Homemade goodness....Cinnamon rolls
wait for it.....

I can't tell you how good these smell. I wish I could bottle it for later. Yummy!!

Saying Goodbye to Summer Days

nothing says summertime like watermelon juice dripping down your tummy

cool handsome fella

A few more weeks of sweltering heat and then my favorite season. I love fall. The cool breeze in the air, sweaters, pumkins and leafy projects. Not to mention soups, chili, and warm fires. I can't wait!!!!

Home

I love being a at home mom. My favorite place in the world has always been my home. Even, as a young girl, I would drive around looking at homes. I dreamed of living in a nice cozy home with a family of my own. Three years ago my husband and I built our home. Well, we didn't buld it, we chose the plan and all the details. We had it built on the land we bought the same year we were married. We had a vision of one day what we would build together.

Some ladies will say that they could never stay home raising children all day. I have such a difficult time understanding this way of thinking. (No, i'm not back on the soap box) i'm just speaking about me from my heart. I can't imagine my life any other way.

I never get bored at home. Of course there is always work. I work hard everyday. I encourage my children to have a strong work ethic. I have them do daily chores. I do allow them some cartoons in the morning while i'm having my coffee and Bible time. See, that's the kind of pace of life I love. When , I was a working woman, everything was rush rush. Now, I awake when my little girl comes pulling my toes. We giggle and cuddle with daddy, then we go out so he can sleep a little later (he works nights). We make cereal and chocolate milk for her and coffee for me. She watches Little Bear and I read my Bible for about an hour. By then the house is up and the day begins.

On a typical day, I start some laundry, vacume, then settle my son for his lessons. We homeschool through a Christian academy. This is new because I created the lesson plans for kindergarten and first grade. The curriculum is good for him. He has six subjects but I add a little more to make it interesting. Everything is a learning opportunity. We garden in the spring, bake fresh bread and pastries, can our own blackberry jam. I cultivate his interest as well. He likes to take the camcorder and make movies. He writes, illustrates, and binds his own books. There are always new ideas coming from him. A child strapped to a desk for eight hours five days a week is not able to explore the day the way a homeschooler can. Learning is not a one size fits all. Children need to move and wiggle. Oh, thats probably why so many children get labeled hyper active or ADHD and loaded up with meds. So, so sad! When, I see that he's had enough, we drop our work and go for a swim. We eat lunch together as a family. Then, I either sew, or we paint on the front porch. Sometimes, we just glue noodles on paper plates or make stuffed paper fish. It does not take a genius to create fun for children. But, all the while I am creating memories with my children. They know that mom is always with them. They never have to go with people they don't know or feel uncomfortable with. I have never had to endure the dreaded day care drop off. I just could never do it.

Some of the mom's I used to work with couldn't wait to drop thier newborn babies at the daycare. Some only a few weeks old. Those babies are always very sick. Hospital stay sick. I'm talking several times a year. Some moms just don't seem to get it.

I know, I went there again...Oops.

Shopping Day

Shopping Day!! Foodlion 17.54 oop spent Farm rich product bogo at 3.50ea.-2.00cp=1.50ea
wipes 1.62-1.50flip=.12
tomatoes 1.38-flip=.38
bread 1.43
Batteries 4.59
soap 1.67-1.00=.67
Blue Bunny bogo 2.50ea-1.00=1.50ea (stock up price)
lil' Debbie 1.25


Publix 42.39 oop spent 102.36 saved
Everything here I used coupons on but I will list the best freebies.
Shout x4 free, plus 1.10 overage
Smithfield bacon free
banana's .50
glade candle x2 free
kotex x2 bogo = .15/2
yoplait yogurt x2 bogo= .50/2
Uncle Ben's rice x4 bogo=free
purina beggin strips x2 bogo=free plus .50 overage
Dove BW 1.50
cheerios x4 bogo=1.00ea + 2 free publix bags (peelie cp)
cheez its x2 bogo =.75ea
Lysol cleaners bogo x2= .49 ea
6lbs. red del. apples =3.00
assorted froz. veg x3

Anyone reading this is probably thinking, how do you make a meal out of icecream and snacks. I shop each week for the best deals and I stock the pantry. From a over flowing pantry and deep freezer I menu plan for the week. This week was obviously a stock up week on ice cream. We probably will have ice cream for a month. We only need vegetables and produce this week. I spent the rest of this weeks budget grocery money on a new Paula Deen rolling pin, bucket of crayola clay for my children, and a ceramic pizza cooking stone. I have so much fun shopping with coupons. Yes, i'm plain and simple. That's me!!

Any couponers out there, how did you do this week?

Great Giveaway

The young lady at femininefargirl.blogspot.com is giving away a really awesome dvd. The Art of Bread Making, from Franklin Springs entertainment. Four Christian, Southern, talented ladies teach the art of bread making. I was just checking out this dvd series today at Franklinsprings.com. If anybody is out there, go sign up.

Struck a nerve!

I'm gonna step on my soap box for a moment. Recently, I joined one of those social networking sites. At first, it was fun catching up with people I have known from a lifetime ago. The more I added people to my friends list the more comments of others I began to read. I am taken a back by all the negative mothering out there. No one type of mother (stay at home or working mom) is excluded. One mom that works as a teacher and has been off for the summer with her baby boy, constantly comments of her frustration with baby boy. How sad for her, that she is unable to allow herself the enjoyment of her baby if only for two months.

Then, recently I met a young mother and within minutes of our meeting she blurted out "oh I could never be a SAHM, for my own sanity." I was appauld by her negativeness. She also stated she does not allow her daughter to color at home because she may mess up the walls. Honey, I have permanent marker on my bedroom wall for six months now. All I need to do is touch up paint over it but I just can't bring myself to wipe it away yet. This same young mother is constantly posting comments and pictures of herself at concerts and bars with a group of other twenty somethings. So, she works fulltime all week away from her three year old little girl. Then, come Friday she's planning her get away from that pesky toddler. Why did she even become a mom?

I know that mothering is not always an easy job but it's the most important job/blessing a woman can have. I used to be a working mom. I loved working. My career was rewarding and fulfilling. I had patients I helped rehabilitate from strokes, joint replacements, broken bones, etc. I ran a rehab clinic by myself and made great money. The entire time I was away from my children there was an aching from within. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. God put woman on this earth to mother. To nurture, protect, teach, and guide. For woman to have the attitude of "I can't be bothered by these little snot heads all the time" or my favorite I need "ME TIME." What? Me time. Yeah, you had me time before you became a mother. This is your me time now. Enjoy it, love it, embrace it!!!! And for those stay at home mom's, stop whining so much about being with your child/children all day. Do you know how blessed you are to be able to do this? Thank your husband everyday for providing you the opportunity to be able to make this choice. Don't let the world make you feel less because you play, color, love, and nuture all day. Just fifty years ago, women embraced making a home and caring for thier families. Now, so many girls are brain washed by feminism in gonvernment run scholls. You must have your cake and eat it too. Women can do it all statements. Yeah, you might be able to work all day, pick up the kids, rush a dinner, and wisk them off to bed then repeat. Something huge is missing in your children's lives. YOU!!!!!!! Just dwelling together is not enough, they need your attention. They need calm relaxed mama who wants to listen and laugh with them. To know thier hearts. Not stressed out, frazzled, you get the few minutes I have left before I pass out exhausted mom.

I realize i'm stepping on toes here but oh well. Sometimes we need our toes smashed before we can open our eyes to what really matters.

Turning over a new leaf.....

I set the alarm for 7:30 a.m. and rolled myself out of my extremely comfy latex bed. For some, 7:30 is like sleeping in but not for me. I usually sleep until 8:30 or whenever Grace pulls at my toes. Not this day! I was up, coffee alarm set and made, swimsuit on and out I went. First, I sat by the pool for a few minutes just taking in the cool morning air, listening to the earth and its inhabitants. A few quiet moments with the Lord.

Then, I dove in. The water temp. is at its best this time of year. I swam 50 laps, followed by thirty minutes of pilates. I don't know why I haven't been doing this all summer. I feel just great. The exercise has given me so much energy to go through the day. I hope I keep this up. I just know how good it is for my health and self esteem. I will continue to make progress reports.