BLESSINGS!!

I KNOW I AM RUNNING BEHIND BUT HERE ARE MY BELATED BLESSINGS....

1. FINALLY GETTING THE LIVING ROOM REARRANGED!! :)
2.MOM HELPING ME MOVE THE FURNITURE.
3.DAVID GETTING SAVED AND ASKING QUESTIONS AND JUMPING IN WITH BOTH FEET WITH WANTING TO LEARN AND GROW IN CHRIST.
4.HAVING 2 DAYS WITH NO NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS AT MY HOUSE-I REALLY NEEDED A LITTLE BIT OF PEACE.
5.REALLY STARTING TO SEE HOW MUCH MY RELATIONSHIP HAS GROWN WITH KENYON SINCE I TOOK HIM OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL(LEAPS AND BOUNDS!).
6.LEARNING ABOUT THE BIBLE IN HOMESCHOOL-IT IS ONE THING TO READ A VERSE AND ANOTHER THING TO HEAR A SERMON ON THAT VERSE BUT SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW TO READ IT TO THE KIDS AND EXPLAIN IT AND EXPLORE HOW IT RELATES TO OUR LIVES.
7.FINDING SOME GREAT BOOKS THAT I WANT TO READ BUT FORGOT I HAD UNTIL I MOVED THE BOOKCASE.
8.LOOKING THROUGH PHOTOS AND BABY BOOKS AND TELLING "WHAT DID I DO WHEN I WAS A BABY" STORIES WITH THE KIDS WHEN WE FOUND ALL THEIR BABY BOOKS ON THE BOOKCASE
9.DISCIPLESHIP CLASSES-EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ONLY ON LETTER B, I ALREADY FEEL MORE CONFIDENT WITH THE KNOWLEDGE I AM GETTING OF THE BIBLE!
10.MONTY LOVING ME!

CUTE THINGS KIDS SAY!

Tonight Keslee is trying to sing a song and comes to me for clarification....

Kes:What is the rest of that song that goes "The door bell rings, the toilet sings..."

Me:I have no idea honey! (the tune sounds kinda familiar but I am laughing too hard to even think about it)

Kes:Yes you do! We sing it at church.

Me:I don't think so!! I have NEVER sang about a toilet singing at church!

Kes:YES WE DO!!-(she sings it several more times trying to remember)-Next time we go to church you just ask the preacher!

Me:I WILL ask the preacher!

Kes:(still singing it but getting nervous she may be wrong due to my uncontrollable laughter)-NO MOM! NO! DON'T ASK THE PREACHER! PLEASE DON'T ASK THE PREACHER! PROMISE YOU WON'T TELL THE PREACHER ANYTHING!(now she is cracking up just as much as I am!)

awww! good-times! If any of you have a clue as to what church song she may be trying to sing PLEASE let us know!

I GOT ONE (FINALLY)!!!

I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED ONE OF THESE COUNTER TOP MIXERS!!! My Aunt Darla had a garage sale today. She always has the best garage sales because her step daughter and her sister in law always bring things as well and they always have really nice things. This afternoon we stopped to see what all we could not live without and I found it! (along with a couple of sets of sheets for my bed, a few really cute magnets for the refrigerator, a coat for Keslee and the few items Aunt Darla gave the kids for free). When I saw the mixer sitting on a table I was immediately drawn to it. I looked it over and then walked around then looked it over again and then walked around again. I was trying to decided if I should really spend any money at all (it was priced at $10 and was Darla's step daughters). About the 3rd time I was looking it over, Paul(step daughter's husband) said "that works really good and we will go down to $7". I was pretty much sold then but I did take it to a plug in and try out all the different speeds. They all worked. It is really old and I think that is probably a good thing as well. I have had 3 mixers in the last 10 years(my last one went out about a month ago and I have been doing without one-lumpy mashed potatoes and all). They just do not make things to last like they used to. I can not wait to try it out!

OH CANADA!!!

We are completing our trip to Canada this week. It took us a little longer than planned because we had a few days off so we just took our time. I did not want to travel to the next country in the middle of the week. While in Canada, Kenyon and Jacinta learned about the Inuits and how they live. We looked up some really neat pictures of real igloos and then tried to make our own(Kenyon's is pictured above). Between the two kids, they used 3 boxes of sugar cubes and tons of glue. It is really a lot harder than what we had anticipated. At least if we had been using snow, we could have molded and shaped it to seal any holes. Sugar cubes are not moldable! It actually took us 2 days to get the igloos finished. The kids got a few rows up and then could not get the roofs to stay still long enough to dry. Mom helped Jacinta finish the top of hers and I helped Kenyon. Lots of people use icing to hold the cubes but I already had problems with Kenyon eating his, if I would have added icing to the mix I am sure we would have nothing left to photograph. Next week we are off to Brazil!!

IS HOMESCHOOL A PRIORITY FOR YOU?

The other day I was searching for information about what the candidates views on homeschool are. I came across another homeschool mom's blog that was asking the same question(sorry, I failed to write down the name of the blog). She had posed the question to her readers in regard to what they had seen or read about Obama's views on education. She had not been able to find any solid information that stated his views specifically on homeschooling. That did not surprise me. The thing that did surprise me was found in the comments left by her readers. A number of the comments were homeschool moms that said that they believed there were bigger, more important issues to consider in this election than education. They did not really care to know his views on homeschool because it was not a top priority concern for them. I was shocked by this. Why do they homeschool their children in the first place if it is not a top priority? Would they really list things like the economy crisis and unemployment rates as a higher priority than their own children's best interests?

Since reading their comments, I have really been thinking about why we homeschool and how far am I willing to go to keep it. I have pulled my children out of the public school system because I truly believe it is in their best interest. I do not agree with many of the things they would have been taught in public schools. I do not believe that the way things are taught in school is the best way for kids to learn. I want my children to learn American history they way that it happened instead of the way it has been rewritten(3 or 4 times) in today's text books. I want my children to learn to be thinkers and not just someone that can memorize answers for a test. I want my children to learn about God and his creation through the Bible and also through hands on experience. I want to have a relationship with my children to where they will turn to their parents for answers and guidance instead of going behind our backs and turning to a teacher or their classmates. I want to share ALL the experiences that learning new things will bring instead of letting a teacher relate a few of them to me at a meeting a few times a year. I TOTALLY LOVE HOMESCHOOLING MY KIDS!!! I could not imagine EVER sending my children back into a public school setting. I would consider myself a really new homeschool mom(this is our 2nd year) but I can not see our life any other way. I pray that God will not see a need to test my convictions but I believe I would do whatever it takes to keep my children home with me. I have to! Homeschooling represents my children's life and their future. How could I put the economy or unemployment rate or any other issue before them? When I decided to homeschool, it was because I had been shown, through God's grace, His will for my life as the mother of my children. It is not something I take lightly and not something I am willing to set aside; therefore I would have to say that homeschooling is at the top of my list of priorities! What about you?

GAS PRICES

Finally the gas prices are coming down. Here in town it is (was last night) $2.59 but in parts of Oklahoma City it is down to $2.29. Personally I think this is great. You would think that everyone would think so but that is not so. The news stations are trying to tell us that the drop in prices is just proof that our economy is failing. They are saying that since Oklahoma is largely an oil and gas economy, falling gas prices are a bad thing. There is even talk of slowing down production because of the lower prices. They want us to feel bad that we can almost afford to fill up the car again. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! The Oklahoma and Texas economies both have strong oil and gas ties. It is something that we have taken pride in as a state. We are proud of the number of jobs that these industries provide. I have several family members that have worked in the oil fields for many years and they make a decent living. They have always made a decent living, even when the gas was $1.00 per gallon or $2.00 a gallon. We were just as proud of the industry then. The industry was just as large a part of our economy then as it is now. The only thing that the dramatic drop in price has proven to me is that there was never a valid reason for the dramatic increase! People can finally relax a little. We can afford to go back and forth to work and maybe even have a few dollars left over to SPEND elsewhere. Before the huge increase, we would "run" to Tulsa(about 2 hours away) to see family several times a year and they would, more often, "run" here to see us. We ended up being together every month or at least every other month. This past year of crazy gas prices has drastically reduced that. I have gone to my niece's birthday party, then went to work for my sister in law while she was on vacation(she paid me) and then went to watch my sister's kids (she paid me). We have not even been able to go out to see Monty's mother in El Reno(about an hour away) in several months. I prefer to do my grocery shopping in Edmond where the taxes are cheaper and I can often find really good prices at Crest. I have not even done that in the last year. The 20 minute trip is just too far for me to use the gas. We have had to be sure Monty was gonna be able to make it to work every day and that is a 20 minute drive-I could not waste any gas on a trip to Edmond. With the gas at a slightly more reasonable price, maybe we can start to live a normal life again. Maybe we can "run" to El Reno to visit Nana or take a trip into Edmond for better grocery deals. Maybe we can take a field trip to the Cowboy Hall of Fame all the way in the City(by the way I know the name has changed-just don't remember to what. Also free admission in October on Wednesdays{I think}). I may be able to spend a few dollars in a store or a museum or a drive through because I did not have to put it in my gas tank. Could someone please explain to me how this is hurting things?!? The News has followed the gas prices and reported on record profits for the large oil companies. They have made comments about being hurt by the prices just like we all were. They often report or have links on their websites that track the cheapest places in town to purchase gas. They acted like they were on our side but as soon as we get a moment of relief, a second to take a breath, a glimmer of hope-They start reporting on what is so good for us is really bad. Instead of letting the fears of "how are we gonna keep gas in the car" rescind; They immediately start injecting fear of "Oh no! Why are the prices dropping? Something must be wrong!" GIVE ME A BREAK!! I AM NOT BUYING THAT!!!

CUTE THINGS KIDS SAY!

This one actually came from my 16 year old brother John. He left yesterday with the men of our church for the men's advance. When mom got home from work she found his tennis shoes sitting on the washer with a note laying on them that read...
"Please wash us! (for more details, smell inside)"