My Aunt, Jan Chapman, went to be with the Lord this morning. Please pray for her family, as this has been so hard on them. I’m praising the Lord to know that she is with Him and is at peace. Uncle Troy, Mike, Kelly & Mary (and all the rest of the family), we love you so much and will be lifting you up in prayers.
I know I haven’t been around a whole lot the last couple of weeks. With everything that’s been going on with my Aunt, I hadn’t felt a lot like posting. She is still hanging in there, but she could pass at any day. While I’ve been offline, I’ve been working on our homeschool schedule and doing some digital scrapbook designing. Below is list of curriculum that I will be using with the boys this year. Riley will be officially in kindergarten and Colt will be doing 11th grade work.
We homeschool year round, 40 weeks per year with 12 weeks off for holidays and vacations. Our schedule is Monday through Thursday, with Fridays off for errands & field trips. Total of 160 days per year.
Colt’s 2009-2010 Curriculum
Bible
Language Arts
Math
Science
History
Life-Skills
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Riley’s 2009-2010 Curriculum
Bible
Language Arts
After we’ve finished “Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons“, we will move on to the following.
Math
History/Social Studies
Science
Life-Skills
My aunt is still lingering on. This morning her respiration was at 7, her blood pressure was at 69/42 and her heart rate was 103. She’s been like this for over 3 week, her body just isn’t ready to go. It’s been really hard on the family. I really don’t think she’ll survive to the end of the week, but I thought that last week as well…her body lingers on. Please continue to lift our family up in prayers, especially my Uncle Troy and cousins Mike, Kelly & Mary (and their families). Also keep my Mom and Grandmother in your prayers. Thank you all so much, I have really appreciated the prayers.
The last 3 weekends, I’ve spent in the Burleson/Crowley area visiting with my aunt and my family. Over the last few years, we’ve all sort of drifted away from each other and it’s been nice to catch up and reminisce. Aunt Jan continues to hold her own, there’s been many times when it was thought “this is it”, and yet, she still lingers. Her body isn’t ready to leave us yet.
We all handle grief in different ways. This week, I’ve been grieving for my Aunt Jan. She’s still hanging in there, but is looks like the end is nearing. I’ve been told that they are not expecting her to last more than about 3 days.
I’m really saddened at the thought of losing her for many reasons. First of all, she’s my aunt, and at one time our families were really close. My cousins and I grew up together. Michael and Kelly were older than my brother and I, by 8 and 6 years. Mary was our age and we grew up playing together. My grandmother took us all on lots of out of state trips, usually with Michael going with us to help corral us younger ones. When Kelly married and started having children, I use to baby sit for them alot, I felt as if her kids were my own, I loved them so much. Mary and I were in youth group together at church. My Aunt Jan kept my brother and I and Mom kept my cousins. My childhood is full of memories of our families intermingling. Christmas at Nanny’s was another childhood highlight.
Another reason that I’m grieving, is because on September 12th, it will be 3 years since we lost our son Gabriel. These events happening around the same time are making the grieving for my Aunt more pronounced. I still grieve for my son and I think the two events are making the grieving for my Aunt more pronounced. She was there for me when we lost Gabriel and has been there for me in so many instances in the past. Riley had 6 surgeries by the time he was a little over a year old. She was there for every one, sitting there with me in the hospital. Her love and support meant a lot to me. I knew that I could always count on my Aunt Jan to be there when I needed support. She has always been so sweet to me and my boys.
I’m also really saddened when I look at my Nanny. She’s 92 years old and will have outlived all of her children except for one, my Mom, who is the youngest. She’s taking the news pretty well, but mostly because I don’t think she really “gets” what’s going on. Her long term memory is good, but short term is really bad. It’s starting to take her longer and longer to recognize you when you go to visit. She forgets the visit quickly as well. So, in a way, that is a blessing. Her senility will help her cope with this loss. As a family, we’ve suffered loss. My Uncle Mike died when he was really young, in a tragic shooting accident, I never met him. My Grand-Daddy died when I was a baby. My Aunt Sue died of cancer. My cousin Kelly’s oldest son died at 15. Now, my Aunt Jan is leaving us. My Nanny has lost so many people that she loved. We all have.
So now I’m grieving for my Aunt Jan. I know she is going to be with the Lord and that is something that really fills me with a melancholy happiness. I will miss having her in my life, but I know that she will no longer be in any pain. I know that she will be in complete happiness and peace, spending time with those who when on before.
When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!
Okay, I don’t really like Root Beer, but this jelly turned out SOOOO good! My boys think their in Root Beer heaven and would probably sit on the floor and gobble it up just by it’s self. It’s unusual to say the least, but REALLY good. If you like root beer, then this jelly is for you. Not only is it good, but it’s really easy to make.
Root Beer Jelly
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups root beer (any is fine, use your favorite)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. root beer flavoring (optional, can be purchased with the other baking flavors at Walmart. It adds a nice bit of extra root beer flavor)
3 oz. liquid pectin
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, root beer and lemon juice. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the liquid pectin and return to a boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour into 5 jelly jars (1/2 pint). Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Check to make sure lids popped and then store.
You can really use any type of carbonated drink for this recipe, I’m going to try to make some with Coke for my 92 year old grandmother who LOVES coke and I’m even thinking about making some with Big Red and Cream Soda. These will mostly be handed out as gifts, as I try not to keep too many jellies on hand with this much sugar, just for special treats. Daily use, I prefer the juice sweetened jellies as they don’t make the kids as hyper =)
This turned out pretty sweet, but in small doses, it would be good. It’s got an unusual flavor. The kids like it though. It also turned out a pretty red/brown color. Overall, I like this jelly but I don’t think I’d want a whole lot of it at one time. A thin layer of this on a sandwich is all you’d need to add sweetness!
Dr Pepper Jelly
3 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cup Dr Pepper (if possible use Dublin DP, made from real cane sugar)
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 oz. liquid pectin
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, Dr Pepper and lemon juice. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the liquid pectin and return to a boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour into 5 jelly jars (1/2 pint). Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Check to make sure lids popped and then store.
I know I said I was going to take a short break from blogging, and I am (GRIN!), but I just had to share with ya’ll the blessing I found at a garage sale today!
For several months, I’ve been praying to find a bunk bed for the boys at a garage sale. I would be happy with any sturdy bunk bed, but REALLY want one with the full size on bottom and twin on top…not something you find too often at garage sales (unless it’s the cheap flimsy metal ones.) Colt is currently sleeping on an old futon, which is falling apart and Riley’s gotten too big for the toddler/crib stuff. Every time I see a bunk bed at a garage sale, it’s the first thing I rush over to and take a look at. Usually, if I even see one, they are out of our budget or already sold. So, today I was hitting all the local garage sales, which were pretty much busts. I did get 3 books, a math manipulative set and a blouse and dress for me. We didn’t have much to spend at garage sales this week, because we have a big bill that needs to be paid. That’s okay, because there weren’t many garage sales today and not alot of stuff at the ones I did find. We were on our way home when I saw a sign and decided to go ahead and stop. I walked up there and started looking through some clothes. Up against this tree, there was something wooden, all disassembled. I took a look, it was marked $10. I asked what it was and nearly did a happy dance when they told me it was a bunk bed. It didn’t have the support bars or the bolts, but both of those are easily and cheaply gotten. On the spur of the moment, I asked if they would take $8, which would leave me enough money to get gas to make it home from Marty’s work. They said yes! Colt came out and helped me load it up in Marty’s truck (which I was driving today…good thing!!). I went to Marty’s work to drop off his truck and pick up my Suburban. Marty came out to look at the bunk bed and said that he thinks that it might be a twin/full bunk bed like what we REALLY wanted. We’ll get the bolts and support bars this weekend and get it put all together to see if it’s the twin/full type. Either way, God provided it for us in the price range that was very affordable for us!! Isn’t God Great!!
Now all we have to do is get mattresses for the beds. Marty said he’ll put plywood down over the support bars so we will be able to put any size mattress down on the bed. Right now, we have 2 mattresses that came from 18 wheeler sleepers. They are shorter and not as wide as twins, but will work until we can replace them with the correct sizes (when we can save up for them). We are wanting to get a twin and full size of these mattresses from Walmart. These are very similar to the one my parents gave Marty and I for our birthdays/anniversary. So now we need to save up the $370 for the new mattresses, which they really need because the sleeper mattresses are nearly shot.
So, I’m a very happy and blessed camper today! I just love how the Lord says wait and then always provides us what we need in a way that works with our budget! Thank you Lord Jesus for our new bunk bed!!!! I’ll post pictures when Marty gets it all together =)
Today, Marty and I celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary. I am so happy to be his wife and wouldn’t trade him for anything…no even chocolate ice cream! =)
Marty has been the most excellent husband for me and I am so proud for him to call me his wife!
On our wedding day, August 4, 1990
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, [fn] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
— I Corinthians 13:1-8
Marty and I, November 2008
Essential Traditions/Real Food Real Frugal 