Best-laid plans go astray...

Our plan was to head out to the mountains for a morning hike, but the closer we got the heavier the rain fell. This was the first time we've ever really taken Michael on a hike in the mountains.  But we had to take a detour to Cades Cove.  We don't make it a habit of going to Cades Cove because of the crowds, but the rain helped take care of that as well.   The clouds on the mountains were beautiful!

The rain gave someone an abundance of puddles to splash in.

  

We walked around like tourists including some goofy pictures. 

The only wildlife we saw up close in Cades Cove was a pretty sorry looking turkey.  (There were deer way out in the distance) 

As we were leaving Cades Cove, the weather cleared up.  Seeing the sunshine was almost depressing, because we were really looking forward to a hike.  We decided to turn off onto the Tremont Road and that's where we saw this little guy in the woods right by the road.  He galloped off a couple of feet at the sight of us and then turned around and posed a bit.  He was actually quite close.  In all the years we have lived here, we have never seen a bear...never.  Not in Cades Cove or on any trail.  

I joke that I like to see my wild animals at the zoo.  After today, I pretty much feel the same.   This guy galloped off into the woods and we headed up the road to Tremont.  

God's beautiful creation

We had heard there was a falls trail right behind Tremont, so we thought we'd give it a try.  We followed the signs marked Falls and headed off.  It was pretty steep and root-y.  That was okay until JP started slipping on the trail in front of us, so then we had to turn around.  We got to the bottom and decided we'd walk on further on the Meigs Mountain/ Curry Mountain Trails.  I let JP go in front, well, because he's bigger and could scare bears off easier.  Michael and Tera walked ahead with him.  We weren't 100 yards up the trail, when he stopped.  They had seen another bear...a big bear.  Tera said the size of the ones at the zoo.  (They are huge).  I thought for a minute he was joking, but realized really quickly he was not.  He said (after he caught up with me---I was outta there quickly in the opposite direction)  that the bear had run off a few feet but then turned around looking at them like he was going to stand his ground. So, we left him to his turf and headed back to our car and to lunch! Needless to say, we weren't taking snapshots of this bear.  I'm so thankful that I let JP go first, because I'm quite sure I might have fainted.  

These two little fakers trying to pretend they were asleep when we pulled into the driveway.  

Most days don't go exactly how we plan them.  Sometimes we just need to stop--enjoy splashing through rain puddles, seeing clouds on a mountain, and unforgettable memories of encountering bears on the trail. 

Priorities and Plans

I start the week and year with such specific plans for Michael, sometimes we stick to them and sometimes not. 

The past two weeks, we've hit and miss on our learning a new song a week (among other things).  He's been working on Old McDonald's (as he says it).  We spelled E-I-E-I-O and did a buttermilk art project.  That's pretty much it.  

We've done reading lessons everyday, which I'm slowing down as of next week.  They are just too long for him to sit through at this point.  

Most of the days, he's doing something like this....for hours at a time.  Last week, it was k'nex and this week it's been Snap Circuits.  He sits at my feet usually in case he needs help while the other 2 are doing schoolwork.  For a four year old, he does pretty well following the diagrams and figuring out how to make things.  It's been quite refreshing and impressive.  

No matter what my plans, my priority is that he'll learn to read and have fun things to occupy his time.  So, even if I don't get to everything on my list, it really doesn't matter in the big scheme of things.  

I love Kathy Barbro's drawing tutorials at Art Projects for Kids.  We did these on perspective and just didn't quite get around to the watercolor step.  But I like them as drawings, too. 

School work is humming it's little tune in and out of our day.  I'm so much more relaxed feeling this year.  I feel that's because I'm planning one week at a time using my Apologia planner.  I'm getting up before the kids every morning and getting breakfast on the table.  I'm having my devotions in that quiet time in the morning.  

AND.... we're sticking to our family priority of being home 2 whole school days a week (at least).  I have felt for a while that God wanted me to do that this school year.  It's so freeing!  When I see an opportunity come up, I automatically look to see what day it's on.  If it's not on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, it's an automatic-"No, sorry we can't do that.", this school year.   

It was so nice when I was setting up a play date with a friend that she asked me if that was one of our days to be out.  If not, they could come to us.  How awesome is that!  

The kids and I slept in on Friday and started school later because we knew we had no where else to be.  We might start that as our Tuesday and Friday routine.  I have felt more like a hermit these first couple of weeks just because we are trying to get into the regular routine before our last 3 school activities start back up.  Sometimes during the down times we feel like we need to heap on more activities, because we forget the things that haven't started yet.  We add more things for the moment and then are overwhelmed later.  Making being at home a priority has helped me put boundaries up that prevents that. 

Some Psalm 23 activities that I'll be including in my Walking in the Way column article on how to actively teach your kids the Scriptures.  

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Not" Back-to-School Blog Hop: School Room

I've always felt intimidated to post my "school room" post.  Just because I don't have one of those rooms you see on pinterest, all color coordinated, neat and it's own space.  I share because I want to encourage all those new (or seasoned) home schoolers that school can take place anywhere and everywhere.  Having a separate room set aside is not a prerequisite to begin or continue homeschooling.  

We have a multi-purpose dining room.  It houses instruments, tables, our computer and art work of all kinds.  It's the hub of our day together.   We learn, eat, play games and make messes. 

We branch out all over the place as the day progresses- the whole house, yard, neighborhood and world are our classroom. 

We keep our current school supplies on a book shelf in the hallway...it's never this neat during the school year!  I realized early on that we needed a place to keep all our stuff together.  We'd spend tons of time looking for books and teacher's edition, if we didn't have this space. 

For more school room posts, head on over to The "Not" Back-to-School Blog Hop. Click on the button below to go there! 

Sun Over the Water Oil Pastel Projects

I'm not really sure what to call our creations this week. Sun Over the Water or Sun and Waves.    Click here to see our inspiration.  

First, take a black piece of construction paper.

 

Using Elmer's bottle glue, outline waves on the bottom 1/3 of your paper. Note:   It's easier to make your waves before the sun.   In the top corner make a small whole circle, then make concentric circles until you meet the waves.

Let dry overnight.

Then shade from light to dark with warm colors- yellows, orange and reds.  Go back and add darker highlights to the lighter colors in the sun. Be sure to trace over the dried glue trails.

Shade the waves using cool colors- purple, green, blues. To make the waves really stand out, trace the glue trails with a lighter color. 

Even preschoolers can do this project.  We did the glue step for Michael and then he used oil pastels to finish his project.  JP thinks it looks pretty surreal and should be called- "ElectrocuSUN"

If we did this project again, we'd make the glue heavier so that it would create more texture. 

Review and Giveaway: Alone Yet Not Alone

 Alone Yet Not Alone (the book)
Written by: Tracy Leininger Craven
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Paperback: 148 pages

Settled in the Blue Mountains of Pennsylvania, deep within America's new frontier, the Leininger family celebrates the blessings of a beautiful homestead and bountiful harvest. That is, until tragedy strikes with the beginning of the French and Indian War and the devastating raid known as the Penn's Creek Massacre.

The lives of this simple, God-fearing family are forever altered when Barbara and Regina, two young sisters, are carried away by the Delaware tribe. Driven by their faith in God and the powerful bonds of family, Barbara and Regina hold firmly to the belief that they are never alone, even in their darkest hour, and that they will be reunited again.

Rich in historical details, Alone Yet Not Alone is an inspirational, true story of a family caught in the cross fire of the French and Indian War.

We received a copy of Alone Yet Not Alone for review purposes, please see disclosure statement at the bottom of this post.  

I love historical fiction!  My kids do as well, so I was excited to review this book set during the French and Indian War.  This was a well-written book for 8-12 year old children.  I read it first and it took me 2 nights before bedtime.  I gave it to my children and they both devoured it in the same night. 

I was a bit concerned while reading this book, because I wasn't sure how it would address the actual massacres that took place during this time (See Tera's thoughts below).  The author, Tracy Leininger Craven does an awesome job of painting a description of a horrific event without going into horrific detail.  I love that the author is a descendant/relative of the main character, Barbara Leninger.  

This story has you on the edge of your seat.  What struck me most was the story of faith that is interwoven throughout the entire story.  When we have nothing left to cling to in this life, God is still there with us. If we hide His word in our heart, that will never leave us either.   The ending had me in tears! 

Here's what my kids thought in their own words:

Tera's thoughts:  I very much enjoyed the book, Alone Yet Not Alone.  I felt that the book had just enough intensity to appeal to a 6th-7th grade level.  I like the fact that the author, Tracy Leininger Craven, captured just the right amount of description to suit her audience.  For example, she didn't dwell on certain unpleasant scenes.  I also felt that I could enjoy the description there was, like how a person thought or felt, but still be delighted in the reality of a true story.

Daniel's thoughts:  Really cool book.  Heartwarming story that encouraged one girl's faith in God.  Really adventurous with the escapes.  Romantic stuff not gushy.  I like the part where Barbara was talking about her faith to Galasko.  

Check it out on:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/aloneyetnotalone

Watch the movie trailer:  
Coming to movie theaters on SEPTEMBER 27, 2013!

Note:  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they filmed part of this film at Fort Loudoun, which is one of our favorite historical places to visit!  

Search for a theater near you:  

http://seatzy.com/main/moviedetail/alone-yet-not-alone

Movie Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AYNAthemovie

Movie Website:  http://www.aloneyetnotalone.com

To bring, Alone Yet Not Alone to a theater in your city:  

http://seatzy.com/main/moviedetail/alone-yet-not-alone

You can win your own copy of this great book!  

Enter below for a chance to win 

Alone Yet Not Alone by Tracy Leininger Craven

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Review: I Am Second

"Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled."

I have heard about the iamsecond "movement" before, and had been greatly impressed with the stories I heard.  Then I had the opportunity to be apart of a "review" of their merchandise, and tell you about this great website.   (I received two high quality items, a bracelet and t-shirt--see disclosure statement at the bottom of this post.)

What is I am Second about?

To sum it up easily, it's about putting yourself second.   We become "second" when we put our faith in Jesus Christ and believe in Him.  

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Romans 10:9-10

Who is first?

God.  Then out of our love and obedience to Him, we serve and love our neighbors.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"

Matthew 22:37-38 

On the I am Second website, you'll find stories.  Some stories are more heart-wrenching than others, but two things tie them together-life struggles and the realization of the only ONE who can redeem that struggle.    You'll find the website organized by whatever issues you are dealing with or want to explore (grief, divorce, war, eating, etc.)  I actually had trouble accessing the videos from the website itself, but I went straight to youtube and had no problems.  

I wanted to share a couple of videos that really stood out to me.  I would share them all, because there is just something about all the stories I watched that resonant with me.  These two are extremely emotional and speak of God's redemption for all of us.   It doesn't matter what we've done or where we've been--He's the Good Shepherd looking, searching for us- His lost sheep. 

Caution:  These are too intense to watch while children are present.  Chris talks about his service as a leader in Iraq and Annie was a former prostitute. Please preview!

Hi, I'm Christy, the daughter of an alcoholic bi-polar navy veteran who left his wife with 3 children to raise on her own.  We lived with family members in a not-so-great situation, but at least we had a roof over our heads.  My brother was murdered  15 years ago and my dad died less than an year later.  I've had times of anxiety and depression throughout my entire life.  Yet, Jesus has always been my true friend and Savior.  Without Him, I truly would be lost.  

I'm Christy, and I am Second!

If you would like to support I am Second :

Give Change, Make Change- Many more stories are waiting to be told.  You can help. Commit $2 every Tuesday to build film funds, and your contribution will be used to develop, produce and promote new films. Join the project and become an I am Second insider with access to exclusive content via Facebook.

Check out more:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Iam2nd.Nashville

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/IamSecond

Website:  http://www.iamsecond.com

If you have more questions, check out the Faith Questions section!

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Melancholy

I'm feeling a little melancholy today.  Chalk it up to two nights of bad sleep this week.  Last night was the first good night's sleep I've had since Sunday.  I feel more rested, but yet down.  That time of year is coming, the couple of months in the fall where I "feel" things more keenly.  

The season of loss surrounded by a season of celebration.  I teeter between the two.

Remembering-- because I promised never to forget.   Yet, how could I forget?  Those moments are so plastered into my sub-conscious that it's impossible especially in certain seasons.

So, I go with the flow of the day.  

Do my work.  Love and serve this family of mine.  Cut myself some slack when I don't quite "feel" like I think I should.  

Write.  Sing.  Pray.  Remember.

YOU ARE MINE

Maybe I don't have the strength

Maybe I don't have the faith

You brought me here in 40 years

I know this trip should take a week

I've shed my tears and shed my blood

Been held ransom by the flood

When winter steals my songs away

In all of this I've come undone

When you walk though the water, I will be with you

When you pass through the river, the waves will not overtake you

When you walk on the fire, the flames they will not touch you

You are mine, you are mine, you are mine

-Karla Adolphe


When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2

First Week in Review

It was a great week!  Our first week of school was a full one.  We jumped right in and things went fairly smoothly. 

There were art fails (the technique we were teaching did not work in this project) that we displayed anyway!

Science Experiments...

We tried to take an impromptu field trip to The Clayton Center of the Arts for an abstract art display, but it was taken down when we got there.  So we just looked and discussed  the over-sized art in the hallways. 

Then sat outside and split a bag of M & M's...

We played outside on several beautiful days.

Michael and Tera made homemade animal crackers.

They turned out a bit like teeny tiny biscuits-not crunchy.  It's a no sugar recipe except for the sprinkles on top. 

 

Some things I'm proud of:

• I completed 5 days of reading lessons with Michael. Michael stops in the middle of a sentence he was reading to exclaim, "Hey, I'm getting pretty good at this!" 
• I (or we) made all our breakfast, snacks and bread homemade this week.
• Daniel wanted to check what problems he missed on his math on his own.
• I was able to get up every morning before the kids, read my devotions, exercised (a couple of days), get a shower and get breakfast on the table. 
• I wasn't as cranky as I thought I would be after totally upending my sleep schedule.
• Tera is always such a great helper, someone who just helps without being asked or complaining (Well, most of the time)
• We made a priority to be at home 2 entire days a week this school year.  This week we were home 3 entire days!  

It hasn't been a perfect week, I'm still adjusting since I'm definitely not a morning person.  This week had it's struggles, but we made it.  Tons of learning took place.  We worked, played and lived this imperfect life together.  Just the way I like it!  

Scripture Impressions- Actively Teaching the Bible: The Lord's Prayer

 

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Sometimes it’s not always easy to actively teach our children the Bible.  So over the next few months, we’ll be exploring some hands-on resources to teach children passages of Scripture “every child should know”.    Let’s get started!


For more about teaching The Lord's Prayer, head on over to Homeschool Mosaics where I shared some  thoughts and ideas on how to do that! 

Simple Homemade Breakfast Foods for School Mornings

Here's a list of our simple go-to breakfast foods for school mornings:

English Muffins
This is one of my favorite, best-loved recipe!  Let your bread machine do almost all the work.   These freeze great, but never seem to make it to the freezer in our house. 

Peanut Butter or Jam Toast
Spread your favorite peanut butter or jam (2 ingredient homemade blueberry jam) on toast to make a yummy filling breakfast 

We just recently discovered baked oatmeal.  My kids love it!  Tera experimented and combined a couple of recipes to come up with this new recipe.  Let it cool, slice and freeze individual slices wrapped in foil.  Thaw the night before and heat in microwave.  

Blueberry- Banana Baked Oatmeal:  

3 cups quick-cooking oats (or old fashioned oats)
3/4 cups packed brown sugar (I'm going to experiment using less sugar in this recipe, the original recipe calls for 1 cup)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp.  salt
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter melted
Ripe bananas
Blueberries

Combine the first 5 ingredients.  Whisk eggs, milk and butter together and add to dry mixture until mixed.

Spray and then line bottom of a 9 x 11 inch casserole dish with sliced ripe bananas.  

Pour oat mixture on top.  Then top with blueberries.

Bake 40-45 (or until set--firm on top)  at 350 degrees.  

One of the original recipes

Fruit and Veggie Muffins 
These freeze great!!!

We've made these muffins with pumpkin, banana, blueberry, zucchini.  As long as you keep to the 1 cup of grated/mashed veggies, you can come up with your own yummy combinations.  We will also substitute raisins or cranberries for the nuts, since Daniel is allergic to tree nuts. This is also a low sugar recipe.  We've upped it just a bit to suit our personal tastes. 

Waffles- Make up a double batch and freeze.  I reheat mine either in the toaster or in the waffle maker. 

Pancakes
Pancakes freeze great!  

Oatmeal topped with any combination of blueberries, raisins, bananas and syrup

Cream of Wheat

Serve any of the above with:  

Eggs- scrambled, fried or hard boiled
Yogurt
Fruit
Sausage Links

On the weekends, sometimes we'll splurge with things like breakfast quesadillas...

or blueberry scones
or biscuits

Mostly, we just keep it simple!

Things to Do!