Eye Appointment

Carl has his first eye appointment. It should be interesting to see how this goes. He is having a lot of issues in his education, and we want to be sure it's not linked to his vision.  If he gets glasses we will let you know and also include a photo when he gets them, if he gets them. ;)

So much has changed

SO much has changed since I left using blogger. Facebook seems to keep my hooked in its clutches. My mom passed away in May 2014 2 days after her birthday. It has been life changing. Then there is the children changing, adult children changing, hurts, some happiness along the way. I have realized I have only now, I am not promised my next breath, and I need to focus on my children at home and do all I can to help them to become responsible adults. Nothing else matters anymore. Things that seemed important are not. SO with that, I move on....

Our current family at home consists of DH and I, 3 children, and 3 cats. No dogs for now. Life is fast paced lately. We have a used appliance store, that sells reconditioned appliances. it takes so much of our time.  When not working we try to spend quality time with the children. Rebecca is now 12, Carl 7, and Cassia turns 4 in just a few days. Time is moving at such a fast rate.

Since we have such huge expenses with having a store we have decided to cut expenses and either sell or rent our home. This will enable us to move to the loft above the store. We have so much we need to do, but I am so ready to do it. I need that change of scenery. A fresh start.

With that I will end this note and do another post on Cassia. Ugh she is my one!!!

Redo of the old

So, I have started on my projects, Finally! Yesterday I did Carl's dresser. He is into Thomas The Train, so yep, that is what we did.

It came out reall nice, and he loves it. I went and got green and yellow to do his shelves! I can't wait! His room will look so cute!

Update yet again

I always think I will begin posting regularly again here. Yet I never do. I stay busy and having facebook, well that kinda just makes it easier I suppose. I am thinking of deleting the account yet again. I don't know yet for sure what I want to do. Some days I absolutely hate technology, then other days can't get enough of it. I think it is time consuming and keeps me from doing things I need to do.

May 12, 2014 I lost my Mama. It just don't seem real even a month later. I am mad at myself because toward the ending of her life I pulled back when I should have done more. She needed me more than ever, and I failed her. It eats at me daily. I only hope I can do more as a parent for my children and not make the same mistakes. I see her face and hear her voice, all just from memories now. I cherish each one, good or bad. I just cannot believe she is gone.

My kids are growing daily. Rebecca is now 10, Carl is 5, Cassia will be 2 in August! So hard to believe! Samuel is 16, and that just don't seem real to me at all. But, he is. So much going on in a day keeps us all super busy. Though summer is on our heels we are still in school and pretty much will be for a while longer.

Jasper began working on the house again. He replaced a picture window and put a quad vinyl window in. These windows will open up. It made a big change. Now if I can just get someone to come get the old one.
Soon we will be adding the new living room. That I am looking so forward to. If we can just decide where we want it at. Always got to be hard.

That about updates it for now. We will see how it goes from here. I need to come back to blogger. Getting to it is just another story.

Spring, and now what do I do?

In Elkton, Virginia we have had nicer temps. The bitter cold seems to have passed, with temps well above 50 lately. The grass is getting green and won't be long until the mowers will be roaring in the neighborhood.
I ordered several trees and shrubs and am waiting for them to arrive. I am so excited! I already received my shipment of Sugar Maples from Musser Forests. I planted them and am hopeful in a few years we will be making our own Maple Syrup.
I the next shipment is my Apple trees and Almond trees, Also Other goodies and found out yesterday some free gifts as well. That would be great, however, Where I was supposed to build my privacy screen, Jasper decided he still needed it open. So now I am scrambling to think where to put everything. I hope he was just kidding?
 That shipment is coming from Gardening Direct. In it is also a nice selection of black raspberries for Carl. He loves them and I really enjoyed seeing him chow down on them. Something he can enjoy eating with no dye worries! I have 8 plants coming. The idea for them is a place I can access them from all directions. So it will be in a circle bed.
I have nice rocks to line the beds. Jasper got them from the left overs at work. Yellow Knockout Roses will be another beauty to plant. Along with Forsythia, Spirea, and Weigela. I hope it will be purdy.

I sure wish I had the gift of creativity. I sure could use it right now!

New Lights!

We have all new lights in the house! Jasper replaced 10 lights and it really makes a difference. It is really nice having your own fix it man around. ;)

I am BACK!

I am happy to say that I am back again! I have been away for a while now. I am hoping that I can return to a nice normal now. What we are doing: We are using ACE for Rebecca this year and she really likes it. We have enrolled into the Christian School Part. I always forget the name of it. But, they do the record keeping for us. So nice. Carl is doing work books and different websites. I am also working on his speech with him. He has trouble with the letter S. Most websites say not to worry most fix by age 7. I am hoping that be the case with my lil Man. Cassia is really starting to talk and can say a complete sentence. She is 17 months old. That is just how Samuel did too. I guess they may be similar in their ways. She looks like a pale version of him lol. Samuel is studying for his GED and working. He chose this path and we agreed he could go this route. He is doing well, playing many instruments now. Jasper and I are well, and probably doing better than we have in a long time. I am thankful for my family. God has been very good to me. I am very blessed. Though this past 6 months has been rough, God proved He is faithful. He is a friend above all. He sticketh closer than a brother! Definitely! I have learned a lot about myself. I have realized what's really important. My kids, My Husband. They are my family. I thank My God for them. I have 4 at home, they are my focus. So, that about tel's all I am going to tell for now. I am excited to be back and hope to post again tomorrow!

Finally!!

Jasper is prepping the house for the new siding! I am so excited!

Talk about bedhead!

Cassia woke up with such bed head today lol!

Frosty October Morning

Today was our first real frost. My entire yard was white. Temps are low and the wood stove is going. We are cozy warm in the Little House In The Valley. Hey I kinda like that, its catchy...lol.

Anyway, Carl came down with a bug and ran a slight fever. It was 99.7 at its highest and he was complaining of tummy pain. He seems better right now. I hope so. I so hate it when my babies are sick.

I recently reconnected with an old friend. It was great getting to talk to her yesterday. We have been thru similar storms recently and could really understand one another. She is a precious person. God is good!

Yesterday was our sweetest friends birthday! Aliviah turned 10 yesterday and balloons were released in honor of her birthday. Her mommy tied two balloons together and had Rebecca's name on one and Aliviah's on the other and both had bff on them. Rebecca still holds on to her memories of Aliviah, as we all do. We miss her so much and I know her family does. It won't be long until we see her again!

Well, I better close this out. I have wood to gather, dishes and laundry to wash, school, clean the house, make bed, and the list goes on and on and on......

It's here!

Well, cooler temps have arrived. Soon we will be building our first fire of the season. Right now we are using a heater that looks like a wood heater, but, it's electric. It's cozy.

This week didn't go so great. First, I was going to cut the grass. I made 2 good rounds and the drive belt came off. It was shredded. Jasper just replaced that belt. So knowing it was so hard for him to change out, that's it for the grass cutting this season. Then that same day my dryer goes out. It's a heating element. So, not sure if we will just get another dryer or replace the element. Depends on if he is willing to do the work I guess.

Everyone here is doing good. School is going, it's been a struggle for sure to stay on track. Samuel likes going to United. His grades are good and he has made some new friends. Rebecca is really growing. She is such a big helper. She's like a lil Mama. Always willing to help. Carl has gotten tall too. He is wearing size 5 clothes now. I can't believe he has gotten so big so fast. He is learning his letters and their sounds. He still has some speech issues, but is doing better. Cassia is running everywhere. She is sure enough growing. She is even talking small sentences! Now isn't that ridiculous? She is 14 months. Where did the time go?

Well, today is going to be busy too. So, I better get started if I am ever going to get finished. Have a great Saturday!

It's Official, Summer is over!

Though I hated to see the beauty of Summer end, I am glad to be moving onto the fall. So many things going on, some bad, but most good. Many changes are taking place and ALL are for the better. School has begun and though I am finding it hard to get my schedule changes going we are making some progress. Samuel is adjusting to private school. I am adjusting to not seeing him that much. Sad. He leaves with Jasper at 6 am every day and sometimes it is 5:30 before he gets home. We eat and then he has homework and then off to bed to do it again. Tomorrow is Friday! So I am learning to love my weekends again because I get to see him. The end of the Summer brought joy for us. Jasper finally began working on the new addition of the house. He has a long way to go, But I am hoping the framing will go quickly so that we can get in our new rooms by Christmas! That would be wonderful! When all is said and done, I will have a nice sized home and then the outside covering will begin. We have most of the siding already! He has rock for the bottom then shake and hardy board. Can't wait to see the finished product! Maybe in a year??? One of my close friends moved to South Georgia, from North Georgia. It will make seeing them harder than ever, but I thank the Lord for the good ole Cell Phone! It will be nice to see them if we can swing it for Camps and such. Life brings changes. Some are hard to take, but, it opens new beginnings. Thanks Angela & Betty for being there for me when I needed you most. Love you both!

Fall Table Centerpiece

I have never attempted before. I only have $10 in this.

New School Year!

We officially started our new homeschool class year! Rebecca is in 4th grade this year! Whoa! Where did that time go? Wasn't she just a baby? Sigh! This year Carl also begins some small educational tid bits. Mostly to occupy him. I know he is eager to learn so we will see how he does! Cassia and Bella Grace will not be left out. Wonder color markers and paper and other things to help motor skills.

There have been some changes yet again for us, but it's just the way it goes sometimes. I am going through things setting things up a lil better for our school year. I hope I can be completely set up by next week!

We have much to keep us busy:




Language Arts Music Arts & Crafts Bible Health Arithmetic 4 Fourth Grade Science History and Geography Reading and Literature Oral reading Reading comprehension Speed reading Vocabulary building Penmanship Review of cursive writing formation through skill practice, word games, original composition, and sentence dictation Spelling, Vocabulary, and Poetry Weekly word lists with challenging words and vocabulary Reinforcement activities Six poems committed to memory Language Writing Process Letters— friendly, post cards, thank-you notes Gathering information Writing with details Writing an encyclopedia report Writing book reports Creative writing Dictionary skills Map study State history for six weeks Eight documents memorized The Years of Discovery The Years of Exploration The First Americans The English Come to America The New England Colonies Plants Plants: Provision for Man and Beast Animals Insects: Miniature Marvels of Creation Birds: Winged Wonders The Middle and Southern Colonies A Picture of Colonial Life The Great Awakening The French and Indian War The American War for Independence Building a New Nation Our Nation Grows Matter Matter: Water, Air, and Weather Energy Energy: Sound and Hearing Physical Fitness Your Body Framework The Muscle Builder Your Breathing Machine Personal Hygiene A Winning Smile Your Body’s Cover Keys to Good Grooming Place value of whole numbers and decimals Mastery of fundamental operations Story problems Estimating answers English and metric measures Converting measures within the same system and solving measurement equations Roman numerals Addition, subtraction, and multiplication involving fractions Estimation Averaging Factoring Divisibility rules Introduction to decimals Making change Reading a thermometer Lessons such as Salvation Series, Genesis, Life of Christ, Paul (includes memory verses, hymns/choruses, and Bible doctrine) Music Theory/Flutophone Traditional, patriotic, fun songs Grammar Sentence structure,Kinds of sentences, Punctuation, Capitalization facts, Abbreviations, Possessive words Recognizing and using all eight parts of speech Diagraming verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs Correctly using troublesome words The Civil War New Frontiers An Age of Progress Beyond Our Boundaries The World Wars Time for Freedom and Responsibility Interpersonal Relationships A Healthier You Earth and Space Geology: Planet Earth Oceanography: Wonders of the Sea Astronomy: Consider the Heavens Solving equations using addition and subtraction axioms Graphs and scale drawing Basic geometric shapes Perimeter and area Using an English and metric ruler Time lapse Basic drawing and painting techniques, color concepts Well it didn't copy correctly, but, you get the idea! With that said I need to get busy! Have a great day!

Summer is here!

I thought it was going to be a mild summer until yesterday. The air was so thick it felt as though you could not breathe. The heat index was said to be 102. It felt like it.
I took the kids shopping with me, but the combination of toddlers and the heat it made for a nerve wracked day. I have no a/c in the van so, it was just soooo hot that we were all miserable. The highlight of our afternoon was the 7 11! SLURPEES!!!! Now that will make you feel so refreshed on a hot stagnate day as we had yesterday. Then we followed it up by them playing in the pool! So the end of the day was better than the beginning. At least for them. For me, because so much arguing went on with the lil ones, my nerves were frazzled and were literally jittery. So I made the kids keep it quiet the rest of the night until bed so that I could relax some.
Now I am up, it's 5 after 6 this  morning, and, it's already 72. This is not good. So the house a/c will most likely come on very soon.

This Old House

It seems so hard these days to find the time to post like I once did. I stay so busy between the kids and the house. All of that is about to pick up even more. We moved in this house a little over a year ago and I have been waiting for Jasper to begin the transformation of turning this from an ugly old eye sore in the neighborhood, to a cute farmhouse. It's coming soon! I was so happy the other day to find out it was all about to begin!
He is going to put on the OSB and the shake siding on all but the side we will be adding on the new room to.   This will include shutters and all. I cannot tell you how excited it makes me! I try to picture this in my mind, but it just won't come together. I will be sure to post pictures as the work begins!

Country and Critters!

When we moved here a year ago, I knew being at the foot of the mountain, we would possibly see critters. I just didn't realize that this house was a highway to so many of their paths. I have already heard something this morning trying to get back in under the house. We have stuff blocking the entire foundation, yet it still manages to get back in! I think it's another opossum, but not quite sure. It could be another skunk! I don't think it has gotten under yet. If I weren't such a chicken I would go see. But The thought of a skunk being able to spray you from 25 feet is not exactly inviting.
I need to do some research on something that small critters hate. Find it and go all around the foundation with it. Samuel saw a huge opossum the other night. Perhaps that is what it is. He said it was Opossum-zilla! I just want the critter to leave and go find him another home!

What's that awful smell?

If your not from an area where this "smell" is familiar, you will ask this question. Unfortunately, we in the Shenandoah Valley, know exactly what that is! It is a SKUNK! My house smelled like a cross between wet dog and skunk. We noticed this 2 nights ago  and also discovered a large hole going under the porch.
After doing some research I discovered that skunks choose a home where they have a good food supply and water source. We recently discovered that we have voles. Skunks eat voles. So, we must eliminate the food source. Also Skunks bear young from the end of April-first of June. It depends on the age of the mother. We need to decide what strategy to use to rid our home of this pesky critter without getting sprayed!

The weather just can't decide

One day it's hot, the next its cold....Ahhh spring! Soon it will be hot weather and we will wish we had these cool days of spring. The grass is already growing quite a bit. Samuel is attempting to cut it down. We have 2 fields that were very high last season and so they are much thicker than the rest of the yard.

I have begun my container gardening. I have several plants now. I have Hosta, several types of Day Lillies, Hen and Chicks, Irises, Butterfly bush, and more. I am glad to have something this summer to see bloom. After construction is completed on our new rooms, I plan to get a few trees. I would love a weeping willow.

We have several things coming up to keep us busy:

Convention (Begining Thursday)
A Surprise (Can't tell ya yet)
A visit from Auntie Linda and Uncle Richard (May 13)
Rebecca's 9th birthday! (May 17)
A possible trip to NC/GA (End of May)
Blue Ridge Youth Camp * (July 4th week)
Landmark Youth Camp (End of July)
Cassia's First Birthday! (August 9th)
Carl's 5th Birthday! (November 13)
Georgia trip (Thanksgiving)

My we will be busy! Once I began typing it became real just how much we had going on over the summer! I hope we can fit it framing up for our expansion to the house! We really need it!

Warm Weather is here!

At least for this week! By Wednesday we will be in the low 80's! The birds are singing! Ahhhh I love it!