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!

Love and Thankfulness

Every year around this time you start seeing more and more people articulate why and for what they are thankful. I always get a chuckle that people only voice what they are truly thankful for when a holiday is near. It's kinda like only going to church on Easter and Christmas...what's the point? You should be doing that year round! Anyways, i'm going to join in on that parade today!

I truly have a lot to be thankful for. But, most of everything that I have to be thankful for comes back to my husband. I have 4 beautiful...thanks to my husband. I am able to stay home with my kids (even when I don't want to...) thanks to my husband. I am able to have new hobbies and learning adventures (like grinding wheat, making my own baby food, when I attempted to sew,canning...you know..all the crazy stuff) thanks to my husband. He never once (except when I said I wanted a snuggie) discouraged me from trying any of the crazy things i've wanted to try. Instead, he encourages me and laughs with me when it is a disaster!

Zach is my absolute best friend. Perhaps I am the most grateful that we have a marriage where we genuinly like each other and aren't just lost in the marriage lable. We love each other despite the differences. Which, surprisingly, aren't that many. We care for each other deeply, have a bond that won't be broken, and yet are still best friends and have fun together. It's a marriage in paradise. I could not be more blessed than to have Zach the head of our family.

Love you!

Picture Day!

We had our family pictures done this weekend. Our last family picture was done 4 years ago. Hannah was a newborn. That's right, we have no family pics with just the older 3 kds! How sad!! I can just see now that Emma will need therapy later because we neglected to take family pictures with her!

Let's try again...I mean it!

Well, here I am! I am really going to try this again. I can't figure out this blogspot! I want to change the background and the layout, but don't know how without deleting the entire thing! I also want to add pics, but don't know how! Can anyone help me?!?

Let's see...where to begin? We have a new kid! Micah Jose is 4 months now and just growing by the second! He's such a delightful baby and we are VERY blessed to have him. I always joke that we were owed a good baby after Emma. She was not a happy  baby, but she is becoming such a joyful child. She is very funny. Isaac is now in the 1st grade! Shocking I know! Homeschool is going well. I'm surprised at how great he has done! Homeschooling is a true test of faith...and patience. I often can't see that he is learning anything...and then it just all clicks for him one day! What a wonderful feeling that is! Hannah is 4 now and growing like a weed! She is really into the princesses now! Belle is her fave!

As for Zach and I...we are the same. Boring, huh? I am learning how to do more and more of the 'homemaker' thing. I'm making more stuff out of the wheat I grind and really enjoying that process! We've made a lot of changes this past year. I hope to share those in due time!

As for now, if anyone can help me learn how to do the blog format, I would be grateful!! We will be heading to TX in 2 weeks!! We are flying...yes all 6 of us! Pray that we all land with our sanity and no sickness!!

I'm Back!!

Well, not sure how many actually read this blog anymore, but I am attempting to be better about updating it!

School starts in 4 weeks! I am going to homeschool, so it won't be a huge adjustment, but it's still a big change in our daily life! I spent the last hour putting together lesson plans and looking through the curriculum. We have chosen to use Veritas Press. The good thing is that once Isaac is done with K, then Hannah can use his curriculum...and then Emma. I am truly excited about this time in our life and can't wait to see my children thrive and learn!