FHE #1 of 2017: A New Years Tradition...

...that we probably didn't do last year...Last year I didn't keep up with our blog, traditions, laundry...etc. This year will be different. This year is my year.

Jake in a nutshell....
Height: 5'10 1/4" (Aaron says this is not official, because he is not a doctor)
Three Favorite Movies: Rogue One, Captain America: Civil War, and Doctor Strange.
Three Favorite TV Shows: The Flash, Arrow, and Myth Busters,
Favorite Books: Inheritance Cycle Series (Eragon), Whil of Agora, and The Five Kingdoms series.
Favorite Subject in School: Math
Hobbies: Playing XBox One (Skyrim, The Division, Battle Field One), write in his book, use your imagination, taking Sadie on walks,
Favorite Songs: Bohemian Rhapsody, I Can't Help Falling In Love (by Elvis), Lost Boy (by Ruth B), and Judgement (by Tryhardninja).
Squad: Kade Sivers, Elizabeth Hill, Christy Waters, Audrey Combes, Kirsten McGraw, Ethan Cluney, Tessa,
Favorite Food: Creamy Crockpot Chicken
Favorite Restaurant: Taco Dog
Favorite Drinks: Yohoos, Mountain Dew, and A&W Root Beer.
Favorite Snacks: Pizza Rolls, Nutella, Puff Corn.
Favorite Real Animal: Dog
Favorite Mythical Animal: Dragon
Favorite Heros: Tie between Iron Man and Spider Man
Favorite Villain: Darth Vader
Milestones: Got contacts, hiked to the top of Mount Mitchell, went to his first Youth Conference.

What we have been up to...

This came out. I read it. I was disappointed. Not 100% disappointed...more like 82%. 

Aaron replaced all the pipes in our house. It is amazingly convenient to have a handy husband. We have been having to do half loads a wash for a year because the water was slow to drain (old cast iron pipes). About a week after he fixed the pipes and everything was going great, water was puddle under the washing machine. Luckily it wasn't the plumbing...We just needed a new washing machine, which cost more than Aaron replacing all the pipes. Oh! Did I mention my car was making weird noises that I figured was my tires and it was. We had to replace all four of them the next week. Thank goodness for savings!

 My new washing machine can wash a lot of clothes! I love it....as much as you can really love a washing machine.

Another blurry picture, but it cracks me up so I am posting it!
I picked up a shirt for Jake at Target and he tried it on. As he was coming down the hall he asked it there was something wrong with the sleeves. I did not even notice they were 3/4 length sleeves. I did not know they made men's shirts like that...I thought that was a girl thing. Needless to say we returned it.

The men hanging out in the Man Cave, which we are going to be giving a face lift some time soon.

I have no earthly idea why I took this picture...or why were garbage bags all over the floor. Maybe in twenty years we can have fun trying to make up a story why I posted this.

What the table looks like when we are working hard at school..This is a pretty good day too. Sometime it spills into other areas of the house.

Chemistry labs are pretty interesting. I don't understand much of it, but it is cool!

The first day of school...Way back on August 1st

...was set to start off right with breakfast in bed for Jake!

 But I spilled it on the way in to his room. We rescued the books and one of the plates. 

 Sadie thought it tasted delicious with milk all over it. It was Eggo waffles with a maple flavored sausage patty, cheese, and a fried egg.

 We took this picture for some reason, I am sure, but I have no idea why...

This picture is fuzzy but I just wanted to document the fact that Jake shared half his breakfast with me, since mine was soaked in milk.

Jake is excited to be studying Chemistry this year. He has been waiting years to study it. After all the years it has been since I studied it in high school, I am still not a fan. Math and science mixed together? No thank you. I am glad he is excited though!

Latin...Jake wants to learn Latin. We have been struggling to move forward because of some confusion in the first Chapter. The great part about homeschooling is that we don't have to move on until we get it. I finally broke down and called the company who published our Latin curriculum and it turns out we are smarter than we thought! They are having to rewrite the first chapter because of inconsistencies (they give you rules, you memorize the rules, they tell you there are exceptions but you don't have to worry about those yet, and then the questions that count as grades include things that you could only get right if you knew the exceptions...)....the same ones we were stuck on. Turns out we are so smart we found the issues that the author, editor, and publisher never even came across! We are not the only ones to be calling with concerns. I think I could be a curriculum tester. That would be a fun job.

 On the first day of school you have to have a cafeteria inspired lunch even if you are homeschooled. Mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, and chocolate milk.

And of course almost two months later we are not nearly as far along as we should be and I wonder every day if we are doing enough...But I think that is what makes for good homeschooling. Always wanting to do better...

September

Our selfie game is not strong. We tried to take a family picture before the first Panthers game of the season and this is how that went. We all had Panthers shirts on...not that you can see that. The Panthers lost and we have to apologize to the Panther Nation for that. You see we got a Chicken Nugget Platter from Chick-Fil-A for the Super Bowl against the Broncos and they lost. Then we got another one for their season opener against the Broncos and they lost again. We will not make the same mistake a third time. Of course none of this explains that fact that they played horribly yesterday and lost. Someone else must have gotten a nugget tray.

We meet a few friends at Croft State Park (it is 5 minutes from our house and yet we rarely go there) and had a picnic and went on a hike.

The trees are still green. We are going to head back in a couple of weeks and see if the leaves start changing. We are also looking forward to when the weather starts changing too. We are over you summer, bring on fall! We have had record heat and lack of rain this September and we are so done with it....

Dreams do come true! Aaron and Jake are playing the Division together but in different rooms. It is a one person video game but you can play with friends over the internet. They found a used, cheap XBox One and they are happy campers.

September 11th. We will never forget...2001 and 2012...

Aaron turned forty and got a Storm trooper and a football (signed by lots of Panthers) for his birthday. Guys never really grow up.

He also got a projector which is pretty awesome. The first thing we did with it was watch an episode of Supergirl. Then Jake played video games on it.

We are excited for fall so we can have a bonfire and watch a movie outside.

Food (I will just make this a jumbled paragraph by telling you what the pictures are...even though it is pretty self explanatory). I love to take pictures of it for some reason. For Jake's birthday party we fried Oreo's and funnel cakes. I haven't made biscuits and gravy in a really long time, so I did...and I just decided we are having it again for dinner tonight. Shredded beef on ciabatta bread is one of our favorites. I used the Pioneer Women's meatball recipe and it is really good! I omitted the grainy mustard, used 2% not whole milk (but I did use heavy whipping cream), and would add a little more salt next time. Our freezer is well stocked with meatball! I also tried her taco meat recipe. I halved it to make sure we liked it but still put the whole recipes worth of water. It was really good that way. Aaron liked it so it is a keeper. I used to Taco Bell seasoning packets but he didn't like them so I am switching! I also was able to bring meals to three families (one pregnant friend and two that just had babies) that is why I made three lasagnas in one day (one for us and two to give away). The week I made those I spent an entire day cooking. Meatballs, taco meat, chicken (I gave some of that to one friend with salad and fruit pizza...I am not saying this to brag. I am letting my posterity now that service is important and can help heal your soul)...and some other things I can't remember. I love my Food Saver. I portioned the food out and it in the freezer ready for future meals.

Amazon deliveries are the best. I told Aaron I wanted some water color pencils so he ordered them for me. I got the water color paper at Walmart and I am ready to have a hobby again. Aaron pointed out that homeschooling is my only hobby at the moment (I have kind of laid all the others aside) and that I should do something for me. This is my new hobby! Notice there are no pictures of my art work...I need to get better!

(Blogging used to be my hobby...maybe it will be again...)

And I am going to finish off this post with a little Sadie adorableness. She is so soft and fluffy. She loves to hug, snuggle, and give kisses. Jake is her human (I am her mom, but he is definitely her human) and she adores him. Her favorite things to do are sleep on Jake's bed (when he isn't in it), eat people food scraps, play with her Frisbee and balls, and take walks. She gets extremely excited when Jake is putting his shoes on before their walks. She "talks" and it is so precious. There are videos to document all the cuteness.


The last time I posted was in April...I am not even going to pretend I can go back and fill in all the gaps but I will try to hit the highlights. I will not stress about it because that is what makes me not do it!  I need to do it though because I love documenting our lives and typing is fun too. Also I am in desperate need of emptying my brain and in the past this has been my go to for that...But I WILL NOT say I am back because that just jinx's me every time! (Have I said this before? Yes. All the time. But here goes again any way: I am not proofreading. I am literally not even rereading. Family reading this in fifty years: don't judge my mistakes.)

Brain Declutter: Oh 2016...

*It is getting to the point that I dread blogging. I keep thinking I will do it and then I just can't make myself want to...

*I dread blogging because I am so far behind (story of my life), not because I want to stop collecting our memories in one spot.

*I am not going to worry about catching up right now (or maybe ever) because I don't want to dread blogging.

*I was going to lose 40 pounds by the time I turned 40. That isn't going to happen (story of my life), because even diets that make sense are still diets. Diets are hard, but so is being fat. I need to choose my hard. I keep making the wrong choice...

*I have been rereading the Harry Potter books in anticipation of the new book coming out this

summer. I love them so much. I feel like people that say their children don't like to read must never have read them Harry Potter. I asked Jake if I could introduce (and read the entire series) his children to Harry Potter and he said yes. I am hoping his future wife is okay with that...because if she isn't he will not be allowed to marry her. I wish this picture wasn't so blurry (and I am too lazy to go back to book one, when I am about to finish book 4 just to retake it...that would make me put off blogging and I probably wouldn't be back to it until I started reading HP to Jake's kids!), but this is a perfect example of why all human beings should read Harry Potter.

*Jake is 5'10' last time I measured him and that was well over a month ago...so he is probably taller

now!  When I was sick a couple of weeks ago (like sleeping all day with a bad sinus infection and some kind of throat infection...taking antibiotics and that prescription cough medicine that makes you sleep, and Claritin (sp?) D for 5 days before even starting to feel slightly better sick) and we were out of groceries (no milk or bread for 2 days kind of out of groceries...and my mom kept calling asking what she could do to help), my mom came and picked up Jake and the grocery list and headed out!

She was very impressed at his mad shopping skills. She said she just followed him around with the buggy while he got everything. I am training him well. :) When they got home I had to take a picture of the two of them. Jake is so much taller and yet again we had the one is dressed for winter, while one is dressed for summer scenario going on!

*Jake likes this shirt. Actually he just likes to wear all his shirts until I tell him to put on another one. I took this picture of him during General Conference (I am kind of catching up a little but just on the pic's I just downloaded from April so I don't hate it) when he was taking notes. He gets make up days for Seminary, which he doesn't need because he rarely misses and makes it up when he does. He is awesome. I am not a morning person so Seminary (the 2nd time around) is even harder to get up for. Sometime I sleep in the car. Sometimes I walk. Every time the alarm goes off at 5:30 I murmur...But I wouldn't want him to miss this experience and I am the adult in charge of getting him there so I have to....adult, and get out of bed!  This past General Conference was more amazing than the last-just like every time! I do feel I was sufficiently humbled (from being sick the whole week before) and was ready to hear what the Lord wanted me too-and I did! I was pretty much weepy the whole time. President Eyring was the first speaker and his emotions are always so close to the surface, as mine were...and that is pretty much where they stayed all weekend. It was a spiritual feast that I needed!

*Aaron and Jake went to the Priesthood session of Conference and the fist thing they said when they walked through the door was, "President Uchtdorf said Chewbacca!" I told them I knew (I could have watched it but I usually just read it) because the Church had already posted it on Instagram and they couldn't believe it! I took a picture of them happily looking it up. Keep in mind our house was a mess because I was sick.

*I could type what President Uchtdorf was referencing when he said Chewbacca but it would be much more fun to see if we remember when we are reading this in 30 years! And if we don't remember I wonder what fancy high tech device we will be looking it up on....

*It has been a wonderful Spring! A few weeks ago we thought we were skipping right over it because over a weekend (I have no idea which one...) it got really hot and we had the AC on. But it has been back off and we just had to turn it on a couple of days ago when it went up into the 80's (but low humidity so it wasn't too hot). So making it into late April with out AC is pretty good!

*I love this dog! I LOVE HER! She is so sweet. If you are standing some some where and she feels like she needs some attention, she comes right up and leans her head on your leg like she is hugging you. In fact if she is sitting on the floor next to me, when I am sitting on the couch, and I lean forward and ask her for a hug she cuddles her head right into me. She still loves to protect us from squirrels and some time last summer she learned to howl like a hound dog and thinks it is very impressive. She is the only one who runs to greet me at the door when I get home from where ever I have been, now that Jake is older and doesn't miss me as much as he used to. She is the best! All that being said, I think I have decided she will be our last dog. We have had (and still have this one) three amazing dogs. All of them have been members of the family and just amazing companions. It is so hard when we lose them. Too hard to keep doing it over again and again...Three times seems like my max....But I am going to be honest and say a big factor (besides all that I have already said) for this decision is fur. Every where. All the time. I know when it is gone in several years (Sadie is only 5 and has lots more glorious year ahead of her) I will miss it. Kind of like you miss sticky hand prints when little ones grow up...but I think I will only miss the fur for one second increments and then I will be okay and be able to move on and be happy I don't have to vacuum every single day (and I could do it 3 times a day and you still wouldn't notice). I will always miss our fur babies but I don't think I will miss the fur very much. I hope this doesn't sound cruel because if you know me, you know I love my dogs and they have all been very spoiled.

*That is enough decluttering for now....but...One more thing:

 

This happened today! Jake is getting a new pair of glasses and CONTACTS!  He is going to be able to wear sunglasses this summer!...which I am so jealous of!

And definitely the last thing: There were pink, purple, and turquoise glasses for adult men...I don't understand that at all since I am a women and wouldn't wear them! This is a crazy world we live in!!!!


Until next time!
Here's hoping it isn't in a month and a half like last time-after I vowed...(again)...to never get behind on my posts again! Never say never people!!!

Randomness...

 I am starting to wonder if I will ever keep up with blogging...How is it already the middle of March? Here are a few random things that I just need to post to start catching up...again.

I follow several home decorating people on Instagram (some that I used to follow their blog) and one lady puts disco ball ornaments out so the room fills up with sparkles. I thought that was a fun idea, so I did it. And then I realized the sun only hits if for maybe 5 minutes a day. I love those few minutes but disco balls aren't cute enough to have out for 5 minutes a day of sparkles...

Jake is the garbage man at our house. Sometimes Jake forgets to put the garbage out. When this happens it smells. It also gets so full that there is no room for more garbage....And typing this just reminded me to remind Jake to put out the trash because it is trash day....And there in lies the problem. I have to remind him every.single.time. And if I don't he asks why I didn't remind him...He doesn't have to remind me to cook dinner, vacuum, dust, do the dishes, clean the bathroom....etc. I am waiting impatiently for him to remember to do it (and all his other chores) with out me reminding him.

See how I am standing at the end of the drive way...where the garbage can is supposed to be? I am sure you can also where the garbage can is...

Here is another sparkle picture. I love it! But...Five minutes...Disco balls aren't really cute...?

But wow!  Maybe they are cute enough....

I subbed in Seminary (early morning class before school at church for high schoolers. It is at 6 am and they are studying the Old Testament this year. They weren't all here on this particular day-we were missing 4 of them). I feel the need to go back and apologize to my Seminary teacher. Teenagers aren't a whole lot of fun at 6 am. Just kidding!...kind of.

 I'm not either. I am so glad I am not the Seminary teacher. I think it is great that they get up every morning and go...It just seems it could get discouraging to prepare and teach and have half asleep teenagers stare at you when you ask questions.

I have no idea why I took this picture...Maybe this was Valentines Day...This is why I should post more often...

Sadie thinks the mat in the bathroom is for her to sit on. When I am alone at home I sometimes don't shut the bathroom door and this happens. She keeps me company. 

I think I may start keeping an extra pair of earrings in the car. I hate it when I forget to wear them. These came in handy when I forgot to put some in. I obviously needed to clean my car in this picture.

We were so excited that our Carolina Panthers made it to the Super Bowl this year. We ordered a tray of Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets for our party. And by party I mean Jake, Aaron, and I. Aaron didn't want to have anyone over (or go to anyone's house because "they would just talk through it and we care too much about the game to listen to that."

I made fruit pizza too.

That is an IBC root beer that Jake is drinking, not a beer.

I am currently at war with all the flat surfaces in our house and all our stuff.

We have too much stuff. And we are having a problem with putting said stuff away lately. 

See it all? Too much stuff...not put a way. And I still can't find my plates. I took down the Christmas ones and still can't find the rest of the year plates...

Just a little bit of stuff...but why didn't it get picked up?

Lots of school stuff out. That is okay during school...

Seriously...
Curse you flat surfaces and lots of stuff!

The chair is even holding laundry...It is a never ending war with flat surfaces and stuff.

I am happy to say that I have finally found cute, big girl workout clothes reasonably priced that have thumb wholes. I am happy about it. Really happy!!!!

I  got really nervous when our new TV started looking like this...

Turns out we needed a new DVR box from Dish Network. I am sooooo glad it wasn't the TV.

I am trying to stop drinking soda and it stinks. I decided to cheat and get a delicious Diet Dr Pepper from Chick-Fil-A and I drove off down the road before realizing they gave me a diet Coke. Epic fail Chick-Fil-A...You had one job...