Monday, August 31, 2009
Grocery Challenge
Mary, of Owlhaven, is hosting her grocery challenge again this year. I am always amazed at how she seems to stretch her dollars. She is going to try and feed her large family on $75.00 a week for the month of September.
I was intrigued last year when she did this so I am going to "try" and stretch my grocery dollars a little farther in the month of September also. Even though our family is half the size of Mary's I don't think I can swing the $75.00 number. I usually spend about $200.00 a week for the 7 of us. I am going to try and half that and only spend $100.00 this month.
I spend most of our grocery money on fresh fruit and milk. I spent $50.00 at the Farmers Market on Saturday for a weeks worth of fruits and veggies. Another $200.00 at the market for everything else. I went a little over last week as I hadn't gone shopping the week before and we were really low on staples. So, I wasn't to upset by the extra money I spent.
My family isn't to sure about this challenge. When I told them they needed to drink more water and less milk their scowls pretty much told the story. I think it will be good for ALL of us to learn to get buy on a little less.
Plus, the money we save can go into our adoption fund. I really want to be able to take our teenagers with us when we go to Ethiopia.
Anyone else up for the challenge? Visit Mary for all the details.
I was intrigued last year when she did this so I am going to "try" and stretch my grocery dollars a little farther in the month of September also. Even though our family is half the size of Mary's I don't think I can swing the $75.00 number. I usually spend about $200.00 a week for the 7 of us. I am going to try and half that and only spend $100.00 this month.
I spend most of our grocery money on fresh fruit and milk. I spent $50.00 at the Farmers Market on Saturday for a weeks worth of fruits and veggies. Another $200.00 at the market for everything else. I went a little over last week as I hadn't gone shopping the week before and we were really low on staples. So, I wasn't to upset by the extra money I spent.
My family isn't to sure about this challenge. When I told them they needed to drink more water and less milk their scowls pretty much told the story. I think it will be good for ALL of us to learn to get buy on a little less.
Plus, the money we save can go into our adoption fund. I really want to be able to take our teenagers with us when we go to Ethiopia.
Anyone else up for the challenge? Visit Mary for all the details.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Every morning we have the same discussion at our house.
The same answer every day.
Wouldn't you like to go out back and swim in the pool?
No, that's boring!!!!!
But mommy likes the pool because she can have cold drinks from the fridge and read her book without worrying that the tide will take you away.
Me: Paige, what do you want to do today.
Paige: Go to the Beach!!!
The same answer every day.
Wouldn't you like to go out back and swim in the pool?
No, that's boring!!!!!
But mommy likes the pool because she can have cold drinks from the fridge and read her book without worrying that the tide will take you away.No thank you. I want to build sand castles with Garrett!!!
We have a sand box in the back yard and you could pretend you are at the beach.
We have a sand box in the back yard and you could pretend you are at the beach.
Boooooorrrrriiiinnnngggg!!!!
I'm sorry, we can't go to the beach everyday. You will just have to swim in the back yard.
The last time we went to the beach a dozen people were saved by the life guard. The undertow's have been awful this year. Every time we go to the beach I am sure one of the kids will drown. 
We only go to the beach once a week these days.
It's all my old heart can take. Especially when you have kids who show NO FEAR WHAT SO EVER.
I'm sorry, we can't go to the beach everyday. You will just have to swim in the back yard.
The last time we went to the beach a dozen people were saved by the life guard. The undertow's have been awful this year. Every time we go to the beach I am sure one of the kids will drown.
They can't understand why I might want to just throw them into the pool and enjoy a cold drink and a nice book without having to watch them frantically every second.
I know I'm boring. My poor poor kids.
We only go to the beach once a week these days.
It's all my old heart can take. Especially when you have kids who show NO FEAR WHAT SO EVER.
The life guard told Paige to not go so far out. She told him it was OK, she was a good swimmer.
He laughed and then kept his binoculars on her the entire time. She is my only child that has not been saved by the life guard this summer. They also include several adults who have come with us and have had the life guards drag them out of the water. Very embarassing when you are a 40 year old woman. No, it was not me!!
Aww, the lazy days of summer. How long until they are over?
Labels: summer time fun
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Long Over Due Update..........
Hello Friends.
I am sorry I have left you hanging for so long about what is going on with us. To be honest I just didn't want to look at the blog. My feelings have been so raw that when I started to write something my emotions would just overwhelm me. I just needed to take a break from everything that was going on.
However, I am here to tell you that God is good and he has worked everything out according to his perfect plans.
When I last posted I told you we were going to try and get our agency to reconsider their decision to return our children to their original orphanage. After many conference calls and much research we all determined that the outcome we wanted was just not meant to be. However, we did discover that the children had been returned to their father as their was not room at their original orphanage they were returned to. This stunned us as well as our agency.
It is our belief that this father did not want to give up his children but was forced to due to the death of his wife and his extreme poverty. He was thrilled to see them again and it warms my heart to know that the children were able to be reunited with their father. Our agency is helping us find a way to sponsor the children so the father will not be forced to relinquish them again. We are thrilled to still be able to be a part of their lives and equally thrilled they have been reunited with their living biological parent.
Perhaps this was God's plan all along. All I know is that after all of the details came out I finally had peace. I could let them go. Will you please pray that we are able to sponsor this family so they can stay together and the children can go to school? As of yet the details have not been worked out completely but I have faith they will be.
We are back to waiting for another referral and my heart is wide open and ready. I am hoping and praying our wait will not be to long.
While all of this was going on we have been enjoying summer. The pool the beach and the slip and slide have all been our friends.
Garrett and Paige had a great time on the slip and slide.
We started school on the 16th of August and I am glad to have that two weeks under my belt. Homeschooling four kids from Kindergarten to 10th grade is a lot different than last year when I only had two in 4th and 7th grade. I am going to do a post soon about how we homeschool and why. I truly believe it was the best decision for OUR FAMILY we have ever made, however, I am in no way saying you have to home school your kids or you are some kind of Satan loving sinner. We had a great experience with the public schools in our area until the last few years. For right now, this is the best decision for us.
I'll be back now. Come and visit me and I will catch up with all of you. I am feeling the need for a blog redesign. Do any of you know of a good person or site for me to get this done at???
I'm off to urgent care right now. The 110 heat along with the smog has caused me to have a flare up of my very mild asthma. I can't breathe and my inhaler is expired. I really really hate that feeling.
I'll be back soon.
I am sorry I have left you hanging for so long about what is going on with us. To be honest I just didn't want to look at the blog. My feelings have been so raw that when I started to write something my emotions would just overwhelm me. I just needed to take a break from everything that was going on.
However, I am here to tell you that God is good and he has worked everything out according to his perfect plans.
When I last posted I told you we were going to try and get our agency to reconsider their decision to return our children to their original orphanage. After many conference calls and much research we all determined that the outcome we wanted was just not meant to be. However, we did discover that the children had been returned to their father as their was not room at their original orphanage they were returned to. This stunned us as well as our agency.
It is our belief that this father did not want to give up his children but was forced to due to the death of his wife and his extreme poverty. He was thrilled to see them again and it warms my heart to know that the children were able to be reunited with their father. Our agency is helping us find a way to sponsor the children so the father will not be forced to relinquish them again. We are thrilled to still be able to be a part of their lives and equally thrilled they have been reunited with their living biological parent.
Perhaps this was God's plan all along. All I know is that after all of the details came out I finally had peace. I could let them go. Will you please pray that we are able to sponsor this family so they can stay together and the children can go to school? As of yet the details have not been worked out completely but I have faith they will be.
We are back to waiting for another referral and my heart is wide open and ready. I am hoping and praying our wait will not be to long.
While all of this was going on we have been enjoying summer. The pool the beach and the slip and slide have all been our friends.
Garrett and Paige had a great time on the slip and slide.
We started school on the 16th of August and I am glad to have that two weeks under my belt. Homeschooling four kids from Kindergarten to 10th grade is a lot different than last year when I only had two in 4th and 7th grade. I am going to do a post soon about how we homeschool and why. I truly believe it was the best decision for OUR FAMILY we have ever made, however, I am in no way saying you have to home school your kids or you are some kind of Satan loving sinner. We had a great experience with the public schools in our area until the last few years. For right now, this is the best decision for us.
I'll be back now. Come and visit me and I will catch up with all of you. I am feeling the need for a blog redesign. Do any of you know of a good person or site for me to get this done at???
I'm off to urgent care right now. The 110 heat along with the smog has caused me to have a flare up of my very mild asthma. I can't breathe and my inhaler is expired. I really really hate that feeling.
I'll be back soon.
Labels: Adoption, summer time fun
Monday, August 03, 2009
On A Lighter Note.............
I have spent the last three days trying to get organized for school which we plan to start on the 17th. My 10th grade son is none to happy that he will be starting school on his 16th birthday. I told him not to worry, I hear his teacher is super nice and will make it a special day for him anyways. hee hee hee.
Samantha, of course, has been bemoaning her lack of a social life since I took her out of "regular school" last year.
Just for fun lets review her activities over the past few days.
Last Monday we returned from a trip to the mountains and she quickly packed for a two night trip with a friends family up to the lake. She left Tuesday, hence, missing our home school beach day where all of her friends moaned and complained that she was not there. She came home Thursday afternoon and then was quickly picked up by another friend to spend the evening at Knotts Berry Farm riding on crazy rides and giggling with a new set of friends. She gets home after midnight, sleeps til one in the afternoon, and then immediately starts getting ready for youth group which starts at 6:00p.m.. Leaves for youth group and then calls at 9:00 wanting to know if she can go to the 10:30 showing of Harry Potter at the IMAX theatre. Some of the parents are taking them. Sure I say. She arrives home at 1:30 a.m..
The next day as she is catching up on her chores she starts bemoaning the fact that I have ruined her social life with this new homeschooling lifestyle. Let me add that this complaint only seems to come out at chore time. Not sure why that is.
My poor unsocialized home schooling 8th grader. I will pray you make a few friends here in the next few weeks so you won't have to sit around the house all day feeling bored......oh brother!
Overall, I think our first year of homeschooling went great. Garrett is really excited to start again as is Paige, the other two are teenagers and that is all I am going to say about that.
I had a moment of sadness when I came across some materials I had bought for Ayele and Kasanesh for next year. We did write a letter to our agency requesting they get our children back for us as a result of all the successful court cases last week. I don't expect to hear anything for a few days. Please keep this in your prayers.
I'm off to plan some more. I figure it will take me about another week and then I should be organized and ready to go. Let the learning begin!!!!
Samantha, of course, has been bemoaning her lack of a social life since I took her out of "regular school" last year.
Just for fun lets review her activities over the past few days.
Last Monday we returned from a trip to the mountains and she quickly packed for a two night trip with a friends family up to the lake. She left Tuesday, hence, missing our home school beach day where all of her friends moaned and complained that she was not there. She came home Thursday afternoon and then was quickly picked up by another friend to spend the evening at Knotts Berry Farm riding on crazy rides and giggling with a new set of friends. She gets home after midnight, sleeps til one in the afternoon, and then immediately starts getting ready for youth group which starts at 6:00p.m.. Leaves for youth group and then calls at 9:00 wanting to know if she can go to the 10:30 showing of Harry Potter at the IMAX theatre. Some of the parents are taking them. Sure I say. She arrives home at 1:30 a.m..
The next day as she is catching up on her chores she starts bemoaning the fact that I have ruined her social life with this new homeschooling lifestyle. Let me add that this complaint only seems to come out at chore time. Not sure why that is.
My poor unsocialized home schooling 8th grader. I will pray you make a few friends here in the next few weeks so you won't have to sit around the house all day feeling bored......oh brother!
Overall, I think our first year of homeschooling went great. Garrett is really excited to start again as is Paige, the other two are teenagers and that is all I am going to say about that.
I had a moment of sadness when I came across some materials I had bought for Ayele and Kasanesh for next year. We did write a letter to our agency requesting they get our children back for us as a result of all the successful court cases last week. I don't expect to hear anything for a few days. Please keep this in your prayers.
I'm off to plan some more. I figure it will take me about another week and then I should be organized and ready to go. Let the learning begin!!!!
Labels: Adoption, Home Schooling
