Buncharunyons

The Prince's Poison Cup

2011-10-21T07:40:00.002-05:00

I love fairy tales! A young lady of humble origin is rescued by a prince who falls in love with her. They marry and live happily ever after. As a child I never understood, that far better than any fairy tale devised by a human mind, was the glorious story of love and redemption that God the Father wrote before the foundations of the earth were laid.

In The Prince's Poison Cup, R.C. Sproul tells the old familiar story in a fresh way. Theologically rich, Sproul lays out the story of creation, fall and redemption as the grandfather in the story tells his granddaughter Ella the story of a prince who had to drink the poison cup of his Father's anger. The story was sparked by Ella's question, a question your children have probably asked at one time or another: "Grandpa, why is medicine so yucky if it is going to make me well"? Grandpa's reply, “Some things that look or taste or smell wonderful are really awful. But sometimes things that seem terrible are actually very good. I even remember a story in which both of these strange things were true. Would you like to hear it?” And thus begins the story of a King who sent His Son to rescue His people.

Like Ella in the story, my nine year old daughter figured out pretty quickly who the Prince in the story represented. Yet, being reminded of the love Christ has for us never gets old. The book is well illustrated with enough pictures to hold the attention of preschool aged children. This story is geared toward young children, but is theologically heavy enough to spark up conversation with older children, and perhaps even tweens. If you are a fan of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones, you will also like this book.

I received a review copy of this book from Reformation Trust.

Scared to Create

2011-01-22T10:59:00.000-06:00

I really, really want to make things. I will spend hours looking through craft books or browsing tutorials online, and find so many ideas. I will be totally motivated to start a new project, and go purchase the things I need. I can come home, start the project...and then I don't finish it.

It's not that I don't want to complete it, or that I lose interest. It's just that I am scared. I am afraid to mess up. I know I can't make it perfectly, so I just throw in the towel. Meanwhile, I keep browsing blogs and am so amazed at the things other people make.

"I can do that too!" I think to myself. But I don't. I bookmark the project and I move on. Six months later I go back to it and wish I had the courage to make it myself, and yet I never do. I am so afraid to make a mistake that I never really start anything.

This post made me remember that I have always wanted to create. See, a long time ago there was a little girl who gave her Barbie dolls haircuts and colored their hair with fingernail polish, and crafted outfits for them from crepe paper, or whatever she could find.

That girl was me.

Then there was the Grandma who couldn't teach me how to crochet because I was left handed. The art teacher who was frustrated to no end with me because my circles never closed. Somewhere along the way, I listened to everyone else and forgot that I am indeed the daughter of a Master Creator, and He made me with the desire and capacity, and yes, even the ability to create!

Today I am going to remember who I am...not the Natalie who is petrified to mess up, or the girl who has told everyone for years that I don't have a creative bone in my body.

Today, I am going to create. And this is where I plan to begin.

Fithian Adoption Fundraiser

2011-01-20T11:26:00.000-06:00

My friend Terry is adopting a 14 year old girl from China, and they will be traveling soon to bring her home! They still need several thousand more dollars to complete the adoption. Please help out by either donating money through their website, or by purchasing something from one of their two fundraisers. What an awesome blessing, to be able to participate in God's work of bringing the fatherless into a family!

Induced

2011-01-08T12:16:00.000-06:00

I hate to hear when a pregnant mom is planning to get induced. Usually, there is a "good" reason; the fear of a very large baby, the mom made it to her due date and hasn't (gasp) had her baby yet, the doctor tells her she should, etc. Sometimes, a mom is just plain tired of being pregnant and being induced seems like the easiest choice. When a mom chooses to be induced, often she is going to end up with the pain and longer recovery time of a c-section, and that is much worse than being pregnant a little longer.

When I was sorting through the three Rubbermaid containers of miscellaneous paperwork I came across a lot of papers that reminded me of when I tried to be induced. Not induced in the sense that I wanted some pitocin to bring on labor and the delivery of my baby, but I wanted to do something, to take matters in my own hands, and end the labor of waiting in the desert where the Lord had me.

In those containers there was a lot of damning evidence of numerous times I tried to outrun God. With each piece of paper, I was more and more reminded of the sovereign control of my Father. Were there consequences? Absolutely. Yet, God was so faithful to never let me run outside of His plan for my life. Always, always, always He brought me back."I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

In the moment, I remember being so angry at Him. Surely it wasn't His will for us to be stuck, so why was He thwarting my attempts to change our situation? Only now, years later, can I see that while I was busy trying to change my outer situation, He was working to change my inner person. "but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us" (Romans 5:3-5).

Those papers are gone now; torn up, and thrown away. I don't want to be reminded of my lack of faith, only of His great faithfulness. I don't want to dwell on my disobedience, only on His forgiveness. "In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling" (Exodus 15:13).

Taking Out the Trash

2011-01-05T07:51:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, I hang on to things I don't really need. There is sixty or so pounds of paper shoved in Rubbermaid containers- most every piece of mail that I have received in the last five years, clothes that fit me four years ago, but short of a miracle will never fit me again, lots and lots and LOTS of books I will likely never read again. Then there are the things inside of me I hang on to; ideas about how my kids should be, things I think I need to be, ways of doing things that haven't worked since the days when I only had two kids, and on and on it goes.

In many ways I feel like 2011 is a year of new beginnings. The last five years have been the most difficult of my life emotionally, mentally, spiritually, financially. The Lord has been faithful and compassionate to show me it's time to take out the trash. When things are hard for so long it's hard to believe they will ever change, ever get better. I have lived the last five years waiting for the other shoe to drop. I knew in my heart that God was for me, but in my head I felt like He was against me. I was becoming bitter.

I've been reading the book of Jonah, and one thing I realized for the first time is that the big fish swallowing Jonah wasn't God's punishment. It was God's grace! When the storm came, and the other men realized that Jonah was to blame for the storm Jonah told them to throw him overboard. I always thought God sent the fish as a strange time-out for Jonah to give him an opportunity to think about what he has done, but Jonah 1:17 says "But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah". While Jonah certainly had time to ponder his disobedience there, God really sent the fish to take Jonah to safety so Jonah could complete the task God had for him!

In the fish, Jonah prays, and toward the end of his prayer he says "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs" (2:8). The clothes, the papers, the pain, the past....all these things I have been clinging to and allowing to color my present are all idols. But God is making all things new! He is renewing my mind, my heart, my life, and it is time to take those idols and put them where they belong- the trash!

Jesus, take my worthless idols, and shatter them to pieces. I don't want them anymore. I want You. I know the storms of the last five years have hurt, but I know you have used them to change me, and you have always been faithful to preserve and protect me. I know You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love. Redeem the past, and take my future and make it something beautiful...for the sake of Your glory.

Doula-ing

2010-05-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

After contemplating returning to school to become a labor and delivery nurse for the last 8 years, I finally realized that it isn't the nurse experience I want to have...I just want to be present, and supportive, and nurturing. In March, I found myself at a DONA approved Birth Doula training. Have you ever had one of those experiences where you just knew you were right where you were supposed to be? That's how I felt.

This past weekend I was hired by a couple to be their doula. I can't even explain how excited I am about this birth. I have never been present at a natural childbirth. I am nervous and yet calm, because I know that in the moment, God will lead me and show me how to support this family.

I was also, seemingly out of nowhere, hired by WIC to be a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, and the best part is I get to work from home. It's so rewarding. Some of the Moms I talk to have never seen a mother breastfeed. They aren't even sure they can do it. I love having the opportunity to encourage them and help them to understand that their bodies were created in a way that they can feed their own children.

Being a Mom to six (so far) girls, all of this has me thinking. I want my daughters to see childbirth as something that is natural and beautiful...something that a loving God has designed their bodies to accomplish. I want my daughters to breastfeed, and not feel awkward or unsure of themselves.

I am extremely excited to host a combo CAPPA Birth Doula/Childbirth Educator training in the St. Louis area next month. The trainer, Louise Delaney, of Sweet Miracles Doula is a lovely Christian woman, and I can't wait to be a part of this training and to learn from her. I also have (yet another!) website for my doula business. It is Metro East Doula. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Books for Pierre

2010-04-24T13:54:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone,

You may know that Pierre Alexis, the Director of Maison des Enfants de Dieu orphanage in Haiti is currently in the St. Louis area speaking about his ministry in Haiti. Yesterday, he told me that he has always dreamed of going to seminary but the older he gets the more he realizes that isn't likely to happen. We signed him up for the free courses offered by Covenant Seminary in St. Louis through their Covenant Worldwide program, but he still needs the books to complete the courses.

Today my Pastor was able to give him two of the books he needs to complete his first course, but there are still two more he needs. If you know Pierre, you know he LOVES books! Michael and I planned to go ahead and buy the next two books for him, but then I started thinking....what if we all chipped in and got Pierre books to complete MANY of the courses?

I called Covenant Seminary's book store and explained the situation. The man working said he thought the manager would probably give us a discount, but I would need to call back Monday morning to be sure. What I would like to do is order them and have him be able to pick them up on Monday before he leaves.

I am asking for as many people as possible to chip in $10 (or more if you want) to Pierre's book fund. You can send the money to my Paypal account (buncharunyons@yahoo.com) and then tomorrow night I will tally up the total and call Monday morning to order him as many books as possible.

Pierre has an amazing heart to serve the Lord and to serve the children in Haiti, and I think this is an awesome way to bless him. Please, give what you can, and pass this on to as many people as possible. I will update via my blog and Facebook how much money we have raised.
In His Service,

Natalie

P.S. If you are in the area Pierre will be speaking tomorrow at 9:00 AM at Westminster Church in Godfrey, and at 6:00 PM at Peace Church in Granite City. Feel free to attend either service.

Because I am an addict

2010-01-26T22:42:00.004-06:00

to Facebook, that is. It seems I am kind of over my blog. For my dear friend Nichole though, I will attempt to continue to post.

Presently, I have little to say. Michael has developed an interest in photography and he is really, really good. He just started taking pictures in December, and I thought I would post some of my favorites.

And yes, Eva is ALWAYS dirty.

An Offense

2009-10-13T09:42:00.002-05:00

The message is foolishness, the Man is an offense and His death is a stumbling block.

His words divide.

He calls Himself the way, the truth and the life, and He requires His followers to take up their crosses and follow Him.

Today though, in the name of tolerance and love, Jesus is no longer the narrow way, but one of many broad ways. Christ, King of the Jews, Man of Sorrows, God who became flesh and dwelt among us, and became sin for us, has been remade.

Now we have Jesus, arms open wide, who embraces everyone, even those who choose to reject Him. The Church, the body of Christ, has been demonized. Jesus' followers are simple-minded, mean-spirited, and the world would be better off without them. Hell isn't real, therefore Jesus didn't come to save us from hell, but merely laid down His life so we would have an example to follow. If we follow His example we can usher in "the Kingdom", right here on earth.

The new and improved Jesus sounds good in theory, but in reality, that Jesus doesn't exist. Numerous authors can write best selling books about how non-Christians love Jesus, but don't don't like His followers. They can exhort the church to change their message to something more tolerant, more inclusive, and more loving. Their books have an impact because, by and large, even those inside the church are Biblically illiterate.

The result: ?

What will the result be?

If you are a Christian, I challenge you to study your Bible and see what Jesus said about Himself. Peter tells us to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that is in us. When our faith is really grounded in the Truth we will be able to confidently discuss what we believe. Our love for our Savior will be deeper, and our hearts will ache for those who reject Him.

If you are not a Christian, but you respect Jesus or think He was a good teacher, study the Bible to see what Jesus said about Himself. You may find what you think about Him can not be reconciled with what He said about Himself.

Who is this Jesus? What will you do with Him?

A Give -Away!

2009-10-06T14:47:00.004-05:00

I am giving away two reusable, embroidered (with a name of your choice!) and embellished totes to one lucky winner! These make great shopping bags, library bags, or all purpose bags for yourself or Christmas gifts.

To enter all you need to do is:

1) Hop on over to my friend Christina's blog and check out her current and upcoming auctions to raise money for their adoption of two beautiful girls from Haiti.

2) Leave her a comment so she knows you were there and are praying for her.

3) Donate $5 to their adoption through their chip-in button.

That's all you have to do! This contest runs through October 10 at 12:30 pm, at which time the drawing will be held.

Also, for an extra 5 entries into my tote bag drawing, bid on one of her auctions.

Latest Sewing Projects

2009-10-06T13:58:00.005-05:00

I have branched out from my reversible apron...a bit! Below are samples of various sewing projects and their prices. I am now taking orders for Christmas. I have enjoyed making mother-daughter apron sets, which make a fabulous gift. Stay tuned for further details about an apron auction for a special cause, as well as a drawing for a set of 2 tote bags!

Set of three personalized burp cloths and a bib- $20.

Reversible apron- $20.

Ruffled apron- $25

Simple one sided apron- $20.

Embroidered and embellished totes (perfect for reusable grocery bags) $8 each.

Meghan's Baptism

2009-10-06T12:47:00.003-05:00

Learning to Walk by Faith

2009-09-27T22:05:00.003-05:00

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

“Your possessions are never so safe as when you are willing to resign them, and you are never so rich as when you put all you have into the hand of God…’Oh!’ but they will say ‘it is ridiculous-a man trusting in God.’ Yes, but you do not think it ridiculous to trust in yourselves” (Charles Spurgeon).

“When Jesus sent out His twelve disciples (Luke 9:3), He told them to ‘take nothing for the journey- no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic’. Why do you suppose He said this? Why not let them run home and grab a few supplies? Why not allow them to bring some money along just in case?
Jesus was forcing His disciples to trust Him. God would have to come through for them because they had nothing else to fall back on.
This place of trust isn’t a comfortable place to be; in fact, it flies in the face of everything we’ve been taught about proper planning. We like finding refuge in what we already have rather than in what we hope God will provide. But when Christ says to count the cost of following Him, it means we must surrender everything. It means being willing to go without an extra tunic or a place to sleep at night, and sometimes without knowing where we are going.
God wants us to trust Him with abandon. He wants to show us how He works and cares for us. He wants to be our refuge” (Francis Chan- Crazy Love).

To be honest, walking by faith is not something I have, historically, been very good at. When the Lord led us to adopt first one child, then a second, and a third- all at once- trusting that He would provide did not come easily for me. I would give God a certain deadline by which I wanted to have a particular expense paid for and as the time approached I began to panic…every time. Rather than wait and ask God to provide for what He had called us to do, I would pull out my oh-so-trusty Master Card, get a cash advance, and pay the bill. Ultimately, this not only caused us a lot of financial difficulty, but even worse, demonstrated that I did not trust God.

Nearly two years ago Michael and I decided to stop using credit cards and within the last year we purposed to avoid as much debt as possible.

When we felt the Lord calling us to start All Things New and we began to look at land, we determined after a lot of prayer and budgeting, that we could afford to make a monthly payment that was equivalent to a car payment. At the time, we only had one vehicle. Whitey, as we called our van, was frankly, a piece of junk. We had been driving her for just over a year and in that time we had to replace the radiator, the transmission, the tires, the brakes, and something that held the steering wheel in place. Whitey had a cracked windshield, another window held in by duct tape, and neither the heater nor the air conditioner worked. Shortly after we purchased her, the handle to the large sliding door broke off in my hand…apparently the previous owner had glued it on and neglected to mention it. The passenger door didn’t have an outside lock, so if we locked the doors, someone had to enter through the driver’s side door, manually unlock the passenger door and then open the sliding door from the inside. Whitey was the size of a twelve passenger van, but only had seats (and seatbelts) for eight. In any case, rather than purchase a new(er) vehicle, or a second vehicle we trusted that God would keep Whitey going for at least three more years. (For the record, while we knew this was what God was leading us to do, I must confess this was not always easy. For example, if I needed the vehicle during the day, I had to get up at 5:30 and take Michael to work. If you know me, you know I am not a morning person and so I was never happy when this had to occur.)

We bought the land.

A few weeks later we found out I was pregnant.

Now even if Whitey held out, we were short one seat and seatbelt.

Then Michael got laid-off.

We had nothing to fall back on- no savings, no credit cards, nothing.

A lot of people said “Well, you can always let the land go. At least then you can keep your house.” While this was true, we just didn’t believe that was the plan God had. So with less than $2000 a month coming in to provide for our family and pay all of our bills, we continued to pray that God would make ends meet.

He did.

Our church family gave us grocery gift cards and gas cards and bought us food and toilet paper (which we REALLY needed). Michael would get an odd job here or there that supplied just what we needed to pay whatever bill was looming.

…And when our van broke down…

Our friends, the Rories, loaned us their mini-van and our friends the Penn’s asked their church family to loan us the church van.

Last week, Corey Penn came by to visit. The church he pastors, Peace Church, voted to give, yes GIVE, our family the 15 passenger church van. Corey said it wasn’t about him or what the church had done. It was all the Lord.

We know he is right. We are so humbled and blessed that God moved in the hearts of His people to give freely and without reservation in order to provide for our need.

As if that wasn’t enough, someone at their church gave money to pay for the tax, title and license of the van.

I am learning to walk by faith…not by what I see with my own eyes and very limited perspective. I hope and pray that when the next crisis comes, as it inevitably will, that this experience will remind me of God's faithfulness.

I write this for a few reasons. First, God totally, amazingly, continuously provides for our needs, and He should get the glory for it. It is He who made us and sustains us. Second, I want you to be encouraged. I am not implying that God is like a magic genie who gives us whatever we want, but He does care for us, and when we follow Him into unknown, sometimes frightening places, that He calls us to go, He WILL provide for our every need. It does, oftentimes, mean going without things we want, but in the end, it is so worth it to see Him demonstrate His power in incredible ways.
If today you are waiting for God to come through for you; don’t lose heart. “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phillipians 4:19).

May we take God at His Word today, and trust Him alone as we learn to walk by faith.

We Trust

2009-07-30T10:10:00.003-05:00

“We’re in a bad place right now”, he finally confessed. I added, “I’m pretty much out of faith. Thankfully I can feel God holding on to me, because otherwise…” I let my thought hang in the air.

The night before we had used the gift card I got for my Birthday to go to dinner at Red Lobster. The conversation of the two older couples sitting at the booth behind me had nearly ruined my appetite.

“You know”, one of the men said as he sipped his Pinot Grigio, “the reason God doesn’t give some people money is because they just wouldn’t know how to handle it”. “I agree”, said the other man. “That’s why we don’t give money to the poor. You see a story in the paper every week about someone in trouble. You can’t help them all”. “Don’t get me wrong, we give money to charity, places like the museum…just enough to get our name on a plaque though”, he laughingly confessed. His wife chimed in, “we give money to PBS too, I really like their programs”.

Defeated, I wondered to myself if maybe they were right.

When Pastor Adrian and Kelly came over, Michael had, reluctantly, stated it aptly enough. We are in a bad place.

Unemployment was not a new thing for us. Michael was typically hired for the duration of a project. When the project ended, so did his job. We had been riding this roller coaster for the past several years, and while it had certainly been difficult it had never quite felt like this. Now, people who only the week before had called inquiring if Michael was available for work were telling him that they were over budget. Others, because of the lack of industry, had brought in workers from other sites. In short, there isn’t anything on the horizon.

I have often thought to myself that if God wanted people to adopt, if He wanted us to be an example to those around us, that it would have made much more sense to make our life pleasant and without struggle. Next week, unless we come up with the money, the electricity and gas get turned off…the day before Meghan’s Birthday. The first round of property taxes is also due, so we get to choose if we want the unemployment to pay for utilities or taxes. The next week the mortgage and land payment are due. Together they total more than half of the month’s unemployment pay. When my weird pregnancy cravings include Jack-in-the-Box tacos I feel guilty for the $2 we spend. We can’t keep the lights on, but I am buying tacos.

Pastor Adrian asked what they could do to help us. “Nothing”, we both replied, “just pray for us, pray for a job”, Michael said.

We like to be on the giving end of things, not the receiving. Receiving help feels like we failed. It feels like judgement and condemnation, like if we would just be “normal” like other people we wouldn’t be in this place.

“But this is your calling”, Pastor Adrian said gently.

Yesterday was bad. It was full of a lot of ugly emotions; jealousy, anger, disappointment, hopelessness, and resignation. There had been days of fighting, and there was no peace in our home. I did school with the kids, while Michael cleaned the basement and fixed the leaking washing machine.

I talked to Nichole. “You sound really bad”, she told me, “are you ok”?

I wasn’t.

Like I said, I was about out of faith.

And then, at the moment I was most weak, He was strong.

Michael came to me. “We need to talk”, he said. “I think, no, I know, this is a God thing. This is all something God is doing in our lives. He’s working. He’s doing something big. We need to wait, and trust, and see what He is going to do”.

Peace washed over me in waves.

Last night we had a really sweet time of talking and praying with the kids. When we went to bed, Michael said “you’ve been praying for me, haven’t you”? “No”, I confessed. “I haven’t really been able to pray at all lately”. As I fell asleep though, I did thank God for moving in our lives, and for giving me peace. This was His reply to my weary heart: “If I am for you, who can be against you”?

This truth I wrap myself in today. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all- how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:28-32)

If the power gets turned off, if we lose our house, if this is a long season of unemployment, no matter what, God is for us. In the midst of some of the worst tragedy a man could experience, Job’s wife told him to “curse God and die!” Job replied to her, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” (Job 2:10). Earlier, Job had said “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:20).

Job’s words were not spoken casually. They weren’t words of self-talk to keep his spirits up. These were words of truth spoken by a man who knew where His hope rested; in the God who sovereignly controlled the universe and every detail of Job’s own life.

“I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).

“Those who hope in me will not be disappointed” (Isaiah 49:23).

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40: 30-31).

Like Job, we trust.

We trust because we know in whom we trust.

We trust because He alone is able.

You Can't Buy Memories Like These

2009-07-06T15:37:00.005-05:00

I have had a life long dream of touring the country in an RV. An RV, not a tent. In any event, since I have a need for every holiday to be a delightful memory for my children, I thought we would camp this weekend. In a tent.

Friday afternoon, we arrived at the lake. My sister-in-law and her husband (who own a camper) were staying at the same campground. They had just bought a scooter the night before, and so we all took turns riding the scooter.

We had brought some Jiffy Pop along and Michael tried to make some. Here are the results of his first attempt:

The second batch was more successful.

I was actually having a good time at this point.

Then:

We went to bed, only to be awoken about 3 AM to rain...a lot of rain. At 8 AM Madeline woke up, and thought she was really sweaty. It wasn't sweat, rather she was sleeping in a puddle of water. At that point I was thinking "how in the world am I going to get all of these blankets dry by tonight", and then I noticed...Jude had a water stain that looked all too familiar...you know, the kind that shows up on a little boy's shirt when he pees his pants up to his neck? I was. not. happy. Additionally, my pregnant bladder was uncomfortably full, so I put on my water logged sandals and trekked to the bathroom.

Apparently, swarms of mosquitoes also thought the bathroom would be the ideal place to hang out to avoid the rain and since I was the first to venture into the facility that morning, they were all gathered above the toilet. FAN-TASTIC! Who knew it was only the beginning of my morning of mosquitoes. We piled into the van, still in pajamas, soaking wet, and headed to the shower house. I took all of the girls, opened the door, and honestly wanted to cry. There were mosquitoes everywhere; in the lights, in the toilets, dead on the floors in droves, flying around. It was disgusting. After giving Isabella a shower, and discovering how incredibly hard it is to give a small child a shower and get them dressed while holding them aloft in the air, we went to the van and the rest of us changed in the van...with our untinted windows.

Since my sister-in-law and her family were all still sound asleep in their cozy, dry, air-conditioned camper, we decided to do the only thing possible: head to Wal-Mart. At Wal-Mart, dry sleeping bags and an extra air mattress were purchased. After killing as much time as possible, we headed to "THE VISITOR CENTER". On a good day, the visitor center may provide for about 20 minutes of entertainment, yet on this day the light bulb was burned out on the projector so we were not able to view the informational movie. We decided to visit the "museum" which consisted of, well, lots of dead animals.

And this is where the fun began.

First, Eva sheepishly began to pet the Red Fox.

This started a trend in which all of the children decided it would be fun to pose by the various deceased creatures.

It escalated when Michael decided to pose under the coyote as if it were attacking him...and Isabella broke the poor coyote's ear off. (It still hangs by a thread).

And then, there was the pose that I was certain would result in our being expelled from the visitor's center: Michael and the Beaver.

Seriously. You can't buy memories like these. (Honestly, I don't even know what that means...does one even buy memories??)

We drove back to my sister's campsite since it was STILL raining. I scrambled some eggs, and we sat around. I got a headache, and became increasingly frustrated by the dismal outlook of the forecast.

Suddenly, it stopped raining. We decided to head back to the other side of the lake and walk on the dam. Michael had a renewed interest in fishing and so we went back to Wal-Mart where he purchased some bait...live bait...and put it in my cooler of food.

And because it wouldn't be a trip with our family if it didn't happen, our van died. Michael pushed it backward so we could get it jumped and then for some reason, it turned over. We headed back to camp. His sister called and said they had a pontoon boat for two hours so we needed to turn back around and come to the marina.

The kids loved the boat.

Our evening in the tent was slightly drier than the one before, but by Sunday morning I was ready for a shower and a reunion with my toothbrush, so we packed up and headed out.

Michael says he will never take me camping again. At this point, I'm not sure I want to go again...unless there is an RV involved.

When the Valley is Deep

2009-07-02T13:10:00.005-05:00

“Mark then, Christian, Jesus does not suffer so as to exclude your suffering. He bears a cross, not that you may escape it, but that you may endure it. Christ exempts you from sin, but not from sorrow. Remember that, and expect to suffer. God is in this life preparing his people for a better world and part of that process is affected by trial and affliction, so that it frequently happens that the godly are in adversity while the wicked are in prosperity. Our crosses are as continual as our lives; we are seldom long at ease; we are born to sorrow, and certainly it is an inheritance of which we are never deprived; we suffer continually. Will it not reconcile us to our sorrows, that they serve some end?” (Charles Spurgeon).

How can we find hope when we are hurting?

First, by understanding our suffering is not arbitrary. Our trials are not without purpose. The blow that knocks us out, the pain we aren’t sure we can endure, the loss that changes our life forever, none of these happen in spite of God’s plan, but in accordance with His perfect sovereign will.

"For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back"? (Isaiah 14:27)

"Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him". (Psalm 115:3)

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please". (Isaiah 46:10)

"All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of Heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: 'What have You done?" (Daniel 4:35)

"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future". (Ecclesiastes 7:14)

"I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things". (Isaiah 45:7)

"Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?" (Lamentations 3:38)

The hope for the Christian lies not in circumstances, but in the One who ordains each moment of our lives; the One who recorded them in His book before any of them had yet come to be.

Second, we must trust that God has a purpose for our suffering.“As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” (John 9:1-3)

So much of what masquerades as Biblical teaching today revolves around the idea that God wants us to be happy, successful, fulfilled, encouraged, motivated, and generally have our best life now. Yet Scripture tells us “we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:21). We have come to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was a good man, one we should emulate, but not the Christ, not the Son of God. Even for those of us who have trusted that He is indeed the Christ and our Savior, we often live as though He came to show us the way, rather than coming to be the way. Consequently, we are surprised and feel as though God has slighted us when our “good” lives don’t prevent us from suffering. We are familiar with the God of love, but we forget the words of Isaiah 53:10 that tell us it was the Lord’s will to crush Jesus and cause Him to suffer. How can we possibly love a God who is pleased to crush His own Son?

Because we know the result of that agony.

We know His wounds paid OUR ransom.

It is His death that brings us life, and it was our life of disobedience that made His death necessary.

Jesus suffered, not because He sinned, but to bring glory to God. So too, the grace God gives us to endure our trials is a testimony of His love and mercy. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Suffering has never been unfamiliar to God’s people; the Bible is full of stories of the ridicule, shame, hunger, torture and poverty of God’s people. The Apostle Paul who “five times received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one, three times was beaten with rods, once was stoned, three times was shipwrecked, spent a night and a day in the open sea, was constantly on the move, and in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from his own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers, labored and toiled and often went without sleep; who knew hunger and thirst and often went without food; was cold and naked” knew much about suffering yet he said “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10) and that he even rejoiced in his sufferings because he knew “that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

In all that Paul suffered he counted it a privilege, “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith” (Philippians 3:7-9).

Third, we must remember that we never suffer alone. God has promised to be with us and sustain us;
to be our strength,
our shield,
our help,
our comforter,
the lifter of our heads
and the lover of our souls.

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty…He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:1-4).

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2).

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

"I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass… as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 51:12, 66:13).

Fourth, we must rest in God’s promise that He loves us and is using the suffering for our good. Just as He took the most horrific event in history- the crucifixion of Jesus Christ- and used it to fulfill hundreds of years of prophecy and for the salvation of multitudes of people, He will use whatever hardship He allows into our lives for good.

“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6).

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

While we may never see this side of eternity what our suffering has accomplished, we must trust in the truth of God’s Word and in His unchanging character. “Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

All Things New

2009-06-09T07:13:00.004-05:00

"...and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new" And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Then He said to me, "It is done I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost." (Revelation 21:4-6)

"Then the world was broken, fallen and battered and scarred
You took the hopeless, the life, wasted, ruined and marred
And made it new

You make all things new
You make all things new
You redeem and You transform
You renew and You restore
You make all things new
You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You"
(Steven Curtis Chapman, All Things New)

We have a name! (No, not for the baby...that's Razzle Dazzle, remember?)

All Things New- Equine Therapy and Family Respite Center

All Things New- a place for broken children and hurting families to be renewed and restored; a place where they can hear the good news of the One who redeems and transforms.

We have so many ideas in our minds right now, and we are a long way from the day we can welcome people to All Things New, but we need to start by fencing in some of the land for horses. Michael is researching cost now, but to raise money for the fence I will be selling aprons.

In keeping with the theme of All Things New, I will be making the aprons from recycled materials; namely, curtains, bedspreads and other miscellaneous items I find at yard sales or thrift stores.

The aprons are reversible, eco-friendly, and (I think) cute! The aprons are $17, which includes embroidery on both sides.

This is the front and back of an apron I made yesterday.

I will soon be opening an Etsy account, but if you are interested in an apron you can email me at allthingsnew_equinetherapy@yahoo.com and I can send you pictures of my available material.

Please continue to pray for us as we follow God's leading.

Strawberry Picking

2009-06-08T12:26:00.003-05:00

Razzle Dazzle

2009-06-08T12:07:00.002-05:00

Today marks the beginning of my tenth week of pregnancy. I feel terrible. This week I am also turning 30. I feel old and terrible. I am also losing brain cells at an alarming rate, and consequently have made all kinds of really stupid statements. I have forgotten how many children I have, asked if Pakistan was in Michigan, and thought the year was 2008.

We have also been tossing names around. I like Eden. Michael likes Nevaeh (Heaven spelled backwards). Obviously,we are assuming it is a girl. My Mother-in-Law says we come up with all kinds of stupid names and that we will probably name the baby something like Razzle Dazzle. It stuck. Now we refer to the baby as Razzle Dazzle. Nice, huh?

Clearly, I don't have the wherewithal to blog right now, but I was noticing that the posts on my front page were from (gasp) February, so I thought I should post something. This will have to do for now. :)

My Favorite New Blogs

2009-06-08T12:02:00.003-05:00

Because I was too sick to finish all I wanted to finish with school this year, I decided to help the kids make their own blogs. They have to write one post (of substance)every week. They are also participating in the Summer Reading Program at the library and the big prize requires them to read 55 books by the end of July. Even though I can't really teach right now there is still quite a bit of learning going on.

Anyway, check out their blogs and leave them a comment. :)

Eliana: From Haiti to Home
Madeline: 8 and Counting
Meghan: Bunchafamily Bunchafun

Horses

2009-05-29T20:04:00.005-05:00

A family at our church graciously allows us to visit their horses every week. We are enjoying learning about caring for horses, saddling them, riding them, etc. All of the kids absolutely love riding. Our friends have five horses of their own and stable about 34 other horses. Michael is so happy to be there that he always offers to muck out any stalls that need it. Visiting is the highlight of our week.

A Happy Surprise

2009-05-18T15:45:00.001-05:00

Fish, Tadpoles, Deer Saliva and other musings

2009-05-04T15:58:00.002-05:00

This weekend we spent some time at the land. We noticed that we had somewhere near a plague of tadpoles in the pond. I am truly not exaggerating when I say that there must have been tens of thousands of them. In the shallow end, all you could see were black swarms of tadpoles. Of course my children had no qualms about sticking their hands into the pond and pulling out tadpoles to examine.

Fortunately, frogs eat bugs. Even more fortunate, fish eat tadpoles, and for only $26the Department of Conservation will stock our pond for us. Alas, they only stock in the fall though so this season we will likely have a multitude of frogs.

As I walked through the area where I someday hope to have a house, I noticed what looked like very large bubbly droplets of spit. Initially I thought perhaps my husband or one of my children had manufactured a large mouthful of saliva, but when I realized the stuff was all over I began to contemplate what in the world could have made such a thing. Do deer spit? It's the only thing I can think of. I would post a picture but I can't find the USB cable at present. In the event it is deer saliva, I'm kind of concerned as when I searched for deer saliva I learned that it can carry a disease similar to Mad Cow Disease.

Michael took his machete and weed whacker and cleared a path through the woods so we could walk down to the creek. It would have been very relaxing and peaceful had Isabella and Jude not kept up a constant stream of random noise. Isabella prefers to communicate to me in a series of noises. It sounds like "num num num oooooOOOO". If you have ever seen the martians on Sesame Street, it's like that. At first, I ignored it. That didn't stop her, so now I talk back to her in strange noises.
Had you crept up on us in the woods you would have heard strange martian-like noises and weed whacking. I bet the neighbors can't wait for us to move in!

As if that weren't odd enough, Jude had to pee. He squats to go while Meghan is instructing him how to avoid getting pee on his pants and I am yelling from an acre away "Tell him to stand up and aim, not squat"! Meanwhile, Madeline is doubled over behind Jude in laughter and I am telling her to move so she doesn't get peed on. I also got a picture of that, but obviously am not going to post it here. :)

We were all very excited to see that we have copious amounts of honeysuckle budding, and some lily pads in the pond. If you have never pulled a lily pad out of water before, it's very cool. (If you are studying Botany, live nearby and want to check one out, let me know.) Who knew nature could be so fun?!

Easter Pictures

2009-04-18T00:03:00.004-05:00

This year we celebrated a Passover Seder since we have been reading through Exodus. It was...interesting.

Meghan said it helped her to understand better what Jesus did for her, which was what I had hoped it would accomplish. Isabella and Jude couldn't figure out why we sat at a table of food for 45 minutes and only ate small bites of parsley dipped in salt water, radish (horseradish was not available)and pita bread (couldn't find any unleavened bread either). Then we ate the lamb, which we weren't actually supposed to do, but I thought if I was going to pay $22 for a lamb leg we weren't going to waste it. The kids loved it. Michael and I, not so much.

On Saturday, we went to an Easter egg hunt at the library.

Sunday, we visited with my great-grandma(she's 94)and then went to Michael's sister's house. I missed seeing my parents and grandparents though. :(

Eight Acres

2009-04-16T21:58:00.003-05:00

Meet the newest addition to buncharunyons! Last Wednesday we became the proud owners of eight acres of lovely land, complete with a 1/2 acre lake and two resident geese.

How it came to be ours is quite a story.

If you have read my blog for any time at all you know we have had some trouble with attachment with our adopted children. The Lord laid on my heart a great burden for helping children in foster care, as well as adopted children and their families who are in the midst of attachment difficulties. While praying about what to do with this burden, I became aware of equine therapy, and felt the gentle nudge of the Lord that this was something I needed to look into.

I sent Michael an email and told him what the Lord was showing me...and asked him to pray about it. The next day I wanted to delete the email. Was I out of my mind??? We don't even know anything about horses! But while God had been working on me, He had also been working on Michael and to my surprise, Michael's response was to buy me a book about horses. It was his way of saying "I'm in".

Not knowing what God was up to, we continued to pray. Soon after, we came upon a piece of land- 8 acres. Both of us felt it was the perfect location for what the Lord was calling us to do: easy access to an interstate and surrounded by farm fields on two sides. It was absolutely lovely. Michael decided to contact the realtor and inquire about it. We knew we could only purchase the land contract for deed, and that the payment we could afford was well, rather paltry. Yet our attitude remained that if this was how God was leading then certainly He would open the doors, and we prayed that if it wasn't His will that He would firmly close the door. As it turns out, the realtor owned the land...and he and his wife had been planning to build a home on it...and build a stable to have horses for therapy! Michael told him how much we could afford monthly, and to our surprise, their current monthly payment, including property taxes, was exactly the amount we could pay.

Our vision is to have horses and a stable for therapy as well as a building with a rock climbing wall, and other fun things that families can use to build trust with their children. We hope to also have a guest house where families can come and be ministered to.

For now, we wait on the Lord to show us what to do next, but in the meantime we are having so much fun playing on the land. We have a multitude of bullfrog tadpoles in the lake and discovered yesterday, when we took our homeschool friends along, that the geese had a nest on the peninsula! We have seen deer tracks and scat, mushrooms, ferns and moss. It's a delight for this Charlotte Mason lover...and the mud, well, that's a delight for all of my kids...the dog...and Michael!

A Labor of Love

2009-03-15T00:11:00.002-05:00

A Reason to Believe

Can't Never Could Do Nothing

2009-02-18T15:49:00.003-06:00

I tell my kids all the time that if they think they can't, they can't. You probably tell your kids the same thing. Why do we do this? Isn't it because we know the hardest thing to overcome is our own mind, once made up? At some point though, we grow up, and all of a sudden it's acceptable to say "I could never do______".

What have you said you could never do?

Lose weight?
Run a marathon?
Adopt?
Stop using credit cards?
Have a big family?
Homeschool?
Go to church?
Join a ministry?

Saying we "can't", really isn't an acceptable response, but even more so for a Christian. Phillipians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me". If the thing we could never do is something God is calling us to do, then it's just plain sin to say "I could never...".

"I could never..." may really mean we don't want to be uncomfortable or we don't want to change. It could also mean we don't want to make the sacrifices necessary. It may mean we simply don't trust God to enable us to do what He wants us to.

Here's a personal example: I, Natalie, don't think I could ever adopt again. I have been saying this for a long time. Lately, the Lord has been piercing my heart about this very matter. My attitude should be "Lord, whatever you want for me is what I want. If it is to adopt again, then I will gladly follow where You lead, knowing that Your plans are perfect, and my obedience glorifies Your name." Instead, while my words are "I could never adopt again" what I am really saying is "I really don't ever want to adopt again. It's too hard, requires too much sacrifice. I am comfortable with the way my life is, and I am unwilling to trust that Your ways are higher than mine. I enjoy my own comfort and I am too selfish to die to myself and so I will just say to You and to everyone who hears, 'I could never do this again'."

That's not so pretty, is it?

I started thinking, how does this example I am setting impact my children? If I am telling them every day "don't say you can't do it, you CAN do it" and then I say I can't do something...is my behavior reinforcing the values I want them to have or is it contradicting them? If I pray with them and ask God to help them love, serve and OBEY Him all the days of their lives, and then I am unwilling to be obedient in every area of my life, aren't I being hypocritical?

Every day, God reminds me more and more of the exceedingly great burden we have as parents to train and lead our children. As we have studied the history of Israel in Bible study these past weeks, we have seen the trickle-down effect sin has on children. David sinned, but repented and was still a man after God's own heart. His son Solomon, sinned by having a divided heart, split (into a thousand or so pieces) between God, his 700 wives and 300 concubines. Because of his divided heart and his willingness to serve other gods, God divided the kingdom of Israel in two. From there on, wickedness prevailed interspersed only occasionally with a king who did right in the sight of the Lord.

If I say "I can't" when He calls me...what does that say to my children?

How will that effect my family generations from now?

Logos

2009-02-17T09:39:00.002-06:00

There are never enough hours in the day to do all the things I want to do. My "quiet time" is actually the time I spend with the kids in the morning studying the Bible. Teaching them what I am studying stretches them, and it is the means God has given me to spend an hour in His Word without having to eliminate some other necessary thing.

I have really been wanting to learn Greek for quite some time, but I just didn't have time. Then it occurred to me- if I want to learn something I need to teach it to my kids. I purchased a Koine Greek curriculum at the beginning of the school year, and even though the kids really wanted to start using it, I thought they weren't ready, so I just put it off. Now, I have added a 15-20 minute Greek lesson to our day and it has been such a good experience.

Around Day 3, there was quite a bit of frustration because, well, it's hard. Epsilon looks like a capital E, but it's still called epsilon, not E. Because a particular perfectionist child couldn't get this right, she started to pout. This led to an entire discussion about how the most rewarding things in life are often the most difficult. When we learn Greek, we will be able to read the New Testament in it's original language. I pulled down the Greek New Testament (it was very dusty)and showed it to the kids. That was last week.

Yesterday, the kids were able to read their first Greek word: logos. John 1:1. "In the beginning was the 'logos'", the Word. Every little bit of progress is motivation to keep going. It's hard, but it's worth it.

Some very belated pictures

2009-02-15T17:32:00.003-06:00

These pictures are from Christmas in Texas.

And yes, I actually did a front flip on the swing mid-air. I haven't done that since about 4th grade!

Knowledge

2009-02-15T14:08:00.003-06:00

Guilt.

I need to read my Bible more...serve more...give more...do more...pray more.

What sort of motivation is guilt? It isn't very compelling, and it leads us to view our behavior as duty. Reading the Bible is something we "ought" to do. Giving is something we are "commanded" to do. Praying is something we "should" do.

Love.

Love is a different sort of motivator.

My husband knows me. I mean really, really knows me. He knows the easily observable things about me, such as my fondness for twirling my hair, but he also knows the secret things; who I am when other people aren't around, what makes me smile, how I kiss. Often, he takes the words right out of my mouth. Sometimes, he tells me something about me that I hardly even realize.

Why does he know so much about me?

He loves me. I am his passion. He studies me and observes me, and he commits the things he learns about me to his memory.

What would our lives look like if we had this kind of love for Jesus? What would our churches look like? Our families?

Love at first sight is something all little girls dream about. Will we know our prince the moment we lay eyes on him?

I knew Michael for a week before I knew he was "the one". While I didn't know much about him, I knew enough to know that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Yet, that initial euphoria and the little we knew about each other wasn't enough to help us endure some of the dark and painful days ahead. Every day, we came to know a little more of one another's character, and based on that knowledge we began to trust each other a little more, and develop a love that would withstand hardship.

In the same way, most of us don't become great theologians before we become Christians. God uses the knowledge that He has revealed to us to draw us to Himself and give us the faith to call Him our Savior. Yet, when hard times come we must know Him; His character and faithfulness and holiness. He will sustain us and use those truths we have learned to comfort us.

I wonder if the Biblical illiteracy of Christians has anything to do with the droves of young people leaving the church today?

Romans 10:13-14 says "For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"

In this passage, Paul was speaking about the Israelites, but it seems applicable to young people in the church today. Earlier in chapter ten, he talks about the zeal the Israelites have for God, but "not according to knowledge". Consequently, they were "ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own (righteousness), they did not submit to God's righteousness".

Ignorance of God's Word begets ignorance of God which begets ignorance of the need for His righteousness which begets self-righteousness, and in the end, God is not glorified and people are not saved from God's wrath.

For people to call on the name of the Lord and be saved, they must first hear the preaching of God's Word, all of God's Word, which leads to the knowledge of our unrighteousness and His gloriousness, which leads to believing and loving the One who has saved them.

When knowledge of God grows, so will our love for Him. May we be passionate about studying God through His Word and may our knowledge change us as we become more like Him, the One we love.

My latest creation

2009-01-31T11:15:00.003-06:00

This apron is truly vintage. The middle section is a flower quilt block my great-grandmother pieced together by hand. When my Grandparents moved, my Grandma gave me a box with all of the miscellaneous quilting blocks and pieces. I used one of those blocks and then pieced the squares together around the outer part to make to yoke large enough. Then I quilted the entire top section...my first time quilting. All it needs is a pocket, and it will be complete. I also didn't have a pattern I liked, so I just made it up as I went along. It's very cheeful!

OAMC from start to finish

2009-01-31T01:15:00.003-06:00

I'm feeling a bit guilty because I know some of you are interested in Once a Month Cooking and I have been negligent about posting the details. I don't really care for cooking, and writing about cooking is even less interesting than cooking because at the end of this post there won't be a delicious meal waiting for me! I don't think I will be able to post about anything else though, until I get this one behind me!

I started doing OAMC for several reasons. Primarily, I am inherently lazy, particularly when it comes to things I don't enjoy doing. Frequently, I would put off cooking dinner until everyone was ravenous and then it was quicker and easier to get McDonalds. When I realized how much money I was spending on fast, not so healthy, food I knew I needed to quit being so lazy and such a poor steward of our money. When I began cooking, I realized that one trip to the grocery store a month and one solid day of cooking is much less heinous than cooking every day and going to Wal-Mart weekly.

When I talk to people about OAMC I am surprised at how many people go to the grocery store without a list or a plan. Quite frankly, that's crazy, especially now when so many people are struggling financially. Many of my friends are reluctant to start OAMC because they are afraid of spending so much money at one time. I did my cooking on Oct. 24 and spent $604, on Dec. 16 I spent about $550, and when I cooked last weekend I spent $760. I bought everything I could at Aldi's and the remainder at Wal-Mart. One thing I have noticed is that every time we need to get a "few things" at Wal-Mart we end up spending a lot more money than we intended. My goal this month was to eliminate as many of those trips as possible. To that end I purchased everything we would need for the month including all cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, paper supplies, dog food, etc.

Let's say the $760 was spent entirely on groceries. There are eight people here eating three meals a day, that's a total of 24 meals a day. If we multiply that number by 30, for the number of days the food should last, we get 720 meals. That means I am spending the equivalent of $1.06/ person/meal. That's really not bad.

Previously, we only ate cereal for breakfast. We have recently started having a hot breakfast most days, so I purchased something like 25 pounds of hash browns, 90 eggs, 5 pounds of bacon, 4 pounds of sausage, 6 boxes of muffin mix, several packages of bagels, and flavored cream cheese. Obviously, this costs quite a bit more than cereal!

For lunch, we often have leftovers, Rice-a-Roni (it is, after all, the San Fransisco treat), spaghetti noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese, nachos, or something else very simple.

I tell you all of this so you can see that the amount of money you will spend depends a lot on what you like to eat. If you normally spend $150 a week on groceries, it isn't likely you will spend $600 to begin OAMC. You may choose to only make a month's worth of dinners and still make trips to the store weekly for lunch and breakfast food. To make 30 dinners you may only spend $300 or so. If you don't have the extra money upfront, try cooking for two weeks and then skipping an extra week at the store until you have enough saved to cook for the whole month. It's so worth it!

Are you ready to get started?

First, you will need to choose your meals. My favorite site is Recipezaar You can do a search for OAMC and you will find numerous recipes. Print off the ones you like. Now, I make about 25 different dinners month, but that's only so everyone gets their favorite foods. Realistically, you could choose 15 meals and then make 2 of each. This generally saves time and money. Print them off and then compile your grocery list. Since I shop at multiple stores, my grocery list is divided into categories such as "produce", "dairy", "meat", etc. If I want a particular snack, I type it on the list. If it isn't on the list...I don't buy it. That's how you bust your budget. I also review each recipe and see how I want to tweak it. If it calls for a small amount of an unusual ingredient I consider whether or not that ingredient is necessary before I include it on the list. Realistically, you're cooking for your family, and they aren't food critics so a spice here or there isn't going to make or break the meal. If it is a Mexican recipe with ground beef, I always stretch it with black beans and then adjust the required amount of beef accordingly. Instead of using a chicken breast per person, I make almost all chicken recipes with 3 chicken breasts and then I shred the chicken, or slice it into strips. Don't forget to add freezer bags and foil to your list!

Once you have an accurate list, on a separate sheet of paper, divide your meals into categories by meat and then cook prep. For example, I divide chicken recipes into two categories, those that need to be cooked prior to assembly, and those that need to thaw so they can be breaded. Do you need to leave some ground beef separate to shape into patties or does it all get browned up? This is your game plan. You must do this before you can cook, or you will have chaos.

As soon as possible, start your shopping. Go to the cheapest store first, or look at all of the sale ads to see which big ticket items you should pick up at each store. When you buy 25 lbs. of ground beef at a time, every penny adds up!

When I bring the groceries home, I arrange everything that does not need to be refrigerated on my kitchen table. It is much more easy to access than if I try to put it all away. If you have a helper, have them start browning ground beef. (I brown about 3 lbs. at a time, then I dump it all into a giant pot and scoop it out as I assemble each recipe.) Leave out the amount of chicken that needs to thaw, and put the rest in the freezer. Follow your game plan and cook your food by category.

When you are finished with each meal, put it into a proper storage container. Items like chicken nuggets, quesadillas, etc. need to be flash frozen on a cookie sheet before they are put in a bag, otherwise they will all stick together. I let everything else cool to room temperature to avoid defrosting my freezer. I label each bag/container with a Sharpie and include the date and how many items are contained in the bag, as well as any special serving instructions.

This time when I went shopping I invested in some casserole pans and plastic containers with lids for soup and chili because I spend a lot of money on throw away metal pans. I figured it was time to buy some real pans. I have a deep freezer. When my parents moved to TX, they gave us their deep freezer. Now, I have one, and they don't. As you can see in the pictures, I take full advantage of it by freezing casseroles in pans. My parents do OAMC also and they fit it all into two regular freezers. You CAN do OAMC with limited freezer space. You will just need to flash freeze your Ziploc bags FLAT on a cookie sheet and then stack them upright or line them up like books on a bookshelf.

When you are finished cooking...RELAX! You don't have to cook again for an entire month! It's glorious, I tell you! Just remember to take something out for dinner each morning. The bags can be defrosted in the microwave if you forget, but it's better to pull them out in the morning.

It's now 3 AM and I am pooped, but if you have specific questions, leave a comment and I will answer it as best as I can. Oh, and the reason Eliana has on sunglasses is because she's chopping an onion. :)

Our Only Comfort

2009-01-29T01:24:00.005-06:00

Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?

A. That I with body and soul, both in life and death, (a) am not my own, (b) but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; (c) who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, (d) and delivered me from all the power of the devil; (e) and so preserves me (f) that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; (g) yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, (h) and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, (i) and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. (j)

(a) Rom.14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. Rom.14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. (b) 1 Cor.6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (c) 1 Cor.3:23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. Tit.2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (d) 1 Pet.1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 1 Pet.1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (e) Heb.2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. John 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (f) John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 2 Thess.3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 1 Pet.1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (g) Matt.10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. Matt.10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matt.10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 21:18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. (h) Rom.8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (i) 2 Cor.1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Cor.1:21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 2 Cor.1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Cor.5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Eph.1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Eph.1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Rom.8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (j) Rom.8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (The Heidelberg Catechism)

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What joy to know that our hope doesn't rest in our government, or any other. Our comfort is not in our bank or our wallet. Our hope can not be changed, for the One in whom we hope never rests...and He never fails. No trial befalls us that has not first passed through His hands and the filter of His love. Our only joy, only hope, only comfort, only solace is in Him, the Author and Perfector of our faith who for the joy set before Him endured the scorn and shame of the cross.

What blessed truth to wrap our hearts around.

Counting It Joy

2009-01-26T20:03:00.002-06:00

James 1:2-4 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Steadfast: Firmly fixed in place, immovable, firm in belief, determination or adherence.

Saturday we got our van back. It "died" on Nov. 4, two days after Michael was laid off. It still has some issues, but after staying home for nearly three months, we will gladly deal with those issues. Michael is still laid off, and it doesn't appear a job is forthcoming. Two kids are vomitting. My special needs kid-o peed on the floor today. It is cold and dark. I miss my family.

This moment, though, I am counting it all joy. Joy because these circumstances, my emotions, our finances are all in the control of a loving sovereign God. Joy because I want to be steadfast in my faith. Joy because I am a beloved daughter of the King of Kings and nothing can snatch me from his hand. Joy because I am redeemed, bought with an immensly high price.

I will lift my hands and praise Him for who He is and my singing will chase away the powers of darkness that threaten my peace.

Today I count it joy.

"Every trial or blessing falleth from above. Traced upon our dial by the Son of love. We can trust Him wholly, all for us to do. They who trust Him wholly, find Him wholly true."

A Little Reformed Humor

2009-01-15T10:11:00.002-06:00

My brother sent this to my husband...I think this guy's wife and I would get along famously. :)

Christmas Program

2009-01-14T23:18:00.002-06:00

Tonight we had the church Christmas program. We weren't able to have it on the originally scheduled date in December because of an ice storm. Madeline was an angel and Eliana sang a solo in French. She was very nervous but sounded beautiful.

I have not disappeared

2009-01-11T21:15:00.001-06:00

Things have been insane since before Christmas. Hopefully, they will slow down in the next couple of days. I have lots to say, and Lisa and Erika I will post soon about how to get started with OAMC. I may even post pictures too.

Another apron and my first bonnet

2008-12-23T11:19:00.004-06:00

This is the front and back of an apron I made for a Birthday gift. It isn't one of my favorite aprons, but I did take a picture of it before giving it, so I figured I would go ahead and post it.

Here is a picture of the first ever bonnet I made. I think it turned out really well.

Sew Crazy

2008-12-23T00:57:00.005-06:00

The title is totally cliche, I know. It is however, totally appropriate.

Last year I became the proud owner of a sewing machine. I never could figure the thing out. It frustrated me to no end. I put it in the basement and never really thought about it again until a month or so ago when I decided I wanted to sew some aprons. As I've said before, I have a great love for toile fabric. In fact, a couple of years ago I was looking for some when I was in Colorado, and I asked the friendly fabric woman at the local Wal-Mart to direct me to some by properly pronouncing it as "twall" and she had no idea what I was referring to. I finally found it, and when I took it to her, she said "ooooohhh, you mean 'toylee'. Sure. :) I always wonder, what is the appropriate response in a situation like that? Should I sound like a snob and correct her? If not, and I refer to it again, do I call it "toylee"? Awkward. I think I just smiled and shut up.

Anyway, back in the summer, my gargantuan super Wal-Mart decided to replace it's fabric area with the more popular "party center". All fabric was reduced to 50% off it's lowest price. I bought all the toile they had left. Now, I had no idea what I was going to do with said fabric, but I liked it, and I brought it home and stuffed it into the cabinet with the sewing machine. Fast forward to November. I had the fabric and a sewing machine that I am incapable of using, and since unemployment can only be stretched so far, I thought it would be a fantastic idea to sew up some aprons...or maybe find a kind soul to do it for me. I posted to the homeschool group and one mom volunteered to make them...to the tune of $30 an apron. She also provided the option of teaching me to sew, but that was going to be $25 per hour. Neither of these options really fit into the budget so I decided to scrap the whole idea. Then, through a series of conversations, a lady at church volunteered to come to my home and teach me how to sew aprons. She came over three nights and I have been a sewing fool ever since.

I have made 15 or so reversible aprons for Christmas gifts. Then I decided I would really like to have a nicer sewing machine, and maybe even one that could embroider. Grandma sent me my Christmas money, and I used that...as well as some of Michael's :) to purchase a sewing/embroidery machine. It's totally awesome because, let's be honest, who DOESN'T like to have their name or initials stitched on things? Run down to the dollar store and buy a package of cloth napkins, put them in the embroidery machine, and for $1 you have a cool gift! Then, I also decided last weekend, that I wanted to make the girls some Little House on the Prairie type outfits with matching outfits for their dolls...all before Christmas! Everything was going according to plan, and I was totally pleased with the two bonnets I had completed, when the sewing machine started to malfunction. Good times. It doesn't look like I will get everything completed before Christmas, but I am so excited that I have developed a new skill.

Here are a couple of pictures of Madeline modeling one side of the apron, and Meghan the other. The side that isn't toile is made from old pillow shams I saved, just because I thought they were cool. See...it pays to save e-v-e-r-ything. Once I ran out of fabric, I started looking for old sheets and curtains at thrift stores. I like the vintage-y look and it's so much cheaper than fabric...especially if you go on half price day. As soon as I locate my camera, I'll post some pictures of the bonnet. It's adorable.

OAMC

2008-12-12T09:41:00.003-06:00

The freezer is nearly empty so it's time for Once a Month Cooking! OAMC is a real sanity saver because for a month I don't have to think about what I am going to prepare for dinner. It's a real money saver also because with food in the freezer ready to go, I am not tempted to spend money on fast food.

My Mom is the OAMC queen. She has rotating menus with corresponding grocery lists already prepared, so each month she only has to choose one and she is ready to go to the grocery store. I, on the other hand, like to come up with new meals so I never use the same menu twice. While OAMC seems overwhelming to a lot of people, it really isn't. For years, I had purchased ground beef in bulk and then prepared it all at once, seasoned it, and used some for dinner and froze the rest. It was just easier that way. OAMC just goes a step or two further. Now instead of cooking 5 lbs. of ground beef, I cook 20!

There are dozens of OAMC recipes online, and I have found quite a few at Recipezaar. The easiest way to do OAMC is to choose 15 or so meals, and then make two of each. I don't like repitition so I usually come up with closer to 25 meals and then double a few. Here is our list for today:

Dinner-
Awesomely Special Cheesesteaks
North Woods Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Taco Chicken Nuggets
Philly Cheese Steak Soup
Decadent Sausage and Cheese Quiche (and pancakes)
Beef Mushroom Stroganoff
Homemade Pizza
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Turkey Casserole
Chicken Alfredo
Mexican Pizza
Chicken and Cheese Rice Bake
Chicken Bruschetta Casserole
Best Shepherds Pie
Chicken Nuggets
Perfect Chili
Best Lasagna
Beef Taquitos
Juicy Hamburgers
Cheese Potato and Smoked Sausage Casserole
Spicy Meat and Cheese Stromboli
Meatball Sub Casserole
Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole
Pork Steak Major
Mushroom Alfredo Lasagna
Fajita Mac-N-Cheese
Supreme Pizza Pasta
Hanky Pankies

Snacks-
Pint-Size PB and J Muffins
Banana Push-Ups
Frozen Chocolate Bananas
Lemon-Blueberry Twist Pops
Frozen Fruit Cups
Mini Cinnamon Twists

Sides-
Homemade Bread
Salad
Corn Casserole
Cheese Biscuits
Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Last month my menu was totally different. This is also the first time I have added snacks or sides. I usually don't plan for lunches because we almost always eat leftovers. On the days we don't eat leftovers we have something like "Ramen Noodle Soup" or "Easy Potato Soup" both my creations to cook with what's in the cupboard, super quick and simple. Last month I spent $604 on groceries. That provided three meals a day, and I made them October 24. We still have 5 meals left in the freezer, so we were able to stretch the menu to about six or seven weeks. Not bad!

Last night I went to Aldi's for the first time. I know frugal folks swear by Aldi's but my Mom shopped there when I was a kid, and back then it was dirty and nasty. I just haven't been able to bring myself to shop there. I was pleasantly surprised though at the selection, and especially, the price. The meat looked fresh and the store was very clean. I left with 20 lbs. of ground beef, 18 lbs. of chicken, three lbs. of roast, three quarters of butter, 2 gallons of milk, 34 bananas, and a plethora of other things and my bill was only $175!!!! All told, this month's menu will run me under $500. That's way less than $1/meal/person...and that makes me happy.

(If you have questions about OAMC, or if you live by me and would like to start OAMC, I am happy to help you. I'll even help you cook!)

Christ, My Hope

2008-11-30T14:52:00.004-06:00

Being a former Baptist, Advent is not something I have never celebrated. As we are unofficially Reformed Presbyterians now, we are discovering the joys of tradition and liturgical worship. Today at church we lit the first Advent candle and tonight we celebrated Advent as a family.

There were no purple or pink candles to be had this time of year at Wal-Mart and I didn't have a proper candle holder, only some holes drilled in a 2X4 and some Christmas candles.

We made the first ornaments for our Jesse tree and read the first chapter of "Jotham's Journey". I could hardly make it through without crying. The magnitude of my helplessness and God's graciousness overwhelmed me.

Lord, prepare our hearts for this season, this time of reflecting on who You are. You are the Holy One of Israel, our Redeemer. You are our hope.

"But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who where under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4-5

If you have never celebrated Advent before, make this the year. Click here, here, and here for some great ideas.

If you aren't sure about the whole Jesus thing, celebrate Advent anyway. Allow God to show you who He is and how much He loves you. You won't regret it.

The Key

2008-11-20T10:46:00.003-06:00

I believe the key to a frugal life is organization. When I consider all the purchases I make needlessly, they are usually the result of my lack of organization.

Case in point: my husband has approximately 100 pairs of socks. I have no organized system for doing laundry or storing clothes. The girls have two broken dressers in their room. (They were purchased about two months ago by my mother-in-law for $100 each. I am going to write Target a letter to complain because these were the cheapest dressers ever made...)Prior to the dressers, we used a system of cubbies and cubes. This worked fine for the smaller kids, but the bigger the clothes, the fewer pieces you can fit in a cube. Because the bottom falls out of the dresser drawers everytime they are opened, clothes fall on the floor. Sometimes these clothes get picked up, other times they are left on the floor. The clothes on the floor must become invisible because the girls walk on them like they aren't even there. Ultimately, all of those clothes have to be washed again. The turn-around time on our laundry is about 10 days for clothes we "need". If no one needs it, the item may sit indefinitely. There have even been items that I forgot I owned they sat in the dirty clothes for so long. Michael was trying to find socks a few months ago, and I honestly had no idea where they were. My solution: buy new socks. Then we repeat the whole cycle over and over. Does Michael need 100 pairs of socks? Unless the laundry turn around time increaese significantly, probably not. My lack of organization resulted in spending a lot of money on socks we didn't really need. Socks aren't the only item this applies to. I have purchased extra of just about everything because I couldn't "find" the itme I needed.

How many times have you had a stressful day and stopped for fast food because it was the path of least resistance? We can purchase $5 pizzas where I live, and you bet I take advantage of this...over and over and over. Unfortunately, while 2 pizzas only sets me back $10, by the time I add in some breadsticks, I'm up to $15 and I may as well have just gone to McDonald's. While it was "convenient" it wasn't healthy, and if I saved that money over the course of a year I would have $540.

We are currently in the process of becoming more organized in order to become better stewards of all that God has given us. Check back for pictures of what we are working on. (I'll try to post them today :)

Ham and Turkey

2008-11-18T18:32:00.002-06:00

A week and a half ago Michael was laid off. This was not at all unexpected as he was contracted for a particular job. That job ended. He had hoped the job would last a little longer, but it didn't. It also appears highly unlikely that there will be any more work this year. He was laid off on a Friday. That Sunday, our van died on the way to church. It needs a new fuel pump to solve the immediate problem, but the transmission is about to quit entirely, and the heater doesn't work. If you remember, we replaced the radiator back in June. Considering we have only been driving the car since last January when Eva was born, we aren't sure it's worth dumping any more money into. Our only other vehicle is a '96 Mitsubishi Eclipse. "Clippy" as she is known, clearly will not seat 8 people, 5 of whom ride in car seats. This means we have pretty much been housebound, and will be for quite a while. Our friends have been kind enough to pick us up in multiple vehicles so the kids don't miss any activities, and our church has people who have volunteered to pick us up for services, but by and large we are stuck inside.

Shortly after Michael got laid off he and I were having a conversation about money. The Lord had really opened my eyes to my own greed. I have always said if we had more money, we would be more benevolent. This last job provided more income than our family has ever had. Unfortunately, instead of giving more, I spent more. I didn't even spend it on useful things. I spent it on Taco Bell and McDonald's. Thinking about that made me really sad. We resolved that we want to be more generous and plan for some things we would like to do in the future, rather than spending money just because we have it to spend.

You may be wondering what all of this has to do with ham and turkey....I'm getting there...we have decided to do all we can to be more frugal. Last night I looked up the ads for all of our local grocery stores and made lists of what I wanted to buy from each store. My goal is to stock up on canned goods, cereal, etc. when they are deeply discounted and have them to use throughout the year. For example, right now Stove Top stuffing is about half the usual price. I bought ten today to stock in my pantry. This is also the best time of the year to buy ham and turkey. At Wal-Mart, Michael picked up an 11 lb. ham for $15. We cooked it, and then Michael cut it into thin slices using an electric knife. I packaged it in Ziploc bags and threw it in the freezer. Now we have instant lunch meat for sandwiches and it was around $1.60/lb. If we had purchased sliced ham from the deli, it would have cost about $6.99/lb. This is a savings of $62! Don't want to cut it yourself? Ask the butcher or the deli to slice it thin for you.

Do you have a tip on how we can save money? Please leave a comment and share your idea. :)

Speak Softly

2008-11-15T15:14:00.002-06:00

One of our favorite things to do as a family is to watch shows on TV about other large(r) families. We were very excited to see the Duggar's get their own show this year. We were checking out their website the other day and I noticed they had their "house rules" that could be downloaded. I think they are great rules and we are working on implementing them in our own home. We are going to work on one rule at a time, until all 22 of them are habits.

Yesterday we started working on the first rule: "Always use soft words, even when you don't feel well". This is probably the easiest rule on the list for me personally because I don't yell a lot. I did realize though, that there is a difference between not yelling and speaking softly. Over the past few weeks we had been memorizing Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger". We had talked about how our communication is so much more than just the words we say, and includes our tone of voice and body language. Most of us in this house have a more difficult time with how we say things, than with what we actually say.

To help us remember to speak softly yesterday, everyone, Dad and I included, got 5 stickers. If we were caught not using soft words, we lost a sticker. All was well until certain children started to become smug at their ability to avoid losing stickers, and gloating when their siblings lost stickers.

It appears we are going to need a lesson on pride next!

October

2008-11-14T09:13:00.005-06:00

I haven't blogged lately. I think I have been in a post-election funk or something. :)

We had a lot going on in October though, so I thought I'd post some pictures.

As you can see, Eva is huge. You may wonder why she is sitting inside a toilet. My bathroom floor was starting to smell funky. I assumed it was because so many small children had peed on it through the years, and maybe the smell was in the cracks or something. Anyway, we decided to put some new flooring down, no big deal, right? Wrong! When Michael went to lift up the toilet part of the floor came up with it. Apparently, the sub-floor was rotten, hence the odor. To make a long story short, we ended up having to redo the entire bathroom. We bought a new toilet and while it was on the porch, Michael thought it would be funny to take a picture of Eva inside of it. Strange, I know...anyway, the pictures are cute.

Other exciting things in Sept./Oct.- we had visits from my brother Nathan and his family, we traveled to Branson over Columbus Day weekend with our entire family, and a week or so later we had a visit from my Grandparents. The visit with my Grandparents was particularly special as we spent one entire day interviewing them about their years growing up. They had some great stories to share with us.

We also went bowling for the first time. We went with two other homeschool families. We had 13 kids between the three of us, and the ball ended up in stuck in the middle of the lane, or in someone else's lane more times than I can remember. We had a great time though. Also, once a month we take a gymnastics class at the local Y with three homeschool families. Although we belong to several homeschool groups, we are very close to these particular families and we usually do some activity together at least once a week. Our four families combined have 16 kids and 13 of them are girls!We are so blessed to have such great friends.

October 22 marked the tenth anniversary of the day Michael proposed to me. My Grandparents were in town so we took a drive to get apples, and ride the ferry. I have always loved taking the ferry, and the kids had never been on one, so we had a good time. Then we went to the state park where Michael proposed to me, and I took a picture of all the kids. Who would have though ten years ago that we would have six kids?!

I also did some once a moth cooking. Eliana loves cooking so she helped. She decided though that we weren't "real" cooks without aprons, so she convinced Michael to go to Wal-Mart and get us some.

Redistribution of Wealth

2008-10-29T16:42:00.001-05:00

We have taken the last couple of weeks off from our regularly scheduled curriculum to debate and discuss politics, the electoral process, function and purpose of our government, etc.

Today we were talking about redistribution of wealth and I said, "let's say I asked all of you to do some jobs around the house, and at the end of the day I paid you according to the work you did. Eliana, you made $10 because you worked very hard. Madeline, you started strong but decided by the afternoon you wanted to go play, so you only got $6. Meghan, you did about as much work as you usually do, so you only got $1. Then let's say that Dad and I decided it wasn't really fair that Eliana and Madeline had so much more money than Meghan, so we took $1 from Madeline, and $3 from Eliana and gave them to Meghan. Now, Meghan has $5, Madeline has $5 and Eliana has $7. How would you feel?

Meghan thought it was awesome that she could get so much money for doing very little. Madeline and especially Eliana were really angry. I asked them why. They said "it's not fair". I said, "but Dad and I decided it wasn't fair you two had so much more money than Meghan".
They said "but she didn't work as hard as we did!"

Then I said, "what if Meghan had a broken leg? would it be fair then?" They still all said "no". Eliana said, "it would be ok if I decided I wanted to GIVE her some of my money, but I shouldn't HAVE to give her any." Madeline said "that's why we put money in the offering at church, or help people who are having hard times....because we want to...not because we have to."

Come What May

2008-10-29T10:53:00.003-05:00

This is a link to a video put out by some homeschool graduates attending Patrick Henry College. Eliana loved it. We first watched it daily as each segment came out, and the first thing she wanted to do every morning when she got up was to watch the next segment. Check it out!

More on Politics

2008-10-16T12:41:00.005-05:00

Who's responsible for the subprime lending fiasco?

Here's Joe the Plumber: He gets that redistribution of wealth is not a good thing.

Click here and watch the first video. This site thoroughly explores every facet of abortion. It is graphic and tragic, but won't leave you unmoved.

Then read this so you can see why the abortion issue is, and rightfully should be, an issue that we take into consideration when casting our vote.

Last night I was disgusted when Senator Obama said he didn't support legislation to end late term/partial birth abortion because there was no exception for the mother's health. In a partial birth abortion, the entire baby is delivered except for the head. It is performed on viable babies. If a mother could survive an abortion in which nearly all of the baby is delivered, could she not survive the rest of the delivery?

Obama even said that abortion was a decision that women should make in counsel with their family, pastors, etc. Why then, does he not support parental notification laws?

Update

2008-10-03T23:45:00.004-05:00

I haven't been posting much lately because things have been so hectic. Michael has been working straight nights, 6 or 7 days a week, 10 or 12 hours a day. When he is home, he is sleeping. Life has been hectic to say the least.

I was so glad when Michael called me tonight and told me that this is his last night. He's going back to days. Hopefully, that means our life will go back to something close to normal. We have been doing school at 6:00 pm to 10ish, when Michael is working. Keeping six kids quiet during the day is darn near impossible. Luckily, we are all pretty flexible here, so changing schedules and cycles hasn't been too difficult for the kids.

We have been praying for Eliana's birth parents. She was able to speak to her mom a few days ago, but her mom told her she almost died. We think she had appendicitis. We can't determine if she had the appendix removed or if that was even the issue. Eliana has been worried all week. I hope they will call this week and give us some more information.

Proud mom moment: Last weekend the kids were outside playing with their friends. One of Eliana's friends is very concerned that her parents may be getting divorced. Eliana prayed with her, and told her she would keep praying. Somehow the girls got to talking about how they don't know much about the Bible, and they decided they wanted me to teach them. I told them I would do a Bible study with them if they got permission from their parents. They all said yes, and so it seems I will be leading a Bible study for the neighborhood middle school girls. It should be interesting.

It seems like with Michael working so much the kids behavior is kind of degenerating. Last night when I was trying to watch the debate, Eliana and Meghan got into an argument. Those two are like oil and water. I get tired of refereeing fights, so I told them they needed to go have a conversation about what behaviors they each need to change so that they can treat each other in a way that demonstrates love and respect for one another. Every five minutes they would come back and tell me they worked it out and then immediately start telling me "but, but, but". I would send them right back. Finally, after half an hour when they walked out and they were both laughing, I knew they had worked it out.

I'm getting so tired, but hopefully I will have more time to blog now.

No Ordinary Love

2008-09-25T22:34:00.003-05:00

This is a street in one of the worst slums in the world, in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

This is a picture of two people whom I love with no ordinary love.

This street, is their street.

This street is the street where my daughter Eliana grew up.

These are her parents.

The story is hers to tell, but she wanted me to share these pictures with you.

When her father called last weekend, he said that her mom is very sick, and in the hospital. Please pray for her recovery, and please pray for my girl.

Too Many Children...

2008-09-21T03:24:00.001-05:00

Read this... and opine.

Amazing Sovereign Grace

2008-09-17T01:25:00.004-05:00

If you are about my age, maybe older, maybe younger, you might have at one time attended a revival, VBS, or church service where you heard someone preach about the wrath of God toward sinners. Following the message, you were more than likely asked to bow your head, close your eyes...no looking around...just you and God. Then the pastor may have said something like this "None of us knows how long we will live. You could leave this place today and die in a car accident on the way home. Do you know where you would go if you were to die this very day? If you have not asked Jesus to come into your heart and save you from your sins, you would go to hell. Before you leave this place, you need to get right with God. I want you to be sure that you would go to heaven. If you are ready to do that then pray this prayer with me...."

Chances are good, you prayed that prayer, because of course, you didn't want to go to hell. You may have even ignored the butterflies in your stomach and raised your hand when the Pastor asked anyone who made a decision for the first time today to do so. If you're like me you may have prayed a prayer like that a few more times in your life, particularly after you committed a particularly "large" sin or when you were afraid that maybe you needed to check in with God and make sure He remembered that He had indeed saved you.

I have heard this kind of prayer called "fire insurance", and rightly so. It is a salvation that requires little from the saved, only a prayer of assent repeated after someone else. You pray the prayer, all is well with your soul, and you move on with your life.

This breaks my heart.

It is a salvation that is so man-centered. We pray a prayer. We choose God. We decide we want Him to save us. We set the terms.

And now, all grown up, how many people prayed this prayer at some time, and then willingly walked away from the God they once chose?

I talk about the sovereignty of God a lot. Believing that God is sovereign over all His creation made the adoption process less painful for me. I trusted that my children would come home on the day that God had ordained, and no act of man could hinder His perfect plan.

Knowing that God is sovereign has enabled me to rest in Him through so many trials because I am certain that nothing will come to me that He has not allowed, and that He will work each trial out for good.

In retrospect, it's so interesting to me that God used a discussion in college about pre-destination and man's free will in salvation to open my heart to adoption. The idea of God choosing me for salvation was so lovely, but the gravity of what that meant never really became apparent to me. I was never really able to appropriate God's sovereignty to my own salvation.

Until now.

It's as though the Lord has given me new understanding about what He did for me. All at once...and I am so small and so humbled and suddenly in awe of how magnificent and majestic He truly is.

Listen:

You were dead in your trespasses and sins, by your very nature, an object of God's wrath, an enemy of God, rejecting Him...rejecting His salvation...living how you wanted to live. Your mind was hostile to God. Your heart was a heart of stone. You did not submit to God's law. You were unrighteous. You were not seeking God.

But do you know what happened next? Did you choose God? No. "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." "He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." "He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ...In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory."

Why Lord, why?

"So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God so that no one would boast."

Truly He has loved us with an everlasting love. Before the foundations of the world He purposed to draw us to Himself in a way that we would find so compelling, so utterly irresistible, and all for His own good pleasure. Not because of who we are, or what we have done, or haven't done, but only because it pleased Him to do so.

Are you listening?

Do you hear Him, the One who is mighty to save? He is rejoicing over you with singing. He is taking your hand, lifting you out of the pit. It's Him, the one who was pierced for you, crushed in your place, bruised for your sins....

Amazing grace indeed. Amazing, Sovereign, Grace.

K/1st Grade Mini-Office

2008-09-13T23:37:00.002-05:00

What is a Mini-Office? When I first saw talk about a Mini-Office, I thought it sounded dull. I mean, what in the world is fun about an office?! Then, last night when I was trying to figure out how to make notebook pages and lapbook components I ran across some pictures of a mini-office. To my surprise, it looked really neat. A Mini-Office is something a mom makes for her children, (or she can have them put together themselves...it's also cool for the classroom if you are a teacher) that serves as a reference point for the student in their learning.

I can't tell you how many times a day I say some of the same things over and over ("is it a person? a place? a thing? then it's not a noun" "yes, a 'w' is an upside down 'm'") and I am excited to put these together so that my kids can answer some of their own questions and become a bit more independent in their learning.

I am making three different types of Mini-Office lapbooks. The first, pictured here, is my K-1st Grade Mini-Office. It seems more appropriate to call it a Maxi-Office since I found a lot of information that I wanted to include!

The Title Page came from Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations.

On pages 1 and 2 are the Bible components. On the left side are the books of the Old and New Testament. You can find them at Jimmie's very thorough lens here.

On the right hand side are the charts I made of the "Names of God" and "Twelve Tribes of Israel". You can view and print them here.

On pages 3 and 4 is the geography section. On the left is a printable map of the U.S. I am going to label each state with it's two letter postal code (as soon as I get a new ink cartridge for the Dymo Label Maker). On the right page is a list of states and capitals. Below that is a list of the states and postal abbreviations, also from Jimmie's lens above. Next to that, I will be pasting a map of our state of residence and below our address, phone number and other geographical information.

On pages 5 and 6 are the remainder of the geographical information, with a few other pieces that I couldn't really categorize. I included information on the continents and oceans, a rose compass, a list of U.S. Presidents, colors and hands.

I move on to the reading/language arts section on pages 7, 8, 9, 10 (with a little carry-over onto 11). I chose consonant blends and digraphs, and common word endings to help Meghan with her reading. I included an alphabet strip because Meghan asks numerous times a day what this or that letter looks like. This is one reason I have started using copywork in our homeschool. It seems as though Meghan retains more from writing actual bodies of work, than letters over and over. Pages 9 and 10 contain all of the vowel rules. I also included the Greek alphabet strips from one of my favorite notebooking pages, so the kids would become familiar with the look of the letters before we dive into learning them later this year or next. The punctuation chart on page 11 completes the language arts portion.

Page 11 begins the math section of the Mini-Office. For this particular Mini-Office I included shapes, months, days of the week, a number line for working out math problems, a thermometer showing Fahrenheit and Celsius, and info on how to tell time. On page 13 I included two number charts. The first shows the number, the number spelled out, and the Roman numeral, as well as ordinal numbers. The next chart shows tally marks. Below is a skip counting chart. The next page has an addition and subtraction chart. On the back cover is information about coins and paper currency.

Nearly all of the printables I found through links on Jimmie's lens and Homeschool Creations, so I didn't directly link to each one. I know some people don't enjoy digging around for things as much as I do, so if you want direct links, or you see something (that isn't already hyperlinked) that you can't find on one of those pages leave me a comment and I will find and link them.

I assembled the completed book a little bit differently than I have seen them done by others. I just stacked the file folders directly on top of one another, and then glued them back to back. This way you can flip through it like a book. Because I chose to include so many pieces of information, this was the easiest way to do it.

After I add the remaining pieces, I will cover it in contact paper. Packing tape is another option.

Next on the agenda, is a Pre-K Mini-Office, and then a 3rd-5th Grade Mini-Office. I will post them as soon as they are complete.

Blog Roll

2008-09-11T18:14:00.002-05:00

Saved in the "Favorites" of my shattered laptop are links to all of the blogs I like to read. I can remember a few from memory, but by and large, I can't find the rest of them. Can you please help me? If you read my blog, it is likely I read yours as well. Would you please leave me a comment with your blog address so I can visit? Thank you!

On Abortion

2008-09-11T02:36:00.002-05:00

I've been following some of my friend's myspace blogs, and it seems as though abortion is very much a topic of heated debate in this election. I knew many of you would have opinions on this, and so I wanted to share my thoughts with you. Rather than starting over, I am going to copy and paste my comments, so if it seems repetitive, I apologize.

1) I have a friend who was molested as a child. That friend grew up and volunteered at a rape crisis center. Back in the day, I was pro-choice because that was the thing to be, and I used the old "well, if a woman is raped, she shouldn't have to carry the baby" reasoning. This person told me that statistically, rape doesn't result in pregnancy very often. Whether that is true or not, (the only sources I could find were decidely pro-life), advocating abortion in that instance, presupposes that having an abortion will be less damaging on the mother than carrying a baby to term.
I wonder if that is really true?

Again, looking at the numbers, many, not all, women use abortion as a form of birth control. According to CDC reports, in 1997 (the most recent I could find in a quick search) 45.5% of women had previously had one, two or three abortions.

I personally vote pro-life, not because I think Roe v. Wade will be overturned anytime soon, but because I believe it is always better to err on the side of life. We live in a day and age where access to birth control is easy and free (especially if you are black, but that's a whole other issue.) Have we as a society become so callous that we can arbitrarily decide when life is indeed life, and who is valuable enough to live? What if we are wrong? What if that "blob of cells" has a soul?

If we have a President who would choose against life, even when an aborted fetus is born, alive, what are his feelings on euthanasia? How about life for the mentally handicapped? And doesn't that matter?

2)I just posted a bit about this on one of your previous posts. After reading this post and the comments, I'd like to add a couple of thoughts. (You know me...I always have something to say.)

For those who don't know me- I have six kids. Three are by birth, and three are adopted.

Loving kids who have been broken by their past and helping them to understand what a family is and should be, is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Why did we do it? For many reasons, but one of them is because we are pro-life. We are Republicans who care about the AIDS crisis and erradicating global poverty and child prostitution, and all of this is born out of our faith in a God who, through Christ, adopted us, and made us His own. We believe that God cares deeply for the orphan, the widow, the poor, and it is His church, not the government, that should step up to care for all of these.

Please, don't vote for a particular candidate because you think they will do something to help people who are suffering. It's not the government's responsibility. It is YOURS. We live in the wealthiest country in the world, yet we are the greediest. As a nation, we seldom give very philanthropically and when we do it is often not generously or cheerfully.

Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Green or Libertarian- don't talk, don't buy a t-shirt. Do something real, something tangible. Go to Haiti and help rebuild the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere after the devastation of three hurricanes this summer, go to Africa or India and feed the poor. Find a soup kitchen, and serve meals. Just do something.

If you are a Christian, pray about adopting. It has taken me a long time to get to a place where I can say this, because it is very difficult, but I believe that living out your faith in such a way will help you to understand greater dimensions of God's love and grace than anything else in the world. If adoption isn't for you- give to someone who is adopting. It's expensive and most adoptive families spend many years in debt paying back what they borrowed to adopt.

What can you do to help?

3) I checked out the sites you had listed above (Women Against Sarah Palin, Impalin, Gloria Steinem on Palin), and read your post, and I have a few comments for you.

First, I don't understand why you are in principle opposed to capital punishment, yet unreservedly support abortion on demand. I know from previous conversations that you don't believe a baby is a baby until a certain point, although I am not sure when that is. Is it when a baby is capable of surviving outside of the womb? Can we know for certain that "life" doesn't begin before that? If we can't know with certainty, shouldn't we err on the side of life? If we are willing to spare the life of one who could justifiably be condemned to death, why not have the same concession for an infant?

Second, but along the same lines, I know you aren't a fan of organized religion in any way, but do you believe there is something, some essence, that demonstrates a fundamental difference between human beings and other life forms? A soul, if you will? If so, then isn't it a contradiction to support a woman's right to abortion as a means of birth control, while being against hunting? (Incidentally, I think the Palin's, and most hunters actually eat what they hunt, so I'm not sure you can argue it is purely for sport.)

Third, you know I care as much about racism as you do. I have been doing some research, and interestingly (and sadly) enough, black women and minorities have a much larger percentage of abortions vs. live births than white women (CDC). This isn't surprising considering Margaret Sanger's views on eugenics. While Planned Parenthood might suggest that those views aren't espoused today, the frequency with which black women have abortions (and the astounding percentage of PP clinics located in minority neighborhoods) suggests otherwise. To be balanced, I read the Guttmacher Institute's explanation for why the rate is so much higher: black women have more unintended pregnancies. I think to accurately assess that, you would have to also gather statistics on the number of white women who had unintended pregnancies, but did not choose abortion. I believe that would give a clearer picture as to whether or not black women, indeed have more unintended pregnancies. What are your thoughts on this?

Regardless of our very different views, I love you no matter who you vote for or how you feel about various issues.

***************
Please note, that these comments were written in response to different blog posts, and even to different bloggers. I reposted all of this because some of these things, such as the incidence of abortion among black women, are very important, but are not widely discussed. Please, do some research on your own, and let me know what you think. And if you feel compelled to leave a comment on the blogs listed above, they are all hyperlinked for your convenience.)

Unfortunate

2008-09-10T22:42:00.003-05:00

I would call it a tragedy, but it isn't truly a tragedy. No lives were lost. All involved were calm. I refrained from falling on my knees crying.

What happened you ask?

My trusted companion met with an untimely demise this evening. She was helping me prepare dinner, when suddenly, with a CRASH and a boom...she was gone. It was so very sudden.

My laptop...she was....so very dear to me. I took her with me wherever I went. Now, her screen is shattered and her plug-in has been firmly lodged into her guts.

I wouldn't miss her so much, except that she contained so many valuables...all of the pictures of Eva's birth, in fact all of the thousand or so pictures I took this year. There were free lapbooks. I had just installed our new homeschool tracking software...and alas, I backed NOTHING up. I know, it's stupid. Everyone knows to back-up, and this is actually the third computer that has crashed/broken that I neglected to back-up.

I always think..."oh, I'm busy...I'll back-up tomorrow". Unfortunately, just like people, we never know how many tomorrow's our computer's will have. Accidents happen. In our situation, I had the laptop plugged in and sitting on the kitchen table to browse through the recipe I had saved when one of my children tripped over the cord and sent the computer to the ground.

I have learned my lesson. At Best Buy tonight, I told the sales rep "show me what's indestructible". I bought the least expensive laptop, and then I spent the difference on an external hard drive and an extended warranty.

Happily, I believe the files saved to my hard drive can all be transferred to my new laptop as well. All's well, that ends well.

Apple Picking and Jam Making

2008-09-10T03:48:00.004-05:00

Every year, we pick apples at a local orchard. Since Michael is working seven days a week right now, we went on Labor Day, which is much earlier than we typically go. We were pleasantly surprised at the selection of apples, and even happier when we discovered that we could still pick both blackberries and peaches.

What do you do with seven pounds of blackberries though? We made jam. It was surprisingly easy. Even though it uses a ridiculous amount of sugar, knowing there are no preservatives added is nice.

Initially, we thought we would give the jam away for gifts, but after tasting it, we decided not to part with it!

In all, we have made blackberry jam, peach jam, apple butter, and fruit pizza. I still have about 15 pounds of apples left, so I am thinking about making a caramel apple cheesecake tomorrow, but peeling and chopping apples is such a pain. In case you are interested, the recipes I used are below.

Blackberry Jam
2 lbs. crushed blackberries
2 lbs. sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Bring all ingredients to a boil for five minutes, remove from heat, skim off foam, pour into hot jars and boil in water bath for 15 minutes at 220 degrees.

Fruit Pizza
Roll out sugar cookie dough on bar pan and bake according to directions. While baking, melt 2 squares of white chocolate and mix with 2 tablespoons of milk. When smooth, mix with softened cream cheese. Add powdered sugar. (I personally hate the taste of cream cheese, so I add powdered sugar until I can't taste it anymore. I think you are actually only supposed to use 2 cups.) Spread over cooled cookie crust, layer with berries or other fruit as desired. Yumm-o!

Apple Butter
Fill your crock pot with apples, diced and peeled. Stir in a few cups of sugar, some cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, along with some salt. Cook on low for 12 hours, stirring occasionally to keep it from burning on the sides. After 12 hours, spoon into hot jars and boil in water bath for 15 minutes at 220 degrees.

Messy Baby

2008-09-10T02:29:00.003-05:00

Eva has discovered the joy of biter biscuits....and I have (re)discovered how messy they are. She went through four outfits yesterday, but look at that smile. It was worth the extra laundry.

Culinary School

2008-09-10T01:37:00.002-05:00

I just got an email saying "culinary school wants you". I guess they heard about my fantastic breakfasts of animal crackers, my amazing lunches of hot dogs in the microwave with a side of (candy) corn, and my delectable dinners of, well, leftover breakfast and lunch! Maybe they'll even offer me a scholarship!

Oh, and I was only kidding about dinner. I actually fed them McDonald's. :)

Good, Better, Best

2008-09-10T01:06:00.003-05:00

Tonight I am weary. I have been very erratic with spending focused time with the Lord, so I decided to start waking up before the kids and having some time of Bible study prayer, and then working on learning Greek. I had a great prayer time, and I really wanted today to be a day of peace and joy in the house.

That so did not happen.

Just as soon as I said "amen", trouble began. It was just little things, quarrels and grumpiness, pouting, kids not wanting to do their part. Dad came home at 10 only to tell us he has been switched to the night shift indefinitely. After about the third crying jag of the morning from one particular child, I could feel my blood pressure rising.

I'm also dealing with some insecurities. "So and so is a much better homeschool mom than me." "I bet her house never looks like this." Apparently, we are out of cereal, and when I suggested waffles for breakfast, I learned we were out of syrup too, and so the kids had animal crackers for breakfast. I doubt the Proverbs 31 woman ever fed her kids animal crackers for breakfast! Then I wonder if I will ever be able to catch Eliana up to where she needs to be. The fact that she is behind only makes me angry with myself because I feel like I should be able to catch her up more quickly, and then when she doesn't understand things, my frustration is evident. I wish she could be more independent so I could do some fun activities with the younger kids, but she isn't and when I do the activities with the littles and include her, I feel like I should be spending time teaching her things that are more important. It's a vicious cycle of feeling that everything I do is the wrong thing.

I feel like I am giving everyone the short end of the stick.

I need the Lord to show me what is best.

It's good to have a clean house, the laundry folded and put away, nice meals prepared, a stocked pantry, clean toilets, swept floors.

It's better to spend time with my kids, teach them, encourage them, and build them up to be all that God wants them to be.

It's best when I remember what is better, and don't feel so guilty about the good I am neglecting.

And so this afternoon, we read The Big Picture Story Book Bible from cover to cover. I ignored the laundry and the spilled box of hair beads, and for a while anyway, I chose the better things.

Lord, help me to be all that you want me to be. Help me to choose the better over the urgent. By your grace, and through your strength, enable me to be all that you have called me to be so that I might raise up children who are passionate for you.

Church

2008-09-07T16:05:00.003-05:00

On Friday night I had a conversation with my brother Nathan. We were talking about doctrine and theology and church. I realized a few weeks ago that for a very long time, years even, I have gone to church because that's just what we do, and because it's the right thing to do. I don't have an abiding love for the (local) church. I love quite a few of the people at church. I appreciate the outreach church does, but I just don't love church. And that makes me very sad. I spent some time last week with a woman who doesn't go to church because she can't find one that believes the same things she does. I go to a church that maybe doesn't espouse the same doctrine that I do because I can't find a church that does. I wonder which is more dangerous?

Nathan told me I needed to try another local church. He suggested a particular one. Michael and I talked about it, but left it hanging. This morning Michael was sick so I took the kids to church by myself. The whole way there (to our home church) I kept thinking "I should just go, just try it". Then I went over all of the reasons I shouldn't go. Finally I looked at the kids (in the rearview mirror:) and said, "so, do you guys want to visit a new church?" They were all excited, which kind of gave me pause. We arrived just in time for Sunday School, having missed church already. The first thing I noticed were all of the children of different races. I got the kids into their classes, and went to the Women's class. It was really Christ-centered and I could tell the women genuinely cared for one another, and on a deep spiritual level. That was so appealing.

Afterwards I spent some time talking to the lady next to me. It turns out she has a child adopted from India, and is in the process of adopting again from India. I went to find the kids, ran into someone I knew from when I was in Bible Study Fellowship, and then was flagged down by the lady from Sunday School. She wanted to introduce me to Robin. She said we should talk and we would understand why she introduced us. Robin has six kids, three bio and three adopted from Ethiopia. She also homeschools. Our kids had met in Sunday School and were playing so they invited us to stay for their small group lunch. So, we stayed. Of the ten families there, Robin had six kids, another family had eight, and another had four. There were three other families who had adopted internationally, and four who homeschooled! I wanted to cry. It is hard to always be the "strange" family, and here...we weren't strange at all.

When we left, I asked the kids what they thought. Eliana said "Mom, half of my class was homeschooled! And there are other brown people there. That's cool!" Meghan said "They taught us from the Bible." Madeline said "We learned a lot, right from the Bible, and my teacher was a homeschool mom."

Doctrine matters. I want my kids to be rooted and grounded in their faith. I don't want them to have a shallow belief that is easy to fall away from, but rather a faith that is deep and enduring. I don't just want them to learn about how to behave or do good, but I want them to taste and see that the Lord is good. I want them to know the heighth and depth and breadth of God's love for them as demonstrated in Christ.

On the way home, Meghan said "mom, when I behave badly, I am allowing the devil to control me. I want to try harder to do the right thing. I said, "oh Meggy, you can't try harder to do the right thing. We have no strength to do right on our own. You need to pray and ask God to enable you to do the right thing. He will, honey. He is faithful.

I guess that's the crux of the matter. I need to be in a church that helps me to see my depravity and then leads me to the cross where through the Gospel I can find the power to become all that Christ wants me to be. I need grace, not good works, not encouragement to do the right thing, not inspiring music. Just Jesus.
****************************************************************
The kids are excited about trying this church again next week. Madeline is very concerned because this church has different beliefs on baptism than what we do. She is currently waiting for Uncle Nathan to call and explain to her why this church believes what they do so she can determine if this issue of baptism is of primary concern, or secondary. I love my little theologian!

Botanical Gardens

2008-09-06T09:59:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we went on a homeschool field trip to the Botanical Gardens. Only two other families from the group went, but we had a great time. We arrived shortly after the Gardens opened and stayed until they closed. We would have stayed longer if we could have!

This was a great field trip for us since we are studying botany this year. We just finished discussing vascular and non-vascular plants, and when I spied some moss on a rock we had a great opportunity to examine a non-vascular plant in person.

The Children's Garden was definitely the favorite and we spent several hours exploring it...and then went back again before we left.

We also took our sketch books and pencils and spent some time in the English Gardens sketching the flowers we saw. The premise behind sketching is to CAREFULLY observe your subject so that you are able to sketch it accurately. It is amazing to me how this activity has caused my children to become so much more observant and attentive. Throughout the gardens, the kids were constantly pointing out things to me that they observed. I also have them take a mental picture of something and then they have to draw it from memory when we are home. This helps them develop their ability to remember what they have learned. Since we have begun doing this I have seen an improvement in their ability to retain information for spelling tests and narrations.

We also got to explore and examine some very interesting statues! Check them out in the slide show.

Lapbooking

2008-09-04T15:34:00.010-05:00

Last year, my friend Sue introduced us to lapbooking. I had never heard of such a thing before, but when her kids showed me the lapbooks they had made for their astronomy study I was instantly hooked. A lapbook is a "book" constructed of a file folder(s). It is filled with mini-books that highlight different things that a child has learned in a study.

Nichole left me a comment asking if I could share a little bit about how we incorporate lapbooking in our school day. Right away, I want you to know that I may be one of the least crafty/artistic people who has ever lived. (In God and the History of Art, the author tells us that art is a learned skill, so I am really trying to learn.) I am very good at research though, so when my children are interested in something, or there is something I want them to learn, I search for a lapbook that someone has already made.

Right now I have printed off the lapbooks for camping, fire safety, and sewing (the words are all linked to the site where I printed the lapbook from). We anticipate completing these lapbooks with our Keepers of the Faith group.

Madeline is currently reading Little House in the Big Woods, and I just printed off the free lapbook here. You have to join the group to be able to download the free lapbooks. Meghan is also working on a George Washington lapbook.

Not too long ago, Madeline wanted to make an Emily Dickinson lapbook, and now she wants to make a Spider lapbook. Eliana just finished reading about Benjamin Franklin and is about to start a lapbook. Unfortunately (for me) I wasn't able to find a free lapbook for any of these topics. When this happens, I search blogs so I can at least get ideas of things to include in the lapbook. I show the child, and then they use my Template Lapbook to create their own mini-books.

To create my Template Lapbook I copied blank templates on brightly colored paper and then used velcro sticky tabs to put them in my lapbook. If, for example, Madeline wants a mini-book that includes five pieces of information, she finds a template that includes five pieces of information, traces it, fills it in, and cuts it out.

These are some pages from my Template Lapbook

That is how Madeline made her Emily Dickinson lapbook.

For our first lesson in Mystery of History we created this pizza fold Creation lapbook.

You can watch a video of how this works here.

We created one lapbook last year when we were studying astronomy. We got the free templates from the Notebooking to Learn Yahoo group.

Most of the lapbooks my kids do are actually done in their spare time. I mentioned that we were doing some of them with our Keepers of the Faith group, but the rest the kids just do to go along with whatever they happen to be reading about.

For our actual curriculum we mostly do notebooking. Only occassionally will we incorporate a lapbook. Currently we are working on Addition and Multiplication lapbooks. As the kids learn a fact family they create a minibook to add to their lapbook. I store completed lapbooks in an expandable file folder holder thing-a-majigy (sorry, if that's too technical :)I picked them up for $1 in the front cheap-o bins at Target.

Sorry the pictures are kind of lame, but hopefully this will you give you a place to start. If you have a question, please leave a comment.

Here are some of my favorite links on lapbooking:
Lapbooking by Jimmie
Homeschool Share This links to the Master List of free lapbooks, rather than the homepage.
Just Call Me Jammin' This links to the Resurrection Eggs lapbook. We did this last year for our Easter celebration.
Homeschool Helper

Happy Lapbooking!

Homeschool Closet Giveaway

2008-09-04T09:53:00.009-05:00

WINNERS!!!!
Shelf 1- Making Math Meaningful goes to Midwest Mamma at homeschoolheartandmind.blogspot.com

Shelf 2- The History LifePacs go to Angelita. I don't have your contact info, so you will need to leave a comment with an email address I can reach you at.

Shelf 3- The Miquon Workbooks go to Penney.

Thanks for participating!

Even after giving several boxes of books to Ride for Reading I found a few more homeschool items that I was ready to part with. Over at Little Blots- Christian Preschool Printables, they are having a Homeschool Closet Giveaway. I decided to join in the fun and give away what I have left.

On Shelf 1 I have a BRAND NEW COPY of Making Math Meaningful, Level 3.

This set includes the Teacher Guide as well as the Student Book. The set retails for $40.

On Shelf 2 I have a set of Grade 1 History & Geography Lifepacs.
The date listed on the inside is 1998, but I just purchased them new two years ago. The first couple of pages of the first Lifepac have some writing, but the rest are unused. This shelf includes ten Lifepacs and the corresponding tests, but no teacher's manuals. It retails for $41 from the publisher.

On Shelf 3 I have the Miquon Red and Orange Student Books.

These are older copies. I have had them for some time but they are both unused.

I may have a Shelf 4 in the near future, but I am still looking for the second book in the set. Check back soon, to see if I can locate it.

If you want to enter the drawing for one of the shelves, here's what you need to do:
My friend (and fellow adoptive mom) Kathy Cassell has written some fantastic books for Christian girls. She is just wrapping up her Summer Challenge, but is looking forward to starting a Homeschool Challenge. You won't want to miss out on this! It's an opportunity for your girls to win some free things for them (and you), while they learn about the books of the Bible and create some fun crafts. To enter your name in my drawing, visit Kathy's blog Just4ChristianGirls Leave her a comment, and then leave me a comment letting me know you commented on her blog. Are you following me???

If you decide to participate in Kathy's Homeschool Challenge, let me know and I will enter your name five more times in my give away.

Please note, I will only ship to the U.S. Winners will be selected on September 15 and I will publish the winners on my blog.

Curriculum Picks

2008-08-28T00:31:00.004-05:00

So, after much prayer, too much internet research, and many moons, I finally chose curriculum for this year. Here are my selections:

Science- Exploring Creation With Botany
I let the kids choose which Apologia study they wanted to do this year. Overwhelmingly, (which really just means all three school age children)Botany was the subject of choice.

History- Mystery of History
I was reluctant to go with a stand alone curriculum. No additional books are needed. This is the fist time in six years of homeschooling that we have gone with something like this. The kids are totally loving it though. The reading is only small chunks, with lots of activities and since we spend a lot of time reading other books, the activities are a great break from sitting and listening to mom read (although maybe bouncing on the balls will help with that!)The girls like this so much that we actually did history on Saturday because they didn't want to wait until Monday for the next lesson.

Math- I purchased Developmental Math last spring and we are still working through those. Each child is making a lapbook with the (addition, multiplication, etc.) fact families they are working on. Meg, who did terrible with Horizons Math, is excelling with this program and since she is at a lower level I will probably continue this curriculum with her. For the older girls, I am going to use "Your Business Math" over at Simply Charlotte Mason After that...I don't know. I am looking at Right Start Math and Math-U-See.

Language Arts- This is a hard subject. I didn't do language arts until late last year. My personal opinion is that most language arts (spelling, vocabulary,proper grammar, punctuation, etc.) is picked up by reading and reading and reading. This is my opinion because it's how I learned. I don't remember much from what I learned in school, but I "know" how to spell, write a proper sentence, and use big words because I am an avid reader. I would rather the kids spend time reading good literature, than going through a consumable workbook. I knew that because Eliana didn't speak English until a couple of years ago, she was still quite a bit behind, so I decided to break down and purchase a workbook. We are using Learning Language Arts Through Literature, and so far this has been the best option for her. I had tried an Abeka workbook someone gave me, but it was just too dry. LLATL is much more gentle than correcting a page of sentences. In all, I am happy with this program. Just like math though, we do it in small does...15 minutes and out!

Art- God and the History of Art. We haven't used it yet, but even Dad is excited about this one. It comes with postcard size reproductions of famous paintings. It's art history and theory all in one with an emphasis on artists who painted for the glory of God. Gotta love that.

Foreign Language- I'm going to learn Greek. The kids want to learn it too. I'm not sure they are ready, so I purchased Elementary Koine Greek for Beginners. It looks pretty simple, so I think I will save it for them since Nichole over at Theologyzine told me I needed to use Mounce's book, and then my brother Nathan (sorry, he doesn't have a blog yet for me to link) told me that Mounce has a FREE Greek course you can take online here. I did decide to use English from the Roots Up to introduce them to some Latin and Greek words, and to increase their vocabulary. We haven't used it yet though, since on our first day of science they learned six root words!

Music- I made a notebook for each of the kids. The first half is music theory and the second, music history. For music theory, I printed off this free workbook here. For history, we listen to a composer for a few months, read a little about him, and then make a notebook page.

Nature Study- Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. We will use this for our weekly nature walks.

Bible- We just bought the Day by Day Bible by Karen Henley. It's pretty neat. At the end of a year, we will have read the entire Bible. The two oldest are also working through "Now That I Believe" over at Biblical Training

Other- We are reading through "Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends" and "Beautiful Girlhood".

With the "littles", I am using the second half (semester, whatever) of Sonlight Pre-K as well as the free alphabet lapbooks at Homeschool Share.

"Generally" we do 15 minutes of math, 15 minutes of language arts, and about an hour of Bible before lunch. After lunch, we alternate history and science and then do one elective each day. Working with the littles happens whenever we can squeeze it in. Sometimes, I let the older kids work on it with the younger kids. This seems to benefit all of them.

Wow, now I am SO tired!

Some Sensory Fun

2008-08-28T00:30:00.000-05:00

I think there are some sensory integration issues going on at our house. Instead of singling out those who may need some input, I decided to treat ALL of the kids as though they have sensory needs. I went to Target last night and bought some things to use for school. In the past, focused attention has been what I ask from the children while I am reading. For some children focused attention meant blank stares. Not what I was hoping for! Now, each child has the choice of bouncing on a ball, squeezing a ball, playing with legos, etc. while I am reading, as long as they don't talk.

We were all set to go today when I realized that my crate o' curriculum was in the back of the van, which was with Michael at work. I literally had nothing and I didn't want to write the day off, so I pulled out a way overdue library book of Shakespeare's stories that we hadn't had time to read, and we spent the afternoon with Shakespeare and sensory input! I was sitting on the couch reading and all five of the kids were facing the couch bouncing up and down on their balls. They bounced for a good half an hour before moving on to the legos. It was really strange because Eliana always interrupts me when I'm reading to ask me what things mean, but she didn't today. When I finished The Tempest she told me she loved it! It's definitely watered down, but it's still Shakespeare. I was really impressed.

At my jewelry show tonight I was talking to a Speech Therapist and she has educated herself on sensory integration disorders so she gave me some resources. (It's so awesome how God puts people into your path that can help you.) I have been reading The Out of Sync Child Has Fun. It has some fun, easy to implement sensory activities that I am looking forward to doing with the kids. If you have any experience or advice, please feel free to share it.

And this is what Eva did....

2008-08-25T23:52:00.003-05:00

while we were doing school.

She has figured out how to throw herself out of the Bumbo, so I bought the tray to put on top. I can hardly get the tray off. It's very difficult because it slips under the seat itself. In the midst of reading about botany, Eva triumphantly held up the Bumbo tray. This girl is something else. I was nursing her earlier and she wouldn't latch on right. All of a sudden an orange bead flew out of her mouth! Isabella always wants to give her "things". Earlier today it was crumbs of sheetrock from a light Michael installed last night. Then the bead. I don't know what I am going to do. EVERYTHING goes right into the mouth.

Going Political (just for a post)

2008-08-25T23:01:00.006-05:00

I am trying to stay out of politics. I am always pegged as a Republican, but I don't think that I am a Republican per se. Obviously, I have some conservative views, but the older I get the more I just don't really care about certain issues, and the more I care about others...the others usually being the issues that will most directly affect me. Yes, I know that's shallow, but it's reality for all of us whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Of particular concern is my right to continue educating my children at home. I know many readers of my blog are adoptive parents and as such already have definite opinions of the United Nations in general, and UNICEF in particular. I have been following the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child, which if ratified by the U.S. would become the law of the land, superseding even our own Constitution. Please don't think this doesn't apply to you if you don't homeschool. It does. Read here to see how it might affect you.

For a long time, I have only voted for candidates who were pro-life. Now, I don't expect that Roe v. Wade will be overturned, but I would hope that pro-life candidates generally have a higher regard for life in general than their pro-choice counterparts. This is important to me as a Christian because I believe that 1)Life begins at conception. 2)God values life. I have realized that this can't be the only issue for me when choosing a candidate. In fact, there are things about Barack Obama that I like. He's very personable. He speaks much more candidly about "faith" than John McCain does. He's kind of cute...I'm only kidding. I just wanted to see if you were still with me here! He has, though, done some great things for impoverished minorities in the Chicago area. However, I think Barack Obama's stance on abortion is such that it would be impossible for me in good conscience to vote for him. I remember hearing a lot about the Infant Born Alive Protection Act back in 2004 after the pundits predicted that Obama might be a great candidate for President in 2012. What I heard made me ill. Please read this and do a little research before you commit to vote for Obama.

Right now I am feeling rather apathetic about my choices for a Presidential candidate. How about you? Please check out the links above and let me know what you think.

Shoe Taxonomy

2008-08-25T18:04:00.004-05:00

We started our Exploring Creation Through Botany book today. We just received it late last week and we were excited to get started on it. We learned A LOT today in just a few pages of reading. The kids learned the meaning of the Latin root words "bi", "nome" and "clature", and the Greek root words "bio", "ology" and "botane". We learned that all botanists are biologists, but not all biologists are botanists. We also learned about binomial nomenclature; how the scientific name is comprised of the genus and species, the genus is capitalized, but not the species, and the whole name is written in italics.

We talked about how things are classified by Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species, and that the process of classifying things is called taxonomy. The kids made a notebook page about what they learned and put it in their Botany notebooks. Then we classified shoes. We only broke them down through Order as we didn't have quite enough shoes to go all the way to Species. I took pictures and then used the digital scrapbooking software to make more pages for their notebooks. Here they are....

(I did say phyla which is the singular form of phylum...I wasn't sure which was appropriate. Any idea?)

I love notebooking, maybe even more than lapbooking. The reason I like it so much is that it makes it much easier to teach multiple ages the same material which makes my life a lot less complicated. All three older girls had the shoe taxonomy pages printed off for their notebooks since they all three participated. On the page where they wrote down what they learned, the youngest child narrated to me and I wrote it down for her. Then she made an illustration. The two oldest wrote their own paragraph and made an illustration. Now, if only I could make math and language arts this much fun!

Home Economics

2008-08-20T23:21:00.004-05:00

Today school consisted solely of home economics. Once a lady said to me "oh, I bet your house is always clean because you stay at home all day to clean it". If only! On the contrary, my house is never clean because there are always people here messing it up. About once every two weeks I start to go a little bit crazy and the kids know it's on...mom's going to make them clean house.

I realized a while back that the only person really cleaning was me, and sometimes Eliana. The rest of the kids went to "clean the basement" or whatever room I was not in at the moment. Low and behold, when I went to the basement...it wasn't clean. I had an epiphany. (I wonder how many of those I have had since I have started blogging!?) Anyway, I decided that fifteen minutes of cleaning diligently was much better than hours of piddling. Now, when it's time to clean, I say "it's time to beat the clock". I set the timer for fifteen minutes (or twenty, if I think I can get by with it...ok, ok, sometimes thirty if the house is really bad.) and everyone cleans as fast and as hard as they can. At the end of fifteen minutes my house ends up being more clean than when we would spend most of the day cleaning it. Incidentally, I decided to do this with math too and it has worked really well.

Certain children would say "mommy, look I cleaned the bathroom" after the timer went off. Unfortunately, their idea of clean and mine weren't necessarily the same thing, and so today we had lessons on how to accomplish certain tasks around the house. I was showing them how to clean a bathroom properly. I mean, a wet washcloth wiped around the inside of the sink isn't really sufficient. Madeline kept saying "oh my, oh my, I am cleaning a toilet" as though it was all very exciting and novel. When I aimed the diaper sprayer across the room at the bathtub to clean it, she was nearly giddy! Now, I have this weird little OCD thing I do. When a room is clean, the last thing I do is light the candles in the room. The room has to be completely clean for me to light the candles. If it isn't finished...well, no candles in that room. It had been a very long time since this particular bathroom was completely cleaned at one time, so long in fact, that the candles had some dust bunnies. I lit the candles (which hang above the bathtub) and went to clean something else.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll tell you my husband has this habit of drinking out of the bottle. This really irritates me to no end because once he has drank out of the bottle, who wants to finish it off, right? He had started drinking a bottle of grape juice sometime ago, and sat it on my dresser. My dresser is where I pile everything until it is sliding off in all directions, and is always the very last thing I clean so I had actually forgot the bottle was there under the piles of papers and other miscellaneous junk. As I walked out of the bathroom, I spotted the bottle and decided it was time to dispose of it. Apparently the bottle had been there a little longer than I thought because when I went to open it, the lid flew off and smoke poured out! I about peed my pants. I was so not expecting that to happen.

I needed to start laundry but by that time the kids were calling me. They had decided to clean the other bathroom and they were concerned because the water was brown. Fantastic! Apparently the hydrants were flushed in our neighborhood today. No laundry. Of course, Eva had on the last clean diaper.

If you remember back in January or February, we tore down a wall between two bedrooms to make one big room for the girls to share. That project still isn't finished and I have just about reached my limit with home improvement projects so my mother-in-law came over to help and we worked on the room all afternoon. Michael came home and still we worked. Finally, about sixish I decided I wanted to take a nice hot bath. As I was heading that way, Michael said "enjoy the wax". Huh? Yes, I had forgot I lit them and the candles above the tub had completely burned away and the wax melted all over the inside of the tub...and my shampoo, razor, etc., etc. You get the point. I have a feeling I will be smelling like a strawberry candle for a while. Michael was a little irritated, but usually he complains about the smell of the diaper pail...at least now he won't notice that odor!

Good times.

In Need of....

2008-08-16T18:44:00.002-05:00

Amdist the process of organizing my library, I decided it was time to part with some homeschool curriculum that I knew I didn't want to use anymore. I offered it first to my homeschool group, and my friend Shannon sent me an email to see if I had anything left. Her cousin runs a charity in Nashville, TN that distributes books to kids in low-income schools. Several weeks ago he ran into a man from Rwanda who is ministering to other Rwandan refugees. One of the things this man does is hold a school for 40 children. These children have no school books, no reading books, no curriculum. He teaches them with a chalkboard and chalk and they have a pencil and notebook. Shannon's cousin is trying to find some curriculum for them.

You can check out the ministry Ride for Reading here. If you have any school books, textbooks, anything that could help, please consider sending them to this ministry. There is an address listed on the site where you can send them. Thanks!

Homeschool LIVE!

2008-08-14T22:34:00.005-05:00

Our local newspaper has done a couple of stories on our family. One when we were in the process of adopting, and then another when our kids came home. A few months ago we were contacted by the photographer who shot the pictures for the second story. He said he had been interested in doing a story in pictures on our family. He came over so the kids could get acquainted with him, and then he came to take pictures at El's Birthday party. Today he came over to take pictures of us doing school. We are supposed to pretend he isn't around and "act normal". I, of course, didn't want the kids to act normal, but rather extraordinary! Instead, one of the kids continued to hang upside off the couch for most of the pictures, the baby screamed, Isabella and Jude fought and I wished I was on a beach somewhere! It was a good time.

This is what I felt like-

Come to think of it...I still feel that way! Maybe tomorrow will be better...oh wait, five kids at the dentist...don't think so!

History

2008-08-14T21:58:00.004-05:00

For the past several weeks I have been up until three in the morning. What has me suffering from insomnia? Trying to choose a history curriculum! For some reason this has been a monumental undertaking. Here's the issue: last year we purchased Diana Waring's History Alive! I only bought the early elementary curriculum and it wasn't quite as thorough as I would have liked. I gave the kids the option of either studying early American history this year or going back through ancient history more in depth. They chose ancient history (to my surprise). I was actually happy about this because I want to study history chronologically. I think it makes more sense that way. Anyway, I just could not find a program that I thought would satisfy all of our needs. Below are my choices and if you have used any of them or have any advice I would appreciate it.

1) Tapestry of Grace. I have gone back and forth about using this curriculum for several years. When I first started homeschooling I totally wanted a curriculum that laid out for me exactly what I should say and do and when I should do it. Now I am at the point where I want something simple that is more like a friendly suggestion than actual instructions. I reviewed the free samples at TOG and frankly, there was just too much to it. Maybe if I had the manual in front of me instead of opening a dozen browser windows I would have found it less overwhelming. The other consideration is that it's a lot of money. I'm cheap. I want a book of suggestions and then I'll go buy the books or get them from the library. I don't want to pay a lot of money for a curriculum manual, no matter how awesome it is.

2) Diana Waring History Alive! I viewed the sample pages on the website, but I was concerned that I would spend too much time explaining to my ESL daughter what all of the words meant and she would miss the history portion. I want to increase her vocabulary, but the older elementary program was just a little too rich in vocabulary for where we are right now.

3) My Father's World. A lot of people in my area use MFW (and I know some of my blog friends are using it also). So much about it appeals to me-combining Charlotte Mason with a Classical perspective, art and music are included...again though, it is expensive. I don't have all of the books listed, but I have a lot of similar books I figured I could substitute. The major issue for me was spending $100 on a curriculum manual.

4) Truthquest. I liked this a lot. Teaching a comprehensive Biblical worldview is one of the primary reasons we chose to homeschool and this curriculum really seeks to show how history reveals God and His truth, rather than focusing on the achievements of man. This is definitely a curriculum we will use in the future. The downside is that it doesn't start with Creation and the Hebrews, but with the Egyptians and Greeks. Also, I think some of the mythology is a little too dark and deals with some things my younger kids don't need to be exposed to just yet.

5)Mystery of History. What I really appreciate about this curriculum is that it teaches world history alongside Bible history. I had no idea that Joshua and King Tut; Ruth and Helen of Troy; Daniel and Aesop; Ezekiel and Buddha; and Nehemiah and Socrates all lived just decades apart from each other! I think this offers a unique perspective on history, and I "think" this is the one we will go with.

I haven't ordered anything yet, but I need to soon because I need the rest of my curriculum. I order all of my books from Rainbow Resource. Their catalog is about 1300 pages and full of great information. They have almost every curriculum you could want (except the older grades of MFW) and their prices are consistently lower than any of the online retailers, or even purchasing directly from the publisher. Be sure to check them out first (and request a catalog` it's daunting but there are great reviews inside.)

If you have used one of the above curriculum's, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Seeing God

2008-08-12T17:25:00.005-05:00

The artist we are studying right now is Paul Cezanne. I chose him arbitrarily because we were at the library one day and I spotted several books about his life and works. Interestingly enough, before Cezanne was influenced by the up and coming artists of the Impression period, he painted his pictures so thickly that they cracked. He didn't use a brush, but rather a palette knife. The kids noticed right away that a palette knife looks very similiar to a table (butter) knife and wanted to know if we could try it. Luckily, we have plenty of freezer paper left from our timeline so we got out the knives and started painting! Painting with a knife is actually harder than you would think. The kids wanted me to paint with them, and I am not all that artistic so I had to sit and think about what I would paint. I am totally inspired by rays of sunlight. The picture below from our most recent nature walk really spoke to me, so I painted this picture:

I realized when I was painting that the reason I like rays of sunlight so much is because I see God there. In the picture I took, I saw the evidence of God in flowers that grew in rock under a bridge, for wasn't it His hand that caused them to grow there? I wonder about people who don't believe in God. The Bible tells us in Romans 1:20 that since creation the invisible attributes of God can be clearly seen and that is why ultimately we are all accountable to Him. I think maybe in 2008 in America we miss seeing God's invisible attributes because we don't take the time to observe His creation. I realized on our first nature walk that there are hundreds of butterflies in a field I had driven past, but until we took the time to sit...and be still...and watch, we missed them. In five minutes we found at least ten different varieties of insects. I see God's creative nature when I look at what He has made. I see His power, His glory, His majesty when I pick a bouquet of wildflowers, when I watch how alfalfa dances in the wind, when I see cattails growing, or I drive down a road so dense with trees it's like I am in a tunnel.

And when I see rays of sunlight...that's when I see God's hand reaching down from heaven. Can you see Him?

Timelines

2008-08-12T01:07:00.002-05:00

Studying history chronologically has always appealed to me. I always liked history but I never could figure out how things fit together. Then in college we started learning about Aristotle and reading Homer and I couldn't for the life of me figure out in what period of time they lived...I knew it was ancient times, but what exactly does that encompass? When I first started looking at curriculum years ago I knew I needed some sort of timeline, so I bought Sonlight's Book of Time along with the Pre-K curriculum. It's still sitting unused on my shelf, though because I couldn't figure out what to do with it. If we started filling it with the people and events we studied I knew the kids would fight over who it belonged to, or they would never use it. They like to show people who come over what they made, and I knew either everyone would claim it or no one would claim it. Either way, that wasn't what I wanted.

Over at Simply Charlotte Mason there is a free template for a Book of Centuries that you can print out for your child. Click here to check it out. I loved the idea of each child having a keepsake book of everything they studied through the years, but I didn't feel like printing off almost 400 pages for my oldest three children to have a Book of Centuries. Additionally, I wanted it to be something that we could constantly refer to, and I thought a great big timeline on the wall would be fantastic. This way we could see everything at a glance, without having to flip pages.

My timeline is very simple. In fact, it is made with freezer paper and electrical tape. You won't need a whole role of freezer paper, but it's nice to have on hand for any painting projects you may want to do. I have one long wall that I wanted to put the timeline on, so I layered my timeline in two rows. I have also seen them broken down into four sections and layered one on top of the other.

Here I found some information on creating timelines, including how far apart to space your dates, and which dates to include. This is a great site with lots of info about timeline figures and history games. Don't forget when making your timeline that time actually moved toward zero during B.C. (I did!)

We are so happy with our timeline and it's a fun thing to show everyone who comes over, as well as a reference point for your children's future studies.

More Nature Studies...

2008-08-09T16:55:00.004-05:00

These were all pictures I took on Saturday's nature walk. Today, I had the kids choose one of the pictures to write a poem about. It was a great way to incorporate creative writing into our nature studies.

I think I have found a new passion for photographing nature too!

Organizing a Library

2008-08-09T00:20:00.003-05:00

The books on my bookshelf were stacked two deep and all of the shelves were bowing. I knew I needed to do something. When I ordered two books from interlibrary loan in the last week, only to discover I already owned said books, I knew the time had come to organize. Two nights ago, we began the process of organizing the books. Michael thought we had a few hundred. I guessed about five hundred. I stopped last night at 416, and I am estimating that there are about 200 left to catalog. It has been quite an undertaking, but I am so pleased with the result. I think organizing my library was slightly easier for me because I worked at a library for six years and so I'm familiar with the process used to catalog books. I thought that I would share my system with you all. I'll try to keep it interesting. :)

In my previous system, I grouped books together by category. For example, all of the children's history books would be together, then all of the science books, all of the easy readers, etc. This was fine when we only had a few books, but as we added to our library some categories would overlap, and I found it difficult to categorize some books. Ultimately, I knew the best way to organize was by using call numbers based on the Dewey Decimal system.

I started by having the kids separate non-fiction from fiction. Michael assisted with this part. While they sorted, I created an Excel spreadsheet with two sheets. The first was for fiction, the second for non-fiction. In column A I listed the book title, column B was for the author's name, column C for the call number, and column D for location. I only broke my location out by either upstairs or downstairs. You could number the bookshelves, which is something I may do in the future.

The call number is the part that can be a little tricky.
For fiction, I labeled them this way:
Goodnight Moon Brown, Margaret Wise FIC BRO Downstairs

For non-fiction, you don't have to have an in depth knowledge of the Dewey system to categorize. Most books list the number inside. I tried to pick a book that most of you would have. Bibles don't generally have a Dewey number inside, so I chose "The Purpose Driven Life". If you have your copy handy, open it to the title page. Turn the page. On the back of the title page, about halfway down, it says "Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data" At the bottom of that section, it says
"248.4---dc21". That's your Dewey number. My entry in my database looks like this:
Purpose Driven Life Warren, Rick 248.4 WAR Upstairs

(You'll notice in that same section it lists some headings: "1 Christian Life I Title". These are the topics the books are listed under in the library system. If you wanted to add a fifth column to your spreadsheet you could list the topical headings. Then, if you were looking for a book on say, Colonial America, you could sort that column and find all of the books you own on Colonial America! I will actually go back later and do this because I think it will make it easier to find books for school.)

Some books don't have the Dewey number inside. This is a pain. My first attempt to locate the number consisted of searching my own library system to see if the book was listed. Then I just copied the number they had. If the book wasn't in my system, I looked for books of a similar topic, and copied that number. (Since it's my own library it doesn't have to be exact.)

I entered the books into my database in groups of 30 because that is how many labels I had on each sheet. After I listed 30 in either category, I saved the spreadsheet and opened a Word doc. I used the mail merge function to format my labels. If you need help with this, leave me a comment and I will email you detailed instructions. I printed them off, taped them to the book, and then had the kids file them. Madeline particularly enjoyed learning about the "Dewey date numbers".

If you want to get your kids involved in organizing your library, or you want to teach them about the Dewey decimal system, check out this site.

Here are a few tips for making your library aesthetically pleasing:

~ Leave space at the end of each shelf to add more books as your library grows. Take the last two books of the row and lay them flat to use as a bookend.

~If your first row of books runs from left to right, start the row beneath in the middle of the shelf.

~ Since books vary in size, rather than pushing them all to the back of the bookcase, push them all to the front. This looks so much nicer, and also makes it easier to see what you have since nothing gets "hidden" way in the back.

~Place magazines in baskets rather than shelving them like you would books. This also makes it easier to flip through and see what's available.

Happy Organizing!

More Reviews

2008-08-08T01:25:00.002-05:00

Konos (just for Nichole :)- Many moons ago, I read a book that had everything you needed to know to get started homeschooling inside. I read about Konos, and I was inspired! I could not wait for Madeline to be old enough to use it. There was something so appealing to me about learning a character trait through all of your studies. Imagine my delight when I found a copy on the consignment shelf at the homeschool store for only $10! I brought it home and with eager anticipation cracked it open, but alas, my mind was blown. Granted, the copy I have is an older version, but I found it to be daunting and confusing. Each character trait is like it's own book all rolled inside a huge book. That means each character trait starts over on page 1. It makes it very difficult to locate a particular study. Konos is more like a book of ideas than a complete curriculum. I kept the book because it had some good ideas for hands on learning experiences that we will use in the future, but as a stand alone curriculum it will take a lot of prep work for the teacher. I also recently checked their website, but I found it to be very vague. Unless a curriculum comes highly recommended, I won't buy it without viewing a free sample on the website. I couldn't find much useful information on the Konos site, and so I can't tell you if the curriculum has improved since I purchased my copy or not.

The Prairie Primer- Ah, growing up, there was nothing better than being sick and spending the day watching Little House on the Prairie and The Price is Right! I already had the whole set of Little House books, so when I found the Prairie Primer on the consignment shelf I snatched it up. I bought a couple other books to go along with it and we got started. We didn't finish it though. In my opinion, this is more like a fun study to go along with your regular curriculum. There were lots of interesting projects, but who has a pig bladder to make a ball with?! Seriously, that's one of the activities! I know in the future, we will go through the whole study and I am looking forward to it...other than the pig bladder.

Learning Language Arts Through Literature- We are using the Yellow books right now. Here's why I love LLATL, even though they are workbooks. Spelling, Handwriting, Grammar, Reading Comprehension...all in one book. It's so easy to use. Eliana will actually get this book out and do it on her own, and previously language arts was her least favorite subject. Rainbow Resource sells the book packs that go along with each study and they are really inexpensive, like $15 or so for all the books you need for the year. At the end of the year, you have a completed workbook and good books too. Also, if you are a Charlotte Mason fan, LLATL incorporates copy work. I have found that this has really helped Madeline improve her handwriting even more than just using a handwriting book.

A Reason for Handwriting- I liked the idea of this program more than I liked the actual program. Even before I had ever heard of Charlotte Mason, I discovered that Madeline would much rather copy a sentence from a story, or a verse from the Bible, than write the letter C over and over and over again. If you want your little one to learn to write letters, use Explode the Code. Then, when he is writing, he can copy whatever he wants, in his very best handwriting of course! Copy work from a book is free. I didn't buy a handwriting program for anyone other than Madeline. The rest have used copy work until I moved them into LLATL where they learn cursive.

History Alive!- We started the Ancient Civilizations: Creation to Christ last year and never finished it. All of the kids have been interested in American History this year, so I had been looking for a curriculum that covered early American history. I finally decided I would just make up my own, but then after discussing it with the kids, they said they would rather finish Ancient Civilizations instead and save American history for another time. We have been using the early elementary guide, and I have paired them with the recommended books from the older elementary guide. I really like these materials by Diana Waring. I like to see God's hand in all of history, and she does a fantastic job of explaining how things fit together. I thought about Tapestry of Grace (which I have been thinking about for several years now)but the Diana Waring materials are much more economical. If you are using this with a younger student, skip the CD's. They are much more appropriate for older children.

Apologia Science- We will never use another science program. I feel very comfortable saying that! This year, I didn't even look at science curriculum. I listed the Apologia choices for the kids and they chose Botany. The books are beautiful, laid out so well, are written in the Charlotte Mason style, and endorse creation. I also really like the immersion approach to science more than the hodge podge. Rather than having knowledge that is a mile wide and an inch deep, your children will have gained a tremendous understanding of the area you study and be able to see God's hand in all of it. The activities are so fun as well. You can teach multiple ages with one book that costs less than $30. Best of all, Jeannie Fulbright has the corresponding notebook pages on her website for you to download and use~ FREE! I love, love, love this! Check it out.

Developmental Math- This is what we are using now. Unfortunately, it is very hard to get a copy of certain levels. Level 9 has been on back order for over a year! I chose this program because if your child can read, they can teach themselves. Not because I hate math, but because we are stretched for time, I needed something that the oldest girls could use independently. I have never seen math taught like this before, but it is very logical and easy to understand. Most surprising, after trying everything under the sun with Meghan, I gave her a copy of book 1 and she did the entire book in just a few sittings. Before the book she had trouble counting. Now she can add like it's nobodies business! I have been trying to figure out what curriculum to switch to since I can't find book 9 anywhere and both Madeline and Eliana begged me to let them keep this program. I'm praying we can find book 9 because I hate to mess with a good thing. This program does not teach things like time, money, calendars, etc. They assume these are things your kids will pick up on their own.

Horizons- We only used math. I liked it, but it can be redundant. Once your child masters something in the beginning of the book, it seems kind of pointless to continue repeating it for the next 160 pages. I feel like we cover much more information in a lot fewer pages using Developmental Math. For a child who needs a lot of repetition, Horizons is nice. It is also written from a Christian perspective.

I looked at my bookshelves and we have also used the following:
Spelling Power (ha! I almost misspelled spelling!)
Simply Grammar
Home Economics for Homeschoolers
Art Adventures at Home
Making Math Meaningful
Story of the World
We Win!
A host of books on manners (I think we have 4 or 5 of them).

If you are interested in any of those, leave a comment and I'll tell you how it worked out for us.

Also, in case you are wondering, I usually don't buy a Bible curriculum. Right now we are using "Just For Me- The Bible" by Kathy Cassell. The girls love her books and enjoy doing the crafts. She also has a summer challenge right now so if you are interested, check it out here. We are reading through the Bible, and study the Bible with the history curriculum. I believe all knowledge starts with God, and so everything we study comes back full circle to Him anyway. We don't need a separate curriculum to study His Word.

I'm Not Cathy Duffy...

2008-08-07T00:51:00.004-05:00

but here are my reviews.

Five In a Row- We actually used Before Five in A Row the first year I "homeschooled" Madeline. I think she was 3.5 at the time. It's not expensive. I think about $150 and that is if you choose to buy the book pack. We did and still today I read the books to the kids. If you don't want to buy the books, most are available through the local library system.
www.homeschoolshare.com has a lot of lapbook templates that correspond to the BFIAR curriculum. This would be super fun to do with Pre-K students and in fact, I am using some of them with Jude and Isabella this year. When I initially used this curriculum, I felt like I needed something a little more structured. That was probably because it was my first year. If you haven't decided if homeschool is for you and you have a pre-schooler you want to test the waters with BFIAR is a great (and reasonably priced) way to go!

Sonlight- This was the curriculum I really wanted to use our first year homeschooling. The reason I did not purchase it was because of the cost. Finally, after dreaming about it for a year (I'm weird about books you know!) I decided to buy it. Madeline loved it. Just like BFIAR it comes with some fantastic books, and it does have a few workbooks that go along with it if you're into those. :) I really have no complaints with the Pre-K program. This is a good curriculum to choose if you are pretty sure you will homeschool subsequent children. Knowing that you will reuse it will make the initial outlay a little less painful. This curriculum also comes with enough material that you could stretch it out over two years if you wanted to. With Sonlight there is a LOT of reading, and once you are past K it becomes almost burdensome to try to read all of the material aloud in a day.

Hooked-on-Phonics- When I was in high school I had a shirt that said "Huked on Foniks Werkd For Me" or something to that effect. In any case, I love Hooked on Phonics for teaching children to read. Luckily, I have a lot of family members who have taught, and one of my aunts gave me the complete HOP set. Even if she hadn't, I think it's worth the investment. I have also seen the set at Big Lots and after the school year started it was marked down 50%.

Explode the Code- Madeline was a slow reader. She loved when I read to her, but she had a difficult time learning to read on her own. Personally, I would rather she love to read than be reading early, or even "on time", so I didn't force the issue. Instead, we took a break and then I bought Explode the Code. Using this in conjunction with HOP took Madeline from a frustrated pre-reader to an above grade level reader in only a few months. The Get Ready, Get Set and Go for the Code books are nice too because your child can learn to write the letters and practice fine motor skills as he learns to read them.

Leap Frog Toys- This isn't technically curriculum, but these toys are awesome! About a year and a half ago I bought the magnet that goes on the fridge with all of the letters of the alphabet. Jude and Isabella play with it all of the time. Jude (who is 3) can tell you any letter of the alphabet, tell you what any letter says, and if you tell him to go find a letter he can find it and bring it to you. He can even identify letters in a book! I bought the Word Whammer at the same time, but the batteries were dead and I (still) don't have new ones. I have a feeling that once he starts playing with that he will be reading in no time. For $10 you can't beat it. Leap Frog also has videos (again, get them from the library)that will help kids learn their letters and sounds.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Boring, er, I mean, Easy Lessons- I'm not even going to bother hyperlinking this because in my opinion it's not worth purchasing. I know that homeschool moms everywhere have taught their children to read with it, but I don't know how they managed to stay awake while doing so. Here's why I don't like it: there are no pictures. Boring. Then you say motor....boat. Have your child repeat you. Then they say it fast. For all of my children, fast equals LOUD. Listening to your child scream MOTORBOAT over and over, well, it's enough to make you want to poke your eyes out. If your child already knows the letter sounds from the Leap Frog toy, then they can be reading a story (with pictures) from the HOP set in no time. Reading a story is so much more gratifying than reading random words. I also like that the pictures give a clue about what the child is reading. Even if your child uses the pictures to help decode the words, at least he is reading and that is exciting and makes him want to continue to read.

Alpha Omega LifePacs- My mom uses these with her kids. I used them with El when she first came home. I really wanted to get her up to grade level and I thought if I used a workbook type curriculum that we could speed through and get her where she needed to be. In hindsight, I wish we had just read a lot of books. LifePacs are like mini-workbooks. You have to have the teaching manual to teach. There is very little information on the corresponding page in the student books. The teacher's manual is well laid out and if you really want a more traditional school experience where you teach to your children rather than facilitate learning, this is a good curriculum. If you purchase every subject, you will spend a few hundred dollars and have completed workbooks at the end of the year, but no real books to pass on or read over and over. That's a bummer.

Switched On Schoolhouse- If you want to homeschool but are afraid you can't, then SOS is for you! It's all on the computer, and your student can either read the lessons or listen to them. I purchased this because my kids were always wanting to play educational games and I thought they would enjoy it. I was wrong. They hated it and asked me to never make them do school on the computer ever again. You won't spend your school hours snuggling on the couch reading with either SOS or LifePacs, so if you love books, neither of these curriculums are for you.

Tomorrow I'll tell you my thoughts on:
Horizons
Learning Language Arts Through Literature
Konos
Developmental Math
History Alive!
Apologia Science
A Reason for Handwriting
A Prairie Primer
and any other curriculum I can remember using.

I have actually used all of these. Some for a few weeks, some for a few months, and some for a few years. In the beginning of our journey Michael and I both wanted to find a curriculum and use it for years. We have found though, that it is trial and error. Some things work and some don't. After six years of homeschooling, we are just getting to a place where we know our kids and our teaching styles well enough to know what will work best.

Super Heroes Like Beethoven Too!

2008-08-06T16:58:00.002-05:00

Yes, this is how two of my kids dressed for school yesterday! We took Kayla's advice and painted what we heard. These pictures were painted to Symphony No. 3 in E flat Major.

May May's Birthday

2008-08-06T16:49:00.002-05:00

My girl is 6 now! It's hard to believe.

Nature Walk

2008-08-06T16:14:00.008-05:00

Last year I purchased the complete set of Charlotte Mason books. I haven't read them yet, but I am finishing up A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola. Charlotte was a big proponent of kids spending time observing nature and developing their own relationships with what they observe. Not being much of an outdoorsy type of girl, I don't generally spend a lot of time out in nature. Since we are studying botany this year and because Madeline keeps telling me we need to go see nature so she can get some inspiration for her poetry, I decided to surprise the kids with a nature walk. My ultimate goal was to find milkweed and a caterpillar so we could watch it form a chrysalis and turn into a butterfly. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in that endeavor. Other than the heat, and the poison ivy I am sure we will all end up with, we had a fabulous time.

We came home, had popsicles, went swimming, and now the kids are looking up the flowers they picked in a field guide to see if they can determine what they found. I also bought each child a sketch book and I told them they needed to bring their sketch books and colored pencils along on our adventure. Later, they will also write about their experience. Here are some pictures I took of our day.

I saw these and slammed on the brakes so we could stop and observe.

Before I picked one for the kids to touch I made them guess what they thought it felt like. No one expected it to be fuzzy!

These are some insects we saw.

On this last picture there is actually a green and black insect of some sort, try to see it!

Flower and Berries:

I am very impressed with my new camera I bought before we went to Florida. There is a world of difference in quality. I was also amazed at the amount of beauty we found so close to home. I have been very concerned that we would not be able to find any flowers or things to observe near our house, but all of this was only a few miles from our house, and only about a mile from a refinery! When I opened my eyes to see, I was amazed at all of the flowers I could find.

Our schoolroom

2008-08-05T13:55:00.007-05:00

In previous years we have done our schoolwork on the kitchen table or couch. Having school at the table began to drive me slightly insane because at lunchtime, everything would have to be moved even if we were in the middle of a project. Back in January when Michael had his car wreck, we ended up getting more back for the car than what we owed. We decided to use the extra money to finish the basement and put in a schoolroom. When I told Michael what I wanted to do, he thought it was kind of crazy, but he humored me and here is the result. It's kind of messy...we have way more books than shelves, and some books haven't found a permanent home yet either.

This is where the older kids sit. I wanted to design the room to be as useful as possible, but also inexpensive. We purchased pre-cut laminate counter tops at Lowe's and installed them in an L shape around the perimeter of the room. Right now they are only braced with 2X4's, but we have decorative columns that will be going up underneath instead. Each child has a workstation and all of the books they are currently using are in their little plastic box. My aunt is a teacher and she gave me these. I have no idea where she got them, but they are very handy...even more so than the crates sold at Wal-Mart because they take up much less space. The stools they use are simply bar stools from Wal-Mart. I think the tall ones are $30 each and the short one that I sit in is $25. At the end where I sit, there is also a pre-fab cabinet from Lowe's. I actually bought the sink base because it was quite a bit cheaper than a regular cabinet and the only difference is there is no drawer. Above where the kids sit you will see our time line. We just started this and it is something I am really excited about. I'll share more information about how you can make one in another post.

This is where I sit. I write current projects on my dry erase board. I also have a trunk and a crate below me where I store materials for our lapbooks. This is actually where I am sitting as I type this! :)

This is on the other side of the room from where I sit. This is the computer the kids can use to play games on, etc.

This is a close-up of the timeline. Can you guess what we are studying?!

Seasons

2008-08-05T13:37:00.003-05:00

By now, most of you know or have assumed, that I am no longer working for FHG. During my blog fast I really spent some time seeking the Lord, and trying to determine the direction He would have me go. My life had become a very stressful balancing act and my family was suffering for it. I asked the Lord to show me what I needed to keep and what I needed to let go of. He showed me that someone else can do my job, but no one else can raise my kids. I talked to Michael about it, and he agreed that the work was becoming too much. When I made the decision, and told my kids, they were so happy. That hurt my heart. Here I was, at home every day, and my kids were missing me. There is no more, and no less, to the decision than that. My first and primary calling is to my family.

Right now my priority is homeschool. If you read the post below, you will know that it is my passion. Soon I will explain the decisions that led us to homeschool, and some of the exciting things we will be doing this year.

While the changing of the seasons of life is sad, I am excited at all God will do in our family in this new season.

A Potpourri

2008-08-04T11:09:00.002-05:00

I was lying awake in bed last night thinking about my friends who read my blog, and about how most of us will likely never meet in person this side of heaven. We'll never sit down and have a cup of coffee or have the chance to know the random little things that make us who we are. I never do those pre-made surveys because even if I tell you what my favorite ice cream is, you won't know that I don't particularly like ice cream. I thought it would be interesting to tell you some things about me, and if you feel so inclined you can post on your own blog (or leave a comment here)about the interesting things that make you who you are.

I love toile and wrought iron. I like to spray paint wrought iron and hang it on my walls. I like day old popcorn and at night I will pop some to save for the next day. I don't really like kids which I know is strange since I have a lot of them, but having my own kids is different than watching someone else's. My favorite color is pink. I am passionate about homeschooling. I hate TV and I tell my kids pretty much daily "TV makes you stupid. Books make you smart." I do like to watch movies and I almost always cry at the end...even when they aren't sad. I LOVE to read and my favorite smell in the world is books. I am currently enthralled with Jane Austen. I love to study the Bible and I use big words a lot. Michael said he knew we were too much alike when he used "pomp and circumstance" in a sentence at work last week. I am terrible at cross word puzzles. I loathe milk. The last time I had a glass was before I have a memory...must have been twoish. I don't drink alcohol. I have no tattoos. I have tiny hands, about the size of my seven year old daughter's hands. I have gross feet because I hate to wear socks and so my feet are always dry and cracked. I used to sing in front of people. I prefer to wear a shoe with a heel. I like dresses paired with jeans. I love necklaces and very large, slightly tacky rings. All my life I wanted a swimming pool. I don't like big houses, but love big yards. I am not an animal person. I have colored my hair since sixth grade and no one, not even me, can remember what my natural color is. I am very opinionated. I'm considering learning Greek. I have never dieted in my adult life and the only time I ever have my weight checked is at the doctor's office. I talk to my mom every day. I love the beach. My favorite state is Texas and I love Austin. I like to write. I never finished college. I haven't worked at the library in over seven years, but they still waive all of my fines for me. I currently have 68 items checked out. I went to college to be a missionary. I have never liked McDonald's and I especially hate Happy Meal toys. My rule is once they land on the floor, they belong to the trash can. (I don't buy them~ my mother-in-law does.) I am a stickler for manners. I like to play cards. I wear makeup and do my hair almost every day. Affection does not come naturally to me. I have a hard time telling people I am not related to that I love them (even if I do). I am a terrible dancer and have no sense of rhythm. I don't like mean people. I appreciate self-disclosure and most of my close friends are people who also appreciate self-disclosure. I tell the truth even when it's ugly and my kids always get in more trouble when they lie than when they tell the truth. I am very forgiving and don't hold grudges. I like being an adult much more than being a teenager or a kid. I am very forgetful (which is one reason I don't hold grudges :). I get orgainzed every July and am unorganized again by August. I respect people who like to learn. I don't like when people are vague. I never read the end of the book before the beginning and I have finished almost every book I have ever begun. I love romance. I wouldn't change a thing about my life now, but I wish I could rewrite my past.

Perspective

2008-08-03T01:18:00.004-05:00

The past two weeks have not been good to the vehicles in our household (or the drivers of said vehicles). First, Michael's mini-van leaked out every drop of oil all over our driveway, street, and the work parking lot. We took it in to have it looked at and unfortunately, it has a cracked engine block. Because we are also paying our property taxes right now, there is no money for a new engine block. Michael will just drive it until...well, I guess until it quits running altogether.

Then, last Sunday night Michael was coming home from Wal-Mart, and my van died. Yes, that would be the van that just had a new radiator installed. I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and the phone rang. It was Eliana's parents in Haiti. Technically, international adoptions are closed adoptions, but when we picked Eliana up in Haiti two and a half years ago we chose to give her parents our home number. Every other Sunday night since she came home, her parents call and they talk. We pray for her family often, and especially when they tell her someone is sick, or there is a particular need. They pray for us also and everytime Eliana finishes a conversation with her parents, her dad always tells her something to pass on to Michael and I.

On this night, I was stirring my pot of food and grumbling in my heart about how irritating it was that neither of our cars worked, and Eliana came in and said "Mom, my dad in Haiti said things are very bad right now and that there isn't a lot of food and he almost cried because he wanted me to tell you thank you so much for adopting me and he loves you and dad very much." Never is there a request for money, or pressure on Eliana to help them. There is only love and for that I am grateful. All of this only served to put in perspective for me that there is more to life than the cars I drive, or don't drive or the clothes we wear or the size of our house. I am blessed with a family and shelter and so very much that so many people don't have.

It turned out that my van was only out of gas and so I wonder if maybe God just wanted me to change my perspective...and ultimately, my attitude.

What's Up With Beethoven?

2008-08-03T01:01:00.002-05:00

While I am not necessarily opposed to Hannah Montana and the like, I would like my children to grow up with an appreciation for the arts. We will be listening to the music of one composer for several months until we have a familiarity with his work, and then we will move on to someone else. (We will also continue this practice with artists and poets~ see sidebar).

Apparently Beethoven doesn't sell quite as well as some other music because I found a two disc set on clearance at Wal-Mart. Eliana scrunched up her face the first time I put it in and told me she couldn't concentrate on reading when there was music playing because she wanted to listen to the words. I told her that it was her lucky day because there were no words to this particular music, and that in fact, it may even help her concentrate on what she was studying. She confirmed this about half an hour later and now every time she goes into our schoolroom she turns on Beethoven. It's a beautiful thing.

I'm back

2008-08-02T15:45:00.003-05:00

My blog fast is over and I think the time spent away has changed me so much. In a few days I will explain some of the things God has shown me, but today I am enjoying changing the look of my blog. I'm glad to be back!

June Pictures

2008-06-23T14:22:00.005-05:00

Getting the Point

2008-06-23T11:04:00.003-05:00

In thinking back, it probably started about two years ago. I bought a book at the Christian book store from the best seller rack. The book was called "Blue Like Jazz". In reading the book I was struck by how down to earth the author seemed and I kind of liked how he saw God in the seemingly ordinary events of life. We had just brought our kids home from Haiti and my heart beat strong for social justice, mercy, and the cause of the orphan. I had grown up in a church (that I perceived) was little interested in transforming the world and more interested in doctrinal purity. We had been to a seeker sensitive church, but missed the discipleship and the deepness of studying doctrine, and were now in a church that had love as its core value and was seeking to engage postmodern society. Still, something was missing for us. My brother told me it was hearing the truth of God's Word being preached expositorally. We just knew we wanted to hear from God on matters...not what we "felt" like God was saying to us or what others thought about things.

A few weeks ago I had a comment on my blog that said "When you choose to cause someone else to suffer... you too will suffer. I am sorry you have to go through this, however, I do believe that God is just." I really prayed about this comment, and specifically for the individual who left me the comment (for a multitude of reasons that don't pertain to the subject of this post)but I really wanted to seek God about this. You see, in the past few years we (Michael and I) have experienced everything from nearly fatal eating disorders to job losses and a million other little painful things in between. Never once did I think God was causing me to suffer in return for causing someone else to suffer. Chastising and rebuking me as a child He loves? Absolutely. Allowing hardship and suffering so I would learn more about His character, His faithfulness and love? Definitely. Bringing difficult circumstances and people into my life so that I would learn to trust Him fully and grow to treat others with compassion? Certainly. Meteing out some form of cosmic justice in a twisted form of karma? No. That's not God. What I realized from the comment though, was that we are so ignorant of who God really is. The God of the Bible is so far removed from karma. If He dealt in karma...we'd all be condemned and without hope.

I have a hope though.

Last month, a family I know through church lost their six year old son. He just went to bed and never woke up. That's my worst nightmare. My heart aches for them, for all that will never be.

In Florida, I saw a picture that one of my dear friends had posted of her and I online. I saw there was a comment and I read it. It said "so, have you convinced her to assimilate yet?"

I read all over the internet that "living faith can end poverty."

Here's what I know: living faith can't end poverty. Somehow, as Christians, we have moved so far away from this idea of salvation securing our eternal destination, to believing that by our good deeds we can usher in utopia on earth. For the past few years I have cared less about Biblical doctrine, and much more about making the world a better place through adoption, fighting poverty, etc. etc. Jesus didn't come to make the world a happier place. He came to save us. It's wrong to think there is a solution to what ails the world. We are all what ails the world. For as much good as we do, we also do as much bad. That's why God doesn't deal in karma. He deals in grace.

We should keep fighting to make the world a better place, to help the needs of those afflicted by aids and poverty, to be a voice for orphans and all those who can't fight for themselves...but we can't lose sight of the bigger picture. A cup of rice may fill someone's belly today but this life is a breath. We need to be so eternally minded that rice in the belly is an opportunity to share with them the Bread of Life.

If I people are already going to think I am in need of assimilation I may as well stop being so prideful and start boldly proclaiming what I believe. Anything less is a waste of my life.

I have asked God to show me how to make these days count the most. I don't know what He is doing, only that He is breaking my heart for those who are lost. For the next 40 days I will neither be blogging or reading blogs, but instead seeking the will of my Reedemer. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Detours

2008-06-22T01:31:00.004-05:00

We had a great time in Florida. The beach is always so relaxing. My mom had a great 50th B-day and we celebrated my 29th as well.
We left for home last Saturday. We took the scenic route...went to the beach, just to pick up some shells and get our feet wet, but by the time we were done we had all gotten in the water, totally soaked. Since the A/C wasn't working we figured we would dry off pretty quickly. We decided to stop by downtown Disney, just to walk around, which made me really wish we had gone to one of the parks. We finally started for home about 4:30. Around 6:30, just North of Gainesville, Michael told me the van was overheating. We decided to stop at the next exit and check things out. By the time we got to a gas station, the van was seriously smoking. I walked the kids to a McDonalds next door, and let them play on the playland without purchasing anything, while Michael bought coolant and tried to locate a mechanic, and I started dialing everyone I could think of on my cell phone to figure out what to do. This is a problem. It's Saturday night, we are basically in the middle of nowhere, with six kids and a vehicle that doesn't work. Even if we had somewhere to go, it would take a couple of cars to get all 8 of us there.
The kids are praying, I'm crying, Michael's irritated...it wasn't pretty. Michael decides we are going to load back up in the van and "keep on truckin'". We make it a few more milesdown the road and pull off at a gas station. Michael goes inside to talk to someone working there. This young man comes out, looks at the van, pronounces that we have a problem with the radiator, and tells us we need to get to Lake City. It's starting to storm by now, and I am really crabby, wishing we would have just stayed at McDonalds. We drive a few miles down the road...there aren't even any exits! The van is really hot, so hot that the temperature gage breaks, smoke is now pouring inside the van and Michael is coasting down the shoulder because the battery is dead. We roll into a rest area and praise the Lord, there was a state patrolman. I hop out of the car to tell him the situation, and he helps us find a towing service. We end up spending the night in a rather scary motel, and the next day we called a cab service to take us into Lake City and a Holiday Inn.
The mechanic tried to find a radiator on Sunday but to no avail. This was very unfortunate as Michael was supposed to start a new job on Monday. Luckily, they held the position for him, and we finally made it home on Wednesday morning...and there went our economic stimulus check.
We are glad to be home. Coming home from vacation is always stressful because it seems like the work multiplies while you are gone. Anyway, I have a new camera and I will try to figure out how to post some pictures tomorrow.

Buncharunyons in Florida!

2008-06-09T09:39:00.004-05:00

We are here on vacation in the Melbourne/Palm Bay area. We are having a great time (other than the horrendous sunburn I got after only a few hours at the beach). The trip down was interesting. The A/C in our van stopped working somewhere in Kentucky so it was a hot ride. While it took us two whole days to get here, it was all worth it when Eliana saw the beach for the first time. I have already taken over 100 pictures that I will try to post soon...not all 100 of them obviously.

If you live nearby and would like to come hang out with our bunch at the beach this week send me an email and we will get together.

Updating my Blog

2008-05-31T02:37:00.003-05:00

My friend Emily took pictures of our family this week. I mentioned that I wanted to update my blog picture and she made this super cool one for me to add. Some of my favorite pictures are at the very bottom of my blog. Scroll all the way fown to view the slideshow. I am SO excited to have new pictures. Thanks Em!

Surrender

2008-05-25T16:17:00.003-05:00

I don't know what to say, how to start this. I thought I was full of faith and trust, but over the past week God has been showing me all the areas of weakness in my life. He's showing me all of the ways my faith is so small.

I have been frustrated and full of self-pity. I told my friend Robyn this week that I feel so hopeless, so exhausted, so at the end of myself. She told me that even though I feel hopeless, things aren't hopeless. Then she said something that was like a slap in the face. "Hasn't God always provided for you before?"

The truth is, He hasn't. He hasn't provided because I have never let Him. I am a pull myself up by my bootstraps kind of girl. I like to get things done, accomplished. I don't wait around to see what's going to happen. I prefer to make things happen. I never wait to see what God is going to do. I just take care of it myself. Maybe, deep inside, I am afraid that God isn't going to do anything good for me. Maybe, those promises of hope and a future are all for someone else, not me. Maybe I don't trust God like I thought I did.

Now we are in a place where I feel like I have exhausted all of my resources. I am finally at the end of myself. And the truth is, this is right where God wants me. If I am really going to walk with God, love Him more passionately, then I have to trust Him. I have to trust that He will take care of us. I have to trust in His goodness and His faithfulness. I have to cling to Him and Him alone.

A friend sent me this devotion yesterday from Os Hillman. It couldn't have described more pefectly where I am in this season. I'm so thankful that He is still working in my life.

"So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak." - Genesis 32:24
All that Jacob had lived for was coming down to one event - his reunion with Esau. More than 20 years had passed since Jacob had manipulated his father's blessing away from his brother Esau. During these years God had been changing Jacob from a controller and manipulator to a man who was learning to trust God. He was now ready to meet Esau. However, he was fearful that Esau might take revenge on him and his family for his past sin, so he sent a gift ahead, while he retreated and sought mercy from God.

As an angel appeared to Jacob, he realized the only hope he had was in God. Only if God blessed him would he survive this ordeal. In the past, Jacob would have sought to solve his problem his way. Now, he wanted only God's way. He wanted Him so badly that he wouldn't let go of the angel. He was striving with God, but it was the right kind of striving. Jacob was striving to have all God's blessing on his life. He was seeking God with all that he had. "When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man" (Gen. 32:25). The only way to overcome the strong will of this man was to physically immobilize him. The angel touched the socket of Jacob's hip. It was painful; it broke him. This was the final stage of removing the old nature from Jacob. It was the place of complete brokenness and surrender. No longer would Jacob walk in his own strength. He would now have to lean on a cane, symbolic of his leaning on God alone.

It was the final act from God in Jacob's life that was celebrated with a new name - Israel. No longer would he strive with God or man. The process was now complete. God could now bless this man abundantly. He gave him favor with Esau and restored their broken relationship.

What does God have to do in our lives to remove the controlling and manipulative nature that so often is part of a workplace believer's life? Perhaps it will require a time of immobilizing, loss of a job, loss of income, loss of health, loss of a close relationship. These are His methods of preparation. Your new nature will not be complete until you've stopped striving with God through your own self-efforts. If God is taking you through this process, be encouraged; it is because of the inheritance He has prepared for you. However, the inheritance can only be received when God brings us to total dependence on Him.

First Cereal

2008-05-24T13:05:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday, Eva had her first solid food. She wasn't too sure about it. She kept putting her hands in her mouth and getting cereal everywhere, but she had fun doing it. I can't believe my baby is already four and a half months old.

So Grown Up

2008-05-24T13:01:00.005-05:00

Last month Eliana had her hair straightened. Then I found this super cute dress for her at New York and Co. for only $3.99! She looks so grown up.

Words of Wisdom

2008-05-24T11:35:00.004-05:00

I read this devotion today. So many times we think when we disagree with other people that one is right and the other wrong, but that isn't always true. I love how this devotion drives the point home, and reminds us how to treat people we disagree with.

"Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not
think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not
continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they
parted company" (Acts 15:37-39).
Conflict in the workplace, in ministry, or even marriage is inevitable because
you are working closely with one another. God has wired each of us with
different personalities that can view circumstances differently. One person can
see a situation and conclude something totally different from another.

There are times when differences and conflicts just cannot be resolved. It
doesn't mean that one person or the other is evil or sinful. It just means that
the difference of opinion or the personality clash has no solution.

We see an example of this in the relationship of Paul and Barnabas, two partners
in Christian ministry who had a sharp disagreement regarding a young man named
John Mark. In Acts 15, we see that Barnabas wanted to take John Mark on a
missionary journey. However, Paul refused. John Mark had disappointed him once
before and Paul didn't want to give him another chance. In the end, Paul and
Barnabas agreed to disagree and to part company. Paul went one way; Barnabas and
John Mark went another. Sometimes, that's the only solution to a disagreement.

There's a postscript to this story: In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul writes from his
prison cell in Rome and tells Timothy, "Get Mark and bring him with you, because
he is helpful to me in my ministry." Sometime after the disagreement between
Paul and Barnabas, John Mark redeemed himself and became a valued partner in
Paul's ministry. In fact, as Paul faced execution in Rome, he wanted his friend
John Mark at his side.

Whenever there is disagreement, make sure you maintain support of the person at
the same time you disagree with their position. Avoid personal attacks and
implying motive behind someone else's position. This will allow you to disagree
and still maintain a relationship."

Attitude Adjustment

2008-05-19T12:57:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all of you who left comments, shared scripture, and prayed for us. I am in the process of letting God adjust my attitude right now. As soon as that is through I will post again. Please keep praying for us.

Prayers Please

2008-05-15T16:15:00.003-05:00

Haven't I posted this before? I am having a bad case of deja vu. Michael got laid off today. Apparently the company that had work "at least" until the end of 2008, is out of work. We so did not see this coming. Anyway, please pray that God will bring him another job soon, and that we won't be discouraged.

Mother's Day

2008-05-13T00:21:00.003-05:00

When I'm not exhausted I'll post more on some of the things I have found out about attachment in the last few days. That requires more thought than I am currently able to muster up, so I'll post about my very exciting Mother's Day.

I woke up to the sound of Madeline singing "Happy Mother's Day". We all got ready and headed to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. The kids got me a gigantic bag to use at the beach on our upcoming trip. It has pink and green stripes (my favorite colors). After lunch, we went to Trader Joe's, and got some yummy food (double cream Brie and Chipotle Pepper Hummus). We love Trader Joe's but it's not just down the street or anything so we don't get there too often. We came home and I really wanted to take a nap, but we had stopped by Pottery Barn and I picked up the summer catalogs and that got my wheels spinning. P.B. stuff is so expensive, but the catalog always inspires me to come up with my own designs.

My mother-in-law came over, and she and I went to Wal-Mart so the kids could get ready for our Mother's Day extravaganza. They decorated the house, and got us gifts. I have been teaching them the joy of yard sales and Eliana had purchased me a dish of potpourri and Meghan a plastic ball with a bell inside. It's hard for me, because I hate chatzky, i.e. the junk that clutters my house, so my first instinct is to throw it away but I know that would really hurt their feelings, so I will look for somewhere to display my treasures. The kids put on a talent show consisting of High School Musical songs, and then served us Snicker bars and Dora cupcakes.

It was a really nice day. I guess I had better start planning for Father's Day!