CAMO Everywhere!!!!

I don't see any boys...do you see any boys?  Where?

Yes, this is my son!!!  I am so proud of him.  No, I don't care for hunting, don't really understand the fun of hunting. 

BUT

it is fun to see your child do something he enjoys.  He has been wanting to hunt for a long time.  Since Chris does not enjoy the sport, it is hard for us to find ways to accommodate his desire.  He has completed the hunter safety course and has his license but no "kills" under his belt.  

This was a juvenile dove hunt in Hartsville.  It was lots of fun for Jordan and even Chris said he had a really good time too.   

Another step toward manhood.

Lane's New Room

Lane in his loft bed.

His rock climbing wall up to the loft.

The "cave" under the loft.

My son, Lane, lives in a closet.  This particular room started out as Chris' and my closet when we first moved in our home 18 years ago.  Yes, it was a walk-in closet but still a closet.  It measures about 8 X 8. He has been complaining about wanting a new room.  Well, Chris and I are finished adding on to our house so we did the next best thing...we redid his room.  And he loves it.  If any of you know my man, you know he can do just about anything he wants to do.  In a casual conversation last weekend, we brainstormed a few ideas for his room.  A few hours later, Chris was at Lowes buying the lumber he needed to build my son a new bed.  It has turned out so cool. He has a loft bed.  To get in the loft, he climbs a "rock" wall.  In the "cave" under the bed, we put some cool Christmas lights around the bottom of the bed.  We reworked the shelves for his clothes and toys and added another shelf above his bed for his birds.  Target had these neat floor chairs on clearance so I got two of those so he can play his games or watch a video.  He has enjoyed his new room and shows it off every chance he gets.  It's really great.  

Next room to do....a teenage boy, Jackson.  Any ideas?????

Yellow Star

I took the kids to Cookville to enjoy a play.  I had gotten an email from my county homeschool group about this play.  It was called Yellow Star, written and directed by Mary Evelyn Notgrass.  I had thought that this was the mother of the Notgrass family who has homeschooled her children and has written curriculum that I have used with my boys, Tennessee History. WRONG. It was her daughter. Not only did she write this play, but she also wrote the words and music to the songs.  The songs were beautiful and glorified God.  The story was amazing, interesting, historically accurate and pointed to Jesus, the Yellow Star.  The story was set in France and she included several French dances, songs and games that children played in the early 40's.  The four Nazi solders even spoke German.  Another most impressive aspect is that there were over 60 actors and every one of them were home school kids, no adults.  

From my understanding, this was the 10th annual production of this Homeschool Dramatic Society.  I am so excited and look forward to the 11th annual production.     

The picture above is Mary Evelyn Notgrass.  She also played the role of the housekeeper.  She can act too!!!!!

Beginning of the End, Pt 2

On Sunday, the Matt Weaver family rented a pontoon boat at Defeated Creek.  Our family and the Beards packed up and drove down there (about 10 miles) to hang out on the pontoon boat.  It was fun.  We soaked and bobbed a lot.  

The water was great.  It was pretty clear too.  That is my husband's legs you can see in the water.

Of course, we took Poochie. 

The kids had fun jumping off the pontoon boat.  Here is Karis and Hope holding hands and jumping.

If ever there is any game of any kind, you can be sure that Jack will want to be part of it.  All the kids played UNO.  

Several of the kids tried to learn to ski.  Here is Micah.  It didn't take him long to get the hang of it.  He was up by the fourth try.    

The beginning of the end

The kids are back in school full swing and Labor Day is behind us, it's the beginning of the end of summer.  The official end of summer is NOT until Sept. 21 however, everyone is looking forward to the fall leaves and cooler temps.  A dear friend had her fall wreath up the third week of August.  She is so ready for fall.  I, on the other hand, am holding on to every warm moment with all that is in me.  

I guess we took our last "summer" camping trip over Labor Day.  Summer camping trips always include boating, skiing, swimming and tubing.  I think we will take the boat out a time or two more but then it will be time to winterize it and park it in the barn until next spring. Our family really extended the Labor Day holiday to 5 nights.  We went to Salt Lick Creek on Wednesday night.  That gave our family two nights and two days before the "masses" arrived on Friday night.  The "masses" were the 5 other families that like to camp together.  

Two years ago, Lane learned to ride a bike at this same campground.  This year, Karis learned.  She caught on very quickly but she still needs to tweak her skill.

On Thursday, we were the only ones at the swimming area.  The kids enjoyed building dams, roads, swimming pools and castles together.  

On Saturday, we headed out right after breakfast to the lake.  

Gran Gran  and Elizabeth tubing.  They were screaming the whole time having so much fun. 

Jordan and Micah had fun tubing too.

One Thing

This afternoon I am totally enjoying myself canning tomatoes and praising the Lord.  Sounds weird, I know.  I have got Rich Mullins blaring through the house.  I am singing along as loud as I can just praising Him.  Yes, my kids are looking at me funny too especially since I don't really have a good singing voice.  

It has been a long time since I listened to Rich Mullins.  We dug it out today because we were studying the Apostolic Creed.  He has a song called Creed that quotes the creed.  I continued to listen to this great CD.  The Lord uses his music to convict my soul.  I am listening to "One Thing".  

Everybody I know says they need just one thing 

And what they really mean is 

They need just one thing more

And everybody seems to think

They got it coming

Well I know that I don't deserve You (italics mine)

Still I want to love and serve You

More and more

You're my one thing.

Save me from those things 

That might distract me

Please take them away 

And purify my heart

I don't want to lose the eternal for

The things that are passing

Cause what will I have

When the world is gone

If it isn't for the love

That goes on and on with

My One Thing.  

What is your one thing?  Is it Jesus?  I want Him to be my One Thing.  Many times I don't live like He is.  I get caught up in those things that are passing and I stress and I experience anxiety over these things.  I worry and fret then I get upset with my babies and time is wasted on those things that are passing.  

The last line of the song is my prayer today:

Every night and every day

You hold on tight

Or you drift away

You're left to live

With the choices you make

Oh Lord please give me the strength

To watch and work and love 

And sing and pray.

A Bad Day Homeschooling is Better Than a Good Day...

...in public school.  

This was not in any way a bad day.  It was wonderful.  Even on our horrible days of home schooling, I wouldn't trade them.  

Here is a wonderful day of home school.

After reading about the city of Pompeii being buried under a volcano, we made our own volcano.  My small kiddos had not ever done this activity before today.  We read about how this volcano erupted on August 24, 79 a.d.  The city was modern and vibrant.  They were actually getting ready for their elections. About 1 pm the volcano started spewing and sputtering.  It shot lava up 12 miles into the air and with the pressure of the gases in the mountain, it stayed in the air like a mushroom for hours.  During this time, people just went on with their lives. We read about how one man even took a nap.  When the volcano finally started to weaken, the ash fell on the city at a rate of about 6" per hour. The whole city was soon covered in hot, molten ash. The city stayed buried for 1500 years.  

We then headed outside to make our volcano with baking soda and vinegar.  It was a hit.  They loved it.  We did it over and over until we ran out of baking soda and vinegar.  

This whole story and activity spurred lots of conversation about volcanos.  We looked on the internet and found pictures of the Mount Saint Helen's eruption in 1980.  We found some really great pictures and video on YouTube.  The kids then wanted to know where in the world were volcanoes.  So Jordan and Jackson got on the internet to find locations of volcanoes worldwide and then reported back to Lane and Karis what they learned.  On our world map, they marked a few places.    

A few minutes later, I found Lane and Karis looking at science books about volcanoes. 

 We then drew pictures of the city of Pompeii with a red cloud in the shape of a mushroom.  

None of this was pre-planned.  I don't think I could have planned it any better than it turned out.  We really had fun and hopefully learned a little along the way.