10 Blissful Years of Marriage: Part 2

10 years ago ...

Some of these things we learned early on, and some did come later. Either way, by keeping these things in mind to avoid it has significantly helped us!

5 things we Keep Out of our Marriage:

1.) Playing with fire. Have you ever heard, 'don't play with fire, or you'll get burn'? You can't toy with temptation and not expect to get tempted. I don't think its too far fetch to imagine a spouse cheating when they are often going to bars, clubs, or hanging out a lot with the opposite sex. There have been times when one of us has hanged out with co-workers, or college friends, with out the other, but that is the exception not the rule. Girls (or guys) if you text your guy (or girl) BFF about stuff you won't reveal to your spouse, you are asking for trouble. Also we have made a point that if the other ask us to respectively un-friend or stop talking to someone, we do it! A 'friend' is not worth the fight. Which if you ask me there is just certain common rules you have to have when having friends that are the opposite sex. But that is strictly just me. I do think that whatever you and your spouse agree on for boundary lines with opposite sex friends, you should follow them respectively.

Matthew 26:41 (NKJV, as well as all the others) 'Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'

(Here are some more verses that speak about this 1 Corinthians 6:18, and Proverbs 6:27-29)

2.) Bad advise. Everyone has advise; about parenthood, life, success, finance, marriage, career ... But as my father-in-law put it 'you don't take financial advise from someone who is going broke.' Seek older couples that seem to be happy (I say 'seem' because we all have flaws). Go to marriage conferences, read studies together, and pray together. But please don't listen to your co-worker about marriage when he is one wife two and seemingly unhappy with their marriage. Or take advise from your friend that seems to do nothing but complain about their spouse. Also guard your lips, don't speak ill of your spouse. At the bottom I'll list some books we have done and enjoyed.

Proverbs 19:20-21 'Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel-- that will stand.'

3.) Culture views. Wow I could go on and on about this ... Lets just say that the world's view and God's view of marriage is strikingly different. The world says 'I love you, until xyz (may it be bankruptcy, adultery, slander, or just when until I get tired of you).' God looks at marriage like He looks at the church, how many times have we seen the church fail?! (Look at Ephesians 5:2-33) Don't get me wrong there are certain things that permit divorce in God's word. My point is now people take it for a salt of grain and throw it over their shoulder. Marriage takes effort people, a lot! The hope is at some point it gets easier. I think I'm getting a glimpse of that now, but I know the road ahead of us is long.

Romans 12:2 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed be the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.'

4.) Anger. Truly there is no room for anger or bitterness when trying to love someone. Holding that emotion against your spouse does not allow you to love them fully, and will eventually seep out into other aspects of your life. Bring up the past is another way of holding a grudge, and you can't move forward or grow when you keeping going back (to whatever you won't let go). If something is bothering you don't let it get to your boiling point. Talk about it, tell your spouse why it bothers you and work on an prevention measures if necessary.

Proverbs 15:1 'A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word turns up anger.'

5.) "It's all about Me' syndrome. You know the I have to have it my way, when I say, and how I like it type. Or the it's all about what I want to do. What I am interested in, does it please me, am I happy. When one of you (and sometimes we take turns!) have this mind set it can often leave the other spouse left out, alone, or even mad. There are times when one of us needs to escape or spends time on our self, that helps build up our self and/our marriage or just for plain sanity reasons! I often go shopping and run errands with all four kids (mind you I am with them pretty much all the time), and some times it is a huge relief to go grocery shopping by myself. A couple of months ago my husband went to a men's conference with his father and brother. We all have hobbies and interest, but be careful they don't take over all your time! Lets say you like to golf (mind you there is nothing wrong with golf) you go every Saturday to golf which takes at least 4 hours, this coming Saturday you miss your kids game because it was during your 'you' time. Are you then putting yourself over your family? Not to say missing one game of your child's sport activity is bad, but just be mindful of these things they have a way of consuming your time and effort.

Proverbs 16:18 'Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.'


Here are some books we have read and enjoyed over the years!
the BIBLE:
Adam and Eve, Genesis 2:21-25, 3:16-21
the Virtuous Wife, Proverbs 31:10-31
the book of Song of Solomon is a beautiful love letter
Marriage and Divorce, Mark 10:1-12
Principles of Marriage, 1 Corinthians 7:1-16
Love- the Greatest Gift, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Marriage- Christ and the Church, Ephesians 5:22-33
Christian Home, Colossians 3:18-25
Submission to Husbands and a Word to Husbands, 1 Peter 3:1-7
Law Concerning Divorce, Deuteronomy 24:1-5
 -There is so much wisdom from God's word, He is the great counsel 

'The Five Love Languages' by Gary Chapmen
'Love Dare' by Alex and Stephen Kendrick
'For Men Only' and 'For Women Only' by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn
'Songs in the Key of Solomon' by Anita Renfroe
'Sexperiment: 7 Days to Lasting Intimacy with Your Spouse' by Ed and Lisa Young

Oh my, how our love has multiplied!

10 Blissful Years of Marriage, Part 1

 Travis

 December 3, 2004

                     

Jamie (Me)

Wow, I can't believe it has been 10 years! Okay, Okay the 'blissful' might be a touch of an exaggeration. Our marriage seems so second nature right now, but I vividly remember those early years of chaos. We were young (17 and 19 to be exact), had no financial set-up, Travis was steadily working on his bachelor's degree, we both had full time jobs, and often had other family members living with us (yes us, the young newly weds)! True now with four boys from 9 years (well about to be 9 years old in a few days) to an almost 2 year old, things are seemingly chaotic at times. But those first few years were certainly the toughest. And I know we have many more years of unexpected journeys ahead of us. There has been many bumps and curves, but we have found a few things to keep us steady. I will first post about the 5 things we keep in our marriage and next will be the 5 things we keep out of our marriage.

5 things we Keep in our Marriage:

1.) Spouse's desires above your own. Yes it's true, first priority is God but your spouse comes second. If you come into a marriage with the mindset of, 'would this please my spouse?' you will truly be ahead of the game! Even now, as this is the busiest time of the year with my husband's job, if I have time I pick up slack on the house chores that he usually does. If he has to work at home I might take all kids to karate practice so he can work a little in silence. Or when he really desires something I try to find a way in the budget to see it gets done. As well, if he knows I really want new clothes or shoes he always says, 'get it'. He knows I know the budget and wouldn't ask for it if I knew we couldn't afford it. There might be other things we could buy with the money, but every once in awhile it's okay to splurge. It's also in all those little things we do everyday. Like when its the weekend and you both are working on your own little projects around the house, asking if he needs a drink when you go and get yourself one. When you get up to get yourself a late night snack, do you ask if they want anything (I'll admit I'm not the best at this)? Or do you make sure to spend reasonable amount of money for lunches so there is money in budget for you to pick up dinner one night to give her a break from cooking? Do you earnestly try to pick up your clothes and put them into the dirty clothes basket, instead of the floor, because you know it drives her crazy? Marriage is a work-in-progress relationship, but always putting your spouse above yourself will definitely keep it moving forward.

Philippians 2:3 (NKJV) 'Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.'

2.) Always forgive. Oh ... all the 'intense fellowship' (as we call them) we have had. How to properly load the dishwasher, what's included when you do the dishes, why we are always late (Jamie's Time, as he calls it), and on and on the list goes. We still might have a few of these 'intense fellowships,' luckily not as often. But I think it boils down to what is an acceptable standard, is this really worth the argument and forgiveness. I hate doing dishes! I hate even more having food left out, especially over night. So the agreement is he does dishes (loads however he wants as long as food is off when they are done, we do have a dishwasher), and if there are too many for one load he at least washes the dishes off for next load. Yes, there will be more important things to argue about. Like backing each other up when disciplining the kids. Again agree on terms, stand by them, and forgive each other of mistakes. We will all make them. That's another thing, admit you are not perfect ... you make mistakes too (this again is more my problem, I like to say it's a woman thing)! There will be even more pressing issues ... but still is it worth having a marriage in division? Who wants a marriage with constant discord? Right the wrong, forgive and move on. 

Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV) 'And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.'

3.) Budget. Set a budget together. Know what your income is, what your bills are, and where any other money is going. We have made a spreadsheet, has everything on it! We have always paid bills first, set money aside for food and gas, and the rest is extra (of course we like to set aside for all those unexpected cost too, like new tires). If there is something we want that might be a big purchase we discuss it before buying. Maybe it's because we started with nothing, but we have always had one checking account. Sure there are some very valid reasons why not to ... but if this is a marriage you have got to trust and work together with your finances. I have always heard finances is one of the top reasons for divorce, and I believe it! If nothing else, it can be very stressful at times. Since we got a house, we have also made a list of projects around the house we want to do. We talk about it, set goals, and prioritize them by what needs to be done and what is more of a luxury.

Luke 14:28 (NKJV) 'For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it'

Hebrews 13:5a (NKJV) 'Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things you have.'

4.)Communicate. This will also make #3 a lot easier. Be direct, say what you mean. Not being direct only leads to frustration. I use to want him to 'know' what I wanted without me having to tell him. But I've come to realize that is just not realistic (at least with my spouse). True at times he does know, but being upfront with things makes it clear. Also talking about what each of you need out of the marriage is important too. I know Travis is not the best gift giver (and to be fair I am not always easy to please) so if I really want something I tell him exactly what I want. For example I gave him several options for mother's day gift that I would like (I got a kitchen aid), and I have to say he did great! Or for instance (we let the boys pick a small gift for each parent) I told him I would like the boys to get me new warm pajamas for Christmas one year, and he took them to the store and helped them pick out something he knew I would like (pj bottoms with pockets and they have a lot of green in it). Other times I might just tell him I am feeling lonely, and we need some 'us' time. So he might try to focus a little more on making sure we get some quality time in. He might tell me he feels not needed, or under appreciated. Knowing one of his love languages is words of affirmation, I might try to be more verbal about thanking him when he does something for us. I don't know when you might manage to fit communication in with your spouse, but we find ourselves talking late at night right before bed. Not always meaningful, but also the small things like; how was work, did you finish that project, how were the kids today, what are our plans this weekend, etc. ...

Matthew 5:47 (NKJV) 'But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

5.) Dating. Our date nights mainly consist of a movie rental and late night snack now, but we make the time! We are actually about to go on a double date night with friends to see a Christian comedian (Tim Hawkins, he is awesome!). We also enjoy outings with the family, every year we go look at Christmas lights. And this year being our 10 year anniversary I really want to go to Santa Land (near Tyler, Texas), it's a drive for us and a little pricey but knowing how much I enjoy this (as the rest of the family too) we are going this year! We enjoy our family (hint the four kids!) which also means we enjoy time together as a family. Yes, there should be some nice, quiet, without kids, dates too! But with kids our age, that is hard to manage. Why not make it a family outing? Keep the romance going! What ever that means to you (hint guys: this might not always be dinner), it could be little gifts like; flowers, chocolate, fruit basket, etc. Find out what romance means to each of you (and also just things you like to do) and make it happen!

Proverbs 5:18-19 (NKJV) 'Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breast satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love.' 

Part 2 will come soon! 

 

10 years later!

My Thanksgiving Favorites!

The Ham! I know traditionally it's turkey, but we decided to switch it up this year. Ham for Thanksgiving and turkey for Christmas. DISCLOSURE this is not a picture of my ham, sorry so busy cooking and everything I forgot to take a picture! Goal for next year. Yes we had a Thanksgiving meal with my side of the family last week, and on Thanksgiving we will have a meal with husband's family.

Ham
Ingredients:
Ham
2 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
12-14 oz can of pineapple chunks
small jar of cherries (won't use cherries, just the juice)
toothpicks to hold pineapple chunks on ham

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Put ham in roasting pan.
Add 2 cups of water with the 2 cups of beef bouillon.
I cooked ham on 350 degrees for 20 per pound. Last 30 minutes I took it out, made sure it was 165 degrees with meat thermometer. 
Took pineapple chunks out of can and stuck them on ham with toothpicks. Then poured the juice over ham. Next I held back the cherries with the lid of the jar, and poured the juice over ham.
Put ham back in oven for the last 30 minutes. Turned out juicy!

Classic Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:
1 cup of milk
pepper to taste
2 - 10 oz can of cream of mushrooms soup
2 - 14.5 oz cans of cut green beans, drained
Approx. 2 cups of french fried onioins

Directions:
In 9x13 baking pan mix all ingredients (except french fried onions).
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Stir, then top with french fried onions. I like to just go on outside. Bake additional 5 minutes.

Newest Addition - Corn Casserole (A friend once shared her recipe, of course I lost it and had to find one similar online. It turned out great!)
Ingredients:
15 oz can of whole kernel corn, drained
15 oz can of cream-style corn
1 package of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix (8oz)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup of shredded cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together (except cheese) in 9x9 greased pan.
Bake for 45 minutes, until middle has settled.
Take out, sprinkle on 1 cup of cheese. Put back in oven for 5-10 minutes.

Pecan Pie- Husbands favorite!
Ingredients:
Pre-made 9in. pie crust (I like the frozen kind, make sure to poke with holes and bake first)
1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 tsp salt
1/3 melted butter
3 eggs
2 cups pecan halves
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Cook pie crust as directions indicate.
Mix eggs in small bowl and put aside. Mix all other ingredients (expect pecans) in separate bowl, then stir in the eggs.
Put pecan halves onto plate (make sure they are spread out) and put in microwave for 2 minutes. When done put the pecans in pie crust. Next, add the filling into the pie crust. Place pie on cookie sheet in cause some spills over. (Lesson learned first time I made it.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 30 minutes add time if middle is not settled.

Well this is certainly not all that was on our table, but those are our favorites! Hope this helps any last minute cookers looking for a new way to cook something.

Up next will be a tribute to my upcoming 10 year anniversary with my amazing husband!

Thanksgiving Break

Phew ... it's finally here, Thanksgiving Break! I don't know what your busy life schedule includes, but we have been anticipating this break. Break from school and our regular humdrum schedule. Looking forward to the FOOD, some great fall weather so kids can play outside, and spending some quality time with family.

This is a picture of all my boys playing outside on our trampoline. They slept in (well most of them), and when they all got up and realized how warm it looked outside the first thing they did was to ask to go outside. Of course I couldn't say no, they were still in their pajamas. You truly have to enjoy this fall weather when you can, because here in Texas it doesn't last long.

Some of the things on my check-off-list to do this break are:
- Buy some Christmas and birthday gifts.
- Finish up sewing project (making tote bag from old jeans and dress).
- Go through the dreaded mail and shred all the dang credit cards they try to send to us! Or other junk mail that has any personal information on it, uhh I hate doing this!
- Let kids play outside as much as possible! Seriously you never know when it's going to get too cold or wet here.
- Of course eat lots of food, THANKSGIVING is the best!
- Spend time with family outside our immediate family while we can.
- RELAX try not to consume every moment with something planned to do, this is actually really hard for me to do.

As far as teaching what Thanksgiving is really about to our kids, I did a few different things this year. First I have always heard about a 'Thankful Tree' there are many pre-planned ideas online, but never did one. I decided just to do one of my own, I got some construction paper and make a tree trunk with a few branches. Nothing fancy as you can see. Cut out some leafs using different fall colors on construction paper. Then as a family (about once a week until Thanksgiving) we sit around our table think about what we are thankful for, and put it on a leaf. Sam (my sweet pea, now 3 y.o.) put down ones like; God and cousins. Matt (my rambunctious 5 y.o.) actually came up with some very biblical ones like; Jesus and that Jesus rose on the 3rd day. Josh (my practical 8 soon to be 9 y.o.) came up with ones like; our house, bible, sports, and family. I thought about what Daniel (my spunky now 20 mon. old) likes and wrote down things like; candy and cars. Dad was very insightful and wrote things down like; heater, home cooked meals, and a job. I put down things like; coffee and warm clothes. We all put down; friends, veterans, and grandparents. We still need to add some, but this was so simple and really made them think about how blessed we are.

I also just printed out some thanksgiving pictures, that they colored. We talked about how the Pilgrims came over and had a very rough first year in America. How the Indians helped us learn how to grow corn and other things for food. The first Thanksgiving the Pilgrims and Indians gathered together to celebrate their friendship and the hardship they had overcome. They used watercolors to paint the Mayflower. My oldest has learned some more facts in history but, really just used an informal way to learn and talk about Thanksgiving. 


1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV) 'in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.'

Up next on my blog will be my Thanksgiving Menu!

What is on My Lunch Menu

Grilled Cheese and Egg Sandwich

We first got the Egg Sandwich recipe from my sister-in-law, we just added our own twist to it. Thanks Kim! It now has become a weekend favorite.

What You Need:

Bread (slices depends on how many sandwiches you will make)
Eggs (boiled, estimate 1 per sandwich)
Miracle Whip (1 heaping tablespoon per egg)
Butter (to spread on sandwiches)
Cheese (I used velveeta and mozarella)

Step 1.                                             

Boil eggs.
The best way I (well actually my husband found this out online, we tried it and love it!) have found to boil eggs is to put eggs in pan, fill with water a little above the eggs, put on stove to boil, once it reaches a good boil turn off heat, leave on burner and put on the lid, then set the timer for 10 minutes.

 Fill pan with cold water. Let them sit for a few minutes to cool off. Then I empty water. Set eggs on counter, so I can use the pan to put the egg shells in. I tap an egg on the counter, then roll it. This cracks the whole egg.

 I get a piece of the shell and try to grab that thin layer under it, then it peels nicely.

 Had to take this picture of my helper peeling eggs with me.

Oh I love this egg slicer! I am sure I just bought it at Walmart or something. It first cuts them into wedges then smaller slices if you want.

I used four eggs. Kids wanted a boiled egg on the side of their grilled cheese sandwich.

 Since I used four eggs I added four heaping tablespoons of miracle whip.

 Use a spoon to mix. This is what the egg mixture looks like.

 Now I prepare for the grilled cheese sandwiches. We love to use velveeta, and I had some left over mozzarella slices I used too.

 I went ahead and spread the butter on the bread. I like to put butter on both sides!

Yep, that's how high our stack is. Almost the whole loaf.

 Next, I put one slice of bread on the griddle then add a piece of each of the types of cheese, then add the other piece of bread. I love my griddle, it works great for grilled cheese sandwiches, french toast and pancakes (and more, but that's what I can think of)! Also great to bring when camping.

 For those of us who wanted the egg in sandwich, I opened the grilled cheese sandwich right after I put it on the plate. Then added a good amount of egg mixture.

Yes, we use paper plates. Its lunch and its the weekend, don't judge me.

 End result. This is what kids plates looked like.
One day they will appreciate my new meals, right ?!?









This is what our plates looked like.

Yes, that is ketchup on our plates. We dip our grilled cheese and egg sandwich in it, don't  you?

Things I Ask Myself as a Mom

I am not sure if its because I live with five boys (yes, including the husband!) as I have no girls to compare to, but I often hear myself repeating these same questions!

Things I Ask Myself as as Mom...

- How did that get there? Like crayon marks on my walls, stuffed TMNT Ninja in my bed, marbles in my shoe, toy snake in husband's boots, hot wheel cars in shoes, lotion squeezed out on rocking chair, can food in drawer under stove, etc.

- How does he sleep like that? To unusual positions to weird places. Some weird places they fall asleep would be in my closet (hiding), down the hallway, in highchair (during dinner), on bathroom floor (without pull-up on, after pooping mind you), and the latest on the staircase.

- Why can't they pee in the toilet? Not on the lid, seat, around the toilet, floor, trash can by the toilet,   on the rug around the toilet, in bathtub etc.

- What did he just say? Oh the things, like; poopy head, peebuddy, fart face, Bobby head (not sure where this came from?), and basically anything else to do with pooping or farting.

- What is that sound? Usually silence is scary, but with these boys its NEVER quiet. Constant noise. From hearing them jumping off something upstairs, spilling legos everywhere, crying (the hurt cry), belching, farting, making up songs while they poop, ninja fighting, rolling down the stairs (themselves or toys), etc.

Yep, that's my BOY!

Nehemiah 8:10b 'Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'

I am laughing out lout as I am recalling some of these things (yes they all have happened). But sometimes as they are actually happening it is not so funny. I have to constantly remember my strength is in the Lord. And BOY do I need strength with these 4 boys (especially that second child, gotta LOVE him)!

Fall, My Favorite Season of the Year

Sometimes all I can do is just stand in awe of God's wonderful creation around me. Fall is my favorite season! Today as the kids and I were outside, there were about 10 butterflies fluttering around the flowers in our yard! It was so BEAUTIFUL.

Why I Love Fall-

The sun is shining bringing warmth, but there is a nice cool breeze

Tree leaves are changing colors and falling

There are still some flowers

Butterflies are everywhere

Time to pull out the sweatpants and sweaters

I love wearing the fall color, plum

Using my crock pot to make stews and soups

Baking cookies all the time

Drinking lots of hot tea, coffee and chocolate

Candles that smell like apple-cinnamon or pumpkin pie

Going to sleep feeling cool enough for a warm comforter

Cuddles in blankets

Open windows and not using the heater or ac

THANKSGIVING a time to cherish what family, friends, and food we have!

Genesis 1:14 'Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;'

You Know You are a MOM When ...

These are just a few things I have discovered in motherhood. I am sure you could add more, and the list could go on and on. I hope some will give you a good chuckle or at the least you can sympathize with the amazingly crazy life as a mom.

You Know You are a MOM When ...

#100  you stay home with a child who isn't feeling well because no one comforts them like momma

#101 your kid uses your shirt as a napkin or worse a tissue, eww!

#102 you poke yourself with a needle while sewing a patch onto your child's vest, or repairing a tear in their favorite stuff animal

#103 you stay up way too late, because that's the only time you can get all those mom things done

#104 you can change baby's diaper or clothes while they are twisting and turning trying to crawl away

#105 you are holding your baby with one hand while holding your toddler in the other, so he can use the public bathroom

#106 you have to wait to eat your meal countless times, because a nursing baby is always hungry when the meal is ready

#107 you always have one, or at least one, in your lap while you: grade papers, try to read, eat, work etc. ...

#108 you can easily prepare dinner with a child attached to hip, or on the counter ... or both

#109 your alone time is when you are using the bathroom, if you're lucky ...

#110 date night with your husband consists of a Redbox movie with a late night snack while kids are in bed

#111 you say "silence is golden," but is scary when it actually happens

# 112 you've caught yourself repeating your mother, "if your friend jumps off a bridge would you?"

#113 you say "because I said so" to the never-ending question "but why?"

#114 chores like mowing the yard is never done alone

#115 nothing is ever truly just yours

This is my youngest, now 18 months old, eating my toast. I know he looks so darn cute who could tell him no??

Proverbs 31:28a (NKJV) 'Her children rise up and call her blessed;'

Does Homeschooling = A Lot of Patience?

"Wow, you homeschool? You must have a lot of PATIENCE!" I get this a lot, do you??? I always add, "I have patience, I don't know about A LOT." Patience is definitely a God characteristic. Scripture is full of verses on patience, when you have a moment check some out.

Scripture on Patience:
Hebrews 6:12
James 1:4

Act of being Patient:
Psalm 40:1
Romans 2:7
Romans 12:12
1 Thessalonians 5:14

Stories of those who had to be Patient:
Sarah and Abraham awaiting a heir, Genesis 17, 21
Hannah's pain and trust with Samuel, 1 Samuel 1

Patience is certainly helpful with kids, and yes even more so when homeschooling. But truth be told, it really is something I believe most people learn. Some might start out with more than others, but never-the-less we all need it. If I have learned anything in these past few years of homeschooling, it is that I need more patience. Parenting and homeschooling is an emotional and physical task. At the end of the day I am drained ... emotionally and physically. It takes patience to discipline, correct, show love, care for, and to do and mend the many other task as a parent. I endlessly ask God for patience, endurance and strength to be the best parent I can be.

I often tell my hyperactive now 5 year old, "being patient means waiting nicely." Because you know I have told him a thousand times to "be patient," and he has asked ten thousand times "what does 'be patient' mean?" So now, if asked, he can recite it. Unfortunately, that means at every opportunity we must show them how to be patient. Fist part of 'being patient' is waiting, or time. Do you hear the clock? Tick-tock tick-tock. Do we rush without measure when they take their time finishing a seemingly simple task? What is a reasonable time before we are impatient? Who decides what is reasonable and what is timely? I admit this is not my strong suit either.

Which brings up the second part of 'being patient', reaction. Which is arguably the more important part. When that simple task with your young one takes way longer than it should, how do you react? Harshly, yell, boil with anger and frustration? Oh me, this is where I get my toes stepped on! As mentioned before, I have always dreamed of becoming a mother. I love children. I envisioned myself being calm, soft spoken, and God directing mother. As I became one ... where I thought I was fairly good at has increasingly become obvious I'm still lacking. I yell. I get frustrated. And yes at times I am harsh. I seek biblical guidance in this ongoing quest to be patient with my children.

Getting back to the title of this post, if you homeschool does that mean you have a lot of patience? I have meet some parents that homeschool who appear overwhelmed, impatient, and out of control. I have also meet some homeschooling parents who seem to generate this calm, peaceful, and loving vibe. The same to those parents who are not homeschooling. Some are seemingly patient and some are not. Of course this is an over all picture of patient and not based on a single instance.

True, homeschooling means you are spending more time with your child than the average parent. And I would safely assume the majority of homeschooling parents over time have come to practice patience with grace. After all, the alternative would to go insane (ask how close I am to that?haha).

Does that mean I am patient? Uh, depends ... Over all, honestly I would say no. It sincerely is the one place I think I need the most improvement on. But then again ... if I sent my kids to public school, which that would be the 2 oldest, and I only had to manage 2 little ones for 8 hours a day ... My answer might change. So maybe I appear more patient because I manage all four of them, all day?? Not sure. Homeschooling = Patience ? Myth. I believe it most likely depends on the season of life you are in, and/or the amount of time seeking and practicing patience.

Well there is my thoughts, how about you?

Cleaning List and Schedule

Cleaning List and Schedule

Daily:

- Pick up toys, this is not my detail clean but basically enough that they are off the floor.

Boy's job, I still supervise them some-what to make sure everyone is helping, and there isn't too much playing going on.

- Vacuum living room rug.  

Either one of my two older boys or I will do this.

- Dishes, I hate food left on dishes overnight. If there is not enough dishes to start the dishwasher, then the dishes should be rinsed off ready to go in when there is enough.
*Doing the dishes also includes putting food up and wiping down the table and counters.

I usually cook dinner, so it has been agreed that my husband does the dishes. The boys (except baby) are expected to throw away any food on plate after meal and put plate and silverware on counter to be washed. We also are starting to ask older two boys to help unload the dishwasher, or after we have washed them off to help load them in the dishwasher. 

- Sweep kitchen and dinning room floors, of course after dishes are done. 

I usually do this. 

Weekly:

Monday- is laundry day. I try to wash, dry, fold and put up all the clothes. 

I am the main one that does this, but boys do help fold and put up some of their own clothes.

Tuesday- I will wash the towels, bedsheets, and blankets. I usually do bedsheets and blankets every other week.

Again this is mainly my task, boys help some.

Wednesday- Beside the daily cleaning I try to take this day off of any other house chores.

Thursday- Now we start the detail cleaning. We begin with picking up toys downstairs or other misplaced items. Then we go upstairs, empty out the toy tubs in toy room and organize them. For instance the legos have their own tub, costumes in another, hot wheel cars have their own case.

This is primarily the boys responsibility, but I do help and check on their progress.

Friday- Starts off by picking up any toys or miscellaneous things that need to be put up. Then we start vacuuming downstairs; couches and rugs, then vacuum upstairs (there is carpet floors upstairs, downstairs has wooden floors and some tile).

Boys do upstairs (game room and their rooms) and I pick up down stairs. They do the vacuuming downstairs and I usually vacuum upstairs.

Bathrooms- I clean mirrors, counters, toilet, and bathtub. Top to bottom, I wait to sweep and mop the floors when I do the rest of the floors downstairs.

Kitchen- Wipe counters, table, and fridge. Again I wait to do floors last.

Dust- any wooden furniture downstairs. 

Sweeping and mopping- I start by sweeping the tile in the front entrance. Then I roll up the rugs downstairs and move them on tile in front entrance. I also move anything else I can of the floor downstairs into entrance, like: office chairs, tub of blankets, few of baby's toys, dog kennels etc... I sweep out the closets and bathrooms first, then the rest of the wooden floor. I use a cloth sweeper and Bona for the floor cleaner to mop the wooden floors. Next  I sweep the kitchen and dinning room floor. Then I use a swiffer wet jet to clean the tile floors; kitchen, dinning room, and bathroom floors. After all mopping is done I start putting the rugs and all the other things from the front entrance back to their place. 

By the time I get to the sweeping and mopping phase the youngest is laying down for a nap, while the older three either play quietly upstairs or sit on couch and watch a movie. 

This is my ideal cleaning list and schedule. Although if I am expecting guest during the week, I move the cleaning schedule up accordingly. Sometimes I will do the necessary laundry on Monday, hold off on the other laundry and do the rest of cleaning on the day of or before expecting guest.

Monthly Cleaning

Well I really don't have one. I try to pick one extra detail cleaning thing and add it to my weekly cleaning, when I have time. So some things get done once a month and some more frequently as needed. 

Extra Detail Cleaning List:

- Clean ceiling fans

- Wipe doors, light switches, dashboards, etc.

- Clean kitchen cabnits

- Clean out microwave (not used that much)

- Wipe inside and outside of washer and dryer

- Take apart the vacuum parts (the ones I can) and rinse them off and let them dry

- Sweep garage, throw away any trash laying around in there, put away misplaced things that don't belong in garage

- Clean air vents

- Dust picture frames and bookshelves

Seasonal Cleaning 

Its not just Spring Cleaning, I believe every season deserves a good cleaning! Some things might not happen every season of  the year, but at least one season in the year.

Seasonal List:

- Going through all the boys clothes. What fits stays, what doesn't either moves down to the next brother or goes in a box to be pulled down when someone else can wear it.

- Going through all the toys. This will include a keep, throw away, and a give away pile.

- Go through holiday stuff. Is a holiday coming up or did one just pass that I need to put stuff up.

- I also occasionally go through my closet. I either throw or give away what does not fit or I do not want anymore. 

- Go through homeschool room. Organize any papers, books, curriculum etc... Clean, sort, and put away any craft stuff.

Okay there it is. I am sure there is more but that is what came to mind. I don't have this printed out or on a color coded spread sheet. It is so routine, I don't have to have it written down. As boys get older I am sure I will add to what I expect them to do. And this doesn't include our outside chores. But that's another post ...

2014-2015 Curriculum List

Wow, what a busy summer! This summer we have had two deaths in the family, vacation, time with nieces and nephews, camp and VBS. Not to mention for us homeschooling moms, I've had to shop and plan lessons for this year. Formally we have followed public school calendar, as far as what days we took off and when we started and ended. This year I am looking for more breaks in-between, shorter weeks and a new homeschool co-op.  So for now, and until the co-op starts in September, we only have school four days a week. When co-op picks up, it will add our fifth day and once a week we will have art in the afternoon. And focused more on what days my husband has off verses some of the teacher work day public school has off on their school calendar. We have actually already started on August 5, 2014 and will end May 28, 2015. Here is a look into our curriculum choices this year.

Group Studies (this is for all kids)
Bible: We all sit together either in the school room, at table or on the couch after breakfast and start our day with a short reading from the Bible. I really enjoy all the valuable lessons in the parables. So for most of the first trimester we are going through the parables chronologically in the gospels starting in the book of Matthew. When we finish those, I want to go over the miracles in the gospel as well. Either way, I really enjoy reading directly from the Bible and having a small discussion about what we read, and seeing where it will lead us.
Art: First we will read "Katie and the Mona Lisa" and later "Anna's Art Adventure"(haven't got this book yet) then follow this site I found that has a list of several projects for kids to do from different artists.
http://www.redtedart.com/2012/04/13/exploring-the-great-artists-30-art-projects-for-kids/

3rd Grade
Language Arts: Spelling and Vocabulary by Horizons
Phonics: Explode The Code, Books 4 1/2 and 5
Math: Horizons Math, Books 1 and 2
History: The Complete Book of Presidents and States (found at Half Price Books for $6)
- It has flashcards of presidents, stickers from each state to add to a big U.S. map, fun facts and activities for each president and state.
Science: Exploring Creation with Astronomy and Astronomy Junior Notebooking Journal by Apologia
- This is our first year using Apologia. The Junior book is for students that are not strong readers, which is great for us because our oldest is still struggling with reading. It has color pages, mini-books, vocabulary exercises and more. Our previous science curriculum covered more on plants last year and my son really loves astronomy so that's why I picked this one to start with. But there are several options.

I've also added a few short books from Half Price Books store that I know my child has interest in but is not necessary part of the curriculum. He has a free time to work on those at least twice a week, more if desired.

I have bought all my curriculum from here, they always seem to have the best deals (besides the few things I bought at Half Price Books).
http://www.christianbook.com/page/homeschool?navcat=Homeschool

Kindergarten
Scholastic Success Workbook for Kindergarten (bought at Half Price Books)
Includes: Numbers and Counting
                Handwriting
                Alphabet
                Phonics

Math: Horizons Math, Books 1 and 2
Phonics: Explode The Code, Books 1 and 1 1/2

3 year old Preschool
Phonics: Get Ready for The Code A, Get Set for The Code B, and Go for the Code C
Flashcards: Numbers, Alphabet, Alphabet with sounds, and Shapes (forgot to add this in picture)
Readiness Unit Studies: This goes over tracing, letter recognition, colors and more! It is also absolutely free! Love this site, just choice what you want to do and print (also some kinder. printouts).
http://ateachingmommy.com/

We also do lots of puzzles with the preschooler and baby. And all boys enjoy doing learning games on the tablet! Hope your new school year is a blast, and share a ton of memories with your loves.

Confession: I'm a Control Freak Part 2

    
     This post has to do with how my control issues spilled into homeschooling and what I've learned from them, so far.

    When it came time to prepare for our first year of homeschooling I approached it with a public school mentality. From when we started and ended, what days we had off, subjects we studied and even the lesson plans. Our day was jam packed and we had little room for adjustments. I wanted to finish all the curriculum, finish all the lesson plans for each day, and I had a huge list of things I expected my child to learn that year. Since this was my first year staying home I know we bound more than ever, but I could tell he was not liking school work. And that is how he looked at it, work. Not like a learning adventure as I imagined. Which was just as equally frustrating to me. Now if you are thinking well my kids love vigorously working all school year, then that is fine if it works for your family. I knew I needed some routine, outline of lesson plans, and discipline in school structure but I wanted to stay true to some of the reasons why we started homeschooling. Through staying at home and homeschooling I was looking forward to building a strong relationship with them (so it needs to be enjoyable to them and me), giving them an education tailored to their needs and desires (my oldest struggles to read and my second child is really hyper and has a short attention span), and having more time with family each day verses what time is left before and after a regular public school day. So here is what I have learned to adjust in our homeschool.  

1.) Each week block out time for any work that needs to be caught up on. I estimate more time than needed to finish the subject and curriculum. Allowing time for unexpected things in our life not to throw us off schedule. I also only make lesson plans for 6 weeks at a time. Which gives me a chance to edit anything before making the next 6 weeks of lesson plans. That block once a week really helps out when he is just ready to throw in the towel on something. I can tell him its okay lets take a break from this and come back tomorrow with a fresh approach.

2.) Make lessons plans more of a point-of-reference than a set of must-complete list. For instance; in the Readiness Preschool Book I figured out to finish in a school year we would need to do about 10 pages a week. On my lesson plans I have a set block for that subject daily. Outside of that block for the week I'll put, 'do pages 1-10'. Now some days he might do 2 pages and some days he might do 5 pages. As long as he does the 10 pages a week I know we will stay on track. Therefore, in each block I just have to write what pages he did that day.

3.) Homeschool year-round. This school year I made plans to basically follow the public school days. But somewhere in the middle of this school year we have pretty much adapted to a year-round schedule.  Something with being stuck inside long hours during the winter and kids begging to go outside more in spring. This summer my oldest will finish up his math and penmanship book, my  second child will lightly work on math, and with all the kids we really focus on reading just for fun! So next school year we will start first of August, take more breaks through-out year, longer school days in winter, shorter days in fall and spring, and end in May.

4.) Find curriculum that works for your kids. Again, first year of homeschooling I did an all-in-one curriculum set. Which there were some things I liked, but definitely felt it wasn't the best. Especially looking at the over-all cost. I really could have done without all the teachers manuals for kindergarten. I wanted my science and history to be more faith based and more interesting for my child. Best thing I did was to go to a homeschool book fair. There I could really look through curriculum without having to purchase it first. I also asked everyone whom I encountered that homeschooled what curriculum they used and what were the pros and cons. In another post I'll give you my full list of curriculum for next year.

5.) Socialization. I often say, "Homeschoolers are socialized, we just choose where and who our children socialize with." We do sports through out the year, and participate in a lot of functions for the children in our church. Where my control issue became a set back was when I did not allow unplanned socialization just happen. I was so set on finishing all the lessons for the day that I often turned down invites from friends wanting to set up a play date. Lets face it sometimes our kids need play time outside of the home and with other kids. And even more honestly, I need them to get out of "our home setting" and just play. I have found that those play dates makes my kids and my day a little better. Which leads me to the next thing.

6.) Flexibility. Once again, I was wanting to contain the hours in-which we homeschooled to the hours in the traditional public school 8am-3pm time frame. Yes I can set my alarm clock to wake up before the kids, get their breakfast ready and school work laid out so we can start school on time. Then again, I have found kids function better when they wake up on their own (typically 7:30-8:30), and I can get a cup of coffee down and start on some house chores while they finish breakfast. Yes most adults have a 8-4 or 9-5 job, but I just think most of their lives they will have to set their alarm clock why do it now if they don't have to. While my oldest works independently on some subjects, I manage to spend more one-on-one time with the middle two in school during the day. Then at night when the other children are off to bed I have uninterrupted time to work on reading with my oldest. My husband and I both struggled early on in our childhood with reading, as well as our oldest. So we know it takes patience and practice (for both us and our son) when it comes to working on reading. Letting go of that public school schedule allowed us to get out of that reading slump, and we are now heading up the hill.

Proverbs 29:11(NIV) 'A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.'
Now instead of anger in that verse you can replace it with any emotion that drives your actions when you feel out of control. When life is thrown at you or when a child is just being particularity disobedient that day, ask God to help you keep your emotions under control.

Confession: I'm a Control Freak Part 1

    
Okay so I might have been called anal before. Often people have said I have a knack for organizing. I have been told I have an "A" type personality. It has even been said I am OCD, about certain things. Or just obsessed with having certain things done MY way. So yes I admit I am a control freak. I can see where some things I do might come off as 'over the top' for some people. My main control freak issue is about house cleaning. Yes, there are more areas where I might be a control freak but probably not as noticeable. And you could either share this same control freak issue or have a completely different one (we will talk about that more later).

How do you know if you might have a control problem, you might ask? Lets look at this humorous questionnaire I made up, to see if you might be a control freak too.

How to tell if You Might be a Control Freak ...

- Is spring cleaning for every season of the year (not just spring) and maybe every month?
- Do you get anxious or worry about things being done (ex.: cleaning house has to be done up to your par) especially before visitors are coming over?
- Do you break out in hives, or start to itch (or any other physical symptoms) when things seem out of control? Aka not done correctly or not to your level of acceptance?
- Is your last thought at night your to-do list for tomorrow?
- Do you make a detail list for someone else if they have to do a task you normally do yourself?
- Is it hard to let someone else (even a spouse, child, or close friend) do something for you, like a chore, because you worry if it will be done correctly?
- Do you find yourself often saying. "that's good but next time you should try it this way?"
- Do you volunteer to direct or lead something so you can make decisions on how things are done?
- Do you have a daily, weekly, and monthly chore/to-do list (written or not)?

If you read that and are thinking doesn't everyone do those things (or most), you might be a control freak.

Have you heard, 'you know we are close friends when I don't clean before you come over'? I say let's revamp that into something like, 'because we are such good friends I always clean before you come over'.

Don't get me wrong with 4 kids my house can go from clean to dirty in minutes! All it takes is for them each to have a potty break, share a meal, and 5 minutes of play time and I start to wonder, "Why do I bother?" But I know underneath that cluttered surface the house is clean. And when we are expecting people over it is an all day cleaning event.

There are some positive things to say about a house that is kept clean. When people come over I know appearances make an impression. And I want one of those impressions to be something like, 'man she has a lot of kids but still manages to keep her house clean,' or 'wow I wish my house was this clean.' Keeping a clean house for our children as well as any visiting children, helps prevent any illness from spreading. Because, what parent wants to go to a house that their kids keep getting sick after visiting? We are also teaching them that whatever the Lord blesses us with (toys, clothes, the house we live in etc.) we should take good care of them.

I might be a control freak about my house, but I have come to realize many people who have made a comment about my control issue has some of their own. Let's see if any of these areas might strike accord with you.

- How clean and well kept your vehicle is. I know people who have to frequently have their vehicle cleaned from the inside out on a regular basis. And even have to have a new vehicle every 2 years or so, because any older they might start having problems.
- Homeschool routine/schedule. Don't get me wrong I think routine/schedule is needed for every homeschool, but there are some who you might think carry it a little too far. Like if they have to fit all the curriculum they bought into the school year. Or if they just have to do school so many hours and/or days a week.
- Squeaky clean computer, but their house is a total mess. Especially those who might work on a computer for a living. They have everything broken down into folders all neatly labeled and separated. Gotta have the latest computer gadget.
- Your kids. From what they wear, to what they do, where they go, who they are friends with etc.

I am sure there are more but those are the ones I often see. No judgement here, I know I have my own issues to worry about. I just want to bring to your attention we all might have a hint of control issues.

Over the years I have come up with some ways to maintain my control issue over the house while still having four rambunctious kids. One main thing is I believe in a set controlled free-time. So I schedule or allow certain times of complete free play or for special crafty/mess during the day. I love crafts, but when I think of doing them with my kids I quickly start to feel overwhelmed. I now have learned preparation can prevent most of my anxiety. First, I plan on what we want to do, all materials needed, and a convenient time (like when the youngest is down for a nap). Then I think of precautions like settings. If we are going to paint, I make sure they are in clothes I do not care if they get dirty in. Or a location that will be easy to clean up if the craft ends up all over the floor. After craft time is over, we clean everything up and put away all materials, and it all goes neatly back onto the craft bookshelf.

We will usually double up on school work one day so I can have one full day a week to clean the house. That goes beyond just sweeping, vacuum, and dishes. Because my kids are young, they are still limited on what they can really help with. That allows me not to work so hard to day a whole day worth of school and cleaning in one day. It also helps me not to do everything and make sure I enlist the kids into pulling their own load of chores.

As for ALL THE TOYS that seem never ending, we usually do a one to two time a day pick up. Our morning routine starts with breakfast, while kids watch one to two episodes of cartoons. I take care of baby and get my coffee, then try to start a load of laundry. Then we start with school work. The middle two get more frequent breaks for play time. Which means by the end of the day toys are everywhere. At this point I am not stressed. Now when our school day is done they pick up. Toys and other miscellaneous things are to be put up. We have a game/toy room, a tub and place for everything (except one baby tub down stairs). I do not request that they put everything in its proper place at that particular time. But just put in a tub is fine, on our weekly clean we will go through everything and separate them if needed. This allows them to have adventurous play time and fairly easily pick up on a day-to-day basis. It's not my detailed idea of clean, but allows me not to be so anxious or on the brink of a melt down everyday.

Verse for today is Matthew 6:34(NIV) 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'

Next post will be Confession: I'm a Control Freak Part 2, I'll discuss how that played into our homeschool life.
 

Identity Part 6: Religious Belief

My faith is so intertwined with my life. It sheds light into the dark corners. Hope when I'm hopeless. Strength when I'm jaded. Leads me onto the path of righteousness when I stray. The standards in which I strive to live by, and what make up my morals. A big part of  why we homeschool, and how we raise our kids.

This is the simplest way I love to share my faith.

ABC's of Faith

A-ADMIT, you are a sinner. We need to admit our sins to God and repent, turn away from them. No human is perfect, and even after we become Christians we will still sin.
Romans 3:23(NIV) 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.'

B-BELIEVE, Jesus is God's son sent to earth to die on the cross for our sins. It takes more faith to be an Atheist (to believe in no God, and no purpose of life) than to believe in God.
John 3:16(NIV) 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'

C-CONFESS, your belief in God (often in prayer). When you trust in God, he will give you a new life.
Romans 10:9-10(NIV) 'That is you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.'
2 Corinthians 5:17(NIV) 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.'

Now if you have done that you are saved, you are essentially a Christian! I compare becoming a new believer to being in a life boat, saved. But now what, what else is there here on earth until we await our divine appointment?!?

Spiritual Growth! I know your next question, how do we do that? You talk to him, in prayer. Listen to him; could be in a prayer, through scripture, in a vision or a dream, or the Holy Spirit (which is inside of you once you are saved) can tug on your heart to make a decision or take an action. Study his word, and follow through when he tells you to do something; like serving. You grow through trials and test. You learn from your consequences from sin, and make better decisions. Think about is like this, how well would your relationship be with your spouse if you only communicated once a week? Or if you are in college and have to take an exam, and you only open your book the day of the exam.

Spiritual growth takes self-discipline. You have to choose to daily spend time in scripture and prayer. Eventually you find yourself making more of the right choices, instead of the wrong. It takes time. God slowly reviles the sin in your life so you can become pure. Holy, set apart from this world. That is why you can read the same passage of scripture and get a different meaning or understanding each time. Through God's revision and trails we become spiritually mature.

1 Peter 2:1-3(NIV) 'Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.'

Colossians 1:10(NIV) 'And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.'

Name: Jamie
Occupation: Mom
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Female
Residence: Small Town
Hobbies: Scrapbooking, Reading, Sewing, and Blogging
Religious Belief: Christian (Christ-Follower)

In going over all of these I hope you claim your identity and find confidence in yourself, where ever you are in your personal life. 

Identity Part 5: Hobbies

     One might think, "when does a mom of 4 (or of any number of young children) have time for hobbies?" My choice of time is at night when kids are in bed, when Dad is home entertaining them, or sometimes they can join in!

Scrapbooking: I love pictures! To me a picture is truly worth a thousand words. I as well as many other moms will make their first born a baby book. In my baby books I captured some family genealogy, history of their name origin, fun facts about siblings and of course pictures from birth to about one year old. I think most of you would agree it was fairly easy to make a scrapbook for the first child, but much more daunting to make one for baby #2, #3, or even in my case baby #4. I strongly encourage you to keep at it, even if your youngest is a teenager and you can only manage one page a month. What an amazing gift to pass on to your child when they begin their own family. Eventually I want to make a keep-sake scrapbook for each one, of all those beautiful art work and hand made cards throughout the years. But as for now my youngest recently turned one and I am about half way done with his baby book.

The cover page of each of my 4 boy's baby book!

Reading: For me, this hobby is a passion with a bumpy start. When I was in kindergarten through first grade (the time when most kids learn and start to read) I had only memorized enough words to get by. I vividly remember the teacher quickly going through the alphabet and their sounds, all the other kids seemed to flawlessly chime in with her as I blankly stared. I was overwhelmed trying to remember all the sounds, rules, and exceptions. Sounding out words were hopeless. I would often mix up 'b' with 'd' and 'P' with '9'. Combining words when I was writing like, 'forth e' instead of 'for the' or 'the nd' instead of 'the end'. In the middle of first grade, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. Luckily I did not have to fail a grade, but had to take extra classes that would help with dyslexia and work over summer to catch up. Finally by third grade my reading level was the same as my peers. As many of you know you don't just stop having dyslexia, you learn different ways or tricks to help you. One of the greatest tricks, for me, was to read more! The more I read, the more I saw how words were suppose to be written. My vocabulary increased as well as my passion for books. I agree it is not easy to make time to read with little ones, but it is always worth it. I catch a few minutes of reading outside while watching the kids play. I definitely get in some reading with homeschooling, reading endless children books to them and all the teachers manuals. My favorite time is when kids are in bed until my eyes can no longer stay open.

My personal collection of books I've read so far this year.

Sewing: My newest interest. I have since a young child known (as I think every boy and girl should learn) how to sew up holes in my socks or shirt. About two years ago I got my first sewing machine. I've only made a handful of things; t-shirt skirt, boppy cover, fitted crib sheet, baby blanket, and a kitchen certain. As well as re-sew blanket hems or other small hem jobs. Each one was very rewarding, but without having a personal teacher it has not been as easy as I imagined. I am still determined to make each child a quilt from old baby clothes and other precious projects to treasure forever!

Baby's crib sheet and blanket. I tried it on toddler bed, at time I didn't have the crib set up.

     Hobbies can change over time, or fade out. But it definitely speaks to who you are and what you enjoy. In the past I've enjoyed sketching and writing poems. But as time is fleeting my hobbies have changed. In the future I wish to add painting and gardening to my hobby list. Of course, one of my hobbies now is blogging. I enjoy writing out my thoughts as I hope they reach others in need of encouragement, a laugh, or inspiration.

     Philippians 4:13 (NIV) "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Don't know about you, but I needed to recite this verse and keep it close to me today!

Name: Jamie
Occupation: Mom
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Female
Residence: Small Town
Hobbies: Scapbooking, Reading, Sewing, and Blogging.

Next post will be the last of this series of Identity, I hope you have enjoyed it!