[ NOT your typical Monday ]

Mondays are typically spent working at home. I work on Saturdays so I normally take Sunday and Monday off, but... Monday usually ends up being a computer day for me to catch up. Yeah! I got a lot done today. Not as much as I wanted to, but more than I expected to. Does that make sense? lol :)

Yesterday we did our school supply shopping. It didn't take long (thank goodness!) and we actually didn't spend near as much money as I expected. Since Taylor's a senior she didn't really get anything but paper and pencils and we'll figure out what she needs after her classes start. Tyler and Tanner got pretty much everything they needed, but were disappointed that we didn't get new gym shoes or backpacks yet. Sometimes you just have to wait for payday. ;) Tomorrow daddy and I will attend the school board meeting to see exactly what we're going to do with Tanner for school. Frustrating to have to wait until the last minute to make some decisions, but such is life. Some people may not know our situation, others do and empathize and understand and feel our frustration. Our older kids have gone to what most would consider a private or semi-private school for the last 13 years, and now that our youngest son is getting ready to start school it seems the loyalty and dedication (not to mention thousands of dollars in tuition we've spent) one family has devoted to a school we believe in and support has failed us. Returning that dedication to their families has become a disappointment. Long story short, my 5 yr old with sibling seniority has been trumped by families with students that may have only attended 1 year of preschool. Our 13 years of dedication is bumped by a 1 year member. Frustrating is an understatement. So... everyone can pray for that meeting tomorrow. That what needs to be done for all parties involved will be led by God's will for our lives and our children's education.

Make me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day.

--Psalm 25:4-5

I started a fun new project yesterday too. I found a website for patterns and some really cool ideas (http://www.youcanmakethis.com/) and decided I'd try some of them out. There are 'name pillows' and of course you could use any font to print and make a letter pattern but after my brain fart subsided I remembered I have a Cricut Machine! So I gave it a shot, after ironing on my heat-n-bond I ran the material through my machine and cut my letters for my pillows. :) So easy and fast! Better than cutting them all out by hand. Now, granted I'd love to have a different font cartridge for my machine, but for a first try the plain 'ole plantin schoolbook worked fine. I just set the cutter to roly poly I think it's called and cut away!

For my first run I made my kids pillows. Tanner helped pick his material, hence the red checkered 'e' that doesn't seem to fit the color scheme I was going with and his major turquoise blue! lol But hey, it's his pillow after all.

You gotta love these handy little machines (okay, I have the big one but still...). Serious gadget love going on here!

Now, if I could just get a new sewing machine to finish the applique after ironing the letters on my base material. My old machine really bites. My thread gets caught all the time and it clangs now. After 20 years my Wal Mart machine isn't in such good shape. :) lol I think after trying these out, and liking them so much I'm going to use them for my fundraiser ideas for the mission and my 'adoption hope' fund. ;) I'm hoping that the Lord will see us through the feelings he has placed in my heart someday. And, if it's not in our future to adopt I'll use my 'adoption hope' fund on the mission. Or I'll sponsor even more children. There's plenty of those too! I've found lots of goodies I want to try to make and use for fundraisers. Can't wait to share!