Introducing Me to the 2:1 Conference

http://2to1conference.com

I will be attending the Titus 2:1 Conference in April.  It is my first time and I am so excited!  The girls at 2:1 have asked us attendees to answer a few questions, so here I go!

1.  How long have you been blogging and homeschooling?  Which is harder?
    
This is a difficult one to answer.  I have blogged on and off for about 7 years.  I jumped into it back when homeschoolers started blogging on Homeschoolblogger.  I made a lot of online friends and was pretty faithful to blogging for about 2 years.  Then I stopped for a period of time and started a different blog.  It was sporadic at best and I finally deleted it.  I started my most recent blogs within the past year.  
I have homeschooled both of my children from the time they were 4 years old.  So that has been 7 years, as well.  I find both blogging and homeschooling to be challenging because I have a bit of an unorganized mind.  I think a million thoughts, but often forget to put them into action.  

2.  If you were a superhero, what would be your homeschool super power? 

I would be able to beam my children to the location I need them to be in at any moment.  I would be so mesmerizing, they wouldn't be able to stop paying attention to me.

3. If I could go anywhere, besides the 2:1 Conference, where would be your dream "mom-cation"?
   
I'd like to rent a house in Seaside, FL and read.  There's a whole world I'd love to explore, though!

4.  What would you like to "get out" of the 2:1 Conference?
    
I'd like to be motivated and encouraged by the wonderful speakers.  I hope to leave with a purpose and direction for my blogs and our homeschool.  I also intend to make lots of like minded friends!  Most importantly, I want to strengthen my relationship with God and really tune in to what He is asking me to do with blogging and homeschooling.  I want everything I do to glorify Him.  

Offline:  I love to read, spend time with my family, travel, be involved in our church and bake.   We move around a lot because my husband is in the military.  We love our lifestyle, but someday want to put down some roots!  

Our Week in Review in Pictures

 Buddy's 9th Birthday, snow storm and gymnastics meet

I didn't sign up for this!

Have you ever had a moment in your life when you exclaimed this phrase?  I have recently.  We always knew that there was something different about Buddy, but to hear the diagnosis of autism disorder, at 8 1/2 years old, hit us hard.  We got the diagnosis a day after the Sandy Hook tragedy.  At the time, everyone on the news kept talking of the shooter as being autistic.  It was not what we needed to be hearing(as false as many peoples' perceptions of autism  were).  It put fear in our hearts about what we would deal with in the future.  I was in mourning for several days.  Buddy was adopted from Guatemala when he was 6 months old.  He was presumed to be a "healthy" baby boy.  We weren't comfortable with requesting special needs because we didn't feel that we were the right family for that.  Well, God obviously had plans for us!  With God, it doesn't matter what we "sign up" for, He gives us what He knows we can handle when we rely on Him.  He grows us through difficult times in our lives. 

 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Our boy is so precious and funny.  We can't imagine our lives without him.  He was meant for us.  God has been working on us all of our lives for this child.  He planted a seed in my heart for adoption when I was a teenager and he gave me a heart for kids with learning differences when He called me to be a special education teacher.  Then He gave me the gift of infertility.  Yep, a gift.  He grew my patience and my compassion through our infertility and adoption journey.  He took away my selfishness.  He brought my husband and I closer.  Now, through this diagnosis, God will again hold our hands and lead us.  We can do all things through Him who gives us strength.  Philippians 4:13.  God gives us a hope for the future and He provides strength for us as we walk this road.  We don't know what is ahead, but we will trust in Him for today.  We will deal with tomorrow when it comes.  I will cherish my days with Buddy and I will be his biggest advocate.  Thank you, Lord, for my sweet boy!

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Easy Sun Craft

We studied the sun last week and found a fun craft to make--a wax model.  We broke up red, orange, yellow and brown crayons into small bits onto a paper plate.  We then microwaved the crayons 15 seconds at a time until all were melted.  Using a craft stick, we then swirled the colors around.  After hardened, we added a few more shavings of yellow and orange to make solar flares and prominences.  My kids thought that their suns were too red, but I think they turned out great!  You could also use this idea to make the planets.

Inspired by this

Sloppy Shannons(recipe)

Here is another easy meal for those busy homeschool days.  It is the cousin of the Sloppy Joe--Sloppy Shannons!  My mom used to make this recipe all of the time when we would host a yearly Fellowship of Christian Athletes retreat.  She would make them with ground beef, but I added my own healthy touch with ground turkey.  When we started hosting a Bible study in our home, I would make these when we shared a meal together.  A girlfriend of mine dubbed them "Sloppy Shannons" and the name stuck.

Recipe:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
diced onion(if desired)
1 can of cream of celery soup(I've tried the healthier version and it didn't cut it)
mustard
buns

Brown turkey with the onions.  Drain fat, if necessary.  Dump in the soup and simmer for a few minutes to thicken.  Squirt in about 1-2 tablespoons of mustard and stir.  Serve on buns.  Add in some easy microwavable veggies or fries for a side.  So easy!  I keep ground turkey in the freezer and soup in the pantry so I usually just need to shop for buns.