Where has the time gone?

As you may have noticed, I have not updated my blog in awhile. Well...since September. We have been very busy and I have not had a moment to get online and post any updates. Let me clarify. I have chosen NOT to spend my free moments online posting updates. In fact, the computer is the last place I want to be in my free time lately. I have been going to school full-time through Southwestern College to finish my teaching degree. All of my classes are online, and while that is a blessing, I am on the computer a lot more than I would like to be. But for everything there is a season. And right now, I really have the desire to finish this degree. It has been 14 years in the making...and I am biting the bullet and finishing it!

I also have my full-time home childcare/preschool. Right now I have 5 children enrolled plus my two. All of my families are wonderful and I am grateful for the opportunity to work from home.

Amelia is in school and it is going alright. Stan and I are not very impressed with the public school system. (No surprise there.) Eventually, we will need to find a better solution. But, right now Amelia is doing okay and we will leave things as they are until we are more settled and back into a normal rhythm. We supplement her learning at home and continue to hold her to a higher standard. She certainly is not being held to high standards at school.

Here is what we have been up to for the last few months...

Pumpkin Patch

Halloween

Thanksgiving Preparations

Christmas Preparations

Thanks for visiting.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Weekend Camping Trip

This weekend we went on a little camping trip to Fall River. It was a lot of fun. Here are a few pictures!

We started a fire and made s'mores and roasted hot dogs!



Here is our tent...it was super easy to set up!

We used our camping cook stove to make breakfast burritos in the morning.

Then we went exploring...

and the girls tried out some rock climbing...Stanley's past-time.

We drove over to see the damn.

And traveled over the creeky bridge before heading home!

Our Bathroom Makeover

This is our bathroom BEFORE! As you can see, it was pretty awful. We have lived with it for the past 2 1/2 years since we moved in. It had gold fixtures and a hunter green countertop and sink. The cabinets were a blonde wood color. I was so tired of seeing it, I decided it just had to go!

We were working in a pretty tight budget. We completed the whole bathroom for about $700.00. Here is the finished Bathroom!

Sink Before...

Sink After...

We replaced the sink, fixtures, mirror,lighting, and flooring (Vinyl tile). We painted the walls a pretty blue green. Then we sanded and painted the countertops using a product from Rust-Oleum. It was 19.95 and was mixed to the color of my choice at the paint counter. So far I LOVE it! It is very durable and smooth. Can you think of a cheaper or easier way to get rid of dated countertops? We also painted the cabinets and added a glass tile backsplash.

I finished off the room by adding fresh new towels, shower curtain, rug, trash can, lamp, and a few accessories.

I am so pleased with how it turned out. The ugliest room in our home is now beautiful!

Thanks for checking out our new bathroom!

Amelia's First Day of Kindergarten

Amelia started Kindergarten this week! This was her "first day of school picture" outside our house.

Here is the lunchbox she picked out to match her backpack.

Her first lunch...I was teary eyed as I was making it.

Amelia was so excited about school starting. Here she is in her classroom on the first day.

So how am I really feeling about this Kindergarten stuff? Well, honestly it has been hard for me. I feel torn in many ways because we had really planned on homeschooling up until recently when I decided I wanted to finish my teaching degree. I have always loved the idea of homeschooling and think it is an awesome way to educate children for those who are called to it. Homeschooling offers a family-centered lifestyle and we love that. But, at this point in our lives I must work. My business brings in a good income, but not a lot of free time during the day. I am not able to take the girls to any extra activities for homeschoolers and I don't know if spending their days in house full of preschoolers is the most productive environment. Right now, I do not know what I want or what is best...but I give that to the Lord and will wait for his direction for the future regarding my career and schooling for the girls. But, for now, I think this is a good place. It is a smaller magnet school and she only has 15 kids in her class. I am trying to let go, but I want to know what she is doing all day. I want to be there. I want to see the connections she is making in her learning. I count the hours until she gets home. I am not sure if these are feelings every mom has when they send their first born off to school or if these are feelings resulting from wavering from our original plan to homeschool. I hate not knowing what is best or if the decisions I am making are the right ones.
 So how is that for a first day of school post???

New Organization Stuff!

Magnetic White Board for $7.00

New Calendar/Planner

Happy 34th Birthday Stan!

As usual, we ate at Sal's Japanese Steak House for Stan's Birthday. It was delicious.

Mmmmm...Steak and Lobster, Fried Rice, Fesh Veggies, Shrimp, Salad, Soup all prepared at the table.

Then we headed home for Stan's Birthday Dessert choice...Chocolate Cream Pie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

Fourth of July

A Few Pictures from the Fourth of July

Toy Story 3

Grandma Nita took the girls on a fun outing to see "Toy Story 3" last weekend. They had SO much fun. Who could blame them? They got to see the movie AND eat at McDonalds AND  pick out a Toy Story toy from Walmart too!!!!

(By the way...isn't my Mada looking SOOOO old?? She has entered into a new stage and is SO adorable!)