Family

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I can definitely tell it’s school time again…

I can’t believe it’s been a month since I last posted.  Our school year is now in full swing and I can sure tell it!  We’ve also started Awana at church, as well as our homeschool co-op classes, so I’ve really been busy here lately. 

For us, we also had our annual county fair.  Unfortunately, the rain cancelled the first 2 days of the fair, and we were too busy the rest of the week to get to go except for a brief period one day.  We did manage to get our entries turned it.  We, as a family, did not do as well this year as last year, but we all still had fun.  One of Melia’s photos won first place in its category, and my afghan that I entered won first place!  I’ve won 2 years in a row!  I’ve never really won much in my life, and this year’s win was unexpected.  But, I’m very thankful for it!  It was a round ripple afghan that I had made a couple of years ago for Melia.  I’ll find a pic and post it for you. 

I also had my 35th birthday this month.  I am so blessed to have had 35 birthdays!  I pray that God will allow me to be blessed with many, many more birthdays! 

The down side to this month is that I managed to catch a nice little cold that seems like it wants to linger for quite a while.  It always seems that when I need to slow down or de-stress, God always seems to have to get my attention by sending a nice little “bug” my way.  Hmm.  I wonder what that says about my stubbornness?  But, I have managed to get in quite a bit of crochet time, which has been  nice.  I’ve almost completed the required amount of squares I need to for my Log Cabin Afghan.  When I finally finish it, I’ll post pictures for you!

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Oh!  I also had a “duh” moment a few days ago!  Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my Kindle.  Well, I figured out that I could add my favorite patterns to it in PDF form!  How cool is that?!  This will really be a big help when we’re on the road and I want to take my crochet with me and end up misplacing my pattern.  (Yes, I have done this before).  So, now I have a library of my favorite patterns on my Kindle so that I can take them with me everywhere I go!  Just another reason to fall more deeply in love with my Kindle. 

 

Well, that about sums up what my family has been up to.  I’m trying to get back to posting on a more regular basis, but it always seems like when I think of something to blog about, I’m no where near my computer and, when I am, I forget what I was thinking about before.  I know that I need to keep a pad of paper with me, but I never can seem to remember to do that either!  Maybe one of these days I’ll remember!  Look for another update soon (I hope!).

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Looking for a movie that the whole family can watch?

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I’ve been sitting here trying to think of the right words to say to help promote this film, but I honestly cannot say it any better than what Sally at I Take Joy has so graciously allowed people to use, so here it is:

Calling all Families! Calling all Moms! Calling all Homeschoolers!

Join thousands of families nationwide to see the movie Dolphin Tale on September 23 together. It makes a statement to Hollywood to rally behind movies that “get it right” and tell great stories without all the junk, twaddle, and moral compromise! This movie has all the good stuff we want more of and is truly entertaining and inspiring from ages 5-95!!!

It’s time the conservative Christian Family and Homeschool community shows Hollywood we have a voice. But how? We need a story we can support and get behind, a story that affirms who we are and what we stand for. <!–
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Dear Friends, Dolphin Tale is such a story!

This is a family movie that will inspire, instruct, and bring you to tears because of the great story line. This movie even has two homeschool kids who play the main roles! (The casting agents went to a local support group in California and found them!)

The bottom line is that the Homeschool Movie Club wants to show Hollywood that the those of us with Christian and strong family values are a big enough market to support other great movies with traditional, conservative family values. I am hoping you will be a part of this great opportunity with me!

 

I’ve been hearing a lot about this movie for the last several days and sat down today to watch the preview.  I can honestly say that this is one movie that, if money allows, we will definitely go see!

 

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Busy, busy, busy…..

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! 

The Old Schoolhouse magazine Back Issue Bundle

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!