Christian Book Distributors is one of my favorite resources for books and music.

check out my library at librarything.com

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/keeperofthefires

Created to be his helpmeet by Debi Pearl is a lifechanging book for wives!

Facing your Giants by Max Lucado is an excellenct study of David and Goliath.

A Passion for the Impossible by Miriam Huffman Rockness a book on the Life of Lilias Trotter a missionary and writer/artist.  Wonderful book if you like real life books.

From Clutter to Clarity by Nancy Twigg- simplifying life from the inside out, the secret to clarity is spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial simplicity.

Golden Rules, the ten ethical values parents need to teach their children by Wayne Dosick.

Just around the Corner, encouragement and challenge for homeschooling dads and moms by Steven and Teri Maxwell.

So Much More by Anna Sofia Botkin and Elizabeth Botkin, The remarkable influence of visionary daughters on the kingdom of God.  This is the read al oud book for my daughters

The King's Daughter and other stories for Girls- character classics vol. one. This is the read aloud character book we are reading.

Redwall by Brian Jacques- a read aloud for my son, he loves it!

I have 3 other books I'm reading up stairs in my bedroom but I'll add them later.

The Bible is the Best book!  Don't forget to read it every day!

We have a reading hour every morning.  It starts with Bible reading then reading  to my son and readings for my daughters.  All the children sit through the readings.  We also like to do a Geography  lesson and sometimes read from Creation Magazine or another article I've found.  Then the kids go their separate ways for their own studies.  I love the reading hour.

O taste and see that the Lord is good.  Psalms 34:8

Emily turned 13 and we celebrated by redecorating her room and taking her shopping and then ending with dinner at the dock side on Coeurd'alene Lake.  They give out a free sunday that the whole family can enjoy!

Here's the new room done in pink and black!

Emily finished her sewing project and will enter it in the fair.

Both girls had to have an interview for their 4-H project and both got a blue ribbon for that.

Then my girls took off to an Ohio Campmeeting with a friend and we went camping and huckleberrie picking.  It was a lot of fun.  The girls were gone 10 days and I sure did miss them. 

the Huckleberry crew!We also had a good friend of mine come for a visit and enjoyed doing country things like hiking and berry picking and horseback ridiing.

Now that my company is gone I had a chance to order my curriculum for the year.  I order most of my books through christian book distributors.  They have the best prices.  Except the math-u-see I have to order separately.  I really like Dr. Wiles science books and Mandy and Emily will both use those.  I also signed them up to taking a writing class with other homeschoolers. 

Mandy wants to start teaching piano in the fall to beginner students.  She's been baby sitting for extra money.

She also wants to take spanish but I need to investigate that further.

Emily will continue art classes and Isaac when he wants.  He seems to like it then get tired of it.  He really likes the Draw-write-now series.  I want to try some dictation with him to help with his spelling and language.  I see some wonderful e-books out there I want to try but I want a good printer first.  I've been looking at printers to do the girls newsletter they put out.  I just need to do it!!!

My husband and I are getting ready to go to Scotland in September.  I am so excited.  The children will go to their grandma's house.  That's the wonderful thing about homeschooling!  I'll try to send some work with them but I won't expect much.

The kids are excited to get their books and do school!  Isaac has been doing math all summer!  And we read still every morning even through the summer.  We read Hind's Feet and lots of library books and some history book on explorers, and magazines like Creation.

Mandy is writing an article to submit to a magazine about her horse, so that will be interesting.

The weather has been beautiful and we drove up the hill to watch the full moon come up over the lake.  It was gorgeous!  The stars were out and the air smelled like fresh cut trees. We live in a truly beautiful place!

We are reading the book, Hind's feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard.  It has really captivated my 8 year old son who begs me to read more than one chapter a day.   It is a beautiful allegory that everyone can relate to. The main character: Much Afraid, learned many things that I fear I am still learning.  Like Acceptance with Joy.  Do we always accept whatever God sends our way with joy? and  Bearing the Cost was another little flower she encountered that  taught her to give her all.

We went Huckleberry picking recently and Isaac went leaping and jumping around trying to find the best berries and I'd hear him shout, "mom, you've got to come up to the high places to get the best berries"  That's where God wants us too.  Up on the high places where God can bless us with his riches.  But to get there we have to accept the fact that we have to climb and do it with joy, and count the cost of what it will take to ascend and let the shepherd lead us.

Isaac cut his hand really bad at camp on a piece of glass he fell on so we bandaged it up as best as we could and as you can see he managed to still enjoy himself!

It's been fun and real fun!  We all went to horse camp except for the working dad and really enjoyed it.  Mandy rides Nattie, a horse she leases from the neighbors. Grandma and Granpa even got in on the last day when they do a drill performance.  She had classes in Polo riding, English Jumping, western pleasure, gaming, and Drill.  It's a great learning experience.

The weather has been beautiful and we've taken the boat out and swim when we can.  We've also enjoyed eating outside and working in the garden. 

Emily's sewing class has started up for 4-H so that will keep her busy for a couple of weeks. She's also been busy making cards for birthdays and graduations and weddings.  She decided to redecorate her room for her 13th b-day this month, so she's had plenty to keep her busy.

We stopped piano and voice for the summer to minimize the running around.  I just like to stay home and enjoy it.  We've had company and will have more throughout the summer which is always fun.  I love to share this wonderful place God gave us. The picture below is the girls with a cousin who is showing them how to make daisy chains.

I've been wanting to visit the flower gardens in Spokane ever since we lived here and we finally did it this summer.  The girl liked the Japanese Gardens the best.  I loved the roses!

Isaac has been building forts and riding his new bike!  His grandpa almost tried the rope between the two tree forts.  It's getting stretched out from all the "Big" kids using it!

It's time to go over curriculums and get the new books coming.  I'm going to stick with math-u-see for the younger kids and teaching textbooks for Mandy in Math.  The rest I have to do some research on.  We love Mystery of History and I'm going to sign the girls up for a writing class.  Mandy wants to take Spanish so I'll have to find a computor program for that.  I wanted to go over all my preschool and k-garden materials and try to sell them this summer.

I find disciplining children one of the great challenges in life.  It is something that demands consistency even when one is tired of it all.  But my love for God's word and my desire to please God keeps me going with it as He has intrusted to me the training of my children.  And when I feel at a loss to know how to handle a situation I know God will provide quidance. 

Books I've enjoyed on child training are :

To Train up a Child by Micheal Pearl

Shepherding a Child's Heart by  Tedd Trip

Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell

Proverbs for Parenting

The Five Love Languages of children by Gary Chapman

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey

I'm sure there are more books I've read but that's a start.

Other things that I've learned from trial and error are:

1. Teach- don't scold!!!!

This was a hard one for me, I had a tendency to scold the child for doing everything wrong or not listening or not following directions correctly when what the child needed was some training or teaching in what I expected and some discipline to reinforce it.

2. Give plenty of Praise.

A child will not be perfect so don't expect it.  Even when you must bring up the negative to correct a bad attitude or behavior find something to praise them for so they will be much more willing to listen if they know they can do some things right.

3. Don't forget to hug.

This seems so obvious but for those of us that are not touchy type people we have to remind ourselves to do this.  A child will respond much better to advice given with a hug.

4. When you offer advice, don't accuse.

This is something I've just recently learned by watching how adults react to advice. If you are not critizing but being constuctive with your advice not judgemental just showing what you see it is better recieved.  What you want is for your child to listen and hear you.  If they get defensive right at the start then they probably won't hear a word you say.  So don't come at them with an accussing attitude.

5. consistency in all disipline!

Consistency is hard when your day is long and your tired.  But it is so important and watching my daughters horse instructor really reminded me of this.  My daughters horse was with serveral other horses and so when she'd take it away to 4-H it would throw a fit.  ( this is called herd bound)  Her horse wouldn't listen and was being a total pain.  Mandy who adores her horses and has a tendency to spoil them would get so frustrated trying to be as nice as she could and yet get the desired result she wanted from her horse.  Finally her instructor had her get off and she took over she disciplined that horse making it redo every wrong move over and over and over again until the horse gave in and submitted.  Then she told Mandy.  You cannot let her get away with anything you must correct her every time.  How like children are in this matter.  Sometimes we must discipline a child for the same thing over and over but we must not give in until they submit.  Mandy's instructor stayed and worked with Mandy's horse in the pouring rain after everyone else was gone home she was going to make sure her horse knew who was the boss. 

I've also seen this same instructor help load a horse that was refusing to get in the trailor.  They worked and worked and the horse rared and kicked and bucked and they kept on trying.  Finally they got the horse into the trailor and everyone gave a sigh of relief then to our horror the instructor brought the horse back out and said he must do it again and do it right!  She worked with that horse making him go in the trailor and back out over and over again until he did it without resistence.  If we could only be so consistent with our children in discipline making them do something over and over until they did it right then we wouldn't have to fight with them every time they went to do it.

Another lesson I learned from watching this instructor was when we were trying to help another 4-H member get her horse to take a bit.  The horse was really fighting it.  This instructor came over she knew this horse, it was old and should know better than to behave this way, and she hauled off and kicked it, reprimanding it at the same time, the horse immediately took the bit.  He's just trying to get away with something she said.  You got to let him know you mean business.  My husband looked over and saw the stricken look on the little girls face after she had kicked her horse and he went and put his arm around her and said, "you didn't like that did you?" she nodded her head no, "well, you will learn that Renea (not real name) knows what she is doing, that horse barely felt that kick but he did know he needed to listen after that."  She nodded smiling and everything was ok.  Sometimes children too need something more than coaxing to get their attention , sometimes the rod is necessary.

And now I can't help bragging on my beautiful daughter as she sang her solo and duet with her dad for her recital they did an awesome job.

Mandy sang completely for her solo the words are below;

1. The secret of life, is letting go

The secret of love, is letting it show

In all that I do, and all that I say, right here in this moment

2. The power of prayer, is in a humble cry

The power of change, is in giving my life,

And laying it down, down at your feet, right here in this moment

chorus--  Take my life, take my soul, I surrender everything to your control. and let all that is within me, lift up to you and say,l am yours and yours alone, completely!

3. This journey of life, is a quest for truth,

 this journey of faith, is following you,

Every step of the way, through the joy and the pain, right here in this moment.

And the duet they sang was The road home by Brad Paisley.  That's why the've got their cowboy hats on.

The puppies went in the nickles worth this week, they are very adorable and the kids want to keep one but 2 dogs are enough for me!  We are also babysitting a tank full of salt water fish for a couple that are moving.  They are very fun to watch. 

Emily is basically done with school, we are just working through math corrections which she has fun doing on the white board.  The kids love the white board.  Isaac does his spelling words on it.  For some reason doing the work on the board makes it fun.   Now she is working on her project book for Cake Decorating in 4-H. She has to give a demonstration this week.  The cake auction went well and she earned 40.00$

Isaac took all day to do 2 worksheets of subtraction with borrowing but that was because I wasn't right there with him bringing him back to reality every now and then.  We read the story of Daniel Boone today and he loved it.  He has a mock coon skin hat.  He loves playing outdoors.

Mandy and I took the horses up to our neighbors pasture.  They love it!  Plenty of grass and water and room to roam! She has quite a bit of her math left because it took me a while to find a curriculum I thought would work for her.  We use Teaching Textbooks and it is working very well.  It's all done with a dvd that teaches the math and comes with a solutions dvd if they get stuck.  Very straighforward and easy to understand.  This is Mandy's 2nd year in Algregra, I want her to take math every year of highschool, I might use a consumer math as one year.  She is taking Economics this year too.  She doesn't really like it.  The book we are using is always having her look things up on the internet.  It's a good way to learn but time consuming.  Especially if you don't have a good computor.

She loves to write and composed a modern day fairy tale of Cinderella putting a spiriual twist to it.  I thought it was cute.  I'll have her put it in the next Encourager Newsletter they do.

She spends hours with her music.  She will do  a voice reicital this weekend and also accompany another voice student on the piano.  She also gets to sing a duet with her dad which is special.  Her solo song is Completely and is very beautiful.  I have her taking a credit of music this year as she is very involved.  Along with practicing for piano lessons she plays songs by ear that she hears on the radio or cds.  She is involved in a youth choir at church and sings harmony with her family for church specials.  She takes voice lessons in exchange for cleaning the teachers house.  To get an "A" in her class she also must keep a journel of things learned or write an essay of what she learned and research a composer and do a report and write up 5 music appreciation sheets.

For each class she takes I decided ahead of time what she needs to accomplish to get her "A" or "B".  Nothing less is acceptable in my homeschool!  There is no reason not to excell!

I have to get up eary and I'm staying up late to do this blog so I better quit!

I've tried all morning to put a widget on my blog and haven't succeeded yet so I'll just type an entry instead.

We had the young people from our church out for a marshmellow roast and had a great time.  Mandy brought the lesson and did a great job.  I'm proud of her.  The boys all had a blast trying out Isaac's rope ladder that goes from one treehouse to another.  I'll have to post a picture of it.  It is just a rope for your feet and a rope for your hands, and it's about 15 feet high.

Then we all played round the table ping pong which is so fun and enjoyed the puppies.  It is so nice to have good godly young people for the girls to be with.

3 of the girls spent the night and a younger brother of one of them stayed to play with Isaac.  Isaac and his friend spent the night in the camper and had a blast roaming the woods and catching frogs in the pond.  Mandy got to take her friends horseback riding.  Emily benefited from the girls visit too.

Saturday I planted most of the garden.  We are trying the tomatoes and peppers in planters this year.  We got the potatoes in and the peas planted, I need to buy seeds to finish.  I started my own squash plants early on in the window.  I also dug an old iron bedframe out of a pile of rubbish and made a planter out of it.

We had a relaxing morning, walking up to check on the horses in our neighbors pasture and giving them the apple peelings from drying apples and drinking a cup of coffee on the porch while reading the paper and now we are going to the pond to burn brush and have a hot dog roast.  I love this place!

I want to build a trellis for my peas and make signs for my trails.  We have a trail going out to the water cress, and a trail to our pondering bench and a trail to the pond and a trail to my chapel in the woods.  I thought it would be fun to mark them all.

I better go help pile brush.

Isaac takes a moment to play with the dogs.

the above picture is the trail that takes off from our pond.

Emily throws a toy for Tala in the pond, she loves water!

I put some updated pictures of the puppies on the "check out our puppies" entry.

Mandy has been working with Tala, the mother dog, in 4-H.  She is fun to work with as she is eager to learn and obey.  Here is a picture of her at a lesson.

And a picture of my beautiful mother's day flowers!

We had a fun relaxing Monday.  Emily baked cakes today because tomorrow she will auction off the cakes in our 4-H meeting, along with the other girls taking cake.  I did school with Isaac then let him play outside.  It was a beautiful day and Mandy and I took the horses up the road and let them eat the fresh grass.  I wanted to plant some garden but ended up on the phone and doing laundry.  I love to hang my clothes out this time of year.  I also made some bread and worked on a manuscript.  My husband came home early and took Isaac for a cycle ride.  Then Isaac got out the mini bike before dinner.  Mandy road Nattie, her horse she leases for 4--H.  She did history research today on Idaho.  She was to make a brochure for Idaho.  She had so much fun doing it that she decided she would make one for our place and explain what all people could do if they come for a visit.  Hike the trail, ride the horse, fish in the pond, ect.

The piano was occupied most of the day.  I got Mandy some new piano books and she's been giving them a workout.

Tomorrow will be very busy as I pick up milk in the morning, come home and do school, take Mandy to voice lessons and clean the teachers house and rush home for dinner before 4-H meeting.  Hopefully the auction will go well.

We had the flu and the kids seemed to recover way faster than I did, but as I lay in bed I heard the kids cleaning up and making meals and taking care of the animals.  I heard my son walk into the bathroom and exclaim, "Wow it looks nice in here!" It was a moment of joy midst my misery! 

There were days when we worked at home and cooked and cleaned and did little schoolwork as far as paperwork went but the kids are always learning and the routine chores kept right on going even when I was sick in bed. 

Emily has been working on her cakes for 4-H

Here is her Holly Hobbie cake!  She plans to give it tomorrow to a little girl that is celebrating her adoption.

The Puppies are growing so fat and rollie pollie, they are 10 days today and starting to open their eyes.

Mandy has been reading the Mr. Pipes stories and was playing the hymns on the piano, I really enjoyed listening to them.

Isaac has been creating more lego things, the latest was a jeep.  I didn't feel well enough yet to teach him school so I put him on the computor on an educational cd.  I picked him up some books at the library for him to read, he especially likes Dr. Seus books.  I think he likes the goofy pictures best.  I've been encouraging him to read chapter books like Nate the Great.

It had the nerve to snow today the poor puppies were shivering when ever their mom left for a break.  But it will probably be nice tomorrow that's the way spring is here.

updates on the puppies!  They are so fun and noisy!  They are 3 weeks old now. The above picture and the one below at 3 weeks.

We had puppies this week.  The mom is a purebred black Lab and the dad is a chocolate Lab.  The mom, named Tala had 10 beautiful puppies.  We hope to sell them!

The Bible

A 1829 Dictionary

Thesaurus and rhyming dictionary

Maps of all kinds and globe

Character Sketches and character studies

Old readers

computor

art supplies,sketchbooks

the outdoors

friends

The Maxwells books

The Pearls books

The If -then chart

Charolotte Mason companion

Wisdom's ways of learning

CBD's homeschool catalog

Music of some sort

church

math manipulatives

Physical activities- ie trampoline

games- our favorite Blitz

Notebooks for everything

scrapbooks

camera

sense of humor

Biographies

a library

this names a few!

I recently read a book to my girls called  "The Seven Habits of Successful Teenagers"  In it the author encouraged Teens to write a mission statement for their life.  In writing a Mission Statement a person thinks over the things that are most important to them and comes up with a list I goals that they will attain for their life.  This helps to keep A vision and a focus on what you should be doing with your time.

Below is the Mission statement I came up with for my life.,

I will love God first and foremost.

I will love my husband and show appreciation for him by doing my duties of keeper of the home cheerfully.

I will love and train my children in the way of the Bible so I can have the hope that they will not error in life.

I will successfully teach my children through all of school til graduation by always starting the day with prayer and shcool with devotions, using the Bible as our roap map.

I will take the time to be of service to other people and the church if I am needed having the compassion and being generous with what talents, time, energy, and finances God has given me.

I will use my mind and soul to love, and learn new things always growing in knowledge and spirit, striving to attain the highest place God would have for me.

I will strive to maintain healthy living by eating of the things God gave us in moderation and getting plenty of exercise through work to the glorifiying of God.

I will remember to be grateful, thankful, and appreciate nature and the beauty around me.

I will record important thoughts, knowledge and events in life that I want future generations to remember.

I will remember that Heaven is only a breath away!

I beleive that when God told us to train our children that he meant in all ways, including education.

I used to worry about keeping up to the worlds standards, and schooling through highschool.  But I realize now that God wants us to take one step at a time and learn as we go.  It's been a wonderful experience and I wouldn't change it for anything.  I love being home with my children, time it too short to send them off everyday to someone else who doesn't hold the same values as I do.

I know that I'm qualified to homeschool because:

1. I love my children.

2. I have time each day to spend with my children.

3. I have strong beliefs that are not taught in public schools.

4. I have doubts about the quality of education recieved in public schools.

5. I can read and write ( and do a lot more :).

6. I commit to things I believe in.

7. I will seek out God's direction and purpose for our lives.

8. I will not neglect my time with God and His Word.

If you agree with the above statements you are qualified to homeschool also!.