A Family Tradition

When Elijah was a baby we began a wonderful tradition with Matt's family. Instead of doing a bunch of gifts at Christmas Matt's parents decided to put that money towards a beach house where we could all gather and spend a week of fun at the beach. Each family is responsible for cooking a meal for everyone, which is a fun way to contribute to the costs of a family vacation and also a great opportunity to share favorite recipes. The family has grown quite a bit since we first started this tradition. Seven years ago there were only 2 grandchildren and now there are 8! The kids have the best time living together for a week. They spend hours and hours playing on the beach and even in the freezing cold water! This year we did a few structured activities with the kids and they were a great success! We read gingerbread stories and let the kids make their own gingerbread people and decorate them. They loved doing this activity and their favorite part was eating the cookies, of course!. One day the kids decided they wanted to paint some seashells and try to sell them:) So we got out the paint and they painted a few seashells, but they mostly painted Ezra! He didn't seem to mind. One day Nana had a great idea come to her in the early morning hours one day to take seashells and string them on fishing line to make necklaces, bracelets, rings, belts etc. The kids had a lot of fun doing this activity and it gave them something to take home with them to remind them of the beach. Another day they created their own ocean scenes with crayons and sea creature foam stickers and we displayed them on the window. They were very proud of their art work. Aunt Erica came up with a really fun scavenger hunt for the kids to do. They had so much fun running all over the house looking for clues and finally found the prize: sea creature capsules that expand when you put them in water! They thought that was so much fun...it was really funny when some of the sea creatures turned out to be turkeys, elephants and pigs! Good old dollar store:) The rest of their time was spent digging for treasure in the sand, sticking their toes in the water and in some cases their whole bodies, and playing in their "house"...(a nice big closet is great for the imagination!).
I, of course, enjoyed my time with Matt- taking long, romantic walks on the beach (ha.) Oh wait, that didn't happen. But we did spend a lot of time making sand castles, digging holes, and burying little feet...which in my opinion is just as good:). I loved watching little Ezra scooting across the sand so fast like a little crab. I loved seeing my children laugh and squeal as they ran away from the waves. I love that no two seashells are the same. I love the beautiful beach sunsets and watching the repetitive motion and hearing the repetitive sounds of the waves. There are so many things to love.
It is so peaceful being at the beach under the great big sky, looking out over the vast ocean, and I just can't help thinking about what an awesome Creator we have. He is so big and we are so small, like the grains of sand. It is so easy, while on vacation, removed from stress and worry, surrounded by loved ones and God's awesome creation, to have the "feeling" of peace. However, I don't want a peaceful "feeling" that comes and goes like the tide. I want a peace that dwells deep within, one that will endure upon returning to the business of everyday life- even in the midst of the storms that are sure to come. It is so easy to lose sight of the bigness of God and get caught up in all the stuff that "has to get done" and somehow along the way get the crazy notion that I am the one in control. I want the everlasting peace of the blessed assurance that, indeed, God is in control. He guides my feet on the path, He knows the number of my days, makes the sun rise in the morning and set in the evening. I am so thankful for our vacation and the great big ocean made by our great big God that reminded me to slow down and be still; and I want to challenge myself as we come back home to make time to be still and seek peace every day.

Rejoice Always

"Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks; for this is
God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
- Thessalonians 5:16-18

I am always reading one of Sally Clarkson's books. I find the so encouraging and uplifting. Right now I am reading Seasons of a Mother's Heart and I want to share a passage from her book that really spoke to me.

"I am more convinced than ever that even in the midst of the mundane, burdensome, and oftentimes frustrating tasks of life allotted to me as a mother, God wants me to find his joy. He wants every single day of my life to be a celebration of his blessings, whether they are large or small. He wants me to celebrate life...the life He has given to me.
But what does it mean to "celebrate life"? Does it mean that I can let my house be a wreck so I can enjoy my children, or that I never have negative thoughts and attitudes, or that I never discipline my children? Does it mean that I simply overlook the myriad difficulties that inevitably spoil the best days, or that I ignore the burdens I carry as a stay-at-home mom, or that I close my eyes to intractable sins that won't go away?
Of course not! The joy filled life is not found by trying to diminish my God-given responsibilities as a woman, wife and mother, nor can I find joy merely by refusing to face the hard realities of life in a fallen world. There is a tension that God is asking me to acknowledge and accept- the tension between ideals and realities. True joy is found by living somewhere between the "ideal life" and "daily realities". That is where Messiah meets me, where the Holy Spirit empowers...
To "celebrate life" is simply a choice. Every day, God extends his hand to offer me the gift of another day to live. If I choose to accept it- to transform those minutes and hours into life lived for and with my Savior- I have the opportunity to see God at work, enjoy His presence, wonder at His creation, appreciate the expressions of His beauty and love, and touch the minds and hearts of my children with His reality. That's certainly what I desire, but it is a choice I have to make...
When you are thankful you are acknowledging God's sovereign control over all the circumstances of your life, whether good or bad."

Rejoice always;
Pray with out ceasing;
in everything give thanks.

In EVERYTHING give thanks. For that is God's will for our lives.
I must admit that this is not easy. On days when everything seems to be going wrong it is so much easier to grumble and complain. I think this is why we are to pray without ceasing; when we feel compelled to complain, let us turn our hearts to God and pray, to be still and hear His voice, to turn our burdens and worries over to Him. Slowing down and making time to pray in the middle of the day can also be a challenge, especially with lots of little ones running around... especially when you are trying to accomplish A, B, and C... but choosing to slow down and pray in the midst of a crazy day also provides us with the perfect opportunity to draw our children close and pray with them- to teach them to turn our frustrations, worries and complaints over to God and "lean not on our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge Him" - Proverbs 3:5-6

Rejoice always;
Pray without ceasing;
In everything give thanks.

These are words that are meant to be put into action; and the reality is that these words are challenging...
but I am ready to live in the will of the Father... pursuing joy each day.

Q: How do you know when it's time to clean your gutters?

A: When you find a tomato plant growing in them!

Yes, it is true. This really happened and, believe me, there was plenty of fertile soil up there to grow an entire garden.:)

Giving Thanks

(to see larger slideshow click slide twice)

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration in the mountains. I am so thankful that our family has managed to stay close even though my grandparents passed away long ago. It means so much to me that everyone is committed to keeping the family together. In the same breath I must say our gathering was bittersweet; it didn't quite feel complete without my cousin Dan and my NC mamaw who both passed away this past year. I surely missed Dan's sweet smile and easy-going spirit and Mamaw's warm hugs and our long talks... so my heart was aching a little. However, I continue to give thanks even through pain and sadness and remember that I have so much to be thankful for:
Walks in cool fall weather, toothy-grins from babies, laughter of children, delicious food to eat, holding Matt's hand, curling up to read a book in a warm living room, kids jumping in leaves, eyes to see beauty all around, a Messiah that is the true bread... and I just pray that I will continue to embrace each day with gratitude
and a thankful heart for all my many blessings.

Happy Birthday Caleb!

These are some of the many faces of Caleb.






I can't believe Caleb is already 4 years old and he is already looking forward to being 5! Isn't that the story of a little brother? Always trying to be big. It is Caleb's goal in life to be bigger than Matt; he talks about it almost everyday... and whatever you do, don't use his name and "little" in the same sentence. Caleb has always been a warrior, always trying to conquer the world around him and we just pray that as he grows God will direct his steps and use him in a mighty way.
A few facts about Caleb:
He loves Dr. Suess (mostly because Caleb,himself, loves words and rhymes)
He has a very tender side. Out of all the children he will notice and compliment me if I am wearing a pretty dress and he's the one that likes to play with my hair- sooooo sweet.
It would not surprise me if he becomes a vegetarian as an adult. He would love to live on veggies and fruit.
He loves to run and he's actually very good at it- he has quite good endurance for his age.
He loves to be tickled. Every night before he goes to sleep he asks for a kiss, a regular hug, a bear hug, and a tickle bear hug...in that exact order.
He loves water- the downside of this is that he has been my bathroom mischief kid. I have found wet toilet paper wads all over the bathroom, toilet paper rolls crammed down the sink drain, my mascara painted all over the bathtub and various other deeds and he ALWAYS comes out of the bathroom with wet hair...very suspicious.

FOR TODAY November 16, 2009...

Outside My Window...Complete darkness.


I am thinking...One million things, as usual. I need to do the dishes, a load of laundry, take a shower, prepare a few things for homeschooling...I am thinking about tackling our debts, all the remodeling that still needs to be done on the house and the fact that I really need to post a blog about Caleb's birthday.


I am thankful for...the Father and our Messiah- the true bread of life...


From the learning rooms...We are reading Farmer Boy and loving it even more the 2nd time around. Caleb and Jonas are really into drawing lately and are producing the best artwork:)


From the kitchen... Nothing too fabulous. I have been trying to eat just raw fruits and vegetables for lunch every day and it really seems to improve my energy level for the rest of the day...no more falling asleep reading stories after lunch!


I am wearing... royal blue pj's


I am creating...a peaceful home...or at least trying to.


I am going...to stay home all week and enjoy not running around here and there.


I am reading...so many books...mostly all Charlotte Mason or Sally Clarkson.


I am hoping...this week will be fun and productive.


I am hearing... Matt typing up lesson plans on his laptop beside me.


Around the house... I really want to paint. After all the painting we did a year ago I got so burnt out on painting...but the desire to paint again is returning...so we'll see if the desire is strong enough to actually pick up the paint brush.

One of my favorite things... watching the leaves falling from trees, beautiful colors twisting and floating to the ground.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... no plans. I am just going to take each day as it comes.

A Week In The Woods

"Your goal in nature study, though, is much more than just to 'inform' your children about the details of creation. Your greater task is to 'form in' them eyes that can see the Creator in his creation (Romans1:20), an abiding sense of wonder and appreciation of what God has made (Psalm 8 and 19) and a passion to care for, subdue, and rule over this earth as God's highest expression of created being (Genesis 1:28)." Educating the WholeHearted Child, by Clay and Sally Clarkson







This week we enjoyed perfect fall weather. We got our desk work done early in the morning and headed out into the woods for the rest of the day and we did this every day. Day 1 we went to our familiar library nature trail. There is a part of the trail that the kids call the "broken pine forest" which is a very dense part of the trail with lots of fallen pine trees and it is a great place for the imagination. Another fun part about this trail is at the entrance there is a big sign with all the native trees on it and it assigns each tree a symbol like a red triangle or blue circle and as you walk through the woods several of the trees along the trail have these symbols placed upon them so that they are easy for children to identify. At the end of our walk Elijah caught a frog and toad...we named them "Frog and Toad"! I know...very original. The kids met some knew friends and pretended they were Jamestown settlers in a big mulch pile under a big oak tree while Ezra crawled around in the grass trying to eat acorns!
Day 2 we went on a nature trail at Triad Park. This trail was very long for little feet. They stopped many times to sit on stumps and logs to rest and watch passing clouds and the leaves swaying in the treetops. There was a creek on the trail and Elijah caught two salamanders! He sure does love to catch critters!
Day 3 we explored a new place with my friend Allison and her 5 children. We found hidden treasures behind Guilford College. Trails upon trails..big trails with little trails leading to all kinds of amazing natural play areas for children....big trees to climb, creeks to poke around in with big sticks, tunnels made of branches and leaves...they had the best time exploring in the woods with friends.
Day 4 we just went into our yard and collected beautiful leaves and pictures of fall to use as centerpiece for our table. Caleb gave me a heart shaped leaf and I had Elijah pick out a tree in our yard for a project we are going to do called "A Tree Grows in..." You can do this project wherever you live. Just pick a tree that you love in your yard and take pictures of it during each season, collect its leaves and flowers, draw it during different times of the year. Research it, study it, watch it and put all the information in a nature journal or scrapbook.
Just a glimpse of our week in the woods...

Pickin' Apples

This past weekend we made our way back to my hometown of Hendersonville to visit grandparents and pick some delicious NC apples. It is always so nice to be back in the mountains. We enjoyed the beautiful, blue sky day with the warm fall sunshine on our faces; the kids running from tree to tree filling up baskets with arms full of nature's bounty, finding our way through the corn maze, picnic on the farm drinking cool apple cider...what a sweet fall day.

Bushisms and other nonsense!

Many of you that know me know that I have one thing in common with George W. Bush...bushisms. Yes, it is true. It happens quite regularly around here and I am married to the grammar police, so it is very rare that these language blunders go unnoticed. Sometimes I genuinely get my words mixed up and sometimes it is an accident but usually people know what I am TRYING to say. I blame some of this on my mother who is worse with words than I am. (sorry mom, it's true!)
I just so happened to make one of these mistakes in my last blog post when I called my father-in-law's brisket "infamous"...which means having a reputation of the worst kind... now OBVIOUSLY I didn't mean to use that word and if I thought his brisket was infamous I surely wouldn't have said it for the whole world to see... what I meant to write was famous. My father-in-law's brisket is the best I have ever tasted. It is delicious, fabulous, wonderful and anything but infamous. Elijah says I am like the "BFG" (the big friendly giant- a character from a Roald Dahl book that always gets his words mixed up!) Here is a quote from the BFG "Words is oh such a twitch-tickling problem to me all my life. So you must simply try to be patient and stop squibbling. As I am telling you before, I know exactly what words I am wanting to say, but somehow or other they is always getting squiff-squiddled around"... maybe Elijah is right. I am kind of like the BFG (which, by the way, is an hilarious book to read aloud to children).
Onto the nonsense. The other day when we came home the entire family was standing at the door and I had the key. Everyone was waiting for me to open the door and in the meantime I am getting totally frustrated because I am pressing the unlock button on our keyless entry control for the car over and over again and I am not understanding why the door to our house isn't unlocking. Finally I realize what I am doing and I just started laughing at the absurdity of it all and Elijah is just staring at me like I'm crazy and Matt asks "Did you just try to unlock the door with the car keys?"...I look at him with a look that says
"are you really that surprised???" When I was pregnant I used the excuse of pregnancy brain and I the past several years I have used the excuse of being really tired from night nursing and back to back pregnancies...but Matt likes to remind me that I was this way before we even got married. Ok. fine. I admit it. It's true. Sometimes my brain leaves my body...but in the words of the BFG "I cannot be helping it if I is sometimes saying things (and in my case, doing things as well) a little squiggly. I is trying my very best all the time."

Embracing 30 and the Birthday Surprise (almost a month later!)

(after much late night laboring I am still unable to get this video to post correctly but if you want to see the full picture just click on the video twice...I can't try to figure it out anymore...my technological skills are very limited!)

Well, it is official. I am 30 years old. Last year when I turned 29 I started thinking about being 30 and I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it...but now that it is here I have totally embraced this new decade in my life. I love my life and my sweet family. When I look back on my life before Matt and the children I just remember dreaming about getting married and having a family and I have been living out that dream for 8 adventurous years now! Life seems so full of meaning and purpose...and for the first time I feel like I am starting to be exactly who I want to be. I am no longer worried about living up to other people's standards and expectations. I am no longer offended by what others might say or think about our home birthing, home schooling, home churching life style. My heart and my vision is focused on this calling that God has placed within me of being the best wife I can be for Matt and raising these magnificent boys that we have been blessed us with.
All that being said, I must now sing praises to my amazing husband. He was so sneaky and really pulled of a big surprise for my birthday. I started to become suspicious when he insisted on cleaning the kitchen on a Friday night and he told me I was going to have a special guest come and visit me for my birthday. Well, around lunch time on Saturday my parents rolled into the driveway and I was really surprised. I wasn't expecting to see them because they visited the previous weekend for Elijah's birthday. They said they were going to take us out to this awesome restaurant that evening and I thought "ok-this is the surprise". So I actually had a nice dress on at this point because I didn't know who the special guest was going to be, but when I found out it was my parents I decided to put my PJ's back on and I was getting ready to ask Matt if I could take a little nap when all of a sudden the Mosher family walks into the house! This is one of our favorite families ever and were great friends of ours from when we lived in Boone. We hadn't seen them in well over a year and here I stand in my pajamas! So I was totally embarrassed and I ran back to our bedroom and slipped back into my dress just in time before all the other people started rolling in. My in-laws came with a bounty of food and my father-in-law made his famous smoked brisket...my friend Jenny showed up with her family from VA and she made my birthday cake (which, by the way, is the world's best pound cake ever). My brother from Raleigh came with the beautiful Marianne and all the other family members arrived with food and flowers and it ended up being the very best day ever! To top it all off Matt brought his projector home from school and hung a sheet on the wall to display a fabulous slide show (which is what you see above) that he created (along with his very talented brother Dan). The most unique part about the slide show is that he asked our friends and family members to share some thoughts and words about me and he took bits and pieces of what everyone said and put it in the slideshow. It is amazing how words can be so uplifting and encouraging. I don't think I have ever felt as special as I did that day! Matt Mosher said that my Matt earned the "husband of the year" award and he was right! He is a fantastic Mr. Fox.
So I want to say a big thank you to all of our friends and family who helped me welcome 30...it's looking pretty good so far.

The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension

Life can be so very hectic at times. Some days it feels like I can hardly keep my head above the water...treading through the hours, minutes, gasping for air, for rest, for calm.
Last night as I was praying and pouring myself out before the Father I heard Him speak to me. It is not very often that I feel God speaking to me so strongly and He said clear as day "My peace surpasses all understanding". Be still. Hear the Words. I open my heart and bible to Philippians.
Chapter 4:4-9 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentle spirit be known to all men, The Lord is near.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever
is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of
good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,
dwell on these things.

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me,
practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

The peace of God is beyond our comprehension. It is not something that I can attain through more lists, more planning, more schedules. I sometimes think that if I can organize our lives enough then we will have peace. I just need to plan more activities so that the kids won't have time to argue with each other. I need to stick to our sleeping and eating schedule so they won't be so whiney. Peace is also not something I can find in a walk alone around the neighborhood or on a beach retreat or in a quiet nook in the library (though those things do provide temporary relief)...but the kind of peace that is beyond our comprehension comes only through the Father, our eternal King of Peace.
The word dwell really fell heavy on my heart. Dwell. Part of the definition is to fasten one's attention on or upon someone or something and to think or speak about something for a long time. I began to think about how much of my days and my life I spend dwelling on the negative things...how messy the house is, how I keep getting interrupted when I am trying to homeschool, how I need to lose weight, how we need to pay off debt and the list goes on. Dwelling on those things bring worry, anxiety, frustration etc. As I rolled the words over and over in my head the word dwell really started sinking in. The things that God tells us to dwell upon aren't just nice things to read about. He wants us to inhabit these words, to live them, to fasten our attention upon them and do not look away. He spells it out very clearly what we should dwell upon. His word assures us that when we dwell on these good things and practice them that His peace will be with us and that His peace will guard our hearts and minds.
I pray that in the moments and days to come when I might find myself gasping for air once again that I would turn toward the Father and fix the eyes of my heart upon Him, who says "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" Matt. 11:28-29
"Thus says the Lord, 'Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls" Jeremiah 6:16

(In)Courage

I want to share an amazing group of women with you. They come from all different backgrounds and walks of life and they have come together to share their thoughts and words with other women on this fabulous site www.incourage.me On this site you can find links to each of the women's individual blogs or websites (featuring one of my all time favorite blogs, a holy experience). I want to encourage you to check it out if you are searching for inspiration (as I do from time to time). You will laugh and cry and find a wealth of encouragement as they share their lives and hearts with you.

FOR TODAY Thursday September 3, 2009...

Outside my window...is the quiet darkness of night.

I am thinking...about simplifying the house and eliminating the things we don't love or need.

I am thankful for...the glorious weather that we have been having and being able to be outside enjoying these days with the kids.

From the learning rooms...I just ordered the Prairie Primer (a very detailed unit study curriculum based on the Little House series)yesterday and we are looking forward to diving into that series once again. In our outside learning room we have been finding all sorts of awesome things. Elijah caught a toad and a skink. We discovered a massive group of caterpillars (the most I have ever seen in my life) devouring the leaves on an Oak sapling at the park and we watched what I think were LOTS of fireflies mating on the trunk of a different tree.

From the kitchen...the fragrant scent of curry (my favorite spice). We ate Mulligatawny (soup),which is always delicious.

I am wearing...a navy blue shirt and a lime green skirt.

I am creating...scriptures to hang throughout our house so I can constantly be reminded of God's goodness.

I am going...to hopefully go to bed soon. I am trying to get on an early sleep schedule...but I've been saying that for years now.

I am reading... Educating the Whole-Hearted Child and trying to find motivation and inspiration for this school year.

I am hoping...that tomorrow goes by fast so that I can spend more time with my sweet husband.

I am hearing...crickets chirruping outside my window, a dog barking off in the distance, the quietness of children sleeping.

Around the house...I see a lot of stuff that is getting ready to go to Goodwill! Good-bye clutter!

One of my favorite things...Ezra's funny little four-toothed grin.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Possibly going camping this weekend if the weather stays nice.

The G.R.A.I.N. of Your Homeschool

I am usually not a big fan of using acronyms in speeches, lectures, or sermons, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised. This was the title of one of the workshop sessions given by Misty Spinelli at the NCHE home school conference 2 years ago. I loved what she said so much that I ordered a CD of her lecture so that I could listen to it at the beginning of every new home school year. It is inspiring, encouraging, honest, practical advice on daily living and homeschooling, and a great reminder of all the real reasons that we home school. This is an analogy that compares homeschooling to making bread and I would like to share some of the goodness with you.

G. Goals. This is like the recipe for our bread- the list of ingredients; the reason and the vision for your home school. She says we should home school for the adults that our children will become some day. First she says to make a wish list of all the things we would want our kids to be when they grow up, which of course would include all the virtues and would look something like this: wise, discerning, patient, kind, humble, self-sufficient, forgiving, strong work ethic, academic success, good social/relationship skills, a good brother, sister, friend, husband, wife, mother, father...etc. Now imagine that you show your list to God and He says your list is great, but if you could have only one of those things on the list what would it be? So you pick the most important thing on the list and from there you start to prioritize the list in order of importance and what usually ends up happening is that academic success falls pretty low on the list. There is no doubt that we want our children to be successful and that might mean going to college, but the truth is that true education involves so much more than academics and true success is measured by so much more than a college degree and a scholarly mind. We are educating a WHOLE person, not just the brain. If we followed the priority list of the world it would be: getting a good college education, having a successful career, making a lot of money, buying lots of material things to show for your success and so on. But whose priorities are we following? As a homeschooling mom I know how easy it is to get caught up in choosing curriculum, focusing on the academic checklist and trying to cover all the subjects each and every day, but when I step back and evaluate the reasons why I home school I realize that it is not so much about academics as it is about walking out Duet. 6 with my children.

R. Relax. This is when we allow the bread to rise. What do you do to make bread rise? Nothing. Let it rest. We all need rest from the constant stimulation that we are exposed to everyday- the radio, TV, computer, cell phone, etc. We need a break from these things and so do our children- time to formulate our own thoughts, time to be still and quiet- to commune with God and hear His voice. It is critical that children have down time to process what they are learning. There is a great book called the Power of Play by David Elkind that talks about the importance of providing our children with unscheduled free time to play and use their imaginations or to just sit quietly and watch the birds or look at books. So, it is one thing to provide free time for our kids, but it is much more difficult to provide it for ourselves. Why is that? We have chores to tend to (the never ending pile of dishes and laundry), we need to pay bills, grocery shop, plan meals, prepare for the days ahead, balance the checkbook, work on the house- the list goes on. The truth is that homeschooling is not an easy job and it is critical and equally important that the parents find moments of peace, prayer and rejuvenation as well.

A. Answers. This goes along with relaxing. Go to God for all your answers. Get on your knees. Open dialogue with God and ask specific questions about individual children. It is not possible to home school in your own strength. You will fail and feel like a failure. No one can possibly know everything and we shouldn't try to teach our children everything. We get these "have to's" in our head that aren't "have to's". Ask yourself whose "to-do" list are you working from? the elementary school down the road, the world's, Abeka's, our own or God's? We need to seek His to-do list. Seek wise council with the Father, pray and ask for His guidance on this home school journey.

I. Instruct the will of your child. This is like the shaping of the bread. It is critical that we help our children form good habits before any formal instruction takes place. It is very difficult to teach a child that is lazy, disobedient, and has a poor attention span. A habit is something you do effortlessly. It is a gift when we give our children good habits. The key to breaking negative habits is to set up natural consequences that directly relate to the habit that you are trying to break and be 100% consistent in implementing the consequences. (I have found that consistency is the hardest part but it it definitely worth it in the end.) Consistency, encouragement, and repetition are the keys to building good habits. I cannot say that I have completely mastered this area, but I do know that there is a mutual benefit for both me and the kids when they get their work done quickly and with a good attitude.

N. Nourishment. How do the majority of Americans eat? Fast, fun, but not very nourishing. What does the world say about homeschooling? We need a teaching degree, we need a classroom in our home, we need to cram their heads full of useless facts so that they will appear to be learning something. It isn't healthy to eat junk food that provides our body with nothing but empty calories and in the same way we shouldn't waste our children's time by filling them up with facts that don't really mean much in the long run. Let's fill them with true nourishment- let's fill them up with things that will really help them grow; a WHOLE education, love and a loving environment, time spent together, and the wisdom of the Word.

Happy Birthday Jo-Jo!

I can't believe Jonas is already 2 years old! Jonas is our 3rd son and is special for so many reasons. He says so many funny things that sound a lot like cookie monster (me do it! or mine shoes on) and he already has the most hilarious sense of humor. He loves music; he is always singing and his favorite activity is playing the keyboard. He also loves balloons and the moon. If we are in the car at night he will talk to the moon and about the moon the entire time we are in the car- he calls it bella luna, but it sounds more like bella baloona! His favorite books are the I Spy books, My Goodnight Book by Eloise Wilkins and Goodnight Gorilla. He is a fruit monster and would live on fruit alone if I would let him. I gave him the indian name Skinny-Minny-Too-Tiny because he is such a bean pole. One very special fact about Jonas is that he has amazing self control for a 2 year old and he has the best manners of all the boys. He is also a very compassionate, sympathetic little guy- if one of the brothers get hurt he is always trying to comfort them. I just know that all of these wonderful qualities will carry into adulthood and he will be a very steady, kind, and gentle man- just like his father. Happy 2nd birthday Jo-Jo!

Summer Road Trip Part IV- Laurel Fork, VA

We love the Brown Family!!! Our good friends Aaron and Jenny live in Laurel Fork, VA- one of the most beautiful areas of VA in my opinion. They live on 30(+/-) acres near the parkway and it is always so peaceful to spend time up there. We had such an amazing time with this great family that the pictures don't even do it justice.
The dads took the kids for a ride all around the property one afternoon and they spent 2 days building a fort in the woods. I am so sad that I didn't get any pictures of the fort because they worked so hard at clearing a spot in the woods and building the foundation. Every kid helped and had a tool in hand which made the process even more fun.
I call Jenny my pioneer/homesteader friend and while the boys were building the fort, she was teaching me how to can. We managed to can 21 quarts of peaches. I messed a few of them up a little, but Jenny is a very patient teacher and I realized that canning isn't nearly as complicated as I initially thought.
Aaron is a landscaper and he collected a huge pile of brush so we could have a bonfire. This has been a tradition every time we visit. This was the biggest bonfire yet- it was huge. The funny thing was that Jenny had a little patch of sunflowers last year and one lone sunflower came up in the same spot this year. Well, Aaron put the brush pile right next to it. Jenny hugged it good-bye and then it went up in flames- I could tell she was crying inside as it burned! So sad.
On Sunday we had a great time visiting with Jenny's family. We had a bible reading on her parent's back porch overlooking the mountains and we shared a great lunch together. Then we went swimming in the creek. The kids thought it was really cool to drive through the open ford. Matt is really good at skipping rocks and spent a lot of time teaching our kids how to find the perfect rock and showing them the proper throwing technique. Elijah caught a fish. The little boys enjoyed playing in the mud and they actually found a really muddy bank and turned it into a mud slide. They were so dirty, but as my Papaw used to say "a little dirt helps kids grow".
Our kids loved being able to spend so much time playing with their buddies. Savannah took a special liking to Ezra and kept trying to convince me that she was a very capable babysitter (which she is and will be a fabulous mommy someday). Little Katie Mae and Jonas really enjoyed chasing each other around. Elijah and Savannah loved putting together big puzzles every morning- it became a morning tradition and setting up elaborate scenes with the toys. Alan and Caleb just enjoyed getting dirty.
Our last day we went for a hike up Buffalo Mountain. The view from the top was breathtaking. You could see for miles and miles in all directions. Elijah felt like he was on top of the world. Finally, we had a picnic at Mabry Mill on the Parkway. It seemed like the perfect day and it was sad to get in the car and come home.
The thing I always recognize now when I spend time in the country and in nature is how much noise pollution we are subjected to in the city. My ears felt relieved to just listen to the wind blow and the crickets chirrup minus the sirens, trains, cars, horns and airplanes. It was so nice to sit under the stars without street lights dimming the view. It is so easy to recognize and appreciate all the things that God created without so many man-made obstacles in the way.
So thank you sweet Brown family for a relaxing mountain getaway. Don't be surprised if we set up a permanent tent on your property!

Summer Road Trip Part III- PA and DC

I just loved our trip. Looking back on the pictures makes me realize even more how much I loved it. The third part of the trip we went to Lancaster Co. PA, which was a great midpoint between Buffalo and DC. We thought about going to Hershey Park in Hershey, PA but we didn't think it was geared towards little children. Then we found this great amusement park called Dutch Wonderland and decided to go there instead. I have never seen such a great amusement park for little kids. It is the best beginners park for kids ages 10 and under. All the rides are geared towards younger children and they also have music shows, story telling, high dive shows and a great water park. I wish I had taken more pictures of this part of our trip, but we were too busy riding the rides. Elijah had his first big roller coaster experience and he loved it. He probably rode it a dozen times. Caleb and Jonas had the most fun in the water park. We had so much fun and we were all wiped out by the end of the day (especially Jonas).
The next day we left PA and headed for DC to see our good friends Kyle and Lorraine. We love Kyle and Lorraine. They are missionaries in Haiti and we only get to see them about once a year, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to swing by DC and hang out with them for a while. We also got to meet their sweet new addition- baby Micah. The day we arrived Matt and Kyle took the older boys and went to an awesome park to play Frisbee golf. At this particular course there are blackberry bushes everywhere; so they took along some baskets and picked some blackberries which Lorraine made into a delicious blackberry cobbler.
The next day we visited Mount Vernon which was George Washington's home. It was so amazing being on that property and seeing his house and walking along the Potomac River. I never realized that George Washington was such a progressive and innovative farmer. You really have to see the gardens to fully understand. The strangest part of it all was standing at his grave site; it made him a real person, not just a name in a history book or a face on a dollar bill.
Ezra fell asleep in his stroller for the first time and it is actually one of the few times ANY of my kids have fallen asleep in a stroller. I think the trip was finally catching up to him and he looked so cute with his hat over his eyes.
After Mount Vernon Kyle and Matt went to DC at night just to see some of the major sites. It's kind of cool to go at night because everything is lit up and it isn't so hot and crowded. That was the first time Matt has been to DC and we definitely want to go back and enjoy the museums next time.

Summer Road Trip Part II- More of New York

These pictures show some more of the major highlights of our New York trip. We were thrilled when we found out that Fort Niagara was hosting a re-enactment of the French and Indian War, but this was no regular re-enactment. It just so happened that it was the 250th anniversary of this war and it was the biggest reenactment in the US this year with over 2500 re-en actors. We were able to watch a boat battle and a field battle. However, it was not only a reenactment it was an encampment as well, so we were able to see what life was like beyond the battlefield. We saw how they slept, what they ate, how they dressed, how they made weapons etc. And to my mother's great dismay, we bought some guns for the boys. The funniest part was that there was a park close by and we let the kids take a break and play there for a while. It was completely filled with little boys with toy guns and they divided themselves up and staged their own battle.
The next day we took the kids to a great little children's museum in East Aurora, which is about 30 minutes from my grandpa's house. Somehow we took a wrong turn and ended up taking the most beautiful detour ever through miles and miles of dairy and wheat farms. It is funny because when most people think of New York they think of the city, but there are some of the most beautiful farmlands I have ever seen in upstate New York and all across PA. I forgot to bring my camera into the children's museum, but I did get a few pictures of the farms. And if anyone is ever in East Aurora you must eat at a great restaurant that we found called Sorrentino's.
The day after that Grandma Joanie took us to Herschell's Carousel Museum in Tonawanda. The Allan Herschell Company, the most prolific maker of carousels, specialized in producing portable machines which could be used by traveling carnival operators. The Company produced over 3,000 hand carved wooden carousels and out-produced all of its rivals in the carousel industry. (info. taken from www.carouselmuseum.org) Who knew this all started in the little town of Tonawanda? The kids had so much fun riding the old carousels, which go much faster than the newer ones. The most interesting part of the museum to me was the organ and drums that provided the carousel music. We are used to music just coming out of a speaker, but these were real instruments designed to play themselves.
I had to sneak a few pictures in of Caleb playing in the rain. After we went to the carousel museum we ate ice cream on my grandpa's back porch and it started to rain. Caleb asked if he could play in the rain and of course we said yes. So he started off splashing around in the puddles, but by the end of it he was swimming in them.
Our last day in New York was fabulous. It was the Fourth of July. My Uncle Bill plays the bagpipes, so we got up early to watch him play in the Parade on Grand Island. Then we went over to my Uncle Bill and Aunt Deb's house for a delicious 4th of July picnic and were able to swim in their pool. Then we ended the day watching the fireworks go off over the Niagara Falls River just 2 blocks from my Grandpa's house. It was a truly perfect way to spend the 4th of July.
I ended the slide show with a picture of the kids with Great Pop and Mama Joanie because they were the highlight of our trip. My grandpa made a ramp in his living room for the toy cars and they played there every day. He even got down on the floor with Elijah and played pirates. Joan has a great laugh that fills the room and hugs that make you feel really loved. The memories of our time with them are the ones that will last forever.

Summer Road Trip Part I- New York

We headed out on June 25th on a 3 week road trip... a glorious benefit of Matt being a teacher and having the summers off. So we have been on this wonderful adventure and have been having the best time. Most of the pictures in this slide show are of our visit to Tonawanda, NY. This is a great little Suburb of Buffalo. My grandparents and all my aunts and uncles live there. My great grandparents came to the US from Germany and built a house in Tonawanda, NY and my grandfather still lives in the same house that he lived in when he was a little boy. His neighborhood is fabulous. It has a fire station, school, grocery store, church all within about a 5 block radius. His house is 2 blocks from the beautiful Niagara Falls River. There is a great running/biking trail that runs along the river all the way up to the Falls.
The first pictures are taken when we woke them up really early in the morning the first day of our trip because we wanted to get an early start on the 12 hour trip. You may be wondering what the picture with the tags is all about. Well, I knew I was going to have to be creative to survive a trip that long with 4 young kids in the car. So I found a great website www.momsminivan.com and I found a lot of fabulous ideas for making a car trip fun for kids. I hung a string from window to window in our Suburban and I hung a ticket for each hour that we were going to be on the road and when each hour passed I took down a ticket and this was a great way to give them a visual of how many hours were left on the trip. Every 2 hours I gave them each a surprise bag with a snack and a little game or activity in it. This really helped the time go quickly and we all ended having a lot of fun on that 12 hour trip.
A lot of the pictures are taken at Niagara Falls. Even though I have been there several times I really wanted to take the kids to see it. I am in complete awe each time I see the falls and I just can't imagine what it must have looked before it was developed. Can you imagine being an explorer and stumbling upon the falls for the very first time? It is absolutely amazing.
We also went to the Erie Canal, which is very fascinating to me. This time we went to the Erie Caves, which I never knew about before this trip and got a great tour of this amazing man-made cave next to the canal.
But the main focus of this trip was to spend time visiting with family. We spent so much time eating together, talking, laughing, looking at old pictures, swimming, and just hanging out. The last time I saw my NY family we just had Elijah, so they got to meet Caleb, Jonas and Ezra. The kids loved meeting their New York family and I know that we created some great memories that will last a lifetime.


For Today...

Outside my window... It is hot, humid and cloudy. I am waiting for a thunderstorm to roll through and bring a few cool breezes.

I am thinking... that I need to tend to the pile of dirty dishes in my sink and the clothes in the hallway...but I'm sure they will still be there an hour from now.

I am thankful for... my mom visiting. She took the boys to the YMCA to swim and the little guys are sleeping... so I am also thankful for the quiet stillness of the house right now.

From the learning rooms... Elijah is devouring old copies of Ranger Rick and enjoying some new books on tape from my mom and Caleb is really into Richard Scarry right now. We are still reading the Little House series...we only have 1 more book left... and Elijah has already told me he wants to start the whole series over again once we finish it.

From the kitchen... is the smell of pancakes from this morning. It's a great recipe that is made of whole wheat, wheat germ, oats, pecans, bananas, apples, cinnamon...Yum.

I am wearing... I long blue skirt and a white shirt

I am creating... a family vision. This is something Matt and I have wanted to write out for a while and when it is complete I am going to frame it and hang it in our bedroom.

I am going... to take Caleb to his first music and movement class tonight. He is so excited and I hope it will be a lot of fun.

I am reading... Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home by Elizabeth Foss and I am really enjoying it. I am always reading and rereading Educating the Whole-Hearted Child by Sally Clarkson

I am hoping... to find some good books at the used book store tonight.

I am hearing... My neighbor mowing his lawn, the attic fan running at our house and the faint sirens from a fire truck.

Around the house... I see laundry that needs to be folded and books that need to be put away.

One of my favorite things... hearing my children laugh.

A few plans for the rest of the week: tomorrow my mom and I are taking the boys on a train ride to Raleigh to see my brother and go to the Museum of Natural Science. I am sure it will be a very adventurous day.

Tomorrow

Everyone in our family enjoys the Frog and Toad stories by Arnold Lobel; it is the subtle sarcasm and irony that makes these stories so clever and fun to read. Today Elijah and I were taking turns reading stories from Days With Frog and Toad and I was laughing to myself when I realized how much I could relate to this story.

Tomorrow by Arnold Lobel

Toad woke up. "Drat!" he said. "This house is a mess. I have so much work to do."
Frog looked through the window. "Toad, you are right," said Frog. "It is a mess."
Toad pulled the covers over his head.
"I will do it tomorrow," said Toad. "Today I will take life easy."
Frog came into the house. "Toad," said Frog, "your pants and jacket are lying on the floor."
"Tomorrow," said Toad from under the covers.
"Your kitchen sink is filled with dirty dishes," said Frog.
"Tomorrow," said Toad.
"There is dust on your chairs."
"Tomorrow," said Toad.
"Your windows need scrubbing," said Frog. "Your plants need watering."
"Tomorrow!" cried Toad. "I will do it all tomorrow!"
Toad sat on the edge of his bed.
"Blah," said Toad. " I feel down in the dumps."
"Why?" asked Frog.
"I am thinking about tomorrow," said Toad. "I am thinking about all of the many things that I will have to do."
"Yes," said Frog, "tomorrow will be a very hard day for you."
"But Frog," said Toad, "if I pick up my pants and jacket right now, then I will not have to pick them up tomorrow, will I?"
"No," said Frog. "You will not have to."
Toad picked up his clothes. He put them in the closet.
"Frog," said Toad, "if I wash my dishes right now, then I will not have to wash them tomorrow, will I?"
"No," said Frog. "You will not have to."
Toad washed and dried his dishes. He put them in the cupboard.
"Frog," said Toad, "if I dust my chairs and scrub my windows and water my plants right now, then I will not have to do it tomorrow, will I?"
"No," said Frog. "You will not have to do any of it."
Toad dusted his chairs. He scrubbed his windows. He watered his plants.
"There," said Toad. "Now I feel better. I am not in the dumps anymore."
"Why?" asked Frog.
"Because I have done all that work," said Toad. "Now I can save tomorrow for something that I really want to do."
"What is that?" asked Frog.
"Tomorrow," said Toad, "I can just take life easy." Toad went back to bed. He pulled the covers over his head and fell asleep.


With 4 children ages 6 and under our house can spiral down into disorder very quickly. It is easy to look around a messy house and feel down in the dumps; and
there are many days when it is very tempting to just go and hide under the covers and put it all off until tomorrow. But if I do that, then tomorrow feels even more overwhelming. Just as Toad discovers in the story- if you just get off your fanny and get the work done and stop thinking about it so much you will feel a whole lot better in the end. There really is a lot of wisdom in the saying "Don't put off until tommorow what can be done today."

Family Fun in the Mountains

It has been months since we have been to the mountains to visit my parents. We had such a great time with them. We went up to their little cabin on Balsalm Mountain. We went on an exploration hike up the ridge and saw lots of signs of spring. The kids were especially excited because we made a campfire and they got to stay up later than usual to make s'mores and listen to lots of stories from Memose. Then we came back to Hendersonville and the boys spent most of the day fishing at the pond down the road. It has been so nice to slow down and enjoy a little family getaway. Me and the boys have loved our time with Matt and I wish these next 2 days would go really slow because on Monday it will be back to work and back to reality. I sure do love the Blue Ridge Mountains. I know a piece of me will always belong in my mountain home.

This World

This song has been playing over and over in my mind for about 2 weeks now. In America we are surrounded by everything material that we could ever want, yet these things mean nothing in God's kingdom. What is important to God? Let us want for those things.

This World by Caedmon's Call:

There's tarnish on the golden rule
And I wanna jump from this ship of fools
Show me a place where hope is young
And a people who are not afraid to love

This world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could wanted and nothing that I need

This world is making me drunk on the spirit of fear.
So when you say who will go, I am nowhere near.

'Cuz this world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could wanted and nothing that I need

But the least of these look like criminals to me
So I leave Christ on the street

This world has held my hand and has led me into intolerance
So now I'm breaking up, now I'm waking up
I'm making up for lost time

This world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could want and nothing that I need (2x)

A Beautiful Mind (and Heart)

"If you ask a secular educator about learning theory, he would likely describe learning as a mental process centered on the child's material brain, and measured by the retention of discreet facts and information. He would emphasize the role of the teacher and the acquisition of knowledge. The secular educator would acknowledge neither the existence of a Creator God nor the existence of an immaterial heart and mind. Instead, he would view a child's mind as an empty vessel waiting to be filled. The educator might describe the child as a wonderful and complex human organism. But when all the educational rhetoric is stripped away, to the secular educator the child is still just a smart animal, the product of evolution in a godless, material universe that just happened by cosmic chance.
As a Christian home educator with a biblical view of education, your answer to the same question about learning theory should be very different. You would describe learning as a personal process involving both your child's heart and mind, and measured by wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of truth. You would emphasize the role of the child as a whole person with an innate, natural appetite for knowledge and a limitless capacity to learn. You would be more concerned with your child's understanding of important ideas and concepts, than with the accumulation of discreet knowledge. Your child is not just a soulless brain that needs to be filled up with facts by a teacher, but a person in relationship with you and God, who has eternal value, dignity and purpose because he or she is made in the image and likeness of their Creator" - Sally Clarkson, Educating the WholeHearted Child

Before I start, I must add that not all public educators have that view on education and learning (mom, Matt, Mary and many others I am sure); and I know for sure that many home educators teach to the mind and not the heart. So one does not necessarily equal the other. I just wanted to share this because I have been thinking a whole lot about educating the mind vs. educating the whole person. When our children grow into adults what is going to matter the most? 20 years from now what kind of people do we want our children to be? I know that, for me, it is much more important for my children to be good brothers, fathers, husbands, friends, hard workers, etc than for them to have a bunch of meaningless head knowledge. Being able to recite the states and capitals and all the presidents in alphabetical order and memorizing all the elements of the periodic table along with all the basic rules of grammar are not bad things to know, but I don't want all this head knowledge to overshadow the true purpose of why God placed us here... to serve and encourage one another, to work, and to worship and glorify the Father. It is easy to get caught up in the lie that we need to keep pace with the public school and focus on doing all that we can to make sure our children pass the EOG's with flying colors so that we can prove to the skeptics that our children really are learning something at home... but I just want to remind myself and my homeschooling friends that that is not the point and purpose of educating our children. Let us keep our hearts and minds focused on the real goals for homeschooling... and for me those goals are building strong family relationships, strong character, strong morals, and a strong work ethic and have very little to do with curriculum, testing and the standard course of study.

Re-entering the blogosphere

I have been gone on maternity leave, but now that Ezra is 3 months old I am determined not to let another month go by without creating a new post. I haven't even introduced our latest addition. His name is Ezra Joseph Vaughn. He was born December 26th and was my 3rd successful home birth as well as my fastest and easiest birth. He was 8lbs 2oz. and 19 inches long. He is my biggest and happiest baby. It seems like he is doing everything earlier than the others. He started rolling over about 2 weeks ago and he has been smiling almost from the beginning and he started laughing almost a month ago. He brings so much love to our household. Elijah has been such an amazing big brother and I think he is really developing a special connection with Ezra. He walks him around and can burp him and make him stop crying. Everyday when Caleb says his prayers he only says "Thank you God for Ezra". Everyday. Jonas wasn't so sure in the beginning, but they are only 16 months apart. He is getting used to not being the baby anymore. I am hoping they will be very close friends as they grow up. We have all been adjusting. Our homeschool routine and life routine in general has to be more flexible now and some days it seems impossible to get much accomplished. Right now my laundry is up to the ceiling (not an exaggeration!) and the kids had to wear pj's today because all their clothes are dirty... thankfully we didn't need to go anywhere! I am learning to not beat myself up over the state of our house. I have a lot more pictures I want to share, but I am determined to get this blog posted before March ends...which is in about 7 more minutes.