Barefoot Backyard Bookworms - Homeschool Blogger

A Trip Down Christmas Lane.....

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:41:00 -0600

I don't know exactly why, maybe it's all the ornaments the children made over the years, but the Christmas season always makes me nostalgic. You too? Memories of digging up our tree (yes, we dug it up and replanted it long before the word "environmentalist" had been conceived - it was called being ~~cheap~~ smart with your money), shopping for my Dad's present to Mom at roughly 4:50pm on Christmas Eve (the stores closed at 5pm), and sleeping on the floor all night so I would wake as early as possible on Christmas morning (I think our earliest was 2am, our latest about 5am? Isn't that right Joye??!). It's a wonder my parents didn't cancel Christmas!! One of the clearest memories of Christmas is when I was 12 and we had just moved into a new house with new appliances. I woke my Mom at exactly 2:48 A.M. in a panic because the oven power was ON!! No, I didn't check to see if the oven was hot. No, I had never heard of this thing called delayed cooking. No, I didn't want to be tanned and would lie back down (beside the tree of course!!). Did your Santa come wrapped? Ours did. It wasn't until after I was a parent and my dear hubby asked what planet was I from that I actually realized there might be a ~~easier~~ better way. My favorite present? A chemistry set. Yep. I think I was probably the first female to earn the title of geek. But it really was my childhood favorite. Because it was what I wanted and didn't think I would get. Because no one else thought I'd get it (in a "you'll put your eye out, Ralphie" sort of way.) Because it affirmed to me that I had parents who actually loved me for who I was and not what everyone told me I should be/not be. My favorite Christmas? This one, of course. Memory lane is beautiful but today I can give hugs and love and laughter that will make beautiful memories for tomorrow. Presents will come and go, memories will last for a while but love will never end. Enjoy, savor, laugh and cry with those you love today. And as Lea says so beautifully, "Have a fine day, all day long."

Thank you to all our Soldiers, Veterans and Military Families!

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:34:00 -0600

I know you've probably seen this, but just in case you haven't - it is a must see. Amazing that a girl of 15 has the insight to put together a piece as heart-wrenching as this. And if after viewing it you want to do something, go to THIS SITE and chose a soldier. Send them a card, letter, anything to encourage them. Please.

Awanas

Fri, 9 Nov 2007 20:57:00 -0600

We love Awanas. Our children learn an amazing amount of scripture, biblical truths and discipline of the mind, all while having loads of fun. Here is my "widow with her two mites" on October 31st "Bible Heroes Night" at Awanas :

and here are the two cars my children raced in the Awanas Gran Prix:

Emma's "Jewel-y" truck (note "bed of roses" in truck bed!) got 3rd place for design (yes, that's google eyes and purple sunglasses!)

and Ethan's got 3rd place for speed (note the "guns" on top - what a difference between boys and girls!)

out of all of these cars:

Fall Fun

Sun, 4 Nov 2007 23:20:00 -0600

So here are Emma and Ethan with some of their tree identification rubbings and our traditional "waxed paper leaves" - this was perfect timing for studying trees. And then here they are getting ready to record the measurement of their plants (we are recording the germination time and rate of growth for 3 different seeds) We had rain last week when friends were over and they all had a blast making a "dam" to build "the world's biggest mud puddle"! Funny but I didn't realize until this week that our next study was on dams and bridges - again, great timing!Big brother "alien" ?? Hmmmmm.......

Missionary Mondays

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:54:00 -0500

Say "Hello" to a fascinating family raising three little ones as they are called to minister to the lost in Bolivia. They have battled everything from the flu to having one of their young children have to undergo surgery. This is while trying to learn a new language, adjust to a very different culture and trying to establish some relationships in the community. Please take a few minutes today and pray for John and Jenny and their sons - Caleb, Luke and Elijah. Pray that the Lord would heal them quickly and help them see what He wants them to do each day. Praise the Lord for their faithfulness and willingness to go and tell!

Welcome little Kate Joy !!

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:10:00 -0500

I just got the news that a wonderful young couple who has dedicated themselves to the Lord and His work in Macedonia have added a new baby to their family! Rejoice with Brian and Mandy for the Lord's blessing of Kate Joy Davis! How wonderful!!

Missionary Monday

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:08:00 -0500

Here is a video from Audrey in Japan - it's made just with her small digital camera but her heart is a lot bigger than her camera :) ! Pray for her and all the young people who are on the mission field today. When many young people are pursuing personal gain these wonderful young people are living away from friends, family (and familiar foods!) to help reach the lost and dying world around us. Praise the Lord for them!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Mon, 8 Oct 2007 20:58:00 -0500

Twenty-one years ago this morning the Lord blessed us with our second son. It's amazing to think that he is 21 and yet somehow he has been a grown-up man for quite a while so it's not so unthinkable. It's fun on birthdays to think about all the blessings we've gotten from being chosen by the Lord to be the parents of the birthday child so here's a few memories - Right after birth he cried a soft, almost "calling" cry - very opposite from the cry of his older brother! Just a quick reminder to me that God created each of them very different, with their own special purpose and reason. At age 8 months he couldn't walk yet but would climb the slide from bottom to top, turn around and slide down (talk about giving a mother a heart attack!!). From an early age to even now he loves to observe and analyze anything in nature - rocks, flowers, spiderwebs, frogs, anything ... and then of course bring it into the house to keep :) . At age 5 he didn't want to even learn the alphabet because it kept him from being outside but by age 7 he was reading 2 years ahead of his age. At age 8 he announced to us that he wanted to be a "volcanologist" and study volcanoes up close (ayeeee!!!), had grown his own experimental cotton plants, had 2 guinea pigs as pets, and had a vast array of "collections" under his bed! At age 11 or 12 he and a friend started collecting computer parts and he self-taught himself more about computers than most programmers with advanced degrees. (Check out his website). At age 14 he developed an intense interest in all things military and begged us to join Civil Air Patrol. He excelled there and went on to two successful years at West Point before deciding that military life wasn't his calling after all. Now I look and see a very loving son with a smart mind, willing and working hands, a big heart and a strong desire to do God's will. Mighty proud to call you son and wish you a very Happy Birthday, Russ!!! Thanks for making 21 years of our lives a true blessing!

Missionary Monday

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:12:00 -0500

Well, technology is a wonder and for all the evil spread by it there are wonderful, awesome things that happen, too. As with anything, it's all in the hands (and hearts) that use the tool. For instance, my friend Eileen is able to see digital photos of the children they are going to be bringing into their family from Ethiopia. Friends in a dangerous country are able to get messages to family and friends at home that they are doing well and even having a chance to witness among the chaos! And thirdly, I have learned that the friend of a friend has a real heart and burden for the millions of lost souls in Japan. Since my oldest son just returned from a trip there and my second son's best friend has been learning Japanese for several years it just drew me in (and Audrey does a great job on her blog!). Start HERE to learn how her journey has progressed since she arrived in Tokyo in July and spend the day praying for her today. Follow her journey and look at her pictures (I love pictures!) and Audrey - May the Lord lift you up and bless you as you bend your knees and heart for the Japanese people today and every day. Today we pray this scripture for you: "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledgeâ€”that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21

Frugal Friday and other.......

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:32:00 -0500

Got some good deals at Walgreens this week including 10 packs of 10-snack Reese's for 99c (not each, in total after coupons - they were supposed to be for Halloween but I think they'll be gone before then!), 4 free packs of gum, 4 Clorox supplies and bleach for $1.40 total and 2 gallons of $3 milk. Use Store coupons and manufacturer's on the same item and viola - free (or almost!).

We had another Field Trip this week where we learned about tree identification at a Nature Park and the kids really enjoyed it and are now telling me tree names! Perfect timing since we study trees and wood starting next week for the next 3 weeks. We will definitely have to go back to that park and explore more of their walking trails when it cools down a little and maybe as the leaves are changing. Wanna meet us there??

Pecan Orchard - I am ravenously reading everything on the web and any book I can find about pecans. We go to visit another orchard Saturday morning and it will be interesting to compare that with the one we saw last weekend. In the meantime, we also need to do soil samples and get them back to the Coop extension office, determine what varieties we want, chose a supplier and place our order in the next few weeks. Scary thought when there are so many varieties (over 400!!) and so many suppliers (over 40 commercial ones) and it's the biggest decision we will make (as far as money goes) about the orchard. Everyone we talk to gives us different information about both tree and supplier..... ughh.... pray we will make good decisions because quite frankly we can't afford to replant 500 trees if we make the wrong decisions! That's a few of the things happening... this weekend's orchard trip, BIL's Birthday bash, Nursery duty Sunday am, a friend's baby shower Sunday afternoon, a family Ice Cream Social Sunday afternoon, my grown children visiting at different points throughout and still lots to be done in the house, flower garden, fruit orchard and yard... WHY am I sitting here blogging??? gotta go - have a great weekend! -F