that's not far from me at all! i live right near monroe (i'm on 74 all.of.the.time) & my church is actually right off johnston road:D

totally and completely communal.

yes, we shop at earthfare quite often. it's really great and you'll find whatever you need comparable to whole foods.

UMC here. children through 2nd grade go straight to class. kids 3-5 go to service & are dismissed before the sermon starts. 6th grade and up are in service. like others though, all kids are welcome to stay in service with their families...that certainly wouldn't pose a problem or be discouraged. my own kids attend their class though. my daughter is in grade 3 & this year starts an excellent intro to the bible. each year will build on itself from here until she goes through confirmation in a couple of years.

i like iris. i know it isn't on your list, but i like the sound of lyla & iris :) ETA. oh, i love eleanor too. i think it's beautiful though & wouldn't shorten it.

we use abeka. it's obviously christian...so not a good fit if you prefer secular. i don't normally buy abeka, but their history for 3rd grade has been really awesome. truly a favorite for my daughter and myself.

yes, this what we do as well. we use a rectangular cookie sheet & it works perfectly. it stores easily & takes up very little space (as you could slide it under the couch if necessary). ETA-we keep the tiles on the cookie sheet. we just put them back in alphabetical order before putting it away.

my kids attend awana for social purposes only. we live in a small town & our home church is an hour away. we send them to awana as an attempt to make connections within our own town. they do participate with scripture memory, but that doesn't conflict with our faith at all. if the teachings did pose a big conflict though, we'd stop sending them of course...but right now, they eat, play games, and their class time is only a small amount of awana. they also have wonderful field trips. it's a lot of fun for my kids...so far anyway.

oh. i am wrong. i just looked at my aunt sarah's bible (she died & left it to me) and the inside clearly says: the holy scriptures containing the old and new testaments an inspired revision of the authorized version by joseph smith jr. A new correction edition the reorganized church of jesus christ of latter day saints herald publishing house independence, missouri the preface also clearly tells the history of joseph smith. so, they did incorporate that. i stand corrected:)

very interesting. thank you so much for taking the time to reply! my relatives do drink coffee & have afternoon tea. it never crossed my mind that was different from LDS (i didn't realize LDS couldn't have caffeine). i don't recall my dad's family using the book of mormon at their church (i've visited several times growing up), but i certainly could be wrong about that (i was younger and not paying too much attention honestly). but i've never heard them mention it, or even joseph smith for that matter. i know in their minds, they seem to think of their church as just another denomination & seem to see no real differences between their church and other mainstream churches. perhaps that's why they feel so weireded out when i ask them questions?? i'm going to ask my mom some more stuff...not that i care a great deal really....just totally curious:)

I seriously cannot even believe the neighbor (girl A) talked to your daughter on New Year's Eve and not only said she wasn't coming to your dd's party...but she KNEW she was having her own party & didn't have the decency to even say-so and extend an invitation to your child. Plus, she invited the same guests???? Wow. She.is.NOT.a.friend!! Your daughter is much better off without her. I'm so sorry.:grouphug:

oh...i meant to mention. you can find a treadmill on craigslist or at a garage sale, etc for fairly cheap. we purchased one for $30! it doesn't have incline, which stinks, but for the purpose of needing it only on rainy days - i love it.

hi wendy, i think it just depends on your musical taste. i definitely prefer upbeat nostalgic music from my high school days for exercising (maybe i'm tricking myself into feeling younger and more energetic, lol). my running mix has a lot of new wave, 80's pop, and a little christian. some of my preference is stuff i really don't listen to any other time honestly, as my radio is always on christian otherwise. but there's just something about running to "the outfield" or "erasure" that is awesome! do you have any favorite genre of music?? as for safety, i concern myself with that too of course. i run in an area that isn't secluded and i always carry my cell phone. that helps ease my mind :) we have a treadmill too, but i much prefer the outdoors. i go on very long runs, and even walking just a few miles inside verses outside is a big difference for me. the scenery, the breeze, etc. there is just no comparison. exercising inside seems to take fooooreeevvvveeerrrr.

i am starting this! i actually saw it in another thread & started adhering to it last week. so EASY! i've even written it on my chalkboard in the kitchen as a reminder, lol. i do run & walk a lot already, but i'd like to lose 10 pounds to really be much leaner. it's so simple, i can't believe i didn't think of it before. so thanks to whoever shared this. love it!:D

thank you. yes, i know they are different - i just wasn't sure how. your comparison of lutheran and catholic helped though. my dad's side of the family doesn't tell me much when i've asked questions. my questioning may feel like judgment instead of curiosity though (which it truly isn't meant to come across that way), so i simply stopped asking a long time ago :) thanks for trying to explain though, i appreciate it....and thanks for the links.

yes, i'm in a similar situation. my father was raise reorganized LDS (not sure what the difference is?). my mom is not LDS, so they settled on presbyterian after they were married. anyway, my grandmother & aunt still attend their home church in PA, which is reorganized LDS. i've always wondered what the difference was. this thread is interesting for sure! OP (or someone else??), do you know what the difference is with reorganized?

is this for crocheting? i love the broomstick stitch. it is so lovely with scarves. there is an amazing tutorial on youtube. it simplifies it so much & is super easy to make! (i just use the end of my mop...it screws off:)).

i absolutely love your rotating book stand! it is awesome!!!!!!!

here's our school room. it's nothing too exciting. i use it mainly for storage & we do our schoolwork all over the house...i'm not sure how to link it in my post...i just can't figure it out. :) http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x23/elizawill/?action=view&current=ab747135.pbw

we have several that have already been mentioned. i also like DK silly sentence (not a game per se, but fun)... http://www.amazon.com/DK-Games-Silly-Sentences-Publishing/dp/0789454726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293749544&sr=8-1 i also have a homemade game, which is wonderful. i found it on the web but don't have a clue where. here's a picture ...i't super easy to make. http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x23/elizawill/?action=view&current=100_2098.jpg (game board made from file folder) so, here's how you play... roll the die & move your playing piece that many spaces (on the letters) & slide on the black line as needed. when you land on a letter, you then draw a card (they should be shuffled and faced down). there are 36 cards total (12 for adjective, 12 for verb, and 12 for noun). whatever card you draw, you then have to come up with a word that represents your card & begins with the letter you landed on. so for example, if you rolled a 4, then landed on "F", and drew an adjective card - you could say the word "funny" for your answer. get it? anyway, it was super easy to make & cost nothing. it's a lot of fun with mad libs. as your child develops, they can create sentences. my son (when smaller) had to say the sound of the letter and try to find a word that started with that sound.

i read in another thread about a "no S" diet. i've started that & hope to continue with it into the new year. in march i have a half marathon. in november i'll have a full marathon, and i'm hoping to schedule in some other races in-between. i'd like for us to get out of debt this new year too & hopefully move closer to charlotte...that's our plan anyway:) we'll see how it all unfolds.

here is a recipe for breakfast bread, but it would make really yummy muffins too. i kind of "guesstimate" measurements, but i'll try to be as accurate as possible: - about 3 cups of whole wheat flour - a handful of ground flaxseed - a tablespoon-ish of cinnamon - a hit of baking powder & baking soda ...maybe a 1/2 teaspoon each??? i'm not sure exactly (but you could use a pack of yeast & a pinch of salt probably) whisk dry ingredients together - in separate bowl, mash 2 ripe bananas. - add about 1/2 cup of molasses (give or take). - 1/4 cup of vegetable oil (about-ish) - teaspoon-ish vanilla - 1/4 - 1/2 cup raisins - walnuts to your liking ...chopped pecans are yummy too! - add cut up apple if you're so inclined mix all ingredients with your hands. if it's too dry, i just add almond milk to thin it. i've also used almond milk pulp & that works pretty good too. anyway, i'm pretty sure that's everything i do. cook on 350 degrees for about 35-45 minutes. because i never use exact measurements - the time will vary. it should be firm to touch. i hope this makes sense. it's a very dense bread. i cut it up and refrigerate it in a ziploc. my husband loves them as snack bars when he's on the go & they've been kid tested and approved too. they're vegan friendly too. hth! ETA - i made this recipe up...so feel free to add & delete items. i'm constantly doing that with it & it gets better each time!:)

no, i'll need to google that! the patterns i see, look like this... BAG With crochet hook, using A, ch 4, join with a sl st to form a ring. Rnd 1: With A, work 7 sc’s in ring, join with a sl st in first sc. Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc’s in each sc, join with a sl st in ch-1 – 14 sc’s. Rnd 3: Rep Rnd 2– 28 sc’s. Rnd 4: Ch 1, * 2 sc’s in next sc, sc in next sc, rep from * around, join with a sl st in ch-1 – 42 sc’s. Change to B. Rnds 5 and 6: Work even in sc with B – 42 sc’s. etc. it makes me want to freak out & drink whisky while i work, lol. so i just stick with youtube usually. my good friend in CA is on ravelry & an amazing knitter/crocheter. i just got skype & she said she'd help me....so there is hope perhaps for a novice like myself.

oh, i'll join! i am a very poor knitter.... half-way decent crocheter..., and fairly good with a loom. my abilities don't exceed making scarves, hats, and slipper socks though...so this will be great challenge for me! my biggest issue is that i absolutely cannot understand written instructions regarding knitting/crocheting, etc. i need a visual...so if it isn't on youtube, i can't figure it out:blush:. perhaps someone here can help me get over that hump.

lots of water. no dairy. supplement with vitamin c & msm. gently cleanse with cetaphil or something similar. i personally love aveeno for sensitive skin. it will clear up quickly.:grouphug: