Is it actually possible to be obsessed with a website? Because I am. I am LOVING the Design Dazzle website...even if I can't afford any of the stuff on it!! HAHA!! I LOVE the blog & how they show you really neat & easy design tricks, not just for your home/kids' room, but for birthday parties & stuff, too.

LOVE IT!!

Anyways, speaking of obsessed, I think that I may be obsessed with Cafe World on Facebook. It's not as bad now, but, wow, in the beginning I might've been a little on the wacko side. But it is fun.

OK, I guess I needed to ramble about obsessive things, because I can't seem to get them off my mind.

Which begs the question, are they really worth being in my mind?!?!

No....but, um, excuse me, I've got to see if my Three Berry Cheesecake is done, yet... just kidding... sort of...

Homeschooling & Other Miscellaneous Stuff

I don't think I updated on the homeschooling front last time...It's going great!! I love it, actually. I have to keep reminding Abbey that she would have to do her work (even the stuff she doesn't like to do) if she went to "classroom" school, so forget about trying to get out of it!! HAHA

I had a great chat with another homeschooling Mom tonight, and I just love talking to her. She boosts my confidence & always reminds me that this choice isn't just about teaching academics...it's about building our childrens' character...and, as I'm finding out, building mine, too :)

In less than a month, I will have a 6 year old... That sounds so old!! Where does the time go?!?!? Seriously, I have no idea where it went. Sometimes I just stare at old pictures of her & tear up because there's a reason you hear so often "It just goes so fast..." It DOES. She's always gonna be my baby girl, though.

So, for her birthday party, we're having a somewhat small slumber party. We'll see how many of the girls actually sleep here!! LOL I'm hoping that I tire them all out & they fall asleep watching a movie...that's the plan, anyway. I will try not to make a big deal about bedtime, and hopefully they'll fall asleep before they even realize what happened!! LOL

The theme is "The Little Mermaid" because Abbey had already asked Mammy (my Mom) to make her an Ariel cake. So, I've got LOTS of neat decorating ideas & games floating around in my head. I'm about as excited as she is!! LOL

Eli's doing great. It's so neat to see his little personality emerging...and a little sad, too, because he's not a baby-baby anymore...he's officially a toddler. And into E V E R Y T H I N G. It's amazing how fast that boy moves from one place to another, destroying the order I work so hard to keep... I know, why? LOL Because that's what Mama's do. He'll be 2 in May, and, seriously, these last 2 years have flown by, too...

There is talk of trying for another baby, but we have yet to settle on an agreed-upon time frame...LOL...Let's keep that on the DL...I guess if I wanted to keep that on the DL, I shouldn't be posting it here on a public blog...

No definite commitment to that, yet, but we're thinking :)

Speaking of babies, I am so proud of my cousin Jodi who is now a proud Foster-Mommy to a new baby boy!! :) Brand-spanking new, too, I gather :) Congratulations, Jodi & Jimmie :) Love you guys!! :)

OK, I'd better go...I need to get to bed before midnight...LOL...who am I kidding?

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Happy New Year's!!

Hello, Blogger Friends... I haven't been on here for obvious reasons!! LOL The Holiday Season is VERY busy & with our old computer, it took f o r e v e r to do much more than check statuses on Facebook.

ANYWAYS, life ain't bad :) haha

Thanksgiving was nice & pretty quiet. We went to Mom & Dad's and had a great meal, great game-time, and Chelle & I got up stupid-early to go shopping on Black Friday (our first Early Bird Black Friday experience). We had a lot of fun, and I think we're going to make it a tradition (when we can), because had I known, I probably would've been done with my Christmas shopping for the season on that one day. But, we know for this next year!! :) Fun, fun... Stupid, but fun :) LOL

Our church finally did something I've been talking about for a couple of years for Christmas this year. We did "A Night in Bethlehem" and it was AWESOME!! It was such a great thing for our church body, to work together, and we had such a great turn out!! We had 250+ people over the 2 nights we held it. Just awesome. Bigger than I could've ever imagined. After our VBS this summer, I told the lady in charge, "I've got something pretty awesome for you for Christmas!!" and handed her the kit that's been collecting dust in my house for 2 years.

There was no way I could've organized it, plus, she just had the fresh perspective that I've been lacking the last few years. It was great to work alongside her, though, and another lady, to finally see this come to fruition. And, the congregation is all abuzz about doing it next year, already :)

But, because NIB was the 2nd weekend in Dec. it felt like the season just flew by after that. Add to that, the week before NIB, my inlaws decided to crash our house (with less than 1 week's notice, thank you very much). So not only was I working on NIB as much as I could, I was hostess & cooking "Christmas" dinner for them... WORE ME OUT!! Anyways, it happened, we survived, and NIB was so worth it!!

Christmas was fun!! :) We missed seeing Santa, though. Evidently, the mall doesn't believe in letting people know Santa's ACTUAL schedule, because he left early on Christmas Eve. We did get a few pictures of the kids on his chair, and we didn't have to pay an arm & a leg to get it done, but it was still a bummer...we just waited too late...I'm already seeing a page layout of "The Year Without A Santa Claus" on it!! LOL We did send him a letter, though, and left out cookies & milk, and wouldn't you know it, he came!! :) He brought Eli a Lightning McQueen 4-wheeler (so cute!!), and Abbey the Baby Alive she'd been hoping for (the freaky one, not one of the ones that I would've picked out!! HA!!).

And, of course, Christmas day was spent at Mom & Dad's. And, let me just admit it up front, I am a spoiled daughter. I really am, and I feel so undeserving of their gift, because Mom is taking Chelle & I on the Girl's Cruise in May!! Can we say, waterworks? I couldn't stop crying all day...

The plan was to go to Scott & Missy's house for New Year's, but poor Faith got the stomach bug, so that plan was out. We ended up @ Mom & Dad's (again!! LOL), and hung out, ate pizza, and played Cranium (that's my favorite game on the planet, btw). I just love it...even though the boys won...

We ended the New Year's weekend with Shelby's 16th Birthday party...I cannot believe that girl is 16 already!! Where does the time go, seriously? That was fun, again, just to chill out & chat with family.

It felt weird this year. I don't know that I can put my finger on it, but it felt different this year. Not bad, please, it was awesome, but something felt, I don't know, just different.

Now, it's back to the ol' schedule, which I think I'm having a harder time with more so than the kids. I feel like I haven't quite caught up or something.

Well, OK, I guess that's a good recap, and I hope it wasn't too boring for you to read!! LOL :)

Love you all!! :)

*Ahem* It hasn't really been since October, has it?!?!

Happy Thanksgiving!! :)

I LOVE this time of year. It's my favorite time of year... This is probably more fun than Christmas Day, because there's so much more done through the weeks leading up to Christmas Day!! :)

I can't make this a really informative post, because I already hear Eli up from his nap, and that means Abbey & Katie will be soon to follow, but I just wanted to say a quick "Hello" & "No, I haven't forgotten about blogging, or my new in-the-works blog." LOL We've got a new computer, and as soon as that's up & running, I'm sure you won't be able to get rid of me!! LOL :) Part of the blogging/facebooking problem for me has been a SSSLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW computer. I don't usually have time to wait on stuff to load...

OK, better go...

Love you all, and thinking of you!! :)

Pennsylvania in the Fall

We are visiting Steve's family this weekend, and WOW, I wish I could stay & watch the trees change into their full glory...it's already promising to be a beautiful fall up here. I LOVE AUTUMN!! :) And, this cooler weather is awesome, too :)

We're missing the Apple Butter Festival, though. That's mine & Steve's Autumn tradition. It's a VERY small festival, so you get the festival feel without the masses of people (like @ the Potato, Sauerkraut, and Strawberry Festivals!! LOL)

I've had plenty of time to do more lesson plans today :) Grandparents & Aunts are awesome :) Nice chunks of uninterrupted time during the day when I'm still awake & not ready to just flop into bed exhausted!! HA!! :) It's been really nice.

Tonight we get to have dinner with Aunt Marge & Uncle John. Steve & his Dad went to the shooting range (boys & their testosterone...whatever). Tomorrow we'll see the Barlett side of the family :) Probably in intervals :).

Monday we'll head home, and spend a few days learning up a storm!! Then, Friday I'm off to a Women's Retreat in Hillsboro, OH hosted by Mamie Johnson Ministries :)... Then, HOPEFULLY, things will kinda quiet down some...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I love this time of year, though. There's so much to contemplate about God in the natural changing landscapes He's provided for us to watch with wonder... He is really Good, you know :)

OK, better go. I think there's a line forming for the computer, and even as much lesson planning as I've gotten done, I still need to iron a few more things out.

SO, Happy Autumn & I'll see you next time...Hopefully with pictures!! :)