Happy 42nd Birthday My Love

My sweetheart turned 42 yesterday:-) We had a wonderful time celebrating. He is a wonderful father and hubby who is the glue of our family. He works tirelesly to provide for us, and always has time for a game of tickle wrestling. He thinks I am still pretty with 40 extra baby pounds, and my wrinkles.Happy Birthday to a guy we love so much, and who we'd be lost with out. I thak God everyday for our wonderful union and our family.


WE had a small group of very good friends come and enjoy the day with us laughing and being silly. they are a great group of folks, very down to earth, and a lot of fun. We swam ate yummy ribs and corn on the cob, listened to loud 80's music- shows how old we are,lol- laughed alot and relaxed.










we had yummy Ravens colored cupcakes. We are a football family:-)Everyone loved them,







Shawn provided some entertainment, the kids painted themselves up with some facepaint markers given to them by sunday school- I will get even with that teacher:-)And Shawn in his rocker look jammed on guitar.




It was a fun day, filled with lots of love for daddy. he is our rock and my best friend. Have a wonderful year sweetheart:-)

Monster Truck Jam

Grace, Adam, and Doug are headed up to Lancaster Pennsylvania for a monster truck jamboree, at Bucks Motorsports. It should be a fun time it has drizzled all day and poured last night so should be a very muddy show- it is all outside-. Adam's favorite truck is Grave Digger though he won;t be there tonight, but Bounty Hunter will and he likes him to . They are going to get there in time for the pit party, where they can go around and meet the drivers and see the trucks very up close. I hope they have a fab time.Then they are going to Willow Valley to stay the night, should be a fun date for dad for those two.

Madeline,Shawn and I are going to my moms for a Ravens pep rally, they have a preseason game tonight,so we will be all purple and black hurrah:-)So we should all have a wonderful night.

Hope all of you are having fun this weekend too.

our new nephew Connor

this is our new nephew Connor Thomas, born on June 20th:-) He is such a peach. He looks so much like his big brother Patrick- in the picture with him-. And like my kids , especially the boys.

My sis in law has quit her job and is staying home full time. Prayers for her please in this transition. She had a hard time being home before, so I am praying for her. She is an on the go person who has a hard time sitting or being home all the time. Those four walls can close in quick sometimes, I know.So I pray for the love of Christ to fill her and warm her and help her as she raises and guides these little ones . Help her find strengh in those times of stress and to find peace in the decision she has made. By raising her children she is fulfilling what God is calling her to do. And she will have a great reward in the joy those sweet boys can bring. I pray to , for me to be a support system for her, and talk to her often, and have her for tea as much as we can.And when needed just listen to her needs, concerns, and day to day life.

look whos stopping by today:-)

I wonder who I will meet today. Perhaps a group of silly kids, looking for tickles and hugs.



Perhaps an Indian Princess will stop our way, and tell us a tale over cornbread.





maybe a couple of sweet looking girls, a bride and a princess. Looking for some tea and scones:-)




maybe a pirate who has lost his hat and uses a chewed tennis ball instead until you can help him locate the original hat:-)




May be a cowboy will stop in for some grub, or a ladybug looking for a flower with some aphids:-)





You never know who might come visit:-) It is always fun and never boring:-)It reminds me that when Jesus comes he is usually in the form of someone other then himself. So we must always be kind and welcoming to all who pass through our lives. I always try to remember no one we meet is by accident they are all placed in our path for a reason, some we may only see once for a minute but that minute is meant to be.

Bandit and Ruby

these are our other sweeties:-) I don;t know that we will get a photo of Bandit and Daisy very soon, so here he is solo.

Ruby is walking around all puffed out three times her size she is quite funny. I am hoping to get a photo of all of us over the fall/holidays .

Bandit an Ruby where both rescued pets, and they are now very spoiled loved animals, Bandit is about 10 so he is getting older showing the grey a bit walking a bit achy.Ruby actually was a kitten when we got her last fall so she is a bout a year old now, she is a ball of energy.-and a very good mouser too:-)-.

Our New Baby

Is home, we went and got her yesterday. We did change her name so she is Daisy not Hazel. Adam had a hard time saying the other name so we choose this one- even Shawn can cal her:-)-. She was a wiggly and squirmy puppy.

She did have her first people food:-} My dogs have never gone scrap free, they quickly learn under the high chair is the place to be:-) And Bandit gets an oxtail on the grill every weekend, so I am sure Daisy will too.





Hanging out with the kids who are so in love wiht her. She is doing good. Very laid back and mellow , loves to give doggie kisses and be cuddled. Just wait till all 85lbs of her crawls in thier laps:-)




Daisy is so sweet and is going to be very spoiled I am sure. Our yellow lab Bandit is okay with her so far. She keeps trying to cuddle him and he is not really happy with that. But who knows in a few days he may be a bit more relaxed about her. Right now he just keeps hiding his ball from her,

beginning of a new school sesson

Yes its getting to be that time of year again. Time to crack the books and dive into our schooling. We have been doing spelling and handwriting, and math review the last two weeks. We will be adding in Geography next week, which begins with making a paper mache globe so it will be fun and messy and this time of year is good for those kinds of things we can do outside. we are also beginning Chemistry as well. WE are going to do some fun messy stuff with that at first to.

In two weeks Madeline is taking a Mandarin Chinese class at the Community College- she asked to learn Chinese which is out of my scope of knowledge and the college offers fun home school/youth classes, so we are doing it- , which will be for six Mondays theres a nice park near by we can play at while she is there, and Grace can work on her school if she needs to.Madeline is also doing pottery on Tuesday nights she loves art and took a summer class and will continue this fall.

Adam is doing soccer and Grace is doing ballet/tap again this year her teacher moved her up to a more advanced class- which is a great thing- and now she will be going on Wednesday evenings, same time as Adam's soccer games so we will be splitting up for those nights. Thankfully soccer and Chinese end in November .So I think that's when we will begin our Latin studies here, I think over the winter is good when we are in the house more and can concentrate on it.We are also taking a sewing class once a month with one of the home school moms- another good winter activity- and participating in a home school bowling league on Fridays twice a month- this should be a lot of fun and is a good way to meet others and stay active in the chilly fall/winter-.

I mean honestly as homeschoolers we have time to learn we don;t have to be done in a certain amount of time. Which is one of the things I love about being homeschoolers. The ability to go off on a whim and delve in to the interest of the children and still have time for our academic studies. we are doing The Civil War this year , which leads itself to many projects field trips- we have many battle sites and reenactments in the area-.

OH well off to begin reading Uncle Tom;s Cabin with the kids, and begin making some costumes, should be interesting.Who will be the Yankee and who will be the rebel.We have a Harriet Tubman play set they have had out for two days now and have read the story included as well as The Drinking Gourd and Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry. So we are on our way to a great year.

After a fun filled summer of adventure-when we planned on doing nothing:-)-. It is nice to settle in to the routines of home life and school. -of course by Thanksgiving we will need a break:-)-.

Cascade Lake

Recently we went to Cascade Lake a local swimming hole:-) It is about 30 minutes from the house on some nice scenic back roads. There are many slides and platforms built for sliding and jumping in the lake, there are paddle boats and trails too. It is a quiet place to go not crowded, good for a relaxing time to play.




going down the big slide was a lot of fun, Grace must have done this 100 times she is so full of energy:-)





building in the sandy beach is fun. This is Shawn's favorite thing to do. He did like this water though it is much calmer then the ocean and not so scary he could just sit and let his feet get wet and work up to other parts of his body:-)



this is my step dad jumping off the platform this just cracks me up. When he went out the teens on it asked if he was sure he wanted to do this- I think they thought he was a little nuts:-)He said it was a lot of fun he did it twice:-)




swimming in the lake was refreshing. we had a few fishes nibble on our toes:-)







stopping from all the fun for a brief snack. all the exercise builds up appetites




It was a fun day at the lake it rained on us a bit but it was brief and quick and we where wet anyhow. after snacks we walked around the lake and saw some turtles floating in the water and talked to some ladies fishing it was fun.

Praising our Savior in Sand

While at the beach we walked to the sand sculpture, that is always there- it changes,but it is always a testimony to the Lord .My kids just set on the beach and looked at it for a long time, it just brings such peace over you . Honestly while at the ocean and walking the boardwalk, I feel a huge amount of sinful ways weighing on me- not all things are but a lot of it is-.and this just draws me to the Lord as I pray it does to many - some who may never have encountered him before.







the artist web site, I always am impressed when folks give their gifts to the Lord without question. How blessed they are, and how often do I question everything ? To have the faith to just go and do as we are called, is wondrous. I know I tend to be a doubting Thomas at times- as we all do-. and others I hesitate wondering if this is right or if its good ' for me' , those times when I just step in faith it all works for the good.


every time we go to the beach we make a special trip to see the latest creation and are always amazed- last time it was Moses parting the Red Sea-. The artist leaves free bibles and a collection jar for donations all alone on the beach for those who care to take one.