Time for a new year!

We are gearing up for 2nd grade around here! WOW does time fly so fast! It seems like just yesterday I was still picking out curriculum to start out homeschool journey! Well...actually, yesterday I DID pick out curriculum! My mother-in-law offered to take me to Chattanooga to a HUGE homeschool curriculum fair. It was so good. I enjoyed going, and very much enjoyed the fellowship with my mother-in-law. Officially we will start the school year on August 1...or the 8th. Depends on when my curriculum arrives!

I anticipate a lot of changes this year...and I am thrilled about them! I've joined a co-op that meets in Gardendale, and another one that meets out in Birmingham. I'm excited about the kids making some friends...and me too!

Isaac, Hannah, and Emma are all playing soccer this year! That starts in a few weeks. I'm sure Micah will want to join, but not this year. Speaking of MJ, he'll be 1 on wednesday! I can't believe that either! He's running all over the place and just a joy to have around.

We are also making some lifestyle changes around here. I've been teetering on the edge for a few years, but i'm ready to freefall off the edge! I used to make my own bread, buy milk and meat from a co-op, and try for organic as much as possible. I quickly gave that up when I saw how much it was costing us! But, it's time to go back. I don't want all that crap in our food, pesticide in our produce, grains and drugs in our meats! It will be a hard change for all of us, but mostly Isaac since he doesn't eat much of anything!

That's all I got for now :) Maybe I won't wait a year to blog again. We'll see....

Jessica

New Year Resolutions

Every year I make resolutions. The last 4 years-I kid you not- it has been to mail birthday cards. My dad's birthday is January 14...and I can't even stick with my resolution to mail his card. But, i've had weight loss (like everyone else in America) as a resolution, a cleaning schedule of some sort, a schooling resolution...blah blah blah. You name the common resolutions, and i'm sure i've made them! And failed. So, this year when it came to be resolution time, Zach kinda rolled his eyes at me. I can't say I blame him.

I've prayed for some time that God show me what my resolution should be. Something that only he can point out in me that needs to change. Self Discipline. It sucks, I'm going into this kicking and screaming...but clearly my self discipline needs work. The reason my resolutions failed before is because I lacked the self discipline to stick with it. I was too lazy to get to the post office. I would buy a card, but wouldn't go mail it. Whats even worse is my my mother-in-law works for the post office down the street! My weight loss was non existant because I lacked self discipline in my eating and exercise. To say I would have momentary weakness would be a lie. I just had no self discipline. See, everything I set to do and fail at, is because of self discipline, or the lack their of!

Zach and I have been talking about how to gain self discipline. It seems Nike says it best by "just do it!" Well, if it were that easy, I would have done it! But, its a new year and we are working on self discipline at our home. All 6 of us!

Jessica

A new year already!

So...I skipped Christmas. I feel like we went from thanksgiving to new years! Oh, and in that mix was the AUBURN TIGERS NATIONAL CHAMPS GAME!!! Anyways...we skipped Christmas in many ways. We've all been sick since thanksgiving. I started with a bad head cold. Combine that with nursing, and there are no meds to take! I'm sure our airplane ride to Austin didn't help any! Then, Hannah got pink eye. As soon as hers cleared up, Isaac got it. Then Emma. Then Micah. Oh...then it started over. Hannah, Isaac, Emma, and Micah again! Thankfully Zach and I stayed clear of the pink eye! In the mix of pink eye, we took Isaac to see an ENT. He suffers from chronic sinus infections. He's been on antibiotics and a steroid nose spray for that last 18 days and will continue till day 21. We see the dr again on Tuesday to see how he's doing. In one week, we saw 4 drs! Emma had an ear ache and some virus. Hannah then picked that virus up. Both girls, in opposite weeks of course, were running 103 fever and had snot pouring from their face! Praise God that Micah remained well.

So, with having sickness after sickness in our home from thanksgiving to new years, there was not a lot of christmas celebration! We didn't make cookies to decorate, no ornaments to be decorated, not many parties attended, no shopping for good deals, not much baking, the house didn't smell like ginger and cinnamon, and worst of all, my kids spent christmas day getting fevers. BUT, we did celebrate that Jesus was born!! Isaac made sure we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and we did tell the kids all about the birth of Jesus. No, it's not the first they heard of it, but kids need reminding...and so do we!

I hope you all had a very merry christmas and had time to slow down and enjoy why we celebrate!