The Work of Faith

I went to a retreat this past weekend and I can't begin to tell you what I got out of it.  First of all, I have never been to a retreat, so I had no set expectations.  But then I got there and experienced it, and loved every second of it.  One of the women that went that I had met on a couple other occasions, received a mustard seed encased in an antique glass bulb on a chain.  I asked her about it and she said, don't you know the story about the grain of mustard?  I stupidly said no, and she went on to tell me the story.  
How crazy is this?!  I ordered a subscription for my girls to receive every other week from church for them to refer to and as we were reading it, we came across the story of the mustard seed.  Pretty cool how God works.

In the Bible, the disciples ask Jesus to give them more faith.  He goes on to tell them that if they had a tiny bit of faith, even the size of a mustard, that they could command a great big tree to move!  When God made my girls, they were no bigger than a mustard seed and then they grew and grew!  Then, as they are growing, faith makes them grow strong in love and to work hard to live like Jesus.  These are my seeds.

 

Can't quite figure out how to "twist the pictures" when I scan them, but here is my group for my retreat that gave me a whole new perspective in life (I pray meeting with these dear new friends, my faith  continues to refresh and renew throughout each week.

Beyond Words

Miss Rob's Mom, and my grandparents, beyond words, this year.  4 years.  Eternity at times.  To have them back for one more hug.  Just one.

The girls having fun with experiments, giving presentations and hanging with friends at our co-op on Thursday afternoons.

 

Practicing keyboarding- a challenge when you have gotten used to hunting an pecking.

Learning to "widdle" with Dad with a pocket knife we got on a field trip.

Last Days

The girls trying to soak up the last days of summer as Sadie watches from afar with her broken foot (still, two casts later)

Welcome to my Life

I believe God leads us down certain paths for a reason.  I can honestly say as I look back on my girls' educational experiences, they have all been great experiences.  Public, private, and now homeschooling.  Why, you are asking?  Basically, it’s my desire. Homeschooling has been something that has been in my heart since Erika started school. So I’m going with it.
There is not one particular reason for why I'm teaching the girls at home.  I feel like I've always homeschooled whenever I got the chance.  I feel like we’re not embarking on a completely new endeavor as it is that we just want to prolong the good feeling I get when we are home together. Like it or not, we are our children’s teachers. We are just making it official.


We’re not the average family in some ways. Rob needs to travel for his job, and a lot of the responsibility for the girls lies on me. Having the girls home with me, the stress of homework and schedules and carpooling will be greatly reduced. With them always being at three different schools, I never feel like I am really contributing to quality time at their school. Just spending a lot of time and money, and never even seeing my girls. (Ellie is actually going to first grade at Bowman, we love it there, and I want her to experience it just like the girls did).

The world doesn’t embrace the ways we are all different and unique, because our society sometimes glamorizes sameness and homogenized things. But I do love the diversity that is in the world: religiously, politically, racially, geographically. This way, we can embrace the things that make our family different than anyone else’s. It fits us. It may not fit our neighbors, but it will hopefully work for us. I don’t know what the next few years will bring, but change is good, and kids are resilient.


Our girls will be grown and gone soon enough. I want to be with them as much as possible while they are young. If I am blessed enough to be able to be home for our girls, why not have them home with me? So that when Rob is home, the quality of our evenings are so much better.


I am very excited about taking field trips. There is so much out there that we can experience first-hand, right under our noses. Going out and learning about life in the real world is a fantastic way to learn. The girls were able to go on one field trip this year, because PTO was able to pay for it. Who knows about next year? We can go to some really fun and educational places. The field trips can enhance the literature we are reading, a way for them to value learning about life in the real world.


I know the schools are fantastic, filled with caring teachers and lots of awesome programs. If there is one thing I learned from these last years of being home and experiencing the schools as a parent, between public and The Academy, it is that ratios make a huge difference in learning.

So it sounds like I have nothing to lose. Except my sleep and maybe my sanity, but who’s keeping track? I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I certainly don’t believe home schooling is the only way. But it sure seems right to me. Right now. And since that is the case, we're giving it a shot! I have to admit, I’m scared, I don’t feel completely equipped for the job. I am not 100% certain that it is right. I have moments of selfishness where I’d just like to say they will be fine and send them to school during the day so I can that time to get skinny, have a clean house, make dinner, and go out to lunch with my girlfriends. But then I remember what my purpose in life is.


The following quote by Priscilla Shirer, from her book Discerning the Voice of God, is beautiful and as I read it, sums up a lot of what I feel about home schooling. It’s the same thing I feel about life:


“Life isn’t about what I’m going to do, but it is instead about what God wants to accomplish in me.” She says, "When you face two options and each seems to please God, consider the one that displays God’s glory, power and strength. This makes room for god to reveal Himself to you and show Himself through you. God wants us to see the wondrous things He will accomplish in us. Don’t be fearful about the hard road He may ask you to take. Be encouraged and excited about seeing His divine, supernatural activity in and through you. God’s voice commands the option that will display His power. He desires to show Himself strong in you and will encourage you to do things that requires trust and faith.”

Twinkle Toes

Twinkle Toes.  It's the latest thing.  Everybody has them! 

At least that's what Ellie convinced Nana of. 

I have to admit, they look like they were made for Ellie... sparkles, glitter, lights, bling!

Nana couldn't resist ellie's pleas.

Ellie had a rough start to the school year, but is being very brave and making the most of school without her sisters and mommy with her.  I never imagined she would miss us like she does- she is so social and loves being with her friends. 

I miss her like crazy, but I know she is learning lots and now, thanks to Nana, she is just going to look

 FABULOUS at school!

Last Days of Summer

Sadie watching girls playing in sprinker...

rob teaching erika how NOT to cut her finger off whittling...

This morning we woke up to find that Sadie had chewed off her splint.  Nice. After a vet phone call, and trying to avoid paying the extra fee for coming in on a Sunday, we need to take her to get another splint on in the morning.  Only problem is that I get my wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow.  (I'm freaking a little, never been put to sleep and I'm pretty much a wimp....)

Trying to soak up the last days of summer- the girls have been asking for several days if they could play in the sprinkler. Trying to explain to them that summer is over, I gave in and let them get some last thrills of the cold sprinkler.

Sadie has to stay off her foot and not run around, but she was going crazy knowing the girls were outside playing without her!  We let her be a bystander- check her out!

Friday, the girls and I went to a Civil War re-enactment, and the girls had a "field day" in the gift shop!  We've been using sling shots and "whittling" with their "goods."  Fun times!   

Demolition Days

My favorite place used to be my screened porch.  It's nothing special, it's actually very small and nothing to it.  But I find myself out there at night when I need to sort my thoughts.  After redesigning the patio, it's definitely an extension of our home.  We've been in our home for 6 years now, and every year we'd toss around the idea of adding landscaping. Before, it was just a small curved concrete patio. When we got an estimate a few years ago, the cost of hardscaping scared us away.  We finally sucked it up and realized we would spend more time outside if we had a little privacy.  It's so great to go out and do schoolwork with the girls, and roast marshmallows and just relax.  So glad we did it, and happy this weather is so nice to actually enjoy the outdoors. 

We love having our new firepit and the fun that comes with it!  (Not loving so much the campfire smell on our sheets at night that lingers until the next sheet washing).

Dale Hollow Memories

Our camper- a great spot!  There is actually a body of water inbetween our camper and the ramp, it's just not visible from this view.

Our view from our camping spot

Rob and his girls (Sadie too!) 

Emily and Ellie being daredevils

All three on the tube hangning out for mom to take a picture- they wouldn't attempt all three tubing together!

Giving kisses to calm her- at first she was petrified to tube.  We looked pretty awful as we were pulling her along and she was hyperventilating and screaming like a crazy girl!

Feeding the ducks- they ate right out of our hands!

What is camping without a show in front of the campfire?

Scavenger hunt- they had a blast!  Quite the competitors- kept them busy for awhile!

yummy smile after some ice cream at the dock