I love Tennessee!!! Mainly for the sheer amusement I get from the natives from time to time! Today I had one of those amused moments! I was coming out of the parking lot of the bank and beheld (is that actually a word?) the back end of a station wagon with several stickers in the back window. One was and NRA sticker, then a Confederate flag sticker, next was a "God Bless Dixie" sticker w/ a Confederate flag, there was a Confederate flag on the license plate and top all of that off with a bumper sticker advertising "Sons of the Confederate" with a 1-800 number for you to call and join up! Ahhhh me!
Well, in about 4 hours I'm headed out of here to go scrapbook all night! I hope I have energy left to function! I was up late trying to get things accomplished so I'm not completely embarassed for our babysitter to be here! Things just haven't fallen back into place post-Homecoming, but we've been pretty busy this week too. If nothing else, the fresh air will be good for me!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Rainy Days and Memorials
So I've been figuring out this digital scrapbook thing, and I sorta like it! My husband may like it better in that I can scrap and not bring more paper into the house...yeah! Like that's really how it's going to work!!! Anyway, I was perusing one of the websites and came across a set for Coast Guard and I was fit to be tied! I don't think you understand how HARD it is to find things with the Coast Guard on it! My Granddad that passed away in November was a veteran of the Coast Guard, so of course I had to get it! Granddad would have been 89 this coming Wednesday, and this afternoon created a Memorial page for him with one of my favorite pictures. My dad made this picture into a 12x16 (or some such huge size) for my Grandma...she has it hanging by her bed and says she 'talks' to him every night before she goes to sleep. *sigh* I admit I struggled today...our hearts are still healing.
In other news...our creek may meet our house before the days out! It has literally rained bucket loads today! I told my chiropractor today that if this had been snow, at least the kids and I could have gone out and played! I guess we still could have but I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the laundry nearly as much!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Food For Thought, before I go get dinner...
How's that for irony in a blog title! I'm attempting to make it to church tonight...Wednesday nights typically don't get it for us, but I've really been wanting to do the Bible study that a friend of mine is leading. Anyway, that's beside the point...shortly after I got home this afternoon, I was on the phone with my dad, and he was telling me to keep praying for the family. There's some really wicked situations going on there, ones that have been ongoing. It's really frustrating, partly because I can't be there to show physical support, and also because I feel like I'm not help, that maybe if I were there I could do something...anything! I worry about my mom, I worry about Grandma, and other family members that are caught in the crossfire. Best I can do is pray...and, for some more irony, while I was showering the lyrics of a song I hear on the radio often by one of my favorite groups, Mercy Me, came to mind...so I'm going to close out here with the lyrics:
"Bring The Rain"
I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray
Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
"Bring The Rain"
I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray
Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Learning to Heal- Nov. 25, 2007***Edited
Some of you are aware, some of you are not. Nearly a month ago, my Grandfather passed away. We spent close to a week in Indiana for the proceedings and arrived back home this past Tuesday, just before Thanksgiving. I must admit, my mind has been preoccupied. His death was somewhat sudden...He had a heart attack Monday November 12th, had a stint placed late that night and seemed to be doing better, however overnight, his kidneys failed and his lungs filled with fluid, and by lunchtime on that Tuesday he was gone.
Granddad lived an long and amazing life. While we shed a lot of tears last month, I so enjoyed sitting around with the family and going through tons of pictures, remembering stories. He was famous for his BBQ ribs every 4th of July, and I mean EVERY one of them! Even when we couldn't be there, we could almost taste them. Thankfully my uncle Minor is keeping that legacy alive, as Granddad not only passed along the spatula, but the recipe as well. His ability to find 4 leaf clovers was uncanny! The rest of us could sit there in the grass for HOURS and never fine a one!!! He'd come to the same spot and in a matter of minutes find a lucky one! It's an ability that many of us wish we had! He was religious about golf and penucle (?). I believe I heard he'd played cards with his buddies the day before he died! We are pretty sure that he's carrying on these traditions in heaven with his buddies and Jesus!
For 31 years I have had all of my grandparents in my life, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that 1 is now gone. My grandparents have been wonderful and supportive. We've always been convinced that they'd be too stubborn to die :) You could argue with Grandma and Granddad until you were blue in the face, and somehow they would still win! Every holiday that we spent at their house, there was the inevitable "discussion" on politics...and so long as they knew a member of their family wasn't attending church, that found its way into a conversation as well...still does!
Grandma and Granddad have always been solid supporters of all the activities that the grandchildren were involved in. They were typically the first in line to get tickets! Granddad always had a hug and a kiss when our programs/events were over. He may not have a lot to say, but he always knew the right things to say to cheer us on and encourage us!
My mind is still afloat with memories, and I need to start writing them down. Christmas is only 15 days away now, and I guess you could say I'm bracing myself for how different things are going to be. I know when we were there a month ago I kept waiting for Granddad to walk down the hall out of their bedroom or the TV room to say hey with that welcoming grin on his face, yet knowing that it wasn't going to happen. Things will be different, but we will adjust and keep going, our hearts will heal.
To all of you that have shared enouraging words, cards and encouragement, THANK YOU!!!! We appreaciate your love, concern and friendship so much!
Granddad lived an long and amazing life. While we shed a lot of tears last month, I so enjoyed sitting around with the family and going through tons of pictures, remembering stories. He was famous for his BBQ ribs every 4th of July, and I mean EVERY one of them! Even when we couldn't be there, we could almost taste them. Thankfully my uncle Minor is keeping that legacy alive, as Granddad not only passed along the spatula, but the recipe as well. His ability to find 4 leaf clovers was uncanny! The rest of us could sit there in the grass for HOURS and never fine a one!!! He'd come to the same spot and in a matter of minutes find a lucky one! It's an ability that many of us wish we had! He was religious about golf and penucle (?). I believe I heard he'd played cards with his buddies the day before he died! We are pretty sure that he's carrying on these traditions in heaven with his buddies and Jesus!
For 31 years I have had all of my grandparents in my life, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that 1 is now gone. My grandparents have been wonderful and supportive. We've always been convinced that they'd be too stubborn to die :) You could argue with Grandma and Granddad until you were blue in the face, and somehow they would still win! Every holiday that we spent at their house, there was the inevitable "discussion" on politics...and so long as they knew a member of their family wasn't attending church, that found its way into a conversation as well...still does!
Grandma and Granddad have always been solid supporters of all the activities that the grandchildren were involved in. They were typically the first in line to get tickets! Granddad always had a hug and a kiss when our programs/events were over. He may not have a lot to say, but he always knew the right things to say to cheer us on and encourage us!
My mind is still afloat with memories, and I need to start writing them down. Christmas is only 15 days away now, and I guess you could say I'm bracing myself for how different things are going to be. I know when we were there a month ago I kept waiting for Granddad to walk down the hall out of their bedroom or the TV room to say hey with that welcoming grin on his face, yet knowing that it wasn't going to happen. Things will be different, but we will adjust and keep going, our hearts will heal.
To all of you that have shared enouraging words, cards and encouragement, THANK YOU!!!! We appreaciate your love, concern and friendship so much!
This Made Me Smile- Oct. 7, 2007
Washington Times Op-ed—Success Proving Critics Wrong
by J. Michael Smith
HSLDA President
When you hear stories of high academic achievement by homeschoolers, it's routine for opponents to try to minimize the results by asserting that not all homeschoolers are required to test over the same testing instruments.
Their goal is to show that homeschooling isn't a viable educational alternative that can benefit a large number of children. If they concede that point, and recognize the broad success of a home education, then one of the pillars of public education, teacher certification, must be questioned.
Homeschooled students taught by noncertified parents, who score higher than public school students taught by certified teachers is a hard pill for the education establishment to swallow.
In the past, homeschool success stories were few and far between due to the fact that the homeschool community was so small. To the skeptic, the occasional blip of a high achiever on the radar was an indication that some homeschoolers were succeeding, but not evidence of a revolutionary change in the way we educate children.
Today, however, homeschooling has developed an impressive track record. In particular, homeschoolers are consistently achieving in the arena skeptics believe should be out of the range of average parents, which is preparing students for college.
If parents can successfully prepare children for college, then the rationale for heavily subsidizing public schools weakens significantly. Recent results from ACT show homeschoolers have scored above the national average for the past 10 years, which helps show that homeschoolers are well-prepared for college.
But there's another program in which homeschoolers are making their presence known—the National Merit Scholarship Program. High school students compete for the scholarship by taking the PSAT/NMSQT and presenting a detailed list of their writing, leadership and community activities.
Approximately 1.4 million initial entrants are screened per year and about 16,000 students nationwide qualify as semifinalists, which is less than 1 percent of high school seniors. In the spring, about half this number will qualify as finalists and receive the scholarship.
The NMS program has seen a dramatic increase in the number of homeschoolers who place as finalists. Of the 248 homeschoolers among the 2003 semifinalists, 129 of these students advanced to finalist standing, receiving the National Merit Scholarship.
As noted by Kate Grossman, a reporter with the Chicago Sun-Times, the number of homeschoolers receiving National Merit Scholarships has increased more than 500 percent: from 21 in 1995 to 129 in 2003. Recently NMS announced that for 2008 there are 237 homeschool semifinalists.
The fact that homeschoolers consistently achieve at the highest levels shows that a parent-directed education should be taken seriously by the education establishment.
Parents are capable, and homeschooling has proven itself to be more than a blip on the radar. In fact, homeschooling is showing itself to be an enduring force that has the potential to transform American education.
Continuing success with the NMS program simply is further evidence that parents can teach their own children to the highest level. It also shows that there's nothing inherently superior to an institutional school.
Parents, using their own resources, and their own time, can achieve impressive results.
We hope many more parents will make this important choice and have the confidence to make a decision that will have a great impact on the life of their children and family.
Michael Smith is the president of the Home School Legal Defense Association. He may be contacted at 
(540)338-5600
; or send email to media@hslda.org.
Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Songs- Aug. 20, 2007
OK kids....I was actually inspired to blog today...thanks to a friend!!!!! As I was reading his blog, of a similar title, I started thinking of my own guilty pleasure songs, and boy....did I take a siesta to the past!!! This was kind of fun! Hope you enjoy!!!
Keep in mind, these are in no particular order:
1. After the Rain- Nelson: Don't know if it was the music or the hair, but these boys made me swoon!!!
2. Pour Some Sugar On Me- Def Leppard: This song was played in our Jr. High choir class one day...we were doing some sort of "current top hit songs" that week. It was hilarious for our petite choir teacher to even play this song...I'd never heard it before, but loved the song! Of course, living in the household that I did, never got to buy the CD. But my hubby has it!!!
3. Danger Zone- Kenny Loggins: From the movie Top Gun no less!!! All I'm saying, Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer...shirtless volleyball scene!!! *sigh*
4. Coming to America- Neil Diamond: Yeah I know!!! But it's what I grew up on! Purely here for nostalgic purposes...My dad would BLAST this song through the whole house...many times on Saturday mornings to wake us all up, if we weren't already. I'd get sooooo ticked!!! Then, we had to do the Neil Diamond concert, as a family (yeah, I know) and I have to confess, it was rather impressive in a live setting! But don't come looking for his albums in my house, because you won't find any!
5. One More Night- Phil Collins: Sr. Prom Theme! Yup, wore this song out thinking about "that special boy"!
6. You Got It (The Right Stuff)- New Kids on the Block: NKOTB was like an era for me and my friends in Jr. High. Sad but true! We knew the dance, we knew the outfits, we adored the hair! I believe the box of pictures and magazines and posters are still under my bed at mom and dad's!
7. Close Every Door to Me- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat soundtrack: We did this musical my sophomore year of high school...had SO much fun doing that show! This was my favorite song, because the hot senior with amazing pipes did the solo on it! Can we say swoonage??? YES!!!! BUT...the song is really good even when Matt's not singing it :) Really!!!!
8. Baby Baby- Amy Grant: Yeah, I was a big fan! Knew every lyric on this album I'm pretty sure!
9. Blaze of Glory- Bon Jovi: You had to know there was going to be a Bon Jovi song on my list! I would sneak peeks on MTV waiting for this video...my parents were not so fond of the station...my depraved childhood! I was reminded how much I liked this song during American Idol this past season (2007)...Phil kicked it pretty good!!!
10. Seize the Day- Newsies Soundtrack: My bff Tami and I wore this movie out!!! Christian Bale was a cutie back then too! I still pull it out and watch it from time to time....thanks to my awesome brother for my Christmas present!
Keep in mind, these are in no particular order:
1. After the Rain- Nelson: Don't know if it was the music or the hair, but these boys made me swoon!!!
2. Pour Some Sugar On Me- Def Leppard: This song was played in our Jr. High choir class one day...we were doing some sort of "current top hit songs" that week. It was hilarious for our petite choir teacher to even play this song...I'd never heard it before, but loved the song! Of course, living in the household that I did, never got to buy the CD. But my hubby has it!!!
3. Danger Zone- Kenny Loggins: From the movie Top Gun no less!!! All I'm saying, Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer...shirtless volleyball scene!!! *sigh*
4. Coming to America- Neil Diamond: Yeah I know!!! But it's what I grew up on! Purely here for nostalgic purposes...My dad would BLAST this song through the whole house...many times on Saturday mornings to wake us all up, if we weren't already. I'd get sooooo ticked!!! Then, we had to do the Neil Diamond concert, as a family (yeah, I know) and I have to confess, it was rather impressive in a live setting! But don't come looking for his albums in my house, because you won't find any!
5. One More Night- Phil Collins: Sr. Prom Theme! Yup, wore this song out thinking about "that special boy"!
6. You Got It (The Right Stuff)- New Kids on the Block: NKOTB was like an era for me and my friends in Jr. High. Sad but true! We knew the dance, we knew the outfits, we adored the hair! I believe the box of pictures and magazines and posters are still under my bed at mom and dad's!
7. Close Every Door to Me- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat soundtrack: We did this musical my sophomore year of high school...had SO much fun doing that show! This was my favorite song, because the hot senior with amazing pipes did the solo on it! Can we say swoonage??? YES!!!! BUT...the song is really good even when Matt's not singing it :) Really!!!!
8. Baby Baby- Amy Grant: Yeah, I was a big fan! Knew every lyric on this album I'm pretty sure!
9. Blaze of Glory- Bon Jovi: You had to know there was going to be a Bon Jovi song on my list! I would sneak peeks on MTV waiting for this video...my parents were not so fond of the station...my depraved childhood! I was reminded how much I liked this song during American Idol this past season (2007)...Phil kicked it pretty good!!!
10. Seize the Day- Newsies Soundtrack: My bff Tami and I wore this movie out!!! Christian Bale was a cutie back then too! I still pull it out and watch it from time to time....thanks to my awesome brother for my Christmas present!
5 Seconds to Myself!- May 17, 2007
So, it's a pretty rare thing for me to get a few minutes to myself. My darling diva daughter is into EVERYTHING anymore, I can't seem to trust her by herself for longer than about 30 seconds. Otherwise, she cuts her hair, dumps entire boxes of spaghetti noodles all over the living room...sprays conditioner on her Leap Pad...you name it, she's probably done it or at least attempted to!
My lil C-man turned 6 last month...he's quite proud of that! He's about to wrap up his 2nd season of soccer. His newest obsession is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and informed his father and I over the weekend that he now wants to take Karate....because of the Turtles of course! We'd tried to get him interested in it about a year ago, but wasn't so much interested. Hey, if he wants to burn off some steam with Karate, there could be worse things for him to ask for!
My lil C-man turned 6 last month...he's quite proud of that! He's about to wrap up his 2nd season of soccer. His newest obsession is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and informed his father and I over the weekend that he now wants to take Karate....because of the Turtles of course! We'd tried to get him interested in it about a year ago, but wasn't so much interested. Hey, if he wants to burn off some steam with Karate, there could be worse things for him to ask for!
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