JUST WONDERING...

Does anyone else's home look like this? Every time I turn around I seem to see more messes. I take the credit for the 'desk' mess, but the littles are certainly doing their fair share too.

We are wrapping up our last few weeks of school, getting ready for the end-of-year State Testing...

...and quite frankly, we are going a bit stir crazy waiting for our spring weather to begin to shine. Yes, April showers bring May flowers... but gray and dreary is...well..... blah....

Atleast my kitchen is still *smiling* at me
(aka it is clean).

Got love?

Valentines' Day is a holiday with such mixed messages.

I love the decorative-ness of it. Red is simply my favorite color. Hearts, lace, roses... This is when I am grateful for having a daughter, one whom squeals with glee at decorating for any holiday, but this one definitely has a feminine flair to it, don't ya think?

I do not care for Valentine's Day in itself. The commercialism, the pressure it puts on men, the expectation of 'want' that is pushed for us women. The idea of a holiday telling my husband that this is the day he HAS to tell me he loves me, that he should be getting me a mushy card, that he is suppose to buy me flowers, balloons, and a fabulous child-free romantic dinner out... this whole idea makes me nauseous...

this is when I hear all the wonderful stories of woo-ing that other husbands do. This is also when I hear of hurt feelings of a wife that didn't quite get what she was hoping for. This is when I cringe at the store that seems to scream at my husband to not forget his wife on this oh-so-important-holiday...

this is when I smile...
as I reflect at all the ways my husband tells me he loves me on a daily basis.

~He works hard everyday, both physically & mentally- always without complaint.
~He is incredibly patient, even on the days when he is exhausted.
~He is the one that originally initiated me to stay home to be full time mommy! WOW, that in itself was probably the one most important gift he has ever gave me.
~He knows how to make me smile with the simplest of a whisper & a glimmer in his eye.
~I love when he takes all the kids out to play- all.of.them.- great bonding time with the teens, and the littles run off a lot of extra energy, and I am finally able to get things done in the house. =)
~It is wonderful when he participates in our family reading time in the evenings.
~I appreciate that he never balks at my lack of skills in the kitchen (really, I am quite pitiful at cooking).
~I love that he is fully supportive of our children having a home-based education!

He loves me as-is~ the frumpy days, the energetic days, the pull-my-hair out days, the have-it-all-together days, my roundness days, my fitter fitness days, my house-is-a-disaster days, my compulsive-clean-every-nook-and-cranny days... through it all, Fred always loves me.

So as Valentine approaches, and the sweet nothings of romance begin all around us...

I'll quietly whisper thanks to the good Lord for this amazing man who completes me...

For ever, for always, and no matter what.....

Tis the Season ...

for thought pondering questions.

Like...

Why does everyone else seem to pull off fabulous family pictures during the holidays?
seriously, we pile everyone together and hope for the best...hmmm, maybe there is a better technique to it?

Why does there always seem to be an underlying thought that I am forgetting to do something during the holidays?
making a list, checking it twice... should I just let Santa worry about such things?

Simple or elaborate? decorations, that is.
I love the twinking lights, nativity scenes, & trinkets of glimmer... yet, does simplicity seem to bring Christ more into focus?

Presents! We keep it simple, sibling buying/making gifts for each other does bring meaning...
but what are other ways for us to display "we care" to the other people in our lives that we love?

The Christmas Letter!
I actually enjoy creating our Christmas letter. It is fun to ponder about blessings amongst trials in our year... although I am thrilled to read other folks message, who really actually likes to read ours?? (I can just picture someone rolling their eyes while reading my musings ;^)

Christmas Day! My hope is for joyful celebrations; a day filled with family, fun, fellowship, & food... yet how best can my actions display the most precious gift of this day,
the love of Jesus Christ?

~

H
O
L
I
D
A
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~
PERFECTION?

Oh, I had some lovely intentions...really I did.
Our school studies for Thanksgiving week were outlined w/ purpose. And oh, the grand plans I had for our "Thankful for Each Other" party... crafts, games, prayer, snacks, & a movie.



Yep, I sure did... then it snowed. Who keeps kids inside studying when there is fun to be had?
Not this mom!
Frigid temperatures insist on icy roads, so when we were going to have our party, we now are hitting the road to stay with family a day earlier than planned...

We will open our Thankful letters before we go. Each child wrote a word to each sibling. Anything from "she's ok" to "He's crazy, I like that" to "I'm glad I'm bigger" to "He's funny & outgoing". Ha, did you expect it to have more meaning? Heartfelt & thought pondering? Oh, I did... but hey, welcome to our simple world. ;^)

Does anybody struggle with the attempt at a perfect holiday?

Does this effort rob the joy out of the intent?

I am a planner, a type A personality, I want things perfect. What I have discovered over the years is that to strive towards perfection steals the desires and efforts of pleasing others.

Holidays are not about the clean house,
not about the decorations,
not even about the food,
it is about the people.
Those whom we care about, adore, love.

So during this holiday of Thanksgiving...
I will slow down to...
embrace a small child,
listen to a talkative young lady,
pay attention to a quiet guest,
hug the host,
& whisper a grateful message into each ear that is near me this day.

Give thanks to the Lord, His love endures forever.............

l.i.f.e Academy...

Our first quarter is over. It seem to go by so fast! We now get to enjoy 2 weeks off.

I think I am acutely aware of how fast the year is going because I have a senior student. What a wonderful journey it has been. I will post of details at a later date.

First quarter successes:

Field Trips:
Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle Science Center
Fruit picking at a farm in Oregon

Library every Wednesday:
This is working out well. It is a small library, Thank goodness, as I get overwhelmed in big fancy ones with my littles in tow. =) I do have a habitual habit of always having some type of fee; I am pretty proud that I have not lost a book/movie/magazine as of yet. Little guy has ripped one page, but I figure for having 5 kids learning from home, that isn't too bad a track record??

We established our new routine using the Robinson Curriculum along with keeping it organized Workbox style. It is working out well for us. Less chaotic, more focused. I am needing to find more focused time w/ my kindergartener. Preschool-ish activities are going well alongside littlest brother, but dear Andrew, in his offbeat way is skirting around his quality lessons in reading and language skills.

Extra-curricular:
*Katie-girl is doing ballet twice a week. Cool part is that she helps as an assistant in two little tyke ballet classes, and barters her payment for the lessons. She LOVES helping little kids.
Campfire also began. Lucky for us, Aunt Chanelle (my husband's sister) is the camp leader. She is amazing with kids!

*Nick is out (again) with a soccer related injury. Let's see...Hip out of alignment, broken wrist...now it is a bruised bone in the shin. This is not something to play around with, unless one enjoys the thought of a potential broken bone. We are hoping he will be back in play in a few weeks.

*TJ is patiently waiting for dad to take him fishing...soon, very soon....

A Funeral:
My dear Grandpa passed away recently. The funeral was last week-end. It is rather an event of mixed feelings. We know he is with the Good Lord; Halelujah! Yet the heart aches at the loss. The family had a Celebration of Life...which was fantastic...family, food, fun... but it left me pondering at how quickly life goes by, and how we should celebrate daily the gift of life.

Fall Break:
We are headed to Oregon for a week to visit some friends. Daddy has been staying with these friends for several months now. Lucky for us, Daddy gets to take a vacation with us next week to the Coast for a whole week! We are thrilled!

Future posts:
1. We wrapped up our Summer Nature Studies
2. Interesting Garden Adventure

3. Our Curriculum plans for the fall months.
4. A church-less family in a Godly home
5. Victories in personal struggles.
(if I am brave enough to open the door to this topic)
6. Preparing for the holidays~
Embracing the Moments.

Until next time...
May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.
Galations 13:14

Life's Pressure...


I do believe that every individual has some type of pressures in life to face.
I do not believe that it all has to be considered stressful.
What is the difference?
To me, it's all in how we choose to cope during challenging times.

My husband has a stressful job. Deadlines to meet while managing to work around other trades of the business, inspectors to please, a boss to answer to, employees to hold accountable, and the daily mishaps that go with the job he has. I think he handles the pressure amazingly well. I am not sure how he does it. I do know he spares me from much of the drama of it. And he has learned how to leave work at the front door when he walks in to face his family of eager faces. We are blessed by that.

I, by nature, am an easy going person. I have the usual stresses as anyone else would have in the life I have.

Being a mom, juggling housework,finances, homeschooling, and getting familiar with our new life in a different state are par for course.

Having a dear grandpa near death adds a bit to the load.

Worrying about a sweet young gal, one whom is close to our family, as she is making desperately wrong choices, adds to the mix also.

The willingness to mentor a couple of lovely gals in an area I struggled with in the past..
this is a passion for me...
but stirs an emotional level of stress at times too.

So what silly thing caught me off balance? what made me skip a heartbeat, bring me to the brink of frustrated tears? A computer. yep, I admit it. Our computer was acting up, and the dear hubby wiped out all the 'favorite folders' and book marks.

It wasn't the treasure of preschool links that are 10 yrs in the making;
I've got the preschool thing down.

It wasn't all the educational sites that I have spent the last 8 years deciphering through;
I've got a handle on what seems to be working best for our family.

It wasn't even the very informative link favorites for how to best help, guide, and nurture our possible asperger's child;
I've got a grasp on what we need to be doing for him.

It wasn't the Blog lists of family members, and of those others I have grown to care about like family;
I've got a positive attitude that they may drop a note by here as to help me "re-find" them.

It wasn't the sports, science, or history links that were erased that bummed me;
I've got ideas where to look, although not much spare time for such things.

It wasn't the Biblical sites I am missing;
I've got several Bibles that can assist me as needed, it was just convenient via the internet.

So what was it?

I have just spent several months researching about....

COLLEGES!

ha! are you shrugging your shoulder at me? or giving me the eyebrow? yeah, well, whatever...

You see, this is an area that I hugely lack knowledge in. Even looking for information becomes overwhelming to me....endless hours of research, and I still don't quite know what I am looking through. The clep classes, SAT, ACT, financial aid, housing, grants, loans, requirements, entrance exams, and the list goes on... good golly, one night it took me 3 hours to locate ONE fairly conservative college possibility that would best fit our senior student. Mind you that this is all in my "spare" time, ugh!

So what shifted me from the pressures of life to STRESSFUL? I bump along so well, pacing the ups and downs as I go... so why did such a replaceable thing send me to tears? Accountability. My husband made the remark the other day about having to answer to his boss when things don't go right... I have to answer to GOD. I have been given the gift of raising, nurturing, guiding, and education our children... at the end of this journey, I will have to answer to what we did with our time, talents, & treasures. I know I will not be perfect, but I do feel I have to do my best.

Most of the time I handle the pressures of life well. I know who is in control, and it is not me!
Thankfully the Good Lord displays His Mercy & Grace on a daily basis. Admittedly, the more chaotic life gets, the One whom should be on the top of my 'to-do' list is often set aside.

Yep, come morning I think I will be cracking open that well used Bible of mine during my morning quiet time...

What IS Weird?

Please note: comments made here are how we approach ideas in our lives. My comments are not intended to point fingers, nor judge;
This is just how WE approach things.

I find it interesting when I hear the statement,
"I don't want my kids to be seen as weird."
From personal experience, I hear this from Christian parents.

So, what is WEIRD?

definition: odd, strange, unusual, not sensible

What IS the worry? That we do not want our children to stand out amongst their peers? To be seen differently? Especially in todays world, why is that such a bad thing??

Are we weird?
We have a dress code.
Boys~ no baggy pants, no side-wearing ball cap, no piercings.
Girls~ no middriffs exposed, short/skirts/dresses are to be no shorter than the tip of your fingers when you arm hangs down. Ear piercing only.
Clean is encouraged, lol.
I find it strange to go to the little girls/young lady section at the department store only to find~sexy~encouraged.

Am I weird?
I choose not to drink (alcohol, that is).
My dad was a drug addict, my sister's dad was an alcoholic;
all of it was ugly.
I, as a child, did not have a voice to how I felt.
I, as an adult, can politely decline.
I now have a choice.
I find it odd that my choice makes others feel awkward,
yet I am not judging them.

Is it weird to realize TV/movie/game ratings are there for a reason?
M for mature; I find that to be an oxymoron!
How 'mature' are we really being to want to watch sex/nudity, violence for entertainment, or listen to swearing & trash talk?
And shouldn't we, as adults, be the role model of what is morally acceptable for our eyes, ears, and mouth?
In California, I had the opportunity to show my kids how to step outside the 'normal' box. While eating pizza with the teammates from the soccer team, they were planning to go see a movie. One kid asked if I wanted to go with them. (I am the cool mom after all ;^) It was rated-R, so I declined. "Why?"...I don't do rated-R..."Wha?" w/ puzzlement, "why?"....cuz there ain't nuttin' in rated-R that couldn't have been made a PG. The kid whips out his phone to confirm the movie rating, which ended up being PG-13.
This teen did not find my choice weird, but adults will find it unusual.

As a family, are we weird because we:
1) have more than the statistical 2.5 kids?
2) want to raise our own kids?
3) live in a multi-generational home?
4) play together/pray together?

Are our kids weird because they:
1) get along?
2) are well behaved?
3) choose to be homeschooled?
4) wait to date?

Why is it a seemingly a bad thing to be considered unusual,
when our choices seem so sensible to me?

TEENAGERS!!


Who here has heard that word used in exasperation?

BOY TEENAGERS!!

Who here has heard that word used while smirking or eye-rolling, or the all-knowing-head-nod?

YOUNG MEN!

~CLEVER, WITTY, SELF-DETERMINED, STRONG, RANDOM, AGILE, COMPASSIONATE, INTENSE, & INSIGHTFUL~

I have 5 sons...
21, 16, 12, 5, 1...
obviously I am in the smack middle of each stage of child-raising; cept, of course, my adult son.

So, what created this post?
an innocent comment in jest, during, I am sure, a flustering moment in time... a mom being whimsical to spark some sanity in her world... haven't we all been there? Indeed, I have.

The replies to this 'thread' was met w/ humor & suggested workloads to give a teen a kick in the rear, er, encouragement. Not unusual replies, nothing rude or anything, but somehow it saddened me.

so here was my overly advising reply...

"although manual labor can encourage character training, there is so much more to raising young men~guiding them through integrity, instruction of moral choice and consequences, communication that strengthens self-esteem, firm rules, & light-hearted laughter~not easy years indeed, but amazing ones none-the-less.
Walking that journey one step at a time."

I love being a mom!
Most days I am in awe of the blessings I have around me.
It is not an easy journey,
but it is a very rewarding one!
It is not a glamorous job,
but it is a priceless one!
It is never about me,
but it is always about glorifying God.
It is not about waiting to get them out of the house,
but embracing them while they are still in the house.

Who is in my house?

A baby (11 mo)~
a fearless go-getter, with a delightful personality.
A preschooler (4)~
loud & playful, with a creative spirit.
My girl (7)~
precocious & focus-driven, with a tender heart.
A Junior-higher (12)~
sensible & smart, with an amusing humor.
A Highschooler (going on 16)~
an active & skilled athlete, with a touch of charm.
Our man-child whom is 20, does not live w/ us,
but is still an important part of our lives~
hard-working & responsible, with clever dash of kindness.

This particular Mother's Day is very special to me. Not for what my children can do for me, but for what I can do for them. After 20 years of parenting, I am very well aware of each age, personality, challenges, and talents that my children are gifted with. This is the year I am blessed with many childhood stages at once, and will lovingly embrace the moment!

battle of the sexes? not

Living with a houseful of gentlemen, I am in constant reminder that 'boys will be boys' and guys are just that...guys. Practical, factual, and easily humored by bodily noises ;^D
Then, to the mix is added our princess; smart and practical, all the while glazed with expectations and emotions...and to my awe, not afraid to express them.
Myself? compassionate and caring, yet raised to conceal inner thoughts and feelings.
Thus our home is not full of much foo foo or fluff. As a stay-at-home mom of many, with many tasks at hand, along with a few off kilter weeks (root canals, colds, demanding work schedules, ending soccer season, teething, potty training, family van in shop for 5 weeks, financial setbacks, and an overlooked anniversary) I am at a realization of how much my feminimity is overlooked. Frumpy housewife/stressed mom is not my idea of defining who I am, nor the legacy of remembrance I want to leave behind!
So...just as I have embraced raising boys to be strong, fun loving, competitive beings with integrity filled leadership qualities, to walk the walk as much as talking the talk of our Christian values, with a stressed point of defining who they are in Christ Jesus...I am in the need of a quiet moment with God to reflect upon who I am, what God expects from me, and a renewed spirit of service to my family, our community, and most importantly to my Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ, whom I owe my blessed life to.
All that, lol, to say I am taking a overnite retreat with my God this week-end, so keep me in your prayers when you may have a chance. Love ya all!

Jesus, a Guidance Counselor

My Savior, my mentor, one whom loves me unconditionally...always! Carried me through the trials of childhood, simply waited for me as a teen, guided me out of poor choices as a young adult, whispers to me now...always the same clear messages ~be still; trust in me; Go and love, as I have loved you (love your neighbor)~
As we head into the bermuda triangle (Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Years) yet once again, I sit calmly, reflecting on what these things really mean. I have been very guilty in the past of getting caught up in the whirlwind of 'stuff'...the hype, the glitz, the frantic attempt to find the 'right' gift, flawless homemade cards, picture perfect family portraits, glorious outside lights, the evenly adorned Christmas tree *blush* (yes, I have "rearranged" my dear children's attempts at decorating our lovely tree), the wanting to bless everyone/anyone that walks into our path ... I have also been where the uglies sneak out; overspending, worrying, over doing/under sleeping, and the pure meltdown of falling behind on simple chores of daily life...
Our family motto for this school year is TIME, TALENT, & TREASURES, and as fall set in, I was determined we would enjoy this season. While the commercialism of Christmas is pounding on the door, and regardless of my personality flaws, my family does know the real reason for the season... this year will be different, simple, thoughtful, and most importantly, thankful! It is said that 'slow-n-steady' wins the race which is definitely the process when it comes to the shaping of hearts and sculpting of character, in myself, and our children... yep, there is that *whisper* again... go, and love...