3 Potatoes

Thoughtful Thursday

2012-02-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

~1 Peter 3:4

Thoughtful Thursday

2012-02-02T23:04:00.000-05:00

Too often in our lives, accomplishment and doing overshadow growth and becoming. We frantically scurry around, trying to paint the picture with our activites, but our being must be settled before our doing. George MacDonald said it well: "He thought to gain a thing by doing, when the very thing desired was a being."

From Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow

I took the one less traveled by...

2012-01-28T20:03:00.002-05:00

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

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

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

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

~Robert Frost

Our Journey to Homeschooling (Part 3)

2012-01-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

This is the third and final part of the Our Journey to Homeschooling series (be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our story). In this post I share the books, videos, articles, and links that I found the most helpful during the searching, questioning, and looking process in determining if homeschooling was the right educational choice for our family. Some of these were hard to read/watch and many of them challenged our thinking and what we believe about education and schooling, but after all, that is what we set out to do and what we needed to do in order to make an informed decision. We own many of the resources listed below and are more than happy to loan them out to anyone wanting to search, dig, and question for themselves, so just leave a comment or shoot me an email if you are interested in borrowing anything.

Books
The Bible
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto
Family Driven Faith by Dr. Voddie Baucham
100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy
Already Gone by Ken Ham & Britt Beemer
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto (can be read free online here)

Videos
Children of Caesar
Divided
IndoctriNation

Links
Homeschooling Intrigues Me - Where Do I Start? (article)
The Seven Lesson School Teacher (chapter from Dumbing Us Down)
Cathy Duffy Reviews (reviews of popular homeschool curriculums)

Thoughtful Thursday

2012-01-26T18:39:00.001-05:00

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Thoughtful Thursday

2012-01-19T19:27:00.003-05:00

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

~Matthew 12:30

Recently Read & Recommend {Truly Inspirational}

2012-01-18T16:20:00.005-05:00

I have always been a reader. In middle and high school I could read two or more books a day. I still love to read, but with a husband, house, laundry, and 3 blessings (who keep me super busy) this is not a season of life when I have large amounts of time to devote to reading. So when selecting books to read I try to be choosy and only select books that I feel will be worth the time I spent reading them. This book is hands down one of those books....

Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis is one of the most moving and inspirational books I have ever read or could hope to read. This girl is absolutely amazing to the point that I really can't find the words to even begin to explain it. This book is so good that I read it in a matter of hours. You just have to read it and see for yourself!

The rave reviews for Katie's book put it better than I every could:

“When you think of what one young woman can accomplish by simply being open to God’s call no matter the cost, you begin to ask questions like, Am I really open to God’s will for my life? Through Katie’s life, we’re reminded how God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things for Him. We simply need to be willing to be used."
—Rich Stearns, President of World Vision US, Author of The Hole in Our Gospel

“With reckless abandon, Katie Davis followed her heart to care for orphans living in extreme poverty in Uganda. Her stories captivate the reader to take action, join her work, and make the world a better place for children—one by one.”
—Senator William H. Frist, MD

“As I read Katie's book, I felt like I was reading Amy Carmichael. As Amy did in her life, Katie shows Jesus to be amazingly wonderful not only in what she writes, but also in how she selflessly cares for the fatherless. If you want to love Jesus more and better understand his love for the least of these, read Kisses from Katie. She is for our generation what Amy was for hers: a hero in fulfilling God's call to care for orphans.”
—Dan Cruver, director, Together for Adoption, author of Reclaiming Adoption

“I was profoundly moved, challenged, and convicted as I read Kisses from Katie, and I came away wanting to know Jesus the way that Katie does. This is an honest and compelling account of one young woman's journey of obedience to a Jesus who loves the whole world, especially the forgotten and the marginalized. Jesus was the most revolutionary and subversive man who ever lived. Following Him should lead us to be graciously radical in His name.”
—Mike Erre, author of Why the Bible Matters and The Jesus of Suburbia

Please share this book with everyone you know!

Be sure to visit Katie's blog journal at http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com

Also check out Katie's non-profit ministry to the people of Uganda, Amazima Ministries, and while you're there please consider making a donation.

Thoughtful Thursday

2012-01-12T20:55:00.002-05:00

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

~Hebrews 4:12

What's In a Name?

2012-01-07T15:19:00.009-05:00

I finally named our homeschool! I've been wanting to for years, but I kept agonizing over the name and there are so many verses I like that I couldn't pick one. I finally decided yesterday to just do it; I mean this is our fourth year homeschooling and it is way past time! So, here is the big unveiling...

Its not fancy, or professional, or anything (after all, I had to use free online clip art), but I'm happy with it. At first I was looking for a name in Latin, but that became too hard so I decided to go with English :)

I started by making a list of words I might like to use and then did a keyword search for each one on BibleGateway. About half an hour later I had narrowed down my favorites and started to combine words and searched for verses containing both words. As soon as I typed in the words heart and light I knew that I really wanted to use those and I immediatley thought of the ET song 'Turn On Your Heartlight,' and then I loved it even more (ET was originally released in 1982 and I have a clear memory of going to see ET at the movie theater with my grandparents; I also remember being able to sing the entire song from memory). The icing on the cake was finding Psalm 97:11 and it was a done deal. I then searched for free clip art to go with the name and found the orange/yellow heart with light highlights. Finally, I used Microsoft Paint to add the words, and voila! We have a name, logo, and motto/verse for our homeschool!

And for all the ET lovers, and music/movie buffs out there, the song 'Turn On Your Heartlight' was released and performed by Neil Diamond in 1982 and reached #5 on the Billboard Top 100 the same year. Here are the lyrics of the chorus (which I think fit our homeschool name and verse quite nicely):

Turn on your heartlight

Let it shine wherever you go

Let it make a happy glow

For all the world to see

Thoughtful Thursday

2012-01-05T08:02:00.002-05:00

God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity when we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.

~A.W. Tozer

New

2011-12-31T23:55:00.001-05:00

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

~Lamentations 3:21-25

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

~2 Corinthians 5:17

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

~Ezekiel 36:26-27

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I pray 2012 holds abundant blessings for you and yours.

Great Wolf Lodge

2011-12-30T22:56:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of December we took a two night mini family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, OH and the kids had an absolute blast! We were celebrating Jordan and Carson's birthday, and were joined the second night by Jason's brother and his family to celebrate our sweet niece Tora's birthday. The kids adore their cousins Tora and Caden, and it was so fun spending time with all of them that even after three days the kids still didn't want to leave. Here are some pics of the fun!

Jordan & Tora

Carson & Caden

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T08:46:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas and although we were busy we really enjoyed seeing all of our family.

The third weekend in December we traveled up to Mansfield on Saturday for my dad's family's annal Christmas party. We saw my grandma, step-mom, aunts, uncles, cousins (I have 15), and all of their families.

Then on Sunday we traveled down to Circleville to celebrate Christmas with my mom, Jan, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew.

On Christmas Eve we went to Canal Winchester to celebrate with my step-mom, Debby, and on our way home we stopped in Hilliard to visit Jason's grandparents (his grandpa is 93!). We were home for about 15 minutes and then turned right around and left again to attend the Christmas Eve service at church.

On Christmas day we spent the day relaxing at home, and my mom and Jan came up to visit and eat Christmas dinner with us.

Finally, on Monday, we drove to Hilliard to celebrate with Jason's parents, brothers, and their families.

Whew, I'm exhausted just from all the traveling! I may need a vacation to recover, but in the meantime here are some pictures from all the fun.

At Grammy & GramJan's in

Circleville with cousin Tyler

Their big gift from Aunt Weazie, Uncle Greg,

and Tyler was a trampoline!

At home on Christmas morning

This is probably Carson's favorite gift; it

is really fun and he has spent hours playing with it

(if you have boys I highly recommend it)

Corinne and her new doll bunk bed

Jordan and her doll clothes

What a great Christmas!

Thoughtful Thursday {Best Buddies}

2011-12-29T20:59:00.005-05:00

I love that these three are such sweet friends. They get along so great together and I know they love each other so much! I truly believe that they are such good friends becasue they spend so much time together - (ha!) like 24/7 since we homeschool :)

I pray that they will always be there for each other and will be best friends their whole lives.

Recently Read & Recommend

2011-12-28T09:24:00.003-05:00

I typically decide to read a book based on a friend or family member's recommendation, and the first thing I do is visit Amazon's website and read the book's reviews. The second thing I do is borrow the book from the library (or the friend who recommended it) because I almost never buy a book unless I have read it or at least looked at/skimmed it in hand.

Several friends recommended the book Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp at our last homeschool support meeting. I remembered having heard of this book and that I had considered reading it about a year ago. Per my usual routine I had looked at the book on Amazon's website and discovered it had received 3.5 stars (out of 5) and had gotten some mixed reviews - lots of people loved and lots disliked it, and although I don't make my decision to read or not read a book based on the Amazon reviews (there are several books that I love that have gotten mixed reviews and less than 4 stars on Amazon) I decided not to read it at the time. So, when several close friends, who I dearly love and respect, recommended it I decided it was time to read it and judge for myself. And the verdict is....

I LOVED IT! If you are a Christian parent and you have not read it I highly recommend that you do so. It has so much great information that I can't even begin to give a synopsis. The main controversy over this book is that the author advocates spanking, and while I am not anti-spanking I do not entirely agree with him on every point regarding spanking. I do, however, think that the book overall is excellent and a wonderful resource.

Bottom line: I bought the book!

Our Favorite Games

2011-12-27T10:05:00.002-05:00

A list of some of our favorite games! Some we've had for several years and others for only a few days, but here are the top six that we love 'cause they're FUN.

Castle Logix
by Smart/Tangoes USA
1 player
Ages 2-8

Candyland

by Hasbro

2-4 players

Ages 3+

Blokus

by Mattel

2-4 players

Ages 6+

Rat-A-Tat-Cat

by Gamewright

2-6 players

Ages 6+

Qwirkle

by MindWare

2-4 players

Ages 6+

Q-bitz

by MindWare

2-4 players

Ages 8+

Choir Concert

2011-12-26T16:54:00.003-05:00

Earlier this month Jordan and Carson sang in the Central Ohio Christian Homeschool Chorus' annual concert. They both did a fantastic job and everyone had a great time!

The kids before we left for the concert:

Jordan with one of her best friends, Abbi:

For Unto Us a Child is Born

2011-12-25T17:17:00.002-05:00

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

~Isaiah 9:6

I Just Wanted a 3 Column Blog

2011-12-23T22:59:00.005-05:00

So today I decided that I wanted my blog to have three columns instead of two - you know the kind where the blog posts are in the middle and you have 'stuff' on either side. Well, this small change turned into a multi-hour project and by the end of the ordeal I was exhausted. The first thing I discovered was that to have a three column blog I needed to change my blog layout. OK, I thought, I can handle that. I go into the blogger settings and find where I can change the blog layout, I choose the three column style, and apply the change...and disaster strikes!

The brown background I had before doesn't work with the three column blog layout! OK, fine, I will just change my background. After all, I've had the same background for awhile now and a change might be nice. I go to the website where I found my previous background and look for a new one that I like that will work with a three column blog. I find a nice purple one (my favorite color) and switch the code on my blog for the background...but the saga continues.

The template I had been using doesn't work with the new background, and I discover that since the last time I changed backgrounds blogger has updated and changed all their templates. It takes me half an hour to figure out which template will work with the new background, and once I do I realize that I don't like the way the blog title looks with the new template. So I go back to the site where I found the background and find a banner that I like, but the banner doesn't match the background I had chosen (of course). I decide to search for a banner that does match, but discover that they don't make one. They do, however, make a background to match the banner I like so I decide to use that background instead (its pink though which is definitely not one of my favorite colors, but I decide to just go with it). I get the background switched again, and set to work on the banner.

Fifteen minutes later the banner title is on and I realize that the new template's default setting is to align the blog title/header/banner all the way to left, instead of centered, and it looks terrible (and was driving me crazy). I go on a search to find out how to center the header/blog title and another fifteen minutes later that's done. I preview the blog and find a few other minor formatting, font, and color issues so I find fixes for and tinker around with those, and an hour later I'm finally happy with the overall look.

Then I discover that there are heading tabs (I didn't have any before) that match my background and banner so I get those and add them to my blog. Next, I mess around with the gadgets on my blog and arrange everything the way I want it, but in the process I find that the width of the sidebars won't accommodate some of my gadgets, so I have to go back to the template and adjust the widths and then move a few of the gadgets that still won't fit.

Finally, I survey my ALL NEW blog and decide that it looks great, but that it really isn't me. I'm not a pink and black with bows type of person, and while I like the new look (and will not be changing it anytime soon) I've already found a background and banner that I like better (and are much more me), so the next time I have a few hours to spare (ha-as if!) my blog will be getting another face lift. In the meantime, if you are a pink and black with bows type of person please enjoy the new look!

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-12-22T14:03:00.005-05:00

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

~Luke 2:8-14

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-12-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

I Caught Your Faith
~Anonymous

I saw you stand
bravely for years
But saw no trace
of senseless tears

I saw you stand
calmly through stress
But caught no glimpse
of bitterness

I saw you stand
prayerful in grief
but saw no trace
of unbelief

Though you spoke well
of Jesus Christ
I caught your faith
watching your life.

She's 9!

2011-12-14T12:11:00.014-05:00

She's our firstborn and therefore our parenting Guinea pig.

She has a sweet and tender heart.

She loves reading and art.

She dislikes math.

She enjoys singing, dancing, and playing the piano.

She's almost as tall as her mom.

She was born 9 years ago today and that means...
She's 9!

If anyone can tell me how I blinked and 9 years flew by I would really appreciate it.

The Weight of Your Afflictions

2011-12-13T14:22:00.004-05:00

~From a sermon by Scott Brown~

The presence of your afflictions are not according to chance.

The timing of your afflictions are all part of God’s pre-ordained plan to sum up all things in Christ.

The weight of your afflictions are carefully measured, to bring you forth as gold.

The number of your afflictions are strategically appointed, to buffet you enough to change you.

The length of your afflictions will be no shorter or longer than what pleases God, in order to enlarge your patience.

The outcome of your afflictions are designed to address a God-glorifying end.

The arms which brought the afflictions will hold you through them.

You can listen to the sermon in its entirety here.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-12-08T12:54:00.002-05:00

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

~Jim Elliot

7 on the 7th

2011-12-07T09:25:00.003-05:00

Happy 7th Birthday to our sweet boy! I don't know where the time has gone, but I do know that we love you more ever year.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-12-01T17:47:00.001-05:00

Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.

~Proverbs 4:23

Motherhood IS My Mission Field

2011-11-25T20:15:00.005-05:00

LOVE this post by Rachel Jankovic on the Desiring God website.
If you are a mom you need to read this!
Motherhood as a Mission Field

And be sure to check out her latest post:
Motherhood is Application

Thoughtful (& Thankful) Thursday

2011-11-24T13:47:00.006-05:00

I will give thanks to You, O LORD, with all my heart!
~Psalm 9:1

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
~Psalm 106:1

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
~Colossians 3:15

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I am so thankful for my wonderful family and friends, and most especially for my three sweet blessings and my amazing husband. I am also eternally thankful for my Saviour and his redemptive work. I pray that we will all be reminded of how very blessed we truly are, and that we will treasure each and every moment we have with our family and friends. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Christian Love

2011-11-22T22:49:00.002-05:00

from The Valley of Vision

O Lover of the loveless,
It is thy will that I should love thee
with heart, soul, mind, strength,
and my neighbour as myself.

But I am not sufficient for these things.

There is by nature no pure love in my soul;

Every affection in me is turned from thee;

I am bound, as slave to lust,

I cannot love thee, lovely as thou art,

until thou dost set me free.

By grace I am thy freeman and would serve thee,
for I believe thou art my God in Jesus,
and that through him I am redeemed,

and my sins are forgiven.

With this freedom I would always obey thee,

but I cannot walk in liberty,
any more than I could first attain it, of myself.

May thy Spirit draw me nearer to thee and thy ways.

Thou art the end of all means,

for if they lead me not to thee, I go away empty.

Order all my ways by thy holy Word

and make thy commandments the joy of my heart,

that by them I may have happy converse with thee.

May I grow in Thy love and manifest it to mankind.

Spirit of love, make me like the loving Jesus;

give me his benevolent temper,

his beneficent actions,

that I may shine before men to thy glory.

The more thou doest in love in me and by me,

humble me the more;

keep me meek, lowly,
and always ready to give thee honour.

One Man

2011-11-21T10:09:00.000-05:00

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

~Romans 5:18-19

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-11-17T23:21:00.000-05:00

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

~1 John 4:18-19

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-11-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Proverbs 10:19

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-10-27T19:47:00.000-04:00

God be in my head,

And in my understanding;

God be in mine eyes,

And in my looking;

God be in my mouth,

And in my speaking;

God be in my heart,

And in my thinking;

God be at mine end,

And at my departing.

~Anonymous

New Phone Photo Fun

2011-10-25T13:28:00.002-04:00

For my birthday last weekend Jason got me an iPhone (yeah!) and the kids have had a great time playing with one of the photo/camera apps.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-10-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Psalm 91:4

Autumn Fires

2011-10-14T08:38:00.000-04:00

As part of our Ambleside curriculum Carson and I are reading a poem a day from A Child's Gareden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. This is the poem we read yesterday:

AUTUMN FIRES

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The gray smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-10-13T09:36:00.001-04:00

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

~Psalm 119:11 (KJV)

Freed

2011-10-12T11:41:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Jordan and I read Chapter 21 of Tree in the Trail by Holling Clancy Holling, and I loved this part:

"Seems funny not to see her spreadin' above us, don't it?" said Jed. "But if a tree could think, I'll bet she's mighty glad to be a yoke, swingin' along, tinklin' pretty. That tree was too held down. Always pointin' as if she wanted to follow us on the Trail. Now she can go beyond her hill, away out yonder - farther than she ever dreamed.

"Maybe it's that way with people, sort of. They git rooted down, too. Along comes disaster, or what looks like it, an' they feel lost. But maybe, if they only knew - all that's happened to 'em is that they've been freed. Freed to go farther then they ever thought. Maybe they's bells waitin' for them, too. Bells that will tinkle inside 'em somewhere...."

Artist: Fragonard

2011-10-09T13:27:00.062-04:00

In addition to the composer study we also do an artist study each term, and I go about finding books in the same way. For artist studies the best books feature one artist, are oversized, and contain lots of big pictures of the artist's work.

This term's artist is Jean-Honore Fragonard and until now I had never heard of this artist before (not really surprising although I did take four years of French in high school and he was a French painter). Unlike the composer for this term there were not very many resources available at the local libraries. The two books* we are using are:

Jean-Honore Fragonard: Life and Work by Jean-Pierre Cuzin
Jean-Honore Fragonard by Jean Montague Massengale

If books on a particular artist or composer are hard to come by the internet can be a good resource for finding photos or samples of an artist's or composer's work.
I found four good photos of Fragonard's paintings available for viewing on the web:
The Reader (my favorite)
Inspiration
Blind Man's Bluff
The Stolen Kiss

*Note: Some of this artist's paintings contain nudity.

Composer: Mozart

2011-10-08T20:38:00.005-04:00

As part of our Charlotte Mason based homeschool we do a composer and an artist study each term, and since I know next to nothing about the famous artists and classical composers I am learning right along with the kids.

For each composer I start by scouring the online library catalogs for juvenile biographical books and musical CDs of the composer's work (I also use Amazon as a search tool to find titles and if I see something that looks good I search the library's catalog for it). If there are lots of options I narrow them down to the top 4-6 and those are the ones we use for the term.

This term's composer is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and in this case I waded through tons of hits. Here are the books and CD that made the cut:

BOOKS
Amadeus Mozart by Ibi Lepscky
Young Mozart by Rachel Isadora
Mozart by Ann Rachlin (Famous Children Series)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Barrie Carson Turner (Famous Childhoods Series)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Musical Genius by Steward Ross (Famous Lives Series)

MUSCIAL CD
The Very Best of Mozart Naxos

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-10-06T08:05:00.003-04:00

A friend posted this on her blog and I loved it so much I had to copy and repost it for this week's Thoughtful Thursday:

"[God] changes not because thou changest. Nay, He has an especial tenderness of love towards thee for that thou art in the dark and hast no light, and His heart is glad when thou dost arise and say, 'I will go to my Father.' . . . Fold the arms of thy faith, and wait in the quietness until light goes up in thy darkness. Fold the arms of thy Faith I say, but not of thy Action: bethink thee of something that thou oughtest to do, and go to do it, if it be but the sweeping of a room, or the preparing of a meal or a visit to a friend. Heed not thy feelings: Do thy work."

~George MacDonald

Walk the Walk

2011-10-04T10:30:00.001-04:00

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

~1 John 2:3-6

A Tale of Two Narrations

2011-10-03T12:17:00.008-04:00

A few times a month I type out the kids' narrations to keep as a record and to see how far they've come. Here are two of Jordan's:

Fall 2009 - Narration from the story of Jonah:

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and he didn’t obey so he ran away and got a ticket to go on a boat that headed toward Spain. And there was a storm when they were going there and they even threw things overboard so that it would make the ship lighter. And Jonah told them to throw him overboard and they prayed to God and asked that they would not drown, and then they threw Jonah overboard and the storm stopped. And then God sent a big fish to swallow up Jonah. Jonah was in the fish for three days and three nights then God told him to unswallow him. And then the second time God told him to go to Nineveh and that time he obeyed. And it took him three days to get in there, and they wore sackcloth, and they turned away from their sins so God did not destroy them.

August 2011 - Narration from Our Island Story chapter 31

Thomas a Becket was Henry’s chancellor. He got a lot of stuff for him and he had servants, and he had rich food and he had nice clothes. He was almost more powerful than the king. He and Henry played a lot, like little boys after they finished working. Henry made him an archbishop of the church and so he lived at the church, he lived in a cell, and he and Henry started to quarrel because he and the Pope were on one side and Henry was on a side. They quarreled and quarreled until Thomas a Becket fled and then he came back, but then they started to quarrel again. He stayed in England though. The four knights heard him; he was very angry and he said that he wished that he would leave, and the four knights heard him and wanted to please their King and so they went to Thomas a Becket’s house and told him/asked him if he would obey their king or he would have to flee. And he said I do what my God wants me to because I am one of God’s servants and he is higher than the king and I will only obey him.And so they got angry and they said we will be back and Thomas a Becket said you will find me here. And two monks didn’t want him to stay there; he said I told them they would find me here. Then it was time for church and so he went out and the four knights got in because the people wanted to bar the gate so that he wouldn’t get hurt and he wouldn’t let them. And they came in and they killed him. And then they ran away frightened.

I love it!

Blast From the Past

2011-09-30T21:02:00.001-04:00

My heart is melting! I just found these pics on one of my old cell phones. I was deleting everything off of the phone so some friends can use it, and I came across these precious pictures from 2007-08. They are so unbelievably cute and sweet that I just had to share.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-09-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new EVERY morning; great is your faithfulness.

~Lamentations 3:22-23

Phone Fun

2011-09-27T19:00:00.001-04:00

I snapped this pic with the camera on my phone (not an iPhone -hint,hint) while we were waiting in the van for Carson to finish his piano lesson this afternoon. Those two are such cuties!

Decisions, Decisions

2011-09-24T13:40:00.002-04:00

The effort of decision is the greatest effort of life.

~Charlotte Mason

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

~C.S. Lewis

Living By Prayer

2011-09-21T16:04:00.001-04:00

O God of the open ear,
Teach me to live by prayer as well as by providence, for myself, soul, body, children, family church; Give me a heart frameable to thy will; so might I live in prayer, and honour thee, being kept from evil, known and unknown. Help me to see the sin that accompanies all I do, and the good I can distil from everything.

Let me know that the work of prayer is to bring my will to thine, and that without this it is folly to pray; When I try to bring thy will to mine it is to command Christ, to be above him, and wiser than he: this is my sin and pride. I can only succeed when I pray according to thy precept and promise, and to be done with as it pleases thee, according to thy sovereign will.

When thou commandest me to pray for pardon, peace, brokenness, it is because thou wilt give me the thing promised, for thy glory, as well as for my good. Help me not only to desire small things but with holy boldness to desire great things for thy people, for myself, that they and I might live to show thy glory.

Teach me that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have, out of love, willingly, not of necessity; that I may come to thee at any time, to lay open my needs acceptably to thee; that my great sin lies in my not keeping the savour of thy ways; that the remembrance of this truth is one way to the sense of thy presence; that there is no wrath like the wrath of being governed by my own lusts for my own ends.

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions
Edited by Arthur Bennett

Birds: A Masterpiece & A Poem

2011-09-20T13:37:00.000-04:00

Art work by my 4 year old who never ceases to amaze me!

Answer to a Child's Question

Do you ask what the birds say? The sparrow, the dove,
The linnet, and thrush say, "I love and I love!"
In the winter they're silent, the wind is so strong;
What it says I don't know, but it sings a loud song.
But green leaves and blossoms, and sunny warm weather,
And singing, and loving, all come back together.
Then the lark is so brimful of gladness and love,
The green fields below him, the blue sky above,
That he sings, and he sings, and forever sings he,
"I love my Love, and my Love loves me."

~Coleridge

Schooling Confuses

2011-09-17T21:22:00.002-04:00

Schooling confuses teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to say something new.

~ Wendy Priesnitz

More Every Year

2011-09-16T13:59:00.012-04:00

Today is our 11 year anniversary! I can hardly believe it has been 11 years since our wedding day and that we have been together for 14+ years. Wow! Time sure does fly. I am so blessed to have married my best friend and I can't say enough about what a great husband and father he is. I love him more every year and I am looking forward to the next 11 years.

Our Wedding Day

9/16/00

I loved our cute little cake!

The topper reads:

"Hand in hand and heart to heart,

Joined in love that will not part."

Here we are last year about a week before our 10th anniversary.
September 2010

And just for fun.....

Here is our High School Senior Prom picture.

May 1997

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful: it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

~1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-09-15T20:13:00.001-04:00

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

~Matthew 11:28-30

My New Motto

2011-09-11T17:19:00.003-04:00

I found this folder at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago when we were school supply shopping, and as soon as I read it I knew I had to buy it (I probabaly should have bought 2 or 3). I took a picture of the folder so I could upload it to my blog and Facebook. I think I'll make it the background on my phone and computer as a reminder because this is so much easier said than done for me, and I know this is something I need to work on (see my last post).

~Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The Shepherd

2011-09-09T07:00:00.014-04:00

By William Blake

How sweet is the shepherd's sweet lot!
From the morn to the evening he strays;
He shall follow his sheep all the day,
And his tongue shall be filled with praise.

For he hears the lambs' innocent call,
And he hears the ewes' tender reply;
He is watchful while they are in peace,
For they know when their shepherd is nigh.

I just read this poem in one of my homeschooling magazine and while I love this picture of homeschooling I was also struck by it. I, as mom and teacher, am the shepherd and my sweet kiddos are the sheep. I follow my sheep, my innocent lambs, all day. I must nurture, care for, protect, and watch over them. My tongue should be filled with praise, but I know I fail at this more often than I care to admit. My prayers for this school year are that I will have patience, that I will manage my time wisely, and that I will be the shepherd my children need. I pray that my sheep know that I am always near and that I love them more than words can say.

Vacation Pics (finally)

2011-09-08T14:51:00.008-04:00

I am finally getting around to posting some pictures from our big family vacation back in June (yes, I know that it was 3 months ago, but I've been swamped I tell ya!).

Anyway, this was our first year going on vacation with my family and we had a blast. We had a rental house up on Lake Erie and everyone had a great time. The weather was really nice, and although the water was cold the kids didn't mind. In addition to spending time on our lake beach we also went to Cedar Point, African Safari Wildlife Park, and Put-in-Bay, and had many adventures along the way...

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-09-08T14:04:00.004-04:00

The heart of man plans his way,
but the LORD establishes his steps.

~Proverbs 16:9

Totally Swamped

2011-09-07T23:00:00.005-04:00

For about the last month we have been so busy and I have felt swamped almost everyday, and that is why I haven't blogged in awhile. Here is just a sample of what has kept us (especially me) so busy:
1. We started our 2011-12 home school year on August 23 and for several weeks leading up to our first day I was busy planning and making sure we had everything we needed. So far the year is going well, although there are days when we barely manage to get the basics done.

2. Our homeschool group has kept me very busy as last week our Co-op started and I have had lots to do with class registration, payment, planning, organizing, scheduling, etc. I also helped plan a Co-op human anatomy class for our kindergaten and first graders. I was supposed to co-teach the class as well, but I am so busy at Co-op that it is very hard to do, and it was an absolute answer to prayer when my sweet and wonderful co-teacher asked if I wanted her to teach so I could be free to manage Co-op as needed. I was seriously close to pulling out my hair when she emailed me this offer and I am SO thankful.

3. Last month we started the process of becoming licensed foster/adoptive parents by taking 9 (of 12) Pre-Service Training classes. Each class is 3 hours long and we did them in 2 weekends. The first weekend we took 3 on Friday, 2 on Saturday, and 2 on Sunday, and the second weekend we took 1 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday. We still have 3 more to do and those will be in November. After we have completed all of the training classes we will be ready to submit our application and begin the homestudy process. I have no idea where all of this will lead, but we felt called to do this and to follow the path wherever it may lead.

4. Add to all of this our regular activites (b-day party, fun days and lunches/dinners with family and friends, piano lessons, dance classes, etc) and day to day life (meals, laundry, cleaning, etc) and you have the makings of a very full calendar.

I don't think our schedule will be getting any lighter, but I have made a pact with myself not to add anything else (except for the church small group that we agreed to host/facilitate starting next Sunday - ha!). I hope to get back to blogging more regularly sometime this month because I have really missed it.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-08-25T22:15:00.000-04:00

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

~2 Corinthians 12:9

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-08-18T10:11:00.000-04:00

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.

~Romans 11:36

Mere Veneer

2011-08-14T21:50:00.002-04:00

Self-education is the only possible education; the rest is mere veneer laid on the surface of a child’s nature.

~Charlotte Mason

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-08-11T17:57:00.004-04:00

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

~Proverbs 3:6

Our Journey to Homeschooling (Part 2)

2011-08-11T15:44:00.004-04:00

Here is Part 2 in the Our Journey to Homeschooling Series (Part 1 can be found here).

I left off in Part 1 having made the decision that we had to do some digging, searching, and thinking before we could make a schooling choice. So I took more advice from my great friend, Analisa, to read one of the two well-known books by John Taylor Gatto: Weapons of Mass Instruction or Dumbing Us Down. Being a type A personality I, of course, had to read both. Wow! These books really got me/us thinking. Jason did not read these cover to cover like I did, but I would frequently read sections out loud to him or tell him, "You have to read chapter such and such." You can read a sampling of Gatto's writing here. Being a public school graduate myself (and in spite of the fact that I am a teacher by profession) I really couldn't argue with anything Gatto wrote and in fact had to agree with most of it.

After reading both of Gatto's books I was convinced that homeschooling was the right choice for our family. I immediately called another homeschooling friend, Sonja, and began picking her brain about all things homeschooling. Sonja was my sounding board (still is actually) and I am eternally grateful to her for taking me under her wing, and for the many hours she spent talking, listening, encouraging, and advising.

Having made the decision to homeschool my original plan was to do an online public school (OHVA) because it felt safe and I was scared (yes, scared, even though I am a teacher!), but after meeting several times with Sonja, Analisa, and a few other homeschool moms I decided to try to do it 'on my own' which to me meant using a box curriculum. After doing hours of research (there is way more out there for homeschooling than I ever imagined) and on Sonja's advice I finally settled on My Father's World (which I absolutely loved and used for the first two years).

At the exact same time as all of this was going on, the same moms I had been meeting with were in the process of starting a homeschool group and co-op in our little 'ole town of Marysville, and I ended up getting in on the ground floor of this amazing group completely by accident. Homeschooling In Marysville (HIM) was born that spring and it has grown beyond our wildest dreams. I am honored to call all of these fellow homeschooling moms 'friend' and HIM has been a true blessing to our family.

I should also note that it was during this period of time that I became a follower, believer, and child of God. I will not go into the whole story or all the details here (maybe in a future post), but suffice it to say that the Lord had been calling to me for a long time, and it was in the course of all this that He shouted and I finally answered.

So there you have it, our journey to homeschooling in a (two post) nutshell. Since making this decision a little over 3 years ago we have continued reading, digging, and searching, and we always end up at the same decision. Another book that had a major impact on both Jason and I was Family Driven Faith by Dr. Voddie Baucham and his two part DVD presentation titled The Children of Caesar.

Homeschooling Q & A:

Is it easy? Not on your life!

Is it worth it? Absolutely! All day, every day.

If you are interested in doing your own digging, questioning, and searching stay tuned for Part 3 where I will share more of my favorite books, links, and articles.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-08-04T10:48:00.003-04:00

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

~Proverbs 3:1-8

A Mother's Love

2011-08-03T21:58:00.002-04:00

There is an instinct in a woman to love most her own child - and an instinct to make any child who needs her love, her own.

~Robert Brault

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-07-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

~Galatians 6:9

Homeschooling: Are You Qualified?

2011-07-23T19:31:00.003-04:00

I love my children.
I have, or can make, some time each day to spend with them.
I have strong beliefs not taught in public schools.
I can probably do better than public schools.
I can read and write.
I usually commit to things I believe in.

Do all or most of these apply to you? Then you are qualified to homeschool!

~From Easy Homeschooling Techniques by Lorraine Curry

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-07-21T21:25:00.001-04:00

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Motherhood Is A Calling

2011-07-18T19:36:00.000-04:00

I saw this Desiring God blog post on a friend's blog and liked it so much that I wanted to share it on my blog. The post is titled Motherhood Is a Calling (& Where Your Children Rank) by Rachel Jankovic.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Littlest Angel!

2011-07-17T19:37:00.001-04:00

Today we celebrated the birth of our littlest blessing. She is independent, smart, funny, and brings so much joy to everyone. She can also be stubborn and defiant, and is often called our little firecracker. We love her more than words can say.

Happy 4th Birthday Dittle!

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-07-14T19:18:00.000-04:00

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

~Psalm 23

Snapshot of a Preschool Homeschooler

2011-07-08T20:00:00.002-04:00

Our preschooler is smart as a whip, and I'm not just saying that because I'm biased (even though I am). Maybe it is because she has two older siblings and we homeschool, but she picks things up so fast. She has been writing her name, her sister's name, her brother's name, mommy, and daddy for months and if someone spells her name wrong she crosses it out and corrects it.

Case in point: On Mother's Day her Sunday school teacher (we adore her) misspelled her name on the back of her project, so she fixed it.

In April she colored and cut these out all by herself...I'm not kidding, and in case you didn't know she's 3.

Here she is in February making letters with the Handwriting Without Tears cards and wood pieces. As she makes each consonant letter she also tells me the sound the letter makes (we just started working on the vowels).

And at the end of June she started doing Explode the Code Online. It is challenging for her (some parts more than others), but she is coming along and is now reading three letter short A words.

At this point I'm thinking she may be my easiest child to homeschool (and let me tell you Jordan was fairly easy), but I'm going to knock on wood anyway just to be safe.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-07-07T15:39:00.003-04:00

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

~Joshua 1:9

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-06-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

Faith
Excerpt from Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

My God,
I bless thee that thou hast given me the eye of faith,
     to see thee as Father,
     to know thee as a covenant God,
     to experience thy love planted in me;
For faith is the grace of union
     by which I spell out my entitlement to thee:
Faith casts my anchor upwards where I trust in thee
     and engage thee to be my Lord.
Be pleased to live and move within me,
     breathing in my prayers,
     inhabiting my praises,
     speaking in my words,
     moving in my actions,
     living in my life,
     causing me to grow in grace.
Thy bounteous goodness has helped me believe,
     but my faith is weak and wavering,
     its light dim,
     its steps tottering,
     its increase slow,
     its backslidings frequent;
It should scale the heavens,
     but lies grovelling in the dust.
Lord, fan this divine spark into glowing flame.

Our Journey to Homeschooling (Part 1)

2011-06-24T08:00:00.016-04:00

I love and adore my sweet friend Analisa more than words can say. I could write an entire blog post about her, how much I have learned from her, and how much her family means to us, but this is a post, or rather a series of posts, about our journey to homeschooling. The reason I mention Analisa is that, for my introductory post, I have unabashedly copied almost the entire sidebar from her blog. I have done this for two reasons: 1) she is a much better writer than I am, and 2) she sums up many of the reasons we homeschool so beautifully.

The only real difference between her beginnings story and ours is that we never sent any of our kids to school. I went to college to be a teacher and have a BA in Elementary Education. I always planned that I would stay home with my kids until they were all in school, and then I would go back to teaching. I would have the summers and school holidays off to spend with them and so, you see, it seemed like the perfect plan.

I was happily carrying out this plan and had registered Jordan for kindergarten in the spring of 2008, when to my surprise I realized that from the moment we arrived home from kindergarten registration I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach. I kept thinking about dropping my 'baby' off at school and I told Jason multiple times that I was totally going to cry on her first day of school. So I asked myself, 'Why am I going to cry when I drop this sweet child off on the first day of kindergarten?' and my answer was that somewhere deep inside it just didn't feel right. At the time I didn't know why and I couldn't have put it into words, but looking back I know that the feeling I had was a seed...just the beginning of something much greater than I could have imagined.

Here I will turn the post over to Analisa:

Why “Every day. All day?"

I never, from the first day I dropped our oldest off at kindergarten, felt peace about taking my children to school.

I had the constant underlying feeling that my influence was over, that I was expected to be finished with my kids and give them over to strangers to take care of their training and education. I was told that my children are far better off in the hands of professionals; segregated into classrooms of same-aged children, separated from any real connection with family and adults, forced to attach to their peers who were never meant to mentor each other, separated from the elderly who impart the wisdom and knowledge of the past, labeled, numbered, graded, trained to move about at the sound of a bell.

Not only were their days now monopolized by someone else’s agenda, but when they got home their evenings were dictated to us through homework and endless activity that we are told they “need” (soccer, dance, music, etc.). I began to wonder if “schooling” is the same as “education.”

Then God planted in my heart a seed of an idea.

We have chosen not to give our children over to the culture. We have chosen to train, teach, mentor our children ourselves: not “all day, every-other day,” not “half-day, every day,” but 24/7.

Now I’m here to encourage you to question. Your answers may not look like ours —but examine what you take for granted as fact, truth, good, necessary. Challenge what the culture sells you. Question what you believe and why. Seek not the favor and knowledge of man, but the wisdom and heart of God. Investigate, inquire, scrutinize, sift, probe, search.

Every day.

All day.

I remember reading this on her blog shortly after our kindergarten registration experience and I decided that I needed to take her advice. I needed to question, challenge, investigate, inquire, scrutinize, sift, probe, and search. I figured what could it hurt and I knew that I had to dig deeper into this before I could be at peace with any decision.

Stay tuned for part 2 in which I will tell you what digging I did and how we became convinced (and convicted) that homeschooling was the best choice for our family.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-06-23T15:14:00.003-04:00

Friends

Today's Thoughtful Thursday post is dedicated to all my wonderful friends. I am so thankful for each and every one of you and your friendships are a true blessing.

I love this picture of the friendship and love between Jonathan and David:
As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. ~1 Samuel 18:1

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.
~Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.
~Proverbs 27:9

The friendshipof the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
~Psalm 24:14

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
~James 4:4

He wholoves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.
~Proverbs 22:11

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this,that someone lay down his life for his friends. You aremy friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants,for the servantdoes not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my FatherI have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go andbear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so thatwhatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
~John 15:12-16

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.
~William Blake

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.
~Author Unknown

A true friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably.
~William Penn

I'm Back

2011-06-18T18:41:00.007-04:00

I'm back! I know I have been neglecting my blog lately, but it is because we have been SUPER busy since the middle of May. I have really missed blogging this past month, so let's catch up shall we?

May found us busy with dance recitals - two to be exact plus one dress rehearsal. Jordan and Corinne both took dance at Columbus DanceArts Academy this year and loved it. This was Corinne's first year and Jordan's fifth. Corinne performed in the annual mini recital and was totally adorable dancing to Row, Row, Your Boat. Jordan performed in the 'big' show for the first time and was absolutely beautiful dancing to the theme from Titanic.

Also in May, Carson and Corinne finished up a fun year at Little Shepherds Preschool. This was Corinne's first year of preschool and she loved every minute of it. Carson graduated from their Kindergarten Enrichment program and had a really fun year as well.
This picture was taken at the annual Mother's Tea and both kids did a great job singing for everyone.

And after all the crazy busyness of those two weeks, we had exactly four days to get ready to go on vacation!

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-06-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

John 10:27-29

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-06-02T08:22:00.000-04:00

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed bythe renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

~Romans 12:2

Away We Go

2011-05-30T20:34:00.003-04:00

by Walter de la Mare

One, two, three,
And away go we!
Shingle, starfish,
Sand, and sea!
Wind on cheek,
Clear sun on skin;
The tumbling waves
Sweep out, sweep in.

A magic, broken
Music calls
In the water
As it falls;
Voices, a sigh,
A long-drawn hush,
As back - in myriad
Bubbles - gush
The green-grey ripples,
Flecked with snow -
A music solemn,
Sweet, and low.

Parables From Nature

2011-05-27T21:42:00.001-04:00

Parables From Nature by Margaret Gatty (Mrs. Alfred Gatty) weaves interesting facts from nature and science into the stories. The collection includes all 29 stories from the first, second, third, and fourth series, originally published in separate volumes.The stories in "Parables from Nature" are challenging, rich and complex, as they seek to uncover God's craftsmanship in the natural world, how the seen teaches us about the unseen. This is a great book to glean ideas from and stretch the intellect, imagination and understanding.

As I have mentioned before we follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education in our homeschool, and this year we began using the free curriculum provided by Ambleside Online (which we love). As part of Jordan's Year 2 curriculum we are reading Parables From Nature and I am really enjoying it (Jordan likes it, but it is quite challenging and complex). This collection was originally published in a four volume series and can be read free online here.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-05-26T21:48:00.004-04:00

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

~1 John 2:15-17 (KJV)

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-05-19T08:00:00.002-04:00

Neither go back in fear and misgiving to the past, nor in anxiety and forecasting to the future, but lie quiet under His hand, having no will but His.

~H.E. Manning

Recently Read & Recommend

2011-05-17T18:49:00.004-04:00

I am starting a new post series called Recently Read & Recommend in which I post books I have recently read, really enjoyed, and recommend.

So, here is the first book:

The Scarlet Pimpernel
by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

First published in 1905, The Scarlet Pimpernel, is the best-known novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, a prolific author of popular fiction and plays. The novel pioneered the tale of the masked avenger and paved the way for such future enigmatic heroes as Zorro and the Lone Ranger. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a relevant and enormously entertaining tale of survival and pluck during times of widespread fear, hypocrisy, and corruption.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book! I didn't know if I would, but after the first few chapters I could hardly put it down. Reading this book made me want to take French lessons again (I took four years in high school and hardly remember a thing). I loved the mystery of it all. Highly recommend!

Nature Study...A Start

2011-05-15T22:00:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned in a previous post...I am not a naturalist and I don't have a green thumb. I was born and raised in the city/suburb and I know next to nothing about plants, animals, and nature in general. This fact has made the nature study aspect of our Charlotte Mason based home school a real challenge for me (I should also mention that Science is not my strong suit either).

For the past few months I have been keeping my eye out for nature study helps, but I hadn't put much effort into it. Then, totally by accident, I found online what looked like a cute book and ordered it for Jordan for Easter (and it was on sale). The book is called The Cutest Nature Book Ever! and is published by American Girl. (Note: I did not order from the AG website or pay the list price.)

The book is a mini nature notebook, journal, and activity book all rolled into one. The book is very simple and basic, but it has given me a starting point and I have been on a more in depth nature study resource search ever since (more to come on my finds in a future post).

Jordan has really enjoyed the book and has done some of the activities and journal pages. The pictures below are of her making a bird's nest. I don't know if she got this activity directly from the book or if she was inspired by the book, but either way I am thrilled that we are at least on our way to nature study.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-05-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?'
Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?'
But, conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?'
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular-- but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right.

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

A Goldfinch

2011-05-10T20:33:00.000-04:00

by Walter de la Mare

This feather-soft creature
Tail to head,
Is golden yellow,
And black, and red.

A sip of water,
A twig to sing on,
A prong for nest,
The air to wing on,

A mate to love,
Some thistledown seed
Are all his joy, life,
Beauty, need.

Sunwatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park

2011-05-06T10:58:00.000-04:00

And here are the pictures from Sunwatch also mentioned in the Ohio History post:
(This was an extra fun trip because Daddy came with us!)

Union County Historical Society

2011-05-06T08:00:00.009-04:00

As promised in my previous post, here are pictures from our visit to the Union County Historical Society:

And now my personal favorite!

This quilt was signed by at least 30 famous historical

figures and the signatures embroidered over.

Ohio History

2011-05-05T10:44:00.005-04:00

Our local homeschool co-op recently did a 7 week session on Ohio History. For the class we made a modified lapbook for the base of our study using the Ohio Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child. This was our first time doing a lapbook for a group class and while it worked OK I would not recommend it for large groups with a wide range of ages; I think lapbooks are better suited for small groups or families. We modified the lapbook format in that instead of using file folders we used 3 ring binders and cardstock which worked much better for transportation and storage of the lapbook.

In addition to the lapbook we supplemented with lots of books:

Picture Books
Night Boat to Freedom by Margot Theis Raven
Cardinal Numbers by Marcia Schonberg
Ohio Thunder by Denise Dowling Mortensen
Nothing Here But Trees by Jean Van Leeuwen
Aurora Means Dawn by Scott Russell Sanders
The Floating House by Scott Russell Sanders
Warm as Wool by Scott Russell Sanders
B is for Buckeye by Marcia Schonberg
The Giant of Seville by Dan Andreasen

Other Books
A Kid's Guide to Drawing America: How to Draw Ohio's Sights and Symbols by Aileen Weintraub (my kids loved this book)
Heroes of Ohio by Rick Sowash
As part of the class we planned two field trips. For the first trip we went to the Union County Histoical Society. Our tour guide was very knowledgable and everyone learned a great deal. For the second field trip we went to Sunwatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park near Dayton, and again we had a wonderful tour guide. Seeing the reconstructed village and artifacts in the museum was really interesting and the trip was well worth the drive.
(Pictures from our field trips coming soon!)

Teach Them Diligently

2011-05-05T08:00:00.013-04:00

You shall love the Lord your God with all your and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.

~Deuteronomy 6:5-7

COSI

2011-05-04T21:35:00.013-04:00

Last week I finally took the kids to COSI. I have been meaning to take them since we got a membership...in January. They loved it and didn't want to leave! We didn't get to see everything, so we will be going back very soon which makes me glad I got the membership. Here are some highlights from our visit:

Gecko Exhibit

(limited time specail exhibit)

More Exhibits

What a fun day!

Got Me Thinking

2011-04-30T19:45:00.008-04:00

Loved this blog post by my sweet friend Cara and it got me to thinking.....
Thought I'd share:
Children Are Waiting

I also have to share a link to a great sermon on adoption by Voddie Baucham: Sermon Audio

Thankful

2011-04-28T20:22:00.008-04:00

A fellow blogger inspired me to write a post listing the things I am thankful to God for. I don't know this sweet woman very well yet, but I hope to get to know her better in the future. She is the wife of our church's Worship Pastor (and has an absolutely beautiful voice herself). I have been reading her blog for several weeks now and have been blessed by many of her posts.

So here are the things I am SO thankful for (I may add to this list over the next day or two):

My 3 amazing kids
My wonderful husband
My family & friends
Our freedom to homeschool
Our home
God's grace every day
Being a stay at home mom

And let the peace of God rule your hearts, to which you have been called in one body, and be thankful.
~Colossians 3:15

See the inspiration behind this post by reading Ashley's Thankful Tuesday post on her blog!

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-04-28T09:22:00.003-04:00

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

~Luke 15:7

A Hyacinth & My Nana

2011-04-23T08:00:00.004-04:00

I am the world's worst naturalist. I only know the names of a handful of trees, flowers, and bugs (most of which I detest), but I do know this flower. I wish I could post smells on a blog because it smells divine! Seriously, I can't stop sniffing it! And for those of you who don't already know this flower is a hyacinth.

The hyacinth makes me think of my Nana (great-grandma) because it was her favorite flower. She was a great lady. She makes me think of pancakes and homemade syrup, dentures and rouge, costume jewelry and support hose. She was an awesome great-grandma and I miss her so much.

This was taken in 1993 when she was 88 years old.

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-04-21T16:22:00.002-04:00

A Poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti

None other Lamb, none other Name,
None other Hope in heaven or earth or sea,
None other Hiding-place from guilt and shame,
None beside Thee.

My faith burns low, my hope burns low,
Only my hearth's desire cries out in me
By the deep thunder of its want and woe,
Cries out to Thee.

Lord, Thou art Life tho' I be dead,
Love's Fire Thou art, however cold I be:
Nor heaven have I, nor place to lay my head,
Nor home, but Thee.

Little Pilgrim's Progress

2011-04-16T19:38:00.004-04:00

Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen L. Taylor

Fifty-five years ago, Helen L. Taylor took John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress and simplified the vocabulary and concepts for young readers, while keeping the storyline intact, and the result is a classic in itself. It’s both a simple adventure story and a profound allegory of the Christian journey through life.

Jordan and I are reading this together and we are both enjoying it SO much. The chapters are short and after each chapter we talk about the allegorical meaning.
Highly recommend!

Thoughtful Thursday

2011-04-14T10:22:00.001-04:00

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

~John 16:33

Homeschool Burnout

2011-04-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

We follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy of homeschooling, but I firmly believe that regardless of the method or curriculum used every homeschooling mom feels burntout at some point during the school year. For me it typically occurs in late January or February when the weather has been cold, gray, dreary, snowy....I could go on (this is Ohio after all), but the point is that at times homeschooling days get a little tougher and feel a little longer.

I have good news though! I found two great links to help combat homeschool burnout and these ladies put it better than I ever could, so enjoy!

26 Tips for Overcoming Homeschool Burnout

Why Do We Quit?