Light at Home

Founder's Week at Moody Bible Institute

2012-02-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

2/13/2012

I attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for my undergraduate studies. I love Moody and enjoyed my time there. I still appreciate Moody's strong commitment to the Word of God and to training the next generation of missionaries and pastors.

Founder's Week is an entire week that Moody sets aside each February for students, alumni and the general public to hear wonderful Bible teaching. Numerous pastors and speakers are brought in from around the country. Classes are cancelled for the week and students are expected to attend all the sessions they possibly can. It is a week full of encouragement and challenge and maybe even some overload by hearing so many great messages.

Last week was Founder's Week 2012. While I couldn't attend in person, I am grateful for Moody's website and links to hear/watch the messages.

Francis Chan, one of my favorite authors and speakers, shared a message for Founder's Week. You can find it here. As usual, he did not disappoint. He was authentic and heavy on taking the Bible at face value... and then living it out.

For not being able to attend in person, this is the next best thing. Check it out!

Book Review: Duggars and A Love that Multiplies

2012-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

2/9/2012

I recently read two books by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar: 20 and Counting and A Love That Multiplies.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on the Duggar family. Personally, I've never seen their TV show and knew very little about them before reading these books. I was impressed by how open and honest they were in both books about their life, their faith, their struggles. I suppose there is little left to hide when you host a reality TV show in your home! I found that candor to be refreshing and encouraging. I can honestly say that many of the tips and tricks the Duggars have learned as parents were worth noting.

One of the goals my husband and I are working on this year is to hold the Word of God higher in our family. That is, we are being more intentional about studying God's Word together as a family and also in bringing it to bear more on the decisions we make, including parenting decisions. The Duggars are great examples in this way, valuing family Bible study and memorizing Scripture together and looking for ways to apply God's Word to daily life.

I am also challenged by Michelle's gentle tone. Since reading the books, I have checked out a few short videos from their show. For Christmas I also received a one-hour video called "Tea with Michelle Duggar" which I recently viewed. She has such a soft, sweet voice and she notes in the books her challenge to keep her voice calm and quiet all day long, never to raise her voice in anger. For over a month now, this has been a path God has had me on - working to maintain a quieter voice with my children. Although I haven't done so perfectly, I can already see a difference in the way my children are responding to me when I stay calm, with a gentle voice, even during times of stress or anger. And not only do they respond better, but I feel better about myself (no guilt) and about the example I'm setting for them.

I enjoyed the wonderful stories throughout the book of how God showed up at just the right moment to provide or to encourage or to guide the Duggars. The books include dozens of these true stories that encourage me to pray and to expect that God will move on my behalf.

If you are looking for an easy-to-read book with a good mixture of practical advice and faith and humor and even recipes... enjoy getting to know the Duggars!

PS: Of course you can also learn more at the Duggar family website here.

Children's Reading List: American Girl Rebecca and Lapbook

2012-02-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

2/8/2012

My daughter has finished reading the book series for the next American Girl - Rebecca from 1914.

Rebecca is from a Jewish family of immigrants from Russia. They live in a cramped apartment in New York and raise money for other extended family members to make the trip to America. My daughter asked some deeper questions about what Jewish people believe after reading these books. She also found it fascinating that "moving pictures" were just being invented and were woven into Rebecca's books. She proudly recognized the name Charlie Chaplin.

As we've done for the previous girls, we worked on a lapbook for Rebecca.
All of the materials we used can be found for free here. Since Rebecca is a newer girl, there aren't templates yet designed for her. We used the generic templates that can be used for any girl. Here's my daughter with the cover of her lapbook - a picture she drew of Rebecca. She included a menorah in the background. Page 1 of the lapbook, with mini-books describing Rebecca's mother, father, father's job, hobbies, house, fashion from 1914, my daughter's favorite book from the series (and why) and what lessons she learned from the books.

Page 2 of the lapbook shows mini-books describing Rebecca's best friend, her hometown, her pet, and 4 fun facts about life in 1914, along with a map highlighting New York (where Rebecca's story takes place).

There are now 3 more girls before my daughter has read all of the American Girl books (for the historical characters) and earned her way to visit the American Girl Store in Chicago. Looks like I should prepare myself that visit to be in March, at the rate she's going.

Moving on to Kit, who lived during the Great Depression.

Miscarriage: This is the Day

2012-02-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

2/5/2012

"This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Today is an important day. This is the day my baby would've been born, if...

It's an important day only because of what might have been, but isn't. If things were different, it'd be a day for celebration. A day of birth. A day to remember and celebrate each year hereafter.

Instead, the day will pass as another ordinary day. But I will praise the Lord for my baby, who lives with Him now. Praise will be on my lips, even if I also have tears in my eyes. Although my arms ache to hold him, I will rejoice to know that I will see him some day. I will grieve, but as one who has great hope.

I love you, Grant David, my son. I loved being your mommy for as long as I had. And I smile to know that you are in the precious of Jesus Christ and praising your Creator. You know no pain or suffering or sorrows - how blessed! I'll see you soon!

Although this isn't the way I would've planned things or hoped things to be, I will say "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will be glad and rejoice in it." He has made me glad and filled me with joy and hope. I praise and thank Him alone!

Praise the Lord!

PS: I know this is the day he would've come. He was due in late January. All my babies come late, so he would've come late too. And all my babies are born on the 5th of the month, so I just know that today is his day. He probably is big like his brother, who looked like a beefed up football player at birth. Appropriate that Grant's day would've been Super Bowl Sunday. :-)

Family Photo Friday

2012-02-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

2/3/2012

The first Friday of February is here. My week's been crazy - how about yours? Here are a few photos to give you a glimpse into our week.

We watched our little buddy Eli one day this week. He is almost 2 years old now and is very much on the go. What fun he and my son had running around together!

My daughter has been sick with a cough and runny nose and then developed an ear ache. Yesterday we headed to the doctor and she was diagnosed with an ear infection too, so she's had a long, tiring week and needed a good nap!

Here's my son looking proud of his Lincoln Log building. Isn't he adorable?!

And a close up picture of his cowboy man. My husband is building a dollhouse for my daughter. Here's what it looks like so far. My daughter is super excited and both kids are helping with the work of making it. My family being super silly with Dad's breakfast sandwich. The cheese really did squeeze out and look like a tongue. The googly eyes were added for the silliness of the photo.

Happy Friday to you!

Children's Reading List: American Girl Samantha and Lapbook

2012-01-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/30/2012

My daughter has finished reading about American Girl Samantha, who lived in 1904.

Way back when I was a girl, Samantha was my favorite American Girl. At that time, there were only 3 (as opposed to the 9 or 10 they have now, and are always adding more). I thought Samantha was very pretty and rich and I thought the Victorian era was so beautiful and idyllic. I remember reading a few of the Samantha books back then. Fast forward 20-some years and now my daughter is enjoying those same books, which is wonderful (and also makes me feel old).

As we've done with all of the American Girls we've studied so far, we made a lapbook to highlight Samantha's story and life. All of our lapbooking templates can be found for free here.

Here's my daughter showing the cover of her Samantha lapbook - a drawing she made of Samantha in her fancy house. Here's page one, with flaps for: Who is Samantha, Samantha's World, Living in 1904, a house from her era, and Fashion.

Here's page two, with mini-books showing: favorite things, favorite pastimes, what changes in Samantha's life, conflict, and a map showing where Samantha lived (New York).

Only 4 more American Girls to study (Rebecca, Kit, Molly, and Julie). My daughter is earning a trip to Chicago to the American Girl store by reading through these books chronologically. Looks like she'll have earned that trip in a month or so, if she continues at this pace!

Family Photo Friday

2012-01-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/27/2012

It's Friday! Another month is coming to an end. So hard to believe!
Here are a few photos from our week.

My daughter is a Girl Scout, so it's cookie selling time. We've had to buy a few boxes, so she could sample the cookies, of course. [Sorry for the poor quality of the photo] Here the kids were giving thumbs-up to the Carmel deLites, which are our favorite of the 3 kinds we've tried so far. This makes me wonder if a high percentage of Girl Scout families themselves make up most of the cookie sales. My daughter did some sponge painting this week with a kit she received for Christmas. I've been trying to include some craft time in our homeschool schedule so she can do fun projects like this.

My son played with an alphabet puzzle. I let him do it his way, which turned the puzzle into a road complete with a bulldozer to drive on it. He's all boy... but he's learning his letters so I'm not complaining!

Happy Friday to you!

Book Review: Erasing Hell

2012-01-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/25/2012

I've always loved author and speaker Francis Chan. I've been through numerous studies based on his books and have enjoyed many online messages he's given. The short video clip here is one of my favorites.

His tell-it-like-it-is style draws me in. He isn't tied to a particular denomination or theology as much as he is tied to the Bible. He is trying to read the Bible at face value and apply it to life in America today. He can read the pulse of the American church in a way that few others can.

Recently I read his newest book: Erasing Hell. This book is a response to a lot of discussion lately about whether there really is a hell. As usual, Francis Chan didn't disappoint. He provided solid biblical answers to common objections, but did so in a humble way.

Francis Chan has a very high view of God, meaning that he knows that God's ways are not man's ways. God is God, the Creator, the Infinite One. We're just the creatures He made. We can't understand Him fully. We have simple, finite minds. Therefore, it makes complete sense that there may be some things that God does that we don't get. But that doesn't make Him any less God or make the facts any less true. We may not like the concept of hell and may wish that there wasn't a hell, but that's not what the Bible says. So we have to come to grips with our humanity and God's deity.

The book is also a challenge to those of us who are Christians. If we believe in hell, then we should be openly sharing the Good News of salvation in order to keep people from going there.

This book is based on the Bible but isn't too heady or deep for the common person to read and understand. If you are a fan of Francis Chan or want to learn more about what the Bible does and doesn't say about hell, check out Erasing Hell.

My Daughter's Pottery Wheel

2012-01-24T01:00:00.001-08:00

1/24/2012

My daughter received a pottery wheel for Christmas. We've only used it once so far, but boy did she love it! [For Mom, on the other hand, it took 30+ minutes to clean it up afterwards, so it's far from a favorite in Mom's eyes. But for nearly 2 hours of crafting fun, maybe the clean up time is worth it]

The pottery wheel came with tools to help shape the clay or etch it with fancy designs. However, my daughter really liked free-style where she didn't use the tools but just used her hands to shape it. She made a cup, a plate, a pot, and just kept remolding the same clay over and over many times.

I think it was this Mr. Rogers episode that inspired her free-style pottery technique.

I predict there will be more pottery being created at our house in the future!

Book Review: Unplanned

2012-01-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/23/2012 Last week I checked out this book from the library: Unplanned by Abby Johnson.

At the time I wasn't even thinking about January 22 being Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. It was just a book I'd heard about and wanted to read. I'm glad I did.

I've been pro-life my entire life. I chose the topic of abortion for my 7th grade persuasive speech. I remember debating the topic with my oldest brother at our dining room table in my teen years. I've never understood why anyone would choose abortion over parenting or adoption.

In many ways my views haven't changed. I'm a mom. Believe me, I know it's hard to be a parent and there are moments I wonder why being a full-time, at-home parent is the path I've chosen when so many other "careers" seem like they'd be easier. But I've also always had a heart children. I simply cannot fathom wanting to kill my baby.

I enjoyed this book because it was a true story. It's Abby Johnson's first-hand account of working at Planned Parenthood for 8 years and then how God changed her heart. The book is easy to read and easy to follow.

What I liked most, though, was how Abby presented "the other side." Because she had been pro-choice, she was able to explain the mindset that she had when she first became a volunteer and then later an employee at Planned Parenthood. I don't think I've ever considered the thought-process and emotions of those on the other side of this issue. I've just stereotyped all pro-choicers together as un-caring baby-killers who have no conscience. This book helped me to better understand that many pro-choicers truly believe they are doing what is best for women. They truly want to help women and see the termination of a pregnancy as the best way to help that woman who is in crisis.

Of course, there is the rub. I agree with author Abby Johnson who contends that what is ultimately best for women who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy is not to just get "rid of the problem" with a temporary fix (abortion). This doesn't do anything to help the women out of the lifestyle they find themselves in (whether that is prostitution, casual sex, etc). While abortion may be a quick fix, it is not a lasting solution to problems. Also, as a Christian, there is a huge component missing from the "help" Planned Parenthood can give - the care for the entire woman, including her emotions and her spirit.

While the abortion debate rages on, I found this book to be insightful. I appreciated the perspective. While my conviction of the value of human life (from conception to natural death) didn't change, I found myself moved with compassion for those who respectfully disagree. I am challenged to pray. I am once again challenged to love people - to look less at the differences that divide us and more at what we have in common.

So no matter where you land on the abortion debate, this book can give you an insightful and thought-provoking look into the mindset of those on the other side of the fence.

Children's Reading List: American Girl Addy and Lapbook

2012-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/19/2012

My daughter recently finished reading the next book series in the American Girl collection: Addy.

Addy and her mama are runaway slaves, living in 1864. They escape, but leave behind Addy's baby sister, older brother and papa. The family is eventually reunited and find freedom. Although these books may pose an unrealistically happy ending to this family's story, they were a great introduction to the Civil War time era, slavery and the Underground Railroad.

We have not yet studied this time period in our homeschool history lessons (my daughter moved on with the American Girl books while we're studying American history at a slower pace in school). After reading this series, I pulled out some other materials to supplement her learning.

We have numerous Adventures in Odyssey tapes, including episodes on Abraham Lincoln and the Underground Railroad, so my girl has been enjoying the history woven into those entertaining radio dramas.

My daughter also created a lapbook for Addy, as she's done for all of the American Girls she's read about so far. All of the lapbooking templates we use can be found for free here.

This is the lapbook cover - a picture my daughter drew of Addy, in front of the sewing shop where her mother found work.

Here's the first set of pages of the lapbook, with mini-books showing Who Is Addy, her Father, her Mother, Living in 1864, What Changes in Addy's Life, and more descriptions of Addy's World.
The lapbook opens up to two more pages, with mini-flaps about Addy's pet, her best friend, her favorite things, conflict in the storyline, and a map showing where Addy lived (in the South and the North).

So my daughter has read about Kaya, Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Marie-Grace and Cecile... and now Addy. These girls span 100 years, from 1764 to 1864. What a great way to learn about American history! Next up is Samantha from 1904.

Works for Me Wednesday - Crockpot Applesauce

2012-01-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/18/2012

Who doesn't love homemade applesauce?! I grew up on my Grandma Nellie's delicious applesauce and not until recently did I think to try my hand at making it myself.

I found it to be way easier and healthier than I ever would've thought! And it doesn't have to involve lots of peeling, slicing, coring, etc.

I use a combination of Fuji and Jazz apples. Why? Because they were on sale at the store. And because the applesauce turned out delicious the first time using these apples. My grandma always used Greenings apples. It might take some trial and error or research to find what kind of apples make the applesauce you like best.

I cut about 8 apples into wedges and put them in the crockpot. Don't spend a lot of time on this. Big chunks are fine. I do not peel the apples. I do cut out any big bruises but don't worry about small ones. I remove the core but the rest of the apple goes into the crockpot. I add a very small bit of water.

I sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the apples. Cover. Turn on the crockpot for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Using the crockpot is wonderful because your house will smell SO GOOD as the apples cook.

No need to be super precise on the time. Test your apples. If they are mushy, they're done. If they are still firm, leave them in longer.
Pour the mushy apples into a sieve. Squish away. The sieve will, of course, let the applesauce through the holes into a bowl while it will hold back the peels and any seeds.

Enjoy your applesauce! It's delicious warm and can be eaten immediately. Or you can refrigerate or freeze it for later. We found that we didn't need to add any sugar at all. The sweetness of the apples and the cinnamon were all that was needed for delicious applesauce.

Works for me!

Book Review: The 10 Second Rule

2012-01-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/16/2012

Over Christmas break, I read the book The 10 Second Rule: Just Do The Next Thing You're Reasonably Certain Jesus Wants You To Do.

This book is an easy read. In fact, I read the entire thing in one sitting - during the drive to Wisconsin. I really liked the book. It was very easy to understand and contained lots of stories that kept it real.

The basic principle is just that, basic. If you're a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit living within you. He prompts you now and then to do certain things. Maybe it's a warning to avoid going down a sinful path. Maybe it's a specific command to do something, like help someone stranded on the side of the road. The author is simply asking us to act and to do so within the next 10 seconds. That is, don't over-analyze what you think you're hearing God say. Don't talk yourself out of action. The longer you wait, the more your reason will kick in and convince yourself that it's too late to call that person now, or that wasn't really God talking to you, or someone else will help them if you don't, etc. I've heard it called "the paralysis of analysis." We tend to over-analyze everything and not want to act until we're 100% sure of what to do but that keeps us from acting at all!

I was challenged by the book, to take those little promptings and to truly do it. In the past I have trained myself to disobey rather than to obey. I am an old dog needing to learn new tricks, to be re-trained.

Last week I was at Meijer getting some groceries. I had numerous Meijer gift cards I'd received for Christmas, so my plan was to spend those all up. As I checked out, I didn't end up buying enough to totally max out the cards, surprisingly. So I was putting the cards away, when I saw an acquaintance come into the store. She is a mom of 5 children, 2 of whom are infant twins that were just released from the hospital around Christmastime. I immediately felt a prompting to give her my gift cards. I did. I obeyed. She hugged me and with tears repeated over and over, "God bless you! God bless you!"

My daughter was with me that evening. We walked out of the store and she said "That was fun!" I want her to see that obeying those promptings from God can be fun. It can be exhilarating. It can also be scary. It can push us out of our comfort zone. But how wonderful to be used of Him, to be His hands and His feet, to obey when He wants us to share His resources with others.

So, I recommend this book as a quick read that will encourage you to be bold, to just do it... and do it within the next 10 seconds!

Family Photo Friday

2012-01-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/13/2012

Friday is here again. I have a few photos from our week to share.

My daughter is still taking piano lessons (it's been about 6 months since she started). Here she was dutifully practicing her lesson. My husband reading a favorite book to our son. This boy loves books and he loves his daddy!

Ode to the Twinkie. With the recent news that Hostess is declaring bankruptcy, I mentioned Twinkies to my kids. I was met with "What's a Twinkie?" They have never had Twinkies (gasp!) so I made sure to pick some up on my next shopping trip. Here they are having their first-ever Twinkies.

My daughter found Twinkies to be a bit dry and passed hers on to little brother, who gladly finished his own and the rest of hers. What are brothers for?!

Happy Friday, y'all!

Goals for 2012

2012-01-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/10/2012

It's that time of year again, when re-evaluating comes naturally and everyone is talking about self-betterment.

Last year was the first year I set some goals in January and checked in every month to see what progress was being made. It felt really good to aim at something and take steps to get there.

So here I am again, with new goals for a new year.

Health Goal: Maintain a healthier lifestyle by eating healthier (more fruits and veggies, more beans, small portion sizes) and by exercising regularly. Back to the treadmill I will go! I will exercise 4 days a week for 30 minutes. My goal would be to lose at least 10 pounds this year and to continue to lower my cholesterol, getting into a healthy range.

Parenting Goal: To not raise my voice at my children. This is a difficult area for me, but already God is working with me to show more respect to my children. I very much regret the example I've set for my children - of anger, of yelling at others - and I know that it will take consistency on my part to change that example.

Computer Goal: To spend less time on the computer on a daily basis. I am afraid to actually track the time I sit at this computer each day. Minutes add up quickly and I know I'd be surprised at the results. My goal is to check in for 30 minutes in the morning, then for 15 minutes or less around lunch time, 15 minutes or less mid-afternoon and spend 30 minutes or less on the computer in the evening. Blog time is included in there, so this blog may see some cut backs this year too, since I blog as time allows and not out of obligation or guilt. I watch zero TV, so the combined 1 and 1/2 hours of computer time is all of my "screen time" for the day.

So these are three of the areas I'll be focusing on this year. I'm excited! I like to be intentional in making choices. Life doesn't just happen to us. Pounds don't just jump on us - we take them in one bite at a time. And change can happen, one step at a time. I make it happen. You make it happen. Take some intentional steps to your goals today!

These Kids and Their Mongolian Ger

2012-01-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/9/2012

Hi honey. It's me. Yah, everything is fine. I just wanted to tell you about something the kids are up to.

They've been outside playing for a few minutes. I looked out the window and saw this igloo tent-looking thing. Then our daughter runs in to tell me about it. "Mom, we have a house out there. I made it from an umbrella and a blanket from the garage. I made sure the door was not on the side with the wind. We call it a Mongolian ger."

Ok. A what? I had to search Google images to see what she was talking about. Sure enough... a Mongolian ger is exactly what it looks like.

Love it when I learn something new from my 8-year-old!

Family Photo Friday

2012-01-06T01:00:00.001-08:00

1/6/2012

Happy 1st Friday of the New Year! 2012 is off and running. Are you keeping up so far?! Since I've shared lots of holiday pictures all week, my pictures for today are just for fun.

One day while at my mom's house, the kids played dress up. See what fun they were having! This one of my son is hilarious! Smile!

It's Friday!

Christmas Celebrations, finale!

2012-01-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/4/2012

Our last Christmas celebration was at my mother's house last weekend. What a great time we had! Delicious food, lots of fun. A few family members took part in the "ugly sweater" contest so that brought about laughs just looking at them. There are always gag gifts mixed in with the "regular" gifts so that is a lot of fun too. Here's a great family shot on my mom's stairway.

Just the kids.

Just me and my main squeeze. :-)

Here's a picture of my son as he waited to open a gift. He received a large floor puzzle, a matching game and a toy truck. Here's my daughter opening a gift. She received a digital camera and a photobook. She was very excited!

My daughter made this lollipop tree ornament as a craft and wanted to give it to Grandma K, so here she is with Grandma as she opened it.

One benefit of living far away is that we spread the Christmas celebrations out over the course of 2 weekends, making it last much longer. This way, it's not over in just one day. We enjoy it that way.

But now Christmas is over. As I consider our holidays, I am so very thankful for family - both immediate and extended family. I am also thankful for the birth of Jesus Christ, my Savior. I cannot imagine how my life would have turned out without Him.

So I'll say it one last time, Merry Christmas!

Christmas Celebrations, continued

2012-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

1/3/2012

We've returned home after spending a few days in Wisconsin, enjoying Christmas celebrations with my side of the family. One evening we were at my dad's house, along with aunts, uncles and cousins that we rarely get to see.

My son, in typical childlike fashion, was excited to see Grandpa but also the toys that he knows Grandpa has. He was anxious to ride this horse, as well as play with a big fire truck and cement mixer truck that Grandpa owns.Here my daughter and her cousin Christa were using paddles to clap out a little chant they performed for us all - the Girl Scout promise. Both of them are Girl Scouts so they both knew "the promise" and recited it for all to hear. "On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times and to live by the Girl Scout law."

Here is my son playing with cousin Danielle, who was playing with these magnetic balls she'd received as a gift. She used them to create rings and bracelets for my son. He loved it!

I was glad we were able to catch up with a few "long lost relatives" that we haven't seen for years. I was also pleasantly surprised by my grandma and one aunt who shared their condolences over the loss of our baby and recounted a bit of their own experiences with miscarriages. I appreciated their kindness and was encouraged.

I'm reminded today that the real meaning of Christmas is "Emmanuel." It is God with us. It is God coming to earth to share in our troubles and trials. In the same way that it is encouraging to hear from others who have walked the same path we're on, it is encouraging to know that Christ has walked this earth and experienced the ups and downs that we all encounter. That is Good News!

Merry Christmas! Emmanuel has come!

Still celebrating!

2011-12-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/29/2011

My family is headed out of town for the weekend, to continue our Christmas celebrating. I'll be taking a blogging break until we return and I have some pictures to share next week. Happy New Year!

Snow... finally!

2011-12-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/28/2011

I woke up to my daughter singing "Praise God for making it snow!" After our green Christmas, everyone was excited to see the white stuff arrive. It was a heavy, wet snow - perfect for making a snowman. Here's my daughter, son and husband, along with neighbor Sarah making a snowman in our yard. You can see the finished product at the top of this page.

Fun times in the snow!

Christmas Celebrations, continued

2011-12-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/27/2011

We hosted my husband's extended family on Christmas Day, following church. 14 people. Plenty of food. Plenty of gifts. Plenty of Christmas joy. :-)

The food was served from my hutch and a side table. Believe me, our family never goes hungry at gatherings like this! There is always WAY more food than is necessary. Ham, two kinds of potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, corn, rolls, green bean casserole, and at least 4 kinds of pie for dessert, in addition to other cookies and bite-sized sweets.

Here's our tree (and notice the lack of snow outside the window - my daughter was especially bummed at having a green Christmas this year). Envelopes always get put on the tree, while the gifts go under.

My son was playing peek-a-boo with someone across the room while waiting to open his gifts.

My son received this Hot Wheels truck that loops and drives upside down. Very cool. My brother-in-law had to check it out for himself.

After the planned activities were over, my husband, brother-in-law Brian, niece Hannah and mother-in-law played dominoes together.

I am thankful that we have a house that works well for hosting gatherings like this. I'm also thankful for my husband's family, who all live close-by and all get along fairly well... for being family! :-)

I love Christmas!

Christmas Celebrations!

2011-12-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/26/2011

Our immediate family celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve Day this year.

We spent time in the morning around the piano, singing Christmas carols - one of our favorite things to do as a family. My usually shy and quiet daughter can really belt out the tunes, when I'm playing and singing with her.

We talked through the Christmas story. With my son turning 4 recently, it was neat to see the nativity story come alive to him for the first time. He got it this year. He knows the main characters and can recite most of the storyline. His wonder and excitement fueled my own wonder and excitement over the familiar story.

Mid-day, we opened our gifts, allowing the kids plenty of time to play with and enjoy their gifts. Traditionally, we give just 3 gifts per person - usually one is practical (like clothes), one is educational (like a puzzle or books) and one is fun (like a toy). This year there were 4 gifts per person. My husband received some t-shirts, long-johns, and a pair of jeans. The kids and I picked out this 15-in-1 game set for him also. My daughter especially was SO excited about this gift (partly because she really enjoys playing board games with Dad). I think this was the first time that she experienced the joy and excitement of giving gifts. She was seriously more excited to see Dad open this one gift than she was about opening her own gifts. I was so proud of her maturity. And yes, we've already played at least 4 of the 15 games in the 2 days since Dad opened the gift. I received a pair of slippers, a small frying pan (perfect for one egg), and numerous bath salts and lotions. My daughter also made me a special card. I also maintain that one of my Christmas presents was a gift from me to me: my free Kitchenaid Mixer.Here is my daughter with her 4 gifts. The new bike was definitely her biggest and best gift. She's been riding a too-small kids bike for over a year so it was time for an upgrade. She is so excited to have a big bike now. She also received a set of 6-books (for her to read during our upcoming holiday travels), a package of socks, and a pottery wheel. She is fascinated with watching people make pottery so I knew this gift would be perfect for her, allowing her to make her own clay pottery at home.

Here's my son with his gifts - a set of pajamas, a pair of snow boots, a Lego kit and a wooden block puzzle-thingy (will be an educational thing for him to work on while sister is "doing school"). He really enjoyed the Lego kit - which has a semi cab and trailer made out of Legos, as well as a toy store. All 4 of us worked together to make the semi and store for him to play with. He's loving Legos these days!

We had a very nice Christmas celebration this year. Good attitudes prevailed. Although I can't capture it in a photo, there was a focus on Christ's coming more than on gifts we were receiving.

A very merry Christmas indeed!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/23/2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

Works for Me Wednesday - Christmas Card Prayer List

2011-12-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/21/2011

Christmas. In a matter of days it will all be over. Decorations will be taken down and new toys incorporated into the old.

I want to encourage you to keep your Christmas cards around a little bit longer and do something productive with them. Pray!

Each year we put all of our Christmas cards up on a door or a wall for all to see. Who doesn't love receiving Christmas greetings, family pictures and letters of what this year held?!

After Christmas, we take the cards down slowly... one per day, actually. We take one day to pray for that family. We re-read their card or letter and look again at their picture. We consider what needs they have and pray for them.

Last year I added the element of actually sending a hand-written note or letter to each family, telling them that we prayed for them and letting them know that we love and appreciate them. Another idea would be to call them on the day you are praying for them. I heard back from many of them, as they expressed appreciation for this tradition and were blessed by the prayers and notes.

So consider how you can be an encouragement to your loved ones, after the holiday cheer has worn off and the winter doldrums set in. Reconnect. Pray. Thank God for the loved ones He's put into your life.

I posted this idea in early January but wanted to post it again now, to catch you BEFORE you throw all your cards out!

Girl Scouts: Christmas Party

2011-12-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/20/2011

Last week my daughter's homeschool Girl Scout troop had their Christmas party. The troop leader planned a very fun event for the girls (and siblings and parents).

Here's my daughter with her friend Kat, just prior to caroling.

My son did some coloring while waiting for the rest of the troop to show up.

We toured some neat local sites and the kids did a craft.

Even the siblings had a craft to do - my son is showing off the beaded candy-cane ornaments he helped make.

Here's my daughter with her craft - a stained-glass type bottle with yummy smelling bath salts.

The Scouts had a gift exchange. Here's my daughter opening her gift.
Lastly we enjoyed a potluck lunch, provided by all the moms. Fun times!
I'm thankful for the many friends we've made this year through Girl Scouts.

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/19/2011

It's that time of year again. Time to decorate oodles of Christmas cookies!

My husband's mom and sisters and their families headed to our house one night last week to tackle the cookie decorating. Here you can see my daughter (in the green sweater) and cousin Racquel next to her. Fun times. And yummy too!

Family Photo Friday

2011-12-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/16/2011

Friday is here again! We have a very busy day today with numerous holiday happenings. I'll try to take some pictures to share next week. This week seemed to pass quickly, though my son continued to battle an ear infection and have restless nights. Thankfully he is on the mend and we're all sleeping better as a result.

I have only one snapshot to share this week. On Sunday my son surprised me by choosing to wear this fancy outfit, tie and vest and all. Then he grabbed his blue sunglasses. He spent the day either wearing them as glasses or hanging them like this from his vest. What a cool dude he was... and so adorably cute!

We had portraits of my kids taken a few weeks ago but I hadn't posted these shots of my daughter yet. So here are a few of our favorites.

Growing up, as kids tend to do.

So pretty.

Happy Friday to you!

Checking In: End-of-Year Update

2011-12-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/15/2011

It's been many months since I've posted an update, but I think it's time to give an end-of-the-year update on how I've done in inching closer to the goals I set in early 2011.

Spiritual Goal: Read through the Bible this year. Bible reading has gone very well. This is the easiest goal to measure and I'm right on track to finish the Bible on December 31st. Throughout the year, I've been as much as 3 weeks behind in my reading but I've been able to catch up and move forward again. I am seeking a good devotional book that I will work through in 2012, as I will take the year off of the one-year Bible plan. But this year, I'm so thankful that I did this and was regularly amazed at God's timing by having a particular day's reading apply specifically to something I was dealing with that day. I think that as long as we're reading God's Word each day, He will do His part to drive it home and press it into our hearts.

Physical Goal: Lower my cholesterol and lose weight. I have to admit that I've been on and off and on and off the working-out bandwagon so many times this year. Prior to my miscarriage in June, I had a regular work out routine and was well on my way to making this goal a reality. After the miscarriage, though, my motivation took a nose dive and it still hasn't recovered. Fatigue, depression and physically recovering from a miscarriage kept me from my treadmill... a lot. Over the last 6 months, there have been a couple days each month that I've stepped onto the treadmill and even then it's been for a moderate walk but not a fast-paced work out. All that said, however, I have lost weight and I have lowered my cholesterol in 2011! Probably not to the degree I would've if I'd stuck with my plan for the entire year, but my cholesterol has gone from "high risk / needs improving" to "desirable." There is still more improvement needed, but I'm greatly encouraged to see that exercise and portion control CAN make a difference. My ultimate goal is to avoid cholesterol medication, though my genetics are working against me. I lost over 10 pounds this year and have kept it off, despite the lack of regular exercise the last few months. I've also introduced healthier foods (like barley, more beans, more fruits) into my family's diet this year, which is not only helping me with my physical goals but helping us all be healthier overall. So 2011 was a good year, with measurable steps in the direction of this goal.

Character Goal: Exercise more self-control (fewer angry outbursts, reign in my tongue, etc). I have floundered a lot in this area as well. I've had good days and I've had epic-fail days. It's just going to take time to cultivate this fruit-of-the-Spirit in my life. I would say that I've become a bit more humble about it, though. I've had to apologize to my children A LOT this year and generally it didn't take but a few minutes for me to realize the hurt my words/anger have caused and to apologize for it. So perhaps I could say that I've made some progress in this area, at least in terms of being aware of my actions and the pain that it causes others when I don't exercise self-control. I've made some baby steps forward, but I have a long way to go to reach this goal.

"If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." I decided in January that this was my year to at least aim at something and see how close I could get. I'm glad I set some goals and I'm encouraged to see progress towards those goals, even if it's been slow. At least I'm moving in the right direction and am not at a stand-still.

Now I'm pondering what my goals should be for 2012. Do you have any goals - either from this year or that you want to work on for next year?

Works for Me Wednesday - Marble Painting

2011-12-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/14/2011

A few weeks ago I came across the idea for Marble Painting here. I was intrigued and knew that this something my kids should try. I was so right! My kids loved this and I loved that it was less messy than painting with a paintbrush.
And it is oh-so easy!

Step one: Put a piece of white paper or cardstock into an empty oatmeal container.

Step two: Grab a few marbles and some washable paint.

Step three: Paint the marbles - one marble per color.

Step four: Drop painted marble(s) into the oatmeal container. Put lid on. Shake!

Step five: Remove paper and admire your creation!

We tried many things - putting two or three marbles in at a time, various colors or all same color. We tried 6 marbles at once with 6 different colors - that one was my favorite, I think.

This project bumped me up a few notches in my kids' eyes! They kept saying " I love this, Mom!" and asking to do it again and again and again. And our time ended with "Thank you, Mom! That was SO fun!"

Marble painting as a simple art project for kids - works for me!

Children's Reading List: American Girls Marie-Grace and Cecile and Lapbook

2011-12-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/13/2011

My daughter is rapidly working her way through the American Girl book collection. She has now finished reading the stories of American Girls Marie-Grace and Cecile.
These two girls are brand new and belong to the same time period - 1853. They are friends and their stories overlap and intertwine. So instead of 6 books about 1 girl (the pattern for all of the other American Girl book series), for these gals there are 3 books about Marie-Grace and 3 books about Cecile - all taking place in New Orleans in 1853.

I did not read these books alongside my daughter, but I did ask a lot of questions as she worked through them. I like the fact that American Girl chose to address the race issue with these girls head-on (Marie-Grace is white, Cecile is a free black girl). This lays some ground work for the next girl in line to study - Addy - who is a slave girl in the south in 1864. I admit that I'd rather shy away from discussing slavery and some of the difficult points in American history, but these books have brought it up in a sensitive way which has helped open up a dialogue for my daughter and me.

My daughter made a lapbook for these girls, as she's done for all of the American Girls we've read about so far. A lapbook is simply a fancy book report or character study. All of the lapbook templates we use can be found here and are free for anyone to use.

Since Marie-Grace and Cecile are brand new to the American Girl collection, there aren't any lapbook materials specific to them, their location or their time period. So we used more of the "generic" templates that can be used for any of the girls and created a few of our own to make specific for these girls.

Here's my daughter with her lapbook cover - her own drawing of the two girls.

Inside page 1 - with flaps describing the personalities of Marie-Grace and Cecile, fashions, fun facts, houses, best friends, a description of New Orleans in 1853.

Inside page 2 - with flaps about pets, hobbies, favorite past times, fun facts, two interesting facts about the year 1853 and a map showing New Orleans.

5 American Girls down and 6 more to go... my daughter has already moved on to the next girl and is on track to finish her books before Christmas.

My Best Deal of the Year

2011-12-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/12/2011

On Cyber Monday I was able to buy something I've been saving up for - this Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. Here's how I got it FOR FREE!

Regular price at Amazon.com is $279.99.

They ran a sale on Cyber Monday, marking it down to $259.99. This item qualified for Super Saver shipping, which means shipping was free.

I had saved up enough Amazon.com gift cards, which I'd earned through Swagbucks to pay the balance. I had been saving for over a year, for such a time as this, knowing that this mixer would eventually go on sale and eventually be mine!

There was also a $50 rebate offer on this model.

In addition, they were giving away a $24 magazine subscription that could be opted-out of, which I did, thus refunding the $24 in cash.

You can see how I not only got the mixer for no cost out-of-pocket but also am receiving back $74!

So I now have a mixer that I'm using almost daily... and loving! And it cost me nothing! In fact, it is almost as if I was paid money to take the mixer off Amazon's hands! You can see why some people call this "shoplifting with permission." I did nothing wrong - just used the deals, rebates and gift cards to turn the purchase of a mixer into a money-making prospect!

This qualifies as my best deal of 2011. Yeah for deals!

Family Photo Friday

2011-12-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/9/2011

It is Friday once again. I must say that this week was a long one for me - busy with extra activities but also my son is battling an ear infection so we've had some long, sleepless nights.

However, here are a few photos from our week.

This is my daughter standing by some of our radish experiments - a school science project. We have radishes in different environments (with vinegar, salt water or regular water to see which grow best), radishes in small foil planters (seeing how they bend towards the sunlight, how they respond to overcrowding, etc), and some radishes growing in the homemade greenhouse (made with a glass jar of water, some paper towels and an empty orange juice box. Lots of fun during this 4-week study... and plenty of learning took place too!

My daughter. She's a gift. :-) And a mighty cute one at that!

My son truly enjoys helping out in the kitchen. Anytime I'm doing dishes, he grabs a stool and works alongside me. This week I was stirring a pot and he brought over a stool to reach up and help. I love his helpfulness... and try my best to encourage it.

Happy Friday to one and all!

My Boy Turns 4

2011-12-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/8/2011

This week my son turned 4! I'm still in shock.
It truly feels like yesterday when we were anxiously awaiting his arrival.
(You can read his birth story here, if you're interested.)
4 years later...wow!
What a blessing to us he is!

Here are some shots of my big boy.

Here he is posing with a few of his birthday presents.

And some of his 4-year portraits.

He looks so much like his daddy.

Happy Birthday, my son! I'm so glad to be your mama!

For those of you who love a walk down memory lane as much as I do...

Click here to go to last year's post about his third birthday

Here's a link to the 2009 post when he turned 2

And here is a link to the 2008 post about his first birthday

Works for Me Wednesday - Bethlehem Live

2011-12-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/7/2011

Last weekend my family enjoyed a "Bethlehem Live" holy walk. In our area there are at least two churches that do these in December. They re-enact the Christmas story and we get to participate, as fellow travelers.

This is a great way to see the reality of the story that we commonly see as all clean, pretty and tied with a bow. Of course the reality was smelly, lonely, difficult, wearisome, and totally unexpected for those who first experienced it.

My kids were both able to enjoy it and understand at least some of what we were seeing.

I strongly encourage you to seek out opportunities like this in your area and enjoy seeing the Christmas story come to life in a whole new way!

It works for me!

Third Grade is Half Done

2011-12-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/6/2011

My daughter has officially passed the half way point of third grade. Yahoo!

In Indiana, we are required by law to school for 180 days and last week we marked off the 90th day of school for third grade.

It's been a while since my last post about third grade (which you can find here), so here's an update.

We continue to LOVE our curriculum choice for this year: Sonlight.
My daughter continues to do very well with Math (which still baffles me, since last year it was her least favorite subject and now it is her favorite do-first-thing-each-day subject).
We have moved through American history from Indians to colonies and to the Revolutionary War, having read a handful of excellent books dealing with that time in history.
My daughter has learned all of the lowercase cursive letters and will begin work on capital letters next week.
We've memorized about 10 scripture verses/passages ("we" includes my daughter, myself and my son).
Recently we've spent a few weeks doing experiments with radish seeds and sprouts. This kind of hands-on learning is great fun and helps in understanding as we can actually see "scientific" things happening (Do you know what phototropism, geotropism and hydrotropism are? You probably do but may not know them by those names).
My daughter has taken strides in creative writing and in public speaking (something she dreads). When she has an assignment that is intended to be done in front of an audience, Dad is usually her audience. At this point, that's all she can handle. Though she did allow me to videotape her giving a "speech" last week so that was improvement.
Attitude remains a struggle. A poor attitude coupled with procrastination has derailed our homeschool days on many occasions. We have a few good days and then a bummer of a day. There have been many times when I've said "THIS has got to be a record for the longest homeschool day ever" only to have a worse day come our way.

The next milestone my daughter is looking forward to is the 100th day of school. Then we may have to begin a countdown or a paper chain or something. We will be taking some time off of school this month, for Christmas celebrations, visits from friends and our own travels for the holidays.

I am encouraged, though, to have reached the middle of the year and to look back at what has been accomplished. That motivates me to continue on, through the good and the bad days.

On to the second half of third grade...

A day for provision

2011-12-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/5/2011

Last Monday was my day. My day for God to remind me that He's there and He cares even for the little details of life. My day for things to be poured into my lap.

First, I took advantage of a Cyber Monday deal at Amazon and bought something for myself that I've been saving up to buy for over a year. I was able to get an AMAZING deal on it, which I'll share another time. But I was thankful and excited that the time had finally come and patience paid off.

Second, my mother offered to give us a Christmas tree. Yes, we have a Christmas tree already. However, it is not in the greatest shape. As a matter of fact, a piece or two fell off when we put it up this year. So when we visit my mom later this month, we'll be able to pick up a new-to-us tree.

Third, I opened my mailbox and found a homeschooling magazine WITH MY CHILDREN on the cover! Over a year ago I had submitted some photos to them for their consideration. A few months ago I heard back that they had chosen one of the photos for their fall magazine cover. So I knew it was coming but I didn't know when. Last Monday it arrived in the mail and looked great. How fun!

Fourth, my curriculum company sent a free Christmas gift to their customers and that arrived on Monday too.

It was an exciting day! I must say that it didn't end well, however. My son had an earache at bedtime which resulted in a trip to the 24-hour urgent care clinic where we sat from 10:30 pm until 1:30 just waiting for a doctor. It was 3:15 A.M. when we got home. At least we had a diagnosis - an ear infection - and medicine to help.

I guess you could say that I felt a bit like Cinderella - having a great day soaking in the deals and at the "stroke of midnight" it had ended! :-)

When God provides for us in unexpected ways - it's a blessing to receive His provision and see the generosity and thoughtfulness of others. It was a blessed day!

Family Photo Friday

2011-12-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/2/2011

It's Friday. And it's December. Another year is drawing to a close.
Who can believe it?!

As always, I have a few photos from our week to share. Why do I share photos each Friday, you may wonder. Good question! I think there are 3 reasons I created Family Photo Friday. First, to share pictures with family and friends, especially those who live far away. Secondly, to provide a glimpse into our daily lives by sharing photos and commentary of what goes on at our house. And my third reason for posting these photos is simply for me - to have a way to chronicle my kids as they grow through their toddler and childhood years. I enjoy looking back at previous posts as much as anyone!

Sorry for the tangent. Now back to this week's photos.

My son was finding creative ways to play with straws and cups (which he had pulled out of my daughter's science curriculum box). The straws made for huge smokestacks on his tractor and the cups fit over the cab. My daughter is doing a 4-week science study/experiment with radish sprouts. You can see some of the tiny sprouts on the table in the bottom right. It's been a lot of fun to plant these, watch them grow in different environments, measure and chart their growth, etc. A neat study that I'm really glad was included with our curriculum.

My son is usually very helpful in the kitchen. One night this week I was coating meat with a flour mixture and he was eager to help. All smiles to be "a cooker." :-)

Dad and shy son putting up a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Small and one ornament. It stayed about 2 minutes before they put the real tree up.

My daughter reading a school book. It's very hard to get pictures of "homeschooling" but this is a pretty typical scene at our house. She's sitting somewhere - floor, couch, kitchen table, recliner - reading. She loves to read and it seems that whatever current book we're reading is her favorite.

Happy Friday to you!

Miscarriage: How NOT to Handle Grief

2011-12-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

12/1/2011

My heart is heavy. I've had a rough few weeks. Even taking the entire month of November to focus on thankfulness couldn't keep away the grief that remains. Now December is here. By the end of this month, it will have been 6 months since my miscarriage. Somehow that number - 6 months, half a year - seems big and significant.

Despite things I've done to help myself cope with grief, I need a pep talk... once again. Need to remind myself of what is important. Even when it's hard. So this is a message from me to me... and to anyone else out there that feels stuck in the mire of grief and despair.

How NOT to handle grief:

*Relive the death. To relive "the day" over and over in your mind doesn't help. It doesn't take the pain away. It doesn't bring healing. It isn't a productive use of your energy and emotion and brain space. Instead, consider writing down in a journal all that you remember about the day of death. And close the journal. It's there if you want to revisit it, but this can allow you some needed distance. Put your mental energy and time into something more productive.

*Stop praying. Death and the frailty of life bring about many questions about eternity and the meaning of life. As a Christian, I know that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). Even when I feel mad at God, for allowing my child to die... I can still approach Him. I can let Him know how I feel. I can cry out to Him in my pain, my grief, my anguish, my tears. And He does not turn away or cast me off. Praying and talking to God is a helpful way to release pent-up emotions and you may be surprised when He speaks words of comfort to your hurting soul.

*Stop hoping. Hope is such a difficult thing to understand. It's hard to define and hard to grasp why some people have it in seemingly hopeless situations and others don't have it when they "should." To stop hoping is to give in to the despair. To stop hoping is to think that every day is going to be as bad as this one, as though there is no chance of things improving. Hopelessness says that my heart will remain as broken and hurting as it is right now. While hope says "I will get through this. Wholeness will come again. This is my winter season but spring will come!" To give up all hope for better days is truly the worst place to find yourself... and an even worse place to stay! As much pain as you may feel right now, believe that there will be better days ahead. The sun will shine again.

*Stop talking. I've addressed this one before on this blog so I won't repeat it all again. But healing comes through talking about your pain and grief with others. I'm not encouraging you to share everything with everyone, but rather to find one or two close friends who will help you bear your burden. If you're married, your spouse is meant to be your companion through hard times like this. Share from your heart, even when it's hard to say or hard to describe or tears are the only language you can speak. Talk as little or as much as you need to, in order to let one or two others share in your pain and walk through it with you.

*Distance yourself from those closest to you. Similar to the previous point, it is so easy to isolate yourself from others, shutting down relationships and friendships. Grief can be a big strain on any relationship, but especially on a marriage. The loss of a child is high on the list of causes of divorce. It is easy and happens naturally that spouses grieve differently and therefore start to drift apart in their grief instead of moving closer together. Don't allow grief so much power over your life and relationships. Resist the temptation to curl up and cry alone.

This list may seem like a no-brainer, but as one who is grieving, I admit that it is hard to not just naturally slip into these tendancies. It takes effort to live in the moment and not in the past. It takes effort to pray, to hope, to talk, to connect. Sometimes when grieving, the motivation to put forth the effort in these areas is hard to find.

I am reminded of this verse, which is my prayer for myself and all who grieve: "Praise be to God... the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort." (2 Cor 1:3). May the God of all comfort meet us in our deepest despair and fill us with comfort and compassion and hope for tomorrow.

Book Review: Kisses From Katie

2011-11-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/30/2011

Kisses From Katie (written by Katie Davis) is a book about a young lady who left everything to move to Uganda to serve orphaned children. Reading her story reminds me of picking up old missionary biographies, except that her story is happening today, right now. This book is newly released and Katie's story, in many ways, is still being written.

Katie left home after graduating from high school to move to Uganda. And she stayed there. Over the next few years, she adopted more than 10 orphaned girls and founded a ministry to help meet the needs of the thousands of desperately needy children in Uganda.

She left behind everything - family, friends, college, career, a boyfriend, a convertible, the promise of a comfortable life in America. She gave it all up for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who called His followers to love and to give and to go.

Katie's life is a combination of the faith of Hudson Taylor, the compassion of Mother Teresa, the depth of Amy Carmichael and the crazy love of Francis Chan. If you enjoy missionary biographies, pick this book up for no other reason than to read a first-hand account of a modern-day missionary serving amidst abject poverty and yet overcoming it with the love of Christ.

I enjoyed the book very much. The stories are touching and often heart-wrenching. Katie tells the whole story - the tender moments with little children and the difficulties of missing family and friends back in the US.

Time will tell if Katie will be able to continue her work in Uganda, if she will spend her entire life with the orphans she has come to love there. I see this as the only "downside" of this book - the fact that the real end is not known. Katie has begun very well but whether or not she will continue on to the end remains to unfold. She is only in her early 20s. She has remained in Uganda for about 4 years. Can she remain for 10 or 20 or 40 more? Will the luxuries of western culture eventually lure her back to America or will God call her to do something else that requires leaving Uganda. Time will tell. And yet maybe her staying for her entire life isn't necessary for her impact to continue on. Just in the few years she's been there she has touched countless lives, brought hundreds to Christ, and simply shown love in practical ways which alone can give hope in seemingly hopeless situations.

I realize that to recommend this book, I am encouraging other young people to consider Katie's path, which is so against-the-grain and radical. To encourage others to turn away from what our culture values and pursue a life of complete faith and dependence on God, learning to value what He values. "What will you do about college?" was a big question that Katie's parents had. Yet, Katie is off doing work she loves, living a life of meaning and purpose, changing the world for the better, storing up treasures in heaven. And in many ways her young age is an asset - she is living proof that one doesn't have to have a college education to impact this world. Young, old, rich or poor, you can be used of God to love others.

My pastor once said the following, as it relates to missions: "Each of our lives will be spent on something. The only difference is how we choose to spend it." We only have one life to live. Will we spend our days focused on self-preservation and achieving the American dream? Or will we be poured out for others, giving and giving and giving, leaving behind what is of lesser importance in order to attain what is eternal?

Katie has chosen the latter and her story is an inspiration.

I recommend reading the book and if you're interested in learning more, check out Katie's blog at http://www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/ (There's a brief video there that introduces Katie and shows a bit of the work she does daily in Uganda).

Black Friday Deals

2011-11-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/28/2011

I don't "do" Black Friday. I don't wait in lines or go shopping at midnight.

But I do shop at CVS and their "Black Friday" deals always start on Thanksgiving Day. I usually head out early on Thursday morning to see what freebies I can snag.

Here's what I was able to get this year: 4 packages of M&Ms, 2 King Size Hershey bars, a bottle of LA Looks hair gel, a box of Cool Touch Kleenex, a package of Carmex, a package of Breathe Right strips, a 90-count package of Dental Flossers, a 4-pack of batteries, a Balance bar, a package of Sheets energy strips, a package of Finish Quantum dishwasher tablets, a box of toothpaste, a box of Fiber One brownies, a 2-pack of toothbrushes, a pack of Advil PM, a pack of regular Advil, a pack of Listerine breath strips, a bottle of Excedrin, a box of Cepacol throat lozenges, a package of Benefiber drink mix, and some lip gloss. All of that is in the picture.

One item NOT in the picture is a $19.99 Christmas gift. (because my daughter often looks at my blog and I don't want to ruin her surprise)

How much did I pay for all of those items and the gift?

Go ahead and guess.

$5

It's true. For $5 out-of-pocket, I got the $20 Christmas gift and all of the items in the picture. How? I paired coupons with their sales and their rewards bucks (called ECBs - Extra Care Bucks - like a CVS gift card to use on future purchases).

I consider my freebies to be a few more reasons why I continue to shop at CVS.

Book Review: Same Kind of Different As Me

2011-11-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/22/2011

Recently I heard a friend recommend the book Same Kind Of Different As Me. Knowing nothing more about the book, I requested a copy from the library.I didn't know what I was in for!

I love books. I love to read. This book is a real treasure. I laughed. I cried. I'm challenged to consider how I automatically judge someone based on what they look like, dress like, or the language they use. I'm challenged to get out of my comfort zone for the sake of showing love and grace to others.

This book tells the true story (the fact that it is true just makes that much more of an impact) of a wealthy man and his wife who begin to volunteer at a soup kitchen. They end up befriending a homeless man who has quite a past, quite a story to tell of growing up in near slavery in the South during the mid-1900s. It is hard to believe that his life - his poverty, his back-breaking labor and nothing in return - is true and happened in recent history. This isn't a story from the 1800s or pre-Civil War times but one that happened recently with its characters still alive to tell the story! It is shameful. It is beyond sad. And it was reality for this man... and probably for thousands of others like him. The book is written from two perspectives - the wealthy white man's and the homeless black man's.

I highly recommend this book. It's an easy read but it's worth whatever time you spend getting to know Ron Hall and Denver Moore. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll weep over the darkness in the heart of man... and the darkness in your own heart too. And yet, you'll find love and hope springing up out of the darkness.

There's a brief video about the book here, if you're still sitting on the fence about it.

Denver Moore closes the book with these words: "I used to spend a lotta time worryin that I was different from other people, even from other homeless folks. Then, after I met Miss Debbie and Mr. Ron, I worried that I was so different from them that we wadn't ever gon' have no kind a' future. But I found out everybody's different - the same kind of different as me. We're all just regular folks walkin down the road God done set in front of us. The truth about it is, whether we is rich or poor or somethin in between, this earth ain't no final restin place. So in a way, we is all homeless - just workin our way toward home."

Give it a read! Find out that everyone you meet is really just the same kind of different as me... and you.

Children's Reading List: American Girl Kirsten and Lapbook

2011-11-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/21/2011

My daughter is rapidly working through the American Girl books and this week finished reading about the 4th girl, Kirsten, who lived in 1854 during America's frontier days. The Kirsten books reminded me a lot of the Little House on the Prairie books, which my daughter has read before. So she is quite familiar with the covered wagon era.

In the first book, Kirsten's family immigrated to America from Sweden and they included some of the stories about the boat ride over. I have ancestors from Sweden and Norway, so I found that to be interesting. I told my daughter that it's possible that Kirsten's life and was similar to the lives of her great-great-great-great grandparents. That's really neat to think about.

My daughter made a lapbook for Kirsten, as she's done for the other American Girls. All of the lapbook materials we use can be found here, for free.

Here she is with the cover - a picture of Kirsten that she drew.

Here's page 1 of the lapbook, showing mini-books about Kirsten's World, her mother, her father, conflict, fashion and 4 interesting facts about life in 1854.

And here is page 2, showing hobbies, pets, best friend, favorite things, what changes in Kirsten's life and a map of where Kirsten lived (Minnesota).

The pictures of Kirsten often show her with her long hair in pigtail braids, wound into circles. My daughter thought we should try this with her hair, so we did. She liked it and slept with it that way, leaving her usually straight hair very wavy the next day.

Four American Girls down and she's moving on. There's no slowing this girl down when it comes to reading!

Family Photo Friday

2011-11-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/18/2011

We made it to Friday once again. And November is more than half over! It is precisely because time passes way too quickly that we had some portraits taken of our kids this week. Here are a few favorite shots.

I love my daughter's smile in this first picture - just looks very genuine to me.

And here's my son's big cheesy grin!

A fun kiss on the cheek pose.

Can't help but smile to see a nose-to-nose shot... and the faces these two were making at each other!

Now a few "regular" snapshots from our week. My daughter had her friend Regan over for the day last Saturday. It was quite pleasant outside, so they rode bikes and scooters and played other outside games some of the time.

I spent quite a few hours sorting through clothes this week. I am proud of myself for whittling down 18 boxes of children's clothes to just 5 boxes left to keep at my house. The rest is gone to Goodwill or our church's clothing/food pantry. It feels good to clean house! My daughter wanted to stack the empty boxes ceiling high and pose with them. Such a silly goose!

Happy Friday to one and all!

Foster Parenting - Top 3 Fostering Resources

2011-11-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/17/2011

I am not an expert on foster parenting, nor am I a professional social worker. However, I've learned a lot about foster parenting in the last two years, as I trained and served as foster parent. So I am passing along my Top 3 Resources for learning about fostering.

#3 - Your fostering agency. Depending on your state, there will be anywhere from 10 to 30 hours of pre-training required to become a foster parent. Those hours of training are helpful and provide a framework for understanding "the system." That is the time to ask questions and seek clarification, to better understand the role of the foster parent, the fostering agency, the case workers, and others. With that said, though, I would still only list this as the 3rd most helpful resource. I found the training to be helpful but not as helpful as it could've been. They provided some answers, but also left many questions unanswered. In many ways, we walked out of training with limited knowledge and didn't even know what questions we should've been asking at that point. We didn't know what all we didn't know yet.

That leads to an even more helpful resource:

#2 - The internet. I found it very helpful to locate my state's Department of Child Services website and read through their online foster parenting manual. Almost any question I had about procedures or technicalities (like, can you cut a foster child's hair without their parents' permission) was addressed in the state manual. It's lengthy and wordy (similar to trying to read the tax code) but it was also pain-stakingly thorough, which is what I wanted when I had a specific question needing answered.

However, there was still one more resource that proved to be even more helpful in preparing me to be a foster parent:

#1 - A foster parenting podcast found here at www.fosterpodcast.com. This podcast is simply a California couple - Tim and Wendy - chronicling their years of experiences as foster parents. They are quirky and fun to listen to. They are Christians, so I can appreciate their heart as they approach fostering. And they are very honest about their experiences. My husband stumbled upon their podcast when we were just starting our foster parenting training. Their advice and tips were more valuable than any other training we had. I started listening at episode 1 and listened all the way through to the current episode (as I write this, there are 109 episodes, each from 20 to 35 minutes in length). They have addressed everything related to foster parenting - attachment, discipline, security, schooling, therapy, relationships with birth parents, the role of the case workers, etc. They have fostered over a dozen children and ended up adopting two young girls through the foster care system a few years ago. They tell it like it is and don't sugar-coat the hard stuff. The only caveat is that they are in California so listeners must take that into account and consider laws and regulations in their own state, which may differ (quite a bit, even) from California.

If you are thinking of fostering or just want to learn more, I strongly encourage you to start by listening to Tim and Wendy's podcast to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly of foster parenting... and the reasons why you should still seriously consider it!

Homeschool: Cookie Fun

2011-11-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/16/2011

Recently I was inspired when I read about using cookie dough as a teaching tool in this blog post.

So this week we used her cookie dough recipe and had some cookie fun. My daughter was doing a unit study on bugs and was encourage to make a bug poster. Instead I had her create some edible bugs with our cookie dough. Then my son got involved and we just started creating for fun.

And of course we enjoyed eating our creations later!

When the time comes to study state history, we are definitely making an edible map of Indiana! :-)

Homeschooling with cookie dough - works for me!

Family Photo Friday

2011-11-11T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/11/2011

It's Friday yet again. Yippee!

Here are a few pictures from our week.

It warms my heart to see my kids reading together. Here my daughter was reading a book to my son. The book was about squirrels and they were prompted to choose this book after watching the squirrels outside on a crisp fall day.

We watched our little buddy Eli a few days this week. He is very curious and playful. He saw a broom, grabbed it and knew what to do with it! So sweet.

Happy Friday to you!

Children's Reading List: American Girl Josefina and Lapbook

2011-11-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/8/2011

My daughter is zipping through the American Girl books. She's now finished reading about the third American Girl - Josefina, who grew up on a ranch in New Mexico in 1824.

I've not read any of the Josefina books so I relied on my daughter to pass on the highlights of each book. For each American Girl, there are 6 main books that tell her story.

When my girl finished the books, we made a lapbook about Josefina just as we had done for the previous two girls. A lapbook is simply a fancy formatted book report or character study. All of the American Girl lapbook materials we use can be found online for free at this site.

Here's my daughter with her lapbook, showing the cover picture she drew of Josefina in her bright Mexican dress.

Here's the inside of the lapbook, showing mini-books on Who Is Josefina, Living in 1824, Hobbies, Favorite Things, What I Learned From This Story, Prized Possessions, Pets and What Josefina's House Was Like.

Then the lapbook unfolds to two more pages, showing mini-books on Living in 1824, Conflict, Josefina's Father's Job, My Favorite Book of the Series, Spanish Words and a map of the United States to show where Josefina lived.

My daughter liked the numerous Spanish words found throughout the story. She did very well coming up with a few facts about life in 1824 also, to put in the mini-books about that time period. For example, Josefina's family (being ranchers) had a bed in their house near the kitchen were orphaned lambs were kept and at Christmas a special play is performed, acting out scenes from the first Christmas with Jesus in the manger.

My daughter read through this series very quickly and is again itching to move on to the next historical American Girl - Kirsten, from the pioneer era. She is compelled by both her love of reading and her desire to take me up on my offer of a trip to Chicago to the American Girl store when she finishes all of the books!

Deals Around Town

2011-11-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/7/2011

Here are a few deals I've found lately.

Each item in this picture was under $1 thanks to sale prices and coupons at my local Kroger. The toothbrushes were 25 cents each. The gum was 19 cents per package. The cans of pineapple were around 70 cents each. The small cans of baked beans were around 30 cents each.

These items were all free at Kroger, thanks to coupons and sales. Savings of about $12.

And these items were free at CVS last week, thanks to coupons and sale prices and Extra Care Bucks (like a gift card to use only at CVS). Savings of about $6.

I like getting things for free. A few dollars saved on these items means those dollars can go elsewhere - to savings, or to buy more groceries to give to a food pantry, etc.

Here's to stretching those hard-earned dollars!

Family Photo Friday

2011-11-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

11/4/2011

It's Friday. Yahoo and Yippee!
It turns out that I don't have any photos to share from our week.
Instead of new photos, I'm doing a "Walk Down Memory Lane" Photo Friday.
Here are fall pictures of our family from years gone by.As a new mom with my baby girl - fall 2003.

New daddy with his baby girl - fall 2003.

My daughter's first visit to a pumpkin patch - fall 2004.

My daughter riding her tricycle - fall 2005.

My daughter with her Indian head-dress and pilgrim hat, to celebrate Thanksgiving in 2006.

My daughter riding her bike - fall of 2007 (prior to little brother's arrival on the scene)

A sibling hug in the fall of 2008.

My kids playing in the backyard - fall 2009.

My daughter playing outside last year - fall 2010

And my son with a ball - fall 2010.

God's blessings fall into our lives like the leaves falling from the trees.
Cherish them!

My Boy is Growing Up

2011-11-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

11/3/2011

My boy is growing up. He's just weeks away from his 4th birthday. It seems that just recently he has grown a few more inches and taken strides in development too.

This week he surprised us all by being able to reach his toothbrush way back on the counter.

Last week I was peeling carrots and he wanted to help. I wasn't sure about the wisdom of handing a peeler to a 3-year-old but I let him try it. He was actually quite good at it and peeled two entire carrots for me!

A few nights ago my husband was doing something in his workshop. He set up a piece of wood for my son to work on cutting with a very small saw. The little guy worked and worked at it, eventually cutting a small piece off. How excited he was to show off what he had done!

Potty training seemed a bit delayed, but I know that is common with boys. Now, though, he's got the hang of it and does very well all day long.

Recently my son has caught on to the fact that football players wear helmets. So when he heads outside to throw his own football around, he insists on wearing his bicycle helmet as well. :-)

Without much help from me, he has learned to count to 15 and can spell his name.

He has always been a little helper. He loves to help daddy with any project he's doing - insulation, drilling, building. When I wash dishes, he's quick to grab a stool and come over to help. When we head outside to rake leaves, he heads right to his kid-sized rake and joins in the work. He's different from my daughter in this, as she would rather run off to play than to willingly do work.

So, one of the people I'm thankful for this month is my boy. What joy he brings to our family! And how thankful I am to daily be a part of his growing up.

Works for Me Wednesday - Thankful Tree

2011-11-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

11/2/2011

November is here.
For us, that means that we get our "Thankful Tree" ready.
It is our November tradition.
Here's how it works.

Our family's 2008 Thankful Tree - our first ever

We cut out 30 leaves from construction paper - one for each day of November. We think of 30 things/people we're thankful for and write one on each leaf. Everyone helps to come up with these blessings, which always include things like food, a warm house, toys, family members. We tape the leaves onto a tree (also made from construction paper). Each day of November, we take one leaf off the tree and thank God for that blessing. Then that leaf goes on the bottom, at the base of tree.

Not only does this help us appreciate fall time, but it makes "thanksgiving" last for more than just one day during November. When Thanksgiving Day does roll around, we've already been thinking for weeks about God's bountiful blessings and all that we have to thank Him for!

A thankful tree - it works for me!

Our family's 2009 Thankful Tree

Our 2010 Thankful Tree, at the end of November! Dad helped make an awesome tree trunk that year!

Girl Scouts: Harvest Party

2011-11-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

11/1/2011

Last week our Girl Scout troop hosted a Harvest Party, which was held at a local corn maze.

Here's a shot of most of the group, as we started the maze. My daughter is in the middle row, second from the left.

There was face-painting.

Even the moms were in on the face-painting!

The kids decorated pumpkins with markers and stickers.

Giant spider on the farm!
Fall is fun!

Family Photo Friday, er, Monday

2011-10-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/31/2011

It's Monday, but "Family Photo Friday" was a bust last Friday since blogger was having trouble uploading pictures. So, here are my pictures now that all is well in blogging land again.

Last week we worked on a 1000 piece puzzle. It took 3 days. We haven't done one of these big puzzles for about 2 years, so it was time to pull one out.

We watched our little friend Eli one day. He really liked pushing around the big tractor.

My daughter wanted a picture with Eli. It's getting harder to snap these, as he doesn't want to sit and cuddle - he wants to be on the go!

My son, looking as cute as ever, surrounded by toys.

It's the end of October. Ready or not, here November comes!

Family Photo Friday

2011-10-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/28/2011

It's Friday. I took the week off of blogging. It felt nice. :-)

I didn't want to leave you hanging without any pictures from our week, though.

But then blogger was having trouble and wouldn't upload the pictures. Bummer!

When I am able to upload the photos, I will.

Until then, enjoy the last few days of October! You know that once November hits, the weeks pick up speed and 2012 will be here in a blink!

Family Photo Friday

2011-10-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/21/2011

Another week has flown by and Friday is here again.
Today I'm sharing a few photos from our week.

Our Girl Scout troop is having a Harvest Party today. I signed up to bring leaf and pumpkin cookies to share at the potluck lunch. Here are about 60 of them.

We watched our little buddy Eli one day this week. He enjoyed playing the piano and was proud to climb up there onto the piano bench all by himself.

My son showing off his big smile and his colorful drawing.

My pretty girl when she was drawing (a favorite past-time of hers these days).

My husband has been working on an insulation project in our attic. My son "helped" a little bit. They halted their work long enough to pose for this shot together.

Cootie - what a classic kid game. My husband and kids enjoyed playing Cootie together one night this week.

Happy weekend to you!

Children's Reading List:: American Girl Felicity and Lapbook

2011-10-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/20/2011

My daughter has now finished reading about Felicity, the next girl in the American Girl collection. Felicity is the girl who lived during colonial times in America (around 1774). We are learning about this time period in our homeschool history studies.

As we did with the previous American Girl study on Kaya, my daughter made a lapbook for Felicity. A lapbook is a cross between a book report and a character study, but done in a creative format. All of the American Girl lapbook templates we used can be found online for free here.

Here's my daughter with the cover - a picture of Felicity which she drew (and she proudly wrote FELICITY in cursive... she's just learning to write in cursive).

The inside of the lapbook, page 1, showing little tabs to describe who Felicity is, as well as her mother, father, home, horses and favorite things. All of these open up and my daughter has written and/or drawn something about each aspect of Felicity's life.

And page 2 shows a tab on conflict in Felicity's life, what changed in her life through the book series, 4 tabs describing what life was like in 1774 and a map of where Felicity lived (in Virginia colony, which covered way more than simply the current day state of Virginia).

Both my daughter and I learned a lot through this study on colonial days in America. My daughter thought it was so funny that big white wigs were worn by men and women. Learning the difference between the Whigs and the Tories and discussing which side we would've been on was very interesting.

My daughter says she really enjoyed the Felicity study... but she's already itching to move on to the next American Girl - Josefina from New Mexico in the year 1824.

Deals Around Town

2011-10-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/19/2011

Deals around town? Yes, there are still some to be had.
Here are some freebies I've picked up lately.

I don't regularly shop at WalMart. I do shop there, though, when I have coupons that paired with their sale prices will result in free items. Everything in this picture was better-than-free after using coupons (meaning that the coupon took off more than the cost of the item, so the overage was applied to other items I was purchasing). 4 free 12-pack razors, 2 Renuzit air fresheners, 2 Covergirl make-up items, 1 travel size Old Spice body wash, and 1 box of Idahoan potatoes. WalMart will also price-match other store prices, so I picked up milk at the lowest local price while I was there.

A blog that I check now and then - http://couponproblog.com/ - sent me these coupons as a promotional incentive. 5 coupons for free Dole fruit items.

Free helps to stretch our grocery budget. I like free!

Homeschooling: Basket Craft

2011-10-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

10/17/2011

When my daughter was reading the Kaya books (from American Girl), there was mention of basket-making. So we set out to make a simple basket ourselves. This was our first attempt and it turned out well (though I did much more of the work than she did). We used 4 feet of rope, which when all wound up makes a rather small basket. It's a good size for holding small things - like loose change. So we will make another - with a different color yarn and more rope, to make a bigger basket.

We started with 4 feet of rope (bought at Lowes for about 30 cents per foot). The only supplies you need are yarn, rope and a yarn needle.

Here is our finished product.

Here are step-by-step instructions for making this kind of basket.

Family Photo Friday

2011-10-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/14/2011

Friday is here again. Yippee!

Here are a few photos from our week.

We have had absolutely beautiful weather this week, resulting in lots of time spent outside. Here my son and husband were washing our van.

One evening my husband pushed the kiddos in the wheelbarrow, along with a load of leaves. Squeals of childish delight!

My daughter found a creative way to make a bonnet, using an apron. We're talking about life in colonial days as part of our homeschooling these days, so I wasn't too surprised to see her dressing up with a bonnet.

My son posed for this shot with his Lego creation. Legos are quite popular at our house.

Our special hibiscus bloomed again this week, probably fooled by our warm summer-like weather. Lovely to see this in full bloom.

Happy Friday to you!

Our Adventure with a Chipmunk

2011-10-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/13/2011

Last night we had an adventure... with a chipmunk. Not just any chipmunk, mind you. This was an albino chipmunk (who has ever heard of such a thing?!) and it was in our own backyard. Seems we often have wild animal adventures at this house.

I was walking with my two kids, picking up outside toys they'd left out. It was time to head in for supper. I stopped to say something and before taking another step, looked down and saw this little white animal in the grass. I wasn't sure what it was, as I'd never seen anything like it. It didn't take off running when it noticed us. It was small like a mouse. Maybe a chipmunk. But white. And scared to death, breathing heavy and just hoping we weren't going to hurt it. My son touched it before I could get the "don't touch it!" out of my mouth. Thankfully it didn't bite him.

It tried to run away, but moved slowly and appeared hurt. We followed it a few feet when it turned around the jumped on my son's pant leg! How I wish I had a picture of his face - and mine - at that moment. He screamed. I screamed. The chipmunk ran down his leg and over his shoe and back under a leaf on the ground. My son turned and ran!

When my husband arrived home a few minutes later, he went out with me to find the little critter. We did find him, trying to climb up a tree. He made it about 15 feet up and then fell to the ground. We caught him in this bucket to examine him further. He is a chipmunk. He is white (or light gray) and has no hair, except on his tail which is a proper-colored, furry and long chipmunk tail.

Very odd indeed. We felt sorry for him, as there was clearly something wrong with him since he was unable to climb trees or run fast, like most chipmunks. He was scared to stay in our bucket and tried to get out, so we let him go.

My son thought he looked more like a mouse, so he coined the term "chipmouse" and that is what we are calling him. :-)

Bye-bye, little chipmouse!

Top 5 Things I've Learned Being a Foster Mom

2011-10-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/11/2011

As you'd expect, a year of serving as a foster mom can teach you many things. Here are my top 5 lessons learned.

5. No amount of training adequately prepares foster parents for what they will encounter. We underwent 30+ hours of training to obtain a fostering license. Since that time, the state has actually lowered the requirements to only 15 hours of training to obtain a license. And yet, after all of the training, we still felt as though we were not fully prepared for what would come our way as a foster family.

Every fostering situation is different, so it is impossible to prepare a foster family for every possible situation they may encounter. And rules and guidelines for foster families change yearly (like the tax code) so it's hard to stay on top of them. However, foster parents will be held to high standards and are expected to follow strict guidelines, so training is necessary to teach those things. I feel our state is doing a disservice by lowering the requirements for licensure in order to make it easier to become foster parents, while this means that folks will have even less information about what they are signing up for and what is expected of them as foster parents.

4. Good intentions aren't enough when it comes to orphan care. Many things are needed to be a good foster parent - organizational skills, patience, compassion, communication skills, transportation, high tolerance of stress, ability to stay calm in chaotic situations, training hours, etc. To simply want to help is good - it's a good starting point. Yet much more is required. The pity, sympathy or compassion that one feels for the orphan child does little good if not put into action in tangible way. The emotion should move us to action - to prayer, to becoming an advocate for children, to foster parenting, to something, to anything that is a tangible expression of our concern.

3. Foster care is a broken system. There is no way to get around the fact that the state fostering system is chaotic, government-run, under-staffed, and under-funded. It is far from perfect, yet it is the current way of handling the orphan crisis in America. It is all that is in place currently to provide any help, as broken and inefficient as it is. Working within the foster care system can be very frustrating. Those who are to be working on behalf of children can't keep up with the paperwork demanded of them. The system needs an overhaul. Or the Church in America needs to step back up to the ministry of orphan care.

2. There is a great need for more people to be foster parents, however... that need is skewed heavily towards teenagers and difficult-to-parent children. In our state, we were told that it was pointless to become foster parents who would take only infants. Infants are "easy" to care for and easy to place with foster families. There are dozens of foster families waiting to take in infants, in our county. What is truly needed, at least in our area, are foster parents who will take in older children, especially teenagers. This is part of the reason we stepped down from fostering for the time being. We would gladly accept infants and very young children, but we do not feel it's wise to take in teenage children given the ages of our biological children. So, while the need is great and more foster parents are needed, all things are not equal when it comes to the age of the children who waiting for a foster family to take them in.

1. When you take the risk to love, your heart may get hurt. To risk love may mean pain. It may mean that providing help for someone else proves painful for yourself in the process. Yet we are called to love. To give. To risk. To do it over and over. This is maturity. This is growth. This is true self-sacrifice. This is laying one's life down for another. God can certainly use foster parenting as a means of sanctification, as a way of refining us, as a daily opportunity to lay down one's life for another.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Miscarriage: Talking and Silence

2011-10-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/10/2011

This Wednesday will mark 16 weeks since we miscarried our baby. I can't help my mind from going to the "what if" questions. How would life be different right now if we hadn't lost the baby? I would have been 24 weeks along now. I wonder how this pregnancy would've compared to my other two. My almost 4-year-old son was HUGE in utero and weighed over 11 pounds at birth. Would this baby have been a big boy too? I have so many "wonders."

This past Sunday was the first time in 16 weeks that I've attended a worship service and not wept while singing praise to the Lord. I still couldn't sing all the words, as some are just painful and some are just too distant from what I'm feeling. But I can feel His love for me again and that is improvement. Sometimes just soaking that in and being silent before Him is what I need.

Now that it's been a few months since our miscarriage, we are past what most people consider a "normal" amount of time for grieving. The common vibe we get now is "Haven't you moved on yet?" or "You're still struggling with THAT?" I'll say again that these sentiments don't show care or concern for what the grieving person is going through. These aren't going to help the person at all, but rather will make them feel as though there is something wrong with them for still grieving, still aching, still feeling their loss. People grieve differently and it's all OK. My grief is affected by so many other factors as well, such as the fact that conceiving doesn't happen easily for us, the fact that we've stepped down from foster parenting recently too, etc.

I am still so glad, though, that we have made our lives an open book, letting people know about our loss. Just last week a new acquaintance was talking about two miscarriages she suffered a few years ago. I was able to express sympathy over her losses and tell her about our recent experience. There is healing in sharing, talking, being honest about the feelings.

Healing. Time. Processing through. Grieving. Feeling deeply. Moving forward but never forgetting.

Family Photo Friday

2011-10-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/6/2011

Ok. Is it just me or did somebody push the fast-forward button on this week? How can it be Friday again already?! Here are a few pictures from our week... though I didn't take many. We were outside working in flower beds and raking leaves much of this week, enjoying beautiful "Indian summer" weather.

This is my first installment of "When You Give a Kid a Camera" photos. :-) My daughter had the camera and somehow she got this shot of herself. Silly girl!

Here's another of her shots - a Lincoln Log fort she made.

My son and his doll Eli all wrapped up in blankets.
Just look at that mischievous grin!

Speaking of Eli, we had the real deal here, as we watched our little buddy Eli for one day this week. Here he and my son were sitting on the stairs. Hard to believe that Eli is over 18 months now - walking, babbling, at such a fun stage. My son's face in this picture is so typical of him right now - eyes closed and a big grin. Hard to get a good picture of him these days.

Here is my daughter showing off her latest feat - hanging upside down, no hands. You can see the leaves in this picture - clearly it's fall time - and yet we've had beautiful, sunny, 70s and 80s weather all week. We are loving that!

Happy Friday to you!

Reading the Classics

2011-10-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/6/2011

Lately I've had an urge to read more books. In the last month I've read almost a dozen "classic" books that I'd never found the time to read before. Some of these I really enjoyed and will probably read again the future. Others I really disliked. But sometimes I read books I don't enjoy just because it will stretch me. At the very least I can say that I've read the book. Sometimes classics should be read just because they are classics. I won't review of each one, but here are a few of my recent reads. What can I say - I love books!

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

A Wrinkle in Time by Madelein L'Engle

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Works for Me Wednesday - Brown Bag Burritos

2011-10-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/5/2011

I've heard before about Brown Bag Burritos. You know, a way to make a super cheap make-ahead lunch that is good for you too.

My husband and I decided recently to give these burritos a try, with a twist. Most recipes call for ground beef, but we made a meatless variety and used beans as the main protein in the meal.

Here's a picture showing the assembly line process.

We spread a layer of beans (refried beans or just mash up cooked black beans) on the tortilla.

Then add a layer of cooked barley (rice would work fine too).

Top that with a heaping spoonful of this mixture: a package of taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, chopped green peppers, chopped onion, a can of corn, a few jalapeno peppers and whatever else we have on hand to throw in this mix ("everything but the kitchen sink").

Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Wrap in foil and freeze.

When ready to eat, remove foil and heat in microwave for 1 minute.

It's very easy to make 10-20 of these at a time. The ingredients are inexpensive and easy to prepare. You could customize these with whatever ingredients suit you. And these burritos freeze easily.

My husband has been enjoying these for lunch on the days when there aren't other leftovers to eat. A cheap but filling lunch.

Brown Bag Burritos - they work for me!

Deals Around Town

2011-10-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/4/2011

A few deals I've gotten lately.

First, a mailbox freebie - a Swiffer duster and other Swiffer coupons.
Excellent free item!

Last week CVS had a deal on Softsoap. I was able to get 2 bottles of foaming hand soap for less than $2 and earn back $4 in Extra Care Bucks (like a gift card to use at CVS in the future). I liked the deal but I was also excited because I'd recently read here about making your own foaming hand soap and I lacked the special dispenser. So now I've got soap to last a while and a dispenser to make my own soap when these are empty.

And I just bought these 3 items for a total of 50 cents at CVS yesterday, thanks to coupons and deals. I also got back $1 Extra Care Buck to spend at CVS next time. I live very close to numerous CVS stores, so it's not out of my way to shop there and it's easy to take advantage of great deals when they come.

I like deals! :-)

On My Mind

2011-10-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

10/3/2011

Today I am praying for a number of people that God has brought to my mind:

My friend Joyce, who is at home with sick kids today.
My friend Michele, who had her lower leg amputated last week.
My husband as he seeks to glorify God in his workplace.
My mom as she leaves for a trip to Hawaii this week.
My children to seek unity and peace.

These verses from Ephesians struck me when I read them yesterday and then they came up again today too - "Be completely gentle and humble; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." So this is my prayer for myself and my family today.

If you have any prayer requests, let me know and I will pray for you also!

Family Photo Friday

2011-09-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/30/2011

How can it be that September is over already? Another week, another month, another year is slipping away from us.

I guess I let this week slip away, as far as pictures are concerned.
I've got just one to share.

The kids and I were playing with our magnetic letters this week, spelling out all kinds of things on a metal pizza pan. (This is a great way to use magnetic letters, by the way. We pull them out now and then, to spice up spelling tests or help my son with letter recognition). Grandma K (my mother) is leaving on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Hawaii in a few days, so we thought we'd send her off with this message made just for her.

It's Friday! It's the weekend! Make it a good one - the days are going too fast to not live intentionally and invest time where it matters!

Children's Reading List: The Secret Garden

2011-09-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/29/2011

The Secret Garden

I don't know how I managed to avoid The Secret Garden all these years. I recently picked it up and read it for the first time. I very much enjoyed this classic tale. It has themes of beauty, mystery, children and friendship.

Mary Lennox is an orphan child who is sent from India to live with a distant relative in England. She is a terribly spoiled child, but through the kindness of a servant the rough edges become smooth. Mary learns of a secret garden kept on the premises, locked up for the last 10 years. Eventually she finds the garden and the key for the hidden door. Tending the garden is the way she spends her time, hoping the dying plants can again become beautiful. Along the way, she meets friends Dickon and Colin and shares her "secret" with them. The three friends share in the work of the garden and in the end surprise everyone with what the garden becomes but also what they themselves have become in the process.

I know that movies have been made about The Secret Garden, which I have never seen. For the beauty of it in my mind could never be equaled!

I enjoyed the book and see why it's considered to be a timeless classic to be read by children everywhere!

Works for Me Wednesday - Mailbox Club Bible Lessons

2011-09-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/28/2011

A few years ago we heard about Child Evangelism Fellowship's Mailbox Club. They have Bible lessons they mail to children. The children read the lesson and do a worksheet, which they mail back to the Mailbox Club. Volunteers "grade" the worksheet and send it back with another lesson for the child.

Membership is completely free. It used to cost one stamp per lesson, to mail it back, but now the return envelope is postage-paid so there is truly no cost involved.

Check them out or sign up online here.

After completing her first level, my daughter was mailed a completion certificate and a free music CD. After completing her second level recently, she received a completion certificate and a beautiful black Bible with her name engraved on the cover! She was VERY excited about that gift.

We incorporate the mailbox club lessons with our homeschool, but they certainly don't have to be considered "school." They usually contain a Bible story, a memory verse, a modern-day short story focusing on the scripture verse and a one-page worksheet. My daughter always looks forward to getting these lessons (what kid doesn't love getting mail of their own!)

I trust what my daughter learns through the Mailbox Club. She loves it. It's free. There are rewards for completing lessons.

What isn't to love about the Mailbox Club?

It works for me!

Children's Reading List: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

2011-09-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/27/2011

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

A friend recommended this book to me so I recently checked it out from the library to read it myself.

The story is about a young lady, Claudia, who decides to run away from the mundane routine of her boring life. She invites one of her brothers along, because he has money and she knows she'll need money to survive. Claudia's plan is to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. They stay there undetected for a week and end up trying to solve a mystery about a statue that just might be a work of Michelangelo.

The age recommendations for the book are 9-12 and I agree with them. I will hold off on sharing this book with my daughter for at least a few more years. I thought the plot was engaging, but I am not keen on introducing the concept of running away from home to my daughter. Claudia and her brother are typical children, so they were at times rude and immature. In the end there was not any resolution between Claudia and her parents, no remorse on Claudia's part over having run away or what she put her parents through.

This book did receive the Newberry Medal of Excellence for American Children's Literature in the 1960s and is considered to be somewhat of a classic. I am glad I read it, but think that calling it a children's book is a stretch. There is minimal educational content in the book, while there are numerous examples of bad behaviors cast in a positive light.

Therefore, I give this book 2 stars out of 5.

Deals Around Town

2011-09-26T01:00:00.001-07:00

9/26/2011

Here are a few things I've picked up recently for free.

I purchased this book - The Bears on Hemlock Mountain - from Amazon.com for my daughter. It was completely free (including shipping) using Swagbucks gift cards I'd earned.

These two items were free at Kroger this week. I had a coupon for a completely free candy bar and a $5 off coupon for a Schick Quattro razor (these retail at more than $6 but were on sale for $5 making them completely free after the coupon).

2 packages of Skinny Cow chocolate candy and 1 package of CVS brand bandages. These items were free at CVS, thanks to rain checks (ALWAYS get a rain check at CVS for items that are out of stock. This happens often at my local CVS stores. If the store regularly carries the item, they will give a rain check for the sale/deal so you can use it later when the item is back in stock. Rain checks NEVER expire, so hold on to them and pair them with a coupon in the future to get a great deal).

This was a mailbox freebie - a free sample I'd signed up online to receive that arrived this week. Free sample mouthwash, dental floss, and coupons.

We also were given a watermelon and a few dozen ears of sweet corn recently... at no cost to us.

Enjoyed anything free lately?

Family Photo Friday

2011-09-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/23/2011

I really can't believe it. Friday again?!
Here are some photos from our week.

Our local library had Clifford as a special guest during storytime this week. Here's my daughter giving him a big hug. [My son was super excited before the visit, but when the time came he was too shy and scared to get near Clifford]

My daughter used her easy-bake oven to make some cinnamon pretzels. Here we were rolling them out.

We've spent more nights recently playing board games together. Candyland. Battleship. Dominoes. In this picture, my hubby, son and daughter are playing Hi Ho Cherrio. This week my son had his first win ever - way to go, buddy!

Happy Friday to you!

Foster Parenting - Log #23

2011-09-22T01:00:00.001-07:00

9/22/2011

DCS - Friend or Foe?

When deciding to become foster parents and work directly with the State, you open yourself up to the scrutiny and inspection of DCS (Department of Child Services, as it's called in Indiana; also known as CPS - Child Protective Services). Social workers will be in your home. They will watch you interact with your biological family and your foster children. They will walk through your home to ensure it is a safe environment for children. They will look through your home study (approximately 30 pages of information you provide to them about your life, your values, your discipline techniques, your finances, your childhood, your everything). Your life becomes an open book, by necessity, for them to give you their stamp of approval as a foster parent. DCS is like a friend that you share everything with.

As a homeschooling family, we hear plenty of horror stories from others like us who face questioning or detention by DCS. Homeschooling has come a long way since the "movement" began 30 years ago. Parents' rights to homeschool their children are protected freedoms in America. Yet there are situations that make the news now and then about a judge ruling that certain parents cannot homeschool their children or that children are suffering "educational neglect" and are therefore removed from their home. Homeschoolers are generally taught to fear DCS, to stay clear of them as much as possible, and to know their individual rights should DCS ever knock on their door with questions about why their kids aren't in school. DCS is viewed as a foe, an enemy to avoid at all cost.

Walking the fine line between these two is indeed like walking a tightrope. We have done that for the last year. For most of that year, we felt trusted by the DCS workers we interacted with. No questions were raised about our homeschooling - nobody asked how often we "do school" or what curriculum we use or even how we expected foster parenting to impact our homeschooling. They left us alone.

In more recent interaction with DCS social workers, however, the tide seemed to turn. We got a taste of what it must be like for parents to have DCS interfere with daily life, to question their motives, to take things out of context, to make judgements based on insufficient information. It felt like we were betrayed by a friend - our "friend" DCS, whom we had shared our everything with. Suddenly we were suspect, we were viewed by them as an enemy. I cannot go into more detail due to confidentiality and privacy concerns.

For us, DCS was both a friend and a foe. For most of our year as foster parents, we were on the same team, working together and getting along well. But near the end, we were very disappointed by the relationship, the lack of support, the presence of suspicion, condemnation and judgment. That experience painted DCS as more of a foe in my mind.

Here are a few things I've tried to remember throughout this time:

1) Our experience is only our experience. Others may have great experiences or terrible experiences working with DCS as foster parents. I cannot paint DCS as all good or all bad, because DCS is made up of hundreds (in our county) of employees. Some of those are good at what they do and some aren't. As in any group of people, there are both. Yet each of those employees represents DCS and makes an impression on the public they interact with, who will form impressions of DCS based on that person's representation.

2) Many people have difficulties working directly with DCS. As a state-run agency, everyone employed there is over-worked and under-paid. Social workers have huge case loads, demanding more from them than can reasonably be accomplished in any given work day. This is a reason why many foster parents choose to work through a private agency, instead of working directly with DCS. They can give more support to their foster parents. They aren't spread as thin. They provide help more promptly. There are pros and cons to both working directly with DCS or working with a private agency. We may not have experienced the difficulties we did if we had been working with a private agency instead of with DCS directly.

3) Our experience in recent weeks has given us a great opportunity to put this biblical principle into practice - Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. My kids and I had been memorizing that passage during some of those difficult times with DCS. It came back to me over and over. Bless. Don't curse. Don't grow bitter. Bless the work they are doing on behalf of children in need.

I don't share our experience to discourage anyone from becoming a foster parent. I do share it so that anyone who heads that direction has eyes wide open to the good and the bad they may encounter, in order to be prepared more fully.

Foster care is a broken system run by broken people who are trying to help other broken people. Nothing about it is perfect. The very reason that children end up in foster care is become something went wrong. There is no perfect solution for them, since God's "perfect solution" (ie. a loving, caring family) fell through. So the people involved try the best they can to provide a "good" situation, but they cannot provide a perfect situation. At this point in America's history, foster care is the government's way to respond to the orphan crisis. Choosing to enter into that system as foster parents is to open yourself up to the good and the bad that comes with it. Our experience proved DCS as a friend and a foe, in a 12-month time period.

Works for Me Wednesday - Math Dice

2011-09-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/21/2011

My daughter is in 3rd grade and is just being introduced to multiplication.

Multiplication means... 1) my daughter is growing up. I always have viewed multiplication as a harder concept that only older kids grasp. Now she is one of those "older kids." And 2) we need to start practicing times tables. I have vivid childhood memories of the struggles and the tears to memorize times facts. I don't want my daughter to have such a hard time with this, if I can help it.

Bring out the dice!

We own an over-sized pair of foam dice, but any dice will do. Roll them and start talking your child through the math problem that the dice present. Factors won't be larger than 6, so that makes dice perfect for beginners.

Of course you can use the dice for other math problems too. We have used our dice for basic addition and subtraction problems. My 3-year-old son now uses them for simple counting as well.

If your children are like mine, they get excited over anything new and different. Using dice for math problems is much more fun, according to my daughter, than using flashcards or doing a math worksheet.

Give dice a try. It works for me!

Foster Parenting - Log #22

2011-09-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/20/2011

I mentioned last time that we were making some changes to our foster parenting status. Big changes, actually.

We are no longer foster parents.

We turned in our notice a few days ago.

It's been one year. We are very thankful that we were able to provide a safe and loving home for the 6 children who spent time with us.

However, there were some things that happened that caused us to question if the timing was right for us to be serving in this way. The biggest concern was related to how our two biological children were affected by having the foster children in our home. My daughter is 8 years old and overall handled things very well. My 3-year-old son, though, struggled a lot during the time that foster children were present in our home and long after they left. In fact, it's been over a month since our last foster children left and my son is still exhibiting behaviors that he picked up from those last children.

We also had a very difficult experience with our last foster placement. We saw some terrible things as a result of that placement - things that came out of us, things that came out of our biological children, things that came out of those whose job it is to support us as foster parents. In some ways it felt as though the legs were kicked out from under us, leaving us with no support. Continuing to work within that system is impossible at the moment.

So, we are stepping away from foster parenting... not because our hearts no longer desire to help children and not because God's heart for the orphan child has changed. But because we owe it to our biological children to be here 100% for them, to guide and protect them while they are young. And because we've been burned by a broken system that let us down in our time of need.

I don't know what the future holds. I do know that in another ten years, we could easily return to foster parenting, at least in our hearts. Maybe it is in that season of life that we could have a fruitful, on-going foster parenting ministry.

Many of you know that we suffered a miscarriage in June. It was devastating... and still is. It was a major loss, as hopes and dreams were dashed. Laying down foster parenting feels similar to me. It is another loss, as hopes and dreams are again dashed. It feels like something is being ripped away from us. It feels like defeat. It feels like giving up.

But my rational mind reminds me that there is wisdom in knowing our limits, in knowing how much we can realistically handle at this stage of life. And it is not failure to try one's best - it is failure to not even try at all.

We gave it our best shot. We served for one year. We know that God has reasons for us meeting Amy and Candace and CJ and Chase and Davey and Jason. Their pictures hang on a wall in our home. My kids talk about them like they are distant cousins or old friends. We'll never forget them.

I have a few other thoughts to share about fostering, so this is likely not the last Foster Parenting Log. But for now, I will thank all of you who have walked on this journey with us, who have looked forward to reading these posts to learn more about foster parenting or to see who God is bringing our way. I thank those of you who know us "in real life" and have prayed for us, have supported and encouraged us, have helped us to provide for the needs of others. God bless you and may God shower mercy on all the children of the world.

Micah 6:8 says "He has shown you, o mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Children's Reading List: The Borrowers

2011-09-19T01:00:00.001-07:00

9/19/2011

I first saw The Borrowers on a children's book list a few weeks ago and was intrigued. I am glad I checked it out from the library and gave it a chance - I very much enjoyed this book. I read it myself, as I like to do with many books, prior to letting my daughter read them (or her and I reading aloud together).

The premise of the book is simple. There is a miniature world of little people, who call themselves Borrowers, who live under the floorboards of human homes. They use postage stamps as paintings and matchboxes as storage drawers. They are discovered by a boy who befriends them and brings them dollhouse furniture for their home. Eventually the adults in the home discover the Borrowers and try to exterminate them, but the boy comes to their rescue by helping them escape.

This is a classic book that is still worth reading and sharing.

Two thumbs up for The Borrowers.

Family Photo Friday

2011-09-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/16/2011

It's Friday once again. The weeks are flying by.
As usual, I'm sharing some photos today.

I found this squirrel on the birdhouse to be humorous. My husband and kids built this birdhouse for me for Mother's Day this year. I'm not sure if any birds used it, but this squirrel was enjoying it as a perch.

We enjoyed a "Kids Fun Day" this week, letting our kids decide what we should do for the day. We spent some time at Kids Kingdom - an over-sized playground/park area nearby. Here they are "driving" a car there.

The other big thing we enjoyed on "Kids Fun Day" was a fishing trip. Here is a look down the pier. It was a gorgeous day, although a bit on the cool side. We didn't catch anything, but a successful fishing trip for us is more about enjoying ourselves than about walking away with fish. The kids had a blast.

Near our fishing pier was a water pump. The kids tried and tried to get some water out of it. My son here was completely hanging on the lever to inch it downward. These kids are truly fascinated by almost anything, filled to the brim with curiosity.

Happy Friday to you!

Foster Parenting - Log #21

2011-09-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/15/2011

We will soon be at the one year mark of being licensed foster parents. As that date nears, foster parents go through a renewal process - updating paperwork to prove that they are still current with certifications and are able to provide a safe environment for kids. It's also the time to make changes to the age/gender/special needs profile of children you are willing to accept. We will be making some changes to our fostering status, which I'll explain.

First, here's a recap of the highlights of year one as foster parents. Note 1: names have been changed to protect the privacy of our foster children. Note 2: you can go back and read more detailed accounts in the previous foster parenting logs here.

Fall 2010 - we were licensed with a therapeutic fostering agency

December 2010 - had our first placement with CJ, a 9-year-old boy who stayed with us 10 days; this placement was very hard on us as a family

January 2011 - we transferred our fostering license to the Indiana Dept of Child Services to become a "traditional" foster home instead of therapeutic

May 2011 - we fostered two brothers, 3-year-old Chase and 18-month-old Davey, for 4 days; this placement went well

May and June 2011 - we fostered Candace, an 18-month-old girl for 8 days; she was an absolute sweetheart and her stay with us went very well

August 2011 - we fostered two siblings, 4-year-old Amy and 2-year-old Jason, for 8 days; this placement was very difficult for our family

If you add up those days, it means that we had foster children with us for 30 days out of the last year. You can see that much of the last year was spent in the waiting phase - waiting for a call, waiting to see what would happen next.

As Christians, we have found that working with the foster care system is a sanctifying process. What I mean is that there is ample opportunity to become more like Jesus as you deal with broken people and a broken system. Parenting itself is a sanctifying process - foster parenting seems to add another layer of difficulty on top. Patience is required as you wait. Hope is required as you deal with seemingly hopeless situations. Self-control is needed as children act out in ways that anger you. Love is required as you open up your home to someone in need. An inner peace is needed because there is much chaos going on around you. A sense of conviction is required because you will at times feel like you're failing.

We have many emotions and memories as we look back over the past year, as so much as happened in our family. There have been ups and downs, good times and bad in our lives in general but also in our fostering specifically. As our renewal process looms, we want to take a step back and ask again: Is foster parenting what God would have us to do right now? Is this how He wants our family to be involved with His Kingdom work of loving the orphan child?

I'll be sharing more next week about how we are answering those questions and what changes that will mean for our family.

Homeschool: County Park Field Trip and Lesson

2011-09-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/14/2011

Last week my kids and I attended a special presentation at a County Park called "Wild Edibles" and aimed at homeschoolers specifically. The guide led the children in a game, matching a "wild" ingredient with an item that can be made from it (sassafras with tea, dandelions with salad, etc). Then she took the kids on a hike where she was able to point out at least a handful of edible items growing in the wild.Here is my daughter standing by a jewelweed plant. We learned that the small seeds inside the pods of this plant are edible. Though my son and I were afraid to try them, my girl liked these quite a bit and ate at least a dozen.

At the end of the two-hour lesson, our guide showed how to make grape juice from wild grapes we picked and how to make "sumac-ade" from the sumac we picked. Here is the guide pouring out the sumac drink. All of the kids had a turn to mash the sumac in water, which was then strained through a cheesecloth and many cups of sugar added to make it drinkable.

I'm thankful for our county parks and programs such as this one. Since we have been studying Native Americans, learning about "wild edibles" fit very well into discussions of life in those days.

Children's Reading List: American Girl Kaya and Lapbook

2011-09-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/13/2011

It's official - we've begun reading through the American Girl books. We started with Kaya because she is the "first" American Girl chronologically (the setting for Kaya's life is 1764 in the Pacific Northwest) and she is a Native American.

This was a great series for my daughter. She loves to read, especially fiction. This series beautifully supplemented what we've been studying in school about Native American history, all the while entertaining my daughter with the fictional characters.

We made a lapbook for the Kaya series. All of those lapbooking printouts can be found here and are completely free. It's been a while since we made a lapbook and my daughter practically begged me to make this one, when I told her that I had free access to the basic materials. Above is the cover she made for the lapbook - her own artistry.

Here she is showing the inside of the lapbook - the first set of pages with mini-books focusing on describing what Kaya was like, what her housing was like, what her mother and father were like, some of Kaya's favorite things, and what life was generally like in 1764.

Then you can turn the page in the lapbook and here is the next set of mini-books. These focused on Kaya's horses, what changed in Kaya's life throughout the series, what conflict Kaya had with someone else in the books, and a map of the United States highlighting the parts of Oregon, Idaho and Washington where Kaya's Nez Perce tribe lived.

I've made my daughter this promise: we will read through all of the American Girl books as we study U.S. history and when we are done we will take a train ride to Chicago and go to the American Girl store together. She can't wait! I'm not sure if I should let her loose to just read all of the books quickly (which she would love to do and would finish them this fall) or make her wait until we go through each period of history so she better understands what is taking place in the books. I'd like for her to go the slower route, but we'll see.

Deals Around Town

2011-09-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/12/2011

Deals. Deals.
Honestly, I haven't taken advantage of too many deals lately, but here are a few freebies.

These 2 Renuzit air fresheners were free at WalMart. Priced at 94 cents, I used a $1 off printable coupon to get them free plus 6 cents overage (that was applied towards other items I was buying).

These 3 sample Suave items and coupons arrived in my mailbox last week. Samples of body wash, lotion and hair spray... all for free.

I'm hoping that you've been able to snag more deals than I have, though I'm always thankful for whatever I can get for free!

Family Photo Friday

2011-09-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/9/2011

This week flew by and Friday is upon us once again. Apparently I didn't take many photos this week and found only these two to share.

Here's my daughter doing some painting. We don't do anything formal for homeschool art class, but she likes to pull out our craft boxes and do artsy things fairly often. She didn't know it, but she had some orange paint on her eyebrow when I took this picture. He he :-)

And here's my boy doing some of his first ever "school" work. He's 3 and 1/2 and likes tracing letters, especially if he can use markers to do it! Note his new haircut - a complete buzz. It's in that fun-to-rub-the-fuzz stage now.

Happy weekending to you all!

Works for Me Wednesday - Clothespin Lessons

2011-09-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/8/2011

Ok. I'm a day behind. Monday holidays seem to throw the rest of the week off. It's Thursday but this is my "Works for Me Wednesday" post.

My daughter is reviewing the books of the Bible. We know songs that we often sing to help us remember the order of the books. Here is a visual and hands-on way to practice ordering the books of the Bible (or anything else you might want to memorize in a certain order).

Clothespins and hangers. You need to have 1 clothespin per item you want to memorize. For us, that was 66 clothespins for the 66 books of the Bible. On one side of the clothespin I wrote the name of the book (ex. Genesis). I did this for all 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament. I used a black Sharpie for Old Testament books and a red Sharpie for New Testament books, as a visual aid for my kids.

Hang the clothespins in the correct order on hangers. Then turn the clothespins over to the blank side. Use this second side to create a way for your child to self-check their work by using numbers or letters.

The New Testament has 27 books so that is almost the same as the alphabet, which has 26 letters. So I put an A on the back of the Matthew clothespin, B on the back of Mark, etc. I had one extra left after Z so I put a smiley face on that last one to finish off the 27 clothespins.

For the Old Testament, I just numbered the clothespins from 1 up to 39.

Here's my daughter holding one hanger with the Old Testament pins (the one with more pins, which have to curve around the edge of the hanger) and one hanger with the New Testament pins.

I like the fact that she can check her own work, by flipping them over and seeing the alphabet or numbers on the back. And now with my 3-year-old son I realize I can give him one set and work with him on letter or number recognition too.

Easy to create. Easy to use. Works for me!

PS: I originally created these clothespins 3 years ago and posted this tip way back then. I'm so glad these are still coming in handy today! You can see that original post here.

Third Grade Update

2011-09-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/7/2011

It's been a while since I've answered the common question "How is homeschooling going?" (My last update was here, when we were 8 days in).

We are now about 50 days into 3rd grade, so we've finished the first quarter and are entering the second quarter of school (in Indiana we have to school for at least 180 days per grade level).

We are using a curriculum package called Sonlight. It's heavy on literature and involves quite a bit of reading each day. Some of that reading is out-loud (me reading to/with my daughter) and some is independent (her reading quietly by herself). We're finishing up a study on Native Americans which included several good books. We read about Pocahontas and Squanto and did some more in-depth studies on the Incans, Mayans and Aztecs of Central America.

My daughter just finished reading through the Kaya book series from American Girl. Kaya is a Nez Perce Indian from the 1764 time period, so I thought this series would supplement our studies well... and it has. Next up we begin studying more about the pioneer and colonial days of early America.

We're about 10 letters into the cursive alphabet, so there are many words she can now write in cursive (which is good motivation to continue on). In science, we've learned about the life cycle of frogs and are now discussing snakes and reptiles (which tend to creep her out so she covers up the pictures to not have to see all those ewwwy things). :-)

The biggest turn-around for my daughter this year has been related to math. She used to hate it and now she loves it. She loves it because it's now on CD-ROM and she enjoys all the computer time I'll allow her to have. This means that she is asking to do a math lesson on days we are not planning to do school. At this pace, she will finish math well before we finish the rest of 3rd grade but I see nothing wrong with that!

The most difficult part of homeschooling right now is not about the curriculum or the studies. It's about attitude. Even though my daughter agrees that school is more enjoyable this year than it's ever been before, she still struggles to face the school day with a positive attitude. There is often whining, complaining and procrastination. Dealing with her character is more important than completing the curriculum lessons but is also so hard to pin-point and to know how to address effectively.

Although I'm "the teacher," I learn a lot as I homeschool my children. Homeschooling serves as a refresher course for me, in matters like early American history. But I learn even more as I grow as a parent, learning how to walk alongside my children through challenges, how to gently instruct, how to weave the Bible into our day, how to share life with these two little people. And on difficult days (yes, we have those too) I remind myself that I am blessed to be at home with my children. Although we are a homeschooling family, we are first and foremost a family. We learn through life together. There is great comfort and security and trust in simply being there for one another through it all. God sure knew what He was doing when He created families!

More Pony Fun

2011-09-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/6/2011

We got together with some Girl Scout friends one day last week to enjoy time down on the farm. Fun with friends, a potluck lunch, and animals.

Here my two little people pet a pony named Honey.

For the kids, the highlight was a ride in a pony cart, pulled by a sweet pony named Carmel. Here three of the girls are getting ready to take off.

My daughter waving back at me as they headed into the field where the pony would take off running.
Here's a picture of them in the open field, trotting along.

Ponies and horses and farms... what fun!

Family Photo Friday

2011-09-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

9/2/2011

The first Friday of September is here. Who can believe we're so close to fall already? As always, I'm posting some family photos on this Friday.

My kids enjoy playing on a nearby school playground. On the particular day we went, though, it was nearly 100 degrees and we lasted on a few minutes before the kids were begging for air conditioning!

My son in the slide. He hides from the camera a lot these days, so it's a challenge to snap a shot of him without his hands hiding his face.

My daughter decorated this balloon and set it in the chair. My husband and I thought this was too funny to not photograph. Since then, we have drawn on a smile to complete the look, but the idea was completely hers.

Happy Friday to one and all!