Saying "hi"

...the only way I know how. I don't have an email addie for you anymore Dp, and you haven't written a blog entry for a while. Just wondering how you're doing since the big move. I'm not even sure if you still read the blog.

anyway....Hi.

And hi to all you other readers I don't know yet. I know there are a few of you that check in from time to time. I'd love to know who you are and how you found the blog.

okay...I'm back to school work-gearing up for a year of officially schooling 2. Yippee!!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Don't ya just wanna get up and dance?

30 feels good. Yay me!!!!!

coming at ya

....from a brand new PC. I wanted a Mac, but for the price tag Hubs bought 2 PC's-one for me and one for my parents. What a guy! How many men do you know would do that?

Happy birthday to me! I guess it's an early birthday present. This week-the big 3-0. Man how time flies!

I wanna head back to VA for an extra birthday treat. I see though that the temps are topping off around 100 degrees this week. youch! I like hot, but only if I can get half wet to enjoy it. Can someone please direct me to the nearest pool?

Actually, I scoped it out for real. I knew there had to be a pool there somewhere. We just never visited it-too busy soaking up other things. I was thinking that if I drag my girls there to cook in those high, high temps, the least I could do would be to treat them to a pool day at leasat once. The only major problem is that we never, NEVER go to a public pool. We're used to the backyard being the place to get away. I don't know if I could get over the idea of possibly swimming in someone elses....uh....well, you know.

I guess we'll see. I'm taking the day to just relax. chill. After spending nearly 4 hours getting the new comp set up the way I like it. All those bookmarks and software and stuff. I know there was a better way to do it, I just didn't want to invest the money to make it easier. At least now maybe I'll think before I add one more thing to this pc.

Reconnecting

It's always so good to reconnect with those you love. Today some of The Moms had decided to get together for a play day. I was not planning on attending-as much as it hurt me to skip it. I just felt I had way too much to tend to after being away from home for so long. 3 weeks of in and out is a long time in the life of a house, people. My carpets were calling out for a vacuum, and the luggage was begging to be put away.

The Moms wouldn't have it. No. One of them called me. "Are you okay? Are you home? Why won't we be seeing you?"

ahhh...man. All those well meaning plans to get things in order flew right back out the window. In her words, "It can all wait till tomorrow. We need to see you."

I just love friends like that. Hang it all, we needed a gab session!

So, what's a girl to do when invited to a last minute get together? Raid the pantry. In my case, there was very little there. What I came up with was a long English cucumber and a bag of Terra chips. I knew they would be good for something, so I put the goodies and the kids in the car and we were off.

Off to spend the day with the few people in the world who get me the best. Fellow SAH, homeschooling moms. It was so good to get my arms around those necks. It had been several weeks since we had seen one another. Long enough that we all had so much to gab about that the day went by so quickly and we weren't nearly done.

Oh, and the food? Just fine. Someone else brought ham and cheese, another had some PB&J, and another provided some grapejuice and homemade party mix. Good thing someone brought a vegetable. 2...well..okay one. Do Terra chips really count? All of it unplanned and so perfect. That's just what friends do.

8(

Prayer room account has gone inactive...oh, well. It was good while it lasted.

Home....

It feels so good. It will be so nice to have a few days all to myself to do whatever I want in my own little home. I haven't been in it much since the 28th of LAST MONTH!!

No wonder I felt as though I was living in a whirlwind.

Our out of towners are leaving tomorrow. We said our see ya later's tonight. I'm not driving down there tomorrow to do it.

I spent the last few days in my "other home" in VA. Can I just take a moment to say I love it there? I always feel so good driving through the Shanandoah Valley knowing I'm getting one mile closer to the other place that has been home to me so many times before.

What a brilliant week it has been so far. I'm tired, but still running full throtle internally.

I had a chance to sing today- to someone other than myself. FUN! Everytime I sing there I'm asked if we have a cd. I always have to say no. Maybe someday I'll get to say yes. That would be so much fun!

God is so good. He is so good to me. More about that later...maybe.

In the meantime, I'm home, and I'm glad.

Take the Quiz here!

I miss my bloggy buddies

It's summertime. I enjoy hot weather soooo much, y'all. I truly do. I've not been home since the 4th of July. How long ago is that anyway? I feel like I enter into a time warp in the summer. I spend so much time just enjoying the freedom of not having to do much of anything. I spent the last week at my parents house.
The girls went to VBS.

I know what you're thinking....we already had our VBS. You would be correct. They were'nt at our VBS. They went to a church literal half a minute from Grandma and Grandpa's house. They just love the Lord, and VBS, I guess. I didn't want to be without them all week, and with gas prices so out of control I wasnt' about to drive them a half hour one way everyday, so Grandma and Grandpa's house it is.

It's so homey there for us. What a comfort. It's good to know I can always go "home." Man, am I lucky. ( I didn't always feel that way, but that's another blog altogether ;/)

The only major complaint I have is that there is no cell service there,they live in a dead zone, and they still have dial up. DIAL UP people!!! Can't ya just feel my agression?!

I had 48 messages in my inbox, and only a few of them were "junky." Boy, my friends were burning up the wires! They probably think I've dropped off the earth for a while. They know I go incomunacado when I'm with the 'Rents.

I missed you dear old blog. and I've missed you bloggy buddies. xoxox!

To set at Liberty

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day! I'm so truly thankful to be an American.

I live in a land of freedom where I can say and do (almost) anything I choose. I cannot imagine a life of forced labor or doors closed to me that would never open no matter how hard I may work or strive.

I live in a land of possibilities.

Freedom isn't cheap. It's paid for in blood. Blood shed by many who scarce could comprehend what they were dying for. Those simply fighting for what they believed to be right.

My freedom was paid for in blood.

I sought freedom from self-imposed bondage. I sought to break vows that I have made, and then beaten myself up over and over again for lacking the strength to follow through. I've struggled and fought and failed. Bound. Burdened. And then found liberty in being a captive to One who sees and knows me. I am truly free. His yoke is easy, and His burden so very light.

He formed me and knew me. He saw what I would be, and do and become. He knows my very thoughts and the wickedness of my ways. He knew and numbered my days.

I'm so amazed that though He surely had other plans and intentions for my life, He saw that I would stumble and fall and fail and stray from the chosen path, and still created ways of escape for me. He created them, even before I would need them. That is just so mind blowing to me. He knows me so well that he sees the traps I may fall into and sets up paths of freedom along the way.

Liberty I have in Him...He's captured me. I'm bound by love to Him. So free.

Oh, that I could write a song about my Redeemers love- A thousand tongues to sing the song of one set free.

It's the Little Things

~My Love language~
Taking out the trash
Cutting the lawn
Vacuuming the crumbs
Hugging just because
Bringing a cold drink
Making up the beds
Making things neat
Looking with approval
Looking and really seeing

PPG

I have no idea how to start this post.

Don'tcha just hate it when that happens?

Headaches make my brain go on pause....

We just got home today after being away for a few days. We left Sunday afternoon to head on out to hubbies "other home." We've had a zoo trip planned for over a month now... actually, since April. It's just been so rainy, and it was cold, and then Hubs had to work. We finally made it to the Zoo last Monday.

The day was absolutely perfect. Cool, but not cold. Occasionally sprinkles, but no downpours. It was perfect weather for traipsing uphill to look at all the animal displays. I was only at that particular zoo one other time...19-gulp- years ago. It was the summer between 5th and 6th grade. The summer I turned 11. Wow!

Anyway, I totally dropped the ball on the whole camera thing. I'm so bad about forgetting to take pictures of things. I used to be quite camera happy. Baby number 2 made my hands too full I guess. Seems like ever since she came along the camera gets forgotten.

Anyway, we had a very nice day. We left and made it inside a restaurant just before predicted huge rain hit.

I wanted to eat at this place called the Green Mango, but hubs wasn't so much into going for Thai food. He did consent to go get me a takeout menu to drool over.

Ohhhh...It looked so good.

Sometimes being in places like that make me long once again for the bustle of the city.

We came home this morning. Instead of the usual highway route, once we got about a half hour away from home, I cut through the country. We stopped at a several little Mennonite markets.

The freshness of the produce made me so happy to live right where I do. I guess I'm a country girl at heart. But,...every now and again, ...the ache to escape to the anonymity of the city returns.