8th Anniversary

8th Anniversary!

Who knew that our first likings of one another would lead us to where we are today. Who knew it would lead us into hardships we'd feel like we could endure no longer. To trials that would push on us until we'd rather be crushed. To personal decisions we'd make from minute to minute that would determine the future.

Yet, here we are now, through the roughest era, into one of love, acceptance, respect, appreciation, happiness and most of all, love.

Love you John!

Recipe & Quotes

Yup, we're still drinking our green smoothies. Here's our favorite recipe:

1 1/2 cups organic apple juice
large handful of spinach
2-3 leaves of collard
2-3 leaves of kale
1 banana
1/2 avocado

That's it! It's our secret recipe so don't share! ;) We don't mind the green color. Green is good!!! Society has simply tainted our way of thinking - it's the best color we can take into our body.

I almost want to take on Elder Grobergs diet as he served his mission on the Tongan islands. It consisted of roots, potatoes, leafy greens such as seaweed, seafood (fish, crabs, lobsters), and fruits and vegetables. Once or twice a month they'd have chicken or pork.

Doesn't that sound wonderfully healthy?

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"Wherever you go or whatever you do, under proper assignment, put your whole heart and soul into it and you will be happy and have joy therein. It doesn't matter whether it be family, work, missions, or other callings, joy comes from hard work and proper attitude, not location or type of work or calling."

- John H. Groberg

"It is not how much we do but the love we give that really matters."

- Mother Theresa

Oops!

Oops!

What kind of a mother would dare damage her sons eye?

One who is willing to playfully throw a large woodchip at her child's head.

Eth and I were playing together chucking woodchips from the front yards' landscaping when I tossed the largest wood chip that had yet be thrown and watched the whole process of it as it went elegantly gliding through the air, jutting squarley into Ethan's eye.

It cut the skin a bit on the eyelid and on his eyeball. The scarey part was when his pupil wasn't dilating. It must have been from the shock of the hit because eventually it began to work again.

Poor fellow.

That same day he fell down onto the rocky dirt in our backyard

as he chased a dog. He had a hard day. But we were able to cheer him up with some home made cookie dough.

Taking it easy....that's what Cedric and Millie were doing in the wagon together.

Warm days are SO wonderful!

New Blog

I have a new blog at www.chrysalidsjourney.blogspot.com.

This blog may very likely be put on the back burner. But now and then I may tap in with some thoughts.

Happy Blogging!

Run! RUUUUNNN!

Our home has been a torture chamber for the last week and a half. We've had the flu and it has been terrible! John, Ethan, Tyra and Cedric all got it at the same time, tuesday of last week to be exact, and they're still recovering. It starts with tummy aches then progresses to fevers, chills, body aches and a after a few days, when you think you're getting better, another wave of suffering hits and there's fever, coughing, and a terrible cold to go with it.

Heavenly Father has blessed us though. I didn't get sick until that coming saturday. Who would've taken care of us if we were ALL sick at the same time? I wouldn't dare to have anyone come into our flu infested quarters. John has taken care of all of us the last 4 days now and he has done it in an amazing way. It wore on him at times - one can't blame him. But, he has been so great with keeping order in the house and tending to the needs of ill and recovering people.

People should put signs on their houses, the way they used to do it during scarlet fever epidemics, saying, "FLU. Run! RUUUUNNNN!" I'm into my fifth day now. And had a fever almost all night last night.

Millie has had a fever the last couple days now. We were trying SOOO hard to keep her away from the germs. I just worry about her getting the cough that has come with this virus. We've given her a blessing and are praying for her. I hope she'll be alright. . .

It's that time again - homeschool restructuring. I don't plan these events - they just come. Usually when I'm feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. Why do I feel this way? Because I can tell that our way of homeschooling needs to step up a level - things tend to stagnate. Then I pray, plan, and revise how we're doing things. Some things stay the same. Otherwise, improvements are made and we move forward in a productively better way.

I always seem to fall in love with homeschooling and why we're doing it all over again during such times! I'll never pretend like it's an easy thing - it's not. But it's wonderful.

Home Happenin's

John's home! Woo hoo! There's nothing like growing closer to a spouse because of being separated from one another. It's so nice to have him home.

We've been reading Junie B. Jones books. They're children's books and are hilarious! I had a laugh attack into the first few pages of the first book of hers we read. The kids didn't quite know what was going on - besides Ethan who had witnessed such an ordeal before.

We're getting our garden going! I'm so excited. I'm a convert to the "SFG" (Square Foot Garden) idea and I think it's going to be great. We're going to plant beets, collard, kale, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, string beans, sweet peas, and pumpkins. Sounds like a leap of faith considering this will be my first real garden ever! But, the SFG makes it so simple and almost fool proof - I can't wait to see the results.

I slept good last night but listen to the details of the night before....I got up twice to take tylenol (ongoing toothache), once to go to the bathroom, once to blow my nose, once to cedric crying for his binkey at the end of my bed, I placed millie's binkey back in her mouth about 5 times, I nudged John about 5 or more times to stop snoring, he twitched in his sleep for about 30 minutes, and I fed Millie once. I was awake from around 3am until after 6am.

Those kind of nights make me insane...I mean really insane! I don't even know why I ever layed down. But, I survived and I'm sure glad not every night is like that. Sometimes Millie really gets going with dropping the binkey out of her mouth and crying for it, wow.

I need to start posting more photos and I still need to re-do my blogs look...it'll get done - one day!

Hogi Yogi

The other day Tyra said, "Mommy, can we do Hogi Yogi?" It took me a minute to get what she was trying to ask. She meant yoga! I couldn't stop laughing.

John called two days ago and let me know that he was going to be coming home 3 days early! (They finished their work early.) He was supposed to come in today around noon but I heard from my mom last night that they missed their plane (airports fault) and will have to wait one more whole day since there's only one plane that flies from Brazil to Atlanta per day.

What a bummer! We were so excited to have him back home. I felt so relieved that all went well there and that he had been safe. Now he's in a bigger, busier city within Brazil, one that he's not familiar with.

Just come home safely!!!

PS I went to an enrichment activity Shanda invited me to where the "Green Smoothie Girl" demonstrated making her green smoothies and not only fed us many other samples but a fun amount of information as well. I'll post a blog with all the info. I learned from that at a later time.