Monday, September 22, 2008

My new ride!

No! Not that one. Don't I wish! Although I am working on it. That is my new dream car. Does that mean I am going through my mid-life crisis, because I want a convertable--beetle bug? Hopefully that will be my next new ride. But for now this is my new ride.....









This is Megan's new ride. She really likes it!

Even Noah got into the action. He got a new bike for his birthday. I will post that photo later, but to go on rides with us, until he builds up his stamina to ride that far, he can chill in his new trailer.




Of course, that means I will have to really work extra hard to pull him and the trailer. I definately will have to build up to longer rides.
The bikes I bought new, but the trailer was a blessing. I had been looking at them and pricing them....$100.00 and up. I happened by an estate sale the other day and bought this great, like new trailer for $15.00!!!! I was thrilled. It was just a little dusty and needed the coupler to attach it to the bike. No big deal. Less than $10.00 bucks, cheaper than I thought, and we are good to go!!

Happy trails!!!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Homefront

Nothing much going on at the moment. I am very tired from working today and running around much of the week. So I am sitting and very sleepy...I will try to get Noah down early tonight and get a few more zzzz....in fact, I could lie down right now, and go right to sleep!


My parents left to go back to Louisiana today. They have been here three times since the first of August. Once for camp meeting and twice because of hurricanes. We ran around several days this week, going to yard sales and to flea markets. I got so blessed yesterday. A few days ago I bought a new bicycle and have been looking at those bike trailers for kids to ride in. Anyway, they are around $100.00 and up. I almost bought one a couple of days ago, but decided to hold off. Yesterday we went to an estate sale and I got a perfectly good one, almost new, for $15.00! All it needs is a coupler to hook it to the bike and those only cost about $8 -$9 bucks! So for less than $25 I got a great trailer to pull Noah in while we are biking.

Well I am going to end here and get things rounded up for bedtime. I will leave you with a little shameless bragging. Here is my daughters photography web site. She has started a photography business and it is really coming along great. So I wanted to share her work with you. http://www.photoblog.com/AmandaLaurenFoto

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Big Sale...

Today we are having a big sale. I went through my closets, and through boxes I had in storage and we decided to have a yard sale today. I have tons more to go through but it is a start. I sold some larger items and some clothes so far. I feel it is finally a start on downsizing that I have been wanting to do for months. I have just been to busy to do it before now. And the weather is nicer now, so not so much sweating!!

Well just checking in for now. I am editing some photo's from Chicago and will try to post some later. I know I keep saying that, but I haven't spent much time on the 'puter latley. Sorry. Have a great day!!

Monday, September 15, 2008

A new week before me...endless possibilities to be realized...

While surfing the web and reading some blogs I frequent, I ran across this blog post by Alex the Girl. It was dated June 2nd and it was her latest blog post. I was challenged by her words and agree with it. I have become to attached to the internet and need to back way off in the use of it. Our whole family could disconnect for a bit. Not sure that will happen, but it is something to consider. You can read her post here:http://alexthegirl.com/2008/06/289
Hope you enjoy it. And follow her advice at least for some time.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

AWOL

Yes, I realize that I have been AWOL from this blog for some time. I have stopped in a time or two to update, but basically haven't been keeping things interesting around here.

Since returning from Chicago, I have been really busy and tired. Sometime vacations will do that to you. I have been keeping up with other blogs but somehow I feel like I am in a slump and can't seem to muster the mental creativity to sit down and put words to paper; or computer screen, as it were. I have photo's from the trip to Seattle and to Chicago that I haven't even downloaded onto the computer, much less edited. I just feel blaaaa....

For those of you who know that feeling well, I don't need to explain. But for those of you who are always energetic and full of creative fire, well... all I can say is I envy you.

I am somehow feeling a bit lost, somewhere between vacation and real life. Trying to muster up the energy to put your nose to the grindstone again but not wanting to at all. When kids are in public school or even private schools, all you have to do is buy the necessary items and get them there on time. But when you homeschool, it is all on you. You have to do everything; you are the parent, the teachers, the principal, the school board and the superientendent. And nothing works if you don't make it work. You design it, run it and carry the weight of all of it on your shoulders. That can be somewhat daunting at times.

Last year we tried something called unschooling. It is a relaxed approach to educating a child. Based on the idea that children learn naturally and without being told to learn. I love the concept, I believe in the concept. And I was perfectly happy with the experience. However, my daughter, who is 13 and in the thoes of puberty, felt that she was strange because she wasn't doing "school" like her peers. Part of the problem is due to the fact she has no homeschool peers. I know, that is my fault, but that is another story. All of her friends and peers attend "regular school" and being the insecure, pubesent that my daughter is at the moment, she felt like she was weird, or strange because she doesn't do "regular school". So this year we are going to try to do "regular school". I plan to get her enrolled into a program that offers study skill training since she has never really done "traditional school". I think it will help her confidence and her ability to organize and keep up with her studies.

Noah who will turn three on Saturday, well we have two more years before he has to worry about being school age. So we are doing unschooling with him and just calling it fun!

Lauren is working on her photography business. She has a couple of weddings coming up, and three senior portraits to do between now and October. She is getting more work and hoping that things will take off. I hope that it works out for her. I think if you find the thing that you love, and work at it, you will succeed, even if you don't get riches and fame, if you are happy with what you are doing, then that is success. However, I am not an idot, I realize that you need money to live, and now days, lots of money...so I am still encouraging her to go to college and get a degree. She says she is...in the spring. But she said that before and didn't. I know that she is smart and can succeed at whatever she tries, if she wants it bad enough. So I don't worry so much anymore about it.

Well, this post took a life of its own, and once again, I was rambling. At some point I will post more photo's of Seattle and Chicago and talk more about them. For now I just want to hold the memories close and try to pretend that I am still on vacation, even if it is just for another day or two.

Today I have to go find a Thomas the Train cake pan to make Noah's birthday cake. Time files, I can't believe my baby will be 3! The last four years have been bitter sweet, since moving to Arkansas, there have been many losses in my life, struggles, pain, tears, dry spells where I felt the trials would never end, but in the midst of it all, this beautiful gift from God-My little Noah!
I read that the name Noah means comforter, I would agree. He has been a source of comfort and joy for me. God knew what I would face over the last four years, and he knew I needed something extra special to get me through, so he blessed me with Noah! Thank you Lord for your blessings and your grace and mercy in my life.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

travels and other things



I just realized how long it has been since I blogged. I feel like I have deserted it. But things have been busy. I had to work last week, and now we are on vacation. So this post will be short and sweet just to catch up on things.




We are in Chicago right now. We had plans and reservations at Destin Beach, Florida. But as time went on and the treat of hurricane Gustav was looming, we changed our plans. We first tried to get a flight to San Diego, but to no avail. We couldn't get a flight at the last minute with our seats together. And since we have a three year old,(almost) and a 13 year old that has never flown. We felt we needed to be assured of seat together. So out plan C was to drive to Chicago. So here we are!



Saturday after I got off work, we got ready and drove to Nashville. We got us Sunday and took Noah to see Thomas the tank Engine. He was visiting Nashville on "A Day Out With Thomas" tour, and since Noah absolutely loves Thomas, we had to go. We got to ride the rails with Thomas pulling the cars. He had his photo taken with Sir Topham Hat and Thomas. And loaded up on Thomas goodies. It was a great time. Since his birthday is coming up next week, it worked out great for a birthday trip. Then we left there and drove the 7+ hours to Chicago. We checked into the Residence Inn on the Magnificent Mile and have had a great trip so far.



The girls did some shopping yesterday and we spent the day walking the Mag Mile. We viewed the city fron Hancock Observatory. Then we walked over to the beach and played around until the sun went down.



Today we are off to explore the Art Institute of Chicago, Pier,Millennium Park, and Michigan Avenue Bridge. We are planning to take a ride on a horse drawn carriage around town and maybe a boat tour of Lake Michigan.



Then we have tomorrow to go to Shedd Aqurium and see whatever else we decide to do. We will get up on Thursday and head back to Arkansas. And summer fun is over. Back to work, back to school and back to the real world. The real world for us anyway!








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