30 Day Bible Reading Challenge

Did you know that if you do something faitfully for 18 days it becomes a habit? What greater habit to have than to be a faithful reader of The Holy Scriptures!

Good morning! Leah over at friends4tea is having a 30 Day Bible Reading Challenge. It started on April 1st and will run till the end of the month. But don't fret, it is not too late to join this wonderful group of women who have come together to make a commitment to read the Word of God faithfully everyday. My heart has been touched by the outpouring of encouragement that I have seen not only in blog comments, but on the Nooks of many at The Homeschool Lounge as well.

This is such a great challenge. Kiddo and I do devotions together in the morning before we start our day. However, I need more time on my own to read the word of God, but something always seems to get in the way. This challenge came just at the right time for me.....it is the "nudge" i truly needed to get myself motivated to MAKE time for the Gospel!



I have been reading from Revelations. My DH being the jokester that he is said, "Would you like me to tell you how the book ends?" (ha ha) What a guy!

I have gotten from reading this book is that it is a loving, personal message from God. He wants His Word to affect our lives in the here and now. He wants His Word to help us grow closer to Him. He wants His Word to challenge us to more lovingly serve our brothers and sisters.



I pray that we will all have the strength and determination to continue reading the word of God, not only throughout the month of April, but that it becomes a "habit"....a part of our everyday lives!



As for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7

Autism Awareness

April 2 is World Autism Day!

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees - this is why early diagnosis is so crucial. By learning the signs, a child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized intervention programs.

Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.”



The five disorders under PDD are:



Autistic Disorder

Asperger's Syndrome (My son falls under this category)

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)

Rett's Disorder

PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)



Asperger's Syndrome/Disorder



Asperger's Disorder was first described in the 1940s by Viennese pediatrician Hans Asperger who observed autistic-like behaviors and difficulties with social and communication skills in boys who had normal intelligence and language development. Many professionals felt Asperger's Disorder was simply a milder form of autism and used the term "high-functioning autism" to describe these individuals. Professor Uta Frith, with the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience of University College London and author of Autism and Asperger Syndrome, describes individuals with Asperger's Disorder as "having a dash of Autism." Asperger's Disorder was added to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994 as a separate disorder from autism. However, there are still many professionals who consider Asperger's Disorder a less severe form of autism.



What distinguishes Asperger's Disorder from autism is the severity of the symptoms and the absence of language delays. Children with Asperger's Disorder may be only mildly affected and frequently have good language and cognitive skills. To the untrained observer, a child with Asperger's Disorder may just seem like a normal child behaving differently.



Children with autism are frequently seen as aloof and uninterested in others. This is not the case with Asperger's Disorder. Individuals with Asperger's Disorder usually want to fit in and have interaction with others; they simply don't know how to do it. They may be socially awkward, not understanding of conventional social rules, or may show a lack of empathy. They may have limited eye contact, seem to be unengaged in a conversation, and not understand the use of gestures.



Interests in a particular subject may border on the obsessive. Children with Asperger's Disorder frequently like to collect categories of things, such as rocks or bottle caps. They may be proficient in knowing categories of information, such as baseball statistics or Latin names of flowers. While they may have good rote memory skills, they have difficulty with abstract concepts.



One of the major differences between Asperger's Disorder and autism is that, by definition, there is no speech delay in Asperger's. In fact, children with Asperger's Disorder frequently have good language skills; they simply use language in different ways. Speech patterns may be unusual, lack inflection or have a rhythmic nature or it may be formal, but too loud or high pitched. Children with Asperger's Disorder may not understand the subtleties of language, such as irony and humor, or they may not understand the give and take nature of a conversation.



Another distinction between Asperger's Disorder and autism concerns cognitive ability. While some individuals with Autism experience mental retardation, by definition a person with Asperger's Disorder cannot possess a "clinically significant" cognitive delay and most possess an average to above average intelligence.



While motor difficulties are not a specific criteria for Asperger's, children with Asperger's Disorder frequently have motor skill delays and may appear clumsy or awkward.



Living With Autism



The demands of raising a child with autism are great, and families frequently experience high levels of stress. Recognizing and preparing yourself for the challenges that are in store will make a tremendous difference to all involved, including the parents, siblings, grandparents, extended family, and friends.



The uniqueness of each individual with autism makes the experience of raising a child with autism different for each family. But there are some consistent themes or issues that most families will want to be aware to be able to provide the best support to the individual and to family members.



The ASA has developed in-depth information on a variety of topics related to living with autism. The information below is by no means exhaustive, but it should help to equip families with some of the basic tools they may need to successfully raise a child with autism.



Autism Society of America

2008

ROFLOL!

I was talking with my friend, Bobbi today, and she said that my post about Kiddo's salsa garden really made her laugh. That made me think of another time he came out with a really good one. My son is a plethera of comedic on-liners.

Ok, so one night we were sitting at the table eating dinner, talking about what had gone on during our day (no, not with our mouths full....wait a minute.....uh, yes, they probably were). Bean was talking about something that was of interest to her and in a nice, soft, quiet manner, when all of a sudden she started raising her voice and was getting very annoyed. Kiddo, without missing a beat looks up at her and blurts out.....................................................

"SOMEONE'S HAVING MOOD SWINGS!"

Kids............you gotta love em'!

Please Pray With Me

Please pray for my ex-brother in-law, WL. My sister called and they had to have the Fire Department do an emergency break-in at his home where they found him on the floor unconscious. He is diabetic and has had a couple of strokes before this. She has called him everyday, but there has been no answer. The last time she spoke with him was on Easter Sunday. At this point they don't know how long he had been that way.

Please pray for WL, his family, and my sister and her family. May God give them the strength and the peace they need to get through this difficult time. I pray that God will lay his healing hand upon WL. We know that whatever the outcome, it is God's will and he will be glorified and uplifted!

Thankful Thursday

As most of you know, I am a lover of music and sometimes the words to a song can express far better than I, what I want or need to say.

"THANK YOU" by The Katinas is a beautiful song, thanking our Precious Heavenly Father for the things that He has done for us.

Please take a moment not only to listen to the wonderful words and beautiful music of this song, but the actual video itself.

Your heart will be touched............I know mine was!

THANK YOU

Just a little while longer I wanna pray

Can't get You off my mind so I came to say

Thank You Lord, just for loving me, alright

Many times I do forget

Every need that You have met

Oh thank You Lord, I know You're showing me

You are there when I am down and out

You're holding me, Your love is so amazing

Oh it changed me



Here I am with all I have

Raise my hands to worship You

I wanna say thank you, oh thank you

For everything, for who You are

You cover me, You touch my heart

I wanna say thank you


I could have died in my sin but You saved me

Didn't have any hope at all

You gave me peace divine, strength to carry on

I should have been the one to pay

But instead You took my place

Amazing grace, it's more than just a song

Even though I don't deserve Your love for me

You look beyond my fault and You showed me mercy


Here I am with all I have

Raise my hands to worship You

I wanna say thank you, oh thank you

For everything, for who You are

You cover me, You touch my heart

I wanna say thank you


I wanna say thank you for the sun

Lord we thank you for the rain

Thank you for the love You gave

THANK YOU, JESUS

How Does Your Salsa Grow?

Last month, Kiddo got a salsa garden for his birthday. It came with all you need to get started from the tray to the soil to the six packs of cilantro, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, parsley, and cayenne pepper seeds. It had everything but the water, but not to worry.....we have a well!

Kiddo started out by filling each cell of the tray with potting soil.

Bean then helped Kiddo plant the seeds. Apparently this job proved to be a little more difficult than they had anticipated so they had to get some help from.........................................

SUPER KITTY!!

Each day since Kiddo planted his garden a few weeks ago, he has written down any changes in the seedlings development, how many of each kind have sprouted, and when they have been watered.

DH took the tray from the window and called Kiddo into the kitchen. "Look at your garden and tell me what you see?" said DH.

"I see jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, and cilantro, but no cheyenne peppers or parsley. Hey, where's the salsa?" said Kiddo.

"What do you mean, where's the salsa?" DH replied.

Kiddo said, "I don't see any salsa!"

Trying to hold back the uncontrollable laughter, DH said, "Kiddo, salsa itself doesn't grow in the garden. You first have to grow all these vegetables, then chop them up, add seasonings and then blend them together. That's salsa. Were you looking for little jars of salsa growing in this tray?"

With a smirk on his face, Kiddo replied, "Ummm....Maybe!"

Blessings~

Wordless Wednesday

Another Birthday Girl

Today over at "May They Be Mighty Men," Jen is celebrating her birthday. Please stop by and leave her some HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes!

To The Birthday Girl

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BARLOWGIRLGIRL!!!

I Love . . . . . . . . .

Hurting And In Need Of PRAYER!

Have you even been told something by someone that has hurt you right down to the center of your heart? Something that has made you second guess many aspects of your life? But you can't say anything to that person, because you were not supposed to know about what was said in the first place?

This is me right now and I don't know what to do. It has caused me pain and anger and I don't know how to deal with it and get passed it. I am trying very hard and I have been praying about it but I am still at a loss. It is someone very close to me which makes it that much harder and even more hurtful.

Please pray that God will give me the guidance and understanding to do what is right in how to handle this situation.

Blessings~

I'll Be Back

Hello, everyone! It is been a loooooooooong time since I have posted anything. As most of you know, we have been having problems getting on the internet due to cable issues. It probably shouldn't have taken this long to fix the problem, but I had an issue with my husband drilling holes in the wal l of my bedroom to run the cable. I knew that if I did that, then the computer would continue to stay in my bedroom, taking up much needed space, and the office/sewing room/school room, would NEVER get cleaned up and organized again, and that really needs to get done!

Now that the weather has been warmer here, I have started to go through boxes to see what stays and what goes. I have found a couple of things I have been looking for, thank goodness. I didn't have the desire to do this during the winter, as there is NO HEAT in the office. I will post what I can on eBay and give the rest away. I LOVE yard sales and love having them because I really enjoy meeting all the different people. You get to meet neighbors you didn't even know you had. My only problem with them is that I just HATE the clean up afterwards!!!! : > (

Kiddo continues to amaze and annoy me in some way each and every day. I have to say I really HATE puberty! lolol He really is keeping me on my toes and I am thankful for that. Today we are hoping to go for a walk. As I was letting the dogs out this morning, I heard a woodpecker and I want to go try and find it so I can take some pictures of it. I have taken a lot of pictures in the past couple of weeks, hoping to be able to remember what it is we have done so I can post about it later.

Well, I am going to go for now. I need to go over to the Lounge and check on things there. I hope to be back blogging regularly soon. I really miss my friends here!

Love and blessings~

CRISCO.......Y U C K !!!

I was reading Jennifer's post over at jsgay97 and she mentioned CRISCO. Well did that bring back a memory I wanted to forget!!!

My mother, Nana, was good in the kitchen. She got her cooking abilities from my grandmother, Foxy. Well, one day, my mom was making an angel food cake. Now, what is the first thing you want to do when you are a kid and your mom is making a cake? Taste the batter? You bet!

Anyway, I tried to take a big spoonful of the batter like I normally did. Well, this time she tapped my hand and said very sternly, "NO, you may not eat this batter!" "Why not", I asked. And with a loving gaze, she looked down into my eyes and replied, "Because I said so!" "What kind of an answer is that,?" I thought? (I know now, that is a typical mom answer)

Okay, I don't know about you, but when someone tells me I can't do something, that makes me want to do it all the more. So, here we are in the kitchen, mixing bowl between us, both staring at each other like two cowboys with their guns cocked and ready at a show-down, waiting to see who will draw first, when all of a sudden........the phone rings.

"NOW IS MY CHANCE," I thought to myself. WAHOO....she's now in the other room. As you can imagine, I didn't waste any time. Before you could blink, I had the biggest scoop of batter I could get and shoved it right into my mouth. Uh, oh.... something doesn't taste right Y U C K....what is that? EEWWWW.....It's CRISCO!

I Just HAD To Laugh

~I am sorry that I have not been able to post for the past few days. We have had problems due to our internet cables and not because of our computer like we thought, but I think we have it all figured out and we should be good to go (hopefully) by Monday or Tuesday. In the mean time, I have to use DH's lap-top and get on when the service is working. So, please bear with me and I will post and visit my friends when possible~

And now......on to my post!

Kiddo recently celebrated his 14th birthday. My friend Biscuit and her daughters, Sunshine and Wild Flower, gave him a little hand-held game called 20 Questions and it is REALLY cool!!!! You think of an object, and it asks you 20 questions which you answer with, YES, NO, or SOMETIMES, and by the responses you give, it guesses what your object is. I have tried this about 10 times and it has only missed once, and that is because I answered one of the questions wrong. Next time, I will answer YES when it asks if my object (a match) burns!

Well, the other day, Kiddo picked it up for the first time and gave it a try. He stood there, answered all the questions, and then said............

"DARN!! I don't know how it knew my answer. I whispered really softly so it wouldn't hear what I was saying!"

My response was....what else....R O F L O L. What else could I do?

Wordless Wednesday......Well, Sorta!

This is my brother, Christian. He was checking out a rental car to go sight seeing while he was in Germany on a work trip.

Being 7 foot 1 inch, he needed a car with a LOT of head room.

R O F L O L!

Wonderful, Merciful Savior

~If you would like to view the clip I have posted, please scroll to the bottom and pause my playlist~

Dear Jesus,

I am sitting here writing this letter with a heart full of thanksgiving, and praise for you, and a desire to tell you and the rest of the world, just how much I LOVE YOU!!

I LOVE YOU because have been with me my entire life, through good times and bad.

I LOVE YOU because you have comforted me in times of great sorrow.

I LOVE YOU because you have encouraged me in times when I have been down and felt that things couldn't possibly get any worse.

I LOVE YOU because you have filled my heart with joy by blessing me with a wonderful family.

I LOVE YOU because you have made me smile by sending me CRAZY blogger friends.

I LOVE YOU because you have given me a Godly husband who loves you, and his family with all of himself.

I LOVE YOU because you have shown your trust in me by loaning us three beautiful angel babies.

I LOVE YOU because you loved me UNCONDITIONALLY even when I didn't love myself.

I LOVE YOU because you are a merciful and forgiving God and even though we may stray from our walk with you, you patiently wait for us to return to you. And when we do, you are there with your arms outstretched, waiting to embrace us and welcome us back.

I LOVE YOU because YOU LOVED US so much, that you willingly gave your precious life on the cross for us!

Thank you, JESUS, for all that you have done for me!!

Love,
Your daughter

WONDERFUL, MERCIFUL SAVIOUR

Wonderful, merciful Savior

Precious Redeemer and Friend

Who would have thought that a Lamb

Could rescue the souls of men

Oh, you rescue the souls of men



Counselor, Comforter, Keeper

Spirit we long to embrace

You offer hope when our have

Hopelessly lost the way

Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way



You are the One that we praise

You are the One we adore

You give the healing and grace

Our hearts always hunger for

Oh, our hearts always hunger for



Almighty, infinite Father

Faithfully loving Your own

Here in our weakness You find us

Falling before Your throne

Oh, we're falling before Your throne

To The Birthday Girl

~PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM & PAUSE MY PLAYLIST BEFORE YOU VIEW THIS CLIP....THANKS~

Hey, everyone. Today is Tirzah's birthday, so PLEASE go on over and leave some birthday wishes for her. I know she would LOVE IT!!

To My Loving Husband

My Dearest Skippy Man,

I want to thank you for the past 2 years since you have come back to the Lord, your obvious change and desire to follow him has really blessed me beyond expectation or imagination and you taking over the reigns of spiritual leadership in our home is blessing me tremendously.

During our 21 years of marriage, there have been some challenges, some good, some bad, some devestating. Things haven’t excatly been easy for us. Frustrations have been the name of the game lately. We’ve made it through but not without some bruises and scars. We know that God can and does perform miracles. We have Kiddo as a constant reminder of that. (Thank you Jesus!) We know that with God, anything and everything is POSSIBLE!!!

You have a lot of great qualities which I admire. You are faithful, loyal, considerate, gentle, caring, devoted, understanding and gracious. I could go on forever.

I know I tell you every day that I love you, and sometimes it must seem like every five minutes, but every time I say it I mean the words with all of my heart.

I wanted you to know that not just on Valentine's day, but EVERYDAY for me, is full of thoughts of everything you’ve done for me and our family. I can never truly express how much it means to me that you’ve been taking care of us like you have. You work two, sometimes three jobs so I can be able to stay home and teach Kiddo. It has also given me the opportunity to spend time with the girls as they will be starting lives of their own soon. Being able to make some more beautiful memories with them is something I will cherish forever and which YOU have made possible. I just wish that you could be here with us. You will never know just how much that means to all of us.

As the years go by, I stop and think about all the memories we've made together. You are not only my husband, but my best friend and soul mate. You are a blessing from above - one that I will not take for granted. Not only are you a wonderful husband, you're a terrific father, provider and caregiver. You give so freely to all those you know in such a loving way. Your generosity is inspiring!

I love you, Sweetie ... more than words, more than life. I'm forever grateful for your love and proud to be your wife.

I LOVE YOU!!!!

V A L E N T I N E

For God so loVed the world,

That He gAve

His onLy

BegottEn

SoN

That whosoever

Believeth In Him

Should Not perish,

But have Everlasting life.

Route 11 Chips

WOW.....did we have fun today! My sister, Cathy and I took the kids on a field trip today to the

Route 11 Potato Chip factory in Middletown. This was a much needed outing for all!!!! Rt 11 is a very small mom and pop owned establishment. I wanted to take some pictures, but that would not allow it.

We were able to get a picture off their web-site. Turns out that the young men in the picture, were the same ones that were there today. They even gave us fresh, hot samples of Sour Cream and Chive chips.......DELICIOUS!!!

One thing that Kiddo had to do for our field trip, was to come up with five questions to ask while we were at Rt. 11. Here is what he wanted to know and the answers they gave us:

*How long has your company been in business?

Route 11 Potato Chips has been in business since 1992

*How many different kinds of potato chips does your company make?

Our company makes 14

different kinds of chips. We have 12 that are year round, and 2 that are seasonal.

*How many times a day/week do you make your chips?

We make our chips 5 days a week, 2 times per day.

*How many bags do you sell per year?

Well, that's a hard question. You have some really good questions. Why are you asking so many questions?

Because we are homeschoolers and we like to learn!!! We can turn any situation it into a learning experience! ! ! !

Well, we cook chips twice a day, making 135 batches each day which = 700 2 oz bags and 500 6 oz bags

*What is your most popular chip?

The regular lightly salted chip is our best seller. The sweet potato chip comes in second. (my favorite)

Kiddo figured out how many bags they sell approximately every year of each size bag and then a combined total. Here are his calculations:

5 days a week x 52 weeks = 260 x 135 = 35,775 batches each year.

700 - 2 oz bags x 260 days = 182,000 bags

500 - 6 oz bags x 260 days = 130,000 bags

for a total of...............312,000 bags of chips per year

Now that's a LOT of chips!!!