The Mattern Family

{This Moment}

2012-01-27T16:38:00.002-05:00

"A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." Soule Mama

The Silver Beauty

2012-01-23T08:18:00.003-05:00

The big adventure began here: roaming through the pages of magazines. Date Nights. Dreaming about possibilities. Test driving our thoughts and fantasies.

Next step: Mountains. Isn't it funny how the mountains are usually always our "next step"? We whispered the idea to the children and they began packing. A road trip. Unplanned. Spontaneous.

With a few stops along the way to play, shop and goof off, we made new memories. Already 2012 looks promising.

After many miles, we finally found it. A silver beauty that beckoned to us all. The children took turns taking her for a ride. The chill in the air didn't stop them. Adrenaline full.

Our new Adventure bike. Excitement is an understatement. We are thrilled. Beyond measure. Planning for the trip has already begun.

Talking To Strangers

2012-01-19T14:07:00.003-05:00

Things have been quiet on this website lately but I remind myself that, just like I'm learning from words on my other site that, different isn't bad...

quiet isn't bad either.

Today has been a magical day in our house. I shouldn't be surprised though, with breathing in fresh air, climbing trees, picnicking together, and talking to strangers.

Yet, I'm still amazed.

It's good to constantly be amazed.

Meeting other "earthy crunchy" women (as one man recently named me) and watching them let their kids play as mine do rather than giving me glances of disapproval as they watch my son go higher and higher.

I'm excited about the possibility of another new community. A community of relaxed homeschoolers, and their free play life that they appear to envelop.

I watch my brave son and am reminded to step out of my comfort zone. After all, it's OK to talk to strangers.

Hello 2012!!

2012-01-02T12:36:00.002-05:00

Yes, we are a little bit addicted to fire. We are mesmerized by it. This is how we said goodbye to 2011. Sitting in a circle around a fire.

We spoke of the things we let go of, those that we don't want to bring into our new year and the things that we want to create in 2012.

This year::

We want more of these::

Mountain trips.

Bike Rides.

Tent Camping.

Hiking.

New friendships.

Art.

We want less of these::

Motorcycle wrecks. :)

For You:

2011-12-23T12:56:00.000-05:00

Memories From Last Week

2011-12-20T07:32:00.002-05:00

I like to document our days via pictures. It's a great reminder to keep my eyes open and see the moments, freezing them forever.

Here are a few moments from past week:

Skating. Such fun, it brings back so many childhood memories.

The little man is making huge reading progress. This week he finished his huge goal and was able to earn a little surprise.

The Christmas shopping is in full swing. When things get crowded, we hit the used bookstores. There's nothing better than some Dunkin Coffee, time as a family and a used bookstore.

Ready? Big news. I have begun the daunting process of putting together a book proposal. Hoping to have this project mailed out by March. I have a wonderful publishing company in mind that I'm going to be sending it to and will keep all of my readers updated. :)

The family found a really cool park with rocks to climb. All of us made it to the top. Including Mommy. We will be spending lots of time here in the future.

{This Moment} After The Fire

2011-12-16T08:13:00.003-05:00

"A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." Soule Mama

(Participating in Look Who's Snapping photo challenge)

You Made The List

2011-12-12T09:35:00.004-05:00

I look at them and smile. My family.

I watch my husband share his passions with his children. Motorcycles. Videography. Teaching them how things work. Stunt Men.

Paintball.

I walk with my girls through Target and as we pass pretty lingerie. My eldest says, "You should wrap that up for daddy on Christmas." I smile because they know their parents well. :)

I listen as my boy talks about his birthday party. The people that he wants to invite. He lists only one child. The rest are our friends.

He whispers to one of them, "I'm having a party and you made the list."

And I smile. These are memories that I want to remember always. Memories of togetherness.

So I keep counting with Ann:

~A husband that dreams and encourages dreaming.

~Children that like to cuddle up close and listen to our stories.

~Words from little boys and girls.

~Friends that are family.

~Sushi Dates :)

Whispers and Giggles

2011-12-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Magic lingers in the air.

Lots of projects but no questions allowed:

Lots of wrapping paper, scissors, tape and even glue hidden in bedrooms underneath a fort made of quilts.

Today I'm counting these things with Ann:

~Whispers and Giggles because secrets are so much fun.

~Magic Erasers for table top art.

~Joy of painting on wood.

~Color Wheels and Watercolors.

{This Moment}

2011-12-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

"A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." ~Soule Mama~

(Participating in Look Who's Snapping photo challenge)

5 Tips On Creating SIMPLE Holiday Decor

2011-12-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

Have you ever tried to do Christmas from scratch?

I'm talking zero ornaments, no star, wreath or anything Holiday? (Yeah... some of you remember that we sold everything we owned and spent last Christmas living the RV life)

It's not been easy I tell you!! Especially since we want to stay Seduced by Simplicity.

So how did we improvise this year yet still keep to the heart of our simple living goals?

I'll share our secrets with you :)

The Biggest Tip of all is to laugh at your mistakes! If you mess up and string the lights wrong or your star won't fit on the top of the tree and you end up zip tying it after having exhausted all other options including giving the tree a haircut. Just smile and go with the flow.

O.K now for the "official" tips:

1.) A Christmas Tree is a must, and if you can afford it.. a real one! (Less storage needed.) Even if no other Christmas decorations are inside your house, if you have a tree-- all eyes flow to the magical subject.

2.) Buy the cheap lights. We go for the ones that twinkle.

3.) Who needs ornaments when you have tons of Christmas cards that keep coming in the mailbox. USE THESE as ornaments! My kids get so excited to see a new card, they rip it open, talk about the cute family photo and stick the picture or cards from our friends in our tree. We get to think of our friends and family during the season instead of Disney characters or colored balls. (I did buy one small box of the colored ornaments so the kids could hang "something" while waiting for cards to come.)

4.) Stockings aren't cheap.. buy the cheap $1.00 ones and let your little ones decorate them with puffy paint. Its so much fun to do as a family and significantly cheaper. They also store better since they fold right up.

5.) Lastly.. play from the senses. Think: Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch, Taste.

Sight: Tree

Smell: Tree if it's real :) or Holiday Candle if not.

Sound: Pandora Christmas Music Playing.

Touch: Warmth from a fire.

Taste: It's cookie time, Gingerbread, Sugar Cookies, etc.

Do you have any other simple holiday decor tips? If so, do share, we are always on the look-out. :)

It's Saint Nicholas Day!!

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is our third year celebrating St. Nicholas Day. This German tradition will remain for years to come within our little cottage.

Upon waking the kids rush to where the stockings are hung to see what goodies were within.

This year we had some special items that were handmade from Caroline G Bows. What a winner these were. Thanks sweet friend!

My little man was thrilled to find his favorite snack within his stocking. Beef Jerky. This dude can eat some jerky.

Interested in reading more about St. Nicholas and this festival check out this website. My kids read his story as the holiday season draws near and they know what a good man he was and that we like to keep his story alive by giving celebrating this fun day.

Watercolor Lessons

2011-12-04T11:08:00.004-05:00

Here are some iPhone pics and tips of our friend teaching us art:

Lessons in Watercolor:

Tip 1: Find an inspiring "thing" to draw. Start with a pencil.

Tip 2: Use the paint directly from the tube, dip your paintbrush inside. Remember: Water is the main ingredient. It's magical.

Tip 3: Wet a rag and blot an image to erase it if you mess up.

Tip 4: Have confidence and believe in yourself.

{This Moment} Picnic In The Park

2011-12-02T07:44:00.005-05:00

{this moment}

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." Soule Mama

How The Matterns Welcome December:

2011-11-30T21:43:00.005-05:00

It's that time of year again. Holiday tunes play from my stereo, all day, throughout the house. There is no doubt that Christmas is in the air.

Elving has begun.

Whispering to one another has become a regular thing around the dinner table.

Kids hide in their rooms with scissors, knitting needles and glue. I continue my search for that one movie that I long to have in my hands and watch over and over throughout the season. (I think I found it this year thanks to this blog.)

Stockings get hung as December 6th (Saint Nicholas Day) draws near. The kids are already counting down to our tradition of Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls.

I spend my mornings, making lists. Holiday "how-to's" to craft together for all of my sweet friends.

I search for that ONE word for 2012 as I scribble about the many wonderful changes that the new year will bring.

This is how the Mattern's welcome December.

Traditions

2011-11-28T10:56:00.002-05:00

Today I think on gifts. The love notes that are like fingerprints upon my soul.

I ponder traditions, those little things that remain consistent:

The Famous Christmas Tree Hunt, Decorating and First Christmas Movie of the season.

Friends that laugh and linger while husband curses his favorite part of decorating the tree. :)

Children thrilled to be working together, admiring the color, the twinkling and the beautiful mess.

One Thing I'm Grateful For:

2011-11-23T20:53:00.002-05:00

Cousins:

That teach my children what sibling love looks like.

(Emily, Lance, and Cade: I hope my three are as close as you guys when they grow up!)

Our Week In Photos:

2011-11-14T13:08:00.003-05:00

A math book was completed, and new math adventure began.

Time was spent doing one of our favorite things: hanging out downtown.

We met a new creature that became a new friend.

We surprised a friend for her birthday.

We searched together to capture morning light for a photography class currently being taken.

We cuddled up in front of the wood stove each night.

This Weekend We Had "Church"

2011-11-07T09:10:00.009-05:00

This weekend, I spent time remembering....

Standing with my husband, we spent time laughing, remembering, and celebrating friendship at a very special wedding. My friend was marrying her soul mate.

I thought of the years that I had spent with her. Two boy-crazy teens, obsessed with poetry and goofiness.

I thought of all that she taught me.

I was nervous to meet my past there. The old me, and those that thought of me as "her." The judgmental religious girl. Yes, that was me. But I had to go. I had to be with her on this day.

It was her that taught me to love poetry.

It was her that taught me that two people can be friends and yet complete opposites.

It was her that taught me to be brave, to be myself.

It was her that first told me, "he's the one Heather," about this guy that I was falling in love with.

It was her that taught me what the love of Father looks like.

It was her that held my gaze 12 years ago, while doing my make-up, and helped prepare me to walk towards my soul mate.

This weekend was one of reconciliation for me. Renewal. Forgiveness. Newness.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to get to know you better back then," I told one of them. She hugged me and said it's OK.

"I was so judgmental back then," I told another as we sat talking about church, God, art, and love for other people.

My husband and I had wonderful conversations, regarding some things that we had never discussed because fear has a way of hindering conversations. "I think it was the best road trip yet baby." :)

This weekend, we had "church."

(Joining in with Imperfect Prose)

A NaNoWriMo Adventure.

2011-11-01T16:17:00.004-04:00

NaNoWriMo Day 1 from Rambling Heather on Vimeo.

nanowrimo.org Join in on the fun!!

{This Moment} An Oatmeal Morning

2011-10-21T08:45:00.001-04:00

In the words of Soule Mama: {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Making The Most Of Slow.. Or Should I Say Sick.

2011-10-19T14:35:00.003-04:00

Things have been moving a bit slow around our household lately. We have been battling some icky colds, here are a few glimpses into what life has been like for us Matterns the past week in Instagram Photo's :) Yes I'm addicted to my iPhone camera and Instagram!

Lot's of OJ consumption... trying to keep from contacting the sniffles. (Not working.)

Boredom from being constrained indoors in order to keep others from getting sick, we stay sane through hooping outside and taking outdoor picnics.

Rest! Even Montag has been a bit on the lazy side!

And yes.. some motorcycle time as a couple.

No More Dryer Sheets OR Fabric Softener.

2011-10-10T14:04:00.006-04:00

When I began running low on liquid fabric softener, I grabbed a bowl, an old hand towel and began an experiment. It worked so well that I felt compelled to share it with all of you. By the way... since using this towel, I have said good-bye to dryer sheets AND fabric softener.

Seriously.. it's magical!

So here's what I did:

Soak a hand towel in fabric softener. Squeeze out any remaining drops from the towel.

Hang it over a chair (or outside on a clothes line) to dry. My house smelled super clean for the three days while this towel was drying completely. Yes, it took three days!

You must make sure it dries completely!

After the towel dries you just throw it in your dryer along with clothes and use it as a dryer sheet for 40-50 loads before soaking again. My clothes are softer then they have ever been when I used fabric softener.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

(I heard about this little "trick" from a pin on Pinterest. If you have no idea what Pinterest is, it's totally awesome. Check it out and if you would like an invite let me know, I'll email you one.)

{This Moment}

2011-10-07T16:05:00.004-04:00

A Friday ritual, inspired by Soule Mama; - a series of photos today - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

(The Seasonal Living and Learning Autumn e-zine winner is Patti from Jazzy Mama, congrats!)

Something Special: A Giveaway!!

2011-10-03T14:00:00.006-04:00

Deborah from Seasonal Living and Learning graciously sent me her e-zine Autumn to browse and it's wonderful.

So perfect for right now.

This season of chilly mornings, knitting, and bonfires.

This e-zine is full of activities, recipes, crafts and gorgeous photo's of things to do and see in the midst of this season!

Have you wondered how to build a fire pit? Make your own Jam, butter, seed-circle? Interested in learning how to knit?

Yep it's all in there, plus more!

And to top it off, she has offered a free e-zine to one of you guys. Simply leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite thing about Autumn is and on Friday, I will choose a winner.

P.S. This is not just for homeschoolers, her e-zine has so many great tips and things that anyone (with or without children) would appreciate it.

Linking this up with Gussy's Fall Inspiration Workshop

{This Moment}

2011-09-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

I know this is supposed to be a photo without words. Today, my photo needs them. It needs the words. Men and women huddled around listening (hoping not to cry) as he tells his story, his "Once Upon A Time" and shares the moments he met each and every one.

Today... we said good-bye. With a time limit up, our friend travels back to his home in France.

He will be missed by his friends. He will be missed by my children. He will be missed especially by my husband. Men often have a hard time making friends but these two...

they were like brothers, like family.

It's going to be hard to adjust to life without this "fairy" around.

(Participating in SouleMama's This Moment)

Unschooling Sometimes Looks Like This:

2011-09-27T09:22:00.004-04:00

One daddy teaching three kiddo's the ins and outs of bowling...

Sometimes... it's more fun to play using the bumper guards. :)

Beginning Again: 10 Reasons We Are Going Back To Unschooling

2011-09-21T06:00:00.002-04:00

One of the things that we love about "homeschooling" is that we can mold and adapt the school year to fit our family. We've had a great first month of schooling yet some of the things (and structure) just wasn't seeming to work for us.

I decided to have an interview, if you will, with the children to see what they thought was working and what wasn't. Basically, what things they like and don't.

Looks like unschooling was a better option for us. We are beginning again!! I am excited.

They all voted that when we were flying by the seat of our pants (so to speak) it was much more interested. So many of those things were what they missed now.

Here are 10 Reasons We Are Going Back To Unschooling:

1.) It was more fun. We were all excited to see what "school" became for us each day. You never knew what we would discover.

2.) We spent more time browsing the books together that got to be read and less time with mommy dictating.

3.) Art was a part of our life. Art Journaling, family drawing time, music.

4.) Freedom: No schedule to stick to. No stress over something that is left undone.

5.) Adventures/Relationship: Lessons end up sticking with them. When they choose a passion, a topic to learn more about, they form a relationship with it and remember it much better than memorizing content.

6.) Mommy was more "yes" focused. I admit it, I'm usually a glass half empty kind of gal. For some reason when the pressure of school is lifted, I'm able to see, to play better and teach in the more natural way. Guess it's the hidden hippie within me.

7.) More outdoor time. Mountain biking, hula hooping, playing. Play leads to learning for us.

8.) Traveling. We are all about travel, adventure, journeys. With unschooling we feel more open with our days. Why not hop in the car and spend a few days in the mountains?

9.) Kids miss and loved going to work with daddy and not having to worry about checking off a list of subjects. They miss these family memories that were made one on one.

10.) It's what works best for our family. Perhaps another way of homeschooling is working for you. I'm not saying that you need to make this same change. This is simply what works for us.

Reflecting On Story and Adventure

2011-09-19T06:00:00.002-04:00

This past week, we have all been a little bit reflective.

Perhaps it's in the air as temperature slowly drops and I glance at the sweaters in my closet, hopeful. Knitting needles that sit in the corner call out to me to pick them up, play, create.

Perhaps it's because of our conversations. The husband and I, on the couch with coffee in hand where we talk about finding balance between a job you love and a job that provides. It's here that we reflect.

Perhaps it was the time we spent roaming lost in a maze with family. Was it there amidst decisions and wondering do we turn left, right, or keep moving forward. Was in then that I began thinking. Wondering. Remembering.

We study and look forward to our new adventures, but we've been remembering the ones from where we have come. This week I think we all missed it a little. We missed the thrill that the road, the unknown brought us.

That home on wheels. That adventure that didn't look like how we had imagined.

We began to miss the freedom. The quietness. The desire to loosen our grip: not be tied down to job or things or place.

We miss that slowness of life. We miss the people we met, heard their stories and then said goodbye to as they travelled to make more.

I sit here wondering, how can I cultivate this kind of life here. In our little cottage. How do I get things to slow down? What adventures are we to live? What story is being written?

{This Moment}

2011-09-16T06:00:00.003-04:00

A Friday ritual; - a series of photos today - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

~inspired by SouleMama~

September

2011-09-13T06:51:00.004-04:00

It's been quiet here lately. Guess it's a sign of rest.

Ready and waiting for a new season.

A quiet season of leaves falling, bonfires, walks in the woods and a hope for some mountain trips.

I've heard Christmas music already being hummed by a family member. It's in the air, and slowly approaching. Traveling near.

Morning runs have started to get cooler, nights out on the deck, refreshing.

Autumn is indeed in the air.

In Love With A Dog..

2011-08-28T14:59:00.002-04:00

Yes, we are officially in love with our dog. Us... Matterns :) Those that knew us in the pre-dog years knew that we were not likely to own any four legged creatures.

We actually spoke before marriage about this topic. We were not going to have a dog.

And definitely NEVER EVER an indoor one.

That was then and this is now.

Want to keep toddlerhood alive? Adopt a Golden. :)

Some Days...

2011-08-23T10:18:00.003-04:00

Following Soule Mama--I share what "some days" are like around our house:

Some days... I feel as though homeschooling is harder than working out.

Some days... I feel like giving up.

Some days... we are lucky to get more than reading and math done.

Some days... play-dough is my hero.

Some days... I forget to plan for dinner.

Some days... when my head hits my pillow, I wonder, "did I hug them today?"

Some days... I have to remind myself why we do this, why we homeschool.

Some days... I forget that the days are long but the years are short.

I'm trying to learn to embrace each day.

We Love Our Homeschool Field Trips!

2011-08-16T10:07:00.005-04:00

We are always up for a good field trip. Last week we ventured out to the Science Museum. Since we are studying Flying Creatures in science this was the perfect introduction to get us all excited.

Birds, Butterflies and oh the owls that they had!!

Here are a few pictures documenting this perfect day:

The first thing that everyone wanted to do was to visit the butterfly conservatory. Talk about beauty!

There was a new section called the Dinosaur walk with life size Dinos on the trail. The kids had a chance to try their hand at digging up bones.

We also got to do an experiment on stomach acid and the best antacids for relief. The kids all loved this!

We imagined what it would be like traveling in space:

Saw icky creepy crawly critters, gave mommy goosebumps.

We even had some down time to build our very own village:

Guest Post By: Hannah

2011-08-11T10:54:00.004-04:00

A Review Of Our First Two Weeks Back To School:

On our first day of School we all got candy, I got jelly beans :)

Cayla got dark chocolate and Isaiah got Swedish fish candy. It's a tradition that mommy and daddy have always done on the first day of a new school year.

This year, I am in the fourth grade.

I'm reading Misty of Chincoteague, Cayla is reading Freckles.

I have a blue binder, Cayla has a green binder and Isaiah has a gray binder. Cayla and I have a spelling bee every Friday. I LOVE the spelling bee time!

We are learning German and I know how to count to 12 in German:

eins 1

zwei 2

drei 3

vier 4

funf 5

sech 6

sieben 7

ocht 8

neun 9

zehn 10

elf 11

zwolf 12.

We are also memorizing Bible verses every week, last week are Bible verse was ...

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." psalms 1 19 :11.

In our history we drew a map of the roman empire and we also drew a barbarian, I drew my barbarian with blue skin. I am doing this for school, and I like it.

Her Notes...

2011-08-08T09:02:00.002-04:00

For those of you that may not know...

Cayla has her very own blog now. You can find her writing at Storybook Notes.

She tries to update pretty regularly although, since her laptop is out of commission she hasn't had the opportunity, since we returned from our travels, but we hope to have this fixed soon.

A great homeschooling tool ... let your kiddo's start a blog!

It's That Time Again...

2011-08-01T14:13:00.001-04:00

West Virginia, Running, and Fairies.

2011-07-27T10:15:00.005-04:00

I was able to go meet with a friend in West Virginia (our very first time meeting one another in person.)

We had such a great time staying up all night chatting away, eating chocolate and just being girls.

We were able to take my ankle for a test run and it did wonderfully! For those wanting updates about my running and training for the half marathon you can go to my health/running blog.

Look at the cute running hat she got me for my birthday?!

While I was away the hubby and kids were off on their own adventures:

The next group of Fairies: (Clarification, Fairies is the name of the hubby's bike group.)

Family Road Trip Highlights

2011-07-21T06:30:00.003-04:00

Warning: You are about to enter the pages of our Family Scrapbook/ photo's galore :)

We hopped in the car late Wednesday night and took off for our Road Trip. First stop: New Orleans.

We had plans to stop in Baton Rouge to see an old friend of mine from middle school. It had been TEN years since we had seen each other. We were lucky enough to time it right so that we got to meet her fiance!

After a few more hours we finally crossed over into TEXAS!!

We arrived at the hubby's business convention a bit early and hung out at the pool with our friends and fellow Bumper Man Families. Got to catch up with my good friend Nester.

Once our room(s) were ready we took the kiddos up. They were so surprised, as we were, that Bumper Man got us two rooms! We were all giddy about it :)

After a wonderful weekend of being wined and dined we took off for The Alamo.

Tired and ready to be out of the car, we were thrilled to arrive at our hotel.

We unpacked and took off immediately in search of cowboys and guns..

It was super hot but we were thrilled to be walking around this great historic site:

School in progress:

I found a bullet hole:

Taking a bit of a break:

We all had a wonderful time!!

Long Drive+Children=Much Needed Planning.

2011-07-12T17:27:00.005-04:00

Things have been crazy busy for the Mattern household but oh so fun! We just got back from the beach where we hung out with my mother and sister. We enjoyed lots of vitamin D, sunshine and sandy suits.

As soon as we got home, I ran inside, loaded the washing machine, and began packing once again for another trip.

We're headed to Texas for a week.

It's the hubby's annual business convention and we are all super excited. This will be the very first time that we have brought the children along.

Long Drive+Children=Much Needed Planning.

Here are five tricks (that work for us) that keep the kiddos from asking the usual, "How much farther?"

1.) Have some little goodies waiting to hand out every four hours or so. (For us we make a special shopping trip for things like new coloring books, reading books, car games, little barbie/GI Joe toys)

2.) Instead of lots of mini breaks plan and pack a picnic to chill. We will stop at rest areas and pull out our home made picnic lunch and hang out enjoying one another. The kids get to play tag, stretch their legs and burn out energy.

3.) Never underestimate the power of the Alphabet game!! We have our own rules for this game. We begin with A.. you must find words that start with the letter. If it has been a while without finding a certain letter you may use license plates. Words have to be outside of the car. All my kids love this.

4.) Night driving. We usually prefer to leave at night so that the kiddos can sleep straight through but we aren't as lucky this time to be able to make a night escape. If you can do it though, it works much better regarding kid patience :)

5.) Make memories! If kids are getting antsy, be creative. We took a 30 minute break in one of our past adventures, pulled into the nearest Wall-Mart and grabbed a few cans of silly string. We then had a war behind the store. This is something my kids still talk about today. Don't stress if things are getting "stressful," be spontaneous.

What are some of your favorite kid tricks while traveling with little ones?

*Don't worry if you don't hear from me for a week, we will be out making memories and I will report back when we return. With lots of photo's too :)*

What Do You Do With The Kids?!?

2011-07-05T06:30:00.001-04:00

We love having people over to our house. My husband has always wanted and hoped for an open door meaning anyone can stop by at any time. We are slowly becoming more like this.

SO.. what do you do with your kids when you have guests drop by?

We include them and play games!

Domino spirals and Puzzles, who doesn't love those things?!

After the kids are in bed, we then get to have our grown up bonding time :)

Let's Talk Science:

2011-07-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you just need to go with what your kids are wanting to explore...

Ours wanted to experiment with dry ice.

YES this is school and YES it was SO MUCH FUN!!

~Keep in mind that you must wear gloves when handling the ice in order not to get burnt!~

Let's Talk Foreign Language...

2011-06-28T07:22:00.003-04:00

We have many friends from other countries. This year in our schooling we are really going to focus on teaching our children a second language. We decided to take a poll..

We asked our friends from:

Romania

France

Sweden

Germany

Guess what?! They ALL said, "Teach them German." Even our Romanian friends are sending their children to a German (only) speaking school so that their kiddos will be able to speak it. So.. for your pleasure, here are some comical reasons why you too should teach your kids German. We will be!

Seduced By Simplicity Give-Away!

2011-06-24T09:40:00.003-04:00

If you haven't had a chance to purchase my eBook yet but want to...

Erika from More Time With Our Kids is giving away a copy. Drop by her website and make a comment so that you will be a part of the drawing! She has multiple ways that you can get your name in the hat. :)

To read more about the eBook : You can check out this link or read what others have said here.

Boss For A Day

2011-06-21T11:15:00.004-04:00

My girls both have birthdays in June. Nine days apart. We love birthdays at our house.

Each year we give our kids the option to have a big party OR be boss for the day and each time they choose to be the boss! We always have so much fun seeing what they pick to do with the family time that we have together. I wouldn't trade these moments for anything.

Occasionally we find ourselves at friends or families houses and they decide to do something special themselves.

I'm amazed at how quickly our friends become our family:

Keeping to traditions: Making home made ice cream with their Grandaddy in remembrance of PawPaw.

Big birthday hugs from one of the Aunties.

We are blessed to be surrounded with such great friends and family!

Why Blog?

2011-06-17T23:22:00.000-04:00

This week I've been doing some pondering/wondering: what's the point in my blogging?

Why do I blog?

What do I hope to achieve by scribbling down these moment?

Why do I post these memories and struggles here in Cyber Space?

I was sitting at a picnic table with a very special friend today. My heart was so thrilled to be in her midst yet it ached that we only had such few hours together. You see... she lives in Romania.

As I was searching and trying to figure out how to update this friend about the RV, the house, the travels, church and our bravery...

I realized, she already knew of them all.

But how?

She had been reading my blog!

What a wonderful tool we have with this technology to keep our memories posted up for our loved ones and these special friends that aren't around to experience the daily chapters of our household.

THIS is one of the reasons that I blog.

My heart is heavy as once again we have had to say goodbye but I know that it's only for a little while.

We will meet again but until then, I write.

How about you? What reasons do you keep a blog?

Boys will be Boys...

2011-06-15T07:38:00.002-04:00

I wonder where these guys get their crazy ideas? :)

Summer Adventures

2011-06-07T13:33:00.002-04:00

Lately we've been enjoying Summer!

We have been hiking, swimming, biking, picnicking, fishing, and many more fun filled outdoor adventures.

We are trying to soak up and embrace all of the vitamin D that the sun has to offer.

How about you? What summer activities are you doing as a family?

(Leash training a pup=upper body work out!)

Every Day

2011-06-04T08:15:00.003-04:00

Everyday I look around; I try to remember the places that He has take us that brought us here, in this moment. So often I find myself with blinders on, as I try to explain away the miracles.

All gifts are from above, so why try to find another answer?

Everyday, I try to remind myself of my purpose, of my destiny for being created. Hand picked for this job and that. Everyday I try to see Him, His hand in my life.

I look for Him in the wind, in the joy, and in everyday things.

Sometimes it's hard.

Everyday that I am here: with this family, these children, my wonderful husband--is a blessing.

Oh to learn to count it as such... every day!

(Written as a part of The Gypsy Mama's Five Minute Fridays)

5 Reasons To Take Your Kids To A Homeschool Conference!

2011-05-30T07:57:00.004-04:00

This was the first year that we brought our children to the conference and we WILL be doing it again for these five reasons:

1.) "So, all these people homeschool?" My kids were able to see for themselves that we aren't the only crazy family that homeschools their children.

2.) "There are guns and swords!" I counted three vendors that had swords and so called boy toys. This made my heart swell, I love to see other little boys being boys!

3.) "Being a wife and mom is hard work." There were a few sessions that my husband and I went to separately. One was called Stand By Your Man by Racheal Carman. My son went with my husband to a homeschool dad session and the girls joined me. It was great to have them hear speakers talking about having a heart for family.

4.) "Books are everywhere!" Mommy isn't the only one that likes to shop for books, oh the options. If you need to help encourage a reader this is the way! My middle daughter doesn't usually choose to spend her money on books but this weekend she found two that she really wanted. I was thrilled!

5.) "I want to do this." They are involved and can give you their opinion on the curriculum you choose for the next year. My son was interested in a new reading program that is more visual called IntelliSense. He couldn't stop messing with the alphabet spy cards!

At (In)Courage Today: Confessions Of A Hospitality Hater

2011-05-24T12:31:00.004-04:00

I've written a few posts about my struggle with hospitality. Being married to a people person has it's challenges and perks.

Join me at (in)courage where I make more confessions:

Confessions Of A Hospitality Hater

Guest Posting: What's Up With Your Coffee Dates?

2011-05-24T12:27:00.004-04:00

Today I am guest posting over at Reflections Of A Princess on why I have coffee dates with Father--why I choose to have a quiet time.

Won't you join me over there today for What's Up With Your Coffee Dates?

Hinderances OR Gifts?

2011-05-23T10:12:00.002-04:00

Today, while reading the scripture in the Good Morning Girls schedule, I found myself convicted.

How do I view my children?

Do I see them as hinderances OR do I see them as gifts?

Psalm 127:3 states:

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward."

They were given to me by Father as rewards, as gifts. Why is it that I often forget this? Oh to re-evaluate my heart and mind. I am so blessed by Him.

He has given me three great rewards and though there are times when I want to hide in my closet, they ARE truly gifts.

Are you viewing your children as gifts?

It's Here!

2011-05-21T10:48:00.003-04:00

My eBook has knocked on Amazon's door.

Have you been waiting to get the book for your Kindle? Your wait is finally over.

Seduced By Simplicity is on Amazon!

I would love for those of you that have read the book to give it a review on Amazon for me so that others (not my blog readers) can know a little bit about it.

Let me know if you leave a review so that I can personally thank you for it!

Be A Parent You Can Be Proud Of

2011-05-19T06:30:00.002-04:00

Last year I talked about detoxing your parenting style.

It's time to do it again. Well, for me it is.

I'm finding myself at an interesting place. My kids aren't little anymore. Well still "little," just not babies that need supervision 24/7. They don't constantly need me as much as they used to, and this allows me to have more free time...

But what am I doing with it? Am I wasting it? Do I spend it foolishly?

Am I throwing away this precious time?

Just because my children aren't constantly calling out for "Mommy" doesn't mean that they don't need me. It doesn't mean that I should be spending this time selfishly. They are still my responsibility.

Even though my oldest daughter can read Little Women (her school book) to herself, how much more wonderful to have her read it out loud to mommy?

Even though my middle daughter can sit for hours drawing illustrations for her stories, how much more wonderful to have me join her in mommy-daughter drawing time?

Even though my son is happy to play outside alone hammering nails into wood, how much more wonderful would it be for me to watch him and praise the work of his hands?

I'm trying to be a parent I can be proud of. Are you proud of your parenting? What areas are you wanting to work on?

(Linking up today with Thought Provoking Thursday)

Do You Know The FlyLady?

2011-05-17T06:30:00.001-04:00

I sat twiddling my thumbs wondering, what detox topic shall I discuss next? I decided cleaning would be perfect, since as moms we often spend lots of time scrubbing the bathrooms, the sink and now... those fingerprints left on the stainless appliances, Oi!

I want to begin by mentioning this site that I often visited as a new wife and homemaker. It helped me when I needed that extra boost:

FlyLady- This woman CHANGED my life. Newly married, someone suggested her website to me and I am so glad!

She taught me how to keep a house clean, one baby step at a time. It all started with an easy step: shining my sink. I love sharing about FlyLady to newbies and seeing how excited they get after visiting her site!

Do you know the FlyLady?

A brief word about products:

I used to spend lots of time (and $) trying out new cleaning products. The scents can be so enticing! To be honest though, I have found that warm water seems to work best on most things. I bought a few name brand stainless cleaners (wont mention them here) but each one left smears. Though I was in love with their scents, none produced a very worthy result.

Now, I just wipe my fridge down with a wet rag and it gets all shiny and perfect.

Detox Your Living Room In 10 Easy Steps:

2011-05-12T08:29:00.002-04:00

1) Get out your camera. Most people don't think to use the camera as a decorating or detoxing tool but this is so helpful. Take a photo of your living room, in it's most perfect form. What catches your eye? Are there too many books on the bookshelf? Do you notice shoe's at the front door. Use these photo's as a guide to the area's that need "detoxing."

2) Take your shoes off. You would be surprised at the amount of dirt we bring inside our homes on the bottom of our shoes. Start taking your shoes off at the front door and you immediately cut down the amount of dirt that you will have to sweep up.

3) Be creative with storage. Do you need a place for those shoes mentioned above, those extra quilts that little ones often like to cuddle up with on the couch? Baskets are wonderful! Keep your eyes open while browsing thrift stores, often you can come across really cute baskets.

4) Lets talk about those bookshelves. Bookshelves are hard. My tip: keep only the books that you love and will read over and over again. I have a whole chapter about bookshelves in my eBook (which is coming to amazon soon by the way. :) I also color coordinate. Some might find it silly but I use the books as art. One shelf houses all the blues and greens, strategically placed. I had fun doing it, and switch them around on a regular basis because it feels like painting to me.

5) Open your windows! Let the natural light inside. This changes the atmosphere more than you would think. Watch how attitudes in your family change when birds can be heard singing outside the window, the glow from natural light verses artificial shining through. Its a little thing, but it brings such big change.

6) Instead of using air fresheners, make your own. It's super easy! Fill a spray bottle with water and add a few drops of essential oils. This way, you know exactly what you are spraying into the air. No harmful chemicals.

7) Bring in items from the earth. Natural items make a room feel brighter. One of my favorite pieces of furniture that we have is the wood stump that I made. It continues to remind me of the Great Artist.

8) Don't forget to check and replace your air filters. I don't like to do this because seeing all the crud freaks me out a little bit. This is what we are breathing folks. Make sure that you are changing the filters regularly.

9) Become a minimalist. When there are less things in your living room, you will feel more peaceful. Less things = less work for you. If you are unsure how to simplify and are in need of a coach, I would love to be of assistance.

10) Welcome others. Be sure that you give fill your home with lots of laughter, friendship, and stories. This will make your home feel more like Home.

Do you have other tips for detoxing/de-cluttering tips?

It's Raw!!

2011-05-12T06:30:00.003-04:00

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The first area of detox that I want to mention is in regards to our bodies. What goes into them. Yeah Yeah you had a feeling that I may bring this up huh?

Lately I have been thinking a lot on this area since I struggle with certain health issues. I'm not a big fan of antibiotics or prescription medicine, even the topical ones. I finally decided that it was time to take my health into my own hands. It was time to heal my body. It was time for a detox!

I went online and googled natural ways to heal such and such and with each ailment I kept stumbling upon the same thing. Raw fruits and veggies. I found this super interesting, my curiosity was peeked.

So what did I do? I went back to the beginning. I wanted to figure out what foods Father created us to eat. I found this interesting article during my search. Those whole foods, growing from the earth were the ultimate design for Creation. I then decided that I would eat a diet that consisted of mainly raw fruits and veggies. Obviously there are some exceptions, we love people. We love being able to fellowship together with other families and so I, (not being super legalistic about the diet) occasionally take part in the cooked foods prepared.

I signed up for a 7 Day Raw Food Challenge and was blessed in many ways. My skin has started to have a glow to it and my health issues are slowly beginning to disappear.

So what does this look like for our family? My children are working up to a mono fruit breakfast, meaning feasting on just one type of fruit. They also are learning to enjoy salads with each dinner. Eventually I would love to get them eating the same way that I am but it's a process. One baby step at a time.

My encouragement for you is to find the best diet for your personal health. Take the time to do some research. Try different things. Be open to what may sound weird. I was so scared of Low Fat Raw Vegan. It seems to come with such negative connotations but...

I decided to cross the bridge and am learning not to care so much about what other people think.

Let me clarify that I don't thing it is wrong to eat meat. Neither does Father. This is just a personal observation regarding the response that my body has with Raw foods vs. cooked foods.

(BTW: I also still have coffee and wine which technically are not raw but like I said earlier, I'm not super legalistic about it. =)

For more Raw inspiration, check out these lovely blogs:

The Raw Divas

The Bee's Knees Kitchen

Rawmazing

Living On Fruit

Are You Ready For A Detox?

2011-05-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know what it is about Spring time; I always find myself inspired to re-evaluate and detox my life.

In the past I've talked about detoxing my mind, my friendships, and my parenting style. This year I plan on focusing a bit more on the physical side of detoxing. What does it look like to detox your kitchen, your wardrobe, your to do list? Stay tuned for this upcoming series...

If you want to know more about our in depth simplifying adventure;

don't forget to check out the eBook Seduced by Simplicity.

Thank You Mom, For Letting The Choice Be Mine.

2011-05-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

She has always wanted the best for everyone. She knew my heart, my dreams from the beginning. The child with her head in the clouds, dreaming up stories and waiting for that prince charming to come riding up on his white horse.

I think she knew, I think she anticipated that I would find him early.

Part of me wonders if she knew that he was the one before I did? She met him each day at the library and wanted to introduce us. I wonder if she wondered, if she hesitated. Once the deed was done, there would be no going back. We were perfect for each other, she was right. She wanted me to count the cost. An eighteen year old with a proposal.

And so...

We went to the school that would teach me my dream.

The only other thing that I talked about besides him. She showed me what my life would be like if I decided to chose differently. Never pressuring, I knew it was my decision. This visual of the other "road," the one that I didn't take has stuck with me throughout these years. I chose to pursue my first dream of wife and mother and would still have chosen this road if I could go back.

Thank you mom, for letting the choice be mine.

Thank you mom for loving my children, for wanting to create memories that will last forever. Thank you for desiring photo's with your grand-kids even though its usually impossible and never ends up in a perfect photo-shoot. I think these are better!

Happy Mothers Day!

Motherhood Should Come With...

2011-05-06T07:50:00.000-04:00

Motherhood should come with: A Mentor.

Someone that can continuously remind you that these moments too shall pass. The sleepless nights, baby acne, pacifier and diaper days; they will all eventually just disappear and all you will have left are memories.

She would remind you that even though the days seem oh-so-long, the years really are very short. Her prayers would lift you up. She would tell you that it's OK to look forward to nap time.

When your children have run full throttle all day long and the only thing you got accomplished in school was one measly reading lesson, she would bring you wine and chocolate and say, "well done."

If motherhood came with a mentor, she would remind you that nobody else that could do your job better because He chose YOU for those children.

(Today I am linking up with The Gypsy Mama for Five Minute Friday's)

On Being A Mother, and The People That Inspire Me

2011-05-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

WoW, April seemed to fly by so quickly and here, we open the page to a new chapter in our story, the chapter titled: May. This is the month where I like to review and evaluate how I'm doing on the parenting/mothering spectrum. In what area's can I improve upon?

In thinking about these things and going back to the books that encourage me, I wanted to do a post and share with you some of my favorite mothering websites. These are the sites that continue to encourage, inspire and convict me on this journey of motherhood.

If you have a few minutes, I highly recommend you spend some time reading these three sites.

I Take Joy : Sally Clarkson's blog is such a treasure to me. If I have one of those rough, tempted to pull my hair out days, I pound on the keys of my mac, i t a k e j o y and click enter. I leave in tears but with renewed strength that I can do this! Sally's books are one of the few that made their permanent homes on my bookshelf, (and those of you that have read my eBook know that this is no small thing.)

FIMBY : Where do I even begin with this one? I love this girl! She has inspired me and not even known it because for a long time I was one of "those people," the lurker who never comments. She is unaware that because of her, we began making our own soap and even threw away our shampoo. This site has it all, the inspirational mothering tips, encouragment for homeschooling families and inspiration to get outside more. Read this site, be warned though, fimby is addicting.

Joyful Mothering : I could simply leave you with the title. Joyful Mothering. Christin is such an inspiring example of what learning to mother with joy looks like. Her about page is what hooked me onto her site, she writes that, "Joyful Mothering is a place to scribble out how I stregnthen faith, nurture family, and lead a life filled with joy," all of which permeates through her words.

Do you have a favorite mothering/parenting site?

Why We Boycott Mother's Day...

2011-05-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Next Sunday is Mothers Day.

I know many men and children are already shopping for that perfect gift to get their mamas, but not in my house.

Perhaps "boycott," is a strong word.. I still call my mom and wish her a wonderful day, but that is the extent of it.

I count down to that day in hesitation.

Maybe I should start from the beginning: Here's why we/I boycott Mother's Day:

Mother's Day 2008:

Our dogs went missing, only one came back. After spending the day looking for the other one, my husband decided to let our male dog lead him on a walk--he led him right to her, on the side of the road.

We experienced loosing the first animal that we had ever become attached to.

Mother's Day 2009:

We decided it was time that I jumped on the bicycle band wagon. All my children were riding without training wheels and the itch to get into mountain biking began to creep up on me.

We searched Craigslist and found the perfect bike.

It was my perfect size, my favorite color and decently priced. We met the man, purchased the bike and strapped it on our bike rack along with the others. 1/2 mile from the trail that we were to ride, with a picnic lunch all packed up for the great day away, I look in the mirror outside my window, and see my new bike bouncing behind our vehicle, being run over, and laying in a heap of metal on the side of the road.

We took it to a bike shop and it was officially given a time of death :)

Mother's Day 2010:

This isn't necessarily a bad thing since our story is here because of it, but this is when my husband brought up the idea of RV life. Don't get me wrong, I would not go back if you paid me money to the way that our life was beforehand but on that day...

I was not a happy mama.

These things make me wonder, what's coming next? I had a friend tell me that I needed to lock everyone inside, don't drive anywhere, and keep the oven turned off in case the house decides to burn down.

I joke, but part of me thinks that her idea isn't a bad one. I know that my babies love me, they show me this each and every day. I also know that my Father is Sovereign and has a plan for each thing that occurs within the story that He is writing for us. I still plan on staying in though. :)

Hopefully Mother's Day is kinder to you. What do you have planned on that special day?

5 Reasons Why I Joined Twitter and You Should Too..

2011-04-29T03:00:00.000-04:00

1. To meet and make new friends.

I signed up for the Relevant Conference and then began to panic because I only knew one person (who happened to be a bit of a celebrity in the blog world. I knew everyone would be begging for her attention) and so I hesitantly signed up. Due to this action, I may have found my new BFF, we have started texting each other at 5am every morning for Hello Mornings and even share snail mail. If one of your prayers this year has been to make friends, like mine was, go ahead and sign up for twitter. There are so many great women online waiting to embrace and encourage you!

2. It's a great way to keep up with the blogs that you love.

I really like Google Reader but since stumbling upon twitter, I find that I visit the links and blog posts that they post up on twitter more so. All I need to do is click on a post that I want to read and Im there. For instance, Lysa Terkeurst posted up this yesterday on twitter:

LysaTerKeurst Lysa TerKeurst

There is a big difference between writing and connecting. I don't want to be a writer! http://tiny.cc/m9nsk

I immediately clicked on the link to see what her new post was all about.

3. Your questions get answered.

Do you have a need for an editor? Are you curious how to do blog buttons? Do you need someone to design your eBook cover? You can find the right people to help you! Post up the question and you will have many responses. For instance, I was in dire need of new business cards and posted up:

ramblingheather Heather Mattern

Do you have buisiness cards for your blogs? If so, where do you recommend ordering from? #relevant11 #savvyblogging

I got so many responses! Here are a few from my twitter friends but also the actual company contacted me with a discount code.

kitchenstew Katie Kimball

@ramblingheather I actually get a lot of compliments on my free cards from Vistaprint! Flashy not always better. #relevant11 #savvyblogging

Vistaprint Vistaprint

@KitchenStew Thanks! @ramblingheather If you'd like to take a look at us, visit www.vistaprint.com/twitter for deep discounts site-wide.

I ended up ordering using Rachel's discount code on the left side of her blog.

4. Its a great way to let others know about your website.

Do you have your own business? Do you have messages on your blog that you would like to share with a broader audience? Twitter is a great way to let the world know about it. When launching the eBook, I let my twitter pals know that it was coming and that I would love feedback. The sweet emails that I received made writing our story worth every minute spent doing so.

5. It is the greatest prayer group you will ever meet.

No joke! The community of gals that I have met through twitter have changed my life. They have shared scripture verses with me on those days when my homeschooling was spiraling downhill, or when I decided to be brave and send out those query letters to magazines, even yesterday, when I worried about family members lost in the recent tornado mess.

Do you need prayer? Sign up for twitter and meet the sweetest group of prayer partners!

OK so you have decided to sign up for twitter... and added me as your friend but what now?

Here is a great link for Newbie Twitterer's :)

It's That Time Again: How To Plan For A Homeschool Conference

2011-04-27T05:47:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again.

School days are getting shorter and shorter because the sunshine calls to the children from the other side of the window. They want to be outside running around instead of indoors doing "school," and so--we let them.

The excitement is building about the annual Home School Conference & Book Fair coming up next month, preparations are in full swing. So what does this look like for our family? What are some ways that we begin preparing for a conference?

Review Your Priorities: This is a biggie for me. I have one month (before the conference) to review my reasons and purpose in this adventure. This is the time that I start reading back through those books that encourage me regarding our philosophy like Educating The Whole Hearted Child, For the Children's Sake and A Charlotte Mason Companion.

Re-Evaluate Your Curriculum Choices: We must go with a plan. If I show up to the book fair without any idea of our new school year, I can easily become overwhelmed at all of the choices. For us, we don't use much curriculum so our "list" of purchases will be slim. This year, I will be looking for reading games and used books that are out of print or not found at the library.

Talk as a couple about a budget. How much money are you planning on bringing for curriculum. We love books, coming with a money plan is a must for us, or it can be easy to spend more than we should. (This year our children are joining us, they have started saving money for their own book spending.)

Plan Your Sessions: Don't show up without a plan. Read over the sessions and speakers so that you have an idea of whose teaching you would like to sit under. There are many great options, and not much time in between to decide so it is best to come with a plan. We usually print of the workshop schedule a few days early and my husband and I highlight the sessions that we plan on attending. Sometimes we may be attending separate workshops if he goes to a daddy session and I, one for mothers.

Have fun picking out a notebook and good pen for taking notes: For those of you that know me in person, you know that I am an avid note taker. I get excited about conferences just so I can sit and take notes on the sessions. You might even find me out shopping, solely for that special inky pen that will be joining me. No kidding, I actually have a pen shopping buddy, we plan dates for that purpose alone. :)

On the day of the event, bring snacks and comfy shoes: We pack our own lunch so that this will not tap into our budgeted money. Snacks, water, you don't want to find yourself exhausted half way through the day so be sure you come with plenty of protein options. If you don't want blisters on your feet, make sure that you have comfy shoes on, you will be spending lots of time standing.

I plan on doing a post about the notes taken at the conference next month so stay tuned for that. The speakers are going to be wonderful!

Even Us Parents Like To Play!

2011-04-24T18:26:00.000-04:00

As parents, we too have our hobbies, those things that make us smile.

Bikes are the playground for my husband, the track, his swing set.

This past weekend was track weekend. We had such a blast watching the crazy men as they sped through the corners with knees on the pavement.

We love it. They love it.

I love seeing my man so happy, his face shines when racing these two wheeled machines!

(PS: My man is the one with the pretty green bike.)

The Editor-She Marks In Red

2011-04-21T10:22:00.000-04:00

When my writing instructor suggested that I find a nit-picky editor, I knew exactly who that person was going to be.

My sister-in-law.

I thought of her instantly because for years, I would send her my articles after I thought that I had perfected them, and she would send them back to me all marked in red, usually with a sweet comment about the content. She has a gift, a love for commas and semicolons. I am not the only one that has seen her talent. The church that she attends uses her to edit their camp curriculum.

I debated keeping her a secret.

I knew that there were other writing friends out there that might be able to benefit from this talent that Father had given her. I finally suggested that she offer her services to others. So, I talked her into buying a domain name and business cards. This is her dream; it was time that this homeschool graduate with a passion for the written word, put herself out there.

I had finally finished writing my eBook and called to see if she had the time and would be interested in being my official editor. We sent the documents back and forth (and even used this as an excuse to get coffee on multiple occasions). In a short time, my final draft sat waiting for me in my inbox.

I would not have had the guts to publish this eBook without her. The experience was very pleasant and she comes highly recommended from me...

not because she is my friend,

or sister-in-law,

or even a homeschool graduate :)

but because she is really good at what she does!

Please take some time to check out her website, befriend her on Twitter and use this as an opportunity to write those words that you are afraid to write because of possible imperfections.

Today Is My Birthday

2011-04-20T06:53:00.000-04:00

My Walk Began Four Years Ago...

Four years ago in the middle of the night I sat on the floor crying, begging Father to make Himself real to my husband. Little did I know that my own life was about to change.

I had always considered myself a Christian, I went to church like a good little girl, I even read my Bible every day. In the midst of the tears I heard Him. He made Himself known to me that night.

My husband was at a meeting with some men, studying the Bible, trying to find answers. I knelt on the floor and crying over the book of James, I no longer desired to be a friend of the world. I wanted to be His. I wanted a relationship. Around midnight I gave my life to Him. I called my husband and told him how my life had changed.

I asked if I could be baptized. Not on Sunday but, now.

They opened up the church just for me.

It was near 1:00am and a group of people gathered around. My friend was there, even though her nose was stuffy from a cold and I was convinced she had a fever. She was there, for me. There were others like her. My mentor baptized me, the woman that taught me there was more to this life of a disciple than checking things off of a list. Children were woken up from sleep. My own little ones were there, sitting on the ledge next to the tub of water.

The water was not heated, but I didn't care. I had hoped that it would be cold. I wept through a poem that I had written and then coming out of the water, they all broke out in song. My husband had tears in his eyes.

We sang praises, worshiped Him right there, in the middle of the night.

Two weeks later, my prayer was answered and Father grabbed my husbands heart.

It Is Finally Here! And Just In Time For Spring :)

2011-04-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

You can purchase the eBook today!

What Others Are Saying:

"I prided myself on not being materialistic...until I read this book. I, immediately cleaned out my closet, dresser, and bookshelf of any unnecessary stuff. Heather has a genuine heart and is a genuine friend. This is a must read!"

Kristi from Pink and Poka Dot

The Nester has written her thoughts about the eBook here.

Read what Christine from Fruit in Season had to say about the eBook in this post

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at ramblingheather@gmail.com.

I would love to know your thoughts!

Many Friends Lost Homes...

2011-04-17T07:21:00.000-04:00

I was planning on talking about my eBook that will be available to you in the morning but this seems more important. Please pray for our beloved Raleigh:

Several deaths are reported. Many of our friends lost homes.

This video was taken 5 miles from our cottage:

We Have A Winner

2011-04-13T07:08:00.001-04:00

The Winner of the Totally Awesome Starbucks Tumbler is... Erin Crisci. Congrats Erin, hope you enjoy many caramel cappuccinos :)

And now, "Seduced by Simplicity."

With the encouragement from my dreamer husband, and my Nester friend I finally wrote the book. In this book you will hear about some of the ways that we had to simplify when our RV adventure began, but also the ways that we continue to simplify our lives, after moving into our cottage.

This book will not be a book of should or should not’s, it will simply be the way that this eclectic family has chosen to live, simply. Once we were seduced by simplicity, our lives were changed forever.

You will be able to purchase my book on Monday, woohoo!

It will be available as an eBook download for you to read on your computer, or print off and bind if your prefer.

We are offering you this practical eBook, Seduced by Simplicity for $5.97

A few of the topics covered within:

~How you can downsize your stuff yet keep your house.

From bookshelves to closets and kitchens.

~How our children make money the simple way.

Since we don’t pay an allowance.

~Menu planning that ads fun and creativity to your day.

~ And so much more!

After reading the book, here is what one woman has said,

"Approached by a world of more, and faster, and bigger, Heather shakes her head in response and instead lets go- of things, of excess, of even what some would say are necessities. Simplicity is what so many, myself included, are drawn to and yet rarely give in to in any real and lasting way. "Seduced by Simplicity" poses questions- quietly, humbly, as if by a close friend sitting with us at our kitchen table- and causes us to rethink all that we believe is needed for a content life. Dig deeply and decide for yourself if you will follow the path of less. This is an easy, gentle read, one that will work on your heart in meaningful ways."

Christine

A Give Away... It's Totally Awesome!!!

2011-04-09T13:22:00.000-04:00

While you are waiting to hear about my eBook announcement on Wednesday why not grab a cup of coffee and learn a little more about our family.

You can click on the links to the right to see all of our RV adventures, joys in home educating, my struggles with hospitality, in addition to the many other chapters of our story.

You can also leave a comment and be entered into this awesome giveaway!

Since I’m a complete coffee addict I decided it was only fitting to give away the coolest coffee cup EVER!!! This cup from Starbucks will keep your coffee hot for hours, NOT KIDDING! Just make sure you sip or you will be surprised and burn your tongue, yes it has happened to me after an hour of pouring my cup! My husband, me, my sister, my dad, my sister in law.. yes we all carry the same coffee cup. I'm telling you, it ROCKS. And I picked one up today for a very special winner!

It could be you!!

You have FIVE opportunities to win: don’t be shy!

1. Comment, tell me what your favorite coffee beverage is.

2. Follow my blog (make sure to leave a separate comment telling me you did/do)

3. Blog about this awesome giveaway. Once again leave a separate comment and the link to your post.

4. Friend/Follow me @ramblingheather AND my editor @shemarksinred on Twitter (Comment and let me know you did/do)

5. Last but not least twitter about this post (Comment and let me know you did/do)

I will be announcing the winner on Wednesday April 13th, along with the information my upcoming eBook that launches April 18th!

(In case you wondered I am NOT being paid by Starbucks or affiliated with them in any way. This cup is just that awesome. I’m doing this give away all on my own.)

Do you Game?

2011-04-08T09:24:00.001-04:00

What do we do without a TV you ask?

We play games!

We are a game loving family.

Do other couples look forward to the day when their children are old enough to play spades or monopoly; and not the Jr. kind? Well, we do!

Is it wrong for my husband to enjoy the fact that his 10 year old daughter can play poker? Is this normal?

Who cares about normal anyways, right?

We have finally hit that place where our children can play the adult board games, and it's so much fun! My little guy usually partners with either my husband or me but we let him be the main player. We also get to count this as part of our homeschool :)

Our favorite family game is Settlers of Catan.

We love having other couples over to join us without the kiddos too. After the children are put to bed, we would play into the weee hours of the night. Board Games, coffee and dessert. A perfect ending to a day and a great way to get to know other people!

For more game idea's check out Sandy's post about Face Time as a Family and the cool game that they like to play.

Do you game? If so, what games are your family favorites?

Guest Posting Today at Heart of the Matter

2011-04-06T20:55:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends,

Please join me over at Heart Of the Matter Online today

where I am honored to be sharing about our struggles with a reluctant reader.

Reluctant Reader but Powerful God

Three Secrets To Loving Your In-laws

2011-04-05T12:07:00.000-04:00

1. Make them your best friends. This is done by spending time together regularly. Share your secrets. Shed your tears while communicating your hurts and heartbreaks.

Pray together when things weigh heavy on your heart.

2. Act like teenagers again. Be goofy. Get together and let yourself loose. Do not be afraid of judgement, just be you.

For some of us this takes a bit longer (like me) but it's so worth it!

3. Hug Often: Another hard one for me since I'm not a hugger but these girls have been trying to make me one since I was 14 years old.

It's starting to feel more natural. :)

How to Be Hospitable When Things Go Wrong?

2011-04-02T07:42:00.000-04:00

Last night we had some friends over.

It was a good thing that they were long time friends...

I am still learning about hospitality and how it plays a part into our daily lives. I am still learning to have more of an open door policy and to embrace having others over even though my house is not perfect.

But what do you do when a little boy gets shot? What do you do when the little one was not yours?

OK sounds horrific huh? Let me back up a bit. The kids were playing, shooting targets with a BB gun (soda cans make the coolest targets). As the kids were on their way inside the house we hear a little one crying and find out that the gun was not on safety and a little dude got shot.

So what do you do when your guest's child gets shot?

You grab one of your vintage aprons, put ice in it and apologize as the blister appears.

You thank God that it was here, with these friends and not with newer ones because THEY understand you, they have experienced many hiccups with you along the way.

You take the gun away and try to console the shooter who is crying and screaming, "someone turned the safety off."

You try to lighten the mood with the victim by saying, "it looks like a fairy came down and kissed your shoulder." His the pre-teen brother then says, "Must of been a pretty aggressive fairy with teeth." You laugh with his mother about the evil fairies and put another date on the calendar for getting together.

You thank God for such great friends.

Do you have any stories of hospitality gone wrong?

The Ultimate Beginners Guide To Home Decorating Learning what you Love:

2011-03-31T07:48:00.000-04:00

OK so I have been asked how we got here.

How we found what kind of house we wanted to have, and what our “style” was. I have even been asked if I would come over and help another person figure out their “style.”

Here’s the thing. It has nothing to do with me! I know nothing.
I am not a professional. The only decorating/style that I knew was lessons from my friends and stalking my new decorator crush's blog.

This is simply what worked for me in my journey.

I went out and bought a journal, a sketchbook to be exact. I’m a bit of a journal chic. Come over sometime and I will show them to you. My husband thinks I should put this hobby to use and teach classes about it but I’m too much of an introvert for that. Father would have to make it SUPER obvious before I stood up in from of a crowd!

I put the word out to all my friend that I wanted their leftover magazines. Once they were in my house I immediately went through them (without reading) and ripped out the pages/images that made me ooooh and ahhhh. I did not do much thinking here just turned and ripped, flipped a few more pages and ripped.

When I had a few spare moments I then went through the gorgeous photos, cut and pasted them into my sketchbook.

I checked out decorating books from the library on different styles: Country, Shabby, Romantic, you name it, I requested them online and took them home. I did read many of these and took notes in my sketchbook. I filled in the empty spaces.

After a while, the big black book began to take a form all on its own. Similarities began to appear. The photos had connections, unbeknownst to me. The white walls, the rustic wood tables, chippy paint.

My style began to introduce herself to me. I began to figure out what it was that I loved.

I would also like to say that with three children I had to make a few sacrifices. I am not the only one living in the house. The girls wanted purple walls and my little man wanted blue. They will be here a few more years so we let them have a say ☺

Also, my husband wanted a recliner (my man is 6 foot 4 and in order for him to have one that fit his height it would have been ginormous *yes I just made up a word*) instead we met in the middle and got couches and a love seat with built in recliners.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice and let the kiddos lend a hand in order for that peaceful environment that you hope to create to actually come into existence.

*working on something special, stay tuned*

An Alternative To Thorns

2011-03-29T06:40:00.000-04:00

People are coming over tonight.

My children are excited. I think they (my children) are more like my husband when it comes to this area. This area of hospitality. Why is it often a struggle for me? Shouldn't my heart be for His people? My children, my husband, they are people persons.

How does one move past people pleasing and onto a heart for the person?

I wonder why I sit here, now, writing out these thoughts instead of cleaning the bathroom of all its imperfections.

This is not usually like me.

Could this mean that my prayers are being answered? Could this mean that Father is changing my heart to one that is more loving? Could He be adding more than simple thorns to my frame?

Am I becoming a people person? One can only hope right?

Taco Tuesdays, the day couldn't be a better one for last minute guests. Everything is already in the meal plans and I have plenty extra to spare.

Why not open up the house?

Why not add two more plates to the table. Adding to the conversation. Why not be more like husband and children.

He asked if they could bring anything. Why not accept European chocolates from his home in France? :)

Am I the only one that struggles with hospitality? Is becoming a people person on your prayers list?

Sometimes You Need To Be Brave:

2011-03-27T12:20:00.000-04:00

I have never been to a hairstylist and said, "Do whatever you want."

I have never been that bold. I'm not brave when it comes to my hair.

I decided that it was time. I had dreads for a while and was thrilled that I did something that I always wanted to do even though others had strong opinions against it.

I am still trying to break out of the people pleasing mode. I have a feeling that it will always be a bit of a struggle for me.

With permission from my hubby I called up my friend Carly that has been dying to get her hands on my hair and said go for it.

Do whatever you want.

Here is the new look for this new chapter called Bravery.

Imagine Yourself In A Home You LOVE!

2011-03-23T08:15:00.000-04:00

I think that this is the first time that I really LOVE my home. Last night I sat and pondered why this was.

Was I just always discontent? No… so why now? Why here?

I think some of the reasons that it has been different this time around is because we are different. We are more content living with less so that we can enjoy the space more. Our home is no longer just a building but our retreat from the stress of the world. We wanted our home to be like taking a vacation to the mountains (our favorite place.)

Here are a few of our secrets that we did differently this time around.

When we got rid of stuff before moving into the RV I had one simple rule. If it can be replaced get rid of it because we can always get another. There were those few special items that no price tag could touch. I have kept this in mind when adding things to this home.

Add the irreplaceable!

That spindle chair in the corner that belonged to his father and was gifted years ago from the kids on father’s day. Irreplaceable.

The dollhouse made by my dad for two girls that was built big enough for that other little girl that we had hoped to adopt. It holds memories and is irreplaceable!

The rustic bunk beds that you grew up sleeping in yourself. Irreplaceable!

Why wait to stage your house until you sell?

Confession: we fell in love with HGTV while living in the RV, its the only time we ever had cable. My husband and I would sit and watch together and one day we had the conversation that it’s sad that people wait until they want to sell to make their house look beautiful. This stuck out in my head. I have enjoyed browsing DIY Home staging tips for ideas and wonderful challenges for making my house look lovelier.

Add pieces that you have spent time creating.

One of my favorite pieces of furniture in my home is the log stump that sits next to our loveseat. The stump that after I finished it I swore that I would NEVER use sandpaper again and was convinced it was from the devil. Yeah that one. I cant stop touching it now. I look at it and it makes me smile. I love that when a new person walks in my house my husband says, “did you see the table Heather made?” (Photo's and the tutorial of the table are coming once it gets stained and sealed in a couple more weeks.)

Lastly spend less than something is worth!

Trust me, you will never be able to get what you paid back in any item if you decide to sell everything and move out of the country or into an RV. :)

If you want to buy new and skip the bed bug issues that everyone is talking about you can find furniture stores going out of business. This is what we did. This is where most of our furniture came from.

Our king size bed with storage underneath… the price tag was $2,999 we paid $180 YES YOU READ RIGHT! $180.

Another thing that we took advantage of was the freight auctions.

Our washer and dryer came from there. Anything that gets “damaged” during shipping ends up at the auction. My washer and dryer have a few dings but I’m in love with them and with the price! We ended up getting the entire set with pedestals for less than just the washer at Lowes. I kinda like the dings :)

Seriously ANYONE can have a home that they love. Simply try to only bring in the pieces that you love whether that be because of the story behind them, the time you spent working on creating the piece or because you love the price tag.

In Which I Send Thank You Cards Through Cyber Space.

2011-03-21T05:48:00.000-04:00

I am in awe!

I never would have thought that my silly/messy words would skip across the web like they have.

I want to thank Simple Mom, Hooked On Houses and Nester for linking to my clutter post.

Big thanks to all the comments, those sweet little notes put a smile on my face! I love hearing from my readers, both through emails or comment form.

You are all so special!

I want to take a moment and say...

~You don't have to move into an RV to have a clutter free home.

~You don't have to go to the extreme that we did in order to downsize!

~And you don't have to start from scratch to have a home that you love!

Once again, thank you all! My rambles are honored :)

A Reluctant Entertainer Improvises

2011-03-19T07:06:00.000-04:00

I have not had an oven for the past year which means baking has well, not happened at all.

Today some really good friends of ours were coming over to fellowship and I wanted to bake that favorite pound cake.

I get all the ingredients together, preheat the oven and realize I have no hand mixer. {Insert a little bit of panic here.} This would usually not be a big deal but trying to blend cream cheese in by hand was NOT an easy task. Trust me I did try to make it work. I went round and round, mushed with whisk, fork, wooden spoon. I tried multiple utensils, filled the dishwasher but those globs of cheese still stared back at me laughingly.

Who wants to take a bite of pound cake and get a mouthful of cream cheese?

Not appealing.

And so, I improvised. I grabbed the green machine aka: my blender.

I threw the bowl of batter into my blender and pushed a button. Yup I pureed my batter. It mixed up in a jiffy and was super smooth pouring out into the bundt pan.

And even better, the gals loved it.

When in doubt, use a blender!

Check out Reluctant Entertainer for tips on entertaining.

My Little Sister is Growing Up

2011-03-16T14:11:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about sisters.

My baby sister is having a birthday this month, turning 29.

These next few months she will be 29 and I 30. We used to love this, this feeling that we were almost twins. She has always been taller than me, or so it has seemed. Others often thought her the eldest. This used to really bug me :)

We aren't sisters that look alike.

She got the European coloring from my mothers side. Turning tan is never a chore for her. I got the paler Irish skin tone from my Father. I turn bright red in the summer even when wearing a high numbered sunscreen.

We are both very competitive when it comes to one another. Not sure why this is, at times its almost as if we enjoy the challenge. Almost.

I remember feeling like I had to protect her, her first day of school I rushed to her side to comfort her if she broke down crying yet she marched in with her Holly Hobby lunch box swinging in hand and didn't need me.

I cant help but look at her and still see that same little girl. The one that hid caterpillars in her pockets, the little artist drawing her masterpieces on the walls of the bedroom, giving our dog a haircut and always insisting she make her own birthday cake. I love her to pieces!

She will always be in my life. I am blessed to have her.

Happy Birthday baby sis!

"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost."

~Marion C. Garretty~

Its My Party And Ill Pray With Eyes Open If I Want To.

2011-03-14T05:59:00.000-04:00

Our son turned seven yesterday. Ouch. My baby is seven.

He is such a special little guy with his very own uniqueness to him. I love it. I don't want him to be normal. I like him just the way that he is, eyes open during prayers and all.

We don't do your typical birthday parties. Yup we are weird. We are not against it. Our kiddos get to choose, birthday party or a day as a family. So far they have chosen to keep it family days. They look forward to their special day all year, my middle daughter actually keeps notes on what she has planned for it.

Here's why: They get to be the boss for the day. They get to choose what is on the menu for the day and what things that we get to do on the agenda.

My son chose pancakes for breakfast including syrup and peanut butter. (If you have not tried this you are truly missing out) and home made pizza for dinner. He chose for us to go see Yogi Bear and eat popcorn for lunch. He usually chooses laser tag but made a deal with his older sister that he would chose this movie if she would chose tag. Aren't they funny!

The grandparents usually throw their own mini celebrations. The kids enjoy the attention, the special cakes, and playtime with the cousins. We treasure these special days.

I cant believe how fast they go by!

10 Ways You Can Clutter Your House Like We Did.

2011-03-10T16:53:00.000-05:00

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful."

~William Morris~

This is my new philosophy.

This coming from a woman that decluttered because she HAD to :)

Here are 10 ways that you too can clutter up your house like we did before selling it all, in case you were curious.

1) Accept any and all free hand me downs from family and friends, its FREE for goodness sakes.

2) You see a deal, buy it. It doesn't matter if you need it, you might in a few years.

3) Save ALL your children's clothes, they will never forgive you if you get rid of their cute toddler dresses.

4) Save ALL things written by your children because if you home school their stuff might really come in handy if ever audited.

5) That ugly picture that "you know who gave you", you have to keep it in case they come over searching for it one day.

6) Keep any and all Rubbermaid containers because someday you may have a big party and need places to put all the leftovers.

7) Boxes, save all original boxes. If you ever want to sell an item later they are worth more if in the original box.

8) If its broken, give it to the kids to play with, they love old camera's, cell phones, and even batteries if anything like my son.

9) Let your rock loving daughter bring rocks in from the yard because well you are trying to teach them to explore their passions. She could find a gem worth lots of money one of these days.

10) Keep any and all crayons, even if they are half an inch they can still make masterpieces.

Creating Cottage...

2011-03-06T17:42:00.000-05:00

OK OK I hesitated posting more photo's of the house because we are still working on creating the cottage.

Finishing the side table to go next to our love seat turns out easier said than done.

Putting beds together that lacked proper utensils, thanks to my husband and father in law, he DID end up having a bed to sleep in! I have added finishing my little man's foot board to the ever growing to do list.

My man found me this lovely girl, and my mother one which got him HUGE brownie points. I am still trying to find a place for her to stand and a romantic vintage prom dress like Simply Me did. I love her blue one!

Praise the Lord, the doll house fit!!! My dad brought it to us today. The girls are very excited about having it back! Another thing on the to do list is painting the bunk beds, wow do I have my hands full!

I am LOVING my open cabinets! The top shelf is being used as my very own wine cabinet!

I am in love with my faucet and the many flowers and plants in bloom in our yard! I have brought in a little pink and it makes my heart smile. My friend told me about Mrs Myers and I felt I HAD to tell you about it! If you want good quality cleaning materials that make your house smell AMAZING, go to Target right now and get some Myers!

And here you have it, our living room in process...

Montag really loves it.

The bigger picture...

More photo's coming as the stump is finished and the wall galleries put up!

Beds!!!

2011-03-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

We have beds set up!! Currently we are busy hanging light fixtures, blinds, touching up the walls and figuring out all the things that a house needs that the RV didn't. What an adventure!!

Hiccups and Hotels

2011-03-02T21:53:00.000-05:00

I am typing this up sitting in a hotel room.

The RV wouldn't start yesterday when we went to move it over to the cottage, AFTER we cleaned out all the sewage pipes, brought the slide in and had all things secured for movement.

The painters were delayed and thus pushing the move in date back. We felt frustrated, called around for a pet friendly hotel and just chilled.

Its amazing how a night in a real bed can help you regain perspective :)

We drove back to the campground and my handy husband lay under the home on wheels pondering the riddle. A neighbor comes out to offer a hand. The men stand looking puzzled. After many prayers lifted up the key turns and that sound, oh that sound of the motor running was like music to our ears. The roads were long but we finally pulled into the cottage parking lot and parked "Boundie" until he meets his new family.

This might (hopefully) be our last night until we set up camp in the cottage. Until then I bid you farewell!

Weekend Get Away and One Week Left!!!

2011-02-28T09:50:00.000-05:00

WoW what a wonderful weekend we had. I hope that all of you also had a weekend full of new memories and stories to tell.

We left town to visit some of our long time friends in order to get our mind off of the slow moving one week left.

I was able to sit and reminisce with my friend, get updated on all the newest news and share my heart struggles from RV life to making new friendships. It was a much needed getaway!

The kids were able to see their old doggie that these wonderful friends of ours took in as their own when our RV adventure began.

Here are some of the newest update photo's from the past week.

The new faucet has been installed!

Our master bedroom door was built and put it, woohoo! We will actually have some privacy!

Time Warner came by and hooked up our Internet, YaY!!

Only one week left!! We wait longingly.

Collecting Inspiration

2011-02-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

As we prepare to move out of our RV and into our cottage we have begun to collect things.

Things from our own personal past...

~ family quilts that lay on my bed as a little girl.

~white shabby pillow cases from a mother excited about this new oppurtunity to begin from scratch and is helping.

~ an old wooden chair and ladder from a father in law excited about our new vintage style. It makes me smile to see him as giddy as me.

I have also begun collecting Inspirations from all you bloggers out there!

I wanted to share a few of my recent favorite bloggy inspirations...

Simply Me- This woman has perfected the art of shabby chic, I love sitting with a cup of coffee and browsing the photo's of her beautiful house. She has had four children and still has little ones running around so this too makes me smile as I look at all the gorgeous white, it is possible.

Full Bloom Cottage- I only recently discovered this woman but the photo of her and Rachel Ashwell (my FAVORITE DESIGNER) caught my eye and her blog is just as eye catching. I actually took notes while reading her site in order to remember to keep my eyes open for specific goodies.

There are so many great blogs that I feel I should mention. The list could go on and on but here are a few more of my favorite... Prairie Girl Farm- A home school mama that inspired me with wonderful ideas like using a chippy old farm door for a head board, brilliant! Cappuccino Cottage- Deb has posted so many gorgeous pictures of her cozy cottage home, the chippy white paint and flea market style makes me smile! And last but not least Na-Da Farm Life with Anne Marie, such a great mix of romance and farm life!

There are also many great "junk" blogs that I have found but I will probably do a separate post just for those gals. Enjoy the links, be prepared to stay a while.

Flea Markets Are For Families!

2011-02-20T17:44:00.000-05:00

We had such a great time browsing one of our city's flea markets!

We have big plans of making it a regular family "tradition." The girls bought vintage dolls and my son, well what boy doesn't need a gas mask?

Here are this weeks finds...

Vintage lamp made from a water pump. Wash board Love.

The family plans on rotating our flea market trips with yard sales to fill our home with those lovely vintage pieces. I will continue to post up our weekly treasures :)

The Cottage's Last Week (Until Move In Date)

2011-02-19T16:15:00.000-05:00

More renovations, we are making progress!!!

We are supposed to be able to begin moving our things in next weekend. We are so excited to start the interior decorating part of our journey :)

The tile backsplash is being installed and finished in the next couple days...

And look: GREEN!!!

This is the bathroom downstairs, tile is in and the walls are painted!

Almost Done...

2011-02-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

"They were pretty tired by now of course;

but not what I’d call bitterly tired –

only slow and feeling very dreamy and tired as one does

when one is coming to the end of a long day in the open."

~C.S. Lewis/The Lion Witch and The Wardrobe~

Paint, Paint, Paint

2011-02-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

Contractor is anticipating another week or so before the walk through...

I CANT WAIT!!

This weekend the outside is being painted, I am very thrilled about meeting my red door :)

The Love Of A Man

2011-02-10T09:55:00.000-05:00

Here, a glimpse into heart of husband. A picture capturing the love of a man.

Masculine, hard worker. Providing for his family in a job he cant stand.

Why does he do this?

Time. It provides him time. At home with us.

My man is computer geek at heart. He would prefer a job that used more brain work yet puts up with blue collar.

For us.

He had the job of his dreams. Once

Manager of stores. Hiring. Firing. Creatively solving problems.
He loved it. He was rarely home.

This sacrifice is one of the reason that I love him.

So, his hands look like this.

His hands tell a story
The story of sacrifice.

The story of The Love Of A Man.

(This is written as a part of Emily's Imperfect Prose)

Newest Cottage Updates...

2011-02-04T18:43:00.000-05:00

For those of you that are interested in the updated renovations of the Storybook Cottage...

This first photo is of the girls room. I decided that I loved the fresh crisp look of white walls so I let them pick out a white that had a hint of purple. We are all very happy with the end result!

The Little Man wanted his to have a hint of blue.

And now.. you get to take a small peek into the living room. Currently it is full of tools and such but we went with white trim and delicate white walls. Very Rachel Ashwell and I'm loving it! The wood stove is excited about joining the family in the upcoming week or so.

The Master Bedroom has me completely giddy!! This was the hardest decision for me to make, everyone had their own opinions regarding to paint or not to paint. Most said DON'T DO IT! Although I did adore the natural wood state it was just too dark so with the help from a friend who knew my long term goal and my "style" I was able to stick to my guns and say YES paint it!

This is the window where our bed will be resting under. It was half this size and we had it extended to bring in a bit more light and in order for it to pass "fire code."

We absolutely LOVE our closets. The doors are amazing! Here is a photo of my closet door, minus a door knob :)

And this last photo is of the spa in progress...

Stay tuned to see the finished project that will include tiled floor, walls, an open shower and the tub raised and ready for relaxation!

Homeschooling Loves...

2011-01-31T11:23:00.000-05:00

Just a few of the reasons that I love homeschooling...

I can call anything school:

~Math lessons using the GPS!! The children figure out how much longer our rides are as they look at the current time verses the arrival time.

~Starbucks runs, "how much change will I get back?"

~Look at that opossum, why didn't it play dead for us? At least we aren't the only ones that this happened to, one didn't play dead for this woman either, he even returned to her place for a second round.

I am not limited to a location:

~Contractor needs something we load up and run over to the soon to be new home. Kids go running through the woods and exploring nature with all five senses. Yes, my son has been known to "taste" his finds.

~My children often take turns going to work with husband, taking their literature selection along with them. They also know the names of tools better than I do!

~We can go anywhere to do school, the mountains are perfect!

They get to pick their own curriculum:

Yes I let my kids choose their own curriculum (other than math since husband is in love with Making Math Meaningful and teaches it himself.)

~They choose their own literature selections but it must be somewhat challenging, the also do narrations when finishing each selection.

~Check out my eldest daughters new blog, My Storybook Notes that she has been dying to start where she will be reviewing the books that she reads. She has been keeping her own book journal for a while now (which yes I counted as school work) recording what she read and when but now she is sharing it all with the world.

Chuck E Cheese Runs are much more enjoyable with less children running around :) and workers give away free coins because they themselves are bored!

Play and Training

2011-01-25T09:32:00.000-05:00

We are full swing into play and training. Initially I wrote puppy play and puppy training but then I realized that the pup isn't the only one being taught lessons. He isn't the only one being molded and carved.

Knowing that an end is in site has made RV life a bit harder on all of us lately as we wake up with aches and lack the hot water to shower or needing to make another laundry run yet again but we are learning, constantly reminding ourselves how blessed we truly are. Ann's book has reminded me to look for the gifts in each moment and though this doesn't come easy for me I am making progress. In the midst of another child throwing up I gave thanks for the fresca in the fridge for easing his tummy, and for the popcorn bucket aim instead of floor.

My husband and I have learned much on this journey and have survived (with a few bumps and bruises along the way :)

~The house is coming along, this week the floors will be finished and the painting begins! We are very excited about moving in and breaking bread together as a family.~

Figuring Life Out - One Thousand Gifts

2011-01-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about getting Ann's book in my hands!!!

Five Minute Fridays (A little early)

2011-01-13T18:29:00.000-05:00

We smile at one another because we are here… living in a RV.

We get caught up in “life” and then the propane goes out. We sit bundled together praying between the chills that time is found for the big red truck to come and fill the tank back up with that magical (but disgusting smelling) gas so that we can cook and stay warm.

Sometimes we bribe them with donuts :)

We laugh and will always remember this chapter in our story.

We people watch as we sit in plastic chairs, the smell of dryer sheets in the air. We wait for our multiple loads of laundry to stop spinning.

We sit on our bed (which is also the couch) and we do the ordinary every day things like reading library books, scribbling down grocery lists and playing on the laptop.

We have learned to laugh now at the hurdles.

We will never forget this journey.

(Five Minute Friday's with Gypsy Mama, come join us)