Interesting Ways to Go Up and Down a Sand Hill

Mylon climbs up as Michael jumps down.
Pauline, Angela, Ellie, Abigail, and Rosanna ~ Woo-hoo!
Toby being dragged up the hill and laughing all the way!

George sliding down headfirst. Weeee!

George Paul

Getting so big! George didn't want to wait until the fall to start first grade, so after much begging, we went ahead and started. He's doing great and already reading. He was very ready.
Lots of good climbing trees in our yard.
My little buddy.

Flowers, Trees and Sickness

Pauline was sick yesterday so the boys picked handfuls of flowers from the yard to brighten her up, and put them by her bed. Her room smells so fragrant ~

We can't seem to identify this beautiful tree in our yard. Maybe an Apple or Stewartia. We need to look at the bark for a clue and check our field guides. We also have some Pink Magnolia trees, Cherry trees, Dogwoods, sparkling yellow Forsythias and lots more. Perfect for natural science study with the children...

Evolution?

(Pauline's Eye taken by Jimi Ann)

“To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.”
-Charles Darwin

Amazing that Darwin himself actually, in the end, disagreed with the theory of evolution as is being taught as fact in the schools today! "Absurd in the highest degree," he says. Pretty strong words coming from the "father" of evolution.

(Thanks, Elicia.)

Heart Training

"Teaching subject matter is the easy part of homeschooling. Addressing issues of the heart is much more difficult -- and more important in the long run than anything else we do as parents and homeschoolers. If my children grow up to be rocket scientists but have no love for the Lord in their hearts, if they refuse to obey Him, then I will have failed them." (A quote from Christine Field)

(Photo by Jimi Ann; heart by Pauline)

Reading is Contagious!

Peter

Pauline

Michael and George

I love walking into a room and finding people engrossed in books! Even if they're in strange places. :)

Our Aunt Lindy

These are some of the needlepoints that Aunt Lindy has made specially for us. We are so blessed to see these verses as we walk throughout our home. Whenever we see one, we think fondly of our Aunt Lindy and the work that went into making these priceless works of art. The one above is our school verse, with our registered school name, Path of Life Homeschool.
This one she made for Peter when he was a baby, but all the children had it over their beds when they were babies. Now it's above George's bed in his room. Aunt Lindy has made beautiful blankets and afghans for us also, that we regularly use and enjoy.
The children love remembering how Aunt Lindy shows such joy playing with them, chasing them and laughing with them -- Thank you, Aunt Lindy, for blessing us. We love you and appreciate you!

Geography

We use markable maps for some of our geography studies. Here they outlined Vasco de Gama's route from Portugal to India (then they get carried away as usual and try to label as many things as they can from memory)! This is a great tool. (Pauline received an important call from Mimi in the middle of her mapwork). :)

Piano Duet for Aunt Carolyn

Peter and Pauline.

Science Project

Michael and George are going to build a weather vane. Here's the materials they'll use.
Busily working and figuring it out together.
Sissy supervises and guides them when needed. (Teacher training!)
Let's see if it works!
Setting it up outside. It really does work! :) Good job, boys.

Forgiveness and Children

(Anna Ruth and Pauline on Pauline's 12th birthday)

While pondering and meditating on Forgiveness, I realized how much we, as parents, need to ask forgiveness from our children -- sometimes daily... I ran across this quote:

"It was amazing the way my children bounced back from emotional hurts. When the stress of the homeschooling day "got to me," I repeatedly found myself seeking their forgiveness for my unloving words and impatient actions. Each time my children would quickly say, "That's OK, I understand," and everything would be forgotten. Humbled by their gracious words, I knew my forgiveness wouldn't have come so easily if someone had treated me the same way."

How true and how humbling. Our children teach us so much.

The Bondage of Bitterness or the Freedom of Forgiveness

(Photo by Pauline)

A True Story about TRUE GRACE

The grandfather of the family below is the brother to a close friend of ours.

In Nov. 2005, a man driving in the opposite direction swerved into the median and crashed into the vehicle of Jeffrey Schrock, a young Christian man. He had seen the vehicle abruptly take a hard left into his lane and then the next thing he remembers is waking up to the sound of an elevator bell. He had a broken pelvis, broken jaw and internal bleeding.

His five children riding in the van with him, all under the age of 13, went to be with the Lord that day.

The other driver, a man named Clifford Helm, who only suffered minor injuries, said he blacked out and didn't remember what happened. What followed was a two-and-a-half year long criminal trial for 5 counts of vehicular homicide.

Jason Schrock, the grandfather, said, "It's a response of a Christian to the teaching of Jesus where He was very clear that we should be forgiving of those that would do things against us." (Intentional or not).

The Schrock family and the Helms have had lots of interaction since the accident -- sharing meals and doing work projects together. The families even sat next to each other during court. Jason Schrock said, "We've had quite a bit of interaction, and yes, it is somewhat tough for us to see this (the trial), because we don't really want to see him put away or that sort of thing."

The reporter said, "Jason Schrock said forgiving the man was a decision he made long ago -- long before the crash -- that his faith says he must forgive those who harm him."

Then Jason Schrock said, "It's not something that comes natural. But it's something that needs to be decided in one's mind prior to an event like this. If you'd wait until events like this and then you'd say, 'Alright, now I need to figure out how I'm going to forgive this man,' -- that won't work. It has to be a heart condition before you ever get there."

In March 2008, Clifford Helm was pronounced not guilty by a jury on all counts.

Jesus commanded us in Matthew 5:44 and 45: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven..." It IS possible by God's strength, if we truly humble ourselves and call on Him, cry out to Him. We can be free from the bondage of bitterness! -- it's a promise from God.

For more thoughts on grace, visit Emily at:

Spanish Classes for Pauline

Pauline loves her new foreign language course. She's using Rosetta Stone Spanish.
This is Pauline's most comfortable way to sit. She always sits this way. Even at the supper table.