Happy Birthday week!

For now, I am going to try to post at least once a week! Between the serious Sarcoidosis flares and our transitional move that is about the best I can do.

Today is my husband Mikes birthday! Let me say thank you honey for being my rock when I need your strength and being my cuddly warm teddy bear when I need softness! Just like the lyrics of the country song, God Gave Me You! (Thank you Lord!) :) We have been celebrating all week with dinners out! We started with Chinese, then Mexican, and now tonight Italian! Delicious!

During the past couple of weeks I have had visits from all of the children, and even some of the grands! Other than that, I have been rather reclusive--kind of like hibernation! I believe that disconnecting and going into winter hibernation like the bears is really going to help my illness! Something has to! On that note, I had a doctors visit this week to get another anti-biotic to throw at these infections! The doctor visit itself may have done more for my spirit than any medicine! I've known this family practice doctor half of my life, and am very comfortable with him! In fact in some ways he seems like a friendly uncle! At the end of the visit he said to me, "With everything that you have going on, somehow you still always manage to stay upbeat."! That comment really touched my heart and made me feel happy!!

Since today is my husbands birthday, we paid the taxes on tags for our truck and little house! We have the new decal so now our little house is free to fly! Even Mike was feeling free and elated! We are making progress!

Also want to say happy birthday to my aunt Ruth, who turns 94 today! She is a real fighter! It's also Billy Currington's birthday, and he is her favorite singer! She says second only to Elvis!

Moving Down The Simple Path,
Robin

It's Alexis. Remember me??

Hello!

As it has been around a year since I have posted (one year, one week, and five days to be precise), I'm a bit out of sorts as to how to do this and what to say, but I really need to start blogging again.

**First, before I begin this, I must quickly say that I apologize for my previous posts. They were atrocious. Not saying this will be exponentially improved, but I'm going to try at least.

Well, quite a lot can happen in a year. <-- Understatement!

January--Not much happened in January, or as far as I can recall.  I did join Wattpad, which is an online community for reading and writing. It is primarily made up of teenagers, as far as I have seen, but it's great for me if I want to post a short story of mine every now & then.

It was a pretty great New Years, spent it with my sister watching fireworks in our neighborhood.

February--Ah. In February we got a Kindle Fire, A.K.A. quite possibly one of the best inventions known to mankind. Now, I absolutely adore physical books, and definitely prefer them, but for me an e-reader is very convenient. I read...well, a lot. Just since February 16th when we got the Kindle, I have read...somewhere around 540, give or take a couple. Apparently that is a large amount, although it's really not that much to me. But, that's why a kindle is great, because buying a new book is just--quite literally--the tap of a finger away.

This is also about the time that I quit crafting as a hobby. I discovered it just really wasn't my thing, and so I quit what I was doing to have more time to focus on some other hobbies I really truly love (like writing, and occasionally taking pictures).

March--I started taking a coding class online at codeacademy.com. (I stopped shortly after, but I've taken it up again recently)

Saint Patricks day was fun, we spent it my sister, BIL (brother-in-law in case you didn't know), and nephew.

April until now--Was all very uneventful, to be honest. Well, nothing blog-worthy. We did go to see This Is Us, the One Direction movie, on August 30th, which was great.

And...yeah. That's basically caught up, right? Probably the worst summary that has ever been written, but I just can't think of many things that happened that would be interesting to read about in a blog post.

I don't have much to say, really. I just haven't blogged in over a year, so I felt like I should. I'm going to try staying on track this time, and post somewhat regularly, but then again if you've read my older posts you can recall how many times I've said that. I tend to put the "pro" in procrastination. ;)

Oh! One more thing. My birthday is in four weeks and three days! :) I'll be turning fourteen <3 Yay!

Don't remember how I signed these,
:)Alex(:

11-12-13 & The Best Laid Plans....

On this interesting date 11-12-13, I had planned months ago to be hosting a potluck dinner at the best little campground ever! But alas, the little house is still parked in our driveway! :( I (Robin) have been having serious health issues generally caused from sarcoidosis. These include several infections running rampant in my body due to a compromised immune system. Because of this, and a few other things, Mike has had to focus on me instead of the transition plans. We hope to be moving within a month. Now if I could just develop some patience!

Because of my illness, need to disconnect, and a few other issues, our small family of three have decided to spend the winter in hibernation like the bears! The definition of hibernation is to winter in close quarters or to withdraw and go into seclusion during the colder months. This sounds really good to me and is basically the plan! I will spend the time trying to get as healthy as possible and getting my first book Blaze A Trail finished and ready for publication. My plans also include some traveling and keeping up with this blog.

Moving Down The Simple Path,
Robin

Moving in the direction of our dreams!!!

I love the picture that was chosen for this blog post. As usual, because I am blind, my daughter found this picture and described it to me. This lovely scene appeals to how I am feeling right now--peaceful and serene! My husband and I have been looking at options for the next six months. Our current lease on our "too big" rental house was coming up for renewal and the easy choice was to extend the lease and stay. This choice did not appeal to me in the least! The more sick I become with Sarcoidosis issues, the more determined I became to live more of an authentic life! Praise God! When I explained to my husband what I really wanted to do, he actually listened! It was actually my husband who put the important pieces of the puzzle together and as of the month of September, we will be moving in the direction of our dreams!! At least, it is my dream with Mike and Alexis coming on board as well! I can sense that this is going to be a really wonderful move for the whole family! New neighborhood--new start--living with the bare essentials! We took a drive around the area on Sunday and was very pleasantly surprised at what we found! There is a lake on site and many opportunities for outdoorsy activities. We plan to take this opportunity to eat healthier, be more active, and enjoy more fresh air!

I am so excited to make this announcement on my blog that as of September 2013, we will be "full-timers"!! This means that we will finally be living in the little house that we purchased a year and a half ago! When we purchased it, we felt as if it were "God thing"! A lot of doors shut for us, but Mike prayed that the right one would open, and it did! He found a truly beautiful, wooded, serene campground only an hour from work (since, for now, he is tied to his desk). We will be saving a lot of money from our current lease payment and will use that to pay off the bills more quickly so that we can bring Mike home part time. We've even talked about buying a bicycle built for two, so that I can once again feel the joy of bicycling! :)

Moving Down The Simple Path (very authentically!!),
Robin

A breezy afternoon at Fort McAllister!

We woke up Saturday morning (May 4th) to the sound of a steady rain. Due to my ever-present disease of Sarcoidosis combined with a difficult healing crisis I was experiencing a very emotional morning and asked Mike to stay home with me. He originally had plans to go to work. As expected, due to the rain, my grandsons t-ball game was cancelled. Despite the soggy day, we decided to get out of the house for awhile and just go for a drive. Somehow our truck ended up in Richmond Hill (Georgia) at one of our favorite restaraunts--The Upper Crust. After a delicious lunch, we headed out on a drive that led us to Fort McAllister State Park.

 

 

I was pleasently surprised to find that this park is wheelchair friendly. Although I am not 100% confined to my wheelchair, I do use it for long distances. Below is a picture of me and Mike and one of me and Alexis.

This scenic park is located south of Savannah, Georgia on the banks of the Ogeechee River and is perfect for a day of leasurely exploration. It would be a great place for bycicling or canoeing, and they offer rentals for both. While we were there, a group of people were fishing from the dock.

This picture of the marsh was taken on the way to the camground on Savage Island. We were basically checking out the island for an upcoming camp. It is located in a very tranquil, natural setting! Thankfully the day we were there it was very breezy, and that helped to keep the sand gnats at bay! We will be back!

Moving Down The Simple Path,
Robin

My relaxing detox clay bath!

In my last post, I mentioned one of my detox methods that I am trying out is a clay bath. Hubby and I read a lot of information about Bentonite clay including the following from the Amazon store:

Purification 100% Pure Clay Bentonite is a soft, volcanic clay mined from various locales around the world.It is also known as montmorillonite or fuller's earth. ;Bentonite was historically used by Native Americans for purification and healing.

We also read some basic instructions from websites of people who actually use these clay baths for detoxification purposes. We place our first order of 3 pounds of powdered bentonite clay from Amazon. Three pounds wasn't a magic number, however the minimum three pounds allowed for free shipping.

As always, my baths start with really warm water and hubby made a paste of clay and water to rub on my back over my lung area for starters. Then we poured some more clay into the bath and I smoothed it on over my face, neck, chest and shoulders and let it dry. I have my reasons to believe that this is really helping to detoxify my body, but even if it weren't, let me say that this was an incredibly relaxing bath!! I highly recommend it! From eveyrhting that I have read, you need to start these baths once a week for a few weeks and then go to onjce a month. The clay costs approximately $10 per pound. After the bath, I had pain in some muscles and over the lymph nodes in my neck. To me, this is a good sign!! I will continue my detox with epsom salt baths every night, and bentonite clay baths once a week for now!

I am learning about the healing crisis as I go, but I'm not sure what to expect. I do know that Juice Plus is bridging the gap between the fruits and vegetables I consume and the recommended daily 7-13 servings. Who can eat that much?! LOL!

Moving Down The Simple (and Healthy!) Path,
Robin

...About the Healing Crisis From Toxic Hell!

It's been nearly two months now since I've started this new whole food nutrition product. As you may have noticed from the picture above,  the products name is Juice Plus+. Nutrition is the key to health and Juice Plus+ delivers! Check out our new website at www.frogturtlejuiceplus.com and watch some of the informative videos for yourself! Mike, Alexis and I are all taking the product but since I have serious health issues, I am the only one dealing with a serious health crisis.

As the title states, for me this healing crisis has been very difficult--although totally worth it! Judging from the symptoms that I have been going through, my body was very toxic and nutritionally depleted! This disease of Sarcoidosis robs and destroys your body until it finally kills you! As soon as I can get back on my feet, with Gods help using Juice Plus+ as a tool, I plan to start a campaign to raise awareness about how insidious Sarcoidosis really is. Most people just don't realize! While I am going through the healing crisis and replenishing my nutrition stores with Juice Plus+, I am also using some simple and natural detox methods to cleanse my body. These include: Epsom salt baths, bentonite clay, poultices for the lungs and sinuses, bentonite clay baths, basic fleet enemas and a mild vegetable laxative. Sarcoidosis had all but shut down my digestive system! Within hours after taking my first Juice Plus capsules, my digestive system was trying to reawaken! Thank you God for Juice Plus+!

One of the best things about the Juice Plus+ company is that when you as an adult order your box of product, a child member of your family ages 4-18 is eligible to receive a box of Juice Plus+ free of charge. This is implemented through their Children's Health Study program. Amazing! Check it out!


Moving Down The Simple (and healthier!) Path,
Robin

Feelin' Like a Fake!!

                                         Welcome to our newest follower, Steve Finnell!
                                                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a picture of me with hubby Mike during better times when I was feeling more real and less fake. These days unfortunately I'm feeling like a big fake! My general health is at a really low point and I am trying to do what...? Okay, so I have discovered this really great product! Let's call it a health supplement in the form of whole food nutrition! I've been on this product now for three weeks and it is doing some really good things for me! So now without remembering about my energy tank being empty I sign hubby up to be a distributor with the company and promise to help. Now with normal health and energy levels this would be great, but this is me we're talking about! Me--the same woman who promised to keep up with this blog and hasn't posted since November. To be fair to me though, I have been very ill since June 2012 with both Sinus and Lung infections. (Pretty serious problems!) Then in November, a couple of weeks after my last post, the whole family came down with a pretty bad case of the flu. It literally almost wiped me out! There was one point when I was so sick that I had nothing left to fight with and just knew I was a goner! That morning as my husband helped me back in bed I felt God picking up the pieces and fighting for me. That is an amazing feeling! Thank you Lord! Going through the Winter and into the Spring I have not yet bounced back totally. After 3 weeks of this whole food nutrition supplement, I can tell I am making progress but at the same time I am in the middle of a Healing Crisis. It's hard not to give up, but I want to know what's around the corner for me. So here I am, trying to pitch this product while I am so sick from this Healing Crisis. Before, I felt as though I was on a bottom rung of the ladder, but this Healing Crisis has thrown me off of the ladder and upside down on the ground, panting for breath! Everyone involved with this company seems to be holding pep rallies and they are the cheerleaders, while I am sitting in the corner nursing my wounds. Guess I was overwhelmingly depleated! God, please give me the energy and courage to come out the other side and feel real! By the way, I will let you in on the product information very soon!

Moving Down The Simple Path,
Robin

No, I didn't disappear! At least...totally!

Bonjour everyone! So, I haven't posted in...well, forever! Or close enough :) Almost a month ago, I created my own blog, just for crafts. But, don't worry! I'll still be posting here, it'll just be catagorized diferently. I'll only post on here about..well, stuff that's going on, for one, and also for Homeschool. I'm going to be doing "field trips" to historical places in Georgia for Georgia History. And part of my grade is to write a report about it on here. So, that's the other thing I'll be doing!

The bestest thing EVURR happened on the 22nd of October! Taylor Swift's new album Red came out!! Annd, on her website, they were selling these AWESOME packages...Bonus, Premium, and Ultimate..AND I GOT THE ULTIMATE ONE!! :D It's sort of Christmas, early. It comes with a blanket, Tervis cup, her new CD (duh), a framed--GIANT--picture of her, a signed lyric booklet (it's in the picture frame--so, basically, you get two), & a note from her!! :D Awesome, riight?!

Yep. & that's about it.


~Alexis

Our vision of community!!

 First, let me welcome our newest follower! Derek Wood of A Life Made Simple has recently joined our blog as it's newest follower. Thank you and welcome!

                                          ***

Hubby and I have been making great progress in the decision making process toward a path for a simple life. We envision this path involving other like-minded people. We are now making plans to purchase a tract of land in a country setting in south Georgia, within 25 miles of Georgia Southern University. With prayerful consideration, we are going full speed ahead with our plans for a Christian-based Intentional Community. Below is a picture taken from the land we are looking at. It is already zoned Agricultural, so growing our own food won't be a problem.

The definition of Intentional Community by Wikipedia-- An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to have a much higher degree of teamwork than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, or spiritual vision and often follow an alternative lifestyle. They typically share responsibilities and resources. Intentional communities include collective households, cohousing communities, ecovillages, communes, survivalist retreats, kibbutzim, ashrams, and housing cooperatives.

Most Christian-Based Intentional Communities that we have found seem to be very expensive places to live. We want to marry Christian Values and principals in a community that is very affordable, green, and simple. This is our dream!

We see this community of people working together to grow our own food organically. After a time, our goal will be to not only feed ourselves in the community, but to grow enough food for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program.

We plan to include a pond on the property. This pond will be used for fishing and non-motorized boating (Jon Boats, Paddle Boats, Canoes, and Kayaks). I see this as a very relaxing place in the country.  Of course swimming would be an option! :)

What can be more relaxing than a group of friends roasting marshmallows over a campfire! Turn off the TV, and enjoy some home grown entertainment! There will be lots of recreational opportunities available right in the community! We plan to include Swimming Pools, Basketball Court, and Tennis Courts--just to name a few.

Housing options have not totally been decided upon. We are thinking about lots of possibilities and trying to decide which will make the best usage of the land. We do plan small private spaces (Homes) with lots of green spaces where children can play freely. Common spaces that we share together as a community will include Large Dining Rooms, Play Rooms for the children, Workout centers, and a library.

The definition of Co-housing from Wikipedia--A cohousing^[1] community is a type of intentional community composed of private homes supplemented by shared facilities. The community is planned, owned and managed by the residents – who also share activities which may include cooking, dining, child care, gardening, and governance of the community. Common facilities may include a kitchen, dining room, laundry, child care facilities, offices, Internet access, guest rooms, and recreational features.

Each person in the community will have an opportunity to volunteer for a community position of interest to them. Cooking teams will be rotated for the nightly meal so that no one has to cook every night. We will share communal meals in the evening in the large dining hall. Of course, if you're not feeling particularly social one night, just drop by the dining hall and pick up your meal and take it home. The really great thing about this plan is that if one member of our community is sick, their meal can simply be dropped off at their home. Neighbors helping neighbors!

This is just a partial list of some of our ideas. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any suggestions. Interested in joining us? Let's start a conversation!

Froggy Farm--Moving Down The Simple Path,
                           Robin

Welcome Autumn--My Favorite Season!!

It's always so nice when I start to detect the cool crisp tones of Autmn in the air! Autumn, sweet Autumn!! Although I can no longer see the visual effects of the beautiful golden crimson fall foliage, I still adore Autumn's presence. It is still a sensory delight to walk through a carpet of crisp new fallen leaves that crunch underfoot.I believe that the scent of burning leaves is one of the more intoxicating pleasures of Autumn! (Although I can only handle the smoke in moderation these days!)

I was born in Autumn! I have just celebrated my 51st Birthday in a very relaxing way. My husband Mike, daughter Alexis and I spent some time at a nearby hotel. Actually, I would like to give the Holiday Inn Express a shoutout for being a great hotel! It was a birthday gift from my mom, because we had to stay close to home in order to walk the dogs. We spent a very relaxing time together watching television (the Food Network), popping popcorn and ordering in pizza--things we don't normally do at home. The next morning was breakfast at the hotel, then more relaxing before we left for home. Great birthday and I didn't over do it! :)

Plans are coming together as far as what we do next on our simple path! Looks like we may find a really great place in the country, live very simply, grow our own food and travel by RV and camp when possible. Hopefully we will be making progress on this path very soon! Sounds like a winner to me!

I love you Big Bird!

Moving Down The Simple Path,
Robin

I miss Mayberry!!

Sometimes it feels like this world is spinning faster
Than it did in the old days
So naturally we have more natural disasters
From the strain of a fast pace

Sunday was the day of rest
Now its one more day for progress
And we can't slow down
Cause more is best
It's all an endless process

Well I miss Mayberry
Sitting on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry --- Coke
Where everything is black & white
Picking on a Six String
Where people pass by and you call them by their first name
Watching the clouds roll by
bye bye

Sometimes I can hear this old earth shouting
Through the trees as the wind blows
Thats when I climb up here on this mountain
To look through God's window

Now I can't fly
But I've got two feet
To get me high up here
Above the noise and city streets
My worries disappear

Well I miss Mayberry
Sitting on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry --- Coke
Where everything is black & white
Picking on a Six String
Where people pass by and you call them by their first name
Watching the clouds roll by
bye bye

Sometimes I dream I'm driving down an old dirt road
Not even listed on the map
I pass a dad and son carrying a fishing pole
But I always wake up everytime I try to turn back

Well I miss Mayberry
Sitting on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry Coke
Where everything is black & white
Picking on a Six String
Where people pass by and you call them by their first name
Watching the clouds roll by
bye bye

 

Sung by one of my favorite groups--Rascal Flatts!!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

This blog post has been on my mind and in my heart since the first when in July when I heard of Andy Griffith's death. Like everyone else of my age, I grew up alongside Opie in Mayberry. Later years would have me follwing along re-runs beside my children. The show represented this old-fashioned goodness that you just didn't want to let go. What an incredible testament it was to me when I heard that this celebrity had been laid to rest on his farm so quickly and quietly after his death. No fanfare or big sendoff for Andy Griffith. He was simply ready to go home to his Lord. "Andy was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord," his wife, Cindi Griffith, said in the statement issued through the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, North Carolina."  Wow--what a testament to his Christian faith!! Thank you Andy Griffith for everything good that you've brought to our lives!

 

*And I must say, thank you to Brad Paisley for getting Andy to be a part of one of your music videos!! The year was 2008 (Before I went blind) and we were able to see our beloved Andy Griffith once more. Yes, he was a much older Andy, but it was a thrill!

Todays modern America seems so different from those nostalgic days of Mayberry! But later that month of July as we learned of the horrifying story of a gunman in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater we also began to hear the whisper of chivalry as we learned of The "Aurora Three". "the three young men, each in different parts of theater nine, who gave their lives to protect their girlfriends.
Twenty-five-year-old Jon Blunk was sitting next to his girlfriend, Jansen Young, at the midnight premiere of "The Dark Night Rises" when the gunman (who shall remain nameless) opened fire in the dark theater. Blunk instinctively pushed his girlfriend to the ground and threw his body on top of hers. Blunk, a security guard, served eight years in the Navy and was in the process of re-enlisting in hopes of becoming a Navy SEAL, family and friends said. He was killed in the gunfire; his girlfriend survived.
Twenty-four-year-old Alex Teves dived on top of his girlfriend, Amanda Lindgren, when the gunfire erupted. Covering her body, he took the bullets so they did not harm her. She survived the massacre; he did not.
Matt McQuinn, 27 years old, threw his body in front of his girlfriend, Samantha Yowler, as the shooting continued. Yowler survived with a gunshot wound to the knee; McQuinn's body absorbed the fatal shots.
These men were three of the 12 innocent people killed early that morning. Their incredible sacrifice leaves us asking: Why? Why would a young man with his entire life ahead of him risk everything for a woman he has no legal, financial or marital obligations to?" (From a CNN report) Even through all the bad news in this country, I would have to say that based on the selfless behavior of these young men, our country still stands a chance. I miss Mayberry!

Our family has launched a little website based on old-fashioned, back-to-basics, Christian, simple living. Please check it out at

www.frogturtle.com

God Bless America!

Moving Down The Simple Path,
Robin
 

 

Pain or Panic...

Well, I have been fighting this diease of Sarcoidosis for over 20 years--always with pain. However, the pain has gotten more intense of the last 4 years! Finally, I have gotten the opportunity to meet with a pain managment doctor! To say it was a great appointment would be an understatement! The doctor listened to everything I had to say and formed a plan for my pain management. I came home with a time-release pain patch and another medication. Hubby placed the patch on my shoulder area as directed, and I waited to see what was going to happen. First, I started getting a strange taste in my mouth. Metallic? After awhile, I started noticing that I wasn't having pain. Okay, this is weird! I layed down in bed bed to go to sleep and for the first time in a long time, I didn't have to toss and turn to get comfortable. Okay, I realized that my bed and pillow had not chnaged, but yet I felt so comfortable--like I was sleeping on a cloud!! I woke up this morning to no pain! I honestly didn't know what I was going to do with all the brain power that I didn't have to use on pain anymore! I was clear headed. What a miracle!! ...Then, I started having panic attacks. Now, sometimes, I have these because I'm blind and need light. And, sometimes I have trouble breathing. I can also wake up from a deep sleep in a state of panic due to a nightmare. But this, I could tell, was worse--and ran deeper! After running home from work to check on me, Hubby had to go back to work, so I thought it best for Alexis and I to stay at my Mom's. Very good choice! As I was sitting in the recliner trying to focus on a movie, it dawned on me that the panic may be caused by the pain patch! After all, the panic was deep, and much more intense than normal. My brother Don helped me get the patch off and discard it. Within 3 hours, the panic had started to subside. But the pain also started creeping back on me. So it was the patch! I cannot even express how upset and sad I was to lose such great pain relief! Soon, I will contact the pain doctor and try again! But not today!!

    *    *   *

Tonight, my 4 children launched an online fund-raiser for me!

Purple Ribbon Fund-Raiser for Sarcoidosis Patient Robin Harp

May be viewed at

http://www.giveforward.com/helpfightsarcoidosis/

 Please feel free to stop by and wish me well!

  *   *   *

Moving down the simple path,

Robin

A day at the beach!

Me (Robin) and Alexis building a mud-drop castle (poopy castle) jsut outside a tidal pool at the beach!

Alexis burying my legs in the wet sand.

Me and Alexis at the edge of the tidal pool.

Me and Alexis on the swing at Tybee.

Me and Hubby (Mike) on the swing.

Alexis in the surf.

Alexis on her way into the Sugar Shack for her after-beach ice cream!What flavor did she choose?




Yay! After many sick days--let's make that weeks, I got up the nerve to get out of the house and go walk on the beach. Tybee Beach is our choice! We all love it there! Turns out that I can get in my wheelchair to go across the ramp over the sand dune and leave my wheelchair nearby to walk a short distance to a really nice swing. After awhile,  I decided that I wanted to walk the 100+ feet trip to a small tidal pool. It was low tide and I wanted to build a mud-drop castle (poopy castle) near the tidal pool. Words jsut can't express how relaxing it was to simply play like a little kid. Before we left for the beach, Alexis and I had decorated each other with delicious-smelling sunscreen. As it turns out, the sky was overcast, and we didn't get much sun. If we had, we would have had a series of polka dots and stripes all over our arms. Would have been cute! At least we had fun doing it. Even Mike seemed to relax a little more--beachside! As a family, we need more of these kinds of simple days!

By the way, Alexis chose Vanilla! :)

Moving Down The Simple Path,
Robin

One month late...

Sorry for being away from the blog world so long! No one can imagine the incredible stress that we have been under in this time! At some point, I may be able to talk about some of it. But for now, just trust me--our path is anything but simple at this point!! After all of the roller coster rides, serious health challenges, (will talk about these soon!) and major heart breaks, we are beginning to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel--even if we don't understand it all! Thank God! God is still in control!!

Philippians 4:6-7

"6: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letyour requests be made knownunto God.7: And the peace of God, which passethall understanding, shall keepyour hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

One month late...simply means that we are running very behind on our schedule! We had plans for our little house, A.K.A. the travel trailer, to be heading for it's spot in the country May 30th with the notion that we would be moving out  ofour big house soon after. Obviously we have been delayed, but the new launch date is rapidly approaching. I am SO ready! Actually at this moment, we are not certain of where the little house is going to rest, but most likely will be somewhere in a peaceful country surrounding.

My health seems to be continually deteriorating, and this is one factor in closing the animal rescue, however, many forces came together to take the situation out of our hands, and at this moment, it just hurts too much to discuss it. Just know that part, and maybe most of our heartbreak, comes from having to destroy everything that we ahd built--a life-saving effort for 6 years!!!Those doors are almost completely shut, and that chapter will be closed! Thank you God for the Rainbow Bridge!!

Still looking and longing for peace and simplicity!! Little house, little house--you may still be my North Star!

Moving Down The Simple Path,

Robin

RV

Well, I didn't want to make a biig post about the RV, I just wanted to say that we've been decorating it in frog stuff. I thought It'd look weird, but it's actually kinda cute. There's die-cut frog rugs, frog trash cans, frog shower cutains, frog soap dishes, frog stufties, frog wire thingies, frog toothbrush holders, frog towels, frog handtowels, frog handtowel holders, frog stickers, frog pillows, frog blankets, etc, etc. I'm going to post pictures of everything....as soon as I take them! It's really cute.

~Alexis

You know what I....

So, I'm back! *The crowd screams in terror* Haha! No, I guess I never really left, I just took a break.(Wait, isn't that kinda the same thing?) :D Things have been crazy here, in more ways than one. buuut, to catch up, I'm going to  break it up into sections: crafts, me, & the RV! And, I plan to make each section a post...because this would be one heck of a post if I tried to cram all of that into one. This post is going to be about me. Well, sort of. I'm going to switch off and have 1 thing I like, then 1 thing I don't =]


The title of this blog is what I find myself saying alot. "Y'know what I hate?" or "Y'know what I love?" Well, I don't LOVE stuff, but you know what I mean. I think everybody says that. Like, "Oooh, I LOVE that song!!" ....Or is it just me..?

1: Like--I love the beach. I prefer the nice Atlantic one over here, as opposed to the FREEZING COLD Pacific one, but hey, I'll take either one :)

2: Don't Like--Milk crust. I'm not kidding. You know the milk crust that gets around the edge of the milk jug sometimes? I HATE IT! Not really sure why... I just do :)

3: Like--Duck tape. I. Am. In. Love. You can make so many things with it! Plus, they have awesome colors.

4: Don't Like--Mosquito's. They have no purpose, and I'm allergic to them or something, so whenever they bite me I get a GIANT bump. :/

5: Like--Knick-Knacks. (Not sure if that's how you spell it) I love little trinkets and stuff. I can't help it, Imma pack rat at heart :)

6: Don't Like--Lightning. I couldn't really care less about thunder, but I freak out whenever theres lightning. :S

7: Like--OWLS! I love owls. They're so darn cute! Actually, I'm in the process of making an owl pillow for my Nephew, Dylan, 'cause he loves 'em too! (He's 3 by the way, lol)

8: Don't Like--Whenever I start singing a song that I REALLY don't like, and then it gets stuck in my head.

9: Like--Tic Tacs. Haha, I know that's stupid, but I love Tic Tacs. Especially Orange ones!!

10: Don't Like-Roaches. They give me the creeps. I think I have a phobia of them or something.

11: Like--DOLPHINS!!! THEY'RE SO ADORABLE!!!!

12: Don't Like--Plain White Walls. With nothing on them. It's so boring. Even plain colored walls drive me crazy. I love having a busy room, with stuff everywhere. ( And I mean decorations! Because I have stuff everywhere anyway ;))

13: Like--RAINBOWS!! Anything with rainbows=awesome

14: Don't Like--Putting something in a safe place and then forgetting where it's at...does that make me old? O.O

15: Like--Music. I like pretty much any kind of music, and listen to it all the time, especially when I'm doing something, like cleaning my room or writing or school stuff.

16: Don't Like--Poetry. I HATE POETRY!!! I had to memorize a poem a couple months ago..so I sort of turned it into a rap song. And I did it! I can still remember it! I have a hard time remembering things like poems and stuff,(Which I believe are useless anyways--I mean, when in the world are you going to need to recite a poem?!) but usually the first time I hear a song, I can remember it. Even if I don't like it. And I still can remember it years later. I can also remember stuff from when I was really little. So I guess I do have a good memory...just not with poems.

15: Like--Movies! I love all kinds of movies. Cartoons, real ones, anything. Favorites are: Meet The Robinson's, Flushed Away, A Walk To Remember, The Last Song, The Majestic, etc, etc. I could go on all day :]

16: Don't Like--Confusing books. What I mean is, a book that you still  don't understand, even after you've read the same paragraph about 50 times.

17: Like--The numbers 2, 7, and 17.

18: Don't Like--The number 3.

19:Like--Roses. Especially red ones :)


***Right here is where I realized I should have put dislike, instead of "Don't like" But since I've written 20 already, I reallly don't wanna go change 'em all.


20: Dislike--Meat. Not sure if this counts, haha.

21: Like--Earrings!!

22: Dislike--ANYTHING whole grain.

23: Like--Pickles. I love pickles. But I don't like the spear kind. Only the whole ones :D

24: Dislike--Granola or nutrition bars. Don't know why, I just don't like most of them. EXCEPT for Clif Bars. Those are awesome.

25: Like--Bloomburg Businessweek Magazine. I know, I know, weird. But, I love reading it :)

26: Dislike--The words "We'll See". The 'rents say that ALL the time.

27: Like--CoffeEeEeEeEe!!!!! Especially (I say that alot, don't I?) from Starbucks!!

28: Dislike--Sugar. I mean, I love the taste, don't get me wrong!! :D But whenever I eat alot of it, I get suuuuper sleepy. But whenever I drink coffee....well, I don't stop talking for about 5 years. Hehe, not thaat long. Maybe 4?

29: Like--Sour stuff. I LOVE SOUR CANDY!! But, the weird thing is, I'm like immune to it or something. That's not really the right word...but, I've always been able to eat a lemon (A WHOLE ONE!!) without making a face, or eat super sour candy without making a face. Kinda strange..

Okay, I'm having trouble with the "Dislike" part of this list. I can't think of anything :/ That ALWAYS happens whenever I do something! Like, stuff will just pop into my head and I'll randomly say "You know what I hate? The number 3." or something to that effect anyway. But, whenever I try to write it down, I can't think of ANYTHING!! So, I'll just write down what I like.

30:Hot stuff. Jalapenos, especially. Like Sour stuff, Hot stuff doesn't bother me.

31:Raw Ramen Noodles. I have no idea who told me about this--probably my sis, since she's the Ramen Queen--But I love eating the noodles just right out of the package.

32: Colors! I love all of the colors...except for 1. Brown. The only time I like brown is when it's paired with blue.  My FAVE colors are Blue, Pink, and Zebra. Does that count? :D But the SHADES of those 2 colors are what matters. I absolutely HATE pastel colors!! With blue I like teal-ish best, and with pink I like neon and hot pink.

33: My DS! I have 3 DS's. 3DS, Which I got for Christmas, DS Lite, which I got about 3 years ago whenever my last DS Lite broke (which I got when I was 7), and I have the ORIGINAL DS, the very first one, which was my sisters, but she gave it to me. So that one is like a-n-c-i-e-n-t! But they're all really cool, which is why I don't really want to get rid of any of them...OH  YAH! AND I have a Game Boy Pocket. Or a Game Boy Color...one of those. And a tetris thing where all you can play on it is Tetris..so yeah...I have alot of game thingys.

34: Singing. I love singing, even though I sound REALLY horrible..

35: Dancing. Like singing, I love dancing, but cannot dance AT ALL.

36: Starbucks=awesome. I know, it's sad, but I can't help myself. Plus, It's fun to go through the Drive-Thru so Dad has to order...when he has no clue what he's doing. "Uhhhh, I need a Va--" "A French Vanilla Latte!" "I need a French Vanilla Cappichi--" "Latte." Starbucks person:"Uh, sir?" "I need a French Vanilla LATTE!" *As we drive away:"Hmm, maybe I should've told you to order a Non-Caffinated French Vanilla Frappichino with Whipped Cream."

37: I LOVE BOOKS! Most of the time I read around 4 books at one time. I love series books more than antyhing. One series I love is the Lady Pinkerton Series. It's a mystery of sorts, and I like mystery books alot.

38:Sudoku! Mom used to do these, and she got me hooked :)

39: Word puzzles! Any kind--word searches, crosswords...anything!!

40: Last, but not least: Math! I love math!! Algebra is my favorite.

All Done! :)

~Alexis

We need to call Hazmat!!

                                                                        Mr. Dyl :)

                                                                      Cutie!! :D

      Dylan and my neighbor, Nathan. (He's 5, and has a great time with Dylan!!)This was around Christmas last year. 

 I love this picture. I have no idea, I just found it on my Sisters camera. Maybe he got a craving for a camera lens?

                                        This picture is hilarious. (Annakate my niece)

I've been going through all of the stuff in my room and closet. Fun, fun, right? I have some boxes I haven't looked in since I packed them--two years ago! Which is why I keep asking myself "Why the HECK would you keep this stuff?!?" Well, now my closet is empty, my dresser is out, along with my nightstand, a lamp, an endtable, some fake flowers, a bookcase.....and a ton of TRASH!!! So yeah...my room echos now. And my room looks like a train ran over it. Or a truck hit it. Or a tornado hit it. Or a Hurricane hit it. Or maybe all 4...? Nah, I'm joking. And anyway, this is what happens when you move.

                                                                           Right?

Till Tomorrow!

HAH! Who am I joking. I never post the next day if I say I will. It's like some part of my brain refuses to listen whenever I tell it I need to blog every day and on schedule. So, more correctly:

Until Whenever!!

~Alexis