Our Many Beautiful Blessings

Becoming A Wife Of Excellence

2011-09-30T21:58:00.000-05:00

I doubt there are very few of us who wouldn't like to obtain this title. The truth for me is that I very much want to become a wife of excellence.

When Kyle and I got engaged, our pastor had us counsel with him. Both of us had recently converted from Catholicism to born again believers. He was a very wise man who has since gone on to be with the Lord. His policy about husbands and wives was quite simple. To me he read Proverbs 31, encouraging me to make this my life verse and let it guide me all of the days of my life. To my husband he encouraged loving his wife like Christ loves the church. On the surface it seemed that this would be such an easy thing to do!

Then we got married and the "fairy tale hit the fan"... so to speak. I cannot tell you how many times we have had to revisit these verses and passages over the last 16 years!

Several years ago I made it a point to find any book that would help me become who my husband needed me to be. I set about collecting books, consuming them and trying to apply the principals I learned. Some books fell short in a major way, while others remain on my bookshelf, easily found and referred back to.

In the first oh, say 10 years of my marriage there was a great deal of conflict in our marriage. We both came into marriage with different concepts and understandings. Especially when it came to roles we both play.

I found a couple of books that really did help me. You see, it wasn't until my eyes were completely opened to my own heart that I even realized I was lacking. When I was preparing to speak at a Woman's Conference in Paris our pastor called us together and asked what we would be teaching on. Of course, I would be teaching on biblical submission! Seriously, he almost fell over with laughter and called me aside... and told me under no certain circumstances that, until I mastered being submissive to my husband can I teach on it! At first I was offended. But on my way home I had quite the talk with God, and then I knew the truth. I was not ready to teach on this subject, instead God would have me share my personal testimony of living through sexual abuse for many years and God's healing powers.

I am so glad I listened to my pastor and followed God's leading. My testimony of this missions trip to France is amazing. But another story for a later time.

The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace has been pulled again from my shelf. You see... no matter how it appears on the outside, no matter how "excellent" I feel I have become... there is always room for improvement.

Upon reading the areas in the book I have underlined, I see what a great and mighty work God has done in my life. I also see many areas in which I still struggle and could do much better.

Over these next few weeks I will be revisiting the attributes of an Excellent Wife. I plan to make myself a Large blooming flower and tape it on my front door. In the middle will be the words "An Excellent wife is" and on each of the petals I will write the answers as God reveals them to me. Some I know and practice, some will need better clarification and application.

I hope to be able to show you and share with you the awesome work I expect God to do in my life! And I hope to be an encouragement to you as well, as we are all on this same journey.

A Wife of Noble Character

¹⁰ ^[b]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
      She is more precious than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband can trust her,
      and she will greatly enrich his life.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
      all the days of her life. ¹³ She finds wool and flax
      and busily spins it.
¹⁴ She is like a merchant’s ship,
      bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
      and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
¹⁶ She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
      with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She is energetic and strong,
      a hard worker.
¹⁸ She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
      her lamp burns late into the night.
¹⁹ Her hands are busy spinning thread,
      her fingers twisting fiber.
²⁰ She extends a helping hand to the poor
      and opens her arms to the needy.
²¹ She has no fear of winter for her household,
      for everyone has warm^[c] clothes.
²² She makes her own bedspreads.
      She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
²³ Her husband is well known at the city gates,
      where he sits with the other civic leaders.
²⁴ She makes belted linen garments
      and sashes to sell to the merchants.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity,
      and she laughs without fear of the future.
²⁶ When she speaks, her words are wise,
      and she gives instructions with kindness.
²⁷ She carefully watches everything in her household
      and suffers nothing from laziness.
²⁸ Her children stand and bless her.      Her husband praises her:
²⁹ “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
      but you surpass them all!”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
      but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
³¹ Reward her for all she has done.
      Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

* All of the underlining are mine! These are the points that touch my heart so much.

Update on the Ducklings...

2011-09-30T21:07:00.001-05:00

Do you guys remember these little guys? I got them back at the beginning of the summer.

During a short period of insanity I gave into my girls. "Please mommy! We want ducks!" You see, up to this point I was an avid chicken whisperer. I loved my 2 little ladies whom have given me many moments of companionship and joy.

Ducks? WHAT am I going to do with ducks? I had absolutely NO IDEA how to raise ducks.

During this summer, we had a bad storm tear through the area and we lost power. Some time between 2 AM and 5 AM we lost Anna and Stardust. They were my girls' new babies. Our best guess was a raccoon or Opossum. Our neighbors to the West of us had a greater loss. Mama and Papa duck, along with 9 ducklings and 3 chickens. It was a very sad day in our neighborhood. Abby loved Anna so much!

So, in my compassion for the girls I gave in. We some how ended up with the 2 duckings you see floating around in the pressure cooker (I thought it was cute!). The black and yellow one we named Jeremiah Puddleduck

and the little grey and yellow one we named Marshmallow....

I do call her Marsha now....

Just like all babies grow... so did my little ducklings....

I had no idea what sex these birds would end up being... I am so glad that Jeremiah ended up being male! And Marsha is a female... That means I will be having ducklings before too long! Now, let me tell you how much I adore these ducks! THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN! What personalities they have!

Before you run out and and get yourself a couple, let me warn you that they are MAJOR mess makers and full of mischievousness! They poop like crazy and need a pool or pond. They are very opinionated and will tell you EXACTLY what they think if you are not pleasing them. They are super fast even though they waddle... and they have sharp nails!

While I have never eaten a duck egg in my life, I hear they are superior to chicken eggs. I suspect that if I don't collect the eggs when Marsha starts laying them that lots of little duckling will be born over the winter or first thing next spring.

I now understand fully how Beatrix Potter managed to write so many stories about ducks!

Blessings,

Jenn

SOTW week 4

2011-09-30T17:55:00.000-05:00

1848-1861

Giuseppe Garibaldi, Young Italy rebels against Austria.
Victor Emmanuel II, Italy becomes a Kingdom
Taipings rebel against the Qing Dynasty.

The largest part of this unit covered Italy and China. The manual had some great suggestions for this unit so we ran with it.

The First Pizzeria opened in 1830 in Naples, Italy. It is still open today. Naturally, as a class we had to celebrate Italy becoming a Kingdom in 1861 with pizza!

Our Journal entries and map work

This is a Taiping Tien Kuo Coin. You read these coins first from top to bottom and then from right to left. Almost off of these coins have been destroyed. The front side of this coin says " The Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace" and the backside says "Holy Coins"

I baked some brownies... cut out a template of the coin... sprinkled some powdered sugar on top and got this....

So while we consumed our pizza and brownies (Yeah, History is torture!) we learned some new words in Uygur.

Hindsight is 20/20 as they say... Along with having them learn how to count from 1-9 in Uygur I also had them write out "God Bless You" and "God Loves you" in Uygur Calligraphy. I didn't get any pictures!

Counting in Uygur

One    Bir                    Bihr
Two               Ishki                  Ihsh-kee
Three             Ooch                Ooch
Four              Tut                   Tut (rhymes with put)
Five              Besh                  Behsh
Six               Alta                   AWL-tuh
Seven          Yeta                  YEHT-tuh
Eight           Sekiz                  SEHK-ihz
Nine            Tokkuz              TOHK-kooz (“oo” as in “good”)

Other doing's in Co-op

Learning about silk worms and Caterpillars with FIAR

Chemistry class with Mrs. Christy

Mrs. Sampson Teaching Natural History

Natural History students. Natural History is really a form of science.

Chemistry Class. 3 boys. Need I say more?

Seniors!

Personal Finance class!

Bible class with Mrs. Sampson

Sketching class with Mrs. York

Does it look like they are trying to copy off each other?

I am sure that these faces do not portray their true feelings....

Blessings,

Jenn

SOTW Week 3

2011-09-30T15:33:00.001-05:00

Week 3 of SOTW 1855-1857
Dost Mohammad signs treaty with Great Britain, ending the Great Game and David Livingstone Explores Africa.

This was a fun unit that didn't look too promising when I first planned out what we were going to learn. I found it difficult to follow what the books recommendations were for the hands on projects once again, and decided to do a few of my own. While my own girls have already done an in-depth study of Africa last year, my other co-op kids had not. My own didn't mind revisiting Africa and learning about the great sacrifices that David Livingstone made.

We created tree's in our journals and placed a heart under the tree. David Livingstone's heart was planted in the same way by the Afrikaans when he died. His body was then sent home to his family, while his heart remained forever. We labeled the the tree and sky using our Afrikaan words.

On the left hand side of our Journals we added our map work and famous men of this era.

We practiced and added our Swahili words and Afrikaan words. Their assignment was to address and use these words to others this week. Jambo was used a lot!

Co-op was hosted at my house this week. It gave me an opportunity to actually TEACH in my new classroom! I will have to admit... I do love my dry erase boards! On the left is our Swahili, in the middle the tree, next is Afrikaans and there to the right are some of the facts we knew about Africa before we began this unit.

Other Co-op Happenings

Mrs. Sampson helping the littles with Art Appreciation.

Mrs. Hildboldt with the Elementary and middle school kids. They are working on their nature sketches.

I know that sweet girl there! Abby is sketching the flowers we planted on top of our dearly beloved Megan that had to be put down at the end of summer.

This is actually in the middle of my "new" raspberry patch.

I will have to say this... I LOVE these kids! Nothing can wear me out quicker than a day with these little ones! They are amazing!

Who ARE these people?

2011-09-15T09:39:00.001-05:00

"Who is this young lady?" a client asks. "This is Hali, our oldest daughter", I replied. The exchange goes back and forth for the appropriate amount of time, each person politely executing this vague social greeting. Neither will leave the others presence and actually KNOW anything about each other. Will this person go to heaven? Does he need prayer? How is his family? Does he need a hug or encouragement? As a society we "settle" for what we consider "normal". We move on. Next week that person will not be remembered. To us they have little value.

I have no desire to be normal. You guys can be normal if you want to. In our American culture "normal" means you are in debt, immorality, relational conflict/divorce, stress, confusion and loneliness. I think I will bypass all of that and live my life believing the promises that God has given.

I don't want my kids to be normal either. And I am glad that they have been raised with a heart of compassion. I can count on my kids to always do the right thing... because it's the right thing to do. This is called integrity. Do they ever mess up? Do they ever make poor choices? You bet they do! I have yet to meet that perfect person. Last I checked that was only Jesus. Each one of them know how to exercise self control. And by controlling themselves they master areas of their lives that many fall in. There are many ways that my kids don't measure up in that "normal" category. This is okay with me.

Now back to my first point. What kind of difference could I have made in my daughters life or my clients life if I would have led the conversation in a different direction?

"Who is this young lady?" a client asks. "This is Hali, our oldest daughter. Hali, this is Mr. Johnson. His son has been suffering with asthma attacks lately. Their whole family needs prayer and encouragement to get through this tough time....." Now I have just opened this conversation to a whole new realm. Mr. Johnson has value. His family has value. Mr. Johnson walks away from our conversation knowing someone cares enough to listen. Later that night, or next week, when Mr. Johnson is discouraged and tired he KNOWS someone is praying. When we take the time to invest in others, listen, encourage and break the confines or normality we make a change for the better of all.

Here is the same conversation in a different light.

"Who is this young lady?" a client asks. "This is Hali, our oldest daughter. Hali, this is Mr. Johnson. He has lived in this same town for over 60 years! He can tell you stories about how so many things have changed over time. He was just telling me a story about how his family had the very first television on the block. His son just bought him this new phone he hasn't learned to use yet, but he figures if he could figure out that first TV then he can figure out his phone!"...... Now we have bridged the gap of generations. Chances are, my child will volunteer to show him how to use his phone. My daughter walks away knowing she has helped Mr. Johnson and Mr. Johnson walks away thinking a little differently about today's generation of kids. If we make just small investments into other people, the world around US will change.

Let me encourage you, even challenge you to break away from "normal" and reach out to others. You really do make a difference.

Blessings,
Jenn

Journaling SOTW the first 2 weeks

2011-09-14T13:54:00.000-05:00

Co-op Journals should look something like this! I have asked each kid to frame their entries but I want them to use their own creativity! What I have seen so far I absolutely LOVE!

Don't forget to recite the Charge of the Light Brigade!

Story of the World Week Two

2011-09-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

Week two SOTW: West against East

We began week two by reading our chapter and then doing our map work. During class we discussed Commodore Matthew Perry and his black ships that arrived in Japan.We also covered the "peace of Paris" treaty, Russia's ambitions quenched and the war over the "Keys to a Church".

We did a couple activities that strayed from the book. Before class began I asked some of the older girls in Co-op to put embossing powder on their hands and go about the next 15 minutes responding, touching and sharing. I then began my class. We took some time to learn who Florence Nightingale was, where she was from, how she helped in the war effort and how her work changed hospitals around the world. Our big focus was germs!

I then asked each of the kids to partner up and give each other an inspection. I told them that the glittering embossing powder represented germs. They realized they were covered with it! This was a very good lesson for all age groups! Before lunch I even busted a couple of them who forgot to wash their hands!

The discovery process

Story of the World Week One

2011-09-14T11:34:00.000-05:00

The co-op I joined this year is doing Story of the World (SOTW) volume 4. It covers from Victoria's Empire to the end of the USSR. It's my job to teach it.

My class varies in age and grade level. What I share with you is my attempt to teach to all of these children. My hope is that each one of them will learn to love history as much as I do.

I have read many reviews about SOTW, scouted blogs and researched all summer. I have had a difficult time finding any examples of the fourth volume. You will also find that I have supplemented the hands on activities because several units are lacking anything that will hold my classes attention. In most cases I have resorted to Geography lessons, cultural lessons and hands on activities.

Week 1: Victoria's England

The week before classes began I sent a message to all of my students and then met with them to discuss what my class would be like. I announced we were going to hold our own Great Exhibition just like Queen Victoria and Prince Albert did in 1851. Each student was to bring something from their family's country of origin. Artwork, style of music, popular foods, inventions or products were acceptable. This was a good way for us to get to know one another and also learn a bit about where our families came from.

Stein and Country flag. Can you guess which country is represented?

And old writing desk full of treasures from days past

Original immigration papers where Queen Victoria was renounced. This was an amazing treasure and I personally have never seen anything like this before.

German Artwork

Another stein

Coat of Arms

We also enjoyed listening to Irish folk songs that one of my students brought while we worked on our time lines. It was wonderful!

The teacher brought something too!

Krautkookahs

We did a few other fun activities and one of those was to recreate our own crystal palace.

Was built May 1, 1851
Over 1 Million feet of glass was used
Prince Albert rejected over 245 plans

Our Crystal Palace didn't take nearly as long...

Wrapping up summer

2011-09-14T10:40:00.000-05:00

As much as I don't want to admit, or give in, summer time is just about over here in the Midwest. On a few occasions I have worn my hoodie and jeans. I am already longing for the days of swim suits, lazy days next to the pool, and chasing fireflies late into night.

We have began our "crazy season" of football and soccer and last but not least, our new school year. As we say goodbye to our carefree days and embrace longer days in the classroom, we rejoice in all that the Lord has let us do.

These are a few of my favorite moments.

We saw this darling and original float in a small town parade.

Abby in the fire chief's gear

Watermelon eating contest

Beautiful fireworks

Abby checking out... ummm... Anna

Hali and Stardust with Abby and Anna

Demolition Derby with our friends

Abby and her friend Luke

My bestie Carrie and I at her son's Graduation party

Our friend Bills' baseball games

Our friend Matts professional baseball games

Monkeying around

Having a great time at the ballpark

Our buddy Matt

Being goofy at 3 AM at the pancake house

Wilson's Creek Civil War Battlefield

I would add quite a few more posts but as usual Blogger is having a meltdown and this one post has taken me almost 2 hours to compose.

Is it any wonder I don't blog more often?

Back to school already?

2011-08-14T17:29:00.000-05:00

Surely you are not like me. Always thinking about updating the blog over the summer, yet only remembering when you have slipped into bed after a long hard day. You know, I have always had the best of intentions all summer long. Yet, somehow I failed.

This summer has been the shortest one on record. Hottest one as well!

You know I have long avoided updating since March 21st~ And naturally, as I sit and try to make my back to school post... Hubs sits at the door wondering if I will go to the grocery store and get some milk.

So much for good intentions.

Jenn

Confessions from the heart....

2011-03-21T20:52:00.000-05:00

My best intentions~

Funny how I just posted about making some changes to my blog. I have been looking and looking for that piece of paper I wrote the new format on. Yes, I am a mess!

Today we started our spring cleaning. Do you think for the life of me I could actually FIND something I need right now? Sigh...

I am not very organized right now. In fact, while my house is clean and tidy... I can't seem to find a thing. Shocked? Don't be! This is not the first time that I have been in this situation.

Maybe the organizing fairy will come and visit tonight and all will not be lost!

Considering a new format...

2011-03-21T20:23:00.000-05:00

We have been on spring break this last week. During this time I have been really thinking and reflecting on what it is I want to share on my blog.

I am feeling like it's time to communicate more if my heart. The real me. Both the good and the bad of homeschooling. I also would like to share my personal journey in a way that is not long and over wordy... But in a way that is some how encouraging and uplifting.

This may mean I don't share as many pictures. It may mean I share more pictures than I usually do.

Just wanted to let my faithful peeps know there was going to be a small change.

And I am praying it's for the good!

Snow Days!

2011-02-17T00:25:00.001-06:00

Does your home school take snow days?

This has been a major hot topic on both my home school boards and facebook. On one hand you have the public schoolers who are out of school, making it difficult to say no. On the other hand you have your fellow home schoolers across the nation who are not experiencing your weather and they are making good use of their winter months.

What is a home school momma to do?
I always strive for my kids to be on schedule. In fact, because we really enjoy taking longer breaks, we began schooling through the summer. This left us plenty of time to take off between now and the end of the traditional school year because we have already fulfilled our state mandatory hours. My heart was yearning for a few play days... but do you realize our public schools were closed here more than 20 days in some districts? That is more time off than I wanted to allow. Without a schedule (even a flexible one like ours) the kids grow antsy and irritated.

So we took 2 additional weeks off from full day schooling and just hit a few subjects a day. Everyone was happy with the compromise, the kids got to see their friends and play a ton out in the snow.

For the first time ever, since moving to Missouri, we had a blizzard. That was both cool AND an opportunity to talk to my kids about the dangers and make sure we had an emergency preparedness plan. Which we do. Since we study the Red Cross Health books as part of our curriculum. We were ready for what ever life sent to us... We were ready to be with out power for up to 2 weeks.

And instead of having a disaster... we had a sledding day. Isn't it nice how things just work out some times?

Now, sharing this pictures gives me giggles. Here is Amy dressed in my bib overhauls. Yes, I own some. Please don't tell the fashion police. Just 2 days before this picture was taken Amy was in Hot and Balmy South America. She was wearing tank tops and shorts and having many overheated moments. Talk about a shock!

This is my handsome husband and winter time out of doors enthusiast. He is the one who taught me to love cross country skiing. Look at this toboggan! It is absolutely packed with snow. Looks to me like hubs is covered a good deal as well. I am thankful for Kyle. He has absolutely no qualms about yanking the kids out of the classroom and spending the day with them sledding.

Up front is Abby. She is not a rookie to this. She has on her ski goggles because the first person always gets the most amount of snow in their faces. This is an 8-10 man toboggan. With Kids the size of ours though... it never seems to hold that many. Next is Nick. He will steer and protect Abby. Behind him hiding is Amy. Behind Amy is JB (our other adopted son) and lastly giving the push off is Aaron.

JB, Aaron and Nick

Abby on the snow board

On her way down

And there she goes!

Aaron playing around with "Uncle Jimmy". I am not sure which one is the bigger kid! Please keep Jimmy in your prayers as he is about to embark on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Good times!

And here is Kyle again.... Looks like he is stuck carrying the sled back up the hill!

It is very important to make sure that you and your kids are well prepared to spend time out side when it is cold like this. One young lady who is on our soccer team got frost bite on her shins. She was not dressed appropriately to be out side for a long time. Be sure to have a couple pair of gloves for each person, Insulated snow or Ski pants, a good pair of Snow boots that have a reflective coating on the inside to maintain your foot temperature and also water wicking materials. Wearing several layers helps a great deal. It's not getting cold that really hurts a person, it's sweating from all the fun and activity and then getting cold~ So if you have layers you can take them off as your body warms up and put them back on as you cool down. Hats are very important when spending the day out in the snow. Your "lid" will keep the heat in.

When we go out to the base, we see many people ill prepared for this activity. Even here in the midwest. Their kids have no gloves or hats and are in tennis shoes. 15 minutes into the sledding they are crying because they are cold, wet and miserable. Everyone is forced to go home.

Happy sledding my friends and here is to a few more snow days yet this year!

A heart for Missions

2011-02-16T21:54:00.000-06:00

Most of my followers have been watching, praying and some, even holding their breathes to see if and when our Amy would return.

I have good news! AMY IS HOME!

And I am really thanking God for her safe return. We had a few issues with her return flight, but after many hours of talking on the phone, interceding and getting blessed by a new one time donation the flight was secured. She boarded the plane in Honduras and arrived in Kansas City the evening of the 18th.

Over this last month, we have been helping her transition back into civilian life so to speak. After months in Belize and Honduras with no running water, toilets, clean drinking water and sleeping with tarantulas getting back into the American swing of things has taken a while. I have never seen a young lady so very thankful for the small things in life.

Amy is here only for a few more months. She will leave in May if she has enough money and solid sponsors. She will either head on to Colorado for an internship there or she will follow her heart to Thailand to work with women being saved from the sex trafficking movement.

While Amy is here in my home we have been taking her job hunting but that is not going so well. A month later and she has only had one interview.

With all that said, let me tell you that God is good and will make a way for Amy to continue in her 3rd DTS training with YWAM (Youth with a mission) Want to read more about YWAM? Click here.

One of our neighbors who grew up as a missionary in the Philippines came up with a wonderful idea. I had been teaching Amy how to make home made breads so that she would have the practical skill should she need it. We had taken a few samples for them to try.
The result?

Bread Tasting Parties!

So now we will be asking our friends, family and neighbors to host a bread tasting party. The object? To sell bread for Missions.

Raising money for Amy has been very difficult. Finding people who have a heart for missions and a little change in their pocket is a rare experience.
But everyone needs bread.
And most people want healthy bread.
Combine those 2 with a tasting party and we are praying for a smashing success. Our church is not a "normal" church in the respect of having bake sales or fund raisers. So all of this must be done outside of the church and on our own.

Here is a sample of some of the breads we are making and also us in the process.
And for those of you who thought this was a home schooling blog, it is! My little ladies have had their hands in this project from the start! Train them up in the way they should go and they will not depart from it.

Stuffed Breads.. these make a delicious dinner.

Getting ready to braid

The braid before rising.

Amy making Indian Pav Bread

Cutting the Pav

Finished Indian Pav

They taste similar to Lambert's throwed rolls. I think I have found their secret recipe!

whole wheat organic dinner rolls

See how beautifully they rise before baking?

The beginning of Cinnamon Rolls. This is our household favorite.

Beautiful creation!

Partially glazed and partially not Cinnamon rolls.

Swiss Braided Bread

Is this crust not absolutely amazing?

It turns out so beautiful every time

This braid is Amy's personal favorite to eat.

Herbed braided breads.

More herbed braids.

Cinnamon Clove braids

Absolutely PERFECT with a cup of hot tea!

You may be asking what you can do?

* If you live local consider hosting a bread tasting party. It would consist of preparing a soup, a salad and a drink, and then inviting your friend over for a great time. Bread will be available to try during the evening with your meal and also for purchase on the spot and pre-orders.

* Pray for Amy. She so desperately needs to be covered in prayer at this time in her life. She has a ton of decisions that need to be made and wants to be sure she is clearly hearing from the Lord.

* Become a sponsor. Consider a one time offering to Amy or become a partner with her. No amount is too small. I PROMISE! Every dollar gets her one step closer and in foreign countries you get more for that dollar as well. It is very expensive to travel (remember my post about having over $500 in shots and pills we didn't know about until the week she left?) and Amy is responsible for all of her expenses. You can donate directly through YWAM or mail a check here. I will post instructions on how to donate through YWAM in a separate post soon.

* Lastly, buy bread. It's 100% organic whole wheat. It's that simple.

More Thanksgiving fun...

2010-11-14T22:15:00.000-06:00

One of the units that Blake has been working on in Home Economics is cooking. Baking to be exact.

So out come the pans and we set off to do an afternoon of baking.

We made 3 loaves of lumpy bread, but they tasted good. Two pans of cinnamon rolls and 3 pans of dinner rolls. Here is Blake rolling up the cinnamon rolls.

Here are some of their creations. Hali and Blake worked on these for quite a while. The end result was very yummy!

We gathered pine cones and other outdoor treasures at the beginning of the week. Here the kids are painting their pine cone swags. Next week we will hang them on the front doors. They turned out wonderful!

My lefty has to concentrate to make sure she get's the look she wants.

Fantastic!

While outside gathering pine cones we also gathered leaves in order to make leaf print place holders. Once the paint dried we added the names of those people we were spending Turkey day with.

Remember that stamping I told you about in the last post? Here is an example of how they turned out.

This is Robert Frost "The Road Not Taken".

And this one is John Keats "To Autumn". The kids are giving these away as gifts to their hostesses.

Every good home schooling mom has a good fail once in a while, right? Well... I came upon this awesome recipe that was INDIAN CORN. You were supposed to take corn puff cereal, marshmallows, dehydrated fruit and Fruit leather and make these really cute corn cobs with a stick in them. Suzie taught class this particular morning because I was called away on business. To say the least she was frustrated with both me and my recipe when I came home.

Total fail. But they sure tasted yummy according to Hali.

They just fell apart.

And this is what it became.

Moving on... These are my little Turkey day Mascots. They currently reside on my bookcase in the livingroom.

Left over Africa work

Abby did a monkey one as well that turned out very cute. I don't know where the picture has gone.

Jamestown Lapbook. Just in time. I had Blake and Hali do this project and told them they had less than 2 hours to finish it and get the mess cleaned up. You can tell they rushed through it.

I wonder why Blogger insists on turning my pictures every which way but right?

To start our Asia unit off, we made home made papers. We will construct a journal next month when we return from break.

Digging through the recycling box to find the colors they wanted.

Here you can see how they are drying the paper a bit on the frames before they start to remove it. They made green and Orange paper this time.

As part of our Antarctica Theme we did the blubber experiment. I couldn't resist since we covered both Whales and Penguins. The kids thought it was great fun to pressure each other into keeping their hands in the water. Hali made it 4 minutes without any blubber as protection.

I think that is is for my random posts of this week. I did want to mention that along with Frost and Keats we also studied Francis Scott Keys "The Star Spangled Banner". I thought it appropriate on Veterans day. What amazes me is that even though it is our national anthem, most Americans only know the first and last verse. Most don't know the story behind it.

What an amazing week!

2010-11-14T17:53:00.000-06:00

We have had an incredible week here at the academy. I have lots and lots that I would like to share but as usual, very little time to dedicate to it. Since I have some larger posts that I want to do sometime tonight... I am going to just do a quick overview.

Starting this week out we had 17 hours of "extras" that needed to be completed. We also were planning to go to Liberty Memorial on veterans day. So 17 hours of extra work in only 4 days. We also had our regular work that had to be completed. I honestly didn't think that we would make it... But guess what? WE DID!

I am going to show you in another post what exactly we did with these. The two top cards they stamped using fall colors and they are making THANK YOU cards for Turkey day. They have written words of gratitude on the inside. The large cream paper was stamped for a poem, as was the green one.

This one is Aaron's.

This one is Hali's

This one Blake's.

This one was Abby's.

All of these turned out very nice.

As you can see... Aurora is still enjoying her prime place on the dry erase board.

As is Jazmin. The girls made these a while back when we were doing our Africa Unit study. We think they are so adorable we are leaving them for the rest of the school year.

Indian Corn Art

Aaron's

Hali's

We really got behind finishing up Antarctica. However we put the final touches on the Penguin lapbook so I can now share it with you all.

Cover

Lastly... Blake has been learning about Mesopotamia. My friend Rhonda whom I adore had her girls build the fertile crest out of salt dough. I loved it so much I had my own little people do it!

Chocolate Pilgrim Hats

2010-11-14T17:15:00.000-06:00

When we took on this project I was thinking there was NO WAY the kids could mess this one up.

This week we have had SO MANY blunders it became a running joke. Abby has given counsel to Suzie when yet ANOTHER project did not turn out the way we had hoped. "Don't worry about it Suzie, it's just an experiment". Priceless advice from my 9 year old.

The first thing you do is melt Semi Sweet or Dark chocolate chips in the microwave. Make sure you used about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of oil to thin it down. Start with a smaller amount and add until it will smoothly coat.

Next, pierce a large marshmallow with a toothpick and cover the marshmallow in chocolate.

Place the chocolate marshmallow on top of a chocolate stripped cookie (bottom side up).

Let cool and then using yellow icing make buckle.

We doubled the recipe

Some look like leaning towers....

We tried using Milk Chocolate and the color was ALL wrong so we had to go back and re- dip.

I found this little guy waiting for me. Instead of having a buckle it had a heart... Because I am loved!

We are taking a box of these to my friend Carrie's house for Turkey day. They might not be beautiful but they sure are yummy!

Tree of Blessings

2010-11-14T16:57:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for our blessings.
That has been our theme this last week.

My dear husband went out and cut me a nice branch from our Cherry tree.
We placed it in the middle of a coffee can (with colored paper covering the label) filled with rocks.

In order to make the leaves look crinkly we sprayed them with water and crumpled them up. Then we let them dry.

The kids then punched holes in them and added the things they were thankful for.

Once the real leaves fall off we will still have our leaves of blessings.

Crinkled and drying

This would be Hali. That child has food on her mind ALL the time.

Aaron is such a wise boy =)

This would be Hali again....

This was a fun little craft that the kids enjoyed doing. It now is proudly displayed in the middle of our classroom table.

Opening Day at the ice terrace~Crown Center

2010-11-09T00:00:00.000-06:00

Who in the world gets up at 4 AM in order to drive a bunch of kids to the ice rink? Apparently tons of parents so I don't really feel like I am the only one who has lost my sanity!

Hot chocolate and bagels... Frost in the air... the zamboni machine... and the slicing of ice beneath a metal runner...

Christmas music broadcast live... a TV channel or 3... Oh how we love Kansas City traditions! A winter season just wouldn't be the same without ice skating at crown center!

We had a fantastic time, met up with several other families we knew (but didn't know were attending) and froze all of our fleshy parts while listening the the joy and laughter of children.

Staying upright on the skates we a little harder for some. Ahem, Blake!

Others thought it cruel and unusual punishment to be freezing this early in the morning AND getting blisters!

Some were just plain thrilled and enjoyed the experience to the fullest.

None caring if make up was applied. There is no way to prevent a red nose!

Some skate around and ask "Have you fallen yet?"

Good thing there is lighting in this place... cause it sure is dark outside.

Friends bond... and build new memories.

Others are constantly checking out the cute boys...

If you get bored you can always talk about what everyone is wearing.

You can talk... Until big brother comes around.

Seniors giggle while playing tricks on boys

And eventually persistence pays off and I get a mug shot with out hands in the face

As we go round and round... we believe we are making this world a better place

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

2010-11-08T18:43:00.000-06:00

Day 16
Today I am thankful for my freedom. Both my freedom in Christ and my freedom as an American. I am thankful for my nieces, nephews, uncles and brothers whom lay down their lives for MY freedom. I am thankful for each and every one of my friends, who have given up their lives so that I may enjoy mine. I am thankful for years and generations of men who have fought for this countries liberties... For the lives lost.

I am thankful for my Lord... Who gives me many liberties and freedom. Freedom from bondage, depression, hate, ungratefulness... And has given me SO much in my life to celebrate.

I am thankful for my freedom to home school my children. Free to choose what I feel is best for them. Freedom to teach the word... and morals.

Thank you Lord for all of my many blessings!

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

2010-11-08T18:38:00.000-06:00

Day 17
I am so very thankful for the small things in life. For the cords of wood we have dried and stacked, waiting by the back door for those long winter nights in front of the fire. I am thankful for the sets of SKIP-BO cards we have, that bring us many nights of family fun and laughter. I am thankful for the food we have in our kitchen, and the ability to be able to cook it.
I am thankful for the holly bushes that I trim every year at Christmas time. Their berries bring so much beauty inside my house. I am thankful for the scarecrows that line my flower gardens... and thankful that one of my children remembered how much I loved them.
I am thankful I have a pillow to lay my head on each and every night.

Thank you Lord for all of my many blessings!

A little Culture anyone?

2010-11-08T18:31:00.000-06:00

Off to the Symphony

To be honest, I had a fantastic time at the symphony! I was a little leery about taking the kids because they have never been exposed before. I am so glad that we went!
The program was wonderful and geared for the kids to enjoy. After the show we were able to meet with and talk with 3 of the musicians. Two of the three have home school families! What a blessing!

So here are a few of our pictures. No flash photography or any form of video recording is allowed. Therefore my pictures are not the best!

Aaron, Hali, Blake and Abby.

Blake and Suzie

Suzie and Chrissy swapping stories while we waited to be taken upstairs.

We received such favor! We had center seats in the Lounge. These tickets are a small fortune! I have NEVER been able to sit in this area!

Aaron... with out a tie.

Blake

Abby... she was SO excited about this show!

Aaron and Antwon. They were on their best behaviors!

Warming up....

And lastly.... a very rare picture of ME!

Louis and Clark at the Discovery Center

2010-11-06T23:56:00.000-05:00

For many years now, I have been taking the kids to participate in Louis & Clark expedition activities. We are really steeped in that part of history here in Missouri.
This particular event lasted for 4 hours and we switched classes every 25 minutes. I will have to stay it was one of the better classes that the kids have taken through the Department of Conservation. Because I have a ton of pictures I want to share I will not be commenting on all of them. If you have a question though, I will be happy to answer them!

1/2 size replica of the boat that was used.

Hali checking out gear

These beads would have been used for trading with the Indians. The prices are on the side and Blue was the most sought after.

The medals were given to Indian Chiefs as sign of friendship. The large one for the main Chief and the smaller one for the lesser chief.

Making Seed Pods

All of these flowers were included in our seed pods.

Wild edibles class.

Sumac makes a tea or Kool-Aid type of drink. We thought it needed some sugar.

These are called Paw-Paws and once they are ripe they taste sweeter than a banana.

The American Chestnut is extinct.

Persimmons

We learned how to boil the walnuts and make ink out of them.

Dugout classes. We made mini canoes to take home.

Abby working the draw saw

Bison Class

Quill Writing Class

Next came Mammals of Discovery

Armidillo

Badger

Coon

Skunk

Fox

Otter

Cayote

Puma

Black Bear paw

Black bear

Next came games of Louis & Clark... and American Indians

I love this game. It's called grace.

Our local historian

And the rest of these are for Chelita~

What a beauty!

Cornicopia Art

2010-11-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

My instructions:

Draw what you see. If you see this full of Berries, grasses or candy... Draw what YOU see. Draw from your angle. No one should have a similar picture.

This was their subject

At times they were a bit frustrated.

You could have heard a pin drop.

Abby was the last one to finish up... well after the big kids!

This is what Hali saw

This is what Blake saw

This is what Aaron saw

And lastly... This is what Abby saw.

Corn Maze and Hay ride

2010-11-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

I do adore my Seniors! For our October get together we decided to head on out to Shucks Corn maze. Shuck's is owned by a fellow homeschooling family and they are really beautiful people. Shuck's was absolutely amazing! Who would have ever thought getting "lost" could be such fun?

So obviously I loved the design!

I didn't do it! I promise! The one in the green is Moriah #1

The one on the right with the red scarf is Moriah #2. That girl is a RIOT!

Warming up around the bonfire!

Abby and I doing the hay rack ride!

The Seniors were too cool to sit next to us! Just kidding! It actually took 2 wagons to eventually get all the kids a shot at riding through the dark woods.

This is Renee. She is my activity director this year. What a blessing to me she has been and she does an amazing job planning all the Senior activities!

Lastly this is what I am calling the Hood Shot. You see, these particular kids didn't want to be photographed after running through the corn maze. They consented to the hoodies though.

Bread Making

2010-11-06T22:16:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest desires of my heart recently has been to learn how to make home made wheat bread.

About 2 months ago purchased a manual grain mill and began grinding our own grain.

Then, my dear friend and director of FHE region 3 home educators offered to show me the easier way.

Now to be honest, I didn't believe that ANYONE could make 6-8 loaves of bread in about an hour.

She offered to show me. So I shuffled the men out the door to the Chiefs game and I headed to the lake house to see this miracle.

In the spirit of the Harvest season... This cute Jack-o-lantern pizza became lunch. Candy (that's my friend) thinks of everything!

One of the things I learned was that I REALLY need a couple of tools I do not have in order to make this process MUCH easier!

So on my Christmas list is either a Nutri Mill or a Whisper Mill. Seriously these things are amazing! They grind the grain so quickly... and without all of that sweat.

The secret to bread that only needs to be risen ONCE is this little machine right here. This is a Sosch Universal mixer and blender. It has a double mixer that stretches the gluten.

So here was the process:

Grind you grain. If you are grinding extra grain put it straight into the FREEZER. Apparently the vitamins and nutrients start rapidly decreasing an hour after the grind. Freezing stops this process.

Add 5 Cups of Wheat Flour into the mixer. Add 3 1/2 Cups of HOT water. Next is 1/2 Cup of oil and then lastly 1/2 C Honey. Candy likes to use oils I don't normally have in my house. For now I will use olive oil. Next comes 1+ heaping Tablespoon of dough enhancer, 1 Tablespoon of salt and 3 Tablespoons of SAF yeast. Candy told me to get both the enhancer and the yeast at Natures Pantry.

Click on the mixer for a few seconds and then shut it off. We will let this rest for 10 minutes now. The flour is absorbing the water.

After 10 minutes we will start up the mixer again and slowly add 4-5 cups more of wheat flour. The dough should clean up nicely off the sides. Continue beating for 2 minutes.

Spray your pans with non stick cooking spray. This recipe will make 6 loaves of large bread.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Now, Candy being an awesome woman of Proverbs 31, decided she would show me how to make cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls and fancy braided breads that I can stuff. Let me tell you.... I stand in complete amazement!

Look at how HUGE and beautiful these loaves are! They stayed fresh all week long and were light and fluffy.

The little ladies came along to take this class for me but ended up playing with Candy's daughter instead! No worries! They will have plenty of practice at home!

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

2010-11-06T21:31:00.000-05:00

Day 18
Today I am thankful for all of the coaches and support staff who have invested into my children. Each and every one of my kids have a heart for sports. Nick and Aaron both love football. Abby and Hali love soccer. The dedication and investment that these coaches have made is amazing. They spend day after day, week after week giving instruction, encouragement and motivation to do the best you can. I am thankful for the Kansas City Lions, whom are geared towards home schoolers. They provide a wonderful opportunity for our kids to play competitive sports. I am also very thankful for Scream Soccer. The love coach Barry has for these girls is evident in all he says and does. I am thankful for Coach Gretta who has the little Sprites. What an amazing gift you have given all of your players.

Thank you Lord for these wonderful people!

Easy Lunch Box Give away

2010-11-06T12:17:00.001-05:00

Check out these wonderful lunchboxes! Several of my home schooling friends have now converted to this excellent system. The lunches that they prepare are balanced and quick, saving them both time and money.
Visit my friend Heather at http://duklings.wordpress.com/2010/11/06/easy-lunchboxes-giveaway/#comment-5271 for your chance to win a set for your family!

Many Blessings and good luck!

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

2010-11-05T20:18:00.000-05:00

Day 19
On this day I am thankful for my friends who step in and lend a helping hand when I need one. I am thankful for my friends, who are pastors, willing to counsel at a moments notice. For my friends who call me at the last minute when a ticket suddenly becomes available. For my friends who call with an encouraging word, send flowers, randomly blessing me with cards and thoughts. I am so very thankful to the older women in my life who have given me so much wisdom and instruction. To those who have invested into me, believe in me and always think the best of me.
For these I am so very thankful to God. Very few people can say they have as wonderful friends as I do.

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

2010-11-04T23:06:00.000-05:00

Day 20
Being thankful is a state of mind. Everyone can be thankful, but more often than not, we choose not to be. Often we can find ourselves murmuring and complaining about our lives, our homes, our families or our finances. This month I want to make it a point to be thankful for each and every one of my blessings. Will you take this journey of thankfulness with me?

Today I am thankful for our home. It provides shelter from the blustery winds, a place where we can raise our little ones in peace, and a place for love to grow. While I may not have a large fancy home like some of my friends, I am thankful that those who come here feel comfortable and at rest. I am thankful that we can extend the spirit of hospitality to weary travelers and extend an open invitation to our friends and neighbors.

Thank you Lord for my many blessings!

A very busy week

2010-10-22T22:21:00.000-05:00

For most home school families, every week is a busy week. Some weeks are more crazy and hectic than others. This past week was one of those for us.

First, I would like to introduce our newest pupil to our classroom. Her name is Blake and she just began her homeschooling journey. To be honest, Blake was not sure if she was going to like home education or not. She was either going to have to change school districts or home school. When Blake was asked this week if she would rather homeschool or go to public school she said she likes home schooling!

Now, let all just hope and pray this sweet little one continues to enjoy the journey!

Now let's get to our crazy week in review!

First off I would like to introduce to you Annabelle. Annabelle is a Woolly Bear Caterpillar. She will turn into a Annabelle Tiger Moth. These moths rival the Monarch Butterfly in beauty. Annabelle is safely tucked into her winter habitat, waiting for winter to come. She will hibernate until spring, then wake up for a couple weeks and eat. After that she will spin her cocoon and eventually emerge as a beautiful Tiger.

She is all curled up into a ball

We are measuring how long her brown spots are and how long the black spots.

By measuring the bands you are supposed to be able to tell if it is going to be a mild winter or a harsh winter.

Next comes our attempt to make light up bouncy balls. This was supposed to be a messy lesson in polymers. It was.

Abby filling and tapping her mold

Blake cleaning up the many spills we made while trying to close the molds.

Hali making a mess

Abby fixing Blakes mold.

And in they go for a 3 minute soak! We then let them dry.

They don't bounce very well. But they had fun creating them.

Next we went to the Little Blue Bluff's. This is the place that I broke my leg mountain biking. Since we were on foot this time, there were no accidents.

Here we stopped at some old house ruins for lunch

Aaron always diligently carries the supplies. And wears camouflage . Gatta love that kid!

Time to get our hands dirty. Here Hali and Blake are making a casting of a print we found. This is a messy job for sure. We use plaster paris and mix it as needed.

The girls were laughing so much during this experience I didn't think we were going to see any more of the bluff's. We eventually finished here, and came back for our casting later once it dried.

This was mom's casting. See how nice and neat it is?

My wise son enjoy's wearing his "Gatta Have" $100 shoes into the woods to stomp around. This is why I will only pay for half.

Along the way we found Marty. I am not sure who was scared more when we came across him, Abby or Marty. We also came across a snake so the girls were all a little trail shy.

I had to include these pictures as well. Suzie learned how to rock climb a couple years ago while out in Colorado. She is checking out this Bluff and feeling around for hand and foot holds.

She was like a kid in a candy store... wishing she would have brought her other shoes.

And here was my lesson. Grab here.... and here... and... No thank you Suzie. I have NO upper body strength and would fall right back down!

Here is Blake and Hali checking out the turtle. I am not sure which of the 3 is cuter!

Now one of the next things we did was a field trip to a place called Shawnee Town. This is a living museum that has been reconstructed just down the road from where it originally stood. One of the ladies in our home school group volunteers here weekly with her son.

We participated in what they call "Red Letter Day's"... These were the days on the calendar that were considered family days. All Sundays and special holidays were in red. The began about 1500 years ago by monks. The purpose was to show us what life was like on red letter days in the community.

This was the school teacher. She really IS a school teacher. Wonderful amounts of information she shared with us.

Here is Aaron, Antwon and the other Aaron getting their lessons.

Hali and Blake paying attention to what all of their chores would have been in the one room school.

And here is our group (we split into 3 groups while there) making the banner for the parade.

Three very beautiful young ladies.... don't you think?

Now, I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what this conversation was about... But just look at that expression on Aaron's face. PRICELESS!

Now here we are in the post office and got the opportunity to see a ton of old stamps! Did you know it used to cost a 1/2 cent to mail a letter? It also cost up to $5.00 during certain years.

We were discussing the new Disney stamps.

Next stop... The bank....

We tried to get "Bob the Banker" to loan us a little cash. The only thing he gave us was an education on bank robberies and old time equipment.

Lastly this is our friend Sharon. She runs the dry goods store. She is our other home school mom who made this trip possible. She was a wealth of information and really interacted with the kids at their level.

I am in love with this cash register. I think it is absolutely beautiful!

Here Sharon is showing us different clothes. These are bloomers and a dress for a girl about Abby's size. Abby didn't want to try them on but Hali would have!

Bloomer. What more can I say?

Now this was a place of interest.... Until you got inside. I sure am glad I didn't have Amos' job.

Go ahead and just pick one that fits. And instead of using the kitchen table for viewing, you can use one of these tables.

Very old....... It has a window.

We did not get to meet Franke

Nor did we get our hair cut. Although Aaron really needs one!

Here is our group of kids with their parade banner.

Abby's going to church.

This was Abby's passion while there. I was so shocked that making butter would captivate her. She literally spent over an hour doing this activity and talking the little ladies ears off. She told me that I MUST go to the store and get some cream and we can shake our own. The lady said so.

Never in my life have I seen someone so happy about doing laundry. Blake is having a good "clean" time!

And Abby enjoyed it as well.

I think Hali would have made a great pioneer!

Time for a rinse!

Abby is missing from my class picture! Why? She is STILL churning butter! You know, I have my own little school. Isn't that a riot? Get rid of one and gain 3.

Blake and Hali's Fall picture....

Little Aaron

Blake

Antwon

HaliAnnah

Abigail

And lastly Aaron!

Now, if you have made it this far.... let me caution you real quick.... These next few pictures are of the kids dissecting in the classroom.

Should you have a weak stomach... STOP HERE!!!

Other wise please continue on.

We watched an Abeka Video on dissection of earth worms, crayfish, perch and a frog.

This is our attempt.

By the way, you can dissect a grub. The kids did!

Grub

Earth worm with everything stripped out

Abby and Aaron working on their gross innards

And lastly our frog. These girls were dissection "Queens"....

Since Aaron loves gross stuff, he didn't have any problems with this project.

The kids had a great time this week. I am so very grateful to be able to home educate not only my kids but those we come into contact with.

After a week like this one... I wonder what we should do next?

All about Africa

2010-09-19T19:11:00.000-05:00

We began "All around the World in a Year" with our fellow home schoolers at No place Like Home. One of the beautiful things about studying one continent a month, is that you have time to really dig deep and research the people, traditions and history. There is enough time to incorporate lots of hands on activities which is one of my favorite ways to teach.

We actually spent close to 2 months studying Africa, because there was just no way to cover it all in 4 weeks.

Some of the topics I covered in previous posts were: Braille, Rain Sticks, Afrikaans /Swahili language and Animals of Africa.

We started out doing some weaving. Weaving is very popular with tribes. After several tries we still could not get our mat close enough together to serve any purpose. It is not unusual for baskets, sleeping mats and storage containers to be weaved. Did you know that you can even weave tight enough to make a drinking cup?

We then moved on to African Mud Painting. Some tribes make ceremonial robes and burial clothes using a block pattern. The pictures that are painted on to the material have meanings. Some of them tell stories or are wise proverbs.

Traditionally pillowcases are made by some tribes. We took our material, cut it out and mixed up our mud. We then painted our cases and hung them in the sun to dry for 1 day. The mud needs to be washed out before you can do anything else with them. Once ours were washed, I put the kids to work with the sewing machine. Little Aaron and Antwon got their VERY FIRST sewing lesson! I think they turned out quite well!

Now I have a little story to tell about this next project. We had planned on making Mud Brick homes. In theory you mix mud with straw and let the bricks dry for several days in the sun. We had 2 issues. Not enough ice cube trays to make the bricks and it rained all week. So a friend gave us the idea to use hot glue and craft sticks. We created our houses with the intention of covering them with plaster Paris... then topping them with a grass roof. All of this was excellent in theory.

Then came actually doing it

Notice there are no complete pictures? This craft was a NIGHTMARE! The plaster dried too quick, the sides broke down and everything fell apart. We ended up with a Tipi in the end. This was a total fail and probably the messiest clean up I have ever had.

The reading we did this month was African based. We really enjoyed this Nigerian Folktale.

Our African Art... Now... Really this picture was uploaded TWICE going the right direction!

And here is our Africa Lapbook. This was one of the biggest lapbooks we have put together.

Another one mysteriously turned...

We also worked daily on our African song. While singing the lyrics we worked on identifying each of the countries.

This was Abby's final test. I listed the most recognized countries and she had to label their location.

Here are 2 of our awesome Warrior Tribal masks. Are you scared? They were used to scare evil spirits away.

All in all we had a wonderful time learning about Africa and the widely diverse people who live there. I would like to say a special "Thanks" to Jolene from Monsters Ed... She was an amazing source of help and readily shared such wonderful information about her Continent!

First week of School

2010-09-18T14:56:00.000-05:00

One of the nicest things about being a home schooled child is that you can be very free to enjoy life. By the time the public school kids were heading off to the bus stop for their first day, we had already logged a month of classwork. Our way of celebrating the public schoolers schedule?

A little swimming.......

A little bowling......

And a "Not Back To School Party"

Hay rack ride before the corn maze...

A few fun games!

Roasting smores over the bon fire

Add a football game to the mix and this makes one fantastic week of Not Back To School!!!

School Has begun!

2010-09-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

It's been a fantastic summer here at the Academy! We actually schooled off and on through the summertime, which left us in a fantastic position for the school year. We are able to take much needed breaks when we need, and also schedule lots of hands on projects and trips!

This school year we do have a new addition to the classroom. We have opened our home up to a brand new home schooling family, and it has been a wonderful experience!

It has been a very hot back to school season... Of course... We did go back to school in August.

Abby's back to school picture

This little Sassy one has decided to spend the YEAR making funny faces every time I get the camera out! I just LOVE my Hali!

And Aaron cannot keep a straight face if he tried!

On the left is Antwon and on the right "little" Aaron. I am finding it hard to use just first names since they are the same. These 2 boys are new to home schooling, after a terrible experience with public school. They are indeed a handful and are ALWAYS keeping me on my toes!

Isn't this little critter so cute? Hali and her friend Allie made these one night when they snuck down to the classroom!

No boxes, no instructions... They now have an honored place on the mantle.

Nick's Graduation Luau

2010-07-02T14:43:00.000-05:00

This is one of those posts where I am going to let the pictures speak a thousand words... Speaking of thousand... I took just a few more than that of this night! INSANE!

So ladies and gentleman... here is my Graduate.... and his Luau Bash!

Preparing for Nicks Graduation Luau

2010-07-02T13:47:00.000-05:00

So just exactly how long does it take to prepare for a graduation party? The answer is about a year. Back in the fall I had Nick choose a theme. I was shocked when he said Luau. I was thinking some kind of football theme myself. So Nick began planning everything from his food to decorations. He even started his guest list. Good thing he began so early. Putting a party together is a huge responsibility.

The week of graduation we started all the prep work... and there was a TON of prep work. A month in advance we began baking cupcakes and freezing them. We started shopping for supplies and decorations... and of course we sent out invitations!

We decided to have the Grad party the NIGHT before Graduation. There was absolutely NO CONFLICT with anyone's schedule and this way our out of town friends and family could be here also.

The week was hot and beautiful!

We got the hot tub all scrubbed out

And the pool painted

Tree's trimmed and pool lights strung

We hung lights from the tree's, surrounded everything with Tiki torches

And made the last minute food preparations...

We did a nacho and baked potato bar... along with fresh fruits, salads and chocolates...

We rolled out HUNDREDS of tootsie rolls and decorated these little tiki men...

We made 300 cupcakes! That is a LOT of frosting!

We had over 200 people confirm they were coming..... The morning of the party the winds began blowing...

The food tent blew over 3 times. The decorations blew everywhere... and the Palm tree's Dave made were uprooted from the ground. The temp dropped to the point of needing coats! But thankfully... the rain only lasted a titch the night before...

All of this work was worth it in the end to make a very special night for my Graduate and also a special moment in time for all of the Seniors who would be walking across that stage in just a few short hours!

Mamma's Birthday toys...

2010-07-02T13:11:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I have to share an important holiday... such as my birthday, Mothers day and Nicks Graduation I can get to feeling a bit shagged on that whole "All about me" day... So this year DH made sure I KNEW I was loved...

After a quick trip to Bass Pro Shop, I was well prepared for some shootin' fun! Now, some of you may or may not know this but I REALLY want to get my permit to carry concealed. I have a ton more hours to put in... but this is one thing I really enjoy.

This time along we took Nick with us. Figured it was time to give him some lessons. Now, boys and girls at home... Make sure you ALWAYS practice gun safety and parents... Use those gun locks!

Guess who forgot her clip at home in the safe? So manual loading it is....

I was told to use the iron sites first until I was 100% on the mark at all times. So for now, I will not use a scope for either the rifle or the hand gun.

Here are my men checking out the target...

See, I do play well with others.... I even share my things.

And this was the boys first time using my rifle. When we go to Iowa they get plenty of shooting practice with Uncle Brad.

In need of a fresh sheet...

Right after this I got lessons from the old timers. They even let me shoot their different hand guns. They think someday I will want something a bit bigger. LOL

Gone Fishing

2010-07-02T12:42:00.000-05:00

All these years Kyle and I had no need for a fishing license. When you fish with kids, you spend all of your time getting them unstuck, baiting the hook and taking off fish. For the first time in my adult life I got a fishing license! I feel like such a grown up! Funny things about it is, TWO of my children had to get them too! Haha...

Being up first thing in the morning has it's advantages... We were able to secure the dock!

Such a pretty little cove to spend the day in...

There is Nick, fishing over there~ Guess he thought it would be better...

Aaron and his big catch of the day!

Abby running for all it's worth to let us know she caught a crawfish!

We played the funniest trick on Kyle. The only thing he caught all day actually happened while he was unloading the cooler from the truck. We had been here HOURS and while getting little bites, all he was doing was re-baiting the hook. When his bobber went under, Aaron hooked the fish... reeled him in and then cast it back out... fish and all. Here is kyle walking down the bank, loaded down with the cooler and everyone starts yelling "Quick! Get your pole! Did you see that? It's surely a whopper!"... So to his pole he went with the up most urgency!

Aaron couldn't keep from cracking up!

And here is Papa with his HUGE WHOPPER of a fish!

And Mama taking it off the hook!

Camping at Longview

2010-07-02T12:10:00.001-05:00

Family camping is just so much fun! I am so glad we got the brilliant idea to start camping again. Both Kyle and I spent years and years camping with our families, and even took the boys camping up till the point of the girls' births. As with most families, you worry about little ones around the fire, getting bit by bugs or when the imagination really runs loose... them wandering off into the woods... alone.

In preparation of our family camping trip to Roaring Rivers State Park and Beaver Lake we decided to re-invest in our equipment and drag ourselves out to the local campground...

To see how much stuff we forgot at home. You know, it would be terrible to leave something behind when your 150 miles from the local Wal -Mart.

After setting up the campsite we had to run over to the Mariana and secure our fishing license and get some bait. Will you just take a look at these little beggers? There is a feed machine just feet from these carp and they hover around until they are fed.

They are absolutely huge bottom feeders!

Their mouths are so big I could put my hand in it. I really wouldn't want to accidentally fall in here. While fish don't normally attack humans, just the thought of them sucking on my skin gives me the ibby-jibbies.

Naturally we had to pick an almost 100 degree day to go out...

Aaron being my good son, skinned a honey locust (full of thorns) so I could have a marshmallow stick for later in the evening. Bon fire, marshmallows and dark chocolate smores! Yummy!

We made the most awesome meal together as a family. I wonder why it is that food tastes so much better when it's cooked out of doors?

Here they are getting the grub... We went night fishing right after dinner. Did you know they make light up bobbers for night fishing? They are so cool!

Midnight finds Abby sound asleep. We went to the shower house to get cleaned up. They had little people showers which Abby just thought was the neatest. She then tried to blow dry her hair using the hand blower. Abby's hair comes down past her waist. It actually worked pretty well.

It's time to rise and shine. We went to bed sometime before two AM and woke up just after 5 AM. I came home and slept for 15.5 hours...

Aaron is wanting to know just WHY is the fan turned off?

I just love the look on his grumpy face. Good thing it only takes him a few minutes to wake up and shake that look off his face.

Here I am being Ms. Little sunshine...

Our buddy Jimmy, who after taking us night fishing decided to crash in the kids' tent. So the girls moved into our tent for the night.

The ONE thing we would not have been able to live without was the coffee pot!

We had a fantastic time... and I am proud to announce the ONLY thing we forgot was extra mantles for the lantern... but we had 2 battery ones so it was okay.

Odd's and ends...

2010-07-02T10:54:00.000-05:00

Cheese Burger Pizza made by our aspiring chef Hali. She has been searching online cook books looking for yummy things to make. Where she got this desire? I have no idea. We all know that while I am a good cook, I hate cooking. Now, let me bake something.... and that is a whole different story.

To top off her main dish she made this fresh dessert. We actually whipped REAL cream before we ate this strawberry pie! Oh, it was soooo yummy!

The next day we got 2 new Pampered Chef Pie plates and 8 different kinds of pie fillings! Can you say we totally appreciated all her hard work?

Glow in the dark floor puzzles are so awesome! Antoine, little Aaron and Abby set this one up and then let it "charge"... then they turned out the lights and discovered a whole different look. Now, don't ask me why they are in the dinosaur stuff. That unit study isn't until next winter!

Lastly, we have some progress in our lovely little garden. After spending the spring time testing soil, adjusting PH, clearing, planting, tending and watering we FINALLY have some first fruits! I promptly gave this to my widow neighbor, as she has such a fondness for cucumbers.

Human Biology Muscles, joints, tendons

2010-07-02T10:32:00.000-05:00

We have had so much fun with our summer selection of Science. It seems like a perfect world to me when I find a topic that I can teach to all kids on every level... AND THEY UNDERSTAND IT!

We first started off science by showing the kids how the new balance works. They collected several items around the classroom and compared what grams are to pounds and ounces. As Americans this is not an easy feat since we use primarily pounds/ounce instead of grams... But in the science world this measurement is imperative.
For the younger kids just being introduced to weight measurements (besides how much they weigh on the bathroom scale) teaching them together was effective. The older kids had to go back and retrain their brains.

After learning about cells, organs, organ groups and bones we moved on to muscles. There are 3 kinds of muscles. The skeletal, smooth and cardiac. We learned what each muscles does and what they are made of. We then showed many actions that used these different muscles.

Have you ever thought about dissecting a chicken leg and wing? Well, it's just PERFECT when it comes to teaching about skin, fat, muscles, joints, cartilage and bones! The kids took exacto knives and removed the skin first. They then examined the muscles and looked at where they attached. They found each part and labeled it. In the end they got down to just the bone so we could discuss the hard bone and spongy bone.

Harry S Truman Homestead

2010-07-02T10:11:00.000-05:00

Funny how you can live right next to something for 15 years and still not visit. That is the case with the Truman home. I have taken the kids up to Independence to see all they have up there when they were littles... but never really made time to see the homestead.

It is less than 2 blocks from my house.

During the spring planning meeting with the Southland Home Educators we decided on a trip to see what we could. I called the National Park Rangers and they blessed us beyond my imagination. They had never done a home school group before and were so very willing to provide all that they could. Ranger James was awesome!

Because our group was so large, and because of the rule of only 6 visitors twice daily, we were not able to go into the home. Instead we were provided Ranger books and a customized tour.

Ranger James here telling the kids about how Harry built a tennis court for Betsy in front of the house so she would come visit more often.

Pointing out where the stone markers are.

Explaining the vastness of the farm and how far it used to stretch.

Gatta love those old front porches!

The kids worked together to fill in their Ranger books. They can use these again when we visit the Independence home, jail and courthouse.

Abby just had to see what his Chicken coop had that ours doesn't.

Most of Trumans famous quotes came from his experiences here in this home.

Here the kids are being sworn in as official Junior Rangers. They took serious "to preserve and protect"...

And Aaron, who was the oldest of this crowd, as he got his certificate, badge and pin.

Africa Unit Study

2010-07-02T09:43:00.000-05:00

This summer we have taken to learning about the continent of Africa. Both Hali and Aaron have participated in the mock Missions Trip to Africa with a sister church. Their experience was very eye opening.... So it only seemed appropriate that we should include this unit study during the summer.

We have done quite a few hands on activities and still many, many more to do. In fact, since Africa is actually a Theme of The Month over on my Noplace Like Home homeschooling board, we will revisit Africa at the beginning of the traditional school year. Until then, here is a sneak peak at some of the fun we have been having.

We began by learning Braille. The kids did a simple exercise of writing their names and then wrote some sentences. Many children in Africa are blind. We prayed for these children as we learned about this amazing language. Learning the spacing was a bit difficult at first, but in the end the kids got it right!

We learned about African tribes and their belief in Various gods. One of them being a rain god. So we pulled out the last of the rain sticks and went to work.

There is Chrissy with Hali and our little friend Razzia. Razzia's papa is living in Africa. We took out the globe and found Cape Town. Razzia talked to us about things her papa shares with her.

This funny little guy was inspired by Veggie Tales. Hali was the creator of this and I didn't even know this was taken until it was time to blog! That girl cracks me up!

We spent a whole day learning Afrikan and Swahili.. We were cracking ourselves up to the point of being breathless.

The vowels are what shocked me the most. It was so hard remembering how they were different.
A= Ah!
E= Say
I= be
O= ho!
U= Too

We learned about several animals in Africa. We actually made little books to put in our lapbooks (the next part of this unit study). The kids took notes and then tried a little art project. I couldn't tell WHAT animal was what... so I skipped the picture part of that!

One of these days I will actually be organized enough to have this information available to share with others who WANT to know some interesting facts. It's something to aspire to, but I currently fall short of that mark!

Swinging into swimming

2010-07-02T09:16:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me well, knows this is where I tend to spend my summer afternoons. I am a resident pool bum and my kids LOVE IT! This was the first time that Chrishon and Katie's kids had been swimming this year. We had a great time and managed to get a couple hours of swimming instruction in.

Those kids who cannot pass my swimming test have to stay on the shallow end. Here are my kids coming up to play with their friends.

Doesn't this look so refreshing? Nothing better than the feel of the warm sun kissing your skin and the smell of coconut lotion in the air!

Art Appreciation

2010-07-02T08:21:00.001-05:00

We started this summer off with Art Appreciation. We visited the Neilson Atkins Museum in the late spring which sparked an interest. Going in to this unit study I just wasn't sure what to think or expect from the kids.
In this pictures the group is trying different brushes out to see what EXACTLY they do and what the difference is from one to another.

We then went outside and after picking our object, which took FOREVER, they began painting. You smaller boys were done in no time flat. My three actually took a week to complete their paintings.

I really like the laid back atmosphere this summer during school. I am hoping to hold on to the flavor of it during the traditional year. With the kids relaxed, they are having more fun and learning much more than I could have imagined.

A wise woman would have started this project when her flowers were in full bloom... However that was graduation season... So I do have a valid excuse.

It's been a while

2010-06-10T22:59:00.001-05:00

With so very many summer time activities happening from day to day, I have not had the opportunity to share all the wonderful things that have happened over the last two months! I simply cannot believe that Nick graduated over a month ago and I still haven't shared with my friends and family (and faithful followers)!

Just a quick update from our classroom. The weekend after graduation I asked my dear husband if he minded me switching the classroom with Nicks room. This would allow Nick more privacy and also links both of the boys' rooms together. He gave me the green light and we began packing things up. It took almost a week to move everything! WHERE did all of that stuff come from?
I then asked husband if he would mind tearing out a wall that runs 24 feet long and move it back 4 feet. I think I actually got 5 feet. My laundry room is now MUCH smaller but I gained some much needed classroom space. He then began building me some storage cupboards which I am patiently waiting to be finished! Nick is REALLY liking the transition so everyone is happy.

Three weeks ago we began our summer school session. It was very hard to make the final decision as to whether we should school year round or not. Because DH has more of an opportunity to take time off and travel in the winter we decided to go for it. I had originally decided on only a half day at best. It's has morphed into a full day of work followed by either bowling, movies, swimming or a local field trip. We are very happy we can balance out work and play. I also consider myself VERY blessed that my husband is good with tools!

The other addition to our classroom comes in the form of a new to home schooling family. We have opened our hearts and home for them to come join us Mon- Thursday during the summer to see what EXACTLY a home school family does. We are really having a delightful time and the kids are learning so much!
So when you see some additional faces in the pictures to come, you wont be wondering WHO these people are!

Making Handmade Papers

2010-04-25T19:05:00.000-05:00

We did this project some time ago but looking back I see I forgot to add it to my homeschooling how to collection.

Because we had so much fun doing this and also because I believe we will do MUCH much more of this over the summer I wanted to include it.

I had some new frames in the basement. While they were very nice and solid oak, my husband said to use them and I am glad that I did instead of taking the time to build frames.

I took several sizes and put old screen in them...

All I needed was a scissors and a staple gun.

The first batch we did we used paper from the paper shredder. WAY TO RECYCLE!

I took a big tub and filled it with a couple inches of water and made sure that my frames could move around easily.

I then decided I would like to try some color. So I found some old purple and blue scrap paper and blended it with some water to form a thick pulp. You then add this to your big water tub.

You swish your frame inside the water tub until your screen is soaked. This one has a nice square trim around it because I put a second frame on top of this one to get the crisp edges.

We tried several kinds of sponges and towels and in the end a simple kitchen sponge worked best for us. You lightly press against the pulp to pull out the water, then peel the paper from the edges carefully. You can either let them airdry for a while or you can immediately iron them between towels. The latter is what we chose.

Some finished samples. We made about 75 of several different colors. My favorites were the brown and the greens. For Easter we punched holes in these and gave them as journals to friends.

Spring Soccer with Abby

2010-04-25T18:15:00.000-05:00

I love watching this girl play. Of course I say that about all of my kids but seriously, she is just so funny sometimes. You can read every emotion this child has on her face. She won't put up with poor sportsmanship and don't you DARE do something that is grounds for a yellow or red card because she see's that as an injustice and will repeat the offending action and when the ref calls her on it she points out that it was JUST done to her.

Ever know someone's twin? I do! Coach Josh is a dead ringer for my Bestie Brian...

Half time pep talk.

Abby as Goalie! Not her usual position.

Abby and Jilly

Side line throw in. You know she REALLY doesn't match when your husband asks if next time she can NOT wear the lime green head band and perhaps choose black or white!

Little princess was about to take the ball here in this picture and go for goal!

Great way to be healthy!

Five games in nine days!

2010-04-25T18:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks to the rain, sleet and snow the girls from Hali's team "Scream" have had to play five very hard and grueling games in just a few short days. Add to that 4 practices and you will see they didn't have ONE day off!

So here is the team in action...

For the record Hali is #1

That's my girl and her amazing foot!

Hali and her Bestie Molly cakes... Chilling after a hard game.

After this game Hali's shin guards were shattered! The team they played were a competitive team that has a paid coach. The kids are hand picked from the best of the best and it costs their parents several thousands a year to play.

The other prom pictures...

2010-04-25T17:35:00.000-05:00

I am just going to share a few random pictures from this night. Maybe I will put up some more later but time is getting away from me and I still have a whole camera to upload and potentially blog about! LOL

Here is some of the pictures taken at prom.

BTW~ You will see both Nick and Liz in the Court Line up.

Oh look! It's me with the kids!

Paula and I celebrating our genius!

Heart Senior Class 2010 Prom

2010-04-25T16:58:00.000-05:00

Suck it up momma it's time for prom and your babies have dates. Quite beautiful dates actually. I doubt that there are very few dry eyes on this night for parents of Seniors all over the States. What a monumental time in a young persons life. I was very blessed to be able to be "hand on" during the prom... trying my best NOT to embarrass my boys too much. These kids really didn't need a baby sitter and all the parents were on their best behavior and looking beautiful!

Now, I am going to fully give credit where credit is due. The night of prom we were to meet the photographer at 5. Nick was running late because he had to run south to pick up the corsage for Liz before heading 45 minutes north to pick her up. I was running late because after getting more than half way to the location of the prom my son calls and tells me the corsage is in the fridge... can I please go back and get it. My AWESOME husband got the corsage and jumped in his truck while I fight downtown traffic and met me half way to drop it off and save the night. By the time I finally get to the location I am running behind. I should have been there an hour and a half ahead of time. Needless to say I did not have time to take the kids to the park to do the shoot.

This is where January our most awesome photographer comes in and saved the day. She got some fantastic shots of the kids! Bless her heart! If anyone needs a great photographer just let me know and I can hook you up. She is very reasonable and does on location photography. If you would like to see more of her work just scroll down to Nicks senior pictures or watch for Aaron's Junior pics to be uploaded.

Tell me I have no reason to be a proud parent... No wait... I love my babies and I think they are absolutely perfect! Look at my little hot shots!

Nick and Liz

Aaron and his sweet date Haley.

Nelson Atkins Museum of Art

2010-04-25T16:39:00.000-05:00

I am going to be honest. We are not really one of those fine arts kind of families. Maybe years ago, but not now. I personally love art. My rough and tumble kids however have not come to appreciate it quite yet. This year at least they did find some pieces of interest. Thank goodness for Hali, who seems that I can hold hope out for. She and I will return again soon to spend a bit more time looking at European art and check out the new Egyptian exhibit.

I will say this... The Modern art had the boys' attention. They met up with a fantastic curator who gave them a fantastic inside scoop to the pieces in his area. So modern art and Medieval Art is their thing!

To find out more about the collections including Monet, Rembrandt,Titian, Bronzino, Strozzi, Reni, Guercino, Castiglione, Sebastiano Ricci, Canaletto, Gianquinto, Panini, Traversi and Guardi visit The Museum's website.

The stairs are a real killer!

Nick & Aaron actually shot a movie for youth group here on this location. It was Rocky themed and by the time they ran and re-ran these stairs Nick was exhausted!

The Shuttlecocks are the signature series that most know Kansas City by.

Sorry about the quality here but no flash is allowed! Not every often you get to take a picture next to impressionist Art.

So here we are traveling in a group of 5. Hali has gone up ahead just a bit and all of a sudden she comes running back saying "I have finally found HIM"... So we are like... Okay... find who? We didn't know anyone was missing! Hali said... "I finally found my Knight in shining Armor! He DOES exist!".... LOL
I SOOOOOOO love that child!

So here she is with her "Man"...

This is the kind of Art we all could relate to. I often wonder if the end of the world doesn't happen soon... what people in a couple of hundred years are going to think about us?

I really found this twig and mud sculpture pretty awesome.

The boys are still trying to figure out what exactly this says...

A chair that is long enough for Nick to sit in and stretch out his legs!

This one in person was actually quite beautiful. The mirrored art and the woman's eyes spoke volumes in vanity of women.

And lastly this was my all time favorite in Contemporary Art. She wore and itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini!

Our Many Beautiful Blessings

Becoming A Wife Of Excellence

A Wife of Noble Character

Update on the Ducklings...

SOTW week 4

SOTW Week 3

Who ARE these people?

Journaling SOTW the first 2 weeks

Story of the World Week Two

Story of the World Week One

Wrapping up summer

Back to school already?

Confessions from the heart....

Considering a new format...

Snow Days!

A heart for Missions

More Thanksgiving fun...

What an amazing week!

Chocolate Pilgrim Hats

Tree of Blessings

Opening Day at the ice terrace~Crown Center

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

A little Culture anyone?

Louis and Clark at the Discovery Center

Cornicopia Art

Corn Maze and Hay ride

Bread Making

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

Easy Lunch Box Give away

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

Twenty Days of Thanksgiving

A very busy week

All about Africa

First week of School

School Has begun!

Nick's Graduation Luau

Preparing for Nicks Graduation Luau

Mamma's Birthday toys...

Gone Fishing

Camping at Longview

Odd's and ends...

Human Biology *Muscles, joints, tendons*

Harry S Truman Homestead

Africa Unit Study

Swinging into swimming

Art Appreciation

It's been a while

Making Handmade Papers

Spring Soccer with Abby

Five games in nine days!

The other prom pictures...

Heart Senior Class 2010 Prom

Nelson Atkins Museum of Art

Human Biology Muscles, joints, tendons