We closed on our house!

Just popping in to say that we closed on our house last Thursday!  We have been busy cleaning over there and are waiting for the packers to arrive here at the old house as I type.  Hoping it all moves along quickly.

The new house is getting fresh paint and carpet over the next couple of days.  We just can't wait to be settled.  Thanks for all the prayers.  Will post an update when I can.  Can you believe I actually miss school?

Have a Blessed week!

A Late August Daybook

Outside My Window – The sun is still bright and HOT.  It has been miserable here with the high 90's and low 100's all week.  Can't wait until September.  All I see out of the schoolroom window is trees.  Lovely trees.  I will miss this window when we move.  We often see the deer munching away up on the bank outside.

In the Learning Room – Things are moving along quite nicely.  We are in our third week of schooling, though it will be a short one.  (See Below)  Our plans for the year are working and I have been pleasantly surprised with how much K-Doodle can do independently.  We are enjoying some Living Book reading together.  I don't really like Faith and Life 3rd grade.  I don't think that I did with Chloe either.  WAY too much writing in the workbook.  I think we are just going to read the text and be done with it.  I would love any ideas you have on religion for 3rd grade.  

Operation Relocation – We are all set to close on the house on Thursday at 11 a.m.  Then the owners have 3 days to vacate (not sure why).  At 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, it is all ours!!  Lots of painting and cleaning will be going on during the week, while the movers are at our current house packing and loading.  Then on Thursday, Sept. 1st, we should FINALLY be in our new house!  All prayers would be appreciated.  I have been calling on God's Grace daily during the past month.  Praying for a peaceful transition.  He has been faithful.

In the Kitchen – Trying to eat up what we have so that we don't have to move it with us or throw it away.  Going back to Organic.  Will post more about why at another time.  I can't wait to get back to menu planning and being on a schedule.  This having to eat up what I have has thrown me for a loop.


Summer Sizzle – Summer is quickly coming to a close.  The house we are buying has a pool.  We are hoping to eek out a day or two of fun in the pool before it gets too fallish around here.  Falling leaves, etc...  With the high 90's lately, I am not really worried about it.  I think we will be having some splashing days ahead.

Praying for - Patty over at ReasonsForChocolate who is still a little queasy after finding out that they have been blessed with a little bun in the oven!  She must have drank from the same preggo water as Sarah over at AmongstLovelyThings.  I will be praying for these dear ladies as they carry those bundles of joy.  Oh, I wish that season was not over for me.  WAIT!  Diapers, crying, all nighters.......I guess I will be satisfied with being a Nonnie in the years to come.  My "baby" is now eight years old!

Thinking of – To much to list here.  Trying not to think to much.  Over thinking is not good for you and keeps me up at night.  Every night.  I can't wait to be settled.  Did I say that already?

A Picture thought  I am sharing……..

Hopefully this will be our new home in a few days.  Come and sip Sweet Tea on the porch with me!



Shopping, good for the heart?

I know that for a lot of women, shopping is fun.  Relaxing....time to themselves.  For me it is torture.   Shopping is a chore that has to be done.  A chore in the truest form.

Enter coupons.  One of my homeschool friends introduced me to couponing.  She eats a lot of organics like we do, yet she still couponed.  I was intrigued.  So I ordered a subscription to the Sunday paper and began.  My girls observed.  They watched and giggled as I sorted and clipped.  And then the time arrived.  My first CVS shopping trip!  I got my very first ECB's (Extra Care Bucks) and earned something FREE.  Free is good.  No, free is GREAT!

These items are things that I don't buy organic.  Razors, cosmetics, hand soap, shaving lotions, toothpaste and candy for our shoebox donation boxes, toothbrushes, etc....  I took the girls with me for several weeks.  One was intrigued and the other bored out of her mind.  I bet you can guess who was bored.  Yep!  K-Doodle!

Fast forward to today......about four months later.  C-Sunshine does all the couponing prep.  She visits all the coupon websites and prints our weekly list.  She sorts and organizes the coupons and matches them up with the weekly sales.  She gives me the finished product.......a stack of coupons neatly clipped to it's corresponding store sales list.  She also adds up how much we should spend out of pocket.  (Math class credit?)  At the end of the trip, she calculates how much we saved.  We always strive for 75%!

C-Sunshine - my Coupon Sweetie Pie!

And then the fun for me really begins...................

Tools of the trade!

You see, C-Sunshine and I head out on our weekly coupon shopping alone.  Just the two of us, together with our Couponizer stuffed to the max with coupons and list.  We get to talk one-on-one.  We get to talk about "big girl" things and giggle together.  When we hit the stores, she keeps me in line and directs me around the store to all the hot items.  We try to beat all those "extreme couponing Moms" who clear the shelves!  It's fun.  We laugh.  I love it.  And I love her.  Precious time spent doing something that use to be so mundane.  An exercise that is teaching her fantastic home economics and filling my heart to the brim.  Hopefully building memories for her to store away.  I know that I have mine.........



So, you might consider couponing.  It might just feel your heart "stockpile" too.

C-Sunshine has made me love shopping.  With her anyway......

Have a great week.