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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Three Hearts DVD WINNER!!!!

Laura O in AK  is the Winner!

She said this about someone generous:

"I think my dad is one of the most generous men I know. He freely gives from his time, talent and treasure all the time so others can benefit."


Congratulations!

Mighty Macs WINNER!!

ChillyWilly is the winner of the Might Macs DVD!!

Woohoo!!  You will love this movie.  ;-)


Sunday, February 26, 2012

Weekend Recap

Over the weekend, Steven and the oldest two girls participated in the 30 hour Famine.  They stopped eating on Friday at 1pm and couldn't eat until Saturday until 7pm.  They participated in tribal games, built a cardboard village, and helped with the Special Olympics.  They had a great time and learned so much about the world, themselves, and God.  I am so thankful they had that opportunity. 

While those three were doing that, the younger two went to my mom's for the weekend.  I'm not sure what they did there but I can almost guarantee that they were spoiled!!

I spent the weekend at a retreat.  Our homeschool group tries to have a retreat for the moms each year to relax and bond.  This year was no exception.  We were blessed to be able to use a house at the lake for no charge.  It was the perfect setting for our group.  We relaxed, ate, visited, shared our hearts, ate, watched movies, laughed like crazy, and stayed up way too late!

It was a wonderful weekend and I am so thankful that my hubby encouraged me to go.  He is so awesome!! 

I missed church.  :-(  That makes me sad but it was for a good cause-rejuvenation!!

Now, it is back to the grindstone. 

Friday, February 24, 2012

Friday's Fave Five





For some reason this was a dreadful week. It was long and torturous. Attitudes were stinky. Mine included.

But, this week had its high points.

1. Even with all the stinky attitudes we had laughter. Every now and then we would crack each other up and laugh 'til we cried. My girls know how to crack me up!

2. We all got our hairs cut this week. (My dh insists we say it that way bc you don't just get one hair cut lol) For two of us, it was no big deal. But Sunshine, Sweet Pea, and Bean it was drastically different. Sunshine decided to donate her hair to Locks of Love. Since she has had long hair for six years, this was a hard decision. Of course, the gal that cuts our hair is fabulous and she made all of us look amazing!



















3. One of my favorite things ever, not just this Friday is my homeschooling friends. The ones that have already walked the path I am on and are there to offer advice and encouragement. I am constantly asking them for advice and to calm my nerves. They have even talked me back from the ledge a few times!

4. Tuesday nights. Tuesday nights Steven and the girls go to BSF and I have the night to myself. Now that we have Bug, it is a bit less relaxing like it used to be but I get some great cuddle time with her!

5. Watching Bug's vocabulary explode this week has been incredible! She is learning so many words it is unbelievable. She is learning and changing every day. It amazes me how much kids learn the first few years of their lives.

How about you? What are your Fave Fives for this week?

head on over to Living to Tell the Story and check out all the great Fave Fives.



Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Three Hearts Review and GIVE AWAY!

I have another absolutely wonderful movie to tell you about.  Three Hearts is an inspiring tear-jerker that will have you longing to do more for others.  It is compelling and I'm so glad I took the time to watch it. 





About Three Hearts:


A passionate team of people work to save the lives of three Mongolian children with life-threatening heart defects.

Graduating college senior, Cissie Graham Lynch, granddaughter of evangelist Billy Graham, takes on an internship at Samaritan’s Purse working with the Children’s Heart Project. This project is dedicated to saving the lives of children by providing medical procedures that aren’t available in many countries. Cissie is charged with supervising the arrival and surgeries of three Mongolian children suffering from fatal congenital heart defects.

But the task is not easy and filled with unexpected challenges.  Cissie balances responsibilities as a newly married wife to a professional football player and her tasks with the internship.  Meanwhile the Children’s Heart team turns to a Texas family who travels to Mongolia for the adventure of a lifetime to help bring the children to San Antonio for their surgeries.  In Texas, two host families make sacrifices to care for these children and their mothers, while a team of doctors and nurses volunteer their time only to stare directly into the face of life and death. How far would you go to save a life?

It’s a fight for survival, a fight of faith, and a fight for a new life for these three hearts.

This is a thought provoking movie as it describes the lives of three families from Mongolia.  Each family has a child in need of a life-saving operation that is not available in their home country.  In steps these caring and motivated individuals to help these kids the treatments they need. 

I was laughing and crying throughout the movie.  It is well done and one that churches might like to keep on hand.  By the end of the movie I was so attached to these families that I was sad to see the movie end.  I wanted to know all about them and know how their lives turned out.  I was humbled by the sacrifices of the host families; awed by their love and generosity. 

Curious?

Here are some links to check out:

   Youtube Trailer Links: http://youtu.be/sMUA8lbbkDU 
Youtube Trailer Links: http://youtu.be/1aUxbJd15fk  


I do have a copy of the DVD to give away.  Leave me a comment and tell me about someone in your life that is generous.  


**I was given a link to watch Three Hearts in exchange for my honest review.

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services 
mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I 
only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: 
"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."


umm, yeah...we still homeschool

We are still homeschooling. Really, we are!  It just isn't looking like I want it to right now.  We have been struggling the last few weeks due to the play and then sickness.  But, really this whole year has been a struggle.

Needless to say, we are "behind" what our schedule says.

If you look at our Tapestry of Grace studies you would see that we have barely even begun.  I am embarrassed to admit that we are just at Week 9 in Tapestry.  Yeah, I know that the year is almost over.  Life has just really conspired against us.  I am endeavoring to "hit the high points" and somewhat catch us up.  We will be coming back to this time period one more time before Sunshine graduates so we will have a chance to cover it again. 

In other areas, we are doing well.  English, Math(mostly), Science-they are all going pretty well.  Each child can take the studies at their own pace and we all love that.  If something is giving them a hard time, they can slow down until they are sure they understand.  If they get the concept right away, zip, move on and don't look back!  If only all subjects on all days would be that easy!! lol

Bug, is learning to sit in a chair and read her books!  She gets them off the shelf, sits down, and reads.  It is just too cute!  She also colors her school work and learns puzzles.  She is learning things at an amazing rate.  She is so stinkin' smart!!  The girls are learning valuable life lessons by having her here.  These lessons just couldn't be learned from a book.  What a blessing she is to our family.  Sure do love that girl!

When I read the homeschooling magazines, I feel like a failure.  The families always have it together and are just plain perfect.  When will they have a family on there that looks real?  You know, the one where the mom looks tired, the dad bewildered, and the kids are fighting?  That's what I want to see because that's what I live most of the time.

We are not the model homeschoolers.  We will never be on the cover of a magazine to be held up as the paragons of what to do in homeschooling.  We fail miserably often and struggle to maintain a modicum of sanity.  Some days are better than others but if you are looking for the shiny, put together homeschool family you might want to look somewhere else.

We are real. 
We are broken. 
We are sinful. 
We are crazy.
We are unique.

Life will not always be this messy or hectic.  Someday the kids will be gone and I will long for these days.  I intend to enjoy them while they are here even if it messes up the schedule. 


Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Mighty Macs Review and GIVE AWAY!!

I am so fortunate to be able to do reviews on my blog.  I love it and I love telling you about new things.  This time I am reviewing another movie.  Yay!  I have reviewed it before but this time the DVD is available and I have one to give away. 




The Movie Mighty Macs is one of those movies that sneaks up on you.  It isn't flashy or high action.  It is a heartfelt drama based on a true story.  It has great lessons about perseverance, having dreams, and working as a team.  I really love this movie.

I loved it the first time I saw it.  I loved it just as much, maybe more, when I watched it with my family.  They were just as enthralled with it as I was.  We knew from the beginning of the movie how it would turn out but that didn't dampen our anticipation and anxiety in the final scenes while we were waiting.  We were on pins and needles!  The characters are real, believable, and lovable.  We laughed so hard at some of the comments or situations like when the nun was on the basketball floor showing the girls how to push an opponent with her hind end....and she was pushing a boy with said hind end.  It was priceless!  There are so many moments in this movie that jump out at you; I think it will become a favorite. 

The Mighty Macs is a great family movie that I highly recommend.  It's a family movie all the way.

Here is a little about it:

It's 1971. Cathy Rush is a woman ahead of her time ... and she's about to embark on an adventure for the ages. A new era is dawning in the country and in collegiate athletics, where a national champion will be crowned for the first time in women's basketball.
In the lead up to this historical season, major universities are preparing their game plans to win that first title. Meanwhile a tiny all-women's Catholic college in Philadelphia has a more modest goal: find a coach before the season begins. Providentially, Cathy Rush is about to find Immaculata College.

Recently married, Cathy is dealing with the aftermath of a truncated playing career. While cultural norms would have her staying at home, she's willing to do the hard work necessary to help her new team reach their goals—or perhaps she's just trying to achieve her unfulfilled dreams through them.

From the beginning, her challenges are as imposing as the big-school teams Immaculata will face on the court. Cathy learns there is no gymnasium on campus, she receives little support from the school's Mother Superior, and the school is in dire financial straits. To top it off, she may not even have enough players to field a team!

While it appears the Macs don't have a prayer, all hope is not lost. With the help of Sister Sunday—a spunky assistant coach—and the support of a booster club of elderly nuns, Coach Rush creates a new game plan that just might bring the team—and the school—together.

Will this pioneer buck cultural norms and spur her rag-tag team to unexpected heights? Or will her hard-driving ways create a wedge between the coach and everyone around her? One thing's for certain: there's never been anyone like Cathy Rush at Immaculata!

Check it out here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MightyMacsMovie
***Now for the Give Away!  If you would like to win your own copy of the wonderful movie just leave a comment telling me about an inspirational moment in your life. 



“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”