Pomp and Circumstances

I did it. I made the plunge. I am registering for the Fall Semester at the community college. This has been such a long time coming. I have used a million in one excuses why I couldn't finish and I guess God decided he was tired of hearing them. I woke up this morning, sat down at the computer, and had this ovewhelming feeling. I went to the financial aid website, applied, got my response. Before I could change my mind I went to the college website, looked up my degree plan (from 10 years ago!) and picked right back up where I left off. The good news is I can take all of my classes online. It's weird the things that the Holy Spirit puts on us. I have been searching my heart for a long time to try and figure out what God's purpose for me is. This morning I woke up and realized I've always known and had such peace with the decision that I knew that I wasn't making a mistake. So, who knows? Stacy and I may end up going to college together. Wouldn't that be a hoot!

Back... for good

YAY! I'm back. Hopefully for the long haul. So much has happened that I can't possibly catch up so here's the general idea...

Homeschooling- So far not going at all as planned. We're still trying to find our niche, but I can tell you that we must be close because we've exhausted a million and one ideas that don't seem to be working. I'm going to try the Unit Study approach after Spring Break and see what becomes of that... wish us luck.

Our house- what to say, what to say? The house has proven to truly be a blessing from God. It was freezing cold in the winter and hot as blazes in the summer, but everyone has their own space to go off and be and that's worth the extremely high water bill from cooling off showers and the extremely high gas bill from having to use the oven for heat!

Our family- Everyone is great. Greg is still loving his job! That's always good. The kids are great. Stacy, Siarah and Kamryn are playing softball this year. The boys are doing karate. Their first white belt test (although I don't know yet if they'll be able to take it) is Thursday night. Keep them in your prayers. They REALLY want that white belt. Stacy is doing good in school and had her first formal event this past weekend- The Military Ball for ROTC. She was voted Freshman Queen. Very exciting. Melanie gets bigger and smarter everyday. She is talking so much and has such a fun personality. She is a ton of fun to be around.

We also have two additions to the family. We inherited the best little doggie in the world from a friend of mine. That dog makes my day (until I step in poop at three in the morning, but I try not to dwell on that). We also were adopted by a cutie kitten the same night that we got Mox. Her name is Binx and I think she's having serious doubts she chose the right family to come to.

Church- Greg and I landed at a church that we really love last October. The people are great. It's a very traditional, small church that has great classes for the kids. The kids loved it from the first time they went. It doesn't have Wii's or anything fancy but yet they still cry if they have to miss it. That's the sign of something good, if you ask me. The girls have made a lot of friends. In fact, they're having a sleepover with three sisters from the church on Friday. We're all excited about that.

Anyway, I plan on blogging away every little thought so be prepared... I have a years worth to catch up on :-)

Covert Christian

What if you did not have the religious freedom our country allows? Would people still be able to tell you were a Christian? This is a question that was posed in an online devotional from Proverbs 31 I received today.

Hmmmm... well, hmmm...

What if we weren't allowed to post on Facebook all the Christian like things we do and quote how awesome our God is. What if you weren't allowed to wear your cross necklace, have your "In Case of Rapture..." bumper sticker, or pray in the middle of a restaurant so that everyone can see how great a Christian you are? What if you were never permitted to say the name of Jesus aloud? Would people still know you were a Christian? Would people still look at your life and notice something different or would you blend right into the crowd?

Tough question, huh.

If I look at the ugly truth I think that I would blend. There is said it. I'm a blender. It's awful, I know. But, I am working to change it. I would love to live the life of a covert Christian. I would love to live a life where, even if I was never able to profess it out loud, that people would look at my life and think that I was a person set apart- as God has called us to be. So, off I go living my life out loud- as quietly as possible.

Happy Birthday Kamryn

Kamryn- you are the best daughter a mother could hope for! I love you my special girl. With your beautiful songs and fabulous pictures that you draw for me no one could ever replace you. God truly blessed me when he gave me you!

Just A Little Hello

I'm back. I don't know for how long but for now I'll be blogging away. We are in and beginning to become settled in our new house. But for window a/c units the house is just once step up from perfect for us. Mainly because the house is far from perfect by worldly standards therefor perfect for us. We still have two rooms full of boxes, and I have been sharing a bed with 3 of my kiddos, who all have their own rooms, but I still wouldn't trade it.
I have been diligently preparing for homeschool. I got very lucky when unpacking my boxes I found a lot of homeschooling curriculum a woman I used to work with gave me before Kamryn even started kindergarten! It was almost everything I needed to get this school year started. Many books that I was about to purchase! What an awesome reminder of how God provides for us and how he knows our plans long before we do.
We celebrated Melanie and TJ's birthday with an actual party recently (as you may remember those kiddos birthday's were a month ago- but , nobodies perfect, right?) Siarah turned 12 yesterday! Yikes. Next year I'll be dealing with two teens, one starting to drive, and I won't even be thirty! There's God's sense of humor for you. Kamryn will be 8 on Tuesday. My baby will be 8. I don't want to even think about it.
Greg has been living in Huntsville and only coming home on his days off. Talk about absence making the heart fonder. I miss my husband like crazy. But that's a whole other day of blogging. So, I've been trying out this single parent thing. It's tough, but thank goodness for Xbox and gogurts. They truly are my sanity.
Well, that's about it in a nutshell. Stay tuned...

A Lasting Impression

http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2009/06/auburn_swim_coach_richard_quic_2.html

It was a very harried morning one Sunday as I rushed to get my 5 kiddos ready for church. I didn't want to go. I was pregnant, I was tired, but the Preece's just did not miss church- so here we were. I heard mentioned in the hallways through out the week that we would have a guest speaking. Yay. Wonder what excuse I can use to get out of church early was the only thought in my head. (Did I mention I was tired, pregnant, and had 5 KIDS. I did? Well, just so you know.) The man that stood up to speak captivated me by his very presence. He began talking about his life, his love of Christ, and regaled us with stories from his experience as an Olympic swim coach and of the fascinating people he worked with. I was awestruck. This man was fabulous. He was a man who truly lived for and loved Christ. Immediately after church, a group of us gathered for lunch and I learned that this man was not only a guest speaker but they were new members to our humble small town church. Through the next year or so I had the opportunity to get to know the man and to a greater extent, the man's wife, Ms. June. I loved watching the slide shows of their mission trip to India with a team from church (btw, this was the 2nd mission trip I missed because I was pregnant!). He was headline news in that country and used his celebrity to reach many who any other time wouldn't give the time of day to a missionary. They were such wonderful people, that most of the time when I found myself in a crowd of people at church I naturally gravitated to them. June, Richard's wife (who was a MOPS mentor), made me want to be a better mother and wife. Richard made me want to be a better Christian, even though I'd probably only spoken to the man once.
In December this fabulous man was diagnosed with a brain tumor and passed away this past week. I am sad. Not sad for him, he knew where he was going and was probably eager to get there. Not for his family, who knows that they'll join him one day. But for all those who never got to meet the man. Because, if you only met the man once, he would have left a lasting impression.

Happy Birthday TJ

Wow! It's been three years since this precious little kiddo came into my life. He came to us an almost 6 year old boy with severe anger and behavioral problems. Those first few months I thought God was punishing me. Now I know that he was truly blessing my life. T-man, I am very proud of the 9 year old young man I have now.


Happy Birthday!