Blogger Friend School--Meme Style

This is the first day of Training Hearts Blogger Friend School...I'm looking forward to being part of this this year!

A. Long before I started blogging myself, I began to run across blogs of homeschooling moms that really inspired me. It took a long time for me to jump in myself, partly because my *hardware* (and my dinosaur dial-up) was just too out of date. But I love to write, I love to take pictures, and I love to share these things with others...so my blog is an extension of our scrapbooks and journals in an *easy to share* format. With the new school year starting, I plan to devote more blog space to sharing our learning adventures (and Peter and Bayley are looking forward to hopefully starting their own blogs soon.:))

B. As I've peeked at a couple of other people's posts this morning, I've seen *exotic* dream blogging spots...the beach, the mountains, Europe. I have to tell you...I am just basically a very *boring* person. Sure, I'd love to get to Europe someday, but as far as my usual *blogging spot*, my dream would be on a laptop in a cozy cottage-style living room...picture a comfy red plaid couch, or a solid red with floral and gingham accents. :) I couldn't find a picture to post...at least not one that I was sure was *legal* to post, but I do have this link to a cottage site I love. The cottage pictured is one of my favorites, but there are many others on the site that I think are beautiful as well. (We'd have to pare way down on the breakable decor, though, for our crew. ;-))

C. Questions

1. What time do you usually blog? Usually late at night or early in the morning...but sometimes a short post while the kids are eating breakfast or lunch. :)

2. What is your favorite drink? Diet Coke. Not only my favorite, but almost my only. :) (I *am* working on drinking more water, for health's sake, and enjoy peach or raspberry tea occasionally, but Diet Coke is my standby.)

3. What is your favorite book? Hmm...there is no way to narrow this down to a favorite. I just love books...of all shapes, sizes, and descriptions. My favorite fiction author is probably Karen Kingsbury, my current favorite homeschooling read is Educating the Wholehearted Child by the Clarksons, and my favorite Christian non-fiction book at the moment is probably Get out of that Pit by Beth Moore. A few of my all-time favorite authors are Edith Schaeffer, Anne Ortlund, and Emilie Barnes.

4. What is your favorite dessert? This is another one that is hard to narrow down to a favorite. Anything ooey, gooey, and chocolate is a winner...as long as it doesn't also involve any kind of fruit (other than chocolate dipped strawberries, I want my fruit and my chocolate in separate dishes, thank you. ;-)) I love cheesecake, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, and lemon chess pie. I also take after my dad in that I *love* ice cream...particularly if it involves chocolate. My all-time favorite ice cream was Blue Bunny's Chocolate Bunny Tracks...which I haven't been able to find in over a year. :-( Still looking for one I like as well...unsuccessfully.

5. "Share a Scripture that has been an inspiration in your growth with Christ." Jer. 29:11, Romans 8:28, and Isa. 40:11 are some of my favorite verses, but the passage that I think I have clung to the most over the past few years has been Psalm 40:1-5. A friend shared it with me just before I left for a 150 mile ambulance ride in a snowstorm after going into premature labor at 30 weeks with our fourth child. God truly gave us wonders too many to declare through that experience, and I have clung to these verses through some other very major challenges we have faced since...

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.

5 Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.