A Lifetime of Love

We are almost at the end of the school year and our first year of homeschooling. I can honestly say this school year has passed very quickly! Here are just a few things I have learned along the way: School is to be taken seriously, but I don't need to stress myself about it If Th gets a concept, I don't need to keep going over it just because the Teacher's manual says I do. At the same time, if Th needs a little more time with a concept, I don't have to move on until he has reached mastery. Flexibility is the name of the game Some days we get started at 8am and work straight until he's finished with all of his subjects, other days we start and he works for a bit, then we take a break and bake muffins or run errands or go to the park and simply finish later on in the day. I LOVE that about homeschooling! Along with flexibility, if Th shows an interest in something that I might not have planned to study in-depth (i.e. the Gold Rush), I can go ahead and allow h...

and a beautful tree was knocked down in our yard. I am thankful it wasn't one of the enormous Oak or Pine trees in the yard as one of those would have surely killed or severely injured someone. Storms like the one last night remind me how weak we are in the sight of God. I need a reminder every now and again! =) * The heavens declare the glory of God ; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. ~Psalm 19:1

Annie, you are such a happy baby...for the most part. ;)  You are crawling everywhere and get upset when we inhibit your attempts by putting up barriers to restrict access to certain parts of the house. In fact, you got so fed up yesterday that you decided to do something about it... You are beginning to walk independently, but only 3-4 steps at a time. You prefer to walk while pushing something, although when you are really trying to get somewhere, you skip walking and simply crawl because it's faster. Secretly I am glad you are not walking yet as you are the last baby, and I want you to stay that way for a little while.  Your quest for independence also means you are trying to self-feed. You don't really care to use a fork or spoon, that's what your hands are for! Although more ends up on your face and chair than in your mouth, you have managed to gain a couple of pounds. Annie, I am so thankful for you and I think your siblings would agree, we are blessed to hav...

...to write this post to its fullest, but here's a snippet of what's been going on around here lately. Annie & Ta celebrated their birthdays by having a (small) party at our house with close friends and family. Annie is the first child (since having Ta) that I haven't been pregnant with the next child by the time the 1st birthday rolled around. Makes me a little sad...  TJ's bike was stolen from our carport the same day as his birthday (Happy Birthday, Babe!). The police were called, a report was completed, and fear set in. Fear that someone had come past both cars parked to block the entrance of the carport, INSIDE my carport & near the back door, rummaged through our stuff, decided on what to take, and managed to do so without any of us waking or dogs barking. SCARY!!!! TJ installed a motion-sensor light with the help of his dad to deter anyone considering returning for more "stuff" TJ finally finished siding around the back of the house. It lo...

Annie celebreated her 1st birthday, and Ta his 6th, last week. I have been battling a chest cold since last Saturday and haven't had the extra time nor the energy to devote to their individual birthday posts. But, they're coming...as soon as I'm feeling better and get caught up on my housework and laundry.

I realize it's past Christmas, but this video is too cute not to post. I can definitely relate because I get these comments (and more!) anytime we are out in public. I have gotten used to hearing them, and try to reply in a nice manner and not get bothered by strangers' comments but it isn't always easy...especially at the grocery store when my younger kids are screaming  crying in the buggy, my older kids are fighting with each other, and I'm trying to remain composed enough to have a conversation with said stranger. Anyway, enjoy the song and I agree, I AM BLESSED WITH A FULL QUIVER! =)

I am reading the book "When People Are Big and God is Small" by Edward T. Welch. It is about the fear of man (also known as low self-esteem, peer pressure, and codependency). The book has been very convicting, but I am learning so much. In today's chapter, Welch talks about idols, or anything that is done or put before God (can be money, fame, or as in my case, even common everyday tasks). He refers back to the children of Israel when they made the golden calf and began to worship it (it became their idol). The author writes that in following this other god, they are avoiding the true God instead of trusting Him. The Israelites are doing this because the holiness of God was revealed when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments. As a result, the Israelites saw the weight of their sin (when comparing ourselves to the Ten Commandments, don't we all?) and become ashamed. They began worshipping the golden calf because their rebellious hearts didn't want to be confronted w...