Halloween 2008

The TLH Huffs spent Halloween with TLH Huttos like we do every year! We all had a great time. Hannah talked me into dressing up..."Prom Queen." Yes, that is the same dress that I wore when I was 17yrs old to my own Senior Prom. Sarah was "Dora the Explorer", Hannah was "Major Flirt," and Leonard wore a mascaraed mask. The weather was cool, but not too bad. Enjoyed being with great friends and their families. Hands down, Michael Westiphal was the cutest lion! Jack was adorable in his tiger costume as well. Both participating in their first Halloween. Thanks, Patrick & Terrie for opening your home to all of us. It's a tradition that we look forward to every year. So, Patrick this cannot be the last one! Tanashia

Dear's House Fall 2008

Grandma's House We Go.... Dear's House that is!

Leonard had to travel to Pensacola for work this week. So, the girls and I took this advantage to travel with him to visit family there. We stayed three nights with Dear. She was very happy. I am glad the girls are getting to spend some quality time with her. She can answer ALL the questions that they have....that I can't answer about our family. Sarah loves looking at all the pictures that are literally EVERYWHERE! She's learning everyones' names and faces. We even were able to see Tonjas (my little- not so little anymore - cousin) and I was even able to sneak in a couple of pictures. Don't go anywhere without the camera! Everyone looks great and doing well. The big adventure for the week was helping Dear apply for a passport. Had to hunt down her birth certificate and figure out her parents' birthdays! Learned alot....Lexy even learned that Dear was born in Mississippi (not Alabama)....even I knew that one! :) So, hopefully Dear will be making her first trip out of the country to Trinidad & Tobago in January. One is NEVER too old to enjoy life! Lord, I thank you. Tanashia

Living or Nonliving

Nonliving....bike


Living...Tiger (animal)

Living...Sarah (person)

Living....grass

Nonliving....chalk

Nonliving....shadow

The difference between living and nonliving things...living things need water, air, sun light, and nutrients to grow. Living things can also make other things like themselves. Yesterday, I used my Mom's camera to take pictures of nonliving and living things outside. Hannah

More Sample Pics

Hannah

Sarah

http://elizabethpaigephotography.com/

Family Pics

The dreaded family picture....it has been two years since we attempted to capture our family in print! :) Why? Because my daughters (like their father) suffer from a little ADD....or better yet...."what can we all do to drive our mom insane?" We met with Elizabeth Paige at Dorothy B. Oven park. We were out there about an hour and a half. The girls ran around like they had no sense and Leonard was more concerned with bird watching. I must say that Paige was AWESOME with the girls and very patient! She was able to capture this beautiful picture of all of us before the Tallahassee Huffs went into full affect. I can't wait to see the rest of them. Thanks Paige, you rock! http://elizabethpaigephotography.com/

Thoughts for the Day....

My oldest sister, Tamika sent me this today. Wanted to share it with all the Moms that I know...

Invisible Moms

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this ? Can you tie this? Can you open this?? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!? One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book and I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder.. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.' As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM!

The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

Hannah's Reward!

Hannah took her fist cumulative test today....and....she did well! She made a perfect score on the Reading, Phonics, & Comprehension. Her reading has greatly improved these past couple of weeks. I am soooo proud of her. More importantly, she is proud of herself. Her confidence is increasing and she is taking more pride in her work.

For those of you who know Hannah well...knows that she likes to be rewarded! And I had absolutely NO problem rewarding her for her accomplishment today. She wanted a spa mani & pedi. However, she was only able to have the pedi because she did not do as well on the math portion.

She continues to struggle with math, but making improvements. I think knowing that she will be rewarded nicely will encourage her to continue working hard. I know it is in her...her mother did receive the Trigonometry award her Jr year of high school! (Like that, Keshia?)

Today has been a great day! Seeing all of our hard work paying off has renewed my confidence in myself. I was beginning to doubt the decision that I made to homeschool, but the Lord continues to show me that it was the best. It was the best because it was the Lord who told me to do it! Lord, I thank you! Tanashia

Just Another Tuesday.....

A week in review....last Thursday the McCoy Family blessed us with their presence for dinner...Mexican Night....quesadillas, tacos, chips, salsa, queso, and sangria!  That's right...I prepared this lovely feast!  We have truly been blessed by having Adrienne and her family in our lives.  She keeps me grounded and is a constant positive influence.  My girls enjoy her as well!  

Today was just another day in the life of the Tallahassee Huffs.  Sarah had her "Mommy & Me" creative dance class this morning.  We had lunch with Miss Tina.  Hannah had her hair done.  Then we had dinner with Daddy at....you know where....Los Compadres!  Tuesday night is kids nights!  The girls had their faces paint.  I sipped on a couple of Margaritas and chatted with Leonard.  

If I do say so myself, I am truly blessed!  Lord, I thank you!  Tanashia

A Lazy Monday!

A lazy Monday.....I don't think so! Worked all weekend...12 hrs shifts / nights. Haven't been to sleep today and there are four girls running around the house like they have NO sense. I am deserving of a "lazy Monday." So, NO school work....for me or Hannah. Just gone surf the web, lay around, and eat! Tanashia

Hannah's Homeschool Update!

I went to the museum on Monday and we learned about skunks, owls, and bats. Skunks spray people for protection. Owls can turn their head "around and around." Bats come out in the night time.

Homeschool is fun! It's just like school and I have to do hard work. I enjoy being home with my family and we get to go to fun places.

Hannah

Fall Has Come!

The past week has been very busy here. I worked 52 hrs! Needless to say, Hannah & I spent alot of time in the bed while doing school work. I'm not complaining about the extra hours worked. Twelve of those hours were spent making valuable memories...I had the pleasure of taking care of a dear friend and assisting her welcome her first child into the world...Jack, we've been waiting on you for a long time! Congrats to Cory & Andrew! Jack arrived early Wed morning (Oct 1) after a very l-o-n-g day. Cory, you rock! I am so excited for you guys.

The girls and I did not make it to the museum last Monday because we spent the day getting the house ready for Leonard's birthday party...Monday Night Football style. The guys seemed to have had a great time. Can't wait to plan the big 4-0 next year!

Well, today we are back on track and ready for a week full of learning, exploring, and playing. Hannah had her 2nd homeschool day at the museum...will let her tell you all about it. Sarah enjoyed critter class and learned all about spiders! The weather is cooler now. The girls spent about an hour at the playground before we headed back home so that I could finally sleep!