November 23, 2009 - I ♥ Faces: Sun Flare
When I saw the theme for this week's I <3 Faces challenge,: “Sun Flare”, this picture just popped into my head! :) I love the Sun Flare coming down on her. Isn't Hannah such a pretty girly? I sure love that Dahling!
©AmandaDixon2009
November 21, 2009 - I Miss Him!
This past week has been extremely hard for me. I lost my Great Grandpa, who I was very very close to. I can honestly say that he was THE best grandpa I've ever had. I am so thankful for the last 5 years of being able to grow closer to him, of course, it wasn't as long as I wanted, but I am very glad I had them. It was wonderful! It was wonderful to grow as close to him as I did.
Over the past 5 years, he really opened up to me about his WWII experiences which he hadn't shared them at all before. When I presented him the Armed Service album I made for him at his 65th anniversary, he was moved to tears. I knew that all the efforts and the sleepless night I spent on it was so worth it! Getting to know him was truly a blessing to me. I pray it was to him also. Since I did that for him and grew closer to him through it, I have a very important place in my heart for the armed service men. When we took him to the cemetery, they gave him a beautiful military salute with Taps and a 21 Gun Salute. I bawled through the whole thing. Knowing that his service was important to him, and that was so very important to me because of him. It was very hard to sit through for me.
Sitting in his funeral service remembering all the times we had together, the tears just flowed. We would color when I was younger and as I grew up, we would sit on his front porch and play cards. He taught me to play rummy, war, slap jack, and more. One of the last times he played cards he was 87 and got down on the floor with the Littles to play go fish with them. It wasn't easy for him to crawl on the floor but he showed his love to his family by doing it. He truly was a family man. That was all he was worried about: his family. He made it known that his family was all that was important to him.
I truly miss him. I miss his hugs. I miss his smile. I miss his playing cards. I now found myself crying when I pray because he is no longer on my list and it reminds me he is gone. I just miss him! But he lived a full and meaningful life. A life devoted to his family. I praise God that Grandpa knew our Savior and that I have the hope to once again see him on Resurrection Day. It hurts and its hard to have to wait for that day, but I know that the day is drawing close. OH, what a glorious day that will be!
Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. Adonai ELOHIM will wipe away the tears from every face, and he will remove from all the earth the disgrace his people suffer. For ADONAI has spoken.
Revelation 21Love you, Grandpa!
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away."
Please continue to pray for us and also my Great Grandma who is by herself now, and also for my Uncle Keith. It's been hard for them too.
©AmandaDixon2009
November 19, 2009 - Shameless Plug
Yes, this is a shameless plug on behalf of my familia...I'm sure y'all have heard that the Home School Blog Awards are going on... if not... they are. :) Well I would like to present to you where my votes are going...
My familia:
In the Best Homeschool Mom Blog, I'm voting for Walking Therein
In the Best Teen Girl Blog, I'm voting for A Pondering Heart
In the Best Teen Group Blog, I'm voting for Feelin' Feminine
In the Best Teen Guy Blog, I'm voting for On The Road To Manhood
In the Best Homemaking or Recipes Blog, I'm voting for A City on a Hill
In the Best Family or Group Blog, I'm voting for Gleaning the Harvest
In the Best Blog Design, I'm voting for Gleaning the Harvest
In the Best “Live-What-You-Believe” Homeschool Blog, I'm voting for A Dusty Frame
In the Best Variety, I'm voting for Penny Raine
In the Best Nitty-Gritty Homeschool Blog, I'm voting for Heart of Wisdom
In the Best Crafts, Plans & Projects Blog, I'm voting for Seven Sisters
In the Best Eclectic Homeschooling, I'm voting for Delightful Learning
In the Best Thrifty Homeschooler, I'm voting for Money Saving Mom
In the Best NEW Homeschool Blog, I'm voting for Delightful Learning
In the Best Geographical Blog, I'm voting for For the Time Has Come (Costa Rica)
In the Funniest Homeschool Blog, I'm voting for
I would sooo appreciate if you would take 5min or so of your time to go vote for these choices. The voting ends at midnight on November 21st which is Saturday, so hurry over!
And that is my shameless plug. :D Thanks y'all!
©AmandaDixon2009
Nov. 18, 2009 - Homeschoolers and Health Care
For all my homeschooling friends who think ObamaCare will solve their financial and health insurance woes, think again. It may give you temporary relief for your financial headache, but it may also invite government nannies into your home to improve your child's well-being and health.
HR 3200 that passed the House of Representatives, currently has a provision for funding states that implement a "voluntary" home visitation program for parents with young children or who are expecting. (See Sec. 1904 sec. 440)
The intended purpose is to " improve the well-being, health, and development of children by enabling the establishment and expansion of high quality programs providing voluntary home visitation for families with young children and families expecting children."In America we used to believe that was the role of the parent, but now it's the role of our benevolent and compassionate Uncle Sam. A gaze over the Atlantic will show us exactly where we're headed,
"Health and safety inspectors are to be given unprecedented access to family homes to ensure that parents are protecting their children from household accidents.New guidance drawn up at the request of the Department of Health urges councils and other public sector bodies to “collect data” on properties where children are thought to be at “greatest risk of unintentional injury”.
Council staff will then be tasked with overseeing the installation of safety devices in homes, including smoke alarms, stair gates, hot water temperature restrictors, oven guards and window and door locks.
The draft guidance by a committee at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has been criticised as intrusive and further evidence of the “creeping nanny state”.
Where are the safety devices for the "creeping nanny" who keeps sticking her nose into our personal lives?
Why homeschoolers support this bill or President Obama is beyond my understanding.
-Spunky
Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool
November 18, 2009 - Wordless Wednesday: Remembering...
Great Grandpa and Grandma on their 65th Wedding Anniversary 2006
Please keep our family in your prayers today and tomorrow as we go to Grandpa's viewing and funeral. It's gonna be REALLY hard for us. :(
©AmandaDixon2009
Nov. 17, 2009 - Vote For Best Homeschool Blogs
Well, we homeschool and we blog so I think we probably read homeschool blogs too, right?
It's time to vote for the best ones!
Go to The Homeschool Post . Click on the VOTE button on the right sidebar. Scroll down to see the 25 categories of nominees and VOTE!
Here are some of MY personal favorites:
Raising Arrows
A Pondering Heart
Walking Therein
Feelin' Feminine
A City on a Hill
Gleaning the Harvest
The Mango Times
A Dusty Frame
On the Road to Manhood
Penny Raine
Heart of Wisdom
Nov. 16, 2009 - State Mandated Parental Interference
Mike Huckabee, Chuck Norris, and Michael Farris talk about how the new health care bill that will allow the government to enter our homes and tell us how to parent our own children.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSqmDC28jPk
You can read Chuck Norris' article about the bill on World Net Daily.
Huckabee, Norris, and Farris also discuss how international law may be used to judge a case on juvenile heinous crimes instead of American law. This is important for homeschoolers to know because because the international law that may be used is from Europe and Europe has made the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. So Europe is telling us how we have to judge our juvenile criminals and that can lead to telling us how we have to raise our children as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrtiEAC1wlk&NR=1
Hat tip to Lisa Barthuly
Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB
November 15, 2009 - Hot and Tasty!
Nov. 13, 2009 - My icons!
Heres some of my favorite icons:
.jpg)
Thats it, I hope you liked them:)
November 13, 2009 - Saying "I Do" Is Forever
Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be married. I've always wanted to be a wife. I've always known that when I fell in love, it would be forever! I've always known that when I get married, it will be forever.
I found out a couple weeks ago that yet another friend I grew up with that was married last year, is now not married anymore. :( The same thing happened to another friend 2 years ago. When I heard what had happened all I could think was, "why is leaving/divorcing an option?" It is hard for me to comprehend that people think there is another option to leave their marriages. No, I don't know the details of why, but I do know that marriage is a lifelong commitment. Maybe that is just me... but the Scriptures say do that
1 Corinthians 7:10-11Maybe its not me... Right there in the Scritptures it commands us to not separate from our spouse. It doesn't say "don't separate unless...". It just says do not separate. That Scripture goes along with:
"To those who are married I have a command, and it is not from me but from the Lord: a woman is not to separate herself from her husband but if she does separate herself, she is to remain single or be reconciled with her husband. Also, a husband is not to leave his wife."
Matthew 19:5b-6When you get married, you are no longer your own person, you are one with your spouse. When you pull something apart, it is not as strong as it was and it is not whole anymore. Marriage is like the example of the two strand cord. Two separate strands come together as one and is strong. It is whole. That is really profound because God
"and the two are to become one flesh'? Thus they are no longer two, but one."
created each of us as a strand that there is another strand to which He made to become whole with. I believe that God created a specific spouse for each of us: Someone who is a perfect match for us. God has someone out there for every one of us, and the trick is to rely completely and wholly on Him to bring that Perfect One to us. No, it is not easy... I know!I think we need to get in the mindset, and train our children to be of the mindset that marriage is a "no out" commitment. I know that marriage is not a walk in the park, but it is something you're gonna have to work at. My parents haven't always had the best marriage or one that is what it should be, but if I learn nothing else about marriage from them, the one thing I've learned is you stick it out! My parents have stayed together through the thick and thin and have prevailed! So I know its not gonna be easy all the time.
In the movie, Fireproof, Caleb and Michael make a very good point when they have this conversation:
Caleb:"Marriages aren't fireproof. Sometimes, you get burned."I know that it is possible to withstand fires through your marriage. You just have to want to do. It commands you in black and white that you are not leave your marriage even when its tough and you don't think you can go anymore. You can do it tho because marriage is a forever covenant. Remember: Never leave your partner behind!
Michael: "Fireproof doesn't mean that a fire will never come, but that when it comes you'll be able to withstand it."
©AmandaDixon2009
<- Last Page • Next Page ->
