Keeping My Children Home....Priceless

Nov. 26, 2008 - What I've Learned From The Fall Of Rome

As I have been reviewing and preparing for our next history lesson I thought it very interesting that our lesson will be on the Roman Empire. There was obviously alot I forgot or chose not to remember in High School but this chapter is very interesting in how the Roman Empire came to it's end.

During the Pax Romana era, Rome enjoyed peace. They had prosperous trade, travel and communications improved and cultural activities flourished. They had prosperity. During the Pax Romana era, wealth reached it's peak.

Leaders won popular favor by promising "free" food and amusements for the Roman people. However, the Romans failed to realize that these things were not really free, the necessary funds came out of the public treasury.

Political, economic, and social crises shook the Roman empire in the third century and there were signs of internal weaknesses and decay. Rome could no longer "boast" of a strong and stable government. There was also much waste and inefficiency within it's government structure.

Rome was also starting to have economic troubles due to the public treasury being drained. So what do you think they did to try to solve the situation...ding, ding, ding, you guessed it....they increased the tax burden on the working class. The value of their coins declined and prices rose.

Rome also had a one-sided trade agreement with India and China, which depleted the gold and silver supplies. Roman money became almost worthless and the barter system replaced the use of money. Trade wasn't as prosperous any longer, business' closed and poverty increased. There was a lack of confidence in the economy.

Rome's strength in her early years were due to the virtue of it's citizens. They worked hard, were patriotic, respected authority, believed in discipline and self-denial. However, moral decay set in and contentment was replaced by greed. The Roman people looked to the government to supply their needs. Family life disintegrated, divorce and immorality flourished.

Two powerful emperors introduced strong reforms that delayed the end of the Roman empire for almost two centuries. Maximum prices were placed on goods and services. A cap so to speak. They introduced new money into the system and the tax system was reformed. However, these measures to solve Rome's worries involved greater government control and regulations and ended up adding to their problems.

Rome had external problems as well with the Germanic peoples as well as the Huns Eventually the Roman army replaced the Emperor's seat with a "non-Roman" and Rome collapsed. Rome had started to collapse from the inside before it collasped on the outside.

You could almost replace the word Rome for America and the story would still be the same. If this is the track we are on, God has used history to warn us of our future. I ask myself, what if God, through the prayers of the Saints at that time, allowed Rome to have a little extra time to do what is right, to make changes in the right direction, but they worked on the economy instead of the heart of the people. What if reform involved seeking God, bringing back discipline and respect for authority, honoring the marriage bed, working with our hands and denying self to help others. Imagine what Rome could have become.

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Nov. 18, 2008 - Computers Help People Help People

Memory Verse: Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

There are many ways computers help us. It is a wonderful way to stay in touch with family far away, “meet” other christian women around the globe, and it can be such a blessing with homeschooling.

Assignment:

Share some of your favorite homeschooling sites. The only “rule” for this assignment is that you have to list at least one “free” site. Many homeschooling families have made the choice to live on very little income to do what they believe is best for their children and I want everyone to be able to benefit from this assignment. If you have other sites that are “paid” sites, feel free to include these also as it might be something someone would really appreciate. If you feel led, share your curriculum choices with us. I always love to learn what is out there that I don’t already know about. Please make sure to include links to the sites you share.

Our computer is an essential part of our schooling. Our computer has been used to teach typing skills, PowerPoint, and soon we will be learning spreadsheets. It is one of the tools we use for visual references and free games. It allows us to communicate with others as well as attend classes, which by normal means we would not be able to take advantage of. It has also taken us on field trips.

Our computer, however, can at times overtake our school day as well. It is a bit scary how much we have come to rely on this new form of TV. There is so much out there to visit, so much good, but with this tool comes much responsibility. We have spent countless hours planting seeds of caution in our oldest about this great tool we have and have just started working on our youngest.

I myself have spent more time than I like to admit scouring internet sites looking for great school sites and would place them in my "favorites". This is another place that needs an organizers touch.

I have placed a few well used sites I enjoy on the sidebar of my blog. Over the course of 6 years we have spent time and time again researching methods to homeschool to find out what works best for our oldest. Her and I both tend to bore quickly and then lose interest and move on to find something else that will work. I guess some might look at that as an advantage to homeschooling. During those times I would log on and start looking for free items to finish out our school year. Here are some of those sites.

Create Your Own Comic Strip

4th - 8th Grade Lesson Plans

National Gallery of Art

We have used many different kinds of curriculum. When we brought our daughter home from 5th grade we used Christian Liberty Academy for 2 years. After that we went with LifePacs, we lasted about 6 months with that and then changed over to Abeka, after Abeka we tried Charlotte Mason, after that we tried Switched On Schoolhouse, then back to Abeka and now Bob Jones Distant Learning which looks like will work for the rest of high school. We love Saxon Math with the Dive CD. Our son is using Little Hearts For His Glory and we absolutely love it. Phew, I need a nap after all that.

We use the websites noted above to break up the monotony of the textbooks. We have also started some lapbooking and notebooking all because there are great resources online for this as well.

Thankfully, nobody says homeschooling has to be perfect, it just takes dedication, patience and love.

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Nov. 15, 2008 - Christmas Decorating and Etc.

Well, I am so ready to decorate for Christmas and my hubby is remaining steadfast on waiting till after Thanksgiving. Bummer. So, I went ahead and started decorating my blog...like my tree? I added some Christmas music too.

This is the time of year I really clean. I give my house a deep cleaning before I put the Christmas decorations up. I don't know why. I guess it could be all the Christmas lights make everything look so sparkly and add life to the home that a deep cleaning is only necessary.

Our eldest has joined a group that puts American school girls and German school girls together through e-pal. Our homeschool group found out about it. She has really enjoyed this experience.

We shrink wrapped our bedroom window this weekend. WOW, what a difference. We didn't realize how bad our window was till we did that, now maybe our bedroom won't feel like a freezer any longer.

Our youngest is making things look like dinosaurs. He took me into his room this morning to show me what he could do with his train track. I said, "oh, looks like the start of a roller coaster." His response, "uh, dinosaur." Then I could see that it was indeed in the shape of a long tail dinosaur. I should have known.

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Nov. 14, 2008 - Given Over...

As I read and contemplate the book of Judges I ask the Lord more and more..."Have you given us over to Barak Obama and his extremely liberal views?"

In the book of judges I read over and over, "the Isrealites were given to..." each time they reverted back to doing evil in the site of the Lord. They would cry out to the Lord and the Lord would give them a deliverer. They would enjoy a few years of peace and then they would revert back to evil.

I can already see people's opinion of things changing and growing bolder and President Elect Obama has not taken office yet. It's like these people have a renewed sense of strength and they're going to take advantage of our new president's tolerance.

Change is not always done in a positive manner and the changes that our new president will bring will only increase Satan's agenda.

However, things only happen to the Lord's people with His permission. Oppression caused His people, Isreal, to seek His face again and search their hearts and repent.

It appears we may have entered full force into Sodom and Gomorah. We need to seek wisdom from the Lord and be as steadfast at doing what is right as Daniel and his friends. We may go through the fire in the next few years but God is still with us if we do it His way.

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Nov. 12, 2008 - We Bring Good Things To Life

Memory Verse: Philippians 4:8

In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something

The passion to sing, the passion to draw, the passion to build, the passion to ride, the passion for reading, the passion for nature… the list is endless. Some children exhibit their passion from day one, others need an experience to spark that passion

Assignment: Share a field trip/lifestyle learning experience where you really felt you were bringing good things to life for your children, where something came alive for them, or ignited a passion.

Our children have very different, distinct passions. One is very passionate about books and another about dinosaurs. Both tend to settle on the "extreme".

When we brought our oldest home, from the public school system, she had just finished 5th grade and was reading at 2nd grade level. She had been through all the testing and was getting assistance but neither her spelling nor her reading was improving. The struggle started in Kindergarten and persisted each year. Needless to say we were extremely frustrated. Getting her to read was nothing short of a battle. I had done plenty of research about what to expect, bringing a child home, at this age and was prepared to have a year of mind renewal. During one of our "I'm teacher" moments, I heard the Lord speak loud and clear and tested my child. My child failed the test and she was grounded for 6 weeks. That was the 6 weeks, the Lord did an awesome thing in our daughter. During this 6 weeks, tv and computer was completely cut off. She got to the point she was so bored she asked if I would take her to the library. We went, she picked out books that I knew she wouldn't be able to read, they were way above her reading ability, but I relented and let her check them out. They were created by Christian authors so I kept quiet and watched to see what would happen. That 6 weeks created a passion inside our daughter that to this day continues to blossom. God was faithful and answered our prayers, however, I never would have imagined how intense this passion would become. We now have a bookworm who desires to open up her own bookstore one day and write books. This is a child that can be rewarded with just going to Borders. She comes alive! This fall she met her favorite authors at Mall of America. I happened (God is definately in control) to glance through a Christian newspaper and saw a brief advertisement about Chrisitian authors coming to town that next week. She was so excited and enjoyed every minute of it.

As far as our youngest. I have never met any child that has his passion for dinosaurs. He lives, breathes, eats, and sleeps dinosaurs. I touched on this in another post. He will stalk the cat like a miniature version of t-rex, then when the cat runs, he chases after her just like a t-rex would. He puts his body in a way that looks just like a dinosaur and growls like one as well....it's rather freaky. Mind you we do nothing to encourage our son in this matter. In fact it is one passion I wish would move on. There are other gifts I see in him that we try to encourage, like the ability to take legos and make whatever he sees. To him dinosaurs are cool and it bothers him that they are "extinct". Maybe God will raise our son to be an anthropologist and dig up old dinosaur bones. One issue I have been enlightened on from another moms blog is something I didn't see in my son that I now can put 2 and 2 together. My son has a very strong will, has since the day he was born. With that strong will comes the nact for making sure his opinion is spoken and a "but" is always to follow a response from us. I can see now that a great attorney could be in our midst. Only the good Lord knows.

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Nov. 8, 2008 - Bed & Breakfast

Our church surprised us last December with a gift certificate for a Bed & Breakfast. I was thankful for it but was of the frame of mind that I could not leave my youngest alone with my oldest overnight, even if I'm only 15 miles away. We have no family here and our church is 45 minutes from us in the opposite direction of the Bed & Breakfast. At the time I would not had felt comfortable asking someone to watch our children. I would suggest to my husband that he give it back to our church so they could find someone that could use it before the gift certificate expired. My husband just ignored my pleas. Finally, I decided to submit under my husband's authority and 1 month before the certificate was to expire, I booked our room 6 weeks out. Three weeks later friends from church mentioned they would watch the children and happened to have the exact evening free. The good Lord put all my puzzle pieces together and Oolaa, here is where we stayed.

This was an awesome experience. My husband and I had not stolen this kind of time away since before our youngest was born, 6 years ago. It was definately rejuvenating to get away from phones, tv, computer hardware and just enjoy each other's company. Breakfast was as grand as the house. Our room actually had a porch that you climbed through the window to enter and looked over the river. This same day we had our first snowfall so I myself, didn't check the porch out, but my hubby did, the cold doesn't bother him as much as it does me. It was so quiet, we just sat in the room and read a book that detailed other's stay in this particular room. I loved the great master bath, of course this room is called the "Master Suite". I would love to have a master suite like this one for sure.

Of course our children received their own special attention at our friend's house with the spoiling they received. They were pampered beyond belief.

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Nov. 4, 2008 - Quality is Job #1

Memory Verse: I Timothy 4:12-13 - Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Intro: Quality is Job #1 (Ford)

Assignment: My family and I rarely do anything apart from each other. We don’t really have quality time together because all our time is together. We feel like the more special moments are when we have dinner together or when we worship God together. For this assignment, tell how you and your family spend QUALITY time together.

How do we spend quality time together? I look at being home with my children as quality time. This time is very important to me and I am very thankful for it. However, due to our situation with my husband working during the day and me working during the evening, quality time is very segregated. My husband and children spend quality time together doing yardwork. My daughter may not look at it that way, but my husband does.

The quality time that actually gets left for last is between my husband and I. So, because of this we make mini dates about once a month where we will take a drive or grab a cheap dinner and sometimes we just send the kids to bed early so we can have some quality time together. Sometimes my husband is even waiting up for me when I return home from work, which is very sweet because that doesn't give him much sleep before he has to get up before work.

Sometimes my teenage daughter and I will just take a drive to the grocery store, by ourselves, and make a special stop at the coffee shop.

There are times I will crawl in bed with my son and just talk with him about his day.

There are many ways to spend quality time together, the important thing is that we take advantage of all of them, no matter how they look.

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Nov. 2, 2008 - No Matter Who Wins, God Is Still On The Throne!

Here is a great article I found by Rev. Derek Kelly, Pastor of New Faith Full Gospel Church.

Our country is on the verge of history. Never before have we been in the position we find ourselves in at this moment. For the very first time there is the potential of a minority being in a presidential or vice presidential office. Whether victory falls for the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, history will be made.

Many have been split over their decision. Some have actually crossed party lines to make their choice. An African American has the opportunity to change the complexion of the office and a female has the opportunity to change the gender of the office. This is certainly an exciting time. People everywhere are hoping for change. Change has become the topic of discussion for both parties. Sen. John McCain hopes to reform many of the failed policies of Washington while Sen. Barack Obama seeks to bring renaissance with a new approach to government. Either way we look at the future of government, change has to be a major part of our success.

However, what we must realize is that there is only so much man can do in himself. Man can theorize; man can idealize, and man can put things in place, but only God can hold a nation together. Psalms 127:1 says, "except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." We must acknowledge God, who is the creator and sustainer of the world. Unless we seek His face for wisdom and guidance, we will not be able to move beyond the traumatic issues of our nation. For I believe with all my heart that God has the answer for the problems of our world. As a nation we must turn to God, who is our only hope. Psalms 33:12 reads, "blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for His own inheritance".

No matter which candidate is chosen to be president of these United States, he must put his trust in the Lord. We are a country that was built on Christian morals and values. The president takes the oath of office with his hand on a Christian bible. The money that we spend from day to day has been given the inscription "In God We Trust." Our pledge of allegiance that we recite says that we are "one nation under God." Therefore, we must stand on those principles and allow God to assist us in our quest to bring resolve to the issues of our country.

In this upcoming election there will be a winner and a loser. One person will emerge victorious while the other will suffer defeat. Yet, we all can be winners if we allow the God of this universe to be Lord over our lives. He was never elected into office. He was there from the beginning. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." God has always been and will always be. He was never voted into office and cannot be voted out of office. He reigns forever and ever! Psalms 146:10 says, "The Lord shall reign forever, even thy God, Oh Zion, unto all generations."

So, no matter who is in office, God is still in control. We may not have the president of our choice in the White House, but if God is on the throne he will continue to rule and to reign. If we put our trust in him, he will direct our path. If we seek his guidance, he will send an answer. He remains the same in spite of who is in office. Let us continue to put our trust in him, for he is able to see us through the darkest moments of our lives. Even in the midst of this financial dilemma that our country is facing God will allow us to prosper. We are not to be moved by the condition of this world. We are not to be affected by our current situation: For as long as God is on the throne, he has the world in the palm of his hands.

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Nov. 2, 2008 - My Blessings for the Week

This weekend was a special one because I was able to enjoy a special day with a friend of mine. Happy 50th Birthday Ann. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.

My son yelling "BINGO" right before Pastor prayed over communion.

My daughter's laugh. I love her laugh.

My husband calling me "honey", when he is not happy with me. It's more a plea, than anger and it sounds very loving.

My son looking at plastic hangers and a sand bucket as a stick, marshmallows and a firepit. What an imagination.

Listening to a special lady from work, who is involved with Special Olympics, read me her speech she gave because she is now an Ambassador. I was very honored that she wanted me to hear it.

Watching my daughter relate to the young children at church.

1 dinner cooked by my daughter and 2 by my husband and I didn't have to ask.

Receiving a card in the mail from my best friend and sister in Christ.

My wash machine and husband's truck is still working

We are all healthy and together.

Thank you Heavenly Father.

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Oct. 29, 2008 - Halloween - Do or Don't?

http://www.womenbygrace.com/spiritual-articles/why-we-dont-celebrate-halloween.html

This is a fabulous article on why this author doesn't celebrate halloween and offers many very good points. Check it out.

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Oct. 29, 2008 - When There's No Tomorrow

Memory Verse: Ecclesiastes 1:13-14

I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Assignment: We only have today. Should God take you today, have you accomplished everything that you wanted to, needed to. Have you said all the things that needed to be said? Let’s have no regrets, let’s make sure we get to those things, so that when we’re standing before the Lord, the only thing we need to do is to worship him.. and not regret not getting to that thing on our to do list. Stop - go take care of that thing…. then, come tell us what you choose to share. Don’t embarrass yourself or any of your loved ones

Wow! I had to take the time to think this one through. When I think about the song, "I Can Only Imagine", which I love, my thoughts are of what I get to do when I get to heaven, not of what I might regret. When I stand before my King, I do pray that God will make it so that I hear those words, "well done, good and faithful servant." I want Him to be glorified through me and my family.

If I were to be called home today, like others, my thoughts are of my family. I would like to see my daugther marry a good godly man. I also pray that the Lord will give her children....just like her, which I ask the Lord to give me a chance to enjoy..... Thats' not revenge...that's justice. I desire to see my little boy grow up to be a man after God's own heart. Before my Lord calls me home I would love to see my husband, walking steadfastly with the Lord.

I also have family, like my mom and dad, brother and sister I would love to see come to the Lord. But as far as regrets, the only regret I have is those moments I blessed myself, and missed out on the opportunity to bless others. This is something I can't change from my past, but can definately make a decision to change for the time I have left. Lord willing. Thankfully, we're a work in progress.

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Oct. 25, 2008 - A Moment of Praise for My Children

I just had to say how proud of my children I am. They are growing in so many ways and it just makes my heart feel so warm inside to see such growth, personally and educationally.

My son is learning to write between lines, read and be responsible with his duties.

My daughter is learning the art of "sacrifice". Doing the right thing even when you don't feel like it. She is growing into a beautiful young lady. I can see the love of Jesus in her.

Last night my family met with others at church and headed on over to "Feed My Starving Children". A phenominal organization. I wasn't exactly sure how my 5 year old would do since this was new to him and the art of standing still for a long period of time can be challenging to say the least.

This morning when he woke up I asked him what he did last night. His response.."we fed children that would die because they have no food". My daughter was excited about the amount of bags they accomplished putting together. "We put together enough bags to feed 25 children for a year", she said.

Thank you Jesus!

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Oct. 25, 2008 - Waiting on the Lord

As I was reading from John, chapter 11, I noticed something today. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother, whom Jesus loved, was sick. Jesus received the message and knew exactly what He was going to do. Verse 5-6 says... Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days.

I pondered on this and initially when this caught my eye, I was like...hold on, that doesn't make since. Because Jesus loved them He stayed where He was..?? Everywhere else when people are asking Jesus to heal their child or heal their servant or heal someone, He's on top of it. He acts swiftly. Here He stays put, and it appears sends no response.

Ever had days, weeks, seasons, like that. I have. I have had many of them. Praying about something or someone and expecting Jesus to just swoop down and take care of it so I can move on to something else, or get rid of this issue so my life can be hunkydory again.

Jesus Himself tells us in verse 4 that Lazarus' situation was going to bring Glory to God. Even His own disciples didn't get it at the time, Jesus had to speak plainly and to the point, "Lazarus is dead." (can't get any plainer than that) When Jesus shows up, after talking with Martha and Mary, Jesus raises a man, that He loved, from the dead. No one had ever experienced such a miracle. Lazarus was in the grave 4 days! Wanna bet that increased some peoples faith! Not to mention turned some unbelievers, into believers!

The day before I read this, I was ~~whining~~ crying to the Lord about my job situation. I'm in a job I don't like, it's more the hours and the pay actually, but still, I'm in a situation I want changed. I've been applying all over the place for things I am perfectly qualified for, only to end up in big fat zeros. So I asked the Lord, why, why He is preventing me from moving on...I don't know that I've received a response or not, but the next day I read John 11. Oh, I think to myself, I get it, I'm supposed to wait....ugh, again?!

Waiting is not something I do very well...that and fasting. Waiting, laying low, dry seasons, however you look at it, God already has a plan and He wants to involve YOU or wants to do something really special for YOU. While I'm waiting for my answer, I'm going to use this time to praise God, meditate on His promises, and continue to remind myself, God has it under control. The one answer I do have is to stay and wait. My response is to obey. I don't want to miss out on whatever miracle God decides to do because I choose to humble myself and obey. How about you?

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Oct. 21, 2008 - Have It Your Way

Memory Verse: Isaiah 40: 1- Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Intro: “Have It Your Way” (Burger King) - As cooler weather approaches and the winter eases into our doors I like to lounge by the fire after a hot shower. I love to make soups that are brimming with a rich and full flavor. In our home there’s nothing better than a hot bowl of soup or and a hot cup of coffee or cocoa on a cold winter night.

Assignment: Tell us all about how your have “your” relaxing time, more especially how during the cooler months you take time to curl up with your favorite movie, book, Bible study, and what your favorite warm drink would be.

In the morning, sometimes during lunch time I will take a spell and relax a bit. As you can see, my rocking chair is in my kitchen. This is my favorite place in the house because it is 1) the room closest to the furnace, so it's the warmest place in the house, and 2) it has a pocket door (I'm saying that with a smile). It was the main selling point! That and the existing book cases. I love reading the Word of God in this place. I close the door, heat up a large mug of chai and enjoy. I feed on God's Word and the whole time it is so warm and cozy. It's kind of like my prayer closet. My radio sits behind the sink and I can listen to worship music or great teaching. I'm actually thinking about making one of those blankets you just tie together just for my rocking chair, so when I sit down to read I can snuggle up in it. That's actually how I relate to my Heavenly Father, big, warm and snuggly.

I love how my Heavenly Father has so lovingly directed me, you see I wasn't raised in a Christian home. My father was and is still an alcoholic. There was alot of strife and pain, bitterness and anger in my home growing up. Not a great model to raise children. I hibernated in my room alot. It was my place of serenity. So I grew to enjoy time by myself. I can look back now and see God's hand in my life, or a watchful eye as He drew me to where I am today. He is my big, protective, strong, snuggly Dad in Heaven whom I can run to. He is teaching me things my parents couldn't, correcting things I shouldn't have learned and offering much grace....thank you Jesus!

Verse: John 1:12 All who received Him and to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.

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Oct. 16, 2008 - I Gave Birth To A Dinosaur

Everyday I'm amazed at how obsessed my 5 yo is with dinosaurs. Even my 5 yo's sunday school teacher has commented on his obsession. She knows by now that any question she asks, Ethan's response will reflect dinosaurs. Of course today he included the actions of a blue whale, but that wasn't long lived. He loves the story of Jonah. Today we found out that a blue whale is actually bigger than any dinosaur that may have lived. He was pretty impressed. One day I told my Son that God is bigger than all the dinosaurs put together. He looked at me kinda funny and thought for a moment and said, "God is bigger than a T-Rex?" I affirmed his response. That night when we prayed, I asked Ethan if there was anything he wanted to say to God. His response was with great enthusiasm, "Thank you God for being bigger than a T-Rex."

There are times I do get a bit annoyed with all this dinosaur stuff...stomping around the house, growling, and even imitating the body movements...which I'm actually a bit impressed and awed over, but I remind my son I didn't give birth to a dinosaur, I gave birth to a human boy. His response, "But mom, you're a longneck."

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Oct. 16, 2008 - I tried one of the assignment recipes

And it was AWESOME! I made the "Taco Soup" which I found at www.homeschoolblogger.com/learningwiththem. The only alterations I made was in the beans. I used 1 can of red beans and 1 can of black beans and decided against the pinto beans. We will definately make this one again.

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Oct. 14, 2008 - M'm M'm Good

My new assignment is to post my favorite fall recipe/recipes. Oh wow. Truth be known, I'm not big with the cooking. I wasn't raised in the kitchen...my mother hated people in the kitchen when she was cooking. In fact there was this one time she made her first pie crust from scratch and I came in and noticed the crust was bubbled up a bit, as I was asking about it, I crushed a couple of the crust bubbles...anyone know what it feels like to have a fork wiz past your head?

Thankfully God gave me a man that not only enjoys cooking but is great at it. He had to teach me how to cook, however, he doesn't teach me all his secrets. Here is one recipe I really enjoy.

Shepherds Pie

Peel 3 - 5 medium potatoes, dice and boil. Mash. Brown 1 lb hamburger. Add 1 cup of chopped onions. Season with pepper to taste. Add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup into hamburger mixture. Place mixture in casserole dish. Add 1 can of green beans (drained) or 1/2 bag of frozen green beans (8 oz). Top with mashed potatoes. Place aluminum foil over dish and place in oven at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.

We tend to like things that can be made up quickly. Since my husband works during the day and I work in the evenings we need something that's easy. One quick recipe I like only takes 2 cans of soup and 2 cans of milk....1 can of cream of potato soup, 1 can of cream of broccoli soup and 2 cans of milk. Sometimes I add an additional chopped up potato. Just to make it special I will rise some fresh bread.

We have 1 child that will not eat a stitch of vegetables. So we have learned to hide these little benefits. Here is one recipe..We take macaroni and cheese and mix in zucchini. We have even added zucchini to our tuna casseroles. YUM

Now for dessert. My favorite, favorite recipe doesn't involve chocolate, can you believe that. I saw a recipe for apples and onions in one of my cooking magazines once and thought, yuch, apples and onions. WOW, was I ever wrong. However, I have lost my recipe. If anyone knows what I'm talking about give me a shout.

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Oct. 14, 2008 - Changing Things Up

I love fall. I love the changes that take place in the trees, they are so beautiful this time of year. This is actually my favorite season of all of them. I'm not to terribly fond of the idea that snow and below temperatures are just around the corner, but I do love wearing my big comfy heavy sweatshirts and the smell of fireplaces kicking up in the neighborhood. The sky is always so much clearer in the cooler temperatures and the moon is always bright. According to the news looks like the temperatures will be in the 50's for a little while, and by the end of the week our evenings will be in the upper 30's. My plan is to try and get out a little more than we did last fall/winter...this spring my son ended up with a sun rash because our winter was so cold and we saw very little sunlight.

Something else we're changing...we're gonna give lapbooking and notebooking a good go at it. We'll still use our normal curriculum but incorporate it into our lessons to help cement our efforts. You all make it look like so much fun.

Another thing about change...no matter how much things change, they stay the same...I have spent the last 3 hours making changes to my blog to make it look "beautiful" and what happens...I go back to the way it was. I actually like it so I'll keep it. It's simple with a little glitter, just like me. :-) When the snow flies, I'll change the background, just to keep people guessing, plus I get bored rather easily.

Dont' forget to count your blessings and give the Lord a shout of praise!

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Oct. 10, 2008 - Before You Meet Prince Charming

This is a phenomenal book. Written by Sarah Mally, founder of Bright Lights, designed to equip young ladies to use the years of their youth fully for Christ

The first chapter starts off as a fairy tale and then becomes a discussion. With each chapter the fairy tale continues. Each chapter includes principles to help guide and protect any woman waiting for Mr. Right. This book is perfect for teaching parents and ladies about courtship.

When my daughter thought she was ready for THE TALK, I had this ready and we read it together. This was such a blessing and helped me a great deal as well. I wasn't raised with the knowledge of courting but my husband and I knew that was God's best for our daughter. We instilled this idea and guideline in our daughter from early on. This book helped us lay the foundation for our daughter's teenage years. It will help your young lady know how to handle herself so she doesn't "accidentally" give her heart away prematurely.

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Oct. 10, 2008 - Where is My Confidence Placed?

Everyday I hear someone talking about the economy and how bad it has gotten. Last night, someone asked me if I had heard about Wall Street. Since I instituted a ban on tv for the next 7 days, I told her no, and asked why. She explained that the Dow Jones dropped so many points and that they were saying this was the worst drop since 1992 or something like that. I explained they said that on Monday when the Dow Jones dropped 10,000 points. The media just wants us to think the sky is falling.

In all actuality, it doesn't help our economy when all we hear from the media is how bad things are. In fact, if I hadn't turned on the weather that monday, I wouldn't had been aware the Dow dropped 10,000 points. You see I work for a major retail chain, and people are still buying things they want and don't necessarily need. Some are being more choosy but it's pretty much business as usual. In fact our sales are up for this time of year.

However, it's very easy to start to worry when all you hear is negative things. While I was praying this morning, the Holy Spirit directed my thoughts. Our confidence should not be in our economy but in God alone. Dear sister-in-Christ, I want to encourage you. You serve a great King. You serve The King of Kings.

If God can feed a prophet out in the desert through ravens, you have nothing to worry about.
If our King can cause the walls of Jericho to fall....in fact I heard an interesting story on this one...these walls fell straight down into the ground as though God took his foot and pushed them into the ground...they weren't crushed, they were found deep into the ground many, many years later, you have nothing to fret over.
Our God walks on clouds as though they were sand under His feet.
Our God placed stars in the sky and gave them a name.
Our God uses the earth as a footstool.
Our King turned water into wine.
Our King holds the earths water in the palm of one hand.
Our King healed an old woman from a deadly fever.
Our King delivered many from disease and sickness with only a word.
Our King used dirt to heal a blind man.
Our King raised a child from the dead.
Our King raised a man from the dead.
Our King raised Himself from the dead.

My confidence is in the one that created heaven and earth. The one that created me in my mother's womb. The one that is slow to anger and rich in love. Nothing is shaking God. Don't be shaken dear sister in the Lord, nothing is impossible for God.

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