Okay, I give up.  The first time I began this post, I had to leave it for a while, and the computer kicked me of the www, thereby erasing my efforts thus far.  The second time I began to post, had written quite a lengthy, brilliant, informative, witty, frankly incomparable entry, the power went out just before I hit the post button. 

So, since some higher power does not wish me to embellish in my usual quirky way, here, is the next installment in my recounting of our Snowshoe Vacation.

We saw the world's largest toilet National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

We went to the Droop Mountain Battlefield.  See?  Cannon.  That proves it.

We ate lunch in the rain.

Big brother helping little, muddy, dripping, shivering brother to eat his lunch.

Pearl S. Buck's home.  We did not go inside.

But we took pictures of the misty mountains.

There.  I'm going to post this before something happens and I have to begin this once again!

This is a picture our neighbor took tonight.   It was above the house across the street.   We had NO clue!  We were setting up the swing set our neighbor gave us (that's my next post).   Maybe we should look up more often.




I can't believe that was almost above my house
:>Michelle

Yes, that is what I have been up to among other things. It has been a very busy summer and it is not over yet. I am still planning out what we are going to study this year, how we are going to study it, and getting my unit studies written completely before the new year starts. We will be starting on September 2nd. I have also been trying to get a block schedule going so that I have more of a flow to my day. Cindy Rushton had some great planning pages in her homeschool e-magazine that I downloaded and have been using for my planning. I made my own block schedule to use, coming from the planning pages that I downloaded.

We will be studying the Middle Ages, Early American History, and Creation Science, along with some other unit topics. We will be doing a mini-unit on Monet and a 2 week literature unit. I haven't decided on the book yet. I may also do a mini-unit on inventors, since our church's homeschool group will be doing Inventor Reports this coming school year. And of course, we will do a unit for Christmas. I think that the topic for this year will be Christmas in Colonial Virginia or America in general. I haven't decided yet.

For math I am using Horizons with the youngest 4 of my children. I really want to use Teaching Textbook's Pre-Algebra with my 8th grader but haven't been able to afford it. I am hoping to borrow it from another homeschool mom, if I cannot purchase a copy myself. For my oldest, I want to get the Key To... series of booklets for Algebra 1 and maybe, Geometry. For language arts we will be using a hodgepodge of different resources. I got a book at Sam's Club called Grammar Lessons in 15 Minutes or something to that effect. I figured it might work well with my fidgety 8th grader and a good refresher course for my 12th grader. I will also be using the dictation method and the Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach. I just bought the book last week and am pouring over it. I will be using my unit studies but incorporate Robin's methods into it. The kids will also be keeping a writing journal and using the Four Square Writing method as well to cover writing. Plus we will be doing writing for our units and Bible study. Anyway, slowly but surely, I am collecting my resources as the summer goes along.

I have also been selling my unit studies on CurrClick and I will be keeping a blog journal of our Creation Science Unit that anyone would be welcome to access for free. I will be doing that on my Word Press blog.

Well got to head on out. My sons have been at the library with my oldest daughter for a Game Day. Need to go and pick them up! Everyone have a blessed evening!

Benjamin flew to Louisiana last week to go deep sea fishing with his grand-pa and uncle.  They all had a wonderful time.  Not only did Ben enjoy fishing; but can't stop talking about the delicious food and how friendly everyone was in Southern Louisiana.  I am thankful he had a week of fun and vacation as he comes home to a very busy year of school and work and so very thankful that he made it home safely.  Here are two pictures from his trip:

The time finally came when we realized that it was time to move in to the new homestead.  We had a working shower and toilet, working dishwasher, stove, washer and dryer.  What more could we ask for?  Sure, we could've put it off longer and longer and got "more organized" but would that have really happened while not living here?  Maybe slowly and under pressure, but now, we can do it in our leisure time, between naps and meals.  Really, our house is looking pretty good.  Especially if you compare it to what it looked like before.  There's still plenty that will keep us busy in the coming months, but it's nice to be able to do things without feeling like we can't do anything else! 

 

The fist night we slept here, I was astonished several times by the loud traffic.  We're right on the highway and aren't quite used to the highway noise yet.  Once the whole house was quiet, all of a sudden, that traffic was LOUD!  I was half asleep and all of a sudden a semi truck passed by...and it startled me awake.  In the morning, when the work traffic was high, it was loud again, waking us up.  It's always hard to get used to sleeping in new places.  The next night, I put a fan on low on for some white noise and then I didn't hear anything else.  That'll work for now....we'll see how that goes in the winter months!  ;)  I'm sure we'll get used to it with time.  It'll sound like the trains at our other house. 

 

When we think of everything we still have to do, we still get a little bit overwhelmed.  There IS a lot, but praise God, we're a lot closer now..and have a decent place to live.  Things will get easier and easier.  Now...if only I could figure out where the rest of this stuff goes!

 

Here's a list of some of the projects in the coming days & months.  We finally got the lagoon fence done this week!  YAY!!

• Install new light fixtures & fans
• Put back wall trim
• transition strip between dining room and kitchen floors
• Install new doors to bedrooms and bathrooms, plus front door
• fix cement in garage and on front porch
• clean out and organize garage for tools and other man stuff. 
• dry out the basement (a big one....could take a while) and eventually finish part of it.
• gut and finish 2nd bathroom.
• touch up paint in all rooms
• wallpaper border in kitchen, bathroom and Baylee's room.
• eventually like to replace other outer doors...but that's towards the bottom of the list.
• next year, we plan to put in atrium doors and build a deck....I wonder if we'll really do it next year?!

The list actually looks smaller than it feels overwhelming.  I guess there's some pretty big things on there....but that's a good majority of what we want to do.  I guess we should do it little by little and then all of a sudden we'll be done!  It'll be interesting to see how I do as I get further in this pregnancy.  I'm 13.5 weeks and still needing naps often! 

   I was excited to see an email last week from Angel.  I was even more excited when she asked me if her family could come for a visit.  We had been trying to get together again all Summer.  So of course my answer was YES! 
    We had such a great time.  We talked about school, blogging, church, Jesus, and more.  The kids of course had a fun time and played like they were friends forever.  Angel, Chris, and all the E's were wonderful guests and we all can't wait to hangout with them again.
Here are some pictures of our day
cough - cough *some kids were being silly
and then all the kids decided to be silly.

The girls also set up a beauty parlor on the driveway.  Carter was given a mohawk and pigtails at one point.  Poor 5th child hahahaaaa

Group picture
Anybody else notice that I am sooo short??? LOL
Thank you Angel and family for coming over and we can't wait to get together again.

:>Michelle

During the next few days, please take the time to remember those who dwell in a country where they are not free to worship their God or even to choose the number of children they may raise. 

 

http://www.persecution.com/ 

It's that time again.  It sure don't seem like its been 2 weeks already.  With out further ado here is what I got while grocery shopping.


Wal-mart

4. 53 lbs. green grapes $7.93
Sour cream $2.66
8.99 lbs. bananas $4.32
3 heads of iceberg lettuce $2.34
1 bunch red leaf lettuce $1.44
1 bunch green leaf lettuce $1.44
4.67 lbs. of red grapes $7.01
5lbs. of red potatoes $2.97
Cantaloupe $2.38
10 lbs. sugar $4.48

Total $35.53


Aldi's

12 cans of mandrin oranges $5.40
24 yogurt cups $10.32
4 bunches of cauliflower $6.76
6 cans of pumpkin $4.14
1 cucumber $.39
3 packages of mushrooms $3.57
6 cans of frozen orange juice $7.14
15 cans of frozen juice $18.60
4 packages of string cheese $11.96
3 things of lemon juice $5.07
3 bags of shrimp $11.07
3 gallons of 2% milk $7.47
1 dozen large eggs $1.09

Total $92.98


Kmart

canning utensil set $7.99
food saver freezer bags $8.99
Ivory body wash $3.50
Sauve shampoo $1.49
Kids sauve shampoo $2.19
hairbrush $1.79
DVD $20.99 (yes this was a splurge)
hair dye $9.79
2 packs of sunflower seeds $3.98
5 gallon tub of vanilla ice cream $7.49
23 lbs. of pork $23.15 (they offer pork from a local farmer that isn't injected with "natural juices and flavorings".  The thing is it comes in big chunks so I have to cut it up myself but for that price I'm willing)
2 packs of all natural chicken $5.88
3.36 lbs. of plums $5.01
5.43 lbs. of apples $9.72
5.bs. of carrots $3.99

Total $123.77


Grand Total  $252.18

That averages to about $126.09


Now for the menu


Breakfast  (served with fruit or juice and milk)

pancakes
waffles
apple muffins
eggs
banana muffins
pumpkin bread


Lunch (served with veggie, fruit, and bread)

salad
chicken wraps
fried bologna sandwich
cream of mushroom soup
leftover dinner twice
peanut butter sandwiches twice
homemade chicken nuggets and fries
tomato soup and grilled cheese
hotdogs
tuna salad sandwich
chicken salad on lettuce
wraps with leftover chicken salad or tuna salad


Dinner

spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
barbecue pork sandwiches, grilled vegetables
salsa chicken, rice, corn (didn't make this last time)
mini cheddar meatloaves, mashed potatoes, veggie
leftover dinner twice
Weds. night dinners at church
beef fajitas, refried beans,
tamale casserole
vegetable casserole
cajun beans and rice
shrimp stir fry
lemon herb fish, potatoes, veggies

This is the book I'm reading to the kids right now.  I read one story a week most weeks.  It's a collection of stories about early missionary workers and evangelists.  I'm hoping to inspire the children to think beyond our little corner of the world. 

 

One thing I have noted about the stories though is that in many of the instances, the person being profiled is not the first in his or her family to serve God in a mighty way.  Some are first generation of course, but over and over again I am reading that the person's mother or father was a missonary or a minister or just a devout parent who guided their child to dream big for the Lord.

 

So, this book is actually inspiring me whether it inspires the children or not.  What I do, and what you do, does matter.  You don't know what your child will grow up to do but you can impact the foundation upon which his or her future is built. 

 

John 15:8

I've listed Phonics Pathways and The Writing Road to Reading over at homeschool classifieds.  Price too high? Make me an offer. 

 

If you want to combine anything I can cut the shipping cost.  I'll also combine items with books that I have listed over at Paperback Swap.  I'll take credits or $ for the books listed there.