Back in School...

The title explains why I haven't posted in awhile. :) Summer came and went, and we've been back in school for three weeks. The summer was especially quick for us with the move and remodeling. And, now it's back to reality (my family hates that word! I use it after a vacation, and they all snarl at me!). :) Anyhow, I love the break from school (as I'm sure everyone does), but I also love getting back to routine.

                                                   Payton working on vocabulary.

Landon labeling the world. A skill he accomplished a few years ago, and I will not let him forget it.  :)

                                       A few pictures of our homeschool room.

                               We meet in our hs room, but they also have desks in their room for their independent work (and peace and quiet for us all!).  :)

                                                       just "some" of our books... ;)


The kids have a packed year ahead of them. They have some challenging subjects and some enjoyable one. We all work very hard - it's what the Lord expects, so we always try to give Him our very best! Our learning might begin in the pages of a book....but they spiral to places that are so much more rewarding. It's such a joy and honor to watch my children grow daily. I'll never say it's easier, but they are SO worth the time invested!

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalms 32:8).

Pool Fun

L&P are a perfect age for a pool. I REALLY hated this body of water in the back yard when they were toddlers! I am very protective (those who know me, might say "over" protective, and that's okay! :)). But when you live in Tucson and read about all the drownings, it is frightening! As soon as they became  mobile, they wore a life vest every time we were outside. Those vests became part of their summer attire. (There wasn't, and still isn't, any negotiating when it comes to safety!) Another reason the vest were so important was...we had a large German Shepard, Rocky, who would not tolerate anything or anyone in the water. So we knew if one of them would accidentally fall in the pool, Rocky needed something to grab hold of, so he could pull them out. He was the best lifeguard ever! He ruined 'lots' of pool toys, floats, etc. But well worth the peace of mind to us! :) 

I couldn't resist a picture of the cutest babies in the world! :)

Attitude

I love this quote - and hoping it will bless someone!  (Of course it will be posted in our homeschool room, but not only for the children...... :))

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”


- Charles Swindoll

Family Camping Trip

We had a great time camping with our family in NM. The weather, company, and food were perfect! (Why does everything taste better in the great outdoors?!)  The funny thing is, Payton is the only one who caught fish! She caught four using a Barbie fishing rod that she borrowed from her little cousin. Thanks Uncle Mike and Auntie Mary for accommodating us. I forgot to take a picture of their camping trailor, but let's just say....they don't rough it anymore. We camped in style!

Our proud fisherman  girl....

Landon, Uncle Ruben, Auntie Noelle and James not giving up on fishing (notice Uncle Ruben using the Barbie pole...he's trying his luck!) :)

Landon playing the guitar. It was nice, even without the campfire. :)

An Uno game with cousins.....

Imagine that? Landon reading.

A watermelon with a face. :)

Happy 4th of July!

My plan was to get a "then and now" picture. I wanted the same pose, in front of the same prickly pear, holding an American flag, etc. (I wasn't going to push my luck and have them design their t-shirts like the ones in the photos) - but when we returned from church, they jumped in the pool, and my chance was gone. Oh, well...maybe next year.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with the great founders of this country. We are grateful that we can celebrate "Independence Day" with the freedom to worship You!

Home Improvement Tips

Tip #1 - DON'T DO IT!!!! 

I'm kidding. Or, am I? :)  We've made a lot of progress.  And next week it's time to shift gears.  We will get our house hold belongings delivered.  Then it will be time to find a home for all the things we have lived without these past months. (Comfortably, may I add.)  Except a few items that I really miss: my crock pot, ironing board, toaster and radio (I love talk radio)...oh, and my magnifying mirror (it's scary at my age to look in one, but my eye brows are out of control! And, why did I feel the need to share that?...(the paint fumes have really gotten to me.)  Anyhow, here's a few pics of our lives lately.

                    
                              Landon is our official fan and fixture hanger. (For lack of a better title.)

Hmmm...so many parts...where do I begin?

Wait! I have an idea.

Aren't these cute earrings? (Obviously, the paint fumes have gotten to my children, too.

Yay, Landon did it!

I have a funny story about Payton and painting. We were doing some touch up painting in our home in Fl. before we moved..  Against my will, Max let Payton help. She's a lot of help, but the packers were there and it was a crazy time. But, he let her anyway.  He said he "needed" the help. (The truth be told...he has a hard time telling her no.) :)  Well anyway, she ended up dropping a quart of paint, it bounced on the floor and splattered all over the back of my fabric chair.  I couldn't get mad at her because it was an accident...and she felt terrible about it! However, I did tell her unless we were painting outside or in a  home with old carpet, she couldn't paint until she was older. (She can be clumsy! Shnookums, if you're reading this...notice I said, "can be"... not always!)  (I do have a great paint removal tip: One of the packers told us to quickly grab a spray bottle. We immediately soaked the chair with water and then used the Shop Vac on it.  The Shop Vac pulled all the paint out of the chair!  He saved the day, and the chair!)  The following Saturday, we had to finish up the painting.  Payton walked up to me with all sincerity and tears in her eyes. I asked what was wrong....and she said, "Mama, you have striped the joy out of my life." I was shocked by her comment. (We've always promise to be honest to each other - but that one got me off guard!)  I told her that I didn't understand what I did wrong? She said, "Mama, some kids like to paint...but I LOVE to paint!" And, by you not allowing me to paint, some of my joy is gone. Ouch! I hugged her and told her, "What kind of mother would I be, if I striped the joy out of my little girl's life?"  I handed her the paint brush and watched her eyes gleam with joy.  :)

 She didn't have any idea how much "joy" she was going to experience moving to Tucson.  And...I didn't know how grateful I was going to be with my new decision!!  :)

Here she's showing off her edging.

                                                                           ....smiles of joy! :)

    The guys building arches.

       

    A nice place to rest.

                                                      

                           Arches complete, along with more joy. ;)

         

It's crown molding time.  Looks easy, huh?

Here's Landon trying to scare me more than I already was.  Hanging crown molding is not dangerous...unless, your doing it on a scaffold that reaches a 14 ft. ceiling!!!!!! Oh, Max, Max, Max!!

 

29 gallons later - Some say that painting is therapeutic. If that's the case, I should have it all together.  And I don't - so don't believe everything you read. :)

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Charlie says it all.  We're tired! ;)

                                                                    

Happy 15th Birthday!

We just celebrated Landon's 15th birthday. Daddy took the afternoon off work. (He had a meeting in the morning, on a national holiday? What's up with that?!?  :)) We took the kids to play Laser Tag. (It was a hit! They told us it was "as" fun as some Disney World rides. Wow! ) Then we spent a few hours at Barnes and Nobles. (His request, of course.) We ended the day with his favorite dinner -steak. He's my carnivore. (And gets to enjoy it, in moderation.)

                              You can't wear a tie to Pinnacle Peaks...or, they'll cut if off. :)


                                 
                                                               A rugged minor...

A pretty Southern girl...

                     ...and a not so pretty Southern dad! Yikes!

 I shocked Landon and bought him all his favorite "junk" food. You can tell by his smile that this is extremely rare!   

This years birthday cake was a challenge to make. I didn't have a mixer, measuring cups, spatulas, etc. But, the twenty minutes of mixing with a fork, was worth it. He loved it. (At least this year they all recognized what it was. :))

Oh, so many candles! It's hard to believe he's 15. Every birthday I tell them the story of their birth, and how I felt when I first laid eyes on them. That feeling has only intensified over the years. He is the most amazing, wonderful, terrific, funny, caring, enjoyable, son there is. It's a privilege to be his mom.

                                              Happy 15th Birthday, my son!
                                                           I love you!!!

So Many Memories....

When we left Tucson eight years ago, we left some things behind in a storage area underneath our house. Now, eight years later...it's been opened!  There was my hair-salon equipment, a solar pool cover, extra house tile, etc.  But what was really funny to find, was the kids' Little Tike's slide.  And why did I save this??  Was I thinking they could use it when we returned?  It was one of their favorite toys. We kept it by the pool, and they would slide down "thousands" of times, so daddy or I could catch them in the water.  I guess I thought, if we ever returned, the kids would have remained three and six. I only wish!!  Unfortunately, I can't turn back time, but I am grateful for the memories I do have in this home. (Painting allows a lot of time to reminisce!)  The precious memories of my children taking their first step....decorating our first Christmas tree....every inch of this house has a memory, where I rocked them....played with them....cared for them..... read to them ....oh, so many!  Max and I took this old repo house, and made it a home. We worked many looooooog hours on it. Too many to count.  And, it feels just like yesterday Max returned from Desert Storm, and we began our new life together.

But of course, the bad memories have also crept up since we've been back. Like the time I got home from taking the kids to a miniature pony farm, and Max showed up early from work. With excitement, I started telling him about the fun we had at the farm. He stopped me mid sentence, (it's what you have to do when I'm excited about something, or you won't get a word in!).  He proceeded to tell me that he got a call from his doctor, who recently had removed a mole from his back. The doctor gently gave him the news that the pathology report came back....and Max had stage three melanoma! (The prognoses was about six months to a year.) I felt like someone shoved their fist in my stomach. I will never forget that day as long as I live.  But obviously, God had a different plan for my husband.  The short story is...after days of fasting and prayer, Max was cleared of Melanoma!  The doctor was shocked! We were elated, and our Lord glorified.  We will never forget, "The Miracle for Max!" 

A few years later, on a summer afternoon, I was reading to Landon when Max rushed through the front door with a dozen red roses and a card attached that read, "We have a healthy baby!" Backing up weeks before....a blood test came back positive that my baby (Payton) had a high chance of having down syndrome. (On a side note, if we could do that one over again, I would have NEVER gone through any testing to find out if she was healthy or not. What did it matter? We would have loved her with all our heart either way. She was our baby, a gift from God!!)  When we finally did get the results, we were thrilled, but not surprised. Backing up once again....the Wednesday prior, we were at church and asked one of our pastors if he would pray with us after service. He knew we were burdened, so of course he agreed. We  went into the sanctuary, sat down, and Max randomly open his bible and started reading. He opened it to a passage where Jesus was telling his disciples that if they had faith and would not doubt, they could say to a mountain go, and throw yourself into the sea and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. (Paraphrased by me.) I thought it was amazing, since we had just asked for prayer! So, I asked Max what chapter and verse it was, so I could write it in my journal when I got home. Well...he turned back the page, and as he told me, Matthew 21:21...we both had chills run down our spine!! We had done lots of research on chromosomes, and we learned that chromosomes "21-21," determined a healthy baby! Some might think it was a coincidence, but we know that God communicates to us in numerous ways. And, on that particular Wednesday evening.....He chose Matthew 21:21.  

The memories will keep coming, and I will keep smiling (and painting!)....and looking forward to making new ones!  :)

Tucson

It's wonderful to be back in Tucson! I had planned on posting when I got here, but we've been quite busy. We stayed on base for the first week and then moved into our home....where we've been camping ever since. We have air mattresses, a camping table, four chairs, four plates....well, you get the picture. :) In my families eyes, we've really been "roughing it" without the internet or TV. (I'm still procrastinating on getting TV....I could easily live without it, but I don't think I'll get away with it!) Since we've moved in, our lives have only consisted of school, home repairs, trips to Lowe's, cleaning, painting....did I mention painting? The paint brush is forever indented in the palm of my hand. We decided to keep our belongings in storage until we get all the painting, etc. done. It's much easier without all that stuff in the way. It's actually kind of refreshing not having all that "stuff." Although, living out of a suitcase since February has its challenges, too. Like wearing the same three short sleeves shirts...and refusing to buy any more. :)

I did take some time to get outside with my camera when we got here. The blooming cacti and the wild flowers were amazing! There is light at the end of my paintbrush...and this is it. :) Enjoy a few shots of the beautiful desert!

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? ;)