Schooling Confuses

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

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

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

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

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)

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...