I have been sorely neglecting keeping up with my blog here lately.  But, in my defense, I have been swamped the last week or so.   Last week, our church, Clearwater Baptist Church, hosted VBS, and I was in charge of the snacks.  I look forward to it every year, but boy does it wear me out.  I guess it’s a good thing that I forget from year to year how time consuming it is.  I will say that this year was the best year yet for me because my children are old enough to really help out with the preparations during the day, and it was so nice to watch them put their all into it knowing that others were going to benefit.  We talked, we laughed, and we had a great time working together.  I love having times like this that bring us closer together as a family. 

We also went to J-Fest the Saturday before VBS, which was awesome, and we went to Riverbend last night in Chattanooga and got to see Casting Crownsperform.

If you’ve never heard them, you’re really missing out. They are such spirit-filled, Christ-centered group.  They are truly a blessing to my family and me.  We love their music.  I can’t tell you of a time that I have listened to their music where I did not receive a blessing. 

The next item on our agenda:   AWANA camp for the girls!  We will take Melia & Katie to camp on Saturday & then pick them back up on Friday.  They count down the days each year from the time they leave till the time they return.  They have so much fun there & have many friends that they only see once a year.  But, they also look forward to the spiritual growth that they receive while there.  My prayer is that God will use this time to really grow them in His word and daily life.  I know I always receive a blessing out of all that they tell me when they come home. 

I will have to say (and I am ashamed to admit this) that I have been neglecting my personal time with my Savior lately.  I have allowed just my daily life & just little things in general to get in my way of spending time in His word & in prayer like I should.  I have been making a conscious effort this week to slowly make this a part of my daily routine once again.  I know I have a serve a loving and forgiving God, and I am so thankful that He takes the time to lovingly remind me when I am neglecting the things that should matter most. 

As for the rest of our summer, who knows what all we’ll do.  I know our garden has done very poorly.  We got it planted in time, but then it poured for several weeks, then the tractor tore up, then a late frost…..   Well, you get the point.  I will take whatever comes up & count it as one of my many blessings God has given me.  He knows what I (we) can handle. 

We are also gearing up for our next year of homeschooling & we’re all super excited about it!  I’ve got a great review coming up on a product from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine that I know you’ll want to see, so stay tuned! 

And, in case you’ve considered subscribing to them, but have held off, you Don’t miss the 2011 Homeschool Gifts Bouquet– a special promotional offer that gives you a two-year subscription to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine and 19 special gifts.

This magazine should be a must-have for all homeschoolers!  There is always so much information in these magazines that I can hardly wait to get my next one, and I always seem to be hurrying to finish the last one before the next one gets here because there’s not only tons of information in the magazine itself but, with your subscription, you get access to the Teacher’s Toolbox, which is also full of wonderful information and helpful tools!  Go check it out!  I’ll share more later in my review!