Happy Halloween

Fall Fun

Homeschool Questions

I get so annoyed with the crazy questions that come when I tell people I homeschool my kids.

How do they have friends?

Don't they get tired of being home all the time?

Do you test them?

How do you know they are learning what they are supposed to?

You are going to stop after elementary right?

Do they watch a lot of television?

How do you know how to teach because you are not a teacher?

Don't you get tired of your kids?

Is it legal?

Lucky for all the people that ask the questions I am a smile and be polite kind of girl. One day they are going to ask the wrong homeschool mom these questions and they will be ready to climb in a hole.

Of course one of my favorites is not a question just a sad statement. I could never homeschool my kids and I couldn't wait to send them to school. Am I the only one that thinks that statement is so very sad?

I believe with all my heart that God has called my family to homeschool. He has equipped us with everything we need for this journey.

I keep this scripture on our refrigerator as a reminder of why we homeschool.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

Love or Like

A few years ago I was doing a Bible Study using the book "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow. It is a great book that I have highlighted, underlined, put big stars in....Now it sits on a shelf on my computer desk and I probably pull it out once a month and read a section of it. During that study someone brought up the point of how we say we love everything. I love my house, car, clothes.....but do we really love those things? Love should be for people not things. Do you really love your house like you love your husband or children?

This book had four principles in the chapter "Never Enough" that I try to remind myself of often.

1. Everything belongs to God
2. Heart attitude is the issue
3. God comes first and possessions come second
4. Possessions are to be used not loved.

I have a long way to go in this area. I am the girl that thinks she can't live without her iPhone. I am working on putting that phone down and investing in the people that are all around me. I would hate to miss an opportunity to love another person because I was too busy loving the iPhone.

Fall Hike

It is not very often I get two whole hours alone with Cole. We took advantage of our time together and took a hike on the trails at the Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful fall afternoon with leaves falling all around us.

I am not sure why we spend so much money on toys when they are happier with a trip to the woods.

Gone Fishin'

Beautiful day to go fishing with a friend.








You catch anything yet?




Ummm......where do we put the worm?




This is the kind of day wonderful friendships are made of. I am so thankful Cole has such a great friend in Ethan.

Fair Time

I took the kids to the fair today. We are not "fair people" we don't care about the food, we don't like paying a fortune for games and rides. I really think a weekend trip to an amusement park would be cheaper.

But we have not taken them in a few years so I decided this was the year to go. So I loaded up the kids and my mom and off we went.....

Cole

Oh how I love this boy!! He brightens each day with that sweet smile and funny jokes.

I will admit I am not always the perfect mom for this sweet boy. Like yesterday he was climbing a tree and the branch snapped sending him crashing down to the ground. Instead of running to see if he was okay (he could have broke a bone)I stand on the porch asking if he was okay and when it was obvious everything was fine I laugh. His own mom who should be picking him up and drying his tears.....LAUGHED!!! It was a funny sight to see and you would have laughed too.

If only I would have had the camera for the great fall......

The Johnson Family

Tonight was our final "see you later" (I am not saying goodbye) to the Johnson Family. They are a wonderful family and Georgia is going to be lucky to have them. Cole is already planning his first trip to visit them.

I can already feel a road trip coming.......

Fall is here!!!

I love everything about fall!!! Pumpkins, apples, leaves changing, cooler weather.....

I just love all of the family traditions we have started with our kids picking out costumes together, visiting the pumpkin patch, picking apples, carving the pumpkin with Daddy......I love that they remember each year how we did it the previous year.

Be prepared for picture overload for the next little while.