Love this release by Kirk Franklin. This video reminds me that I am and will become who I should be- only through Christ.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
The Big Move- from Alabama to California
So in my last post our family was in a transition- putting homeschool on hold for a while (I've deleted that post, by the way...)
Well...hello, homeschooling again!
Shortly after I wrote that post, my husband received a job offer that would require us to relocate to California.
So, four weeks later, here we are in Monterey- and after considering all of our educational options here, we decided to hop back in to the homeschooling mode.
Hello, California- again.
Can you believe I said all of that so passe? Really?
I think I just haven't really had a chance to let this all marinate. In four weeks we packed up our family and drove cross country, uprooted our lives to live in a place where we don't know a soul. We said goodbye to dear friends and family.
Whoa.
Still though, I guess it's nice to be back in sunny Cali--I lived here as a kid, spent a few, short years in Atwater with my parents. I just never thought I'd be back to live, but anyway, here we are.
Hello, homeschooling- again.
I still haven't quite figured out how I'm going to mix that in with new business I just began, but I'm remaining positive that it will somehow work out. My kids have had enough transition and change as it is, and putting them in to the local public school here wouldn't be a BAD idea...just not the best for now.
I want the best for each season of their lives. If there's anything I've learned over the past few months, it's how to be open to the different seasons in our lives as a family...and I don't have to tie our family down to any one mode or the next. To be open to God's leading in our lives is important. Being resistant to change means we'll simply make a religion out of our mode of lives...but is that meaningful? I think God is showing me how to transition easier, and be open to His guidance.
The drive here was a treat.
As soon as we hit New Mexico I knew were nearing the West Coast. The mountainous region was dry with its infamous red adobe, rocky hills and gentle sunlight.
We were COLD, though...even though it looks sunny!
The winds were blowing some cold, gusty winds our way that day. It was around 53 degrees...
We drove an hour or so longer and suddenly were in the snowy mountains of Arizona...
Closer to California my battery went dead on the camera and I wasn't able to capture the beauty of freshly cut green grass on beautiful rolling hills, majestic mountains, free range cattle that somehow made it to the top of these high hills, and nearly perfectly aligned crops of every sort (strawberries, wheat, orange groves, vineyards) grown all over the earth of Cali. I did manage to catch a few the second day after we arrived to Bakersfield. Maybe 100 miles out we ended up in the middle of some breath-taking ranches, rolling hills, and small mountains covered in luscious, green grass.
At times, the free range cows would come out to play. It was a strange experience being so close to cows...but in a serene environment. All natural. I couldn't catch a snapshot of the animals, though. Ny may have captured some on her camera.
It's amazing the startling difference in climate and landscape from one region of California to the next. You can be in the snow capped moutains in skis and and snowsuit and minutes later be sunbathing out on the beach. One minute we're on a cattle ranch, the next we're in a bustling city surrounded by palm trees.
This was the biggest field trip of our lives. Ny studied the maps the entire way and got pretty good at letting us know how many miles we were away from the next town or the nearest Sam's Club (the $10 Sam's Club Atlas was a lifesaver, by the way!) We mapped out all of our gas stops and hotel stays before we set out and gas was definitely cheaper at Sam's. Once we arrive in California we made the mistake of stopping at a local gas station and paid about $4.30 a gallon for gas.
So, there you have it...most of our trip and highlights of some of our memories driving over. Add in nightly Marriot stays (it pays to be a member if you travel a lot- you can redeem those points back for some cool rewards and we got continental breakfast and light dinners free each night), some Israel Houghton for background music effects, Veggie Tales DVD's in the backseat, restroom stops every 3 hours and a cooler full of juices and snacks for the kids and that was pretty much our entire trip. Oh, and throw in some extra doses of prayer, especially during those drives through the mountains.
I look forward to our new life here- to see what God has in store and to get plugged in to the community here. In my next post, I'll have some pics of the kids and what they've been up to.
Well...hello, homeschooling again!
Shortly after I wrote that post, my husband received a job offer that would require us to relocate to California.
So, four weeks later, here we are in Monterey- and after considering all of our educational options here, we decided to hop back in to the homeschooling mode.
Hello, California- again.
Can you believe I said all of that so passe? Really?
I think I just haven't really had a chance to let this all marinate. In four weeks we packed up our family and drove cross country, uprooted our lives to live in a place where we don't know a soul. We said goodbye to dear friends and family.
Whoa.
Still though, I guess it's nice to be back in sunny Cali--I lived here as a kid, spent a few, short years in Atwater with my parents. I just never thought I'd be back to live, but anyway, here we are.
Hello, homeschooling- again.
I still haven't quite figured out how I'm going to mix that in with new business I just began, but I'm remaining positive that it will somehow work out. My kids have had enough transition and change as it is, and putting them in to the local public school here wouldn't be a BAD idea...just not the best for now.
I want the best for each season of their lives. If there's anything I've learned over the past few months, it's how to be open to the different seasons in our lives as a family...and I don't have to tie our family down to any one mode or the next. To be open to God's leading in our lives is important. Being resistant to change means we'll simply make a religion out of our mode of lives...but is that meaningful? I think God is showing me how to transition easier, and be open to His guidance.
The drive here was a treat.
Arizona with its dry climate and cattle galore.
As soon as we hit New Mexico I knew were nearing the West Coast. The mountainous region was dry with its infamous red adobe, rocky hills and gentle sunlight.
We were COLD, though...even though it looks sunny!
 |
| We're so cold our eyes are squeezed shut! |
The winds were blowing some cold, gusty winds our way that day. It was around 53 degrees...
We drove an hour or so longer and suddenly were in the snowy mountains of Arizona...
 |
| This is probably the longest train I've ever seen. |
Closer to California my battery went dead on the camera and I wasn't able to capture the beauty of freshly cut green grass on beautiful rolling hills, majestic mountains, free range cattle that somehow made it to the top of these high hills, and nearly perfectly aligned crops of every sort (strawberries, wheat, orange groves, vineyards) grown all over the earth of Cali. I did manage to catch a few the second day after we arrived to Bakersfield. Maybe 100 miles out we ended up in the middle of some breath-taking ranches, rolling hills, and small mountains covered in luscious, green grass.
At times, the free range cows would come out to play. It was a strange experience being so close to cows...but in a serene environment. All natural. I couldn't catch a snapshot of the animals, though. Ny may have captured some on her camera.
It's amazing the startling difference in climate and landscape from one region of California to the next. You can be in the snow capped moutains in skis and and snowsuit and minutes later be sunbathing out on the beach. One minute we're on a cattle ranch, the next we're in a bustling city surrounded by palm trees.
This was the biggest field trip of our lives. Ny studied the maps the entire way and got pretty good at letting us know how many miles we were away from the next town or the nearest Sam's Club (the $10 Sam's Club Atlas was a lifesaver, by the way!) We mapped out all of our gas stops and hotel stays before we set out and gas was definitely cheaper at Sam's. Once we arrive in California we made the mistake of stopping at a local gas station and paid about $4.30 a gallon for gas.
So, there you have it...most of our trip and highlights of some of our memories driving over. Add in nightly Marriot stays (it pays to be a member if you travel a lot- you can redeem those points back for some cool rewards and we got continental breakfast and light dinners free each night), some Israel Houghton for background music effects, Veggie Tales DVD's in the backseat, restroom stops every 3 hours and a cooler full of juices and snacks for the kids and that was pretty much our entire trip. Oh, and throw in some extra doses of prayer, especially during those drives through the mountains.
I look forward to our new life here- to see what God has in store and to get plugged in to the community here. In my next post, I'll have some pics of the kids and what they've been up to.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Fieldtrip to Augusta, Georgia
 |
| We visit a t.v. station |
 |
| They show us how it all works. |
 |
| Ny's first ever t.v. tour- a behind the scenes look at how t.v. works. |
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Wrapping up the semester
Alas, my posts seem to be getting fewer and further between as I focus more now on building my web consulting company. Things are beginning to fall into place. So, while I'm on a bitty break at the coffee shop today, I thought I'd do a catch-up blog post on our homeschooling adventures.
Our life has been so varied these days, it's hard to say what a typical day is like anymore. Here are some highlights:
Here's BabyZ playing with a duck during our homeschool co-op weekly meeting.
Sometimes after church we make a stop by Sam's Club to run a quick errand, and we end up eating a snack on our way. I couldn't resist these photos of sisterly love.
Lastly, we finished off our homeschool co-op semester with a fun carnival-themed holiday party:
Here's BabyZ playing with a duck during our homeschool co-op weekly meeting.
Me teaching a Web 2.0 class during co-op. Most of the students seemed to enjoy learning the art of blogging.
Sometimes after church we make a stop by Sam's Club to run a quick errand, and we end up eating a snack on our way. I couldn't resist these photos of sisterly love.
For Tot School we've been doing a lot of our block building...
(blocks and a bit of play dough throw in there for good measure!)
Bit of silliness...
Big sister helping little sister get ready for church.
My little girl has grown up so much. Here she is preparing to walk into her science lab class.
The girls love to go places.
While big Sis goes to science lab, BabyZ enjoys a little Dr. Seuss fun at Books A Million.
So we pick up Big Sis from Science lab, and she proudly shows off her woodworking creation. It sounded pretty fun. A nice, elderly carpenter came by to teach the kids how to work with wood.
As the semester wears down and we get closer to Thanksgiving, we are starting to REALLY relax a bit. We enjoyed a fieldtrip morning with some friends at a ceramics studio.
(finally BabyZ is big enough to paint her own ceramic!)
Another habit, we'd gotten into lately was stopping by Panera Bread for a quick bite before our weekly homeschool co-op begins:
Our school mornings are beginning to look more techie these days.
Ny discovered she was really good at Googling for info. We're still enjoying BJU for History.
Well, there's my lengthy update!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Fieldtrips, history, and lit...
These past few weeks have been fun, exciting, and a bit fast-paced. We went to a local festival called Kentuck, and the girls had a blast riding the bus there. (I promised them I would park the car and we'd take the shuttle).
Because I mostly got video footage, and I haven't taken the time to edit my videos, I won't be posting them :-( but you can trust they had tons of fun! Face painting among other crafts. It was fun. I think the part they liked the best was riding on the bus.
We've also been going to our bi-weekly science and geography labs, and attending our weekly homeschool co-op. In between these days, we've worked on all of our core subjects-- and, of course, I've been working on rebuilding my web business, which I'm really excited about.
As for core subjects, we're still working on missing addends in Saxon 5/4. I think we'll be in 5/4 for at least another year, and I'm perfectly relaxed with that since we started it in grade 3...so we are just basically cruising our way through it and taking breaks in between to learn our multiplication tables. In American History, we have really been enjoying our unit on the westward expansion and the 49'ers in BJU's American Heritage 3. We finished up that unit last week by panning for gold:
The girls got dirty and had a lot of fun with that.
Our next chapter in American Heritage is on folktale and American stories like Johnny Appleseed. It's kind of a nice break from learning about the colonies and states.
Will I use BJU American history again next year? Well, the lessons journey through American history all the way up through the 5th grade level. I'm not quite sure I want the kids to still be on American history that long. At some point before 5th grade I wanted to study world history with them...so we'll see. But I do highly recommend BJU for history-- good stuff!
English has been really easy this year. Again, we are using BJU- English 3. I don't have the teacher's manual, but with just the student notebook we've been able to pull off pretty easy and quick language arts sessions each school day. Couple that with loads of reading on her spare time and natural handwriting practice through letter-writing, and I think our language arts program has been complete this year. What I like about the BJU English book is that it goes beyond your language basics (ex.- "what is a verb? noun? pronoun? etc.) and covers letter-writing, story-writing, persuasive essay writing...that kind of stuff. I also supplement lessons from time to time with a workbook I bought from Barnes and Noble this past summer (Harcourt Complete Curriculum). Not to mention, anytime kids want some school fun, all we have to do is dig up some fun websites for them...StoryNory is great for literature. Spelling City is pretty useful too.
I've got a notebook full of websites I have run across and enjoyed and I should do a post just on that soon.
Til next time...
Because I mostly got video footage, and I haven't taken the time to edit my videos, I won't be posting them :-( but you can trust they had tons of fun! Face painting among other crafts. It was fun. I think the part they liked the best was riding on the bus.
We've also been going to our bi-weekly science and geography labs, and attending our weekly homeschool co-op. In between these days, we've worked on all of our core subjects-- and, of course, I've been working on rebuilding my web business, which I'm really excited about.
As for core subjects, we're still working on missing addends in Saxon 5/4. I think we'll be in 5/4 for at least another year, and I'm perfectly relaxed with that since we started it in grade 3...so we are just basically cruising our way through it and taking breaks in between to learn our multiplication tables. In American History, we have really been enjoying our unit on the westward expansion and the 49'ers in BJU's American Heritage 3. We finished up that unit last week by panning for gold:
Add a little dirt, water, and some gravel the "gold nuggets" and we have ourselves a gold-panning activity.
At least the rocks we painted gold the other week seem like real gold!
The girls got dirty and had a lot of fun with that.
Our next chapter in American Heritage is on folktale and American stories like Johnny Appleseed. It's kind of a nice break from learning about the colonies and states.
Will I use BJU American history again next year? Well, the lessons journey through American history all the way up through the 5th grade level. I'm not quite sure I want the kids to still be on American history that long. At some point before 5th grade I wanted to study world history with them...so we'll see. But I do highly recommend BJU for history-- good stuff!
English has been really easy this year. Again, we are using BJU- English 3. I don't have the teacher's manual, but with just the student notebook we've been able to pull off pretty easy and quick language arts sessions each school day. Couple that with loads of reading on her spare time and natural handwriting practice through letter-writing, and I think our language arts program has been complete this year. What I like about the BJU English book is that it goes beyond your language basics (ex.- "what is a verb? noun? pronoun? etc.) and covers letter-writing, story-writing, persuasive essay writing...that kind of stuff. I also supplement lessons from time to time with a workbook I bought from Barnes and Noble this past summer (Harcourt Complete Curriculum). Not to mention, anytime kids want some school fun, all we have to do is dig up some fun websites for them...StoryNory is great for literature. Spelling City is pretty useful too.
I've got a notebook full of websites I have run across and enjoyed and I should do a post just on that soon.
Til next time...
Monday, October 11, 2010
Outdoor homeschooling and a surprise
Okay, let me start this post by saying that Ny checked out this book from the library a few days ago. Black Beauty's Family i's 574 pages long!!! (Six books in one). You go girl. Have fun, and take it easy.
Today for American HIstory, we went outside to make our gold nuggets. (Tomorrow we're going to finish up our lesson by panning for gold like the 49'ers). First step was to fill out a worksheet on the westward expansion on the U.S. purchase of Mexico.
Today for American HIstory, we went outside to make our gold nuggets. (Tomorrow we're going to finish up our lesson by panning for gold like the 49'ers). First step was to fill out a worksheet on the westward expansion on the U.S. purchase of Mexico.
The girls gathered some rocks to be used for our "gold"
They wash the rocks and clean them up, then paint them gold:
We came back in for a little tot school- puzzles and shapes:
Then my dad called and announced that he had surprised us with:
The girls LOVE their bird house!
Treasure hunts
Treasure hunts, drawing maps, and loving a warm and breezy day in October! Gotta love the south.
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