Faith

29 January 2010

Halfway

So we're now over halfway through the school year.  I'm not really necessarily looking forward to this next year, the 2010-2011 year because we have to start declaring James this year.  I'm thinking the attendance sheets are going to be a pain in the butt.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll get through it just fine :)  Better than trying to homeschool in New York.

So I looked everything I wanted up and it's going to be around $400 this year for James and Jade.  I would LOVE to get the Bible curriculum, but it's another $280 and I don't think it's feasible.  I'm thinking I'm going to have to go down to Lifeway and maybe look at the Sunday school materials and see if I can't put together something myself.

I also need to figure out what I'm going to do with Jade.  She doesn't care if I take things away, or if I put her in time out, or if I just talk to her.  She'll continue the bad behavior (it's not a lot of things, and she's usually very well behaved it's just like that one or two things she'll give me problems over, cleaning is a big one, and so is getting ready in a timely manner).  So I'm pretty much at the end of my rope on discipline.  I don't like spanking, it's not for our family, but even that doesn't work on her.  I tried, and it just doesn't work and all it did was make ME feel guilty and horrible.

I'm just at a loss, James breaks down if he knows he's disappointed you, but Jade doesn't care if she disappoints you, she usually laughs about it.  Ugh.

Steven, he's finally trying to be more vocal, so I'm thinking the talking is going to get better and better in the next coming months :)

Willow.....what can I say about Willow?  She's doing wonderful.  She's 25" long now and is 12 1/2lbs.  I am having to put her into 6-9 month clothes now, only we don't have a lot of them.  Luckily we have a wonderful neighbor who said I can borrow some of hers because otherwise Willow would have a total of 3 outfits to wear.  She can wear *some* of her 3-6 month clothes but I highly doubt it will last much longer.

05 January 2010

It's been awhile

The life of having four children and not three now, and having just moved into on post housing and having way more things than room has taken it's toll on me.

Michael and I are working on financial freedom.  We still have the tendency and want to spend but I think we are finally curbing that want adequately.  After we get our tax return back we should be even closer to our debt free goal.

As this New Year has happened I am even more concerned for the turn of our country.  More and more, and especially in my own generation I am seeing the sense of entitlement.  That we should provide everything for everyone.  Now while I am not against helping a person while they are down, I do not want to provide for someone who is not my blood kin indefinitely, and even then not my blood kin.  We are capable of standing on our own two feet even in the hardest of times.  Leaning on someone when you're having a rough time is one thing, expecting for someone, or the gov't (therefore the entire country) to take care of you for the rest of your life when you are fully capable of working is not acceptable.  We have rights, we have the right to live, breathe, offend and be offended, you have the right to pursue (not just obtain) happiness, wealth, decent healthcare, education and liberty.  This things are NOT granted to you, they are not rights on their own, but things you can achieve if you work hard or at least they used to be.  In the world today they seem to be given out with no regard for the consequences and debt it is putting us in.  It's being given out with out the say of the masses giving permission for their hard earned money that is meant to be used to help those who are on hard times only, and for our military to have a protecting force from those that harm us and instead to be used for those who refuse to help themselves!

I am almost at a point that I do not want to be involved with a country that is turning so socialistic.  I have always been proud to be an American because of what our constitution stands for, the freedoms and liberties we have, and because I can pursue happiness in my way, worship the way I want and not be condemned for it, but slowly I see these liberties and rights being taken away and instead replaced by what so few gathering of our society deem fit.  They now have the authority to tell us, when and how to birth our children, when and how to educate our children, what and when to put things in their bodies or deny them access to the public education we pay for.

Our rights are slowly slipping away and I feel almost adrift in that so few of us really see this and so many more I see embracing this new way of life as "the best".  I can only pray that the America I remember reading about in the past, and grew up respecting and loving can once again return to its former glory.  This is my hope and prayer for this year.  My new years resolution (that I never make) will be to stand up for freedom, to not keep quiet when my gov't begins to take away my rights, and begin to advocate for what I feel is right!