Adventurous Homeschooling Life

Major Renovations...

2012-02-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

tearing out the old flooring
new flooring installed--very high quality
math time
dresses for the girls--resale shopped for a formal tea and movie premiere

I have been needing to update so this is a two week post. I would have updated at the end of last week but we were offline for several days removing old flooring to prepare for an install of new flooring thru most of the downstairs area this week. We also had to pick up some food orders, get some fabric, plan a birthday party, get to dance classes, and other little things...oh, and we held our co-op registration event.

So, I have photos to share, and want to say that co-op is going to be great! We are heaviy on older kids and got some cool classes planned. We also have the kids doing some great dances for recital this spring. Jacob's Irish number is really neat. Emily's ballet is from peter and the wolf, and her contemporary is the song "in your eyes". Lizzy is doing a hip hop number to Boomin' by tobymac and her theater group is performing to a song from Aladdin. Jacob's theater group is performing to "step in time" from Mary Poppins...a very high energy number. Not sure about Kimberly's ballet yet.

Kids have been playing piano a lot lately and we have been planning out next years academics and supplies to purchase. High school planning is serious business and not cheap, if you want to prepare them for college. But most of it is reusable. Educating all five still costs less than getting braces, or installing flooring, or attending a month of private school. But what most people don't get is that as a homeschooler you not only buy all the curriculum, you pay for and plan all field trips, and all extracurricular activities. Nothing is government funded, though we still pay our school taxes, yet all we do comes straight out of our pockets. There are many ways to do it too. Some people like to take the time to make up curriculum themselves and save money utilizing free stuff. Some prefer to get curriculum for their own peace of mind and ease of use. Some do a combination.

This week school was limited to bible and math and dance and piano. Next week we will get back on the regular routine. No major illnesses to report, though Kim had some ear pain and redness a few days. All have had drainage, too. Still have a pile of sewing to work on, but finally got taxes ready to file.

My brain is tiring trying to recall all our activities so I am going to add some photos and call it a day. Boys will be here for sweet Jordan's party soon. And for that I am glad since he is so quiet and has few friends.

Busy and Happy

2012-01-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

So, the week began with a field trip. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, it was. After doing the main protion of our schoolwork and chores, we headed to the local airport to learn from the Air Evac team. They fly the care flite helicopter that transports injured people to hospitals. We got to see the helicopter, talk to the pilot, nurse and paramedic crew. it was really fascinating...plus the pilot was so funny!
Then our week progressed fairly normally. We learned and played and laughed and rode bikes. We also got some much needed rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. it was gray and cold and totally soggy, but we have been under water restriction for MONTHS so this was very welcome. In fact, we won't complain if we get an event like this every week or so....just saying.
By Thursday we made a trip into rockwall to get our Azure order, play hunting games at Bass Pro and buy dress fabric for Emily. We also had a fabulous visit with Apple Orthodontics and decided they will get our business.....just as soon as those last 2 teeth descend enough for brackets. We also got Emily's birhtday party supplies.
Friday we had school as usual, but ended the day with boys shopping with grandparents for Jordan's bithday gift while we hosted a houseful of girls for a birhtday sleepover. FYI--it is a waste of money to rent a movie for a houseful of girls. Give them some hair accessories and nail polish and candy and their ipod and they are good to go! We hardly heard from them. But all but two did get to sleep by midnight, and rose at 7:30 for waffles with whipped cream and strawberries. It was a very fun time.
This is Jacob putting away his schoolbooks on Friday.
And the littler ones doing an art project. We learned to combine paint to make tints and shades.
Here is the nail salon portion of the party.
And here is the dancing part.
And ehre are all the lovely ladies after a night of little sleep and lots of fun. They left, and we were glad to have just our family of 7 in the house, so we all celebrated by taking a 2 hour nap.

THE END

Apples!

2012-01-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

So apples are good in more ways than one! We saw Apple Orthodontics today and LOVED them. In a few months we will be investing in Emily's beautiful smile, there. I highly recommend them.

Also, the apples of my cheeks just glow when I have purchased gorgeous fabric to make the eldest daughter some spring dresses. (Have you seen the mess they sell in the stores for junior sizes??? Seriously? Who dresses their daughter like a tramp? Apparently lots of folks.) So now that the rant is over, the sewing shall commence.

And Azure Standard and Bountiful Baskets sell the BEST apples ever! BB also had awesome brussel sprouts which I never liked until I got their fresh ones---cook them with onion and smoked sausages and enjoy tremendously!

Ok, that is all i have to say because I have a daughter having a 12th birthday and a friend coming over to buy an old sewing machine, so have a blessed evening! Longer post with photos coming real soon.......

Reporting Live from Scoggins Academy

2012-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Good morning. Today we have several things to report.
First story of the day: Children get fascinated while looking at bodily fluids on a microscope slide. yes. it is true. Snot and plaque and blood are fascinating. And you heard it here first.
In other news, the filming of The Red Bat ceased about a week ago and there has been burning of dvd's today for distribution. get yours before they run out!
Today's weather is bright and sunny with a few clouds and no precipitation expected. But hold onto your hats, folks...rain, and I mean a good soaking rain, is in the forecast in about 24 hours! Yes! You heard right! Rain...and a good bit of it!
In our food segment, the children were not terribly excited to see the leftover smoked sausage served with baked beans for lunch. However they did enjoy the oranges and pomegranate. Amazing, since they had just viewed snot and plaque.
The midday news brings us many answered prayers for our friends Will, Scott, and Dan.
In our birthday segment this week, we are happy to report the 12th birthday of the oldest girl. A movie night is planned with pizza and ice cream later in the week.
In financial news, the search is still on for an affordable and reasonable orthodontist. And the bank has received sufficient funds to cover the upcoming replacement of laminate wood flooring. In business news, the provider received a very high rating on performance review and will be travelling more. He also received praise for being one of the most ethical people to work with. Kudos!
There is really nothing to report in travel news, though a couple of trips are being planned to a wildlife museum and an ice skating rink for the upcoming month.
In education news, the students are performing well, and plans are being made for the next fiscal school year. One will be an 8th grade graduate in the next several months, too. Unbelievable!
There will be some outreach later today at the jscoc facility and we have word that a performance of Step in Time will be occurring at a local dance studio later this evening. Also, barring any complications the Life Flight demonstration will commence shortly.
That is all we have for today's midday news. Make it a great day!

Mid-January and All is Well

2012-01-21T12:20:00.000-08:00

This is my morning ritual--drink coffee and walk the dogs. Actually, they walk me.
Hanging out with Nick and the boys
Above and below the girls are all having fun.
This is Kim's dress I made form some cheap eyelet.
And this is my produce co-op share for this week....only $15!

You know, i read several blog things this week about making money with your blog. That sounds really nice in some ways but the truth is, this is like a personal journal for me and my family and friends. I really don't want it to be out there in that way....at least not at this time. And truthfully, I don't want to invest the time and effort. Lazy? No. Just busy with the important stuff of life right now. I really want to focus on my husband and kids and their activities and needs. There will come a time when other things will catch my fancy.
So, what has been going on, you ask? Wellllllll....this week we learned about the human body, got out the microscope to study slides, learned more about Genesis, worked on writing skills in journals, helped those learning about homeschooling, went to the park, watched some good movies with freinds and family, Jacob finished his first movie .... The Red Bat, and so on...
Red Bat is about 30 minutes long and we gave the first copy to Dakota. She is going to be in a new film with him this summer with a medieval feel to it. He is writing it now. We are going to make other copies for family members to have...gotta get some DVD's. You want one so someday you can say you knew him back when...He is brilliant! (yes, i am bragging a bit--)
This week we made some great homemade bread, and joined a produce co-op. That was great!
Today Emily has a girls get together at a friends house, and we had unexpected friends this morning which was FUN. The girls are into the new girly lego sets called Friends. Emily bought one today. Speaking of Emily, she had a 12th birthday coming up in 4 days. She is having a sleepover with pizza and ice cream and strawberry belgian waffles.
We are gearing up for February which will hold some more fun things to do. Tomorrow is our first day of LTC practice. you can find out all about that at www.ntltc.org. It makes for a busy but fun filled Easter weekend.
Jordan has been busy building lego, and shooting his BB gun this week. He also rode his new scooter all the way to the fire station and back. He is reading well and playing a lot.
Lizzy has been dancing and practicing ballet in hopes of joining ballet in the fall if they have space. She also got her first American girl doll from her friend Faith. it was a handed down doll but in great shape and Lizzy is THRILLED. She has been reading Little Women, too.
Kimberly has been doing kindergarten things and dancing all day. She got her new ballet shoes this week and LOVES them. I truly think she wants to dance or teach ballet some day. She also wrote a sweet note to a neighbor who shared a storybook with her.

So... the coming week will be fun. We will learn at home, and do some outreach, and dance, and get our Azure Standard order, and buy dress fabric, and get an ortho consult, and visit Bass Pro for some fun, and end with a birthday party.

Warm in January

2012-01-15T13:40:00.001-08:00

My son, the artist, drew this for a script he is working on. This is the character he wants his friend Dakota to play. She likes medieval stuff so he is working on that for her. We just need a sword....
the window before...and Jacob being inspired by Hans Zimmer (one of his favorites).
Building skeletons for science time.
Emily's favorite hat--an owl! She loves it!
CUTE!!
Clay applying the window covering.
Lowe's castle project. Jordan.
Kimberly.
Elizabeth.
Fun with leaves...JUMP!

Life marches on around here. We are all SO glad to be back in dance classes and out of karate. Why do homeschool classes always seem to happen during the school day? Do people think we don't school? Do they know homeschoolers have work to do as well? Oh well, I am glad to have a less busy Tuesday and a happier boy. (karate was from 2-4 on Tuesdays)
The past week was about normal. We got our semester going with a study of Genesis for LTC, began working on writing skills by journalling, got back into piano lessons, enjoyed having the playroom downstairs, downsized the curriculum piles, did some sewing and planning for sewing, cut back our computer time (but the teenager still has some work to do on that one), and spent more time as a family. We also covered the big window with a new film that looks like stained glass and ordered some new wood laminate flooring. 12 mm this time, no more cheap junk!
I think I may finally be coming to grips with the kids growing up. After all, the oldest only has 4 more years to go....he is so wonderful, too. Prayers for all the kids said daily, for their future spouses and for the people raising those future spouses. For their purity and for God's direction in their daily lives. Nothing can prepare them better for the future than doing what the Lord sets before them today, and doing it well. Today's challenges prepare you for the unknowns in your future, so focus on today instead of always wishing tomorrow would come. And if the past couple of weeks has taught us anything, I think the biggest lesson is that God cares about our lives, down to the smallest details and He is faithful to hear our prayers and answer them. We have been seeing evidence daily of a powerful God working on our behalf, because He loves us and we love Him.
So, I am going to share some life pictures and enjoy the rest of my Sunday!

Life in pictures last week.....

2012-01-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

We LOVE to go bike riding.
We also love to stay up late on holidays playing loud games on wood floors with golf balls!
Or cool board games like Clue! or battleship, or stratego, or scrabble, or monopoly jr, or life, or payday, or ....welllll, i'm sure you get the idea.
Cousin Gracie had a horse riding party so the four youngest went. Jordan got help from grandpa.
Kim pets her horse.
Jordan and Emily wait to ride.
Gracie and Kim hanging out.
Lizzie and Jordan riding in the arena. It was terribly dusty and I had a 2 day headache from that.
This is the Red Bat...aka Jacob.
Clay and Emily on piano.
Youngest three working on an Old Testament feltbook.
And the large living room window shade fell down so we tested some decorative film samples. Going to get the one on the far left.

Room Changes

2012-01-08T18:54:00.000-08:00

Above, you see the girls downstairs bedroom that has been converted...stay tuned...I'll explain in a minute...just keep reading!
This week began with a holiday-New Years. We did the traditional staying at home thing. We also spent Monday visiting friends whose son is in ICU. But as of tonight he is making slow progress and that is good. School began early on Tuesday...before 9am. And that is new for us. But it went fairly well except for the youngest ones fighting (tiredness, I'm sure). The girls also decided they wanted to move their room upstairs. Not sure what brought that on, though. But the planning began and by friday we were hauling furniture up and down the stairs. The girls room became a playroom/workout room and the upstairs became the girls new room. We have now ordered bed frames from IKEA for them, too. And we sent Jacob off to another fun filled JanKay retreat weekend. Sunday night has arrived and all the chicks are home and doing well. School will begin again tomorrow and we are ready. It was great to get back into dance classes and even got to meet with the co-op team at the park Saturday. We just got spoiled to really warm weather this past week, so cold weather might send us into shock.
Here is the girls new bathroom....No shower, but girls kinda need a place to do...girl stuff, ya know.
here is a view of the door, dormer, and closet.
And here is the sleeping area and dressers.
And this is the work area wired for internet, but complete with a sewing machine, crochet supplies, and scrapbooking box. I like the half wall separator.

In other news, we have decided to jump in and buy new wood laminate for the living areas. It is on sale with an install price we like, so we have chosen a high quality floor to replace the very thin, cheap mess we put in 5 years ago. This current flooring moves, has too much slide space and regularly has floor gaps of 2 inches all over the place where you can see the underlayment! We constantly kick it back in place to close the gaps, sometimes injuring feet. So anyway, that is all I have to report. This week I will add some photos of the kids. Forgot to take the camera to Home Depot workshop on Saturday though.
Hope your week is blessed...don't forget to pray!

Quick Life update

2012-01-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

So it has been quite a year! A dear friends' son has been in ICU at Children's since New Years Eve and remains there for probably 2 weeks at least. He is 16 and had several medical issues since birth, but had a cardiac arrest and was not getting oxygen for about 8 minutes so they are waiting to see how this will all play out. He is covered in prayer and love, and I know God is good and will do all things for this boy. He is a wonderful christian, future church leader.
School has also started here, with earlier mornings than we have ever kept, and a little less outside activity, which is wonderful! Weather is beautiful, friends are everywhere, kids are growing and changing. Life is good.
Here at home changes are coming. The girls are moving to the upstairs bonus room this weekend and the playroom/workout room is going downstairs. Got to do that now since DH is going to Texas Back institute this week and we want all the damage done before he begins treatment of some kind. He has been in almost constant pain for years. So far, nothing has worked for him. It is time for relief. We are also in the process of searching out an ortho for Emily. I am not into the ortho standard of perfection but she does need some work done, but I want it to be reasonable. Both in procedure and price point.
So, that is where we are this week. WIll post more next week.

Ahhh, schedules!

2012-01-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

I love schedules. I love having a plan. I am good at scheduling things. There is just one problem. Life doesn't happen according to a schedule. Every semester since my third kid was born I have used Managers of Their Homes and made a monstrous schedule that I loved, even though i have never fit in everything I wanted to fit in. Then about a day before the implementation I freak out wondering if I am crazy? Where is the time for playing dollhouse, and painting, and nature walks, and building blocks, and board games, and trips to grandmas? Why do they have to change and grow up so stinking fast??? AAAAAAAHHHHH! And then I talk to God some more and He assures me that a schedule is a good thing, but IT IS ONLY A TOOL. I am not supposed to be a slave to it. If I am, I will lose my mind and lots of great memories. So I trudge forward, and realize that tools are there to help you focus yourself. Life without a plan is chaotic (and I LOVE orderliness). But life that is a slave to a plan is not really living at all. It is a stressful mess for everyone.
So as tomorrow approaches I am going to look at the lovely plan (that I am still tweaking, by the way) and let life happen, and teach the kids, and make time to play with them, and follow their interests. School in the form of homeschool does not happen only between 9 and 3. It extends into evenings of game time and family baking and bike rides, and sometimes into late night documentaries or stargazing. It may be an early morning dog walk with a nature journal in hand to sketch. Maybe it is when you are about to have a cool lesson on China complete with making jade bead necklaces and eating with chopsticks that grandma and great grandma decide to come for a visit, so you can include them or put it off and go with the flow. Either is acceptable and none of it is scheduled. So what if we end devo and decide to go paint our bible lesson instead of do math first, or if we decide to just spend the afternoon reading some cool books instead of learning about quarter notes and paragraph structure. Maybe that lesson on medieval times prompts kids to dress like knights or Robin Hood and they act out medieval life in the yard for a day or two. Good! Kids need to learn by living, and I need to see that and photograph it, because in the blink of an eye, these precious years will be over, and they will be grown. And they will learn much and build relationships and memories that will last.
So here's to my schedule! Thanks for being there to help me be accountable, but also for being flexible enough to let us live a joyous life together!
Ready, set, GO!

Post Christmas Ramblings of Insanity

2011-12-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

Above we have Christmas at the Scoggins', and below we have Christmas at the Anderson's. Both on Christmas Eve. We had let our kids open gifts from us and from each other earlier in the week so it wouldn't be one big gift fest, and more relaxing. They all got great things and enjoyed the day with family.
Santa brought Kim a kitchen.
And Liz a baby doll and ipod.
And Emily an ipod dock and hair accessories.
And Jacob a flip video. Jordan is pictured below on the scooter that he got.
Jordan has ridden miles on this thing....literally!
So it was a great, simple Christmas surrounded by family and friends. Clay has been hunting and we have been playing. It is all good.
Routine. Schedule. These have not been known in the house for over a week. We stay up late and get up late and just do whatever. Kim puts herself to bed early, but that is it. I have hardly made breakfast and I don't think I have told anyone to brush their teeth. That can't be very good parenting. It has just been overly relaxed around here. But it is all coming to an end very soon so I am trying to get things in order for spring semester and the future. I did manage to get most of my current scrapbooking in the homschool scrapbook. Still, I have a LONG way to go, but Lord willing I will finish by August...I laugh at that, honestly. I also am on the brink of planning and purchasing for high school....REALLY??? YES! Holy Cow!!!! Am I nuts???? Probably....but I figure that if I keep praying the Lord will lead us in the right path for each child. I hope that happens soon....because I have some plans I need to have some assurance of. I am thinking of Sonlight for high school, but piecing it together instead of buying the whole shebang. I know lots of families we can borrow books from, including the library (kind of like our family...). I just pray I am going in the right direction, but then i have to step back and see the big picture. IT WILL ALL BE FINE. I know it will. But being the manager of a homeschool with five kids is hard work, busy work, neverending work. Everyone needs individal attention and individual schooling and character training and free time and life skills. And they all have interests to follow and freinds they want to hang out with, and grandparents to spend time with, and activities they love, and church activities. Balance is so hard! I can't do it all and do it well. What should I do???? I try to do the best I can, just like every other parent. But you know, some things are just weightier than others. Like training in godliness and character, and family relationships. That ranks at the top, followed by academics, and interests, and friends. And I have realized that you have to say no to some things. You have to not buy curriculum you will never have time to use (and I have lots of that on my shelves). You have to be ok with a kid who does not really want to take any classes, but just wants to live life doing things with family and friends. Life is a learning process. It's one serious teacher, but boy do you learn! Always changing. I look back at the simple days of having small kids...always changing diapers and nursing and reading books and playing in the floor and going for walks. Now we have traded that for heavier academics, outside classes, competitions, and other things. It is all good, just in different ways. It is always a juggling act and I think for a long time I teetered on the edge of depression/anxiety. Some days I think I still struggle with what life will bring next. It is SO HARD and SAD and JOYOUS to watch your children grow up. It is just very bittersweet, and tears come easily at the memories and the daily events. Tears of joy and pride and missing the past.
See...I warned you it was ramblings of insanity! So here is just a bit more.......
1. There is nothing more futile than assuming all Christians are the same in every respect. They aren't and aren't meant to be.
2. If we aren't in a position to actively help a problem, we need to walk away from potential gossip. We don't need to know everything. We don't need to hear it or weigh in on it with our opinions.
3. We need to keep our minds pure from sexual imagery. It warps our ideas of normal, and can damage the marriage relationship with a fake sense of beauty. The mind can be conditioned in good ways and bad. It can become desensitized to the sin around it.
4.If your heart is aligned with anything or anyone other than God, you will be prone to doing stupid things (and we don't say that word at our house).
5. The heart of why young people are abandoning the church is they are being largely raised in homes where the gospel is absent, though they may be going to church weekly. They are being raised by hypocrites and are rejecting that hypocrisy.
6. The bible tells us that the NT church is defined by the preaching of the Word, prayer, giving, singing, believer's baptism, and the Lord's Supper. It should never be defined by man centered creeds or models. All you need is the bible. And in the body of Christ you should and will find people at all stations in life.
7.We need God to help us raise the children He has entrusted us with. We need to be parents. When necessary homeschool them. But above all, parent them. Raise them. Disciple them.
8. When we try to conform to a particular model of education for our kids and forget to listen to the Lord's will for our children, we are heading down a dangerous path. Know your kids and seek God for what is best for each individual child.
9. The Greek education model is about getting info, and regurgitating it for a test. The Hebrew model is about understanding how truth should be lived out in daily lives. Geuss which one follows the public education model and which one follows the homeschool movement.
10. I don't think I have anything else to say....remarkable, isn't it? Oh well. It's time to make lunch anyway!

Have a blessed year in 2012!

Nutcracker....Revisited

2011-12-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

This is Jordan, the only kid who doesn't take dance. Guess what he likes??? Yes! Hunting and guns and knives and the outdoors! Oh, and karate class. He starts sparring in January, and has to work on getting stripes eliminated so he can earn colored belts!
Emily at her first piano recital at the Smith's. She is in the tie dye dress. She began lessons this year and is very good. She loves to practice. Kimberly will probably take lessons one day, too.

Ellie, Kim and Ava ready in the green room. This is pre-dress rehearsal.
Emily all dressed for Waltz of the Flowers
Jacob and Dakota waiting to go into the auditorium.
Lizzy with Lily and Annalie right before going onstage.
This is Kimberly and her friend Ellie dressed and ready to watch rehearsal...and dance!
Lizzy on stage at the party scene. She is sitting on the right.
The dolls brought by Drosselmeyer.
Our horde of little mice...adorable!
The snowflakes---always sparkly and graceful!
Isaac as Nutcracker and Quanah as Clara....very well done!
Mary and Dakota dancing the spanish dance.
Mother Ginger is Allison, one of Kimberly's ballet teachers. That is such a cute dance!
Emily is on the right for Waltz of the Flowers. She was wonderful!
This is the very end with the cast doing bows. I didn't get a still of Kimberly doing her dance to Silent Night.
After the show, Bailey, Jacob, Dakota, Lizzy, Emily and Joelle were hanging out onstage. Great group of kids!!!
Jacob and his theater partner, Bailey. His friend Dakota is in the dark blue with her back to us.
502 patrons to see the show! I love that our show brings the story of Jesus as the greatest gift of all. Our primary ballet kids dance to Silent Night and O Come All Ye faithful and Do You Hear What I Hear as they dance with the Sugar Plum Fairy to tell Clara about Jesus, the greatest gift of all. At the end, Clara puts down her beloved Nutcracker to dance for Jesus and pray with the angels. SO sweet!
My kids that take dance absolutely love it. If $$ allowed we'd have more classes for them, but with 5 kids, we are just limited. They like to eat, and have a home and a van, too. But the studio is the most wonderful place. They have made some lovely friends there, and most are homeschooled. It is like family there. I can count on these folks just like our family, and curch family.

The week before the week of rehearsals...

2011-12-12T06:57:00.001-08:00

The past week was busy, but good. A friend had her baby boy last night and he is adorable. Safe to say my kids are jealous....but that has not been in the plans for us. Much as I love babies, I had a really difficult time mentally aftet the fifth one came. Not because she was difficult, but because I needed order to the home and was dealing with learning issues with one and behavioral issues with another and health issues with the baby, and homeschooling and running the home. Some people can handle all that and more with a smile, but I had trouble with it. Anger and frustratiuon were common and so were tears, so God knew what He was doing by not sending another kiddo our way at that time. However, now I feel we are in a good place for that, but being over 40, it probably won't happen, and that is ok because we are TOTALLY enjoying these 5 blessings and watching them grow.
Jacob is a teen filmmaker and so talented, though we are missing him as he involves in more outside activities. But he is still a great kid, very kind and loves to dance. He is making lots of friends and enjoying life.
Emily is a talented crafter and dancer. it has been neat watching her become a lady. She is playing piano and learning and reading a ton and is just an all around helpful, servant of the home. Such a joy!
Elizabeth has come so far in the past year. She is a full blown reader and has more confidence than before. She loves dancing and physical activity. She is quickly becoming a little lady too! So loving.
Jordan has really changed. he is a very loving boy, and has much more self control. he is physical and loves riding bikes and the outdoors. He takes karate but it seems like a love/hate relationship sometimes. He is reading and is so so smart! Fun kid!
And then there is Kimberly. Our littlest ballerina who loves dance more than anything, except maybe puzzles and art. She is a drama queen and totally fixes her hair at least 6 times a day. what a diva! but she adores playing and singing and ballet, and she is learning to read!
They are the loves of my life. I look forward to the day they are all saved and I pray for their futures every day!

Last Week

2011-12-06T06:41:00.001-08:00

Last week was busy with Nutcracker rehearsals and schooling and sewing. By Friday night we were all excited to attend the yearly parade, but this year, Jacob wasn't with us. He is now a teen and all the teens from the dance studio went to a Nutcracker party for the evening. he had a blast, but so did we. It was late when we all finally were home together and we let the kids open one present from us.

We also had some peppermint topped cookies.
these are the reason we opened a gift. The forecast called for a cold night and we wanted Emily to have these boots for the parade so we had promised the gifts. Then the weather changed and was quite warm but we had already made the promise. She loves the boots, by the way. The other girls got ballet bags, and the boys got a pc game and a mega bloks set.

So that wrapped up last week in a nutshell.

This week it is super cold for Texas, and we are schooling and rehearsing and just living life. Emily will have her first piano recital this week, and Jordan is working toward getting his first stripe removed from his karate belt. Hope you have a blessed week!

Spiritual Thinking

2011-11-28T10:06:00.001-08:00

Well, I would normally be giving the Thanksgiving holiday photos and events, but I didn't load my photos, and sadly I only took photos at my house. We had lots of illness last week and a little school, and tons of good food, and some holiday decorating. That is all I have to say about it until later.
But I had a lovely talk ,with a couple I greatly admire at church, last night, as I was sharing a book called Heaven is for Real with them. And I suppose that is what is sparking this post. I attend the specific congregation I attend because as far as I can tell, they organize and conduct worship biblically according to what was occurring in the first century churches (and for that reason I wouldn't attend a different congregation). However that does not mean i hold to all the varying beliefs about our spirituality and traditions (churches of Christ). They are about as varied as the sand of the sea. Nor does that mean I believe everyone at my congregation is going to make it to heaven , or conversely that people in other congregations or even denominations won't make it to heaven---I know that may shock some people. But believe it or not, the churches of Christ don't have all the answers, and most likely neither do other religious groups, though I suspect many, if not all, who call themselves Christian are doing something right, and I am pretty sure we are all doing some things wrong whether we realize it or not. One thing that greatly disturbs me is the notion that our personal/individual brand of religious legalism is the only way. I think when we come to Christ it has to be according to what is required of us in scripture (not necessarily an "Americanized" version of religion), but I also strongly believe that those who are seeking diligently to obey and become more like Christ are heard by Him, too, and blessed by Him. I also believe (hold onto your hats for this one) that God cares about the specifics of our daily lives and works in them in ways we don't understand, due to prayers we or others offer to Him, and that angels are working in this world and helping people, and that some who are on the verge of death have seen Jesus and God and maybe even Heaven, and lived to tell about it. There is a whole realm of the spiritual world that has not been revealed to us and that is beyond our explanation or understanding. That is why we are required to have faith and to pray and trust in God. And I do strongly believe that God changes the course of human history based on prayers made to Him. You may not believe all this like I do, but that is ok. I am not your judge. I am here to walk in His ways as best I can and grow daily, just like you. And I firmly believe there is no other way to God's kingdom that through being washed in the saving blood of Jesus. Remember what Jesus said...the greatest commandments are totally loving God and loving others as yourself. Love flowing from a desire to be like Christ is the essence of life. It is what we are here for and made for. And there are many ways to show it. It isn't just looking nice, being nice, and attending church. I don't know that that will really get you anywhere. I think a tribal person in the jungle in his loincloth who is seeking to be more Christlike after a missionary comes and brings the news of Jesus to him in terms of his own culture is probably just as saved as those in my congregation. Granted, he isn't wearing Amercianized clothes or meeting in a chruch or sponsoring missionaries, but in his own way if he is seeking and serving and living for Jesus with all his heart in order to please God, well, you see where this is going.
Some would call me super liberal (though i see myself as conservative) and some would just plain call me wrong, but I am truly, daily seeking God's will for my life and for the children He has blessed me with, and I do it all according to His word and with his love as my motivator. I am sure I am getting things wrong daily. In fact, I know I am, but His grace covers me on my walk. And praises to God for His grace because I am not the same person I was 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago, and it is because of Him. And I will be constantly changing every day of my life, trying to be more like Him and failing daily, until i can rest in Heaven with Him.
So I just had to say that.
I totally believe in Jesus and God and their saving power, and I believe prayer is our strongest power this side of heaven, and I plan to tap into it daily. I also pray that daily I can be an encouragement and an example of godliness, with love, toward those I come in contact with.
I apologize for my times when I am judgmental of others and their ways. That is not my place unless they are a brother or sister in Christ (not just in the churches of Christ), and are scripturally, specifically sinning, and putting their soul in jeopardy. Otherwise I will diligently try to show LOVE. May God bless all who diligently seek HIM.

Twas the Week Before Thanksgiving...

2011-11-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

And boy has it been a week of eventfulness. Above are the holiday decorations Emily and I have been making.
And here is EMily teaching Kimberly some piano skills.
And this is the stash of fabric that I cut for Christmas projects...well, most of it. Some has already been sewn. this is all that is left to do. I got quite a bit sewed on Sunday since we missed church due to illness.
This is the cabin we stayed at Friday night at a local state park. We debated not going since Jordan had been sick with a stomach virus, but he seemed better Friday morning so we headed out, only to have Kimberly fall ill that night. We came home early Saturday and Clay and jacob were ill by Sunday. Today is Monday and Kim is better and so is Jacob, but Lizzie is beginning to feel a bit bad, and Clay says he is not quite over it.
This is Jordan and Kimberly working on some schoolwork together.
And Jacob and Elizabeth doing their reading one afternoon.
So that is what has been happening. Last week we got our bulk/co-op order and that was fabulous! I have been baking bread and using the apples all week. Today i set out our turkey to thaw. It is going to be big! But it will be good. We made a run to Hobby Lobby for lots of goodies last week, too, and have been crafting a lot. School is going just fine. I really don't worry about being behind at all, not that we are really behind. I have learned to just relax and take life as it comes. If we are diligently working toward the goals it will all be fine. The kids are all doing well and progressing at their pace, and the character is coming along well.....most days. The kids still want us to look into a used travel trailer, but I am just not sure we'd have the time to justify it...and finding one in decent shape for the price we'd be willing to pay is tricky. Then there is the matter of storage...and stocking it. And the upcoming expense of auto work and braces and LTC, and church camp and dance recitals. Maybe when the time is right, the Lord will set it before us. And if not, that is fine too. Honestly I do not like to travel much. I definitely don't like sleeping away from home. I just really want a simple life at home with the family. If i never travel it won't matter to me, because in the grand scheme it just isn't of any real importance to me. Now, if the kids all move off in different places not close to here, I will travel to see them as often as possible. Maybe that is when I need to look at travel trailers...hmmm. That will be worthwhile travel for me. That is what i want my later years to be about anyway--family, not adventure. Though to tell the truth, this family brings plenty of adventure in its own way. But an adventurous roaming spirit, I do not possess.
Ok, so that was a bit of digression. The week was good and we are looking forward to thanksgiving this week. There is truly MUCH to be thankful for!

2011-11-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am not a very good blogger. Just not terribly interesting to read about for the average person, i guess. But here goes another week of our life!
The monster party was fun. I enjoyed cleaning the kitchen, as strange as that sounds! It was relaxing while all the kids played. We also had a nice visit with my parents that evening. But alas, the stomach bug reared its ugly anuseating head and by bedtime i felt positively ILL. But I went to church Sunday anyway, just didn't say much or eat much all day. It has kinda passed thru the house. Just a bunch of upset tummies. Schoolwork has gone exceptionally well. The kids are reading lots of neat thing for discussion and we are entering Medieval history which is fascinating! We have read and discussed the bible, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, The Fire Cat, Little Women, My Name is Not Angelica, and Stories from Grandma's Attic this week.....in addition to several readings of Bill and Pete/ Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile. Been teaching one to sew and one has been crocheting more and sewed a piano bag. One is learning to read and loving every second of it. One prefers to read his bible over all other books. Singing has been lovely this week and song book use has been coming along well for the younger ones as they figure out those large numbers. We love the weather changes for fall and all the rehearsals for Nutcracker. That is about to get intense. Karate seems to be going well, too. We joined a bulk/organic food co-op this week and are looking forward to picking up our order. Also snagged the Thanksgiving turkey for $13 (23 pounder). This was our final week of homeschool co-op classes and all went well. We already have some great class selections for spring. And we attended a harvest carnival with another homeschool group. That was pretty fun, too. Oh, and I cut about 3-4 inches off my hair...well, Renee did. The time change has been nice because we get up and going earlier, but not liking the dark evenings so much. But we play lots of games and hang out together so it is good. So that about sums it up. Tomorrow is full already with fun stuff with church friends, so here's hoping Sunday is relaxing.
Hope your week has been blessed, because ours has.

Long Wait for a New Post

2011-11-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't updated in about two weeks. Life got a little bit busy...but it was all fun! The costumes finally got completed, and Emily decided to plan a costume party the Saturday before Halloween, at our house. i provided cookies and kool-aid, and she ran the show. The kids all had a blast and the above photo is most of the attendees, minus David and Josie who came later.
Right before Halloween weekend we took a trip to the zoo in Tyler. It was quite chilly that day, but the kids had a great time. They are posing for me above. We had all school completed early that week so we could take the day off, and there were no co-op classes.
This is Kimberly and Rocket sitting on Clay.This happens almost nightly. That dog loves Clay, and so does Kimberly!
Here are the kids gazing at the giraffes and elephants. We really had a fun day. Also stopped by the Brooksire's World of Wildlife museum. Free and fun. My kind of trip!
With the cooler temps, the kids get outside a lot. They also haul our blankets into the yard every day to make playhouses and other such things. I think there are many adventures taking place outside!
But our poor new little dog has short hair and very little body fat so the cooler weather was harder on him. We decided he needed a coat. Have you seen the outrageous prices on dog sweaters and costumes??? They are nuts!...so i googled "dog coat pattern" and found one by Martha Stewart, and enlarged it manually to my dog's measurements. Then i drove to Walmart and found some sherpa and velcro, came home, cut it out, sewed on the velcro, and VOILA'....a warm doggy coat! He is much warmer now! And all for under $7.

So that is the news here. School is going quite well and we are enjoying piano lessons (mainly because we get to hang out with the Smith's every other week!), and dance classes and karate. It is almost time for Nutcracker rehearsals to begin and that will be crazy! There are so many more kids this year I shudder to think how crowded the green room is going to be! And locating all my kids after the show...well, I shudder at that too! Gotta devise a plan for keeping up with them...4 kids in the show this time, two with two parts each!

Anyway, today is my nephew's 5th birthday, so we are going to have a monster party this afternoon, and I need to get myself ready! Hope your life has been blessed!

In the past week...

2011-10-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

This is Emily's costume, complete with apron, which i modified quite a bit...now I need to do Elizabeth's apron and all will be completed.
This is my great Aunt, a family friend, my maternal grandma, and my dad at the birthday party last weekend. My dad was 65! It was a fun day.
These are the kiddos about to leave for Sunday worship.
Here are two prairie girls in my yard. Cute!!
here they are again......
This is called homeschooling...sibling teaching sibling reading skills.
And this is homeschool science...physical science.
Morrow family reunion...Jordan getting a coveted soda.
Kim with a monarch we found in the woods.
Chow table.
Kid social club..
hanging out with family
It has been a great week. Lots of school was done, character was learned and applied, sewing happened, we hung with both sides of the family and ate great food (too much great food). And we began looking at getting a camper for trips. Not that we travel much, but large families DO NOT fit in hotels. We have to camp or rent homes, and both have advantages, and while I totally prefer renting homes, the camping option is far more cost effective, except that my husband is the only one who really likes to camp (in a tent). So a pop up camper would be great. Actually a 20-22 ft pull behind would be greater, but that is NOT cost effective for us, so it will have to be a pop up camper. It is not my favorite option, but it beats a tent any day of the week. So maybe if we find one our trips can be less costly and possibly more frequent. That would be cool--depending on where we ended up! Sorry, but I am not into heights or dangerous adventures...but a tour up the east coast to see all the colonial sites would really be neat! So would a mid-America trip to see the Little House sites and other stuff...even makes a trip to the beach better! So anyway, life here is good and rolling along nicely.

The Common Room: Keeping Company, But Not Dating, Activities

2011-10-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

The Common Room: Keeping Company, But Not Dating, Activities: Redecorate my bathroom, on a budget.=) Work on a puzzle together Each one teach the other something they like to do (play a sport, do a cr...

Quickly, now....

2011-10-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Here is the weekly news update:
Not much happened this week. We conducted a full week of school with no major injuries or errands, got along really well, completed a lot of cleaing, bid on lots of kids clothing from ebay (and won several at outstanding prices), sewed 2 prairie dresses, had several Christmas gifts delivered and stored. Also got Nutcracker mouse ear prototype made--it looks great! All in all a productive week with everyone and now we are in birthday mode for the weekend. And best news of all--FIL's cancer has not appeared to spread! Yea! Great news!
Can i just say, i love easy going weeks like this???? Simple and easy and enjoyable. I love my kiddos and staying home educating them (actually, they do most of their learning in spite of me...). Blessings abound and I praise God for them all!

Apples of Gold

2011-10-01T17:12:00.001-07:00

Reading vet literature
Kittens were fun.
playing with kittens
Vet field trip
eating lunch at Braums
Lunch fun
Grocery shopping.
Pioneer days
Wizard of Oz show
Vet clinic
On stage
Performing ballet at nursing home....

And so another week has come and gone. And boy was it busy! We got some school done, but we learned more from life this week. Monday was a field trip to a local vet where we got to see animal surgery and how they care for animals. Tuesday was our busy activity day and they get worn out from the physical activity. Wednesday was a trip to the dentist and afternoon shopping. Thursday was a half day of school and a half day at the children's museum where we bought a year long membership. We had the whole place to ourselves for almost 3 hours and they played together fabulously the whole time! It was a priceless day! These kinds of days will not last much longer with all five of them, so it was a true joy! Friday was co-op classes, interrupted by a ballet performance at a nursing home, followed by grocery shopping, and a night of pizza and movies with the family. I love Friday night family nights! So do the kids. And Saturday brought a trip to Sam's club, the boys had an all day party at the Smith's house (great fun!), Liz had a skating party with Sarah, and I took the other two shopping for fall shirts. And now we are about to wind down with baths and family time so we will be ready for worship tomorrow.
As for the title, it is from a bible verse. Words fitly spoken are like apples of gold...it's a proverb...and I experienced that very thing this week. My oldest child, a dear young man, was sitting with me one evening and I was feeling melancholy about the children growing up and thinking of all the things I wish I had done differently. I said, "Son, I am so sorry for all the mistakes I have made. I hope you have had a good childhood, but I wish I hadn't been so schedule oriented and so concerned with grabbing every teachable moment. I wish i could go back and just enjoy all of you more, and just play with you and read to you all. I'm sorry." He just looked at me and said, "I don't wish that. If you hadn't done all the things you did we wouldn't be the people we are today. I wouldn't change a thing."
I love that boy! I needed to hear that. I told the others and they agreed with their brother.
Hope you had a great week!

Life with kids is interesting....

2011-09-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Just had to do a mid-week post!
So I was vacuuming under the couch cushions and came upon enough food to serve a meal, along with some hair accessories, a washrag, some crayons, grape stems, and some pencils. And I tell the kids how they are not to be eating in the living room...again. All the while they are randomly popping something into their mouths (the youngest two BTW). I stop and say, "what are you guys eating?" They say, "we have frozen blueberries in all our pockets!" Well, that should make laundry interesting.......
In other news, the kids played outside after dark last night while others watched Cowboy football. This morning we did our devo outside and I noticed the play stuff arrangement...The little tikes triangular jungle gym was on its side with a broom and a long tree branch stuck through the holes. I had to ask about the playtime...here's what I was told....Mom, we were pretending that earth was destroyed by fire and we had to escape in our escape pod (the playset) and we landed on Mars, and we needed to clean and get firewood to cook with.
Who knew?!

Mixed Emotions

2011-09-23T12:31:00.001-07:00

Bike riding for PE. Becoming a daily fun time!
Kim's poodle skirt for Halloween-I made it Sunday morning.
A friend gave us a karate set for Jordan. Halloween and activities in one!
Fabric for the older girls prairie dresses and bonnets for Halloween...the one on the far right.
Crayon rolls for each of the 4 youngest. Good for church, and so easy--no pattern needed.
Chrysanthemums planted out front for fall color.

This has been a week of mixed emotions. Clay left to go halfway across the country for business on Monday and is returning as I type. That in itself makes life interesting, but not nearly so much as in the past when the kids were smaller. It's no biggie now. But still, the house is not the same when dad is gone.
Then there was the sickness that began last weekend with Kim and spread to me and finally to Liz. It is basically a stomach bug that sometimes comes with fever, sometimes not, but makes you nauseous when you eat. That was not fun, but at least I was eating by yesterday and able to better care for Liz who had a very bad Thursday. The rest of the week we will call a natural diet--the closest I ever get to actual dieting. But the nausea gave me some small reason to believe i might be expecting. I look for any reason each month, and mostly there are no signs, but I was truly hopeful, though my dear husband would have been shocked. But alsas, today I learned it was only a bug, and the deep disappointment set in. No matter that he wants no more and that I am content with the blessings I have been given, every glimmer of hope that another might come is a big letdown when it is found to be false. Maybe it is because I always wanted a large family. I am not a "full quiver" person by any means, but I do hold the Christian belief of children as a blessing and I do desire them.
Then there was co-op. Always fun, but it was plagued with illness this week. We had lots of rearranging to do but everyone was gracious and helpful and it went well. I am teaching a preschool class and that is definitely not helping the "baby fever" i seem to have. So there are more mixed emotions.
Also my FIL was diagnosed with cancer this week. (A baby would have been a bright spot in the ugliness. Oh well.) We are praying for him and I have high hopes and expectations of a full recovery for him, though walking the path will not be fun, easy, or happy, especially for my husband who is close to his dad. He is a wonderful papaw to all the grandchildren and he is a wonderful Christian. God knows what he needs and requests are being made on his behalf.
And my sister in law lost her father (grandfather). I didn't know him, but it is hard for her, though the family is glad he is not suffering anymore. He was 95 and not in good health.
So that is the mixed week we have had. School went well, and we all seemed very God focused, and all of us seemed reaqlly close. The kids played well all week and had fun together and the weather changed for cooler and there was a bit of rain. Now if we only had MUCH MUCH more rain.
But all in all it was a good week, and there will always be mixed emotions. Blessings are here in this house every day. It is easy to see them. God is good.

September is Halfway Over?

2011-09-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Fiddler on the Roof performers singing "Tradition" at Rally Round Greenville on Saturday.
Friday night camping in the living room.
K at the dentist...checking out the fish. Her only photo because we had to record her getting a cleaning--for evidence. It was her first cleaning.
Jc awaiting his cleaning.
Em getting all polished.
Jd about to get cleaned up.
And L getting a cleaning.
And lastly, a photo of morning devo in my room---actually this was taken pre-devo, during our morning announcements.

Another week of learning has come and gone. Only three days of class took place this week. We did a lot of learning Monday through Wednesday, and then Thursday came. It began with a trip to the dentist for the kids, followed by lunch at Cotton Patch Cafe (do not order the buffalo chicken strips--GROSS!), followed by a trip to JCpenney to get a pair of shoes (yes, i gave in), and then to JoAnn Fabric's grand opening for Nutcracker and Halloween fabric and a gift for my niece's birthday. Then a quick stop for a scoop of ice cream before heading home.
Friday came and brought our first day of co-op, which was crazy, but fun. We have a few kinks to work out next Friday, but it went well. I think everyone had a good time.
Saturday, just as i was about to walk the dogs (in my gown and track pants, with coffee in hand), my MIL calls to see if they can stop by. It was 8:45am, mind you, and not everyone was up, and of course there was the living room campout still in full swing. But I said, "Sure come on over...no time like the present!" So we began with a visit, then went to practice Fiddler songs, then went to perform Fiddler songs, then headed to cousins for birthday cookout with horseback rides, and got home around 8:45pm. So today is Sunday and the littlest one started the day with a high fever and the oldest girl has a stomach ache...here's praying both are short lived. But at least I got a poodle skirt sewed for her (Kim). And I looked over the prairie dress pattern and washed the fabric, so those will be the next project. My grey gauchos from the $1.50/yd suiting fabric I found will have to wait.
As the weather changes I am reminded that my oldest two get no handed down clothes and we will have to shop soon. But my oldest girl can wear some of my things, so that helps.
Here's wishing you a great week full of blessings!

Weakness.....

2011-09-13T13:11:00.001-07:00

It has happened. Fall items are in all the junk mail and I have found some scarves, cardigans, sweaters and a fabulous pair of shoes that I am lusting after. Must resist the urge to watch for sales...because I might buy something, eventually. But those shoes are so awesome...and the scarves, so pretty!
Resist...RESIST I SAY!!!!!!!!!!!! RESIST!!!!AAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fall, why must you bring such beautiful things into my view????? Don't you know I have a weakness for you since you are my favorite??? You bring the best weather, the best clothing, the best recipes, the best holidays.......must...have...self-control......

But alas, no cash means no stash.
There is cash, it is just allotted for other life things. oh, well.

Picture This! It's Catch-up Day...

2011-09-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Games are a big hit this year. Star Wars Stratego has always been a family favorite.
Pictureka has also been a very fun game of I-spy. All the kids enjoy playing. I think this was played at 11:30pm on a Friday night.
And lest you think I am showing you our new dog...I am not. Well, sort of not. This is also a photo of our new carpet and vinyl in the master area. So soft! And it sure beats the carpeted bathroom and mauve sculptured mess we had. Lowe's did a great job!
And here is a great use for teenagers! Mowing! But really that is just one of his many talents. Such a great kid--and a great chore to use in bribery...
While the mowing happened, there were wagon rides going on...looks like fun! But they don't steer very well. You learn a lot from experience.
This is a combo of math, lunch, snacking. Works well except for the greasy peanut butter and sticky syrup. Oh well. They are happy and fed.
A day at the park with friends. Em wearing the hat she crocheted.
Jord and Liz spinning, and spinning, and ...oi! Making me ill!
Kim swinging and trying to get trinity to swing with her. K could swing all day long....
The boys brought a box of toy guns to play with. This is Jacob and Isaiah on the hill.
Jacob took this shot of me and Liz. I think I was talking on the cell phone...I get all dressed up to go to the park..LOL!
Family photo for church, taken in August. Nice!
Just the kids...Very Nice!
Another nice thing---brownie bites with powdered sugar and strawberries...made by Emily! And quite delicious!
Another late night fun thing---playdough creating. Emily made a wedding cake and Jordan made the taj mahal....seriously, he did.
And this is the lazy hound dogs ready for the night, in the laundry room. Yes we use a baby gate to keep them in.
So that is what has been happening lately, in pictures.
Busy week ahead...will post this weekend with more photos, i hope!

Thursday Night

2011-09-08T18:52:00.001-07:00

Can i just say that I am LOVING this year????? It has been going so nicely. I am less concerned about how far we get and if all the subjects are done (though we do get much done), and more concerned that character is being formed and that relationships are being nurtured and that we are enjoying ourselves and trying to bring glory to God in all we do. after all, isn't that what is really important? I think, yes.
So tomorrow is Friday and I hope to have some photos uploaded to post, since it has been awhile. And I will tell you all about the upcoming cool stuff we are doing (planning to do, Lord willing).
If you read this, keep our family in your prayers that God will bring to us daily the life He desires us to lead. And that we will be willingly in submission to all He brings.

Let's Review, shall we?

2011-09-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

Week three went well, though it was a little different. Flexibility is the name of the homeschool game. And so we had school as usual on Monday. Tuesday MIL had a fall and ended up in the hospital while we did school, took phone calls, took kids to karate and dance and had supper. Clay went to the hospital and got home late...but he brought candy!! Good man! Sour filled twizzlers, no less! YUM! So Wednesday was half school, half Sam's club monthly shopping with my parents, and the evening was furniture moving from the master bed and closet area. Thursday we had no formal schooling, but had a carpet and vinyl install for our master area. Looks fabulous! We played and swam and moved furniture back and then crashed into bed. So today is Friday and feels like the third Saturday in a row! We are going to visit grandma and take some food. Then off to dance class and to enjoy the cooler temps this Labor Day weekend. ot sure what we will do...probably just hang out as a family, and that works for me.
I am trying a new crockpot yogurt variation today. Greek starter, dry milk, sugar and vanilla. Maybe it will be more thick and less sour. We shall see. I really am not a yogurt fan (it's just gross) but if the kids will eat it, I will be happy.

I have a few friends who are expecting babies this school year and they have been on my mind. Part of me is a tiny bit envious. I love babies and toddlers and preschoolers...etc. But I think God has not allowed us another pregnancy for good reason. Some of us (like me) have need of mental breaks in the process and need to work out life. Plus, when the husband is not ready for more, that is enough. I have learned to be content with whatever comes, and that is a good place to be. But I am so glad my friends are still being blessed with children. They all are good mothers and seem to handle life more calmly than me, at least it appears that way from what little I see. However, just for the record, i am feeling lately like I am in a very good place in my life should He decide to bless us with another little blessing. Totally willing to do my part...just saying.
So that is our life! See ya next week.
be blessed.

It's Wednesday

2011-08-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

Today i am tired. been a busy week. schoolwork, dance classes, karate class, monthly Sam's club stock up day, registration for HS things, flooring installs, furniture moving, MIL hospitalization, some phone tag...so ready for saturday and a nap....
just thought i'd say how sleepy i am. that is all.

week two--success!

2011-08-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

School has been in session for two weeks and it is going exceedingly well. I always worry that it will be a nightmare, but you know, as the kids get older (sad as that is to me) life gets a bit easier to manage and they grow and change into more responsible, interesing people and life is fun.
This year we have a ton of activity, but none too early, so school gets a great amount of dedication, and the older ones are motivated to complete work well so they can enjoy the extracurriculars. I love that! The younger are frequently playing together and learning together and that is so fun to watch. The learning diability is becoming easier to work with as the kid becomes more emotionally stable and more learned in subjects.
We have enjoyed learning about Julius and Augustus Caesar and the birth of Christ, and the reading has been interesting. Writing is coming along nicely. Math has been much more joyous this year for everyone.
The most fun has been co-op registration and dance classes. We are gearing up for another Nutcracker Revisited production, and have added jazz, theater and irish to our stuff. We also are going to add piano. One can teach the others. AND art has been put on hold while the kids have pursued their own artistic interests of movie making, stop motion, crochet, painting, and scrapbooking. I figure that is also art and should be pursued with vigor while the interest is alive. Dance is art, too ya know..
So other than a nasty sinus infection I contracted this week, all has gone well.
Next week should be interesting though, as we are havng a large flooring install in the middle of the week. Can't complain. Life is blessed and the Lord always meets our needs and uses us to work His will. God is good.

A Better Start to the Week

2011-08-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

Now that I have made some more appropriate learning activities for Kimberly, the week is much better. I started out early with a trip to the discount vet for the new dog, to get him fixed. Then got everyhting set out and here it is lunchtime and we all finished 10 minutes early! The younger ones are all done for the day except for some music and reading time, and dance classes, and the older just has some reading and science (since we didn't have enough science supplies--that's what happens when you eat the tums from your science kit!). We also learned that our carpet and vinyl install for the master bed and bath has been delayed due to backordered adhesive, so that is one more thing I don't have to deal with this week. SO GLAD! Now if these sinus issues we are all having would just go away....and we could order up some good old rainstorms.....wishful thinking I guess!
Hope you are having a good week!

First Week Back to Normal

2011-08-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

chutes and ladders for school...why not?
artistic creations with jenga blocks for dead pocket
rocket and sandy checking each other out
Eliz working on spelling
jordan working on handwriting
the big kids working on language arts
and kim working on file games with letter sounds

Well, alot has happened this week. After lots of planning for the "school year" I started off with a big ole flop. I guess I figured that since Kim had gone through 2 sets of preschool curric and one set of K curric that she would be fine taking first grade really slowly. WRONG! The kid is just barely five and very bright, but still in no way ready for the workload of first grade. It was glaringly obvious, as was my oversight that I have a kid with noverbal learning differences who needs tons of one on one and reinforcement, and the day started kinda roughly. By lunch on day one I had redone our schedule about 4 times until I found something workable, then I had researched K curric for Kim. Teaching and helping to organize an 8th, 6th, 3rd/4th, 2nd grader, and kindergartener is a bit of a challenge at times.

This week we also started back to dance classes. Added more... We have 2 in theater dance, 2 in balllet, one in jazz, one in hip hop, and one in irish. Three nights a week they dance, and they LOVE it. Works for me. It is a great Christian studio. Just one kid not dancing yet.

Another kink in the system was the addition of a new dog. (i dreamed we had a dacshund last week.) Our neighbor comes over Tuesday with a stray dacshund and asks if we want it. Of course the kids want it! But he has to be neutered and get used to our dog. Well, he is used to our dog, but his surgery is Monday. And so Rocket enters the family. He is very submissive and quiet. I like that.

So back to the schooling stuff. Jacob is doing well on his independent work and so is Em. They are fine. Elizabeth is learning and feeling more confident every day, and I am learning how to modify for her needs. It is good. Jordan is learning quite a lot with less resistance than last year. I feel he will be an independent learner at a fairly early age. As long as he can earn my trust to complete the work well. And as for Kim, she got to get some new stuff from Mardel for school. We bought another Saxon K kit. I really liked it better than the others. Most were too advanced for five year olds, and had almost no hands on work, in my opinion. I am an advocate of Better Late Than Early. And for reading I just read to her daily, sing with her, and we are doing a developmental alphabet approach with cut and paste, searches, tracing, and coloring, mostly with free internet printouts. We are all learning history and are at the point in the Roman Empire where Christ is about to be born. Jacob loves his book so much (Genevieve Foster series) that he has been reading ahead.

Creativity has been the order of most days, too. Jacob has been creating art and figures and conversing w/ Mr. Wood. I think they are having too much fun! Not really. Jordan has been drawing like his brother (and he is really good). Emily and I have been sewing. The younger girls have sculpted and painted and done pastel work, and of course there has been a ton of dancing in the house...and they still daily perform something from Fiddler.

Such a blessing to homeschool. Oh, the family relationships that are being built, and the people they can surround themselves with through homeschool, dance, and church. The artistic ones seem to be the faves here. Soon I suppose scouts will start for one of them, but he is rumored to be asking for some dance classes in the spring if he doesn't choose baseball......I better hold on tight. It promises to be an adventurous ride!

coming in a few days....

2011-08-17T19:27:00.001-07:00

So the new school year has started for us and I think this blog will keep a format of weekly posts unless something highly unusual occurs. Look for a sort of weekly diary at the end of each week--but give me until sunday to get it typed...i tend to be a little fried by the end of the week...oh, new furry family member with pics coming soon! Name is Rocket.
That is all.
mom signing off.
good night

Summer is Ending....

2011-08-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we survived Fiddler on the Roof, with rave reviews and over 1400 in attendance! It was FABULOUS! and we look forward to what next summer holds....But for now we relax a bit. This week there will be no schooling. Just swimming, playing, chore training (yep, gotta do that), finish painting the bathroom, and with a little luck, the 14 year old carpet in the bedroom will get replaced. And for that we will take a day off.
Next week we begin dance lessons back at Timbrel, start full-on homeschooling, and in two weeks we plan for co-op classes. It is still terribly hot, but on the bright side, we are only at 104 today...the lowest temp so far in August! Sounds crazy, no? YES! It is, and from the looks of things we are going to break the 1980 record for consecutive days over 100 degrees. I recall t-shirts saying "I survived the Texas heat wave".
Oh well. It has been a great summer blessed with tons of fun and a bit of learning and growing. Life is good. Life is blessed. God is great. Talk to you soon!

August is HOT HOT HOT!!!!!

2011-08-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

So, this summer has been a time of change at our house. Big bro is growing up and therefore not playing nearly as much. But now and then he gets in the floor to play with the younger kids and it is so sweet. He swims and rides bikes and plays lego and plays in the yard and films with them. The dynamic is changing but it is still all good. He has also been gone almost every evening for FOTR theater rehearsals but often we all tag along.
One night he went to a Ranger game with his dad and the two youngest, so us older girls had a tea party and ate at Braum's and went shopping. Em is such a party planner! We had so much fun...but so did they!
Then, wonder of wonders...my baby turned five! I miss little ones, but at 41 i have to say, pushing a stroller and changing diapers and potty training and all that just doesn't appeal the way it used to. Still, i miss little ones, and mourn their childhood ending. This year all five will be homeschooling. It is good, and yet bittersweet. Life is fleeting and I try to savor every minute. Her party was HOT but fun.
She asked for a butterfly party and she got it. Yummy! She was so cute and had such a good time! She also got signed up for her favorite activity--ballet! She is so ready to start. They all are...well, except Jordan. He is in scouts and wants to try baseball in spring. He is a darling, too.
Here are the older girls bike riding. The night we shopped we bought Emily an adult sized bike. She loves it. And yes, she is that big now! We ride bikes a lot here.
And I wish i could post photos of Fiddler, but that is against copyright so I can just post this shot of Jacob in his Anatevka costume for the show. Opening night was last night and the cast and musicians blew people away. It was a wonderful show! So proud of them all! Now I think we will have more kids acting next year (from this house). IF the show is appropriate in our minds. We didn't really know much at all about FOTR when we started this show, and there are a few reservations, still, but it is a fun show to be part of. He is having a blast!

Now if we can just survive this heat. it has been well over 102 for days and days. Last night we almost had rolling blackouts due to energy demand. And we are in severe drought. But in perspective, we also had one of our coldest winters on record, so I suppose it all evens out. Still, you can always put on more stuff for warmth, but there is little you can do to cool down in 112 degree heat.

Stay cool and thank God in all things!

Things to Remember When homeschooling

2011-07-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

Some wisdom i gleaned from the latest THSC Review. I knew this, but need frequent reminders!

At what age are kids supposed to know_____? Does it really matter when? Why do you keep comparing your individuial kid to the masses? Isn't that waht we are doing when we strive to keep on "grade level"? Who decides what children should know at a certain age and who gives them the right to decide and say it is for everyone? Teach them with love and relaxation at their pace, and don't destroy the journey just to finish the course.Back off now and then. Give them time to follow their interests and have fun. Go with their learning style...so what if it isn't what everybody else that is ___age is doing? They will be fine and happy and intelligent.

There are different reasons and seasons for choosing curriculum. each kid is different and learns different things. what worked for one may or may not work for the others. they are individuals...special, God breathed individuals.

Just because a child is five doesn't mean they need a curriculum. Read to them, cuddle with them, play with them, discover the world with them, LIVE with them...they will learn so much! And it will mean so much more. Build relationships that will last a lifetime. Homeschooling is not all about academics. Don't let the school overshadow the home. Academics are secondary to character. Give them the tools to teach themselves and they will be able to learn anything.

Remember to let God guide your homeschool. It is called homeschooling because is revolves around YOUR home, YOUR beliefs, YOUR family--not the world or their expectations. It is OK to do your own thing--that is what homeschooling is all about!

Only a Few Weeks Left

2011-07-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Summer is quickly ending. It is more than 1/2 over as i type (and I use the word type very loosely). But it has been a very fun, wild ride. So far we have had 3 birthdays with one more to go, one week of church camp, one week of VBS, 3 weeks containing 4 dance camps, friends' parties, 3 skating trips, 6 bowling trips, weekly swimming, and almost a month of nightly Fiddler on the Roof rehearsals. And that is why i didn't originally plan to do the production....but my kids love it and they all want to try out should this happen again next year. They don't mind the late nights and they love the kids who are in the play. The youngest two love it too, but 5-6 hours every evening wears them down quickly, so most nights I drop off and pick up, only actually staying for about 45 minutes total. Honestly, this is a great extracurricular for them, and it is in summer, so I shouldn't complain. The show is going to knock people's socks off. Yes, it is that GOOD.

School is going to be starting for us on the 15th of August, and so is dance class. This is what the kids will have this year:

Ja (age 13-8th grade)-LLATL, Saxon prealgebra, Wordsmith, bible, Sonlight bible and reading and history selections, Apologia Physical Science, theater dance and irish dance.

Em (age 11-6th grade)-LLATL, writing strands, spelling power, teaching textbooks math, Story of the World history, bible, reading list, various science and geography topics, ballet, jazz dance

El (age 9-3rd/4th grade)- LLATL, natual speller, Saxon and teaching textbooks math, Story of the World history, bible, reading list, various science and geography topics, theater dance, hip hop dance

Jo (age 7-2nd grade)-LLATL, Saxon math, spelling power, Story of the World history, bible, reading list, various science and geography topics, scouts

K (age 5-K/1st)- LLATL, Saxon math, Story of the World history-sometimes, bible, various science and geography topics-now and then, ballet

The three oldest will also have LTC over Genesis at Easter, and 4 of them will have Nutcracker ballet and Spring recital. There will be multiple youth group devos and activities, MNFTM outreach, and homeschool co-op classes and playgroups, with some boys nite/girls nite sprinkled in.

We have sewed quite a bit and will continue...so far we've made 5 skirts, a vest, 5 dresses, a pillowcase, a wallet, some pillows. We still have a Ranger game, a Lock-In, 2 birthday parties, 2 weeks of rehearsals and performances, and a Six Flags trip before summer ends. Things are almost organized and I think we have it all ordered.

So did that tire you as much as it did me??? Sounds like a lot going on, and it is. But what do you expect with five active growing kids? Life gets crazy, but it keeps on rolling. Just remember to take time to play and take pictures and spend time with those you love.

Catching Up On Life

2011-07-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

July 4th watching fireworks with the awesome Davis family from church.
Day before the 4th hanging with the Davis', Kerr's, Fry's, Chambers' and Goodmans at the Goodman's casa--good food, and swimming with fireworks (dangerous kids, too).
And just had to post my DD who is getting so grown up.
Life moves at lightning speed. Fiddler is in full swing and we have less than 3 weeks until the shows! Yikes! Also have about a month until we go full speed on homeschool, and dance lessons start up. And sadly, my baby turns five in just two weeks....boo hoo. Where did the time go???? Parents...take note...you can never take enough video or pictures or spend too much time with your kids talking and hanging out. Enjoy every second of every day you have them. they are such gifts! So anyway, soon I plan to post my plans for the school year...kinda keeps me accountable and lets me see my mistakes in action! LOL!
Hope you are all having a blessed week and staying cool (because here it has been over 100 every stinking sweaty day for weeks now, with zero rain and lots of humidity). And i say that with the nicest intent
:-)

TIRED

2011-07-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Not much to say today, except I am tired. We get up at a semi-reasonable time (before 8:30) and go to bed late thanks to FOTR practice...and the days are filled with swimming, biking, sewing, cleaning, painting, bowling, skating, shopping, schoolwork, visits, church activity, and life in general. Maybe it is that I am getting older, or my thyroid is lower than i want to think...but I am tired. Tired is not the right word, really. It is sleepy. I feel I could just sleep every afternoon...but I can't. Not wired that way. Even when i am truly exhausted, i have a VERY hard time napping in afternoons, or in vehicles, or anywhere, if it is light and noisy.
But, I suppose that is what life is like these days. And it is all a blessing to be savored, so off I go to snack on some more pasta, get the kids cleaning, bake some cookies, and teach those little buggers!
Hope you have a great week and get plenty of rest.

Drama Mama

2011-07-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

I suppose I am now a drama mama. We are entrenched in Fiddler on the Roof! The thing I didn't want to do has become a great summer project. This is going to be a great show with so many fabulous kids and young adults. I really hope the show gets a lot of support from the community and from attendance. Same cast, with some great new additions, as our Annie production 2 years ago, same producers/music leader, etc. From watching rehearsals this is going to blow people away!
Guess I need to watch the dvd soon so i can "get" the whole story!
Couldn't find the exact photos I wanted, so I just snagged a few random ones.

Well.....

2011-07-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

I thought July was going to be more relaxed. I could have been wrong. Looks like we will be swimming, bowling, schooling, and doing one dance camp...but we might also have one join the Fiddler on the Roof cast. Dad hasn't decided if he can perform or not since it has some celebratory fake drinking at or after the marriage scene (i think). Mainly as a celebration of life, but it can't be cut out, so we have to make that decision. Chorus and villager would be the role, but still. That would mean adding quite a bit of rehearsal times, in addition to a Ranger game and a Lock-In and all the NETSYS dates. Oh, well, life goes on and kids have activities to manage. And if it isn't so relaxed this month, it will be fine. Gonna enjoy what life brings for us!

We got lemons....

2011-06-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, you know the saying. We have to make lemonade. We thought this week would be filled with neat things to do while Em was at dance camp, but alas, one of the troopers came down with strep. So we were off to the doc and the pharmacy before lunch today. So, it kinda worked out well because some of us have been battling tummy issues, and some are just worn out from VBS.

So we are taking it easy this week, having devos every day, planning to swim some, planning to maybe see a movie, possibly painting the kids bathroom, getting to Sam's, and maybe running to Hobby lobby for some much needed sewing/craft supplies for these summer projects. We have about 3 quilts cut, 5 skirts in progress, and 3 more to cut out.

Planning for the upcoming school year got done on Sunday. I had this dream about what I needed to do so I sketched it out on paper and then let the kids see what they thought. It seemed like good planning, so I did all the word docs, printed the lists, organized my notebook, and we are ready to roll. I think this is my answer when I pray for the Lord to lead me where He needs me to go. I always pray for homeschooling wisdom and direction, and this weekend i believe I got it. It looks good. Not what I normally would have done, but I like the ideas that came. Gonna be a blessing of a year.

Whew!

2011-06-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

I am tired. it was a great VBS week, but tiring. All the junk the kids bring home is almost torn up and trashed (I'm so glad!), but the preschool picture is hung and the seeds are growing and the excitement for LTC is supercharged since the topic is about the same. The stuffed animals were a big hit and we have a few!
Today we got up early and drove to Edom to pick blueberries. It was cloudy so that made it nicer. We ate in canton at a good tex-mex place and decided to make a trip back to Canton and the restaurant come October or November. I have about 1 gallon of blackberries and 1 1/2 of blueberries now. i will have to get on the ball and make some blueberry french toast for this week!
I think I am ready for the dance camp. I have all her food and she has her dance wear ready. Not sure what the rest of us will do, but I suspect it will involve bowling, swimming, sewing, art, and such. Maybe even a movie on Tuesday!
Believe it or not I am kinda ready for the kids to start back some modified school on July 5th. This will have been a three week break. I also need to finish up the last minute planning for the coming year. Not sure how I want to proceed. I liked creating my own science/history when they were younger, but we have used KONOS for a couple of years now, and I am not sure I want to still do that or start modifying it all again on my own. I have one kid already in the older grades and out of that stuff, and one more about to be. We will continue with SOTW for history, but the science I am not sure about. Maybe a combo of KONOS and my own creation...hhmmmm...maybe. Boy, they are getting older! Next fall I will have two in youth group, one of them in high school. OUCH! Then I will almost surely go back to designing my own stuff. Oh well, it always works itself out with thought and prayer! Amazing we will have all five in full school this fall. Time does fly!
Well, here's wishing your family a great week in Jesus!

VBS Week!

2011-06-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Here are lots of kids singing and having a blast!
This is the famous Answer Man! He is a hoot! Below is Kim and me, getting ready to go help set it all up.

This week has been crazy busy, but loads of fun. VBS at our congregation is a family affair. So many people work and the kids love it. But I needed a nap every afternoon. Too bad I didn't always get one, though. But it was a great theme of God's Creation, teaching kids the truth about world history, instead of evolution. The bible is AWESOME! And so was VBS!

HOT.......MUST...SWIM...

2011-06-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

On these hot summer days, we often end the day by swimming at the neighbor's pool. And I must say, we have been there a lot this year, and June is only half over! But it sure is refreshing! Hope you are finding ways to keep cool!

Life is an Adventure

2011-06-16T06:17:00.001-07:00

Cannot believe my baby boy (firstborn) is 13 tomorrow. He is a blessing and will be a wonderful young man when he grows up.
He enjoyed his birthday get together.
Cannot believe she is 9 now. Half grown. that means we are halfway through with the kids' childhoods. I don't like that. I am not looking forward to the empty nest at all!

Love the active kids we have!
Love the Christian dance school we attend. Wouldn't go anywhere else.
Love sewing for all of us!

Color My World

2011-06-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

Now I really don't recall what i had in mind for these prints, but they sure get me excited with all the brightness. I love color and it seems this spring i am honing on the blue/green/yellow families. Weakness for fabric....maybe I will do a simple 9 square block and alternate them with yellow sashings and white backgrounds...who knows? Or just a cool checkerboard with prints and yellows would really highlight the cute factor...hmmm...have to think on that.
This I bought just because I liked it. I will use it for a wall quilt of some kind. Hopefully for my bedroom, but maybe just as a couch throw. Not sure, but I really liked it. Seemed soothing and calm and serene, like the end of a summer day.
I got these from fabric.com for a tree quilt project that I altered a bit...maybe more than just a little. Amy Butler designs are so cool! The trees are cut and ready to be sewn. I just need the brown and white to complete it and I can hang it in the foyer! These prints are fabulous!
This here is the new stash of skirt fabric: peace signs for Em and maybe Liz, white and black and floral for me, and pink eyelet for all the girls. Fabric.com is great! I had an order totaling over $250, but scaled it wayyyyyyyy back and just got these. After all, I can get overly ambitious...
This dress was completed a few weeks ago after being cut out for 2 years. It is very flattering on, but hanging there it kinda looks blah. Oh well, I like it. Speaking of sitting around for 2 years, I also have 3 cute quilt projects that are cut and partially sewn....guess I will work on those here and there, but the skirts come first...and I saw some awesome fall stretch wool blend in great neutrals for a jumper and culottes...but I digress.
This is the latest project that I am working on...a skirt for me. I just need some interfacing and extra time to complete it. I love the colors! Happy summer colors! All it needs is the waistband, zipper, and hem. And I have two tanks to go with it!
So there you have it...my fabric obsession...or at least all I was willing to show you.
Let the sewing begin!

Coming soon......

2011-06-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

The coming week holds lots of adventure! My oldest, sadly, will be at camp with the youth group, and will be sorely missed. But to keep our minds off of that, the rest of us will be active. Very active. We plan to swim often, one girl will be in God's Little Ballerinas 2.5 camp, there will be a birthday party, a swim date, a skating night, a trip to an orchard, and a trip to Rockwall. We might even hit a sprayground and do some other things. I hope to work on sewing and homeschool scrapbooking, too. So I guess we will be taking the week off homeschool...make that possibly 2 weeks, because the following week is our totally awesome VBS focusing on God's Creation with apologetics. Then the next following week is intermediate dance camp at the Christian dance school.
Whew! Anyone else tired just from reading that????
So as you go through your days, remember to try to glorify God in all you do, say and participate in. Smile and be kind. And pray for those who need it...those who are ill, who have had surgery, who have lost loved ones, who are travelling, who have terminally ill children, who are struggling emotionally and spiritually. And have a blessed week!

Haunted

2011-06-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

I do not like night, or dark. Never have. I am haunted by all the things that seem bad. It has been this way as long as I can remember, since probably age 8 or so. I hear things, see things, and think of all kinds of sad things...often staying awake, unable to sleep, crying. Often these things do not make sense, either...not surprising. As a child I often walked the house in tears and tried to sleep in my parents' bed. They didn't like me sleeping in bed with them though, so I often ended up in their floor, scared. Over and over i was asked what I was scared of, but a kid can't put strange images into words, especially when you think it will be brushed off as silly, and told to go back to bed. When you are frightened, you just are. it is what it is, irrational as it may be. I mean what is really scary about a darkened room with ballet shoes on pointe and sad music playing? or a little child's beaded purse on a log headed for a table saw? Strange, but those are some of the images I recall from childhood that disturbed me. At least one of my kids has this same thing happening. I don't like to turn my kids away when they want to sleep near me. I know what they are feeling, and how sad and scary it is not to be able to deal with it, when all you need and want is parental closeness to hold you until it passes. Plus, I love and will one day sorely miss the children in my bed.
As an adult, the night is filled with sadness at my kids growing up so quickly, time slipping through my fingers like sand, fear of not protecting them well enough, regret at all the things I have done and said that were hurtful, and wrong. Also with hearing things that are not there, seeing things that are not real, sometimes smelling things that are not existent. And I can't seem to shut my brain down for the night no matter how tired I am. I spend countless hours praying and walking the house and reading the scripture for comfort, and as soon as daylight comes, it generally leaves me. But on days like today when my oldest is having his 13th birthday, daylight comes and I still struggle with not crying at his childhood being left behind. It is a minute by minute fight with the tears of love. And sometimes I go for weeks with none of the above happening.
Peaceful sleep is a treasure. A very rare treasure. But it generally only comes when i am in my bed here at home, never when I am away from home. I wonder if it will ever stop, but it probably won't, and the bittersweet sadness of children growing up will only get worse.
People who don't struggle with feelings like this think it is weird, and sometimes ridiculous to feel these things. Life happens this way, some say. But that doesn't make my reality any easier. Daytime is MUCH easier, and often joyous, but I dread nights. Maybe I need medication for some chemical imbalance....I am sure my parents thought I needed it as a child. But I just keep praying, and trusting that the Lord will give me strength to face the changes life brings and to help me savor each moment of each day, because they all pass too quickly, like a vapor.

Saturday

2011-06-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

It has been a great day! We (me and Kim and Emily) went to the Farmer's Market to see what was going on at 8:40 this morning, then we came home, ate some breakfast, cleaned up the house, I did a little sewing, then we all, the whole family, loaded up to head to Ben's birthday party. Ben is my nephew who turned 2. His parents planned a cookout with lots of burgers, hot dogs, chip and dip, and tons of delicious fresh fruit. It lasted from noon until about 3:30, so we didn't get home until 4pm. Our girls went shopping with cousin Maggie and grandparents to celebrate Elizabeth's 9th birthday. Can she really be nine?? Surely not. Such a talented sweet tenderhearted girl. They will take the boys shopping in a couple of weeks for Jacob's 13th. That is definitely not right, right? I guess it is though. I am about to be a parent of a teenager. But I have to say, he is a gem. A truly good boy, a talented filmmaker and dancer and artist. Both of them are very concerned about doing right by the Bible, and for that I am so pleased. I feel like John, who said, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth."
After we got home I attended part of a friend's daughter's recital, then took the Jacob to spend a little of his birthday money. Now we are relaxing at home, waiting for worship tomorrow so we can offer praises, prayers, and worship to our Lord, Creator and Saviour. May we all examine ourselves as we commune with our Lord and remember his death, burial and resurrection each Sunday, and devote ourselved daily to living for His glory by obedience to His Word.
Wishing you a blessed week!!

Dance and Camp and Play

2011-06-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend we camped in the backyard. Us girls didn't last past 1am. I would have stayed except the ground is hard and I am old (it was painful), and the dog was growling at the gate. SO we moved into the house at 1am. Still we roasted hot dogs, ate chips, drank lemonade and made smores over the fire pit. We had fun until the skeeters got hungry. We also visited the park and played a bit.
School is now reduced to morning devo, where we also discuss our history or KONOS unit, then PE before it is too hot, Language arts and math, then lunch and chores and read aloud. Then we call it a day and do whatever.
But this week K had dance camp and she LOVED it. Timbrel is such a blessing. We also had Jacob at Austins house twice and had Amelia come over to swim. We have been swimming twice this week. I think it is safe to say our summer has begun. We stay up later and sleep later, and enjoy many activities together.
I try to enjoy every second of every day with these kids knowing that it is going to come to an end too soon for my liking. They are blessings that I really do not deserve, but am blessed beyond belief to have, and I will always try to cherish, love, guide, and protect them.

A Fresh Week

2011-05-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

After recital it is kinda hard to come down off the "high".
So we downloaded recital music, since it was Christian music, and began the week. Monday was stormy but we headed to the Southwest Dairy museum for a great tour, and free ice cream. Also went to the library, grocery store and topped it off with Monday Night for the Master singing at a retirement center. That is always a blessing! Tuesday was just normal, as was Wednesday and Thursday and Friday. Nothing unusual, no dance classes to rush to, just time to play and read and enjoy life.
So the weekend arrived and it is Memorial Day weekend. We cook out at home and are camping in the backyard, mowing, taking care of the garden, doing some shopping, worshipping the Lord and just taking life easy.

June will have 4 different dance camps for the kids, one church camp, one week of VBS and several birthday parties (3 in this house). But when July comes we can chill, and swim, bowl, skate, sew, read, and just CHILL! Except that it will be daily over 100 degrees by then.....so we won't chill a lot, we'll do more sweating in reality...LOL! Have a great day for Jesus, ya'll!

Electricity in the air!

2011-05-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

This was the week of our spring recital. All we ever did was Nutcracker, so this was new territory, but MAN! it really got us pumped for dance. I was blown away by the talent. The moves and outfits and music were all so geared toward glorification of our Creator. I was beyond impressed with the school and the participants. Many of these we know personally and have grown to love dearly. We will be taking summer camps and hopefully signing up for more classes in fall. This place is a blessing! Above is finale from recital. All kids signed the final verse of I Know That You Are For Me.
Here is the owner and most talented woman with a vision of Christian dance...Mrs. Beth Wood. She performed in many of the numbers. She is superwoman. Just wish she had time to join co-op again...but that is ok. We see her and her kids very often at the studio!
Liz and Bianca are dressed and ready for the younger group hip hop number to Bring the Party to Life (Group 1 Crew). They were awesome! But also sad that their teacher Susanna had graduated and would be leaving. Tears were shed.
Jacob with his great friends Daniel and David. All share love of dance and filmmaking and art. Now Jacob may take more than theater. He is interested in Irish. Wonderful!
Primary ballerinas waiting to go onstage. So cute! Kimberly did great to Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus). Miss Kayla was wonderful with them, but we will dearly miss Laura! Why do they have to graduate????
And this is the kind of weather we have had this May. Very stormy, lots of tornadic activity. But it didn't keep us down. We have schooled, played, visited, danced, studied, gone to worship and bible study, evangelism, and other stuff. Praying for what the future holds as we try to do all to glorify our Lord. May your week be blessed!

Photo Catch Up

2011-05-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

This is our little ballerina getting ready to perform at the community walk-a-thon. She did great and never flinched!
Our girls enjoying the surf on vacation....lovely place!
The pool is a favorite place to be. Can't wait until it is warm and the pool is ready here at home!
Gorgeous sunsets with my favorite 7 year old boy!
Beautiful lake bridge at watercolor.
Pensacola NAS Museum. Fabulous place to go see! Actually this is the Florida visitors center...oops!
Another great sunset with the family building a trench for the surf to come into overnight! Fun times!
Panama City Beach shopping....during biker week! By the way, it costs $2 per person to go out on the pier...we skipped it.
My boys reading together. Love the memories and the closeness.
My youngest ones helping daddy make a sitting area in the yard.
Well, that is all for now---more photos to come as this is recital week!
Sorry this came out weird. For some reason i couldn't make the captions go with the pictures...frustrating, but I will fix it if possible.

Weekly Journal Time

2011-05-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

This week, homeschooling was fabulous. We were back on schedule for the first time in a few weeks. I love weeks when we accomplish much. Of course, there are always a few things that get left out. We skipped art and one spanish lesson, and didn't finish our read aloud, but all in all, it was a great week. We will be working through June and starting back up in August. July will be a time for supplemental things, long term planning, and the things we spent less time on during the year. Really I don't have much to say. This coming week will be busy with recital rehearsals. We are all looking forward to that, strangely. It is just so much fun and the music is wonderful. So that is all. I am going to write more next week because there will be much more today, but this week has been blissfully uneventful.

Waves

2011-05-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like life comes at you in waves?? Like you just know when you are supposed to build a family because it is on your heart. Or you know it is a time when you are going to make quilts because you have geometric patterns and ideas all in your head. or you know it is time to try natural and homemade because you have access and interest where there was none before. Well, call me crazy but i think God puts things on our hearts when we pray for Him to lead us to what we should accomplish, and lately i have been feeling the need to sew for myself and daughters. I know it costs more, but modesty is at stake in the stores. And though i love to sew, my semester has been filled with the leading to be grounded in my kids and family and homeschooling. So that is where I have planted myself, but lately my leaDING IS NOT AWAY FROM THOSE THINGS BUT WITH AN ADDITION OF THE SEWING i USED TO DO SO OFTEN. Ok, had a caps lock incident and i am not going to correct it, but rest assured i was not yelling at you. Anyway... i got several emails lately from my fave pattern site and decided to order a few. Then it will be time to search for fabric. I think it is also time to do more sewing instruction with my eldest girl. She loves to sew. Maybe that is why it is on my heart to march forward. Summer is coming and maybe we just need to focus on lightweight fabric that covers rather than the worldly skimp. I am glad this is on my heart, though. I have wanted to get back into it, but had no idea how to work it in. God leads us well, when we seek Him, even if it just a leading to sew.

Two Weeks

2011-05-10T06:41:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been 2 weeks since I posted. Largely because we were on vacation. Then we had to catch up on first of the month grocery shopping and dance lessons, and our youngest performed downtown at a community event, and of course it was Mother's Day.
So much happened! Vacation was FAB! I love the beach house and the windy waves and the pool and the walking trails. So peaceful. BUT I would never want to be there in the summer due to the heat and crowds. i love it in spring. And we likely will not go next year so I am sad, and will miss it. But as long as we are together it will be grand. We had so much fun together and got tons of beautiful pictures. it is always great to see the kids loving their siblings. We also enjoyed greatly the Pensacola NAS museum, which is free! If we were early risers we could have seen the Blue Angels fly, but still, the museum was great!
When we came home, we finally stayed at a hotel that was quiet. I think that may be a first! I dislike staying at hotels, almost as much as camping, but not quite. For groceries I visited 2 places near Dallas called Natural Grocers and Sprouts. That was AWESOME! The stuff you can get to bake with and the fresh produce was out of sight!.
Then to get to see K perform her ballet downtown in front of a city of strangers was getting me all teary eyed. K didn't even flinch on stage. She was a natural! Plus seeing our dance school's hip hop kids perform to positive music based on the book of Romans made me so proud. They were non seductive, modest, and clean. How rare!
Mother's Day was nice. Clay took the kids shopping and they each picked out something so i got new househoes, aloe infused socks, new kitchen towel set, scentsy brick, a candle, candy and bathroom soap dispenser and matching toothbrush holder. We also had a youth devo with all the families and ate pizza and then played soccer (parents vs kids). It was really fun!
Now back to the business of homeschooling. Such a life of blessings!
Hope you have a great week!

A Very Busy Week, Indeed!

2011-04-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

School with Kimberly
Checking out the view--love being that high for noise reasons
the whole awesome crew!
The competitors
The family on Easter morning. Love that bunch!
With cousins and grandparents at grandma and grandpa's ready to hunt candy!

Last week was kind of a blur. We schooled a lot, and studied Revelation a lot. It was LTC crunch time. I know we had a good week, though.
Early friday we headed out to a dental checkup for Clay and arrived in Dallas at 7:50am. Coffee in hand of course! That took all of 20 minutes so we were stuck with a full day in dallas. We killed time eating at a McDonalds in Dallas and then headed to Northpark Mall. Amazing what they charge for those brand names! We played "guess the price" on a Jimmy Choo purse in Nieman's. It was so funny to watch the kids expressions as they guessed. But alas, no one got it right. Real cost was $1395.00...for real...for a purse, folks! Unbelievable! Cute shoes for a mere $895, too! Clay said, "i'll get ya that purse for Christmas..." funny, dear...I'll take the cash instead (like we'd even spend that much on the whole Christmas experience! Get real!).
So after that we got lost looking for a game stop, then ate at Mattito's. It was good-never heard of it before, but it was tasty and they had great service.
On to the hotel...We arrived around 1:45pm, got to our room on the 21st floor and rested. I turned in the art at 3pm, then we headed downstairs at 4pm for Emily's chorus and Jacob's puppet competitions. Then back to the room for sandwiches, then back down at 6:30 for Bible Bowl for Jacob, Emily and Elizabeth. that was from 7pm-9:30pm. 100 questions over Revelation. Not easy, even after 4 months of study. The kids all did their best and I am proud of their effort and attitudes. I know for one of mine it was a seriously difficult task to take the test.
After the test we headed to the room, where Clay was with the 2 youngest. I had to take Jacob to the 25th floor for a drama practice, and Kim went too. we got in at 11pm, and hit the sack.
By 7am we were up making coffee, and getting ready to go downstairs for Jacob's live drama. Then we saw Elizabeth's puppets, and by 11am we went back up to the room to eat and pack. From then on we lived in the Marsalis ballroom with the other youth groups. The girls competed in live drama at 3pm and then we headed home (with another monstrous meltdown...remember Hobby Lobby?...at the valet parking desk--oh, fun!). Overly tired children do that from time to time. We were wiped out and went to bed after watching The Ten Commandments. Funny how biblically inaccurate it is.
On Sunday we went to worship, went to my parents' house for lunch and egg hunt, went home and to the store to make sandwiches for church, then back to church for awards banquet and sandwich supper.
We were exhausted to say the least.
So this week we headed to the Mesquite Metro Airport for a field trip on Monday, and today we are hunkering down under threat of tornadoes. Lord willing we will be protected tonight and get to run errands tomorrow, and ready ourselves for our next big adventure!

Smile!

2011-04-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Kinder math
Emily doing schoolwork
Jacob doing schoolwork
Jordan doing schoolwork, but secretly looking at pictures of Roman soldiers
Liz and sidewalk chalk--I think it's a gnome?
neighbors bungee swing--FABULOUSNESS!
K riding a bigger bike with training wheels!
Jacob's live drama for LTC
Emily in chorus for LTC
Liz and Em in puppets for LTC (with her broken foot, Em took a rest)
Jacob in puppets for LTC
Lizzie's puppet group for LTC
Liz at LTC dress
Brayden, Jacob, Cody, and Gina at LTC dress
Elizabeth and Karalyn at K's party

Much Better Week

2011-04-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Well the past week was so much better than the previous one! For our family, lots of schoolwork was done, lots of Bible was learned, no one had a major illness or injury, we finished our co-op classes on a great note, dance classes went well, and the kids did fabulously on LTC dress rehearsal. I am especially proud of Elizabeth! Last year she could barely read and this year she is spouting off puppet lines like a pro and reciting the lines for her drama without a hitch! (smiling!) The upcoming competition will be hectic, crowded, crazy and rushed, but very fun. Lots to do for preparation. So all in all the week was good. Got lots of thinking done about schedules for summer and the next school year and almost everything is ordered. Got some retro chairs for the backyard that the kids cannot break (cause they are steel! ha!), and the garden is growing nicely--been eating the spinach and lettuce all week--YUM! Oh, and the new oven arrived. It is awesome. the plug still needs to be moved and the filler strip is not here, but it works, and for that I am SO THANKFUL!
But there have been some kinks in the lives of friends this week. A family lost their 2 year old daughter. A friend with young children was diagnosed with breast cancer. A friend had a tornado go through their yard and lightning strike it. These people are going to be covered in prayer though, and i have confidence that the Lord will bring them through to the other side. The Lord never promises us a life free from pain and suffering. That is just not possible in a sinful, fallen world, and not a promise ever found in scripture. But He does tell us that all things work together for good for those who love God, and that if we are faithful to obey Him we will have a home in Heaven. He also will give us strength to get through the things life brings, though He doesn't promise it will be easy, He does promise never to leave us. And that gives us hope for eternity.
Blessings to all during this week!

I Love Our Homeschool Group!

2011-04-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

It was almost five years ago when i began working with the local teaching co-op. My youngest was a mere 6 weeks old. But the older ones were wanting more interaction, and this seemed like a good place to start. Just 8 half Fridays each semester, with 3 classes each friday. I think there were only about 12 families at the time. All had to agree to a statement of faith, which i didn't really totally agree with due to the wording, but I told them my concerns and they were ok with it. So we joined. The oldest was in third grade back then. We met some great people and kept going. They weren't perfect (just like us!), but they all were trying to live godly lives, and that was worth its weight in gold. But the biggest plus for me was the adult interaction among homeschool moms. All of us were at different points in the journey and all making different decisions, and it was great to bounce ideas off each other. We talked about parenting, homeschooling, and church. I learned so much about love and patience and kindness. As the years have gone by we have been a fluid group and many changes have occurred. We are bigger now, and I think better. This group has put us in contact with so many great families and has been a HUGE blessing. The best part is that now, i am director of this group with a great team of friends to help. I won't always be in this position, and that is a good thing, but it is where I am right now. And it is a blessing to our family. The kids love it and so do I. These moms are like family to me, just as my church family are. Our kids are growing up together and sharing life in a positive setting. Rarely do we encounter negative issues. We have all learned a lot, from the content of the classes and from each other. We learn how to bear with others as they are on their spiritual walk and how to share scripture in a non threatening way, that promotes love and respect. We learn what other "religions" are like, and how we are different, and how to look to the bible for the truth. We learn how to resolve issues and make friends, how to take care of the building and how to share our experiences. We look forward to next semester already, even as this spring semester ended today. What a great place to be!

What A Week!!! Seriously!

2011-04-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well, this week was totally unexpected. The events of this week, I mean. I had a great plan for school and we were all ready to embark on it until Saturday night when Kim started vomiting. OK, she is the littlest and kindergarten is not mandatory for 4 year olds so that was easy to take care of. Then Monday came and school went very well. But about 5pm I told Jordan to get ready for scouts and he said he couldn't, that he felt bad, so he laid down to rest and fell asleep. Very unusual. Ok, he's tired. WRONG!! He woke at 7pm, and started vomiting at 7:30, so the cleaning began. Then at 9pm Liz said she felt bad and her vomiting began around 9:30. More cleaning, and loving on sick kids. I was up until 11:30 with laundry from this and had 4 loads done, while staying up with the sick kiddos. About 2AM Jacob comes to the living room floor and collapses, sick. He begins vomiting around 4am. By 6am I am in the bathroom doing you know what, too. Then Jacob is at it again, so I get Clay to clean it up, and find out he is sick too! It is now Tuesday morning and I call the inlaws for help. Only 2 are left standing--Em and Kim. The rest of us are completely bedridden for the day. Mamaw and Papaw come with gloves, a mask, lysol, ginger ale, crackers, gatorade and applesauce. Very brave. She washes and folds laundry, gets drinks and helps Emily take care of Kim and us. THey leave around 2pm. Clay finally gets up about 7pm and helps Emily clean house. The rest of us do not really move until wednesday morning. That was a hard day, very tiring. Jordan and I are last to recover. Obviously we did no school for two days. By Thursday we are not eating much, have few groceries, but do some schoolwork. Then we head to ballet. Kim's class goes well and we decide to turn in some library books before Emily's class, and get a snack. When Emily gets out of the van to turn in books, she trips. After she gets back in she cries about foot pain. I chalk it up to drama. We get some breadsticks and drinks. She is still in pain. I go back to the studio and get a look at the foot. It is swollen and purple. Not a good sign. I explain to the studio what happened and tell them we are going to the doctor. No appointment - I just walked in and said, "You need to look at this foot." X-ray confirms a broken bone. Great! No ballet or recital. Tough time for vacation and LTC competition, but it will heal nicely. She needs crutches and a boot, but her attitude is great. All stores are closed so we head home with ibuprofen. Friday is co-op, and afterward we begin the search for crutches and a boot. That takes until 2pm. They are all hungry. We grab some sandwiches and unload the van. In an hour we had theater class. We are all exhausted. So we watch a movie (Narnia) and go to bed. Saturday is hip hop class and we get a few groceries. Then we buy sandals for everyone. Then we head to Mamaws for Easter. Yes I know Easter is 2 weeks away but it was the family's only free weekend. My stomach is not feeling well again, but I will spend Sunday at church and planning for the schoolweek, while we work on LTC. Maybe next week will be better (and the new oven will arrive?) Maybe! I am hopeful that we will have a great week. I have to count many blessings this week. Satan didn't get us down. We are flexible, we have family that loves us, we are motivated to help one another. We have supportive friends, our illness was short, we have insurance, we have some savings, we have prayer and bibles and freedom and a savior who loves us and died for us. God is good to us, even though we are far far from perfect. Crazy weeks let you know your strengths and weaknesses. I count it all joy that we are all here together to walk through this life and that in the end we will be with our Lord.

Coming Soon.....

2011-04-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

In one week, we have a family Easter.
In two weeks we have a birthday party.
In three weeks we have LTC competition.
In four weeks we have a vacation.
In five weeks we have Mother's Day.
In Six weeks we have a photo shoot and rehearsals.
In seven weeks we have a dance recital.
In eight weeks I will be exhausted and ready to hide from society!
Then will come Memorial Day, birthdays, NETSYS camp, VBS, and when July 4th passes i can relax for a few weeks, I think. Maybe.
Then we can just bowl, swim, homeschool, skate, bike ride, and relax a bit.

A New Week to journal About

2011-04-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well! It has been interesting! Cooking without an oven has been a new experience. I am a homemade cook, from scratch, and do lots of baking. LOTS of baking. SO this being without an oven has not worked well for me. BUT, my home warranty assigned Sears to come out and assess the situation for $60. Turns out, the whole cooktop has to be replaced so the oven controls don't short out again, But the range is not made anymore so they will be replacing the entire thing. I chose to upgrade to a 5 burner convection range by GE, and it should be delivered this week. total cost for me will be about $290 out of pocket (and that includes the $60 service call). Happy momma! So on to the homeschooling week....we had a full 3 days scheduled so we could do first of the month shopping on Thursday and co-op, theater and social activity on friday. All went well except PE. All the stuff I planned was outside and the weather turned cold. But a lot was learned, the kids got along, there was much bonding, and love. No complaints here. Homeschooling definitely rocks! I think I would have to be medicated for severe depression if I ever had to send my kids to PS or even private. I got the new Sonlight catalog this week so that was fun to peruse. Got to think about all the neat stuff we will be teaching/learning over the next few years, yet felt profound sadness at the thought of Jacob being in his last 5 years of school. Still doing a read aloud study of I Kissed Dating Goodbye with the two oldest. really great concepts of godly behavior in relationships. Plants fabulous seeds in them, and in me. I also began prereading more of the kids bible growth literature. Love what I am reading! The current book takes a look at the challenges of some real bible teens, like Mary, Daniel, and Timothy and gives lessons to learn in staying strong. Placed an order to Apologetics Press for some study courses that i plan to use with devo time. Can't wait for that to arrive! Shopping day went very well, and so did Friday except we had to cancel a get together with hollyM due to an illness (her, not us). Saturday we had a reunion with my FIL's family and it was really nice. Then we headed to mamaw's to fish and bake frozen pizza. Got home at 8:30, and K began to be sick. Vomited twice and then I got nauseous, so we went to bed at 10. Em was not feeling well by morning, so we left church early. Too bad, too. I wanted to hear Mr. Parrish. So this afternoon I need to get lesson plans and assignment sheets filled out, and do a bit of shopping for LTC art, and get a little rest. Vacation is coming soon and I am excited!!!!!!

Life in Pictures..this week

2011-03-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

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....

2011-03-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-23T09:28:00.001-07:00

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

2011-03-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-14T10:14:00.001-07:00

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

2011-03-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

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 :)

2011-03-11T16:16:00.000-08:00

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

2011-03-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

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

2011-03-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-03-05T10:11:00.001-08:00

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...

2011-03-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

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!

Homeschool this week

2011-02-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

this week was different. we took off monday and tuesday to switch out winter clothes for summery stuff, but left a little bit of the long sleeves. it was nice to be relaxed but as i have learned, structure and routine are our friends, so back to a semi normal routine we went on wednesday. we did devo, math, writing and reading and a bit of science that they all begged for. usually the kids 6th and under do KONOS units, but wehn we hit the human repro unit i decided to springboard into the new apologia anatomy book, and we love it. this week we made a model of the human heart with grahams and marshmallows after learning the function and structure of the heart. we also did some more history. we are combining mystery of history with story of the world for a 4 year cycle. once the kids hit 7th grade we doa modified version of sonlight core curriculum. when they hit 9th, that will be their routine full time, so it is good prep, thoguh they are still welcome to join the KONOS and history stuff. i like the independence i have seen this year and the curriculum we have chosen. some have learned by leaps and bounds. we also decided to go year round sicne some are on a staggered schedule anyway. works better for eveyone. i signed us up for a field trip to the dr.pepper plant in waco for next month. i may regret that given the long drive but i think they will love it. besides, it will get them ready for the trip i want to take to the athens fish hatchery! so, back to our week....by wednesday night elizabeth was having more bad cough--after a long trip to the park on one of our days off---so we headed to the dr on thurs where we foundshe has some mild asthmatic symptoms and was put on a 3 month dose of singulair...she tested negative for flu which was good. then we headed to ballet and when we got home the garage door had broken..big fun. the next day was friday and we had co-op fromm8 to 1, then picked up some DQ for lunch and headed to sam's club for the march groceries. we got home just in time to unload whiel clay clalled a garage repair man, and then we headed to theater class and came home to a house of boys for games and snacks. busy! saturday came with a shock though......................jacob woke up vomiting at 6am and kept it up until i got back from hip hop class with liz...then we girls had to get ready for a banquet at church and right as we were about to leave kim began runing a very high fever. i had to call her dad to come get her from the banquet. he wasn't home when we left or i would have left her at home.after the banquet she got really sick and motrin wasn't helping. she began vomiting. this went on all night and into today. and this mornign liz woke up feeling bad, and by 10am she had high fever and still does, but no vomiting yet. so now i am wondering if we picked up flu at the dr? oh well, a new school week starts tomorrow and we will see what it holds for us...my prayer is wellness.
prayers this week for wellness for my kids, the Bonney family, Libya, Egypt and Korea, freedom, the Word to spread, safety for all of us, the Estes family, our co-op and for the Lord to use us and direct our paths in His ways.
Blessings to all!

What Happpened in February

2011-02-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

As usual, these are out of order. This is the fabulous group of kiddos.
One more of them. Getting so big! See why I cry over their growing up so much???
We had a trip to see the Dallas Symphony play Peter and the Wolf and Squirrel Nutkin. Very fun!
Our baby boy turned 7. SEVEN! Can you believe it??? I can't. He is such a neat kid. Very private, not terribly social, rough, tough, lover of guns swords and combat. Smart, sneaky, loving, tenderhearted.
He had some friends over for a party with brownie sundaes. He seemed to have a great time even though he wouldn't look at anyone while we sang to him.
The local homeschool group also had a Valentine Party for the preschool thru 2nd graders. That was fun and tasty! Our homeschool group also had registration for classes which start soon. We love that!
We have been studying human anatomy. Here are the kids with the Somebody game. A family favorite!
As you can see, Kimberly's person has some issues with one side of his lungs and his stomach. Maybe he is in surgery? And i think Jordan's guy has a kidney on his foot.
We also had a second BIG snowstorm. Lizzie stayed inside that day, but Jacob climbed a tree by the creek.
Lizzie has really been doing great with her reading! I am so glad to see that!
Jordan and Kimberly love working on school together, too.
And these are our ballerinas--obviously one lost her leotard!
so, I guess I am going to be a monthly blogger...well...probably not. But I do have much going on and life doesn't lend itself to a bunch of computer time. So with the passage of another month it was time to post some pictures! Hope you enjoyed a peek into life at our house! Blessings to all!

January Stuff

2011-02-03T06:26:00.000-08:00

This month has been COLD. There has been a lot going on. We have had ballet, hip hop class and pinewood derby, a parade and a birthday party. So here comes lots of photos! The above is the pinewood derby race. Jordan had a great car, even though it didn't win. He likes to wear the scout shirt, though.
This was Emily's pirate party. I cannot believe she is 11. She had 6 girls come for pizza and games and crafts and a crazy talent show.
This is part of the talent show.
Jacob got in on the talent show and games by being Joker.
Duck Duck Goose is always big fun...
Pirates eating pizza.
pirates working on treasure chests with chocolate gold coins to go inside.
This is what kids do when they are imaginative. They make your bedroom into fru fru land and act stuff out.
They also help make lunch and set up themed tea parties for siblings.
And very often they leave the room before cleaning up. Is that really my room????? Yes, yes it is!
Sometimes we take kids out for ice cream on thier birthday. Apparently it makes them act strangely.
This is Jordan with his great grandma at the pinewood derby. Note the extreme excitement on his face. Mostly he sat in a chair to watch. Not much emotion. Calm and cool as always.
Her is Elizabeth with grandpa at the mall. She was showing off some hip hop moves.
Here is grandpa with Kimmie. She was acting crazy as always...giggling all the time.
And this is just schoolwork. They had just learned about nutrition as part of a human anatomy lesson and were cutting out pics for a food pyramid.

Well, that sums up the month....

Higher Calling

2011-01-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

I didn't know what to call this post. But I am going to leap in...a little.

As a Christian parent I feel it is my job to follow Deuteronomy 6:5-9 in the training of my kids ...so we had a talk today. You see, we have a couple of kids close to their teen years, and they need to know how to stay pure and on the path to Godliness in those years, as their hormones change them into men and women. We all know how strong the sexual needs can be and that is why God gave us marriage. There within that committed relationship we can enjoy sexual intimacy and the blessing of children. But in American society, those things are largely taking place outside the marriage bond as people "play" marriage without actually marrying--in other words, fornication. Especially in teens and young adults.
I have been reading to some of the kids from a book called I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. It calls people to seek God's way first and honor your Lord in your relationships. Dating is one of those things like clothing and drinking. It is not sinful in and of itself. It is how you approach it and what behaviors you exhibit that make it sinful in certain situations. If your motivation when you get dressed is "how hot and sexy can i look " then your motivation is wrong and your dress is probably going to be sinful. Your motivation should be "am I pleasing God today".
And with dating, if your motivation is "he/she is so hot...i want some of that" and selfishly pursuing relationships for what we can get from them, then that is sinful. Dating relationships are to end with marriage (more properly called courtship). Why toy with people's emotions and play with sexual sin when you are not in a place where marriage can be a reality?
I would urge people to read the book I mentioned and get a Godly perspective on our search for a marriage partner. Mr. Harris is not to be taken as the authority, though. God is the authority.

Consider what scripture says:

1 Timothy 4:12--Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit,, in faith, in purity.

1 John 2:15-16--Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life-is not of the Father, but of the world.

Ephesians 5:3-5--But fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but the giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8--For this is the will of God: that you should abstain from sexual immorality. That each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God, that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such...

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 and 7:2--Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your won? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.....Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

Romans 6:12-13--therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourself to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Romans 12:1-2--I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to god, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So, the above is from God, and speaks very loudy and clearly about our sexual behavior. That is what I am trying to teach my children.
If you want to get to know people, be their friends and know them well in many situations, always with supervision. Treat the opposite sex as you would your own brother and sister, since you have no marriage commitment or authority over them. Do not defraud them or use them for your own personal pleasure of the moment, in lust. Be careful of your behavior, as you are called to seek first the kingdom of God, you are an example to the believers, your body is God's and not yours so glorify Him in it. Do not put yourself in situations of sexual temptation. The sexual relationship is reserved by God for marriage, so if you aren't ready to walk that path with one whom you can share your life, carefully consider your actions and motivations toward the opposite sex.

As a side note, Joshua Harris' younger twin brothers Alex and Brett have a wonderful website called TheRebelution and two books, the first being Do Hard Things. They challenge the youth of today to live according to the above verses and set the high standard of godliness for themselves, so they will be above reproach. I persoanlly think these brothers are on the righteous path and I hope that my children will follow too.

Ballet!!!!!

2011-01-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

The girls have been loving ballet! A friend from Washington is mailing us a bunch of her daughter's old dance items too. I would have had more photos of Emily but Lizzie got sick during the class and I had to leave early. Can't wait to see how the recital turns out!!!!

SNOW!

2011-01-11T06:30:00.001-08:00

The flakes were very large. Jacob was away at a retreat and i was worried about his return. I prayed all morning for safety and God stopped the sleet and it became rain. Just as the bus pulled into the church parking lot it changed back to sleet and snow. I clearly saw the hand of God working to answer my prayers. Praise to HIM!!!!
The kids LOVED playing in the falling snow. It is unusual to have snow 2 years in a row here.
Very unusual.
But oh so much fun!
The snow really made the holly beautiful.
K wanted to eat some as you can see.
Jordand accidentally broke a wax myrtle branch to play with...at least that was his story ;)
They had to warm up when they came in.
Oh, and this is our littlest ballerina...has nothing to do with the snowfall. She's just cute.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

These are all in backward order, but oh well! Here are the girls playing on Christmas day.
Jordan and daddy put together a model of a Star Wars ship.
Jordan gets a DS.
Kimmie gets a toy computer.
Lizzie gets a DS.
Emily gets a n ipod and Jacob gets Force Unleashed 2.
At the Anderson Christmas with my oldest joy!
Cousins getting ready to open gifts.
Everyone visiting after supper.
Animated discussions.
Will and Kim playing with toys.

Boys lounging with great grandma.
Jordan's atlantis lego.
More cousins opening gifts.
Jacob and Ben.
Lizzie and Kim.
Cousins at the tree.
Jordan got all dressed in some nice clothes he was given by a friend. So handsome!!!
Hope came over one day and the girls all got pedicures and manicures!
It was a very fun time for all of us.

Nutcracker Revisited

2010-12-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

Chris, Jacob, Daniel and Isaac backstage before the performance.
Bailey, Emily and Josephine before the performance.
After the show, milling around onstage.
More of the actors/dancers.
Just a few more....We LOVE Timbrel school of dance. Love the kids there, love the teachers. And for spring I do believe we will have 3 in theater dance and one in ballet. Next fall we will have some in hip hop, too, and when Jordan is old enough, he wants to do theater dance, too. It is a fabulous family oriented place, and Christian in nature. So glad we discovered them.

Babysitter's Club

2010-12-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

Opinion column:

People who know us, know that we are particular about the media we expose our family to. Well, last week when at the library, Emily chose a book from the Babysitter's Club series. I was unsure of the appropriateness, but agreed to let her check it out so I could preview it and decide if it was ok. Well, I noticed her reading a chapter so I got the book when she finished the first chapter. I was not happy with the content.
First, this is a series about 4 girls about age 12 who have a babysitting club. They take jobs for neighborhood people and inadvertently end up solving some mysteries that arise. Unfortunately the narrator, which is one of the girls, makes fun of the conservative way 2 of the girls dress (unstylish in plaid skirts and white tops), criticizes one for not wearing makeup (they are TWELVE---HELLO!!), criticizes one parent of a friend for being discriminating about what movies she can see (SHOCKING!), and complains that two of the friends are still babyish since they still play with toys instead of daydream about boys. And all this in the first chapter as she describes how her strict parents are horrible for making her complete her homework which she routinely blows off or does incompletely, and often gets in trouble at school over this matter.
Needless to say I gently told Emily that this book was not appropriate for anyone since it was teaching lust, and disrespect for parents, and immodest dress/makeup. She saw the elements I spoke to her about and agreed.

So that is my take on this series. Though I have only perused one book in this extensive series, it is clear that it will not be coming here again.

COMING SOON: book review and excerpts from a favorite preteen training book called I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. He and his brothers and parents have great books and a website that is very noteworthy.

Random December

2010-12-03T08:33:00.000-08:00

Totally out of order, but I really could care less today. Here is the tree, glowing in it's splendor....
And this is a miniature gingerbread house that Emily made out of sculpey! How cute is that??!!
And this is the food we ate for Thanksgiving at my in-laws house--I would have taken a photo of the food at my parents' house but it wasn't all in one place. Makes ya hungry, doesn't it?
And this is Em and her cousin Alissa--after Thanksgiving dinner they (and Elizabeth) ran a pretend restaurant for the family. I don't recommend eating there as they charged some exorbitant prices!
This was a pretty day at the park. It was just us and Hope, so poor Jordan had no boys to play with. I felt sorry for him.
But he seemed quite happy most of the time. He brought guns just in case his friend Isaiah came.
This was the beautiful sunset on Thanksgiving Day.
Still at the park--messing with the pond. Still totally out of order!
Playing in the street (bad mothering) and jumping in leaves. Very fallish and fun!
One of the crepe myrtles turned a beautiful red. Had to photograph that!
And this is a tea party Emily planned and set up using a fabulous library book, that she would love to have a copy of for her birthday--hint, hint!

Blondes Have More Fun?? Oh Really????

2010-11-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

I think NOT! Brunettes are where it's at! At least that is what I think now that I am a brunette...ha ha ha!
Think I will keep the dark hair--I love it!

Life in Pictures

2010-11-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

This was at our Halloween party. We opted for this instead of the door to door. Kids had hot dog roast, mnarshmallow roast, bobbed for apples and hunted candy. It was a big hit!
Still had plenty of kids (and adults!) ring the doorbell even when all lights were out, though. There needs to be a flyer put out citywide that says: Halloween Etiquette 101--Rule 1. If the lights are out do not approach house! Rule 2.No adults (or almost adults) are to get candy.
Maybe I'll make a yard sign next year....now that's a thought!
This was my MIL's side of the family reunion at Cooper Lake. This shot was just too cute. Two little cousins sharing a coke! Adorable!
Birthdays in October on my side of the family...my dad and grandma and a family friend. Emily baked a cake from scratch and decorated it herself. It was very tasty.
And this is Jordan after earning his Bobcat badge with cub scouts. Good job, buddy! He is such a cutie!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

I don't have the photos off my camera yet but hope to get them on the hard drive today. i also have pictures from our annual Morrow family reunion at cooper Lake. I hope those turned out well.

This year Halloween fell on Sunday and that is a major day of the week as we attend worship twice on Sundays. So we didn't want to come home and have to pass out candy and rush around so we decided to have a mini Halloween party at our house for a few families from church. It turned out very well. Emily was our party planner and did all the decorating. She even carved a pumpkin. We cooked hot dogs, had a HUGE candy hunt in the backyard, bobbed for apples, played hide and seek and roasted giant marshmallows over the fire pit. Some kids had costumes and some didn't but best of all we got to know a great family that has two kids. They have been going to church for a while but we haven't gotten to know them. They both work so they have little free time, but they had fun and we look forward to more gatherings with them. We also had fun with old friends. I think we all decided that this was a great way to spend the time together. And we plan to do it again next year!

Confessions

2010-10-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

As my littlest grows older I find myself having a stronger and stronger desire for another child. I didn't think i would feel it, but it has been keeping me awake at night, in the middle of the night, often near tears, with longing. It is in my thoughts every time I see a baby or a toddler or a preschooler or when one of my kids comes to snuggle, no matter how old they are. It is so strong and will not go away. It is a heartbreaking physical feeling that I can't seem to shake. A very real ache for that soft little life to carry and train ( am I nuts?) just one more time. I found myself unexpectedly googling for cloth diapers, playpens, and a Moby today! And the kids keep asking more and more frequently, too. What is going on!?! They know how much a baby changes lives and the sacrifices that come with a new family member (all worth it of course, as they are the greatest blessing the Lord can give you apart from salvation).
But I just pray and pray about it and know that the Lord has a plan for us. Maybe it includes this desired child and maybe it doesn't. I will have to learn a very hard lesson in contentment if it doesn't come...I just wish I knew why the desire has grown so strong lately.

Sports

2010-10-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am not sporty. This family is not really sporty. Ok, so we watch some Cowboy football and some Olympic gymnastics and swimming, but that is about the extent of it. We like to ride bikes and swim and sometimes hike, or throw balls around...and there are lots of larger homeschooling families who are just like us. YMCA sports are such a drain on family life that more than one kid involved would drive me insane so we have stuck to weekly classes. Anyway, our homeschool friend network decided we would like to get together occasionally for the kids to learn some simple sports for exercise and coordination and just fun. The above picture is from our first sports day where we had a big kickball game...that lasted almost 2 whole innings. But the kids had fun and want to try soccer next time, and maybe volleyball. They are all learning and getting there.

Another Week in Fall

2010-10-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

So here it is Monday again. Time is sailing by. Maybe one day I will find the time to sew up that dress I cut out last summer...as in 2009!
Anyway, lately I have been experimenting with curly hair. I think I like it. Must invest in some more curlers, though. I have also been trying to manage an October schedule. Lots oging on from scouts to family birthdays to reunions to friday school, to sports days, to lessons to homeschool, to clothing rotations to housework to church work---you get the idea. Lots going on. Not looking forward to halloween. Not a favorite holiday at all, and this year Jacob will be at a youth devo since it will be on a SUnday, and we will only have a very short time to trick or treat after services. And then there is the costume issue. I really am not into paying for costumes that will be worn for about an hour. We will see how cheaply we can get by, but on the other hand, my kids do tend to wear costumes in public, so maybe the investment, though tiny, will be ok.
The new van is fabulous! I really really really like it. Haven't made a payment yet, and that will likely cause the ooh ahh factor to drop a bit. Especially since I learned today that Emily has just 3 teeth left to lose before we begin ortho treatments--and all three teeth are loose! Man, the savings will never get built back up! But life happens doesn't it!
All kids are doing well and are relatively healthy. I think we are going to skip flu shots this year. We get the mist, but I am not a fan of having that H1N1 as part of the vaccine. i really don't trust it or think it is a big enough threat to innoculate, and I don't like being forced to get it in order to get a flu shot. We will take our chances. We will just keep up with our vitamins and try to stay healthy.
Well, i must go now. there is some online shopping to do for a very tall 12 year old who has grown several inches and needs some clearanced long sleeved shirts.

Ramblings of Young (actually Middle Aged) Woman

2010-09-30T08:10:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I think I am just totally abnormal. Strange, quirky, eccentric, ADD...you name it.

Sometimes I feel young and sometimes I feel old. Today i feel younger. My hair is all curled, I have minimal makeup, and am about to put in my contacts. Sometimes i look back and wish I was 27 again, about to give birth to my first child, and about to celebrate my 28th birthday. I want to get the opportunity to raise them again and relive those moments, just with the wisdom i have now instead of the ignorance I had then. Maybe I am having a midlife crisis. The crisis is that I am having a LOT of difficulty dealing with my kids growing up, and with me growing older. Time is so short with kids...and then there is the aging. It happens, but I don't like the rate at which it happens. I know I am nearing the end of childbearing years and that saddens me even though I probably won't have any more babies.. Notice I said probably ;) ! 40 used to seem fairly old to me--after all I was 18 when my mom turned 40. Now here I am at 40, and I think looking pretty good and I know I feel really good, but my oldest is barely 12. That is good. But I am still 40, and getting older, wiser than I was in the past, yet I still feel like a 20 year old inside. Weird.

I do not regret staying home with the kids. I definitely do not regret homeschooling and I pray that continues through graduation for all of them. I do not regret my choice of husband. I do not regret becoming a Christian. BUT, i do regret the time I wasted on useless stuff, and the times I could have played with the kids but chose to sew or quilt or talk to friends on the phone, and I regret the times I was an "in-your-face, my way is more righteous" kind of Christian. Those people are so hard to stomach--and I used to be one! Shame on me and I apologize to everyone I offended. I regret wasting money on useless material things, and not saving enough, and giving in to my sinful side. But the things of the past can't be changed, so onward I go, trying to be better each day, messing up along the way. With some grace it won't adversely affect my children ro my relationships. And hopefully my impact on the future will be bringing glory to God.
I like being behind the scenes, doing what I do, most days. I like who I am, most days. I love my life, most days. I guess I am sort of normal after all...whatever that means.

On to Other Things

2010-09-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

So now we have a "new" van.
It is a 2009 Town and Country. We love it. But I am cheap so i detest making payments. Still, i got the lifetime full coverage warranty so it's not all bad. Put a huge chunk of savings down on it too, so no big vacation for a few years while we rebuild the savings. And what we were putting into savings is now going into the van payment so bye-bye to that cash.
But we have a safe vehicle that will take us into the next 10-15 years of life.
Now on to the bank to refinance the house. Maybe we can pay it off before we are 65, this way!
I pray this is considered good stewardship of our blessings.
I just really, really hate being in debt, other than the house.
YUCK and BLAH!

car shopping

2010-09-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

van shopping actually--online. my van is a 1999 grand caravan and i love it, but it is starting to get cranky with me--you know--things like the power locks don't always work, or they work but only on a few doors, or the a/c cools a little, but to get full cooling you have to turn it all off, restart the van and then turn it on--very contrary, she is....so we are looking at getting a 2008 or newer that we can put at least half the money down on and use the old van as a trade in---i want to have cheap payments so I can still put something into savings...but a new ride would be very sweet, and given my driving record I will likely keep the new van for at least 10 years!
we shall see.......................
I have found a 2009 town and country that I really love. hopefully we will be able to negotiate a great deal this week. And maybe we will also be able to get the house refinanced! Been praying about it, so whatever happens, is what is supposed to happen.

Annie has Arrived!

2010-09-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

What a week! Last Friday i got our copy of the Nutcracker Revisited dvd, and this Friday we will get both blue and yellow cast dvd's of Annie!!!!!

I cannot wait to view them. The great thing is that a friend's daughter will be here while her mom researches homeschooling, and the girl will get to see what we and our hs friends do, on dvd! Can't wait to pop some corn and have a great Friday evening!

But right now, i have some cinnamon roll dough that needs my attention before church time. Adios all!

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-09-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

I get lots of people asking for my recipe so tonight i decided to post it. Loosely. I made this up so all is approximate, but you will get the idea. Be bold. Experiment! Ready?? Here we go!
First I make the sauce. It consists of 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can of water, 1/2 cup sour cream, some cumin, a couple tablespoons of taco seasoning, and about 3/4 cup salsa. Mix well. Add 1 cup shredded cheese. Shred your own, please. That pre shredded stuff is coated with some nasty powdery junk. Notice my block of cheese. A lovely item! We buy 2 of these every month and sometimes run out....notice it says 5 pounds???? HA ha! it is a great value, though.
Then you will want to cook about 3 chicken breasts, or use half a boiled, deboned chicken, or what I did today was use 5 or 6 boneless thighs. I seasoned them with steak seasoning by Tex-Joy, and some cumin. Then I chopped them pretty finely with a big knife and mixed them with some shredded cheese, about 3/4 cup of cheese, I think. Looks pretty in the red bowl, don't ya think? I love that bowl.....

Then you use a spoonful or two in flour tortillas (great value brand are the softest) and start rolling and packing them in tightly--see the above out of order photo.
Rolling...........
Roll them tightly......until the pan is full
Then pour on the sauce and spread to cover the enchiladas.
Then add more cheese to the top. Be generous, now! Then bake these babies for about 30 minutes in a 350 oven until nice and bubbly. I like to serve these with our favorite healthy side dish of tortilla chips and salsa! If I feel really energetic you might get a can of ranch style beans, too. Or some guacamole...but don't hold your breath for those.

They are great and we MIGHT have two left over after all 7 of us eat----maybe.

Oh and I should add, I do not like the smell or taste of sour cream and have NEVER eaten a chicken enchilada in a restaurant. But I like mine! Maybe you will too.....

In Other Random News......

2010-09-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

It rained last week...I mean really rained...there was a hurricane named Hermine who came into Texas and literally flooded us. But we were oh so dry and needed it. And since it was not thundery or anything the kids played and soaked themselves. Ahh the joys of childhood!
Jordan has decided to be a cub scout so he went to cub fun day and learned archery and .......
BB shooting.
He really had fun. this kid has loved guns and bows and knives since he was born. This was right up his alley!
As we studied history we cam upon the Sumerians who were quite an advanced people. They even had flushing toilets and hot/cold water in homes! Amazing. they also had a 600 character written language called cuneiform. The kids did not choose to make cuneiform tablets for a project though. They went with lego versions of ziggurats (used for idol worship--lovely).
But the work was good. Jacob did a whole city. Emily did two ziggurats. Gotta love Lizzie's with the red flower on top! Good learning, too!
Since my eyes are so sensitive, I wear glasses more often than my contacts. So i figured, hey...if I buy online at Zenni and get cheaper stuff, I can change up my style a bit! That was fun! A glasses collection! Crazy, huh!?
Below you will see my indulgent Chinese Laundry flats. I am totally wearing them to the library today!!!!!!
But this last photo is why I didn't really NEED them. And this photo doesn't include the roller skates, 6 other sandals, 3 sneakers, 3 boots and 1 pair flip flops. I have issues with shoes.
So, I warned you...that was really random stuff. I am just shocked I got on the computer long enough to post it! So anyway, hope the Lord is blessing your day with love and peace!
Now, on to the chores......

BreakFast and Chinese Laundry

2010-09-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I know I was supposed to be on a fast of spending for clothes, but i have broken it....shameful, i know...but i had to have undies!!! Then I realized my staple shoes for fall/winter are black patent ballet flats. They wore out last year so on clearance I bought a new pair for $8--different brand though, and they rub blisters on my heel. Can't wear them at all! Ugh!

So i have to go on Sunday to buys shoes for my two oldest bigfoot kids and find some great pewter flats by Chinese Laundry that felt FABULOUS on my feet, and were on sale! My gut told me to get them even though they weren't black--I mean how often do you find shoes that love your feet so much---not often, I tell ya! BUT I didn't listen to my cheap self, and went to payless and bought some black satin ballet slippers. They are cute but after extended wear my big toe hurts so today, i am going to get those Chinese Laundry shoes that fit like a dream. Then I promise I am done shopping---well, unless I need a pair of jeans for fall/winter......but then I will be done. Really. I promise. Seriously!

Confession over.