Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas We are at home putting together toys see you next year!

200th Post

I have been thinking what to write about since 200 seems like such and important number. So here are 200 things I love:

1. I love God
2. I love my family.
3. I love chronicling our experiences as we home school.
4. I love to read.
5. I love to train horses.
6. I love the smell of leather.
7. I love coaching an equestrian team.
8. I love teaching the kids.
9. I love being a nurse.
10. I love honey in the comb.
11. I love fresh venison.
12. I love my new nativity set.
13. I love my high school class ring
14. I love Reading books to my kids at bedtime all snuggled together in bed.
15. I love when my phone rings and it's Aarons ring tone.
16. I love having all my kids home together (like we almost had this year)for holidays.
17. I love being snuggled up in bed next to Aaron in the morning and realizing it's my day off and I don't have to get out of bed.
18. I love when the flowers are in bloom in my yard.
19. I love the rose bush Aaron planted for me.
20. I love the sound of Sawyer's laugh.
21. I love when Lizzi's smile reaches her eyes.
22. I love when Jon looks me in the eye or cries for momma.
23. I love to hear Camryn sing in church.
24. I love Aimees little skip in her walk when she's really happy.
25. I love to see Jessi come over.
26. I love to see Taylor's pride when he shoots a deer.
27. I love it when Trent Calls me mom.
28. I love the white orchid Aimee got me for mother's day that amazingly is still alive and blooming.
29. I love camping with Aaron and our friends Erica and Gary and all the kids.
30. I love walking around Columbia,SC with Aaron on vacation
31. I love baklava
32. I love homemade bread
33. I love the flag 
34. I love my country the USA
35. I love all the men and women who serve in the military to protect our freedom.
36. I love apple pie.
37. I love visiting Paris, France
38. I love getting mail
39. I love how romantic Aaron is with me
40. I love good friends
41. I love signs of spring
42. I love visiting historical places
43. I love old cemeteries
44. I love cheesecake
45. I love you!
46. I love rechargeable batteries
47. I love programmable coffee pots so coffee is ready when I am
48. I love the still quiet before anyone else is awake
49. I love balconies
50. I love palm trees
51. I love fresh snow first thing in the morning (if it's my day off!)
52. I love ocean waves
53. I love singing birds
54. I love my crock pot and bread machine meal days
55. I love body pillows
56. I love spring!
57. I love seeing the flowers pop up in my yard.
58. I love it when an old friend calls.
59. I love all the flowers blooming in my yard in the early summer!
60. I love fresh picked strawberries.
61. I love you!
62. I love lighthouses.
63. I love days off from work.
64. I love the sound of the kids laughing as one of the big kids plays with them.
65. I love finding new ideas on the internet.
66. I love sunshine.
67. I love flip flops.
68. I love birdhouses.
69. I love hearing the kids learning to play an instrument.
70. I love how my kids open up and talk to me when we are alone in the car.
71. I love tracking deer with Aaron in the woods.
72. I love windy fall days where the leaves fly through the still warm air.
73. I love blogging it replaces my childhood diary.
74. I love big cities like Chicago where a museum is just a short walk away from the hotel.
75. I love Shelby Lynne's voice on stage.
76. I love how Sawyer sings lullaby baby to his doll with my "only know the first verse" version.
77. I love Camryn's singing voice.
78. I love used book store shopping.
79. I love thrift stores and garage sales.
80. I love flannel and fleece fabrics.

Christmas break starts now!

We are following Cam's school schedule for our "breaks".  School is out until january 4th, 2011. Today both Pitty-pat and Tippy-toe worked in their workbooks they wanted "to do some math". I guess I forgot to tell them they were on break too. It didn't matter they wanted to "do school work" anyway. That is the beauty of homeschooling the kids actually like it. No crying, no fussing ...they beg me for more school work and more activites and more crafts. I actually have a hard time keeping up with the demand for work. I am asking santa for more colored ink for the printer. Aaron has been playing christmas music and teaching them to sing songs for the last two weeks. What a joy it is to call home and hear little voices singing along to the computer. I am blessed. Aaron and Tay went ice fishing tonight. Trent is on leave from the service. He came home last night and now is gone out again. It is always good when at least some of my kids are home. We went christmas shopping today everyone is going to be so very happy! I found a great deal on a family present! The boys may never leave the house all christmas break! We usually get one big family present we all can enjoy.

homemade ornaments

I found these three recipes for dough ornaments.
#1
1 cup flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup water
2 Tblsp cinnamon
bake 325 for 45 minuets

#2
1 cup applesauce
1- 11/2 cups cinnnamon
1/4 cup glue
dry 2-4 days turning twice a day

#3
 2 cups flour
1 cup salt
5 Tblsp cinnamon
chill 30 minuets before rolling out, then cut with cookie cutters
bake 325 for 45-60 minuets
cool then paint.
I found a gingerbread cookie cutter at the goodwill so we will be making these late today. I think I will have Cam mix, cut out  and bake then we will all  paint them after they cool down.

*remember to punch a hole in each for the string to hang the ornaments before baking.

peppermint cookie play dough

I put peppermint extract in this months plain white play dough. They loved it. It occupied them for an hour today after lunch. Little-man really enjoyed this activity. I taught him how to roll snakes. It was so cute! play dough is such good learning fun, practicing both Sensory and motor skills. It also stretches their little imaginations and they work alone on their own dough so pitty-pat isn't bossing tippy-toe. We are really focusing on tippy-toe learning to act on his own not under the force of big sis. She has gotten him in alot of trouble lately making bad choices and telling him to do things he knows is wrong. It was a survival for them but it needs to be nipped in the bud before she pulls him into real trouble and he blindly does her bidding.

Sorry internet down

sorry my internet was out for a few days