A new school year has begun! 2012-13

I have FIVE, yes 5, school aged children now. I am yet to see how a full blown day goes with all my little ones because we are easing back into our studies. But the year, none the less, has begun.

We had to say goodbye to our former Co-Op of three years because we needed something a bit different for right now. We joined a Tutor Academy that is nationwide called Classical Conversations. They provide a tutor that tutors our children once a week in all subjects and then we come home and work on what was introduced and we add on-level extra math and language arts for each child.

Here are my sweeties, all of them, starting their first day

 at their new Classical Conversations Tutor Academy. 

~ My (three!) 3rd Graders and (two) Kindergartners ~

Waiting for School to Open

(because we were actually early)

Kindergarten class checking out their beans in science

Lunch with friends is always fun. 

And, finally, Joy is a Girl Scout! And All American Girl Scout. 

She's very happy about it....

(but very confused in this pic as to what mom is asking her to do for her "pose")

THE FUN HAS JUST BEGUN.

Summer with Friends & Family

We were able to make it to Florida at the end of summer to see our friends and family. 

We had a fantastic two weeks!

While there....

We celebrated my sister Hope's 10th birthday with a bowling party. This was Lily, Aaron & Joy's first time bowling. They all loved it. Unfortunately, all the pics of them actually bowling turned out blurry.

The girls helped Meema bake Hope's Birthday Cake(s!)

 The girls also spent some time with Pop-Pop fishing in his backyard

We made it to Tampa to visit our friends over at Miracles and Blessings who just welcomed home their two newest daughters from China. 

When we first met our families only had 1 child living at home (their daughter, Tiff, in the striped shirt). Now together we have 10 children living at home! So fun! Such God moments we've all had together! 

And, it's always bitter sweet to see Dale's adult sons. We miss them so much. 

It's still hard to not be part of their daily lives.

We were also able to spend at week at the beach (and see more friends there). 

But I am gonna have to save that post for another day. 

Living Sacrifice ~ Becoming a Bondservant

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God ~ this is your true and proper worship.

This verse has been popping up in all my studies and in sermons and books for weeks now.

But why? I kept asking. Why?

Haven't I done....xyz? Haven't I also done....this and that? I mean "look God, what else do you want? What else can I give? I really have nothing left and I already gave you my heart."

I have struggled with what exactly it means. I am a cubicle type person. I like to know God wants this here and that there and I like my life in a nice neat box. But God is flowing. He flows. I don't.

As He's been speaking to me about being this Living Sacrifice, he's also said "You've given me a little and now I want it all." Wow, really?! What does that mean? Another flowing God moment that doesn't fit in my box.

You see if he said "go, do....this or that" then I would go and do "this or that". But he's not giving specific actions. He's giving me specific lifelong command. Now, stop, no more boxes, just flow.

What does ALL look like. ???? I haven't a clue. YET. But I think I'm about to find out.

Some of it comes like this for me: Adoption. Home Educating. Teaching. Serving the Elderly. Serving the Children. But that's a list. See, it's my box. {Stop with the boxes! Gees! It's so hard. He wants me to flow with the Holy Spirit and stop with my boxes. They are probably driving him nuts.}


But I do know this. I have rededicated myself to Him these past 3 weeks. I have given myself to him as a Bondservant. I am a bondservant of my Lord and Savior and I am SO. IN. LOVE. WITH. HIM.

Exodus 21, a bondservant was someone who was bound as a servant to a particular personal/family. The law states that the bondservant must remain in that house hold for six years, but on the seventh year they were given the option to go free. The other option was to stay and serve his master.

And, if they stayed to be a bondservant, their master would pierce their ear with an awl. This was an outward sign that they belonged, forever, and that they were dedicated to their master, that they FREELY chose to stay and serve.

Jesus, is the only master I am willing to serve. He is the Good Shepherd. ~ Again. I am SO IN LOVE WITH HIM. The answer is easy for me. Yes, Yes, Yes, Lord I will stay with you, not a little while, not sometimes, but FOREVER.

Berries & More

~ Another first ~

 for Joy 

The annual trip to the berry farm was delayed and the strawberries missed. 

We made it for blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. 

And, all, enjoyed the day.

Picking Blackberries. Stealing Blueberries.

 Running through the fields

Tree Climbing

The barn

Taking a Cold-Sarsaparilla break

To enjoy the fruits of our labor, we all worked together to make a Triple Berry Crumb Topped Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert during movie night. 

Happy 5th Birthday to my Babies

Babies? I guess not anymore. Yikes! They are such treasures. I'm so blessed to be their momma. Today we celebrated with a few, I mean 40, friends. Thank you to all who came out to celebrate this special day.

The Cupcakes

The Turtle Watermelon

The Aunt & Uncle struggling with a paper stuffed piñata

Swimming for the kiddies

Waterguns

Taco bar with beach pails as serving bowls

The Festivity List

Water Ballon Toss Line- aiming for the shark poster 

Lily hitting the girl's piñata

Aaron hitting the boy's piñata

The cupcake table

The happy birthday gang

Best Corn Trick Ever

Happy 4th of July (and Happy Birthday to my beautiful mother).

What's a 4th of July without corn on the cob? Fresh corn on the cob.

But the husking, ugh!

Now you never have to husk an ear of corn again. Really! Seriously!

Thanks to a blog post I read over at, I think, Becky Higgins (.com).

Microwave it in husk (which I've been doing). But then you take a big ole honkin knife & chop the ends off, all the way thru the actual cob...

....and....

SLIDE that ear out! No silkies to deal with. Just beautiful corn!

Yay! Makes me so very happy.