July 8, 2008 Charlie's Birthday
Charlie turned 14 last week. His birthday is surrounded by our country's birthday, so is always a fun time.
We took him to Music Road Hotel in Pigeon Forge for the day before his birthday, and NASCAR Speedpark for his birthday (where else?) We had a great time!
 And now we're back to school for year 14. As usual, we start back the first full week of July so that we can finish by April. So technically we have 'spring break' and not 'summer break'.
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April 30, 2008 Done for the year!
We finished up our lessons on Friday and I got my documentation finished up and sent out today! Year 13 down and in the books!
and just because I like to post pictures, here are the boys learning the mechanics of their bikes. Education in progress!
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January 23, 2008 Moving on up
My children are growing up. It seems like just yesterday they were crawling around on the floor (well, Harold was...Charlie never crawled...he got up and walked at just barely 9 months old) pulling items off of the school shelves to 'work with'.
Now the school shelves are full of science equipment, art supplies and less and less manipulatives. Just this week, we finally moved the school desks out of the room and put in more book shelves instead. The boys would much rather do their school work on their beds, or the floor, or the sofa, than sit at their desks and 'work'. They never really did like that. They mainly used their desks for art projects (and clutter keepers.) But even then, the kitchen table was so much bigger!
So another phase of our school is gone. First it was all those colorful blocks, letter learning cubes, shape sorters and other pre-school learning apparatus, now it's the desks themselves. Soon I'll be working myself out of a job. But isn't that what mothering is about? Training our little charges to be soldiers in the army for the Kingdom of the Lord? Now they are about to be out there serving Him. One already is. The joys of motherhood *sniff*.
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December 21, 2007 Christmas at our house
Someone asked last year at this time what our Christmas Traditions were. This post today has some of that post from last year and a few new tidbits.
First, we usually put up our tree on December 1st (or the first Saturday in December). We have had this miniature tree for going on 20 years with its miniature toys and gifts on it. (see center of mantel for our miniature tree)
As you can see in this picture, we have those little golden, engraved ornaments for our children for each year that they have had a Christmas. We have them on a ribbon for easy display. They get a new ornament each year. We gave the oldest son his ribbon of ornaments for his first Christmas with his wife. This year they are celebrating in their first home (non-apartment) together. We wish them blessed happiness.
We also have a golden ornament for each of the children we have had that went directly to Jesus' waiting arms instead of ours. There are five of these blessings in Heaven. We have a golden, engraved ornament for our foster daughter, too…wherever she may be now. "Lord bless her and keep her safe."
We don't have a Christmas tree anymore, we have a "Nativity Tree".
DH has constructed us a corner shelf (where the shelves remove and the sides fold for easy storage) that we can display all of our Nativity sets on. This year we have 12. The bottom shelf sits 18 inches off of the floor so that we can nestle the gifts under the Nativity Tree. As you can also see in this picture, we wrap all our gifts in brown paper and tied with a piece of colorful material or twine. Trying to keep the focus off of the gifts and onto the Giver.
During our evening family devotions in December we read part of a Christmas novel out loud. One chapter each evening or however it will work out to last 24 days. We always pre-read the book before reading it out loud. This year we reading "A Midnight Clear - Family Christmas Stories" by Katherine Paterson.
We traditionally have homemade tamales for Christmas Eve supper. This tradition started in Honduras as well. A very yummy tradition. When Christmas morning arrives, we read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and open the gifts all by the light of the fireplace or candles/kerosene lanterns. Also a Honduran tradition since we rarely had electricity there.
That about does it for Christmas traditions. We don't do stockings or Santa (never had…even before we were Christians.) We don't do lists or ask what the child wants for Christmas either. And since we don't watch TV (haven't since 1995) they are not covetous of all the commercialism out there. They are very happy with whatever we have given to them. May the Lord bless you and your family this wonderful Christmas time.
Merry Christmas to you all!
~Betsy
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November 8, 2007 Growing up
Do you ever just sit back and watch your children? I know I used to a lot when they were little and playing on the floor, but now that we have a teen and a pre-teen?
As I sit back and watch these boys now...boy have they grown! They can do many things for themselves now. They handle most all their own school work without many questions. They know things I have no clue about (mainly about cars, engines and dynamics.) And Charlie, the middle son, has grown taller than me now! He's only 13, so I'm not sure how tall he will eventually be. His feet have been bigger than mine for a few years now.
So off we go to get new pants again today. He doesn't wear out his jeans like he used to. These last few pair I bought only two months ago. And they were dragging the ground when I bought them. He still likes to sit on my lap and tell me, "I love my mommy". That's the sad part. He wants to grow up (and drive!) but he wants to stay little and cuddly. It's hard on both of us to have him growing up. I still feel the pain of the oldest (now 24) when he left home years ago. There is a void here in our house where he used to be.
Ah, but one of my favorite sayings can bring me out of the gloom of growing up. "Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional." *grabs my American Girl doll and gives her a big hug*
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I love autumn! It's always been my favorite season. I love when the leaves change colors and crunch beneath your feet. When we lived in Honduras, a friend sent me an envelope of fall leaves!! That was so thoughtful because she knew there are no seasons in Central America (unless you count rainy and dry)
So far there hasn't been much of any leaf changes around here. But the weather has gotten cooler and I love it! Maybe it's because I can pull out the sweaters and have less skin exposed! I think I love fall because my first child was due in November and I remember thinking that 'when autumn arrives he or she will be here!" That will be 24 years ago next month. *sigh* Time surely flies!
We went on vacation a couple weeks ago. One of the great things of homeschooling is that we can vacation when others are in school! We went to Florida to the Gulf Coast area. Mainly to visit my m-i-l but also to relax. Here is a picture of Charlie and Harold in the Gulf:
As you can see, we basically had the beach to ourselves. Later in the day a few more people showed up, and there were LOTS of gulls and pelicans, but a wonderful, peaceful day at the beach.
Hope you all are enjoying your fall!
~Betsy
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June 25, 2007 Wisdom of the Aged
We had such a great time helping with the Senior Saints in the Smokies. If you don't know what that entails, visit this post from last year. Here is a picture from this year of Charlie and another teen helper unloading a small church bus.
We love talking with the older folks...they have so much wisdom and are such a delight to be around. Of course, one of the first things they ask the boys are "where do you go to school?" Most of the time we are met with the response of "that's great!".
But this one lady caught me off guard. She must have been in her late 70's or early 80's. When I answered that we home school, she replied, "So did I!" and to my astonishment she also said
"The Lord created families....man made schools" I love that remark. The wisdom of the aged. Keep them home where they belong!
~Betsy
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June 4, 2007 Busy four weeks April 13, 2007 End of the year!
We are heading into our last week of school for this year. We've come a long way. We still have a way to go. Finishing year #12 next week. Eight more years to go. Then what will I do? hmm...
Here's a picture of Charlie getting a bit of work done with the help of our kitties.
Have a great weekend!
~Betsy
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January 2, 2007 A New Year
A new year is here, a clean slate, a new beginning. But have you ever stopped to consider that we actually get a new start every morning?
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
(Lamentations 3:22,23 NIV)
We don't have to wait for a new year to start over, to begin anew, to have a clean slate. We have every morning, a new day! The Lord is here every morning to begin anew with us. Compassion. What a great word.
Happy New Day to you all.
~Betsy
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July 20, 2006 Heat and Hay
It certainly has been very hot here in East Tennessee. Extremely hot for July. My good friend PatinTenn has posted a great post about "Tennessee in July" Check it out for a bit of humor about heat.
In the meantime, we have gotten all the hay put in the barn this week. I really feel for all those young men who spent hours in our fields harvesting in this heat. Here's a picture of our front field:
Ah, the wonderful smell of freshly mowed hay. It's really a good thing I don't have hay fever!
~Betsy
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May 1, 2006 Glad to be back!
Well, this turning the TV off (so to speak) for a week was really a bit harder on me than I thought. With not reading the blogs (nor updating) I certainly missed you all! I can't wait to sit down with a nice cup of coffee and 'catch up' with you gals!
We are done with school for the year. So last week was our first week off and we had a fun time just hanging around home and enjoying the beautiful weather that God gave us this past week.
Charlie had a bit of a hard time with the "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" musical being over. He was so pumped up on adrenaline that he had a hard time settling down and finding something to do! He'd had so many late night practices and those late performances, that he was tired both mentally and physically. Thank you, Maria, for coming....I certainly wish we could have met there!
Now on to another week at our beautiful Tennessee Home.
~Betsy
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Wow, last night during dress rehearsal for "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" things were not going well at first. The sound for the entire first Act was no longer functioning. The director had to re-rip and re-program all the songs. Some of the set wasn't finished yet...and the program opens TONIGHT!
So instead of starting the dress rehearsal at 6pm (as scheduled), it began at 9:30 pm. And if you think running through a 2 1/2 program beginning at 9:30 pm is going to be easy, well...think again! My bleary-ness this morning is testimony.
But, true to fashion, the program ran EXTREMELY well once it finally got started. We are looking forward to opening the performance tonight. Oh, if you could, please pray for my little "Charlie" as his nervous jitters may cause his supper to make an acting debut along with him tonight. Thanks! ~Betsy
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George Whitefield was a preacher who had a profound impact on the American colonies during the 1700's. Here are a couple of quotes from Pastor Whitefield as written in a book about him by Stephen Mansfield:
1) Critics are the unpaid guardians of the soul;
2) Humility is the freedom from self that great leadership demands;
3) Suffering purifies the heart, hones the vision, and fashions the soul for battles to come.
- Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic Legacy of George Whitefield, by Stephen Mansfield (Nashville: Cumberland House, 2001), p 265
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March 28, 2006 Small Blessings
Last week we went to Florida. I know, 'spring break-Florida'...but that's not the reason. Although we DID enjoy the beautiful sunshine and gorgeous weather, we went there to visit my m-i-l and attend the wedding of my s-i-l. My dh was the presiding minister at the wedding.
Anyway, that wasn't the small blessing! What transpired was my m-i-l decided that I and my s-i-l needed to have some time out from the wedding preps. She bought us manicures and pedicures! Now if you have never had a pedicure (as I had NOT), then you are in for a real treat...provided you are not ticklish. Just sitting in the incredibly relaxing, massage chair and soaking your feet in a tepid whirlpool bath, was so comfortable! The pedicure came complete with foot and calf massage and complete de-roughing of my poor, tired feet. The painted toenails looked nice too (still do).
The manicure wasn't as relaxing as we had to get up from our massage chairs and sit at a table while the lovely Korean lady then fussed over our hands and forearms, massaging, clipping rough skin, filing and painting.
What a fun, relaxing time my dear m-i-l allowed us to have. May God bless her for the blessing she is to me!
~Betsy
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Kaya!!!
