The "H" word.

School is about to start. The good part about this is that I will no longer see this face. Okay, that didn't come out right...what I meat was I will no longer see this LOOK. I will indeed see this sweet little face EVERY.SINGLE.DAY of the school year because I homeschool. What I won't see is the "Mommmmm, I'm bored" face. Follow?

I'm kind of nervous about this school year. Last year, I just homeschooled Whitney. This year I have Whitney AND Aaron who is starting Kindergarten. Don't get me wrong, I love homeschooling, but it's a lot of work. And I never get tired of the looks from people when I tell them I homeschool. Why? Because I can just imagine what is going through their heads when they hear the word HOMESCHOOL. It probably looks something like this: (watch it...you won't regret it!!!)



(I never get tired of that video! It's hilarious!)

I never thought in a million years that I would ever homeschool...I thought homeschooled kids were weird. I thought homeschool parents were even WEIRDER. But, my oldest daughter, Whitney has health problems and I didn't feel comfortable having her so far away. If she died at school I would never forgive myself. So, I did Kindergarten with her at home. I didn't use any particular program or set of books, I used a bunch of different things. And to my surprise, I actually REALLY enjoyed it! With 1st grade, I felt we needed more structure. So, after a lot of prayer and searching, I decided on doing the K12.com program.

K12 is actually an online public school. (yes, that's right, PUBLIC school!) It's free, it's accredited, and it is individualized to your student. They send you all of your books, supplies, and even a computer for your child (yes, it's all free)! You are assigned a homeroom teacher who you keep in close contact with for questions and such, and you meet with them a few times a year for testing to make sure your child is where they are supposed to be academically. They still have things like field trips, but instead of riding on a bus up to the museum or the zoo or wherever it is, you go as a family and get to meet other families from K12. And, they have fun things like pen pal programs, and in the summer they have field trips to Elitch Gardens at half price! It really is a neat school!

What do I like about homeschooling?

I don't have to be up before sunrise to drag them out of bed, get them dressed, make their lunches, get them to the bus stop, and if they MISS the bus I don't have to drive them to school and worry about them being tardy.

I love that we can start whenever we're ready. We don't have to start at 8:00 sharp. If we feel like starting an hour late, we can.

I love that I get to be the one to see the excitement on their faces when they understand something.

I love that we have a homeroom teacher (whom we ADORE) so I'm not doing this all on my own with nobody to turn to for questions.

I love that God is allowed at school. 'Nuff said.

(Whitney wants me to add that she likes not having to worry about bullies...)

I love that it's not a big deal to miss a day if they're sick. (And honestly, I do love that I don't have to worry about them bringing home whatever is going around school)

I love that we can go on family trips or field trips whenever we want! We don't have to worry about missing school, we can take school with us!

I love that we can get all of their school work done in about 4 hours, instead of them having an 8 hour day. Things go a lot faster when you don't have to wait for the rest of the class to finish. ;)

I love that it is so structured. I just look online at the class schedule for the day at what needs to be done, I get them started, I help them when they need help, and when they finish it I mark it as completed. That's it.

I love that the kids take a little assessment test at the end of each lesson to make sure they understand what they were supposed to learn. If they don't pass it, we go over the lesson again and re-take it. I always know they are ready to move on.

I love that our day is so flexible. If they need a break or are really having a difficult time, we can stop and take a breather and then give it another try. And, if they need to spend more time on something, they can. Or, if something is really easy for them, we can move on faster. The school is built around your child, not your child built to the school.

I love the way the school teaches. Part of the class is workbook activities, and the other part is online. They usually have fun interactive games and things for them to do. Like, when we were learning about the ocean, they got to play a simulated submarine game to explore the ocean. There were sea creatures they could click on to learn more about them. And the deeper they went into the ocean, the darker it got and the cooler the creatures were. It was fun even for ME! :)

I love just being able to be with my kids. I love KNOWING what they are learning and not having to worry about them being taught something I don't agree with. (Especially with everything going on these days!)

These are just a FEW of the things I like about homeschooling. I'm not saying that I think public school is bad...I think there are so many awesome things about public school, and I think the WORLD of teachers. They are amazing! And, I know it's not for everyone. Annnnd, I don't know what my future holds, but I feel very blessed that I am able to homeschool them for now.

So, anywayyyy, if you are interested in using K12 with your family, you can learn more at K12.com! I'm not even getting paid for this...that's how much I love it!

I'm Baaack!

Oh my gosh, I swear I'm still here!

First, our hard drive on our computer died. (Second time in 1 year! AAARGH!) So, we've been without a computer for a while. I lost ALLLLL of my pictures, and it still makes me want to throw up when I think about it. We even bought an external hard drive about a year ago. It's still in it's box. Lesson learned. If you buy an external hard drive to back up your stuff...USE IT. *smacking forehead against computer monitor*

Then, I was gone because my beloved Grandpa passed away. That was an emotional roller coaster because every day my Dad would call and say "today will probably be the day...I just can't imagine he will last much longer." He did this every day for a week! My Grandpa had a big strong heart...and I'm sure it was using Energizer batteries. It was a bittersweet occasion, half of me is so sad that he isn't here anymore, yet the other half of me is so relieved and happy for him. He suffered from Parkinson's Disease, and while his mind was still so alive, he was trapped in a body that prevented him from saying all of the wonderful things he wanted to say or doing the the things he wanted to do. It was heartbreaking. I don't know what I would do without the gospel of Jesus Christ....knowing that families are FOREVER and that I will see him again. I know he'll be watching over us and looking in on us from time to time...it's not the end of his book, just the beginning of another chapter. And it was nice to get back up to Utah to see everyone. My Grandma has been so strong through all of this, she is such an amazing woman. I am so blessed to be part of such an incredible family!

I don't remember the last time we had a family picture. And my dad had to hold me up because my heels were sinking into the grass! P.S...that is the last time I will EVER wear high heels to a funeral. *OUCH*

ANNNNND, I've been busy painting. We turned our master bedroom into a "home gym" because our garage is so friggin hot in the summer, and FREEEZING in the winter. So, we moved the girls in together (they are LOVING sharing a room!) and we moved the master bedroom into Whitney's old room. I was kind of sad to paint over the cute bedroom colors, but I love the way our new master bedroom turned out! Pictures to come soon! I just have to hang all the wall decorations and stuff.

So...stay tuned!

Happy Birthday To America....and to ME!

I have, like, the COOLEST birthday ever. I celebrate mine on the same day as our marvelous country. I get parades, barbeques, fireworks....seriously. It's awesome.

I started my day out with a lovely breakfast made by Michael....apple cinnamon puffy pancakes, bacon and orange juice. The perrrfect start to my day!

Then I opened my present from him....a tri-pod for my camera! YESSSS! And guess what...
it works! *SAY CHEEESE!*



Then we were off to the parade in downtown Alamosa with my family....

The firetrucks were too loud for Whitney...



And I could not stop laughing at this float! HILARIOUS!!! I think we live a little too close to area 51 if you know what I mean. Even the aliens are happy it's America's birthday. And my birthday. But mostly America because I'm sure they enjoy all of our fireworks from the far reaches of space.



Then my mom took me into JCPenneys for a little shopping...I found some shorts and capris! Thanks, Mom! (It is so stinking hot this summer! *GAG*)

Then we went home and I took a 2 hour nap. Can you say HEAVEN??? I can. And it is spelled N.A.P.

Then we went to my parents house for dinner. They made my favorite shish-ka-bobs (I don't know how it's really spelled...)

(Awwww, my Daddy. I love him!!!)



Then I opened my presents. Lots and LOTS of Chocolate. And a dandelion digger thing so I don't have to keep using the butcher knife. Maybe I'm scaring our neighbors? :)



F.Y.I....yes, she is. Just wait...it gets better.

My mom made a BEAUTIFUL cheesecake for me! Don't you wish you were there? I think there is still a piece in the fridge...first come, first serve! (Helloooo 700 calories per slice! Come to Mama!)



Then, my brothers put on a lovely fireworks show. It really was the perfect ending to the perfect birthday! Thanks to all who made it so special!

And most importantly,

GOD BLESS AMERICA,

LAND THAT I LOVE!!!

I am so lucky to get to share my birthday with the greatest country on Earth. I couldn't stop thinking about all of the miracles and sacrifices that have made our country free. Happy Birthday, America! And me. But, mostly America. :)

My Marriage Miracle

WOW! I am completely blown away at the support and encouragement I've received after my last post! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOUUUU! It was so nice to know I'm not alone!

I spent the past week at Girls Camp with the Young Women from church, and it was a WONDERFUL, much needed break. I feel so refreshed! And I was SOOOO ready to come home to my little family, I could hardly stand it!

The funny thing is, my husband stayed home to take care of the kids while I was gone. In my mind I was secretly hoping he would see how hard being a mom was. I was expecting to come home to a torn up house, messy kids, a totally cranky husband and an empty fridge. To my surprise, when I walked into the front door, the house was ABSOLUTELY CLEAN. It was quiet. There was food in the fridge. I was like, "What on earth!?!" He was out with the kids on a bike ride! He even went out and bought one of those bike trailers to pull Kate behind him in. The kids were dressed and clean, and Kate's hair was in little pigtails. I was completely blown away! Not only this, but he had gotten up every morning and made the kids breakfast. Like...pancakes and french toast and bacon and eggs! He had even trained the kids to put their dishes into the dishwasher when they're done eating (why hadn't I thought of that!?!) I'm not kidding, this man is a better mom than I am.

My life has changed SO much in the past month or so. My marriage was falling apart and I didn't know how we were going to fix it. We've tried counseling before, but it didn't help and was pretty much a big waste of time and money. Do you want to know what has been the miracle in our marriage? THIS BOOK.


Did you know that people show and need love in different ways? It's like two people speaking different languages. Sure, two people who speak different languages can talk to eachother, but will they know what the heck the other one is saying??? Not really. One of our BIGGEST problems in our marriage is that our love languages are different and we had no idea! There is a quiz that you take to help you figure out which love language is the one you speak/need. The 5 love languages are PHYSICAL TOUCH, ACTS OF SERVICE, WORDS OF AFFIRMATION, GIVING/GETTING GIFTS, and QUALITY TIME.

The test has 30 multiple choice questions, answered A B C or D. Then, you tally up your answes to see which things are most important to you and helps you to figure out which love languages you and your spouse speak/understand. Then, there are different chapters on each love language and how to speak it. The first love language I need/understand is acts of service. This means that the things that mean the most to me are things like him doing dishes...he shows me he loves me by the things he does for me. My second love language is quality time. I need to spend time with him, whether it's taking a sunset stroll or playing a video game together, it doesn't matter. I need that one on one time. This is how he "fills my love tank". People are like cars, if their tank is empty, they can't go. His love language is Physical Touch, (as are most men's first love language...hahah!). But, if my love tank is empty because he hasn't done anything to fill it, I am a lot less likely to feel like being intimate, and if I'm not filling his tank, he won't want to do things to help me or spend time with me. Get my drift? It has really been AMAAAZING to see the change in my husband. He had NOOO idea that helping around the house and spending a little one on one time with me each day would mean so much to me. Now, his second love language is also acts of service. I found out that the most important things to him are coming home to a clean house, having dinner ready at least a half an hour after he comes home (he's usually starrrrrving), and silly little things like putting my shoes in the closet! I had no idea how important those things were to him, either. SO, now I focus more attention to making sure I do a "turbo clean sweep" of the house before he comes home and making sure he has dinner soon after he gets home. I make the bed and put away my shoes...such easy little things! And we have both been SOOO much happier! Both of our tanks are being filled, thus we have fuel to give to the other. I highly recommend this book, it has worked wonders.

Annnnd, that's your reading assignment for this week. :) Even if your marriage is peachy keen, it's still fun to discover more about you and your spouse. And, if I were Queen, I'd make everyone who is even THINKING about getting married read this book so they know what their love languages are so their relationship stays going in the right direction.

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER. THE END.

I've Got Some Exshhhplaining To Do...

Hey everyone! So....I've been getting asked why I've dropped off the planet. Here's the scoop... *deep breath*

First off, after the American Crafter competition I was just sort of drained. Just the thought of a can of spray paint made my head start to throb. (I know, SO sad, huh.) So...I haven't even seen my glue gun in a month...and sadly I don't miss it yet. Hopefully I can re-kindle my love for crafts soon. But, I've got a lot of other things going on in life right now...I need to get those fixed before I can work on anything else. Hence the no posts...I figured you'd rather just not hear anything from me than hear me whine. ;)

I'm usually not a whiner...the problem is that I just hold everything in until I explode. Truth be told, I've just been having a hard time with life. I know how horrible this sounds....but do you ever just get tired of your life??? Lately, I have been. It's the same thing, day after day. Being a Mom is hard. We don't get to come home from work, put up our feet and turn on the TV to watch a game and relax. No, our job is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Day shift AND night shift. Give. Give. Give. It's all we do, all day long. "Mom, I need this. Mom, Aaron hit me. Mom, do cows pee milk? Mom, I'm hungry. Mom, I'm bored. Mom, I think Kate is poopy and she's stinking up the house. Mom, this dinner is gross. I don't want to eat it. Mom, where are my shoes? Mom, what is a million trillion plus a zillion? Mom, Kate wiped a booger on me! Mom, I need such and such." Then, in between all of the "Mom, I...." there is the cleaning, and the cooking, and the cleaning up AFTER the cooking, and the laundry, and the shopping (remember the Shopping Trip of Horrors Post??? YEAH.), and the doing things for our church callings and civic duties and everything else we have to do. (Like trying to keep the husband happy. SIGH) And the saddest part? Everything we do is erased by the end of the day. I have nothing to show for all I've done by the time my husband comes home from work other than the appearance that I have been a total lazy slob. The kids have destroyed the clean house. My freshly mopped floor is sticky with spilled juice and graham crackers are smashed into the just vacuumed carpet. The bed I made this morning has been torn apart by three little monkeys jumping on the bed. The dinner I made is gone and all that is left are dishes for ME to clean up. The laundry I washed and folded and put away, somehow it's all dirty again. (And someone PLEASE tell me why boys can't seem to pee INTO the toilet bowl and not down the friggin sides of the toilet!?!) All the little things just start to build and build...and I just feel like I'm losing my mind! Sometimes I wish someone would just take care of me for a day, ya know? "Honey, why don't you go take a hot bath and relax, let me do the dishes." I feel like I have to do everything on my own. Probably because I do.

Then, there is my constant struggle with my weight. It's such a roller coaster! I've put on about ten pounds in the past month. I've just completely fallen off of the wagon. I stress eat and it is HORRIBLE. Why can't I stress eat celery or carrots? Seriously. Today I ate an entire bag of Lays Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips and a bag of Nutter Butter Bites. Sigh. That probably took care of my entire calorie allotment for the week! :(

The saddest part is that I'm already on anti-depressants. I've been on them for about a year now. (Hellooo Zoloft) So, I shouldn't be feeling so down. I've already upped my dosage to help me deal...but it's just not working. I feel like a crazy person because I'm on them...I hate knowing that I need them just to get through a day. It's embarrassing. But what else can I do? I remember what life was like when I wasn't on them, and it's not a place I want to go back to. But then, at the same time...I wonder if I'm sad because life is hard? Or am I sad because I'm chemically imbalanced? It's like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg.

Well, that's definitely enough whining for the day. If you made it through this whole post give yourself a big pat on the back! :) Hopefully I'll be back soon in full force. Thanks for all who checked in on me, I have such great blog BFF's! :)

Buisness Time and Racist Dragons. FOR REALS.

Oh my gosh, have you seen these youtube videos of the Flight of the Conchords!?! You HAVE to watch them...I can't stop laughing! Enjoy!

!!!Little Man Mustache Baby Shower!!!

OH.MY. GOSH. You HAVE to check out this baby shower my friend Emily threw! It is the CUTEST little boy shower I have ever seen! She keeps coming up with the most amazing parties! WOW.

Click HERE to see the whole party! UH-MA-ZING!