Keeping it Organized- Our 2016 Homeschool Schedule

Well, here we are! Deep into week two of our year. How's it going? Well... after a first day coffee mishap, a smidgen of humility, and a reality check, I decided to postpone our actual first day.

Apparently things have changed a little more than I thought over the last year and half since we stopped homeschooling. I felt like I really needed a little more time to prepare myself and organize my surroundings and lessons before we jumped back in. I'm glad that I took that time. Things are already better.

We now have a semi organized homeschool office and a pretty good schedule to get us started. This week we're practicing "school days" with the littles. We're working with them on obedience and sitting still for more than 5 minutes. Taylor is reading a ridiculous amount of difficult books. Mary is reviewing her math skills and working on some fun writing assignments. Our theme is still "all about me" and we switched our character study to "obedience" for obvious reasons. Next week we'll move on to our "family" theme and try to stick to our original theme plans from there (as soon as I relocate the missing theme plans, that is).

Anyway...a good schedule is a must for me. We have a very busy and different year ahead of us. With three girls taking classes with The Center for Homeschool Enrichment and Tutorial (Chet), all four girls enrolled in ballet/dance classes, and my husband starting a new job, I need be extremely organized and efficient. There are still plenty of variables and monthly activities that will interfere with the schedule, but at least we have a good solid foundation.

I didn't spend a lot of time on the schedule, I just revised the one from a few years ago. It wasn't possible to include each child's specific routine so I did the best I could. For example, Taylor will spend most of her time at home studying, reading, practicing piano, and completing her assignments. She won't necessarily work in any special order. She's independent and diligent. Mary on the other hand needs constant structure, guidance, and lots of follow-up.

 

I tried to include a few reminders for myself about cooking and cleaning so I won't be flaky. And that's about it.

 

I'm hopeful that Monday will be our official first day and that I'll be able to report back to you all that everything is going great :)  

A Detour: Part 2 (Brace Yourself.. Haha)

Nearly one full year ago I wrote about life and death and my sorrow and our detour. I knew everyone would be filled with curiosity when we announced our decision to put the big girls in school. Since I have no problem sharing about our life, I figured that would be the best way to do it, and I was totally shocked when I saw how many people read that post! I guess everyone was even more curious than I expected.

I promised a part 2 so here it is. Better late than never!

School? Yes. We put the kids in school. Why? Because I was sad. Because my bad days were about as many as my good days. Because the opportunity kept presenting itself to me. Because I always have, and always will want what's best for my children and my family as a whole. 

So we enrolled them in a local private school. It was fun and we learned a lot. We learned about academics, life, and some important lessons. 

 

It turned out that Taylor (15 at the time) did not have a excellent understanding of Algebra I liked I had hoped. She had taken Algebra I for two years already. One of those years with a tutor. So she took it for a third year. Lesson 1: Do not try to teach math if you stink at math (like me). Beyond that, she was just a little nervous about her skills and a little shy with the other kids at first. It wasn't long before her hard work and many hours of studying, more than paid off, leaving her with all A's and scores over 100 in nearly every subject. Mary's experience was similar with third grade. They both did great. They had great teachers, made great friends and everything was great.

I said at the beginning of the year that some times being a good parent means that you have to make crappy decisions that there's no clear answer for. We decided to go to school because that was the decision that I felt was best at that time. I'm not the person that says, if they could go back they'd change stuff. I would never go back and I would never change anything. At least this way, I know what my problems are. If I were to go back and do things differently, I'd have different problems. Maybe bigger problems. So in short, school was fun but it's not for us.

We are officially homeschooling again!! I'm not going to get into every reason why we love homeschooling or the reasons why we'd rather homeschool than attend private or public school. 

School reminded us about some of the great things that come along with a structured classroom setting and I hope to implement those things into our school days at home. Lesson 2: Structure, morning work, repetition, classes, friends, and socialization are our friends :)

Lesson 3: There is no replacement for our family time together. I could go on and on about family time but I'll spare you in this post.

When we were homeschooling, we never woke up wondering if we were making the right choice. And I haven't wondered about it once since we made the choice to do it again.
 

The Here and Now

 

It's really easy for me to lose my focus. No, I don't have ADHD or anything like that. I'm just a fairly normal human being who gets bored and distracted easily. Probably a little more than others. What happens is, I let discontentment creep in. It creeps in slowly and I don't even notice until that trapped feeling begins to suffocate me. I'm a changer. I enjoy change. Some people are afraid of change. I thrive in change.

 

So what now? I can't move across the country like I've done in the past. I can't even move. Honestly, I love my home and I love my town and I love my state and I love my country. I love my family, friends, church, and our school. So what is wrong with me?! The only answer is obvious. Not always to me but when I think about it, it's clear. It's my focus. I've lost it.

 

One of the reasons that I started blogging was because I wanted to take the time to find the beauty around me. The beauty in the every day. In the ordinary and simple. There are wonderful things going on around me that I don't really notice if I'm not focused on seeing them. Even greater than seeing them is photographing them, with my camera or my phone, it doesn't even matter. When I see them and capture them and post them and blog about them, it's then that I really "see" them.

 

Being a photographer, some times I feel like I shouldn't post photos from my cell phone for some stupid reason, and if my camera isn't handy, I often let amazing moments pass right by me. I'll even forget to tell my family or a friend about something awesome because I never even remember that it happened. I'm so busy feeding people and meeting their survival needs that the beautiful moments in my life are missed or forgotten.

 

I have big dreams and big plans for my family! I'm filled with ideas and about places I want to take them and things I want to do with them. I know how short life is and it can be discouraging when I look at my big list of plans. But I'm going to keep planning and dreaming and working!

 

And in an effort to enjoy the here and now, I'm going to make more time for capturing and sharing the beauty (and some times ugly) of my everyday. 

 

Like, while I read them one of Mary's favorite stories, The Never Forgotten Doll, they drew pictures about the story and then shared them with each other. We practiced sitting still and listening. They need to practice that more often than just in church. They're wild!

   

 

During nap time I started thinking about summer and how much I despise summer time in Tennessee. So I forced myself to go outside and get some shots of our summer yard.

 

The tire swing is the life of the yard. The kids LOVE it! They flock to it and swing on it for hours. Hot or not!

 

My peony bed has been overtaken by these ugly native trees :(

 

A favorite! Mary refuses to bring her shoes in the house. I think every single pair of her shoes has been through a rain storm.

 

Strawberries!

 

And our very late to get started garden. Kinda pitiful right now. Luckily a rain storm flooded the garden right after this (and Mary's Toms by the sandbox).

 

 

Sole Hope Labor Day Sale

My new Sole Hope flip flops came in the mail this week! It's been a great mail week :)

 

While everyone is looking forward to getting out their fall boots and shoes, I'll be sporting these new beauties. And they're not only adorable, they're a purchase with purpose.

 

 

 

 

So what is a jigger? Well, it's a nasty little sand flea that burrows into feet, lays eggs, multiplies, damages the soft tissue, and can cause a variety of painful and some times very serious problems. You can read more here and even check out some really disgusting photos if you're interested in that sort of thing. You know I love to share pics from Facebook, so here are few from Sole Hope's page.

 



How are your shoes holding up? On the rare occasion that children arrive at a clinic with shoes on they usually look similar to these. #perspective Will you come alongside us and help Sole Hope continue to provide shoes to children in Uganda? Go HERE: http://www.solehope.org/donate/ to sponsor a pair for $10 or sign up for a recurring donation and sponsor a pair every month. Thank you for your continued support!



"Our volunteers are great at comforting the kids when jigger removal gets rough"

 

 

Ok, so I've said it before, I'm a sucker for a good cause sharing God's love. As I'm getting older, I'm trying to be more intentional with my life, my words, my time, and my purchases too. Who we choose to buy from is who we choose to support. So when I realized that it was time to replace a pair of my favorite flip flops, I knew exactly where I wanted to get them. As a matter of fact, I've been waiting for the chance to shop with Sole Hope for a while now. I love this cause because, and I know this is kind of stupid, but because I hate bug bites and my feet suck! When I moved to Tennessee from California, I was introduced to living life in a mosquito habitat. Man, I hate mosquitos!! An itchy bug bite is pure torture. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a place where jiggers are common and health care is not.

Sole Hope takes there clinic to villages and removes the jiggers for people, they also educate them about jiggers and provide them with shoes (many times their first pair of shoes ever). I have some foot problems myself and I'm thankful to have access to cream and scrubbers for my cracked heals and shoes for when my feet are hurting. 

If Sole Hope sounds like a cause that you might be interesting in supporting, you should check them out right now because they're having a Labor Day sale!

 

25% off with coupon code: LABORDAY

Shop here :)

 

You can also follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

Happy Labor Day weekend and don't forget to #purchasewithpurpose friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 



I'm the One That Needs to Adjust & Breakfast Cake

We've made it to week 5 of school. It feels good. Taylor received her first progress report on Monday. Three A's and one B. I'm impressed. I love that they're learning so much and trying so hard to do well. They are adjusting well.

 

I guess now I'M the one who needs to adjust to school schedules and demands, being at home with two unpredictable little girls all day, and juggling home management & a small business by myself (with said little girls at my feet).

 

My biggest challenge (like most moms, I'm sure) has been feeding my family. I love to cook but I do not enjoy rushing. I enjoy meal planning, but haven't found the time. I didn't expect this to be a problem for me because that's one of the things I've always been pretty good at. But since school started we have had pizza and Cheetos for breakfast, cereal for dinner, and this week I paid for the school lunch, then made lunch from home and sent them to school with it. I'm a mess!

   

I'm a morning person. I like to get up and get going. I like morning showers and coffee. I like getting my chores done early and having the rest of the day stress free (it doesn't happen often but I like it). I have no excuse for being this unorganized with my meals, other than the forty reasons that I could give you that explain why I'm this unorganized ;)

 

So I'm going to share some of my favorite easy breakfast recipes and some new (hopefully good) ones that I'm planning on experimenting with, then sharing the details. I'm hoping it will encourage me to do better and maybe even inspire someone else to make more breakfasts. #journeyseats

 

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes, adapted from a combination of recipes over the years. It's perfect for fall. For school mornings. For weekends. For anytime. We've been enjoying this for a long time (and not just in the fall and winter).

 

Lets call it:

 

Blueberry Pumpkin Oatmeal Bake :)

 

Start the night before by soaking 2 cups of oats in a teaspoon of kefir, buttermilk, or yogurt and cover with water. Soak overnight. Drain and rinse oats in the morning.

 

I'm big on improvising and using whatever you have on hand.

 

 

Mix together:

 

Soaked oats

1-2 eggs

1 t. baking powder

1/3 cup of pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling

1/3 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

3 T. maple syrup

 

I usually put a casserole dish in the oven with a couple of teaspoons of butter until the butter melts and coats the dish well. Then I pour my mixture in the dish and bake at 350° for about 40 minutes.

 

My recipe changes a little each time I make it. You can literally add anything you want to it (raisins, apples, brown sugar, peaches, honey) and it's always turned out awesome for me. Some people may like it a little creamier and want to add a splash of milk to the mix.

 

I top it with powdered sugar and more blueberries. The kids call it breakfast cake. They love it!

 

Craziness & Finding Beauty in the Everyday

 

 

What a week this has been!

 

Colds are fading away and life is getting back to normal. Well.... the new normal. And, I'm not even exactly sure what that is yet. I've been working like a crazy person trying to finish house projects, working on orders from Journey's Creations, and best of all, getting my Etsy Shop back up and running! I'm so terrible at the Etsy thing. I list things and then end up selling them to someone local or giving them away as gifts. But I have a new strategy that I'm hoping will help. We shall see.

 

 

 

Fall is my busiest season of the year for photography and it's right around the corner! I've already been busy setting up sessions this week and getting ready for a big wedding with Authentic Photos & Designs next weekend.

 

The girls are doing amazing in school. Or at least I'm amazed. Taylor did happen to bomb out on her history test last week but I'm certain that she'll improve. She has awesome study habits and I know she'll come through. I couldn't be happier with their effort. Mary seems to be averaging B's on her work, and considering that she's never been to school before, I think that's wonderful.

 

The best thing to me, is that August is almost over and fall is a little closer. I'm looking forward to fall even more than usual. This summer has been the saddest, most difficult time in my entire life. I'd like to move on to another season and leave this summer behind me. I'm so ready for change (remember, I love change). Ready for cool breezes. And sweatshirts and baking and coffee on the porch swing. Ready for the grass to slow down and the leaves to change.

 

At this point in my life, I'm learning how important it is to truly enjoy the little things. The everyday. Seeing beauty in the everyday is priceless. These lives we live are special gifts from our Heavenly Father and we should cherish them as He would want us to. We have to be careful to not waste them away worrying and feeling sorry for ourselves. Careful to not dwell on our troubles, but on the joy in our journey. And learning to find that joy in the everyday feels good.  

 

Today, I found joy in watching my babies play with an $8 bag of used kitchen toys. They played and played. They never even spoke to each other. I sat there and watched them and I loved it. They were so busy investigating every single plate and piece of play food. After they had touched each piece, they started creating meals and play feeding them to me. It was the cutest!

 

Then I made my big babies some rice krispy treats to enjoy when they get home from school. I slapped a tablecloth on the front porch table and I was the very first person to break into the mums at walmart this morning!

 

 

Happy Friday Y'all!

 

It's Friday! SO How About a Cookie Recipe!

 

This school lunch business is really making me crazy. I don't mind them eating sandwiches and chips (that's what they ate many days homeschooling) but I can't handle or afford the little prepackaged snacks.

 

I'll admit it, I bought some. I was overwhelmed (like most parents) this first week and I caved. I didn't really feel bad about it either. But into the second week, as we were running out of lunch food, I felt like I could do better. Mary said that one kid had cookies and another had fudge rounds and a list of other things that I don't buy regularly.

 

I get it. They want sweets and junk food. So do I.

 

My last couple of batches of healthy sweet stuff haven't been very tasty so I needed to try something less drastic. My theory on food is "make good choices when you can, anything is better than nothing". So I made a batch of semi healthy chocolate chip cookies. They are no doubt better than pre-packaged desserts and they actually tasted really good. Yes, I ate three of them :(

 

Here's my recipe! Use what you have. Pretty much every ingredient is organic so I'll spare you and not put organic in front of everything.

 

Semi Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

 

1/2 cup shortening of your choice

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/4 cup oat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sucanat

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

 

 

Mix ingredients in order of recipe with an electric mixer. Then stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

 

 

Roll or drop (I did both and they both worked) onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 60.



 

 

Paisley approved!

 

 

 

Have a Super Happy Friday!!!!

 

 

 

Our Family's Journey- By Curtis & Holly

Over the years we have been asked many questions about our family, our faith, and our homeschooling. Many of them are the same questions and comments over and over from different and some times even from the same people.

 Some have been from curious minds who were desiring a better understanding of how we manage our family and home. Maybe for the purpose of comparing the techniques we are trying to what they're trying. Or maybe they're just curious about why we do things the way we do. We've also had many people interested in homeschooling their own children, living on one income, gardening, and all kinds of other topics. (We are by no means experts in any of these areas but people are still interested in hearing about our trails and errors. Live and learn, right?).

We've also heard lots of questions and comments from skeptics who are usually trying to put us in an awkward situation by attempting to prove to us that what we have is all wrong. They only have one intention and they don't really want to hear our answers.

Everyone has their own story. Here's ours.

I (Curtis) was born in 1976, I was raised in Hendersonville TN. I have one sister named Stephanie she is about three years older than me. I attended public schools and I enjoyed going to school and learning! I grew up in a Christian home, my Dad was a deacon at our church, we attended services pretty much every time the doors were open! We didn't have much money, but my parents were loving, kind and raised us to be good Christian people. I was really lucky to be blessed with such caring parents. I have zero complaints about my childhood!
 
When I was 16 years old I was baptized into Christ by my preacher Ray Frizzell. I was a faithful Christian until I lost my way around the time I graduated high school. I had a lot of great friends in school but I didn't realize at the time that most of them were heading down the wrong path and I was following close behind! And for the better part of my young adult life
I was in and out of Christ. This continues to be my main reason for homeschooling our girls, I remember how hard it was to try to stay true to the Lord and hang with my friends and combat all the temptations that were bombarding me daily! The Christian life is not an easy one and I am deeply concerned that my girls might get into the wrong crowd and be changed forever! I want to give them the best opportunity I can to follow Jesus.
 
Then in 2000 I meet Holly and her little baby Taylor through some mutual friends, it wasn't until a couple years later that we went on our first date! We dated for a while and I was not in a good place with the Lord at the time. I did not really realize what a truly great women the Lord had placed in front of me, I had been blinded by sin until one day I realized I needed to quit fooling around and get serious about our relationship! Looking back I was pretty stupid and selfish in those days. So in 2006 we got married! We were kind of unsure about how many children we wanted to have. Taylor was already 5 years old and that was quite a change having a sweet little girl living with me. I always wanted a little boy so we started trying to have a baby. We had little Mary Jo in 2007. That changed our lives considerably, I was still struggling with my Christian life and Holly really helped me keep my focus on the important things! I still wanted to try for a boy so in 2012 little Victoria Caroline was born! Yep another girl! So we decided that in a few years we would try one more time for that boy! But late in that same year we had a little surprise, Holly was pregnant again! Needless to say we were both very surprised and not really ready for another baby yet. Now this one had to be a boy right? WRONG! Paisley Elizabeth was born in 2013.
 
Through all these years of having babies we were always trying to improve our Christian lives as best we could, but it was never easy! If it wasn't for my wonderful wife I don't know how I would have made it! She has been the greatest encourager in my life. I am extremely thankful to God for blessing me with her! We knew that we would have to take on the Devil together or we would never succeed in being the parents God wanted us to be. We are still a work in Progress.
  
I (Holly) was born in southern California. Like Curtis, I also attended public school. But I hated school from the very first day of kindergarten. I was defiant, disobedient, disrespectful, super lazy, and spoiled. My parents loved me tremendously. They gave me everything I wanted (within reason) and always took very good care of me. We did not attend church regularly. At one time we did attend a Mormon church that I have no memory of. They always told me there was a God and taught me random things about the Bible here and there. My mom always discouraged watching mtv and listening to inappropriate music. She was good about explaining right and wrong to me. She quoted scripture and helped me recognize the evil in this world. My Dad told me I should never drink or smoke. He told me not to steal or litter. I remember great lessons about life from both of them.

My downfall was certainly not lack of love. It was lack of discipline, consistency, accountability, and a firm foundation.

When I hit 13, I went wild. Whatever you're imagining in your head, it was worse. I'll spare you the details. But during my teenage years, I was lost. Way lost. I liked fun, friends, and boys. I hated school. I hated rules. I had low self esteem and a major bad attitude. I don't know how or why my parents didn't kill me.

But thankfully I survived and I did it without a criminal record ;)

I moved to Tennessee in 1997 when I was 17. I attended different churches off and on after that. I've always known there is a God and that one day I would have to give Him an account of my life. I just hoped it wouldn't be any time soon. I was even baptized.

I settled down quite a bit after my first daughter but it wasn't until Mary (my second) was about 2 that I really started to feel the Lord guiding me to be obedient to Him. After attending church regularly for years.

It wasn't until I met a group of people that I didn't care for and kind of considered as losers and we were introduced to them as "This is Curtis and Holly, and they're cool, they're just like us". That moment is when I really thought about my life. At first I was offended, but with careful examination of my life, I realized, they were right. I was worldly with a desire for all of the pleasures of the world just like them. The only difference was that I was a fake. I hid it better.

I was baptized again. But this time it was for the remission of my sins. This time it was biblical. I did not add this to get into the topic of baptism with anyone. This is just my story.

It was not a complete turn around. I had so many areas of my life that required a change. Big change! I've prayed for strength, guidance, and forgiveness almost every day since then. Quitting drinking, smoking, and other things was a good start. But it was only the start. I was successfully "acting" like a Christian. I was going to church, trying to avoid sin, and praying and studying. But it quickly became clear to me that I had a long way to go before I could say that I was living my life in a way that was pleasing to God. I prayed for Him to open my eyes to the sin in my life and give me the strength to remove it. I began to see sin in my music, television, movies, language, friends, and most of all, in my heart.

The bible tell us that we are to hate sin in Romans 12:9 "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good".

I never realized the evil I was filled with. But it was there. Jealousy, envy, immodesty, materialism, discontentment, and so much more. It was time to get right with God!

So basically our method for removing the sin from our lives and our children's lives was to REMOVE the sin. Notice I didn't say "to protect our children by sheltering them from everything bad" or "locking us all up in the house so we never go outside and have to be around sin".

I said "remove it from our lives". Is that not what God tells us to do? Isn't that the change that God requires from us?

"So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect." Hebrews 12

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." Romans 6

"Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." 1 Corinthians 5:7

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him" 1John 2

The Bible is clear that we should do our best to remove as much sin as  possible from our lives and hearts.

Our Homeschool Journey

Our homeschool journey did not start out as a lifestyle change. Taylor went to public school from kindergarten through fourth grade. We loved her school. We loved her teachers. We were blessed with a wonderful public school experience. But we were noticing some things going on that worried us. Things that the world calls normal in young girls but the Bible clearly condemns. Jealousy, pride, lust, cursing, lying, stealing, gossiping, envy, adultery were all present! And this was elementary school!! The world says these are all normal parts of life. Umm I don't think so! But anyways, Taylor was about to finish fourth grade and head to the middle school like all of the other kids. Yes the middle school starts at fifth grade. So that's fifth to eighth grade. We both agreed that she wasn't ready for middle school. She was academically ready (an A student) but not spiritually ready. After all, how could she be? Yes, she went to church but the firm foundation wasn't there yet. Our firm foundation wasn't even there. 

She didn't really have any friends at church. She always felt left out by the older girls and her choices in friends at school weren't always wise. We felt like she needed some serious guidance and character training from us to prepare her better. So with the help of friend who had six amazing children that she homeschooled, we decided to try it for one year. We thought that maybe after some one on one life training, we would feel better about sending her off into the world of middle school.

I (Holly) never imagined that this one decision would have such an astounding impact on all of our lives. Suddenly, I was accountable to Taylor for every phone conversation I had, every tv show or movie I watched, and every other thing I was involved in.

During some great character studies I realized that our characters needed more help than hers!! I was teaching and preaching about things that I still had not gotten around to dealing with in my own life. What a wake up call! As I was reading lessons to her, I would have to stop and say "Mom needs to work on this one too, lets do it together". We would share our lessons with Dad when he got home and our family was becoming more obedient to God. When it was time to talk about sixth grade Taylor said she didn't miss school and wanted to continue to learn from home. We were so happy, because we felt the same way :)

Ok, so here we are a few years and kids later. Taylor's spiritual growth is unbelievable! She has a true determination in her heart to please God. Academically she is right on track. Our umbrella school requires testing every year and keeps records of her test scores, grade, and attendance, which I turn in to them each semester. Classes, extracurricular activities, and all sports are open to homeschool students. This year she is in 9th grade.

Mary is in the 2nd grade this year. She is reading well and doing great with her studies. Her heart is pure and sweet and belongs to God. I couldn't ask for more from her.

We are always learning and growing together. Taylor loves teaching Mary things like the songs she learned in school about math facts. They are both always willing to jump in help with the babies. They have a special bond with each other and the time they spend together isn't just spent watching TV or fighting like many children we see. When I overhear Taylor giving Mary spiritual advice, my heart melts! Her big sister cares about her and is always there for her. I love that.

Now that the babies are almost two and three, we are focusing more on some of the things we originally focused on, like more character, bible, and service. We've been in survival mode and have really had to work hard with our academic studies, so it will be fun to add some others things back in, like field trips and projects.


Common Questions and Comments Answered:

What about college?
This is a popular question among friends and family. It comes in many forms. How will our kids go to college? Won't they miss out on scholarships? Will they be smart enough? I won't even get in to some of the ridiculous comments.
 
Our Answer: First of all, college isn't everything! Rather than putting a great deal of focus on going to a "college" we would much rather look for interests and talents in our girls first. That doesn't always mean college. We are not against college. If a child has a desire for a career that requires a degree, we will be sure that she has the opportunity to obtain that degree. Our girls will be given the same sports and academic opportunities as the kids who attend classes at the private Christian school that we umbrella through. College can be very beneficial but is not a necessity for every career. Neither one of us have a degree. Regardless of some people's opinions, money is not the most important thing. We have known more women than I can count who have spent many years paying on student loans after they went to college and then decided to be a stay at home mom. We have also seen too many young people become involved in numerous sins that have lead to other sins and ultimately, sadly ended with the loss of their salvation.
A college degree may look nice on a resume but an impressive resume does not guarantee that you will get a job or help you keep one. But character does help you keep a job! Diligence, hard work, respect, honesty, trust, and obedience, along with many others are qualities that make a person successful at their work.

"'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope" Jeremiah 29:11

Aren't you sheltering your kids from the real world?
Again, many forms of this question have been brought to our attention. People tell us that when they're on their own, they'll go wild. Or they won't know how to live in the real world.

Our Answer: We go to great measures to teach them about the "real" world. A world that is filled with many sins that have been carefully designed by the original liar to trick us and tempt us to disobey God. We talk every single day about the dangers that are out there in the "real" world.

We suppose sheltering them is a common term used to talk about people who guard the hearts of the children that God has loaned them. We have no problem with that term. It IS our job to shelter them when their roots are weak and they're susceptible to damage. Just like you would protect a young crop from the weather. We are protecting them from elements that the world produces. Satan doesn't wait for them to be mature and strong in faith before he tests and tempts them. We are extremely confident that when the time comes for them to make important choices, they will already know what their decisions will be and they will posses the convictions to follow through with them.

So while YES we are sheltering them, we're not hiding them. We think of it as protecting them from making damaging, life changing choices while they see others around them choosing to follow the world and the destruction that comes from it. They not only know what choices to make, they know why they should make them.

Won't your kids be weird if they're homeschooled?
Used in this type of question or remark, the word weird usually means uncool and refers to children who don't have the same interests or attitude as public school children.

Our Answer: We suppose that it is a possibility that our children may not have the same interests or attitudes as other children. We hope they will be more cautious about their selections for fun and entertainment. We hope they will be more concerned with dressing in a way that is respectful and pleasing to God rather than the latest fashions and what the other children are wearing which I'm sorry to say is very disappointing, even in the church.

The bible tells us to be different.

"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." Romans 12:2

So YES they may be different if they're homeschooled. That's wonderful! Hopefully it will be a difference that others will see and maybe light just one person's way in this dark world.

How can you teach your kids if you don't even have a college degree in teaching?
Our Answer: We just teach them. We read and study together. We look things up and learn. We watch videos. We hire tutors. 


Aren't you worried that your kids are going to rebel?
So apparently because their homeschooled it seems likely to the world that when they become a teenager they will want to rebel against us and God. The people who say this almost always have children who have rebelled.

Our Answer: The issue of rebelling is not a homeschool issue at all!! It is an issue of a child's heart. If a child decides to rebel and act out against their parents and God, it is because their heart is not pure. Our heart directs us and must be guarded. Children don't rebel because they didn't go to public school, or because they were sheltered. They rebel because they haven't truly given their hearts to God. Homeschooling actually gives us a better opportunity to instill Gods principles into their hearts while they are still young and moldable. Our responsibility as parents is to reach their heart. We know for a fact that when they're in school it's much more difficult to reach their hearts that when they're by our side learning and growing.

"My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways" Proverbs 23:26

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:21

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” Proverbs 4:23

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart" Psalm 37:4

"A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left" Ecclesiastes 10:2

 The Ambulance Down In The Valley

'Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,
though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
but over its terrible edge there had slipped
a duke and full many a peasant.

So the people said something would have to be done,
but their projects did not at all tally;
some said, 'Put a fence 'round the edge of the cliff, '
some, 'An ambulance down in the valley.'

But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,
for it spread through the neighboring city;
a fence may be useful or not, it is true,
but each heart became full of pity
for those who slipped over the dangerous cliff;

And the dwellers in highway and alley
gave pounds and gave pence, not to put up a fence,
but an ambulance down in the valley.

'For the cliff is all right, if your careful, ' they said,
'and if folks even slip and are dropping,
it isn't the slipping that hurts them so much
as the shock down below when they're stopping.'

So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,
quick forth would those rescuers sally
to pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,
with their ambulance down in the valley.

Then an old sage remarked: 'It's a marvel to me
that people give far more attention
to repairing results than to stopping the cause,
when they'd much better aim at prevention.

Let us stop at its source all this mischief, ' cried he,
'come, neighbors and friends, let us rally;
if the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense
with the ambulance down in the valley.'

As their parents we have the mindset that we can prevent troubles in our children by molded their hearts, guiding them in all things, and giving them good instruction. Gods word is the best prevention that exists. Seeking God, eyes on God and His ways, hearts given to God, minds focused on God. Seeking God will protect them and prevent rebellion. Going to church will bring you many blessings but it's what you do when you're not at church that will determine your salvation. 

 We are not afraid or worried about the concerns that everyone else seems to be worried about. We spend our days growing in knowledge. We teach and guide, mold and lead. We are practicing the things that God desires us to practice. We are studying the things that God desires. We are still growing in Christ, cutting out things from our lives that displease Him and adding in new things that do please Him. We are teaching hard work and keeping our children motivated to serve, lead the lost to God, spread God's word, and seek to please Him in ALL things that they do.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" Matthew 6:33

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" Colossians 3:1

We have said it before and will always say it. No matter what great success we have in this life, no matter how much money we make, no matter what things we accomplish, they will all mean nothing if our own children don't make it to Heaven. This world is temporary but eternity is everlasting. A life on earth filled with comfort, pleasure, success, and fun should not be our goal for our children. We should seek for them a life of service to God. God will bless them with the opportunities and resources they need to carry out His work. If they are seeking His will, working hard learning and serving others, and building a close relationship Him through prayer, study, and worship, they will be forever comforted, pleased, successful, and enjoying every little blessing He has given them.

We will seek God and His kingdom first and He will work through us.

We know that many of you may disagree and that's ok. But we firmly believe that educating our children at home is the best option for our family.

We know that there are many other questions and concerns but we decided to just address the most common. And for the record, our school aged children can quietly sit still, they do know how to socialize with other children (better than school children in many cases), they can take a test, they are aware of the many different cultures in our country and around the world, and they don't lay around watching TV all day (yes we have TV's, cell phones, tablets, & computers and we love them).

 We pray that this post will help some of our friends and family to better understand our choices. We also pray that it will serve as an encouragement to other families who may be considering home educating.

Thank you to everyone who read to the end! Many blessings from our family to yours :)

 

"I Love You Because...." Valentines

I know there are millions of people out there that despise Valentine's Day but I am not one of them. I love it! What better than a whole day devoted entirely to love?! Nothing :)

So this year we did this very awesome activity with the girls. Each person decorated there own Valentine's Day box with their name on it. Then starting on February 1st, we each had to write one reason why we love each person in our family and put it in their box.

The first 3 or 4 days were easy, but after the obvious reasons were done, we had to do a little more thinking. Why did we love each person? What is so special about them?

Then after we gave the kids our gifts from us, we all dumped out our boxes and read aloud each little note we were given. We started by saying "I love you because....." and then finished with the note. I was AMAZED at some of the things we came up with. The girls thought of things about their sister that I would have never guessed. Some reasons were funny and some were emotional. But when it was over (and it took like an hour) everyone was happy. The kids begged to do it again next year. It was free and it was special. Isn't that what were all looking for?!

 

For dinner we enjoyed heart shaped pizza and a heart cake. Simple but exciting for the little ones.