I AM A WIFE

I enjoy being my husbands wife and I wouldn't have it any other way. When I accepted his hand in marriage, it was not a decision that I took lightly. I was very apprehensive in accepting because I did not believe that I knew what it took to be a wife of Godly character. I wanted to be more than just a title.

I wanted to understand and emulate what God believed a wife should be when He said in Genesis 2:18 "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him".

When I read that passage I felt a great responsibility to become something and someone that my husband needed. I am the first to admit that we started our relationship on rocky terms and I certainly did not believe that I was anywhere close to being a suitable "help meet" for my husband.

I believed that with time that I could become mature enough to be what he needed but I did not feel that I was "ready yet".

Oh...but God...in His infinite wisdom, had placed us under the direction and counsel of an awesome man and women of God who, when I had expressed to them my concern regarding my preparedness for marriage they replied, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing... " Proverbs 18:22.

They asked me where I had gotten the notion that was not already "a wife". Their understanding of Proverbs 18:22 was that when a man finds the women that he wants to spend the rest of his life with he knows it and she is already what he needs.

"And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man, and Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman", because she was taken out of Man." Gen. 2:22-23

Song of Solomon 6:3 says it so eloquently... "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine..." What an awesome love story God has written for our lives.

If you believe that have wained a bit in your love and commitment to your spouse why not commit your marriage to the Lord today. Admit that you tried to take the reigns and that you've failed miserably. Begin to study all that the Bible says about LOVE, HUSBANDS & WIVES. Pray daily that God will restore again the oneness of your marriage covenant.

The Independent vs. The Dependant Wife

The Independent Wife...

:: may feel that she must earn her own income in order to prove that she is a vital contributor to the marriage

:: would never dream of sharing one family vehicle with her spouse

:: does not ask her husbands permission before making financial decisions or purchases

:: shows disrespect to her husband in front of her children and/or her friends

:: feels the need to prove to herself and or others that she doesn't need or want a man to do anything for her



The Dependant Wife...

:: understands that what her husband earns is her income as well as his

:: admires the fact that her husband schedules his life accordingly in order to make time to take her to run errands

:: honors Gods divine order for the family by seeking direct from her husband regarding spending

:: reveres her husband. She edifies and elevates him through her speech and her actions

:: desires and expects her husband to do for her those things that are strenuous, difficult or just plain undesirable

Not Just Diet and Excercise

Being in shape today is defined by a number of things. It is also obtained in a number of ways.

You have some who simply diet to stay in shape. Then you have some that exclusively exercise. You also have those who do a combination of the two including taking supplements such as hydroxycut, protein, creatine, weight gainer, muscle milk or other health supplements.

Supplements are meant to be used as a tool to help the body be it's best. If you are looking into using supplements be sure to research, research and then research some more.

My husband and I both take supplements and have for many years now. They are a normal part of our daily intake and overall health regimen. Used correctly they can help your body to operate at it's peak performance.

Spaghetti for Dinner

Let start with the sides.

Cheese filled crescent rolls.

For dessert walnut and double chocolate brownies

My spaghetti sauce must begin with beautiful spinach form the garden....

Just kidding...frozen is fine

Toss about a cup of frozen spinach into the blender.

Next, one jar of spaghetti sauce.

Yummy

Now add 1 tablespoonful of ....

and 1 can of....

You can add you favorite seasoning here. I like to add garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Sometimes crushed red pepper or Parmesan cheese.

Using a 1 cup measure...

get some of this...yes the pasta cooking liquid and pour it in the blender. Set an additinal cup aside.

Pre-cooked ground meat already cooked as part as my freezer cooking routine makes this meal a super time saver.
(more about that at a later date)
Reheat

Blend everything on puree or low setting.

I like to still be able to identify the spinach. When I first began making this sauce I would puree until the spinach turend the sauce green. Either way taste great.

Drain the noodles. Add the meat noodles and sauce to a large pot. Mix well and serve. You could also omit the mixing of the meat, pasta and sauce and simply serve the sauce over the meat and noodles.

Served with bread and dessert.
The perfect kids meal without the toy.

Great Glasses for Less

Zenni Optical comes highly recommended not only by me but also by the New York Times for their amazingly low prices on eyeglasses. Zenni Optical has cornered the market on helping families find affordable prescription eyeglasses.

Zenni Optical has a wide variety of frames to choose from. They have so many styles a colors that you are bound to find many pairs to love. Zenni Optical sells prescription eyeglasses starting at $8.00 a pair. They offer a wide variety of children and adult lenses. You can choose from many frame upgrades such as titanium, steel, memory titanium and aluminum. They also offer rimless, half rimmed and full rimmed fames.

How is Zenni able to offer eyeglasses as low as $8 a pair?

Zenni Optical sells directly to the customer which eliminates the need to pay a middle man. They make it possible for the uninsured, underinsured and the average American to afford eyeglasses.

What does a pair of $8 prescription eyeglasses look like?

I'm glad you asked. An $8 pair of prescription eyeglasses at Zenni Optical look just like a $58 or $108 pair of prescription glasses at any other eyeglass retailer.


These glasses are no different form the ones that you'd normally buy except in savings. You won't find a better deal on lenses anywhere else.

Thank Goodness It's Friday

The term TGIF was started in the United States, and has become a common expression of relief at the end of the work week. The acronym carries with it an anticipation of relaxation or rejuvenation over the weekend.

The phrase is also also associated with the promise of freedom from work and the liberty to play. For me there will be no playing this weekend just relaxing and rejuvenation.

My husband has lost one of his A.M. work routes and has resorted to working later into the night at his part-time job. Although he tells me to go to bed, I wait up for him to get in from work. I just can't seem to allow myself to sleep until he returns home.

I am an early bird in terms of bedtimes, therefore I must implement tactics to keep myself awake until he arrives. I do things such as use the computer, organize coupons and drink caffeinated tea. All this in an effort to allow his face to be the last image I see before I close my eyes.

I don't know...I'm just sentimental like that. Some would call me a "sentimental fool", which indicates that one is influenced more by emotion than reason; acting from feeling rather than from practical motives.

This description fits me to the tee. It is more practical for me to go to bed at a reasonable time so that I am not waking up tired and ending my weeks exhausted. Logically this is the wise thing to do...now if only I'd do it.

Starting Monday I will return to my normal bedtime. It will be better for me and for my family, seeing as though no one enjoys a grumpy, sleep deprived wife or mother.

Everyone, please enjoy your weekend.

Incorperating Game Time in Learning

My newest favorite website is MEGA Brands Kids Zone. This site gets a thumbs up for variety and graphics. The games are simple to play and the website is easy to navigate.

The games are based on the Mega brand toys, with names such as King Arthur, Struxx and Neo Shifters. My favorite game happens to me "Legend of King Arthur" which takes you through different realms of King Arthur's kingdom. You must fight battles in order to gain shields.

The controls are designed for young players ages four through eight years old. What makes this site great as well is the "Family Fun" tab. Under this tab you can search for activities by type, category and age group.

As a home school mom to elementary students, I am often at a loss for good educational games. Resources such as this one is invaluable in keeping a fresh variety in our home school curriculum.

Each activity under the activity finder tab comes with a printable sheet that tells you a theme for the activity as well as the values being taught. In addition, there is a easy to follow step by step guide included with each activity.

One of my favorite is the activity for age group 3-5 which is called "How Tall Are You?" In this particular game, you have your toddler stack blocks until they reach his or her height. My son and I have played that game many times.

If you are looking for fun, educational site for your children ages 3-9, I would higly recommend that you visit the Mega Brands Kid Zone.

A Day in the Life Of...

We are five days into February and if you haven’t done so yet, begin purging any expired coupons form your coupon organizers. The key to not becoming overwhelmed with couponi-ing is to schedule a time for coupon maintenance just as you would any other homemaking task.

Today is my day to volunteer in my 1st graders class therefore, I will be away from my computer for most of the morning. When I return it will be time to start dinner and begin morning chores. I am looking forward to working with my 9th grader on some of her school subjects. She is already doing an outstanding job of setting up her own learning schedule.

I would love to hear about what’s going on in your day, so leave me a message.

School Dayz

I am so...ready for the school year to end. I am counting down the days until my two middle children are back at home for their education.

They wanted to go to public school this year, and we allowed them to do so, however; they are very desirous to be back at home.

My 15 year old is really enjoying ilearning/virtual school. I am as well. We have the access to highly educated teaching professionals in addition to the benefits of our home environment.

Next school year I will have three elementary aged students and a 10th grader to educate. Knowing that I have the resources available to properly educate all of my children without having to sacrifice learning opportunities is such a relief.

My 5 year old will be an official kinder gardener next year. We are so amazed to see him reading, writing and spelling. I believe that he was our earliest reader, beginning to sound out words at age four. I am so excited to see what this next school year holds for our family.

I am considering using Connections Academy for my 2nd-4th grader. Does anyone have experience with them? I'd love for you to share.

Historical Happenings

Ever since that historical moment in time, when the numbers were in. It was official America would finally have it's first African American President of the United States.

The news spread like wild fire and many manufacturers went straight to work on making items to commemorate the days ahead. Well, the Barack Obama gravy train still chugs on. Even Walgreen's and CVS have hopped on board, selling cheesy commemorative ceramic plates with an image of President Obama encased in Plexiglas.

Some have resorted to framing the newspaper that was printed on January 20th 2008 and other have turned to other outlets to remember this historical time. Outlets such as having a hand crafted Obama portrait painted. You can have a hand painted portrait of Obama made by visiting the site BarackObamaoilpainting.com

Keep in mind that I am in no way endorsing this site or it's products simply sharing a link to products and services that I find noteworthy. You must so your independent research before patronizing any company endorsed by the Proverbs wife.

Virtual Public School

My 15 year old daughter is a student at a new virtual high school in our state. This is actually one of the first ever allowed in our state. I am very excited to be a part of such a ground breaking opportunity.

So far we love it. The flexibility is awesome. She has a teacher for each subject just like a brick and mortar school. There are other students in her classes who she is able to communicate with.

The school tracks her grades, attendance and participation through a sophisticated array of software programs. Just so you can get a better idea of her school week I'll share her schedule below.

Monday- 11:30am to 12:30am Spanish & 2:00 pm-3:00pm Algebra
Tuesday- 9 to 10 am Economics
Wednesday- Physical Science 5pm-6pm etc....

These are the hours where the teacher is actually teaching the class live. If she misses her assigned classroom hours she can do one of two things.

*Listen to the recorded class session and answer specific questions for a participation grade.
*Attend another class that the teacher is teaching (ie, later time that day)

All of her assignments are given for the entire year. She has access to her on-line textbooks at anytime. She can complete and submit her classwork, homework, quizzes or test anytime before or by the due date.

So far we are really enjoying the school and the fact that they supplied her with a laptop and flatbed printer, copier, scanner doesn't hurt either.

Here are the pro's
-small student to teacher ratio
-the teachers work from home and can still spend time with their families
(one teacher gave the students a 10 minute break during class while she attended to her baby)
-materials are supplied by the school, laptop, pedometer and resistance band for walking fitness classes, printer, etc.
-Local office available to meet with the Guidance Counselor, Principle and other staff.

Here are the con's
-none as of yet. This is her 1st semester which has only been one week so far.

If you have any questions about Virtual Public School, feel free to leave me a comment.