The Boys' Costumes
Noah "as himself" (LOL) in the ark
Zach as Mario
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Christmas Already???
I am getting started on my Christmas cards! I have nearly 50 to make...this past Saturday I sat down and created about 16 of them. Here are a few pictures.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Pumpkin Lover
Pumpkin Recipes-muffins, cookies, chili, and fudge!
Pumpkin Butterhorns
My first attempt at growing pumpkins!
Go check out more pumpkin posts!
Deja Glue
Ever felt stuck? Like you keep trying to move foward, but you never seem to get anywhere? I have struggled for years with anxiety...we are talking Years! I can't tell you how much I hate it. How it has majorly affected/affects areas of my life. I have felt stuck to it like there was now way out. There have been times when I have thought, "I am conquering it...I am going to beat it this time." ...only to find myself back at step one. It is deja glue...been there, done that more than I care to admit. I am stuck and don't know how to get out of it.
Recently, I took a look back at my life to see if I have made any progress. Maybe a "deja vu" is what I needed to see that I wasn't as stuck as I thought I was. As a child, I could barely look people in the eye and talk to them. But as an adult, I taught at a local high school in front of hundreds of kids. As a child, I feared new situations so much that I could barely cope. As an adult, I may get a tinge of butterflies, but I push forward. As a child and even into my early adult years, I feared house fires and intruders. Today I don't even think twice about them. Slowly, over the years, God has picked me up from my fears and helped me conquer them...maybe not all of them, but enough of them for me to see progress.
So my "deja vu" is not the "deja glue" that I had thought it was.
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
God has begun a good work in me...I am not complete, but neither has He left me stuck. He is continuing to work on me. It might be a slow process. It might seem that I have "been there, done that" a thousand times, but He is not going to give up on me! He will carry it on to completion! Praise God!
Little by little, He is changing who I am. Now, I may always struggle with anxiety a bit on this side of heaven, but I can still say,
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalms 40:2
You, too, may have a pit. A place you are stuck in or visited one too many times. Mine is anxiety, but yours may be a totally different issue. Do you feel like it's a "deja glue" experience? Like you will never get out? It will never get better? Rest in Him...that whatever He started He is going to finish!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Ever Tried a Lotion Bar?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Overflowing with Blessings
Getting so close to a thousand! It has taken me a little over a year, but I am almost there!!!!! I am thinking by next week I will have made it!
951. A playful pup!
952. Time to plan for Zach's high school years.
953. Peace in the midst of a storm.
954. The slow change of my heart towards faith instead of fear.
955. Lunch with a friend on a Friday...what a way to start the weekend.
956. Getting a ton of school done last week with the boys.
957. Watching Zach create his own fall festival costume.
958. Time in the evening alone to work on what needs to get done.
959. Sleepiness...such a blessing to be able to sleep after dealing with a bout of insomnia.
960. The Truth Project that I get to participate in with our church.
961. Finding freedom in Christ...slowly, but surely.
962. Finding peace in the midst of fears.
963. Doing my Bible study and learning that fears sometimes give birth to faith.
964. My worn and torn Bible...lots of memories in there.
965. A Friday night with the boys' at friends' houses...Tim and I had a date night!
966. Titan greeting us with joy each morning.
967. A letter from my great aunt.
968. Mocha Frappes from McDonalds
969. Lotion bars for my dry hands.
970. The grief group that I am getting so much out of.
971. A pink sunset
972. Teaching a craft class
973. Time to work on Christmas cards
Join Ann over at Holy Experience to learn more about the Gratitude Community.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Weekly Wrap-Up: In Which We Plow through School!
We have really stayed on top of everything this week. For some reason we have been extremely focused and got a tremendous amount of work done.
I continue to look through materials for high school. This week I stumbled on TRISMS which is a research-driven unit study program that incorporates history, literature and composition. I am seriously considering this for Zach for high school. I like the fact that everything is combined and that the writing program that they use is Institute for Excellence in Writing which is what we have used for many years! I am hoping to get my hands on a copy of this program to at least take a look at it before we buy. Has anyone had any experience with TRISMS?
So looking forward to this evening, Tim and I get an date night without the boys as they both have activities to go to! I love when it all works out like that!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
America: The Story of US
This past summer I signed up for a free (yes, free) DVD set from the History Channel. Well, last night I finally had a chance to watch the first episode. It is really well done! I think we are going to add these DVD's into our American history studies next year. What I also like is that there are activity guides for teachers and families for this series. I am thinking I need to look into more History Channel DVD's!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Puppy Pillows
A couple of weekends ago a friend of mine had to go out of town for a conference. She left her daughter and dog with us. Their dog is actually Titan's mom, Olive. Well, when they brought in Olive's kennel I noticed a cute pillow in it. I told my friends' daughter, "We should make one for Titan." The next morning we got up and went to JoAnn's to buy fabric and stuffing for the pillow. We bought polar fleece to make the pillow comfy and warm. One yard of the bone pattern you see in the pictures and one yard of a light blue fleece that matched is all we needed. Basically, the pillow is made like those tie blankets that are so easy to make. We laid the two pieces of fabric on top of each other and cut a fringe all the way around. Then we tied the fringes together on three sides. Finally, we stuffed the pillow and finished tying the last edge.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
The Grace of God by Andy Stanley
I love listening to Andy Stanley preach! A few years ago a friend of mine introduced me to him through his messages on the internet. Since then I have read his book It Came from Within!: The Shocking Truth of What Lurks in the Heart and used it to teach a series in my Jr. High Sunday school class.
When Book Sneeze offered me an opportunity to read his newest book I jumped at the chance. The Grace of God doesn't disappoint!
Andy takes you through the Garden of Eden, the Ten Commandments, the intertwined lives of Joseph and Judah, the disobedience of Jonah, the thirsty woman at the well and all the way to the modern day church. I gained such a new perspective on God's grace and how He relates to us. My biggest question/struggle in life has always been, "Am I good enough?" and "What do I need to do to earn God's favor?" This book blows those questions out of the water by expressing,
Andy takes you through the Garden of Eden, the Ten Commandments, the intertwined lives of Joseph and Judah, the disobedience of Jonah, the thirsty woman at the well and all the way to the modern day church. I gained such a new perspective on God's grace and how He relates to us. My biggest question/struggle in life has always been, "Am I good enough?" and "What do I need to do to earn God's favor?" This book blows those questions out of the water by expressing, "Whereas God's expressions of grace were innumerable, his requirements were minimal."
"Grace is no reserved for good people; grace underscores the goodness of God."
"God initiated a relationship with his people before he even told them what the rules were." That's interesting because I have always tried to follow the rules to be worthy of the relationship.
If you are struggling with God's grace and how it works or if you are wrestling with extending grace to others, I would highly recommend reading this book!
Thomas Nelson has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it. I am not required to give a positive review. All my opinions are my own.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Curriculum for Sale
I am cleaning out my shelves of curriculum. I have several items for sale. All are gently used. I will accept Paypal for payment. If you are interested in any of these items please leave me a comment with a way to contact you. NOTE: All prices include media mail shipping. Since I am in Alaska shipping takes 3 to 5 weeks.
*Math-U-See Gamma Teacher's Manual and DVD. This is the older version of these items, but they work with the newer student books. $20 (retails new $40)
*Discover 4 Yourself for kids! Abraham-God's Brave Explorer $7
*Remembering God's Awesome Acts by Susan Mortimer $25 (It retails new for $35).
*Caught 'Ya: Grammar with a Giggle $10
*Apologia: Exploring Creation with Botany $20 (retails new for $39)
October Bulk Cooking
Here is what we are cooking up for October meals. You might want to try my mini freezer cooking session to see if you like the idea of "freezer cooking." But I post each month what we cook so that others can have ideas as to what works well for freezer meals.
Tacos- We just cooked up a bunch of taco meat.
Potato Corn Chowder
BBQ orange chicken-We made a marinade of BBQ sauce, orange marmelade, and Italian dressing. We put our chicken breasts in bags and poured the marinade over it. When we are ready to use it we will thaw it and bake the chicken. You could also grill it.
Turkey Tetrazzini-This recipe came from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook
Thai Soup- I don't have the recipe for this (as it is in my friend's cookbook), but this was too die for! I have to get the recipe!
Cheesy Chicken Roll-ups- We haven't eaten this yet, but my friend swears these are yummy. We pounded chicken breasts thin, rolled a big chunk of pepper jack cheese in each one. Then each piece of rolled up chicken was dipped in egg and then rolled in bread crumbs. When we serve it all we have to do is cook it until the chicken is done. Can't wait to try these!
Redirecting My Thinking
Counting my blessings has done wonders for me...redirects my thinking to the positive!
927. Overcoming fears.
928. Getting a bunch of housework done.
929. Extra time to grocery shop.
930. Lunch with a friend at a Thai restaurant.
931. Receiving Noah's new science books.
933. Beautiful music
934. A new Bible Study
935. That Beth Moore is working on a new Bible study! James! Can't wait.
936. Time to plan Zach's high school career.
937. The boys showing responsibility.
938. Safety on the roads.
939. Getting a haircut.
940. Bulk cooking so that I don't have to cook each day.
941. Ideas that come to me for teaching.
942. Reading.
943. The boys working hard on school work to get it done.
944. Scentsy!
945. Being able to read Andy Stanley's new book, The Grace of God.
946. Talking to my dad! I love him so!
947. Thai soup
948. A friend's husband coming to Christ!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have been praying for him for years!!!!
949. Seeing a new life in Christ!
950. Hearing his testimony in church.
Friday, October 15, 2010
It is time...
It is time to nominate your favorite homeschool blogs! Please go over to The Homeschool Post to nominate. You can do this through October 30th.
Weekly Wrap-Up: In Which the Snow Comes to Stay
Sometime before the end of October we receive our first snowfall that is here to stay. This year we didn't even make it halfway through the month. By Monday we were wrapped in whiteness. Our winter wonderland will last until April...such is life in Central Alaska.
This week's mail was exciting! We received this....
Noah is looking forward to doing some of these activities with a friend of his. His friend has already started the book. So our goal is to do the first lesson and then go to the lesson that his friend is working on so that they can work together. We are going to do something like this.
I also received in the mail The Bridge (Bracken Trilogy, Book 1) and the Progeny Press study guide to it. I have heard good things about this trilogy. Hope the boys like it.
The last fun book in the mail came yesterday, The Grace of God by Andy Stanley! I love listening to and reading Andy Stanley. I am only on chapter four, but this book is awesome. I received it early so that I could review it for Book Sneeze.
I also received in the mail The Bridge (Bracken Trilogy, Book 1) and the Progeny Press study guide to it. I have heard good things about this trilogy. Hope the boys like it.
The last fun book in the mail came yesterday, The Grace of God by Andy Stanley! I love listening to and reading Andy Stanley. I am only on chapter four, but this book is awesome. I received it early so that I could review it for Book Sneeze.This week had a first in it. On Tuesday a friend took me out to lunch. I left the boys at home. Well, during that time they had chess club. So another friend picked them up and took them. I was so proud of Zach and Noah. They locked up the house, didn't lose the key, and were able to get back in when they were dropped off. They even called me to let me know they had made it back home! Good for them!
Today the boys are managing school on their own as I do my monthly bulk cooking session with a friend. With homeschooling and working part time, I rely on bulk cooking to get through the week. I love having a freezer full of food!
Today the boys are managing school on their own as I do my monthly bulk cooking session with a friend. With homeschooling and working part time, I rely on bulk cooking to get through the week. I love having a freezer full of food!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
High School Planning
I mentioned this a few days ago, but I can't believe that I am planning for high school now! My oldest, Zach, will be in 9th grade next year! Where did the time go? It slipped by without me noticing it. Here are some things that I have been doing to get ready...
1. I looked up the graduation requirements for our state, Alaska. I was horrified (ok, maybe "horrified" is too strong of a word) to find out that my sons will need a semester of Alaska history in order to graduate. Not that it is a big deal, but I think it will be somewhat a waste of time. I would rather give him a foundation in government, economics, and American and World history. Finding out the basics of what he needs in order to graduate has helped me know what to look for in curriculum.
2. I started with the core subjects: English, Social Studies, Math and Science. I am in the process of deciding which curricula to go with. Science and Math are easy decisions. We have done Math-u-See all through and will continue with that. We are loving Apologia so we are going to stick with it. My dilemmas have come with English and Social Studies. We have done Biblioplan for several years successfully, but now that we are moving into high school I am not sure if I want to continue with it. Here are some of the options that I am looking at for social studies: Beautiful Feet or Notgrass.
For English, I also am looking at lots of different options such as Lightning Literature, Institute for Excellence in Writing (which we have used for years and love), and Excellence in Literature.
4. I will also get around to mapping out his four-year plan. Here are some forms that will help me organize my thoughts.
If you have any awesome curriculum ideas or maybe things that worked for your high schooler, please leave me a comment. I would love to hear about it!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Another Great Bible Study
I have to admit that my favorite Bible studies come from Beth Moore. She has taught me a wealth of information and turned my heart towards God over and over again throughout the years. The sad things is that I have caught up with her! I have completed all her Bible studies and even done two of them twice! God has used her studies to grow me in ways that I could never have imagined. So I am eagerly awaiting her new study on James, but I have a feeling it is going to be awhile. In the meantime, I have branched out by doing the Bible in 90 Days program and some other Bible studies by Priscilla Shirer and Jennifer Rothschild. I have noticed that if I don't stay in the Word...I fall apart! So last week I happened upon a study by Max Lucado called Experiencing the Heart of Jesus: Knowing His Heart, Feeling His Love. So far I am enjoying it and it is getting me to think about Jesus and His relationship to me. I am not sure how long this study will take me...probably about ten weeks which will put me close to the January start of another Bible in 90 Days session. I haven't decided if I am going to read the Bible again in 90 days or just be a mentor.
If you have any suggestions for some great Bible studies, please leave me a comment. I would love to hear what has worked for you!
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