Corey & Christi

In thinking about how to best catch up on our family happenings, I thought I would do an separate post for each family member...but Corey and I will count as one!  :)

In the past two years, Corey has continued to build his business brokerage.  It has been such a blessing for our family. Corey's skill set is a great match for his profession, and he has had many wonderful opportunities to help people as they transition into and out of businesses.  He has had a personal interest in possibly purchasing several of the businesses he has listed, but so far has not taken the bait.  He is an entrepreneur through and through, and I don't think that he will ever stop looking for new opportunities!

Never a dull moment with this guy!

Over the course of the last couple of years, Corey has added road biking to his list of interests.  He rides locally, and has even participated in some bike events.  At first, he challenged himself to be able to ride up a long, steep hill close to our house.  Once he accomplished that, he was out and about, tackling hills and trails all over the place!  This picture of us was taken bright and early in the morning...right before he started his first 50 mile bike event.

We were all very proud of him!

A big piece of my recent news is that I am now working in the junior high office at my boy's school.  I absolutely love where I work, what I do, and the people that I get to work with!  It will make me so happy to also have Cati Beth attend the school in a couple of years!

Having never been a full-time working mom before, this is a different experience for me.  It has been kind of  a strange adjustment, but our family is working together as a team to make things flow in this fun, new season of our lives.

Two Years In One Post

After a long break, I intend to be back more often.

So much has happened since I last blogged.  I will do my best to fill in the biggest events that I have missed recording.

Caylie is now a junior in college, and has transferred to UCA.  She has been dating Tim for 4 years now, and he is also a junior at UCA.  Carson is in 2nd grade, Christian is a junior in high school, and we are now in the process of adopting a new little blessing.

We welcomed Cati Beth into our home when she was 10 months old.  After a long battle with her health, my precious sister, Jeanna (Cati Beth's birth mother), had just passed away.

 Jeanna loved her beautiful daughter with all of her heart, and could see how very much our family loved her too.

As a single mom, Jeanna was aware that her health would always be a challenge, and had asked if we would raise Cati Beth if something were ever to happen to her.  We were touched, honored...and couldn't have imagined having any other arrangement.

The picture below is a treasure.  It was taken on Easter, just weeks before Jeanna passed away.  A large group of family and friends had all attended church together in Conway, and then eaten lunch at a restaurant. Following lunch, we spent some time just relaxing and visiting at a park.  I believe that this is the only picture of my mother, my sister, myself, and our children.

When Jeanna gave birth, she named her newborn baby Josie Beth.  After Jeanna passed away, we carefully considered if/how we should change Josie's name.  Each member of our family has a name that begins with C, and we wanted wanted Josie to always feel fully included in our family. In the end, we decided that we should change her name.

Below is how my father recorded the process that we went through.  He sent this note out as an e-mail to family and friends to announce/explain the change...

A New Name

The happiest days in Jeanna Beth's life came with the birth of her beautiful daughter, Josie Beth, into our family.  Jeanna would have only ten months to love, nurture and adore this miraculous, breath taking bundle of joy, but what a wondrous gift she has bequeathed to her family.  Above all, Jeanna wanted baby Josie to be raised in a loving, safe and godly home, and had asked Christi and Corey to raise the child in the event of her death.  Christi, Corey, Caylie, Christian and Carson have welcomed Josie Beth into their family, and into their home, and she will be blessed with all of the hopes, dreams, possibilities and love Jeanna had stored up for her.

God's beloved children are often blessed with new names, and to mark this occasion forever Josie will be given a new name, a name honoring Jeanna's legacy, and identifying Josie with her new family.  Catherine Josie-Beth Gillum, to be known as Cati Beth, will be the child's adopted name.  There will be joy in heaven as my mother, Janie Katherine, my little sister, Frances Katherine, and my grandmother Catherine Smith (Mama) celebrate their namesake in this tiny baby girl.  And, I just imagine Mama, in her inimitable style, will smile mischievously as she reminds us all, my name is Catherine with a "C."  And, so it shall be henceforth!

Christi and Corey have been granted permanent guardianship by the court, and will become Cati Beth's adoptive parents at the end of Arkansas' six months waiting period.

Peace, Love and Joy
Paul

We are a little bit more than 3 months into the process at this point.  In November, we look forward to being able to start the adoption process.

My Funny Little Guy

One of the things that I regret about having fallen off of the blogging wagon is the memories that I have failed to record.

I WILL DO BETTER!  ;-)

This little guy DID make me laugh yesterday...

We were practicing his kindergarten sight words, and he got bored with the whole thing and said,
"I want to work on MANLY sight words...like rocket and motorcycle"!

Can't blame him for trying to add a little excitement to the list, can I?

Also, when I picked him up in the carpool line yesterday, he tripped over his own two feet and fell down.  He was totally fine, but looked up to see how his "audience" was responding.

He was deciding whether to create a big show or not.

His teacher (a wonderful, spunky 20 year veteran teacher),  told him that he was fine, and to "hop up". She then laughingly informed me that he was the most dramatic boy that she had ever had!

Wow...

We sooo know that he is dramatic...we experience this on a daily basis...but to have it confirmed...and to that degree...just wow!

Never a dull moment!

Back to School, Back to Work!

Aaaannnddd again...it's been too long!

Fast forward to this year!  :)

Caylie is now a freshman in college at Ouachita Baptist University.  Corey and I, my mom and dad, as well as various aunts and uncles have all attended OBU, so the OBU legacy continues!

Carson began kindergarten this year, and Christian began high school.  I am substitute teaching at the school that they attend (the school that Caylie and Christian both used to go to before we started homeschooling), and so far, so good!

Just to be clear, I absolutely LOVED our homeschooling experience, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, but with Carson starting kindergarten in a family without other young siblings, we decided that going to school would be the best thing.  That decision then led to the decision for Christian to return to school, so I just followed along as well!

So...that brings us to where we are now.

Rush week at OBU was a couple of weeks ago.  Caylie is pledging EEE...the same social club that I was in.  As predicted, last week (pledge week) was a hard week for her, with so very many tasks to accomplish, but this week is already proving to be drastically different!  Corey and I, as well as my parents were all in social clubs at OBU, and we all have lots of great memories and continuing friendships from those days!  We hope that she will have similar great experiences!

Christian is doing well in his classes at school, and is also in off season training for football.  He works out with his football team constantly, and it is a good thing, because he eats like a horse, and is growing like a weed!  He and Corey are getting so close to being the same size!  AMAZING!

Carson just started his first season in Upward basketball.  Corey is his coach, and Christian is the assistant coach.  Their team is called the Mighty Hippos...fierce, huh?  So far he only had one game.  We have high hopes for a fun season!  :)

In other news, Corey has become an avid cyclist.  He has ridden in several different events (including one in San Antonio, Texas), and he loves it!  He has accumulated lots of bike gear, and when he's out on his bike, he is the real deal!  This picture was taken after he did "The Big Dam Bridge" 50 mile ride here in Little Rock this past spring.

Writing the Waves,

Well, Hello Again...

And again...it has been way too long.

I'm just going to act like it hasn't, and write about some of our most recent activities.  :)

We spent last week in Springfield, MO at the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Tournament.  There were thousands of homeschoolers there, and we had sooo much fun!  Corey's parents were able to attend with us, and that made it even more fun.

Christian's team did so well!  They ended up placing first in the 5A U14 boys division!  We were so proud of them, and soooo enjoyed watching the games and cheering for them.  It was so exciting!

On our way home from Springfield, we stopped to squeeze in a little bit more fun in Branson before calling it quits for Spring Break.

 The weather here has gotten so nice recently.

Yesterday, I took the boys to the park to do some school and have a little picnic.  I just love how fresh, green and colorful everything is in the spring!

Although it is really still too cool for the kids to start swimming, they always start wanting to jump in the pool and play around as soon as spring comes around.  Both boys have already played around in our pool, in very short little spurts, several times!

Our Summer Vacation

Yes, I know...I have again fallen off of the blog wagon, and have lots of catching up to do...hopefully soon.

However...

We just returned from a fun summer vacation to California last week, and I am proud to say that I have already ordered a photo book with our pictures from Snapfish!

Yea for me...that NEVER happens!

Here is the link if you would like to check it out.

It is well with my soul

Today, as I think about Easter, I am just so thankful for the hope that Christ has given us through his death and resurrection.

This is one of my favorite songs, and I love the story behind it.

So powerful.

Make A Difference!

I know that I have been missing in action for a while, but I have just been distracted by other things.  I hate that it happens, but it does.  Life just offers so many distractions from blogging!  :)

I will get back on board soon though.

I did want to write a quick post today linking to something that I read on Kelly's Korner this morning.

I'm sure that many of you have already read her post because it seems that most everyone reads Kelly's Korner, but if you have not, this post is worth reading...and worth acting on.

http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2011/04/help.html

DIY Decor Links

Not too long ago, I learned how to bookmark blog posts that I loved, so that I could go back and access them at a later time.

I can't believe that it took me so long to discover this, and there is no telling how many wonderful posts I have read and forgotten about over the years, but no more!

Delicious.com is my sweet friend now, and because of my new friend, I was able to quickly and easily find these great links to share with you today!  

I'm actually not a big DIY kind of girl, BUT, I love to save money, and these are some ideas that 

I AM IN LOVE WITH!

I am seriously wanting to make a drum shade like this one that Thrifty Decor Chick did!

It is exactly what we need to hang over our school table.  

She gives step by step instructions, and I think I just might be able to pull it off...for CHEAP!

That's in my budget!

And how about these pretty curtains that Kimba @ A Soft Place to Land pulled together?

You won't believe the bargain that you (or I!) will be able to get on these!

Looks like hanging the rods would be the hardest part!

I WANT THEM!

And just for a little inspiration, take a look at this pretty space...

Check out Carrie at Buzzings of a Queen Bee, and see what this space looked like "before".

It is a rental home, so no major fix ups were involved.

She and her "distraction decorating" philosophy, show us how to get busy using what we have!

Take a look around her site...she transforms space after space!

Amazing.

And last, but not least...how cute is this???

Jessica at Chapman Place has a tutorial on how to make one of these for your front door.

She has also done a heart for Valentines day.

I'm thinking that a big flower for spring would be fun!

Crock Pot Chicken Lasagna

I love crock pot recipes, and this one really is delicious!

My whole family loves it!

It is one of the more complicated crock pot recipes that I have tried, but very worth the effort

Even though it has spinach in it, my 4 year old loves it...

that's gotta tell you something! :)

I began making this last year, before we realized that Caylie can't have gluten.  

As with many recipes, this one could be modified to be gluten-free by substituting the pasta and the cream of chicken soup with gf versions.

2 cans Cream of Chicken
1/2 package of frozen chopped spinach...thawed, drained and squeezed
1 (9 oz.) pkg. of frozen, diced, cooked chicken
1 (8 oz.) sour cream
1C milk
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1/3 C finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1C shredded mozzarella cheese

Stir together first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Spray crock pot with Pam and place 3 lasagna pieces in bottom. Break pieces as necessary to cover the bottom. Spread 1/3 of the spinach mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat these 3 layers 2 more times. Cook on High for 1 hour and Low for about 5 hours.

Notes...
* I was kind of generous on my cheese measurements. :)
* My lasagna started getting pretty crispy around the edges after about the 4th hour (which actually ended up adding to the flavor!), but keep an eye on it toward the end if it is your first time to make it

Yahoo Groups and Homeschooling

When I began homeschooling, I discovered Yahoo Groups, and these groups have been a

very helpful resource for me as a homeschooling mom.

Some of the Yahoo Groups that I am in, or have at one time been in, are...

*Apologia Science

*Apologia Biology

*Apologia Physical Science

*Elementary Apologia Science

*Homeschool Links (one of my favorites!)

* IEW Families

*Sonlight (there are also many subgroups within Sonlight...as with Apologia mentioned above)

*Used Curriculum (general used curriculum, and specific used curriculum...Sonlight, etc.)

There is a Yahoo Group for just about anything that you can imagine,

and if you don't see exactly what you are looking for,

you can start a group of your own.

To join a group, you usually need to send the moderator some basic information about yourself.

After you are approved (which may take a day or two),

you will then have access to discussion forums, helpful files containing worksheets, study guides, quizzes, tests...whatever other members of the group may have created or found to help their children,

and then choose to share with the rest of us!

The "Homeschool Links" group that I mentioned above can connect you to helpful online resources.

This is how I found about lizardpoint.com, the free geography site that Christian now uses on a daily basis

It is also how I came across a very helpful Etymology resource that I added to Caylie's Apologia Biology last year.

You can customize how you would like to get updates within each group.

Some members choose to receive e-mails whenever there is an update within the group,

while others just check the site occasionally to see what is new

I started out receiving e-mail updates,

and for some groups, that brought too much into my mailbox,

and so I would then go in and change my options for that group.

You can choose exactly how you want to use each group that you join.

If you are beginning a new curriculum, or just want to have additional resources and support for the curriculum that you are already using, this is a

great, free source of learning and connecting.

Review the Revue

Caylie has spent a good part of the last 2 weeks performing at The Rep in 

"Review the Revue".

She loves doing the show, and even though she stays so busy during these times, she doesn't mind juggling her time around to squeeze it all in.

Corey and I took the boys to see one of the performances a couple of weeks ago, and then this past Saturday night,

mom and I attended the closing night performance.  

Caylie did an awesome job, and it was an exciting show!

Tim also came for his 2nd time, and brought her some beautiful red roses!

She loved that!

Several of her friends from her old school were also there for the show.

(Including Elizabeth, who is like a sister to her!)

They are a great group of girls!

They all went out for coffee after the show, and Caylie said that it felt like family.

She has known them all for so many years,

that she said that it just felt completely natural being together again.

Here Caylie is with her sweet director, Nicole.  

This will be the first summer in 3 years for her not to do the summer show at The Rep

It is going to overlap with her mission trip to Jamaica,

and she has decided that Jamaica is a priority.

Her mission trip last year had such an impact on her,

that she can't wait to return!  

She hopes to perform at the The Rep next fall for her last high school show.

Here is a bonus link to a news segment where
 one of the fabulous acts from "Review the Revue",
The Four Reps,
is featured...check it out!
It will put a smile on your face...I promise!

Good Reads For Tween/Teen Boys

This post was inspired by a comment that I received about the above picture,
which appeared in this post last week.

The reader wondered why my child was reading a book entitled, "Monk".

Rest assured, I am not encouraging my son to head off to a monastery!

That would be really weird...especially since we are Protestant!  :)

The "Monk" series, by Lee Goldberg
is based on a television show about a quirky, OCD detective,
named Mr. Monk.
Christian has enjoyed watching the show, as well as reading the book series.
The reason that he has the book on his school shelf, is because he chose to use it for a book report that he is doing right now.  Christian has checked the books out from our library.

Another book series that Christian has enjoyed reading is the
Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.
The Alex Rider books are about a boy who is a spy...
kind of like a young James Bond.
Christian has read all of the books in this series...
also found at our library.

I am always excited to learn about books that are good for young teen boys.

I would love to hear from some of you who may have middle/ junior high aged boys.

What books have your boys enjoyed reading
just for fun?

Five Question Friday

This is my first time to participate in

Five Question Friday.

It is a weekly meme, with different questions each week!

1. Do you know what your REAL hair color is?

Yes, and unfortunately, since it has been way too long since I have had my highlights, everyone that sees me knows what my real hair color is too!  :)

2. Do you plan ahead for summer, or fly by the seat of your pants?

We usually plan some sort of family vacation,
and the older kids spend a week at a
Christian summer camp,
but other than that, we just kind of let things happen.

3. What is your favorite meal to cook?

I don't know that I have a specific single favorite meal,
but this potato cheese soup recipe
(linked to my recipe blog),
is one that is fast, easy, and delicious.
Everyone always likes it.  

4. Do you get offended by not receiving thank yous?

Thank you notes?
Not at all!
A verbal "thank you" when I give someone something is more than enough for me!

Save yourself some ink and a stamp when you come to my name on your thank you list!

Sorry Miss Manners...I've got bigger fish to fry than waiting by the mailbox for a thank you note!  :)

5. How did you meet your best friend?

I met my BFF, Teresa, in college at OBU in Arkadelphia! We were both in the same sorority (EEE). 

Right after Corey and I got married, I schemed with our other sweet friend Nancy, and we forcefully, I mean, thoughtfully set Teresa up on a blind date with Ky, Corey's best friend from high school. 

The rest is history!

5 kids, and almost 20 years later...
we still love to tell the story...and we are all still best buds!  :)

Here is a picture of me with Nancy (far left) and Teresa (far right) when we met for breakfast at Mimi's Cafe last year.

And here is a picture of Corey, me, Ky and Teresa with our youngest kiddos, Carson (the mystery man under the party hat), and Rachel as we celebrated New Years Eve a little over a year ago!

Love ya Teresa! 

Get Motivated

Sometimes I find myself just not wanting to get to work on laundry, or on dishes, or on picking up around the house, etc.

Does this ever happen to you?

I have a few little tricks that I sometimes use.  

The first one is setting my oven timer for 20 minutes.  

What happens with me, is that once I start moving, I keep going, but sometimes it is just 

that first spurt of energy and motivation that is hard to come by,

and my timer provides that spurt!

When I know that I am allowing myself to waste time, I often set my timer, and make myself start knocking things out.  Sometimes I have a list, other times, I just walk through the house, and can clearly see what needs to be done.  The game is that

for every 20 minutes of work that I accomplish,

I earn 20 minutes to do something that I am wanting to do

...computer time, reading, rest, etc.

Of course this really only works well during

Carson's nap time, or if he is not home!

I did this a couple of days ago, and was amazed at the difference a few 20 minute segments of work made!  The tasks that I was dreading, and avoiding, became much more manageable, and were taken care of painlessly...with a little bit of fun time mixed in!

Another trick that I play on myself involves TV time.

I am not a big TV watcher.  Occasionally I will DVR shows to watch after I go to bed (and skip through the commercials), but I rarely watch daytime TV.

One day this past weekend, Corey and the kids were all away, and although I had lots of things that I needed to get done, there was a Lifetime movie on that got my attention.  I made a deal with myself that

I could watch the show only if I worked during all of the commercials.

For most shows, about 1/2 of the time slot seems to be taken up with commercials, so watching a 2 hour movie allowed me to get quite a bit of work done, while still watching a whole movie!

The last trick that has worked for me, I have only done once, but it really worked well!  

One morning, my BFF Teresa and I were talking on the phone.  Our youngest kiddos were not home that day, so we had quiet houses, and chores to get done.

We decided that we were going to give ourselves 2 hours, and told each other the chores that we wanted to accomplish in that time

We hung up the phone, and hit the ground running!

When we got back on the phone 2 hours later,

we were both exhausted from working so quickly for 2 whole hours...but excited to report to each other how motivated we had been...and that

we had gotten everything on our lists done!

We both laughed and talked about how it had really lit a fire under us!

(I just texted her and told her that we need to do it again!)

How do you get motivated to do house work?