Karate Olympics....

You know....as a mom I can't think of much that is harder to watch than your kids competing with other kids.......good grief! I think I'd rather gouge my eyeballs out! You want so badly for them to win but mostly you want so badly for them to be proud of themselves even if they don't. Last Saturday the kids participated in the Karate Olympics in Lebanon.....they each were competing in separate areas so it made it almost impossible to be there for all three of them as they competed.....they competed against kids in their own age group and poor Maggie was picked to go first in hers.....gosh, I could have just died with anxiety...I thought that going first would rattle her a bit but she told me afterwards that she wasn't nervous....(that's my girl!)..Maggie is my perfectionist and I prayed so hard for her.....she did wonderfully and I couldn't have been more proud of her......she did not place but she was a finalist and got a really sweet medal....and according to the scores we saw go up, we are almost positive she was 4th or 5th, out of about 18....

That's my girl!

Tyler competed as we were watching Mag.....I looked up just in time to see him doing his Kata.....he did superb! He was only competing against 5 people in his competition so in a couple of minutes they were handing out ribbons......Tyler won 1st place!!!! Whoooo Hooooo!!!! This kid seriously is supremely talented at whatever he decides to do....kind of sickening isn't it?

Well, about as fast as I found myself doing a toe touch for Tyler's accomplishment, it hit me that now I have one child that placed 1st and one that didn't. YIKES!!!! Seriously???? Does it have to be this way????? As I suspected, Mag was devestated.....she kept saying that she was "last".....regardless of the hoorah we made over her and how fabulous she did.

Me: "Ok, Lord....help me to teach her how to be happy for her brother but also help me to reassure her of how wonderful she is"

Luckily as this was all coming to a head, Aidan was about to start so we were saved by the kata! And as we sat to watch Aidan, I saw tears swelling in her eyes.....I seriously almost lost it.....we have no idea really just how much a part of our hearts our kids are until it's breaking for them.....I grabbed her and put her head in my chest so that no one would see before the dam broke....I made it just in time too. I really don't remember exactly what I said to her.....because I'm pretty sure God was prompting my words.....but it seemed to soothe her and within a minute, she was up on her daddy's lap laughing...Me:Thank you Lord for your words of comfort"

Aidan had about a gazillion kids in his group too so he too did not place...but would have been around 4th or 5th based on the scores we saw... (I'm ashamed to say that part of me was glad.....I think that would have been the blow that Maggie couldn't have recovered from) but he was happy just the same....he even jokingly said "I'm last" (we could not seem to get him and Maggie to understand that they were not in fact last)...this kid is so light hearted that I sometimes wonder how he is mine!

He sure looks happy to be "last" doesn't he?

We had a great time....it was a wonderful experience for them....a heart wrenching one for me as a mom.....but I can't tell you how proud I was of all 3 of them.....My heart was just about to "runneth over!"

Not "Where's Waldo?"...."Where's Adam?" :-)
____________________________________________________________________

And now....Deep Thought's with Aidan.....

It is a hoot for me to teach my kids! Really we have a blast and sometimes I think I'm the luckiest lady on the planet.....As you already know, Aidan is just a riot.....and what actually makes him so funny is that he isn't intending to be funny....here are a few of his answers ....and I do mean dead serious answers....to some of my questions this week....and just to put your mind at ease....he does now know the correct answers. :-)

• Me: "Aidan, who lives at the North Pole?" (wanting him to differentiate between penguins or polar bears)

Aidan: "Elf".(hmmm...maybe that's a movie that needs to be put in rotation)

• Me:"Tell me a word that rhymes with dress."

Aidan: "Breast"

• Me: "What is the line called that separates the Earth?"

Aidan: "Apostrophe"

• Me: "What do we put at the end of a word to show possesion?"

Aidan: "Compound S" ( He had been learning compound words...you see where the apostrophe ended up right? it's busy separating the Earth)

____________________________________________________________________

IT'S FINALLY COLD IN TENNESSEE!!!!

___________________________________________________________________

Be sure to check back for our Trunk or Treat pics.....let's just say "The Fonz" will be making a special guest appearance!

____________________________________________________________________

And I saved the best for last!.....be sure to check out my friend McKMama's beautiful miracle born yesterday....and be sure to read how he was not supposed to live at 24 weeks.....I think "will surely die" were their exact words....Pahh Haaa! We serve a mighty, miraculous God people...and he is still in the business of blowing doctors theories out of the water! Happy Birthday Baby Stellan....you little "full term, no tubes, no NICU" miracle you! "Thank You Lord for your faithfulness!" http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

Not Me Monday!

For a real hoot of a time, be sure to check out McKMama's blog above....oh, and be sure to send some love and prayers her way this week while her and her family prepare to bring baby Stellan into the world!

I am not sitting here at 9am blogging, without having my coffee even.....

And I am not already feeling a caffeine headache coming on because of it.....

And I am not letting my kids sleep way too late so that I can have time to myself after oversleeping.

I did not fall on Oct. 17th in my kickboxing class and shred my ankle ligaments resulting in a Grade 3 sprain....only very old or very clumsy people would do such a foolish thing!

I am not the least bit bitter about the fact that I was trying to do something good for myself and my health and well, it just doesn't seem quite fair!

I did not skip last weeks "NMM" due to being loopy on "happy pills"...that may have been interesting I must say!

I am not now having serious issues mentally with my lack of mobility....because seriously it seems like I'm always wishing to sit down and do nothing! Turns out, I only want to do that when given the choice I guess.

I am not in serious denial about how long recovery may take......I am however praying that God will prove that theory wrong!

I do not look at people as they walk or run past my house and covet their healthy feet....

I have not had an overwhelming desire to run now that I can't even walk....this is super comical to those that know me!

I have not promised the Lord that if He would heal my ankle properly I will run my tush off to give Him glory for it!

I did not actually read "Runner's World" while waiting in the Orthopaedic Surgeons office..because I would certainly not look "the part" of someone that should be reading that magazine...seriously though, isn't that sort of an oxymoron to have that there?

I did not have to turn my beloved laundry room over to the hands of my husband this past week....yikes! Because that would mean that I am gonna have something that will NOT fit next time I go to wear it....

I did NOT just complain about a wonderful husband that gladly stepped in and took care of things for me!!! Good gracious....how ungrateful would that be!?!?!?

I do not think that crutches are straight from hell!!! Sorry, had to get that out of my system...

I have not seriously stuffed my face for a solid week now with food I haven't eaten in over 2 years! (I can always blame my clothes not fitting on the laundry right???)

I do not think that "Fun Size" actually means, you can eat all of these you want cause they are fun size and that means they have 0 calories!

I did not break a sample size glass bottle of perfume onto the tile as I was hobbling out the door to church yesterday.....and leave it for my poor husband to clean so I wouldn't be late! That would be shameful I'm thinkin.

We have not had to declare McDonald's completely off limits till further notice because I realized we had eaten there 3 times in one week! Ahhhh! Gross!!!

I did not hear Aidan say this to me....."Mom, where are your crunchers?" you know, referring to my crutches! This kid just might blow our "perfect homeschool" cover! :-)

I did not decide to be all "ambitious" last night (after having to trapse around all day at our church with these cockamamee crutches!!!) by trying to walk on my boot, bearing full weight on foot, without my "crunchers".......because anyone with a brain would know that if it hurt while doing it, it's gonna THROB all night and the next day!!!

I am not completely distractable for some reason lately.....wait, what was I saying?

I am not avoiding going back to my Weight Watchers meeting (after about a 5 week hiatus) like the plague!!!

I am not still sitting here, head throbbing, foot throbbing, no coffee, delaying school for the day...

This was NOT the most pitiful, whiny, excuse of a blog I have ever read!!!


Excuse me while break up the festivities.....you know, my pity party....

I am not dead!

I am not terminally ill!

I am not homeless!

I am not hungry!

I am not alone!

I am not without the hope of Jesus!

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

POP!!!....went my ankle....

Day four of life with one leg......erghhh! I hate this! I could seriously lose my mind! Wait, I guess I should back up a bit and tell you how I came to have only one leg in proper working order....

Friday night I was about 2 minutes into my kickboxing class, doing some shuffling forward (think boxer stance) for warm ups when all of a sudden...(and I mean like I have no memory of how, it happened so fast) I hear this nauseatingly loud POP and down to the mat my big rear fell.....I consider myself to have a pretty high pain threshold but holy cow....this was some pain I have never felt before...like an ax had been taken to my ankle.....I immediately thought it must be broken....one because I had never felt anything like that before and two because I immediately felt like I was going to pass out or throw up....or both!

My instructor heard the pop as well and was on me in what seemed like seconds....i could hardly breathe it was so bad....then a few minutes later, numb. So they managed to get me to a chair and ice me up to wait for Adam.....then the pain came back with a vengeance! And I started to shake uncontrollably....sort of like when you come out of anesthesia....or at least that's the only other time I have experienced it....so I was shocking a bit from the pain...which started freaking me out that they were about to call an ambulance! I remember a lady in my class which happens to be an EMT asking if my chest felt heavy....good grief! Am I about to die here???? That was so stupid for me to be so afraid now that I think back to it....never picked up a paper and read "man dies today of broken ankle".....I'm a bit dramatic that way though so my mind was racing...plus I had already heard her telling my instructor like 3 times that it was not good.....EMT lady should have kept her scary thoughts to herself.... :-)

Long story short, I saw an Orthopaedic surgeon yesterday and he was surely the bearer of bad news....I basically ripped apart 2 of the 3 ligaments in my ankle....and tore the 3rd...worst sprain you can have...he said I would have been better off to have broken it....what???? Yep, that's what he said....apparently bones heal easier than ligaments. Said it may take a month to get back on it well. Who knew? He gave me a sassy little shoe to wear.....wanna see it?

Isn't it fabulous? I must say that it is my new best friend! Up until now, I have had no help walking on my crutches (or crunchers as Aidan called them tonight) so my armpits are so stinkin bruised and sore....this boot helps give me a buffer to rest my foot on the ground a bit without bearing weight or feeling the breath taking pain.

I have been so miserable this weekend with just sitting and doing nothing....I have thrown myself a pity party for one.....streamers, balloons, and you guessed it...cake! Seriously, this has had me down a bit....being confined and helpless....depending on the help of others.....this must be life when I'm 80..and it has made me appreciate my health and the ability to be active a lot more...I do believe I had been lazy and taken it for granted...all I can think now is, "man, I wish i could run!" and I don't even run!

Adam has taken on the role of Mr. Mom.....I've even had to surrender my precious laundry room to him......yikes! The kids have been precious taking care of their momma......awwww...I just hope they are this eager to take care of me when it's time to put me in the nursing home!
___________________________________________________________________

Maggie and I had just been watching a thing about how oil paintings are made.....so yesterday afternoon as we sat for almost three miserable hours to see the doctor, she noticed one on their wall.....she was so cute, she leaned into me and softly asked, "Is that a wax painting?" I couldn't help but laugh!

____________________________________________________________________________

As I instructed Aidan this week as to what his chores were for that day, I heard him say, "crap!" in the other room.......eeehh! I seriously need to watch how much I say that!

_________________________________________________________

The kids have their first Karate tournament coming up this weekend....I am super proud of them all....they take it so serious and take such initiative to learn it and practice at home even....I'll be sure to take pics.

_________________________________________________________________________

We visited a Pumpkin Patch on Saturday.....yes that would be the day after my little "fall".....the next time I say pumpkin patch and crutches in the same sentence....shoot me! I'll bet I trekked 2 miles on those crutches all over that farm.....and paid for it dearly that night and next day! But a Pumpkin Patch we had promised and a pumpkin patch we delivered! I'll get those pics up as soon as I can sit for a while at the other computer.

______________________________________________________________________________

Adams softball team lost last night ending out the Fall season....he played great and really enjoyed himself..even getting 2 grand slams this season...whoo hoo...I'm sure he's looking forward to Spring already! Hope his joints are!(And I was just getting excited about the hot cocoa!)

___________________________________________________________________________

I am certain that we have to have the gassiest dogs in all of Tennessee! Good grief!

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

A Concert and a Zamboni

• Dinner in the car on the way.....$10
• Two Concert tickets to see Meredith Andrews, Fee, and Phil Wickham.....$20
• Two really cool t-shirts....$40
• Rocking out and worshipping with my oldest son.....Priceless!

While I was at the Joyce Meyer conference in St. Louis a couple of weeks ago, I fell in love with an artist she had play for a bit both days......he was, I think, one of 10 men out of the 10,000 women there that weekend......Phil Wickham....I absolutely love love love his voice! And he is super annointed to lead worship....So when I got home, my friend Stacey, that was with me in St. Louis, called to tell me that Phil was gonna be right here in Hendersonville.....with Fee (Steve Fee)!!! I already love him from like a hundred years ago! Another fabulous worship leader! So of course I said....consider me there!

Adam had to go to East TN which was a bummer but I saw it as a beautiful opportunity to take Tyler.....I am so thankful that the Lord places certain "loves" in each of my children that I can connect with...things that keep the gap small as they continue grow....with Tyler, it's music....we sort of "get" that about each other.....the fact that it's a little like breathing in and out.....

What's a date night without a "date" shot???

Heading into the show!

What's that strange thing on the windows....could it be rain?

Fee...well, his back at least.....and some kids with funky hair....and yep, you counted correctly....4th row baby!

Tyler with Steve Fee and the Band....

Tyler with Phil Wickham......his new blog buddy!

As you can see, we had ourselves a fabulous time, me and my boy, our good friends Ben and Stacey, and our Worship Pastor Mike and his son Caleb (Tylers bestest).....in spite of the fact that I may very well have been one of the oldest people in the room! And the fact that someone in my vacinity had terrible foot odor! :-)

______________________________________________________________________

Did I mention that my genious of a husband found us a marvelous truck???? '98 with only 63k miles! Unheard of! We bought it Wednesday......we are now one step closer to hooking up a camper!.....well, once we get a camper and all! :-)

So thanks little elderly man that decided to reside in the sunshine state and sell everything you owned in TN.....your truck is about to make us some fun camping memories!

affectionately named "The Zamboni"...by our hockey loving kids....my grandpa always drove trucks like this so it makes me miss him a lot....it even has that old man "work" smell inside of it....except his certainly never had Cd players in them!

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

Happy Fall Ya'll!

"The way, the seasons come to pass, shows my heart....your Faithfulness!"...Paul Baloche

Could there be a better season???? I think NOT!

You can have your thermometers that read 150 degrees....your blistering hot sun..... suffocating humidity......and swarming of bugs! Just give me my sweatshirts.....sweaters.....comfy worn jeans....bonfires....oranges....browns....reds....apples....candy corn....hot cocoa....coffee brewing on chilly mornings.....hot tea steeping on chilly nights.....Friday night Football....swooshing pucks on the ice....candied apples....the smell of wood burning ....the crunching of leaves under my feet....pumpkins....mums....chili in the crockpot....and lest we forget the reason Fall even exists....to give us the excuse to build a fire, melt chocolate onto marshmallow, and sandwich them between graham crackers! Yum!!!

Fall this year seems to be a little "dull" here in TN this year....once again, we are below in the average rainfall we need....even while in Gatlinburg a couple of weeks ago, the foliage wasn't what I thought it would be already......maybe I am just a little premature and should give the poor little leaves time enough to do their "thing"......

Gatlinburg 2 weeks ago...

My mom and Ashley at the Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg....

Ok, back to Fall..ya'll.....

We took this picture when we started school in August so that we could keep track of our trees in our front yard as they progress during the changing of seasons......we have thought all along that these were Maples but as we were reading in Science the other day, we realized that since they have "helicopters" on them, they must be Sycamores. Anyhoo, if you look close, you will see 2 or 3 leaves already turning....probably more to do with the dryness than actual foliage.....we aren't splitting hairs over it!

Ta-da! Mag showing off our Trees....

This is the same tree yesterday.....October 14th....still mostly green but a few oranges and reds on the ground to play in....

A couple of my other Fall favs....

Crayon Rubbings of Leaves on my Cabinets.....and no your eyes do not deciece you....I do have one lone black handle on my cabinets....it was a trial to see if I liked it....I do....just haven't been back to Lowe's to get more!

Seeing my son (and freakishly large poodle) snuggled up with a good book in his PJ's.....one of the perks of Homeschooling!


GEVALIA COFFEE BREWING IN THE MORNINGS!!! I would have included a pick of my Cuisinart coffeemaker because I do love it too....but that would have meant cleaning it up for the photo shoot.....nah!


_______________________________________________________________

Not Me Monday.....

I did not switch out purses and forget to swap out the floss as well! Because anyone that knows me knows that I am a compulsive flosser....

I then did not fail (after 103 attempts) to get food out of my teeth with a straw and seriously think I could get it with a bent paper clip!

I did not have to stop reading "The Shack" in bed & take my pillow downstairs to the couch to sleep because it had disturbed me with thoughts of someone kidnapping my children! Only a seriously ill worry wart would do that!

I did not change the toilet paper and drop the one half of the roller "thingy" smack dab into the toilet.....that my daughter had just peed in......and failed to flush!

And you certainly wouldn't find me elbow deep in the toilet.....that my daughter had just peed in.....and failed to flush!

I did not wear my hair curly for 2 days (ok, first day nice curls, second day Gilda Radner).....then wake up and think...."hmmmm...I'll bet that if I straighten it today, I could get another day or two out of it!" That would be pure laziness! Not to mention the issue of hygiene!

I did not grace the doors of Mimi's Cafe twice in one week! Because I know that their Carrot Raisin bread is a temptation I cannot resist....so you know, I just wouldn't throw caution to the wind like that.....I

did not offer to say the blessing over our lunch because I was starving and my husband (God love him) takes way too long.... :-)

I did not fight with my husband all the way to the Student Crusade this week, see him on his knees at his seat and think "Good....go ahead and deal with him Lord.... man...am I glad that I am NOT a self righteous jerk like that! (I did however throw my body over his at the altar when I realized I was being "dealt with" too.)

I did not just sit here while writing this and eat 2 entire Hershey Dark Chocolate bars without even realizing it! Good grief!

I have NOT let two of my children sleep till 9 o'clock this morning, because this is our first day back to schooling at our little home after a long Fall Break, and I would know better than to start my day off behind schedule!


"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

It's Hockey Night....

......well, not in Nashville maybe, but it certainly is in the McManus house! I forget how much I love hockey till I hear the swoosh of the puck on the ice and those darned Canadian accents just "get me"...Aye???...on the other hand, I am reminded quickly how much I detest the sound of dad....dad...dad.....DAD.....DAD!!!! Each time louder than the last and finding Adam just as oblivious as ever......Adam....planet Earth needs you!!!

I'm still not over the loss of Mason......I'll get over it I guess......maybe....maybe not...I really loved that hairless man in goal!!!!

Go Preds!
Whoo Hoo! First goal of the season...


Concessions:
Ok, seriously.....can you say "Weight Watchers?"
And I wonder! Adam is the devil himself!

Mag and Aidan showin' some love to TooToo #22 and Erat #10...their favs!

________________________________________________________

Killed the second red wasp in two days.....in our house!!! What is happening???? Is there a colony stashed away in my walls???? Are they planning a hostile takeover!??!?!

I swatted twice.....pointless.....I just ticked him off!

Then Tyler offers up some 12 year old wisdom.....

Tyler: "Mom, why don't you just get the hornet spray in the garage?"

Me: "I can't spray that stuff in here!...It'll take the paint off the walls or the ruin the hardwoods....or.....well, something bad I'm sure!"

Tyler: "ok then....he's gonna fly upstairs and then you'll never find him"

Me: "Why do we call flying insects with stingers "he"?

Tyler: "hmmmm...I dunno"

Anyhoo, that's all I need to hear to break out the poison indoors!!! The thought of that thing in my bed! Ughhh!

Rest in peace Mr. Big Red Stingin Man!

Tyler: "Mom, what if that had been a Japanese hornet?"

Me: "We would have left this house till your daddy came home thats what!"

_________________________________________________________________

Me: "Tyler, your bottom looks like 2 perfect biscuits".....I'm his mom, I can say those things.

Me: "And Maggie (not to be left out), yours are like 2 little muffins"

Aidan: "What are mine like?"

Me: "Yours are like 2 little cupcakes!"

Aidan: "snickering....Mom, yours look like 2 big pancakes!"

Gosh.....I can't think of when I have loved him more...... :-/

____________________________________________________________

Enjoying our last few days of Fall Break before we hit the books again on Monday....pray for us, it's not always easy to get back into the swing of things.....discipline is not my strongest attribute.

_____________________________________________________________

I hear Adam and the kids in our garage skating and playing hockey...rocking out to my own sons Nashville recording I might brag, ahem, I mean add....must be intermission.....Go Preds!

Fireproof....

Be sure to click "Watch Trailer"...



A date with my husband???? Smack dab in the middle of the day???? Discovering a fabulous new place to eat???? Eating Roast Beef and Fries out the wazoo???? Shopping together for our kiddos???? Weeping with my husband (and Kirk Cameron) in the movies???? Seriously, could a girl have had a better day???? I think not!

Mimi's Cafe: Go there! My pick? The Roast Beef Dip! Succulent! Oooh, I like that word!

FireProof: Go see it if you do nothing else this week! Challenge anyone you know to see it if they are married or at risk of ever one day being married! Worse case scenario? You get to see Kirk Cameron! (yes his face graced every wall of my room as a teenager!) Seriously, it will change your life and might just change your marriage.

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

S-E-X...gasp!

Now that I have your attention..... :-)



Nowhere in the books...you know, the ones we read that tell us "what to expect"....did it tell me that after months of being so sick and being able to smell even the paint on the walls, months of sleeping in an upright position and living on a diet of Tums, and after 95 hours (my blog, my sob story) of labor and delivery, would I then have to do something so harrowing...so daunting....that I would consider a tour of duty just to get out of it!



TALK TO MY SON ABOUT SEX!!!!!



Or as my dad would have said when I was a teenager, s-e-x. He couldn't bring himself to say it to me so I suppose spelling it was like ripping the band aid off. (I love you daddy! And seriously, don't feel bad....I'm seriously considering myself just referring to it as "you know what")



Before you think that we are horrible failures as parents let me reassure you that we have told him some basics.....all of which not too descriptive (and not too uncomfortable for us to talk about.) I have been upfront with how he will not always think girls have cooties. And how God's design is for him to start being attracted to girls....in a full throttle kind of way even! And how once he is married, this is all great and to be enjoyed to the fullest!


But, as a homeschool family, we are not thrust into an environment of needing to know these things way too fast just because 3 or 4 kids in their class do. Or because some may already be experimenting in these areas and talking about it to each other...... My failings come in to play here.....thinking that church Youth group would be any different.



We have been in a Student Crusade this week where words like sex, rape, and pornography have been mentioned.....all the while I am cringing inside.....not because I wish to live under a rock...(although it has crossed my mind)....but because it truly breaks my heart to its core that our children have to hear and have their minds forever filled with the serious evil in our world today....and in my old fashioned, naive, opinion....way too soon! I realize that once they know.....they know. There is never a time in which my son will just be innocent again in his mind and thinking.....and it breaks me. (It also breaks me that I can find size 5 girls underwear in "low rider" style with skull and crossbones on the rear in Target!)



So tonight.....I am thinking that Adam and I have earned all the fondue in Heaven we could want......our reward right??? Because we got very descriptive and very uncomfortable last night! (Adam gets extra fondue.....he has to talk about all the weird body things that happen to boys.....ewww!)



We talked about things that made me blush. We talked about things that made Adam unable to complete sentences, and we talked about things that made Tyler laugh at his insanely unhip parents I'm sure......the point? We talked! And it feels good and right that we did. We opened a dialogue with our son that will hopefully be a lifeline should he need it one day.



So thank you Clayton King http://claytonking.com/ for loving these kids enough to not want to be cool in their eyes...for getting in their face regarding issues most people won't touch...for being bold for God..(you are super cool to us parents!)



Thank you Jill for lending me some terrific God based literature http://www.amazon.com/gp/series/302?ie=UTF8&edition=paperback for this horrific task!

There....Band Aid off! Ahhhhh!

_______________________________________________________________

Who is Lord???

Speaking of Student Crusade.....this was the question posed....three simple words meant to help guage how we make decisions in our lives.....I know this was meant to be a "student" revival.....but us 30 somethings will never be the same! Seriously I'm talking being broken before the Lord over our sin and how we have been treating each other to the point of face down, snot in the carpet, conviction.....He is so good and so faithful to love such morons like us!

I am nothing without you Jesus!!!

______________________________________________________________

Do not be surprised when I am sending my new Canadian address out! Oh my gosh I cannot even stand to listen to this political mess! And the thought of this man being the President of our country????? ...sing it with me "Oh Canada....."

How comforting to know that none of this is catching you off guard Lord! I pray that your people would pray humbly to you and that you would heal our land.

_______________________________________________________________

Gevalia coffee is simply the best coffee there is! If you don't have some....get some! My fav? "German Chocolate Cake"

_________________________________________________________________

It is raining in Middle TN!!! Whooo Hoooo!!!

"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

Not Me Monday....

First of all, I did NOT plan 3 trips for myself within a 2 week period! I know myself way too well to do something like that.

And I did not end up missing the whole last day of the conference because I missed my family so much and couldn't wait to get home! Thankfully my friend missed hers just as much!

I did not feel as though I could strangle a group of ladies, that kept making me get up to let them through our aisle, at the Joyce Meyer Women's Conference this weekend......you know, at a place I am suppose to know better. That would be too unspiritual.

I also did not try to keep my mouth occupied, as not to say anything to the lovely musical chairs ladies, by downing an entire King Size Snickers by myself......ok, so that is a ridiculous excuse....but its the way I'm choosing to see it! :-)

I did not then proceed to order room service that night at 11pm and devour an entire piece of carrot cake! Must they tell you that it has cream cheese frosting in the description?!?!?! Wouldn't just "Carrot Cake" suffice?!!?!

I did not almost pee my pants when I saw Darlene Zschech and Hillsong leading worship....that would make me a crazed fan or something.

I did not wear the same outfit to church yesterday that I came home from the conference in Saturday just because I was too lazy to think about what I was gonna wear....and because it's my favorite! (thanks Stacey for not ratting me out!)

I did not see someone at October Fest and go out of my way to not run into them because I know them, but not that well and I hadn't seen them in a long time and well, it was just awkward and I wasn't up for it I decided.

It isn't me that hasn't returned her mothers call in 2 days....that is some other horrible daughter.

My homeschooled, super intelligent, above average 6 year old, did not say "eyebulbs" last night when referring to his eyeballs!

And he was NOT super serious.

And I did NOT think it was super cute because he is my baby!

My son surely doesn't NOT have a pair of shorts clean to wear today because my laundry is NOT spilling over into my bedroom!

I have not re-started the dryer 3 times just to finish this blog!










"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"

I Spy......a rockin' Homeschool group!

Long Hollow Gallatin Homeschoolers...Whoo Hoo!!!


Wow, we are some field trippin' fools this year! I am feeling very blessed that so many families in our church have decided to Homeschool this year. I belonged to a group in the community before but never could "connect" with anyone in that group. Now I have the privilege of taking my kids on some really neat trips and getting to hang out with great women that I know and love at the same time....my peeps! :-)


Yesterday we visited downtown Historic Franklin, TN. It started to sprinkle just as we got out (and the sky looked like it was about to drop out on us) but thankfully we were spared and the weather turned perfect. We walked around Public Square for about an hour or so, on foot, led by a tour guide.....

The kids were given "packets" that contained clues and such that they were to visually find.....some were dates and places in history, some were architectural designs on buildings, and then there was a "rub" of the Sea Level seal that they made by rubbing crayon over the top of it....

All three of my kiddos just loved it....Tyler even saying it was his favorite field trip so far. And it was only supposed to be for up to age 11! Hmmm....Not sure what this might mean for my son exactly. :-)


Tyler drawing a "Christian Door"....today are called a Colonial Door...Colonials built them to have a design of the cross on it and what looks to be the Bible opened up because they were a little superstitious and thought it would keep evil spirits out of their homes...neat huh?

Tyler and Maggie did theirs on their own but I helped Aidan a bit in the beginning....by the end though, he was spotting the things on his sheet and crossing them off even before we really got to it. It was neat to see how observant he was being when necessary....because we all know that this is the kid that can't seem to keep his eyes on any one thing for more than .5 seconds!

Finding where and when cannons were made

I just threw this one in because I am shamelessly proud of my three kids!...and because it's my blog and I can totally do that kind of stuff and get away with it!

Afterwards, we all loaded up and headed to Pinkerton Park for lunch and a little playtime. I forget sometimes how nice it is here in TN in the Fall....not to cold, not too hot...just right! It made for the perfect day of fellowship with friends and "Homeschool-mates"

He looks a little "tired"....Pahhh Haaa!
I crack myself up!

So he's not mine but I'm showing him off cause he's too darn cute!


"Thank you Lord for your provisions on this journey we are on called Homeschooling....it is not always easy, yet because it was your plan for me all along, you always know exactly what I need or maybe even who I need to persevere...."


"And whatever I do, may it always bring glory to you"