Great deal over at Scholastic

http://dealnews.com/Scholastic-Childrens-50-Book-Nonfiction-Collections-for-50-each-5-s-h/429988.html

Okay the above deal was too good not to share.
I know it uses up our Homeschool budget for February (a bit early)
but we are ALWAYS on the look out for books - and we give them as gifts a LOT!!

Also, it shows s&h as 5.00 but when you type in that you're homeschooling and enter the information, the s&h comes up free.

Always on the look out for a great deal and ...no I didn't get anything for telling you (other than a smile on my face knowing I passed it along)

Have a wonderful weekend my friends!
Michelle

Do you dare?

Traci Michele has added a whole new level to my Valentines Day challenge.
She dared me.

She double dog dared me.
(LOL)
Actually she just gave me a love dare of 14 days.

If you get the chance - zip over and check it out.
Now I'll be the first to admit - my husband is going to think I've been abducted by aliens because this SERIOUSLY is going to be a LOT of work for me.
SERIOUSLY!
I confessed to Traci that I have the book and I've just been so convinced that I would fail that I put it back on the shelf where it (I) would be safe!

So...14 days...I can do that RIGHT?
whew...wish me luck!
For added entertainment - make sure you go back in my blog and read our love story!!

Here
and Here
and even here!

(3 parts lol - who can jam 25 years into one post?~!)

Now go over and check out the love dare!
I TRIPLE dog dare ya! :)
ooooohhhhhhhhh!
Serious stuff! :)

With all my heart.
Michelle

How much do I truly want or NEED God?

The following is a poem I saw this morning and whooo boy does it make you stop and think.
and think.
and pray.


Three Dollars Worth of God
I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.
Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep,
but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk
or a snooze in the sunshine.
I don’t want enough of God to make me love a black man
or pick beets with a migrant.
I want ecstasy, not transformation.
I want warmth of the womb, not a new birth.
I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack.
I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.

— Wilbur Rees






Hmmmmmmm.

With all my heart~
Michelle

Shiney Blue ribbon! :)

OH I hate when you just hit "enter" and it thinks you have actually POSTED something and then everyone gets an empty screen. UGH!
Well I gave my first toastmasters speech this morning -
Woo hoo for me - I got the "Best Speaker" ribbon!
I'm on a roll this week - my 7 year old gave me a 4 foot trophy with a golden woman at the top and said it was my "best mom" trophy. (yes...he got it out of the neighbors trash - but Hey I'll take those awards however I can get them!:)
Next thing I know - the golden lady is off my trophy and is now the new hood ornament on my 16yr olds truck (truly is an impressive hood ornament) When the 7 year old saw it he looked both in awe and panic-faced because he wasn't sure if I'd be happy.
I just laughed and said "Oh that's okay now everyone in town will know I got the "BEST MOM AWARD!"
win win right?

So....would it be wrong to be totally addicted to this whole Toastmasters thing?
I have NO problem getting in front of people and speaking....
in fact that is one of my dreams "someday" being a professional speaker..
maybe that comes from YEARS of feeling like I'm talking to a huge crowd (my kids) and thinking ..."maybe they're not even listening" or "maybe I'm speaking a different language?!"
I LOVE to sing infront of people - so speaking is just about the same...just without the great rockin guitar breaks :)

Fun fun!
With all my heart~
Michelle

part 3

We "Dated" for 7 months and were married (SUPER YOUNG) we did not "HAVE TO" get married (which we are asked a LOT) we were just young and thought we had all the answers. (He was 17 I was.........15)I know I know...It's just WAY too young to get married.
I realize that now.
I realize it everytime I look at my 23 year old
My 19 year old
my 16 year old
I do know.
I don't recommend it - but it was how we made it work.
STUBBORN HARD HEADED DETERMINED K I D S!

Our first child was born when I was 17.

The first year of marriage was AWFUL - how we survived I'll never know - THANK YOU GOD!! Because HE really is the only way it happened!

So we survived!
We eventually THRIVED!
We have had MORE than our share of trials and tribulations - I assure you.
We even spent some time separated...that was when we truly realized what we had and what each other meant to us.
Our marriage has survived AMAZINGLY.
So...when Valentines day rolls around this year we have so much to smile about.
So much love
LOVE
l o v e .......in sickness in health, in good times and bad
till death do us part.
We "vowed" it.
We meant it.
Now I am asking myself just 23 days away from Valentines day...
do I SHOW IT?
Does he know without a doubt? Am I a loving caring wife or am I a nagging harping wife??
Do the kids KNOW that we are a team....or do I undermine him by disagreeing with him in FRONT of them?...sigh... (yeah...gotta work on SO many things)
So.....23 days.
I am going to be joining up over at: Women living well

http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2011/01/25-day-praise-plan-marriage-challenge.html

I have accepted the challenge (Thank you Conny)

The challenge to "Bless his heart"
I hope you'll join in the fun.
You KNOW it's win win of course :)

With all my heart!
Michelle

part 2

So here I was thinking...he's kinda a nice guy....
After a few more days we were headed home to South Florida.
We were now friends - yet still awkwardly since the entire time I worried that I was "FAT" like the other guy had said...so I felt badly that Dave had to endure such an awful fate (later he told me he couldn't have asked for anything better)

So we were friendly finally...but life progressed and it got closer to the end of the school year. The "sports banquet" was coming up. (we did NOT have dances at our private christian school) this was a HUGE deal.

Dave's friend who he went to the gym every day with had said he would take me. I was excited by that because this other guy was a Senior - and well highschool is a dumb time and I was dumb!
I asked Dave to see if "B" was going or not.
The next day Dave arrived with a HUGE SHINER (BLACK EYE)
He wouldnt tell me what happened but said that "B" would NOT be going to the banquet with me. Someone later that day said "Why don't you guys go together?" to Dave and I and we both just laughed and said..."That probably wouldn't work"
(but then we both were really thinking in our heads WHY NOT?)
Skip forward to the banquet - I got stuck going with "G" (yes the jerk from the ski-trip) because HE asked me (because Dave threatened him - lol - Dave told me later that he thought maybe that was what I wanted - and so he just wanted to give me what ever I wanted!)
THE WORST BANQUET/NIGHT of my life! Horrible! First time in my LIFE I was allowed to stay out till midnight and I asked to go home at 9:30pm!! "G" was with another girl the entire time and was making out with her in his car when I went looking for him!

The next morning there was a car-wash that was MANDITORY that we all show up for.
(I was probably still puffy-eyed from crying all night...ah highschool drama)
The whole group of friends decided to go someplace and listen to the music that night.

I went to a girl-friends house after the car wash and we walked over to the gym at the time we all agreed to meet up.
I still joke with my husband that I will NEVER forget walking in and seeing him lifting weights. "B" was standing there smirking and I never even SAW him. I was all eyes for Dave. (finally you all say!)

My friend Jen and I rode down to the restaurant with Dave in his car (the mustang he raced..remember?!) ;0)
My friend Jen said to me..."Do you like him? Cause if you don't I'm gonna go out with him!" to which I said "Don't you dare!" :) (THE LIGHTBULB FINALLY WENT ON!!)

That night he asked me to dance to Phil Collins - "One more night".... we were still slow dancing even after the music stopped. Our friends were floored! Our teachers were amazed and said we wouldn't last 6 months.

I have loved this man for 26 years now.
We have 6 children and 2 grand children so far.
I'll continue the rest of the story tomorrow :)
Thanks for letting me re-live all the "young love"

Stay tuned!!
With all my heart-
Michelle :)

Valentines day is only 25 days away!!!

Bet you've never heard the story of how my hubby and I fell in love.
;)
It's a great story.
Our kids LOVE to hear it!

We went to Junior High and High School together.
We were part of the same "crowd" - the ones who weren't really a "crowd" :)
Not the rich kids
Not the super smart kids
Maybe a mix of athletes and "normal" kids - Not the "Cool kids" but more like the "we just don't care if we're cool" kids :)
We DID NOT like each other.
We in fact got kicked out of a few classes for arguing with each other.
Our friends ran interferrence for us - we DID NOT get along!

Dave was a football player - I was a cheerleader (for one excrutiating year of trying to be someone I was NOT!). To hear him tell the story he "noticed" me in 10th grade.
He worked out all summer break and came back to school all muscles :) (hmmm nice :)
I was oblivious - lol
Anywhoo....
LONNNGGGG story short..
I was a poor kid. He wasn't a rich kid - but our school was going to go snow skiing (and we are SUPER SOUTH FLORIDA HERE - this was a HUGE deal)
I KNEW there was NO WAY I was going to make it!
Well...an anonymous gift was given so I could go (come to find out later - he raced his car to win the $$) say it with me "awwwwwwww"
I had NO idea.
Suddenly I was going skiing! I borrowed most of the ski gear, but couldn't come up with ski boots (a pair just happened to be left by the ski-boot fairy on my front porch)
Now at this time I was all moonie-eyed over some other guy "G"...who you'll hear about a bit later...

So the trip up to North Carolina was super fun...
1 full day of skiing and clutz that I am - I blew out my knee.
Dave was the first to reach me after the HUGE wipe out and stayed with me until ski-patrol arrived.
Well - crutches, a full leg brace, pain meds and slippery ice do NOT mix - one of the teachers asked Dave (remember the muscle part...) to carry me everywhere. He said he'd be honored.
(the other guy "G"...said "Oh my God..I can't carry you! You're HEAVY! - I weighed 98#at the time - jerko!)

The very first day that Dave carried me around was Valentines day. I remember thinking..."he's not such a bad guy afterall...wonder why we always argue?"

Well....this will have TO BE CONTINUED...... tomorrow :)

But the post I saw Conny post today about it being only 25 days until Valentines day made me take this little trip down memory lane........
25 days that I plan on showing my hubby I LOVE HIM DEARLY - STILL.
(by the way we will be at the EXACT same place SKIING together on Valentines day this year)

Stay tuned :)

With all my heart~
Michelle

Happy Happy 1year old

Well his birthday was yesterday. He's cutting BIG HUGE BACK TEETH so he wasn't very "happy" on his birthday! :(
This weekend we plan on doing the "baby cup-cake" party with him. This child has been VERY sheltered when it comes to sugar...so we'll see - I'll probably bake something LOW sugar to give to him with a smear of icing :)
It's so hard to believe that a year has gone by.
My baby :( sniff sniff!
His latest "baby trick" is to laugh out loud just to get your attention - then you laugh too and he smiles and toddles away.
Oh he also knows when the front door opens - someone is leaving (BOO HOO :( This makes for very difficult mornings if his sissy isn't distracting him when I leave.
He of course is such a Daddy's little man baby :)
He'll go to dad anyday over me! :( sniff sniff...no no problem...actually it's made me blue on more than one occasion.....
He has decided he's done with nursing...of course I can always sneak in a boob in the middle of the night...but after about 3 minutes he gets wise to me and stops.
Guess the old girls are dry...someone said "oh that's because you have nursed SOOOO many kids (um 6 yes - but my great grandmother nursed 12 with an "a" cup!) Next baby - I'm gonna try everything all over again and then some.....I REFUSE to give up.
There's got to be a way (and believe me I think I tried everything THIS time...but will come up with new and improved "MILK MAKING" ideas :)

So.....these are a few of my pics of "MUH-LA-CHEE -"D" as we jokingly call him because no one seems to know how to pronounce Malachi (Mal-uh kai)
;)

Have a wonderful weekend cyber friends :)

With all my heart~
Michelle

Prayer requests....

Please pray for the following families..
This was all just yesterday and it explains why my job is sometimes hard NOT to take home with me at the end of the day...

Someone I knew commited suicide because he was being evicted.

a mother of 6 young children called me...frantic because her husband "gave up and left them" due to the economy. UM....WHAT?? This a Christian family man!

A little boy (11) who played baseball with our Remmy (10) had the flu - took some prescribed medicine and died in his sleep..his sister was driving home to comfort the mother and she was in a head-on collision and is now in "serious condition".

My mother's friend was killed in another auto accident leaving behind an 18 year old son and a 15 year old daughter. :(



PLEASE pray for each of these families....
Each one is in a different situation - but the grief they are each experiencing is HUGE.

Thank you for your prayers....



With all my heart -
Michelle

1/11/11

Wow...just a year ago I was hoping and hoping that I was in REAL labor. (of course it's all real labor...but it would still be 2 more days before our "snapper D" would arrive.
I was 4 days "overdue" which doesn't seem like a lot right now...but let me tell you at a billion and a half months pregnant it's A LOT!! Meanwhile...he hung in there for fourty-eight more hours.....2,880 minutes...lol :)

We are busy this year planning our family vacation.
Our 19 year old daughter is being courted by a young man in Ohio. (I'm sure I've told you all that before....) I have spoke with him through various emails and phone calls and I'm pleased. He appears to have a good heart. (now we all know DAD won't be as easy to win over :)

We are going (at some time unknown to the internet world)to have a week of bonding with each other and snow. :) HA! We are SOOOOOOOOO excited!

We have been purchasing gift-cards for what seems like forever so that we would not have to worry about gasoline or food when we go.

The weather outside here is a balmy 78 so SNOW sounds like SO much fun!!

I am planning on going to a "Toastmasters" meeting this evening with my hubby (who I am TRYING to get involved - but we shall see :)
My baby is almost one.
HOW?

I'm gonna snuggle with him till he gets fed up and wants to toddle around the house (2 minutes tops!! :)

As I've said before.......time sure flys huh?!

With all my heart.
Michelle

Handmade "Pay it forward".....

Pay it forward 2011: I promise to send something

handmade (it will be special...maybe not perfect...but special! :)
to the first 3 people who leave a comment here.

To be eligible, you must also post this in your blog,

offering the same thing to 3 other people.

The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it

must be sent to your 3 people *sometime* in 2011.

a giveaway with a purpose..............

This morning I was browsing through the blogs I follow (one of my FAVORITE times of the day....blogs and coffee...yummo!).... when I got to "lullabies & lipstick" I saw she was hosting a giveaway!
I LOVE giveaways....hmmm what would it be?
OOOOH A pdf or word document cookbook - NICE!
Then I started to read about this giveaway.

This cook book was put together by a single mom who lost EVERYTHING in a fire on Oct 31, 2010.
As she gets back on her feet, she is striving to provide even the small every-day items that we all take for granted (toothpaste, shampoo etc) for herself and her 10 year old daughter.
I was touched to see her courageous entries in her blog.
I sat their thinking to myself.....WOW...here's a woman who is putting her God-given talents to use by designing this cookbook full of recipes in order to provide for her baby girl.
Please - if you get the chance - zip over to her blog and check it out.
http://uniquecreationscatering.blogspot.com

Zip over to lullabies and lipstick and enter to win....
http://lullabiesandlipstick.blogspot.com/2011/01/giveaway-come-sign-up.html
It's a giveaway with PURPOSE! :)
One that is worth supporting!

With all my heart!
Michelle

I was thinking about the topic of Submission (thank you Reneee Stam :)
and I found this article on Bible.com.... (as this is one of the most difficult issues EVER for me...trust me! :o{
Don't get me wrong - I believe it 100% I'm just horrible at it!)

I have taken bits and pieces and put it here....for you!
I encourage you to zip over and check out the whole study...
but for now..here's a taste of it! :) my added comments or ideas are bold

The Submission of the Christian Wife (Ephesians 5:21-32)Study By: Bob Deffinbaugh

In general terms, submission is the placing of oneself under the one to whom we submit. Since we are commanded to submit ourselves one to another, we are to place all others above ourselves.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

When Paul speaks of the wife being in submission to her own husband, in everything, he means that she need never cease to be submissive in spirit, even if she must disobey him in a specific area. (in the case of a husband who disobeys God and requests his wife to) He means also that wives should not attempt to compartmentalize their lives, setting certain areas “off limits” to submission. ( such as saying "I’m the boss of finances….homeschool… when we have sex" etc)
In the marriage relationship, it is the husband’s privilege to portray the headship of Christ over the church by his loving and sacrificial leadership. The wife’s privilege and high calling is to symbolically represent the church in its submission the Lord Jesus Christ, its Head. The husband symbolizes Christ headship, while the wife symbolizes the submission of the church to her Head. The divinely appointed role of marriage as a symbol of Christ and the church is therefore the basis for the attitudes and behavior of both the husband and the wife.

The ungodly woman would seek to change her husband by nagging him (UM….yeah I’m gonna have to work on that!) (see Proverbs 19:13; 27:15), but the godly woman leaves change to God.

If there is any one question which should be in a young woman’s mind concerning marriage it is this one: “Is this the kind of man I want as my “head,” to whom I will submit in all things for the rest of my life?” (OH I am SO going to stress this to my daughter!!)
The world (or culture) in which we live is adamant in its resistance to the teachings of Scripture regarding the submission of wives to their husbands. Our own flesh resists subordination to the interests of others, insisting on seeking self-interests first.

Our text is about submission—the voluntary surrender of our rights and self-interest for the benefit of others and for the glory of God.
THIS IS THE BEST DESCRIPTION OF SUBMISSION I’VE FOUND!!

Now I'm sure this post won't appeal to all.
I'm sorry.
Please don't hesitate to leave comments - both good or bad - I can take it (sniff sniff) lol - really though.....We all are traveling this wife/mother/daughter of the King journey.....and it's a learning journey! I value what you have to say!
Also...let me stress again to you - I am not preaching at anyone.
I would probably be the last person qualified to do so!
(just ask my hubby who still loves me inspite of myself)
but..hey the subject is NOT dull! :)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

With all my heart ~ Michelle

It's a brand new day! It's a brand new year!

I've seen many blogs this morning about the "one word" for the new year.
Mine is contentment.
Can you really say "I will be striving for contentment" ?? lol - striving sounds anti-content hmmmm.....
My goal is to show my children contentment.
For them to see in my very actions a heart of contentment...not "settling for less" but "Happy with whatever life holds".

Some of our "goals" this year are:
Read together out of Psalms and Proverbs each day with the kids.

"PLAY" more together - schedules are important but they are only small for a short while!

I pray that I will have loving expectations of my children (not HARSH JUDGMENTAL ones....because that is NOT who I long to be...and it is NOT what I long to teach my children!)

I want to yell less..... I tell my children not to yell, not to call names, not to judge each other - do I do what I'm telling them not to do???

I want to start each day asking my husband "What can I do today that will help you out?" - okay he may have a stroke or think I've been taken over by aliens but hey...he'll get used to it right? :)

So that's the beginning of 2011 for me :)
I am back on my super fabuloso diet - just until February when our family goes on vacation....then...who knows maybe we'll be looking ahead to baby #7?!
:)

Welcome to 2011 blogger friends!
It's gonna be a great year!
Thank you Lord!! I am TRULY grateful!


With all my heart~
Michelle