Challenged tonight. Refreshed tomorrow.

To the woods yonder
My heart doth wander
Heal me with thy beauty
sooth me with they silence
Until all that is clatter departs from my mind
In your forest embrace
my center and peace I find
absent of distraction attune to His voice
With all this hard work
It is why this is my choice
My forest repose

It has been so hard to get ready for this trip.
Hello, all day (week) I have faced one obstacle after another and have just watched them be swept out of the way. I did well with attitude, but when the lights turned green. This hamster had to get off and running with one knee tied behind my back.
Beauty my Miss fiction gets a new nick name. She is transforming into an outwardly expressed inner beauty that is stunning! She was a huge help. Everyone pitched in. The camper is getting closed up as I type. Hubby is out doing it. They just finished story time while I loaded all the bags they carried out into the cupboards. The ice chest are loaded. I have stepped away and sat down to rest my leg.
The kids are growing up. Wow what a difference even three months have made. They see how essential they are. And how we are all a team. This is a real transformation in them. Independence and the joy of self discovery is so impressive to see.

Thankful Thursday

Hear I am just a woman, one soul of many wherry...yet he lifts me up.
Hope deferred yet heart excited at the knowledge of His will being the best thing for me...the peace of just walking into that.
Tired yet refreshed in the promise of a success at the end of each battle.
Saddened
Flawed and yet fleeing from self condemnation
How many Words the "Word" that transforms every trial into a transformation
Every battle into a skilled sword to wield better in the next skirmish
Pained in bone yet comforted in healing

Hear I am ready momentarily rested, iced to move onto the nest phase of preparation
How the ice does numb the pain.
I have every resource all needs met all promise filled
Just one woman of many who live love work and see the fruit of their labor.
Smiling at the future
Renewed like the dawn ready to begin again
Refusing to lay down my weapons and retreat, I am standing at the ready.
Strengthened in spirit. Bring it on!

Hear, I am just one woman. With One mighty God in three looking after me.
Hear. I am...

Waxing poetic :)

Tooth fairy news

Miss Fiction lost her tooth! wahoo!
So Mr Dash Hawk comes to me and says...
"I know who you are...( he is face to face fixed gaze) Tell me where you keep the teeth and I will not tell her who you are(determined and very serious). I promise not to tell her where you keep the teeth... Oh please... I just got to know... Pretty please with PURPLE on it!."
My favorite color is ...purple :)

"A Camping we will go" , Hi Ho the merry oh....

Well it is a Go!!!! We are heading out in the early A.M. I think my beloved will be like this by mid afternoon.

We could not get the truck to malfunction for the mechanic. Not only that the mechanic WAVED THE $89. diagnostic charge!!!!!!!!!
So Daddy man said we will just go. A man from the small mens group Beloved runs will be watching the dogs. He really enjoys them. I know he will do a great job watching over them and the house. We have been very blessed with help with the dogs twice now. Thank you Sis.
So I walked into this not knowing until just a few moments ago if it was to go or not. It has been so cool that I have not been upset over the not knowing. I just felt like God's will be done.
I have four large bags of groceries from the pantry and the clothes are spinning in the washer. I set our stuff out just got to do the kids still. I am off for a weekend of forest crisp air. The fall does not show well here but we might get to see some color.

It will get cold at night, but Miss Fiction LOVES the cold! I got a farmers jump suit size 6 at the thrift store for $2.50! for the Dash who chills easily. It is well insulated. Daddy Man is so skinny he is afraid of the cold because it hurts for him to be cold, so I grabbed his Russia gear. Should work out fine. We have a furnace in the camp tailor.

Wordless Wedensday

"5 Minutes for Mom" is hosting a Weekly Wordless Wednesday

Tales from the scales challenge and group. Wk #2

Hello all, Well...NO LOSS NO Gain. I did see a glimpse of 189 on Friday before I had the second shot in my knee, but after the shot I over did and have been laid low all week end and all week. So I had lost 2 more than the first two. The BBQ ribs my sweet heart brought home so lovingly to encourage my painful days flat on my back with knee held high returned the favor for eating them! You all know that it did not stop at the ribs...I eat comfort when I am in physical pain. Got to stop that!

193 starting

191 week one

191 week two (at 189 on Friday)

I get to go camping this week end, I will get to walk some. I have the third shot on Monday. I will not be physically active then for three more days. I will how ever try to activate some other measure of self comfort than food! I have lessoned my portions significantly.

Our Son.

Our Son

This morning on the hammock all the cuddling and sweetness of my little boy. He wanted attention so after I dressed , I came out of my room and asked him if he might like to sit down a moment together on the couch. SMILE, he did and wide! We Reposed and then with the seriousness of all that is earnest he began...
"Mom I am very concerned about my friends..."
I reply "oh why is that son?"...
"Well mom I got Dog Pee on my hand and I tried to wash it off, but It still smells bad...I think I can not risk going to school Mom. They might get the germs...Then I would be responsible for getting them sick. So, Mom I think it best if I just stay home from school today!."
Holding to the level of his conversation, I inquired..."Son may I ask just how did you get dog pee on your hand?"
"Well Mom.. I was sliding down the slide and I accidentally put my hand in it and it smells"
Diligent mother I am out of a curiosity that doubted the story. Thinking the child was creating a marvel of "get out of school fiction"... SMELLED HIS little boy hand! YEP! Dog pee eeew!
He with strained face said "mom I don't want to give my friends the germs and get them sick!"
"Lets go wash them off together, we'll kill all those old germs and then it will be alright for you to go to school" Endeared to the core was I.

So I took him in and lathered his sweet baby boy hands (6 years is still a baby!) and scrubbed them in mine. His eyes lit up and he was a three year old in my arms all over again. He was watching my face in the mirror with such admiration I thought I would just melt!

On another not. I told him that I miss him looking back when I drop him off in the morning. This morning off he raced out of the car, to the school doors. Then he was bolted in his step looked over his shoulder and smiled that "holy little boyish smile".
I have a wonderful Son who brings so much joy into our lives.

Tackle It Tuesday

The truck is missing again this morning after running flawlessly! I am meeting Beloved at a auto diagnostic shop. I do hope that we can fix the truck easily.
We trust God's will for the weekend.

In order to this this weekend
I have to rest today and let everything go except...

I am going to give this guy and this girl lots of attention.
I swung on the hammock with Dash this morning and snuggled. He wants to be a chef so I gave him a cooking lesson with our eggs. He wanted to have his the way I have mine. Last night he told me how he noticed that every fictional story has to have a bad event happen in it we began to discuss plot and will continue to talk about the antagonist and protagonist. He is 6!

This sweet heart slept until the last moment. She is up reading all night. She is now reading at a just below 5th grade level and thriving! She is in 3rd grade. She needs to sleep some too though. He detox has left her with a little insomnia. That and I think she just loves to read! I taught her how while homeschooling her. I think it may just be perhaps the greatest thing I have ever accomplished.
I had a dentist follow up to go in for the infection, I called this morning and spoke with the dentist he said that he needs to cut the socket open!!!!
I attended the visit and to His amazement it is healing and I just need to stay on the meds. another few days!
It's that armored vest! Dodged another bullet! :)
I got the dishes going and have just learned that my Sisters English husband is being deported in 9 days! They loose everything! Wow! He was so privileged to be here in the U.S.A. all of those years. His hard work really gave him a nice life here.

Autumn Goody Swap

Christine is Doing a very fun

Autumn Goody Swap

Here’s how it works:
*EDITED* This is open to all bloggers.

If you’d like to participate, just add your link to the Mr. Linky below. You have until October 16th to sign-up.

You will be sending your package to the person next in line. For example, I will sign up first and send my package to the 2nd person who signs up, the 2nd person will send to the 3rd, and so on. The last person will send a package to me. Got it?

It is your responsibility to contact your recipient to obtain their mailing address. Use this opportunity to meet a new blogger and possibly make a new friend!

Beginning October 17th, you may start mailing out your goody packages. Please try to get them to their receivers before October 31st.

You should try to spend somewhere between $8 - $10, not including shipping charges.

As an added incentive, the person who refers the most people to join this event will receive (and since I love choices) something chocolately or something from Bath and Body Works. So they need to tell me who sent them.

Once you’ve received your goodies, don’t forget to take pictures so we can all see what you got!

To know each other better, I’ve posted some fun questions to get to know more about you. You can post your answers on your blog or in comments.

Have Fun!

Questions:

What do you like best about Fall?

The cool of the morning. The community all lowers their shoulders and people become more relaxed and less stressed from the heat. They stop complaining and start smiling again.

Do you have any family traditions for this time of year?

I celebrate Harvest and the Joy of Bounty.We rent goof ball movies and shut all the house lights down. I buy bags of candy for the family, each persons favorites. The kids and my Husband and I watch movies and snuggle. We are trying to find an old flick "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". I will be dressing the kids in costume for school as a literary fictional characters. Because of my family history I can not in good conscience do "trick or treating" . It is just not O.K. for me. I might do a church carnival, maybe?

I also pray a lot this time of year for those who are ill intended that they would be hindered and that children would be covered in the safety of divine protection.

What’s your favorite Halloween chocolate?

I love candy! All sorts of candy. So in like manner as when I was a youth with that pillowcase full of treasure, mine would be a mixed bag assortment. Sours to mellow the sweets and sweets to savor. Chick-o-sticks are one that comes to mind.

Is there any Halloween treat you do not like?

I don't like pixie sticks, ghost candies and ghoulishly decorated things.

Menu Plan Monday

Although the children agree with this guys appetite.
It is hot dogs and chips
via Daddy Man tonight.

This hamster is off the wheel until I get those bearings:)

What wine am I.

Here I have been whining all weekend about my Boo Boo . Sorry I thought you might like some cheese...:) You Are Chardonnay

Fresh, spirited, and classic - you have many facets to your personality. You can be sweet and light. Or deep and complex. You have a little bit of something to offer everyone... no wonder you're so popular. Approachable and never smug, you are easy to get to know (and love!). Deep down you are: Dependable and modest Your partying style: Understated and polite Your company is enjoyed best with: Cold or wild meat

Growing within us.

Miss Fiction wanted to know what it was like in a womb. She wanted to be born again :) . So she proceeded (to my amazement) to climb inside my dress just before bath time last night. I called beloved in to snap an image.
Thats 10 years gestation ladies. Or in reality 16 years wait for my wonderful daughter.

Not Flesh of my Flesh
Nor Bone of my Bone,
But still Miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute
that although you didn't grow under my heart,
you grew in it.

Carnaval Of Family Life.

The Carnival of Family Life. is up over at
My Wealth Builder

Check out my entry "School Fund Raiser" post.

If you love a good laugh go look at this...
Check out "F....is for Follow-up" by Cory
Be sure and Vote for her she is awesome!

Fun Monday

Pamela is the hostess for this Fun Monday. She choose the topic. She said:I want to see what you see on any given morning this week; from somewhere very near where you live. Front porch, back porch, down the street, around the corner. Just makes sure it’s your neighborhood. Post a photo that will send me to the travel agent to book a weekend at your local Bed & Breakfast.

Every morning I make lunches for the family. These loving hands (a cleaner version of them) embrace me and I follow him out to the garage.

Where we bid each other a fine day and I see him drive off in this 4 runner alone on his way into his long work day. It is very warm here even now in October. Many "snow birds" will be flocking their way here shortly for the warm days and cool evenings.

My street looks like this only pirates are seldom witnessed.This is a shot of one such pirate. This is a late evening photograph. Our home is shaded while the sun set illuminates the end of the block.

Retuning indoors I feed these two so I can have a moment of peace with my son. With the exception of the dead of summer the outdoor fun is year round.

This is the yard he plays in while his sister sleeps every available moment she can, most days. I come out and swing on the hammock with him and we talk. Summer monsoons can green a lawn up pretty as do the sprinkler systems many homes have. It's just the water that the desert is running low on :)

To check out more of this Fun Monday’s participants and sign up for this week’s assignment. It’s never too late! click HERE.

Children have loving hearts for art

My Sweet Miss Fiction used a great "draw it write" art book to do this work.


My Dear Dash Hawk gave this note to me on Saturday Morning along with a big hug.

Manic Monday *Tracks*

Morning Tracks from the wet Lawn

across the chalked porch lumber

"What, I did'nt do anything":) ...

Quick dry,the arid eraser.

Thus helped, the entry floor .

Hello

Sunday night. I have laid low all weekend. Chomping at the bit tonight, it's like I can hear the wild horses off in the distance and I want to run wild with them. The moonlight is so free and limitless.
Hubby is exhausted and the kids are now off the sugar high. They had a great time at a birthday party today. I had the house to my lone self this afternoon. Beloved stayed at the party and visited with the other adults, while the kids all played free.
I am working on documented three months of expenditures so as to develop a budget. This is so frustrating for I do not know how to use a paper ledger spread sheet. I want this thing hard copy. I need to be able to touch it and see it and understand it. I am stumbling around with some of the categories and how to do this thing professionally. I used to be able to manage thing so well before the kids, crisis and the loss of 2/3 rd's of our income. I know I can do well with it again it is just tighter and more holes to mend. We are so blessed to only have a mortgage as debt. So I think if a better plan were in place and the leaks stopped up I could try to save again and also pay down the mortgage some day. We also need to have a little travel money to do a trip somewhere and not be stressed out over dong it.
I am trying to fill all the holes we are pretty good about it but I want to improve it.
I admire simple living.
Our home is very energy efficient, I do a great job on bargain hunting. The menu could stand to be more consistent. When I am knocked off the wheel everything changes. It is easier to gain income and learn to live on it than it is to decrease and do so. The sound principals were have lived under all these years are paying off in a big way now. We have no debt other than the house.
We are going camping this next weekend if all goes well with my knee. It is well rested and I think ready for an easy week. I have a ton of laundry to do. The kids rooms have me almost to tears of frustration. everything that was organized is in a disarray. Clothing is "rat holed" and so I am just at wits end with those kids of mine. Often I blame myself due to lack of training them but the fact is Miss fiction is broken here! It is maddening! It is however just who she is. Her mind organizes in her way try putting all the markers away and the pencils too she will have a rush to need to collect everything yellow. I'll find a stash of everything that I have missed in a hole somewhere they will all be yellow. Or round or fury or blue books. It all comes down off the shelf out of the bin from every corner. ARG!!! I know she is just who she is. It is just so maddening I feel crazy from it sometimes. If you cant find it count it lost until I get the umph up to dismantle a bunch of rat holes. We have pack rats hear in the desert. I live with one::)

What are your budget tips??? Do tell...
Maybe I haven't covered them.

Sunday Smiles "They took my bearings out of me wheel!"

Somebody came in and took my bearing out of my wheel!
Man! I have watched a hamster pace they get a bit antsy!
Can you just see her Sister hamster, she approaches the wheel and "what!" no bearings! It is out of service. And not only that but the sign says "Over usage has resulted in momentary setbacks to repairs" Well!
So as I await the installation of the bearings I have had several hours to pace my cage :)
With all of the tidying up around here its that wheel...Just cant get my mind off of it:)

Toasted Organic Tamari Pumpkin Seads

Using a nice large (heavy bottomed)skillet.

Heat skillet (no oil)
Place about a 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds into the hot skillet
Hulled Pumpkin seeds "pop" as you roast them. Stir and toast them until browned lightly.

Remove to a mixing bowl. Add two-three tablespoons of Tamari (wheat free soy sauce) to seeds and toss to coat.
This is a part of my type O meal Plan for a snack. These are very nutritious. I got the pumpkin seeds at my local health food store (Wild Oats) by the pound. Store in freezer to keep fresh.