Wheels, Wheels and more Wheels!

Landon has had his share of driving in the country. A teenage boy and wheels...is there anything better? :) Uncle Mike gave him driving lessons on his 4-wheeler (I'm sure that vehicle has an official term...I just don't know it!). And, he's let him borrow it whenever he wants. (Actually, whenever I allow.) :) So, while Payton is happy as a lark on her four legged ride, Landon having fun on four wheels. We are such country bumpkins. (If that's a word?) We've had a blast. I guess I'm a country girl at heart....it brings me back to my childhood.

Max and I have also been giving him "real" driving lessons. In the 10 years I've homeschooled, this class by far, has been the most difficult for me! Bring on Algebra 2...it's less stressful. :) Landon did really well, he isn't the problem...it's ME! I am the worst back seat driver ever. I've always been a little freaked out in a car, but it mulitplied in Germany while driving on the Autoban. Yikes!! The poor guys in my life have it tough. Although, this is the perfect place for Landon to get comfortable behind the wheel. The only thing we have to worry about him hitting out here....is a cow. :)

                                                       Here's Payton in the back seat! :) Poor Landon, he doesn't have a chance with Payton and I. :)

Thanks for Your Prayers

To all who prayed for our friend, Mike Phillips, thank you! God's will was done. He chose to take Mike home. He is now out of pain and dwelling in the presence of our Almighty Lord. Although Mike no longer needs prayer, would you please remember his wife, Deanna, and his daughter, Elizabeth, as they learn to live without him on this earth. Mike served our country for over 19 years. I didn't know him during most of those years, but if his career was any indication of how I watched him fight the battle of cancer, he was not only a soilder, he was a hero! He fought with the upmost bravery and dignity.

   This is Elizabeth and Payton with their pride and joy, Bell and Charlie. ;)

We are so grateful we were able to stop for a few days in Dallas to visit them on our way to NM. Max stayed over night in the hospital with Mike, so Deanna could go home for a night. We told her that Mike needed to hear some talk shop...because there were too many hormones in that hospital room. :) Thank you, Lord, for the time we had!

Fun in New Mexico

Well, we made it to New Mexico! We will stay until the beginning of April. It's been a blessing to spend time with family. Payton and Tata (my dad) coming back from a horse ride. (She removed her helmet just for the picture!) Even though I was raised in the country and have been around horses my whole life...they still scare me! They're still an animal....and a large one at that. Payton is riding a 22 year old "gentle" horse, which I love. But, I still wish she liked ballet...seems much less dangerous! :)

We got to go skiing in Santa Fe this past Saturday. It was AWESOME! The conditions were perfect. Lots of snow, sunny skies and no lines at the lifts. We have never had the opportunity to be so close to a ski resort. It's great, and another snow storm is hitting the mountains today, so possibly one more trip this season? ;)

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. :)
I

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. :)

Gifts of Love

God blessed me with another birthday! Thank you, Lord, for 46 years. My family surprised me with a night away and dinner at my favorite restaurant (which by the way, Max hates! I'm so happe I got to eat there one more time before we move.) The picture above is only one of the sweet notes Payton left on my vehicle. :)

I have to brag about my son...I have not opened my own door in years! So I thought it was time I got a picture of it. He's my sweet gentleman.

My kids have always know that home made gifts are my favorite. So they try very hard to bless me in this way. Payton crocheted me this BEAUTIFUL scarf, I am so proud of her, and I will treasure it forever! Landon made me a dinner CD with him playing all my favorite classical guitar songs. (One day I will learn how to download music.) Another gift that will be treasured.

This was my view from the hotel room. Thank you, my sweet family, for a wonderful birthday! :)

Comments

Thanks, Tonya, for letting me know that you weren't able to leave a comment. I have now changed the settings, so all comments are welcome. (Obviously, only appropriate ones. I've only had one spam comment  that I had to remove. It was from an anti-military individual...which in my opionion, if your anti-military, your anti-American!!) Okay...I'm off my soap box. ;)

Prayer Request

Dear friends and family,

Over a year ago, I sent an email asking for prayer for some dear friends of ours. God has done some amazing things in their life over the past year and a half. But today, they received some doom and gloom news. (FYI - The same news they heard at the beginning of this road with cancer. But Mike, because of our Lord's healing hand, has exceeded all their expectations.) Mike and Deanna both know and trust that God is in charge of the world and everyone in it! So until our Lord says otherwise, we will stay on our knees. With all that said, if you are a believer, I beg you to please keep this special family in your prayers. Here is their blog address if you care to read it. Thank you!

http://inhishandandholdingontightly.blogspot.com/

Guy vs. Girls Version of Science

Payton inspecting a crayfish during science at our co-op. Gotta love that face....

Landon learning about cells in Biology. Disections coming soon...yeah! (Not really!) :) 

Payton's Puppy Coats

A couple of weeks ago, our worship leader (and friend) bought his wife a Pomerania puppy. Payton, my serious dog lover, decided to make Zion a coat and blanket. (It was during our Artic Blast...brrrrr!) After she made it, she enjoyed getting back to sewing so much...(and was extremely pleased with her results:)), that she turned it into a business. Sewing has always been one of her favorite hobbies. I'm so grateful that she is so domestic. I pray she makes a wonderful wife one day.

She has seven orders complete...and is thrilled! ;)

My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Ecclesiastes 2:10b

Movie Marathon 2010

During Christmas break, Landon asked us if he could stay up on New Year's night for a Lord of the Rings movie marathon. (We were going to a party on New Year's Day at our Pastor's house, and I wasn't about to take him there with lack of sleep. He is know (by his family) for getting 'really' cranky when he's tired...so New Year's Eve was out of the question! :)) He started the marathon at 9:30 p.m. This picture was taken the next morning at 7:00 a.m. I couldn't believe he did it! He did say he had to do jumping jacks and use a cold wet wash cloth to prevent from falling asleep. He was determined! So at 7:30 a.m. he went to bed, but couldn't fall asleep, so he stayed up ALL day..... ....until that night at 8:30 p.m. Then he collapsed! (Yes, he's wrapped in a Snuggy! But, it belongs to Max...and that's a whole other post. :)) Landon's already asking if he can have a Star Wars marathon on 2011? This is the result I get for limiting my children's television. :)

Winter in Florida!

For the first time living in Florida, it really feels like winter. In the fours years we've live here, we've had a few cold days, but never this long. Several nights in a row it's dropped down to the low 20's! There was even a chance of snow last night, but to my kids big disappoinment, it didn't happen. (Sigh!) Anyhow, it's been nice to pull out our coats and scarfs, and actually use the fireplace without the air conditioner on. :)