A Different Approach

School will be different at our home this year.  I have committed my heart to this.  My children's hearts and character are what I'm after first and foremost.  Erik and I were privileged recently to sit down with a Godly lady who has taught school at all levels from elementary to university for over forty years.  The first thing she challenged us to do is to attempt not to look at our children from a 5 or 6 foot perspective, but rather from a much higher perspective ~ to attempt to see them as God does.  She, also, reminded us that any weaknesses we saw in our children are there to be used by Him in some way.  She encouraged us that strengths often cause us to be prideful and self-sufficient where weaknesses humble us and teach us to depend on Him.  She reminded us of all the weakness of the great men of God in the Bible.  She encouraged us to look at our children through the eyes of God Who can use their weaknesses to glorify Him.

Through our time spent with her and through many, many other ways God has brought me to a place where I realize that my children's hearts, their character, and their souls are more important than the academics I teach.  I am an overachiever who tirelessly pushed myself all of my academic career.  I wanted to excel, and I was determined to do it.  I pushed myself. Hard. And, I can see how I have let some of this bleed over into my homeschooling. But, the beauty of homeschooling is that you don't have to push.  You can rest and trust.  You can teach, and if they don't get it the first time, or the second time, or the third time ~ there is no looming test on Friday.  There is no deadline.  No pressure. Unless you choose to create it.  And, I confess at times I have done this.  But, not this year.

This year we are backing up, slowing down, and building confidence, character, and trust in the greatest Teacher ever to walk the earth.  This year is about encouraging one another and building strong family relationships.  It is about giving back, loving big, and living life to the fullest, everyday.  It is about not worrying and learning to rest and trust.  It is about filling them up until they overflow.  It is my prayer that our home will be fertile soil for growing strong, beautiful souls that will rise up one day, leave our little nest, and glorify Him.

Summer.

It is summer.  And, we are trying to soak up these days full of freedom!  Actually, this summer has been so busy with sports camps and activities that I am kind of missing the calm quiet days of school!  :-)  So much is going on here, but I'm not quite ready to talk about all of it yet!  Our lives are changing so much this summer, and I can't wait to tell why, but that is not for today!

  

One quick thing before I dive into pictures.  I am praying about making my blog private.  Several things have bothered me about having a public blog for some time now.  I keep ignoring them, but they come back up.  So, I have decided to truly pray about it and ask the Lord to guide me. Occasionally, I write something and some of you comment, who I do not know, and say that what I wrote meant something to you, that you needed it that day.  This is the only reason that I have kept my blog public for as many years as I have.  If any of you have any advice or thoughts, I'd love to hear them.  Thanks!

Okay, summer so far....  

She is such a joy to us...

Baseball, it has been a baseball kind of summer 'round here....

Homemade Yankee uniforms...

Sweetnes....

Craziness...

Just shootin' the breeze....

Basketball camp...

Loved this VBS craft...

Sonic ice ~ starting 'em young...

Just a swingin'....

Happy Days!

This Moment...

As Unto the Lord...

My life is not glamorous.  I have six children 10 and under.  Basically, I wipe bottoms, fill sippy cups, and clean spills all. day. long. Most of my friends have moved on.  They don't change diapers anymore.  They just take kids to and from various activities.  Not me.  I'm taking my kids to and from baseball games and practices, and I'm changing diapers in all sorts of awkward positions and strange ways in my van and in the stroller.  It is crazy, and it is not glamorous.

Bare with me, I promise this is going somewhere wonderful, but I have to give the full picture.

I rarely feel beautiful.  Make up, if put on, is quickly worn off.  I rarely wear anything other than t-shirts, yoga pants, and tennies.  The body, well, she ain't what she used to be.  Getting dolled up and heading to Starbucks to meet a friend over coffee, it is a thing of my distant past.  I don't leave the house much, and I don't feel like I'm very interesting.  Unless you are passionate about how to keep up with laundry for a family of 8, then you just might find me fascinating! :-)

But, for the most part, my life is very routine, fairly organized, and not very exciting.  This is great by me, but there are days when the SELF starts calling, and I feel like I am less than human!  I was having one of those days....

I just felt like the old lady who lived in a shoe. I felt messy and tired and weak and overwhelmed.  And, part of me just wanted to throw in the towel.  But, Erik was out, and the little ones needed a bath before I could put them to bed.  Oh, bedtime, glorious bedtime! :-)  So, I plopped my littles in the tub just like that... one, two, three.  And, I slowly knelt down, just as I always do, but something caught me....

As I knelt down, I turned my head to the side to reach for the bottle of baby bath, and I was taken aback.....

I saw my long hair falling gently over my shoulder at about the same time my knees hit the floor....

And, He hit me right straight to the heart.

Suddenly, I felt like the prostitute kneeling at His feet, my long hair spilling down, as I bathed his feet in expense perfume.  Only it was really just lavender baby bath. :-)

But, I heard Him, as clear as day, say to me....

"This, my love, this is beautiful to me.  This makes you beautiful to me.  The way you love these little ones day in and day out.  The way you serve these that I have entrusted to you.  Whatever you do unto them, you are doing unto Me.  It may not be glamorous by the world's standards, but it is so beautiful to me..."

And, I felt beautiful and graceful.  And, I massaged their little scalps and rubbed their sweet little bellies and tickled their feet as I cleaned between their toes.  And, I poured the water over their heads and watched it fall all over them.  I felt their giddy joy as they kicked their legs and squealed over the water and the bubbles. My heart was full as I dried them and wrapped them warmly in their towels.  And, I held them close and took my time putting them to bed.

I preach it all the time, especially during school time, to my older boys... to do everything as unto the Lord.  But, this evening, this moment with my Savior, gave new meaning to all that.  Suddenly the mundane felt beautiful and glorious because it was done unto Him.  I was serving Him!  And, I'm not a missionary in Africa, and I am not the first to volunteer at my church.  But, I can serve Him all day, everyday, as I serve the least of these right here under my roof!  And, it may not seem exciting or glamorous, but there is a worth in this sort of work that outweighs anything this world has to offer!!

This Moment...

Monday's Gratitude....

I have so little time to blog these days, and that makes me so sad.  So many memories not yet recorded! I will catch up, at least blogging on the very most important things, one of these days...

But, today I need to stop and be thankful.

I am thankful....

* that life is overcoming death in my front yard!!  Every time I look outside, I swear, the grass gets just a tad more green!!  I am always amazed at how God breathes life into death right before our eyes.  I never get over it!  The flowers blooming, trees budding, bees buzzing.... Oh, how the earth awakens after lying dormant for months! Seasons, I never get over you!!  What a beautiful design by an amazing Creator!!

*  Little boys with sling shots and home-made bows and arrows playing in the warm sunshine.

* A babysitter who not only kept three of my children safe and cared for overnight, but also showed them a wonderful time ~ brownies, basketball, jello jigglers, and a meal out!  You are a gift, Laura!

*  Unique precious children that keep me on my toes and from ever being idle!  Laziness is not an option!

* Quiet mornings and busy days.  What will I remember when I look back on these days??

*  Dinner cooking slowly and making the whole house smell heavenly.

*  A frisky little squirrel, that the boys nicknamed "the aggravator,"  has figured out how to climb the roses and get to our birdfeeder.  Uggghhhh....

*  Emery saying, "Thank you!"  Makes my day!

* A fun evening ahead ~ watching the championship game!

*  A God who knows, cares, loves, fills, and forgives....

This Moment...

This Moment...

The Tourney....

It was a long day especially for Miss Em....

But, it was totally worth it!  For the first time this year Erik coached a travel basketball team for Joshua and a gang of basketball playing boys his age.  I think Erik enjoyed this as much as Joshua did!  The boys improved during the season, and in the end they won the overall tournament!!  The beat that dreaded Deschler team that had beaten them twice, but the little devils won when it counted!

Nana and Poppy were in town for the big event!!!

An amazing experience for my big boy!

Our Little Ladybug's First Birthday!

It was such a special day celebrating our special girl!

HMMMMM..... This is interesting....

Somebody kept helping her with her cake...

She was so dainty.  She hardly needed to be cleaned up!!  The boys all needed to be hosed off afterward!

We love her!!!

Thankful to God for her!

The Medieval Feast

Introducing my sons to the middle ages has been such a joy!!  I am convinced that all little boys love history!!  The middle ages did not disappoint!!  Knights and Kings, honor, chivalry, King Arthur, Robin Hood, Marco Polo, Charlemagne, Charles Martel, Saint Patrick, Augustine, Attila the Hun, Justinian, Alfred the Great, Saint Francis, William the Conqueror, Joan of Arc, Wycliffe, Gutenberg, and on and on and on...  Great Fun!

And, so the time finally came for the much anticipated Medieval Feast with all our Excelsior friends and their families!!!!

The boys painted their own shields to display...

The end result...

Feast Night!

Erik and I...

Erik was a monk ~ in case you couldn't tell... ;-)

Herbs to protect from the plague...

Of all the things we studied and read about, the plague really got to me.  Being one who is overly cautious about contracting stomach virus germs, I can only imagine the fear and terror of watching 1/3 of the population of Europe die ~ entire villages wiped out. One could be healthy in the morning and by evening be gravely ill.  Audrey taught the children how to make a pouch much like the ones that the people who were trying to protect against the plague carried to their noses...

They rolled cotton balls in herbs, then tied them up...

At another table real live LEECHES!!!!

And, real live animals...

Chicks...

A forge (the glowing hot metal only slightly frightened me :-)...

John and James.  Two peas in a pod.  I love these two together.  James met his match when he met John.  :-)

Making catapults out of popsicle sticks and spoons...

A good bit of fighting took place...

Children lined up for fencing lessons...

You better be good.  Just sayin'....

The scribe...

Real talent...

The actual feast was simply amazing.  The girls who decorated did an awesome job.  The feast was done by candlelight only, so the pictures are dark.  The food was mostly authentic.  We even ate with our hands!  NO UTENSILS!  We drank ale... ginger ale that is!  It was an unforgettable experience for the children.

Can you see the rat on Charlie's shoulder in the picture below???  Hysterical!!!

After the meal some of the older children performed for us the story of Robin Hood.  They did an incredible job! It was well done and funny, too! Such a special family evening!  Memories! :-)