A Great Notebooking Giveaway!!!

I'd love to encourage you to visit Michelle's Homeschool Notebooking site. She has a great giveaway going on for Sept. And some great notebooking sets!

Haiku Friday - my kiddos

First came Mikayla
Then came Gus, Owen and Zeke
Now Baby Mary

Homeschool Memoir

Please join us today over atHSBA
They always do such a fabulous job, I'm sure this will be a fun meme to read and participate in.





This week’s theme is about sharing your 2008-09 homeschool agendas and plans. You’ve been preparing your plans for sometime and you’re ready to go. Or you’re still in the planning-stage and need some inspiration or tips on what to use. Because many use different curriculum and methods there is always something new to be gleaned from other homeschoolers. It’s always fun and interesting to see what other’s are using and the WWWWH as Robin Sampson suggests. So this week I hope you will share what you’re doing this year for your homeschool agenda. Share the different curriculum you’re using. You can also include what age/grade you’re using it for, how long you’ve been using it, and why you like it.

Please share a Bible verse that has encouraged you or inspired you during this planning-process, and how.


Hmmm... Agenda ... boy do I feel underqualified to write about that! I think this year I'm not quite with it. I could blame it on a few months of bedrest, and now a new baby plus toddler, school age and teenager, but I guess thats not really a viable excuse. Truthfully, I'm just not really a good planner. I often worry that this makes me a poor teacher. But I am trying. And I've found I really do like using the My Father's World (MFW) Curriculum. I love the God-centeredness and I love the parent/teacher manuels. I love that I can buy the essetials all from MFW online. Our whole purpose for schooling our kids at home is to give them a heart for God and for the nations, MFW does a great job at that!

We started using My Fathers World Curriculum curriculum 3 years ago, which is when I started homeschooling our second child. Unlike with his big sister we never thought about public schooling, we had found MFW and bought the Kindergarten curriculum, then the 1st grade, then he and his big sister did MFW's geography year titled "Exploring Countries and Cultures". In Jan we were supposed to start 3rd grade and 6th grade in MFW's "Creation to the Greeks" And we did begin it, but somewhere in all my Dr. appointments, hospital visits and bed rest we are only on week 10 in the lesson plan book. So I am laying aside my desire to "stay on track" with their public schooled and age/grade counter parts and we are picking up the books again and learning what God has for us to learn, at our own pace. I'm praying that as our new baby develops a little more schedule to her day we'll be able to pick up even more schooling. I do so much enjoy learning as a family.

As for a verse that has encouraged us or inspired us there are a few:

2 Peter 3:18 and Exodus 18:20

A visit with Gi-Gi!

Haiku Friday

its been quite a while
since I have written haiku
or posted on here

summer days and,
five kids keep me on the run
busy, but fun days

HomeschoolMemoirs08

A new meme is beginning today over at HSBA
They always do such a fabulous job, I'm sure this will be a fun meme to read and participate in.




The first theme begins today, August 20th, 2008. This week, we want to hear about YOU. The author behind the words. The Momma behind all the homeschooling kiddos. Just write up something about you, your family, and your home. How long you’ve been homeschooling and why you decided to homeschool. It doesn’t have to be anything lengthy at all, but we’d love to hear it!



So here is my post ... about me:

I am a Christ following, Attachment parenting, Homeschooling, Babywearing, Breastfeeding, mom to five beautiful blessing and married to my best friend, my high school sweetheart.

I'm a pretty flexible, go-with-the-flow personality. I could certainly use help in the areas of time management and household organization. I love being with my kids all day, everyday! I love to watch them grow and learn and I love the relationships we are building.



This past Sunday we dedicated our Baby Mary to the Lord in our morning church service. And as at all my children's dedication services their grandpa (my father-in-law) sang a special song. This time we chose to have him sing "Take My Life and Let It Be". That was the song playing on my ipod May 29th as our Baby Mary was being born and it really does seem to sum up all my prayers for my self, and for my children:



Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.

::Chorus::
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.

Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.
x3


If you still want to know more about me click HERE

Wordless Wednesday

On Sunday we dedicated Mary to the Lord in our morning Church Service. She wore "The Dress" The dress that was given to me as an infant, I wore it, my sisters each wore it, my older daughter wore it almost 13 years ago and my neices have each worn it. My mom has kept it in a special box and had the names of each of us embroidered in the inside hem. Just precious!





T see more from Sunday please visit:
myfirstdaysoflife.blogspot.com

3 brothers 1 shopvac and waterballoons

Wordless Wednesday from the ball park

If you would like to post your own Wordless Wednesday or just look at a whole lot more, come over and join the fun HERE and remember to thank Tiany for hosting every week!



This Wed. we went to a MN Twins game to celebrate birthdays. My niece and nephew turned one, and they share their birthday with their mom (my sister) and their great grandpa!







Our baby Mary's first time at a Twins game:

A Monday Moment at the Zoo!

Ever have one of those moments where you wonder what in the world you got yourself into?!?!

My mom and I took my sister's 3 kids and my 5 kids to the Zoo today. Thats one mom, one grandma and 8 kids! I think the kids had a great time, but I think all my mom and I did was take turns counting kids. We had fun too, just exhausted now.

The Olympics begin today!
Will you be watching?
Did you see the opening ceremony?

Please visit this link to learn about VOM prayer bands for China





And two other links for you:

http://www.kidsturncentral.com/links/2008olympics.htm

http://www.persecution.com/

http://www.kidsofcourage.com/

Thankful Thursday!

Thankful Thursdays is hosted by Iris please join us every Thursday!


This Thurs I am thankful to be a mom of 5 wonderful children!

And especially thankful for the blessing of a daughter whose heart loves the Lord.

I am thankful that the youth from our church had the opportunity to participate in a mission trip with YouthWorks. My oldest daughter has such a heart for the Lord and for others!

I've missed her terrible this week ... but today I can be thankful they are headed home from thier trip!

Here are a few photos from the day we sent them off: