Wednesday, September 3, 2008 - Wednesday's Hero - Lance Cpl. Ryan T. McCaughn

These posts are LONG overdue and I have missed being able to post them on a regular basis while we were moving.

Lance Cpl. Ryan T. McCaughn
19 years old from Manchester, New Hampshire
1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force
November 7, 2006


"I just can't believe it," said Nicole Cote, mother of L/Cpl. McCoughn. "It's not supposed to happen this way. Your kids aren't supposed to leave you." McCoughn joined the USMC during his Senior year of High School. "He said he needed to do this. He said if he could keep one dad from going to Iraq and he could take his place instead, then he'll feel like he's accomplished something."

Lance Cpl. Ryan T. McCaughn was killed on November 7, 2006 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq. He leaves behind his mother, father, step-father and two brothers.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - SL 300 Booklist

Bible/Apologetics
How to Ruin Yor Life by 40
Know What You Believe
KNow Why You Believe
Mere Christianity

History
Visual History of the Modern World
Our Century in Pictures for Young People

Literature
The Great Brain
Road From Home
Robert Frost
Heart of Darkness
Murder on the Orient Express
Labor's Untold Story
Metamorphosis
All Quiet on the Western Front
You Want WOMEN to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Great Gatsby
Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity
Made You Look
Hiding Place
Brave New World
China's Long March
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist
Snow Goose
Old Man and the Sea
Parallel Journeys
Kon-Tiki
Cry, the Beloved Country
After the War
Darkness at Noon
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Contender
Run Baby Run
Moves Make the Man
Red Scarf Girl
Fallen Angels
Living on the Devil's Doorstep
Children of the River
Alas, Babylon
Great Gilly Hopkins
Walk Two Moons

Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - School has started here...

Our Sonlight books arrived last week and we actually got lessons started yesterday. The other big change is Bug has a part time job here on base. She works 3 days a week in the afternoons (after school) so we will be needing to adjust things accordingly for that.

Sonlight 300 (20th Century World History) covers all major events of the past century primarily from an American perspective and focuses on the impact these events had on America. I think it will be a welcome change from last year's program.

In doing this entry, I have come to realize how badly neglected my blog is!! I need to do a bunch of updating in the next few weeks to reflect what we are currently working on so be watching for that.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - Waiting on books

Just a quick update...we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our Sonlight materials (most likely later today). "Boxing Day" is one of those odd phenomenons that develop over your homeschooling years. It's the day your new materials arrive and it becomes a holiday of sorts. There is usually a mix of emotions...reluctance to begin another year of study, worry over can you handle the material and excitement to see all the new books and get going. And that is just from Mama's point of view! *L*

Bug loves to crack open the box and immediately begins to pour through her new reading material. Oohs and aahs are sometimes interrupted with the occasional UGH and packing materials are tossed aside to get to the good stuff. Shortly after, Mama finds herself alone to pick up the messy packing materials, check the inventory list and set up the IG. Bug has already disappeared into her room to begin devouring a book that is about to be read out of sequence! Sigh!

Somehow, another school year has begun!

Monday, August 11, 2008 - Let the Blogging Begin!

At long last we are relocated, have a house, have everything unpacked and found a place for almost everything. The boxes are gone, the packing stuff picked up, things assembled, beds made, curtains and pictures up....ahhhhhhhh! Home again!!

We sure do NOT miss hotel living.

As of this morning, Beloved has returned to work after 10 days of leave. He began his new routine of riding his bike to work. He sure looked cute with his little helmet and his backpack...guess that's what its like to watch your little ones go back to school, huh? Anybody know? Anyone at all? *L* Sunshine is here for a 5 day visit. (Did I mention its good to be a flight attendant when your folks live in Hawaii?) She will be back in Sept because she needs to brings Bug's kitty to her. (Yes we are STILL  waiting to complete the required number of days after the rabies blood work is done.) Butterfly is getting settled into a work/study/school routine and seems to be enjoying learning how to make al those fabulous coffee drinks at Seattle's Best. She has her new-to-her car all taken care of and operational (thanks to Daddy!) but misses power steering. Is that odd? Don't ALL cars have power steering these days? Bug and I decided to paint her bookcase glossy black enamel. So we took eveything off of it this morning, hauled it outside, and began the spray painting process. Cough cough...black hands, feet, hair tips, glasses, BLECH!!! Trust me folks...it ain't worth it! We are NOW going to Walmart to buy a new black bookcase. Project done! *VBG*

I have a list of projects that I need/want to get to soon but for right now, ordering school books, getting her room in order and organizing the living room book shelves are the top priorities.  It's good to be back here blogging about our adventures once again! I will post pix soon...