Two week of Meals

Mom whats for Breakfast? Mom whats for Lunch? Mom, Mom whats for Dinner? Can I have a snack?

Its seems like my day can completely get taken away with these question. I can spend half my day in the kitchen figuring out what to make and then cooking. This is an area I need to get organized and under control. I have tried different methods some of them have worked other have not.

This is what I'm going to try now. I have made list of 14 different dinners. So I have 2 weeks worth of dinner written down and I shopped for all that I would need to make them. I don't assign my meals a day because I like to change my mind. I do check my list the night before to see what I want the next night so I can pull anything from the freezer to thaw and take note of any fresh veggies I will need to pick up.

• Oven Roasted Chicken with steamed veggies
• Sweat and Sour Pork Chops (croc pot) with rice (rice cooker) and steamed broccoli
• Pasta with Sun-Dried tomato pesto sauce
• French Bread Pizza and salad
• Spaghetti and meatballs
• Pot Roast w/ potatoes and carrots
• Enchiladas made with leftover meat from Roast
• Potato Soup (croc pot) and homemade bread
• Tortilla Soup (croc pot) and salad
• Shepherd's Pie and steamed Broccoli
• Chili (croc pot) and baked potatoes
• Baked Chicken and corn
• BBQ Chicken (croc pot), with rice or mash potatoes and corn
• Lemon Pepper marinated Chicken (croc pot), rice and green beans

I have tried this with 1 week of meals and it went really well so I hope it works just as well with 2 weeks.

I'll try to start adding some of my recipes.

~Amy

Do The Next Thing

DO THE NEXT THING

At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
There came in the twilight a message to me.
Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven
That, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
And all through the hours the quiet words ring,
Like a low inspiration, do the next thing.

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing.

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care.
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand,
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing.

Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance, be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons, do the next thing.

~Elisabeth Elliot

Kitchen Fun Part 2

Last Monday we had a game day. I also decided to make sandwiches a bit more fun.

We had leaf shaped PB & J or tuna fish.

We also had pumpkins and acorns. Josh loved the shaped sandwiches he ate 4 that day.

My baby boy. So cute.

Kitchen Fun!

JoAnna and Joshua helped me make cookies.

Ezra enjoying the fruit of their labor.
JoJo enjoying a beater. Its all over her chin.

Josh enjoying his beater.

How cute can she be. It was so much fun cooking with a little girl for the first time. Josh and Jo took turns putting the ingredients in and the did great about taking turns.

Once the dough is done its all over. Everyone has to have multiple finger dips and licks.

Pictures!

Here is Ezra playing outside with everyone. Zeke taking pictures.
Zeke taking one of himself showing off his black eye.

Josh showing off hi weapons.

Josh at the neighborhood park yesturday.

We went on a walk through are neighboring woods.

Elijah and Jo.

Miss JoJo

It tooks us about a week but we got it built and they love there basketball hoop.

JoAnna got a kitchen the other day from a consignment sale. She loves it.

JoAnna just being cute as a button.

There has been alot going on with us. Still looking for a church to call home. Still looking to make new friends. Still working out daily schedule, with school, meals, chores, and time to keep myself sane, and time to work in Daddy time who is on nights right now.

It's that time of year again.

I'm sure having fun looking at everyones plans if you want to see more than just mine take a look at The Homeschool lounge.

I'm having fun planning and getting fresh supplies for our school year this year. I'm eager to go to my first home school support group meeting in our new town. I want so much for Jesus to be honored with our school, day and lives.

We are going to be using Charlotte Mason as the base of you school curriculum. I'm excited about it and think it will help my kids to fall in love with learning and to become life long learners.

• Our Bible, Geography, and History will be taken from Genesis-Deuteronomy, about Egypt, about our Ancient History.


• We will be start our year with Astronomy for Science, with many great book, CD, and hands on experience with our new telescope. ( We got it from Costco its from Meade. It amazing last night we looked at Venus.)


• For science the kids will also have Nature Journals (composition books) and will go on weekly walks to observe and draw what the see.


• We will be doing a picture study one day a week for six weeks we are starting with Claude Monet's art work.


• The 2 oldest will be taking piano lessons again.


• We will be reading out loud and individually lots of living books. Then the children will give oral narrations and the old guys will have to do 1-2 written narrations as well.


• There is copy work involved.


• For math we are staying traditional with Saxon and Horizon math but going try to do have kids do hands on math assignments and real life math more often this year.


• We will also be keeping notebooks. It will helps keep all the work in place and have something to show if anyone comes knocking making sure my kids are learning. I also think it will be a lot of fun.

So that sum's up our school for 2009-2010.

A trip to Old Town Alexandria

It was a hot down but we walk down the streets of Old Town Alexandria. Its very charming.

This is at the end of the road we ended up at the bay front. There where, shops, food, museums, and street performers.

JoAnna and Josh checking out all the birds.

My Precious Joshy.

My cool and collected Little Old Man Ezra.

My full of sunshine and smiles JoAnna.

She loves to take her baby's and blanket everywhere.

This was about 3 weeks ago our fist time with pig tails so cute.

"I'm hot and tired and would like to go now."

:)

What Happening!

The picture of the kids on the stone eagle brings back memories. This Eagle is at the D.C. Zoo I have a picute of Elijah, Zeke, and Ezra when he was a 2 months old with this satue when we lived in Frederick Maryland. Know we are back and I can't wait to get a picture with all five kids.

Its amazing how time flies. My baby is doing well and almost fully potty trained which she mastered in just a few days. She is 2 1/2 and is the sunshine of the house. She lets me comb through her curls and put barrettes and pig tails in her hair. To have a little girl that lets me do her hair is one of many simple pleasure that make being a mom so enjoyable.



Ezra is 6 now and seems to have grown and mature so much in just a month I can't imagine what he will be like at his next birthday. He started reading as a Kindergartner but with showing the house so much this spring and the move I haven't had him practicing but then other day he picked a book and started reading, sounding out words, and asking for help when he couldn't get it without getting frustrated. I love that he discovered reading again on his own with no stress, no frustration. He also has taken quiet nicely to being the big brother in charge that Joshua and JoAnna look up to. He got every one cups of milk and a granola bar out this morning while I was still up stairs. He is growing up so fast. He does miss Elijah and Zeke though and I know he will be so happy to have his big brothers back as will the whole family.





Joshua is 4 1/2 and growing up. He loves to be the first one up and get dressed right away and puts his p.j.'s back in the drawer. He is my most active child and seems to love/need order. He looks out for JoAnna but always loves to tease her as well. He recognizes most all his letters and knows most of there sounds as well. He has learned to play well by himself; setting up battles with his toys, building things with Lego's. Just the other day he built a giraffe. It was really cute and he is so proud of it that he has it stashed away somewhere safe.





Elijah and Zeke our starting there last week of a 2 month vacation. None of us knew they would be away that long but they have had a great time with both set of grandparents and have been able to visit extended family and see and do thing they have never done before. I'm ready to have them back and my family whole again though.

Ezra turned 6 and the 4th of July

JoAnna and her 4th of July dress.
Ezra just went shopping at Toys R Us and picked out a couple gifts.
He got to pick how he spent his day.
We surprised him with shopping but he picked going to the movies to see Ice Age 3 and going to Chucky Cheeses. Then we finished the night with Fireworks.


All 3 waiting for the movie to start.

His birthday is actually the 3rd but daddy had to work so we celebrated on the 4th. But on the 3rd I went to Star Bucks and treated him to a cinnamon roll.

Happy Birthday Ezra!

You make my life better!

Its been a while I know!

Hi to everyone.

I will post pictures of the house and kids later this week. The pictures might still have boxes in them but you will get an idea of where we live now. I hope everyone is having a great summer.