Cooking time with Shelby!

Shelby made her first gluten free apple pie.........and when it was done cooking, she announced she did not like apple pie.  What a goof ball.  The upside is, we had a good time baking and she loves being in the kitchen.

Math on the couch....

We were able to find and purchase Shelby her math blocks the other day.  Educational Accents has been a great resource for us to find curriculum and related material at half the original price.  So now Shelby can watch her DVD on math and use her blocks to work the problem out.  She thought it was pretty cool, and loved working with the blocks!  (I have a feeling, when not in use for math, she will be building with them and supplementing with Lego's.  I adore this chick!

School in the van..........

This week has been filled to capacity with appts, classes and errands that had to happen within specified times.  On top of that, by time Thursday came, it was all I could do to drive to a class 45 minutes away for Amber.  The night before we just had a wind storm, and my hope was there was enough trees down that we could stay home.  Well needless to say, we headed out (a little earlier than usual), just to be sure if we encountered any road blocks, we would still make it to class on time.  Shelby and I loaded the van up with my books and her books, we dropped Amber off, ran to McDonald's and came back and sat in the driveway and did school.  Shelby thought it was a riot and made herself right at home........literally!

Homeschool Shelby

This is a funny picture for Shelby and me:

1.  She could care less if her clothes match.....drives me nuts!

2.  She loves looking for dead fish at Walmart or Meijers and it has become part of our shopping routine.  If the store would let her, she would clean the tanks out for them.

Enjoy the moments....they don't last!!

A Sign of A Wonderful Dad....

Even though this picture is old, it reminds me of the wonderful dad Amber (and Shelby) have in their lives.   I have been asked by Mike not to post pictures of him in curlers, or having his hair in pony tails, or even having barrettes sticking out of his hair....so I thought this one was perfect.  Whenever the girls have asked to do Mike's hair (and believe me, this is when they were younger and also might have contributed to Mike going gray and shaving his head today) he would always oblige.  We have wonderful scrapbook pages of Mike being part of a beauty shop moment and never thinking twice about it  (unless I came into the room with a camera).  For the girls they have wonderful memories and I might say, for one daughter, Amber, it perfected her hair skills!!  So cheers to Mike and cheers to the dad he has been to the girls!

Shoes to fill....

I am really enjoying reading the book "Grace for the Good Girl" and have loved the conversations that are sparked.  As I was listening today to my heart and realizing that I may not be in the healthiest of places, I thought about the times that our youngest (Shelby) can hardly wait for her big brother to make an appearance.  Then, when he does, she soaks up all she can; basketball, scaring one another, begging to play a video game, asking him many questions and most of all she just wants to be around him.

The blessing is, he is 10 years older and really has his own commitments and life.  He has always made time for her and all she had to do was ask.  That is how it is with our Lord, he is waiting for us to come and talk with him. I have realized when I do that regularly, when I do it without thinking, when I make time for that relationship to grow and be nourished, I find my heart being at peace.  What a wonderful and warm feeling that is.  Just like the picture.......you know someone had a good day!

So when I come home and see this in our hallway, it reminds me of my shoes being next to the heavenly fathers shoes and we have spent time with one another.

Favorite Owosso Resturant...

Can I say that the Holliday girls are able to recommend places to eat in various cities.  Now, we can not say the restaurants are top of the line, but the food and atmosphere and gadgets is what we base our decisions on.  So for the city of Owosso, we eat at Greg and Lou's and usually it is the meeting place for us when we meet my mom for dinner. 

The food taste great, the atmosphere is relaxed and there is enough coin machines to keep Shelby entertained.  There is also flyers and paper magazines that she can gather and look at.  So our time together and meal is pleasurable.  This past Sat. we met my mom for dinner.  (the fried chicken dinner was delicious.)

This moment also starts a new journey for my mom and me.  A journey of going into the past and asking for forgiveness of some things that happened and reconciling conversations that did not go as planned.  So the picture for me is a very happy one.  (Grace for the Good Girl moment!)

Grace for the Good Girl!

Grace for the Good Girl.............I love this book.  I found an on-line small group for the book:  http://amybayliss.com/2011/09/grace-for-the-good-girl-online-small-group/ and I look forward to reading through it and learning with other women, women I have never met.  At the same time, I sent out the invitation for my own group of friends.  Friends that have spoken into my life and friends that I want to know on a more intimate level.  There will be another invitation going out tomorrow as I allow the Lord to lead me in that direction.  (hence why I am reading the book, we all want to be accepted and what happens if the first group of friends want nothing to do with me or the book??  What does that say??)


So as I prepare my home and all the little "touches" I want to do to honor the hearts of my girl-friends, here is to hoping all who enter find peace and see the Lord and grow with me!

See the child in the background?  Feet up on kayak and listening to music and heading off to the brush?  She is enjoying the moment.....that is what I pray for.

Do Over!!

What a blessing it is to be saved by Grace and that our Lord is one of Mercy!  I needed it all today and will this week and month.  I felt just like this toad and looking forward to being refreshed in our Lord!  So tomorrow is a new day and things will be brighter and a do-over can take place!!