Packing is Fun for Some

Payton set up a little camp for the two of them. When they were little, they built tents all over the house...but it was fun to see she still has lots of kid in her. And Landon, well...he just played along. :)
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Payton asked me for a Sharpie...later I discovered why she wanted one. There were "many" boxes with art work, verses, etc. Never know how God can use this? :)

boxes, boxes....and more boxes - Yikes!!

Good Bye to our CC Friends

 Some CC friends and I snuck out early on a Saturday morning to have a "good-bye breakfast." Give a homeschool mom a morning without school work +  lots of coffee = a great time!  I am going to miss my Classical Conversation friends...these ladies ROCK! :)

This is Payton's Foundation class. They typically don't act this goofy (well, most ot the time anyway). :) I took some of the pictures for our year book...and I asked for a goofy one.  We spent every Wednesday for 24 weeks with this great homeschool co-op.  (I had all intentions of blogging about Classical Converstion...but never got around to it.  CC was a  blessing to our family!

This is Landon's Class. Yes, I told them to act goofy, too.  Obviously, it wasn't a problem. :)
They gave Landon a going away party today. The girls put together a little picture album and everyone signed a sweet good bye message.  Sometimes, I think teens get a bad rap, becaued this is a GREAT group of  teens.  Landon is really going to miss them (....and so am I).

  Payton also got a little going away treat this afternoon - as you can see by her smile, she was sure blessed!

I thank the Lord for the people He put in our lives while in Florida.  It is bitter/sweet leaving.  We are thrilled to go back to Tucson.... to be closer to family.  But when you're in the military, your friends become your family.  Our church is having a potluck for us on Sunday, our sweet neighbors are cooking dinner for us and watching our Charlie.  I could go on about the about the wonderful friends we're going to miss....but unfortunately, saying good bye is part of the military life.  I pray God blesses each and every one of them!! (sniff-sniff....)

The Joys of Moving

Once again we were getting ready for a garage sale when another horrible natural disaster occured (my kids slide for our pool in Tucson, will now have to wait). I say once again because....when we arrived in Florida, we went through all our "stuff," and we were prepared for a garage sale. That week, the devastating hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. (Only because my friend, Marla, prayed it away from us!) So those proceeds went to help them. If you ever see a garage sale sign in our yard...be aware! I know it's nothing to kid about....just very strange. I do thank the Lord that we were able to help, and  I pray my kids ALWAYS put people above things!! Like the sign says....1 Chron. 29:14 b

                                 Landon showing the potential shoppers how comfy the sectional is. ;)

Valentines in the Mist of Moving

Every year I make a formal candle light dinner for Valentine's Day. The table is beautifully set with the fine china. The heart shaped meat loaf and the fixings are looked forward to, along with a chocolate dessert. It's a wonderful time to celebrate the love we have for each other and reflect on God's love for us, and ours for Him. We exchange a Valentine's card and small thoughtful gifts to each other. Years ago I purchased these Valentine's stockings for the kids. When they were small, I filled them with candy and small trinkets. But about six years ago, I started a tradition of making coupon books to put in the stocking. (Max gets his own too.) :) Since we're in the mist of packing this year, I knew I couldn't pull off the full celebration. When I mentioned this to my kids...they asked if they were going to get the coupon book? It was already in the making. :) It really is one of their very favorite tradions! (And, as you can see below...there's not much spending involved, just acts of service and some special treats.) Here's an example of this years coupons. ;)

This coupon is good to watch one DVD of choice. Enjoy it with a snack!! :)

This coupon is good for “30” minutes of video games! (It may only be redeemed after school work is completed.) Enjoy!

I’ll serve you today! This coupon gets you out of one chore for the day! Relax and enjoy!
This coupon entitles you to your “favorite dinner”(72 hours notice, please).

This coupon is good for any snack from the grocery store, that you typically aren’t allowed to eat. (As tough as it will be for me....trans fats and corn syrup are allowed. Yikes!)

This coupon entitles you to “stay up past your bedtime” (A reasonable hour of course and may only be redeemed on Friday or Saturday!)


This coupon is good for “one hour of  video game time!”(Coupon may only be redeemed during summer break!) Enjoy!

This coupon is good for “dessert of your choice” (72 hours notice, please).

This coupon is good for “one round of miniature golf.”(Temperature must be below 75 degrees and higher than 60! Brrrrr!)

This coupon entitles you to replace a school subject with and educational game! Let’s have some fun!

Redeem this coupon for a literature book of your choice at B & N. Hot choclate or lemonade included. (Depending on the season.) ;)

This coupon is good for....me doing your laundry for the week. (Includes: washing, drying, folding and putting cloths away, enjoy the break!)

Happy Valentine's Day

1 Cor. 13: 4-8

The Beginning of the Goodbyes...

Payton had a few friends over for a sleep over. "Lots" of giggles and fun! Is there anything sweeter than a house full of laughing kids?!?  Nothing that I know of!

                                                    The girls making Valentine placemats.

Here they are mimicking Tim Hawkins after watching his video. (No company is ever allowed to leave our home without Payton pulling out his video to watch. He is too funny!)

                           Rise and shine sleepy heads....oh, did you not get enough sleep last night? :)



 Landon also had a sleep over. The boys were a blast, too. Now, I can understand how the girls laughed their heads off with Tim Hawkins...he's a comedian. But the guys laughed just as hard watching Jurrassic Park! Hmmm....all this time, I didn't realize it was a comedy. :)

                                

Teenage boys can sure eat (junk food of course!). Here they are eating banana splits, without the bananas, and pizza without the salad. Oh well, I tried! :)

Of course the wii was used. Imagine that? Boys and video games. Landon was in heaven, my kids only get an hour a week of video time...so this was a REAL treat. (I know I sound cruel...and on rare occasions they'll get extra time on a Saturday. Let's just say, I don't think he'd have the same love of reading, if he could use that "white box" as often as he'd like.) 

Sean's shirt was a hit. :)