Tuesday, September 28, 2010

My Heart is Happy!


My mom sent me a box and I was happy to find this in it.  After a year without it, I can finally enjoy a yummy powdered peanut butter sandwich.

I love the small things!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Sunday Afternoon



This morning started at 4am because my husband wanted to watch the UFC fight.
They come on live here overseas and I enjoy watching them with him.  A friend actually got up and joined
us.  We had coffee and zucchini bread (made by a friend).  We went to church, I enjoy the refreshment and encouragement.  We enjoyed a wonderful homemade BBQ lunch, leftover from last night.  Love leftovers!!

After lunch, the kids went out and rode bikes, helped wash the car and picked clovers.  My son loves to wear his sister's helmet.  His concentration face cracks me up.



After a gloomy morning, the skies brightened up. 


While picking clovers, my kids found a worm.  I love that they are growning to love nature and not have fear of the creepy crawly's.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Late in the Season


We planted a garden late in the season this year.  This is our first garden.  We have finally seen results.  We have our first zucchini.


And our first cucumber.  I have to say the cucumber plant is a weird plant. It creeps me out just a little.  Not only by the appearance of the cucumber itself but the plant.  It has arms (not the technical name I am sure) that reach out and grab onto whatever is near and then creeps along the ground.



Now we are waiting on tomatoes and eggplants.  Hopefully it isn't so late that we can't enjoy them.  I am anxious to taste. 


The kids have really enjoyed going out and seeing the changes in the plants.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Play dough



Today we made edible Play dough as an extra school activity.  The kids loved it!  Playing with your food, isn't that what kids want to do! 
"Use your hands!"  "Yes you can eat it!"

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Ranting!

Today I really feel like I am ranting, ranting about me.  I have made choices in my life that others don't understand and at times I have to ponder as to why or remind myself why the choice was made in the first place.

My newest decision is one to be a Vegetarian.  Why you may ask?  I don't really have a clear answer to this one.  I have never been a fan of meat, if given the choice I will take a vegetable over a steak any day!  In two months I have had two slip ups.  One for Ikea Meatballs and one to taste my husbands swordfish steak.  Seafood is something I am okay with not cutting out completely.  I don't want those around me to think I am on a "Don't hurt the animals campaign".  I have read about reduced risks of cancer, heart disease and obesity associated with those who choose to eat this way.  Eat your meat, if it brings you Joy who am I to dispute it.


By the way if you haven't tried a veggie burger yet, you really are missing out!

Another people ask me why and I have a hard time answering is Why Home School?  I want my kids to be with me.  I have a hard time with others caring for my kids unless I know them pretty well!  I like to think of it as my full time job.  I don't worry where they heard certain things (as much) because 95% of it comes from my husband and I.  I do love how much all three learn even though I am only "schooling" the oldest.  I love the freedom, freedom to take a vacation, freedom to do what we want, learn what is on our hearts and learn together.  I love that we can have Bible based themes throughout what we are learning!  Every Opportunity is a teaching lesson.
Even a trip to a local town is education.  This photo is courtesy of my daughter, she is given a camera and takes photos of the things she finds interesting!

Why did I decide to birth my first born at home?  Because I don't like going to the doctor and wanted to go on to my own bed and not be bothered.  It worked for us and had I not been pregnant with twins, we would have explored doing the same with the next pregnancy.  My parents were not exstatic about this at all!

Why am I having such a hard time deciding to go back to school?  Because I have a full time job. Because I am lazy.  Because I am afraid.

I have a problem controlling myself when it comes to eating Rice cakes and Hummus! 
My husband agrees, I have a savory disposition so not sweet at all!

I feel blessed everyday.  My husband has a huge interest in my passions, our marriage and our family.  My kids don't mind being with me all the time and I miss them when I do get the rare chance to grocery shop on my own.  We are all wacky, God loving homebodies!  It is our perfect.
That is all I have today!  Hope you all feel blessed.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Weekend GetaWay

This weekend we took another impromptu Vacation.  A vacation to another country.  A vacation to Portugal, only about 3 hours drive.   It was even a vacation from my camera. 

We stayed in a resort.  I loved the colors, the tiny but efficient spaces and I could so see my self living in it.  Simplicity, Amazing!
When not in our room we were hanging out at the pool.  Piped relaxation sounds mixed with techno, hard to imagine yet so relaxing.  The kids played in the kiddie pool.  They pretty much had it to themselves.  The perks of being a home school family, vacationing off season!

All of our kids wanted to do nothing more than stay out at the pool all day, we did what we could to oblige. Not to mention it wore them out and they slept amazingly.


If not lying by the pool I was laying on our patio.  Oh yes it was a vacation of laying around, not seeing sights and I am perfectly happy with not having a plan.  It was perfect.

You may be wondering, why so many photos of my son.  I don't love him more than the other two, he was just more cooperative than usual with the camera and again I am perfectly fine with that.  The above photo is proof that I was there too!


My youngest has her dad's appreciation for the finer meats of Europe.
It was perfect for our family!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Weirdness


Weirdness
Originally uploaded by freakaflutter

Just a photo I love!

Monday, September 13, 2010

No Fear


This little one is going to be the end of me!  She has no fear!  Be it on jagged rocks, the playground, the ocean, pool, bathtub.  She is the complete opposite of my "play it safe" take on life.  Again I love her for it.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Sand-Ls


Because I love going to walk on the beach! 
Because I love my daughter's new shoes! 
Just Because!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

My husband!  On eternal leave!  Just kidding!   I love having him home!

Friday, September 10, 2010

He's a Classic!!!!



On my husband's actual birthday:
* my daughter decorated
* I made a cake
* we walked to the market got some olives
* ate the olives (stuffed with garlic) as we walked to the beach for lunch
* ate lunch, drank Tinto
* walked the boardwalk
* window shopped
* ate Helado (found my new favorite Huevo Kinder and my husband found his green apple sorbet)
* walked around a different part of town
* walked on the beach until bed time
* ate cake for dinner...... 

Top Ten things I Loved on our weekend away

1. Breaking away from the routine all the while sharing it my family.

2. Round about Art.
Each round about had some cool sculpture to enjoy.  If I didn't get car sick I would have asked my husband to go around a few times to fully enjoy them.

3. Round abouts~as depicted in the photo above there is a round about and a stop light.  A little over the top and made me appreciate the round about system much  more.  We are not going to know how to drive when we get back to the states.

4.  Hidden Bathroom~Saturday morning after getting ready in our rather tiny bathroom esp. for five, I was questioned by a friend who accompanied us as to why we were all crammed in our tiny bathroom when there was a second much larger bathroom in one of the bedrooms.  All I could think about was getting back up to the room and finding this bathroom. Sure enough~behind the door in the kids room was a huge spectacular bathroom large enough for all us to be and do our thing.

5.  Seeing the ocean from our balcony. 

6. Our balcony~


7.  The food



This happens to be from an Italian Restaurant and so yummy.  We did get a Spanish appetizer, Melon con Jamon.


8.  Family Time



9. Family Friends


10. Sunrise. 
So far this is my favorite photo of the weekend...Day and Night represented...The entire moon there but not there.  The sun gently forcing its color across the sky.


The weekend was great!  I am looking forward to our next adventure. 

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Happy Birthday Husband

For my husband's birthday this year I decided we should  go on a little trip.  My intention was to book a hotel in Malaga.  I ended up booking a hotel in Fuengirola, a super cute little beach town about 20 mins away from Malaga.
On the way we stopped in Marbella (Mar-bay-ya), another town along the Mediterranean Coast.  Our GPS lead us down some interesting roads while we were looking for The Hard Rock Cafe.  Just when we quit looking it appeared.
It had been awhile since we had been to an American Restaurant, so we all studied the menu for quite some time.  The Veggie burger ended up being a favorite.  It was delish!

Our weekend was full on walking, shopping and eating.  Yummy toastado con aciete y tomate, Cafe con Leche, Chicken curry y tapas and a yummy Italian bistro on the beach boardwalk.  We swam with the kids, stayed up late and watched the nightlife from our balcony and enjoyed a break from daily routine.


We ate an Helado everyday.  Icecream on the beach taste so yummy!

My husband and son even got to channel their inner Nacho Libre.  Naaaachooooo!

I especially enjoyed the sunrises and sunsets...and sharing it with my family.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Raw


Since I got my camera a couple of years back, I have always been afraid to play and take photos in the RAW setting.  I finally decide to flip the switch on my camera and play in that mode.  I am amazed at the difference.  I don't know what I was so afraid of but I don't think I will be changing that setting on my camera.  Now onto lighting, exposure levels and trying to have fun.
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