Little Visits

So the kids and I have started something new.  I really should have started doing this a long time ago, but to be honest, it never crossed my mind.  I'm a bad Mommy.

We are doing devotions together over breakfast each morning.  One thing about it that's really special is that we are using a children's devotional book that my aunt had when she was little, and I had when I was little.  It's called "Little Visits with God."  It's beat up and the binding is taped together and the intro and first story are missing, but I think that makes it even more special.  I don't know for sure if I'll be able to write about it every day, but I'm going to try.

Today we talked about how everything we own belongs to God, not to us.  We talked about some of the things that we think of as "ours," but are really God's, because He gave them to us and lets us use them.  It's a concept I've always known of course, but don't think about every single day.  Since having so many blessings come into my life over the past few years - my husband and children to name a few - I've tried hard not to take anything for granted.  But I still fail at that every single day.  

For example, I sometimes think of things as "mine" and I don't want to share them.  And that is the complete opposite attitude of the one that I should have.  We are expected to use what we have to help others, to show them Christ.  The last thing we are supposed to do with what God has given us is keep it to ourselves.  What good are our treasures here on earth except if we can use them for the good of people and souls?

Also, we are planning to move in the spring.  In all honesty, we are sorely in need of a bigger house.  The house we are in now was perfect for a married couple and a half-time kid, but is nowhere near enough room for a family of five, let alone a family of five-hoping-to-be-six.  God has really been gracious and merciful in laying out the path for our family, in guiding us in the directions He has for us, and in closing doors on the directions He does not have for us.  But lately, I have been thinking a lot lately that I just can't wait to find our new home and move into it.  Now, I know it's not wrong to be excited and eager for some positive changes for our family, and I'm certainly not trying to "rush" God.  I'm simply ready to get out of our tiny space and into something better suited for our growing family and extended family.  But, our devotions this morning were a reminder to me not to take what I do have for granted.  Even our tiny house with its tiny bedrooms and tiny kitchen and tiny yard was given to us by God, and we are by all means grateful to have it.

My hope after today's devotion is to be a better example for my kids, so that they can understand these concepts as we study and learn them, and so that they can see what it means to truly live in Christ.

Today's verse: Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof."

Random Thoughts and Updates

Oops - it's been more than a month since the last time that I wrote.  I've actually thought about posting a number of times this month, but sometimes I sit here and stare at the blank page thinking that whatever I write will sound mundane and dull.

Homeschooling is going really well.  Hunter is now working at fifth grade level in every subject except math.  We went back to basics in math, and he has been memorizing his basic multiplication facts (I still can't get over the fact that in fourth grade, he wasn't memorizing the single digit multiplication facts - in fact, he was still doing addition and subtraction).  He's doing very well with that though, and I have no doubts that he will be doing fifth grade math very soon.  In reading and spelling, he has been doing fifth grade work since the beginning of the year, and while we had a rocky start, he is now plowing ahead and doing well at both subjects.  

In fact, last week we did his second spelling test.  He had gotten 10 out of 20 words right on his first spelling test two weeks before.  The second week, we devoted extra time to the words he missed, and on a second test he got them all right.  Last week when we did his second spelling test, he only missed 2 words!

In social studies, we are working on a United States nation notebook this semester.  Next semester we will pick another country to do a notebook on.  Hunter is enjoying this project because he gets to use the computer.  I like it because it doubles as typing class and he doesn't even realize he's having a second class!  Although we are going to find some typing games to help him continue to sharpen those skills.

Now that it is the first week of October, we will begin the pre-work on his novel for November's National Novel Writing Month challenge - sketching a rough plot outline, characters, etc.  This is where the typing games will come in, so that he can be fully prepared to meet the goals he sets for himself.  In the Young Writer's Program, the participants get to choose their own word count goal before beginning their novels.  We received our supplies this week for the challenge - buttons, progress chart, stickers - and I think that if we meet our halfway goals, I will reward us with NaNoWriMo t-shirts.  I have wanted to get one ever since I started in 2006.  I'm really looking forward to sharing this project with Hunter; I hope he enjoys it every bit as much as I have.

Our Bible curriculum finally came last week, so we'll begin that this week.  Hunter has been working on his verses for Awana for Bible, so I think we'll alternate that with the Bible workbook.


Last week was a rough week all around.  Randy had surgery on Wednesday, and Kaleigh and I had upper respiratory infections all week and are still getting over them.  My mom was kind enough to take the kids on Friday and Saturday so that I could spend the days at the hospital with Randy.  He's doing well, and we're hoping he'll be coming home this week.

I've started on Christmas presents this week.  We're doing something a little different with the adults this year; we set a price limit and a "rule" that we have to be creative.  I can't say here what I'm doing for that, but I can say I'm pretty excited about it.

I guess that's about all the update for now.  I'll try to keep up a little more often from now on.  But no promises...  ;-)