Wordless Wednesday - He's Growing Up Too Fast

Tuesday's Tip - Take Pictures

We take pictures of loved ones at holidays and visits, but I don't usually remember to take pictures of the places we visit. For instance, my Grandma's house. I lived there for seven years and then across the street until I moved on to college and then married. I never really thought about taking pictures of her house or the yard or landscape. Now that my Grandmother will never be able to return home and the thought of what will happen to the house once she's gone makes me stop and think, "Do I have any pictures of Grandma's house?" The landscaping has changed quite a bit since I was a kid and I have no pictures of it then, only memories. So this last visit we took to Grandma's I made sure I took a picture of her house and some of the landscape; the swing set and the maple tree that all the grandkids like to climb.

I'm not exactly sure what will happen to Grandma's house, but at least I have pictures of it now. My tip for today would be to remember to take pictures of your loved one's (and even your own) homes and homesteads so you will always have them.

Back From NC

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us as we traveled to NC to visit my Grandma. She is resting well at Hospice House and is getting wonderful care. The facility and staff there are top rate and we couldn't be more pleased.

We were able to visit with my Dad and sisters together Sunday for lunch. It's always great to get together and so much fun. And of course every time family gets together there are pictures to be taken. Here are just a few of the pictures we took before we headed back to TN.

Carrie, Me, Daddy and Donna

All the grandkids

Pawpaw, Mawmaw Connie and all the grandkids

Tuesday's Tip - Question for You

The other day someone thanked me for the tip about using vinegar to rid clothes of sour smells, and it made we wonder. I was wondering how many of you have used a tip from here and how it worked for you. Do you enjoy "Tuesday's Tips" or not?

Just curious and looking for feedback. So tell me what you think. I look forward to hearing from you. Blessings.

It's Friday!

Christiana and Kyle

Here's wishing you a fun, restful weekend. Be blessed.

For Real Thursdays - Diligence

I found it interesting that another blog I keep up with spoke on diligence today because that is exactly what I was planning on blogging about today. It must be something others are dealing with besides me. However, I'm looking more at my own diligence instead of my children's. I like what this blogger said, "If you want your children to be more diligent, pray to be more diligent."

I look around my house and I am overwhelmed with where to start in reorganizing my home. I know that if I had stayed more diligent with my children doing their tasks well, then we probably wouldn't be at this place. I understand that some spring cleaning and rearranging are necessary from time to time, but if we had stayed on top of our daily tasks this job wouldn't be so big. Too many times I assume the kids have completed their chores and completed them well, so I don't check up on them. Most of the time, I am busy taking care of another smaller child or working on another task to check up on their completed task. Now I see where my lack of diligence in following up has led to a lack of diligence in my children.

So where do I go from here? I start today in being more diligent. I pray that God will help me to be more diligent and I work on positively reinforcing diligence in my children as well. After all, every day is a new day and why not start the day off right? If I find that I begin to slack off, then I'll just start over again the next day. Not going to beat myself up over this one, just going to do better.

How about you? Have you found that your children's lack of diligence starts with you?

Wordless Wednesday - Learning to Mow

Matthew is 5!

Today is Matthew's 5th birthday. He's such a big boy and will be starting school in the Fall (our sixth child to homeschool). He is such a joy and just as sweet and adorable as he is cute. I love that he still likes to cuddle, especially in the morning when the others are still sleeping. He plays well with others but also likes to play quietly on his own. I love this little guy so much. And like all the others, I'm so proud of him and feel privileged to be his Mom.

Happy Birthday, Matthew! I love you!

Awesome Weekend!

We spent the weekend with some friends of ours at a family cabin. The cabin has no electricity and only one bathroom with a toilet and sink as the only running water. There's a pond out back and four-wheeling trails all around. We spent our days fishing, swimming, four-wheeling, and relaxing. At night we'd get the fire burning and roast hotdogs and make smores, as well as go hunting for frogs. The kids got the opportunity to touch a snake, pick up frogs, take fish off of hooks and more. It was not only a fun trip but so educational as well. Nature up close and personal, just the way I like it. It was such a blast and we are still talking about all the fun we had.

I'd like to send out a special thanks to our friends the Ross' and Mr. Sam and Mrs. Maida for such a great time and for all their hospitality. What a blessing you were to our family.

The cabin

Fishing

Joshua and Kyle relaxing inside.

Christiana's first fish.

Black snake

Swimming

Four-wheeling

Learning card tricks

Getting a good fire going

Trip home

Wordless Wednesday - Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Tuesday's Tip - Sour Towels

Do you have towels that smell clean when you wash them but as soon as they get wet smell soured and unwashed? I mean there's nothing worse than picking up a "clean" towel to dry off with after a shower only to realize it smells bad as soon as you begin to dry yourself with it. Or grab a "clean" dishcloth to wipe down a counter only to make the counter smell soured.

Well, don't throw them away and buy new ones, here's what you need to do. If they are white, then wash them in hot water with bleach and that should do the trick. If they are colored then wash them in warm water and add 1/2 a cup of vinegar to the wash along with the detergent. The vinegar will kill the enzymes that are making the towels smell bad. You may need to do this more than once, but I found that it worked after one load.

Try it. It really works.