Sep. 26, 2007 - Seeking Joy
Oh well so much for being more regular with my writings, huh? Still, 2 weeks apart is better than two or six months!
The Lord has been speaking to me lately. Through books, friends, websites, even small children.. and He seems to be saying...Be Joyful! So I am going to cultivate more joy. Sounds so simple and I think that truely it can be simple if I work it at. Deliberately looking for and being thankful for the important things in life. Family, a cool fall morning, a fallen leaf, the joy in a child's eyes as he prepares for a hunting trip with dad, the joy in a dad's eyes when he says "I'd love for you to join us this year" and to me " this is great. \ I'm glad we can do this together".
The joy in hearing the voice of another son and knowing he is here in the US with his wife and son. Not in Iraq, where he saw things that no mom ever wants her child to experience.
Joy is an attitude and one that like others can be cultivated. Joy is an outward expression of a gladful and thankful heart. And truely I have so much to be thankful for and so many people in my heart to be gladful and greatful for, that there is no reason for me to let the sinful grumbly nature loose. So today I will choose joy!
Blessings,
Julie
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Sep. 14, 2007 - It's Friday!
Where does the time go? This is one of those weeks that you really hope your children learn real life lessons rather than out of the book type lessons. We only covered a day of school or so.. But we also hosted fantastic family friends one day and spent one afternoon cooking for the youth of the church another. Wow can 40-50 teens eat a LOT of Macho Nacho's! I spent time yesterday playing secretary as we coordinated plans for my husbands uncle. He fell and broke his arm and will be staying with my in-laws for a few weeks till he heals. ( His dogs-all three- are currently in our front sheep pen.) We have also cleaned and started to decorate the house for fall. Aimée and her friend A**** worked on that yesterday and the fact that the weather is so cool this morning really helps give us the right atmosphere.
Today my daughters' Bright Lights group meets here and because it is so cold the local homeschool moms are also going to be here--with all their children-- so we can coordinate schedules for the year and plan activities. Keeping in with the whole cool weather fall theme i think I'll serve tea and hot chocolate with coffee and cookies. We never did find time to bake after doing the cookies for youth group wednesday so I'll cheat and go buy some from store this morning..
Hope you all have a blessed weekend!
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Sep. 10, 2007 - Monday morning
Well it is 6 am and I just talked to my husband, he left a little over an hour ago for the week. These days he works out of town all week and is just home on the weekends. I am choosing to be grateful that he is working despite heavy construction in our area being way down this year. Many guys from another large local company have already been laid off this year.
We have been attending a new church here in our town and we are loving it. I really don't know why it took us so long to leave our last one. Maybe because we had left it in the past and returned to it again because we found nothing else in the mean time.. I think the thought of "giving up" again was a bit dis-heartening to us. We have moved on now and it seems to be a change for the good of the entire family. We feel like God just said "Look here is a church for your family."
The children started Sunday School yesterday and they all studied the same passages. The teens didn't but the two through twelve year old set did and that is very nice. For bible in school this morning I will follow up on yesterdays lesson with our Voss children's Bible reading on the same passages. Since the pastor preached on Mark 2 and SS was on Genesis I think we'll cover both this week. The readings in MFW (our curricula for the year) are very applicable but we tend to cover them a bit faster than assigned.
Well I had wanted to do a synopsis of last weeks school but this didn't turn out to be it, so I'll save that for my next post and get back to on that.
Have a blessed week with your children!
Julie
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Sep. 1, 2007 - What we will use for school this year!
Ok just a rambling list of what I plan on using this year..
Bible-regular and Catherine Voss's childrens Bible
My Father's World exploring Countries and Cultures-Very tweaked to fit our family.
Windows on the World
A child's Geography by Ann Voskamp--I am so thrilled with this I wish i knew how to link to her site. This is an awesome book. I bought it as an e book and printed it out and we can't wait to formally start it. We have already indulged ourselves by reading bits and pieces out loud.
The Gift of Family Writing- a book I believe is destined to turn this non writing family into writers. I am only on page 49 and I can't wait to finish this and give my daughters dog a hair cut so i can lock myself in the bedroom and read for an hour. Hubby is putting the children to baths and bed so I can do just that. Dané is folding laundry so we have clean church clothes and making tomorrows breakfast for me.. I am so blessed!
Spelling words from our reading.
Lots of missionary stories.
Nature Studies ala CM.
101 Hymns
Math is a total departure for us. We put away the text books and are going to do drills and a list of topics and just explore various lessons needed. Ben will be doing consumer Math this year in addition
the boys will use some of their scout badges to explore things they need to cover and yet do not need to have a whole years worth..
Bright Lights for Aimée. Keepers of the Faith for Bethany. We have friends who will be doing these with us.
I am sure there are more things we will be using but I can't think of them right now. Of course we have TKD for several and Piano for a few.... oh and guitar for Aimée if I can find someone to teach her...
hmmmm time to go clip the puppy.
Have a great weekend!
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Aug. 30, 2007 - Almost September!
Are you ready for the fall? and school and beautiful leaves winging their way silently (and not so silently) to the ground? I sure am. I love the cool crisp air, making things out of the garden produce and school planning. Recently there was some discussion on a couple of the email groups I frequent about spending more time planning for our school years than actually homeschooling our children. Oh I do not think I have been guilty of that but the sheer excitement of planning the new year with all it's possibilities make it very tempting. This year with my health issues after losing the baby I have had enforced down time and I am plannned. I think this is the year that will decide for me exactly what kind of homeschoolers we are. eclectic, un~, Charlotte Masoner's, unit study, tidal, I sort of run the gamut and am always redifining. I have such an incredible mix of many things and types of educational opportunities for my children that surely they will either totally fly--even the ones who haven't embraced academia up till now OR we will decide that relaxed homeschooling really is this families particular way to go at this point in our lives. The Lord has been very gentle with me lately but He has most definately pointed out to me time and time again that He created these children I currently have and their talents are not necessarily going to be refined and defined by book learning. That is a hard lesson for this mom who would far rather pick up a book and learn how to do anything than have to actually go find a hands on way of learning it!
Well blessings to everyone as they enter into the new school year.
Julie
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Aug. 24, 2007 - Wow it has been forever!
Ok I did come to blog about 4 months ago and it wasn't here. i tried honest I did. I assumed then that any body who left there blog sit lost it! But I was reading a friends blog and she had me listed and I clicked and VIOLA! I am back in blog land!
A lot has happened since I last blogged. My son Nick married a beautiful girl named Camilla. Our son Matt was sent by the Air Force to live in Iraq for a time. Nick and Camilla found out they were expecting a baby in February. My son Dave was promoted to Warrant officer in the Army. My son Matt passed his boards so wlll be a staff seargent by next spring. We found out we were expecting The two months later we had an ultra sound and found the baby had died. We waited a week and the baby finally miscarried naturally. Then almost two days later I ended up in the hospital because of excessive bleeding. It was a sad and scary time. I elected to come home without the recommended transfusion so am now slowly recovering.
I have spent a lot of time getting school ready and will share what we are doing this year in another blog. I am excited to start school as it will be a very different kind of year for us.
Enjoy the last few days of summer!
Julie
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Dec. 12, 2006 - Working from home..
A friend and I have talked repeatedly lately about working from home. Starting an online or homeschoool business that brings in some money to supplement our hardworking hubbys' paychecks. We have had all kinds of ideas for various businesses but can't seem to get them up and running. I was talking to someone and she said that the logical business would be a consultation business. This does make sense but how do you turn something you have always done for friends and even strangers, for free into a business you are suddenly charging for?
My strong suit is organization, I can generally organize any event, group etc, into a fairly productive working unit. If I could find a way to work this into a business I might be able to work at home and actually bring in some $$ for something I do naturally and for fun.. HMMMM have to think more about this..
In the mean time any of you great moms who have ideas PLEASE share OK?
Have a blessed week
Julie
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Nov. 27, 2006 - Hello and Happy Thanksgiving
Ok Ok I know it is a bit late to wish you all Happy Thanksgiving but this is literally the first moment I have had time. On the 18th we had a baby shower for my daughter in love Monica and then a christmas party the nexty day. Thursday I hostessed Thanksgiving dinner at 1 and then many more friends and family popped by for pie and coffee. Then on Saturday my nephew who is in the Army got married here in town. WHEW!
I hope that you and your family are all taking time at this busy season to rejoice in the reason we have cause to celebrate. Take time to remember to Whom we are thankful and look forward to celebrating the birth of His Son. I know that there are those who choose not to celebrate Christmas as it is probably not the actual day of Christ's birth BUT I and my family choose to celebrate the work He did here on earth culminating with His ultimate sacrifice for us!
Blessings and Happy Christmas time!
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Nov. 8, 2006 - Jamie
Ok this is a bit sad so feel free to skip reading this. This is strictly for me.
I am so sad I am crying, I just can't stop the steady drip of tears today. I am not being a good mommy --I just want to be alone today. I can usually work myself out of this sadness with some time alone and prayer but today it seems to be different. As of Friday it has been 23 years since our son Jamie Luke died. I often wonder what it would be like to have another adult child--perhaps another daughter-in-love..
But I have to remember that God knew how long we would have Jamie here on earth and that it was never in His plans for Jamie to grow up.
I need to rejoice in the time I had with him, even if I occasionally need to mourn life without him.
Oh Lord I miss my son right now! Only the thought that he is with You keeps me from total desolation.. Thank you for the two years we had him here with us and for all the fun and loving memories we have of him. Please Lord help me to focus totally on the good memories at this time. Help me to love my other children with the deep and abiding love you give us moms. Help me to not smother them but help them grow in spiritual, emotional and physical maturity into whatever you have planned for them.
In Your Son's precious name.
Amen
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Nov. 8, 2006 - Share from my online salt and light group
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Nov. 2, 2006 - Time
I just realized that this whole post was not here! It was really not meant to be I guess as i am having trouble remembering what I was posting on. I'll have to think this through and see if it was really something I wanted to say or just a passing thing.....
AHHH I remember the main point was to ask my homeschooling firends just how much time they spent on various persuits throu out the day.
School? Outside activities? Bible study? your own and the childrens? Your delights? Hobbies?
I am looking for you to share your various priorities and how you fit them in. Please take a few minutes to share with me!
Thanks!!
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Oct. 10, 2006 - Friends
Today has been a day where I have been continually reminded of friends and what friendship means. I had a dream about a dear friend of 18 years who has not contacted me for several weeks. I am praying she is busy and that something that was said hasn't come between us permanetly. I have another friend who is long distance but is there for me when she can be. That is a different kind of friendship. I have friends who have been in my life for short times, only to drift away when our paths don't cross continually. I have a few friends that are always there. You know the ones, you may not talk for 6 months but then one good phone or email conversation and you are right back where your friendship belongs. Today i had a conversation wirth a friend, about friends. How important they are, how easy it is to misunderstand someone, How easy it is to work on a relationship that is going nowhere but you feel like you shouldn't just let it go forever.
Another category of friends are internet friends. Just a few short years ago an internet friendship was almost unheard of. Now we meet and get to know our friends in cyberspace. Some we will eventually meet and other we will not meet until we see each other in heaven.
So no real point to this ramble- Just a quick reminder to go get a cup of coffee or tea and email or call that friend you've been thinking of!
Good Night!
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Oct. 5, 2006 - Beautiful Autumn!
Well thanks to a bit of prodding I am finally writing another entry! (Thanks Mary!)
It has been a busy few weeks around here. My hubby, Pat, has been working out of town for the last three weeks. He got home last Sat. around 8pm and left again Monday morning at 4 am. When daddy is away it seems like my time just flits away.
We have been getting lots of school done:but not necessarily our WP stuff. This seems to be the year that everyone is going to make giant strides on their difficult subject. If reading is the hard one, that child decides he is going to read and mom must teach him now. Never mind that we have been trying for 4 years ! We will both put more effort into it now. The one child that I was going to tackle writing reports and papers with is still struggling with a simple paragraph while the daughter I thought wasn't really ready to tackle writing is keeping a journal and creating short stories and writing in her devotion time! Wow! When WILL I learn that God created each of them uniquely and that they will each develop at their own rate and in their own style?
I have decided that I need to reflect on my goals for each child and see what I need to keep and what I need to throw away from the plans I made in June and July. Then I need to figure out some fun and creative ways to fit everything they want to do into the stuff I feel God wants me to have them do without crossing that fine line between what I want and they need. These are the times when I have to rely on God to show me what is best, what is true and what is right for each child. I need to remeber that He has a master plan for each of them and has designed them in such a way that they will, with enough prayer, training, prayer, love, prayer, a bit of discipline and lots of -need I say it?-prayer, find the way he has planned for them.
I haven't forgotten the lovely emails and posts you ladies have made about priorities and I hope to take the time to really list mine and even share my POV on why I feel they are my priorities. BUT as I think I mentioned things have been a bit busy, we have had a broken toe for one son. A cut requiring an emergency room trip and a large amount of the derma bond stitching for another son and the baby decided to help put away dishes, dropping the pizza wheel on his toe and removing a section of his toenail in the process. I jokingly told my huband after the second trip to the emergency room that he wouldn't hear from me unless I was headed to the hospital again. So imagine his surprise to get a mesage from me -Just a couple of hours later--that Ben had broken his toe at TKD? AHHH the joys of raising boys! oh don't get me wrong I KNOW that girls are and can be just as likely to be active and get injured BUT do the math- with 9 of one and 3 of the other- at our house it is statistically more likely to be a boy!
We did set everything aside to go on a long walk at our local nature center the other day. Here in MN the leaves are beautiful shades of red,orange and yellow. The pumpkins are getting fat and most of the apples are being turned into applesauce and applebutter-mostly by my blessing Danι- who has taken it upon herself to oversee all of the harvest this year.
Ok it appears I have written volumes and yet not really said anything so I'll leave this and say good night as soon as I say this prayer for you, my cyber and real space friends.
Dearest Heavenly Father,
Please be with every mom this week as we love and learn with our children. Show us how to raise them to give you glory! Please give us the wisdom to do Your will. Help us to model, in some small way, the love You have for us and the Grace you share with us.
In the name of Your Holy Son.
Amen
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Sep. 18, 2006 - Morning!
Well once again it has been a week or more since I have typed a word here. Does anyone else feel like they are on a fast moving train? and sometimes not sure of the destination? LOL!
Well I guess I know my ultimate destination! So that said maybe I should spend a bit more time researching how I should be getting there. NOPE that doesn't mean I missed out on the salvation plan--just that I am really trying to STOP and LISTEN to how God would have me spend my time left on this earth. Obviously since he has blessed us with 12 awesome children I get to spend most of my time being a mom and now a grandma!!! That is a pretty cut and dried part of my life description-- MOM and GRANDMA, but what does that mean.. HMMM, well I have been called to homeschool so we add homeschooling mama to that. OK Been doing that for 11 yrs now and I only have major panics over it a couple of times a year. LOL!
So what else? This is where you all come in. I would love it if all you homeschool moms would share with me what you feel your top three priorities are. It will be a fun thing to look at the answers and it should spark some great discussions!
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Sep. 7, 2006 - Good Morning
I love this early time of day. My hubby has left for work and no one else is quite awake. Praise and worship music coming from the CD player. A great cup of coffee in front of me. Crisp air coming in all the open windows. I'm trying to get a few things done for school today and checking emails, soon I'll grab my bible and maybe even sit outside as it get light. God sure created wonderful things for us didn't He?
The day starts beautifullly and if I can remember what it is He has called me to do, the rest of the day can be just as AWESOME. But, to often, I get caught up in the little details of being mama to a bunch of oh so human little (and big) ones and I forget. I forget to take time to stop and enjoy the music, or the colors or the sensations of holding a little one in my lap. On one of my lists a lady said that at 42 with a 3 yr old of her own she wasn't ready to be a granma even tho she already has married children. I wrote to her and told her what a blessed time this can be! With one grandson (same age as our 9th child) and another one on the way I know that being a mama/grandma can be a fantastic period in life. I am still praying the Lord will visit us again and add another BLESSING in our life.
I guess all this rambling is to remind anyone who has taken the time to read this far to go give the children an extra hug, kiss and a tickle. When you look outside as part of a school project this morning GO outside and sit in God's CREATION.
I am listening to Amazing Love right now and I have to agree: It's my JOY to honor HIM! so today i will do so by loving everything HE has created. The world. the people in it and my family. Won't you join me by doing the same?
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Sep. 6, 2006 - Hello!
well I just realized i haven't updated my blog for several days. We are in the middle of a bunch of end of summer colds, all activities for the year starting and just trying to work out our schedule.
Re: schedule. I threw out every version I had worked out. Wow! what a relief! What I did is schedule a routine in the days for my children and left myself free so that I can float to whomever needs it. WE decided that my 23 yr old will be at the table to supervise and I'll work in my room with the ones learning to read and then help with the various language arts programs. That leaves us starting our WP things after lunch and TKD but then the 1 yr old will be asleep and the 3 yr old can play school with us. That frees Danι to do her midwifery training and work on sewing or spinning for her business.
We are now in football for one, TKD for 5, Nature club for 3, 4H for everyone, cubscouts for 2 plus I am cubmaster of the Pack, AWANA's-for 5, and soccer for 1. OK what am I missing??
Have a fantastic rest of the week! We are off to TKD then have to put up hay for our horsies and sheep!
Blessings
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Aug. 26, 2006 - Mom and Me tea
Well today was the Bright Lights Tea for my daughters group of girls. Some of you know that my 23 yr old has a Bright Lights Bible Study group for 8 yr old girls and up.
Bright stands for Being Radiant inGodliness, Holiness and testimony.
So today we had 23 moms grandmas and girls for a 9 am brunch to celebrate the end of the year and kick off the new year of Bible Study. We just ate and visited and enjoyed each other. I did a very simple menu of Coffee Tea and Hot cocoa, egg Bakes of various kinds, Fruit salsd vanilla yogurt and Panera bagels, YUMMY and I just had to sit back and visit- no work once everyone got here.
We did all china settings and flowers and candles on all the tables. We made the placecards out of mini picture frames sone up in pastels. All the girls-young and old- enjoyed the chance to dress up!
I had trouble finding something to wear as i refuse to buy anymore clothes till I lose some weight! I tried so hard this summer to lose only to actually gain. I am so frustrated, but will now start implementing some of the natural changes that are recommended for a sluggish thyroid. We believe I am dealing with this issue and I figure it won't hurt to try some of the natural remedies for it.
I did tell my hubby this am tho that I have to lose or break down and buy some new clothes. Even my 16's are getting tight... sigh..
Well I am going to finish my MOTH schedule for school and get some scrapbooking done this week. next week its back to school and all our fun Winter Promise stuff!
have a great week!
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Aug. 19, 2006 - This weekend
So far it has been a BUSY weekend. Yesterday i ran a Tupperware booth at a little free fair about 30 miles from here. I WILL NOT repeat that experience. The children did have a great time running around the little fair and looking at all the 4H projects. They have decided that we need to get involved in 4H. I try and let them do what they want to with in reason of course, but we are really BUSY again lately and something might have to give.
My bag with my schedule of all fall activities and several of our chore charts etc. got left at the fair by a child who shall remain nameless. So this afternoon we went to that fair then across country to another free fair. Pat's parents went too so we could all go (right now we do not have a vehicle big enough for all of us). My parents met us there for awhile and we all had a great time. This free fair is the biggest county fair in MN so we all have sore feet.
On the way to the fair Jay (3) said he wanted to see monkeys. We told him he wasn't very likely to see them. Boy were we wrong! Not only monkeys but a zadonk- a zebra donkey cross, camels,kangaroos, baby deer, etc. That was the neatest petting zoo I have ever seen.
Tomorrow we will work on the siding- almost done YAY! Sheep fence, chicken coop, rabbit hutches-- Hey anyone near MN who has Giant Angoras?? My children are looking for a breeding pair. No seriously ! as if we don't have enough animals around here.Oh yeah and I also need to do a bit of house cleaning. Ok I am getting tired making tomorrows list.
BTW
next saturday is a mom and me tea brunch for my daughter's Bright Light group. So far we are planning quiches, zuchini and banana bread and fresh fruit salad. Any other great ideas?
Have a blessed Sunday everyone!
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Aug. 15, 2006 - New week
Ok For now I am giving up on posting pictures. With my slow dial up I'll wait to upload them sometime while I am at my mom's house. (she is a total computer geek with several computers , even more printers and HIGH speed internet).
Yesterday we sat down with the History section of our WP. In 2 hours we read all of the weeks work, including stuff I added for my older and younger learners. We did our notebooking and bible study during that time also. I felt like there was a lot of wasted time as some of my youngers tried to do the same notebooking sheets as my older ones were assigned. They needed to copy the words off of big brothers or sisters sheets. From now on I'll let that be during afternoon project time. We also went to the llibrary and found a video on Clipper ships and several on various ocean themes. After school today they want to watch one on the great barrier reefs of Australia. Today we are going to work on the science section and see how far we get. I felt like we had a really productive day and yet I still feel as if things are not totally organized and I am so eager to see what happens when things are organized.
As the mommy of 12 I get all the comments about "wow you must be great at organization" etc. etc. I don't think people realize that with a bit of hard work and tweaking anyone can organize anything. When I look back and think about how much work 2 or 3 children were I am so delighted to be the mommy of 12 now.
Jeffrey (10) started football last night. We stood in line for 2 hours to get his equipment issued. Now there is a group that could use a bit more organization!
Well I am off to hide in my room and get a bit of bible study in while they do their chores and math. My 23 yr old daughter is in charge of all math this year so I can have a bible time and computer time.
Question of the week. How do you busy moms fit excercise time in? I was walking with a friend this summer but she has gone back to work at the college so now I am getting up and going to the mall to walk at 6:30. I don't really care for it and know that when the cold winter hits it will be very hard to continue. Any great ideas you use?
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Aug. 9, 2006 - First day
Well Yesterday was our first day. It went ok. Today was our second day and it went much better.
We had a very nice time the first day but I discovered a few things that are not going to work for us. I like this having all the basics laid out in our Sea and Sky program. I HATE having to keep track of so many teachers guides and individual guide sheets. I have decided for now that i will keep ALL the sheets on my clipboard and I used a free excel planner from the Donna Young site to add in all of our subjects. There is even a check off box for our S/S. That way i have a master list to keep track of everything from Bible study to Tae Kwon Do practices.
It is going to take me another day or so to dovetail all of my sheets but once they are I'll be much happier.
I took school pictures and some at TKD yesterday and will try and learn how to post those here later tonight.
Today all the assignments i had planned were done in a very timely manner and everyone was in a good mood when school was officially done. bethany is in a good mood right now as I am letting her find more to do. This girl is happy if you let her do several workbook pages and half a dozen art projects each and every day. The children drew and or colored the title page for their Sea binders this morning and she finished 45 minutes after everyone else.
Tomorrow the children will have only the basics as I am volunteering at Kids Against Hunger (i run the office when our pd staff guy can't be there).
Have a blessed day!
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