As the year ends...

We had a wonderful quiet Christmas - just the 7 of us. My parents visited my sister up in the cold North, and we stayed home and relaxed as much as possible.

The children enjoyed Christmas Day and are now enjoying their fun new toys and games. We are indeed most blessed with thoughtful children and thankful children.

The end of the year now approaches and with it one tends to reflect on the year prior. I know, for me, it has gone by way too fast. It has been full, that much is certain. We have much to be thankful for and couldn't possibly list everything, but I will list a few things:

1. Our new home
2. New friends
3. New church home
4. Family and friends
5. Growing, healthy children (losing teeth like crazy around here!)
So many more things.

We have been in our new home since May and while we may not be unpacked completely (and may never be, let's just be honest here), we are enjoying the new space. This coming year we hope to fill in some gaps furnishing-wise and be able to enjoy the extra space even more. I also hope for some organization that isn't present right now that will aid in our days flowing more smoothly. More discipline all around will be something we continue to work on as well. A more structured approach to our days, not w/a set schedule of things locked into time frames during the days, but more of a checklist approach. We'll see how we do with that - it's been on my mind for some time now.

I am not one to make "resolutions" - and am not starting now. Those who want to do so, that's your business :)

I look forward to 2011 and all that it may bring. I look forward to continuing to develop new friendships and spending more time w/family and friends. Spending less time worrying. Working on the house and making it even more enjoyable a home for our family. Enjoying the gifts God has placed in my life and living each day to the fullest.

May God bless you and yours in the coming days to look to the Lord each moment of each day. To remember Him always.

Grace and peace,
CAB

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!  I pray you have a blessed day with family and friends!

-CAB

1st "modern day" Homeschooler in Congress!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2637092/posts

Water Buffalo Meetings are like Boy Scouts for Grown-Ups per Mr. E

Not long ago, the children discovered the classic cartoon, The Flintstones. We have DVR'd plenty of them and they've enjoyed watching them. They've learned that Fred has a short fuse and doesn't always speak nicely, and many other lessons along the way as well.

Tonight, after returning from Scouts, Mr. E was talking about The Flintstones and said that he thought the Water Buffalo Meetings that Fred and Barney go to are like Boy Scouts for grown-ups.  :)   I listened as he told CKB all about the episode where Wilma and Betty dress up like men to go and see what the meetings are all about and how they put on these huge mustaches and when they got in trouble, they got spankings at the meeting and didn't want to ever go back.

I admit to chuckling softly to myself while this conversation went on - it was so cute to listen to Mr. E describe it all and he was grinning and laughing through the whole thing.

The episode he described is as follows:

"Ladies Night At The Lodge"	February 13, 1964 (1964-02-13)
Wilma and Betty are curious about what goes on at Fred and Barney's Water Buffalo Lodge meetings so they sneak in wearing disguises as men. They endure a painful initiation where they run out of the lodge and get home before Fred and Barney do, vowing to never ask to attend lodge meetings again. Slightly based on the second episode shown, Hot Lips Hannigan.

Mr. E lost his first tooth!

Someone forgot to tell Mr. E that he wasn't allowed to grow up just yet.....he lost his first tooth just before Thanksgiving. He ran downstairs to tell us he thought he had a loose tooth - I checked to see and it was REALLY loose, so I sent him over to CKB to check it out. Moments later, Mr. E's tooth was out of there! Nary a whimper during the extraction - what a tough guy!

Here he is, looking so big....sigh.