the happenings around here...

There is so much going on these days, I feel like I barely get finished with one day and another one is only hours away...

I enjoy it though, I must say I like the fast pace... don't get me wrong I like lounging around in my pajama's just as much as the next person but I enjoy spending days with family and friends, housework, homework, raising children... I love all that makes up this busy life.

Tonight my guy played a little on the guitar. It's been a long time since he has pulled out that guitar and played for us. I love that the kids don't even ask for the television to be turned on when Daddy is playing... they dance around and enjoy the sound. Hearing him play the guitar reminds me that this life doesn't have to be near as complicated as we sometimes make it out to be.



Everyone has been asking me about Miami... our trip has come and gone. It went well, exhausting, but good. Tony drove down with us and he stayed one night and left the following evening. The kids and I stayed until Friday. We juggled our time between visiting with family and taking Sophia to the many doctor's appointments that were lined up for that week. We really liked the doctor and Sophia was more than comfortable in Miami, in fact, she cried when we had to leave. We were driving in crazy traffic one morning and I said, "Who in there right mind would want to live her? What is so great about this place? and Why is everyone in such a hurry?" (way to be positive huh? hey- we all have our moments)Sophia squeals in the backseat, "This is the greatest city ever, they are in a hurry because it's MIAMI!!!" The appointments all went great and we learned a lot about how Sophia's brain works, how she processes information and the affects her seizures have had on her development... altogether she is a bright, witty, affectionate six year old who is the light of her momma's life and still has her Daddy wrapped tight around her little finger.



Troy on the other hand is not so thrilled with Miami. I felt pity on the poor guy most of the week. He rarely smiled... partly due to the horrible allergies he was struggling with (he was allergic to my cousin's dog, Tank, in the picture above) so that made it tough for him. But even more down because in Miami, "there is no forest and no dirt" You know what Troy loves... dirt... and forest.. a life without the forest and the dirt isn't a life worth living, in Troy's mind anyway. Before we even got home my mom had a load of clay delivered to her house, just for Troy (and she says I spoil him)and the day after we got home Troy spent two days at the farm, in the forest and dirt.



So, that's that.. just wanted to catch up since it has been awhile.

funniest. thing. ever.

Troy is right now, at this exact moment, in the shower singing...

"All the single ladies, all the single ladies, I love all the single ladies... shake your booty, shake your booty yea yea.. show 'em how ya do it now!"

I can hear him stomping around in their with his buzz lightyear toy singing his heart out.

Loving this!!

soooo over this...

Why is it young children are obsessed with bodily functions?

Now maybe my daughter gets it from the influence of her younger brother, because I cannot for the life of me imagine she would come up with these things on her own...

we've had a lot of sickness going around our house in the last few weeks, which may have spurred their new found interest in bodily functions

Either way... they are discovering bodily functions everywhere and telling me all about it.

They found a tissue box at the pediatricians office that gave all kind of facts about snot and as long as we waited to see the doctor that day we read and reread all of those facts over and over again, which only spurred their interest.



From sneezing, burping, tooting, spitting, urinating, pooping even crying... if it comes out they want to know who? what? where? when? and why?

They want me to "come and see" every time they blow their nose, go to the bathroom or spit on the ground.

This is one part of raising these monsters that I am not enjoying....



The only good thing about it all, they are gaining a whole new understanding of why we wash our hands!

well, Sophia just blew her nose... gotta "come see this!"

who me? not me?

Hey, what are you doing?

Oh cool, me? I'm hiding.

From the kids. I'm in the bathrooom, well, the shower to be honest...

No, I'm not taking a shower, I'm hiding in the shower, with my cell phone and a bag of cookies and Sophia's silly putty.

I just need a moment and this is the only place they won't find me.

Oh sheesh.. I gotta go Troy is calling me...

everyday moments...

Sophia was "training" the dog today.

Remember Mt. Laundry, the never ending mountain of laundry??

Today Sophia was squealing in delight as she had "trained" the dog to climb the mountain...

What mountain you ask?

Mt. Laundry of course.

Nothing like a 6 year old to humble you...

she then informed me that "Jazzy-Bell was far to scared to stay on the top of the mountain because it is way too tall, but she did go up and down"

Yep, humbled...

you know what I'm am doing tonight? Folding :)

my memories

Every once and a while I like to update on the "happenings around here"

My blog is not only my way of connecting with the outside world (since I spend my days trapped in this place with two monsters guarding my door) but it is also my journal. I love looking back at old blogs and reading what God has revealed to me at that time in my life, the important dates like Troy's first birthday, Sophia's cute little phrases, fun things we do together as a family... it's all on my blog... my blog is my journal to look back at the good memories and the not so good ones.

So tonight's blog is updating my memories :)

Tony is doing good at work. He is enjoying the new dealership. He likes working with his Dad, they make a good team. Tony is a good man, the kind of man who brings his exhausted wife a Coke Zero at the end of the night and kisses her forehead and tells her to go get a shower :) We have been staying up late every night working on the house, putting in new light fixtures, painting, building walkways outside at midnight (I'm sure our neighbors hate us). Tony's love for the Lord has grown and I'm so proud of him, happy for him and I see the change in his life. I adore him and I am so thankful that we have come this far. Our marriage is a blessing, it was fought for and it feels so good standing in the winner's circle with him. I'm holding out for a weekend getaway with my man soon, hint hint Tony... :)

Sophia is 6 years old, learning to read, loves math and continues to have her Daddy wrapped around her little finger. She never stops talking. She loves being homeschooled, co-op, Awana and most recently a little buckskin pony named, Coco. Most days Sophia is a joy to our home, she does like to provoke her brother as he does her, but most days she is our baby doll toting, makeup sneaking, always into something girly girl. Sophia hasn't had a seizure in a while now, we are seeking some alternative opinions and second opinions, I'm not ready yet but soon I'll give an update about all of that. We have some big appointments coming in the next two months, I'll keep you updated. She had her eye surgery and all went well, other than her new unique ability to breath out of her eyeball... I'm not kidding, I told her she's like a super hero now. I plan on talking to the doctor about it when she goes for her 3 month post op visit.



Troy is 4 years old, sweet little man, who loves his momma. He can't make a decision these days without "eni- meni- myni- mo-" which sounds cute but very well may drive me insane if he doesn't get over this phase soon. Troy eats everything, he is 35lbs now and quite proud of his skinny self. He walks around saying "I'm 35 points!" His favorite thing to eat is tomatoes... he eats them like apples. He waits all day for his Daddy to get home from work to "fight", he likes to wrestle and sword fight and would probably stay up all night "fighting" with his Daddy (his favorite super hero). He loves praying and every prayer starts with "Dear God, I hope we have a great day tomorrow-" Cutest. Thing. Ever.



That's all for now.. my productive day painting, playing outside, reading books and playing "Momma Bears" with the kids has worn me out.

Church bright and early tomorrow so I better get in bed... can't wait to worship our AWESOME God!!

school daze...

I really love being my children's teacher.

I was talking to a friend today telling her I can totally see the difference in my children when they are getting 100% of their momma.

When their days are scheduled, when there is purpose and they know what to expect.

It's what they crave and I love being able to give it to them.

Here are some photos I snapped this morning of us in our school daze...

Sophia snacking on some M&Ms doing her math work. We picked Saxon Math 1 (I didn't purchase K because I figured we could get more use out of 1) this year and I am so glad we choose this curriculum. I totally recommend it.



Troy sorting and then eating M&Ms (I love the possibilities in a bag of M&Ms... and the end result is so delicious!)





Sophia hard at work in one of her sensory boxes.
This one is filled with rice. About 7-10 objects are hidden inside and the object is to quietly and carefully so that none of the rice is spilled out, find what is hidden inside. Helps develop fine motor skills as well as assisting in sensory development.



This is Troy's learning poster. He is starting week 1 of 26, Brightly Beaming Steps to Reading. He knows the letters/shapes/number etc. already but I figured this would get him started with a more structured lesson, review what he already knew while adding lots of new material. He LOVED pretending he was a cow today and enjoyed the songs that went along with today's lesson. By the way- this is a free curriculum for anyone with preschool aged children, I did this same curriculum with Sophia and she LOVED it, it was fun reliving those memories today with Troy.

Oh and yes, the N in Martinez is missing, apparently this package of letters had every letter but N... uhm?

OVER AND OUT! :) The monsters are laying down reading/napping quietly and I'm going to enjoy a cup of coffee. Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

we try...

and things don't always work out right...



sometimes we have to try new ways...



sometimes we have distractions, things that try to get in our way...



but if we stick with it...



we discover...



that we can do it!!!

counting blessings...

Count your many blessings name them one by one,
Count your many blessings see what God has done,
Count your blessings, name them one by one...



Oh, so many blessings...

As I look around my home, I see them all of them... even the laundry and the dishes...

because...

this means we are going to sleep with our bellies full...



this means we will have dry, clean clothes in the morning...



this means they are learning...



this means they had a fun day...



this means they had a great day...




this means that he really loves me...

thankful heart is a happy heart...

It is so easy for me to fall into the 'holiday blues' this time of year.

I don't know why it is, seems like since the death of my father in 2002 the holiday season just doesn't feel the same.

I catch myself every year, the same feeling...

We were all pretty sick the last few weeks and since it was all I could do some days just to sit on the couch and watch movies with my sick kids it felt easier than ever to let Satan invade my mind with sad and lonely thoughts.

I always go along with the motions of the holiday season, but this year more than ever between sickness, stresses of moving and just the general yuck in this dark world it was easier than ever to fall into that slump.

I heard my sweet boy the other day singing along with his Veggie Tales CD, "a thankful heart is a happy heart, I'm glad for what I have that's an easy place to start"

The weather may not be cool, my family may be out of town, I may be feeling overwhelmed facing a move just a few weeks after Christmas, the budget may be tight but... I can walk barefoot in the grass, feel the sunshine on my face, call my family on the phone, know they are all well and safe, rejoice in the blessings of starting over in our new home, find contentment in knowing that Christmas is not about how much or what is under the tree, rather the gift that is Jesus Christ.

Instead of focusing on the things that aren't "right" about this Christmas season I choose to focus on the reason we celebrate, the birth of our Lord. The gift of Jesus, salvation and light. Choose to focus on my husband, children, all that is good in my life.

As my focus changed... my mood changed... a thankful heart is a happy heart... and if you don't know where to start think Veggie... be glad for what you have that's an easy place to start.


Thank you God for sending messages once again through my little monsters, when I say they are a blessing I truly mean just that. :)

4am post...

Sophia has never been a good sleeper.

When she was an infant we had epic sleep battles.

With her super strong will and her ability to function on 4-6 hours of sleep a night it's a wonder I got any rest when she was a baby.

I thought I had a pretty good grip on it around age 4, she was no were near sleeping through the night but she had learned that until the sun comes up we stay in our beds. With all of her health issues I totally understand that it may be hard for her to get to sleep, she may sleep intermittently throughout the night and any of you with children who have special needs you teach them to adapt to the most normal routine as possible and for us staying in bed till you see the sun is the best option. She used to read books quietly with a flash light, play with her toys in her bed, whatever, but she was quiet and respectful of the rest of us.

I have always found for whatever reason with my children, both of them, the bedtime power struggle is the area where the lines are drawn. If I let them stay up later than normal or allow them to get up after being put to bed something clicks in their little brains and they think they have the upper hand, they have won and the next day they think they are the one in control. I learned very early with these two that it is 100% a test of wills. Troy is pretty typical, bathroom, drink, the never ending prayer, I gotta poop, etc. Sophia takes it to a whole new level. I think special needs kids have this whole level of strong will that most people can't even imagine. A few nights ago she told me she needed to go to the hospital at 2am, she'd rather go to the hospital than sleep in her bed...

Recently Sophia has been switched to a number of different medications for her seizures, we are trying to find the best one for her... in the process I got pretty relaxed about her sleeping, she was having trouble sleeping, complaining of tummy aches and nervousness... the medicines can cause insomnia, stomach pains and anxiety... she didn't know that but I did and until we figured out which medicines were right for her I just felt more comfortable keeping a close eye, so I let her sleep in our room, I slept with her... there was no routine or power struggle whatever so ever, her need or want was she got it.

Fast forward 6 weeks later, we are switching medicines yet again, back to the original prescription that had worked well until she had a few breakthrough seizures. I'd rather have a breakthrough seizure every once and a while than deal with the side effects of these other drugs.

Well, the whole tummy ache thing has become a great excuse to get out of bed at this point. I can tell, for the most part, when my kids are faking it, every momma can, it's just that instinct. I'm always careful with Sophia because I know the medicines can cause some crazy side effects and I don't want push her too hard if it might be a real issue but tonight I knew 100% that she was not really sick, she'll make herself sick, gagging and all but she wasn't really sick.

So, at 1:30am I decided tonight was going to be a test of wills. Tony went to bed on standby knowing that he very well might be woke up for second shift if this power struggle went into the morning hours. Well, it's 4:12am and Tony has about 18 minutes before I'm going to sleep for a few hours and he'll be on bedtime patrol, before he'll have to get ready for work. For the last three and a half hours she gets up and I walk her back to bed and leave the room, over and over and over again. It's real insanity over here but eventually it will work. We may be up all night tonight but tomorrow night she will remember...

Some might ask why don't I just let her sleep with me? Why don't I just let down with her? Why don't I just spank her and make her stay in her bed?

Well, the same answer I give to anyone who asks me why I do things the way I do...

You aren't Sophi's mom. You don't know her needs like I do, you don't know her like I do. I do what I do because I am Sophi's mom.

I don't believe there is one way to parent. I have two children and I have two parenting styles that meet their specific needs.

I don't want her staying in bed because she is afraid she will be spanked. I don't want her thinking she can pull momma along like a bull with a ring in it's nose. I want her to stay up all night long if that's what it takes because tomorrow night she will remember I didn't get my way, it's not worth the fight again, I'll go pee and then get back to sleep or at least lay there till the sun is up. If not tomorrow night maybe the next night, but she will learn. It needs reinforced after 6 weeks of a free for all but she will figure it out.

I decided to pull out my computer and blog this because I was laying on the couch in the dark thinking about the good mother... the good mother doesn't take the easy way out. She digs her heels in and does what is best for her child even when it is the hard thing to do.

All good mothers can look back and say oh yes, I missed out on going here because they lost that privileged or I spent the afternoon being pestered because they were naughty and weren't allowed to go outside or lost tv time... when my good mother used to tell me 'this is harder on me than it is on you' I never understood...
Well, now I get it.
I totally understand.
I am so thankful for my good mother who taught me that what is right is not always easy.

preparing for the move...

We are in the waiting period with the house. Waiting for the title company to finish all of their paperwork so we can close. It should be within the next week or so. Then we can start renovations and hopefully move in days after Christmas, hopefully... it will be a stretch because we have to be out of this house by December 31st.
So, while we wait I have been preparing for the move...
not by packing boxes or anything like that... but...
sharing a bathroom with the kids, not using the dishwasher and reorganizing things to take up much less space...
sounds crazy huh?

Well, the house does have two bathrooms but for now the master bathroom is a 1/2 bath, which means we will be sharing a bathroom with the kids. I wanted to prepare for this by moving my things and "practicing" sharing a shower with the kids. Crazy I know but I wanted to be prepared. I have to get used to cleaning out the bathtub of boats and barbies before I shower. Not to hard... check that off my list glad I'll be prepared.

Not using the dishwasher, in the new house I decided I would rather have an extra cabinet than a dishwasher. There is no pantry and the cabinet space is very limited anyway so I decided I could go without the dishwasher and keep the extra cabinet, yes it meant that much to me. So I decided to give it a go... no more dishwasher. Not hard actually I think I keep up with the dishes a lot better because I'm not waiting for a dishwasher load before doing the dishes. And check it off the list... totally prepared for that.

Reorganizing things to take up less space, this is very important because space is limited in the new house. I have never appreciated under-bed-storage containers like I do now. We donated a lot of toys this year for the Christmas toy drive at our church and the things we decided to keep I'd say everything has a place. Pretty exciting to know we are going to be able to make it all fit. Check!

In all of this preparation I realize just how silly it is to think we "need" so much. Yes a dishwasher and extra bathroom make things more convenient, but really not a "need"... it's been fun practicing and realizing what we don't need :)

Tony laughs at me every time I truck into the kids bathroom to take a shower but you know when he steps on a toy soldier when he gets into the shower at the new house, I will be prepared.

Enough about that... I'm completely exhausted... Good Night!

now that's an update....

I've been mentioning the big changes heading our way but I haven't really written about what those changes are...

I'll start with the most important...

This is a faith issue... Tony made the decision to commit his life to Christ and he has really stepped it up as the spiritual leader of our family. It is something I've prayed for many years. Something I'm so thankful for. It is a very real thing that the man is called by God to be the spiritual leader of his family. I will say from experience there is only so much a mother and wife can do without a God fearing husband- it is so nice to have a partner. But whoa baby... there is no holding us back now that we are both going in the same direction! A very wise couple shared with Tony and I once that a man and a woman are on the two bottom corners of a triangle, God is the point at the top, as they grow closer to God they follow the lines of the triangle and are pulled closer and closer together. This has never felt more real to me. Tony says for the first time in his life he feels like he is being lead, things aren't happening by chance and we are so excited to see what God is going to do next in our lives.

Second issue is a house one... some of you know that Tony and I went through a very difficult financial time when he lost his job of 12 years back in 2008. We lived in our "dream house" and lived very comfortably. After moving numerous times in 2008 and 2009 we ended up here. In a smaller rental house. The landlords have been great to us and we have enjoyed the home but it is time we begin to rebuild. We are in the process of purchasing a home. Tony and I would lay awake at night talking about how we would rebuild, we would have nice cars again, I dreamed about a double oven, he dreamed of having an office again... well, fast forward almost four years later and ask me if any of that is important?
We are buying an almost 1,000 sft. home that currently has no floors and needs a new roof... but ask me and it is my dream home! This home will be ours, for our family and this little home will enable us to do what we now know is the most important - spend time together as a family. We def won't be house poor and it is walking distance to our church. The inspection went well, lots of issues, but all things we were prepared to fix, it's def a project but we will do it together and if any of our friends would like to help, you know where to reach me! I should know a closing date this week.

Third issue is a work one... Tony and his Dad are at it again. The way they like it, father/son duo. They teamed with a Christian man to open a new RV dealership in Ocala. They are excited and it is heartwarming to see that excitement in both of their eyes again. I look at my father in law and I know he has his son's (all three of them)best interest at heart. I look at my husband and I know no matter what, his father is his hero. I know my son will feel the same way someday and for that I am thankful and seeing Marco and Tony together it makes my heart jump, thinking about the future for Tony and Troy. I am so thankful that Marco made the choice to be a leader for his family, I see how Tony learns from his Dad, that's building a legacy people. So, Tony is supposed to begin working in Ocala this week.

So- That is the bundle of change in a few short paragraphs.

Hopefully, I will be able to update more later... some funny stories about how I am preparing to downsize yet again- it's all mental and a little insanity, but I'll share more on that later.

I'm fighting a cold and I'm sure this weather change isn't helping...
Sophia had a rough night (seizure activity of some kind) so I didn't get much sleep.

I got a nap and coffee, now off to the grocery store...

Oh and I got the Christmas Tree up... cute huh? Still more decorations to put up and I have to finish the tree skirt but I couldn't resist posting a photo.

a testimony of motherhood

So, I almost feel guilty for following this amazing blog about my husband making this life changing decision to follow Christ with this one...

but ya know, life is real...

I'd be totally lying to say that yesterday after church our children acted like little saints and we enjoyed a calm peaceful meal as a family after church and we spent the day loving on one another in a peaceful and relaxing afternoon.

Yes, not quite..
I mean we did have a lovely afternoon and enjoyed being together, but in true Martinez Family fashion... there was no candlelight dinners or peaceful lunches... we jumped on the trampoline, wrestled with the kids, lots of screaming and lots of laughter.
Tony was tearful and I think just emotionally exhausted (I have his permission to say that, as long as I never bring it up again).
It was a great day, a day of praising our Lord and lifting up my man.

So, now... a testimony... of motherhood...

I promised my mom I wouldn't blog about this but it really is too funny and too real not to share with my closest friends and whoever else might read this and find humor in this very real part of being a mom with small children.

Saturday, Tony worked all day.
The kids and I had errands to run, lots of running around.
We left the house at 9 and went to the pharmacy, to the grocery store, to my grandparents house, back home to put dinner in the crockpot and eat lunch, then out again to hit up the fabric shop (great sales over Veteran's Day Weekend), then to another store so the kids could spend their money and get a small toy. Then when Tony got home my mom, grandma and I headed to Lowes...

So- while we were out running all these errands I kept smelling a strange smell...

(yes, mom, I'm going to blog about this- I know, I know).

I couldn't tell what the smell was, you know that smell when you leave your clothes in the washer for too long?

It was kinda' like that...

I kept smelling my shirt, it really wasn't my shirt...

I was smelling my hair,

I have told people before that my hair captures scents, if we are at a BBQ or a bonfire my hair will hold onto the scent for days, even when I wash it...

I kept smelling my hair, it wasn't my hair...

I couldn't figure out where this scent was coming from but there was most definitely a scent...

I kept asking the kids, do you smell that?

Surely I wasn't the only one too smell it?

we ran errands all morning and after lunch the scent was getting worse...

By this point I thought I was going crazy,

I was smelling everything around me.

Why was I the only one smelling it?

I scratched my neck and this orange slime was on my hand, under my nails...
I smelled it... the scent!

What in the world!?

Well, come to find out... earlier that morning Troy was begging for a cheese stick, I decided this wasn't a battle worth fighting so a cheese stick for breakfast was fine with me...

My son, my son... he put the left over cheese stick in my shirt...

this is Troy's safe place for all things important.

I've gone to Publix with a HotWheels in my bra

church only to find a toy solider stuffed in my top

but a cheese stick takes it to a whole new level...

I've had applesauce in my hair

green beans on my pants

even a fruit chew stuck on the bottom of my shoe

but a cheese stick in my bra!?

I screamed once I realized what it was melted all inside my shirt and my neck.

Troy giggled and I wondered how many people noticed this melted cheese on my chest and failed to inform me?

My only comfort was I had been wearing a jacket most of the morning...

OOOOHHH TROY!!!

So, needless to say, I got a shower and we were off again and no more cheese sticks for Troy.

Isn't motherhood just the greatest?

how it goes sometimes...

This morning I woke up with a headache

I just didn't feel like doing much of anything



But my terrible twosome were up and ready for trouble

After an hour of entertaining them with the life sucker (the TV)



I decided I needed to get moving

I had planned on making some homemade playdoh




It was really the last thing I felt like doing

We had all of the ingredients and I thought the kids would enjoy it



Counts as some homeschool science and math so with coffee in one hand, camera in the other we got to work

Some days even with the best of intentions and preparation chaos erupts



The kids were bickering

No one wanted to sit still and listen while I talked about two 1/2s making a whole or how to get 2tsps you need to scoop the 1tsp measuring spoon 2 times...



I wasn't being fair to let Troy pour the water

and Sophia got more time stirring the pot on the stove than Troy did



Did I mention the blue food coloring was teal and not blue...

Yea, sometimes it doesn't go how we want it too...



We melted a plastic spider on the stove top...

Did I mention I still have headache?

On positive note:
The playdoh turned out great so here is the recipe we used...

Homemade Playdoh

1 Cup Water
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Salt
2tsp Cream of Tarter
Food Coloring

Mix ingredients in a pot, stir over medium heat until ball forms and pulls away from the sides.

Enjoy!

One on One

Yesterday my man was home...

lots needed to be done

and lots got accomplished.

There was plenty of running around on this day

Chores to be done, rooms to be cleaned out, plenty more to do...

Yet special time was spent with each parent and each child



Sophia got to run errands with Momma and then go to church and have dinner with Daddy

Troy got to work with Daddy and then spend an evening with Momma



We spend many days together but not much time is spent with one child at a time

Yesterday was special time...

Not a special activity but just special time...

time spent enjoying the kids one on one

Sophia is growing up so quickly she loved walking with Momma in the stores



I bought her a soda, she didn't say anything but I could tell it made her feel grown up...

it was nice to enjoy the simple moments like drinking a soda with her.

Troy is such a sweet guy, he keeps reminding me, "I'm four now"



He wants to be big "like Sissy" We made pizza, snuggled and read books and watched Power Rangers, I think he enjoyed the freedom of this one on one time.

Today, Daddy is back to work

First thing this morning Troy wanted Sophia to watch the Power Ranger movie he watched last night.. he doesn't want her to miss out.

She really wasn't interested but seeing his excitement- they are on the couch together watching the episode.

I hear them making plans about what they are going to do today, play dogs, jump on the trampoline, play in the playroom...

I'm glad they like being together

learning together...

I love homeschooling my children...

I think it is important to provide them with a solid foundation...

equip them to do great things...

it just feels right, like this is how it is meant to be.

Ask me 7 years ago if I thought I would be a homeschooling parent and I would have said no way!

7 years ago I was going to school to be a teacher, little did I know I would be teaching my own...

We learn together...

We learn about the Earth, the power of sunlight, mammals, carnivores, herbivores...

We read... We count... We explore... but even more than that we learn how to be together...

Today was unexpected. Today was a day unlike most, we got up, had no plans, no school work on the schedule...

We went to drop something off to a friend and realized Troy had left his sneakers at Mimi's farm...

We drove over to the farm to get his shoes

As always on the farm if you look around there is work to be done...

so we did some...

We worked for a bit... we played a bit little longer...

Troy rode in the Jeep with GrandDaddy... he ate a cucumber that GrandDaddy cut with his pocket knife...

Sophia found an apple and shared it with a horse...

We went to visit the Great Grandparents...

Troy stole some candy from GiGi

We counted hay bails and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

We came home and made chili for tonight's supper.

We went to the playground and found a beetle,



They ran around,

I pushed them on the swings,

We sang songs and talked about Jesus...

We investigated the beetle again before going home Troy tried to bring it back to life, it didn't work...




We found out our friends are sick, we made them cookies which we will drop off in a few hours...

Today is a day that there were no lessons planned but we are learning together about life, taking care of one another, helping each other, praising God in everything we do... and what lesson we could learn in a book is greater than that?

My two are snuggled together on the couch enjoying an afternoon movie...

And I think... this is how it is supposed to be...

They are mine, they won't be mine forever, but while they are I will treasure the moments... teach them, love them, learn them... and we will do this together... because that is how our family is supposed to be.

working on the farm

Today started off as a relaxing day at home (except for the palmetto bug)...
ended up being a busy day working on the farm.

The kids love being at the farm...
my little free birds.
One of the horses left for training in Texas.
Sophia's sweet nature- she cried when he loaded up,

he'll be back in 6 weeks.
Troy was most concerned if 'Stormy' was riding in a Peterbilt or a Mack, turns out it's a Volvo, he wasn't impressed.

And dinner in the back of Poppa's truck...

And anywhere there is food on the farm, you'll find Poppa, who wanted a picture with Troy, too bad Troy was making a 'goofy face'...

It was a long day on the farm but any day spent surrounded by God's creation is a rewarding well spent day.