This past Saturday my husband and I decieded to take an unplanned trip to the beach just he and I. The drive was nice, we got to talk and enjoy eachother which made the ride there seem much faster. We stopped at our favorite store IKEA...in Emeryville and then headed out for dinner which we ate at the beach and watched the sunset as it hit the water and quickly faded out of sight. (I took this picture just as the sun hit the water).

We had such a great time ,...we plan on going back soon with all the kids. It was a little cold at night so here I am in my beany!~

WOW! It's been a looong time since Iv'e written. I need to change my background, but honestly it's been so long I can't remember how LOL. I will be coming back on here when the new school year starts. Blessings, Patti~

Ps.... Things are going very well in my marriage and home! God is sooo good. We have found an amazing church that we are committed to and learning and growing so much! Praise be to God alone!

First off let me start with saying a HUGE THANK YOU  to all my fellow homeschool blogger buddies,...for your prayers, love and encouragement. You may never know how much I truly needed it during this very hard time!!! If I didn't respond, plz know I do appriciate you!~

My husband has returned home, Praise Be To God Alone!!!~ It's not been an easy road, but I know God is it it! At first, I didn't even want to write about what happened to me. For fear of shame, it was hard for me to expose that we weren't this perfect christian homeschooling family. It was even harder to expose the fact that I felt very rejected by the man I love!

I believe that God has broken the heart of my husband and has opened his eyes. I believe he is repentive and wants to now serve God with all his heart and all I can do is believe him and trust that God will protect me and show me if it's true or not.

I have learned so much thru all this,...that God wants to love his daughters like no man ever could! That God will expose things to us women that we need to know about our husbands. I learned that I can soar on the wings of eagles in the midst of heart break! I learned that God is strong when I am weak! I learned to TRULY RELEASE my husband into God's hands, and that God can and will do a work in him, if he is willing to let God do it! I am free to just love my husband without FEAR,....because God has not given me a spirit of fear, but one of ...LOVE and POWER and a SOUND MIND! I know that God has my back at all times and that He will not allow me to be put to shame!

I have to admitt, at first I started to question God....I thought....being a women of God doesn't pay off.....I even began to think men don't like submissive, christian women....but are only attracted to women of the "world". I wrestled with God on how He could allow this to happen to me!!!

But God showed me my value was in HIM alone, not even in my husband, which for so long I did find my worth and value in his thoughts and actions towards me. I have been set free in this area!! God asked me a question thru this trial and it was simple...Why do I look to man for my identity, instead of the One who made me? I finally know now, that even though my father abandoned me as a child and left my mom, and that my husband too could walk out on me......my worth is in Christ alone!

I continue to pray that God heal my marriage and show me areas that I need to work on to be a better wife. I know I had my part to play in all this, but I am thankful to God that He truly is a God of second chances!!!~ His mercies are new each day!

I want to end by saying this:

If you have a man of God for a husband, get on your face before God and thank Him for that man!!! Tell your husband how much you appriciate his devotion to you and mostly to God!!!

If you don't have a godly husband,....I want to encourage you to continue to submitt to him, love on him, and most importantly RELEASE him into God's hands and precious daughter of The Most High, sit back and.....just watch God move!!! ~ :) 

It's amazing to me how God does truly hold us in the palm of His hand. I wrote about the season of change in my life a few posts back. It was mainly about everyday things I felt I needed to let go of. At the time I did not know how truly painful this season would be or what I was being forced to let go of.

My husband moved out of our home last Wed. night. I was shocked, I didn't see this coming! I am devistated, beyond words. My heart has broken inside my chest into a million tiny specs, I can hardly breathe....IT REALLY HURTS!!......BUT..... God is holding me in the midst of this horrific storm. Sure, I have bad days ,...I have so many questions....I am scared, angry, hurt, betrayed..confused,...did I mention scared!! Really scared, I have four children to think about.

BUT, there is such peace that can truly be found in the hour of our greatest need from our Abba Daddy!! He has taken me up into his strong arms and placed me gently on his lap. I am amazed at my God! He is so strong when I am so weak and broken. 

I don't know how this will all pan out, I don't have ANY control in this situation, but I can rest in knowing that my God does and in that I have peace and I know (I have to believe this) regardless I will make it!~ In Christ I can do ALL things!

                                                               Fieldtrip #1

                                        Our children w/ the W family children

                                             Touching the STINGRAYS!

                                                       A WHALE of a show!     

                                                        Fieldtrip #2- Oct. 2

                      Our family (R) w/ our friends the R family (L)

              HOMESCHOOL day at Monterey Bay!

It was wonderful to see SO MANY homeschooling families there. 

What was even better was the fact that the tickets for homeschool day were only 1$! 

                            Our 5th, and 4th graders with the jellyfish!

      Getting sprayed                    NEMO               Touching the starfish

WOW-Look at those fish!         Searching for seals                   I love Sharks!

My three little penguins even got to enjoy the beach.

All in all,  it was a good day. My friend Virginia suprised me and whisked me away for chocolate covered strawberries and 15 minute massages inside THE AGUA MASSAGER along the Pier. Ahhh... LIFE IS GOOD!

Thanks JESSICA for your fun idea. Finding my celebrity look alike was easy............You know, I think I REALLY do look like her....except.........

something is missing....... hmmm......OH I KNOW!......

                          THAT'S IT!

               Now we are practically IDENTICAL! ;)

As I draw back the livingroom curtains each morning, Iv'e started to notice a subtle change over the past few weeks. Something in the morning breeze is different,... it's crisp and cool.

                        Ahhh....Autumn is here!

I enjoy this change in season,in the temperature. I except it with gladness and thank God that He in all His wisdom knew what was best and that it could not remain summer all year.  I don't question it, I simply embrace the change and except it. I even went out and bought pumpkin scented candles and decorated my front porch with pumpkins and scarecrows. lol~

BUT,...I have been going through some personal changes in the season of my own my life lately and much of it has been painful. Makes me think of the leaves that have begun to fall from the trees all around. The trees are so pretty and protected with all the leaves on them, but The Creator knows that it is best for the tree to losse those leaves for now and that later it will be stronger for it.

I feel God calling me to a season of aloneness with Him. A time in which many things in my life are being striped away, much like the Autumn trees. It hurts.

I know I have two choices. I can feel sadness and rejection or I can see this as a time where God is pruning me and giving me a time of rest so that in the next season of my life I will be much stronger than I am right now!

Although it's hard at times to except change or what feels like losse, I am trusting that my Abba Daddy knows what is best for me in ALL seasons of my life!

Since bringing the children home, we have had more time to learn some new skills. Here are some pics.

 4th grader cutting out the pattern and pinning the bottoms to her PJ's.

 Sewing her PJ's.

 1st grader cooking Melanesa...a spanish meal somewhat like "Chicken Fried Steak" with grandmother. (Before we repainted the kitchen and fridge.)

 Baking Chicken in cream of mushroom soup. After putting the chicken in the oven she then washed and steamed broccli and made a salad using tomatoes she picked from her own plant she grew out back. We all enjoyed her wonderful dinner!

 5th grader building his own work bench to use for all his wood working projects.

 Here is the completed work bench. Some of the projects he has done were free from HOMEDEPOT. We just bring the project home and he works on them on his bench.

What is true femininity,...and did I even spell that right!? lol ~ 

Lately I have been thinking more about what it means to really be feminine.  Perhaps it's because my children are getting older that I have  begun thinking about what type of wives my girls will be to their future husbands and what type of husbands my boys will become one day? What will they think a Godly women looks like? All I know is that God is so patient and He is so faithful to hold my hand and walk with me along this path as I begin to really learn what a Godly women is and is NOT! So, here I go... once again back into Scripture to see what God has for me!:)

What does it really mean to be feminine?

1. Virtue Proverbs 31:10, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." Virtue means to be clean and pure. To be morally excellent is a good quality.

2. Loyalty Proverbs 31:11-12, "The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life." Loyalty is the opposite of treachery. Jeremiah 3:20, "Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD." A feminine lady is loyal to her husband, her God, her church, her children, her Savior, etc.

3. Industry Proverbs 31:13-16, "She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard." Industry is the opposite of laziness and sloth. Her energy is given to her household. The word "household" appears four times in Proverbs 31 as the direction of her industry. Many of the other verses in this chapter speak of her industry. She is not a workaholic hiding from God, she is industrious for God.

4. Strength Proverbs 31:17, "She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms." She is not a weakling. She becomes stronger and stronger in body, intelligence, emotions, spirituality, etc.

5. Ministering Proverbs 31:18-20, "She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy." She is not self-serving. The feminine woman ministers to others. She remembers the poor. She is a giver of alms.

6. Wisdom Proverbs 31:26a, "She openeth her mouth with wisdom ...." Wisdom is the ability to use and apply knowledge rightly. She fills her mind and heart with the word of God, and then uses it appropriately to every situation she faces in life.

7. Kindness Proverbs 31:26b, "... and in her tongue is the law of kindness." Feminine women are kind, in word and action. "Charity is kind," 1 Corinthians 13:4. Thus, they are filled with Charity.

8. Fear for God Proverbs 31:30 "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." Femininity fears God. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Feminine women do their duty.

9. Are Praised Proverbs 31:28, "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." Proverbs 31:30, "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates." She is praised by her own husband and by her works. Her works for God are so obvious, that they cry out in praise of her. Only one other being in all of the Old Testament is praised, and that is God!

Now lets leave the Old Testament and look at more characteristics defining Femininity in the New Testament:

10. Benevolence 1 Corinthians 7:3, "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband." She receives benevolence from her husband, and also returns benevolence to her husband. Benevolence means "good will as a conjugal duty; to be well-minded towards; reconciled with."

11. Submission Ephesians 5:22, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." Colossians 3:18, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord." With the type of submission that she has to the Lord, she also directs the same submission to her husband. "Submission" means "to be subordinate to, to yield under to." The same word is used in submitting to God in James 4:7 and to government in 1 Peter 2:13.

My heart is heavy for homeschoolers in Germany, ...

But there is something each of us can do!~

1. Please contact the German Embassy and give them this message:

"German governments need to make homeschooling legal. Over 40 families are being prosecuted in Germany merely for teaching their children at home. These families have been given huge fines, some parents have been jailed, some have been forced to flee to other countries, and they are all being threatened to take their children into state custody. This is deplorable and unacceptable for any free nation to persecute Christian families who are providing an excellent education for their children. We ask you to stop prosecuting these families like the Maisches, the Pletts, the Bauers, the Rudolphs, and the many others. Homeschooling needs to be legalized in Germany."

This message can be put in your own words, along with a story or information about the success of your own homeschool.

2. If you want to support homeschoolers in other countries--and causes such as Schulunterricht zu Hause in Germany--you can make a donation to the Home School Foundation's international fund. For more information visit http://www.homescho olfoundation. org/ .

3. Please pray fervently for these poor families facing incredible pressure and fear.

We cannot give up. Our brothers and sisters in Germany need us and have their back against the wall.

Thanks:)

Our Teaching Home

The Father has blessed me with many things,
And one of the dearest to me
Is the gift of helping His children
To be all that God wants them to be.

 Our family may seem a bit different
When compared to the norms of today,
But in looking at Jesus' example,
I believe that it should be that way.

 Our children are really just children,
Not unlike many others you know,
WIth laughter and tears, good times and bad,
Just living and learning to grow.

 Their schoolroom is often our kitchen,
And we don't own a big yellow bus.
There are no goodbyes every morning at eight
For our home brings the teaching to us.

 Indeed, our Lord has commanded
That we teach His children His way,
And so we are striving to impress upon them
His statutes and precepts each day.

 For I want what they learn to stay with them
Wherever they one day might roam.
That's why, my friend, you will find me
Teaching my children at home.

 I have friends who have made other choices
For the very same reasons I've shared.
And the love that they feel for their children
Is truly no less when compared.

 For the task of parents is choosing
The way that is best for their own,
And it surely will be our devotion
Shining through when our children are grown.

                  Please click HERE to see my 9/11 Tribute

                              Heres what we did this morning:

5th grader: unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, took out ALL garbage, locked the bikes in on the side of the house, took a few things to the shed, pulled the couches and TV center out and vaccummed behind them and inside the couches, vaccumed stairs, did two bathrooms including mirrors, sinks, toliets, baseboards(with mom's help).Organized the bathroom closet. took basket up stairs

4th grader: Took all sheets off beds and washed two loads of sheets,cleared off kitchen counters and table, wiped counters and table, swept laundryroom, 2 bathrooms, and kitchen, folded and took sheets back to beds.Put all toys books in basket to owners rooms. helped mommy peel and cut carrots and potatoes, celery and onions. put away all clean laundry

1st grader: threw dirty clothes from hampers down stairs (she loves doing this job)! lol~,picked up livinroom and kitchen floors (books toys etc.) . placed them in basket to go upstairs, put powder down on livingroom carpet, vaccumed livingroom, dust TV  center and coffee table and piano,and took all dirty clothes to laundry room. picked up toys in garage, helped mommy fold clothes, sprayed frebreeze on mattresses before mommy put sheets back on beds.

OH, and i almost forgot, we had a stew warming in the crockput by noon!!!~WHEW! You know something, ...it's becoming easier to maintain a clean home as i seek God daily for HIS strength and direction!~

I took these pictures of the children when we got home this morning from our HOME "School Picture Day!" :) This was a proud moment for me,....as it marks the first year I brought my children back home.. where they belong!! :)

1st Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

Iv'e been tagged by Suzanne ( http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Suzanne/ ) with the "Homeschool Resources Tag"!

1) One homeschooling book you have enjoyed

Homeschooling With a Meek and Quiet Spirit- Teri Maxwell
2) One resource you wouldn't be without.

Managers of Their Homes- Teri Maxwell
3) One resource you wish you had never bought.

In general,...items that I felt I had to have only because others had it. I always regret those type of purchases! I am learning to find our own style and stick with items that are easy for us to work with!
4) One resource you enjoyed last year.

First year back since my oldest son was in 5th grade (5 yrs ago!) And I am sooo excited!
5) One resource you will be using next year.

Abeka Video Program for Junior High
6) One resource you would like to buy.

Bible Timeline Figures and World History Timeline Figures- I really want to make timelines in the hallways.
7) One resource you wish existed.

Homeschool mom's affordable robots- awhh to have everything done around the house so we moms could just enjoy our families!!!lol~
8) One homeschooling catalog you enjoy reading.

Home and School MarketPlace
9) One homeschooling website you use regularly.

(HSB of course) and  Titus2 ( http://www.titus2.com )

Y esterday the girls wanted to act out the roles of their favorite story book characters from the American Girls Collection....Samantha and Nellie. So, we took a quick trip to the thrift store and found one of these dresses (and one not pictured here) for only 1$ each! The girls were so excited, they set up a "proper" tea party with coolaid and cookies just as soon as we got home! Then my oldest daughter played the piano while my youngest daughter twirled around the living room pausing only to do a few curtseys. Then they ran upstairs to get their dolls and played together for hours on the front porch, just being little girls.....In a world where even little girls know the lyrics to crass songs and are taught by what they see on tv that wearing next to nothing makes u "pretty", I was reminded of just one of the MANY wonderful benefits of homeschooling! There isn't that pressure to grow up too fast....bless God, little girls can simply be little girls and that just blesses this mama's heart!!!~

                 Samantha     Nellie

       5th grade            Motions to the                   4th grader

                                      elephant poem           

Our first week of school went very well. I am so very happy that we have chosen to homeschool. I totally love having my children home with me!~ I noticed something very sweet this week- since one child is stronger in math and the other in reading and writing they often jump at the chance to help eachother, which is actually a huge help to me and a blessing to watch!~

 I have also been enjoying working alongside my 1st grader. We have been singing songs, memorizing poems and scripture and acting them out along with doing basic math, spelling, writing and reading. Next month all the added classes will begin such as guitar, gymnastics, choir, etc.

I made this schedule and it has really been a big help. I got the idea from one of my favorite websites:  http://www.titus2.com

	Mommy	Sophmore	5th Grader	4th Grader	1st Grader
6:30	Get up /Prayer& Devotion	Shower/Dress
7:15	Leave 4 school	Leave 4 school
8:00	Shower/Dress		Dress,Teeth, Hair/ Bed/Devotion	Dress, Teeth, Hair/ Bed/Devotion	Dress,Teeth, Bed Hair
8:30	Laundry/Dinner Swifer		Dishes, Trash/ Bathroom/Toliets	Bring down laundry Counters/ wipe /Sweep/ Desks	Livingroom & Kitchen PU Vaccum/Dust
9:00	Bible/Breakfast Cleanup		Bible/Breakfast Charts w Zsanna	Bible/Breakfast Calander Review	Bible/Breakfast Charts w Jere
9:45	School w Zsanna Switch laundry		School	School	School w Mommy
12:45	Lunch Clean upstairs		Lunch Clear counters/Dishes	Lunch fold/put away laundry	Lunch/Wipe counters & table
1:15 2:00	Sewing   Character w Jere		Character	Sewing	Sewing
2:30
3:30	Choir/ pick up Jordan		Pick up Jordan	Choir	Choir
4:00
6:00	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
6:30	Kitchen clean up	Dishes/Counters	Trash, Sweep, Pickup	Shower	Shower
7:00	Lay out clothes	H.W.	Quiet time	Quiet time	Quiet time
7:30	Read w/ girls	H.W.	Shower	Read	Read
8:00	Family Devotions	Family Devotions	Family Devotions	Family Devotions	Family Devotions
8:30	Put kids to bed	Free	Bed	Bed	Bed
9:00	Mom and Dad Time	Free
9:30	Bed	Bed

This week I was able to go thru all our books. I seperated books for our future "library" in our future "classroom" (week 4) and organized all our school books, putting each child's books on their own shelf. I was able to take books in to our local used homeschool bookstore for credit as well as give away some too. The timing was perfect as book orders began flowing in. The children were so excited to see their new curriculum and I was too! ~ Speaking of curriculum here is our list:

BIBLE

We started Community Bible study this past week. (The children have the same study I do, but it's broken down to their level, although the memory verses are the same each week) and the children work on their Awana's handbooks and Bible Doctrinal Drills as well.

For FAMILY (evening) Bible study we use The Zondervan NIV Dramatized Bible on CD (The dramatized version is so much fun,....the sound effects are great and make the Bible come alive for young ones. We follow along in our Bibles as we listen with the plan of reading the Bible each year.)

What The Bible Is All about For Young Explorers By Henrietta C. Mears (We will use this book to look at maps and time lines and get an overview of each chapter as well as each book of The Bible).

Devotions For Young Readers By Janet M. Bair (1st grader)

Through The Bible Devotions By Mark Littleton (4th grader)

More Power to Ya By C’eleste Perrino Walker (5th grader)

Character

(Once a week- individual time with each child is spent on these)

The Girls:

What Every Girl Should Know by Myklin Cox -

http://whateverygirl.educationforthesoul.com

Personal Help For Girls (Pearables)

Home Economics for Home Schoolers (Pearables) Level 2

DVD's on Modesty and Courtship  http://www.SolveFamilyProblems.com

The Boys:

DVD's on Courtship http://www.SolveFamilyProblems.com

Personal Help For Boys (Pearables)

http://www.pearables.com

Thoughts For Young Men and the Companion Study Guide (1816-1900)

http://www.visionforum.com/booksandmedia/productdetail.aspx?productid=52014&categoryid=124

HouseBuilding For Children, Carpentry for Children By Walker 

Science

Abeka

http://www.abeka.com

Creation DVD's 

http://www.drdino.com

http://www.answersingenesis.org

http://www.christiananswers.net

Every other Friday- 175 Science Experiments To Amuse And Amaze Your Friends By Brenda Walpole

Math

Abeka

Skip counting tapes

English and Writing

Abeka

Copy Work (varies)

Spelling

Abeka

History

Abeka 

The Story Of The World By Bauer complete set 1

http://www.peacehillpress.com

History through the ages timeline figures 1

http://homeschoolinthewoods.com

Art

Atelier Home Video Art program on DVD

http://www.homeschoolart.com

After a big scare and possibly facing a c-section,..our beautiful cat "Momma Oreo" had her babies! I had never known that a cat could give birth to kittens a day a part from eachother, but they can. Cowgirl was born on July 22 and her two brothers Jaguar and Smokey were born on July 23. Here are some pictures!