The Simple Life at Home

This is what I hear over and over again when people learn that I homeschool my kids. I can understand that would be someone's first instinct. Homeschooling is a demanding career (yes, I consider it my career) that takes a lot of dedication and time. But you know what? You could homeschool if you really wanted to. Don't misunderstand me - I'm not saying that I believe that everyone should homeschool, that all other educational forms are wrong. But I do want to encourage those who are considering it to understand that it is possible for the vast majority of people. I'd like to look at some of the reasons I've heard regarding why people feel homeschooling wouldn't work for them.

1. I don't have the patience to be with my children day in and day out - This is probably what I hear the most. And it's also, to me, the funniest reason people give. As if homeschool mothers are somehow magically endowed with super-human amounts of patience. Trust me, nothing could be further from the truth. There are many days when I feel like I'm going to lose it and have really ugly thoughts running through my head. But the trick is, unless we put ourselves in situations where we can learn patience, we never will. It's like that old cartoon where someone is praying, "God, give me patience...And I want it now!" As you homeschool, you will develop the patience that you need, but yes, it's a process.
2. My kids would never listen to me - Well, no, maybe not at first. They are used to seeing you as secondary to their teachers, academically speaking. How many of you have heard (or said to your own parents), "That's not how the teacher said to do it!"? But over time, they would learn to respect you in your position as teacher. And if you handle the transition right, they might even embrace you as teacher before you know it. Now, I'll agree that this is easier if you homeschool from the start. But if you allow them time to de-school you will make the transition easier on all of you and allow you and your child the opportunity to re-build your relationship in a new way, as both teacher and parent.
3. We need the money my job brings in - Far be it from me to judge anyone's finances. I know that there are families out there that truly struggle and need that second income. But I also hear this from people who live in a big house, take expensive vacations, drive expensive cars and spend like it's going out of style. Which is fine - everyone has the right to spend the money they earn in their own way. But I would just challenge you, if this is the only thing holding you back from homeschooling, to really consider your spending habits and see if they line up with what your priorities are. There are many resources which can help you cut expenses. There are even studies showing that the income most women bring in goes mainly to support her career anyways, once you consider childcare costs, wardrobe expenses, eating out because Mom's too tired to cook, increased tax bracket, etc.
4. I'm not smart and/or educated enough - There are so many wonderful types of curricula out there which lay everything out for you, this is SO not a problem. While I think I'm a pretty intelligent woman (if being able to answer almost every question on Jeopardy is any indication - LOL!) and yet I didn't finish college. I learn with my kids. If they ask me a question I don't know the answer to, we look it up and learn it together. Now, my particular area of weakness is math, so I've ordered a program for my kids this year that is completely on the computer - teaching, explanations, answers, you name it. These same types of programs exist for almost any subject you can think of. Lack of confidence in yourself should not hold you back - there are ways around it, I promise.
5. My child needs socialization - This is another one that makes me laugh. Now, I know that there are some crazies out there who keep their kids home and don't let them out of the house. But the vast majority of homeschool families are actively engaged in many, many things which put their child/ren in contact with other kids on a regular basis. What is socialization exactly anyway? It is the process of learning one's culture and how to live within it. How often in life are you confined for 6 hours a day with people of your own age and socio-economic level, as if often the case in school? I'm guessing not much. As an adult, I have friends who are much younger and much older than myself. Homeschooled children generally participate in life with their parents on a more regular basis since they spend more time at home - they visit banks, stores, run errands, etc. All the while learning how to live, how to communicate with adults, how to behave, etc. An excellent post on the subject can be found here. On top of all this, who is it you want to be socializing your children - 25 other children the same age or yourself? Who do you want your children looking to for guidance? Who should be the one influencing your child? If you think that pre-teens and teenagers who spend all their time with their friends don't look to their peers more than their parents, you need a wake-up call. Studies show that most teenagers say that their main influences are, in this order: 1) peers 2) media 3) school 4) parents. Did you catch that? Parents are at the bottom of the list.

I'm not trying to say that you must homeschool. The purpose of this post is just to clear up that I am not some amazingly special person because I homeschool. I'm just a regular mom who struggles - I struggle with all these issues above. But I overcame my fear of all of it to do what I feel is right for our family.

I just want to let anyone know who is thinking about it, but too scared to try it - YOU CAN DO IT! Just open yourself up and allow God to give you the strength you need. He'll give it to you.

Updated: Well, obviously, nothing is ever as good as it seems, LOL!!! Hubby only gets 4 weeks vacation, I don't know where the heck our friend got the idea of 40 paid holidays!!!, and there is no way we will be banking anywhere close to what I posted below. In fact, at this point (4 months in) we are still just trying to get caught up on paying off debt. Still, we are enjoying life and the opportunities living in the Middle East brings.


If you've read my blog for any length of time (heck, I've only been doing this for a few months - you probably have had cheese in your fridge longer than you've been reading this blog!), you know that one of my primary goals in life is to move out of South Florida. After planning moves to both Colorado Springs and then Knoxville, I'm still here. Following our recent trip to Tennessee, we planned on next considering either Jacksonville or Gainesville. Until now.


We are seriously considering moving to the United Arab Emirates, a small country on the Persian Gulf. This came completely out of the blue following an email from a colleague of Hubby's who has recently moved there. It would really be an amazing opportunity for us - salary almost triple what Hubby makes now, 5 weeks paid vacation, 40 paid holidays, full medical coverage for the entire family and paid-for tickets for the family to come back to the States every year. On top of that, there is no income or sales tax there and the first $80,000 is non-taxable to the U.S. We might be able to bank over $70,000 a year.


Plus it would be a wonderful opportunity for the kids to be able to experience a different world - a new culture and language. With the large amount of vacation time Hubby would get, we could travel to Europe and explore the world. We'd also be nearer to Hubby's side of the family, including a sister who lives about an hour from where we are thinking of. It would be a temporary situation, since we'd want to return to the U.S. once Emily is ready for college in about 5-6 years, but what an amazing few years it would be!


Here's a picture of Dubai, the city we are looking into:

You can see it's a very modern city. In fact, from everything I've read, it's a wonderful place to live - very child-friendly, extremely safe, politically neutral, very Westernized. It seems to be a huge resort place for Europeans - like Vegas without the gambling. They even have an indoor ski center!!

While nothing is set in stone yet, there is a lot to think about if we were to move forward with this plan. There would be a lot to work out. Please pray for us for wisdom and for God to either open or close the doors, as He wills. I have to admit, this isn't what I had in mind, but it would be really exciting!

Here we are again on Thursday, with our weekly reminder to take time out and thank the Lord for all He has given us and done for us. It's a shame, really, that we even need a reminder. Every day ought to be filled with thanks.

• I'm thankful that God has been guiding and leading me in new directions lately. I've been finding myself willing to think new ideas, try new things, stretch myself. Things that might have been painful before are now manageable and sometimes even exciting.
• I'm thankful for my mom's visit. We had a really nice time together, did lots of fun stuff and it was good to see her...
• Not smoking! After smoking for almost 50 years, she is kicking the habit. She didn't smoke the whole week she was here, though a little bird told me she lit up as soon as she got home. She's on a brand-new medication that supposedly kills the nicotine addiction.
• I'm thankful for Sonlight. It's wonderful to be just a few days away from the start of a new school year and not have any worries or stress over it. I love what we'll be studying and can't wait to start. And this is the dirty little secret of homeschooling: the moms enjoy the learning as much as, if not more than, the kids.
• I'm thankful our hurricane season has been quiet thus far. And praying it stays that way!
• I'm thankful for the upcoming long weekend and that Hubby has come up with some fun plans for us.
• I'm thankful for the library, a homeschool mom's best friend!
• And, finally this morning, I'm thankful for Benedryl, because I have mosquito bites all over me!!

If you could use a lift and hear more about what God is doing in the lives of others, be sure to stop over at Sting My Heart to read more testimonies of God's mercies in people's lives!

As summer winds down and fall picks up, I find myself looking forward to getting back into a routine again. In the same way that I anticipate summer for it's very lack of routine, I now find myself craving it. It's funny how the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, isn't it? I suppose it's just that everything is good in moderation.

We haven't formally started school yet; then again, we never formally stopped school over the summer. But, come Monday, we'll jump in with both feet, starting full-time school. This week, I'm focusing on getting "life" in order - cleaning, laundry, streamlining, etc. Then Hubby decided he'd like to make a visit down to Key West on Saturday. We haven't been in years and the kids have never gone. I think what triggered it was some game show question about the southernmost state. Which is technically Hawaii, but Key West has the southernmost point in the continental U.S., which apparently made him decide we need to go. Then we'll spend the rest of the nice, long weekend relaxing.

So now I find myself immersed in making plans and schedules and resolutions, like I do at the start of every school year. I promise myself that this year will be different; that I'll magically have been transformed into someone who actually sticks to the plans and schedules and resolutions. Then real life knocks and I fall back into my old habits.

I'm still thinking through all this, but so far what I do know is that this year's curricula is, naturally, our most challenging yet. As I've looked through the reading assignments, I'm wondering how my kids will slog through some of it. We'll be doing Sonlight's Core 6, which is the first year of a two-year World History course. I'm going to continue having the kids do most of their work on their own, but I realize that there are some subjects that will work better done as a group, small though it will be! Those subjects are:

• Bible reading, memorization and study


• History


• Read Alouds


• Dictation


• Spelling


• Grammar


• Poetry

That leaves the kids with managing their time to cover these subjects:

• Vocabulary


• Readers


• Science


• Math


• Creative Writing


• Current Events


• Arabic

Of those, 3 (science, math and Arabic) are computer programs that they can work through on their own. I'll be available for help for everything, but I really would like them to be responsible for their own scheduling.

Within the next few days, I'll be putting together some more thoughts as I prepare to enter a new school year - on the atmosphere I'd like to create, on taking care of myself and my family, and on our educational goals. I think without having a destination in mind, you'll never get where you are going. So even if I don't succeed at ALL of what I'm aiming at, I'll probably still be better off than if I didn't make a plan at all, right?

I'm so sorry I didn't get to this earlier today. Once I dropped my mom off at the airport, I came home and absolutely crashed, taking a 2 hour nap! Then it was time for dinner and dishes and time with Hubby...well, you know how it goes.

But, as promised, I'm here to offer up two yummy sounding recipes. I know I said in my last post that I would wrap up the Paula Deen series today, but I actually think I'm going to finish up next week. This week I'll do a cake and pie, next week I'll pick something out of the cookies and confections category.

First up we'll look at the Carmel Apple Cake, served at The Lady and Sons, then Praline Pumpkin Pie. I know it's a bit early for that, but with fall coming and all...

Carmel Apple Cake w/Carmel Topping
Serves 15-20

2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 1/2 cups diced apples, canned or fresh

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together eggs, sugar and oil. Add flour; mix until well blended. Add vanilla, nuts, and diced apples. Spread into a lightly greased and floured 13x9 inch baking pan; bake for 45-60 minutes. Cake is done with toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. When cake is done, punch holes in it with a knife and pour topping over it.

Topping:
3 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
Heat all ingredients over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Let boil for 2 minutes. Pour over warm cake.

Praline Pumpkin Pie
Serves 6-8

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
One 9-inch unbaked pie shell
3 whole eggs
2 eggs, separated
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground mace (optional)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend pecans with 1/3 cup brown sugar and softened butter. Press gently with back of spoon into bottom of pie shell. Blend all remain ingredients except egg whites and granulated sugar. Pour into pie shell. Bake for 50 minutes. make a meringue by beating egg whites until stiff, adding the granulated sugar while beating. After pie has baked, remove from oven and cover with meringue. Return to 425-degree oven just to brown meringue.

I know it's my day to finish up the Paula Deen series with a scrumptious dessert or two, but it will have to wait until later in the day. It's now after 1 a.m. and I've got to get off to bed and tomorrow my mom leaves for home, so the kids and I will be spending some quality time with her before her flight. Then, because my kids will be, you know, crying their eyes out and all, I've promised to do something fun with them after the trip to the airport.

But I will give you a teaser and say that one of the desserts I'll be posting is Caramel Apple Cake. Now doesn't that just sound like something you could jump into and swim around in? I mean, who doesn't like caramel apples?! Check back later in the afternoon for the recipes.

At my dear hubby's request, I have deleted his name for each and every post on this blog. It seems he and I have differing opinions with regards to the security risk blogs pose. But in an effort to honor and respect him, I've done as he wished and removed his name. From here on out, he will be known simply as, "Hubby."

Well, I've reached a milestone in the bloggity world - my 100th post! I can't believe how much I have come to enjoy both writing and reading your comments. It's become a real highlight of my day. God has used this humble little blog to reveal new truths to me, to grow me. Thank you for joining me on the journey.

And now, in a blogosphere tradition, it seems I am to post a list of 100 things about myself, in honor of this 100 post achievement. I'll post the list below, but do have a small favor to ask of you. Even if you've never commented before, or if you've just found this site, or if you are a regular reader and commenter, I would really appreciate it if you could come out of the woodwork and comment at least this one time. Pretty please? It would really mean a lot to me.

Ok, on with the list!

1. I love God
2. He loves me
3. I cry at everything – happy, sad, frustrated; I’m a regular waterworks
4. I have enough hair on my head to safely cover the heads of 3 other people plus myself
5. I love homeschooling my kids
6. I love to curl up under a blanket when there’s a thunderstorm outside
7. I have moved probably over 25 times in my life
8. And lived in 4 different states and Europe in the process
9. The foreign country I lived in was Austria
10. I spent my 21st birthday in Salzburg trying to retrace the steps from “The Sound of Music” where the kids sang their way through the town– “Doe a deer, a female deer…”
11. I was there doing mission work to refugees from behind the Iron Curtain & the Middle East
12. Due to our experiences while there, my best friend & I swore we’d never have anything to do with Arabic men
13. We both married Arabs
14. I love to travel – seeing and experiencing new things is a rush for me
15. I don’t like ice cream
16. Or chocolate
17. Or most sweets
18. But I love salty stuff like nuts, chips, and popcorn
19. I’m seriously addicted to Pepsi
20. My mother and I don’t agree on whether or not I’ve had my tonsils out, but I’m right
21. My sister and I don’t agree on who was babysitting Amanda Gates when she had a tick on her stomach and it needed to be removed, but it was me, and I’m right
22. My husband and I don’t agree on how we spent our first New Year’s Eve together, but I’m right
23. Some people claim that I have a bad memory, but I don’t believe them (and I’m right)
24. I love to cook
25. But I hate to do the dishes
26. I actually like doing laundry
27. But I hate putting clothes away
28. I hate hurricanes
29. I never wear a watch
30. I love board games
31. But I crave alone time at least once a week or so
32. I have horrible handwriting
33. And I’m not good at math
34. But I am a grammar and spelling stickler
35. My musical tastes are very eclectic – Christian contemporary, country, hymns, heavy metal, pop, southern rock, swing, classical – I love it all
36. I hate to wear shoes
37. I love to read
38. I prefer non-fiction to fiction
39. Unless it’s a Jodi Picoult novel
40. I’m a huge Denver Broncos fan
41. Me, my husband and my kids were all born in the month of April
42. My middle name is Lee. I’ve always hated because I feel that’s the masculine way of spelling it. My parents should have spelled it Leigh – that’s prettier and more feminine, isn’t it?
43. My favorite perfume is “Paris” by Yves St Laurent
44. Jon Bon Jovi is my imaginary boyfriend
45. I tend to fall off boats – even the bumper boats you find at amusement parks. It’s quite embarrassing
46. My husband and I never dated before we got engaged
47. And we were only engaged for 5 ½ months before we got married
48. I love old movies, especially ones with Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant
49. My favorite tv show is “Lost”
50. I like Sawyer more than Jack
51. My favorite reality show is “The Amazing Race”
52. I’m really good at Trivial Pursuit
53. I started wearing glasses in 5th grade
54. Started wearing contacts in 9th grade
55. About 7 years ago I had Lasik and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done
56. I only paid $512 to get both eyes done
57. I had a "friend in high places" at the eye hospital
58. As a teenager the majority of my life was spent at the roller skating rink
59. I still love to roller skate
60. If I could get on a plane and go anywhere in the world, I’d go to Italy
61. I once told a friend I would be miserable to be a housewife in the suburbs
62. Now, there’s nothing else I’d rather do
63. I wish I had a fireplace
64. I’m on a first-name basis with the local librarians because I’m there all the time
65. I’m definitely a night owl
66. Who is striving to be a morning person
67. But not really succeeding
68. I believe the worst part of being a woman is having to shave your legs
69. Well, that and having periods
70. I currently run the church bookstore
71. I’ve previously been on the children’s ministry staff and the Women in the Church council
72. I love to float in the pool
73. But I don’t like the beach
74. I like to play The Sims
75. I own way too many cookbooks
76. I love to sing Schoolhouse Rock songs
77. My head is too big to wear hats
78. I’m very self-conscious about that
79. I used to always peek at my Christmas presents
80. When I was 15, I peeked at one and when I saw it was a gold bracelet, I took it out and carefully re-wrapped the present, planning to put it back before Christmas morning
81. My mom found it in my purse first
82. But I was in the ER when she found it, so I didn’t really get into trouble – too much
83. When I was about 4, we lived in Pittsburgh in the same apartment complex as several Pittsburgh Steelers players
84. While playing in the sandbox, Mean Joe Green came up and sat with me and I ran screaming home to my mom because I was scared. He followed me home and apologized to my mom for scaring me. Hey, did you ever see Mean Joe Green up close?
85. At Halloween, I was too scared and/or embarrassed to trick-or-treat at his apartment so my sister asked for extra candy for me
86. I have the most wonderful kids in the world. I know you probably think yours are, but I’m right
87. I have issues with being right (see #’s 20, 21, 22, 23 and 85)
88. My parents made me move in my senior year of high school
89. I still haven’t forgiven them for it
90. I’m a procrastinator
91. I think Crockpots are one of the best inventions in history
92. It seems that we always end up with weird neighbors – they are either extremely anti-social, totally dysfunctional, or (I swear I am not making this up!) bigamists with two separate families at the same time who vacation together! Ick!
93. I am 39, but never remember how old I am. I seem to always tell people I’m one year younger Not intentionally, I just forget. But this has nothing to do with #23
94. I’m a registered Republican, but wish there was a “Christian” party – where the poor and needy are cared for and Biblical values are respected. Why is that so hard?
95. Jesus died for me
96. I seek to serve Him and do His will
97. I fail, but He forgives
98. I like to talk, but doing this list has been really challenging
99. I wouldn’t change anything in my past because it made me who I am today
100. I’m finally done with this list!

Don't forget to leave a comment!!! Thanks for visiting!

There is so much to be thankful for. No matter what is going on in your life, the very fact that we live and breathe, that we are saved by grace, that alone is is reason to praise Him. But here are a few things this week that I am especially thankful for:

• I'm thankful that my mom is here visiting
• I'm thankful that my children are happy, healthy and whole
• I'm thankful that I got our new curriculum
• I'm thankful that my brother-in-law, a confirmed bachelor at 49, finally found someone to share his life with and is now engaged
• I'm thankful for our beautiful home
• I'm thankful that Hurricane Dean did not come here and for the fact that as a Category 5 storm, it didn't do more damage and that no life was lost in Mexico. Having survived Andrew, I know what a Cat 5 storm can do and this is a miracle
• I'm thankful I discovered blogging - it's become a type of therapy/journal/sort through my thoughts on life place, and
• I'm thankful for you, for the very kind words and comments you all offer and for the support you've shown as I learn the fine art of blogging

May God bless you and keep you this week! For more Thankful Thursday participants, visit Iris at Sting My Heart

So my mom is coming this afternoon. We'll have a fun week together, I know. My mom is one of those people who have no inhibitions whatsoever. Once, she threw a package of meat at me in the store just to see the embarrassment on my face. Another time, in a movie theater, where thankfully it was just us and my kids, she honestly laid down and rolled down the aisle just to make the kids laugh. She even went so far as to intentionally knock down a basketball display at K-Mart, while I ran frantically around trying to pick them up. There are other stories, trust me many more, but I don't want her to sue me for defamation of character. Though they would all be true. If you ever meet her, ask her why she was sitting on the floor at Target. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Plus my brother, who lives about an hour from me, called the other day to say he's moving to New Jersey. Tomorrow. So he'll be coming down to see the family and say his goodbyes this evening.

And now, on to the promised recipes: Savannah Red Rice and Cheese Biscuits, from Paula Deen's The Lady and Sons restaurant in Savannah. And if you start talking with a Southern drawl, don't blame me. These recipes are that good.

Savannah Red Rice
Serves 4-6

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced Hillshire Farms sausage
One 14 1/2 oz. can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon Texas Pete or other red hot sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
Pepper to taste; salt to taste if desired
1 cup uncooked white rice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and bell pepper in butter. Add sausage; heat until mixture is slightly browned. Add tomatoes, hot sauce, tomato sauce, water and bouillon cubes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in rice. Pour mixture into greased casserole and bake for 45 minutes.

Cheese Biscuits
Yields 8 large biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, and sugar together using fork; cut in shortening until it resembles cornmeal. Add cheese. Stir in buttermilk all at one time just until blended. Do not overstir. Drop by tablespoons (Paula recommends using an ice cream scoop to give biscuits a nice shape) onto a well-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Both these items are on the menu at Paula's restaurant and the Cheese Biscuits have become one of the signature items. They are even served to those waiting in line. And trust me, there is a line!! I've seen it for myself!

For several weeks now, it seems as though the message the Lord has for me is that worship is so much more of a heart issue than it is a performance issue. I mean, I am a contemporary worship style of girl. I love, love, love contemporary worship. Our church is more of a traditional type, with some new worship and some hymns - a blended format. To tell the truth, in my opinion it's a weak area for our church.

However, I have been so strongly convicted about my attitude with regards to this. Worship is really NOT about how good the music sounds, or even about the feelings it stirs up within me. It is about declaring the praises of God - the Creator, the Savior, the Alpha and Omega. It is so NOT about me. Foolishly, I've always felt that I needed the music to be a certain type or quality to for me to really "get into" worship. Now I realize that all I really need to "get into" worship is an understanding of who God is and who I am - a wretched sinner saved by the grace of a God who has more mercy and love than I can even imagine.

Yesterday, our new pastor began his ministry at our church. As I was excitedly talking about it with a friend, he commented, "Oh, I don't really care. All that matters to me is the worship - not the preaching." I was so shocked I didn't know what to say. How could you claim that the preaching of the Word of God is, if not irrelevant, than secondary to the emotional feelings brought about by good music? How can we truly praise a God we don't take the time to understand?

This conversation brought into sharp focus the errors of my own views of worship. I was deeply convicted. Throughout Scripture, but perhaps nowhere more than in Psalm 119, we are told that it is through the understanding of God and His ways that we are led to praise Him. Please don't misunderstand - I am not claiming in any way, shape or form that worship is not important. On the contrary, I believe what the Westminster Confession states, that the chief end of man is to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Worship is vital - it is the main purpose of Christians. However, what I'm concerned about is where the motivation for that worship comes from. Does it come from a humanistic desire to get ourselves into an emotional, feel-good state? Or does it come from an understanding heart overflowing with thankfulness for all that God has done?

Ok, I've known for weeks that my mom is coming on Tuesday. But here I am, on late Sunday night, thinking of all that I need to do before she arrives. And I could just shoot myself! Why, oh, why do I put everything off until the last minute? Why must I be one of those people who thrive under pressure? Here's a picture of what my day will be like tomorrow.

• First thing, head down to Wal-Mart before it turns into a zoo. Need to get groceries, return some clothes that I had bought for Daniel and get a new swimsuit for Emily since hers has mysteriously stretched out to say, oh, a size 20. Not sure what happened there.
• Upon returning home, I need to straighten up the guest room, otherwise known as "the junk room." Ok, I don't really call it that, but that is indeed what it has become. The kids play in there, everything that we don't know what to do with gets put in there, etc. You know what I mean. The linens need changing, there are boxes of toys sticking out from under the bed that need to be moved, the closet needs to be cleaned out a little, the shelves, the floors...oh, just everything! This could take 2 hours.
• I need to wash my back windows. Now, to get the picture of this you must know that the entire back wall of the house is French doors. With tiny little window panes. So we are talking about cleaning over 100 little window panes. Ugh. But this is one thing that my mom always gets on my case about, and the one thing that my husband asked me to do last week, so I have to get to it.
• Clean the bathrooms
• Do the laundry - we had guests this weekend and every towel was used for the pool!
• Get to the library to pick up materials they are holding for me

That doesn't even count all the other general cleaning (dusting, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning the kitchen well, etc.) that you do when you have people coming. I know it's my mom, but I like everything to look nice.

And now, I am off to bed to rest and prepare myself for a day of whirlwind activity tomorrow!

As category 4 Hurricane Dean heads directly for Jamaica, please pray for the people of the island. We have several families from Jamaica in our church - even our new pastor and his wife (who begin today! yippee!) are originally from there.

Having been through and seen the devastation caused by Hurricane Andrew, I'm particularly aware of how frightening it can be. Please join with me in praying for safety and protection for the people of Jamaica, and later the Yucatan Penisula.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Good morning, everyone!! Welcome back to Smart Habit Saturday, hosted by Lara at The Lazy Organizer. Last week, the habits I wanted to work on were getting back into the habit of exercising for 30 minutes a day and to have some devotional time before going online in the mornings. I'm happy to report that I'm doing better on both fronts. Not perfect, but better. I picked up a copy of Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book, "A Place of Quiet Rest" and I highly recommend it! It has really been challenging me about my ideas on "quiet time" and encouraging me to spend more time just sitting before my Savior.

The first chapter was all about how we women give and give (until it hurts) and end up drained and exhausted. By pointing out how even Christ, who was fully God as well as fully man, needed to be refreshed each and every day by spending time alone with the Father, Miss DeMoss has made me realize that I'm not a failure for feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and out-of-sync. What I am instead is lacking in time with my Father. That is the solution. I cannot give constantly without being constantly renewed.

My goal for this week is to have fun with my mom while she's here. That should be easy!!

Have a great day!

My sweet daughter is off this morning on her very first "official" babysitting job. I say official, because she's been asked to babysit several times before, but the parents have always asked to leave their child here at our home. I suppose that is because there she's under my supervision, therefore, their child is as well. Which is fine. But now, someone has placed enough confidence in her to entrust their very precious children solely to my daughter's care. And I'm a wreck.

Not because I don't think she'll do a great, no, fantastic job. She has gone through the Safe Sitter course, where she was trained in CPR and how to handle tricky situations like misbehaving children, minor injuries, safety, etc. She loves children and is terrific with them. In fact, when her birthday fell on a Sunday this year (12 being the magic age when you can work in our church nursery) she was so excited because she would be able to volunteer the very day she turned 12! She volunteered at VBS and I was told several times that she was one of the best and most responsible crew leaders I had in the preschool area. So it's not that I worry about her abilities.

The reason I'm a wreck is because this is a significant step in her becoming an adult, in my mind at least. No longer needing a caregiver herself, she is now the caregiver. She's grown so much in the last year. She often makes dinner entirely on her own. She can do her own laundry quite well. She's proven herself to be very responsible as she's taken on more and more responsibility with her education. She's beginning to set goals for herself. In short, she is growing up into a very fine young lady.

God grants us these children but for a very short time, in which we are to disciple them, raise them to be productive adults, and teach them how to love and raise their own family. I read a quote somewhere, and I apologize for forgetting where, but it said, "The days are long, the years are short." That struck my heart, because, yes, indeed the days are long as a stay-at-home mother. And when you homeschool, they are endless, it seems. While other mother's children go off to school, our's remain with us all day, every day. It can be exhausting. But never forget that the years are short. Most of us will have our children with us for about 18 years. That sounds like forever, but in reality, the time flies by.

It seems like yesterday that I had an infant and a toddler, nursing one with another one at my feet, while I stood in the kitchen, talking on the phone and stirring spaghetti sauce. Then as each moved into their school-age years, they seemed so grown up. And in just a few short years, they will each move into adulthood to seek out their own lives.

So moms, don't forget to hug your children and, even when you are weary remember that you have been granted a very precious gift - the gift of time.

And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” Hebrews 2:13

Well, I don't know what this means, but I am suddenly finding spam in my comments section. Therefore, I have gone ahead and enabled word verification. I hate doing that when I leave a comment, but now I see the benefit. I guess I'd rather have to spend a couple extra seconds typing in a word than accidentally click a link that I'd probably regreat.

Hopefully you'll feel the same way and still continue to leave comments for me. It makes it so much more fun when I feel like someone out there is reading and "gets" what I'm talking about!

These are amazing artists and if you live anywhere in my vicinity, you should make every effort to get tickets and come out for a great night of worship and praise! A portion of the proceeds will be donated to GriefShare, a Christian ministry that provides guidance to those who have lost a loved one. Let me know if you need more info!

Note: Edited to remove identifying information at Hubby's request.

• My mom is coming to visit next week. She and I are best friends and we always have a lot of fun together. Plus my kids are bouncing off the wall to see her.
• Hurricane (or soon-to-be anyway) Dean is not coming here, according to the latest forecasts.
• My box of books from Sonlight arrived today. As I mentioned in this post, that's one of the best days of the year around here. I've spent the whole evening perusing through different books and can't wait to get started on our next homeschooling adventure - World History!
• We finally (after 3 months!) rented out our rental home. It even worked out perfectly with the tenant signing a 9-month lease. Unusual, but that leaves us free to put it up for sale in 9 months, 12 months after buying it - exactly when we would meet the criteria for not having to pay a ridiculous amount of taxes on it.
• My father-in-law apparently suffered either, a) a heart attack, or b) a serious bout of pneumonia and is now home recuperating. We don't know which because my husband's family is notorious for not keeping us informed (they don't want us to worry) and we've heard two different versions. But I'm thankful that whatever it was, he survived it and is on the mend.
• The situation with our small group is resolved. No one is willing to take up the leadership reins, so it will come to an end, but at least I don't have to deal with the stress it was creating in my spirit. I'm also thankful that the responses to my half-written email were generally kind and supportive.
• My experiment in letting the kids be more independent in their school work seems to be paying off. Emily has shown quite a bit of initiative to get her work done promptly. Daniel is still not there, but his attitude has improved greatly from last week.
• Finally, High School Musical 2 airs tomorrow night. I'm not thankful for this because I want to see it myself. But wow I can stop hearing about how Emily "can't wait for it to start!!!" You must imagine that quote in a screeching, high-pitched 12-year-old-girl-who-is-about-to-swoon-voice.
• God opened a door for me to spend time with and help my neighbor today. Now, this isn't the really annoying one, but it is the one that I see most frequently (since her son practically lives here) and I have felt led to start being more of a friend and a light to her. Nothing big happened, just a neighborly favor, but it gave us a chance to really talk like we never have before.
• Our new senior pastor begins his ministry at our church this Sunday!!! We have been without a senior pastor for over 18 months now. While we do have other pastors on staff, it's kind of like everything has been in a holding pattern. I'm hopeful that this will be a new start for our church and that some of the people who have left will come back.

So there you have it. Lots of wonderful things that God is doing in my life. None of them huge, but to me, they are signs of His grace. His lovingkindness endures forever! Amen!

Be sure to visit Iris at Sting My Heart to find lots more stories of God's faithfulness and our thankfulness!

I know you all think that my home is flawless. After all, I'm a stay at home, homeschooling mom, right? And we have nothing to do all day but clean house (when we aren't eating bon-bons on the couch!). Well, I hate to burst your bubble, missy, but my home isn't perfect. I keep it mainly neat, if you don't count the kids' bedrooms, but there's always been a deep dark secret in my home...

Unless you breathe in and then that secret is out and not going anywhere. Unfortunately, for years I have been plagued with "Stinky Garbage Can Syndrome." Yes, SGCS is a serious matter that causes your otherwise lovely home to have an indescribably "off" smell. Hubby doesn't like the small garbage cans that fit under the kitchen sink that you would change very often. Nor does he want us taking out the garbage unless the bag is completely full. He worked hard to earn the $$ for that garbage bag and we'd better darn well get all the use out of it we can! So this left us with tall, stinky garbage cans.

Until now. Yes, I have found the easiest secret for removing the odors. I don't know how it works, but it does. All you have to do is fold up a section from the newspaper and put it in the bottom of the garbage can. Voila! The paper absorbs the odors like magic. I even keep extra bags in the bottom of the can and when I reach in to get a new one, I don't smell anything. It's a miracle, I tell you! Simple, cheap and fast! That works for me!

To see more great ideas to help you live your everyday life, head on over to Rocks-in-My-Dryer for more wonderful tips!

We all know that there are no accidents, that God is sovereign, right? After all, I'm a good Presbyterian. Ok, well, I go to a Presbyterian church, but I never really refer to myself as a Presbyterian. I'm a Christian. I think denominational labels are divisive and silly. But I digress.

Anyways, as I mentioned here, Hubby and I have been rather frustrated with our in-home Bible study that we both lead and host. Several of you gave really thoughtful and helpful insights, for which I am truly grateful. I took them all into consideration and shared them with my hubby. After some prayer and discussion, we set a course of action. He thought the best move was to remove ourselves from leadership of the group and ask for someone else to take over leadership. This is a natural outflow of where our lives are right now - we've both kind of ramped up our careers (his=engineering, mine=homeschooling) and also an effect of the burnout we are feeling with the lack of commitment from most of the group.

So, the plan was for me to draft an email informing the group of this decision, which we would then pray over and polish. You already know where I'm going with this, don't you? So I work on the letter this afternoon and hit "Save." Since I didn't want it to accidentally go, I didn't put an addressee in and it bounced up an error message that I had to put it in to save it. So I put in the addressee list and hit the enter button. And I walk away.

When I come back a few minutes later, there's a message from one of our small group people. With no message title. About how she won't be able to lead either. Yes, that's right, the letter went out. No polishing, no praying, not even a signature at the end, for goodness' sake! I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and tried to call Hubby. He wasn't available. I try to call another friend, who's in the group and knew of our struggle. Not available. I'm feeling sick and panicky at this point.

End result is, Hubby loved what I had written, incomplete as it was. My friend wrote back a very supportive email. Another member wrote back some kind of facetious comment. But basically, it seems that no one is going to step up to lead the group so it probably will die a natural death. And I'm ok with that. As Jess said in her comment to the original message, "when stuff that used to bring me joy starts to feel really hard and not work as well, sometimes it can be a sign for me that the grace to do it is lifting." I really feel that's what is happening here; that God has done whatever he wanted with this group and now it's time to move on.

I am left feeling very relieved that we've dealt with it. A lot of resentment was building up and now I don't have to feel that way anymore. That's a real load off my mind and heart. God is good.

It's that time once again, boys and girls! Ok, so, there realistically probably aren't too many boys out there reading this. But if there is, here's a recipe that is sure to delight the manliest of men! It's Paula Deen's from The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook.

Bourbon Beef Tenderloin
"This recipe is for the grill. Beef can also be cooked in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Use a meat thermometer: rare - 115to 120 degrees, medium rare - 130 to 135 degrees, medium - 140 to 145 degrees. Buy a whole tenderloin, about 4 1/2 to 5 pounds and have the butcher remove the 'silver' connective tissue."

1 cup bourbon
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups water
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1 beef tenderloin, silver connective tissue removed
Oil for grill

Prepare marinade by combining bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, cilantro, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, water and thyme. Be sure tenderloin is trimmed of any fat and connective tissue. Fold tail end back so it is of uniform thickness and secure with a butcher's string. Pour marinade over meat, cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours, turning several times in that time. Prepare grill or preheat oven to 350 degrees. When grill is ready, place meat on oiled grill, reserving marinade. Cook over high heat with lid closed, turning often; occasionally baste. Cooks rare in about 30-45 min. in the oven. Serve with Horseradish Cream on the side.

Ok, now my mouth is just sitting here drooling, but I know I have to give y'all the recipe for the Horseradish Cream still. Let me just enjoy the thought of that yummy beef for a moment...Ok, ready to move on!

Horseradish Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup horseradish, drained

Whip cream until stiff. Stir in horseradish, mixing well.

Yummy, yummy, yummy! Next week, I'll cover two bases and post the recipes for both Savannah Red Rice and for the Cheese Biscuits, which are one of the signature items at Paula's restaurant, The Lady and Sons. And, yes, I'm scooting through those quickly so we can move on to dessert! What are you gonna do, tell my mommy?

I don't have a lot of time before the family comes trooping in the door for dinner, but I wanted to share with you all who I'm supporting for president, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. If you don't know much about him, please go here and read Jess' magnificent post on why he would make an amazing president. Let me know what you think!

Huckabee 2008!!

1. See an R-rated movie. Now, this really bothers me. But I told her she can do this when she is an adult. She asked if she could watch, "The Passion." I told her yes, so this will be one thing down when she gets around to doing that.


2. Get a manicure. To which I said, save your $$, baby, just like I have to!


3. Go swimming in the lake. Umm, this I kinda have a problem with since we have seen alligators in the lake and all.


4. Get into college. I'd say we have time to work on this one!


5. Meet a celebrity. Ugh, I hate that she has fallen under the spell of "celebrity fascination."


6. Learn to drive. Again, time to work on this one. Please, lots of time. I'm getting a headache.


7. Be on TV. I have no idea how to get this one. Oh! I should remind her of when her choir was featured on the news a few years ago. The cameraman focused on her for quite a long shot.


8. Babysit for at least 4 hours alone. God heard her prayer on this one. She was called this morning for her very first "solo" babysitting job. It will go from 9-2 or so and it's the first time she'll be babysitting at the child's house, rather than here at our house. She's thrilled!


9. Go on a boat. Um, I'm not helping her with this one. I fall out of boats. Seriously.


10. Drive a golf cart. Well, luckily for her Grandma and Papa just bought a golf cart for toodling around their neighborhood, so next time we visit, I'm sure this wish will be fulfilled.


11. Win a game of miniature golf. I'm the putt-putt champ in the family, so I'm not goin' down without a fight. She'll have to practice her little butt off to beat me!


12. Have a smooth face. Ah, puberty. All I can tell her is keep her skin clean.


13. Cook dinner 3 nights in a row. She's welcome to do this anytime if she's willing to learn new recipes and not just expect us to each baked chicken and roasted potatoes 3 nights in a row.


14. Grow her hair down to her elbows. I'd go for this if she starts actually brushing it!


15. Learn to swim without using goggles. This I can't help her with, she's just gotta push herself to do it.

So those are my daughter's goals in life. Maybe I should add one in for her - to not become a slave to lists!!