First Trip to the Beach in 2010!!

Aunt Jaime got down and dirty and worked with the kids to make this super cool sand castle. I "supervised" and took pictures :)

Morgan was nervous that someone might steal our buckets while we went back for another load, so she left a nice message in the sand :)

They really had a fun time burying each other in the sand. Morgan and Allison were the only 2 that opted out.

She was such a good sport. Sand in the face, buried up to her chin and still smiling

They built their very own beach chairs

I'm Going to Bosnia!!

Dear Blogosphere:

I wanted to let you know about an exciting opportunity God has called me to.

I will be joining a small team from my church that is traveling to Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia from May 5th-15th. We will assist a group of C&MA missionaries who are gathering from three fields in the Balkans for a Field Forum. Our team of eight will provide leadership in Teaching, Worship, Children’s Ministry and Childcare. I feel privileged to be a part of this significant ministry opportunity, and fully expect to be challenged and changed by the experience in the process of ministering to others.

Westwood has developed a partnership relationship with the Bosnia Herzegovina field, and particularly with Mark & Debbie Byrom, who are C&MA missionaries there. It will be exciting to be able to see firsthand some of the people and projects we have been dialoguing and praying about for the past year.

The cost for this trip is $2,000 per person, and we are in the process of raising support. If you are in a position to help, and only if God prompts you to do so, we will be grateful for your support. There are a couple of ways to send funds:
* A check made out to Westwood Church (with “Bosnia” and my name on the memo line) can be sent directly to the church at 4412 N Apopka-Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32818, or, if you prefer, to my home address.
* A gift can be made through the website www.westwoodchurch.com, where you click on “Giving/Calendar,” then on the “Click to Give Online” link. When the Giving Page opens, click on “Give Now” and fill out the form. You will use “Other Deductible” under Categories & Funds, and be sure to include “Bosnia” and my name in the “Please specify other…” box.

I will appreciate your support in prayer while I travel, as well as for my family in my absence.

Cassie

Summer Fever!

Some school years seem to last longer than others. This one feels like it has been going on for 3-4 years. It has been such a stressful year overall and homeschooling doesn't help in that arena.

Next year I will have a middle-schooler. That makes me sick to my stomach just writing it.

So, yes, I have a bad case of Summer Fever. I am ready for this year to be over and to just have some down time. I am ready to relax, sleep in, go swimming (after the 50 pounds are gone), keep my house in order and hang out with friends again. Oh, it sounds so nice. Can we just declare that Summer starts in April? I'm sure most kids aren't going to learn anything new between now and May anyway, right? Come on, who's with me?!

Getting in Shape Sucks!

Ok, we joined the YMCA a couple weeks ago. We applied for a scholarship and got 1/2 off the price. My main reason for joining the Y as opposed to other gyms is the kids. I love that the Y not only has child care, but lots of activities the kids can be involved with. As far as joining a gym in general... Well, that just has to do with 50 extra pounds I've been carrying around. I am just sick enough of myself that something HAD to be done. Obviously, I cannot seem to be consistent on my own working out. I know I need some accountability and taking classes at the Y seems a great way to accomplish that.

But, I thought taking classes would make working out fun and less painful. I know that may sound stupid to some or funny to others. But, to me, working out is just NO FUN!! Maybe I am just lazy or maybe I just like instant gratification. I don't know. But, sitting here tonight unable to walk well and barely able to sit down or get up, I remember clearly why I hate working out. I know, I know... It will all be worth it in the end.

Trying to convince myself that all these stupid classes will eventually be fun is about as crazy as when I tried to convince myself that eventually I would learn to love running (if I would just do it long enough).

The only motivation I have right now is the mirror. Well, the mirror and my clothes. I just hate that it is going to take a lot longer than I want to see some serious results. Maybe I should just have a bowl of ice cream!! :)

We had a great Easter spending time with family and remembering the resurrection of our Lord. The kids had fun with their egg hunt and coloring eggs with daddy the day before while I was working (he is such a great dad!). Here are some cute pics from Sunday. I am amazed at how much easier it is to take pictures now that my kids are getting older. This used to be such a frustrating and long process. Now, they are little pros.

Back in the Saddle

For blogging, for couponing, for homeschooling.

I look forward to having a little time to spend blogging more consistently. I'm sure nothing like I used to, but we'll see.

I also am head first back into couponing. During the crazy schedule, full house time, I backed off coupons BIG TIME! But, I have had a couple shopping trips that have wet my appetite and I am ready to dive back in. This week, I spent $182 and saved $300. Not nearly as good as I used to do, but it's a start.

Homeschooling. I'm so glad that when you homeschool, you have the freedom to take a break when you need it and to cram when you need to do that to. So, we are back to our normal homeschooling schedule and catching up on some lost time.

Cory's job is going well. We have visited and the kids all approve. The hours are wonderful and the lack of stress is amazing! Cory and I actually can spend some time together in the evenings after I get off work. He's not racing to get to bed by 9:30 anymore. It's the little things that count.

Moderating Comments

Ok, I feel like a real ding-dong. A couple months ago, I switched my blog to only have comments show up after they had been approved by me. For some reason, I thought these would be sent to my e-mail and I would just approve from there. But, I guess I was wrong. I just noticed the 80 comments awaiting approval on my dashboard.

All this time, I thought I had not gotten 1 comment from my numerous (maybe 5) posts :) I feel much better now. But, if you had written a comment and were wondering why it wasn't showing, there is the answer. I'm just a little slow.

We had our last day at the kids homeschool school last week. They had a little production that gave a synopsis of what they learned during the year. The class I taught was American Girl and my 3 girls all dressed up like one of the girls we studied and gave a couple sentence overview of that girl. The program was fun and the kids loved every minute. Here are a couple pics and videos from the day.