What do ya know? She reads the news.

This story of an unreached tribe is interesting. The photos almost a little eery; think of what it would be like to be them.
This also interests me because, as many of you know, I have a cousin who lives with tribal people in Indonesia.
~Michelle

Today, It's Good 2 B Me

So life with a teenager isn't all that bad this week.
Of course, it's only Tuesday.

Last week I was informed that he, my 14 year old, doesn't tell me anything about football practice because I don't know anything about it.

"No offense, mom." I think is the phrase that followed. These are things they don't tell you about parenting.

So that was last week.
This week, it's good being me, I got hugged and kissed and thanked for being a good, loving mom.It melts my heart every time my, much taller than me child, hugs me on his very own! I can't help and thank the Lord for creating this kid!
...and blessing me with him!

So teen years rate good today.
I give it an A.

Here are some pics from Steve's brothers graduation/moving/getting a real job party. By the way-are there any fake jobs out there? 'Cause if so I want it!
anywho...
pics...
My baby and I; both in need of a haircut.


My three sons. "The graduate" lived

• in our garage,
• on our couch,
• and just used a self in the living room for his deodorant, toothbrush and paste, while he lived out of his Bronco.

Somehow he made it in the church directory as one of our children.

Here they all are.


To think, I made him, at age 13, come to the ER with me when Vaughan fell and needed 10 stitches above his eye. Uncle C is all grown up and now he's living in England!



How could I not take this picture.
Me and two Iraqi War Veterans.
God Bless America and the freedom that we have that many, many other countries do not have.
Be thankful for you freedom and thank those who defend it!


~Michelle

PS I do know quite a bite about football, at least for a girl

Perspective

I constantly have to check myself and CHaNGe MY PeRSPeCTiVE!!!
This is hard sometimes.
Do you have any idea what it's like to have made like every possible mistake out there?
Praise the Lord for His grace!

Takes me to this verse:

But he said to me,

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,

so that Christ's power may rest on me.

2 Cor. 12:9

I ask you... what does it mean to boast in one's weaknesses?

~Michelle

My Garden

It you're interested in what the yard looks like- I've posted some pics here.
Molly this is mainly for you.

~Michelle

Homeschool Report Idea

PowerPoint.
Justin is doing his report on the automobile in a PowerPoint presentation.
He hugged me when I told him the assignment.
Hugged me.
Over school.
-sigh-
These days moments keep me going.

They can import their own pictures to the report, like this rendition of the first steam car. Done in Paint by J.
I'm already looking forward to his presentation to his dad.
~Michelle

It's Monday I Have No Title for This

I've taken these next days off from work to concentrate on getting together our home school portfolios. Last night I gathered together all the paperwork I have and separated it into subject area and student. Usually I do this throughout the year and simply have to look over it all, write a brief summary, make up a reading list and we're done.

This year I had something called a job, outside the home, to add to my other jobs, inside the home, and just never got around to purchasing the 3-ring binder to house these papers and photos that compose our school year. I know, I know sounds simple: buying a binder, except I try to never, ever go into Wal-Mart.

So, with the load of it all weighing heavy on me this year I thought it best to take a little vacation to get it together, or at least attempt to. I also have made the hard choice to do something we've never done in the 10 years we've home schooled; I've decided to school 3-days a week through the summer for J and continue writing for V. We may also use this program over 3 Saturdays this summer, a really good skill for the boys to have.

Yuck! I know, my kids already moan over this, but we just took a little too much time off this year and could cover a little more over the summer months. On a good note we're going to be going back to some unit studies.

When the boys were in elementary school that all we did- unit studies! Most I got from Konos and still others I made up myself. So this week we're digging into the automobile, it's history (which interesting enough after steam autos electric came next... hind site is 20/20) and in conjunction with that study we'll learn about the Great Depression. So with that said I better stop typing and get the kids up and fed and ready to learn.

Happy Monday!
~Michelle

So Far

It's been a great weekend so far.

Today was awesome because it was the first morning all week that I actually felt rested when I woke up!

Justin and I went to see Prince Caspian, good but lacking and adding as all book based movies do; then I sent him with a friend to a rockin' hotel close by with 5 pools and a waterslide!

Vaughan and Steve went to a men's breakfast at church and then off to the shooting range or to shoot skeet (sp?).

I got a few hours of down time by myself and I watched my dog chase a raccoon part way up a tree, grab it, drag it to the ground and then shake it. Once it got loose it backed away into the dried up swamp and then up a tree!

I alerted the trigger happy boys and then there was a phone call, a short chase and 2 shots later I think we have us our friends a dead coon for dinner.

Yet another reminder I live in the south.
and happily in the country, at least a little corner of it!
Off to do some massive house cleaning!

~Michelle

*update: no raccoon

Happy Mother's Day

You'd think with my mom and grandma within 3 miles of me we'd all get together for Mother's Day. Nope we didn't, instead we all ate dinner together on Saturday night and on Sunday my family ever so happily followed me on yet another wild chase of FL State Parks.

This time we traveled 2 hours to Devil's Millhopper State Park. We were all pretty tired before even leaving so the car ride was actually relaxing. Since we recently purchased the box to allow our antennae to pick up digital signal, yes 15 years of wedded bliss and we've yet to have cable/dish. Anyway in the spirit of that box we listened to Adventures in Odessy, The Black Veil. If you want time to fly radio theatre is the way to go. Anyway Steve drove a good chunk of the way before I took over so he could nap.

I only had to make one U-Turn and we arrived! Once again it is best described in pictures.

This was actually taken on our way out of the park. Not sure if it was the Devil's Millhopper sign or Women's Bathroom sign we are posing by?

Devil's Millhopper is a 120 foot deep sink hole. Formed shortly after the Flood the sinkhole has many legends, all somewhat similar. Basically the sinkhole is shaped like an old hopper used in mills to funnel grain. Legend has it that the Devil kidnapped a beautiful Indian Princess and when the young Indian braves chased them the devil swallowed them up into this hole. The fossils found here are said to be those from the braves as well as the water flowing from the side walls are their tears. It became a state park in the early 1970's when a walkway was build to safely, and without harming the ecosystem, allow visitor's to travel to the bottom of the sinkhole.

My baby and I.

Justin at the bottom. The bottom was flat and swamplike.

All my men!

Here's J and I with 1 of 6 waterfalls that fall into the sinkhole. The water all flows together and down into the Florida aquifer below. If you're unfamiliar with Florida the state sits on top of limestone, shell, dirt and under ground rivers called aquifers. My theory is that's we'll one day pave this state and then sink it! Anyway the waterfalls sounded so relaxing I was ready to jump the path and relax awhile.

Fluff on the way up. He did so good.

While we didn't stop at my fav place, we did a drive-by and I snapped this picture.

After leaving the park we drove through downtown Gainesville and through the UF campus, near the Swamp, we are catching the football bug early this year (did I mention V's on the JV team? butterflies dance in my stomach just typing that) and then on home.

side note: please, please, please if you see my friend DO NOT TELL HER I HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH UF- she's a Seminole and well, I now live in the south and college football is... well if you have lived in the south you know; if you haven't lived in the south go and read Boomama's blog during football season and you'll get it. Anyway if said friend finds out it could be bad for the friendship *smile*

It was only as I was tucking the boys in bed that I realized this was the first year I didn't get a card from them, slackers. Instead I got a day full of memories and all their love.

Love being a mom, love my kids.

I'm blessed.

~Michelle

PS- worth a 2 hour drive... wouldn't recommend it; here's last year for a look back

I'd rate this park an overall "C", passing only because I don't know anywhere else you can visit a sinkhole. if you are in the area and have an hour to spare then go ahead. it's really a simple walk to the bottom and then back out.

Over 2 Years in the Making

I got it cut...

I had been growing it for 2 years and 5 months.

I sent it to Locks of Love this morning.

I love it!

~Michelle

Girlfriends Like These Are Hard to Find

This is a photo of two very important females in my life, on a very important day.

I've had the opportunity to be part of the young girls life in the middle for the past 3 years. She has amazed me, with all life has thrown at her she has handled it with grace, some yelling, and an attitude to inspire me. This photo was taken after her baptism.

The young lady(she'd love that I used the term young, but she doesn't read blogs so she'll never know) on the right and I bonded instantly on a trip to help rebuild New Orleans last summer. She's been more to me than she'll ever know. Some people you just meet and the next day it's as if you've never known life without them, that's her. I've never been much of a girlfriend person- she helped change that, every girl needs a girlfriend like her.

I'm so blessed.

~Michelle

PS I don't think the no blog in May thing is working out- I just can't help it

That Lasted Long

Boy I could only keep my mouth fingers shut for 1/2 a day. I just had to share this:
College scouts were at our school football practice today.
Did you hear me?
A major Florida university from points south was doing some pre-season scouting today at our school. They watched the varsity, the JV and yes, my beloved freshman.

Yet another reminder I live in the south.

And the Egg Was Suppose to Bring Good Luck

It's been a crazy week.
Well last week was. It was a series of unfortunate events in my own life. Car accident, sun-poisoning, dog bite to name the first three, yes there's more, in the same amount of days.

I have a lot on my schedule for this month- home school evals, high school prep, freshman football (yikes- did I actually type the word freshman referring to one of my children?), guitar lessons...
So I'll be absent from here for most of the month, perhaps even the summer- rearranging priorities as well.

So I wish you all the best, check back now and then- who knows I may have a late night writing frenzy. I'll still be over here weekly and will journal more often in my "old school" handwritten journal.

~Michelle