End of the Year Reflection: Biggest Triumphs and Biggest Challenges

The Heart of the Matter Meme this week is an end of the year reflection about our homeschooling...here are our biggest triumphs and biggest challenges:

Our Biggest Triumphs

*Noah learning to read really well.

*Zach completing a series of stories about different family members (we loosely based this on the Write Your Roots curriculum) that we will have copied and bound to give to family members.

*Debbie surviving the year with working part time and homeschooling (bulk cooking with a friend has helped greatly in this area!!)

*For all of us...learning how to work together and get along when life gets stressful. We have made a lot of strides in this area.

Our Biggest Challenges

*Time Management (this goes for the mom as well as the boys!)

*For me, keeping the right perspective...learning that it isn't as important to check off everything on your to-do list as it is to have a love of learning.

*Also for me, having patience (which is also my word for the year)

*For Noah, learning how to be positive in his work.

*For Zach, learning how to push through and get the hard, not-so-fun stuff done.

While it was a good year overall, there are many things that I would want to change. One of them in particular for me is to slow down and not get so uptight when everything doesn't get done. This will probably be a life long struggle for me!

So how did your year go? What were your biggest triumphs and challenges???? I would love to read your comments on how things went.

What's in Your Garden? (HOTM Meme)

The question for the Heart of the Matter meme this week is...What's in your garden? Well, if I had to be honest...Nothing! We can't plant right now because of how far north we are, but it a couple of weeks we will be able to. Here is a previous post on my gardening plans so you can see what will be in my garden.

People of the Past-HOTM Meme

Here is the question for this week's Meme at Heart of the Matter...

When I think about the person of the past I’d most like to meet there are so many! I think top of my list is Jesus and from there… Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Joan of Arc, my great-great-great grandparents…I truly could go on and on. Who is the person of the past you would most like to meet?

There are so many people that I would love to meet that I can't pick just one! Here are a few...

Corrie Ten Boom who survived the Holocaust and showed the willingness to forgive her captors.

Abraham Lincoln...probably one of our best presidents.

My ancestors....who survived the Irish Potato Famine, Indian raids, and the untamed prairies of South Dakota!

There are many people who I would love to meet. There are so many fascinating stories in history of brave men and women. Too bad there isn't such a thing as time travel!

Heart of the Matter Meme-Winter Blues

This is the meme for this week:

So was it just me or did anyone else feel like hunting down a groundhog on Monday? This is my second year of experiencing ‘real winter’ and I have to say that between the snow shoveling, the kids with cabin fever, and the freezing cold feet (mine) I am having trouble figuring out why so many out there love this season. I come from areas that get overjoyed over one or two freezes because the mosquito population suffers. When there is drizzle–there is no work or school. In February it is sunny, and you might be wearing shorts..
That being said, how do you get through it? How do you beat those winter blues? What fun indoor activities do you do with your children? How do you see the sunshine through the cloudy skies?

Since we live in Alaska, our winters are tremendously long. January tends to be the hardest/coldest month, but after that February and March pick up with activities. We have snow from mid-October to sometime in April, so keeping busy helps especially as winter drags on. Here are some activities that we are going to do in February and March to pass the time and add some spark to our lives.

We made ice marbles last week...see this.

For Valentine's Day we will read a bunch of Valentine's stories, learn about Milton Hershey, and make these Chocolate Pretzel Buttons.

In March, we always celebrate St. Patrick's Day by having a little visitor come to our house the eve of March 16th. He leaves his footprints and a pot of gold...and sometimes some Lucky Charms.

In the middle of March, we also go to the Ice Park to see the ice sculptures and have the kids play in the kids' ice park.

Heart of the Matter Meme

Here is the topic for the HOTM meme this week:

2008 is behind us and we are two weeks into the New Year! In considering your resolutions, or simply your hopes and goals for 2009, how do you plan on accomplishing them? What is some great advice you can give someone about homeschooling?..or maybe you simply have some encouragement for parents of your own! Can’t wait to read the posts…remember that many people struggle with the after-Christmas let down. What keeps you positive?

In order to accomplish my goals this year I need accountability. One of the ways I am doing this is with support from family and friends and by making a commitment to blog about how far I get each month.

As far as homeschooling goes, my best advice is to love on your kids and realize that when you have a bad day it won't last forever. Sometimes I get so discouraged with how things are going, but I have to remind myself that whatever we are struggling with in homeschooling (new concepts, character building, etc.) that we will eventually get through them and there will be progress even if it is inch by inch! As I have heard one homeschooling father say, "Homeschooling isn't a sprint, but rather a marathon." We need to enjoy the journey and our kids instead of rushing to get everything done!

Here is the link to read more HOTM memes from other homeschooling families.

Goals for 2009 (HOTM Meme)

I have been thinking of what goals I should have for the New Year...here is what I am planning to do.

**Lose 10 lbs. I have been working on this. I haven't gained any weight since Thanksgiving, but haven't really lost either. For me, exercising is not a problem. I get that in 3 to 4 times a week. It is the eating part that I struggle with.

**My goal for 2008 was to read through the Bible. Well, I have almost completed that goal. This comes as a total shock to me that I followed through on this!!!!! I have tried to do this so many times and failed. This year my goal is to listen to the New Testament instead of read the whole Bible. My brother and sister-in-law gave us the NT on cd's so that we can listen to it.

**Scripture memorization. I have wanted to do this for several years, but quite frankly my brain is getting old and I don't/can't memorize like I use to. I am going to use this system.

**Scrapbook more to catch up on my albums.

**My word for 2009 will be "patience". Patience has always been a hard thing for me. I am a very impatient person. Patience with people and myself will be my focus for the year.

**My goal is to blog about my goals! I will try to update how I am doing from time to time. It will keep me accountable which is good.

HOTM Weekly Meme-Where I Find My Christmas Joy

Where do I find my Christmas joy? What makes this season so important? There are so many reasons why Christmas brings me joy. First, there is the miracle of Christmas...that God would become a man and live among us because He loved us so much. This concept is mind-boggling to me. Who would want to trade heaven for life here on earth?
I also find joy in my family. During December we get to spend more time with each other. Life slows down a bit for us after all the Christmas preparations have been made. I find joy in my sons' excitement over Christmas. I find joy in our Christmas traditions: decorating the tree, setting up our village, reading one of the Jotham books.
Other things that bring me Christmas joy: my favorite Nativity scene (seen above), the woodsy smell of pine, Christmas lights on homes in our town, eggnog, cookies, and Christmas music.
"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11