Work work and Save save

Hi Everyone,
I know it has been a while since I blogged so I thought I would up-date you as to the reasons why I have been kind of absent lately. 
It has been work, work, and work to save, save, and save!!

We are trying to save money for a few things this year.  We need about five thousand dollars over and above our down payment that we have for closing costs on buying our own home, so we are working on that. 
Also, I'm a bit concerned that I have not used the greatest curriculum for teaching my kids school and I think they would truely benefit from having some quality programs but they are always more expesive.  So far I have always kind of gone with what we could afford which was not much but this year we are getting some pretty neat programs.
For math we have purchased "Teaching Text Books".  I love that program
I also purchased "Reading Horizens" for all three of my boys but especially C. who, even though he is the oldest, still struggles with reading and is not up to grade level.
For a great Bible Study program we purchased the "Picture Smart Homeschool Bible Curriculum".  I think we are going to love this.
For Science we are going to get (haven't yet) "A Reason for Science". 
I also purchased the Bob Jones University Reading for my older two boys.
And last but not least my friends who run "The Reading Cottage" in Montana will be tutoring my boys in writing journals, essays, reports, stories and all of that over the internet and via skype for now until they get their more soffisticated computer program up and running. 
I'm looking forward to an awesome new school year.

So.... that's the second thing we've been saving money for.
The third thing is that we would like to go on a mission trip, specifically to Africa.  It takes tons of money which we don't have so,  I'm a bit discouraged on that.  However,  I'm hoping that even if most of us can't go,  we'll be able to save up enough money for at least C. to go with his grandpa come next May.  He is very determined he wants to do that.  Now to translate that determination into focused, uninterupted, steady hard work....we're still working on that.
The fourth thing we need is to go down and see our families.  Both my husband and I haven't seen our families in quite some time.  We haven't left the Yukon in about 2 and a half years.  So a little trip South is due!

So, that's why we've been working hard and long.  I've been managing to pull in at least $300 or more a week selling fruit popsicles that I make at the farmers market.  I've also been doing quite a bit of sewing and that always keeps my busy and brings in a little here and there.  Last evening I worked till 11:00 washing walls and floors for a woman who is trying to sell her house and needed it cleaned.  She paid me $50 an hour to do it and it took 4 hours.  Today my husband and I worked for some people in town trying to help them sort out their full garage of stuff and move it and take down a tent and move a big wood stove, stack a couple cords of wood and the list goes on at their house.  Tomorrow I go back and we will load the trailer up again with another load of stuff to be taken away and then we will tear down an old fence and rebuild a new one.
We also need to sand drywall and paint and trip grass and shrubs and build shelves and oh... I'm so tired.  I think my feet are going to fall off. 
Still a little money here and a little there.  God has been blessing us in ways of finding it somehow.
Anyway, that's all for now.  Hope you all have a wonderful week ahead of you!