I have been tagged...

I have been tagged...


The Fabulous Marianne tagged me and instructed me to do the following:


1. Go to the 4th folder in your computer where you store your pictures.
2. Pick the 4th picture in that folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same!


As scary as that sounds, here I go...tip-toeing to the picture files, I find this is the picture:

This picture was taken at co-op last spring. I am the de-facto photographer for our homeschool co-op, and this picture was taken on Pajama Day. The kids did a service project during chapel that day which involved putting together a large amount of sack lunches for one of the Detroit area homeless shelters. Here, the some of the kids and one of the teacher/moms prays for the people who will receive the lunches. It was a wonderful day, and the kids did a great job putting together all of the lunches. I believe we will be doing the same service project this year.

But wait, there's more! Marianne tagged me to answer some interesting questions, too(hopefully I can make my life sound interesting, anyway):

8 TV shows I watch:

1. 24-can not wait for it to start-but the jerks at FOX have it premiering on a Sunday! Aaaugh! I told Jason I was planning on catching a quick cold that day.
2. ER-we've watched it from episode one. Like, for almost our entire 17 year marraige!
3. What Not to Wear-Ally and I love watching this together
4. Mythbusters-Jason and the kids love it, I think it's a homeschool requirement.
5. House-great show. Quotable even: "You are a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day."
6. Fringe-we watched it after House once, and now we are being sucked in against our will.
7. Dirty Jobs-that Mike guy is a riot
8. Iron Chef-every now and then. Battle Cranberry was very intriguing.

8 Favorite Restaurants

(Disclaimer: The downriver metro Detroit area is pretty much devoid of restaurants. I'm just sayin'...)

1. Cracker Barrel-hashbrown cassarole. 'Nuff said.
2. Red Lobster-those stinking biscuits should have a warning label: warning-one can not stop oneself from consuming these things until they fear public vomitting will ensue.
3. Famous Dave's BBQ-awesome briscuit.
4. Kate's Kitchen-local little gem. serious pie. oh my.
5. Pappadeaux-yeah, it's in Houston. There is no need to rub it in. sigh...
6. Pappasitos-almost worth booking the flight and dealing with security to have their fajitas.
7. Olgas-just yummy.
8. LaPita-very nice Middle Eastern food, and the smoothies are amazing!

8 Things that Happened to Me Today:

1. My kids woke me up-there is seriously nothing better than a warm bed full of laughing children on a cold morning.
2. I had a great omelette at IHOP with the fam...Eric shamelessly flirted with the waitresses...hilarious.
3. It snowed for the better part of the day. Yes I know this is just supposed to be stuff that happened to me, but I am taking the snow personally, dang it!
4. I took the boys to shop for a present from them to Allyson while Jason took Allyson to shop for her brothers. Have you ever seen a three year old shop? I wish I would have video-taped it.
5. I got to see the end of "Home Alone". I admit it-I love that movie!
6. I found a jug of dishwasher detergent in the back of the van. It made me laugh.
7. I wrapped the presents the kids got for eachother with Jason tonight.
8. Jason realized he has to go into the office early in the morning...sigh...

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1. Watching my children grow up
2. Seeing how the Lord directs Jason's ministry.
3. Winter Camp!
4. Seeing how God works in the kids under our ministry
5. This year's Easter play...it will be different this year!
6. Tomorrow night-watching the kids open their gifts.
7. Being together with our extended family...I hope it happens soon!
8. SPRING!

8 Things I Wish For:

(Wish, as used in the Bible, means to "wait with expectation" like, I wish Spring will come. I know it will happen, and I am waiting with expectation for that event to occur!)

1. Heaven
2. Leading Eric to the Lord
3. My children to go into the ministry
4. To be a better wife
5. Finishing the school year ahead of schedule
6. Teaching Eric to read
7. Jason and I to be in the center of God's will
8. SPRING!

OK-now I get to tag some people!

(Disclaimer...I don't even know eight people who blog...lol...)

1. Jeanene
2. Robin

uh...yeah...that's all I am tagging...lol...maybe I need to wish for more blogging friends...lol

Christmas is coming!

Christmas Letters

I am going to go ahead and admit it: Christmas letters sort of bug me.

That is actually way too politically correct: I can't stand them. Another mom on a homeschool forum was lamenting about the same thing, and her hilarious take on the dreaded Christmas Letter inspired this post. Allow me to share a typical Christmas letter, just so we are all on the same page:

Dear Adoring Fans,

Welcome to our family's Christmas letter, which is the best ever. It was published (on a MacBook, of course) with the latest software, in the coolest font, on the most expensive paper available today. Our marvelous family once again has exceeded your expectations and grown more, done more, earned more, been more cute, and exhibited more Absolute Awesomeness than anyone else you know.

Examples: Our gorgeous daughter, Princess Summer, won the Miss America pageant (again) and will continue her studies at Harvard in January where she will be heading up a research project on the flight patterns of African Swallows and their effect on Global Climate Change. President Elect Obama has requested her to head up the EPA, but being a good conservative, she of course, refused. Her latest album is available for download on Itunes and had debuted at number four on Billboards Top 1oo.

Our son Timmy turned seven and is now taking applications for bus drivers for his upcoming Comedy Tour. Jay Leno has helped him get this tour started, and most shows are sold out already. That gentleman with the funny puppets will be opening for him. We just love that jalepeno pepper!

Once again, the dog won the Westminster Kennel Club's highest prize. He's such a wonderful animal. His Highness Marvelous Marvin Alfred Lord Puppykins always comes when we call him. Oh, we are so blessed!

Jesse has continued to thrive in his position at the New York Stock Exchange, where he runs, well everything. In spite of the economic downturn, he earned fourteen raises this year, and was given eight national commendations, appeared on 32 talk shows as an "expert in his field" and still found time to coach Timmy's Little League team to their fourth straight national title, write the sequel to his best-selling novel, cook dinner three times a week, and rub my feet every night. Sorry girls, the last great man is taken!

I have kept myself busy as well. I finally was able to propagate that blue rose, and the accolades continue to roll in. My part time landscaping business in taking off, and I will begin work on the White House Rose Garden this spring. My night classes for my doctorate in art history are going wonderfully, and the Detroit Art Institute predicts the new wing they are building to house my artwork will be completed on schedule! Mark you calendars for the Summer '09 opening!

Homeschooling is going great-all three kids are reading the complete works of Tolstoy and each one has decided to translate them into a foreign language: the oldest into ancient Sanskrit, the middle child wants to work with Chinese, and the youngest will translate this great literature into Greek. The children all now play at least three instruments each, and are building a lifesize android in the basement.

We smile all day long, we eat every meal together, after which we have a daily devotion which dad has published for each of you. We got to do a bit of traveling this year as well: we started off by heading to Tahoe, then it was off to Disney, a quick trip to the Cape, and this summer, that safari in Africa. In our spare time, we added a new wing onto the house to include that indoor pool we've been wanting, and the putting green for dad. It has been an amazing year!

Assorted mushy gag-inducing closings,

The Perfects

Can I just say "AAAAAAUUUUGH!!!" What I wouldn't give for an honest Christmas letter:

Hey people,

I realize that we haven't written or called or even really thought about you all year, but someone said we gotta write these silly little letters, so here's ours.

We still live here. Drop in any time, but be ready to see laundry to be folded in the living room, dishes in my sink, and every school book the kids own, along with some spilled Kool-aid, half a bowl of cereal, and a week's worth of mail on the dining room table.

We did not go anywhere interesting this year, except for that unfortunate zoo field trip, which I can't discuss, since the lawsuit is still pending.

Dad is still employed.

We still have the dog. He still hates you all. And no, he's not house trained yet. Get over it.

The kids did not attempt to kill one another today. We are marking today in the "success" column.

I don't have time to write anymore, and you don't care what I am saying anyway.

Yeah, well, good bye until next year. Sorry about the spaghetti sauce stains on the envelope.

Love,

The Normals

Typical Homeschooling Morning

The whole thing is alarmingly normal: