FAMILY TIME

The weather was sketchy all weekend but it turned out to be a non-issue on a very busy Saturday for the family. Dynamite Soccer played a very skilled and tough team on Saturday morning in Russellville. Sheridan woke up with a rash all over her body from a reaction to her medicine she had been taking for 9 days! It was almost more than she could take, but after a minute to adjust she took the field and was a great defender.

After a 4-1 win, we picked up Lauren and headed to the Hill to watch the Hogs vs Texas A&M We were on I40 with the rest of Central Arkansas...including Tusk.

We got to see Ryan a sum total of 15 minutes. We picked him up at his apartment, drove the long way to the ROTC building and dropped him off for check in. He gets to be on the color guard at most home football games, and apparently has to be there 2 hours and 15 minutes before game time. I sent him a text that told him I'd call his "commander" and ask if he could be a little late so he could spend some extra time with his family. He didn't feel like that request would be received favorably.

 

The Hogs have been struggling, and so it wasn't guaranteed to be a good game, but they played hard and even in threatening rain and stormy skies, lost by only 12. Watching a Heisman winner play...it was impressive, even from the opposing side.

Birthday Blessings

It's been the most wonderful day... coming home to a happy family, flowers on the table and dinner with my crew. Even a selfie with Erin at dinner! Soccer practice, and a tv show with Richard.  I'm blessed, and I pray I will remember it the next time it seems like the world is turning upside down.

Birthday Surprise

I used to dream of what I would do if I had 24 hours by myself. Well, tomorrow is my birthday and Richard planned and arranged a trip away...for 2 nights and 2 days, in a BEAUTIFUL lodge, on the highest mountain in Arkansas, on the most GLORIOUS weekend I could've ever picked. The weather is PERFECT. I've had the door wide open to my deck all day, sat in a chair outside for lunch, got sun on my face while I read an entire book. I've been on two different hikes on two different trails, sat on a high, high, bluff and sang songs to God, finished a project that I started a few years ago, worked on our Christmas musical (it's still September!), and my time is not over!

My camera can't capture the breeze, the misty light, or the beautiful panoramic view, but here is my best try. THANK you honey, for the most thoughtful, unselfish gift ever. I am blessed and so very thankful today.

Super Soccer Fun!

Beautiful weather this week, and Saturday was no different. We drove to Heber Springs in the afternoon, met Mimi and Gramps at a beautiful park and watched the our 10-11 year old girls take on a less experienced and not nearly as prepared team. These girls passed the better than I've ever seen and they were fun to watch. It was also the preview of the cheer they made up that they only could do if they won. When they say "BOOM," they all fall down...and then they giggle and laugh and beg to do it again. It's going to be a fun season!

Homeschooling

I haven't homeschooled in 10 years. I am a different person than I was 10 years ago. Sheridan was born 10 years ago, and now we find ourselves together everyday learning together and it's a good thing.

Benefits so far:
1. Nap anytime we want to
2. Add "emptying dishwasher" to required pre-school activities
3. We don't have to wear shoes if we don't want to
4. Excuse for papers and books on dining room table everyday

JUST KIDDING....(kind of)

Real benefits:
1. Character issues can be addressed, prayed over, worked on and worked out
2. Time for talking and listening, explanations don't have to be in a hurry
3. Bible study for us both...tying it all together, including adding AWANA to our day
4. Days off when we need them. Like the 8 days of my event, the 2 days after my event, and yesterday, when we needed to go to the ER.
5. Work hard, get rewarded. If she buckles down and does her work well, she's done around lunch time. This gives us time for games, projects, and play. That's a good day!
6. If we have activities at night, we still have had time together during the day. It's not one or the other, it's both.

I opted against the video-led curriculum. That's not why I brought her home, I brought her home to be able to teach her one-on-one, to have discussions and to be the one pouring the ideas in her head. I'm glad for the workbook curriculum and the extra books and topical studies we have. I'm thankful one of my good friends, a 5th grade teacher, is happy for me doing it. I'm thankful that we can learn and grow together.

Sisters

In case you missed it, the HOGS are 2-0. I love it when we all get to dress fun, and think happy thoughts, and call those HOGS!

DY-NA-MITE!

Richard and friends have put a girls soccer team this season. He is such a great coach, working on improving each girls' skills and having fun with them too. We are able to practice at the U of O that is close to the house, and has great fields. I've missed the first 2 games as they were on opening and closing weekend of my event. Ryan and Katelyn, and Grandma and Grandpa got to see the season opener in Conway and took some pics for me. On that particular day, Ryan even had to referee the game...not sure what happened there.

 

I can't wait to see DYNAMITE play this weekend in Heber Springs!! Go girls!

 

Tennis

Erin has taken up tennis this year. The girls played some this summer at the college and she decided this would be a good sport for the fall. She's OK, our team is OK, and it's all new to me. I've missed a few matches because of my event, but I'm going to work hard to make the rest. Richard says she's improved a lot since the beginning of the season, I'm looking forward to watching her later this week.

Maybe Soon

Clearly the title of our blog doesn't fit our family of 6. However, after 2 and 1/2 years of working through the approval process, we are MAYBE closer than we were last month. Yeah, not real clear to me either. However, the ladies from the DHS called us the week before our sale and wanted to come do our final home study. We know these ladies and they have been here before, so we explained that they could definitely come but we had 3000 items of clothing and other children's items filling two of our bedrooms, including the "boys" room. They came. We had our medicines put up, our fire plan posted and the knives locked up. It was the easiest visit we've had, even as we walked around the tubs of clothing and looked in rooms FILLED with clothes. We explained we would not be available for anything until Tuesday, the 17th. That is today. No call yet, and I'm not sure I would even be able to process a call now. I've got to clean up the hangers and other stuff in the back bedroom...a call would be exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

Rewards

Sheridan has been a HUGE help the last month getting things ready for our sale. Today was my first day home from our event, and I let her sleep in, we went to get our nails painted, and then got a movie for the afternoon. I worked on paperwork during the movie, then took a nap this afternoon. We'll be starting up school tomorrow, but it was a good day to just snuggle, rest and finish up some loose ends around the house. Sheridan was super pleased with her toenail art...I'm not a big proponent of pedicures for little girls, but it was the right day to have a big treat.

Event 11

Fall events are big. I like to prepare as much as I can ahead of time...but when folks start getting crazy entering items on a Labor Day...and I close the system early and still end up with 56,700 items...it's a hard week. I feel like I just had a baby...and I'm not ready to have another one anytime soon. Richard helped me SO MUCH during the week, we got to see Lauren a couple times and even her roommate came! Sheridan worked for weeks with me getting VIP items labeled here at home and printing labels for days before the event. My parents, Richard's parents, and Erin took a day keeping Sheridan during the sale. It truly is a family event. I'm thankful for my business, and more thankful to be able to come home.

Labor Day

I have been crazy getting ready for our event coming up next week. But labor day is a holiday for everyone and since I needed to go check on the building, we decided to get a good meal out at Cracker Barrel and talk Lauren into going with us. We picked her up, laughed through a meal and some sweet tea and then headed over to Tech. It was a beautiful day, and since that's where Lauren was, we pulled out the Bocce balls and played across the campus. Call us crazy, but call us family. We laughed with every horrible throw and tried not to hit any students out on the sidewalks. I played absolutely awful...could not get even close, but it was so good to be away from the computer and enjoy time with our girls.

REAL CRAZY didn't start until I got home and realized over 100 families were entering items on Labor Day and I had to put an announcement up that we would  close the database early! Oh my...let the sale begin!