What happened to the voice of America's masses? Those yearning to be free?

NPR: "Debates will take place this morning discussing the constitutionality of the health care bill. It's not expected to delay or affect the vote this afternoon, or the bill's passage."

Why would it?! These people (elected officials) don't care about the Constitution. Neither do Americans, otherwise they would have supported Ron Paul for President instead of laughing at him. He warned us all that this was coming. Please don't fool yourself into thinking that McCain would be running this country any differently, had he won. He is owned by the same people who are telling Obama what to do. Don't believe me? Check his voting record on anything, I dare you.

We don't have a two party system, we have one choice that is behind both candidates. If you disagree, so be it. Ignoring fact doesn't make it false. While visiting Ireland in 1998, President Bill Clinton told the press, "You know, by the time you become leader of a country, someone else makes all the decisions. You may find you can get away with virtual Presidents, virtual Prime Ministers, virtual everything." Eleven years later, we are all getting what we asked for by choosing to be entertained over being involved in the decisions that affect OUR country.

People that cared and were involved is what made this country so great when it started. When Lincoln was running for president, people sat for 6 hours listening to the candidates debating the issues in town halls across this country. Without a break! We have a 15 minute attention span, if that, and are reaping our deserved rewards. Sadly, our kids and grandkids will be the ones to pay for our failure to care.

This country can be great again. Get involved, people! Don't be so predictable and lazy. Think about the ramifications if you just sit on your ass and do nothing. You'll have no right to complain about how little money you have after paying for this stupid insurance bill, unless you speak up NOW.
I'm betting that most of us are 'just too busy' and will choose to go to the movies, have another beer or spend hours playing games on facebook~

Gib loses first tooth

Gib's first lost tooth was loose for about 3 months before he let Craig pull it. He didn't even get the floss around it before it came out. Everything is ' the first time I've ever ____ in my whole life'. The tooth fairy brought him the Robin Hood Backyardigans dvd after he announced to us that she was 'for sure bringing him the dvd' for losing his first tooth. Go tooth fairy~

My baby's last day to be 5~

Gib turns 6 tomorrow.

I cannot believe how fast time flies by~

He is such a sweet heart......

New booth photos~

Can you tell how hot it was by my lovely attitude?? lol

My booth looked top notch. I'm so proud of it!

Jesus told us to 'love your enemies, do good to those that hate you, bless those that curse you, pray for those that abuse you. To the one that strikes your cheek, offer the other also.....Do unto others as you want them to do to you.' Luke 6.27-31
Many 'christians' wouldn't appear to be following His example.
Don't shoot the messenger.
He never said it would be easy to be a true follower.
But He did say 'Love your enemies and do good, lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. Luke 6.35

Jesus could have certainly overthrown the evil rulers of His days, if He desired to.
Jesus SURE didn't say 'Let me help blow your enemies to hell, we'll give 'em the shock and awe. Let's show 'em what we're made of boys.'
~~~~~
He also said that His Kingdom wasn't of this world, yet America and Israel seem dead set on proving God wrong by trying to set one up.

Going against God's will ALWAYS turns out good, right?

Must. pay. better. attention.......

What was that saying?

Something about history repeating itself?

photos from my first show

Here are a few pictures from the first that I was in. So far, the experience has been a blast, except for the getting pelted with hail the size of golf balls and fearing death last weekend. I LOVE showing my jewelry off! I'm so proud of the pieces that I've made and enjoy making jewelry more than I thought I'd enjoy anything. Gwyn was such a great help and we had a lot of fun, except the hail part. Craig even got in on the action at the Siloam show. He LOVED it, I tell ya! ;-) Here is Craig's grandma and his uncle that stopped by for a few minutes.

Gibson has been reading up a storm!

He's read through several of the Henry and Mudge books, Frog and Toad, Poppleton, and now we are on the Billy and Blaze series.

He drug his feet on the last one, I think because it can't be read in a day.

Now that he's finished it, he wants a horse, and a dog that he'll name Rex, just like the book.

So cute!

Braden and Ethan are reading Story of the World 2 Middle Ages for history, along with the Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World.  Ethan is reading the unabridged 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne and The Long March:  The Choctaws Gift to Irish Famine Relief by Mary-Louise Fitzpatrick.  Braden is reading Black Potatoes:  The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850 by Susan Bartoletti and Bulfinches Mythology:  The Age of Fable by Robert Graves.

Ethan is a few weeks into Saxon 65.

He's just breezing through math these days~

Braden is about a week and a half from finishing up Saxon 76 and then he's moving into Prealgebra.

He is amazingly excited about it, and seems to be telling everyone that he talks to that he's 'about to start prealgebra'.

It's a big deal, right!?????

We are on lesson 7 in Latina Christiana I.  Their latin vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds and I'm so very proud of them!

Braden started Classical Writing today.

You can read about it here:

classical writing 101

School has been interesting for the last month and a half.

I kept out 1/10th of my schoolbooks and literature, which has been a challenge.

I completely forgot that we schooled through the summer, which means that we're finishing up everything about now.

I've had to repurchase a few things that I have in storage, but don't have a clue where or how to get to them.

I wake up at night, hearing my father-in-law ask me, "This box says homeschool books.  Do you need it?", to which I replied MANY times, "I don't think so.  I kept out everything that we'll need for the next few months."

Of course, this dialogue took place in the VERY back of the storage room, up against the wall where there is no way to access any of the boxes. ;-)

I desperately wanted to keep out ALL of my books, but there is absolutely no way that there is room for them at mom and dad's.

They graciously let me keep one of my bookcases in their bedroom, for some of my books and then we have some of the boys schoolbooks and their daily work on another shelf in the garage.

Did I mention that I have a thing for books?????????

Gibson wanted me to read him a book before bedtime.  He chose Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis.  We curled up in my bed, he laid his head on my chest and we began to read the first chapter.  It was absolutely precious.  I looked down as I finished the last page, and Gib was fast asleep in my arms.  Creamy skin and dark lashes, fast asleep.  My heart was so full of love for this little guy that it could have burst.  I am so thankful for all of those wonderful moments I will cherish forever.  Time goes by so quickly.......

Good night~

And we wait.....

Okay, it's been 25 days since we closed on our house.  We've been living with my mom and dad, invading their space and taking over their life.  It's starting to wear me out.  And I know it's got to be grinding on mom and dad's nerves.  Not only have we taken over their space, but we homeschool.  So their house is now a school house from 9-3 every day.  It's a laundromat for ALL of the daytime hours.  The washer and dryer are running all. Day. Long.  I kid you not.  Did I mention that some little guy is hungry 20 hours out of the day?  Craig has had VERY little work.  Next to nothing, actually.  Thank GOD for unemployment!  We are waiting on a callback for an interview that he had last week.  Patience is becoming a life lesson for us.   We waited in August, knowing that AIG was going to be laying off.  We waited to be laid off in November.  We waited for our house to sell.  And, miraculously, it did.  God has been there, through all of the waiting. His timing is too slow for our liking, but it's just right for His purposes.  I honestly don't know how anyone could go through this without Him.  And so thankful that we have such supportive and loving family and friends!  We have been so blessed throughout all of this.  And we know that we are one of the many families that are going through this right now.  God is good all the time~  

Life is full right now~

So, we've had Christmas, New Years, sold our house, then Braden's birthday, now packing, and more packing, so that we can move out tomorrow.

It's been an adventure, to say the least!

I'll post pictures as soon as we get moved.

It's been nuts, and poor Braden had a stomach virus for his birthday, so we are going to re-celebrate it after the move.