It's Happenin' AGAIN!

Finally!

Our school year is beginning again.
Yeah... we start in October and go through May.
We work hard during the "school year" and enjoy
our loooong summer break! (don't hate us!)

I'm ready...
well, I have a couple of lessons plans to complete
for the first few weeks, but I'm ready for...

-the joy of learning

-the fun of something new

-"field trips" to museums, the apple orchard, FORD Plant

-songs, skits, crafts and projects

-memorizing more scripture & using the memory verse Box

-coordinating tv shows around curriculum themes

-watching the growth in my kids in body, mind & spirit!

-seeing the amazing creativity and depth with which they live

-searching websites & blogs for memory making ideas that
connect to the subjects they're studying

-remember & relearning info that I've forgotten over the x
amount of years I've been outa school

-regular trips to the library

It's our 5th fall as "homeschoolers"... I still sorta cringe when I
hear that word associated with us.
But it's what GOD directed us to do... and so we are!
We're not the stereotypical h.s. family.
We're still very much US...

And I REALLY LOVE IT!
Let school begin... AGAIN!

Currently Reading The Shape of Mercy: A Novel By Susan Meissner see related

Experience AND know?

• A friend experienced a long car trip with me
  

  and my (then) 4 kids... we got to know each
  other better!
  
  A friend often goes grocery shopping with me
  and my boys... there's usually a combo of
  laughter, creativity, near chaos & lotsa roll'n
  with the punches. We've become closer through
  those moments.
  
  A friend & I take our kids to parks, museums, etc.
  It gets loud with laughter and even louder with crying.
  Sharing these times brings us closer.
  
  Cooking side-by-side with my girls, bumping
  into each other, spilling stuff and laughing, too.
  We experience it together... we know each other better!
  
  Moments - both good & bad- are opportunities to take
  relationships deeper. Going down a road together makes
  memories & bonds... but we stop short when it come to JESUS.
  
  
  
  Have you ever told God that you'd be happy
  to go down "that" road when you know Him better?
  (whatever the "That" part is to you?)
  
  The New Testament word for KNOW?
  Know- to discover, to experience
  
  In order to really KNOW God we must be willing
  to experience the challenges with Him,
  walk through the stuff with Him,
  and obey in our weakness.
  During the shared experiences with Jesus
  our heart begins to open up,
  trust and
  know Him on a deeper level.
  
  We wouldn't expect a friendship to grow
  without shared experiences.
  We wouldn't expect a friend to open their life in
  raw honesty if we never shared any of our own
  real selves with them.
  Yet, we kinda expect that from Jesus.
  
  "When I know you MORE, Jesus, I'll trust You."
  
  But, NO! We must say....
  
  "Jesus, I'll know you more as I trust You."
  
  I'm choosing to view my challenging situations
  as opportunities to know God more:
  
  - Making use of my small, oddly arranged house
  -Homeschooling a HS, JR Hi & Elem. child
  -Patience to nurture my 3 yr. old & 2 yr. old
  -Living in the city, close to everyone, but kinda far from
  everything (shopping & groceries, that is)
  
  These are not just challenges to live through,
  these are streets of my life that I'm walking down,
  holding hands with my Heavenly Daddy,
  talking,
  sharing,
  laughing,
  observing
  and... KNOWING Him!
  
  (our street! our Zoe!)
  
  
  
  
  I really DO have the large print...so funny. It was
  gift from my parents in 1984... I was in High School
  

  Currently Reading Large Print Thompson Chain Reference Bible-NIV

You Mean the World

To the World you may be only one,
but to ONE you mean the World!

You mean the world to JESUS!

How will you show your love
& gratefulness to Him today?

Who's life will benefit from your
kindness, patience, understanding,
dedication, gentleness & joy?

What hangs on to your heart that must
be cut lose so you can better love
the one who loves you Most!?

You mean the WORLD to Jesus...
He's crazy about YOU!

Noxema

As a preteen I was introduce to this facial cleanser!

My Mom instilled in me the importance of
daily cleansing, morning & night.
My complexion was a reflection of
good, basic skincare.

As I got older I tried fancier stuff...
and now that I've turned... older...
I've tried a wide assortment
of "anti-this" and "anti-that" creams & cleansers.
Nothing has changed, really.
They're all just more expensive.

Then... a couple of weeks ago I bought another
blue tub of Noxema for my girls only to be told...
"We don't need anymore right now, Mom."

Oh... um... I'm nearly out of my "You're-fighting-getting-
old-and-wrinkly-cream" ... perhaps I'll just use it until
I can get more of mine.

As I opened the jar, the refreshing smell of basic,
uncomplicated cleanser hit me... in the heart.

This is the story of our lives!

We give our lives to Jesus and fall in love with Him.
Pure, uncomplicated cleansing repentance... daily!
We can't live with out that clean, fresh-hearted joy!

Then we start to mature (not a bad thing), unless when
we forget that daily, simple relationship....

-reading the WORD with no preconceived ideas...

-praising Him because He saved us by His Grace
(not cuz we got what we had hoped for that day)

-taking responsibility for our sins.. .and repenting!
(instead of blaming someone or something else)

I'm in LOVE with JESUS!
The fresh, honest, real relationship with Jesus...
that's not just for "baby Christians"...
It's the basis for it ALL!

Yes... bring on the DAILY cleansing, Jesus!
and you, too, Noxema.

(oh, and by the way...
my skin looks & feels great!
Eat your heart out beauty industry!)

My Thankful Heart

• During the days of our vacation I jotted down
  bullet points of the things I loved.
  Here's a sampling:
  
  -Slept in nearly everyday because my girls
  took turns getting up with the little boys!
  THANK YOU, GIRLS!
  
  -The breeze & sound of the "waves"
  outside our bedroom window
  
  - Feather pillows and the snuggly
  down comforter.
  
  -Watchin' a 2 hr. rerun of America's
  Funniest Videos with my ZoBug
  
  -Finishing a book ("The Almost True Story
  of Ryan Fischer" by )
  
  -Max playin' happily in the sand for ever
  
  -Chasey singing "Your Attitude" a zillion
  times on the little wall at the end of the yard.
  
  -Riley & Court crackin' up during their week-long
  card game tourney
  
  -Realizing that Zoe is a water bug & couldn't stay
  out of the water
  
  -Smiling as Courtney discovered she really likes to
  row out in the one-man boat, going back & forth
  in the bright sunshine
  
  -Eating grilled steak & baked potatoes on the patio
  while watching the sailboats play a weird game
  of "Duck, Duck, Boat"... it really looked like it!
  
  -Laughing as Chilly told the boys that they were all
  the THREE AMIGOS!
  
  -Laughing even harder when he said
  Max was LUCKY DAY
  Chase was LITTLE NEDDY NEEDLEwhatever
  and Chilly was DUSTY BOTTOMS!
  
  -Then completely losing it as he taught them
  the THREE AMIGOS theme DANCE!!!
  
  -Watching Zoe carefully mold, shape & decorate
  her sand cake
  
  -Getting groceries with Riley on our first day and
  getting stuck waiting for a slow train with 162 cars!
  
  -Having popcicles or ice cream everyday
  
  -Finishing another book (listed below)
  
  -Sticking my feet in the sand & asking Chasey,
  "Where'd Mommy's feet go?" and watching
  him dig & dig until he found them
  
  -Sitting in the "hot pool" all alone, admiring
  the stars and the hugeness of God, yet be
  aware of His tender closeness
  
  Hmmm....
  I think writing down great moments -
  little clips of time-
  will remind me of the huge-mongeous
  thrill of being a wife & parent!
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Currently Reading 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One: Creating a Life of Meaning and Influence By Shawn Wood

Vacation 2008... we're HOME!

• Vacation

  
  Home again...
  We had a great time &
  here's a glimpse!
  I have a blog written in my heart
  and in my journal...
  so stayed tuned!
  Happy Week!
  
  
  
  
  
  and this is one of the books I read
  while we were gone... SO good!
  More about that later, too!
  
  
  

  Currently Reading 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One: Creating a Life of Meaning and Influence By Shawn Wood

Problem solved with Paint

Our neighborhood (entire city) is just blocks & blocks
of house upon house upon house. Most houses are actually
two separate flats. (We happen to have both up & downstairs).
Running through the middle of each block is an alley.

Each alley is home to weeds, weird discarded household items,
garbage, garbage cans and of course an assortment of common
little varmints (that will remain unnamed).

Mysterious things unraveled in our alley in July...
While stepping out from the garage to fetch our
blue & green cans just hours after the truck emptied them
we were shocked to discover that our garbage can had disappeared!
It mistakenly found a new home in someone else's yard.
But who's?
where?
why?
(that's another story that won't make it to another blog!)

For weeks we couldn't find it...
gone ... missing.

When you have SEVEN people in your house, ONE huge garbage
can makes a big difference! SIGH
A week...
month...
nearly a month and a half passed.

And then... We found it!!!!!
(all the while our address was spray painted on the back
but we hadn't been able to see it until now! SWEET!)

and I intend to do all I can to see that it isn't mistakenly taken
to a "new home"' ever again.

Here's how a little paint will prevent another case of the
mistaken-missing-now-found-garbage-can-mystery, but
it also provided a lovely, messy activity for the youngest kids!
(Then my oldest girl used black paint to put our address on
every side and lid!)







oh.. NOTE:
We'll be spending the next few days
with family... so my blog won't be updated
for a while.

The times I'm most frustrated with my life

is usually because I'm only thinking of MY life.

Currently Reading Zondervan NIV Study Bible see related