S.H.M.I.L.Y. for 30 days of prayer

I will be joining the S.H.M.I.L.Y. 30 Days of Prayer for our husbands. It starts tomorrow. S.H.M.I.L.Y. stands for See How Much I Love You. We will be reading and praying through the prayers in The Power of a Praying Wife.This is my second or third year doing this, I think. I will be blogging along the way but probably not daily, weekly at least. There is still time to join us, especially if you already own the book. If you don't own the book the hostess has the list of chapter prayer topics on her site. You could just use that guide to pray your own prayers. I will be writing him a weekly note to tell him what I have been praying for. This will be my gift to him for Father's Day. Money it very tight. Prayer is FREE. Praying for powerful change in my husband's life, my life, our marriage, and our family in the coming month.


all content on my blog is ©

Think Back Thursday ~ Visiting Historical Sites

As I said yesterday, if you saw my reminder,

I am featuring my kids at Antietam National Battlefield

We visited there

May 13, 2003

Rachel was 17

Jessica was 14

Nathan was 8

Christopher was 6

Here are a couple of links for you

they will open in a new tab so you won't loose you place here.

Antietam National Battlefield

Antietam

Now for the photos

Bloody Lane

The observation tower is in the distance

I thought I had photos of us in/from the observation tower but I can't find them.

Rachel, Jessica, Christopher (in front), Nathan

Recreating the battle

on Bloody Lane

Burnside Bridge

CHARGE

Oh, no, causualties

 (close up)

It is fun to play war.

Real war is not so much fun.

I hope by visiting historical battlefields and studying about war that my boys, especially, will understand that.

During this vacation we visited

Baltimore Aquarium

Harper's Ferry

Antietam

and Gettysburg

I hope, someday soon, to revisit some of these trips we took. 

Christopher doesn't remember much from these trips because he was so young.

 Next week's theme is
Animals
 could be visiting a zoo,
a farm,
or meeting an animal in the wild
wherever your family has come into contact with an animal
oh, this includes birds, fish, mammals, reptiles... everything

Now it is your turn

Here are the Rules for participating:

The purpose of Think Back Thursday is to link up a post about something from the past. You can reach back all the way to your childhood and bravely post pictures of you in your wild clothes and hair styles or post something from last year and tell us about it. I'm not picky. Hey, even yesterday was the past... LOL My posts will mostly be about events that happened prior to blogging, as a way to share those things with the world.

• It can be about you, about your kids, about your parents, about whatever. For ideas check out the other posts in my label Think Back Thursday. 
• Link up below. Please use a permalink that sends readers directly to the correct post. If you are not sure what that is click the word permalink for an explanation. 
• Mention my blog and offer a link back. This is a requirement to take part and a kind gesture to me your hostess as well as your readers--they will know where to join in the fun, too. You can put the Think Back Thursday button on your site and in your post. You will find it on my right sidebar. Please use it to link to my site, to spread the word about my meme. Using the button will help others know how to find me and how to join. Tell others to click on the button in your post to find us here.
• Leave me a comment. First so that you can let me know what you think of my pictures and secondly so that I will know a new post has been linked up and I can come visit your blog and comment on your photos. 

Join me!



all content on my blog is ©

Think Back Thursday Reminder

Just a note to remind you

Think Back Thursday will post tomorrow

The theme will be

Visiting Historical Sites

I will be doing

Antietam National Battlefield

Are you working on your post?

My post with the Linky will go up at 7am EST

all content on my blog is ©

Wednesday Hodgepodge-Vol 79

1. What can the average citizen do to honor a military veteran and/or those currently serving? Most years we go to a parade on Memorial Day, in the town where I grew up, and then go put flowers on my father's grave, he was a veteran... and on other veteran relatives in the same graveyard.

2. Besides a flag what is something you own that is red, white and blue? A shirt, white with blue and red flowers. I wore it on Monday.

3. Does love really conquer all? Yup... it will eventually anyway. God's love for us sent His son to die for us, some day all the saved will live in heaven and death, hell and even Satan will be conquered, forever. All because of God's love.

4. Strawberry shortcake or blueberry pie? Blueberry Pie. I love strawberries but don't like the sogginess of strawberry shortcake.

5. Do you share personal stuff with your hairdresser? Yes, but not really personal stuff. Just how the kids are doing or things I am working on. We have been going to the same hairdresser for years... so that also makes a difference.

6. Does money lead to selfishness? No, selfishness is a heart issue, a thorn in our lives. Money does not cause our selfishness... it is only one of the ways our selfishness is manifested.

7. What piece of furniture in your home most needs replacing or refinishing? Kitchen chairs. Table is ok.. though I would like to replace it also. The chairs that came with the table have completely fallen apart. There is only one chair left. We are sitting on padded folding chairs and some of them have broken back's. That is the least of our worries though and will have to wait a long while since my hubby has been unemployed 2+ years.

8. Insert your own random here. I am diligently working on a slideshow of my son's life to show during his graduation open house. So many cute photos... so many memories.

all content on my blog is ©

Goal Planning Monday ~ Week 70

 Time to write some goals and strive to accomplish them this coming week??

Join us by clicking on the button above...
after you read my goals.

Goal Planning Monday has a new home - the banner above will take you to the new home for Goal Planning Monday @ Real Life Unscripted even though it says it is @ mamamanuscripts. I changed the link to send you to the new place.

Can't believe I have been linking up for 70 weeks! This was a pretty good one. I worked on most of my goals plus chose a bunch of photos for my son's graduation slideshow for his open house that we are planning for June. I didn't think I would have tome to work on that so I didn't put it on my goal list.

I am working on making my goals shorter and not being so long winded so that my readers will be interested in reading all the way through. You guys don't need every detail written down, and neither do I.

My Goals from last week and how I did:

Spiritual Goals 

1. Devotions daily -  How People Change and How People Change Study Guide: How Christ Changes Us by His Grace. Partly Done - I missed 2 days.
2. Listen to Godly Music Daily. Partly Done
3. Pray daily. Partly Done
4. Read Power of a Praying Wife and leave hubby a note for each chapter I read. He needs the extra prayers and encouragement.     Done
5. Read some of My Utmost for His Highest before bed at night. Done

Homeschool Goals

1. Keep Christopher doing all the school he has left to do. We are winding down. Done - one more week ... we will be done June 1st.
2. Get Nathan to do all his school. He is winding down as well and finishing up his schooling. We are starting to gear up for graduation. Done
3. Keep up with logging in the boys work and grading as we go through the week. Done
4. I am also working on transcripts. Not Done - I need to get some things graded before I can finish Nathan's transcripts.
5. Spend a lot of time on our Astronomy Unit. We are finished a bunch of other subjects and there is still a lot I wanted to cover for Astronomy. We only have 2 weeks left. Done
6. Make sure the boys complete one back essay they had skipped from Movies as Literature. Done - Christopher is done all his essays now and I hope Nathan will be done by this Friday.
7. Read a book about Homeschooling. I am working on The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell. Done - I did read some of this book this week.... see my review in the post just under this one for more details.

Blog Goals    

1. Post reminders to my friends/blog readers about Think Back Thursday on Wed. on Facebook groups especially. Remind them of the theme... water! Done
2. Post Think Back Thursday... my new meme. Done
3. Join in some favorite memes that I like to do and try and leave comments on a few blogs of those who link up. Done

Exercise Goals - I want to get back to exercising. I have been totally skipping this.

1. I want to work out at least 3 days this week. Partly Done - I worked out 2 days.
2. Make a Weight Watchers 1 point dessert early this week to help fend off my cravings and provide a dessert for when my friend Michele comes over. Not Done

Personal/Other Goals 

1. Shut my computer off between 9 and 9:30 every night, get ready for bed and then read until my husband is ready for bed. Partly Done - My mom is a later night person that we are so this will be difficult if not impossible while she is visiting. I shut my computer off on time Mon-Wed. After that I have no idea what time it was... though some nights I was watching movies and not really on my computer.
2. Comment on all the other GPM ladies posts. Keep track of their names with links here so I know whose I have done. Done - I commented on our hostess blog, mamamanuscripts @ Real Life Unscripted, at Kym's blog @ Homeschool Coffee Break at Blossom's blog @ North Laurel Home & School and at Cristi's @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm.
3. Have a wonderful time visiting with my friend Michele on Wednesday. Done - not a hard one to do... it was a great day.
4. Go with my hubby and dd Jessica to pick up my Mom for an almost 2 week visit. Before we bring her here we have to help her switch her clothes from winter to summer and help her pack. She will be staying with us until June 4th. Done
5. Work on household chores and spring cleaning - I will spend part of each morning working on household chores and spring cleaning. I especially need to work on this because of my Mom coming on Thursday. Done
6. Log books into Book Collector software. I need to get the tubs out of the hallway so they are not in my Mom's way. Done - I logged some in then pushed a button by accident and erased all the books I had added that day. Actually it was a little more complicated that that but that is the long and short of it. I was going to quit for the day but I felt a still small voice telling me to start again, so I did. I entered all the books again, in record time and got a few more done as well before bed time. I moved the tubs of books that still need to be logged in into my bedroom so they are out of my mom's way.
7. Read, Read, Read! I am currently reading Done -Finished reading a Bride for Pastor Dan and Ready Made Family.... can't decide about downloading book 3 and 4.
1. A Bride for Pastor Dan (Parkside Community Church) by Katie Crabapple Kindle books is FREE right now. I also just bought book 2 of the series Ready Made Family for $0.99. They are all very short stories. I like the first one so far and do plan to buy all the books in the series as they are only 99 cents each. I will not make up my mind though, until after I read the first 2 completely.
   
2. Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life 
3. Emma by Jane Austen
4. With Wolfe in Canada by G.A. Henty. 
8. Make sure the kids keep up with cooking and after dinner chores. Done -

For this week that is 18 Done, 5 Partly Done, and 2 Not Done. 


My goals for this coming week:

Spiritual Goals 

1. Devotions daily -  How People Change and How People Change Study Guide: How Christ Changes Us by His Grace.
2. Listen to Godly Music Daily.
3. Pray daily.
4. Read the last chapter of Power of a Praying Wife and leave hubby a note for that chapter. Starting June 1st I will be joining an online event where we pray the prayers of the Power of a Praying wife each day in the month of June... 30 days... 30 chapters to the book. This will be my gift to my hubby since we don't have any money.I probably won't write him a daily note but maybe a weekly one telling him the things I have been praying about.    
5. Read some of My Utmost for His Highest before bed at night.

Homeschool Goals

1. This is the last week of school for 2011-12.
2. Keep up with logging in the boys work and grading as we go through the week.
3. I am also working on transcripts.
4. I decided what things to finish up the Astronomy unit. We are having to let some things go undone that I had hoped to tackle... especially looking at the stars because we can't afford to drive repeatedly to a place where it is dark enough.. also hubby got rid of our telescope and I didn't know it. Christopher will be finishing reading Astronomy and the Bible,: Questions and Answers, as well as Voyage to the Stars and Voyage to the Planets by Donald B. Deyoung, Richard B. Bliss
5. Make sure Nathan completes at least one back essay he had skipped from Movies as Literature. I hope he will get all the ones he has left done this week so we can be completely finished school.
6. Work on Nathan's photo slideshow for his graduation open house.

Blog Goals    

1. Post reminders to my friends/blog readers about Think Back Thursday on Wed. on Facebook groups especially. Remind them of this week's theme.
2. Post Think Back Thursday... my revamped meme.
3. Comment on each person's post that links up for Think Back Thursday.
4. Join in some favorite memes that I like to do and try and leave comments on a few blogs of those who link up.

Exercise Goals - I want to get back to exercising. I have been totally skipping this. 

1. Weigh in Wednesday and update my weight loss ticker at the top of my blog.
2. Post an update to Weight Loss Wednesday
3. Work out at least 3 days this week.
4. Make a Weight Watchers 1 point dessert.

Personal/Other Goals 

1. Shut my computer off between 9 and 9:30 every night, get ready for bed and then read until my husband is ready for bed. I don't know how successful I will be with this until my mom goes home... but I will try.
2. Comment on all the other GPM ladies posts. Keep track of their names with links here so I know whose I have done.
3. My hubby and I were invited to our friend's house for dinner on Thursday... I am soooo looking forward to it.
4. Visit with and spend time with my mom.
5. Work on household chores and spring cleaning - I need to spend part of each morning working on household chores and spring cleaning.
   
6. Read, Read, Read! I am currently reading 
1. Saving Hope: Men of the Texas Rangers Book 1 (Kindle) I got the book free on Kindle a little while back, it is no longer free. It is interesting so far, supposed to be Christian but not much Christian life in it so far, but I am only on chapter 4. Here is the print link if you want it... Saving Hope: Men of the Texas Rangers Book 1 Also my Amazon account says I can lone to book to anyone... I have never done that but if you are interested I could try it.
   
2. Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life 
3. Emma by Jane Austen
4. With Wolfe in Canada by G.A. Henty. 
5. I also ordered some of my favorite Tales From Grace Chapel Hill series that I have been wanting to read... I will probably devour them once they come in from the library.
7. Make sure the kids keep up with cooking and after dinner chores. 
8. I hope to make some time to paper scrapbook this week to complete a yearly goal I have.

Do you have any goals for the week? Post your goals and link up. The button at the top will take you to the meme and you can join up with us. I have been doing this for more than a year now and setting weekly goals is really helping me keep focus and achieve more. Have a great week.

all content on my blog is ©

The Ultimate Guide To HomeschoolingThe Ultimate Guide To Homeschooling by Debra Bell

The Ultimate Guide To Homeschooling by Debra Bell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I stopped reading this book. I finished most of it so I am counting it. In the later chapters on High School and preparing your children for college I started to feel like I was giving my children an inferior education, just because I did not do things her way. There is no balance in this book on the many choices for homeschoolers, like starting your own business after high school. Also she very much recommends outside classes, and even started a homeschool school to avail her kids of other teachers in their lives. We have a few, similar, one day a week schools for homeschoolers in our area, but chose not to go that route. Because this book negatively affected my view of myself and our homeschool I chose to stop reading it. Others may find it helpful. Most of the information in the first 21 chapters was review for me... nothing new at all. I received this book as a review item a while back and never finished reading it. As I said the beginning was ok and if you advocate outside classes for your children and sending them to college then this book may help you, but it didn't help me.

I am grateful to my grown daughters and husband who helped me put things in perspective and encouraged me to stop reading this book.

Now to take a little break from reading about homeschooling and read just for pleasure... then in a week or 2 I will read a homeschool book that encourages me and does not make me feel guilty because I don't do things the way the author does them.

Just my 2 cents... take it or leave it.

View all my reviews



all content on my blog is ©

Scripture and a Snapshot ~ Walking

I have this set as my desktop background right now.

I have been thinking about this verse all week.

It really applies to our situation.

Unemployment - 2 + years

No income

No job or business leads

Walking with God each day.

Taking things step by step.

Trusting Him for each penny and each bite of food.

Knowing, somehow he led others to give so that we paid June's bills that have come in already.

Knowing, somehow, he will continue to care for us.

Just walking and doing what he calls me to do

Today,

and struggling to not worry about tomorrow.

all content on my blog is ©

Think Back Thursday ~ Water

For the first time I have a topic for my meme.

I don't know if it will help my meme to be more popular,

but I wanted to submit my meme to The Daily Meme.

I had to have a weekly theme to submit to The Daily Meme.

Some of my friends seemed to like the weekly topic idea.

I made a list of possible topics, but if you have suggestions just leave them in the comments.

I had a hard time deciding what water pictures to post. 

I found I had more than I thought... 

so I will probably be doing the water theme again sometime...

but much later.

Anyway...

I finally choose to do...

Water at Winterthur

Winterthur has a lot of different venues for water.
 I hope you enjoy the photos,

I enjoyed searching for and preparing them.

The Reflecting Pool

 

The Waterfall which flows into...

the Coy Ponds 

the shiny areas on the right are the coy ponds

The Water Trough and stream in the

Enchanted Woods

The frog pond... also in Enchanted Woods

The Quarry Garden 

without flowers...

that is my son Christopher in the red jacket

Three little streams join into one 

Quarry garden with flowers...

 transformed

Do you still see the little stream??

Then the one larger stream

  heads on down and empties into...

The Large Pond

 

I love Winterthur and gurgling streams have been one of my most peaceful places since I was a little girl
I hope you enjoyed my Water photos.

 Next week's theme...
Visiting Historical Sights

Here are the Rules for participating:
The purpose of Think Back Thursday is to link up a post about something from the past. You can reach back all the way to your childhood and bravely post pictures of you in your wild clothes and hair styles or post something from last year and tell us about it. I'm not picky. Hey, even yesterday was the past... LOL My posts will mostly be about events that happened prior to blogging, as a way to share those things with the world.

• Follow the Theme of the Week if you can. the photos can include you, your kids, your parents or no people at all.. For ideas check out the other posts in my label Think Back Thursday. 
• Link up below. Please use a permalink that sends readers directly to the correct post. If you are not sure what that is click the word permalink for an explanation. 
• Mention my blog and offer a link back. This is a requirement to take part and a kind gesture to me your hostess as well as your readers--they will know where to join in the fun, too. You can put the Think Back Thursday button on your site and in your post. You will find it on my right sidebar. Please use it to link to my site, to spread the word about my meme. Using the button will help others know how to find me and how to join. Tell others to click on the button in your post to find us here.
• Leave me a comment. First so that you can let me know what you think of my pictures and secondly so that I will know a new post has been linked up and I can come visit your blog and comment on your photos. 

Join me! 



all content on my blog is ©