From the blessed/annointed fingertips of Ann Voskamp at www.aholyexperience.com: 

“Like the to-do list that isn’t touched and the read alouds I don’t read with children and the memories I’m not making and the intentions I don’t follow through on. Like the decisions I can’t make– and then do make. And wonder if they were the right ones at all?” I don’t have to look up. I know how she’s listening, how her eyes are simply waiting to hear, understand. A mother can always be pregnant – full of grace. She must feel it, me all stirring. “It’s about getting it all right?” Did she speak this softly when I wailed through the nights, when she held me and rocked? “No…” Why do I always have soul amnesia? Why can your head figure things out so much faster than your heart? Why is it that what runs through your veins learns so slow? It’s about praise, not perfection. The only right is found in His righteousness and grace is always the most amazing of all. Yesterday, I decided that making memories in December is far more valueable than doing math. I've always talked about taking December off of school, but I feel so guilty....like someone will find out. :-)  My heavenly Father already knows that December is super busy for us (as well as many others) and He's that one that I'm trying to please.  So yesterday we did NO school. Insert gasp here.... But we did enjoy family time and learning happened along the way. I'm not an unschooler by any stretch of the imagination. However, as I journey along this homeschooling path that God has called my family to, I discover that my own expectations and requirements sometimes (often) take away the joy of learning.  Sweet Girl showed her brother how to properly wrap a Christmas present. It was so sweet. He was struggling to get it right and she said that she used to be bad at wrapping gifts also but that last year I had sat down and showed her how to do it and now it was easy. She was then showing him. It was learning being transfered.  We cooked. Cleaned. Played with puppies. Cooked some more. Wrapped presents. Made gifts. Talked about family members. Shared stories. Had dinner together with Daddy. Practiced piano. Had good and bad moments. Read more of the Christmas story. Stayed up too late just loving on each other.  Yes.....that's a good trade off for Math. That'll come later. But yesterday.....I chose to LIVE IN THE MOMENT!  Blessings to you and your family as you capture December moments together!

A Motivational Bouquet of Love

We hear over and over again that love is the greatest motivational tool we have for training our children. 

Here are a few ideas that I found in an ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) Newsletter.  www.SchoolofTomorrow.com

Genuine Love - Our actions must show that we really mean it when we say, "I love you." Children can spot a hypocrite a mile away.

Unconditional Love - Tell your children, "There's nothing you could ever do that would make me stop loving you." Our love doesn't depend on their behavior; it is a choice we have made.

Premium Love - Just like premium fuel, daily walking out our love for the children will "cost" us something. Are we willing to sacrifice for their growth and well-being?

Hopeful Love - If a child knows you love him, it brings him security and hope. We should speak "faith" to our children - showing them we believe they will overcome in this evil world.

Understanding Love - Get to know the children in your sphere of influence and have compassion for them, recognizing their specific needs and challenges. Remember that they are children, so expect them to be immature at times. When they do, show them loving patience.

Consistent Love - Consistency breeds security. "Line upon line, precept upon precept" - daily, consistent love and guidance is what our children need from us.

Unending Love - John 15:12 tells us to, "Love one another, as I have loved you." God's love is eternal; He NEVER gives up on us. Aren't you glad? We need to persevere in prayer and love our children through the rough spots of life, just as Christ loves us.

If we share God's love with our children/students in all these ways, we will see a change in their attitudes and accomplishments. However, the biggest change will be in us. As we turn our hearts toward our children/students, the Lord will soften OUR hearts and help us to be true, walking examples of the love of Christ.







This was written to teachers in Christian schools. Wow. If only we as mother's and father's could do this with our own children. I am so grateful for the many men and women who have given their lives to teach in Christian schools around the globe. It is an unbelievable privilege to be able to teach my own children, but I do not take away from the thousands that are training up other peoples' children in small Christian schools. Without a pastor who had a vision for a Christian school in our churches basement, I would not be the person that I am today.

As a Kids' Ministry Leader, these are bold words for using with someone else's children. 

But isn't that Jesus' heart? Yes! Praying that we can truly love our own children as well as those around us.

"Give and it will be given to you. 

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, 

will be put into your lap; 

for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." 

Luke 6:38 

The Whole Hearted Child

I have skimmed through The Whole Hearted Child before after getting it from the library.
But I found one at a used curriculum sale for $3 and was so excited to have my own copy.
I've only just begun as I grabbed my yellow highlighter and turned to the introduction.

Here's what I found there:

"By the grace of God, you will one day rejoice to see your children graduating from your home school to take places of Christian leadership in the church and in the world. Your wholehearted child will become a mature Christian adult, serving God "with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind." (I Chron 28:9) And in God's timing, your sons and daughters will marry and begin their own families to carry on all that you have taught them, and to raise their own wholehearted children. May we all live to see that day."

Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! Deut 5:29

Yes, Lord, let it be so.

Family Update

The past couple of weeks have been really busy. With school starting up, lots of church events, hubby’s birthday, Mom’s birthday, busy getting 2 teeth pulled, a Ladies Tea House day, plus co-op starting up again. It’s too much to fit all in this letter so I’ll break it up into a few.

Busy and Sweetie are doing great in school this year. Busy LOVES to play the piano. I’m so happy. I don’t push him to practice, he just does it. He loves to go play on his breaks. Sweetie isn’t picking up on it as quickly, but Busy has been helping her. It’s so cute. 

Busy had two baby teeth pulled last Tuesday per the Orthodontists recommendation. I won’t let them pull any adult teeth, but I think getting those two baby teeth out was a good call. He’s doesn’t have enough room for his adult teeth to come in so one already popped through high on his gum. Hopefully this will help. I guess we’re just a braces family! Thankful though that the dentist  didn’t deem it cosmetic so they didn’t charge us. Praise the Lord!

Sweetie has been working on her letters and putting the sounds together. She loves school. However, she’s not so into the reading part. She’d rather have me read to her!    I know that she’ll get it though. She’s very smart. They are just so different in so many ways.

Here they are making cookies together. Sweetie was making them for the Round Up Sunday cooking contest. They sounded yummy—Oreo Cream Cheese Cookies—but they tasted yucky. She was disappointed that she   didn’t win but she takes everything so well and understood that other cookies tasted better than hers. We won’t try that recipe again.

Mom and I went to a Tea House in Sumner, the little town that my sister graduated from her homeschool co-op in, with the ladies from church. It was a really nice afternoon...even though mom and I aren’t really into fancy tea houses. It was still fun just being together.

The older I get the more I appreciate time spent with mom. She’s my best buddy. :-)

First day of school

Before school began:

I was SOOOOO excited to start this school year! Perhaps it was because both of my kids were officially in a grade although Reagan's been at the table with us the past two years! I had planned and re-planned and gone over and written out and re-written out my plan for the first week. I know that some don't like to do that because it's too "formal" but that's the way I vent my enthusiasm. Writing lists, writing on white boards, and planning things. :-) 

Friday, while driving through our neighborhood, we found a small little desk that said free on it. I initially drove past but quickly turned around and thought that would be perfect in Busy's room! Although I didn't know if I'd even like him having a desk or if he's use it since we've always done school together at the dining room table, I figured we had nothing to lose. And we love it!

This is what he woke to on Monday morning. He was really excited to have his own space. I wasn't sure how his focus would be without me there but it defiantly limited the distractions and worked really great. He's going to do his morning subjects at his desk while I work with Sweetie at the kitchen table...then he'll move out to the table with us after lunch to work on spelling and science. Thank you Lord for your provision!!!!

This is what Sweetie awoke to. A plethora of ABC books, CD's, videos, manipulatives....:-) She already knows her letters, but I wanted us to review before we enter the world of phonics and also have a super fun first day of Kindergarten! Note the white board with schedule in background?! :-)

Our dining room: Where much of our life is lived! :-) And learned I suppose.....

We began the morning with a special morning of eggs and biscuits. (The kids' choice.)

Sweetie opted for Kix!

She was soooo excited to get PACES like her brother!

We had fun matching Upper Case Bottoms to Lower Case tops....

And we had the coolest Animal Science...hands on....couldn't get any realer than this....science time.

Our puppies where born on the first day of school! So we spent the morning going in and out of the bathroom checking on Sophie and the pups. The first one was born at 7:30 AM and the fifth was born at 10:30 AM so it was perfect timing!

God is honestly so amazing!!! I even had written down to look through a spider book after lunch and  - I kid you not - this huge spider was in Sweetie's art box right after lunch. It made my heart so happy to know that my Father cares enough about me to send me a real spider because He knows how important homeschooling is to me!

It was a very good first day of school. It's actually been a fabulous first week of school but I don't have time nor you the desire to go through all the days but it was great and we ended it with a trip to Baskin Robins which is a huge treat that we don't normally do. And then on top of it I told them they could get a double cone and I thought they were going to faint. It was really cute. I'm actually glad that my kids don't have SO much that they don't appreciate a double scoop cone of ice cream. It was the perfect ending to a great day!      Hope yours went just as well. And if it didn't, there's always tomorrow! :-)

A new blog, a new school year.....

I have another blog but I seem to have lost interest in posting there so I decided to try out a new format. Both in location as well as content. I felt slightly lost in my last blog as to what I really wanted it for. After telling multiple of my friends where my blog was at, I decided that I'd like a place to keep church and home separate.

So, I'm still not sure where I'm going with this blog...

And honestly don't mind if I'm the only one who ever sees it. :-) 

I'm simply trying to express a few feelings, ideas, needs, thoughts

that perhaps wouldn't share otherwise. 

Today my heart is heavy for this upcoming school year.

I so desire to create a warm and positive learning experience for my kids.

I have a boy, Busy, who will be entering the 3rd grade....

and a daughter, Sweety, who is entering K. 

The past 3 years of homeschool have been wonderful but not without it's struggles.

Busy is extremely smart but getting him to focus is not always easy. 

Sweety is a wonderful listener, but doesn't want to try new things until she's sure she can succeed. 

We'll see what this year holds.....

Lord, please help Monday be a day filled with peace. 

My personality tends to be more loud, fun, and ready to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time....

However, this year I'm going with the candles, calming music, and tranquel approach. 

Not sure how that'll work out.

For my own sanity and the fact that I want my kids to look back and love homeschooling and that means I have to be the best mom I can be. Which means I have to find balance in my life. Over the past two years I feel like I've really gotten on top of my housework so that's big. Now this year I'm going to focus on meal planning. I don't enjoy cooking so I tend to put it off. 

Balance: Equal distribution of weight....

That's what my desire is. To evenly distribute my tasks of wife, mother, homeschool teacher, children's director, 2-day church secretary, granddaughter, daughter, sister, friend.