tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54661795415577943602024-02-18T20:45:31.636-05:00HappyGoMommy!An active blog about parenting, politics, budgeting, homeschooling, and everyday life!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-9545342223191712442010-07-07T22:30:00.003-04:002010-07-13T12:29:29.636-04:00Fun Summer!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyi_b8Ba1rpwYPXdNFeNc5u1TBX3FknfDfWkJMyh6whihJBwBUuMGu5o8IjLCtxVsTtfFuZZ_MOjPX04kYpvjyKPiVZjTPaYYTxBdzN8DrUlvveEFLDd8U2KWWC2Zuj3vV-KSH_jI0cvrS/s1600/sprinkler+fun.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyi_b8Ba1rpwYPXdNFeNc5u1TBX3FknfDfWkJMyh6whihJBwBUuMGu5o8IjLCtxVsTtfFuZZ_MOjPX04kYpvjyKPiVZjTPaYYTxBdzN8DrUlvveEFLDd8U2KWWC2Zuj3vV-KSH_jI0cvrS/s320/sprinkler+fun.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491366873575862530" border="0" /></a>Yes, I stink at blogging! I think I need to quit saying I am going to write more, and just write when I can. :) Life just seems to get in the way. In a good way, of course!<br /><br />We have had a <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">great summer</span> so far (minus the house problems!), and are glad that <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">July</span> isn't quite as busy as June. So far this summer we've <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">already</span> tackled:<br /><ul><li>two vacation Bible schools (kids)<br /></li><li>soccer (Owen)<br /></li><li>golf (Quinn)<br /></li><li>camping (everyone!)<br /></li><li>a long weekend at a friends' home (everyone!)<br /></li><li>a softball (Brad)</li><li>a new walking class (Amy)</li><li>making strawberry jam (everyone)</li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">(Riley hasn't been left out! She starts an art class on Friday.)</span><br /></li></ul>It's been fabulous!! <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;">But being home is great as well.</span> The quiet days of playing in the sprinkler, doing laundry, and grilling out are the "lazy days of summer" and what we seem to enjoy most.<br /><br />I've also been working on updating our budget (fun, fun) and following the <a href="http://ingoodcents.com/2010/07/boot-camp-challenge-1.html">90-Day-Budget-Boot-Camp</a>. The first week was a simple (for me) challenge: <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;">meal planning</span>. Here's our meal plan for this next week - most of these recipes come from the latest issue of <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/">Taste of Home magazine</a> . . . yum!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday:</span> Barbecue chicken, blueberry muffins, veggies, potatoes<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday:</span> Spaghetti, garlic bread, green beans, fruit<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday:</span> Out with my parents<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday:</span> At a cookout (I'm taking Blueberry Cobbler to share!)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday:</span> At a cookout again! (This time, I'm taking Grilled Glazed Drummies)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday:</span> Southern-Fried Chicken Strips, veggies, fruit<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday:</span> Pizza (busy night for us!!)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday:</span> Marinated ribeye, corn on the cob<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday:</span> Curried Chicken Shepherd's Pie, fruit<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday:</span> Enchilada Lasagna, french bread, veggies, fruit<br /><br />I made my menu using the ingredients I already had on hand for the most part - this way I only need to buy a few remaining ingredients to make our meals complete.<br /><br />Happy summer!!! :)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-86732420888598228572010-06-30T22:18:00.004-04:002010-06-30T22:26:10.581-04:00Mid-Week Money Tip - 90-Day Budget Challenge!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe6rsurcY7FWPrYplw9ZeSX_K6krlhDfICTZJ2jK93oKt1KrF0JfKIso3YUcAD-_-buBVFPgS1D8YHuUDlAYBxth0MiQLJXuVlC3dmcR5STp_OvOE417Xr7vOKkcUJ81cta4AOlEp_2wa/s1600/90daybudget.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe6rsurcY7FWPrYplw9ZeSX_K6krlhDfICTZJ2jK93oKt1KrF0JfKIso3YUcAD-_-buBVFPgS1D8YHuUDlAYBxth0MiQLJXuVlC3dmcR5STp_OvOE417Xr7vOKkcUJ81cta4AOlEp_2wa/s320/90daybudget.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488756655085346226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">How <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">cute</span> is this logo??!?</span> <a href="http://ingoodcents.com/boot-camp#participate">In Good Sense</a> is doing a <a href="http://ingoodcents.com/boot-camp#participate">90 Day Budget Boot Camp</a>, and I've decided to participate in their budgeting challenges for the next 90 days. Why? Well, for a couple of reasons!<br /><br />1.) Our budget can always use fine-tuning.<br /><br />2.) We've been spending a lot on home repair and decorating lately, and need to tighten the belt a bit.<br /><br />3.) We'd love to purchase a different home in the next year (or two or three!) and need to save more money in order to do so!<br /><br />And 4.) I enjoy hearing (and sharing!) about personal finance, budgeting, couponing, etc.!<br /><br />Let me know if you decide to join in on their Budget Boot Camp! I'd love to know if you are participating. :)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-57017351838099625752010-06-24T12:39:00.004-04:002010-06-24T12:51:31.594-04:00Rough Week . . .<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABBNmTohm-mUNz-Y3XTG1LuonW3seE96b23Y-S5VD_jNLMnuwuNNvONoQtvJSKfLZAwoK2s5rL_GnCfQMpsrwmKo7OAOXLA2TDzWwsBg1WpbJ64i1vYOtVkaLxz-GUwfI8RQrI0iCp2v5/s1600/back+soon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABBNmTohm-mUNz-Y3XTG1LuonW3seE96b23Y-S5VD_jNLMnuwuNNvONoQtvJSKfLZAwoK2s5rL_GnCfQMpsrwmKo7OAOXLA2TDzWwsBg1WpbJ64i1vYOtVkaLxz-GUwfI8RQrI0iCp2v5/s320/back+soon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486383813093882850" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;">Just keeping it real - I'm not always HappyGoMommy! It's been a rough week here and we are eagerly looking forward to a weekend. We have been dealing with a water leak/broken pipe somewhere under our foundation, and it likely it won't be covered by our homeowners' insurance. Drilling into our slab foundation and spending thousands of dollars isn't really my idea of a good week. Hoping next week will be much, much better!! See you shortly!!</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-32335736664151776702010-06-18T05:00:00.001-04:002010-06-19T00:23:41.929-04:00Friday Fill-Ins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyExXJAzLwwZFTTViD6LomoUeuy2-0cxB3460MxUMEx5D2RQ_UC_-xYlhsm3lY8bupX4xwf10Bcug50Y62R5vdvMRBwWU7jmcRkauQQS8sbk6o-NSnqZyVqwiNyVXxHFn8xHyUg7DhPb4L/s1600/friday+fill+in+6-18.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyExXJAzLwwZFTTViD6LomoUeuy2-0cxB3460MxUMEx5D2RQ_UC_-xYlhsm3lY8bupX4xwf10Bcug50Y62R5vdvMRBwWU7jmcRkauQQS8sbk6o-NSnqZyVqwiNyVXxHFn8xHyUg7DhPb4L/s320/friday+fill+in+6-18.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484333261248349970" border="0" /></a>It's been an incredibly busy (and not-so-good) week, and I am looking forward to some down time this weekend, thankfully. Also to my nephew's baptism and spending lots of quality time with my family!<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">At this time, my alarm has already gone off once and I've already hit the snooze button once(!):</span> 6:58.<br />2. It was the reason, of course, <span style="font-weight: bold;">t<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">hat the rest of my day, I was running late!</span></span><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Scrapbooking(!)</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span>is something I no longer feel the need to do. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Don't get me wrong; I still love it! Just no longer feel the need!</span><br />4. I have another errand to run, then <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">probably even one more errand!</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">.</span><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">"No, I don't know where your <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">'xyz'</span> is</span>...just go find it."<br />6. What were once vices <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">are no more? I don't really have any vices, thankfully!</span><br />7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to <strong style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">playing cards with my husband and parents</strong>, tomorrow my plans include <strong style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">cleaning my upstairs and going to my sweet nephew's baptism</strong> and Sunday, I want to <strong style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">enjoy Father's Day with my family</strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">!</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-19443176761089496542010-06-17T05:00:00.002-04:002010-06-17T05:00:01.596-04:00Parenting Potpourri - Owen-isms<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5OYvni8XoByVsPRAkkpNb9xDMe770eYbJVDNfwJxswkbf1oZEAloqhXgniQXSuBazjDZBgx427rBYWRARAiWDsOtCGlH-q-tsZsHuMdV9FLpGZpW6SXa8QzoztuQv2hyw92QsEHdPct_/s1600/IMG_8179.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5OYvni8XoByVsPRAkkpNb9xDMe770eYbJVDNfwJxswkbf1oZEAloqhXgniQXSuBazjDZBgx427rBYWRARAiWDsOtCGlH-q-tsZsHuMdV9FLpGZpW6SXa8QzoztuQv2hyw92QsEHdPct_/s320/IMG_8179.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483590934445741346" border="0" /></a>At the ripe young age of three(!), Owen can completely crack us up! He is always saying funny things or doing something silly with his facial expressions. I dare you to have a <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">staring contest </span>with him - you'll lose!<br /><br />When I leave to run errands, I usually say to him, "See you in awhile!" but I'm not quite sure he understands what that means. Because this is his reply: "<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">See you in a pile, mommy!</span>" I laugh every.single.time! (Which is also why he probably continues to say it this way!)<br /><br />He's been at VBS this week and working on a new Bible verse each day. Monday it was, Owen-style, "<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">I have given Your word in my heart.</span>" (Or, you know, as it says in the Bible, "<span style="font-style: italic;">I have HIDDEN your word in my heart.</span>") Yesterday it was, Owen-style, "<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204); font-weight: bold;">For God so loved the world that He gave his Son to only me.</span>" Uh, close Owen!! :)<br /><br />And I'm constantly hugging on my kiddos and telling them I love them. Last week, I told Owen, "You know, I just love you to pieces!" He got a very worried look on his face and said, "<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204); font-weight: bold;">You love me when I break into pieces?</span>"<br /><br />Yes, Owen, even if you break into pieces! :)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-85929168167807811522010-06-16T05:00:00.005-04:002010-06-16T07:12:55.385-04:00Mid-Week Money Tip - Budgeting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltUyoA8UAvpOc0fgqsCsi_uLFRCLChgJ1XSqvSPAfdRuhGAeNnKXO29xPx-jloAyVCh7sbUX_fkhIbiJh8irvT1d_q4N_HhE5CmYhRi6ukyV7tP9B7bgVb_NJw6087I55XLFF2QiO8oSY/s1600/budgeting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltUyoA8UAvpOc0fgqsCsi_uLFRCLChgJ1XSqvSPAfdRuhGAeNnKXO29xPx-jloAyVCh7sbUX_fkhIbiJh8irvT1d_q4N_HhE5CmYhRi6ukyV7tP9B7bgVb_NJw6087I55XLFF2QiO8oSY/s320/budgeting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483219078962302194" border="0" /></a>Do you have a budget? Do you <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">USE</span> a budget? :) We have used a budget since the first few months of our marriage and it has really helped us!<br /><br />I first started using a budget because as a new, young wife handling the majority of the shopping, I had no idea how much we <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">**should** </span>spend at the grocery each week, on entertainment, clothing, personal expenses, etc. I needed some kind of guideline. So, I did some research and found<a href="http://crown.org/"> Crown Financial Ministries</a>.<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Financial-Guide-Young-Couples/dp/1564761304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276660121&sr=1-1"><br /><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Financial-Guide-Young-Couples/dp/1564761304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276660121&sr=1-1"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68L86_t9QlQh8bRMypkFMytLGYxJbWe9kbDrbI-khA6kBijCUmwSdqF_CvboIe5VhdWvTg5maKQKdeXH-EXaH6TlU0GYFl6xheEQtULF6_2oRUs9GKRDKftneqzfdXjdBBHWCgzYnKUHE/s320/burkett+book.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483214884565449586" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">(I was using their </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Financial-Guide-Young-Couples/dp/1564761304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276660121&sr=1-1">book</a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> at the time (which has since been republished) . . . no website in 1998!) </span><br /></div><br />They had a great, sample budget that I used and modified just a bit to fit our needs. To this day, I still use their online calculators to help set initial budgets (for our family or others). They have fantastic <a href="http://crown.org/Tools/Calculators/">calculators</a> that can help you quickly set up a basic budget. My favorite is the <a href="http://crown.org/Tools/Calculators/Budgeting_SpendingPlan.asp">Spending Plan Calculator</a> which takes your income and subtracts your tithe (if you tithe), and then gives a breakdown by percentage of what you should spend for each category. Although each family is different, this will certainly help you get started and form the 'bones' for a workable budget for your family!<br /><br />Beyond that? We use the envelope system, which we were also first introduced to by <a href="http://www.crown.org/">Crown</a>. <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/">Dave Ramsey</a> also recommends using envelopes for cash. You can find more info on the envelope system <a href="http://www.crown.org/Library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=632%20&aid=SCHOM">here</a> and <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/article/dave-ramseys-envelope-system/lifeandmoney_budgeting/">here</a>. <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/store/budgeting-tools/envelope-systems/deluxe-envelope-system/prod210.html">These</a> are the actual envelopes we use.<br /><a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/store/budgeting-tools/envelope-systems/deluxe-envelope-system/prod210.html"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.daveramsey.com/store/budgeting-tools/envelope-systems/deluxe-envelope-system/prod210.html"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjC8x0QdLKE2QlOH0_po_FXpsakkFtTUYXq-q3c_7aAM3iSmmT9rQFdYLF6q1WVyg7wsDCYa_vskCfOCOSKt36O0ZCWdJ1q2jA7s1KF7aRDrlvuPfzoCIax-W-FqQpFjy_gimFOdW20yAD/s320/ramsey+envelopes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483216451231543522" border="0" /></a>It's a bit pricey to get the binder to start with (especially if you are frugal!), but you can purchase <a href="http://www.daveramsey.com/store/financial-peace-university/envelope-replacement-refill-sheets/prod76.html">refills</a> for it, making the binder a one-time-only purchase.<br /><br />And if you like the idea of the envelope system, but do not physically want to carry the cash, envelopes, etc. - you can always use <a href="http://www.crown.org/Library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=632%20&aid=SCHOM">YNAB</a>!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.youneedabudget.com/ab/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wi0fNGSqvFNe7ltMdjf6xnaaTscyZXs4Imc6zNk6GnIi4OPp3_KSPmmpxONEjekuv1NcN546R5DupsmfJCjg6aLL3TCKoCa7aAmv3lWQY3ATFjkNP6zDa0tvQGbe7ZnEJPtsPFrVvCqt/s320/ynab.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483219628772725922" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.crown.org/Library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=632%20&aid=SCHOM">YNAB</a> (You Need A Budget) is online software that does it all for you. Budgeting, tracking, fixing "leaks" in your budget, and more. I have not personally used <a href="http://www.crown.org/Library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=632%20&aid=SCHOM">YNAB</a> because we like the physical envelopes (they help us spend less, too), but I have heard great reviews about <a href="http://www.crown.org/Library/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=632%20&aid=SCHOM">YNAB</a>. It is also a pricey initial investment, but many people feel it is worth the expense!<br /><br />Do you have any budgeting tips or tricks? What works for you? What doesn't?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-6313116394424750322010-06-15T05:00:00.003-04:002010-06-15T05:00:01.981-04:00Family Life - Lake Time!We were active in a homeschool <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">gym class</span> this past year that was wonderful! Excellent leaders, teachers, and organization made this a a great experience all the way around. We finished the year with a <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">fun field day and picnic</span> at a nearby lake and park a few weeks ago. We were able to canoe, use a rope swing, play games, have a picnic, and enjoy a special day of fellowship with great friends!<br /><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">Owen testing out the <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">water</span>!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU7SrMgYnJI1kKC1_T86F15LSlFsyEOXnhD1uPX9EddKuS5gWcBry8SBRpR6sV7gXm3D3Jw0wMP3au-1WeWSNuifibY_6JUPJtUQA1VnYH91478uopCb-URa4tiKRbB3ELgbTz0b1CtHC/s1600/IMG_0767.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU7SrMgYnJI1kKC1_T86F15LSlFsyEOXnhD1uPX9EddKuS5gWcBry8SBRpR6sV7gXm3D3Jw0wMP3au-1WeWSNuifibY_6JUPJtUQA1VnYH91478uopCb-URa4tiKRbB3ELgbTz0b1CtHC/s320/IMG_0767.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Quinn enjoyed the <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">rope swing</span> above the lake!<br /></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUdPeRz5xtnMlU_MHhb0qb13kw-o1o651q_ugIIrGMLTYt9Jwxyl0mjIjszf40_D4S3F1qEsE_XmUx3g4uY9Q0FR910snTYlFZ3IIUbNAjHxqVfkvtWEm-agVyLHXfOs6OTOhxyCowuJe/s1600/IMG_0792.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUdPeRz5xtnMlU_MHhb0qb13kw-o1o651q_ugIIrGMLTYt9Jwxyl0mjIjszf40_D4S3F1qEsE_XmUx3g4uY9Q0FR910snTYlFZ3IIUbNAjHxqVfkvtWEm-agVyLHXfOs6OTOhxyCowuJe/s320/IMG_0792.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Riley was much more adventuresome on her second turn and went <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">even higher</span>!<br /></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2w4HZST3AIhyphenhyphenWUoiV0tK3zOqQ0gNybxEzQM5PV9e_QS6FtsGvK8Xjb5ZnGUdJy1n2b5OUaqsYUl-AthdPvj1UHVsU6Ih37thXlzCxpoJZtWPE04ZTZfq0TIs9FafW0b7B_J38Pa8s1Oc3/s1600/IMG_0803.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2w4HZST3AIhyphenhyphenWUoiV0tK3zOqQ0gNybxEzQM5PV9e_QS6FtsGvK8Xjb5ZnGUdJy1n2b5OUaqsYUl-AthdPvj1UHVsU6Ih37thXlzCxpoJZtWPE04ZTZfq0TIs9FafW0b7B_J38Pa8s1Oc3/s320/IMG_0803.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Little O on the smaller rope swing (<span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">NOT </span>over the water!!) :)<br /></div><div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7_nlpkcZf-0cJSyrGTx83PrViJqlPwHyvYIbwMoDZx4VyqHltQ-83eN2Z8OSk9Wz_xa5ZGvH9-4erKL3aqYDXuezv5XwWMBYKCwX1MBT1jte2WBCWYulxrROyTtO-mRYWoC9eaWJcuZg/s1600/IMG_0809.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7_nlpkcZf-0cJSyrGTx83PrViJqlPwHyvYIbwMoDZx4VyqHltQ-83eN2Z8OSk9Wz_xa5ZGvH9-4erKL3aqYDXuezv5XwWMBYKCwX1MBT1jte2WBCWYulxrROyTtO-mRYWoC9eaWJcuZg/s320/IMG_0809.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />Quinn<span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;"> canoeing</span> with one of his buddies<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQa7P_hyphenhyphenVVamRdObTY-2U1tIEP-xIPqQWa335DMfsnBC0p0Dg-8N72dvMSap3seaKwi0PjX3Gy0J_DZye_KXQchUWpJXZ0AaBr7z5RGP1Om36Egc-gPw1OSA5tzqX2_d5E3plfrAgAbBot/s1600/IMG_0768.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQa7P_hyphenhyphenVVamRdObTY-2U1tIEP-xIPqQWa335DMfsnBC0p0Dg-8N72dvMSap3seaKwi0PjX3Gy0J_DZye_KXQchUWpJXZ0AaBr7z5RGP1Om36Egc-gPw1OSA5tzqX2_d5E3plfrAgAbBot/s320/IMG_0768.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482828750526896802" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">It was a great day and we had the <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">perfect weather</span> for it!<br /></div></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-32080278989136775832010-06-14T05:00:00.000-04:002010-06-14T05:00:03.734-04:00Menu Plan Monday - Recipe Ideas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QgU_heVFD-Ed5e5G7zQSmTfPkfBaJStRUOF2-tTDShy1Akl6RoFtXAO8MzoRwU-5YBvRoGLkwZloeiasvtfL1yBAVQqqJlBLuJl1uBC90m1Zz78dn8Y9vhHfrptIkUcnspMsAG964ZWG/s1600/recipe+box.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QgU_heVFD-Ed5e5G7zQSmTfPkfBaJStRUOF2-tTDShy1Akl6RoFtXAO8MzoRwU-5YBvRoGLkwZloeiasvtfL1yBAVQqqJlBLuJl1uBC90m1Zz78dn8Y9vhHfrptIkUcnspMsAG964ZWG/s320/recipe+box.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482456010030048930" border="0" /></a>We have a crazy week at our house this week, so I'm <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">not even bothering</span> with a menu plan! I'll just throw together something each of the few nights we are in this week - though I do need to plan something for Friday night when we have company again. It will be something on the grill for sure; we are really enjoying our new grill and getting lots of use out of it!<br /><br />I thought I would give you some ideas for where to find <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">new recipes</span> if you like to try new things. We try lots of new recipes around here! Here are some of my favorite places for finding new recipes:<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://allrecipes.com/">AllRecipes</a> - This site is fabulous! You can search for recipes based on ingredients you have on hand, but title, or just browse through the categories. My favorite things about this site are <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">all of the recipe reviews from regular cooks</span>, the fact that you can <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">print the recipe in any size</span> (to fit whatever size of recipe box you have), and that the <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">serving sizes can easily be adjusted</span>.</li></ul><ul><li><a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Simple---Delicious-Magazine/Archive/2010/06">Simple & Delicious Magazine</a> - Great, great magazine, especially if you are looking for simple, everyday ideas. <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">Fabulous photos</span>, great index in the back, and lots of "tips" about cooking throughout the magazine.</li></ul><ul><li>Local cookbooks - These can be anything from cookbooks that women in a local church have put together, to cookbooks that moms' groups have designed. They are tried & true recipes that anyone can use. I have several, and often flip to them when I need that <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">everyone will love</span>! You can usually pick these up at craft fairs, Christmas bazaars, fundraisers, etc.<br /></li></ul><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Healthy-II-People-Plastic/dp/0962916013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276483258&sr=1-1">Quick & Healthy Cookbook Vol. 2</a> - This is a wonderful cookbook to have if you want to make healthy meals. They are all delicious! I received this one from my mom years ago, and could make an entire <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">month's worth of meals</span> using just this cookbook.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>And last but not least, the internet! Sometimes the fastest way to find a great recipe is to just type in what you are thinking of making with your ingredients on hand (like "oven roasted potatoes"), and<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"> just see what pops up!</span> </li></ul>And if you are looking for a fun craft project, try this <a href="http://www.howdoesshe.com/recipe-box-makeover-tutorial">cute recipe box</a> (shown above) - <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">love, love, love it!</span> Where do you find new recipes that you enjoy?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-37194510176223466292010-06-12T05:00:00.001-04:002010-06-12T22:50:32.259-04:00Homeschooling: Cute Cartoon<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGNpNB3ek6jlYRdyhlmONNc9K3-7S67HAbvqlHlomJHvk0HXKV1ZQc5lP7lQqjRXFGQLmv3xwvoJXwDe_3ChQXi1IwU87Oe1WBWaM7Sz2_F2BGYSdZj9P3W-GiyVyBv1epfP_g-cHzEhP/s1600/homeschool+cartoon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGNpNB3ek6jlYRdyhlmONNc9K3-7S67HAbvqlHlomJHvk0HXKV1ZQc5lP7lQqjRXFGQLmv3xwvoJXwDe_3ChQXi1IwU87Oe1WBWaM7Sz2_F2BGYSdZj9P3W-GiyVyBv1epfP_g-cHzEhP/s400/homeschool+cartoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482084758272561970" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204); font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >(click on cartoon to enlarge)</span></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-6357166756925307172010-06-11T05:00:00.000-04:002010-06-11T05:00:03.593-04:00Friday Fill-Ins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/2010/06/180.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJd6UOSjRanG13lEqlU-HpbBhF6ZMvE2UgS1av5MFcXkb2oiup7RN5_tlHwzboSMZwYUrBXmJdozIdXzJNZVpM61iQiKWv1RaH4Jf-NfvOhQLAQRP4Od-zLsVlawwYVaTxoA6_XC9Gqzd/s400/friday+fill+in+6-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481366740560609138" border="0" /></a>So glad for a <span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153); font-weight: bold;">weekend</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">! </span>Looking forward to lots of time with friends and family this weekend (and hoping the rain holds off!).<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Snuggling with my kiddos</span> </span>feels great.<br /><br />2. The solution is <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">to pray about it</span></span>.<br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Cuddled up next to my husband is how I like to</span> fall asleep.<br /><br />4. How about <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">the Steelers this coming fall? Looking forward to a good season already!</span><br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">"<a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);" href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Child-Read-Lessons/dp/0671631985/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276230547&sr=1-1">Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons</a>"</span> </span>is something <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">(a book)</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"> </span>I highly recommend!<br /><br />6. Imagine <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">a world without M&Ms . . . so sad! :(</span><br /><br />7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to <strong style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">dinner with my best friend and her family</strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">,</span> tomorrow my plans include <strong style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">making homemade strawberry jam all day and going out in the evening to celebrate my anniversary</strong> and Sunday, I want to <strong style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">spend time with my favorite husband as we celebrate 12 years</strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">!</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-61364275058931250742010-06-10T05:00:00.002-04:002010-06-10T05:00:01.261-04:00Parenting Potpourri - Calendars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JE_wSYl8qvIabypIHe0sWTs4IrHQ3M9KXUVwksB1wnojeaRTFcK8RlPqcpPu9iljGeaiiLIkex8UrXJ4VVzdxKwht-YNKfN6Yap3FyhKvo7MQTqeQRnki9dpo_-uS-OIEfKnuV50NfZw/s1600/calendar1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2JE_wSYl8qvIabypIHe0sWTs4IrHQ3M9KXUVwksB1wnojeaRTFcK8RlPqcpPu9iljGeaiiLIkex8UrXJ4VVzdxKwht-YNKfN6Yap3FyhKvo7MQTqeQRnki9dpo_-uS-OIEfKnuV50NfZw/s400/calendar1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480978624333672802" border="0" /></a>We keep what looks like a fairly busy calendar, but in reality, we don't actually <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">*do*</span> everything on our calendar! :) My kids are always wanting to do "something," but it isn't always possible with work schedules, trying to get chores done, school finished, family events, etc. BUT . . . I do put tons of "optional" events on our calendar. That way, if we aren't busy that day, or we finish our work, we can do the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">fun stuff! </span><br /><br />For example, this summer, the library and local movie theaters both have weekly events. I will write <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">all of these</span> (that appeal to us) on our calendar, and then we can pick & choose what we do. It also adds incentive (during the school year, at least) to finish our work as soon as possible so we can do the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">"extra"</span> things! So while we may never get to everything on our calendar, we are at least aware of what is going on and we can attend if we want to!<br /><br />I also add upcoming events that are in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">very</span> distant future - that way, they are already <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">marked on our calendar</span> as the time approaches. This includes things like yearly festivals (Grabill Country Fair in September, Christmas Bible School in December, etc.) so we don't forget about them! Even if we end up not attending these things, at least we don't forget them!<br /><br />Another thing I do with our calendars is add <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Post-It notes</span> for the following year. For instance, at Christmas time 2009 we discussed possibly getting a real Christmas tree for the following year. So I went ahead and added a Post-It note on the following year's calendar in November to help me remember! I will stick Post-It notes in the back of my 2010 calendar now for things I want to possibly do or change for next summer, as well.<br /><br />And if you haven't already guessed, I <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">love</span> calendars! I've even been looking at ones for 2011 already - yes, they're out in stores now! My favorite site for calendars is, of course, <a href="http://www.lang.com/calendars/wall_calendars">Lang</a>!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-43529221621551902032010-06-09T05:00:00.000-04:002010-06-09T22:54:10.872-04:00Mid-Week Money Tip - Saving on Dining OutWe enjoy going <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">out to eat</span> on a fairly regular basis, but I try to always have a coupon with me if possible! Just this week, I was able to order two $25 gift certificates to great restaurants for only $2 each (woohoo!) from <a href="http://www.restaurant.com">Restaurant.com</a>! They usually have sales or coupon codes you can use to buy gift certificates inexpensively.<br /><br />In addition, if you join your favorite restaurant's "e-club" (or something similar), they will send you coupons, specials, free meal coupons, etc. on a regular basis. Most upscale restaurants even do this, as well. Some other tips to save on dining out? Split a meal with someone, order water for your drink, or order from the kids' menu (if they allow it) for smaller portions and a smaller bill!<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-60607119178511107002010-06-08T05:00:00.000-04:002010-06-08T05:00:03.883-04:00Family Life - Ordinary DaysAren't ordinary days the best? Just spending time with family, hanging out with friends, reading a good book, or playing games with your favorite people? We stay busy around our house nearly all the time, but it's the quiet (and not-so-quiet!) times in our home we most enjoy! Here's a look at the ordinary things around our home (which are what make life <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">so special</span>):<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Reading . . .<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOn94fa0XJMnpB5Wsked8na4nZspKHsoCiTmpOm7sK6PD2bCXU65A-sQ-C5mK653A3pZgRJ51_hL-Cd1RHG73KBcgRmymg99FkkY9sodoJmUcKzHZiUOSybufi6PGT6sykE0aZ58SS8SV/s1600/IMG_8258.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOn94fa0XJMnpB5Wsked8na4nZspKHsoCiTmpOm7sK6PD2bCXU65A-sQ-C5mK653A3pZgRJ51_hL-Cd1RHG73KBcgRmymg99FkkY9sodoJmUcKzHZiUOSybufi6PGT6sykE0aZ58SS8SV/s320/IMG_8258.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480241513044564066" border="0" /></a><br />Home Repair . . .<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw5U_P6DAShpWv6ZZPPP5dpCysGrodhqsLhxyhH-7g8OxejZHKsWLGZoEnikQvxFKOQhz-lBl30IapPArIt2vF7SF0NSIxEoNixsxg07qPHy46AxYm7G-LVeox9n0rHIZj_I1EevrweRM/s1600/IMG_8265.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw5U_P6DAShpWv6ZZPPP5dpCysGrodhqsLhxyhH-7g8OxejZHKsWLGZoEnikQvxFKOQhz-lBl30IapPArIt2vF7SF0NSIxEoNixsxg07qPHy46AxYm7G-LVeox9n0rHIZj_I1EevrweRM/s320/IMG_8265.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480241500883900706" border="0" /></a><br />Snuggling (he's also in a laundry basket under there!) . . .<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhpucs7Zh8n9RM4-EYLm-IKDNAkqQdbzPQsUTsEbUmvL4zDeVhU7DDmaatP6JLLqdtc67tFwVVYuw0-MZaYF9wf3MVS30Ibii7aLJlfxJ_vg6z_g0hzSaT8G8f_tLTq3-IL8lYizyerP5/s1600/IMG_0156.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhpucs7Zh8n9RM4-EYLm-IKDNAkqQdbzPQsUTsEbUmvL4zDeVhU7DDmaatP6JLLqdtc67tFwVVYuw0-MZaYF9wf3MVS30Ibii7aLJlfxJ_vg6z_g0hzSaT8G8f_tLTq3-IL8lYizyerP5/s320/IMG_0156.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480241496041798338" border="0" /></a><br />Playing . . .<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKs2TN3F4izZdlspTzjwmaoG6qlMiIp8Bp1RRv4OB__qRbvb3Zfqs0b4OCrgKlIlLJ3FWt2__LX9-g_Bq7JBUUbTZQiGQxLIYDa9ee8iiBgpXXxJTL8Ld0HjPR0pIMR485p8lhjWoz2oO/s1600/IMG_0079.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKs2TN3F4izZdlspTzjwmaoG6qlMiIp8Bp1RRv4OB__qRbvb3Zfqs0b4OCrgKlIlLJ3FWt2__LX9-g_Bq7JBUUbTZQiGQxLIYDa9ee8iiBgpXXxJTL8Ld0HjPR0pIMR485p8lhjWoz2oO/s320/IMG_0079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480241482764573074" border="0" /></a><br />And just monkeyin' around!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8_Mr1-DcfQpgCkHPVVVKpUL1tyw1_a28YfBA5HG4aVhl3AZaCFc3BiAqTd96J1RzN6p953stU-Vwh_MPlh0-Ggz0_VoZcTeqURVVj9JVJ5Fm43Mgll-E7CKWXvkKxj3nBJmQQjYb2Cdb/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8_Mr1-DcfQpgCkHPVVVKpUL1tyw1_a28YfBA5HG4aVhl3AZaCFc3BiAqTd96J1RzN6p953stU-Vwh_MPlh0-Ggz0_VoZcTeqURVVj9JVJ5Fm43Mgll-E7CKWXvkKxj3nBJmQQjYb2Cdb/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480241466930904514" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-57924585748928395132010-06-07T23:10:00.004-04:002010-06-07T23:43:08.884-04:00Menu Plan Monday - It's All About the Grill, Baby!After realizing last week that our grill isn't holding up too well, we purchased a new one over the weekend - yay! If you ever need a grill, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">week before Father's Day</span> seems to be the time to buy! We found lots of ads, sales, etc. for all kinds of grills and finally ended up with <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xno/R-202022848/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053">this one</a>:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcvQq3sdRR9QergTPPdt8ruWcLuo9jSJIB788nmCctGMLvDov7OllmQU19dKUenqw9FiX1K2sfHfbLCWhunPjmSD5NqKuWqOBVzl1QlXwN5TsMx2uSNRfI1hd4Bzp_C7VVvolsQUMtR1Q/s1600/grill.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcvQq3sdRR9QergTPPdt8ruWcLuo9jSJIB788nmCctGMLvDov7OllmQU19dKUenqw9FiX1K2sfHfbLCWhunPjmSD5NqKuWqOBVzl1QlXwN5TsMx2uSNRfI1hd4Bzp_C7VVvolsQUMtR1Q/s320/grill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480235992109388514" border="0" /></a>It's fun, because it also has a<span style="font-weight: bold;"> side burner</span> where we can cook something in a pot. Tonight we enjoyed burgers on the grill, and let our corn on the cob cook right alongside it outside. Definitely keeps my kitchen cooler! And less mess to clean up afterwards, too. Here's what's on our (grill!) menu this week:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Monday: </span>Hamburgers, corn on the cob, watermelon<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Tuesday:</span> Tunisian-Spiced Chicken Breasts, grilled red potato packets, strawberries<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Wednesday:</span> Kielbasa, corn on the cob, watermelon<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Thursday:</span> Grilled Trout, couscous, blueberry muffins, broccoli, fruit<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Friday:</span> Marinated Flank Steak (company's coming!) - plus a few sides (haven't decided on these yet)<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Saturday:</span> Celebrating our 12th anniversary and going out! Any suggestions for where we should go?<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Sunday:</span> Barbecue chicken, carrots, garlic bread, strawberries<br /><br />We are definitely enjoying lots of summer fruits right now, too. My kids eat soooo much fruit I can barely keep enough in my frig! <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Yum!</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-53709987754657117762010-06-05T05:00:00.001-04:002010-06-05T08:47:09.715-04:00School's Out!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjDh-9ZpIVGhhcWoKoUboEFYixo3RKGu13AQ_-h29NXKcYwgRBd0cGUGxMOZwHZVJjJKnCWQ3nTtzmq092WELrIR7eitJ925zESV-9LXpun1QskMbOyWb7LdP0jyY2teJC43TiGEWm3B7/s1600/IMG_28281.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjDh-9ZpIVGhhcWoKoUboEFYixo3RKGu13AQ_-h29NXKcYwgRBd0cGUGxMOZwHZVJjJKnCWQ3nTtzmq092WELrIR7eitJ925zESV-9LXpun1QskMbOyWb7LdP0jyY2teJC43TiGEWm3B7/s320/IMG_28281.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479142196686798562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(Old photos of our homeschooling room - from the fall of '07.)<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">We finished our school year yesterday! :)</span> We had a great year and it's hard to believe we now have a 5th grader and a 2nd grader (plus a tag-along preschooler!). The kids had a great year and became more self-sufficient with their work (in a good way). We switched to a heavy reading-intensive curriculum, <a href="http://www.sonlight.com/">Sonlight</a>, this year, and while it was good, it wasn't my favorite curriculum. I think my favorite will likely always be <a href="http://www.winterpromise.com/">Winter Promise</a>! If we go back to homeschooling, I think I will definitely use <a href="http://www.winterpromise.com/">WP</a> again!<br /><br />We planned to homeschool our children for several years and eventually send them to school. With the completion of this school year, we have been homeschooling for six fantastic years! It has flown by!<br /><br />After lots of prayer, discussion, school tours, and more prayer, we decided to enroll Riley & Quinn in a private Christian school for the fall for a variety of reasons. We are excited about it, but I will really miss homeschooling them every day. We get to do a LOT of fun things together and <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm</span> learning a lot, too!<br /><br />We do believe, however, that this is the very best decision for our family for this year. We may bring them home again next year, or th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1r9ybUx_7O3Q_iVSypbQ5DGQ3yPbEeJWLcCd6FT0ktxVmmvFNXotmA5LjmxytQefB-futKpfjUEIbSjdfNEhcC_OrWH7-L1TPmp363W_3CAWM97ImrV0wfm9mhKQlLRAKjUKFoXjMdzW/s1600/IMG_28321.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1r9ybUx_7O3Q_iVSypbQ5DGQ3yPbEeJWLcCd6FT0ktxVmmvFNXotmA5LjmxytQefB-futKpfjUEIbSjdfNEhcC_OrWH7-L1TPmp363W_3CAWM97ImrV0wfm9mhKQlLRAKjUKFoXjMdzW/s320/IMG_28321.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479142432191639810" border="0" /></a>e following, or have some kids in school, and some home . . . who knows? What we do know is that the Lord is in control and He will have them where they are supposed to be. It's been a difficult decision but one we feel is best.<br /><br />I'll still have little O at home, so although I'm leaving 4th and 1st grade behind, I'm transitioning back to <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">preschool</span> - bring on the crafts, alphabet magnets, glue, and lots and lots of books!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">We are looking forward to a year of change, growth, and new opportunities for the kids!</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-21650700019208951582010-06-04T05:00:00.004-04:002010-06-04T05:00:03.071-04:00Friday Fill-Ins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UCBTr0H5bGpys5BylpflDgBQXWlCjJ3RRPSsJ35ZdJAZjjKlW0Cotp5d_ayo80w_CgbMDAl79ak-_a7BgKaOJIzv_pISTZgKXESGFEia60SgGEFZN8TdjBb3CTkWQjXPq2K_Z0ii87pb/s200/friday+fill+in+6-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478730205599740242" border="0" /></a>Today is our last day of school for the year! :) It's been a good year, but the ending is bittersweet as we are not homeschooling next year. More on that tomorrow!<br /><br />This week's <a href="http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/">Friday Fill-In . . .</a><br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">The mountains or about anywhere(!)</span> is my favorite place to travel to.<br /><br />2. When I think about my childhood, I often remember <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">vacations with my family, riding b</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">ikes with my next-door neighbor, Sara, and my mom baking cookies after school!</span><br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Someone who loves you and doesn't judge you</span></span> makes for a good friend.<br /><br />4. The wind in the trees, the rain on my skin, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">get me back inside!! :)</span><br /><br />5. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Taking a vacation</span> is so exciting! <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(Wish I was planning one now!)</span><br /><br />6. My best friend knows <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">when to talk and when I need my space</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">.</span><br /><br />7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to <strong>c<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">celebrating the end of school with the kids (we have plans - but if I list them here, Riley will find out the surprise early!)</span></strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">,</span> tomorrow my plans include <strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Riley's end-of-the-year piano recital and packing up school books </strong>and Sunday, I want to <strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">enjoy church with my family, play outside, and work on clearing out our school room</strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">And I want to give a special shout out <span style="font-style: italic;">HAPPY ANNIVERSARY</span> to my great parents who are celebrating their 40th(!!!) anniversary on Sunday, as well. Thanks for setting a great example; we love you both!! :)<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBG5VE03iXEex14k60CdITf5fAQymnWrtwrg3XZ8yLVu4CJC4YHxQA3QJjH8U131_En-HRS9i7KPh4-5k6YFoah3AKQ6_IWpga8MlVCZEsmd3-WOipCLeYssu7s1mTi0cndV23doxtfxH/s1600/IMG_6078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBG5VE03iXEex14k60CdITf5fAQymnWrtwrg3XZ8yLVu4CJC4YHxQA3QJjH8U131_En-HRS9i7KPh4-5k6YFoah3AKQ6_IWpga8MlVCZEsmd3-WOipCLeYssu7s1mTi0cndV23doxtfxH/s200/IMG_6078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478733034305936642" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-1055692561748206062010-06-03T05:00:00.002-04:002010-06-03T08:06:49.701-04:00Parenting Potpourri - Dry Erase Notes<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">I love to build my kids up and encourage them as much as possible. Certainly nothing forced or fake - but encouragement when possible! One of my </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">favorite ways of doing this is by leaving them notes where they are likely to find them (thanks to my own mom!). I'll leave notes in suitcases, backpacks, lunch boxes, beds, or on the kitchen table. But by far, my favorite place to leave a note is<span style="font-weight: bold;"> directly on their bathroom mirror!</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEHirAqGUXDT5NaG2Abpq4idOo9-XK9g2ha62G9UagzocXG2DeE0CpH_5VecdyalW-FqXhlXzjbU40IqhG8T3rABm6S6G-ADMqqOTLpr-SnCND5Z3wWCvcSw6070-t2llDtoKJ2J8hqmH/s1600/dry+erase+markers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEHirAqGUXDT5NaG2Abpq4idOo9-XK9g2ha62G9UagzocXG2DeE0CpH_5VecdyalW-FqXhlXzjbU40IqhG8T3rABm6S6G-ADMqqOTLpr-SnCND5Z3wWCvcSw6070-t2llDtoKJ2J8hqmH/s200/dry+erase+markers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476743646085875506" border="0" /></a></div><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">It's super-easy to do - and you don't even ne</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">ed pa</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">per! Just grab a fun, colored dry-erase marker, and start writing directly on the mirror! Get wild & crazy and use even TWO or THREE different colors! :)<br /><br />We love to leave notes this way, and they wipe right off. It's a great way to start your child's day on the right foot - especially if they have a big event coming up, haven't been feeling well, or you had an argument recently (that <span style="font-weight: bold;">*never*</span> happens in our house! HA!). Give it a try and see how your kids respond!<br /><br />P.S. Works great for marriages, too. :) We do this often.</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-62516648858806053672010-06-02T05:00:00.002-04:002010-06-02T05:00:00.918-04:00Mid-Week Money Tip - Favorite Links<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30TxFq7bY36aCZ_OlTCOMm_i4p7_DqvN4aMrreHkOKBzs1M5BoidVPJm1jsHvrTEfDAyhBWOuKQVndnZqqwX9AvRHesqcvzLsasULp4-my3ZCJi7r71yMBP87xtMxuaE-PdRtyvTH9eSr/s1600/money.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30TxFq7bY36aCZ_OlTCOMm_i4p7_DqvN4aMrreHkOKBzs1M5BoidVPJm1jsHvrTEfDAyhBWOuKQVndnZqqwX9AvRHesqcvzLsasULp4-my3ZCJi7r71yMBP87xtMxuaE-PdRtyvTH9eSr/s200/money.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477994501116856546" border="0" /></a>Really, who <span style="font-weight: bold;">doesn't</span> love saving money?? It's a fun hobby. :)<br /><br />I read and enjoy several simple, fun, personal finance blogs and enjoy learning new tips and ways to save. I know I have mentioned several here before, but here's a list of some of my current favorites! My favorite sites are ones that are humorous, simple, and very practical. I don't read them to get rich(!), or to learn how to invest - just to learn simple, everyday tips that we can all use to save money.<br /><br />You can also join most of their mailing lists so you can receive their emails versus always having to check their web sites. Don't be afraid to cancel once you have joined their lists, though; some sites send out WAY too many emails!<br /><br />Do you have any other favorites?<br /><a href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/"><br />The Simple Dollar</a><br /><br /><a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/">Money Saving Mom</a><br /><br /><a href="http://frugaldad.com/">Frugal Dad</a><br /><br /><a href="http://clippingforcash.blogspot.com/">Clipping for Cash</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/">Get Rich Slowly</a><br /><a href="http://dealseekingmom.com/"><br />Deal Seeking Mom</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/#">I Will Teach You To Be Rich</a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-4977691598212759942010-06-01T05:00:00.000-04:002010-06-01T05:00:05.891-04:00Family Life - Beach Vacation!Sorry for the picture-heavy post, but I heard a few of you wanted more photos on my blog! ;)<br /><br />We were fortunate to spend <span style="font-weight: bold;">a week at the beach</span> in late April! We had been saving some money for awhile and looking for the right time and place to go. We used a travel agent and he found us some great rates which enabled us to even FLY out of Fort Wayne directly to St. Petersburg, Florida. We had great weather, a fabulous condo across the street from the beach, and terrific family time together! We MOST enjoyed playing in the sand, the ocean, and at the pool. :) Here are some favorite photos from the week.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Our cute - and spacious - condo!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxAD1liAfNfjZWHaZ7nL1zp0w0sIARDCMW-Cw4w_2hXHKchbgcgkbiB-et93DHU6mDy3_FMp0lzeeVkxHyvsrRBk1SlnVDFrKoHwDek6I4V_eQZ8hshpVnnm6_dq2MvZhCSMBJHLepFhF/s1600/IMG_0210.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxAD1liAfNfjZWHaZ7nL1zp0w0sIARDCMW-Cw4w_2hXHKchbgcgkbiB-et93DHU6mDy3_FMp0lzeeVkxHyvsrRBk1SlnVDFrKoHwDek6I4V_eQZ8hshpVnnm6_dq2MvZhCSMBJHLepFhF/s320/IMG_0210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476757212974321938" border="0" /></a><br />My favorite boys<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwyb5qx910kyvI_Fs_qYLoKil8dsbklGSWa62CrSclCBAlDOaFsxDMdWKQydZ_lkd1OB5-MN-GBkFnUUW7FnE2jKgpkWbB88D7TU08Wle5iCBj7tsEpA8R2QX1G8gon-S6TjQbhxJ22NT/s1600/IMG_0213.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwyb5qx910kyvI_Fs_qYLoKil8dsbklGSWa62CrSclCBAlDOaFsxDMdWKQydZ_lkd1OB5-MN-GBkFnUUW7FnE2jKgpkWbB88D7TU08Wle5iCBj7tsEpA8R2QX1G8gon-S6TjQbhxJ22NT/s320/IMG_0213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476757207319890770" border="0" /></a><br />Enjoying a walk on the beach<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOcJmPMGqj7XShXqkz-2nr7t5_Tnh3UiVB-ZKPuvGUxfDO6DISbn_XXLeUwtrT4eWNnezsjmJFczCVvM_Dp3EmPXpoDKDRbsDNUR6_hyphenhyphenjT-B9Umn8Om9T7I0L0V2f_qzOl7SH_29LBupH/s1600/IMG_0250.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOcJmPMGqj7XShXqkz-2nr7t5_Tnh3UiVB-ZKPuvGUxfDO6DISbn_XXLeUwtrT4eWNnezsjmJFczCVvM_Dp3EmPXpoDKDRbsDNUR6_hyphenhyphenjT-B9Umn8Om9T7I0L0V2f_qzOl7SH_29LBupH/s320/IMG_0250.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476757183565546338" border="0" /></a><br />Our super-adorable daughter! :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtf3MRrmMvTHCtX9EKG88Wl1M-LZVZde-h3OKFqgj6V9p2xz1Ec4Iyod2eUYlrH-02unWeX7DAWUJVMZ47Pp-0afvPMrUZFEHYIDUaTWHoyYghWwQzvuzyPm8sja8Zf0b3xROrqtfZetm/s1600/IMG_0292.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtf3MRrmMvTHCtX9EKG88Wl1M-LZVZde-h3OKFqgj6V9p2xz1Ec4Iyod2eUYlrH-02unWeX7DAWUJVMZ47Pp-0afvPMrUZFEHYIDUaTWHoyYghWwQzvuzyPm8sja8Zf0b3xROrqtfZetm/s320/IMG_0292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476757170318383890" border="0" /></a><br />Cute Quinn in the light of the sunset<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgOgWXnotSU0NmaiYRjBrMJVbrxq5oWJh-10xMw5HNbcTImftD9-Gw5e5SqctLpKu4CkyZmHXwDveZT2sT4hBjfteAAmD7Zhr9sQAMrJsaCZUHpNhy6MRJjfBMbGVZ9U1T6VCLuwNyLxh/s1600/IMG_0313.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgOgWXnotSU0NmaiYRjBrMJVbrxq5oWJh-10xMw5HNbcTImftD9-Gw5e5SqctLpKu4CkyZmHXwDveZT2sT4hBjfteAAmD7Zhr9sQAMrJsaCZUHpNhy6MRJjfBMbGVZ9U1T6VCLuwNyLxh/s320/IMG_0313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476757145013172002" border="0" /></a><br />All three enjoying the sand and surf<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkZvnbLEmhsotouiZJ7WXq26XtkXc7zWBcAXP5JNZGU6zCbduyWW08tqgq_HupJB3av3NCVJjwzJS4fBQLvKMiQfyiioszNz2G9E1Us7rF2Foa5fEmF_Pg53eQWLHCbt_MZzHPYLyoiAy/s1600/IMG_0391.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkZvnbLEmhsotouiZJ7WXq26XtkXc7zWBcAXP5JNZGU6zCbduyWW08tqgq_HupJB3av3NCVJjwzJS4fBQLvKMiQfyiioszNz2G9E1Us7rF2Foa5fEmF_Pg53eQWLHCbt_MZzHPYLyoiAy/s320/IMG_0391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476753658380457954" border="0" /></a><br />My poor family being attacked by Owen's shark pincher!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RaIbP8iCwJ_HrEGBM0kr2z_RwpR3zZGPlloM6DqVXVAboEza4x3Ln-iRhUaw8XrKSqNfxKIR42VELlzQNQEVPc5uJDkd2LeTf-E-bXzg5ErdKW47CyFvq-Sf1rZKmthMZcU9misQYdQj/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RaIbP8iCwJ_HrEGBM0kr2z_RwpR3zZGPlloM6DqVXVAboEza4x3Ln-iRhUaw8XrKSqNfxKIR42VELlzQNQEVPc5uJDkd2LeTf-E-bXzg5ErdKW47CyFvq-Sf1rZKmthMZcU9misQYdQj/s320/IMG_0492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476753645562575026" border="0" /></a><br />Another seafood dinner outside at sunset - beautiful!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51dKlHy6cUL-jV6NZAP1K-mLQ65sBxWCB32IE49HHEgkU7ii9g6NuVoLi94rsoRPO6il16A4Kj_U1BJPebZtzMl9kNxHZGXSwsBV4NHVzDuV0uzbpOLwzawr7OUBuK7Aa_XjqjkImrWSm/s1600/IMG_0503.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51dKlHy6cUL-jV6NZAP1K-mLQ65sBxWCB32IE49HHEgkU7ii9g6NuVoLi94rsoRPO6il16A4Kj_U1BJPebZtzMl9kNxHZGXSwsBV4NHVzDuV0uzbpOLwzawr7OUBuK7Aa_XjqjkImrWSm/s320/IMG_0503.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476753638805357602" border="0" /></a><br />View from dinner one night at sunset<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0jSgHgV8RKcBLXVJjUwm7fQhcw9l0Eh93ZwhxfOQCAloOg077tqUJ0DM-mCqdmPQNeLshr1Ta29aBlAhU8IF-C4QaLnqy2gUOrKRTiIDvTREEJkvQ8yr5xlvjK4HVx-OQNwuVj7lntcp/s1600/IMG_0516.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0jSgHgV8RKcBLXVJjUwm7fQhcw9l0Eh93ZwhxfOQCAloOg077tqUJ0DM-mCqdmPQNeLshr1Ta29aBlAhU8IF-C4QaLnqy2gUOrKRTiIDvTREEJkvQ8yr5xlvjK4HVx-OQNwuVj7lntcp/s320/IMG_0516.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476753622664368754" border="0" /></a><br />The boys loved seeing the alligators!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2-HDsqs0ba2bl6xPLg-asMd7muR-lOjwZOZhLbEWrW1l-YTyMlcpgnIJPoDGPDVZaAYbMeZJitQGmsl7HGl75D-_XT94D6PwPmckEQJMbgiOwTgGzpA0Tudf7Be4_uAa1w-5LhGKJtp0/s1600/IMG_0553.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2-HDsqs0ba2bl6xPLg-asMd7muR-lOjwZOZhLbEWrW1l-YTyMlcpgnIJPoDGPDVZaAYbMeZJitQGmsl7HGl75D-_XT94D6PwPmckEQJMbgiOwTgGzpA0Tudf7Be4_uAa1w-5LhGKJtp0/s320/IMG_0553.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476753615063005586" border="0" /></a><br />Miniature golf - Brad and I tied - ugh! We are so super-competitive!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9V8Rhm6mF5j4qTP8Bj9QkSkppZrrh7Y3HhPgEfN5Mv2XowAJQERY6jy7tfzDOCUpoypQlC-ZEMrcmOHFlJ4x6xCC0b3ExIdrd0byh21Rxqquxlyn31f76QHQ5neCxMCOTjYtLv2dMln9/s1600/IMG_0564.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9V8Rhm6mF5j4qTP8Bj9QkSkppZrrh7Y3HhPgEfN5Mv2XowAJQERY6jy7tfzDOCUpoypQlC-ZEMrcmOHFlJ4x6xCC0b3ExIdrd0byh21Rxqquxlyn31f76QHQ5neCxMCOTjYtLv2dMln9/s320/IMG_0564.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476751551681503250" border="0" /></a><br />The pool was fabulous and our condo had tons of toys!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgZs4GNqHlkFr3z4Vs1PwPUIRv2m0hlLIlrDUr2iDnZ5bEMmdmy2ZzFQlbLSiqFpdzUgt0mjcQ66bmGV8ryHhp6gJcflzDdCNkN6u4JjmSC93ZOLl8wU_pF0kE13hBJVA6_7nWz2IMFEb/s1600/IMG_0579.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgZs4GNqHlkFr3z4Vs1PwPUIRv2m0hlLIlrDUr2iDnZ5bEMmdmy2ZzFQlbLSiqFpdzUgt0mjcQ66bmGV8ryHhp6gJcflzDdCNkN6u4JjmSC93ZOLl8wU_pF0kE13hBJVA6_7nWz2IMFEb/s320/IMG_0579.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476751539411060178" border="0" /></a><br />Pelicans everywhere!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdComUbFvLBgCCfyo2CZAQ3cZP7c76Zde2xGdZHEd9TgUgYZ1f5Q8VaK_l2XUf5llJYSZt1GYNC_o1qXafGX4F7TUcUa5yRw4HH7g7xaj4VvWO4OhlYkJd8Uhy7fiKGvURccaRUyApXpyt/s1600/IMG_0646.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdComUbFvLBgCCfyo2CZAQ3cZP7c76Zde2xGdZHEd9TgUgYZ1f5Q8VaK_l2XUf5llJYSZt1GYNC_o1qXafGX4F7TUcUa5yRw4HH7g7xaj4VvWO4OhlYkJd8Uhy7fiKGvURccaRUyApXpyt/s320/IMG_0646.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476751532096904114" border="0" /></a><br />One of our last days at the beach - playing in the sand at sunset!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPbnkGEKR8stIBZT713hChNGgvry2eXwx12TVs7VYfDzNRkThQWlvVMeZ9s_juas1XOzQpx4gelj9B5OjzW-23hsgltSX_6L4QNhPP8EsRa_qdimeCNSgczKLsyZ5bojgThN794e9oxM0/s1600/IMG_0704.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPbnkGEKR8stIBZT713hChNGgvry2eXwx12TVs7VYfDzNRkThQWlvVMeZ9s_juas1XOzQpx4gelj9B5OjzW-23hsgltSX_6L4QNhPP8EsRa_qdimeCNSgczKLsyZ5bojgThN794e9oxM0/s320/IMG_0704.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476751506191226482" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">We LOVE the beach!!</span><br /></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-30751752722965726552010-05-31T05:00:00.003-04:002010-06-07T23:43:22.976-04:00Menu Plan Monday - Garlic Corn on the Cob - Yum!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLVyCxOterJ6FXwl8RdYjx8RVZCyXIgF81dJqAudQK0vfbF_tmzx0XewiMvTmC5FVSXMtQgTkuQ2Hsthczqcx0FWpo2Bweq-8HiGtEfzZB-aoitpALiLHMfN3SF4u-UzzDt16dc9lqtM5/s1600/corn+on+the+cob.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLVyCxOterJ6FXwl8RdYjx8RVZCyXIgF81dJqAudQK0vfbF_tmzx0XewiMvTmC5FVSXMtQgTkuQ2Hsthczqcx0FWpo2Bweq-8HiGtEfzZB-aoitpALiLHMfN3SF4u-UzzDt16dc9lqtM5/s200/corn+on+the+cob.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476748044401552978" border="0" /></a>This week is our last week of school for this school year - yay! We are thankful for having had a great year and glad to be wrapping things up. Here's what's on our menu this week - looking forward to grilling out this summer! Speaking of . . . we need some new grill tools. Where did you purchase yours and do you like them? I don't want to spend a fortune . . .<br /><br />Monday - Pool/Poker Party with friends - out of town<br />Tuesday - Grilled barbecue chicken, red potatoes<br />Wednesday - Chicken Tacos, corn, chips & salsa<br />Thursday - Grilled steak, <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garlic-Corn-on-the-Cob/Detail.aspx">garlic corn on the cob</a> (shown here!)<br />Friday - Homemade pizza to celebrate the last day of school!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-32847206450692340122010-05-29T12:54:00.005-04:002010-06-07T23:43:37.425-04:00Thanks!Thanks for voting in my poll regarding what you'd like to see here! Starting Monday, here's what you'll find:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-weight: bold;">Mondays: Menu Plan Monday and/or Recipes</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-weight: bold;">Tuesdays: Family Life/Photos</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Wednesdays: Money Saving Tips/Finance Info</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Thursdays: Parenting Potpourri</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Fridays: Friday Fill-Ins</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Saturdays: Homeschooling Info/Thoughts</span><br /><br />Hope you'll join me and <span style="font-weight: bold;">come back to visit often!</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-90220710896129307452010-05-28T08:00:00.004-04:002010-05-28T11:55:36.646-04:00Friday Fill-Ins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY2yw7r6C-Nn-xBotF1F-ZX3uf9j0F-42CtiM5DRitZHpinc2x8kaYW1SWVM1t_v-yTuvYvkF02Ky9dx6T-bbBFQ0173eSaO9JtNNCbuxIG9JKXtmPxHbb5kyYIJe4MoZodJvMWwvoAdl/s1600/friday+fill+in+5-28.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY2yw7r6C-Nn-xBotF1F-ZX3uf9j0F-42CtiM5DRitZHpinc2x8kaYW1SWVM1t_v-yTuvYvkF02Ky9dx6T-bbBFQ0173eSaO9JtNNCbuxIG9JKXtmPxHbb5kyYIJe4MoZodJvMWwvoAdl/s320/friday+fill+in+5-28.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476130297905079506" border="0" /></a>Time for this week's <a href="http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/">Friday Fill-In</a>! I can't believe it is ALREADY Friday! My week has flown by - how about yours? And I'm <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">really, really</span> ready for a long, holiday weekend! Starting my Friday morning with a trip to the dentist is <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">not</span> my idea of a good start to the weekend, though! Fortunately, I don't have to go often.<br /><br /><br />1. <strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Watermelon</strong> -- the best food to take on a picnic.<br />2. Summer <strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">is great - but when it ends, I am more than ready for fall!</strong><br />3. <strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">I can't wear</span> </strong>flip flops (the whole strap-between-my-toes drives me nuts!).<br />4. To love someone is <strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">to care for them in physical, practical, hands-on ways</span>.</strong><br />5. <strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The walk from my old dorm freshman year to my 8:30am music class was</strong> a long hike.<br />6. When I crave food, it's usually <strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">something crunchy and salty</strong>.<br />7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to <strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">celebrating my mom's birthday and my husband's birthday</strong>, tomorrow my plans include <strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">absolutely nothing(!)</strong> and Sunday, I want to <strong style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">win when I play in a poker tournament! :)</strong>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-38377284991251811982010-05-21T16:00:00.000-04:002010-05-21T16:03:12.240-04:00I need your opinions!I'm starting to get back to blogging and want to follow a more regular schedule. So while I've already got a working day-by-day plan in my head, I'd love to hear your thoughts!<br /><br />What do you enjoy reading on my blog? My meal-planning info? Homeschooling tips/ideas? Finance tips? Tidbits from our everyday life? Viewing photos? Please vote in my little poll in the upper right-hand corner - <span style="font-weight: bold;">thanks! :)</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-59667038929502015952010-05-21T15:46:00.002-04:002010-05-21T15:54:09.564-04:00Friday Fill-Ins<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t130/GoofyGirlDesigns/FridayFillIn-Graphic2.gif" /><br /></a></div><br />1. <strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Quinn's laughter</strong> never fails to make me smile.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">It's contagious! </span></span><br /><br />2. I'm looking forward to <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">the end of the school year and start of our summer activities! We'll be busy - that's for sure!</span><br /><br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Dave Ramsey on the radio, Lady GaGA on my ipod</span> . . . is what I'm listening to right now.<br /><br />4. Potato salad must have <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">nothing</span> in it! <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Really, I just don't like it no matter how it's made! </span><br /><br />5. <strong style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Pizza Hut pizza</strong> was the best thing I ate today.<br /><br />6. Today was <strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">productive and uneventful. (That's a good thing!) :)</strong><br /><br />7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to <strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">watching our kids' drama performance </strong>, tomorrow my plans include <strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">hanging out with my good friend, Joy (dinner, scrapbooking, talking, and just having fun together!) </span></strong>and Sunday, I want to <strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">play games with my family and digi scrapbook!</strong>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5466179541557794360.post-63560440149358019532010-04-21T21:31:00.002-04:002010-04-21T21:42:41.219-04:00Mom's on the ComputerThis post is from <a href="http://spunkyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/02/moms-on-computer-or-not.html">Spunky Homeschooler,</a> and I have to say, <span style="font-weight: bold;">it hit me hard</span>. Ouch. I enjoy spending time on my computer, and struggle with how much time I am online vs. spending time doing other things. I've been convicted to spend a <span style="font-weight: bold;">LOT</span> less time online, and a lot <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">more time </span>in touch with my family</span>.<br /><br />I purchased a CD of her recent talk entitled "iHelp for the eHome," and have been listening to it in my car. Her talk began with the words from the song below. I wonder if you can relate?<br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Mom's on the Computer - </b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">To the tune of </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH46SmVv8SU">Cat's in the Cradle</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">. You can sing it in your head. :)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">My computer arrived just the other day,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">It came on the porch in the usual way</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">So many blogs to read and games to play</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">My child learned to walk, while I twittered away</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">And he was talkin’ for I knew it, as my friends list grew</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">He’d say "I’m gonna be like you mom</span>,<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">You know I’m gonna be like you</span>."<br /><br /><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">And mom’s lost on the computer, lettin' dinner burn<br />Little boy wanders, he just wants to learn<br />"When you getting off mom?"<br />"I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then,<br />we're gonna have a good time then</i>."<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">My son turned ten just the other day</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">He said "Thanks for the wii, mom, come on let’s play,"</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">"Can you teach me how it works?" I said “Not today.”</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">"I got a blog to write." He said “That’s okay.”</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">And he walked away while the computer never dimmed</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">He said, “I’m gonna be like them, yeah,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">You know I’m gonna be like them."</span><br /><br /><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">And mom’s lost on the computer lettin' dinner burn<br />Little boy wanders, he just wants to learn<br />"When you getting off mom?"<br />"I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then,<br />We're gonna have a good time then."</i><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Well my son came home just the other day</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">iPod in his ears, while he texted away,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">He shook his head and he said with a smile</span>,<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">"I'd really like to Mom, but talkin's not my thing</span>.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Check my status, for what's happening"</span><br /><br /><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">And mom’s lost on the computer lettin' dinner burn<br />Little boy wanders, he just wants to learn<br />"When you getting off mom?"<br />"I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then,<br />You know we’ll have a good time then."</i><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Well my blog's retired and my Facebook out-of-date</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">My son texted, “Hey mom, I just can't relate"</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">I said, "I'd like to see you if you have some time."</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">He said, "I'd love to, mom, but Skype if you don't mind.<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">You see my website's down and my workload just grew.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">But it's nice texting with you, mom.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">It's been sure nice texting with you."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">And as I typed “c u later” it occurred to me</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">He'd grown up just like me,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">My boy was just like me.</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10966891773850102550noreply@blogger.com2