:)

I lost 7 pounds this week.

But this morning, I had to biggest bowl of cereal known to womankind.

And it was goooooooood.

I am going to get back on my horse, now, and continue to eat well. It won't be the same from now on, it will be 2 or 3 pounds a week tops.

I went to go visit Chloe at camp yesterday!! I dropped the boys off at chemistry camp, and since Chloe needed supplies and the college is half way there, I decide to go see my baby girl.

She also lost weight. :(

She can't afford to do so, as she is skinny enough. She and Samuel have their daddy's metabolism. (they can't going weight no matter how much they eat) Lance on the other hand has mine. Poor boy. lol.

The camp is sooo pretty. Its a Salvation Army camp out in west NJ. Which to non-Jerseyans, it is such gorgeous scenary, its breathtaking. The camp is pretty much for inner city kids who can't afford it. They have "Newark Week" Camden Week" Elizabeth Week",ect... if you are from NJ, or have ever seen a list of worst places to live in America, you would get it.

The first set of kids arrived this morning!! She was so excited. She has 10 - 13 year olds girls all summer. She made this beautiful sign for the front of her cabin that said " Home to the Princesses of the King" . Along with being a councelor, she is also the dance instructor for the kids who want to take dance as their elective.

She called last night and we spent sometime in prayer. She was so excited, and nervous, as well as homesick, which is unusual, and she seemed sad. Seeing as how she has spent the past 2 summers in Texas for 10 weeks each summer doing the same thing, I didn't quite expect this. I think its the heat. But the time in prayer was beautiful.

Well, I have a house to clean and laundry to wash, dry, fold and iron. Yous all have a holy and life changing weekend! ~madeleine

This morning, when I woke up, I had this song stuck in my head. Fernando Ortega's This Good Day. What a great song to have floating around in your head as you begin your day. Remembering that this day is truly a gift from HIM. And remembering to lift our voice in praise for all HE has done.

Which is good considering my attitude from yesterday.


We are melting .

As I am sure everyone else in America is also doing.

Samuel is at a chemistry camp this week at the college. Joe is going with him, as well as Gabe. Yesterday they all came over to the house and.....yes, they melted, also.

( I need to add here, how much I truly love my dear husband. But sometimes he frustrates me so. This is one of those times. He is an HVAC contractor. Now....ask me if we have central air......)

( I am getting over it) (Slowly)

Well, the units are not in the windows yet. And the boys were eating their lunch at the dinnigroom table.

I think I am spoiled.

You see, the boys were sweating. Before my very eyes!! Just dripping!! And yet, none of them complained.

Just asked for another glass of lemonade, please.

So, I decided that it was a good day for jumping in the sprinkler. They wholeheartedly agreed. It was great to see how much fun they had. They were out there for hours! Between the sprinkler and playing tag. Reminded me of times when simple was good, and certainly enough.

I am spoiled.


Pray for me.

Baseball

We have entirely too many sports teams here. There are at least 2 teams for each sport within 2 hours driving distance. At least! Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Jets, Giants, Eagles, Nets, Knicks,Islanders,Rangers, Devils, 76ers....And their fans.

We are just football & baseball fans.

Since this family is kind of whacked when it comes to football, having teams no where near here, its okay. But when it comes to baseball, its ridiculous. Even Samuel and his best friend Joe almost come to blows when it comes to baseball. They have been forbidden to talk Mets/ Yankees.

They are 8.

Yeah.

I, personally have never felt the need to hurt someone, but that maybe because I believe myself to be a relatively mature person.

Yeah.

On another note, I am going to lose weight. I am tired of being this way, and I have given myself a time frame to start working with. Chloe left for camp yesterday, and comes back on August 21. (which incidently is my 40th birthday) I will see if I can't get into a better eating habit, and see how that works out by the time she comes home. I could afford to lose 45 pounds. I will settle for 20. :) For now.

I'll let you know what happens. I am kind of hungry, but more from habit of eating when I am bored then actually hunger.


Okay, of to the bank. be holy. ~madeleine

NYC & graduation

So, we had our homeschool group graduation last week. Since both our older children graduated already, we just "promoted" Samuel into the third grade. I never did get the purpose of promotion, but you know...go with the flow...

Here is our son. I know..... the shorts. But see, if you look real close, you will understand where he gets it from. If you look to your right, you will see his daddy. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. No point in arguing anymore. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. lol





So, I was in serious need of a culture fix. So, yesterday morning, I decided Samuel and I were going into the city. Chloe decided she was in a culture fix also, so she joined us. Here they are on the Met's rooftop garden. Behind them, in the clump of buildings, is the Plaza hotel. Can you believe they are totally restructuring that place to make a bunch of townhouses??? Who on earth can afford that???



And let me just say, I am ever grateful that we do not need to ride the subway system on a daily basis. On the way there, it was okay. Samuel climbed the train pole and rode there in this position most of the way into the city.



But on the way back....we were so jammed pack, that we couldn't even reach a pole from any direction!! Nothing to keep us from falling over whenever the train started or stopped. But have no fear, it didn't matter. There were people right up against us on all sides, falling over was not an option. We were all safely packed in.

Yeah.

I know.

Ewwww. But welcome to New York.

We shower OFTEN.

And that was our day yesterday. I love New York. Even the dirt and the grime holds a special place in our hearts.

Next time I will tell you all about the realtionship you encounter with New Yorkers, when it comes to baseball.....

I wish I was more like Wooten. You may or may not know what I am talking about.

So, its been a while since I have blogged.

And to tell you the truth, I have missed it. I noticed that some people have these great backgrounds. How on earth do you do that?? I am the world's biggest computer ignoramus. I would pay someone to do that, but.....I don't know anyone.

So, school is over for the summer!! Actually it was over last week, but since I didn't blog it last week, here it is. :) We could have finished school 2 weeks ago, but since my mom's surgeries and doctors appointments, it got extended for a little bit. Also, how easy is it to homeschool one kid I ask you????? TOO EASY!

And the big news is.....we got a trampoline. I think we must be 7 kinds of stupid, but so be it. The kids have really gotten a kick out of it. I have yet to go on it. Partly because when I was helping Chloe with the netting, I had to go on it, and as pathetic as this is....my knees were knocking, and I was sweating alilttle because I am afraid of heights.

OKAY

I was not like this before, but when I was pregnant with Chloe, I had such bad vertigo, I wasn't allowed to drive for 3 months. Since then my "woozy level" is way off and heights freak me out. That was almost 19 years ago. Yeah, I don't think it will ever go away.

I will go on that trampoline though. Even if I pass out.