Before the camera died....

It Feels Like FRIDAY

I'm not sure why...but it does.

We are blessed to have become friends with Steve, Debbie and their boys at this assignment. They teach the youth at chapel. Debbie and I tried to get together once a week during the summer....our older boys like spending time together. Yes, this is the same Steve who is trouble shooting my crashed computer, and the Debbie who brought dinner over yesterday. This Debbie asked me before Mike left what I thought I would need most while he was gone. I said "adult conversation". Don't take that the wrong way. I LOVE my children. I revel in our discussions. I miss adult conversation when Mike is not home at night. We don't watch t.v.; we talk. It's hard to recreate that sort of an activity - with one. I could; but the children may call mental health. :::snort::: Debbie has made it a goal to go out for lunch at least once a month while Mike is deployed. Today we went to Peasant Village. We invited Mandy, a new chaplain's wife, to come with us. It was a fun time of getting to know each other a bit better.

A nice side treat for me is that the Water Lily Gardens are right across the street. The blooms are gorgeous this time of year. I got a couple of pictures and then the camera died. I'm trying to remember where the cord is to charge it. I need to get back down there...it's pretty and quiet and something that I love to do.

Oh yes, we did get some couch school done before I headed out for lunch. I continue to be as convicted as the children, or more, as we work through our family ways. {G} We read 3 chapters in our Orphan Train book. It's getting really hard to stop. We are loving the book Stephanie recommended....I even tried to find it at bookcloseouts.com. We read another mathstart book and played a math game. We continued our study on insects by reading about butterflies.

When I got home from lunch, it was time for the big boys to head for House of Faith. Stacia hadn't had a nap so we opted to let her sleep rather than attend homeschool park day. I needed the time to work on our dreaded co-op

::::SPICE ORDER:::: After 2 1/2 hours of messing with inputting data to excel, I realized that I couldn't find one good reason for a group order. None of us were getting any discounts for volume - because everyone was choosing different options....our group order didn't reach the amount to qualify for free shipping. I had already spent hours on it and saw more hours in the future....online order, sorting, collecting $ and realized, since no one was gaining a thing and it was costing me time, it would be best for each of us to order individually from the website. I sent out an email saying uncle.

Our Shop Natural orders are due tomorrow. That gives me the weekend to get the group order compiled. The glitch is that the software is on the crashed computer. I am going to have to face the fact that I need to install software on this computer and pray that it all works. The order is due on Monday. I'm giving myself Saturday to figure it out.

I visited www.bookcloseouts.com as Jodi recommended and found several books that are on our TOG list for this unit. I also found 4 more mathstart books.

I received notice from Paperback Swap that several books on my wish list are coming my way.

I made dinner. Darshia told us that there is snow on the ground in Anchorage. {sigh} We grilled out in memory of AK. LOL We had steak and hamburger, oven baked fries and taco seasoned sweet potato fries, salad, carrots and fruit.

Zander threw up everywhere. What is up with THAT? I said, "run to the toilet". He did. He stood there and covered the entire bathroom. Mine. I told him, "next time - use the toilet or the tub." He told me, "Mooom, that will make it dirty". OK now. I reached for the odoban - the stronger the better. LOL Seriously, now that I KNOW that it is a concentrate, I'm considering diluting it one of these days.

I read a couple of chapters of Pinochhio. I'm not sure what you could call the 3rd chapter....I sort of...well...fell asleep and continued reading. Jamin took the book and finished the chapter. He's a good young man. Josiah's still at work and I'm not sure I'm going to make it waiting up for him.

I'm trying to figure out the customizing the layout thing...I have another blog that I "play" with and I got it looking o.k. but I can't remember how. :::snort:::

Customizing Layout

Does anyone know: If I hit customize layout....will I loose things like the profile picture, proud AF wife graphic, site meters, icons and tickers? The graphic and profile pictures etc are on the currently crashed computer....

Willing myself to take the plunge but trying to get a realistic view of how long it will take to add all the elements back....

Read it Again books is the home business of my friend Chris. I just realized that I've never shared about her business before. Chris is a former homeschool Mom who lives in AL. She currently teaches chemistry and such to students in a huge homeschool co-op in AL.

Chris finds all sorts of book treasures EVERYWHERE. She then posts lists of books that she has for sale. You let her know what you'd like. She mails it to you. These are USED books but I've found Chris' descriptions on the conditions of all books to be accurate. She runs this through a yahoo group site....click the link above to find out more information. Do be aware that sometimes life interferes as Chris provides care for her parents and mother in law and so sometimes there may be a bit of a wait for new book lists etc.

Chris was one of the first members of SHS - oh so many years ago. :::snort::: I watched her children grow up and they are now in the Special Forces, married with 4 children and in a Master's program. Time flies.

*The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency* by Alexander McCall Smith

I guess I've begun a new series with the greatest of ease. {G} My online friend, Chris, sent me this book as a bonus with a box of books I'd ordered. I really enj0yed this book.

Precious Ramotswe decides to become the first and only lady detective in Botswana because she wants to "help people with the problems in their lives."

Each chapter reads like a short story....though there is a general theme running through the book. I enjoy the information about Botswana and the little tidbits about the culture that are woven through the plot line.

For me, personally, this has brought back thoughts and memories of growing up in Africa. I put a few of these on PBS last night and heard today that two of them are on their way to me. I guess I will work on this series for a while...though Mr. Smith seems to be an incredibly prolific writer!!! {G}