Jammin' with Jay's Family

After a great week alone with my hubby while the girls were in North Carolina at Jay's parents' home...we headed up there to pick them up and visit for the weekend. We always have such a wonderful time together and Jay's sister and her family were able to come up on the same day and spend the weekend too! They brought their Wii and all their "Rockband" equipment and we jammed out!It was such a hoot seeing everyone play together...some of us were terrible! But, after a while we kind of got the hang of it!
The kids loved playing all the instruments and the adults helped out a little too! Anli was all about singing almost the entire time!

Daddy helped Virginia strum and play the notes.

Emma was a wonderful drummer and Anli was such the singing queen!

Then...it was the adults time! After the kids were asleep we jammed together having a blast! I really enjoyed the guitar and the drums. It was so fun to play some fun 80's music.

Brother and sister jam together!

Jay's mom was hysterical on the guitar! She is so cute and never quite got the hang of it. But, we had so much fun it didn't matter at all. I am very blessed to be so close to Jay's family. They are awesome and so much fun! We love spending time together and always make lots of memories.

But, I was sure happy to have my girls back at home and all of us together. Jay and I had a great time...but we were just meant to have kiddos! It was just too quiet, too clean, and just a little too boring without the kids. I am grateful for my fun, busy, and sometimes wild life as a family!

Crazy Busy!

Well, we have had a wild week and a half and I haven't had the time to sit and blog. I blog once a week and then schedule my blogs to post new each morning. No...I don't get up and blog at 5am...if you have ever noticed the time stamp on my blog:) I have had to find very creative ways to maximize the 24 hours God has given me each day and blogging once a week on Sunday nights has worked wonderfully...unless I get busy like we have been.

God has been doing some amazing things in our lives! He has taken me to Clarkston again to actually be in the homes of the refugee families. In one afternoon, I was spending time in Nepal, Afghanistan, Burma, Bhutan, Rwanda, India, Sudan, and the Congo! And...I never had a minute of jet lag...and it only cost about $5 in gas money!!!

He has also shown Jay and I His vision for home school next year! That is a whole blog in itself...and it will come...but we are SO pumped about it!!!

So, enjoy the week of catch up! And I've been through blog reading detox...and it was a breeze:) I do miss many of you though...I guess that means I need to call, email, or write!

Family Focused Friday

Today I will be focusing on a resource that I use EVERY single morning in my time with God. It is called the Checklist for Parents by Doorposts. I use lots of Doorposts' materials because they are most often based on the Westminster Catechism. They stay complete with a direct focus on God's Word being our basis for everything we do as parents and in our marriages.
As you can see, all this little book contains are questions based on the Catechism and scriptures to meditate on. It asks questions like "did I show love with my actions? (Examples: spending time along, etc.). They serve as a time for me to see God on all areas of parenting...allowing His Word to be the guide.

It takes some time to pray through these questions...since there are several different sections to go through. But, it is so worth it! It has helped me to see areas of weakness in my parenting. It has given me wonderful key verses to memorize and meditate on in those areas to rely on each day. It has focused my prayer time over the girls...instead of being generic.

Doorposts has lots of great materials. They stay firm in the Word...and they are very serious about parenting from it. Everyone might not care for their approach and may feel overwhelmed by it...but again...it's just a resource...NOT THE BIBLE.

It has really been a great source of encouragement and challenge in my parenting mindset...and it has guided me into a stronger prayer time over my children.

Homeschool Excursions Fun!

Last Wednesday, we had the opportunity to join a field trip hosted by The Homeschool Excursions. They were taking a trip to an organic farm about 45 minutes north of us. We were going to learn about organic farming and canning...the girls were SO excited! Anli LOVES to cook and she was in heaven all day long! The little cabin was very primitive. They didn't have any air conditioning, no indoor bathrooms (we used a little outhouse!), and it was quite small. The kids got to do everything! They made homemade organic spaghetti sauce from scratch. They peeled, chopped, and cooked everything themselves!

Christina took them out to their organic garden to learn all about fresh herbs. They learned about gardening and also how to harvest veggies and herbs. She was such a wealth of knowledge...we all learned so much!

Anli and Virginia had so much fun meeting some new friends too!

Virginia helped to boil the tomatoes so that we could easily peel and smash them for the stock of our spaghetti sauce.

Anli helped to peel all the tomatoes. She also had a hand in chopping all those peppers, onions, and garlic you see in the background. I was so scared because I hadn't taught Anli any knife skills yet...but she did great...and no cuts!

Virginia helped to smash the tomatoes! Her arm was really tired after that.

Look at the sauce!!! It was the BEST I have EVER tasted! She gave us some wonderful homemade bread to take a taste with...and every child loved it! Ragu will never be the same again!

Then, she got out the mason jars and we began the canning process. They used canning funnels and filled each jar.

Then, they screwed on the sealing tops and rings...then they went into the hot water bath to steam the tops shut.

There were LOTS of jars to fill! It was really neat to know how easy canning can be. We had a wonderful day and learned so much! My mom has an amazing garden and I took lots of notes to see if she wants to make some sauce of our own with all the tomatoes she has! It's a great way to use up a harvest of tomatoes before they go bad!

We look forward to our next excursion! I think it's tree climbing...Anli will again be in heaven! Never fear...my sweet Virginia had a blast and will begin her ballet classes in just a few weeks. She will love that!

Summer Reading Sucess!

This summer, the girls were involved in our library's Summer Reading program. We had a great time and read some great books! We are so proud of the girls for working so hard! The girls each got a certificate of completion, a free Chick-fil-a, and a free new book!Anli chose a really cute book by Beverly Cleary called Ralph S. Mouse. Great job Anli!
Virginia finished 9 chapter books too! They also participated in several of the fun programs they offered for free too. They went to a puppet workshop to learn puppetry arts, an art class, and puppet show. We love the library!

Girls, we are so proud of your commitment to reading and to finishing a challenging program! We are so proud that you worked hard and read some difficult chapter books! Great job!!

It's nothing personal...

Well, after many months of praying I am going to say goodbye to my beloved "Google Reader." This is a lovely feature that lets me know when all my bloggy friends update with new material. It comes right up on my Google homepage and it looms there enticing me to stop whatever I am doing and read those blogs.

Now most of you are WAY more disciplined in this area than myself. But, I have accumulated so many blogs that it seems I am enticed to read them for long periods of time...and frankly...I just don't have the time to spare this year.

Anli begins 4th grade...and Virginia 3rd and that is going to take more time than last year. We have signed up to begin attending a group called "Homeschool Excursions" where we have already enjoyed adventures and look forward to some AWESOME field trips that are completely out of the ordinary...for example...in September we are going to learn about tree climbing and canopy zip line!

We are also doing the Timothy Ministry co-op where the girls will be taking cool classes like Chinese brush art, multi-media art where they will deal with clay, chalk, charcoal, acrylic, and watercolor, Ballet, and a painting class for both.

Lastly, we are joining a homeschool group that will allow us access to another co-op on Thursdays, a yearbook, sports, clubs, field trips, parties, etc. And then there's CHURCH too!

So, all that to say I've so much in my own life I've got to get to living that I just don't have the time to read all the blogs I want to read. So...it's cold turkey for me!

I tell you all this because I subscribe to many of your blogs and you know that I visit daily. So...it's nothing personal...in an way. It's just not a season for Google Reader anymore. I LOVE to read blogs...too much I bet. So, God showed me time that needed to be given to other areas and ministry and God's plans for my day.

I'll continue to blog each day...and I can't wait to share my time saving tip on that...because this is my scrapbook now. I can't stop! So, thanks for letting me into your lives over the past 2 years, but I'm gonna have to check out for a while. Who knows...maybe next summer I'll have the time to enjoy them!

Family-Focused Fridays #2!

It's Friday and here is another amazing resource that I have found wonderful for our family. Each morning we have our family worship time together in God's Word and praying for the nations, but there always is a need for time alone too. So, after breakfast is finished and everything is ready for the day...the girls spend some one-on-one time with their Father! After teaching a Biblical Backgrounds class at our church, I was more convinced than ever that we are lacking the chronological understanding of the Bible. We have so many seemingly unrelated stories we were taught in Sunday School for years...but have no idea how they fit into God's overall story!

I have been working through the Chronological Bible at nights for a while (on and off) and about a year ago bought the girls this one. It is written for children and is a chronological Bible. Karyn Henley has always been a favorite at our house since she wrote the Beginner's Bible and lots of wonderful music for children. This is not a word for word Bible...but it is taken directly from the text in story format. You really have to see it to understand. It is similar to the Message in that it is more of a thought for thought format.

They girls use this to get the overall picture of God's story on their reading level. Each morning we read from our NIV and we memorize from it too...but to get the overall chronological themes of the Bible the girls use this.

Then, after they are finished reading for the day (it's a one year reading Bible for kids) they draw a picture (or pictures) to tell the story they read without words. This we put into a binder so that at the end of it...they will have a chronological picture Bible that they have made to tell God's story.

It is our version of a chronological Bible storying quilt that is used all over the world to overcome the language barriers and illiteracy. It will be a way for them to remember what they read for the day...and a way to tell the stories as they actually happened in history.

I love it because this Bible has a timeline in the middle that tells not only what is going on in the Bible at a certain time...but it tells about what was happening around the world too. It gives them a sense of context.

There are lots of sites on chronological Bible storying. Please take a few moments sometime to explore the beauty of seeing God's Word from beginning to end and the themes that run chronologically throughout it. It's an exciting and helpful way to study God's Word for anyone...especially children!

Enjoy your Friday!

Freer and Jordan's Wedding

The wedding was held at Elizabeth and Bobby's Yacht Club and it was truly an amazing place to be! They were married outside on the pier that evening just before sunset. The weather was overcast so it was perfect! Freer looked amazing and she was just glowing! Jordan is the only person she has ever dated...and they have been together for 11 years!

Freer and her dad Michael come down the aisle!

The ceremony was so sweet! Jordan's father passed away when he was just a little boy... his mom shared a reading...it was moving. Stewart, Freer's sister, was the maid of honor. She just got married this time last year...a busy year for my aunt and uncle!

Freer and my aunt Holly

Freer and I

Their reception was awesome! The band played the best music that we all danced to for hours. The food was yummy and the best of all...they had a PHOTO BOOTH in one of the rooms! The encouraged us all to get the photos talked (they even had the bride and groom's name on the photos) and then you took a set and the bride and groom got a set that you scrapbooked for them. It was the coolest things I have ever seen...and made for many great laughs!Mom and I had such a great girl's weekend!

My cousin Peyton and I...she is going to Auburn in just 3 weeks! War Eagle!
This is Rosemary...my godmother. She is also my grandmother's brother's wife...say that three times fast!

At the end of the night they got all of my mom's side of the family together...there were a LOT of us! We all wanted a photo and this was us waving goodbye!

We had the best time ever! At one point the band played "Sweet Home Alabama" and all of these crazy people you see above got out on the dance floor and sang at the top of our lungs! It was so sweet and precious to see how close our families are to even our extended family. That is such a gift! We danced all night to the best oldies music and laughed until we couldn't breathe!

Thanks to Freer and her family for inviting all us and giving us such a wonderful weekend. Thanks to the Hancock family for hosting us at their lovely home...and thanks to our Father in heaven for creating such a beautiful thing as marriage...and family!

Hilton Head wedding!

This past weekend my mom, my aunt and her family, and I headed to Hilton Head Island for my cousin's wedding! The girls and Jay stayed home due to the quick round trip...and that I would be gone over a Sunday. So...my mom and I decided that since we had not had a girl's trip away in forever that we would take ourselves a little road trip!

They came to Atlanta on Friday morning to pick me up...and then my aunt, mom and I jumped in one car while my aunt's family was in the other and we headed on to Hilton Head. We had a wonderful time catching up and laughing together. My family has GREAT sense of humors...so it's always crazy!

This was my first time at my mom's cousin Elizabeth's home on the Island...and let me just say WOW! My cousin Freer (who got married) lives in Chicago and wanted to do a destination wedding at the beach. So...Elizabeth opened her home for the rehearsal dinner and her yacht club for the wedding and reception.

These are the views of the water from her family room! This place was like a 10 star hotel...and it's their HOME! The water was amazing and the ships passing were breathtaking! We stayed at her house so we had the perfect place for all the gatherings.

This is the porch right off the living room!

There were threats of storms that night...so it was nice and overcast. If not...the heat and humidity would have been terrible right on the water. But, the night was gorgeous, the food was amazing...we had a low country boil, and it was such fun to see all my family!
Mom and I had more fun than I could every write! We shared a room at Elizabeth's house here and just felt like we were in a spa retreat all weekend!!

On Saturday morning, my mom and I had the scary job of getting the dress to Freer and her mom Holly...yikes! We got it there perfectly and then had a great lunch with them. We loved getting to chat with her once more before all the festivities began! Freer and her GORGEOUS dress!

After helping out Holly and Freer that morning and a great lunch...we headed over to where the rest of our family was staying at a beach home right across the island. We took some time to walk on the beach, watch the kids ride waves, and just relax together.
The weather was still overcast and the water was rough...perfect for Fletcher to ride the waves!

Mary Frances is one of my favorite cousins! She and grew up going to the beach each summer with our family. We have so many memories of the Litchfield Inn where our family owned condos. My grandmother has only one brother and they both had 5 children...so there are lots of us! We would go to the Litchfield Inn for 2 weeks every summer and have the BEST memories!

We loved catching up! We are already planning a reunion soon. I'll share the wedding photos tomorrow...it was just an awesome place to get married!

l