Book Review: Through the storm

Thomas Nelson Publishers recently released review copies of:
Through the storm: A real story of fame and family in a tabloid world by Lynne Spears

What drew me to this controversial book was my curiosity.
Who hasn't heard about the recent turmoil in the Spears family and passed judgment?
If ever there was a family under attack it would be the Spears family. I was curious to read what a mother's perspective on it all would be. Would she see what the rest of us see? Was there another side to the story?

I admit I had also heard the rumor that this was a parenting book.
It most certainly is not a parenting book, nor was it ever supposed to be one according to Lynn.
It's also not a tell-all book.
You won't find any juicy details about any celebrity in this book and Lynn has only the kindest thing to say about her ex son-in-law Kevin Federline.

You also won't find any new details about Britney's breakdown either. Nor will there be any new revelations concerning Jamie Lynn's pregnancy.

What you will read is a celebrity mother's account of her own life, mostly the period before her children became famous. If you've ever been curious about the woman in the photographs with Britney & Jamie Lynn, then this is the book for you.

Lynn chronicles her life and speaks in detail about her childhood, early marriage (and eventual divorce) to Jamie Spears, her relationship with her sister and her regrets about not holding on to her teaching career. Towards the middle of the book she discusses her naive attitude towards the entertainment industry and a few of the regrets she has had along the way. Throughout the book she does speak briefly about her faith, but this is not really a book about her Christian faith, although she identifies herself as having a strong one.

Although I found the first half the book to be an interesting read I felt the last few chapters of the book were disjointed. In these chapters Lynn discusses Britney's breakdown and the birth of her third grandchild. There is nothing in these chapters that hasn't already been revealed in People magazine. It is obvious Lynn is hesitant to discuss her children's personal life and you have to admire that. This book is not an attempt to sell off any remaining bits of privacy the family has. But what is it an attempt to do? After reading the book I'm a little unsure, as I'm sure Lynn was when she wrote it. While I cannot say that I feel I know Lynn Spears anymore after reading her book, I can say that I have more empathy for her. And perhaps that is the point of reading any autobiography?

Birthday Girl

Today is my birthday.
I am now 37 years old.
The sad part is, I had to do the math to figure it out.
Honestly. I did.
Somehow, I thought I was going to be 38 this year.
Don't ask me why.

Big Daddy would say it's because I always round up my age.
Generally come March I start saying I'm the age I will be in November.
That sort of thing.
I don't know why I do that.

If you are a glass is half empty person you might look at this and say,
"Girl, you are so old you cannot even remember how old you are! It's all downhill from here!"

If you are a glass is half full person you might look at this and say,
"Surprise! You're a year younger than you thought! Happy birthday to you."

In honor of my 37 years of life I thought I'd compile a list of:
37 things I've learned in life...

The bible really does hold the key to everything to need to know about life. There isn't anything you need to know about that isn't in the book. Your kids are whining? Titus 2:12b

The things you vowed you would never ever say to your children? You will.
"Whatever you don't eat for dinner you will eat for breakfast."
"There are starving kids in Africa who would be happy to have your dinner."
Ouch!

There is nothing sweeter than the feeling of a baby sleeping on your chest.

Sometimes the biggest trials in your life, bring you the biggest blessings.

When you have the most time to nap you don't want to.
When you don't have time to nap, that's all you want to do.

Marriage isn't always easy but it's always worth the extra effort.

The friend who encourages you to break the law speeding and says, "Don't worry, if you get a speeding ticket, I'll pay it." Most certainly will not pay it.

Even though it feels like it, you won't die from newborn sleep deprivation.
But if your husband keeps talking about the good nights sleep that he had, he probably will.

After you have kids there is nothing sexier than a man who cleans up the kitchen and gets all the kids to bed!

Driving a mini van will never feel cool.

Red is my favorite color.

Green is my favorite color.

Pink is my favorite color.

I no longer have a favorite color

Just because you didn't have the best mother doesn't mean you can't try to be one.

Be wary of those who speak about the personal lives of others to you,
because they are most likely speaking to others about your personal life too.

The sky is so clear in Africa you can see the satellites flying through the sky;
They look like shooting stars.

Just because someone asks you a question,
doesn't mean you have to answer it.

Nothing compares to a handwritten note.

The first person to raise their voice is the weakest.

It's a lot harder to come up with 37 things I've learned than I thought it would be.

I'm regretting the whole, 37 things I've learned" thing entirely.

I don't recommend doing a blog post on 37 things I've learned.

Words do hurt.
Especially to children.

If the grass looks greener on the other side
its just a sign that I haven't been watering my own grass

There is a kind of girl that guys marry
and a kind of girl that guys date.
If you choose to be the kind of girl that guys marry
you may not have a lot of dates, but then you won't need to either.

I will never embrace my curly hair.
We always want what we do not have.

Longer hair makes you look younger---and shorter.

Your past does not determine your future.

Magic Eraser really does work.

A thoughtful gift outweighs an expensive one every time.

My life turned out a lot better than I thought it would when I was 13.

Twitter is addicting

Facebook is addicting

Blogging is addicting

37 really doesn't really feel any different than 36....or 35 for that matter.

Comments make me happy. So please leave some!

Gift Ideas from Stonewall Kitchen

Stonewall kitchen is offering 20% off when you use CODE Q01516R8

I think the Barefoot Contessa Gingerbread Boy Kit is a great gift for someone with little ones.
What a fun baking idea to get the holidays off to a great start?


Also check out the Just for Kids Baking Set












See my Black Friday Sale Post for more sales...

Women of Faith 30% off

Save 30% off your purchases at the Women of Faith website using CODE: THANKS .

There is also a great selection of gifts at 75% off including:

Gigi God's little Princess: The perfect Christmas gift In The Perfect Christmas Gift, Sheila Walsh has penned a perfectly pink tale of a little princess whose Christmas expectations go a bit over-the-top. As Christmas nears, Gigi is just bursting with anticipation. And when her parents give her a hint about her big gift, "white with a touch of pink," she is absolutely certain she is getting her crown! After days of endless agony, Christmas morning finally arrives, and Gigi searches for a crown-sized box. But there isn't one. Instead, Gigi receives a gift more wonderful than she ever could imagine. All will appreciate Gigi's Christmas agony and will be encouraged to open their hearts to a gift even greater than they expected.

Fans of the Gigi series should also check out this Gigi doll.

Simplify your Holidays by Marcia Ramsland is a reuseable holiday planner.
Most people begin to prepare for Christmas as soon as Thanksgiving is over, which can create great stress since Thanksgiving happens at a different time every year. However, Halloween is consistently eight weeks before Christmas, so beginning then ensures enough time to prepare and plan for both Christmas and Thanksgiving and to make this a season of joy for yourself and your family. This planner addresses all the details of the busy holiday season, including buying, wrapping, and sending presents, sending Christmas cards, home decorations, and cooking and baking. What sets this planner apart is a day-by-day plan that breaks every task into manageable pieces and a daily devotional journal that keeps the reader focused on the reason for all the activity, encouraging a spirit of praise, not panic.

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.
For the first time in YEARS I am not cooking.
We are going to a restaurant.
I have mixed feelings about this,
but I'm looking forward to a day just relaxing with my family,
instead of stressing in the kitchen!

Black Friday

I've never really gotten into the whole Black Friday shopping thing.
To me it's silly to be out fighting the crowds
when I could be comfy cozy at home in front of my computer.


Here are some interesting sales/offers I've found:

Scholastic Store is offering up to 75% off and FREE Shipping (use code SSTGS)
Sale ends December 2nd




If you are a homeschooler you will love the fact that The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is offering an annual subscription for the unheard of price of $7.95! Seriously, this is what you should get your homeschool friends or your nagging in-laws or parents who don't "get it." Plus during the Black Friday Sale, they have all kind of bonus gifts when you spend $50, $75, $100, or $150. Some are electronic downloads that you can download immediately, while other are physical products mailed from various vendors directly to your home.

Amazon.com is having a major sale. Visit their Black Friday page for all the details.

Chronicle Books is offering 35% off all items plus FREE SHIPPING use code FRIENDS until December 5th. Be sure to check out the Squiggles book for kids. Chronicle Books has a very large selection and you cannot beat 35% off and free shipping so tell a friend!

PBS is offering $10 off any $50 purchase (code PBSFriday) and FREE SHIPPING. They have a fantastic selection of Kids Programs----including our favorite, Between the Lions

Red Envelope is offering 10% off plus additional Black Friday Sale items. Use code REDTKN

Apple is offering a one day only sale on iPod,iPhone and Mac gifts plus FREE SHIPPING with $50 purchase.

One Step Ahead is offering 15% off using code NVMRBDAY and $10 off/$75, $15 off /$100, $30 off/$125 plus free subscription to wondertime, family fun, or cookie with $75 purchase and FREE shipping with $85 purchase.

The Stationery Studio is offering 10% off purchases of $100 or 15% off purchases of $200 or more using code HOLIDAY08. This is the home of the personalized soaps as seen on Oprah's favorite things. In my opinion personalized gifts give you more bang for your buck. Don't forget to check out their cute quick ship calling cards.

Janie and Jack offers free shipping with purchases over $100 which isn't hard to do on that website, unfortunately. Use code FREE100

Imagine Toys offers free shipping with $99 merchandise purchase. Use code FREE. We found quite a few fun things in this catalog (and online).

Magic Cabin has $4.99 shipping on orders over $65 (in continental US only) Use code MC1152
This is a really sweet company with great toys that are well made and promote imagination and play. You won't find video games or talking toys here.

Timberdoodle is having a 5-day sale. They have a great selection of educational toys, games and products. Their catalog is the best, request a copy online. Check out the Prisma 24-piece portfolio!

Soulutions offers FREE SHIPPING on everything with no minimums use code 12881 expires 11/29 so hurry!

Horchow is offering 30% off seasonal and 10% off everything else. Code HOLIDAY

This isn't really a sale item, but during the holiday season Green Dimes has "gift cards" to their service that you can give out. Its a great green gift idea that offers a year of premium service for only $20. With Green Dimes you can save time, paper, and your identity (junk mail can lead to identity theft).

For information on additional online Black Friday sales click here or here.

Happy Shopping.
But remember, it isn't about what you buy.

Fridge Filing

Big Daddy once told me in an exasperated voice,
"The fridge is not a filing cabinet!"
Ah Big Daddy, He loves me so!
I guess that pretty much sums up how I view organizing a fridge.
I like things on certain shelves, facing a certain way.
Four kids later I lost my way and our fridge looked absolutely horrible in my opinion.
I felt ill every time I looked inside it.
Not for unsanitary reasons, but for lack of organization.

Organization is essential to my well being.
Opening a freezer that looks like this:



Well, it makes me happy.
And you know what they say.

If Mama ain't happy; Ain't nobody happy!

What makes you happy?
Do you have any organizational quirks?

Last Christmas

Last Christmas...
I finished my holiday shopping by Halloween.
I wrapped all of the presents by Thanksgiving
The Christmas tree went up the day after Thanksgiving
375 Christmas cards were mailed out by December 1st
17 presents were mailed by December 1st.

Last Christmas...
We had a Christmas party for over 100 people
We had 4 families join us for Christmas Eve dinner


Last Christmas...
The tree was overflowing with gifts.
It took 7 lawn trash bags to throw out the paper, bows, and packaging
The children got tired opening presents and so they opened some the next day.

Last Christmas was exhausting.

This Christmas
It won't be about the decorations, wrapping or presents.
I am buying much fewer presents, so I don't need to shop earlier.
Our holiday cards will go out later.
We are not hosting any parties or dinners.
We are asking friends and family to give to charity and not us.
We are encouraging the exchange of handmade or sentimental gifts.

This Christmas
We are giving our time
We are giving our talents
We are giving our time

This Christmas
I will not spend hours away from my family
preparing for minutes of perfection

I will be with my family.
I will be with my friends.
My present this year will be my presence.

My mind will not wander to my to do list.
I will not abruptly end conversations so that I can wrap, or shop, or wrap some more.

I will not busy myself with the business of the season
I will instead slow down and take its meaning.

I will teach my children the true meaning of Christmas.
I will give them an opportunity to give.
I will give them an opportunity to serve.
I will give them an opportunity to experience a Christmas that cannot be bought.

And I have no doubt it will be the best Christmas ever!

Rethinking Christmas

Are you feeling in the spirit now?
You can visit Rethinking Christmas for more ideas.

How will you celebrate this year? Are you making any changes to the way you celebrate this year versus holidays past? Our family is. Tomorrow I will share our story with you. Today you can share yours with me by leaving a comment.

Charity Checks

In a recent post I depressed some of the Gift Card Givers when I shared the news that gift cards probably weren't the most prudent gift choice this holiday season. So what is the best gift to give?

Charity Checks.
Now before you write it off (bad pun intended) just hear me out.
This isn't the usual thing where you open your Christmas Card and see that in lieu of sending you a present, Aunt Melba has donated $50 in your name to the save the Giant Bufa Toad Foundation. Merry Christmas to You!

No, this is better for both the giver and the recipient.
You see, no one really wants to receive a gift in their name to some organization they don't know or care about, and sadly just because a charity speaks to you, doesn't make it an appropriate gift choice for someone else.

In my opinion this is a classic "to you for me" holiday gift.
You know, the gift where your hubby gets you the sexy lingerie----for him!
Or your hubby buys the X-Box for the kids-----only they are 18 months old.
I'm sure you have your own examples.

So here is why I love Charity Checks and you should too.

1.) You get the tax deduction since they are a registered non-profit organization
2.) Your recipient gets to choose the non-profit charity that they want to give the check to.
3.) You can purchase the charity checks in various denominations.
4.) The charity deposits and receives 100% of the face value of the check!
5.) It looks classier than giving cash or a gift card for a company that may go out of business.

If you want to go a step further you can research various charitable organizations and include a short note suggesting a charity----but most people do have a charity that speaks to them. If the gift is for a teenager you may want to refer them to the list of registered charities.

I have been giving charity checks on and off for the past four years.
I cannot tell you how excited people were to tell me about the charity they gave their check to.
So in the spirit of giving I hope you give a Charity Check this holiday season.
I know I will be.

Strange Comfort

{Comfort Food}
A food which elicits warm feelings and memories of childhood or good times.

When I was pregnant with my twin boys I craved crawfish.
Authentic Louisiana Crawfish.
I lived in Pennsylvania.
This was a problem.
Thank goodness for Fed Ex.
Even if the shipping cost more than the actual crawfish.
Big Daddy was so good to me!

When I was pregnant with my daughter I craved crawfish & Beignets
Authentic Louisiana Crawfish.
We lived in Florida (part time)
This was easier, but still a problem.
Fed Ex to the rescue again.

During my youngest daughter's pregnancy I craved ceviche.
Peruvian Ceviche to be exact.
A neighbor had her housekeeper make it for me...and I am still craving it.It is my comfort food of choice now.
Whenever I'm feeling down it's what I want for dinner.
I'm not sure that comfort food is supposed to be so hard to come by. If Senora Helena decides to move to Peru, I'm in trouble.
Until then I will continue to find spicy comfort in a giant bowl of Peruvian Ceviche.
Yum!

Little Sister, Big Sister

Pumpkin is really enjoying her role as Cutie Pie's Big Sister.

I just know she is going to be a good Mama someday.

Even if she currently gives all of her children (baby dolls) the same name.
Kasha.

No idea where she ever heard that name.
But she loves it.

Ever since I was pregnant she's loved that name
I wish I had a video of her thrusting her belly in and out so that I could feel Kasha kick.
Then she would stop suddenly and say,
"Oh, the baby is sleeping now."

Three is a trying age.
Two was much easier.
But these moments with her sister make it so sweet.
The only thing sweeter is the fact I have 101 grandchildren to look forward too!
Perhaps it's a good thing they will have the same name?

I hope Big Daddy is as excited about it as I am.
Pumpkin says she and her 101 children will live us and they can sleep on her bedroom floor.

What NOT to get this holiday season

It used to be when you weren't really sure what to get someone you got them a gift card.
This year, I think you'd better either get creative or give cash.

Clark Howard, the consumer reporter, suggests not giving gift cards at all this year because if the business goes under, the card is invalid. You need only open the newspaper to hear about all the major retailers that are closing stores in record numbers.

So, if you still are unsure what to purchase and you feel the need to send some sort of card or certificate, send this instead.

Speaking Up

It has taken me a long time to learn something very simple.
Speak up for yourself.

When you feel wronged or hurt, speak up. Don't hold it in.
When you hold it in, it festers.
When it festers it grows into something else entirely.
That is never good.

Sometimes you are wrong.
When you speak up for yourself you have an opportunity to discover that.
If you are open to it.

This week I spoke up for myself, only to realize that I misunderstood the other person.
Whew. That felt good.

Another time I spoke up for myself and the other person apologized.
They didn't mean it how it came out. They didn't mean for me to have these hurt feelings.
They didn't want me to feel badly.
They felt badly enough to apologize.
Whew. That felt really good.
Our relationship remained intact.
Neither of us feeling taken advantage of or undervalued.

Later this week I spoke up in another situation.
I have not heard a response and frankly, if I don't it will be okay.
Because, I learned something else.
Sometimes you just speak up for yourself.
More than speaking about the situation.
All the feelings that I felt growing and festering from my hurt point of view.
They are completely gone.
I have no hard feelings.
I carry no ill will.
I no longer feel hurt or wronged.
Even though I am sure it wasn't intentional.
I am not keeping a tally of how I felt I have been wronged, mistreated, misunderstood or whatever the particular feeling was that made me realize I need to speak up!
The slate is now wiped clean in my mind.


After this post I will not even think about it anymore because it is settled.
I just needed that person to know where I stood.
Obviously from my point of view.
I just said the situation could have been handled differently in my opinion.
By speaking up I put an end to the thoughts going on in my head.
Thoughts that frankly could easily escalate and distort the situation.
Christian's believe this is where the devil gets his foothold.
I didn't let that happen because I spoke up.
He cannot put thoughts into my head and allow my feelings to build to anger because its out in the open.
Not festering inside me, away from everyone else.

Whew, I am so glad to be able to move on.
Carrying around hurt is exhausting.

My relationships are very important to me.
I might not always agree with my friends (or even my family) but to know that we respect each other enough to allow the other person to be heard is very important.

It feels so good to speak up, because sometimes we just need to be heard.
I know for me, from the things in my past, being heard is very important.
Sometimes it doesn't matter if the situation changes.
Sometimes there is no situation to change.
I was heard.
And I try very hard to remember that it works both ways.
I also need to be willing to hear.

Do you speak up for yourself? Or are you harboring ill will and hurt feelings that are slowly destroying you out of fear of confrontation? Are you allowing this hurt to distort your perception and your relationships?

Earlier this year I reconnected with a friend that I met through another friend who was dating him at the time. I didn't keep in touch with him when they broke up, because it didn't seem appropriate. Several years later we connected quite innocently through Facebook. He is an explorer----among other things. It was then that he gave me the link to his website detailing his latest exploration. He is currently on a quest to become the first American to cross the South Pole unaided and unassisted! It will be his second attempt. A documentary is currently being made about him during this journey as he races teams from 2 other countries.

You can visit his website and sign up for audio dispatches of his journey. You will also see a map showing his location as travels. Each day there is an email entry and an audio entry. Later he hopes to be able to upload photos and/or video. For now there are some technical difficulties that are getting in the way of that.

What a terrific learning opportunity for my children (and for yours).
Please visit his website and read more about the attempt here. It truly is amazing to be a part of something like this. You can view Todd's photos from his 2007 attempt (with a guide) here.We are rooting for you Todd Carmichael!

Thankful for...

In the spirit of the season I thought I would create a list of things I am thankful for.

Some of the them are BIG things and other things are actually quite small, but I'm including them because they are very important and I am convinced that we each receive small blessings every day, but we often don't even take note of them. Especially me, who has been known to see the glass as half empty, a few times too many.

I am thankful for...

My infertility that taught me what a gift it is to have a child.

God's grace in making it possible, through infertility treatments, for me to become a mother of four healthy children when I feared I wouldn't even have one.

A home to keep myself busy in where I know my family is safe.

The gentleman at Starbucks who saw me struggling with a baby carrier and drink carrier and took them out of my hand to carry it to the middle of the parking lot with his young teenage daughter when they were just walking into the Starbucks.

The elderly man who saw me coming across the parking lot with the baby in the carrier and waited, just so he could hold the door open for me. And yes, I was once again at Starbucks...Perhaps that is where the nicest people congregate?

Grande whole milk no water Chai Tea Latte's & toffee almond bars from Starbucks
Okay, I'll stop talking about Starbucks now.

A husband who works hard to provide for our family and unwinds by going to the gym or the golf course instead of going to a bar.

A husband who is now a Christian and my biggest supporter as a homeschool mom.

Living in a country and state that make it easy for me to homeschool my children.

Being able to stay home full time and homeschool my children.

Living in Florida where I can be close to my family and away from all things snowy--- because I never learned layering and I don't like to be cold.

A husband who is fighting hard to make sure every employee in his company continues to have a job at his company in this questionable economy because it is the right thing to do.

Having children who love books more than they love television.

Having children who shout hooray! when I tell them we are going to the library.

For not finding anymore Darkling Beetles after my mealworm experiment gone bad.

Forgiveness from the people I have hurt at various times in my life who accepted my sincere apology and gave me a second chance at friendship and at love.

My friends who know I'm not perfect but love me anyway.

My friends who keep inviting me to things even though I frequently have to say no. It means a lot to be included.

Blogging friends I have met such as Nikowa, Amy, and Amy (to name but a few).

Marsha, for showing me what faith and love look like and that God is the same today as he was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

Kim for teaching me to knit----even though I think I forgot it all now.

Friends who are kind to my children and make them feel welcome, accepted and loved.

My wonderful church and church family.

Salvation

Facebook

Twitter

Cable Internet

Blogger

Date nights

Nobu sushi

Mani/Pedi's

Paperbackswap.com If you haven't tried it, you really should. It is amazing for booklovers. If you join and list 10 books you will get two free credits to use now. If you add "KarinKath" in the referral line I will get a free credit too!

Librarything.com
I love seeing all my books cataloged so neatly online and it saves me from purchasing duplicates and reminds me of what I have packed away!

Heart of the Matter (and everyone on the team) for allowing me to be a part of what their encouraging ministry, their friendship and for encouraging me in my writing.

People who take the time to read my blog and (ahem) leave a comment or two. It makes me feel valued when I'm feeling forgotten.

Finally hearing my father say he was proud of me.

Having a grandmother who made each of her grandchildren believe they were her favorite. I still however maintain that I was her absolute favorite.

Experiencing the amazingly scrumptious feeling of a baby sleeping on your chest...four times!

Lindsey, our babysitter from the local christian college, who helps me with baths and getting the kids down 3-4 nights per week!

Anytime my husband offers to get up with the baby or help with night bottles.

Times that I can go to bed at 8:30pm. I'm cool like that.

Getting a package, magazine or letter in the mail. Basically anything other than a bill!

I know the holidays can be a tough time for many. If you are in this group consider creating a list of things you have to be thankful for. It will change your mood and your outlook. There is always something to be happy about. Remember, only you can choose your attitude.

The best laid plans...

It never fails...whenever I have a major project planned---someone in my house gets sick and my plans need to change. This time that person is my 3 year old daughter. She needs mommy. No one else will do. So my projects will wait while I tend to my treasure and not my possessions. She is more important than my to do list and today I am going to make my actions reflect my heart. I don't always do that.

How well do you adapt your plans to life changes?
Do your actions reflect your heart?

What makes our family unique?

Friday's Heart of the Matter Meme was: The Things That Make Our Family Unique.
Here is my post, albeit a tad on the late side!

I am the 7th of 8 children.

We have four children, including twin boys, ages 5 and under.

My children have never attended school, they have always been homeschooled.

We have 3 geckos (Leo, Spotty, and Alli) and a tortoise (Lady).

My husband travels a lot. Sometimes 23 days in a month!

We have two boys and two girls. I don't know if that is really unique...but we think it is neat.

During a life cycle study we have raised tadpoles, butterflies, mealworms, praying mantis, and wingless fruit flies. Of all of these I only regret the mealworm fiasco.

We managed to kill or not resurrect two different resurrection plants. Ours grew mold. Does that count for something?

We have a very eclectic homeschool. You can review our curricula list to see just how eclectic.

We love taking our homeschool on the road and field trips and nature study are a very large part of our studies.

This year we are traveling the state of Florida as we work our way through, The Young Naturalist's Guide to Florida by Peggy Sias Lantz and Wendy A. Hale.

I am new to blogging and I have two blogs.

My idea of a good time is organizing a closet. Give me a label maker, plastic rubbermaid tubs and a project and I'm a happy girl! I can say that so far at least 2 of my children have this gene!

We are blessed to live in a neighborhood that is also an Audubon Signature Society Sanctuary which makes nature study easy and that much more interesting.

Dear Mr. President

In celebration of National Handwriting Day, January 23, 2009, Handwriting Without Tears will hand deliver letters to the White House. Children are encouraged to hand-write letters to the President with their advice for him in the coming years. As someone who is very concerned about the future of homeschooling and what that means for my own family I think it's a wonderful opportunity to encourage all homeschooled children to write a letter to the President, let them know they are homeschooled and that they are quite happy, thank-you very much.

I understand our nation's schools need assistance right now and I pray for that daily since I know homeschooling is not an option (or desire) for every family. But, for those of us who do wish to continue homeschooling, I think this is a wonderful time to let our children's voices be heard----not to mention show off that good handwriting we've been working on all year!

You can learn more about the program here.
Download K-1 funsheet here.
Download 2+ funsheet here.
Your child must write their letter on one of the paper samples below:
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second- Third grade
Fourth grade and up

Your letters must be received by December 15, 2008.

If you decide to participate and include a post showing off a sample of your child's handwriting please use Mr. Linky to link to that post. I'd love to see the letters from other participants.

Wordless Wednesday

My beautiful baby girl at 8 months.
Sitting for the first time, yesterday!

Photography by Laura Wootan Photography.

Election Results

No matter who wins I am going to pray that when the dust settles, and all the "politics" involved in campaigning can be put aside, that our new President will do what needs to be done to get our country back on track. Even if it isn't popular or isn't what he originally thought (or said) he would do, if it is the RIGHT thing to do.

I hope that we will all join together as AMERICANS and not let this election separate us even more from one another. I was so shocked by some of the incredibly cruel emails I received from "friends" when they found out I wasn't voting for "their" candidate. I respect their right to vote for whom they choose to based on the issues that are important to them. I was surprised when I wasn't given the same courtesy. I guess that's why you aren't supposed to talk politics with friends and family!

God Bless America!