My Home In The Smokies

giving thanks.. #651-660

2012-01-23T13:04:00.001-05:00

Ephesians 1:15-23

¹⁵ For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²² And he put all things under his feet and gave him ashead over all things to the church,
²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

651. my daughter's last visit to the dentist until she needs a cleaning in July.

652. our dentist helping my daughter feel calm and relaxed.

653. The friendship of the dentist working with us on payments.

654. so thankful for the sweet phone calls from online friends.

655. thankful for the online friends who pray and will study the bible with me.

656. those precious few minutes of alone time with hubby.

657. lazy Saturdays with the family.

658. all the rain that we have been getting.

659. the one afternoon of sunshine, between rain showers.

660. Ephesians Bible study at church and online. Amazing how God works. God must have something in store for me, for there to be two opportunities for a bible study on Ephesians.

I hope you will consider joining me and the others at A Holy Experience!

3 in 30 update

2012-01-22T07:12:00.000-05:00

It is that time again to update how I have done on my 3 in 30 goals. Not only did I have golas for my family, homeschool and myself, I also set goals for my blog.

1. Seeking God daily. That means making sure I have my quiet time, reading my bible daily. I am taking part in B90Days with a group of fellow homeschoolers. I am also taking part in the 31 Days to Pray for my Spouse.

I can honestly say that I have successfully accomplished this every day this past week. I am so glad that I decided to do Bible in 90 Days and 31 Days to Pray for my Spouse. It is amazing what God will open up your eyes to when you open up your heart!

2. Have the kitchen cleaned nightly, I can wake up to a clean slate the next morning. (I have been doing this the last couple of weeks and enjoying waking up to a clean kitchen the next morning!

I only missed one night of cleaning the kitchen this past week and I could tell that my did start off a little differently. It definitely helps me to have the kitchen cleaned every night!

3. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.

This is still a work in progress. While I do love drinking water, I usually have a hard time in the winter. We have a spring well and during winter, our water comes out extremely cold, which in turn makes me feel colder. We have been having some cold days and I don't need any help to feeling cooler! I need to fill a pitcher of water and leave it out to get to room temp. Perhaps that will help me drink a little more each day!

Blog Goals:

1. Work on getting my WordPress Blog up and running. My goal is to be switched over to WordPress by February 1st.

I was able to add a few more pictures and a couple of widgets. I am slowly getting there to finishing the page. I just need to get my posts and comments from Blogger moved to the new website.

2. Blog at least twice a week about our homeschooling journey.

I have been able to do this, this week! I have posted on Wednesday and Saturday about what we have accomplished in homeschooling this week. I am also working on a weekly wrap-up. I am hoping to have it finished today!

I think I did okay with my goals this week. While I was able to accomplish most of what I wanted to, I still have work with others. Until next week!

Blessings!

would you bull leap for fun?

2012-01-21T17:15:00.000-05:00

As I said Wednesday, we are really enjoying Mystery of History. Our next lesson was just as interesting and fun as was the mummy lesson.

Have you ever heard of the Minoans? They are a group of people that lived on the island of Crete. They invited this crazy game call bull leaping! What is bull leaping you ask? Bull leaping is where you run towards a bull and then jump over it from the head towards the rear of the bull. Crazy, I tell you!

They still do bull leaping in the south west of France. We even found a video of a group of young men doing this!

Since we didn't have a bull to practice bull leaping, we decided to play a game of leap frog. It's the same, isn't it? ;)

on a roll with school..

2012-01-18T22:47:00.000-05:00

We are back on track for the year of 2012. We started our second week this past Monday morning and are having a wonderful time. I am very thankful to have kids who love school and love to learn. As for curriculum, not much has changed from the first half of the school year. I have actually added a couple of more subjects.

For my younger two kids, we are still using Bob Jones Math, grades 1 and 2. I have added Bob Jones Phonics/English for 1st grade. We are still using Hooked on Phonics and I have now added their Bonus workbooks as well. For science, I am continuing on with Apologia's Botany. This semester, I have added art for all three of my kids. We are using See The Light art curriculum. I am really excited about this art curriculum and will be dedicating another post, just for it. Mystery of History is still our choice for history. I am loving how they have short lessons and easy to do projects for the kids.

The kids really got into their lesson on Monday. We read about Egypt, pharaohs and mummies! The kids enjoyed hearing how the pyramids were built and how the Egyptians were mummified. My oldest daughter showed our kids this really cool website that takes you through each step of mummification.

We decided to do a little mummifying of our own! The kids took a couple of their stuffed animals and we wrapped toilet paper around them until they were completely covered.

Then, I told the kids we were going to wrap them up just like a mummy. Their older sister decided to help out! How often can you wrap up a sibling in toilet paper? ;)

Samuel volunteered to go first!

I am thinking older sibling might be enjoying this a little too much!

What has been your favorite part of school so far this year?

3 in 30 January Goals

2012-01-17T00:27:00.002-05:00

Last year, I started with the 3 in 30. I never finished the year out. For various reasons, we were sick, emergencies and life just got in the way. However, I am not going to give up. When I was doing the 3 in 30, I was actually accomplishing little goals. I was proud of myself. It works for me to break things up into smaller goals, instead of trying to do everything everyday!

Not only will I be making goals for myself, our home and homeschooling life, I am also going to make a few goals for my blog, as well. I am starting late this month, but didn't want to put it off any longer.

In a few previous posts, I have touched base on priorities and goals. So with getting my priorities straight, I feel like my goals will fall in to place.

So what are my goals for January?

1. Seeking God daily. That means making sure I have my quiet time, reading my bible daily. I am taking part in B90Days with a group of fellow homeschoolers. I am also taking part in the 31 Days to Pray for my Spouse.

2. Have the kitchen cleaned nightly, I can wake up to a clean slate the next morning. (I have been doing this the last couple of weeks and enjoying waking up to a clean kitchen the next morning!

3. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.

Blog Goals:

1. Work on getting my WordPress Blog up and running. My goal is to be switched over to WordPress by February 1st.

2. Blog at least twice a week about our homeschooling journey.

I think these are very doable goals to start out my 2012 year. Do you have any goals? I would love to hear how you are able to keep your goals!

once again, I am thankful and blessed.. #641-650

2012-01-16T00:45:00.002-05:00

Deuteronomy 6
¹ “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, ² that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. ³ Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

As many of you know, I have been reading through the bible with a few fellow homeschoolers. I just recently read the above verses. Verse 7 really sticks out to me. Parents are to teach their children. Diligently at that!
I am so thankful and blessed that I get to stay at home with my children and teach them. Teach them about God, his love, mercy and most of all grace.

641. Seeing my daughter enjoy the nature club in 4-H.

642. Having memories of my parents dropping me off for my 4-H meetings.

643. A great 1st day of school in 2012.

644. Having the boys I watch on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

645. Finding out that we can have a library card at the neighboring county's library.

646. Little bursts of sunshine in between the rain systems coming through our area.

647. The Ephesians study we are doing on Wednesday night at church.

648. Friends passing on clothing to my children.

649. Special friendships made online.

650. See The Light sponsoring me, so that I can attend the 2:1 Conference!!!

I hope you will consider joining me and the others at A Holy Experience!

met a blogging friend!

2012-01-16T00:27:00.003-05:00

I have made many online friends since I have started blogging. Yes, I call some friends because we keep in touch by e-mail and Facebook. A few of us even text and call each other. I feel like God has sent some of these wonderful people into my life for a reason. Whether it is for me to pray for them or to encourage them, I am thankful that God has chosen me to be a part of their life.

One of these wonderful blogging buddies just happens to live about 2 hours from me. Her name is Lena and she blogs at Lovin' My Crazy Life.

She and her family took a family drive on Saturday and headed this direction. I was honored to have Lena and her family come visit for a couple of hours. We enjoyed the visit so much! Our children hit it right off and they played wonderfully for the time while they were here.

We are both planning to go to the 2:1 Conference together in Sterling, VA, in April. We will be traveling and rooming together. I am looking forward to getting to know Lena a little more while we travel. It will definitely be a fun time for the two of us!

Our next get together will be my family heading to her area next. I don't know who is more excited, me or the kids!

We actually thought to get a picture of us together! Isn't Lena beautiful? She is beautiful on the inside and out! I am learning to accept my picture being taken, regardless of how I look. This is a big step for me. Learning to accept who God made me to be!

Blessings!

love celebrating birthday's

2012-01-15T13:02:00.000-05:00

Like I said before, I am behind on posts and that includes my oldest son's birthday. Since my son had to work on his birthday, we celebrated it the day before. My baby is now 19 years old. Just seems like yesterday when I gave birth to him. He has been a joy to have and has kept us on our toes the whole 19 years. I wouldn't have it any other way.

For his birthday dinner, he requested chili and grilled cheese sandwiches. He also requested a marbled cake with whipped frosting. I was very thankful when he said a box cake mix would do. I ended up making a milk chocolate cake (2 layers) and a vanilla cake (2 layers) and stacked them alternately with chocolate pudding in between the layers (that was a little surprise for him). Then stopped it off with milk chocolate whipped frosting. Everyone enjoyed this easy and yummy birthday dinner.

I only had 17 candles, but he didn't seem to mind. ;)

Here he is with his girlfriend and his youngest sister.

We all had a wonderful evening just spending the time with one another. It doesn't seem to happen often anymore, having all the kids together like this. I am definitely soaking up the memories that we are making.

Blessings!

Science Fair 2012

2012-01-15T12:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the homeschool group I am a part of held its annual science fair. My oldest daughter was a participant in it. This year, there was only 6 students taking part, but they had awesome projects and I am so proud of them.

This makes the sixth year I have organized the science fair. The projects just keep getting better and better. The kids take so much time in doing their projects. They do a great job talking with the judges and explaining how they did it. The science fair is definitely a highlight of the year for me.

Sarah's project was titles, "Layers of Science: Onions and You." She was testing different ways that you can get the onions to stop making your eyes water. The different ways she tested were, using a very sharp knife, rubbing vinegar on the cutting board, burning a candle while slicing the onion and putting the onion in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before slicing. We both did this and for Sarah none of the methods worked for her. However, for me, the vinegar on the board worked best.

There were many other suggestions that she could have used; chewing on a piece of bread while slicing the onion, slicing the onion with water running over the onion, putting a lit match in her mouth while slicing the onion. She may continue working on this project to test the other ideas.

At the science fair, in her category, she placed 1st. We are so proud of her.

I normally don't like getting my picture taken, but decided to get my daughter to take one at the science fair. It looks like I am looking a little green around the gills!

We had a wonderful time at the fair and I am already looking forward to see what the kids come up with next year for their projects!

catching up..

2012-01-15T11:51:00.000-05:00

One of my goals this year (which I have yet to write about) was to blog regularly. We are half way through January and I feel like I am behind on the happenings of our schooling and the family. I have still yet to find my groove in a routine since we have started school back. Hoping this next week will improve just a bit. So to catch up on the last couple of weeks, there will be a lot of pictures in this post!

The year started out great and we woke up to our first snow of 2012 on January 3rd. The kids were so excited! We decided a day of sledding was in order!

The kids got a couple of new sleds for Christmas. Claire likes using the green sled.

Samuel likes using the black sled, because it has brakes!

I love seeing them sled together. They do enjoy playing with each other so much!

This is the creek that runs next to our house. I love how the snows is on the rocks.

I love seeing the ice and icicles on the rocks during the winter time.

This is a picture of our road and the front yard. The Japanese Cherry Trees will be beautiful in the Spring time.

The pictures just do not do this creek the justice it deserves. It is beautiful when covered in snow.

I always love getting a shot of this little shed in the winter.

The kids sledding down our neighbors hill.

Sarah got into the action of sledding with the younger kids. Never can be to old to sled!

still on track..

2012-01-12T23:06:00.000-05:00

As many of you know I am reading through the bible with a group of awesome ladies from The Homeschool Village. We are reading the Bible in 90 Days. I must say, I am really enjoying myself. I am noticing details that I hadn't noticed before. I had hoped to update at least once a week, but this past weekend and this week have been crazy busy around our house and I am just now making time to get a few thoughts down.

Yes, I am up to date on my reading. One of my biggest worries was falling behind and not being able to catch back up. So far, I have not had any issues about missing a day. I told myself when I started this, that I would read before I fell asleep each night. I have kept up with this for the most part. I am finding though that I am wanting to read during the day to see what I will be reading next. Yes, I am enjoying all of the little details of the Old Testament.

What am I enjoying the most about reading through cover to cover? Like I said before, the details. God has told his people from the beginning of time what to do and how to do it. I loved reading about his description of the Tabernacle. Actually, there hasn't been anything that I haven't enjoyed reading!

While several of the verses have really popped out to me, there were a couple that I have been thinking a lot on since I read them. I meant to share them with you when I read them last week, but time got away from me.

Exodus 4:10-12

10 But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

The reason this popped out to me is, towards the end of 2011, I had thought about giving up the blog and not writing for the wonderful groups at Seeds of Faith and The Homeschool Village. I found myself comparing my writing and blogs to others. I felt like what I have to say isn't as important as the other writers around. Just like Moses, I felt I wasn't as eloquent or gifted enough of a writer.

I love God's response to Moses, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

Moses doesn't give up though. He is trying his hardest to get out of being chosen to lead God's people.

13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

But then do you see what God does? He gives Moses help! He sends Aaron, his brother!

14 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Moses didn't have to do all of that work on his own. He had Aaron to help, as well as God giving them the words to say. God really will provide all that we need. We just have to trust and wait on His timing.

So what does that mean for me? It means I was trying to do this blogging thing on my own. That is how come it wasn't working like I wanted it to. Now that I have made a couple of goals for the new year (which I have yet to blog about!), I now have my priorities they way they should be. Last week's iFellowship post touched a bit on a couple of my goals. Hopefully this weekend, I will be able to sit down and talk about my personal, family and blogging goals.

I am linking up with Seeds of Faith for iFellowship and Mustard Seed Planting. Be sure to stop by and visit!

thankful for all my blessings #626-640

2012-01-09T09:28:00.002-05:00

Colossians 3:23-24

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

The above verse has been one of my main goals this year. All that I do, I want to do it for Jesus. That includes thanking Him for all the blessings He has given me.

626. Being able to read with friends through the Bible in 90 Days.

627. My Bible.

628. Reading the bible with my children.

629. Learning to memorize scripture with my children.

630. Bringing baked goods to church for members and visitors.

631. Talking with visitors at our church.

632. Spending a snow day with the family.

633. What the children laugh as they sled down the hill.

634. An unexpected gift card from a loving family.

635. Safe trip to and from the dentist.

636. An unplanned visit from a blogging friend and her family.

637. Blogging friend's children and my children laughing and playing together.

638. The promise and plans to visit each other again soon.

639. A pastor who is not afraid to preach the truth.

640. A much needed afternoon nap.

I hope you will consider joining me and the others at A Holy Experience!

Seeking God and giving Him ALL the Glory

2012-01-05T13:18:00.001-05:00

I have set down several times over the last few days and just haven't known what to write about. I have been meaning to sit down and write about my goals for our family, goals for our homeschooling and goals for my blog. However, life has just happened and I have been doing what I am supposed to do. Tending to my hubby and my children. God is first in my life and then my husband and my children. I told myself once the new year was here, that they would be my focus.

Since getting my priorities straight, two verses have come to my mind.

1 Chronicles 22:19

¹⁹ Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the LORD.”

and

1 Corinthians 10:31

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

So what does these two verses mean to me? It means that I need to seek God in everything I do and everything that I do, I need to do it for the glory of God. I love my hubby and children. I want them to know that I do. While I can tell them daily that I love them, I also need to show them by blessing our home. That means taking care. It also means that I do ALL of it for the glory of God. You see, God has given me everything that I have, including my hubby and my children. I am so thankful for the loving, merciful God we have. It is my goal daily, to live for God and God alone. Not man.

Blessings!

Bible in 90 Days

2012-01-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

Another one of my goals for the year is to read the bible in 90 Days. (I really need to get my goal post written and posted!) Anyhow, I have joined a wonderful group of ladies from The Homeschool Village and other blogs to do this the first 90 days of the year. Today is Day 1 and I am so excited! We will be reading Genesis 1:1-Genesis 16:16.

There are a couple of reasons that I want to do this. First off, and this is hard for me to say, I have never read the bible completely through. Oh sure I have read quite a few scriptures, but as for reading cover to cover, I have never done that. Secondly, I want to read every word that God inspired his chosen ones to write. The only way I can teach others about Jesus, is to be knowledgeable in His word. There will be a couple of verses I will be clinging to, getting myself through this.

2 Timothy 2:15
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

and

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

Jezamama is leading our group. She has some great tips for those who want to read the bible in 90 days. Actually, they are great tips for anyone who wants to read the bible completely through!

If you decide to read through the bible this year, I would be more than happy to help be an encouragement to you. It is important for God's children to know His word!

blessings continuing on into the New Year #616-625

2012-01-02T00:27:00.004-05:00

Isaiah 6:1-8
¹ In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
² Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
³And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

⁴ And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

⁵And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
⁷ And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
⁸ And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Christmas holidays are over. The New Year is now here. Break time is over and it is now time for us to get back to our normal schedule. I have several goals for myself this year. I will be touching on them in another post. However, my main goal is listed in the scripture above. It is what the seraphim do in the scripture above. It is to sing and claim daily, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory!” I love how in verse 8, Isaiah said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Another goal of mine is also mentioned in the last verse. I want to be like Isaiah and say, "Lord, Here I am, Send me!"

Moving on to the blessings that our mighty God has given us this past week:

616. Hubby home another week with us.

617. Watching the kids sled with their new sleds.

618. An afternoon lunch and consignment shopping with a special friend.

619. An afternoon lunch and a walk downtown with a special friend.

620. Hubby holding down the fort so I can get out for a few hours.

621. A new pair of shoes to start walking in.

622. A ride up to Newfound Gap, in the Smokies with the family.

623. An evening walk in the fresh cool mountain air.

624. Family working together to clean the house.

625. Ringing in the New Year with my whole family together.

I hope you will consider joining me and the others at A Holy Experience!

blessings abound through the blogging break #606-615

2011-12-26T20:20:00.003-05:00

Luke 2:1-7

¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Yes, I did say I was taking a blogging break through the Christmas holidays. However, the blessings don't take a break. They continue every day of the year. So here I go, listing just a few from this past week.

606. Safe trip to Florida to visit family for a few days.

607. Friends to open their home to us for a few days.

608. Special time spent with family and loved ones.

609. Christmas gifts to us from family.

610. Safe trip home from Florida.

611. Celebrating the birth of Jesus in our home with our children.

612. Watching our children open their gifts.

613. The younger kids telling us Christmas is about Jesus and not the presents.

614. The surprise of a gift from my hubby.

615. Most of all, being able to spend time worshiping the birth of Jesus at church with our church family.

The blessings listed above aren't the only ones we had during the last couple of weeks. There were many more. There are always so many blessings. I know there are ones that I miss and fail to write down. I do plan to continue to keep writing my blessings down in 2012 and I hope you will consider joining me and the others at A Holy Experience!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:27:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Enjoy this time with your family. Celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus Christ

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Blogging Break..

2011-12-24T09:57:00.000-05:00

As you can tell, I have been on a little blogging break. I have been spending time with the family. We even made a short trip down to Florida earlier in the week. We wished we could have stayed a little longer, but things just didn't work out.

I will be taking off this next week as well. The kids and I have a lot of plans to do during the our time together. We will be cooking and baking, reading and even taking trips in the mountains. I am sure we will even be playing a few new games after Christmas!

I am excited to be spending some down time. I also have plans to catch up on some reading with new books that I have. I am looking forward to posting the reviews for those books. We will be starting school on January 3rd. I am really enjoying our curriculum that we chose this year and looking forward to getting back to work on it. So thankful that the kids are also enjoying the school work.

I am also looking forward to getting back to blogging on a regular schedule. I am planning on writing more about our homeschooling experience, as well as talking about my love of Jesus. I am also still writing for Seeds of Faith and the Homeschool Village once a month. Be sure to check out those blogs and the wonderful ladies that write for them!

Enjoy time with your family. It is so wonderful to make time and memories with those that you love.

Have an awesome Christmas!!

counting my way to 1000 Gifts #591-605

2011-12-12T20:39:00.000-05:00

Galatians 4:4-7

⁴But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, bornunder the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receiveadoption as sons. ⁶And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, thenan heir through God.

I am just so thankful for God's blessings. We do not deserve all that we have been given, yet He still keeps giving. So my list continues this week with more blessings.

591. Migraines. Yes, I said migraines. While they do hurt and sometimes put me to bed, they also slow me down so that I can enjoy my children and husband more.

592. Friends who will cover for me in nursery, while I had to miss when I had my migraine.

593. The messy weather. It slowed our family down. We were able to spend a quiet evening at home, together.

594. Being able to cook a meal for a friend. I love to share my love of food and cooking with others.

595. Our dentist, who saw my oldest daughter on short notice, because of a chipped tooth. He also did not request payment on that day.

596. My younger children doing their school work quietly, while waiting for their older sister at the dentist.

597. The safe travels to the dentist that was 1.5 hours each way.

598. A play date for the younger kids and a talk with a friend on a beautiful sunny day.

599. Thankful for whoever helped sponsor our daughter on a weekend youth retreat with our church youth. She had such a wonderful time of fellowship and bible study with the other teens.

600. An evening out with my hubby to our Sunday School class Christmas fellowship.

601. Thankful for a friend who watched our children so that my hubby and I could enjoy an evening out.

602. Thankful for our pastor for telling us about the birth of Jesus through the Shepherds and Wise Men's eyes.

603. The beautiful Christmas songs, about the birth of Jesus. I could listen to them year round.

604. Our Christmas Cantata at church that I am singing in. I love to sing about Jesus and of his birth!

605. Being able to read the bible to my children.

Join us in counting your gifts and by visiting A Holy Experience!

Decorating the Christmas tree

2011-12-10T07:22:00.000-05:00

I shared with you yesterday about one of our traditions that we do every year, searching for the perfect Christmas tree. Another tradition is letting the kids decorate the tree, all by themselves.

Many years ago, when our two older children were young, we would always put the lights on the tree during the evening time and then wake up the following morning and decorate. One Christmas, when the hubby and I woke up, they surprised us by having it decorated. That turned into a tradition and they haven't missed a year since.

This past Saturday, we went and picked out the perfect tree. We didn't get the lights on it, since hubby had to figure out a way to fix the tree stand that happened to be missing a part. The following evening, we told the kids we would get the lights on so they could decorate. It never fails, only half the lights worked. So we had to make a quick run to the store for more lights.

Dad and sons made quick work of getting the lights on the tree.

I turned the Christmas music up!

Then the kids got busy hanging ornaments!

The older kids were having as much fun as the younger kids!

Sarah putting hooks on the ornaments. I need to find a new way to store them this year! A lot of the ornaments were made by the kids from past years.

The kids being goofy, as usual!

I loved this picture of Claire looking at the finished tree.

Do you let the kids take the lead on decorating for Christmas?

Over at Seeds of Faith today!

2011-12-10T05:45:00.002-05:00

I am over at Seeds of Faith today. I am sharing some scripture in Luke and a few words about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Luke 1:26-38

²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.

²⁸And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"

²⁹But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.

³⁰And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

³⁴And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

³⁵And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God.

³⁶And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God."

³⁸And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

I hope you will come over and visit me at the Seeds of Faith today!

first snow of the season

2011-12-09T15:10:00.000-05:00

The first snow happened a couple of weeks ago and I am just now blogging about it. Yes, it has been a busy couple of weeks for our family. The snow started on a Tuesday and snowed most through the day and part of the night. While it did snow quite a bit, it had been too warm for it to stick on the ground. That still did not deter the kids from going out and playing in it.

Our family truly loves the colder weather and when it snows a few inches on the ground. We love to get out and play in it and walk in it. Nothing beautiful like a white winter wonderland. We are hoping (and praying) for a white Christmas again. We wouldn't even mind being snowed in.

Yes, we like each other in our family and enjoy spending time together!

Christmas tree tradition

2011-12-09T14:56:00.000-05:00

One of our family traditions is going to pick out a Christmas tree. I love this time together. This year, we went back to the Christmas tree farm that we went to last year. It is owned by friends who are in our homeschool group. They graciously opened up their farm once again. My kids love ~~running~~ walking around looking for the perfect tree. They usually can't agree on which one to get. It is so fun to listen to them compare the different qualities of each tree. Yes, it is good quality family time. Something I would not trade for anything. I thought I would share a few pictures of our fun day. Do you have any family traditions that you do during this Christmas season? I would love for you to share them!

Dad is checking this tree out.

Claire and Samuel looking at many different trees.

There were several fields of different sizes of trees. We had such a wonderful time!

Not for sure what Sarah was doing here, but Samuel was just a talking to her. :)

They have found the perfect tree! Standing here while the owner gets his chain saw.

The owner and his wife cutting down our tree!!

We had a wonderful day! Our oldest was unable to make it with us, but he had the lights and ornaments out when we got home. He was just as excited as we were!

Looking forward to hearing about your family traditions!

thankful for what has been given to me #576-590

2011-12-09T12:54:00.001-05:00

Luke 1:38

³⁸And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Now November has ended and December is quickly passing us by. This is the first chance I have had to sit down at the computer this week to blog. This week has quickly gotten by as well, but I wanted to take the time to give thanks to God for the little things that He has allowed to happen in our lives.

576. Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts app. I am truly enjoying this app on my phone. I must say it is my favorite one at the moment. I am able to keep track of our blessings a little better by this.

577. An awesome Thanksgiving with friends.

578. The boys I watch on Tuesday and Thursdays.

579. The true friends my children have.

580. The scripture and lessons I am learning at our church.

581. The fellowship of those at church.

582. Family time getting our Christmas tree.

583. The precious family who opened up their Christmas tree farm to our homeschool group.

584. Watching all of my children decorate the tree together.

585. Talking with my children about the real meaning of Christmas, and them understanding it.

586. Words that hurt, that truly teach a needed lesson.

587. A reliable vehicle that gets us from point A to point B.

588. A dinner out with my wonderful husband.

589. My blessed children taking care of the house, while I had to lay down due to a migraine.

590. Mary, the mother of Jesus, without hesitation, doing what God asked her to do. By having Jesus, by being the one to carry Him in her womb, and then giving birth, so that we may have eternal life.

If you don't know Jesus as your personal Savior, I would be more than happy to talk with you, to help you know Jesus.

I hope you will join us by taking part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience!

Studying God's Word..

2011-11-30T15:07:00.000-05:00

2 Peter 3:14-18

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. ¹⁵And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, ¹⁶as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. ¹⁷You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. ¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

For the last several months, our Pastor has been leading us through the books of Peter. There have been several Wednesday's that I have shared with you some of that scripture. We finally finished up the books this past Sunday. I really enjoyed going through the books and seeing what Peter had to say. While all of it is important, I am still reading these last scriptures over and over.

Some men (and women), like to be lifted up on a pedestal and will tell you anything to get the glory of it. When you read your bible, pray before and ask God to open your eyes to what He is saying in the scripture. You need to grow in the knowledge of the Lord and can only do that by keeping yourself in the word.

Satan would like nothing better than for you to leave your bible on the shelf, unread. He doesn't want you to know the scripture. He doesn't want you to know the answers of questions asked. So it is that much more important for you to read your bible.

In the last several months I have been reading my bible a lot more. I know I have enjoyed it and find that if I have my quiet time and get my bible read and prayers. I am learning more and I am wanting to read it more! It helped by having a great bible study and friends to keep you accountable! I know I have been enjoying the couple of bible studies I am doing.

So find a friend or find a bible study, either online, at your church or somewhere else and join in! I know you won't regret it one bit when you start reading your bible daily. The bible is your guide to life!

2 Timothy 2:15

¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

I am linking up with Seeds of Faith for iFellowship and Rebecca and Jennifer for Mustard Seed Planting. Won't you join us?

The Earth: Its Structure & Its Changes - review

2011-11-27T07:22:00.002-05:00

The Earth: Its Structure & Its Changes

Written by Tome DeRosa and Carolyn Reeves

The Earth: Its Structure and Its Changes is an elementary earth science book that does not disappoint. From the introduction of the Teacher's Guide and Student Journal book, it reads, "The overall goal for each workbook is to include three components; good science, creation apologetics, and Bible references." Not only does it do all three that is listed, it also gives the kids a love of science as it teaches about the mysteries of the earth.

The book has 20 different investigations that you and your kids can do together. It gives the students a chance to learn more about God's creation. The authors have a process that they give the kids to work with.

Think about This (Engage)

The Investigative Problem(s)

Gather These Things

Procedures and Observations (Investigate)

The Science Stuff (Explain)

Making Connections (Apply)

Dig Deeper (Expand)

What Did You Learn? (Assess)

As the kids go through each process they will also learn about some of the early scientists and engineers and how they believed. They will also find creation apologetics and Bible lessons. For the kids to get the maximum of information out of this study, they recommend that you do each lesson in order. This way, each lesson will build on one another. It will have the students asking even more questions and doing more research to figure out the truth.

The teacher's guide comes with student journal pages that can be torn out, so that the kids can make a notebook out of it. The journal pages have more questions and an area where the kids can make a drawing of their investigation or what they have learned.

While this book is geared towards kids in grades 3rd-6th, I had my 7th grader working in it and had her younger siblings watching on as she did the procedures. She enjoyed the little projects and investigations learning new information as she did the work. I would definitely recommend it to any homeschooling family who has a love of science!

I was given this book by New Leaf Publishing group, in exchange for an honest review.

For You They Signed - review

2011-11-27T05:09:00.000-05:00

For You They Signed
By Marilyn Boyer

When I first saw this book, I knew it was one that I wanted to read and have on our bookshelf at home. It did not disappoint when it arrived. I love this time period in our history, as it is the time when our nation was shaped. This book talks about the men who came together to form the United States, the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Mrs. Boyer takes each individual man who signed the Declaration of Independence and talks about their character and the lives that they lead. She starts from the time they were born and continues through til their death.

Mrs. Boyer also gives several ways that you can use this book. You can use it as a Family Devotional Character study, a Self Study, a group study or even just use it as a personal read. The way our family uses it, is I will read about the men to my younger children, but I have my oldest daughter to read about them herself and then we will do the discussion questions together. I know we have learned a lot, considering we didn't know too many of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence.

Overall, our family has really enjoyed this book of history. It is one I think every family should have in their home. I feel it is important for everyone to read about the men who founded this country and why they founded it. Some may be surprised at what they read!

I was given this book by New Leaf Publishing group, in exchange for an honest review.

what are you reading?

2011-11-26T16:09:00.000-05:00

Anyone that has know me for a while, will tell you that I love to read. At any point, you will find that I will have several books with me. A couple of books in the van, one in my purse, one in the tote that I carry our bibles in to church. Then you will find books next to my seat in the living room, a couple of books on my night stand. Yes, I have them everywhere. Including on the bookshelves and stacked on the piano!

I can thank my parents for my love of reading. I can remember reading at a very early age. I would read anything I could get my hands on. They encouraged me to read. I remember my teacher's in school, recommending books to me that they thought I would enjoy. They opened up my eyes to the classics and so much more!

Reading is the way I relax and remove myself from the world. When I pick up a book, I imagine myself in that story, somehow another. For birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas, I always ask for books. I enjoy all types of genre, but my favorite are the inspirational historical romance novels. When I found out that there were Christian authors writing fiction books, I could not have been happier. As much as I loved reading, I was never comfortable with all the sex scenes in a lot of the romance books that I read. I now had a way to still enjoy reading books and reading clean books at that.

Lately, I have been taking the time to sit and read even more. I have been unplugging from electronics and opening up a book. My older two children love to read and I want to pass that on down to my younger children. The only way that will happen is to see me reading and also taking the time to read to them. I honestly don't think there is a better way to spend time together, like there is with a book and sitting on the couch and reading together.

So what am I reading at this time?

I am actually reading 2 books by Sally Clarkson at this time. The first one is Season's of a Mother's Heart. The second one is Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ's Example In Reaching The Hearts Of Our Children. I enjoy Sally's writing and appreciate the advice, especially the scripture that she includes.

Another one of my favorite authors of late is Lauralee Bliss. I just recently read her story, "A Crossroad to Love" in "A Quaker Christmas" and loved it! I am fixing to begin her new book she has out, "Red Rock Weddings". I am excited to see what adventures she has written about in this book!

I just came across another author, Penny Zeller and I will be reading her book McKenzie for a mom's book club. I am excited about this, as she will call during the book club meeting (if you set it up in a month or so advance) to discuss the book with you!

I am also reading several books for reviews. A couple of the books we are reviewing in our homeschool. Since it is the holidays and our school schedule is a little more relaxed. I am hoping to get these reviews written soon.

Untamed For You, They Signed

While the World Watched The Family Illustrated Bible

The Earth: Its Structure and Its Changes

I didn't even list the books that the kids and I are reading together. Our homeschool this year is a lot more literature based than what it has been in the past. The kids are really enjoying this, as well as I am.

Now that you know what I am reading, what all are you reading?

Cataloochee Valley Field Trip with Grandparents

2011-11-25T18:48:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful visit with the grandparents while they were here. One of the things they wanted to do while visiting, was to take a trip to Cataloochee Valley. This is the place where they re-introduced the elk back in to the Great Smoky National Park. It is also a settlement from the late 19th and early 20th century. They have several homes, a couple of churches, and a school house, that are still standing in the park that you can look at. It had been a while since our family had been to the park, so we were happy to take them.

I will warn you that this is post has many pictures!

The first place we stopped was the school. As you can tell below by the sign, it was built in 1903.

This is a creek running beside the school house. I can just see the kids taking turns going to the creek to get water for the teacher.

The isn't a one room school house. It actually had 2 rooms! I was able to get a couple of my kids to sit at a desk.

Even those it is no longer in use, the school is still a beautiful building.

I loved this picture of Papa and granddaughter talking!

The next place we went to in the park was the Caldwell House. However, before we looked at the barn and house, I had to get a picture of the mountains. While it was a rainy and overcast day, it was still a beautiful day in Cataloochee Valley!

This was the view of the opposite direction of the picture above. Again, it was a beautiful day in the mountains.

Remember, the whole reason for us to come to the park to begin with, was to look for elk to show Papa. We are halfway through the park and have yet to see any elk at all. All that we have come across has been turkeys! So we continued on with the buildings, which led us to the Caldwell House, built in 1903. The barn is built out in the field in front of the house. My son enjoyed sitting in the opening of the barn. As long as he didn't know I was taking his picture, he was okay with his picture being taken. *wink*

I caught him off guard here, however, he was showing me that there were little doors in the floor of the barn. They opened to different sections of the bottom of the barn. I was told that this was for the family to push hay through the little doors to rooms below, to feed the animals. Please correct me if I am wrong. I did not do any research on that information given to me.

To get to the Caldwell House, you had to cross a bridge over the creek.

The bridge is a little bouncy, so the kids had fun walking back and forth over the bridge.

There is also another small bridge that crosses a wetland area. You can see the kids looking at an area where the ground had been torn up. We were not for sure if it was caused by the elk or wild boars.

This spring house was out to the side of the home. It looked to have been built right over the spring. While our kids have seen a different spring house, this was the first one they had seen that actually had water running directly under it.

We had decided since we had not seen any elk and the day was moving along , we would go ahead and leave the park. Which means we did not stop to see the Palmer Chapel in the park. I am hoping to go back soon so that I can take more pictures. As we were headed out of the park, there was one lone elk on the back side of the field. I am very thankful we had a zoom lens with us. She was so close to the tree line and the brown grass was so high, that I didn't think we would get a good picture of her. It was hard choosing which one to post!

There was an abundance of turkeys in the park. I think they decided to head there to miss being on a table this Thanksgiving!

Our biggest surprise was almost at the opening of the park. On the side of the road and in a ditch, was this beauty. He was about 20 feet from our van. We stopped and took pictures and just watched him eat for several minutes. The elk is a gorgeous creature made by God! Just look at this wonderful creation! He looked so majestic just standing there. I am looking forward to when we can visit Cataloochee Valley again!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

Psalm 118

¹ Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

As I sit here today, waiting for food to finish cooking, I am thinking of how blessed I truly am. I have so much to be thankful for, including everyone who takes the time to read my blog. I don't consider myself a writer, as I just jot down things that are important to me. My main goal is to let you know how much Jesus loves you.

Take the time today, to sit and think about all that God has given you.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all and may you have and make many more blessings through this holiday season.

Joining up with iFellowship at Seeds of Faith and Mustard Seed Planting!

so blessed.. #546-560

2011-11-21T00:27:00.001-05:00

Psalm 100

A Psalm for giving thanks.

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

3Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;[a]

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

I look forward every week for this time. The time I share my blessings that God has given me. He has been so good to me. Even when my days have not gone the way I think they should have, they have gone the way God wanted them to go. Even through trials, you can find blessings. I am just so thankful that we have a loving and giving God, as well as a just God.

546. Even though my hubby was sick last week, he presence in the home truly helped me have a better week.

547. My husband helping me, by helping the kids if I was busy with another.

548. My husband helping me cook supper, even though he was not feeling well.

549. My husband watching the younger kids while I took my oldest daughter to musical theater.

550. The children helping me without being told what to do.

551. Grandparents make it safely to NC for Thanksgiving.

552. Being able to eat out with family.

553. Clothing being given to the kids.

554. A gallon of pecans with a request from Papa to bake him a pecan pie.

555. A dinner with the whole family around the table.

556. New tires on our van.

557. Neighborhood kids who love to come and play with my children.

558. Friends who believe in prayer.

559. Friends who call or e-mail to see how I am doing.

560. Being able to witness 3 baptisms at our church on Sunday morning. It was a great day for Jesus!

I hope you will join us by taking part in counting your gifts and by visiting A Holy Experience!

It Is Good To Give Thanks!

2011-11-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

Psalm 92

1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

2to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night,

3to the music of the lute and the harp,

to the melody of the lyre.

4For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;

at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

Sumerian Tablets

2011-11-15T13:10:00.000-05:00

Life has been so busy that I am just now getting around to posting what the little ones learned in History 2 weeks ago! We were talking about the Sumerians and made Sumerian tablets. Did you know that the Sumerian alphabet has 600 letters? They made schools just for people to learn the alphabet! The kids had a blast making the tablets and even the older sibling got involved helping the younger ones. As you can tell, we are still loving Mystery of History!

We used the Salt Dough recipe that we used for the last project, instead of polymer clay.

You can find that recipe HERE.

Both of the kids designed their own tablets. Samuel chose his name and a smiley face. Older sister, enjoyed writing on the tablet for them.

Claire also chose her name and then decided to poke holes all around the tablet. An original design as well. :)

Like I said before, we are loving Mystery of History and really thank them a lot for allowing us the opportunity to use their curriculum. I am looking forward to using more of Bright Ideas Press curriculum!

p.s. I apologize for the poor pictures. I am still learning to take pictures inside!

joyfully blessed #536-545

2011-11-14T00:27:00.001-05:00

Psalm 136:1

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

I love giving thanks to the Lord. Just as the verse says, "for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." I am a little more than halfway to 1000. However, I will continue on. I love taking the time giving thanks. It is a reminder of all He has given to me and my family.

536. Grace. Wonderful grace given from God.

537. God's steadfast love.

538. My husband getting a clean bill of health.

539. My husband's job that allows me to stay home with our children.

540. The beautiful weather we have been having.

541. My children and their love of learning.

542. warm blankets to snuggle under when it is chilly.

543. Books given to us to use for our schooling.

544. A wonderful homeschooling support group.

545. A day of rest.

I hope you will join us by taking part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience!

Over at Seeds of Faith today!

2011-11-12T20:55:00.000-05:00

I am over at Seeds of Faith today. I hope you will stop by and join me there. I am sharing several verses about faith!

it will never being enough

2011-11-11T14:22:00.000-05:00

That's right. It will never be enough. Saying thank you to all of those who have fought for us to have the freedoms we do. It will never be enough to say thank you to all of those spouses who go to bed at night with an empty spot next to them. It will never be enough, for the children who will not know their dads or their moms.

However, it is all I have. Those two little words. Thank you.

Thank you to those who have given their life so that I may have the freedom to worship any way I want. Thank you, so that I may stay at home with my children and homeschool them. Thank you for fighting for our country an making the sacrifices that you have made.

Thank you.

p.s. The pictures below I took when the Vietnam Moving Wall Memorial came to visit in our town. It was truly a day I will never forget.

Giving To Others - Over at The Homeschool Village

2011-11-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

For me, the month of November really symbolizes giving thanks and doing for others. We have had many examples of this throughout history. We celebrate 2 special days in the month that shows us several different groups of people. Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. Throughout the history of the United States, they have given so much to protect the freedoms we now have. We are able to worship and school our children, to name a couple.

The Thanksgiving holiday tradition traces its origins to a 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present day Massachusetts. The thanksgivings and feast was due to a good harvest. While the Plymouth colony did not have a enough food to feed half of the colonists, the Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by providing seeds and teaching them to fish.

You might ask me what this has to do with homeschooling and giving to others?

Please join me over at The Homeschool Village today!

thankful unto Him #527-535

2011-10-31T11:10:00.001-04:00

Psalm 100

¹Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
²Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
³Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
⁴Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
⁵For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

God has been so good to us. He has given us grace and mercy. For that alone, I am thankful. He died on the cross, yes, I am so very thankful for all God has given us. We serve an awesome and mighty God. Join me today as I give thanks to Him!

527. Doctor giving my daughter a clean bill of health.

528. friends who help out.

529. a husband who watches the children so I can enjoy an evening with friends.

530. a husband who will watch other children so their mother can enjoy an evening out.

531. being given another year with my mom.

532. wonderful memories of my dad.

533. my husband having a dependable job.

534. my husband's boss being understanding when he needs to stay home to take care of me.

535. hearing my husband say, "I love you".

I hope you will join us by taking part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience!

what was lost, is now found!

2011-10-31T07:21:00.000-04:00

So, you know I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, that I had lost? Well, guess what? What was lost, has now been found once again. Not only did I find those two pounds back, but a couple of more. Yes, it stinks. I don't know what else to say about the weight. Being big is not fun to me. I hate it. I know that if I am able to lose some of this weight, the pain would not be as bad on my joints.

For the last week, I have logged my food, into my journal at myfitnesspal.com. I have kept my calories below the amount that was okay with my doctor. I even walked several days last week. My weight had increased when I went to the doctor on Wednesday. Not good. Not good at all. The doctor and I had a nice talk about my weight issue. He is thinking that my gaining has to do with the medication I am on for the fibromyalgia. Yes, one of the side effects of the medicine is weight gain, however, that does not mean that every person will have this side effect. From what the doctor said though, it looks like it may be affecting me. He did go ahead and do some blood work to see if perhaps I am having issues with my thyroid. Sometimes this will cause weight gain, but it has never been an issue for me in the past, so I don't see there being anything wrong with it now.

So where do I go from here? Could I find another doctor and try different medicines? Could I cut back from the medicine that is causing this supposedly causing the weight gain? Could I just stopping taking the medicine and just try all natural remedies? Well, I have tried all three of the above. So far, the only thing that has helped with the pain and other side effects of fibromyalgia is the medicine I am on.

For now, I just continue on with the logging of my food, making sure I get plenty of protein and less, carbs and fats. I continue walking and stretching as much as I can. Then I pray. I ask God to lead me to an answer that will help me. Would you also pray for me?

Blessings!

Fall Art!

2011-10-30T17:59:00.000-04:00

I have been doing leaf impressions with my kids for years. And this year, I just about forgot about doing them. We did this fall art a little over a week ago. Yes, it has been that long since I have posted anything at all.

Since it was raining at the time, I went outside to collect the leaves. In the past, the kids and I always went on a walk together to gather the leaves. Next, we got some paper. I use computer paper, but it can be any kind of paper as long as it is thin. I do not recommend using construction paper. It is thicker and a little harder to see the impressions of the leaves.

We had to dry the leaves off and then the kids went to town!

I think the older kids had just as much fun as the younger kids. They were using several different colors on each leaf.

I wanted to try something a little different this year. So I dragged the paints out. I wanted to see how it would look if we painted around the outside of the leaves. I think it turned out pretty nice. However, I could only get the kids to do paint one leaf.
The purple leaf is mine. I was showing the kids what I wanted them to do. I think it is pretty!

Painting around the leaves were a little harder to do and a little more messy. You had to try to hold the leaves still while painting around them.

I still think the kids did an awesome job!

While we were painting, I read to them from the Apologia Botany science book. We talked about the anatomy of the leaf, how leaves have mouths and why some leaves change colors and fall from the trees.

We all had an amazing morning of fun, due to the wonderful Botany book and the leaves that God created. We are looking forward to reading more from the Apologia Botany book!

Holy Bible - Words of God

2011-10-19T15:24:00.001-04:00

I love the iFellowship day. I use it as a day to share scripture that has touched my heart and soul in some way or another. The scripture may come from a sermon from our church, from a devotion I am reading or even from a blog I happened to of read in the past week.

The scriptures I want to share today came from our Associate Pastor, during his sermon on Sunday. He was talking about understanding the word of God. All you need to live is the word of God. The Bible is a road map for your life. What ever problem you have, you can find an answer for it in the bible. The Bible was written by men who were inspired by the holy spirit of God. Everything written in the Bible is true and accurate events that happened!

I encourage you all to take time to read the Bible. I know I am doing my best to spend more time in the Holy Word. If you have any questions, just ask and I will do my best to help explain something if I understand it. If I don't, then I will ask and find out the answer. Nothing is more important (other than trusting in Jesus), than to read how God expects us to love and raise our family in His Holy Word.

2 Peter 1:16-21

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,"

18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.

21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

I am also linking up with Rebecca and Jennifer today for Mustard Seed Planting!

So Thankful #521-526

2011-10-17T17:46:00.020-04:00

Proverbs 22:6
⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

God has blessed my husband and I 4 wonderful children. God spoke to our hearts and a little over 9 years ago, we started homeschooling our oldest two at that time. Several years later, God blessed us with two more children, 18 months apart. We graduated our oldest from homeschooling last year and the younger two have been added to the schooling. While it has been challenging at times, I do not regret us going on this journey with our children. It was the path God had intended for us and we will continue this path until He says otherwise. I wanted to share a few of the blessings that we get from homeschooling. While I know I may not touch on them all, these are the few that are on my heart today.

521. Being able to be with my children

522. Watching my childrens' faces light up when they understand a new concept.

523. Being able to go on field trips together as a family.

524. Being able to read our bible in school.

525. Being able to read about God in our school.

526. Being able to pray in our school.

I hope you will join us by taking part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience!

guess what I lost?

2011-10-16T10:39:00.014-04:00

Last week, I kind of bared my soul about how the weight loss was not going well. After that sob story, I decided that the only person that can make a change is me! No one else can make me eat the healthy foods, or make me drink more water. Others can't even exercise for me! (as much as I would like that!) I am the only person who can make a change in my own life.

This week, I made a couple of changes in my daily routine. First off, I cut out all caffeine. Yes, that means coca colas and tea. Until today, I have had nothing but water. Then today, I only had one cup of coke. Other than dealing with headaches (which I am assuming was from the caffeine withdrawal), I think it went well.

The next thing I did was eat 3 meals a day with a small snack in the morning and afternoon. I made sure that I ate some kind of protein in the morning and a fairly balanced lunch and supper every day. I also cut back on my portions. You would be surprised at the difference this makes. You don't need to eat so much in one sitting. I am going to start keeping track of what I eat and my exercise at www.myfitnesspal.com. It is an excellent website to use!

While I am not exercising like I should, I am adding this in slowly. I am having to pace myself and trying to NOT over-do it. I have to build up my metabolism and my strength before I can start pushing myself any. I am starting out stretching and walking.

Overall, it has been a great week. I am proud to say that I am down 2 lbs! I am really proud of myself and looking forward to what this next week will hold. I am still taking it a day at a time and I know I will get to my goal one day!

Women Who Influence Me

2011-10-15T21:30:00.000-04:00

Erin, over at Home With The Boys, has been doing a 31 Days Meme, "All About Women". On October 8th, she talked about "Influence" and the women who have been a big influence in her life. She is asking her readers to comment or blog about the women who have been a big influence in their life. So I thought I would join in.

The first woman that came to my mind was my best friend of 36 years, Rhonda. Yes, we were born 14 days apart and loved only 4 miles from each other. Throughout elementary, middle and high school, she was always there for me no matter what. When I was seventeen, pregnant and then married, she never left my side. She never judged or condemned. She was even there when my first 3 children was born. She moved off first and our phone bills skyrocketed. She eventually came back to our hometown. Then I moved away a few years later. During this whole time of us being apart, we really aren't apart. You see, our main love and the one thing we have in common, is our love of Jesus. We have both grown so much spiritually together in the past years. We call each other whenever we have a problem or a need. We both go to the Lord in prayer knowing that He will take care of us.

While we don't talk daily like we used to, we still keep in touch through texting and facebook. Rhonda, if you happen to read this, just know that I love you. You have always been there for me no matter what. We have laughed together and we have cried together. You will always be my best friend and an important part of my life.

While I spoke of Rhonda above, there have been several more women who have touched my life in some form in the past and even in the present. There have been there for me in different seasons of my life. From my home church, Jeanette Tucker Thomas, Lillian Brown and Ann Cooper. From the church that we left when we moved, Sharon Kramme (who mentored me when I started homeschooling). To my present church that we are attending now, Beth Burnette. There are several ladies in our homeschool group, Charlotte Metz, Laura Crisp and Amy Eilers. Honestly, I could keep naming names. I have had so many women that have influenced me at different seasons of my life. I actually feel kind of bad naming the few I did!

I also can't go without naming those who have been such a positive influence on my blogging and talking about what is important which is being an encouragement to others (whether it be spiritually or through homeschooling) and sharing my love of Jesus. In no in particular order:

Penny - Living Above Ministries
Erin, - Home With The Boys
Stef - Educating Layton
Sally Clarkson - I Take Joy
Seeds of Faith and (in)courage writers
Sarah Mae - Like a Warm Cup of Coffee
Teri Lynne Underwood

I know I could keep adding more and more names to this list. I m also sure that I will most likely offend some people for not actually naming certain ones, but like I said, many women have influenced my life. It just has depend on the season I have been in. Our season's change and so do the people who are around us.

Yes, we do have those solid rock women who are there for us until the end, but we also have those that come and go in our life as the days pass by.

Blessings.

Over At The Homeschool Village today!

2011-10-14T10:39:00.007-04:00

When we began homeschooling 9 years ago, we had a lot of family and friends ask if we would homeschool through high school. They were concerned that our son would miss all of the excitement and activities that come along with being in high school. Our response? We would keep on homeschooling as long as God continues to lead us to. We did a lot of research and have found that are a lot of activities that public high school does that homeschoolers can do.

You can finish reading more about Extra-Curricular Activities over at The Homeschool Village.

iFellowship - Praise the Name of the Lord!

2011-10-12T11:04:00.000-04:00

Another wonder iFellowship day! I love sharing the Word of God with you all. As I was working on my Blessings post, I came across this Psalm. It makes my soul sing praises to God! We need to praise God all the time. Yes, on a daily basis! No matter what, we need to lift His name in praise! Through good times, but especially through the bad. God is always there for us no matter what. When you are feeling bad and think all is lost, praise God! He will pull you up out of despair!

Psalm 148

Praise the Name of the LORD

1 Praise the LORD!Praise the LORD from the heavens;

praise him in the heights!

2 Praise him, all his angels;

praise him, all his hosts!

3 Praise him, sun and moon,

praise him, all you shining stars!

4 Praise him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD!

For he commanded and they were created.

6 And he established them forever and ever;

he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.[a]

7 Praise the LORD from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all deeps,

8 fire and hail, snow and mist,

stormy wind fulfilling his word!

9 Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

10 Beasts and all livestock,

creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

12 Young men and maidens together,

old men and children!

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty is above earth and heaven.

14 He has raised up a horn for his people,

praise for all his saints,

for the people of Israel who are near to him.

Praise the LORD!

Head on over to Seeds of Faith and join the iFellowship link-up. Be sure to stop by those who have already linked up. I know you will get a blessing!

I am also linking up with Rebecca and Jennifer for Mustard Seed Planting.

Loving Mystery of History

2011-10-11T19:54:00.000-04:00

They say all things happen for a reason, and I think that is true. When we begin our homeschool year back in late August, it wasn't with the curriculum I originally thought we would be using. My plans were for my younger 2 children to use Bob Jones. All I needed was the consumables, since I already had the teacher manuals. Due to financial issues, the Bob Jones curriculum did not work out.

When I mentioned this to homeschooling friends, it wasn't long before I was told that Mystery of History and Apologia Botany was on the way to my house for us to use. I could not believe it. I was so grateful and very thankful that a fellow homeschooling friend helped out in such a way and actually asked vendors if they would be willing to help. In return, I am going to be writing a review for the curriculum.

I must say, when I heard I was going to be getting Mystery of History, that I was a little nervous. I knew that this curriculum was going to be a lot of hands on as well as just reading and answering questions. However, I must say after using it for several weeks, we are LOVING it! The kids are actually excited about doing their history! I didn't take pictures of the first project we did, but will continue to do so from now on.

The project we did this week involved making creations with play dough. The kids were learning how Adam had the job of naming all of the creatures and animals on the earth. We talked about how hard of a job that could have been since there were so many animals. The kids job was to make a creature that God did not make. They had to make up a totally new animal.

First we made up our own play dough recipe. This is the recipe we used below. Please excuse the dark photos. I was having a hard time getting the camera setting right.

Here the kids are rolling out their dough and talking about what they were going to create.

Once the kids got started creating, they decided they wanted to try to make animals that God had already created. I was okay with that! I was glad they were just excited about their project! Below, Claire's end project was a gorilla! Can't you see the resemblance? ;)

Samuel went with a person. I think he did an excellent job! He even included a belly button!

Sarah was a little bit more elaborate with her creation. Since she is studying Ancient Egypt, she went with a Scarab.

I was really impressed with all three of my kids and their projects. I could not believe how well they listened and participated in the lesson.

Like I said, everything happens for a reason. It was meant for us to use Mystery of History this year. Not only are the kids learning a lot, but so am I. I would never have chosen this before because of it being so hands on, but God knew what we needed in our homeschool this year.

I am excited for future lessons and for what we (including me) will be learning!

Multitude Monday #511-520

2011-10-10T00:27:00.006-04:00

Colossians 3:15-17

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I love this time of the week when I can list the blessings that God has given me and my family. Won't you join me and share your blessings as well?

511. I am still thankful that my hubby and I were able to celebrate 19 years of marriage. I looking forward to many more with the man that God sent to me.

512. A productive week of schooling with my children.

513. The people who donated books for our schooling.

514. An evening ride in the Great Smoky Mountains with my family.

515. An awesome bible study on Wednesday night at church.

516. A wonderful day of watching children play together.

517. My husband being able to fix the radiator on our van, saving us money.

518. Being with my daughter and listening to her accept Christ as her personal Savior!!!

519. Celebrating my daughter's physical birthday AND her spiritual birthday!!

520. Walking to the front of the church with my daughter as she makes a public profession of accepting Jesus into her heart!

You can also take part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience!

Happy 14th Birthday, Sarah!

2011-10-09T10:39:00.001-04:00

Happy 14th birthday to our daughter! She is a true joy to have around. I must say though, she has truly given us a wonderful birthday gift. Just 3 nights ago, she accepted Jesus as her personal Savior. Her dad and I are so very proud of this young lady. I know God has wonderful plans for her and I can't wait to see her growing in God's word. We love you Sarah!

Isaiah 55:12

2011-10-09T08:02:00.000-04:00

When I saw this scripture, I thought of all the leaves changing colors. So I thought about adding the scripture to one of the pictures we recently took. I like to think that as the leaves on the trees are changing color that they are singing and clapping as the breeze blows through the mountains. I sound a little crazy, don't I!

not doing so well on the weight loss.

2011-10-09T00:27:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I have updated on the weight loss journey I started last year. Truth is, there hasn't been any weight loss. I have gone the opposite direction. That is right, I have gained weight. It looks like I have gained all but 15 lbs of the weight I had previously lost over the last couple of years.

I have been trying to wrap this around my mind. When I was at the doctor for a check-up, I did mention the weight gain. He actually said that he was surprised I hadn't gained weight sooner. Yes, he thinks the weight gain is from the medicine I am on for Fibromyalgia. But is it really from the medicine? I have cut back on the medicine some and haven't seen any difference from doing so. So, I can surmise that the weight gain isn't just from the medicine.

I take a look at the food I am eating. I am definitely eating more fruits and vegetables. I am doing my best to eat more protein, have cut back on carbs, have cut back on carbonated drinks and drinking more water.

Then I take a look at exercising. This is where I seem to struggle the most. I try to start out slow and work my way up. I have been trying to walk and evening riding our recumbent bicycle. This is what is so frustrating for me. When I attempt to exercise, I get extremely tired. It usually takes me a day or so to recover from walking a mile.

So what do I do? Do I give up? No, I am not giving up. I can't give up. I just have to figure out what works for me. I have to figure out what my body is trying to tell me. Is the Fibromyalgia really messing things up? Is it really the medication? Am I not eating what I should? How do I incorporate exercise without making myself tired and hurt even more?

These are a lot of questions I am in the process of trying to figure out. I don't want to blame this all on my Fibromyalgia or Arthritis I have. I know others have overcome a lot more with medical issues. I just need to figure out what will work for me. I know I will overcome this weight problem. No doubt about it, I will overcome this weight problem!

Do you have a weight issue? Are you overweight and having trouble losing it? Have you found success in losing weight? How did you overcome your weight issue? I would love to hear back from you!

An Evening Ride In The Great Smoky Mountains

2011-10-08T18:42:00.000-04:00

Tuesday evening, we played hookie from bible study. It was such a beautiful and clear day that I suggested we go ride to the Great Smoky National Park. My husband and kids were excited about the idea. So off we headed to the mountains. The entrance to the Great Smokies is only about 20 minutes from our home. We are truly blessed to live in this beautiful land of mountains.

As we neared the Oconoluftee Visitor Center, we noticed cars stopping and parking by the road. Out in the fields, we saw a several elk. The elk were introduced back into the Great Smokies several years ago and seem to be surviving well. They have several new calves every year to keep the numbers growing. It is always an awesome site to see such beautiful animals that were created by God back in their natural habitat.

I love seeing the male elks lock horns. It is a battle for the territory!

I was surpised by the amount of elk in this field. They are usually over in the Cataloochee Valley. This is also a beautiful area to go visit. It is very similar to Cades Cove.

Here is a precious picture of a momma elk with her baby. I just love how protective she is of her baby. She never left her side.

Here is a another baby grazing in the field.

After we left the elk, we headed on to the top of the mountains. We stopped at Newfound Gap. By this time, the sun was setting just behind the mountain.

At the top of the mountain, you can stand in 2 states at once!

I just can't get enough of this gorgeous view. The pictures just do not do this view the justice it deserves.

Here are the kids at a section of the Appalachian Trail.

Again, these pictures just do not do the view any justice what so ever. It was absolutely gorgeous at Morton's Overlook.

After we left Morton Overlook, we headed on u p to Clingman's Dome. By this time, the moon was getting high, as the sun was setting. My husband took these pictures to try and capture the moon as well as the sunset. I think he did an awesome job.

As the sun set, the sky turned a gorgeous red/orange. It was absolutely amazing. As I was standing on top of this mountain, I could feel the presence of God. Just knowing that he spoke the words,

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."

7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.

8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9 And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.

10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Yes, everything God did was good.

Homeschool Pass It On - Mountain Life Festival

2011-10-08T15:50:00.000-04:00

The area we live in is so full of history. We love to take advantage of any activities that are put on by the National Parks. The Oconoluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains puts on a mountain life festival every year at their Mountain Farm Museum. Since we moved to the mountains 6 1/2 years ago, we have made a diligent effort to come to the festival and to support the park. At the festival, they have volunteers dressed in late 1800's clothing. They are at various areas of the farm, talking and demonstrating certain jobs they had to do around the farm.

The area my kids enjoyed the most though was the Toys booth. The volunteer had many items that children played with in the 1800's in the mountains. Below, you will see my daughter taking a turn with the dancing man.

Here, my younger children were playing with the tops. Their dad was showing them how to spin the tops.

I love this old cabin. Inside it has two rooms with a kitchen attached on the back. It also has an attic that the family used as well. They had women volunteers cooking in the kitchen over a fire in the fireplace.

This picture came from the Oconoluftee Visitor Center. It was a little saying by a gentelman who actually lived in the Great Smokies. I must say, I agree with him 100%. When I visit the Great Smokies, I think about how God created this beautiful area.

These gentleman were showing people how brooms were made.

This is the Apple Barn. The families would store the apples in here as they picked them They would then make applesauce, apple butter and would even dry apples for apple pies.

I love taking my family here. It is a living history and they kids learn so much. Fields trips like this to National Parks do not cost much. Every National Park I am aware of has a Junior Ranger program that the kids can take part in. They are able to earn badges when they complete the activities in a book that you can purchase from the visitor centers. Check around your area and see what you can find!

If you would like, you can look at the rest of our pictures from the Mountain Life Fesitval by clicking on the picture below.

mountain farm festival 2011

A Season For Everything

2011-10-08T11:57:00.000-04:00

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.

You can find me over at Seeds of Faith today. I hope you will join me!

Multitude Monday #501-510

2011-10-03T11:12:00.000-04:00

Last week I made it to the half way mark of 1000 gifts. I am truly looking forward to the next 500 and then to keep on going. Life is full of blessings and gifts from God. He fills up our days with little blessings. We just have to take the time to see them. I am going to do my best to slow down a little more during the day to look for those little gifts that surround me. Won't you join me on this journey?

501. Today, on October 3rd, my husband and I are celebrating 19 years of marriage. How can we be celebrating 19 years? By the grace of God. God has been with us from the beginning. So thankful and blessed to of have had this time with my husband. Looking forward to spending many more years with him.

502. A lunch for two.

503. A quiet drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway with my husband.

504. Heart to heart talk with the one I love.

505. The mountain views.

506. A pastor teaching the truth from the bible.

507. Fellowship time with the couples bible study class.

508. My older children helping and mentoring to my younger children.

509. A sweet discussion time with other homeschool moms.

510. Being able to raise my voice in song to praise and worship God!

You can also take part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience.

A Ride On The Blue Ridge Parkway

2011-10-02T00:27:00.040-04:00

Yesterday, my husband and I went for a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were celebrating a couple of days early our 19th wedding anniversary. We were married the first Saturday of October, which was the 3rd in 1992. Since we moved to the mountains 6 1/2 years ago, we started this little tradition. I must say, I look forward to it every year. We always try to get a few pictures of the mountains, as the leaves are just starting to change colors in this area. Below are a few pictures that we were able to get on this trip. It was truly a beautiful day. The sun was so bright, that it was hard at times to get pictures that would truly do the mountains any justice.

We started our drive in Asheville, NC, around mile marker 393 and traveled to Balsam Gap at mile marker 443.

Below is Looking Glass Rock. So named because it reflects light brilliantly when water and ice are on the rock’s granite face.

The next few pictures are near the area of Graveyard Fields.

I love how the sun is caught in the corner of this picture.

I love stopping here and watching the water flow over the rocks. The waterfalls are beautiful.

I love how the shadows dance across the mountains. As the clouds move, it gives a different look in the matter of minutes.

In the next couple of weeks, there will be a lot more color and I can't wait to get out there and take more pictures.

God sure does know how to paint a beautiful picture. His creation is so awesome. So thankful He has allowed us to love in this area.

Blue Ridge Parkway

2011-10-01T22:00:00.001-04:00

I love living where we do. We are so blessed to be living in the mountains. I especially love living here during the Autumn season. Not only do we have beautiful weather, the leaves change colors and they just light up the mountain views. I love taking drives in the Great Smoky National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. I don't think you can tell in this picture, but the leaves are just now starting to change colors. We are hoping to go every week and take pictures as the leaves progress with color during the month of October. So you will definitely be seeing more pictures from us.

This picture was taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Graveyard Fields.

As soon as I have a little more time, I will post more pictures. :)

iFellowship - 1 Chronicles 28:20

2011-09-30T09:33:00.002-04:00

I am late linking up by a couple of days, but still wanted to post. Praying you all have an awesome weekend!

I talked last week about God's Provision and shared a few verses with you that shows God will always take care of you. I thought I would share a another verse with you this week.

1 Chronicles 28:20

²⁰Then David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

That one verse really says it all. Yes, He will never leave or forsake you. If you are belong to Him, if you are a child of God, if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, He will always be there no matter what. Don't ever forget that. No matter how hard things are, He is the one carrying you through the hard times. He loves you and will always be there for you.

I am also linking up with Rebecca and Jennifer for Mustard Seed Planting.

Homeschool Pass It On - Breakfast !

2011-09-27T12:44:00.000-04:00

Stef, over at Educating Layton is talking breakfast.

So what does this homeschooling family have for breakfast? Some mornings it is just cereal. You know those mornings that you wake up late and have a very busy day ahead of you? Those are definitely Cherrios and Lucky Charms mornings.

Other mornings though, I wake up wanting to cook and bake. I may cook blueberry waffles or pancakes one morning, or bake muffins the next. Some mornings, my kids will ask for scrambled eggs and toast, or brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal. It just depends on what we have planned for the day and how much time I have to cook!

As for recipes, a couple of them are recipes that my dad taught me. It is always a little bit of this, a little bit of that, not precise measurements. So if you would like my pancake recipe or waffle recipe, just leave a comment with your e-mail address and I will do my best to write it down and send to you. This just may take a morning of cooking them, so that I can write down the recipe!

When I have the time, I like to make my own blueberry muffin batter instead of buying the packaged kind. I love to add the fresh blueberries that we have picked from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blueberry Muffin recipe I use I got off the internet. It is from Cully's Kitchen.

What do you enjoy cooking or baking for breakfast? Link up with Stef at Educating Layton and share this week in the Homeschool Pass It On link-up!

Multitude Monday #496-500

2011-09-26T00:27:00.013-04:00

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Since I have been counting my blessings, I have come to appreciate the little things in life a little more than what I used to. There are so many little blessings that happen daily. All you have to do is just take the time to look for them. Join me today as I make it to the half way mark, to my 1000 gifts.

496. Listening to my husband teach the bible study class we are in.

497. Fellowship with other married couples.

498. The gentle mountain breeze.

499. A wonderful day at a local National Park, picnicking with my family, my son's girlfriend and her family.

500. Quiet time with my husband.

You can also take part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience.

iFellowship - God's Provision

2011-09-21T20:02:00.001-04:00

In our couples bible study on Tuesday nights, we have been talking about what the bible says about finances. Last week was focused on contentment and this week was God's Provision. How God will provide for you.

Matthew 7:7-11

7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

As long as you are in God's will, He will provide what you need. Again, I said need, not wants. We have in our mind that we need a lot of material things and yet we don't. We can do without all the little extras. We don't need to keep up with the "Jones'". We need to simplify our life and get back to the basics.

Philippians 4:19

19And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

I am so happy that our church decided to start the couples bible study. It is just what my husband and I needed. Being able to talk with others about being happy and content and seeing others live this way has been a real eye opener. Don't get me wrong, we have been talking about simplifying for a while now. We have just started putting our words into action. The results from doing this has been amazing. When we go through our belongings, we ask ourselves what we don't need, but who else could use the item. We are able to bless other families in need!

Matthew 6:31-32

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

We have also started getting our finances in order. We have made many mistakes in the past with our money and are now looking to get out of debt. It is a day to day process and we are learning to put our complete faith in God. As all of the scriptures say, He will provide. God doesn't lie, He keeps His promises.

If you are having problems, go to God. He will take care of you and your needs. I can promise you that!!

I am also linking up with Rebecca and Jennifer for Mustard Seed Planting.

A Quaker Christmas - Book Review

2011-09-20T14:50:00.002-04:00

A Quaker Christmas is a 4-in-1 collection of stories. The four stories are written by Lauralee Bliss, Ramona K. Cecil, Rachael Phillips and Claire Sanders. This is part of the Romancing America Collection that are being published by Barbour books.

From the back of the book: "Christmas is a simple matter among the Quakers of the historic Ohio River Valley, but can it be a time to welcome love into four households?"

Watch this beautiful trailer about this book:

I was so excited when Lauralee Bliss asked her readers on her Facebook page if anyone was willing to read this book for a review. I jumped at the opportunity since I love to read so much, especially Christmas stories. Let me tell you that Lauralee Bliss, Ramona K. Cecil, Rachael Phillips and Claire Sanders did not disappoint in any way. The stories capture the spirit of Christmas. I don't want to say too much about the stories, because I want you to experience it yourself. Once you sit down with this book, you will be taken into the Amish world and you will not want to put the book down. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves Christmas and enjoys heartwarming stories of how love can be found when you learn to trust in God.

I also want to mention that Lauralee Bliss will be having a Release Party for "A Quaker Christmas" starting September 26th on her Facebook Page. It will continue through September 30th. Be sure to enter in the secret door prizes!

**I was given this book by Lauralee Bliss for an honest review.

Multitude Monday #486-495

2011-09-19T00:27:00.003-04:00

James 1:17

¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

So much to be thankful for. Join me today as I share the blessings we have been given.

486. I am thankful in a lesson on waiting for God. Yes, it isn't in my time, but God's time.

487. For a God fearing and faithful husband.

488. Hearing my children tell their Sunday School teacher what they have learned about Esther at home in Bible study.

489. My children wanting to take turns picking scripture out to read.

490. Hearing the kids sing praises unto God.

491. Seeing the leaves change colors.

492. Spending family time together walking around an old Mountain Farm during their fall festival.

493. Awesome homeschool support group.

494. Beautiful day at our homeschool picnic.

495. Lazy Sunday afternoons.

Take the time to thank God for what he has given you. I promise, if you take just a few minutes each day, you will find something God has blessed you with.

You can also take part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience.

Sugar Cube Pyramids!

2011-09-15T13:31:00.001-04:00

The last couple of weeks, my oldest has been studying Ancient Egypt using Tapestry of Grace recommended materials. Since we are now wrapping up the Ancient Egypt study, we are doing a couple of projects for it. One of them is building a pyramid out of sugar cubes. I thought this would be a great project to do with all of the kids, including the 2 boys I watch and homeschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They decided to not use glue. Why? Because they wanted to be able to eat the pyramids afterwards! So to avoid a sugar rush with 5 kids, I told them they could eat just a couple. I had some happy kids on my hands!

The younger kids did need a little help getting started and the older kids started getting creative with theirs. Overall, I think they did an awesome job! I am looking forward to the next project!

iFellowship - Contentment

2011-09-14T11:47:00.001-04:00

1 Timothy 6:7-10

7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

My husband and I have been going to a Tuesday night bible study for couples. The last couple of weeks, we have been talking about money, needs vs. wants and being content. Last night, as we talked about being content, I was convicted. Well, God has been working on my heart for the last couple of years and it just finally hit me last night. You see, I have struggled with being at home, teaching my kids and being the housewife that I should be. I do not have a college education and have talked many times to my husband about going to school to get a degree. Why? To help out with the bills, so that we could give our kids so much more.

Hebrews 13:5

5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

I always knew I wanted to have kids and be at home with them during their childhood years. Homeschooling came to us years later and now we are in the 9th year of teaching our children. I always thought I was content being at home with them, but a little voice in my head (Satan), has had me question that, question my husband and most of all question God. Had me asking myself about being able to have more, have more money, more material items for the kids, bigger house, newer car.

Philippians 4:11-13

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

It has taken time and God has been working on me the last couple of years, but I am now content being at home and teaching my kids. This is what God has planned for our family. It is our responsibility to raise our children and provide them with love and teach them about God. Yes, I am learning to be content, being content with what God has blessed me with.

Colossians 3:15

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Yes, I am going to let the peace of Christ rule in my heart and be thankful.

Join us over at Seeds of Faith for iFellowship today. There are a lot of wonderful blogs who link up. I know I am always blessed when I read those who share their heart.

Also linking up with Rebecca and Jennifer today!

Multitude Monday #471-485

2011-09-12T15:00:00.001-04:00

So much to be thankful for. Join me today as I share the blessings we have been given.

471. Rain. Yes, we had several days of rain and every drop was needed.

472. The cooler temps the rain brought in.

473. Our new library. It gave us a place to be in doors, while it rained.

474. Children who love to read as much as I do.

475. A homeschool group that is like family.

476. Friends who will stop what they are doing in a second to take time to pray with you.

477. Being able to go to a mom's night out with other homeschool moms to relax and laugh together.

478. Saturday's to watch College Football with family.

479. Sunday afternoons to watch a little Pro Football!

480. Awesome men of God to fill in while our pastor is on vacation.

481. Freedom to worship how I want.

482. So blessed to be a part of this wonderful Country that we live in.

483. I am so thankful for the firefighters, law enforcement and medical teams that risk their lives daily helping those in need.

484. I am thankful for the military that risk their lives daily serving our country and fighting for all the freedoms that we have.

485. John 3:16-18

16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."

In Constant Prayer - Book Review

2011-09-05T05:49:00.000-04:00

In Constant Prayer

By Robert Benson

For me, some books are easy to read and others take me a long time. In Constant Prayers, is a book that has literally taken me months to read. It was not what I thought it would be. I thought it would go into the Lord's Prayer and teach you how to pray and to pray without ceasing. However, the author is telling about the history of the daily prayers and his personal journey through praying daily.

This book was difficult for me to read because I was taught growing up that I could talk to God anytime, anywhere. It didn't have to be a set time on the hour. God is with us always and will hear us call out his name no matter the time of day. Since this is how I was taught to pray, it would be hard for me to recommend the book to others I know, even though I think the author did a good job of his story telling.

I was given this book free of charge to read by Book Sneeze for my honest opinion.

Multitude Monday #461-470

2011-09-05T05:01:00.000-04:00

Another two weeks have gone by since I have posted a blessings post. So much to be thankful for and I have not taken the time to write them down. God has been good to my family. We see blessings daily. Yes, August has ended and September has come roaring in. While we didn't feel anything from the earthquake, or see any clouds wind or rain from Irene, God has now sent Tropical Storm Lee to given us the rain we need. Yes, my family and I have truly been blessed. Now, I will do my best to list them one by one as I am working towards a thousand and beyond.

461. Helping a friend by watching her children 2 days a week. Yes, this is a blessing to be able to help.

462. Celebrating my dads birthday, even though he is know longer with us. The sweet memories I have of him are wonderful.

463. I am so thankful and blessed I was raised in a Christian home.

464. So blessed to of had a father who would read his bible with me.

465. Being able to volunteer in the nursery in church.

466. The bible studies being offered in church to strengthen our knowledge of the Bible.

467. A pastor who teaches the word of God and isn't afraid to stand up for what is true!

468. For my husband who loves me unconditionally.

469. For my husband who stands up and defends his family.

470. I am also thankful for the family who says mean and ugly things about me and my family, for they strengthen my family and draws us closer together. Yes, the words hurt, but they are making us grow as a family and closer to God.

Take the time to thank God for what he has given you. I promise, if you take just a few minutes each day, you will find something God has blessed you with.

You can also take part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience.

While Prepping for the School Year..

2011-09-02T00:19:00.000-04:00

As I have mentioned before, we will be using Tapestry of Grace: Year 1 with our oldest daughter. Someone blessed our family with a gift certificate and then another homeschooling mom is letting us borrow books for this coming year. So as I now prepare lesson plans and gather books for the first week of schooling, I am feeling a little intimated. Just look at how many books are used during week one!

The funny thing about this picture? That isn't all of the books! I have actually just ordered a couple of more. Now don't get me wrong. A few of these books will be just for references. However, all the books will eventually be read from front cover to back.

Not trying to scare my daughter, I wanted her to see what we were getting into. She looked at me and said, "all of this?" I said yes. She asked, "Can I start reading them now???" So of course the good homeschooling mom I am, I said "sure, go for it!" Well guess what? She had already read 3 of the books before! So she basically has a head start on the school year. Guess I need to do some catching up!

I truly do love homeschooling my kids. I love being with them throughout the day. They are a gift from God and He has entrusted them to my husband and I. I want to do the best I can raising them. That even means seeing to their education. It is such a joy to see the look on their face when they learn something new. When they coming running over to show you a new word they learned out to sound out, or if they are doing equations in Algebra, seeing them happy is worth every penny that we spend and hearing insults that are thrown at our faces. Knowing that we are raising them because we felt lead to God to do it this way, is all that matters. I am following God's will. And that is all that matters.

iFellowship - Zephaniah 3:17

2011-08-24T19:16:00.000-04:00

This verse has been so reassuring to me through difficult times. I hope it will help you as well.

Zephaniah 3:17

17 The LORD your God is in your midst,

a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.

Be sure to stop by iFellowship at Seeds of Faith. You will definitely get a blessings by the others linking up here today.

Bombus The Bumblebee - book review

2011-08-22T15:55:00.000-04:00

Bombus The Bumblebee

Written by Elsie Larson

From the back of the book:

"An encouraging story celebrating the diversity of God's beautiful creation."

Bombus The Bumblebee is definitely an encouraging and heartwarming story. It is a book that uses a bumblebee created by God to show how God created everyone just the way He wanted them. Not only does it have an awesome story telling about God's creation, the book has awesome information in the back of it. On a couple of the pages it tells all about the bumblebee's body and how it works. Did you know that the scientific name for the bumblebee is Bombus? The book also continues with questions about the story, as well as activities to go along with the book.

I also have to mention David and Elizabeth Haidle, the illustrators.

I read this with my 5 and 7 year old children and they truly loved the story. They even enjoyed answering the questions about the book. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone with children.

I received this book free from New Leaf Publishing for an honest review.

Multitude Monday #456-460

2011-08-22T00:27:00.009-04:00

Last week started off with a wonderful celebration. It was our youngest son's birthday. We had cupcakes at the park with some friends and then came home and had a small celebration with the family. Here are just a few of the little blessings that we had on this special day.

456. A bicycle given to Samuel by his grandparents.

457. Siblings who loved celebrating the life of their brother.

458. Chocolate cake!

459. A brother who gave Samuel the game he had been wanting!

460. Being given 7 wonderful years with our son and looking to spend many more with him. He truly has been a blessing to our family.

While we had so many other blessings throughout last week, these were just a few that I wanted to highlight. God gives little blessings every day. All you have to do is take a few minutes every day to see what He has given you.

You can also take part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience.

Back To School!

2011-08-18T07:41:00.000-04:00

It is that time of year again when most start to back to school. Which means that most homeschoolers are in the process of ordering new curriculum, organizing their homeschooling area and preparing lesson plans. I am no different from others as we will begin our 9th year of homeschooling this year.

I have already mentioned in an early blog post our curriculum choices for this coming year. The choices that I have made are totally different than what we did last year. That my friend, is the joy of homeschooling! If it isn't working, you are able to choose something else to fit your child's learning style. There are so many different curriculum's out there that you can look at that will accommodate the different types of learning styles. I recommend researching your children's learning styles first and then search for a curriculum that will fit that learning style.

Now that I have chosen our new curriculum, the time has come to organize our area that we use for our homeschooling materials. While some families are blessed with an extra room to have an actual school room, I use a corner in my living room. At this time, I have two bookshelves that store all of our books. On top, I have organizing containers that hold our writing utensils and art supplies that we will need access on a daily need. For the books and other materials that we don't use on a daily basis, I store those on bookshelves in our hallway. Daily, we will take the books that we need and come to the dining room table and sit together to get our work completed. This is another joy of homeschooling. You can school wherever you have room. Some older children, who are more independent with their schooling can even go to their bedrooms to complete their work. Every family is different and must make the choice to do what is best for their family! Again, what might work for me, may not work for you and that is okay.

Since, I don't have all of my curriculum just yet, I have started with what I do have. It has been a lot easier starting out slow and just doing a couple of subjects each day. It has also helped us ease back into a routine. We will work another couple of weeks at this pace and then add in the rest of our book learning.

Once all of our curriculum has arrived, I will then sit down and begin to prepare the lessons. I make sure I have a great calendar and lesson planning book. Don't fret if you can't find one that you think will work for you and your schedule. You can make one very easily by using an excel spreadsheet. I just use a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon to sit down and plan for the upcoming week. I look at our calendar to see any extra curricular activities that are planned and I make sure the core of our work is completed before the fun begins.

Always remember that the joy of homeschooling is being able to choose what will work for you and your family. I would love to hear some ideas and suggestions that you might have for the homeschoolers that are just now starting their journey with their family!

Weekly Homeschool Planner 2 Day Sale!!

2011-08-17T16:48:00.000-04:00

Jolanthe over at Homeschool Creations has her Weekly Homeschool Planner on sale for only $12! It is regularly $20. That is an $8 saving!! The sale is for today and tomorrow, August 17th and 18th. Just enter code BACK2SCHOOL at checkout.

I have been searching for a homeschool planner and I do believe I have found one that will work for me! Jolanthe sent me a copy to review and I am so glad she did! Just look at what all it has to offer:

* 138 planning pages ~ 8 1/2" x 11" sized
* 12 blank month-at-a-glance pages
* 40 weeks of weekly planning and journal sheets: each page can be customized to the subjects that your family studies and can be saved to your computer!
* Preschool planning sheets
* Field trip/Event plan sheets
* Yearly curriculum planning sheets
* Yearly planning and evaluation sheets
* Yearly attendance tracking sheets
* Field trip/Event plan sheets
* Daily to-do lists
* Main dish menu planner
* Customizable chore charts
* Important contacts info
* Additional note space
* Standardized testing and yearly assessment result tracking
* Homeschooling requirement planning

However, I think my favorite part about this planner is that it is an editable pdf! Yes, that means you can save it to your computer and then type in your plans and then save it. How awesome is that? It is so awesome!

So be sure to stop by Homeschool Creations and pick up a copy.

*I was given a copy for an honest review. All opinions about the Weekly Homeschool Planner are my own.

iFellowship Day - Psalm 100

2011-08-17T14:37:00.000-04:00

Another beautiful day in the Great Smokies and another beautiful iFellowship day to share God's wonderful Word with you. Today I want to share a favorite Psalm of mine. Psalm 100 is a psalm for thanks. God has truly blessed our family so much. I am so thankful for all that He has give us.

Psalm 100

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

A Psalm for giving thanks.

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;[a]

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

Don't forget to stop by Seeds of Faith and check out all of the other wonderful blogs linking up today!

Multitude Monday #447-455

2011-08-15T20:43:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I have let 3 weeks go by without sharing how good God has been to me and my family. We have been blessed time and time again. Thank you God for all you have given to our family!

447. Tracey from Little Bitty Design Studio who spent countless hours doing her best to fix my blog.

448. My blog being fixed!

449. Homeschool park days with friends.

450. The wonderful homeschool group I am part of.

451. Being able to be at home with my children.

452. Being able to begin our 9th year of homeschooling.

453. Children excited to start school and learn something new!

454. College tuition being paid for, for my oldest son by grandparents.

455. His college books also being paid for.

You can also take part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience.

iFellowship Day - I Peter 3:18-22

2011-08-10T12:58:00.001-04:00

I love being a part of Seeds of Faith. It is a wonderful group of ladies who truly love the Lord. They do their best to live for and to share the love of Jesus. I also love the iFellowship Day that they have. It is good to get to know others around the blog world. Mostly though, I love this day because I use it as a special time to share scripture that has touched my heart during the previous week. Normally it is a scripture that has been shared by one of our pastors that he taught us during worship. Please join us for iFellowship and enjoy the words of God.

1 Peter 3:18-22

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,

20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Blog Issues Continue....

2011-08-10T05:55:00.000-04:00

I think we have come to the conclusion that the issue with my blog has to be with Blogger itself. Tracey at Little Bitty Studio Design as worked tirelessly on my blog and everything we have tried, will just not take it back to normal. Tracey has spent many hours and has done a wonderful job keeping me updated on everything she did. She is truly an awesome blog designer to work with. I just can't say enough good things about her.

In the meantime, I have contacted Blogger to see if they can help figure out what in the world in going on. I am hoping to hear something from them soon. Since I started having issues with my blog, I have considered moving to WordPress. In fact, I have someone who said they would help me make the transition. They are just extremely busy at the time and I am just patiently waiting my turn. So, that change will be coming, I am just not for sure when. Be on the lookout for that!

Thank you all for being so patient with me!

Internet And Blog Troubles..

2011-08-04T15:09:00.000-04:00

It has been an interesting couple of weeks. As you may have noticed, I am having issues with my blog. The layout isn't showing up properly. After trying to correct the problem myself, without much success, I sent an e-mail to the wonderful and talented Tracey from Little Bitty Design Studio. Tracey is the one who designed this beautiful blog for me. She is doing her best to find the solution. Thank you so much Tracey!!

We have also had internet connection issues. After much aggravation of the connection dropping us every 5-10 minutes, I called the tech guys at the cable company. They said it sounded like the modem. So we were given another modem to try. So far, we aren't being disconnected every 5-10 minutes. It only happens about once an hour. Which I must say is better than before. However, they will now have to send someone out to check the cable outside of the house.

I never really realized how addicted I was to my laptop until I couldn't write a blog post, check out other blogs or even check up with others on facebook! However, not having access to everything online has freed up a lot of time to take care of other things. It has definitely made me think about how I spend my time. I will be making a schedule for myself now and will be limiting my time on the computer. I am definitely going to get my priorities in order.

Talking about how much time I spend on the computer makes me wonder how much time others spend on the computer. Do you only allow yourself a certain amount of time every day? Do you schedule time throughout the day to do your computer work or do you get it done all at one time? I would love to hear from others on this subject!

Blessings!

Seeds of Faith - iFellowship!

2011-07-27T08:55:00.001-04:00

I am always excited about iFellowship. Why? You can meet up with some awesome women who love the Lord. I also love to share scripture with you that has spoken to my heart throughout the week. I missed last week because I was tending sick kids. So I have several verses that I want to share. However, before I do, I want to tell you a little about how I came across these verses.

Several homeschool moms that I am in a group with got together to pray last Tuesday morning. To pray for our group and to pray for the families in the group. You see, this summer quite a few families have had issues, loss of loved ones, accidents and other situations to happen. It was almost like our homeschool group was being attacked spiritually. We felt the need to come together, to lift up God's name in praise and worship and then to lift up our burdens before the Lord. While we were praising God, several moms read scripture. So this is where those will be coming from and the meaning behind them. I also ask that you would continue to remember our homescool group, Great Smokies Christian Home Educators in your prayers. Our goal is to be a light to other homeschooling families. To show the love of Jesus as we educate our children at home.

Now here are the scriptures I we shared with one another on that blessed morning.

Philippians 4:6

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

John 16:33

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

1 Peter 5:6-7

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Psalm 91

Psalm 103

Ephesians 1

Psalm 27

Psalm 94:16

Isaiah 60:1-4

Acts 10:38

Zephaniah 3:17

John 16:33

Philippians 4:6

1 Peter 5:6-7

It was a truly amazing time of prayer with those wonderful ladies. We are looking forward to doing it again. I encourage you to read your bible. God has put everything in there that we need to know.

I also want to encourage you to stop by Seeds of Faith. It is a wonderful group of women who love the Lord and wants to encourage you all. Be sure to stop by those who are taking part in iFellowship today. I know you will get a blessing out of visiting them!

Multitude Monday #436-446

2011-07-25T00:05:00.000-04:00

Another week has passed us by. I am so thankful for the week that God gave me. I was able to do several things that I am hoping to be able to do in the future. Please join me as I thank God for all the blessings He has given me and my family. Before I share my blessings, I want to share with you part of Psalm 66.

Psalm 66

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!

3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name."

Selah

5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot.There did we rejoice in him,

7 who rules by his might forever,whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

Selah

436. Prayer time with fellow homeschool moms.

437. Being able to sing and worship with fellow homeschool moms.

438. Having a friend hold my hand and pray for me.

439. Being able to pass along homeschool books that we are no longer using.

440. Listening to the thunder and seeing the bright lightning that God has created.

441. Rain to cool us down from this heat.

442. A/C to help when it isn't raining.

443. E-mails from friends who are concerned.

444. Being able to have supper with a special friend.

445. Time to read a book to relax.

446. Lazy Sunday afternoon to enjoy with the family.

You can also take part in the Multitude Monday by visiting A Holy Experience.

My Home In The Smokies

giving thanks.. #651-660

Ephesians 1:15-23

3 in 30 update

would you bull leap for fun?

on a roll with school..

3 in 30 January Goals

once again, I am thankful and blessed.. #641-650

Deuteronomy 6

met a blogging friend!

love celebrating birthday's

Science Fair 2012

catching up..

still on track..

thankful for all my blessings #626-640

Colossians 3:23-2423 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-2423 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24

Seeking God and giving Him ALL the Glory

Bible in 90 Days

blessings continuing on into the New Year #616-625

Isaiah 6:1-8

blessings abound through the blogging break #606-615

Luke 2:1-7

Merry Christmas!

Blogging Break..

counting my way to 1000 Gifts #591-605

Galatians 4:4-7

Decorating the Christmas tree

Over at Seeds of Faith today!

Luke 1:26-38

first snow of the season

Christmas tree tradition

thankful for what has been given to me #576-590

Luke 1:38

Studying God's Word..

2 Peter 3:14-18

2 Timothy 2:15

The Earth: Its Structure & Its Changes - review

For You They Signed - review

what are you reading?

Cataloochee Valley Field Trip with Grandparents

Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 118

so blessed.. #546-560

It Is Good To Give Thanks!

Sumerian Tablets

joyfully blessed #536-545

Psalm 136:1

Over at Seeds of Faith today!

it will never being enough

Giving To Others - Over at The Homeschool Village

Please join me over at The Homeschool Village today!

thankful unto Him #527-535

Psalm 100

527. Doctor giving my daughter a clean bill of health.

what was lost, is now found!

Fall Art!

Holy Bible - Words of God

So Thankful #521-526

Proverbs 22:66 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.Romans 12:2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Proverbs 22:6

guess what I lost?

Women Who Influence Me

Over At The Homeschool Village today!

iFellowship - Praise the Name of the Lord!

Loving Mystery of History

Multitude Monday #511-520

Happy 14th Birthday, Sarah!

Isaiah 55:12

not doing so well on the weight loss.

An Evening Ride In The Great Smoky Mountains

Homeschool Pass It On - Mountain Life Festival

A Season For Everything

Multitude Monday #501-510

A Ride On The Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

iFellowship - 1 Chronicles 28:20

1 Chronicles 28:20

Homeschool Pass It On - Breakfast !

Colossians 3:23-24

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.