Back to the Basics

  Ok, its time to come clean.  I have a serious addiction. Or at least I did. Its name is Swapbot . Its basically a really fun trading site where you can trade all kinds of wonderful items from people all over the world. I have made some really awesome stuff, i have received some equally amazing items. people have sent me treasures from all over in exchange for whatever.Here are a few pics of things i have recently made:


A few altered bottles I made recently



Christmas journal made for tonie2weeks


These are just a few of the hundreds.

 I have been participating on this site for almost three years now, and do an average of 10-20 swaps a month. Like I said, its a great site. But here is my problem. Ask me how many things I have made for my family or friends in the past three years. The answer is nada. So the conclusion I have recently come to is why am i making all of these things for people I dont even know, when I could be making them for people I know will love and appreciate them?  So, Rachel is taking a break from the swap world. It has sucked up too much of my time for too long. Dont get me wrong, I am still going to do them, just in moderation. and when i do I will post pics here.        My other vice has been facebook, but with all of the recent changes it is just too exhausting to mess with, so I am going to not be on there as much eiether. I really want to devote more attention to this blog, and post about things that are important to me, what I have been making,etc. Its a good hobby, plus its free. Thats my story for now, and dog gone it, I am sticking to it..............

Homeschool Times 5.3

                    4 weeks into homeschool and six weeks into college. Id say things are going pretty well.........I am loving the four day sonlight program,and although not attending co=op at first was sad i think it has been a blessing because we have used the extra day as a catch up day.im debating on wether we should go back next semester.  I have an awesome geography class idea based on the eastern Hemisphere explorer we are doing. I will have top ray about it though. Oddly enough, things have been much more easygoing with no co-op on Mondays now. I realy dont think she even misses  it.
          I am pulling all As/Bs  in my classes.  Its funny how back as a young adult fresh out of high school how much I took education forgranted.  I am soo greatful for the opportunity now, only wish i would have started a couple of years ago.......I have a new appreciation for learning now,that I didnt have back then. I dont enjoy the late night studying, and it is most definately harder to do when you have a kiddo and a family  but if I can do it anyone can
     So, homeschool is going pretty well, we have already worked out way through 4 books.  I am using a points system for geography and her history reading. Basically she has to do certain assigments and they are worth a ceratin amount of points, and she has to accumulate a ceratin amount of points by the end of the year. Larger projects will earn her more points, while things like book reports will be worth a smaller amount.........
    We are coming to an end in out Apologia anatomy curriculum, and I am trying to decide where to go next. I am thinking of reverting back to lapbooks, which we havent really done since 2nd grade. We will see.
   So, that is whats going on in our school world in a nutshell..........

awake and alive

Death .  Its a strong word  that can bring about alot of emotion.  For some it means the end , for others it is just the beginning  . Death. What is it really? Is it the period in our life story or just the dot dot dot? We will never know until we experience it for ourselves .  Life.  Most of us on the other hand, think we have this all figured out.  What does it mean to you?  Making money and having things?  Family and friends? Perhaps being with the one you love? Or maybe you are on the opposite end of the spectrum, and you feel as if your life is over , and that there is nothing left to live for..............
     For those of you who think you have life all figured out and think life is about something tangible,such as money, a job,an education, even family and friends, or even something abstract such as love, my question for you is that if that is truly indeed what life is all about, wouldnt we cease to exist after those things fade away?  If that is in fact the case, if that is truly what life is all about, then why dont we?
Mother teresa once said "Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.


Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it."

Are you still breathing?  Then the good news is that there is still life yet to be lived..........there is still beauty, there are still dreams to dream and songs to sing. Yes, there will still be struggles and challenges,sorrows and tragedies and what not.  I personally beleive that life is a journey to our final destination..........as long as we are still breathing there are duties left to be completed. Every sorrow, every unexplained occurence,if it doesnt kill us,  it makes us stronger............
   Life. Its a journey. Its a gift. ITs short.  YOu never know whats in store for it, or when it is going to end.Enjoy enjoy enjoy