Black Swallowtail

The boys found a bunch of these caterpillars on our parsley. They wanted to put one in a jar, so we picked the big one.
Within two days, it had formed its chrysalis. In this picture, it is already out. You can see through it since its empty.
Exactly two weeks after we captured the caterpillar, 6yo noticed the butterfly in the jar!

We took it outside, but it wouldn't yet fly away.

It didn't take long until it was ready, though.

My Watermelon Ship Has Come In

My generous midwife gave me some watermelons the other day that we have been munching on. WOW! They are good! Can you tell we like them? These are better than candy.

Ten Years and Watermelons

My husband and I just celebrated our tenth anniversary! What great times we've had! When we got married, children were not in my mind, only the thought of being with my husband every day. Now that we have three and one coming soon, I'm able to see how the Lord has added blessing to blessing by not only joining me with my husband, but giving us even more love in our home in these wonderful boys.

And the good times just keep rolling!

On a totally unrelated note...my friend trimmed my hair for me today and fixed it up in a twist braid. And THEN she brought a yummy watermelon over for us....you know how I've been craving yummy watermelons?Mmmmm.

Easy Homemade Yogurt (or Yoghurt)

This is how I've been making yogurt that has been working well for me.

First, I bring the milk to about 180 degrees, give or take. Do this on a medium heat so as not to burn the milk. This will take a while. (cow's or goats- this is a mixture of both. I only like yogurt made from cow's milk, but the boys like both.)

While that's happening, boil some water and pour it into a small cooler and put the lid on it. This will make your cooler into a heater.

After the milk has reached its temperature, take it off the heat and let it cool back down to around 115-125 degrees. Stirring will help it cool a little more quickly- but it still takes a while.

Next, pour the milk into jars that are already hot. You can pour some hot water from your teapot into them and swish it around to heat them up.

Now, add a couple big scoops of a previous batch of yogurt or a quality store bought yogurt (I used Dannon since we ate up our last batch of yogurt). Stir it up and put the lids on.

Pour the HOT water out of your cooler, then place a towel in it. Put the jars inside and wrap them up well with the towel(s) and put the cooler lid on. Lastly, put the whole cooler in an out-of-the-way warm place for 6-12 hours.

Get the jars out and refrigerate them...that's it. Its never failed me yet...yet. Some don't like to heat the milk up to 180 degrees because it kills all the goodness in raw milk. So far, this is how I've done it...but I'm planning on making "raw" yogurt one of these days by only heating it to 110 degrees.

This is very very easy, but that doesn't mean its very quick. It does take a while, so try it when you'll already be hanging around the kitchen or at least the house.

This Pregnancy

I'm coming to the homestretch of this pregnancy. Only a few weeks left, depending on the Lord's timing. I don't gestate well- is that a proper phrase? Anyway, I have thus far been very sick the first half (or longer) of each pregnancy. When that's over, there are other things I deal with that make life uncomfortable. Right now, I just feel so pregnant. Its hard to move around in bed at night- but I can't stay in one position. Its hard to get up- but my bladder makes me. Its hard to stand too long, sit in one place too long, its hot...you see my point. (Oh, and the sickness has somehow crept back upon me- no fun!)

All that said, this has been my BEST pregnancy so far! I have enjoyed it more, gained less, and it has gone faster (so far). Since we are planning a home birth this time and I visit with a midwife, I haven't had stress that sometimes comes with doctors. Nothing against doctors- I love them! But I don't really want to see them unless I need help with an injury or illness. (God bless the doctor who stapled my son's head a few weeks ago!) We have had great memorable experiences with the births of each of our previous children. But I hope to avoid the few stressful situations and needless interventions we did come across. I'm looking forward to being in this comfortable, familiar place. I don't feel like I have a sickness that needs to be resolved, I have a baby- and many others have been pregnant before me. I'm praying that there will not be any complications that merit a visit to the hospital.

A few random things about this pregnancy...

...I have wanted watermelon and fried chicken for most of this pregnancy- neither of which I have had very much of- I can't seem to buy a good watermelon! This baby seems to move more than I remember the others moving. The suspense of not knowing if we have a boy or a girl is exciting and makes me even more eager for the day. (Husband doesn't think he'll know how to raise a girl but I'm so outnumbered, I think it might be nice.) The boys all like to hug, talk, poke and feel my tummy. I sometimes put a book on it when the baby is moving around and we watch the book move all around. While writing, I often have to erase mistakes caused by sudden jolts of movement to my notebook. The boys have been able to hear the heartbeat when my midwife has checked it the last few times. 6yo is excited- he often sits patiently to feel the baby kick, offers name ideas, and plans what he will do with the new baby. 4yo is happy, he mostly feels my tummy for a few seconds to humor me, but the other day he actually realized the baby was moving and got interested. 2yo pats at my tummy and says baby. I cannot wait to hold this bundle in my arms! (But, I will happily wait so he or she is fully developed!)

Sweet Corn and Sweet Friends

Two weeks ago, a friend called us to offer some sweet corn they had grown. My husband and I planned to pick some to prepare and freeze to have some yummy corn on hand. Well, after thinking about all we had going on those next two days, we realized it would not work out and the corn would go to waist here if we picked it...

When a friend called me a said her and some others were thinking about getting together to freeze some corn two days later, I was all for it! Not only could we get more done working together, but its always fun to do something together with friends. I got there a little late and they had already shucked it and started boiling it. As we worked, I should have put two and two together...

We filled baggies with corn and cleaned up our mess before I heard someone say it was all for my family! They tricked me into letting them give up their time (and corn) to do all that work for me. Okay, maybe trick isn't the right word for it because I was sure blessed by it. And because I was the one who received the favor. And because I'm definitely not going to complain about it. Each of them had already spent much time working on corn for her own family. Then, they came and did it for mine.

I was baking with a mom and her daughters once who were making sandwiches for lunch. The mom said, "Would you make me one? And then I'll make yours." I was a little confused as to why, if she was going to make a sandwich, why not make her own. She explained that it just tastes better when you make it for each other. I think this corn just tastes better because it was done with the hands of three servant- hearted friends.

Last weekend I got to go to a two day curriculum seminar for Spell to Write and Read. It is my favorite find for homeschooling so far. I have found many neat curriculum and fun ideas, but this is one that I'm sure I will hold on to through all our homeschooling years. It is a teacher friendly version of Writing Road to Reading. It can be used for homeschooling or in a classroom. I like that the author (Wanda Sanseri) is a Christian and she incorporates the Bible and literature with value if you choose to use it.

This review explains the program much better than I could:

http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschool_Reviews/reviews.php?rid=598

And here is the Spell to Write and Read website:

http://www.bhibooks.net/home.html

Because it is very thorough, I've had to read through the book 3 times over the past year and a half to feel confident teaching it. I also attended the seminar which helped me. Now, there is a new DVD I'm guessing is a big help ( HIDDEN SECRETS TO LANGUAGE SUCCESS: VOLUMES 1 & 2). Its not a program that students can do independently and it does take an investment of time, but I like it a great deal. It seemed overwhelming to me at first, but I just jumped in and started teaching it. My son has not been confused one time (so far). The curriculum makes sense of our crazy written language! Him and I both enjoy having a better understanding.

I used this program with my 6yo for a few months so far with great results. This coming school year, we'll hit it full force and also begin at a preschool level with my 4yo who is looking forward to it. He's now able to sound out some basic words for fun and feels good about that. Its really nice that I don't have to buy new books for every student, or even every grade level. The basic kit is all I need (except a new Learning Log each year which is cheap) for K-12. Extras are optional, but it will be important to either invest in or find some good reading books at the library. She gives suggestions about reading materials.

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

I went away for two days to attend a curriculum seminar. I knew my boys and husband would have a great time together, and they did. My timing for arriving home couldn't have been better. Just as I walked in the door I was summoned to the bathroom where my husband was holding a cloth to our 6yo son's head. He gave me a peek at it. OUCH! He had been jumping on our bed (after my husband had told him not to) and fell backwards onto the edge of our ceder chest.

We loaded up the family and headed fro the ER. The cut wasn't bleeding much by then, and 6yo seemed to be handling it well, so we had a long wait. Thank the Lord for Grandpa who came to take the younger boys so we could both concentrate on comforting 6yo. We did have such a long wait- understandably since there was a more serious injury they were attending to.

Finally after cleaning the gash and pouring on something to numb the surface...and more waiting...the doctor put seven painful staples in his head. He squeezed my husband's hand as hard as he could, and there were some tears, but made it through. He's a tough boy. We spent plenty of our time waiting discussing how God is our strength and thanking Him that it wasn't worse. 6yo also really enjoyed hearing the story of Ezekiel and the dry bones. He especially liked hearing the alternative endings my husband would make up before finally telling it right. There is not always laughter in the ER rooms, but we were blessed to have it.

Okay so back to a previous statement, maybe I COULD have planned my homecoming time better had I gotten there before he decided to jump on the bed. But you can't dwell on maybe's. I'm just thankful the Lord was there.

Family Devotions

I thought I'd share how the Lord has blessed us with a helpful resource for family devotions. We visited a church on our last vacation (to Texas). We found that they encouraged what they called Family Alter Study Time. They offered a free printable "curriculum" that each family could follow throughout the week at home. The Scriptures and topics coincided with the topic for the following church service.



We decided to use those plans they had already so thoughtfully put together for our own use. Since my husband is the preacher at our little church, he is able to adjust a FAST to fit the topic for the week and add/change things if need be. Then, he can offer them to the families in our church who are interested in participating. (However, I would find it useful for our family even if we didn't do it as a church.) Since the focus for a week is not too broad and we cover the same passages most days, we get a good grasp on it. When Sunday rolls around and the children (and adults) who have studied it hear about it in the message, they perk up and are able to answer questions and get involved.



It has been a major support for our family because it is a simple plan for the whole week. It is something we can really stick to. If we fall behind it is not difficult to jump right back in. We like to do our family alter study time just before bedtime. But, we can adjust and do it during dinner if we know there are other things happening. We've even rarely done it in the car while traveling. It is a fairly short, but meaningful time for us to hear from God's Word as a family, hide it in our hearts- and to do it consistently.

My husband chooses a memory verse to add the the FAST each week. We have this old barber's station in our living room that had a scratched up mirror. I scraped it and painted it gray, and got very tired of looking at the blank piece of glass for years. Then, I realized I could write on it with white board markers! So that is where I write our weekly verses- it has helped ME tremendously in memorizing them.

So, here is the link if you are interested in looking at the FAST plans. Happy family devotions.

http://www.fairparkbaptist.org/FAST/FAST.html

"Famous for the Fourth"

Well, we had another big 4th of July celebration here in our little town. It prides itself on the carnival, activities, parade and fireworks. We can't really ignore it because it all occurs within a couple blocks of our house, we can see it from our window and hear it at night. Excitement builds up for the boys when its approaching. 6yo has been waiting for the city to hang the American flags on all the streetlights for weeks- that was his sign that the festivities would soon be here. Today, they took them down and 4yo almost cried.

We watched the parade (after church) and let the boys ride a couple rides (the night before). Mostly, we visited here at the house with a few relatives who were in town.

Our yard is a convenient place to watch the fireworks display, so we had snacks for whoever wanted to join us. This year it started to rain just in time for the fireworks, so many watched from the garage and some got soaked. After all the excitement- we all slept very late the next morning!

Newest family member

My sister-in-law and brother's new baby is not as easy to console as some babies. She prefers to be held and moving around. So, my sister-in-law made use of her baby carrier. Isn't this the cutest picture. When I saw her sweet little face sticking out of the sling I had to snap a picture.

First Day of Summer

This morning I read that over 20,000 people gathered for the sunrise at Stonehenge. My boys are excited that today is the first day of summer. They think we should go play in water! I think that sounds like a good idea- that way we can also get some Vitamin D from the sunshine.

When the flowers are in bloom, the lightning bugs are thick in the evening, the sky is bright blue with fluffy white clouds, and I can see hope for our little garden to produce healthy foods, nature shines in all her glory. But where is the worship due? Should we raise our hand toward the rising sun in praise? Should we say a prayer to nature and recognize that we are nature, nature is god, so we are god? The truthful and clear answer is this:

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse;

Because the, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves,

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more then the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen

Romans 1:19-25

Sewing from a Pattern

I have it in my mind to learn the foreign language of sewing patterns. It really may as well be written in Chinese (which, coincidentally, I cannot read either). My hope is that, if i can learn to follow a pattern, I will have more success with my sewing endeavors. Sometimes, I try to slap skirts together without a pattern. Sometimes they come out decent, sometimes, they go in the trash. I'm starting with some boys' pajamas.

A friend offered to have me and the boys over for an afternoon so we could both sew. It was so nice and relaxing- maybe not as relaxing for the hostess since she made lunch. But I enjoyed the time, hearing the children laughing (and screaming) while they played. I got to stop her every few minutes and ask what a sentence in my pattern was trying to tell me and she very patiently explained. I think its hard! But that may change with practice...can anyone attest to that? It made so much sense when my friend would explain it in English. Anyway, we could only get so much done, being mom's and wives with things to do.

I'm hoping to recruit my mom as translator when I go to visit her. Then, maybe I can finish the pattern. I tried to sit down tonight and go to the next step...huh? I am a visual learner, youtube has taught me many "how-to" things (but be careful on there!) Maybe I will have them done for Christmas (at least one pair for each of the two older boys.)

Happy Father's Day!

Children's children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father.
Proverbs 17:6

My sweet husband treats our children like they are blessings from God. He spends time with them like they were given to him as special presents. In return, their faces light up when they realize the next day is Saturday, and that he will be home all day. They love to do what he is doing. They even have fun doing chores together. I love to watch them all together.


Our son (then 5) made him a paper apron one Saturday morning. He wore it while making pancakes.
We see him working or using his time wisely every time he is at home (maybe the occasional catnap.) This was him working on our house over a year ago- he put a LOT of time into our home.

He likes to teach the boys about math by counting and sorting change.

Here, he is putting training wheels on our son's bike after we had a birthday hot dog roast.

We always have fun when he's around because of his cheerful nature. We all went to Kaleidoscope- isn't he nice to carry all my stuff so I could show the boys around?

My favorite thing he does for our family is to teach and read to us God's Word- the Bible. It is the most valuable training he can ever give them, and it will have eternal significance.

I know our boys will grow up to consider their father a special gift the Lord has given them.

Dad

I'm not just saying this because Father's Day is coming- I love my Dad! He's a loving man. He build us up with his words and would help if ever we needed him. (Even if you were bringing home "the one" to meet your parents and ran out of gas on the highway- he would come help.) I can remember the feeling of safety every time he was near. He always told us girls we looked nice or beautiful (still does) but didn't put any emphasis on our hairstyle or clothes-(except to very rarely tell me never to wear a that short skirt again :). I believe that helped us learn that beauty depends on your heart and not material adornments or physical appearance that would change or pass away. He speaks so highly of Mom and thinks of her best interest.
He made sacrifices along the way that helped shape our choices in life. There are so many thing he does that I'm so thankful for. Perhaps the greatest has been all the hours he's spent on his knees in prayer for us. I thank the Lord for letting me have him as my Dad.

Terrific Two's

My baby is turning two! What would our lives be like without him. He brings us so much laughter, SO much love, and SO much fun. Here are a few things I love about his little personality.

He watches his brothers closely. Sometimes, he does what they are doing, but has no idea why.

He hugs and kisses A Lot. He gets So excited when it is time to wrestle with Daddy. He usually goes to sleep peacefully. He often wakes up singing or yelling something indiscernible, but having fun while doing it.

He eats almost anything, although he has become more picky these last few weeks. He still thinks cleaning up is fun. If he sees something that needs to be done, he tries his best to do it. You can make him laugh so easily!

He tries to get involved in our family Bible study times. If the other boys are answering questions or raising their hands, he joins in.

There is so much more. He's just a blessing from the Lord.

Word of Faith?

Have you been taught that if you're sick, its due to your lack of faith? We had a young friend, dying of cancer and tormented to think he could be healed if only his faith was stronger. Have you heard that we can "release" the power of God, or "speak" things into existence? I've heard people afraid to speak about the truth if it was negative. They believed that if they spoke only positive things, it would change a situation. I find this man's message to be powerful. I think his testimony is more potent than any false healing claims. He says that God wouldn't have to break a sweat to heal us, but He had to die to save us. We should consider that a greater gift than even a physical healing. There are 3 parts to this message on youtube. I think part 4 is best of all. Or, you can the whole thing on his website (I posted it below-couldn't get the video to download on my blog.) Don't let someone confuse your spiritual life. Use the Bible to test everything.

http://justinpeters.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=3&Itemid=14

Raspberry pickers

My husband took the boys to pick raspberries at a friend's house. When they walked in the door (dripping dark purple juice on the floor), they were so happy and proud! There are more than what's in this one jar. I canned most of them up tonight.

As you can see, he did not muzzle the oxen while they were treading grain- a.k.a they ate as they picked. How sweet they are!

My 6yo thought I might want some ideas to blog about. He grabbed the camera and this is what he came up with:

Daddy's Bible.

A loaf of cinnamon raisin bread

And The Crown of Kuros. This is the fourth book in a series called The Terrestria Chronicles by Ed Dunlop. We have enjoyed reading them to the boys. It has a clear message of salvation, righteousness, good and bad, and serving the Lord. We appreciate that they are not filled with witchcraft or even glorify bad attitudes. I would recommend these so far to any boys 9 and over. Girls may like them too, but they are more for boys. There is so much in them that our boys cannot yet understand, but I'm sure we'll read them again in a couple years.  (Update: there are some places in the series that could be called withcraft.  In a later book, a clearly evil character can morph into other things to confuse and deceive the main character.  This kind of sorcery is never confused with good by the reader and paints a clear picture of how Satan may appear as an andel of light to get his way with us.  Still, I thought I'd warn you. I may not have the perfect definition of "witchcraft".  I guess it is like magic when the main character can pull out his Book and it turns into a sword- but the author does a good job painting the picture with that the "sword of the Spirit is the Word of God".  I didn't end up reading them all, with everything there is to be done.  They were of more interest to my husband than to me, but I did like what I heard of them.)

Homemade yoghurt!

The first time I tried to make yoghurt, it did not work out. I gave it another try, and it worked this time! It was easy. The yoghurt is as thick as store bought. We add honey or a scoop of strawberry preserves to it. I guess the true test will be if it works for me again.

Planning for Summer Learning and Beyond

I have been working with 6yo on reading, writing, and math. We have not had “school” every day consistently- but we’re easing into a pattern for next school year. When he was 3, I bought the whole k-4 A Beka curriculum! He was already ahead of most of it- but I wanted to start “school”! It didn’t quite pan out the way I planned. These last 2 or 3 years have been “school” for me. I’ve been learning so many things about homemaking, home schooling, and mothering in general. Anyway, I sold all the curriculum and began a slow journey into the research of others. If you’re thinking of homeshooling, let me just warn you, there is a PLETHERA of choices out there! I can see that there may be many curriculum changes from year to year and child to child.
For now, I have been very pleased with Spell to Write and Read. (It comes from a Writing Road to Reading approach.) At first, I was overwhelmed with how to teach it. But I began to take it a step at a time and it is working out wonderfully. My son could read early on, but this has greatly benefited his writing and reading. We learn all the phonogram (70) and all the spelling “rules”. And he writes his own spelling book. It takes some one on one time. But its worth it. It is designed to be a K-12th grade program all in one. He doesn’t jump up and down when we do it, but once we get started , he enjoys it. 4yo is also learning his phonograms and to write a few letters (I chose to start with cursive).

We are almost done with our first Math-U-See book, the “Primer”. His favorites are the telling time worksheets. I’m not sure if I love Math-U-See, but I will give it some more time. I have no complaints about it- ask again next year. I am open to suggestions.

We will be taking a break from these programs and switching our focus for the summer. I’m hoping to have Bible/prayer/singing, piano (for 6yo), Rod and Staff workbooks (for 4yo), and art projects for the summer. I have a nice piano curriculum called Pianimals I bought used. Its neat, but we got out of the habit. Most of all, though, I want to gear up for the fall! We’ll need to stick to our schedule and be consistent!





I came across a curriculum based on Bible reading called Student of the Word. I was very impressed with its foundation. There is a lot of Bible reading involved, even for the young ones. That is a good thing, but it can also be overwhelming. It is like a unit study with the Bible as its center. So, if you are reading in Genesis about creation, you study creation and evolution for science, for example. I’m not sure if I will use it for all subjects (except English and math), or as a guide for Bible reading, but it is impressive in many ways. I love the concept of unit studies, but - Goodness Sakes! They seem abundantly time consuming for the teacher! We’ll find our happy balance, Lord willing. For now, we'll focus some on playing!