What's Been Going On

I just realized that it's been a month since I posted a blog.  So here I am letting you know what we've been doing that's keeping us so busy:

• School for the kids.  We've had a couple field trips as well as regular school work.
• Preparing for the fair.  Not only are my kids both submitting things for the fair (food items, crafts, and even an original story), but my son completed two demonstrations a few weeks ago.  He got a blue ribbon for one and a red ribbon for the other.
• I've been busier for work lately too.  I've been showing houses multiple times a week. I also had a house close a couple weeks ago and I have another scheduled in the next two weeks.
• I'm taking a certification class for real estate.
• Hubby has been working on the house (the yard in particular) as of late.  This time of year is not nearly as hot and hard to work outside as the summer months so he's taking advantage.

Other interesting items of note:

• My son came up with a joke on his own a few months back.  His Oma and Opa were in town at the time and they told him he should submit it to a kid's magazine.  Yesterday we got a copy of the magazine with his joke in it.  For those interested, the joke is:  How does a yo-yo relax?  It unwinds.
• For years, we've had an issue with the kids cleaning their rooms.  They would clean it and then a couple days later it would be a mess again.  We had a really big cleaning push a couple weeks ago and they're still pretty clean.  Praying it continues.

Perspective = Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving.  What's it all about?  It's a day originally designed to remember how the original settlers were able to survive.  Over the years, it's become a day to remember what you are thankful for.  The typical things to be thankful for are: family, a home, health, friends, and employment.

I'll admit it, today I'm struggling because not all of these things are going as I was hoping they would.

Thanksgiving was always a big holiday growing up.  My parents would invite families from our church who didn't have family locally for a big Thanksgiving meal.  We sort of became a new family of sorts each year.  Although my parents live 10 minutes away, they are not in the area this Thanksgiving.  That's because today they are out of town celebrating their 40th anniversary. 

I've been fighting a cold, but the last couple days I've been feeling much better.  However, last night around dinner my daughter came down with a stomach bug and still isn't back to normal.  My kids and I were going to go to Busch Gardens with some friends today, but that obviously didn't happen.   And why wasn't my husband invited to Busch Gardens?  Technically he was, but he had to work last night as well as tonight, so a day awake in the middle would not be a good idea.

This post is not designed to make you feel sorry for me.  On the contrary, it's about how I've decided to be thankful because of these issues.  How's that?!?  Because I've gotten some perspective.  People I know and love are struggling with some of these things in a much bigger way.

I have a friend who recently lost a family member to cancer.  Aside from said family member's birthday a week or two ago, this is the first holiday without her.  That can't possible be easy.  I have another friend who gave birth to a stillborn child on Thanksgiving, 13 years ago.  Although she knows she will see her son again in heaven, this can't be the easiest holiday for her because of that.

I work with people trying to purchase their own home, and I've seen a few recently who have not been able to realize their dream and are relegated to renting for the time being.  I also know people who are living on a fixed income who recently found out that their community fees are going up.  I know someone else who's job moved them so they had to sell their house at a substantial loss (as in they are paying back a loan in order to sell their home).  I also know someone who was told they will only be employed through the end of the calendar year.

So today, I'm going to be thankful.  Because:

1. I have parents that showed me how to love on friends and how to make it through 40 years of marriage.  I also have a new niece that I'm going to see next month.
2. Although the last couple months have been tough with our house, we have a house with equity that's allowed us to make the repairs we've needed.
3.  A cold and a stomach bug are nothing considering what other people are enduring.
4.  Although we are not spending time with friends today, we have friends that cared enough to invite us to join them today.
5.  And yes, my husband had to go in to work, but he has a job.  That's more than some people can say.  In fact, this time last year he didn't have a job.

I pray you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you were able to keep perspective today as you celebrate those things you are thankful for.

Missing Virginia

I admit it.  Today I miss living in Virginia.  It's NOT because they are getting snow where I used to live (the mountain I used to live on might get 6" or so).  In fact, I really don't miss that one little bit.

I miss Virginia today, because my sister-in-law had her second child today.  My first niece.  And I can't go visit in the hospital.  We are hoping to see them in the next month or so, but it's not quite the same.

I guess I will just have to be content with the fact that I have a care package consisting of things I've been knitting for a few months that will be going out in the mail today.  That will have to cuddle with my niece while I can't.   Counting down the days till I get to see her (and the rest of the family in Virginia too).

Time Keeps on Slippin' By

Can you believe how quickly time flies?!?  I can't. 

Today is a very special day in my family, and I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that three years ago today, I became an Aunt.  Unfortunately, with our move right before he was born, I have not been able to see my nephew as much as I would like.  I am very thankful for technology (FaceTime, Facebook, and cell phones in particular) which have allowed me to keep up with him just a little.

It looks like I will be an Aunt again in November, so I'm hoping we can plan a trip to visit not only my new niece by my nephew as well.  It's long-overdue for this Aunt to spoil her nephew (and the bonus... his mom and dad will get a little break to spend with their newest addition).

Happy birthday (not-so) little man!  Your Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins wish you a very happy birthday!  Lots of hugs and love being sent your way from Florida.

That's Just NUTS!

I've been virtually stalking someone today.  I even got his wife's permission.  In fact, she asked me several times for updates.  You see, today my brother-in-law was competing in his first Iron Man competition.  He's done a few marathons and I even think a triathlon or two but an Iron Man... that's HUGE.  She's been waiting for him to finish, but the cell service where the race is hasn't been that great so I've been texting her updates.

This morning as I was struggling to get in my 4 miles on the treadmill (training for my first half marathon) I kept thinking of him and how grueling it must be to train for and complete an Iron Man.  For those that aren't aware, it involves 2.4 miles of swimming in open water (in this case a lake), followed by 112 miles on a bicycle, and finishing up with 26.2 miles of running.  I'm tired just typing that.

As I was interrupted by one of my children, I thought about how hard it's been for me to find the time to train consistently.  Then I thought about how hard it must be to train for an Iron Man.  So not only am I going to give props to my BIL, I'm also going to give props to my sister-in-law too.  I know there have been MANY days when she handled everything alone so he could train.  But today it all came together when he finished in 11:00:12 hours!  And he finished 59th out of 305 in his age category.  Way to go! 

An inspiration to me for sure.  Is there an Iron Man in my future?  Certainly not.  But a couple days ago I was thinking of giving up on trying to even do the half marathon, so he's at least inspired me to keep training for that. 

Finding the Right Fit

My regular readers know that my family homeschools.  We started homeschooling right after my son finished kindergarten.  We were in a very transitional time for our family with lots of moving and traveling and even the prospect of moving overseas.  We didn't want our kids school-hopping and figured that once we settled somewhere, we would enroll our kids in a school nearby  (most likely private but we weren't sure).  Well, three years later we are still homeschooling and it's really working for our family.

Why?  Because it's allowed us to help focus on our kids strengths.  It's allowing us to help our kids figure out NOW "what they want to be when they grow up."  That allows us the flexibility to tailor our days in such a way that we spend time working on things that will help our kids in their future career.  Our children are 9 and 7 so we realize that things may change.  And for our 7 year old her dreams for the future have changed somewhat.  But for our 9 year old, he's only become more sure of what he wants to do.

Our 9 year old wants to build and program robots.  And with the help of his father he's already working on that.  So what does one need to learn to do that?  Programming skills of course, but also how electronics work.  So what have we done?  We allow him to dismantle broken electronics and try to fix them or find alternative uses for them.  In fact, one of his favorite things to do is go yard saling with his dad looking for electronics things that he can use for parts.  I'll have a post in a couple days with some of the things he's done lately (My mind has been blown by some of the things he's done, I'm sure yours will be too).

Son watching Daddy fix the air conditioner (he's always watching Daddy and learning)

And what about our daughter?  Well, for a long time she wanted to be a vet.  So we started to foster kittens.  The thought was that she would learn what it's like to take care of an animal.  Fall in love with it.  And then have to give it to someone else.  The fostering process has taught her though that perhaps being a vet isn't the right fit for her (oddly enough because she doesn't like to clean up after animals).  So now she's thinking about becoming an animal trainer or an animal photographer. 

We are still fostering kittens and she gets to help mold their behavior (you know keep them from jumping on the counters and making them more friendly) and she's also taking pictures with a camera we gave her for Christmas.  She is very crafty, so secretly I'm thinking the photographer route might be her thing (as in going to the safari and trying to take pictures of animals for National Geographic and such) but I'm not trying to push anything at this point.

This cat came to us feral at 7 or 8 weeks old and hadn't been handled by a human.  She LOVES my daughter

One of the things that's helped my family with this sort of thing the most is that when we moved to Florida we ended up connecting with a homeschool group.  The women who lead this group have a heart for children like you wouldn't believe.  Not just homeschooled children but all children.  Their catch phrases are "Raising leaders from cradle to college & parenting with the end result in mind." 

Jenni and Jody are awesome ladies and have 9 children between them, ranging in age from 26 down to 2 years old.  One of them has a child who recently passed the bar and is now a lawyer and one has a child that is autistic, so they've definitely been there done that and experienced just about everything in between.

They also have a website http://www.jenniandjody.com/ where they regularly post blog articles about all kinds of parenting topics.  They have a radio show on Saturday's that are also released on their website as pod casts for those who aren't local.  And they are also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jenniandjody

Do yourself a favor and at least look at their website or Facebook page.  If you like what you see, follow them.  That way you will see all their new articles and any other interesting news from them (a book is in the works, as are conferences).  Hopefully they can help your family like they've helped mine.

An Inspiration

Everyone has someone they look up to.  Someone who they respect for their skill (athletes), their knowledge (a teacher growing up), or their ability and willingness to help people in need. 

Well, today I want to take time to honor someone (two someones actually) who inspire me.  I've known them for about 15 years now, but each year that passes, I get to know a little more about their heart and passions.

Gan taking pics of my kids

 They have a love for their family that is wonderful to behold.  I know for a fact that they pray for everyone in their family each day.  They pray for missionaries (who they've never met) on a regular basis (probably daily as well).  They participate in functions at their church as much as their health and time allows.  They are a bundle of love and affection and are always on the go.  In fact, I don't think I have a single picture of the two of them together.  Because they are always doing something.  And considering they are in their 90's that's pretty amazing if you ask me.

Gramps watching the festivities

That love extends to each other too.

Today is the 70th anniversary of my husband's grandparents.  Not only are they a wonderful example of Godly people, they are a wonderful example of a Godly marriage.

We love you Gan and Gramps!  Wish we could be there to help you celebrate.

How Time Flies

It's hard to believe that 27 years ago I became a big sister!  It was something I had wanted for numerous years. 

Those that know me, you are probably doing the math.  Yes, I have a brother that is quite a few years younger than me (and I'm not sharing how many).  In fact, I tell most people who ask, that we were pretty much 2 only children that happened to live in the same house briefly.

Not only has time flown by, but my brother is now flying in his own way.  A couple years ago he found his passion.  I'm so proud of him for following it (a bit scared if I think about it too hard), and doing it so well.

What is his passion?  Jumping out of perfectly good airplanes (and helping others do it too).  He is currently a parachute rigger (gotta pay the bills right).  This has allowed him easy access to be able to parachute himself.  In fact he did his 150th solo jump yesterday.  His ultimate goal is to do tandem jumps (where someone is attached to you) and also be an aerial videographer / photographer.  He has a few more solo jumps before he can do either of those, but he's well on his way.

So proud of you little bro!  Love you to the sky and back (safely I pray)!

Important Things in Life

The purpose of our trip to Virginia a few weeks ago was to help my parents pack up and move.  However, we made a point to see all our other family that lives in the area too.

We made a trip to see my brother-in-law and his family.  After all, my nephew is growing up so fast we had to make a point to stop by. 

The last time we saw him he was about a month old.

It was great seeing my kids playing with their cousin. 

My nephew attached himself to my daughter, probably because they are closer in age and size. 

It reminded me how how I attached myself to my slightly older cousin while I was growing up.  My cousin happens to live in Florida and his kids are the same ages as mine so we've gotten together a few times since we moved here.  I hope my kids have that with their cousin some day.

And one more visit we HAD to fit in was a trip to see my husband's grandparents.  For the most part, they are both doing great.  They are both in their 90's and are still living in their own home.   However his grandfather had recently had pneumonia and has been on dialysis close to 3 years now.  We haven't seen them in almost 2 so we decided it was long overdue.

We had a great time.  We got to talk to both of them for a while and also help them around the house a little. 

Gan was showing my daughter her Great-Uncle's artwork.

LOVE this picture!

Stupid auto flash.

Auto flash for the win again.

So Proud... And Guilty

I am a working mom.  Most of my work is done from home, but the nature of real estate means occasionally I need to show a house (or a few) or go to an inspection, walk-through, or closing.  Two nights ago, I was contacted by a client who I knew was seriously looking, asking how soon we could see a property that had just become available.  Because of my schedule and her work schedule we met at 5:45 yesterday.   That is right around when my family normally eats.

And here is where the guilt comes in.  My hubby had 5 hours of sleep the night before so he had gone to take a nap.  I didn't want to bother him since he's been working hard on a project lately.  My kids are very obedient and know what they are and are not allowed to do (they don't even eat candy they are given at church because they know they need to ask), so off I went leaving them with instructions on what they could do while I was gone.

The house I was going to see was 15 minutes from my house, so I figured I wasn't far away nor would it take long.  I left at 5:30 after having my kids eat a snack, thinking I should be back by 6:30 to feed them (I was going to bring back pizza so no waiting for me to cook would be involved). 

As if I didn't felt bad enough that I was going to make them wait till 6:30 to eat, my client saw the house and decided she wanted to put in an offer... NOW!  So rather than go to my house, I went to my office to work up an offer.

And here is where the pride comes in.  When I realized I was going to be late, I called the house (note: I have not given this number out to anyone.  I don't think my hubby even knows the number.  Not because I don't want him to, but what's the point really).  The only other phone calls we get on this number are phone spam.  I recently taught my 9 year old how to tell if I'm the one calling.  I also programmed my cell phone number into the phone so he could call me if he needed.

Well, he picked up the phone right away (I was thinking I'd have to call a couple times back to back before he answered).  I told him that I was going to be later than I though and that they should try to find something simple and small to eat to tide them over till I got home.

As I'm on my way home from the office, I realize that my son had called me, so I called him back real quick to see if I needed to go to the house rather than the pizza place first.  He said he and his sister were hungry and wanted to know when I would be back.  I told him I was planning on making 2 stops (pizza & gas - I was running on fumes).

He said that was ok.  They understood that what I was doing was important for the family and that they could wait a little longer.  Needless to say, the pizza was a hit (I didn't actually tell them where I was getting dinner from).  The doughnuts I bought at the gas station as additional guilt appeasement didn't hurt either I'm sure.

Oh, and the offer I worked up....I should hear back on that tomorrow morning. 

Where Did That Freight Train Come From?

Where has the time gone?  I mean really...  How is it possible that 9 years ago tomorrow I gave birth to my oldest child?

Boy, how things have changed during those 9 years.  For example, 9 years ago I was at my parent's house because we were iced out of our house.  Yesterday, we had a birthday party for my son and were able to take advantage of the beautiful weather by having the party outside in our lanai.  Rather than worry about getting red cheeks from the cold, we were worrying about getting sunburn (SO not complaining folks).  And today, my kids were crazy enough to swim in our unheated pool (for no more than 30 minute mind you).

Feb 10.  Outside temp = 70ish.  Pool temp = 65

It's been such a wonder and privilege to watch my son grow up the last 9 years. To see him go from a helpless baby (I can't say little) to the helpful, smart, kind young man he is now.  I hope the next 9 years go by slowly because I have no doubt that when my son turns 18 he is going to begin a very awesome chapter in his life.  Although a part of me looks forward to it, I'm in no rush for it to get here.
------------

So, for those interested in the party details... we had a robot themed party.  The kids and I made a cake that looked like a robot,

we found some fun robot decorations, and the kids got to play with some of Jason's robot creations, as well as a variation of pin the tail on the donkey (I call it assemble the robot).

We started with the body and the kids added all the pieces.

And after it got dark (and all the party goers had gone home) we had a bonfire.

A Different Kind of Christmas

For the last couple years my family has been trying to keep Christmas about the birth of Jesus and less about the gifts.  We typically accomplish this by giving practical gifts on Christmas (clothes, toothbrushes, books, etc) and the fun stuff on "Loot Day" - aka New Years Day.  A day our family uses to celebrate American materialism  ;-).

This year we got a little help.  The last couple days a stomach bug has been going through the house which has meant that any shopping we normally would have done (which to be honest is not much) didn't happen.  I was able to send hubby on a last minute run yesterday (he and my mom are the only ones who have not been hit), but it was for supplies for the sick ones (you know, ginger ale, 7-up, etc).

The only gifts that we had to open today were given by out-of-town family members and my parents.  They were obviously going to be primarily fun gifts, but we decided that under the circumstances that was ok.  Before we opened the gifts we discussed the reason for Christmas and the significance of gift giving at Christmas.  And my kids got it!  How happy was I?  Extremely. 

And to top it off... although my kids didn't get much, they were happy.  They realize the quantity of gifts isn't what matters.  It's the thought that matters.  And the most well-thought out gift imaginable is the gift of Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas everyone!  God bless.

Gratitude Challenge - Day 15

Today I am thankful for my extended family. 

My parent's have been such an example to me over the years and they continue to do so.  They listen when I need to complain, they give advice when that is needed, and of course they show me love on a regular basis even though we are many miles apart.

Although my little brother started out as a bit of a pain (he is 10 years younger ya'll) we have grown closer in recent years.  It's been fun for me to watch him grow as a person as he realizes his passion and follows it.  Again, what an example.

My grandparents have all passed away, but my husband still has one set of grandparents.  Not only are they a wonderful example of a lasting marriage (they've been married for 60+ years), but they are a wonderful example of praying without ceasing.  I KNOW for a fact, they pray for us every day and it is felt by us.

My husband's parents have been a good example to us of working hard.  Although both of them don't need to work, they have both held jobs for many of the years since my husband entered college.  Part of this was to avoid boredom, but also to help others (my mother-in-law is a nurse), as well as be able to save up for retirement.  Although they have not retired yet, they do have the ability to visit us on a somewhat regular basis (which is good because we find it hard to get to them).  In fact, they are coming in a few weeks and we are looking forward to their visit.

Although my brother-in-law and his wife are relatively new parents, they have shown me the importance of not only working hard, but of having a good time.  A good time as a family, as a couple, and as an individual.

And for the rest of you... my Aunts, Uncles, and cousins.  I love you all too and yes I have learned things from you as well.

Feelin' The Love

Today has been a hectic, on-the-go, don't have time to stop kinda day for me.  I work up at 6AM with a headache and didn't fall back asleep very easily (thankfully I did).  Even better, was that my kids let me sleep in till 9.  After that, things haven't stopped.

That said, I have had a couple really nice "surprises" today.  This morning my son asked if he could make himself scrambled egg for breakfast.  He's made pancakes a couple times and has done a great job so I figured why not.  Not only did he make himself an egg, but he offered to make me one. 
It. was. perfect.

Then when he realized I was going to be leaving for an afternoon meeting without having lunch, he walked up to me and handed me a snack pack of craisins so I could at least eat something in the car.  He also got me a glass of ice water for in the car.

When I got home from said meeting, I was greeted by the smell of banana bread and a fridge door full of homemade mocha coffee drinks.

Now that I've taken a break for a few minutes to let you all in on the joy that has brightened my day, I need to get back to the list of work I still have to complete before I can go to bed tonight. 

Here's to hoping you have all felt a little love today.

Steppin' Up

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you wish you had someone to help you out?  A maid, a personal chef, or a chauffeur to get your kids from place to place.  I have.  Many times.  And now that I find myself out of the house for a few hours every few days (if not every day), I find those feelings coming less frequently.  WHAT you say?

Since I started working more, my hubby has really stepped up and is helping out more around the house.  Not only is he watching the kids while I'm gone, but he's making sure they do their school work (he's even gotten my son to do some handwriting = a miracle!).  He's made dinner a few times (and not just something grilled either).  In fact, as I write this, he's making homemade pizza.  He's done laundry, dishes, and even cleaned the bathroom (my least favorite thing to do in the world).  I've come home to a mostly-clean house a couple times too (The kids rooms could use a little more work but even I have trouble getting that done.  At least the main part is clean though).

And the other day, my hubby did some experimenting in the kitchen.  He made me homemade mocha / coffee drinks that turned out really well.  Sometimes I think he's trying to show me up; to prove that he can do things better than I do.  Then I remember that he's not like that.  He's just trying to be helpful and make my life easier... He's definitely a keeper.

My kids are even being more helpful.  When asked to be quite so I can make a phone call, they get quite (most of the time).  When I ask them to help me clean up a mess or gather together dirty laundry, they do it.  It's been refreshing.

This is the way I always thought a family should be... helping each other out just because we are a family and we love each other.

Florida = Visitors

I know fellow Floridians can relate to this, but living in Florida means you have visitors particularly in the Winter.  My in-laws visited us in the rental house in January.  My parents visited in February.  I can't say I blame them.  They are from Iowa and Virginia respectively and temps in Florida are a break from the monotonous cold (it is why we moved South).

What I wasn't expecting was for everyone to visit us again in May.  My mother-in-law came for a little over a week while my father-in-law was on a business trip (Again, I can't blame her.  I don't like being home alone either).  What was really surprising was to get a call from my parents asking if they could stay for a little while.  They were half way to us and wanted to surprise my daughter for her birthday.

Who are we to turn away family!  So we had 3 visitors at our house at the same time (while it was still under construction).  We were able to get one of the bedrooms done just in time so that we could squeeze everyone in.

What our visitors may not have expected was that we put them to work while they were with us  :-)  My dad was put to work by my husband almost every day doing things in the yard.  They cut down a few trees, pulled lots of weeds, and removed some of the stuff the previous owner had left behind.  Just about every evening, all the adults (and occasionally the kids) were out doing work in the yard.  

My mother-in-law also did a lot of cleaning inside the house.  You see, the bedrooms all had blinds that were covered in mildew.  Needless to say, opening your windows and letting all the Florida humidity in the house and then turning on the A/C is not a good idea.  I am amazed at how clean they are too!  I had considered just buying new ones, but now I don't have to.

We weren't all about the work though.  We did play some too.  We swam in our pool a few times (great way to cool off after all the yard work) and we all went to the beach too.

One thing I know is that, those few days of working with others has given us a bit of a kick in the pants that we needed to get more things done.  It's been really nice being able to check things off the list.

Anyone else want to visit?  We could really use some help putting up some gutters and creating drainage ditches for the torrential rain we get occasionally ;-)

The Crazy Uncle

My husband and I are both the oldest child in our families.  Therefore, we knew we would not become an Aunt or an Uncle for at least a few years after we had children.  At least we hoped our siblings would wait that long (Thankfully they have).

I will be honest... my brother-in-law loves adventure.  He enjoys mountain climbing (I mean the vertical kind with special gear so you don't fall to your death), cross country skiing (the kind where no one else has gone where you are and there may be an avalanche), biking, and is now into running marathons (he's set to compete in the Boston marathon this spring).

Based on those things, I always figured he would be seen as the "crazy uncle."  Every family has one.  You know... the family member who everyone thinks is different from the rest of the family.  The rebel.  Well, now that my brother-in-law has a child he has calmed down a bit.  That has allowed my brother to take over the position of "the crazy uncle."

How crazy you ask?  The other day, my brother visited for a while and he ended up jumping into our pool with the kids (the pool was 68 degrees)!  Even my son didn't go in voluntarily and my daughter would jump in and immediately climb out and wrap up in a towel (Note: I was sane and was sitting in a chair taking pictures).

Having a water fight with the kids

My brother also showed my son a bit about his new job / obsession in life.  In December, my brother became a certified rigger.  That means, my brother can pack and repair just about any parachute out there.  Right now he packs parachutes at different "Drop Zones" (businesses whose goal is to have people pay them to take them up in a plane so they can jump from them and plummet to the ground, only to use the parachute that my brother just packed for them).  He's doing this so that he can make enough money to become certified to jump out of planes by himself.  He's about half way to that certification too.

Showing how he has to check the inside of the parachute cells too.

Letting my son pack the pilot chute.

As crazy as this sounds to me, and perhaps to some of you, I can honestly say I have never seen my brother so happy in his life.  It could be that he's in Florida in 80 degree weather and parts of Virginia got snow over the weekend, but I think it's that he's found what he really enjoys and has found a way to make money doing it.

That's a kind of crazy I think every kid should see.  I hope my kids can find something they enjoy as much "when they grow up."

Overscheduled = Stress and Fun

I think it's safe to say that the last few weeks, my schedule has been WAY. TOO. FULL. 

A few weeks ago the kids and I flew to Virginia to visit with family and friends up there.  We were going to be coming back the day before a presentation for a homeschool group they are in so we completed a project that we needed to bring with us.

 Earth my son made (Western Hemisphere shown)

 Earth daughter & I made (Africa & Europe shown)

Cross section of one to show the layers of the earth.  This was for an earth science unit.

Luckily we got everything done before we left for Virginia.  Unfortunately, my kids did not take a nap on the return flight or drive so we ended up skipping the class where we would have shown these projects.  I just knew that taking the kids to class with them only having 7 hours of sleep was not something I wanted to do.

While in Virginia, we saw my nephew (3 weeks old at the time) and his parents, hubby's grandparents and mother (who was also visiting my nephew - her grandson), my parents, my brother, and some friends.  The kids really liked seeing their cousin.  I think they are both enjoying the idea of having a 1st cousin.

After our whirlwind tour of Virginia we flew back home and two days later went on a field trip to a local zoo.  The kids and I had a blast.  The other homeschoolers we meet there (most for the first time) were wonderful.  This particular zoo didn't have a lot of different animals, but they did have a lot of shows and meet the keeper talks that my kids found really interesting.  In fact, my son stumped a trainer with a couple of his questions.

Note the tie dye shirts we made for field trips (I was wearing one too).  We had multiple comments 

that it was a great idea.  Doesn't hurt that the kids and I had fun making them.

Right after the zoo, the kids and I drove to my cousin's house for a sleep over (he and his family live 30 minutes from the zoo).  While there, the kids carved pumpkins, went swimming (not for long because the water was cold), and played with my cousin's boys (who happen to be only a couple months older than each of my kids).  It was nice seeing them playing together while the adults got to chat with each other.  Now that we live close, I'm hoping we'll see them again soon.

Since returning from Virginia, we've also had doctor's appointments, shopping trips, school, and planting starters for a garden.  Next on our list is a science fair project for my son.  We've also got a few more field trips planned soon.

Those people who think that homeschoolers just sit around the house in their pj's all day have got it ALL wrong.  We are always on the go, but you know what, I really think that all the stress (for me) has created fun learning opportunities for my kids.  Let the crazy continue!

Priorities

Earlier this week, some people I know witnessed a horrific accident.  They quickly jumped into action but in the end were not able to help the people involved in the accident.  Afterwords, they said it was the worst thing they've ever experienced... being completely helpless as you watch and know that someone is or has died right in front of you.  After speaking to the authorities, they all decided they were going to go out and "Enjoy Life."

That got me thinking.  In light of the fact that life can be very short, what if anything would I do differently.  What does "enjoying life" look like for me?  For the most part, I have no regrets.  I am not going to be one of those people who wishes I'd had time to visit a certain place.  Rather, I would be the person to regret not doing something with or saying something to someone.

To that end, I want to make sure I make time for family (spouse, kids, parents, grandparents, siblings, etc).  I want to make sure I make time for friends.  I want to make sure they all know how much I care for and love them. 

To my regular readers... thank you for consistently reading my blog.  It shows me how much you care about me and my family.  We love you too!

Family Time

I (Karrie) did not come from a particularly large family.  Growing up, my "family" consisted of my grandparents, parents, 1 brother, 3 Aunts, 2 Uncles, and 3 first cousins (all boys).  Unfortunately, my immediate family did not stay very local to the rest of the family which meant that we didn't see them very often.  I remember a few summer trips to visit the family when I was young, but after I turned about 13 they seemed to pretty much stop.

After 12 years of marriage, I have seen something very different from part of Jon's family.  In addition to his grandparents and parents, he has 1 brother, 3 Uncles, 1 Aunt, and 6 cousins.  They are all spread out across the globe, yet one side of his family gets together quite regularly (at least every couple of years, but as of late, every year and that is quite a feat since one person comes all the way from Micronesia!).

Today, I got to visit with one of my cousins for most of the day.  When we were younger, he and I would spend most of the time together at family functions because we were the closest in age.  I would guess today was the first time in close to 20 years that we'd spent much time together.

It was obviously different than before, but in a good way.  We each had our spouse and our kids there (he has 2 boys who are the same ages as my kids).  The adults talked while the kids played. It was nice being able to "catch up."  I also enjoyed the fact that the kids had a great time together.  Didn't hurt that all the adults got along too.  Made me think of how nice it would be if we could live closer so that we could see them more often.