Co-op, Emma's birthday, and News!

Mondays are the days that seem most hectic and to be honest, NUTS!!!!!! at our house. But, I absolutely adore them. Along with regular schooling, house work, glitter, and non stop imagination, our Mondays include participating in our local Homeschool Co-op. Now, just in case you don't know what "co-op" is, co-op is literally a cooperation of parents who setup, teach, and pack up a school environment for their kids once a week. We gather to give our kids the opportunity to see that other kids are taught at home too! It's a great time of parent led education and socialization. We love it!

Both Emma and Jensen go to classes that have kids their own ages in them. They both have art, music, learning, and playtime coordinated for their age levels. I get to participate in other classes with older kids and discuss curriculum and ideas with other home educating moms and dads. The co-op lasts for three hours, and our kids come home as excited chatter boxes ready to go the next week. 

Here is the link for more information:

http://www.helpinghandshomeschool.org

In other news, Mike and I are in the process of opening a new business. I am so excited to see Mike's "brain child" come to fruition. This is not to say that I am completely without fear and trepidation; I have to admit that our past failure in the Florida construction industry does play a huge part in my nervousness. However, I refuse to allow that fear to hold me back from pursuing something new. More to come on that subject as it progresses. #2scoops

Did I mention that Emma turned SIX?! I won't discuss it, because I am in serious denial. 

She got this guitar for her birthday...um, yah, we (Mike and I) did this to ourselves. Anyway, I am enjoying having my sweetie pie girl home everyday, although starting home education has in no way slowed down her growing up! Boo! 

(As a side note, the school that Emma was attending just tested in dead last in its district. That's all I'm going to say about that.)

So there it is, a bit about our crazy, fun lives!

Pray for me,

Marlie

A Change

If you have followed this blog at all, you know that I am terrible about posting updates. I originally thought, "It would be great to have a family blog that family and friends could read." Really? HA!
Kind of funny now that I rethink it. All of our family is on Facebook, and I regularly update far away grandparents with recent grandkid pictures via Instagram.
 Why a blog?
I have no idea. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I realized soon afterward that posting a cutsie wootsie (yes, I make up words) blog about kids and family life really is not me.

So what is "me"? Hmm...I'm all over the place concerning what this outlet should contain. I have a great deal of interests....cooking (check out my fb page Tried and True), kids, homeschooling (a recent endeavor that is awesome!), marriage, Christianity, being a transplant Texan (love for this state is in the water, I swear!), conservative values (yes, I am 'that' kind of person), beauty, fashion (yes, well, on my Pinterest page anyway), movies (yah, another fb page Movie Buffs Unite), and recently shooting (yep, my hubs gave me a Taurus 9mm for Christmas...I haven't used it yet, but I hope to tomorrow...ah, the life of a mom).

I'm changing the tone of this blog from family to whatever peaks my interest at the time, and I hope to develop my writing skills and interests greatly as a result.



marlieparks

Gratitude- A Brief Update

I have to say that this year has been one of the best years for my personal growth. I am so grateful for the work God has done in my life and in the life of my family.

My husband finished his contract with the U.S. Army and has since started his own business. This has changed the way our family interacts, and we have been able to see him everyday.

Mike and I have been blessed to lead a Connect Group in our Sunday School Class. Our group consists of like minded people who come together and fellowship with their families. Each family in our group has been such a blessing to us.

Recently, I was blessed to be in a Ladies' Bible Study on Gideon, and it transformed the way I see "weakness." I have struggled over the past five years with feelings of inadequacy, fear, and self-doubt, but through that study of Gideon, I have learned that God uses our weakness for His glory. Our weakness is His strength. Wow! How freeing is that? I can be used by God even in my weak state.

Today, our daughter, Emma, will finish her last day of public school. We have prayerfully ventured into the homeschool world and we are ecstatic about the endless possibilities that we have in being involved in Emma's education.

Mike and I will be celebrating a decade of marriage on December 5!

Finally, the holidays are upon us, and we will be traveling to see family and friends. I am so grateful to The Lord for what He has allowed us to do so far this year.

More on our lives....later!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not so Bummed after all!

Well. today was a learning curve kind of day for me. I weighed myself this morning as I do every Monday morning, and I hadn't lost a single pound! Needless to say, I was pretty devastated. I had worked my butt off (literally) five days last week, and I have been very consistent with my eating plan. So, for a few hours today (including when I once again did my Zumba), I was feeling really down.

My husband reminded me that muscle weighs more than fat, and that helped a little - considering I had added strength training to my exercise routine last week. I wrote to my brother (who is in incredible shape) and told him about how my weigh-in went.

He brought up two great points. One, go for body fat percentage (BMI) loss over pounds lost (because muscle weighs more than fat). Two, it is better to lose weight gradually for your skin to keep it's elasticity.

Awesome! I only wish I would have read his message earlier in the day...it would have saved a lot of "boo hoo ing" in my mind today.

BUT I was faithful to my eating plan and exercise routine.

Yes, even in despair, I kicked my own booty...

This is my year. I will see results.

Welcome 2013!

This new year promises to be one of yet more changes and challenges in our lives. Mike will be "getting out" of the active duty life, and he will be working for himself while still being in the reserves. This almost seems impossible to me. Three years ago, I was preparing to say goodbye to my husband as he entered basic training. Now, a baby, three moves, and a dog later, we will be saying goodbye to the Army lifestyle. I often wonder what the future will hold. I know that I'm not alone in that. We plan for as much as we can then hold our breath as things morph into what we know as life. Thankfully, with all this change comes some consistencies. Family and faith can be loaded up and taken anywhere! I have to laugh to myself at this...well, of course, it does! BUT sometimes, when the unknown looks daunting, I can have difficulty in realizing how much of my life will remain the same. So... Welcome 2013. I hope I can grow more as a person during the next twelve months. New Year's Resolutions... 1. Focus on Fitness 2. Read more 3. Finish another semester of college (accredited, this time)(some of you will understand the feeling)

I admit~

I am absolutely addicted to Pinterest. Yes, I'll admit it; the thing is, I knew I would be addicted to it and I stayed away from it as long as I could. The instant I joined the site, I was hooked. I mean, come on! It's too easy to whip up a new recipe or dream of a future home with picture after picture to reference. With this addiction in mind, I started a little page on Facebook called "Tried and True". Hopefully, those who join can exchange Pinterest ideas that were successful and get great variations from others who also tried it. So...check it out...Tried and True. See you there https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tried-and-True/387996061295437

Family Finances

It's amazing to me that so many people struggle with money and how to spend it. Couples we know have a hard time communicating when it comes to how to spend money, and even more are drowning in debt. "I'm not worried about that (insert expenditure here), I put it on the credit card!" Ummm...well, you do realize the you will have to pay it off, right?? There are lots of schools of thought on how to budget and use money. Some will say that absolutely NO debt is best, some people use credit as their weapon of choice when visiting the bank...meaning, I know how good my credit is, now please finance this purchase for me. Some couples use envelope systems and deal only in cash. Some couples use only a credit card and pay it off monthly. The key to all of this is just to find what works for you, as a couple. Yes, it is hard to pound out a budget and agree on how to keep your family financially secure, but it is worth the effort. Once you see some progress, whether it's paying down debt or stocking up savings, you and your spouse can really begin to reap the benefits. It's vital to start TODAY...not tomorrow. Sit down (away from the kids) and get through it. Sure, it's scary and unnerving at times, but being on the same page with your finances will strengthen your relationship in the long run.