one great idea for Christmas gifts

There are lots of ways to give gifts that give back. This is just another way that stumbled upon today. I found them through a FaceBook add nonetheless. This online store has shirts, hoodies, bags, jewlry, ect. and gives to several "causes" for lack of a better word.

If fighting malaria is your passion, how about a buying a t-shirt that will also provide a child in Africa with a mosquito net.

The front says , "Love is the thread that binds us."

I have my eye on this one. On the back it says "Every minute 2 children are sold into slavery." On the front it says "Some things were never meant to be caged."

To visit the store click HERE.

pumpkin pickin' time again

"If no one knows, nothing will change."

Today I was at the Salon for a little "me time" and I overheard a girl talk about an article about sex slavery. She had already read it so she passed it on to me. The article was about a Cambodian girl who was sold into slavery by her mom and endured 3 years of torture before escaping...at age 10! Her story is gut wrenching. I can't imagine the torture she endured and then having the strength to go back to one of the same brothels she was sold to and pass out condoms and soap to the women there.
It's getting late and I really don't know how to express all that's rattling around in my brain so to cut it short I will say this. Read the article here , then go here and here and start making people aware of this horrible crime against God's children ...one person at a time. Educate yourself and then tell someone what you know. Tell your mom. Then tell your sister, your BFF, your neighbor and so on. Just say, "Hey, did you know that 2 children are sold into slavery every minute? How do you feel about that?" Then go from there.
After you tell someone what you know, then do something about it. 2 weekends ago I was involved in the 2nd annual Pictures for a Purpose. I was 1 of 6 photographers and lots of other dedicated volunteers who spent 1 Saturday (and many planning days for some) photographing families all day. Everyone who volunteered to plan and work at the event and every family who came to be photographed did SOMETHING to keep a child out of slavery. Individually our offering was small...our sacrifice was really small. But join together all of our little offerings and the impact is greater...about $10,000 great.
When you're 1 person it doesn't seem like you can do much, and so many times we give up before we begin to fight. I have given up so many times, but this time I didn't and it feels so good. For a few days after Pictures for a Purpose I was weepy and weak at the knees thinking about the potential impact from this event. It sounds so cliche but if even 1 child will be kept from the evils of slavery then our event was worth it.
I REALLY need to go to bed now. Hope this made sense and I pray that if this modern day slavery stuff is new to you that you will take the time and learn more about it.
Peace!

thank you!

A big thank you to http://www.diecutstickers.com/ and http://www.ismodern.com/ (modern children's clothing) for sponsoring our photographers for the 2nd annual Pictures for a Purpose on October 10th. Please check out their websites and if you see something you like, buy it :)

What happened to my butt??

After having Sophia I noticed a dramatic difference in the roundness of the backside. Definitely noticed some flatness going on. Now however, post baby #4 I have NO butt!
I'm turning into my mother!!!!!!! I swear I went to bed feeling like a 26 yr old and woke up feeling like a 45 yr old.
(Sigh)

first day of HOME school

So today was the first day of a crazy adventure that I can hardly believe I signed up for. Am I really doing this??? I overheard Jocelyn tell her baby brother this morning, "Today I am in 1st grade! It's my first day of school!" I had a little knot in my stomach. Here goes nothing!
We started our day off with a short prayer. "Jesus, please help mommy not to lose her mind today!"
Then we played the most amazing game ever...Farkle. It's like FART and SPARKLE put together...FARKLE! It's a dice game that's similar to Yahtzee. Oh, the kids were loving it- and me. It was the best 1st day of school ever , and I was the best teacher ever- for about 20 minutes. Well, we can't play Farkle all day.
Math was the first big subject on the agenda. We watched a DVD (Math U See) and then practiced what we learned using our handy dandy manipulatives. I knew we were in trouble during the DVD though when Katelyn snuggled up to me. Sounds sweet enough but I just knew that she was going to get tired and cranky when it was time to do some work.
Then there's Sophia. Sophia....who wanted to play with the manipulatives and crawl on the table and turn off the DVD and have me read a book to her and feed her constantly. I actually did feel sorry for her though. Home schooling the big girls is going to take a big chunk of time and attention away from her. Any ideas on what she could do during that time? Coloring on her own paper only lasts for about 30 seconds.
So anyway Katelyn had a crummy attitude for math and geography. I had to give the "treat me with respect just like how you have treated your other teachers from school" lecture. She claimed to be too tired to do school. I told her to suck it up.
Jocelyn was a little eager beaver! She was a model student. If all children were as eager to learn and eager to please their teachers as Jocelyn than home schooling would be a breeze! I just pray this attitude continues for a long time.
So all in all I'd have to say that the first day went about like I had expected it to go. I do have to confess that I was a little sad for them when it came time for "recess." We went outside and played "Mother May I" and "Red Light, Green Light." Then I had them do some jumping jacks and sit ups. We were going to do the "Hokey Pokey" but I saw a Mom and her 2 young kids on a walk and didn't want to look like a big dork so I declared it to be snack time instead.
We started at 9 and finished up at about 12:15. This was a light day though and I can see that at least 2 days we will have to do at least another hour after lunch.
Jett slept through the whole thing.
So that's that. Will try to post pics later.

What we've been up to ...a picture essay

My family have been dying for some new pictures of the kiddos so here you are. And my parents have been wanting to see the new camera so here's that too.

(Jett's new thing...always has those tasty little fingers in the mouth.)


Josh's biological dad, Tom, from California came to visit us for a week.

Sophia and her flip flops. If you take yours off she takes them.

Jett and Grandpa sharing a Twizzler.

Katelyn's last horse lesson. Riding all by herself...and concentrating very hard.

it's here!

My new camera and lens....are absolutely fabulous! I can't wait to break them in at Lisa and Matt's wedding on Saturday.

The picture files are so big though that my computer is running sooooo slow. These are some of the very few pictures that I've been able to upload.

I must be crazy!

I am home schooling my children this coming school year. I repeat I AM HOME SCHOOLING MY CHILDREN THIS YEAR.
Yes, I MUST be crazy. Now this might not be a big deal to some, but this is a huge deal to me. Although...I did say before I had children that I would home school them. BEFORE I had children I said this!
I have never confessed or have aspired to be Super Mom. I'm not the mom that is PTA President and Room Mom and Soccer Coach and Girl Scout Troop leader and and and.... I'm not a great multi-tasker. I am not the most patient person in the world, and I have my daddy's quick temper. But by the grace of God I WILL home school my children this year. I will be calling on Jesus more frequently than perhaps ever before because to me home schooling mom's ARE some strange breed of Super Mom. I know lots of mothers with as many if not more children than I have and they do it, and I always think how overwhelmed or deranged they must be. You know super and all, but crazy to do it. Why do it when you can send those rambunctious little kiddos off to school for 6 hrs a day and catch a little break?
So here's why I'm home schooling this year. We can't afford private school, and because of budget cuts the public school my kids would have been attending will be having 30+ students per class. I just can't do that to my kids. Katelyn would be completely lost in the crowd, and I think my little over achiever Jocelyn wouldn't be challenged and get bored. So that's the reason. I really believe this is best option for us at this time.
We are not doing traditional home-based instruction though. The girls are registered in another school district that basically needs a higher head count so that they can stay open. Each of our registered kids get $1200 per year to spend for educational purposes, and we have to check in weekly via email or phone call with an assigned teacher. I like the accountability. AND should I decide to continue to home school until they graduate then the kids would get a HS diploma instead of a GED. But let's not get too carried away. The thought of home schooling 4 kids all the way through elementary to HS is a very overwhelming, so we will be taking it one year at a time!
I know it will be a challenging year, but thinking about all the cool things I could teach my kids I have to say...dare I say it...that I'm looking forward to it. Praise Jesus that my neighbor across the street is also home schooling her kids and is walking me through this process.