One of our many friendly neighbors told us awhile ago that she had a friend that harvests her own honey each fall. Since we like to use honey a lot she said she would give us a holler when it was ready.(actually she said call but in the country it sounds better to say give a holler)  It's ready!

Here is an explanation of what honey is:

Honeyis a thick liquid produced by certain types of bees from the nectar of flowers.  While many species of insects consume nectar, honeybees refine and concentrate nectar to make honey.  Indeed, they make lots of honey so they will have plenty of food for times when flower nectar is unavailable, such as winter.  Unlike most insects, honeybees remain active through the winter, consuming and metabolizing honey in order to keep from freezing to death.  Early humans probably watched bears and other mammals raid bee hives for honey and then tried it themselves.  Once people found out what honey was, next they had to learn how to get it from the bees safely!

Well, we are getting it safely and not going straight to the hive like Winnie-the-Pooh. Will we look like this after eating all that honey?

Last year  I read somewhere (Nancy commented that it was Jill Novak~ thanks, Nancy!)  about a "Prayer Box."   We decided to start this tradition in our home.  I found a pretty box (that looks like a present) and asked EVERYONE (children and dh) to write out several prayer requests (can't remember if it is 3 or 5).   Place them in the "Prayer Box" on New Year's Eve and we would read them on New Year's Eve 2008.   Everyone liked this idea.   Those prayer requests have set  in that box for 10 months and in just a few months we will take them out and read them.  We will also put new ones in for the coming New Year's Eve.  We will see how God worked....  I am sure we will laugh and we will cry.....   but we will witness the hand of God. 

             our *Prayer Box*

Just today I was reading over at Holy Experience and Ann shared  how her family was going to start a tradition from Leslie's blog.    I was reading at Leslie's blog and it is such a great idea I think we will start this one too!   It is a "Thanksgiving Box."   

Here is what Leslie shared~ 

Throughout the year, anyone (even a guest) is encouraged to place a note of thanks to God.  These tiny messages of praise and thanksgiving have ranged from "Thank You, God, that I found my lost shoe" to "Thank you, Lord, for water from the creek, while the pipes were frozen"  to "Praise God for Jesus'  saving grace in my daughter's life, as she has made a full surrender to You".   They are written on post-a-notes, receipts, envelopes and scraps, then folded and deposited through a hole in the top of the can.  Sometimes, this is done secretly, the note folded many times, enclosing a penny or a drawing.  At other times, the author of the note draws much attention to the fact that they have a special note of thanksgiving to add to our box.  If you would like to read more at Leslie's blog  here is the link~

http://weblog.xanga.com/wetherill

I am very excited about this new tradition.....    Michael & Amber will be here this coming Sunday so I am going to share with ALL of us about our "Thanksgiving Box."    We can start putting our thanks in the box that we are thankful for.....     and next month or somewhere between Thanksgiving & Christmas ~ maybe "Tree Decorating Night"  we will read all of them.   I think after we read them we will pray....   and then file our "thanks" in a special place and write the year on them.   Another way to show my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren how we trusted God and PRAISED HIM! 

Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise Your glorious name.  I Chron.  29:13

Here are the links.... to give credit for these great new traditions that have touched my heart~

www.holyexperience.blogspot.com ~ Ann Voskamp

http://www.xanga.com/wetherill  ~  Thanksgiving box

www.remembrancepress.com   ~  this is Jill Novak

www.giftoffamilywriting.com   ~  Jill's too

Thanks for letting me share.... 

Wyatt & Wesley  

Best friends.... and brothers~ 

"Do Hard Things.” That’s the title of a book by Alex and Brett Harris, twin brothers of Josh Harris of “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” fame.  

If you haven’t read the book, I think you’d find it worth your while. While the book is aimed at teens, it has some real lessons for everyone. I know I stepped away from it reflecting on its lessons for me.

The premise of the book is that society sets expectations for teens ridiculously low, that teens are capable of excellence in their spiritual and material lives, and that the revolution – or as the twins like to say, rebelution -- is already underway.

The book outlines ways for teens to identify their weaknesses and overcome them and ways they can maximize their strengths. It’s packed with real life examples. Above all, it’s a cheerleader in print – a “you can do it” book.

You won’t mistake “Do Hard Things” for C.S. Lewis or Chesterton or any of the deep thinkers of Christianity. It’s more along the lines of the ever popular motivational books that sell by the millions today – but with the twist of simple spiritual substance where many of those books lack it.

I think that if my children were still teens and I wanted them to read “Do Hard Things,” I’d want to make it a discussion book, one that all of us would read and talk about. On the other hand, teens in the throes of rebellion or lacking a good relationship with their parents would benefit from a read-alone approach.

The book would make a very good gift for public school students who long for something more challenging and meaningful in their lives.

Finally, if you read the book yourself, look for the lessons that can apply to our job as parents. Homeschooling can sometimes be one of the very big “hard things” we do in life, and you’ll find help in mustering the courage and tenacity to stick with it as well good examples of what it means to not give up when the going gets tough.

Tammy Drennan homeschooled her sons from 1985 through 2003. She now works as a writer and tutor and maintains several web sites and blogs, including www.educationconversation.wordpress.com and www.homeschoolstarter.com

I was in JoAnn’s this week picking up supplies for a couple of homeschool co-op classes I am teaching and found that my educator discount card was expired!  I sure was glad that I had my teacher ID card with me so they would issue me a new discount card.   

Did you know that you can print a free teacher ID card and ID cards for your kids online?  Here is the site where you will find them. All you need to do is fill out the form on their website and they produce the card and email it to you in pdf format. From there you can print it out or even have it laminated.  

There are A LOT of places that offer a discount for teachers, so be sure to ask wherever you purchase things for your school.  Some of the places I have discount cards are Barnes and Noble, Borders, and JoAnn’s. 

Happy Homeschooling,

Jamin

Hi Friends!

Times are a little bit tough, aren't they?  Are you finding yourself worrying about the economic crisis?  Are you worried about the elections?  Are you fretting about your ability to teach your children at home?  We all have many concerns on many levels, and although it is very hard NOT to worry, we all find ourselves doing that.  The Lord tells us not to worry, and have faith.  I want to encourage you to do that today!  Jesus can give us the peace that passes all understanding, and believe me, there is a lot going on in this world and in my life that I don't understand!  But I do understand and believe that through Christ, we can have victory and peace!  Lets pray for each other, ok?

I want to let you know that the Hopeful Farm beneft is still active!  (Wrote about it a few weeks back.)  You can take a look at it right here.  It has been extended through the month, so please stop over there and at least read about this wonderful ministry to families with special needs in their lives. 

 I encourage you to donate...even it if is just a little bit, it will help!  And Jill is giving away hundreds of dollars worth of downloadable gifts to you for helping get Hopeful Farm up and running.  Read about it and get your kids involved!  Kids LOVE to be a part of things that are from the heart of the Lord, and I truly belive that Hopeful Farm is just that. There are already kids doing Sunday School projects to help Hopeful Farm, and others doing their own little fundraisers too.  Isn't that fabulous!?

Both of my Ebooks are part of the Hopeful Farm resource package for donors.  I am So happy to be able to do that!  My brand new Ebook, "Homeschooling Is Our Life" is finally up and running on the web.  You can take a look at the info about it here.  Thank you so much to all of you who were willing to take a look at it!  I will be contacting those of you who haven't heard from me yet.  "Haircuts For Little Men" is also included in the Hopeful Farm Benefit.  (Many, many other wonderful products have been donated by major homeschool publishers! )  What a blessing to get back so much tangible blessings, not to mention the intangible ones ~ for a small sacrifice! 

Thanks friends, for being there for one another.  That is what it's all about, isn't it?

Homeschooling Is Life!

Nancy