Election Time...sort of

It's time for the annual Homeschool Blog Awards! Tons of fun for the whole family! :^)

You can read all the rules and what-not at the Homeschool Blog Awards homepage. Then place your vote!

Just "For Your Information", the nominees from our family are...(insert drumroll here)

• Caleb at Boom Box for "Best Teen Guy Blog"
• Sarah at Go Therefore and Be light for "Best Cyber Buddy Blogger"
• Rebecca at Beautiful Feet for "Best Homeschool Mom Blog"
• The Coult Family at...The Coult Family (not very original, I know) for "Best Geographical Blog"

To view the individual blogs, click on the blog name above. To vote for one of them, click on the category name above and then click in the "vote dot" next to the blog name.

My First Blog Anniversary

I can't believe I've been blogging a year already!!! The past year has simply flown by! Funny how they do that as we get older. I can remember when summer vacation seemed to last 6 months. Now it seems I barely have time to pack away one year's old textbooks before the new year is upon me!!!

In honor of my one year blog-i-versary, I'm throwing a big ol' party. Coffee and cheesecake for everyone -- and I'll have a pot of water boiling if anyone would prefer tea. Come on in! There's room enough for everyone!!!Thanks to Wilton, for supplying the gorgeous cake! Looks good enough to eat!

Coffee anyone? I found these great steel coffee cups over at The Green Head. I know nothing about the site, other than they have some interesting "novelty" items -- like coffee mugs that don't shatter when you drop them on concrete floors. Gotta love that!

Tea's hot, too! I have a delicious Apricot tea, Licorice Spice, raspberry leaf and of course Earl Grey from San Francisco Herb Company. I have yet to try one of their teas I don't like.

I hope you'll take a moment to try a slice of cake or at least pour a cup of your favorite beverage and sit a spell!

I'd love to hear what's been going on in your life this year! Perhaps you've been experiencing an overflow of God's grace in your life, your schooling, your marriage or your parenting. Has God been teaching you new insights you'd like to share? Maybe this year has been a challenge and you feel like you're about "done" for the year. Whatever the case, leave a short comment (or a long comment! I don't think the comment box has a character limit!) I look forward to hearing from you!

Also, come check out my 1st anniversary blog carnival:

Blog Anniversary Carnival

I started blogging a year ago. I am still such a novice! So many things I've learned, but so many more I still just don't "get". That's OK. I should be used to that by now -- it's kind of the story of my life!

At any rate, in honor of my 1 year Blog-i-versary, I'm hosting my first "thingy". Y'see? I'm so new at this I don't even know what to call it. Let's call it a carnival. That sounds like fun! ;^)

First of all I need to tell you a bit about myself. Really, it's more like a confession. I have two major faults which are very detrimental to my housekeeping, child-rearing, homeschooling and marital harmony: I procrastinate and I'm flat-surface-challenged. I think the latter problem is hereditary. My mom, my aunt and I used to joke that if we were to design a house, every flat surface would be set at a 45 degree angle so that we couldn't stack stuff.

The former problem is just me. It's something I'm working on, and I know I'm not alone in the battle and THAT, my friends, is what this really fun carnival is all about! Throughout the month of November, I'm giving out free Round TUITs. There's one at the top of this post and the code to insert one on your site is right here!

The Round TUIT Round-up is all about finishing up those little, niggling projects that are cluttering our corners (in our rooms or in our minds) and stealing our peace. Do you have a pile of mending overshadowing your sewing corner? Maybe a school project isn't due till spring, but you really need to get started on it. Have you been meaning to detail the car or write Christmas cards or write a letter or send flowers to your mom? It's time to get around to it!!!

Once you have your Round TUIT at your blog, you have no more excuses! Do something you've been putting off "until I get around to it", post about it at your blog and link back here using Mr. Linky. Feel free to post once during the month, or once a week, or every other day! The more times you sign in to Mr. Linky, the more projects you're finishing and the more you're breaking the procrastination habit!!!

[BTW -- If I don't make any mistakes setting this whole carnival thing up, I'll be so shocked!!! Please send me an email or post a comment if you find a broken link or any other silly mistakes! Thanks for your patience -- ahead of time!!!]



P.S. When you sign your URL in the Mr. Linky box, be sure you insert the url of your Round-Up post, not your blog url.

Like this: http://thecoultfamily.blogspot.com/2008/09/moo-ve-over.html
Not like this: http://thecoultfamily.blogspot.com
That way we'll be able to find your post easily! Thanks!!!

What???

Technorati Profile

Doh! The Technorati Monster escaped again.
We're currently experiencing backend issues and are working to resolve them as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

What does that mean? What exactly are "backend issues" anyway? Do I really want to know? Honestly, we've been experiencing "backend issues" lately at our house, but I'm not sure they have anything to do with monsters. Well, maybe they do, but that's beside the point. I'm pretty-much a newbie at this, but IMO folks oughtta jist speak plain English, don't'cha think? Well, at least they're polite about it!!! ;^)

(Sorry, that just struck me as incredibly funny! "Backend issues". Hah! It's late. I should just go to bed...)

Pidiendo una Playpen

Ok. So I ran across a really neat give-away at a really neat site of a mom who, quite possibly, is busier than I am. Actually, I think she is busier than I am and also, perhaps, busier than I was 10 years ago. Hats off to Christine who has six kids under 7 and whose oldest two are twins. I often said that if I'd had twins first, I might not have continued to the next and most probably wouldn't have had 4 more! This woman's a trooper!!!

You've gotta love Graco. I was given a fantastic musical swing when Caleb was a newborn. Oh, I loved that swing! With an 18 month old and a newborn, you can bet it got used a bunch! It got used so much, in fact, that by the time Andrew came along, 3 years and a set of twins later, the musical part was just a staticky buzz and the high speed didn't work. I called Graco just to see about repairing the thing, and what did they do? They sent me a brand new swing!!! I just attached the seat part that I had (which was tired, but still serviceable) to the new motor and legs which they sent and, voila!! New swing!!! Andrew and Evie swung their babyhood away in that swing and when we were finished with infants, I regifted to a friend with a new set of twins. Talk about customer satisfaction!!!

Anyway, Christina at From Dates to Diapers has a Graco Pack-n-Play which she is giving away to a worthy comment-er at her site.



I really hope to be that comment-er!

The school of ministry is bursting at the seams with new babies! About two weeks ago, the director's wife, Pily, gave birth to her 2nd baby. On Sunday, Oneida had a baby boy (baby #2 for them, also) and next month Briseda is due to give birth to her first. How blessed we are!!! The baby count at the school of ministry is climbing, but the number of arms available to tote said little ones remains the same. Of course, everyone loves to hold a newborn, and even nine-month-old Hassiel, Cristina's youngest, is a sweetie to cart from here to there. Let's face it though, it's nice to be able to set your baby down and know that he's safe and sound, can't fall, can't eat dirt and can't be reached by his two-year-old sibling! I've been looking for a play-pen for these great moms for over a year. Sure, they're available here, but just plan on doubling or even tripling the price you would pay in the States. Even a used play-pen costs over a hundred dollars here! Ouch!!! In addition, none of the moms have cribs. Right now, Hassiel is sleeping in a drawer on the floor of Ricardo and Cristina's apartment and Madai (age 2) sleeps on a pallet on the floor. It works, but if they wake up, they're free. That's a scarey thought, considering that Madai's parent's apartment is on the second floor and there are no railings. No, I don't think that one play-pen will solve all the world's problems, but it might help one mom sleep a little better at night or help her to get her clothes washed!!!

So, with that said, I wish to submit my comment for consideration to the long (and growing!) list of post-ers at Dates to Diapers. Who knows?! Maybe my search will be at an end, and I can bring a sparkling new Graco Pack-N-Play home from our furlough in July!!!

A Six-Word Tag

Marina from "Daughter of the King" just tagged me with 6 words or phrases about myself. AND since I do love to multi-task, I'm doubling it up with My Walk Monday (finally!).

Well, I tend to talk more about stuff going on around me than I do about things going on in my head or heart. I thought maybe I should use this tag to share a few things that God is working on in my life right now.

So here are 6 things that either God is planting, growing or pruning in my life...

Hospitality -- I have always loved to invite people into my home. I've found it easier to do that here in a place where it's not so important that the house be decorated correctly and the food "fashionable and expensive". Hospitality is about the home, not the house.

Teacher -- I've been a teacher forever (feels like!) and probably always will be. But God is showing me that #1 I'm teaching every moment -- even when I don't realize it and #2 Teaching is more than preparing my kids to enter college. Sarah just informed me a couple of weeks ago that she's not sure that she even cares to go to college. Gulp. Well...what was my point in teaching her all these years? Was it so she could go to a great university, graduate with honors and go get a high-paying job? No. Definitely not. [although, face it, isn't that in the back of every moms' mind at some point?] Our purpose in educating our kids is that they would learn discernment and have wisdom to know the plans God has for their lives -- and the faith to pursue those plans! As a teacher, I need to remember that purpose.

Learner -- Lest I ever become proud and begin to think that I've learned all there is to learn about anything!!! Last week I was humbled by a little girl who stated bluntly, "You don't speak Spanish really well." Like I needed to be told that! Well, bless her heart, I don't. I try, and I can make myself understood, but if you're comparing me to any native Spanish speaker that you know, I don't speak Spanish very well. Out of the mouths of babes...

Faithfulness -- God teaches us His faithfulness by allowing us to go through deserts and remaining faithful. By that I mean both that throughout our time in the desert we learn to remain faithful to Him, and also that while we languish in the wilderness, He remains faithful to not abandon us.

Quiet -- Now, this is not to say that I am quiet. Anyone who knows me, would not put "quiet" as a description of me!!! This would be one of those areas in which God is doing some pruning! The verse that is popping into my head is the Psalm which says, "Be still and know that I am God." Normally we see that verse printed as a caption for a photo of some guy in a fishing boat on a placid lake. Well, that's not the context of the verse (and it's not the whole verse, either!). In reality the context should read more like this: "Shut your mouth and listen up! Know this: I am God. I will be exalted among the nations." This is the way in which God is using the word "quiet" in my life today.

Joy -- I am learning to find the joy in every day -- just the way God made it! There is definitely joy in the journey! Some days, I have to scrape the junk off the top to find it, but I know that the joy is there if I dig deep enough. "This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it!!!" That's not a suggestion! That's a commandment!!!

OK. There are my 6 words. Yeah!

Hmmm....who will I tag? I think I'll tag a couple of Mexican missionaries I know: Michelle from Ensenada and Sarah from Las Glorias (that would be my daughter!).

Have a blest day everyone!

Tagged with 7 Things

Brines from Comfort Joy Designs just tagged me with "7 Things". Well, since I have really specific guidelines, I think I can handle it! I'm not doing a whole lot of "free thinking" today!!!

Here are the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.



2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.



3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
   


4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
   

Here are seven things you probably never knew about me:

• I rebuilt a Yamaha moped in high school. I was the only girl in shop class. We had to choose shop or home-ec, and I had no desire to make an apron. I did want to know how to make my moped run better, so...




• I've driven a car at 130 mph and a motorcycle at 145 mph.




• Although I became a Christian when I was 8 years old and basically grew up in church, I rejected God and all things "religious" when I was 14. After 4-5 REALLY long years of trying to find happiness in anything and everything outside of a personal relationship with my creator, I finally realised that true happiness could only be found when I submitted to God's authority in my life. [Ever noticed that authority has the word "author" as its base word? I like that.]




• My husband and I met playing pool, and the first time he asked for it, I refused to give him my number. I told him I didn't give my number to guys I met in bars. The second time, I told him I'd take his number and "maybe I'll call you sometime". I ended up calling him the next day, he invited me to dinner and 3 weeks later, he proposed. I accepted and we were married 10 months later. That was 16 1/2 years ago!




• When I was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian. Now, I want to be a conductor (of music, not trains!).




• Every night when the kids go to bed, we pray with them and then we say, "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed-bugs bite!" Then the kids reply, "If they do, smack 'em with a shoe, make 'em black and blue!" Then we all say, "I love you! God bless you!"




• Ever heard the rhyme "A tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket"? Well, Grandma gave me a green-and-yellow "sewing basket" for my 3rd birthday, and I still have it. It's only missing one button, too. Amazing, since the thing is plastic and is...ahem...more than 30 years old. All my kids played with it and every time little ones come to my house, I pull it out to play with.

Now I get to tag 7 people! Hmmm...how can I pick only 7???

I tag...

Jennifer @ Fruitful Vine who is another missionary homeschool mom from St. Thomas, Dominica.

Candice @ Flame in the Darkness my dear friend who is today a missionary in Hawaii, but is in process of moving to Oregon (Pray for that girl! She has "two under two").

Melissa @ United in Christ is another good friend who came down to be a missionary in Mexico and ended up in Japan.

Karen @ For Such a Time as Now is a home schooler who used to be a missionary in Romania and now is stateside. Her mom is quite the artist, too!

Betsy @ The Homeschool Way is another home schooler (hence the name) with an absolutely beautiful blog (IMO). It's worth it to just click over to see her header!

Jessie @ Overflow of a Forgiven Soul is another home schooler who is not a missionary, per se, but aren't we all missionaries, really? If anyone has a missionary heart, this girl does!

Another Rebecca @ The Hatfields who also moonlights over at Rebecca's Originals is neither a home schooler nor a missionary, but we'll forgive her!!! (Just kidding!) You've gotta see her photos! She has a great eye for colors and photo stories.

Wa-Hoo! I finished my first MEME. Only took me 3 days! How do you pronounce MEME anyway? Meem. MEE-mee. Mem. Meh-Meh. Whatever!