Starting from Scratch
Are we closer to a farm?I think so. LOL But we are still living in the basement. It's been over a month since we sold our house, and what a tangled path God has led us safely through! The first house we thought we were going to buy was a house and 35 acres. We dreamed about 80 acres, but agreed on a price we thought was "too high", so we went back to 35 acres. We then found out they were negotating a contract on a lot more land than we had considered - and the house! Looking back, I'm glad we lost that one, as one upstairs bedroom Jonathan couldn't even stand up in, and the cellar had foundation issues going on. But at the time we loved it and were very excited. We looked at several other houses. Then we found a house and five acres, with the offer of more. We decided on 20 acres, and started negotations. This house was at the top of our budget - but about 3,000 square feet! When the sellers didn't budge the last little bit on closing costs, we walked away. The worst thing about this house was that it didn't have a full stove, just a wall oven and an electric range top, and IT WAS GOING TO NECESSITATE A 90-DAY CLOSING. That last part scared me the most. The last house was 16 acres. I did like this house! It was small, but do-able for another 3-5 years, which is why we would have bought it. We had agreed on a price and put down our earnest money, and my dad found a lot of recent water damage. The house sort of sat down in a hollow and all the water drained toward it. You couldn't even see foundation - the ground was flush with the house. Not a great idea. This one was well within our budget ... so it was hard to let go ... So here we are. Three potentail homes later. Still praying, still searching. ~Ashley~ Summer School Adventures StartingSummer School Adventures starting...What do you do when the heat index passes 100? You take a field trip to a park and do some nature exploring, of course :o) Yes, I've been known to be a bit insane at times. Man, it was hot. It was beyond hot. Way off yonder on the other side of hot and muggy. Way. Off. Beyond.I know -- I've been here in Mississippi for 4 years now, and we've made a few drives down the Natchez Trace, mostly as a by-pass kind of trip, but nothing really in-depth -- nothing you'd even call skimming the history even. But, that's about to change for this homeschooling brood. We spent about an hour in the park, checking out the swings and playground fun, then walked around the 'lake' there and found all sorts of things...the sun-drenched playground, some hungry geese who thoroughly enjoyed our bread, a hidden Muscovey nest under the wooden band shell, lots of interesting tree shapes to add to our notebooks, even several trees with lines/rows of markings (wood peckers maybe? I'm not a nature person so maybe someone else knows what they are...lines and lines up the trunks as far as we could see, little tiny holes that don't realy go very deep), and the biggest bullfrog I've ever seen in my life. Maybe I just don't get out much, but that baby was huge, let me tell you. I had to sort of lean way over, hanging on a tree limb and squatting down and stretching out my cell phone to get his picture way up under the brush and tree swamp stuff.       And on the way home, we took The Trace (to by-pass Tupelo traffic really) and decided as we were already dripping with Mississippi summer heat, we might as well stop at a couple roadsides and check them out. We walked the trails around the Chickasaw Village site, and the Olde Town Lookout site. Then we pulled into the Visitor Center there at the Tupelo exit. Can't believe I've wasted 4 years not stopping in there! I could spend alot of time and several chunks of the school book budget in there. All manners of books covering the history of the area, the history of the Trace itself, tthe Indian tribes from the area, Civil War sites around, etc. Tons of stuff. I'm going to see what I can find online to get us started with the summer long unit study.   We may even join their Junior Rangers Program, and starting this weekend, we'll make the rounds with their Pioneer Day and their Dulcimer Day they offer each month. We are even taking our dulcimer along for some lessons. I'd like to take a trip and follow the entire 444 miles of The Trace, stopping at all the side areas along the route itself. For now, we will contend with looking through WebRangers and then see what we can gather this coming weekend at the Pioneer Day gathering. I think we can even tie in our Trail Guide to U.S. Geography studies as well -- doing a virtual tour of the various National Parks online, and meeting up with online folks from those areas. Of course, you know me...I like my curriculum...I found this the other day, and I would like to given it a try, too. Looks interesting. But...the last thing I need to is to be tossing another iron in my fire, heh? We'll have more than enough read-aloud material after visiting The Trace Visitor Center again this weekend! shhh...don't tell Dewey I'm adding even more curriculum...let's surprise him :o) Adding to the Summer School fun...and a baby shower giftAdding to the Summer School fun...and general funYou know me, I have a hard time sticking to just one plan. I like to do a few things spur of the moment. I like to infuse a little 'homeschooling on the fly' into my life. It can be a curse, sometimes, but mostly, it's just fun.Ok, got a great email from The Long Thread....OH. MY. GOODNESS. If you haven't checked out her site, or signed up for updates on her blog, get over there now...just stop reading my drivvel and get over there. She shares such cool ideas it's just amazing. The sharing I received today was on 50 Summer Crafts For Kids...lots of links to a collection of great ideas for summer projects to have fun with. Sort of a carnival of summer ideas. After finding tons of cool projects we can do during these hot and humid days, I checked out her archives of Crafts for Kids and found these (among about a hundred other great ideas!) Those paper stars would be such fun to do and have a start exchange with our postcard buddies. And just hanging them all over to brighten up things. Gifts for Grandma. oh, the places you could use those pretty little things!! We are definitely going to make a bunch of them.  Along the same bent, we found these too -- what a cute gift idea. And a Fabric Butterfly Mobile...and some pretty Paper Butterflies...Ok...well...there's plenty more to keep you busy making all sorts of neat crafts this summer. We've signed up for the Nim's Island CurrClick Live class that starts July 8th and runs for 8 weeks. They offer so many Live Classes at CurrClick...and so many good resources. It's worth checking out the fun there, too. We found the book at Amazon for next to nothing and ordered it as well, and while we wait on it to arrive, we'll just check it out at the library. Hope it turns out to be a great read-aloud! And we have 2 nightgowns finished now, and I'm moving along to the baby shower gifts...that diaper cake for sure, made from cloth diapers and plenty of fun burpies, and maybe some of those fabric butterflies for fun, and a couple of receiving blankets and changing pads. And I'm definitely decorating the cake with some ideas from the sites shared below...like the baby sock roses. Here are some tutorials on make the Diaper Cake: About.com Diaper Cake How to make a Diaper Cake this one is to buy a video, but the photo's will give you lots of decorating ideas A YouTube Video for a Diaper Cake How to Make a Diaper Cake My English-Speaking SonsIt is so wonderful having children that talk. This morning our alarm went off, which is the radio turning on. After only two songs, silence. I told Jonathan I thought someone turned it off. After a moment, he realized Samuel had made himself a bed on the floor next to our bed. "Daddy, did you want that on? I was trying to let you sleep." Elijah wanted his taggy today, and I asked him if he found it and he said "No, no, no!" I can't believe that Elijah is almost two. It just doesn't seem possible that I had him. Even though I've had another child since him! LOL Anyway, it's lovely having children talk. Samuel is able to get pretty creative when it comes to helping us figure out what he's trying to say. We can say "We don't understand, we're so sorry!" and often he'll think of another way to say it or describe it. I will make sure I let ya'll know, with pictures eventually, when we are living somewhere else .... :) Ashley Life ... as in, mine!We have looked at all kinds of properties since I last blogged. At the moment, we think we know what God has for us. But we shall see. Trying to follow God's leading is so interesting and challenging both at the same time - your heart says one thing, your brain says another and then you are trying to listen for a still, small voice. Anyway, things are complicated right now. Exciting, but complicated. One of these days when things are all settled, I'll explain the twisting path God has led us down. In the meantime, it takes a lot of concentration to just walk that path. Added to all of this, my younger brother Adam, has fractured his neck in three places. According to the doctor's, only 3% of those thus injured are able to manage in a neck brace instead of surgery. He has to wear the neck brace for three months at least ... his life has just taken a very interesting turn. Life goes on, in my second parent's basement, pretty well. I certainly hope to be moving into my own home again soon! But in the meantime, this is pretty well. ~Ashley~ God is good all the time ....So, today is my 5th anniversary, and God had a special suprise in store. :) Not only did we get moved into my inlaws, but my sister in law, her husband, and three children are moving in as well for a week and a half. For some strange reason, I feel completely peaceful, no longer possibly unwanted or in the way. I'm lost in the crowd a bit, no longer feeling singled out or in the spotlight in this akward position of invading these good people's privacy. Everybody's here, so it's just a different feeling. It's a wonderful anniversary present, Lord. How did You know what I needed? Oh, that's right. You know me . . . . Thank You! Still looking ....Well, the farm we were looking at ... has a contract on it already. Under negotiation. So, it's kinda not in the running anymore. Our runner-up canidate? Has THREE contracts on it! One, under negotation. Can you say "SLAM"? That was God closing a door. It didn't feel that gentle, but whatever. My perception as a human is screwy anyway. At least He made it really clear! So, I'm house-hunting. Combing through the MLS as much as I can. I wish there was an easier way to find for-sell-by-owners! *sigh* I'd much rather work with an individual! There are a couple of potentials on the plate, but neither as "secluded" as I would like. I probably sound like a recluse when I wax poetic on not having people within shout'in distance. Let alone a stone's throw, or as my husband would say "spitt'in distance". LOL There are tecnically four or five possiblities, but I'm not too excited about any of them, each has their own issue that makes it not perfect. Of course!!! I don't expect something that meets all our criteria. It's interesting what we're having to work around, though. I'm trying to consider all possibilities and let the home speak for itself. So we're looking at a few long shots mixed in there, too. My guess is that the Lord has a house for us. I don't think I could handle losing my husband to work on a house all the time while our children are all little. So. Anyone who is still following this poor, rarily updated blog, please be praying we find the right house. And that God makes it very, very clear where we are supposed to be. And that moving in with J's parents on Friday doesn't make me panic and leap for anything. That we find what we want despite the pressure from all the other fringe parties that all think we should be looking at this, that and the other. I really covet ya'lls prayers. Thank you, we are closing Guantanamo......but we are moving them to a small island instead.Well, maybe not the same thing completely, but we are afraid to send them home because of persecution, so we have made arrangements for them to begin again, in the South Pacific, on an island we have relations with, on our dime. $200 million of our dimes, it seems. There are many others needing 'refuge' for their acts that brought them to Gauntanamo in the first place, but we have some hurdles in their release it seems. Most countries aren't interested in being attached to money from our failing financial structure here...and they won't accept relocation of any detainees from the military facility. They figure if we are setting them free and they can't go home, they should come and live here in the U.S. I suppose that makes well enough sense. What's the difference if we support them here or we support them in Palau? We can't support ourselves on any level these days, but hey, what's another mouth to feed? Got good foods?First off -- yes, I posted a rather lengthy little amount of personal soapboxery over at our other blog. I know the temperate climate here at HSB, so I won't send my personal drivvel here. I imagine it will draw enough flack where its at anyway. You know me, I don't lack in a mouth and mind of opinions. And that's what a blog is, right? Just opinions and thoughts that roll in one's head, with a fair amount of useful information tucked in here and there.So, in that spirit...the useful information spirit, that is...I want to make sure folks visit Susan, from Homestead Momma and The Nourishing Kitchen blog. There are several other blogs she shares on...worth reading for sure. I need this list as a reminder, and I thought perhaps someone else might find it interesting as well. Visit Susan's blogs...there are so many good things shared! Important Foods to Eat
Foods to Avoid
Voddie Baucham -- We Despise Our ChildrenI have listened to several of his preaching/teaching sermons and honestly, I have not often heard a man of God preach so honestly and so 'harshly' as he does.AMEN and PRAISE GOD for such anointed preachers still found in this day and age! Generation Cedar (http://www.generationcedar.com) has shared an awesome message by Voddie Baucham and I strongly recommend you take time to listen -- and to listen with the openness of spirit and heart you should have as a professing Child of God. He will most likely offend the delicate ears and toes of folks comfortable with the soft soap given most every Sunday in this country by paid preachers more concerned with their popularity and the numbers and dollars they can log in with their conventions and districts. Yes, I know he is Southern Baptist. Let me tell you straight out, big deal. Who cares? Does it truly matter? If you are Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic...does it make a difference who preaches the strength of The Lord on any given matter? Do you only take your preaching from a pastor/preacher/teacher within your own religious tag? I don't. I prefer to choose folks based on the power of their preaching, the depth of their messages, the calling and anointing they have in their lives from The Lord. I believe He will use a great many folks to teach me what I need to know and understand about Him. They won't all be whatever label I lay claim to. I don't listen to alot of SBC preachers. They usually seem 'slick' to me. I would probably consider myself Baptist on several levels, but all in all, I just plain don't like labels of any kind. Too many folks can't get over a label. They have already made up their minds about you based on the label they have given you. SBC is no exception. I wonder if Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic make any exceptions to the label maker? I like Voddie Baucham, SBC or not. He isn't preaching from his scripted resources from some higher up through the chain of SBC churches. He is preaching what he believes. You can tell it's from the depths of his heart and spirit. It comes from a calling. From a true Calling. :::"All I can think to say is, I can't believe he got away with it. If you are pressed for time, at least listen from 25 minutes until the end. He speaks on the state of the Church and how to close the generation gap." -Amy Scott { Last Page } { Page 1 of 5 } { Next Page } |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
