BFS Assignment #107 -- When There's No Tomorrow (Mercury)

Please listen to the song. Imagine you’re standing before God. There’s no Tomorrow, you can’t go back and finish up what you had planned on getting to sometime in the future. What was that thing that you planned on getting to, that thing that now, you’re standing before God and thinking “I wish I had gotten to that…”

Assignment: We only have today. Should God take you today, have you accomplished everything that you wanted to, needed to. Have you said all the things that needed to be said? Let’s have no regrets, let’s make sure we get to those things, so that when we’re standing before the Lord, the only thing we need to do is to worship him.. and not regret not getting to that thing on our to do list. Stop - go take care of that thing…. then, come tell us what you choose to share. Don’t embarrass yourself or any of your loved ones.

That song is one of my favorites...you can tell because I even have it on my song list over to the right. And -- you know, it's so true that we often don't take the time to do those things that we really should.

This is a tough post...it really makes you sit and think. I know I have done and said some things in my life that were wrong. I try not to look at them as regrets but as a learning/life lesson. You see, it is every decision I have made, whether right or wrong, that has shaped me into the person I am today. Am I perfect? No, none of us are. But -- I wouldn't go back and change anything. Life is a lesson that we learn every day, and I'm so thankful that God takes the time to use everything I do and say to teach me more about Him and His glory.

The verse that is on my mind right now is 1 Peter 1:16b -- "Be holy, for I am holy." I am trying to be a better person and cherish every person and relationship in my life. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, so we need to do today what we may not get to do tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, when I think of tomorrow, the main thing I picture is my children. Brian and I have been blessed with two precious boys. Caleb is 5, and Micah will soon be 8 months old. You see, they are the ones who will go on to share God's love with everyone once their daddy and I am gone (that's not a thought I want to think about right now, but it's a given at some point). So, Brian and I want to grow them up to be Godly men and help them develop a relationship with their Savior. We pray that God will use them to further His Kingdom and work.

So, here's a picture of my tomorrow:

Just a little milestone...

As I mentioned in my last post, Brian started painting the living room on Saturday. Well, after my mom and I returned from the fall festival, Caleb was all about helping Brian paint. He wanted to help sooo badly, and he just kept bugging Brian about it. Now, Brian wanted him to help, but he wasn't ready just yet. Not to mention the fact, that we were going to have to start over. Well, my mom and dad graciously agreed to let Caleb sleep over at their house. So, we packed up his bag, and off he went to stay the night away from home. This was his first time away from home (without mommy and daddy) for the entire night.

He had a great time. He was able to shoot his bow and arrow (he has one that he keeps at my parent's house. Santa will probably bring him one to keep here), hang out with Uncle Daniel and Allie, and just have fun being away from mommy and daddy. He enjoyed his supper from Krystal, and he even decided to save a corn dog for breakfast.

Well, I went to pick him up this morning, and he was out shooting his bow again. He really loves to do that, and he's getting better. He loves to show off all of his "hits" on the target.

My mom called me after church to tell me how he did. Turns out he did well, but he didn't sleep much. He slept in the bed with my parents...well, until my dad went to the couch. Caleb isn't a very good bed partner...we already knew that though. LOL! He evidently woke up at 2 and just started talking to my mom. I guess he finally went back to sleep, but he was eager for the sun to come up.

We're very proud of him and the fact that he's doing sooo much better sleeping by himself. We really hope he's turned a corner and that this trend will continue FOREVER! LOL!

So, who's up for the next slumber party? Any takers? LOL!

Brian and his color choices...

Okay, so we've been in our house now for almost 4 years, and we're slowly adding some color to the walls. We got the kitchen and breakfast area painted about 1.5 years ago. Then, we tackled Micah's room while I was pregnant. Well, sometimes when we go to paint, there are some serious color issues.

It all started when we were painting the kitchen. I sent Brian to the paint store (note to self...you KNOW this is a mistake, so don't do it) with something he could use to get a color match. Well, he comes back with a dark forest green. I wanted more of a sage green. After I sent him back, he came back with yet another green, and it still wasn't the right color. But -- I let him go ahead and paint the kitchen. All the while, I kept wondering if I would like the color. Well, it grew on me, and I'm pleased with the choice. It even turned out to match a lot of my Pampered Chef products (I was selling that at the time), so everything was good.

Well, fast forward to last week. We decided it was time to tackle the painting of our living room. Keep in mind, our living room/hallway area is HUGE, so it's a lot to paint. We've got tall ceilings on top of that, so it's not an easy task. Well, I once again sent Brian to grab some paint. I sent him with one of the pillows that I wanted him to match. Well, he comes home with a Sunshower color. It looks like it might work, but I'm doubting it very seriously. Well, he finally gets around to painting today while we're gone to the Fall Festival. I come home to find the brightest yellow on my walls. It was so bright it was almost blinding. I truly tried to like it and hope it would work. And -- Brian kept on painting. He finally got done with one section, and we moved our furniture back. After much looking and thinking, we both decided it was just too darn bright. It's a very pretty color, but it's NOT the color I wanted. So, we headed BACK to the store to pick out the "right" color. I went along this time, and we have chosen a Sweet Corn color. Keep your fingers crossed that we've gotten it right this time. In the meantime, here are some pictures of Brian's color-blindness...LOL! Hope you all get as much of a laugh as we did!

The walls "before" painting (you can see the controversial green in the kitchen...I love it now).

Can you tell how BRIGHT that yellow is? It was soooo darn bright.

It just does not look good with our furniture...you'd wonder WHY we chose that color if you saw it.

Note the pillow -- that's the color Brian was SUPPOSED to get...can you see the difference? He was way off. LOL!

Fall Festival Time

Today, my mom and I took the boys to a Fall Festival at one of the local private schools. Caleb had a good time enjoying all of the inflatables (that's what the majority of the rides were). He also saw his friends, Hunter and Tina, but he was disappointed he couldn't play with them. Since they've been in school, he really hasn't seen them too much. It was obvious when the first words out of Hunter's mouth were, "I miss you Caleb." I thought that was so sweet and cute. So, it's time Laura and I get the kiddos together...we're working on that.

Micah had fun just sleeping and enjoying the nice fall weather. We ended the day by grabbing some cotton candy and a caramel apple. They were both very yummy (Laura you did a GREAT job in the concessions).

Here's the only good pic I was able to get.

Homeschool Week 18 in Review

We are slowly getting all caught up with our homeschooling lessons. I can't wait to report that we've finally achieved this. LOL! Here's how this week went:

Beginnings: We continued talking about animals by studying Wild Animals. We learned about elephants, animal tracks, the zoo, and how animals hide in their environments. Since Caleb LOVES animals, he's really enjoyed the past few weeks. We're hoping to make a trip to Zoo Atlanta to culminate our animal studies. We reviewed the letters "r" and "j". The "-am" and "ack" families were added to our list. "Put" was added to our list of service words. Caleb also learned about the question mark. The book for this week was The Jet, and it reinforced his word families and service words.

Math: We continued learning about addition facts up to 5. Caleb is really loving this part of math.

Bible: Questions 19-21 were added to our study of the First Catechism. The Bible verse for the week was John 11:25b.

Music: We talked about Christmas and how different countries celebrate the holiday. We learned about Poland, Germany, and England. I know...it's a bit early for Christmas, but that's the order of the lessons in the book.

As always thanks for following our homeschool adventure. We really love sharing it with all of you!

BFS #106 -- Have It Your Way!

Memory Verse: Isaiah 40: 1- Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Intro: “Have It Your Way” (Burger King) - As cooler weather approaches and the winter eases into our doors I like to lounge by the fire after a hot shower. I love to make soups that are brimming with a rich and full flavor. In our home there’s nothing better than a hot bowl of soup or and a hot cup of coffee or cocoa on a cold winter night.

Assignment: Tell us all about how your have “your” relaxing time, more especially how during the cooler months you take time to curl up with your favorite movie, book, Bible study, and what your favorite warm drink would be.


Hmmm...cooler weather. Now that's something that doesn't really happen down here in Georgia. Now, granted, it does cool off. But -- if you're looking for a fire, well, you might as well look elsewhere. We've been in our house for almost 4 years, and we yet to light a fire. Now some people around here do, but when you're as hot-natured as we are, then it doesn't happen.

Now, with that all said, I do enjoy the cooler months. The summer here is just atrocious, so when Fall/Winter roll around, I'm really ready for it. My favorite thing to do around this time of year is open up the windows and enjoy the fresh, cool air. I also like to snuggle up on the couch with a blanket and just enjoy my family.

As for my drink of choice, I really enjoy a nice cup of coffee. When I can, I love to get a White Chocolate Mocha from the local Starbucks. But -- if that's not a possibility, then I'll just make a pot of coffee, and I'll enjoy it just as well with my Coffeemate or International Delight flavor of choice. I wish I didn't enjoy coffee as much, but I truly do. I don't think I really enjoy it for the benefits either...I just like the taste.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path."

Homeschool Week 17 in Review

Here's how our studies this past week panned out:

Beginnings: Our theme this week was "Insects Everywhere." We learned about ants, ladybugs, and butterflies. We did lots of arts/crafts related to our theme, and Caleb had a blast. The letters "v" and "f" were reviewed. The word "to" was added to our list of service words. "-ent" and "-uff" were added to our ever growing list of word families. Caleb read a new book called Bell that incorporated the use of all of the words he's learned thus far.

Math: Caleb learned about addition up to 5 this week. He did really well, and I'm so glad to be doing something other than numbers for a change. LOL!

Bible: We added questions 16-18 to the First Catechism. The questions/answers are getting a bit harder, but Caleb is still doing really well with his Bible studies. Our Bible verses for the week were Psalm 100:3a and Genesis 1:27.

Music: We learned that music has a heartbeat/pulse this week. Caleb had to listen to music and determine the beat. He did really well.

Art: We had a wonderful time with art this week. Brian and Caleb made insects using pipe cleaners. We made butterflies out of coffee filters. Caleb used rice and noodles to demonstrate the life cycle of the butterfly, and he made a caterpillar using pom-poms. Needless to say, we made up for our lack of art with all of our fun stuff this week.

Here are some pictures of our arts/crafts from this week. Hope you enjoy them and thanks for reading!

pipe cleaner insects (earwig, stickbug, spider, ant)Caleb's Beginnings sentence work. He had to draw butterflies and describe them.

coffee-filter butterfly hanging from the ceiling fanLife Cycle of the Butterfly using rice and noodlespom-pom caterpillar

Out of the mouth of babes...

You know...it's a well-known fact that kids say the darndest things. It never ceases to amaze me at the things that Caleb will come up with in everyday conversation. Here are some of the most recent things he has said that just tickled us.

"What country are you in?" -- Friday night, my mom graciously watched the boys so that Brian and I could have a night out alone ALL NIGHT! Now, we've each been away from the boys separately, but we have NEVER had an entire night alone together without kiddos since Caleb was born. So, it was long overdue. We rented a room at a local hotel, and we dropped back by the house with supper for Caleb and my mom. When we came in, Caleb proceeded to ask, "What country are you in?" I don't think he quite gets geography yet. While it would have been wonderful to have been in a different country, that's a few years out I'd think...LOL! It tickled us to hear him ask that.

"I want a slower clock." -- Tonight, we let Caleb play on his computer for 30 minutes before bed. We made sure to tell him it was only 30 minutes, and then he'd have to go to bed. Well, when his time was up, he said, "I want a slower clock. This one is just too fast." Man -- haven't we as adults thought that many times? I know I sure have. He was sooo serious when he said it, too. If he only knew that time does not stand still...man how I wish it did sometimes.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share these with you all. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

BFS Assignment #105

Memory Verse: Psalms 13:6 NIVI will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.
Please try to learn our memory verse this week. We will be sharing a new verse every week and hope that you will store them in your hearts and find a special joy in His words.

Intro: M’m M’m Good (Campbell’s Soup)The fall is such a wonderful time of year. The beautiful foliage and cool, crisp morning air is such a wonderful change from the hot summer. I also love the M’m M’m good smell of fall cooking and baking. The wonderful fall veggies, fruits and Thanksgiving foods.

Assignment: Post your favorite fall recipe/recipes to share. I love trying new recipes, do you? It can be baking, main dishes, veggies, dessert or anything else you can think of. There are no limits. Mmmmmm..I can’t wait to take a look at some of those recipes.


Okay, my all-time favorite thing to cook in the fall is a big batch of soup. And -- my favorite soup of all-time is Fiesta (Taco) soup. I will make a big pot of it, and we'll eat it. Then, we'll freeze some of it. It's really easy to make, and super delicious. Here's the recipe:

Fiesta (Taco) Soup
2 lbs hamburger meat
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans diced tomatoes w/green chiles
1 can chopped green chiles
1 can mexi-corn
1 can white corn
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can chili beans or pinto beans (your choice)
1 packet of ranch dressing
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 can of water (I usually use half or less)
optional toppings (cheese, sour cream, etc.)
1 bag tortilla chips

Brown the hamburger meat and drain. Add to a big pot. Add all of the other ingredients. Stir together and bring to a boil. Simmer as long as you'd like. The longer, the better in my opinion. ENJOY!

***edited to add that the chips are only for dipping while you eat the soup (instead of crackers). Sorry for any confusion.***

The Bible verse that I'm thinking of this week is my all-time favorite:
"Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

Homeschool Week 16 in Review

It's time for a look at another week in review. We've got 16 weeks down now, so we're slowly but surely getting all caught up. Here's this past week's review:

Beginnings: Our theme was Bible animals, and we discussed the different types of animals found in the Bible (lambs, donkeys, lions). Caleb reviewed the letters "m" and "o." We added "-im", "-ot", and "-op" to our word families. We added the word "Jesus" to our list of service words. Caleb read a new book called Christmas Bells. I know...it's a bit early for Christmas, but hey, it's the book that was given for this week.

Math: We reviewed the concepts we've learned thus far in Kindergarten.

Bible: Questions 14-15 in the First Catechism were assessed. Our Bible verse for the week was Deuteronomy 13:4. This is a very long verse for a Kindergartener, but Caleb did really well memorizing it. Of course I had to "sing it" in order for him to catch on, but he did, and that's what counts!

Extra Stuff: We participated in a playgroup with the local homeschool group. Caleb also went to Boy's Club (Little Contenders for the Faith), and he learned how to needlepoint. So, we've been working on our needlepoint star. We also have to complete two additional projects, so we'll be heading to Hobby Lobby to pick out something. He really seems to enjoy doing the needlepoint (knitting as he calls it).

As always, thanks for following our homeschool journey!

"Don't manage me"

Caleb had his Little Contenders for the Faith meeting today. He earned his "family" badge for last month, and today he started working towards his "plastic canvas" badge. This was a new experience for him, but he did well. It's very similar to cross-stitch or knitting, and we will probably do some Christmas gifts using this new craft idea.

After the meeting, the littles (short name for the group) got to have snacks with the older boys. The older boys had to collect insects for their badge, so the littles really enjoyed looking at the different insects. The snacks were "insect-themed" as well.

Once the littles were done with everything, they were able to play games. Well, Caleb played outside, and he tried playing ping-pong. While he was playing ping-pong, it was nearing time to go. So, I told him he had five minutes left. Well, his response to me was, "Don't manage me. I know five minutes." I couldn't help but laugh. It's amazing what comes out of the mouth of these kids. I'll share pictures of our plastic canvas once we get it all finished.

On the move...

Well, it appears that Mr. Micah has decided that he would like to be mobile. No, he's not crawling yet, but it's only a matter of time. He really enjoys being on the floor, so we've had to pull out the superyard gates. Luckily we kept those from having Caleb, and they are fulfilling their need once again. He's started getting up on all fours, and he's rocking. He will often do an army crawl or lunge himself forward. So, I'm sure his crawling will happen really soon.

We are having so much fun just watching him...he truly is a character. He's got the cheesiest little grin...it'll just melt your heart. He loves his big brother, too. Caleb loves trying to make him laugh by making funny faces, tickling him, or just being a clown. Micah just eats it up, too. I really hope and pray that they turn out to be best friends.

Well, I just wanted to share a quick update on our little guy. I hope to get some video or pictures of his "mobility" soon, so stay tuned.

BFS Assignment #104

BFS #104 - Never Leave Home Without It! Don’t Leave Home Without It! (Marketing Credit: American Express)
Memory Verse: Matthew 28: 20 - Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.

Intro: Never Leave Home Without It (Marketing Credit: American Express) Diapers, bottles, wipes, bibs, pacifiers, extra clothing, cell phone, PDA, ipod, iphone, credit or debit cards … what would you never leave home without?
Assignment: In the memory verse Jesus tells us that He will never leave us, not even at the end of the world. He assures us in this verse that He will be with us and that means through everything we go through in life. I thought it would be interesting to write about the things we would never leave home without. For some it might be baby needs, others it might be a gym bag and bottle of water, and for some it might be your Bible and a notepad or small journal, maybe even your son or daughters favorite blankie! I’d like for you to write about something that you would never leave home without.

Well, there are many things that I would never leave home without. It really depends on where I'm going, and who is going with me. But -- on most occasions, I have to have the keys...that's an obvious one for obvious reasons. I also have my cell phone and purse. We first got cell phones back in 2003 when I was pregnant with our first son, and we haven't looked back. They are a very vital part of our lives, and it offers us a way to keep in touch with each other when the need arises. I also have my purse because it holds most of my important things (driver's license, debit card, checkbooks, calendar, etc).

Now, since I've got a newborn, well, I also have to make sure I've got "all things baby." So, I must carry the diaper bag. I always make sure I've got plenty of diapers, wipes, bottles, toys, snacks, etc. Then, there's the stuff that stays in the van...buggy bagg to cover those germ-infested shopping carts, stroller for when there is no cart, and the smaller stroller for when I don't feel like lugging the larger travel system one around.

So, it's not easy to just up and run out of the house. With that being said, I keep most of what I need waiting by the door. I've learned in my years, that you have to be prepared. So, the diaper bag is always ready (minus the bottles), my purse is ready, and everything else is in the van.

The verse I'll choose for this week is Psalm 119:105: "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." This was Caleb's memory verse for the week, and it really hits home because the Bible truly is the only guidance we need in order to make it through this world we live in.

Thanks again for a wonderful assignment. I will leave you with pictures of the diaper bag I'm using at the moment. I hope to down-size at some point. LOL!

Homeschool Week 15 In Review

Well, we've finally finished up week 15 of our homeschooling. We will catch-up...it's just taking some time. I'm not gonna fret because we do use a 4-day school week, so we've got plenty of time to get it all done. Here's how week 15 went:

Beginnings: We continued our break from our reading book in order to study apples. Granted, this was planned for September around Johnny Appleseed's birthday, but we're a little late. But -- it was still fun. We read The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall, How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro, Apples, Apples, Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington, and Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSieg. Using these books we talked about the life cycle of apple trees, parts of a tree, parts of an apple, and positional words. We made several mini-books, and we made apple prints. Caleb continued to practice his handwriting and reading.

Math: We talked about tens and ones by learning #s 30-39. We also reviewed ordinal positions.

Bible: We continued to review questions 14-15 from The First Catechism. Our Bible verse for the week was Psalm 119:105.

Music: We talked about pitch by studying high and low sounds. Caleb had to listen to the keyboard and determine if a note was high or low. He did really well.

Extra Stuff: Caleb participated in skating with CGCHE. We also met and played with some of our neighbors who homeschool. We also went up to visit the Rock Ranch, and it was a great place to do lots of learning. Caleb had a blast.

As always, thanks for following our homeschooling journey. Here are some pictures of some of our apple activities.

The Rock Ranch (WARNING...picture overload)

Today we headed up to the Rock Ranch with my parents, my youngest brother Daniel, and his girlfriend Allie. We had lots of fun doing lots of "country" things. It would have been a lot nicer had the weather been a bit cooler. It was just so dreadfully hot, and some of us ended up getting a bit too much sun.

So, here's what we did:

Granddaddy (my dad) and Caleb on the trolley heading up to the entrance.

My youngest brother Daniel and his girlfriend Allie. He thinks he's such a stud. LOL!

Grandma (my mom), Daniel, and Allie

Brian driving the tractor pedal cart...do you think he's too big for it? This is Brian's new idea of "cardio workout." So, look for a new cart track in the backyard sometime in the future. LOL!

Caleb driving the tractor pedal cart.

Caleb, Allie, Daniel, and Brian posing for a picture.

Allie, Caleb, and Daniel (Caleb had to be pushed up the hill most of the time).

Micah chillin' in the stroller playin' with his butterfly.

Caleb and Micah pose with Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber from Veggie Tales.

Caleb jumping on the HUGE pillow top...we think we'd like one of these in the backyard. Do you know where we might get one? LOL! It'd be much safer than a trampoline...so Santa, you better get to shopping.

Daniel, Brian, and Caleb...the big boys had just as much fun as Caleb did. They even managed to tick off some parents, too, when the kids were falling over due to the "big boys" jumping.

Uncle Daniel holding Caleb while jumping...he's such a great uncle.

Caleb and Allie chillin' in the paddle boat while Brian and Daniel get a cardio workout. All of the family at the cane pole fishing site.

Caleb with his cane pole. He did not have fun doing this. He would much rather fish with a "real" rod and reel. This cane pole fishing was not his "cup of tea." The pole was too heavy, and he's not a very patient little boy. LOL!

Caleb posing for a picture on an old truck with a tree growing through it.

Caleb waiting for his lunch in the stagecoach.

Isn't he handsome?

Micah is becoming quite the typical male...thumb in mouth, feet kicked up, and sound asleep. What more could a baby ask for? LOL!

Brian and Caleb on the cow train...does Caleb look a little peeved to you? Well, he is...you see, the cow train didn't go fast enough. Geez...we've got a picky one on our hands.

Caleb feeding the goats at the petting zoo.

Micah, Sherrie, and Allie on the carousel...this was Micah's FIRST ride. He enjoyed himself.Caleb on the carousel.

Caleb having fun in the house that was filled with 6000 lbs of corn kernels.

There's nothing that quite says love like a good ol' game of family dodgeball. LOL! Too bad the boys all went after Allie.Brian gearing up to hit someone.

Caleb, Brian, and Daniel...probably trying to gang up on Allie like they did the whole time.

A horn truck...this gives a whole new meaning to "honk if you're horny." Brian says that Opa would have a truck like this if he could. LOL! A rear-view shot of the horn truck.