In the Storm

Kitchen Colanders, but isn't that my scraproom

I got these adorable colanders from Macy's (go to www.macys.com and just type in colanders) to use in my scraproom to store things. Love the colors of course. But the best part was they were half price when I bought them. They have an assortment of colors to go in any scraproom - I mean kitchen. I got the idea from another scrapper on line when I saw her scraproom - I mean kitchen. These are the smaller size colanders - they're a hoot!

Mission Possible

Jeff, the boys and I are heading out tomorrow for our first mission trip ever. We are going to Weyers Cave, Virginia where Equipping the Saints is located. You can find them http://www.etsusa.org/. We are all excited to be going. I wanted to document what we did, saw, heard, smelled, felt, and more importantly how God is going to move mightily on our trip so I made this sweet little journal to document my observations, prayers, thoughts, pictures, etc. of our mission trip. The journal is from the Love Elsie collection by KI Memories. I bought it at my local scrap store but you can also see it here: http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/shop.asp?derMars=1103F9116B4&shoppg=2. I'm only including a few of the pages from the journal because there are way to many.

Of course I was able to fit in my watchword for the year STAND because - well - it fits doesn't it. We'll be standing in the gap for other missionaries...

Thanks for looking!

The sound of Crickets chirping

I was fitted with hearing aids today. Tonight as I was going to the van I heard the very loud sounds of crickets chirping continuously. Don't recall having heard crickets for a long time. I'm some secret service agent with my hearing aids. They are very tiny and almost not recognizable unless I mention them. I have 30 days to get used to them and decide if I want to keep them. For thousands of dollars they better be good!!! Sounds are very pronouced but I am very interested to find out if voices will be louder and clearer. Conversation, will I be able to hear.

The Hardy Boys

The boys have finished all of the Magic Tree House books we have (they've flown through them reading 4 chapters at a time) and so we needed some more chapter books. Elizabeth got into the attic and found 4 Hardy Boy mysteries. Once the boys found out it was two boys that were brothers and they got involved in mysteries the boys were in. Just into the first chapter and they were hooked. Words are a bit more difficult and chapters quite a bit longer, and it's taking them longer to read, in fact they are back down to just reading two chapters at a time, but they both said they liked the books.

I have to say that I am loving the way the boys are handling all of these summer 'assignments' (reading comprehension sheets, chapter book reading, math sheets/games, situps, bike riding, walking videos)they are getting. Absolutely no complaints. I am very proud of them.

Summer - Not Just for Playing

Because I want my sons to succeed in 4th grade I've decided summer isn't going to be just about fun but needs to be about learning too. Basically this summer I am incorporating a bunch of things into the boys' day that have to do with learning and health.

1) Read Chapter books daily

2) Complete Reading Composition sheets

3) Play math games or do math sheets (in particular, multiplication and money)

4) Ride their bikes

5) Walk (outside or using a walk video - which they love!! Leslie Sansome's walking videos)

6) 3 sets of situps (they're up to 30 each set)

So far John and Jarrod have enjoyed everything with absolutely no complaints. Even when I've limited their day to 1 movie a day. I need to add a craft or art, or some history learning in their too. Just wanted to record what we've done the summer of 2007

Boys' Room

New wall paint, new bedding, new curtains (curtain rod used to be in our living room), new blue clock for $4, purged toys and books to a good order and voila' - the boys' room. Very nice if I do say so myself. Still need to put a bulletin board up and a hat rack.

Lists

I made a to-do list yesterday. And checked off items as I accomplished them. Some as simple as make a phone call but I found that having the list a) I didn't forget them and b) It made me want to accomplish what was on my list. So I made another for today.

btw. you can make one of these cards too. just go to blyberg.net

Love this...

Date night

Jeff and I try fairly regularly to have a date. Can't let our relationship get lost amidst family life, school, jobs, church. Mostly dinner and a movie with lots of talking over dinner and driving and before and after the movie. Favorite dinner local is Jalapeno's - cheap and yummo! We always order Tacos de Carne Asada (Jeff gets 'with rice and beans'), two diet cokes, and a bowl of sour cream. The movie last night was Mr Brooks. Very well done. Loved the interaction between Kevin Costner and Wiliam Hurt. Not my typical movie - too much suspence - makes me jump and have nightmares, but very good movie anyhow. Before the movie we talked over some personal stuff that really boosted my spirits - thanks honey!

So no painting on the boys' room got done and tonight is Taco night...

5 daughters

We don't 'really' have 4 daughters. But we do. Actually 5, but on Jun 1 at Ash's wedding we had 4 daughters together. Elizabeth, Ashley, Melanie, and Stacia (daughter number 5 is Kim - not present). So I had the opportunity to get a 'family' photo. Lovin' this. We are Stacia's home away from home and Melanie's kids call us grandpa and grandma. You can't get any better than that when you have 5 wonderful daughters (and only had to deliver 2 - hee hee). Kim (daughter #5) - we get chuckles with the whole numbering system -and Brad should be at Ft Campbell (and not so far away that visiting isn't out of the question); Melanie is with Mark (her hubby - our 'other' son) in North Carolina and Stacia is here for another year with school. Now Ashley is in Mississippi with her husband, our son-in-law Brad. Elizabeth is just a town over. So here's a family photo: