We moved to Idaho last year. We LOVE it. We're in Boise, but there are many nice places, depending on what you are looking for. Boise offers all the amenities of larger cities, a college, arts, entertainment, business. But it also offers one of the top 5 spots rated in North America for outdoor living. We have rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, open land for ATV's, hunting, fishing, white water rafting, and all the other things that can go along with public lands. Excellent river trails offering easy riding commutes throughout the city. There are only 500k people in this valley, so we're spread out. Check it out, Money magazine, Forbes and National Geographic Magazine all rated Boise, ID as one of the top 10 cities in america for one reason or another. We found out about it from National Geo-Outdoor Adventurer a couple of years ago. We have seasons, but not extreme. We rarely get enough snow to shovel our driveway, but there was a good amount of snow on the mountain for skiing just 30 minute's drive. Olympic quality an hour's drive. It is dry here, so 90 summer heat feels more like 80 in So. Calif. (where we were from). It's about ave. 35 in the coldest winter time. Beautiful inbetween times. I like the country feel yet with enough people to keep the city going. Hope you find the perfect place!

they would say that we liked Bible names. Yes, we picked Godly names hoping they would meet the expectations.

We have the one from Lamplighter too. The older one I guess because it is not fully illustrated. Just a few drawings here and there. THe story is sweet and I can't imagine needing a different copy. I'm sure it is no longer copyrighted, so the versions could be different but the basics would be the same. If it were me, I'd go for the well known version from Lamplighter. You'll love the feel of their nice leather hc book too :) It just goes with the old story.

If you're a pro at DWorld, I'd say 2 days would be enough. January has short hours, but there are far fewer people too. You can do Dland in a day and CA adventure in a day. Dland is much smaller, and faster to walk from one ride to another, hence you don't need as much time. I know we spent a week at DWorld and still hadn't seen it all. Dland isn't like that unless it is busy and you just have to wait in all the lines.(summer/holidays) As said earlier, your drive will be an hour from LA, however, the park won't open until 9:30/10, so you have enough time to get there. It closes early too, so you won't be coming home at midnight. Unless you want the expense and atmosphere, there isn't any reason you NEED to stay near the park. I'd say that depends upon whether you were forking out extra to stay there instead of the hotel you are booked at. I used to work at Dland for 5 years, and had an annual pass for many when the kids were young. We always went in the winter and were able to see shows and do what we wanted and it was enjoyable. January is perfect. 2 days will be worth it :)

Typically, one puts up their house for sale and then starts looking for the one they want. If they find a house before they sell their house, they put an offer that is "contingent" upon the sale of their house. That way,they close together, meaning that the proceeds from your sale get deposited into the escrow for the purchase of your new home. That's the way it used to work. In this economy, I believe many people are not accepting a contingency because the chance of the sale of your home is pretty remote. However, you can always work out an agreement that they can continue to list their home for sale and then give you 24 hrs. to come up with the money outside of the sale of your home. We ended up having to do this, and borrowed against the equity of a family member's house to get the loan for the new house. We paid it off when the sale of our house finalized. Sometimes in a bad economy it can go either way. The sellers can get real flexible, hoping they can get the sale that otherwise may not sell, or they may not want to "tie it up" in a contingent situation. Main thing is: 1. get your house ready for sale. Get it decluttered and fixed up. Then call a realtor and get it listed. 2. then you can start looking for a house, but don't get too set on just one. You'd be better if you waited until you had a buyer. You could probably negotiate a pretty good price on a house if you came in with an offer to buy in 30 days at the closing of your house (already in escrow). If you end up selling your house, you can always ask if you can rent it back for a month or so until you get your new house. It is more expensive that way, but better than moving twice. The people that were buying our house had moved in with their folks for 6 months to save money for the move. You just need to decide how badly you want what you want!

We didn't have any insurance. The orthodontist offered payment plans. We've done that twice now. Pay by the month. They don't charge interest, and wouldn't give a cash discount if paid up front. So there was no incentive to figure out another plan. If you have a flex plan, You could put money in monthly and deduct monthly for payments?

I've had 2 palm pilots. The first broke when it slid off the seat and out the open car door. Can't fix. Second one was purchased to replace first, but I really just didn't get used to using it. I liked the portablilty of it, but really appreciated the ability to have something written down too. I planned on using it for our Edu-track, but it didn't really seem to work that easily either. So, I packed it up and it has been int he box ever since! Maybe it would be good enough for your son to use? If I were to go digital again, I would want to get an Iphone, that combines my phone, Ipod and palm all together. My model was a PalmIIIe. It's several years old now, but has all the pieces and very few minutes use.

Looking for part time work. That is just so that we have something coming in if my dh doesn't get work for the winter. We prepared for this some time ago. We paid off all debt, stashed away a healthy emergency fund, and don't buy anything we can't pay cash for. However, this economy is worse than what we planned for. So, we're looking at alternative work, and ways to cut out spending.

Thanks for the info. I'm a lot further along that I was 15 minutes ago! Now, I may just find a consultant to ask the nity grity stuff. Thanks Monica!

Thanks for the info. I wanted to upload 12x12 to costco. I have an external hard drive used for back up. I wonder if that would be best to use for loading this software?

I think I understand. I can order prints from Memory manager by uploading them to whoever I want to finish them. If I upload from Storybook it goes to CM only. Unless I save the project (cards, album pages, etc.) as a jpg and then use those files to order from. So, what program do you use scrap girls with if you don't use Storybook?

You CAN upload to other sites! That is good news. I haven't spent much time with the like to scrapy Girls, but is that a web site where I can upload their kits to Storybook and be able to use them through that program? Or is it something that I need to use through another program? I really liked the way they showed StoryBook could do invitiations and cards. If I get myself up and going, I'd like to do Christmas cards this way. As far as Picassa goes, how well does that program work with Storybook? I have a Google acct, and wouldn't mind working with that. I was interested in the manager because it seemed like it all flowed together well. My Photoshop doesn't work at all with Scrapbook Max and I need to be able to click on a space and get my pictures to pop up and choose from there. Picassa is a full manager and editer?

Oh, Thank you! Do you not print through CM mainly because of shipping time, or is there a price factor? I have NEVER printed any of my photos (in 7 years!) so I have no idea about printing prices and how best to go about it. You're right, my printer will not print 12x12, thus I need to upload them to another site, or put them on CD to take somewhere to print. I just wanted to be sure I could do that. I didn't want to be buying a program that was exclusively CM print service only!

I just found out that Creative Memories has gone digital with a scrapbooking program. I have previously used their products the old fashioined way so this is appealing to me. I know there are digital scrapbookers here.. anyone use this and find they like it? I just bought Scrapbook Max, but I'm finding that I want more lettering types for themes and a different kind of embellishment package. I'm wondering if I can print CM creations from any printer, or is it only printable from my computer or their print shop? It isn't very clear on their website. And, if I can still implement those Max! pages that I've already competed into this program? I also noticed they have a software for organizing/storing/editing photos. I currently use Photoshop 3 and really don't like it. Is this one better? I really want to get these last 8 years of "burden" put together so that I can take pictures again and not feel like they are just for storing "for someday". HELP! Dawn

I agree... it may take a while to sell, and if you don't want to get caught with an unsold house next year, start now. if you sell, be happy.

Depends on what kind of bike :) If it is a BMX bike you're looking for, there are really only 2 sizes. Kids size, and an adult size, which would work for an 11yo. If you're looking for a mountain bike, they come in LOTS of sizes. Our 11yo at the time was too tall for the largest "kid" sized Trek MB. He needed a "small" adult size. Sometimes they come in Small, med. large. Usually they come in inches. Then there is the "road bike" that also comes in numerous sizes. And, a plain ole beach cruiser, which doesn't really come in sizes, so you could just get one. I think this is a gift you need to put in a creative gift certificate and say lets go shopping!

After thinking a bit, I guess I do the right thing because it is a satisfying choice. I know what God commands of me, and that is probably written on my heart. But I always have the choice to do wrongly yet it feels so good to put a smile on someone else's face. It makes me happy and it is alot less stressful and more pleasant to spread goodness around than it is to spread evil. Of course, choosing rightly isn't always a happy choice, but usually it flows that way.

Jessica, so sorry this is going on. I hope that God has restoration in the plans rather than divorce. I personally have not gone through this, but my sister has, and it has been difficult. It totally depends on what your husband is like. My sister's husband prohibited her from homeschooling. He withheld money long enough to make her get a job and then used her income to diminish alimony to basically immaterial. Then, he persuaded the children to live with him so he cut out child support. He did this just to get back at her, and it is a long road to making things right with the kids. Think hard about who it is you're married to,and what his possible responses would be. Other posters say the husband left without contact, that would have been easier for my dear sister. Instead he got mean and nasty. He left her with the house, and huge mortgage payment. It's upside down now, with the low RE prices. Her kids are in public school and would never choose to come back to homeschooling or christian school. She'll be lucky if she ever gets her kids to live with her again. Because she doesn't have money, it's hard to win them over. He bribes them, and teens love that. All their friends have these things,and they wouldn't dream of going without. Divorce is never an easier answer. In this case, she ended up giving up everything that was dear to her, without even a choice. It's been 3 years, and they still are not settled in court,and fighting continues. I would never wish this on anyone. I pray that the good things that you saw in each other can again be obvious, and the commitment that God tied between you would be the hope necessary to live other centered again. SUnny

west coast would be fairly safe. I never heard of it before when living in southern Ca. Now we're in Idaho, and still don't hear of lymes. It's really nice here too, because we dont' get fleas either. It's too cold at night. I guess there are ticks around in the hills, but since we're in the city, we just don't come into contact withthem, and apparantly not enough people do because we don't have diseases that are associated with them reported much at all. You need to simply leave the east and mid atlantic area!

Usually there is a clause that states they can raise by a maximum percentage rate. Ours can go up 10%/yr.

We have all dealt with doubt at times. I remember a specific time our pastor was teaching about this, and I was truly encouraged when I realized what he said was true... Those who believe and worry about if they are doing and being enough for Christ surely have faith because they care about this at all! Those who don't care about salvation and doing God's will don't "worry" about these things. It isn't sinful to worry, but we must not dwell on it. We use it to test ourselves whether or not we are growing in our walk or not. Then do something about it! Our love for God should be ever growing, which means that our appreciation for what he has done for us must be ever growing and with a swelling desire to be more like Christ. It isn't a bad thing to "worry" once in a while. Use it to self evaluate. Use it to search deeper in God's Word. Don't sit on the fence wobbling to and fro. Learn and come out stronger. Thankful for all that God teaches me through difficulties and trials. Dawn

Greta, Usually salvation by works is by misinterpreting James. Should your father bring quotes from James or say "yeah but James says...", it is best to have him read it to find that crucial relationship between faith and active works of obedience. 2:14 faith without works is dead. The real question here is, what is faith? Faith is the means or instrument by which a person is saved. It is from the grace of God. Not of ourselves.(rom 3:26; 4:1-4, Gal 2:16) Faith is a response and typically involves 3 steps: Knowledge of the content of the gospel, Agreement or recongnition that the gospel is true, and Trusting or a commitment of thyself unto God. When James says that faith without works is dead, he is describing a faith that knows the gospel and even agrees with it, but has fallen short of trust in God. James is showing us that the failure to grow, develop and bear fruit of righteousness shows that the free gift of God in Christ has never been recieved. Thus, they want to save themselves. It isn't about the works. It's about faith. Even the good works that we do are never perfect. They are acceptable to God only because of the mercy of Christ (Rom 7:13-20; Gal 5:17), so how can they save? We express our love for God through doing what pleases him, and he in His kindness promises to reward us for what we do (phil 3:12-14; 2Tim 4:7-8). They show God that we love him, not that we are saving ourselves. It isn't by works we are saved. It is by faith. If the church refuses to accept that, they lack the grace that Christ died for. It is a very hard doctrine to understand and it is by these trials of faith (James 1:2-8)that one can humbly go to God and pray for understanding. I will pray for your father that he will be given wisdom in this issue and know what he must DO. :) Dawn

Exactly! I found that substituting paid more than the other jobs, AND they are out the same time my kids are so I don't feel like I need to work when they are home. (they went off to private school this year). Our school district only requires a college degree to substitute, not specifically an education degree. It will look good on the resume next year if I decide to do something more permanent. I found that the 2 jobs I applied for in my past career choice I was passed over, even though I had a lot of experience and a certificate (CPA). I think they really wanted recent job experience. So, I if you are looking for a job, pick something that isnt going to need that, and then move on later if you want to.

Well, the hardest part for me in doing my resume this last month was remembering back as far as my real job experience went, and the duties/responsibilities. For us, my dh has a home based construction business in which I was the office manager/accountant. So, I simply put that as the last 16 years. That wasy, there was no "gap" in work experience. Do you have something job related that you've been doing? It may not matter for the job you're looking for. I noticed that some ads asked for those with RECENT job experience only apply.That's because in accounting, programs are updated constantly.. WHen I applied for the school district for a substitute position, they only wanted a copy of my transcript. I didn't need resume attached or job experience. You may want to look for jobs that dont necessarily need current experience on the resume. I felt like putting my homeschooling/home based management was really not what they were looking for, so simply put that type of info in the cover letter explaining why my resume looked as it did. HTH,

Devoted to a dog that remains outside is an interesting concept. My grandparents had a working dog on their farm. I would say they "loved" the dog and were thankful for its abilities and devotion, because it was a working member of the farm. It was not treated as a person in any way, and NEVER came inside, even in freezing weather. It had the barn or under the front steps to retreat to. I would not say they were devoted to the dog in a way that city people would relate. In most cases, people want dog pets. Pets are companions that are around them and we are "typcially" indoor people when we don't have land to work. Most people I know that have outdoor "pet dogs" that do not farm or ranch do not spend adequate time with the outdoor dog to be "devoted". They are more of a possession or needed guard/protection dog. It would be interesting to know if those who have strickly outdoor dogs feel at times guilty of not paying enough attention to the dog?