Peace. Love. Jesus.

Winner!!!

2011-10-25T17:05:00.000-04:00

I learned something new about myself. I should never say I’m going to postsomething on my blog during the busiest weekend of the year for my family! We were co-ver-ed last weekend, so I didn’tpost the winner for My Memories Suite v2.0 Digital Scrapbooking Software.

Drumroll please………….

The winner is: Evah!!!

Evah, you should have an email in your inbox.

Chloe helped me pick a winner. Here are the pictures:

Congratulations, Evah!!!

Weekly Wrap-Up: Dear Math, Please Solve Your Own Problems.

2011-10-23T23:23:00.000-04:00

Last week (school wise) was rough. I’m so glad it’s over. She struggles with two of her subjects. Since starting Teaching Textbooks threeyears ago, she has encountered her first real roadblock in understanding thematerial as it was presented to her. I’mso thankful for Kahn Academy! Afour-minute video helped her finish her lesson. Saturday, my husband spent sometime reviewing the materialpresented. She documented her feelingswith the following photos:

History is a challenge too. I’m thinking that she’s just not enjoyinglearning about early explorers. Currently, she is studying the 1500-1600’s. I hope, hope, hope that she will enjoy it more when we startlearning about the Revolutionary War & Colonial America.

The week wasn’t a total loss. A friend of mine and I from church swapped kiddosfor a couple of hours Tuesday. Rosiewent with our friends to a field trip in the Great Smoky Mountains. Their daughter hung out with usfor the afternoon. Our first stop wasat our favorite coffee house. Then itwas on to our house to finish school stuff and ~~play~~ “hang out”.

Earlier in the week, Rosie decided to paint apicture for her art teacher. I don’thave a picture of the final painting, but she had fun. There’s a certain amount of whimsy to thisproject & she enjoyed the process.

I was glad to see the end of last week. I’m so thankful for the new week! After church, we had some new friends over to eat lunch with us. We had alovely time. All of the troubles of theprevious week melted away as we enjoyed a meal together, wonderful weather(dined on our screened in back porch!), fire in the fire pit, smores, andSpikeball!

Just wanted to share our week! It gets hectic and frustrating attimes. I don’t always see homeschoolunicorns and rainbows. No link ups thisweek.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Abby~

Have You Ever Won Anything?

2011-10-19T23:33:00.000-04:00

Twice in my life, I’ve won something. The first time I won something during mysenior year of high school. I won a large color tv at the senior prom afterparty. A consolation prize, I suppose,as my boyfriend dumped me a few weeks before the dance. Oh, he was still mydate. However, he asked me to meet himat McDonald’s (I insisted he pick me up at my house.). I paid for my own dinner and flowers. Later on, I had to call his mom to bereimbursed & she drove to my house & paid me. She didn’t even make himdo it. At the end of the evening, I had to find a ride to the after party &ask a friend if I could spend the night at her house. My mom had to come pick me up. Yup, he was a real prince charming.

Two years ago I won an All About Spellingcurriculum from a contest Jolanthe hosted at her blog, HomeschoolCreations. I was so thankful to winthat curriculum! The curriculum I ownedwasn’t working, and I had already spent the budget for the school year. Perfect timing!

Well, I can add a blog award to my very shortlist of things I’ve won. Nikki over atJoy in the Journey awarded me with the Versatile Blogger Award! I admire how Nikki and her husbandintentionally disciple & mentor their three kiddos. She’s also a rockin’ momma! Herson recently decided to sport a Mohawk & she was happy to oblige! Thanks Nikki! It was so unexpected & made my day. J

Here are the rules:

1. Thankthe person who gave you the award & link back to them.

2. Givethis award to 15 recently discovered bloggers.

1. Contactthose bloggers & let them in on the news.

2. Tellyour readers 7things about yourself.

It was hard for me to come up with 15names! I did, however, think of10. Grace please?

Seven things you may or may not know about me:

· It’sa secret desire of mine to study & become a foley artist.

· I’ma night owl.

· Eventhough I live in the South, I can’t stand sweet potatoes or grits. I literally gag when I eat sweetpotatoes. No amount of maple syrup,marshmallows, or brown sugar will ever make me change my mind. Grits are different. I can eat them, but I never choose too.

· Myannuals that I planted in the spring are still alive. Usually they die midsummer.

· Iworked as a hairstylist for several years before transitioning to be asahm.

· Ilove sports & my husband couldn’t care less.

I’ve recently started reading the followingblogs & I would like to share this award with them.

Simply Necessary

Life with my Giggly Girls

Journey to Excellence

ByHisDesign5

Hope is the Word

Home with Us

In everything

{slightly}nerdy {sometimes} cool

A Stable Beginning

M3rh

~Abby~

My Memories Giveaway Ends Tomorrow!

2011-10-19T19:59:00.001-04:00

Hey friends! This post is just a little reminderto let you know that my giveaway ends tomorrow at 10:00pm. Don’t forget! See my original post on how to enter.

Like the page I created? I love the chevron design and the funkycolors!

Good Luck!

~Abby~

Weekly Wrap-Up: Week 10

2011-10-15T02:23:00.000-04:00

In my life this week…
I’m enjoying theweather! We took our books to thescreened in porch as well as the swing set.

I’m also preparing for ouryoungest daughter’s tenth birthday (note to self: put out the Happy Birthdaytablecloth). The double digits birthdayis by far my favorite birthday milestone to celebrate with the girls. You only turn double digits once & sheis the last one in our family to experience this rite of passage.

I’m also hosting my veryfirst giveaway! You can find all thedetails here. I hope you enter &win! J

In our homeschool this week…

We continued with our studyof the human body. This week the girlsstudied the skeletal system. Rosieadded several bone stickers to her human body poster. She completed a simple experiment to demonstrate why we needsynovial fluid in our joints. A ping-pongball acted as the patella (knee cap). Placed in a plastic socket, the ball’s movements were squeaky andawkward. Then she added canola oil toball and it moved effortlessly with ease. We discussed how painful and irritated our joints would be without thecushions that God designed for us!

In asimilar experiment, Chloe learned the function of the cranium & cerebrospinal fluid and their role in protecting thebrain. She placed an uncracked egg in asmall container w/a lid & then proceeded to run around our living room& shake the container for a minute or so. It came as no surprise to learn that the egg cracked. She repeated the activity, this time addingwater to her container. Again, she ranaround our living room while jostling the container. When her time was up, she examined the egg. It remained unbroken.

The girls have now learned all of their Greek root words fromour English from the Roots Up curriculum. Next week we will begin our study of Latin root words, so thisweek was review. I had the idea for thegirls to play root word bingo (from Easy Grammar, no less). They filled out a blank bingo card with theGreek Roots. I read the meaning of eachrandom root choosen & they had to determine if they had a match. Chloe called Bingo first, but then lost thewin b/c she incorrectly translated a root. Her sister had a bingo at the same time & won the first round. However, Chloe went on to claim a victory inthe blackout round. It was fun & we’lldefinitely play again!

Speaking of Easy Grammar, I’m teaching irregular verbs toRosie. This is my one beef with EasyGrammar. I don’t like how the materialis presented. I think more informationis needed in the teacher’s manual. Otherwise, I love everything else about it. Teaching the prepositions first really clicks in Chloe’s mind b/cit eliminates phrases & makes deciphering the subject and verb easier. I think it’s going to have to be one ofthose things that I tweak and teach the way it makes sense in my brain. Now that both girls have used it for a year,I can make it work when we cover the material again.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

This week the girls resumedtheir painting lessons. During the lastsession, they painted a landscape. Thissession they will learn how to create a still life painting. They have the sweetest teacher & takeclass with their 2 best friends.

Questions/thoughts I have…

I’muncertain about All American History. Ilove it & it came highly recommended from several friends. It may be that Chloe just doesn’t enjoy learningabout the early explorers. Maybe I needto add more to what we are already doing. I think videos & documentaries would be a good start. We haven’t had much opportunity to do theFor Further Study. I hoped that wecould cover history 3 days a week, but maybe she needs the additional two daysto aid in retention and comprehension. If you are using AAH I with a middle schooler, I would love to hear howyou make it work for your family. I’mnot ready to throw in the towel just yet; I would love to see if things improveonce she is past the Age of Exploration.

Things I’m working on…

I’m slowly working on ourscripture memory boxes from Simply Charlotte Mason. Our system utilizes binders instead of boxes. I found 2 ring index card binders at theDollar Tree. I’ve printed out thedivider tabs from the SCM website but that’s about as far as I’ve planned. I won’t be able to work on it this weekendas I’ll be busy with birthday celebrations.

I’m cooking…

Birthdaycupcakes! The birthday girl requestedchocolate cupcakes, vanilla frosting& chocolate sprinkles.

I’m grateful for…

Our church family. Tomorrow we celebrate not one but 2double-digit birthdays. Rosie’s &our church! I love our faith family.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

The girls enjoyed thefollowing videos during their science lessons. We read the book Dem Bones & then viewed the video on YouTube.

We also enjoyed this funvideo of the Animanics singing about the different bones of the body. In fact, we watched it twice! In the video, the Animanics clearly singthat our bodies are formed from years of evolution and no one really knows howit came to be. The first time wewatched, the girls were laughing so hard they didn’t hear it. But the second time we watched, they clearlyheard what was said. We discussed whatwe know to be true, that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, God has aperfect plan for our lives, and he spoke this world and human beings intoexistence. I don’t shy away from orseek to shelter the girls from beliefs that our different than our own. However, it is of the utmost importance thatthey know what scripture says & have a firm foundation the Word.

I'm linking up to The Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird, Unsocialized Homerschoolers & The Homeschool Mother's Journal at The Homeschool Chick.

Enjoy the weekend! I know I will. I’m looking forward to celebrating how blessed we are to parent& live life with our youngest daughter!

~Abby~

Four Year Blogiversary & A Giveaway!

2011-10-14T21:26:00.000-04:00

Four years ago, I began writingthis blog. My concept of time must bediminishing because to me, it just doesn’t seem like it’s been four years. September 27 (my blogiversary) came and wentwith absolutely no fanfare from yours truly.

Several bloggers host giveaways ontheir first blogiversary. Me? I host my first giveaway on two weeks aftermy fourth blogiversary. Always theelement of surprise…

I was recently contacted by MyMemories & asked if I would review their product, My Memories Suite v2.0 DigitalScrapbooking Software. For an entireweek I debated whether or not I would accept this request. I don’t scrapbook, however I wanted to seeif I could incorporate design elements with my blog (like the new look?),create photo books for Christmas gifts, and design a Christmas card. I was not disappointed.

Once you download My Memories,getting started is pretty simple. Thereare three choices: create from aready-made designer template, design your own template, or browse additionalcontent online. I’ll share how Iused each option.

I started with a ready-madetemplate. There are several tochoose from and each template design offers 5 to 14 pages. Photo only templates offer more pages (thisoption is similar to design your own template). The theme choice is quite varied. I could choose from categories such as vintage, funky,contemporary, or seasons. It’s quiteeasy to use. I uploaded my photos andthen was able to drag & drop them into the template. If I wanted too, Icould add text. Here’s what I created:

Last night as I was playing aroundwith a layout, I discovered that I could eliminate any embellishment on aready-made template. Score! There’s a lovely chevron design with fallcolors as one of the options. However,it has a misplaced (in my opinion anyway) branch with green leaves. I didn’t care for it, but I soon discoveredthat I could highlight & delete the embellishment.

I made the following two pagesutilizing the design your own template feature. This option was just as easy to use as the first. You can start with a blank page or chooseone of their numerous photo layouts. Adding the pictures works the same as the first option. Once the pictures are uploaded, you can addbackground papers, text, word art (I didn’t experiment with this option),embellishments, shapes, and multimedia. I loved this tool and after making the pages below, I’ve decided to makea book for each of my trips to Africa. If I could pin point a con with this option, it would be that some ofthe photo layouts were too rectangular to work with my photos. However, once I figured out what layouts what worked bestwith my photos & I felt like I had plenty to chose from. A minor con, really.

Hope 2.2.1. photos by Tina Wilson Photography

My blog facelift uses elements ofthe design your own template as well. Iuploaded my pictures, and then added a shadow and clip embellishment to eachphoto. So easy! I think it maybe took 5 minutes (if that) tocreate. There’s a feature that allows the user to convert all pages into jpegs.

My experience with additional online content is limited, but I’dlike to share what thoughts I do have. The company offers several free designs within the software. By clicking on the link, you are directed to theirwebsite, where you can download the page(s). In addition to freebies, additional pages, word art, and paper packs areavailable for purchase. The pricesrange from $.99 to $5.99+. I have my eyeon a few of the packs & plan to add to my wishlist. J

Other advantages worth mentioningare the excellent tutorials provided. As I was creating new pages, I could access an online tutorial. My Memories offered detailed instructionsfor using every element of the download. If you are a visual learner like me, you can take advantage of the YouTube tutorials found at My Memories blog. Other helps include forums, inspiration pages, and additionalsupport/help should you need it.

The only con worth mentioning isthe time to download. The download timecame at no surprise to me, but is something to consider (especially if you have a slow/older computer!). Make sure you allow yourself plenty of timeto download the software & plenty of time to create & experiment beforeyou actually need to print. Inaddition, I would not recommend this product to users with dial-up or limitedinternet access. In my opinion, I wouldnot purchase if I had limited internet capabilities.

Years ago, I didn’t get into thescrap booking trend because I simply didn’t have the space. If you have a similar ircumstance, digitalscrapbooking is a perfect solution. Basedon my experience, I would definitely recommend My Memories Suite v2.0 DigitalSoftware. I’m still not a scrapbookerbut I’m looking forward to creating many Christmas gifts such as calendars,books, and embellished photos for mugs, and our Christmas card photo.

Time for my very first giveaway!!!

I have one My Memories Suite v2.0Digital Scrapbooking Software download that I would like to give to one of myreaders! You can enter up to threetimes. Here’s how:

1. Visit www.MyMemories.com andchoose your favorite digital paper pack or layout, then comment on my blogtelling me which one you like best. Myfavorite? The Queen of Teen template. I plan on using this template to help myteen with her very own blog design!

2. Like My Memorieson Facebook and/or follow on Twitter and let me know in my comments section. This is ONE entry. It would look like this: I liked My Memories on Facebook and/or followed them on Twitter.

3. Follow my blog with Google Connect. Shameless plug! Make sure you let me know in the comments section.

The contest will end at 10:00 pmEST on Thursday, October 20, 2011. I’llrandomly select one winner to receive a free download of My Memories Suite v2.0Digital Scrapbooking Software (value of $40). I will announce the winner Friday morning, October 21^st.

I must have a valid email addressto contact the winner. If you win, youhave 48 hours to respond to my email. If I don’t receive your response within 48 hours, I will randomly selecta new winner.

As a special for myreaders, I would like to give you your very own Share the Memories code thatprovides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbooksoftware and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value! Just copy and paste this code, STMMMS73553, when you check out.

Disclosure: At no cost to me, I received adigital download of My Memories Suite v2.0Digital Scrapbooking Software in exchange for my honest review of the product.The opinions expressed here are my own.

Birthday Week

2011-10-12T23:52:00.000-04:00

It’s birthday week here at our casa! A certain blonde haired, blue-eyed girlturns 10 this week! Double digitsbaby!

I’m a cosmetologist by trade & normally Icut her hair. However, she wanted mysister-in-law to cut it at the salon. Soit was a girls’ afternoon for just the two of us! There isn't any major change to the length, but she is thrilledto have bangs! Every time my girls getthe slightest change to their hair, they age by a couple of years! Crazy!

We have other birthday plans in store for theweekend. When Chloe turned doubledigits, we had a girls’ trip to Atlanta. I’m hoping to repeat that tradition with Rosie, but she knows it may bea little while before we can go.

I’m so blessed to parent this girl! Thank you Jesus for her life!

~Abby~

Weekly Wrap-Up: The First Nine Weeks!

2011-10-08T04:15:00.000-04:00

In my life this week…

I recovered from a head cold & arather mild case of vertigo. I stayedclose to home, as I didn’t feel totally safe driving. Much to the girls’ disappointment, school continued on.
In our homeschool this week…

We finished our first 9 weeks! Woo Hoo! Believe it ornot, I still don’t have all materials that I need for the year. For example, I don’t have the readingprograms for both girls (CLE). I’m inno rush as they are both using study guides for comprehension. But I’m looking to purchase soon once theycomplete what they are currently studying. Rosie is reading The Courage of Sarah Noble & using the TotalLanguage Plus Study guide. Chloe isreading The Secret Garden & using the Veritas Press study guide.

This week (and last), Rosie & Chloe studied cells aspart of their human body studies. Thegirls made edible cells! It was a greatproject to complete as it aided their understanding of cells as the buildingblocks of life. We decided to make ourcells in Ziploc bags as opposed to making the cells in a dish. The baggie represented the cellmembrane.

In her science speculation sheet, Rosie commented that theedible cell looked like cartoon vomit & that she learned never to put candyin jello! She is so funny! She’s right; it did resemble vomit. They didn’t eat it either. Regardless of allergies, I don’t think theywould if they could!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Chloe was really excited to go bowlingwith her friends from church. Our youthleaders are fantastic. They don’t justtake the kids bowling; there is a twist. Super Hero Bowling! You couldn’tbowl if you didn’t have a costume & homemade costumes were encouraged. Chloe decided on her own to be Toliet-PaperTeen. Yup, you read thatcorrectly. She even made her owncostume (thank goodness). I worried forabout 1.2 seconds that people would laugh at her. She’s so confident. Sheloved her costume & thought it was hilarious.

My favorite thing this week was…

Three favorite things this week. Number one: feeling better. Number two: Chloe decided to help out in the kitchenmore than she was asked to. Numberthree: Chloe (again!) decided on herown, in her free time, to write 2 different essays. The first essay was about Harry Potter & his friends. The second essay was about three dreams fromthe previous night’s sleep.

What’s working/not working for us…

Not an issue of not working for us, but Idecided to have the girls work in their critical thinking books once a weekinstead of twice. They both love it!

Questions/thoughts I have…

I’m curious how other homeschoolers handlecorrections/incorrect work. I alwaysmake my girls correct any missed work. I have one particular daughter that spends quite a bit of time oncorrections. If she would slow down,she wouldn’t have many corrections. Forthe most part she understands the material she’s studying. Rarely does she miss something b/c shedoesn’t understand it. I think it’s aheart issue. I would love yourinput! Please share. J

Things I’m working on…

A geography study of the 50 USStates! Stay tuned!

I’m reading…

I’m slowly reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor,Martyr, Prophet, Spy By EricMetaxes. Prior to reading this book, Ididn’t know how educated & intelligent his family was. I’m only a third of the way through the bookand I’m very fascinated by his life.

I’m grateful for…

A completed week of school even though Iwasn’t 100% healthy. I’m thankful thatthe vertigo was short lived. It’s oneof those things that scare me.

I’m praying for…

Tucker…hurting friends…missionary friendsin need of financial support.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

The Cell Craft Game. This free, online game complimented thisweek’s science studies. Chloe stillstruggled with some of the organelle names but she definitely had a betterunderstanding of the different jobs of each. I found the game at this website. She has a ton of great freebies; check it out!

Have a great weekend! I’m linking up to The Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers & The Homeschool Mother’s Journal at The Homeschool Chick.

~Abby~

Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dogs’ Tails

2011-10-04T23:27:00.000-04:00

If you were to visit our church, you wouldnotice multiple families with newborn babies. My girls positively love holding these sweet blessings! I do too. J

Our associate pastor & his wife recentlyhad their first child, a super cute little boy! You can’t really see his face here, but he is one of the cutestlittle boys ever. Our family is soblessed by this couple. They are veryintentional with the youth of our church in sharing the Gospel & how theymentor/disciple them. God entrusted thegirls to my husband & me. It’s ourresponsibility to love, nurture, and disciple our girls. However, I appreciate how they speak truthinto my daughters’ lives!

~Abby~

Weekly Wrap-Up: Return to Co-op Classes

2011-10-02T23:51:00.001-04:00

Last year, we stepped away from our weeklyco-op classes. Rosie needed extra timewith me in a certain subject. Wedecided not to return to that particular co-op because we were required toattend all classes. Due to themandatory policy, I felt like we had little room for anything else in ourschedule during the week.

Weweren’t going to return this year for the same logistical reasons. However, there is another co-op near usoffering enrichment classes. We canenroll in as little or as many classes as we like. At the last minute, I decided to enroll Chloe in my friendSarah’s essay writing class. It meetsin the afternoon. It’s a perfect fitfor us…the girls still do their daily work in the morning and then we go toclass. Rosie is part of an AmericanGirl History class that meets at the same time as her sister’s class. This semester Rosie is studying what lifewould be like for Kaya (her favorite American Girl Doll).

Thursday, we had our first field trip of theyear. We visited an apple orchard withgood friends (don’t know if I can post pictures of the kiddos but this is myfriend Mary). It was a lovely drive& beautiful weather. Between our two families, we purchased 5 bushels ofapples for canning.

The girls & I were so excited to learn howto can! I remember canning with mygrandmother (mostly beans, tomatoes, and jams), but I’ve never canned on myown. Once we started, I realized theprocess wasn’t as intimidating as I imagined. We came home with 5 quarts of peach applesauce, 4 quarts of blueberryapplesauce, 15 quarts of applesauce, and enough pie fillings to bake 5 applepies! We froze the pie filling.

Rosie finally finished her shark lapbook,yeah! I have to silence the controllingpart of my personality as she finished it. I showed her how to arrange the pieces to make sure everythingwould fit. The sitting back and lettingher put it together is the hard part! Iwanted to jump in & tell her my opinion! I even wanted to glue the pieces down (neatness factor). Oh, that’s so pathetic of me! What would she learn if I did all of thatfor her? Of course it looks great theway she finished it & I couldn’t be any prouder.

Chloe really enjoys learning about the humanbody. She drew and labeled a cell inher science notebook. I remember doing& enjoying the same thing as a 7^th grader. I told her so but I don’t think she sharedmy enthusiasm. J

We ended our week at Wilderness at theSmokies. Love that place! My husband had a conference at theconvention center & scored us free tickets. The girls had a blast. Normally I ride all of the slides with them (love water parks!), butI’ve had a head cold that’s left me somewhat light headed this week. The two don’t really mesh well, so I plannedour school for October & prepared my Sunday school lesson while theyenjoyed the water

I’m linking up to the Weekly Wrap-Up over atWeird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers!

~Abby~

7th Grade Chloe & the Case of the Missing Root Word Cards

2011-09-21T14:21:00.000-04:00

I have to work at organizational skills. Certain kinds of organization does not come naturally to me (oh, how I wish it did). I've learned how important it is to my sanity for all supplies, materials, and curriculum to have its own place.

Apparently Chloe's root word cards have legs because she can't find them. Yesterday I noticed how the girls left them out in the living room instead of putting them where they belong (each girl has a basket for daily supplies). I asked the girls to pick up their stuff. Chloe did as I asked. Somehow, the cards have mysteriously disappeared. They've spent the last 30 minutes looking for the cards. I hate wasting time during our school day! Drives me batty.

45 minutes later I hear, "I found them, I found them!".

Thank you God. ~~It's really too early in the day for a glass of wine!~~

See the Light Art Curriculum

2011-09-14T11:09:00.001-04:00

So I rarely post/link to online giveaways here at my blog. However, I wanted to share this giveaway with you. I haven't heard of See the Light Art Curriculum until this morning. If I struggle with teaching anything, it's art. I'm not artistic. I don't know how to draw or paint. The girls occasionally attend a painting class. In the past, they have received instruction in various co-op classes when available.

Home Educating Family Publishing is hosting this giveaway. From their web page, I was directed to See the Light's page. You can watch a trailer for the curriculum, as well as view three free lessons. The instructor shares what materials are needed in the first lesson. Most of the materials I already own but I would need to purchase a kneading eraser, a charcoal pencil, & a drawing pencil. These materials frequently are on sale on Hobby Lobby & I could use a coupon if they were regular price.

The price is $99.99 for 36 lessons. Right now the price is a bit hefty for our family. For larger families, the art course would be a good deal when compared with the cost of art lessons/tutor for several kids. I'm anxious to read more reviews from homeschooling families that use the program.

Here's the link to the contest page. Good luck! {But I really hope I win!}

Press On...

2011-09-11T16:59:00.001-04:00

Monster Snot

2011-09-10T18:37:00.000-04:00

“It sounds like a monster is blowing itsnose!” proclaimed my youngest daughter at the sound of a buzzing chainsaw. Arecent storm left a tree on our neighbor’s property bent at an almost 90 degreeangle. So yesterday, the girls grabbedtheir books to study outside & watched the tree come down. Inwardly, I was delighted at her descriptionof the rather loud commotion. I love her creative mind! J

As the tree came down, Chloe ran in the house tolet me know that our neighbor wanted to chat with me. Apparently the tree removal crew thought the tree might fall onour red barn & our neighbor wanted to know if there was anything valuablein it. Humor me with the red barndescription. Our red storage shed isthe closest thing that I’ll probably ever have to a red barn! Thankfully the tree missed the barn &our fence.

The girls had a blastclimbing on the downed tree until I noticed it had poison ivy covering thetrunk. (The tree stump in you see is not from the tree chopped down. That was a tree we had removed 2 years ago. Look to the dense area right of the stump. That's the downed tree.)

We were so thankful for the cooler temps this week, which allowed us to continue to study on our screened-in back porch. For Rosie’s workboxes I use a rolling cart w/drawers, so I just wheel that out with us.

For science, Rosie started a lapbook about sharks (Yippy skippy, it’s free!). Ournumber of completed lapbooks over the years is somewhat limited. To be completely honest, they require extraprep work, they can be pricey (free lapbooks still require printing), and ourlocal library is sub-par. In the countynext to us, the library is fabulous. We’ve paid for a library card before, but it’s a 25-minute drive. Not always convenient. Having said that, Rosie enjoys puttingtogether lapbooks. So I’m going to finda good middle ground for both of us. JI think a lapbook every six weeks or so would be a good compromise. Chloe has a take it or leave it attitudeconcerning lapbooks. She’ll probablywork on one or two of them this year.

Speaking of Chloe, I changed my mind once again about her science curriculum. I kept wavering back and forth between Apologia’ Exploring Creation w/ Human Anatomy & Physiology and Apologia’s General Science. If she studied general science this year, next year she would study physical science. I heard a speaker at the Heart of the Matter Homeschool Conference say how it’s best to take pre-algebra before physical science. She won’t have pre-algebra until next year. A friend generously loaned me the general science course to use this year. After reviewing it, I thought it would be best to wait until next year. It would have been a challenge and I was concerned that she would develop a deep dislike of science. We received the Apologia anatomy & physiology book & the notebooking journal this week in the mail. She begged me to allow her to begin next week! I originally said no as I wanted her to finish her current science lesson from last year’s book. She’s so excited; I may surprise her yet.

The girls were so happy to return to American Heritage Girls! Both girlsmoved up to the next troop level & were pleased to wear their new vest& sash. Chloe was so enthusiasticabout the first meeting that she volunteered to sew the new badges on! I was happy to oblige her request.

We are slowly finding our fall routine. Our church’s youth group has resumed for theschool year, the girls enjoy their karate classes, & we’ll start co-op on Monday (I’ll blog about our return toco-op next week). In October, the girlswill return to painting & sewing classes.

Here are a few more pictures from ourweek. My mother thanks you. ;)

The monkey grass has the most beautiful &bountiful blooms this year. I had tosnap a pic!

This is Rosie’s version of an ancient Greekcoin. I’ll admit it. It’s taken 2 years to complete My Father’sWorld Creation to Greek history program. We’re finishing up next week.

This week we had several impromptu naturefinds. We observed hummingbirds, apraying mantis, and this spider paralyzing a poor insect for a later dinner.

New this week: my man spending one evening a week to teach Chloe Word, Excel, &PowerPoint.

Rosie loves to create reading nooks with everysingle couch cushion.

The girls created a maze using one continuousline for art.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to visit the Weekly Wrap-Up atKris’s blog, Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Pray for Tucker Montgomery

2011-09-09T01:10:00.000-04:00

This is my friend Tanya.

Two years ago, we served with each other on a World Orphans Mission Trip to Rwanda. Tanya became a true friend. Although we live a couple of hours away from each other, we still remain in contact. It’s not as frequent now but when we chat, email, or get together we pick up right where we left off.

Tanya is the type of friend that I can be totally transparent with. She’ll be transparent with you too. And honest. And grace filled. She taught & encouraged me to stop apologizing for anything and everything. We cried together as we visited genocide memorials. A year later, she ran with me & cheered me on as I ran my very first 5k.

Friday, September 2^nd, her son Tucker received a severe brain injury during a football game. He is on life support. I can’t even begin to imagine what she is going through. Her boys are everything to her. I remember traveling with her & her oldest son. I admired the dynamic relationship, love, and respect they shared for each other. The oldest brother, Lake, is not just a brother to Tucker, but a friend.

Please join me in praying for Tucker. The Pray for Tucker Montgomery Facebook page can be found here. God spoke this world into existence. He knows the number of the stars, calls them all by name, & not one will go missing or diminish its brightness w/o his knowledge. God can heal Tucker. Will you pray with me for his complete healing & recovery? God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.

~Abby~

Square Pegs Don’t Fit in Round Holes

2011-09-08T01:03:00.002-04:00

Most of my life I have felt like I don’t fit in anywhere. I’ve always been the girl on the outside looking in. I’ve felt this in all circles of my life, be it family, friends, acquaintances, church, & peer groups. The list could go on and on and on.

Of course, my feelings betray me. The enemy sends arrows to pierce my heart and wound me. As I age, the sting of rejection isn’t what it once was. But I still find that little circumstances trigger big emotions. For example, today I was reading a homeschooling magazine. It’s a lovely magazine & I enjoyed every article I read today. My faith was encouraged. The trigger was the cover. A beautiful family with several children graced the front page. That was my trigger, my hook. I thought back to past issues. Every single cover seemingly embraced large families. Here was yet another way that I somehow don’t fit the mold.

At the core of all my issues, all of my junk, all of my messiness, I was reminded that the problem was not having family & friends that accept me. I don’t have a problem at all! There’s nothing wrong with me (a common thought when walking down a dark road of rejection)! The brokenness in my life points to my need of a savior & my need to find my identity in him! Only he can heal. Only he can restore. Only he can bind up the broken hearted. Only he can provide a way to commune with God. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”

John Piper says this, “When our sins are forgiven, and God's wrath is taken away, and we see Jesus as a greater Treasure than all the world, we are freed from both the damnation and the domination of sin. We are free indeed.”

I am free to be the person, mother, wife, friend, and sister that Christ created me to be not what the world would have me be! I am accepted!

What is your struggle? Maybe it’s very different from mine. Maybe it’s the same. Take heart & “…take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Eph. 6:16). I love this resource from Freedom in Christ Ministries. When Satan tempts you with lies, saturate yourself in God’s truth!

Weekly Wrap Up: Week #4

2011-09-05T02:21:00.006-04:00

In my life this week…

We had a great week of school! Much was accomplished as we finished our 4^th week back. The first 4 to 6 weeks of school, I’m dedicated to establishing a good rhythm & routine. I purposefully don’t plan many outings or errands during school hours so we can develop good habits. ETA: It sounds rigid, but I promise it's not. I'm convinced I have a hard time articulating my thoughts late at night! Ha! Lesson learned. :)

In our homeschool this week…

The weather was graciously cool in the mornings. Most mornings this week, we were found on our screened in back porch while studying.

We also had a visitor. J Gallon man showed up one morning to help Rosie learn all about measurements. We started the lesson in the kitchen using every measuring device I owned along with my gallon pitcher to measure how many cups, pints, & quarts in a gallon.

We took Gallon Man off of the white board, mixed up the pieces, & Rosie was able to recall how to put him back together.

Our two current read alouds are Archimedes and the Door of Science & Swiss Family Robinson. Much to my surprise, the girls love the first book. They enjoy the humor the author injects into the plot as they learn about this scientist from Ancient Greece. After reading about King Hiero’s golden crown (and how Archimedes determined if it was a fraud), we tested the density of water and rubbing alcohol by floating a pencil stub in each. It was a great learning moment for all of us. Originally, we placed the pencil in both liquids and it appeared that the pencil sank in both. I couldn’t add more water to my mason jar as I used all the alcohol & I knew the volume had to remain the same with both liquids. So I transferred the liquids to drinking glasses. The glasses provided depth needed for the experiment to be successful. Once transferred, the pencil floated in the water & sunk in the alcohol.

We are in the beginning chapters of Swiss Family Robinson. I've never read the book, and was pleasantly surprised when Archimedes lever is mentioned! Talk about great timing! We are reading this book aloud in the evenings, and the girls were able to share their new found knowledge of the Greek scientist with their dad.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Don’t be afraid to tweak and adjust plans, curriculums, and schedules if they are not working! The girls and I worked on Bible/history/root words after they finished their math lessons. I decided to switch the schedule. We now work on those subjects after lunch. We finish sooner with the new schedule. When the girls & I study scripture together, I usually add my own commentary. Often we follow various rabbit trails when the verses relate to whatever we might have going on in our lives. With the new schedule, I find that I’m more eager to pursue rabbit trails because I’m not concerned with moving on to the next subject. So far, the change in the routine is good fit for all three of us.

My favorite thing this week was…

It’s hard for me to choose one favorite. I have two. J My first favorite thing was watching our youngest daughter promote from an orange belt to a green belt in karate. I am so proud of her hard work, determination, & enthusiasm for the sport.

My second favorite thing was my girls’ night out with my oldest daughter. I hoped to visit our favorite local coffee shop, but a storm passed through earlier in the evening and the electricity was out. We shopped for new tennis shoes, settling on a pair of women’s Ryka shoes from TJ Maxx. Visiting the coffee house wasn’t an option, so we made a quick pit stop at Starbucks. Didn’t get a picture of the two of us. Wish I had! We had a great evening. I’m a smidge sad; she’s now in women’s size 8 shoes!

Things I’m working on…

I’m preparing to participate in my very first consignment sale! I've never done this. In the past, I've passed the girl’s clothes on to friends, sold them in a garage sale, or donated them. Simply put, the girls had too many winter clothes. I have about three laundry baskets full of good quality clothes to consign. Any pointers?

I’m grateful for…

My church family. Vulnerability among peers isn’t so scary when people will meet you where you are at & encourage you to hold to Christ & the hope of the Gospel.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

“Jesus is the yes & amen to every single one of God’s promises. He takes center stage.” ~Pastor Chris (our church pastor).

Today I’m linking up to The Homeschool Mother’s Journey & the Weekly Wrap-Up

~Abby~

A Prayer

2011-09-04T00:41:00.000-04:00

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trust in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8

Dear Lord, forgive me of the many times I hang out in the desert expecting refreshment to come. Holy Spirit, place within me the desire to drink daily from your well. Thank you for your faithfulness, even when I lack faith. Place your goodness & faithfulness around my neck like a mantle.

~Your daughter~

{not} Back to School Pictures...Blooper Edition

2011-08-30T23:24:00.000-04:00

So I participated in the Not Back to School Blog Hop over at Heart of the Matter.

Let’s recap, shall we?

· What we study

· Where we learn

· The students

· A day in the life

I’m personally in favor of adding a fifth week to the blog hop. How fun would it be to see bloopers or outtakes of the first day pictures? Pretty freaking awesome! My girls are goofy & I make them promise me one good shot for 5 silly ones. Your kids do this too. J What about the shots where they are crying or the one with the scowl plastered all over their face? Of course it’s frustrating when you’re trying to get a good picture for the blog, Facebook or the grandparents, but admit it, it’s funny to look back at.

Without further ado, here are our outtakes for the 2011-2012 school year. If you would like to see last year’s pics, click here.

~Abby~

Weekly Wrap Up, Interview Edition, Week #3

2011-08-27T12:22:00.003-04:00

My interview with Chloe:

What did you learn this week? “My math was review.”

Tell me about your week. “Some of the days were longer than normal. The days were longer because I was distracted.”

What was your least favorite part of the week? “I don’t like doing map work. I don’t like drawing the maps & the coloring hurts my hand.”

What was your favorite part of the week? “I like reading and journaling.”

What are you reading? “I’m reading The Cay & New Prophecy Warriors: Moonrise.”

What did you journal about? “I wrote in my journal about the upcoming Christmas season.”

Tell me about what you studied in science. “In science, I am learning about the life cycle of insects & incomplete metamorphosis. I explored our back yard for insect eggs on the back of leaves, but I didn’t find any.”

What literature project did you work on? “I learned how to draw a robin. I listened to birdcalls as I drew my picture. The robin in The Secret Garden is friends with Ben & Mary.”

How did you end the week? “We went swimming.”

What was your favorite part about swimming? “I like swimming. I like all of it. I like being in the water.”

My interview with Rosie:

What did you learn this week? “Math, science, practice violin, grammar, journal, & Bible.”

What was your least favorite part about the week? “I liked everything about school this week.”

What was your favorite part? “My favorite part was journal & my vocabulary book, Word a Day.”
Tell me about what you studied in grammar. “I learned about direct objects and objects of the preposition. I played a game called Capture Contractions.”

How do you play Capture Contractions? “Look inside the envelope for the contraction & match it with the correct envelope. I played the game twice.”

What are you currently reading? “I’m reading the Warriors book titled, Darkest Hour. I also checked out several books about sharks from the library. My favorite part of the week was playing Capture Contractions.”

What are you working on in karate? “Recently in karate I’ve learned the bow bokken form. I will be promoted to a green belt next week. That’s awesome!”

How did you end the week? “We ended the week with swimming at a friend’s house. It’s fun to get wet!”

This was our week according to the girls! I had to pry Chloe’s answers from her, as she wasn’t thrilled about being interviewed. I’m surprised both of the girls mentioned other subjects as their favorite part of the week instead of swimming. We ended the week with swimming at a friend’s house. Friday morning was very laid back. The girls completed math and their root word quizzes. I erased everything else on the planners so we could swim! Three hours of P.E. Woot! Woot!

This week I'm linking up to the Weekly Wrap-Up over at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

I might be your friend on Facebook, but I won’t wish you Happy Birthday.

2011-08-25T22:38:00.001-04:00

Sounds mean, doesn't it? I stopped wishing my Facebook friends happy birthday around the beginning of the year. Oh, I do make two exceptions. I make one exception for my Grandma. She is the most wonderful woman in the world. During my third grade year of school, my classroom hosted a special program in honor of grandparents. Afterwards, the 3rd grade classes hosted a cookies and punch reception. One of my classmates did not have a grandparent attend. My own grandmother, being the tenderhearted & caring woman that she is, escorted this young boy to the cookie table & shared cookies and punch with him. Ivalu rocks, does she not?

The second exception is my best friend Cynthia. She is the type of friend that you belly laugh over inside jokes, share, cook, travel, cry, encourage, love each other’s kids, & hold each other’s long hair back when you are profusely vomiting in the toilet. It is a friendship where deep calls to deep. A long time ago, I desired to have multiple friendships like this one. Now I’m thankful that I have one because this type of friendship is a rare gift.

I’ve shared this little tidbit about myself with a few folks, and as the words rolled off of my tongue I thought I sounded rather rude. Here’s some responses I’ve heard:

“Sometimes it’s the only way I get to wish someone well on their special day.”

“I know a person who checks birthdays the night before so she can write a thoughtful blessing to the recipient.”

It bothered me when people wished me a happy birthday. If it weren’t for Facebook, most (not all!) of my friends wouldn’t know my birthday. Again I just want to clarify that I know these folks mean well. The issue is me. My sinful heart. Wanting to be celebrated, acknowledged, & noticed. Jealousy crept into my heart when I heard/saw of others fabulous celebrations with friends and families. BTW, my family didn’t ignore me on my birthday & I certainly didn’t desire more stuff. I wanted the approval of man. In some weird, twisted way I was seeking to find my identity & self worth in people & not Christ. I was ignoring the fact that I am fearfully & wonderfully made by him! He created my birthday & he created me for him. His child. His chosen daughter. His beloved. Forgiven. Created for his purposes & his glory.

Homeschool Life, Actually

2011-08-23T23:54:00.002-04:00

This year marks my 5^th year as a home educator. During the last 4 years, the one thing I wrestled most with was schedule. Random tidbit about me: sometimes I learn things the hard way. Homeschooling is no exception. It was a challenge for me to execute a schedule dictated by the clock. The problem with that type of routine (for me! J) was the mini mental meltdowns I had when life’s daily hiccups threw us off schedule! The issue was me; I couldn’t roll with the punches utilizing that type of schedule. This year I'm focusing on what we need to accomplish not what time we need to accomplish it!

I’m flexible if/when I need to be, but as a general rule the girls are expected to start school at 8am. They manage their own bedtime (within reason), setting alarms, rising, & other morning stuff.

The girls’ student planners help us stay on task. For both girls, I work ahead & schedule which subjects they need to study each day. With a few exceptions, Chloe chooses the order of the daily assignments. I use Rosie’s student planner for the purposes of filling her workboxes. At times, she still needs redirection while transitioning in between subjects. The workboxes help her stay on task.

To give you an example, here’s a run down of our Mondays:

· First up is math. Chloe works on TT7 in the schoolroom & I teach Rosie at the kitchen table.

· Bible, root words, read alouds (both girls)

· Morning meeting w/Chloe. This is new. We review the week’s assignments along with grammar instruction. We also have meetings on Wednesday & Friday, but they don’t last as long. It’s mostly just to touch base & see if she needs help with her work. Rosie has PE during this time. I rotate activities such as practicing karate forms, Wii Fit Yoga, or shooting hoops. I think I’ll buy her a hoola-hoop and add it to the mix.

· 15-minute snack break. The girls set the timer so they won’t lose track of time.

· Language Arts with Rosie (On Tuesdays & Thursdays we add Science.). Chloe works independently.

· Lunch, 45 minutes to an hour in duration.

· After lunch both girls finish independent work & then they read.

· End the day with journal entries.

· Chores: clean room, unload dishwasher, straighten their bathroom. These tasks must be accomplished before playing outside or screen time.

· Play outside with neighborhood kiddos. I’m inside grading their work & filling Rosie’s workboxes. I also use this time to review the lessons for the next day, set aside any needed materials, or make revisions to the planners

· Girls take turns helping with dinner preparation & clean up.

· Karate (Chloe)

I reserve Fridays for science experiments, projects, hands on activities, or letter writing. Other extracurricular activities include an additional karate class, American Heritage Girls, & violin (Rosie). In October, the girls will resume their painting class & hopefully sewing lessons (sewing teacher just had a baby). We are not participating in a co-op this year.

This is a routine that I can manage! Really, it’s similar to last year’s schedule. With the exception of our start time, I am not dependent on the clock! We’re still tweaking things here & there, but I’m happy with the plan. I’m confident we’ll find our rhythm soon.

Today I’m linking up to the “Not” Back to School Blog Hop, A Day in the Life Edition.

Score. at the Library

2011-08-22T21:39:00.001-04:00

I saw the book, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, recently at a local bookstore. A Bonhoeffer biography is not on my reading list for 2011, however I have long desired to read about his life. I made a mental note to add this title to my list. Today I was thrilled to spot the book on the shelves of our local library. Equally excited to see the book has a 4 & 1/2 star rating at Amazon.

Is anyone else reading a biography right now? Care to share the title?

~Abby~

Weekly Wrap Up: Week #2

2011-08-20T13:17:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, we completed our second week back to school. Every year I start with our core subjects; subjects we study each day. As August progresses, I add the subjects we study a couple of times a week. By September we usually have a full schedule.

This week both girls completed science activities. I wouldn’t really call them experiments. Chloe made a fossil with Plaster of Paris. We’ve completed a similar project in the past, and I wish I had followed those instructions instead of the instructions from yesterday. But we made it work. Chloe painted the fossil with a tea stain. I brewed passion tea, which had a pink tint instead of brown. As the fossil dried, the pink tint changed to a bluish hue.

Rosie’s science activity involved glitter. We sprinkled the glitter on water, and we used blow dyers to create a mini ocean gyre. Chloe decided to help us with this project even though she is using a different science.

I was confident in my curriculum choice for Rosie as well, but last night I had an epiphany of sorts. We own several of the Magic School Bus books. She LOVES The Magic School Bus series. There are experiment kits I can purchase to complement the books. My thought process is to use the MSB books with coordinating kits. I would couple the books & kits with additional literature from the library, field trips, Netflix dvds, & lapbooks. I decided on the following units: electricity, the human body, rainbows, and the solar system. We own the Apologia book we are currently using, and I plan to teach the unit on sharks (at her request).

Our curriculum choices for the school year can be found here. In addition to this list, Chloe is leaning how to play chess and use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Both girls write weekly letters to various friends and family members.

Link up to the Weekly Wrap Up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

~Abby~

Farmer's Market Finds

2011-08-20T10:28:00.005-04:00

Chloe & I drove to the local farmer’s market this morning. I really wanted red ripe, late summer tomatoes that are prefect for tomato sandwiches. This morning’s market did not disappoint. I purchased two red tomatoes plus 2 orange tomatoes.

Chloe spotted these extra long green beans. Of course we had to buy them. The farmer who sold us the beans was so knowledgeable. He had several different varieties of produce that other farmers did not have. We (and by we I mean Chloe) don’t need to string the beans but we (Chloe) will break them. J The farmer told us the bean taste more like spring peas. Chloe still wanted to buy them even though she hates peas.

We also purchased an extra large zucchini. I have several recipes book marked & I can’t wait to choose one! I’m leaning towards this recipe as I have plenty of basil in my own meager garden.

Our other purchases include a variety of grape tomatoes, dried apples, and honey. I always purchase local honey from this one particular beekeeper. He and his wife are faithfully at the market every Saturday. Since we don’t have a year round market in my town he is willing to deliver a couple of quarts of honey when I run out.

I’m off to a new local coffee shop to work on homeschool plans for the year. What do you have going on this weekend? My husband is teaching Chloe how to play chess & I think we’ll spend some time outside this afternoon or evening. Happy Saturday!

~Abby~

Back to Homeschool Pics

2011-08-18T14:16:00.004-04:00

Chloe:

· 7^th grade

· Currently a red belt in karate with the goal of earning her black belt.

· Favorite subjects are reading and math.

· Dog sitter extraordinaire.

· Wants to be a veterinarian when she is an adult.

Rosie:

· 4^th grade

· Enjoys playing the violin.

· Favorite subject is science.

· Enjoys creating her very own comic book series, “The Help of People.”

· Wants to be a professional surfer when she grows up

While I’m very proud of my daughters and I hope they accomplish their dreams, I am most proud of the fact that they love Christ & trust him with their futures.

Abby

Fo REALZ

2011-08-17T19:32:00.004-04:00

Fo REALZ…

So why do I feel the need to justify the funkiness growing inside my coffee maker? What is it about exposing life as it really is (or in my case, funky coffee maker scum) online? I feel the need to communicate to you that I’m not an avid coffee drinker. I’ve owned this appliance for a mere year and a half using it about 50% of said time. I am just now drinking two cups a day. Like somehow that makes it all okay. J J J

Without further ado…

Oh, you need a close up?

I would love to have you over for coffee sometime. On second thought, I’ll just make you a nice cup of tea.

Click on over to Courtney’s blog for more Fo REALZ!

Abby

I Love My Backyard

2011-08-16T12:25:00.010-04:00

We love our backyard. However, I'm not talking about my fenced in backyard (that I love dearly). I'm referring to the wonderful Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a mere hop, skip, and a jump, from our house.

In the middle of the dog days of summer, the mountains are a prefect excursion to keep cool & be active at the same time. During the month of July, my husband and I hiked Cucumber Gap Loop on a Saturday afternoon. A few weeks later our family hiked to Grotto Falls. The girls wore their swimsuits under their clothes so they could splash around in the water searching for salamanders.

On our scavenger hunt hike to Grotto Falls. This is the third find on the list, a flat rock under the tree with a thin line of quartz running through it. Yep, didn't get the actual stone in the picture.

Over the years we've collected some wonderful books for kiddos teaching them about life in the Smokies. We really enjoy Scavenger Hike Adventures. The book boast 14 hikes with varying exertion levels. We have now completed three hikes from the book. The last hike we did as a family was our time on the trail to Grotto Falls.

The Troublesome Cub follows the journey of cub wondering away from his home into the city. It's a tale that teaches the reader the importance of properly disposing of trash & litter in the park and dangers to cubs/bears exposed to human waste. Wonderful story based on true events.

How I love the Great Smoky Mountain Salamander Ball! The book is such a fun tale of salamanders local to the Smokies and how to enjoy & respect them during a visit.

The Smokies Yukky Book. This book will appeal to any kid who loves all things creepy & crawly! Be prepared to reassure your 9 year old how to avoid a *laurel hell* while hiking the trails of the Smokies. Not that I would know from experience...

Scat. Yup, scat. Who Pooped in the Park tells the story of a family in search of wildlife in the Smoky Mountains. Aided by Ranger Gus, the brother & sister team identify several animals native to East Tennessee from the scat they leave behind. My girls LOVE this book. On our recent hike we came across jellybean size poop. The animal? White Tail Dear.

Any suggestions to add to our bookshelf? If you are planning a visit/vacation, be sure to check these books out at your local library!

Abby

2011-08-12T18:29:00.012-04:00

Over the last two years I slowly reduced the amount of educational resources I acquired. When I began homeschooling 4 years ago, I accumulated tons of curriculum, books, and manipulatives. Everyone does that, right? No? Oh, okay…

Fast forward to the beginning of our 5^th year of homeschool. I’m fairly confident with what works, the girls’ learning styles, & my own philosophy of education & teaching. There simply isn’t a need to keep material that doesn’t work or hang on to curriculum we’ve outgrown. I spent an afternoon this week sorting all of our *stuff* into 3 groups: keep, donate, or sell. The results? Three partially filled milk crates containing resources that we are not currently using (but keeping). The curriculum we are using is located in my desk apprentice or the wire shelves beside the table. I still own the awesome bookshelf that holds chapter books, read alouds, and other resources related to our current studies.

If you would like to compare last year’s room to this year’s room, you can view the pictures here. I changed the position of the table as well as draped the table with a new tablecloth. There are fewer posters on the wall than in years past. My husband helped me hang a map of the United States above Chloe’s desk. I’m thrilled that he is tall. ;)

New this year is my chalkboard wall. Last spring we had a work crew of 10 junior and senior high students from church helping us with yard work. Two of the girls graciously helped paint my chalkboard wall. I love it! I’ve used it many, many times. The girls do their math first thing. I can’t use the whiteboard in the schoolroom as Chloe uses the computer for math (it disturbs her). So Rosie & I do math at the kitchen table & I use the chalkboard wall when necessary.

Our timeline. Sadly, we didn’t study the Reformation last year as we were still in the Ancient time period. Our timeline is lacking but we will fill it this year with events and people from our studies in American History.

Last year I thought maybe it was a little silly of me to post pictures of the closet. I post them now so you can see the difference between this year and last.

Not much change here. This is where we store everything we are currently using as well as paper, binders, and folders. I added new composer posters.

The rearranged layout. The tablecloth is made out of material from Africa (Ethiopia or Ghana, I can’t remember). I’ll probably alternate this one with the more colorful version from last year.

My coffee is a necessary staple of my morning routine. I’m drinking two cups a day now but I’m using Truvia instead of sugar & 1% milk instead of half & half.

Posters & cards from Voice of the Martyrs reminding us to pray daily for our brothers & sisters that do not have the same freedom of religion that we do.

Chloe’s desk. Here she does TT7. She can study anywhere in the house but this week (our first week back) she showed an interest in doing most of her bookwork at the desk.

This last picture? I’m just keeping real. Most of the time the schoolroom stays straight with the exception of the occasional mess. In this particular shot I was in the middle of my save, purge, or sell project.

Not shown is a picture of my screened in back porch. We LOVE to study out on the porch during the fall and spring.

If you are here from the Blog Hop, Welcome! I’m glad you are here. Please make yourself at home & don’t forget to introduce yourself. J

In My Perfect World...

2011-08-09T22:10:00.010-04:00

I love my daughters. I consider myself extremely blessed (and quite frankly undeserving) to parent the two daughters God entrusted to my husband & me. The girls love the Lord, love each other, love the broken & unlovable, forgive easily, & laugh often. I’m so grateful to live life with them.

However, in my perfect world, we would also be the proud parents of two boys. Not for a single moment do I regret our decision for my husband to have a vasectomy. I always envisioned having a larger family through adoption. During my early adult years (before marriage), I didn’t want to birth children, only adopt.

Why am I sharing my dream? Well, dreams, no matter how noble, no matter how they appear to align with scripture, are a mute point if they don’t reflect God’s desires for my life. For the last year I’ve grieved over my failed adoption dream. It’s not going to happen. My husband does not share this dream with me.

I believe in God’s plan for my life even when it doesn’t make sense. I trust his plan for he is perfect, righteous, & sovereign. His grip on my heart is so strong, so firm, and so secure. He is my daddy who loves me even as my wound is still open & bleeding.

He is El Gomer, my God who works for me.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. Psalm 57:21

Preaching this truth to myself when my heart fails to believe.

Abby

Hey Lucy!

2011-08-06T16:40:00.003-04:00

Happy 100^th Birthday Lucille Ball. Here’s to you, Lucy!

Eclectic, I Am

2011-08-05T09:50:00.009-04:00

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines eclectic as: (adj.) selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or style AND (noun) composed of elements drawn from various sources.

We are, without a doubt, an eclectic homeschool family. I love this wise quote from Albert Einstein, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." During the last five years I've learned the valuable lesson of choosing curriculum that best suits the the learning styles of the girls. Early on I desired to use certain educational methodologies which simply didn't suit one or both girls. In my defense, I didn't know what would work. :) The last three years I've discovered the freedom that I have as a home educator when I give my daughters the best *tools* to help them succeed as a student.

While I have a growing confidence in our educational decisions, I'm nervous about certain selections. I'm not a novice homeschooling momma yet I'm experiencing firsts in teaching our oldest as she journeys through middle school & prepares for high school. To say I'm stressed concerning the science curriculum I chose for Chloe is an understatement, yet I knew I made the right decision. ETA: I changed my mind. I decided to use Apologia's General Science for my oldest instead of Exploring Creation w/Human Anatomy & Physiology. Can one have peace about a decision & a healthy amount of concern at the same time? Yes, I believe one can.

I've finally decided on a slogan that best describes me as a home educator.

Choose the best tools to help the girls succeed in their educational endeavors. The journey they are on prepares them for the next. Seek to glorify God in the process.

Here's what we are using for the 2011-2012 school year:

Chloe

Grammar: Easy Grammar Plus, Daily Grams grade 7
Writing: Wordsmith, Editor-in-Chief
Reading: The Secret Garden & comprehension guide, Call of the Wild/White Fang & comprehension guide, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & comprehension guide. All are from Veritas Press. I will be supplementing these guides with Christian Light Education's reading book, The Road Less Traveled.
History: All American History, vol.1
Science: Apologia's General Science & Experiment Kit.
Math: Teaching Textbooks 7
Health: Lifepac Health Quest. We completed a semester of health last year & will finish this year.
Critical Thinking: Fallacy Detective & Building Thinking Skills book 3

Rosie

Grammar: Easy Grammar 3 (finishing from last year) and Easy Grammar 4, Evan Moor Daily Language Review grade 4.
Writing: Evan Moor 6-Trait Writing grade 4.
Reading: Courage of Sarah Noble & comprehension guide by Total Language Plus. I will choose other comprehension guides and supplement with Christian Light Educations's reading for 4th grade, Bridges Beyond.
Spelling: Building Spelling Skills grade 4, Evan Moor.
Math: Christian Light Education.
Science: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day & coordination notebook journal from Apologia.
Critical Thinking: Building Thinking Skills, book 2
Geography: Daily Geography Practice, Evan Moor
Violin lessons

Both:

God's Great Covenant Old Testament, pt.2
English from the Roots Up, vol.1. We've learned almost all of the selected Greek roots & will learn the selected Latin roots this year.
Daily journal. Each girl selects a composition notebook of their choice at the beginning of the school year. Most of the time they decide what to write but I'm always prepared with writing prompts if need be.
Karate. Chloe is a red belt (with the ultimate goal of becoming a black belt) and Rosie is an orange belt.
American Heritage Girls

My Lovelies Painted...

2011-08-04T21:40:00.003-04:00

The girls attended an acrylics painting class in May/June. The focus was landscapes. Here's what they created:
Chloe painted a dirt road during an afternoon rainstorm.

Rosie painted a wheat field behind a run-down, rustic fence. Love. Now comes the hard part, deciding where I want to display them in my home!

#25

2011-08-03T15:48:00.004-04:00

#25 on my list:
I, along with friends from church, dressed in character for the midnight show of Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows, pt.2. Dolores Umbridge, Harry's vile professor from his fifth year, was my character choice (easy costume to put together). At the last minute, I asked my husband to print a picture of Cornelius Fudge & placed it in the frilliest frame that I owned. Posing for the camera I attempt my very best "I will have order!" pose.

On Our Menu...

2011-03-17T20:22:00.002-04:00

My grocery shopping day is Thursday and I generally plan a week's menu Thursday to Thursday. I discovered menu planning works best for me when I create a meal plan where I pick and choose which dish I would like to prepare for the evening. I tried (for years, I might add) to have each meal planned for each day of the week. I don't know why I allowed myself to endure frustration b/c I didn't follow the plan exactly.

Over the next seven days, we will choose from the following menu:

Irish Bacon & Cabbage Soup (we ate this tonight)
Baja Fish Tacos
Spaghetti (I use this recipe for my sauce. I always add frozen chopped spinach. I'll add ground turkey if it's on sale. It wasn't this week.)
Slow-cooker Sloppy Joes & cornbread
Roast chicken with carrots & potatoes
Make your own salad. I put whatever food I can find on the table with a green salad. Everyone makes their own. This is usually a Wednesday or Thursday night meal.
Tuna patties & roast asparagus.

The Baja Fish Tacos is a new recipe. Since we eat gluten free, I'll serve it with some sort of corn tortilla. Kroger had Mahi Mahi on sale this week for $3.99/lb. It's caught in the wild & that's a pretty good price for fish. The I double the soup recipe & added extra water as it was salty. We love leftover soup. It's great to reheat over the weekend too.

So that's how we roll! What about you? Do you plan every meal out to a T? Are you like me & like to pick and choose what to cook from a list based on your mood? Or do you like to go to the store every two to three days? I would love to hear what works for your family!

A 4 C Friday

2011-03-05T01:47:00.005-05:00

Today was...

Confirmed. I'm reading through the Bible this year. I've longed & prayed for my time in the word to deepen & challenge my relationship with Christ. Today was the first day this year that I was moved by my reading. (Is that sad? Reading that makes me sad.) I've honestly been a tad distracted during my reading & was checking why I was attempting this in the first place. But today. Oh, today. I read Numbers 11-15. The Israelites were complaining about God's provision, even stating how they wanted to go back to Egypt! It led me to my own desert wandering, my own Egypt, food addiction/emotional eating. The Israelite people then remained in the desert for 40 more years, never entering the promise land (their children would later enter in). I've made idols of things other than God & my prayer is that he will deliver me from my bondage & not leave me in desert for the rest of my life.
Convicted. I was convicted when I read Kristin's post about loving you children well. I do for my kids & that is one way I show them love. When was the last time I asked their opinion about how they feel loved by their parents? When's the last time I asked them to fill in this blank, "I feel the most love from you when we ____."? I already know the answer without even asking. Time. Time to take a walk. Time to watch one of their many impromptu plays. Time to plan another themed family night. Time to snuggle.
Classy. This blog post by singer/songwriter Shaun Groves can only be described as classy. An apology. Publicly. The internet is full of passive-aggressive voices, especially via social media outlets. This post is the opposite. I appreciate the integrity of this blog entry. Apologizing is never easy.
Crowder. As in the David Crowder*Band. Tonight, my man & I took the girls out to eat at the Mellow Mushroom & then we went to the Winter Jam concert. The whole show was spectacular, but my favorite set was by Crowder & company. Side note, 4 of the 6 band members sported facial hair. If it is a contest, Bwack clearly is the winner (he & David always have some sort of beard/gotee but the other guys, well new to me anyway). I'm sad, I don't have one single picture of the evening. But a fabulous time was had by all.

Have a great weekend & Happy March!

List of 37 in 2011: Update

2011-02-08T12:05:00.003-05:00

I'm removing #17 & #18 on my List of 37 in 2011. For various reasons they won't work out. One thing I want to do is have my nose pierced. I've wanted to do that for 18 years. But I need to add one more thing. Any suggestions?

I am working on the rest of the list. I want to read at least 24 books this year. I have read one & I'm half way through 2 other books. Reading through the Bible chronologically is on the list and I am on schedule! I read/listen online here.

I've lost 4lbs of the 50 that I am going to lose this year (#1 on my list). My loss was a little higher, but I had dinner out (with a glass of wine), a generous piece of cake, pizza, & a Pepsi over the weekend thus resulting in a gain. Contributing to that gain is my lack of motivation to get moving! I'm not defined by the number on the scale. In the past, a gain would have led to further bad habits or even giving up. Yesterday I did some Zumba videos on Youtube & today I did Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. Helping me understand YEARS of emotional eating & food addiction is the book, Made to Crave, written by Lysa TerKeurst. If you have ever struggled with food addictions, eating disorders, or other types of addictions, this is the book you want to read. Lysa address the heart of the issue, choosing to crave idols over craving a loving, initimate relationship with Jesus. I will blog about this book & my journey with food addiction in the future.

I'm still not blogging as much as I would like (#8 on my list). While I'm okay with the fact that this site is not a high traffic blog, I would love to grow the blog more so I could advocate for orphans & raise awareness for the plight of those without a voice.

Happy Tuesday! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Sweet Friend

2011-02-02T20:01:00.003-05:00

We been a part of our church family for 9 years. It's amazing that you can go & worship with the same group of people (more or less) yet for reasons known only to God, your life suddenly intersects with someone that you only knew as an acquaintance.

My friend Kathy is one such person. We recently traveled & served together in Nairobi, Kenya. For the last year we've grown closer & I'm beyond blessed to call her friend. She works for a ministry I'm passionate about, World Orphans. She is a wife, mother (to 3 gorgeous girls), Christ follower, worship leader, minister/mentor/encourager to women, friend, and recently blogger. I look forward to reading about our shared passion as she defends the cause.

My favorite picture of Kathy from the time we served together in Nairobi.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

2011-01-31T22:04:00.006-05:00

In my life this week...

Good fellowship & good foods with dear friends. Last night our small group shared a meal and played Guesstures. Over the weekend, I celebrated 14 years of marriage with my hot, bald man.

In our homeschool this week...

On the math front Barlow Girl is learning how to divide decimals with zeros & Peanut Butter Princess is learning all about fractions & expanded form. The girls love the Easy Grammar program & they are half way through their spelling workbooks. Barlow Girl’s words are quite challenging! Last week she studied homophones. Really difficult homophones.

We are slowly progressing through our studies of Ancient Greece. We have ten more weeks in My Father’s World Creation to Greeks curriculum & then it’s on to Rome to Reformation. I’m looking forward to the new curriculum even though the pace is slower than I anticipated (the fault is mine & it lies in execution of the material).

Places we're going and people we're seeing...

We aren’t going as much this week, which is nice. Peanut Butter Princess will have her violin lesson & both girls take to karate. We might have friends over for dinner tomorrow night. Friday night I’m hosting a girls night out. We will make bones from clay for One Million Bones. The bones are for a mass grave exhibit in Washington D.C. The purpose of the exhibit is to raise awareness about genocide. Understanding the horrors of genocide is difficult; even for the person who keeps up with current events. Seeing the complexity of a mass grave (real or exhibit) educates those who have the power to make a difference & gives a voice to those who have none.

My favorite thing this week was…

Two things! Date night with my man to celebrate wedded bliss & playing games with the girls. I played checkers with Barlow Girl & Sequence: States & Capitals Edition with Peanut Butter Princess. I lost both games! Loved every minute of it.

What's working/not working for us...

Easy Grammar & Apologia Science (both girls) are our favorite curriculums right now. Wish I had used them when we first started.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...

I don’t have any questions at the moment. I’ll probably have five tomorrow! I find it humorous that one daughter leans more towards left brained thinking & struggles to understand the abstract while the other daughter leans more towards right brained thinking & struggles with concrete concepts. God has a sense of humor! It keeps me on my toes.

A photo to share…

Breakfast my husband prepared for me the morning of our anniversary:

Join the linkup over at The Homeschool Chick.

...the one less traveled by...

2011-01-29T14:14:00.006-05:00

I can't quite recall how old I was when I was introduced to Robert Frost's Poetry. The Road Not Taken remains my favorite poem to this day. For that matter, Robert Frost remains my favorite poet. On this day in 1963, Robert Frost passed away. I encourage you to find a road less traveled by today.

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Fess Up Friday

2011-01-28T16:00:00.003-05:00

My house has been in a constant state of disarray this month. I blame it on the flu that I had for 10 days; it hit me right after New Year's Day. It's time for me to fess up. My Christmas tree is still standing in my living room. It's sat undecorated for weeks but the tree itself is still up.

Now you have some dirt on me. Since I'm in a confessing mood, I'll share with you my stellar parenting skills. This morning I bribed the girls with screen time. I told them I would give them 2 hours of screen time in exchange for 2 hours of cleaning (no whining & best attitudes). I cleaned with them & the house looks 100% better. They were hard workers this afternoon during school & are now reaping the benefits.

Oh, one more confession. Yesterday at the health food store I spent $4 on a non-alcoholic drink. This drink. What can I say? I was at the store hungry & thirsty. Not a good combination.

Okay, now it's your turn...

Dinner Tonight...

2011-01-27T10:09:00.004-05:00

Last week I purchased 2 packages of beef short ribs for 50% off. I've never made beef short ribs. However, I knew I could find a good recipe online. I found that recipe at all recipe at Allrecipes. My requirements for the recipe? Use ingredients that I already have on hand. I quickly found a recipe titled, Wonderful Short Ribs. It's in the crock pot as I type. I hope it lives up to it's name!

I'm also making garlic smashed potatoes & steamed sugar snap peas. Thursdays afternoons are crazy at our house. If I want to serve my family a warm dinner I have to plan ahead!

What's for dinner at your house?

List of 37 in 2011

2011-01-19T10:25:00.005-05:00

This year I will turn 37. Since Thanksgiving, an idea was brewing in my mind. What would it be like to create a list of 37 things to accomplish in 2011? I knew that I wanted variety. I knew that my budget was/is limited (Barlow Girl will have braces soon). As I age, I desire to make the most of my time, to enjoy life (the good & the bad) intentionally.

On the list are things that utterly scare me. Some things are more like goals or resolutions. Others are designed to challenge me physically, emotionally, spiritually. I wanted to have a good variety of things to accomplish this year. I am not a box checker or list maker by nature. I'll post updates as I check things off the list.

Redeem the time.
Lose 50 lbs.
Run 2 5k races.
Compete in the Warrior Dash w/Tanya & Julie
Declutter bedroom & create (and maintain) a sanctuary for my man & me.
Read at least 24 books this year.
Conquer my fear of the sewing machine & learn how to sew!
Blog 3 times a week.
Host a neighborhood Bible study.
Read through the Bible chronologically.
Purchase a CSA share.
Compost kitchen scraps.
7 new hikes with family or friends.
Plant more herbs.
Silent retreat @ Pathfinders Camp.
Grow in the freedom I have in Christ. Freedom from food addictions, people pleasing, & idleness.
Rappel @Eagle Rock.
Paint Ball.
Learn how to decorate a cake with the girls.
Surprise Sharon with a homemade banana cream pie.
Teach Barlow Girl how to make 5 complete dinners, start to finish, on her own.
Watch a sunrise with the family (on Easter).
Watch a sunset with the family (camping trip).
Host a bone making party for One Million Bones.
Dress up as Dolores Umbridge for the midnight show of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows pt.2.
Perform in the church talent show with Barlow Girl.
Finish Christmas shopping by December 1^st.
Wrap Christmas gifts by December 5^th.
Attend a homeschool convention.
Memorize the book of Philippians.
Spend more time with & serving the homeless community.
Take the fam to the Chalk Walk on Market Square.
Have a girls weekend in at my house with Heidi & Cynthia this summer. Heidi & family are missionaries currently living in Asia.
Backcountry camping trip with Chris.
Prune the Crepe Myrtles the weekend after the Super Bowl.
Read the Little House on the Prairie series to the girls.
DON’T BEAT MYSELF UP IF THE LIST IS NOT COMPLETED!

Let me know what you think in the comments! Anyone want to join me in creating your list of things to accomplish? Leave a link if you do.

2011 Reading List

2011-01-14T19:36:00.004-05:00

Here’s a list of books I’d like to read in 2011. It’s okay if I don’t read them all and I may add more too it. I am setting a goal of reading 24 books this year or 2 per month with the exception of the Bible. In no particular order:

ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church by Michael Frost
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Seth Grahame-Smith
AND: The Gathered & Scattered Church by Hugh Halter
Girl Meets God: A Memoir by Lauren F. Winner
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp
I Laugh So I Won’t Cry: Kenya’s Women Tell the Story of Their Lives by Helena Halprin
Histories of the Hanged: The Dirty War in Kenya & the End of Empire by David Anton Anderson
Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda by Rosamond Halsey Carr
The Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak by Jean Hatzfeld
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, but Nobody Wants to Die by David Crowder
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time
Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch
Stamped Metal Jewelry: Creative Techniques and Designs for Making Custom Jewelry by Lisa Niven Kelly
Attributes of God Volume 1 with Study Guide: A Journey into the Father’s Heart by A.W. Tozer
Your Jesus Is Too Safe: Outgrowing a Drive-Thru, Feel Good Savior by Jared C. Wilson
When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty without Hurting the Poor…And Yourself by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett
The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan
Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God by John Piper
Keeping Your Kids Sexually Pure by LaVerne Tolbert
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Cranford by Elizabeth Glaskell
The ESV Bible, in chronological order.

Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts? Any suggestions?

Redeem the Time.

2011-01-14T16:15:00.005-05:00

Redeem the time. Shortly before the beginning of the new year, the Holy Spirit convicted me with that simple phrase. Wanting to dig deeper, I looked it up (okay, I googled it) and was led to Ephesians 5:16. The ESV version reads, "...making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."

I've discovered over the last year that I'm slowly allowing myself to serve the god of my time instead of serving Jesus Christ. My time with the Lord was lacking. I chose to spend time elsewhere rather than with him. I pursued selfish interests above my family.

It's interesting to note the verse immediately after verse 16. It says, "Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." The verse before 16 says, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise". Serving the idol of time is definitely unwise & not wise! How then can I discern what the will of the Lord is for my life if I am not abiding in Him! Just a side note here, I'm not speaking of time away from my family. That can be a blessing. Tomorrow I'm spending time with my best friend & looking forward to it! I believe he delights in our relationships with friends. What I'm convicted of is the time spent inside my home. Slowly I was engaging more of myself & less of my family.

I've struggled over the past several months trying to hear from the Lord if He was calling me to go to Africa for a 3rd time. He knows that I desire to go. I don't think that he doesn't want me to go, but how can I hear from him if I'm not spending time with him? Oh, I read my Bible some, prayed, read Gospel centered books, but I was not truly abiding in Him.

As I began the new year, the Holy Spirit also impressed upon me to read Psalm 34 (quite literally, within the first hour). So I would liked to share with you the verses the Lord used to give me hope as I walk through this conviction. This is what I'm thankful for today. God convicts us through the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that you see, just as I see, that he does not abandon us but rather draws us to him. My verse for 2011 is in bold.

Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth."

Psalm 34:4 & 5: "I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

Psalm 34:7: "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

Psalm 34: 14-18: "Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."

When Your Picture Doesn’t Fit the Frame

2011-01-12T09:36:00.012-05:00

Happy 2011!

It’s been AGES since I’ve participated in Works for Me Wednesday. Shortly before Christmas, I found myself in a quandary when pictures of the girls (they were gifts) didn’t fit in the purchased frames. I quickly came up with a solution & simultaneously knew I would share in the future.

I purchased two frames with a 3x3 window for the picture. At the time of purchase, I knew I could crop the photos to fit. For reasons I don’t recall, we purchased wallet photos for the smaller frames. You see the problem? The photo was long enough but not wide enough. If we placed the photo in the frame as is, unsightly brown from the back of the frame showed through. Today I’m going to show you how to frame your pictures when they are smaller than your frame.

I used supplies that I already owned. They are:

Scrapbook paper
Glue stick
Pencil
Towel
Scissors

I wanted to have a color scheme when choosing scrapbook paper. I decided upon red. Red was the color of a 5x7 picture frame that was part of this gift. I had two smaller 3x3 frames that I was using the scrapbook paper with. I was pretty certain the receiver of the gift would keep the trio of frames together, hence the coordinating color scheme.

It’s pretty simple. Take the back piece of the frame out. Use this piece as a template. Place it on top of your paper & trace around it. Cut it out. I cut it slightly inside the pencils lines so they wouldn’t show.

Once cut, take your glue stick & glue the wrong (back) side of the paper.

Place it on the back part of the frame (you just used this as a template). If you want, you can use Modge Podge but it requires drying time. Glue sticks dry somewhat instantly.
Next, glue the back of your photo.

Center & place directly on top of scrapbook paper.

I gently cleaned the surface of the photo with a microfiber towel. This may or may not be necessary if your photo has fingerprints.

Place the photo in the frame & you are finished!

Hop on over to We Are That Family for more Works For Me Wednesday posts!

Happy Wednesday!

Gluten Free Pie Crust UPDATED

2010-12-23T12:12:00.003-05:00

I didn't proof read my post before I published earlier today. I've modified the recipe slightly & added pictures as well.

I adapted this recipe from another blogger shortly before Thanksgiving. I was leery to even attempt it. Over the past three years I've had failure after miserable failure when trying my hand baking a gluten free pie crust. This year I was willing to try one more time. If it didn't work out, I was resolved to make crustless pumpkin pie. But alas, sweet success! The original recipe is vegan; my modifications include dairy products. Here's the recipe with the link to the original recipe:

Gluten Free Pie Crust

Ingredients

1 cup Tapioca Flour (or Arrowroot, or Potato)
3/4 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1/2 cup Millet Flour
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum (Or Guar Gum)
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
4 TBSP Butter
4 TBSP Organic shortening
4 1/2 tablespoons Organic Applesauce
6 TBSP Water

Directions:

In a bowl, combine flours, xanthan gum, salt, sugar and baking powder.
Cut in the butter and shortening.
Add in the applesauce and using your hands combine into dough.
Add water, one to two tbsp at a time. I've found that I always need 6-8 tbsp but I incorporate it in increments to be on the safe side.
Pat dough into a disc shape. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour ( I think mine chilled for 90 minutes if not longer).
Roll crust to a 10-inch circle (works really well to place dough in between plastic wrap sprinkled w/sweet rice flour). Gently place dough in 10-inch pie pan & flute edges as desired.
Steps 7 & 8 are only if you need to partially bake your crust. Grease foil w/butter. Place over bottom of pie dough. Be careful not to push foil into the sides of dough. Fill pie plate with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake in a 400-degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

This Crust will make 2 thin Crust or 1 large thick crust. Keep the crust covered well if you are not rolling out right away as it will dry out and lose some of its elasticity. If this happens add a little bit of additional applesauce so that the dough does not fall apart when rolling. Original recipe found here: gluten free pie crust.

I'll try to take some photos this afternoon & update.

Pictures:

The crust. Barlow Girl wanted an apple pie for Christmas dinner. I told her if she wanted the pie then she would be required to make it. I thought she did a great job rolling out the crust & fluting the edges.

Here's the pie right before she put it in the oven.

Blueberry Muffin Fail

2010-12-23T09:43:00.003-05:00

I thought I had let them bake long enough. Apparently not!

Christmas Traditions: Crafting and Creating

2010-12-23T00:58:00.007-05:00

This week, the girls & I have been busy crafting and creating all sorts of Christmas yummies & goodies. We made some really cool Christmas trees using styrofoam cones, yarn, glue, straight pins and beads. I had all the supplies on hand except the cones. Our trees are pretty straight forward and simple. If you would like a more embellished look you can find directions here.

Tuesday we delivered baked goods to our local fire department and our church staff. I love this tradition! This year the girls & I even sang Christmas carols! If you know me, you know I. do. not. sing.

I sewed this tissue cozy (scroll past instructions for zippered pouch). Sorry, no pics. It was my contribution a white elephant gift exchange. Well, I left my machine on the dining room table. Monday morning I walked in the kitchen to discover Barlow Girl crafting the following:

She shot the above pic. Below is the finished product.

Of course I had to take this one! The girls also made pillows and sleeping bags for their American Girl Dolls.

Homemade chocolate syrup that I made for karate instructors, violin instructor, youth group leaders, Sunday school teachers, and hostess gifts.

I've enjoyed creating, crafting, cooking, and baking with my girls. I'm not crafty all of the time but this time of year I love to have projects to work on.

How about you? Are you the next Martha? Or does the thought of a homemade Christmas make you grow three heads while simultaneously pulling out your hair? I have to have a mix of both. I love making homemade at Christmas but there can be to much of a good thing. :)

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

2010-12-22T10:11:00.003-05:00

I created this recipe on the fly. I hosted a Christmas Party for the middle schoolers from church & needed a dipping sauce to go with my chicken drumettes.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup mayo
1/3 cup Koop's Spicy Brown Deli Mustard (you can use whatever mustard you like, but this is my absolute favorite. I've even found it at the Dollar Tree)
1 heaping tablespoon honey (use more if you need it)

Instructions:

Whisk all ingredients together. Chill for 4 hours or best for best results chill over night.

This is great dipping sauce for chicken, pretzels, or chips. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: She Surprised Me with a Fruit Salad for Us to Share

2010-12-15T11:22:00.002-05:00

Moment of Panic

2010-12-13T20:46:00.004-05:00

I love funky junky. I adore my kiddos handcrafted Christmas ornaments. The other day I completely panicked when I realized our tree wasn't adorned with funky junky. I went into further panic mode when I couldn't find Chris' lone funky junky ornament. From his preschool years. Yep, it was scary.

I wanted to finish writing our about holiday traditions with a post on our favorite ornaments. So I set out to take a few pics. Of course I have our favorite store bought ornaments that are special to us but I also needed pictures of the girl's handmade crafts. I vaguely recalled that Barlow Girl mentioned the accidental demise of a certain piece of funky junky that her sister made in preschool. Ironically, I made the same type of ornament as a young girl & it met an untimely end as well. A picture & instructions for said decoration can be found here.

For a few brief moments, I felt guilty as a mom. How could I let this happen? Sure we'll make more pieces, but the precious ornaments from years past were permanently gone.

For a few moments.

Fast forward a couple days. My husband and I spent 5 hours decluttering the girls' bedroom. Yes, you read that correct. Over half of their stuff is now ready to be donated, stored for a future yard sale or passed on to someone else. But back to my story b/c it's not about getting rid of the clutter!

The girls have a small aluminum tree in their bedroom. Low and behold their tree was adorned with the funky junky (plus the lone funky junky belonging to my man).

All is well. Guilt is gone. Making new funky junky & memories this week.

P.S. Blogging is a welcome procrastination. I really should be grading a test for a student I tutor. Back to work...

She Melts My Heart

2010-12-06T22:45:00.006-05:00

I've mentioned once or twice that our eldest daughter is a planner.

She:

Thrives on a schedule
Consistently must know the time.
Makes a to-do list like no one's business (and completes the list).
Is on time.

Woe to the person who promises her to do something with her & go somewhere with her and not give her specific plans & times. She will hound you until she has the info she needs. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...

For the most part, I am not those things. I have vastly improved my promptness over the years. :) Yet still with those differences, God still chose me to parent her. Live life with her. Guide her. Disciple her.

I'm forever grateful for this girl.

Thanks to my friend Lindsay for the above photo.

Christmas Traditions: Christmas Music

2010-12-02T10:53:00.005-05:00

I love, love, love Christmas music! The local christian radio station plays non-stop Christmas music starting the day after Thanksgiving and we listen all. day. long. I only tire of it occasionally. ;)

So today I thought I'd share our family favorites with you.

BarlowGirl: Hallelujah (Light Has Come). I love the unique sound of BarlowGirl. Such beautiful voices! Right now Amazon has the BarlowGirl Christmas CD in MP3 download format on sale for $5.

Casting Crowns: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. LOVE this. My favorite part of the song? "God is not dead nor does he sleep." I usually get a combination of chills and tears while listening.

Christmas Time is Here:

Downhere: How Many Kings (Hubby's favorite)

Dominick the Donkey (favorite of the girls):

These songs are our favorites, but I could list so much more. I also adore classics sung by Brenda Lee & Burl Ives. Are there any new songs that are your favorites? Do you like a mix like me or just the classics? Be sure to share in the comments!

Christmas Traditions: December Book Basket

2010-12-01T13:40:00.009-05:00

Yesterday, I shared my favorite Christmas tradition our family partakes in. While the Jesse Tree devotions take center stage, I wanted to share the other books we like to read during the Christmas season.

In no particular order:

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. This book is a childhood favorite. I remember watching a made for tv special with my sister every year. Last year the girls and I were able to see a live performance at a local community college.
Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. Oh my. Jan Brett is on of my favorite childrens author. Her stories are engaging & the art work is incredible. Her website has all sorts of freebies to go along with her books.
The Legend of the Christmas Tree & The Legend of the Christmas Stocking by Rick Osbourne.
The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg. This book along with the above two books was purchased last year by my husband.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. What is not to love about this Christmas classic? Last night we watched the movie on tv. I love it when my childhood family favorites become my kids favorite. Joy, joy, joy!
The Tale of Three Trees Retold by Angela Elwell Hunt. Grab a tissue, this is a definite tear jerker. The retelling of this folktale shares about three trees that each play an important part of Christ's ministry on earth.
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado. A heart warming tale & another tear jerker!
Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola.
Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol adapted by Stephen Krennsky
The King Fisher Book of Classic Christmas Stories selected by Ian Whybrow. I *LOVE* this book. I try to read from it a couple of times a week during the month of December.
The Jesus Storybook Bible. Okay, this is a Bible storybook, but I love it for so many different reasons. One reason is the telling of Christ's birth. The entire book is unlike any Bible storybook I've ever owned or read from. The description from the back cover says it best, "The Jesus Storybook Bible invites children to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation - and at the center of their story, too." Another book with phenomenal artwork.

What books do you or your family read during the holidays? Any I should add to my list?

Christmas Traditions: The Jesse Tree

2010-11-30T10:37:00.006-05:00

My favorite Christmas tradition is when my family comes together around the table for the Jesse Tree Advent devotions. Even last year when I struggled so much with celebrating, I looked forward to time spent in the Word with my family. Three years ago I bought a Jesse Tree Advent devotional e-book by Ann Voskamp. It was only $7 or $8 dollars & totally worth it. It is written in such a way that eloquently describes Jesus as our redeemer & rescuer. This devotional is beautifully proclaims the sovereignty of God from the beginning of time. Yesterday, I learned that she is giving away free copies of this e-book. You can download the e-book here.

This week, I'm sharing our family's Christmas traditions & how we celebrate Christ's birth. I would love to hear how you celebrate the season. Leave a comment sharing those times or blog about it & leave a link to your blog!

Worship: Our Lives & the Life of Jesus

2010-11-25T17:51:00.003-05:00

I am thankful for the Godly legacy established by my Grandparents. Eight years ago today, my beloved grandfather left his worldly home to enter into eternal rest with his Savior. How fitting that he was called home on the day we give thanks to the one he was most thankful for. I long for the day when I will be reunited with him (as well as other loved ones of the faith), worshiping Christ the King.

Myself, my man, Peanut Butter Princess, Grandma Sassy, Grandpa & Grandma Jones just a few hours before he was standing before Jesus in Heaven.

"Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind."
C. S. Lewis

Worship: Our Lives & the Life of Jesus
Communion meditation written by William Jones, my grandfather

Matthew 26:26-29
Mark 14:22-25

This morning we come together to worship our King. We do this by singing songs of praise and acknowledgment of our Creator and his son. Our love for him leads us to make a joyful noise. We also know that he hears our prayers and meditations and will answer them. We desire the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

We come to the most important time of our worship, the Lord’s Supper or Communion. A time of self-examination, a time of confession, a time of rededication, a time of seeking forgiveness of our sins. This time is on a one on one basis & no one else may enter in.

We must consider the purpose individually when doing this. We have Jesus as our mediator. He has taken away the dominion of sin in our lives. We see him on the cross, weighted down by our sins shedding his blood. We must acknowledge that he is at the right hand of God interceding on our behalf.

We partake of the fruit of the vine as his blood, also the loaf that represents his body. We remember the words of Jesus as he spoke to his apostles saying, “This is my body and blood for the remission of sins.” Someday we will stand before the throne of God and Jesus will acknowledge us to his father. We need to be serious in heart and mind whenever we take communion. It is a very important memorial service. Jesus died for us and in return asks us to live for him.

With Thanksgiving...

2010-11-25T00:17:00.003-05:00

"Glory be unto the Lord, whose perpetual deeds of grace and majesty are the sure tokens of his being with us always, even unto the ends of the world." Charles Spurgeon

Two Recipes: Pumpkin Pie Pancakes & Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

2010-11-23T20:05:00.005-05:00

These recipes that I'm going to share are super yummy! The first, Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Pancakes, I made after researching several recipes. I'll include suggestions for folks that don't eat gluten free. The second recipe is something I created on a whim today using leftovers from another meal. We shared the meal with dear friends and the verdict was positive!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Ingredients:

½ cup Sweet Rice Flour
½ cup Golden Flaxseed Meal
1/3 cup potato starch
4 TBSP dry buttermilk powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp xanthan gum
1 ¼ tsp cinnamon plus seasoning (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp of nutmeg & allspice)
1 cup can or fresh cooked pumpkin
¾ cup honey
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup milk

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
Stir in wet ingredients until batter is well blended.
Pour batter on hot griddle, cook until bubbles form. Flip and cook other side. Serve hot.

*If you don’t eat gluten free, sub flour, flaxseed, & potato starch for an equal amount of all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour. Omit xanthan gum.

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked brown rice
Recipe for Teriyaki Sauce: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Teriyaki-Chicken/Detail.aspx I doubled the recipe for the sauce (obviously didn’t follow the directions for the chicken thighs, just cooked the sauce).
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, chopped.
1 ½ lbs of asparagus, washed, ends snapped, and cut into 1 inch pieces.
1-2 cups of cooked butternut squash (I had extra squash from a previous meal. You could use frozen cooked squash or from a can).
2 cups cooked chicken (again, I had chicken leftover from a previous meal)

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions
Cook sauce according to Allrecipes directions
Roast asparagus in 450 degree oven for 12 min.
Sauté chopped onion in large skillet
Add chicken, sauce, asparagus, squash, and rice. Cook until heated through.

With this recipe I doubled the rice & sauce amounts. You could reduce those ingredients to make less as it makes enough for company or two meals.

Passions

2010-11-22T22:11:00.003-05:00

World Orphans. I love, love, love this ministry. World Orphans connects Western Churches and individuals with Indigenous Churches caring for children orphaned due to extreme circumstances. God closed the door for our family to adopt but he opened another door in my heart to engage in long term orphan care. These kids experience a severe blow mentally, physically, & spiritually but Indigenous Churches cushion the blow by providing a small home like setting where the healing process can begin.

Hope 2.2.1. This ministry is comprised of a group of like minded people who care deeply for the folks living in the community of Cygera, Rwanda. My first journey to Africa was to the country of Rwanda with Hope 2.2.1. & World Orphans. I learned so much about forgiveness in the midst of horrible suffering. I look forward to returning to the Land of a Thousands Hills, serving with my brothers & sisters in Rwanda & from Hope 2.2.1. I'm thankful for the deep bonds of friendship created over a year & half ago.

Feingold. I'm passionate about clean eating (although not an activist). Our oldest daughter is allergic & very sensitive to food colorings, artificial flavors, and preservatives. If she consumes these ingredients on a consistent basis, her ability to process information & surroundings are severely damaged. The Feingold Association helps me take the guess work out of grocery shopping. There is also a great support system online. The members only message board helped me so much in the early days (we've been members for 7 years now). I've also made new friends too!

God, Jesus, & the Holy Spirit. My friend & small group leader shared the following words on facebook: "Sometimes we think Christianity is something we must do. That is confusing law and gospel. Gerhard Forde put it this way, 'Christianity is not a movement from vice to virtue, it is a movement from virtue to grace.'" There are so many misconceptions about Christians & Christianity and there's no denying we've messed up. My hope and prayer is for believers to stand in God's grace & his provision in such a way that testifies to how great he is & that his name is made known to the ends of the earth.

Financial Peace. We paid off over $60,000 in debt (stupid tax). We learned how to do this through Dave Ramsey's teachings. We are still learning but we desire to live a life of free of credit card debt, car payments, and the like. The Bible says, "Just as the rich rule over the poor, so is the borrower slave to the lender."

Peace. Love. Jesus.

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In my life this week…

In our homeschool this week…

The weather was graciously cool in the mornings. Most mornings this week, we were found on our screened in back porch while studying.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

I’m grateful for…

A Prayer

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I love my daughters. I consider myself extremely blessed (and quite frankly undeserving) to parent the two daughters God entrusted to my husband & me. The girls love the Lord, love each other, love the broken & unlovable, forgive easily, & laugh often. I’m so grateful to live life with them.

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Gluten Free Pie Crust ***UPDATED***

Ingredients

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Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

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Moment of Panic

She Melts My Heart

Christmas Traditions: Christmas Music

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Christmas Traditions: The Jesse Tree

Worship: Our Lives & the Life of Jesus

With Thanksgiving...

Two Recipes: Pumpkin Pie Pancakes & Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry

Passions

Gluten Free Pie Crust UPDATED