Everything happens in threes!

We traveled up north for yet another birthday- this time it was Angel Baby's turn! She's now 3 years old...wow, where did that go? This was from birthday party #1. She couldn't contain herself while we sang "Happy Birthday!"

This new outfit became her 'Printess, Printess' outfit for the rest of the week. I had to steal it in the night just to get it washed...


Birthday party #2 at Timm's Hill


Good choice, Grandma! You can never go wrong with something "Printess, Printess."

Birthday party #3! She shared this celebration day with her cousin. Double the cake, double the ice cream, double the presents, double the trouble! :)



"I do it myself..."

And last but not least, the rest of the crew:

Legoland

I do suppose there are some perks living in (and near) a big city. We have been promising the kids since before the move, that we would take them to Legoland. This has been a dream especially for the boys as they are AVID Lego-lovers! What an adventure, what a blast. Even I had fun! :)

In the thick of it

Do you ever get wrapped up in life and struggle to keep up? Funny how this post follows the 'new beginnings' post where I openly list 10 things going on in my life at once...hmmmmm... oh, and (p.s.) I started the exercise thing too.

I read this post this morning and found comfort in her words as well as His words. Moving has thrown me off my axis. Most days we're doing good and even enjoying summer! But other days I get caught up in the unorganized chaos still laying around and get overwhelmed by what is left to be done. Those days are when I lose sight of the big picture. Moving has whipped me out of my routine and my schedule, now I have to make a new one...urgh.

Psalm 139: 23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties."

So, today is a new day...and His mercies are new. I'm starting over and am going to try and not get overwhelmed by the floors that need cleaning, the library that needs organizing, the desk that needs de-cluttering and the move-in projects that still need attention, the food menu that needs creating, the groceries that need to be purchased, the bills (yuk!) that need paying, the broken-down boxes that need to be stored (please God, I don't want to move again!!!), the grass that needs mowing, the overgrown flowerbeds that need weeding, etc.

It's Friday. That means it's the start of a weekend and family fun time! So let it begin. The rest will be here waiting for me on Monday, right? Enjoy your weekend!

New beginnings

I have some new insight this morning about new beginnings, my new beginnings. I go through periods in my life when I start something new- it probably happens many times a year (never stopped to count). I always think to myself "Man, you sure are piling it on. Do you think you've crossed the boundary for what is humanly possible? Don't you think you're overextending yourself just a bit? How do you plan on pulling all this off? Are you going to do this half-way because you don't have the time and energy to fully devote yourself to this?" And the list goes on and on... My new insight is that yes, I may jump in to new things with both feet and do 10 things at once BUT it's because of the motto that I WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE ON PURPOSE. I have so many things that I want to do and experience, I just can't wait to do one at a time. I want to get out there and experience life and see what I can do next. There you have it, that's it...my new insight. So yes, I may be tapped out, overwhelmed at times and extreme but I'm beginning to be comfortable with that's just me and how I roll. Trying to do something different would be like tying me up and telling me to be comfortable sitting there. Yea, not so much. I enjoy busting outside the box and living my life (albeit even when I'm thrown some wicked curve balls)!

So without further ado, my current new beginnings list:
New house/community/church/friends/everything.....
TOS Homeschool Crew (Review team for the next school year)
Young Living Essential Oils business (source of income from home and a major interest of mine)
Continuing education for BSN (future income and back-up-plan) & Medical Transcription degree (source of income from home)
Survey team (source of *tiny* income)
Couponing (fun and a challenge)
Planning a womens retreat for Sept 2012 (because I want others to be blessed as I have)
New homeschool year, new ideas (starting planning/lessons) *Lots of new curriculum
Online bible study leader

*Yet to be started: daily exercise, eating/nutrition overhaul and weight loss (ewww, I'm dragging my feet here)


I'm sure there's more, that's all my brain could remember this morning (and on 3/4 cup of coffee). I'm excited...new things and ideas bring on a renewed energy for me to lunge forward in my life and not let things get stale. There are other things I want to do but I'm trying to restrain myself. 10 is an even number...instead of one thing at a time, ten should hold me for awhile. Maybe. Philippians 4:13!!

The bible study I'm doing this summer is put on by Good Morning Girls and we're reading Sally Clarkson's book "The Ministry of Motherhood." Good stuff and good reminders. I'm glad my nose has to stay the course as leader of my FB group...great way to NOT become sidetracked. Such important thoughts and realities, so glad I jumped in there! I've wanted to post to their Women in the Word Wednesdays for weeks now...nothing like today to do it! :)

He speaks...again

Where oh where have I gone?

I'm beginning to ask myself that very same question! :)

We've moved (again). In effort to be near Hubby's work, I packed up our crew and we moved all our 'stuff' last weeekend. Wow, what a job! I said that 18 months ago...and I'm saying it again...moving 7 people is just brutal!

In the midst of the sea of boxes, I'm trying to get things back together. So many things are swirling around in my brain- I thought of making a list. I'm second guessing myself, I'm afraid it will further overwhelm me.

We're SW of Chicago now. This weekend we hope to make our very first family trip to IKEA. We're on the search for lights/lamps. What do you think of these for above the kids' beds? Aren't they cute?



I'm thinking they may be to large for 2 in each room, we'll see. The kids love them...of course.

What are you up to this weekend? I'll be unpacking boxes...

Yes, I am that random...

This song popped into my mind this morning, why you ask? I have no idea. Maybe it was because I saw the book "Pokey Little Puppy" as I was packing the kids' bookshelf. Why that has any relevance, I don't know. I had to chuckle a little because I remembered my grandma teaching me this song at about 5 years old. I remember singing it and being so proud- poor little dog.

As usual, things around here are moving at lightning speed. I finished up my semester classes last Friday and also got an email from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper that I am being published today. I sent in a letter to the editor as part of an extra credit assignment in my Eng Comp class & now they're publishing my letter. I actually find this funny, who'd a thunk it?

The kids are done a tad early with their homeschooling- thanks to all the moving mess we've got going on. They're happy to be outside- because spring has finally showed up- and not stuck inside doing BORING schoolwork. I wonder how excited they'll be to start all the BORING stuff again in August? LOL

Guess what I've been doing? Packing. Is this only the second time I've told you about it? Or maybe the third. Just in case you forgot- I feel the need to tell you again that I LOATHE MOVING. Yes, I loathe it. We're getting good at it though. And this time, I'm going through E.V.E.R.Y S.I.N.G.L.E T.H.I.N.G. because I'm just sick and tired of so many boxes. I think living in a small home will do that to a person. I wonder what it would feel like to give away TOO much. Maybe that's not possible with 7 people. I'm trying to find out. Goodwill loves me right now.

I started a summer reading group through Good Morning Girls. You should check them out, fall groups will be forming at the end of summer. It's been an awesome thing for me to be part of a bible study online. So, so good!

My sister-in-law & I are in the beginning stages of planning an Above Rubies Retreat near the Chicago area ( in 2012). I toured the retreat center (awesome!), now I just have to decide on a date and book Nancy Campbell! I'm totally excited about this, it's been about 6 years in the making.

I've been using FlyLady's moving tips. She is helping me stay sane- so far anyway. I keep a copy of the tips right next to my chair so after my devotion each morning I can remind myself not to freak out- BABY STEPS she says. I'm trying.

I am not a fan of road construction. Here, there or anywhere. It is not my friend.

My Tom-Tom is my friend.

The kids are with grandma doing a little spring shopping trip. I am sitting here, still in my pajamas, looking at my CHAOS. Ok, it's been nice but I gotta go before I lose the ambition I barely have. Did I mention I loathe moving? Oh yea, I think I did.

Knowing my limits...

It's no secret that I tend to bite off more than I can chew- jump in with both feet- and then expect not to choke or sink. Most times, I admit, I'm just down right unrealistic. I'm actually chuckling as I write this because in print I sound pretty crazy! Do you know many people who admit they're quirky or crazy? If not, allow me to be the first! Happy Monday!

This is just one of the things I've been staring at for the past 4 months...in Jan. I returned back to school.


There's 2 weeks left to this semester so my brain is feeling quite mushy & I'm sure my eyes have that glazed over look...

Now I've begun adding this into the mix:


Talk about a recipe for complete mayhem! But in the midst of the madness I've had a revelation, the revelation that I too, have limits. Really? Seriously? I'm not Wonder Woman? This is a hard concept for me to grasp cause I want to do everything (I know my family is falling out of their chairs laughing right now)! My original plan was to take classes over the summer (and move). It kind of dawned on me yesterday that is going to be a bit much. So, with the realization of my human-ness I withdrew from my summer courses (but then added another for the fall!). Yes, yes I did- I can't help myself...

I've also reacquainted myself with FlyLady. I don't know why I ever 'forgot' about her-she's been a lifesaver lately! I'm following her moving tips...I really want to survive this! Go figure.
Am I getting more wise in my 'old' age? Probably not...

Who doesn't love a platypus?

Nope, it's not Perry the Platypus...it's even better! Introducing my very first review on a downloadable unit study by The Old Schoolhouse: The Curiosity Files- Platypus. I am a huge fan of downloadable unit studies, especially this time of year. Spring is here and the kids are restless, they need variation in our every day school routine.

I have to say it caught them a little off guard when I told them we were going to be doing a unit study on Platypus(es). Once we got started, my kiddos were in awe of the platypus. This unit study was 87 pages of fun filled, excitement packed learning. The Curiosity Files are presented by 'Professor Ana Lyze' in a fun manner for ages 8-13. However, while using this unit study I was able to adjust the material to comfortably include our 5 year old as well.

There were so many activities jam packed in this unit study, we weren't able to get through the whole thing in a week. We look forward to finishing it up next week- the kids want more! **They adoringly named the Platypus on the front cover, Perry.** Have a look on all the cool stuff available in this study (for the price of $6.95):

• Bible study and memory verses
• Math, history, and geography investigations
• Literature and suggested book list
• Writing, spelling, and vocabulary activities
• Beautiful copywork pages (manuscript and cursive)
• Science observations, projects, and experiments
• Discussion questions
• Art, crafts, drawing, and coloring pages
• The Curiosity Fact Files collectors card and booklet
• Internet resources and video links
• Complete answer key

One thing I really appreciated in The Curiosity Files unit study was everything at your fingertips. I didn't have to go anywhere and hunt down additional information, crafts, questions or answers to questions. Talk about a comprehensive collection! My kiddos and I look forward to more of these unit study gems. There's lots to chose from, go and check them out and if you just can't decide on one or two- they come in a bundle! The 9 pack bundle saves you 35% off the regular price of $6.95 each.

Here's one on Puffer Fish.

What about Quicksand?

Our boys are gonna LOVE Zombie Fire Ants!


Happy Shopping!

His love is deep...

You know how you get a song stuck in your head? Well, I woke up singing this song this morning. You could say it's stuck in my heart...



Such an amazing song, especially following an amazing weekend. It's one thing to get the gravity of what He did for us, it's another to watch children FULLY understand it for themselves. It's a look of soberness and reality of how huge a thing it really was. And to fully grasp what a sacrifice He made for each of us individually can be overwhelming. Such a precious thing when a child says, "Mama, Jesus is so awesome- I want Him to be with me forever and ever."

How was your Easter? The week before Easter (starting Palm Sunday) we began daily readings explaining the things Jesus did that particular day. The kiddos really understood what Jesus did the last week of His life, they were shocked that Jesus went into the temple and got mad and starting flipping tables over. When I explained that He was mad because the people there were disrespecting God and it hurt Jesus' heart to see them being selfish in selling things to try and make profit a in His Father's house. I then likened that to sometimes we do stuff that disrespects God when really we should just be worshiping Him. Our 8 year old said, "Whoa..."

The kiddos were so adorable (ahem...and handsome) in their new duds. Grandma and Grandpa have graciously provided the Easter outfits the past 2 years. What a blessing!

Think on these things

As I was reading through Philippians this morning-quite a few things jumped out at me...isn't that interesting when that happens?
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7

~Do you ever get in the middle of some situation and think, "I'm not content with this. Why do I have to do this? I don't like what's happening. Why is this happening like this? Should I do this?" Well, if not then it's just me...because I basically say something to this effect EVERY DAY! :)

~First of all, I find it hard sometimes to NOT be anxious. God tells us to NOT be anxious, pray, be humble, be thankful and ask, and then He will in return give His amazing peace and guard our hearts. Hmmmmm, sounds like a pretty good plan doesn't it? Sounds to me like it just may help my anxiousness and help bring about the peace I always seem to be looking for. Now, if I can just remember this before a freak-out session....

Lord, help me to remember Phil 4: 6-7 BEFORE I freak out next time!

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

This might not look like more than a bunch of gnarly branches to you- but I see something very exciting just around the corner! Some tiny, baby buds just starting to turn a yellowish-green. It won't be long and these buds will explode into beautiful and fragrant lilac flowers. I can't wait, this bush is right next to our back porch- the flowers smell SO yummy!

I'm so proud to announce my 30 baby garlic cloves made it through the winter. They starting shooting up out of the dirt even before all the snow was gone! I kept watching them hoping they'd make it after that second (2 ft) snowfall. I'm so excited to see what's under that dirt- to see if I'll get a good harvest...it's amazing to me that after such a harsh winter, life waits patiently until it's safe to jump forward and say, "I'm here!!!" Hello spring, nice to see you again!

Snow, Rain & Robins

You know when you see this guy, there's hope for nicer weather.




The Northwoods hasn't been overly kind to us this winter...everything was melted and then WHAM- 2 feet of snow in a matter of a day. I know it's common in this neck of the woods but its still not pleasant any way you look at it. The residual snow has been shrinking little by little each day, today it's rain-snowing. You know, the kind of freezing rain that's snow too...maybe you don't know...consider yourselves blessed! :)

I'm looking forward to my garden again this year- and the herb bed- and the flower beds! Actually, that's all I can think about these days as I sit here in my chair looking out at all that white stuff.

My mother-in-law gave us this amazingly awesome (homemade) bird feeder. It's huge! The thing holds more than a bucket of seed at a time. Yes, I fill my bird feeder with a bucket... Over the winter, I've grown fond of the feeder as I watch the birds coming to eat and carrying the seed(s) away. Even the squirrels and little chipmunk amuse me. I have two bird identification books on the bookshelf that are collecting dust-now that some of the pretty birds are coming back I'm excited to dust off those books and see what we've got. So far we've spotted male and female bluejays, chickadees (of course!), morning doves, a woodpecker and a female cardinal. And of course, last but not least, this morning we saw some robins. Hallelujah for the robins!!!

My rubies

Here's a little ditty about some rubies:

About 4 years ago I asked Hubby for a mother's ring. We lived near an amazing place that had a little jewelry shop. The wife and I struck up conversation every time we walked through there, she had lots of littles and so did I. I filled her in on our adoption adventure and how we were working so hard to bring 4 new children home to our family. It was her husband who was to make my mother's ring. Naturally, I included a birthstone for each of our children. 7 children to-be, 7 birthstones. They were still working on the ring after our African children came home. About that time I found out I was expecting our little Angel Baby. So, I called them up and had them add an 8th stone to the ring. I chose an anniversary style ring with the stones going all the way around the band. Only 8 stones wouldn't cover the entire band...I wondered what to fill the rest of the band with? I immediately thought of rubies. So, I called and the man evenly spaced 3 rubies for every birthstone placed around my mother's ring.

Why rubies you ask? Well, partly because of Proverbs 31:10. "A capable, intelligent and virtuous woman, who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls." Not that I'm the most capable, intelligent or virtuous woman out there but it was my Hubby who found me and it is He who says I am far more precious than jewels and my value is far above rubies or pearls. Hard not to feel beautiful and appreciated when it's said that way, isn't it?

Way, way back in 2006 at the very beginning of this blog I spoke of our decision to adopt from Liberia and why. It was at my very first Above Rubies retreat that God used an every day woman to speak to me about the orphans in Liberia. My life and my family's life was changed forever by that retreat. So, as a result of that experience is reason #2 why I chose rubies to be placed in my mother's ring. God used that retreat to make me a mother to 8 children.

Below is a picture of Colin & Nancy Campbell. I've been to a few women's retreats over the years and have had the pleasure of speaking with Nancy personally. She is the founder of Above Rubies ministries. Such a sweet, sweet lady. You can read more about them here.

It was an Above Rubies magazine that first introduced me to her and the ministry. Did you know you can get this magazine for free? As many copies as you want for free? I get them, keep one for myself and give the rest away or leave them in waiting rooms. I pray over them and hope that someone will pick it up and receive the same encouragement I have. Interested? Take a look here.

I've learned a lot over the years from things she has had to say and from the articles others send into the magazine. I've also wrestled with certain things she's said. Those things have caused me to dig deeper into the word to see what God has to say about it (it wasn't hard to find, all her teachings are FULL of scripture!) and pray really hard about how God would have me receive that information and apply it to my life. I've acquired many of her books and CDs over the years as teaching materials and enjoy digging deeper into the subjects she talks about. Amazing things...amazing lady.

We are blessed to be going to our very first family retreat this next weekend. I'm so excited to be bringing my entire family as well as meeting Colin for the first time. I highly recommend the women's retreats and after next weekend, I'm sure I'll be saying the same about the family retreats! Wanna take a look at info on the retreats? Here it is. I've also met all of Nancy's daughters personally. Sweet, sweet girls. I am the age of their youngest daughter, Serene. Serene and Pearl have many CDs (found in the bookstore) and have blessed this home time after time with their sweet voices.

I've been praying for a few years now about hosting/planning a women's retreat. Now that we are back in northern WI, there just aren't any near here (trip to Canada anyone?). I've been holding out and praying for a partner in crime to help me. I think it might be a bit much for one person, we'll see what God has to say when He answers me about it! :)

Reason #3 I picked rubies for my mother's ring: I think they're pretty.

24 hours

Well, the last 24 hours has been a humbling experience! I asked for help and you all jumped right in. I went from 6 followers to 31 in less than 24 hours...you all could make a girl blush! I've filled out my application for the review team I was telling you about. Thanks for all your help in making that a possibility! If you stop by and aren't a 'follower' yet- I'd love to have you! The more the merrier!

So, now that you are all here you should know I have plans to jazz things up a bit around here (and post LOTS more). That being said- for those of you who've looked around here a little, what kinds of posts do you enjoy most? What would you like to see more of? Here we go...................

Can you help me out?

Hey there! :)

Can you help a girl out? Will you 'follow' my blog? If you're not sure how, hit the word 'follow' over there on the right. Then, fill out the info in the little box with a Google account, etc. That will make you an official follower. As of now, there are 6 of you (thank you!). But, I need 25 minimum in a quick hurry (2 weeks) to complete the application process for The Old Schoolhouse Crew. The TOS Crew reviews homeschool curriculum and I've wanted to join for 2 years! I'll be Facebook-ing about it too and may even join the Twitter world so I can tweet. So, would you show me some blog love and follow me?

EEK!

Has it been a month already? I bet you thought I'd forgotten about you all- nope, not so! I'm beginning to think it may be MANY years before things slow down...

As of late January I went back to school to complete my bachelors degree in nursing. Just a handful of classes left until graduation! :) So, I now school the kiddos by day and then try and study and do classwork at night and on weekends. My original thought of doing it in my spare time has proven futile. I guess I don't have much spare time- who would have 'thunk' it? School and every day life stuff has kept me hopping- I'm very much looking forward to spring break to catch up on little projects around here and to breathe a little! Before we know it the snow will be melted and I'll be planting the garden again (can't wait for that!). We're all ready to get out of this house and enjoy the outdoors again!

This past weekend we took a road trip to my sis & bro-in-laws new house. We celebrated her birthday along with our Mama who also came for the weekend. Here's a few silly pics of our time together:


Me & my baby (one of them anyway!)

Mama
Mama rockin out Honky-Tonk Style!


A mean game of cribbage between the boys!



Jelly face!
~Sweet Princess~


Hangin in the kitchen...

Bday girl....'You talkin to me?'



Just 5 of the cousins...a good time was had by all!

STAND FIRM- JAMES 1:12