Congratulations Aaron!

Today was a busy Sunday at church.  Our teens returned from camp yesterday.  There were many salvation decisions during the week.  They were all still in high spirits today.  Of course it was our last day to be with our little church family.  We enjoyed a potluck fellowship after the morning service and went right into an early evening service.  We were all done by 3 p.m.

Today was even more special for us because it was the day our #1 son, Aaron graduated from High School.  This is what I said before I presented Aaron with his diploma:

 Most of you know me, some may not.  I am Mrs. Beth Ledford, homeschool teacher, and administrator of El Cerrito Baptist Academy.  For the last twelve years I've had one student, Aaron.  Today it is with great pleasure that I present Aaron with  his high school diploma.

About 17 years ago, my husband and I made the commitment that we would do our best to educate Aaron at home.  We've seen many benefits , through the years, regarding our efforts of home education.

Aaron has performed extraordinarily well in all his studies.  He has shown courage and determination.  Aaron has also demonstrated patience when neither of us knew quite how to proceed.

For twelve years I have prayed about this day.  I've prayed I would be able to bring it pass with the best of my abilities.  I believe today is that proof.

Aaron, now you can only apply what you've been taught.  It is my one desire, that with the rest of your life you'll continue to do as the scripture says:   

II Peter 3:18 

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

To him be the glory both now and forever.  AMEN"

 

 

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

 

What do we do on a cold, rainy day?

EAT!

Watch the kitty.

Blog.

 

 

Play with our toys, right in the middle of the floor!

 

Singing and Riding

 

This picture was taken Sunday morning.   Our last special to perform at church.  We are singing with our Pastor and his wife Lisa.  The song is called "Show a Little Bit of Love" 

The following pictures are of our horse riding adventure yesterday.  This is #2 son riding on a horse for the first time.  This horse belongs to our friends neighbors, his name is Calvin.

This is #1 son and our friend Kaylee.  The horse is Ricochet.

So here is the setup for this picture:  It is my turn to get on the horse after a 20 year hiatus.  I hand the camera to my manly man, who probably showed up just for a good laugh.  I say "Will you take a few pictures please?"  This is the only picture I have of me riding the horse!  #2 son is in front of me.  This riding arrangement didn't work very well so we tried putting #2 son in the back and he couldn't hold on.  So we left him playing with Legos and we went to the beach to ride.  We are all pretty sore on our hind ends today!

I didn't get pictures of it, but we had a great dinner last night.  Fresh, battered Cod with french fries.  #1 son made coffee cake for dessert that we ate this morning.  Today #1 son leaves for teen camp.  He says to tell you the forecast is for lots of rain ALL week long.  My manly man and I are taking #2 son over to a good friends house for dinner.  They have spotted several bear in that area.  I'll be sure to take the camera along in case we see one.  I have to bring dessert tonight.  I was thinking of ice cream sundaes.  Sound good?

Lazy Saturday

I mentioned yesterday that we would go ocean fishing with a friend today.  We were able to spend about 2 hours fishing.  (about 4 hours out altogether.)  We caught more than what we will be able to eat this week.  We'll probably freeze the remaining and put it our hosts freezer.

Our fishing buddy, Gary.

#2 son keeping cozy warm.

My manly man bring in a 10 pound Cod.

 My 10 pound Cod.

My manly man and his Halibut.

 

The scale reads 35 pounds.

This is what we had for dinner,  Halibut scalloped potatoes.

With stir fried asparagus.

 

My sweet Banjo dog, patiently waiting for dinner to finish so he can investigate the underside of the table!

Life After Packing

Can you hear that?

 

It's quiet where I am.  Blissful, relaxing, restful and quiet.

 

The movers came on Wednesday the 18th.  One look around and the man in charge said, "We'll be done tomorrow around noon."

 

Whooppee, a three day job turned into a day and half.  All my efforts to have piles of this~ and piles of that 'organized' paid off for me.  We made a few phone calls.  One to the new renters stating they could have their new home a day early.  The other phone call to the bed and breakfast where we are staying finding out if we'd be able to come a day early.  Praise the Lord everything worked out.  Our household goods are all packed and crated and leave the our remote, rural Alaska island to head to storage in New Jersey, arriving around August 6th.

 

Now I sit in my comfortable, quiet room listening to crowing roosters and the cry of peacocks at the neighbors house.  The window is open and I can smell the sweet scent of a cottonwood tree, so pleasant. Can you smell it?

 

Yesterday after coming to the bed and breakfast #1 son and I emptied out the van and brought things into our rooms.  My manly man brought home pizza for dinner and by 6:30 p.m.  I was in bed looking at my new magazines.  Log Home Living, Tea Time, Country Sampler and Victorian Homes, eating a carton of a new flavor of candy, peanut butter flavored Whoppers.

 

Today our host found out that I like to cook.  He told me he has a Rhubarb plant that needs harvesting. 

 

 

 So I made two pies.  I didn't really work to hard making them.    I went to the commissary and bought pre-made pie crust.  But I did come back and make the filling from scratch.  Rhubarb pie is one of my favorites if it is prepared the right way.  (My way!  ha-ha)  I like to use tapioca to thicken instead of flour.  I think it thickens better than flour.  I also do not add the full measure of sugar the recipe calls for so that the pie is tart.  YUM!! 

 

 

 

I also bought a few things so I can help prepare a few dinners.  Frozen chicken thighs to marinate in Italian salad dressing and then to grill on the barbecue.  Serve the chicken with roasted potato wedges.  (I will microwave the whole potato until almost done and then cut it into wedges.  Then I will toss them in a little dressing made from olive oil and a packet of  onion soup mix)  For a veggie we'll have stir fry green beans.  (fresh green beans, stir fried in olive oil with a little fresh garlic, salt and pepper.)  I'd also like to make Halibut Scalloped potatoes and Halibut Parmesan while I am here.

 

Tomorrow will be another relaxing day.  My manly man and I have plans to go ocean fishing with a friend from church.  (Thus the recipes using Halibut.)  I hope to catch a little one, enough for a couple meals.  Because of our long drive we can't take any with us.  I will surely miss the Halibut.  It is one of the best eating fish I have ever had.  The taste is magnified when it is fresh.  #1 and #2 sons will stay at the B and B while we are gone fishing .  #1 son has been hired (at $10.00 and hour!) to mow our hosts 2 acre property with a push mower.

 

I also helped vacuum this morning...I guess I am not being totally  inactive.   I do have three books to read and those fabulous magazines to go through once more.  My manly man is repairing our hosts riding lawn mower, sounds like they have got it running and now need to change to blade.

 

 I just realized that I don't know how to copy pictures to my manly man's lap top computer.  I'll have to post the pictures later, when I receive the proper instructions!

 

Here is a free advertisement for our host "Gus", check out his web page www.kodiakrussianriverlodge.com

 

 

Here is a picture of # 2 son playing with the leaves from the Rhubarb. 

 

A Few Days Left

 

 

Only a few days left at this home and then we're off to 40+ days of living out of a suitcase to get to the next home.   I'm sure it will be a beautiful trip.  Yesterday we drove about 6 miles out of town to check out the bed and breakfast we're staying at for 10 days.  It will be peaceful and relaxing, a refreshing break for me from all the cleaning and organizing done recently.

 

 

(Above)...This is a picture of the bed and breakfast.  There are about 5 bedrooms and could sleep probably about 20 people.  We have the entire bottom floor.  Two bedrooms, living room and bathroom.  It is a private area, which is nice for our pets.

 

(Above)... is a picture of the common area that we will all share.  There is a nice pool table in the back room.  Continental breakfast everyday and interesting ideas for shared dinner plans.  The owner likes to smoke fish and barbecue. 

 

Below is a picture of my almost complete packing.  I just have a few more things to go inside the suitcases.  We'll each have our own pillows and those are not in the picture. The kitty and her crate are also not pictured, neither are the fishing poles, tackle or the tool box (needed in case of vehicle breakdown.) 

 

 

 

Pictured below is our totally amazing Dodge Caravan.  It has been a great vehicle and has gone places some people would only take a 4 wheel drive.  This will be its second cross country trip.  Next week my manly man will be getting it serviced for the drive.  #1 dear son cleaned and vacuumed it all out and will put the small rear seat back in.

 

 

I'll try to take a few more pictures and post them in the next few days.

~Later~

Visitors

 

This is the second season this pair of geese has returned to visit us.  They come and eat bread we throw at them.  Last year they had four babies.  This year they showed up with only one.

My Sister

 

Your birthday is not until Sunday onehappymomma...I don't think I'll be able to access my scanner as it will be disassembled for the move.  I pray your special birthday is as wonderful as you are.  I wish I had baby pictures of you, you were such a cutie!

 

Happy,  Happy, Happy

Birthday

to my wonderful sweet sister.

I've told you before and I'll tell you again...  The first time I remember the Lord answering my prayers, I was 8 years old, I prayed to Jesus that he would bring me a baby sister, and he did!  We haven't been able to spend much time together as adults.  What time we do spend together is precious.  I am thankful for our salvation in Christ, we will be able to spend eternity together, rejoicing with the Lord who made us sisters!

Day Dreaming

I am allowed to have a little fun. Right?  My sweet manly man spends countless hours on e-bay looking at Toyota parts.  This is what I do on the internet, look at pictures of houses.  I loved Barbie dolls when I was a girl.  Moving to a new house is like setting up my Barbie house and decorating anyway I like.  When I am tired of the decorations, I am free to change them if I want.

We have been praying for 3 months that we would not be forced to live in military housing in the state of New York.  Praise the Lord, he answered our prayers.  On Wednesday we found out positively that we may live outside government housing.  One of the several reasons we wanted to be free to live elsewhere are the homeschool regulations for that state.  (check them out at www.hslda.com) New Jersey and Connecticut are much more lenient to homeschoolers. 

The military does provide excellent and housing for its members.

 

Military Housing, New York State

 

 4 BD, 1.5 BA, 2 Car Garage

 4 BD, 1.5 BA, 2 Car Garage

This is what I like.  I want a big house this time.  An extra bedroom for company.  A basement for using as a family room and a large garage for my manly men to be able to work on projects AT HOME.  That Toyota project was done at the auto hobby shop on base because our rental does not have a garage.  My manly men spent countless hours at the shop working on the TOY.  So I'll continue to have my daydream of a big house, garage, family room and with a yard for my sweet Banjo dog.

 

John 14:13  

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,

that will I do,

that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "

 

 

Getting Things Accomplished

I am thankful that one of the benefits of a military move is the option of having a moving company come and pack our things to ship them to the next house.  I don't know about anyone else who moves, but I like to have things ready for the movers.  It gives me something to do so I am not idle.  I actually do have a list for this project, items are being finished and I am able to cross them off the list.  This is my manly man sorting through all the stuff he has not looked at in the last 2 years.  Some of it he is throwing away, some of it is being sorted to go to the next house to not be looked at again until the next move. 

Things to do today:  1.  One of the last trips to the library  2.  Eat more stuff from the freezer, dinner tonight will be King Crab legs with melted butter and baked potatoes.  3.  Clear all my clean linens from the dining table and add them back to my room.  4.  Wash some artificial greenery and store it.  5.  Take down pictures from the wall and clean them with windex and pile them on the newly cleared dining table.

Playing Tag

In the old days, playing tag was running around on the school playground seeing who could be 'it.'  I guess this game is a little different played in the computer age.  This is okay since I was wondering what to post today.

 

What I was doing 10 years ago:  Living in a 31 foot class A motorhome with my husband and 7 year old son, entering in to one of the busiest and most challenge times in my life.

 

5 things on my list to do today: 

Do I have a list?

 

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: 

Not think about what to do.

3 of my bad habits: 

1. I'm bossy  2.  I worry  3.  I clench my teeth

4 Places I’ve lived:

Oregon, Wisconsin, Virginia, California

 

5 jobs I’ve had:

((All these jobs I held before the age of 18))

1. Grain Elevator Operator

2. Truck Driver

3.  Feed Mixer for 1,200 head of beef cattle

4.  Lawn Maintenance Person Extraordinaire

5. Summertime cooks helper on wheat farm

 

3 People I want to know more about (that means you’re tagged!)

my cousin~   www.xanga.com/bfloodeen

my friend~  www.xanga.com/momomma5

my friend~  www.xanga.com/mrselsiegibbs

 

Later~

 

Random Day

 Random thoughts for my random day...

If a blog is like a personal diary, what do I write when I invited my former Pastor, my sister, my mother and my mother in law to read my blog?  Ha-Ha

How do I 'organize' when getting ready to move?

How do I motivate myself to be excited about:   1.  moving 5000 miles  2.  Living out of a suitcase for 40+ days... 3.  Being confined in a van for 21 days with a husband, two children, a dog and a cat...  4.  Thinking of the possibility of eating out 3 meals a day for 40+ days...

Big Sigh...

 

 

 

Things done yesterday:

Wash bedding, fold bedding, make cedar sachets for bedding, unroll sleeping bags to sleep on until they are packed, pull artificial greenery off bedroom wall,  take down bedroom curtains and wash them, throw some pillows away, wash clothes, fold clothes, make lunch, make dinner, think, think ,think!

Things done today:

breakfast, shower, check blog, call husband, talk on phone, think.

 

 

 

Another BUSY day

 

Congratulations to my husband, who was sworn in today as a Chief Warrant Officer! 

I am very proud of all that he has accomplished in his 20 years of military service.