Christmas Time

My favorite part of the holidays is the overnight stay at my mom and step-dad's from Christmas Eve til Christmas night. We have carried on this tradition for the past 5 years and I believe it is well worth preserving. I don't care about gift exchanging. My children really have more than they need but the memories of meals, games, and conversations are what touches all of us. After all, relationships are the most important aspect of our life. Anyway here is a overview of our time: Christmas Eve is a more formal celebration with family pictures, nice candle-lit dinner (Grandpa always makes his meatballs and Grandma has desserts galore), White Elephant Game, and then late-night talks and games. This year we are trying something new and that is performances of music, dance, or recitation from the children. Joshua is practicing a song on his guitar, Paul and John are reciting Scripture, and Lily will sing a solo. Oh, and Joseph will take a spectacular 5-8 steps from person to person while everyone cheers. Next, we will all awake to children pestering us to hurry downstairs while we exchange gifts. Each person has drawn a name a month or so ago and will now present that person with their gift. We start from youngest to oldest so that each person will get their moment in the spotlight. The best part of Christmas day is staying in our pajamas and eating all the left overs from the night before. It won't be quite the same without Candace this year but they are coming soon for a visit. Anyways, the kids are so excited they can hardly contain themselves.

Sarah enjoyed Joe's birthday so much that a few mornings later she climbed in bed with us and I opened my eyes to see her face right in mine with a little plea of "Mommy, Pease have birfday. Peasse have cake." What an adorable age!
This week we have still continued on with school as next week will be our Christmas break. We did have a couple of breaks. One day we decorated ginger bread cookies at a friend's house and another friend invited us out for the afternoon. I have really been pushing myself to keep consistent with my schedule with John and Lily. Lily's progress continues to inch along and John has needed a little more time than the older boys to catch on. During the school day our little Sarah is in the middle of it all. I can't call it naughtiness but just wanting to be involved-which can be good if we find creative ways to bring her in. It seems I have never been so pressed and needed. I know I am in the pinnacle of the physical demands of mothering and by next year the younger two will be much more independent. I couldn't wish for time to go any quicker for they are all so tender hearted right now. The emotional, physical, and spiritual changes that are taking place in the older ones are a lot to handle also. One of the nice things about the oldest is he has become a responsible baby sitter and tonight Kenny and I just arrived back from a nice dinner date. Through it all life is beautiful as we press through into finding that place in Christ where we all belong. GRACE - GRACE - WHAT AN AWESOME GIFT FROM GOD THAT WE GIVE TO ONE ANOTHER!! There is a joy in the journey-Michael Card. (you can listen to this song-go to michaelcard.com )
Through the new year we pray you realize His grace is enough for you!!!

Subjects of Passion

Wow! So many amazing things happening in our nation. What a war there is between creationists and evolutionists, pro-life vs murder of the unborn, involved parents vs. apathy, and many other important issues like taxes, foreign policy etc. We had a great time discussing what we have learned recently about the ideals of some of the candidates. Huckabee looks pretty good. Check him out. I used to believe that these were issues for the world to deal with and that the "spiritual" ones had more important issues at hand. Have I changed! The reasons vary but I believe that these battles are really spiritual battles taking place in the hearts of our people all around us. My step-dad suggested we all take the initiative to research certain issues and then get together to inform one another. We all liked the challenge.I may not be able to do much but pray and spread a little passion (especially to my children)in this stage of my life but that is okay because it is good for all of us to be informed. It will be interesting to see what happens in our country over the next few years. Whatever the case, trusting in God is not an option, it's the only way. There are so many subjects that I want to explore. My favorites have been early child training, homeschooling, and marriage. God's ways are such a blessing. The best I can do on this little blog is recommend all the wonderful people who have studied the Bible on these subjects resulting in some very helpful books. My favorites are listed below
Child Training
To Train Up a Child- Michael Pearl
Sheperding a Child's Heart-Tedd Tripp
Marriage
Created to be His Helpmeet-Debbi Pearl
Marriage Covenant-Derek Prince
Homeschooling
Charlotte Mason's Companion-Karen Andreola
Homeschooling the Wholehearted Child
Relationships
Joshua Harris' books (Kissed dating Goodbye, Boy Meets Girl, and Not even a Hint)
The Purity Principle-Randy Alcorn
Passion and Purity-Elisabeth Elliot

I guess it would be appropiate to continue on with another subject of passion for me and that would be....our baby who just turned one. Go to Lisa's blog for pictures at Shadybrook Acres. I am really missing our camera to use for the everyday meaningful images of the kids like Joe taking his first steps and Sarah's over-active antics. We are enjoying this cozy season of more family time. The weather has been great this week and John has been excited about learning to ride a two wheeler. Lily is getting more active with others as I pull her away from her constant obsession with drawing. I felt like she has needed a little more balance. Many more tales of our busy life could be told but I seem to slack when there isn't a picture to take the place as forerunner.

Autumn Pleasures

The month of October went by quickly. The younger kids had a virus that kept us in the house for a few weeks. This included a fever with sores in their mouth. The 10th brought the celebration of sweet Sarah's second birthday. Grandparents,cousins, and Auntie and Uncle all came for dinner and cake. She loved the singing and candles.

Joshua has brought music into the house with his new guitar. He is a fast learner and a good singer. He has also been busy working a few afternoons a week.

At the end of October our niece eloped instead of going through with the big wedding planned for this month. We were a bit disappointed but all is well that ends well.
Now we are spending cozy nights drinking hot chocolate after the boys spend the afternoons building a new fort and clearing out our backyard for a football and soccer area. I attempted to start practicing hitting golf balls so that my husband and I can enjoy a hobby together. It’s very difficult but he has improved since he began a few years ago so I have hope. He plays often in a select shot tournament here and has even won a few times. Besides taking the boys with him often, he has had opportunities to play with my dad and brothers. Maybe someday I will join him.

Granny and Papa come for a Visit

We had a very nice visit with Granny and Papa at the end of September. They bought us early Christmas presents including boxes of canned goods from their garden. I began using them immediately which reminded me of our canning days back on the farm in Mo. I sure miss that place. I have recently set my desires on having a farm again. Maybe a green house and a few animals. The babies are growing and a farm seems possible again.
Well, Grandpa had a day of golf with the guys and even a little baseball throwing while the boys used their new radar gun to see who could throw the fastest. The competition spirit definitely runs in the family. We also entertained them with boxing matches and with a little singing from Josh and Lily. Granny was true to her character as she rocked the baby and read to Sarah. We hope we can see them soon again and would love to have them as often as they can come.

Vacation Pictures (minus the vacationers)

Even though we returned from South Carolina nearly a month ago I have just now been able to get back to blogging again. The first and foremost reason being I left my camera near the pool and it disappeared. We were so sad to have lost all of the images of our fun-filled week. I didn't want to continue on with the events of our lives until I could cover our vacation. So.... here are some scenery pictures of the places and things we experienced thanks to google!!! It has taken so long because of some mishaps in uploading the pictures.
We stayed in a cottage like the one above only this was a large 4 bedroom, 3 bath, full kitchen etc. It was great to be able to cook and take care of the meals for all 16 of us. Yes, I know it's funny that we take vacations with our next door neighbors but I guess that shows we have to be getting along well enough.lol Anyway we took turns cooking and spent most of the days either at the beach or the many pools and hot tubs that the resort had to offer. The one big outing was taking a tour to watch the dolphins follow the shrimp boats. Then as we viewed marine life from a net that was thrown on board from the shrimp boat, the boys were able to purchase a few creatures(an eel, small shark, & manta ray) that they preserved in jars themselves (mason jars & alcohol). The dolphins were visible even throughout a thunder storm involving lightning that shook us up a little as we were on the water holding on to metal rails. The experience will be one the kids will never forget.
Kenny and the boys spent most of their time in the waves while the little ones preferred the sand and lazy river ride. A few of the pools sat above the beach giving us a beautiful view. Thanks to the porta-crib, Joseph and Sarah took several naps right on the beach. Ford, Lisa, Kenny, and I were able to sneak away for a quiet dinner of fresh seafood at a nearby restaurant. Since we don't watch regular tv at home, the golf channel, discovery, animal planet, and TLC were quite an attraction for our family.
Kenny and I stayed one day later than our relatives and on the way home we took a little trip further south to Charleston, SC. All I can say is Wow! I think it is the most beautiful city I have ever visited. The historic neighborhood behind Rainbow Row (the picture above is rainbow row) was a big hit with all of us. We spent a few hours just walking and reading the dates of construction. One marker declared that George Washington had been entertained in that home in 1791. I couldn't find pictures of the quiet, shady neighborhood with their beautiful court yards behind their ornate gates. Most of these places were built in the early 1700's. We visited Battery Park where Fort Sumter was visible in the distance. Further on we played in a unique pineapple fountain which led to more walking so we could all dry off. As we crossed the spectacular bridge we were in view of the battleship(forgot the name)so we drove around and stopped at the entrance. The kids had never seen anything quite so huge. We were to late to take a tour so we settled for a picnic dinner at a nearby picnic table. John declared the mosquitoes had planned to all attack us there. It was unbearable so we made it quick and headed home.
We are so thankful to have had a whole week away and the only complaint we have is loosing a much used camera!!!

News about my niece

shadybrookacres.blogspot.com Check out her story.Congratulations Candace !!!!!You have waited on the Lord all these years and I am full of awe and praise for God at what He does in His perfect time. Joshua has been very encouraged by this story and we are glad there are young men out there hanging on, walking each day, and anticipating God's blessings. Our family loves and respects Michael very much. There's a song to the Lord that says, "We never get used to what you do, we never get used to watching you!" When I hear it , I just think back , shake my head , let the tears well up, and lift my heart as I laugh with thankfulness at His faithfulness.

First Week of School

We have begun the daily school life and I think we are going to like the books we have chosen. For the boys I am using Story of the World , George Washington's World, plus This Country of Ours for History. Josh is finishing his Apologia General Science before he starts Biology. Paul is finishing The story of Inventions and then he is doing Apologia Astronomy for Science. Lily and John have a dozen science books and a few dozen picture book biographies we will work through. I am so happy to report that Lily has retained all she learned last year as far as reading skills. What an improvement!! John is also taking off and I can say even though the older boys were reading at 4-5, I am confident we made the right decision of waiting until this year to begin formal reading lessons at age 6. We will be going through the book of Daniel, Jonah, Micah, and Proverbs this year for Bible. Joshua is reading Robert Frost's poetry and Paul is reading The Book of Verses for Children . (Helen Farris' Book of Poems is our favorite but we have worn it out) Our term composer has been Mozart. The art compilations by Currier & Ives I thought would be a good choice while we get into American History. (This is our second cycle of early American History.) Joshua's Literature will include some historical fiction such as Rise to Rebellion by Jeff Sharra but the classics Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations, etc. will also be added. Paul's reading list came from Sonlight's four year. He devoured the first two weeks readings in two days of reading in his free time. We are using Learning Language Arts through Literature for Paul and Joshua will be studying Grammar and do a little more creative writing now that he has had experience and enjoyed so many great authors. We'll see how it all goes. When I get up on time and stay on track then we have very rewarding days( I have to avoid the phone and any other distractions). I would love to share how we schedule work for any who might be looking for a simpler way. Sorry to bore those who are not interested but this is such a big part of our life that I just couldn't help it.

Great Summer Fun in a Long Stretch of Heat

Paul swinging high. Joshua is below.

Julie's family is out in the canoe while Lily just roams

John was a little scared but he did it.

Joshua's stunts sometimes cause me stress

(he thinks he broke his tailbone)

Even though the lake was put on hold by the state environmentalists (wet lands need a special permit) , the 3 families surrounding us have been daily entertained. The boys swing from the rope, John jumps in the deep end, I take Sarah on canoe rides, and as of last night there are two kayaks being paddled around. Lily just roams all over the place with her floaties on. There are big piles of dirt everywhere but the lake is spring fed and stays amazingly clear. It has been refreshing in this record breaking heat wave. The drought is supposed to be the worst recorded in over 100 years.

Our family started school this week and things are going smooth. My favorite part is reading together as a family. Our History, Science, Bible, and occasionally Literature are usually studied together.The Apologia Zoology, Astronomy, Botany, and General Science books have inspired a love of study that I thought was dormant in me. I have always loved History but now I am just as interested in these other subjects. What a difference when books are well written by those who have a passion for the subject instead of the regurgitated dry text book styles. It can change any one's attitude about education. Could it be that God actually blesses us with the wonders of His World and the wonder of His Hand through time? Could it be considered nourishment to the mind, spirit, and soul? YES!!! It doesn't matter how old we are. If we practice reading or listening to great minds and repeat it to someone-it actually stays with us. Narration is the key. Anyway, I would love to share more about our daily routine later.

Our busy girl

" Eat the dog food I stuffed in your mouth or else"

Billy "the squirrel" is our little chihuahua mix of two years now-the best pet a family could ever have. He tolerates all of Sarah's torture, doesn't yipe or act nervous, and is completely friendly to any other animal or human. He was found on the road by my mom. We asked around the neighborhood and when no one claimed him we took him in as our first indoor pet. The funny thing was a few weeks before he arrived I had just mentioned to Kenny (and talked him into)having a small dog because I thought Lily could use a little companion. Now the boys take turns letting him snuggle with them. He was heaven sent.

Sarah discovered Kenny's silk ties in our closet and now carries them around as her "tee-tee"s

One day she had about three wrapped around her neck.

Exciting Events

"Let's see how this tastes"

"If I can only make it to the end of the rug"

Lily is learning to sew

.....and help make meals


The heat is becoming unbearable but with AC and a trip to the lake we have nothing to complain about. This week’s news is as follows:
- Joseph is an official scooter.
- Lily has a new web page called eLilyphants.com created by a new friend who we met just a few days ago. He became inspired by her art and being an artist himself, surprised us with a beautiful gift. We are beyond grateful and hope to share her story and art with one and all. Just go to http://www.elilyphants.com/ This is only the first stage of this site but I couldn't help let you all view it now. We have to add more pictures and text.
-Kenny’s maternal grandfather passed away this past week. He was the father of 10 children with his mom being the oldest. Our prayers of peace and comfort go out to his mom and all the aunts and uncles.

Sarah having a little summertime fun

Joe is inlove with his lamb's wool

Paul - the deep sleeper sleeps under the stars. I thought it was funny that the boys wanted to sleep directly on the ground. They were spread out all over the front yard hill.

Though a little dark you can see the project has expanded quite a bit.

They are becoming good friends. She calls him gohnny.

6th birthday. He tries on a few of his gifts.

Sarah is wondering what this is all about. John just wanted swords for his birthday. He eats, drinks, and breathes swords.

Is it really August? We have a lot of school scheduling to finish before three weeks. A trip to Myrtle Beach is scheduled for the 8th of September. In the meantime we have been cooling off in the half-dug lake which is now put on hold for a while. The kids have a canoe they go about in and even I have sat on the muddy beach area with imaginations of the future sand that will be at my feet. Though muddy and unfinished it has provided great summer entertainment. The muddy tubs and clothes I definitely could do without. We had a new family come over for lunch last week from the church we just visited and whether we revisit the church or not we have made new friends.
- John and Paul's birthday were celebrated with a new birthday breakfast idea that we plan to make a tradition. (they seem to really like traditions and routines sometimes) A breakfast of their choice with special dishes, candle, and whatever comes to mind decor along with the gift is placed on the table before they wake. It seems to start their day knowing they are loved and appreciated. We still do the cake and birthday dinner later but the breakfast puts a definite smile on their face first thing.
- We spent this past weekend searching for an 8 passenger vehicle for our family of 8. We ended up with a Ford Expedition that sits 9. We are really enjoying the comfort we have now when everyone is together. Nothing else new besides the daily yearning in our hearts for the Lord's purpose, presence, and work to be seen in our lives. Even when we can't always see we trust He is working.

Digging in the Mud

Kenny in track hoe

The hole immediately began to fill with water

Eventually the hole will be connected to the pond

One tractor for digging --the other for moving the dirt

I am having a very lazy weekend while the sick kids rest but Kenny, on the other hand, is working day and night. He has been spending the late afternoons until dark working the huge backhoe tractor digging a pond on our relative's land. (which joins our own land). These are a few pictures of their progress which has been slower than planned due to the tractors breaking down every other day or so. It's working out for the best since they needed time to move the huge mounds of dirt so the backhoe can have continual access to the pit. The pit began filling with water immediately and is now already 6 ft. deep after 3 days. In fact, the kids that are well and old enough are swimming in the mud hole while I write. I tried to make Kenny laugh one evening as I decided to excitedly yell "A lake! A lake!" as I ran toward the hole and got in. I couldn't help but get in with caution and timidity and that ruined the rowdy effect I wanted to impress him with. If you know Kenny than you know what I mean. Anyway I guess I have to settle for the mere chuckle he let out and let a real crazy person like Candace perform those stunts. I even lost my shoe in the ordeal... oh well . By next summer there may be a sandy beach and walkway around the pond if all goes as planned.

I have had Lisa's three youngest while she is in Mo. and Ford has been occupied with the lake.Three of my kids and one of hers have some type of sore throat and fever virus that has lasted at least two days. We have stayed inside vegging out most of the time which is good after so much running around. One of the movies we watched, The Sin Eater, was incredibly touching. If you havn't seen it- please do!!! Left us praising God for our Saviour and crying a bit too. The pain is always intense when we watch someone else go through the passing of their child. But I won't give anymore away about the movie which by the way is a new release. It's good to see more films like this being produced. (Michael Landon Jr. produced this one.) Be blessed!

Nature Journaling-the Most Natural Way to Learn

We wanted to post some of our nature journaling pages in hopes of encouraging you to start your own notebook. It doesn't matter what age you are or where you live. If you can't draw or paint (maybe you could just try) then photographing (my mom does this) could be sufficient to help you remember the names and characteristics of whatever you choose to observe. Try! It seems we come away in more awe of our Creator as we continue to marvel at the millions of different species of insects or plants and animals. We at least can learn about the creatures and plants in our current surroundings.



Anyone who has a humming bird feeder can be caught up with these dainty incredible creatures.

Paul ,age 6 at the time, combined his copy work with this page

Lily just started her notebook and if you notice -along with the fly there is an elephant shape.

This page included a bark rubbing

We even got the boys to do a page on wild flowers.

The black widow was much more exciting as we actually found her web.

My nephews caught one of these and placed it in their aquarium for observation-they are suprisingly vicious toward other insects especially their own mate. (they eat them after mating)

Mom (me) even has her own book and these were just some of the twenty different species of mushrooms we collected on our property.

Sometimes we label all the parts

_The practice of Nature Journaling is one of my favorite activities that the whole family

can enjoy. It doesn't matter if you homeschool or not. We started it in 2002 when the boys were only 9 & 5 years old. Now we have over 100 pages combined of creatures, plants, and whatever catches our fancy. As long as God made it, it qualifies. I have looked back and chuckled to see how the kids have matured with their art and writing. This nature journaling was a part of Charlotte Mason's students education over a hundred years ago. It's simple: Go for a walk. Look around. Draw something you see or find. Identify it. Make some notes or add a poem or scripture. Not only do we identify these things but we practice our drawing and writing skills right along with getting some exercise in the fresh air. We have met with another family for the past five years to keep up the practice. My dear friend, the mother of four sons, denied her prissy nature on one outing as she scooped up a blob of slimy frog eggs. She has been transformed. Ha Ha. Anyway each of our children have their own notebook which will make a nice field guide through the years. Any questions? Just E-mail me and I would love to share more about it.

Joseph Update

Joseph-7 months is now sitting up