tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25531227586996177262024-03-14T00:48:30.164-05:00Dustbunnies and DivasMy adventures in family, frugality and faith in this wonderful thing we call life!Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-50678588248255406002010-02-04T20:23:00.005-06:002010-02-04T21:46:15.874-06:00Ch - ch - ch - Changes!Ya'll!!!! I've got a hot date tomorrow night. It's the first going out-no kids-spend money-have a sitter-date in well over a year! Needless to say, I'm just a little pumped.So. . . I went shopping today. Cato's clearance. Spent $40.00 - jewelry, shoes, shirt and slacks.Oh, and the pants I tried on? Size 12!!AND THEY FIT!!! Oh! My! Gracious! Last time I was a size 12 was over 14 years ago. Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-24334312410788066042010-01-11T18:46:00.004-06:002010-01-11T19:44:21.483-06:00Where, Oh Where, Has my Margie Gone?I'm here! I'm still here!!Contrary to popular belief, I have NOT dropped off the face of the earth. Really.I mean it.Let me 'splain.I blog for me. Blogging, so far, has been MY time. A time where I think about me.I think about what I like and don't like.I think about what I'M like, and not like.I think about what God is doing in my life.What He's teaching me.How He's growing me.And every once in Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-52656712814219970942009-11-19T20:09:00.006-06:002009-11-19T21:08:03.039-06:00Dustbunnies begone!You know, we're just a typical homeschooling family.The girls rise early, bring me breakfast in bed, and ask, "Mommy, how can we help you?""Can we rub your back? Can we rub your feet? Can we clean the bathrooms? Fold some laundry?"Nary a harsh word is spoken. Nary a frustration between siblings. No fighting. No raised voices. No meltdowns. Never.We all dance around our home, joyfully cleaningQueen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-62750371469973512902009-11-18T11:05:00.002-06:002009-11-18T11:08:12.325-06:00Amazing GraceOkay, embedding was disabled, so I'm gonna have to give you the link to see this. I PROMISE YOU, it will be very worth your time to just click on over here.I got an email this week from Mama with the link for this. I have never heard of Il Divo, but I'm a new fan! This is a breath-taking rendition of Amazing Grace. A happy in my day. . .Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-25321184362938072402009-11-14T19:02:00.005-06:002009-11-14T20:21:00.864-06:00white picket fences by Susan Meissner (GIVEAWAY!!!!)What do you think of when you think of a white picket fence?A little white house? With 2.5 children and a dog?Maybe the "perfect" family?white picket fences by Susan Meissner is a story of the Janvier family, a family that seems to be living the perfect life. When the family decides to take in Tally, their niece and cousin, the threads of perfection begin to unravel. Meissner effortlessly weaves Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-72542709898234103602009-11-12T20:30:00.002-06:002009-11-12T21:00:28.628-06:00Let's Talk about Romance . . .Let me hear it, ladies. I KNOW you love getting some pedicure action on. Okay - there may be a few of you out there that don't want anyone touching your feet. But, alas, I am not one of those women. I would be one happy woman if I could just have my feet rubbed every night.So.I've asked Ivan like 1,000,000 3 times in the past week or so if he could rub my feet. Actually, I asked if he could "do"Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-71378774267698960072009-11-07T15:23:00.004-06:002009-11-07T15:43:58.066-06:00Leaving Carolina by Tamara Leigh* My apologies to Multomah Publishing. I *thought I had scheduled this to post 11/6, but apparantly I was mistaken! So, here's my review, 1 day late and a dollar short. :)As my first read by Tamara Leigh, Leaving Carolina was a delightful foray into the life of Piper Wick, a southern girl who has done all she can to rid herself of her heritage. Having grown up in smalltown USA, (Pickwick, NC) Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-52428734521914788882009-11-05T20:02:00.010-06:002009-11-05T20:27:31.307-06:00Thankful ThursdayGosh, ya'll, do you ever really think about how blessed we are to be living in this nation? It's really overwhelming - We're free to worship. Free to school our children how we choose. Free to blog. :) But that's not all I'm thankful for - nosireeee bob! I'm so thankful for my family. Had either my husband or I chosen the wrong path this year, my family probably wouldn't be intact todayQueen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-32220713510592190822009-11-05T18:44:00.007-06:002009-11-05T19:37:55.577-06:00Happy Birthday, my sweet baby!I have been dealing horribly with mommy guilt all week. Aubrey turned 1 year old this past Sunday!! How can that be? I wanted to post Saturday. I wanted to post Sunday. I wanted to post Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday - so here we are today. This WILL get done tonight! :) Oh, Aubrey. I don't know if I will ever be able to convey to you what a joy you are! You always have a smile on yourQueen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-6091167648691399582009-10-30T18:42:00.009-05:002009-11-21T21:09:38.757-06:00Mystery of History!If you read my post here, you know that I LOVE Mystery of History curriculum! I am finding a new love for history, and of course the girls are beginning their school careers with that love. You know that makes this momma very happy!Today we talked some more about Egypt. For our map activity of the week, we made this:An Egypt cake! How fun is that?!I made flags for some points of interest, and theQueen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-7974045415019964372009-10-30T18:36:00.009-05:002009-10-30T20:24:27.765-05:00Tag - You're It!My first bloggy tag! Angie over at Messy Cars and Muddy Shoes tagged me for this fun-ABC-get-to-know-you-thingy. She has a great blog, ya'll. She tells the funniest stories. So here you go - more information than you ever wanted to know about me, delivered nicely on a shiny silver platter.A - Age: 35. How can that be? I still feel 25. Well, maybe 28. I feel smarter than 25, younger than 35. If Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-27869740427118038422009-10-24T19:49:00.002-05:002009-10-24T19:51:47.835-05:00We Have a Winner!Congratulations to Andrea, who won a copy of Cindy Woodsmall's "The Sound of Sleigh Bells"! I know you'll enjoy it, Andrea!Thanks to all who entered. I've got one more giveaway coming the beginning of next month!Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-19468927897810096042009-10-21T13:25:00.000-05:002009-10-21T13:25:00.748-05:00Sing, Sing, Sing, Part DeuxThe girls sang in our new church a couple of weeks ago with the rest of the children's choir. I LOVE how many children we have there! I was so proud - neither one of them seemed nervous - they sang and danced just as they were supposed to! Sarah's on the first row 4th from the right, and Emma is behind her to the right about 5 kids over. This song was in my mind the rest of the day. Hope you Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-13342843022998523432009-10-20T12:07:00.004-05:002009-10-21T22:30:06.845-05:00And. . . she's . . . OFF!My baby girl is growing up too fast! This video is from Columbus Day - she's 11 1/2 months old here. We were so proud, but she hasn't done it much since then! Methinks her big sissies hold her too much - why walk when someone will hold you? (Ignore the open bathroom door and crazy bedhead. Those are just in your imagination. Honest.) ** Update - Ya'll let me know if the video doesn't work for youQueen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-60700485516048835572009-10-19T11:26:00.013-05:002009-10-19T16:16:45.168-05:00Time to Party Like It's 2009 . . . Today I'm joining Lynette over at Dancing Barefoot for her Harvest of Friends Blog Party. I'd love to meet some new peeps, so I'm in! If you'd like to participate, just click on the banner above for all the info. You've got all week, so join us if you've got a blog!Now, for some randomness of me.1. What's your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging? Chocolate. Oh, chocolate. I'm Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-17295445748268117602009-10-18T13:40:00.002-05:002009-10-19T11:05:18.909-05:00The Pumpkin Patch!Last weekend Ivan took a few hours off from his 2nd job to get in some good ole family time. The weather was pretty icky, but we were in no way, shape or form going to pass up this opportunity for some fun times!We headed to Bayou Pumpkins - they opened their pumpkin patch to the general public this year. I've got lots of pics, so few words are necessary, methinks.Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-30334380262822084932009-10-17T19:01:00.005-05:002009-10-17T19:42:38.021-05:00Joshua Bell - At Home with FriendsI have to be honest with you. . . before I was contacted by the One2One Network about reviewing Joshua Bell's latest album, I had never heard of him. I'm sorry about that - he is a very gifted Grammy Award winning violinist - a true artist!At Home with Friends includes classical, pop, bluegrass, Broadway, jazz and ethnic World Music. Every song features Joshua with one of his friends/fellow Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-40953473958758356182009-10-16T14:08:00.003-05:002009-10-16T17:56:31.173-05:00Our CurriculumI've been meaning to do this post for what - 2 months now? I am SO excited about our curriculum this year! We started school in the middle of September and nothing has disappointed me yet!I posted here that I wasn't sure how the Lord was leading me regarding our curriculum. After lots of encouragement (and loaners!!) from some wonderful homeschooling friends, I felt peace and a little excitement Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-66239427589433730462009-10-15T20:08:00.005-05:002009-10-15T20:38:35.835-05:00The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall (and a giveaway!!!!)Yay! My first giveaway! I'm doing a happy dance so give yourself a laugh and imagine it! I don't really understand why this excites me so - but I love to win things and I'm finding that I love to be on the other end so one of my friends can win, too! :)The Sound of Sleigh Bells was my first book of Cindy Woodsmall's to read - and let me tell ya - I love her!Beth Hertzler is a young Amish lady, Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-20592207592301929182009-10-08T19:18:00.008-05:002009-10-08T19:41:11.136-05:00Harry Connick, Jr. - Your SongsFriends, I am a sucker for those old crooning love songs. When I was given the opportunity by the One2One network to review good ol' Harry's new album, I jumped at the chance! Oh my, isn't that nice?I LOVE LOVE LOVE "All the Way" and "Can't Help Falling in Love With You." Oh, and "And I Love Her", "The Way You Look Tonight", and "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." And maybe "Some Enchanted Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-50277539683085364492009-10-08T17:10:00.001-05:002009-10-08T17:10:51.909-05:00WidgetOh, how I love me some Michael Buble'! His voice is like satin - or silk - or satiny silk.He puts me in a very happy place. Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-42282220537245798132009-10-07T11:35:00.016-05:002009-10-08T17:22:37.507-05:00Another One Bites the Dust. . .Another year, that is.Happy birthday, love! Today, on your 32nd birthday, I'm thinking on our life together these past 11 years, and on the amazing man you are.I am oh, so thankful for you.This has probably been the best and worst year of our life together so far. Our first year was tough - dealing with Daddy's death while learning to live with another human being wasn't easy, but that wedded Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-18244214636223646192009-10-05T19:16:00.004-05:002009-10-05T20:21:49.272-05:00Extraordinary by John BevereTime for another book review! I second-guessed myself in agreeing to do a review on John Bevere's book, Extraordinary from Waterbrook Multnomah. The title made me think of Prosperity Theology/Health and Wealth gospel. Although the title is a little misleading, I still wasn't entirely impressed by the book.Although the book doesn't claim that if you are a believer you will prosper, I feel that Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-59359013042093786872009-09-26T20:31:00.005-05:002009-09-26T21:27:33.716-05:00Happy Birthday, Sarah!My dear Sarah, You turned 6 years old today. Where has the time gone? I remember so clearly going into labor with you - it doesn't seem as if it could have been 6 years ago. This year, you wanted a Tinkerbell cake with rings on it like the one at Wal-Mart. I did my best! :)What a tough little infant you were! Friends tell me they remember coming to visit us, and you were in your high chair Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553122758699617726.post-65837731237390202732009-09-24T20:48:00.003-05:002009-09-24T21:24:52.981-05:00Been a while. . .I know, I know! Where have I been? I can hardly believe it's been 4 weeks since I've written a "real" post. We've had 3 weeks on and off of 2 (yes, 2!) stomach bugs, we've started school again, and I'm taking care of a 4 month old in addition to my three kiddos. We've been busy, but it's kinda been a laid-back busy. Does that make any sense?I have this rule that I don't blog when dear hubby is Queen Divahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16529168377951892964noreply@blogger.com4