Thanksgiving!!!

Man it's Thanksgiving tomorrow!!!  How did that happened?!  Last year at this time we were driving to Cali!  This year we are having a great dinner with some family and friends out here and going to love the time we get with them.

I sat down with our girls the other day and ask them what Thanksgiving means to them, and what they hold in their hearts...thinking I was going to get no school, or pie something on those lines.  No I did not.  I got something that made my heart sad and happy all at once.  See this will be Eammah's 2nd Thanksgiving without all the family, and last year she did not know that it was Thanksgiving because we were driving.  She always had family around.  But Jessalla has not.  She had both ways.  But they both had the same thing to say.  They are thankful for our family, and they miss them so much!  They are grateful for the time we get with them and the things they learn when we are with them and the things that I pass on to them.  They still like the pie!  I'm glad to see that they at their ages know what matters and where their time needs to be.

Jessalla is starting to help make Thanksgiving dinner with me just like I use to with my Grandparents.  When I was in School we did not get a week off at Thanksgiving, we would get a 1/2 day on Wednesday and I would ride the bus out to my grandparents and help with whatever needed to be done for the rest of the day and then get up early the next morning and help.  I learn how to make my Great Grandma Wojciechowski stuffing that way!!  It's the one thing that I must have on Thanksgiving, it is the best.  And Jessalla shares her mommy love for it, so she started helping me make it.  And I'm sure she will learn it just the way I did, just by doing because it's not wrote down!!  I think those are the best kinds!!  Eammah help in things that only take a few minutes to do :)  But I love having my girls in there and helping and doing it with me.  We will be making a turkey on Friday, because we are going to family house like we did for years last time we were out here.

We take turns at our house saying something we are Thankful for for each other.  And talking about the year and all that we have done, our favorite and sometimes the bad, the sad.  We take the time to talk about family, and things that Matthew and I remember from when were kids.  This year will be no different just Friday.  No Black Friday shopping for us this year, we will be taking in a free movie here on base.  Well the girls and I will be, them back home for dinner.  We will pull out our Christmas things and get them up. (Matthew told me I had to wait till after Thanksgiving this year) So I will.  Saturday morning we all will take in a another free movie here on base a Christmas one.  Then starts the crazy and nuts of Christmas!!  More on that to come!

Little high lights from the month....Jessalla and Eammah got to see all different Marine uniforms with they Grandma Dixie (I wish I got to go I had a meeting)  I had a big birthday 30!!  Had a great day, and my loving sister in law gave me a party!!  Had a great time at the Birthday Ball!  Our guess this year is my favorite one so far!!  I could listen to him talk for hours!!  Had a great visit with Matthew parents when they were here the last part of Oct, and first little bit of Nov.  Nov is a Birthday month for us I have 2 sisters 2 dads and mine....and 2 Aunt, and a Cuz!  it's a full month but we love it!

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and be safe!  From our house to yours  God Bless you with Love and Family this holiday.  Memories that will last a life time.

~Amber

My "school" for the year

     I have shared what the girls would be using and learning about.  I still have to post about their goals and whatnot.  This year I'm letting Tinker Bell take part a little in that part and it's taking a little longer than it would if she was not.  But I think it's good for her.  So in the other post I said I would share what was on my list for the year, what I hope to learn and my goals.  It's funny to the girls that I still have goals and things that I need/want to learn.  But I see what it does to them and hopes that it will make them lifelong learners and see that it does not have to stop just because school is out for the summer, or you have finish school.   I think they are seeing that with what I have set up for myself this year!

My Goals for the year - (Some are just for the school year, and others will need a year 365 days to finish)  Here the start

     First and for-most my Bible and my time with it.  Reading each day.  The one that I'm thinking I will use for the most part will be Women's Devotional Bible 2 NIV.  And with my Bible I will be using A Woman's  Guide to reading the Bible in a year  a life-changing journey into the heart of God By Diane Stortz
     On top of that I will be reading In God We Still Trust a 365-day Devotional By: Dr. Richard G. Lee.  I will be taking part in a Bible study on base for the woman here, we will be doing two books this year.  The one we have started is called Becoming Spiritually Beautiful - Seeing Yourself From God's Perspective by: Sharon Jaynes. We will not find out the other till the last part of this year or the start of the new year.  And then this next summer I will be doing a summer study in my house or a park around here and the book I would like to use is called Preparing My Heart for Motherhood by: Ann Marie Stewart.
     I know tat looks like a lot, but there is still more.  I have three books that would fall under knowing my Bible more.  And will use them as fun reading.
     The Top 100 Men of the Bible who they are and what they mean to you today by: Drew Josephs
     Women of the Bible - A visual Guide to Their Lives, Loves, and Legacy by: Carol Smith, Ellyn Sanna and Rachael Phillips
     The Resolution for Women by: Priscilla Shirer

Here is the list of other books that I would like to read this year and how I think they fit in.

     Home School Books
  A Field Guide to Home Schooling  A Practical Guide for Parents by: Christine M. Field
  The Shelter of Each Other Rebuilding our Families by: Mary Pipher, Ph.D.
  Teaching Kids about God by: John Trent, Ph.D., Rick Osborne, and Kurt Bruner

     Books to Bettering me
  The Mom I want to Be - Rising Above Your Past To Give Your Kids a Great Future by: T. Suzanne Eller
  Real Moms......Real Jesus  Meet the Friend who Understands by: Jill Savage
  Walk Strong, Look Up by: Chantel Hobbs
  Reshaping It All by: Candace Cameron Bure and Darlene Schacht (Can not wait for her new book to come out)
  What To Expect Before Your Expecting by: Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
  Just Lead - A no Whining, No Complaining, No Nonsense Practical Guide for Women Leaders in the Church by: Sherry Surratt and Jenni Catron
  Forget the Guilt and Find the Gift a Busy Woman's Guide to Prayer by: Cheri Fuller ( She is another one that I just love, and keep my eye out for)

     Fun Books
  Grace by: Shelley Shepard Gray
  A Quaker Christmas 4-in-1 Collection by: Lauralee Bliss, Ramona K. Cecil, Rachael Phillips and Claire Sanders.  This book is a Romancing America book and I love them so if I find time I will grab a few more of them.

Also I said that I could not wait for Candace Cameron Bure new book, also I still have a few of Jill Savage books I need to read.  And the Duggar Girls all have a book coming out that I hope to grab when it out.  But the ones listed are ones that I have in the house now.  I will add some to my christmas list, and will pick some up when I'm done with this list.

Those are just the book I want to read.  I still have other goals.....maybe a little much but that's okay.  Some of the other goals are....

     I'm big time over weight right now, so in the next year I want to lose 40 lbs.  I will still have more to lose after that but it's about doing it right, safe, and healthy!  If I lose more than great!!  If not and it's just the 40 well I did it the right way and I'm happy about that.  Another health goal that we have as a family is a family 5k walk/run that they do here on the base!  We can not wait!  Showing our kids that we need to be healthy and push yourself.  This goes with the way we cook and eat to, so another is just watching how we shop and cook try new things.  Eat more at home, and make smart choices when we are out.

   Money Goal - Put money in to saving and work hard to make sure it stays there.  Talk to the girls that there are many things that we would love to have, but very few that we need.  And it's okay not to get all that we want.  And show them that even Mom and Dad go without and wait to get things that we want.  We want to travel and see things and be able to take the girls to different things.  Also I want to have money aside for Hearts - at - Home in March and all that comes with that.

     Family Goals - Getting back to where we use to be.  Making sure that our girls know that after God they are next in line, not a tv show or friends, or our phones.  Wednesday night Game nigh, Friday Pizza and Movie.  Family Bible time with Matthew at night.  Reading Bed Time stories and Yes Tinker Bell can read very well!  But I love doing that and do not do it some night and there is nothing that should stop me from doing it.  Just getting back in to this is how it is.  Getting Back to us.  It's a great place to be.

   Goals for me - I want to the girls to see that I'm doing my best, and I only want the best for them.  That even at my age I try new things.  How to treat their Husbands some day, what a wife title means, how to be a Proverbs 31 women in the 2000.  How to love them self and others.  And most of all how to be a woman of Christ, and show off only their Faith.

Out and About

     I get ask a lot what do when you have to be out of the house.....well I leave and do what I need to do.  I know that's not what they would like to know.  But sometimes that's what I say.  Then go on with more.  Our girls both have little bags pack and ready to grab when we have to leave, this could be something that was plan or something that came up.  I have it pack at  all times and it just stays in our school book place.  Every few months I will go and pull things out and put new things in.  And we love it.  This is different then us taking school to the park, or going to see family for a week.  That I pack and plan for.  This is when one needs to see the Dr. or I do.  So in their little bags at any given time you would find....
 
     Pencil and a highlighter
     Work books from the dollar store 1 - math and 1 - writing or something fun
     A note pad
     Old spelling list
     Flashcards
     2 books each
     A small game, we have a few that when they are not in their bags they love to play them on Fridays (Our Fun day)

That's the main list.  Sometimes there is more, way more.  But always that.   And I try to keep a list of that week's spelling words on me, so when we are out or in the car going somewhere I can pull them out and we can work on them.  I also try to be out just one day...so this past week we all went and got our teeth clean!!  And in 6 months we will do it again.  So that's how we do it when we have to be out doing something.  And if it's something like Christian Woman Fellowship that will be every Tuesday, I just work it in to school for that day.  So we will get up and do school take the time needed to go to CWF and come home and pick right back up.  And on those days they would not their morning playtime, and their after lunch one maybe a little shorter as well.

God Bless!!
Amber

That time of year again!! Here what we are using this year

   It's that time a year again, but I think this year Wal-mart was giving us a jump start back in July!!  It's school time.  Last year full/real year of homeschooling and yes it was hard, and there were days that we all ask is this what we want.  But in the end we made it and loved it!  I would say that it's not for everyone, and it's not something that we are saying we will do this always.  But we are doing it again this year.  And as of right now I do not see us stopping anytime soon.  This is not something that our parents did with us.  Hubby and I both went to public school, and I loved school and could not wait to go back every year.  I'm sure the hubby could wait but he like it and did well, played football.  And that was what was best for us, and this is what we feel is best for them.  With that said yes we have people that we love and love us that think we should not be doing this.  And it was hard for me the first few months because I felt that I was letting them down by doing things that I was doing.  I got over that and take what they say, and listen to what they say but still do what I think.  I know that they too are wanting what is best.
   With all that out of the way I wanted to tell what we would be doing this year.  Tinker Bell is going into 2nd grade.  And for the most part she right there, her reading is a little higher and so is her spelling.  And because I know that she not one grade all the ways across I do not buy box sets, they do not work for us as a family.  So here it is.....

Bible -
     God and Me 3 Devotions for Girls Ages 6-9  -  We both love this one!  And will get the next one when she is finish with this one.  She has two pages to do a day.

     She is also Reading Jesus Calling Bible Storybook by Sarah Young  -  She loves it...I also do, but it's not what I was thinking it was going to be.  And that's okay.  We will finish it and when we are done I will find something else for her.

    Both of these should be done this year (2013) so most likely she will be getting new ones for Christmas.

English -
     Hooked on Phonics  -  This year she will be doing 2nd grade, and I do this just to make sure she has everything she needs before moving on.  and for the most part she does it on her own.  I'm sure she could go without it.

     Skills for Success Grammar Rules!!  -  This is a book that I found online, and love it!  It for 1st-2nd grade.  And the way we use it, it will last us a lot longer.  And I'm okay with that.  She does on page on Monday morning and at the bottom of the page there is a Draft Book, and I have her do that all week.  And I hope by the end of the week she will know for sure what the week is about.  So far so good!!

     A reason for Handwriting A and B  -  She is finishing up A and moving right on in to B.  It's handwriting, that starts off small and gets bigger as the week goes on.  She ends with writing a verse from the Bible.  It comes with a Teacher guidebook that dose k-6 all in one!!  Nice because I only need one for both girls.  But in there it give different games, and trips to help you out.

     A reason for Spelling B and C  -  Again she will being finishing up and moving right on to the new one.  You have to get each teacher guidebook each year.  On Monday we read a story that goes with the spelling words, and memories verse and take her pre-test.  Then all week has fun and different ways of working on her words.  One for each way of learning, there is also a game, and different ways of spelling the words and then on Friday she has a test.

     Writing  -  I got online and got a few writing prompt books for her.  Ones that I think she would like and that would be fun.  I try to get her to do one every few days.  She also has a journal that she writes in daily.  She also does book reports and other fun writing.  Like right now we are reading the Wizard of Oz and when we are done we will watch the movie and I will have her write up 3-5 different she see, and 3-5 things that are the same.  We also watch a movie Friday nights as a family so I give her the title and she write up what she thinks it's about just by the title.  She likes what we are doing for writing now.  She not a fan of writing so it's a little hard to get her to do it some times.  But we are working on it.  She also writes letters home to family.

Math  -
     Math in Focus  -  This is our 2nd year using it, and we love it.  Some of the things it wants you to do seem a little different, and sometimes it's a little slow.  But sometimes I think that I may have needed to start her off a year higher than I did.  And that's okay.  We do the work, and do the test.  To add a little fun in we also play games.

Ariel  -  is going into pre -k and K!!  She is getting so big.

Bible  -  

     God and Me Devotions for Girls Ages 2-5.  She is also loving it.  We just started with her writing her own answers to what they ask.  I write them and she copies them in to the book.  She is doing great.

     The Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible by Jan and Mike Berenstain  -  It's a great book she loves the Berenstain Bears so this was a must for us to have for her. We read a story together and I find a coloring page to go with it for her.  We talk about it and that's about it for her.  We will finish it in just a few weeks, maybe months but not long at all.  Then we may move on to Tinker Bell's book.  

English  -  

     A reason for Handwriting K  -  We did it last year and will do it again this year, I also print things off line for her pull things off of other workbooks.

     Hooked on Phonics  -  She will start Kindergarten leave 1 in a few weeks, and we will take it as fast or as slow as needed.  Own goal this years is to get all our letter sounds down.  It's a great and do able goal.

     Writing  -  We are not pushing it, she will copy words that I write out for her, and she sends letters that way.  and for now that's just great.

     Spelling and Grammar  -  we are not working on this year.  Sometimes she will wants a list of words to spell so I give her some little ones that she could do.  And when Tinker Bell does her grammar sometimes she will get in on the game and whatnot.  Next year she will start

Math  -  

     Well it's just whatever I grab for her for the day.  It could be a workbook, game or a print out.  We are working on counting to 50, writing our numbers, bigger and less than.  Fun math.  She will start some adding later in the year.

I know you are all thinking that I left a few things out....I did not leave them out we just do them together.  

Bible  -  100 Verse Every Christian Needs To Know - we are taking one at a time and working on it till we all have it down and moving on.  So it's not one per week or anything like that.  So far lots of fun.  With each verse it has a little something with it.  It's been great even for me.

Science  -  We been using God's Design for Life the green books this year.  The books are from the Answers in Genesis Science By Debbie and Richard Lawrence.  This year we are looking at The World of Plants, The World of Animals, and The Human Body.  Right now we are talk about cells and the different

Social Study/ Geography/ History  -  We have not found something that we love.  And I just can not bring myself to buy something at this minute that I have not look in to a little more.  So we are traveling the US this year.  Starting with the First state and making our way to the last.  We will take the time to look at our history a little, and how the flag became what it did.   And having fun with it!!  And at the same time looking in to something for next year or later this year.

We do other things to  -  Dance, Charter Training, sports, AHG, starting piano soon!  That's a full list.  That's not their reading list witch I will do in a different post.  Along with what I'm doing this year!  

I hope this helps you in picking your own if that's what you are doing. And thank you for visiting our Doorstep!!  

God Bless,

Amber

The 4th of July!!!!

It's the 4th of July.....It's hot out here and not much to do without AC.  I took this week to start back up with school.  We did a small and fun little unit theme on the 4TH..  And had a lot of fun learning and talking about all the different things.  This year like many in the past we were ask to BBQ and to come hang out.  And this year we past on them and on hosting our own BBQ, it's a little different not having a house full of people.

   I remember as a little girl, my home town did fireworks on the 3rd always, and still does.  We would go see them, then the next morning get up and go sit on main street!!  And watch as all the flouts pass by, then we would make our way down to the park.  The firefighter would do a big BBQ, there were games for the kids and just tons of fun.  Than at some point we ended back out at my grandparents house with the rest of the family for more BBQ, and small fireworks!!  I love that I have that memories and it's a part of me.  I hope and pray that our girls will have these also.

   Like I said this year is different, we are back out in Cali. away from family for the first time in a few years.  And we are stepping back.  We spent the morning hanging out us a family.  Got Matthew making a shoe rack for all of our shoes.  Having a great dinner later tonight with my mother -in-laws coleslaw it's one of my favorite things she makes!!  Both of the girls pick things to make and are hard at work on them.  We also have corn on the cob, and a few other fav that we all love.  We plan on walking down to see fireworks later tonight.

  The 4th is a fun holiday, and that's great!!  And I'm glad that it is, but I also want to make sure our girls know why we have the 4th and why it's so important.  They got to sing last Sunday in Church and did a great job!  "God Bless America"  we have taken some time to pray for those families that love ones never will come home, and those who are still gone.  We pray for our government, and all the is going on.  We had the girls sitting there with us and praying with us about those things.  Than we pray thanks over those people and the job they are doing.  Praying thanks over Matthew and the job he is doing as a Marine for us to stay free and live the way we do.

We hope and pray that you all have a safe and great 4th of July!

~ Amber

The many looks of our sweet Tinker Bell

  I try to do this on their Birthdays, but day I wanted to write and this came to me so Tinker Bell it is.  (that and I do not think I did one on her Birthday)  Our sweet little daddy's girl is very much her own person now.  And what a great person she is becoming.  I use to be so surprised at some of the things she would do or want.  I remember one time I took her shopping and what getting her things that I would like and whatnot.  And for the most part she was okay with what I got.  But then she ask if she could pick something out. And she did!!  It was this semi bright orange skirt and orange and gray top.  I did not think she would like it, and I was right she did not like it......she love it!!!  And still wears it around the house!  Way to small for her to have on outside the house!  And now letting her pick out her own things it's still will make me think back to that day when she began to pick them out.  She still likes the same kinds of things.  She loves her clothes to be girls and cute!  And she love shoes!!  And on holidays and church that's the Tinker Bell everyone see and gets to know.  But there is some much more to her....She love dance and soccer so much when ask witch one more she said why do I have to pick!!  Shes played baseball for 2 years now, and taken golf camp and enjoy them both.  I can see her keeping us running when she is a little older.
   She does not mind helping others out when needed, and does her best at all things she tries.  She is a hard worker, a people pleaser, a lover not a fighter.  But at the same time, if you get her mad she will do everything she can not to do what you are asking of her.  And she is very good at that.  She acts old than she is, so when she act 7 I get mad sometime but got to stop and think that she is only 7!  She loves to play with her sister, and her baby dolls!  Games with her family, movie nights and camping out.  She still okay to hold hands (for the most part) I know that will fastly come uncool!!  But at the same time she may hold hands lots longer, because she doesn't mind being different and does not care what others are wearing and watching.  She does not get talkin to think easily and will stand up for what she feels is right.
   These are just a few of the looks and sides of our sweet Tinker Bell

Hosting, Soccer and a week on the go!!!

   So last Sunday night we all got in the car and drove up to the main gate to pick up our coaches that would be staying with us.  Ben and Rhys, outside of a page on each we knew nothing about them and where praying that we would all fit together and make it till next weekend.  Lucky for me their had their our car, so I did not have to run around like a chicken with my head cut off.  They were ready to go when we got there so the girls stayed in the car and we came right back to the house.  

The girls sign we made for the boys on Thursday night game!!

   In that time Matthew and I had a little time to talk, and think about what we were going to do that night and whatnot.  Made it back and got the girls out of the car and was able to meet what we lovingly call the boys now.  At first I miss Rhys name and it was not till about an hour later when Ben said it but we are all good now.  We had Tacos for dinner and then after dinner took them out to Fro Yo!  Here on base it's something that they love.  Spent a good amount of time talking and getting to know each other, and let them see in our game room!  Which I think they both like.  

After the game!  Everyone that played Coaches and Marines

   Monday came, and we hit the ground running, it was the first day of camp.  And I had a list of things that I wanted to get done with Jessalla was there, that all went to the waste side when she ask me to stay!  So I stayed for hour-ish then ran home to pick up before running back to get her.  Then back to the house to make lunch, and wait for the boys to get back.  At this point thinking they should have been back by now I think I have lost them on base somewheres and thinking it was dumb not to give them my number!  (They made it back a few minutes after that, and I got and give numbers)  And the weeks been a lot like that, we have not lost them again that I know of.  We have took them around base, up to the MCX, and  got them pop. (out f one of those that have 180+ kinds)  Ben has been able to take part in a day trip to LV, and Rhys got to go out to Joshua Tree Park and hike and whatnot.  All the coaches have gotten to go to Palm Springs 2 times as a group, once for shopping and the other for GO-KARTING.  Took them blowing one afternoon with the unit.  (OOO yes have to had a unit fun day in there, and a fundraiser in this past week)  There were many first for the boys this week.  New foods, word, and saying.  (but I would have to say that went both ways with the sayings.)  But on Thursday night the Landers Family had a first....it's first soccer game!!  It was the coacher v. the marines!!!  Not sure who we were for....we look like it this Matthew was not playing and we had two coaches living with us, so sorry Marines but we had too!!  Good thing too, 5-1 (I said 4, but others are saying 5.  I miss one) Very sad day or the Marines!  Matthew and I both were thinking that more than one of the coaches were going to lose it.  But thankfully no one did.  Came home and Ben cook for the 6 of us plus 4 other coaches.  I will have to try to make it.  (if not he will just a have to come back whenever we want it) After dinner we made a fire and let them all have s'more!!  To funny!  Glad we did it.   Friday - Eammah and I campout at camp and got pic of Ben and Rhys for them with their kids and of Jessalla and her coaches!  We had a great time.  Then come Friday afternoon it got clam and the boys left for the night, another host family had a big bbq for them and whatnot, and Matthew had to stay over so it was just the girls and I at the house.  We napped, got up ate dinner, and watch a little TV and went back to bed!!!  I needed it!  

Thursday night after the game!  

   It's Saturday morning the boys are on their way back to the house, no idea what is going on with Matthew as of right now. I'm sure we'll find out soon....I hope!  We would host again in  a minute!  We have loved it, the girls have loved it!  And I think the boys have...  Jessalla has said that she will be playing soccer in the fall, and wants to go to camp again next year.  Eammah was just as happy to watch as Jessalla was to play!  Both are sad that the boys are leaving in the morning.  And have ask if we will see them again.  I think we will try to see them one Saturday when we do Sea World.  And other than that I can not say.  Matthew and I would love to say yes we will, and we hope we do.  They are always welcome here or wherever we are living at the time.  They have truly became part of this family over the past week.  The girls have fallen in love with them, and so have Matthew and I.  We were sitting around talking the other night.  One of them said that the girls made them fill like they were family they have not seen in a long time.  That made me feel good! 

   Soccer camp is over Jesssalla is taking the weekend off and then going to golf camp.  But at the end of the week the coaches fill out a paper on each camper.  This was her Coach's comments -Extremely well behaved camper that always listened to coach's instructions, as a result you are now able to perform skills such as the drag back, in-outs, toe taps forwards & backwards.  Remember to keep practising these skills as these will help improve your control for when it is time to scrimmage.  In addition to using the inside of your foot when short passing.  It has been my pleasure having you on camp!!!  Thank you Coach Nathan!!  

Talk about a happy/ proud Mommy and Daddy!!!

Starting our last day with the boys!!  Going to make it a good one.

~ Amber

 

Cell phones?!?! Are taking over!!!

    Let me say first that we have cell phones.  Well Matthew and I do.  And have talk about when and if the kids would get one.  But that's not what this is about.  Thinking back to when I was a little girl there was a sign welcoming you to Church, or maybe one asking you bring nothing but water in.  But now most Church have a sign that says please turn off Cells.  Are you kidding me.  I did not even think of taking a phone with me to Church.  This was not a time to have a phone this is a time for you and God to talk.  Or at times have God hit you upside the head when needed.
     Then Matthew went overseas a few years back, and my phone became glued to my hip!!  And I'm sorry to say I would leave Church and take phone calls from him.  I always turn it down and just had it on my lap so I could see it.  When if home now I leave it in the car.  But some many of us do not.  They have came to count on it and are not sure what would happened if there did not have it with them at all times.
    Today we had two phones goes off in Church....And I know people have their reason of having them on.  But do we have to have them on all the time.  Do we need to pull out our phones at Church and look things up on our Bible app?  Before and after Church do we need to sit there and play games or text our friends?  No, we do not need them.  We have a good old hard cover Bible with pages inside that works just as well.  And I know for me having it at my hip like that with my Bible app ready to go, I do not know the word like I should.  Why should I?  I can look it up in no time at all!
   This goes for others things too!  Why should we learn math, with our phones with us all the time it's not needed.  We do not have to stop to think about anything, with your phones.  It's right with us all the time.  Our kids can look things up in a matter of minutes and know what they want.  But they do not have to learn it, because the next time they need it they just look it up again.  And yes I have look things up!   And sometime I have to look things back up!  Not that I'm happy about that.
    Let me ask you something when you went out to eat 15 years ago or even 10 years ago, what did the kids do?  What did the parents do?  What was going on at each table?  People talk!!! Not text not play games on a phone!!  They talk and maybe a game of tic-tac-toe was played.  Same goes for parks!
   Now that I have said all of that, here is what the Landers are going to do about it!!!  We are turning of our phones!  Not for a hour or a day....but each and every time we sit down at the table, walk in to church, or have family game/ movie night!  Our kids will get phones when they start to drive.  But I hope it will not be a smart phone.  And if I think I could get away with it I would get them one that would just call home, mom, dad and 911!  I'm thinking that by then they may have some friends that they would like to talk to.  I'm not saying that it's wrong to have a cell in Church and if there is a time again that I "need" to have one I will.  But for right now as a family we need to step back a little.  Our kids spell LOVE  like this TIME, and we are not giving them the time they need with our phones on our hips all the time.

~Amber

Are we miss out?

Being in a Military family you could have that we miss out on a lot.  And so do our kids.  I mean lets think about it....We miss out on
   1) Holiday dinners
   2) birthday parties
   3) weddings
   4) Graduations
   5) Birth
   6) Everyday things
And those are just some of the big things that we miss out on!  It goes both ways.  Our kids do not get to have family at their Birthday's, we have people around for the holidays but it's not "family" with our Aunts rolls or Grandma's stuffing.  Those are things that we miss out on.

   Why is it that we miss out on these things.  Is it because we have in our mind what it should look like and because we can not have that we think we miss out.  I think we miss out because we do not look for a way not to miss out!  In the past month there have been 2 high graduations and 4 yes 4 babies!  All boys!  Where was I for all of this 3000 miles away!  Not where I wanted to be when all of this was going on.  How did I make it so I did not feel like I was missing out.  I called to tell the two sweet ladies how proud I was of them for finish high school and that I wish I was there.  And that I love them.  I'm running a little late and still have not got anything in the mail for them.  But I will get it there soon!  I hope!  With all the babies!  I wrote and or talk to each of the mommy!  The first mommy had twins!!  And have one at home a girl, but sh was coming home with 2 and 3.  The 2nd mommy was having her 3rd!  I was able to write her on facebook and got to text a little after.  And the 3rd mommy is my sweet sister~in~love (law) This one kids me more than the others.  Just because 4 years ago we were both having girls just 2 months apart.  And we have became best friends.  But the girls and I have something sweet for her.

We plan to be there when we can.  And when we can't we still make sure to talk or write to who ever big day it is.  And our family and friends back home are very good about doing the same for our girls.  Sometimes I fall behind, but for the most part I try to stay up on it.

So do we feel that we or our kids are missing out?  No!  But they do know what matters!  And that's our family and friends!  It's all about how you look at it.  I'm not saying that we do not wish we were there or that we do not get home sick, we do and more so when we are missing things.  But we are grateful for the time we do get.  And it give us a changes to get cradtive in ways we stay in the loop.

~Amber

Small update and the reason we been gone for awhile

  Sorry about taking sometime away!  We made a web page thinking that was the way we wanted to move in the way to keep up with our family.  But it just was not working out the way we wanted and after a year of working on it and trying to work on it.  We have came bake to our blog with a new name and a little different lay out.  We will slowly bring our post from our web page to post here.   We working on adding more pages and making it more like we want.  Hang in there with  us and see what come form it.   We have big things coming up.  Tinker Bell is going to start posting on here for school.  We are working on a game plan of what we hope will come out if this.

   With that out of the way.  We are doing great, we made the move back to Cali and are under way to get back in to what will be normal life again.  It is warming up here and fast with yesterday being about 115 not all that bad.  We seen hot the last time we were out here.

This months goals are to get 2 weeks of camp done and over with.  Start planing for next years school year.  And the never ending one just working on the house....I think it takes me about a year after moving to get things done how I like.  I'm looking forward to posting more for all that read this and can not wait to hear back form you all.

~ Amber