Crazy Friday Homeschool Speech and Debate Tournament
Speech - Benjaman tied with a 4 year competitor for 1st place with his Original Oratory on hunting
Debate - Benjaman filled in for a 4 year debater and his team won 1st place
General - Benjaman won "Most Improved" in his speech and debate club

This is Benjaman's second semester in the Say It With Class speech class, based on the Toastmasters model, and his first season debating. He loves it. I guess that's no surprise to anyone who knows him!

This spring he will be competing in Los Alamos, Farmington, Albuquerque and San Diego.

ps. Go here for a comparison on how much Benjaman has grown since February 2008. He's growing up!

Sleep...naughty puppies...smoke detector

Picture this....

I am finally sleeping peacefully, having a dream about working with the horses. All of a sudden there is this loud beeping noise. I know Bo has left for work, besides this beeping doesn't sound like our alarm clocks. I listen for a second...then it hits me... THE SMOKE DETECTOR! Oh my God! I've been fearing this day since we moved into a mobile home! My dad, a volunteer firefighter, always warned me to never live in a trailer because a whole trailer will go up in flames so quickly that it will be gone before the fire department can get there. Flash back to reality, I don't hear anything but the smoke detector. I bolt out of bed, forget to check if the door is hot, blast out of the bedroom to a smoke filled room. Both puppies are standing there, wondering why I'm in such an uproar. Then I see smoke wafting from my cast iron skillet on the stove. The burner is on! I see debris on the living room floor... the spatula, the butter dish, other plastic. WHEW...what a relief! I turn off the burner, turn on the exhaust fan, open the kitchen window and back door. But I wonder why Benjaman is still in bed. The smoke detector is still blaring. I go to his door, knock and open it. He is gathering his books! I ask him if he knows what that sound is. "Yeah, it's the smoke alarm." he says. I say, "what are you doing?!" "Mom, I have very valuable books!" Okay, so I have to explain to him about insurance and that the books can be replaced, but we need to focus on the people and the animals that depend on us in case of a fire! What a start to the day! It can only get better from here!

Belle's home with a new knee

Remember Christmas 2008 when Belle got hit on the interstate? A side-effect of that accident was a weakened knee. Summer 2009 she came inside after being out all day with the horses holding her leg up. She never quite got better. The vet warned us that she might blow out that knee. So, here it is, bonus and tax return time, and Belle gets a new knee. She came through her surgery well, but will have to be confined to the laundry room for 1 month to rehabilitate her knee properly. I don't think she'll be very happy about that! The vet also said that her other knee was pretty loose and might blow out due to her activity level after this knee heals! So I guess we know where next year's tax refund will go! She's a really great dog and we all love her, but she better live a very long time and be very active for the rest of her life!
Here she is after her ride home from the vet ~ she hates that stupid cone. It's so embarrassing!
Here's her incision. It is huge!
She's now resting in her crate in the bedroom, behind a closed door, as far away from those stupid puppies as she can be! Poor baby girl!

Lincoln County, NM January deer hunt

Algodones, NM - This morning, during a break in the clouds. I wish we had some snow, but it's too warm so we just got rain.

Snow

Snow for the new year. I love the way snow looks on tumbleweeds! I also love to watch it snow at night during a full moon. I was up until almost midnight sewing and watching it snow. It's so peaceful!

My First Christmas in Heaven

I saw this and thought of Jeremy. Of course, it's his 2nd Christmas in Heaven, but I think we were all in too much shock last year to acknowledge it. I think it's important to remember that Jeremy made it; he's with Christ. I miss him, but I am so happy for him! His dear and tender heart belongs in heaven, he was really too good for this earth. He is still alive in all of us that loved him. Let us honor Jeremy by giving a little more love, caring and understanding to those around us.


My First Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below,
With tiny lights, like heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.
This sight is so spectacular; please wipe away the tears,
For I am spending Christmas with JESUS CHRIST this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,
But the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you the joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description to hear the angel's sing.

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart,
But I am not so far away, we really aren't apart.
So be happy for me, dear ones, you know I hold you dear,
And be glad I'm spending Christmas with JESUS CHRIST this year.

I send you each a special gift from my heavenly home above,
I send you each a memory of my undying love.
After all, love is the gift more precious than gold,
It was always the most important in the stories JESUS told.

Please love and keep each other as my Father said to do,
For I can't count the blessings of love He has for each of you.
So have a Merry Christmas, and wipe away the tears,
Remember, I'm spending Christmas with JESUS CHRIST this year.

Based on poem by Wanda Bencke

New Day

Maybe the key to happiness is to realize that each day starts anew. It's usually not a gentle beginning or ending.Unless you know the difference from these pictures of sunrise and sunset you can't tell the difference. The day begins and ends in fire.
Getting through each day is like this. If you can just remember that the "fire" is temporary you can get through it. That might be the difference between people that get depressed and stay depressed and those who just experience life's highs and lows and get on with it. All pain and unhappiness is fleeting. If we don't let it rule our world then we can also experience the happy moments, which, of course, are fleeing also. Only one thing in life is constant and never-changing....God's love for us. If we could only focus more on that this life would be a breeze!

I found this awesome website. There's a new picture from the Hubble Telescope every day until Christmas. These pictures are so great!