The Snowstorm

We had a huge snowstorm, resulting in about two feet of snow, before we left for Colorado. This is Dave snow~blowing the driveway. The kids had a blast playing in all that snow. Now it is all gone!

We're Back

We miss seeing this view every day!

We got back from Colorado a few days ago. We drove out there for Dave's Mom's funeral. Both of Dave's parents are gone now. They died within a year of each other. Tomorrow is the anniversary of Dave's Dad's death last year. This is a difficult time for Dave, of course, while he processes all that has happened in his family in a year.

While we were in Colorado we enjoyed being with family again. And, Colorado still feels like home to us, even though we have not lived there for over ten years! Ahh...the mountains are beautiful!

We tried to make the trip fun for the kids as it is a long drive for little ones. They did great in the car and enjoyed watching movies on daddy's laptop. We also made sure to stay in a hotel with a pool on the way out there and back so the kids could swim. We played quite a few rounds of Marco Polo, as well as tag and other chasing games, too.

We had great driving weather and while we were in Colorado, the temperature reached almost 80! When we got back home, all the snow had melted ~ there was about two feet of snow when we left! But, we are glad for the warmer days and we hope the snow is gone for good!

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

Dave's mom went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday. She died in her sleep early in the morning. She knew and loved Jesus, so we have the peace and comfort of knowing that she is with Him now and that we will see her again some day. We have gathered with Dave's siblings and their families to celebrate their mom's life. There is a lot of joy because Jo Ann was a fun-loving person. Although she is dearly missed, this is really a time of celebration, because of the life she lived and the confidence we have that she is now with the Lord.

God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27

Gotcha!

Today is Katie's "Gotcha Day!" Seven years ago , we brought our baby girl home. We were so excited, so thankful, so happy to finally be holding her in our arms. She was, and is, a delight.

Although she is shy, she is definitely not quiet~having one of the loudest, ear-piercing, glass-shattering screams possible and using it often. Katie can hold her own with her brother, but she also loves playing house, baby dolls, dress-up, crafts and pink everything. She can organize like a pro, likes to help me cook and is a great help around the house. Katie is so much fun and when she laughs, she throws back her head and completely gives herself over to it.

We are so thankful that God has blessed us with this precious daughter.

We love you, Katie, and we are so happy that we "gotcha!" :-)

(God) determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

~Acts17:26

February 2007

Cold and snowy days

Science experiments

Valentine's Day

Better

Everyone in our household is better, now. All the medicine has been taken. Katie still needs nebs, but not as many as before. We heard that our neighbors had the flu...oh, boy, I feel for them.

Katie and I had a fun mother-daughter teatime at a local tea room last week. She piled whipped cream, jam and lemon curd high on a scone and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. :-) It was fun to spend the afternoon with my girl. This special outing certainly made up for the

horrible, no good, very bad birthday

a couple weeks ago!

It has been cold, like an icebox, for what seems like forever now. It is hard to be motivated to do anything, except curl up under a down comforter. I hope there is a warm-up on the way soon!

Snow Day

It is snowing and blowing out there. The roads are slippery. We ventured out to take one of our cars in for repairs this morning. It normally takes about 5-7 minutes to get there. Today we inched along. Cars that had spun out were on the sides of the road. There was an accident on the highway nearby, which was the cause for all the backed-up traffic. Dave dropped the car off at the shop and hopped in the other car with the kids and I and we slowly crept back home. The whole trip took about an hour.

Now we are back home and we're not leaving again today! Dave's meeting downtown was canceled, so he will just be at the office, which is not far from home. I gave the kids some hot cocoa and made myself a cup of strong, hot coffee. We are hunkering down for a cozy day with lots of time for cuddling and reading stories together. From inside our home, the snowy day outside is beautiful. :-)

Happy Birthday?

Poor Katie! Two days before her seventh birthday she started coming down with something. We planned to celebrate on Saturday with a small family party, even though her actual birthday is today. Well, on Saturday she had a fever and a cough, although she still wanted to open presents and eat birthday cake! :-) (She also insisted on wearing the dress and crown she wore to her princess party last year.) We kept an eye on her, but went ahead with our celebration.

Today we saw the doctor, where Kate was subjected to a blood test and a swab HIGH up in both nostrils to test for the flu. That was awful. She has the flu and her asthma is acting up as well. Grant also has a fever and cough, so he is taking the same medication as Katie. He didn't have to go through the nasal swabbing, though, because they just assume since Katie has the flu, that is what he has, too.

After we left the doctor's office, we headed to the pharmacy where we spent $100 in co~pays for all the meds for both kids! What a day! As Katie said when we got home, "This is NOT a fun birthday!"

He's Home!

Dave was at a conference in Santa Fe this week and just got home last night. The kids had a hard time with him leaving this time. They cried all the way home after we dropped him off and Grant was inconsolable until he talked to Daddy on Mom's cell phone. Dave asked Grant if he could be strong for him while he was gone and Grant rose to the challenge. Grant remarked several times after that, "I feel so much better after talking to Daddy." :-)





We kept busy with the usual activities, as well as a field trip to a local museum for a homeschool class about magnets. The kids were doing great and the time flew by until Katie got sick. :-( So we spent the last couple of days holed up in the house while Katie rested with a big bowl next to her at all times, just in case...

When Dave is gone, I never sleep that well. I guess my brain kind of stays on alert through the night. Anyway, I'm glad Dave is home and the kids are glad Daddy is home and everyone slept well last night. :-)

Homeschooling 101

After our break over Christmas and our trip up north, it took us awhile to get back into the routine of doing schoolwork again. One afternoon Grant started asking Kate to spell words on a board with magnetic letters. Then he asked her to read to him. It was so cute! Grant was being really sweet with his little sister and she was sounding out words and reading to him. Then something happened that sent them into a fit of laughter. And, I had my camera in hand as the whole thing unfolded. :-)

Fun at the pool

Playing games

Happy New Year!

It is already ten days into the new year, but we are just now settling back into a normal routine.

We left the day after Christmas for the conference we put on for high school students. It was exciting to see many students taking steps of faith in forgiving others and sharing Christ with their friends and family members. Although I spent most of the time with my two little ones, it was fun to be around teenagers with all of their enthusiasm and energy. Grant and Katie had fun swimming in the hotel pool every day. One day a friend of Katie's came to the hotel to swim and play. Grant had a little more freedom around the hotel since he could check in with me on his new walkie-talkie. :-)

We got home from the conference on New Year's Eve and turned around the next day to head up north for a few days. We got to stay at a condo that some people from church have a time share at. They couldn't stay the whole week, so they let us stay there for the rest of their week ~ for free. That was a nice gift! We relaxed, played games, watched movies and went swimming. There was a pool right outside the front door of the condo! We played many rounds of "Marco Polo" in that pool! :-) We had so much fun playing and being together as a family.

When we got back from our relaxing vacation, we hit the ground running. The kids had basketball the next morning and we went to a wedding of a former student that evening. The kids also started going to a new swim and gym class for homeschoolers at the local Y this week. And, we have co-op this week, too.

So, that is what we have been up to since Christmas. Happy New Year!

Favorite Christmas Gifts

An electric train from Granny!



Grant got real walkie-talkies.



Katie finally got Samantha, an American Girl doll.

Merry Christmas!

Grant & Kate after church today.

They are anticipating all the fun, presents and food ahead for them tonight and tomorrow. :-)

Finally...

It snowed!

Making Christmas Cookies

Nutcracker

Today the kids and I went to see the Nutcracker Ballet with some of the people from our homeschool co-op. I had never seen a live ballet performance before, and this was such a treat! It was fantastic! All of the dancers performed so beautifully and the sets were great, too. I was surprised at how many children danced and how good they were.There was a lot happening on stage and the show really moved along. Grant and Kate both liked the ballet, but they thought it required too much sitting! Grant really liked the battle between the mice and the toy soldiers. :-)

Late Night Tree Decorating

It was getting late the night we decorated the tree, so we decided to put the kids to bed and let them put some ornaments on the tree the next day. They were SO disappointed! Dave and I were wondering if we should have just let them stay up. When we saw them peeking down at us from upstairs, we gave in and let them come on down to help us decorate the tree! :-)

Getting Our Christmas Tree

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Outside my window big, fluffy snowflakes are swirling down...but I'm afraid it will not last. It has been cold, but we have only had a few snow flurries that haven't amounted to much. The other day when we saw a few flakes, Grant and Katie ran outside to shovel and play in the little bit that was on the ground. They even tried to sled down the little hill in our yard. It was kind of funny. You could still see the grass sticking up through the snow. :-) I guess we are all eager for snow!

We all went to a tree farm last week to cut down a Christmas tree. The kids ran around among the trees while Dave and I looked for the perfect tree, which in our case means tall and skinny with lots of spaces between the branches. We found just the right one, but when we got it home, we made a mistake while trimming it to fit in the house, and chopped the top off! Ha~ha! So much for the perfect tree...

This week we have our homeschool co-op. We are reading Snowflake Bentley in our Five In A Row class and will be making snowflake ornaments. There is a Christmas party afterward. The kids are excited. They love to see their friends at co-op.

So, that is what we have been up to while we wait for it to snow.

Hail, the conquering hero!

Dave got up this morning at 4:00 in order to stand in line to buy us a digital camera at a great price. He returned home by 7:00 with our new camera in hand. He said the line was already about as long as a football field when he got there. The people at the front of the line had been there since 7:00 last night! Wow. Those serious shoppers were there for plasma t.v.s and computers.

Dave said he is never going to do that again because of the cold and the crowds...but that's what he said a couple of years ago when he stood in line early in the morning to get one of our kids a bike. :-) He laughed when I reminded him of this. And we both know that if the right bargain comes along, he will be out there shivering in the dark and fighting the crowds again. :-)

I will start posting pictures with the new camera as soon as I learn how to!

Aghast

I just read this devotional from Elisabeth Elliot and am just aghast. How can this be? How can this happen to an innocent child here in our country? I am sickened at the indifference shown to this little baby. Even when people came forward who wanted to adopt him, the parents insisted on killing him instead. Unbelievable.

Give Them Parking Space, But Let Them Starve to Death

Another moral threshold was crossed when a tiny baby boy, at the specific request of his parents and with the sanction of the Supreme Court of Indiana, was starved to death in a hospital. "Infant Doe" (he was not allowed the usual recognition of being human by being named), born with Down's syndrome and a malfunctioning esophagus (the latter could have been corrected with surgery), died, as the Washington Post (April 18) stated, "not because he couldn't sustain life without a million dollars worth of medical machinery, but because no one fed him." For six days the nurses in that Bloomington hospital went about their usual routines of bathing and changing and feeding all the newborns except one. They bathed and changed Baby Doe but they never gave him a bottle. Over his crib was a notice, DO NOT FEED. Several couples came forward, begging to be allowed to adopt him. They were turned down.

What went on in that little box during those six terrible days and nights? We turn our imagination away. It's unthinkable. But if I were to think about it, and put down on paper what my mind saw, I would be accused of playing on people's feelings, and of making infanticide (yes, infanticide--call it what it is) an "emotional issue." Let me suppose at least that the baby cried--quite loudly (at first). One report says that he was placed in a room alone, lest his crying disturb others (others, perhaps, who were capable of helping him).

Joseph Sobran, in his column in the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, suggested that "opposition to infanticide will soon be deplored as the dogma of a few religious sects who want to impose their views on everyone else." The language sounds sickeningly familiar.

There has been a conspicuous silence from those who usually raise shrill protest when other human rights are violated--the rights of smokers, homosexuals, and criminals are often as loudly insisted upon as those of children, women, and the handicapped.

The handicapped? What on earth is happening when a society is so careful to provide premium parking spaces to make things easier for them, but sees no smallest inconsistency when one of them who happens to be too young to scream, "For God's sake, feed me!" is quietly murdered? It is in the name of humanity, humaneness, compassion, and freedom that these things occur, but never is it acknowledged that the real reasons are comfort and convenience, that is, simple selfishness. "Abortion not only prefers comfort, convenience, or advantage of the pregnant woman to the very life of her unborn child, a fundamentally good thing, but seeks to deny that the life ever existed. In this sense it is a radical denial not only of the worth of a specific life but of the essential goodness of life itself and the Providential ordering of its procreation" (R.V. Young, "Taking Choice Seriously," The Human Life Review, Vol. VIII, no. 3.)

But weren't we talking about infanticide and haven't we now switched to abortion? The premises on which abortion is justified are fundamentally the same on which infanticide is seen as civilized and acceptable. What Hitler used to call eugenics is now called "quality of life," never mind whether the life in question happens to be the mother's or the child's. Death, according to three doctors who put the issue out into the open in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1973, is now considered an option in the "treatment" of infants; in other words, a mortuary may now replace the nursery. One cannot help thinking of the antiseptic "shower rooms" of the Third Reich, where the unwanted were "treated" to death. Nor can one forget the words of Jesus, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40, KJV).

Can any Christian argue that the smallest and most defenseless are, by virtue merely of being too small and too defenseless, not His brethren?

Fall Days

Fall is going by quickly. We had a dusting of snow yesterday...but it soon melted. Thanksgiving is next Thursday and Christmas is six weeks from yesterday! Wow! The kids and I ran some errands today and were surprised by all of the Christmas decorations in the stores already. I guess it really is that time of year again.

Meanwhile, we have just been moving along with homeschooling, enjoying the days. I am having fun teaching the kids and I think they are having a good time and, of course, learning as well. Right now they are listening to a Classical Kids CD about Vivaldi. Actually, the CD just ended, so I will sign off now. Enjoy what is left of the fall! :-)

Halloween Pics

I'm a little late with these, but here is the little princess and Darth Vader before going out to hit their friends up for candy. And, jack-o-lanterns designed by the afore mentioned princess and Darth Vader.

Happy Halloween!

"Is it Halloween yet?!" That is what Grant asked me this morning at 5:00! And, no, I was not up yet! :-) The kids have been excitedly anticipating Halloween for awhile now. Grant is dressing up as Darth Vader tonight and Katie will be a princess...again! :-)

Thankfully, I was able to find the best Darth Vader items at thrift stores, so Grant will have a red light saber that lights up, as well as a helmet, mask and chestplate. The chestplate has buttons on it that you can push to hear Darth Vader talking and breathing. Grant is beside himself with excitement.

Katie already has a beautiful princess dress (scored that at a thrift store, too!:-))and a crown that she wore on her birthday, so she can wear that again with a leotard and tights under the dress for warmth. So, I think we are all set for the big night! :-)

Meekness?

Another week has flown by. We have been busy with everyday life and homeschooling. Having fun together. Not much more to report than that we are busy, but enjoying the fall. God is dealing very tenderly with me in areas where I have been struggling. (Elisabeth Elliot says "struggling" is really delayed obedience!) His timing is impeccable. A case in point is this insightful devotional by Elisabeth Elliot that I recieved today:

"The Key to Supernatural Power"

The world cannot fathom strength proceeding from weakness, gain proceeding from loss, or power from meekness. Christians apprehend these truths very slowly, if at all, for we are strongly influenced by secular thinking. Let's stop and concentrate on what Jesus meant when He said that the meek would inherit the earth. Do we understand what meekness truly is? Think first about what it isn't.

It is not a naturally phlegmatic temperament. I knew a woman who was so phlegmatic that nothing seemed to make much difference to her at all. While drying dishes for her one day in her kitchen I asked where I should put a serving platter.

"Oh, I don't know. Wherever you think would be a good place," was her answer. I wondered how she managed to find things if there wasn't a place for everything (and everything in its place).

Meekness is not indecision or laziness or feminine fragility or loose sentimentalism or indifference or affable neutrality.

Meekness is most emphatically not weakness. Do you remember who was the meekest man in the Old Testament? Moses! (See Numbers 12:3). My mental image of him is not of a feeble man. It is shaped by Michelangelo's sculpture and painting and by the biblical descriptions. Think of him murdering the Egyptian, smashing the tablets of the commandments, grinding the golden calf to a powder, scattering it on the water and making the Israelites drink it. Nary a hint of weakness there, nor in David who wrote, "The meek will he guide in judgment" (Psalm 25:9, KJV), nor in Isaiah, who wrote, "The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord" (Isaiah 29:19, KJV).

The Lord Jesus was the Lamb of God, and when we think of lambs we think of meekness (and perhaps weakness), but He was also the Lion of Judah, and He said, "I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29, KJV). He told us that we can find rest for our souls if we will come to Him, take His yoke, and learn. What we must learn is meekness. It doesn't come naturally to any of us.

Meekness is teachability. "The meek will he teach his way" (Psalm 25:9, KJV). It is the readiness to be shown, which includes the readiness to lay down my fixed notions, my objections and "what ifs" or "but what abouts," my certainties about the rightness of what I have always done or thought or said. It is the child's glad "Show me! Is this the way? Please help me." We won't make it into the kingdom without that childlikeness, that simple willingness to be taught and corrected and helped. "Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21, KJV).

Meekness is an explicitly spiritual quality, a fruit of the Spirit, learned, not inherited. It shows in the kind of attention we pay to one another, the tone of voice we use, the facial expression.

One weekend I spoke in Atlanta on this subject, and the following weekend I was to speak on it again in Philadelphia. As very often happens, I was sorely tested on that very point in the few days in between. That sore test was my chance to be taught and changed and helped. At the same time I was strongly tempted to indulge in the very opposite of meekness: sulking. Someone had hurt me. He/she was the one who needed to be changed! I felt I was misunderstood, unfairly treated, and unduly berated. Although I managed to keep my mouth shut, both the Lord and I knew that my thoughts did not spring from a depth of loving-kindness and holy charity. I wanted to vindicate myself to the offender. That was a revelation of how little I knew of meekness.

The Spirit of God reminded me that it was He who had provided this very thing to bring that lesson of meekness which I could learn nowhere else. He was literally putting me on the spot: would I choose, here and now, to learn of Him, learn His meekness? He was despised, rejected, reviled, pierced, crushed, oppressed, afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. What was this little incident of mine by comparison with my Lord's suffering?

He brought to mind Jesus' willingness not only to eat with Judas who would soon betray Him, but also to kneel before him and wash his dirty feet. He showed me the look the Lord gave Peter when he had three times denied Him--a look of unutterable love and forgiveness, a look of meekness which overpowered Peter's cowardice and selfishness, and brought him to repentance. I thought of His meekness as He hung pinioned on the cross, praying even in His agony for His Father's forgiveness for His killers. There was no venom or bitterness there, only the final proof of a sublime and invincible love.

But how shall I, not born with the smallest shred of that quality, I who love victory by argument and put-down, ever learn that holy meekness? The prophet Zephaniah tells us to seek it (Zephaniah 2:3). We must walk (live) in the Spirit, not gratifying the desires of the sinful nature (for example, my desire to answer back, to offer excuses and accusations, my desire to show up the other's fault instead of to be shown my own). We must "clothe" ourselves (Colossians 3:12) with meekness--put it on, like a garment. This entails an explicit choice: I will be meek. I will not sulk, will not retaliate, will not carry a chip.

A steadfast look at Jesus instead of at the injury makes a very great difference. Seeking to see things in His light changes the aspect altogether.

Little Things

I receive a daily email devotional by Elisabeth Elliot and this is today's. It just resonated with me. I especially like the quote by Bishop Brooke Foss Westcott. I am trying to instill these principles in my kids and to live them out in my life as well.

When we were growing up our parents taught us, by both word and example, to pay attention to little things. If you do a thing at all, do it thoroughly: make the sheets really smooth on the bed, sweep all the comers and move all the chairs when you sweep the kitchen, roll the toothpaste tube neatly and put the cap back on, clean the hair out of your brush each time you use it, hang your towel straight on the rod, fold your napkin and put it into the silver ring before you leave the table, never wet your finger when you turn pages. They kept promises made to us as faithfully as they kept those made to adults. They taught us to do the same.

You didn't accept an invitation to a party and then not turn up, or agree to help with the Vacation Bible School and back out because a more interesting activity presented itself. The only financial debt my parents ever incurred was a mortgage on a house, which my father explained was in a special class because it was real estate which would always have value.

When I went to boarding school the same principles I had been taught at home were emphasized. There was a hallway with small oriental rugs which we called "Character Hall" because the headmistress, Mrs. DuBose, could look down that hall from the armchair where she sat in the lobby and spot any student who kicked up the comer of a rug and did not replace it. She would call out to correct him, "It's those tiny little things in your life which will crack you up when you get out of this school!" In the little things our character was revealed. Our response would make or break us. "Don't go around with a Bible under your arm if you didn't sweep under the bed," she said, for she would have no pious talk coming out of a messy room.

"Great thoughts go best with common duties. Whatever therefore may be your office regard it as a fragment in an immeasurable ministry of love"
(Bishop Brooke Foss Westcott, b. 1825).

It is not easy to find children or adults who are dependable, careful, thorough, and faithful. So many lives seem honeycombed with small failures, neglectful of the little things that make the difference between order and chaos. Perhaps it is because they are so seldom taught that visible things are signs of an invisible reality; that common duties may be "an immeasurable ministry of love." The spiritual training of souls must be inseparable from practical disciplines, as Jesus so plainly taught;

"The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches! And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?" (Luke 16:10-12, JB).
(The footnote to "your very own" says, "Jesus is speaking of the most intimate possessions a man can have; these are spiritual.")

Career Decisions

Grant and I had the following conversation on the way to his flag football game this morning~

Grant: "Mom, I'm having a debate with myself. I can't decide if I want to be a t.v. news reporter or a policeman."

Me: "Mmmm. Why do you think you might like to be a policeman?"

Grant: "Because they catch criminals. I want to jump on them!"

Me: "I see. And, why would you like to be a news reporter?"

Grant: "I think it would be fun to be on t.v.!"

Me: "I see."

Grant: "I think I'll be a reporter because I really just want to be on t.v. all day."

And then, after a slight pause: "Or, maybe I can be the king of England!"

Kids in Action

Close...But No Tornado

The kids were sleeping while the wind was blowing. A storm was coming. Then the warning siren went off. We checked the television to see if there was really danger of a tornado in our area. The meteorologist drew a triangle on the map around the area where the storm was most intense and where there was the most likelihood of a tornado. I stared at the screen. He had drawn the triangle right around our neighborhood!

So, we woke up the kids and headed downstairs to wait it out. It was a little bit scary, but kind of an adventure. Finally, the danger passed. No tornado had developed. Kids tucked safely back in bed. :-) It rained and rained and we all slept soundly.

Today the news reported that a tornado touched down less than ten miles from our home. It was headed this direction but died down before it got this far.

Let's Go Fly A Kite

We just got back from the soccer field at the local high school where we went to fly a kite! It is a cool and breezy evening~perfect weather for sending Grant's alligator kite with the spinning eyes soaring into the sky. Everyone took their turn at flying the kite and then the kids tried to jump and grab the tail as Dave kept it just out of reach. The kids are tuckered out and will sleep well tonight! :-)

Co-op

Today was the first day of classes for our homeschool co-op. The kids and I look forward to this time with other homeschooling families. Grant and Katie especially enjoy the chance to play and hang out with their friends.

This year Katie is in first grade and is in three classes at co-op: Health, Five In A Row and P.E.. Grant is in second grade and the classes he is taking are Music, Art and P.E.. I am teaching the Five In a Row class, along with another mom. Today we read the story, Blueberries For Sal. The mom that I teach with brought in a bear skull and a bearskin rug for our study of bears. Next time we will read the same story again and bake a blueberry pie! :-)

First Day Of School

We started the school year today. It was definitely an adjustment to get up earlier and have more of a schedule after our summer break! We got a bit of a late start, but I'm sure we'll get going sooner tomorrow.

I wrote out three chores for each child to do before we started our schoolwork. They loved that! It was fun to see them take on the responsibility of getting those chores done and checked off. Throughout the day they would make comments like, "I wonder what our chores will be tomorrow!" :-)

We hung out our flag and took our traditional first-day-of-school-in-front-of-the-flag-pictures. I gave them a new book and read it to them and we read a few chapters in our history book. That is one of my favorite things about homeschooling ~ the three of us snuggled on the couch reading together. :-) I worked individually with each of them and they each did some writing...and then the day was about over! All in all, it was a good first day of school.

This is the curriculum we are using this year~

Reading, Writing, Spelling: The Writing Road To Reading, Reading Works

Math: Math-U-See

History and Geography: The Story Of The World, Volume 2: The Middle Ages and library books

Science: Using ideas from The Well-Trained Mind as a guide for studying astronomy, the human body and earth science.

Art: I Can Do All Things by How Great Thou Art publications

Music: Co-op classes, Color The Classics (Hymns) and singing along with tapes and cd’s from the library.

P.E.: Co-op classes, community sports teams and swimming lessons.

Family Bike Ride

Since Katie got the training wheels taken off of her bike last spring, we thought she would be ready to ride with us on her bike, instead of in the bike trailer, the next time we went on a family bike ride. We found a nice paved trail at a state park and tried it out recently. Katie did great and we all had a fun time.

The bike trail wound through beautiful woods and ended at a beach and playground area. We found it was important to keep moving, though, so the mosquitos didn't have time to surround us! We think we might try it again in the fall, so we won't have to worry about that! :-)

Golf Ball ~ Sized Hail!

We recently had a thunderstorm that produced hail. The kids were excited to hear it tapping on the roof. Then the tapping sound changed and it actually sounded like someone was hurling golf balls at our house! Huge balls of hail were bouncing as they landed in the grass in our yard.

When it ended, the kids ran outside to collect the evidence before it melted! We put the pieces of hail on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer. They have pulled the hail balls out a few times to impress their friends, who usually want to touch and then eat them! :-)

Pictures From Homeschool Camping Trip

Boys and their light sabers. :-)

Fun at the playground.

Every year the kids make a special t-shirt.

Homeschool Co-op Camping Trip

Every year several families in the co-op we are a part of go camping at a small privately-owned campground about an hour away. This tradition has been going on for the past seven years. Our family has joined the group three times now and it has become the highlight of the summer for my kids.

Since the campground is small, most of the people camping there are from our group. It is kind of like a little city of campers where the kids can safely run around. There is a playground, a baseball field, a private lake with a swimming area and some canoes and paddle boats you can take out on the lake. The area is surrounded with woods. The kids play ALL DAY long and at night they play, "night games," in which the older kids hide and the little kids try to find them and then they switch and the big kids hide. The younger kids have a harder time finding the big kids! :-) Everyone wears dark clothing and runs around with flashights and has a BLAST!

While the night games are going on, the adults gather at picnic tables in a shelter and play games. The last couple of years the game of choice was, "Settlers Of Catan," which I finally learned how to play this year. It is pretty fun.

The first couple of years that we went camping with the co-op, we camped in our tent. This year we borrowed some friends' tent-trailer camper and now we are spoiled forever! :-) It was so nice staying in the camper!

We just got home last night from the homeschool campout and now I am facing all the laundry that needs to be done! It is hard to believe that summer is coming to an end soon and school will be starting in a couple of weeks!

Body Worlds

Yesterday Dave and I and the kids went to see the Body Worlds exhibition that is in town. Wow. It is an exhibition of real human bodies preserved through a process called, "plastination." Some of the bodies show mostly muscles and others emphasize the nervous system or various organs. It is fascinating. There is a separate room that has babies in various stages of growth, starting at a few weeks and going all the way to birth. (A sign states that all of the babies died through accidents or natural causes.)

Body Worlds is like an amazing anatomy class. We were in awe of the intricacy and detail of all the systems of the body and how they work together. God is so creative! Seeing more of His creation up close causes wonder and awe to well up inside me. It causes me to worship God and give Him glory.

Check out Body Worlds and see if it is coming to your town!

Swimming Lessons

Grant and Kate had a great two weeks of swimming lessons at the local pool! They both had great instructors who made the lessons fun while helping them learn. Now we need to give them opportunities to practice the things they've learned with some trips to the swimming pool and maybe some days at a lake before summer ends. :-)

August

Is it really already August?! Wow, the summer is flying by! Tomorrow is the kids' last day of swimming lessons and then we do not have any more regular activities scheduled for the rest of the summer! Of course, summer is almost over. :-( But, don't tell my kids that. We are just finishing up school this week and they are excited that they will have four whole weeks off for summer vacation! :-)

VBS

Well, it's been over a week now, so I guess it's time for a new post! :-) Soccer ended on Saturday with a special day of soccer games and activities. It was extremely hot and humid, but we kept the kids cool by squirting them with water and making them drink a lot of water. A fire truck came and sprayed all the kids down, which they all enjoyed! Now that we don't have to rush out to the soccer field every night, we have our evenings free! Soccer was great for the kids, but it is kind of nice now to have a more relaxed schedule.

Grant and Katie are attending VBS this week at our church. They are both excited that friends from the homeschool co-op are in each of their classes. Yesterday they played for an hour with their friends while the moms talked! :-) So, we planned a picnic and playtime at a park for today after VBS. That way the kids can keep playing and we can keep talking! :-)

In Christ Alone

Whenever I hear this song, it touches something deep in my spirit and I get chills. It just really says it all. So, here it is:

In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

A Visit From Grandma

My Mom came from Arizona for a visit and we just took her to the airport and said good-bye last night. It was fun having her here and we were all sad to see her go. The kids had so much fun with Grandma here! She listened to all their chatter, played games with them and took them to the toy department for a shopping spree! We all wish she didn't live so far away!!!