Birthday Blessings

This was Friday at our Homeschooler's park day, DD#2 had made my cake that we took to share with our friends

Orange cake with pinapple/coolwhip topping, YUM!

It was a cool day, but the sun was warm! I ended up with a sunburn on my face! Loved it too!

The older kids enjoyed some volley ball, Leah in the hot pink shirt, Rachel in the gray shirt there

Next event was the Ladies Tea, a fundraiser for the Prison Ministry, that was held on Sat.... I'll let the pics tell the story...

Hannah Grace (DD#3) and I

Chaplain Dan Henry's Wife (my friend) Twila Hnery and her daughter Tamara

Hannah's table sitting with our friend Marie

Friends from church that attended

Our guest speaker (our State Representative) Marti Colli and her mother Annette Bontrager

DD#1 serving

some decorations

DH was there running the sound for the Tea

Then to today....MY Birthday!!!

a first sign of spring!

DD#3 trying to smell

my girls and I

My Sweetheart and I

DH just being Himself! LOL!   More Pics to come, waiting on DH to get home so we can all go out for dinner, and waiting on my 2nd Birthday Cake in the Oven which was made by DD's #1,3 and 4. Some really neat pics to come of the cake making!   BE BLESSED today I KNOW I AM!!!   ~Jill~

Flashback Friday

This is at a Valentines Banquet I think in 2000 or 2001, I still have that outfit which was a SIZE 10 that I hope to wear again someday!!!!  I think I should put this pic up somewhere as my inspiration to lose wieght on my newly joined Weight Watcher's program!

Outside my window... Sunny but Cold and a little windy

I am Wearing... Jeans, socks and fuzzy socks over them, a grey long sleeved top with black sweater vest, yes I am freezing

What I am doing... muti-tasking... teaching, blogging, trying to stay warm!

What I need to be doing.... Cleaning up my bedroom, working on hot spots, working on the all girls closet (it's way to cold to spend time out there today!)

What I'd like to be doing... under a warm blanket, watching the Waltons or reading a good book, without interuptions! LOL!

From the Kitchen....wonderful aroma of chocolate cake baking in the oven.. DD#2 is baking it for park day tomorrow early for my Birthday.

From the School room.... putting things in alphabetical order, the months of the year,counting money, measuring, dropping the e and adding ing or ed.  DD#1 working on Biology in her room,

Around the House...Piano music from DD#2  in the living room,DD#4 watching movie in bedroom, every room in the house needs cleaned up, uggghhh!!!

I am Thankful...So very thankful that now my my washer and dryer is in the house!!! I am so enjoying not making those trips outside as cold as it's been here!

I am Praying....still praying for my nephew alot, friend with upcoming surgery, friend that's been having alot of tests run, praying for our kid's insurance to kick in again, cause DD#1 needs to be seen about her thyroid.

I am looking forward to... DH having some days off to work on projects here, and a possible trip to Ind over Easter to visit family

Plans for the rest of the week...Park day tomorrow with the homeschool group, Ladies Tea on Sat, and....My Birthday on Sunday!     

Have a Blessed Day everyone!!!     ~Jill~

O Happy Day!

DH got my washer and dryer moved in the house yesterday!!!   The utility room that was already in place when we moved here 3 years ago was outside the kitchen door, with a little space between it and the kitchen that stepped down.  It was probably ok all this time being FL. until THIS WINTER!   No one wanted to go out because it was so cold! COLD WET HANDS!   Then in the summer HOT and sweating everytime you go out to wash! (yes I realize I'm a pansy)  did I mention about how hard it was to get in and out of the door in that little space with a step there also??  Now all you basement laundry people are going to probably think me to be soooo LAZY!  Anyway to say the least, I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT IT!  I shouldn't be so slow about getting it done now, it's in the back of the house where we also do school, so hopefully I can muti-task some!

NOW comes the rest of the mess... moving the W and D will cause me to have to move "my" closet to the outside where the W and D was, that's where all four girls" clothes already are, so I guess it should make it easier on sharing!  I may never have anything to call my own again either ! LOL!

Since all this mess to clean up, thankfully DH called a day off of school! I'm glad he did, cause I would have wanted to but would have been more reluctant since we're in the last few months!

I almost forgot to mention... Yesterday while DH was doing this big job, my friend and I went shopping !!!  Just us moms!  It was a much needed day out and we had a great time! SHE bought my lunch at Panara Bread for an early Birthday pressent, YUM!  I was able to find 2 tops that I might wear to the Ladies TEA (the yearly fundraiser for the Prison Minstry that we work for) I KNOW, I should have put pics on here of them, hopefully later. I also got some Clearnce bargains here and there!  And DD#1 who I talked to on the phone several times through out the day guilted me into getting her some beads to make Jewery with at Michaels! LOL!  Anyway fun, fun day! Thank the good Lord !   O Happy DAY!                   

 I think it was a compliment....I have been working hard at my morning routine, (Fly Lady), well Hannah Grace had asked a couple times last week in the mornings "where are we going today mom?" sometimes we were going places, sometimes not, so this morning (I was even running behind) I was getting my hair and face done in the bathroom, I had on a yellow t-shirt, and jean skirt. Hannah Grace says "MOM where are you going today?" I said, "right now I'm headed into the school room to get you started on school." Then she says"Why are you always dressed up all the time, you look like you're going to church." LOL! I think that might have been a compliment, not sure but I'll take it anyway! I told her it feels good to get up in the morning and dress nice and clean up. I said "Don't this look better than being in my pj's , since you have to look at me all day?" can't remember what her response was on that one. She's such a JOY of a daughter!!!

Also, it's George Washington's Birthday and Hannah and I are going to make a Cherry Pie in Honor of Him!

You can't really tell by this pic, but my salad in the heart shaped pan has the tomato's spread into a heart shape on top of the salad, it was cute, should have got a closer pic!

center piece

DD#4

DD#3

DD#2

Cheers! The little girls think we need to do that when we;re using our fancy glasses!

Don't ask!!! Just Kidding, DD#1 and DD#2 were swaying with their candles to the music we had on the ipod!

That's all, I left out the ones they took of me with my mouth full every time! LOL!

Instead of buying a bunch of candy (we bought a little) LOL!   No really, something I've been wanting to do for a long time was to treat the girls to a bookstore outing and puchase for some special occasion, So thats what we did for -Day.  

On Sat. We took off to the city without the girls knowing what their surprize was, then when we got to the parking lot of the bookstore, I handed each of them a Valentine Coupon good for a book purchase today.

I handed one to DH that said this "this coupon entitles you to spend the day with your family, and to not worry about trying to surprize your wife for Valentines because she is just so happy to spend the day with you!"

We've always been faithful Valentiners to each other, but this time, what we were doing was enough, and I didn't want him to have any undue extra pressure on himself!

We spent about 3 hours in the bookstore! Love it!!!

Leah's Purchase She loves MR. DARCI!!!

Rachel's  purchase, can't wait to do the mom and me book! 

Hannah got the Magnetic Doll house book, Hope Got Farm Animals book, and the Baby Animals was kind of for both of them and for MOM, he, he! I love picture books!

I didn't buy a book this time but looked at several! Haircutting,  a fashion book which was kind of like what not to wear, that listed your body type, shape, ect and told you the do's and don'ts, most of which I knew but still some good tips, especially for short people! I looked at more sewing/crafting books, just too many this time! Couldn't make a decision!

Then on to some supper...

YUM!!!

After that we headed to the mall to build-a bear, where they used thier gift cards from Christmas to buy outfits for their bears, cats, dogs, rabbits, ect LOL!

Awonderful time we all had!!!!

Next day Valentine Dinner at our church

Lasagna, and garlic toast, salad, fruit salad, bownies, and red velvet sheet cake!

Hannah helped decorate the tables

posters that Hannah's class made

me and leah over in the corner of the pic talking to a friend

Pastor

me buttering bed with Leah's friend Rachel

Leah

Pastor and some church ladies

the one who took most of these pics!

guess who!

Rachel's new friend...Oscar Valentine (she got him on Val Day) LOL!

Pastor's wife gave the devotion at the dinner, it was a real nice time!  

Too much fun stuff over the weekend in order to have our at home Valentine Dinner, so it is tonite...

Chicken Alfredo with mushrooms

Spinach leaves Salad

Hot Fudgy Cake (betty crocker) using my little hearts pan that I got on clearence at Walmart!

Planning on setting the table with my clear glass plates, and use all my other heart dishes to serve in, candles, ect!

I have to say I was ready for a day like today for a long time! Last weeks first three days were not good, and I needed the refreshing that I got from today!  Today wasn't a big planned day or anything, I just needed to go and do the Valentines Clearence shopping for our Homeschool group's Val Party which is Fri, Can you tell we're thrifty? So the little two went to a babysitters' and the older two went with me (they welcome a day to walmart any time! WE just had a good time, got our clearence shopping done, left there and went thru the drive-thru at TACO BELL, ordered 7 soft taco's to feed the"3" of us  he he!!! Then to Big LOTS and BELLE's Outlet store. WE loaded up DD#2 with clothes to try on which became funny because DD#1 kept finding things and wanting me to act serious that I wanted DD#2 to try on which we're hidious looking stuff!!! She loves to be a jokester to her sis! I'm trying to get Idea's on what kind of outfits (dress clothes) fit nice for when we go shopping for spring/summer clothes.  What I mean is to narrow down what styles look good on each girl because of her body shape, so that shopping doesn't become so overwhelming with two teenage girls! Can anyone relate here?      Anyway we were able to talk, enjoy each other's company, laugh together (the cashier at walmart asked another employee how she could count that in half $1.37 she was trying to use a calculator) actually that was kind of sad, DD#1 said she about wanted to smak her with the answer! LOL! So then we had a big Math lesson!!!  I'm saying all this to say that my happy tank has been very low lately, but today helped, SOOOO, am I wrong for finding such JOY in things like shopping with my DD's trying on clothes, looking at pretty things for the house, looking at scrapbooking stuff and dreaming about our next project? AM I being too materialistic here? Is it wrong to enjoy this as a entertainment from time to time?   I would like to hear other's feelings on this!! And before I might get some response about these things taking the place of God to make one happy, I'm not meaning that at all, realtionship with HIM is formost!!!  I 'm glad to have felt HIS smile on me today(like I said after the week I had last week!!)     BE BlESSED!    ~JILL~

This morning I posted and had asked for prayer for these two young men, but I couldn't get the pictures on, so here they are, please remember in prayer

This is cousin Lane, the one that his house burnt down last night...

This is my nephew Nate, the one who needs JESUS as his SAVIOR

This is his precious baby girl

Thanks for all the Prayers!!!!!!