was reminded that we are not promised tomorrow, or later on today, or the next minute for that matter. I so want my life to make a difference. I want my students, my family and even the clerks in the store to see Jesus in me. If only it didn't take such drastic measures to jerk me back into focus. Anyway please be in prayer for Carly's family. There are 7 brothers and sisters, her parents and many others in the extended family that will be very sad for a very long time.

Need A New Bra?

There is a company (Kepoo) giving away free sports bras. They are available in blue, white and black only and to US residents only. Sorry Karen! Just click here and fill in the info.

Super D Duper Deals!

Well, I have really gotten into coupons, CVS and Walgreen's thanks to Lisa. My hubby bless his scrawny neck that I would like to wring, said to me after my first trip. "That's great but you aren't as good as Lisa yet!" =) I wasn't mad, really I just laughed. I went to Walgreen's on my way home form Mom's house and got the free mascara which I do not use but when they pay you $2 to take it off their hands I will take it and give it away. (Thanks to Tasha at ComicalCouponCents for the heads up on the easy saver coupon-I had missed it) Well while I was trying to find enough things to use up my overage-they don't really hand you the money you have to get something else and get it for free- I found this Edy's ice cream on clearance. It was marked $1.57 each. So I stocked up. I paid for all this in the photo $15.30. I know I have seen it for $5 a tub before so I did very, very well!

By the way, we had some of the Hagen Dazs ice cream for lunch and the lid had a dollar off two pints coupon on it. I may just run back and get two more for a mere dollar. It is SUPER good.

A Teacher Funny

I found the following in Readers Digest:
These students reveal why teachers need summer vacation.
Q: Use baron in a sentence.
A: Mrs. Jones is baron and can't have children.
Q: What is an index?
A: What you wash windows with.

I also have a pretty funny one from my own classroom.
One of my students last week said to me: "Mrs. C you know how lions sometimes eat people (me-"yeah") well, are they mechanicals?" (me- thinking as quickly as I can-mechanicals? what do you mean) you know like when people eat each other." (me-Oh you mean cannibals?) "Yeah, yeah"! I am very proud of myself that I didn't laugh at her (at least out loud and right then. (The same kid asked me a couple of weeks ago while doing an English page what a Candy stripper was. I looked at the page and it said candy striper.

Happy Valentines Day to You

One of our high school students told me she wants to rename Valentines Day - Singles Awareness Day! I thought that was funny. I made some cute cookie for the children in our Kids For Truth group last night.

I also followed a cute idea from Better Homes and Gardens to fancy up some Hershey bars that I gave out.

I thought I would add a little poem in honor of you guys, my friends:

That roses are red and violets are blue,
I find to be boring, even though it is true.
I'd rather shower you with poems and proses,
Then talk about silly, expensive, old roses.
I do like flowers, now don't get me wrong,
But chocolate deserves its own Valentines song.
So here is to you my dear friends and true,
A pile of candy I saved just for you.
I know you can't see it, I know its not real.
But you'll add not an ounce- It's a wonderful deal.
So savor or gobble it - which even you'd ruther,
'Cuz you're special to me, you like no other.



And in honor of cold and flu season another one (my class used three or four ENTIRE boxes of Kleenex this week):
Roses are red, but my face is redder,
If I could quit throwing up, I know I'd feel better.
My eyes all puffy, my body just aches,
The flow from my nose a volcano it makes.
Soon the flu season will be all gone and over.
But for now I feel like the old, dead, dog Rover.

My Very Important Opinion! =)

I just thought I would voice my opinion on an unimportant thing. Fluorescent light. I just love them! Joe just bought some new bulbs after having stupid dim ones in the sun room for probably a year. It is so bright and cheerful in there. I remembered a room mate of mine in Bible school hated them and called them "the operating room lights". I really like them and wouldn't care if every room in the house had them. In fact our bedroom seemed so dim all the time even with the overhead light and lamps and white walls-so we got one of those huge curly fluorescent bulbs. It is nice and bright in there now. And like some tribal people say. The words of Julie are over.

Murder At the Grammies

I never posted pictures of it but Matthew was Quintos Quotation Mark at our school's dinner theater play this fall. His "wife" was Queenie Quotation Mark. It was a very cute play and all of the charters were parts of speech or punctuation. Thanks to Grammer Man and Word Wonder we found out that it was Polly Pronoun who committed the murder because she was always being called upon to take the noun's place.

Christmas Pictures

Mom in her new chair.

Vickie and her girls.

4 Happy Campers and 1 Not

Me and my Daddy

Ella enjoys her doll.

Joe is no longer the only person at work with no cell phone.

The Nieces and Nephew with Uncle Andrew and "Aunt" Kristine

Yard Art

Matt went out and played for awhile and then rang the door bell because he was locked out. He said "Don't look outside I have a surprise.-I just need to get some supplies" So he goes to the fridge and opens it up. What are you looking for I asked him. "Something long and pointy." I laughed. "You mean like a carrot?" "Or celery" he says. He then took some cherry tomatoes and a handful of garbanzo beans from a Tupperware in the fridge. Here is his masterpiece.

Round Two

It snowed again last night. Our new neighbors from Ohio aren't going to believe that we rarely get snow! It looked like 3-4 inches before the rain started to smoosh it down. I think it may be all gone by tonight as it is still raining and we are hovering right above freezing. I sure love to see the snow (for a few days) and do enjoy getting out of school (as long as we have power!) but I am very glad not to live where it seems like winter forever. I remember Minnesota and Michigan unfondly in that aspect.

The Season's First Snow

Here is the first snow we had this winter. I think it was Wednesday the second of January. We got a dusting of snow but Mom and Dad did not. So we filled up a couple of buckets and took it over in the trunk for my nieces and nephew to play with. They had a ball even though it was very cold and windy.

Just For the Record

He has gained 164 lbs 3 oz. and grown 48.75 inches since birth.

(Actually it may be more since he hasn't been on

the scale in awhile)

A Special Day

Today is one of those days you don't foresee when you hold that tiny newborn little body in your arms. It seems like they will be a wee one indefinitely, but today my baby became a teenager. What a blessing and a heavy responsibility all in one! The last two years have taught me just how precious our children are. We have a tiny one waiting for us in heaven. Since that time I have really had a hard time with dwelling on wanting another child but my beloved husband reminded me awhile back that I needed to focus on the one that the Lord let me have here with me. I also have two dear friends who have walked through the valley of the shadow of death and lost their tiny son and treasured daughter. It does not escape me that today my friends Sarah and John had a memorial service today for their sweet angel. In it all I am reminded that our lives are but a vapor which vanish so quickly. I have learned to value my son each and every day and to try and look beyond the things that annoy or frustrate me to see the blessing that he is. So all that to say...The small sprig is unfolding to become a strong stalk. My prayer for my son comes from the Psalms. Ps 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Gingerbread Fun

I had fun making a gingerbread house with Matt and my nieces and nephew. We had a bit of trouble getting them pieces baked. First I left the dough at home and had to make more at Mom's house, then the oven got turned off or something during baking (we don't really know what happened) and the pieces baked for a LONG time only they didn't harden up. Finally we were able to start working and we got it done very fast. With all those helping hands.

Here you see Julia's helping hands. Helping herself to some candy. Vickie said she ate almost no supper. Is this why? =) Ella was very funny! She kept trying to take the candy off the roof. I would give her a piece with icing and would help her put it on and then she would try to take them off. The first thing she did when she got up into my lap was to reach over get an candy and put it in her mouth. Let me tell you, even a one year old knows candy! The final product.

Please Tell Me It is Not This Bad!

If you click on the link below you will see a British newscaster asking American questions about basic world geography. I absolutely cringe at the answers that the people give! Please tell me it in not this bad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE

A Gentle Reminder Fom the Lord

I tend to try to do so much stuff in one day. Often things that I shouldn't be doing because it is worthless, wastes time or because there are more pressing things (like laundry and dishes). I came across this quote by Elizabeth Elliot this morning and thought it is just the right thing to start the year off right. I hope I can keep my focus on the things that are God's will for me and push the other things to the side. I really want to be a better wife, mother and child of God this year. As you think of me please pray that for me. Happy New Year all!

"One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy."~ Elisabeth Elliott ~