I think it is only natural to think about people that you used to know at some point in time and wonder how they are.

For some it may be lost loves or family members. For others like myself, it is lost friends.

I do not know why it happens, but life takes strange twists and turns and before you know it you have lost touch with someone you love.

There are a few people that I have considered to be very close to my heart. I have been blessed to have a best friend at every stage of my life. But for whatever reason, I allowed life to separate us.

I do often think about my special friends who I feel blessed to have known. I wonder if they have families of their own and what their children might be like. In fact I do hope that one day I will have the opportunity to be reunited with them.

MyLife is a great place to start my quest to find my lost best friends. It is completely free to join MyLife.com and begin searching for your lost loved ones today.

Unfortunately, my search came up empty. But I am not going to let that stop me.

There are a neat paint freebie available this week.

The first is a special paint that turns any surface into a dry erase board. I think this is the coolest thing I've seen in a while.

There are just so many ways that this could be used. I'm thinking it would be a great way to make a message board in the kitchen.

Hmmmmm..... The possibilities are practically endless.

Sign up for you free sample of Dry Erase paint.

Have you heard abut NASA's plans for early tomorrow morning?

Apparently Nasa is planning to send a rocket to the moon. But this time they are intending to actually hit the moon!

Does this seem a little strange to you? I mean do we really have a right to fire a rocket at the moon and damage it all in the name of science? And what if their plans go wrong? And how will this change the moon?

I understand what they are attempting to find out with this little experiment of theirs. They are hoping to find water beneath the surface of the moon. I for one am very curious to see how this goes and will be watching tomorrow morning news about how we attacked the moon.

You can read more about it here. And there is an interesting video called "Planning the Assault: Why Bomb the Moon"

After I had my daughter, almost sixteen years ago, I did not make the decision to breast feed. I was very young and did not fully understand all of the nutritional and health benefits to using breast milk to feed your baby. I received W.I.C. which is a government program that helps moms with getting the necessary baby formula and cereal that a baby needs to grow strong. As your baby gets older they also help you with milk, juice, cheese, and peanut butter.

I have to tell you that in those early days of being a young mom, I had not idea that their were off brand formulas. Instead I would scrape together whatever money I could to buy the formula I needed for my baby since the help W.I.C. provided always seems to be just a little less than enough.

Now I know that breast milk is the best choice for a baby. It is also the most frugal option in my opinion. And it is also the choice I would make should I end up having another baby. But I am so thankful for programs like W.I.C. I am also thankful that there are other options when it comes to purchasing baby formulas that are not as expensive as the name brand formulas they give in the hospitals.

Breakfasts - consists of oatmeal, cold cereal, fruit smoothies, toast & poached eggs. Lunches - consists of soups, peanut butter sandwiches, or dinner leftovers. Dinners - I will try to include lots of veggies this week.
~ Monday ~
Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken, potatoes, and Green Beans

~ Tuesday ~
Sirloin Steak, Baked Potato, and Garden Carrots

~ Wednesday ~
Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Toast

~ Thursday ~
Blueberry Whole Grain Pancakes and Sausage

~ Friday ~
Pizza Night!

~ Saturday ~
BBQ Cheeseburgers, Baked Beans, & Corn on the Cob

~ Sunday ~
I don't plan a Sunday meal. Usually we have a very late lunch and just find something small for dinner. Either way I don't plan because I like to be flexible for anything that pops up. You can find out more about weekly menu planning here. To check out more menu plans for this week click here.

While growing up, I was never a child who liked chocolate very much at all.  I always chose the fruity or sour candies over any kind of chocolate.  But then around the time I became a teenager, I discovered that occasionally I liked a good candy bar. 

Well this is so funny to me because now as an adult I love chocolate.  It has a way of making any day better. 

It is so popular among all people which is why it is the first choice in gift giving.  We give chocolate for birthdays, Valentine's Day, and anniversaries.  We even use it for Corporate Gift Giving and graduations, you name it and chocolate is the gift of choice.

Is your homeschool year beginning to wind down now that summer is approaching?

I can already feel the affects of summer at our house. Just like the rest of the year we try to remain flexible in our school. However we don't take a formal summer break. We do however, take a break in the way we "do school."

For example we tend to spend lots of time outside. This may include reading, experiments, or just observing nature. I don't let my kids know, but even when they think they aren't doing school, they're still learning. And there is a ton to be learned during the long lazy days of summer.

If is rains and we are stuck inside maybe we'll watch a historical movie or TV show. Sometimes it is really necessary to spend days and days building and figuring with Knex. I'll never tell my son he's doing science or math. Cooking and gardening are other activities that top the list.

School in the summer takes on a new look, but learning continues just the same.

Being a teacher to my own children has been the greatest adventure ever.  There have been many ups and downs.  Like the time my son finally started to really get reading after such a long time of it not clicking for him.  

Struggling Readers are the most difficult kids to teach because they come to the table already discouraged. It takes a lot of patience for a teacher to walk a child through the reading process. But it is so worth it when you see your child cross that bridge from being a struggling reader to being a confident reader.

Get the <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/stamp-out-hunger" _fcksavedurl="http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/stamp-out-hunger">Stamp Out Hunger?</a> widget and many other <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com/" _fcksavedurl="http://www.widgetbox.com/">great free widgets</a> at <a href="http://www.widgetbox.com" _fcksavedurl="http://www.widgetbox.com">Widgetbox</a>! The statistics are shocking and continue to grow everyday.

There is an easy way that you can help. Just set out some canned or boxed food on May 9th and you letter carrier will pick it up and deliver it to a food distribution center that will in turn get it to the people who need it most. Don't worry about putting out too much food, the carriers don't mind and neither do the distribution centers =)

The need is especially great right now, so instead of naturally gripping tightly to what you have, remember you have it so you can share. We all have something to share. It is also a wonderful way to show your kids that you care about others. I love taking every opportunity to show my kids that we are here to care about people and the Letter Carriers Food Drive is the perfect chance to do this.

The statistic that has recently been haunting me is that the average age of a homeless person is 7 years old! This is for real!