A place to rest

Rest (verb) 1. Cessation of work, exertion, or activity 2. Peace, ease, or refreshment resulting from sleep or the cessation of an activity. 3. Sleep or quiet relaxation.
4. The repose of death: eternal rest. 5. Relief or freedom from disquiet or disturbance. 6. Mental or emotional tranquility. 7. Termination or absence of motion.

With the exception of number 5, we all need rest. I am thankful for a place to find retreat and rest. Thankful that above all else there are times when we can retreat with our family and hide from the world for awhile. While we have internet here and TV neither of them are major focus' to our stay here.

Today was too cold to really be outside. We started a fire, we played a game, did a little bit of school, we rested.

John Lubbock says, “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time”.

Emily's Interview

The mind of Emily Butler.


If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

A: Jamaica, because it's tropical and has lots of fruits.

If you won the lottery what would you buy?

A: I'd give some of it to you, some of it to granny, some of it Lauren and buy a whole lot of webkins.

What is the saddest thing that has ever happened to you?

A: Grandma Butler dying.

What is the happiest thing that has ever happened to you?

A: Going to Dollywood.

If you could change one thing, what would you change?

A: Less buildings and more space for animals.

Who is your hero?

A: Abraham Lincoln because he was brave enough to go into war and free the slaves.

What do you think it was like being a slave?

A: Horrible. I heard some slaves got whipped.

Do you think it's easy to forgive people?

A: Sometimes. If they've done something horrible like stole all your money than I'm not sure I could forgive them.

Do you think God would want you to forgive them?

A; Yes.

What is one characteristic to describe God?

A: Strong.

Do you like being 12?

A: Because at the cabin I can drive.

What's one thing you want the world to know about you?

A: That I'm a Christian.

It's a girl and her name is Charlotte

So happy for Angie Smith. What an incredible story of God's grace, love and mercy. I hope you will visit her website, Bring the Rain. You can find a direct link on the side of my blog.

The journey she and her husband were asked to walk on is one that no parent should have to experience. Losing a child, not matter how young or how old is an unnatural part of life. In God's plan sometimes I'm afraid but definitely not natural. I can't imagine watching a child of mine die. It would be unbearable and unimaginable.

Please visit her site. Please buy her book, I Will Carry You and most of all- welcome a new life into the world. Charlotte.

10 Lessons Learned Homeschooling

Our 6th year anniversary for Homeschooling is coming up in August. It has been an adventure in learning not only our ABC's but what works for us as a family. We've made some mistakes along the way and have learned from them. We've also made many right choices and have learned from those too. Here's a list of my top ten lessons from the past 5 years. Can you add to my list?

1. What works for one family does not mean it will work for our family. Every family is unique and every child in that family is unique. This is the beauty of homeschooling. No structured curriculum or one size fits all.
2. In the grand scheme of elementary school the most important thing to learn is HOW to learn not necessarily WHAT. Math will always be math and will always be important-you should learn math and how to read. The rest is butter.
3. Consistency is crucial except when it isn't.
4. All homeschooling families are not created equal.
5. Socialization is not a problem. Well, actually sometimes it is a problem when there's too much of it.
6. Co-ops, learning groups,and other activities should never take the place of core studies at home.
7. There are some things I can not teach well. There is a network that can help without sacrificing our homeschooling goals.
8. May sucks. Christmas Break is essential.
9. Research many products, ask for samples, buy used.
10. The library is our friend.

Weather or not- We're Ready!

This has been one of the most brutal springs I have ever experienced. Rain, snow, hail, freezing temperature and fog has dominated the spring weather this year. It's frustrating to say the least. A few more weeks until we leave for the cabin. Actually 10 more days but who is counting? Trying to get my entire house cleaned by the time we leave. I love coming home to a clean house after being away. Although it usually doesn't last long once the laundry gets piled up into the laundry room and the kids realize they can spread out.

I have 14 more tutoring sessions, 1 more pre-school day, 3 more days of TCA, a end of the school year party, a field trip, a birthday party, 8 more TKD classes and then we are OUT OF HERE. Weather or not - we're ready!

Feeling restless

May is such a hard time for me. The end of the school year rush. Getting things done, attending end of the school year activities, planning for summer, advertising for new business and on it goes.

We are all in desperate need of a long vacation. Sadly, my husband does not have vacation with this contract job so he will only be able to come to the cabin on the weekends. It doesn't seem quite fair to leave him here while we go off into the mountains for almost a month. He would never ask us to stay and would be confused if I insisted. The kids love it there so much and it's a great experience for them. He doesn't mind driving back and forth each weekend and will probably be able to work out working 4-10 hour days to work a couple 3 day weekends in there.

I will enjoy the time completely. A break from running kids place to place and a full load of students. Time with just my kids to do nothing. Even cleaning the bathroom seems un-chore like when it's at the cabin.

For now I will trudge through the next two weeks. Anticipating what this summer will bring: bike rides, fishing, hiking, bears, picnics, smores, bears, Lake City, Sand Dunes, Creede, 4th of July, reading on the porch, bears, watching my kids have the time of their lives and anxiously wait for the weekends when Les can join the fun.

Who knows, maybe next summer he'll have two weeks of vacation again and be able to join us?

The Cabin in the Spring

Almost 18 years ago (or is it 17 this year?) Les and I committed to be husband and wife. Beaver Creek, Colorado May 15th 1992 (or 1993). We spent our honeymoon at the cabin in South Fork, Colorado. I remember specifically overpacking. It was a little ridiculous. In our new red Isuzu we started a journey.

I will have to honestly say that this past year has ranked right up there with being one of the more difficult years. Between unemployment, flooded kitchens, medical bills, surgery and a host of other little beauties that you'll just have to scroll backwards through the blog if you want to know.

We're leaving for the cabin tomorrow. Just Les and I (and the dog). I can't remember the last time it was just the two of us there. We've had kids, company, family or friends every other time we've been. It will be just the two of us- no TV, no internet, not distractions. Just us. Just us and the dog.

This time I will not overpack. One tiny suitcase for me, the dog's food and a backpack for Les. A couple of library books. My tennis shoes and a comfy sweater. That's all. Just me and my life partner reconnecting and remembering why we got married in the first place.

Another dead end... a closed door.

Well, we heard back from our pediatrician who spoke with the specialist who works with pediatric neurology and sleep issues. She read Emily's reports and said that she is not concerned about the Carbon Dioxide level. She said they were borderline and not a reason to take out tonsils. She wants to see Emily and we've made an appointment for June 8th.

We are canceling the ENT appointment until after we see her. What to make of this.... we are basically in the same place. The doctor we saw that was concerned about her O2 levels specializes in adults and seniors. He did tell us this when we saw him but we did not know this meant he couldn't accurately diagnose her. Our pediatrician said it was past time for a second opinion and if the doctor's at Children's were not cooperating we were going to move ahead with another doctor. Her name is Dr. Litwin and she's in Denver.

I'm sure she'll want to run her own tests, do medication changes and other things but it looks like we are on the road to the VNS. We've done two sleep studies and they've come back normal. The only other thing left is that Emily's seizures are out of control. We've tried every medicine possible to no avail. It will be good to get a second opinion before we go forward though.

Hard to wait a month to see her but at least we know Emily isn't poisoning herself. Sometimes when it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, you just have to call it a duck.

My daughter has uncontrolled Epilepsy. There will be no miracle "oops, it's just this or that" solution.

Thanks for your prayers. We still need them.

There is a ghost in my computer

Love that I've been able to reconnect with old friends through Facebook. Every once in awhile I run across someone who stirs my heart so much it's breath taking. People who are in the recesses of my mind and really matter to my heart. Because of time, because of distance, because of things- relationships have ended.

I'm not sure what to do with this upstirring of emotion.

Homeschool 2009-2010

This has been a GREAT! school year for us. Lots of our goals accomplished but still many more to be realized. The beauty of homeschool is that those goals can carry over from year to year and aren't grade level specific. Our goals were simple this school year: Learn, Give and Grow. Lauren is off the charts. I'm pretty sure she's on a great academic road for learning and achieving her goals and God's assignment for her life. Next year is even more exciting and she's asking for even more academic challenge. Very exciting.

Jackson is on his way to Kindergarten. I'm so glad we waited to send him. He's so much more ready for learning in a classroom setting than last year. Not sure how long he'll go to Public School before we'll bring him home. In my mind, 3rd grade will be his first year for homeschool but again, the beauty is flexibility. I love that I have choices.

Emily is doing well. Despite all of her challenges she's learning and growing. I'm looking forward to next year and spending some more one on one time with her. We have boundaries determined for us when it comes to school. Those boundaries set by Epilepsy. When she is in seizure mode there is no going forward. Lots of read aloud books. I look forward to those one on one times next year when Jackson will be learning and challenged at TCA.

The next school year is really shaping up for my children. Speech for both the girls, co-op for Emily, College Pathways for Lauren, Kindergarten, writing club, volunteering, the opportunities are endless.

Thought I'd list out our curriculum for next year: More to get it on paper than because I really think you care....

Math U See
History Odyssey- Middle Ages
Excellence in Writing
One Year Adventure Novel-Literature
Science- TCA/Co-op
Art-TCA/Co-op
Barton Spelling
Bible- Kay Arthur


Still undecided about Literature for Emily. Thinking of Son-light for her since they have a ton of read-alouds.

We have definitely decided on Tapestry of Grace for our main curriculum through High School. For Lauren she'll take Math, Science and an elective at College Pathways through High School. It feels good to have direction. To see the benefits and successes of this crazy idea of homeschool actually working.

In the end

In the end what will my kids remember about me?

I want them to remember I love them most of all.

I want them to remember that I wanted to spend time with them.

That messy rooms and dishes in the sink just meant I would rather do something with lasting memories.

But I also want them to remember that I made them clean it up and help with chores because everyone has a part.

I would hope they would see I chose to stay home with them because I couldn't stand to be away from them and that's why we haven't been to Disney or take European vacations.

In the end I hope they don't think about all the things we didn't purchase for them. I hope they felt comfortable enough to to talk to me about things. Understanding that I am not perfect and that I made mistakes and was a woman looking for answers on how to be a good mom, a good wife.

I hope they see Jesus in me and that I love my Saviour. When they hear old hymns I hope they remember me.

In the end I want there to be nothing left to say. We've said it all. Times up and no regrets.

LIke Sweet Honey....

Let your speech be full of grace, seasoned as it were with salt, so that you may know how to respond to each person.



Did not live up to that today.

Purge, Purge, Purge.

Minimize.

Live with less.

Do with Less.

Be satisfied.

Be content.

The opposite of poverty is enough... not excess.

Just when you thought it was safe

Did you know bratwurst can move back and forth on their own when they are on the grill. They absolutely can- if I had a video of it I'd post it. The bratwurst started rocking back and forth on the grill. Perhaps they had an air pocket in them that kept deflating and expanding because of the heat. I have no idea but they were moving and it was weird (scientific conclusion inserted).

I flipped one of them over and it rolled off of the grill pan onto the fire. Since I'm such a fast thinker under stress (sarcasm inserted) I managed to escape the fire catastrophe, barely. What is absolutely the most ironic part of this whole episode is that I was just espousing the wonders of having a grill pan on my stove.

The whole scene deserved to be on America's Funniest Home Videos.

The dimensions of my laundry room are so small I wonder if we can still classify it as a room. It's actually not a room but a walk-through from the house to the garage. Not very tidy or efficient. Trying to organize it and arrange it so it fits our laundry needs-not just a place to store stuff. My ultimate goal is to get my laundry room downstairs and have it look something like this:



I'm looking for cabinets this summer at garage sales to put above the washer and dryer instead of a shelf. I think it would be much more attractive. Right now it's horrible. :( I'll take pictures as we go on this journey and if you know of anyone getting rid of cabinets----- I'd love to take them off your hands.

Get This Dressed-up Laundry Room Look | How to Create a Dressed-up Laundry Room | Photos | Laundry Room | Workspaces | This Old House

Get This Dressed-up Laundry Room Look | How to Create a Dressed-up Laundry Room | Photos | Laundry Room | Workspaces | This Old House

Two posts in two days..... Must be chatty

Actually, not chatty today. Just throwing around an idea and really thinking that I'm on to something. I don't want to divulge anything because, well, it's not fully formed. Sort of like the cupcakes I bake. They tend to be flat in the middle- the cupcakes.

I am spending next two months getting ready for a garage sale. This one is going to be the biggest one I've ever done and I'm going to promise myself not to bring anything back into the house. It's over for a ton of items in my house. I plan on doing a little bit each day so that I'm not completely overwhelmed when the time comes around. Lots of things to sort through and let go. Loved it once and now it's time to go...on to another home or the goodwill.

Well, I have 30 minutes to get to a student's house and my hair is wet and materials not gathered. Need to stop being chatty, continue to bake my idea and get busy.

My 201st Post and Pantry Week

Can you believe I've had 200 things to say. I'll be the first to admit that most of them are not Pulitzer Prize material. It's still fun to look back though and see my thoughts over the past two plus years.

Seems to be common theme this week. It's PANTRY WEEK. What is Pantry Week you ask? Well, Pantry week is an attempt to be good stewards of the food we've already purchased and an attempt to limit new grocery spending. The food is usually quite creative and sometimes tasty. Tonight I created a new dish (loosely based on Carole's Chicken Spaghetti recipe) and it's baking as we speak.

Pantry Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken
Mushrooms
Cream of Chicken Soup
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cream of Tomato Soup
Cream Cheese
Velvetta Cheese
Chicken Broth
Garlic Posder
Parsley
Wortchesire Sauce
White Wine

Cook chicken in broth and white wine, add mushrooms, parsley. In another bowl stir together soups and cheeses. A dash of Garlic Powder and Worthcesire Sauce. Mix with cooked spaghetti.... bake in oven. :)!

Not low fat or low in calorie but used up a ton of ingredients that would have gone bad and tastes Yummy. Notice I didn't list measurements.... The idea is to make it like a sauce so use your best judgment and taste along the way! :)!

Tomorrow Night- TACO's....
Saturday Night Roasted Chicken, Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes
Sunday- Pork Chops, baked potatoes, green beans
Monday - Chicken Tenders, Homemade Fries, Corn, Fruit Salad
Tuesday- Pork Chops Grilled, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Wednesday- Spaghetti
Thursday- GROCERY STORE :)!

Lunches will be leftovers or sandwiches. Breakfasts will be cereal until it's gone, waffles, pancakes and eggs.

Wish my family luck. Can't wait to see an empty Refrig and Pantry. It will be fun filling it up again knowing we wasted very little.

My shelf-Finished

I have an amazing shelf on my wall. I love it. It might be the one thing besides my family members and pictures that I would grab if there was a fire. I decided to lighten things up for spring so this is what I came up with- I'm hoping I can put the pictures in order somehow.....Well, they are in order, just backwards. Usually this shelf has coats, scarves, etc. Since we technically do not need these things now that it's spring- I thought something a little more decorative was in order.

Make new friends

In Girl Scouts we sang this song that went like this, "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold". At 10 its hard to imagine an old friend. Especially since my dad was in the army and moved every 2 to 3 years. "Old friends" was a relative term that meant a relationship that lasted anywhere from 2 months to 1 year.

Now that I am no longer 10 and encroaching on 40, the term, "old friends" has a new and much more significant meaning. I have amazing friends but there just is something about the old ones that makes my heart sing, my life grounded. You know the ones that can finish your sentences, thinks the same things are funny, the friends that call you by nicknames that none of your current friends know. I have some gold friends and some silver friends. Each bring balance and grace to my life.