tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33455514289747054072024-03-18T23:55:53.197-05:00Mama Bouchard TalksLindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.comBlogger281125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-69633557999379137902019-01-06T14:18:00.001-06:002019-01-06T14:43:44.392-06:00Learning to Say Yes Again<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm sitting here not really knowing where to start, except to explain my absence in this space...mostly to our girls. So, when we moved to England I was tired. I had just accomplished single parenting for 380 days and said yes to everyone and everything. Yes, I will watch your kids. Yes, I will volunteer every Sunday in my daughter's Sunday school room. Yes, I will be a tutor. Yes, yes, yes. I guess you could say that the disease to please had taken over. My mother often tells me that I care too much about what people think of me. Others would probably wonder if I care at all. My answer would be, "It depends on when you met me."</div>
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I knew something had to give when we moved to England. I knew that my family was going to need me now more than ever. So, I decided to go cold turkey. I decided I was going to say no. No, I'm sorry I can't commit to that. No, I'm sorry, but that is not a time commitment I am willing to make. No, I am not joining the spouses' club. No, no, no. Now, let's be real here. Of course I said yes to things, but I had set the tone and made a promise to myself that for these three years abroad the only people I was worried about saying yes to were my family. Let me just tell you that telling people no does not always go over well with them, but, for me, always saying yes often left me feeling out of control...of my own life. </div>
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A lot has happened these past three years. I immediately realized that the blog I had hoped would document these travel filled years would also need a no from me. We were immediately faced with six months of terror filled nights as we awaited medical care and a diagnosis for Allye. Then, for three years, Nate has been gone more than he has been home with us. Technically, it could be the other way around, but it is so close we are calling it like it has felt. We have traveled Europe in the hardest, coldest months because he has been gone every single summer we have lived here. I could go on and on, but it all really boils down to digging my heals in harder and harder with every single no I had to give, so I could stand firm in my commitment to saying yes to us.</div>
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As we are nearing the end of our time living in England, I am beginning to look forward. Our girls are all pretty self-sufficient and I am restless. I have happily given everything I can give to our girls, Nate, his career, our girls' education, and our family. Considering there is no Target, or any store for that matter, open after Nate gets off work each day, I haven't, exactly, been soaking up all that alone time moms need for our sanity. So, three months ago I decided to join Stella & Dot as a stylist. I considered this for over six months. I really felt it could be a great outlet for my love of fashion and creativity, as well as, a push for me to spend time on something that was just for me. Frankly, it has been hard. It creates all of the stresses I thought it would, but has intricately woven us together for a common goal in a way I never expected. I don't have big salesy type goals, and I am certainly not a pushy sales person, but I do love helping women feel and be at their best, whether that is with the words of encouragement I place on their screens or an idea about how to use a piece of jewelry to freshen their wardrobe or make them feel like they have it all together, because we all like to feel like we have it together, even when we know we don't. Right? Somehow, polished nails and any jewelry, besides a wedding ring and earrings, makes us think we accomplished something that day. Yes, I still remember those toddler years.</div>
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As we begin to see the light at the end of this tunnel I am beginning to say yes. Yes, you can give yourself the time to blog again. Yes, you can incorporate your love of jewelry and fashion into your life and help others along the way. Yes, you can let go of the guilt and buy that online course for your kids to take, instead of you teaching every single subject. Yes, you can go on a date night with your husband every weekend and not feel any guilt about it. Yes, yes, yes. It might seem clear, but what I learned about saying no to so many others is that I was also saying no to myself too often. It seems only right that I begin by saying yes to myself. So far it feels pretty good. As I think about how I am going to start saying yes to others, I think those will come a little easier as long as I am always saying yes to myself first. Maybe it's a lot like that warning they give you on a plane...the one that tells you to always place your own oxygen mask on before assisting others, even your own child.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> So, for now, I am back on this keyboard, filling your screen with no real direction just yet. Just an urge. Just a mom with a hope to put it all down so one day her daughters can look back. And while I am quite sad that these pages went dark for so long, I am going to hold on to what Socrates said best, "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new."</span></div>
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<br />Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-29658936439454672542016-10-30T14:25:00.000-05:002016-12-12T14:27:47.403-06:00Sunday Diary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The cross is the picture of death, but the key to life. </div>
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-Patricia Porter 🗝</div>
Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-36225577343645187722016-06-12T14:24:00.000-05:002016-06-12T15:20:09.460-05:00Sunday Diary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Ruth didn't go back to what was familiar. She stepped out in faith and walked into the unknown. Her courage brought her to her divine destiny. Don't look back." ~A Modern Day Ruth</div>
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It's hard, this life we are living. We are always looking forward it seems. The next promotion. The next TDY. The next deployment. The next set of orders. The next move. Frankly, enjoying the present takes work most of the time. And then forward comes. The moment we've waited on, anticipated, even asked for....and anxiety and fear strike. But we must step out.....forward....in faith. This faith we have, it doesn't make things easy....just possible. Inevitably we look back. We yearn for the known and the comfortable because, in this life, forward is always hard. But we must rise up, show courage, and exude an unwavering trust in Him. For He is the creator of divine appointments and frankly, I prefer to be on time. #raisingupruths</div>
Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-67957646176195642062016-03-14T08:00:00.000-05:002016-05-08T13:46:40.606-05:00St. Patrick's Day in London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We chose London as our first big adventure here in England. Since we learned we were moving here, all the girls have talked about is seeing London. Of course we will take many trips there during our time here, due to the vastness of things to see and do there, but these girls just couldn't wait any longer. When the base travel office offered a special one day trip down and back for the St. Patrick's Day parade, we knew that was our big chance. We overpaid for the ride, but knew that we didn't need to take on the task of finding our way by car, train, and foot within the first month of living here. We definitely don't regret this decision. We made a quick trip to find some green to wear and we were off. We were dropped off at Trafalgar Square and immediately headed to Buckingham Palace. Three girls must see where the queen lives.</div>
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We got lucky enough that we walked up to the palace just as the changing of the guard was happening. This is not a daily occurrence, so we felt very fortunate to walk alongside the horses leading up to the palace and then to see the changing over happen. As usual, the area was congested, so we played around the fountain and just enjoyed the sunshine.</div>
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With four women, we are always searching for a bathroom. We were so excited to find one so easily right up from the palace....until we saw we had to pay to go into the restroom. Fact: Nothing is FREE in England. Nothing. Luckily Nate had some change and we paid 20 pence to enter. I am quite sure that I was probably supposed to pay that per person, but since that was not explicitly written we got 4 for 20p. #ridiculous Then, of course, Nate had to pay as well. I have NEVER paid to use a bathroom in my life. I still can't believe that happened. Let me just tell you another fact about bathroom usage in England. They are not heated. Anywhere. Nate thinks this is no big deal. Of course.</div>
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London is beautiful. </div>
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The girls don't know what to think of the green grass and the flowers in abundance. We all just stand around and stare at it. A lot.<br />
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We headed back to Trafalgar Square for lunch. For this event, they brought in food trucks full of Irish meals and trinkets. We found it quite odd, that there was a start time of 12:00 for the food area. They did not allow anyone to sell food prior to that time. Then, right before noon, ushers made every single person leave the square and stand behind gates. Around 12:15 they finally opened the gates, checked every bag, and let you in. This was insanity. I have never in my life. Eventually we made it to all of the lines to satisfy 5 different people, ate cold food, and wondered around.<br />
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Our favorite entertainment was the bagpiper playing AC/DC. When the local police walked by he played police sirens. He was a hoot!<br />
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I am not sure what I expected this parade to be like, but it was heart-warming to see that some things are what they are. So far, no matter where we live, parades happen because creative people decorate everyday transportation. Granted, most I have seen are pulled by pick-up trucks or farm equipment, a semi-truck is just a small step forward without killing the vibe. ;) Truck after truck passed through these small streets, with kids waving and music playing. Due to this being the St. Patrick's Day parade, every Irish county (town? still learning the differences) was represented with their own float. Everyone was very well behaved until this turned the corner.<br />
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The streets became flooded with people. The crowd, literally, went wild. You need to see this like I did.<br />
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Hunchback of Notre Dame....my best guess.<br />
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Seeing quickly became a problem so the girls took to higher ground. Olivia was quite high up on this window ledge, with several other girls. Allye took to Nate's shoulders, and Addison and I stood on a box on the sidewalk. Eventually it got old so we moved along and came upon guards on horses. <br />
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Next, we tried to hit some of the most visited sites just for a quick look. The girls simply can't believe that they are seeing these things in real life. It is pure joy to see them live these moments. Of course, we had to see where the princess got married. It was closed, unfortunately, for a large event during the week.<br />
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As we began our dissent to the pick-up location we realized that we were passing the perfect spot for a picture with Big Ben. Several stairs later, minutes and minutes and minutes of passers by later, twenty-three pictures of the girls later, and we have a picture of ourselves. #parenting<br />
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It is still such a surreal feeling that we live here. To think about being able to see this again and again is hard to wrap my mind around sometimes. It is wonderful to not rush through these events because we may never see it again. I am working to not take one moment for granted and soak up each experience.<br />
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Our pick-up location was the London Eye. This is a great area full of sidewalk entertainment and fun. We couldn't resist a good carousel ride, even though Nate's heart stopped when he did the rate conversion, in his head, for what he was a about to pay for a single ride. (Note: At today's rate that would be $3.63 per person. England isn't cheap folks.)<br />
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As the sun was setting, we enjoyed our last few minutes playing on a beautifully built playground with the London Eye playing the backdrop. For the girls, there was no better ending to this fairy tale expedition. And when the you see your children so incredibly happy, full of bliss and joy, that is the perfect ending to any day. <br />
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See our day captured by GoPro.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uUU9N9ri1lc/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uUU9N9ri1lc?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<i>My Dear Girls,</i><br />
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<i>Never, ever, ever take this for granted.</i><br />
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<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Mom</i><br />
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-68058179406023033082016-03-07T15:19:00.001-06:002016-03-07T15:19:27.656-06:00The Decision and the Transition.<div style="text-align: center;">
Writing to you from England dear friends and family! Happy to say we have successfully made it across the pond. I am going to write a few posts to fill you in on this great big adventure we have embarked upon.</div>
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<b>The Decision.</b></div>
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(BACK STORY) - After his first tour in Korea (2003) we selected, and were given, Shaw AFB in Sumter, SC. He chose this base because when he drove me away from my momma, in September of 2001, he promised her he would do whatever he could to get me back closer to home. He is a man of his word. This was a sacrifice on his part. When we met he told me one of the reasons he joined the Air Force was to see the world. I made it very clear (after having just hopped around Europe for a month) that I had no desire to live overseas. I was twenty-two years old and I had every intention of getting married and having children in the U.S. where my parents could be active in their lives. So, for 16 years we have lived and served stateside. During that time we got married, had three darling daughters, Nate completed his Bachelor and Master's degrees, and we have traveled a lot.</div>
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(CURRENT) - When Nate received his Korea orders (which we were totally expecting) for his second tour,
we were given about 72 hours to turn in a list of places that we would
like to go once he finished his time in Korea. For the Air Force, when you complete an overseas tour they try to give you your first choice of a follow-on base. Due to the fact that we were expecting these orders we had already been discussing where we might like to go afterwards. In one of our first conversations I asked him if he could go anywhere where he would go. He immediately named some overseas bases. I knew I was ready for this adventure with him, but this is one of those things you almost prefer happen to you instead of you putting into action. I had to really work through my own feelings about moving our girls so far away from my parents. I knew that this decision would crush them and that is a tough load to carry. I am a people pleaser and this one wasn't going to please a lot of people. By this time though I had accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. I had given birth to all of our children, created a firm and loving bond between them and our families, and I felt they were of an age that I could manage them alone in a foreign environment (he will deploy) and they could remember a life overseas. Although this was always a dream of Nate's, we both knew and talked extensively about what a gift we could give our girls with this decision. The benefits were endless and would last them for a lifetime. As parents, we all try to constantly and consistently give our children the best we can, and we knew that this was our very best. Not the easiest way or the safest way or the American way....but it is our way and more importantly it is the military way. Service before self. We knew that if God wanted this for us, it would happen. And it did. If it was not meant to be, and there were definitely opportunities for it to fall through, then it would just not happen. But it did. I also felt that Nate had made an ultimate sacrifice for me and, frankly, it was his turn. We completed our list with a set of overseas and stateside bases, within the given time frame, and then we waited. Many months later we received news we would move to England, the second choice on our list. That is when we told our girls. The excitement was not unanimous. </div>
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<b>The Transition.</b> </div>
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When it came to transitioning the girls and our family to England, I knew I had an expert in my midst. My mother. This is a woman who can create, implement, and follow through with a plan like no one I know. We are both analyzers. We spent hours and hours looking at this from a thousand different directions. Ultimately, Nate and I decided that I would remain in our Florida home until it sold or we left. It never sold. We then decided that he would return home to Florida and then take a month of leave. We felt, for us, that our family needed time together. Time to decompress and re-build the family relationship. It is not easy, on either side, for the parent who has been away to re-engage with the family. Everyone has a new set routine, he has no clue, the children tell him he has no clue, we all get frustrated. By taking everyone out of their normal we would create a new normal for all of us. Looking back, this is the best decision we could have made.<br />
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After returning home a day late, he had one full day with the girls before we loaded them up and met my parents in Atlanta. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL3xqixwEAgQcoqJKHR4UEE0U3h2cJ8AhItZpRa0yprARJXxaWXWq0ELT0hYVAAI68nIvvYAOGEuZL_uIMrRMjdJI-LVLkb0-TzYCwWa7dv6Y-aRS8rpvD9Rwibycc7NKromZ4CgT77U/s1600/DSC_3138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIL3xqixwEAgQcoqJKHR4UEE0U3h2cJ8AhItZpRa0yprARJXxaWXWq0ELT0hYVAAI68nIvvYAOGEuZL_uIMrRMjdJI-LVLkb0-TzYCwWa7dv6Y-aRS8rpvD9Rwibycc7NKromZ4CgT77U/s640/DSC_3138.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping Daddy prepare the car for transport.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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They took the girls back to N.C., gave us my mother's car, and we drove to the shipping facility in Atlanta and turned in the minivan. They processed it and loaded it on a transport truck while we were there. This was quite a process. They take this very seriously. If you are not prepared you will be very frustrated. Nate was well prepared, but God decided to unload a rainstorm on us for our entire drive to Atlanta. He had to dry the w.h.i.t.e van off, in the pouring rain, while the pre-inspector cleared it just to be pulled into the main bay for a formal inspection. Then they dried it, verified it had less than 1/4 tank of gas, was completely empty on the interior, and accounted for all markings on the exterior. Once cleared, we drove straight back to our home in Florida and began preparing for the movers to come the following Monday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHy23YWPmdjsoo5QGQTCGiwbeLH9stgZjEmeaLvLE0vRdwtEuZ7Qhz1Nusldxp30y3nHu9_baWp4bQo2G3O5ZDhdsDlqjMzE631nOIEAABaBNiVPpXdPeKDUi36Si4dNA-EyJHm3zhvM/s1600/20160122_135831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHy23YWPmdjsoo5QGQTCGiwbeLH9stgZjEmeaLvLE0vRdwtEuZ7Qhz1Nusldxp30y3nHu9_baWp4bQo2G3O5ZDhdsDlqjMzE631nOIEAABaBNiVPpXdPeKDUi36Si4dNA-EyJHm3zhvM/s400/20160122_135831.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Moving overseas is no joke. Thankfully, the military has done this a time or two. So have all of the moving companies. We simply supplied the dates that we wanted the movers to come and the military office set this up. Apparently they send out the information to the moving companies, they bid on your move, and then are selected. This is the military...lowest bidder wins. We had three different companies involved in our move and were allowed 13,000 free pounds. This means that they add the weight of Nate's shipment from Korea and the three U.S. shipments together. Anything over 13,000 we pay at a rate determined my the military. Don't forget that when we move back they can charge us again if we exceed the limit. We then chose the order that they would come to our home....another analyzed decision. Ultimately, I chose for the unaccompanied baggage to come first, the long ship second, and the storage shipment third. The unaccompanied baggage must be under 1,000 pounds. These items are what you will receive first, via air transport, and should allow you to live for up to six weeks until your remaining goods arrive. I chose to pack kitchen essentials, the remaining cold weather clothing for everyone, sheets, towels, bedding, two small boxes of toys, scooters, shower curtains, trash cans, and our school books. To prepare for these people I put everything, except our clothing, on our dining room table. For room specific items I placed the items on the bed, in that room, and then sectioned the clothes off, in each closet, by wrapping a yellow piece of yarn around the section. This way the packer did not need me with them at all times. I walked them through and explained that they would only take what was on the bed and the clothes that had the yellow string. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7ORWjdl5MDCTsbkA6FV28Yrpr3vxW7OKngaLCZ3lGSWKu9XrhExBC7CgVbMy1zXwgcpRNv_pVVXLOK8UapGwbFLcz-N6JeMhyphenhyphen4fWDIC42Lu-9n5IizFRs5JQ2LZstrezmYcat9FmS0I/s1600/20160125_125158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7ORWjdl5MDCTsbkA6FV28Yrpr3vxW7OKngaLCZ3lGSWKu9XrhExBC7CgVbMy1zXwgcpRNv_pVVXLOK8UapGwbFLcz-N6JeMhyphenhyphen4fWDIC42Lu-9n5IizFRs5JQ2LZstrezmYcat9FmS0I/s400/20160125_125158.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the shipment by air. It had to fit in the smaller plywood box you see in the truck. Ours barely fit. It will probably burst like Jack-in-the-Box when they open it on our end.</td></tr>
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As soon as they finished up, around lunch, we began preparing for the long ship packers arriving the following morning at 8. All items were taken from walls and placed on the floor in the room they were hung in. We spent time taking pictures of items, doing inventory, and organizing. Our goal was for them to not have to go into any cabinet, drawer, etc. We accomplished this. They arrived the following morning and worked hard for two solid days. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qQi1kSzUAoCHEZLCNOUNfsYc-Q8-OAgQ60gGkqIimrE7cG7zZu1lNsAIobmwv-Fi3VmilPW2JGlixC5DQfYmq6DluWCSXtwRg-LwZOkueXDNUSKrA2Y7vJQQ-2qrkaBzfRDVyNeBBBs/s1600/20160128_153627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qQi1kSzUAoCHEZLCNOUNfsYc-Q8-OAgQ60gGkqIimrE7cG7zZu1lNsAIobmwv-Fi3VmilPW2JGlixC5DQfYmq6DluWCSXtwRg-LwZOkueXDNUSKrA2Y7vJQQ-2qrkaBzfRDVyNeBBBs/s640/20160128_153627.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun Fact: The UK does not allow knives, guns, or anything resembling a weapon. Because the military doesn't store our items in a climate controlled warehouse all of Nate's collection was hand carried in two trips to be stored at my parents.</td></tr>
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They thanked us more than once for the organization. That was time well spent and it paid off for everyone. I have done moves where I didn't go through everything and clean out and it is horrible on the other end. I was determined to make this move different. On the their third day they brought the moving men. These guys are expert Tetris players for sure. Unlike a stateside move, an overseas move requires your items to be crated. This does happen stateside, but is not always a requirement. The mover men must pack as efficiently as possible because every square inch matters. This was quite impressive to watch. When one crate is completely packed they raise the fourth side and nail it shut. The service member then signs a large sticker (security seal) and it is placed around one of the corners that has been sealed. This will tell anyone (especially the service member) if their container has been compromised. The container is not to be opened until it is delivered to us at our next home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4XYMN89uOfIP2FPu5XIMZ6e86TDCuOjTMHtKR5evEFWRxr2IeWjTpAbgvXu39JFwyfx8uUoXIal8Vl7BBW_-oZZH8frS_TOKn5tZUHBOcTUJuNupsy2IjOqEW6p40fw5agym2rK5cY8/s1600/20160128_103754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4XYMN89uOfIP2FPu5XIMZ6e86TDCuOjTMHtKR5evEFWRxr2IeWjTpAbgvXu39JFwyfx8uUoXIal8Vl7BBW_-oZZH8frS_TOKn5tZUHBOcTUJuNupsy2IjOqEW6p40fw5agym2rK5cY8/s640/20160128_103754.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun Fact: All of our items have to clear customs. Every item or box has a detailed description of what it contains for customs agents. When you ship to the UK you never label a box or description line with stuffed animals. They interpret this as once alive, now stuffed animals. That is a no-no. Those boxes and lines must be labeled toys.</td></tr>
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The fifth day of packing was reserved for our items that we would leave behind in the U.S. The military will pay to store these items for us. Our storage shipment contained large pieces of furniture, lots of fine china, and garage equipment. I must confess that we were sound asleep when these men rang the doorbell at 8 a.m. sharp. We were exhausted. They got straight to work and were done shortly after lunch. For them, I had gathered all of the interior items into one room (done previously in the week and shut off to the other two companies) and the garage items had already been separated onto one side of the garage earlier in the week as well. We learned that these items would be stored in Alabama. They do provide the specific location for the service member, but that should obviously remain private.<br />
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Once we survived the packing process our neighbors provided us with a blow up air mattress. We kept an old set of sheets, towels, and a few cooking essentials for the remainder of our time. Once we left for good these items would be trashed or donated. We began the cleaning process of our home that was now rental property...with a renter on the way! Praise the Lord! There is nothing like cleaning your home and making it look brand new to make you fall in love with it all over again. We worked very hard the first two days because we knew that we wanted to attend our church for the final time that Sunday, see the beach once more, and give ourselves space for the unexpected to pop up. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiIWhbzIMzNwGL64Jr1kRk_RHVStfRNAkjs5aXHIKzC8GnlPJyEFT72bDVGUi73JWSb-3uJDT4xnL52HBduHUR3eHLSyTZS_Oe7Dofhu_dYtggAleVifpYEApLY81ZeZOEo4WFSlZ7y8/s1600/20160130_085703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiIWhbzIMzNwGL64Jr1kRk_RHVStfRNAkjs5aXHIKzC8GnlPJyEFT72bDVGUi73JWSb-3uJDT4xnL52HBduHUR3eHLSyTZS_Oe7Dofhu_dYtggAleVifpYEApLY81ZeZOEo4WFSlZ7y8/s400/20160130_085703.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many trips to Lowes were made. Nate always takes a picture of the girls on the tractors. It broke his heart not to have one last picture. I dutifully stepped in. ;)</td></tr>
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We did get to enjoy a final beach sunrise...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVo8gl5_RqXg6cvp2CPvBzXDnmkbvCaSNgojrRjOhWpR-eQ8otHp9zHxGCWFz05cUdF137FgRgPptGPWZkd_Hfk-h91rL191C-w7AE09QrAcqnXCxyhN7YUfBZqhMVGf25Se5G-hERH7c/s1600/DSC_3270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVo8gl5_RqXg6cvp2CPvBzXDnmkbvCaSNgojrRjOhWpR-eQ8otHp9zHxGCWFz05cUdF137FgRgPptGPWZkd_Hfk-h91rL191C-w7AE09QrAcqnXCxyhN7YUfBZqhMVGf25Se5G-hERH7c/s640/DSC_3270.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was our favorite go-to beach spot. Not many tourists, picnic tables for many, showers, bathrooms, and a great cold treat stand in the hot summers.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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followed by breakfast at a favorite tourist spot...<br />
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and then a last church service. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVB1POJsr6D-daatrjxsqS1qcQL6jbSyqWYLaBocZUI3Nd-REef9WZ59gzGpjgIblFSnpAQJK1utNDmHObs5qd4TisaKIOxzks76DGP_6K428tKHWe4VVrGCXB6CH0htEUSjwSiLGm_M/s1600/DSC_3319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVB1POJsr6D-daatrjxsqS1qcQL6jbSyqWYLaBocZUI3Nd-REef9WZ59gzGpjgIblFSnpAQJK1utNDmHObs5qd4TisaKIOxzks76DGP_6K428tKHWe4VVrGCXB6CH0htEUSjwSiLGm_M/s640/DSC_3319.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crosspoint United Methodist Church - This church will always hold a special place in our hearts. This is where Olivia was saved.</td></tr>
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We even had time to go on a <a href="http://www.mamabouchardtalks.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/she-just-doesnt-get-it.html" target="_blank">special date</a>. <br />
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See our last day in action! <br />
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The following morning we drove out and headed to the mountains of North Carolina to begin putting our family back together again. While it was very hard on our kids to leave their daddy so quickly after his arrival, it was great for our marriage. We have learned that the family comes back together much easier, for us, if the marriage gets a head start. Obviously, we were very fortunate to be close enough to my parents for them to take the kids for the week. We have certainly packed with kids. Without kids is so much easier. <br />
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Part of our decision making included Nate taking about thirty days of leave in transit (after leaving one base and before checking in at the next base). He would be given seven days to travel from Korea to the states. Anything after that, prior to him checking in in England, would count against his leave (paid time off). This is where we planned strategically. We accumulated enough days for him to take the twenty-five days in July, to come home, and then these thirty days before we left for England. I don't want to give the details of how the troops are moved and at what times, but I will say that we would have had to take leave, no matter what, given the way they move you from one assignment to the next, in our type of situation. Given that our goal was to let our shipped goods get a head start, allow time for family that wanted to visit with us, and, most importantly, to reconnect as a family, there was only one place we wanted to go. The mountains. My parents were very generous to open their home to us. While this is in no way roughing it, it is secluded and requires a bit of planning to stay for an extended time (like you don't want to forget an item at the grocery store). This place is my Heaven on Earth. We spent our mornings completing school assignments, got a one month YMCA membership and went almost daily (to include swimming), made day trips to Boone, NC, and spent lots of time outdoors. There is nothing like a little seclusion, fresh air, and a healthy dose of routine to bring a family back together. We did not take one moment of this for granted and feel so grateful that this was an option for us.<br />
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The final weekend brought us down the mountain to stay with my parents at their home. We spent this time washing clothes and organizing all of the suitcases. Nate was sure to stay very clear of this work. #LaughingCryingEmoji The final baggage count (after the unexpected purchase of one more suitcase via Goodwill for all of the hair products and toiletries) was 9 carry on bags, 7 checked suitcases, 5 neck pillows, 3 American Girl dolls, 3 princess blankets, and 1 folding stroller. Because we chose not to fly from Florida (our assigned base location) we were responsible for getting ourselves to an official port of call to fly to England. The military office provided us Washington D.C. as the closest option to where we were staying. For official travel, not every airport serves as an official port of call. This required us to rent a van and drive to D.C. We acquired the van on a Sunday afternoon, spent the afternoon and evening figuring out how to get everything in it, and then pulled out the next morning for a red eye flight on the same night. We arrived in a timely manner, hired the gentleman at the curb to help us get all of our bags into the main check-in area, and our journey began. <br />
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British Airways was our carrier for this trip. I was simply amazed at how prepared and smooth this process was. I assume this is the benefit of an official port of call. They are trained and familiar with the process and working with military families. We spent some time watching the planes arrive and depart, made our way through TSA, and went for a sit down dinner. We then had about an hour and a half to wait prior to boarding. Just before boarding began, the gentleman who checked us in much earlier in the day came to us and asked that we gather our things and head to the gate entry. He had arranged for our family to board first. This airline went above and beyond to make this day seamless for our family. <br />
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It wasn't long before the dark night sky surrounded us and we (eventually) fell asleep. Six short hours later and our feet were on the ground in London, England. Thankfully, a friend already based here suggested we hire the driver they had used when they arrived. This allowed for private transportation opposed to the shuttle bus commonly used. I cannot say enough good about this! I am so glad we acted on this advice. We were exhausted when we arrived. The driver met us inside the airport, handled our luggage, loaded us up, and drove us two hours north to RAF Lakenheath. He waited until our lodging was all worked out (there were issues) and then unloaded all of our luggage into our room. This is when you give major thanks that the time jumped ahead five hours....bedtime came very soon! We are so thankful for a safe arrival and look forward to sharing more about the days since our arrival, the process of finding a home here, and eventually our England adventures. <br />
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Our trip in action! <br />
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Thank you to everyone who has supported us this past year. While I could not spend time talking on the phone and responding to every message, please know we got them and were so grateful for each and every thoughtful gesture. Military families need support that we will never ask for, but are always appreciative to receive.<br />
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<i>My dear girls,</i><br />
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<i>While this decision to move you so far away may not make a lot of sense right now, we promise you one day it will. Change is hard, but change grows you. All three of you are strong, adaptable, and resilient girls; in large part because we have stretched you. If we thought that this would, in any way, do more harm than good we would never make this choice for you. You have handled this transition so well. You have had to learn how to work through hard moments, that crying is ok, that the sun always shines after the storm, and that life is so much fun! We hope to teach you that while we may never know where the military will send us, you are always home. A building is not a home. WE are the home. As long as we are together, as long as we are a family....you will always be home. We love you so very much and look forward to our many adventures to come and are so excited we get to do them with you!</i><br />
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<i>Love,</i><br />
<i>Mom </i><br />
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-28770630708861482312016-02-09T15:41:00.000-06:002016-02-09T15:41:03.351-06:00She Just Doesn't Get It<div style="text-align: center;">
As a follow up to my post <a href="http://www.mamabouchardtalks.blogspot.com/2016/01/he-just-doesnt-get-it.html" target="_blank">He Just Doesn't Get It</a>, today I will share what I took away from the sermon <i>She Just Doesn't Get It</i>, where the tables were firmly turned. I had a solid week to analyze and think about what in the world they could teach us women. We know it all. Don't they realize this? Well, as I sat on the edge of my seat I learned that this wife thing is a full time job, apparently. You need to read the above referenced post to know that we women are fairly low maintenance....you know...listen to us, make us feel special, listen to us, make us feel special. Well, typed neatly on my lap was a list of four very different needs of a man. It was not a pick one or multiple choice or true false test. No. It was, "Hey You! Here are the four needs of a man." And they say women are complicated. I did a quick attitude adjustment and took it ALL in. Oh, and I graded myself the whole way. Please tell me I am not alone.</div>
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<u><b>Need #1 - A Managed Household</b></u></div>
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"Men need their home to be a refuge...from the chaos." - Pastor Jeremy Smith</div>
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If I am honest, I wanted to fall out in the floor from laughing so hard. I assure you I remained composed. Hello? Have any of these people ever had children? And can they please explain to me that chaos part? I am pretty sure I would pay for reduced chaos. And when exactly am <i>I</i> supposed to escape the chaos? That <i>I</i> live in. 24/7. But I am supposed to create a refuge from the chaos for him? I am clearly losing focus. But I think I understand. So, let's just pretend that "from the chaos" part wasn't there or that our kids aren't there. Just use your imagination. I guess. So, in your imagination, where there is no chaos from kids and your husband comes home.... <span class="chapter-2"><span class="text Prov-17-1" id="en-NIV-16875">Perhaps we should try a little of this? "Better a dry crust with peace and quiet</span></span><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Prov-17-1">than a house full of feasting, with strife." Proverbs 17:1 </span></span><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-17-1">If the sacrifices required to have the best foods, biggest homes, newest furnishings, and grandest vacations come at the price of unhappiness and strife within our homes, perhaps we need to re-evaluate and focus on the less is more attitude of life. Less stuff, more happiness, peace, and joy. Our homes should be a place of peace to get away from the
troubles of the world, not a battle ground. And then there was this, "</span></span>Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife." Proverbs 21:19. And I wanted to text my friend at that moment and scream, "Holy (you know what) it.is.in.the.BIBLE!" 'Cause there was this one time that her husband <strike>ever so slightly insinuated</strike> called her a nagging wife and I am pretty sure that the roof might have experienced some damage if her reaction was remotely in the same universe, in that moment, as it was when she relayed his gross misunderstanding of her concern over <strike>telling</strike> having to remind him of the same thing for the thirtieth time. Or something. Details. Men: FYI - Affirming that you have in fact heard your sweet wife, with a "Yes Dear," will get you miles further than the word nag. Never use the word nag. It's a four letter word. Yes. I can count. Just trust me. This will keep you out of the dog house. For sure.</div>
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<u><b>Need #2 - An Affirming Spouse</b></u></div>
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"A good wife is her husband's pride and joy; but a wife who brings shame on her husband is like a cancer in his bones." Proverbs 12:4 Ever heard the words praise in public, criticize in private? It sort of applies a lot here. Ladies, if we have an issue with our husband a public forum, in front of their friends, or an intimate holiday gathering with family is not the place to air those issues. Guess what? The only person we make look bad in that moment is ourselves. Have you ever found that when you take the time to focus on the good in a person your mind and heart change as well? Or have you ever been so mad at your spouse and someone else begins to sing their praises you totally forget ever being mad at them? I sometimes get mad when this happens because I was really upset at whatever that was that I can no longer remember. Moral of the story? Use your words to build up your spouse whether you are in public or private. It might be the best thing they hear all day. I have found that they will work harder to make you feel special when they feel awesome!</div>
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Our pastor took a moment to address the men to say, "You must be a husband worthy of respect. It is not given; it is earned." As much as I wanted to jump up and applaud, I was convicted. WARNING - Transparency ahead.... My husband does many things to earn my respect. No one would argue this that knows him well, in the context of a relationship with me. The problem here is me. I am not always trying to see those things. I am over here looking at the grass still uncut after 7 days and not the 2 hours he sent me to my room for quiet, alone time last night while he bathed and put the kids to bed. When I am not seeing right, I fail him and us. I stop affirming and start critiquing. My words are not respectful but resentful. Only the pain in his eyes will set me straight, and that is worse than any words he could spew at me. So, if you're like me and sometimes you just don't see right, own it. Be quick to apologize and swift with recognition of your own failure. In other words...know yourself so you can better yourself. Men, if you aren't feeling respected make sure you turn a hard eye on yourself before you go into battle. Have you done what it takes? Have you earned the respect? </div>
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<u><b>Need #3 - Recreational Companionship</b></u></div>
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<span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">"Relish life with the spouse you love</span><br />
<span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">Each and every day of your precarious life.</span><br />
<span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange</span><br />
<span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">For the hard work of staying alive.</span><br />
<span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">Make the most of each one!</span><br />
<span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!</span><span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">" Ecclesiastes 9:9 <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(MSG)</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">Let me just tell you that I was paying very close attention during this segment. If you don't know, my husband and I have very different tastes in this area. His thrills included hunting, running (marathon style), and airplanes...big ones...that drop bombs and fly fast. I enjoy reading, sewing, cooking, shopping, decorating, traveling...oh you know everything but what is in his list. While our lists do look very different, here is what was brought front and center that day. </span></div>
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<span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">I was in complete shock that this was a need of a man. I just sat there thinking that this must be some type of lie because my husband loves recreation, but not the companionship part. How would I know this you ask? Because he has never invited me to join him. I invite him all the time to my stuff. He is my favorite travel companion (I get to ride shotgun and be the backseat driver...he loves it.), I tell him about the crazy stuff I read (Cliff Notes version is good enough for him), he regularly has to help with sewing<strike> projects or</strike> machine repairs, we enjoy cooking together as long as he remembers who is in charge, he's always ready to move some furniture around, and as long as a good meal is involved shopping is his favorite. The longer I sat there, the more upset I got. I was already working out in mind exactly what I was going to say about this when we got in the car. But God had a different plan. Before I could say anything he said it himself. He confessed to never having invited me and not even really knowing why he hadn't. There was nothing for me to say or to do...just to forgive. And then he invited me on a date...to go shooting. And I accepted...happily.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">"The acknowledgment of our weakness is the first step in repairing our loss." </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10">- Thomas Kempis </span></span></i><span class="text Eccl-9-7-Eccl-9-10"></span> </div>
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<u><b>Need #4 - Sexual Fulfillment</b></u><br />
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We'll just start where the pastor did. He was most assuredly speaking to the men when he started off this point with, "Expectations kill this area of our married life. Don't expect what you don't express." He proceeded to influence everyone to have a sit down, face to face, and be clear about your expectations in this area. Let's just be honest with each other for a moment. I have had this discussion in my marriage, more than once. The face to face part is difficult because when he lays out the expectations my eyes start to roll... on their very own. I know my face is making some awful gesture. Internally I am wishing <i>Freaky Friday</i> was a real thing so we could switch places for like two weeks and re-evaluate those expectations of his. This is one of those times I actually adhere to my mother's advice, "If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all." The faces though, I am sure they are still there...as hard as I try.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovingly captured by the ten year old when I didn't know it. Clearly the faces are not reserved just for him.</td></tr>
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Next he hit us with this and I wanted to run up and high-five the man on stage...in the middle of his sermon. "Women: you need to make time. Men: you need to do your part." Here is where he was going with this, in my words of course. Women need to stop being so busy. Not only do we have a lot going on out of necessity, but we create a lot more to do as well. It's ok to have your hobby, phone conversations with friends, favorite show to watch...you make time for those things. Right? We must also focus on making time for our husband. Men, if you want to have us to yourself then you are going to have to do your part. Ever heard your wife say, "I am too tired." Instead of complaining that she's always too tired maybe you could look in the mirror and understand why that is. What can you do about that? <br />
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{Here's a peek into our home life. I am up everyday around 6:00 a.m. Maybe I slept all night or maybe someone was up. I get myself ready for the day while breaking up at least one disagreement before 7:00 a.m. By 9 I have repeatedly told everyone to get dressed, make their bed, turn off their Kindle, help their sister, to stop banging their chair on the counter when they swivel it, navigated three different short orders for breakfast, explained that we can't have Cheesy Puffs for breakfast...this is the short list. When we finally reach the school table, yes let's not forget we homeschool, the real fun begins. The four year old is done in like 30 minutes and wants a playmate, no one wants to be there, one needs a "sitter" to stay focused, now it is snack time....it goes on all day long. Next we will be getting ready for some sort of extra-curricular that will last until dinner time. I have either cooked something all day in the crock pot or have had to prepare it ahead of time to be a quick fix when we walk in the door. Because little people are always starving. So I have learned. Once we eat (note: someone will be crying because they didn't like it and will now die of starvation) it is time to clean up the dishes, bathe the kids, read bedtime stories, and then threaten their lives for the next thirty minutes every time they get out of bed. This is all very clear to me, having just done all of this for 380 days straight. Alone. It is still fairly accurate when he is here. He helps with transportation to activities, when possible, and trades dish and bath duty with me. In all fairness, there is only so much help he can give me in the few hours he is there before they go to bed. And those Love Languages....the last one on my list is physical touch (and the top of his list). And there are three people touching me and hanging on me and breathing on me all.day.long. It takes all I have to hug and kiss the man when he walks in the door. Then he's all googly eyed and my face does this thing that immediately sends him into, "Everyone outside right now!" mode. It's a beautiful thing really. He scratches my back, I scratch his. ;) Or something like that.}<br />
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I laid it all out for you to totally defend myself when I tell you this next part. When those kids go to bed, all I want is time to myself. Doing something I want to do. Sew, spend mind-numbing hours on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, read, journal, write, stare at the ceiling in total silence. That last one might be my favorite. Can you see how that one thing that is in the front of his brain is no where to be found in mine? I am an introvert. I crave quiet and alone. So, this takes a lot of work on my part to balance his needs and my needs. I have had to learn how to express to him what I need from him to create this balance. This takes a lot of work and communication on both our parts. I strongly encourage everyone to talk openly about this with their spouse. It is hard, and your face might make expressions on its own, but communication bridges gaps, restores, and heals. One final thought for you men. If you get home and you are just too tired to help out, well, don't be annoyed when she's just too tired to...you know.</div>
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<br />At the end of the sermon we were given about thirty seconds to rank the four needs as we thought he would. Since I was grading myself, I took this very seriously. He told me I scored a 100, but I am pretty sure that as long as I put Need #4 as #1, I was scoring a hundred. ;)<br />
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My Dear Girls,<br />
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I know this can all seem overwhelming. Heck, I sat there stunned. Here's how it all shakes out though. When you are newly married you will be meeting all of his needs Like.A.Boss. And then, God willing, you will have children. And then you will be looking at your husband like, "You mean you have needs?" And then one night, in complete frustration, you will both say things you really don't mean, wonder what happened to your marriage, and you will feel like a failure...broken. And then you will call your Mama because that is what daughters do. Because Mamas fix things. And I promise to you now that I will be very honest with you in the mistakes I made in my marriage when the babies came. I will try to help you learn from my mistakes. And then I will pack your father in the car and come for the weekend because I have learned that a little goes a long way with men. A weekend away (even if it's only two miles down the road in a local hotel) focusing on all of his needs, putting him front and center, will absolutely work wonders. Don't worry about Daddy, he's all in too. He'll probably even high-five your husband on the way out the door, 'cause he's been there too.<br />
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I Love You,<br />
Mom</div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-19704568033762845332016-02-02T20:43:00.001-06:002016-02-02T20:43:49.815-06:00Dear Olivia, I have seen you.<div style="text-align: center;">
For a self-professed Type A, who crumbles inside just thinking of having to ask for help in fear of seeming like I can't "handle" something, there is nothing like having to humble myself before someone, in need of their help. This applies to everyone in my life, including doctors, friends, even my own parents. And when my doctor becomes my friend, Lord help me. We are on death's door before we call on them. This condition must have a name. I think I need it to have a name, so I can feel justified in my crazy. Anyway.... Imagine my complete mortification when I realized, very quickly, that I was going to need help, on the daily, around this place. And then when I realized it would have to be my nine year old. The one thing I did not want from this experience was for these girls to have to grow up too fast just for us to survive. God had other plans. He was going to teach me, and grow them. And it was all going to be ok. I struggled a lot with this. Especially when I saw Olivia doing things I would never dream of asking her to do. Guilt. Lots and lots of guilt. She took a backseat in so many ways this year. I thanked her a thousand times over. Words could never adequately express my deepest appreciation and admiration to her, but I tried. </div>
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My Dear Olivia,<br />
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I would never wish what you girls have had to endure this year on anyone. BUT- in all of the hard moments each of you have grown. I know that you may feel I don't always "see" you, so I want to assure you I have missed nothing. I have watched you go from being so worried that we would never make it to having a mindset now that we can do anything. I have seen all of the moments you so desperately wanted to help. I have seen, through your determination, you learn to do so many things this year, just to be able to help me. You have the gift to see what people need emotionally and physically and you act on it. You truly have a servant's heart. That will endear you to many people. You are relentless in helping me keep the house together, answering school questions for Addison, occupying Allye, working hard on your school assignments, being a good friend, working hard at dance, and exemplifying a grateful heart. You are more than I could have ever hoped for. You have been a gift to me this year. You have given everything you could to this family. You have shown an incredible strength that I didn't know you had. I have so many wonderful memories with all of you this year. I will forever be thankful for this time with all of you and what it has taught me. I hope, when you have hard moments in life, you can look back on this year and remember that anything is possible, it's ok to ask for help, and that there will be bad days....but when storms pass, and they will pass, the sun will SHINE! I love you and thank you for being by my side this year. I couldn't have done it without you.<br />
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I love you,</div>
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Mom<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(an excerpt from our journal...given to her the night before her daddy came home)</i></span> </div>
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Never stop telling your kids thank you, I love you, I am proud of you, and I see you.</div>
Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-16704656729070392412016-01-26T18:38:00.000-06:002016-01-27T09:20:45.640-06:00The Journey of 380 Days<div style="text-align: center;">
I remember Day 1 like it was yesterday. The day he left. No fanfare. No hugs and kisses goodbye from the girls. A quiet, solemn departure in the middle of the night. As he kissed me goodbye, slipped out the door, and rode with our neighbor to the airport, the journey began...for both of us.<br />
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My first day would grow more interesting, by the minute, when I was with the two big girls in the back bathroom, doing their hair for the day, and I called for Allye. When she didn't come, after repeatedly calling her, I began checking the doors, to ensure she hadn't left, and then my phone that tracks all coming and going through our security system. Nothing had been opened. After we searched and called for several minutes I ran to my neighbor's house just to make sure she had not pulled a Houdini on me. She came running back with me, both of us calling and screaming. This wasn't our first rodeo with a missing Allye. After a few minutes we found her. Curled up in a tight corner. Behind a chair in her room. That I had looked behind. My neighbor pulled her out and hugged her as I started crying hysterically from fear and relief. She turned to me, put her arms around me, and there we stood in the middle of the nursery, both wondering if I would survive this...because the journey had just begun...Day 1. Rock bottom.</div>
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I became increasingly thankful that each day was new, and that I got to bring the wisdom from the day before with me. But I won't lie. Those first few weeks were awful. I had purposely held my parents back from coming, thinking we needed to settle into our new life before we brought in another set of people, whom these girls adore, just to rip them away a few days later.<br />
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Let's just say I was re-thinking that plan. I held strong though, and little by little our roots were taking hold. <br />
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I quickly realized that while I could control how things went at home, it would be the outside influences that rocked our world in a whole new and more extreme way. We all had heavy feelings on board, and the slightest mishap or insensitivity of another created far more than a ripple effect.<br />
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It was quite a bit more pronounced in some. I won't name names, but she turned ten this year. This is where my "village" became really important. On the brink one day, I went in to drop her at dance and told the sweet office manager to please relay to Mrs. Katharine (the teacher) that we NEEDED to have a really good night, and a little ego boost would not hurt either. Whew! A mother's work is never done. Never.<br />
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As time passed, we began to grow and know that we were doing great. We spent a lot of time away from home creating memories together. NOW. More than one person has commented, quite positively, about me taking the girls all over the place. Here's how it is. It is always a good plan to take my girls out to experience new things and have fun. However, there are three of them. They have more moods than are humanly possible. It is a given fact that one, or all, of them are not going to be happy at some point, or all of, that day. They are going to fight in the car over which movie to watch, the radio station we play, that someone's leg is in their space, that they are thirsty/hungry, need to pee, just can't take it anymore, the list goes on and on. Can I get an AMEN?<br />
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But...I can let this stop me or I can let this grow me. I always choose to let it grow me. I am not trying to give them a perfect childhood or a perfect me. I am trying to give them a memorable childhood with me in it. I am going to regretfully snap at them, forget snacks and drinks, hurry them along when they want one more minute, negotiate to get my way, compromise to give them their way, buy too much for them, buy too little for them, the list goes on and on. I have done thousands of these outings and trips at this point, and I am not sorry for a single one. I will only ever be sorry for the ones I didn't take. That I know for sure.<br />
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For us, the key to time passing quickly was the holidays. We typically made big plans, usually involving a trip to North Carolina, where my parents live. A little timeout for me and some extra love that only grandparents know how to give. When one holiday was over, we started looking toward the next one. This way, we were always looking forward. Never backward. Forward. That is all we knew. Forward. The only way to make it to the end.<br />
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As I reflect back, the hardest times were when one of them was sick and their birthdays. I think Nate would agree with me on this. As parents, we all know that when a child is sick that child requires extra from you in the way of time, love, and attention. We also know that there is that one special day, each year, that children look forward to more than any other...their birthday. For Nate and me, this is always a special day that we reflect on my pregnancy with that child, what we felt and experienced, and how we can't believe that child is that age. We all do that last one. Right? So I would say birthdays were quite hard for me this year too. Plus, he is the calm in all of my birthday storm. Let's not forget that there are 3 birthdays to plan, execute, and celebrate - in less than 30 days. <br />
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As Christmas came around I got this overwhelming feeling that I wanted to buy ALL.THE.THINGS. I told Nate and my mom that I had no idea what had come over me, but I wanted to give them all that I could. I wanted it to be big, and to lavish them with so many wonderful things. This is a far cry from my normal personality that wants to be a gift minimalist to teach more about time, love, and togetherness over materialism. I can only explain it like this. I was proud. I was so, so proud of them. They had done it. They were in the tunnel and the light was finally in view, and I was celebrating them! And I did. And I am not sorry for it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#reallife #blurrypictureisbetterthannopicture #bestoutoftwenty</td></tr>
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Our Christmas elf, Eli, made and brought us a countdown chain for the 30 days leading up to Nate's arrival. Eli really doesn't understand how the military works. Things happen. Like our daddy got all the way to the day of departure to have his flight cancelled. Thankfully we got word in plenty of time to not tear that last link. Then it was decided. It would be torn by all five of us at the airport. And we did.</div>
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Just as he left in the middle of the night, he would arrive way past bedtime. Excitement had every girl up that morning before 6 a.m. Yep. That feeling and thought that just went through your head. Me too. BUT....memories not perfection. We had waited 380 days for this single moment and time was not getting in our way.</div>
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And when those doors opened...</div>
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JOY and HAPPINESS and LOVE and PRIDE and GRATITUDE and PEACE.</div>
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We had him back...safe and sound.</div>
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Where he belongs. </div>
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With his girls.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girls insisted that we all wear camo colors. Daddy's favorite. ;)</td></tr>
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My Dear Girls,</div>
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What a year we had together! I will forever cherish this time with you, watching you grow in ways that I never expected. Each one of you is truly amazing! You have experienced the sorrow of a missing parent, the hardship of having only one parent, and the love that can happen when sacrifice, obedience, and determination collide. </div>
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I remember, when we were having a particularly hard moment, I said this..."One day each of you are going to experience hard moments. Hard seasons. Disappointments. Moments when you don't think you can do it anymore. That you can't go on. I want to show you this year that while it is hard, I can do it. I can't do it perfectly because I am not perfect. But I can do it with the best of intentions and love. When you are in the middle of those hard moments I want you to look back and remember this time and know that if I could do this, so can you. We can do hard things. Don't you ever tell me you can't because I have shown you that you can. And one day you will show me that you can. And I will be cheering you on." I believed it then and I believe it now. Hard things happen. Let it grow you. In fact, go ahead and BLOOM. </div>
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Love,</div>
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Mom </div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-79081471980270996072016-01-17T22:57:00.000-06:002016-01-17T22:57:00.399-06:00He Just Doesn't Get It<div style="text-align: center;">
After a year long hiatus from the blog I have given a lot of thought as to what I want to do with this space. If I am being honest, there have been points in time where I wanted to put things here and thought to myself, "No one wants to read that." Or, "Should I really share that?" Or, "What if I offend someone that is my friend?" So, I have decided that I am going to write this for our girls. I am going to share my thoughts and captured moments for their benefit. A place to come when they realize I really am wise beyond their years. A place for them to look back at special trips and times during their lives. A place to find comfort and "home" when they can't be with us. You know, in the future, when they want to leave us and do things like live away at college. Except Addison. She is never leaving. She has told me this for seven years. So, I hope anyone who chooses to peek into our lives through this blog can be uplifted, challenged in an area of thinking, or just entertained. Because I can guarantee some crazy, that I know for sure.</div>
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<u>He Just Doesn't Get It</u></div>
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Our church, for the past couple of years, has started each new year with a sermon series on marriage...for all of the obvious reasons. Today the sermon was titled, "He Just Doesn't Get It." No worries folks, our church plays fair, next week they will change the He to She and the tables shall be turned.<i> </i>My husband was not here this week. He will be there next week. Timing is everything they say.</div>
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In a turn of events they decided to let the two women pastors, on staff, give this sermon. I took away two things from this sermon. </div>
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The first was this. "It is not so important that she KNOWS she is number one; she wants to FEEL like she is number one." Ya'll, my husband has heard this. More than once. I come from a long and dirty background of people who can say anything and say it well. So, I was and am real clear with my husband that it is my firm belief, based on many years of experience, that ANYONE can SAY ANYTHING. But for me, it is in their actions that I see who they really are. It is so easy for him to tell me I am number one to him. But to make me feel like I am number one takes time, persistence, patience, repetition, creativity, fortitude, passion, love, understanding, and effort. In other words, it takes action. Or so the saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." Transparency here.... Because my sweet man got some damaged goods, in this department, he has a much harder road to travel. And when I love him most is when I see him walk that winding road, knee deep, trudging like he can't go on, like he is up against a wall, but determined to win. Determined to show me. Determined to make me feel loved. He is not always successful, and I am not always easy. But we do know where we are trying to end up and "getting there is half the battle." As she was going on about this I came to this conclusion. We all want this, not just women, men too. We all need this. We all deserve this. So I hope that if you aren't feeling loved, you have the courage to sit and talk. I hope for you that that person will hear you, respond, and love you more for having the courage to come to them and share your heart. Above all, I hope that you will FEEL like you are number one, because you are. </div>
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The second point was this. A marriage is like a bank account. There are deposits and withdrawals. She went on to explain that each spouse should be making deposits into one another. They should do this either in what they say or do for their spouse. For example, if your spouse's cup overflows with words of affirmation and you take the extra time and effort to consistently give that to your spouse, ("Hey Honey the lawn looks so good. I really appreciate you keeping it so nice.") you are making deposits. However, all of us are guilty of making withdrawals as well. It would look like this with the same spouse as described above. "Ugh! We have the worst yard on the block. Why can't you make ours look like the Smith's?" Yep. Withdrawal. Here's the thing. We are all going to make deposits, and we are all going to make withdrawals. But the worst part is this.... If your withdrawals begin to out number the deposits, do you know what happens? You begin to slide "into the red." Number people realize that, in banking, "into the red" is BAD. In a marriage, the further into the red it slides there will ultimately be bankruptcy, just like in banking. But in marriage bankruptcy = divorce, the answer that more than 50% of married couples come to. She encouraged men to ask their wives several questions, here are two of them. <i>Ask your wife what is the best deposit you have made lately. Also, what is a withdrawal she wished you wouldn't have made.</i> I would also challenge women to not ask this question unless you are prepared to ask the same of him. After all, he is not the only one depositing and withdrawing. It takes two to tango...</div>
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I was given the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Languages-Secret-that-Lasts/dp/080241270X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453090588&sr=8-1&keywords=THe+Five+Love+Languages" target="_blank">The Five Love Languages</a> when I got married. The moment I read that book for the first time, in my ninth month of my first pregnancy, I remember thinking that this book should have been mandatory before placing the first foot on the aisle. I immediately had my husband read it and it led to great conversations about our relationship. This book was a large focus of today's sermon, especially as we are making deposits and withdrawals in our marriage. If you have never read this book, you MUST buy it now! You will know your spouse in a whole new way, and be able to communicate your love for him or her so they FEEL loved! </div>
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My Dear Girls,</div>
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One day you will come to me with your innermost thoughts and feelings in regards to your marriage. I am sure you will have frustrations with your husbands. We all do. So I will tell you now that I will sit patiently and listen to you. But I want you to know that when it is my turn to talk I will have you reflect on yourself first. I will want to know about the deposits and withdrawals you've been making before we look any further.</div>
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Love,</div>
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Mom </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her <span class="reftext"></span>to make her holy, cleansing<span class="nivfootnote"></span>
her by the washing with water through the word, <span class="reftext"></span>and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. <span class="reftext"></span>In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. <span class="reftext"></span>After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— <span class="reftext"></span>for we are members of his body. <span class="reftext"></span>'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.<b>'</b><span class="nivfootnote"><b> </b></span><span class="reftext"></span>This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. <span class="reftext"></span>However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:25-31</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**All Photographs taken by <a href="http://www.nicolekoontzphotography.com/" target="_blank">Nicole Koontz Photography</a><i><br /></i></span></div>
Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-80775305611649082022016-01-08T16:38:00.002-06:002016-01-08T16:38:58.933-06:00Word of the Year<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKEVlQQWvhZ8ikoUWX6CeNcMu4PPUpcOzywRN3bbqF4RRw0rT54HWUWvG4iq6_DP25x3HCHFJfs-Kt27qx3FJLORUya6wY96YBu4Xt2piwluoNiBvJ403UhNoBEn8yZ8SVWyDZDmkCfk/s1600/DSC_2747-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="457" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKEVlQQWvhZ8ikoUWX6CeNcMu4PPUpcOzywRN3bbqF4RRw0rT54HWUWvG4iq6_DP25x3HCHFJfs-Kt27qx3FJLORUya6wY96YBu4Xt2piwluoNiBvJ403UhNoBEn8yZ8SVWyDZDmkCfk/s640/DSC_2747-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm not one for a New Year's resolution, but last year I decided to pick
a word for the year. I'll share more about that word later. Choosing
to have one word to focus on transformed me. I realized that having
that word helped me focus my thoughts, actions, decisions, &
feelings instead of them being all over the place. I felt centered, and
at peace, more than ever. And we all know that this past year has been
far from normal. When I began thinking about my word for this year I
struggled. I wanted to choose the word f.l.e.x.i.b.l.e. - given what I
know is ahead of me. I can't really describe what happened except that I
began to feel very unsettled. Like MY word wasn't right. So I
prayed....and HE gave me the word...smacked it right on my heart, etched
it with permanent marker.....INTENTIONAL. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="400" id="yui_3_5_1_2_1452292597629_713" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/22/71/fb/2271fbeee5b1ed955dec280ce18029ef.jpg" style="height: 592px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 547px;" width="369" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via Pinterest</td></tr>
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Instantly I knew HIS word
was perfect, exactly what I need. So, first things first...back to blogging...intentionally. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFu5egPzw_acvXkzv8FVPRNiRVm7G8NSBLCzcmBgUA379FYSezMPjJAuc_Dek4SxJeOmOOiPnW27zSvf5z8fdskJQVDmU5eQXTda07WARm_ns4uG9PN-PsSHtSFcIGLfpYFeCI4uIvc1Q/s1600/DSC_2749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFu5egPzw_acvXkzv8FVPRNiRVm7G8NSBLCzcmBgUA379FYSezMPjJAuc_Dek4SxJeOmOOiPnW27zSvf5z8fdskJQVDmU5eQXTda07WARm_ns4uG9PN-PsSHtSFcIGLfpYFeCI4uIvc1Q/s400/DSC_2749.JPG" width="398" /></a></div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-86345221758395409312015-02-04T22:30:00.002-06:002015-02-04T23:02:06.424-06:00January.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Having many months to think and prepare for this journey I was able to formulate a very specific vision for what I wanted this time to look like. I came to the conclusion that this year would not be about me or my husband, but solely about these children. It is my number one goal each and every day to make this journey as easy and enjoyable for them as possible. Every thought and decision I make revolves around them and what is best for them. Part of this decision meant that I would lay down the hobbies I so enjoy as to not be distracted from their needs and wants. For me, that means giving up big sewing projects, blogging well into the night, etc. This has paid off for all of us. I can easily say yes to what they want to do without feeling like I am not getting to do what I want to do. Because this year, ALL I want to do is spend time with them. This is big for me. I have often lamented that I wasn't getting to sew like I wanted to (or fill in the blank) and my astute husband would always so kindly remind me, "They are only little once, you will have plenty of time to sew later." Sometimes he is so <strike>smart</strike> right. ;) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">............................................................................................. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Those words up above were for all of the folks wondering how I was going to do THIS. Now, the next part, this is for my one and only (but you are welcome to stick around). Honey, I love you. I have strapped the camera back on so you would have a peek into what is going on while you are away. I hope you can find comfort in seeing all of these moments that we are
able to enjoy because of the sacrifice you are making for our family and
this country. We know you aren't the only one, but you're our one. We love you! </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW4kbJImoJKrMVPlkoCx-QO-Ej9wS-CA3D_IYoDHw95Yif2PzpueZm2qF7cM4y-lW5zWDJc2-ZskpO7SzECm5c_LmtRUyZtnV0FFo9o42vR4ftww7y1z8-RL3OevPPZQUN4Q2BfMlSzY/s1600/DSC_8649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW4kbJImoJKrMVPlkoCx-QO-Ej9wS-CA3D_IYoDHw95Yif2PzpueZm2qF7cM4y-lW5zWDJc2-ZskpO7SzECm5c_LmtRUyZtnV0FFo9o42vR4ftww7y1z8-RL3OevPPZQUN4Q2BfMlSzY/s1600/DSC_8649.JPG" height="458" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our last family picture.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXKEBovrcQHgiQKuibai2nZ_zrn_RCArcBtpM7wq8e6p6Ct_XWsUO7Q4OFnG1-v4n7SOhPF-laC5ZyCXSlmhuUmIhie1T3B-I0H2qt1_QrddopRAufWbrjy6CnVeuxLjUZ_hsWaX63W8/s1600/DSC_8658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXKEBovrcQHgiQKuibai2nZ_zrn_RCArcBtpM7wq8e6p6Ct_XWsUO7Q4OFnG1-v4n7SOhPF-laC5ZyCXSlmhuUmIhie1T3B-I0H2qt1_QrddopRAufWbrjy6CnVeuxLjUZ_hsWaX63W8/s1600/DSC_8658.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New photographer in town.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJZhIMFG9JYmLxvmZFFyvC9BaFmxBEChXqIcERRI3Zzs-sv1dzGqacUYNRDPjPVnpLoaalXpQPprRm0h22W4-GOSHFEnMXYyqlcQeYxBB9A6lryoOAb7oFSqiADvAmrGOB20gYxyLr7E/s1600/DSC_8674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJZhIMFG9JYmLxvmZFFyvC9BaFmxBEChXqIcERRI3Zzs-sv1dzGqacUYNRDPjPVnpLoaalXpQPprRm0h22W4-GOSHFEnMXYyqlcQeYxBB9A6lryoOAb7oFSqiADvAmrGOB20gYxyLr7E/s1600/DSC_8674.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I rarely take it off. Allye loves it and screams, "You got this Mama!" every time I wear it.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtCbfTa0lg2PiyO-8cn1DsL3ZhOLULgyO-ZA-UbNwGlIvYVwIrtFr4v6h_ggRTP5WSKp7YAda5S0pneCZxvYHPRfBnmRu9By4AMe3oZcSmMnCbNf9mePC0VJtlrLgALBtbnGHi9vwRBo/s1600/DSC_8677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtCbfTa0lg2PiyO-8cn1DsL3ZhOLULgyO-ZA-UbNwGlIvYVwIrtFr4v6h_ggRTP5WSKp7YAda5S0pneCZxvYHPRfBnmRu9By4AMe3oZcSmMnCbNf9mePC0VJtlrLgALBtbnGHi9vwRBo/s1600/DSC_8677.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our last date night....hosted by Addison and Allye.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hHTqb4ak4bAmbOyoQOa-GF33Q7PTo-B3-Y3hUSxcCQpxLZy1oCqe2jkdBAG7x386jl4dYkkRtjVH3URN7lmLUHzoTzRpL-9DgETpk0HMTaXuCDpba3dfnqej-Mj0OVcbdcol6GTlQSA/s1600/DSC_8679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hHTqb4ak4bAmbOyoQOa-GF33Q7PTo-B3-Y3hUSxcCQpxLZy1oCqe2jkdBAG7x386jl4dYkkRtjVH3URN7lmLUHzoTzRpL-9DgETpk0HMTaXuCDpba3dfnqej-Mj0OVcbdcol6GTlQSA/s1600/DSC_8679.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It must have been serious.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQF058E1n_27Yrebis2UkV5XTKNvMCVchqer9ELpWJRMz8M61-sFPIRahgNFKZKIAbl9djZ2guY_rCb6cq-N4qVMxTaxi1KEwPOdZL-9TvkIroM_jN7caXxPd97Y8ESGYuWdpJm7OCdY0/s1600/DSC_8687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQF058E1n_27Yrebis2UkV5XTKNvMCVchqer9ELpWJRMz8M61-sFPIRahgNFKZKIAbl9djZ2guY_rCb6cq-N4qVMxTaxi1KEwPOdZL-9TvkIroM_jN7caXxPd97Y8ESGYuWdpJm7OCdY0/s1600/DSC_8687.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love you too.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZJHZGgNQRSOAMuRgUg_BYhwAKXiGCU_FiI-yDDq1Jm0sab5pdKSQwRXfDX5eD_90_GvcC7e_o58Tq0w9GFK-ByIOKVTi_iW4DmcQ-IPu3_7hKyUyE4LcOgS4T4OcXnckryW8zUl4_3M/s1600/DSC_8695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZJHZGgNQRSOAMuRgUg_BYhwAKXiGCU_FiI-yDDq1Jm0sab5pdKSQwRXfDX5eD_90_GvcC7e_o58Tq0w9GFK-ByIOKVTi_iW4DmcQ-IPu3_7hKyUyE4LcOgS4T4OcXnckryW8zUl4_3M/s1600/DSC_8695.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skype. Oh what would we do without you?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtyJxuyi_TjdT-3dLW_4EXhlDwyBQODXXBZRQtDdTBqPPvTt9iycc4izeiSAccywvwfZAfFnLtZFt7-6ZopOZwaAip60-E9qalQqk378L2VYZ40C_OtEVzyUsFnpyLlZaiTaXaJxFK8o/s1600/DSC_8697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtyJxuyi_TjdT-3dLW_4EXhlDwyBQODXXBZRQtDdTBqPPvTt9iycc4izeiSAccywvwfZAfFnLtZFt7-6ZopOZwaAip60-E9qalQqk378L2VYZ40C_OtEVzyUsFnpyLlZaiTaXaJxFK8o/s1600/DSC_8697.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the new version of this game.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmpmid1W2OrqQOEbJzUQWMgIh-5dABfKSoSggss4kVitiICPNALe9SSRs7N6-AAgU29Nl6dIahyphenhyphenAHGHY5LCmtMQZNbf3Gy9MdHOjpsmEKeiRmmLkxo_kjzA10xAa1K31WG3FpAZXCSMk/s1600/DSC_8701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmpmid1W2OrqQOEbJzUQWMgIh-5dABfKSoSggss4kVitiICPNALe9SSRs7N6-AAgU29Nl6dIahyphenhyphenAHGHY5LCmtMQZNbf3Gy9MdHOjpsmEKeiRmmLkxo_kjzA10xAa1K31WG3FpAZXCSMk/s1600/DSC_8701.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't slow it down. Sorry.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEv9zoh-QPt-ou2SJn5iypmb0kF1sHc5FXLFbnzBeLA1TtiN9kYrEeLpDYOssB0ZOV6DqFBiG3WO_SDSv5Dw29dR7WyZWIu_yT8h8YMLv2BhssxSenefV7oiptA_kRkZhewZ-bCqg3akk/s1600/DSC_8722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEv9zoh-QPt-ou2SJn5iypmb0kF1sHc5FXLFbnzBeLA1TtiN9kYrEeLpDYOssB0ZOV6DqFBiG3WO_SDSv5Dw29dR7WyZWIu_yT8h8YMLv2BhssxSenefV7oiptA_kRkZhewZ-bCqg3akk/s1600/DSC_8722.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She has no idea I took this picture, which is why it is my favorite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT2blCU0dZNlP7LwYlJA8mwsDlGAdETk1z84mNTPj2RJGlwPFMlGdMAkfCqjOwgvCuJI1l3IZi8gQ-q0tw71LtWf-3baty8HBfW1bW4QsqWPegVPGklVtX9KliF4L3XFmHytNvxVOdyU/s1600/DSC_8726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT2blCU0dZNlP7LwYlJA8mwsDlGAdETk1z84mNTPj2RJGlwPFMlGdMAkfCqjOwgvCuJI1l3IZi8gQ-q0tw71LtWf-3baty8HBfW1bW4QsqWPegVPGklVtX9KliF4L3XFmHytNvxVOdyU/s1600/DSC_8726.JPG" height="458" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olivia insisted on the numbers. I insisted on the chocolate chip cookie cake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvif1ElJ6Pg8KKvX8YYrW12b92763sIM7jDojnZEBmrjprDxSGH1f1Tkvk8g8eJmC-Tjtx1v8w8-dNJsL2mf8pZnmcj2cKwpADoxJANUV-BZxMvzXIEmJmFRALD3aGv0r0bKN6rgTdegw/s1600/DSC_8735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvif1ElJ6Pg8KKvX8YYrW12b92763sIM7jDojnZEBmrjprDxSGH1f1Tkvk8g8eJmC-Tjtx1v8w8-dNJsL2mf8pZnmcj2cKwpADoxJANUV-BZxMvzXIEmJmFRALD3aGv0r0bKN6rgTdegw/s1600/DSC_8735.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want to remember this forever. Love her.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uyTaovpT-KKCqMBIiEwZ08eWl_oiY1hQi1Ot9XrfP9ZjtPRw-bb4tGgOTRFjl8nFzQwGtt1tDYxmxWfuKxuiqH6SImOW7Syf2sGqURs-OvIBZymvce38e5LsalUG70C4QMMjIF64c3U/s1600/DSC_8737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uyTaovpT-KKCqMBIiEwZ08eWl_oiY1hQi1Ot9XrfP9ZjtPRw-bb4tGgOTRFjl8nFzQwGtt1tDYxmxWfuKxuiqH6SImOW7Syf2sGqURs-OvIBZymvce38e5LsalUG70C4QMMjIF64c3U/s1600/DSC_8737.JPG" height="458" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sad day for Mama. No more crib.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE9wnn_MUD9erdhz6vJeJI36xaTZn4BQaKZkfhlb6lB_HoOZCfZVeZ-rgj2g-zyfSnHRNlZq23GiWtZqxLhUX7VQmsm5PatGIyS_vA-n39bomABD8Gv334Oqy1ZL-i1X3Yj4Al6u8iDc/s1600/DSC_8742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE9wnn_MUD9erdhz6vJeJI36xaTZn4BQaKZkfhlb6lB_HoOZCfZVeZ-rgj2g-zyfSnHRNlZq23GiWtZqxLhUX7VQmsm5PatGIyS_vA-n39bomABD8Gv334Oqy1ZL-i1X3Yj4Al6u8iDc/s1600/DSC_8742.JPG" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I walked in on this and promptly ran to get my camera. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our day in Seaside, FL </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love each of their expressions here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes. More than one picture was taken to get this one. But look. Ahhhh.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just so you can be sure nothing has changed while I am trying to take a picture with a beautiful background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allye.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What heaven looks like to Addison....it was soooo good.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome lady brought them in for the picture when she saw us taking one. Showed them all around and made their day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx26W69xeZg9y53qr3gcZHEuUlkNhzi1bzd_LrMvsAcm-Gty3PuNsLtessATx8tX2-y-yVXvSr9quL5Nqoeavl9_xB_0V-p_GuvZLgMdJ69zpVrgMcFdcSr6v2Pa32S1UdzkAnjovqeAE/s1600/DSC_8838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx26W69xeZg9y53qr3gcZHEuUlkNhzi1bzd_LrMvsAcm-Gty3PuNsLtessATx8tX2-y-yVXvSr9quL5Nqoeavl9_xB_0V-p_GuvZLgMdJ69zpVrgMcFdcSr6v2Pa32S1UdzkAnjovqeAE/s1600/DSC_8838.JPG" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We couldn't leave without a little sand on our toes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three best things that have ever been given to us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See you later alligator....</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We're doing better every day! I love you!</span></div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-57337824391996957442014-09-29T20:43:00.000-05:002014-09-29T20:43:22.261-05:00Addison Turns 6<div style="text-align: center;">
While many of you are experiencing fall right now, we are right smack in the middle of birthday season in our home. Yes, three birthdays in less than thirty days. As I said in last year's posts I was in the process of scaling the birthday parties way back and focusing on the child and the memories they would have of their special day. </div>
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Here is what we did this year. This year each of the big girls got a trip with my mom and me. Addison's trip was supposed to be to Seattle. Due to the location of our home, the airplane could get us out there but not back home. Small town probs. So, I spent some time fretting over what to do and came to this conclusion. I was making this way harder then it had to be. I live in the same state as Mickey Mouse. Hello? I gave my mom the news. She re-arranged her schedule to fit the change and we were off.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was just the two of us the first day. We ran to Epcot first thing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0a-ET7W4sQCd522DBUVIIM-6C3DSJHvhsWOKpYC3LNyRuZGRRGBa3uQ2f7IFSRS0hn5qULrMCrVcneFGvt3k0C6eWOarongHeuLVJI_xieUhg2XynvcMMo4_x-_Q7vls1Ek5f86BIKA/s1600/DSC_5947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0a-ET7W4sQCd522DBUVIIM-6C3DSJHvhsWOKpYC3LNyRuZGRRGBa3uQ2f7IFSRS0hn5qULrMCrVcneFGvt3k0C6eWOarongHeuLVJI_xieUhg2XynvcMMo4_x-_Q7vls1Ek5f86BIKA/s1600/DSC_5947.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nicest cast member insisted we have our picture together. I am so thankful for this.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQqfoYDrKvo2nFJhZJcAq2tp-JWvByVkcivYoER4NcZYstORP1AGRuOjl6uneQA705X6mjMc4tUU8yY2cIWLo91nHIqjg3iLTKM6GVq4czHDfVWiuuiBYys4ZVDig8Hh0GL0ymBwne8o/s1600/DSC_5954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQqfoYDrKvo2nFJhZJcAq2tp-JWvByVkcivYoER4NcZYstORP1AGRuOjl6uneQA705X6mjMc4tUU8yY2cIWLo91nHIqjg3iLTKM6GVq4czHDfVWiuuiBYys4ZVDig8Hh0GL0ymBwne8o/s1600/DSC_5954.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hands down her favorite ride! She even made us go back and take Meme. Design your own car and then race it against others.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMVHDAtpzuUbJsYxgE6JZ5Gk7Qm7ldrQg0SJk-ajxlgvLXndWnGwZ41r5_6oe9DDPDfnABuJNyv_xP5OKl3kEEJ0fhVocMTJHz5H8lQ4-V0HPw1lKZTRy9UKVeqmDc4VUH59QBPL_eg8/s1600/DSC_6008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMVHDAtpzuUbJsYxgE6JZ5Gk7Qm7ldrQg0SJk-ajxlgvLXndWnGwZ41r5_6oe9DDPDfnABuJNyv_xP5OKl3kEEJ0fhVocMTJHz5H8lQ4-V0HPw1lKZTRy9UKVeqmDc4VUH59QBPL_eg8/s1600/DSC_6008.JPG" height="640" width="366" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meme joined us the next day. We stayed all.day.long.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqug3XbOyOLdD_TyI7y1_wBq8bnSQzsnOrCapo4fCB40c6amkZPvtoy5YbIqi5djZntLsaHoL6NpNgfhihEZztKKfJAOjr56HHOGzihjDt8kr9_n6UQZisT3W34FAebBLmWWttG29rHNU/s1600/DSC_6115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqug3XbOyOLdD_TyI7y1_wBq8bnSQzsnOrCapo4fCB40c6amkZPvtoy5YbIqi5djZntLsaHoL6NpNgfhihEZztKKfJAOjr56HHOGzihjDt8kr9_n6UQZisT3W34FAebBLmWWttG29rHNU/s1600/DSC_6115.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our third day was a visit to Hollywood Studios. This was the best character meet-n-greet I have ever experienced. My best capture was on my phone, through Instagram, with Jake laying a big kiss on her.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfWcx6X0lCH5Z9DOoJ3-Qu9EPJYolrUEGYXXgNMkGKq2tMk0g5QxRd8qMrTsis767tfLbN6Qsa3_W7vj_BQuL8T8dTJh51CN_Jrq1nwKQsybGqoW7ulI3CETFy4twYwgqEk0UHhK7D5g/s1600/DSC_6208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfWcx6X0lCH5Z9DOoJ3-Qu9EPJYolrUEGYXXgNMkGKq2tMk0g5QxRd8qMrTsis767tfLbN6Qsa3_W7vj_BQuL8T8dTJh51CN_Jrq1nwKQsybGqoW7ulI3CETFy4twYwgqEk0UHhK7D5g/s1600/DSC_6208.JPG" height="640" width="412" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animal Kingdom. Final day. Do you see what I see? Look closely.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmYMpMApQF6nNON_CVDkUL6IMW4fbtRrKZtpjTFFKDGO6oVSvRembDqVCth8zfBj2Or2AcEEcHxz8dGJXGPoHVqVXxAKKvDEAQa5rMsMepdnQW7BOzYWK8DIFg54e8fiy4BdqItOSfAU/s1600/DSC_6316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmYMpMApQF6nNON_CVDkUL6IMW4fbtRrKZtpjTFFKDGO6oVSvRembDqVCth8zfBj2Or2AcEEcHxz8dGJXGPoHVqVXxAKKvDEAQa5rMsMepdnQW7BOzYWK8DIFg54e8fiy4BdqItOSfAU/s1600/DSC_6316.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Face painting. Not optional. Mandatory.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What a wonderful time we girls had together. We made memories that will not be forgotten!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Her actual birthday was just a few days after we returned and she had decided she wanted to go skating. So, a skating party it was. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOecB8YbL8GDJOQzhcG-n7YFLIXw1xw5DKMuP9mGjuUoaApE-aMiTbBPCtftrXUAsSuaXoTOsWHrCSfoP9JE7_GoIiFdZVtIQAjH-chhscAHEvgIG64sSf4N04OPTte-NGJhpOgnBbgrY/s1600/DSC_6383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOecB8YbL8GDJOQzhcG-n7YFLIXw1xw5DKMuP9mGjuUoaApE-aMiTbBPCtftrXUAsSuaXoTOsWHrCSfoP9JE7_GoIiFdZVtIQAjH-chhscAHEvgIG64sSf4N04OPTte-NGJhpOgnBbgrY/s1600/DSC_6383.JPG" height="488" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her favorite banana bread muffins for breakfast. Yes, we sing Happy Birthday at every meal, and throughout the day. And yes, there is a candle to be blown out at every meal. These girls can get creative with their candles. :)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZ_w_dcMdA62uurF7tvGq4pnMDrj8YFKDS_W77ksgRTljP8rLGyc6FXJT7aNTx-eNm3Fz022TL_0_3G1k_gxC4WEzxkRQkzRmYw2VpKFb7Dc81cDM2JG4TQB45JbO1mUYU9DYcNOQ6MQ/s1600/DSC_6392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZ_w_dcMdA62uurF7tvGq4pnMDrj8YFKDS_W77ksgRTljP8rLGyc6FXJT7aNTx-eNm3Fz022TL_0_3G1k_gxC4WEzxkRQkzRmYw2VpKFb7Dc81cDM2JG4TQB45JbO1mUYU9DYcNOQ6MQ/s1600/DSC_6392.JPG" height="384" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I still ordered up festive decorations and those cute boxes had goodies in them for each girl.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZYteXucfaUMRvk4xoUQIy0NwW4Y2mcUpLikyn5MLrLrNv7QBLszZA0GvshmlrBRtRs4KngfNoZsV-8YdkvXUPT0SQ3cjRAxJZHdJj0K766IZQXEM8OJuSnTGQzHbHpGoXv6SGUnnsNo/s1600/DSC_6389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZYteXucfaUMRvk4xoUQIy0NwW4Y2mcUpLikyn5MLrLrNv7QBLszZA0GvshmlrBRtRs4KngfNoZsV-8YdkvXUPT0SQ3cjRAxJZHdJj0K766IZQXEM8OJuSnTGQzHbHpGoXv6SGUnnsNo/s1600/DSC_6389.JPG" height="400" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The requested roller skate cake. Made with love.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipt9NzxaW3xrocgwY9unNzJQbhU3PllkHWmztyYQPsmI7g1ohRXMcfSYNLbhQQFkTbf6ZRGJ4O3Zyk50IcOfV3liokZkq2P6v_iQwEiqD0rpeHNdcxE81Gyn3YKqgNVCNc2wEbVEh-dbQ/s1600/DSC_6404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipt9NzxaW3xrocgwY9unNzJQbhU3PllkHWmztyYQPsmI7g1ohRXMcfSYNLbhQQFkTbf6ZRGJ4O3Zyk50IcOfV3liokZkq2P6v_iQwEiqD0rpeHNdcxE81Gyn3YKqgNVCNc2wEbVEh-dbQ/s1600/DSC_6404.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The excitement definitely builds as the UPS man visits our house during birthday month. The worst? I save them all and won't let them open them until the actual day. ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYHgj95rMhCpUXYM9Sq1CDU7jXmPryRoHihWgSBe13bWFxZBFPmXZ9qI1b9P9Aw13o97ZpfJSqgjX-Kd2OnLXDlit96q2nrg4AK5n28mk_b-6MLualr_RH_u-I4l0KGit_xlz8qMmPoM/s1600/DSC_6426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYHgj95rMhCpUXYM9Sq1CDU7jXmPryRoHihWgSBe13bWFxZBFPmXZ9qI1b9P9Aw13o97ZpfJSqgjX-Kd2OnLXDlit96q2nrg4AK5n28mk_b-6MLualr_RH_u-I4l0KGit_xlz8qMmPoM/s1600/DSC_6426.JPG" height="430" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After ordering her shirt in advance, I remembered a tutorial on one of my favorite craft blogs. So, I ordered the materials and made us all a shirt! Find out how to make your own <a href="http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2014/07/diy-vintage-star-wars-tee-tap-paper-how-to.html" target="_blank">here.</a></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
After we had dinner, cake, and opened presents we were off to skate. It was already very late, but she was not putting it off.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd5yrLhlCZcbnxV2t94-61wmrcLeAwxDO09BjUdyRwt8Lqy7RJXxELylEYZsPFApRU_nRIEGWP93JUqsc6TxJnDPx10rATouc_pby5tp_xTV2QwjEXuOSREi9GP0NZbLszFEHbgplZAk/s1600/DSC_6441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd5yrLhlCZcbnxV2t94-61wmrcLeAwxDO09BjUdyRwt8Lqy7RJXxELylEYZsPFApRU_nRIEGWP93JUqsc6TxJnDPx10rATouc_pby5tp_xTV2QwjEXuOSREi9GP0NZbLszFEHbgplZAk/s1600/DSC_6441.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her first time at the rink, but not on skates.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYwbk9lOIkMGvIZWgk9hBehfcqJrfvrZOsPBLFkJqonnZupZmOXjOLBG1gqVA7Ti8Zc_EyhOdIpVkmikxlwUmuqx9awErLau7pnVqf7Y1i8IHLZRRM3TwdbLkbqEtTJ3GXV8qTdGS-8o/s1600/DSC_6457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYwbk9lOIkMGvIZWgk9hBehfcqJrfvrZOsPBLFkJqonnZupZmOXjOLBG1gqVA7Ti8Zc_EyhOdIpVkmikxlwUmuqx9awErLau7pnVqf7Y1i8IHLZRRM3TwdbLkbqEtTJ3GXV8qTdGS-8o/s1600/DSC_6457.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She loved it!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXyesIorPjVchl_1A7R24jcJXFPma45jOSJjlr3wNf0LSvAGH8_NKQhz6FH5dJ3osWjA4cxT_1lj4fDyjp2ICdOFCFxY3G77zSx5Xt2fpG98XkO9IOGF_o8HyzRXKtw-6TjCSNhyphenhyphenpjTA/s1600/DSC_6459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXyesIorPjVchl_1A7R24jcJXFPma45jOSJjlr3wNf0LSvAGH8_NKQhz6FH5dJ3osWjA4cxT_1lj4fDyjp2ICdOFCFxY3G77zSx5Xt2fpG98XkO9IOGF_o8HyzRXKtw-6TjCSNhyphenhyphenpjTA/s1600/DSC_6459.JPG" height="640" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And she did too.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>My Sweet Addison,</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> You have grown up so much this year. You have expressed interests in trying lots of new things, such as tumbling and soccer. You are now involved with both, while still enjoying dance. You graduated from preschool and are now homeschooled with Olivia. You have just completed your Kindergarten work and will begin your first grade work next week! You are a very determined and competitive little girl. This was evident when you insisted on having your own school books in January. You are not one to be out-done and it bothers you immensely to see someone your age (or sometimes not) ahead of you in a particular area. While this can serve as a great motivator in life, don't ever let it be the wheel that steers your ship. You are perfect, just as God made you. </i></div>
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<i> You love being outdoors playing with your friends, riding your bike and scooter, skating, playing tag, riding the waves at the beach, and helping wash the car in your bathing suit. You enjoy indoor crafts, especially painting, playing with your American Girl dolls and Barbies, dressing up, playing in the make-up, and watching cartoons. Your favorite place to be is with me. You continue to be a momma's girl and want to go with me everywhere I go. You are very easy to take along, so most times you get to go. </i></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> I am so blessed to be your mom and to get to see you grow up. You bring so much joy to our home and my heart. You have the sweetest smile that needs no explanation. You thrive on positive words of encouragement and lots of hugs and kisses. You are not afraid to ask for either. May you always be bold in knowing what you want and asking for it. May you continue to grow in your own way, being exactly who you are, and never apologizing for it. </i></div>
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<i> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> I love you,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Mom </i> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTCcegm0FAwip_p4z6PydLK07U73U5RzR-w2DREB1nDaCipWSHISCMIqv5C5RPxFq81OiZ_by3vojvoIfLIa0TBTzsTxerscC1VNsvDlv-NNYj86y9v8LWmvACgDmEVXU-KmH8wBb5eM/s1600/Video+Downloads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTCcegm0FAwip_p4z6PydLK07U73U5RzR-w2DREB1nDaCipWSHISCMIqv5C5RPxFq81OiZ_by3vojvoIfLIa0TBTzsTxerscC1VNsvDlv-NNYj86y9v8LWmvACgDmEVXU-KmH8wBb5eM/s1600/Video+Downloads.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-66707062129550398042014-08-22T23:03:00.000-05:002014-08-22T23:03:44.227-05:00Feeding a Book Connoisseur<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"The more that you read, the more things you will know. </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #990000;">-- Dr. Seuss</span> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There is a certain eight year old in my house that can read a book faster than I can turn around. I am so very pleased that she enjoys to read so much and can very clearly remember when she was learning how to read (there are gray hairs to prove it). I would sit and tell her that once she could read on her own her entire world would open up. She would fuss and then read. :) Well, after many hours spent during her first grade year listening to her read out loud I set her loose last year on her own. My plan was to let her read whatever she wanted (within lots of reason). Basically it meant I was not standing over her and hand selecting every book. The plan worked. She is quite the little bookworm and loves to read. However, I grew very tired of her choices when I knew there were so many wonderful books out there, she just needed help finding them. She was stuck on fun series that just didn't go very deep. I have known she was a strong reader, but not sure where she really fell in the reading spectrum, making me timid in picking for her. After testing her in the spring, her scores revealed that she could read anything and my research suggested that I needed to focus on her selection of material and her ability to "deal" with what she may read. Enter new game plan. Mom controls the reading list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia is competitively driven. So, I did hours of research and then made a list. You know, the kind that looks really big and you have to check off each time you finish one? I wanted my initial list to reflect some old favorites mixed with some of today's newer reads. I also wanted to include biographies of certain historical characters that will be making appearances in our studies this year. I was pleasantly surprised to find several blogs devoted to this. I simply began by Googling something like, "What books every third grader should read." </span></div>
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is best of all."</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #bf9000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>-- Jacqueline Kennedy </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">She was slightly apprehensive when she saw the list. Partially because of the list size and partially wondering what in the world Mom would be picking. I am happy to report she is well into the list and I have been given the thumbs up on every selection thus far. I anticipate that she will be done with this list well before Christmas, when we will make a new list. So, please give me your favorite selections and we can work together to get our kids reading the best books out there! Here is Olivia's current list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Little House on the Prairie</b></u> (I chose this because it is timeless.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Little House in the Big Woods</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Little House on the Prairie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Farmer Boy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On the Banks of Plum Creek</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">By the Shores of Silver Lake</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Long Winter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Little Town on the Prairie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These Happy Golden Years</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The First Four Years</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>The Chronicles of Narnia </b></u>(Timeless.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Magician's Nephew</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Horse and His Boy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Prince Caspian</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Silver Chair</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Last Battle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Old Classics + New Finds</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Old Yeller</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Where the Red Fern Grows</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Mighty Miss Malone</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Each Little Bird that Sings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A Crooked Kind of Perfect</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The One and Only Ivan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wonder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Island A Story of the Galapagos</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot (a series)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Walk Two Moons</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Historical Characters </b></u>(Actual titles not yet chosen.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Attila the Hun</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">King Arthur</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Christopher Columbus</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Walter Raleigh</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">William Shakespeare</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Part of my concern with the speed at which she reads is whether or not she is comprehending what she is reading. So, in order to give me some assurance in this area, she will be reporting on these books in one of several ways. She will either write a book report, complete book projects (often found on Teachers Pay Teachers), or she can write a <a href="http://www.theoliviaanne.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog post</a> about the book. She did have a brilliant idea that I had to totally cave to when she suggested it. She formed a book club with one of her best homeschool friends. She convinced her to get her mom to buy one of the first books and they would read two chapters a day and then have a phone date every Tuesday to discuss the book. See? How could I say no to that? They started with <u>The Mighty Miss Malone</u>. I think it is a hit so far...the book and the club. ;) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">of the library." -- Albert Einstein</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Read On, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Homeschool Mama</span></div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-3967032359531498942014-08-04T19:55:00.000-05:002014-08-04T22:06:24.457-05:00No-Sew Upcycle ~ Leggings to Monkey Bar Shorts<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every summer I face the same ugly reality....monkey bar shorts. Is it just me or does every retail outlet out there have it all backwards? No one cares if someone sees their 12 month old daughter's diaper, yet every skirt or dress comes with bloomers. However, when we begin to worry more about modesty, as they get bigger, the coverings disappear. I am notoriously on the hunt for those monkey bar shorts and I am not the mom who is willing to pay high dollar so they will look cute when my kid hangs upside down on the playground. Well, this year I figured it out and I want to share it with you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3KBbVpEae20vIS7fJTg7WYDa87uFc7c7idosJoNJQfIWB5F_4LtRRpDBZroFcdAila0iUK-TuSF9OypBXQPvijTQan1omQ0zDBopbxNfYpk5a_NK_tNobj9naRddj27OkMgnn23w7Yk/s1600/DSC_3760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3KBbVpEae20vIS7fJTg7WYDa87uFc7c7idosJoNJQfIWB5F_4LtRRpDBZroFcdAila0iUK-TuSF9OypBXQPvijTQan1omQ0zDBopbxNfYpk5a_NK_tNobj9naRddj27OkMgnn23w7Yk/s1600/DSC_3760.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">By show of hands please... How many of you have leggings in the drawers that look like this? I am so ashamed to think about how many pair I have thrown away. Not.any.more. This is going to blow your mind....not your wallet!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here's what you do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1.) Purchase this wonderful stuff pictured below called Stitch Witchery. I found mine at Hobby Lobby but you can typically find it at any sewing goods store.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9ZoaCDDwFYVraaqAoexRFSPlPr3k5SP5on3mSGf6HZe3alPXpN0QEjfxBFgqs_kaZuSl-umV9ckmnXyeQWWdqpV91Qap5lMnpk1JC44M-pnro2myftp2hsPaLLZ-9pNF-uAj4dYTTuU/s1600/DSC_3762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9ZoaCDDwFYVraaqAoexRFSPlPr3k5SP5on3mSGf6HZe3alPXpN0QEjfxBFgqs_kaZuSl-umV9ckmnXyeQWWdqpV91Qap5lMnpk1JC44M-pnro2myftp2hsPaLLZ-9pNF-uAj4dYTTuU/s1600/DSC_3762.JPG" height="400" width="365" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2.) Put the leggings on your child then measure and mark how long you want the shorts to be. After marking the pants and removing them from the child, add about 1" for the turn under, as long as your Stitch Witchery is about 5/8" wide.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3.) I fold the legs one on top of the other and cut straight across.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4.) Next, you will turn the cut edge toward the inside of the legging an inch all the way around. Press with an iron as you go. Don't skip that step! Yes, I am aware that iron is a four letter word to some of you. ;)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5.) Now, simply cut a piece of stitch witchery the length to cover the front and another piece for the back or you can choose to work with one long piece. It was easier for me to use two pieces, since this pair was somewhat small in the leg.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">6.) After you get it in place, place your hot iron on top of the section. The directions will tell you not to slide the iron. They also tell you to place a damp cloth between the iron and the fabric you are working on. I did not do that and mine turned out fine. Here is what it will look like.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2yw2DIy5MEGZQALK4QQGoGF5zccI5_oLz4sY4qebkNNoGUa-mxgNRiDjWiB0ZqrfdC9Gr1ZauGmYt-NKQAS7L5mG5V7hiMYW8TuZRv9J2xLJBLKUQPIh8DSIwChhl877PxRHcrwbxGU/s1600/DSC_3993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2yw2DIy5MEGZQALK4QQGoGF5zccI5_oLz4sY4qebkNNoGUa-mxgNRiDjWiB0ZqrfdC9Gr1ZauGmYt-NKQAS7L5mG5V7hiMYW8TuZRv9J2xLJBLKUQPIh8DSIwChhl877PxRHcrwbxGU/s1600/DSC_3993.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now, you can just stop here and all is good in the world. Some reviewers of this product say that re-application may be necessary after several wearings. Others say it lasted much longer. It will obviously depend on the wear and wash factor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">IF you have a sewing machine, like I do, you may choose to reinforce this. If you wish to do so, simply run a zig-zag stitch with a pretty good length on it, for stretchability, all the way around. If you run a straight stitch they won't be comfortable around her leg and will have zero stretch. Also, don't forget to change your needle to ball point since you are working with cotton. Since my middle princess is very girly I decided to go the extra mile for her and put a "frill" on hers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyBRcHr36DjPcPFilu4ojsneDt_Tcup19MQt7ufU04BnZEfLoKxy2KuY5YNVu6evchplTVuh-PdWo3i2NkGRlSeJzoJ_a022mBJEyaWOF4CpV3HZQpK3fhO-KjEEeokq0fcMQHj72vgQ/s1600/DSC_4007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyBRcHr36DjPcPFilu4ojsneDt_Tcup19MQt7ufU04BnZEfLoKxy2KuY5YNVu6evchplTVuh-PdWo3i2NkGRlSeJzoJ_a022mBJEyaWOF4CpV3HZQpK3fhO-KjEEeokq0fcMQHj72vgQ/s1600/DSC_4007.JPG" height="458" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Sew</i> there you have it! A simple and (almost) FREE solution since we all have some worn out, too short, and faded leggings hiding in those drawers! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Happy Monday! ~ The Sewing Mama</span></i></span></div>
Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-15847167518924130442014-08-03T22:02:00.000-05:002014-08-03T22:02:17.038-05:00The Homeschool Series Part 3 - Classical Conversations<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Homeschool Series - Part 3</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hi Friends! Well, we have certainly been in the growing phase of a new school year around here. It took a little longer than I thought to get each one of us settled into the new "norm" that will be school this year. If anyone knows how to "fix" 2 then please let me know. Seriously, 4 can't get here fast enough, if you know what I mean. #allyeiamtalkingaboutyou</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today I am going to cover Classical Conversations (CC). I found out about CC through the homeschool group I was a part of our first year. I would highly encourage you to click through to their website and read everything that is there. I could never do justice to what they so eloquently explain and teach through their website. The link can be found below. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>What it is About </b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"The real mission of Classical Conversations is equipping parents to be great educators at home." --CC Website</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Where to Start </b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://www.classicalconversations.com/" target="_blank">www.ClassicalConversations.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1.) Go to an information meeting. In our area, I first went to a meeting one evening at the church our community met at. The Director hosted and gave an overall view of CC and answered questions. Lots of questions. I recommend that you start with this type of visit. Try to be child free so that you can truly take it all in and feel fully informed when you leave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2.) After the informational meeting we went to an Open House. These are days set aside toward the end of a CC year where they invite the parents to come with their children and let the children participate in the age appropriate class and the parents observe. My girls did not want to leave! They wanted to come back the very next week. They were very disappointed when they had to wait 5 more months. This is a very common reaction that I have witnessed many times over now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3.) Attend a Practicum. Look to the CC website for specific dates and times. Each summer, between April and September, a three day learning session takes place in cities everywhere. As stated on the website, "A significant portion of our time at these conferences is spent actually <strong><em>practicing</em></strong> using the classical model, hence the name, <strong><em>Practicum</em></strong>. Morning sessions focus on the classical model in general and afternoon sessions delve deeper into a particular subject. We offer academic camps for children during the Practicums so your
children can learn while you do! There is a charge for the student
camps, but parent training is absolutely FREE. We hope you’ll join us
this summer at a Parent Practicum near you!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> ** If you miss these visits please contact the Director personally. I have not met one Director that was not willing to spend all the time it took to answer questions and talk about CC. Just remember that they are mommas too and that always comes first. Those I know typically set aside a certain day or time of day to make these return calls and emails. Be persistent. It is worth it. ***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>What Does Your Child Learn ? </u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There are three stages of learning in the classical model called the trivium. 1. The grammar stage (memorizing facts). 2. The dialectic stage (discovering how the facts relate). 3. The rhetoric stage (applying the facts). Click <a href="http://lifeyourway.net/what-is-a-classical-christian-education/" target="_blank">here</a> for a thorough explanation of these stages of learning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Both of my children fall into the grammar stage, known in CC as Foundations. They will remain in this stage through sixth grade. Beginning in the fourth grade Olivia will dual enroll in Foundations and also begin the dialectic stage (known as Essentials). It gets a little hairy after that so just go to the site. There is learning all the way through grade twelve. Since Foundations was my experience I will speak to that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There are three cycles of learning in the Foundations program. Your child will complete one cycle a year. If your child were to begin this journey at age four and attend through grade six, they would cover the same information almost three times each. That might seem repetitive but that is the point. They hope to bury these facts so deep in their minds that they are hiding there and can never be forgotten. Kind of like riding a bike. You never forget. Once they have them "pegged" and buried in the brain they will slowly pull these facts out and begin to expand on that knowledge, challenge it, and dissect it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>We started CC with Cycle 2 </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">* TIMELINE - We learned the Timeline of history from Creation to the Rising Tide of Freedom (September 11, 2001). This calculated to 161 events on a timeline. The coolest part of it all? It is learned as a song. Each week the girls learned 7 points along the timeline until they sang the entire timeline. Makes for a great Thanksgiving table moment. :) Even Allye sings along now!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">* HISTORY - We learned 24 history facts that were about people, places, events, and time periods. These are also set to a tune and many tutors (the name for the "teacher" of each class) teach them with hand motions too. It goes something like this. "Class. Tell me about Charlemagne." Then the class, once taught, will respond in tune with, "In 800 AD, during the medieval period, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor of Europe."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">* GEOGRAPHY - Each week the kids are taught 5-7 places on a map. They are taught the locations using many different techniques, depending on the tutor. This year our girls learned 122 locations ranging from bodies of water, to continents, and then rivers. When quizzed they should be able to locate the position when asked or identify it if the tutor points to it on the map. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">* ENGLISH - We focused on definitions of certain parts of speech this year, specifically pronouns. Several others we learned the definition for and will expand on later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">* LATIN - Cycle 2 spent twenty-four weeks teaching 1st Conjugation Endings. Set to recognizable tunes, like Happy Birthday and others, the kids learned the endings for Present Tense, Present Perfect Tense, Imperfect Tense, Pluperfect Tense, Future Tense, and Future Perfect Tense. We spent two weeks on each set for twelve weeks and then repeated them again in the spring. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">* SCIENCE - There are two parts to science in CC. One portion is the experiment portion. Each week the kids will observe or participate in a science experiment. The Scientific Method is reinforced with each experiment and the student fills out a worksheet that has a space for each step of the method. These are always a big hit! The second portion is the new grammar portion. This is when the kids will learn straight facts about something specific. For example, I would ask my kids, "What are the seven types of biomes?" They would respond, "The seven types of biomes are grasslands, deserts, scrublands, tundra, deciduous forest, coniferous forest, and tropical rain forest." I chose to teach all of my science facts with hand motions. So, for the above question, each time they stated one of the types they were doing a hand motion to represent that as well. Also, part of CC and the Classical Education is that you always answer in a complete sentence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">* MATH - Each year, for every cycle, math is the same and begins with learning the times tables. When complete, each child can tell you the answer portion of the times table starting with 1 times a number up to 12 times the number. We learn these from 1 to 14. This is a very awesome tool when you begin to teach multiplication. It happened in my home last year. Although we learned the tables front and back for many months (we go for mastery around these parts) there were times where she just could not remember. It was so awesome to watch her face the first time I said, "Hey, sing the 7s." Then I told her those were the answers! Of course, I did not tell her that on the front end. She would have only wanted to use that method. :) After the tables the children learn measurement equivalents to include liquid, linear, and metric, areas of shapes, and the associative, commutative, distributive, and identity laws of math.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">* FINE ARTS - The fine art portion is broken up into four six week segments. Four different areas are studied during those segments. Each class will spend six weeks in the following areas: drawing, orchestra and composers, tin whistle, and great artists. The drawing teaches the elements of shapes, mirror images, abstract art, upside-down images, perspective, and a final project. You would truly be amazed that with little instruction what even the youngest child can accomplish in this area. Orchestra and composer fine arts focused on what makes up an orchestra and we studied some famous composers and their works through readings and listening to their music. The tin whistle is probably the most challenging of all of the areas. The kids l.o.v.e it! The tutor and the parent are apprehensive, scared, you name it. The small children want to just blow that thing as hard as they can. It is not a pretty noise. and they struggle with finger placement as their fingers are not quite long enough. That does not stop them. The older children, from what I observed, can make beautiful music with these instruments. You must try it yourself to truly appreciate that it is not easy to be in tune. Whew! But, the final two classes when my kids had mastered playing the scale we worked on for those weeks, I wanted to jump for joy. The pride on their faces was worth every ear deafening moment. For the great artist segment the kids are taught about one great artist each week and then get to re-create or practice that artist's form. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, each week your child will learn new grammar in the areas of the Acts & Facts Timeline, History, English, Latin, Math, and Science. They will learn all of the facts I mentioned above in one thirty minute segment. The tutor will have them state (sing, hand motion, dance, hop, etc...) each area at least five times and move on to the next subject. It is fast. The child will spend another thirty minutes each on the science experiment of the week, the fine art, another fifteen or so minutes focused on geograpahy (actually learning to locate the places), offering a presentation to the class, and participating in review games. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Let's touch on the last two for just a minute. Each week the child comes to class prepared to give their classmates (approximately 6-7 other kids) and tutor a five minute or less presentation. Some tutors assign the topic and some allow the children to choose. I had younger children so I allowed them to choose every week but one or two. On those weeks I had them share a favorite holiday tradition (right at Thanksgiving), nothing too hard. Once I had observed the kids for a couple of weeks I spent more time having the parents practice certain qualities of a good speaker. For example, I would email the parents and ask them to please focus on having the child speak loudly and clearly for that week. Over time, the children became naturals. It should also be noted that each child begins their presentation with, "Hi. My name is Lindsey Bouchard and today I am going to talk about ______." They end with, "That is the end of my presentation are there any questions?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> At the end of each day the child will enter into thirty minutes of review games. This is the time where the tutor will have a game prepared that will be won/lost or just enjoyed based on the knowledge retained by the children. Each tutor chooses their own age appropriate games. But, the common denominator is that the game's questions are all things the children learned that day or in weeks past. Ah yes, weeks past. How many you may wonder? That would be six. So, if it were week eight, I would ask them questions from weeks three through eight. That is where continued practice at home shows through. I will say that all ages feel much better during this time if they know the information. Even my little five and six year olds would get so upset if they couldn't remember and let me say, that wasn't often.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>How To Use CC at Home</b></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every home is different. Let's start there. I use CC to supplement what we learn at home. Because I teach using the classical method many of the things we learn in CC are directly beneficial to our home school. For example, because I use Story of the World, when we come to each new lesson it typically relates back to one statement from the timeline. So, we pull the card we have for that topic and use it as we study, which typically leads to singing some timeline facts on either side as well. Here is a great benefit that happened since we started school this year. Addison's first grammar lesson was "What is a noun?" I didn't have to spend much time teaching the definition because she learned it at CC. Lesson one done. Less than a minute. Moving on. See how nice that is? Now, some parents use CC just for their child to have a concentrated time with children that are in their same school situation. Others will teach their child on a daily basis mostly on what is taught at CC that week. They will go home and thoroughly teach all seven timeline facts with library books and articles for example. As far as choosing curricula because you are in CC here is my answer to that. You must first focus on the best curricula for your child. If it happens that your child is successful with classical materials, great. What I am told is that children who use Shurley English are very well equipped for Essentials (begins in grade four). The big question everyone asks is about math. Here is what I know. Classical Conversations "endorses" Saxon math. I use the word endorse because there is a link on their site to purchase Saxon and no other math curriculum. I would suggest that Saxon most likely follows the classical method with strong repetition and math grammar. It is absolutely not necessary to use either one of these to be successful in CC. My personal plan is to switch my kids to Saxon at the fourth grade level based on my own research and what I think is best for my girls at this point. It really doesn't have anything to do with CC.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>To Be or Not To Be...A Tutor</b></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I came to be a tutor when the Director at the time emailed all of the parents with a need for several tutors. I did not respond to the first request as I thought others would step forward. It was when the second email came that I sat up and paid a little more attention. I could not stand that there may be kids who would not get to attend CC because of no tutor. I had no idea what a tutor did, but I signed myself up anyway. I had only seen CC in action one time. I had no idea what I was really in for. After attending tutor training I was a lot more apprehensive. Not their intention at all. Experienced tutors raised concerns that I never thought of. For example, how to handle certain types of parents in your classroom. Oh yeah, if you didn't know, the parents stay in the class each week. Remember? We are equipping them to be the best educator for their child. I never considered that a parent would step out of line. Yep. I got one of those. Basically, I got one of every type they talked about that day, not all necessarily a bad type. I made some wonderful friends! After the initial shock and making it clear that I would be happy for them take over any time they would like, things settled down. I was very polite, but direct. The hardest parts for me in class were a.) the students who were taught ahead b.) disciplining the children effectively at times. I had one student who was always telling me they had already learned "that" or asking if I knew there was a song to "that". It was very hard. Discipline was our other adjustment period. I did not offer these children a reward for acting good, as many tutors did. You know, the treasure box type thing. I was raised that you are not bribed/rewarded for good behavior, it was an expectation. Now, don't get me wrong, of course, I have <strike>bribed</strike> rewarded my kids at times, but that is in extreme situations. You know, life or death, you better keep it together moments. It is my own belief that children have been taught to behave and they should use self-control and do as they have been taught. We are not talking perfection but work in progress. I do not teach my children to behave just so they can get that sucker. No. The reward of good behavior in life is acknowledgement from others with a compliment, more responsibility, and the opportunity to experience more things when we show that we can do as asked. The other side of the discipline issue was who was doing the disciplining. Ever had to discipline someone else's child and they were sitting right there? It's not easy. The biggest struggle I faced each week was to learn all of the new material. I was having to learn how to pronounce all of these things (I speak Southern Ya'll), locate geography points, come up with games, figure out ways and techniques for them to remember the facts, art projects, review the ins and outs of the science experiments, it went on and on. Now, let me say this too. I.am.a.perfectionist. I am quite sure I probably went above and beyond but I don't do anything half you know what. Folks, I won't lie. It was tiring. I was exhausted physically and mentally each week only to pull up my boots a day or two afterwards to begin all over again. This really hurt my kids in CC. They ask that the children not see any of the material before going into class, which I honored. So, I was up late at night trying to sing it, read it, memorize it, after they went to bed. I couldn't listen to it in the car because they were always with me. After all of that I just didn't have much interest in quizzing them throughout the week although we did listen to the CDs in the car, from the weeks they had already learned. I finally smartened up and put my husband on duty getting the presentations done each week. Then I took that back over too. Well, because I am me. We will leave it at that. In all, it was a rewarding experience. I love those kids! To see them learn and retain so information at such a young age was so fun. I fell in love with each of them and will always cherish that time. I hoped I would be a blessing to those children, but I was most definitely the one blessed in that situation. Final answer? I would not recommend a first time parent to tutor. I feel like you will enjoy it more and feel more successful if you have been an observer first. The Directors wish I wouldn't tell you this. Ack! I will go on to say that I really don't think that an <i><u>established</u></i> community should even ask or allow a first time parent. I would think you would want to grow that parent first so that the children get the most benefit once they tutor. It is also very hard to come in and the six year old knows more than you do. Let me repeat, this is just my opinion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Helpful CC Websites</b></u> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As a tutor and parent I used a couple of websites repeatedly and thought I would share those. Everyone in CC knows about the first one, well the second one too. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.halfahundredacrewood.com/" target="_blank">Half A Hundred Acre Wood</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You will get lost for hours in her site. It is very well organized with link up parties to other people's sites and tons of tips, tricks, games, etc. Really....YOU.MUST.GO.TO.IT!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I think this one goes without saying but I will say I had a hard time finding a lot of information here. It was great for art ideas and tin whistle. After that I really didn't find too much in a great quantity, like Pinterest is known for. I do have a CC board that you are welcome to look at. Just click the Pinterest board to the right and it will put you through. **In review for this portion I noticed that Brandy, from Half A Hundred Acre Wood, has a Pinterest board. Maybe we should all just follow her and we would be set?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Underwhelming I know, but the first site is so magnificent you just start there and explore her site and click through to other sites. Simple as that! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>Wrap Up</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I sincerely hope I have answered most of your CC questions here. I have tried to give a more personal look into CC leaving the majority of the fact finding to be yours on their site. CC is a wonderful gift to our family. It is not a free gift, but it is worth every penny. I would strongly encourage anyone who asked me to try CC, if you felt your child would enjoy this type of learning. It is a truly magnificent moment when you see your child learning and having so much fun! These kids form bonds with each other and love to be together! It is a safe environment for your kids to grow and you can feel comfortable that all of these children are coming from like minded homes.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Learn On,</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Homeschool Mama</span></span></i><br />
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-2304474747571545492014-07-07T23:31:00.002-05:002016-01-08T16:51:17.127-06:00The Homeschool Series - Schedule & Curriculum<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>The Homeschool Series - Part 2</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i> </i></span>Wow! What a wonderful response I got to the Homeschool Series - Part 1. Thanks for reading along, commenting, and offering encouragement. I am happy to say we survived our first day back in the books. We will start with some more cuteness tonight. Here are our final day of school pictures from the 2013 - 2014 school year taken at the end of May.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia - Age 8.5</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Addison - Age 5.5</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsE41-ATwpLWUQ2Qzq8GCwNrtO_xfDFO0jrlWgISIBXPI9ecmxHgu-zWfBdpkFkbeGaoZyHfDTzBItS0OKdVyZ-HBwRTaIsWu9TFmXEsQFeiGieBOeQTsruPesFoQbk5U7BZfdJNaqnrc/s1600/DSC_4697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsE41-ATwpLWUQ2Qzq8GCwNrtO_xfDFO0jrlWgISIBXPI9ecmxHgu-zWfBdpkFkbeGaoZyHfDTzBItS0OKdVyZ-HBwRTaIsWu9TFmXEsQFeiGieBOeQTsruPesFoQbk5U7BZfdJNaqnrc/s1600/DSC_4697.JPG" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allye - Age 2.5</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">As promised, I am going to cover what a day in our school life looks like and our curriculum choices. Buckle up, it's quite a ride...</span><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What Does Our Day Look Like?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This
is somewhat of a loaded question right now. Today began a new chapter
for us so I will speak to our previous school year and can update you
later as to how things are working for us with two in grade school and
one in preschool. School year 2013-2014 had Olivia in second grade,
Addison in Pre-K, and Allye in Mom's Morning Out two to three days a
week. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Originally, I was not going to place Addison in Pre-K. In the
state of Florida, Pre-K is known as VPK and is paid for by the state.
Lotto money at work folks. Guess what else that means? State
controlled and mandated. But, as I was planning Olivia's school year
and Allye was coming into her own, I was afraid Addison would get lost in
the shuffle of the madness. She much prefers to be at home with me but
she also needs her own attention from me that I was fearful would not
be possible. So, thinking about her best interest I signed her up for
VPK at the same school she attended for preschool. It was a
commitment. She <u>had</u> to attend every day, M-F, from 8:15 to 11:15. She
could only miss 30 days or we would be asked to pay or leave. Well, I
had already signed her up and paid her fee for Classical Conversations (CC), 24 days of the best
thing my money could buy... and I wasn't giving that up. The school
happily worked with me on this. I was slightly concerned about what she
would miss out on knowing that they would be testing her multiple times
during the year for Kindergarten readiness. Her initial test, about
one month in, revealed that she missed only two questions on the entire
test. I worried no further about that. I then turned my worry to what
would she learn if she was already "Exceeding Expectations". The
obvious making friends, playing together, etc.... but what else? This
threw us for a loop. Addison misses the public school cut-off by 11 days. That did not effect our ability to go ahead and homeschool her for Kindergarten and it was strongly considered. However, I was looking forward at what might happen if we should ever insert her back into the system. I was not sure how flexible the system would be or where we would be living. If I had to do it all over again I would not have done the Pre-K. The best advice I can give you if you are facing this dilemma is to go with your gut. My child was ready for Kindergarten and I did not need a test to tell me that. I made a decision in fear, which I do not advise. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">With all of the placement decisions made, here is how it all went
down. We dropped Addison off each morning at 8:15. Two mornings a week
we sat in the same parking lot until 8:45 until I could drop Allye off
at Mom's Morning Out (MMO). During this time Olivia would read or work on her penmanship. When
we returned home the school day began and here is how it was scheduled.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKTt5R_dwHSRh2tRwc_nHxiE5L9iOXuYwZEU2Rg8cIsY562NEHrG_s1Zf0aGmCOVqzrV09_6FbC-3bXRk6fTc22L_XrSd99YPFQTdilHhxIQuecMy8o8EvmvUx5e5ubca1qoP03wFoZI/s1600/Olivia+Schedule+2nd+grade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKTt5R_dwHSRh2tRwc_nHxiE5L9iOXuYwZEU2Rg8cIsY562NEHrG_s1Zf0aGmCOVqzrV09_6FbC-3bXRk6fTc22L_XrSd99YPFQTdilHhxIQuecMy8o8EvmvUx5e5ubca1qoP03wFoZI/s1600/Olivia+Schedule+2nd+grade.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now, let's talk. When Olivia was in first grade I did not have a schedule like the one you see above. We also had less work to complete, more interruptions, and more flexibility in our day. Olivia is very much like me and likes to know what is going to be next in her day from one event to another. It dawned on me, now that she was capable of reading anything, that she might like the schedule and I could be free to spend more time doing house chores or playing with Allye. It took several weeks for her to adjust to me not being at the table with her the entire day, but ultimately she liked the responsibility. Once Allye was napping after lunch we sat down together and completed the subjects that she needed my help to finish. While this has been successful for us, it is not for everybody. I found the positive side of the schedule to be that she absolutely learned to be responsible with her time, how to solve problems on her own, and how to better manage her time. I only found one real negative side effect to the schedule. When the day had to be altered for appointments or life, she had a hard time adjusting. After several months and several occurrences she better learned how to handle those moments. Another life lesson learned. Things will not always go according to schedule. ;) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let me throw this in now... In the spring of 2013 I offered to teach preschool activities to my neighbor's little girl along with Addison two days a week. Those days would fall on Tuesday and Thursday. Ultimately I had to flip-flop Olivia's schedule so that I could work with her in the morning on those mornings and the little girls in the afternoon. I fulfilled that schedule through Christmas. I dropped her down to one day a week after Christmas because in June of 2013 our CC community did not have enough tutors and I accepted a position there so that those students would still have a place at CC. More on that later, but let's just say I was overwhelmed with all of the planning, teaching, and everyday life that was going on. Her mom graciously let me off the hook. Some people questioned my sanity to teach another person's child. Let me just say that those moments with her, here in our home, gave me some of the best memories that I get to have forever. I would not trade that for anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Of course, we had extracurricular activities. I would tell you those are a vital part of the homeschool experience. For Olivia, she attended drama classes on Monday afternoons, Wednesday night she went to AWANA, and Thursday night she had dance class. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curriculum</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><span style="font-size: small;">Now we can get to the how I got that schedule above.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's start with this. When I decided to join CC I studied the idea and philosophy behind a Classical education. I truly believed in what it offered and wanted to bring it into our home as well. Now, whether or not you choose the Classical method to train your children, I would consider this a must buy book for every homeschool family. I call it the Homeschool Bible.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsILPTRL1D1PSGDv3738yDZ418WJMjyt1Yr4Us49y2m23NveWaMxN5UOUFL9e0OPoKyCTWoHCyyKVx8sQaQNSQB7JklwfLl0ZsfXdegs1rEm_OCEfYabul2nFL0JmgrhtnTQLNnhnlR-E/s1600/DSC_5479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsILPTRL1D1PSGDv3738yDZ418WJMjyt1Yr4Us49y2m23NveWaMxN5UOUFL9e0OPoKyCTWoHCyyKVx8sQaQNSQB7JklwfLl0ZsfXdegs1rEm_OCEfYabul2nFL0JmgrhtnTQLNnhnlR-E/s1600/DSC_5479.JPG" width="291" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This mother-daughter combo thoroughly explain how to achieve a Classical education in your home. They also tell you what, in their opinions of course, children should be learning at each stage of development, the amount of time the child should spend on a certain subject each day, how to organize it all, track it all, and the curricula they endorse. This is what I was looking for the first year I taught and had no idea what I was doing. Sure, each person you meet can tell you what they do, but there is nothing like feeling you are getting expert advice. With my confidence firmly placed in this book and its contents, I began to study the curricula they suggested and what I thought would work for Olivia. Here is my 2nd must-have for every homeschool parent. <a href="http://cathyduffyreviews.com/" target="_blank">www.CathyDuffyReviews.com</a> Ms. Duffy has obviously spent countless hours pouring over every curriculum out there. She has a Top 100 book that really narrows down her favorite selections as well. She explains the curriculum you are researching on her site, gives the pros and cons, compares it to other curriculum at times, and tries to give you an idea of what type of student would do well or poorly with each one. I cannot say enough positive things about her site. Are you with me so far? #1 Get the Homeschool Bible #2 Go to the site.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here is what you have been waiting for. Let me remind you, these are the selections we made to best fit the needs of our daughter. Every.single.child.is.different. What works for your child, may not work for mine and vice versa.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There is one book missing. Prior to the Route 66 Bible book you see above we read and completed all of the lessons for The Jesus Storybook Bible. Also missing are her penmanship books...photo is below.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRN4_zfUS73l2VRXkrLSJ-1n3Do2qSkZOd9uO37V0Qn6ujAEHgyPoXLx3_W3bV287bGjrXKVWM0smWNS3ov2QOo-Rmvk66GRlbFdfSN3qkf_PQ7VwlYT0L52uEx9T5WA6QFf2kB_wgBaA/s1600/DSC_5471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRN4_zfUS73l2VRXkrLSJ-1n3Do2qSkZOd9uO37V0Qn6ujAEHgyPoXLx3_W3bV287bGjrXKVWM0smWNS3ov2QOo-Rmvk66GRlbFdfSN3qkf_PQ7VwlYT0L52uEx9T5WA6QFf2kB_wgBaA/s1600/DSC_5471.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The only curriculum I kept from first grade is Horizons math. When I decided to homeschool her I consulted my experts (my two teacher friends mentioned in part <a href="http://www.mamabouchardtalks.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-homeschool-post.html" target="_blank">one</a>) and they gave me their opinions on curriculum. My friend who was/is currently homeschooling gave me great advice on the basics and her reasons why she was choosing those specific curricula. I did go with her Language Arts at the time but swapped it out once I began to take up the Classical method. Another requirement I have held to, thus far, is that none of what I use will be Common Core aligned. We don't even have enough lines here for me to go there. There are sites available to help you know which ones have aligned and which ones have not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Below are each of my selections with some thoughts about each one. If you have further, more specific, questions comment or send me a direct message and I will do my best to answer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Horizons Math</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia is very strong in math. The problem we had in public school is that they wanted her to do upwards of 10 or more pages on the same concept before moving on. On top of that, she was supposed to draw circles (Common Core) for simple addition etc. and that was not cutting it for her. She catches on quick and wants to learn something new. In my discussions with my teacher turned stay-at-home mom friend, who knows Olivia very well, she said I should look for a spiral math curriculum. That is how we got to Horizons. She learns a new concept about every day or so, sees it for a couple of days behind other new concepts, it drops off, and then it will return later down the road for review. In CC THE math is Saxon. I have talked it over with my resident CC math expert and she says we are fine and they are quite similar. So far I am of the opinion, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Spelling Workout</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In our first year, I made up the spelling list each week. We mastered days of the week, months of the year, and all sorts of other fun words I would come up with. So, I really didn't know what to expect from a spelling curriculum. This one had good reviews and was recommended by <i>The Well Trained Mind</i> so I went with it. We were five lessons shy of completing two books in one year at the end of our last school year. For Olivia, the words were too easy. So, at times, it seems like busy work to her. But, the strength in this curriculum is the way they teach the rules of spelling from proper names for letter combinations, phonetic symbols, and early proofreading marks. I could have never done that for her without guidance. She will begin Level D in a couple of weeks and it is suggested to try and have that one done by the end of the fourth grade. We are just starting third grade. I can happily report the words did seem to make quite a jump in Level D, so I am confident she will feel somewhat challenged. I will continue to use these for Addison.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>More Mudpies to Magnets</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Science. Ah yes. My children love science. I, however, do not. It mostly comes from the fact that I just can't explain it all very well and I don't care. Of course, I can't tell them that. So, when we showed up to CC and there were awesome experiments with explanations I let this slide too much. The fact that I was having to now do the explaining is for another day. Thankfully I survived. We did do several projects form this book and all worked beautifully and they did come with the basic information to explain it to a young child. I would say these are great for a young child who likes to see something really neat but is not too concerned with the ins and outs. I have remedied this area for this school year. More on that later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Writing Strands</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I will leave this to Ms. Duffy and the experts to explain how this process works. I will tell you that Olivia has enjoyed doing these writing exercises and I have enjoyed the process of teaching it to her. It thoroughly covers each step in the writing process for different types of writing. It guides the teacher and student through each step, leaving plenty of time to grasp the concept. I am excited for where this process (there are 7 levels) will take us. The earliest age is 7, so about second grade.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>First Language Lessons for The Well Trained Mind </u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><br /></u></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is where the Classical method becomes very evident. There is no fluff, cute pictures, or fancy strings to pull the child in. This book is about learning grammar from the ground up. It is taught through repetition and memorization. Doesn't it make sense to have a strong foundation in grammar? In addition to learning all of the basic rules of grammar and complete lists of verbs and prepositions, etc., Olivia also memorized and recited, multiple times throughout the year, 5 poems or rhymes. It was quite amazing to see her do this. I really did not believe it to be possible but she loved that challenge. This is what I see over and over with the Classical method, proof that our children have the capability to learn at a much higher level then we give them credit for. We just have to create the expectation and they will meet it. It might not look the same for every child and probably will not, but they all CAN do this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Route 66 - The Bible Curriculum </u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Like I stated above, before beginning this one we read and completed the handouts for <i>The Jesus Storybook Bible</i>. Every child should read that book. I did not purchase the complete curriculum as it is quite pricey. But, the handouts worked great. There were a few times that an answer sheet would have been great though. I did a little research before I found <i>Route 66</i>. I really liked that it was intensive in its demand for her to truly use her Bible. This workbook takes the child on a journey along Route 66, stopping off at all 66 books of the Bible along the way. Clever, right? Olivia loved this. Each stop off includes a set of questions about particular versus in the book you are studying, some type of game (word search, crossword puzzle, etc.) passages to focus on, a key verse, the key people, the purpose of the book, the author, and the time line. Just make sure you have an adult Bible on hand, as her children's version often did not have the same wording so she had difficulty finding the answer at times. I would highly recommend this if you are looking to have your child study passages of the Bible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>The Story of the World and The Usborne Book of World History</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let me preface this with the fact that I have never enjoyed learning about history. My step-father is falling over right now. But, it is the truth. So, with that being said, I absolutely LOVE <i>The Story of the World</i>. I have said so many times that I wish I had been taught history in this manner. Are you ready for this? They actually teach history from Creation to Current Time. I know! It is told in a story type format that draws you in and truly makes you want to know what happens next. I will read one excerpt from the small book you see at the top and then turn to the much larger activity book to ask questions from and to pull maps for learning about the story geographically. Each chapter includes questions and dialogue for you to have with the student, specific points that the student should identify on the provided map, always 5 or more additional books that you can find at your library to enhance the chapter, several hands-on arts and crafts activities to further the story as well. I am not sure about you, but I never had any of that when I <strike>slept</strike> sat through history. <i>The Usborne Book of World History</i> is referenced in each chapter to provide a great visual learning experience for the child. It is not mandatory, but a great addition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>PreScripts</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, Olivia wanted to learn cursive last year. It is one of those things I just do, but couldn't even start to think about teaching. I turned to my trusty CC website and researched there only to realize they offered these books that would teach her for me! She loved every minute of both books. She began with letters and drawings in her first book. The drawings were a learning tool for her hand to practice the movement of the letter she was learning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The second book focused on transitioning from one letter to another, mostly the harder transition combinations. I would really like her to continue these books but she did accomplish the task to my satisfaction. So, for now I will let her rest, but should I see any slipping I will return to these books. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>NEW BOOKS FOR THIS YEAR</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKxv0w-SrloyCM52TgrOrtXJ7DvTw3_Rs6GYZTX3npEgv2eStV1FipY_xNl_CjmWDerIJPo5MNyDqe0B7YnkAcYJ97stAMDPQg42JuQ1NEl0bftKEr1GR3cq7eleii6bCdMZI7A0hGKI/s1600/DSC_5483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKxv0w-SrloyCM52TgrOrtXJ7DvTw3_Rs6GYZTX3npEgv2eStV1FipY_xNl_CjmWDerIJPo5MNyDqe0B7YnkAcYJ97stAMDPQg42JuQ1NEl0bftKEr1GR3cq7eleii6bCdMZI7A0hGKI/s1600/DSC_5483.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I thought I would go ahead and let you see the new books we are venturing into this year. Everything has stayed the same with the exception of the above. I am truly excited about each one, especially science. It is going to be a very hands-on experience with lots of projects to reinforce the idea taught. Latin will be interesting to say the least. Thankfully we began this in CC last year and there is a CD for pronunciation. Latin and Southern don't always come out pretty together. ;) The top book is for my art lovers. I can't wait to see what happens when we experience the Monart method! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u>Honey For A Child's Heart</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I couldn't ever do a post on curriculum and not include this wonderful resource. Have you ever wondered what the best books out there are? Which ones are right for which age? Are you sick and tired of reading <i>My Little Pony</i>, <i>Barbie</i>, and <i>Dora</i>? Welcome then to the best book since sliced bread. Ms. Hunt tells you, in depth, which books are the best on the market for each ages 0-14. I have truly enjoyed every selection we have purchased on her recommendation. This book was given to our family as a gift from our last church librarian (a "retired" homeschool mom herself) and I could not imagine being without it now! </span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Where to Purchase Curriculum</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I use three main sites to purchase all of our curriculum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">www.Amazon.com</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/page/homeschool?navcat=Homeschool" target="_blank">www.ChristianBook.com</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/" target="_blank">Classical Conversations</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I typically begin in January evaluating what I have liked and what I want to change or add. I have found that I need to be prepared to purchase in April. From everything I have seen that is when the largest discounts are offered, specifically through the site ChristianBook.com. That is where the large majority of our books come from so the discount can be substantial. I do subscribe to Amazon Prime so I can order from there any time and often hold those books until I need them and they will be here in two days. Love, love, love Amazon Prime! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">**Important Stuff - No one I have talked about in this post knows me, pays me, or gives me anything for writing about their product on my blog. All of these opinions are my own and without influence. I have included links for your convenience and receive nothing if you make a purchase by clicking through.** </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">May 2014 - Allye, Olivia, Addison</span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Learn On,</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Homeschool Mama</span></span></i><br />
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-90538873620638476002014-07-06T23:08:00.003-05:002014-07-06T23:28:48.401-05:00The Homeschool Post<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <i><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Homeschool Series - Part 1</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, we are two years into this homeschool gig. Lots of you have questions about how it all works, what we do, how we do it, and much more. I thought, with our new school year beginning tomorrow, it would be a good time to get some of your questions answered through a series of posts. Please know that I am happy to answer anything not answered here if you want to comment below or direct message me. Here goes. Let's start with the cuteness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>August 2013</u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">First, if you don't know how our homeschool journey began, then you should start <a href="http://mamabouchardtalks.blogspot.com/2012/09/getting-out-of-boat.html" target="_blank">here.</a> That might help you with some of the things I refer to and talk about now. I also want to say very <i>strongly</i> that this is <u>my</u> blog, <u>my</u> views, and a representation of <u>me</u>. Please don't think you have to do something the way I do it, or that my way is the only way, or that I am Supermom. We are about to get very real with each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Laying It Out There</b> </u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I made the decision to homeschool Olivia I was under duress (somewhat of a strong word but we will go with it). I was in a new city, my husband was thousands of miles away, I had an eleven month old baby, and a house still full of packing boxes waiting to be unpacked. I had meticulously planned and scoped out all of the schooling options for both Olivia and Addison, wavering Olivia into the "best" school. We experienced a wonderful year of Kindergarten in Texas, so my radar was slightly relaxed for my personality. This combination did not make for a smooth transition, for any of us, into this new lifestyle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The first year of homeschool was VERY hard. Olivia is a social butterfly and went from being around 20 kids every day, all day long, to the sole student sitting in front of her Type A mother/teacher. Our main struggles during the first year dealt with her adjustment to not having "friends" around. I use that term loosely because she was not allowed any time to make a friend except for the short recess outside each day. No, not even at lunch. She also struggled during holidays knowing she was missing classroom parties and the extras that are associated with holidays at a school. There were tears, many of them, in regards to loneliness. We pulled her out in September of 2012 and the first homeschool field trip, that I could get us to, was scheduled for January 2013. It was torture (the wait, not the field trip). I will go further into co-ops and groups later. That first field trip produced a light in her eyes. Until that point she felt like the only homeschooled kid in the universe. Suddenly she was surrounded by thirty or more of them. There are times she still struggles in this area. She has more quality time with children her age than she ever did before, but she can not see this yet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Perhaps you want to know what the struggles feel like for me? Here it is. I love my children more than anything and all I ever wanted to be when I grew up was a mom. Let's just say I have fulfilled that dream...and then some. In the thought process of pulling Olivia out of school I had grand visions of cute art projects, efficient use of time (no more car line wait...Amen?), a new refreshed and happy daughter, sing-a-longs, etc. And then reality set in. I was running one child to preschool three days a week, giving a 12 month old two naps a day, trying to teach my first grader with my 12 month old climbing on God only knew what, a husband still thousands of miles away, laundry that would not stop, dust a mile high, boxes still waiting to be unpacked, dishes that I was too tired to do always waiting in the sink the next morning. The list goes on and on. But, in the midst of all of that and the sinking feeling I felt everyday in those first few months I knew one thing. I knew that my daughter was now loved, growing, healthy, learning, and thriving once again. So, for all the tears I cried when it was HARD, I was so very thankful that we were able to give this to her. Keeping it real - there are still days with tears because life gets <i>better</i> not <i>easier</i>. I am doing my mom job plus my teacher job 24/7. Obviously we know I have to be a mom 24/7 but this all consuming feeling takes over when you are THE teacher. Everything turns into a learning opportunity, everything. I constantly worry if I am teaching her everything she needs to know, am I good enough to do this job, am I smart enough to answer every question she asks. You have never felt the insecurity you feel when it really sinks in that your precious child's future is truly in your hands. That is an awesome responsibility. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Two years in and I will tell you that I struggle most with my own selfishness. There are days I wake up and I do not want to do school. I want to drop my kids off, swing through the Starbucks, roam the mall for a few hours, have lunch with my husband, and then some quiet reading before my kids get home. I want to go into the grocery store solo and stare at the cookies without a kid asking for the free one. I want to sew. I want to clean my house and see it clean for at least thirty minutes. Notice what all of these sentences start with? I do. And then I feel guilty for wanting those things. I had two friends that I consulted with before embarking on this journey, both public school teachers, one turned stay at-home-mom and the other was/is homeschooling her daughter. The latter told me very clearly that I would have to take time for me. I heard her. I can honestly tell you I never thought I would <i>really </i>feel that way. I.was.wrong. It is in these gut wrenching, I better not have another mishap today and it is only 10 a.m. moments that I turn to two people. God and my husband. God has to work on my inside (a lot) and my husband is my "rescuer". There have been two times I have called him in a twit and he states the very obvious, "Just don't do school today then." I listened both times. Other times he walks in the door and I walk out. The look on my face needs no explanation. I have gotten much better at seeing when these breaks are needed and I schedule them with him. At first I thought it should fall on the weekend, but sometimes you just gotta have that Target run on a Thursday. Amen? The absolute secret to the success of homeschool, without any doubt, is a support system. I don't think anyone who does this would tell you different. If you are thinking of doing this you MUST have a system in place. If you are married, your husband/wife MUST be on board. If you are single or working (I have met both) you must have a support system in place. It will not work without the support because NEWS FLASH: YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL! Trust me. I have tried. It is never pretty on the other side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Will there be tears? Yes. Will you feel inadequate? Yes. Will you want to quit? More then once. Will you be the recipient of the best pay (unlimited hugs and kisses) anyone has ever gotten for a job? Yes. Will you wonder what you were thinking when you decided to do this? Yes. Will you rest better knowing what your child is learning from the books and the people they associate with? Yes. Will you be tired? YES. Will they ever learn IT? Yes. Will it get ugly sometimes? Yes. Will you get laundry done...ever? No. Will you feel fulfilled? Yes. Will you feel smart enough? Every day. Will you be thankful that Starbucks has a drive-thru? Yes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Homeschool Co-ops and Groups </b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I don't really know what to call this because there are so many forms of homeschool gatherings and they really all do mean something different. When we first began I joined a local group called GCCHEA. I chose this group due to its size and information availability in regards to Florida regulations. I quickly learned that is was so large that there were cells broken down based on where you live. Now, I could travel and go to other groups, but the idea seemed to be that you would want to know more people living near you. Made sense. The problem that I saw was that most people did not participate in the functions that the two leaders created. I could not understand this. This avenue was a total bust for us in terms of meeting friends for Olivia. I was able to make some great acquaintances with a couple turning into friendships based on time we spent in our next endeavor. Classical Conversations. Oh how I wish I had that when I first pulled Olivia out. Homeschool mom/teacher from above told me about this group when we first spoke. I located a group in the next town over and went to an observation day in March 2013. We will call it CC from here on out. I knew, from the moment that they covered the learning philosophy, that this would be perfect for our family. There is so much to say about CC that I will do a separate post to give my thoughts on this. I will say this, I have nothing bad to say about this experience. My children have learned far beyond what I thought was within their capabilities. I found great women in CC who shared my same values, were open to new friendships, loved my children, encouraged me, and had a passion for their children's education like none I have ever witnessed before. I can not stress enough that you need to find a group that fits your needs, your child's needs, and is made up of a group of people that are like you. Don't be afraid to try out groups and quit, like I did. Most of the time these groups will cost money, so be picky.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That is all for today. Tomorrow I will talk about what our day looks like and Olivia's schedule. I will also give you the low-down on our curriculum. If you have any questions you want me to answer don't forget to post them in the comments section and I will answer all of them in the final post for the series, along with other most asked questions. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">August 2013 - Allye (22 months), Olivia (7), Addison (4)</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Learn On,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Homeschool Mama</span></span></div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-44024716319840492282014-06-01T22:33:00.001-05:002014-06-01T22:33:14.735-05:00Upcycle - Gap Dress via Goodwill<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So we did another <a href="http://www.mamabouchardtalks.blogspot.com/2014/05/upcycle-and-theres-first-time-for.html" target="_blank">upcycle</a>. This one was for Olivia. Let me explain how this came about. A year ago, when I was on the <a href="http://www.mamabouchardtalks.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-restaurant-chair.html" target="_blank">chair mission</a> that involved every Goodwill and Thrift Shop within a 50 mile radius, I could hardly avoid having a child along every once in awhile. Insert Olivia. Olivia hates to shop. With a passion. I have been given a glimmer of hope this year, but for the sake of the story we will stick with her overall attitude towards my hobby. So, one day I am making a a swing through the Goodwill furniture section and I realize she is not standing right under my feet. Just a few moments of panic later and I found her digging in the kid's clothes. She was having fun. Correct me if I am wrong, but people who generally don't care for shopping should not enjoy the "hunt" of a Goodwill. Oh, but she was. She came out with this little blue dress from the Gap. Once in the fitting room, I tried my best to send it back but she was not having it. It needed work. Too much work. Five minutes later we owned it. A year later I have pulled it from the stack hoping it might fit better. It did not. So here ya go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiascj1p_JduI5zj61X8c1mTnMYGsga9U48s52brhGi_5g1haVNpYfgGGEuNP5IkM-acM0Mk6y6iWGVchAiGh7VM2kyUqN6UY-419u6wCY26Mw1MorWl7HvjgDIZMYr1aE_pa1Kp7EWH1U/s1600/DSC_4110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiascj1p_JduI5zj61X8c1mTnMYGsga9U48s52brhGi_5g1haVNpYfgGGEuNP5IkM-acM0Mk6y6iWGVchAiGh7VM2kyUqN6UY-419u6wCY26Mw1MorWl7HvjgDIZMYr1aE_pa1Kp7EWH1U/s1600/DSC_4110.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There were two main issues that we had to address. One was the fact that the dress was cut too low in the front. That was the part I had hoped would fix itself with a year's worth of growth. Second was the fact that there were two sewn in belt loops and no belt. I pulled out all of the fabrics I had (another free upcycle plus the cost of the $2 dress). I gave her several ideas to choose from, but she knew exactly what she wanted. It was not my first choice but I was reminded that my job was to sew. In the nicest, most polite way of course. She wanted an apron dress. In the truest, most raw form. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwInwGKsbLL11awz3wHn_RiVxaJCyznhOzeRbiq7iKuB6nsl8XAHg8rU7g_VzF0kCarKiH4K2A4Xs80WB5B3D1EyleRD4Sp4yoh1hzOF0G2iTIXciCC8b6L39a5LJuZQ0YEHEOGWXamM/s1600/DSC_4114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwInwGKsbLL11awz3wHn_RiVxaJCyznhOzeRbiq7iKuB6nsl8XAHg8rU7g_VzF0kCarKiH4K2A4Xs80WB5B3D1EyleRD4Sp4yoh1hzOF0G2iTIXciCC8b6L39a5LJuZQ0YEHEOGWXamM/s1600/DSC_4114.JPG" height="640" width="402" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <br />The apron dresses that I am used to seeing have the "apron" sewn into the dress, not as a detachable piece. She declared that idea was not an apron dress since she wouldn't be able to remove it. So, I made a gathered apron with the fabrics she chose. Fully detachable, of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9pIEoqGr3DQaUjmfShNqB0hD83o5UBENKprEA6TKFoxqBIPJiwvOyT2I2iCdjsREjNTkaUJ27Drea3iuWVvjBhqPUbec0xVpclnspkl1FgNgG-67CfYB0vry1h_UtwPnpBvPmxcyhgA/s1600/DSC_4127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9pIEoqGr3DQaUjmfShNqB0hD83o5UBENKprEA6TKFoxqBIPJiwvOyT2I2iCdjsREjNTkaUJ27Drea3iuWVvjBhqPUbec0xVpclnspkl1FgNgG-67CfYB0vry1h_UtwPnpBvPmxcyhgA/s1600/DSC_4127.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once the apron was constructed and put on I felt like something was still missing. So, I went on the world's longest search for yellow buttons. Apparently yellow is the color for summer. It is not my color so I was quite shocked that it took more than one store to find such a simple item. But, I was glad I kept on it because they are my favorite part.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPblrJiR2WIxJgBbsgMlw_HelkXOWC2yKUVVnEIPMoLJ48Any0XpfMhW_9CAY3W0vPsIebtFDiBV44EC8VP7Gt4yJB5iEufXrc3MZKOiYB7TOQaVA5SVtL4jNtw_auEqqJGKVhpC9KNo/s1600/DSC_4117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOPblrJiR2WIxJgBbsgMlw_HelkXOWC2yKUVVnEIPMoLJ48Any0XpfMhW_9CAY3W0vPsIebtFDiBV44EC8VP7Gt4yJB5iEufXrc3MZKOiYB7TOQaVA5SVtL4jNtw_auEqqJGKVhpC9KNo/s1600/DSC_4117.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To address the low cut front I carefully cut the straps in the back at the place they joined the dress. I made a button hole on the back of the dress and attached a button on the strap. I did not cut the strap down to size and here is why. As she grows we will be able to place another button on the strap to allow for growth if needed. Or, just move the button. Since I have two other girls, we would opt for adding buttons. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQkhRfLX0XR9-AzjijG-YSyAk-mc54zvERVjiv5IfNWGOdh2Nqfd9pacgYH10oDu7TNRBZJ7gwLULwKc5gEv5oY1H-ijXfyypIFKGZQDVucktATjyKr_9gIgApVjBdgoUh3-S01_i3UM/s1600/DSC_4129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQkhRfLX0XR9-AzjijG-YSyAk-mc54zvERVjiv5IfNWGOdh2Nqfd9pacgYH10oDu7TNRBZJ7gwLULwKc5gEv5oY1H-ijXfyypIFKGZQDVucktATjyKr_9gIgApVjBdgoUh3-S01_i3UM/s1600/DSC_4129.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The last touch was the handmade headband. I have quite a few plastic headbands that have unraveled over the years. I finally decided to re-wrap one and use for this project. This is not an easy task. I then made two fabric rosettes and layered them using hot glue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHafzrn4s56iECWAtbQUIK05hNF5qAzo8Ej0k28uCdZuszmdXQvBXC3J4bOylSKEP2PJMX7S6FrwL3tNpM3U391e7l0KQ_aQ4Kh_63ZVtl_rQielkO4CAGRGzoR8qNEizrISx-FVDxF0/s1600/DSC_4121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHafzrn4s56iECWAtbQUIK05hNF5qAzo8Ej0k28uCdZuszmdXQvBXC3J4bOylSKEP2PJMX7S6FrwL3tNpM3U391e7l0KQ_aQ4Kh_63ZVtl_rQielkO4CAGRGzoR8qNEizrISx-FVDxF0/s1600/DSC_4121.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Another happy customer. I am two for two in the upcycle department....simply because my most demanding customer is still waiting in the wings. ;) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">--------The Mama</span></i></span></div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-28880910406956991732014-05-21T21:17:00.001-05:002014-05-21T21:52:15.361-05:00Upcycle and There's A First Time for Everything<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />So I posted this photo to Instagram the other day... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUib7UReOG73B_9inkd17Ri3qF9QpKf6AwgiboMLhtThwT7OGTWK34eNdHfZk7xPTpMAUYr-28XKmc7jE40A3ktvuy2oypq00yf0BLvgE8spa463W9yPbNs-fz28HE3V9C5sKUzoCgCZY/s1600/dress-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUib7UReOG73B_9inkd17Ri3qF9QpKf6AwgiboMLhtThwT7OGTWK34eNdHfZk7xPTpMAUYr-28XKmc7jE40A3ktvuy2oypq00yf0BLvgE8spa463W9yPbNs-fz28HE3V9C5sKUzoCgCZY/s1600/dress-001.jpg" height="400" width="372" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">and declared an #upcycle was about to happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> If you are not familiar with that term let me explain. For a seamstress, an upcycle is when we take a used piece of clothing or other fabric item and turn it into something new. I have an entire bin of these items. Why? Because I have three children who constantly test my stain removing skills and while I do have "skillz" in this area some nuts you just can't crack. Can I get an Amen? I really do enjoy this challenge and the opportunity for my mind to think outside of the pattern world it so prefers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This upcycle began with a stained cream t-shirt that Addison wore when she was Allye's current age (2.5). I knew that I wanted this to be a no cost upcycle, which meant I could only use what I had in my stash. After planning it all out and photographing the materials, I changed my mind because my brain started doing somersaults when the words July 4th popped in. Let me give you the image.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1x4tmcPy1sz5S8Qe9bCQo-kfWAr9NdikGl_PbYhBKXlZcgnlAMD4r4niOY7H0YhM7tyfJXNVDhPLnRBnFnQHSvYF0qDrlisUFeDLLp3j_8Jsud78w_JVYHS2mNvlzWd2aFLDisjMt9YM/s1600/DSC_7760-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1x4tmcPy1sz5S8Qe9bCQo-kfWAr9NdikGl_PbYhBKXlZcgnlAMD4r4niOY7H0YhM7tyfJXNVDhPLnRBnFnQHSvYF0qDrlisUFeDLLp3j_8Jsud78w_JVYHS2mNvlzWd2aFLDisjMt9YM/s1600/DSC_7760-001.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These were the outfits I made last year for July 4th. The dresses on the older girls still fit. However, Allye's is no where close and has actually been handed off to a friend so that I will see it again. :) My mind started racing and began the search for every piece of any of these fabrics I could find. When I realized I could make this work I was beyond thrilled. If you don't sew you might not understand just how wonderful this feels. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjKOTGvHG3vP3M_o6ZivyiwEukdAqKWZNTlwRya-u7veh2eYTG4aq4xTDkLemZwaXSBdBI8IW4D9ZC-6uxOrfwWaGsZuv9HH6LGS7UIko7fJKKDofFGFdDRqvdaaz97VotishpaB5Bkk/s1600/DSC_4618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjKOTGvHG3vP3M_o6ZivyiwEukdAqKWZNTlwRya-u7veh2eYTG4aq4xTDkLemZwaXSBdBI8IW4D9ZC-6uxOrfwWaGsZuv9HH6LGS7UIko7fJKKDofFGFdDRqvdaaz97VotishpaB5Bkk/s1600/DSC_4618.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here's how it went down. I decided on the final length the dress was going to be and made all of my cuts accordingly. I completed the bottom of the dress entirely before ever cutting off the shirt, just in case I miscalculated somewhere. It happens people. I really put a lot of effort into this and was so thrilled when I got it all put together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvsBGo7xHs-dQrPDczTkxXep3MiF5xKZdZQWA0SuRlpppI02eTmof84q-gz4VgRnFUAfY-6NwB9ZhJS1tjpyI-QiYcAZ5Y0zKiQLcZUAey-6-TAEYEENK7LdyqMS_5irBppSbIYMTUmE/s1600/DSC_4639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvsBGo7xHs-dQrPDczTkxXep3MiF5xKZdZQWA0SuRlpppI02eTmof84q-gz4VgRnFUAfY-6NwB9ZhJS1tjpyI-QiYcAZ5Y0zKiQLcZUAey-6-TAEYEENK7LdyqMS_5irBppSbIYMTUmE/s1600/DSC_4639.JPG" height="456" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> I thought from the beginning that I would monogram the final dress, but was unsure when it was done so I slept on it. I have really cut back on the monograms for the older girls because of the need and desire to pass on the items being worn. Ultimately I decided to go for it. Allye was so excited her "name" was going to be on the dress. She asked to help and I agreed. After getting it set up and ready I allowed her to sit on my lap and press the button, her favorite job. I was smitten from the second it came off the machine. I hung it from the china cabinet just so I could marvel at it. Then yesterday, on her way to the park, Olivia stops by the dress and says, "Mom, who did you make this for?" Momentarily I wondered if she had lost her mind. "Um, Allye," I responded. "Why?" "Well Mom, you put Addison's initials on it." I died right there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB1UNPYc28ho2gsluhSWChVtZLAKu-GA6AETOOSWaDqZRPcvCSGmFme52ze5bVOgFTLHjc3A-If-C-yRXI1aexHjp6vpbP9tS90S0Ij60MMf2loGLTnfAYz8xQt1pFaiANxq6c-F1e_k/s1600/DSC_4641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB1UNPYc28ho2gsluhSWChVtZLAKu-GA6AETOOSWaDqZRPcvCSGmFme52ze5bVOgFTLHjc3A-If-C-yRXI1aexHjp6vpbP9tS90S0Ij60MMf2loGLTnfAYz8xQt1pFaiANxq6c-F1e_k/s1600/DSC_4641.JPG" height="640" width="458" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">First of all, if you monogram, this is your worst nightmare. Second of all, it is worse than a nightmare to do it to one of your own children. I really can't describe my feelings in that moment. I let it sit there overnight. This morning I put my big girl panties on and figured it out while I played at the beach with the girls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinguRQnpOrmURxPXFLhZQhhjMJ4W_AmivKw1HVoLbfsJ3JsovMA19BmX1hPJBZUx-wU-dlguxuyPX_WQU6Ij1GcneQFcMEzvW-6EL9SEEXI4cDFn3Qzr3Nbqfsxfp75Jzviu2JYMe1rgY/s1600/DSC_4630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinguRQnpOrmURxPXFLhZQhhjMJ4W_AmivKw1HVoLbfsJ3JsovMA19BmX1hPJBZUx-wU-dlguxuyPX_WQU6Ij1GcneQFcMEzvW-6EL9SEEXI4cDFn3Qzr3Nbqfsxfp75Jzviu2JYMe1rgY/s1600/DSC_4630.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> I saw this idea in my new sewing book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sew-Classic-Clothes-Girls-Accessories/dp/144023518X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400722653&sr=8-1&keywords=sew+classic+clothes+for+girls+20+dresses+outfits+and+accessories+from+the+cottage+mama" target="_blank">Sew Classic Clothes for Girls</a>, and had been wanting to try it, not particularly for this reason but I knew it was the perfect opportunity. It is a removable monogram so multiple siblings can wear the same item over the years. You simply monogram the piece of fabric and attach using buttonholes. When the next sibling wears it you place their monogram on it. Genius right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2t2Zvv6X_NS-5Pu8vosCv5aIdRkdw_DQMXfkGeazK8iiaSok14sRm7pxWpSwG3TI88AKLTvC_5A9v63edjiQzLUD9hDkK3z1Jvtgv3BNGPd1_aC4jFyBd3ZUFZvcTfGKi1TBf9-_9IM8/s1600/DSC_4646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2t2Zvv6X_NS-5Pu8vosCv5aIdRkdw_DQMXfkGeazK8iiaSok14sRm7pxWpSwG3TI88AKLTvC_5A9v63edjiQzLUD9hDkK3z1Jvtgv3BNGPd1_aC4jFyBd3ZUFZvcTfGKi1TBf9-_9IM8/s1600/DSC_4646.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So there it is. A great way to turn something headed to the trash into a keepsake. And in this case, a first time mistake that will be a forever memory. I hope you are inspired to look at something old and trash worthy in a new way. I would love to see it!</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">---- The Mama</span></span></i></div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-25544481680514197252014-05-20T22:42:00.000-05:002014-05-20T23:50:42.127-05:00Adventures With Mama<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When Man was told he would be going to Utah for a couple of weeks for work he was slightly excited. However, he was mortified to learn it would fall over Mother's Day. He has always gone out of his way to make that day special for me by giving me the day "off" or creating great big surprises like last year. I decided two things immediately. 1. He was going to be off the hook for gift buying this year (All I wanted was a new vacuum and rain boots---this is not his area folks). 2. I was going to do something I love and take my girls with me. Travel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have a little Florida bucket list and this particular place has been at the top for a year now. I picked up a state parks book a year ago while visiting Tallahassee, and when I saw the promotional photo for the park I knew I had to take my girls there. When all of this happened with Man's schedule it didn't take me long to know where we were going. In the excitement of the planning I added on a few more days and stops and just like that we had a girl's trip planned. He was slightly concerned about all of this travel without him, but he knew that it.was.happening. And it did. And it was marvelous. And I would do it again tomorrow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Friday before Mother's Day we set out for Weeki Wachee Springs, FL. I thought that we were going to be in a fairly small town, but not so. There was a Target. I judge every town on size based on whether or not they have a Target. We traveled along two lane roads most of the way and it was when we found a Walmart and unloaded for a potty break that the most awesome thing happened. Olivia (who was very worried about our ability to do this without her dad) excitedly said, "Mama, we are doing it! We are making it without Daddy!" She was so proud of us and had a great surge of confidence seeing what we had already accomplished. This was one of my goals for this trip. I want to raise three strong and confident women. I will have failed them if they come out on the other side of my raising and do not believe that they can truly do anything. So, we are starting with baby steps...that reward us with mermaid sightings.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipb7JsIAIWDPF1R_ZZIeu_LtZnyzUc2SOeBHRN-5WZ-w7QPFlDYPisGHIAOwYdNSc4occfdOy6qZGktsWGG-wXUl0wk6_r-oy8TmKuk4pNiU1IuLCuc4kLte4Qb4UlX0PYGDAUKiihtig/s1600/DSC_4261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipb7JsIAIWDPF1R_ZZIeu_LtZnyzUc2SOeBHRN-5WZ-w7QPFlDYPisGHIAOwYdNSc4occfdOy6qZGktsWGG-wXUl0wk6_r-oy8TmKuk4pNiU1IuLCuc4kLte4Qb4UlX0PYGDAUKiihtig/s1600/DSC_4261.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.floridastateparks.org/weekiwachee/" target="_blank">Weeki Wachee State Park, FL</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibE_Fo6mum62wsJespEqjSdO7dKZa0ejU4PI7V6OEisDal7IVEqPQrZ_fiZvtOIOm4DAoCDuFqyCxSVIQl4BrKCRvP-dEjNKViAC5ApUQumx4wBBz53RFEiHAHgrUjYI1VUotK-5fOeqs/s1600/DSC_4262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibE_Fo6mum62wsJespEqjSdO7dKZa0ejU4PI7V6OEisDal7IVEqPQrZ_fiZvtOIOm4DAoCDuFqyCxSVIQl4BrKCRvP-dEjNKViAC5ApUQumx4wBBz53RFEiHAHgrUjYI1VUotK-5fOeqs/s1600/DSC_4262.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlLIK0gO9UWrALz5DxShV6tUMsuXsNqMrEEjtNnCDiSvd23_rs0AG29IZcFiTcc43OH4YpuTeXx2QTatuvAsWBUMCJEy_bFz_8AgMZAmXKK33NJIoGBIQ60aSiFvP0E_BHaAoovW0XzE/s1600/DSC_4264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlLIK0gO9UWrALz5DxShV6tUMsuXsNqMrEEjtNnCDiSvd23_rs0AG29IZcFiTcc43OH4YpuTeXx2QTatuvAsWBUMCJEy_bFz_8AgMZAmXKK33NJIoGBIQ60aSiFvP0E_BHaAoovW0XzE/s1600/DSC_4264.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Looking for mermaids.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrYNm861kHl550UOCM5Ejhn2O8QY1TGWKYtybRZazMvomCQ3QHIVyjJ0GjUwJ-djBE6jSOvOkYH2REhA9e0JrVO2BTruh50pdg9OMt7hNrLVeKXLn1h8KqXLxH1kyg7-dTc4zNrHGiS0/s1600/DSC_4278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrYNm861kHl550UOCM5Ejhn2O8QY1TGWKYtybRZazMvomCQ3QHIVyjJ0GjUwJ-djBE6jSOvOkYH2REhA9e0JrVO2BTruh50pdg9OMt7hNrLVeKXLn1h8KqXLxH1kyg7-dTc4zNrHGiS0/s1600/DSC_4278.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0bezqrtYOeyDpWLTVCqtVXht3EP-4iXP20Re6A4ghxXvbaGPb6QnL96h0BaaTO_IHsPgKywq9AvIhpUcOB2YF8ubPdLx3tmNiInyBsKQuG9aGJfMcPQDTtQl9Ng5ljv2Ra7tc-WcDfA/s1600/DSC_4284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0bezqrtYOeyDpWLTVCqtVXht3EP-4iXP20Re6A4ghxXvbaGPb6QnL96h0BaaTO_IHsPgKywq9AvIhpUcOB2YF8ubPdLx3tmNiInyBsKQuG9aGJfMcPQDTtQl9Ng5ljv2Ra7tc-WcDfA/s1600/DSC_4284.JPG" height="640" width="508" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I totally chalked this up to a little girl's fantasy trip but I have to say it was truly amazing to watch. They never go to the surface, instead using wands, throughout the performance, that blow air into their mouths. The current show is the story of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Mermaid-Hans-Christian-Andersen/dp/B003A02R80/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400620350&sr=1-3&keywords=the+little+mermaid+hans+christian+andersen+%26+lisbeth+zwerger" target="_blank">The Little Mermaid</a>, based on Hans Christian Anderson's original work, per the information at the park. However, we have studied the original tale of Anderson and they are not even close. If you have never read the original story to your child, you should. It is a work of art. This was the work of Disney.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After explaining to Olivia that we really didn't need to inform the park (as bad as even I wanted too) we went and posed as mermaids...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbC_GUn4R4DxEy3yy9wLh7-gh01QqqVrDgksD79XkokWLSKXrsWhyphenhyphenb27ySH24CmngFVol02NinABE2kzBv-gGd4rmbA2j66zDUl2OPvCuf0jwK6tcN9BFx48JvQEFjrAODskXOmJuIb4/s1600/DSC_4304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbC_GUn4R4DxEy3yy9wLh7-gh01QqqVrDgksD79XkokWLSKXrsWhyphenhyphenb27ySH24CmngFVol02NinABE2kzBv-gGd4rmbA2j66zDUl2OPvCuf0jwK6tcN9BFx48JvQEFjrAODskXOmJuIb4/s1600/DSC_4304.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> and with a mermaid...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tOk9fPOg2PyZ7OG0OtDejzt1Zbc1L1JtmCBFagtYJi6jOm5d1LrGv88Mo68IvLMSLUaocVzE62E3PD99gL01cHE0gAaO7umiTm7S-pI9380xcyx_mmJVIaGeyncJOv7MInkUg5whOXo/s1600/DSC_4319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tOk9fPOg2PyZ7OG0OtDejzt1Zbc1L1JtmCBFagtYJi6jOm5d1LrGv88Mo68IvLMSLUaocVzE62E3PD99gL01cHE0gAaO7umiTm7S-pI9380xcyx_mmJVIaGeyncJOv7MInkUg5whOXo/s1600/DSC_4319.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We spent the afternoon swimming in the spring water, enjoying the water slides, and eating lots of yummy treats. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We closed the park down, hopped in our car, and drove another hour south to Treasure Island, where we found a slice of Heaven on Earth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtW40GAfeh_uM4pI4wq5372kcDC2vXF84phEWLT3cwmCdHMpvK_XNH9azkYciEz0EeF_uzlFrzJ38pQMflpCZVN6Rm0MZcwZ8fee89iFxvoFPH6eICdmU4TEVIKuQPLnOeh6Qt0RevlQ/s1600/DSC_4347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtW40GAfeh_uM4pI4wq5372kcDC2vXF84phEWLT3cwmCdHMpvK_XNH9azkYciEz0EeF_uzlFrzJ38pQMflpCZVN6Rm0MZcwZ8fee89iFxvoFPH6eICdmU4TEVIKuQPLnOeh6Qt0RevlQ/s1600/DSC_4347.JPG" height="444" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we stepped through the doors of our <a href="http://www.thunderbirdflorida.com/" target="_blank">hotel</a> we were met with music, dancing, swimming, and a beach view so far we couldn't see the ocean. Crisp white sand drew us in as we threw our stuff in the room, slid on dry swimsuits and ran to see the beauty of this place. With hungry bellies we meandered back to the patio of our hotel and ate pizza underneath palm trees lined with Christmas tree lights and beach music playing in the background. The thirty minute wait period was put to rest as we went straight for the pool and swam well into the darkness of night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYzvNq1vo6QO7E0v70940urzpFUzwlmD714mP_tALX9RZCYfU8INxqZF5KUK3USwaiDNRi-Jvp7jy5aGBIO0_rM4X21L5QS0Sk3J0ojEdjokecpQRboq9TNiAPO8l5A5-6S9P8w7Ne6E/s1600/swimming-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYzvNq1vo6QO7E0v70940urzpFUzwlmD714mP_tALX9RZCYfU8INxqZF5KUK3USwaiDNRi-Jvp7jy5aGBIO0_rM4X21L5QS0Sk3J0ojEdjokecpQRboq9TNiAPO8l5A5-6S9P8w7Ne6E/s1600/swimming-001.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we checked in, the lady at the front desk said we should go down to John's Pass the next day and check out the Pirate Fest going on. So we did. Only after I got a serenade, sweet cards, flowers, and lots of hugs and kisses. Oh, and some doughnuts for breakfast.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-YeCIWGDxuV3L6tbGIxhwGjmmEvTyfDBVwgSfSWYbmM9D6BCCFLF3pgKudxzhZH64g4enhEYVXyHdGsf2wIclpZz-FUjZaYFMc94IApBYWQEHBsSfLTRxGBDDMBlmzruNyWEfaMLAHs/s1600/DSC_4375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-YeCIWGDxuV3L6tbGIxhwGjmmEvTyfDBVwgSfSWYbmM9D6BCCFLF3pgKudxzhZH64g4enhEYVXyHdGsf2wIclpZz-FUjZaYFMc94IApBYWQEHBsSfLTRxGBDDMBlmzruNyWEfaMLAHs/s1600/DSC_4375.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pirates need swords to attack their bigger sister!</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since the girls were a little freaked out by the adults walking around dressed up and acting like pirates, we didn't last long. Mostly, they couldn't understand why they were doing this. And, since I couldn't either, we grabbed some Italian Ice and hit the road. We had some more swimming to do!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoag-hgbWcnJptf-ElDobJXj_FMRQAr5FRAhy0-bB8OBo8RFQWgrqAcqek73xn9GmdiYHlELJeKPx5pmo-PaNOVVO36skXwQpBckf81KfdH3m9058HilBmdWrP4ELHtbN8S4upxGSCwtw/s1600/DSC_4395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoag-hgbWcnJptf-ElDobJXj_FMRQAr5FRAhy0-bB8OBo8RFQWgrqAcqek73xn9GmdiYHlELJeKPx5pmo-PaNOVVO36skXwQpBckf81KfdH3m9058HilBmdWrP4ELHtbN8S4upxGSCwtw/s1600/DSC_4395.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These two built a strong bond around fun in the water during this trip.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Late in the afternoon we gathered some things and went to the beach. We spent a little time collecting seashells and jumping some waves. Allye had not been feeling 100% so Olivia and Addison took turns playing the sand with her while the other one jumped some waves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As the sun set that evening I stood back and watched our girls stand along the edge of the ocean holding hands, laughing, and skipping waves. I grabbed my camera, almost feeling like I shouldn't intrude on the moment, but it was perfection in my eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The next morning we packed up and headed to Clearwater, FL. When I studied the map and saw that we would be so close to the <a href="http://www.seewinter.com/" target="_blank">Clearwater Marine Aquarium</a> I knew we were going. My girls watched Dolphin Tale some time ago, leading us to view Winter, the star, from the internet several times. If you don't know, Winter is a dolphin who's tale got caught in a net and was rescued and brought to this aquarium. She swims with an artificial tale for physical therapy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I can not say enough wonderful things about this place. Had I known how much learning could be done in this one place, I would have planned the entire day there. The staff is dedicated to you learning about the animals, seeing them up close, and touching as many of them as you can. All three girls loved it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We spent the rest of the day traveling to visit a friend and spend the night close to her. The following morning we drove the rest of the way home laughing over the funnies that happened along the way, wishing we were still splashing around Treasure Island, and so very grateful for the opportunity to make these memories together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">**I put together this video to share with you what I was so grateful to see in person.**</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">*If you are viewing this in the email subscription service you will have to click the title at the top of the page to link into the website to view the video.*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i1.ytimg.com/s_vi/-N7qYsgHAbY/default.jpg?sqp=COS98JsF&rs=AOn4CLAg8m0M7FFl-8f0mYFASUixtxAYxw" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/-N7qYsgHAbY?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/-N7qYsgHAbY?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">-----The Mama</span></i></span></div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-38654832963598513552014-02-25T21:20:00.001-06:002014-02-25T21:54:42.784-06:00I love her.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">even when she wants to go outside and play in a cream dress and cowgirl boots. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love her... </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">so I went with it. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love her... </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> so I threw a flower in her hair and took my camera too. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love her...</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">forever and a day.</span></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">----The Mama</span></span></i></div>
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Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-79322184730153334902014-02-17T21:43:00.000-06:002014-04-15T21:56:02.780-05:00Another Outdoor Adventure<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">As I play blog catch-up, please note that I am dating them back as this is a diary for my daughters to look back upon. Enjoy our February adventure in the outdoors. :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Falling Waters State Park</span></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We caught a break in the coldest winter ever...for Florida... so we decided to take a drive to the next stop on Man's outdoor adventure list. Sitting just off of I-10 about one hour from our home is Florida's tallest waterfall, at 73 feet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Even though I have traveled this route a few more times than Man, I had never noticed any signs pointing me in this direction. Perhaps it has something to do with the final destination I am seeking on each of my trips. Ummm....shopping in Tallahassee, Disney, Cruising. You get the point. Man vs. Woman. He wins on this one. It was gorgeous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we stepped onto the paved path, leading into the forest, we were met with the enticing sound of the water falling. As we strolled along, the girls were able to stop and look at the different plants, trees, and sinkholes that abound in this part of nature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Allye insisted that we stop and look at every "river" along the way. She was thoroughly amused and I was terrified she might try to jump in. Thankfully, she decided dry was best. When the paved paths ran out, there were beautiful wood paths and stairways that took over and opened up to a two acre lake with white sandy beaches. It was so heart-warming to see that many of these paths were the final project for an Eagle Scout or Boy Scout troops.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A quaint little bridge to the right of this lake captured our attention and drew us to a path that meandered beyond what our wishful eyes could see. Although dreamers and adventure seekers we are, we are also Realists. Approaching the lunching hour with no picnic basket in sight and countless steps taken already, we knew it was time to begin our journey back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We ate under the cover of sky high pine trees on picnic tables with a cool breeze blowing. This majestic park offered a great playground area for the kids as well. So, of course, we spent lots of time there seeing who could swing the highest and slide the fastest. We paused to hear birds singing and tree branches swaying. We pierced the silent air with shrieks of laughter playing chase and had moments of silence as we drank in the awesomeness of God's creation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We couldn't leave without a mandatory family shot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let's just keep it real...we have way more of this kind...and I kind of love it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Until we meet again...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/105748690/to-do-print-8x10-print-enjoy-the-natural" target="_blank">Source - Support Handmade</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Love,</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Outdoor Mama</span></i></span></div>
Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0Falling Waters State Park, Chipley, FL 32428, USA30.728629899999991 -85.52903609999998530.714980399999991 -85.549206099999978 30.74227939999999 -85.508866099999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-1235870564169069312014-01-31T13:40:00.000-06:002014-03-11T14:11:45.419-05:00Master Sergeant Tack On...FINALLY!<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A year ago Man was under the gun, again, testing to make his next rank. After not making it the year before we set a new path for conquering the "beast". Because he sewed some of his early stripes on quickly he has to make these ranks almost totally on the points he earns from taking the test. Meaning, he has to know his stuff. So, he studied every.single.day for ONE year. He dragged the books on vacation, used the apps, and fell asleep with papers on his face many nights. BUT...he passed! And since I am his wife, I can brag and say it wasn't by just a point or two. Icing on the cake? The cut off was the highest it has been in 30 years! After we got the awesome news (while at Disney World no less) we celebrated and then waited for eight months to actually see him put the stripe on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The girls and I, along with the best neighbors ever, were there to see him put them on. I can't say how wonderful it is to have other people be there to support you and celebrate with you when these moments are happening in your life. The military life can feel very lonely at times but them being there truly felt like we had our family right beside us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is how it works. They call your name, you come onto the stage, they say lots of things that I can't remember, give you a piece of paper, shake your hand, and wave your family to come up. Of course, the girls were on the edge of their seat and were on the stage in seconds of getting the "ok". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Olivia and Addison actually put them on for the first time, under the close supervision of his Chief (on the right) and Commander (on the left). Then came the part they had been waiting on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The tack on. Yes. Each arm gets "tacked on" with a good solid punch. In our case, he got four punches. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> This is yet another shining example for our children that tenacity, hard work, dedication, and sheer determination will achieve results. He let nothing stand in his way for this and I could not have been prouder of him! </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">----The Mama</span></span></i></div>
Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-87548270218518460202014-01-20T21:05:00.000-06:002014-02-14T11:02:41.577-06:00Cruisin' and An Epiphany<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A little less then a year ago Man and I began to plan our 10 year anniversary trip. We have been on one adults-only trip in the last eight and a half years and that was for two nights after Olivia turned one. So, we were long over-do. I am certain I was caught in a moment of weakness when I agreed to a seven night cruise. You know, the kids had probably rope tied me, painted the walls, and ran naked through the yard that day. But, I agreed. And, for quite some time I was very excited. Then the worry and mommy in me began to get the best of me. I couldn't sleep and I was terrified to leave them, especially Allye. I honestly felt like I was somehow being unfair to her to do this, when I had never left the other girls that young. While I had the best replacement lined up, I couldn't get over it. I even got slightly hysterical one night and told my mom and Man I just couldn't do it. They were very polite to me now that I think about it. Then, the next day, the kids were back to swinging from the fans, screaming at each other, and I didn't even get to go to the bathroom alone. I packed my bags that night. The cruise was a month away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For this cruise we chose Royal Caribbean and I cannot say one bad thing about them, except they wouldn't let me have my iron in my room. I am my mother's child, what can I say? I ironed what I needed to with my curling iron. So there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We were soon setting sail to St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and the cruise line's private island. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> I didn't have to beg Man too hard to take me zip lining in St. Maarten. The drive to the location was less then glamorous but the location itself was beautiful. After a short lesson we were off and zipping from tree to tree and navigating the rope courses when we weren't able to zip. He was impressed. There were no cameras allowed on the course, for very good reason I realized after seeing it. I was able to snap a few of the grounds once we were done.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTqiR3eYLUpzn3-2sd6dEGHL7SFdqdqMaifDCo4woylHcwQQgsqL-bN8OiGKE0ADlKLlxie634ig-ACQ9YKfE06tg2WtdKudMmDP67NiIEjNVx-ZA7nyDNMs8N5O6LCs883jT9-V8j7I/s1600/DSC_3175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTqiR3eYLUpzn3-2sd6dEGHL7SFdqdqMaifDCo4woylHcwQQgsqL-bN8OiGKE0ADlKLlxie634ig-ACQ9YKfE06tg2WtdKudMmDP67NiIEjNVx-ZA7nyDNMs8N5O6LCs883jT9-V8j7I/s1600/DSC_3175.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wildlife!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The next day we landed in St. Thomas and WOW! I think I could live there. This place was stunning! As soon as we disembarked we saw gondola chairlifts in the distance and made a beeline for them. Wearing swimsuits and cover-ups we thought we were beach bound for the day but so thankful we made this detour. After riding the chairlifts up the mountain we landed in a hillside shop with a restaurant and outdoor bar area. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_mQLlO4icRHOqhgE70CONeJ6Ftga4k8mKmBUSxgHyPIRGCbytXEJKQmmheaFTuBOvvqLo0tyEaaUab1Ro6bstKsjkMHAIKPl7f1wHiqrexW0RPp6-Sv-_OqYFnP3X8fBuSGHSZEXw7s/s1600/DSC_3212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_mQLlO4icRHOqhgE70CONeJ6Ftga4k8mKmBUSxgHyPIRGCbytXEJKQmmheaFTuBOvvqLo0tyEaaUab1Ro6bstKsjkMHAIKPl7f1wHiqrexW0RPp6-Sv-_OqYFnP3X8fBuSGHSZEXw7s/s1600/DSC_3212.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">St. Thomas</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our next day was spent on the ship. Being that the theme of the year is outdoor adventures I couldn't pass on the outdoorsiness (it's a word now) offered right aboard the ship. First up, rock climbing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQn5GIrZcYoEVgkFQk9l-GejE3uccn1_S6oGkWZh-PX_ECrT7AJTRMPvZkcy3kcGb5TPvN3-BmGleHWr3NK8XDIGxXOga9KR5ourjqEJ-2imRW0JlUX8hji5vnLMeWsuZsRbTvCK-p6es/s1600/Jan+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQn5GIrZcYoEVgkFQk9l-GejE3uccn1_S6oGkWZh-PX_ECrT7AJTRMPvZkcy3kcGb5TPvN3-BmGleHWr3NK8XDIGxXOga9KR5ourjqEJ-2imRW0JlUX8hji5vnLMeWsuZsRbTvCK-p6es/s1600/Jan+2014.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I chose the dark blue course, as it is labeled beginner, and I made it to the top! Man had done this once, earlier in the week, so he was going to choose tan. I began to notice he was using many different colors, so when he arrived back at the bottom I <strike>called him out </strike>casually mentioned my observation. He's married to a rule follower. He knows it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then there was the Flow Rider. If you haven't met, let me introduce you. The Flow Rider is a wave simulator. A very nice mate assists you onto your board, gives you detailed instructions, pushes you out, and you ride. Or not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I watched Man do this for quite some time before I was brave enough. I took lots of wonderful pictures that look like this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCeyuut14j1_uBkaOnqvIXrwJYGaCvKkJX6qdcIz7au2Krf1NeNTcUvZ3k88BoBJQQ9b2ZFttkvQqoDVrEbG8Z2fQd9r5KfINVFLpszFF04nyBTl1jKnJO-k9fzQzelYwPVqQsuT75xc/s1600/DSC_3269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCeyuut14j1_uBkaOnqvIXrwJYGaCvKkJX6qdcIz7au2Krf1NeNTcUvZ3k88BoBJQQ9b2ZFttkvQqoDVrEbG8Z2fQd9r5KfINVFLpszFF04nyBTl1jKnJO-k9fzQzelYwPVqQsuT75xc/s1600/DSC_3269.JPG" height="436" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He offers to take some of me so the kids will believe I actually did it. Once I settle back in after a couple of turns I am so thrilled to see the shots he got. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nw-3HpBVbhc5LC5SnSuMK-lf9K8l2DWp2xrkEEkjt0ZW00zxjZhxmEP8QyiHwJE1akIOlae6jl0B-iJ7_TJ_grgM4IwyiGUmm_exH0neNq2aGU_lT_48b1rkKNgvupSCOLUsSk-iTUM/s1600/DSC_3273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nw-3HpBVbhc5LC5SnSuMK-lf9K8l2DWp2xrkEEkjt0ZW00zxjZhxmEP8QyiHwJE1akIOlae6jl0B-iJ7_TJ_grgM4IwyiGUmm_exH0neNq2aGU_lT_48b1rkKNgvupSCOLUsSk-iTUM/s1600/DSC_3273.JPG" height="484" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Yes, I am that white.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUIg26SPwdfIYBoqvIqG-K2fyfRyXn8-0gSfYUxoIShbXxu-_-aRpJdxm5qlYrfebXmny0fYt79Zaiby_mWgrcchh4gIFkUN244DkXan6DhmzhqzvwV__frNWo0QKOljRyyn-8wInFw0/s1600/DSC_3276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUIg26SPwdfIYBoqvIqG-K2fyfRyXn8-0gSfYUxoIShbXxu-_-aRpJdxm5qlYrfebXmny0fYt79Zaiby_mWgrcchh4gIFkUN244DkXan6DhmzhqzvwV__frNWo0QKOljRyyn-8wInFw0/s1600/DSC_3276.JPG" height="412" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The power of the wave is no joke.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbcdmfUaT_EGKhl-PxXMm2t6ZQNR6OczrhqNlKBGYTLgpgTyPqFmIUAi5k84ezcqftGPToS5-WqZxtSSH2jtxXJ5A7QvCZGe3ERUudtmCzRx1o6T_j00myS4VHinSq2YrLMMnbtKA7Y8/s1600/DSC_3280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbcdmfUaT_EGKhl-PxXMm2t6ZQNR6OczrhqNlKBGYTLgpgTyPqFmIUAi5k84ezcqftGPToS5-WqZxtSSH2jtxXJ5A7QvCZGe3ERUudtmCzRx1o6T_j00myS4VHinSq2YrLMMnbtKA7Y8/s1600/DSC_3280.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Lookin' good right?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHflbCcQYZlgAVDfHsqIt-WrTtGG3juzG8A2S-hsfiTogTuWd9Eu19ODC9Xr5JE7559LnEYltakfXR25lQsqcMt40XlB1p36LZEmNLe-riShxKxGzKKD4wtE1KEIIIoH1_z2rDxSiTYtU/s1600/DSC_3282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHflbCcQYZlgAVDfHsqIt-WrTtGG3juzG8A2S-hsfiTogTuWd9Eu19ODC9Xr5JE7559LnEYltakfXR25lQsqcMt40XlB1p36LZEmNLe-riShxKxGzKKD4wtE1KEIIIoH1_z2rDxSiTYtU/s1600/DSC_3282.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He let go! How dare he?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, after I gathered my swimsuit bottoms from my knees and trudged to the back of the line, I tried it again. And guess what? I stayed up for more then five seconds. But you know what? I don't have any pictures to prove that. I'll give you two guesses why and the first one doesn't count. Uh huh. You know who was already to the back of the line plotting his next turn before I could say, "Flow."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Moving on. Boogie boarding. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWsHQoGC40XNujjfs57kXz7OhcD93hKuKgR9UrF048NaXrWtwkVWoHUzu_L_h9p5EH_V2fJ1MGNaSqvicrODVuYVtY6I5CBvf40hsMzNxJCCqkpHcAMWt_kVbwITK2jfO806dCcLmT18/s1600/DSC_3289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWsHQoGC40XNujjfs57kXz7OhcD93hKuKgR9UrF048NaXrWtwkVWoHUzu_L_h9p5EH_V2fJ1MGNaSqvicrODVuYVtY6I5CBvf40hsMzNxJCCqkpHcAMWt_kVbwITK2jfO806dCcLmT18/s1600/DSC_3289.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Step 1</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-Qw9MRXK_pgCKJ3wDBkq0PfE8C0xb93aPoV_spintpTBq2lv675ky2nMst1JzIVqIm1aDsC8ozxPf3goJYXg3ppfEplVeawsVwyDxVjXfpUA-3cj38OanDb5j1F0j8uMQH7i7690vyk/s1600/DSC_3291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-Qw9MRXK_pgCKJ3wDBkq0PfE8C0xb93aPoV_spintpTBq2lv675ky2nMst1JzIVqIm1aDsC8ozxPf3goJYXg3ppfEplVeawsVwyDxVjXfpUA-3cj38OanDb5j1F0j8uMQH7i7690vyk/s1600/DSC_3291.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Step 2</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FLU1MtZW7qOFTnQWv6CLCTeJCxgLh7_nhWFxuNBU3afXzVM6taw9NatX9L5AFWpd2mVmcT6zOHrSdICHNg5qkzw8JQBDB22HySmlbrI1fA0idaGBZx9dc0uzXddkq2UyFb5pgukjHPk/s1600/DSC_3294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FLU1MtZW7qOFTnQWv6CLCTeJCxgLh7_nhWFxuNBU3afXzVM6taw9NatX9L5AFWpd2mVmcT6zOHrSdICHNg5qkzw8JQBDB22HySmlbrI1fA0idaGBZx9dc0uzXddkq2UyFb5pgukjHPk/s1600/DSC_3294.JPG" height="640" width="424" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Step 3</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEPb5kJkO3jbsotUZ7E1eQHlL7lX5ZC_QJkAuvDeeifvzeeoaOT5vD8ubceSHCL8ih-BqhZgpUvuUn369_LRLrbRJAAtm0SlNqT4-eZqEPpJqsrfNbBaNsaIUoBnskcdBbW2VNmrQkZg/s1600/DSC_3299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEPb5kJkO3jbsotUZ7E1eQHlL7lX5ZC_QJkAuvDeeifvzeeoaOT5vD8ubceSHCL8ih-BqhZgpUvuUn369_LRLrbRJAAtm0SlNqT4-eZqEPpJqsrfNbBaNsaIUoBnskcdBbW2VNmrQkZg/s1600/DSC_3299.JPG" height="640" width="502" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Having lots of time to reflect during this trip I actually came to terms with something that is very hard for me to swallow. We all come from different places and make our decisions about our marriages, families, children, and lives based on our past experiences. For me, I grew up during my youngest years, with a single mom. She worked herself to death to better our lives. For me, this often meant long hours in daycare, many times followed by a trek back across the hospital parking lot for a night meeting. It took many years, and lots of growing up to be able to be grateful for the dedication and hard work she put in so that my life could be what it is today. I know, without a doubt, that I would not be where I am without her fortitude. I have chosen to not work outside of our home because my work ethic matches hers and I never wanted to <i>have</i> to choose like she did. So far we have been able to make this happen for our family. But, here is what I realized also happened along the way. I have become so much a part of my children I often "forget" that I am a woman and a wife. I have been working so hard for my children to "have" me that I spend every ounce of energy on them, leaving nothing else at the end of the day for myself or my husband. This trip was a HUGE reminder of the woman I am, the wife I am, and that I owe it to myself, my husband, our marriage, and our family to reserve a part of me that is in no way defined by our kids or my successes and failures as a mother. It can eat you up. It has eaten me up at times. When I think about what really matters, the one thing that comes first to me, every time, is that my three precious girls can look back and know that I loved them. Because for all of my days in daycare and nights at meetings...that is never what comes first when I think about my mom. I always, always think about her love for me first. Our paths in motherhood are different, but I can only hope the outcome is the same.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf78HRm_3qY7lDwco_72mulyOjispzASe5CX1IlclHlnmrD01ydx9IBFlZl3SLtKDXloaDDytkj4S3XItovNIoJVcfvTeGA776Wen-rXAJvcj7A9EPSrC-7Wr-9kfZRFWN_ef6axdHwr4/s1600/LOVE+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf78HRm_3qY7lDwco_72mulyOjispzASe5CX1IlclHlnmrD01ydx9IBFlZl3SLtKDXloaDDytkj4S3XItovNIoJVcfvTeGA776Wen-rXAJvcj7A9EPSrC-7Wr-9kfZRFWN_ef6axdHwr4/s1600/LOVE+2.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://dailymightsoul.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/1-corinthians-1313/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">----The Mama</span></span></i></div>
Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3345551428974705407.post-64477850578570578392014-01-03T20:58:00.000-06:002014-01-03T20:58:22.594-06:00December. Reviewed in Pictures.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We are stowed away in the mountains of North Carolina eating the remnants of Christmas sweets, playing board games, making new memories and enjoying old ones of this special place. Most of all, we are sharing laughter and time together. What a wonderful way to begin this new year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As we have shared about all of our December fun with my family this past week, I thought I would create a little December in review with pictures. A picture's worth a thousand words. Right? December is truly becoming a special time for our family. I love as the holiday approaches, the older girls start asking about our traditions and if we will be doing those this year and when and how. They bring the magic to this holiday season. This one was no exception.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVOVZOkWyBEFp5YFuviWSX3phxg_YpX-KqE7iCwZNmV0p2vBBND2DjVAjxFlYHGaw_9Rc17LaC4yC883ZBW2T7NsO2ySsnaXf0fqZFgf8oW0dsdjqIvBNX-FUFfq2HXiSsKMFUsHf_mc/s1600/DSC_2348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVOVZOkWyBEFp5YFuviWSX3phxg_YpX-KqE7iCwZNmV0p2vBBND2DjVAjxFlYHGaw_9Rc17LaC4yC883ZBW2T7NsO2ySsnaXf0fqZFgf8oW0dsdjqIvBNX-FUFfq2HXiSsKMFUsHf_mc/s640/DSC_2348.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My step-brother and his wife added the ninth grandchild to our family on November 30. Another boy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6zz4t1T_L98wlpeXp3alZ12WNKZc-BzVH1O1Jg6pcf0BIDoZwcVQlymtH_GQ7tMpNWX9kybd3gJnL3eDsX_p4nGNofvL9WMfHrSalX1B-2q9_3Pnm4WaH6CmkCVptgG5BqK5z3SNwi0/s1600/DSC_2367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6zz4t1T_L98wlpeXp3alZ12WNKZc-BzVH1O1Jg6pcf0BIDoZwcVQlymtH_GQ7tMpNWX9kybd3gJnL3eDsX_p4nGNofvL9WMfHrSalX1B-2q9_3Pnm4WaH6CmkCVptgG5BqK5z3SNwi0/s640/DSC_2367.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eli arrived and was very unhappy that we were not home and he had to hang out in the garage.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEI9uGo3kSNTlylZvXj-122wITURgt-nHWU8TI2hd8D4GJQINQICJquneu_Ijk5yJdMyAHMaGWMc8CHoeAmwwt8WWrqpp2Of7YMZVGR25kcCHjVt8WunM7U7AfOhk0SJegKLHYLPX50o/s1600/DSC_2449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEI9uGo3kSNTlylZvXj-122wITURgt-nHWU8TI2hd8D4GJQINQICJquneu_Ijk5yJdMyAHMaGWMc8CHoeAmwwt8WWrqpp2Of7YMZVGR25kcCHjVt8WunM7U7AfOhk0SJegKLHYLPX50o/s640/DSC_2449.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas parade night.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjoBgye68h1jf8NnIzsaxlFYKrfW61aLGc3m23C-kR4KXzhtI9OtCsxzWU4weudXs4-Pq0jx6smgzo7YpaoajeQcXQ8uR3CUtYoaXG6OcD8f-wn6GTfr2lsHIAauUJCTdIbxQxYNSNLM/s1600/DSC_2465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjoBgye68h1jf8NnIzsaxlFYKrfW61aLGc3m23C-kR4KXzhtI9OtCsxzWU4weudXs4-Pq0jx6smgzo7YpaoajeQcXQ8uR3CUtYoaXG6OcD8f-wn6GTfr2lsHIAauUJCTdIbxQxYNSNLM/s640/DSC_2465.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We live in the South folks.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGH9imv5Oykms2fyn6MAOSyCxPXfmlRgkzWmqouZJWEZnKMOlPkDDhFMi7_ba_qLLfUWlqgTEYjKaWqcqP8ptSYTQWhJCz9gkq-HAQOCH2MSbtTNLm50aMjssmDGmXoDZEa4SB2k2v8k/s1600/DSC_2522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGH9imv5Oykms2fyn6MAOSyCxPXfmlRgkzWmqouZJWEZnKMOlPkDDhFMi7_ba_qLLfUWlqgTEYjKaWqcqP8ptSYTQWhJCz9gkq-HAQOCH2MSbtTNLm50aMjssmDGmXoDZEa4SB2k2v8k/s640/DSC_2522.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4LRTf30wvw5ICDKakVuiAFh-9a9Cl0a7t7HhzteYm_c5alKG3iKlTnYnuSkw2w5Bj8104tURNvZpAeETsISNIwHc_c5QR8C9-61FMjHWXlvrpP5w0zhh_eeHZJCGCb2VN5_Y439qNJ0/s1600/DSC_2531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4LRTf30wvw5ICDKakVuiAFh-9a9Cl0a7t7HhzteYm_c5alKG3iKlTnYnuSkw2w5Bj8104tURNvZpAeETsISNIwHc_c5QR8C9-61FMjHWXlvrpP5w0zhh_eeHZJCGCb2VN5_Y439qNJ0/s640/DSC_2531.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way to see <i>The Christmas Carol</i>. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb20sUB2EA59pj-NI4kNu-8V8BVCxMRA8QeJItPE30aA2peRKlqXnxOR4HVKikD5IZsVMzNpLJ8g7iRNpuwuo6PXHZawHhFxobFqHgLINySIVAi9fKMWzUfAfeKrmaIgqFqI4zRziw7Sw/s1600/DSC_2541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb20sUB2EA59pj-NI4kNu-8V8BVCxMRA8QeJItPE30aA2peRKlqXnxOR4HVKikD5IZsVMzNpLJ8g7iRNpuwuo6PXHZawHhFxobFqHgLINySIVAi9fKMWzUfAfeKrmaIgqFqI4zRziw7Sw/s640/DSC_2541.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baking some of our favorites. This photo sent me to my sewing machine. We now have proper baking aprons.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUd8olGl2Xj_sK7by179KeUuvPca0a8GCxhwb0IS0LiMuAZlzHo4qYjBaxFV5CGutKjk66cZn23Y_HYTk9CQTwbHtueiQa4cbN6a73_fxz656413BEBWA5MLCSdTG6-nNrxRVgbtkikI/s1600/DSC_2592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUd8olGl2Xj_sK7by179KeUuvPca0a8GCxhwb0IS0LiMuAZlzHo4qYjBaxFV5CGutKjk66cZn23Y_HYTk9CQTwbHtueiQa4cbN6a73_fxz656413BEBWA5MLCSdTG6-nNrxRVgbtkikI/s640/DSC_2592.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of winter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlJNBiBWt0QhGN6cIuW-gr6G-ppizGo6eRUVoBGfawgS_XGbHPjWOAAWQ-X5Mei9LYzMGMi2TzYb2QRcq0XH9ylgA8rZIeVnwdzb3oC1GFExQdNo4RSLbMLsq4IdWQ8kmGIrsNMDYLlg/s1600/DSC_2610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlJNBiBWt0QhGN6cIuW-gr6G-ppizGo6eRUVoBGfawgS_XGbHPjWOAAWQ-X5Mei9LYzMGMi2TzYb2QRcq0XH9ylgA8rZIeVnwdzb3oC1GFExQdNo4RSLbMLsq4IdWQ8kmGIrsNMDYLlg/s640/DSC_2610.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annual baking day. Allye ate more then she baked.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlnJjSRUexKEEsHc2lSWOGEck05xMWuxrPeAeUS1TNUUVmCfk8TpnMY8H0lDZaJ_LYgmNvIvW-02PtMOR7B1svsSaey4W9UHOtv63LpNO6sqKj1cA1lr_mHDaj-rmeIOhFslERfFpfZ0/s1600/DSC_2631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlnJjSRUexKEEsHc2lSWOGEck05xMWuxrPeAeUS1TNUUVmCfk8TpnMY8H0lDZaJ_LYgmNvIvW-02PtMOR7B1svsSaey4W9UHOtv63LpNO6sqKj1cA1lr_mHDaj-rmeIOhFslERfFpfZ0/s640/DSC_2631.JPG" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Eve.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLiGQCYMxYDCYuKryJidRa_i3N_E5tBAvXVOACOWBwzeAhK4L-rQobOzK0qz5K8NU9yfKijqUDa2hbGOv7ZWfC3Wad_GRLMjCpMMrUZJfjQmxsTk4xS-fUxZOZ4KX9SNkg6Q4G9JKyhY/s1600/DSC_2655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLiGQCYMxYDCYuKryJidRa_i3N_E5tBAvXVOACOWBwzeAhK4L-rQobOzK0qz5K8NU9yfKijqUDa2hbGOv7ZWfC3Wad_GRLMjCpMMrUZJfjQmxsTk4xS-fUxZOZ4KX9SNkg6Q4G9JKyhY/s640/DSC_2655.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJe2XS6oc_3260qgYsS18fsI0vdXucYTjkNkRUB6M3_MOMzgOhD37TTWCCiXg6ve-rjiKH-d5Pa7BQCS-UDPA0kzqvFFq4Tr267Zb3nYIkIDfNqHY5uRPkrXcIWJ19_hpncBD4Q4pefzs/s1600/DSC_2690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJe2XS6oc_3260qgYsS18fsI0vdXucYTjkNkRUB6M3_MOMzgOhD37TTWCCiXg6ve-rjiKH-d5Pa7BQCS-UDPA0kzqvFFq4Tr267Zb3nYIkIDfNqHY5uRPkrXcIWJ19_hpncBD4Q4pefzs/s640/DSC_2690.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas morning. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbnZyoI7KyCOsWgIdGeb_p-h2iBCwKf-AEPUmXdQI4D_F0hQXaeZGUMsipkQN5jnFYQefi5cpjMUmhmcLA0s_hYSqYkbrkP_KSuHYpfkZinshgQ-z6ibYPALhuid6SJJfN5SUIBQpIu4/s1600/DSC_2728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbnZyoI7KyCOsWgIdGeb_p-h2iBCwKf-AEPUmXdQI4D_F0hQXaeZGUMsipkQN5jnFYQefi5cpjMUmhmcLA0s_hYSqYkbrkP_KSuHYpfkZinshgQ-z6ibYPALhuid6SJJfN5SUIBQpIu4/s640/DSC_2728.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only electronic toy we "let in" this year. They have to share. This will be interesting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas at Meme's.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUW0a0UzAwzuN9KsmAhyphenhyphenWrFYBLsJVkaXOzZvWhfJK4_elsFU6bTd7Y1lOBsh7EjMOJAw9XhNwnBMB1S0duGAZddEeUtUfXxpl1hxMjBgJtwmvwv7jlLIWnaurAQK2B_sFVaWfpmt7kiDQ/s1600/DSC_2844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUW0a0UzAwzuN9KsmAhyphenhyphenWrFYBLsJVkaXOzZvWhfJK4_elsFU6bTd7Y1lOBsh7EjMOJAw9XhNwnBMB1S0duGAZddEeUtUfXxpl1hxMjBgJtwmvwv7jlLIWnaurAQK2B_sFVaWfpmt7kiDQ/s640/DSC_2844.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Years Eve.</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> ---The Mama</span></span></i></div>
Lindsey - A.K.A Mama Bouchardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483203542101490335noreply@blogger.com0