Blessed Beyond a Doubt

Moving Day.....

2011-08-23T20:11:00.000-05:00

Good Bye Blogger..... It's a new season of blogging for me...

Blessed Beyond a Doubt has moved here.

All my posts from this blog as well as my previous blog has been moved over to the new Blessed beyond a doubt... Check out my new simple look!

Book Review ~ Amish Values for Your Family

2011-08-18T10:47:00.002-05:00

This book is for readers who long for strong families that know how to truly enjoy life together, there is much to learn from the Amish. Values like community, forgiveness, simple living, obedience, and more can be your family legacy--without selling your car, changing your wardrobe, or moving out to farm country.

In Amish Values for Your Family, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shows how you can adopt the wisdom of the Amish when it comes to family matters. In this inspiring and practical book readers will find charming true stories interlaced with solid, biblical advice about parenting, marriage, and all aspects of family life. As readers get an intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of real Amish families, they will learn to prioritize what's truly important, simplify decision-making, slow down as a family, safeguard time together, and let go when the time comes.

My thoughts:

This was truly an easy, inspiring, and encouraging read. I have always been attracted to the Amish simple life style. Not that I have ever wanted to actually become Amish, but simply I marvel at their strong family values by living with less. I really want my family to engage in a simple life centered around God.

The Amish Values for Your Family is written in simple terms and offers practical suggestions to enhance your family values at the end of each short chapter. I was encouraged by the chapter, Laundry Days. The dedicated mother chose to continue washing her families laundry by hand rather than using a washing machine. She valued that precious time because she prayed for each of her children during her laundry day. Being a mother of 6 children, I often have loads of laundry and many tedious tasks that I tackle each day. Praying to my Heavenly Father for my dear children puts a whole new light on my chores.

About the Author:

Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. She has many, many Plain relatives living in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and travels back to Pennsylvania, as well as to Ohio, a couple of times each year for research.

Suzanne has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don't have to "go Amish" to incorporate many of their principles--simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily-- into your life.

When Suzanne isn't writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To Suzanne's way of thinking, you just can't take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth.

Suzanne can be found on-line here.

Pondering on the Amish Proverbs in the beginning of each chapter is thought-provoking. Also, words from the Amish themselves is intriguing and fill of wisdom. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is longing to live simple and practical. A book full of wisdom and discernment from a biblical standpoint. Great read for new families just starting out, too.

Enter 8/15 - 8/31!

See what others think about this charming book, click here. Interested? Purchase here.

I received a free copy of Amish Values for Your Family from Litfuse in order to give you my honest opinion of it.

2011-2012 school year is in session.....

2011-08-01T16:29:00.002-05:00

School is in session! Many things to encounter and ponder on this year. Our spine is the Wisdom booklets. Our goal is to complete #3-8 this 2011-2012 school year. We are loving the Wisdom Booklets and are growing spiritually and academically as a family. A true blessing in our homeschool.

Wisdom Booklets ~ for grades 5-9 and loosely with Grade 1

Grade 8 and 9 ~ my baby is in High School...
Making Math Meaningful ~ Level 6 and Algebra
Character Quality Language Arts ~ Green Series, Level B
Progeny Press Literature Guides ~ they will complete 2 this year and will read several biographies to enforce the Wisdom Booklets.
See the Light
Auto Upkeep with our homeschool group

Grade 5
Language Lessons for the Elementary Child
Spelling by Sound
Just Write 2
A Reason for Handwriting
Progeny Press Literature Guide , Pathway Readers, and reading several chapter books
Making Math Meaningful ~ completing Level 3 and 4

The boys are very active in 4H and each will complete a record book at the end of the school year. They are also involved in the book club that meets monthly. We read the book assigned as a read a loud during lunch time.

Grade 1
Christ Centered Curriculum ~ completing B and will start C ~ I LOVE this phonics program!
Rays Arithmetic ~ Primary
A Reason for Handwriting
Heart of Dokota ~ using very loosly
Draw Write Now
RightStart Math Game

Pre K
Preschool ABC Series

And lots of Nature Reading books to browse during Book Basket Time daily. I want to dedicate Fridays for Nature Notebooking for the little ones when the weather permits. Also, we sing and dance to bible songs and read Leading Little Ones to God every morning. The Princess dances like a hoot!

Faith alone....

2011-07-04T12:11:00.003-05:00

I spent precious time in scripture and meditating on Philippians 3:1-11 yesterday. I am seeking through the book of Philippians this summer with other ladies at Inspired by Action. It actually is a 5 day week study, but I decided to peek into the next week.

The Holy Spirit spoke so clearly to me about the free gift of salvation. Honestly, I have never been convicted otherwise, but I find it mysterious why others believe that works is part of justification. So I dug dipper into God's Holy Word.

The Holy Spirit revealed to me...

In Verse 2, Paul is diligently warning his brothers to use discernment because there are many false teachers out there. I believe he is talking about justification here. Paul clearly states in verse 3, put no confidence in the flesh. Paul is saying that true Christians do not trust in anything they do in order to earn their salvation. My flesh provides nothing, zero. Salvation is a gift of grace, Romans 6:23, Roman 3:24, and Titus 3:7. Thank God for your mercy! No one is righteous, no, not one! Not even me. Paul declares this in Romans 3:10.

Second, in verses 4-8, Paul is stressing that it is extremely foolish to boast in your religious credits or in your heritage. Paul listed his impeccable Jewish credentials. He faithfully followed the Mosaic Law, yet he tells us in this verse that it is all rubbish when it comes to his salvation. I know that I can't earn my way to God by participating in any religious duty or ceremony. In verse 9, he tells his brother in Philippi that salvation is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God. Paul also explains that justification comes by faith in Romans 5:1.

Please don't misunderstand my point here about works, I strongly believe that when I was justified by faith I was regenerated in Christ. My life was changed. My real faith in Christ Jesus produces good works because He lives in me. I whole heartily believe Romans 11:6, But it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. Amen! Thank you Lord for your grace because I so don't measure up to your righteousness.

How am I going to apply Paul's teaching to my life and teach the truth to my children? Simply taking absolutely no credit for any thing I do. I often get asked how on earth do I manage to stay sane while homeschooling my 6 children every day. I 'm going to stress, it's not me, it's Christ living within me.

I'm going to concentrate on my faith and not so much on the tedious things in life. I am going to immerse my self in God's Word daily. Whether or not, I wear a skirt or not, is rubbish! Whether or not, I pop in a family friendly movie for my early risers while I complete my devotion each morning is rubbish! Whether or not we worship to hymns or contemporary Christian music is rubbish to Him! He wants us to have faith in Him!

I was highly encouraged by John MacArthurs teaching, Religious Credits Don't Impress God which pertains to the passages, Philippians 3:4-8.

My prayer is that you will seek the truth in regards to justification by allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you through His inspired word. It's all right there for you in His Word.

WFMW ~ a clean room....

2011-06-29T00:00:00.003-05:00

Call it whatever you wish, bribery, disciplining or parenting. Whatever suits your fancy, but it works wonders for me.

All 5 of my boys share the spacious loft upstairs bka, "The Man Cave." We recently moved into this home, so sharing one bedroom amongst all 5 of them was a painful adjustment to say the least. The older ones were complaining that the little ones were slobs. Imagine that?

Oh yes, I am taking credit for this one.....

I have a "deal" with the 3 younger ones....

If their room is "mommy" cleaned before supper, they each get a Popsicle after Sissy goes to bed. However, there are several stipulations...

* I will remind them only once about 30 minutes before serving time

* There will be no fighting, yelling, choking, spitting, or whining during clean up

* Everyone must do their share

* An older sibling will inspect before supper begins

VIOLA.......Their room is always clean, organized, and perfect before supper!

Can I hear an AMEN or two!

What ~~bribery~~ compromise works for you and your children?

Visit We Are That Family for more genius ideas.

The true joy of my motherhood.....

2011-06-25T11:45:00.013-05:00

I've been pondering and reflecting on the last 6 months..... There have been praises, blessings, major changes, disappointments, and confusion, but one thing remains so true to my heart. I adore having my 6 children at home with me every day. Do I encounter disappointments and confusions in my season of motherhood? Absolutely! But the latter side of the coin, is incredible joy!

We live in such a fallen world today where children are view as burdens, costly, and time consuming. I agree with the third point, yes, children are time consuming. If you train your child in the way he shall go, most of your time will revolt around your children. Whether it is wiping a runny nose, spanking a bottom, or simply holding a child when a family pet expires, it takes your time. No denials there.

My dh and I have made a vow to trust the Lord with our family size. We have been mocked and been called crazy, irresponsible, and ignorant even in our own home. I would be denying the fact that their comments do not stir hurt or pain. It does. It's not so much their secular opinion of me that dives deep, but when looking at my children, my heart aches. Each one of our blessings is unique and wonderfully made. They were created in His image. Don't get me wrong, my children are greatly loved outside our immediate family which is a true blessing. But to think that we are foolish to have so many children, confuses me. Which child was the foolish decision?

I often hear friends say they can't afford to have any more children and have voluntarily discontinued fertility at 2 children, which seems to be the popular norm in America. I agree most families can't afford to have more children if they continue to reside in their current lifestyle. Most choose the luxurious house with all the latest gadgets, but it seems relatively odd to me that most aren't home enough to enjoy their possessions because they are too busy running their children to soccer, ballet, play practice and whatever their neighbor kids are partaking in. Which in deed, cost money. None of these things are necessarily wrong, but one must know moderation which seems to be the culprit to the dysfunctional family values today.

We have elected to live a simple life by choice not by foolishness. We have chosen to value life rather than things. We have made the decision not to own new cars, to live in a over sized home , and not hug Mickey Mouse every year, but have chosen to welcome each new blessing into our family. Just simple living by seeking His will for our lives. I find joy in spending time with my children in our simple home every day guided by the Spirit. It's a choice.

This is the true joy of my motherhood.

1John 1:15-17 has been on my heart in the last few weeks of pondering...

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

His Word ~ Part 1

2011-06-22T08:59:00.001-05:00

For many years it has been on my heart to memorize scripture. I have never been successful at it, perhaps memorizing a verse here and there, but I definitely would not win any awards. In other words, I have failed at every attempt. Shamefully , my children can probably sincerely recite more verses than I can. I set out two years ago to memorize Psalm 23 and still don't have it hidden in my heart.

I could blame it on the fact, that I was not expose to scripture until my adult life, but that was 11 years ago. So for one of my summer of purpose goals, I decided to memorize Psalm 51. Honestly, it seemed like it would be easier for me to run a marathon than instill Psalm 51 in my heart because half the time I forget my own name. BTW ~ I can't even run to the mailbox without panting. LOL! Immediately, I started to be in earnest prayer for the Spirit to work in my mind and heart to assist me in this what seemed like a hopeless goal.

Within a day or two, the Lord answered my prayer. I was discussing my goal with a friend at church and she suggested a book she read, His Word in my Heart by Janet Piper. I ordered the book online, but began to initiate memorizing Psalm 51 while anticipating it's arrival. I was slowly, but surely memorizing the Psalm, but not as intensely as I desired.

After receiving and indulging in the book, I was so encouraged by Mrs. Piper's diligence in memorizing whole chapters and books of scripture at a given time instead of memorizing random verses. It all makes so much sense to me now. Memorizing and meditating on chapters or whole books truly engraves God's whole message to me in my heart, teaches me who He is, and what He expects of me. Oh, how I long to know and please Him.

I have a much grander goal than just memorizing scripture, but to grow intimately with my heavenly Father. Hiding His Word in my heart has never had so much spiritual power in my life than in the last few weeks. I have more joy throughout the day, when I utilize my time to meditate on His promises and His love for me. There are more minutes in a day for me now. Imagine that! I can mange to Hide His Word in my heart while training my 6 children at home with His help. If He requires me to know His Word and to keep His Word within my heart then He will guide me. I strongly believe we can keep His commands if we seek Him. Something I wasn't pursuing before.

I encourage you to start with a favorite chapter in the bible and to study, memorize, and to meditate on one verse per day. Don't move on to the next verse until it's hidden in your heart. Sometimes it takes me a day to work on one verse, other verses it takes me additional time. It's not about quantity, but quality. I sometimes feel led to spend several days meditating on a specific verse to encounter the message God is teaching me.

What is your favorite scripture that you have hidden in your heart?

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalms 119:105

Foolish of me...

2011-06-02T07:34:00.000-05:00

I have a lot of stirring going on in mind currently, such as, preparing for VBS, swimming lessons, and our current KACH ministry. These are all wonderful opportunities that the Lord has called me to partake in, but a lot of times I try to do it all by myself. Such foolish of me! I know He wants me to call upon Him. Why do I always try to do it all by myself? Then only to wake up weary in the middle of the night? These are the scriptures I am meditating on the next week or so. May the Holy Spirit speak to you through these encouraging scriptures until faith comes to you.

Psalm 37:25

I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.

Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Luke 12:7
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed;

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Do you have a favorite verse you turn to in times of worry or stress?

Create in me.....

2011-05-31T07:21:00.000-05:00

a clean heart is my earnest prayer this summer. I am memorizing Psalm 51 this summer as one of my summer goals. I want to enjoy the joy of my salvation. I want to be closer to Him. I want to have a new spirit each day that only He can give me.

And here is a twist of the Psalm 51 song...

Love them both!

Lord, please create in me a clean heart, Oh, Lord1

Summer of Purpose 2011

2011-05-25T17:53:00.002-05:00

I want this summer to be a summer of purpose. I want us to indulge in intriguing books, play challenging games together, swim, hang outside after supper with the animals, eat ice cream, soak into family type movies, gain intellect, grow in spiritually wisdom and maturity, and to just relax with one another. Just simply enjoying the gift of being part of a large family.

Kat over at Inspired to Action has written a wonderful post, A Summer of Purpose, which includes a My Summer Goals chart. I am requiring my crew to make 3 goals: an academic goal, a spiritual goal, and a goal of interest. Our summer of purpose will start on June 1st and end August 31. So we have 3 months to reach our goals.

Of course, I am going to be part of this challenge. You know I love a challenge. Oh yea, baby! Count me in!

My Summer 2011 Goals

Memorize Psalm 51

Lose 20 lbs

Learn how to make a spreadsheet

These are going to be HUGE challenges for me.

But I LOVE a challenge! We will have some sort of family celebration at the end of August to show off our accomplishments.

Are you going to make Summer 2001 a summer of purpose?

Book Review ~ An Amish Love

2011-05-23T13:35:00.001-05:00

I was delighted to receive in the mail , An Amish Love, to read for pure enjoyment from BookSneeze. I was attracted to the Amish romance novella because it included three novellas in one. Healing Hearts, A Marriage of the Hear, and What the Heart Sees. All the stories were written by different authors, but they worked together to intertwine some of the characters and settings.

It was a simple, enjoyable read for me. I do not read much fiction, but really savored reading this book before going to bed. I appreciated reading about the old-fashioned courtship principle because my dh and I are strongly counseling our children on this idea rather than the traditional dating concept. All authors recognized the true commitment of marriage as sacred.

I recommend An Amish Love to anyone who is looking for a pure, simple, Christian romance that doesn't require engaged thinking. Truly a relaxing read.

There's a Stirring

2011-05-22T06:41:00.000-05:00

What a perfect song to describe my heart today.

Enjoy the Sabbath today!

My Prayer Notebook Page

2011-05-17T00:00:00.004-05:00

Having a deep purposeful spiritual prayer life has always be a challenge for me. Growing up I was taught to memorizing certain prayers at a very young age. I had no idea what they meant, but I was "praying" or at least I thought I was. In school we would recite them over and over again for what seemed like hours to a little girl. Over the years, after becoming a Christian, I earnestly wanted to enhance my spiritual prayer life and to truly become intimate with my Heavenly Father. After reading on Revive Our Hearts, I tweaked the format a bit and duplicated a Prayer notebook page.

Each morning I fill out this page before my prayer time. It helps me to remain focused and to be completely honest with Him. I pour out my soul. Sometimes it takes me 10 min and sometimes it takes longer. It has really enhanced my prayer life by making my prayers more intentional and purposeful. Feel free to print and share with others. It has been a blessing to me.

Please email me if you are having trouble pulling up the link and I will send you the PDF for the notebook page.

My early morning routine....

2011-05-16T12:15:00.000-05:00

I do earnestly try to have some sort of routine to maximize my date with The King. However, it must start the night before.

The night before I do the following things...

* make sure my Keurig is filled with water and power is on

* place my bible, journal, and my disciple notebook, headphones and pencil on my end table

*plug in my net book

* put a load of laundry in the washer with a delayed setting (love this feature)

*place socks and tennis shoes in bathroom

*set alarm on phone

*really, really try to be in bed not asleep by 9:30 reading

My Morning Routine....

* wake up, bathroom, get coffee (first things first)

* listen to 3-5 worship songs that are on my net book

*fill out my prayer notebook page

*work on laundry(remember I already have 1 load washed)

* prayer time

*devotion time along with bible reading

*check email

*make breakfast for the family and family devotion

*work on laundry

*exercise

* school

My mornings don't always go as plan, but over the years I have worked on not getting discouraged and to just strive on implementing my plan the next morning. Things happen and I must face them graciously. Ouch! Did I just say that? Also, I realize that my routine will change depending on what season I am in. For example, when I have a nursing baby, he or she is sharing my morning time with me. In fact, watching the sun rise while nursing a little one has become one of my fondest memories of motherhood.

I really need to arise at 5:30 instead of 6:00 in order to get my exercise plan in before the children wake up. I am working on this, but haven't excelled yet.

So what is your morning routine to maximize your morning devotion?

My date with the King....

2011-05-10T15:53:00.002-05:00

About 3 or 4 years ago, I started rising before the children. It has been such a blessing to me and I look forward to my quiet time each morning. It's my date with the King. Off and on I become lazy and start sleeping in just a tad bit later. Then I realize my day is not centered on Him, but on my own agenda. Anxiety starts to kick in and no one is happy. You know the saying.....blah, blah, blah!

Honestly, I have been back on the right track for awhile, but I truly wanted to rise earlier so I could get my exercise in before the children wake up. Previously I have been doing my exercise (when I DO it) after I fix breakfast for the crew. It's just not working! I was thrilled when one of my TexasRubies sisters alerted me of this challenge and accountability fellowship, Maximize Your Mornings Challenge.

There are over 700 women signed up. There is a free ebook to help you get started with an early morning plan. It's highly informative and I was able to enhance my morning plan. The challenge starts on Monday, May 15th, so you still have time to join now. Truly I am excited! Can't you tell?

I will be blogging a little bit each day this week and throughout the challenge in regards to my morning routine and my journey of rising at 5:30 each morning to meet the King.

Do you want to maximize your morning? Then please join us here.

Review ~ Kregel Publications

2011-05-06T00:00:00.004-05:00

Kregel Publications graciously sent me a cute little paperback book, Andi's Indian Summer, written by Susan K. Marlow to review. This is book two in The Circle C Beginning Series. First, I read this little book silently one evening while sipping some tea before bedtime. I was a little hesitant at first, but I continued reading on. I was certainty glad I did because the author cleared up my concern regarding the danger in children reading old comic books.

The description of this early reader states...

In book two of the Circle C Beginnings, Andi’s friend Riley shows her a scary old dime novel that sets Andi’s mind spinning with thoughts of being captured by dangerous Indians. But when she and Riley travel a little too far from the safe surroundings of the Circle C ranch, Andi discovers the truth about the natives living nearby. Written for reading levels 2.0–2.8, this new story combines fun illustrations and Andi’s signature curiosity to create an enjoyable reading experience that shows both new and old Circle C fans where it all started!

This is an adventurous story geared for ages 6-8, however, my ds9 enjoyed and wanted to read the rest of the series. The book was written below his reading level, so it was simply enjoyable to him. I am very picky when it comes to literature regarding my children. This Christian Fiction chapter book was a delight. We did discuss in depth how Andi could have completely avoided the negative encounter she got herself into by simply obeying her parents. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that the author did not stress that particular biblical principle in the book. I highly appreciated in the back of the book the author has a chapter called, "A Peek Into the Past," which explains the time period and how things were a bit different than they are today. I plan on reading this series to my ds6 and ds4 as read a louds. Kregel offers supplemental materials for this book here for free. This is a huge bonus and I plan on implementing some of these ideas and coloring sheets.

You can purchase this adorable book at Kregel Publication here for 4.99. There are a total of 5 books in The Circle C Series. Check out the many other Kregel products here.

To see what my crew mates think of Kregel Publications click here.

I received for free the book, Andi's Indian Summer for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Love Your Enemies

2011-05-04T08:35:00.001-05:00

Honestly, I have tried to stay low out of the media responses to the death of Bin Laden. I had to come to terms and truly ponder my thoughts in regards to his death from a spiritual insight rather than from this secular world. I was hastily confused because the old me was screaming, "Yay, you finally got what was coming to you for numerous years!" Well actually I was not utilizing those exact terms in my mind, but I have vowed to keep this blog family friendly, so you will have to use your imagination on my interjections. However, I continued to feel a prick in my heart every time I glimpsed of the death of America's Most Wanted. Is this truly how my Lord wants me to respond to this enemy's death?

After seeking scripture this morning, The Spirit revealed His truth to me in Matthew 5: 43-48

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, [8] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

By no means am I not supporting America's decision. I am a proud American and feel extremely blessed to have courageous men and women who are and have willingly fought diligently for the protection of our country while I marvel at home with my children trying to pick out the best homeschool curriculum for next year.

However, I'm disturbed with Americas reaction to the whole thing. I received several responses via email and through facebook that I refuse to engage in. Disturbing Youtube videos on his gruesome death. I actually saw on the news that people were making and buying T-shirts with horrific Bin Laden logos. And a lot of these responses were from people who claim to be Christians. I'm saddened by the ungodly responses. I pray that the Spirit will instill Matthew 5 in my heart and to all the Americans who are simply lacking the tact and righteousness that Jesus commands us to promote. Love our Enemies.

Yes, it is an inhuman act for me to love my enemies, especially when he hurt so many, but if the Spirit lives in me, I must seek him for discernment and wisdom in the difficult task of loving my enemy. After all, we are all sinners!

Admittedly, I realized that I have never prayed specifically for Bin Laden. Never! I never prayed for his heart to change and for him to seek Jesus. Lord, please forgive me. I am seeking mercy and forgiveness for my ungodly attitude towards my enemy. May you find the peace and comfort in loving your enemies. It is a huge challenge for me!

Review ~ Greek 'n' Stuff

2011-04-29T00:00:00.011-05:00

Our family has been soaking in the Word with the bible study, I Can Study Jonah and Ruth Alone With God study for several months. This is actually an independent study written by the author, Karen Mohs, published by Greek 'n' Stuff, but we chose to complete the study as a family during our evening family devotion time.

The study includes...

Jonah learns to obey God
Ruth chooses God and is blessed
Thirteen weekly lessons
Clear, straightforward questions
Memory verses
Interesting insights
Life applications

We have a diverse age range of children ranging from 14 to 1. However, we all gained spiritual insight from this gem of a study except for our princess who was already snoozing by our evening devotion time. Each lesson is broken into 6 days ~ Monday through Saturday. There are check boxes to check off as you complete each task for the day making it very easy for a child to follow. Each week there is a memory verse to memorize and something to think and pray about which we chose to discuss as a family. I loved how each day the first task was to pray and ask God to help you study His Word. This is an important reminder to us all. Several questions are asked pertaining to the scripture each day and we conversed together. Even my ds6 ad ds4 could answer the questions correctly without any hesitation. My dh was able to easily adapt the study to make it more challenging for my older children.

The study comes in either NIV or the KJV. Our family uses the ESV Bible and I would love to see the author offer these studies utilizing the ESV. Also, I would like to see the study offered in ebook form rather than in spiral bound so I could print the study for each member of our family if they chose to complete independently like the author intended.

The I Can Study Jonah and Ruth Alone With God can be purchased through Greek 'n' Stuff here for 8.95. Greek 'n' Stuff offers three other bible studies in this series, Alone with God here. Greek and Stuff sells a Greek and Latin program that looks interesting here.

I recommend this study for any parent who wants to train and expose their children the blessing in spending time with God daily. It will help guide them to seek and study His Word in a gentle way without causing tears or frustration. I give this study a thumbs up.

To see what my crew mates think about Greek 'n' Stuff click here.

Review ~ See the Light

2011-04-24T15:41:00.000-05:00

My boys totally dig See the Light art curriculum. My ds are the "artsy" type and were anxious for me to load the dvd player with the See the Light, Volume 1 DVD. Even my ds4 and ds6 were following along with the master artist, Pat Knepley, on the TV. I am not an artist, so this is one area I am extremely lacking, however, my children all have an artistic bone in them. No need to sweat NO MORE! Master artist, Pat Knepley will cover all the basis and then some with your "artsy" child.

See the Light consists of a series of 9 Volumes each containing 4 lessons on each dvd totaling 36 lessons. You can seek what each volume covers here. The lessons are relatively short, approximate 15 minutes, but detailed and thorough. I believe any child or adult could benefit from these informative art dvd's. In fact, my dh was truly impress with Volume 1 and wants us to purchase the entire series for our 6 children. The artist uses basic supplies and uses the hands on approach. The student must come prepare with their paper and drawing supplies that you can easily purchase at Walmart when viewing each lesson.

One of the most impressive aspect of See the Light was the mere fact that God is the center of the subject of art. She stresses to the children that He is the ultimate creator. I love the slogan the publisher chose, "Drawing children to Him." Each lesson contains and integrates biblical truth. Another perk is art history is included in the lessons and students are exposed to famous masterpieces of many artists.

My children made an art notebook and placed all their lessons in them. They will put all their art work that they complete independently in their notebook, too, as time progresses. This is a notebook that they are very proud of.

See the Light art curriculum can be purchased as a set for 99.99 here. See the light offers several other products here. This is a well worth your buck for teaching your children art skills and art history that they will carry with them for a lifetime.

See what my crew mates have to say about See the Light here.

Leaving Him out...

2011-04-21T12:29:00.002-05:00

My heart is extremely heavy this morning. I am away .from my family to be with a dear friend of mine whose ds7 was killed in a tragic car accident. Tears, sorrow, and extreme pain are consuming me. But I know I must not lose focus on Him. The minute I let go of Him and let my emotions peak in, I let the enemy in. Early yesterday morning I earnestly prayed that the Spirit would give me the strength to be there emotionally and physically for my hurting friend. What do you say to your friend of 25 years who doesn't know how she is going to get through the day without her baby? The Holy Spirit revealed His truth to me.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
1Peter 5:10

Well of course I can't find the comforting words to console my friend. Only He who lives in me can put the exact words I need to say to my hurting friend. How often I forget and try to do things on my own and leave Him out of the equation.

Oh I pray that all the people who are forever change from this tragic loss learn to cast their burden on Him. Please lift up my precious friend and her family in your prayers. Tomorrow is the funeral and will be another hard day.

So clear....

2011-04-14T07:33:00.001-05:00

Monday night my dh and I were at Walmart getting a few things for the new house. The children were at home asleep. As we were loading the truck, a young man, probably late teens approached us. He introduced himself as a missionary from the Church of Jesus with Latter Day Saints somewhere in the name. Immediately he ask us what religion preference we preferred. I thought that was quite bold. However, my dh firmly told him we were followers of Jesus Christ himself. Then he asked us if he could share something with us. My dh told him absolutely NOT in his nicey voice. It truly sadden me that this young man was out by himself martyring for someone else beside Jesus Christ himself and yet he believes that works will earn him salvation. Yet, on the other hand, I admired his willingness to serve his god.

I read Romans 3 again this morning to confirm my true conviction in faith alone in Jesus Christ will inherit you eternal life with the Father. We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. No works will earn you your ticket to heaven. Thank you Lord Jesus for this free gift.

It inspired me to read a commentary regarding Romans 3. How enlightening to me. I am forever sinning and know I could never measure up to His righteousness. I obey His law because He is my Lord and His inspired Word was meant to guide me and aid me in my walk with Him.

It's so clear to me!

Away for the weekend..

2011-04-12T14:22:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I was extremely blessed to be ministered by Nancy Campbell and her girls! All I can say is, Wow! This was my 3rd Above Rubies retreat and definitely won't be my last. I love the fellowship with like-minded ladies who strongly believe in their ministry of motherhood. I do believe it is such an imperative calling to train our children in the Lord. How blessed I am to be the mommy to our 5 boys and The Princess. I love them dearly and pray each day for the Holy Spirit to fill my heart with love and discernment in raising my children to love Jesus. What a privilege He has bestow upon me.

I look forward each quarter in receiving the free magazine, Above Rubies. It is filled with an enormous amount of Godly encouragement for the mother. I order a bundle of them to pass out to friends and to leave at doctors offices. It's my little ministry.

Have you been to an Above Rubies retreat?

Review~ Go Go Kabongo

2011-04-04T00:00:00.005-05:00

GoGo Kabongo ,geared for ages 4-7, develops cognitive skills that are essential to reading such as:

Attention and Focus
Memory Skills
Processing
Planning
Visualization
Comprehension

My ds6 has been enjoying GoGo Kabongo for the last couple of months to say the least. He begs me to play the on-line reading game daily. We don't have a game system so this is a treat for him. My ds had tons of fun meeting all 6 of the characters in GoGO Kabongo. Parents create an account and their child's profile, and then they select the number of habitats their child can access. There are 3 habitats, known as games, with 6 levels per habitat. Learn more about each habitat here. Try a free demo here. My ds thought it was so funny to create and design his own skateboard character. Once the child has designed their personal character they will be able to navigate to the habitats guided by the colorful maps. My sons favorite part of the on-line game was earning stickers to create his very own comic book.

Parents receive a progress report online regarding their students progress or parents have access to their progress online. On the website parents can print free printable here. I thought that was a neat little extra the vendor provided.

I'm not a big fan of online games, but I appreciated the fact that my ds had a thrilling time learning reading skills while playing games. I believe Go Go Kabongo is an excellent tool for your younger children to use during school time when you are preoccupied with older children. My ds6 had absolutely no trouble navigating the entire game without assistance. My ds4 just needed minor assistance from his older brother navigating the game.

Laughter Lake is free, Garden Galaxy is free for a limited time, and Twister Tops is currently 4.95 here. Try a free demo here. Kabongo also offers for free ,SkateKids, geared towards ages 7-10.

To see what my crew mates thoughts of Go Go Kabongo here.

I received for free a Go Go Kabongo account for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

WFMW ~ Manners

2011-03-16T00:00:00.004-05:00

A mom's favorite last words, "Where are your manners?"

We found this little gem of a book, Manners Made Easy For the Family, and read one little page each night along with our evening devotion. The book includes 365 Timeless etiquette tips for every occasion. Everyone is gleaning good manners and habits from just spending 5 minutes a day, including Mommy and Daddy! I love the scripture reference at the end of each page, too.

How do you promote proper manners in your children?

Thank you We Are that Family for hosting WFMW.

Cleaning House...

2011-03-15T09:51:00.005-05:00

The next 2 weeks the boys and I are dedicating our time to cleaning, organizing, and getting rid of whole lotta junk. I have a friend who is collecting garage sale items to help raise money for a young woman, mother who has breast cancer. So we have a mission... I LOVE to donate than rather hassling with organizing a garage sale. It's something so small that we can do to serve others. After all, someone's junk is someone's treasure.

Things to do to get us motivating...

Have a plan set for each day ~ meaning delegate tasks to each person the night ahead. Don't waste time planning a week in advance because things happen and this can cause frustration.

Always have an incentive for children at the end of a hard work day. We like to have movie night or game night.

Plan a simple crock pot dinner

Always listen to encouraging music

Praise your children for helping

Happy cleaning!

The Veggie Dilema...

2011-03-10T08:02:00.001-06:00

The Princess was very fond of eating her veggies when she first started eating "food." However, once I started giving her the good stuff, such as, meat, cheese, fruits, etc., she refused to eat her veggies. I tried many different tactics...giving her veggies, first, cooking different varieties, and I even resorted to putting a little sea salt on the veggies. NOPE, nothing seemed to spark her veggie taste buds.

Refusing to raise a picky non-eating veggie eater, I prayerfully offered up my request to our Heavenly Father. The Princess loves veggies...RAW VEGGIES! She loves carrots, red bell peppers, radishes, cucumbers, and snow peas.

All is good in at the Craft Family Table. Amen!

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

1Chronicles 16:11

Review ~ Reading Kingdom

2011-03-07T00:00:00.004-06:00

I was thrilled to be selected to review this exciting, fun and adventurous on-line reading program, Reading Kingdom. Reading Kingdom teaches aged 4-10 children to read and write up to a 3rd grade level. This program is customized to each students level depending upon the results of their initial assessment test.

Reading Kingdom trains the student in six different skill areas: sequencing, motor skills, sounds, meaning, grammar, and comprehension. I was extremely pleased that my ds6 gained fine motor skills while "playing" this on-line reading program. We rarely allow video game time, so this program is a true delight for my ds. Conveniently, I only had to monitor 1 session to assure that ds was catching on and understanding the mechanics of the program. My ds6 is reading on a first grade level, but it took several weeks for him to excel the keyboard and mouse training section which is imperative to successfully utilize the program. Be prepared for your child to spend many sessions or even weeks mastering the keyboard and mouse training before moving on to the different sessions. However, this never hindered or discouraged my child. The short sessions kept my busy student interested and eager to start a new session.

Reading Kingdom's website is very thorough and helpful in informing the parent with the logistics of the reading program. It is very organized and easy to manipulate. Read here on the structure of the program. Being able to add multiple students for one rate is a bonus, too. I found it convenient and reassuring when I received a progress report on my ds progress via email. You can access their progress report at any time on your account, too. Also, I found worthy were the tutorials here.

On the contrary, I don't believe in their statement in regards to why this program works here. I strongly believe in strong phonics and applying phonic rules. I plan on using this program as a supplement to our current phonics programs. I didn't find anything that would possibly contradict his current phonics program. I believe it is an excellent source of reading education while playing on the computer. Ds asks me daily to play. Ok....So just maybe I use it as a bit of a bribery tactic! LOL!

Subscriptions to Reading Kingdom are $19.99/month (with no monthly minimum), or $199.99 per year. You can cancel your subscription at any time. You can also receive a free 30 day trail period here.

To see what my crew mates have to say about Reading Kingdom, click here.

I received for free an one year subscription to Reading Kingdom for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Yummy Veggies

2011-03-06T19:37:00.000-06:00

I love going to Sunflower Market and picking up organic produce that we can't get at our local grocer. My forte is making a veggie dish that my family will actually eat. I am blessed that we really only have 1 picky eater out of 6 blessings. Actually I have zero tolerances for the picky one. He just starves... Just kidding...

The two recipes that we tried this past week are ...

Swiss Chard with Almonds and Raisins

I loved this and so did my dh. I served this with Tilapia and rice. I made it a little zippy, too. Big hit! Only 3 points! Well worth the points!

The second yummy dish we tried was Roasted Beets with Ginger. I doubled the recipe and the crew gobbled it up. It had a wonderful sweet and sour type glaze covering the beets. Even the dogs liked it! 3 points well eaten!

Do you have any favorite veggie dishes that your family raves?

Smoothies with Weight Watchers

2011-02-21T00:00:00.001-06:00

I love a no hassle healthy breakfast that I can drink while checking my email, preparing my beloved crock pot supper meals, or rushing out the door with my 6 blessings. These are my "staple" smoothies that I drink on a regular basis.

Jill's Breakfast Smoothie

a hand full of frozen strawberries

banana

can of coconut water

1 t Spirulina

1t flax seed oil

Blend together in blender. Enjoy

Total WW points = 4points

Creamy Strawberry Banana Smoothie

8oz Unsweetened Almond Milk
1t Spirulina
banana
hand full of frozen strawberries
1 t flax seed oil
Total WW points = 3 points

Listed below are some other recipes I plan on trying....

List of drinks with points here.

I am going to make these minus the WW smoothie packs. I plan on using unsweetened almond milk with a dash of vanilla.

What's your favorite smoothie?

My Weight Loss Season...

2011-02-18T11:38:00.004-06:00

I lost weight years ago on Weight Watchers. It took me a little over a year to lose my desired weight, but I didn't exercise. I have about the same to lose, but this time I am exercising at least 3x per week. Read more on my exercising here. I have been hesitant to start back up on WW due to my strong convictions in whole foods rather than the fat free eating philosophy. Weight Watchers now supports the whole food benefits. I looked into doing weight watchers on-line, but I hate to pay when I am fairly familiar with the program. So, I believe I can do it for free by doing a little research on the net. YIPeeee! I do recommended joining WW if you are new to WW or just need the accountability. However, I have an accountability partner, Christine. Scentsy is the tangible motivator in all of this...whoever drops 10% first will delight in some new scents.

Here are a few sites that I have found helpful in my weight loss plan.

Determine daily points

WW list of generic foods with points

WW Point Calculator

List of favorite WW websites

Laaloah ~ tons of WW recipes and a free menu trackers.

Over my weight loss journey, I will be posting tips, recipes, and my struggles and joys.

Do you have a tip, link, or recipes that has aided you in your weight loss program?

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Phil 4:13

My dh is....

2011-02-11T09:40:00.000-06:00

so sweet and creative.

(note: the wedding cake fairy must have mysteriously poked their finger in the cake by accident???)

Tonight I am hosting Moms Night Out at my house for our homeschool coop. Everyone is asked to bring their wedding photos and a salad or finger food to share. My dh made us this beautiful wedding cake to indulge in. He has never made a decorated cake before, but volunteered to treat our group tonight. I can't wait to taste it! Also, I 'm anxious to view everyone's photos and hear "their" stories. God has softened my dh and my hearts completely since the day we said "I do."

What a blessing it will be to share this evening with my sisters in Christ.

Stay tuned for pictures of our fun-filled evening!

When it snows...

2011-02-04T10:44:00.000-06:00

it snows down south in the country of Texas!

2011 SNOW BLIZZARD

Our cozy home taken from across the street

Taken on our back porch

About 5 inches and it still is lightly coming down

It's so cold...the armadillo is frozen. lol

Due to all the children recovering from head colds, mean mommy refuses any play outside.

Adiding Mom....

2011-02-03T14:19:00.000-06:00

I have dealt with perfectionist blues for years as a mother with children. I am much better than what I used to be a decade ago. But still need improvement. The area I strive to be perfect is in the cleanliness and order of my home. I GET MY PANTIES IN A WAD when my house is not looking acceptable in my eyes. You know that saying....If mama aint happy, no ones happy! That is my 'reality' motto...AND I so don't want to live out that selfish motto any longer! Living with 6 children and a dh in one home does not equal a perfect looking home. I found this chart that I am printing out and placing all over the house to encourage me when my house isn't looking like a model home.

Super Mom	Abiding Mom
Does	Is (Psalm 46:10)
Tries to impress others	Pleases the Lord (Eph. 5:10, Proverbs 29:25)
Is controlled by an agenda (curriculum, schedule, etc)	Is controlled by the Holy Spirit: (Gal. 5:22-26) (Uses curriculum & schedules as tools for orderliness so she's more free to follow the spirit)
Her self worth is found in her accomplishments (clean house, perfect kids, the perfect bulletin boards, etc.)	Her self worth is found in an accurate view of who she is in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:10)
Her peace is found in the “perfect” environment	Her peace is found in Jesus in the midst of any storm (Is 26:3)
She is discouraged by failure	Failure reminds her that God's strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
She expects perfection from herself and others	She practices grace with herself and others (Eph 4:32)
She teaches her kids to be good	She teaches her kids to be Godly (Proverbs 22:6)
She is frustrated with her lack of spiritual fruit	She abides in Christ and bears much fruit (John 15:5)
She does things with her children	She builds a relationship with her children (Deut 6:6-7)
Her perspective is based on what is seen	Her perspective is based on what is unseen (Col 3:2)
She chooses quantity of activities	She chooses the most excellent Way (I Cor 13

Thanks to Abiding Mom for putting together this constant reminder that I can have freedom and joy in Him alone, not by being a super mom with a model home. It's all in my attitude.

Click here for a printable for your home.

I want to be an ABIDING MOM, what about you?

Just Walk....

2011-02-01T10:11:00.001-06:00

I absolutely have no excuse to not walk these days. I have the ideal scenario. Despite the ice on the ground, I was able to get my intense 1 mile walk in by just popping in my dvd. My dh works from home and is willing to man the chaos of the morning while I go in the bedroom and do my 'thing"

I will admit, I despise exercising, it's not fun for me, nor do I feel this gust of energy after wards. Never have, probably never will. However, I want to lose weight and be able to see my grandchildren someday. I have set a very doable goal for myself. For the month of January, my goal was to walk 1 mile 3 days per week. I exceeded that goal, except I missed one day. Oh well...try harder this current month. Not going to throw in the ringer for missing one day. Each month I succeed my goal, my reward will be a new video or some sort of work out attire. Since I almost reached my goal, I got a new video. This is a much more intense 1 mile workout than the 1 mile one I was currently doing here. I enjoyed that dvd due to the weights that was included with the dvd. However, I used my own personal music selection or talking audio during my walk.

I have lost about 5 lbs which isn't saying much since I have gained weight over the holidays. But the key is....to move forward and focus on my goal.

Do you have any workout videos that you rely on?

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ January 30, 2011

2011-01-30T13:46:00.004-06:00

FOR TODAY....January 30,2011

Outside my window..the sun is diligently trying to overcome the clouds

I am thinking...my children are such blessings to me even when they are sick

I am thankful for... the privilege to take care of my sick children

From the learning rooms...we are working on Wisdom Book 1, and spending time learning the human eye.

From the kitchen...juicy roast simmering in my beloved crock pot

I am wearing...black sweats and red shirt

I am creating...dishcloths

I am going...to participate in our homeschool coop registration tomorrow

I am reading... the interesting Dr.Frau

I am hoping...that my oldest ds and dh doesn't get the yucks

I am hearing...my children consistently tell me they aren't sick anymore after I dose them with fever reducers

Around the house...unfortunately I have been in my house too much due to all the illness. I want OUT of the house

One of my favorite things...I love when my electric blanket is cracked up when getting into bed.

A few plans for the rest of the week....getting back into our cleaning routine and getting ready for Cowboys party

Here is a song I am sharing...

Visit more homemakers daybook here.

Teaching Time....

2011-01-28T00:00:00.005-06:00

I am teaching ds9 how to tell time again. We started last year and he got the hang of it at first, but we hit a concrete block. While the tears were flowing, I decided to put it away until this week. I strongly believe in the hands on approach in teaching math, especially for the younger ones. I really only use a set curriculum for ds12 and ds14. For the younger ones, I just pull bits and pieces from the gazillion curricula that God has blessed us with. Those who know me, agree He really has been very merciful in this area. lol! I like to teach the principles with every subject. I found this gem of selections of reading and problems, Keeping Time. It this piece are excerpts from Language Through Nature, Everyday Life in the Colonies, and Everyday Arithmetic. I believe I snatched it from Homeschool Freebie of the Day, but when I searched on their site, it's unavailable. I tried to find a link to where you could purchase, but had no luck finding one. Mystery to me.

You can put your on book together by using the following resources in the listed order...

Language Through Nature Ch 8 p128-131

Everyday Arithmetic p116-128 or 98-106 lessons

Everyday Life in The Colonies p69-78

You will have to copy and paste into a document and clean it up a bit, but it will be worth it.

Doobie is learning how to read roman numerals during this math unit, too. Which makes complete sense to me, considering our big clocks in our living room are roman numerals. Of course, we are practicing with a clock that has minutes.

Another excellent resource is MathMammoth ~ Clock. I received it for free, but it is only 3.50. This is more a workbook style, but extremely thorough. It also explains quarter to, half-past, etc.

Do you have any tricks in teaching time successfully?

Our new Journey....

2011-01-27T09:44:00.000-06:00

After many months of prayer, extensive research, and talking with various ATI families the Lord led us to join ATI. My dh discovered the Wisdom Booklets a few years ago and was extremely impress with it's in depth academic content surrounded by biblical principles. Admittedly, I snared. I love the principle approach with lots of chronological history. However, I continued to find fault consisting of evolution resources in our selected curriculums. Not so much by the means of supporting evolution, but more in their selective literature and suggested resources. My dh and I have agreed to not permit any book, movie,or entertainment that is not pleasing to God in our house. We believe that the Wisdom Booklets are helpful tools in training our children to live righteous lives centered around Him. What's so exciting to me is the mere fact that I can implement the principle approach while utilizing the Wisdom Books. I feel so blessed to be able to teach my children at home His Word everyday. What a privilege!

I will share our joy, spiritual growth, and wisdom along the way as we see the Spirit fill our hearts during this new exciting journey.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

II Timothy 3:16-17

Review ~ Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids

2011-01-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

Are you one of those moms that is always on the look out for biblical sound, informative, kid-friendly bible resources? If so, you need to add, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids on your book shelf of references. I voluntarily agreed to review and check out this beautiful illustrated bible dictionary for the publisher, Lifeway Christian Store. This has been an asset to our family for the past weeks.

The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids features 750 essential bible words with kid-friendly definitions, a helpful pronunciation system(even helpful for Mommy, too), alternative spellings for words from the KJV, and 500 full color photos, illustrations, reconstructions, and easy readable maps.

We thoroughly enjoyed the special features that are included in this delightful resource. Included are these incredible, easy to read charts, such as, Names of God, 12 Apostles, 10 Plagues on Egypt, and so many more. My boys spent hours looking through the different charts. Even Dh was impressed with the special features.

The recommended ages for the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids is from 5-10 years of age. However, I believe the entire family can benefit from this resource. My ds3 and ds6 were intrigued with just browsing through the pages during our family devotion one evening. When studying the life of Jonah , we easily looked up Joppa and located it on a map that was included in the book. A better understanding of Jonah's travels came from actually locating Joppa on the map. Also, there is an interesting 2 paged spread titled Animals in the Bible. I had my ds14, ds12, and ds9 research and complete a notebook page of one of the bible animals of choice. This resource is great for promoting dictionary skills. There are countless ways you can utilize this book.

Check out a sample of this book here. Isn't it lovely?

One of the most impressive aspects of The Holmans Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids is the illustrator uses real life pictures or real life drawings. I do not appreciate when children bibles or references include cartoons. Also, I found the colored letter tabs very helpful in locating my word of choice.

The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids can be purchased at Lifeway Christian Store here. It is a whole lotta book for 14.99. It is a gem for teaching your children how to research bible topics in a kid-friendly way. Lifeway Christian Store promotes many other resources here.

To read what my crew mates thought of this beautiful bible dictionary, click here!

I received for free a The Holmans Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Cowboys 4th Birthday

2011-01-25T17:57:00.001-06:00

The cutest cowboy I know turns 4 today. Celebrating this morning with Strawberry Cake for breakfast(a tradition in our family), playing and eating lunch at Chick fil a, and playing, playing and playing with all his farm toys is how Cowboy anticipates enjoying his special day.

It melted my heart to witness the homemade cards and little gifts his big bubbas served him today. Cowboy is truly a sweetheart.

Happy

4th

Birthday, Cowboy!

Review ~ Virtual Nerd

2011-01-12T00:00:00.030-06:00

Virtual Nerd is an online tutorial website that offers online assistance to 7-12th grade students in pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra 2, and Intro to Physics. Students can gain access to hundreds of interactive step-by-step video tutorials that match up with the practice problems in their textbook, meaning any math curriculum can be used.

This two minute introduction video to Virtual Nerd is very informative.

Manipulating the website is rather simple. After paying for a subscription to their site, the student will receive a user name and password to view a list of different topics related to the 4 different subjects, pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra 2, and Intro to Physics. Once the student has picked the subject, then they are presented with a list of the topics covered by the tutorial library. Or they can easily do a search in the search window to locate specific topics. My ds found the site easily accessible, too.

In the last month, I encouraged my sons to go on the Virtual Nerd website when they needed help with their pre-algebra curriculum. All their questions were answered after viewing the tutorial videos. I am aware of only one instance when a topic was not offered in the tutorial library that one of my boys had a question about concerning his pre-algebra lesson. They continue to add new tutorials regularly. However, the quality of the video was rather poor. I'm not sure if it was due to my computer, my internet connection, or if it was their video quality. In my opinion, the quality of the video was not an issue to my children. They did not complain.

There are several different option subscription plans that Virtual Nerd offers:

* 1 day for $5.00 one time

*1 week for $19.00 one time

*Monthly for $49.00 recurring

3 months for $129.00 one time

Or you can have a one time 2 hour trial period here.

I think that this is a well thought out program that students can highly benefit from when in need of a tutor. It is much less expensive to subscribe to Virtual Nerd than hiring a private tutor. Also, Virtual Nerd allows you to have 24/7 access to view the tutorial videos with unlimited use. On the other hand, I imagine the cost is rather steep for homeschool families who mostly rely on one income. I think Virtual Nerd would greatly benefit a public or private school student who is studying for a final exam. In fact, I wish I had access to Virtual Nerd when I was struggling through High School math back in the Dark Ages. LOL!

I received for free a subscription to Virtual Nerd for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

My Baby is 14

2011-01-08T07:59:00.000-06:00

14 years ago, my life changed forever. A love that I never knew existed, a love for a child. The most precious day of my life. Seems like yesterday, I was holding the cutest lil' baby while gazing at the snow silently falling from the hospitable window. I was in awe of His grace. It's been a joy watching him take his first step, learning to ride a bike, and most importantly turning into a man of God. So many treasured moments. I'm grateful for the years I have been blessed raising him up and look forward to experiencing the next milestones with him.

Happy 14th Birthday!

It's all about.....

2011-01-07T12:34:00.002-06:00

The Princess today! Joy, gratitude, amazement, sadness, and even a bit of selfishness are fluttering in my heart today. The Princess has turned one! No matter how hard I tried to stop the clock, she managed to wake up smiling on her first special day! A bit of sadness pricks my heart, I no longer have a nursing infant, but a curious daughter who is anxious to experience what each day encounters rain or shine. From cheerios to baby dolls or just simply dancing in her room with me, she makes me smile. A year ago, God blessed us with The Princess.

The Princess woke up to receive her very first birthday presents. Daddy is pushing the farm girl thing just a bit too far Mommy thinks. "Brothers were exasperated that I received a pink Daisy on my first birthday, considering Mommy has a NO GUN Policy!"

"Thinking this could come in handy when my Bubbas' are taking too long in the bathroom."

"The Boys pushing me in my new wagon. After all, I'm the one with the gun!"

Not digging the birthday hat one bit!

Just to clarify, I still stand strong on the NO GUN policy( a whole different post someday). It was so funny to see the boys faces though!

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
(Psalms 127:3-5 ESV)

Review - Math Facts Now

2011-01-05T00:00:00.002-06:00

Always trying to fit it into your busy schedule....Drilling math facts with your students? Sweat no more! Math facts Now 2.0 is the simple and feasible software solution to improving your students math facts using your home computer. Flash cards are know obsolete in our home.

The boys immediately started implementing Math Facts Now 2.0 program into their daily math routine. I was anxious to check out Math Facts Now 2.0 because I am unfortunately lacking in this area of our homeschool. Something I always say I am going to be better about and still DON"T do. Being somewhat of a computer novice, this software is extremely easy to install and takes no time to learn how to manipulate the software. Always a plus for me. The boys are enjoying it and I have a clean heart. LOL!

Many features of this software attracted me from the very beginning. One being, there are no cartoons characters or animations that can cause distraction. The student can concentrate on the drill itself. The parent can individualize the need of each of their students with Math Facts Now 2.0. For each lesson you design, you can choose which function and specific numbers to drill. For example, my ds is working on mastering his 3,4,5, and 10 multiplication tables. I designed the lesson to cover just those particular facts. Also, you are able to choose the number of problems in a lesson ranging from 50-200. Honestly, I would rather see an option of 25, making it easier to reach their goal. An unique feature that Math Facts Now 2.0 offers is it magically remembers which problem your child is having difficulty mastering and automatically continues to present that problem. Ingenious or what? When preparing a lesson, you can adjust the time limit for each problem and how many times they have to type the equation for each wrong answered/or took too long to master the equation. I love this feature. For example, my ds has 5 seconds to answer each problem, and if he gets it wrong or takes too long, he has to retype the problem 2 times before moving on. My favorite feature of this software is you can elect to provide a reward for mastering a lesson. My ds reward for mastering a lesson was Hot Cocoa with Mommy after the little ones go to bed.

The Basics:

System Requirements: Runs on Windows 2000, ME, XP, Vista and Windows 7. 4.5 Mb of free hard drive space required.

You can either purchase this software as a download for 15.95 here or you can chose a cd rom format for 15.95 plus shipping and handling here. This is well worth the money in my opinion. A great tool for all homeschoolers. All my 6 children will all benefit from this gem.

Try Math Facts Now 2.0 for free now.

To see what my crew mates think of Math Facts Now, click here.

I received for free a download of Math Facts Now for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Review ~ Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

2010-12-31T17:49:00.000-06:00

Every year, the matchmaking booksellers of the Sage Street bookshop host an enchanting, old-fashioned Christmas Ball for the romantic matches they've decided to bring together.This year they have their eyes set on the two main characters, Cora and Simon.

Cora and Simon are both shopping for a Christmas gift at this unique bookstore when they suddenly realize they work together. Not taking much notice before to one another, sparks of interests start to flutter in each ones hearts.

The author, Donita K Paul, does a fabulous job of entertaining the reader. She is rather witty and unique in her writing style. I thought the story was delightful and enchanting. A very easy read to get you in the Christmas spirit. However, the author mixes faith with magic. The two don't intertwine together from a biblical perspective. I would have appreciated the story more if the magic was not present. It really is such an adorable, spirit-filled story and I thought it was a shame the author chose to push the magical side of the story.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Getting ready for Christmas....

2010-12-23T13:13:00.000-06:00

The Princess was getting a "feel" for Christmas Day. Checking out the gifts... And she was not peeking.... Not The Princess....

The Princess is "officially" ready for Christmas morning!

Have a wonderful Christmas celebrating the miraculous birth of our Savior!

Isaiah 9: 6

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Antipasto Dip

2010-12-21T10:32:00.002-06:00

My mom made this for Thanksgiving. It was a huge hit! It made a ton. We ate it over a course of 3 days.

Lois's ANTIPASTO DIP

In food processor, pulse:
2-3 cloves garlic
1 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 1/4 cup pimento stuffed green oives
1/4 cup olive oil
6 or more tbls's red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Italian seasoning

I pulsed separately:
1 cup genoa salami
1 cup ham
1 cup pepperoni
1 cup provolone or mozzerella (or combo of both)

Add the meat & cheese to olive mixture.
*note: you will probably need to add more red wine vinegar & olive oil when you serve. Serve with sturdy crackers or Italian bread slices.

Review ~ Wits and Wagers Family

2010-12-15T00:03:00.002-06:00

This game is an absolute blast for the whole family. I was so delighted to be selected by the makers, North Star Games, to review the game Wits & Wagers Family. Our family LOVES games. The first night we played as a family we were hooked! Grandma and Papa were here visiting so they joined in on the family fun. Even Grandma loved the game!

Directly stated on the North Star Games website....

Wits & Wagers Family simplifies the rules and scoring system of the popular Wits & Wagers. Now families and kids can get into the Wits & Wagers action! First, every player writes down a guess to a fun question. Then players try to score points by choosing which guess is closest to the right answer without going over. That is it!

The game features 300 new family-friendly questions. And even better than that, Wits & Wagers Family includes Meeples-- fun, cute, human shaped wooden pieces that the players use to select which answers they think are correct. Meeples have been a hallmark in European style strategy games for years, but this is the first time they have made an appearance in a party game.

The instructions for Wits and Wagers Family were very simple to comprehend considering I have never heard of the original game, Wits & Wager. The instructions were written in a very colorful brochure that included extremely helpful diagrams. Also, included in the instructions were a rule variation to better personalize the game.

The order of the game goes something like this..
      Ask a question
      Sort the Guesses
      Place the Meeples
    Determine the Winning Guess
      Score Points
      Prepare for the Next Round
      Winning the Game

Play individually, or divide into teams. The object of the game is for the player, or team to reach 15 points first. There are 150 cards with 2 questions per card. Once the family has gone through all the top questions per card ( should be about 10 games), then they utilize the bottom questions. It would be nice for North Star Games to have additional questions for purchase.

The recommended ages for the game is 8 and up. However, I allowed my ds3 and ds6 to participate and they were thrilled with their assigned jobs. Ds3 was responsible for returning the designated weebles to all the players. Ds6 was encouraged to sort the guesses. He also helped put the weebles in the selected places since we all were playing in the living room and were spaced far apart. This made them feel part of the game and never once did they complained that they were bored. However, in order to actually play the game, I thing age 8 is an adequate age to comprehend the rules and questions of the game.

I liked the diversity of the questions, some were geared more towards the children and some were geared more towards the adults. For example, two of the questions were, How many different colors of Froot Loops are there or How many different Webkinz stuffed animals have there been? Of course, the adults had no idea, but the youngsters knew.

One potential drawback that I observed was that a few of the questions were material items that my children have not been exposed to. We try to live a pretty simple life. However, it really didn't cause a problem, but we really didn't have any clue of the correct response. Relatively speaking, you aren't expected to know the exact answer, but are encouraged to make educated guesses.

Wits and Waggers Family can be purchased here or at most Target stores for 17.99. This is hours of family fun for 17.99. I would love to try out the other games North Star Games offers here, too.

To see what fun my crew mates had with this family game, click here.

I received for free a Wits and Wager Family for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

The Truth is the Truth

2010-12-15T00:00:00.010-06:00

I have been pondering my thoughts on how to tactfully write this post, but realized that the Truth is the Truth. We are one of those parents who deny our children Santa. We give our children presents, but call them family gifts. We emphasize we give gifts because God gave us the most precious gift of them all. No gift can measure up to His reward.

As Christians, we train our children that Christmas Day is the day we choose to honor the miraculous birth of Jesus and that this alone calls for a celebration. Sadly, the world has slowly endorsed Santa Claus as a compliment to Christmas, making him the focus of the Christmas season. Unfortunately, I have become offended by this invasion of the truth for several reasons.

My words are not meant to discourage anyone who celebrates Christmas with Santa, but just to explain our reasoning for telling our children the truth. I know plenty of families that are strong believers who acknowledge Santa, and I love them dearly. This is a very controversial issue and I respect others take on Santa, but not necessarily agree with them all.The Lord delivers messages to His children according to His plan and to the extent that they can comprehend and live out each portion of the plan.This is the season we are in today.

Reasons why we tell our children the TRUTH

I longed for Christmas Day as a child, not to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but because I received wonderful anticipated, expected gifts. Yes, I heard the Christmas Story, but I never really understood or should I say appreciated the true meaning of Christmas until I was a saved adult. So Santa was considered an idol for me. I had no intention of breaking one of the commandments. And most citizens ,even Christians, wouldn't say this is anything out of the norm. But, I was truly saddened when my ds 4 at the time told me that Santa brings him better gifts than Jesus. There was no one else to blame but myself. Unintentionally, I was creating an idol for my children. "You shall have no other Gods before Me." Ex 20:3

Another reason why we deny the belief of Santa is Santa is NOT REAL! My children have been told the origin of Santa Claus, yet know how far fetched the true story has become. All the paraphernalia that goes along with Santa is NOT real! We made a vow to never lie to our children. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish. Proverbs 19:19

There are many other reasons why we do not promote Santa. None really worth mentioning except the following one. We are following God's direction in this matter, despite the negative reactions from friends or family. I was enlightened today when Grace emailed me this verse in an unrelated email...For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

Call me "Scrooge, " or "A legalistic" if you will, but one verse continues to come to my mind...Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36

This issue of Santa pertaining to our home comes down to really one true consideration ... Do I want to be obedient to Christ. He is the one I have to answer to, not the secular world. I'm not expecting you to be convicted in the same way, but respect me solely that I am following God's Will in this decision for our children.

May you truly enjoy the reason for the season. And marvel in the greatest story of them all, Luke 2. A Savior has been Born!

WFMW ~ Hiding Gifts

2010-12-15T00:00:00.004-06:00

Hiding gifts has never been a challenge for my dh and I. We don't actually do the Santa thing, but we still buy gifts for our children. We call them family gifts. We put all the unwrapped gifts in trash bags in the garage. Of course, you must inform your spouse that it is not garbage. One idea to distinguish gifts from garbage is to use a different color bag than you usually buy for your garbage. We use black in our kitchen, so we purchase white trash bags. This system has yet to fail us. However, I always mark in my Christmas notebook what I have bought to avoid over buying. I do wrap all the gifts and put under the Christmas tree sometime before Christmas. This way we don't have to wait up all night on Christmas Eve before our anticipating children fall asleep.

This works for me, what works for you each Christmas season?

Check out We are that Family for more creative and interesting tips.

Review ~ Aleks Math

2010-12-08T00:00:00.018-06:00

The boys have thoroughly enjoyed this last month utilizing their free monthly trial that Aleks offered my children in return for an honest review. This was a great month of review and catch up for my ds13, ds12, and ds10. Some how we always get behind in math.

Taken directly from their website, Aleks claims the following information....

ALEKS is a Research-Based Online Math Program:

Complete Curriculum Solution for Math with Access to Full Course Library
No Textbook Required
Artificial Intelligence Targets Gaps in Student Knowledge
Assessment and Individualized Learning for Grades 3-12
Master Account - Monitor and Direct Learning Progress
Unlimited Online Access - PC & Mac Compatible

To view a quick video on Aleks click here

Initially before starting a lesson, my sons took an assessment test to see exactly what they knew and what they needed to work on pertaining to their particular grade level. This resulted in a pie graph looking like this...

This was very motivating for two of my children. By golly, they wanted to fill in their entire pie chart before the month ended. LOL! The student was able to view their pie chart at anytime to see how they were progressing during the program. As they mastered a skill, more of the pie was shaded. On the other hand, not much motivates my older son, so filling in the pie was no big deal. He was more interested in just mastering his required 2 skills per day that I requested. All my sons were thrilled to be able to select what math topic they wanted to master that school day. This was a huge plus for all my children. I really liked how they were not able to administer their given math time on a topic already mastered. Instead, Aleks encouraged new topics. Also, my son stated that when ALEKS perceived that he spent too much time on a given topic, it told him to move onto a new topic for that day. I was impressed with (Mr). Akeks teaching skills. lol! I also liked how each question was not a multiple choice question. Students had to work out each problem making it impossible to just guess at the answer ~ which is usually the result of a multiple "guess" assignment/quiz. Each student came prepared with a pencil and scratch paper before starting their lesson for the day. At each incorrect response, the computer explained how to work the problem correctly IMMEDIATELY. Then 5 more problems were given to the student to work out that was similar in nature. My boys were not thrilled with this little gimmick.. But mommy was. hee hee!

Each parent is given a master account to view all your students accounts. This made it easy to view each students account, progress, quizzes, attendance, and so much more.

I liked the fact that there is nothing to download and all information is stored on the Aleks site. Printable worksheets are available for the students and the answers are provided on the master account. This makes it efficient if you only have one computer per family administering the Aleks on-line program. All 50 states' standards and the Common Core State Standards for grades 3 through 12 have been correlated to ALEKS course content. This impressed me! I'm not too burdened with the state standard tests, but so many homeschoolers are very concern with keeping up with the state standards. Customer Service is a high priority to Aleks. They emailed me before I could contact them in regards to my master account. I was very grateful that they were on top of things and actually took the time to email me with a suggestion regarding my account. Thank you, Aleks. I took advantage of the opportunity to sit back and relax while Aleks did the teaching and the grading this past month. LOL! Each week Aleks emailed me a progress report for each student. There are so many perks to this on-line math program that one would not be able to fully appreciate unless experiencing it first hand. So go check it out for your free one month trial period. Beware! You will be addicted!

A newer feature added to Aleks is the Quick Tables. This drill system adapts to your students individual needs. To view a short video click here.

A training center is located here that will familiarize you and your student with the program.

There are variety of courses that Aleks offers here. Higher Education coursed are offered here.

A subscription to ALEKS is

$19.95 per student, per month, or
only $99.95 every 6 months, or
only $179.95 every 12 months.

Learn about their family discount program.

This is an amazing resource to have in your homeschool, but I don't imagine many large families would be able to squeeze Aleks into their homeschool budget. Even with their family discount program, it doesn't fit our allotted yearly homeschool budget. If you had one or two children utilizing the program, it would be an affordable asset. In our family, I would only be able to implement the program to play catch up due to the cost. I'm not saying that it isn't worth every penny. It just is not affordable for us.

To see what my crew mates think about this unique and impressive math product, click here.

I received for free a one month subscription to Aleks for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-07T11:36:00.001-06:00

This year we decided to find the perfect Christmas Tree at our friends Christmas Tree farm. It was a festive experience.

The Boys....

The whole family. Brynndel Grace didn't think the event was worth skipping her nap.

Lumberjack James killing the tree

A little too late for "Timber!"

"Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree"

Something about a man and his saw! I refused to snap the shot with their flexed muscles. I guess it's a man thing.

Of course, Brynndel Grace and I wanted to get a shot with the lumberjack.

Master Innovations, Inc. Review ~ Master Fractions

2010-12-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

Master Innovations Inc.was started by faith in 1998 by promoting unique hands-on math products. These products are designed specifically to aid the students in comprehending math concepts more readily, enjoying the subject of math, and understanding the impact math has in everyday life. This is so important to me because I never had a true understanding of math growing up. Master Innovations, Inc. selected me to implement and review The Master Fraction2/3/5 and The Master Fraction Workbook. . Also, I was sent a very colorful poster, Marvels of Measurement. My ds9 had little exposure to fractions, so this was a perfect product for us to review.

I really love The Master Fractions 2/3/5 manipulative set. These overlays are veraciously what helped my ds comprehend the concept of fractions. These transparent overlays clearly demonstrate how geometric shapes such as a whole square, a whole rectangle, and/or a whole circle can be divided into equal parts called fractions. Included in The Master Fractions 2/3/5 are three separate devices each resembling a spiral like book. They are designed as followed...
      * The Master Fraction 2 shows halves, quarters, eighths, and sixteenths.
      * The Master Fraction 3 shows thirds, sixths, and twelfths.
      * The Master Fraction 5 shows fifths, tenths, and twentieths.

By placing each overlay on top of each other, it is simple to see how the fractional parts are related. We used a dry erase marker to color the shaded parts. The overlays can easily be erased with a paper towel. These overlays are definitely a keeper in our house. We will use these over and over again. I insist on teaching math to my children on a concrete level by using hands on manipulatives. The Master Fractions 2/3/5 is the most effective and witty approach I have exercised in teaching fractions to my children. My ds understood the basics of a fraction in one day. However, I did demonstrate a simple illustration with an apple and explained the definition of fraction before I introduced the The Master Fraction 2/3/5. This was recommended by the publisher. This product is a tremendous compliment to any math program. Being only 17.95 for all 3 overlays, this is a steal! I believe you can only buy all 3 as a set. It might be nice to have the option to purchase individually if you need a placement.

The black and white Master Fraction Workbook is designed to correlate with the The Master Fraction 2/3/5 set. The workbook advances the concept of fractions at the concrete level and progresses to the abstract level. I received the workbook in the mail, but would have liked to received as a PDF file. The workbook is reproducible, but it was time consuming for me to make copies. The workbook contains fraction activities for grades 1-5. Initially, I was really impressed with the workbook and was simply pleased at my sons progress. It was fun for him to work the real life story/word problems utilizing the overlays. However, when we got to page 16 the teachers directions were minimal and I had a hard time understanding what was being asked in the problems. The problems were unclear to my ds and I. This frazzled my son a bit. There is a teaching suggestions and answers section in the back of the workbook that I believe are too brief. I didn't find the section very helpful. Usually I don't require hand holding, but I was confused. I did watch the video that was recommended on their site here. Most of the pages I was able to explain to my ds easily, but some lessons I thought needed more precised teaching instructions. The Master Fraction workbook sells for 15.95. I thought this was a bit pricey. But then again, you can make unlimited reproducible copies.

Here is the very colorful poster that I have hanging in our school room called Marvels of Measures. The poster demonstrates different forms of measurements with pictures making measurement very easy to understand. Even my little ones enjoy looking at it. I have a hard time justifying 10.00 for a poster, but was very gracious to receive it and actually kinda like it myself. OKAY....I'm not a poster girl, but this one serves its purpose.

Overall, I was very impressed with The Master Fractions 2/3/5 and think it is an invaluable tool for any classroom. It can be used with any curriculum and is priced very reasonable. Actually I think Master Innovations, Inc is ingenious. I just wished I would have thought of it myself. You do not need to purchase the Master Fraction Workbook to utilize The Master Fractions 2/3/5. However, you do need to purchase The Master Fractions 2/3/5 to successfully manipulate the workbook. Available from the vendor is a teacher Master Fractions 2/3/5 that can be used on an overhead projector making it perfect for a coop setting.

The Master Fractions 2/3/5, The Master Fraction Workbook, and the Marvels of Measures can be purchased through Master Innovations, Inc here. There are many other products that look very interesting, such as, The Master Ruler, Master Clock, and Master Angles that Master Innovations, Inc offer, too here.

To see what my crew mates think of these fun hands-on math supplements click here.

I received for free The Master Fractions 2/3/5, The Master Fraction Workbook and a Marvels of Measures Poster for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Review ~ Bright Idea Press

2010-11-22T00:00:00.003-06:00

What a joy it was for my ds13, ds12, and ds9 to receive the full science curriculum, Christian Kids Explorers, Physics in the mail last month. Bright Ideas Press, the publisher, offered me several different products to chose from, that being said, I left it up to the boys to make a decision based on their interests. They all opted to utilize this fun engaging hands-on science curriculum, Christian Kids Explorers Physics.

The back cover states....... The universe that we live in is the result of God’s thoughtful design and careful building. Physics gives us a glimpse into the materials, laws, and structures of that universe. Behold the wonders of creation with this series of 30 easy-to-understand lessons for grades 4-8. Each lesson helps develop an understanding of matter and energy and the rules they follow. Exploring physics is an exciting adventure!

In the beginning of the colorful paperback book is an encouraging note from the author. I have to admit, I'm definitely not a science girl, and for sure not a physic scholar. However, this curriculum is extremely easy to teach and is surprisingly fun and interesting. Very little prep time is needed for mom. There are 3 simple pages in the beginning of the book that explains how to use the book properly. Provided in each unit is a very simple format for completing lessons, such as, Preparation, Teaching Time, Review It, Hands-On Time, Coloring Pages, Think About It, and a Unit Wrap-Out at the end of each unit.

The preparation section provides you with a list of unit objectives, vocabulary words, and a list of materials needed for that particular unit. I left the boys in charge of the material lists.

The Teaching Time section is more or less the text section. The teacher can read to the younger ones if needed. However, older children would be able to easily read and comprehend the information. I chose to read this section to my boys.

The Review It section contains a very short fill in the blank exercise that the student should be able to master without any trouble. I read the questions out loud to my boys and they wrote their answers on a piece of paper. We discussed orally.

The Hands-On Time is considered the Fun stuff! Each lessons ends with a Hands-On type of activity to reinforce the concepts and for the students to experience actually being a physicist. My boys completed all the hands-on activities amongst themselves without my assistance. Totally loved it!

One Coloring Page is included per unit located in the back of the book after the glossary. These are impressive coloring pages. My ds 9 and my little guys adored them. However, my ds13 and ds12 were not interested.

The Think About It section is considered the critical thinking exercise that correlates with the results of the Hands-On Time activity. This is optional, but recommended to engage their critical thinking skills. We did these orally.

Lastly, an Unit Wrap-Up multiple-choice questions are provided for your student to complete after each unit. These question are all taken form the lesson review questions. An answer key for the unit wrap-up are located in the appendix.

The curriculum keeps God at the center which is such an encouragement to me as a homeschool mother who strives to keep all subjects centered around God Most curriculum just throw a verse or two in it and call it God-centered, but Christian Kids Explore Physics truly stresses that God is at center of all science, including the study of physics. Each lesson has a scripture printed on the right margin. We recited the verse several times before and after teaching time.

Suitable for teaching a single child, multiple aged children, or in a coop setting makes this curriculum very universal. I think is best suited for children ages 9-12, but can easily be beefed up by requiring the student additional study outside the curriculum. For example, I assigned all my boys to complete either a notebook page or power point presentation on one of the scientist listed in Unit 1. In fact, I think this curriculum would even work for a High School student who needs to know the basics, but is not choosing a career path pertaining to Science. My oldest son is gifted in art and doesn't need to go in great depth in the area of physics. On the other hand, my ds12 is leaning toward a career in Vet Science. I will chose a more in depth curriculum for him.

Bright Ideas Press also sent me via email a file to print the student activities sheets. This makes it so much easier than trying to make copies from the book. I highly recommend purchasing the download consisting of all the student sheets that are in the book. I liked the simplicity of the entire program. The author explains all vocabulary words in simple terms that students can understand. Also, I appreciate that there is a place to write teachers note in the right hand margin of the book. This is always helpful to me when anticipating I will be teaching this course again to our younger children in the future. Interesting facts known as Discovery Zones are also in the margins to spark interest. The boys were able to do the hands-on time by themselves and fully understand without my help. Yea!

Check out sample pages here.

Christian Kids Explorers can be purchased through Bright Idea Press here. The science curriculum sells for 34.95 and the Student Activity Book download is priced at 12.95. There is whole lot of physics in this 400+ paged curriculum for this price. Bright Ideas Press offers several other Science curriculum products in this series: Earth & Science, Chemistry, and Biology. Check out the vast amount of other homeschool products Bright Idea Press promotes here.

My boys loved Christian Kids Explorer-Physics and want to continue. They're not too fond of their current science curriculum. To see what my other crew mates think of Bright Idea Press click here.

I received for free Christian Kids Explore Physics and Student Activity Sheets for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

WFMW ~ Stress Free Thanksgiving

2010-11-16T21:14:00.002-06:00

A couple of years ago, I decided to cook everything for our Thanksgiving feast ahead of time. I froze every item except for my turkey that my dh smoked in his smoker. I made sure that I put everything in the refrigerator 2 days prior to Thanksgiving. Prior to serving time, I heated all items up in the microwave or oven. Everything tasted wonderful!

I slept in on Thanksgiving day and enjoyed the day with our family. I served 12 people an enormous feast without ever stressing out! It was such a joyous day. My Thanksgiving has been stress-free ever since.

It truly is silly to spend your day cooking when you can be visiting with your family. . Not to mention how tired you will be after waking up before the chickens.

Do you have any Thanksgiving tips that makes your day less stressful?

Now go visit We are that Family for more WFMW. Have a blessed and stress free Thanksgiving!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Review ~ The Write Foundation

2010-11-10T00:00:00.004-06:00

The Write Foundation

Sentence to Paragraph, Paragraph and Essay Writing

Step by Step Lesson Plans

with

Examples, Checklists, Grading System

Teaching the Writing Process and Structure

Basic

Structured

Creative

Formal

This past month I was thrilled to evaluate and teach my ds13 and ds12 writing lessons using the writing curriculum, Paragraph Writing Lessons 1 - 15. I adore teaching writing and think it is a vital tool in becoming a successful adult in our society today. The goal of The Write Foundation is for students to become well thought-out and organized writers, which will aid them in becoming effective communicators. This is an essential in becoming effective disciples in my opinion. Read the story behind why Rebecca Celsor wrote this writing program here.

I was given an option by the vendor, The Write Foundation, to chose between the 3 levels that they offer on their website . I chose Level II, Paragraph Writing . However, I almost wish the boys would have started with Level 1 because of the thorough and vast amount of information that is covered in Level II. Not that they can not handle Level II, but I keep on insinuating that they are missing a great deal of principles pertaining to sentence structure. Level I could only benefit them in perfecting their sentence structure. The boys learned more in the first day we utilized this program than they have in a month with their current writing program. Mommy was thrilled! (:

Included in the Paragraph Writing Lesson 1-15 package is a spiraled Teachers Guide which consists of step by step lessons plans which include examples, checklists, grading system and More. There is a daily schedule recommendation in the teacher manual that is helpful. I encourage my children to write on a daily basis with shorter lessons than what is suggested. This program is very adaptable to fit your family's schedule. Rushing the student will result in frustration and aggravation for both the student and teacher the author, Mrs. Celsor implies in the teacher manual.. There is a small amount of preparation for the teacher. In other words, you must familiarize yourself with the lesson format before you can be successful in teaching your children this writing curriculum. I had absolutely no problem preparing myself ahead of time to teach lesson 1 and happened to learned a great deal in writing a quality paragraph. Also included in the Paragraph Writing Lesson 1-15 package, there are paragraph writing worksheets that are mandatory for each student. Both teacher manual and student worksheets are required in teaching this writing course. Mind Benders are suggested to help develop the student's organizational processing. We do not have this, but I plan on purchasing this book in the future to aid in their logical thinking process. Mind Benders are optional for this writing program.

I really like the notebook system that the author recommends which includes 8 different tabs in a 3 ring binder. Also, the student must learn the total process each time before going forward in the program. All lessons build on previous lessons. A quote is present in the teacher manual by Keith Lamb...."Repetition is the price of knowledge." I could not agree more with this statement. Primary objectives are printed in the teachers manual to give you a better understanding of what is to be expected by your students. There is a suggested highlighting system that is required for each written paragraph which my boys found extremely helpful. Also, games are provided for each level. As you can see this quality curriculum is designed as a tool for teachers to teach using their own styles while not being a slave to the curriculum itself.. All students are required to type their work except specified poetry.

Paragraph Writing (Level II) is designed for ages 12-15 depending on the maturity of the student. Click here to view samples in Level II. The Write Foundation offers 3 different packages for Paragraph Writing Curriculum.....

Curriculum Package 1: Paragraph Complete Lessons 1-30 $100 + tax/shipping.

Spiral Instruction Manual Lessons 1 – 15 & Lessons 16 – 30

Student Worksheets Full Set Lessons 1 – 30

Paragraph Additional Resources CD

Curriculum Package 2: Paragraph Lessons 1-15 $65 + tax/shipping.

Spiral Instruction Manual Lessons 1 – 15

Student Worksheets Lessons 1 – 15

Paragraph Additional Resources CD

Curriculum Package 3: Paragraph Lessons 16-30 $65 + tax/shipping.

Spiral Instruction Manual Lessons 16 – 30

Student Worksheets Lessons 16 – 30

Paragraph Additional Resources CD

The Paragraph instruction manuals are also available separately for $75 for Lessons 1-30 or $40 each for Lessons 1-15 or 16-30 + tax and/or shipping.

The Paragraph Additional Resources CD is also available separately for $15 + tax and/or shipping.

Also, The Write Foundation offers Level 1 and Level III to correspond with Level II, Paragraph Writing.

I believe this is an excellent writing program that will successfully equip your children in becoming better writers and communicators. This would be an easy and affordable program to utilize during a coop setting. The student would just have to buy the student worksheets here. My boys asked me if we could use this program instead of their current writing program. Due to the simple step by step lessons and checklists, my ds13 believes this program would help struggled writers. He loves it! Honestly, I was not thrilled with their current writing program so I happily agreed to continue with the program.

To see what my crew mates think about The Write Foundation, click here.

I received for free a Curriculum Package 2 Lessons 1-15 for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Review ~ PG Key

2010-10-27T00:00:00.005-05:00

All I can say is WOW! We had the blessed opportunity to review and try out the PG Key these past few weeks. PG Key is device that simply plugs into your computer USB port and instantly provides your children protection from the the secular internet. Every home needs this nifty little device.

PG Key was designed and developed with input from law enforcement and parenting experts who had a common goal to PROTECT our children. PG Key has partnered its technology with Google Safe Search. Also, you can request specific sites that you wish for your children not to visit. When PG Key is plugged in, all protected user activity is recorded. You as a parent can view all recordings at leisure. The video can be fast-forward or played at "real-time." The PG Key holds up to 60 hours of recorded computer activity. Once reached the capacity, the oldest video will be replaced with the newest video.

There are so many benefits to this device that I can't do it justice. Just a few are..... its super easy to install, literally takes minutes to initiate, and alerts you as the administrator when inappropriate behaviors takes place, such as, emails, facebook, chat and email logging, and all social networking. One of the biggest advantages of PG Key is you can control a time limit each day per user. For example, I have allotted 40 minutes each day per my two oldest sons. This is enough time to complete their math, keyboarding, and a few minutes for leisure time. Of course, they will only have leisure time if they work diligently on their assignments because after the allotted time, the computer shuts off. HEE HEE! Yes, I love this little thing. I can allow my children to log into the computer when I am not present. Rest assured, my children are safe.

I appreciate how each child has their own log in to activate the computer. My boys had fun designing their home page, too. Also, I respect their 10 Parenting Tools that are included with the PG Key.....

Access Control
Control computer use by inserting or unplugging PG Key.

Time Allowance
Decide the amount of time the computer can be used daily.

Content Filtering
Eliminate unwanted results from innocent searches.

Site Blocking
Block sites you decide are inappropriate.

Activity Tracking
Review all activity on the PC with a DVD-like interface.

Activity Notifications
Be informed via text message or e-mail of any flagged activity.

Chat and E-mail Logging
See both sides of chat and e-mail conversations.

Computer Configuration
Properly configure all users of the protected PC.

User Name and Password Logging
Keep track of user names and passwords.

Inappropriate Activity Evidence
Use video recording to show obvious or suspected inappropriate activity.

PG Key can be purchased for 49.99 here. Also, there is absolutely NO annual fee. PG Key works with Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. Read how PG Key compares to other similar products here. You can also request a free trial period here. This device is an answer to a prayer for our family. Last year, we had an innocent search turn into something really ugly. I had a lot of unnecessary explaining to do. Now I have peace of mind, in which, PG Key promotes. I adore this product and recommend it to all families. Even if your kiddos are perfect like my blessings. LOL!

I received a free device of PG Key for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

The Digital Field Trip Series

2010-10-01T13:08:00.013-05:00

Traveling to the Rainforest, Wetlands, and Dessert was an adventurous experience for my two sons and I this past week. We encountered what felt like 3 real life field trips to three ecosystems courtesy of Digital Frog International. The Digital Field Trip Series consists of the three award-winning software programs, The Digital Field Trip to the Wetlands, The Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest, and The Digital Field Trip to the Dessert.

We found this digital field trip series most impressive. It is apparent that Digital Frog International spent an enormous amount of time and thought while considering the content of this field trip series. The incredible sound effects and vivid color on these DVDs enhances the reality of the virtual field trips tremendously. We were familiar with these three ecosystems from our world geography unit study last year. This was an inclusive review for us with an incredible wealth of new information.

Each DVD software features the following....

An interactive map
Definitions of every word and pronunciations of scientific words
Ability to bookmark favorite screens
Online updates

Additionally, an extensive workbook is included with each DVD which I found very helpful. Student and teacher materials are included on the DVD in a variety of formats allowing you to print at leisure. The workbook materials act as an excellent study guide, leading students through the CD-ROM with tips, suggestions and quizzes. The accompanying teacher's guide includes answers, as well as teaching suggestions and even offers graphic resources for K-3 activities. The series is geared towards High School students, but can be easily be adaptable for even an elementary aged student. However, being the computer novice that I am, I had a bit of difficulty locating the teachers guide, but eventually found it.

I found it especially helpful that each DVD consists of a quick tour that easily explains in explicit details how to navigate each field trip. Breath taking videos and photos takes you right to the heart of the ecosystem. Also, the many different locations that you visit pertaining to each ecosystem is thrilling, too. The boys had a better understanding of each ecosystem after watching the DVD's. Greater knowledge and reality were obtained that Youtube and books just couldn't portray in our last year study of World Geography.

The Digital Field Trip Series can be purchased through Digital Frog International for a Home License for 125.00. Or you can choose to purchase separately for 60.00 each. Digital Frog International offers additional products, such as, The Digital Frog, and Science Matrix: Cell Structure & Function, . You can view this chart here to see what product fits your family's needs. View demos of all products here.

The software is highly sophisticated and one could not bring this software to justice unless personally viewing. You could spend hours and hours checking out this informative software. Like I mentioned before, it is very impressive to say the least. However, this product does not meet our annual homeschool budget. I think a school or even a coop setting would exceptionally benefit from these informative DVD's. Also, my son mentioned he would have liked to have had the opportunity to visit links pertaining to areas of interest on the software during the field trip. Additional websites are provided on the Digital Frog International website pertaining to the general overall topic, but not through the software itself.

I considered The Digital Field Trip Series a true asset to our homeschool bookshelf. We will benefit from the software tremendously over the next years with our younger children. To see my crew mates thoughts on this product, click here.

I received for free these DVD's for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Book Review ~ Foundlings

2010-10-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

I had the adventurous opportunity to review and read the first book of the Peleg series, Foundlings. At first, I was a bit hesitant because I am not a giant and dragon type of girl. However, I found myself anxious each night to indulge in the lives of these notorious characters. Such an uplifting reading experience involving courage and faith.

This God-honoring historical fiction carries you back in ancient history when dragons and giants co-existed, known as the period of Peleg, soon after the tower of Babel dispersed.. When good verse evil were constantly at odds. The gifted, creative author, Matthew Christian Harding, weaves biblical principles throughout his novel. Faith, loyalty, duty, love and righteousness are just a few of the many character traits that these noble character initiate throughout this novel.

The Chronicles of Peleg, Book One, Foundlings is published by Zoe and Sozo Publishing. All 256 pages will keep you on pins and needles. A suspenseful page turner for the low price of $11.95. This piece of creative literature is suitable for ages 10 and up. Probably most benefiting ages 12 and older. A read a loud at it's best. You can purchase Foundlings here. Also, Mr. Harding has the second book of the Peleg series, Paladins, available for purchase, also, published by Zoe and Sozo Publishing.

Magic, humanism, and evolution are non-existent in Foundlings. However, I can't wait to finish our current read aloud to only begin this adventurous read.

During my read, I highlighted numerous challenging vocabulary words that will make wonderful word studies, too. Lots of food for thought will be discussed during our adventure in the world of Peleg. Can't wait to get my hands on Book Two, Paladins.

Read what my crew mates thought about Foundlings here.

I received a free copy of Foundlings for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

WFMW ~ Pumpkin Dip

2010-09-29T09:15:00.005-05:00

Last week, I shared with you our favorite Pumpkin Pudding. This week I thought I would treat you to our Pumpkin Dip which is just perfect for this time of year. I always bring it to some sort of gathering during this beautiful season.

Easy Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese — at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 can (15 ounce size) pumpkin, canned
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Directions:

Place cream and powdered sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger. Beat until well combined.

Pour the dip into an airtight container, cover and chill for at least 8 hours before serving.

This is divine dipped in apples, Graham sticks, or Ginger Snaps!

For more wFMw Click here,

Movie Review ~ The Way Home

2010-09-28T13:11:00.000-05:00

The Way Home, staring Dean Cain, is a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, bring tears to your eyes, and encourage you to reevaluate your priorities in your life. Like many men today, Randy is torn between his work responsibilities and family commitments. Based on a true story, Randy and Crystal's two year old son disappears while Randy is distracted by his work. While Randy and Crystal desperately search for their missing son, hundreds of family, friends, and members of the community pull together to find this little boy. A encouraging example of the body of Christ coming together for a common cause. Experience the incredible faith this family portrays and the love the community pours out on this desperate family.

We enjoyed this movie as a family one evening. It was a wonderful lesson in putting God first, family second, and work third. An unusual aspect in the American family today.

To take a peek at this movie, click here.

Simple Woman's daybook ~ September 27, 2010

2010-09-27T17:06:00.057-05:00

FOR TODAY…. Monday, September 27, 2010

Outside my window... It's the most lovely day.......Cool crisp breeze and the gradient sun is blazing. It's beginning to feel like Fall!

I am thinking... I'm so excited about our trip to Spain, but terribly anxious about leaving my babies for 8 days.

I am thankful for... our family's health and having the miracle of the gospel at my fingertips daily.

From the learning rooms ~ we are having a light week, so we can enjoy this amazing weather.. Lots of Nature Notebooking.

From the kitchen... chicken and dumplings

I am wearing... Jeans and a 3/4 sleeve brown shirt

I am creating... still creating my pumpkin patch afghan. Only have 2 more rounds! Will post later!

I am going... to start making my list for my generous parents who are graciously watching our 6 children while we go across the world

I am reading.. and meditating on .Colossians 3:1-17 daily and Pocketful of Pinecones. for leisure

I am hoping... to organize this week ~ meaning clean out the boys closets and getting out the Winter clothes. One of my most dreaded tasks. When you have a half a dozen children, its a major ordeal.

I am hearing... my playful boys playing outside laughing and truly enjoying this incredible cool weather

Around the house... Laundry, Laundry, Laundry

One of my favorite things... is to feel the cool breeze blowing my hair from the opened window while I sit on the couch crocheting

A few plans for the rest of the week: tons of running around, but the most anticipated event is Ceramic Night on Friday!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

Please excuse the mess... Boys and dogs aren't the neatest of the bunch

Visit others Simple Woman’s Daybook here.

WFMW ~ Easy Pumpkin Pudding

2010-09-21T21:46:00.002-05:00

My boys love this easy dessert.. Ok , it’s not the healthiest, but hey it has a vegetable in it, right?

Easy Pumpkin Pudding

1 lg box of instant vanilla pudding

1 can of pumpkin

pumpkin pie spice - to taste

Prepare pudding as directed and place in refrigerator for about 5 min. Then mix can of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Place back in refrigerator for 15min. I like to serve it with cool whip. I’m sure it would be wonderful with ginger snaps, too. Enjoy !

More WFMW here.

Simple Woman's daybook ~ September 20, 2010

2010-09-20T19:08:00.000-05:00

FOR TODAY... September 20, 2010

Outside my window... it is still smothering hot in our neck of the woods, sunny, but still in the 90's

I am thinking... I am so excited about Fall. I put our Fall decor out Saturday. Come soon cooler weather!

I am thankful for... for our homeschool coop. A true blessing for our family. So many dedicated moms pulling together to educate their children at home.

From the learning rooms...we are continuing memorizing the Ten Commandments, finishing up on studying Joseph, and working on our nature notebooks. And of course covering all the basics.

From the kitchen... Black beans and rice

I am wearing... a denim skirt and a coral shirt

I am creating...my fall afghan that I am crocheting

I am going...to make 2 sets of Fall napkins this week, write my TOS review, and finish my afghan.

I am reading...I decided to read and meditate on Romans 12:9-21 each morning this week and I am enjoying reading Pocketful of Pine Cones

I am praying...that my AC in my suburban is easy and inexpensive to fix or the car fairy delivers my 12 passenger van. lol

I am hearing... my sweet princess making her fake coughing sound. Drama Queen already

Around the house... I am going to deep clean the kitchen and enjoy my children

One of my favorite things...is to watch my 3 year old love on his baby sister. So precious

A few plans for the rest of the week: coop, book club, Vet Science Club, 4H officer meeting, Fellowship meal before service, Garden Club, Leadership Youth meeting, and possible catching a wink here and there. NO, I don't have a life outside my children!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Check out his dirty face! Wearing his snow hat that his big brother made him.

To peek into more Simple Woman's Daybook click here.

The Princess ~ 8 months

2010-09-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

Puts Marsha Brady to shame.....

Doesn't she look adorable? Even Daddy thought she looked spiffy in these far out pants. The Princess is now ready to indulge in a hearty steak. She has 1 toothy! And sitting up and desperately trying to crawl.

Review ~ Math Tutor DVD

2010-09-08T00:00:00.007-05:00

The boys and I were given the informative opportunity to view the physical 2 math tutor DVD's, known as The Pre-Algebra Tutor: Volume 1 and The Texas Instruments TI-84 and TI-83 Tutor. Both were sent to us from the owner, Jason Gibson. Mr Gibson is truly a remarkable mathematician in our opinions. My boys think he is "so smart!" I have to admit I am truly impressed with Mr.Gibsons ability to teach mathematics in a thorough and non-threatening way, meaning my ds13 who despises math completely understood his teaching methods. I highly respect that he teaches math principles rather than just have students memorize meaningless rules.

First, we viewed The Pre-Algebra Tutor: Volume 1 which was a true blessing for the boys since they are actually studying Pre-Algebra this year. In this 5 hour colored video tutorial, the following topics are covered......

Disk 1
Sect 1 - Real Numbers
Sect 2 - The Number Line
Sect 3 - Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To
Sect 4 - Absolute Value and Adding Integers
Sect 5 - Subtracting Integers

Disk 2
Sect 6 - Multiplying Integers
Sect 7 - Dividing Integers
Sect 8 - Powers and Exponents
Sect 9 - Order of Operations

The actual cover of the DVD caught my ds12 eye. The DVD cover stated that he would have a better understanding of pre-algebra and would result in higher grades. Yes, I have a perfectionist. We decided to view the lesson on exponents since the boys were struggling with that particular concept in their current math curriculum.. Mr. Gibson, the actual tutor, started the lesson with basic definitions that guided the student in a deeper knowledge of the topic itself. He utilizes real life terms and examples to make the subject real to the student. Use of several different colors on the board, aided my boys in recognizing the different steps in each problem. Towards the end of the lesson, the tutor gives numerous problems for the student to analyze. The boys honestly felt that they had a greater understanding of math after they viewed just one lesson.

The Pre-Algebra Math Tutor Vol 1 can be purchased at MathTutorDVD. This is highly worth the low price of 26.99. You can see several demos here.

Second, we had the opportunity to view The Texas Instruments TI-84 and TI-83 Tutor . Needless to say, I never ever understood this crazy calculator even when I owned one in High School and College. So I had a spark of interest under my belt. The only calculator that my boys were familiar with was the $1.00 one at Walmart. So I suggested to the boys to get out their Walmart calculators since we don't own one of these nifty high tech calculators. Even though we don't own a TI calculator, we learned several features on our own cheapo model. Mr. Gibson descriptively introduced us to the many features that these calculators are capable of delivering. The boys said, " WOW, this gives a whole new meaning to a calculator." So we will be saving this incredible wealth of information on this 8 hour colored DVD when the boys reach higher math. This DVD is a must for all students in High School math and higher. See demo here.

Just like the previous math tutor dvd, Mr. Gibson is the actual tutor teaching in The Texas Instruments TI-84 and TI-83 Tutor. To view all the topics that are covered in this math tutor click here. The comprehensive DVD teaches students to use all the major functions of the TI-84/TI-83 graphing calculator by working example problems.

This math tutor can be purchased for 26.99 at MathTutorDVD.com.

My honest thoughts regarding both products....

PROS

* product is reusable and can be used with any math curriculum

* can be used with all learning styles

* no teacher preparation or knowledge (gotta love that. lol!)

* teaches math principles

* much cheaper than paying a math tutor

CONS

* He went a bit fast during the problem solving at the end of the lesson for my math struggler, but we were able to pause when needed

* I just wish Mr. Gibson had a full curriculum to purchase. I love his teaching approach!

Math Tutor DVD offers numerous of other products, too. Also, Math Tutor DVD now offers an online subscription model whereby for 19.95 per month you can watch ALL courses right in your web browser. This is extremely beneficial for large families with various math levels.

Read what my crew mates think of the Math Tutor DVD click here.

I received a free these DVD's for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

WFMW ~ Incentive program for children

2010-09-01T10:44:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to put together some incentive chart/program for my 2 youngest sons ~ ds5 and ds3. I stumbled across these cute little incentive charts and stickers at out local teacher supply store this past weekend.

I pasted the cute little chart in the middle of an orange piece of card stock and labeled Grahm's and Ryland's Movie Night. I decided to push the lesson on teamwork. Every time the boys have a good school day or clean up their room with a cheerful heart they both get to place a sticker on the chart. The adorable popcorn stickers look like this....

Putting a sticker on the chart is like eating a piece of candy in my lil' ones eyes. After the chart is consumed with little popcorn stickers, they will get to choose a movie together for us all to watch for Family Movie Night. Of course we can't forget the buttery salted popcorn. Yummy!

Do you have any ~~bribery~~ incentive programs that work for your little ones? Visit We are that Family for more WFMW.

Book Review ~ One Hand, Two Hands

2010-08-30T15:50:00.000-05:00

Today I received the sweet blessing of the childrens book, One Hand, Two Hands written beautifully by the well known christian author, Max Lucado. My ds5 and ds3 snuggled on the couch to read the charming illustrated storybook teaching numerous ways little hands can serve God. It's a beautiful lesson on training our children to serve others and what joy it brings to God, too. This is definitely a book that I plan on always keeping on our book shelf and pulling out when we need a little reminder on the positive ways we can use our little hands.

It was such a treat to receive this book from Booksneeze in return for my honest opinion. Such a lovely read and reminder for any family in training their children in righteousness.

WFMW ~ The Christian Mother Goose Book

2010-08-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

I love to have story time with my ds3 and ds5 after lunch. I like to read them a story book and then some sort of rhyme, poetry, or prayer etc, book. A few weeks ago, I stumbled across this little gem on my very own bookshelf. Nursery Rhymes that have a christian twist to them. The boys love it! We sing the nursery rhymes to their tunes, too. These are so easy for them to memorize. I have no clue when or where I bought this (you would understand if you knew how many books we own), but the price tag says 1.00 on it. What a total blessing.

Here is an example of one my boys favorite.....

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;

Humpty Dumpty shouted, "Amen!

God can put me together again."

Each day I read several pages and reread several of their favorites. It's a true joy to hear them sing. And not to mention the sweet cuddling time we encounter each afternoon. What precious memories.

Do you have a favorite read a loud that you and your children admire? I would love to hear what works for you.

See what works for others today here.

WFMW ~ chopped onion

2010-08-18T00:00:00.003-05:00

I don't know about you, but I despise chopping onions. It entails two of my least favorite things to do...Crying and cleaning up messes. I detest it so much that I used to just sprinkle a bottle of minced onion when a recipe called for chopped onion. Now we all know nothing taste as good as a fresh chopped onion, especially when browning ground beef. So I now have an easy system.....

Every time I get out my food processor, I chop several onions and put them in a snack baggie measuring approximately 1/2 cup in each baggie. Then I freeze the finely chopped onions. This saves so much time and clean up. Just pop out a bag and let defrost or pop in microwave.

Works for me. See what works for others here.

Do you have any kitchen tips that works for you?

Morning Playdate

2010-08-16T10:49:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos that Mackenzie took of the newest kids play date this morning.... There are 3 kids total, Genesis(Genni), Delilah, and Samson. Delilah and Samson are the twins from Rain Dancer.

First group photos of the siblings/or cousins. Yikes! We better just call them cuz to avoid any confusions with the lil' ones. They all have the same father, Jack, if you must know. Now don't be spending any gossip, ya hear!

Genni who looks so much like her mama, Jitterbug. First of Jacks that didn't turn out black. So she is special.

Adorable Delilah, always calling for her mama, Rainny. She is the tiniest of them all.

Lovable ~~little~~ big Samson. Mackenzie named him Samson after the giant. He was huge when he came out.

Samson chillin' after the morning playdate

The party is over. Nap time for the kiddos. Back in the barn.

This has truly been a wonderful experience for our family. The boys adore all of the Nigerian goats. Each one has a special job. Milking starts in a few weeks. I look forward to having fresh goats milk each morning. And learning the art of cheese making and hand soaps.

Summer Squash Harvest

2010-08-16T00:00:00.002-05:00

We had an abundance of yellow squash and zucchini that we picked today from our garden. I sliced and blanched them so I can preserve them in the extra freezer for later use. It's just something fulfilling about grabbing a batch of veggies out of your freezer that didn't come from Walmart, but your very own back yard. My dh and ds12 are the gardeners around here. I am so thankful for them both for working their tails off in this Texas heat. Mackenzie checks and picks the goods each morning after tending to the goats. I'm just the chef.

Our favorite recipe that I like to prepare for our gang is....

Summer Squash Bake

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped onions
3 tablespoons butter
3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
3 summer squash, diced, about 3 cups
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup soft bread crumbs tossed with 1 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

In a saucepan, sauté onion in butter. In a large bowl, combine onions and butter with summer squash and chopped hard cooked eggs. Place squash mixture in a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole. Mix beaten eggs with half-and-half; pour over squash in casserole. Sprinkle top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
serves 6.

We also like to stir fry in in olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese on top. Easy and yummy!

What's your favorite summer squash recipe?

Schoolhouse Planner

2010-08-13T11:59:00.022-05:00

BEE all you can Be!

BEEing Queen Bee is easy with the School House Planner!

Don't lose your stinger this year.... The Schoolhouse Planner will allow you to..

*BEE reminded of important dates, contacts, and information

*BEE organized each week, month, and year

*BEE a goal setter

*BEE queen of the kitchen

*BEE informed

*BEE ready for preschool through high school

*BEE wrapped up at the end of the year

You will BEE the queen bee you always planned to BEE with this all in one MASTER PLANNER. Sneak a peek here.

Over 600 pages! Also, The Schoolhouse Planner gives you plenty of options to meet your needs with forms in several formats. Just add the customizable aspect of typing information right into the form and hundreds of additional pages are possible! And your pages will be your pages! Click here to read more.

This is all you need to BEE Queen Bee.

Now get BEEsy building your hive this year by ordering your Schoolhouse Planner here.

Now Bee a BEEsy Body and look at what all you get if you order by August 15...

I received a free Schoolhouse Planner for the purpose of writing an ad for a contest. No other compensation was given.

WFMW ~ Bible for the young

2010-08-11T00:00:00.001-05:00

My lil' guys and I love to read from this Rod and Staff Bible Story Book daily each morning. They hop on my lap and I read the short story. At the end of the story, it has 3 questions to ask the children and a memory verse. Answering the question properly is so exciting for my ds5 and ds3. They feel so smart! After we read the story they both color a picture from the coloring book that correlates with the story. They are only allowed to color the appropriate picture for that story. Then we put the coloring books up until tomorrow. This is fun for us all. They don't let me forget either. It's our special time to share God's Word.

Do you have any bible related ideas that work for your children? I always am looking for fun, but scriptural related ideas to share with my blessings.

See what works for others here.

Book Review ~ Same Kind of Different as Me

2010-08-08T17:53:00.000-05:00

What an emotional and inspirational read! One moment I was laughing at the dry humor; next I was wiping my teary eyes. A life changing book that made me reevaluate myself. A true lesson on forgiveness, friendship, unconditional love and truly living your life for Him.

Same Kind of Different as Me was written by the autobiographers, Ron Hall and Denver Moore. The front cover reads...... A modern-day slave, and international art dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together. The book takes place in the South. I happen to live in Texas and was familiar with the settings, so it made it "real" to me. Honestly, this is not a book that I would have chosen to read, but thrilled that I received the book to review. I enjoyed every page. I felt so connected with Ron and Denver that I was saddened to turn the last page.

Same Kind of Different As Me would make a wonderful family read a loud. A wonderful message to share with all ages. I loved the study guide at the end of the book for group or individual study. The photos were a compliment to this lovely read, putting a face with a name just made it so much more real to me. This book will touch your heart.

It's a Girl.....

2010-08-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

and it didn't come out of my body this time. lol! Bug gave birth to her first doe, named Genesis, bka Genni.

This is Jitterbug barely tolerating the Texas heat a few days before giving birth. Better her than me

Dr. Mackenzie holding Baby Genni an hour or so after being born

Bug being an excellent mama cleaning her new kid

Mackenzie did a superb job helping Jitterbug deliver. I was so proud of him

Any day, Rain dancer will be kidding. No kidding. No pun intended!

Hurry!

2010-07-30T09:21:00.000-05:00

Hurry, Hurry, Hurry! The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is on sale for 9.95 for a 1 year subscription and 17.95 for a 2 year subscription. Plus other goodies are included in the crazy 2 day sale.

The offer is only good for July 30 and July 31, 2010.

I thoroughly enjoy this magazine each quarter. It always is an encouragement and has a tremendous amount of great ideas. Click here to order.

Hurry! Huge Copywork/Handwriting Sale

2010-07-29T18:34:00.001-05:00

I am a strong believer in copywork. I'm sad to say that I was truly unaware of it's benefit with my 2 older sons. They are my guinea pigs. Sad, but true. I really stressed copywork with my ds who is now 9. I have never given him a spelling, grammar, or writing lesson until a few months ago. To back up or support my on-going copywork research, he spells better than my 2 older ds and adores writing. This boys writes all the time for FUN! Crazy I know for a boy.

I tried creating my own copywork sheets from literature we were reading, etc. But it made it too hard for him to correct it himself. Plus it was time consuming for me. The key to copywork success...Student must check their own work and CORRECT it. Kinda beats the purpose if it's not corrected, ya know. So I happily settled with Draw, Write, Now. Which we love. I think we have 4 of the books. I let ds pick out his page each day, but it was time consuming due to the drawing and coloring involved. Not that he complained, but spent too much time each day on this one task.

I was so tickled to receive this email with this hugh deal. This is an excerpt from the email I received today....

We wanted to put together an awesome bundle for you... for all your handwriting needs! 61 e-books... all our very popular Happy Scribe Handwriting books... This is one neat bundle, I hope you will enjoy... 61 of our books, all for a low price of $12.00.

You can visit this link and see all the titles.... SUMMER HANDWRITING BUNDLE

And if you've never tried our Happy Scribe books....

We'd like to offer you this Freebie of the Month

August Happy Scribe Handwriting E-Book from Westvon Pubilshing

You can't pass this deal up if you believe in copywork or just need some extra handwriting practice. Also, I love how it includes three different handwriting styles ~ manuscript, d'nealinan, and cursive.

So for ds#4, I will allow him to complete 1 page from Draw Write Now 1x per week and use these Happy Scribe Handwriting Books the other school days.

Do you have any favorite copywork products or sites that you wanna share?

Menu Plan Monday ~ July 26

2010-07-26T13:21:00.010-05:00

Here is what is on our menu plan this week:

Monday ~ Peek a Boo Eggs, biscuits, bacon, and fruit

Tuesday ~ grilled chicken, baked potatoes with all the fix ins, and green salad

Wednesday ~ BBQ chicken sandwiches, corn on cobb, and salad

Thursday ~ spaghetti, garlic rolls, and green beans

Friday ~ Taco Night

To see what others are cooking this week click here.

WFMW ~sparkly bathroom counter

2010-07-21T08:49:00.004-05:00

I love these little doo hickies! I keep them underneath my bathroom sink and briefly wipe down my bathroom counter after I get beautiful. It completely eliminates any hair spray residue due to the unique scrubbie side of the wipe. My bathroom counter always looks sparkly clean, too. Quick and simple.

Do you have any household product that makes your life simpler ?

See what works for others, here.