Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise: The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home
Diane Flynn Keith: Carschooling
Carol Topp: Homeschool Co-ops: How to Start Them, Run Them and Not Burn Out
~Fall Pumpkin Harvest~
Aug. 26, 2008
It's Time For Blogger Friend School Again!
Posted in Blogger Friend School
The 3rd annual Blogger Friend School is up and running and I'm joining in again this year :) There are some new developments this year as well, like awards for perfect attendance (completing all assignments) and the title of Head of the Class if you manage to get them all done within the coming year :)
Plus if you complete all 5 assignments due for the month of September on time you will get your name in the draw for the above fabulous nature book giveaway!! Enrollment for 'school' is open all year round so if you don't make it this month you can always join in next month :)
Blessings,
Dec. 4, 2007
Blogger Friend School Assignment #11 ~ Praying for needs
Posted in Blogger Friend School
 (Click on the above image to view more BFS assignments or to join in)
The assignment this week is to visit your classmates blogs and leave them a comment to let them know that you are praying for them. There are over 200 classmates that have signed up now!
You can find all your classmates listed HERE.
At the same time for your blog, please post any prayer needs that you have. The POWER of prayer is what binds us together with HIM!
I promise that this week I will go and visit my classmates to leave little notes of encouragement and prayer :) I'm not sure if I will make it through the entire roster of 200, so I'll set my goal for half!
My prayer requests for this week are for the safety of our home and family as the river beside us starts to rise again. In the beginning of November we had a small flood which filled our basement with 6 inches of water and tonight as I type the water is starting to creep in again. I have been having trouble keeping the dampness out of the house and some days I feel like I'm losing the battle and as a result I have been having anxiety attacks which I have never had before. I would really appreciate any prayers you send our way 
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he
has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has
promised to those who love him.
~ James 1:12
Blessings, BChsMamaof3
Oct. 9, 2007
Blogger Friend School Assignment #6 ~ Precious Past
Posted in Blogger Friend School
 (Click on the above image to read more BFS assignments or to join in)
This week’s assignment is to share a piece of your past. Our blogs are important pieces for our future generations, but when most of us were growing up, blogging wasn’t around. I hope that this assignment will help you to share your past on your blogs. Each piece of our childhood years played an important part in who we are today.
The assignment is to post a baby picture.
&
Share a special scripture that reminds you of your past.
I have this photo hanging in my family room with the kids photos : ) I still have the dress that I wore in the picture. I'm not sure exactly how old I am in this photo but I think I was less than a year.
John 11:25 ~ I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Oct. 2, 2007
Blogger Friend School Assignment #5 ~ Say It In Signs
Posted in Blogger Friend School
 (Click on the above image to read more BFS assignments or to join in)
This is creative blogging assignment but hopefully it will help offer help to some newer bloggers still trying to learn “how” to add pictures to their blogs and also help learn your classmates names to easily identify them… and it’s just FUN!
The Assignment this week it to use your Blog Name (or your own pen/real name) and create signs. There are two ways to do this and you can do one or both ways.
- Visit Image Chef (www.ImageChef.com) and create some free cute signs. The easiest way to explain this is follow the templates — choose, customize (type in name), and then Preview. Once you see the design, right click and SAVE to your computer.
- Now once you saved it to your computer….. you will need to upload it to an image host like www.PhotoBucket.com OR www.Flickr.com These are both FREE photo hosting sites that you can create an account, upload your pictures, and they will give you links to your pictures that you can use to upload to your blog.
AND/OR you can be really creative and create your own signs, take digital pictures and share them. (Examples….Refrigerator Magnets, Shaving Cream, Frosting, etc.)
I thought I would play around and see what I could come up with on my own first : )
Fridge magnets were the most handy as was my favorite magnet so here's my first try....
then I decided to get a little more creative and went searching for smarties, peanuts, paperclips and more to see what I could build. How do you like my pizza 'O'? *grin*
How about a classic BC license plate. I'd never get away with this many letters if I wanted it in real life!
 
Hee hee, just couldn't resist. LOL.
2. Share a special verse!
Psalm 5:11 ~ But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Sep. 25, 2007
Blogger Friend School Assignment #4 ~ Panning for Gold
Posted in Blogger Friend School
 (click on the above image to read more BFS assignments or to join in)
The Internet offers a lot of treasures! It may not be in the form of actual gold, although I’m sure some could find some on the Internet - probably on ebay! Being a Blogger Friend is all about sharing our treasures. The assignment this week is to share your Internet treasures. Below is a list featurning things that homeschooling moms might be looking for : information, support, ideas, or actual items that pertain to our lives. Each one of us holds some or all of these treasures that need to be shared. Take this list and add your “golden” treasured sites so that we may all share the wealth.
- ~A website that you visit everyday ~ all of my HSB friends if I can find time to get to all of you : )
- ~First place you look for a book to buy ~ Chapters or Amazon
- ~Favorite Homeschool Support Area ~ Homeschoolblogger of course!
- ~Site that you buy your new curriculum from ~ Sonlight or Cornerstone
- ~Site that you buy your used curriculum from ~ Homeschoolers Haven formerly the Canadian Maple Leaf used curriculum board
- ~Site that offers frugal tips to save money ~ Living on a Dime
- ~A site that provides good wholesome recipes ~ Menus 4 Moms
- ~A homeschool family website that you purchase from to support them ~ Hands of a Child
- ~Favorite Graphic site to get graphics for your blog or other things ~ I'm pretty new to using graphics but Heartwarming Holidays is the one that Mary used for me when she made over my blog.
- ~Site that offers Homeschool Freebies ~ Free Stuff for Homeschoolers
- ~Site that offers any kind of Freebies ~ Everything Preschool is loaded with tons of free stuff
- ~A blog to read that is always full of humor ~ Jenerally Speaking
- ~A blog to read that is always full of useful information ~ Less of Me, More of Him
- ~A blog to visit because it is eye appealing and easy to read ~ In Beauty and in Grace
- ~A blog that you read because it inspires you to be a better homeschooling mom ~ I can't say one specific blog since each and every blog that I visit on my friends list plus more inspires me to strive to be a better homeschool mom : )
- ~A site that you would allow your children to visit ~ not sure since I don't let them on the internet
- ~List any other sites that you would like to share that have provided you with a wealth of golden information:
Sep. 18, 2007
Blogger Friend School Assignment #3 ~ Blogging ABC's
Posted in Blogger Friend School
 (Click on the above graphic to read more BFS assignments or to join in)
- Using the FIRST letter of the Alphabet, describe yourself or things that are important to you. The hard part: use ONLY one word per letter!
AFFECTIONATE
BLESSED
CANADIAN
DAUGHTER
EDUCATOR
FARMING
GRATEFUL
HOMEMAKER
IMAGINATIVE
JOYOUS
KEEPER
LOVING
MOTHER
NATURE
OLDFASHIONED
PROJECTS
QUILTER
RURAL
SONS
TARDY
UNDERSTANDING
VOLUNTEER
WEIGHT
XEROX
YARDSTICK
ZEBU (for you veggie-tale lovers)
- Part 2 - Share another scripture that is upon your heart this week.
Phillipians 4:13 ~ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Sep. 12, 2007
Blogger Friend School Assignment #2 ~ Sweet Dreams
Posted in Blogger Friend School
 (click the above graphic to read more BFS assignments)
Last week we “dreamed” about our special place to blog! This week we are going to stretch some of that dream into reality. The purpose of this assignment is learn to accept our surroundings as God gave them to us and creatively make them a special place to preserve those heartfelt memories.
“If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.”
Job 36:11 KJV
A). Look at your “dream” place last week and using your creative juices and things in or around your home, CREATE a special place to blog. Most good writers have a location that is a comfort to them and makes their writing time enjoyable and productive. Share some quick ideas!
My 'dream' place to blog last week was out on the ocean in a boat exploring the coast of BC with a wireless laptop : ) Well, I don't have a laptop and I can't see myself floating around the coast anytime soon so I'm bringing the coast to me via my husbands photos!
B). Once you have created that special place…SHARE A PICTURE of where you blog. Remember to be creative! {I REALLY look forward to seeing this creativity. Some of you last week shared some really neat imaginitative posts and I know that this will be a challenge!}
Here is my new and improved creative blogging spot with my ultra comfy chair which is on wheels so I can skoot around in it to grab things on the shelves around me without leaving it : )
And here is my virtual BC coast *grin* complete with my own tug boat named Tugger in the upper right hand corner on my printer. LOL. I've got a photo of Tremble Island in the Nakwakto Rapids....
Dh's tug boat in Seymour Narrows, leaping whales, racing dolphins.... what more could I ask for! I have the best of both worlds, my happy home with my children and my ocean wonderland : )
C. Share a verse this week that is upon your heart!
James 1:5-6 ~ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
I am struggling with some things right now and this verse speaks volumes to me.
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Sep. 4, 2007
Blogger Friend School Assignment #1 ~ Meme Style
Posted in Blogger Friend School
A). Give a brief introduction paragraph stating how you got started blogging and your personal goals for journaling.
Well if you are new to my blog, I am BChsMamaof3 and have 3 wonderful children whom I have been homeschooling since birth :) My oldest ds is in grade 3, my middle dd is starting pre-school and the youngest ds is just absorbing for now *grin* I am married to my best friend of 9 years and we live on a 40 acre farm on the west coast of Canada :)
I had come across quite a few blogs before I started my own and I loved how everyone was able to share their trials and triumphs of their homeschooling journeys and provide friendship and information between each other. So I decided that I would like to be a part of it and when I found the homeschoolblogger site I knew I was in the right place : ) Over the time that I have been blogging I have made so many wonderful friends that support, encourage, and lend a listening ear. My personal goal for journaling is to be able to look back and see what we did this last year, re-evaluate what did and didn't work and to be able to write down my everyday happenings. It is a lot of fun for the kids to because I have been taking a photo for each day of the year this year and they have had a lot of fun helping me pick out which ones to share and laughing at the funny things I sometimes add them :) So here I am, joining in the second year of the blogger friend school. My how the class list has grown!
B). Share a “dream” place to blog in picture if you can. Suggestions…..a rock on the beach, under a tree at a park….take or find a picture that would best describe a PLACE that you would LOVE to blog. DREAM!
My dream place to blog would be on a boat somewhere along the BC coast with a wireless laptop so I could explore the hidden gems of our coastline and see the resident orcas that pass through Crofton and the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve, Rainbow Falls of Knights Inlet, and oh so many more places : )
C). Answer some questions to tell us more about you:
- What time do you usually blog? In the evenings around 9 or 10pm, sometimes MUCH later *grin*
- What is your favorite drink? Tim Horton's Butter Caramel Ice Capp Supremes ~ YUM!
- What is your favorite book? Oh there are so many! The Bible and right now BIJABOJI by Betty Lowman Carey
- What is your favorite dessert? My mom's homemade cherry cheesecake. She makes it for my birthday every year : )
- Share a scripture that has been an inspiration in your growth with Christ. Isaiah 40:31 ~ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Apr. 6, 2007
BFS Assignment #24 ~ Easter
Posted in Blogger Friend School
Blogger Friend School Assignment #24 ~ Easter
The assignment this week is to blog about either your current Easter plans or a special Easter that you have always treasured.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Easter is a special time of year for us. For the last two years we have attended the Passover Meal at our church on Good Friday which is really great and K gets to participate by doing some of the readings each year. It is such a wonderful way to learn the true meaning of Easter and why Jesus died on the cross for us.
Another fun tradition that we do each year is to decorate Easter eggs. Some years we hard boil eggs and dip them in dye and other times we have blown the insides out of the eggs and painted them up in fun spring colors to keep for the following year.
On either the Saturday or the Sunday depending on the weather we have an Easter egg hunt up the mountainside behind our house. I hide plastic eggs with little goodies inside of them amongst the bushes and then at the top of the trail there is always a special gift from Omi & Opa for them to find.
Then on Sunday we I always cook our big turkey dinner with all of the fixings and strawberry shortcake for dessert : ) My sister and her husband come up and spend the day with us. This year though they can't make it because my sister has to work so I'm a little disappointed but my mom and dad will still be here to enjoy the meal.
Wishing everyone a Happy Easter !!!!!
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Mar. 17, 2007
BFS Assignment #21 ~ Hands
Posted in Blogger Friend School
Blogger Friend School Assignment #21 - Hands
Part 1: This weeks assignment is meant to be on the lighter side and add some creative fun to your blogs! Our hands play a very important role in our lives and sometimes we take such things for granted. This week’s light part of the assignment is to take a picture of your hand and post it to your blog.
Part 2: The deeper part of the assignment is just to think about the importance of each part of your body and how its perfect creation has blessed you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well that's my hand : ) I only took a picture of my left hand because I get really bad eczema and psoriasis and my other hand is in really bad shape right now and looks a little scary. I don't want to make all of you run away screaming. LOL. In light of my skin condition I can truly appreciate having the use of my hands. My condition seems to get worse with the weather changes from summer to winter and winter to spring causing my hands to break out in a rash and crack and split. So at this time of year when they are truly painful every moment of the day I am so thankful for the days that they are healthy and pain free. They provide so much love to my family by preparing meals, cleaning up, hugging my children, taking care of my baby, and sharing fellowship with all of my BFS friends : ) My feet and legs on the other hand are so important for keeping me moving each and every day. How else would I be able to keep up with everyone! I praise each day that I can get out of bed and carry on with my daily tasks even if somedays they feel so mundane : ) I was created for a special purpose and I cherish each day!
O Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Isaiah 64:8
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Feb. 22, 2007
BFS Assignment #19 ~ On the Drawing Board
Posted in Blogger Friend School
Assignment #19 - “On the Drawing Board”
Part #1
This week’s assignment is to post a picture of one your family’s/child’s art projects or drawings. Be even more daring and post one of your own! Journal about the project.
Part #2
I have just started a new poll on History Curriculum. Please take time to vote on your favorite choice. Tell your friends and I will post the final results next Wednesday.
 (My drawing on the left and K's drawing on the right)
K has been given a spot in the "Banner Project" that the next town over is doing this year to celebrate their local TV stations 50th anniversary. We have had to come up with an idea using a new children's TV program that they air as well as incorporate into it something that depicts the current years times. So we decided that Curious George would be a good cartoon character to use and we would put a new television with a remote control to show the current TV's that are used. (other children have to do banners depicting past times such as TV's with rabbit ears etc.)
Now the trick to the banner is that it is about 5 feet high and only 2 feet wide making it very narrow and difficult to fill the space. Luckily we came up with an interesting idea that Curious George would be half in the television and half out of the television floating upwards. This was perfect because it made his picture longer and thus fill more space since the entire banner will need to be painted and it would look sort of funny with a small drawing in the center. So we used the picture that is on the Curious George dvd case as our model.
To help K out I decided to draw what he thought we should do and then have him draw his own copy of it using mine as a model. He did a great job and even added a popcorn bowl for the silhouetted figure watching the show and gave him hair : )
Part 2:
I voted for Sonlight for my favorite history program because it is the only history program that I have ever used, but for this year I am looking at some different choices. I have seen some of the Tapestry of Grace curricula and it looks wonderful! and I have heard great things about My Father's World and the Prairie Primer is another one that I am very interested in. Wow I have a lot of decisions to make : )
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Feb. 15, 2007
BFS Assignment #18 ~ Share Your Love
Feb. 7, 2007
BFS Assignment #17 ~ After school snack time
Posted in Blogger Friend School
Blogger Friend School Assignment #17
Today’s assignment is to post a few of your favorite snacks. If they are homemade, share a recipe. Take time this week evaluate your snack and share ways that you can make this healthy for you and your family.
Snack time at our home usually means eating a piece of fruit. L loves to eat bananas. I think she must be part monkey since she would eat them all day if I let her : ) and K loves oranges. If we run out of fruit then lots of times we make ants on a log. I'm sure everyone knows what that is : ) Celery sticks stuffed with peanut butter or cheez wiz with raisins on top. Another favorite we have is in the fridge I always have a tupperware container filled with carrot sticks in water so that they are always ready on hand for a hungry tummy : )
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Feb. 3, 2007
BFS Assignment #16 ~ Show & Tell
Posted in Blogger Friend School
Blogger Friend School Assignment #16
Show and Tell Time!!! Post a picture of “something’ or ’someone’ and tell us all about it. This can be as creative as you would like. Do you bake….decorate, buy something new??? You are in the spotlight and get to “show off” something special, fun, new, or a treasure.
I couldn't decide on just one picture so I decided to make a collage of a bunch of my favorites : )
The little Chi in the top left hand corner and the one below it are wearing clothing that I custom make for toy and teacup breeds. The pink one is a 1.5 lb puppy and it was incredibly small to work on. It has a feather boa collar with pearls and lace trim along the bottom. The little leopard print coat also has the feather boa trim on the bottom. I make all sorts of different ones set with rhinestones and sequins and so on : )
The other picture on the top right is my market table that I have every weekend here in the summer months. I usually bake about 22 loaves of all different kinds of breads and then have cookies, squares, pies, canning, fresh veggies and crafts for sale.
Underneath my market picture is one of my little girls dresses in yellow that I make with matching hats. Just diagonal to the right underneath of it is another one in purple colors. They were a big hit at the market and I had a lot of orders for them. The hat is adorable turned up in the front with the little cloth rosette.
In the bottom right hand corner is a picture of one of my copper horses and 2 pictures above the horse is my copper rooster that I make and mount on copper piping to put out in your garden. I cut them out of a sheet of copper and then punch detail into them with a chisel and hammer. There are also 3-D sections on them, like the roosters comb and wings are a separate piece of copper that is wired on so it pops outwards to give them depth. These are fun to make but I have the scrapes and scars to deal with from the sharp edges of the copper.
And last but not least in the bottom left corner is another picture of my veggies at the market and above it is my quilted rooster tea cozy and placematt set that I just finished.
Can you tell I love to craft. LOL. Hope you enjoyed my pictures : )
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Jan. 11, 2007
BFS Assignment #13
Posted in Blogger Friend School
Blogger Friend School Assignment #13 ~ Capture Your Uniqueness
Write about or list several ways that make you or your family unique and/or different. Ponder a while as though you were an outsider looking into your family home and envision 'how' they might see you uniquely made through Christ. Does something set you apart that immediately shows that you are a child of God? Share!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a tough one. I have never thought about how an outsider might view our family. At first glance I think we probably look like your average family but on closer inspection what stands out immediately would be the fact that we homeschool. Living in a small community which I have lived in all my life and my husband nearly all of his, we are well known by much of the population and constantly asked about why we chose to homeschool. I love to share with them that I felt that God led me in this direction and planted the seed in my heart well before our first son was born.
We keep very close to home and having my mom right next door is a very big blessing! With hubby away for work weeks at a time she and my father are my support network and we are always seen together when we go into town. I know that this draws attention because very rarely do we go anywhere without each other : ) and if I do go out without her surely enough someone asks where my mom is.
My friends don't always understand why I chose to stay in the town that I grew up in and didn't opt to move to the city. With the lack of entertainment or resources available here they don't venture back very often. I chose to stay because I love the freedom that comes with living in the country, the safety of a small community for raising our children in, the joy of growing our own vegetables and being able to preserve them to eat all year long and how the children come to appreciate all of the blessings that the Lord provides us through the land we work. They also get to experience the fun of raising their own animals for pets or food and the lessons that it teaches them along the way of responsibility and caring for another life.
I tend to keep my children very close to home as well and am selective when it comes to whom they are allowed to play with and I know that this is bothersome to a few people that I have come into contact with. I have tried having K and L participate in some of the after school activities that are offered here but always come home feeling sick at heart that this isn't what the Lord intended for my children and it just isn't the right environment for them. Whether it be the language that we might come across or the morals I just find that keeping them away from that is better while they are so young and vulnerable. Fortunately we have become very involved with a Christian homeschool group in the next town that has regular field trips and kids club days where K and L can go and play. This has been a great blessing!
I hope that someone looking in on our family would find us to be a loving and caring family that is teaching their children to be good servants of the Lord and that they would find us someone that they would like to be friends with : )
Extra Credit: If you have a digital camera, CAPTURE this unique description in a photo. If you don't have a digital camera, you can be creative and search the internet for a picture that will depict this image.
 This is a photo of one of the kids club days that K and L participate in. Here they are with the other children on a nature walk along the river.
Blessings, BChsMamaof3
Jan. 10, 2007
BFS Assignment #12
Posted in Blogger Friend School
Blogger Friend School Assignment #12 ~ Hits & Misses
As we being the New Year 2007, let's look at what were our Hits & Misses for 2006. This could include anything at in your life. Perhaps you tried a new curriculum, a different approach to discipline, a new cookbook, a better (or worse) way to organize your time. Maybe, you joined a new group, or tried a new class.
Hits:
Rainbow Rock Math CD-Rom game. This was perfect for K. He was having some trouble with his math so I purchased this program so that he would have some extra math practice while at the same time having fun doing it. Well he LOVES it and is learning more than I hoped all while thinking he is just playing games. Hehehe. This was definitely a hit and I highly recommend it : )
Letter of the Week preschool program for L has been perfect. We are actually doing the preparatory curriculum that teaches her to recognize the letters, numbers, shapes and colors. I love that they give you a large list of books that you can choose from each week that goes along with the weeks theme and they have been very easy to find at our local library. L loves that she is doing "school work" just like big brother and jumps at any chance she gets to tell a visitor just what she has learned so far for the week.
Getting bookshelves!! I have been wanting a couple of bookshelves for all of our school books and so on for a couple of years and we finally got some just before Christmas. This has proved to be an excellent way to get K to read even more than he usually does. Now when we are sitting in the living room he is always pulling out one of the books and reading it to us : )
Misses:
I honestly can't think of one thing this year that we did that we didn't all enjoy. I hope that this is a continuing trend as we move into the new year and as I start to make my order for the coming years school books. May I be just as lucky again : )
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Dec. 29, 2006
BFS Assignment #11
Posted in Blogger Friend School
This weeks Blogger Friend School Assignment: Post your goals for 2007 on your blog this week. You will have a nice reference for the upcoming year. As you accomplish them, you can cross them off or add a star. Give yourself praise throughout the year for completing each task.
READY, SET, GOALS!!!
1. To put together and implement a home management binder. I have read so many wonderful things about them on other blogs that I think it would be a wonderful tool to have. It will give me some structure and help me to sort out my daily cleaning tasks.
Reward: The feeling of peace from a clean home and a happy family.
2. I quite often feel like an overachiever trapped in an underachiever's body, so this year I am going to work on my follow through. When I start a project I am going to work on it with my whole heart and finish what I start.
Reward: What could be better than the feeling of accomplishment!
3. Working out a schedule for the children consisting of their daily cleaning chores and outdoor animal chores. DS has a hard time keeping his room clean and is very frustrated when he has to clean it after it has become a war zone so I need to implement some sort of daily task sheet to keep it manageable for him and the routines will let him know exactly what is expected of him.
Reward: DS not being so overwhelmed by the task of having to clean his room and thus creating a much happier cleaning (tear free) experience : )
4. Decluttering. I hang onto everything with the notion that I just might need it someday. I need to learn to let go. Someone else might need it more than me.
Reward: No Clutter! What could be better than that : )
5. Plant my vegetable garden this year. Last year being pregnant I just didn't feel like putting in a garden let alone the upkeep. This year I can't wait to draw up the plans for the garden, get the geese out of the garden plot (they have been fertilizing it) and designate a portion of it for the children to plant their own garden plot.
Reward: This will be a good learning experience in responsibility for the children and I can't wait to can and freeze all of the fresh produce. Mmm I can just taste it : )
6. Continuing with my weight loss plan and knowing the He is there to guide me and encourage me along the way if I stumble.
Reward: A happier, heathier me for myself and my family.
7. Improving and bettering my personal relationship with God.
Reward: Peace at heart
I can think of many more but for now that is a good start : )
Blessings to all of you in the new year!!
BChsMamaof3
Nov. 8, 2006
Blogger Friend Assignment #6
Posted in Blogger Friend School
This week's assignment is taking a deeper look into our spiritual lives and the warfare that we are individually facing. I'd like everyone to seriously think and then blog about a situation in your life where you know that the enemy is attacking you and challenging your spiritual growth. What area in your life are you feeling burdened or challenged? The purpose of the assignment is to use this as a tool to arm ourselves better for this battle not to make you uncomfortable. If this is too personal for you, share an area in your life that you have persevered in a spiritual battle or share your feelings on freedoms in general.
ARM YOURSELVES and take time this week to thank our past battles that have created and protected our freedoms that we enjoy today. Try to visit at least one fellow Blogger Classmate and leave a comment to encourage them in this battle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I think of the things that I am striving for I always come to the verses in Proverbs 31: 10 - 31 The Good Wife. How can I be more like her? How can I commit myself to follow these scriptures so that I will be making my husband proud of me? I have asked the Lord to guide me and to give me inner strength to follow through. I have come to terms with what I need to do to keep my home in order and I am teaching my children to love the Lord and to be good stewards of Him. I am warding off the temptations that surround us each day that would like to pull me and my family away from what is important!
Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you, but a woman that respects the Lord should be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Nov. 1, 2006
Blogger Friend School ~ Assignment # 5
Posted in Blogger Friend School
Blogger Friend School ~ Assignment #5
"Getting into the Spirit"
Our assignment this week, is to blog about "Getting into the Spirit". I would like everyone to cover 3 areas in their posts:
-
Share your family traditions for Christmas and/or Advent
-
List 10 ways that you can prepare for the season
-
Post a scripture that will help you "Get into the Spirit"
Our family traditions:
For our family getting into the Christmas season starts with our advent calendar that we have. It is a picture of the nativity scene and behind each door is a scripture to read. We try to get a real Christmas tree but sometimes Dh isn't home to take us out into the forest to find one so we have an artificial tree as backup : ) We trim the tree together and K strings popcorn together to make fun garlands. My mother and I volunteer each year at the seniors dinner that is held at our community hall. This year since I have Little M I won't be able help out in the kitchen but I have offered to cook one of the turkeys. That is a doable task that I can complete at home where Little M will be content playing : ) Each year on Christmas Eve my sister and her husband come up and we all go to my mom and dad's house where we have our big turkey dinner and get together. The following afternoon on Christmas day we travel up north to my husband's parents home and spend 2 days with them and his sister and her family.
A new tradition that we are going to start this year is sponsoring a family in need. The local Salvation Army is running a campaign looking for families to help out other families that don't have the means to provide a Christmas meal or the little extras for their children this year and I thought this would be a wonderful act of charity for K and L to participate in. We are really looking forward to finding out who our family will be : )
10 Ways that we prepare for the season:
- We read the story of the birth of baby Jesus
- Listen to Christmas music
- K and L make handmade Christmas cards with LOTS of glitter glue : )
- I write my Christmas letter so that I can update all our friends and family of what has been happening with us throughout the year (this year I'm including a birth announcement for Baby M)
- We get a family portrait taken which gets mailed out with our Christmas cards
- I try to get all of my Christmas shopping finished by the beginning of December while keeping in mind the real reason for the season : )
- Wrap all my presents and make lists of what I have got and who gets what (I've wrapped once before and then forgotten what I had inside the packages. Oops)
- Give the house an extra good cleaning so that it is looking spotless for visiting family and keep up on the chores so that it stays that way
- Plan out what food we will be making and any extra special items that we want to include for special homemade gifts
- Relax and enjoy the season with the Dc's since it is so easy to get caught up in the Christmas whirlwind around you. We love to sit by the fireplace drinking hot cocoa with coloured mini marshmallows enjoying the company of each other : )
Scripture
"She shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21
This helps me to remember the birth of the baby Jesus and how he came to be our saviour and died on the cross to wash away our sins and how I am so thankful for this and have let him have complete control of my life.
This is a picture of Mary and the baby Jesus from last years Bethlehem production that one of the churches puts on every second year. It is absolutely wonderful. They recreate how Bethlehem would have been when Mary and Joseph arrived right down to the Roman soldiers.
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
Oct. 25, 2006
Blogger Friend School ~ Assignment #4
Posted in Blogger Friend School
Blogger Friend School ~ Assignment #4
In honour of the season share something to do with a pumpkin or pumpkin related.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We experimented with one of our pumpkins last year using it as soup tureen and it worked out perfectly!
First cut off the top just like you were going to carve a pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Make your opening a little wider than you would for a jack o lantern so that you will be able to get your soup ladle in and out easily. Don't forget to save your seeds for a yummy toasted treat!
Now make your favourite soup. We made corn and potato chowder. You can make pumpkin soup if you are really in the pumpkin spirit but I don't think anyone at our house would have been brave enough to eat it except for me : )
Just before you plan to serve your soup inside your pumpkin shell pre-heat it like you would a thermos and pour hot water into it for a couple of minutes to take the chill off of it so that it won't cool down your soup.
Pour out the water and fill with your soup. Voila. A fun and festive pumpkin soup tureen to accompany your fall feast : )
Another idea for your soup is to buy the miniature pumpkins that they usually have at the shopping market bagged together in groups and carve out their insides and use them as individual soup bowls. We are going to do that this year. K can't wait to eat out of his own personal pumpkin bowl.
I didn't have a photo of our pumpkin soup bowl so I found this one on the internet courtesy of:
www.nedine.com/.../PumpkinSoup/PumpkinSoup.htm
Another fun project that we did with smaller pumpkins was once we had all the seeds and insides scooped out of them we used a drill and drilled random holes all over them. We did about 8 of these mini pumpkins and drilled them with all different sized drill bits. Once we were finished I got out a strand of mini colored outdoor christmas lights and stuffed a bunch of the lights under each one of the pumpkins and any lights that were out in between the pumpkins I just removed so they wouldn't light up. We then placed them down the path to the front door for a fun lighted walkway : ) Drilling is really quick and my ds ~ 7 was able to participate as well : )
Blessings,
BChsMamaof3
|
~About Me~
Hello from Canada! I am a homeschooling mom to 3 very rambunctious children ages 10, 6 & 3 years old while holding down the fort as tug boat captain 'Dad' sails the seven seas *grin*. We're located on 40 acres in a tiny rural community in beautiful British Columbia and this is my quirky journal about our homeschool journey, running my home based business 'RosyUndPosy' making 'Eco Friendly Bags 4 Green Living', and everyday life home on the farm. Hope you enjoy your visit :)
Want to have a peak at what the weather looks like here today? Here's a cam showing the lovely scenic view looking east down Johnstone Strait past Helmcken & Hardwicke Islands.
And this one is looking north across Johnstone Strait towards Hardwicke Island. Hit the refresh button on your browser to update the picture and make sure you stop by during daylight hours :)
~Eco Bags 4 Green Living~
~Sweet Mentions~
~Visit My Nature Blog~
~ Nature Study Books ~
~Subscribe to this Blog's Feed~
 Subscribe in a reader
~Receive Email Updates~
~Graphic Credits~
Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates
|
| 