Sunday "My Mother Emilee with Her Blessings"

Sunday at Fifteen Years

SUNDAY "Contemplating Life"

As I age and look back on my life I can now see with the mature eyes of wisdom. The life of a child revolves around play, friends, family and comfort. Whether they get it adequately enough or not is another matter. However, God says, "to train a child up the way he's to go and he'll stay with it all of his life." I don't remember many beatings from my mother as a child. But the ones I did get were meaningful and painful, she got her message across. My father left my mother with five children when I was eight. Without discipline I realise now, that I would have been a more precarious child. I was timid and shy, and relied on my mothers wisdom in everything, that is, until I met HIM. The first time my eyes saw that handsome boy I was lost. It was love at first sight. I loved him from the age of eleven evolving over 35 years. Then, the rose coloured glasses I had worn through thick and thin were taken away and I finally saw the real person. Yes, love is blind and as my eldest daughter spoke to me in concern about her daughter yesterday. She stated that with love? we are sometimes on a road to self destruction. Many times instead of falling in love with the person who is loving and kind to us, we fall for the one who mistreats and causes much sorrow. So what is the remedy? Aha! now we get down to obedience. Before I married Raymond, my now husband of almost 5 years, I never wanted to marry again. I had come from my Christian prespective to a worldly one of, have a man in your life but, no more ties. My mother was pained. Why was her daughter acting in this distort manner. Well, it was to cover the pain and disillusionment that had festered sour dough. Yet, God in His goodness turned...my mourning into dancing and my sorrow into joy. I met Raymond a man who had been alone for 28years. We were very alike in many ways accept two. I am tidy, he is not. I love to learn, study and research and he works with his hands. BUT, together we balance like a pair of old fashioned scales. One helps the deficiencies of the other. So where does the obedience come in? I believe with all my heart that God chose my new husband. So the message is. There is a partner in life for everyone. What is needed is the choice. My Will or God's WILL?
A partner in life can be the richest blessing, IF, we pray, thy Will be done.... in the choice of selection.

Alphabet Wheels

I have been working on projects for our activity bags that we use as our work box system. This one I completed today to use with the boys.The materials used were:copy papercard stockscissorspencilrulerletter stickersDirections:1. I traced circle shapes approximently 5 inches in diameter and used a pencil and rule to make 12 marks on the circle (like a clock).2. I cut out the circles and glued

Picnic Table Talk: Organizing your space

This week's Picnic Table Talk at ABC and 123 is about organizing your space. Here's a sample of how I organize our space as homeschoolers. We live in a small 2 bedroom apartment with 800 square feet so I have to make the best with the space we have.
We have a built in bookcase in our living room that holds all of our homeschooling books, binders, and materials. For our boys' room (pictured above)

Tuesday "Time in Prayer"

Tuesday "Time in Prayer"

The Word of God tells us that when one or more are together in His name, He is in the midst of them. This is a great promise. Even though we cannot see Him, he is there. Vicky and I spent time talking and praying about family concerns yesterday. It was valuable blessed good time. Quality time sharing our thoughts and needs. I love to worship and praise God. He is our Creator and our Saviour and He brings peace to troubled hearts. To share truthfully without errected barriers of personal denominations is what Jesus wants all Christians of Faith to do. I love the scripture in Romans Chap 2 that emphasises the breaking down of the hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles. How much more need we today, to love and up build up our fellow believers. God is so good. Jesus died for us and freed us 2,000 years ago. Before, we were even here on earth to know or understand. This is a humbling revelation to me personally. Jesus knows us so well, he put all this in existance, not just for then but also for now. Hey, before I was born, I was saved. He knew my heart so well, that he forgave my sins before I had even sinned.
Thank you my wonderful God for your provision and mercy!

Picnic Table Talk: Imagination

This week's Picnic Table Talk at ABC and 123 is about your child's imagination. This is something important to me since I enjoyed pretend play as a child. We never watched much television as children. We had only one television set and when my Dad came home from work it was his! We played outdoors from the time we came from school until bedtime (with a break for dinner and a bath).When my mother

Blog Button

I finally got around to creating a button and learning how to create the code so that my readers can grab my button to place on their blogs. I found a great tutorial from another blog how how to create the code. I used the tutorials from Jenieshell's Design Challenge to create mine. Here are the links below that I used. How to Create a blog buttonHow to make a scroll boxHow to display unreadable

Craft stick Puzzles

I have made these for my toddler son and I wanted to share with you ideas on how you can make your own. They are not expensive to make. They can be used for Activity bags on the go or as an activity for work boxes (for those who are using the work box system). You canmake then as a puzzle card for relatives as suggested by ABC 123.You will need:Heavy paper (such as card stock, construction paper,

Monday "Mr Monty Moo"

Monday "A Little Dog Named Monty"

Since the first day Monty came to live with us, he stole our hearts. Raymond had owned two wonderful boxer's in Tennessee, Lucy the Mother and Bruno her son. Planning to travel extensively in Australia, the last thing we needed on the road in a caravan was a dog. However, being asked by a relocating family if we wanted a small dog they had to leave behind we gave in and took him. Those imploring eyes tugged at our heartstrings as he stood on hind legs begging us to love him. I gave in first. "We'll have to take him Raymond," I said when we got home, " he looked so sad poor little thing!"
"I aint taking no dog round with us," came my husbands southern drawl reply, "we don't need it." A couple of days went by before I approached the subject again.
"He's so cute, he won't be much trouble."
"Well if you want him, we'll have him," Raymond reluctently gave in.
So Monty came to live with us. Raymond ignored him to begin with.
Then he became the subject of Monty's stares. "What are you lookin at me for?" Raymond questioned him. "Okay, come on then and we'll take a walk." Soon they became best friends and Raymond took Monty everywhere he went.
"Honey you can't let him get in the car all wet from the grass," I'd chide.
"That's okay," Raymond defended, "I'll wipe his feet first." And off they drove in the SUV with the back window down and Monty's little head sticking out with glee. I didn't get asked if I'd like to go as much anymore but Monty was never forgotten. One day I decided to go to town with them.
"Watch this," said Raymond approaching traffic lights on a steep hill. Two little dogs like our little one lived in a corner house right at the lights. As we approached they chased around their fenced border barking at the cars. "Get em Monty," Raymond gave the command. On queue Monty's head stuck out of the window as far as it would go. "Bark at em Monty," Raymond instructed. Monty went to town barking up a fit until the lights changed and we had to move off. Raymond laughed proudly like a dad with his champion son. "Did you see that Hon, isn't he smart?" I wasn't so sure....... Next he taught Monty to bark at the birds who invaded our fruit tree's. Well, that wasn't so bad I decided. A couple of times Monty would go missing. "Where's Monty?" I'd ask, you didn't leave him in the car did you Raymond?" Bashfully Ray would go looking to discover a contented little dog asleep on the back seat. Other times he would lock up downstairs only to discover later, he'd locked Monty in. Once Ray even had the idea to build a special seat on the back of his Harley so he could take Monty for rides. Now he's fixing up a 1955 Oldsmobile and is planning to take Monty for the very first ride!.......... What's next??
At night when the lights are low and we are warm and secure from winters cold. Monty stares at his dad from his place on the floor mat. He wants to be taken onto Ray's comfortable soft lap. From a little dog who once wasn't wanted, Monty is now, king of our hearts and our home.

Saturday "My Pastors"

Saturday "Not myself"

Sometimes life takes over and you simply are not yourself. And then encouragement from God the Father comes. In the most unusual ways and most unexpected. It was like that for me today when the gracious Lady Pastor from my church sent me a message from God. I take that message to heart because I know God is mighty and there are no mistakes. There are no simple explainations either when at a standstill in our life, the hand of God touches. None of us, myself the most, like to admit depression. How can someone who professes to know and love God be depressed? Surely my faith isn't strong or this dilemma would not exist. I have a wonderful husband, my health and a good family plus my strong strong faith, yet.... I suffer depression. Now the strangest part....how, did my Pastor know what I am feeling??? The only person I have confessed this to is my husband. God makes me humble in many ways. He shows my heart condition to others even when I run away and hide. "Lord I praise and thank you for your unconditional and surprising love.... it is beyond me."

School supplies: What's on your list?

It's July and some stores have started stocking the back-to-school aisle. For Homeschool moms like myself it is a treat to find things we can use for our homeschooling!
Here's what I always look for to fill in my shopping cart on the back-to-school aisle.

1. Spiral notebooks. When on sale they can run about 10 cents each. They are perfect to use as Homeschool journals, lesson plan books. Your

Baby Wipe Boxes

I have had friends ask me what are other uses for empty Diaper wipes other than using them to store crayons and markers for homeschooling.Well, here is my list of ideas other ideas for storage:-store extra art supplies such as pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils, and glue sticks.- keep small white board erasers and eraser board markers in them.- Legos- puzzle pieces-math manipulatives-

Curriculum for the Fall

I don't buy curriculum much because for one I get it through Paperback swap, our local homeschool group's book/curriculum exchange and I make my own lessons for most subjects. I am still continuing to make our lessons about but I am supplementing this coming Homeschool year and changing our math curriculum.

For Phonics, I have decided to try using Explode the Code to add to what we are currently

Thursday "Love in Action"

Shiarn (7) with Mr Froggy.

Thursday "Words or Works of Love"

We all like to hear the words,"I love you." They mean so much..... However, to hear these words and not experience any actions can be confusing. To sit by oneself watching television alone, retiring to bed alone, to talk to someone and not get answered, is surely not, an act of love.
Contemplating this I wondered how many times we say we love God, or tell Him in prayer that we love him, without showing him that love. So how do we show Him that we love him?
Jesus said that "when we do anything for others, we do it for Him." So should we get upset with someone because they don't show us the love they proclaim? Should we stop doing kindnesses to them because they ignore us? I believe that when we overlook our hurt and act, in love, then whatever we do, we do for our Father in Heaven. He says, "I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was hungry and you fed me." So instead of just telling God we love Him, we need to see past ourselves and give Him that love in our actions. This is what is meant by, taking up our cross daily to follow Him. It is easy to give to others when they give to us. It is difficult to see past our own hurt pride and humbly serve.

Please bear with me my friends...

I wanted to let you know that I will offline be this Friday to spend with my family, not because of July 4th but because July 3rd marks one year since we lost our baby that was due in January of this year. This marks the second baby have lost.(we lost our first baby July 1, 1997 and the second baby July 3, 2008) . Losing a baby is hard no matter how you see it, I have been blessed to have a

Kumon Books Paper Crafts series

Sometime ago, my good friend Shannon at Teaching my Little Bookworm posted about using the Kumon Book of Upper Case letters and I commented with a long reply about why I love the Kumon books. Kumon publishes wonderful books for learning to cut, color, trace, write and learning letters. Did you know they have a Paper Crafts series for older children?Kumon's 3D Paper Craft series books are "