I'm just hanging out on the couch before the day really gets started.  I'm leaving for California today for an Heritage Makers conference.  I have to say, I'm not really excited.  I've been trying to figure it out for days now.  

I'm not sure if it's because I don't really know anyone there, therefore I don't really have anyone to look forward to hanging with.

Or, am I just lazy?

What I think it is more than anything is that I'm REALLY going to miss my children.  That trip to the beach really did a number on me. :)  Having so many kids so quickly has really gotten on my nerves at times.  But, now that I've been homschooling them for nearly a year and they've been joined at the hip for so long, I think I'm really going to miss their companionship.

They just really make me happy.  They make me place my priorities in the correct order.  They make me smile and yell at times.  I'm learning to be a more patient mother.  There are days that patience is not in my vocabulary, but most of the time I really try to soften my responses and communicate to them my love, even when I'm mad.

I will enjoy sleeping in a hotel room all by myself.  Not fighting for the bathroom.  Having some adult conversations and just kinda being selfish.  I'm going to Disneyland while I'm there too.

But, my heart really does sadden as I think about saying good bye to my family at the airport and enduring 2 hours in the airport.  Flying to California is a LONG trip and I'm going to be lonely without my little posse.

I love my children.  I love being with them and teaching them.  I love being their mother.  I have to confess, the pessimistic side of my brain worries about coming home.  Will I?  Please pray for me and my children.

Sorry about the deep, dark parts of my brain.  That's like seeing those tabloid magazines in the checkout lane with pictures of the "stars" without make up or their cellulite at the beach.

I do apologize. 

More Beach Pictures

Lucy and Leah feeding the seagulls.  Those birds are crazy.
You can't really tell in this pic, but Robbie got quite the sunburn.  He put the sunscreen on by himself.  'nuf said.
This is that big UGLY building in the middle of a beautiful beach.  
These are two of the reasons I homeschool.  
Our last night at Wildwood.  We went out and just walked on the beach.  Looks like some future lifeguards to me. 

A Simple Thing

I sure do love teaching moments and I love it even more when I'm aware they're happening. :)

Monday night was Robbie first baseball game of the "Fall Baseball" season.  Or "fallball" as they call it here in NJ.  

While the other kids and I waited for Sam to arrive and Robbie to get his first "at bat" in the third inning, a couple of men were standing close by chatting with each other.  We were near a picnic table and one of the men kinda ran into to table and gouged his leg.  It wasn't a super bad wound but it did start a slow bleed.  I offered our first aid kit but he didn't seem to mind.  But, I watched as the blood started to run down his leg, I could bear it no longer.  I sent Joey to the truck to get the first aid kit, which is a MEGA first aid kit.  He brought it to me at the table, I flipped it open and got the man a antiseptic wipe and a band aid.  He was impressed with the kit and grateful for the assistance.

Once done, Joey took the kit and put it back in the truck.  

I love it when eternal truths just spew from my mouth without effort on my part. (translation: not my words but His) 

I said to the kids, "See when you're prepared, it easy to serve others."

I've come to realize that preparation is for the individual, but it'll be used by the Lord to serve all His children.  Isn't that awesome?!!

Our Week at the Beach!

I took the four kids to North Wildwood beach this last week.  We went down on Sunday and came back on Thursday.  We had such a good time hanging out with each other.  And can you believe that I did it all by myself?  I did!!! Yay for me!  We spent Monday and Tuesday mornings at the beach and swimming.  MOnday night Sam came down with Jen and Jessie and we walked on the boardwalk and got dinner.  We bought all of the kids a "Wildwood" hoodie as their memento for the week.  Tuesday night the older three: Robbie, Lucy and Joey got to drive go-carts.  That seemed to be a super big hit.

                                             Kids in their cool Wildwood Hoodies.

I bought the kids "sunscreen shirts" because of the sunburn we all got the day before.



Wednesday was a bit cold. I took the kids down to the Cape May Lighthouse. We all climbed the 199 steps to the top. Even my little Leah. In fact, I think she was a bit faster than her mom. After catching my breath at the top, we came back down and then went for a leisurely stroll on the beach. The kids fed the seagulls some Cheerios and we investigated this HUGE monolith of a building that was just as ugly as could be sitting right on the beach. I found out that it was an old WWII bunker that was used as a look out for submarines in the Atlantic Ocean. I thought that was cool.

It was pretty windy up there on top of the lighthouse.  

You can see the beach and ocean behind the kids.

New Jersey has 19 lighthouses.  Eleven are possible to visit.  The other eight are out in the waterways.  We have a family goal to visit all 11.  Sounds like fun, huh?

              This is a picture of the kids standing under that abandoned army bunker.

Thursday, we packed up and started home but first stopped at the Cape May Zoo to check out the animals for a couple of hours. That was a really nice ending to a VERY lovely week. I grew to love my little children even more. I'm so thankful that I chose to do this with them. These are the moments that I am so grateful I have chosen to homeschool.

Can you see the tiger behind the kids?  I tried to get the kids to pose with him behind them.  Leah was too busy and excited to pose.  I think he was sizing my little children up for his mid-afternoon snack.  

I'm Famous!

Today was a VERY LONG day. I left at 9:30am to drive to NE Philly to pick up 1000lbs of chicken from Quaker Valley Foods. I put together this order for the members of my stake. I hauled back 24 cases of chicken in my Suburban.

I got sunburned from being outside all day helping load chicken into cars. A few were late coming to pick up their meat. Lots of phone calls today as well.

So, why am I famous?

I was getting ready for a Stake Welfare Committee meeting and asked Lucy to come into the bathroom to talk to me as I put on my make up. I asked if she had a good day. The Manning kids came over for a little while so my kids had someone to play with.

Lucy said she did and made some comment. She noticed my sunburn and asked about it. I told her I was outside helping people with their chicken.

She said, "You're famous." I asked why she said that. She said, "Everybody came to see you today. When one car left, another would pull up. And soooo many phone calls. You're famous."

I had to explain to her why that did NOT make me famous. Sunburned---yes. Famous---not so much.

How cute and funny was that? Just her perspective. I hope that as she grows older she'll see that her mom enjoyed serving others.

Big Gov'ment

Amazing what silly things are actually true. Today I was on my walk and approached a Deptford Township truck that was repainting the blocks on a pedestrian crosswalk. As I got closer, I noticed that none of the men were working. (That totally peeves me as I'm paying their salary) I counted seven men. I said "hi" to the two sitting on the sidewalk chatting with one another. The head guy was in the truck trying to look important. Two were in the road turning that "slow/stop" sign back and forth and two other were just hanging out on the side of the road shootin' the breeze.

As I came up to them I said, "So this is what it means to 'watch the paint dry.'" They chuckled and agreed. I spoke with them a bit longer and they both said that would be about all they did today.

Big Government.

Shoes

I must have tried on literally 20 pairs of tennis shoes today. I must have super funky feet because I need another pair of shoes. My feet hurt so badly when I walk in the morning. I have purchase Asics, Nikes and Easy Spirit tennis shoes in the last year. All of them hurt my feet. So I went out tonight in search of another pair. I went to Famous Footwear because I had a 20% off coupon. I thought I'd be able to find something. They have a tons of shoes. NOPE!!! I did. I tried on 20 pairs of shoes. Bless Lucy's little heart. After each attempt, she'd careful package them up for me and put them away. I'm very grateful for her help. As a reward, she did get a new pair of shoes. :)

If anyone has a suggestion of their favorite type of tennis shoes, please share. I tried on Nike, New Balance, Asics, Avia, Addias, Easy Spirit and Reebok shoes in every style and color. I got desperate enough to consider black shoes. I did find a pair of Reeboks at Sam's club for $25 that I'll try now that I"m home. They were cheap enough to bring home and try out in the house.

What a great post, huh?