The musings of SandK's mom:-)

And here we all are:-)

posted by Amanda in NC @ 11:39 PM 0 comments

Who is this angel, and HOW in the world did I produce such a gorgeous creature???? ;-) My 2 year old on Easter Sunday.

posted by Amanda in NC @ 11:34 PM 0 comments

I'm in a whirlwind:-) Current mood: grumpy
I feel like so much is going on. It's probably not as nuts as it seems, but man, I sure feel like I'm caught in a whirlwind. My mom having surgery this week; ongoing frustrating financial stuff; business/career decisions for Michael; and just the day to day spinning plates of house, homeschooling, sanity:-), church stuff, etc.
SO, if I have nothing exciting to say over the next week or two - you'll know why! I think this hymn needs to be my theme song for the next few weeks...Jesus I am resting, resting

Jesus, I am resting, resting,In the joy of what Thou art;I am finding out the greatnessOf Thy loving heart.Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,And Thy beauty fills my soul,For by Thy transforming power,Thou hast made me whole.

Refrain

Jesus, I am resting, resting,In the joy of what Thou art;I am finding out the greatnessOf Thy loving heart.

O, how great Thy loving kindness,Vaster, broader than the sea!O, how marvelous Thy goodness,Lavished all on me!Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovd,Know what wealth of grace is Thine,Know Thy certainty of promise,And have made it mine.

Refrain

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,I behold Thee as Thou art,And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,Satisfies my heart;Satisfies its deepest longings,Meets, supplies its every need,Compasseth me round with blessings:Thine is love indeed!

Refrain

Ever lift Thy face upon meAs I work and wait for Thee;Resting neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,Earths dark shadows flee.Brightness of my Fathers glory,Sunshine of my Fathers face,Keep me ever trusting, resting,Fill me with Thy grace.
Refrain

posted by Amanda in NC @ 11:31 PM 0 comments

Have a good Easter? Current mood: rejuvenated
We did. The weekend itself started off kinda rough, but ended up good by last night. I had a mini-meltdown over the state of life and the state of the house, etc. on Saturday morning LOL, so we spent some time cleaning. Then got a call that my mom had fallen and really hurt her leg, so we headed over there early. (we were headed there anyway for our family Easter thing) Yep, she had fallen, twisted her leg and banged the side of her head. She refused to go to the hospital or urgent care (can't *imagine* where I get my stubbornness LOL), but finally called a friend who had been in orthopedics to look at it. He determined nothing was broken or torn, thank God. It was really swollen and she couldn't put ANY weight on it.
So, that left my sister, sister-in-law, and I to finish lunch:-) That was pretty fun actually. We all got in there (neice Courtney included - Hey Court! when you read this), and got 'er done. Had a great early dinner and fun visit with my bro, sis, in-laws, and all the (many) cousins. Between the 3 of us, we have 12 kids, so it was VERY fortunate that it was nice weather, and all those children could be running outside. The kids spent their time in a grand caterpillar collecting adventure (remember those, Jenna?). We grown-ups spent our time complaining about the heat LOL. Oh mercy - my parents' AC was just not working, and it was sooooo hot. Finally, my sis and I escaped outside to sit in the cool breeze. Nice.
So, other than our wonderful DODGE van's transmission falling apart (gotta love those American cars, huh? especially the GM ones.), Saturday was pretty good.
Sunday was great! We slept pretty late, Mikey made us French toast, then we dyed eggs with the kids. Got a Star Wars egg dying kit, and that was a hoot! Then ate Easter candy until we couldn't anymore, got all dressed up, and headed to church. Have I mentioned how *wonderful* it is to have church at 5pm Sunday? No mad rush in the morning, no fights on the way just b/c you're so blooming tired. Now that's what I call a day of rest:-) Anywho, after church, headed over to the pastor's house for a cookout, and that was that. A fab time was had by all.
Ahh, and now it's Monday. Today, we get back in the swing. This week is shaping up to be really busy. Today won't be, but we've gotta get schoolwork done and house stuff done before the craziness begins.
Oh, and I didn't mention the doctor's visit I will be making later today. Wildman, age 5, had a little fall on my pastor's trampoline last night, and he's still complaining of it today. Given that he is my one child who doesn't really feel pain, unless it's REALLY bad - I think we're going in, just to check it out.
That's it!! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!!!

posted by Amanda in NC @ 6:29 AM 0 comments

Homeschool update Current mood: excited
I haven't talked about what we're doing in school lately, so just for my own enjoyment:-), in the words of Simon Cowell, let me be a little "indulgent" today.
With SusieQ, we are currently studying Africa, Kenya specifically. We have read books about Africa, cooked African food, learned the names of all those countries (which, by the way, are LOTS different then when I learned geography - amazing how the map changes in just a few years), made our own versions of African art, etc etc. Next week, we'll move on to Asia. Can't wait! I tell ya, I've learned more this year about geography than I ever did in all my years of school.
We are also pressing in to finish up with grammar, spelling, handwriting, and math. I understand a little bit the end of the year panic that school teachers seem to feel. We too, slacked off during the holidays, and it has left us scurrying some. Fortunately, it's my school, so we get to finish when I decide we're done :-) How great is that!
Overall, it's been a great year. My goals for this year have been accomplished. My daughter has built a much more firm foundation in her knowledge of math. She has rediscovered some of her love of learning, and is building confidence. She also has friends, that love and accept her for who she is. That alone makes all the hard stuff worth it for me. I'm excited to see what next year holds for us.
Little guy is doing great as well. He is soaking up the knowledge faster than I can teach it. This week, we are learning about Kangaroos. You should have seen his look of amazement yesterday when we measured how far we could jump, and compared it with how far a kangaroo can jump. :-) We've read lots of books, both fiction and non, about kangaroos and other marsupials. We've made some art projects with kangaroos. We've looked at maps of Austrailia and learned some geography terms. So much fun. He is also doing great with reading. He is getting better and better at blending vowel sounds with consonant sounds and reading them as whole words instead of sounding out each letter. He has started trying to read words EVERYWHERE we go. Signs on the highway, restaurant menus, you name it. I am so thankful to have had this year to teach my son. I cannot imagine his wiggly and somewhat out of control body in a classroom, sitting in a desk. His mind is definitely ready to learn all these things, but I tell ya, his little body is NOT ready for that yet.
Next year, we're pretty much sticking with the same curriculum. We use My Father's World as a base. It's a unit study curriculum, beginning with a year study of geography, to provide a framework for the following years' study of chronological history. We'll be doing the first grade program with little guy, and the ancient history (creation to the Greeks) with SusieQ. Math is Math-U-See all the way, baby! :-) We're going to try Latin with Latina Christianaagain and see if we like it better next year. Language arts is where we're switching things around quite a bit. I'm going with Intermediate Language Lessons, which is a Charlotte Mason type grammar/composition book written and used in the early 1900's. We'll be doing writing with a book called Writing Strands, and spelling will be Spelling Power. I can't wait to get new stuff! The day curriculum arrives for a homeschooler is better than Christmas. :-)

posted by Amanda in NC @ 6:28 AM 0 comments

Okay, I'm going to try and make this my last blog on the Pearl's, but this one was so good, I just couldn't pass it up. Ann V. is one of my very favorite bloggers out there. Many times her writing has brought me to tears, or caused me to hit my knees:-) Here she expresses more eloquently than I will ever be able to some of the subtle issues with the Pearls. It's good stuff, so go read it LOL.

posted by Amanda in NC @ 6:27 AM 0 comments

Monday, Monday Current mood: crazy
Aaaah, the joys of Monday morning. The kids are wigged out from a crazy weekend, the mom is irritated and short fused from NO sleep all weekend long (and whose fault was that but her own?), the house is a WRECK.
You know, there was a time when Monday was my favorite day of the week. It just seemed like a fresh start. I seem to have succumbed to the "oh, it's monday" blues - perhaps directly correlating to the number of children in this house LoL. When I had one child, maybe even 2, Mondays were great. Now with 3, this mommy starts the week ready for the weekend again!
~sigh~Off to stop delaying the inevitable. Clean the house, educate the children, feed the family - Amanda's life in a nutshell:-) So sad, aren't I?? LOL

posted by Amanda in NC @ 10:01 AM 0 comments

My story Current mood: jubilant
A few weeks ago, my pastor asked me to share my story with the congregation. Wow, I said yes, partially b/c I don't know how to say no, and partially b/c I really wanted to do it. But I was SO nervous. Thank goodness, there are only about 40-50 people in our church - that made it seem a little easier. Since this is the only time I think I've ever stood up and told my whole faith journey in front of anyone - I wanted to write it down. For posterity? LOL Maybe just so I don't forget. Here goes:
When Jim asked me to share today, I said yes, almost without thinking - but then, when I thought about it, *that's* when I got nervous! How in the world do I condense what God has done in my life into 5 minutes? But, I've given it a shot, so here goes.
In the past year, the Lord has done some "interesting" things in my life. I kinda laugh when I think, "how on *earth* did a born and bred charismatic girl, who never even SANG a hymn in church until I was 23 years old, wind up here, and loving it?" If you had told me 5 years ago, this is where I'd be today, I would have told you that you were crazy. But let me back up for a minute.
I can't tell you what God is teaching me right now, without explaining at least a little bit about what He has done in my life up until now. I was raised in the church, in a "good Christian" family. I was mostly a good girl. I looked, acted, talked like a Christian. I knew LOTS about God, but the problem was, I didn't know God. It's a pretty typical story really - I spent all my growing up years with this huge void in my life, trying desperately to fill it, by gaining the approval and love of friends, family, and later boyfriends, and not so much family anymore:-). Along the way, there were some events that rocked my world - my parents' divorce when I was 13, my good friend Amy's death when I was 16. These were times I had the opportunity to turn to the Lord for help and comfort, for the stability and equilibrium I had lost. I'm sad to say that instead, I got more and more angry with God, and became convinced that He would never (or maybe could never?) love me, or give me the love I so desperately needed.
But the third time my world was rocked, when at 17 years old I was pregnant with my beautiful oldest daughter, I had nowhere else to go, but to the Lord. I had been *running* down the path to destruction, but about 2 months before SusieQ came into the world, I turned around and ran to Jesus. Now, almost 10 years later, I still am amazed at the incredible grace of our God, who while I was yet a sinner, stuck in the mire and muck of sin and death, chasing it really...even then, Christ died for me. Just like He did for each of you.
The first 5 years I was a believer, I did grow in the Lord. I think maybe I went from a "baby" to a toddler. But it wasn't until about 5 years ago, when I joined my first Bible study that the Word really came alive for me. Remember, I "knew" lots of Scripture, tons of Bible stories, but it had never gone beyond that, just knowing them. It wasn't until I began to really dig into the Word and study it that it truly changed my life. The past 5 years have been a transformation for me - all because of the Word of God.
From then until now has been a bit of a wild ride. God has blessed my life over and over, with Michael, wiht my other 2 munchkins, with his faithfulness through many trials and ups and downs. He has taught me more than I ever conceived of. He's led me so far out of my comfort zone, I don't even think I *have* a comfort zone anymore. He keeps calling me to do things like lead a women's Bible study - and I just am like "Lord, are you kidding? ME?
I feel a little bit like Paul - "oh wretched woman that I am"..."the chief of sinners". But one thing the Lord teaches me as I study the Bible is that He chose all kinds of folks who were a mess. A couple of years ago, I heard a wise minister say "It's not about YOU" - and it's just so true. It's all about Christ - His work in my own heart, in my marriage, in our family, and in this church. And the more that I learn to get myself out of the way and let God do His thing, the better off I am.
I want to close with a Scripture that pretty much echoes the cry of my heart today - from 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness". Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

posted by Amanda in NC @ 9:59 AM 0 comments

Did you ever get that kick-ya-in-the-gut feeling when you are at church? That sense that "oh yeah, this is *definitely* for me today". I got one of those today.
I have been in nostalgia mode for about 2 weeks now, which inevitably leads me down the road of all my regrets. Unfortunately, I have kind of a lot of them. Whether it's regret over how I treated people, or the outcome of some of my actions, or maybe how certain relationships ended. Here's the rub: I have been a believer for 10 years now - I KNOW that I am forgiven. I really do. But for some reason there are certain regrets (a,k.a. GUILT) that I can't seem to let go of. A lot of the time I tend to ignore all that - my dear husband says I am the master of stuffing my feelings. But every now and again something will happen that will bring the whole load of cr...junk back up, and there it all is again. I get overwhelmed by my own sin; my own utter inability to love anyone, much less love God; my own unworthiness.
Aaaah, and here's where I got my but kicked today. The sermon was on the cross. Rather an appropriate topic given the time of the year. Specifically Christ's final words - it is finished. Of course, i can't remember the Greek word (and I didn't write it down - I really need to start taking notes); but it's this one word in the Greek that means all that. The gist is, the work - Jesus' purpose on this earth; MY salvation; MY forgiveness. It...is...finished. It...IS...finished. And if I'm hanging on to all that guilt and regret - well, what am I saying about what Jesus did for me on the cross? Do I accept the fact that HE did it, and it's not about me. Or do I keep going through my life trying to be better, or be more, or earn something that I already have?
Let me sum up my feelings in the words of a great song.
No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry, to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand. Till He returns, or calls me home, here in the power of Christ, I stand.
Here's the entire song, if you care to read - it's called In Christ Alone.
In Christ alone my hope is foundHe is my light, my strength, my songThis cornerstone, this solid groundFirm through the fiercest drought and stormWhat heights of love, what depths of peaceWhen fears are stilled, when strivings cease My comforter, my all-in-allHere in the love of Christ I standIn Christ alone who took on fleshFullness of God in helpless babeThis gift of love and righteousnessScorned by the ones He came to save'Til on that Cross, as Jesus diedThe wrath of God was satisfiedFor every sin on Him was laidHere in the death of Christ I liveThere in the ground His body layLight of the world by darkness slainThen bursting forth in glorious dayUp from the grave He rose againAnd as He stands in victorySin's curse has lost its grip on meFor I am His and He is mineBought with the precious blood of ChristNo guilt in life, no fear in deathThis is the power of Christ in meFrom life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destinyNo power of hell, no scheme of manCan ever pluck me from His hand'Til He returns or calls me homeHere in the power of Christ I'll stand'Til He returns or calls me homeHere in the power of Christ I standHere in the power of Christ alone

posted by Amanda in NC @ 9:42 PM 0 comments

This has been a crazy week so far. I mean, I haven't done anything that out of the ordinary, but for some reason, I'm like Friday-tired. What is up with that?

Some good stuff from this week....I got to have dinner with my 2 bestest friends growing up Sunday evening. It was really fun. SO nice to just talk and catch up. Our food was good, but for the first time ever at the Village Tavern, our service REALLY stunk. Hmm, other good stuff. OH, found out that my sis, after 4 boys in a row is having a GIRL!!! :-) Yippee for yay!
I think that's about all the extra-good - everything else has been fairly routine. School with the kiddies, soccer games/practice, cooking, cleaning, yada, yada, yada.

So let me move on to something SO much more exciting than *my* life...American Idol!! Tonight was a strange night. First of all, was I the only one who did not even recognize Kenny Rogers? He has had some serious construction done on that face. I should know, cuz Mikey has forced me to watch the Lonesome Dove movie with him in it about a million times. And that was NOT the same face as the Lonesome Dove LOL.

Now, I love country music. Really, I do! Is that a surprise? Maybe - I don't think I look like the country type. But I really enjoy it, it's my second favorite radio choice after KLOVE Well, unless Dave Ramsay is on AM 830 LOL. But I digress...country music. I love it. So tonight was a pretty big disappointment for me. I thought most of the kiddies did a really bad job - average at best. Mikey says I'm worse than Simon though, so I might be a TEENY bit critical :-) Here's my rundown...

Good:
Kelly - I really liked her song. I love that song anyway, and she did a good job. Not just GREAT, but good.

Elliot - I was surprised by how much I like this. I think Elliot's voice is awesome.

Ace - Shocking, huh? I *really* don't like Ace at all, but I have to give him credit - tonight's song was really good. He was killing me with the nasty falsetto at the end. I HATE it, oh so much. And I have my doubts about his sexual orientation, but that's a whole 'nother blog LOL.

Chris - Of course. The man - I thought he showed that he really CAN sing, even if he's not belting out the rock stuff. Loved it.

Just "okay" (to quote Randy):

Bucky - I wish he would have picked a more "country" country song. He did all right, but I'm not sure it's enough to keep him here. I LIKE Bucky personally, but I think he would have been smarter to pick a more upbeat song.

Katherine - The girl FINALLY covered up LOL!! I absolutely love Katherine's voice, but I didn't think this song showcased it much at all. I was suprised to see her in the bottom 3 last week, but I would not be surprised to see her there again tomorrow night.

Boring/Forgettable/Blah;

Mandisa - Whhaaaaa???? I LOVE Mandisa, now, so I was shocked to find that I really really did NOT like this song. I know she has a better voice than me, but I've done a better job singing that song in a karaoke contest. I don't think she has anything to worry about, b/c she has the fan support, but girlfriend needs to get back to something she does well next week.

Taylor - I was soooo sad about this. Mandisa *and* Taylor, really stinking it up on stage. What is with that? I know that this was totally not Taylor's style of music, but I thought he could have found a better song than THAT to show off his voice and showmanship. I was bummed.

Paris - The golden girl is showing some cracks in her perfect veneer. I have not enjoyed Paris the last few weeks. She has seemed really fake and "put on" to me. Tonight was no exception. YES, she has quite possibly the most amazing pipes I've ever heard, but quite honestly, she looked bored singing tonight, and who wants to watch some bored soul up there just singing?

Well, there's my opinion...I honestly have no clue who will be in the bottom 3 tomorrow night, and I couldn't venture a guess on who will go home. That's a first for me I think.:-)

posted by Amanda in NC @ 9:53 PM 0 comments