Houston, we have instruments...

We have finally purchased out instruments for Orchestra. I have spent hours online doing research on brands, New vs. Used, Chinese vs. European, buying vs. renting, and I'm exhausted.

I was looking for a 1/2 size violin for Lydia. I didn't want to buy a cheap beginner brand for her, but I wasn't willing to shell out 800$ for a decent one either. I suppose I probably could have rented, but I knew in a matter of 6 months of rentals fees, I could have paid for one. I finally settled on a used Sheryl and Roth, a copy of a Stradivarius. I think its good enough for a beginner student, and then some. I'm planning on keeping it for the other children to use at a later date.

Last weekend we went up to Springdale to look at a used Cello for myself. I didn't realize how hard it is to find a used 4/4 Cello, that doesn't cost an arm and leg! Anyhow, I got up to Springdale and the instrument had more blemishes that I thought. We left, without purchasing it, and it bothered me all the way home.

Yesterday, I decided I still wanted to buy it, so after calling the owner and leaving 2 messages, he called me back and told me he still had it for sale. Then like a God-send my friend called me, and told me her husband was actually up in Sprindale on business,and would pick the instrument up for me. He did, and later that night, I showed my instructor the cello. I was afraid she would say it was a piece of junk, but she said with a trip to a luthier(sp?), and a few minor adjustments, it would work just fine.

I was so relieved. We purchased 2 instruments, and stayed with the budget we set. Whew!

falling off..and country music.

Fell off the blogging wagon for a while. Been super busy with school, showing our house, and life in general.

Do you remember when you were a teenager and you would be riding in your car with friends and you would hear a song on the radio, that one you just loved? "oh I love this song!" Your friend replies, "you love every song!" Well that's simply not true. I hate country music.
Now before you all start bashing me, let me prove my point. Yesterday while cleaning my bathroom, I actually put it on a country station. We have a local station here called KVOM. I listen to it because, quite frankly, it cracks me up. Every day at 8:30 am they have this show called Trading Time. You can call in with your items you have to sell or trade. Some of the calls have had me on the floor. Some examples"
"I have a goat I need to mate"
"I'm looking for a free car"
"I have a donkey for sale"
Are these people for real?????

Anyhow, back to country music....I'm listening and a song comes on by Jessica Simpson. Is she still around? Well, apparently she is a country music artist now. I use the term "artist" loosely.....anyway, she is singing a song to a guy about how she needs/wants him now, and don't worry about putting your shoes on, just slide on some flip-flops and get over here.
Well, let's not beat around the bush shall we? This was such a lame song. Maybe I just picked a bad day to listen...lol

Friday Night Fun...

Tonight the kids decided to set up the dome tent downstairs and what naturally goes with camping? Smores! I broke out a can of sterno from our Food Supply, and fired it up. Jacob was obsessed with blowing out the flames on the marshmallows. He's such a boy....

learning new tricks

I didn't know 4o would come with so much reminiscing. I look back on my life and see I accomplished some good things in the first 40 years. I found my best friend, and married him. I have 3 great children.(some days I might question that) I try to do the right thing, and be kind to those around me, even those that are sometimes hard to love. Ive learned patience, what determination is, and learning to do what the lord wants, and not my will. Some of these "life lessons" have been hard for me. I'm always afraid of what people are going to think of me. Why do I do this? It really doesn't matter in the long run.

Ive decided to turn over a new leaf. I'm tired of carrying negative thoughts around in my head. I know who I am, where I come from, and know what I can become, if I just be obedient. Shouldn't that be enough for me or anyone else?

One of my temporal goals has been to learn to play the cello. As a teenager I was fascinated with the sound of it .My small High School did not offer Orchestra, only Band. I eventually decided to play the Trumpet.
I know, that's a far cry from strings, but I chose it because most of the girls were playing the flute or clarinet. I still wanted to be a bit different. It was a good experience, and I learned how to read music from it.

Fast forward 25 years later. Lydia has been begging for music lessons, any lessons for a couple of years now. It never worked out for us, either didn't have an instructor, the time, or extra money for it. I was really hoping to find a program locally, but as you know Morrilton is very small. One day I was reading our local paper and found a article about music classes for home schooled children.(one of the things they miss out from public school) I couldn't believe my eyes! I had to reread the article, then I called my friend Amber to tell her about it. I thought, surely there is a catch. I called the director and visited their website.
You guys, it is so awesome. The have so many programs, not just Beginner Orchestra, but Band, and Vocal training. I was like"this is it!"
I was so pleased to find out the cost was minimal and the lessons were going to be in Russellville. I feel like my prayer/desire has been answered, and the best part of all Lydia and I will be able to take the lessons together! Lydia has decided on the violin, and I, my beloved cello.
I just cant wait!

Broken Bow weekend

We finally went on vacation this year! We were so excited to get a way from it all. After a 4 hour car-drive, we met our friends at Beaver Bend Cabins in Broken Bow, OK. It was so peaceful up there.Our cabin(really it was a large house) was great. the upstairs had a huge loft where all of the children slept. On Friday night, we just hung out and got settled in.Saturday morning we headed out to the lake and rented a party barge. The kids had fun tubing, and the lake was just the right temperature. If you know me, I'm not really a water kind of person, especially not lakes, but I found myself enjoying it! The lake is man made but it is beautiful. I even rode the tube a bit. Here is some video of lydia driving the boat with Eric's help.

After the lake, we were all tired and came back and made dinner, and the adults watched 17 again. What a funny movie!( btw its NOT a kid movie)
I haven't laughed that hard in a while. Sunday came and we headed to Idabell to the LDS Branch, but realized it was their Stake conference after no one came to the building. We headed back to the cabin, and spent the rest of the day talking, and playing games. Monday morning we packed up, and said our goodbyes.
I so wish we could do this every year. Thanks to the Sonneborn's and Anderson's for a great weekend!

Birthdays

In our family, we have birthdays non stop, each month, starting in May, and ending in August.
Yesterday was Lydia's 11th birthday. Gosh, she will be starting Young Women's next year. I took her earlier this week to get her hair cut.
She informed me she wanted the same cut I had. Wouldn't you know, she looks better with it than I do! Unfortunately she looks older too.
I caught a boy staring at her in the store the other day. She is so oblivious to boys..lol..I'm kinda glad :)

Of course all of this makes me feel older, but what can you do?

changes on blog

If you are reading this blog, you have been approved by me to read our family blog. I have been having some strange traffic lately, so I have decided to go private for awhile....thanks

Amy

summer and other non-important drivel..

Wow, it doesnt feel like summer in Arkansas today. It is so beautiful. No humidity and low temps. A girl could get use to this! We had a thrilling day of outdoor chores today. Derek got up on the roof and repaired some shingles that were blown off in a windstorm, followed up by cleaning out the gutters. Meanwhile, I was vaccuming out the car and shampooing the mats. I wish cars would just stay clean. I always feel so grimey after cleaning out the car!

Anyhow, not much to report here. Five more weeks before school starts. Guess I better get that Intent to Homeschool form into the School District before they hunt me down.For those of you that dont know, I had a little run-in with them last spring( long story)
Kate will be starting K this year. Only 2 more years, and everyone will be in school. I thought that would never happen! My kids are growing up way to fast. My almost 11 year old decided this would be a good week to start being a smart mouth. Oh, the joys of parenthood...

weight loss part 2

Well, its been a couple of months since my last weight loss report, so here it goes. I haven't been as successful as I wanted, but I'm still happy to say Ive lost about 15 lbs. I started going back to the gym, stopped drinking caffeine, and basically am just watching the amounts I eat, and allowing myself 1 free day. If I want a brownie, I can have one on my free day :)

It's really weird to me, once I can trick my mind into thinking that I don't want something, I
can lose the weight. I guess that means I'm an emotional eater.
I was watching Oprah, last week , and they had some overweight teens on. I found myself in tears watching some of the stories. Some of these kids wanted to die, instead of being overweight. I just wanted to reach through the TV and give them a big ole hug.
Being overweight does not define who you are! Anyone who has ever struggled with weight, will tell you that your emotions play a huge part in the weight loss game. I have been a teenager and struggled with self-image, in a some-what normal body. I just couldn't believe some of the stories these teens were telling of people teasing them, it was shameful....it's so sad that the world is so focused on our outward appearance.

So you still hanging in there with me? 20 more pounds to go..let's get healthier...we can do it!

the results are in...

As many of you know, we embarked on a new journey this past year, the world of home-schooling. I was given so many opinions on it, I decided I just needed to do what I knew was right for Lydia.

I won't lie to you, it was tough. Having your child home all day, and being their teacher is an exhausting job! We were able to get Lydia into a tuition-free state program, called
Arkansas Virtual Academy. Although the curriculum is set for you, the amount of time needed to complete the daily course work, didn't allow me to spend time with my other children.
After much deliberation, we withdrew from the program after 6 months.

The last 2 months of the school year, we finished on our own. We both were relieved, and excited when the school year was done! In Arkansas, the law states that homeschooling families must complete a standardized test at the end of the school year. I suppose they do this so they can compare the scores with that of the public schools.

I was a little nervous as the testing day approached. Fortunately for Lydia, she was able to test nearby, and with a group of kids she was familiar with. After a two month wait, we finally got the results this week. They were very good. I am so proud of her. Her reading is on a 8th grade level(she's in 5th now) and her Math skills were on a 6th grade level. This is a huge accomplishment for her, as math is her most difficult subject.

Lydia, Im so proud of you! We made it, together!

The big four-zero

Its official! I can no longer say I am in my thirties. Where did the time go?
I have to say, I'm handling it pretty well. That's probably because someone hasn't asked me my age yet..lol
It was a little weird this morning to wake up and realize my 30's are gone. I checked the mirror carefully for any more wrinkles or lines. Nope, I look the same as I did yesterday.

Here's a definite reality check. I have to start having mammograms now! Luckily I get out of it this year....ahh.. the benefits of nursing :) I seem to be caught in some weird netherworld.
I've decided I'm just not going to worry about. I can freak out at 50...

tantrums

When I finally had a boy, I didn't know what to expect. I knew that girls cried easily, screamed often, and whined quite a bit. Nothing had prepared me for the terrible two's with a boy.
It's a whole different ballgame.
Something happened to my sweet Jacob on his 2nd birthday. Suddenly, someone flipped a switch in him, that said "rip apart anything you can find", and "have a fit, then you can get
your way".

Here is prime example. We just got a new camcorder, and I captured this in the car on the ride home.

birthday boy

Well it's offical! Derek turned 39 yesterday! One more year closer to the big 40! He took the day off from work, with the intention of hitting a few golf balls, but changed his mind, and hung out with the family( enter the awwww here)

The girls and I had been busy getting together his gifts(Lego Star Wars game from the girls)

and a gift cert. to the local golf course. He's not really a cake kinda guy so we decided on getting him those little mini eclairs and stacking them up on a plate to look like a cake. I needed another box to make it look right, but I just kept thinking of all those extra eclairs that would have to be eaten...lol.

We decorated the dining room with a Happy Birthday banner, and balloons.. Later on in the day we went out to our garden spot to plant sweet corn and cantaloupe.(It's been so wet here I am glad we waited to plant)

It was a total family affair, and even though a little work was involved too, he had a great time. Happy Birthday Derek!

Gone Pickin'

I have been wanting to get up to Guy for a couple of weeks now, to pick strawberries, but something would always come up, and prevent it. My Mom stayed a few days with us, so we decide to try again. The night before had been really rough, with lots of bad weather, and rain

so I wasn't sure if they would be open for picking. Luckily they were, but boy was it humid!

If I didn't love Strawberries so much, I would have stayed home!

We got to the patch about 10am. Most people had come earlier, but we were lucky and they let us pick from a completely different area, that hadn't been picked over. It took us a little over an hour to fill up our 4 buckets. The rain has reeked havoc on the berry crop. Most were just mushy and discolored, the product of too much rain and not enough sun. I think Jacob had the most fun running around in the dirt and mud!

Kate kept yelling "I found one" and come and look at this one", every other second, and driving

us nuts. Lydia was very helpful, and efficient with her picking. Once we got home, we made a fresh strawberry pie, made freezer jam, and froze the rest as strawberry topping for desserts...Yum.

making weight

I really love the springtime, but it always reminds me that summer is around the corner. Even though I have been in Arkansas for 14 years, I still detest the humidity. The only way to keep cool here in the summer, is to be in the water. Unfortunately, to be in the water, you have to be semi-undressed! lol..

As a person who has struggled with her weight most of my life( as a kid I was way skinny) and often sick. As an adult, diagnosed with Celiac disease, I have learned to cook wheat-free, and for years I was making up for lost meals! So now here I am 39.5 years old(and holding) and still 30 lbs overweight! Children, nursing, all of these things have affected me. I decided around Christmas that I was ready to start treating myself better. I started by cutting out caffeine(bye, bye, Cokes) and started putting less food on my plate. I quickly lost 10 pounds. But with the stress of a new year, moving and other things beyond my control, I gained some back.

Well, here we are a month before the big 40, and got back on the wagon again. Again, I'm not doing much, except no sodas, no eating between meals, and just making healthy choices. Ive lost 11 lbs so far and plan get rid of the other 20 over the summer. I bought a really cool piece of workout equipment from Bally. Its basically a sculpting bar, that has resistance. I'm am not the jogging/StairMaster type, but this little workout bar is great! I can really fell the strengthening of my muscles.

I noticed today on Oprah that Kirstie Alley will be on. Remember her? She was the spokesperson for Jenny Craig, and lost all that weight , then gained it back? I feel exactly like her. Oh, I suppose I could beat myself up about gaining some back, but what does that really do for your self-esteem? So if any of you out there are like me, and struggling, I'd love to hear from you. Maybe we can make it together!

feeling hot, hot, hot

Jeez, it's only April and almost 90 degrees! I went out today to plant some flowers in the beds, and I was so sweaty. Luckily the heating and air guys came yesterday an installed a brand new unit in the house. The old one was 30+ years old. Hopefully we will save some $$ on the electric bill too! I'm trying to avoid turning the air on until June. I say the same thing every year, but about mid- May, I cave.

Anyhow, I am prepping for a crop on National Scrapbook Day. Yes there really is such a thing! I'm attending one in Russellville. I'm excited to get away, and try to get caught up. I'm so behind!

Easter was quiet around here. The Easter Bunny came and hid baskets. The kids had a little trouble finding them this year, with the new house and all.

We also had Bro.Stover and the Moll Family over for Ham, scalloped potatoes, rolls, asparagus, salad, and dessert. It was a nice evening. We didn't get a picture of the kids in their Easter finery, but Derek did snap this casual post, before the hunt began. Don't you just love Kate's outfit?

Yes, she did have a skirt on, but you cant see it..lol

rainy day Egg Hunt

On thursday we had a Egg hunt at Cami G's house. We had planned to hunt outside, but the rain came early, so the hunt moved inside. I think the kids really enjoyed the playroom and all the goodies we had! There are some great cooks in the 1st ward. I thought I would share a few pictures. Thanks to the Conway gals for inviting me!

moving-epilogue

well, we made it over to the new house. We didn't even break anything this time! Our printer did suffer some. Someone (I won't mention who) put it upright instead of laying it flat in a box, and well the ink cartridge leaked everywhere. Derek spent quite some time cleaning it out.
It still doesn't work right..ugh.

I have been able to un-pack quickly. All of the upstairs rooms are done, Living, Dining, Kitchen, are unpacked too. Now to tackle the basement, and our bedroom. Then I will be done Yea!

The kids are really enjoying having the big screen TV in the basement. They can watch whatever they want, or play video games. All their toys are down there in bins. I just love all the space.

Anyhow, I'm off to clean up the old house today...oh joy! Til next time...

move part 2

Well, the official move is 1 week away. I have been packing now for almost 3 weeks.

Gosh, we have so much stuff! How much stuff does one family need? Granted, a lot of it is my scrap booking stuff. The children have just as many boxes of toys and books though!

Derek is the winner on the least amount of stuff to be moved. Must have been all those moves

he did as a child.

I counted it up this is our 14th move! What is a matter with me? You would think I enjoy this or something? People often think we are in the military. I tell them, "No, we are just insane!"

I know our friends have stopped asking why a long time ago. Guess we are just nomads.

Some of you asked for pics of the new house, here it is. Looks like a Utah house huh?

the move

Yep, we are moving again. We are thrilled, but along with it comes a lot of chaos! I hate when my house is messy with packing boxes, rolls of tape, and newspapers. I have just realized how much scrapbooking supplies I really have. Im not joking-10 boxes of supplies alone. This does not include my scrapbooking tote bags, or any of my Cricut stuff, or my completed albums. ugh...


Im having one of those days I dont want to pack, I just want to clean. That's futile though with this mess. Guess I will take this time to do something else. Hmmm..I still have that un-used massage from Valentines Day. Time to go find a babysitter..lol