Um, time, could you slow down a tad?

Whew!  What in the heck is going on?  Time is a flyin' people!  I remember when I was a kid, my dad would say that time went faster the older you got (or something to that effect, sorry if I'm misquoting you dad).  He is right!  Shock:)  How often does he get to hear that, right?  Well, I'm tellin' ya, we're hanging on by our boot straps around here.  I look at Jeff and the end of the night (sometimes the beginning of his:)) and just shake my head and say, "we made it.  Another day gone.  Ok, so let's get ready for tomorrow!"  Of course, he's headed off to work, so really it's just me getting ready.  I seriously do this - I put out the bibles for morning reading, put the vitamins on top of each bible, make sure backpacks are ready, shoe are untied and all set to be put on in the last minute rush out the door.  It all makes the morning go so much more smoothly.  I will say, this is one of the things that I am most looking forward to with homeschooling - not having to "be" anywhere straight away in the AM.  I much prefer to ease into my days!
So, where are we:
Jeff and I have decided to make a concerted effort to eat mainly meatless meals. Much to discuss here, but the gist is that in response to information we recently received about how our meat is raised/processed/delivered we are no willing to support this industry.  We are investigating buying a 1/2 of a cow (the kids were very interested in how this would work!) from some friends.  I checked out a ton of Vegetarian cookbooks from the library, many of which I have already used and copied recipes from, and will be branching out from things that I would normally not gravitate toward.  With this, I am hoping to log our meals on the blog to keep track of what was a success and what bombed.  This is not going to be an easy transition in some ways, since we're all accustomed to eating meat 5/7 nights and the kids eat it at school, plus none of us are huge bean fans.  I hope that with some time our palettes will adjust.  And, we're not going completely meat-free.  Jeff's deer, and a pretty inexpensive non-Tyson chicken can be bought at our Wal-Mart.  I am seriously going to miss bacon though.  I Love Bacon.  We have a friend who bought a pig to be raised by a hog farmer, slaughtered, and then has a freezer full of pork now.  It's around $250 to do this, but you get the whole daggum hog, so it's not a bad deal.  A possibility.  As usual we will try to balance our food choices, our budget, and our family's preferences.  We'll keep you posted!
Will is really talking up a storm!  It's so fun to hear him putting more words together and imitate our conversations.  Keeps us honest!  I made a comment about Jeff's, well let's just say his flatulence, and said that it stunk like a rotten egg. Well, Will has really picked that one up!  He goes around saying, "shew, stinks, like rotten egg."  Too funny:)
Ella-Kathryn is doing a phenomenal job reading.  She tested really well on the STAR early literacy test and is just taking off with phonics and remembering words.  She picked out a Stuart Little early reader and I was just blown away by how well she's doing.
Jeff is enjoying his Bronco.  He installed some rear seat belts so that all of the big kids can ride.  They all clamor for a chance to ride in the bronco, and as Will says,"Fun, daddy bronco!"
I walked into my bedroom a few minutes ago and laughed.  I've always been one to keep a stack of books on my bedside table.  My bible, a non-fiction selection, a novel, and short story collection etc.  The table pretty much looks the same now, but is overwhelmed by the Rainbow Resources catalog (for homeschooling materials), two books about HS on loan from a friend who was kind enough to meet and talk with me about her own journey in homeschooling, a new copy of Jeanne Guyon's Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ (a book I have been wanting to read and now have but have no time!), my New Short Stories from the South (xmas gift from dad), bible, journal for keeping up with my 90 day reading through the bible plan which rocks by the way - I'm finding this a much easier way to read even though it requires more actual reading time, it helps so much with context and the global perspective that tends to get lost when only reading a chapt. or so/day.  So, I have a glut of great reading material and a complete and utter lack of time during which I can read!  UGH!  Oh well, there are far greater travesties in the world.  Praying for the people of Chile as they deal with the aftermath of the earthquake and for Hawaiians as they prepare for horrible quake-related weather.  I told Jeff, when our news pops up after logging on to the computer, that REM song plays over and over, "It's the end of the world as we know it..."  Hope it's not:)