Monday!

Isn't she pretty??

For anyone that has been over my house this summer, you saw this poor plant suffer dearly. Because of the intense heat we have been having, it was on the verge of death for weeks!! But now, the temps are normal and rains fall down to water. This morning I was thrilled to step outside and feel a touch... (just a touch) of cool air. I know it will quickly warm up to 90 but the beautiful dew morning is a sure indication that fall is just around the corner.... even in the south! I can't wait. Im not rushing the cold, but a bit cooler temps and fall mornings are just perfect for me. =)

My Gerber daisy is back!! Beautifying my back patio for all to see.

Its Monday. It certainly feels like monday in our little Red House. Our weekend state of mind is still lingering. The kids have researched on youtube how to make paper air planes and they have been whizzing past my head since I walked out of my bedroom.

Construction trucks pulled up to the lot next to us and in a matter of minutes the noise and invasion of privacy will begin.

BUT...

Despite it all, we have MUCH to celebrate. This thursday is the FIRST official game of the season. GAMECOCKS are back baby... better than ever. The kids are excited, the state is excited... and we are ready. Planning has begun for our football party next week. The record might be broken as to how many people can be jammed in our Little Red House but we will be happy!! GAMECOCKS will be on the big screen.

I will also celebrate because once wednesday comes, I can officially say my sweet P. comes next month =))). I can't wait. We are so close to meeting our new addition. It still feels like a dream to me.

I can't wait to hold her, smell her and put flowers in her hair....

Oh and if you haven't voted on her name yet, please do. Piper is still in the lead by a landslide... followed closely by Phoebe and Penelope. I wonder which one it will be??

Only time will tell ;)

Profound Post

I wrote about THIS profound post I was going to share with you all. I got comments stating how you all were looking forward to reading it and then it never came...

I tried to write it. I really did. I had some strong opinions but felt it had to go on hold. As I was doing my devotions a few nights ago and looking thru some past sermon notes, the same phrases kept jumping out to me...

" You never win people over throwing rocks at them..."

I felt like what I was writing was more of throwing rocks than lifting up, so the post is on hold... until I am able to write it where it will be to my liking, God's liking and speaking gently.

Sorry to you all who were looking forward to it. I still stand by the 25 reasons for Homeschooling. They are such excellent reasons. All of them were solidified this past wednesday night in bible study. Pastor has been preaching a GREAT series on the end times. The coming of the Lord, The Rapture and resurrection, the day of the Lord, The consummation of the Age and just 2 days ago he did Salvation, persecution and Judgement...The Great Tribulation period. OH MY GOODNESS was it amazing!!!

It surely made me NOT want to be here during this time in history... and YES the time is coming. Pastor talked about how America has become so Godless... how it will get worse and how the generation ahead of us is being indoctrinated for all these events in Daniel and Revelations to take place. Its up to US, THIS generation at hand to commit to prayer over our country, over our children and take this world back.

I thanked God I was homeschooling and don't have to fight some of those battles that are happening right now to innocent, lost children.

It solidified how America has worshipped self and has put pleasures, education and greed way above eternal salvation...

I look forward to next weeks message and then I will have to sadly leave. A new ladies bible study is taking place Wednesday night. We are starting Beth Moore's DANIEL. And I can't wait for that either. I will be missing a few weeks due to the birth of Sweet P. but plan on re-joining as soon as possible because I know it will be too good to miss.

Now for some quick updates...

Yesterday I was drinking my coffee and filling in the family calendar for September and WOW is it filling up fast??!! I have no clue how that is happening... especially when I am 8 months pregnant! But Drama practice resumes, Bible studies start, GAMECOCKS football parties are being planned and youth events for my TWO kids are in full swing. Busy Busy Busy. Not to mention Neighborhood social committee fall planning, friends moving down and...

Construction starting right next door to my house. Remember I wrote about that HERE??? Im watching them right now as I type this praying they don't cut my phone lines again...

Im tempted to throw my body on the phone line but this southern clay is just horrid to get out of clothing ;)

Miss P's second blanket is coming along great. Its very large so it has taken me a long time but I should be done by early next week. Then I have some scarves to knit as presents for a few people.

Hubby and I have a date night tomorrow. a MUCH needed date night. I will be stopping at Lowes for more paint swatches. The time has come for painting... VERY soon.

I hope you all have a GREAT weekend

Xoxoxoxo

YIKES

BAD GapGirl,

You all are waiting for my next post...

And yet another crazy day has taken over me. It will be coming... don't worry...

And Im truly sorry.

On a brighter note. Went to the Dr. to check on my Sweet P and all was well

Praise the Lord and goodnight

Xoxo

25 Reasons...

I found this article in my homeschool magazine:

25 Reasons Not to Give Up on Homeschooling...

(or for others... 25 reasons to start...)

1) God's grace is sufficient

2) God's mercy endures forever.

3) God gives us everything we need for life and Godliness

4) It is God who works in us...

5) Our children need Godly parents and mentors and teachers

6) Our children need their questions answered from a biblical worldview

7) Our children need and are permitted room to grow and time for creativity

8) Our children need and receive godly socialization.

9) Our children learn to be unselfish and how to serve others

10) Our children retain their innocence

11) Our children will have a lasting legacy of love and commitment

12) Our children will be spared worldly indoctrination .

13) We know where are children are at all times.

14) We know what our children are being taught at all times

15)We know who our childrens friends are and who their parents are.

16)We retain our God given right to educate our own children

17)Our children receive a superior education regardless of curriculum

18) Home schooled children receive one on one attention and specialized training.

19) Homeschool children can see and experience the world around them regularly.

20)Homeschool permits the teaching of important life skills

21) Homeschooling builds strong character and strong relationships

22) Our children will not have to walk in the way of the ungodly

23) Our children will not have to stand in the path of sinners...

24) Our delight will be in the law of the Lord and everything we do will prosper.

25) Our God never gives up and gives us His strength to continue the journey.

Aren't these great reasons???

So tomorrows discussion will be more on this topic, goals on true homeschooling... and there is no such thing as....(in most homes... only excluding single parents) my life doesn't allow me to homeschool. Yikes, that last one is a touchy one right???

Yes, so tomorrows discussion will be a good one. A hard one to swallow for many but its something that I have been hearing alot lately...

" I can't homeschool, I have to work, I have bills to pay..."

Or this one...

" I can't afford another baby... NO WAY!!!"

And then they buy the bigger house (bigger mortgage), nicer car (bigger payment) and don't forget those costly vacations....

So technically, its not that life won't let them...

Im thinking of a word... can you guess it???

But more on that later...

Don't be hatin. =)

Xoxo

Oh Boy... What A Day (s)...

Whew... finally I have a chance to write you all. Between just being plain busy, then losing internet (more on that later) and then just losing motivation due to good 'ol fashioned pure laziness... I have not been able to waddle my butt to my computer. But PTL im here. Hubby is kindly finishing dinner because I mentioned to him that if I don't do it now, it will just never ever get done.

Hubby took some time off this week which was heavenly. The beginning of the week was a bit tough for me. I was just feeling blah and a bit overwhelmed. You know those days right??? Perhaps it was just hormonal but on occasion I found myself tearful and a bit irrational... just a bit. So, the scheduled time he had off was an unexpected blessing. God is Good.

We have had fun and yesterday he HELPED me so much with shopping day. The hardest day of the week (well bi-week) for me. Of course the kids were perfect angels the whole time, no traffic, no lines and no situations so dear sweet hubby found it hard to understand why by the end of shopping day my hair stands on edge and I have some uncontrollable twitching. I just handed him a shovel and told him to keep digging the hole.... cause if he doesn't be quiet he's gonna be buried in it....bless his heart! ;)

The house was beyond messy before we left so groceries and lunch (which you see him kindly making) just added to the chaos. I didn't care... I try to keep things as neat and orderly as possible ALL the time but when I slip... oh well. Most homes don't come close to as functional as mine so Im allowed. ( my one bragging right ok?)

I put everything away. Its my own personal thing. Maybe its control but I HATE when people help me. I need to do that myself. It takes a very long time to clean and re-organize and shove in cabinets ( I buy alot) but I secretly love it. Yesterday I left everything as is and had to take a nap in between. My energy was G-O-N-E!!

On a less brighter note, they sold the lot next to me. You all know how change makes my skin crawl and how nervous the construction workers make me (between them being strangers and all the banging and dirt mess and traffic...) I mean, I will be happy once its done. My block will be almost complete and I will be normal... with houses on both sides. Complete. But the process of getting there is the issue. See my Little Red House??? See that beautiful big picture window which brings in all my light and lets me know every coming and going down my block??? Well that will soon be replaced by my neighbors wall...

But even in the small things God is good and won't give me more than I can handle. The house that is going there is smaller than the other models and therefore will leave a WIDER space between my house and theirs so more sun will come in and the house won't be as close. PRAISE GOD!

Wednesday during my bad day, I went out and reminded the construction workers that my phone line is not completely buried. I even risked my life to walk the uneven field and S-H-O-W them the line and remind them AGAIN not to cut it. But alas, by the time I waddled back in the house my banana told me that we had lost internet... See the pic above??? The exposed wire??? DUH!!!!! Don't get me started. This also happened the same day my husband HAD to take a course online NO EXCUSES. Oh what an interesting day that was....

Remember the wall quote I wanted to buy??? Well I bought it and hubby put it on the wall. It looks beautiful!! Im in love with it. It will also remind me on days that are not so bright that Rejoicing in the Lord makes all things good. Now to find nicer decor besides maps!

I found an AMAZING recipe called hamburger pie. I made it for the first time last night and it was a hit. (except for Noah. Notice how he was still at the table after it was cleaned?) Oh the goodness... the cheesy mashed potato goodness... sigh....

Im nesting again... not that I ever stopped. But im nesting a bit more. Baby clothes are cleaned and sorted and organized. Toys are being wiped down and strollers are coming out. The kids have had fun playing with this stroller frame that was given to me last wednesday. They have put their babies in it, they have put themselves in it and im hoping it survives till baby P. gets a chance to use it.

Im crocheting another blanket. This one is larger and will fit as a blanket in her crib/toddler bed. Its chocolate brown and will have pink ribbon threaded thru the sides and then topped off with pink ruffle trim. It has taken me a long time to get to this point because of its length but I have had fun making it. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Now for my prayer request. Nothing major but still important to me!!! My banana has a HUGE church ceremony coming up. She completed a girls Mpact program which she has been involved in since she was 5 (she is now 11) She has done so much work, essays, bible memorization, bible reading and earned all her badges. She aced her exam and now will be honored with the other girls in a special Honor Star crowning. Dad will walk her down the aisle and I get to place the tiara on her head. Her beautiful white dress has been purchased and is sitting in my closet. Whats the problem you ask??? The ONLY date the church could schedule this very important ceremony is around the day of my "not so definite" delivery day!!! And the date can't be changed. Trust me I have tried. I usually get induced at 39 weeks which will mean I will be discharged from the hospital and have to go straight to the church with a brandy-new baby in a germ infested world!!! NOT HAPPY but I will do what needs to be done for my daughter... even if it means having to give birth in the pew so I don't miss this.

SO, im asking for prayers that I spontaneously go into labor earlier... technically babies are ready at 38 weeks so im praying I go into labor earlier, have a beautiful HEALTHY ready baby and have a few days to recover before having to step back out in the world. I don't want to miss this and I just don't know what to do but God does... so Im asking him a favor ;) would you join me in asking Him too???

Well my dear friends, that is just a small update on what is going on in my home. Im hitting the wall as most of you 3rd trimester bloggers can agree with. My body hurts and aches by the end of the day. Im ready to have this baby and not have my hips feel like they are on fire. Many of you are reaching your DDay too! How exciting!!!

Oh did I tell you we went on our hospital tour today?? It was SO MUCH FUN!! and Hubby and I were the most giddiest parents there. Someone has to lighten the mood right?

Well im off. Church tomorrow and lots of things to do. Hope to hear from you all and be patient. I plan on visiting all of you just as soon as I can

XOXOXO

P.s. I also can't figure out why some pictures will enlarge and some don't. Just keep trying... most work.

Its coming!!!

A Blog post that is!!! Did y'all think baby P. was arriving??? I wish....

Im in my bedroom quickly typing this out to you since you all have been on my mind for days.

My kitchen is a disaster, groceries need to be put away, dishes need to be cleaned, kids need to be tended to and hubby needs to get off the main computer so I can download pictures and post away. Perhaps tonight???

A lot of choas and mayhem have been hapening here and I plan on telling you ALL! Pictures included. That means me being {GULP} transparent and showing you that YES, I even have days that my cute little red house is... um... dis-organized???

I did some decorating too =)

I have some neighborhood news, construction news and even some baby news... (no birth announcements though)

I also have a prayer request for y'all and would love for you to add me to your prayer list.

But enough of that. All in due time. I need to go. Hubby needs to go out and mow our yard before we officially become "RED" necks. Har har har...

yes, Im in that type of mood... and I think I hear one of my kids climbing in my pantry...

Stay tuned....

The Finished Product... Almost!

Here it is!! My first EVER finished crocheted blanket for my sweet P. I finished it yesterday afternoon and could not stop staring at it. The trim was not the exact trim I had wanted or envisioned but I had a really hard time finding a tutorial for exactly what I wanted so I settled for this one which was nice and easy!!

I just LOVE the colors and that green is amazing in person.

I called hubby at work and gave him my next colors to pick up since I would not be at the store. He brought me home chocolate brown and last night my fingers began. Im making another blanket which will be a bit bigger (since the one I just made was smaller than I wanted) and will have a different trim. Im going to add a border which will allow ribbon to be threaded thru and then a pink ruffle border after that and a big pink crochet rosette in the corner. Sounds awesome right?? I can't wait. I need to learn the rosette. Its a bit tricky. I will make 2. One for the green and pink blanket I just made and one for the chocolate one.

Then my next blanket will be a red and pink combo one since im really liking those colors together... I have a really cool idea for that one too. Several babies are being born/adopted in my church in the next few months so that will be a perfect way for me to keep up the crocheting (with an excuse=))

I have not forgotten about my knitting. I cannot find the match to my yarn for the life of me, so if by friday I still can't find it, I must start Emma's scarf over again. GAMECOCKS season is fast approaching (16 days) and I want her to have the scarf in time for the first kick off!!!

Hubby has a short work week this week. YIPPIE! He had some scheduled time off for a while and will still take it so I am really looking forward to spending a very long weekend. Friday is our shopping day which he will join us for and Saturday just him and I will tour the hospital where I will be delivering our latest addition. I have never delivered or seen the OB ward in this hospital and I can't wait.

Well I must be off. Im very cranky this morning and wish I could shake this horrid mood.... perhaps if I get off this computer and get the kids settled and quiet my mood will lift. One can hope right???

Monday...

Its Monday!! The first day of public school around my neck of the woods... thankfully mine are right next to me with their noses in their books... on our own schedule, learning at their own pace. Ahh, another joy of homeschooling.

We are having a slow morning. A v-e-r-y- slow morning. We are still trying to recover from a very busy weekend of company, great conversation and good food. I was up past my bedtime twice which made for a very grumpy mama in the morning.

But it was worth it. School will be a bit light today. The older girls know what they need to get done and I will continue working on Molly's reading words with her and her writing.Then cleaning will commence... lots and lots of cleaning... to get the house back to normal.

Dinner will be whatever I throw together from the freezer. I can't put much thought into it, im just so tired. Dishes need to get done and counters need to be wiped.

But the great news is my crocheted blanket for Miss P. is just about complete. I am almost done adding the border around it. Its not the border I want but it will do for now... seeing as its my first. It looks like my first ;) but will suit Sweet P. just fine. It was made with love.

This week I will begin another one just because. The colors will be different and If it comes out great enough it will be a gift, if not, it will be used. I truly love crocheting and knitting. Now to work on beanie hats. Maybe next week? Who knows.

Until then I will try to awaken from this fog. Yes, its just one of those days.....

Whats New??

Isn't that saying awesome?? Im buying it to put on my living room wall. I have always wanted one of those decal sticker wall mural quotes and when I saw this I just knew it was the one. I immediately broke out in the song and knew if this was on the wall it would be joyous.

I saw a few others I would like. One for my kitchen and one for my foyer... not sure if that is too much though. What do you think?? Would that be quote overkill???

Sorry for my absence. I have been busy once again. So much is going on and it always seems to fall all in the same day/week with not much notice.

I just found out yesterday that we will be starting a ladies bible study wednesday nights for the fall semester... "Daniel" By Beth Moore. I am BEYOND thrilled. You have no idea. Sunday School is very early at my church and most times we just can't make it. Especially since Jason gets up so early for work every day. Sundays we don't want to rush and cause sour moods.... But I miss it dearly. Sunday School was my most precious time of the week but now I can get a taste of it again. September can't come soon enough for me. Wednesday nights is another special time for me at church. Relaxed, cozy, small congregation....

Anyway, I have some family swinging by this weekend as well. My cousin will be a freshman at USC GO GAMECOCKS!! SO after they settle her up at school they will swing by my house to say hello. I have not seen them in 3.5 years so it will be a nice visit.

I've been a knitting and crocheting FIEND this past week. I laugh at myself and ask my hubby if he thinks Im turning into an old lady because as soon as all the kids go upstairs at night, I take out my bag and go until I fall asleep. I look forward to this EVERY NIGHT!!! Most times I sneak off into my bedroom and put my feet up and watch all MY shows on my dvr and relax. I have been knitting Emma an awesome scarf in Gamecock colors... GO GAMECOCKS but I ran out of yarn and am having problems finding it, so while I search I switched to crocheting. Im crocheting Sweet P. a nice soft green blanket. Its turning out really really nice... especially since its my first one. I will take a picture when I get a bit more done and show you. =)

Oh and after weeks and weeks of near triple digit temps and HIGH electric bills, this weekend will be in the MID-80'S!! Can you believe that??? 84-85 degrees. Man, I just might break out the sweaters. Ha! I can't wait!!!!!!

Have a GREAT day!

XoXo

Fabric, Scissors, Markers Oh My!

Remember the picture of this fabric that I was totally in LOVE with???

Well today, while Hubby had to work for a bit, I began. A bit of measuring, cutting and ti eying and....

Voila....

A beautiful, cuddly, soft fleece blanket for my baby. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way it turned out. Its so cute and soft and warm. It will be a bit big for her in the beginning but she will grow and then it will be the most perfect size for her to use on her bed, laying on the floor, cuddling on the couch... most certainly a keepsake for many years to come.

I also found this great pocket chart in the dollar bin at Target the other day and bought it. I was not sure what I would use it for at first but it didn't take me long to figure it out. I cut index cards in half and labeled them #'s 1-20. On the backs of each card are colorful dots so if they can't recognize the number... they can count the dots to get the answer. I needed one for Molly to help her practice her math and to start Noah and Abby on number reading. I also included adding and subtracting signs with small number cards for numbers 0-9 so we can do some math problems and Molly can use the chart to create her equations. Pretty nifty huh?

I just love it. I will be going back to Target this week to get some more. Not sure what I will turn those into but Im sure I can think of something. They are just too handy not to have a supply of....

Do you have any cool suggestions???