Been a whiles since I have been on my blog. Where has the time gone. Quick update on our world and why I have not been around.

If you have read this blog before you know my father passed away on May 31, 2013. Sad to say my mother in law has passed away on Sept 8, 2015. A week or so later my best friend, Owlbee, passed away Sept 25. It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions around here.


The kids...

Bigger (16) is still playing the bass at church, doing okay in school and has a girlfriend and has been spending a lot of time with her family.

 

Super D (16) is still with us and is more of our family every day. He is taking classes at St. Petersburg College duel enrollment program.

(no picture, he does not like me posting them online, sad mom face)

Honey (8) is her typical girly self. She is struggling with school.  We have added a tutor once a week for reading and I am looking into a new curriculum for math.

Moose (6 about to be 7) is an active boy. He has such an imagination and can turn any items into a playing field. (Who needs toys, right) His is great at math and is moving along slowly with reading.

The hubby...

Big Daddy is dealing with the death of his mom in his own way. We got him a puppy, his name is Duke. He is still playing the drums at church and shows me every day how much he loves me.

As for Me, Lil Momma,

I have been dealing with migraines/headaches for a while now and they are finally getting to the point I can not function. I am see neurologist. I have really thrown myself into daily doodling and drawing to help my stress level. You can follow me on Instagram at #lilmommab. Dealing with so much loss, mother in law and best friend, Owlbee. It has been even more stressful.


I think that is the update for us.

PS. The school pictures are proof pics from the best photographer! Mor


Lil Momma Strouse

Crazy Headache!

Wow, where have I been? I am sorry I have blogged lately. I have had a nasty migraine that has kept me from being on the computer much. It lasted 9 days. WOW now that was a nasty migraine.

Many of you know I have migraines or headaches often. Pretty much some type of head pain daily. I have been tested (MRI) and nothing has come back other then maybe stress.

Who does not have stress in their life, right?

I am trying to do new things to help with the migraines that I have. I had cut Gluten out of my diet but it did not seem to make a difference.

Right now I am trying essential oils. I am learning a lot from my friend Jamie,  She has introduced me to a few oils and can't wait to try more. Right now I am using Lavender, Peppermint, PanAway and Valor. The Lavender and Pan Away seem to be the two that Big Daddy and I are using the most of. I can't wait till the end of the month when the Mgrain comes in. I will let ya'll know how that works for my head.

Here is a great list of different things that the oils can be used for. We shall see how they go for me.

We will start our new school year after Labor Day. More details on that to come. 

Lil Momma Strouse

The Documented Life Project - Week 21 - 24

Playing catch up again! 

May 17, 2014 - Week 21 Challenge - 

Add embroidery or embroidery floss to your page - no floss? use thread.

I love the crossword, it is a great way to build reading vocabulary with my kids but it fit so great into my stitch art for this week. 

May 24, 2014 - Week 22 Challenge - 

Draw, paint or sketch a house.

I messed up on this house. I wish I had put Strouse House on the top. But o'well it still looks cute. 

May 31, 2014 - Week 23 Challenge - 

Practice gratitude - write what you are grateful for each day this week.

So many things to be grateful for!

June 7, 2014 - Week 24 Challenge - 

Use book text

I used a page from an old dictionary to write on. We celebrated my oldest 15th birthday.

Lil Momma Strouse

1 Year Ago

One year ago on May 31, 2013 at 9:26pm this wonderful man went home to be with the Lord. 

It has been a very hard year. Hard to imagine life has continued even with out him here to be a part of it.  You are missed daily. I love you Daddy. 

Lil Momma Strouse

The Documented Life Project - Week 17-20

April 19, 2014 - Week 17 Challenge - 

Photograph or draw your favorite shoes.

My boots (Kickers) are my favorite shoes in the whole world. 

(on the inside of my tip in)

April 26, 2014 - Week 18 Challenge - 

Add an inspiring quote to guide your week.

When life is giving you a hard time sometimes you just have to "Fake it till you Make it"

As you can see by both of these pictures I am learning more and more ways to do things in my journal. Loving every minute of it. 

May 3, 2014 - Week 19 Challenge -

 Document a Random Act of Kindness from you

May 10, 2014 - Week 20 Challenge - 

Use a Rubber Stamp in a new way.

Date page with everything laying flat. 

I painted my tip in and then used the B stamp on it to remove the top layer of paint. 

Added crown stamps also. 

Inside of my tip in. 

I tried something different this week with the planner pages, I spread them out over two pages. I like it. It gave me more room to doodle on each day. This is a picture of my tip in folded up and the added tag held up to take the picture. 

Next week….

May 17, 2014 - Week 21 Challenge - 

Add embroidery or embroidery floss to your page - no floss? use thread.

  Want to see a sneak peak of what I am planning for next week? 

Make a word search and maybe sew the answers??? 

Lil Momma Strouse

The Documented Life Project Week 13-16

Playing catch up on sharing….

March 22, 2014 Challenge - Week 13 - 

Ask someone else to draw on your page - finish it!

Super D drew a tree and an owl. I took that and created this weeks tip in.

March 29, 2014 Challenge - Week 14 - 

Write your name and embellish it.

Used my favorite letter stencil, water colors and pens to create this weeks tip in. 

You can tell I am learning more and more as we go. 

April 5, 2014 - Week 15 Challenge - 

Monochromatic: use shades, tints and hues of one color!

Pinks/Purples where the monochromatic color of choice, water color and pens helped create this tip in. 

April 12, 2014 - Challenge -Week 16 - 

Add a cardboard food box in a creative way.

I took the words from the Flip Sides cracker box added some eyes and used a favorite saying in my family. "See you on the Flip Side" On the back of the tip in I used my favorite stencil to create daddy! Cause I will see him on the flip side in heaven. 

Lil Momma Strouse

Unexpected Blessings

Big Daddy Strouse has been playing the drums for a few months now. He is doing a great job with it. He has not played the drums since he was in high school that is like 20 something years. I am very proud of how well he is doing. Like he has never stopped playing.

This past weekend I was blessed to be asked to sing with the praise band at church. It was totally unexpected.  What a blessing. I love to sing, I love to go and do karaoke. But have not done karaoke in about year. Life has been to crazy to go. I have plugged myself in at church through the audio visual area. Running the computer that shows the words to the songs and the notes from the pastor during the sermon. When last week they where short singers in the praise band. Big Daddy Strouse volunteered me. I am happy he did. I can not tell you how much I enjoyed it. Even with the nerves of singing in front of people I know. (Karaoke no one knows you. If you screw up who cares.) God took over those nerves and I was not singing to a congregation but to HIM. I can not say enough what a blessing it is to sing out to HIM.

I wish I could figure out how to put the recording of the service on my blog. Maybe one week I will be able to figure it out.

I wanted to share how God has blessed me in the past week.

Now if I could figure out what world history high school course we will use next year. I know the blessings will keep flowing in all areas of my life.

Lil Momma Strouse

Bible Verses in my homeschool

Spring Break this week for our local school system.  My kids decided they “needed” spring break too. I agreed because sometimes a mom/teacher needs a break too. Of course when I am okay with taking a break is when Honey decides she wants to work on things she has been fighting with me on. Isn’t that the way it goes. Maybe I should just tell her we are going to take a “BREAK” more often. That way she will come to me and ask to do school, like she did this week.

I wish it was that easy. I really do. Being a mom and a teacher are two of the hardest jobs anyone can do and being both makes it the top hard job in my book.

I have been leaning on God for instruction on some areas of our schooling more than others.

A verse that come to mind is…

Brandy, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12.

Let Brandy not be weary in well doing: for in due season Brandy shall reap if Brandy is faint not. Galatians 6:9

God can do abundantly more than Brandy can imagine Ephesians 3:20.

“Consider it pure joy, Brandy, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that Brandy may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

I read those with my name in them to help with my reading comprehension. Putting my name in the verses helps the verses to be more personal.

What verses help you through your homeschooling?

Lil Momma Strouse

The Documented Life Project - Week 12

March 15, 2014 - Challenge - Week Twelve - Cut up a magazine..add!

Lil Momma Strouse

The Documented Life Project Week 10 and Week 11

March 1, 2014 - Challenge (Week Ten) - Make a list of the things that make you YOU.

Was not very creative with this one. Just some simple list making. I don't like to do art about myself. 

March 8, 2014 - Challenge - Week Eleven - Draw, photograph or collage a bird onto your page.

Lil Momma Strouse

Honey is Unique!

In the past few weeks my Honey has turned 7 years old. I wanted to share with ya'll about her.

If there was one phrase that would describe my girl right now it would be 

"Unique Style"

She has a beautiful smile that will draw you in, but it is her sense of style that will keep your attention. 

This is what she wore to her yearly check up.

Yes, you do see bright green leggins under her jean shorts, with bright orange/pink shoes. I wish you could see her socks they are bright yellow and pink stripped. She loves to wear the bracelets and you got to have big bag!!!

It is not just her clothing style that gives her unique style but her personality will capture you, too. 

She looks like a mini me. 

I guess we both have unique style. 

This is our version of homeschool social studies

Lil Momma Strouse