Welcome, Sweet Nephew!

Welcome to our new nephew!

Born August 3, 2010

7 lbs. 13 oz

21 inches long

We missed his birth since we were on our trip, but we were blessed to

meet him for the first time tonight. We had the first of what I hope

are many shared pizza nights at my brother's new house.

What fun! What noise...What a cutie! We love him already.

Clockwise from the top: Proud parents, daddy, auntie, and mommy with big brother.

I think he looks just like his older brother at that age, only his hair isn't quite as orange. Yes, I said orange. I know it is traditional to say "red" when referring to hair, but my nephew's hair is definitely orange. Like a pumpkin. He is as cute as a button, and nice, too. His brother will have blonder hair so there will be some room for individuality. However, I am sure he will be nice, just like his big brother. My kids are so blessed that they will have cousins to play and grow up with. Isn't living near family great?

I came up with names for their two boys today...they like to call their oldest boy, N--bear, so I think his name will be Brother Bear. Which means that his little brother can be Little Bear (one of the sweetest animated series' ever!). I hope you guys like those names. Now you will have to give me ideas on what to call you. All this "undercover" stuff is so confusing...LOL.

Counterclockwise from top right: Ladybug, Cowboy, Firefly, and Boo meet their cousin for the first time.

A goodnight kiss from Daddy...

Now go and kiss YOUR loved ones and let them
know how much you cherish them.
The years fly by too quickly.

Counting my blessings with a grateful heart,

Heather

An Exciting Character Freebie

Roaming around the boards of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I came across a discussion of character building curriculum choices, and one kind Crewmember offered up this gem she had discovered.

Here is a completely FREE over 900 page long supplemental study for William Bennett's Book of Virtues. I LOVE the stories in this book. We have the tapes and have listened to them (and the subsequent two tape sets) on and off in our car while traveling.

We are focusing on character this year and I am SO happy to have this FREE unit study to use so I don't have to do everything myself. Yay! Can I say "Yay" again?! Yay!!

Book of Virtues Character Study Project

MANY thanks go to T8ermomma of Shiver Academy, the author of this study, for her hard work and for all the time she put into preparing this study.

Here are a few additional resources you might add to a study of the character traits:

Operational Definitions of Character Qualities Chart printable

Praying Character Traits for Your Child printable

Homeschool Helper Online's Character Studies

Hubbard's Cupboard Character Study for preschoolers (38 weeks worth of stuff!)

These sites and more can be found on my website, homeschool-for-free.

Blessings,

Heather

Need Motivation in Your Homeschool? Try Expo to Go!

I am an educational conference junkie. I could listen to lectures on homeschooling and Christian topics every day and not get tired of it. At least, I think I wouldn't get tired of it. I have never had the leisure to discover if this is, in fact, true. But I have listened to A LOT of seminars. For example, I attended the last three years of my state's homeschool convention and have gotten the CDs for two of them.

I know I have listened to most of the lectures on the 2008 set (which was a free gift for my deployed hubby, thanks to the state homeschool group), and to about half on the 2009 set (which I had to buy since I missed most of the lectures I wanted to hear due to my oldest son's graduation).

I also have sets from Dr. Wile, David Barton and other Worldview Weekend speakers, Diana Waring, Cindy Rushton, Shelly Hendry, Doug Wilson, Susan Wise Bauer, Gregg Harris (my favorite), SM Davis (over 150 sermons on one MP3 dvd...awesome!!), and others too numerous to mention. That is why, when the Old Schoolhouse Magazine Expo and Expo to Go offer came through my mailbox, I got very excited.

Just what I needed to refocus my energies on homeschooling after a long summer break. ;-)

Here is the information you will need to find out more about the online Schoolhouse Expo and the Expo-to-Go. Sign up and join me and my oldest homeschooler (he will be participating in the special Teen Track lectures) on an inspiring and refreshing adventure in October!

Tickets on Sale NOW!!

It's back to homeschool time and registration is open for the online Schoolhouse Expo, October 4-8. It's five days of top homeschool speakers, fellowship, and fun door prizes. Don't forget, MP3 copies of each session comes with your LIVE event ticket.

You'll be inspired by speakers including: Zan Tyler, Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright,Carol Barnier, Diana Waring, Todd Wilson, Davis Carman, Kim Kautzer, Lee Binz, and many more!

The theme this fall is "Celebrate Homeschooling!" We're going to celebrate the unique blessings of homeschooling, the beginning of another school year, our families, and the freedom to tailor our children's education to best meet their needs.

Two special preconference shows on August 24 and September 21 with Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright, and Kim Kautzer.

A special teen track is planned--the entire family will definitely want to listen to these special sessions. We've also planned a special focus on a topic that touches every homeschool--writing. Plus, an array of other topics that will inform and inspire you throughout your homeschooling years.

And as if that isn't enough to make you want to sign up right now, if you do, you can save $5 per ticket! Register by midnight August 22, and you'll pay only $19.99. Plus you'll receive over $200 in FREE E-Books.

If you cannot make the LIVE event, then the October Expo-To-Go is just your ticket! You'll reserve MP3s from all of the workshops. This week only, pay just $14.95!



Click HERE to check out the EXCITING LINEUP OF SPEAKERS.

Click HERE to check out the FREE GIFTS (if you order before midnight on August 22nd) and the SPEAKER LINEUP (click through the pictures for lecture topics).

Click HERE to PURCHASE NOW.

Click HERE to visit the Expo's "Virtual Vendor Hall" if you want the "complete" Homeschooling Conference experience...lol!


Sign up SOON so you don't miss a thing!! I hope to "see" you there!

Blessings,

Heather


*I am receiving complimentary Expo-to-Go tickets in exchange for my post. All opinions expressed on this blog are mine, however, and I sincerely do believe that homeschooling seminars and conferences are a great way to motivate and inspire both teachers and learners. I highly recommend that you participate in this online seminar series (or one like it) in any way you can. You will be glad you did.
 
**If you sign up, or have attended online conferences before, please leave me a comment and tell me about your experiences. You never know, I might want to buy the recordings...

Blog Walking---Week Eight

Here are the blogs for this week's walk. These are First Mate Crew Member's blogs. Enjoy!



1. Ramblings from the Crazy House 2

2. Chicagoland Homeschool Network

3. Marine Corps Nomads

4. Faith, Family and Fun

5. Books and Bairns

6. Chatter, Clatter and Things That Matter

7. Canadianladybug Reviews!

8. Life at Oak Grove

9. Home Sweet Home(school)

10. a glimpse of our life

Sermon Sunday---Genesis: The Key to Reclaiming Culture

Taken at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky

We were blessed to visit the Creation Museum yesterday. The museum's grounds were absolutely gorgeous. The above flower was just one example of the lovely composition within the gardens, which were filled with colors, textures, am sounds, and fragrances so infinite in variety that I do not see how anyone could believe that this all came together by mere chance. Walking through the beautiful and peaceful gardens I was reminded of the song Indescribable by Chris Tomlin. That is the song I want to share with you before moving along to today's sermon.

Since we visited the Creation Museum yesterday, I thought a sermon/lecture by Ken Ham would be appropriate. I have heard many of his lectures and I have loved them all. I think this topic, the importance of Genesis, is one that is high on my list of "must hears." I first heard Ken Ham speak at a Wordlview Weekend conference some years ago, and it was a real eye opener.

I believed in a young earth and a literal six-day creation at that point (thanks to Kent Hovind's fascinating series of creation science videos), but I had never really considered the fact that if a person doubts the validity of what God's Word says about the creation week, then there is room for them to doubt other things...such as the crucifiction, the resurrection, and our need for forgiveness. I was more in the mode of thinking that one's view on how creation took place was not important to salvation and something I didn't want to argue with others about.

But the truth of the matter is, that really, either you accept the whole package deal of what the Bible says in all of its parts, including the Genesis creation account, or you are adapting the truth to suit your own humanistic worldview...when you should really be using the truth of the Bible to find your answers.

Take some time this week and listen to this sermon from Ken Ham on Genesis: The Key to Reclaiming the Culture. This is one that the whole family would benefit from hearing. It will fire you up to get back at your studies and to include some good, solid Biblical Worldview teaching this year.

Enjoy!

Blessings to you and yours for a pleasant and praising Sunday...

Heather

Trip to Midwest---Day Fourteen---Creation Museum

Milo Goes to the Creation Museum---Coming Soon!

Trip to Midwest---Day Twelve---Story City Carousel

A long standing tradition of our trips to the Midwest to see my relatives has been a visit to the antique carousel in Story City. It is something I have been doing with my kids since my oldest son, age 19, was a baby.

Story City is a charming town, full of Scandanavian history, and a place I wouldn't mind living, if it weren't for the COLD winters in Iowa.

The beautifully restored Story City Antique Carousel is almost 100 years old, and has animals of all kinds on it, from the usual prancing horses, to crowing roosters, rotund pigs, and friendly dogs that whirl and twirl to the merry tunes played on an old calliope.

Milo enjoyed his ride on a pig.

My youngest children loved it as much as their older brother always did, and each one enjoyed four rides, thanks to the bargain price for a twenty ride ticket and the fact that the youngest ones were free. I am so grateful for precious moments such as these and the sweet memories that go with them.

Cowboy had a hard time waiting for us to buy tickets.

He and Milo look on wistfully.

 I told him the fact that the rides that were given were so long was

a GOOD thing, because it meant his ride would be long, too, and it was.

Baby Boo wasn't sure what to think of it at first, but warmed up to the colors and the music pretty quickly.

The ladies loved their first rides. Firefly had never been on a carousel 

before and Hubby was a bit nervous about her falling off, but she did

fine with him sitting next to her.

 

Cowboy LOVED his ride on the rooster. He liked it so much

he had to crow.

Next time around he rode a dog. Of course, he had to bark.

Tex is such a good big brother. He rode alone on a horse once, then he took Firefly on the spinning cup. They both laughed like crazy and wobbled when they got out.

I'm not sure who had more fun...the kids or the grown ups. Here are Poppy and Nanny with Boo and Cowboy. This is a picture of Boo's first ride ever. Then Mommy got to take him for a spin. What fun!

In the end, we all had a grand time. It was a special trip to a special place. These simple, but priceless moments are a part of the cement that holds a family together.

We are so very blessed!

Thank you, Story City Antique Carousel and the wonderfully friendly volunteers who were so kind to us. God bless you all.

Trip to Midwest---Day Nine---A New Kind of Farming

Admittedly, these aren't the best pictures, but they were taken from a moving car on a very humid day and my lens kept steaming up...I just thought this was so interesting, I had to put it up here.

These windmills were lining the roads and sticking up from the fields in the area of Iowa we drove through today. Knowing what a good fuel source wind power can be, I saw them as interesting, though I can see why some folks will think they disrupt the natural beauty of the rural area.

Here is an article from USA Today about windmills and wind turbines in Iowa.

I wish I could afford one for our house. The wind is usually pretty good here, out by the water, but the cost to install one is still so high. I'm sure it pays off in the end, if you are staying where you are for a long time.

I like the idea of alternative energy sources. What do you think?

Sermon Sunday---What Do You Believe?

This was the view from the Silver City Memorial Park tonight.

The view from this hilltop is absolutely breathtaking. It is the final resting place for several generations of my relatives. At least, it is the final resting place for their earthly bodies. If you believe in the Bible (and I do) and love Jesus, and know your relatives did, too (and I believe mine did), then visiting a Memorial Park is a peaceful way to remember loved ones who have gone on ahead of us to be with their Lord and Savior.

When I saw how this photo turned out, I thought of the song 

I Can Only Imagine by Mercy Me.

Doesn't it take your breath away and make you want to fall to your knees?

I can't imagine how folks who do not believe in the truth of God's Word, or accept His free gift of salvation feel when they visit cemeteries or think about loved ones who have died. What hope is there for them? Not much. To this point, I have not lost anyone close to me whom I did not believe to be saved. I am very fortunate for that. I hope that all of my loved ones will come to know Christ before it is too late.

Being able to talk about Jesus to family, friends, and even complete strangers, is a very important thing...knowing the important points of your faith and being able to defend it, share it, and explain it is something we all need to be able to do.

This week's sermon is by Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries.

It is called: What You Believe--Does it Matter?.

This links you to the video version of this sermon.

Here are the sermon notes, if you like to follow them as you listen.

These notes are awesome and worth printing up.

I think what you believe DOES matter...a lot...and not only does it matter to know what you believe, but you should be able to explain why...without a moment's hesitation or doubt.

We have already had several opportunities to share about different aspects of our faith on this trip, so this is what is on my mind today. You never know when the Lord will put an opportunity to share your faith in your path, and you don't want to be caught unprepared, so do a little thinking this week about what you would say if someone asked you the all important important question, "Where does your faith/hope come from?"

I hope you enjoy this Sermon Sunday. Please listen and study along with me and leave some thoughts on the topic in the comments section.

I hope you had a pleasant Sunday with your family. I did.

Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

PS. Happy birthday, Grandma and Great Uncle Jim. We love you.

Trip to Midwest---Day Five---Swim Day

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of having a nice pool at any hotel you plan stay at for more than one night during a vacation. I am all for finding the cheapest prices and best values, but sometimes, you just need to splurge a little and have fun. The hotel Tex found for us online in Lake of the Ozarks was just the right fit for our family. While there were things I would like to have improved upon (the carpet could have been nicer and cleaner, and the breakfast could have been more than just donuts…albeit nice ones), I could not have imagined a better pool for the kids, and with the heat index in the 100 pluses, it was a life saver.

The Quail’s Nest pool had the niftiest waterfall wall that cascaded into a child’s pool area. From the child’s pool area ran a “stream” complete with boulders to hop across or send boats around. Cowboy “sailed” his toy car down the “river” dozens of times, with big sister Ladybug fetching it once it rolled over the small waterfall which flowed into the big pool. Baby Boo played for over an hour happily slapping the water in the stream and laughing at how the running water felt on his back. Firefly enjoyed the child’s pool, having the security of shallow water and feeling like Daddy was near. Daddy was able to play with Ladybug and Tex, yet still keep an eye on the little ones. He even had time to teach Tex how to do the breast stroke, and to work on Ladybug's underwater swimming skills. Mom fit in wherever she was needed, and even got to stay in the room with Boo one evening and blog while Daddy played with the older kids. Yay!

I love a nice pool. It sure does tire those little ones out. They all slept very well every night we stayed at that hotel. So did we…yawn!

Blessings,

Heather