A Beautiful Friendship

Lora & Karlene

You know those friendships where it might be months or even years since you were able to really connect with an old friend, but when you finally do its as if no time has passed and your friendship just continues naturally as you catch up on things? Well, my friend Karlene is one of those friends for me.

We first met in college when we were dating guys who were already good friends and we began hanging out together--plus we discovered that we both lived in the same dorm (the next year we became roommates). It was just a natural, easy friendship from the start. Karlene is the *life-of-the-party* type and is so friendly and thoughtful that she just makes everyone around her feel right at ease.

our families together at Spring Park, Tuscumbia, AL

Though the years have taken us different places and we've experienced life events at different times (she was married 5 years before I got married and had her first child 6 years before I had mine) our friendship has remained. And although we married men that the other didn't know, we all click so well! Our husbands have so much fun together and our children, although different ages, got along great.

at the Helen Keller birthplace

I was so impressed with her children! I'd only had the chance to meet them once before when they were just babies. I thought they might be a little bored with my kiddos, since they are ages 9 and 11 (and mine are just 3 and 5), but they couldn't have been sweeter with them. They all played so well together and had so much fun. They even read to them each night at bedtime--it was the cutest thing! I enjoyed seeing my children looking up to such great kids--what role models!

reading bedtime stories together

Oh--and Vince put them all in a video while they were here, too! Check it out here.

Just a funny note on the meals that I planned ahead: the taco meal that I made for Monday night turned out so HUGE that we barely made a dent in it that night! It was so funny! We ended up having it again for lunch on Tuesday and we were still too full by dinner time to have the chicken spaghetti. I ended up making that last night instead. And no one really wanted big breakfasts, so I never made the French toast and the farmer's casserole. I'm going to make those soon though! And I'm going to get those recipes posted later today. Right now I'm off to take Mr. B for a check up. His chicken pox are much better now, especially after 3 nights of oatmeal baths.

Have a blessed day! I'll be back later!

The Making of an Egyptian Death Mask

We are learning all about the ancient world this year with Story of the World I and loving it! We've been learning a lot about Egypt, of course, which is completely fascinating. Most recently we have studied the New Kingdom of Egypt, which includes the story of King Tut. So we decided making an Egyptian death mask in the style of King Tut's would be a fun project. First since it was too cold at the time to paper mache in the garage (it probably would have frozen instead of dried-ha) and it was too messy to do it in the house, we decided to pick up a couple of cheap craft masks at Hobby Lobby. Next we cut out cardboard shapes to complete the shape of the death mask, attaching them with hot glue. Vince even put a little detail on the *beard* with the hot glue per The Princess' request. Then the kiddos started to paint them with this metallic gold tempera paint. It worked okay for the cardboard, but would not coat the plastic of the mask. We thought maybe a second coat ...

One Way I Refresh During the Summer as a Homeschool Mom

As our homeschool takes some time off this summer, my mind almost never stops thinking of and planning ahead for the upcoming school year. This is probably because I'm Type A and an obsessive planner...lol Whatever the reason, I do enjoy this season of planning. But I also need to be refreshed as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling can be incredibly exhausting and all-consuming. It's not easy and it's a lot of responsibility. And I take that very seriously when I am researching curriculum and planning toward the next school year. So also taking some time to rejuvenate and refocus myself is very important. How do I do this? Each summer I take some time to read something inspiring and motivating that speaks to me as a homeschool mom. Some of my fave reads from past years--that I have nearby on my shelf and refer to often--are Educating the Wholehearted Child, The Well-Trained Mind, The Charlotte Mason Companion, A T...

Arkansas' Crimson Clover

One of my favorite things about Spring is the crimson clover that grows along the highways and interstates here in Arkansas. I say Arkansas because this is where I first grew to love it. We actually saw some in Mississippi on our way here and I saw it in our town in Alabama for the first time this year. But it spreads like that, each year it grows and looks even more beautiful. I'm not sure who decided to plant it in the medians of the interstates , but it was genius! It seeds itself and just comes back more lush the next year. I always want to take pictures, but of course it's almost always in the median of a very busy interstate~which is a little dangerous for photography. However, the other day I found the perfect patch of it on the side of a not-too-busy highway, so Vince obliged me and pulled over:) Isn't it beautiful? I just had to share it with you...

my blessed life

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