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I am not a very creative person, but I do know a fantastic idea when I see one. I found a great ingenious cookie receipe called Spiced Autumn Leaves at Jill Novak's blog Through the Window Pane. J and I are planning to try this receipe this spring, but use a variation of green food coloring instead. They probably won't taste (or look) as good as the Autumn cookies, but it will be fun trying anyway.
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I found an awesome quote very early this morning about the state of the modern American church today. It really made me stop and think so I wanted to share it with others. This quote was taken from the sidebar of a blog by a homeschool mom named Becky at No Religion, Just Jesus. I love the name of her blog. Make sure to check it out. "Isn't it staggering when you think that one sermon on the day of Pentecost produced 3000 Christian people? And we had some cities yesterday where 3000 sermons were preached and nobody was saved. And it doesn't even faze us. The church used to be a lightning bolt, now it's a cruise ship. We are not marching to Zion - we are sailing there with ease. In the apostolic church it says they were all amazed - And now in our churches everybody wants to be amused. The church began in the upper room with a bunch of men agonizing, and it's ending in the supper room with a bunch of people organizing. We mistake rattle for revival, and commotion for creation, and action for unction. Look, I think this is a critical hour in history, the most critical hour in history; the Middle East is ready to blow up... the prestige of this nation we love has gone down ... As someone said, "We live in a theater of the absurd... When did you last tiptoe out of the sanctuary when you dare not say a word? The church has to rediscover two things. One, the majesty and the Holiness of God, and the other, the sinfulness of sin." ---Leonard Ravenhill |
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Our homeschool year is divided into 4 terms beginning in July. We are winding down the end of Term 2; J is completing tests in Math, Bible, Science, and Vocabulary/Spelling so we know exactly where to begin in January. It's hard to believe that the school year is almost 1/2 over. Things have moved so fast. My goal is to complete our school plans and buying for next term *before* we leave next week to spend the Christmas holidays with my mother in warm, sunny Florida. So I only have a few days to make finally decisions and click the "purchase" bottom in my various shopping carts. I'll post when I get the list finalized. |
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Since our Army soldier has gotten home from his year long deployment in Iraq, he has gone in to work for a few hours each day to do post-deployment briefings and meet with various departments (ie: dentists, accounting, etc.). Only 2 more days and that will be finished so that we can start a long awaited block leave (VACATION!!).
Last night we has a first of many family meetings about what we want to do while on vacation. Tom suggested fishing every day which was vetoed immediately by me and J. After that we got serious and discussed some out-of-state and out-of-town trips, local places of interest to visit, as well as some kicking-it-at-home stuff we could do as a family. I am really looking forward to having some fun. Being together as a family can be quite stressful after each of us being so independent this past year that having fun vacation while be a nice way to begin our re-intergration. Now I'm starting to wonder if maybe I shouldn't have skipped those meetings the Army wanted to provide to dependents. Oh well, live and learn.
J and I are still doing school during the hours that Tom is at work. We average about 2 -3 hours per day, so each day is about 1/2 of a "legal" school day. I'm planning to have her continue doing Bible, Vocabulary, and History during our vacation time (at least a few days per week) plus keep a Trip Journal that will be turned into a family scrapbook when we return home. I did one myself for our vacation prior to the deployment that turned out fantastic. All of this work including whatever "field trips" we take during vacation will be counted toward our school days for our records. Believe me it won't be all "school", we plan to make the most of our time together.
Friday is J's 13th birthday. I can't believe she is getting so much older. It really makes me said because just a few minutes ago she was my "baby". Oh well, each time she leaves one phase of her life and enters another I really miss the last phase until I get over the fact that it has come and gone and I better race ahead to help guide her through this current phase and prepare for the one to follow. She is so excited about her gift... a bedroom remodel. We are painting her room, getting new comforter, etc., a new bed frame (daybed), making pillows, new bookshelves, the whole she-bang! J also gets choose what I cook her for breakfast, then we are off for a few games of bowling, lunch at the Olive Garden, a trip to Lowe's to pick her paint, an evening movie (maybe a double feature), and then ice cream at Baskin Robbins. It will be a day of family fun personalized for just for her.
Since we will be in and out of town quite frequently, my postings may be a bit spotty. BONVOYAGE to us!!!
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My man is FINALLY home after a year of us being separated due to his deployment to Iraq. I'm so glad we will be a family living under the same roof. Tom has to go to work for 7 days straight (only 4 more days) before we can start our 30 days of block leave. We haven't really made plans for what we will do besides visiting my family in Florida. So far we are just planning to relax and enjoy each others company.
I've cooked more in the last 3 days than I have in the last 3 weeks. I forgot how much a man eats. Wow! We will definitely need to make some changes in our grocery budget. I love cooking for my family, I just don't like washing all the dishes. They have been very helpful in the kitchen the past few days, I just hope they keep it up.
Yesterday we went looking for living room furniture. After 4 stores it was running all together in my mind. We plan to go to the next town to check out one more store before making our finally decision. Of course we need to clean the carpet and paint the walls before we can have new furniture delivered.
I am so greatful that the Lord has seen to bring our family together again. So many families are without their soldier husband or wife. More and more soldiers will be coming home, but that means that others will be leaving to take there place. We can NOT forget to pray for them, just because it is no longer our soldier that is over there. We must pray for the soldiers who will never return. May they be in the arms of our Savior right now. |
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I can't really say today was busy because all of the things I should have been doing I didn't do. I woke up this morning at my usual time of 6:30am. After getting ready for the day, I should have been cleaning the master bathroom; instead I booted up the compurter to do more "lesson planning" (really I was reading blogs and visiting message boards). Once J got up I should have cooked her breakfast instead she cooked it herself and watched more of the movie Flubber. While J was doing her school work this morning I should have been cleaning/organizing my bedroom, instead I was still on the computer. At break time I should have gotten up to get a snack for myself and J instead I asked her to make them while I stayed on the computer. Once school was over and it was time for lunch I should have made it for us, instead J made her own while I ... actually did some house work.
After lunch we headed over to good ole Walmart to do some shopping, but since I left my list a home most of the items I needed were not purchased because I couldn't remember what they were. I hate when that happens. Leaving the store we were caught in an awful downpour. We barely made it into the car before being soaked to the skin.
Once we returned home we put away our purchases, watched some TV, had left overs for dinner while watching TV, and ate dessert while watching even more TV. Then instead of going back to doing the housework the must be done before Tom arrives, I was once again on the computer. Shame on me. I am a major procastinator, but in the end I do complete what needs to be done.
My mother called from Chicage where she arrived without incident to attend a week long conferene with 3 other co-workers. For dinner the ventured into a downtown eatery to dine on a real Chicago-style deep dish pizza. Yum, yum! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water and my hips and thighs swell with the thought of all those delicious calories.
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Hi Family & Friends,
Tom has FINALLY arrived in Kuwait. I just spoke with him and he said he is tired, dirty, and hungry, but so happy to finally be making the journey home. He is scheduled to leave Kuwait sometime in the next few days, could be tomorrow or the next day or the day after that.
It hard to believe that after living apart for a year and not seeing each other for the last 6 months, we will soon be together as a family. Now that he is in Kuwait his return home seems real. I should receive a call from Rear Detachment when he is on the plane headed to the US.
Please pray for safe travel for him and the other soldiers. Have a wonderful week.
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Since Tom has been deployed our family has gone through some emotional ups and downs. Things have changed from one month to the next ever since he left in September. The one thing that has stayed consistent is our dependence of the Lord. He has been there guide us, comforting us, helping us, healing us, and most of all blessing us. I never thought we would have the kinds of friends we have made since moving to Ft Campbell 4 years ago.
Today our good friends, Keith and Heather, came over to mow our lawn for Tom's pending arrival. They have done this twice before and that was special to me then. What really makes today such a blessing was the fact that they took the time out of their very busy lives to bless us this way. Both of them are working and going to school, but still they reserved this time to minister to our family. I am touched beyond words. I truly thank God for having them in our lives.
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This summer my daughter begged to use a textbook for history. She absolutely did NOT want to "do" history the way we had the school year before, using TruthQuest History guides with living books. Last year we used TruthQuest History guides for Ancient Rome and the Middle Ages, and I loved reading all of those wonderful books, and we even watched some fantastic movies too. What I didn't like was the fact that we did no real geography, no writing, no really testing such as notebooking, no timeline, nothing. I wanted this school year to be different and so did J.
After weeks of begging on her part and my loving husband saying "Honey, please just pick something," I finally gave in buying purchasing BJU World Studies 7 after reviewing it one the website and seeing it in person. It covered the time periods I wanted to study, a brief review of the Middles Age to present with a world focus. I spent $130 purchasing the student text, teacher's manual that comes in 2 parts, student activity guide, tests, and answer key. I reviewed it for a few days before beginning. It is a typical textbook that covers a large time period at a surface only depth. I hated it. It was quick and painless to do, but it was very boring and events/people were given only a paragraph or two before moving on. The only things I did like about the text history would get done on a schedule and it didn't take all hours each day.
But...I just can NOT use it. I wish I could return it and get my money back, but the store will only give me store credit for a used book. Grrr... it was brand new less than a month ago! Anyway, I am back to trying to decide what to do for history. I have some books already here at the house I just need to decide WHAT I am going to use and use it.
Right now I'm considering using TruthQuest History again. I have the guide, I just need to create lesson plans (the hard part) and then get may book list together (the easy part). I have set a goal for myself that in 1 week I will have all of this sorted out.
Good luck to me. |