tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-793274823741596772012-01-02T19:51:42.141-05:00The honest outpouring of my heart as I live life as a wife, mom & friend in a broken world in need of a Savior.Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.comBlogger1151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-175665782972280382012-01-02T19:51:00.004-05:002012-01-02T19:51:42.157-05:00

We started our New Year's Eve on December 30th.  Here's Jamie & Ally with Mason.  Here's Maria, Jeff, Josh & my Jeff.  Here's rest of the gang: Tony, Alex, David, Michael, Monica (behind Jamie), Jamie & Mason.  Isn't Mason a cutie?!  Jamie, Jessica & Ally took a time out from the festivities to have a tea party.  It wouldn't be a party with Michael if we weren't

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-24762778537763632272011-12-22T18:29:00.001-05:002011-12-22T18:29:53.658-05:00

Here's my baking from last night & today. I made peppermint patties. Here is the inside of them. I rolled them between parchment paper with rolling pin & then cut with cookie cutter. A lot nicer looking than doing them by hand as the recipe says.  Here they are after I dipped them in chocolate. The rack helped with the dipping but I need to take them off after they have dried a little bit

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-20411929463116247562011-12-20T15:32:00.002-05:002011-12-20T15:32:46.541-05:00

It's Christmas Baking season! The kids & I went through recipes & settled on 18 different ones to try & make. Here's our list. The stuff on the left is things I'll have them help make if they get their rooms cleaned up. But it's looking like I'll get all the fun of cooking by myself.  Last night I made 5 batches of Easy Fantasy Fudge. That's 15 pounds of fudge!! Today I tried nut-free

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-57566730924358111002011-11-26T21:23:00.000-05:002011-11-26T21:23:31.281-05:00

Over the last week, I've added more outside decoration & lights.  Here's a view of the front of the house.  To the left of the garage are 4 deer my Aunt Linda gave me plus a Christmas tree that used to be my Mamaw & Papaw's. The star is from my Mom! This is my favorite part of my decor. My Papaw always had a nativityin their yard. This is similar to his & I always think of him when I see it.   

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-3021004059673129152011-11-15T16:49:00.000-05:002011-11-15T16:49:03.535-05:00

Last week I asked my Twitter & Facebook friends to pray for Hubby & I as we made a big decision. I couldn't say anything more about it until now. Out of the blue Jeff got called for an interview. He gets these from time to time but usually they don't amount to anything. After interviewing on Tuesday last week over the phone, he received a call a few hours later offering him a job. All week we

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-62676921606684192462011-11-13T15:48:00.000-05:002011-11-13T15:48:26.064-05:00

Jessica would like to share with you all something she did this week! This 2nd video is of her sharing her great news with our church family today. Well, Daddy had to do the talking!

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-26606301004105256612011-11-10T14:16:00.000-05:002011-11-10T14:16:57.090-05:00

I know some of my friends think I'm crazy, but we have already started decorating for Christmas! I love Christmas. My Papaw started me in my love for all things Christmas. He always had lots of lights up & a life-size manger in his front yard. I do have a manger scene similar to his to put up in my front yard but will wait a little closer to Thanksgiving to put it out.  Here is our downstairs

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-87144558065766928042011-11-01T20:38:00.000-04:002011-11-01T20:38:18.161-04:00

This has been a busy few days. On Thursday we went to the in-laws for an early Thanksgiving since they will be in Florida on Thanksgiving & this was Hubby's week at home.  Here is Jamie & Grandma hanging out watching TV. Here are David & Jessica playing with Grandma's Halloween decorations. My Mother-in-law took this picture of Hubby & I. (Yes, you are seeing a pic of me!) Here's a family pic!  

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-11344985681111133322011-10-20T20:18:00.005-04:002011-10-20T20:18:56.048-04:00

Just wanted to share with you a few pics I've taken the last to months of some of God's beautiful world.  It's cheered me up looking at them & thinking of how wonderful it is that God shares  just a taste of Heaven with us. I think this world is beautiful &  can't wait to see Heaven as I know it's far more beautiful  than anything I've seen here on earth! So, enjoy!  Do you

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-72656526646750211972011-10-11T19:40:00.001-04:002011-10-11T19:40:51.387-04:00

Lately I've been so terribly tired & have had little to no energy to do anything. I sleep 8-10 hrs & feel like I've not slept at all. I'm grumpy & irritable. So, I asked my doctor about it when I was in to see him last week for a sinus infection. He immediately set up a sleep study for me. On Saturday night, I headed to St. Francis Sleep center to have my sleep study. I was shown to my room

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-57787565214128068812011-09-25T02:37:00.002-04:002011-09-25T02:37:46.035-04:00

Today Hubby & I decided to drive down to Santa Cruz then drive up the coast. My heart was heavy as we started the day. My cousin Jonna's husband Larry was coming to the end of his battle with cancer. Larry always amazed me with his faith & determination not to let the cancer get to him. He always smiled & was confident God would see them through this. I was really struggling with enjoying the

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-53033243910719571572011-09-25T01:30:00.000-04:002011-09-25T01:34:50.701-04:00

Yesterday was our first sight-seeing day. We started about 11:30am after Hubby got off work. We had a wonderful tour guide yesterday. Dai Wei was Jeff's roomate in college (1989-1990 school year). He was thrilled to see us & gave us an awesome tour.  We headed into San Francisco via the Bay Bridge! Then we proceeded to follow the bay around San Francisco. It was

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-64118348866872885932011-09-16T17:25:00.000-04:002011-09-17T14:53:31.370-04:00

Ever think you have overcome one of your most paralyzing fears only to have it appear out of nowhere? When my Jamie was 18 months old, we found out she had a peanut allergy. At age 3, she touched another child who had peanut butter on them at church. She then rubbed her nose/mouth. Her reaction started with a rash. Hubby & I each thought the other had given her Benedryl. Big mistake! 1 1/2 hr

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-24124778810858091802011-09-12T15:41:00.000-04:002011-09-12T15:41:02.578-04:00

I've been so blessed to have my wonderful Hubby home for the past 3 weeks. We've had some great family & couple time. I'm so thankful to God for this time together. As I'm sitting here typing, Hubby is packing his tech. He leaves in 1 1/2 hrs for the airport. He's only gone 4 nights this week. Even though I know it's only a short time, I'm already missing him. You'd think by now, I would be used

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-3553588108310600482011-09-06T16:50:00.000-04:002011-09-06T16:50:44.624-04:00

You'd think after living with Fibromyalgia for almost 15 years I would know how this disease works. But every once in awhile, I get blindsided with this disease! With fibromyalgia, you have good days & bad days. Sometimes you have several good days in a row. When you have the good days, you tend to overdo because you feel so good. Lots of things can cause you to have a bad day. Overdoing is

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-61037666255179519392011-08-24T15:18:00.000-04:002011-08-24T15:18:10.887-04:00

I think God must laugh at me & all my plans a lot! I think He's trying to teach me to let go & just go with life as it happens. So originally, Hubby was to be home the first 2 weeks of this month, 1 of those alone with me. That got changed as he ended up spending the 1st week in Denver (our alone week). Then Hubby was to go to California the last 3 weeks of the month & I was to spend 10 of those

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-1430860132785951512011-07-28T20:20:00.000-04:002011-07-28T20:20:03.269-04:00

No real purpose for this post except I'm sitting at McDonald's letting the kids play so thought I'd update you on all the excitement in our house. It's really quite boring so I won't blame you if you stop reading! ;-) Hubby is in Oakland, CA and will be home tomorrow. Kids & I went to my friend Cami's today to see the fall line of Thirty-One products. The kids enjoyed playing with Garrett &

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-25052606737462892382011-07-24T15:09:00.002-04:002011-07-24T15:14:01.080-04:00

Last week I posted my garden pics. This week I spent time at my parents' & in my Dad's garden. So I thought I'd share about it. My Dad plants a large garden every year. As he plants, he prays that God will make it grow. Dad plants & then gives away what God produces. He says it is the least he can do. I love my Dad's servant heart! Dad's garden is about 1 acre in size.  Here is some Watermelon.

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-30193554247590921752011-07-18T22:58:00.000-04:002011-07-18T22:58:00.728-04:00

My Hubby & I came to this agreement today! Love Stinks! Why? If we didn't Love each other this traveling thing would be so much easier. But we do love each other & miss each other terribly. So in this respect, love stinks. If I didn't love my hubby so much: -I wouldn't cry when he has to leave me & head to the airport. -I wouldn't sit by the phone waiting to hear he has landed in some distant

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-45448834160692401982011-07-15T21:12:00.000-04:002011-07-15T21:12:26.678-04:00

Thought I'd share some pictures of my garden & flowers with you. This is my whole garden. This is one of my cucumber plants. Jamie calls it Sam. This cucumber plant is Amanda. These cucumbers are growing from Sam. This is one of our Zucchini plants & is named Ava. Ava has a little zucchini.... ...and a big zucchini.  This little zucchini plant is named David. It is loaded with blooms but no

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-18998614915041214072011-07-15T19:12:00.002-04:002011-07-15T19:12:24.986-04:00

This week, my wonderful Hubby made me 2 podcast. His podcasts for me are like a mix-tape. Each usually has a theme & he makes them when he's away from me. This week the theme was Memories. He would play a song & then recall a memory of an event or person. Some were about me, some about other people. This got me thinking about some of my memories from different parts of my life. I have some good

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-78506583058361537072011-07-13T22:38:00.000-04:002011-07-13T22:38:46.438-04:00

Last year, we cleaned out our spare room & let Jamie have it for a bedroom so all 3 kids could have their own room. Because it was a room we planned on using for storage when we moved in, my Dad had built shelves on 2 walls. As you can see to the right, it gave us a lot of shelves, but it didn't make for a very nice room. So, I moved school stuff off the shelves & put all her books on one

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-35943518625776876602011-07-12T20:57:00.000-04:002011-07-12T20:57:33.439-04:00

It took over 2 weeks, but project living room is pretty much done. Hubby has a few boxes yet to go through before we can put them in the "hole". But I finally have it set up the way I like it & most stuff has found a home. View from the kitchen. The TV is sitting on the bottom half of the old projector TV with the top board of it nailed to it This is the fireplace, game chairs & drum set. Couch

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-59766713596738859462011-07-11T23:16:00.000-04:002011-07-11T23:16:52.958-04:00

Since my wonderful Hubby was home all week, we went to Kokomo after church on the 3rd & stayed in a hotel Sunday & Monday nights. We visited with Hubby's parents & swam in the hotel pool. Just a little time away. We didn't go see fireworks which disappointed the kids a little. We went to a park with Grandma, Grandpa & Uncle Neal & let the kids play for awhile. Jamie at the top of the

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-1916150087173684932011-06-30T18:38:00.001-04:002011-06-30T18:38:38.158-04:00

This week I haven't had internet/wifi at home because I've been painting. So, I've been using my iPhone. Well, this morning I woke up to no cell service or home phone service. Normally, not a big deal. But since my internet isn't hooked back up & running, I was basically cut off from the tech world. Ahhhhhh........... I couldn't handle it. I felt so isolated. So I am very thankful my phone

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-14629044385216123282011-06-24T13:22:00.000-04:002011-06-24T13:22:11.975-04:00

The kids & I went to my Parent's this week. We helped Dad in garden, went to Columbus Commons playground, went to my brother & sister-in-laws, went to Mamaw Beeker's, went to Hope Square playground & just hung out at Mom & Dad's. Poor Jessica came home with fat lip & several bruises/scraps on legs from playing so hard. But everyone had a great time. Below is a slideshow with lots of pics of some

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-50925236868365346532011-06-16T19:25:00.000-04:002011-06-16T19:25:17.564-04:00

On Saturday of Deeper Still, Beth Moore talked about the fact that God is a generational thinker & we should be too. She taught out of 2 Timothy 1:1-14. She said         1. God has a unique regard for generations,         2. We are each in our generation on purpose (Acts 17), &         3. Each generation is linked to the other two. She talked about how there are 3 generations of faith at any one

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-3486872958113820942011-06-14T17:06:00.001-04:002011-06-14T17:08:02.965-04:00

On Saturday morning of Deeper Still, Priscilla Shirer spoke. Boy, did I need to hear this message!! She spoke about how we all need a Sabbath rest. She several very direct questions. "Are we so addicted to the Chaos that we can't enjoy "rest" when given to us?" "What is it you are overdoing in your life?" She went on to say that we can be free from sin, but enslaved to things that are "lawful"

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-44022530171261090912011-06-13T17:55:00.002-04:002011-06-13T17:55:44.714-04:00

Kay Arthur was our first Deeper Still speaker. What an amazing woman of God! At 77 years old she knows the Word of God better than anyone I've ever seen. God's Word just poured out of her! Just amazing! She talked about how God loves us, but many of us don't really believe that! We can't believe God really loves us. God is the only one who knows ALL about us & still loves us! God wants me to

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-9555602336419414592011-06-13T13:26:00.000-04:002011-06-13T13:26:07.165-04:00

This past weekend, I attended Deeper Still with a wonderful group of ladies from my church. What is Deeper Still? you ask. It is a conference that was put on by LifeWay Women. It included wonderful worship lead by Travis Cottrell and his worship team. It also was a weekend of wonderful teaching by 3 generations of women: Kay Arthur, Beth Moore & Priscilla Shirer. There have been 10 Deeper Still

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-72871067943985579282011-06-10T12:33:00.000-04:002011-06-10T12:33:33.704-04:00

It's amazing what one word can do to your mood. My wonderful hubby has taken to calling me "Sunshine" in his emails & texts. Why? I don't know. You'll have to ask him. What I do know is that this has a profound effect on my mood. Lately I've been struggling with pain & fatigue more than normal. So I've felt nothing like sunshine. But when he calls me that, I perk up. I smile a little more & I

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-35837578395375249492011-06-10T09:06:00.001-04:002011-06-12T01:00:15.314-04:00

This seems to be the question on my mind this week. Specifically, what am I expecting God to do in my life? Am I expecting Him to do anything? or am I just going through the motions. Am I looking for God to work in my life? Am I watching to see what message or blessing He has for me? So many times, I get so entrenched in my daily life. Before I know it, I've dug a deep trench by trudging back &

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-78612695807409257752011-06-05T20:22:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:28:48.300-04:00

Ok, I'm going blog crazy. This is the first time in awhile that I've been able to sit down & blog. I promise, this is the last post for today! Enjoy the beauty of my Mom's flowers. God has blessed us with such beauty. I know this is just a fraction of the beauty we will see when we get to Heaven. That thought blows my mind!

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-43575473748810762122011-06-05T20:16:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:29:28.721-04:00

Last week we visited my parents & went to the park in Hope to let the kids play. So with no further ado, my kids playing at the park:

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-92203241477615362152011-06-05T20:13:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:30:24.656-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, the clouds started moving in & the wind picked up. I grabbed my camera (1st chance to do so in awhile) & headed outside. I had to brave the wind as it was quite strong. So, below is a slideshow of my cloud pics!

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-52903663680139422652011-05-28T20:24:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:30:55.305-04:00

So, I love to take pictures. So here are some of my pics of flowers & animals taken this month. As you can tell, I'm loving this slide show feature that I figured out how to use! Enjoy the pics!

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-62960782508455932472011-05-27T11:22:00.004-04:002011-06-10T12:31:23.832-04:00

Just thought I'd share some pics of the kids swimming here in Toledo! Below the picture slideshow are videos I added this evening! Enjoy! Here's some videos I took this morning! Click on the picture to take you to the video. Then hit the back button in your browser to bring you back to this page. I haven't figured out how to get the video to show on this page yet. From Toledo movies

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-12180329452960574272011-05-25T10:40:00.002-04:002011-06-10T12:32:08.591-04:00

This past weekend, we surpised the kids & went to the Showalter's for Josh's graduation & Ally's birthday. Here are some of the photos from the weekend. Enjoy!

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-38898694994643072682011-05-14T10:08:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:32:44.264-04:00

We went to my parent's house this week. Here are pics of some of the things we did.                                                We went to the park in Hope.   They worked in the garden with Papaw. They played with the cats They helped feed the cats & clean the litter boxes. Jamie & Mamaw made brownies. Yum! Carmel Swirl Brownies! Jess & David being goofy.  Jessie was showing

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-20850244080081865182011-05-05T20:02:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:34:15.440-04:00

The weather was so beautiful & my yard looked so nice that I went photo crazy today. First a few pics of my yard!             I love my yard. It has taken several years to get it this way. I love all the flowering bushes I have & my flowers. The picture on the right is of a dove sitting on her eggs on my fence. Since it was so beautiful & I was still in a picture taking mood. I took pictures of

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-36941649409950871232011-04-29T13:32:00.002-04:002011-06-10T12:34:52.864-04:00

This morning, my friend Amy went home to be with the Lord. While I am sad for her family & close friends, I am rejoicing that she is no longer in pain & is with Jesus. Watching her life since I met her several years ago, I have been encouraged by her. Amy dealt with a lot of physical pain from colitis & then cancer. But I never heard her complain. She would tell us when she was having bad days,

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-28115207207230428822011-04-28T20:45:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:35:42.144-04:00

No, I didn't lose any friends. Instead, this post is about friends I made because of the tv show "Lost". When Hubby & I started watching Lost, he started listening to podcasts about Lost. One of the podcasts was "The Weekly Lost Podcast" by Cliff & Stephanie Ravenscraft. They would record live at gspn.tv & we started listening & chatting. Eventually we even met up with them near Cincy. At one of

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-9912899105893149762011-04-27T15:33:00.002-04:002011-06-10T12:41:06.224-04:00

Hubby has been traveling for 2 1/2 years now. I'm very thankful he has a job at all, but a traveling job when you have a family is very hard. And now it seems harder since he had an assignment here in town for 3 months. We were so blessed to have him home every night for those 3 months. We know this is the way it has to be for right now as God led him to this job & no other job has been provided

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-16721086906050180262011-04-25T16:15:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:38:07.449-04:00

Here's a video of some of the pictures I took on Easter at my Aunt Pat's. Hope you all enjoy!

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-5699566745354980102011-04-22T21:40:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:39:00.887-04:00

Just wanted to share a poem I wrote in 1986 for Word of Life Teens Involved creative writing. Can't believe that was 25 years ago. Enjoy! I Know A Man I know a manwho cares for me,He lives in Heavenand can calm the sea. I know a manwho cares for you,He can live insideyour heart, that is true I know a manthat I want you to meet,I'll tell you all about Himif you come to sit at my feet. This man was

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-20175230082185992692011-04-19T20:57:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:40:49.020-04:00

As I sit here typing, the sky is calm for the moment. But my body is not. Every muscle is screaming. My muscles are tight with knots in them. My joints feel like they need to be popped. I'm at the same time exhausted & keyed up. I have a tinge of a headache that threatens to become a migraine. I'm also having numb/tingling sensations in my cheeks, arms & feet. On top of this, my emotions threaten

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-53611484106726635242011-04-09T00:00:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:42:07.261-04:00

We went to my parents' house tonight. and the kids had a lot of fun! Jessica had so much fun driving Papaw's lawn tractor!David decided he wanted a turn at driving the tractor too! I think Papaw is going to have help mowing this summer!Jamie didn't drive the tractor but I did get a couple pictures of her outside.On the left is one of Dad's Rhubarb plants. On the right is one of mom's plants. We

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-5283781202738561872011-04-06T18:04:00.002-04:002011-06-10T12:42:44.379-04:00

Spring is here! It is beautiful out & some of my flowers are blooming. My lilacs are full of buds! Just thought I'd share some of the pics I've taken over last few days with my iphone (so they aren't the best quality!). Enjoy!!     

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-80644142342060844062011-03-15T00:53:00.001-04:002011-06-10T12:44:03.150-04:00

There are times in our life when the stress of life is more than you think you can handle. I just had one of those weeks. Last Wednesday, my Mamaw fell & got taken to the hospital. I so wanted to be there with her but Jamie had been coughing so I didn't want to get my Mamaw sick. Then all during the night on Wednesday, Jamie was coughing like crazy. I called the doctor on Thursday morning

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-34714636538246709452011-03-03T23:14:00.001-05:002011-06-10T12:44:45.508-04:00

Taken 8 month ago! Taken February 24th!

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-19780962457306454602011-02-25T21:45:00.001-05:002011-06-10T12:45:29.796-04:00

This morning I shoveled the walk & drive. I noticed that the snow was a good packing snow. So after kids got their schoolwork done, I let them go out & play.  David & Jessica pausing to smile at the camera Gathering snowballs Having a snowball competition. Seeing who can get most in the dump truck.Jamie building her snowman! Her finished snowman! Working on David's snowman. Just another day of

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-62920781706690498092011-02-21T16:06:00.001-05:002011-06-10T12:46:43.619-04:00

Have you ever noticed how society is pushing kids to grow up too fast? Not in all ways, but in dress & sexuality especially.  Kids are not allowed to be kids anymore. They aren't allowed to have time to just play, to use their imaginations. Have you ever noticed how rare it is to have a teen or young adult who is grown up enough to take on adult responsibility? Ready to hold down a job, pay

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-47226555660386131352011-02-21T00:25:00.000-05:002011-02-21T00:25:54.510-05:00

I'm finding that I've been having a love affair! Well, I've always had one with my hubby, but that's not what I'm talking about. I have a love affair with food! This is not a good thing! I like to eat! I like the way food tastes. I love sitting around the table with family & eating. This is a big problem. I eat things that taste yummy! Once I start eating, I keep eating. Food has a grip on me.

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-57728651004042152492011-02-17T15:42:00.000-05:002011-02-17T15:42:49.332-05:00

So, we haven't had very many people over to our house. It's not that we don't like having people over. We have friends over for New Year's Eve every year & we have a great time. We always talk about having more people over. But either we are busy, hubby is traveling or we just figure other people are busy & won't want to come over. Anyway, 2 things have come up in which we are opening our home up

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-4834093076806052011-02-04T23:48:00.000-05:002011-02-04T23:48:16.629-05:00

Really? Me?? I hate to exercise! But actually I'm finding out that I don't hate it. I'm actually enjoying it. When I don't exercise, I find I don't feel as good. I wake up in the morning achy & as soon as I start exercising, my muscles warm up & I feel great. I find myself wanting to exercise & missing it if I don't! I'm really enjoying my WiiFit Plus. I do the Fit Plus combined routine (20 min,

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-71029991297306034392011-01-11T14:56:00.000-05:002011-01-11T14:56:12.734-05:00

Right now, life is peaceful! I'm content! I'm not saying our life is perfect, but I'm not worried. We have medical bills we can't pay right now, financially we are barely scrapping by, Hubby & I are both overweight, having minor issues with kids, but I'm not worried. That's a major change in my life. I used to spend most of my day upset over something. But I don't now. I'm not sure when this

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-14004803162181058132011-01-02T20:52:00.000-05:002011-01-02T20:52:18.517-05:00

So, 2011 is here. Seems like it snuck up on me! I don't do New Year's Resolutions as I never follow them. But I do have a goal for the new year & that is to exercise more & eat healthier. It's going to be easier as Hubby needs to do it with me as his blood sugars are out of control. I need to do it for my blood pressure & for my fibromyalgia. I'm not sure if I'm going to follow some diet plan or

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-20344509387708663102010-12-30T23:33:00.000-05:002010-12-30T23:33:25.170-05:00

So yesterday, Hubby & I celebrated our 20th anniversary. I can't believe it's been 20 years. Why I feel like I'm still 20! How did time pass so quickly? It seems just like yesterday when we said "I do!" I feel like we've defied the odds! So many people get divorced now days. So as an experienced "Married person" (I think 20 years constitutes experienced), I thought I'd share some of the things

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-49328460186231387112010-12-21T10:46:00.001-05:002010-12-21T10:48:11.257-05:00

So this year I decided to do a lot of baking so that I could share plates of goodies with neighbors & friends. Those of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook have seen all my tweets about my baking. So I thought I'd share the recipes I used this year. All of these recipes are peanut/nut free as my daughter is severely allergic. I use Blue Bonnet Margarine everywhere it says butter or margarine

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-62595841270024361072010-12-04T21:09:00.005-05:002010-12-04T21:33:07.551-05:00

So over the Thanksgiving week, I twittered a series of tweets that expressed things I am thankful for. So I thought I'd post them all here in my blog for those who are not on twitter. So here goes... 1. I'm thankful for good tires on our van as we travel in cold, rainy weather. 2. Thankful for music & a family that loves it. Nothing like playing RockBand together or singing in the van together 3

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-51047390919751578632010-09-03T16:48:00.000-04:002010-09-03T16:48:17.485-04:00

As public school starts back, I've been reminded over & over again why I'm glad I home school! So I thought I'd share a few of those reasons with you! I'm glad I homeschool because: 1. I don't have to send my kids away every day. I actually enjoy having them around! 2. I don't have to schedule our day around the school's schedule. We get up when we want. We stay up till we want. 3. My kids don't

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-82395962877596794422010-08-18T17:46:00.000-04:002010-08-18T17:46:43.886-04:00

I have decided that I don't really belong here! I don't fit in. My thinking is bizarre... I'm not sure if this is good or bad, but here's just a few of the reasons why I think this: 1. I'm happy my kids are home with me! - I hear/read posts from so many of my friends that are so excited that school is back in session & their kids are back in school. Now, don't get me wrong, I do wish at times I

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-77515423233897182382010-08-11T18:40:00.000-04:002010-08-11T18:40:34.754-04:00

I hate to wait! And lately it seems like waiting on God's timing is my life lesson at this time! I'm realizing more & more that God's timing is definitely not MY timing! In my timing, Hubby would already have a non-traveling job here and be home every night with us! But it's not God's timing! In my timing, I would not have sciatica right now! I have lots to do & have responsibility for 3 kids

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-86752687687719501452010-07-09T10:51:00.000-04:002010-07-09T10:51:35.808-04:00

As I look at myself, I'm amazed at what God has done in me. He has transformed me. Just a few years ago, I was a "worry-wart"! Constantly worried about what is about to happen, what might happen or even what I was going to have to do to make my way happen. But, then God started changing me. It took having my safety net stripped away! Jeff lost his job. He's been laid off before, but never when

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-90207106682193076992010-06-19T21:11:00.000-04:002010-06-19T21:11:53.352-04:00

When I think of a Father, I obviously think of my dad! He isn't perfect because none of us are, but in my opinion, he's pretty close! I'm so thankful that God allowed me to be born to him! My dad loves God, loves my mom & loves my brother & me! He also now loves my hubby & my kids. Here are some of the things I love about my dad: 1. He loves the Lord!! And that Love shines throughout his life.

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-54613825037534680642010-06-07T22:46:00.000-04:002010-06-07T22:46:04.935-04:00

This past Sunday, we had the Mwangaza Children's Choir (http://www.mwangazachoir.org/) at our church. Watching these children dance & sing for the Lord really made me stop & think!  "What if I really had the Joy of the Lord in my life?" What if I woke up eager to tell others about my Savior? What if I was always ready to sing & dance to the Lord? Sadly, most of the time I don't. Many days I

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-56064569988397973292010-06-01T09:41:00.000-04:002010-06-01T09:41:36.646-04:00

Yesterday day was Memorial Day. It's a day to remember those who died in War. It's a tradition started after the Civil War and continued to this day. I'm so thankful for all the soldiers who have fought to keep our country free for everyone! War is not nice, it's not pretty, it's not something we want to see happen. BUT it does happen in this fallen world because people are sinful & full of

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-24806315585938282632010-05-10T21:15:00.001-04:002010-05-10T21:20:03.349-04:00

I decided this afternoon that I wanted to post a really positive blog post! So I decided to focus on the blessing of friends since I had been looking over my Facebook friend list.  I've always been a little sad at the thought that I don't have a "best friend" like you see in movies & tv shows. I never really have. I've had lots of really good friends, but never a best friend you share ever detail

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-75589997892584847742010-04-30T18:38:00.000-04:002010-04-30T18:38:45.718-04:00

So if you follow me on Twitter (Joyfulmomlea) or Facebook, you know I fell in the pit this week. Not literally a pit, but a dark pit of self-pity & self-loathing. Not a fun place. Somehow this is a pit I keep falling into! I disliked myself at that moment. I think what makes it worse is I know I have no reason to be in the pit so I get mad at myself which makes the pit worse! It's a dark place

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-52583294359568406292010-04-02T09:43:00.000-04:002010-04-02T09:43:49.721-04:00

This is not where I ever envisioned my life being!  Traveling with 3 kids A LOT! I really figured we'd be the typical family that is home & involved in all sorts of sports, 4-H, school & church activities. BUT that is not where God has placed our family! He has made us unique & given us a different life than most! Life on the road has it's ups and downs so I thought I'd share some of those.

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-63264545455568040272010-03-09T14:15:00.000-05:002010-03-09T14:15:40.552-05:00

Think about your day, your week, your month, your life. Is it too busy? In our society, we have lots of pressure to be busy! Are you always on the run to get your kids to school, to school activities, to church activities, to sports practice, to piano practice or to get yourself to the gym, to the store, to church or other activity?  What if we said "NO!" to the busyness of life?  What would

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-78405909972934901382010-02-18T21:23:00.000-05:002010-02-18T21:23:41.706-05:00

Today started out to be a normal day - Exercise, school, lunch, relax, dance. Well, that's not what happened & it's a good thing it didn't as I'll explain! While Exercising, I got a phone call from my parents saying they were on their way up to visit & help me get our Snow Blower running.  So I hurriedly finished & picked up the living room a little. When they got here, my Mom noticed how loud

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-32386008595740555182010-02-11T11:48:00.000-05:002010-02-11T11:48:44.458-05:00

Well, Everything is not right with the world as this world has gone crazy! But, last week I had one of those times where it felt like everything was right with the world! Hubby had been gone for 2 weeks. He came home on Friday night (1/29/10). We had a great family day on Saturday! Then the kids went to the grandparents on Sunday after church. Hubby & I went out for supper at O'Charleys (my

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-63199471659990672682010-01-14T00:08:00.000-05:002010-01-14T00:08:03.024-05:00

There's just times that I just don't understand life. Here's some things that have happened lately that I don't understand... - I don't understand why hubby got offered a job, resigned his old one, then the job fell through. Why did he have to go through this? why didn't he just not get offered it? I'm sure God has a reason for it, I just don't see it or understand it! -I don't understand why

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-39415286412871323242010-01-06T23:37:00.001-05:002010-01-06T23:38:27.442-05:00

So we are getting a lesson in waiting. Don't you hate it when things are going along quickly & things are changing & looking good & then suddenly everything stalls! Hubby had possible job change (still away from home, but closer to home)..now it's stalled & we don't even know if it will happen. At first I got all tense & worried. What if it falls through, what if he loses current job, what if,

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-11223576725144859692009-12-16T14:29:00.001-05:002009-12-16T15:03:29.939-05:00

No, I don't need help. BUT I got your attention. I'm writing this because lately I've heard a lot of women complaining that their husband spends all his time on the computer or he spends all his time watching football or all his time playing video games, or whatever his passion/interest is. It seems like so many women feel alone or unloved because other things take their husbands time &

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-73501899294997427962009-12-05T00:45:00.000-05:002009-12-05T00:45:38.688-05:00

I love my life. But sometimes, when I start looking around at my friends & family, I start struggling with who I am. I see moms who cook from scratch, who can their own food, who make their kids' clothes & think "I need to be doing that". I see a mom who is very frugal & think "I need to be that way". I see moms who have their child in every activity they can find & think "I need to get my kids

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-88781172325772837182009-10-29T00:46:00.002-04:002009-10-29T00:51:11.789-04:00

As many of you know, we've been in Paducah, KY with Hubby as he's been here for work (training Nurses). It's been so nice to be with him. Living in a hotel room has been nice in some respects & challenging in others. We do have a 2 room suite so that helps but you still feel like you are on top of each other all the time. Makes me thankful for my house! Even though we are at a hotel, we are

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-54669387973373706432009-10-12T22:51:00.000-04:002009-10-12T22:51:34.356-04:00

Today was pumpkin day in our house. We had 6 pumpkins from my dad's garden which I needed to puree before they went bad. So I turned it into a learning opportunity. So, we guessed which pumpkin weighed the most. Then we weighed them. They weighed 9 1/2 lbs, 9 lbs, 5 1/2 lbs, 5 lbs, 4 lbs & 3 1/2 lbs. Then the kids drew pictures of the pumpkins. Next we guessed which would have the most seeds.

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-82406801489775761342009-09-14T19:15:00.002-04:002009-09-14T19:37:01.016-04:00

I've noticed my last few post have been complaint filled. So this one is one of praise! I'm just going to list reasons I have to praise God!What I praise God for:-for being God! The alpha, the omega, the beginning, the end.-for forgiving me! I don't deserve His Love or His Grace! Yet He sent His Son to die for me so that I might live. So that my sins might be forgiven!-for His creation! The

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-28771054497916277192009-09-12T22:38:00.002-04:002009-09-12T22:51:35.738-04:00

So, I finally got my blood pressure under control & now I'm dealing with a fissure! Ouch! I've been in pain most of the last 3 months... The last 3 weeks have been really bad and I have fibromyalgia & am used to dealing with pain...I'm so tired of hurting & being sidelined by pain. Physically, I've had to deal with worse pain. BUT this time it seems harder. I know I'm being harder on myself. I'm

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-21738336243192522282009-06-15T18:25:00.002-04:002009-06-15T18:50:21.233-04:00

So, If you've followed me on twitter or Facebook, you know about my sudden onset of high blood pressure & headache while in Colorado. If not, here's the short version. Thursday I had the worst headache of my life & had Jeff take me to an urgent care center we were passing on way to airport to come home. I ended up in ER with Blood pressure of 212/142. After meds & CT Scan & Spinal Tap, my BP came

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-43465804893221710762009-06-01T00:21:00.002-04:002009-06-01T00:40:21.115-04:00

I'm reminded today that Life is fleeting & only God knows the time we have here on this earth. My brother's friend & business partner, Daniel Beeker, died Sat. night in a motorcycle accident. Little did anyone know that this ride would be his last. In an instant, the life of his wife totally changed and his 2 girls lost their daddy. Please, live life to the fullest! Enjoy those you love for you

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-42018089685660646762009-05-26T11:12:00.003-04:002009-05-26T11:40:57.114-04:00

This is how I feel lately. I'm trying to get healthier, we're trying to get financially healthier, but seems like we are stuck in the mud. Let me see if I can explain what I mean.Let me start with finances. I'm a stay at home mom & hubby is a traveling trainer. He makes fairly good money. But we are in debt. A lot of it is accumulated from when I got sick & had to stop working and we didn't

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-70950021208712138442009-05-20T12:11:00.002-04:002009-05-20T12:42:36.684-04:00

So, if you've been following me on Twitter, you seen me talk about the "Great Toy Purge of '09". This is part of my effort to declutter. It's been a struggle over the past 2 days to go through & get rid of toys. The hardest day is today as we are sorting through & eliminating over half our stuffed animal collection. I have to admit, that half the animals are mine. So I need to let go of them.

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-34530241625421522702009-04-30T10:54:00.004-04:002009-04-30T11:05:28.867-04:00

Jeff & I decided months ago to start a homeschooling podcast. Now it is a reality! We have 2 episodes online already. Our podcast is called "Uniquely Us Homeschool Podcast". We talk about what homeschooling is & how to get started in our first episode. In our second episode we talk about different kinds of curriculum & then about what we use.You can find our podcast several ways.-On I-tunes,

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-67966841441681144232009-04-27T23:04:00.003-04:002009-04-27T23:38:00.715-04:00

A friend from my church declared on her blog today that we need to make Tuesdays a day of Praise to our God & creator! So, I'm taking her up on the challenge.Father God, I praise You for who You are. You are the creator of every thing! You are the Alpha & Omega, the beginning & the end. You made me! You poured out Your love for me by sending Your Son to die for me. You have heaped blessing upon

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-37122865211631705802009-04-19T22:46:00.003-04:002009-04-19T23:13:57.997-04:00

Jeff & I attended the Midwest Homeschool Conference this weekend (http://www.cincinnatihomeschoolconvention.com/). So I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts about it.1. We volunteered & worked on Thursday from 2-8pm. I couldn't believe how the time flew. We manned the door to the exhibit hall & directed traffic. It was so much fun. I loved talking to all the vendors & even some of the

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-21269859878965137162009-03-23T15:32:00.002-04:002009-03-23T15:39:47.760-04:00

We had a wonderful retreat this weekend. I was amazed once again at how God worked everything out. Each of the testimonies flowed seamlessly into each other even though we had not even talked about them to each other. My testimony seemed to go good. I can't tell you what I said completely which is why I videotaped it. But based on the comments, I know God used me! And that humbles me

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-22494682010757515502009-03-05T11:09:00.002-05:002009-03-05T11:41:24.932-05:00

I hope that I never stop learning. So here are some things I'm learning now in my life.1. I need balance in my life. The only way I can have that is if I spend time daily with my Savior! When my life is centered on Jesus Christ, only then can the rest of my world be balanced! When I neglect my time with Jesus, then my whole day is off. It is such a simple thing to spend a little time in prayer,

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-89004387373231464412009-02-03T16:14:00.004-05:002009-02-03T16:43:04.553-05:00

I've been thinking recently about why I homeschool. There are all the standard answers: better education, Biblical education, school work tailored to the way my children learn, my daughter's severe peanut allergy, etc. While those are all reasons why we homeschool, there is one that stands out to me.I homeschool because it gives me more "teachable moments" with my kids. Life is our classroom.

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-63159033536111041652009-01-23T16:50:00.002-05:002009-01-23T17:17:53.211-05:00

It seems like lately that God has really been stretching and growing me. Several things have popped up recently that have pushed me out of my comfort zone. Talking in front of a group is not my idea of a fun time. But That is what I am doing in March at the Spring Women's Retreat at my church. Our theme is "When Life Gives You Lemons..." It was decided at a recent retreat planning meeting,

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-10890013015300684772009-01-04T21:19:00.002-05:002009-01-04T21:29:58.461-05:00

As I go to bed tonight, I am facing a new day tomorrow. A fresh clean slate lays before me. Not only are my sins forgiven & forgotten, but God has extended His Grace to me once again. So, tomorrow is a new day & here are the things I'm looking forward to changing with God's help:1. Eating healthier - I am cleaning out my kitchen & purging it of all the junk food (brownies, fudge, cookies) so I

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-20674246584043081462008-12-30T10:27:00.003-05:002008-12-30T13:45:24.879-05:00

And no, I'm not talking about anyone else. I'm talking about myself. Have you ever had one of those moments when you realize you are a disgusting, vile person. It's really ugly when you realize you have such hatred, such bitterness, such pettiness, such selfishness in you. I mean, you aren't a bad person as far as the world is concerned....you don't drink, you don't smoke, you love your family

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-80799942927606147142008-11-10T07:28:00.002-05:002008-11-10T08:39:18.360-05:00

Do you ever get to the point where everything just overwhelms you? I'm there. So I decide today to write about a few of the things that overwhelm me & what I'm doing to change that.1. My house is overwhelming me. It is so cluttered & messy. So, I've started decluttering. Just wish I could get it done faster. I have my kitchen and my garage done. I'm also working on my bathroom & Jeff's cds &

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-78771254602172532862008-09-20T10:18:00.002-04:002008-09-20T10:32:07.287-04:00

I don't really have a topic today. Just noticed I hadn't updated in a while. Things are going ok. We are having a little trouble with the kids picking up their toys. It's a constant struggle & I'm not really sure how to deal with it. It usually ends in yelling (yes, I know yelling is not good). I know I've trained them to only respond to yelling but I can't seem to get us out of this viscous

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-71033541387290438832008-09-07T17:13:00.004-04:002008-09-07T17:23:13.278-04:00

That is the most common thing I've heard from everyone whenever they talk to me about Jeff's traveling job. The conversation goes something like this:"How's Jeff liking the new Job?""Fine. He seems to be adjusting to it well""How are you doing with him gone all the time?""Pretty good. We get to talk to him on Skype all the time, so that helps.""Well, I don't think I could do it!"So, I've been

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-9297410999985769762008-08-27T23:25:00.000-04:002008-08-27T23:34:38.852-04:00

So, it's the 2nd night of the 2nd week of Jeff being gone. It's harder. I'm finding I'm going to God more in prayer. I need His help. I don't have the strength to do this on my own. But God is merciful & is giving me the grace I need to make it through. I'm not sure why we are doing this, but I know that on the other side of this, I will know that God is faithful & that He alone is who

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-8359323758746917532008-08-20T21:45:00.002-04:002008-08-20T21:52:38.743-04:00

Well, tomorrow evening hubby will be home. The first week is almost over. It seems to have gone pretty good. The kids are missing daddy, but seem to be handling him being gone ok. I'm missing hubby but am coping ok. It's kind of strange in that this just seems normal. Maybe it's because this is just the first week & it's a short week. I hope all week are as easy as this. I start my days

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79327482374159677.post-64569722047338848362008-08-18T21:54:00.002-04:002008-08-18T22:00:08.178-04:00

The first day of hubby being gone has been a good one, but I'm so tired. Hubby & I were up until after midnight & had to get up at 4:30 in order to take him to the airport. All the kids were awake from the time we put them in the van until I got them out of the van at home. Jamie & David stayed awake all morning & played quietly while Jessie & I napped.The kids for the most part seem to be

Leahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09414818740566969238noreply@blogger.com0