Random Thoughts from a busy Friday Morning....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARIELLE!!!! OUR LITTLE PRINCESS IS ELEVEN TODAY!!!!

Why don't my children ever want NORMAL stuff (spy things? Huh? ) and why don't they ever want to GIVE normal things (stink bomb?)?

Stacia asked someone today at Produce co-op, "do you love my Mommy?" I think she's still working to categorize all the relationships that swirl around us. ::snort::

I'm getting our new structure down...didn't mess up today....and when asked why the doubles are $28 and the singles are $15 I said, "they take extra mental energy" - which I realized THEY DO! ::snort::

Off to a birthday lunch!

Thursday Update

I'm early!!!! Mike is at work. The older two boys are at work. Jared is at a friend's. They will take him to CAP tonight. The kids and I will go in later for the promotion ceremony and reception.

I had a shocking revelation weight wise - but I've decided to limit those musings to my Monday post....probably. ::snort:: Enough to say that I'm mixing up the routine again.

The younger ones and I went shopping for Arielle's birthday tomorrow. Wow. She is growing up so fast. We'll decorate tonight before we got to CAP.

A friend and her family stopped by today. That was a nice break.

I've been hearing the song below in my noggin lately. I drove in to the driveway today after working out and the song came on the radio. I sat and worshipped and cried. I can't find a video or playlist that I want to post.....but below are the lyrics.

How very, very true. HE never lets go. My soul does overflow when I think of His love for me. My love for Him. In joy and pain, in sun and rain - HE'S THE SAME! I love that about God.

I've found myself praying the lyrics on behalf of not only myself (and my struggles PALE) but on behalf of the Chapman family (who has had such joy engagement announcements, graduations and pain in one day/week) and the Rick Santorum Family (wife delivered a baby with T18) as well. May their faith grow strong. May He hold them close. May His peace and comfort surround them. May they draw close as families.

David Crowder Band - Never Let Go
From the album Remedy

When clouds veil sun
And disaster comes
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rise
And hope takes flight
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Chorus:
Ever faithful
Ever true
You I know
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go
You never let go

When clouds brought rain
And disaster came
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
When waters rose
And hope had flown
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul
Oh, my soul

Chorus:

Oh, my soul
Overflows
Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, my soul
Fills hope
Perfect love that never lets go

Oh, what love, oh, what love
Oh, what love, oh, what love
In joy and pain
In sun and rain
You're the same
Oh, You never let go

PRAY FOR THE CHAPMAN FAMILY

At the gym this a.m. CNN was mentioning a "tragic accident" involving a Christian Singer......and I couldn't hear the name.

Please pray for the Steven Curtis Chapman family. One of their teenage sons hit their 5 yo daughter in their driveway. Several of the family witnessed. The 5 yo daughter, Maria died. I can't imagine.

Wednesday

I have no clue what I did today but I began running at 4:20 a.m and haven't stopped. Have you had days like that. What DID I do?

I made laundry soap. I added baking soda this time as Stephanie suggested. I like this stuff.

I talked with friends.

We did lots of school. I thought we'd be WAY behind because of Mon/Tuesday but Arielle had spearheaded couch school and we were AHEAD....so we began next week's work. YES!

We planned to go birthday shopping. Arielle will be 11 on Friday - but we haven't done it yet.

I began surfing the net for retreat centers near us for a PWOC spring retreat. I read Kathy's great post on planning a retreat again. THEN I realized that PWOC also has this on their website. ::Snort::

I made dinner. I am on the hunt for a recipe for "parmesan encrusted tilapia." There are 10 pages on google but if someone has one they KNOW they like....

The boys are all gone. The littles are in bed. Mike is at work. I think I'll go to bed too....or write a book review or two.....those nagging things....I must cross of the box. ::snort::

Tryst Journal & Other Journals

I first heard the idea of a Garden Tryst from Marcia of TOG. I'd insert a link but they aren't working for me today. Marcia is not the first to have talked about having a personal quiet time with the Lord each day....I just loved the whole concept of a "garden tryst". Actually I'm doing a few word studies and spring boarding for a talk at a tea......but I digress.

Lampstand Press (again link won't work) sells forms that Marcia has developed. I thought of buying them but....I have THIS.....originally I called it a prayer journal; but it's really so much more than that.

I realized that while my prayer journal uses different titles it still does have sections for ACT (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving). It also has sections for prayers, sermon notes, reminders, Bible reading notes, Proverb's notes....and it is very versatile....I can just add another sheet of notepaper if I use up a form, and I don't have to print anything. I'm a chart-a-holic so I may yet order the garden tryst forms....but for now this little journal is working well for me....and I've taken to calling it my tryst journal.

One Sunday I left my previous journal at chapel. I quickly realized that I don't really want all my thoughts in a notebook that is carried everywhere. ::snort:: This little Tryst Journal/Prayer Journal has all the portable info in one spot and leaves my most private thoughts at home.

Previously, I had a journal that had EVERYTHING in it, in no orderly fashion. It housed my personal thoughts, whatever I'd been reading in the Bible, prayers, sermon notes, food journal, to do lists....all jumbled together in a bound journal. It wasn't very practical , but I do sort of miss the creative chaos. I'm still working to find a system that works well for me.

I've always wanted to journal but never pulled it off until I began blogging a few years ago. That seemed to develop the habit needed. Now I have multiple journals.

Blog - daily life, a bit of everything, homeschooling, studies etc

Tryst Notebook - all I mentioned above

These two - One for my personal thoughts that I don't want to blog or put in the Tryst notebook and one for my notes on the illusive Princess Study

I also have my "LIFE Notebook" which has sections for each co-op I run, all the directories I collect, a food journal, an exercise journal, a calendar (which I rarely look at), a section for local ads, a pocket folder with address labels and stamps and a section for a printed address book but I keep losing my computer address book before I figure out how to print it from Outlook...a bit of everything.

I don't know if I like this system. I miss being able to thumb through my "journal" and find it all....but I suppose that is the problem....it WAS hard to FIND IT ALL without any organization but date. What do you all do for journaling?

As an aside Trish created and sent my Tryst Journal to me. She has detailed instructions here on how to make your own and if you are intersted in her making one for you, you can drop her an email from her blog.

For more of my WFMW posts click here . To view hundreds of this week's tips from others go here. I'm posting this late in the day. I decided to go for "last" instead of "first" link. ::snort::

*Updated - Kathy asks how often I write in each journal in the comment section. Good question. LOL

Blog - nearly every day (it's for my family far away)

Tryst Journal - nearly every day - though not all sections every day....

Personal Journal - when I have something to work through that I'm not ready to share on the blog .....

Princess Study - whenever I get an idea for that study. LOL

Interview on HSBA -

I published an interview today on Dana Hanley of Principled Discovery over at Homeschool Blog Awards. Thanks to Dawn for helping with the photos - I don't think I'll ever fully be comfortable with Word Press. LOL

Homeschool Senior 08 Giveaway


Amanda (Super Angel) from The Daily Planet and The Homeschool Class of 2008 blog is hosting a giveaway of 5 very cool Senior 08 t-shirts from the Homeschool Boutique. Amanda is also a contributor on the Homeschool Blog Award blog.





Go here to read about the contest and see photos of the t-shirts.