Another year almost finished........

Well, I've been sick since the beginning of December....I don't usually get sick but a really bad bug has been going around. Jeana and I both got it back. Jessica just a bit. Daddy a bit and Netta NOTHING!! That girl has an incredible immune system! December has been a lazy month...we all worked at preschool til the 15th then me and the girls "chillin" the rest. God is amazing as always.....

I start school January 10, 2012. Two classes. Seven credits. Eight weeks. I must be nuts. But I am excited! I am taking classes I want to take not that I have to take for some crazy Degree. I AM working TOWARD a degree, but in something I want, not some boring major. When all is said and done I will have my degree in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute. Then, if I want, I just need to add 6 credit hours of ECE and I can be a lead teacher for preschool. So I get classes I want and can actually USE the degree too!! It's a WIN WIN situation. I LOVE learning more about Father God and the Bible so I am so looking forward to the studies.

With the addition of MY classes, we have stream lined our household....schedules, chore charts and very detailed lesson plans are the norm for the new year. We need to use our time wisely so this is where we decided to start. We are still doing learning lessons, literature based subjects, just a bit more structured. Lots of reading still going on, but we have allotted a specific time frame for the basics like copy-work, science and math. Still lots of freedom and room to grow.

Right now our fascination is maritime disasters........speciffically the sinking of the Titanic. We are researching all things Titanic: the building of the great ship, passengers, history behind the times, clothing, weather and the other two ships in the Olympic class of White Star Lines.....the 100th anniversary of her sinking is on April 15, 2012. An interesting but very sad story. Funny, we start with the Titanic, and then off shoot researching the Olympic, Britannic, Lusitania and Carpathia......along with quite a few others. The photo's from 100 years ago are so amazing!!! The sheer SIZE of the Titanic is wondrous. (yes, there are cruise ships now that are a larger, but for it's time...it's LOOK was magnificent. And the interior, well, new cruise ships are nice but the grandeur of ships like Titanic have all but have vanished) Well, gotta run.....Blessings.

Countdown.....

There are 10 days left before the BIG day....although we are quite low key here and are excited by the travels our Mary and Joseph" are making to the town of "Bethlehem", not the typical trappings of Christmas....next year we will be giving goats and chickens to poor families through World Vision.

Can it be???

December already?? Where did the year go?? I am always a bit melancholy at this time of year...my babies are getting bigger, reflecting on the blessings of the year (which are alway immense) and just the shear love of God that He would send His Son to save us - to DIE for us. That's huge.

Hmmmmmmm

Thanksgiving was nice....just the 5 of us. Turkey too big but just enough of everything else. Today was cold and gloomy, I put the Christmas tree up and the girls decorated it. Tonight we'll light the Advent candle and read from the New Testament.

Blessings list:

#12 Snuggling with the girls
#13 a clean house!
#14 being able to home school my babies and be with them
#15 my preschool position
#16 Christmas- the FIRST coming of the Messiah!!!!!
#17 God providing for our needs
#18 FRIENDS!

Sponsor a Child in Ecuador

Sponsor a Child in Ecuador

Blessings count....

#8 Baby snores while Jessica sleeps
#9 My oldest girl's smile in the morning
#10 COFFEEEEEEEEE
#11 It smells good out this morning.....not too cold, just crisp, fresh.


Another year almost done. Too fast. Keep counting blessing......SEEMS to slow things down. Enjoy the moments, as they are fleeting.

Journal of Gratitude......

I loved the book 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp ! Amazes me, slows me down and I see Him. So I am going to list all of MY gifts and blessings... will you join me? Now is the PERFECT time.

#1 My three precious baby girls
#2 My wonderful husband
# 3 A home
#4 We are not hungry
# 5 Autumn leaves in the multitude of color
#6 Raking leaves with my children....then jumping in the piles together
#7 Awnings on houses...makes me smile


I'll be adding each day. What has God blessed you with today?

A time for reflection....

Thanksgiving.....a time when we usually remind ourselves what we are thankful for. Family, friends, health, love. I too am thankful for all of these things and more. But thanksgiving shouldn't be just once a year. It should be a daily habit......throughout the day we should praise and be thankful. For the big and the small. For the good and not so good. And while we are at it....lean on Him for all of what you need....spiritual, physical and emotional. Because He really IS all we need.

Time for Nature Studies!

Spring is here!

Anybody else having Spring Fever? Ready to get outside to soak up the beauty and fresh air? Oh! This is the perfect time to make up any excuse to get outside. But, what if we call it "school" as we enjoy this gorgeous Spring?

Yep! It is Spring and and time for Spring themed Nature Studies. Yep! Time for that weekly Nature Walk! Time to pull out those Nature Notebooks and begin a fresh new study. NO pressure. Just with atmosphere of fun and delight! Want some ideas that are EASY? How about some of our favorites? Let's dig in...

Trees…
• Hunt for new leaves (buds!). Mark the date for each tree.
• Look for blossoms on your tree. Describe and draw.
• Mark the date that your tree is in full foliage.
• Measure the height of your tree.
• Determine the age of the tree. Measure 5 feet from the ground around the tree trunk. Divide this measurement by 1 inch to get the approximate age in years.
• Collect and press leaves. Mount some in your nature notebook.
• Sketch your tree in watercolor or crayon for your nature notebook.
• Hunt for spring poetry about trees! Copy into your nature notebook.
• Look up Scripture verses about trees. Copy into your nature notebook.


Flowers…
• Each week take a walk to collect new wildflowers around your neighborhood. Press into a scrapbook/nature notebook.
• Sketch and label flower parts.
• Hunt for poetry about the flowers that are blooming each week.
• Find Scripture verses to copy into your nature notebook about all flowers.
• Plant some flowers outside in your yard.


Birds…
• Set out a bird feeder for birds around your home. Put one right outside of a big window so the children can watch the birds up close.
• Listen for early birds…they should be coming soon.
• Set out nesting materials for birds common to your area.
• Try building your own nest.
• Learn birdcalls and songs.
• Watch the birds as they gather materials for their nests…maybe you can see where they are building their nests and watch them as they feed their young.
• Hunt for nature poetry about the birds native to your yard. Copy into nature notebooks.
• Hunt for Scripture verses about the birds native to your yard. Copy into nature notebooks.


Insects…
• Start an ant farm.
• Begin your bug collection.


Animals…
• Hunt for animal tracks.
• Go on a night hunt for salamanders. You may want to make a home for one as a pet.
• Set up an aquarium for a frog home. Go to a local pond to collect some frog eggs—watch their life cycle! Be sure to document in your nature notebook!
• Make a chart of animal characteristics. Study how animals are classified.


Plants…
• Hunt for woodland flowers.
• Choose seeds or plants for spring planting. Start seeds now to have an early bloom.
• Grow plants from pits. (see Ideas Section)
• Gather samples from the woods of plants without flowers. (Good resource is Plants That Never Ever Bloom)
• Go on a hike through the woods. Look for tree seedlings.
• Hunt for spring mushrooms.


Astronomy…
• Keep a chart of the moon phases for a month—try March.
• Take an evening to spend stargazing.

Weather…
• Keep weather chart for the first two weeks of the season—begin March.
• Find out how rain is formed.
• Find any poems about rain for nature notebook.
• Find out about lightning. Add information to nature notebook.
• Hunt for rainbows.


Collections…
• Take a day for each of your collections to maintain. (Rocks… shells… feathers… so on.)


Seasonal Table Ideas…
• Budding branches
• Tulips
• Bird’s nest
• Fresh flowers
• Potted Wild Violets
• Dyed eggs
• Tissue Paper Butterflies
• Colors…pastels and jewel tones

(from......NATURE STUDIES By Cindy Rushton)

The End is Near...(end of the month that is...)

I can hardly believe it....February is almost gone. Looking forward to some warmer weather. I do love snow and winter, but again I love ALL of God's seasons. So looking ahead to the fresh smells of spring. How about you? What do you look forward to?

BLIZZARD!!!!!!!

We are expecting 12" to 24" of snow between today at 3pm and tomorrow afternoon! Getting ready to SNUGGLE!