6 people x’s 2 feet each equal a lot of shoes! But that doesn’t give you an excuse for a messy mountain of shoes. One of our house rules is, no wearing shoes inside the house. With that said, we keep all the shoes in the garage. If you are looking for something to organize your pile of sneakers, boots, and sandals…I recommend the ClosetMaid 31′ Horizontal Organizer. It’s an inexpensive way to display all your shoes for easy selection, while keeping them clean and neat.
I have been looking at different food containers to buy for our cereal, but didn’t want to pay the $10 to $15 dollars to do it. Publix is having a bogo on Snapware containers this week, one container is $6.99 but with the BOGO sale each one is equal to $3.49. If you use coupons, there is a $2.00 off for one Snapware product in the SS 8/04. I get two Sunday newspapers, so I had two coupons I could use, which brought my total down to $1.49 each! I’m excited about my great deal and the beginning of an organized pantry!
(Take your time and search for a deal plus a coupon…they’re out there to be used!)
“Show me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths.” Psalm 25:4
For the past three weeks my life has been consumed with boxes. It started with packing boxing, then moving boxes, and yes, then you guessed it, unpacking boxes. During this time I have fallen away from my daily routine.
It’s easy to get into the wrong habits, like not working out, going out to eat rather than cooking at home, or even not brushing your teeth at night before bed. Wrong habits always start with an innocent one time….you don’t workout one time, you don’t read the Word one time, you don’t go to church one time, but if you aren’t careful the one time turns into many times and a wrong habit is formed!
I have great news though, it is possible to reverse/change bad habits. Make a decision to get back on track, get your plan together on how you will start the process, and then if needed, write it down or share it with a spouse or friend so they can help keep you accountable.
Grace is nice, but it can be an enabler that only helps you continue down the wrong path. Be careful when you fail that you don’t give yourself to much grace or you will never change.
What’s stopping you from getting back on track?
After two weeks of packing, moving, unpacking and building things, we decided to take a break. We planned a Boy Family Adventure through Split Oak Forest Mitigation Park.
Alayna and Kayla brought their notepads to document all the interesting things they found along the trail.
We found this little guy hanging out on one of the info signs. 
Josiah had a blast running free and playing in the dirt!
Our adventure took us 3.1 miles through one of Florida’s deep wooded forest. Thankfully it was cloudy, low humidity and a gentle wind kept blowing through the trees. We took many water breaks and were all able to complete the North Loop trail! I’m so proud of all our adventurers for not giving up!
(Click on the words below and find recipes, craft ideas, and the location to fun fall activities)
FALL BUCKET LIST
1. Bring out the Fall Decorations
2. Make Leaf Art
3. Bob for Apples
4. Drink Hot Apple Cider
5. Go on a Hay-Ride
6. Visit a Pumpkin Patch
7. Find Our Way Through a Corn Maze
8. Make Popcorn from a Cob
9. Go on a Fall Picnic
10. Go to a Football Game
11. Carve a Pumpkin
12. Make Candy Apples
13. Take a Nature Walk with a Camera
14. Bake Leaf Cut-Out Cookies
15. Make lots of Pumpkin Crafts
We had the book, Ruby in Her Own Time by Jonathan Emmett, passed down to us a couple of months ago. The previous owner told us it was one of her favorite books and we quickly learned why.
Do you have a late bloomer, one that takes longer than the others to understand things, one that drums to her own beat? Then you might just have a Ruby. In the story, Ruby is the last to hatch of her brothers and sisters. She also ends up taking longer than her siblings to eat and swim, but she eventually does everything her siblings do in her own time.
This book has been added to our top 10 books for young readers and I also recommend it for Mom’s out there wondering if she/he will ever get it? Don’t lose hope, they will, in their own time!
Our daughter, Kayla, is starting VPK today! She has a special bond with her sisters and has never enjoyed being separated from them. With this in mind, I wanted to ease her fears as much as possible so, I asked my husband to make a special stop yesterday after church. We needed just the right book for the occasion. The sun had gone down, the moon was shining bright and everyone was in their pjs, cuddled up together, ready for a bed time story. This night I was reading, The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. It’s a beautiful story that will reassure your little one that your love is with them always! I definitely recommend this book to anyone that has a toddler or young child going to school for the first time. We finished that night praying over Kayla and her first day of school.
Kayla in her Pre-K class…No tears, no frowny faces, all smiles. Thank you God for easing her fears.
For today’s homeschooling tip I’m going to keep it simple…Don’t compare! It’s easy to compare, we all do it. Women compare their bodies, men compare their cars, kids compare their toys, dogs compare their bones with other dogs, etc.
By comparing we can add unnecessary pressure (stress) to ourselves and our children. Kids learn at different rates. This is something I had to learn and something I have to remind myself of sometimes. It’s okay if our children don’t learn to read until their nine. So what, who cares, as long as they learn. Learning is not a race. We should strive on creating a joy for learning and developing secure confident children.
Don’t fall into the trap of comparing, no one wins in that scenario.
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” Mark 10:7-8
Remember that very special day. It was one of the most exciting times of your life. You were planning to marry the man of your dreams. He was everything you needed and wanted. You couldn’t wait to walk down the aisle so you could start your happy ever after story.
The first year was amazing. He was perfect, he couldn’t do anything wrong. Date night was every night. You stayed up late laughing at the craziest things, you enjoyed playing house together. He was your best friend and nothing could come between you both.
Now fast forward four or five or maybe ten or twenty years. You are beginning to lose your patience and the things that were once cute, aren’t so cute anymore.
I want to encourage the wives to remember when…remember when you put him first over your children and your career…remember when you thought he was your everything…and remember why you married the man of your dreams.
Our marriages can get cloudy after a while, feelings get hurt, walls are built and you wonder what happened to your happily ever after. First, we must realize we can’t change anyone…so don’t waste your breath nagging your husband, this will only cause more issues in your marriage. Instead we must pray for our spouse everyday. Second, don’t allow yourself to feed negative thoughts in your head about your husband this will add more problems. And third, evaluate yourself, how have you changed since you got married. Do you put your husband on the back burner, where he boils over because that’s the only way he’ll get attention?
If so, remember when… and make it a priority to pray everyday for your husband and your marriage.
Heavenly Father, I ask you to touch the marriages across this world. I pray you help us all to remember the day we said “I do” and the commitment we made to our husband before you and our family. Help heal the hearts that have been hurt by harsh words or actions and let forgiveness take place. Thank you for giving us a companion we can share our dreams and aspirations with, thank you for the marriage promise. May we draw closer to our spouse as we draw closer to you. In Jesus Name Amen.
2013-2014 School Year Curriculum
The Artist (3rd Grade):
Bible: Grapevine Studies
Math: A Beka
Science: The Young Scientist Club
English: BJU
Reading: My Father’s World Reading List
Read-Alouds: My Father’s World Reading List
Spelling: Sequential Spelling
Writing: Handwriting without Tears
Spanish: Rosetta Stone
Keyboarding: Typing Web (first year trying out this free website)
Activities: JBQ & Piano
The Singer (1st Grade):
Bible: Grapevine Studies
Math: A Beka
Science: The Young Scientist Club
English: A Beka
Reading: A Beka
Read-Alouds: My Father’s World Reading List
Spelling: Sequential Spelling
Writing: Handwriting without Tears
Spanish: Rosetta Stone
Keyboarding: Typing Web (first year trying out this free website)
Activities: JBQ & Piano
Little Hummingbird
VPK 3 days a week
Nino Lindo
Run, Jump, & Run Some More…hehe
From The Committed Heart 