Life of Drama Mama

God bless.

2009-08-31T23:19:00.002-04:00

Hi friends,
Well, our oldest daughter is getting married this Saturday. That's why you haven't heard much from me lately. We've been busy as bees. Please keep us in your prayers as we try to pull this whole wedding thing together. I will probably drop off of the blogging thing. I've tried twice now to keep a blog going, but I just can't seem to make it happen. I just have so many other things going on. Thank you to my followers, all 3 of you, for being encouraging. You all three know me in real life, I think, so I'll see you there.
May God bless you each and every one, and give you the desire to follow and please Him.
Blessings.

2009-08-11T08:15:00.002-04:00

Hello friends,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. Been caught up in real life. We've started school; have been going at it for a week now. I miss the lazy days of summer already!! It's soooo hard to get up and get moving in the morning when all I really wanna do is dig in, nestle down among my 40 million pillows (as my husband would say). I can't help it. I love my pillows. Always have, even as a little girl of 6 or 7, I would snuggle in amongst at least 3 pillows, more if I could abscond with them to my bed. I think I like the feel of being in a cocoon. Maybe I'm hoping I'll emerge a beautiful butterfly!! But every morning I wake up, it's the same old (older by the day) me I see in the mirror!! Maybe my metamorphosis is just gonna take a bit more time. But I pray, day by day, that the Lord will change me to be more like Him. I want to be like Jesus. Every day, when I react to the children in anger, or don't love my husband like I should, or get angry at a stranger for moving too slow, slowing me down, I pray that I might be more like Jesus. Help me, Lord, to walk in your path, to love and forgive others as you have loved and forgiven me. Thank you, Lord, for all of your many blessings, and for the fact that some day, I will be just like you, in a glorified body, perfect in your righteousness, washed in your blood, standing before the throne of God, and loved all the while. Thank you Lord, for the gift of your love. Go with me this day, and help me to be more like you.

Blessings!

Singing School

2009-07-06T11:46:00.007-04:00

Hello friends!! Boy, am I tired, but filled with thankfulness!! Last week, our family attended a Shape Note Singing School at Shoal Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Newborn, GA. It was absolutely wonderful!! My kids had a great time fellowshipping and worshipping with old and new friends, all while learning how to sing shape notes. Shape note singing is an old-fashioned form of singing in which the notes in the hymnal have different shapes, which give you the note's pitch. It is based on do (long o sound) re mi fa so la ti do (like from the Sound of Music, "Do a Deer"). Our church hymnals have shaped notes. Here is an example of what shape note music looks like:

And here are some pictures from the singing school we attended:

Elder Tim Cannon was our instructor. Elder Tim has many years of experience in teaching shaped note singing, and the kids just love him!! We had about 175 folks attend the singing school, with close to 75% being young people. What a blessing to see so many young folks devoted to learning to sing praises to their Lord and Saviour. The biggest challenge was feeding that many people 3 meals a day!! But it was a success, thanks to the volunteers who cooked, cleaned, shopped, and sweated! I thank the Lord that He put His hand of blessing upon us this week. Thank you, Lord.

Blessings.

Lazy Days!!

2009-06-16T13:37:00.003-04:00

Hello all,
I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. Life sorta gets in the way, sometimes. I'm struggling right now with motivation. I just can't seem to get motivated to do anything but just be. And there's nothing wrong with "being", but I've got tons of stuff to do. At this very minute, I have 7 squishy bananas sitting on my kitchen counter. Gotta do something with them!! Banana bread? Banana milkshakes? Homemade banana ice cream? Hmmm. I think I'll think about it. Of course, by the time I'm through thinking about it, I won't have time to actually DO anything!! I also bought some peaches because the kids want to make homemade peach ice cream. Yummy!! I'll try to do a better job of blogging over the summer. I think I'll go rock in our hammock on the back porch. Yeah, that's what I'll do.
Blessings!!

Here are some wedding pics!!

2009-05-28T12:36:00.006-04:00

Here are some of the pictures from Jonathan and Meagan's wedding:

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Moseley!!!!

How sweet!!!

First dance!!

Get that garter, Jonathan!!

Congratulations to Meagan and Jonathan!! Welcome to the family (officially), Meagan!! I love you both!!

Blessings!!

What blessings God doth bestow upon us!!

2009-05-28T12:09:00.007-04:00

Hello friends,

I know many of you are wondering where I am. I'm here!! I've just been busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger!!! The wedding was wonderful, our family has gone home (we miss them so!), and I'm trying to tie up loose ends. I'm still washing towels!! I have some pics of the wedding, but in order to get them from the camera to my computer, I have to have some kind of adaptor, which was last seen in the possession of my 16-year-old. I'll get to that asap. But I do have some other pictures of family and the bride and groom, so here goes:

Me holding my granddaughter little Charlotte.

Our granddaughter Laura. Isn't she a cutie?

My nephew Cade feeding my granddaughter Laura a grape.

Laura with the grape in her mouth. She bit Cade's finger twice during the grape feeding, and after that, he ran from her!!

Aint God good?

Blessings.

Ballroom Dance a hit!!

2009-05-20T10:55:00.009-04:00

Hello friends,

Our homeschooling group's ballroom dance on Saturday night was a huge hit!! The kids had a blast showing off their dance skills, and the parents had a great time watching them (as well as a few of us cutting the rug some). I've included some pictures of the big event. Emily was gorgeous in her brown dress (she chose it herself after trying on a few), and the guys were quite handsome in their suits, which included vests and bowties!! What a handsome group of kids! They're already talking about what they're going to learn during next year's dance class!! I hope Miss Paula's up to it!

Here's a group picture in front of the rose garden.

Here are the guys posing. Aren't they handsome? Thomas is 2nd from the left and Matthew is on the far right.

Here are the ladies. Emily is right smack in the middle. They were all gorgeous.

There's Matthew in the red shirt (he's a bulldog fan) dancing with Katarina.

Emily (in her beautiful brown gown) dancing with Josh.

Here they are showing us a dance they had choreographed. They're hoping to be in a dance recital in June.

What a great year they had in ballroom dance. They learned so much, as was evidenced by their moves!! The class has really helped the boys in their confidence, and Emily has learned the importance of following a man's lead (otherwise, you move in circles, and somebody gets hurt)!

Blessings!

Family is here!!

2009-05-20T10:42:00.002-04:00

Hello friends,

What a busy week this has been, but such a blessing. Our family from Maryland arrived last Saturday at 2 a.m.!! And we got to meet our newest granddaughter, little Charlotte!! I've already posted some of her newborn pics on an earlier post. I must say that she is even cuter in person!! And so sweet-tempered, as is her big sister Laura. It has been such a blessing having the whole family here at the same time. It has been a year since we've all been together in one place!! It's hard when kids grow up and leave home, but I know it is the Lord's will. After all, they want to start their own families, and we DO want grandchildren. I just wish they lived a little closer. We don't get to see them often.

Please be in prayer for the upcoming wedding. It'll be here REAL soon! There's all sorts of activity goin' on around here involving dresses, tuxes, and shoes!! What fun!! Last night Son #2's (the groom) car broke down. Poor guy!! It did choose a good time, however, since he'll be gone on his honeymoon for almost 10 days, which will give the mechanic plenty of time to get it fixed and have it ready for him when he gets back. I hope it's an easy fix that won't cost him an arm and a leg. Frankly, after the wedding costs, he's probably only got one arm and leg left!!

I'll keep you informed of what's happening here in our little corner of the world!

Blessings!

A Busy Week!

2009-05-11T09:26:00.003-04:00

Please be in prayer for me, y'all!! I have a busy week coming up, and the next one will be even busier. This week, I have to get everything ready for our family who will be arriving this Saturday for the wedding the following week. We're so excited!! We haven't seen our daughter Elizabeth since last September, and we will have our son Ace here, his wife Karla, and their two little girls, Laura and Charlotte. We haven't even met Charlotte yet, so we're looking forward to holding our newest granddaughter. I have so much to do!! I've got to get rooms ready, wash sheets, clean the house, do some babyproofing. Wow!! This Saturday, my homeschooling group is having a Used Book Sale, which I'll be working, so I have to get all of my books ready to sell. The book sale runs from 10-2, but we have to be there at 7:30 to start setting up. If any of you would like to come, it'll be held at Ebeneezer United Methodist Church in Conyers, GA. We'd love to have you. My girls also have a soccer game this Sat. at 10:45. And after the book sale is over, my oldest three and I have to get ready for their ballroom dance and dinner. It's a dressy affair, and my daughter got a beautiful, brand-new dress for the occasion. It looks awesome on her. She's growing up so fast. We have to get her some dress shoes this week, and one of my boys needs a dress coat. YIKES!! Please pray for me when you get a moment. I could really use your prayers to get everything done. But WHAT FUN!!!!

Blessings!

About me! E and F.

2009-05-06T09:01:00.007-04:00

The Heart of the Matter is hosting "The ABC's of me," and the letters for today are E and F, so I'm supposed to come up with words that begin with these letters that describe me or tell something about me and what I like. This shouldn't be that hard since I'm a wordy person, and I love to talk. However, I don't usually talk too much about me; well, except for here on this blog, which is about me, anyway, so what else would I talk about? I hope this goes well. Hmmm, now, about the E and F of me:

For "E", I must say that I just had scrambled eggs for breakfast, with some onion, green pepper, and garlic mixed in. I'm trying to eat healthier, as I mentioned before, so I thought this was a good option. The eggs were from free-range hens supplemented with organic grain, and I bought them through our local co-op. I'm also working on getting more exercise with my program. I have to say that this is the hardest part for me. I move all the time, throughout the day, but I just don't see much point in exercising just to be exercising. My husband shares this view with me, and it seems my kids do, too. They'll get their exercise while playing sports, but you won't find them working out to a dvd, like I hope to do... someday. Educator also describes me, HOME educator, that is. Homeschooling is a huge part of my life, and takes up most of my days. Well the effort of homeschooling takes up most of my days. Some days are slower than others, and my biggest problem is unmotivated kids. How to motivate them? I'm working on that. I'll let you know.

"F" is a toughy. Hmmm...how about friendly! I am a friendly person, I think, most of the time. I love meeting new people. My husband is amazed by this. We had gone to the hospital to visit my Mom, and on the way up in the elevator, I began talking with a man riding up with us. When we got off the elevator, my husband was shaking his head. He said, "You're the only person I know who could get somebody's life story on an elevator ride." Just call me friendly!! Now, if I could just be friendlier to my family at home. I sometimes treat people I don't know in a friendler way than I do my own family. I shouldn't do that, I know, but they see me at my worst, claws out, eyes burning through my skull, growling, the works. I will try to be friendlier today to my family. Ohhhhhh, there's another "F" word that's important to me: Family. My family is my life. All I do, all day long (except for a couple of potty breaks), I do for them. I love them so much. My kids have asked me in the past, "Mom, would you die for me?" Duh (I didn't respond that way)!! I've told them all of their lives, I'd die for them in a heartbeat: take a bullet, run through fire, fall off a cliff first to pad their landing, throw myself in harm's way for them. They've always seemed amazed by this, and so very pleased that I love them so much. But I've always reminded them that I CAN'T love them as much as Jesus does. He already died for them because he loved them. And we love him because he first loved us. Jesus!! Sweet Jesus! I know that this isn't "J" week, but my life wouldn't be, well, my life without him. Hallelujah, what a Saviour!!!

Blessings.

GHEA Homeschooling Convention Fun!!

2009-05-05T09:06:00.006-04:00

Well, it's over for another year. I'm sad that it's over. But I had such a great time!!!! This was the 11th year that I have attended the GHEA annual homeschooling conference, and I love it every year!! Usually by about, oh, February, I'm ready to put my kids on a school bus. I hate to admit it, but it is true. I guess I just get tired. My kids love to play games. Unfortunately, their favorite games seem to be mind games in which they try to outsmart their poor, fatigued mother so that they can get out of their work, whatever work it might be. Now, in my younger days, I could have gone toe to toe with them, and eventually outmatched them. I am no longer in my younger days (as evidenced by many things). I'm hoping that one of the resources I bought at the convention will help me to run things a little smoother. You'll see it listed on my bedside table reading list beside this post: Laying Down the Rails by Sonya Shafer. It's all about establishing habits, in the words of Charlotte Mason. I'm hopeful. My husband is going to help me come up with a plan of attack for this summer in which we are going to lay down good habits like attention, mental effort, perfect execution, thoroughness, accuracy, managing one's own body and room, self-control and self-discipline, as well as self-restraint. It's going to be a busy summer, but hopefully a productive one. I'll let you know how it's going as we move along.

In other news, I am getting busier, what with soccer and softball practices and lessons, end-of-the-year activities, and the wedding coming up. In fact, I haven't been this busy in a long while, but I have to admit that I'm loving it. I'd rather be busy than not busy. I don't think my husband Asa feels the same way, however. I think he misses me. I know, he is so sweet!! I miss him, too. Love you, sweetie! I do enjoy being out and about, and meeting people, and talking to folks, and basically just letting my extroverted self enjoy its element. And then I come home, and I see the house is a mess, and I get frustrated at my extroverted self which doesn't want to stay home long enough to get the housework done. I find myself in a conundrum (don't you just love that word?). I think I live in a conundrum. For those of you who don't know its meaning, Webster defines conundrum as a riddle whose answer is a pun, or any puzzling problem. The second definition better describes my life some days. You can tell. If you came by my house, and surprised me at the door, I would look puzzled. And it wouldn't be because I was wondering why you were at my door. I think I have a puzzled look much of the time. One of those "how did I get here" looks. I love being where I am, I'm just puzzled sometimes. Anyway, if the Lord brings me to mind, how about sending up a prayer on my behalf, that during this busy time, I might remember to focus on what matters, my relationship with my Saviour and the people I love.

Blessings.

Happy Birthday to me!!

2009-04-29T11:38:00.004-04:00

Hello friends,

Well, today is my 41st birthday!! Boy, do I feel old, especially when my kids keep reminding me that I AM old. My 10-year-old said, "Mom, you can fit 4 of me into you." I HOPE against hope that she is talking about our ages, but I'm afraid that might be true in more than one way!! You know what I mean. Those extra pounds that just don't seem to come off after 40. Where did they come from anyway? They just sorta crept up on me, almost like I picked them up by osmosis (instead of the sweet tea and ice cream). So, I am determined (once again) to "do bettah." I've bought a Leslie Sansone walking dvd in order to work out (no, I haven't used it yet; I've only had it two weeks), and I've been checking books out of the library about healthy eating. One of them was a Mediterranean cookbook, but the recipes look awfully complicated to me, so that one went right back. After all, I only have so much I can work with. I have chosen to start my "doing bettah" on my birthday. Well, I'll start this evening. I just HAD to have a Chickfila biscuit and a large sweet tea for my birthday breakfast. My hubby's taking me out to dinner tonight for my birthday. Hmmmm, I think I'll start tonight AFTER my birthday dinner. Yeah, that's probably soon enough. After all, I'll only have this 41st birthday just this once!!

In other news, I'm planning to go to the Georgia Home Educators Association Homeschooling Conference this weekend at the Georgia International Conference Center. This will be the 11th year in a row that I've been. Could I possibly have been homeschooling that long? Yeah, I guess so; it does feel like it, some days. If you're interested in finding out more about the conference, go to http://ghea.org/ and check it out! Maybe I'll see you there!

The invitations are out!!

2009-04-22T16:54:00.004-04:00

Hello all!!

The invitations are out!! Our second son is getting married next month, and as per tradition, we will be hosting the rehearsal dinner with one small difference: there'll be no rehearsal! So, we're just calling it a Wedding Celebration Dinner. The good news is that I mailed out the invitations yesterday at the post office, posted with a pretty heart stamp. The bad news is that I ALMOST mailed out one of the invitations WITHOUT an ACTUAL invitation in it. Good news: My 14-year-old son, who was helping me attach stamps, noticed that there was no invitation inside the envelope. Bad news: I didn't get the invitation into the mail today. Good news: I'll get it in the mail tomorrow, I hope! And then I'll just sit back and wait on the RSVP's to come rolling in! Enough bad news, good news. Please be in prayer for the couple as they approach their nuptials, that the Lord would bless them and keep them, and that all might run smoothly. As my husband says, though, "In the end, as long as you're married, it was a success," though his wording is a little bit different, something about a monkey in a tux being there for the show.

On a different note, spring sports have started at my house. I've got two girls in soccer, and two boys in softball, both in Christian leagues, which is a wonderful blessing! I don't know if any of you are familiar with the Upward Christian Sports League, but they have been a blessing to us through a local church. My girls play Upward soccer. You can check them out at http://upward.org/. They provide a basketball and cheerleading league in the winter, a soccer league in the spring, and I believe flag football in the fall. You can go to their website to determine if a church local to you provides any of their leagues. I would encourage you to check it out if you have a child who would like to participate in any of these activities.

Blessings!

Funny, but true, bumper sticker!!

2009-04-22T16:51:00.001-04:00

Seen yesterday on a car in Conyers, GA, this great bumper sticker:

I'll keep my money, my freedom, and my guns. You can keep the "change."

I must agree.
Blessings.

Field Day Happened!!

2009-04-21T12:07:00.008-04:00

Hello faithful readers (all 4 of you!), and Happy Spring! Just a note to let you know that Field Day ACTUALLY happened last Thursday. It was a beautiful day! Not a cloud in the sky except the big fluffy white ones that look like cotton balls (my kids could probably name them)!! It was 70 degrees, and the competitors were in top shape. We started our field day with a prayer, and an encouraging word concerning sportsmanship and doing all that we do to glorify God. Then the festivities began!! I had my bullhorn with me to be sure I could be heard over laughing and screaming kids (this was learned from experience)!!

We started the day with some of the dry games, like relay races and team events. Here are some pics of the kids participating in the egg in spoon race, the hula hoop relay (each team must hold hands and pass the hoop down the line WITHOUT letting go of hands - first team through wins), and the balloon pop (everyone has a balloon tied to one of their legs and the idea is to pop everybody else's balloon - last one with a balloon wins - the kids really enjoyed this one).

We also played the laundry day relay, where two teams raced to see who could be the first to hang up the cloth diapers from their laundry basket. We also played balloon burst. Each person on each of the two teams was given a balloon. When it was their turn, they had to race to a chair (each team had its own chair), sit on the balloon in the chair and pop it. This didn't work too well because the chairs were the fold-up, soft kind, so they had to sit on the ground to pop the balloons! After playing the dry games, we had a snack (each family brought a snack to share), and then we had the wet games, which included the sponge relay, fireman relay, and a huge watergun blowout fight. I wish I had some pictures to post of some of the wet games, but I was too busy to take any pictures. I'll put them up if I get any! I think a good time was had by all, and I slept like a baby that night!! I just LOVE Field Day!!

Blessings!

A new granddaughter!!

2009-04-20T09:14:00.010-04:00

Praise the Lord!! We have a newborn granddaughter!! Welcome to the world, little Charlotte Elizabeth!! She was born on Saturday at 9:23 p.m., and weighed in at 7 lbs. and 14 ozs. And I love her name, so old-fashioned! Here are a few pictures:

Isn't she precious?

Big sister Laura meeting Charlotte.

Laura hugging Charlotte so she'll stop crying.

Thank you, heavenly Father, for such a wondrous blessing. I pray that you'll bless her Mom and Dad to bring her up to serve you, that Your name might be glorified. I pray that she and her big sister Laura will bless one another, and always be the best of friends, and that they will be a blessing to their parents and to others. Thank you again, Lord, for such a precious gift as little Charlotte. May You place Your loving hand upon her, to keep her and bless her.

Blessings, everyone!

Field Day and Five Alive

2009-04-02T18:01:00.003-04:00

Well, I had to postpone field day yet again, and this time I didn't reschedule. I told my group I'd give them 3 or 4 days notice, but I was going to go by the weather report!! I know we need the rain here in Georgia, so I'm not going to complain, but ONE sunny day would be nice!

Peggy, over at The Simple Woman, has a Five Alive thing going on which encourages us to explore our five senses, so here goes:

I see my wonderful husband sitting on the sofa looking through a catalog while he awaits his dinner.

I smell the rolls baking in the oven, which are part of dinner.

I hear my son practicing his electric guitar downstairs.

I taste the last bit of my MUG root beer.

I feel a little sad that we didn't get to have field day today.

Spring blessings!

Dinner and a Movie at Sonic!

2009-04-01T20:10:00.005-04:00

Hello friends,

Well, we are now officially extras. Today we filled in as extras for a taping of Dinner and a Movie at our local Sonic. What fun!! The cast and crew were great, but I don't think I'd want their jobs. It's pretty much a case of hurry up and wait. We arrived at 1:30 p.m., they filmed their first shot pretty quickly, and then I was done, but couldn't leave until after 5 p.m. It was still lots of fun, though, just to stand behind the scenes and observe what goes on during filming. I'm thinking the hardest job must be handling sound, because it was awfully loud out there with all of the traffic, big trucks going by on the main road, teenagers driving by and yelling out of their car windows. I'm assuming they'll have to edit all of that noise out, and that has to be some kind of job. My oldest, Matthew, is considering going into film production, so this was a perfect opportunity to get some idea of the kinds of things he'll have to learn. He reads about it all of the time already. In fact, when we rent a movie, he'd rather watch the special features about how the movie was made than watch the movie itself. For our time today, we each received a Sonic gift card, which averages out to about $2.50 an hour. Not bad for amateurs, I think! If you'd like to see our debut on television, this program airs Friday, May 22 on TBS.

I'm hoping we get to have our homeschooling group's field day, the event I had to postpone for last week, but things aren't looking very good. We have a 40% chance of rain, with some severe thunderstorms, and a high of 65 degrees. Yikes!! I'm wondering if we'll get to have field day this year!! And I'm ready for it; got all the games set to go. I'll keep you updated.

Blessings!

To Alabama and Back!!

2009-04-01T10:01:00.003-04:00

Hello friends,

We had a wonderful visit this past weekend with my sister Kim and her family in their Alabama home! I was finally able to love all over my little nephew Kid Cade, and boy, do I miss them all now. The ride over on Friday morning was uneventful, except for the deluges of rain we labored through until we were twenty minutes over the Alabama state line. It was hairy at times, but the Lord saw us through, and we made it safely to their house, and in time for lunch, too! We ate like kings, were thoroughly entertained by Kid Cade, and learned how to play a new game that my bil Dan built called Monkey Balls. It was great fun, and so easy to learn and play!! IF I had a digital camera, I could have taken a picture and included it, but alas, I have no digital camera, YET, so no pictures. My birthday is in April; maybe I'll get a digicamera for my birthday (hint, hint!).

In other news, the kiddos and I will be extras this afternoon for a taping of Dinner and a Movie. We get to go sit at the local Sonic and eat for about 3 hours while they move cameras around us and yell things like "Take 30," and "Cut," and, hopefully, by 5 p.m., "That's a wrap!" Our payment for participating is a Sonic gift card, which I'm sure we'll be ready to use in about 2 weeks when we've forgotten that we ate Sonic for 3 hours straight! But we LOVE our local Sonic, especially their $1 menu. The Chicken Strip Sandwich is GOOD! And they have Happy Hour every day from 2-4 p.m. when their drinks are half price. And on Tuesday nights, their burgers are half price. Yaaayyyy!! Anyway, I'll try to let you know how it goes.

Blessings!

No Field Day today!?!

2009-03-26T09:36:00.004-04:00

Well friends, today was supposed to be field day. I organize this event for our homeschooling group every year, at least for the past 5 years (I think), and I ALWAYS have a blast with the kids. Do you remember field day? The 100-yard dash, three-legged race, sack race, crabwalk, wheelbarrow race, and then all of the team relays, like the Shoe Relay, Spoon Zoom, Sponge Relay, Fireman Run, and sometimes even tug-of-war (we've broken at least 2 ropes)!! What fun!! I used to LOVE field day when I was in elementary school, especially since it meant we did not have our regular classes for the day and we did my MOST FAVORITE thing (except for reading and watching Little House on the Prairie on tv), which was PLAY OUTSIDE! I grew up in the country, and every summer, my Momma would chase my sister and me outside until lunchtime. After we ate, she'd chase us outside again. My sister and I wouldn't complain, unless it was hot. Then she might hear a groan out of us, but we usually played in the woods across the creek where it was cooler. Or we went wading in the creek. Or we'd swat dragonflies with sticks (my sister and I both now feel sorta bad about that one). Of course, we'd have to look for ticks that night before our baths, but it wasn't any big deal to us back then. Anyway, back to field day. We won't be able to have our field day today because thunderstorms (including a tornado watch) are rolling in from Alabama, and even if they pass before 2 p.m., when our field day is supposed to start, the ground will be wet and muddy, and the temperature will be a little too cool for us to be getting wet (us because the kids seem to find it amusing to get ME wet, too!). We KNOW how to get wet for our field days. We always end with a huge water gun blowout fight! I hope to have our field day next Thursday, which as of right now has a 0% chance of rain and a high in the 70's. That's more like it!! I'll let you know how things go.
Blessings.

Johnston Family Dairy Farm Field Trip

2009-03-19T13:53:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, our family went on a field trip with a bunch of other families from my two homeschooling co-ops to the Johnston Family Dairy Farm in Newborn, GA. You can go visit their website at http://www.johnstonfamilyfarm.com/ and see what they're all about. We had a blast!! We got to see cows milked (cool beans! or should I say cool milk!), we got to watch the milk be bottled, and then we got to buy some of the milk to drink!! Perfect with Oreos! Two great things about their milk: 1)It is pasteurized at the lowest possible temperature, which means 90% of the live enzymes are still, well, alive. 2) It is non-homogenized, which means all of those little, bitty fat globules that homogenization creates are not absorbed by the body; half of the big globules pass right through! Yippee!! We also got to play on and in a hay bale maze, make and eat homemade ice cream (thank you, Mrs. Johnston), and go on a hay ride in which Farmer Johnston fed the cows right beside the wagon so we got a close-up and personal look. I really bonded with one cow in particular!! She kept looking at me with "cow eyes!" There were about 75 of us there, and everything went smoothly. We even had a picnic lunch, just in time for the sun to peek through the clouds and warm us up. So, thank you, Farmer Russell Johnston, for a wonderful day on your farm!! And I hope we get to come again soon (real soon, cause I'm gonna need more milk asap)!

Happy Birthday Rachel!!

2009-03-19T13:32:00.002-04:00

I'd like to wish my youngest daughter, Miss Rachel, a Happy Birthday!! She is now a tenager!! You read that right. A ten-ager! Being the youngest of seven, life can sometimes be hard for her, but she gives as good as she gets! She already had a sleepover for her birthday, and tonight we're having grandparents over for her birthday dinner. She has chosen fried chicken, mac and cheese (boxed is her favorite), rolls, and fried okra (which I convinced her to change to green beans since the chicken is fried). I'm buying the fried chicken from Publix, since I just don't fry chicken for two reasons: I make a mess when I fry it, and I NEVER fail to burn myself!! Operator error! I would like to say that she somehow manages to drag out her birthday celebration. My 16-year-old son asked me the other day, "Mom, how is it that we all have a birthDAY celebration, but Rachel has a birthWEEK celebration?" I'm not sure how she manages it either. But they don't complain too much, because they benefit, too. For instance, I usually take the birthday child out on the morning of his/her birthday to get breakfast, and they've always insisted on bringing it home to share with siblings, which is a sweet thing, really (though much more $). They usually do doughnuts from Dunkin. But Rachel chose Chickfila for her birthday breakfast (our favorite restaurant, bar none), so we all had Chickfila biscuits, and she had two biscuits with sausage gravy. Yuuummmmmm!

So, here's to you, sweetheart! Happy Birthday. I love you, forever and always!!

Thank you Amy!!

2009-03-19T13:18:00.015-04:00

I have been given the Sisterhood Award by my friend Amy over at Cheeky Cocoa Beans. Thank you, Amy!! This award goes to those who display great attitude or gratitude in their blog. In order to accept this award, here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs who you feel are worthy of this award by displaying great attitude or gratitude in their blog!

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within this post.

4. Let your nominees know about the award by commenting on their blog.

5. Link back to the person who gave you this award.

Here are my nominees:

1. Farmgirl Fare

2. Ants-on-a-farm

3. Jennifer Igarashi Official Blog

4. My Home Sweet Home

5. Little Jenny Wren

6. Posie Gets Cozy

7. the simple woman

8. Chas

9. Heart at Home

10. Rose Cottage

Congratulations to some of my favorite blogs!! I have a few more, but I tried to follow the rules!!

Blessings.

Busy Day!!

2009-03-14T12:30:00.000-04:00

Wow!! What a week! And yesterday was the busiest day we've had in a while. We had a co-op in the morning in which yours truly taught about colonial culture during the time of the American Revolutionary War. That was fun!! At least for me! I had the kids play the neatest game called Skin the Snake in which the kids form a line, holding hands between their legs. The last one in line lies down on the ground and the others have to back over him while not letting their hands go. As each one in line becomes the last one in line, he has to lie down on the ground. You end up with a line of kids lying down on the ground in a line while holding hands. What fun!! I divided them up into boys and girls. The boys were especially fun to watch because they were falling down on each other and sitting on each other!! I think much of it was intentional. The girls did much better. They also played Blind Man's Bluff and Hen, Hen, Fox (which is basically Duck, Duck, Goose with different animals). I also gave them a Revolutionary Vocabulary matching game in which they had to match colonial vocabulary words with their definitions. Here's an example of just a few of the words: slump, House of Necessity, limner, cooper, cobbler, peel, and syllabub (a foamy colonial drink). I don't know how much the kids took away from my teaching, but I learned a whole lot!!

After lunch, we went to our other co-op for art class and history presentations. I was so proud of my kids!! Matt 's project was about D-Day, and I was amazed by how much he had learned. He had black and white pictures against a black posterboard, which looked cool. And the title on the posterboard was made up of holes punched through it with a screwdriver so it looked like bullet holes. Tom talked about the U.S. pilots and planes in WWII. I didn't realize that women flew planes in WWII, but apparently they did, moving planes from one place to another. They were not allowed to fly combat, but if they were attacked, they were able to fire back. One woman actually had 3 kills, which was halfway to being an ace. Emily's project was about the Amazon Rainforest. She put it on green posterboard and stapled a fake vine around the outside which gave it a jungle look. Rachel has been studying geography this year, so she made a poster about the Arctic with pictures of her favorite Arctic animals on a black posterboard with twinkly stars all over it (representing the clear sky over the Arctic circle). She also had a picture of the northern lights and Robert Peary, who was believed to be the first guy to make it to the geographic north pole. All in all, it was a good experience for my kids, and we had a good time.

After we got home from the co-op, Rachel had 3 friends over for a birthday slumber party. Yaaaaayyy, hot dogs!! Not. But she wanted them, so we had them, and root beer float popsicles for dessert. There were girls running around everywhere, but all seemed to have a good time.
Not another birthday until next month, when my hubby has his!! I wonder if he'll want a slumber party?!? Naaaahhhh.

Blessings.

Congratulations!!

2009-03-09T09:20:00.000-04:00

I have been working on organizing a field trip for the two homeschooling groups we are involved with. We are going to a dairy farm!!! The Johnston Family Dairy Farm!! You should check them out at www.johnstonfamilyfarm.com. They are located in Newborn, GA, and they bottle their own milk produced on their own farm by their own cows. How cool is that? We were supposed to go on a field trip to the farm on March 17, which happens to be St. Patrick's Day. We were going to all wear green or dress up as cows or roosters or pigs. Fun stuff like that, ya know. But alas, we have had to change the date of the field trip to March 18, which is not St. Patrick's Day. That is not to say that we can't still wear green; this is a free country, after all. But it just won't be the same. Anywho, the REASON we have to change the date of the field trip is because the farm is in the finals for the TASTE OF GEORGIA competition, which I think must be a pretty big deal for a farm. Their whole milk is in the finals. I sure hope they win after we had to change the field trip and all. Go and bring home that trophy (or ribbon, or plaque, or cow statue) Johnston Family Farms!! We'll see y'all the next day!!

In other news, my 2001 Ford Expedition is back in the shop. Nothing serious, I hope, but that stupid, yellow CHECK ENGINE SOON light is on again, for, like, the 3rd time in 6 weeks. Our mechanic, Todd, gets it fixed, I drive it for a couple of days, and the fool light comes back on. I hate computers!! Well, I don't hate all computers. I am quite fond of the computer whose keys I am currently stroking. This wonderful, handy, reliable, and sleek computer (sorry, I have to sweet talk it every once in a while to keep it happy). But I AM NOT fond of my Expedition's computer because it keeps YELLING at me with that silly yellow light. Anyway, I am stuck at home today because I don't have a ride. It's probably a good thing that I'm stuck at home, because I am forced to do things I would not otherwise do because I'd be gone, like clean a toilet, or make bread, or organize my homeschooling books. So, I guess I'll get off my awesome, sweet, and attractive computer now and grab a toilet brush.
Blessings.

Anybody else sleepy?

2009-03-08T21:26:00.000-04:00

I strongly dislike Daylight Saving Time. Why do we have to change the clock? Why can't we just leave well enough alone? Is anybody else out there sleepy? Or is it just me (and ALL of my family)? We were late to church this morning, but not because we forgot to set our clocks forward. We remembered to do that. And it wasn't my husband or my kids that made us late. It was me, yours truly, moi, me. And it wasn't because I overslept, because I didn't, not really. Ya see, we normally leave home at 9:40 on Sunday mornings in order to get to church and get settled for the 10:30 a.m. service (I like leaving myself PLENTY of time). Well, this morning, I woke up at 7:40 and actually left the house at 7:45, but it wasn't to go to church; well, not to my church anyway. Matt's friend's Josh's church had a lock-in last night, and of course, Matt had to go, and of course, Mom had to pick Matt up this morning (I don't know why they chose THIS weekend, time change weekend, to have this lock-in) almost before daylight. So, I picked him up at 8 a.m., we were back home by 8:15, and I got ready for church, right? Wrong. Upon entering my bedroom, I thought (bubble talk here) "I'll just lay down here for just a minute, and then I'll get ready for church." Right? Wrong. I laid down there for almost an hour, during which time my 16-year-old, who got absolutely NO SLEEP, by the way, got a shower and got ready for church, after I had preached at him about how if he went to this lock-in and then wasn't alert for church, he'd be in big trouble. Aaaaahhhh, the energy and endurance of youth!! So, it was MOM who made us late this morning. I did finally get up and get moving, and we did make it to church, and only 10 minutes late, too. I can still move fast when I have to! AND I managed to stay awake this afternoon (well, except for that little bitty catnap), while Matt slept like a tranquilized and tagged elephant. I can't really blame him for that; I'd have done it if the phone ringing off its hook hadn't awakened me (seems no one could find the portable phones, surprise, surprise). Anyway, I think we should all write our Congressmen and complain about this time change. You might be thinking that they have enough to worry about right now with the economy, but I really think that things would look a whole lot brighter if we could just get a really good night's sleep, and it might help the Dow Jones average, to boot!

Blessings.

College already?

2009-03-06T08:28:00.000-05:00

Well, I dropped another one (16 years old) off at college Tuesday night!! No, he wasn't going to stay, just to spend the night with his older brother and get a taste of what college life is like. His brother, Jon, is a junior (or is it senior now?) at Georgia College and State University (GCSU) in Milledgeville. It's no coincidence that we chose Jon's busiest days at school to send Matt to visit him. Not only is Jon a college student, but he works full-time too. He has been supporting himself since he graduated from high school, and we're proud of how hard he works. He's a fine young man, and intends to go to law school. Matt was in for a rough intro to college life, since Jon had to work Tuesday from the time Matthew got there until after 11 p.m. He is in charge of the apartment building where he lives; like, he's responsible for all of the residents in the building (over 100 of them). Now, I am overwhelmed somedays being responsible for the 4 I have at home. I can't imagine any more!! But Jon does his job well, and the apartment building is still standing EVEN THOUGH every apartment has its own little kitchen, INCLUDING a stove. Miracles never cease (I remember what it was like when I learned to cook). Matt got to hang out with Jon during his employment duties for the apartment complex, including making rounds twice and compacting the trash, handing out student info and surveys, and meetings. By the way, Jon also works at Chickfila on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. And all of this while maintaining EXCELLENT grades, including being on the President's List (that's a good thing)!

On Wednesday, Matt went to Jon's classes, which is the part of college I really wanted Matt to experience. I have been trying to get him motivated about getting his high school work done and preparing for college, including establishing good study habits and being responsible for his own education and the stuff that makes up his life. Matt got a taste of Medieval Literature, Romanticism, and World History. I think he was impressed with the amount of material covered. He said everyone he met was nice, and he enjoyed listening to the professors. He even took notes!! The hour's ride back home after I picked him up was a wonderful time for us to talk about what he had seen and experienced. He talked about everything that was running around in his head (while eating his combo meal from Wendy's), and I enjoyed listening. My boy is no longer a boy, but a fine young man. Just before we got home (after going to the grocery store at 10:15 p.m., yes, I'm a nut), I asked Matt what his favorite part of his "college experience" was. His answer: "The best part was riding around the apartment complex doing rounds with Jon. He's a crazy golf cart driver!" Maybe there's some of the little boy left in there, after all!! I'm so glad.
Blessings.

Daily Rituals

2009-03-05T08:28:00.000-05:00

Most folks who know me know that I have been in the process of simplifying my life for some time now, like, a year and a half. When I first began this process, the folks at Goodwill would smile, real big, when I drove up because they KNEW they were gonna get lots and lots of stuff. I think I made 20 trips to Goodwill in the first 6 months. In our defense, however, I will say that 8 years ago, my husband and I joined our two families, so we each brought a bunch of stuff to the marriage (including 7 awesome kids between us). It was a lot of junk to sort through (not the kids), but we did it, and I'm proud to say that the only stuff in our bedroom now, besides our bed, is a chest of drawers, a bookcase, and a desk with the computer on it (a small desk). Oh, and a pretty green bench that sits at the foot of our bed. It is so much more relaxing now that we've cleared out so much clutter. I am probably going to have to move one more bookcase back in, however, because I usually grade my children's work (we homeschool) in my bedroom, and I need a place for all of those books. All of that was to say this: I have been reading up on simple living and simplifying one's life for over a year now, and have come across an interesting book.

The title of the book is Living a Beautiful Life: 500 Ways to Add Elegance, Order, Beauty, and Joy to Every Day of your Life. It was written by Alexandra Stoddard, was published in 1986 (could I really have graduated that year?), and I checked it out of the library (FREE is such a nice word). Ms. Stoddard reminds us to live each day to its fullest, appreciating each day in the present as a gift to be opened and enjoyed. She suggests that one of the best ways to do this is to work rituals into our lives that make those daily, sometimes mundane tasks something refreshing to our spirit and encouraging to our lives. An example might be playing some of my favorite music and swaying to it while washing the dishes and enjoying the fragrance of my favorite candle. Any Mom with kids KNOWS what it means to have daily, neverending, BORING chores. Washing dishes, laundry, picking up after children. We're glad to do it because we love our families, but it can be draining, and the work never ends. But I like the idea of developing rituals to make those chores more enjoyable, and even refreshing. My bathing ritual might include listening to some soft jazz, lighting a gently scented candle, and then slathering on my favorite lotion after toweling dry with the fuzziest, softest towel ever made. My morning ritual might include getting up before the children and reading my Bible while drinking my hot tea and listening to instumental hymns. In the summer, I might do this while sitting on the back porch watching the sunrise, and hearing the birds twitter away in the early morning. My "picking up" ritual might include popping a piece of my favorite bubble gum in my mouth (memories of childhood) and beebopping to my favorite pop or dance music and singing along ( being careful NOT to swallow the bubble gum, or let it fall out of my mouth into my hair, not that I've ever done that before... no, not me).

So, what rituals would you add to your life to totally involve your senses and wake you up to each moment of your life? Leave me a post and let me know.

Blessings.

The life of Drama Mama

2009-03-04T08:35:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the drama that is my life!! I am not necessarily a dramatic sort of person myself, but my children have somehow managed to pull the whole drama gene out of the proverbial hat. I don't know how they managed it, but they have. Thus the name of this here blog, because I am wrapped in drama not of my own making.

I guess you need to know a little about me. I am wife to 1, Mom to 7, Granny to 1 (and 1 on the way, praise the Lord), sister to 1 (hey Kim), Sister (as in the Lord) to all in my church family, daughter (hey Pop and Gran), chief cook, bottlewasher, maid, and teacher. I'm sure there are a lot more hats upon my head (I feel the weight on so many days), but that's enough for now. We live in Conyers, GA, which is just east of the metropolis that is Atlanta. But alas, Atlanta is growing and absorbing all that is in its path, so we have had our house on the market for over a year now. Yeah, great timing on our part. We live our lives in the Lord's hands, however, so we know He'll send a buyer when He's ready, whether or not we are. It's hard sometimes, though, not to try to help, and to just trust and obey, or obey and trust, which is probably more accurate. All this to say, if you need a house in Conyers, GA, leave me a note and we'll see what we can do!

I recently had a front porch sale at my house in which I placed all of the stuff (ummm, treasures) we no longer needed. We did okay, although my Dad made half as much money as I did and he wasn't even here! The funny thing was, I actually had my front porch for sale!!

I'm not really sure of this blog's purpose, except maybe to give me a place to brag on my kids, or keep up with my appointments, or even vent on occasion. I do pray that all that is said (or typed) here will be glorifying to my Lord and Saviour. Blessings.