Happy 8th Birthday, Brogan!!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy!!!!

You are such a beautiful person on the inside as well as the outside.  You are turning into a very special young lady.  I love the way your heart aches for truth and righteousness and your eagerness to help others.  Thank you for wanting to serve alongside me each and every time I do something.  Your purity and heart make me want to be a better person.  Thank you for being a good example to your brothers.  I am so extremely blessed to be your Mom!  Love you!!

Transformer in Disguise

Only because his sister told him so...

Birthday Celebration #1

We celebrated Brogan's eighth birthday while we were in Louisiana visiting friends.  Jennifer always makes sure she remembers each of the kids birthdays and celebrates any special ocassions we have.  She is wonderful at making the kids feel super special and extremely loved!

We Love You, Rachel

The kiddos and I went to spend some time with a very special friend who is going through some tough times right now.  I didn't know what, if anything and I knew probably nothing, we could do but I knew we could just be there.  Turns out we needed to get out of the house so we took the kids to the park.  I had my camera and captured a few shots.

My fun-loving Christian was being such a ham...

Rylen was just loving "swinging HIGH!"...

Brogan was being silly...

I was glad we could get Rachel out and get her mind on the kiddos and not other things.  I was so happy to see these smiles when I got home and was looking at the pictures...

Wouldn't want to be anywhere else...

Psalm 25:4

I had a little fun with Rylen yesterday and this is what came of it... 

Awanas, Off to a GREAT Start

We are on our third week of Awanas and Brogan and Christian are loving it.  We have never done Awanas before and Christian is so excited about being in Sparks.  We have been practicing John 3:16 and he said the first half of the verse last week.  This week we practiced the entire verse which was a little bit harder for him.  All week he kept saying "John 3:16.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.  That whoever believes in him shall not perish but COME ALIVE!"  It was so cute!  I tried to tell him over and over that it was "eternal life" but on the third time he said "Well, I like this (come alive) better."  He is right afterall!  So, fast forward to Awana night and...

Yep, he said it right (after a pause) and got his Sparks vest and handbook.  He was soooo veerrryy EXCITED!!  He ran up to me so proud!  On the way home he said "Momma, I am so happy that I got my vest!"  He even slept in it and, as I am typing right now he insists on still wearning it!

Brogan finished her Jump Start book also and is on the road to an "Ultimate Adventure" in the Truth and Training group.  She is so motivated and has memorized 6 verses in two weeks!

Household Projects

Okay, Jeremy would not want me to put EVERYTHING that needs to be done on our house up on the blog but in this CrAzY head of mine I kinda think it may hold me accountable to actually DO them.  So, here goes ALL that needs to be done (or I want done) around here.

Replace front door
Replace back door
Replace siding- back
Replace siding- front
Replace siding- right side
Replace siding- left side
Replace sheetrock in entry and hallway and repaint
Replace shelves in laundry room and repaint
Finish our bathroom
Finish flooring in our bedroom
Redo kitchen cabinets
Replace shelves in kitchen
Granite for kitchen island
Get piano tuned
Finish hanging rabbit cages
Repair & complete back deck
Repair or replace lawnmower
Repaint living room
Redo fireplace and get a new mantle
New blinds for all the bedroom windows
Redo kitchen countertops
New a/c unit
Get electric to rabbit barn
Get water to rabbit barn
New carpet for living room
Wood or carpet for kid's bedrooms
Redo hall bathroom
Finish carport
New lightkits for fans in kid's bedrooms
Computer for ME
Take down a few more trees
Get stumps ground
Grass in backyard
Cactus garden on side of house
Grass in front yard
Redo flowerbeds
New mattress for us

So, there it is!  If we do one a month (which, by the way, is not monetarily possible) we would be done in just under 3 years.  My goal is 2 years so let's see how we do.  I think I will update with before and after pictures each time one is complete.  At least that way I will feel like I am accomplishing something! :)

P.S.: I would like to say 18 months but this is me and Jeremy we are talking about so I think that may be a bit too optimistic!!!  ;)  Wish us luck!!!

Oh, and P.S.S:  If you are reading this and are of the popular peeps that we exchange gifts with...Home Depot gift cards are looking good right about now!!!  Love You!!

Rainy Day Fun

Who needs a pool when you have the rain?!

Free scrapbooking design generated with Smilebox

We haven't had a lot of rain so when it really started coming down earlier today the kids begged to go play in it.  So, we took a break from school and decided to do a little P.E. in the rain.  They had a blast!!

Adams Wedding

Just a couple of collages from the wedding...

My 1st Bedspread

Today as I was headed out for a dog food run Christian asked if he could go with me.  Time with just him and I.  I said "Okay, as long as you don't ask for anything."  and he assured me he wouldn't.  We headed into the store for our necessities and as we walked around the other side of the store he asked what we were doing.  I was headed over to the bedding aisle to check if any bedspreads were on sale that might go in his room.  You see, I have to admit that over the past few months I have slowly been tryng to buy the appropriate bedding for my children's beds.  I can't believe I am saying this but none of them have ever had a full bed set.  Brogan has one but it is one we got her for her birthday a couple of years ago.  I had seen it circled in a catalog we had and decided that was a great gift.  The boys have never been to keen on the heavy comforters and we have always used just the quilts we have.  But since last winter they have all been asking for a bedspread.  I got one for Rylen from my mom that she wasn't using anymore and he loves it.  Cars and trucks and construction equipment are just up his alley.  Codey found one that he liked several months ago that was on clearance and I found Joshua one on clearance about a month ago.  So, the only one left was Christian and I just hadn't found one that I thought he could live with for awhile.  So, today was the day to hopefully find one on clearance and what do you know, we did!  He picked it out himslef from a few different ones and I think he made the best choice out of the bunch.  The colors match those in Rylen's and it is something that he can definetly live with for a long time...balls and sports.  He fell asleep in the car with it wrapped in his arms and when I carried him in and laid him on his bed I laid the bedspread next to him.  When I went to check on him this is what I found...

All tuckered out and loving his new bedspread!

Homeschool Goals

Sometimes keeping aware of our goals and where we are in accomplishing them is a hard task.  I'm the first to admit that there are things that I want to do, goals that I have, but getting started just seems so overwhelming.  Sometimes keeping up with where you are in accomplishing them can be just as overwhelming.  So this year rather than looking at some Scope & Sequence someone has put together for a specific grade level I thought I would take into account what it was Brogan wanted to do and we would just have a little fun along the way.  With her input, I made a list of some goals that we want to accomplish this year.  Granted, they weren't all what she had in mind but, for the most part she helped in making her list.  Chrsitian and Rylen's goals were all my doing but I'm sure Christian will let me know somewhere along the way what it is he wants to do!  So, with all that said, here are our academic goals for the year:


Brogan-
1. Know all multiplication facts 0-12 without hesitation
2. Write in print neatly
3. Write in cursive neatly
4. Read 40 chapter books
5. Learn to cook (Brogan)
6. Learn to sew (Brogan)
7. Do all work without complaining for 1 week straight (that one is totally mine!)
8. Compete in Science Fair
9. Show rabbits for 4H
10. She also wanted to add the Presidents and bones in the body but they were already on our Bucket List!!


Christian-
1. Know my shapes
2. Know and write my letters
3. Know and write my numbers
4. Spell and write my name
5. Tie my shoes
6. Count to 100
7. Know and recognize my address and phone number
8. Learn sight words
9. Begin to read


Rylen-
1. Know my colors
2. Know my shapes
3. Know my letters
4. Know my numbers
5. Count to 25
6. Spell and recognize my name
7. Know my birthday
8. Know my address and phone number

Homeschool Bucket List

Ok, so I thought it would be fun to see what it was Brogan and Christian thought we just HAD to do this year for school.  I mean, I have made goals for/with each of the kids but those are more academic goals than "fun" goals.   And besides, I want to have a little bit more FUN this year!

So, we sat down together Friday afternoon and made our "Bucket List" for this school year.  I had a few ideas to get them started but for the most part Brogan and Christian came up with them on their own.  Here they are:
1. Visit NASA
2. Visit the Health Museum
3. Go to the Zoo
4. Go swimming "on a Friday!" (Christian)
5. Go to the beach
6. Find a group to actively be a part of (that one is mine!)
7. Participate in Science Fair (Brogan)
8. Go to the Prison Museum (Brogan wants to see the old electric chair they used to use!)
9. Know all of the Presidents in order (Brogan)
10. Know all the books of the Bible (Christian)
11. Ride a train (Christian)
12. Learn about 7 famous Scientists (Brogan)
13. Learn about 7 famous Artists or Musicians (Brogan)
14. Visit the airport and fire station (Christian)
15. Learn 40 Bible verses each
16. Learn all the major bones in the body (Brogan)

Sounds like a pretty fun "Bucket List" don't ya think?!

Off To A Great Start

Well, our schooling for the year has begun and so far we are off to a great start.  We are doing a light load this week to ease back into the swing of things but so far so good.  I can only hope that the rest of the year goes the same way!

Music To My Ears

They were being so LOUD but I just couldn't bring myself to make them stop.  They were having fun and playing together, without arguing!  Music to a Momma's ears!!

Tuckered Out

She was so tired that she didn't even get really get started before she fell asleep...

Man, third grade sure is tough!!