Homeschooling for 2011-2012

I recently finalized my plans for the boys' school this year.  We are heading into a huge transition.  Zach will be a freshman in high school.  The thought just scares me!  I never dreamed that we would get this far!  Here are our plans:

Zach (9th)
English I - which will consist of IEW's Fix-it and Character-based Writing lessons, Spelling Power, Word Roots and literature analysis.

Math- Finishing Math-U-See Algebra I and then moving into geometry.

Science- Apologia Biology

Social studies- TRISMS Rise of Nations (I have never used this curriculum....looking forward to it!)

Spanish I- Breaking the Barrier

PE-Log of activities and reading Fitness for Life

Noah (5th)
Language Arts- Institute for Excellence in Writing Fix-it and US History-based Writing Lessons, Spelling Power, Italics, Winston Grammar

Math- Math-U-See Epsilon (fractions)

Science- Apologia Zoology I

Social Studies- Biblioplan III

Spanish- Rosetta Stone

Piano lessons

I am praying for an awesome year!

Where Heaven touches Earth

I recently read this post and loved it!  Sometimes I think we need to step back and realize that God is in every moment and appreciate what we have and what we have experienced.

What a Fight!

Sometimes we don't need to put up a fight...

"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Exodus 14:14

I was reminded this weekend that we need to let God doing the fighting for us. We need to trust that He will take care of us and deal with our battles appropriately.  I love how God works...He has been fighting for me lately and I did't even realize it!  Then as I am sitting in service this past Sunday our pastor starts to talk about how God fights for us.  It dawned on me that that is what has been happening in my life in a very tough situation!  So thankful that we have a God that has our lives figured out when we don't!

Can I be still in this situation? Can I wait it out in peace knowing that He works all things together for my good?  That is the challenge...to have peace and patience in the midst of the turmoil. Do I trust that He will take care of the pain that has entered my world?  Do I trust Him with my life, my family, and my reputation?  I am slowly coming to realize He is the only one that fights fair.  He is the only one that should be in the ring!  I am going to let go and let Him do His job!

Blessings

{1,605-1,618}

Puppies in the yard
Days that aren't too warm or too cold

Books showing up in the mail
Pumpkins on the vine

Tim working on the shed
That no matter what happens God holds us together (Colossians 1:17)
Craft class with the teen girls at church
A positive answer to my question
A thirst for God
The promise of a hope and a future
Hugs from a friend
Card from a friend
Time alone
That God defends us when we can't defend ourselves

Life is Good...

When you have so many books arrive in the mail!  Now where to start...

Pancake Art

When I was little my grandma would make us pancake letters...each letter in our names. But I guess if you get creative you can go beyond letters! Who would have thought????!!!

Here are some links to make breakfast time more artistic!

Flowers

Volcano

Snake

Turtle

Outer Space

Check out the flower link for basic instructions on how to do these types of pancakes.

Grace...Ragamuffin Style

My Word of the Year is "grace".  It is amazing when you focus on one word or concept for the year how many opportunities you have to learn about it and practice it. I recently picked up the book,

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. On the back of the book I read, "Are you bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt out?" Um, do I need to answer that question? Doesn't life do that to us sometimes...leaving us bedraggled, beat-up and burnt out?  I quickly opened up the book and realized that it is really about

.

The first chapter is powerful...

"There is a myth flourishing in the church today that has caused incalculable harm: once converted, fully converted. In other words, once I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, an irreversible, sinless future beckons. Discipleship will be an untarnished success story; life will be an unbroken upward spiral toward holiness. Tell that to poor Peter..."

We all know about poor Peter, claiming he would never abandon Christ and yet...

We may be saved in an instant, but it takes a lifetime to save our personalities.  We are still sinful, still broken, still hurting on some level this side of heaven. And that is where the grace comes in...that is where His power is made perfect in our weakness.

As I get older, I wonder if I will ever arrive... you know the place: the holy saint without a flaw.  The problem is have you ever met one?  I can't say that I have.  It will take my lifetime to weed through the flaws, get victory over sin, and heal my brokeness.  In the meantime, I will take His Grace.

Update on the Garden

This is the biggest garden I have had yet.  We are growing some new veggies that I have never grown before: cucumbers, eggplant, spaghetti squash, and round zucchini.  Everything is doing really well, except for my peas.  I have a few pea plants, but for some reason they didn't sprout real well this year.  Here are a few pictures...

{All types of summer squash/zucchini}

{Orient Express Eggplant}

{Cucumbers}

{Tomatoes}

{The start of a pumpkin}

Multitudes of Blessings

The pain, fear, and struggle drive us to Him. May every good and perfect gift do the same......

{1,588- 1, 604}

That His strength shines in our weaknesses

Mercy

Grace

Encouraging words from a friend

Sitting on a sunlit deck

Change

The courage to change

Tears

Long walks

Grief that brings us closer to Him

Breakfast casseroles

Blessings in disguise

Swim lessons

A lush garden

An income

Safety in our backyard

A Place Called Blessing by John Trent and Annette Smith

Several years back I read a book called The Blessing. The Blessing talks about how to parent your kids and what they need to thrive: meaningful touch, spoken words, attaching high value, envisioning a special future for them, and genuine commitment.  John Trent recently wrote a fiction book based on this concept entitled A Place Called Blessing. Most of this book I read through tears! It is the story of Josh and his troubled childhood and his "redemption" in the end by a family that chose to give him "the blessing". The book clearly illustrates how this can be done in a person's life.  Such a heart-rending story filled with triumph, forgiveness, and love. I would highly recommend this great read and when you are done go back and read The Blessing.

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.

Grilling Zucchini

What you may not know about me is that I am brilliant!  And what is more I have a very brilliant friend!  This year (because we both love summer squash) we decided to grow a bunch of zucchini and yellow squash.  She started seeds for me and I also bought two zuke plants at a local greenhouse. So when all was said and done our brilliancy amounted to seven (yes, 7!!!) summer squash plants.  Now for you gardeners out there you know that this "brilliant" plan has the tendency to backfire in August when I start pulling green and yellow "baseball bats" out of my garden! LOL  What were we thinking?!

So the squash is starting to produce and I am looking for ways to deal with it all.  A lot of it I will end up shredding and freezing for baked good later in the winter.  I tend to use the "baseball bats"for that.  Lately I have been grilling zucchini.  Here's how:

*Cut a zuke lengthwise (see photo).

*Spread butter on one of the cut sides.

*Sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese.

*Sprinkle with chopped basil and oregano (also from my garden).

*Put the two sides together and wrap in foil.

*Grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occassionally.

*YUM!

So please tell me, what other brilliant things can I do with zucchini?

Update on James

In the past year or so I have made more of an effort to memorize God's Word.  I recently got the crazy idea that I could/should memorize the ENTIRE book of James.  This is one of the best decisions I have ever made!

First of all, a year ago I would have said to you that I couldn't memorize at all.  Six months ago I would have said to you that memorizing verses is beyond my brain capacity.  Today I can truthfully say, "The more you memorize, the easier it gets."  I can't believe it, but I am almost through the first chapter of James!

Here are some things that have helped me:

*It takes time.  Just looking at a verse for a few minutes doesn't cut it...at least for me it doesn't.

Writing out the verses helps. If you look back at my original post you will see I am writing out the whole book of James. For some reason this is really helping the words stick in my brain.

Daily review really helps.  I have been spending some of my time at the pool while one of my kids takes lessons memorizing.  This is a daily event.  On the weekends I still review a bit.

Looking for themes in the verses and asking myself what the verses are really saying has helped commit them to memory.

For me the greatest benefit from memorizing James has been how my thinking is changing. James is such a practical book with wise advice...I am using what I am memorizing almost on a daily basis.  This only motivates me to memorize more!

Freezer Cooking Basics

A friend and I have been doing freezer cooking for several years now.  It is the BEST decision I have ever made in regards to keeping up with household responsibilities.  I can't tell you how many times it has saved me to have dinner already prepared.  All I have to do is pull it out of the freezer and pop it in the oven.

There are several things you can do to make life easier that involve your freezer.  Here are some ideas:

Breakfast Foods You can freeze all kinds of breakfast foods for a easy, stress-free morning.  I have two Breakfast freezer plans on my blog.  Here is Plan #1, Plan #2, and more ideas.

Pre-chopped veggies like onions and bell peppers. Having everything already chopped really helps to make meal prep faster.  At the end of summer I shred my zuchinni and put it in baggies for future use in baked goods.

Beans The problem with dried beans is that they aren't convenient.  I can make a huge batch of beans and then freeze them for later use.  I tend to pre-cook black beans or pinto beans.  I have never really had success with kidney beans for some reason.  Here is more information on how to do beans in a crockpot.

Bread I bake bread and then freeze it.  Lately the boys have been wanting sub sandwiches.  I use my favorite bread dough recipe and add parmesan and fresh oregano to the dough before shaping them into hoagie rolls.

Berries  We pick our own berries here in Alaska: blueberries, raspberries and cranberries.  I freeze all of these for later use.  We tend to pick enough to last use the entire year.  They can then be used for muffins, breads, cranberry sauce, and desserts.

Freezer Pizzas I am not sure what frozen pizzas cost in the Lower 48, but up here the prices are ridiculous!  Eight dollars for one DiGorno's pizza! Here is a way to have frozen pizzas in your freezer without the cost.

So what do you freeze???

In the Beginning...God

Today is the start of another online session of the Bible in 90 Days! I am so excited! This is the third session that I will be participating in.  However, this time I won't be reading.  I read through the Bible in 90 days last summer and back at the beginning of this year.  This time around I am a mentor for about 10 readers and a team leader (will give support to a group of mentors).  Being a team leader is a new position for me.  I am looking forward to helping out those mentoring in anyway that I can.

So to the readers that I am mentoring and to those mentors I will be serving, I just want to let you know that it is a privilege to help you along in your journey.  I will be praying for you along the way that God will give you the stamina and will power to start what you complete!  I am praying that God will bless you through this experience!

And while I won't be reading along with you, I am doing a challenge of my own right now.  I am currently trying to memorize the entire book of James!  This is such a feat for me because memorizing is not my forte.  Please pray for me as I renew my mind with God's Word.

Praying that the "good work" that we begin today will come to completion!

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 

So Thankful!

Gratitude can change a heart...I am currently memorizing the book of James..."Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

It boggles my mind to think that we can have "pure joy" in the face of trials and yet that is God's command.  I am working towards the pure joy and gratitude for those hard times in life. Here is my continuing list of joy...

{1,574-1,587}

Protection when we had a utility pole burning in our backyard

Rain, rain and more rain

The return of a friend from vacation

Photos of my family

Sleeping in until 9am

Sun, finally!

Tons of cucumbers from the garden

The ability to minister to others

Spreadsheets (keeping everything organized)

Grace for others

Evening sun

Cool morning breezes

Inside jokes

Afternoon nap in a recliner

A Tale of Two Cities (Booking It)

Don't you just love a surprise ending?  I recently finished reading A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. I love the surprise ending in this book!

I am going to be completely honest and say that getting started in this book is a challenge. The first 50 to 100 pages were hard to get through.  Lots of background information that didn't quite make sense to me streamed through the first part of the book. There comes a point though when a switch is flipped and all of a sudden it becomes easier to understand. Several friends had mentioned that I needed to read A Tale of Two Cities, but that it would be hard going in the first part.  I am so glad though that I decided to stick it out!

There are several themes in the book, but I loved how the concept of self-sacrifice was shown. It was dramatic and heart-wrenching at the same time.  I kept asking myself, "Would I be willing to do that for someone I love?"  Another theme that I thought stood out was that of never judging others on the surface.  So many times we make snap judgments about people without realizing that they still have the capability for greatness.

I personally love Dickens. I love his plot lines and humor. While I would say that A Tale of Two Cities wasn't exactly an easy read, it was so worth it!

Baked Beans in a Crockpot

Last week I decided to make baked beans since I have a plethora of dried pinto beans.  I have only done them once before in the oven and frankly, I wasn't impressed with the results!  This time around I did them in the crockpot.  It was easier and more delicious!

Crockpot Baked Beans

3 cups dried pinto beans

1 1/2 cups ketchup

2/3 cup molasses

2 T. dried minced onion flakes

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 t. paprika

2 t. dried mustard

1 T. liquid smoke (or to taste)

Use a 6 quart crockpot. Sort through the beans and then boil them in water for ten mintues.  Turn off heat and let them sit in the water for an hour. (Note: The prior two sentences were from the original recipe, but I found it is more successful to cook the beans longer and soften them before you put them in the crockpot.  Once you add ketchup to them that contains salt it toughens the beans and increases cooking time.) Drain the beans reserving 1-2 cups of the bean water. Put the beans in the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients.  Add one cup of the bean water. Stir. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or until the beans have softened.  You may need to add more water during cooking time.

Reading through the Bible with Success

Last time this year I was starting a journey that I will never regret.  I read through the Bible using the Bible in 90 days program.  What a blessing to get a bird's eye view of God's Word! Since then I have read the Bible in 90 Days twice and become a mentor for those that want to read through also.

There is a new session starting July 11th at Mom's Toolbox.  There is still time to sign up and become a part of an online group that will include a mentor and others that are reading with you.  Doing this challenge in this way helps you stay focused and motivated. Accountability really has been the key for me completing the Bible.  If you are interested in signing up, click here.  I pray you will be blessed as much as I have been!

God's Love Letters to You by Dr. Larry Crabb

I love the idea that God's Word is like a letter to us!  I recently had the opportunity to review Dr. Larry Crabb's devotional, God's Love Letters to You, which is based on his book, 66 Love Letters.  I haven't read 66 Love Letters, but after reading his devotional I think I might want to pick up that book!

Each short devotional is based on one of the books of the Bible (not all of the 66 books are represented here since this a forty-day devotional).  Each day focuses on what God would say to us through that particular book.  After each devotional are a few questions to reflect upon and a prayer.   I love how Larry writes and portrays God's love for us even in the hardest of circumstances! If you want to get a feel for what God tries to say through us in His Word this is a great way to do it.

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.