Friday's Fillings...

It was another busy day to close up our week. ;o)
This morning I successfully made it through,
with the Lord's help, a visit to the dentist
(which is a big deal for me).
I was very thankful it went so well!

This afternoon, the children and I
went to our friend's house to feed their animals
one last time before they arrive home.
Then later in the afternoon,
we stopped by the commisary
to check out the case lot sale.
There were a few errands in between, too.
I thought I'd share a few photos from today
and a few from earlier this week
that I didn't get a chance to share. ;o)


Earlier this week, while playing dress up,
my young knight came across
this 'flower mushroom' (as he called it).
I delighted in his enthusiasm...






Will was, also, delighted this week
to get a 'geography lesson' from his Daddy
via the telephone...

They had a nice breakfast chat
as Daddy explained to him where he was this week. ;o)


Ally was thrilled this week
when she received her new Advanced Chemistry course
in the mail... particularly when she got her lab kit...

She is very excited about
this year's upcoming experiments...
I cannot say that mama is quite as excited. lol
I have told her that her 'lab' will, likely,
be outside under the gazebo this year... just in case. ;o)

Earlier this week, when we fed our friends' animals,
the children were excited to chase the guineas
(they're like wild turkeys)...

Carolynne is to the far left, then Will and then Beth.
The guineas are to the far right in a cluster. ;o)


Today the children were excited
to feed our friends' animals, again.
Here they were feeding the guinea pigs...


While Ally played on their piano...


Then we headed outside to feed the chickens.
Even our friends' dog,
was excited to be home and outside...


As Ally was going to get the chicken feed,
she was startled by this hanging out by the door...

Beautiful creature (in a bit of a creepy way). ;o)
We admired its features and its zigzag web.

This little beauty was nearby, too...



Off to feed the chickens...


... which were happy to be fed...


Ally was tickled to sneak in petting Caesar...

He didn't like it much, though. lol

The others watched to see what would happen...

They liked the idea of petting the rooster,
but weren't interested in trying it. ;o)

After we left, we stopped at the commisary
to check out the case lot sale.
We were surprised to see
what they had parked in the parking lot...

Notice it to the far right??
Something is parked there that is larger than the people.


Here's the upclose view...


You can click on it to see it larger.
Notice the engine on the bottom??
They actually drove it through the parking lot!
How's that for a grocery cart?!
Ally says we need one of those when we shop. lol
We were very amused. ;o)

I hope y'all had a wonderful week!

Wednesday's Ways...

It has seemed like a long
and physically exhausting week
but, oh, how worth it
to be in God's house so often,
hearing God's powerful Word being preached,
seeing the Holy Spirit convict, challenge, and encourage,
with an additional blessing of
beautiful, Christ-honoring music
and sweet fellowship with like-minded brethren!
It has been a wonderful week during this revival
and my heart has personally been revived!
What a way to bring our revival services to a close
by sharing the precious and powerful message
of God's abundant, yet undeserving, grace!

The main text from the sermon:
"All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all."
~ Isaiah 53:6

Such a powerful Scripture
that we should meditate on often.

He broke this verse down into four segments:
1. The waywardness of man
2. The willfulness of man
3. The wickedness of man
4. The Wonderful Savior of man

A simplistic, yet powerful message.
And the special music set the tone for the message,
which was an additional blessing.
I just love how the Lord orchestrates!
Let me explain...
This week, Ally was not feeling well
and was unable to play our special music
that we had planned for Tuesday evening,
so we planned to do it Wednesday instead, Lord willing.
Because she had not been feeling well,
she was too weak to play the song we originally planned
because it was a little too intense to play
while she was feeling weak
so I chose another song the Lord had laid on my heart.
I wasn't sure if it had a whole lot to do with
the particular topic of revival (at the time)
but the Lord used it in my own heart last night
and it just so "happen" to be the same 'theme'
as the evangelist's sermon.
My heart was so stirred.
What a blessing it is to have your heart stirred!
(The song we did was a different arrangement of
"Amazing Grace" with "Grace Greater Than Our Sins")

After the service, we stuck around for
wonderful food and sweet fellowship.
Did I mention that we love fellowships?!
It's such a blessing to fellowship with our spiritual family!

We had lots of yummy food! Mmmmm!





Ally was particularly excited!
Our visiting evangelist was an additional blessing to us,
as he fixed/replaced the string on Ally's violin,
tuned it for her, and gave her some tips
(as well as one of his violin arrangement books for free!).
What a blessing that was!
She was so thrilled to play it, again...








The younger ones were tickled to watch him
as he emptied his musical glasses...

I think there were a few splashes here and there... ;o)
And they were thrilled to help by carrying
bowls of water to the bathroom sink to empty.

Will was delighted to help the men-folk
as they cleaned up the evangelist's other instruments...


We, eventually, made it home around 11:30. ;o)
But it was worth it!
And when we arrived home, we had a package
containing our 'official' first school book of the year
(we received a few more today, too!)
and a box from Gramma
with gifts for Beth's upcoming birthday.
Woo hoo! Gotta love mail. ;o)

What a delightful and blessing of a week we've had!
I hope y'all have enjoyed yours, too.

In closing, I thought I'd share a little video
of our evangelist encouraging Ally
that her violin is, indeed, capable
of playing beautiful music
(and can, also, be used as a fiddle). lol
I particularly liked Ally's reaction
But that's just the mama in me. ;o)

A Note of Thanks...

I wanted to give a happy "Thank you"
to MarineMama and Mommy to 7
for passing to me a "You Make Me Smile" award.
I was blessed by your thoughtfulness
and your kind words.
They made me smile. ;o)

Thank you, Megan and Holly!


"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."
~ Proverbs 16:24


(Our Haven at Home is a 'no tag zone',
therefore, we will not be tagging others.
We did, however, want to give our thanks.
Again, Thank you very much!)

How Does a Free Set of Books Sound?

Ooooh... Life in a Shoe is hosting a giveaway
of Vision Forum's exciting new adventure series,
Ballantyne books.

She's accepting entries until midnight Friday!
What a handsome set of books, huh?

Nothing But the Blood...

...played on a 1767 violin...

Monday's Musings...

Today I worked on an apron
for our church's nursery.
I had hoped to make two
but the pattern took longer
than I had, originally, expected. ;o)
And I was thrilled I had
bought the 'optional' bias tape
or it would've taken longer
to make my own.
But I was glad to get it finished
so that we could use it
in the nursery this evening. ;o)



... a close up of the fabric and bias tape...


The finished product...






I used the Edwardian Apron pattern
from Sense and Sensibility Patterns.

The children enjoyed playing our "Some Body" game...

I could over-hear them talking about
the function of kidneys. How cute!

After supper, we headed to church.
Ally, the girls, and I were in the nursery
and Will sat in the revival service
with our assitant pastor and his wife.
Ally stayed in the service during the special music
to capture it on our camcorder.
After the service, Will played a game
with a Marine that has been visiting regularly...


The lil' girls giggled and played...


And Ally enjoyed trying to play
a classical piece on the organ...


When we arrived home, I tucked the children into bed
and enjoyed downloading the videos from the service
and watching them (I'll share one in my next post).

I hope y'all are enjoying your week. ;o)

Musical Glasses...

During our revival this week,
our evangelist is not only preaching
the precious and powerful Word of God,
he is, also, sharing with us
his multi-musical abilities.
What a blessing it has been!
One of the gifts he has been blessed with
is playing musical glasses.
I thought I would share the video
of his playing "How Great Thou Art".




With the background music
playing on my blog,
you may have difficulty hearing
the delicate sounds from the glasses. ;o)
If so, you can click HERE to listen.

A Still Small Voice...

Lord willing, this is what I will be singing
this week during our revival services.
I wanted to share the words...



God can move the tallest mountain;
He can calm the wildest sea.
Yes, consuming fires He can quench,
but that's not how He speaks to me.


In a still, small voice He speaks to me,
through His Holy Scriptures changes me.
When I need His tender leading,
His Word will guide my way.
In a still, small voice He speaks to me,
through His Holy Scriptures changes me,
Oh, the Lord is great and mighty,
yet He speaks with a still, small voice.


Many time my strength has ended;
pain and sorrow fill my heart.
Yet His Word is there reminding
that He's been faithful from the start!


In a still, small voice He speaks to me,
through His Holy Scriptures changes me.
When I need His tender leading,
His Word will guide my way.
In a still, small voice He speaks to me,
through His Holy Scriptures changes me,
Oh, the Lord is great and mighty,
yet He speaks with a still, small voice.


When I doubt the Lord's direction,
and I doubt that my prayers are heard,
then God reveals His care for me
by the answers in His Word.


In a still, small voice He speaks to me,
through His Holy Scriptures changes me.
When I need His tender leading,
His Word will guide my way.
In a still, small voice He speaks to me,
through His Holy Scriptures changes me,
Oh, the Lord is great and mighty,
yet He speaks with a still, small voice.

Yes, He speaks in a still, small voice.


(written by Jim Barron
You can hear a sample HERE)


"And he said, Go forth,
and stand upon the mount before the LORD.
And, behold, the LORD passed by,
and a great and strong wind rent the mountains,
and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD;
but the LORD was not in the wind:
and after the wind an earthquake;
but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire;
but the LORD was not in the fire:
and after the fire a still small voice."
~ 1 Kings 19:11-12
(emphasis added by me)


Have a blessed Lord's Day!

Caramel Apple Pie...

With our upcoming revival,
the children and I are providing a meal
for the evangelist one of the evenings
and we wanted to be able to give him
some sort of dessert to go with his supper.
So I decided to make an apple pie...
this way we could give him a big slice
to go with his meal. ;o)

Ally and I sampled it this evening
to make sure it was worthy of giving away. ;o)
Ally, who claims to not like apple pie,
has determined that she, indeed,
likes it very much! lol

The only thing better, to me, would have been
a scoop of ice cream to go with it! Mmmm!
But it did pass the 'worthy to give away' test...




Caramel Apple Pie

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 unbleached flour
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp cinnamon
8 cups sliced apples (about 7-8 medium apples)
2/3 cup caramel pieces


Mix sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in bowl.
Stir in apples. Stir in caramel pieces.
Put into pie crust. Cover with top crust
and top with apple cut-outs. Brush with melted butter.
Cover with foil and bake at 425 for about 45 minutes.
Remove foil and bake about 10 minutes.


Enjoy!
It's even better with someone you love
(oh, and with a scoop of ice cream). ;o)

Friday's Fillings...

I commonly title my posts for Friday,
"Friday's Fillings" and this Friday
truly "fit the bill" 'cause it was 'filled'. ;o)

We had one of our bi-monthly park days
with our homeschool group
before we headed to our field trip.
As we headed to the swings,
we enjoyed and appreciated
the beauty of autumn... ;o)









The children enjoyed swinging
as we waited the arrival of fellow homeschoolers...






(not swinging, but enjoying the time)...

(She really was enjoying the time,
she was just making a 'more serious face' pose... lol)

The lil' girls asked me to push their swing...




...and they returned the 'favor' for Mommy...



After our fellow homeschoolers arrived,
we headed to our field trip.
The children were excited to begin...

Just as a disclaimer... this single-file line
was not as easy to acheive as it may appear,
lest anyone think that homeschoolers
are experienced line makers. lol ;o)
But once we gathered everyone in a decent line,
we headed indoors to begin our field trip...

We were visiting a local pizza place,
touring where they make the pizzas and how...


The owner explaining what they do

They got to tour their walk-in freezer,
watch the owner's son make a pizza,
and watch as the pizza went into the oven...

Only 4 minutes to cook in this oven! wow!
But at $30,000 an oven,
I'll stick with cooking our pizzas for 20 minutes. ;o)

After the tour, the children washed up
to prepare for our hands on activity.
I couldn't help but share, however,
the sink they had provided in the restroom.
At first glance, you don't notice much...


Until you go to turn the water on...

'cause we wouldn't have much success
trying to turn it on the 'normal' way. ;o)

The water was turned on by our feet...

Ally and I were amused. ;o)

After washing up, we headed to our activity.
The children had lots of fun topping their pizzas...






And shortly after, they enjoyed eating them...




Ally decided to go with buffalo wings... ;o)


After eating and fellowshipping, it was time to go.
The children and I headed to our friend's home
to care for their chickens and guinea pigs
while they are away on vacation.
As we were leaving the pizza place,
we saw the street was lined with
American flags and yellow ribbon.
Many have returned home from Iraq this month
and it's always bittersweet to see
all of the flags and welcome home signs.


We miss and love you, Daddy. ;o)

When we arrived at our friend's home,
Carolynne had fallen asleep...

All of that food and fellowship
must have worn her out. ;o)

The other children and I fed the guinea pigs
and then tended to the chickens...


I refilled their water...


Ally gave them more food
and gathered the eggs that Molly had laid...


Then we headed back home.
When we arrived, we headed out back
to mow the grass, weedwack, and blow leaves. phew!

It was a fun filled day! ;o)
Today I'm tackling Mount Washmore
and preparing for Sunday.
This week we are having revival at our church
and we are really looking forward to it!

If my internet holds out
(it's been giving me trouble),
I hope to respond to some comments soon. ;o)

I hope y'all have a great weekend
and a blessed Lord's Day!

God's World...

I'm glad I am living this morning
Because the day is so fair,
And I feel God's presence so keenly
About me, everywhere.

The heavens declare His glory,
The trees seem to speak of His power,
And I see His matchless beauty
In each small, growing flower.

The rocks all tell of His wonder;
In the hills His strength I see;
And the birds are singing His praises
In the songs that they sing to me.

Oh, I'm glad to be living this morning
In a world of beauty so rare
Where the God of Heaven is hovering
About me, everywhere.

~ author unknown

Tuesday's Tidbits...

It was another beautiful autumn-like day!
The windows were the second thing
that were opened this morning...
our eyes were the first. ;o)

After eating breakfast and lounging about,
Will and I read aloud together for history...



Beth and Carolynne sat in the reading room
looking at photo albums together...



A little later, the younger ones and I
did a character/Bible lesson together...

We used one of Kate's Mini-Manna for Little Lambs.

As the younger ones worked on their color page,
Ally was working away at Chemistry...


After our Bible lesson,
Beth and Carolynne helped me prepare lunch...

Nachos! (leftover taco meat on leftover taco shells) ;o)

Will worked on some copywork as he waited for lunch...

We have enjoyed finding Scripture
that correspond with Benjamin Franklin's sayings.
We have, also, enjoyed the critical thinking exercises
that we're getting from trying to figure out
what some of Benjamin Franklin's sayings mean. ;o)

Later in the afternoon, the children enjoyed
playing outside before we left
to go to Ally's chiropractor appointment...





Did I mention that we are loving this weather?! ;o)

After Ally's appointment, we went into Staples (fun!fun!)
to get copies of my home learning plan sheets
and I got a couple of e-books printed.

The children were more than ready for bed this evening,
though one of them was a little overtired.
After the younger ones were asleep,
Ally made up a two week menu for us
(using some of the things I had on our old one)
so we can, Lord willing, do our grocery shopping tomorrow.
She, also, baked a yummy carrot cake
with cream cheese frosting. The aroma was delicious!

Hope y'all are enjoying your week!


"And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts:
the whole earth is full of his glory."
~ Isaiah 6:3

Monday's Musings...

We had a wonderful Lord's Day, yesterday.
It was, also, such a blessing to wake up
to cooler, crisper weather. I love it!
The morning service was a blessing.
In Sunday school, we continued in James 3,
regarding the tongue (ouch!).
In the morning service,
the children's choir sang,
which is such a blessing to hear.
Pastor's sermon was on personal revival!
That was a real blessing, as well.
It was also a blessing to meet a family
that was visiting while on deputation.
It was a real joy to stay after church
fellowshipping with them.
I love how the Lord puts like-minded folks
in our lives. It is such an encouragement!

After the service, we came home to eat
and enjoy our restful afternoon.
Carolynne enjoyed her rest very much... ;o)



Beth enjoyed being my shadow... ;o)



Will enjoyed reading...



Ally enjoyed quiet time with the Lord...


In the evening service, we had a visiting evangelist,
which was a real blessing, too.
And I got to speak to my beloved ;o)
It was a blessed Lord's Day!


Today was another beautiful autumn-like day!
Much too beautiful to stay indoors...
it was a day to be out in God's country ;o)
so we went to a friend's 'country' house.
The mamas enjoyed swinging on the porch
as the children enjoyed the great outdoors...








Notice the long sleeves on all my children?
It wasn't that chilly but we were still able
to 'pull off' wearing the long sleeves. ;o)

After playing outside for a while,
the younger ones played indoors with playdough
and were eager to share their playdough 'cookies'...






It was a sweet time of fellowship
and, oh so wonderful weather. ;o)

When we returned home this afternoon,
the younger ones played outside a little more...

The lil' girls enjoyed bouncing their stuffed animals...




Will enjoyed swinging...


And he enjoyed watching one of the construction workers
take their fencing down.
I could hear him asking the man questions,
inquiring about what he was doing.
I know Will is excited because it means
that he will soon be able to use the sidewalk, again,
for his scooter and bike...


Home learning today consisted of enjoying God's creation!
Well, Ally did a little Chemistry, too,
and Will did plenty of personal reading
with some living history and science books.
Beth and Carolynne had lots of creative play. ;o)

I hope y'all enjoyed your Monday, too.

He is LORD...

This Sunday morning,
the children's choir sang
and I thought I would share.
What a joy it is to work with them
and what a blessing they are!





"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."~ Philippians 2:10-11

Do You Know What This Means??

It means Autumn is here!
I LOVE being able to open the windows
to let that beautiful, cool, sweet-smelling breeze
flow in and throughout the house! Woo hoo!

I hope y'all are enjoying it, too. ;o)


"And he changeth the times and the seasons..."
~ Daniel 2:21a

Home Learning Plan Sheet...

Amid the busyness this week,
I sat at the computer to create something
that I could use for my record keeping.
It's a two page spread for 'lesson plans'.
I wanted to share them,
in case someone else could use them. ;o)

Below are the links:
Home Learning Plan Sheet
Home Learning Plan Sheet Page 2

Week-End Review...

Somehow I managed to go a few days
without making a new post...
We've been keeping busy with schooling
and daily, family life (and all it entails). ;o)

Just thought I would share a few photos
from the last few days...



Beth helping me make homemade fries
(red potatoes with peelings on and sea salt)



Carolynne in creative play



Doing seatwork together



Working on Worldview



Will helping at church for the men's work day



Ally stuffing one of the pillows she made



Ally's Mozart impression
(getting carried away with the fluff... lol)

I hope y'all enjoyed your week
and have a Christ-centered Lord's Day!

Wednesday's Ways...

While I was in the kitchen this morning,
cooking up some zucchini and squash,
the children were birdwatching
from our dining room window
(which we love to do all day long).
We saw a nuthatch in our tree
and Beth was excited!
She was excited because just a while before
they had been looking at birds
from our Bird card game
and she recognized the lil' bird in the tree.
She was thrilled to show Mommy
that she knew which bird it was...

Mommy was so proud of her
being able to recognize the bird so well. ;o)
We love watching this lil' bird walk up and down the tree!

Here was the evidence of Beth searching
for just the right bird card...


Then she and Carolynne
enjoyed looking through them a little more,
picking out the ones we have in our backyard...

Have I mentioned lately that I just LOVE
homeschooling and natural learning? ;o)

After eating, we enjoyed reading through Proverbs 12
and discussing some of the verses together.
Then the children colored/drew their illustrations...


Our selected verse and illustration...


The lil' girls colored one like this
and Will drew his own...



Later, after giving Will a haircut
and bathing the girls,
Will and I read aloud in history
and he worked on some copywork...


Ally worked more in her Chemistry and Worldview...


It was a pretty productive day.
It was a blessing to be in the Lord's house this evening!
And, now, I look forward to a good night's sleep. ;o)

Hope y'all enjoyed your day!

Toddler Talk in the Kitchen...

"Mmmm, Mommy! Are those yellow coocumbers?",
Carolynne delightfully asked about the following...




How cute it was!
I explained to her it was yellow squash
but that it sure did resemble a cucumber in some ways. ;o)
The squash and zucchini were
what Ally and I enjoyed...



But Carolynne (and Beth) still got their "coocumbers"...

Moving Beyond Conviction...

Below is a quote from a book I am currently reading...
"A Heart for God" by Paul Chappell



"As we live our Christian lives,
let us go beyond feeling the need for God's presence;
let us fix our hearts on experiencing His presence
each and every day.
Let us move beyond the conviction that says,
"I need to get closer to God."
Let us determine to do the things
that will bring us closer to God.

So many Christians
are in and out of fellowship with God.
They are in and out of church,
up and down spiritually.
The Christian life has become, for many,
a roller-coaster ride of highs and lows.
This is the exact opposite of having a heart
that is fixed on Christ.
This type of Christianity is not only
very frustrating to the Christian,
it is also detrimental to the cause of Christ.
America is becoming a post-Christian, pluristic society
because of Christians who will not humble themselves
and fix their hearts on God.

We must each take personal responsibility
for our spiritual neglect.
God's Word says,
"If my people, which are called by my name,
shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face,
and turn from their wicked ways;
then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land."
~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

Revival will begin in America
when God's people determine
to fix their hearts on Jesus Christ;
revival will begin
when we once again love God supremely."

Thinking of You...

Thank you, Daddy and Uncle Steven!
We're proud of you!
We love and miss you!

~ Your family


"The LORD watch between me and thee,
when we are absent one from another."
~ Genesis 31:49

Monday's Musings...

Today we began our 'offical' learning times
(a.k.a school).
It didn't exactly go as I had hoped or planned
but we made the most out of the day we had. ;o)
I had intentions of rising early in the morning
but poor Will was up at 5am getting sick in the bathroom
so once we made it back to the bed, sleep came fast.

Once we did wake up, however,
we were able to get breakfast finished, get dressed,
and begin our day together. ;o)

After breakfast, all of us sat at the table
for our Proverbs Time.
We chose verse 19 of chapter 10 to illustrate...


Here were theirs...


Afterwards, Ally went into her room
to work on her worldview and her chemistry.
Will and I stayed in the dining room to read history.
We began reading about Benjamin Franklin.
While reading one of his proverbs,
we came across a word we didn't know
and had fun looking it up in the dictionary...


Then Will copied the proverb...

"Every little makes a mickle"
Mickle, we learned, means much/great.

We, also, read from our Burgess Bird Book
about Jenny Wren and Petter Rabbit
and he colored a picture of a wren.

Later in the day, they were happy to play...

Here they had wrapped their toys in blankets
and then opened them up on the floor... fun! lol

Ally seized the opportunity to play the piano
as the younger ones played outside...


Today I was able to get a few loads of laundry done
and do the kitchen dishes from the weekend
(a load in the diswasher and many by hand), too. woo hoo!
All in all, it was a pretty productive day.

I hope y'all enjoyed your Monday, too. ;o)

The Winner is...

Congratulations Deana!

A special thank you to everyone that participated! ;o)

A Saturday Evening Visit to the Ocean...

Most of our day was spent in the dining room.
In between baking sourdough bread,
cooking a turkey, talking to my beloved on the phone,
picking up the house, feeding the children, etc... (phew!)
I was able to get the pattern for my new dress
traced, cut out, and cut out on the fabric.
I hope to work on it this week.
Ally, however, was able to complete her dress
using the pattern that we've been using lately,
except she added a little something special.
She added some ribbon to her dress,
which turned out so lovely.

After cleaning up, eating supper, and supper clean-up,
I thought it would be fun to take the children
on a quick trip to the beach.
We are having a tropical storm this weekend
and we were curious to see how big the waves were!
So we packed up in the van and headed to the ocean.

As we expected, it was quite windy when we arrived
and the view was so beautiful...
(the view of the beach and the view of the children) ;o)


The waves weren't enormous but they were bigger
and stronger (and there was a rip current advisory)
but the children enjoyed 'getting their toes wet'...



Will and Beth enjoyed running from the waves
and getting a little wet...


Carolynne, mostly, enjoyed staying where it was dry...


Since the ocean was so 'active',
the children and I held hands
so they could enjoy the water a little more...

We loved watching the waves crash down.
Ally enjoyed most of the action from the sand. ;o)

On our way back to the beach from a bathroom break,
we heard some commotion
and looked to see a man swimming in the ocean...

You might not be able to see him
but his head is circled in red.
A couple of men (lifeguards) were trying
to get his attention to make him get out.
It was a 'red flag', which meant no swimming
(because of the rip currents
and the tropical storm warning).
We were thankful that the man got out
and that we didn't have to witness an accident.

While we were there, we thought it would be fun
to learn about rip currents
(especially since there was a sign on the topic)...



We were, also, able to see a crab
(which we haven't seen since we left SC)
and we were excited...


We finished up our visit and headed home
just in time to shower off and put the children to bed.

We look forward to being in the Lord's house tomorrow. ;o)

I'll end this post with some of the photos
that we took while at the beach
(at dusk, during a tropical storm warning).
Some of them may look similar
but they each captured the beauty differently.
Hope you enjoy...

























"Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power,
and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty:
for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine;
thine is the kingdom, O LORD,
and thou art exalted as head above all."
~ 1 Chronicles 29:11

Fall Back Into Homeschool Giveaway...

As I am aiming to spend the next week in preparation
for our upcoming homeschool year,
I thought it would be fun to have
a "Fall Back Into Homeschool Giveaway".


What's being given away?


A set of colored pencils
A set of drawing pencils with eraser
A personal size pencil sharpener
A spiralbound sketch book
A set of pretty notecards
A homeschool bumper sticker
and
A free year subscription to Birds and Blooms magazine


To particpate:

1. Make a post on your blog with a link to this giveaway.
You are more than welcome to use the graphic above ;o)


2. Then leave a comment on this post.
If you do not have a blogger account,
please leave your blog address. ;o)


*The giveaway will end
Saturday, September 8 at 10:00pm.*

A winner will be randomly selected
and announced Monday, September 10th.

Happy Homeschooling!

Friday's Fillings...

Today we had our bi-monthly park day
with our homeschool group.
The temperature was still a little high, 80's,
but the breeze was wonderfully refreshing!

The children enjoyed playing at the park...


Carolynne and Beth going to play,
they had been holding hands... so precious!



Will thought it would be fun to try some pull-ups. ;o)
... just like his Daddy does.



Ally and a friend spent some time doing their Bible study
as they sat on the swings.

As the children played,
the mamas enjoyed the opportunity to fellowship. ;o)

Ally, also, enjoyed taking some photos while we were there.
She took a photo of this molted cicada shell...
(we're pretty sure that's what it is)


(you can click on the image to see it larger)
It was interesting to learn more about it.
God's creation is so fascinating!

Oh, while we were at the park my beloved called!
It was a blessing to talk with him a little while! ;o)

Tomorrow we hope to spend most of the day sewing.
It's been a little while since we've sat down to sew
and we are looking forward to it.

I hope y'all enjoyed your day!

Nature Studies...

Since our giveaway this week
tends to have a 'nature study' theme,
I wanted to share something I wrote
a couple of years ago regarding nature studies...




As a preface, let's define nature study...
(from Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language)

'nature' is...
"In a general sense, whatever is made or produced;
a word that comprehends all the works of God..."

'study' is...
"To consider attentively; to examine closely...
To apply the mind to; to read and examine
for the purpose of learning and understaning..."

nature study~
(in my own words and the assistance of Mr. Webster) ~
To apply the mind to examining
and attentively considering all the works of God
and His creation, for the purpose of
learning and understanding it and Him.





What better way to learn about our Creator
than to study and explore His own creation?!
His handiwork is revealed all throughout His creation...
"...the heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
~ Psalm 19:1
"...thou laid the foundation of the earth:
and the heavens are the work of thy hands."
~ Psalm 102:25

In studying 'nature', we are, perhaps,
nearer to the Creator
than any other study of science.
"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee;
and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee:
and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
Who knoweth not in all these
that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?"
~ Job 12:7
"O LORD, how manifold are thy works!
in wisdom hast thou made them all:
the earth is full of thy riches."
~ Psalm 104:24

There are many people that know very little
about their 'natural' world
because they don't take time to really observe it.
We can bless our children with regular opportunities
to get in touch with God's creation.
They have already been given a natural curiosity
and interest in His creation...
What child isn't excited when they see a bird,
especially within their reach,
or see an interesting insect that they've not seen before,
or is thrilled when they see a deer, fox, or rabbit
on the side of the road,
or loves picking flowers for Mommy,
or simply loves to be outside?

"For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead;..."
~ Romans 1:20

When we provide regular opportunities to study nature,
it sparks an interst in our children (and ourselves)
for the natural world... for His creation.
It, also, teaches them observation, inquiring, attention,
and even research skills.
It, also, nourishes them (and us) spiritually.
It deepens our understanding and appreciation
of our Creator and His attributes.
"Lift up your eyes on high
and behold who hath created these things,
that bringeth out their host by number:
he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might,
for that he is strong in power; not one faileth."
~ Isaiah 40:26

... Even God Himself enjoys His creation,
shouldn't we encourage our children to enjoy it, also,
and help them develop a spirit of praise and adoration
for His work in His creation?

"Thou art worthy, O Lord,
to receive glory and honour and power:
for thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
~ Revelation 4:11

No matter what the season or the weather,
we have an invitation to enjoy His marvelous creation.
Let's not only send our children outside...
let's go with them and admire God's creation with them.

Monday's Musings...

This afternoon we visited with some friends
for supper and fellowship.
They were grilling ribs, shrimp, corn,
and had potato salad and "doubled" eggs
(as our lil' girls call them)...
Who could pass that up? ;o)

Before we left, Ally baked a cake
for her friend's upcoming birthday
and we took it with us for eating. ;o)

During the drive there,
we all noticed how beautiful the sky was
and Ally took a few photos...





We can never look at the sky
without thinking of and talking about
God's marvelous handiwork!
" The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
~ Psalm 19:1


The children didn't hesitate to start having fun
once we arrived at our friend's home.
What a blessing it is to have friends
that are like family, too. ;o)

















The fellowship was wonderful!
And the food was delicious!
Ally was not ashamed that she was able to eat
4 whole ears of corn! Mmmm...



She, also, had fun decorating the cake with her friends.






As dusk approached, they enjoyed playing outdoors more.







Ally was able to ride a bike for a little while
and she played with the flying disc, too,
until they got it stuck in a tree...


The little ones, also, enjoyed playing...

The mamas joined them, too, and we had lots of fun. ;o)

We had a sweet time of fun, food, and fellowship.

I hope y'all enjoyed your Labor Day!

Oh, for Okri...

Where I grew up, in the south and in the countryside,
my grandparents had a decent size garden.
Aside from the watermelons
that we liked to eat the hearts out of (lol),
one of our favorite garden-grown foods to eat was okri.
Many people know it as okra,
but somewhere in that Arkansan countryside,
with a deep, southern drawl... it was okri.

Well, a few days ago my pastor's wife gave us a bag of it.
Ally and I were excited to cook it up today!
I had a few people inquire how I cook it
so I thought I'd share, just for fun.
It's real easy and we love the taste.
If you don't like okri,
the photos may not look appetizing. ;o)


After washing the okri, I patted it dry
and sliced it up...




Then I sprinkled it with a bit of cornmeal
(just like Gramma did)...



I melted some butter (not margarine) in the skillet
and then added the okri...


After a few minutes of frying and stirring,
waiting until it was golden browned,
I placed it in a bowl for serving...


Mmmm....
Ally and I just shared the bowl together!
It was delicious! ;o)

Restaurant okri ain't got nothin'
on homemade okri. ;o)