I love this. This week, we read a story, titled, "Dolphin Adventure". It's true story about a man who liked to Scuba dive recreationally. One time, while diving, a family of three dolphins (Dad, Mom, and Baby) swam up to him. The baby had a large fishing hook in his fin, with fishing line embedded. The parents trusted him to try to help the baby. It's a great story and one the boys were completely immersed in.
A day later, 'A' presented me this underwater scene he drew. He took his time explaining what every single item was. It's pretty neat...
We enjoy watching the extreme skateboard competitions on TV. 'A' and 'R' are both really into riding their Razor scooters, and 'A' has aspirations of some day riding a skateboard like the big kids.
One night while watching one of the competitions, 'A' noticed something. Our conversation went like this:
A: (realizing that competitors will often drink something after their performance; not realizing that it is probably product placement...) "Mom and Dad, see how the guys always drink something after they are on their skateboard? I want to drink what they are drinking."
Us: "The beverage contains quite a bit of caffeine. When you are 17, you can decide whether you want to drink something like that or not."
A: "Look, that guy has the same sticker on his helmet as on the drink. My helmet has 'Mongoose' on it, so I want a Mongoose drink...I want Mongoose juice."
Us: "Ummm, OK, well, what is in Mongoose juice?"
A: "Let's see...(thinking)...grape juice, orange juice, apple juice, pear juice, and mango juice. That's 'Mongoose juice."
That sounds so good, we decided to break in our new juicer and went to the store and bought a bunch of fresh fruit to juice.
It was delicious!
'R' wanted to get in on the action too, and make "Blue Juice". His recipe includes: Blueberries, Apples, Oranges, Lemon, and Strawberries. OK, so it did not turn out blue, but it still tasted great!
I love it that we are close to so many great locations for day trips. David took Friday off and we all sauntered over to Lake Tahoe. We stayed on the South shore. I was stunned to realize how much there is to discover there. We barely even scratched the surface.
To acclimate a bit, we decided to find the first public beach we could, so we could see the lake. We drove into Pope Beach and looked around for a few minutes. The boys found huge pinecones and wanted to take them all home, but we limited them to one each...
It was lunchtime when we arrived, so we went to a natural foods restaurant called "Sprouts". David and I had one of the best sandwiches ever. I am so glad we found this place. This will be a "must visit" whenever we go.
After lunch, we visited the Tahoe Visitors Center. The attendant suggested a couple of places for us to check out.
The fist place we went to was the Tallac Historic Site. This is a park that contains three "summer homes" built in the late 1800, early 1900's. The Pope estate was the largest, with cabins all around for their staff. All the rooms are preserved to look like they did back then. It is a fascinating look into the the rich and famous of yesteryear.
This was the tutor's room. It was one of four rooms in one cabin. The room is as big as what you see here...
Maid's room, in same cabin as the chauffer, butler, gardener, and tutor...
Servant's dining area. This was attached to the kitchen in a separate building from the main house. This is where the servants and children ate their meals...
The servants cabins...
The main house is on the right. David, Grandma Margaret and boys are looking into the kitchen...
The boat house. I don't know if this was on the Pope estate or the Heller estate...
I love this picture. We were walking back to the car and 'R' picked up a leaf and started yelling "Hosanna" (a shout of praise that the crowd made when Jesus entered Jerusalem. They also waved and laid palm leaves at his feet). 'A' followed suit.
The next place we went to was called Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. We did a couple of easy trail hikes, the "Rainbow Trail" and "Smokey's Trail". The Rainbow Trail had signs teaching about meadowlands and marshes and had a stream profile chamber to see what lives under a stream bed.
Smokey's Trail taught us how to properly tend to a campfire, so as not to start a forest fire...
On the way home, we stopped off in the town of Strawberry for ice cream at the Strawberry Lodge, (once a Pony Express stop.)
One of the things that made me excited about moving to this area was that we are 2 hours from Napa Valley. I had never been there, but I love seeing aisles of vines all terraced on a hill. It reminds me of being in France or Italy. We left early and made it to Napa when the wineries were opening.
The first winery we attended was Rubicon Estates, owned by Francis Ford Coppola. This is a gorgeous, family friendly property. The boys, especially 'R', kept raving about its beauty.
This is a room off the lobby. The boys are looking at a few private tasting rooms for private tours or parties. Straight in front of the boys is the door to their cafe.
The lobby of the estate contain items that Francis Ford Coppola collected that are related to the early moving picture industry. There were also a few items about the family, including an Academy Award 'Oscar' for 'The Godfather'.
This is a picture of the boys going upstairs to museum that contains more items of the early motion picture industry, including "magic lanterns".
After the museum walk, we went to the cafe for a couple of mochas. They loaned the boys a wodden sailboat for them to play with in their fountain.
This property contains a lovely garden and hillside.
The next winery we went to was the Robert Mondavi winery. It is next door to Rubicon Estates. It is a completely different style from the first place we visited. The property looks like a Spanish mission.
Throughout the property are sculptures by Beniamino Bufano.
I love this scupture that is the first thing you see upon arrival to this winery. It is by Beniamino Bufano and is St. Francis of Assissi.
I had packed a picnic for us, but apparently many properties do not have a "picnic license", so no picnicking on the Robert Mondavi winery. Instead, we went to the adorable Oakville Grocery and ate at one of their picnic tables.
After lunch, we went back to the Robert Mondavi winery for their Discovery Tour. We tasted one wine while touring the grounds, and a dessert wine at the end. Children were welcome on this tour and since it was only 30 minutes, it was short enough to keep their attention. They were bummed they did not get grape juice though, as I had promised.
It was a fun day and I look forward to exploring this area more.
We live close to a delightful historic town called Auburn. I prefer to take back road to get there, instead of the interstate. These roads go through some neat little towns. We stopped in the little town of Newcastle to meet up with a friend for a minute. She suggested we meet at 'The Tin Thimble', a darling little shop full of fabrics, yarns, and other craft type items. In front of the store is an old fashioned washing machine. Here is a picture of Grandma Margaret explaining to the boys how the machine worked...
Grandma picked up a new hat in Auburn. It looks great on her!
The boys love playing on this statue of the founder of the town. They pretend that they are nuggets of gold being sifted...
After our visit to Auburn, we drove down the Auburn-Folsom road, a beautiful drive. I had packed a picnic lunch and looked for a park to eat our lunch. I saw a sign for a park and turned to drive to it. We drove along a windy road for a long time. When I was about to give up and turn around, there was the park. There was also an $8.00 park fee...we decided to turn around instead and eat on the side of the road. We chose a spot that was between two farms. One farm had llamas, and yes, and emu! The other park had a bunch of goats. They all provided plenty of diversion while we ate our lunch.
We were excited to have Grandma Margaret join us for a week! We packed this week with a bunch of wonderfufl day trips. The first trip was the day she arrived. The boys and I picked her up at the airport and took her to Old Sacramento. After walking around a bit, we stopped for lunch.
'A', with his favorite food, prawns...
After lunch, we went to the Capitol Building. They have a free tour every hour. In the 70's, the building was tested for earthquake stability and it failed. They had a big division between the assemply and the senate. One group wanted the building to be destroyed and a new building built, while the other wanted the existing building to be retrofitted and restored.
Fortunately for us, the original building won, and we toured a beautiul piece of history.
This is where the Assembly meets. There is a general green colored theme to it. The details of the room were beautiful.
There is a hall with the portraits of the past governors of California. The governors got to choose who they wanted to paint them. Most were traditional, like this one of Ronald Reagan...
However, there was one portrait that stood out among the rest. That was the portrait of Jerry Brown. Apparently, some arts commission/organization approached him and asked if he would let them choose the artist for the portrait. He agreed and Don Bachardy created this...it seems a fitting portrait for a very unique governor.
This picture did not turn out that geat, but this is where the senate meets...
Alovely mosaid on the floor of a hallway, depicting the state flower, "golden poppy"...
The state seal...
The gorgeous rotunda...
Floor detail in part of the rotunda...
Outside the governor's office...(no, we did not see him...)
California has 58 counties. The building has a large corridor that has all the counties on display in glass showcases. It was neat to see how each county represented themselves. Some looked all slick and graphically professional, while others looked homespun, like a fair exhibit. Here are the boys in front of our own Placer county...
A variety of trees on the gorunds include this orange tree...
...and gorgeous magnolia trees...
After the tour, 'A' asked if we could go inside a cathedral that was nearby called, "The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament". I did not feel comfortable taking pictures inside, but there is a small movie on their website that shows the interior, if interested. This was the fist time the boys were inside a cathedral and they enjoyed lowering and raising the kneeling pads for praying. Margaret and I were smiling over the attendants "swiffering" Jesus on the cross. You just don't think of the logistics of maintaining a property like that, you know? :)
The boy were playing on the lawn. It was classic. Minding their own business, playing their usual games, when WHAM!, the sprinklers started up! Both boys screamed and ran off the lawn, but immediately realized, HEY!SPRINKLERS!! , ran and got their goggles and proceeded to play until we called them in...
We were just about ready for bed when I kept seeing what I thought was someome taking flash photos outside. It dawned on me that it might be lightning and went outside to check it out. What we witnessed is something that we will always remember.
Here is just a snippet of the light show. We learned later that these type of storms never happen here. It was a topic for much discussion for days after...
I pried it from Chelan's mouth and the lizard ran under the dishwasher. Great....
But, a few days later, he made a run for it. Chelan caught it again, but this time we were able to get it outside to freedom...
I am pleased to announce that I ran not one, but TWO 5K's in one weekend! The first was on a Friday in Roseville. I ran with Sema. It was her first run ever. We have been running together for the past month and I assuumed that I would have to scale back for her. Boy, was I wrong! She beat me by 3 minutes!!
The second run was at the state capitol in Sacramento o Sunday. It was the largest all women's run ever in the history of Sacramento.
Over the summer, the Bayside Homeschool Network meets every Thursday for a park playdate. This week provided an additional special opportunity. BHN visits a local retirement home that specializes in Alzheimer's care every month or two. The residents look forward to visiting with the kids and the feeling is mutual.
(To honor the rules of the home, I cannot show pictures of the residents.)
The residents were all sitting in a circle. The kids went from resident to resident, introducing themselves and sharing stories. It was pretty precious to see how protective some of the residents were over the kids.
The kids sat in the center of the circle while the House Counselor read them a story about having a grandparent with Alzheimer's.
After the story, everyone went outside and checked on the tomato plants the kids had planted last month...
The aides made some fabulous smoothies for everyone...
The kids sang "You Are My Sunshine" to the residents...
Group shot of the kids after...
A picnic lunch and park playdate after...
Some of the boys decided to play soccer and 'A' jumped right in! Here he is playing goalie with another boy...
He got tired playing goalie, so he created his own position...
I am currently doing the Beth Moore study, "Living Beyond Yourself". I needed to watch the video online before meeting with my friend te next day. I put the boys in the bath and planned on watching it while it was semi-quiet.
Well, as is typical, 'A' got out of the tub much sooner than planned. I assumed he would want to play on his own, but he asked if he could join me in the study. I said 'yes' and he said he wanted to write notes like I was, so I gave him some paper and a pen.
He soon realized that he could not keep up with the writing part, so he asked if he could draw a picture instead. I loved what he ended up drawing...
(By the way, the $3.00 that is around him was a bet he won. We were out to dinner and he wanted to play the "who can stay silent the longest" game. But, he could not stop laughing, so I bet him $3.00 that he could not be silent for one minute. Well, it was rough, but he did it )
This is a picture of Beth Moore, acting all excited. Below her are the women in the audience laughing with her...
'R' joined us shortly thereafter and they both spent the rest of my study time drawing.
Our art lesson with 'Artistic Pursuits' taught us what a landscape was and had the boys draw a landscape drawing based on what they saw in their immediate surroundings.
Once a year, the Bayside Homeschool Network hosts an Open House. All the families show various projects they did through the year. 'A" and 'R' showed two pieces of art each. There are comment cards next to the projects and the boys enjoyed reading what others thought of their artwork.
The projects were diverse and inspiring. I kept thinking, "ooooh, we should do that....and that....and that!" It was a treat to see what other families did and their interests.
I am not sure how many famililies attended, maybe 40? The evening opened with Worship, then everyone went through the project tables, then social time and a dessert potluck.
The boys in front of their artwork...
On the drive home, we encountered the most incredible sunset! It was a beautiful ending to a very nice evening...
Our Turkish friends, Sema and Cem, invited us to celebrate a rite of passage for their son, age 8 (9?). They held a big party at their house with all the trimmings...delicious food, delightful friends, a clown who face paint and made balloon animals, etc. It was an honor to be invited and get to know their friends.
Me and Sema...
'A' and 'E'.
'R' was beaming all night with his fabulous Spiderman face!
My heroes...
YUM!
Sema's mom, visiting for a few months from Turkey, made all these delicious desserts!
What a treat to have Antee Sara road trip down from Seattle to our neck of the woods, before trekking on to San Francisco!
We went to 'The Fountains' to shop and walk around. Here is Antee Sara modeling a dress. Note that the store (Anthropologie), wrote her name on the dressing door. Clever!
The boys, hamming for the camera...
The Fountains has an interactive fountain for kids!
I love this shot...
Antee Sara brought her super-cool bike to ride with the boys...
Thanks for Linda's suggestion, we went to the historic town of Nevada City. It was all decked out with American flags, honoring the Memorial weekend holiday. Apparently, this town totally decks out at Christmas, Victorian style. There were a buunch of lovely Victorian homes throughout.
This store had on display all of the hats worn by American soldiers through history. 'A' talked about this display for days after...
Taking a break...
Brother and sister at McCormick and Schmicks...
We miss you already Antee Sara. Move to S.F.!!
Let me know if you have trouble understanding what they say! I asked the boys what they wanted to do and they said "Star Wars!". They came up with the script and plot. :)
Our friends, Jeff and Connie, were on their way back to Washington from a stay in Texas. They joined us for a night of some fantastic "catch up" time and fun before heading home.
We took them to our favorite Thai restaurant. So good!
Then, after a tour of our church...Frozen Yogurt!!!
Some time in the tub and pool....
After a full night sleep and big breakfast, the Williams headed north toward the coast. It was wonderful to spend time with our friends.
Our church had "The World's Biggest Garage Sale". They had it on half of their huge parking lot, and then had the addresses of homes (over 100!) participating, if they wanted to keep the sale at their house. All proceeds go to about 20 non-profit organizations in our county focusing on the low income and homeless. They hope to raise $100,000. Numbers are not in yet, but we are hearing that is was very successful.
Some of the women from my Body and Soul exercise class hosted a post-workout birthday celebration for me and one other woman. Sandi, a woman in the class, provided a delicious and delightful breakfast (yougurt, granola, fruit salad, scones, and brownies) set up in the church cafe. It was special and made me feel loved!
This is an annual family tradition for the Carters. We have joined them for the past three years and the Holz's for the past two. We spent a day driving from California to Washington, then three days at the beach, and another day driving back. Of the three days, only one had decent weather, but we stayed at a place that has an indoor pool, and all the kids had a great time swimming.
For the trip, DH purchased 'A' a skateboard and 'R' a scooter. It was totally unexpected and they were so excited! Here they are testing them in California...
Post pool, chilling with "Tom and Jerry" Cartoons...
The big dinner out with all three families!
On the day that cooperated, we all took advantage of the weather, and spent it on the beach!
The Mamas...Christine, Me, Lisa
'R's collection of shells and my collection of rocks...
There was an old bonfire on the beach and Mason and Scott decided to resurrect it...
So comfy...
Lisa provided snacks and beverages for everyone. Here, the kids have surrouounded the "snack towel"!
Steve and Christine :)
Lisa and Vanessa each harvested a single clam. Scott took a pop can and boiled them over the fire! One made it and Steve's mom was the lucky one to eat it!
'A' enjoyed this walking stick so much, he had us bring it home!
Brothers having a good time!
After a hard day of play...
Last day, cold and rainy on the beach...
A professional, harvesting razor clams...
Looking forward to next year!!
Chris Brown was a guest pastor at Bayside church in Roseville, CA. He currently serves as a Senior Pastor at North Coast church. He is an incredible speaker and one worth hearing. (I am using 'The Message' Bible translation...)
This service we heard revolved around the Power Myth.
A commom myth that Christians follow is this:
1. We admit that we finally need God's help. After we exhausted all the options on our own, we finally turn to Him. (1 Samuel 4:1-3) Israel went to war against the Philistines. Israel set up camp at Ebenezer, the Philistines at Aphek. The Philistines marched out to meet Israel, the fighting spread, and Israel was badly beaten—about four thousand soldiers left dead on the field. When the troops returned to camp, Israel's elders said, "Why has God given us such a beating today by the Philistines? Let's go to Shiloh and get the Chest of God's Covenant. It will accompany us and save us from the grip of our enemies.
2. We turn to spiritual methods that are proven to work. (1 Samuel 4:4) So the army sent orders to Shiloh. They brought the Chest of the Covenant of God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Cherubim-Enthroned-God. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the Chest of the Covenant of God.
3. We have faith that our God will come through for us.
(1 Samuel 4:5-6) When the Chest of the Covenant of God was brought into camp, everyone gave a huge cheer. The shouts were like thunderclaps shaking the very ground. The Philistines heard the shouting and wondered what on earth was going on: "What's all this shouting among the Hebrews?
4. We will be beat up, tired, depressed and once again frustrated that God did not come through for us.
(1 Samuel 4:7-11) Then they learned that the Chest of God had entered the Hebrew camp. The Philistines panicked: "Their gods have come to their camp! Nothing like this has ever happened before. We're done for! Who can save us from the clutches of these supergods? These are the same gods who hit the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues out in the wilderness. On your feet, Philistines! Courage! We're about to become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they have been slaves to us. Show what you're made of! Fight for your lives!" 10-11 And did they ever fight! It turned into a rout. They thrashed Israel so mercilessly that the Israelite soldiers ran for their lives, leaving behind an incredible thirty thousand dead. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Chest of God was taken and the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas—were killed.
"Rabbit Foot Theology": where we pull out the good old rabbits foot when we need it and hope it provides us luck.
We keep God in a box, and only pull him out when we need him and expect him to take care of us.
What The Bible Actually Says About Using God:
God would rather be with those who fear (profound reverence and awe toward God) him that those who just use him.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 - So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I'm commanding you today—live a good life.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 - But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else. The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you.
1 Peter 2: 16-17 Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.
Instead of getting religious, get right with God.
James 4:7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.
Psalms 34:17-18 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath.
Mark 12:28-31 One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: "Which is most important of all the commandments?" Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."
It is the act of humbly repenting and seeking God, not using Him, that puts you on HIS side.
John Jenks, Pastor at Cascade Covenant Church in North Bend, WA. did a three part series raddressing the negative issues surrounding the Christian church. This is an excellent series that I recommend listening to and passing on to those you love. You can hear these Podcasts at:
(Scott Brown was a speaker at the 2009 Christian Heritage Homeschool Convention. David attended this lecture with me and we both were blessed by it.)
John 5: 17 -22 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son
John 5:30: By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me."
The vision of victory for fathers and sons begins in heaven.
Paradigm (pattern, model, standard) Lost
Distance, dishonor, passivity
Lack of love, estrangement, alienation
The devil hates fathers and sons who walk together
We must never forget that the foundation of the universe is a Father's love for His Son and the sons of men.
Paradigm Found
God is our mentor. We have what it takes to become a great father.
How God mentors:
Through His commands
Through living examples: Know the Father and the Son and how to emulate them
The example of the Trinitarian Relationship - speak to your father the same way Jesus spoke to God/ God spoke to Jesus.
1 Timothy 3:4 - He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.
Move past your earthly father; focus higher.
Romans 8:29 - For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (This happens through the Holy Spirit)
(The Message translation of Romans 8:29: God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.)
Ephesians 5:1-2 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
1 Peter 1:15 "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;"
1 Peter 2:21-22 "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
1 Peter 4: 1-3 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.
Romans 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
2 Corinthians 2:14-15 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
Philippians 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Theology s the beginning of wisdom for father and son.
13 Biblical Patterns for Fathers and Sons
1) The father LOVES his son John 15: 9-10 - As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
Danger to fathers - Exercising authority while forgetting tenderness.
Mark 1:11 - And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
Too much authority and not enought tenderness equals REBELLION.
2) The father reigns, designs, and delegates Ephesians 1:9-10 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
Colossians 1: 12-20 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
3) The father shares his work with his son John 17:15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
John 5: 19-20 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.
4) The son fulfills his role as a co-laborer in creation
5) The father exercises authority overs the son 1 Corinthians 11:3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
6) The son joyfully submits to the father John 8: 28-29 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."
John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
It is the divine calling to have the son ask his earthly father what is his will for him.
The devil would love to have sons look elsewhere and not to their fathers to do their will.
7) The son loves the father John 14:31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. Come now; let us leave.
The love is inseparable from the submission and obedience. Satan's best strategy is to have sons dishonor their father.
8) The son imitates his father's actions in word and in deed. John 5:30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
2 foot rule- Scott Brown keeps his son within two feet range when he talks to other men and thinks that his son would learn from that discussion.
Application for John 5:30
P - Proximity - have son close to father physically to witness interactions O - Observation - have son attentively listening W- Wisdom - Ask if this is wison or foolishness? E- Eye Contact - Maintain eyecontact with whoever they interact with R- Relationship- Develop relationships with other godly men as mentors
9)The son knows what the father is doing John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
Sons need to be with you, fathers! Read all Deuteronomy 6
10) The father teaches the son John 8:28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
Father are the primary teachers:
Teach scripture.
Mentor them for a skill.
Prepare them for marriage.
Position them for success.
If the father does not teach the children, they will turn to their peers to learn for guidance.
11) The father leads by example and the son ---(I did not catch)
12) The father praises the son for his work
13) I missed this one.
Book suggestion: Dr. Bruce Ware "Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance"
Convictions:
Together is better than separate
Give him work, and limited play
Other boys are not qualified to disciple my son
Thoughts on education:
Plan for son at age 14 to read, write, and memorize scripture
(Deborah Brown was a speaker at the 2009 Christian Heritage of WA Homeschool Convention)
(My personal insight and input is in italics)
-Know your child's heart:
gifts
comfort zone
judgements
Know what skills you need to teach your son to help him become a husband, father, positive contributing member of society.
Sacrifice v. Regrets
Age 12 - treat your son like a man and with respect. Ask his counsel. Help him to become a man. Relate to him on a more mature level.
Demand v. Inspire
Give them a vision for why they are doing what they are doing.
Let them make mistakes and tell them about yours.
Choosing activities. Ask:
Is this life skill helpful?
Will the skill continue to be helpful?
Do they enjoy it and have a natural bent for it?
What do you want your children to leave home loving?
Many things are lawful, but not all are worthy of your children's time.
The later years will be full of fruit, if youprepare yourselves now.
(Deborah Brown was one of the speakers at the 2009 Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington Convention.)
Insert personal note by Leigh: I am sure I have discussed this with some of you in the past. When I was early in my Christian walk, I used to become offended and disturbed when people would use the phrase, "training my children". I always envisioned them teaching the kids to "sit", "beg", and "roll over", and all that is involved in dog obedience classes. But, as I learned and grew more, I came to realize this term is appropriate and desirable for our children.
The dictionary defines the verb, 'to train', as:
-to develop or form the habits, thoughts, or behavior of (a child or other person) by discipline and instruction,
and,
-to make proficient by instruction and practice, as in some art, profession, or work.
After reading this definition, don't we all "train" our children? Wouldn't we be remiss if we didn't?
Lecture notes. My insight and input is in italics.
-It is your job (as a mother) to train your children how to do chores with a grateful attitude. They need to understand their contribution to the family and the benefits. Once established through home management, this skill will carry into school, then work.
-Folly (state of being foolish, lack of guidance or direction) is bound up in the heart of a child. It is our job to handle it and to guide it.
-Training is harder than teaching.
The definition of teaching is:
-to impart knowledge of or skill in; give instruction in
and,
-to impart knowledge or skill to; give instruction to
-Don't rob your child of the character building experiences they need. Make sure you follow up to see that chores were done correctly. "If you don't inspect, don't expect." If you accept jobs half-done in chores, it will be expected to accept a half job in everything else.
-Teach them to love and trust the scriptures. Teach them the 'Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Self Control'. Teach them not just in word, but in deed.
I used to get stressed out when I was told to teach something to my children that I did not have in my own heart, or at least I did not have to the degree that I wanted to. But that is what we are called to do, and God is so good to groom our hearts right along with our children's.
-Help them to see the wisdom of the Lord. Personal and family Bible study, scripture memorization, sharing with your kids how the Lord has impacted your life.
-Help them to help the needy. Read from the book of James and teach them how to care for community. Develop a heart for others. Be proactive as a family in serving the local and global community. Teach that the world does not revolve around them, but that their contribution is integral.
-Ask your husbands what they would want their child to learn. The husband determines the pathway of the family.
Scripture to consider:
Jeremiah 10: 2: This is what the LORD says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them." (Ask what is important to God versus what is important to the world (she even added 'mainstream evangelism')
Ephesians 6:1-4 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." OBEY THE SCRIPTURES AND TEACH YOUR KIDS TO OBEY YOU
Deuteronomy 6:4- 7: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Proverbs 13 , 24,, 51, 1 John, Titus: She did not have particular verses, but referenced these in whole.I encourage you to read them when you have the chance.
-Suggestion: As a family, read a "Bible in a Year" program
-Invest in your husband first! This is another "thing" that used to bother me as a new Christian. How can anyone place someone over their own children?? But, I will tell you this, as I began to place my husband first, my children benefited, and we have a stronger family as a result. This is a case where I really had to trust the Lord to give me understanding and now I see the wisdom in His design for us.
-Family Boot Camp: Attitude Adjustment. This is what the Brown family has when someone has a bad attitude or is struggling with an emotional issue. The whole family stops what they are doing, and invests in prayer, scripture, role playing, etc. to help the person get back on track or have greater understanding.
Literally. We drove back up to Washington to finish getting our house ready to be put on the market. I can't believe it's finally done!! We worked hard for about 11 days, touching up paint, painting the trim, laying carpet, bark, and gravel, cleaning and staging. Major thanks to my brother (Devin), mom, Fabio and Esperanza, Antee Sara, Austin, and Tanya, for their hard work and effort in getting this huge project finished. We had a home inspector go through our house and made a long list of things to do. My brother knocked out the majority of that list. The boys did a great job helping, then keeping themselves occupied when necessary.
The Results:
Fresh gravel on our driveway, as well as on the strip in front of our house:
Fresh bark throughout our front and back yards:
Putting together the queen bed used for staging in the master bedroom:
Enjoying the fruits of their labor:
My niece, KK, has a good little dog walking business in our neighborhood. She took the boys on a couple of walks with her. They were so proud that they could walk the big dogs!
The living room. Fresh paint (used to be a chocolate brown), fresh trim, new lighting, clean and polished floors...
The bathroom. I had updated the bathroom about a year ago as a suprise for David, but Devin recently added new tile floor, and new hardware for the tub.
The master bedroom. New carpet, fresh paint and trim...
The family room (entry room?). Fresh paint and trim, cleaned and polished floors...
View when walking in the door...
The kitchen. Fresh paint, new stovetop, new vegetable sink, new hardware for regular sink, polished cupboards...a peek-a-boo view of the utility room with fresh paint, and tile, and a new light...
The dining room. Paint, new chandelier, trim, polished floors...
We hope to have it on the market this week!
'A' found this little fella in his bedroom. This picture is taken while he is under our bug magnifier. After studying it and reading about it, we let him go. We found out it is a house centipede...
Here is a huge grasshopper that landed on a plant in front of our door....
My new friends/Bible Study women/homeschool moms had a sushi night! Kelly did an awesome job of sharing with us her sushi skills. Rhonda was so kind to open her beautiful home for this, especially since she is not a fan of seafood!!
Kelly, slicing some incredible ahi...(thank you for that, Tara!)
Tara, making an incredible spicy tuna roll. I could have eaten just those all night...
My own version, with imitation crab, avocado, cucumber, and radish sprouts (pre roll). My Taco Time burrito -rolling college days paid off here. I was able to make some decent sushi rolls! Almost everyone...(L to R) Jeanette, Tara, Tina, Kelly, Jodi, Lori, Rhonda, Me
Jodi, Betsy, and Lori. Betsy and Lori are co-leaders for Bayside's Homeschool Network. Check out that beauty of a sushi roll!
Kelly, Leslie, and Jodi :)
Tina, showcasing shrimp...yum!
Heather and Jodi. Heather is the leader of our Bible Study. Jodi likes things spicy. She puts me to shame! Lori, Tina, and Kelly
I love visiting Old Sacramento. It is such a fun place to explore, plus, it has my new favorite clothing store, Moxy Threads , (the store with the constant 50% off sale to suck in the newbies like me!). I think we have been here three times since we moved. These pictures were taken right before we had to take Ama to the airport. It is only about 10 minutes from the airport, so it was a good spot to spend a little time.
Satruday, while exploring neighborhoods, we stopped by Bayside church to give my mom a tour, get a beverage, and let the boys play on the playground for a little bit. This is a picture of the boys in front of Bayside's courtyard.
Saturday night, we read the Easter story from the Bible and decorated eggs.
Easter baskets waiting for the boys Easter morning...
We went to The Fountains mall and got our morning beverages at Peet's. The boys played on the playground and we enjoyed a beautiful morning. Can you spot David in thei picture?
self portrait of me and mom...
'R' and the fountain...
We spent a good part of the day exploring neighborhoods. Check ot this rock that was in one of them!
Another intersting thing about this area, is all the wildlife. Even though this area is quite developed, there are many protected wetlands and open spaces. So far, we have seen frogs, lizards, grasshoppers, doves and other birds, deer, and get this... ring necked pheasant and wild turkeys! Here is a turkey that had just crossed in front of us while driving. (I am serious. This is not a Photoshopped picture!)
We had luch at Chili's and the boys were thrilled to learn that a side option was corn on the cob!
While driving through another neighborhood, we got out to look at a house that we have had our eye on for a while. In the garden, next to the sidwalk, I found this in the bark. It's a birds nest! It was so perfect and so beautiful, I had to take a picture, but I did not take it.
We set up an egg hunt for the boys...
Here is our Easter Sunday spread. No one wanted to cook, and David suggested each person request one item they wanted to eat. So, we had a fabulouse, funky spread, and yes....those are Cheetos, as requested per 'R'. ('A' asked for prawns...that's my boy...:))
My mom joined us for Easter weekend. What's a girl to do with her mama? Go shopping of course! We did that and explored new neighborhoods. The weather was great and we all had a special time together.
Ama brought new sheet sets taht matched the Batman and Superman pillowcases the boys had. They were sooooo excited!!
We took Ama up to Auburn to explore more.
This is Auburn's historic courthouse. It is now offices and a museum. Can you see the boys at the top??^^
Auburn has a farmers market two days of the week and we were fortunate enough to get to walk through it. My mom would probably kill me for posting this picture, but I love it. She is a little hunched over hugging the kids, she's not really like that :)
We has brunch at a terrific little restaurant called Awful Annie's. They has a special menu for Easter weekend and my mom and I enjoyed crab cakes benedict with avocado and tomato. YUMMY!!
I love this picture! We were shopping at the outlet mall in Folsom, and 'R' stops by this foliage and asked to have a picture taken in the "jungle".
This is such an answer to prayer! The boys have been on us to get them into martial arts and we looked into some places here. A few years back we had 'A' in a Christian martial arts program, and I had hoped we could find something here, but I was coming up with nothing.
David suggested I ask the homeschool moms. DOH! Why didn't I think of that?! And guess what?!?! Our own church has a martial arts program!!! They meet once a week and include character building as well as karate skills. There are belts and testing every six months. Here are the boys on their first day...
We spent a Sunday afternoon exploring the towns near Roseville. We drove up to Lincoln, then along gorgeous country roads to Loomis, Penryn, Newcastle, and Auburn.
We stopped in Auburn to enjoy the landmark that welcomes you to the historic part of Aurburn. This town has a terrific historic area that is perfect for shopping, dining, and strolling.
This is a huge statue of Claude Chana, the man who discovered gold in the Auburn ravine and founded the town. Fools gold in the pan? Nope. That's the real thing!
This is a beautiful tree that is all around the Sacramento area. It's like a lilac, but there is no scent. I am not sure what it is, but the camera does not do it justice with the color.
My KD Sister/North Bend Friend/Tennis Partner, Carrie, came down with her kids to find some sun. Her husband comes to this area frequently on business, and joined him. While he worked, they visited with us, then joined family later in the week.
Carrie met us at Bayside at was able to meet a few of my new friends. I gave them a tour of the church grounds...
We went to our favorite frozen yogurt shop, Nuyo...
Then, the kids hit the pool/hot tub for the rest of the afternoon...
'N', cannonballing in without testing the UNHEATED water...
Enjoying the hot tub...
The next day, we toured Old Sacramento. I forgot to replace my camera battery, so no pictures. We explored a cool steam paddleboat, called the "Delta King". It was converted to a hotel and restaurant. They have a wine school there, and also host muder mystery weekends. We toured an old School Museum, and the docent was so sweet. She had the kids write on slates with chalk and read from an old McDuffy's reader. A couple of pieces of salt water taffy at 'Candy Heaven' topped off a perfecct afternoon.
The church we are attending has a Thursday Women's Bible Study. I joined it half way through, and the small group that I am in is comprised of 80% homeschool moms. After the study, the homeschool moms and kids stay for a picnic lunch and playtime. The church's courtyard has tables and chairs, a cafe, and a playground, which makes it amenable for decent social time for both moms and kids.
The boys (and some girls) love to play with Nerf guns, and light sabers. One of the boys loaned 'A' a play rifle, and 'A' was in heaven, since we don't have guns of any kind at home.
Here are some of the kids playing...
Here is our future CHP, valiantly protecting his world...
And 'R', protecting the universe...
Last week, we learned about trees, leaves, and soil. We did two experiements:
1) We read about trees and how to determine their age, their benefit to our lives, the difference between a deciduous and evergreen tree, and the parts of a leaf.
2) We looked at the parts of soil. We gathered some soil and added water. We recorded what it looked like at the beginning, then after 24 hours. the tiny pieces at the top are called humus (rotted plants), then the layer is typically water, clay, sand, and stones. We were surprised to discover that our water stayed murky after 24 hours, unlike the experiment we watched on the 'Discover and Do' DVD. shaking things up...
We recently read about and compared/contrasted the different clothing attire worn by the First People, ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Vikings, and the medievel period. We thought it would be fun to dress the boys in "togas" and see what they thought about wearing them. Both thought is was fun and first, but it was cumbersome sone thereafter.
We drove through Historic Roseville, which is very charming. Unfortunately, most of the buildings are up for lease, so there is little reason (that I am aware of) to visit the area. Nearby, there is a lovely neighborhood with bungalows that surrounds a terriic park. We spent a morning there.
We are enjoying exploring our new area. We found a nice strip mall called 'The Fountains' near our place. There are fountains all around the mall, inlcuding a large central one that is choreographed to music, and an area where kids can play in the water.
My favorite clothing store, Anthropologie, is here, and I am excited because some day I might fit into their clothes! :)
It was R's birthday on Wednesday. The big 5!!! We went out to lunch to a new place called The Utopia Grill. It was sandwiches and homemade potato chips for us.
After lunch, we went to the Maidu Park, close to the church we are attending, about 15 minutes from our place. This is a huge park with a community center, library, Maidu Indian interpretice center, batting cages, ball fields, and open trails. They also have a playground that was created to look like an old Western town. It was also created with a foam ground that allows wheelchairs. The boys really liked this park.
After the park, we enjoyed frozen yogurt at our favorite yougrut place, NuYo...
For dinner, we met up with our new friend Sema, and her three kids at Chuck E. Cheese. "B" "E" 'R', 'E', and 'K'
the computer drawing of me and 'R'
This is the picture that 'E' drew of 'R', 'A', and 'E', playing Wii.
It was a fantastic day, made special by new friends, the thoughtfulness of loved ones sending presents, and neat places to explore.
The boys await the start of our journey in the big UHaul.... David looks forward to getting on the road before the snow starts... The tire I blew out neard Corning, CA. Good thing they had a Les Schwab!! The lovely view on the side of the road where I blew out the tire... My hero! The golf cart that gave us a tour of our complex. The boys loved this! Moving in... The view from our door... The view from our patio... The boys spend a few seconds in the unheated pool, then it's time to go back in the hot tub... David's office....
Jordan was in town while on a two week leave from his tour in Iraq. Jordan is our boys favorite "rough houser". His body can still take their pummeling!
My cousin, Terry, and his wife, Anne, celebrated the life of their precious daughter, with a traditional Hawaiian blessing, on the island of Oahu. It was a special day for all who witnessed it. (We were not there, but wished we were!) L to R: My Aunt Dee, 2nd Cousin H, Cousin Terry, Cousin Ann, Baby G, and Uncle Bob
-While driving through a new neighborhod, we discovered a frozen yogurt shop Nuyo. It's a self serve with toppings bar, and SO GOOD! I am up for moving to this neighborhood just to have better access to this place. http://www.nuyofrozenyogurt.com/
-Event though we are surrounded by retail, there are nice neighborhoods to walk through, with small parks for the kids to play in. The trees are in bloom right now and many of them don't smell so great.
-There is alot of protected wetlands as well. We have a wetland right behind our complex and see a large variety of birds, plus pheasant and turkey.
-We have a precious dove that coos by our window throughout the day. It's my music.
-I have made one friend at our complex so far. She is a SAHM of three kids, the oldest being 7. He is mild special needs. She and her husband are from Turkey and I love hearing her speak. They have been in America for 9 years. We had a playdate at their place yesterday and was introduced to turkish coffee. Oh yeah!! She is Muslim, but not a "fanatic clown", as she has dubbed the Muslim fanatic. I look forward to getting to know her better and have encouraged her to visit Bayside's MOPS group.
-The church we have been attending is Bayside. http://www.baysideonline.com. They have the Body and Soul ministry that is a Christian exercise class. It is the hardest and best class I have EVER attended. I completed my first week (3x this week) and feel stronger already. If you are interested in body and soul, go to http://www.bodyandsoul.org/
-The church also has a cafe, that is run by volunteers. They have music Thursday nights, and it is a great place to visit before or after services or classes. http://baysidecafeonline.com
-We have an In -N- Out Burger place within walking distance. What a fine example of what a fast food restaurant should strive to be. I had never had one before our trip here. http://www.in-n-out.com/
-I am trying to get used to how they recycle here. You just throw everything into the garbage and the disposal company has people who separate it for you. I keep feeling like I am doing something wrong. There are recycling centers that will pay you for glass, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans, so I am going to set up a system for the boys so they can learn to recycle and make a little money too.
-It is a little cool in the morning and evening, but the boys are wearing shorts and short sleeve through the day. Some kids played in the pool yesterday. I got up to 80, I think.
My cousin, Jenna and her DH, Charles, had their first baby, a darling boy! They visited my aunt and uncle one weekend and we were able to see them before we moved.
The new Grandma (my aunt), and The Great Aunt (my mom)
We are spending much of our days unpacking and getting organized. We have been scouting furniture stores for items for the apartment. This place is Shopping heaven, USA, and everything is practically at your fingertips, (except for IKEA. We had to travel a WHOLE 20 minutes to get there :)).
We attended church on Saturday evening for the first time. This church has two services Satruday night and three on Sunday day. The service we attended had about 400 people, much bigger than what I am used to, but it was great. We met up with our new friends at the cafe that is on the church campus prior to the service and they introduced us to some other people after service. The boys went into their own classes for the first time. The teacher said 'A' kept to himself most of the time, but 'A' said he enjoyed it and looks forward to going back. 'R' loved being in his class and said he made lot of friends.
The service message was about when Jesus washed his disciples feet. This was during the time when their feet would get really dirty from walking, and a servant would wash your feet upon entering a home. Everyone lounged during meals, so it was important to have clean feet when your feet are in someone elses face!
Washing someone's feet was considered a lowly job, and in this passage, the servant was not around to wash. The disciples were complaining and none of them would stoop so low as to wash each other. They were all just going to eat without washing their feet. But, Jesus began washing their feet. They did not want him to, but he insisted.
The key truth centered on that there should be no job or service too low for us if it helps someone else. It's a good reminder for us in this age of 'entitlement'.
We have had the most picture perfect weather, except for a mild rain yesterday. We need a jacket in the morning and evening, but that's it. I know it's going to get super hot, but right now, it's perfect.
The dining options are incredible. Before I got my kitchen set up, we had a slew of places to choose from. It really runs the gamut. So far, we have found a great Greek cafe, a healthy fast food place, and AWESOME THAI!! Still need to find a movie theater...
The local Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma both host free classes on decorating and cooking. Yesterday, I took a class through Pottery Barn on hosting a Spring Brunch. I came away with some menu ideas and learned how to fold a napkin "buffet" style.
I still need to unpack our homeschool items. I need to find a better shelving solution for it. We are going to get back into the homeschool swing of things today.
The new church we are attending has an exercise class on MWF 9-10:30. It is a part of an international ministry called 'Body and Soul'. You can see the format at bodyandsoul.org. I am going for the first time today.
I also joined Weight Watchers Saturday. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. :)
It was David's birthday on the 13th, and I bought him something he'd been asking for a long time. A lava lamp! They really are pretty cool...
I am beginning Bible Study this Thursday. I chose this group because it has childcare for homeschool kids. The focus is on the book of Genesis, with emphasis on Joseph, and being unjustly persecuted. I am not sure of the name of the book but it is by Kay Arthur.
We have a WinCo across the street from our complex. My friend Sundy travels from North Bend to Kent to shop this store. The prices are incredibly low and they have a fabulous bulk foods section. I did a big run and have begun to restock my freezer. So far, I have made 6 entrees of sweet and sour meatballs, 3 entrees of garlic studded pork loin, and today I will make a big batch of molasses rum chicken. These recipes all come from the "Fix, Freeze, and Feast" cookbook. I am also doing a chili and a soup from the "Fix it and Forget it Lightly" Crockpot cookbook.
Lastly, I am re-implementing "Motivated Mom" cleaning routine today. Gotta get back into routine.
My love to all my NB friends. I miss you and look forward to visiting in April.
Copy this note, ask your kid the questions, and write them down exactly how they respond.
1. What is something mom always says to you?
A: I love you
R: I love you
2. What makes mom happy?
A: When I cheer you up
R: When we clean our rooms and are nice
3. What makes mom sad?
A: when I am mean to my brother
R: When I do something bad
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
A: Jokes I make up. I make up really funny jokes..
R: When we do something funny, or when something funny happens in a movie.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
A: That's hard, I don't know.
R: That's hard
6. How old is your mom?
A: I don't know. I do know Daddy's 44
R: I don't know.
7. How tall is your mom?
A: I will count you from foot to head.....34 inches
R: Hmmm,
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
A: Spend time with your sons
R: Hang out with us
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
A: Do your computer or rest
R: I don't know
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
A: For a Batman play. You could be Batgirl.
R: I don't know
11. What is your mom really good at?
A: Helping me draw
R: Baking
12. What is your mom not very good at?
A: That's really easy. You are not good at ice skating, are you?
R: I don't know
13. What does your mom do for her job?
A: You sell tickets for Ticketman
R: Teaching us to be good and stuff
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
A: Nachos. You love those.
R: I never asked.
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
A: If you practiced hockey or won a football game, I'd be proud of you.
R: Like, when we do not see you for a long time and when you do something good and cool
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
A: Charlie Brown
R: Snoopy
17. What do you and your mom do together?
A: We play on the bed together. You do scissor kicks.
R: Make food like we did today
18. How are you and your mom the same?
A: We have the same colored eyes
R: We both have curly hair
19. How are you and your mom different?
A: I am very much younger and have darker hair. You are bigger, lighter hair, and shorter eyelashes
R: You have brown eyes and I do not and you are older and look differenter than me.
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
A:You always say I love you.
R: You sometimes say 'I Love You', and how do you know that I love You? Because I say it to you too.
21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
A: When we went to the Pacific Science Center and you went into that nose, and it sneezed you out!
R: Furniture Store
I love you and am so glad we got to spend an afternoon together before the move. That baked cheesecake was incredible!
I have not been in it yet, but we have a Jo-Ann fabrics within walking distance to our apartment. Cool, huh?! There is also a Guitar Center within walking distance. David is very happy :)
I hope all is well wiht you. Hugs to Pete and the girls...
Well, we are here! It's been an amazing journey so far.
We had originally planned on leaving at 2AM on Monday, but we were concerned that the roads would be too icy, so we left at 8PM Sunday night. We hit snow in Tacoma, but it did not affect the driving too much, and made it to Eugene at 2AM. (David drove a 26 foot van, so it was slow going. He did an incredible job!)
We checked into a Comfort Suites and crashed for 4.5 hours and hit the road again.
Grant's Pass and the Siskiyou's were just fine, except that the Siskiyou's had been heavily sanded with a red gravel. My car was a brick color by the time we got through it.
I blew out a tire near Corning. David changed it to the spare and I was able to get to a Les Schwab in Corning. David and the boys kept going to try to make the deadline for us to get our apartment. This last leg of the trip was all highway 99, along gorgous countryside.
We did not reach check in in time, and went to a Starbucks in Roseville to log on and find a place to stay for the night. We were all very tired and looked worse for wear. There was a friendly couple sitting at the tables outside with their two dogs. I stayed outside with the boys so they could run and stretch their legs. I had mentioned to them that we just drove in from Washington and were moving to Roseville. The woman complimented me on my sweater, then noticed my cross, and asked if I was a Christian. She asked if we had a church in Roseville. When I said that we were planning on attending Bayside, they both lit up and said that they serve in the Jr. High ministry. We talked about Bayside and why they chose to go there, and why we were attracted to it.
I told them that God tapped them to be our "Welcoming Committee". We have exchanged numbers and plan to meet up before service on Sunday. They were exactly what we needed at that time.
We spent our first night in Roseville in another Comfort Suites and ate our first meal at Olive Garden, YUM!
Yesterday morning (Tuesday), we got into our apartment. David not only did good, he did REALLY GOOD! I will get pictures up soon, but this place is incredible! We had two movers help us move our stuff in. They were so professional and polite. David struck up a nice conversation with one of them, and he ended up asking David to invite him and his wife to church with us once we are settled. Pretty cool!
Got cable and internet connected and although our place looks like a hurricane victim, the kitchen is in place (for the most part), and we should be able to finish everything today.
The kids were amazing through the trip. They spent most of the time in the UHaul with David. I spent most of the time listening to conference seminar tapes, and the local Christian radio. (I love KLOVE!!) Chelan was not happy, and was quite vocal at times, but he persevered.
Well, this is it. the next time you hear from me, we will be living in California. I will be offline for a couple of weeks to ger everthing organized, then Riverbend Prep will be back full swing!
I asked the boys if they wanted to do something for Grandma Julee, since she is not feeling well. Here is what they decided to do:
For a made up song, it's not bad, but please don's ask me what it means! And, if the tune sounds familiar, but you can't quite pinpoint it? We've been watching alot of the old Scooby Doo cartoons lately...
Here's 'R' doing what he does best...being silly!! Big brother had to get in on the action...
Hope you are back on your feet soon, Grandma! We love you!!
We are blessed to live minuted from beautiful hikes and trails. We tooks a late afternoon hike a few days ago, capitalizing on the cooperating weather.
David and 'R'...
'A' and 'R'...
We made it to the bench at The Viewpoint!
The Lower Falls view...
Taking the Leap...
Playing on "The Rock with a Face"...
We have just completed a Unity Study on American Indians. We created a lapbook that was purchased from Hands of a Child.
Some of the items we learned about included:
Types of dwellings Native Americans lived in across the nation
Food and how it was gathered
Why face pain was used
Toys and Games
We made little tepees...
We made headresses. 'A' wanted to be a "chief" and have feathers go all the way down his back, but once he realized he would have to color all the feathers, he decided to scale it back a bit. The boys called themselves "The apple and pretzel tribe"...
We made decorative "rattles"...
'A's rattle. On the left is a "Native American who is concentrating on catching a buffalo with two 'sand times' (hourglasses). On the right is a "Native American outside his tepee. It is starting to rain, but the flower shines bright."
'R's rattle. On the left is "an American Indian chief with a bunch of feathers on his head and a flower." On the right, "a Native American under a rainbow."
We made Navajo Indian Fry Bread. In my defense, I used whole wheat and vegetable oil :). We topped them with sugar and cinnamon. They were really yummy and similar to doughnuts.
We learned about a popular game called "The Hand Game". Here is a little video on ow it is played:
I made some paper snowflakes and had set the little cut pieces aside. 'R' took the pieces and created a little"village" and played with them for a long time.
We always enjoy when Antee Sara visits. She has a special connection with the boys and are always excited to spend time with her. In this picture, Antee Sara and 'A' swapped coats!
Thanks to Facebook, I have been in contact with many of my KD sorority sisters. A few of us got together for lunch in Seattle. It was so fun reminiscing and looking a pictures, present and past. I am excited to get together with more friends and sisters soon.
Our good friends, the Smiths and Holzs, hosted a going away party for us with other friends from our church. We had a terrific night of laughs, a few tears, and yummy potluck food.
The two hostesses, Liann and Lisa, with the party favors...
MY 2 Jens..
Our beloved friends forever...
Heidi and Craig...
Jen and Megan,.. "There was the party, and then there was the party...."
Our homeschool group had a nice night out before my move, and Larena's delivery of baby 'E'. We went to the Fall City Roadhouse, a great place to eat. Starbucks after with Liz, Linda, and Julie. It was such a nice night (with an awesome surprise visit from Stephanie!), with some of my best friends. I love you and will miss you all so much!
I realized I have fallen behind with blogging, but wanted to get you some pictures from flodding we had in the area earlier in January. We were technically stranded the first day of the floods because our neighborhood entrance was flooded. We could walk out if needed, but could not drive. We did not need to be anywhere, though, so it was no big deal. Some friend suffered major damage, but there were no injuries that I am aware of.
Our main road in our neighborhood, close to the entrance...
'A', walking in the rain...
The river close to our house...
We found out that the tooth fairy brings a gift for the first tooth, and money thereafter. 'A' received a small toy plane and car. He has another tooth that needs to go as well, but the adult tooth is growing behind it, delaying the process.
In preparation for the move, we have been purging, packing, cleaning, repeat. I could not get under our bed to clean and recruited some helpers. This video is of 'A' and our friend, 'JH'...
I have packed up all our Sonlight curriculum, and have now learned that we will not be moving until March. (DH found a fabulous place, but it is not available until then.) So, instead of unpacking everything I have decided to pull out the book "Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum From Preschool Through High School" by Rebecca Rupp, and work on the objectives for Kindergarten for both boys. We started it yesterday and will be an excellent guideline until I can get through the move.
Located in the Sacramento area, 'Riverbend Prep' provides a Christ-centered homeschool for two boys, 'A' is 1B6 and 'R' is 2B5. I define myself as a Sonlight mom with Charlotte Mason tendencies... :)
MON
Menu Plan Monday
Bakery Day
Body and Soul Class
Kid's Martial Arts
TUE
WED
Body and Soul Class
7 Things Project
THU
Bible Study
Letter Day
FRI
Body and Soul Class
SAT
Church
SUN
Sabbath
Current Curriculum
• Egermeier's Bible Story Book
• Sonlight Core C Books
• Sing The Word From A To Z
• Math: Singapore Earlybird
• Character: A Child's Book of Character Building
• Art: Artistic Pursuits
• Art Appreciation: Come Look With Me
• Spanish: El Espanol Facil
• Phonics: Explode the Code
• Science: Sonlight
Personal Bookshelf
Beth Moore Bible Study: Living Beyond Yourself
Sabbath Keeping
For the Boys
• Sonlight Read Aloud List
“If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,
it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein
)
This is a picture of Beth Moore, acting all excited. Below her are the women in the audience laughing with her...
Almost everyone...(L to R) Jeanette, Tara, Tina, Kelly, Jodi, Lori, Rhonda, Me 
Lori, Tina, and Kelly
Can you see the boys at the top??^^
My mom would probably kill me for posting this picture, but I love it. She is a little hunched over hugging the kids, she's not really like that :)
shaking things up...
"B"
"E"
'R', 'E', and 'K'
the computer drawing of me and 'R'
This is the picture that 'E' drew of 'R', 'A', and 'E', playing Wii.
Here is the picture 'A' chose...
His interpretation...
The photo 'R' chose...
'R's interpretation. (He got a little overwhelmed by the detail of it all.)
The boys await the start of our journey in the big UHaul....
David looks forward to getting on the road before the snow starts...
The tire I blew out neard Corning, CA. Good thing they had a Les Schwab!!
The lovely view on the side of the road where I blew out the tire...
My hero!
The golf cart that gave us a tour of our complex. The boys loved this!
Moving in...
The view from our door...
The view from our patio...
The boys spend a few seconds in the unheated pool, then it's time to go back in the hot tub...
David's office....
L to R: My Aunt Dee, 2nd Cousin H, Cousin Terry, Cousin Ann, Baby G, and Uncle Bob
The new Grandma (my aunt), and The Great Aunt (my mom)
Proud mama, Jenna!
My boys!
Uncle Artie and 'A'
