Memory Verse: Psalms 13:6 NIV
I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.

Intro: M’m M’m Good (Campbell’s Soup)
The fall is such a wonderful time of year.  The beautiful foliage and cool, crisp morning air is such a wonderful change from the hot summer.  I also love the M’m M’m good smell of fall cooking and baking.  The wonderful fall veggies, fruits and Thanksgiving foods.

Assignment:  Post your favorite fall recipe/recipes to share.  I love trying new recipes, do you?  It can be baking, main dishes, veggies, dessert or anything else you can think of.  There are no limits.  Mmmmmm..I can’t wait to take a look at some of those recipes.

Oh boy you guys are hitting strings hard with me. I use to cook, never been a baker, but loved to use my cookbooks. But with the birth out our daughter at 32 weeks, and the first years of getting a little girl to be the strong child she is today, I got away from cooking. Can I add Kraft dinner, frozen pizza, chicken fingers and fries?? No, and I agree. I have been working on getting back to the old habits before the birth of our daughter. JUST last week, I did a roast with potatoes, onions and carrots, in the slow cooker it was so good. First time since her birth, so sad?? Faith has been asking and asking to bake, this so isn't my thing. Then I realized that it was not how mommy taught her how to bake a cake, it was the time we spent doing so. She picked out her box cake mix and frosting and last Friday she made her cake, cracked her eggs, baked it, frosted it and even decorated it. Now I wish I had taken pictures.....

Here I sit trying to decide what to put here it has been so long. I figured I would head over to Companies Coming and see what they had to say? I found the very recipe that another homeschooling mother told me to try, just last week. I am putting it on here NOT because I have made this one, but because I am putting it out for all to see that I am going to get back into the menu planning, meal cooking wife I use to be. Thanks Blogger Friends for once again showing me the way...

The Best Chicken Dish       

Colourful and full of flavour, this is sure to become a favourite! Chickpeas and sweet red pepper accent this well-seasoned sauce. Delicious served over rice or pasta.

Cooking oil 1 tbsp. 15 mL Lean ground chicken 1 lb. 454 g   Can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), 19 oz. 540 mL rinsed and drained Finely chopped onion 1 cup 250 mL Salt 1/4 tsp. 1 mL   Sun-dried tomato pesto 1/3 cup 75 mL All-purpose flour 1 tbsp. 15 mL Can of diced tomatoes (with juice) 14 oz. 398 mL Balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp. 15 mL Granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. 2 mL Salt 1/4 tsp. 1 mL   Chopped red pepper 4 cups 1 L Finely chopped zucchini (with peel) 1 cup 250 mL

Heat cooking oil in large frying pan on medium. Add ground chicken. Scramble-fry for 5 to 10 minutes until no longer pink. Drain. Transfer to 3 1/2 to 4 quart (3.5 to 4 L) slow cooker. Add chickpeas, onion and first amount of salt. Stir. Stir pesto into flour in small bowl until smooth. Add next 4 ingredients. Stir well. Pour over chicken mixture. Stir well. Cover. Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours. Add red pepper and zucchini. Stir. Cover. Cook on High for 30 to 45 minutes until red pepper is tender-crisp. Serves 8.

1 serving: 232 Calories; 11.2 g Total Fat (1.6 g Mono, 1.1 g Poly, 0.4 g Sat); 0 mg Cholesterol; 20 g Carbohydrate; 4 g Fibre; 14 g Protein; 353 mg Sodium

Make Ahead: The night before, chop vegetables. Chill overnight in separate covered bowls. Scramble-fry ground chicken until no longer pink. Drain. Chill overnight in separate covered bowl. Assemble and cook as directed.

Romans 12:2 (Amplified Bible)  Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

Intro: Never Leave Home Without It (Marketing Credit:  American Express) Diapers, bottles, wipes, bibs, pacifiers, extra clothing, cell phone, PDA, ipod, iphone, credit or debit cards … what would you never leave home without?

Assignment: In the memory verse Jesus tells us that He will never leave us, not even at the end of the world.  He assures us in this verse that He will be with us and that means through everything we go through in life.  I thought it would be interesting to write about the things we would never leave home without.  For some it might be baby needs, others it might be a gym bag and bottle of water, and for some  it might be your Bible and a notepad or small journal, maybe even your son or daughters favorite blankie!  I’d like for you to write about something that you would never leave home without.

Memory Verse: Matthew 28: 20 - Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.

You know there are the things that we always have. For me being in a wheelchair they are much the same, but I don't carry a 'purse' as I need my hands. I have a little bag that is attached just under the seat. In that is my wallet for health cards, for Faith and I, driver licences. I try and make sure that I ALAWAYS have a charged cell phone on me(there have been times when the cell phone doesn't make it in the house, as I have an indoor and outdoor wheelchair, so I don't hear hear beeping of a low battery, and have had a dead phone) See being in a wheelchair(w/c) having a cell is so important for a number of reasons, I have been walking and have blown a tire on the w/c, and had to call for help. I don't carry a spare, tube and tire, . Also when in the van driving, if for what ever reason the van stopped working, I can not unload the van with out help. Unloading the w/c is on the driver side at the sliding door, which have me unload in the road. When I was in two minor accidents, I was not able to get out of the van, both times I had to call my husband to come and see the damage of the van. For me my phone is way more then to chat with friends.

Now for the fun stuff. I have a small purse Bible, that I keep in my backpack style camera bag. I try and make sure that these two things are always on me, I love getting those special moments on film, and getting the Glory of God frozen in time. I like having my Bible, I pray that one day I will have total boldness to witness to a complete stranger. I have people always coming to me and saying things about how strong I am, or they are surprised to see how the w/c is loaded into the van, or they comment about me being a mom, on and on with different things like that. I always tell them that with out God none of this would be possible, the strength wasn't and isn't mine, it's His. I am praying that one day this will open a door for someone? I also make sure that Faith and I have water, don't you just cringe, at the price of a bottle of water. I have a carrier on the w/c, and I have a carrier for Faith. I have a rule and it does include her water, I don't carry the things she chooses to bring from home, mostly her stuff animal. If we are on a long outing then her water bottle carrier ables me to put it on the w/c. The other reason that I keep a Bible on me, there are MANY times when I can not get into the building with family or friends and one thing that I don't like is that wasted time, then I can spend that time in God's Word.

This is my camera backpack and purse Bible.

This is my 'purse' under the seat and my water bottle holder.

This is Faith and I's water bottle and Faith's carrier, she can wear it over her shoulder. This is how I carry my backpacks and Faith's water bottle when she can't.

Mark 10:27 (NKJV) But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Have you done something crazy in your homeschool?  Do you fingerpaint with your toes?  Do you let your children do your hair?  Do you wear your pajamas during homeschool?   Oh, the list is endless, but it’s up to you and how much fun you want to have.

To make it even “wackier” (not sure if it’s really a word, but hey, we don’t check spelling this week at BFS either!!!…..try and type some or all of your post sdrawkcab.  (backwards!)

This is so not me....

Last year when we were finding our way in homeschooling, I could have added a few funny post. Not this year. This year we are using a curriculum  for the first time, we have everything planned out and working hard to stick to that plan. Other then that, I try to find ways, just like every mom to do that little extra. Like today English was on the white board written by me, reading was sharing a seat in the wheelchair with me at the table. Then because she did such a great job working so hard this week, I surprised her by saying that we were done. Fridays are always, do little day.

Faith is almost ALWAYS at the table in her PJ's so that isn't something different for us.

I  am going to have fun reading and looking for some wacky ideas to do in our school day once and a while.

God Bless, Blogger GirlFriends 

Memory Verse: 1 Timothy 4:15 (NIV)

Assignment: How do you keep energized so you can get it all done? bouncy music? treat it like a workout? Do you use a schedule?, a housekeeping binder system? luck of the draw system?.. or is this an area where you need encouragement? Do you need God’s help to keep order and beauty in your dwelling place? Take this week to tell us how You diligently keep going with your housekeeping chores.

Memory Verse: Psalms 26:2 NIV
Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.

Assignment: This week I want you to do something for someone else. Do you have a neighbor that needs you? Do you know an elderly person or single mom that could use you? What about the homeless? Pack even one single sack lunch and give it to someone in need. Do you know someone in blogland that is struggling right now and could use a note from you about how much you care? Pray about this. Let God put on your heart the perfect thing for you to do for another. Now, here is the kicker…I DO NOT want you to post about what you do. Whatever you choose to do is between you and God. Our rewards are in heaven, not here on earth, Mathew 6:1. I want you to post about how doing this “act” made you feel. Was stepping out of your comfort zone in this area as hard as you thought it might be? Could you see the gratefulness in their eyes? Hear it in their voice? Tell it from their typing? Do you think you might make doing things like this a more regular part of your time?  If this is an area that you are already active in, tell us how you feel this has impacted your life.

Memory Verse:  Psalms 55:22 - Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling.  Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it.  Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family.  Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!

Picture ideas: That never ending, hard to keep clean closet (shelves), the children doing school work you didn’t know if they would ever get a grasp on, your schedule or organizer with plans for the day

Share your favorite scripture and don’t forget the Memory Verse above.

Oh my goodness, after finishing the whole assignment, I hit the wrong button and have to start all over again. Thank you God for the lessons on Godly character because right now it is keeping me coam and putting a smile on my face, heck why not laugh at it and do it again...

Round Two; Wow how do I keep this short? Not sure that I can. As most of you wont know as we are all just getting to know one another. I am a cancer survivor, which has left me in a wheelchair. I suffer from pain at night know as phantom pain, and add on top of that I am a night owl. I have many morning when getting up to teach is not what I want to do. I want to put the sheets over my head and go back to sleep. This is not what God has called me to do.

Our daughter start going to school at the age of 3 because of a medication mess up that left me very sick and it took me about a year to get over. When we removed her from the school I was sent a letter stating how very concerned they were for me because of my pain and that I was not qualified to teacher her. You can imagine my nights lying in bed thinking over and over "You have to go to sleep, you have to teach her tomorrow, you can't be a failure" Which only led me to staying up longer worrying about things. This was when God taught me a very important lesson, well two. I was over whelmed by the amount of homeschooling curriculum's that were out there. For grade 1, I decided to buy the workbooks that can be purchased any where. Lesson number one, I can teach my daughter and she can learn from me. The second lesson came from a day that I was so sick and the thought of sitting down at those workbooks was to much to bear, I learnt that Faith can learn with out a workbook. Check that story out here,  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Faith2002/498575/ Don't worry lots of pictures, little writing. 

For grade two I am grateful that God led me to use Rod and Staff(well He did in gr. 1 but I didn't listen). There are a number of reasons. Here they are, you know the first, those late nights. I love knowing that when I get up all I have to do is open up a TM and read what it say, even says what to say to the children, tells me what pages she is to do and gives me the answers. I know your thinking, 'hey your only teaching grade 2'. Well when your not feeling the best, having those answer and all those words in that TM is a blessing. The other reasons I like having a full curriculum all planned out for me is that I am in Bible School part-time and I am trying to teach myself the technical end of photography, because my cousin and I are planning to start a business in a year or so. Having everything all laid out from point A to B is perfect for me.

I am also very blessed that my husband made me a calendar like I want for this school year and another wonderful R&S mother sent me our full grade 2 year all planned out. I love this, Faith can just open the binder and see what lesson has to be done that day. I have all the books that we use in our school day at the end of the kitchen table, but can be easily picked up and moved if we have company. For all our school year planning check out here, again loaded with pictures, not many words. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Faith2002/578046/ It also shows those over stuffed book-selves that I hope one day wont be so over stuffed because we will have more.

I don't feel that I need to post a picture you have already looked at so many. Plus right now my favourite one is right at the top of my blog, so I will move onto my Bible verse that has been such a help to me.

Joshua 1:6-11 (New King James Version)

6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

I have signed up for class. I was at In the Potter's Hand  When I learned about this great activity for homeschooling mom's, Blogger Friend School and I have decided to join the group. I am looking forward to learning and growing more in my walk with Christ. Also look forward to meeting new friends that have the same goal as me.

God Bless.