Alyson is 12!

She picked out these Hannah Montana cupcakes for her birthday. We went on a shopping spree at Walmart and she picked out a Monopoly game, an In a Pickle game, The Last Word game, and 2 Mylie Cyrus CD's, then she went to the Christian Bookstore and got a The Message Bible and a Jesus is Born CD. She had a fantastic time shopping.

Happy Birthday Sweet Alyson!

Shhhhhhhhhhhh.......... It's official......... I'm old!!! Aimee fixed my hair and make up that day, and she had to cleverly cut the picture off at the top of my forehead sooooooo that YOU can't see my gray hair. I think it's time for another "Nice and Easy" dye job.

Valentines Day

My Aimee is so sweet. She was out with her friends and she bought me this rose for Valentines Day. On the way home, the top of the rose broke from the stem, but you can still see how pretty it was when she gave it to me.

She's sweet sixteen, and I was touched that she thought of me while hanging out with her friends.

Monopoly Night

Sometimes things work the opposite for me. Most people relax on the weekends, but Friday's and Saturdays are my busiest days right now because I work 2 shifts on both of those days, and then I work a shift on Sunday's too. So today, when I got off of work I could finally relax a while. I decided on the way home to pick up some cheese dip and some popcorn because Alyson asked me yesterday if we could play monopoly when I got home.

When I got home I fixed some cornbread dressing for the turkey Steve cooked yesterday, then made salmon for dinner, then made the cheese dip and got out the Fritos for our game. We had such a good time. It was really good to be home, especially because Joey was home too, and his schedule and my schedule usually conflict, so we don't see each other much.

See the houses!! Those are my properties, and Joey kept landing on them and having to pay. And everytime he would get close to my properties he would start laughing, then I would start laughing, then he would figure how he was going to pay!!

Alyson had a great time being the banker. She had her calculator out and she was in charge of all the auctions. She even created some auctions just so she could "preside" over them.

What do you do during a Snow Storm?

Sooooooooooo, tonight, in our nice warm house, complete with lights, heat, hot shower, water, TV, computers, etc. etc. we thank Jesus for ALL our blessings, we thank him for our heat, good food, lights, warm beds and blankets, puppies and kitties, and most of all for our family. For keeping us safe and seeing us through... as He always does.

Something wonderful happened during the snow storm. The Saints won the Superbowl. I'm not a big football fan, but I am a Saints fan. I was so very happy for my father, who is a life long Saints fan, happy for my brother, who I heard was so excited about the game, and happy for the residents of New Orleans...

Go Saints Go!!!!!

What do you do during a Snow Storm?

And, you ask, where was Aimee during the storm??

At a friends house, in front of the fireplace, doing hair and makeup and generally having the time of her life!! They lost power for a very short time, but had it back within a couple hours.

We love you Aimee!

We stayed at home until the last night, then decided it was best to get a hotel. On Tuesday at around 2:00, we had electricity again and were very happy!!

We went to bed early in hopes of lights and heat soon.

What do you do during a Snow Storm?

Can you tell by the look on Stephen's face he's getting a little frazzled???

What do you do during a Snow Storm?

So we all bundled up. We had no power from Saturday at about 2 until Tuesday about 2.

What do you do during a Snow Storm?

Then a tree fell across road, snapped the power pole in half, and left the transformer in the middle of the road and 116 houses (including ours) with no electricity.

What do you do on a Snow Day?

And you sleep.... and you wonder exactly how much more is going to fall before it's over!!

Picture of tree taken at 1:00, snow isn't suppose to stop until the evening.

I wonder just how many days off of school this storm is going to be worth!!!!!

What do you do on a Snow Day?

You eat.

Potato Pancakes...... yum

What do you do on a Snow Day?

You hope you don't lose your puppies!

What do you do on a Snow Day?

You play in the snow.

What do you do on a Snow Day?

You try to beat your daughter in a Wii game.

Storm Pictures

These pictures were taken at 10am. It's suppose to snow all day!

Storm Pictures

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

The storm is here. We didn't get as much accumulation last night as we expected. It was sleet and ice instead of snow. But early am it turned back to snow and it has been snowing ever since.

Steve has been shoveling on and off all morning. Trying to keep the pathway to our house safe. Then shoveling the street so the neighbors can get out too. The plow came through this am, but left huge piles at the end of the road. My pictures were taken at 10am this morning, and it is suppose to continue to snow all day!

Aimee called me. She left Thursday night to weather the storm with a friend. She said they lost power and are keeping warm with lots of blankets. She said she called to tell me she loves me. Made my whole day....

Alyson and Joey haven't been out in the snow yet, but I'm charging the batteries to my camera so I'll be ready when they go outside.

I'm studying again. Reviewing the rules for signed numbers before going on to order of operations. I hope to ace this entrance exam.

One to Two Feet forecast for tomorrow. Yikes! It hasn't even started yet and the school systems have already closed.

Picture for Grandma

The Eye Doctor

A couple weeks ago, both of Alyson's teachers told me she was having trouble seeing the board and they thought she needed to get her eyes checked. I decided to make an appointment for both girls.

So today at 1:00 we were on our way to our appointment. We got there and Aimee decided she wanted to go first. Alyson read magazines and I studied for my entrance exam while waiting for Aimee to finish.

Finally, Aimee came out and the doctor said her vision was good and she wouldn't need any glasses. Now it was Aimee's turn to wait for Alyson. She decided that it would be fun to try on glasses.

She tried on several pair and finally Alyson comes out and the doctor says that Alyson's eyes have gotten worse since the last time she was in, and she needed to wear glasses all the time, except while reading. Alyson starts trying on several pair of glasses. Aimee is over at the sunglasses counter and finds a pair of sunglasses that she 'has to have'. I tell her maybe when we get our income tax refund I would bring her back to pick out some. The doctor overheard us talking and said, wait.... your plan allows her any frame up to 130.00 that she would like, even though she doesn't need a prescription. Since the sunglasses lense is already in the frame, she can pick out a pair and you only have to pay the difference between 130 and the total. Plus, you get 20% off of whatever the difference of the total is.

Sooooooooooooooooo..... Aimee's 157.00 sunglasses cost me 13.00 (thank you Jesus!) and Alysons glasses were free! Steve has a wonderful vision plan.

And at the end of the appointment, I had 2 happy girls!!!

I am very happy tonight. It's cold outside, but I'm underneath my softest, warmest blanket and feeling very content. My son just came into the room and offered to take the girls to school in the morning to give me a break. He's so good to me.

Tonight we had Shepherd's Pie for dinner. I cooked it while playing golf with Alyson on the Wii. The Wii has worked some magic in our family. It brings everyone together. Alyson and I 'practiced' so we could beat Daddy in a game when he got home. She would take her turn, then go to the piano and play while I took my turn, and while she was playing, I was cooking... well, you get the picture. It's fun trying to improve our scores and it's been fun for me to watch Steve leave the computer to play a game, and Joey leave his room to play a game etc. It's just good family fun.

I've promised myself to study for an hour each night for the entrance exam for school. Tonight was my second night, reviewing GCF, LCM, Fractions, etc. etc. I want to score well, and math has always been fun anyway. When I get stuck on something, Steve comes in and helps me out and we both learn something new. I think the most fun is trying to work the word problems!

Aimee has been hanging out with her friends most of the week. She came in today with her friends shirt on. I don't know what it is with teenagers trading clothes, but they do it often. She came in with a red shirt that had Faith across it and the name of her friends church.

Tomorrow the kids go in an hour late and I pick them up 2 hours early. It's eye appointment day. I get my new glasses (bifocals!) and Alyson and Aimee get a check up. Friday and Saturday will be busy as I'm working all day both days, unless of course, it snows a foot.... then we'll see about the roads and whether or not I can get there.

I just can't wait for school. It provides such hope for a good future. Nice things for the girls, fixing up the house etc. And the most fun will be working in the job I believe I'm meant for. I would just love to work in an assisted living facility, passing out the meds, chatting with the residents, and helping them to and from activities. The elderly are so interesting.

My sweet outside kitties hung around the house longer this evening. Maybe they know the snow is coming and want to get plenty to eat before hand. The one kitty that lets me hand feed him came up to me and started sniffing my shoe. He doesn't back up anymore when I go outside. I think he's trusting me more. Now.... if he would just let me pet him!!

It's 10:40pm and has been a good day. Sweet Dreams............

Another Best Friend Photo

No... No.... No... not more snow. Last Saturday I woke up to a few flurries as I was headed out to work... and 6 hours later came home to this. My ride to work was 30 minutes, my ride home was 2.5 hours.

And now, they are forecasting more snow for Friday night....................

The girls were off of school today. They will be off tomorrow. Alyson has had a great time creating puppet shows and playing her Wii. Aimee has been hanging out with friends.

My poor husband had a toothache all weekend. He called the dentist and made an appointment for first thing Monday morning. When I came home from work today, he had an icepack on his face. 4 hours in the chair and 2 root canals....all in one day.... and he's planning on going to work tomorrow.

And my plans for tomorrow???? Study, study, and more study. Steve says it's all on go for my school. Soooooooo..... my next step is to pass the entrance exam. Watch out July 19th, here I come.

No work for 15 months, it will be school, school, and more school............ then finding a job at an assisted living after I graduate. I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself!

Best Friends

1 hour ago, my sweet little old lady that I took care of on the weekends died. I remember last weekend how much she was suffering. She's home with Jesus now. I will miss her.

Tomorrow is Alyson's Spelling Bee at school. She has 17 lists that her class has studied since the beginning of the year. I can't be there because I'm working all day, but I am able to help her study for it.

Her teacher has this study method that the kids love. They stand on top of a chair and spell the word. If they get the word right, they keep standing, if not, they have to sit down. Then when they spell the next word, if they get that right they can stand up again. She decided she wanted to study this way tonight because it is so much fun for her. I took a few pictures while we were at it.

I am a caregiver. I take care of the sick, disabled, and dying. I've had several clients over the past two years. Some are kind and others are frustrating. Different people respond to their illnesses in different ways.

Some are bitter. Some are angry about the loss of control over their lives. But most aren't. And tonight was my first night with new clients, husband and wife. I wondered how I was going to fit them in to my already very busy schedule. Between my clients and the kids and their school, things are hectic.

But tonight was a gift. I can't wait to spend more time with my new clients. A joy to work with. A joy to help. So much fun to talk too. I wish I could write more details. I wish I could tell you what fun I had at work tonight helping this sweet elderly couple. But privacy laws prevent it, as they should.

But I can tell you this, somewhere in the world tonight there is a very sweet elderly christian couple, full of laughter despite the pain and struggle of a debilitating illness, an inspiration to me and others that care for them. A joy to be around.

Some days everything just works out so well.

I went to the school to pick up Alyson. Aimee had to stay late for cheerleading and Alyson and I needed to find something to do for an hour. We decided to go to the local thrift store. I needed to get some glasses..... I don't know where the ones went we've been using, but one by one they've disappeared.

We got there and I told Alyson she could get one thing. She found a little guitar she liked, and I started picking up the glasses... 50 cents a peice... I got about 10. From there I went to look at the blankets. I love fleece. I love to get fleece for my girls too. They are soft, easy to wash, cheap, and very warm. I hit the jackpot. They had 2, one for Alyson and one for Aimee.

All the while I'm shopping I''m thinking to myself I really need to go look at the books. In each aisle I was looking, I thought this several times, so finally, I went to check out the books.

And there it was......

I was at the bookstore the other day looking at The Message. It's a Bible in everyday english language, more like a paraphrase. But at the bookstore I read some of it and I really wanted it. I thought to myself that I would pick it up next pay day. And here we are, at the thrift shop, and there is a copy of The Message for 1.50! A few books down, there is a hard copy of The Purpose Driven Life for 1.50... and that was so funny too because I had thought I really needed to get Alyson her own copy. Then I looked at the shelf above and there was a book called In His Steps, What would Jesus Do? Perfect for Aimee.

12 new glasses, 3 new books, a set of pyrex bowls, 2 fleece blankets, and a guitar...... all in less than 30 minutes.

We finished just in time to pick Aimee back up, and came home and the girls ate the hashbrown casserole and chicken, and it's just really been a very good day today.

I also found out today that I have another client, which means 12 additional hours for me. Hooray!

Today is my day off!. I love my days off. I've been so busy. Took the girls to school this am. Then came home and started cooking. Lemon chicken and hashbrown casserole. The girls will be happy tonight. I had it finished in time for Joey to take some to work with him. Thought about making a red velvet cake, they have the recipe on the cake flour box, but didn't have the shortening and didn't want to go get it. Maybe tonight I'll make Mammaw's famous chocolate cake instead. This will do my diet no good, but maybe just one peice won't matter.

Alyson and Aimee have an eye appt. on Thursday the 4th. Two of Alyson's teachers said she was having trouble seeing the blackboard, and this was the first appt they have open.

I also contacted Centura College today. They have an LPN program that starts in July, no prerequisites required... so I'm excited about that. I find out more about it Thursday at 10:30. I'd love to work in a nursing home or assisted living as an LPN, and once I was finished, sending the girls to NHCA would be so much easier for us. I'm very excited about it and hoping it all works out.

No new pictures of the girls. Things have been hectic. Aimee has cheerleading today but Alyson's group doesn't practice until Thursday. Maybe we'll get some more Wii pic's tonight.

And we're in overtime!! Go Saints Go!

Another Touchdown! Go Saints Go!!

Another Minnesota Touchdown. Yikes...

Another Touchdown! Go Saints Go!

Another Touchdown!!!!

Go Saints Go!!!!!!

Touchdown Minnesota. Booo :(

Go Saints Go!!!! It's 7 to 7!

Woooo Hooooo Alyson got a 92 on her 8 chapter test and a 95 on her constellation project!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And today they started studying the state capitals.

Way to Go Alyson!

Watching God Work

She wasn't going. My heart dropped. What was I going to do.

I had been worried all summer about where to send my girls to school. Alyson was in 6th grade and would be going to the middle school, and Aimee would be attending the high school. I didn't want either of them in the public schools, but with my working, homeschooling wasn't working out well for us either.

I saw the big, bright 'Now Enrolling' sign at a new christian school on my way home from work this past summer. I past it several times before eventually going in to check it out. The staff there were very upbeat and excited about the upcoming year. The more they talked, the more interested I became. Maybe this would work for my girls. Maybe they could have fun here. Maybe this was the answer to our school problem.

I wasn't sure. I had Aimee in the other christian schools before and they hadn't worked out. They were so far ahead of the public schools that she had trouble keeping up.

I decided to go ahead and enroll both girls and see how it went. I came home with the handbook and started reading it to Aimee. I hadn't been reading long when she stopped me. I'm not going. I'm not wearing that uniform. Those rules are stupid. I looked at her and told her she had to go. There's no where else for you to go Aimee, this has to work.

I dropped the girls off on the first day and hoped for the best all day long. When I picked them up, Alyson said she liked the school and liked her teacher. Aimee was silent. Okay I thought..... I've got one on board with this..... maybe Aimee would come around.
A few days later we were in the car again and Aimee said school was okay, the uniform wasn't so bad, and when she had questions the teachers were right there to answer them.

And if that were all that had happened I would have been happy with the school. But things kept getting better and better.

This school was different. I noticed it every time I walked into the building. I noticed it every time I talked to my girls, and every time I spoke with the teachers. My girls were changing. They began to talk about God more. Aimee began to calm. Alyson was memorizing Bible verses. And the more I communicated with the teachers, the more I saw how passionate they were about teaching the students about Christ. They are doing more than just telling Bible stories, they are living the gospel daily in front of their students.

What happens to a child that is surrounded by those that live the gospel? What happens when a teacher is not only teaching the math and history, but also communicating how much they care about a child, and how much Jesus loves that child?

I can tell you what started happening with Aimee. She began to study. The work was still hard, and she didn't study every night, but she did study several times a week. At the public school Aimee never studied. Then she started asking questions about God. Frequently, her conversations would start like this.. "Mr. H said so and so, what do you think about that. A couple weeks ago she was spending the night with a friend and walked home to pick up a book. What book Aimee? The Purpose Driven Life. Where did you get that book? It was on our bookshelf. How long have you been reading it? Well Mom, I'm on day 16, it's a 40 day thing and I can't miss a day, so I came home to pick it up.

She's still reading it. Then her friends became interested, and Grandma picked up a couple of copies for them. Then I became interested and went to the bookstore to pick up a copy. Aimee's growing, I'm growing, and her friends are growing. The other day she told the neighbor Jesus loved him.

And Alyson... quoting Bible verses left and right... grabbing time to study every moment she can.. and praying for her friends at the middle school.

This is the best year ever.... and it's only January!! All because of a new christian school... with teachers who are passionate about Christ, who love and care for their students, and who live the gospel in such a way that their students are drawn to Christ.

And they have sports too!!!!

I Love NHCA!

Good Material coming!!!!

My father told me about the movie Amazing Grace the other day and Steve ordered it from Netflix. He said it would be here tomorrow, just in time for the weekend. I can't wait to see it.

And I was reading on Randy Alcorns Blog about a book called The Shack. He highly recommended it so I went to the web site to check it out. It looks like a great read. I hope to pick it up at the bookstore on Sunday. Here's the link if you're interested.

www.theshackbook.com/index.html

Tonights Dinner..... chili.... yum.... salad (which I snuck some spinach in, don't tell anyone, they loved it!), and clementines. Alyson loved the 'baby oranges, and I think Aimee did too. Joey left at 3 with yesterdays chicken and dressing to eat for lunch at work. I love chili in the winter!

This week the girls are preparing for midterms. Aimee has 130 definitions in Biology alone to learn by next week, and yesterday Alyson had a test on 8 chapters in History. They are learning so much. Mrs. T. set up special after school study sessions. She asks the questions in a game like form and the kids love it. We are so lucky to be at NHCA.

Aimee had photography club after school and came home showing me all the pictures she took. While she was at club, Alyson and I went to the Mickey D's for a milkshake and studied her spelling words. She has 20 words each week to learn, and 10 additional vocabulary words. Long words, like democratic and comprehension. Today was her first day with the new list and she knew all but 4. Pretty good for 6th grade.

I remember this past summer being so concerned about where to send them to school. All of that worry for nothing.... God already had it all worked out. I know that my girls are totally and completely safe at NHCA and they are learning good things. God is good.

My Oatmeal diet is working. I've lost another pound. Yay!!!

Joey and I are watching The Ultimate Gift. I bought it at the Christian bookstore yesterday. I'm wondering if he'll last through the movie or start snoring soon. Maybe I should make some popcorn.

Poem by Russell Kelfer

You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that truama you faced was not easy,
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart,
so that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God.

By: Russell Kelfer
Bible teacher at Wayside Chapel in San Antonio Texas

Just for grins I thought I would post a picture of Aimee's cat.

He really is friendly, I promise!

Back in May we found the sweetest, tiniest little kitten in our yard. Daisy spotted him first. We named him Snowball. And he grew, and he grew, and he grew........ and of course he was surrounded by our three little dogs...

And he started acting like a dog, meeting Steve at the door when he came home, and begging for treats when we were giving them to the puppies......

And he kept growing and growing, and acting more and more like a dog, except when he would sneak up behind our puppies and jump them, then we still knew he had some cat in him.

Today, he is still a kitten, only 8 months old... but look how he's grown!

And now we just call him Dog!

Joey hanging out with me during the Saints game!