This is a tropical treat to enjoy in the North when snow is up to your knees.

OK, so my kids have no idea who any on the hottest Hollywood celebrities or pop stars are... no clue.  Ask them and they will just stare at you like you are dumb.  (I've got to work on their manners!) As homeschoolers we get to pick and choose who we want to admire and why.  The media cannot force feed us or our children because we abstain from their influence altogether.  No cable television, no satellite, and only rabbit ears on rare occasions (like when we got a direct hit from Tropical Storm Fey). So on December 7th, we can look at the lives of real people who made a difference... like those brave men who did their duty for family, liberty, and country on December 7, 1941.  Brave men like Cassin Young: CASSIN YOUNG Congressional Medal of Honor Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. Born: 6 March 1894, Washington, D.C. Appointed from: Wisconsin. Other Navy award: Navy Cross. "Comdr. Young proceeded to the bridge and later took personal command of the 3-inch antiaircraft gun. When blown overboard by the blast of the forward magazine explosion of the U.S.S. Arizona, to which the U.S.S. Vestal was moored, he swam back to his ship. The entire forward part of the U.S.S. Arizona was a blazing inferno with oil afire on the water between the 2 ships; as a result of several bomb hits, the U.S.S. Vestal was afire in several places, was settling and taking on a list. Despite severe enemy bombing and strafing at the time, and his shocking experience of having been blown overboard, Comdr. Young, with extreme coolness and calmness, moved his ship to an anchorage distant from the U.S.S. Arizona, and subsequently beached the U.S.S. Vestal upon determining that such action was required to save his ship."   U.S.S. Vestal If you are considering homeschooling, consider turning off your TV and reading to your children starting now.  You can read about more of these brave heroes here and here.

I am so thankful this week is over. I spent a lot of time in the hospital this week. My husband has a goiter on his thyroid that we had to have scanned on Wed. and Thurs. because thyroid cancer runs in his family. While we were at the hospital for his testing, we visited the director of Camp LRCA, a dear friend, because he went in for excruciating back pain. After all the testing, he found out he had broke a vertebra due to cancer in his blood. We were so shocked! He had surgery on Wednesday, so I stayed with the family most of the day. Thursday we were able to see him. The pain is now tolerable, but he has several more surgeries and radiation treatments ahead of him. I am rather exhausted today and I’m sure it’s emotional. I did get my workout in and am right now enjoying my post workout shake while checking up on you guys. Tropical Pina Colada Post Workout Shake 1/2 cup chilled green tea 1/2 cup coconut milk 1 cup ice 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1/4 cup frozen pineapple 1/2 medium banana Blend it up and enjoy! I signed us up for the Indiana Homeschool Convention in Indy. Anyone going? It would be really fun to meet some of you there. We decided to put our 11 year old in the childrens conference for the first time. I think she will enjoy it a lot and since it’s with other Christian homeschoolers, I feel pretty good about it. My teenager will be attending the conference with us and boning up on college information. The babies will be staying with my husband’s best friend who lives in Indy. I haven’t been to a homeschool conference in two years and I feel like my cup is empty. I need to be filled back up again. I did attend Cindy Rushton’s Ultimate Homeschool Expo which really helped me this school year, but I think getting away from home and physically being around other homeschoolers will really get me excited and re-energized. My husband is going to a training conference for 3 weeks so life will be rather hectic around here for awhile. I feel no matter how many times he has gone on long trips, I will never get used to it. I don’t feel complete when he’s gone. I hope everyone has an awesome weekend. I plan on savoring every moment with hubby before he flies out for 3 weeks. Keep sending me your questions. I love it! Hugs~~ Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

A tropical pitcher plant feeds on an animal's feces.

Tropicale Foods of Modesto, CA is voluntarily recalling 5,224 units of Helados Mexico Mini Cream Variety Pack with best by date of “MO Best By 10/11/2025”, because the mango bars in the variety pack have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and someti