I would like to be near a college town- good libraries, art and entertainment, generally pedestrian friendly, and many other ammenities. I would like to be somewhere with 4 solid seasons- no extremes. I wouldn't want to live at the beach or up a mountain, but it would be nice to be within driving distance if possible. My dh and I lean towards the Virginia, North Carolina, northern South Carolina. Of course, if my dh could teach at the Univ. of Florida we would move to Gainesville in a heartbeat. Being a military family, we think and talk about our next career location, but ultimately the job will decide in the end. Jo

That is so hard isn't it? Having recently gone through some neighborhood rejection, I can tell you that it became a special time for me to build up my children and show them how valuable they are in my eyes- as well as God's eyes. My eyes were opened to how much affirmation some of them needed. A shot in the arm for me. Perhaps you've already mastered this aspect of parenting. It's still hard, no doubt about it. Just be ready to hold him near and encourage him.

LOL. :lol:

I'm aching, my head hurts, a fever comes and goes, and I'm just plain pooped. Four of the kids have it too and they are sequestered in their rooms watching loops of videos. The baby was up every two hours in the night- nursing, nursing, nursing! Bad timing for a growth spurt. Thankfully there isn't a stomach component....yet. But I know that a stomach bug is circulating in the area. Pray for me please. I want my mom. She seems to think it is unreasonable to come to Hawaii to take care of her daughter. Sheesh! ;) I'm off to catch a few winks while the baby naps. Sorry about the whining. Jo

Yes, painfully so. When my dh is deployed I ache to breathe his air. My heart definitely longs to be with my best friend. The pain helps me to understand the "one flesh" phrase from the Bible. In a weird military wife way it is a good sign to still feel this way. Jo

Thankfully the top ends at wood flooring and the base ends in tile. It would just be the staircase. I thought the exact same thing for a moment until I remembered the ends of the carpeting. I just worry they are going to pull it up and then tell me I have something wrong with the steps and that I need to have that replaced. Oh well, I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Thanks.

Our tenants want to replace a staircase that is "stinky". I'm not sure what happened because we didn't leave it stinky. They said they would pay to have it replaced with a similar product and color. What does that sort of thing cost? And should I be concerned at all? Jo

;) I completely disagree...I think. If you assume all plastic surgery is Joan Rivers or Playboy playmate then, yes, that is silly. It can be taken to the extreme and look stupid. 70 yolds should not have perfectly smooth faces. But as I said in my post, what is the difference between having your teeth straightened or bleached? Are we fostering vanity by fixing how our teeth look? How about hair dyes? Are they "deceptive"? I think that word is too strong. If I had my b**bs lifted it wouldn't be deceiving anyone. I would feel better about myself, and honestly my dh wouldn't be upset either. ;) Should we avoid pedicures because God meant for our heels to get jagged? How about make-up? I could go on and on.... edit: btw, I don't feel the need to dye my hair, even if my greys are multiplying at an alarming rate. I don't wear make-up on a daily basis either. So I guess I'm selective with my improvements. ;)

Hurt my ribs laughing at this one!!!!!! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: Jo

Oooooh. That's right. I had forgotten about the Salvation Army ban. Yeah. That still bugs me. Having said that-I would still shop there if they had one here. They will eventually, but not yet. I like the style of their clothes, but not the quality. Can fabric get much thinner? I like the cleanliness of the store. I don't like that you can. not. find. a dadburned. thing. not made in China. They are worse in this area than Walmart. And most importantly...they had an in-store Starbucks at the one I used to shop at in Virginia. My dh and I would have a shopping date there every now and then. :D Jo

You betcha! It is only the thought of spending that kind of money that stops me. I don't see that it is much different than having cosmetic dentistry (braces etc.). I would have my varicose veins done and, how was it put? Have my b**bs "parked" back where they once were seven nursing babies ago. :D Jo

Dh- 14yrs Navy (currently deployed somewhere in the Western Pacific) Dad- 30 yrs Navy Civil Engineer Corp Grandfather- Army Corp of Engineers, WWII Great Uncle- WWII Ace, flew the Hellcat over Europe. Taught me to windsurf :). dh's Uncle- died in Paratrooper accident

I have one beautifully pink foil wrapped Godiva chocolate from my gift box...you can have it. And I'd send you wine, but I think tea with honey and lemon might work better. Wishing you a better night and day. Jo

Have they gone out of business? I'm trying to find a horse trailer for my daughter. The prices are insane. What's up?

Can you link us? Please??????

Do you like being homeschooled? Why? 7yodd: "Yes. Our school is shorter than their school" 10yods: Yes. Because I get to spend more time with my family than other kids. 12yods: Yes, there's no dress code....:D

Bored? :blink: No. never. I do understand what you mean by *busy but bored* but life is too challenging to give rise to boredom. Perhaps you need to find your challenge- literature, current events, cooking, homemaking, etc. Do something that interests you, then you may feel more interesting, and it will spill over. I might suggest that there are ministries of all shapes and sizes that would greatly appreciate your efforts. Even done infrequently, if you choose a cause that you're passionate about I think it would add some zing to your thang'. Jo

Those costumes are great! But I have to say that I AM a little worried. I'm wondering now if you truly are a homeschooler. I noticed behind your children that...oh how do I say this?...well...there seems to be.... Empty space on your bookshelves!!!!!!!! I think you better explain yourself, or I'm left to wonder if there is an imposter in our midst. Jo

This is easy. You tell her, "mom, we can't come this year after all. You see, I have this dear, dear friend online who has invited us to Hawaii. She is setting up her three tents in her back yard and she has kids just our kid's ages, and she loves soccer...I mean really, mom, can you believe it? And the funny thing is, we don't always see eye to eye, and we've even butted keyboards in the past, but she is very forgiving and...well...she truly cares about me. Besides, she has a two month old baby and I can hold him as much as I want and sniff his head." Problem solved. And I would definitely let you in my kitchen! I'll buy the groceries....you make it taste good. What a team, eh? Jo

I will most likely stay with TOG and have my manuals printed up...I am a die hard midnight reader, just give me my nightlight, sofa,cup of tea,TOG manual, acorn socks and fluffy bathrobe....I'll still be burning the midnight oil;) I'm just having a hard time seeing myself curled up with a clunky hot laptop:blink: __________________ :D I agree. I'm a read and nurse the baby gal myself. My computer chair is quite uncomfortable and honestly I just hate looking at the computer screen for too long. I think it does bad things for my brain ;). I would print the whole thing out if necessary. Jo

That was amazing. Going away singing, "kiss your sister, kiss your sister...."

Oh my dear Doran. I have followed your journey. I have prayed for you and him. His journey on earth is over, but you remain. I will continue to pray for your emotional healing. You are a very special woman and I am better for knowing you- or better that you have shared yourself with all of us. with love, Jo

:D I'm nodding in agreement here. I've been a vegetarian for 19 years except for during the past three pregnancies. I'm returning to vegetarian eating just now-two months after our last baby was born. Dh is not a vegetarian but he appreciates alternate meals to lessen his meat intake. I have a simple meal plan: Bean based meal-mainly black bean, pasta based meal, and soup with healthly breads. We have pizza often, and I make some meals that call for ground beef with vegi crumbles (morning star meat substitute). I know you want to dive in, but maybe you could ease into it. The cookbooks I mainly use are Monastery soups, 1000 Vegetarian Recipes by Gelles, and crockpot cookbooks. Good luck to you. I don't think it is too difficult and I am not the greatest cook. It just takes some toying around with what you like. Jo

Is it true that Macs don't need anti-virus software? How is that possible? Jo -My dh just bought a Mac book.

How? Do you do any grocery shopping, clothes shopping, car repairs and medical/dental appointments, children's activities? I am a complete homebody by nature, and granted my dh is at sea currently, but I still need to leave the house weekly when he is home. I agree that staying home rather than flitting all over is ideal, but a need to know how you manage the above. How old are your children and how many do you have? Does your husband run all the errands? Jo