mid-summer update

We are still trying to stay cool these days.  The children are enjoying the pool, the library and the air conditioning.  Ian is diving down to the bottom of the pool and swimming like a fish on his own, Sean is “practicing” as he calls it, without swimmies and Erin loves for Mommy to take her in the pool to cool off.  We usually make it to the library once a week for a bag full of books.  Which, usually gets me a couple of stares and a few, “you have your hands full”, as they see me with three children under the age of 5; carrying one, lugging a huge bag of books to the checkout, and quietly yelling to one, “stop climbing up the counter” and telling the other, “stop hanging on my arm or I will tip over.”  I just smile and try to gracefully get through the checkout process and to the car without losing, dropping or tripping on a child.  On to the air conditioning part of our summer.  Yes, we spend these hot days reading those books that we check out inside away from the heat our Florida summer.  I just need to remember how nice it is in the Spring and Winter!

  

Remember last weeks meltdown?  Well, I was inspired over the weeked at a local conference for Homeschoolers.  This was a two day conference with seminars and a large set-up of vendors dedicated to serving homeschooling families.  We have not attended a conference before this one for obvious reasons, Ian still has another year until he officially starts Kindergarden and the idea just scared me.  We both enjoyed it, especially the seminars.  Two of the speakers were especially encouraging, Todd Wilson of Familyman Ministries and Valerie Bendt, who has written books on unit studies, early reading and preschool activities.  Our family really helped us out by watching the boys for the weekend, we were able to stay one night and we even had a nice dinner out here, because one of my sister’s watched the baby for us.  Thanks Sister!  We came out of the weekend refreshed, renewed and encouraged for a new season.

 

 

This new season includes a new business venture, which is to start a Computer Troubleshooter franchise in Clay county. Here is a web-site to the company: http://www.comptroub.com. Owning a franchise means having your own business, while running it with the support of the franchisor. Some of the benefits to going about it this way are having a proven system, the support of a national network, and receiving the business and marketing training that Jay would lack if he just went out on his own. 

As the name implies, the core of the business is computer and network setup and maintenance work, targeted to both the residential and business markets. The work will almost certainly include web-site development and other general software consulting tasks as well — really any need that a business may have regarding technology.

Most of you know that Jay has wanted his own business for some time, since we lived in South Florida, which was 4 years ago.  We have been waiting and trying to be patient for the right business plan to come along.  I will be on my own in the house again, since Jay will set up shop in an office off his Dad’s medical office.  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we transition and move forward!