Speaking from the Heart

"1 down, 7 more to go" was Mark's exact words, after finishing his finals. He received 3 B's and 4 A's. His first semester as an IB freshman went well. There's no regrets neither from me nor from him. Before entering the program, he and I had heard that there were going to be lots of homework. It is farther from the truth. Yes, Mark has homework.However, he mananged to finish the majority of them before he comes home.


Jeff and I are more at peace about putting Mark in the program. If he had remained at home, we would not have the opportunity to have hands-on experience in culinary and telecasting. I could have taught him cooking,  but I know I would not have been able to teach him T.V. production, which is his favorite subject. 


He has learned what it's like to be working behind the camera.  it was an honor when his  teacher asked him to be on the tricasting team next fall. Mark and his team will be filming sports activites (football, basketball, etc).


It could be my bias opinion, but I think his television classmates also like Mark's work ethics. The televison competition team asked Mark to join the team. In a couple of weeks, he and the team will be competing for the local championship. They will  be  given a “prompt”. They must then video and edit a 60 second public service announcement based on the prompt. The team members will also be given newswire copy as well as raw video footage of the stories. The team then must create a 3 minute news break. If they win the local championship, they will go on to state, and then national. The school has won back to back state championships in television production as well as two national fifth place finishes.

Thank you, Carin for hosting Shoot Me.

Katherine was allowed to go to the fair without me tagging along.  This was very special, because the last time she went to the fair, she was 3 years old. She had such a blast with her best friend Lindsey.  What made it more special was Lindsey's mom bought them airbrushed T-shirts. Katherine's T-shirt says " Katherine  & Lindsey,  B.F.F."  and Lindsey's shirt says the opposite. 

Looking at the grin on her face, Katherine had an awesome time. I am gonna miss her big grin.

Thank you, Carin for hosting Shoot Me.

 Click on the Iheartfaces to participate or to see more adorable faces.

It's retro week on FB. I've  been posting pictures of me when I was much younger. It has been so much fun, especially when a friend  posts a picture of me that I've have long forgotten.


In the picture,I was waiting at the Tuscaloosa Airport. My family and I were waiting for mom's childhood friend Kim Hai (Hi) and family to arrive. She had not  seen her best friend for more than 10 years. They kept in touch, but after the fall of Vietnam, the communications came to a halt.

Along with many people, Kim Hai and her family escaped from Vietnam via boat. Like the pilgrims, they  stayed on a crowded boat for many days, even weeks. Many were scared that they would not make it to land. However, the dream of freedom and being in the land of opportunities kept many alive.

For those who survived the sea, they were put in a camp. They waited at the camp until either one their American relatives or a church sponsored them.  Kim Hai and her family didn't pack many things when they began their journey. Knowing that  her childhood friend wasn't going to abandon her, Kim Hai hid Mom's address in a safe and dry place.

When Mom received Kim Hai's letter, she was glad that Kim Hai and her family were alive. Mom began working on sponsorship paper. She went to local churches asking for help. Tuscaloosa News did a story on her. People called and asked how they could help. Churches donated clothes, dishes, furniture, and many things we daily take for granted.

Kim Hai and her family lived in Tuscaloosa for a couple of years, but eventually moved to California. They have been there for about 30 years and are doing well. Kim Hai owns a nail salon..Unfortunately, her husband passed away a couple of years ago. Her 3 children are doing well. The oldest son is a professor. The other son is an engineer, and the daughter is in Iraq fighting for our freedom.

I am thankful John did not have a heart attack. When his father-in-law noticed that John was having shortness of breaths, he rushed John to the hospital.  It turned out that John had four blockages ( 2 @ 75% and 2 @ 90%). After a quadruple bypass surgery, John is slowly on his way to recovery. Please keep him in your prayers.

Partners in crime for Apologia General Science. On Mondays, Terry  teaches 20 middle home schoolers and Moi is her assistant/noise controller. 





Thank you, Carin for hosting Shoot Me.

Jeff and I play at least one Scrabble game a day. If we aren't tired, we would play a second game. It keeps our minds sharp and increases our vocabulary. Since the game is on the computer, it keeps tally of wins and losses. Most of the time, I am the loser. It gotten to a point where Jeff was leading by 30 games. It would have taken me a long time to catch up to him. Therefore, he deleted the history. We began a new tally, a white slate. 

When we repent, Jesus forgives us. Our slate is as white as snow. I am thankful that He does not keep a tally of our sins.

For many years, the kids have asked Jeff for a handheld DS. Because it is another electronic toy, Jeff wasn't going to buy them one  nor allowed them to buy one with their own money.  Katherine was in for a big surprise when she opened the gift from her grandmother. Her expression says it all.

 Click on the Iheartfaces to participate or to see more adorable faces.

1. Jeff turned 50.
2. Mark got accepted to an IB program, college prep high school curriculum
3. Katherine got her ears pierced. In return, she has to take piano lessons for the next five years.
4. Jeff  got a motorcycle.
5. We went to visit my sister for Mark's 14th birthday.
6. Katherine's medieval flag was chosen by for Medieval Fair.
7. I learned that homeschooling one child is much harder than teaching 2 children.
8. Katherine's  best friend and my "adopted" daughter moved to St. Louis.
9. Katherine was the Godmother in Cinderella.
10. Mark is thinking about majoring in TV production.
11. Grandmother had to take care of the family during her visit. We were too sick.

You know your kids are becoming teenagers when they would rather talk to their friends, rather than talking to you.  When the kids are grown and the house is too quiet, I am gonna miss this moment. What moment will you miss?

The Sunday school teacher asked her pupils to write down their weekly prayer requests. Millie asked for more money, so there would be more food in the house. Hoping that the church would want  to help Millie's family, the teacher gave the request  to the preacher.

Concerned about the request, the preacher approached Millie's grandpa the following Sunday. He said that the church was praying for Millie's family. If they needed food, they could come to the church's food bank on Fridays. Looking at grandpa's expression, the preacher thought grandpa might have been embarrassed about the sensitive matter. After the preacher told  Grandpa about  Millie's prayer request , grandpa had  a good chuckle. When the chuckle subsided, grandpa ensured  the preacher that the family was doing fine. Because Millie's 3 brothers were hearty eaters,  the pantry and fridged were constantly bare.

For more Friday Funnies, go see Kim.

In 2010, I am going to make an effort to have at least 52 pictures of me having fun with my spouse,children, loved ones, and friends. Thank you, Carin for hosting Shoot Me.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" ~ Matthew 6:26-28 (NIV)

In 2009, I discovered that Jeff and I are entering a new season, raising a high school freshman son and an upcoming teenage daughter. Each child has his/her drama. I keep on reminding Jeff that we're gonna miss this; therefore, we might as well enjoy the ride. Overall, the kids are well-behaved. They tell us things that neither Jeff nor I would ever tell our parents. I am thankful for the open line of communications.

The kids are growing up. They need less attention from me and Jeff, except for occasional chauffeurring. This leaves us more time to be together. When the kids were little and there weren't much "us" time, I imagined what this day will be like. After many years of tending to the kids,will Jeff and I still love each other, or will it become a routine like a job? Will we be together to the very end? With friends finding out that their husbands committed adulteries, I began to question our marriage.

When I didn't think God was listening, He was. He eased my concerns. It wasn't a coincident that Jeff had to be in Maine for 6 days and in Alabama for 10 days without me and the kids. While he was away, I discovered that I dearly missed him. Jeff still brings a smile to my face at the beginning and at the end of the day. Lastly, I am totally lost without him.

I learned this week that my other half is still the one for me. What about you? What did you learn? Blog it and link it to Musings of a Housewife

Katherine was totally surprised when she saw Hannah in the driveway. Hannah moved to St.Lois in August. The girls have talked and sent e-mail to one another, but have not seen each other since last  summer.

What moment will you miss?