Status Report, Book Log for November, etc.

Sitting…in my big recliner.

Drinking…coffee. Stevia in the Raw sweetener, and a touch of Coffeemate Caramel Machiatto.

Complaining…mentally about not complaining.  I had a big, silly, self-centered day of shopping planned.  I had gotten money for my birthday, and was going to just go and have a day of it.  Then one of my kids began throwing up last night.  So, I realize that scrapping my silly, self-centered plans for the day is not a big deal.  And I am not complaining.  But I would like to.  Does that make sense?

Realizing…that complaining about anything is a useless waste of time, and more importantly, is not pleasing to the Lord.

Convicted…that I should really be quiet and get over myself.  

Reading…nothing right now - though I have A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch on the table next to me.  I will probably start it today.  I get all excited when I am trying out a new author for the first time.  

Anticipating…going on a family road trip soon, as long as no one else starts barfing.

Listening…to the dryer on "fluff" now, as it is full of throw pillows from the sofa.  Where the barfer was sitting last night.  Just saying, you fill in the blanks.

Almost ready…for my science co-op tomorrow, which is a shame, because if the barfer is not 100% better in a few hours (and no one else is sick) I will be cancelling.

Wondering…if I am going to get sick, too.

Thankful…that my life is such that we can re-arrange for sickness, etc.  Thankful that we homeschool, and that our business is in our home, so I don't have the stress of having to be somewhere else.  Also thankful that as I get older I am learning to "go with the flow" more.  

Ready…for whatever the Lord brings my way today!

And now, since I read so few books last month, I might as well just pile these posts together!

November

A Duty to the Dead - Charles Todd - 4 (out of 5) - first in the Bess Crawford mystery series.  Bess is an English nurse serving in World War I.  While home recuperating from an injury, she takes a deathbed message from one of her patients to his family.  There she finds a mystery, an family secret surrounding a murder, and a few more suspicious deaths.  I would say that if you like the Laurie R. King "Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes" books you will probably enjoy this one as well. 

A Shilling For Candles - Josephine Tey -3 - this is only the second Tey that I have read. She wrote in the same time period as Agatha Christie, so her books have that sort of feel to them.  Lots of characters, at some points it was hard for me to keep track of who the minor players were.  

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis - 4 - a read aloud with my younger boys.  Always like Narnia, this is one of my favorites.

And that is it!  I picked up and put down lots of books, and really just had a hard time finishing anything.  I am blaming it on too much social media.

Field Trip!

Not that anyone but me gets excited about this stuff, but I thought I'd share some pics from our field trip yesterday.  We went to The St. Louis Zoo for the day.  We hadn't been in a few years.  The St. Louis Zoo is world-class, and did you know it is FREE????  That is right.  You can park somewhere in Forest Park and walk on in.  You can pay for extras, like food, the train, some of the shows....but you don't have to.  You can even pay $15 to park, but I wonder why anyone would.  We parked about 1/4 mile away, if that, in the Art Museum parking lot.

As it was getting warm, I did suggest we go to the (air-conditioned!) Art Museum instead, but was loudly voted down.

I did not take many pictures of the kids - actually, only a few of Joe and Henry.  Mainly, I photographed the Zoo residents.

Henry really enjoyed watching the sea lions being fed.

There is a cool insect museum, and a small butterfly house you walk through.  Imagine being in an overgrown garden, with butterflies all around.

Look, it is Capyboppy!

I don't recall this fellows' name, Cotton Top something or other.  He is only about 8" tall.  Joe was fascinated by him.

Seal at lunch

Seal and sea lions at lunch

Hippo

Joe posing by the Childrens' Zoo

Some sort of Lemur

Lion.  Note the females on the rocks to the right.  Usually I don't get to see the lions, they tend to be inside when we are there.

Meerkat showing off.

Probably my favorite is the Penguin Exhibit.  Besides it being very chilly (nice, when it is 92 degrees outside) you can get up close to them.  If no one had been looking, I bet I could have touched a few.

Don't the Zebras sort of look like an optical illusion?

Next week school starts back up here - I wanted one more day of just fun before we got back to our routines.  And I am logging it as science!

Saturday Morning on the Homestead: Where to Start.....

Life here the last few weeks has been nothing short of chaotic.  I feel like I have barely had time to sit still, yet somehow have managed to read a couple really good books (which you will find out about tonight or tomorrow sometime!).

I last posted about our adventures with an unplanned Saturday.  Two days later I went to my moms' homeschool meeting, and came home late with a little tickle in my throat.  By 2 a.m. my throat was on fire, tonsils huge, I was feverish and achy all over.  I laid in bed for a few hours praying a)to be healed and b) that the Lord would show me how to re-arrange all the "life" I had on my schedule.

Healing came after a few days, and the Lord did reveal a new arrangement for me.  I re-scheduled our dinner plans for the evening (a family of 13 was joining us for homemade pizza).  Then I re-scheduled our science class for Thursday.  Nevin took time out of his workday and took Ben into town for his guitar lesson.  I re-scheduled all four boys' haircuts.

After staying in bed for two days (unheard of) and consuming massive quantities of Alka Seltzer Cold Plus we managed to have a delayed science, a re-scheduled pizza party and then I hauled myself out on Friday and Saturday for the Greater St. Louis Homeschool Expo.  THAT was a not-to-be-missed weekend.  Two other ladies rode with me both days, we packed lunches to eat in the car (so fun, we opened up the back of the Suburban and put down the seats and it was like going to the drive-in), and spent two full days there.  We even went out for a grown-up dinner Friday night.  I will elaborate more about what I learned in another post on planning for next year's school, but for now - let me just say it was the boost and refreshment and encouragement I needed to finish this year well.

Sunday was the last of our birthday bonanza season - my Joe seems to have gone from a little guy to a big guy suddenly.  He is nine.  He is the first of my boys to be fashion-conscious.  Everyone else dresses for comfort, but Joe has style.  He likes flat-billed hats and shirts with cartoon characters.  Joe requested Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Icing, so I made an easy chocolate buttercream, and it was delish.

That was really a good cake.

An Air Soft Warrior is born

Note any resemblance?  What a handsome pair.

The guys

This past week has also been a bit of a whirlwind - took a day off to stay home, and spend HOURS switching out closets and drawers, then on Tuesday I had my Ladies' Discipleship group here, followed immediately by out-of-town relatives popping by (Michelle, if you read this - I was SO GLAD to see you guys and wish you could have stayed longer!).  Wednesday was back to our regular routine of science-guitar lessons-small group Bible study.  We'd missed our group for two weeks because of sickness and it was so good to see everyone again.  When we got home, we found that Daisy had had her kittens,

Daisy and babies

so now we have baby kitties again.Thursday the boys and I and my friend Faith ran all day - they FINALLY got their haircuts, bought new tennis shoes for all four of them, lunched at Chik-Fil-A, bought chicken feed, went to Walmart, hit the butcher shop, oil change, bank, etc.  Came home exhausted.  Yesterday was geography club.

Doing a report at Geography club.  The topic was North America.  Ben chose Area 51 for his report.  Let's just say that we are an eclectic bunch in our group!

Today we are hosting a huge air soft war in our woods (so far I think we have two dozen boys participating, not to mention the parents and siblings who will be hanging out).  Tomorrow is church, fellowship dinner and AWANA.....and next week I have STAY HOME written on the calendar!

Some weeks are just like this - life gets busy, lots of fun opportunities start crowding the calendar.  It is hard to know what to do, what to pitch.  Our "spring break" from school work was sort of taken in bits and pieces the last few weeks.  Monday, back to regular schedule.  I like all the busyness at times, but it makes me appreciate my home so much more.  I am making a list of all the home projects that need to be done around here, and can't wait to get started!

Is Learning Dangerous??

I was very impressed with this article today.  I do follow the Ladies Against Feminism blog, and while I don't agree with everything posted there, overall I find it refreshing and thought-provoking.

The link below is to a post from the Botkin sisters,


homeschool graduates, speakers, writers and authors of this book:



in response to an email they received.
http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/education/a-little-learning-a-dangerous-thing/

Field Trip!

 Just a few pictures from our trip to The Magic House this week.  Once a month there is a Homeschool Morning.  The upside is that it is only $3 and it is generally not too crowded.  The downside - only two hours.  Last year I went twice so I could spend time on the younger kid stuff with my little guys, and then the second time to hit all the "big" kid stuff.

My crew, plus a few friends.  Tony is a good sport to get his picture taken in the Magic Tree House area, especially since he was about a foot taller than most people there!

The kids really  had a good time.

And, just to keep me humble..........

Homeschool Snow Days

Snow throws the schedule into disarray.  It always does.  I have often noted that it ONLY snowed on days that I had to be at work (back in my employment-for-money days).  Then it ONLY snowed on days I really needed to get to the shop (back in the days when I worked-for-free at my husband's cabinet shop). 

Now I suppose it will only snow on the days when I have fun things planned to do, since my husband works from a shop at home and I can work from the desk in the school room. 

We got our first snowfall of the season early Thursday morning.  There was maybe an inch in some of the drifts.  Enough to make the back roads where I live hazardous, so I chose not to leave the house at all. 

But this little bit was enough to throw my school plans into disarray.  I got the boys up with the promise that if they hurried up and ate and fed the animals they could play outside BEFORE school.  Usually, I would at least attempt to make them do some bookwork first, but it is a losing battle.  And besides, the sun was shining and I was afraid it would melt.  Would YOU want to be the mom who made them do school while the only snow all winter melted?  No, I didn't want that on my tombstone, either. 

And so, here they are.  This is the slope off our driveway, which ends in the woods.  I am always waiting for it it end with someone slamming into a tree, but in nine years they haven't broken any bones.

Getting ready to go again.  The figure on the right is my husband, getting ready to videotape.

Henry is ready for the snowboard.

Joe makes everything look easy.

They look so young.  These guys are 11 and 13, 5'3" and 5'11", respectively.  But everyone is a little kid when they are out in the snow.

Afterwards, hot chocolate, lunch, some book work.  The local school district also had a snow day, so the boys next door came over and sledded down our hill, then they all went inside for a wii tournament, followed by xbox at the neighbors' house.

We got the really important stuff done, anyway!

What to do, what to do.....

I woke up a few hours ago, and I just did not feel so hot. 

Ben has been sick for two days, said he was fine last night and when he got up this morning.  After being awake about fifteen minutes, he realized he was still sick.  Nevin also has been not feeling well, but as he would have to be in ICU to take off work, he is soldiering on.

This morning I woke up with a headache.  My legs really hurt, too, but I think that is from the treadmill yesterday (walked up a really steep incline slowly for 30 minutes). 

So, a dilemna.  Today is our book club.  Ben is definitely not going - he's got a date with Grandma's couch.  I really don't feel like going, though I may feel better once I eat and get moving.  The other three boys, however, really want to go.  They aren't sick, and don't want to miss out. 

Not sick, but are they carriers?? 

Yesterday I got a very funny phone call.  I have a friend, I'll call her Lou.  I love her because she says all the things the rest of us only think, and she has no hypocrisy in her - what you see is what you get.  Sometimes she comes off as rude, but I don't think she means to be.  Anyway, yesterday Lou calls because she heard Ben was sick.  What she really wanted to know - and came right out and said - was:

What symptoms does he have?
When did it start?
Do the others have it?
Anyone coughing?
And...are you planning to come to the book club?  Because her family has just been sick for a month and she does not want to expose the kids to anyone else who is sick because she CANNOT go through this again!

I just had to laugh.  I mean really, how often do we look at someone elses' kid and wonder WHY did they bring that kid to this event?  Do you think church/book club/playgroup cannot go on without you?  I know I am certainly guilty of this.  A couple months ago, we had a week where we were "in between" bouts of colds and coughing.  And I took all the boys to chess club.  About 15 minutes into a game I noticed that Joe has begin to cough, and his eyes have gone red, there are dark circles and they have sunk back into his head.

Maybe no one will notice.....

Anyway, even as I sit here and type, and as my third cup of coffee kicks in, I feel fine.  My headache is gone (probably will address my body's addiction to caffeine in another post) and I feel fine.  I think I will head out today.  Ben, on the other hand, is still going to Grandma's.  There is a vast difference between me having a headache and him being on the couch with a fever for two days. 

There is also the possibility that I am trying to get out of baking cookies and going to the book club this afternoon, but I would never do that.....never.

So, we will plan on going.  Tony is an "older student" so he does not have to do a book report - he gets to play on the fooseball table this afternoon - this explains why he is so insistent on going (Mom, you can just drop me and the cookies off if you don't feel like staying).  Henry does not like "lots of people looking at me" so he probably won't do his report.  Joe is doing his on the original story of Shrek by William Steig



I actually like the story book better than the movies.  But that usually happens.  I need to read over Joe's report today, he tends to like to put on a performance for groups, and needs some editing.

So, I have digressed from my headache, to a discussion of illness, when it is appropriate to take people out among others, the dangers of caffeine addiction, and how movies are never as good as the books.  Meanwhile, though, I do feel better.  Good enough to bake some cookies and head out.  It is a beautiful day, and the fresh air will do us all good!

I need to add a disclaimer - NO ONE else is sick, no one is coughing, I don't think we are carriers of anything, and therefore I think it is okay to go out.  In the event that anyone else would show any signs of being sick, we would stay home.  I promise.

A final thought on goals (and I really mean it)!

So, now a few weeks into it, and how am I doing????

1. To get back to my Weight Watchers goal weight and maintain it - I am 10 lbs over right now (yikes!).
I have been staying within my Points and weighing in each week - the last two weeks I was down. .6 pounds each week.  This is good - as much as I'd like that 10 pounds to disappear immediately, I know that slow and steady is the way to go, and that will be easier to maintain.

2. Make getting all the schoolwork done a priority for the boys.
So far, so good.  I have re-vamped our schedule a bit, revised my expectations some, and looked at what are the basics we need to accomplish each day. 
3. Follow through with my Bible reading plan.
On track, making it my first priority each day.  I am really blessed to see how Tony is staying on track with his, and making sure it is done each day.  He sets aside time and goes by himself to study. 

4. Have housework done before I play on computer.
I think someone else must have snuck that one in! 

5. Exercise at least 3 times a week, besides my regular "on my feet all day" stuff.
Let's just say it is still a "goal", not an accomplishment.  Getting better, though.  I have found that if I do it first thing I seem to get more out of it.

6. Keep the school records current, so I don't have to face a month of stuff to log.
Doing better, everything is current up to Thursday of this past week, and I am finding time in the day to sit down and work on it.

7. Have more families over for fellowship at our house.
Have had people over this month, have plans for more, hosting the homeschool book club this week, tentative plans with some other moms and kids - this is really more of an ongoing goal, since we do have friends and family over frequently. 

8. Stay with a regular cleaning schedule.
This is probably more what I mean by "housework before computer" - these two goals are basically the same!  Back with the Flylady, though not quite as ambitious as she is.  But we are doing better with putting things away when we get them out, at least!

9. Be consistent with the boys - in discipline, in chores, in everything!
I hadn't addressed this individually - I guess it doesn't need much explanation. 

Okay, maybe it does.

I know that there are some who think that homeschool families fall into a form of idolatry with their children.  Well, maybe some do, but I think you can see that in all kinds of families, no matter what form of education they choose.  We do not idolize our children.  However - our family is first God-centered, and then family-centered.  And our family just happens to have a lot of young boys in it! 

We have these children in our homes for such a short period of time.  My oldest is almost 13, and when I think of how fast the last 13 years have gone by, and I look at only having another 5-6 years ahead to train him, I could go into full-blown panic.  But, the Lord reminds me that this is HIS child, He has marked out Tony's days before the creation of the Earth.  Nevin and I are to train Tony (and his brothers) up, to guide them, love them, instruct them, and then to let them go out into the world. 

Back to the consistency - it is hard!  Sometimes it is easier just to do the chore myself than to have to remind (remind, remind) others to do it, but then all they are learning is that if they turn a deaf ear and wait me out, they get out of work.  Sometimes it is easier to say I am being "merciful" when I don't discipline them, when really, I am just being lazy.  It is no fun to have to stop what I am doing and address someone's bad behavior.  Especially when I am going to come out of it as the "bad mom" or even the "mean mom".  Joe used to tell me that I was a "terrible mudder" when he was younger.  Ah, the joys of motherhood....!

BUT - it needs to be done.  There is no need to be rigid, but we need to be consistent.  Consistent bedtimes, consistent waking up, a regular routine of school and chores, and then lots of time to relax, dream, read, play, build, and just follow our own little plans for the day.  So this is another of those ongoing goals, and sometimes I do really well with it, and sometimes the whole system falls into chaos and anarchy. 

And then I just ask the Lord for strength for another day, forgiveness for where I've fallen short, and get up and try again. 

And now, just because Joe and Ben thought I should put some of their Lego designs on the internet, here are pictures of the ships they built the other day, as part of our Lego lapbook project!

Ben's boat, I believe that is a crab trap and the shark wants the crabs.

A little more detail, with additional endangered creatures being captured.

I mentioned to Joe that I didn't think a square boat would float, and he became very annoyed with me and my lack of vision. 

Goal #6

Keep the school records current, so I don't have to face a month of stuff to log.

Here in Missouri, homeschoolers have to record or "log" 1,000 hours of instruction per calendar year, broken out into core and electives. 

I have no problem getting plenty of stuff done - as I've said before, we subscribe to a "learning lifestyle" so I look at everything we do as learning - not just those things done with a pencil and paper.  The hard part is not the learning - it is the recording of the learning. 

The things that I have on a "schedule" for them are easy - I plan each week, print a list for them of what we are going to do, and as it gets done I check it off.  Then I just have to mark it complete in the computer and how much time we spent, and the Homeschool Tracker program does the rest.

But what about the time Ben spent yesterday in the library reading a DK book about WWII?  Or the time Joe, Henry and Dad spent going through an I-Spy book last night?  Some of the tv shows we watch are definitely educational.  Ben has spent several hours this week assembling an approximately 4' tall skeleton out of duct tape (I am not joking) - is that science or art?  So many things - okay, most things - don't involve sitting at a desk, and oftentimes we rabbit trail off to topics that don't seem to have any relation to what we set out to study.  But yet, learning is happening.  Just not the learning that I had on the list for that day!

I have considered giving the boys steno pads to write down what they are doing each day, but that seems like a "joy of learning killer", at least for them.  I think I need to carry a steno pad around and write down everything they do.  Actually, I know that is what I should do.  I guess I could hang it from a chain around my neck or something...

Anyway, we always get in more hours than we need for state requirements, I just tend to stress myself out because I know I am missing so many things that we do.  I guess it would be easier if I just sat them down at a table from 9 - 3 each day (with a break for lunch) and had them do a list of assignments.  But that does not seem like much fun for any of us.

So, a system needs to be in place, but what that system will look like is uncertain.  And as life is always changing, the system will need to change and be re-vamped frequently.  For now, I should probably find myself a really attractive chain for the steno pad I will be wearing!

And here are a few examples of what learning looks like in our house:

Copy pictures of Missouri insects and then coloring and painting them - art/science

Doing a portrait like Picasso would, and a sculpture to match - more art!

Reading for fun!

Enjoying a science video with some friends

Goal #2 from "the list"

Goal #2:
Make getting all the schoolwork done a priority for the boys.

Sometimes this is difficult.  I make a schedule.  Really, I do.  But I have four rambunctious guys, who really have better things to do than sit around with schoolbooks. 

I try to promote a "learning lifestyle" - everything we do is learning.  It doesn't all come from books.  Of course we have books - lots of them.  We also have text books.  We use those and workbooks in conjunction with math and grammar.  We also do a lot of creative writing, reading together, watching videos. finding out stuff on our own, and we go on lots of field trips.  I think so many lessons can't come from books - like how to get along with others, how to work, how to serve, how to create and invent.  So, while we do hit the books in the morning and get that part "out of the way" (and yes, some homeschool kids do really see their schoolwork as something to just.get.done) we usually leave the afternoons open for some fun, or for them to just have time on their own to BE.  To exist.  To be human "beings", as opposed to human "doings".

I will admit that sometimes the drawback to being relaxed in our approach is that sometimes I don't feel like we are doing enough.  I know we are, we get all our hours in every year.  But I keep falling back into the idea that "school" is "bookwork".  And I have to shake myself out of that and remember that "school" is "life".

And there is much more to life than textbooks and workbooks. 

So really, this is an important goal - school needs to be their priority.  But sometimes the definition of "school" needs to get revamped a bit.

And now, just because it is my blog and I can, I would like to share pictures from the spelling bee last week.  Ben and Tony both competed.  It was a very small bee, but we had fun.

Tony - he looked so huge up there on the stage!

Ben is in the back, there, with the other finalists.  The winner from each grade went to the spell-off.  He didn't place there, but I thought we did pretty good, considering we'd never even ATTENDED a spelling bee before!

Tony and Ben with their ribbons.

Didn't We Just Do This??

Last week I shared a crazy day, the central point of which was taking my youngest son Henry to Urgent Care with an ear infection.

Yesterday, it was my oldest son, Tony.  He managed to not have a common ear infection, though.  He has a circular pneumonia on his left lung.  I am going to have to google that to know exactly what that means, but I know a few things it means:

$112 worth of antibiotics, which took almost two hours to have filled because of the precise amounts of dosage and the times the two are administered.  Several phone calls were made between the pharmacy and the doctor, while four hungry boys sat in the waiting area at Schnucks.  I must note, they behaved much better than some of the adults who were in line and complaining about the wait, their insurance, etc. 

And......

His very first chest x-ray!  We got a bit of a scare, because the doctor wanted him to go to the hospital and have a CT scan to make sure it was pneumonia (What else could it be?  I did not even want to know.).  But, the radiologist at the hospital said it looked like pneumonia, and to treat it as such.

So now I need to call his regular doctor and get an appointment for late next week to follow up and see how he is doing.  I dread going to the regular doctor, because it is so hard to get an appointment, but hopefully if I call a week in advance I can get in!

All in all, the boys were really troopers through the whole event.  For four boys to not fight and be reasonably patient through a couple hours in a doctor office and then a couple hours in a pharmacy is pretty good.  While we were at the doctor's I left my two middle boys, ages 7 and 10, in the waiting area and just kept coming back to peek at them.  They were either talking, playing their DSs or reading medical brochures.  I saw other children whose parents were right there in the room climbing on the furniture, etc.  I was proud of my guys. 

While the boys were behaving so well, I was getting really, really tired and really, really cranky.  I'd left the house at 8:00 a.m. worked all morning, had a lovely breakfast with my friend Faith (I am so glad -thinking back over our conversation that morning got me through the afternoon!) ran some errands, took all the boys for haircuts (I know, he had pneumonia but that is not excuse for poor grooming!) and then the Urgent Care adventure began.  While we were waiting for our prescription I was listening to a lady who was really rude to the pharmacists.  They had problems with her insurance, needed more info, etc. and she was getting snotty.  "Well, isn't that YOU'RE job to call them?  Well, can't YOU take care of that?"  This reluctance to make a phone call from a woman who was sitting there with her cell phone out the entire time.  I watched her and thought, "Yep, that is how you sound too, sometimes - don't judge, learn!"  Everyone can be a lesson - some teach me what to do, some teach me what NOT to do.

After all that, we ate carryout for dinner.  I felt mildly guilty.  I bought a couple fried chickens at the Schnucks deli (actually pretty good), made instant mashed potatoes, microwaved a bag of frozen brussel sprouts and had applesauce.  Not a great meal, but no one cared.  Tony got both his medications down, which is pretty amazing from a guy who can take an hour to ingest 2 tsp. of Tylenol.  Now we just pray for healing, administer antibiotics and move on. 

And now, for something a little different

This year we decided to do something a little different for Christmas.  Usually Nevin takes the boys out one at a time to buy gifts for each other and me, and I take the boys out (en masse) to buy gifts for Nevin.  This has worked well for a few years, but we still find ourselves with a lot of gifts that are nice, but really, we don't need. 

Actually, we don't NEED anything.  We have more than everything we need - and we have pretty much everything we could possibly want as well. 

But there are so many in the world who don't even have clean water, a way to support themselves, or even a Bible.  So this year, we cut back quite a bit.  We asked each boy what one thing they would really like.  We got them each that one thing, and then we picked out a smaller item as well, and another small gift and some candy for the stocking.  We did not buy anything for each other (okay, Nevin did get me a box of chocolates, he knows the ways to keep me happy!).  The boys did not select anything for us or each other.

Instead, on Christmas Eve, we looked at the Christmas Catalog put out by Gospel for Asia.  Nevin checked into their ministry, and read the book Revolution in World Missions by K. P. Yohannan
 
(note - this is the book that has been handed out for free at The Greater St. Louis Homeschool Expo the last few years - and is available free at GFA's website).  One of the things that is different about this ministry is that the missionaries are not people sent to India from the United States or Europe - they are indigenous people, who have been discipled and trained to carry the gospel to their own countrymen.  They are also ministering to some of the poorest of the poor in the world.  Where $10 in our home will buy a small Lego set (that Ben can assemble in about 5 minutes), through Gospel for Asia it can buy a mosquito net, to protect a child from the biting insects that carry malaria.

With the kids, we looked all through the online catalog, and asked them what they would like to buy with their own money.  This is a new twist, also, because in the past they have "selected" gifts for the brothers and parents, which we then paid for.  This time, they were using their own money.  They kicked in $10-11 each ( the equivalent of two weeks' allowance for Tony and Ben, but 10 weeks' for Joe and Henry).  Nevin and I also put in what we would have spent on each other.  Together, for relatively little money, our family bought a pair of chicks, a pair of rabbits, a mosquito net, gospel tracts, VBS materials, a tool kit and a bicycle for a missionary.  Life-changing things for these people, with money that would have gone for nice, but unneccessary, items for ourselves.

This is not to toot our own horn, by the way - I want to share this because it was so easy, and yet so worthwhile.  So often we look for ways to help, ways to support missions (if you don't go yourself, you need to support those who do), we have a desire to do "something", but that "something" can be elusive.  This was something that anyone can do - it is a good start. 

Nevin and I have been reading Radical by David Platt, and it is really giving us pause, and causing us to re-think what is important.  What is enough.

What is too much.

But more on that later.  For now, Merry Christmas.  The traditional pictures of our over-indulged children will be posted tomorrow.  For today, we will bask in the glow of the day, prepare a Taco Fiesta for dinner, and a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting to celebrate the birth of Christ.

A New Day, A Snow Day

I woke up to the snow that I had been praying so hard NOT to get....and once again I see where God provides what I don't even know that I need or want.

Last night I went to bed grumpy - the kids had been snuffling around for days, and all they had done all day was watch movies on ABC Family Channel (which should change its' name, but that is for another rant).  Joe was the exception - he felt fine, and had no brothers to play with, so by bedtime he was literally bouncing off the walls.

All I could think about was, "Please no snow.  Please, everyone well.  I want to go to Christmas Eve service.  I want to go out to eat.  I want to drive around and look at lights.  I want my mom and stepfather to be able to come over for dinner Saturday.  Please.  No snow."

Sometimes I think God must just shake his head in wonder at our lack of vision, our silly little plans.

I woke up this morning to a text from Nevin, with a picture of a snowy field.  He is sitting in a tree with a bow, drinking coffee and enjoying the snow, hoping a deer will wander by.

The boys got up, looked out side, and immediately became quite well enough to go outside.  Surely, no one is too sick to play in the snow!  It is a miraculous cure!  They are still a little snuffly and coughing, but the weather didn't cause it, and it won't hurt, especially if I fill them up with warm, homemade cocoa when they come in. 

I asked, "If you are well enough to go outside, are you well enough to go to church tonight?"  They say they are.  Henry says he is definitely well enough to go out to eat!

So, whether or not we can get out tonight, we'll leave up to God.  If not, I have plenty of food for dinner, snacks to celebrate Christmas Eve, things to do, and I am going to do a little bit more baking today.  I am sure Mom and Dave will be able to make it over tomorrow, and if not, the food will keep and we will certainly be able to enjoy time together on Sunday instead. 

"Therefore do not be anxious about tmorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matt 6:34 ESV

And now, some pictures of our country winter wonderland!

The view from my front porch - the fire pit, playset and garden look much prettier than they did yesterday!

Our chicken condominium complex.  Chickens don't particularily care for the snow, so they are all inside where it is warm and dry

And the view off our back deck.  We live in a cleared spot in the middle of the forest, so yes, there are trees in every direction.

And I'm Not Particularily Artistic, Either!

With our study of St. Nicholas last week, I had the boys do some coloring pages of him.  I have found that it really helps them to concentrate if they have something to do with their hands while I am reading out loud. 

Now that I had all these really nice pictures, I needed to find a use for them - voila!

The Christmas Card!

Please note, I am not one to cut and glue, and make decorative cards.  This is all strictly from the scanner and cut and paste on Printmaster.  But, they did turn out pretty good, if I do say so myself!

The front of the card, with artwork by Tony



The center, with Ben and Joe's pictures

 For those who don't care to squint, the left-center reads:

"Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, in the 4th Century. He suffered persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, including imprisonment. Tales of his generosity were widespread, and from this man the legend of Santa Claus arose.

The significance of Nicholas for us today is that his response to God's great love for us in Jesus was to care for other poeple. His kindness and care for children are modeled every time we give a gift out of love.

God gave us the greatest gift we could ever imagine: He gave us a Savior, Jesus Christ. We celebrate his birth, but eventually He would die for the sins of the world.

Jesus is the real gift of of Christmas."

And the back, with a picture done by Henry

Now, if I can just get them printed, pick up the envelopes, get them addressed and the pictures of the boys inserted....every great plan has its' share of obstacles!