Friendship - Book Review

I finished Lisa Whelchel's book "Friendship for Grownups" this morning and I will tell you - this book has power!

I absolutely loved this book!  Why?  Because it is a great demonstration of the power of testimony, as opposed to a "how to" approach.    Lisa writes from her heart and soul; sharing her own struggles with friendships over the years.  She points out her own vulnerability and insecurity that caused some friends  to walk away and also shares stories of the walls she erected around her heart in order to survive in the business she was in.
The most freeing aspect of this book for me, was her willingness to risk rejection with those she cared about, by writing out her feelings.   She was willing to face conflict in order to grow; which was inspiring to read.  So many times we stuff our feelings of rejection deep inside - or at least we think they are buried deep - but really they are stacking up like a pile of bricks!   Lisa calls this the "Brick at a Time" concept, which means that each little annoyance or problem that occurs between two people can easily begin to stack up over time and become a brick wall.
Not that we need to voice every little thing that annoys us; but if it is something that could potentially come between you and someone you care about, it's better to lay it on the table and deal with it before it becomes a wall between you.

Overall, this was just an honest testimony by a woman looking for some close friends she could feel safe with.   She does add to the back of the book, some pointers on friendship; but the true heart of the book is just her testimony to what God was (and still is) trying to teach her about friendship.

On My Fridge this week

On The Menu

Breakfast Choices

Donut Mini Muffins

Brown Sugar Poptarts

Toaster Struedels

Cold Cereal

Oatmeal

Toast

Breakfast Bars

Hot Pockets

Lunch Choices
Ham & Cheese melts
Chili Cheese Dip
Taquitos
BbQ Chicken Pizza
Chopped Beef Sandwiches
Fiesta Tuna Sandwiches
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
PopCorn Chicken & Fries
Burgers & Fries

Dinner Choices
Cowboy Casserole
Beef & Chipotle Burritos
Potato Soup with Rolls
Slow cooked Creamy Chicken
Beefy AuGratin Potatoes
Pork Loin
Tamales
Rosemary roasted Chicken with Potatoes
Quesadilla Casserole

Occasionally I will make a menu,  but then just post it all on the fridge as choices, instead of assigning a certain dish on a certain day.   This works well for the family (or mom) who wakes up and changes her mind.  I don't like being tied down to a certain dish - say "Tuna" when my taste buds are screaming "Pizza"!   So this method allows me to keep track of the meals I have ingredients for, but allows for choosing according to our moods.  

These particular meals have come from a variety of sources such as: Taste of Home Magazine and a Slow Cooker recipe collection.   The last two dishes on the dinner menu are from the new "Recipe Inspirations" Spice&Recipe Cards found in the spice section of the grocery store.   If you haven't discovered these little gems yet,  they are pre-measured spice combinations packaged with a recipe card.  All you do is add the meat, and a few other ingredients and you have a main dish! 

Hope you've enjoyed a little peek into my kitchen this week!

Blessings!

Debbie

Girl's Day

I've noticed that I start off alot of my posts with something about it being busy around here.  That's starting to annoy me, so I'm certain that some of you are starting to hate it too!  Truth is - life is just busy all the time!

This past weekend was so busy with getting the horses over here, making sure they were going to be ok on Saturday.  Then Sunday we had church, then lunch, then Collin had a 4H Horse project class from 3:30-5:00pm so we were back out to do that.  We ate out and came back home and it was time to do all the nighttime stuff that gets us ready for the next day.   By the time we all went to bed Sunday night, we were all dragging.

Monday morning came around and David declared he was taking a day off.  He needed a day to just relax and take it easy.   Well, enter the beauty of homeschooling........if Dad can declare a day off - so can Mom!  

I actually needed a day off - mentally!  I had been doing a little thinking about school the week before; feeling like I wanted to add some additional elements to our day, so I had spent the week before really racking my brain about how to do that.  Add to that - the busyness of the weekend, plus an 11 year old who is constantly talking, and my brain was fried!

So, when it was decided that Monday would be a day off, I told David I was going to spend the day in Beaumont, having a little "girl" time.  And I had a wonderful day!

The weather was beautiful and I had a whole day to myself!  Of course I started out at Barnes and Nobles, buying books about horses.  One of the "ideas" I had about school was to start a unit study on horses, now that we needed to learn all we could about taking care of them.   I spent about an hour in there, being that they had about 2 full rows of books on horses!  I came out with 5 books and some art kits about horses.  I think we're set to study them for awhile!

After B&N, I went to LifeWay to buy the book "Love and Respect" which oddly enough, had been recommended to me twice in one week, by 2 different people.    They both claimed this was one of the best marriage books ever written.   Don't have to twist my arm to buy another book!  So I did!

I was getting hungry after all that shopping, so I drove across the street to Schlotsky's and had a sandwich on the patio, which was nice but too breezy (I was having to hold down my chips and napkins the whole time).   I still hate eating by myself in a public place.  That is the MOST uncomfortable thing for me!  So eating on the patio seemed like a better idea than sitting inside, but it made for an active lunch!

When I finished lunch I headed over to Kohl's, my trusty clothing choice.  I can always find something I need there and after my clothing meltdown Sunday morning, trying to find something decent to wear to church, apparently I was in need. 

I ended up being in there for probably about 2 hours! By the time I finished trying on numerous pairs of pants and tops, I was wiped out!  (Oh, how I long for the days when I could shop til I dropped, which used to be all day.  Now it's about 2-3 hours!)  Anyway, I did get some things I needed and came out a happy camper:)

When I left Kohl's I was parched!  Shopping is hard work!  So I drove across the street (again) and went through the drive-thru at Chick-Fil-A for a "sweet" tea (we're in the South!) and got a bonus!  They were giving away "Spicy Chicken Sandwiches" FREE with a large tea!  Yay!  Not that I was hungry, but I planned on taking it home for Ted, who is half chicken (because he eats there multiple times a week!).

Speaking of Ted - I forgot to mention that I had also stopped in at Office Depot to buy printer ink and received a $15 gift card for ITunes FREE, so of course, I was saving this for Ted too.     Can't come home with something for Collin (horse ART) and not Ted too (even though all of his stuff was free:)  It's the thought that counts!

So, I arrived home from my "girls" day about 3:00pm feeling relaxed (tired) and mentally revived (no one picking my brain all day (hi Collin).   I was glad I still had daylight hours to spend with the family too. 

Overall - MOM needed a day to herself!    Thanks, honey!

As for yesterday - it was a busy day!

Until next time.........
Blessings!

Friendship

I want to write from my heart today about friendship.

I've been reading (or more like devouring) Lisa Whelchel's latest book titled "Friendship for Grown-ups".    It's undoubtedly her best book yet, and I've read most of her books and loved them.

This particular book peaked my interest because I've always struggled in the friendship department.  Not that I haven't had friends, but that I haven't kept alot of them.    But, maybe life is not all about having life-long friends (only), but also about having friends in different seasons.

I have always categorized my friends, such as:
Acquaintances, Church Friends, Fun friends, Spiritual Friends, Anytime Friends,  and Surface Friends.

Of course, I have never vocally labeled them, but in my mind, they all fit into a category.   OH! I almost forgot my "Blogging" Friends!  Very important to me:)

But, anyway - the point is - I've made alot of friends over the years (that seems to be the easy part), but keeping those friends seems to be where life gets tricky.

While reading Lisa's book, I've been able to recognize some traits within myself that have probably hindered my friendships in the past (which would include up to yesterday:)    Things such as "walls" I've built to protect myself.  Once you've been deeply hurt or betrayed in friendship, you tend to keep people at arm's length.  

Another thing I recognized in her writing is the need to be perfect.  Not that I've ever attained this status and it's not that I think my friends think I am; it's more of a control thing and an expectation I've set up for myself.    I'm not sure why, and I'm not going to a therapist to find out what went wrong in my childhood to set up this unhealthy pattern.  But, I do know that I have high expectations of myself and therefore, of others.    And, there lies my biggest fault.

I love all my friends - all for different reasons.   I love the ones I have had for this entire journey of marriage.  I love the ones I've had for my entire season of motherhood.  I love the ones I've had for the last 7 years at church.  I love the one friend I have kept from high school.  I even love the ones I've only recently begun to know.  The problem is, I'll never believe they love me in the same way.    That's the problem with high expectations; they always leave you feeling cheated in some way.

So, as I continue to read this book (I'll be finished by today or tomorrow), I will soak up every ounce of wisdom she imparts and confess to the Lord my imperfections (even though He's completely aware of what they are) and try to lower my expectations of people and exhibit more grace.   It won't come naturally; I'm not a "Mercy" gifted person - I'm the one with the spiritual gift of "Prophecy".    But, as I have been given much grace by many people, I know that's what others need as well.

If you happen to be one of the people in my life that knows me and has stuck around (even my blogging friends that have "heard" me rant and rave) - my heart says "Thank You; you are loved".

Sincerely,
Your Friend

Horses are Finally Here

Today is finally the day!
After 10 long months of fencing and cleaning;
building a barn, and many trips to the feed store,
our horses have finally arrived at their own little farm.

 Here are Lady and Peanut

up near the driveway.  

This is where I expect to see

them when they hear us coming home.

I've imagined this scene for months and

am now able to see it for real!

 One crunch of the grass and off they go!

Spooked by the presence of Collin.

Yet, when David got on the tractor

to move some dirt, they wouldn't budge!

 James and Collin looking like little ranch hands, hanging over the fence.

 As if an entire grass field weren't enough - gotta have the sweet feed!   There's the partial barn in the background.   Other half coming soon. 

 Six years ago we promised the boys we would have horses.  3 hurricanes later, we finally made good on our promise.

If I never get on one to ride, I'll just be happy staring at them and petting them.

Here's a glimpse at what's going on in my house/life lately:

FlyBaby Update:  
Not doing so great.  Still shining the sink, but routines are "if-y".  Need to get back to it.


Reading:
Just finished:
Kate Gosselin's latest (on IPAD) and 
Melinda Doolittle's "Beyond Me" (awesome book)

Fiction: "Daddy's Little Girl" by Mary Higgins Clark (on my IPAD)
Body Clutter by The Fly Lady  (Decluttering your body)

Next: Lisa Whelchel's "Friendships for Grownups"


Working On:
Mini Scrapbooks (finished one for our latest trip to Lost Pines and starting one on our future landscaping project which will show "before and after" pictures.)


School:
Going well.   Collin has had Art Class this week where we made paper mache (messy) and is entering 5 pictures into a small town photography contest this week.   I spent a fortune on printing and matting and the "grand prize" is only $15!!!!  Oh, well!  It's good experience:)


Menu Planning and Coupon Cutting:
Falling behind but determined to get this going again.  It's on my "to-do" list for this week.



After being gone for 5 days, I've obviously fallen behind on some things.

This week started off at a fast pace.   Monday David invited a co-worker to dinner at our house, which was nice, but it was our first day back to school since our trip, so it was a little hectic getting everything prepared PLUS keeping school on track for that day.     Ted also invited his girlfriend Chelsea (who is adorable) , so we had a full table.    I fixed Ritz and Chicken Casserole, Green beans, Sweet Brocolli Salad, Rolls, and Pound Cake with cool whip and strawberries.   YUM!

Tuesday we did school in the morning then had to head to Art, which started at noon.   The mom who opens her home to us, always fixes us lunch (which is amazing!).    We are incorporating our theme for co-op into Art, so we are studying Geography of the World in both classes.   Yesterday she had the kids blow up balloons and paper mache them, which is simply covering them with newspaper and goop.   She is going to paint them blue before our next class and they will magically turn into globes!  The second part of that project will be for the kids to add the continents. 

After leaving Art, we had to make a trip to Hobby Lobby and have Collin's photos matted for the photography contest.   It was there that the realization hit me, that I was spending a small fortune on the process and the grand prize was only $15.   Oh well.     There will be other contests that we can enter, using the same photos.

Of course, it being my lucky day, Hobby Lobby was having a sale on all scrapbook supplies, so I stocked up on mini scrapbooks.   They were only $2.50 each!!  I bought some paper and stickers for 50% off too.   

Today we have school and then I'm going to get a hair cut.  I'm so ready to cut this hair off!  It's the longest I've had it in years, but it's driving me crazy!  I end up putting it in a pony tail every day and I'm sick of it.   When it's down, it's nice, but who can realistically walk around, cooking and cleaning, with 2 feet of hair hanging in your face?  AHHHH!      So, I haven't completely made up my mind what I will be doing with it, but it will definitely be shorter.   And, the weird thing is, David didn't throw a fit like he usually does.   Hmmmm.  Something's up with that!

After my hair appointment it will be time to take Collin to violin class, then home, which I am already looking forward to!

Tune in in a few days to (maybe) see a picture of the new hair.  If it turns out bad, you won't be seeing it!

Blessings my friends!

A Great Day

Yesterday was such a nice change of pace.  We were all at home for most of the day working around the house.  

David and the boys were outside working on the barn; getting it ready for the horses, which should be here next week.   They all worked so hard cleaning up tools, building a stall, moving materials, etc.  I am a softy and felt sorry for them all, having to work in the heat. 

 My 3 men on our recent trip to Lost Pines.  I told them the 

look like an album cover!

I did a few things outside then came inside and basically held my post at the stove all day.   I like to feed them well when they are working outside, so I made biscuits and sausage for breakfast, bean and beef chalupas for lunch, and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner.  

In the meantime, or should I say, in between meals, I rearranged some furniture, cleaned the front porch furniture and started a new scrapbooking project called "Mini Books".  

I am so excited about mini books, which is new to me.   The last time I was in Hobby Lobby I had a feeling that I needed a project but had no idea what I wanted to do.  I happened to be looking at the magazine rack and picked up a scrapbooking book called "Sharing Your Story" by Ali Edwards.   The book was full of mini scrapbooks the author created for different purposes.   Some were traditional picture albums with crafty additions, but some were very unique books she created for other purposes.  For instance, she makes mini books for keeping track of her favorite books, favorite menus from restaurants, maps, and many other items.   Instead of putting it in a notebook she makes a mini book that looks very creative.   I will try to take some pictures and post them soon. 

I, personally, am going to use the "mini book" idea for scrapbooking.   Time is my biggest deterrent when it comes to scrapbooking and I think this will help solve that problem for me.   For instance, yesterday I was able to scrapbook all of our pictures from Lost Pines,  in one afternoon, because I used a mini book.   In the past years, I would start a full size book for each calendar year, meaning I had 12 months of pictures in one album.   Well, if you are a picture taker at all, you know how fast you can stack up the photos and get way behind on the albums!    This method will allow me to do one event at a time and be done in a matter of hours!   I'm so excited about this!

My next "mini" is one I'm going to start for a landscaping project.  Basically it will be one little album about "before and after" the landscaping was done.    


Today is church, lunch, then getting ready for the new week.   Looks like it will be an active one!

Until then........
Blessings!

New Template

Well, I thought it was time to start thinking "FALL" so I've changed my template. 
 It will take me some time to get used to it; I've had the other one for so long.

Problem is - Blogger has changed some things since I've done this and I've now forgotten how to change font colors.

Any suggestions or tips?

A Gentle Whisper

"Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, 

but the Lord was not in the wind.  

After the wind there was an earthquake,

but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  

After the earthquake came a fire, 

but the Lord was not in the fire. 

And after the fire came a gentle whisper."

I love this passage in 1 Kings 19:11-12.   It paints such an accurate picture of God's people (us) and how we look for God in the big and mighty happenings, but fail to get quiet enough to hear his gentle whisper.

This passage was written thousands of years ago, yet it fits our lifestyles still today.   

I know when I'm searching God for answers to specific prayers or desperately praying for friends or whatever it may be, I'm looking and anticipating big movement from God.  I want  big movement from Him.  And sometimes I think He gives us big answers.   But, most of the time I think He gently whispers to our soul and expects us to hear him; or more like, desires that we hear him.  

But, to hear the gentle whisper of God requires quietness and stillness.  It requires focus and listening with all our might.  It requires solitude and purpose.  It requires of us what we have trouble giving - our all.

We wake up and hit the floor running; thinking of our To-Do lists and what we have going on that day.  We turn to the computer, the TV, the car, the world, and we begin our day without ever listening for the whisper.  

We fill our minutes, hours, and days with other people; friends, co-workers.   We don't like solitude so when we get a moment alone we fill it with noise.   

And we wonder why He doesn't speak to us anymore.

Maybe He is - we're just not listening.

My heart's desire is to draw so close to God that I can hear his gentle whisper. 

Almost home

Today is our last day at the resort. I'm ready to go home! I miss the comforts of home and my routines. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate the blessing of these trips, it's just that I can only take so much "down time" before I start going stir crazy.

We are hitting the lazy river again today and will end the day with more good food. Then it will be the 4 hour drive home.

I will post pictures soon.

Everyone please remember my friend Cam who is having surgery today.

Thank you,
Debbie

As I'm typing this, we are on a business trip with David in a little place called Bastrop, Texas. If you google Hyatt Lost Pines, you will see a wonderfully wooded resort, complete with Lazy river, bike trails, smores over the fire pit, and movies at night.

We are having a great time except for my 17 year old, Ted, who came down with a severe case of hay fever the day before we left. He's still swimming and trying to participate, but not feeling 100 percent.

I will be posting pictures when we get back.

Be back soon!

Debbie

Bearing one another's burdens

This morning I woke up and had friends on my mind.  The verse about bearing one another's burdens keeps coming to me, because it's such an important role we play as Christians.

Yesterday I tried to speak encouraging words to a friend whose husband just lost the 2nd job in 2 years.  She is scared, she is uncertain, she is confused, and she is desperately trying to listen for God's voice.  I've been there - twice - and it's a hard place to be.  Do we sell our house?  Do we NOT pay our bills?  Do we pack up and move?  What is your will Lord for our lives?  What are you trying to teach us?  How many more times do we have to go through this lesson?  So many questions and such a silent God, at times.  In my heart I am carrying her burden.

Then, around dinner time, I checked my emails and was shocked to receive a message from one of my homeschool blogger friends.  I've never met this women in person; yet, we have become friends through blogging.   She is a wonderful writer and a passionate mother, wife and Christian.   She uses her blog to encourage women and spur them on to be the best they can be, in their homes and with their families.
And she is suffering from a disease and is asking for prayer.   She will be having surgery next Wednesday and is already considering the fact that she might not be around to watch her children grow.   It is heartbreaking.   She has a big faith but the fear is creeping in.    She loves the Lord but is not ready to give up this life.  She is asking for prayer specifically for God to grant her more time with her family.   Her youngest child is not even a year old yet.  In my heart I am carrying her burden.

To carry another's burdens is painful.  You hurt for someone, just as if their burden was your burden.   God knew that we would need this.   He knew that we would need to feel compassion and love for others, in order to keep our hearts soft and moldable.    On the other hand, He also knew that we would need to allow others to carry our load, to keep us humble and focused on Him and not ourselves.  You see, it's very humbling to ask for prayer.   It's a humbling thing to accept help from others - even to admit that you are weak, afraid, doubtful.   Yet, we need to be all of these things so that God can show himself mighty.

So today I am putting aside my own worries and carrying the load of my friends.   I gladly put down my petty concerns and choose, instead, to stand in the gap for these who are barely able to stand.   I count it a privilege to go to God on behalf of these families and pour my heart out and humble myself before the Lord.   

And I'm asking you to join me.

Lift up Lora and Cam.  Lift them up high to the Lord.  Cry out for them; that God will be real to them and present and not silent.   Ask Him to bless their families; to provide strength; to provide health, food, money, and whatever they need to be a walking testimony for God on this earth.

Carry their burdens.  

Thank you and God bless.

Any FlyBabies left?

How are all the "FlyBabies" out there?  I know I completely dropped the ball at the beginning of the summer by not keeping up with my FlyBaby posts.   I honestly don't know where the summer went!

However, now that routines are starting to be a part of life again, I'm starting to think of improvements that need to be made in my household.

The main thing on my mind right now is exercise.....that dreaded word!   I really want to exercise and get into better (healthier) shape, but it is hard to find the time.    And, as I just typed that last sentence, I could hear the FlyLady's voice saying "put away the perfectionist ideas and just DO IT!"

I think that's a huge part of my hang up with exercise.   I can't fit it perfectly into my routine, so therefore, it doesn't get to be a part of my day. 

You see, here's the problem:  If I follow the FlyLady's advice and get up and dressed before anything else, then I'm in jeans and not in work out clothes, which means I can't exercise.   Who can do sit-ups in jeans?   But, if I get up, exercise, then get ready, I've accomplished the exercise part, but it throws off my quiet time.    I like to have my coffee and time reading my Bible and praying before the house gets noisy.   So - what to do???   If I leave exercise until later, it won't get done.

But, I really have felt burdened about my health (weight) lately, so I think a new routine is worth a try.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Until then......

Blessings,
Debbie

An action packed weekend

We had a great Labor day weekend!

Friday night we had dinner with some friends, which was a great time of mexican food, coffee and dessert.

Saturday was full of house work, fence work, and ended with an episode of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew with Collin.

Sunday Ted was going to a concert in Houston so we decided to go to the area and stay at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center for a little R&R.   That area is so nice with an outdoor shopping area, many great restaurants, a water taxi ride and an outdoor concert pavilion.  

Our first stop was the Cheesecake Factory.  The food is amazing!  However, after we finished our meal, we engaged our waiter in a little conversation, only to find out that their food has been mentioned on The Biggest Loser as some of the most calorie-laden food ever!  Great!  Glad he told me that after I finished my chicken enchiladas covered in red sauce, tomatoes,  black beans and rice.  

After going into some of my favorite stores like Anthropologie, Williams and Sonoma, and the Pottery Barn, we headed over to the resort.   We stayed there several years back on a business trip and had such a great time at the pool, so I thought it would be the perfect place to have some down time.   Apparently so did about 500 other people!   Regardless of the crowd, we had a great time just sitting and relaxing.  

David and I sat and read magazines, sipping peach tea, while Collin and James (his best friend) played in the pool.   We even ate dinner down by the pool, which was a great change of pace.

The next day (Labor day) David and I were able to sneak down to the resort diningroom before the kids were up and have breakfast by ourselves.  We then took a walk around the grounds before heading back to the room to pack.   

The one thing on David's mind for Monday was taking a ride on the Water Taxi that cruises through the waterway by the mall area.   There are many business buildings, the concert pavilion,  high-rise condos, shops and restaurants to see on the cruise and it's all from an air-conditioned, covered water taxi.    That sounded like a great idea for a family outing, so we paid our $5.00 and took our seats on the boat. 

As we were taking off, we noticed the sky getting very dark and it was starting to rain.  Well, we were on a covered vessel so no worries, right?   Not 5 minutes into the ride, the wind blew us into the retaining wall and scared me half to death!   I'm not one for boats anyway, so considering the weather and the fact that the driver was on the radio talking to another driver about the weather and saying "I'm going to try to get through the tour",   I was about to have a meltdown!   The wind and rain got harder as we went along and I got more frantic.  At one point I was so adamant about getting off that David asked the driver to pull over and let us off.  The only problem was that it was storming outside and we had no umbrella and were about a 1/2 mile from our car!   After questioning the driver about his confidence in our safety (and, as I found out later, causing much snickering by the other passengers)  I decided I would brave it out and finish the tour.     By the time we made the trip and turned toward the departure area, the sky was clearing and all was well.    What a way to make a memory!

That night we finished off the holiday with hamburgers, fries, and another round of Hardy Boys.

What a great weekend!  Now it's back to work and a little less excitement (I hope!).  

Have a blessed day.....

God is SO good

After my stress-filled post last week, I thought I would give a small testimony about God's grace. 

As I shared already, I had to let the teacher of the homeschool program know that we wouldn't be using their program after all.  So Friday morning, before taking Collin to our co-op, I planned to stop by the school and turn in the unused books and officially withdraw Ted from the role.   

I was feeling a little down about going in to the school, because the teacher's tone, when I emailed her the day before, had been a little condescending.   She felt the need to remind me that, in college, Ted would be required to do this kind of work (not true) and have to spend hours reading and learning on "his own".    First of all - I've been to college (thank you very much) and am fully aware of what they do there.   Second of all - I don't recall filling in 2000 blanks in ANY class in college.  Reading, lectures, writing many papers - YES - but filling in blanks was not what I remember. 

So, in the car on the way to the school, I was listening to Focus on the Family (Christian radio program) and the speaker happened to be a homeschooling mom who had written a book.   I came in after the program had already started, but what I heard was exactly what God wanted me to hear.  The very thing the host and the author were discussing was the fact that every family (and child) is different and that we have to do what works best for our household, not what others think would be best.   She went on to say that it's ok to try new things, but it's also ok to chunk it if it doesn't work.     I felt so blessed at that moment!  I immediately started saying "thank you Lord, thank you Lord" in the front seat.  Collin was in the back seat and was saying "what mom?"   So I turned off the radio and shared with him the great thing God had just done;  spoke to me in a way I could understand!

It was a great blessing to me and a sweet testimony to share with an 11 year old; that God really does know our heartache and He cares enough and loves us enough to give us little glimpses of Himself, like this. 

I felt so good the rest of the day, just knowing that I had received a blessing from the Lord.

Just thought I'd share........

Our "typical" first week of school

Monday was our first day of school.  A little sad when I realized it was the first day of Ted's last year of homeschooling.  I'm starting to have flashbacks of the beginning years when we spent alot of time together, reading and learning.   Those were special times.

Fast forward and one thing that hasn't changed is the "unexpected" that always seems to accompany the first week.   This year it was allergies!  On Tuesday Collin woke up with severe allergies; coughing, sneezing, all stopped up.   Well, we had one good day!  I made him do his work on Tuesday, but I could tell his mind was not functioning at 100%.   By Wednesday, he made it through two subjects and the rest of the day was devoted to hot tea and allergy meds.    It's times like these, though, that I'm so thankful I don't have to force my sick child to go to school for 8 hours, feeling bad and possibly passing germs off to everyone else.


Another event took place this week - the killing of a learning mind.   Sounds dramatic doesn't it?  To me, it was.  As I wrote in my last post, all of Ted's curriculum this semester was from ACE, which uses a series of small workbooks.   We had enrolled him in a local private school that allows homeschoolers to use their curriculum and in turn, they administer tests each week, keep their transcript, and provide a graduation ceremony at the end of the year.    We thought this would be a good transition before college, in that he would be accountable to the institution and know what it's like to have certain deadlines.  The only drawback (well there were several), was that they were requiring him to take 2 courses that he really didn't need, in order to fulfill their graduation requirements.   I hesitated in going forward, but the teacher and a friend, both encouraged me to let him take the extra courses, so he could graduate from there, so I gave in.

So, Monday morning he begins his four subjects, diligently working for several hours.  I check his work later that day (he did really well), and kind of get a strange feeling about his courses.   He was instructed to do four pages in each subject per day, which was doable.  However, the vocabulary, which we only added because it's required to graduate from there, was just busy work (four pages of underlining "vowel blends"!).  As I checked his work on Tuesday, I realized he was wasting valuable time working on this course that they required (not us) and it was taking time away from what we thought was important for this last year, which was Math and Government.   However, the Gov't course was no better!  He was doing nothing but filling in blanks!   That's all the curriculum amounted to!   No pictures, no interesting facts, no timelines, no videos, no anything interesting that makes you retain what you're reading.   Just black and white text with 200 blanks to fill in.    And, so, as I said......the killing of a learning mind.

I had to make a decision fast!  It was disturbing me to see him in there working so diligently - filling in blanks for 4 hours.    So, I talked it over with David when he came home for lunch, and he gave me the go ahead to make some changes.    I spent the afternoon discussing with Ted what method he worked best with and trying to find something that would work.    In the end, he settled for Switched on Schoolhouse Civics, which is hilarious because this is what he's always used.  Funny how you end up back where you started and should have stayed!  He chose Teaching Textbooks for math, which was exactly what I had picked out (in the summer) before we decided on the school.  

What's the moral to this very long story?  I'm not an advocate of education having to be all about entertaining; however, I'm also not an advocate of regurgitating dry, boring facts and calling it "learning".       I think I'll choose the happy medium.

So, I had the pleasant task of informing the teacher that we would be pulling out of the program after 3 days of using their stuff.    Yay!  This has been a fun week!

I'm ready for the weekend!  Bring it on:)  At this point, I need some entertainment!