our day

ok i know it;s a little early but i am so craving fall that i had Jamison do this craft today- an oak leaf turkey!!! well we also learned that maple leaves turn colors before oak leaves do :)

Jamie also did this letter k craft as well as his workbook pages. . we are using rod and staff.

everyone else did their math ,history, and bible lessons. science and english went out the window today i'm afraid! but we will make up for it tomorrow :)

the littles played in their pool in the afternoon while mama nursed a headache. and a baby several times today! (why is it when you want to wean them they nurse all the more lol ) oh well- he just turned 2 Sunday- i'll give him a little more time.

by the way- we have another cat to our family so now we have 2.

ben made dinner tonite- chicken spaghetti and corn bread. i love a boy who can cook dinner for his family without batting an eye :)

what a week!

mon-chicken spaghetti
tues-chili
wed-chicken noodle soup
thur-spaghetti
fri-tacos



what a week!! our precious dog Daisy was run over by a car!! just a few feet from my dd Hannah! she is having trouble dealing with the mental pictures that come with that. and we all miss Daisy.
my friend Tammy had a cat she wanted to give away and we took her up on the offer. Rainey doesn't replace Daisy but she gives us someone to hug.

we started homeschooling again! we never take the summer off but we did this year and i was craving the routine again :)
we are using both abeka history and bob jones science, filled in with lotsa living books too. we will continue using rod and staff math for the girls and saxon for Parker and Ben. actually Ben will be using Dave Ramsey's consumer math homeschool as soon as I can afford it lol. but until then....
i am still up in the air about english books. i think i want lifepacs for Parker but i need to wait til i have the money. until then we will use rod and staff . i will continue using rod and staff for the girls and Jamison.
for bible we use everything@ we atart with just reading the bible, then later i use a book from whole heart homeschooling with color sheets (!) and then i use different devotionals all day. i am trying to saturate the kids in the Word.
i am going to join a homeschool group! again waiting till next paycheck but i am so excited!! the kids will have art class, contenders of the faith and keepers at home (sort of a christian boy scouts and girl scouts but with a different emphasis) and park day. yay!!!!!

well i'm gonna go facebook for a few- the kids are at the library with big sister- math,history and 1 bible class are finished already so i let them go and i hopped on here :)
have a great time today!

Seen This?

have you seen my daughter's blog? SadieKate's Crafts and Such

i want this!!

wouldn't this be a lovely gift for your daughters?! i know i am hoping to win and putting it away for christmas if i do :)

go HERE to enter!

what a lovely book giveaway!!

Mother by Kathleen Norris

want to win this lovely book? then go HERE and enter!!! stay awhile- you'll be blessed!

TRICKS ID THIEVES USE

taken from HERE



13 Things An Identity Thief Won't Tell You


Former identity thieves confess the tactics they use to scam you.

1. Watch your back. In line at the grocery store, I’ll hold my phone like I’m looking at the screen and snap your card as you’re using it. Next thing you know, I’m ordering things online—on your dime.

2. That red flag tells the mail carrier—and me—that you have outgoing mail. And that can mean credit card numbers and checks I can reproduce.

3. Check your bank and credit card balances at least once a week. I can do a lot of damage in the 30 days between statements.

© Comstock/Thinkstock

© Comstock/Thinkstock
PLUS: 10 Ways to Protect Yourself Online

4. In Europe, credit cards have an embedded chip and require a PIN, which makes them a lot harder to hack. Here, I can duplicate the magnetic stripe technology with a $50 machine.

5. If a bill doesn’t show up when it’s supposed to, don’t breathe a sigh of relief. Start to wonder if your mail has been stolen.

6. That’s me driving through your neighborhood at 3 a.m. on trash day. I fill my trunk with bags of garbage from different houses, then sort later.

7. You throw away the darnedest things—preapproved credit card applications, old bills, expired credit cards, checking account deposit slips, and crumpled-up job or loan applications with all your personal information.

8. If you see something that looks like it doesn’t belong on the ATM or sticks out from the card slot, walk away. That’s the skimmer I attached to capture your card information and PIN.

9. Why don’t more of you call 888-5-OPTOUT to stop banks from sending you preapproved credit offers? You’re making it way too easy for me.

PLUS: 13 Things Your Financial Adviser Won't Tell You

10. I use your credit cards all the time, and I never get asked for ID. A helpful hint: I’d never use a credit card with a picture on it.

11. I can call the electric company, pose as you, and say, “Hey, I thought I paid this bill. I can’t remember—did I use my Visa or MasterCard? Can you read me back that number?” I have to be in character, but it’s unbelievable what they’ll tell me.

12. Thanks for using your debit card instead of your credit card. Hackers are constantly breaking into retail databases, and debit cards give me direct access to your banking account.

13. Love that new credit card that showed up in your mailbox. If I can’t talk someone at your bank into activating it (and I usually can), I write down the number and put it back. After you’ve activated the card, I start using it.

feminine by design

i have found a wonderful giveaway over at
it is for this
Feminine by Design - The Twelve Pillars of Biblical Womanhood, is written for teenage girls to help them understand biblical femininity. Here, Scott Brown explores some of the major passages of Scripture that explain it. You will find the biblical texts that he used to teach his own daughters as he sought to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).



so go HERE and enter!

Tropical Tradition's Coconut Chip Giveaway

GIVEAWAY OVER. MELISSA WON!!!





mmmmmm! if you love coconut you will love these organic coconut chips! i was surprised to find that they were larger than i expected. this means more coconut. yay!

i used these chips to make the Coconut Fruit Smoothie and Classic Coconut Macaroons yes i know traditionally these use shredded coconut but the chips are longer and shaped differently than traditional chips so i tried it cuz i love this recipe!!

anyway- both turned out fabulous!! and one of you will get to try it for yourself! Tropical Traditions is giving away coconut chips!! you just have to be the winning random number.

mandatory entry- find a recipe on Tropical's site that you want to try. :)

second entry- sign up for Tropical's newsletter

contest runs til friday :)

A-Z

where do i go online? let's play the alphabet game. type in each letter and see what comes up- the place you visit the most with each letter is what appears first.

A- aol (my old email and some people won't stop using it lol )
B-blogspot.com (well duh!)
C-cbs.com (i watch 48 hours weekly)
D-drudge report (my news fix)
E-ebay
F-facebook
G-google
H-hulu.com (i watch hell's kitchen each week here)
I-inashoe.com (kim's fantastic blog)
J-jonash (actually http://homesteadblogger.com/jonash2004/- another must read blog)
K-knitpiks.com- (from when my dd uses the laptop!)
L-leslielovesveggies.net(my fav giveaway site)
M-miniclip.com (from when the kids use the laptop)
N-noaa.gov (checking for tornados)
O-ok magazine (i must have looked up a celebrity lol )
P-purpleamethyst76.xanga.com- another wonderful Spirit filled blog!)
Q-queen homeschooling
R-resolved2worship.xanga.com (you must read this blog!)
S-sweeps 4 bloggers (another "must" giveaway site)
T-twitter
U-us magazine (celebrity again lol )
V-vision forum
W-walking therein (jacque dixon's terrific blog)
X-xanga (i read blogs there)
Y-youtube
Z-zynga.com (a listing of facebook games)

a few links you might like

did you know that you can get a free trial issue of VICTORIA MAGAZINE? click HERE


isn't this PENNY PUMPKIN DISH cute?!!!


you can enter to win Tropical Tradition's household cleaner by entering HERE say hi to LESLIE for me!


you have read this fantastic blog haven't you?!!!


i love this site about chickens!

another wonderful God-filled blog you need to read!

Just Ordinary People

Tyndale's review:
An Army of Ordinary People contains the key to explosive, transformational, 21st century evangelism. Renowned church planter Felicity Dale shares stories of how God has always used—and is still using—ordinary believers to carry out his work in simple ways throughout the world. Some of these stories are dramatic—people being led to the Lord by the friends who counseled them through drug addictions and criminal pasts. Some are everyday—a dad spending his Sunday teaching Bible lessons to his kids, or a couple inviting their neighbors over to dinner and a spiritual discussion. But in each of them, there is a light bulb moment, when someone just like you thinks I can do that! And as a result, the gospel is spreading . . . and lives are being changed.


Tami's review:
WOW!!!!!!!!!! I am not often on fire about a book. i read a lot and most books don't get me out of my seat but this one does!
To see how easy it is to spread the Gospel, to plant a church- well it's amazing!
easy? yes i said easy! becuz when you see how simply relaying the story of your life with Christ can start something "big" -well that's amazing!

RUN to get this book! PRAY that God leads you on your "prayer walk" and PLANT churches wherever He leads- you'll be amazed at how you can!




Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

teach?

Titus 2:4
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

1) restore one to his senses

2) to moderate, control, curb, disciple

3) to hold one to his duty

4) to admonish, to exhort earnestly



1 Tim 2:12
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

1) to teach

a) to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses

b) to be a teacher

c) to discharge the office of a teacher, conduct one's self as a teacher

2) to teach one

a) to impart instruction

b) instill doctrine into one

c) the thing taught or enjoined

d) to explain or expound a thing

f) to teach one something


women are called to teach. but not in a church setting, not as an evangelist but rather by example. as a mentor. the women you see standing up on tv telling men what the scriptures mean are going against God's word.
it doesn't matter that what they are saying might be right- they are not told to teach.

public school health clinics

you can get an abortion or use school provided birth control, but don"t
you dare get a headache!!!




Mother furious after in-school clinic sets up teen's abortion read HERE


Parishioners at Mary Immaculate church are urged to protest San Fernando High clinic's distribution of the birth control device. read HERE


Texas state law does not permit public schools to provide Tylenol, Advil, cough preparations or other over-the-counter medications to students unless these are prescribed by a physician and supplied from home. HERE

ya can't miss this!!

TROPICAL TRADITIONS COCONUT OIL GIVEAWAY

go HERE

Daisy

we got a new dog!!

ah monday! giveaway announcement below

mon-sausage and biscuits with country gravy
tues- chicken and veggie soup
wed-homemade corndogs (using nitrite free hot dogs!) and corn on the cob
thur- potatos and onions and strawberries on the side
fri- steak tacos



GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT! i found this at


enter to win FIVE Coupons for Dole Frozen Fruit ($25 Value} !!!!! click the button above and GO!

Tips

tips i have picked up from around the website. i didn't invent any of them so i can't take credit. i don't always know who did tho :)


I don't have a screen door, but I found a screen that has a spring loaded curtain rod at the top that fits any door. Works Great!
(Tami- i did this and found it for $5 at walmart!!)





Another vegetarian or meat stretcher (just add whatever meat you have to this)

Lentil tacos
* 1 cup finely chopped onion
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 teaspoon canola oil
* 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup salsa
* 12 taco shells
* 1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
* 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
* 1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
* 6 tablespoons fat free sour cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
2. Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.


another recipe for homemade detergent
I now buy Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap as a liquid concentrate. I use 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp borax and about 4 drops of the soap for each load of laundry. If it is a large load or heavily soiled I up the amount of baking soda and borax to about a Tbsp. You can mix these together with water and pour in. I paid around $6 for the 16 oz bottle of soap and I figure it lasts close to a year. I used to spend around $20 every 1 1/2 to 2 months on the dry laundry detergent.




After you eat meat with bones, make soup broth with it, then, for chicken bones, bake when you are baking something else until they are brittle, and smash and put in the garden for a little calcium. They will compost.


Remember to plant the stub of your celery to get some new celery. You won't get a big stalk, but enough to flavor things. FREE! I noticed that a cabbage I have in the frig has started putting out roots--gonna chop off the cabbage and plant that baby today!




Got to remember to buy more brewers yeast at the farm coop for dog fleas. (Tami- i'm gonna try this for my new dog i got today!! she is part corgi and part something else lol. we named her Daisy )


well i have to go even tho i am not finished! the baby woke up. more later :)