Journey to Excellence

We bought our house last July, and it was a complete mess inside and out. All of our money and time went to the inside of the house, just so we could actually live here. We did not have anything leftover for the exterior, so we have lived with a muddy front yard and no landscaping for the whole year. We turned our attention to the backyard first so that I could get my gardening area completed. This past weekend we finally were able to pull together the funds to put in our bushes and flowers in the front yard. Rick and I spent all day yesterday, which was Father's Day and our anniversary, putting in our landscaping. I like to put in baby plants so I can watch them grow and mature over the years. I think it turned out really nice! I still have some impatiens to plant. And then it's time to paint the porch so the house stops looking like a summer camp cabin!!! Things are coming along! I am linking up with Marcy at Ben and Me .

In our regular life this week… The first part of our regular life was combined with our schooling life this week with Cub Scout Day Camp going on every day. The kids and I had to rise at O'Dark:Thirty each morning to get Brynne where she is staying for the day, to pick up the boys riding in our car to camp, and to drive to camp. Monday night we were home for 15 minutes before we were back in the car for another car trip in the opposite direction to Brynne's softball game. Then Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Brynne was throwing up. (Dawson really appreciated it since she was sleeping with him!) And our central air conditioning unit caputed. We knew that was coming. Turns out it might not be as tragic as we first thought, but we are going to have some warm days around here until this week when we can (hopefully) get it repaired. We celebrated Rick's birthday on Friday. He took off on Friday so he could come home a day early and he came up to Family Day at camp, w...

This week's discussion covers Chapters 3, 4, 19 and 32 of Trim Healthy Mama by Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett. Chapter 3 - Raw Green Colleen Although this is nowhere near me, I do know of someone who would fit into this category. Honestly, the nutritional deficiencies passed onto the children is what scared me the most about this chapter. All raw foods with the only proteins being in the form of nuts and sprouting vegetables is problematic, to say the least. This chapter explained how important animal protein is to our bodies, and how our bodies were actually created by God to consume it. A strictly raw foods diet does a great job of cleaning out the body, but it fails to refuel it with what it needs. I found this paragraph to be very interesting: "Colleen's distended stomach and constant bloat is due to living on an herbivore diet without the four stomachs needed to digest this constant barrage of roughage ... Meat eating mammals (humans included), all conta...

Holy Cow. I am beat! Eli and I have attended his Cub Scout Day Camp the past two days and it has been jam packed with activities! There is something about spending 10 hours a day with 150, 9 and 10 year old boys (primarily), 8 of whom are in close quarters in your tent, that has a way of sucking the energy right out of you. Wowzer! But, Eli has had a blast and I have been so thrilled to see him enjoying the camp as much as he is. I have seen him branch out and do things I, honestly, never thought I would ever see him do. He has shown so much independence and it's been so great! Here are several collages showing the fun he has had so far. Only three more days to go!! Pop Bottle Terrariums Camp Stools (awesome project for scouts!) Other Miscellaneous Projects: Necktie Snakes, Jungle Calls, Turtle Neckerchief Slides, Rounders to hold camp beads The Most Favorite Activities: BB Gun Shooting and Archery! My sweet boy may be a tough Cub Scout, but he...

I have mentioned in the past, and it's worth mentioning again, that you can watch all full episodes of Lark Rise to Candleford on the Idaho Public Television website. If you are a Downton Abbey and/or Call the Midwife fan, you will love Lark Rise to Candleford . I watch an episode each Sunday evening before I go to bed. You should, too! Linking up with Marcy at Ben and Me .

This is going to be a crazy, busy week! Eli has Cub Scout day camp everyday from 8:30 - 3:30 p.m. about 30 minutes away from where we live. He and I will be up at the crack of dawn every day and totally exhausted by the time we get home. Meals will be super easy because we will be super tired! Monday Schoolwork: Eli camp/Brynne reading and computer game review Housework: Vacuum as soon as we get home from camp Dinner: Pick up a pizza Activities: Brynne has a softball game in a different town 30 minutes away Tuesday Schoolwork: Eli camp/Brynne reading and computer game review Housework: Clean the bathrooms Dinner: Turkey burgers and veggie crisps Activities: Mow the yard and then die on the couch Wednesday Schoolwork: Eli camp/Brynne reading and computer game review Housework: Dust Dinner: Chicken quesadillas Activities: Really die on the couch Thursday Schoolwork: Eli camp/Brynne reading and computer game review Housework: Tidy up Dinner: Hot dogs and chips Act...

In our regular life this week… Ahh .. this has been a much calmer week, with the exception of the air conditioning guy who told me that because our drip pan in our ancient central unit is cracked (it leaks some water but otherwise works GREAT) that we should get a new central unit, a new furnace and updated duct work. Hmmm .... I think I'll pass and maybe just have a new drip pan made. Thanks, though. Kyndal has been home this week. It's so interesting having your adult child back home with you. It will be fun to see her experience life as an adult on a day-to-day basis when she moves back in with us full-time in September. Eli's Scout Pack had it's graduation ceremony and cookout on Friday night. Before the meeting our den gathered together so that we could do our landscaping elective. The boys made greenhouses out of half-gallon milk/juice cartons, straws, and ziplock bags and planted some cool viney moss that we took from my mom's house (this stuff sp...