PRACTICE IS PAYING OFF!

I just had to post this horse picture that my 6 year old daughter, Myah, drew last week. She did it all on her own with a little help from daddy on the legs. She just loves drawing and she loves horses! It's so fun to watch the drawings improve over time!

A GREAT SCRIPTURE MEMORY METHOD

Whether you homeschool or not, this is a great way to help your family learn Scripture in an easy way. Not only that, but it's teaching the life skill of memorizing Scripture! It's even good for those of us adults who need a little fire put under us to learn more of God's Word! The thing I like about it is that not only are you learning new passages, but it's a great way to review what you have already learned, and there's no pressure. You can go at your own pace.

It's a Charlotte Mason method, and you can read about it here. (Thanks to my new friend, Mandi, for bringing this method to my attention It's working well for us so far!)

HINTS FOR EASIER TRAVELING-- PART 2: ENTERTAINMENT!

Living in MT has helped our kids immensely when it comes to getting use to being in the car a lot. We travel 1 hour to church every Sunday and 45+ minutes to Billings two other times during the week for Joel's speech. I don't pack toys, books or anything along for them. If they choose to grab something on the way out the door, fine, but I just can't think about it for 3 kids as frequently as we go. It has taught them to enjoy their surroundings a bit more -- looking for cows, horses and hawks are always a favorite! When all else fails, they pick on each other, and drive mom crazy! :)

A 23 hour trip, however, is much different. There is plenty of time to enjoy surroundings and still be bored stiff. My kids love creative play. If you give them a few horses or animals of any sort, they can go crazy for an hour making them talk about anything. Here are some other thoughts of what I plan to bring...

* tub of horses/animals
* handful of matchbox cars
* drawing paper, stuff to write with
* books (hopefully I'll get to the library before we go for some new ones!)
* Leapsters (which is a treat b/c I never have the batteries charged up for them)
* magna doodle (I think ours is broke, though...)
* DVD player...yup, we give in to this one on these long trips. It only gets put in the car once a year when we travel to MI, but it works oh-so-well for that peace & quiet you just need once in a while when you're all crammed into a tiny place for such a long period of time! (Do I sound like I'm making excuses?????) :)

I'd love to hear any other suggestions you may have for entertaining children in the car. Do you know of any of those artsy things that would work? Keep in mind, I have very little time before we leave and don't want to go out and spend a fortune on new gadgets. I also like to keep things organized and un-messy (no cutting or pasting projects). The car has no problem becoming a pig-pen on it's own!

HINTS FOR EASIER TRAVELING -- PART 1: FOOD!

As I anticipate 23 hours on the road the end of next week, (& we won't even think about the return trip of the same distance only a little more than a week later!) I'm trying to gear up the best I can to make things as easy as possible. One thing I've learned about road-trips, especially with kids, is that having healthy snacks readily available is very important. We made this same trip last year, and only stopped for one meal the entire trip, if I remember right. (A healthy breakfast in the morning!) I just can't stand eating all that fast food, and it makes my stomach churn just thinking about it. Here are some thoughts about what good "road-trip" food might be. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share! I'd love to expand my horizons a bit!

* fresh fruits (oranges, grapes, apples, etc.)
* fresh veggies (carrots and broccoli are favorites in this family, and yes, we have to have dip -- the little containers work best!)
* peanuts, mixed nuts, sunflower seeds
* crackers, pretzels
* summer sausage
* cheese slices or string cheese
* yogurt cups (save you from having to buy the "parfaits" at Mc D's)
* bagels (with mom controlled cream cheese)
* granola bars
* lots of water bottles

I even thought of stocking up on things like those cold coffee drinks at Costco before we go. Otherwise at 2am, Evan is buying caffeine to keep himself awake and paying $2+ for something! (He's not usually a caffeine guy...only when he has to drive at 2am b/c his wife can't keep her eyes open...)

Another thing I have learned to do is bring a bowl/container of some sort along for each child that is their own. Then when they want something, I serve it to them in that. They put any trash back in it and hand it back to me.

Any other suggestions??

FAVORITE HOLIDAY CHILDREN'S BOOKS

I tuck away our Christmas books every year and pull them out when we decorate the tree. This makes them extra special and fun to read this time of the year. Some of the books in our book basket include the following: (I'd also love to hear what some of your favorites are!)

A Star From the Least by Amy Jo Hoekzema
A Child's Christmas at St. Nicholas Circle inspired by Thomas Kinkade
The Candymaker's Gift by David & Helen Haidle
Mary Did You Know? by Mark Lowry
The Legend of the Christmas Tree by Rick Osborne
The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg
A Candle in the Window by Grace Johnson
A Cat in the Stable by Troon Harrison
Cranberry Christmas by Wende and Harry Devlin
The Polar Express by Christ Van Allsburg
Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart by Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada

Every year my mom picks out a new Christmas story and blesses our children with it. It's been a great way to add to our collection. We also love to visit the library and see what Christmas books they have. We recently read one called "A Christmas with Grandfather" and it we all enjoyed it. I'm just amazed at all the good literature that is out there for our kids to enjoy, each season of the year!

FINALLY GETTING AROUND TO MY BLOG!

Life has been really busy lately, so I've had to put this on the back burner. I started a post about a week ago, but struggled with uploading my pictures, so I gave up. Dinner is in the oven. The house is mostly cleaned for Bible study tonight. Cranberry cheescake bars are made for tonight and Myah is folding socks for me. I have about 2 minutes to catch up! So, here is a quick update on what's been going on in my head....and our lives!

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE HUNT!
This past weekend we kept the tradition alive of traveling to Red Lodge for our annual Christmas tree hunt. We trudged through the National Forest and finally chose a small "charlie brown" Christmas tree to take home. We always go on the weekend they are having their Christmas stroll, so we can enjoy the later shopping times and all the free goodies they hand out. This is one of my favorite days of the year every year! Hopefully I can get some pictures on here eventually!

NEW HOMESCHOOL IDEAS THANKS TO A NEW FRIEND!
Met another homeschool mom through some friends of ours and though we live in different states and have only known each other less than a week via e-mail, I feel like we already have become very close friends. We have a TON in common, only she's about 3 years ahead of me in life. I've been having some frustrations lately, and it's always nice to have someone who's "been there and done that" to talk things through with. She gave me oodles of new websites and resources to check out for homeschool. I plan to pass those along in a later post because they have already been SO helpful to me and maybe someone out there could also benefit from them. I've been trying to really focus on what methods God is calling me to use with our family and how to incorporate what I feel He's showing me amidst our very busy scheule. We've already implemented many new ideas, adding daily lessons on character and also we have started a new thing called "notebooking", which Myah thoroughly loves, and Joel can do already as well. (More on that later, hopefully!) Now I just need to wait for a little extra cash to order a few more goodies! :)

PUTTING OUR HOUSE UP FOR SALE?????
Still trying to figure out how I feel about this one. I have mixed feelings, but after the holidays, we plan to pur our house on the market, if all goes well. I'm sad because this is "home" and has been for over 3 years, and though we are outgrowing it desperately, I love this house! I am also very excited, however, because this means a new chapter of our lives is beginning. This next chapter will include a ton of work, but in the long run, will be a wonderful change for our family. The house we are buying is on 42 acres, and we were just out there this past weekend to take some family photos, and I just loved it. There were pheasant and fox tracks in the front yard, and we scared up 8 white-tail deer from the fields as we were walking. The rabbits were everywhere and it was so peaceful. We just have a lot of work to do to even get that house livable!

LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR TRIP HOME
We plan to leave in about 2 weeks. I'm excited to see everyone, especially my grandpa, who was recently in the hospital. I'm looking forward to spending the holidays with the people we love! Just wish I could snap my fingers and be there instead of spending 23 hours on the road to get there!

ABOVE RUBIES
Just got a some new magazines and can't put them down. (Which is bad becuase I've been staying up way too late reading them!) If you haven't checked these out yet, you NEED to! Very encouraging stuff for families!

TWO PINK LINES!

I've been waiting to write this for weeks now, and I still can't even post it yet until some more family hear it from our lips. Yes, we have had the thrill of seeing those 2 fabulous lines on a pregnancy test for the 4th time!

Baby #4 is due to arrive sometime in June, probably around my 30th birthday! We have even had the privaledge of hearing the little heartbeat on the dopplar at 9 weeks, which is very early for that, but God blessed me with that moment early on.

I think telling the kids was the most fun this time round because the older two have experienced this before and know what to expect. Myah wasn't sure we were telling the truth (obviously she couldn't SEE it yet) and Joel right away said he wanted a brother. We had to explain that we don't get to pick what God gives us, and later he took that back and said he wanted another sister. I think he was realizing some of the privaledges of being the ONLY boy! Either way, we are thrilled, and the kids are excited as well.

By the time this is posted, I will be through the first trimester, thank the Lord. I don't remember ever being so tired with the previous ones, but then again, I didn't have as much going on, and had the privaledge of napping daily which doesn't happen as often this time round.

One more funny story is that we were tossing around name ideas already. It literally takes us all 9 months to decide on something, and then, as the case was with Kiana, we changed it the night before she was born! Anyway, Joel wasn't happy with anything we were throwing out there, and he wanted to call the baby "Jeepy"! (Jeeps are his favorite thing ever right now.) :) I'm sure there will be many more thoughts to come on this new little miracle in our lives, but just had to share our news, and now that word is "out", I can actually post this!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This is my favorite time of the year. The holidays are beginning. The excitement of time with family, cooking large meals and enjoying the love we all share is near at hand. This year we have Evan's parents here and his sister and foster son are joining us on Friday as well. We sort of are planning to have 2 Thanksgiving meals -- a smaller one with just the 7 of us and then one on Saturday once Erika and Derrel have arrived. That will be our main celebration. The thing I'm looking forward to the most, I think, is reading our big, long chain of things we are thankful for. That has been one of the best activities for our family. It has forced us to think about the details of the things that we take for granted on a regular basis. I think even the garbage man made the list!

Our church recently sent out a team to Uganda to do some mission work. What an amazing experience they had over there. Maybe someday Evan & I can do something like that. The people there have nothing according to our standards -- not even clean water. I just cried as I heard the testimonies Sunday. We have no idea HOW MUCH we have to be thankful for living here in America. The team did talk about how Jesus just radiated off the faces of those over there who love him. He is everything they have. We are now trying to raise money as a church to dig a well, in one of the war-torn areas over there, where they don't have clean water. If they just had clean water, so much of their suffering wouldn't exist. Clean water! It's so easy living in America to lose our focus off from Christ because we have so much around us to distract us from Him. But, imagine, if He was literally ALL we had, how different we would view Him. My Savior is the ONE thing I am most thankful for! He is our hope!

We are so blessed as a nation. Enjoy this holiday season with your families and friends, and remember, God is good...all the time!

ONE MORE THING ON MY PLATE

I am hesitant to even write a post about this, but I suppose knowing that other people know I'm attempting this task will help to keep me accountable. For MANY years now, I have wanted to learn to play the guitar. Back in highschool (or was it college?) I got a guitar for Christmas, and have slowly picked away at learning a chord or two here and there and then setting it down for a year only to forget everything I had learned, as little as it was. I even attempted to teach myself through some "at home videos", which I also failed miserably at. I remember praying about it and just asking God that if it's His will for me to learn, then I needed Him to help me.

Since we've been hosting a weekly Bible study at our house, and our pastor drives out to lead it every week, he has been giving me 1/2 hour guitar lessons for the past month or so. I still only know a handful of chords, but at least feel like I now have the means to learn more, if I can only absorb everything I can from him during this time. My biggest issue is time to practice, of course, but I just had success with my fingers stretching to one of those more difficult chords, (which I've been trying to get for weeks now, it seems!) and now am encouraged enough to keep going!

A BLURP FROM "THE HOMESCHOOL MINUTE"
FROM THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE MAGAZINE

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, let us not forget to be thankful for the freedom we have to homeschool. Those of us in America are so blessed to live in a nation where homeschooling is legal in EVERY state. Take some time this week to express your thanks to those homeschooling pioneers who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. At the same time, don't forget to lift up our brothers and sisters around the world who are still fighting for homeschooling freedom.

SO THAT'S MY PROBLEM!

(Got this in an e-mail and thought it was worth posting here!)

I decide to do the laundry. As I start toward the basement, I notice that
there are cheerios all over the floor and my car keys are in the cereal
bowl.

I decide to pick up the cheerios before I do the
laundry. I lay my car keys down on the counter, put the cheerios in the
trash can under the counter, and notice that the trash can is full. So,
I decide to take out the trash.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the
mailbox when I take out the trash I may as well pay the bills first. I take
my checkbook off the
table, and see that there is only one check left,
my extra checks are in my desk in the office/playroom, so I go to my desk
where I find a sippy cup full of juice. I'm going to look for my checks,
but first I decide I should put the sippy cup in the refrigerator to keep
it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the sippy cup a
vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye - they need to be watered. I
set the sippy cup on
the counter, and I discover baby wipes that I've
been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back in the
bathroom, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the wipes back down and splash some water on the flowers, but most of
it spills on the floor. So, I get some paper towels and wipe up the spill.
Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day: the laundry isn't washed,
the bills aren't paid, there is a warm cup of juice sitting on the counter,
the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook,
I can't find the wipes, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done
today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm
really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it,
but first I'll check my e-mail.

HOMESCHOOL ENCOURAGEMENT...FOR THIS WEEK! :)

Once again I got this from the Homeschool Minute from the "Old Schoolhouse" magazine. I was blessed by it and wanted to pass it on! Can you tell one of my biggest struggles is being overwhelmed???

God Multiplies More Than Just Fish!

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6:9

Remember the story of Jesus feeding the 5000? The hungry crowd gathered, but the disciples didn't have any food. They wondered how they would feed all of those people – surely it would take at least 8 months of wages. But then one boy showed up. He didn't have much – just five loaves and two small fish, but he gave what he had. Jesus took the boy's five loaves and two fish and multiplied them to feed a crowd of 5000 with leftovers!

As homeschool moms sometimes we wonder how we can do it all. Others may wonder too. They are thinking about all the logistics – time, money, resources, other responsibilities. They are thinking about how big the task is. But we need to remember how big our God is. If He can multiply the five loaves and two fish for 5000 surely He can bless our humble efforts to meet the needs of our children! If we are willing to give of ourselves, God will make sure that there is enough time, enough energy, enough patience, enough books, enough money, enough wisdom, and even some leftovers!

Written by: Nancy Carter, Senior Editor, HomesteadBlogger.com

A NEAT PARALLEL

Our new "Five In a Row" story for the week is Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say. I loved this book as I read it for the first time today, mostly because I could relate to it in so many ways. The book tells a story of the boy's grandfather, who grew up in Japan, but visited America and fell in love with it, especially California. He later returns to Japan, gets married and moves back to California, but is always somewhat homesick for his homeland. Eventually, he moves back to Japan, and because of WW2, never gets the chance to visit America again, which he always longed for. The boy grows up, and visits America himself, and falls in love with it, just like his grandfather.

I love this quote on the last page because it sums it up so well... "But I also miss the mountains and rivers of my childhood. I miss my old friends. So I return now and then when I cannot still the longing in my heart. The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other."

That last line sums my heart up well. I love Montana. I love the wide open spaces, the majestic mountains and all the creatures that live here. I love the pace of life out here. I love the simplicity of it all. I love being so close to so many amazing features that our country has to offer -- Yellowstone, Glacier, etc. I love all the new friends we've had the opportunity to meet.

The problem is, I miss home, too. I miss Lake Michigan and all the sunsets I've watched go down over that lake. I miss white sand beaches (and believe me, compared to what we have out here, they are WHITE sand beaches!) Of course I miss our family and all the traditions I had growing up. I miss my old friends...

The funny thing is, when I travel home, even for a visit, I am homesick for Montana. But when I'm in Montana, I am always somewhat homesick for Michigan. Oh, could I ever relate to this story!

APRAXIA

Joel's new speech therapist has recently diagnosed him with something called apraxia. This article explains what apraxia is very well and another can be read here.

Developmental apraxia of speech (DAS), is when a person has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently. They have a hard time positioning the face, tongue, lips, or jaw for the production of speech sounds and for sequencing those sounds into words. So, even though the child knows what he wants to say, he has difficulty saying it correctly when he wants to.

One of my frustrations with Joel is that he can say something perfectly clear one day, and the next day really struggle to get it out correctly. This is very typical of DAS and is only "fixed" after he has had so much practice saying those sounds correctly that it just comes as second nature to say it the correct way. Patience! I'm learning patience!

A child does not "grow out of" DAS. Speech therapy is needed to correct this. Because Joel's case is very mild, his therapist thinks that with about 2 years of intesive therapy, he will be talking pretty well. Joel has been working very hard for her, and I'm so proud of him. He's come so far in the past year alone. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for him in the past. I finally feel like we're getting to the bottom of his situation. Sometimes God brings new people in our lives to help with the next step of things, and I believe that is just what He's done through Joel's new therapist. When I thought having to find a new therapist would only set Joel back, I couldn't have been more wrong. It actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise!

HOMESCHOOL ENCOURAGEMENT

Boy, did I need to hear this this week. I just read this short little article from "Old Schoolhouse Magazine". I wanted to post it hoping that you might be blessed by it as well.

_________________

Faith Walk

Do you ever struggle with wondering how you are going to get it all done? How you can teach your child everything that you want him to know, especially when you're also busy trying to be a wife, take care of your house, and all of the other responsibilities that you have? It's an overwhelming thought!

But if you'll go back to God's word, He can ease those anxious feelings. Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." If you'll just start by focusing on what God wants you to get done each day, then He will add all the other things.

Homeschooling is a faith walk. It takes faith and commitment to stay the course when those around you are full of criticism or discouragement. Just take one step at a time. God will take care of the rest. Just stay the course.

Nancy Carter, Senior Editor

KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

My grandma sent me these little prayer cards a while back, and they have been such a blessing to me. They are called "Keys to the Kingdom" and are based on Matthew 16:19, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." They are available here. They provide 40 different Scripture-based prayers for your husband, children, wife, etc. -- each in their own category. Sometimes little prayer cards are perfect reminders to pray for things that we don't always think about. Thank you, Grandma, for blessing us with these! They sure mean a lot to me.

MYAH IS 6!

Myah's birthday was last week, and I'm just now getting around to posting pictures. Can you tell she LOVES horses? She especially loves to draw them. I'll have to post some of her artwork sometime. Today she told me, "Sometime I'm going to have a Bible horse. That's a horse I can ride around on and we can pass Bibles out to people who don't have them." God's already instilling in her a desire to reach the lost. Praise Him! That's my heart's biggest cry for my children is to be in His will doing His work for His glory!

ANTELOPE SUCCESS!

Just had to post this beautiful picture of my man with his first kill of the season. Evan took this antelope this past Saturday, and his story behind it truly describes it as God's blessing for our family. It truly is amazing how much money a family can save when they spend time hunting and filling the freezer with meat provided this way. Sometimes, however, I do forget to be thankful for God's provision when we're in the middle of processing it. That is my least favorite part of hunting season because we do it all ourselves. I do appreciate Evan, who bears with me and my attitude issues through the process, though. (And HE does most of the work!) It's always worth it when it's all finished and in the freezer.

A HUNTIN' STORY TO MAKE YOU SMILE

A buddy of Evan's spends one week a year as a hunting guide down in Wyoming. This is his story....

He was guiding 2 guys from Virginia on an elk hunt. One guy, who was desperately trying to get on his horse, kept telling the horse to "STOP!" and "STAY!" The guide commented, "It's not a dog. He responds to reigns."

A little while later, down on the trail, the guide heard that same hunter yelling at his horse, "REIGNS!" :) The guide, almost falling off his horse from laughter, responded, "I meant the ones in your hands!"

Now, I don't tell this story nearly as well as I heard it, but I guarantee, if you picture this in your head, you'll still be giggling about it in a week!

LIVING LIFE ON PURPOSE


Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV)
"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil."

We had our Thursday night Bible study last night, and our topic for the night was Ephesians 5:15-16, and also relating to all the previous verses in the chapter. The following are some points I got out of our discussion last night -- some of them general, and others more personal:

* We are to live life, taking advantage of the opportunities we have to share Christ in this dark world we live in. The idea came up that Paul would love to live in this day and age simply because of the opportunity we live with to share Christ with so many lost people.

* Our actions are vital to sharing Christ. "Be careful, then, how you live..." (vs. 15 NIV)

* I am to live life as a CHRISTIAN who happens to be a mom, a wife, a neigbor and a friend. But I am first and foremost a Christian, and that should channel every action, word and thought I give.

* I need to be purposeful about all the tasks laid before me. Personally this means to me, teaching my kids as much as I can about the truth of God's Word and His love for them. Being purposeful not only means taking advantage of "teachable moments", but really taking the time to teach them from God's Word.

* Don't just react to what life brings you, be purposeful about living it every day.

* We are to "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations"...a disciple is a "disciplined learner"... am I being disciplined in my walk with Christ?

* Often times when we think of God's will for us, we think of the big things in life -- whom shall I marry, where do we live, etc. But once we know who we are in Christ, and keep Him first in everything, those big decisions in life will come easy.

* We are lights in this dark world, and where there is light, the darkness will be expelled. "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (vs. 11). We can do this only because of the light of Christ that is in us.

* Live life ON PURPOSE, because we have a purpose to live it!

MY FAVORITE BREAD RECIPE

I just typed this up for a friend, and thought I might as well post it here, too, while I was at it. This is by far, my FAVORITE bread recipe! Make one for now, and put one in the freezer!

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD BREAD

3 pkgs. (1/4 oz. each or 2 1/4 tsp. each) active dry yeast
2 1/4 c. warm water
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. salt
5-6 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. sesame seeds (opt. -- I sometimes use a garlic topping)

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar & oil. Mix well. Stir in whole wheat flour; let stand until the mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, beat eggs and water. Remove 2 Tbsp. to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate. Add remaining egg mixture and salt to batter; mix until smooth. Add 4 cups all purpose flour and beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes. Punch dough down and divide in half. Divide each half into thirds. Shape each into a rope about 15 in. long. Place 3 ropes on a greased baking sheet; braid. Pinch ends firmly and tuck under. Brush with the reserved egg mixture; sprinkle with sesame seeds or other topping. Repeat, placing second braid on the same baking sheet. Let rise until doubled, about 15-20 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to cool on a wire rack.

UPDATE ON JOEL'S SPEECH THERAPY

God is good. His new therapist is AMAZING! Joel asks almost every day if he gets to "go to my new speech therapy today?" :) He loves it, and is working VERY hard for Vicki. She's impressed with how hard he works for her. It didn't take him any time at all to conclude that he liked her. Thanks for those of you who said a prayer for him during this transition time.

PRAYING FOR OTHERS MADE EASY

I read the Focus on the Family newsletters cover to cover last night after the kids were in bed. We decided to implement one of their ideas with our kids to make praying for other people a regular habit.

I have a bowl in the center of my table, and in it, we put slips of paper with names of anyone who came to mind that God laid on our hearts to pray for. Then, at every mealtime, we'll pick a name out of the bowl and pray for that person or family. We included people like the mailman, and the not so cheerful cashier at the grocery store. We have every cousin, grandparent, aunt, and uncle in there. We put friends in there by families. (For example, "The Mark Family".) It's been my goal to expand my kids' prayers at dinnertime to more than "bless this food and keep us safe on the road" and I thought this might be a good way to encourage that. When we get to the bottom of the bowl (which will be a while!), we can start all over! :)

THANKFULNESS

It seems like God has been reminding me a lot to be more thankful lately. One of the things he is drilling into me is that THANKFULNESS = JOY! :) I've been trying to teach this concept to my kids as well.

Our Thursday night Bible study group is going verse by verse through the book of Ephesians (or should I say almost word by word!) Last week we were in chapter 5, where it talks about being an imitator of God and walking in love. It then goes into all the things we as believers need to put off when we're in Christ and the alternative to those things is "giving of thanks" (verse 4). I'm truly learning the importance of taking the time to name every little thing I'm thankful for. Sometimes I write them down, while other times I just praise God for them. From beautiful sunsets, to having a good homeschool lesson. Whatever it may be, I'm trying to show God I'm thankful for all the little things, as well as the big things, He's blessed me with in my life. I still have a long way to go in this, but I'm thankful that God has been teaching me this lesson in life!

I just read in a Focus on the Family newsletter last night an idea that I did with my kids today. I cut tons of strips of construction paper, and we each sat for over an hour just writing on them everything we are thankful for, and then we put them together into a chain. My plan is to continue this daily until Thanksgiving, and then on Thanksgiving, take the time to read through each one. I can already see the difference this is making in my kids hearts!

RESTORE MY HEART

We are mid-way through this women's Bible study by Denise Glenn, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It's a light study that doesn't take a ton of time, but the stuff we are gaining from it is profound. She has two other studies, "Wisdom For Mothers" and "Freedom For Mothers", both of which I have gone through twice and was blessed immensely each time.

"Restore My Heart" is the study of Christ's passionate love for his bride. She takes all the traditional Jewish wedding traditions and lines them up side by side with what Christ has done for us, and the result is amazing.

Here are some examples taken from this study.

1) In Jewish tradition, the father of the groom chose the bride for his son. God chose us as the bride of Christ (Eph. 1:4).

2) The groom had to pay a bride-price, set by the Father of the bride, which was usually paid in silver. Often times, the Torah, or the scroll containing the books of the law, was sold to pay the bride price. Jesus, "the living Word", was sold by Judas for 30 pieces of silver to pay our bride price. He paid the price for His bride with His own blood (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

3) Once the bride price was paid, the groom had travelled from his father's house to the home of the intended bride. Christ left his Father's house to come to earth to claim His bride (Luke 2:4-14).

4) The bride had the choice of opening the door and letting him in, or rejecting him as her groom. We, too, have the choice to open our hearts to Jesus, or to say no to him (Rev. 3:20).

5) Once the bride opened the door to the groom, she invited him in to a betrothal feast. Christ instituted the Lord's Supper as a covenant meal for the church, the bride of Christ (Matt. 26:26-28).

6) Once betrothed, the bride was considered set apart exclusively for her groom. Christ betrothed us to Himself. We are set apart exclusively for Him (2 Cor. 11:2).

7) The groom gives a ring to the bride as a pledge of their forthcoming marriage. Christ has given us the Holy Spirit as a pledge of our forthcoming covenant with Him in heaven (Eph. 1:13-14).

8) The groom gives the bride a marriage contract. We are given Christ's assurance through His Word (Matt. 6:25-34).

9) The groom left the bride to prepare the bridal chamber and their new home. Christ has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3).

This is just a sampling of the parallels explained in this study. It has totally made some things come alive in a new and exciting way for me. It has also made me realize once again, how personal His love is for me.

A FAMILY PHEASANT HUNT

Saturday was a rainy, dreary day here, but it didn't stop us from getting out and doing a little pheasant hunting. We took all 3 kids, dressed them in snow pants, snow boots and hunting orange vests and headed out. Evan decided to bless me with this opportunity, so he stayed back with the kids and let me go on ahead with CJ, our black lab. We later laughed at how crazy it would seem to most hunters that we would think of taking our family of three little ones on such an experience, but it really does work, and I can only hope that someday they appreciate the times that we spent doing things like this together. We hope that it is instilling in them a love for the outdoors and that someday, we can all hunt together, once they're old enough. Myah enjoys it already because she loves looking at the animal tracks in the mud and pointing out things like milkweed plants. Kiana just rode along in the backpack, and Joel survived as well, in spite of all the walking we did! :)

I really practiced this past few months with shooting clay pigeons, but believe me, that is nothing like the real thing. The first bird CJ flushed was a hen, and you're only allowed to shoot roosters, so I hear Evan yell, "Hen! Don't shoot!" I was thankful he spoke up, but I was so flustered from her flushing, that I don't think I could have gotten a shot off anyway.

After a long walk, Evan decided to head back with the kids. (They were getting a little whiney and had already had wet feet from stomping in the mud puddles before our walk!) So, CJ and I decided to walk one more field. She flushed a rooster, and yes, I missed, but it was a really neat experience anyway. After I made a shot, CJ kicked into full gear (whatever that is for a 10 year old lab who doesn't get much exercise anymore!) and it was like a lightbulb went on. She went so crazy, I could hardly keep up with her. She ended up flushing about 6 more birds, none of which I could get a shot at, but we had fun.

I think the best part of the day, in spite of being soaked to the bone, was that I really enjoyed watching CJ work the fields. I had never experienced that before, and it was so neat to see that instinct kick in. It truly made me appreciate her more! Now I just have to be patient until the next time we can get out pheasant hunting! Success or no success, I'm hooked now!

(I'm once again having troubles uploading my pictures, so hopefully there will be more to come!)

ABOVE RUBIES

I stumbled across this magazine last night and couldn't put it down until I had read it cover to cover. You can get your own FREE subscription by clicking on the link above. It covered everything from homeschooling ideas and ways to memorize scripture as a family to breastfeeding for birth control. (Loved that article, by the way!) I stole many ideas and implemented them this morning, teaching them to my kids.

One thing we talked about was that our work should be done to 3 standards -- 1) immediately 2) cheerfully 3) quickly. We used Noah as an example for the first one, and talked about how he obeyed God right away and what might have happened if he had not. We used Col. 3:23 for the second one and talked about how when we work, no matter WHAT we do, we should do it as if we were doing it for God and with a smile on our face! And, for the 3rd one, we talked about what being a "sluggard" was and how that isn't pleasing to God. I also drew diagrams to help my kids understand them. For example, to get them to understand "Immediately", I drew a stop sign, "Yes, Mom!" and traffic light with the green "GO" sign. This is to help them to remember to STOP what you're doing, respond to mom and go do the work.

Another thing I implemented this morning was a way to keep track of the Scripture they are memorizing by creating a caterpillar on the wall for each child. For each verse they memorize, they get to add another circle. This was fun, too! We're anxious to see how long the caterpillars get!

UPDATE ON "FIVE IN A ROW"

This post is in response to your question, Val! :)

We are still thoroughly enjoying "Five in a Row", but I'm finding myself not preparing as much as I had at the beginning, which is kind of frustrating. We haven't done as much of the cooking lessons either, which I'm sad about, but life has just been so busy these past few weeks, I haven't been able to think about any extras lately!

We are not necessarily going in the same order that the book has with our stories, but rather I am going by the due dates at the library! Also, if we own a certain book, "Madeline", for example, then I'm holding off on that one until I find myself in a pinch where I haven't kept up on getting them from the library.

We have enjoyed all of the books so far, with "Ping" being a favorite and "Who Owns the Sun" being the least favorite. Myah just plain didn't want to read that one again after we read it a couple times. It really bothered her that the book kept saying that "No one can own the sun" (or the stars, flowers, etc.). She kept saying, "God owns those things. Why doesn't the book say that?" I could see her point, but it amazed me at how much this really bothered her and the fact that she just couldn't accept that the book was written this way.

This week we are doing "The Rag Coat" by Lauren Mills. Today coal mines and cotton seemed to be the topics of discussion. She was intrigued with both of them. I haven't planned ahead enough to know what the rest of the week has in store for us, but we are enjoying this book this week.

A CHARLOTTE MASON EDUCATION
by Catherine Levison

I just read through this book, and found myself taking notes as I went along because there were so many things I wanted to implement into our homeschooling. I also discovered a summary/book review that I found interesting here. It compares classical homeschooling from the book "A Well-Trained Mind" (which I have not read) with Charlotte Mason's ideas as given by Levison in her two books and also "A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning", by Karen Andreola (which I also have not yet read). I found myself agreeing with the author of this review in many cases. She seemed to like the same points that I did in Levison's book (which seemed to be most of it), but also made some comments on the composition/grammar section that I agreed with where Charlotte Mason's ideas don't quite line up with my own. I just think it's important to start teaching these concepts earlier than suggested in the book.

Since reading this book, I have added the narration method to more of our reading. I have added poetry to our day, which Myah has loved! We started to look at handwriting in a different light, focusing more on quality instead of quantity. I have also just plain started reading more as a part of our schooling. We are studying a book on amphibians, and also a children's history book. We still do 5 in a row, but have just added more "fun" learning activites to our school day. Myah still also does her Math and Language Arts in the afternoon. My personal thoughts are that those two subjects are important, and should be emphasized even at this young of an age, which is somewhat contradictory to Charlotte Mason, but the author of the review agreed with me here.

So, in summary, I haven't totally changed our homeschooling methods, I just added some new twists to what we have already been doing and added more reading to our day as well. Overall, I really liked Charlotte Mason's ideas and hope to read more about them in the future. Now, if we can just get life back to normal enough to maintain a regular school schedule for longer than one week, that would be good. :)

AN AMAZING TESTIMONY...

...of one of my blogging friends can be read here. Bless you, Kim, for sharing what God has done in your life! If anyone reading this wants to really see the power of God working in someone's life, you HAVE to read this! This is what God is all about -- saving people from the enemy's hold!

A RARE SIGHT

Though Evan didn't get close enough to stick any elk with an arrow this weekend, he did see something even more rare! The following pictures are of an albino moose he saw while hunting this weekend. The moose had her calf with her, which was dark in color, which is visible in the first picture. We all had a wonderful time visiting friends of ours on our third annual trip to White Sulphur Springs!

THE SUN CAME OUT!

I took Joel to his speech therapy today. He's been going regularly for quite some time now, and is doing very well. He has what they call a "phonological speech delay", which is better than "appraxia", which they first thought. I walked him in and his therapist had this weird look on her face today and said she had to talk. Turns out, she's moving. This was very frustrating to me because she's our 3rd therapist for the little guy and he REALLY connected with her. They were way past the point of getting to know each other and were at the point of really digging in for some quality therapy. It takes a lot of time to get to that point, especially for Joel. She actually got quite teary in the conversation and said she feels so bad for the kids, but had to make this move.

My emotions kind of went all over. I was frustrated, sad and very disappointed. We just received some grant money to cover all our expenses for his therapy, which has been a huge blessing. I just couldn't understand why we had to go through finding another therapist for him AGAIN!

On my way home I called my mom, and that's when she told me, "There's always sunshine behind the clouds!"

When I got home, I started to make some phone calls to other therapist who formerly had massive long waiting lists. Joel had been on them at one point, and it took months for them to finally call and say they could take him, so I didn't have much hope. By that point, we had started working with Caryn. Anyway, the sun came through quicker than I expected, and we got a call from a therapist who had a spot open! Praise God! If you think of it, just pray for Joel and that he will be able to adjust well and quickly to someone new again so that the progress he has been making can continue. Thanks!

A QUOTE THAT MEANT A LOT TO ME TODAY...

"The sun is always shining behind the clouds."

- My mom

FEW MORE VACATION PICS


Van Order Family Photo



4 Kids just outside park



3 Kids Crammed Into Bronco



VO Family Enjoying Boiling River



VO Family At Old Faithful

VACATION PHOTOS
(Sorry they're not all alligned nicely...I'm just thankful I could get these posted!)


Mudding in the Pryor Mts.


Ice Cave


Campsite View


Loving Dad


Close Encounter


Buffalo Block


The O'Connors


Chad & Sara


Evan & Terri

BUSY BRAIN

I have so many things I want to blog about. I decided to make my list here to help me remember what all is in my brain right now. I'm having problems downloading my picutures from vacation for some reason, but hopefully I'll get that solved soon. So, a sneak preview to my brain today of what is hopefully coming soon....

* Vacation details & pictures
* Charlotte Mason -- my thoughts on a book I just read about her & her homeschooling ideas
* Women's roles in the church -- seems to be a hot topic in many circles right now
* Homeschooling updates

That's all I can remember for now, but I know I've had many other thoughts lately floating around. Thanks for your patience!

A POEM MYAH LIKES

I'm Glad the Sky Is Painted blue

I'm glad the Sky is painted blule,
And the earth is painted green,
WIth such a lot of nice fresh air
All sandwiched in between.

VACATION DETAILS

Chad, Sara & Dana, some great friends of ours from MI, just spent a week here with us. Dana is 2-1/2 and is such a gem. I could so easily just keep her as part of our family. Sara is like a sister to Evan, as he grew up with her and has known her his whole life. The memories they bring up when they're together are amazing. I don't think I've laughed as hard or as much as I have this past week in a long time! Sara has also become very special to me over the past 10+ years I've had to get to know her! Chad is a great guy -- easy to have around and fun to be with. He always has a smile on his face!

We left last Thursday, on a rainy day for some trail riding in the Pryor Mts. The mud and snow made things a bit more difficult than we had originally hoped and we couldn't see all that we had wanted, but we had a great time anyway. The views were amazing, and though we slipped and slid through lots of mud along some very steep (& scary!) cliffs, I would do the whole experience over again. We visited the ice cave that is up there, and Myah, Joel & Dana had fun making a snowman! :) The yellow bronco belongs to the O'Connors and the "brown churd" as Dana calls it, belongs to us!

From there, we went to Red Lodge and camped in the Beartooth Mts. We got some small amounts of very heavy snow that covered everything in the night. It made the scenery just gorgeous, but it also closed the Beartooth Pass, so we ended up having to drive down to Cody, WY and enter the park through there.

Yellowstone was really nice, too. The elk were in rut and bugled all night long. We could hear them from our campsite in Mammoth. We also heard the wolves one night, which is pretty neat, too. Evan and Chad had a VERY close encounter with a bull elk that was roughing up some trees. They kept their distance from him as they were trying to get pictures, but he rather quickly came their way and looked right at them. Had my heart pounding for a minute. Our last day, we enjoyed soaking in the Boiling River before heading through Paradise Valley on the way home.

Our last night we spent roasting marshmallows and shooting clay pigeons out at the farm. (Are we rednecks or what???) :) We had a great time, and enjoyed the stars as the sky filled up with them.

We made some wonderful memories. I love that about living out here. We don't see people as often as we did when we lived in MI, but our time together is so much more memorable this way. We all had a wonderful time -- even if it was COLD CAMPING!!!

(Hopefully there will be pictures to come soon!!)

COLD SNAP!

I'm not sure what happened, but overnight, the seasons changed. For starters, it RAINED all night long and has been raining all day today! We haven't seen measurable rain in months, it seems! I almost forgot what a rainy day is like. On top of that, our high temp went from mid 80's earlier this week to 42 degrees today. I have on 2 sweatshirts and when I took a short jaunt to the store, put on a coat as well. Why does 40 degrees seem so much colder in the fall than the spring? It's amazing how that works! :) And yes, we plan to go camping next weekend for about 5 days!! I hope the cold snap leaves for just a few more days as sleeping in a tent in weather like this is not the least bit appealing to me!

HELP MEET

I know I've blogged about this in the past, but I recently pulled this book out again to "freshen" my brain up about what God taught me through reading it and to see what new things He wanted to show me as well. My personal opinion is that if you're a female and you're married, then you DEFINITELY should pick this up and read it at some point in your life -- preferably sooner than later. It's available from No Greater Joy Ministries, and I wish I could personally buy everyone I know a copy of it.

This quote hit me, once again, as I began to read this. It's a great reminder that a good marriage happens one moment at a time...

"A good marriage, just like anything worth while, takes doing the right things every day...every hour...every moment." --Debi Pearl

TOO PRECIOUS NOT TO POST!

These were from a family fishing trip we took on Labor Day last week. We spent more than 8 hours on the river. It was a bitter/sweet day, but the memories made were well worth the frustrations of having an 18 month old with us. :)

Joel is 4!

I just had to post some pictures of my birthday boy. He turned 4 last week!

CUTTING BACK A BIT...

I just have too much on my plate right now, and towards the bottom of my priority list is my blog. I will try to check/update it once or twice a week, but just made a decision to really cut back on my internet time. This is going to be a challenge for me to stick to because my computer time is sort of my "escape" time, but I definitley am feeling called to do this. Please don't stop visiting! I just wanted to explain why I may not be posting as often.

FALL PHOTOS

If these don't get you in the mood for fall, I don't think anything will! These are from The Leading Stock Photogray Site. I love their nature photos! The best part is, most of their stuff is royalty free. (Just a side note: I'm not sure what all is on their site, so I'm not promoting all of it...but I have found many great photos there.)

A LITTLE HUMOR...

A little boy was in a relative's wedding. As he was coming down the
aisle, he would take two steps, stop, and turn to the crowd. While facing
the crowd, he would put his hands up like claws and roar.

So it went, step, step, ROAR, step, step, ROAR, all the way down the
aisle. As you can imagine, the crowd was near tears from laughing so
hard by the time he reached the pulpit. When asked what he was doing,
the child sniffed and said, "I was being the Ring Bear."

THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR TODAY...

* Cooler weather, finally!

* My friend, Kristen, whom God has blessed me with. Today she came over and helped me fold at least 6 loads of laundry! Not too many friends will do that! :)

* Myah's attitude towards school has been VERY pleasant and eager to learn.

* I feel like we're getting into a good routine with school.

* Myah sat and read to me for 20 minutes straight today -- no complaints! (& SHE WAS READING!!!)

* A long weekend ahead to be filled with family time.

* Jesus' love which fills me new every day!

* Forgiveness of my sins and His gift of salvation!

* A husband who loves me, but loves Jesus more.

* Food in my cupboards and a bed to sleep on.

* Two of my children are getting good naps!

* It's almost 4:30 and that means Evan will be home soon!

A GREAT QUOTE

"Here is my Bible. Here is all the money I have. Here is me. Find some way to use me, God!" --Gladys Aylward

MORE THOUGHTS ON HOME SCHOOLING....

Sorry if you're getting tired of all my home schooling posts, but that is what is encompassing my life right now. I recently read a really interesting article on Unit Studies, of which I've always been a fan of, and I'm tucking this information away in my mind (& my files!) for possible use in the future. I sort of feel like I'm using unit studies, but with children's literature right now through "Five In a Row".

I find myself never content. Whenever we're in the middle of something, my mind is always racing to "What else could we be doing that is better?" even if what we're doing is really good. I struggle with enjoying the journey and finding joy in every moment, when my thoughts are always focused on the end result. I don't want to be caught up in the mindset that "we have to get through this so we can check it off our list", but so often I catch my brain playing that game.

Just some random thoughts for today...

FULLY INTO HOME SCHOOLING...

...and life is crazy! I just wanted to reflect after a week into this new year of tackling the books. So far, for the most part, I have stuck with my schedule like I had hoped. We do morning jars first thing to get our day going, and then we sit down for Five in a Row. I haven't incorporated all the calendar stuff into it yet, but Myah has a pretty good handle on that stuff, and Joel just isn't interested so I just haven't felt the pressure to do that.

"The Story About Ping" was our first FIAR book we used. It's a great story about a little duck who lives on the Yangtze River in China. It's a great lesson about how sometimes it's just better to suffer the consequences for our actions than to run away from them. We had a really good discussion on discernment, and how usually tempting situations aren't always what they seem. We've had great lessons in art on reflection and drawing water. We talked about the terms classic, repetition, fiction, illustrator and author. We made a vocabulary box, where she draws pictures to help her remember the words. We had a geography lesson and talked a little about the traditions and culture of China, and what it might be like to live on a house boat. We counted all 60-some members of Ping's family using tally marks and rocks. We made egg rolls, fried rice and egg drop soup for dinner tonight. I think her favorite part was rolling the egg rolls and eating the rice. Tomorrow we will finish up with a science lesson on buoyancy. It's been a fun week with Ping.

We do Phonics and Math with our Lifepacs in the afternoon. I must confess I'm a little disappointed at this stage with this curriculum. Hopefully things get better as time goes on. Right now, it just doesn't seem to be challenging her at all. Kind of makes me miss Horizons! (Did I just say that???) Also, I'm not sure I would recommend the Bible set at all, at least not for a first grader. I would use it more at the Pre-school/Kindergarten level.

Just my reflections after a busy week of getting back into a routine.

POST CARD BUDDIES??

I was wondering if any of you may have a child willing to be a post card buddy with Myah. I read a new idea today in Family Fun magazine (I finally subscribed to it -- only $10 when you do it on-line!) about having your child choose, write, address, stamp and mail their own postcards on a weekly basis. Obviously grandparents will be recipients, but I also thought it might be fun to interact with other kids her age. If you may be interested, just let me know via e-mail or in the comments section. It doesn't have to be a big commitment. Just maybe even replying one time once you receive a card from her. I really think this could be a fun project for all those involved! Kids love to get their own mail, and it would be great practice for letter writing as well.

CAN'T BELIEVE HOW FAST THEY GROW!!!

Click here to see the latest studio portraits of my kids. These were taken earlier this month. They are growing up way too fast!!

MY FAVORITE SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

Fall is and for as long as I can remember has been my favorite season. I love everything about it...the changing colors, cooler temps (after a HOT summer!), pumpkin patches, apple picking -- (which isn't possible where I live now, but I can still make apple pies & crisp!), enjoying the hard labors of our gardening, pulling out my sweaters, etc. Though spring is close behind, fall still rates at the top of my list.

Backing up a few years, I have some wonderful memories with Evan in the fall season as well. When we were dating, we took this great hike along the Kalamazoo River. It was so gorgeous! We took some great pictures, but I remember them not doing the beauty of what was around us justice. Hiking in the fall is one of my favorite things to do, and though we've taken many hikes together in the fall, that one just stands out in my head as being one I'll never forget.

I also remember my first hunting season with Evan. I sat for hours up in a tree stand just waiting for a deer to come by. I had done it all -- showered with non-smelling soaps and shampoo, wore all the camo gear and froze my buns off just waiting. When my deer finally did come by, I didn't want to shoot it because it was this goofy looking thing. I wanted a pretty deer for my first deer, not something that everyone would laugh at me for! Last year, I did actually take my first animal -- an antelope. Evan & I had such a great time that day. I think he was pretty proud of his wife -- just the fact that I FINALLY had a successful hunting trip. :) There's something about antelope hunting, too. They are just beautiful animals and amazing creatures to watch. I'm really looking forward to getting out with him this year as well. I have an elk, antelope and a deer tag. We'll see what all gets filled.

We are also looking forward to one last mini-vacation this fall yet. Some friends of ours are driving out from MI to spend some time camping with us the end of September. We plan to take about 5 days or so, and do some trail-riding and exploring, both in and outside of Yellowstone Park. Fall is one of the best times to visit Yellowstone. The elk are in rut and and their antlers are just beautiful. It's a great time for photographing, both animals and the family. We like to try to get good pictures of the kids and even a family photo there when we go in the fall. It's just beautiful.

Anyhow, just had some reminiscing thoughts about the fall season. Tomorrow looks to be 95 degrees here, so even though some of the trees around here are already starting to change colors (most likely due to the drought!) it still just doesn't seem like fall yet. I'm waiting, though.

GREAT TIPS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER
(I got these off an e-mail and thought they were good enough to post!)

Reheating Pizza
Set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy.
No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
Mona, Orlando, FL

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all
broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up
mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into
egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Janet, Killeen, TX

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it
with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You
get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat
less sugar/calories per serving.
Kathy, Mesick, MI

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place
them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will
keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Dave, Camden, DE

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants,work the nutrients in your soil. Wet
newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover
with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some
gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
Linda, Monmouth Jct., NJ

Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of
glass- the fibers catch ones you can't see!
Olive, Santee, CA

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Diane, Moran, SC

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with
cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the
squirrels won't come near it.
Kathy, Maumelle, AR

Easier thank you's
When you throw a bridal/baby shower, buy a pack of thank you cards
for the guest of honor. During the party, pass out the envelopes and
have everyone put their address on one. When the bride/new mom sends
the thank you's, they're all addressed!
Jessica, Saint Johns, MI

New Bike
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture
inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. if the bike is
stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof
who owns the bike.
Janet, Carthage, IL

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with
hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add
your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it
comes right out.
Kim, Goldsboro, NC

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the
glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser!
Works better than a cloth!
Alicia, Tampa, FL

Reopening Envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include
something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for
an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.
Mary, Lockhart, TX

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper
than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a
great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when
you tried it in your hair...
Kerry, Canada,

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2"
with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix
well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Barbra, Birch Run, MI

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it
"home," & can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or
so, esp. if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about
pets or small children being harmed!
Teresa, Mitchell, SD

Take Baby Powder to the Beach(Embedded image moved to file: pic01278.gif)
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you're
ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder
and the sand will slide right off your skin.

5 IN A ROW

I am SO EXCITED about this curriculum this year. I just got it in the mail, and am even more pleased than I thought I would be with it. There are 4 volumes to 5 In a Row, and also a "Before 5 In a Row" and an "After 5 In a Row". So far, I only ordered Volume 1, which is designed to get me through January.

It's set up like this. Basically, you spend one week focusing on a particular book. The first story is "The Story About Ping" by Marjorie Flack. Each day, you focus on a different aspect of the story -- Social Studies, Language Arts, Art, Math and Science. The neat thing is, they give more ideas for each subject area than you can possibly cover, so something offered will fit each child. For example, Ping takes place along the Yangtze River, so in Social Studies, one of the ideas is to locate that river on a map and discuss how long 4000 miles really is in comparison to something familiar with the child. It goes into discussing the population and culture of China, etc. The biggest benefit is that it gives you all this information right there, and you don't have to do the research yourself! I appreciate this!

I also ordered the Cookbook to go along with this series, and am so glad I did! Along with a wealth of information about setting the table, table manners, kitchen safety, etc., each week there is a meal that coordinates with the story for the children to help cook. This goes right along with my idea for Myah cooking her own thing each week! For example, to go along with Ping, we will make egg rolls, fried rice, & egg drop soup. We may even attempt to use chop sticks to eat it with! Fun ideas! I'm so looking forward to diving in this year! I just hope my kids enjoy it as much as I will!

A GREAT ARTICLE ON HOMESCHOOLING...

... written by Steve Walden, editor of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, is available here. This was especially good for me to read as a former teacher who still often doubts my ability to homeschool. The following are a few quotes from the article.

"Even now, [statistics] show that there is no difference in test scores [in homeschooled children] from parents that have only a high school diploma as [compared] to one who actually has a PhD. Actually, in some cases they score better, because it's harder for parents who have PhDs and teaching degrees to homeschool. . . . Some of the people I've helped the most to dispel their fears of homeschooling [their kids] are teachers.

Steve: Really? You would think that someone from such a high level of education would be able to say, 'Well, I've had training. I should be able to handle this. I should at least be able to carry them through high school.'

Treon: Well, you know, some of them--what they've told me is that they're taught more crowd control than anything. They're taught how to manage a classroom. They're not taught how to individually teach their students. And that frightens them. . . . As a matter of fact, just this last year, one of the moms came up to me . . . who was a teacher and decided to go home. [She] was terrified of teaching her own kids. I spent time with her at this meeting just reassuring her that 'Yes, you can do this. Absolutely. Basically, just forget everything you've learned in teachers' college and get real and be a mom.'

A lot of parents, especially moms, feel inadequate to teach some subjects like science. I have my doubts about my abilities at times. But then I remember some key Scripture passages that bring me around like smelling salts."

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. - 2 Cor. 12:9 (NIV)

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." - 1 Cor. 1:26-31 (NIV)

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE QUICK BREAD

I realized it's been a while since I've posted a recipe. I made this yesterday, and though it's more like a dessert than bread, my family all gave it the thumbs up! :)

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips, melted (I used regular size)
1-1/2 cups applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. each baking powder, baking soda and salt
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

GLAZE:
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. butter
2-3 Tbsp. half and half cream (I used whole milk)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

1) Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and melted chocolate; mix well. Add applesauce and vanilla. Set aside.

2) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

3) Spoon the batter into four greased 5-1/2 X 3 X 2 inch loaf pans (or 2 regular loaf pans). Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until done. (Longer for larger pans) Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

4) For the glaze, melt choc. chips an butter in saucepan; stir in cream. Remove from the heat; stir in sugar, vanilla. Drizzle over warm bread.

FUN ON THE FARM

Myah getting some target practice in with Daddy

Mommy and the girls playing on the hay bales

Kiana

Joel...boots and all with those shorts!

Myah

...and yes, even Mommy had to jump the hay bales! :)

MORNING JARS

I was recently reading an article in Family Fun magazine, which I don’t currently subscribe to, but hope to someday, about how to make chores more fun and less of a battle. One of their ideas was to give each child their own jar. Every day, mom writes on strips of paper different tasks to be done. Then the child picks one strip at a time, goes and does that, then comes back for another strip. The neat thing is, they don’t all have chores on them. I got really excited when I started to think about all that could be incorporated in this activity. For example, some papers will be fun tasks, like "Choose 1 piece of candy" or "Give mom a hug". In reality, there may only be 2-3 chores actually in the jar per day, but they are learning to do them, and at the same time, they are having fun! Here were some of my thoughts, and feel free to submit any more ideas that you may have to add. I tried this today for the first time, and my kids loved it, and accomplished everything in their jars. My only fear is that unless I have new ideas all the time, this may get old. I’m hoping not, but we’ll cross that bridge if it comes. Here were some of my ideas:

CHORES:
 Get dressed
 Brush teeth
 Make bed
 Feed dogs
 Unload dishwasher (or just the silverware, which is Joel’s job!)
 Dust living room
 Wipe down bathroom counter
 Fold a basket full of towels and put away
 Etc.

FUN IDEAS:
 Enjoy 1 piece of candy from the candy jar
 Give Mom a hug
 Give your sibling a high five
 Do a summersault!
 Do 5 jumping jacks
 I need more of these!!!

ACADEMIC:
 Set timer for 5 minutes and review flashcards
 Write/draw a journal entry
 Look at 3 pictures, write the word for what each one is and color them
 The ideas here are endless and could go right along with whatever they’re learning at the time as a way to review before starting the day.

The key to this is to thoroughly explain each strip ahead of time so they know exactly what is expected of them before they do it. The fun thing is everyday the strips can be different and you can add more as time goes on. My goal is to teach them how to do household tasks without them complaining, and also to make it fun. Each jar can be specially made for each child’s ability, but you can also make a race out of it, with inspection time to follow of course! One last thought is to be sure to explain what the strips say ahead of time and even put pictures on them so they understand what the task is without needing to be able to read it. Oh yeah, and crank up the music! It gets everyone's blood flowing a bit faster and keeps things light! :)

HOMESCHOOL ON THE BRAIN!

It’s sneaking up faster than I thought it would, but starting a new year of homeschooling is just around the corner! Unfortunately I didn’t do much “maintenance” with Myah this summer like I had originally planned, but we’ll just take some time to review things before diving back in full force if we have to. I think she appreciated not having to think about it at all, and I know I did!

I just placed my big order for the year to CBD for homeschool materials, and though I spent LOTS of time pouring over sample pages and different options, I still forgot a few things, of course. But, I’m pretty excited about some new changes we’re making in curriculum. I decided to switch from Alpha Omega Horizons to their Lifepacs series with a big portion of our schooling to be done through the “5 In a Row” curriculum, because all my children can participate in that.

As I started to ponder and really pray about where God was leading us this year, I really wanted to keep in mind my two youngest ones and try to have fun including them in projects as well. Horizons, which is what we used last year, was not set up that way at all. It was a lot of “seat work” which required my complete attention most of the time, and though Myah learned a lot from it, she really didn’t enjoy it all that much. I also wanted to focus more on children’s literature this year than I did last year.

More for my sake than yours, here is a tentative daily schedule I’ve been throwing around:

8-9 Morning Jars (later post to come explaining this…)
9-10:30 Reading Time (designed to include all interested children)
* calendar
* devotional thought/prayer time/Scripture memory
* Misc. Reading (History for Little Pilgrims, Nature Readers, etc.)
* "5 in a Row" story time and project (I will focus on Literature, Art, Science, History) – I’ll try to explain "5 in a Row" in a later post as well.

10:30-12:00 Play time
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch time
1:00 – Naptime/playtime for Joel and Kiana
Myah Lifepacs: Math, Phonics, Bible

I can guarantee that every day won’t look like this, but it’s a good goal to aim for. On Tuesdays, we plan to spend doing some school with Myah’s friend, Savannah, in Billings. Not sure what all that will entail either, but it will be a nice break in our week.

THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE MAGAZINE

Though I haven't yet decided if I want to subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I've heard many good things about it. It's a magazine for homeschool families. (If you're a pastor, you can subscribe for free for one year...just an FYI...) I have signed up for several of their free e-mail newsletters, so if I like what I receive from them, I may pay the $22 for the magazine. The free newsletters include things like free thematic unit studies, science ideas, this month in history and even homesteading ideas (canning, drying foods, old-time cooking, utilizing alternative power, raising farm animals, gardening, water purification the old way, herbs and uses, alternative health, soapmaking, cheesemaking, bread and tortilla making, candlemaking, spinning, bleach alternatives, etc.) I thought it sounded very informative. Does anyone subscribe to this, and if so, do you recommend it? Michael and Debi Pearl recommend it, so that's what first sparked my interest, and then I also noticed it on Family First blog.

SILVER

I got this off an e-mail and wanted to post it:

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver , but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

BIG GOD

I loved this section in my "Believing God Devotional Journal" by Beth Moore and wanted to share it with you.

"All human attempts to define God cannot help but minimize Him. We try to make God behave and fit into our textbooks. We want Him to calm down and not be so... God-ish. We decide we will only believe what we can humanly reconcile.

But all attempts to take away the mystery and wonder that surround God leave Him being pictured as something He is not. We cannot tame the Lion of Judah. There is a mystery, a wonder, and, yes, even a wildness about God we cannot take from Him. Nor would we want to take it away -- even if it would enable us to fully, humanly grasp the adventure of Him.

We must beware of recreating an image of God that makes us feel better about ourselves or puffs our desperate, prideful desire to feel smarter than we are. If we can come up with a God we can fully explain, we have come up with a different God than the Bible's.

Of this I'm certain: if in our pursuit of greater knowledge, God seems to have gotten smaller, we have been deceived. I don't care how intelligent the deceiver seems or how well-meaning and sincere his or her doctrine is."

FEW MORE CAMPING PICS!

Kiana picking wildflowers!

Myah and Kiana

Mommy & Kiana hiking to Beauty Lake

Joel & Myah

Daddy reading Farmer Boy before bed


Joel's fish!