Planning process...

seems to be never ending. Sometimes it gets so overwhelming trying to plan for the next school year when it involves 5 children at the same time. Doing it one by one seems to take forever and high expectations on my part doesnt seem to help.

Just wanting the kids to have the best school year possible is my major goal, keeping them on track in learning and making sure they learn what's needed, especially the older ones since they're in the High School levels. College is just around the corner and there's transcripts to think about, it just tends to get a little crazy.

I think the fact our oldest is now in her Senior year doesnt help, there's so much more to think about for her this year than before. Knowing this is her last year schooling with us and then before we know it she'll be gone off to college. Also trying to make sure everything is in order for her applications, all of our "T's" crossed and "I's" dotted is something I stress over when it comes to her and her future.

I know while I'm writing this and wondering if I'll ever get everything planned and organized before the school year starts for us that the Lord is going to help us work it all out. His guidance is what brought us to our homeschooling decision and it will also be what gets us thru the tough times, the doubtful times, the stressful times and onto another year under our belt with success!

Keeping our prayer life vigilant, keeping the Lord first in our lives, all things will work out according to his plan. So while I spend the never ending hours planning the school year ahead I will keep my eyes upon the Lord and his wisdom and guidance, because without him we are nothing and with him all things are possible!

Independence Day...

A new month as we are now in July and with that comes the celebration of Independence Day. The day our country declared it's "independence" this day means the same to all people of our country, yet means so much more to a certain group of people as well.

The group of people I speak of are all the military families scattered around the world. They are from all different walks of life and are a group of which I belong. To a military family Independence Day is more of a reality than to most people. Most people look at the celebration of this day as celebrating something of the past, to a military family it's a celebration of something that is very much in the present times of their lives because their husbands or wives are literally fighting for the very freedoms of which we declared and fought for so long ago.

Fighting for those same freedoms and more are what our military men and women are doing this very day in far away lands and to them I wish to extend my greatest graditude and prayers that they will all come home safe and sound from their tours of duty.

This year my family will be able to celebrate this day with our service member (my husband & my kids Dad) but we know there will again come a day when he wont be around as duty will call him away, so we are thankful that he's here this year.

So while your celebrating with fireworks and patriotic hymns and songs, please remember in your hearts and minds those who are far away from their families continuing to fight for your right to celebrate such an important day in our country, for without them there would be no celebration!

Happy Independence day from my family to yours!

Gearing up for next year....

Summer time, summer time...it's my absolute most non-favorite time of the year! There's only one thing (okay two things) I like about summer time...July 4th celebrations and shopping for new curriculum for our next homeschooling year.

Since the 4th of July isnt here yet, I bet you've already guessed what I'm kinda excited about at the moment. Yep, shopping for new curriculum and planning out our next school year. Here in the next few days I'll be ordering all of our curriculum for next year, I cant wait.

Last year we had to order a bit at a time, but this year we get to do it all in one order, which of course means it will all come at the same time...yeah...Christmas in July (which is probably when it will arrive) how exciting.

Yeah, I know I'm a big dweeb, but hey a girl has to have something to get excited about so why not curriculum? Learning new things and education should be exciting right? Yep, that's the way I see it anyway LOL :)

Now, all I have to do is figure out a way to get all 5 kids excited about it too....hmmmmm....that may be harder than I think, but Lord willing we can make it fun and have a great new school year come September!

To be young again....

Thinking of the past and the "use to be's" is sometimes a hard thing to do, especially when you realize that you've somehow developed into someone you didnt think you'd ever be. Not that I think my life is bad, it isnt by any means...it's just so far from what I pictured in my youth. Then again isnt it always like that? Dont we always end up in very different places than where we intended to go when we were young. I know I did.
I'm happy with my life, proud of my kids and husband....I just want to be more of the person I was when I was young...more confident....more of a dreamer....more positive in my outlook...how does one get to that point, how do you continue to go forward in life but also pulling from the person you were when you were young....is that possible? Can that be achieved....I hope to find a way as I do believe it would literally show the world the "real" me.
As the title says....ahhhhhhhhhhh to be young again.....how I do long for it sometimes.

New Ventures in life.....

Well home from Spring Break Vacation...what a blast!!! So much fun in so little time! We did a full day of Colonial Williamsburg (and still didnt see it all) then a full day of Jamestown and then the day all the kids couldnt wait for...a full day at Bush Gardens Europe...yeah, it was amazing and exhausting at the same time LOL :) Lots of fun learning about history and how our wonderful country got it's beginning, watching a skit about the beginnings of the Revolutionary War and the landing in Va. at Jamestown. It was great and the kids throughly enjoyed it!

Our day at Bush Gardens was great as well. Our oldest Daughter is a true thrill seeker as she rode every major rollercoaster in that park. They do have a new rollercoaster there called "The Griffon" but sadly it wasnt open for operation...that totally bummed my Husband and Daughter as that was the ride they were going to make history on (whatever!!!)

Anyway, here we are back home safe and sound and with minds full of wonderful memories made on our trip!

Now, on to my new venture in life....I am opening a home business (yes, I am brave considering I already have a very full life and am now adding to that) online. I will be selling crocheted children's blankets. It's a business I've wanted to start for a very long time, but only now do I have the time (somewhat) and the bravery to go full steam ahead in this venture of mine.

Wish me luck...our grand opening is May 15th...so lots to do and little time to do it in, but then again isnt that what my life is all about anyway...so I'm going to be right at home :)

Family Vacation...what's that???

Excitement is filling the air here in our house. Spring break is coming next week and everyone is giddy and talking about nothing else. Why is this spring break so exciting and different from all the others of the past in our family? Because, this spring break brings our first ever family vacation...the kids can talk about nothing else!

We head to Va. come Monday...our plans include a week of fun and education (yes, those two things can come hand in hand) the education part will be a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown and possibly a visit to the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico Va. and the fun part will be a day long visit to Bush Gardens Europe.

Plans are being made by our children on what ride they will ride first, who will ride with who and how brave they can be for those huge rollercoasters at Bush Gardens. On the adult side of the spectrum plans are being made about how great Williamsburg will be, Jamestown and Yorktown...how our children will get to see first hand some of the history of our great country and how things worked back then. Then of course should be get to see the MC Museum that will be a great visit too as it will bring home the Marine Corps to our children who already hold great pride in the Corps (our oldest DD refuses to even acknowledge any other service than the Corps as she says "the Marine Corps is the best of the best...the few and proud") and what the Corps has stood for in the over 200 years they have exsisted!

I do believe this will be a great trip for us all, time spent as a family without having to worry about the daily grind of our lives back home...yeah...it will be a great family vacation for sure!!! My husband is especially excited as he's taking leave for the trip...leave usually means getting time off so he can work on something else we need to get done...it never exsists of leave for just some time off to relax...that man is a workaholic for sure!

In honor of our vacation I went out yesterday and took the plunge...I actually got my hair cut (my hair was way past my behind) got it styled and cut pretty short...boy was that a shocker to my family, but it was long needed and wow, do I feel better!!! Easier to take care of, and lighter on my head for sure :)

Spring is in the air and along with that the excitement of new life, new beginnings and new fun...our family is starting our spring with this vacation and for that I'm very thankful...from our family to yours may your spring break be as fun filled as I believe ours will be this year!!!

Happy Spring everyone!!!!

Does it ever end???

The tiredness of the whole moving process??? It's been one crazy weekend, and now it's Monday and we're in the full swing of the moving act. Got the house completely packed today (even though the movers claimed they needed 3 full days to pack) and will be doing the actual move tomorrow.

I'm beat, the kids are tired I have laundry out the ying yang to finish before tomorrow morning when the move actually begins. To make matters worse I'm doing this alone yet again....hubby is working his bum off and has no time to help with the move.

Boy, dont I sound whiney tonight. Oh well, gotta find an outlet sometimes right? Now, if the twins would ever go to sleep I'd be a happy camper. They've had a very stressful and busy day! It's understandable they be wired beyond belief.

Tomorrow will be a better day surly. I'll just be happy to get moved and settled back into living life normally. Sometimes in the middle of things like this, normalcy is a distant dream, but as all other things...this too shall pass and light will come beaming down the end of this tunnel.

On a brighter note...the new house is absolutely fabulous!!! New counter tops, new carpet, new and improved rooms, and a 2 car garage!!!! What more could I ask for. The thoughts of being able to live in a much larger house is a dream come true, especially since we've been living cramped for so long. I just cant wait to spend our first night in the new house, and since the move seems to be going quicker than we expected it's looking like our first night will be tomorrow night! Yay is the only phrase I can muster up that describes how I feel about that.

So, off to bed soon for me...we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow...so next entry hopefully I'll be doing it from the comfort of our new home! How fabulous will that be!!!! :)

Moving yet again

Wow, sometimes it really blows my mind how much I can actually have on my plate at one time. Between homeschooling my oldest children and taking care of the boys (twin 2 yr olds) housework, laundry, cooking and taking care of the other kids and now adding a move on top of that! I'm really surprised I've not passed out from exhaustion yet LOL :)

Here we are again...moving....we've moved 3 times in the last 2 yrs. That's a lot even for a military family. Housing renovations here on the base we live have caused such an uproar and a lot of trouble for families. Now however, it's almost over as we're moving next week into a newly renovated house YAY!!! No more housing that's too small for my family, no more sitting on top of one another because we have no room. Even though it's a total PITA to move I'm so excited about this one and so ready for it!!!

Of course it's going to be really rough (as it always is) because my husband is working crazy long hours and will not be around to help, but that's no surprise, it's always like this when we move. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but it still gets under my skin! I know it's not his fault, it's the nature of the military and I should really be thankful he's not deployed (and I am truly) but sometimes I need some help. He tries to help as much as he can, but sometimes it's just not possible so I venture it alone.

Enough of that whiney whoa is me stuff....that's so not my personality!!! Guess I just needed to get that off my chest. Hopefully things will run smoothly and all will go as planned (okay when has that ever happened in our life ROFL) so that's the attitude I walk out into the world today with...positivity goes much further than negativity right? Of course it does...so now, here I go...moving again and accomplishing it with a loving, happy and POSITIVE attitude!!!!