It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...The HEAV Convention...Tips for Having the Best Time Ever!

I know, you hear "It's the most wonderful time of the year..." and strains of the Christmas song sung by Andy Williams float through your mind. I do love Christmas, really, I do. It's the celebration of our Savior's birth and a time to be thankful for family and friends, and to be together and acknowledge all of the Lord's blessings. Alas, it is also a LOT of work when you are a mom, and sometimes it can feel a bit hectic and rushed. Ask me my favorite holiday, and I will still say Christmas, and then Easter, but ask me my favorite time of the year, and I will without hesitation say, "Homeschool Convention time!!"

In our state, our convention is in June. That's right at the end of the "school year" (though we often continue on through the summer with special projects and studies) and it's a great way to get a worn out mom and teacher re-energized to take on another year of home education. It's also always right around my birthday, so for me, it's kind of like the most awesome birthday party ever. 

I look forward to heading to our state's convention every year. I've been to conferences run by "the professionals" when I taught in the public school system, and I can without reservation tell you that our state home educator's convention puts anything they ever came up with to shame. I've lived in several other states and also attended other local conferences, but still, the HEAV convention ranks at the top of my "best things to do if you are a home educator" list. I have only missed a few of the conventions since I started attending them thirteen years ago, right after we made the decision to pull Bubba out of public school after third grade, and those were missed only because we lived twenty or so hours away and I was too pregnant to drive myself and the kids to attend. I bought the convention cds/tapes instead and have spent many wonderful hours listening to them. 

Actually, that is one of my top suggestions to folks who attend a big convention like ours: understand that you will NOT be able to attend every session that sounds good to you, so plan to buy the cds/mp3s. Getting everywhere you want to be just won't happen, no matter how organized you are. You will get "lost" in the vendor hall or at the used curriculum sale, or your kids will get wrapped up in the chess tournament, or you will find someone fascinating to talk to and then BAM! you will realize you just missed hearing Tammy Duby talk about GASP! Are You Leaving Gaps? in your home education, and you just KNOW you needed to hear that one. Or you will show up to hear Ken Ham talk about the importance of Genesis and the room will already be full. 

Here's my advice: Don't Panic. You can still get all that great information just by ordering the mp3 set while you are at the convention. It is usually a bit pricey, but it's cheaper to order while there than later AND it will remove the pressure from you to be everywhere you can't possibly be all at the same time. You will relax and enjoy yourself much more if you go ahead and order the set before you even attend the first keynote address. Really. I have learned so much over the years from listening to many years of archived talks. I never mind road tripping because it's not just travel...it's an educational opportunity. Even my kids have enjoyed many of the talks and we've had some excellent discussions because of speakers we've liked a lot, or ones we have not quite agreed with.

In any case, I thought that since my giveaway for one complimentary family pass for the Home Educators of Virginia Convention on June 6-8 is just around the corner (it runs from April 29 to May 3rd), I would re-post some tips (with a few new revisions) for attending a convention or curriculum fair. You really do need to make some preparations ahead of time in order to make the most of your time and truly enjoy yourself, especially if it is your first time going to a meeting as big as this one is.

Here are my top tips for making

 the most of your time at a

homeschool convention 

or curriculum fair:

1. Sign up early. Generally conventions offer "Early Bird" specials to members and those who will sign up before a certain date receive a substantial savings. If it is your state homeschooling organization's convention, you will receive a discount for being a member, and I've found that even though the membership fee to join may make your total price a bit higher, it's a good idea to support your state organization because they likely do quite a lot to support how you get to home educate. From helping sponsor bills to allow your kids to access sports activities in the public schools to defending your right to choose your own curriculum, they are a vital part of the freedom to choose home education. Plus, while you can generally sign up at the door and pay a higher fee, you will usually have to wait in a much longer line than those who pre-register, and you won't receive a specially printed-up name tag, either. ;-)

2. If you receive your local convention's emails or publication, then you've probably had an opportunity to check out the speakers and topics already. Mark the ones you are very interested in, maybe using a different color for different family members if more than one person is attending. It helps to plan who you will go see ahead of time, or you might find yourself in a long line to gather your convention tags and schedule with only a few minutes to decide where to head next. But then again, remember, if you purchase the mp3 set, you don't have to worry if you choose a talk that is less than what you hoped for. You can listen to something better later.

3. Make plans ahead of time for what to do with your children. If your husband is not attending, they can stay with him, but really, dad's need to go to conventions, too. Our HEAV Convention has quite a few sessions specially eared towards the men of the family, and since registration cost covers the family (one price for spouses and kids, and grandparents, too!), it's a great way for everyone to learn something and reap some of the rewards that come from homeschooling by seeing the many success stories and realizing that there are so many nice people out there who are walking a similar path. The children's programs at our convention cost extra per day and fill up fast, so early registration is advisable. 

Our convention has several teen programs which also carry an extra cost, but may be just the thing to light a fire for a summer filled with delight-directed learning. Nursing babies, and sometimes even young children, can accompany their mothers if you don't have child care planned, but please remember to plan ahead by taking a bag of quiet playthings and snacks to distract your children. 

Also, please, be courteous and leave a session if your child starts to fuss or even to make happy noises. Usually, sessions are being taped for those mp3 sets and too much noise can ruin them, not to mention the fact that even nice baby coos make it difficult for folks to focus on the speaker. Everyone in the session paid good money to be there, just like you, and they deserve to be able to get the most out of it possible. Sometimes, if you must step out to calm a baby, the session moderator will give you a coupon to get a copy of that session on disk. It never hurts to ask, just as it is better to err on the side of caution with keeping children in a session than to ruin it for everyone else. 

4. Plan where you will park and eat ahead of time. Our convention is in Richmond, VA and there is plentiful parking, but the closer you are to the convention center, the more costly the parking is. Some years there have been benefits to forking out $15 to park for one day, but others, we've driven farther and walked to only pay $5. Of course, Dad can always drop the family at the door, and do the walking alone...but whatever you do, you need to remember that if you keep a cooler of food in the car for lunch or want to drive somewhere to eat, you need to have that car close by, and tired kids at the end of the day will have a difficult time making a long trek back to a far away lot. It also helps to be closer if you plan to do a lot of shopping and will need to unload your bags from time to time. Also, ask around ahead of time if you plan to dine out. Lunchtime is usually the same time for everyone, so you could stand in very long lines if you don't plan ahead, especially if you get lost because you don't know where you are going.

5. Make sure your cell phones are charged and ready to go. Have a plan for where to meet up at certain times, just in case someone in your group can't be reached. You don't want to get stressed out by not being able to find someone from whom you got separated in the crush of onlookers at the Robotics demonstration. Make sure your phones are on vibrate so their ringing does not accidentally disrupt a taped session, please. If you are taking younger children with you, be sure they know to stay with their assigned "buddy" at all times. It might help to have them wear coordinating colors to make it easier to pick out your kids in a crowd, if you have a lot of them. It might sound a bit stereotypical, but it's really just practical.

5. If you are traveling a long distance to be there, you may want to find lodging nearby and stay overnight, at least on Friday night, if it is a two-night weekend conference. We've chosen to drive the hour and a half back and forth each day to save the cost of lodging most years, but the year Bubba was graduating and I had very new baby Boo with us, we secured reservations at the hotel nearest to the convention center and it was quite nice to be able to go rest or change or drop things off in a room just across the street. If you do want to stay in a hotel, the earlier the better. Usually, groups reserve blocks of rooms at a special rate, so don't forget to check if you can get a lower price that way. You can often add a military discount or AAA to that, too. It never hurts to ask. 

6. This one is important, but you may need to wait to implement it for next year, but we've found that budgeting for convention spending ahead of time is a huge relief and makes the whole experience much, much better. It is so much nicer to spend money on what you need (or just want) when you are not causing a shortfall somewhere else. 

Talk it out with your husband and decide a reasonable amount to invest per child and determine how much you will need to set aside monthly to meet your goals. Find creative places to pull the money from, such as the grocery budget, by using coupons and putting the money you saved in the "Curriculum Account" instead. Sell old stuff you didn't like or use and put that money away, too. Clean a neighbor's guesthouse or watch someone's pet and save your pay. Sell used items on Craig's List or your local Facebook Trash or Treasure (online yardsale) forum. Let the kids start their own fund using money they earn doing jobs you want done around the house or by working for trusted friends and family. They'll have more fun shopping in your wake if they can keep their eyes peeled for a bargain, too.

7. Get informed. Do your primary initial curriculum research ahead of time. Do NOT wait until the day of the convention to get ideas on how you want to teach math to your third grader. Ask friends what they use, inquire at co-op or support group meetings, or post a query on a forum online, then take all the suggestions and start looking them up. Many sites offer trial versions, trial periods, or at least sample pages for you to look at. Request catalogs, compare prices, and see how much of any of the supplemental materials you need for any given program are available at your library (the more you can borrow for free, the better). 

You may wish to visit your local homeschool second-hand store (if you have one) or check out Craig's List or e-bay (or any other online vendor) before deciding to pay full-price at a convention. Swap meets, library sales, yard sales, thrift stores, and sometimes even public school discard boxes are good sources of cheaper (or possibly free) materials that may meet the needs you have. See my post on How to Homeschool for FREE (or at least, more inexpensively) before you go to your convention. However, vendors often do offer convention deals and/or free shipping if you buy while visiting the Vendor Hall, so take advantage of those offers, especially on large purchases.

8. Make a list and stick to it. After you have compiled a list of "wants" that you haven't found yet, whittle it down to your actual "needs." Don't discard the "want" list. Just keep in mind that every bank account has a limit and even the strongest-willed person in the world can be sorely tempted to go overboard in a super-packed Vendor Hall. It all looks so GOOD! Go to the fair armed with your two lists, shop for the "needs" first, then with what is left of your budget, HAVE FUN! 

You might consider splitting the leftovers between the kids and let each child make a delight-directed selection, such as some Adventures in Odyssey tapes, some chess teaching software, or a special sketch pad and pencils. You never know what new talents or joys you might discover.

9. I HIGHLY recommend taking a rolling suitcase or rolling basket to carry your purchases so you don't break your back (or the back of your teenager) toting all your finds around. Empty out your big scrapbook rolling bag and give it a new function. I've seen many folks load up the stroller and carry the baby! LOL. Last year our convention had a booth that for a low fee would box up your stuff and hold it for you to pick up later. I thought that was pretty nifty. Whatever you do to handle your new acquisitions, please make sure your conveyance is not too difficult to maneuver or too bulky to find a place to "park it" during a lecture, otherwise it will make your day less pleasant.

10. Also, remember to take a bottle of water...shopping is thirsty work...and maybe a snack or two (convention prices for refreshments do not tend to be cheap...they were charging three bucks for a soda at ours and two bucks for a small bag of chips). Energy or granola bars are good ideas, or snack mix, but avoid snacks that are messy or have noisy wrappers as there are enough distractions and messes to deal with already.

11. Wear comfortable clothing and good walking shoes or your little doggies will be worn out by the end of day one, let alone day two. My mom recommends taking a sweater, even if it is sweltering outside, because they often turn down the air conditioning very low to compensate for the volume of people in the room and it can get quite chilly. 

And this isn't a requirement, so much as a request, but while I do not subscribe to the stereotype that homeschool moms should be wearing skirts all the time, remember that there are folks with varying levels of conservativism attending the convention, so if your rules are a bit on the looser side, give the folks who might be on the more conservative side a bit of a break and dress in your nicer, comfortable, yet modest clothes. 

Over the years as more folks have entered the homeschooling trend, I've seen the dress code take a nosedive (especially for girls), and it's especially difficult for moms of teenaged boys when young ladies, or even moms, are wearing strapless tops and too short skirts. Be yourself, but be yourself with modesty, please. Thank you. 

12. Take a notebook. You may meet folks and want to exchange addresses. You may want to take notes at a very riveting lecture...having a composition book or legal pad to write on always comes in handy, and it's very annoying when you want one and don't have one. Speaking of meeting people, if you have family or business cards, you might want to take a stack to hand out to the many fascinating folks you will meet. It's so much quicker than writing the same information down again and again. I find that Vistaprint is a good source for inexpensive printed items.

13. Someone suggested this one and I just loved it: Take pre-printed labels with your name, address, phone number, and your email on them to use when you walk by booths you are interested in and they want you to fill out their sheet for a freebie (Vision Forum usually has great freebies at their booth). It will save you a lot of work and time.

14. Lastly, PLEASE remember to give your kids a break once in a while by stopping at the booth with the cool science gadgetry, the Lego table, the Robotics demo, or the chess tournament. Some booths are great for a few laughs, a few sparks, and maybe even an explosion or two...or at least a few minutes playing with a wooden pop gun or sword. Your kids will be grateful for the break, and you might just find something that tickles their fancy and lights an interest on fire if you relax and browse for a while. 

15. Whatever you do, just remember to HAVE FUN. The convention is meant to be a time of rejuvenation for you, to get you remembering why you have chosen to undertake this sometimes daunting, but always rewarding task. Listen to the kids playing their violins in the lobby for a few minutes, examine the artwork lined up along the walls, talk to the winning robotics team and give one of the bots a whirl...and be inspired. 

Well, if you get a chance, let me know how you made out at YOUR local convention this year. I'd really love to know what cool stuff you found. I might want to get one, too. 

If you live nearby, don't forget to come back here during the week of April 29th-May 3rd to enter to win a family pass to the HEAV Convention in Richmond, VA. It will be worth your while and may wind up being one of your favorite times of the year. I hope to see you there!

Sermon Sunday...You'll Be Glad You Did

I've been enjoying the sermons in the series You'll Be Glad You Did by Andy Stanley, and Tex has listened to them all, too. They are about how everyone needs to work with each other in submission to God's authority, and how important our individual decisions are to the success of our life and relationships. A very practical series...

Give them a try. You'll be glad you did.

Other favorites from Andy Stanley:

Guardrails

Breathing Room

Taking Responsibility for Your Life

Ladybug's "Lady Day"

You might remember, if you've been around for a while, that back when Bubba turned 18, we held a special "Blessing Ceremony" for him at church. It was a time of love and fellowship, where the men in his life gathered to pray for him and to bless him as he moved from his life as a young adult to an adult. You can read the full details at the original post, but essentially the ladies and children of the family stood on one side of a bridge while the men waited on another. I said a few words recalling his childhood and ways in which he had blessed his family, his siblings gave him hugs and flowers, and he crossed the bridge to stand with the men as they gathered around him and offered advice, prayers, and congratulations. Then, we all went inside and had a nice meal and had fun looking over the photo albums with pictures from his childhood in them, reminiscing about good old times and looking forward to the promise of a bright and exciting future. 

The idea of having a Blessing Ceremony did not originate with us. Hubby and I attended a seminar hosted by a favorite family-integrated church located in a city too far away for us to attend on a weekly basis, but close enough to go to when they hold special events. The talk we attended was hosted by the Moore family who have a ministry called Daughters4God. We learned about the power of words and the importance of blessing our children, especially our sons, who will someday be the leaders of their own families. We also learned about another idea...a complimentary way to bless our daughters, but with a different emphasis...this idea is called Lady Day.

Joy Moore found that when the time came to talk to her girls about the facts of life, she wanted to do more than just hand them a book and let them figure things out on their own. She wanted her daughters to understand what a blessing and a privilege it is to be female, and to instruct them about the different challenges and stages they will go through as they become a woman. Her way of managing this was to write a series of letters to her daughters, which she shared with each one during a special day out one-on-one as the time came for each one to hear about the changes to come.

At the time, our girls were too young to even begin to think about having to plan a "Lady Day," but a month or so ago, it became apparent that it was going to be time to take Ladybug out and have the first of our special times together.

Ladybug's 9th birthday...

Ever since we moved to our new hometown, Ladybug and her special friend, Miss S., have been going out to tea with their mama's on Ladybug's birthday at our favorite antique mall/tea room. That has always been a special girl time, and a year or so ago, on her birthday, I read a special book on being God's little princess to the girls while we waited for our lunch to arrive, and gave Ladybug the first of her charms on a new silver charm bracelet...a crown so she'd remember she was a daughter of The King.

They've grown up so much...Ladybug's 8th birthday.

Since Miss S. has been such an important part of our lives (and her mum, too), we decided to ask them out on our special Lady Day. We met up on a beautifully sunny and warm afternoon and went to lunch at our favorite local dining spot, Rosemary and Wine, which offers delicious raspberry sweet tea and divine Quiche Lorraine served with salad, with a background of tunes from Sinatra and other classic crooners. We ate companionably, then talked to the girls about some of the changes they could expect over the next several years, and also about modesty. We spoke about some of their most special and precious character traits, and we also talked about how sometimes life can be tough and we will need to really pray, and talk to mom, during those times when we are feeling a bit under the weather as things change.

We didn't go into great depth, as we are saving that for a private talk later, so I saved the charm I bought for Ladybug's bracelet to give to her then...it's a butterfly. Instead I gave her a pair of small pearl clip on earrings to wear when we go on our "Lady Dates" or out to tea. 

Ladybug is a real sweetheart, and loves to dress up with frills, hairbows, and jewelry...but I especially like that she can be all girly one minute and then dress like a cowgirl and shimmy up a tree the next! She's an original and really growing into her own. Helpful, kind, compassionate, organized, creative, eager, and smart. She's a go-getter who is becoming a charming young lady right before my eyes...too quickly.

We took a walk after our meal and headed over to the local antique store where Miss S. and Ladybug were gifted with a Beanie Baby from the gracious proprietoress. She loved the girl's manners and rewarded them when she heard it was a special day with a gift from her heart. I found two old readers to buy to add to our collection, and Mrs. L. found some antique crocheting hooks she couldn't pass up.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time together on a perfectly gorgeous day. The flowers added to our pleasure by brightening every nook and cranny as we walked along the quaint streets of our town. I highly recommend having some sort of "Lady Day" with your daughter (s), even if they've already learned "the facts of life." It will make a wonderful memory for each of the girls as they look back on their childhood...at least I hope it will. It was certainly a wonderful memory for me. 

Our girls need to know they are special and we want to draw them close to us so that we will have their hearts as they grow up. We want them to trust us and feel able to come to us with anything, and we want to be there to help them as their hearts grow closer to Christ and they separate from us eventually to fully rely on Him...and someday, perhaps, a Prince Charming of their own.

Walking into their future...best friends.

Here are a few resources we've used that you might want to check out:

Lady Day by Joy Moore

Raising Godly Daughters: Spirit, Soul, and Body by Joy Moore (audio)

Just Mom and Me Having Tea by Mary Murray

Tea Party Bible Times for Mom and Me by Mary Murray

Blessings,

HEAV Registration Is OPEN For Members ONLY...Hurry Over For Pre-Registration Deals and DUGGAR Tickets!

Hello local friends (and those within driving distance of Virginia),

I thought that you might want to know that as of 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, registration for the HEAV Convention to be held June 6th-8th will be open for HEAV members only. Early Registration will continue through Friday, but don't wait too long as you must reserve tickets if you wish to attend the Duggars' Keynote session, and I imagine they will go fast. Registration covers your entire family, including grandparents, but there is a maximum number of six Duggar session tickets you can request per paid family admission. Duggar session tickets are not available if you register using one the "free" registration options (though there may be some available at the door).

If you aren't already a member, consider hopping over to the HEAV site and joining right away. It only costs $35 and comes with a myriad of benefits, such as reduced costs for HSLDA, tuition reduction at Regent University, and discounts at some vendors. Check out the details on the membership page.

The cost of the basic registration, without any of the extra programs, is $59 for members. You can add admissions to the Children's Program, Heroes of the Faith, for $20 per day per child. We've done the programs in past years, and the kids have always loved them. This year there is also an IEW SAT/ACT Essay Writing seminar option for $39, as well as a Cartooning Camp option for $69 for one session. Miracle Mountain Ranch will be hosting a two-day teen series of sessions for youth ages 13-18 for only $10. I think that is quite a bargain!

If you are new to the idea of home education, there is no cost for the sessions offered on Thursday afternoon and evening which introduce you to the why's, wherefore's, and how-to's of home education. There is also no charge for the parents of preschoolers if this is the first time you have attended this convention...isn't that an amazing offer? Please, pass on this generous news to a friend with preschoolers and take her along with you this year.

Other special events include Graduation 2013, a Leadership Luncheon (free to leaders of homeschooling groups and other positions of home education support), a new special section in the vendor hall for young entrepreneurs to have their own booths, and a Single Parents Luncheon.

As always, there is a remarkable selection of excellent speakers who will be speaking on a wide variety of topics from how to homeschool to running a home business, a vastly populated vendor hall, and the wonderful used curriculum sale (start getting your used and unwanted items together now and make some money to cover this year's curriculum choices!).

To register early, if you are already an HEAV member, simply go to the HEAV website between 10 a.m. Wednesday through Friday. You will find printable directions to the convention center as well as information about food and hotels on the website, as well.

If you would like to volunteer for the convention for at least two hours, you can obtain a pass for early admission to the Used Curriculum Sale. Those passes are gold, since much of the best stuff goes fast, so while you do not receive free admission to the convention, if you have time to spare, check out this information on how to volunteer.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to explore the HEAV site. Scrolling over the "Convention" tab at the top right of the page will give you options for more info.

You can hop over to Homeschool Creations for a chance to win a full family registration, a value of $79. The giveaway goes on until Friday. I will be holding my giveaway in May, so if you don't win hers, you can try here!

If you are planning to attend this convention, I'd love to meet you. Feel free to leave a message and we will connect there...it's going to be a wonderful two days. Since my birthday is near convention time, I always consider attendance to be my birthday present. It makes getting another year older seem not quite so bad. Attending the HEAV Convention is definitely one of my favorite things to do all year!

I hope to see you there.

Blessings,

The Old Schoolhouse April Issue is Online for FREE...and a little surprise.

Check it out...

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's April 2013 digital issue.

Did  you know that the online digital issue is available for FREE??

Isn't that exciting??

Even more exciting is that if you check back in May 

WE will be featured in the magazine as the

Show and Tell Spotlight homeschooling

family of the month!

Yikes!!

I can't say I'm a natural on film, but the kids, as always, are adorable. 

Even though it was a challenge just trying to keep the house clean long enough to film a four minute "spotlight" about our home education methods (not to mention trying to decide what to say and what to not say), it wound up being a lot of fun. You will get to see our made-over house in the short video and you will also be able to read an article about our homeschooling journey.

I hope you will check back in May.

In the meantime, enjoy this month's issue!

Blessings,

I'm So Excited!

I am so excited. I recently had the honor of being asked to be an "official HEAV Blogger"...meaning that I will be keeping folks updated here about the Home Educator's Association of Virginia Homeschool Convention.

If you've read any of my previous posts on our state convention, you will know that I absolutely LOVE it and wouldn't miss it for the world. In fact, since we started home educating 13 years ago, I have only missed the convention a few times, and only due to advanced pregnancies plus living in another state (Florida), so I was unable to drive the long distance with all the kids on my own (Hubby had to work).

It is by far the best convention I've ever been to, both as a professional (ie. paid with cash) and non-professional (ie. paid with kisses and hugs) teacher, and I have been to quite a few. My mom tags along every year since grandparents are allowed to attend for FREE!! and sometimes various kiddos choose to accompany us, too, for either the fun of the children's programs or other activities such as robotics demos and chess matches.

We love, love, love our convention and if you live ANYWHERE even a little bit near Virginia and have never decided to make the drive here, I highly recommend signing up this year. Not only with the excellent speakers encourage you, and the enormous vendor hall excite you, and the awesome used curriculum sale enliven you, but this year there is an extra-special bonus...The Duggars will be there to speak. Woo Hoo!

Registration starts soon, so pay attention and I will let you know when the green light is lit to start signing up...that way you will be able get online and sign up right away before all the Duggar tickets are gone. I'll bet they will go fast!

As if that wasn't exciting enough, I will also be giving away one FULL REGISTRATION to the HEAV Convention. Isn't that awesome?? My giveaway will take place in early May, so if you find that you haven't registered by then, you can participate and possibly go for free!

If you are a parent of a pre-schooler, and have never attended the convention before, and are still trying to decide about home education, guess what?? You can sign up for the convention for FREE! Parents new to the idea of homescooling who have older children may attend all Thursday sessions for free to get an idea of the nuts and bolts of home education. Now isn't that awesome?? In addition, grandparents and spouses are included in your registration fee! Also, if your family is traveling through a season of particular financial hardship, there are a limited number of scholarships available. You can obtain more details on the convention at the HEAV website.

It really is worth the investment. I can't possibly measure the benefit of attending the convention to your homeschooling, but it is immense.

I can pretty much guarantee that if you join us, it will be one of the best things you will ever do to revive and enrich your home educating experience, though.

I hope to see you there!!

Blessings,

Have a Blessed Easter, for He is Risen...

Christ The Lord Is Risen Today:

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun's eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection day, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He's King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia! 

I love that song for Easter, but we so seldom get to sing it, that I decided to put it here.

He is risen, indeed.

We wish you all an Easter blessed beyond measure...we have all been blessed beyond our own imaginings when the Son of God, who never sinned, gave himself as a sacrifice for all of us who are, who ever were, and who ever will be. No greater love has ever been shown. Go love on those who have been entrusted to your care and demonstrate our Father's love to them, so that they will see Him through you.

God bless you all and Happy Easter.

A Heartfelt Thank You to All Who Sponsored Operation Homefront Home Makeover

To all of those who worked so hard and graciously on our home makeover:

Words cannot express the depth of our gratitude for your part in the restoration of our home. Along with the generous work and materials you provided which have made our house safer, warmer, and larger, you have enabled us to pursue our dreams of being able to foster/adopt a teen (we were approved at the end of February and are in the process of looking for the new member(s) of our family) and to serve the homeschooling community by opening a home educator's resource library (The Lifetime of Learning Library will be opening in the fall). Thank you so very, very much. We all pray that the Lord will richly bless you and your families for your kindness beyond your wildest dreams and expectations...the same way you blessed us.

I don't know if anyone ever told you, but the past 23 years of Naval service have been very demanding on our family. The toll on both me and the children has been great, not to mention the long hours and years away from us my husband has had to spend both in the office and out to sea. Honestly, just before we found out we were the ones to be blessed by winning this prize, I was ready to encourage my husband to get out of the Navy as soon as possible. Because you have removed virtually all of the difficulties we'd been facing in trying to renovate this older home (which we chose to give our children the chance to grow up in the fresh air and open spaces of the country), I am happy to say that I can encourage him wholeheartedly to continue his service until retirement at 30 years. Thank you so much for helping bring peace to that situation as well.

It is amazing how God provides. He knew all along that we needed help and that there would be unexpected situations in the future that would make it difficult for us to manage if we did not receive that help at the right time (my teenager's accident and surgery, my own injury and surgery, my recent illness and hospitalization) and He provided you as the means to provide for us. Thank you for being His willing instrument. You have enriched the lives of our children and relatives and friends in ways you will never know. Even people I barely know seem to brighten up and believe in possibilities more when they hear our story. So thank you for making dreams come true and for helping put hope back in the hearts of many...you have been a remarkable and memorable example and inspiration.

Praying for God's blessings on you all,

The Blessing Farm Family (especially Heather)

• Sometimes Life Takes Over (Part One)
• Sometimes Life Takes Over (Part Two)
• Sometimes Life Takes Over (Part Three)
• The Big Reveal (with video)
• Follow Blessings Pour Out on Facebook

The BIG Reveal

If you read my previous posts about our lives these last six months or so, you will remember that over the summer we won a home makeover sponsored by a local radio station thanks to my lovely sister-in-law's winning essay about our family and how my husband's long-time service in the Navy has made it so difficult to do needed updates to our 1930's farmhouse. If you missed the story, read about our crazy life at the posts listed below:

• Sometimes Life Just Takes Over---Part One
• Sometimes Life Just Takes Over---Part Two
• Sometimes Life Just Takes Over---Part Three
• A Heartful Thank You to All Who Participated in Our Home Makeover

There was plenty wrong with this farmhouse when we bought it that we were aware of. Updates needed to be done (there was only one bathroom, for example, the kitchen walls were old paneling, and the existing bathroom's floor was caving in and the walls and ceiling were covered with avacado colored tiles) in nearly every room, but the bones were basically good, and the land was beautiful (14+ acres). The drive to our property is as peaceful as it gets, and the feeling of "home" is all over the place.

But having two "enclosed" porches that were not heated or cooled was just not working, because our family of eight needed the space. The windows were all original to the house, complete with lead weights in to raise and lower those windows that weren't painted shut. The roof was the original metal roof, and had leaks in several places, The aluminum siding, probably done in the 70's, had seen better days, and the age of the house guaranteed that our closet space would be minimal. Things kept popping up unexpectedly, and over time it was weighing on me heavily, especially with Hubby's extended hours spent at work on several important projects (meaning little time at home for even small repairs, let alone upgrades).

Winning the makeover was a gift from God, to me, to show me how much He loves me and that He will be there and take care of me and the rest of our family. It was a gift that was particularly timely, especially considering things that were going on externally and internally. It is my personal miracle and I am just so very grateful and blessed by it...God's grace and love is amazing. He knows what we need and exactly when we need it. I just can't state it any better than that. We all can't wait to pass on the blessings as we have been so abundantly blessed.

The time lapse video below will show you what went on at the house over the course of several months. You will not see the incredible changes inside...those that have made the most impact on the kids and me as far as our daily routine goes. Of course, the exterior changes are the ones that make the house a safe and comfortable place to lie our heads down in at night, even in the midst of a storm. The interior ones are those that make things run more smoothly and constantly make us all smile all day...kind of like how our own interior changes can light up our faces and help us be the better person. The exterior changes can make us stronger and more ready to be of service.

A Heartfelt Thank You to All Who Sponsored Operation Home Front Home Makeover

The exterior and interior changes that were done started with a tune up and maintenance on our existing HVAC system, and the addition of another exterior unit to run two Mitsubishi Mr. Slim units to heat and cool the front and back rooms making them usable in all four seasons. Framing in of the front porch allowed for new windows to be installed (and one interior window to be removed and drywalled over) giving us more wall space that we definitely needed. The interior walls of the former front porch were then drywalled and painted (instead of the walls being exterior siding) and a new wood laminate floor was added (and leveled, which was difficult). We received two new doors leading into the house from outside and from the front porch. This new space (now called "the sunroom") has become our first ever classroom! They even added a few new outlets...those are always appreciated.

Our HUGE water heater that used to be in the middle of the back room's wall (making it difficult to use the space) was moved into the utility room, which also had a closet system and swinging doors added to make it into a family closet/laundry area. Hooray for that one! The same closet company provided a shelving unit for the small downstairs bathroom, too, making it much more usable. We were generously given all new windows, which has helped with our heating bills enormously this winter, and new siding was put all around the house in a lovely shade of blue to match the other existing structures. 

A new shingle roof was installed, and this allowed the construction guys the freedom to drywall our formerly water-stained dropped tile ceiling in the back room, and they also painted the paneling a calming shade of blue. This room became our Lifetime of Learning Library. We added a laminate wood floor on our own, so this room is now finished, too. The electricians moved our fuse box to an exterior wall (which took it out of the boys' room...a very good idea) and gave it an upgrade and update that it needed BADLY. Lastly, a wonderful landscaping company came and added some shape and cohesiveness to our raised bed gardens, planting some evergreen shrubs and perennials for us to enjoy.

In any case, our blessings are overflowing and we are constantly appreciating something that was worked on this fall and summer and thanking the Lord most joyously. I hope you enjoy the video. It always makes me cry (happy and grateful tears). I will try and post pictures of the update interior in the days ahead, though I am having ACL repair surgery early next week and may be out of it for a while (see how the Lord provided a safe place before my time of need?? Do you need any more proof that He is there and He is listening? I don't.)

Thank you, Lord for everything you have given us, from this incredible Operation Homefront Home Makeover to the sacrifice and gift of your beloved son, Jesus Christ. Please bless all of the wonderful and generous individuals who sponsored this contest, those who worked so hard on the project each day and were so kind to us, and my family who supported us throughout the entire project (and that special person who made it happen). Thank you all so very, very, very much. 

Blessings to you all. Thank you so much for visiting the new Blessing Farm! (I can't wait to see how it looks this spring!! I am going to send Tex into the woods to collect daffodil bulbs and put them everywhere!)

Sermon Sunday---Breathing Room

Phil Vassar: Don't Miss Your Life

I've listened to all four sermons of this series by Andy Stanley, son of Charles Stanley, this last week. I love listening to both father and son preach. To listen to a sermon by Dr. Stanley is like sitting at the feet of a wise and caring grandfather. Hearing a sermon by Andy is more like talking to a friend whose advice you value greatly. Both are strong men of God, and I have learned a lot from them.

This sermon series is called "Breathing Room" and covers three major areas of life we all need to deliberately monitor closely in order to maintain breathing room, or margin, in them: your schedule, your finances, your work. The messages are hard hitting, but not hard to listen to. You may find yourself being convicted to make some changes, so be prepared.

I highly suggest listening to them (or watching them, because they have excellent visuals) with your teens, or even with younger members of your family, or at least listen to them on your own or with your spouse. On the site I am linking you to, you will find printable handouts with discussion questions, if you'd like to dig more in depth with your family to see if there are any areas into which you can work some more breathing room.

If you enjoy this series, try others at the main Northpoint website. I highly recommend the "Guardrails" series, as well as "Taking Responsibility for Your Life (Tex loved this series).

Let me know what you think about them. I'd love to hear your though

Have a blessed week.

Heather



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