This weekend I went to a scrapbooking retreat with my good friend Mary.  It was wonderful…beautiful weather, tasty gourmet food and plenty of room to work on our scrapbooks.  This retreat was at a place called Cherokee Cove…it was a true pleasure to meet the owners..who are chefs…and stay in their beautiful lodge in the mountains.  I will most certainly go back!

What I tackled was getting my scrapbooks in order, getting a lot of pages done and all my papers and supplies organized.  I do not have a before picture because I forgot to take one!  Nonetheless…I was able to organize my books, complete 23 pages and declutter my papers and supplies…I gave away a bunch of things I no longer wanted and this made the rest of the organizing pretty easy.  Now I know where everything is…woohoo!!

I placed my albums on our bookshelf.  The empty space beside the towels is where my photos that need to be put into books ended up…not sure why they weren’t there when I took the picture! lol!!

This is what I’m working on for next Tuesday.  I thought if I posted this photo that somehow I would be held accountable…and actually get this done!! lol!!

This is my “Thank You” bowl…these are the people I still need to send thank you’s to…we had a ton of people send things to us when Gus died and I’m still working on the thank you’s…there were that many!  We are truly blessed….but I HAVE to get these done! lol!!  So check back next week……

Let us know what you’ve tackled this week…link your post over at 5 Minutes for Mom

Here’s a friend I picked up at the Carter County School Administration Building….we got called in to sign our “Intent to Homeschool” forms….even though we are registered under an umbrella school.  All went well and the gal was surprised that I had never filled out their paperwork…she didn’t know the law so she said she would get back to me if she needed to.  She was very nice but had no clue!  On the way out I found Douglas on the door…Pete wouldn’t let me go back in and ask for a glass jar and lid…he said that would be too “homeschool weird” lol!!

He was named Douglas because the building used to be Douglas School!  I really wish my picture was as wonderful as Rob’s pictures at Unspace…they are awesome!!  He would have been able to capture a close-up of Douglas’ eye! lol!!

We’ve been schooling since the beginning of August but I haven’t been posting about what we are studying…I’m going to try to consistently start doing this.  So here goes….

Nik:

Math–the horrible awful long division

Bible–Joshua and the wall of Jericho

Language Arts–working on a play for a playwriting competition

                         comparison and contrast in written work

History–Tn History/Geography

Science–equinoxes and solstices

Reading–Huckleberry Finn

Art–studying Peter Bruegel the Elder

Music–studying Mozart

Jake:

Math:  rounding and estimating

Bible–daily living as a Christian

Language Arts–homonyms, synonyms and antonyms

History–The French and Indian War

Science–types of cells found in the human body

Reading–The Wheel on the School

Art–studying Peter Bruegel the Elder

Music–studying Mozart

Belle:

Math–number sets

Bible–Esther

Language Arts/Phonics–Letter S and reading “am” words

History/Geography–the seven continents

Science–the Five Senses

Reading–Dolly and Molly at the Seashore

               The Frog Who Would

Art–studying Peter Bruegel the Elder

Music–studying Mozart

At 10:30, we break for snacks and read-aloud time.  Right now I’m reading “As You Like It” by Shakespeare from the book Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare.  I also read from the Book of Virtues.  I was reading Plutarch but have lost my printouts!!

Tomorrow we are getting together with friends up the street for lunch…Jake has requested that we take deviled eggs so we’ll be making those tomorrow morning.  I’ll count that as a “life skill” for Jake! lol!

photo courtesy of O’Connel Oil Associates

SFC Daniel Petithory was Killed In Action on December 5, 2001 during Operation Enduring Freedom.  He was a Communications Sergeant with the Army’s Special Forces Group (Airborne).  During his time with the Army, he was part of contingency operations in Kuwait, Haiti, Africa and parts of Soutwest Asia.  Daniel received many awards and decorations, including the Purple Heart.

He is survived by his parents, a brother and sister.  Danel Petithory was 32 years old.

Thank you, Daniel Petithory, for your sacrifice.  Your bravery and courage during Operation Enduring Freedom will not be forgotten….

photo courtesy Chapter 38, SFA Memorial Wall

Information gathered from following sites:

O’Connell Oil Associates

Chapter 38, SFA Memorial Wall

The PigStye

United States Army 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

Portsmouth Herald

Feast 110

My 3rd Feast

Appetizer:  Name 3 things that you are wearing today.

My wedding rings, glasses and blue jeans

Soup:  Who was the last person you hugged?

My sweet husband, Pete

Salad:  What do you like to order from your favorite fast food place?

Taco John’s Super Burrito is soooo much better than Taco Bell’s Buritto Supreme!  Just take off the lettuce…’cause lettuce is gross when it’s hot!

Main Course
What time of day do you usually feel most energized?

Between 9pm and 2am…I’m a night owl!

Dessert
Using the letters in your first name, write a sentence. (Example: Sweet unusual spaniels are nice.)

Juggling eggs, Nancy never yelled.

Visit Friday’s Feast every Friday for a new menu!

I finished a good book by Jodi Picoult yesterday.  Here are two of the quotes I underlined…

My Sister’s Keeper

by Jodi Picoult

Driving home, I am struck by the sudden thought that the world is inflatable–trees and grass and houses ready to collapse with the single prick of a pin.  pg. 34

Goldfish get big enough only for the bowl you put them in.  Bonsai trees twist in miniature.  I would have given anything to keep her little.  They outgrow us so much faster than we outgrow them.  pg. 196

I love how Jodi Picoult wrote this story from different angles…each chapter was a different character and his/her point-of-view.  The ending took me by surprise however, most of the other reviews I read said the ending was soooo predictable!  Maybe I’m just simple-minded! lol!!  Anyway…I thought it was a good book…good enough to make me want to read her other books!

I loved when Steve Irwin said this.  In memory of The Crocodile Hunter I’ve compiled a short list of Aussie words…

Billabong: An oxbow river or watering hole

Freckle: Your bum.
Give it a burl: Try it, have a go.
Lizard drinking, flat out like a: Flat out, busy.
Ridgy-didge: Original, genuine.
Ute Utility vehicle.

Walkabout, it’s gone: It’s lost, can’t be found.

Though these words are fun to say, it’s Steve Irwin’s great work in the conservation of wildlife that we should remember.  His love of the animals was evident and taught us all a lot.

Read about the Irwins and see some pictures.  Let’s all keep this family in our prayers.  We have certainly enjoyed watching The Crocodile Hunter over the years and I am sad that there will be no more…

“Crocs Rule”

     –Steve Irwin