Life in Pictures..this week

Pretend campout last friday at Jodi's with all the preschool through 2nd grade homeschool kids. They had tents, campfire, hot dogs, smores, drinks, goats to pet and chickens to feed. Lots of running around and fun to be had!
The new gate and semi completed flagstone walk on the backyard area that always floods. it is getting there!
Girls night with Amelia, Sarah and Hope. Amelia wrote a play and they acted it out in the living room, and ate smores outside.
An experimental healthfood dinner of fresh pineapple, falafel, and quinoa salad. Quite yummy! Clay wasn't home to eat any, though. Totally meatless, and protein packed. Now if only we'd had couscous, the kids would have been in food heaven!

Interesting Week....

Monday we had a dental appointment with jordan getting his first fillings. He was brave, but frightened. I felt for him. So sweet, he is. I just adore that boy! He can be a stinker, but he has a good heart and is so full of love. So after the fillings we did a little shopping and had a picnic in the car and got groceries at Kroger before heading home. As we headed to our evangelism program at church (Jordan went to scouts with his dad) I began to feel funny. My chest was feeling tight and I was low on energy. By the time we arrived home I felt pretty bad and laid down. The enxt morning was HORRIBLE , but it easily could have been worse. I did a few minor things like make coffee and empty the dishwasher but then i had the kids make breakfast, clean it up, lead the devo and do their schoolwork. I laid in bed to teach the younger three, then had kids make lunch, clean it and finish schoolwork. I was in bad shape and Clay came home early to finish the teaching. He took the kids out to Whataburger for supper since i had boiled over a chicken and the fluid had shorted out the oven controls. I never was up for more than about 15 minutes at a time. Still sick on Wednesday, but not as bad, and by evening Jordan was sick. Unfortunately i had to teach bible class, so I did, barely. School was done, though. It was late Wednesday when Stacy called and we realized too many people were sick to have co-op classes so those got called off. On Thursday we took Jordan to the dr and he had strep. Then we had to get medicine. Got lots of schoolwork completed anyway. Thursday night I had to do some extra tax work for the IRS and i tried to work out, but my breathing was not great. I am over the illness, but still coughing. Clay took the kids to get goodies for helping him rebuild the fence. They had a great time this week having dad to themselves!
Now it is friday and we caught up on the science and history we missed during illness. We also have a tent in the living room and plan to run some errands this afternoon before theater lessons. If we end up with no plans this weekend it will be our only free weekend until after May 21. So i guess we should enjoy it and rest.
Most of our school supplies are in, the autos are all fixed. Vacation is paid for, and the oven is getting repaired Monday. Life is speeding by, so i am getting off this machine to hang with the kiddos. Ya'll have a great day in the Lord!

Preview It First

As I have said before, i think book studies of a religious nature are good for us, as long as we are able to discern the truth of God's word. Books are written by men, and are therefore subject to false teaching, but they can still make excellent points in helping us walk closer with God as Christians. So, yes, i do book studies with my kids. Sometimes I read aloud and discuss wiht them, or if they are older I preview the book, assign readings and then we discuss. This being said, i cannot stress enough how important it is to preview EVERYTHING. Even things written by reputable men. Even they can be wrong. Compare everything to the scriptures to see if it lines up. For example: If a book tells you that being angry is sin, check out what the bible says. Anger is not sinful, it is how you handle it and the dependent on the source of your anger. That is biblical truth.
I received some of Jacob's books for next year, in the mail, and previewed them last night. I knew I had to do this because they were spiritual growth books. One is called "Don't All religions Lead to God?" Good premise, right? Yes, and for the most part, biblically sound, and staying away from salvation doctrine...until the final 2 chapters. I ALWAYS look for salvation error because so many religions teach sprinkling babies, or saying a prayer asking Jesus in your heart will save you. Well, I would point people to the scripture which does not teach either of these things. And the scripture is what will judge us. Scripture teaches that a person must beleive in Jesus as God's Son, that he lived sinless, died and rose to conquer deat, and that we must repent of our sins and be immersed in baptism for the remission of our sins, dying to our former self and pledging to live as a Christian. The bible makes all of this very clear in the gospels, Acts, and the NT letters. God is not a liar.
Which brings me to the other thing about the book that was false. The author seemed not to believe there would actually be a "hell". He stated that he doubted you could find biblical evidence for that concept, and seemed to think those not in heaven would just return to dust. Now, I would say, that I doubt he has studied scripture on the topic because the bible makes very clear that there will be eternal joy for those who are saved and eternal punishment for those who are not. Many places teach this in the NT. Not sure how he missed it, but I know I didn't miss it and we will not read those chapters of the book without an open bible so the truth can be shown and noted in margins.
Preview everything they read to see if it meets your family's standards. You will make mistakes as we all do, but do your best to guard hearts and minds. We are the product of what we see, hear, read, and experience. And so are our children. Brig them up in the Lord, as He commands, to the best of your ability.

March 14-18 Digest

Well! I was so glad to be back on a normal school schedule. We got everything on the assignment sheets accomplished except for spanish and art. Clay was in Cali this week so we had some odd sleeping arrangements for a few days, but that is fine with me. The kids learned a lot and Kimberly is breezing through ehr kindergarten curriculum. I think we will start first grade by June. Jordan will almost be finished with first grade by then. This week I also ordered our curriculum for next school year and the packages have begun arriving! That is always exciting! I can school all five kids with top notch materials for an average of $300 per kid...and this year I came in under budget. But of course I haven't hit the August sales to get the loads of tape, copy paper, glue sticks and colored pencils we inevitably go through!
This week has been wonderfully warm and very breezy. Reminds me of the beach, which is coming up very soon! Also makes me want to buy dresses. So much for that clothing fast. I have purchased tops from Ross at seriously low prices, and dresses at JC Penney for half off. Plus I had to buy off the rack for Emily and Jacob this year, and even though it was just at Ross and Old Navy, and on sale, it still adds up. Not something we have ever had to deal with before. Luckily we have been blessed with some extra cash so we covered it.
In other news, tensions are super high in Libya. Crazy dictator. I still get nervous over such things but not like I used to. Ever since I can remember I have had a high need to feel secure, and never handle it well when i do not feel secure or when I think my kids are not secure and safe. So, yeah, I am protective. But as my friend Cyndi says, I would rather have my kids in therapy as adults than missing or unsafe in any way as kids/young adults.
So Anyway...it all started when i was a kid and watched this nuclear nightmare of a movie called "The Day After". It made all the news my family watched suddenly become very real for me, and I had severe nightmares for years, even when I was 20 and beyond. I recall when the tv aired the first bombings of Desert Storm and I was 20. I literally fell apart emotionally with paralyzing fear. So, ever since I saw that movie, I quit watching much news, and as an adult I still rarely watch. I catch little pieces here and there, but I know myself well, and I know without doubt that in the vast majority of news (which seems to be mostly bad news) I am powerless to affect in any way, so I do not watch it, so i won't get stressed. You really can't be effective at raising your family when you feel paralyzing fear for safety. I watch just enough to send up prayers to God so He can handle it, because I know I can't and I know He has a plan and His will is going to be done. In that I can have peace. Well, also in leaving the tv news out of my life.
And right now I am not watching the news about Libya, just limited stuff on Japan (tsunami/earthquake). So please don't tell me about it. I like my world like it is.
Now, back to my week....I really enjoyed seeing our garden begin to sprout this week and today i am going to start my summer veggies! I also have a sewing project for a friend--an apron. I couldn't find the fabric I wanted but I got some cute stuff. We had a super busy Friday with co-op, fast food, playdates, pretend campout, more friends coming over, and a smores roast. Man, was I tired last night!
All in all life is good, and we seem to be heading the right direction, growing every day. I pray for the kids and this family, and the world situations, and the spread of the gospel, and all my friends with specific needs, and our country, and for the church and the future of the church.
Hope you all have a great weekend!

Thursday

It is spring and the windows are open and husband is returning from Cali. The breeze is strong, the kids are fed and happy (but they were a bit testy and argumentative earlier--I guess we all have our bad times), and the Lord is on our side. I don't have much to say....until tomorrow when i chronicle the week. This blogging stuff has made for a great modern journal! Now if you will excuse me I have to get back to playing file games with Kimberly, courtesy of my neighbor!

Big Weekend

This weekend was full of working as a family and visiting family.
On Saturday we all worked around the house. One side of our lot is high, one side is low. The fence gate is on the high side, but the ground under the gate is a low spot and always holds water. This rotted the gate wood, and distorted it. So finally, after living here 7 years, we took off the gate to repair it. That didn't work because the wood had gotten into very bad shape, so new wood was purchased and a new gate was constructed. Jacob and Clay worked all day to build and hang the gate. Now all that is needed is to bring a little dirt in and grade it to drain well, and lay flagstone and gravel. While the gate building was occurring, I took kids to dance class, shopped for some essential items for certain people, cleaned house, fed people, ran laundry, planned lessons, ordered photos and made sure kids helped clean the yard and watched the youngest kids. At the end of the day everyone was tired, and being daylight savings time, we all bathed and crashed!
On Sunday we had a great treat in that Larry Marshall came to preach. I love his style! And he preached on James--one of my favorite letters, and so practical! After church we headed home to eat leftovers and grill some burgers and fold Saturday's laundry. Then we headed to my parents house for a birthday celebration for my mom. After three hours of cake, ice cream, relatives, and atv rides, we headed to the other grandparents house. There we had 3 more hours of visiting, eating and playing. We got home at 9pm, tired and ready for bed. Notice that we didn't attend evening services. But I must tell you, we did not skip church. It just so happened that it was the Sunday of the month that my in-laws congregation does a morning worship, followed by a noon potluck, followed by a devotional (they call it meet/eat/meet)...then they call it a day. No evening services. It is a once a month treat of worship and fellowship that they whole congregation loves. I wish our congregation did that, too, even if it was every other month. it would be great!
So here we are, embarking on a full school week. Have a great one!

Our Week in Pictures

This is the home project of the weekend. Raising the fence and putting in a flagstone walk to the fence will open and it won't be a rotten wood marsh all the time. Good luck honey! Not my domain!
This is Jordan at his scout banquet where he earned his tiger badge.
Kimberly helping me put fresh Miracle grow infused organic dirt in the garden.
Kimberly and Jordan helping plant lettuce, spinach and scallions.

There are also photos of co-op classes but I figured I'd put them elsewhere. Maybe we can actually grow a little food this year! All I got last year was 5 onions, 3 pounds of spinach, a little lettuce, one zucchini, 4 pieces of okra and one small sad little tomato.

Another Week :)

Another week has passed us by and much had happened. We began the week with a trip to Rockwall for dental appointments, then some shopping, lunch at Cotton Patch Cafe and more shopping. No school that day, but there was a most colossal fit at the exit of Hobby Lobby. The youngest showed a side of herself I have NEVER seen, and I really wish the people in rockwall hadn't seen. Not sure what the trigger was, but boy was it a doosie! That mentally wore me out for the remainder of the day.
Tuesday we had auto work to do and Wednesday too so we did language arts one day and math the other day..with devos of course. Thursday we had a fairly normal school day and that was nice. Except for grocery shopping. Do you know how expensive produce and eggs are??? Dairy products?? It will cost a small fortune if you have to buy all the stuff to eat healthy and can't raise/grow it. But I can't complain. I would hate to have to raise and grow it because I am focused on teaching the kids and have no clue where the time would come from...plus we make enough $ to cover the groceries if we are careful and smart about it.
Friday was neat. A friend just pulled her kid from PS and sent her to co-op with us. And another lady from church brought her daughter. It was and is really a fun place with great people.
So here we are at the end of the week and oh, I forgot to mention we had a great visit with my mom and grandma this week, too. Ok, so back to life ( i swear i have mild ADD!). So this weekend we have extra dance classes and the time changes and no LTC ( i am so glad of that!) practice. DON'T get me wrong. We love LTC, but the class has been so difficult, even for me, so most of our studying has been at home, and being gone all afternoon every Sunday gets old, and I messed up the daily devo challenge for the kids by failing to recognize they needed to be keeping a prayer journal and now it is too late to start over. Oh well! Maybe next year.
And we do get to celebrate my mom's birthday on Sunday with CAKE! She is probably 29 again.
We haven't visited any grandparents since Christmas...and they live 20 miles away in the same town---see how busy life gets??? Crazy! Maybe we will stop by the in-laws and make it a two-fer!
So that was our week. We have had three weeks in a row of strange schedule so I am ready for next week to return to normal. I hope. Love the daily journey, though. Hope you all have a blessed week!

Thoughts on Life

The past two weeks have been odd. Our school schedule has been "off" to say the least, and we have had illnesses, and out of town errands, and many activities. Some days I feel like we aren't accomplishing much. But we are studying the bible each day, talking about our beliefs, praying, helping others when we can, and living our faith to the best of our ability. So does it make a difference? What we do each day, I mean? Yes, I believe it does.
Life is a culmination of the small daily events. Each day we get up and try to life life for God to the best of our ability and try daily to reinforce biblical teaching on our kids while they are at home. I know we make mistakes, though we try not to. I know that one day the kids will have to take on their own faith and run with it, and I pray they will remember the way they were raised and choose the path of the bible. No matter what we do, what we watch, what we participate in, we always try to bring it back to being pleasing to God and following His Word.
Now, I realize not everyone may think we are doing a great job of that, but all we can do is get up each day and keep trying. And by example, to try to influence others in God's ways. I hope we don't fail. I pray we don't fail, but at the end of the day, I want to be at peace knowing we did the best we knew how, and leave the rest to God. He will judge us, all of us, everyone. So when i see people who do things differently than us, I like to see why, and try to learn from that, and I hope they will do the same with us. I know many of us are taking different paths of parenting/raising kids and still turning out solid Christian children who desire to live and serve the Lord. That gives me hope, and lets me know my way isn't the only way. Many people are finding what works without straying from biblical principles and standards. God is good.
I used to be MUCH more judgemental of others and I know I turned people off. I would have turned myself off if I had been on the outside looking in. People need to know the truth of the bible, but they need to see it too, and they need to experience it through other people in a spirit of love and gentleness and patience. I hope that is how I present myself...solidly biblical, yet with love patience and gentleness. But life is a growing process, isn't it? We are all at a different stage, learning and teaching at our own pace, hopefully doing our best to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
So as the day wears on I am encouraged to know I am not on the path alone. Many are on the same path, and I love that we are here to encourage one another and not to tear one another down because we take differing approaches. We are here to build one another up and help each other to reach heaven with our children. Thanks to all my friends who have been encouraging, and who continue to encourage and teach me new things every day.
Remember--all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin if we believe and repent (repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins) and choose to walk daily in His word. He has gone to prepare a place for us, so we know He will come again to take us home. Walk in the light. Be salt on the earth. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted. Jesus came to save us sinners. Train up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Pray without ceasing. Love one another.
Have a great day for Him!

Just the Facts, Ma'am

Well, it's one of those dreaded lists of things you may not know about me....read if you dare!

1. I am afraid of the dark...still.
2. I love veggies.
3. My passion is homeschooling my kids.
4. I feel incomplete without spending time with the Lord each day.
5. I always wanted a big family
6. I do not wish to ever join the workforce.
7. I love organization
8. I love to find a bargain.
9. I hate shopping in stores.
10. I love to cook.
11. I feel guilty over all the things I've done wrong. It keeps me up at night.
12. I think life rushes by too fast.
13. I am not a keeper of "stuff" but a declutterer.
14. I am not sentimental about much, except my kids.
15. My soul longs to be at the white sandy beach in Seagrove.
16. I do not like to watch the news--it is too disturbing.
17. My ipod has a strange mix of music, from movie scores to Motley crue to Vivaldi.
18. I cannot watch tv or movies with foul language, nudity, or homosexuality. It seriously bothers and offends me.
19. I am very very protective of my children, what they watch/hear/read, who they are with and their general safety.
20. I hate crowds and traffic--scary!
21. I don't care for the mountains or desert.
22. I would rather be safe than sorry.
23. I failed typing.
24. I cannot play piano though i took lessons ( I also once played flute, but can't anymore)
25. I can't read music...at all!
26. I love to wear skirts and do not like jeans much at all (only 2 pair).
27. I hate tatoos, body piercing, and low pants that show underwear or worse, your rear end!
28. I don't like seeing women in bikinis, showing cleavage, or short shorts/miniskirts. Tacky.
29. Smoking is an unhealthy habit and affects all of us so stay away with the nasty smoke, please.
30. I am not a grudge holder...my memory just isn't that good. And it takes too much energy.
31. I can't openly lie...I just can't.
32. I do not like to be around people who are drinking alcohol, and I really don't like my kids around it.
33. I do not like to be around people who curse or slander people of other races.
34. I am a solid republican/conservative, and DO NOT like Obama in any way.
35. I am completely against socialistic practices.
36. I hate tent camping.....with a passion! Cabins are much better.
37. I hate staying in hotels because I am a light sleeper and hear everyone. Grrr!!
38. I do not sleep well, and haven't since I was about 8..I see things, hear things and have nightmares.
39. I don't like being out at night. People out at night seem creepier. DO your stuff in the light of day!
40. I do not look forward to my kids growing up and leaving home.
41. Nuclear weaponry and crazy dictators scare me.
42. More than anything else I want my kids to be solid, baptized, practicing Christians.
43. I love shoes...too much.
44. I don't want to live in the country or raise any animals.
45. I hate snakes, wasps, scorpions.
46. My kids think I am weird, i SAY I am a fun mom...they secretly agree!
47. I like eclectic styles...which can drive my husband nuts.
48. I miss having a baby in the house but I like the freedom it gives, too.
49. I have a latex allergy.
50. I can't play video games--really, i have very poor hand/eye coordination and can't do it.

Enough for now.

Photos, As Promised!

Girls got swimsuits off the rack this year. Not modest, but we are going to make black skirts for all three. Very cute! I bought myself one too (not the same one), and plan to make a black skirt for myself too.
This is the generations banquet at church. It was wonderful, except that Kim had come down with strep and felt horrible. She was running a high fever.
Here is the group of us right before we left. Aren't they beautiful. YES!!!
A day at the park was great fun.
And a little more fun.
Lastly, this was science. These are models of the heart--4 chambers, with red and blue blood--all edible, grahams and marshmallows, with icing.

A Week in the Lifestyle...

Well, I really want to post some photos, but that will have to wait because I am on one of the two new laptops and do not have access to the photos from here. Did I mention we have two new laptops? Yes. Loving that! With a 7th, 5th, 3rd, 1st and K graders in the house it was time to spend the $ and get them. We have science, spanish, and math on cd and all use it for learning and editing work, and I use it for co-op and keeping in touch with homeschool, friends, and family. The week started with 2 girls sick with strep. One was very sick. we had to see the dr for meds, but the other three did school. On Tuesday we did some school with those three who were well, but by afternoon we headed to pick up the second laptop from rockwall. i didn't really want to go but had to pick it up. then on wednesday we did some school, then went to play at the park with friends for about 2 hours, did some more school, then headed to church. that night i lost my cell phone. i still haven't found it. thursday we did more school and had ballet class. but i couldn't get phone messages since my phone was lost, so i had to work off emails. fridayschool went well on friday and we rested that afternoon before heading to theater class. we got take out for supper and went to bed early. Today we had hip-hop and got groceries. tonight we have a scout banquet, and tomorrow LTC and hosting a youth devo. so all in all a great week. I just wish it wasn't cold today so i could plant my garden! We got good financial news this week, which is great because gas is crazy expensive! AND lastly the check engine light came on in the new van, just as a recall notice was issued. SO off we go to the repair shop next week--the suburban needs a/c work, too. And i need to get a new phone.
So that was our week.
Kids are practicing yoga today and I got a needed haircut. About to grill some burgers for lunch and enjoy the family!