Ladybugs & Stinkbugs

So I'm sure you've been desperately wondering how my workout routine is going. Well, since you asked, I'll tell you!

=)

First of all, I am NOT making it at 6:45 every morning! Wasn't that a silly goal? Seriously, my goal is to make it before Jeremy goes to work (supposed to be 8), so that means I have to get up at an ungodly hour (I'm still not sure God is up before the sun...). Some days that happens, but others it doesn't. And you know what? It's okay.

I make it about three times a week, which is my minimum. I'd like to go every day, though, for several reasons.

#1: It's 45 minutes all to myself. I can talk if I want, but I don't have to. I can think.
#2: When my workout is done, I spend 15 minutes stretching - and it's the only time during the whole day I will hold still!
#3: It gets me moving. I love the feeling of knowing I've done something good for my body at least once during the day.
#4: Because I get so thirsty, I end up drinking a lot of water while I'm working out. And, if I workout in the morning, that starts my day off on a really good foot.

So, what about results? Other than more energy (which is always a plus), I actually lost 1 1/2 pounds, and 9 inches in the last month!!! Crazy good! I'm not actually trying to lose weight, and they did warn me that I might actually gain some (did you know that muscle weighs more than fat?), so that was a pretty cool deal.

Anyway, that's my update for this month. I'm sure in the months to come you will find out all you ever wanted to know (and more) about my workout routine!

This was the last night of Awana for the year. Andrew's no longer a Puggle - he'll be in Cubbies next year!! Matthew and Annie will still be in Sparks.

Anyway, here is a picture of "Granny" with a pie-face!

I'll be taking "School Pictures" later this week, but in the meantime I wanted to give you an update on our new school year.

"New School Year?" you're saying. "Isn't the school year ending?"

Well, for normal people, that is the truth. But we just can't seem to keep a "normal" schedule. (Not that we try very hard, but that's a story for a different post.) What with two months off when Little Bit was born, and two weeks off in January, and three weeks off in late April-early May, we ended up surprised that we finished the school year at all!!

Honestly, half-way through the year, when Annie could read, and Matthew knew addition facts through 10 and subtraction facts almost that far, I was done for all intents and purposes. We had accomplished everything I could have hoped for in Kindergarten and 1st grade.

So the kids were excited about starting their new grades. Matthew's in second and he will be learning studying sentences, multiplication, more "complicated" rules of reading, Government, and Science, along with a few other things. Annie's first grade year will go over phonics rules, addition and subtraction, history, a Bible catechism, Science, and Art. ("Stay tuned" for a post about their most recent art project!)

I'm looking forward to a good summer. Since all of our other activities slow down, we can actually accomplish more in less time during the summer, and then we can slow down a little bit during the fall months. It equalizes our schedules throughout the year, and it's one of the things that I love about homeschooling.

This is how hot it is out here!
:o)


The above video was sent to my blog via my cell phone...from the ball field! (Sorry, I just think that's really cool.) I know the quality isn't that great, but what that is, is Annie and Andrew slouched in their chairs like wilted flowers. The heat was so intense at the tee ball field today, it really made me glad that the season is over!!

Matthew had a great game...of course, he was sad that the season was over. He's already finagling to play in the fall season. Jeremy & I are thinking it over, but we are not sure if we want him to play during the fall season or the spring. We DID tell him he could only play one of them, though - not both! Since we will eventually have four kids wanting to be in different activities, we have no choice but to start limiting NOW.

Matthew loves it, though, and it will be a lot of fun to watch him progress. And, of course, I will keep you updated!

The Images of A Mom

4 YEARS OF AGE Y My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE Y My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE Y My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE Y Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either!
16 YEARS OF AGE Y Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE Y That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE Y Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE Y Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE Y Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE Y Wish I could talk it over with Mom...

This is video from Annie's recital. It is actually her dress rehearsal, since we weren't able to video the actual recital. They recorded it professionally, so our professional DVD is on the way.

Annie is on the front row for the first part of the routine, the last one on the right. Enjoy my little ballerina!



PS - Thanks, Peter, for shooting the video while I had my hands full with the baby!

Okay, so I love going and doing things and being busy and productive. I am the type of person who would rather be out, around people, doing stuff than staying at home. (Incidentally, my husband is exactly the opposite! He'd rather stay home any day of the week...)

BUT

I am GLAD that summer is finally here! Again, please don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the things that we do...Jeremy & I take commitments very seriously, and before we agree or sign up to do something, we want to make sure that we can do it well and with our whole hearts. For example, I love children's choir...I love adult choir...Jeremy loves the sound system...see what I mean? These are good things.

But everyone needs a time to rest and recuperate, especially after a very busy season. Which is what we have been through for the last two months. We have been going and going and going...like the Energizer Bunny. The house is a wreck! Laundry is out of control (have you ever heard "Mom, I don't have any clean underwear..."). The kitchen is...well...you get the point.

So we are taking a couple of weeks OFF. Not from school, though, because the kids are excited about starting their new grades (more on that later), but otherwise, we are doing only the bare minimum. It has been a nice week, being able to stay at home, relax, and enjoy each other. We even have a whole Saturday where we don't have to get up and be somewhere!!! It's amazing! =)

So, here's to hard work - and the relaxation that follows it!

Jacob is pulling up! Oh my...here we go again...
:o)

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

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This is an interesting service: you can call a number from your cell, leave a message, and it will transcribe the message and text or email it to you. This is really helpful for "to-do" reminders while you're out. If you use Google Calendar, it can also integrate with that, and a few other services.

If you're like me and tend to forget stuff, then this is one service that will really help!

In the hospital the relatives gathered in the waiting room, where their family member lay gravely ill.
>
>Finally, the doctor came in looking tired and somber.
>
>'I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news,' he said as he surveyed the worried faces.
>
>'The only hope left for your loved one at this time is a brain transplant.
>
>It's an experimental procedure, very risky but it is the only hope. In surance will cover the procedure, but you will have to pay for the brain yourselves.'
>
>The family members sat silent as they absorbed the news. After a great length of time, someone asked, 'Well, how much does a brain cost?'
>
>The doctor quickly responded, ' £ 5,000 for a male brain, and £200 for a female brain.'
>
>The moment turned awkward. Men in the room tried not to smile, avoiding eye contact w ith the women, but some actually smirked. A man unable to control his curiosity, blurted out the question everyone wanted to ask,
>
>'Why is the male brain so much more?'
>
>The doctor smiled at the childish innocence and explained to the entire group, 'It's just standard pricing procedure. We have to mark down the price of the female brains, because they've actually been used.'

Annie's ballet recital was held last Saturday. Her Ballet class danced to a song called "You are the Lord". It was the sweetest song, and Annie had the best time preparing and performing this song.

Annie is quite the performer. She has not an ounce of stage fright whatsoever. Each time she had performed, she has had one time where she has gotten a little overwhelmed and started crying, usually because something didn't go as she expected, and then she was fine. It doesn't bother her at all that a lot of people are watching her - in fact, when I asked her what her "best thing" was about dancing, she said that it was that all the people got to watch her dance.

Annie is her own little person, and is not really bothered by what anyone else thinks of her. In fact, she seldom thinks about other people noticing her at all - she is oblivious to things that a lot of other kids might be very sensitive about. It is so much fun to watch her because you truly get to see inside her heart - you're watching what's going on inside of her, not a performance. Here are some pictures from her recital, and video will be coming soon!

What - y'all don't like polls??? Exactly two people have voted in my current poll!!! It doesn't take THAT long! =)

I'm so excited! We finally got the garden planted! Dude, this is HARD WORK. I dug up a 7x8 plot, moved all of the grass over to another part of the yard (we are trying to get grass to grow there!), put down about 10 bags of soil, and then planted.

We have planted red & green bell peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatos, and cucumbers. So far they look like they are doing pretty well!

His latest obsession is the Ice Hockey game that he plays on XBox. So, when his friend gave him an old pair of roller blades, he suddenly became transformed into a professional hockey player! He became an expert overnight.
(Please note, this is all from HIS perspective - not a biased mommy's...)

What a hoot! This little girl is a darling, and she cracks me up all the time! This is her and her "daughter" (this is NOT a 'baby doll' or a princess, it is her 'daughter'):



And this is Maddi "blinking" (actually winking, but don't try to tell her that). Looks like something her daddy taught her?

Sorry about the quality of these videos! I took them with my phone at church. =)

This was Annie's children's choir performance at church a couple of weeks ago. They played "Jesus Loves Me" on handbells, and then sang. They also sang "Our God is an Awesome God." This is a song Annie LOVES, and she has taught it to Andrew. It is so cute to hear them sing it together!

Okay, so Andrew's going to be a...

Major Rock Star...

(Alvin & the Chipmunks, anyone?)

Enjoy! (Scroll down for the actual WORDS to the song!)




Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

In response to the overwhelming number of people begging for another post, here we go! =)

LOL

Here are some pictures from Matthew's birthday. He TURNED 7!!! I don't like this growing up thing one bit, but they won't obey when I tell them to quit! I can't believe 7 years ago I was holding this tiny little newborn - and I had no idea what to do! It's amazing that he's survived, and even thrived...

A little bit about Matthew:
He's a genius - I think he'll have his grandfather's memory (thanks, Pa) - he has been telling us for days that "the 15th" is Uncle Jason's birthday. How does he know these things?
He loves baseball - and has since the moment he was born! He can tell you the Astros starting lineup, what their standing is (two games out of first?), and a ton of other information no one else cares about, much less knows!
He is a sweetheart - he's always checking to make sure everyone is okay. He enjoys people, and can never stop talking!

Blog them instead!

DID NOAH FISH?

A Sunday school teacher asked, "Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of
fishing when he was on the Ark ?
"No," replied Johnny. "How could he, with just two worms."

--------

HIGHER POWER:

A Sunday school teacher said to her children, "We have been learning how
powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a higher power.
Can anybody tell me what it is?"

One child blurted out, "Aces!"

---------

MOSES & THE RED
SEA :

Nine-year-old Joey, was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday
school. "Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy
lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt . When he
got to the Red Sea , he had his army build a pontoon bridge
and all the people walked across safely. Then, he radioed
headquarters for reinforcements.

They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were
saved."

"Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?"
his mother asked. "Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher
did, you'd never believe it!"

-----------

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD:

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the
most quoted passages in the Bible; Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to
learn the verse. Little Rick was excited about the task, but, he just couldn't
remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.
On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation,
Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly,
"The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."
--------------


UNANSWERED PRAYER?

The preacher's 5 year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and
bowed his head, for a moment, before starting his sermon. One day, she asked
him why. "Well, Honey," he began, proud that his daughter was so
observant to of his messages, "I'm asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon."
"How come He doesn't do it?" she asked.

---------------------

BEING THANKFUL

A rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, "So your mother says your
prayers for you each night? Very commendable. What does she say?"The
little boy replied, "Thank God he's in bed!"

----------

UNTIMELY ANSWERED PRAYER

During the minister's prayer, one Sunday, there was a loud whistle from one of
the back pews. Gary's mother was horrified.
She pinched him into silence and, after church, asked, " Gary ,
whatever made you do such a thing ?"
"Gary answered, soberly, "I asked God to teach me to
whistle, And He just then did!"
-----------------


TIME TO PRAY:

A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night. "Yes
sir,"the boy replied."And, do you always say them in the morning,
too?" the pastor asked. "No sir," the boy replied. "I ain't
scared in the daytime."

-----------------

BEWARE OF TRASH:

One particular four-year old prayed, "And forgive us our 'trash baskets'
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."
------------


ALL MEN / ALL GIRLS?

When my daughter, Kelli, was 3, she and my son, Cody, would say their nightly
prayers, together.

As most children do, we have to bless every family member, every friend,and
every animal (current and past).For several weeks, after we had finished the
nightly prayer, Kelli would say, "And all girls."
As this soon became part of her nightly routine,
to include this at the end, my curiosity got the best of me and I asked her,
"Kelli, why do you always add the part about all girls?
"Her response, "Because we always finish our prayers by saying
'All Men'!"
-------------


SAY A PRAYER:

Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother's
house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When
little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away."Johnny
wait until we say our prayer.""I don't have to," The boy
replied."Of course, you do," his mother insisted. "We say a
prayer, before eating,at our house."

That's our house," Johnny explained. "But this is Grandma's house and
she knows how to cook."

"Punctuality is the virtue of the bored."

Have a good day!

Just a warning - I'm making some formatting changes to the blog, so things may look a little weird for the next couple of days. I'm also going to be posting some "about our family" posts, so bear with me if you already know all about us! I hope to keep updated information/pictures available for all of our extended family & friends.

Keep leaving comments!

I'm a Christian, wife, mother, and a bunch of other stuff. My days are filled with laundry, schooling three kids, working, and music. I'm very involved in our local church - which I LOVE - and spend as much time as I can reading!

I enjoy gardening and being out in the sun. Hopscotch is fun, and so is riding a bike, especially while listening to an iPod. =)

I thank God every day for the wonderful life He has given me. I pray that I can use it, and the abundant blessings He has given me, to direct others to Him!

Matthew was born May 1, 2001 - the same day as his great-grandmother! He is now 7 years old, and very bright (if I do say so). He's almost finished with 1st grade and is ready to move on to 2nd. We are homeschooling, so he'll start his new grade as soon as his books arrive, and he is VERY excited.

Matthew is a sensitive, loving, and understanding little guy. He always tries to make people happy, and he's very in tune to what others are thinking and feeling. Last night, he purchased a gift for Andrew (a "Lightning McQueen" nightlight), even though he could have gotten something for himself.

I thank God every day for my firstborn little boy. He's so special!

Analee (Annie) is 5 years old. She is a ballerina princess - as much to compensate for all the baseball, bugs, and mud in our house as anything else! She LOVES a good manicure and tea, and she almost always has a smile on her face, no matter what she is doing.

She has enjoyed ballet for almost two years now, and also likes to watch her brother play t-ball (but not watch him play XBox). She and Andrew are fast friends, and she's a wonderful "little momma" to Jakey!