Today is Thursday (ok so it was yesterday)

Today is Thursday...it is raining...it is chilly.

I hope you don't mind if I think aloud here.

Thursdays have always been the hardest for me to concentrate on schooling the kids.
It's been like the day I've needed to just take off and not do much.

It's raining.  I LOVE the rain.
I want to sit and sip coffee.
I want to go thrifting, find some treasures.
I want to read, just for me reading.

I don't want to teach or check the kids work.
I don't want to do laundry or clean the house.
I have some pillows I want to make a rag rug I need to finish.

But alas, 'tis all wishful thinking.

But I am going to go have a cup of coffee.

windows

so i have a thing with windows.
doesn't everybody?

i love windows. 
the light they let into the house.
the view.
the ability to spy on your neighbors.
(you know you do too.)
it is one of the big reasons we bought our house.
we have two windows walls.
everywhere you go in our house there's windows.
cleaning them it another matter in and of itself.

yet windows-at night-well they need to be TOTALLY and completely covered.
no gaps, no room for eyeballs to peek through!
especially when we lived next door to two families from church.
you know eyeballs like on Count Olaf's ankles.
like the one's in the isles during Halloween.

anyway, have a great day and cover your windows!

Road Time Funnies

Some funnies from our trip:

Me: Is that corn? (Looking at short corn stalks.)
Hubby: Yes.
Me: It's really small, maybe it's baby corn.

Son: (upon seeing a covered speed limit sign.) Look no speed limit.

The kids and hubby noticed me taking out my little notebook and noting things.  They started making stuff up.  Like:
Day 3...I have gas.

I travel with my pillow everywhere.  So, as the road was endless, the stories started flowing.
One I wrote down was about me jumping out of a plane with my pillow strapped to the backpack.

Daughter got chocolate on her pants...right there...oh the drama!

Then as we drove through Yuma, AZ.  My jukebox of a hubby started singing the Numa Numa song.  Video follows!  (Oh not of hubby, but of the numa numa guy.)

One more for you.

After leaving AZ/CA checkpoint someone says...

You'll have to step out, this car smells like bananas.

Fresh Brewed Life-Review

Man oh, man...am I late on reviewing this book.  Coffee, it tastes good, smells good and makes you feel good, right.  Just walking into a coffee shop can make your day better.  Books can do the same, make you feel good, take you to other places, awaken your senses.  So, when I agreed to review this book I hoped it would be like drinking a fresh cup of sweet cream flavored coffee while reading a good book, but as another reviewer put it, "it was a little like drinking that lukewarm cup of coffee you seem to never finish because of kids and chores." (partial quote from Angela Cook) 

For me a good cup of coffee is freshly brewed, iced, most days, some autumn harvest or caramel flavoring added and sweetened with a bit of splenda.  I like to drink it slow and savor the flavor, make the moment last.  A good book makes you think, makes you want to drink that late night coffee to stay up and read it.  Unfortunately Fresh Brewed Life was too much fluff and not enough coffee, or in this case spiritual depth.  Nicole Johnson had too many coffee analogies for my taste.  When I read spiritual books I want to be convicted, be encouraged to press on, to grow and get closer to God.  Unfortunately Fresh Brewed Life was more like ordering a Caramel Macchiato Frappe without whipped cream and paying for coffee on ice.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Photoshopping

I wanted to give you guys a little tip on photoshop. 

I am sure you could do it in other programs as well.

I LOVE this photo of the Huntington Beach Pier, but it is lacking some umph.

Introduce some PW Actions...I believe I used the Boost here.  One of my faves.  Talk about umph!

I made this into a layout.  It is softened with a paper layer over the photo.  I have the words to Where I Belong by Building 429 on the side.

Here's the song for you. 

It really speaks to me.

Taking up Space

So I bought these chair things, small rail things...?...awhile back.  We're talking last year, back.

I liked them, but had NO idea what i was going to do with them.  So they sat taking up some space.

Hubby thought me a bit strange and funny that I wanted photos of this and of him.

I also bought this for a different project that is not yet finished, taking up space. 

Also had a contanier full of tape taking up space. 

Had the light bulb come on one day and thought of this.

Works perfect.  Just need to paint the tips of the arms.  Hmmm...my painting crazy son could do it.

Hubby even cut the arms at a nice angle.

Art Fridays

It's October and we finally have a pretty set schedule for school. 

Everyday is math, spelling, grammar, science (we are on hold as I ordered a new science) and music.  Mon-Wed I read history to the kids and they fill out their worksheets as I read.  Thursday they fill in any blanks on their own.  Friday we don't do history.  We do art instead.  I am LOVING art this year.

Here's what we did yesterday.  (This wasn't a cheap project as we had no paints.)

Got the idea here from Vinnie Pearce.

(Sorry, didn't edit the pics.)

Son's in the beginning stages.

Daughter's half way through.

Mine...ended up taking off the green tape and the leaves.

Son...

Son's finished.

Mine finished.  You should've seen me in Hobby Lobby picking out colors.  I knew going there what I wanted, but the kids picked out colors that were too similar.  I was driving son nuts!

Daughter's finished.

I really like how they look together. 

Son had to make one more that night.

He's now touching up our dining room chairs.  I created a nice painting monster!

Fall Flashback

Found these photos while going through our stack (and I mean stack) of photos.

Nothing says autumn like apple picking in New England.

I was actually a few months pregnant with our son here.

This one was taken locally probably in 1997.

Post Cards

Post card update.

First, thanks to those of you who have sent us a post card. 

We LOVE getting these little suprises in the mail. 

I have to admit that the Hawaii one is my favorite...so cool, so classic.

And you who sent the Washington one...thanks.  Wish I knew who you were.

We have:

Texas

California

Mass.

Illinois

Arizona

Washington

Ohio

Indiana

Again, if you'd like to comtribute to our paot card collection please email me @ pressed24petals at yahoo dot com.

Thanks!

The Lord Takes Pleasure

Sometimes (a lot) of the time a need to be reminded that I need to depend more on God and less on myself.  A lady in church gave me this scripture:

Psalm 147:10 & 11
He delights not in the strength of the horse: he takes not pleasure in the legs of a man.

The LORD takes pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

His mercy, man do I need that!

Monday

Almost done, I promise.

On the way to my mom's in AZ. we stopped in Cabazon, CA.  The same dinos in PeeWee Herman's Big adventure movie.

Please don't make me do it, I promise I will be good.

One, two, three...ahhhhh!

Then off to Az. to sleep at my mom's and drive back home Tuesday.   LONG, LONG trip.

But WELL worth it.

Sunday Night

Sunday night we remembered that our mom wanted a group shot.  The kids were mostly in their pj's.  The adults were very sleep deprived.  Throw in two very funny guys, and a dog who went from person to person and you have the makings for a funny photo shoot.

This is the one we sent to my mom.

Sunday

Are you tired of our trip yet?  I hope not.
Sunday we went to church with my sister (we stayed at her house) then headed up to the high desert to see my maternal grandparents.  We also drove by my old high school.

It was a nice surprise to see my aunt and her hubby too.

Now for a special treat.  My grandpa was singing up a storm when we were there so I had Colleen record it.  (I am not pregnant, just look like that in that shirt.)  He sang this song all of the time growing up.  "Little Brown Jug"

Not bad for an 80+ year old man.  The one thing I wish I got on tape was him trying to get a picture of us.  You know that video of the two elderly folks trying to figure out the camera on their laptop?  Well, triple the funny factor.  He was hysterical!  He didn't know how to find us in the camera then he learned how to zoom in and out..."WOW!"   Click..."That was beautiful!"  Zoom...click..."Beautiful!"   He had us all busting up.

Everywhere we went seemed like it took at least 1 1/2 hours to get there.  So our bums still have the car seat seams in them.

Saturday

Saturday started out at our niece's soccer game.  She's the one in the green.

Then it was to my Oma's.  It is always nice to listen to hear stories.  She was a young teenaged girl during Hitler's time.  Very kind lady.

Then off to Huntington Beach with my dad.  This is where spent a good amount of the time.

It was a bit chilly, but beautiful.

Friday

Friday was the funeral and the wake at my aunt's house.

Though it was a sad time, it was nice to see family that we haven't seen in years.

Here is my beautiful sister and one of beautiful cousins.

(Don't know why I am slouching.)

 

Us...

My dad, step-mom and brothers.