Life is a Journey

Coffee can turned plant pot

2011-07-29T17:04:00.000-05:00

This is my first time showing a craft idea. We ( I should say dh) drinks a lot of coffee in this house. That being said I have tons of plastic coffee cans just hanging around. This morning I took a coffee can primed it first. Then painted it with a cream colored textured type paint. Once the can dried you could still see some of the name of the coffee shining through. I decided to take scrap book paper and decoupage it on the areas that the writing was still shining through. Tried to match the paper up with the colors in my dining room. That wasn't easy because I do not have a lot of scrap book paper around. I had no modge podge glue hanging around so I used a recipe that I found online through pinterest. It seems to work.:) I think its still missing something but not sure what. :)

New Recipe

2011-01-30T18:59:00.001-06:00

Tried a new recipe today. Sticky Buns. The Home EC class I teach is going over yeast breads. I had to test drive a recipe to see if it will work. This recipe is taken from the Five minute a day Artisan bread book. I found the recipe online ( I do not have the book yet). Because I only have classes Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I had to come up with a recipe that could sit in the fridge and prepare in a couple of days. This recipe met that criteria. I made the dough today and it can last in the fridge for up to two weeks. I made some sticky rolls today with the dough but I did let it rise awhile before going in the fridge. According to what I read the dough will have more flavor after sitting in the fridge for awhile. I do have to come up with other ways to use up the rest of the dough. Maybe some Challah bread. The picture above is the sticky buns out of the oven. The picture below is the sticky buns after being inverted onto a plate.

The plan is to make the dough on Tuesday with the class. Let it sit in the Refrigerator from Tuesday until Thursday. ( Unless we miss school because of a supposed snow storm heading our way.) Friday will be pizza day.:) If the snow storm does happen then we will do this on Thursday and make the buns on Friday. The Pizza will have to be the following week. I love Home EC because I get to do new things that I did not feel like I could do.:) Sad part was it took teaching a class to help.

Sharon :)

Menu January 16-22

2011-01-17T10:57:00.000-06:00

I am finding that it is easier to do a weekly menu than a monthly menu. I can stick to and not stray away from it. Goal is not to add to the pantry this week but shop from my pantry. We shall see how that goes.:) May just have to get a few items like eggs and milk. So here is this weeks menu.

Sunday- Roast beef, mashed potatoes and carrots (maybe homemade bread or rolls)
Monday-Leftover roast beef in a veggie stew kind of thing.
Tuesday-BBQ Chicken legs with Cheddar and Broccoli rice and a veggie
Wednesday-Corn Chowder in Slow cooker (http://realmomkitchen.com/5095/corn-chowder-in-the-slow-cooker/) trying a new recipe. This is a wonderful site.
Thursday- Leftovers (may change and be the spur of the moment).:)
Friday-Chicken divan
Saturday-Pizza

Wednesday I set aside to make goodies for the kids lunches throughout the week. Love to bake up something for them and pop it in the freezer. So all I have to do when I make their lunches is take their treat out of the freezer and pop them into their lunches. By the time lunch time rolls around it is defrosted. Now if I can find cheap and easy lunches for them that would be awesome.:) Have a great week ya'll.:) I am participating in the Menu Plan Monday over at orgjunkie.

Sharon :)

Menu for the week of January 9-16

2011-01-12T10:15:00.001-06:00

Sunday- Steak, rice and veggie
Monday - Rice Casserole from rice on Sunday
Tuesday- Taco Salad
Wednesday-Chicken and Dumplings with homemade rolls(if power stays on)
Thursday-Spaghetti and garlic bread
Friday- Haddock Casserole
Saturday- Homemade pizza

Going to try and post a weekly menu here so I can stick to it. Have fun.:)

New Years Resolution ( 2010 and for 2011)

2010-12-29T14:13:00.000-06:00

As I ponder what my life was like in 2010 I think about how I could have done things differently. I have wasted so much of my life already that even this past year I see times that was wasted. I can't seem to get out of my rut. My problem I read too many blogs where ladies seem to have everything just right and their lives are in control. I compare my life to theirs and get depressed.:( That is probably why God says not to compare yourself amongst yourselves. (paraphrase) Everyone has their talents and areas they are strong in.

This list was my resolution plans for the year of 2010:

1. Get organized and stay organized. - This one I have tried and still working on. :)
2. Keep up with my Morning and Evening routines- I am getting better at keeping the routines but as the first goal I am still working on it.
3. ~~Learn how to garden in Maine (so much different then TX was.)~~- Did not get a chance to do a garden this year. We moved and Mike will be helping me this year to work on getting my plots ready.
~~4. Possibly go for my CNA licenses.-~~ This one will not happen. Decided that I do not want to be a CNA
5. Work on Learning new sewing techniques- I think I will always be working on this one.:)

Now for the goals of 2011: I can't really say. I haven't thought about it much because I can't seem to keep up with my goals but here are a few:
1.Accomplish more sewing techniques ( this time work on zippers and buttons). I can do better in this area and this will be the goal. Pick one project a month (maybe more I do not want to over load myself and give up on it)
2. Learn more cooking techniques. - This one I want to learn some new bread recipes and learn to make and decorate some cakes. ( Hope to accomplish this- may not happen but I will be trying)
3. Build some furniture ( this will take Mike showing me how to use his power tools. LOL) - this will be a new one for us but something I think we can do.
4. Learn to take care of chickens and have our own eggs. ( Springtime)
5. Learn to can what we grow this year.

I will not stress over this list but will do the best that I can to accomplish my goals from the past year and the New Year. Have fun ya'll and happy New Year.:)

Sharon :)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-10-04T19:26:00.000-05:00

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... Darkness it is time for bed.:)

I am thinking...Life can be very interesting.

I am thankful for...My wonderful man. He has done so much for us. So thankful that I married him.:) I thank the Lord for him.:)

From the kitchen...Omelets and fried potatoes for the kids. Baked potatoes for me.:)

I am wearing...Coral colored sweats with matching jacket and a purple t-shirt under jacket. ( doesn't match but hey it was time to relax after a busy day.:))

I am creating...at the moment nothing.:( But I am wanting to get back into some sewing.:)

I am going...bed soon.:)

I am reading...too many things and nothing finished yet.

I am hoping...things at dh job gets better.:) And that he can find a job back here in the States so he can come home sooner.:) All in the Lord's hands.

I am hearing...Tia hopping through the house instead of using the crutches and voices on the tv.

Around the house...too many things need to be accomplished.

One of my favorite things...cuddle up with a good book.

A few plans for the rest of the week.. doctors appointment for Tia tomorrow, Wednesday school meeting at the lighthouse and church, Thursday soccer game away and Friday maybe the fair.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

My sweetie.:) Cleo. She sleeps at the end of the bed each night and can be quite annoying. LOL

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com -This is a great website to go to if you love to keep journals. I haven't done this in a long time and my blog was due for a post.:)

Sharon:)

7 More days left

2010-09-07T18:51:00.000-05:00

Yep seven more days until Mike is home for two weeks. I am so excited about it. We are hoping that it will be a time of relaxing and fun. We have a trip planned to New York for the weekend and then over to PA for three days to visit Wolf Lodge. Wolf Lodge is an indoor water park. We took the kiddos to one in Dallas when we lived in TX. It was a blast. So we are super excited. We get to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary while he is home to.:) Yeah!!! He has been gone for our 10th ( was gone to Iraq while in the military), and then gone on our 15th ( again to Iraq working with KBR). We have had a wonderful marriage. We have had our ups and downs but hands down I have the best man ever. Yep I am bias. I love my man and always will. He has been an awesome husband. Always there when I am struggling with many issues.:) He is a wonderful daddy. I couldn't have asked for a better man.:) I thank the Lord that he has blessed me with an awesome man!!:)

The kiddos started school on the 30th. Some are having a hard time adjusting because of the age/grade transition. I am sure it will get better once they get settled into a routine. I am working on getting back into a routine here at home. Back to the normal 5:30 wake up time. Through the summer I was quite lazy and slept in. :)

I can't believe how fast summer went. We had maybe our last cookout on Monday. The weather was great. I hope I can fit in one more cookout while Mike is home. We didn't get pictures. Oh well.:) The deck is almost done. :) Hopefully tomorrow it will be finished. It is awesome. Well enough catch up. Off to bed soon. Have a great week.:)
Sharon :)

Learning more about sewing

2010-08-23T09:25:00.000-05:00

It was a really good weekend. We watched a couple of movies on Saturday. Sunday was a good day. My mil went to church with us. Afterwards we had a nice steak dinner that was really yummy. It was a very relaxing weekend. :) One more week before school starts. The kiddos are so excited. Not sure who is more excited Mommy or kiddos. :)

I am learning more sewing.:) I actually made a Jumper for my older daughter. I made it where I didn't have to sew a hem. :) I also put a lining in it. I cut out a two front pattern pieces and two back pattern pieces. One of the front and one of the back pattern pieces was the lining. I sewed the fronts together with rights sides together and left a little opening at the bottom. Then I turned it inside out where the right sides can be seen. I did the same with the back sewing right sides together and leaving a little opening at the bottom. Next I turned them inside out. Then I sewed the front and Back at the side seams. I did a decorative stitch at the bottom to close up the holes that I used to turn inside out. I also did a decorative stitch around the front, back and arm holes. I also embroidered a flower at the front. I am still trying to figure out how to get the material to be center so that the design can be centered. That is the hard part. I guess practice makes perfect. :) Not sure that sewing is ever perfect. :)

I am linking up to Made by you Mondays.:)

Have a great day ya'll.:)

Embellished Hand towels

2010-08-13T20:53:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I received a new embroidery machine. I absolutely love it. I sewed a little piece of material onto the center. Then embroidered a flower into the center ( well as much in the center that I could). I am still new at this but it was fun. The fun part was to watch the machine take over. It was like it had a mind of its own. Scary. To bad it doesn't do the house work or the dishes. LOL Here are a few pictures. These towels was a birthday gift. It took me all morning. Just a little. LOL

I cannot wait to play some more soon..:) Sorry about the pictures. Not very good at the picture taking. But working on it.:) Have fun ya'll.:)
Sharon:)

Proverbs 31 woman

2010-08-10T07:19:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been really thinking about the Proverbs 31 woman. In today society that has taken a back seat. I see its not as important or because its not the New Testament then it means nothing. Because we are a modern society. Many people think because it is modern that the bible is way too old fashion to follow. But that is so wrong. I know that I am definitely not the Prov. 31 woman but I strive to be. I have failed in so many things. I am naturally lazy so that is one of my failures. Another thing I am not very good at planning out our meals and making sure we have nutritious meals and grocery shopping ( don't even get me started on that one LOL). The list goes on and on. I also do not rise early as I should. I use the excuse that Mike calls at 11:30 pm and we talk for awhile so sometimes I do not end up sleeping until 1 am. I wonder what they did back in the Bible days when they didn't get any sleep did they still rise early? I have been reading many good articles on the topic. I know a few women in my life who rise at 4 before the sun rises. I like to read Laines letters and she started rising at 4 and made it a habit and she still does and its been years now that she has. She accomplishes many tasks. I can see how much I could accomplished if I got up that early. Mike and I talked about it. I have to understand is that Bible time society and today's society is different. One thing that Laine brought out in her letters is that we may not have servants or maids but we really do. We have our washing machines, dryer, bread machines and some of us dishwashers. I never thought of that from that perspective. I can't even imagine what could be accomplished by rising early.:) Here is another good article that I am reading.
http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/homefam/prov31.htm

So do you think that Prov. 31 still applies to today? I believe is should its still in the bible. What are your opinions. I hope this made sense. I am not a writer. This is a way of getting out what I have been thinking.:) Have fun ya'll.:)
Sharon:)

Attempt at Ruffle skirt.

2010-08-09T17:15:00.000-05:00

Today sewing wasn't successful. :( I am trying a ruffled skirt. It didn't turn out at all. So I have to figure out how to do it. Need to just try it again and not give up on it. Ugh!! I don't do well with trying new things cause if I fail at it then I give up and do not try it again. Well I need to just move forward and try it again. Glad I have extra material. Not getting the gathering right. Going to try my hand at the fabric flowers that are going around. Pretty cool.:) I want to do them for their school uniforms to add more color.
http://www.tipjunkie.com/fabric-flower-tutorials/

Something like this. I just have to try it and see what I can come up with.:)Off to check out some tutorials for the ruffled skirts.
Sharon:)

Update on last post.:)

2010-08-08T21:40:00.000-05:00

I want to thank those who encouraged me when they read my last post. I am fine.:) I was having a self pity party.:)

My Aunt came last weekend to visit. We had an enjoyable time. We went miniature golfing and really enjoyed ourselves. I have dangerous children. LOL Nathan started out and he swung back and accidentally hit his sister in the arm. Everyone survived. Then we enjoyed some yummy ice cream. So Life has been busy and trying to survive. LOL

Thats the kiddos and my wonderful Aunt.:) Love ya Aunt Meg.:)

A couple of weeks the kids and I saw a wild turkey with its babies. I tried to find my camera. By the time I found it the turkey had already disappeared. So I got the bright idea to go looking for it.:) I found it.:) I stayed at the edge of the woods and there it was trying to hide its babies. So I just stood there, it came towards me... So I got some really cool pictures. Never got any pictures of the babies though.

I love being out in the country. We have also seen I believe a woodchuck but I can't get a picture of it. The goal is to take pictures of all the wildlife that we see. We have had so far two birds nest on our porch. That was pretty cool. They did not get scared off so I was surprised at that. With how loud we can be going in our house. We have this thing with letting the door slam. LOL

We have been busy here. We have blackberry bushes all over the place. I had to step into the bushes as far as I could to get all the blackberry bushes that I could. Laurisah helped out and we had fun. Then afterward we went and made blackberry cupcakes with Felicity. They were so delicious. And yummy. Saturday I made 6 16 oz of blackberry jam. Haven't tried it yet but it will be on the breakfast menu soon. We will have more berries soon. Just have to wait for them to ripen. There are also red raspberries but Laurisah and I ate them. We had maybe four berries total. They were so yummy.;) I think that woodchuck devoured them.

Starting to get ready for school. The kiddos go back Aug 30. Have to go shopping and start sewing. Already started on skirt for Felicity. Going to try out some new things with sewing. I even got a uniform pattern to try and see if I can't sew them some uniform skirts and jumpers. Should be interesting.:) Well I guess I should call it a night.:) I hope everyone has the most wonderful week.:) Again sorry for the last blog post.

Family

2010-06-21T06:26:00.000-05:00

The older that I get the more I wished I had the mom and dad that loved me. I gets lonely for family to be close to. I break down crying and wonder why I didn't have what others have. Some may look at it as having a self pity party. But what they don't understand is that now I am raising children of my own and have no idea how to be that mom that I need to be. Then I am judged because I may not raise my kids the way everyone else thinks I need to. I try to hang onto being content with what I have. I wish I had that mom that was there when I married my wonderful husband and when I had my babies. No one can really fill the role of a mother unless its your own mom. And to have a loving father that was there to protect you and help you. My father could have cared less about us. He cared for himself then he did for us. I wonder why he didn't love me. Why he hated me so much. I guess I will never understand that either. Its sad that my children only have one set of grandparents ( my dh family). I was taken from my dad when I was little.

This is where I struggle with contentment. Being happy with my own family. But I feel lonely for what I didn't have. I try not to dwell on the fact that I will never have a close knit family. I ask the Lord to help me be happy. Be happy in him and to dwell on the family that I have now. How can I though when I can't seem to be a great mom to my kids? I know I am not the only one who didn't have a family and they seem happy and cheerful. How can I become happy and cheerful? Its easy to say oh the Lord will help. I already know that. But lately it doesn't seem like that helps at all. I don't know why its hit me now. My dh says to focus on what I do have. I try. No one really knows how I try. Well thats my self pity party for the day.

Sharon

Homekeepers Journal

2010-06-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

What’s going on in my kitchen this week ….. Nothing really. Soon I hope to get back into really cooking. Tonight will be pizza casserole and apple dumplings at my Mother-in-laws home.:)

Every time I try to ….. do crafty stuff I get a block and can't get creative and not be afraid of it.

Thinking very heavily on this right now … not letting my fear of life get me so far into myself that I do not attempt new things.

I wish my Mother or someone had told me that ….. that life can be difficulty.:)

I am determined to ….. to conquer my fear in the Name of the Lord Jesus.:)

Have a great day ya'll.:)

New House

2010-05-30T07:27:00.000-05:00

We have been quite busy the past couple of days. We closed on the house Tuesday May 25 at 2:30 in the afternoon. It was a lot of paper work. Mike was not here to sign so I had to sign three times at every place that needed a signature. I got out about 3:45. We started work on the house as soon as I got home and got changed.

The first thing we did was ripped out the carpet. It was disgusting. The smell in the basement just was so overwhelming. On Wednesday I had a sweet gentleman come out and helped me with getting the rest of the floors scrubbed and he painted the floors where the carpets were with kilz. He helped through out the day. Thursday I had to run around to get stuff at Lowes and Wal-Mart. The new floors were being put in at this point to. On Friday classes from the school that my children go to came out and helped with cleaning up the place and getting the yard cleaned up. This was a huge blessing. there was so much trash. I am going to go take pictures just to show how much this place was trashed. Josiah's teacher pressure washed the basement. It helped but we are still trying to figure out how to get the smell out. They kept some type of farm animal in the basement. There were horse mats and some hay stuff in the basement. Yesterday I bought tons of baking soda . Felicity and I just doused the basement and the basement stairs with it. By the time I left yesterday ( was painting the girls room) the smell seemed tons better. I am going to get some more today and go do the same thing today.

I chose this place because I saw the potential. I love the house. And we have 8 1/2 acres. We have always wanted to do homesteading. The place needs some work put into it. But its ours and we can do what we want with it. I love this place. Its so peaceful. I have ideas in my head for a garden surrounded by white picket fence with a gate. I have always wanted a white picket fence. Then for the door coming out of the basement I want to do a patio. I have huge dreams.:) But I think they can be accomplished.

I will post pictures of the progress. Mike will be home on Tuesday for two weeks. It will be a full two weeks for sure. Hope everyone has a great weekend.:)

Happy Memorial Day. Thank you to the service men who served our country and sacrificed their lives so we can be free. Thanks and God bless you and your families.

Sharon:)

In Dedication of a great teacher

2010-05-23T15:47:00.000-05:00

I recently found out that a teacher I had in high school passed away. He always expected the best out of his students. His classes were hard but he made it so that it was enjoyable. Its funny cause back then you would not think that. But now that I am way older LOL I see how much it was interesting. He wasn't one of those boring teachers. It was very important to him that we knew what was going on in the world and our government. Yep, I had him for government class. He said that it was our duty to know. I now have children of my own and find myself making them watch important events going on in our world and government. He always had a smile on his face and encouraging word. Thank you Mr. Harris for being that godly example. Sorry that I never said that to you. You were a real blessing. Thanks again. My prayers go out to the Harris family.
In Christ,
Sharon Sensaboy LeClair

Set Backs

2010-05-20T07:26:00.000-05:00

How is my attitude when it comes to news I do not like to hear? Yesterday my dh called and said that we would not be closing on the house Friday. First reaction was to be upset and say this always happens. But I had to stop and think about having a good attitude even if it means rearranging my schedule once again. Sometimes God allows things to happen to see how we will react to them. Yes I did fail yesterday with my attitude but you know what.. today is a new and bright day. I can be understanding to the underwriters. Its not their fault that they have tons of work. That just means they have work and still has a job. How wonderful is that? I was being selfish on my part and not thinking of the underwriters. I have to stop and thank God that we are still able to close. Just a few days later. And just work with what is given to me. So what if I can't do things the way I want to.:) Thank you Lord that you allowed us to have a house in the first place. :)

Have a great day ya'll.:)
Sharon:)

Homekeeper's journal

2010-05-19T14:24:00.000-05:00

In My Kitchen …… Will make Spaghetti with Zesty Bolognese (from Kraft kitchen site)

On My Mind ….. To have a good attitude about not closing on our house on Friday. Think Positive.

One Big Goal For This Week ….Finish packing and possible do some sewing on a baby blanket
Something I Would Like To Do …. Get moved and get settled in our new house.:)

It Means A Lot To Me …… when others are so encouraging and help me to focus on the positive not negative.

I am looking forward to …… My honey coming home for two weeks.:) So excited and he is coming home to a new house that he hasn't even seen yet.

On the Back Burner of my mind …… family and how I long for us to be close. It seems the older one gets the more one wants to be closer to their loved ones.

Have an awesome night ya'll.:)
Sharon:)

Impatient

2010-05-19T08:55:00.000-05:00

I am so impatient.:) The house closing is to take place on Friday. (Hopefully). I want it done now.:) I want to be able to take my boxes that I haven't unpacked yet ( cause I knew we would be moving again.) and unpack them and have a house that is normal. Did I say normal? Well at least as close to normal as possible. I have never said that I was a normal person. So if I am not normal then certainly my house isn't normal. LOL Goal is to move boxes over on Saturday when I go over to start cleaning and painting. I am so excited over the possibilities that we have before us.:)

I have so many ideas going through my head for decorations and setting the new house up. This is probably why I am so impatient to get started on my ideas.:)

Mike will be home on June 1. Hopefully the house will be mostly done except for moving over the big stuff which he gets to help with.:) Everything else I will be moving over in my van. Glad I didn't unpack everything.:) Off to watch a movie. I got one of my goals done today.:) Being lazy.:)

Have a great week ya'll.:)

Sharon:)

Another recipe

2010-04-25T07:31:00.000-05:00

The weather has been so nice lately. Spring is definitely here and I am itching to start planting. We are in the process of buying a house so I can't do any planting yet. Once we close the first thing I will do is clean out the garden beds and get them planted.:) Next few months I will have my work cut out for me. So excited!!:)

Last night I tried a new recipe from Southern Plate. Her site is full of yummy recipes. We had Chocolate cobbler and it was absolutely delish!! It had the cake part on top and the fudge sauce underneath. If you love chocolate you will love this dish. http://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/how-to-make-chocolate-cobbler.html

Hope ya'll have a great day.:) Its beautiful out there. Tomorrow we are suppose to be getting rain and its suppose to be cooler. Fun.:)
Sharon:)

Rainy Day:)

2010-03-15T17:45:00.000-05:00

So happy that instead of snow we are getting rain. The dampness makes it cold though. Just think rain brings the spring flowers. How exciting. Soon in a few months we will be seeing sunshine, flowers, blooming trees and hearing the chirping of the birds.:) We are so blessed to be able to hear and see these amazing things happen. We take so much for granted.:) We serve such an awesome God!!:)

Tonight I tried a new recipe from Food network. It needed more flavor. I used vermicelli, bacon and peas. Next time though I will use the smaller peas. It wasn't the greatest. I will make it again and do some changes. It wasn't bad. The recipe got a five star on their web site. So I will have to give it another try to see why they gave it a five star.:) And this time add the lemon. I am not that crazy about lemon. For dessert we are having yummy Thin mint cookies from the girl scouts. :)

I haven't kept up with my schedule like I should have. I am going to get back up and try again. Tonight before the kiddo's had supper I had them clean their room and then checked them. Now they are doing their chores and then maybe some peace and quiet.:) They want to listen to adventure in odyssey. So we probably will.

Hope ya'll have a great night.:)

Sharon:)

New Recipe

2010-03-11T15:01:00.001-06:00

I decided that since I love to cook I would start making food network recipes.The first one that we tried was Rachel Ray Chili dog Hamburgers. We liked it.& Can't say that it was a favorite but it was good. The recipe can be found on page 155 of 365: No Repeats. Not sure what the next one will be. Tonight will be leftovers.

I cleaned the van the best I could. Mike and I will probably do the van together when he gets home for R&R. Its so nice to actually have spring on its way.:) It is alot warmer then it normally is. Looking forward to do some gardening it won't be much cause we will be moving again. Hope this next move will be the last one.:) I notice that my life has been all about moving and having new things in my life. Could say that its an adventure.:)

The boys will be having Battalion tonight and the girls and I will come home to nice quiet house for a few hours.:) Tomorrow I will be going with the girls class to their class ministry which is at a nursing home. Hoping I can get some studying in so I can finish up my humanities course. Have fun.:)

Sharon:)

New goal:)

2010-03-07T11:35:00.000-06:00

I haven't been posting much lately. Nothing has really been happening that would be interesting to post. Why do I blog? I look at it as an online journal.

My life has been busy and I have also been keeping too myself lately. Not sure why. Been dealing with some emotional issues. I guess I deal with the fact that I look around me and I just see how much I have wasted my life. I see college friends and how they are serving God. And it depresses me that I haven't done much. Have I really served God? I have tried. I am not as spiritual as some. I guess I don't really want to be spiritual. I want to be real. Sometimes we forget about being real and not just being spiritual. Jesus when He was on earth wasn't just acting but was real. How many times have I just pretended to care. I did it cause I knew that others expected it. Well, I am so done with that. I care because I chose to. I chose to love those and be real with those around me. I am realizing that Life isn't all about college degrees and what I have accomplished. I have been so caught up in the fact that I need a college degree to be worth something or accomplish something for God. Well that may not happen. I should be focusing on the here and now. My husband and children should be the focus. Along with God of course.:) God has done so much for us. Instead of being depressed which I have been I need to take on a gratitude attitude.:)

I am so thankful for the fact God isn't done with me yet. He is still working on me. I am a work in progress.

Sorry about all the I's LOL. Sounds so selfish. LOL

Goals for this week:
Get all the laundry done
Try a few recipes from Rachel Ray

I hope everyone has a great week.:)

Sharon:)

PS Excuse all the errors. I am not a writer. English was one of my worst subjects in school. :)

Quote

2010-01-04T20:56:00.000-06:00

This is from my little calendar that Mike gave to me about 15 years ago when we first started dating. It was a birthday gift. I love this calendar.

" As I ask for your forgiveness and embrace it, give me the courage to extend a forgiving hand to those who have hurt me. Amen."

"Flattery is the art of telling another person exactly what he things of himself."

Off to bed. Goodnight ya'll.
Sharon:)

Blah Moments

2010-01-03T17:21:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had a day where you just feel blah. The past few days have felt that way for me. I could just crawl into my nice smelling sheets and blankets and sleep.:) I haven't been sleeping well. With the vacation it threw me way off. Tomorrow back to the grind.:) When 5:30 comes around I will probably want to go back to sleep.:) Who wouldn't LOL. The kids are excited about going back to school. Tomorrow they have an away game. I can't go cause I have to get the van fixed so I can get it inspected and registered.

Here is a saying from a little calender I keep on my desk.

"People are certainly peculiar-they want the front of the bus,
the back of the church and the middle of the road."

Well ya'll have a great night.

Sharon:)

My Routine schedule

2010-01-01T16:57:00.004-06:00

This is my new schedule that I will be starting on Monday. My goal is to stay on top of it but I will have my days that I won't do as well as I would like. When I have those days then I just need to get back up and keep going. I haven't started my work schedule yet but will soon. My job orientation is on Tuesday morning. Hopefully I will start right away. I have always found that when I follow a schedule my day goes much smoother. I have to be more diligent at it cause naturally I am a lazy person and like to find reasons why I don't accomplish a task.

Here is my routines.:)

Kids Morning Routines
6:30-6:40 Get Up and make bed
6:40-7:00 Eat Breakfast
7:00-7:15 Girls take showers
7:00-7:15 Get Dressed

Kids Evening Routines
4:00-5:00 Do Homework
5:00-5:30 Eat Supper
5:30-7:00 Chores
7:00-7:30 Make sure clothes are out, have back packs, hats, gloves jackets and shoes at the front door for the next day. Boys take showers. Tia practice violin.
8:00-Nathan bedtime
8:30 -Tia Bedtime
9:30 -Sissy Bedtime
10:00- Josiah bedtime

Chores:
Josiah/Nathan:
Bedroom:
Vacuum
Make bed
Make sure closet is clean.
Make sure dirty laundry is brought to basement on Monday
Drawers straightened up and clean clothes put away.

Josiah/Nathan:
Dishes nightly
Garbage nightly (take garbage to street on Thursday night)

Sissy/Tia:
Bedroom:
Vacuum
Make beds
Make sure Closet is clean
Drawers straightened up and clean clothes put away.
Make sure dirty laundry is brought to the basement on Tuesdays.
Sissy: Sweep and do spots on floors nightly.
Tia: Put dishes away nightly.

My Routines:
Morning Routines:
5:30-5:45- Get Up and make bed
5:45-6:00 -Read Bible and Pray
6:00-6:30-Shower and get dressed
6:30-6:40- Get kids up
6:40-7:00- Breakfast with the kids
7:00-7:15- Get laundry in and started
7:15-7:30-Do girls hair and help get things done.

Evening Routines:2:30-4:00- Chat with Mike
4:00-5:00- Work on supper and help kids with homework
5:00-5:30- Supper
5:30-7:00- Help kids with chores and work on Laundry
7:00-7:30-Help with kid’s clothes and getting things ready for the next day
7:30-9:00-Work on online school courses.

Work Schedule for Me:
Mondays- 3:00-6:00

Tuesdays- 9:00-1:00

Thursdays-9:00-1:00

Fridays- 3-6:00

On these days my evening routines will be behind. Supper will be crockpot meals the evenings that I have to work. That way the kids will be able to feed themselves and be able to start on their chores by the time I get home.

Monday evenings-violin lesson for Tia.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are basketball practice/ game days.

Pictures from Yesterday

2009-12-31T06:54:00.004-06:00

All nice and clean now including the top shelf.:) Yeah!:)

After I cleaned out this closet, I made it into my sewing/card making closet. I still want to get something for my thread. It feels good to get this accomplished. Now to stay on top of it we shall see how that goes.:)

Today I am suppose to be going out to help with a project. If that doesn't happen then I will work on my morning and evening routines.

I hope to make the last day of 2009 a great one.:) We aren't going anywhere for new years eve ( strange we always used to do something) so I am going to the store and getting tons of snacks and junk food for the kids and I too pig out on. Not sure what will do while we eat but I'll figure something out.:)

Have a great day ya'll.:)

Sharon:)

Today's Goals

2009-12-30T08:01:00.006-06:00

This is embarrassing.:) This is Mike's and I closet. Now I can clear off the top shelf of the closet and figure out where to put up there. And move the totes downstairs to the basement. I have to be a little creative cause I need to get more hangers. I actually have to think today. Don't know how didn't get to sleep until 3 this morning. Maybe more coffee.:)

More of the closet in our room. UGH!!

This is outside of our bedroom. The hallway closet. I plan to put my sewing supplies and scrap booking stuff in here until I get containers to put the little stuff in. The goal is to accomplish this today. You never know what life can throw ya though.:) Off to a bright and sunny day.:) Hope ya'lls day is an awesome one!!:)

Sharon:)

Finished:)

2009-12-29T14:51:00.010-06:00

Bills all filed away.:) Now when I get the mail I can just put it away.

Reading/game area. I am going to get a standing lamp to put behind the chair.

Nice clean desk.:)

Book shelf. This is as organized as it will get until we get more book shelves. Because of the way this house is I have to get smaller book shelves.

Tomorrow or Thursday the goal is to organize our bedroom and closet. Including organizing the hallway closet. It is so easy to keep up when things are clean and organized. I know I said that its easy to keep up when organized. My problem is staying organized. So when I fail I will just get right back up and try again. I think I am missing the organizing gene.:) Mike is great at it. He knows how frustrated and overwhelmed I get at just the thought of trying to organize.

Well I do hope that ya'll have a great night.:) Off to find a recipe for supper. Then maybe for a treat to myself read or watch something.:) And of course play uno with Nathan. He loves that game.

Sharon:)

Starting on the organizing goal:)

2009-12-29T12:33:00.005-06:00

This is a picture of our office. I was throwing all our mail into the filing cabinet. Didn't have time to deal with it. So while on vacation I am working on it.:) I took everything out of the filing cabinet and threw it on the floor. Fun. I do have piles going. Can't tell from the picture but I do.:)

My desk area. I am going to work hard on being more organized!!:) Have fun ya'll.:)

What is your outlook for the New Year?

2009-12-29T09:08:00.004-06:00

Every year we all try to make goals for the new year. The Year 2010 is fast approaching. What will the new year be like for us? Most of us may endure hardship and some blessings. I guess my goal this year would be to change my outlook on life. We can complain about how life treats us or we can just move on with a positive attitude. Which will it be for you? Things may not go as we expect it to but should that stop us from being thankful to God for allowing us one more year here on earth? There are so many blessings.

Many years I have made goals and failed at keeping them. My goal this year is too get back up when I fail and try again. My goals for this year are:

1. Get organized and stay organized.
2. Keep up with my Morning and Evening routines
3. Learn how to garden in Maine (so much different then TX was.)
4. Possibly go for my CNA licenses.
5. Work on Learning new things in Sewing

More then just keeping goals is to remember to rely on God for help with these. Yeah I could do them on my own but whats the sense. God wants us to rely on him even in the simple issues of life. He just doesn't care with the major issues in our lives but the simple things to.

I will leave you with one of my favorite verses in Proverbs.

"Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established."
Proverbs 16:3

House pictures

2009-09-30T20:31:00.006-05:00

We went from about 2800 square foot house to about 1600 square foot ( I think LOL, have to check with Mike on that one). I love it. So easy to keep up on. We went from 3 and an 1/2 bathrooms to one bathroom. Makes life interesting LOL. We have four bedrooms that are a lot smaller then our other house. It feels so cozy though. So peaceful here. The nearest Wal-Mart is about 30 minutes away. The nearest grocery store is about 15 to 20 minutes away. We are in the midst of woods. We do have a little supermarket in walking distance which is nice.:) But expensive.

I love this house. We do rent but it is so homey and cozy.

The truck in Maine. This was on Friday Sept. 11.

This is the supermarket that we walk to. It is great.:) Can be expensive.

So this is the Journey that we have been on. We are not done though. Our life will be a continuous journey. No matter how we look at it. We can either look at the journey at a negative prospective or look at it from a positive prospective. How ever you do is up to you.:) For me I look at as an adventure.:)

And please do not mind my English or wrong use of grammar and punctuation. LOL English was never my strong point in School.:)

Have fun ya'll.:)

Pictures

2009-09-30T20:24:00.004-05:00

This is our truck. It showed up on Monday afternoon of Aug.31.

Here trying to figure out how we are going to pack it up.

This is the garage full with our stuff.:)

Life is a Journey

2009-09-30T19:37:00.003-05:00

I have been having the journey of my life. I named my blog Life is a Journey because you never know what may come up. Our family decided to move back to Maine. This was back in July. We were going to wait until dh got home but dh decided he wanted to spend his next R&R in Maine. Part of the reason he didn't really want me to do this myself was because of driving cross country with the four children. My wonderful friend that I have took time off to drive with me.:) So more and more God just kept opening up more doors. I kept telling dh that it was time to step out in Faith and watch God direct our path. We all worked together to pack up the house. The kids and I worked hard. So did my mother-in-law. I decided to ask our homeschool group in Texas if anyone could help pack up our truck and help us paint and get the house fixed up to put on the market. I had two families step up and helped. What a huge blessing and one of those families had people come from the church help us to. I could go on and on about this family. They were a huge blessing!!!

August 31 we had our truck dropped off. We packed the truck in two days. We were told by Mayflower that we would have to pay like 12,000 for them to move us and that we would have about 18000 pounds. Well, it ended up just being about 8300 pounds (this is about an average, can't remember the exact pounds). I got to take two days off.:) Then we left on Thursday Sept. 3. We had no issues. The Lord watched over us as we drove. Mike had already set up our hotels so all we had to do was stop and sign in.:) Everything just fell together. While we were on the road dh decided to call the house that was for rent that we had been looking at for about two months. The landlord held the house for us. Mike's parents went to look at it and said I would love it. You have to understand that this is all taking place while I am on the road. We get in on Sunday. My friend and I took a ride to see our little house. Then my father-in-law and I took my friend to the airport on Monday. I went to see the house on Monday afternoon. Loved it.:) Signed the lease on Tuesday. So the kids and I decided to rough it and sleep on the floor. LOL We had fun.

Our truck wasn't suppose to be in until Monday or Tuesday because of the memorial day holiday. Mike got a call that our truck would be in on Thursday. Yeahooo. How fun. The truck showed up on Thursday. My father-in-law and two of Mike's cousins came and helped unload. It took half of Friday to get it all unpacked. And the company came out and got it Friday evening. I had the boxes mostly all unpacked in about a week.

We have seen God work in so many ways. What a blessing. Now we are entering a new stage of our life. We are talking about putting the kids in the christian school here. I have a job interview October 13. I am so excited. This is something new for all of us. I have been home with the kiddo's since babies. This is going to be a change for all of us. Please pray with our family as we take the next stage in our life.

Mike also has a new stage in life to. He will be hopefully coming home in Nov for 3 weeks. Then be back overseas until April. He wants to go straight from there to officer school in May. He wants to go back into the National Guard. And this time go as an officer.

There are many times in our life that we say we feel the Lord wants us to do something but we just keep praying about it. This is what our life was about. But something we learned is nothing won't happen until you decide to step out in faith. The Lord is capable to stop us but we have to be willing to just do it. There are so many stories in the Old Testament of people stepping out in faith.

Garden time

2009-05-22T18:44:00.002-05:00

Hey I didn't realize how long its been since I last posted.:) My cherry tomato plant is covered in tomatoes.:) yahoo. I picked two off that were red and ate them instead of taking a picture for my dh. LOL My other tomato plants are doing great to. I also have two jalapeno peppers . I ended up taking black plastic and putting it around the fence of my garden. I am hoping that will kill the weeds. I have the type of grass that grows like a vine so it was growing through through the fence and planting itself into the garden. Not fun to pull out.:) I want to kill the weeds and grass around the fence and then plant some sun flower seeds there. I am also having a huge problem with ants. So I am trying some sugar and borax to see if that gets rid of them. I hope so. I hate using chemicals. So I have been trying to research for some natural ways of getting rid of bugs. So that's it for the garden.:)

The greatest news is Dh will be home in about 3 weeks for his next R &R. Yahoo. I have been busy trying to clean the carpets and get things cleaned up for him.:) I love him and miss him tons.:( Well I am off for a night off.:)
Sharon:0

Garden pictures

2009-05-08T17:55:00.003-05:00

After rain last week my garden really grew.:) I am so excited I have tomatoes now.:) I may become over run with them.:) Can't wait to start can them.:) I think I am going to try DE for the pest that I am getting. I had to take out my cucumber plants. There was a weird bug on them and I wasn't sure if they would go to the other plants.
This is my cilantro plant and English thyme in the background.

This is the squash and zuchini with the pepper plants.:)

My first tomato.:) YAHOOO!! There are more on there to. When should I pick? When they get bigger? HMMMM.

This is more tomato plants. I definitly think I overcrowed. I have no idea how to measure LOL. Math was never my strong point in school. Dh isn't here to help. Though the exciting news is dh will be home again sometime in July for another RandR. :) Yahoo. I can''t wait. Today I got a kirby (only 60.00 dollars) . Dh said I could get it is my mother's day gift.

I hope all ya'll moms have a wonderful Mother's day.:)

Sharon:)

2009-05-02T08:17:00.002-05:00

This is so cool I won something.:) If you go to this link http://teachinggoodthings.com/blog/weekly-garden-update-and-giveaway-winner/ you can see what I won.:) You can also win if you join the weekly garden updates. This is my first year gardening.:) To those who left comments thanks for the encouragement and suggestions.:) You can aslo sign up for yourself.

I haven't had to water this week because we have had tons of rain to the point where in some parts of Tx we are getting floods. We are suppose to get storms today which will mean more water for the garden. I have ants and bugs on the back of my pepper plants. So when the rain stops I will get out there and get it taken care of. I researched online and found that you can put some borax in little lids and ants are attracted to it and will carry it back their home and kill them off. Not sure so I am going to give it a try. My fruit plants aren't doing the greatest. Everything looks so green and is getting bigger. I will get out and get more pictures later.:)

Go to the site if you have a garden and sign up. This is fun and my children have been helping me with the watering and pulling out weeds. I still got weeds even though I put down that black stuff for weeds.:( Well ya'll have a great week I will post pictures later.:)
Sharon:)

Lots of rain LOL

2009-04-27T20:26:00.003-05:00

We have been getting lots of rain. My garden is enjoying it. Everything is so green. I still have to figure out what is eating my plants. If anyone has any ideas how to naturally get rid of the pest please share.:) I am sharing some pictures of my garden. Nathan my six year old thought he could start picking. He decided to pick my first tomato, the only problem with that is it wasn't ready:(. I wasn't too happy. But now he understands that you can't pick until ready. I will let him pick the first thing that is ready.:) Well here are the pictures.:)

This is my tomato plant.

This is my black berry bush. It started out with only a

few leaves that I didn't think it would live.

Here are some of my herbs. Cilantro, English sage, English Thyme and my Cherry tomato plant.

This a mixture of corn, green beans, and cucumbers.

I read that if you plant the corn stalks then the cucumbers

and the green beans can climb up them and hold them up.

This is my first year so I am experimenting.:)

This is zuchini, squash, green peppers and Jalenpo pepper.

I have little bugs on the back of my leaves of my pepper plants.

So this is just a part of my garden. I didn't take pictures of my fruit trees or my fruit plants that I have.:) I don't know how to make separate pages for different things.

Have a great week all.:)

Sharon:)

Garden life:)

2009-04-23T09:00:00.002-05:00

Hey.:) I hope those who read here are having a great month so far.:) I have been working hard on my garden.:) Well just weeding and watering. I am so excited cause I have tomatoes growing. I have some on my cherry tomato plants and some on my hot house plant. I have flowers on my Squash and zuchini plant. I also have some blooms on my bell pepper plant and cucumber plants. I had planted some tomato seedlings inside and transplanted them . I thought they were all going to die. Well I have some growing. My corn is also growing (this is an experiment). I am hoping to have alot to share and can. I will post some udated pictures later. Well i have to go and get ready for our piano lessons.:) Have fun ya'll.
Sharon:)

Been busy

2009-04-05T19:59:00.003-05:00

Hey ya'll. I have been busy that is why I haven't posted much. I have been working in my garden, school with the kiddo's and doing my own schooling. I love being outside working in my garden. When things get chaotic inside going outside seems to calm things down. My tomato plants already have flowers.:) My plum tree has one little ole plum on it.:( We just put the trees in while dh was home on his R&R. I try to make a point to go outside in the morning to water. I know this may sound strange but I also take this time to pray over my garden to be abundant. I don't know how bad this year will be with the economy but I want to be able to help others. God wants us to do this. I am also learning to can and have already put up 7 jars of applebutter and 7 jars of peach perserves. They were easy to do. I had a friend teach me. I also made strawberry freezer jam and everyone loves it. No more store bought jam. I also want to try to make grape jelly using grape juice. Dh is going to buy me a pressure canner so I can also can my homemade spaghetti sauce and soups and so forth. I am excited. I want to do what I can do to do my part to help those in need and also keep my family prepared.:) Well thats about it.:) I have to work more on blogging. I just have to learn how to fit it into my schedule.:0) I hope ya'll have a great week.:)
Sharon:)

Update:)

2009-03-09T21:16:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed our time while dh was home on RandR. His dad came the second week of his RandR. Dh helped me put in a garden and now I am enjoying it.:) I have put in lots of plants.:) There are some more I want to put in. I will be taking pictures soon. I will add them when I get time. I have been busy with gardening, and school. Well that is all for now.:) Hope you all have a great night.:)
Sharon:)

I won't be on for awhile:)( well Maybe):)

2009-02-14T21:08:00.002-06:00

I have the most exciting news.:) I have been trying really hard to keep it a surprise for my kiddies.:) My dh is flying in tomorrow for two weeks. I am just so excited.:) I went and got my nails done yesterday for him.:) He has been wanting me to have them done. I got a sea shell design. I tried taking pictures but they turned out awful.:) So maybe another time.:) I have never had my nails done like this before and I could get spoiled.:) I love them. Even if it is hard to get used to them.:) Anyways He flys in tomorrow morning around 11:23. Everyone thinks he is flying in around the same time his dad is suppose to be coming and that isn't until the 22nd.:) I hope everyone loves my little surprise.:) I know I will. LOL The way I am getting out of the house to do this is to go to the store for something I forgot.:) Just trying to figure out what I forgot.LOL GUM:) I need sweet smelling breath.:) Or soda. Something.:) So you family at there that knows about this. BE QUIET.:) That is said in love.:)

Have a great night all.:)
Sharon:)

Great month of giveaways!!

2009-02-02T15:53:00.002-06:00

Nope not me.:) But at this wonderful site. www.southernplate.com She has wonderful recipes. I have tried a few and they have been delicious. She has many things that she is giving away this month. The first give away of the month is a wonderful sounding coffee maker and grinder. Great for those coffee lovers.:) Which I am!!:) I have one cup every morning with my devotions. Love that time of the morning. Even if it means I can't sleep in.:) So do go to her site and join the give away!!:) Enjoy!!:)
Sharon:)

30 day prayer challenge

2009-02-01T19:52:00.002-06:00

Please go to this site and join. This is for all married ladies who are willing to pray for their husbands. Our husbands have alot on their shoulders and we need to be praying for them. I don't pray as I should and this list will help me.:) The site is http://www.homesteadblogger.com/TheBarnSwallow/. This lady is the sweetest.:) Please do sign up and enjoy.:)
Sharon:)

God's Protection

2009-01-31T20:35:00.003-06:00

On Friday I had the stove/oven fixed. I was shocked to see what had happend. We could have had a fire. The guy who fixed the stove said that over time the wire connections would catch on fire when I cooked. I didn't even realize it. The wires were burnt and so was the electric cord coming from the wall . The Lord was certainly watching out for us. I am so thankful that nothing happened and it stopped working before something could happen. What an awesome God we have. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures but it was pretty serious. Don't mind the dirt.:) And yes we cleaned underneath before we moved the stove back.:) Sometimes we don't understand why things stop working or so forth but there is always a reason.:)

This was the wires on the back of the stove. The were burnt.

This is the wire that hooks up to the above wires in the picture above. This the wire that is plugged into the wall. I hope I made sense. Sometimes I have a hard time trying to explain myself. Have a great week.:) Off to do some of my school work.:)

Sharon:)

Still have to keep on smiling:)

2009-01-28T18:59:00.002-06:00

Well today I still have to smile, even when things go wrong. First, I heard of my Aunt's father passing away last night. I know he is in heaven but he was wonderful to me. He was a great guy and a wonderful person to know.

Then while I was in the middle of cooking steaks the stove/oven decided to stop working. At least I got the kids steaks cooked.:) I was in the middle of cooking my mil steak. So I had to run out to Wal-Mart and get a griddle. I had one at one time and someone had dropped it , this happened over a year ago. I decided not to get another one but tonight I didn't have any choice. Now if I can figure out how to cook like pasta and rice without a stove. I even tried the circuit breaker and it wasn't that. I don't know what it is. :( Maybe I should learn how to fix a stove. LOL I have to smile. This stove is only 3 years old. It shouldn't go that quickly. I guess my birthday gift will be getting the stove fixed.:) Yeah.:)

Well I am learning that you have to keeep smiling.:) Smiling helps to get through the tough times. The Lord helps alot. He tells us in the Bible to cast our burden/troubles on Him. It helps to have the Lord to lean on.:) I am so thankful for the salvation of my Aunts dad, I am thankful that I have a crockpot and griddle that I can cook on. I am also thankful that I have a van. Our other car is still sitting in the driveway with a flat tire and is a fire hazard. I have alot to be thankful for. I don't want to complain.

I hope everyone has a bright and fun week.:)
Sharon:)

Sweet Day :)

2009-01-26T20:23:00.002-06:00

This morning I had a rough start. And dh and I were on chat and I was crying. He isn't here to give me a hug and I miss that. Well a few hours later my door bell rings. Here is this lady standing there with these flowers. I was expecting it to be for my mil or the wrong house. Well they were for me and the kids were all like, we bet they are from daddy. They kept saying to look but it was hard cause I was bawling like a baby. They were from my dh and I was so surprised. They are gorgeous. I have the sweetest guy!! I certainly don't deserve him. God has blessed us. We have been married for 14 years. I am so blessed that I didn't end up with a husband that didn't care for his wife or children. I hear so many stories of wives who struggle and my heart breaks.

This rose is so perfect. This arrangement is simply gorgeous.:)

Well off to chat with dh!!:) Hope everyone has a great week.:)

Sharon:)

Pictures of the day:)

2009-01-24T19:38:00.003-06:00

This is part of our living room. I just noticed that the piano isn't centered. Yikes. That is our picture wall. Picture in the center is dh and I. In this picture we were only a few months away from our first anniversary.:) I sure do miss him. :( Baby pictures of our kiddies. Top picture is one of our niece and two nephews (dh sister's kids). On the piano are pictures of the kids when they are older, of dh and his sister when they were little, and a picture of my grandmother from the 20's or 30's I believe.

This is a new recipe that we tried tonight. It was a hit. I had to cook it longer then what the recipe said. I also made a mixture of melted margarine, Parmesan cheese, oregano, Italian seasonings and garlic salt. Then I brushed it on top with some mozzarella cheese. This was called for in the recipe but I like to be creative. I got it off this site. http://stolenmomentscooking.blogspot.com/search/label/Pizza%20bread . This lady has a lot of great recipes and the two that I tried has been a hit with the family.:) Enjoy!!:)

This was the finish results.:) The bottom really wasn't burnt, promise!!:) The cookies I am embarrassed to say aren't homemade.:) They are HEB brand in the roll. They are really yummy.:)

I got the house cleaned. My questions are almost done for my Old Testament Survey course. I still have to watch five lectures, which I plan to do tomorrow after church. Nice weekend.:) Looking forward to chatting to dh.:) He has been putting in really long days. Works from 5:30 am to about 6:00 pm. He goes in early so he can work but also chat with me. I am soooo looking forward to him coming for R&R.:)

I hope everyone has a great weekend.:)

Sharon:)

Temperatures:)

2009-01-23T20:31:00.002-06:00

I love that the weather the past two days has been almost in the eighties.:) Yahoo!! I don't like cold. It hurts the bones.:) We have buds on our trees. Can we say Spring is around the corner? I do hope so.:) What an awesome thought.
This year I will be doing my first garden and really excited about it. I have a compost pile going that I am working on. I hope it will be ready. When dh gets home for his R&R he said he will help get the gardens up and going. I am going to be doing a square foot garden with veggies, herbs and flowers. Then I want to get some fruit trees and bushes. Hopefully I won't kill them all being my first time and all.:) Also when dh is home he wants to get the fence replaced. I am surprised that our winds haven't blown it down yet. All I can say is that that is the hand of God.:) He knew we didn't have the money to replace it.:) Now we have a little bit of exta cash that we can do this.:) Thank you Lord. Just another blessing from Him.:)
Well the kids are all laying around me wanting to watch Leave it to Beaver.:) We love this show. If anyone has any old shows that they can recommend please do so.:) We are almost done with all the seasons of Leave it To Beaver.:( We also like Father knows best and we are almost done with that too.:) Well off to watch a show together. Have a great night.:)

Sharon:)

New Recipe

2009-01-21T18:43:00.003-06:00

This was a great recipe that I tried tonight. I got it off this blog.
http://stolenmomentscooking.blogspot.com/2009/01/pizza-stuffed-meatloaf.html

I think next time I will add more sauce to it. I made smashed potatoes and peas to go with it. Great meal.:)

There are more recipes on this site that I want to try.:)
Sharon:0)

Another day made in History

2009-01-20T08:31:00.002-06:00

Today is a day for History!! We have the very first black President. We may not all agree who should be in office but you can't help but be awed at the fact that we went from slaves to a President who is black. What an awesome thought!! America has come a long way!! I am not afraid what may happen cause God is in control of all. As it says in Proverbs as God can change the way of a river so can he change the hearts of Kings.

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Proverbs 21:1

Nothing will happen that God doesn't know in advance. Take Heart in the fact that God is in control!!

Sharon:)

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Homemade Laundry soap

2009-01-17T18:54:00.002-06:00

Finally, I am going to make homemade laundry soap. I love my tide but I thought i will finally try this homemade laundry soap. I will post how it turns out.:)
Sharon:)

Schedules

2009-01-16T19:58:00.003-06:00

I have been reading alot lately on how keeping a schedule helps. Well I do have to say this is true. I am finding that if I stick to a schedule such as in cleaning and the school schedule my life doesn't seem that overwhelming. But once I get off the schedule I get down with how the house looks and I start getting depressed. Schedules help alot in maintaining life.

Spiritually I am finding that if I stick to reading my Bible and praying it helps with the day. I try to do this as soon as I get up. I have just recently start back up with bible reading and praying. Sometimes I get in a slump where I just feel spiritually dry. My class is helping to. I am learning alot in my Old Testament Survey Class. I am learning somethings that I have never thought about before or even heard before.

I have learned though you can't let schedules rule your life.:) I have to learn to be flexible.
Lately I haven't had alot of thoughts.:) I have been tired and so decided that tonight I am being lazy. Bad me:).

Watch some Leave it to Beaver and talk to dh when he gets on.:) So off to some quiet time.:) Well if the kids allow it!! LOL
Sharon:)

Long day

2009-01-09T19:38:00.002-06:00

Wow. Today was long. I am so looking forward to the weekend.:) Sleep in. Yahoo!! My goals tomorrow are to work on cleaning the house ( shouldn't have much since I have been trying to stay on top of cleaning it.), get the shepherds pie going for lunch on Sunday, and work on my college course. I have a lot of reading, studying and lectures to watch.:) Looks like I am going to get an in depth study of the Old Testament. Which I think will be good for me.:) Lots of reading. I think I have it figured out, work on some of my Bible reading ( that I have to do for my course) in the morning with my devotions, then do the regular book reading in the afternoons and watch my lectures during this time to. Most of the time the kids are done with their school work before lunch time but for the past two days I have had one child that hasn't gotten done until late in the afternoon. So I could actually have nighttime as a break and relaxation time. Long days yes, but the busier I am the better off I am. I won't be wasting time.:) In the mornings my goals are to have laundry going and done by the afternoon and to have what I want to clean done. I feel much better about my life.:) Even though at times I feel overwhelmed.

Well I guess I said enough.:) I am so tired but it is a good tired. I am looking forward to chatting with dh to.:) I miss him.:( I can't wait for him to come home on R&R.:)

Have a great night ya'll.:)

Sharon:)

Learning in this New Year

2009-01-07T18:28:00.002-06:00

I have been learning a lot already in this New Year. This is what I have learned. I want to do more for the Lord. But at the moment my mission field is at home. Being a wife and a mom. Being the best that I can be for the Lord in this area of life is my mission. This is where I need to be content at and nothing else. Each and everday I can be there for my children. I want to be able to know that when I get to heaven my children will join me there. That is more important to me than anything else.

Something that I have been thinking about for awhile now.

Well I hope you all have a great night.:)
Sharon:)

Neat Site

2009-01-07T07:10:00.003-06:00

This is a really cool site. The lady is full of godly wisdom. I read her almost daily. I am learning alot from her. She is giving away a neat prize on her blog. Enjoy her blog.:)
http://teachinggoodthings.com/blog/blog/

Have a great day everyone.:)
Sharon:)

First Winter Storm of the Season

2009-01-05T18:57:00.003-06:00

For some reason blogger puts the pictures out of order. Hmmm I wonder why? Today was a very cold day and get this Wednesday we are suppose to be in the seventies. YAHHOOOO!! My type of weather.:)

To ya'll who having wintery weather stay warm.:) And to ya'll with heat please send some this way.:)

Sharon:)

Menu Monday

2009-01-05T15:49:00.003-06:00

Here is my menu for this week. I got stuck on Wednesday. I have to see what we have and then plan for wednesday.

Monday: No Peek beef tips
Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Soup ( have to find a yummy recipe)
Wednesday: Find a recipe
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Tomato soup and grilled cheese
Saturday: Homemade Pizza
Sunday: Pork Tenderloin (find Recipe)

Have a great day.:)
Sharon:)
other great recipes at http://orgjunkie.com/2008/12/menu-plan-monday-dec-29th-surprise-spread-recipe.html

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-31T09:31:00.001-06:00

My sweet children.:) Love them bunches!!

Update

2008-12-30T20:56:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted much this month. Been really busy. I passed both my college classes. I got a B in English and an A in Theology. Yeah. My next class will be Old Testament Survey. I only have to take one. I go from Jan 12 to March 6. Then I will start New Testament Survey.

I start school with the kids on Monday Jan 5. I am going to be busy with homeschooling, my school, housework, laundry and taking Mom to her doctors appointments each month. Yikes. And Mike thinks this will be good for me LOL. I have been working on a schedule. Goal is to keep at it.

Mike is doing great. Really busy. He enjoys being busy. They have asked him to do more programing for them. He has already accomplished one big project for his job and they asked him to do more. I think it makes their jobs over there easier. Easier is helpful.:) Mike has been learning so much. When we are both apart like this we grow more in the Lord and learn to depend on the Lord more.

Well we are going into a new year. I do not want to make any resolutions because I can't keep them. I don't know too many people that can keep their resolutions. I have some goals. I want to manage my time better. I also want to keep on a schedule. I want to really get right and do my devotions. I have been having a really hard time with that lately.

Looking back over this year there has been so many downs. That I don't even want to remember this year. It has been a really hard year. But I do have to say that we have learned a lot. A lot has happened this year. The biggest change of this year was Mike leaving for Iraq. We both feel that God gave him this job the way everything fell into place. I miss him so much. But I know God is doing a work.

For this new year coming I want to be what God wants me to be and nothing more. Hope everyone has a great end of an old year.:)
Sharon:)

Thanksgiving week

2008-11-25T08:12:00.003-06:00

I haven't kept up much on the thanksgiving post. But I am thankful. God has done so much for us. I am learning not to complain but look at what God has done. He has blessed us even when we do not deserve it. I am learning that instead of complaining look at what I can be thankful for.

Our menu for thanksgiving is:

THURSDAY Nov 27, 2008:
Turkey/ Ham
Stuffing
Gravy
Mashed Potatoes ( make ahead and put in crockpot)
Green bean casserole and one other veggie
Rolls

Condiments:
Black olives
green olives
2 kinds of pickles
cranberry sauce

Desserts:
2 Pumpkin Rolls
2 Pumpkin Pies
1 Pecan Pie

I plan on peeling and cutting the potatoes today. I will make the potatoes tomorrow with the stuffing. The potatoes will go in the crockpot on Thursday morning. I will make the green bean casserole tomorrow to so I can just stick it in the oven. Tomorrow I will also make the pumpkin rolls. I am trying to do as much ahead as possible. Mike usually helps me.:( We always work together on the holidays for cooking. So I will miss him. I miss him alot. He has been extremely busy cause people are coming home on R&R. Not many people left in the office over there.

Well I do hope everyone has a happy thanksgiving. It is Felicity's birthday on Thursday to. I am so thankful for this little girl. She is so full of life and personality. I can't believe she nine years old. Wow.

Well off to sew an apron for Thursday.
Sharon:)

Thankful 8

2008-11-19T19:02:00.003-06:00

Sometimes it is hard to be content. Especially if you are having a really tough day and you wish things could be different. So I am thankful for the life I have. It may not be busy, we may not have a lot of money and we may not have what we want but we are alive. God has given us more than what we deserve. So I am thankful and content where God has me right now. God has blessed me above and beyond anything I ever imagined. Thank you Lord.:)
Sharon:)

Thankful 7

2008-11-12T20:39:00.003-06:00

Tonight I should feel more thankful. I want to.:) I am thankful for the fact that my family is health. We all can walk, see, hear and smell.:) That is something we can be very thankful for.:) Even we do not feel thankful we can find something to be thankful for.:) God means for us to be thankful even if we do not want to be.:)

Sharon:)

Thankful 6

2008-11-11T07:49:00.001-06:00

Today's Veterans day. Have we thanked a Veteran who is in our lives? If it were not for them we may not be a free Country today. What a blessing that we can wake up each morning and decide what we want to do for a day. My thanks goes out to all of Ya'll who served our country!!:)

Sharon:)

2008-11-10T07:53:00.003-06:00

FOR TODAY Nov. 10,2008...

Outside my window...It is a nice cloudy days. I always find that cloudy days are cozy. I just want to stay inside and enjoy it. We are suppose to be getting storms. What fun.:)

I am thinking... Not much this morning.:) I do not want to spare anymore brain cells than I have to.:)

I am thankful for...For the freedoms we enjoy as a country.

From the learning rooms...This week I have to work with Nathan on his awanas and his reading. I have a big English paper due and a Theology Exam this week.:)

From the kitchen...I am still trying to find ways of organizing my kitchen better. In time it will all come together. Right now it is pretty much clean.

I am wearing...Jean skirt, sweatshirt

I am creating... I have to finish up an apron I started and finish my mother-in-laws skirt.

I am going...No where.:)

I am reading...Right now I have nothing that I am reading.

I am hoping... To get good grades this week.:)

I am hearing...The washing machine doing its job.

Around the house...Have to do some cleaning. Get my mils laundry done for her trip.

One of my favorite things...Spending time with my children.:) They can be so much fun.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Drop mil off at the airport on Wednesday morning by 4:30 am.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...Being serious at a great game on playstation.:) Had to get in on the fun with the kiddies.:)

You can find more simple womans day book at this link. http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Thankful 5

2008-11-08T13:45:00.001-06:00

I am so thankful for the nature that God has given to us to enjoy. He made it so colorful and fun. I really think God has a sense of humor. Especially if you see the animals he created.:) Thank you Lord that we can enjoy the creation.
Sharon:)

Thankful 4

2008-11-06T18:44:00.003-06:00

Well I did not get a chance to post what I am thankful for yesterday. I am thankful that we have a roof over our heads and yummy food on the table. The Lord has made it possible to live in a nice house. He has always provided all our needs even when at times we wonder when it will happen.:) Thank you Lord.
Sharon:)

Thankful day 3

2008-11-04T17:45:00.004-06:00

I am so thankful that we have a free country that we can chose our own president. I just pray that our freedom won't be taken away any time soon. There are countries out there where they do not have that freedom. God bless the USA!! Thank you to all you soldiers out there who fight for our freedom!!
Sharon:)

Thankful post 2

2008-11-03T21:30:00.002-06:00

I am thankful for my wonderful family. We all struggle but we all still love one another. God has blessed me with wonderful children and a dear sweet mother-in-law. I feel really blessed even when the kids and I are struggling.:) Thank you Lord!!!:)

Sharon:)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2008-11-03T07:41:00.008-06:00

For Today... Nov. 3, 2008

Outside My Window... Birds are chirping and cars passing by. Nice a sunny day.

I am thinking...about changes that happen in our lives.

I am thankful for...family

From the learning rooms...I have an English test to take this week and a Theology quiz. So far in Theology I have an A and in English a C. I was never good at English. My first dicussion board paper was an 83. :( I hope I can bring that up. I will be working with Nathan on his reading.

From the kitchen...I have been cleaning and organizing my kitchen. I think I might have found something that will work on organizing my spices. When we got to Austin on Wednesday I want to get some more baskets from the Dollar tree. It works out great holding my spices.

I am wearing... nightgown.:( I will have to get in the shower soon.

I am creating... an apron for a dear friend in New York. I have to make Laurisah a night gown now.
I am going...to be busy:) Today I have alot of running around to do.
I am reading...Blue Night by Cindy Martinusen.

I am hoping...that things will start becoming a routine around here.

I am hearing...Pages turning ( Josiah and Felicity are laying with me and reading. My children love to read.)

Around the house...Got some cleaning and organizing to do. I have been trying to do one room at a time.

One of my favorite things...Thanksgiving. And no not because of the food. Because we have so much to be thankful for.:)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Today we have lots to do. I have to go get my check. Run to IGA for meats. Tonight at the library that we love going to they have a WWII vet so I am taking the kids.:) Sewing, Laundry and cleaning.:)

Here is picture thought I am sharing... Being a 12 year old isn't easy sometimes. Being the oldest is tough job anyone can have.:) I love him so much. My kids mean the world to me.

Change

2008-11-02T22:30:00.005-06:00

Well, my blog will be changing over from wordpress to here. Hopefully I can transfer everything over. I am doing this blog for my dh while he is gone. This will be a place for him to come and see pictures and read about our days. It may not be all the time that I post but certainly it will be when I am able. I love my dh and am so thankful for him. Especially knowing how much he loves me and his family. It is always hard on loved ones to be separated. But knowing that we have God to go and seek help from, is what gets us all by.

I am going to be trying to post each day before thanksgiving about what I am thankful for. So this first post is dedicated to my dh. I love you honey! You are an awesome husband and father. As you say to me after my salvation you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I am so glad that God knew what he was doing when he brought us together.:) May the Lord Bless each and every day while you are gone!!:)

Love ME!!