Life With Me and My 5

New Blog

2010-01-19T06:47:00.000-08:00

Check out this new blog my friend and I have started. Neither of us can claim to be wonderful homeschool moms or know all of the ins and outs of Classical Education, but we wanted to have a place where like minded people could come together and share in their triumphs and failures while seeking advice from many who are walking in their shoes. We would love to have guest posters. Look in the sidebar to see how to submit a post. Also, it is a work in progress.

I am Moving ....

2009-04-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

...just my blog. I have not wanted to change my address, but it bugs me that it is meandmy4 and now I have 5. Visit it me at lifewithmeandmy5.blogspot.com

Menu Plans

2009-04-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here is our menu for the week.

Monday- Chicken stir-fry
Tuesday- Grilled pork tenderloin, wild rice, salad
Wednesday- Spaghetti, salad
Thursday-Chicken tortilla soup
Friday-Dinner with friends
Saturday- Cinco de Mayo/Jack 3rd b-day party--Steak/Pork/Chicken Fajitas, Tacos, Black Beans and Rice, Something corn, Chips with different salsas and Guacamole (The love of everything Spanish in Bruce keeps this party going every year even though Jack is starting to realize he may be getting cheated out of a real birthday party.:) It has also kind of become the "Oh no! You can't not have the margarita party this year!" with our friends.)
Sunday- Left overs

Help Please

2009-04-27T13:25:00.001-07:00

Zachary wants to know, "Can you wash wetness?" I have no clue what he wants or needs here. Any translation help would be much appreciated.

Accepting the Award

2009-04-27T04:43:00.000-07:00

Click here to see Mike and 10th Avenue North accepting the award.Congratulations again!!

Scary Times

2009-04-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged about some of the current events on purpose. We are in a scary place and I do not have anything profound to say. Our president makes me nervous, it is becoming ever so clear that the whole freedom of speech and opinions thing does not really count if you are a Christian or in some cases just have good morals, and our government's solutions to our economic crisis makes me want to shake someone really hard to wake them up. When speaking of my children getting older, I told a friend recently that it just could not be true that Isaac is not a toddler anymore. I said it just does not feel real. Sometimes I think it would be fun if life were really like when we were little girls and played house. We could imagine anything and we just played in blissful ignorance. Wouldn't it be great if we could do that with our children? The scary thing is that I get the sense our President is playing the same game. What concerns me is I am not so sure he is teachable enough to wake up to the reality of real life. He is playing house and I am not even sure that he realizes it is a game and not real. That terrifies me. When I look at the whole intolerance of intolerance that is going on combined with our leadership, all I can do is pray. So, that is what I am going to do.

Look at Him Now

2009-04-24T04:47:00.001-07:00

One of the greatest joys Bruce and I have had in working the last 15 years with teenagers is being able to enjoy the journey they take and watching the things God does to mold them into the adults they become. I love catching up with a former student to see what they are up to now. Mike Donehey has been easy to follow. We have kept up with his family and are always amazed at what we hear. Congratulations to Mike and 10th Avenue North on winning Best New Artist at the Dove Awards! We knew Mike when he walked around Fredericksburg Christian School constantly composing songs and playing his guitar. I remember him composing a song about the French mission trip we were on a singing it in the airport. Of course, Isaac thinks it is pretty cool that the brother of his first crush is the lead singer of his favorite band.(Yes, Kanene, even though you went off and got yourself married, he still remembers you.)Again, Congratulations guys!

For Whom Are You Holding Your Head High?

2009-04-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

I am guessing you all have figured out by now that I am kind of "high strung" as my husband puts it. I really try to calm down and not let myself be anxious over things. I have been doing a pretty good job lately. Well, today something out of the blue and out of my control unfolded before my eyes. It has caused me to be in a state of panic, humiliation, etc. It is not the end of the world, but it will have lasting effects of people's opinions of me. So, my husband, who is feeling some of the same things over this, reminded me that God knew this was going to happen and so what if people have the wrong impression. Beyond God, does it really matter what opinions people have of you? I know in general yes, it does. We should be a light unto the world, and people should see Christ through us, but when things are beyond your control and you do not like the end result-Does it really matter? No, it does not. I am reminding myself of something I say to my children quite often when they worry over friends and what they think of them. I ask them, "If Christ were right here would you be able to hold your head high about the details of this particular circumstance. If so, stop worrying about it!" So, if you are like me and worry way too much about what others think, remember who you are holding your head high for.

Menu Monday

2009-04-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get back into menu planning. I was doing well for a while, then we became too, too busy.Which means spending too much money eating out, or in our case, having food delivered. So, I am getting back into planning. For the weekend I have started making sure I have food for 3 meals on hand and waiting to see what is going on and preparing the food accordingly. We will either start the Sabbath Saturday night with a meal, or have it after church on Sunday. Occasionally, we close the Sabbath with the big meal on Sunday night. I have enjoyed doing that as well.

Monday- Baked chicken and potatoes with fresh asparagus
Tuesday- Pot Roast
Wednesday- Slower Cooker Pork Chops and Gravy with rice, and green beans
Thursday- Grilled Chicken, Cous Cous, Salad
Friday- Black Beans and Rice, Spinach Salad
Weekend Meals- Grilled London Broil, Smoked Ribs, Hot dogs roasted over the fire, broccoli salad, sweet potato fries, German Potato Salad, fresh asparagus.

It is Official

2009-04-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

The adoption is finally official! Micah is legally our child now. We had the hearing this morning. I am so glad to put this year behind us. This journey has been difficult, but as with anything journey God sends you through, we have grown tremendously. I hope I have learned to be more sensitive to others and to know that people need grace when they are suffering. I have learned how important it is to be teachable during these times of your life. We are so thrilled to have Micah in our lives. He is truly a blessing. We are also thankful for the added benefit of the friendships which have grown from this. We could never do enough to thank the people who have helped us through this time. But here is a big THANKS to you all!

Planning

2009-04-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

I am stuck in one area in my planning for the children's schooling. I am good with curriculum. I already know what I will need help with and what I will do on my own. I am stuck with the daily schedule. Not so much coming up with it, but how to present it to the kids. I know I may not be making much sense. Maybe it is because
I am still a little confused about what I am looking for. Until this year They have been pretty dependent upon me. They have known we follow a schedule, but they would still come to me for what needed to be done next. Isaac is getting older and needs to take a little more responsibility in this area. Time management is not his strongest attribute. Sarah on the other hand has to be told to calm down if she thinks she is getting off of her schedule. There are pros and cons to both, but one needs the responsibility and one just wants it. So, I am looking for a daily planner or assignment sheet to hand them. Isaac's days go much better when it is laid out for him in visible form and there are consequences when he does not complete each goal. Without that he is distracted every step along the way. I know I could make my own and I may do it. I was just hoping to find something already done that I can input the info on a monthly basis (I have found with small children doing it for the year just discourages me. Someone is sick or I spend my day in constant conflict,it throws everything off, and then I have to re-work everything.) Then I would just print it out and give it to them. I really do not need all of the record keeping that comes with most programs. We are not there yet and the older they get I will probably let VP handle all of that. Any suggestions?

We're Back

2009-04-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

So, we're back. As much as I try to deny it, we are home. We had a great vacation. It is so true that you never realize how stressed you are until you take that much needed break. I finally feel like this last miserable year is behind us. There was so much closure, for me at least, in being able to visit with Micah's mother and our incredible friends without the adoption hanging over our heads. We could actually be friends and have a ton of fun. At least we did. I hope they did too!:) This is a trip Bruce and I would not normally just take. My husband sensed my need to unwind and find closure and with a place to stay, great friends to take our children, and cheap plane tickets we did it. Not sure when or if it will happen again, but I am glad we did it! Enjoy the pictures.

Aloha

2009-03-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

My blog has not been my priority lately. I am coming back to it, though. I have lots of thoughts mulling around my head. But, they will have to wait. You see, Bruce and I have a vacation planned. We are leaving Thursday for a full week in Hawaii WITHOUT CHILDREN!! Actually, while I know it is very important to have this time alone and we really need to unwind after the year we have had, I know I will be guilty of constantly thinking, "Oh the kids would love this!" We have wonderful friends who are keeping all 5 of our children on top of the 9 they already have! Some of their children are much older than mine, so they will have some help. The kids are so excited and I know they will have a blast. We cannot wait to spend time with our friends without the heaviness of everything that was going on the last time we were there. So, I am off to pack. I will post pictures and details when we get home.

Children and Grieving

2009-03-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. Bruce and I have sat through so many adoption classes and left them thinking they were full of a bunch of liberal mumbo jumbo. For the most part they would always advocate some kind of birth parent contact. It could be as simple as a letter on their birthday to being a part of the family. I want to protect my son so, I will not say a lot about our situation but, he got the raw end of the deal on an open adoption so, we were turned off. We still believe the child should be put first and it is not a given that openness is always best. I think if the adoptive family is going to make a commitment then for the sake of the well being of the child, the birth parent should make a commitment as well. They should not communicate when it is easy and drop off the face of the earth when they are ready to move on. Especially if the child is old enough to remember them. Why am I thinking through all of this now? It actually has nothing to do with Micah's adoption. We are not sure what is going to happen there, but we do trust that if she makes a commitment either way she will stick to it. I'm thinking through all of this because I have been approached numerous times recently with adoptive parents whose children are hitting that 7 to 9 year old range and realizing what it means to be adopted. The are grieving and trying to understand. It is heartbreaking to watch. They want to know what we did to help Isaac get through it. That is hard. The thing we have learned is the grieving process is cyclical. You think they are through it, but then they get to a point when it rares its head again. So, the question I have is this. Are the social workers correct? Is it better when their is healthy, responsible contact? You see, I have been doing a little observing. WE know several adoptive families. A lot of them have some sort of contact with the birth families. It seems as though those who do, even if it is just a letter once a year, are having an easier go at it. Now, I acknowledge I do not live in their homes and maybe they have a whole other list of issues. And maybe I just see the longing in my son's eyes when they talk about visits with or letters from their birth parents. Anyway, I am just thinking. Any opinions out there? I do not know how much of an adoption crowd I have, but I would love to hear your thoughts.

Omnibus IV Reading List

2009-03-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

I have talked with some of you about Omnibus IV. I thought you would be interested in seeing the new reading list. It is a little different than what is in the current catalog. It has been posted here:
http://resources.veritaspress.com/downloads/Omnibus%20IV%20Reading%20List.htm

They Really Do Watch Us

2009-03-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

It has become more and more evident that at least one of my children has inherited my "the glass is half full" attitude. It is funny how we want to deny that the sins we see in our children might just stem from watching their parents. This child has struggled for years with different things and just cannot see the good side in anything. I always have these little thoughts creeping into my mind, "You know, _____ is just following your example." I then make a million excuses as to why that is not true and go on. Last night ________ explained to us that ____ tries to see the good in things, but worries just pop into ____ head and ___ cannot stop thinking about it. My husband then goes on to say,"Yeah, you have picked that up from your mother." At first I was extremely offended that he would do that in front of our child, but I could tell that this was so obvious to him and the child that it never would have occurred to either of them to keep this a secret. Well, my heart has been convicted. Years ago my husband had this project of putting all of the Proverbs on index cards and dividing them according to category. I would often pull out the anxiety, worrying, or God's sovereignty stacks and just read and pray over them for days at a time. I think it is time to do this again. As a matter of fact I think will invite this child to do it with me.

EDIT: Alright, that should say "glass is half epmty." Wow, long day!

O Lord, Please Quiet my Heart

2009-03-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

WE have been busy and traveling and are now planning for our trip to Hawaii. All I can hear is noise! I know that sounds crazy, but as a mother of 5, I usually deal well with the noise of a house full of children. As my sister-in-law reminded me this weekend, our home will be silent again before we know it. (Her baby was married this weekend. Wow! I still cannot believe he is married! She is hearing the silence all too well.) Because we have been so busy, we have been "flying by the seat of our pants." I tend to like living this way for me personally, but it is not working so well with all of the children. So, I am trying to get back to some sort of routine. Every time I think of putting everyone back on their schedule,my mind starts racing with all of things I have to do in the next two weeks. There is no time for a schedule!! Our home is loud and chaotic and we seem to be spinning our wheels. So, as my heart and mind are full of chaos right now, I am praying this Puritan Prayer over and over.

O HOLY SPIRIT,
As the sun is full of light, the ocean full of water,
Heaven full of glory, so may my heart be full of Thee.

I have found that when I have a hard time escaping the chaos it is usually because I have not quieted my heart enough to trust in our Saviour. I am sure it also has a little to do with children who need a little training or re-training for some of them.:-)

Reading the Classics

2009-03-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

I came across this list of classics which have stood the test of time. I think I am going to try and read through the list. It will more than likely take me years, but I am going to try. Some days all I can do is crawl to bed after reading the different books to the children. But, I am going to do better. I used to be an avid reader. I ALWAYS had several books going at one time. Now I am feeling lost in Dr. Seuss and I am afraid my brain will go to mush. I have actually done a lot of studying the past year of church history and the Middle Ages. I am finding it all fascinating. But, I want the old me back. The me that could do all of the studying, pleasure reading, and brain candy that I wanted and do it all simultaneously. So, I am giving it a go. I have already read several of them, but I am thinking of reading them again. I love to re-read books. I find that I see things in a different light at certain times in my life. Anyone want to attempt this with me?

Happy 1st Birthday Micah

2009-02-28T04:32:00.000-08:00

Micah turns 1 today. When I think back to this day last year it is filled with so many emotions. That first week I was on auto-pilot. That caught me off guard. My husband, in his wisdom, knew that is what would happen and arranged for me to stay with strangers at the time, now great friends.He did not want me doing it alone. They kept me going and fed and everything else.They will never know what a blessing their hospitality was to me and the peace that it gave my husband knowing I was not alone during all of that. That day and the few days after were so emotional for me and it was hard to function in that when you do not know anyone. They knew that and helped me along.And then to come home to the news that everything was different than we had been told was well, overwhelming. Anyway, as I think back over the last year I am thankful for new friends, for an awesome relationship with the birth mother, and most of all, the great gift that we have. Micah definitely lives up to his middle name, Makana, meaning gift in Hawaiian.

Did You Hear It?

2009-02-27T11:14:00.001-08:00

Did you hear that very loud sigh of relief coming from the Etter home? Yesterday has come and gone with no one appealing the judges decision on terminating the parental rights. We are in the home stretch now. Everything from here out is just a formality. We have a finalization date of April 16.

In other adoption news, we had a great time at Medieval Times last night. Isaac was so proud when it was announced that the Etter family was celebrating the adoption of Isaac. The boys did not know what to do with themselves. Micah sat mesmerized by it all. Zach was a little afraid in the beginning but soon warmed up and was cheering our knight along and booing very loudly at our enemy. Jack was hilarious. Every time someone was "stabbed" or "whipped", he would scream with laughter and say,"That is funny!"

Busy Times

2009-02-26T09:39:00.000-08:00

We have a big weekend coming up. My sister is coming to town to celebrate Micah's
1st b-day. I cannot believe it has been a year. With all of the struggles it felt like and eternity, now I want that time back. Sunday is Isaac's Adoption Day. He never lets me forget that I was in Hawaii for it last year, so we need to do something really special this year. It really does not bother him that I was in Hawaii. It is just his excuse to celebrate big. We are going to Medieval Times Dinner Theater tonight to celebrate. He is excited.Actually everyone, except Zach, is excited. He is not happy that he will have to eat with his hands. He is so much like is father. And last but not least, today is day 30 of the termination of parental rights appeal process. At the end of today we will let out the biggest sigh of relief ever.

Finding Out Something New Everyday

2009-02-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

Today Zach decided I needed to be filled in on how you dance to hip-hop. He is 5 so
I thought this would be rather interesting. He broke out in a full force break dancing routine. I commented on how he really is his father's son. Well, my husband took issue with that little slam and informed me that he was part of a break dancing club in high school. When I asked what friends were in this little club, he told me the football players. I do not know which is more out of character- the break dancing or his being in a club with the football players. Wow! I thought I knew him! I laughed until I hurt.

Curriculum Choices

2009-02-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again for homeschoolers. We are all asking ourselves, "What are we doing next year?" Things are pretty much set for us. I made some changes in
Isaac's curriculum this past year with good results so we are sticking with it. He will more than likely do:

Math U See This was new this year. He has done much better. Math has gone from tears and frustration to one of his better subjects.
VP Grammar & Writing Online (Shurley Grammar and IEW)
VP Literature Online as an auditing student. -I went back and forth on this one. I did not want him as a full student. We tend to pick and choose between the Lit books and the Historical Lit books. I am afraid he would struggle to keep up and we would have to give up a lot of the Historical Lit. I do however like the idea of him benefiting from the teaching of a Literature teacher while going through these classics.
VP Latin Online (Latin for Children)
VP Explorers to 1815 Online
Sylvan Spelling- This was new for us this year and we LOVED it. WE will continue with it and I think VP will even be putting in the catalog.
VP Handwriting

I am still struggling with Sarah. She does great with Saxon, but I am wondering if it would be easier for me to have them in the same curriculum. The same is true for spelling. She does fine with Phonetic Zoo and is a great speller. But would it be easier on me to put her in what Isaac is in? I am thinking we will stick with what is good for her. They are not on the same level so, I would be working with them separately anyway. For now her curriculum looks like this:

Math-Saxon
VP 3rd Grade LitShurley Grammar with a small amount of IEWPhonetic Zoo A/B
Song School Latin
VP Handwriting

Zachary will be doing:

Phonics Museum
Saxon Math
We will read through the Child's Story Bible in our family devotions.(I am also working on a project for this.)

All three children will be doing Memory Work, Poetry, Art, and Music. I am working on a Memory Work project. More on that later. I usually do Art in the summer when we have more time to makes messes.:) I am looking at Atelier Art. For Poetry we work through Writing Poetry and I also have different poems and verses they memorize and spend weeks copying for copy work. Music comes in the form of instrument lessons, studies on different composers from different genres, and possibly choir.

That is how things are looking to shape up here. What is on your mind for your children?

Menu for the Week

2009-02-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

This week is nothing special. It looks like I am heavy on slow cooker meals. But, it is what I have in the freezer.

Monday- Ham loaf- mashed potatoes-Peas
Tuesday- Slow cooker pork chops and gravy-brown rice-green beans
Wednesday-Chicken Tortilla Soup-Salad
Thursday-Pot Roast with Vegetables-Rolls
Friday-Pizza (Movie night with our homeschool group)

Since the kids have basketball all day on Saturday, we have been having our Sabbath meal on Sunday. I have a turkey breast in the freezer. I think I will find a good glaze to put on it and do brussel sprouts. I am not sure of my other sides yet.

What is on your table this week?

Willie Ain't Half Bad

2009-02-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

Alright, Willie puts on a good concert. We were pleasantly surprised at the fun time we had. He has really put together a group of high caliber musicians. Then there is Ruby Jane. Can I just say that girl is awesome!?! We went backstage and met her before the concert. She was your typical 14 year old girl so excited to meet her crazy online teacher. When we asked if she was nervous she acted like that was a word she had never heard of before. She seriously is having a lot of fun. After talking with her mom, we realized she picked up a violin at two and basically started playing and has not stopped since. At 10 she was the youngest person to ever be invited to play at the Grand Ole Opry. Anyway, it was blast to meet her and hear her play. She had several solos and the crowd went wild every time. On her first solo they introduced her as as 14 year old little girl. After she was done everyone around us was all "Wow! 14!" It was funny to hear my husband saying"Yeah, she's my student!" Lesson learned? Concerts with talented people are good even if it is not your style.
And no, we will not make you compete against her in the Vertas Press Online Academy Talent Show at the End of the Year Gathering.

Ruby Jane during a solo

Ruby Jane on stage with Willie Nelson

Bruce and Ruby Jane

7 Quick Takes Friday

2009-02-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Alright, I know I am behind in the blogging world. I think it is a combination of busyness and lack of my creativity at coming up with blogging material. So, here are 7 quick takes of things that have been going on around here.

1. We have been crazy busy answering questions and giving guidance for the Veritas Press Online program and the new diploma program that was just announced this week.

2. I have been reading the book Of Different Minds. It is a book which explains teaching children with learning differences. It is from a Christian perspective and I am loving it. I have already used some of her suggestions at home and in my online classroom and am impressed with what I have seen.

3. Guess what concert we are going to tonight? Don't laugh! Willie Nelson. I said don't laugh!!(No offense to Willie Nelson fans. I am more of a U2 or maybe James Taylor kind of girl. So, going to a Willie Nelson concert has never entered my mind.) Bruce teaches Ruby Jane Smith in one of his Online Omnibus classes.He knew she was a musician, but did not realize she was the fiddle player for Willie Nelson. So, she is touring with him, and they play in Lancaster tonight. It will be fun to meet her. You should YouTube her. She is phenomenal.

4. Bruce and I booked tickets and are going on an adult vacation! We promised ourselves we would do Hawaii for real when all of the adoption mess was over. No, it is not all over and yes, he could still appeal but, we feel confident enough to celebrate. I guess if he does appeal, we still need time to unwind and REST. We can't wait to see our friends there!

5. Micah will be walking soon and his trying to talk. He definitely knows who Mama and Dada are and he waves and say bye-bye anytime anyone enters or leaves the room. He also claps every time he stands up or sees anyone laughing. He is almost like the first again. When the third and fourth hit milestones, who had time to acknowledge them? Micah has 4 siblings whose worlds stop every time he even looks or sounds like he is doing something. It is pretty funny to watch 4 children scream HE'S WAVING. HE'S WAVING! And then they all mimic whatever he is doing just encase he forgets.

6. Zach(5) shot a ball from "downtown" and made it in the hoop at last week's b-ball game. I was not there, but he says downtown means half-court.

7. I paid a lot of money this week to have my hair highlighted and does not look any different. She says if I come back within the week she will re-do it for free. I am going back.

Grocery Fund

2009-02-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

It is a really bad sign for the grocery budget when the 11 month old eats more than the 4 year old and 2 year old combined. In the past, we did not start seeing a change in the grocery bill until the kids were about 4. Well, Micah eats a full serving of everything we eat plus 2 snack times throughout the day. So, in an effort to make sure we can feed him, I am sending you here. The Etter family thanks you for any contribution to our grocery fund by signing up your children to take classes from Veritas Prss Online Academy.

Seriously, registration has began for current families and already by the second day we have more than half of this years number of registrants. Registration is open to the general public starting Monday. There are classes which will more than likely be full by then. So, if you need specific days and times, I would suggest registering pretty quickly.

Double Standards

2009-01-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

I received the following email from Catholic Vote.com today.I know, I know. I should not be surprised by the media's double standards. I know it is long, but it is worth the read. I will try to stop posting such long posts.:) The commercial they are talking about is the one I shared with you before the inauguration.

Dear CatholicVote.org Member,

We broke this news yesterday, but wanted to make sure you have the full story - NBC has slammed the door on running our ad during the Super Bowl!

After several days of negotiations, a representative in Chicago told us that NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving ‘political candidates or issues.’

We were in the midst of raising the money needed, and had confirmed interest from several very generous pro-life benefactors. Airing the ad would have been very expensive, and a 'Super' opportunity.

But NBC’s rejection is calling even more attention to the ad. We have been appearing on radio programs across the country for the past two days, and NBC’s New York affiliate (imagine the irony), is covering the controversy. Bill O’Reilly of the FOX News Channel featured the ad on his program Wednesday night calling it “brilliant” and “genius.” His show alone reached nearly 4 million people.

All of this is driving more traffic to the commercial online. We reached almost 1 million online views in less than two weeks!

So why did NBC reject the ad?

The network claims that they do not allow political or issue advocacy advertisements during the Super Bowl, but that’s simply not true.

The network was willing to air an ad by PETA, which is definitely an advocacy group, if PETA would tone down their ad’s sexual suggestiveness.

Also, the first ad scheduled to run during the Super Bowl is a creative spot about Pedigree’s pet adoption drive. The ad ends with the line: “Help us help dogs.”

In recent years, some Super Bowl advertisements have caused controversy. But there’s nothing objectionable about our positive, life-affirming advertisement. We show a beautiful ultrasound, something NBC’s parent company GE has done for years. We don’t attack Barack Obama, but focus on him becoming the first African-American President. We simply ask people to imagine the potential of each human life.

What now?

We’re not intimidated by NBC. We plan on getting this ad out so that many millions of Americans can imagine the potential of each human life. Here are some things you can do:

We are preparing a virtual protest of NBC’s decision. We want other networks to know that hundreds of thousands of people want to see this ad aired, and we will not give up easily. Stay tuned for our plan on this in the next few days.
The Catholic television station EWTN will be airing the commercial before, during and after the Super Bowl. Feel free to turn your channel to EWTN during halftime and watch our ad there.
You can still share the commercial with friends and family. Tell them to go to CatholicVote.org and watch the ad NBC doesn’t want them to see! Heck, show it at your Super Bowl party!
We’ve been humbled by the donations we’ve received to help get this ad out. We are especially grateful to the group of very generous benefactors that agreed to help if we got air time for the Super Bowl.

We aren’t certain they will still help, but we will use any funds we receive from you and others to air the ad in the most prominent and cost-effective venues available.

Perhaps the ad should run during the Academy Awards or maybe American Idol, which is popular with the youth. Maybe we should run it following President Obama’s first State of the Union address?

If you have ideas, tell us what you think.

Brian Burch
CatholicVote.org

P.S. You may recall that this is the first ad in our new “Life: Imagine the Potential” campaign. We are having a huge impact with our campaign already! Our message is positive, life affirming, and hope-filled. And it is reaching audiences that normally don’t listen to us.

We are grateful for all your support and prayers.

It is All So Overwhwlming

2009-01-30T11:48:00.001-08:00

I promised you all a better introduction to Micah when this was all over. It is not over yet, but we are feeling a little more comfortable at sharing him. The problem is that there are so many people involved and it is not my place to share their stories.I have also stated before that we have been guilty of sharing too much about Isaac. When they are little it is hard to remember that when they are older it may be embarrassing for them to have everyone know their story. I am sure I will not do it justice, but I will try and share as much as I can. It is very long. I just want a permanent record of it. I do not blame you if you do not read it all.

About a year and half ago we had a few of Bruce's online families who were in town over for dinner. In talking with them it came out that Isaac wanted a "brown brother" and we wanted to adopt again. One of the mothers sitting there had just found out the homeless teen they had taken in was pregnant. We just kind of acknowledged, "Wow, what if?" and moved on. A few months later we talked again and realized they were serious about adoption and we had to decide if we wanted to throw our names into the hat. At first we really did not know and decided to answer the long list of questions from the mother and just see what happens. We did not sell ourselves very well, as I did not think my husband was very serious. The next day, after I submitted our answers, he says something like, "If we are serious we need to look into the home study process, finances, etc." I could have killed him. I rushed through those answers thinking he was going to say no anyway! Well, she did not pick us at first. It was sad, but thankfully we believe in a sovereign God and did not blame ourselves for not taking the time to really do a good job on the questions. Fast forward a few weeks. Bruce had to speak with the father of the student about something school related and just thew in that if things did not work out with the other family, we were still interested. A couple of weeks later we received an email asking if we would be interested in taking the baby. Of course, we were! We rushed into adoption mode with not a lot of time. We spent time getting to know the birth mother through email and made plans for me to spend an unknown amount of time in Hawaii. I flew in the night before labor was induced. I met her the next day in the hospital. We hit it off at once. We shed a few tears and spent the day wishing her labor would move faster. I went back to the house I was staying in to get some rest and got a call at about 2am that he had been born. Originally the plan was for her to be alone with him for a while and then she would hand him over to me. I had already told her that I knew it would be hard for her to be right down the street from him while I was waiting for the state to say I could leave, so I did not mind if we spent time together while we were still there. So, the three of us spent 3 days in the hospital together. She did not want to be alone and I had never left a child at the hospital, so it just seemed natural to be there with him. I pulled out my cot right beside her bed and it was a little like a sleep over. I will cherish that time forever. She and I had some very emotional talks and became so comfortable with each other. She was able to feed him and take care of him. I even had her pick out is going home outfit. She never did change a diaper, though! She told me how much it meant to do those things because now she would never have to wonder what it would be like to feed him, or hold him while he slept, or any of those things we mothers take for granted everyday. Bruce joined me a few days later. We left Hawaii knowing we would see her again in a few months. Things started to unravel once we got home. We were told our adoption was going to take a few months longer than we anticipated. Things were weird since we were a continent apart. We know now the judge never wanted it to be said that the birth father did not have a fair chance because of the distance. After a few months it was a few more months and then it grew into almost a year. In the meantime the birth mother, the people who took her in as family and us were trying to move on with life. This past year has been difficult for a lot of people. But we are all rejoicing now! Her attorney was trying to call her from the courthouse on Tuesday. He looked at me and asked if I wanted to be the one to tell her. I was so excited, but got her voicemail.You may ask why would it be exciting to share this with her. Wouldn't it be sad for her that parental rights had been terminated? The great thing about her is that she never forgets who is the most important person in all of this. It is so vital to her that Micah does not experience everything she has had to experience. She has said more than once that she is so happy for the life he is going to get to have. That night I finally got her and it was so good to hear her voice and share that moment with her. Another thing that I never want to forget.

There is so much I left out. Like I said it is not only my story to tell. The thing that is so overwhelming in all of this is how close our son came to living a life that I had only experienced on movies or TV shows. You see, God chooses to take certain children out of deplorable situations and places them in Christian, covenant homes. How overwhelming is that? If I could tell you more you would know I have not exaggerated. I am going through the phase right now of realizing what could have been and it is heartbreaking and joyous at the same time. And then I wonder why God chose us to raise this child. Why did God choose Micah? I do not have the answers but I do know that when people say the price (literally and emotionally) is not worth it, I just want to scream. I know it is a calling and God does not call us all to bring these children into our homes, but to be a part of this miraculous work that God has done is an honor.

So, please let me introduce to you Micah Samuel Makana Etter. The cutest baby who never cries and has the most beautiful smile ever. Yes, I can say these things because he does not come from my gene pool.

Such is Life

2009-01-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

We have been asked if we are celebrating this week. We decided to take the week off of school and just try to rest. We are so tired. We have been drifting through these last few weeks and just needed to soak it all in and revamp. Well, Sarah is now in the third day of vomiting, excruciating headaches, and a fever. The doctor says it is viral and could last a few more days. They said she was borderline at being admitted for IV fluids. That is not unusual for Sarah. She has nothing extra and she goes downhill really fast when she gets a stomach bug. The thing I hate is if she is that close to IV's, can't they just do it? Our pediatrician in VA always gave her Zofran so she could at least hold down fluids. She is being a little stubborn. If it tastes bad coming back up (which is everything), then she wants nothing else to do with it. So, Popsicles, Gatorade, etc. are hard to get her to take now. We are now threatening her with lots of needles hanging out of her arms. She is finally sipping on Ginger Ale. Any suggestions?

I am off to hold her and try to help her stay warm. Here's to praying the other 4 do not get it. If it takes this long to go through every child we will be doing this for a few weeks!!

Good News

2009-01-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

Parental rights were terminated today!! There is a 30 day window for an appeal, but based on what we say today no one thinks it will happen. What a year this has been! As we were sitting in court waiting, my husband asked what we would have done differently. I could not really think of much that really would have mattered. He then said, "The really crazy thing is I think we would do it again." No, we are not saying we want more children, but do not let our situation make you afraid of adoption. We aren't.

Today is the Day

2009-01-27T05:04:00.000-08:00

Today is our next court hearing. Please pray this will not be continued again and the judge will see the truth of the situation.

It is All So Confusing

2009-01-24T05:33:00.000-08:00

We turned the inauguration into something educational here in our homeschool. Just like a lot of other homeschoolers we had the children watch it and Isaac had to write a 3 point paragraph. I heard him tell his sister something like this, "I wish I did not have to write this stupid paragraph. Now I have to actually pay attention." After chuckling to myself because this is so Isaac, I went on to tell him that as black boy this day should mean something to him. He may not realize it now, but when he is an adult he will be happy that I made him pay attention to something that changes the course of his life. He then told me how confused he was. He says we don't like him, but yet I am supposed to be happy that he is apart of this historical moment. You see, my husband and I are of the camp which believes Barack Obama could very well be God's judgement on our nation. Call us extreme, but that is where we are. Back to Isaac. We explained how blessed he is, as a black person, to be growing up now and not during the time of slavery or even 50 years ago when he truly did not have equal rights. We had never really talked with him about any of this. We explained that this election meant black men could rise to the top in our country and in this particular instance was treated much better the those running against him.Yes, I know there is the camp that says, "But he is half white!" The truth of the mater is in our nation when you are even part black, everyone sees you as all black. My son is half Dominican. Even when I point that out to people, he is still just black. I have no problem with that. I am just saying racism does not stop if you say I have some white in me. I was thankful when we heard an interview with Bill Cosby and someone else. I can not remember his name. Isaac could hear from them things which I cannot say. They both basically said this election meant no more excuses. No more expecting handouts. No one is entitled to anything. We have a black president who was raised by a single mother, whose father deserted them, and so on. They also pointed out that he is a black man who appears to be a loving and responsible husband and father. The man who I cannot remember went on to say Barack Obama has broken the stereotype and there are no more excuses and the black leaders who have spent their time preaching entitlement need to back up and re-work their positions. I am still not sure that Isaac gets what it all means, but I do hope when he is a young adult he will remember the day for what it was and especially remember the interviews we watched.

What She Said

2009-01-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

As we have all seen, our new President has already done some pretty scary and sad things just in his first few days. He has said things which are completely different than what he campaigned with. Unfortunately, he has also followed through on other things. I know, I know we are not surprised. Fox News is calling him out on a lot of things. I decided to just look to see what CNN was saying about him. I have to admit my surprise at this quote from Campbell Brown.

That basically means they are saying, we will mostly put tough new restrictions on lobbyists, except when we won't. Really? Is this how it is going to be?Please, please don't make us all any more cynical than we already are, Mr. President.If you have no intention of abiding by your new rules, then don't make new rules. That would be "actual" transparency.

Read the whole thing here.

To Re-sign Up or Not

2009-01-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

So, I have been frustrated with my son in his online classes. He is only 10 so, it means I have to sit with him or at least be within earshot and constantly redirect him to pay attention. Let me say that he has almost 0 attention span. It is REALLY bad. I knew it would be difficult, but I thought he needed to extra reinforcement since our days are so choppy with the little ones running around. I have been very happy with the instruction. They are doing a phenomenal job. My frustration has been with my lack of organizational skills. I am a planner, but tend to procrastinate when it comes to follow through. It is quite common for us to wake up, start our day, and then remember that he has a class in 30 minutes and I forgot to have him do his homework. You can imagine the chaos that follows. Well, as I am taking a look at next year(Registration is just a couple of weeks away.) I decided to really watch and take note if I thought the classes were good for him or not. After talking with him about the possibility of not doing them anymore he has done his homework without me telling him for the last two weeks. I am so thrilled he is learning that. Also, this is exam week. For a 10 year old it takes logistical help from mom.(Downloading, uploading, typing) After waking up dreading the day(I knew it would take most of our day.), I am so pleased with him. He did so well on them and they were not easy. Some of the questions stumped me. I was so pleased with this mid-year evaluation that I am considering making up exams for the rest of his subjects and Sarah's too. As a matter of fact she is taking the one I gave to my history class now. Anyway, all of that to say I think we will stay with online classes for him. I think they are teaching us both to be better managers of our time and I am so pleased with his progress.

Life: Imagine the Potential

2009-01-19T11:40:00.000-08:00

Somehow I am on the email list for CatholicVote.com. Please read the email I recieved from them today. And do watch the video. It is quite powerful.

Dear CatholicVote.com Member,
According to the Financial Times, a ‘Super Bowl’ type audience is expected to tune in to coverage of the Inauguration of Barack Obama tomorrow.

To mark this occasion, we are proud to announce the release of a new commercial that will be airing all day tomorrow in select markets on Black Entertainment Television. Our newest ad is just the beginning of a year-long campaign that will include a series of commercials for use on the web and on broadcast TV.

Check out our new ad here – www.CatholicVote.org

I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so be sure to check out our new ad, and then tell your friends about it. After watching the short commercial, I hope you will appreciate our purpose. The message of CatholicVote.org is universal and transcends candidates and political parties. Even in difficult times, the truth about the dignity of every human life must be proclaimed.

We at CatholicVote.org had hoped that the first African-American president would be pro-life. Sadly, that’s not the case. While we urge you to pray earnestly for his conversion on abortion, we’re not going to waste this historic opportunity to witness to life.

Our newest ad seeks to both educate and inspire – the same elements that helped make our election season film the most-watched political ad on the Internet during the 2008 presidential campaign.

Finally, I suspect there will be a lot of talk about hope in the next couple of days. The purpose of our multiple-commercial campaign is to creatively reach new people who don’t always agree with us about the amazing gift of every human life. Simply put, abortion is the enemy of hope.

7 Quick Takes Friday

2009-01-16T10:12:00.001-08:00

There is so much to post about, but so little time. I keep thinking tomorrow will be less busy, but it never is. So, I guess I will copy Anne and do this 7 Quick Takes thing. At least I can share a little of what I have been thinking.

1. We finally have the new computer hooked up and running. I was quite disappointed with myself to see how lost I was to not have access to the computer whenever I wanted it. A few years ago we decided to move the television to the basement. We did not like it being in the main area where we spend all of our time. It was too tempting to watch it constantly. Well, the basement is only partially finished.It is cold and not very attractive. I rarely go down to watch anything. What I found out this week was I just replaced that time with the computer. I am making a promise to myself to spend way less time on the computer.

2. WE also got a new toilet! A two year old, who shall remain nameless, has now cost us almost $2,000 in plumbing bills. This time it was too bad to fix. We just had to get a new toilet. We knew he had put something in the toilet. We walked in to find him shoving something down with a toothbrush. He said it was Daddy's golf ball. The plumber did not find a golf ball, but he did find a rubber ducky. And yes, we did throw the toothbrush away.

3. We have been placed in a couple of advice giving, counseling type situations in the past few weeks. I have learned that there are so many people having REAL problems. I need to be reminded more often to lift up people in prayer. I have learned from myself over the past year and these people over the past few weeks when people withdraw or seem overwhelmed there is probably more than exhaustion going on and we should really seriously pray for them.

4. The new perfect puppy turns out to be not so perfect. Seems as though we picked a breed that is hard to house break. I'm not giving up though!!

5. Our court date is just a week and half away, Jan 27. I have gone from ignoring it to get through Christmas to being all I can think about. No, I am not sleeping well.

6. Because I am not sleeping well, my back is all messed up. I am thinking of going to a Chiropractor.

7. The kids first basketball games are tomorrow. We have games from 8:30 to 3:00 every Saturday for the next two months. What in the world was I thinking when I signed them up?!?

I'll Be Back Soon

2009-01-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

My computer has been infected with something bad.The virus blocks any adware or spyware so, we are being told the best thing to do is just get a new computer. My husband is on our other computer way too much for me to fit in blogging time. I will be back in a couple of days with lots to say.

By the way, for those of you waiting for the Mexican Pie recipe, a friend brought it to us to put in the freezer for when we needed it. I will ask for the recipe.

Now We Know

2009-01-10T13:36:00.001-08:00

So, the Health Department called today. Evidently, the company who makes this peanut butter has ties to the peanut butter we use. It looks like our whole salmonella mess came from the PB&J.

This Week's Menu

2009-01-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

This is what will be appearing on our table this week. What about yours?

Monday
Barbecue Sandwiches
Cole Slaw
Applesauce

Tuesday
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Salad

Wednesday
Apricot Pork Chops
Green Beans
Baked Apples

Thursday
Mexican Pie
Salad
Rice

Friday
Red Beans and Rice

Things I Have Learned

2009-01-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

We received a Christmas card from a friend and on it he wrote, "Wow! What a year for you guys." Yes, it has been quite the year. When I think about 2008 I can not ignore the fact that a lot has happened. It has been a year of tremendous growth and learning for all of us. Some of you have seen me at my weakest and it has been humbling and at times embarrassing. I am thankful for those of you who have held us up in prayer, cooked us meals, spoiled my children when I had no energy left, brought good food, diet Dr. Pepper, and kept me company when I was isolated in a hospital room with my baby (Yes, literally isolated. When they found out it was salmonella they taped our room off and everyone had to dress in gowns.), cried with me through all of the ups and downs of this adoption, sat with us through what seems to be never ending court hearings, and above all not deeming me crazy when I have hit the breaking point.We have depended on friends more than ever this year and we are so grateful for them.

While thinking this all through I am making a list of all of the things we learned this year. Here goes.

We have learned...
-Complete strangers on the other side of the Continent can be so kind and giving. They can set you up for a 3 week stay while going to get your baby and taking care of you the whole time. Giving you a free place to stay, a car to drive, trips to the hospital in the middle of the night when you were learning your way around, dinners at incredible restaurants, etc. Most important, God used them to keep our child safe and protected. For that we will forever be thankful beyond words.
-Going to a tropical climate in the winter makes the following winter seem unbearable.
-Even though 3 attorneys, a judge and two adoption social workers say your adoption should be a piece of cake, still prepare yourself for the worst. It happens.
-Friends are the best.
-I love being with my children.
-My husband is my earthly rock. He makes me laugh when I think I can not laugh anymore. He tells me to get over it when I need to hear it. He is the best father ever. He rarely gets angry. He knows my limits and does his best to keep those limits from being tested.
-I love being with my husband 24/7. His working from home has been the best!
-When birth mothers choose to put a baby up for adoption instead of aborting them the law becomes against them and they loose their rights. I am convinced that until this changes we will not see a major drop in abortion.
-Hearing the 2 yr old brother say to the the 5 yr old brother "You are my best friend." and then watching the 5yr old give him a hug is just plain beautiful.
-Having my 10 year old son say, "Mom, I want to take you out to dinner and work on the way I treat you" is the best gift ever.
-God loves my children more than I do.
-We serve a sovereign God who is never surprised. I need to remember that more often.
-Never to take a group of 200 to Washington D.C.
-A new baby and high maintenance dog at he same time goes way past my limit.

I could definitely go on, but I will stop here. This year has been one to remember, but not only for the stress. God has humbled us, He has sanctified, and He has taught us to rely on Him.He has proven His faithfulness so many times. Those are some pretty great things to learn.

This and That

2008-12-30T14:48:00.000-08:00

You can usually guess that when I am not blogging I am just plain out of time. The last two weeks have been a lot of fun, but just not a lot of time to share it. So here goes:
-We traveled to West Virginia the weekend before Christmas to see Bruce's family. That was a lot of fun with family that we do not see very often. We had not seen one of Bruce's brothers in over a year. Fun with family, but not so much fun in the small MPV van for 8 hours one-way loaded down with 7 people, gifts, and luggage.
-We spent Christmas Eve putting together a fish aquarium and hiding it. That night we went to church and then over to the Detweiler's. Just imagine 5 children under 10who are sooo excited they do not know what to do with themselves paired with 4 college age boys who love to get them even more excited. Needless to say we had a hard time with bedtime that night.
-Christmas morning brought lots of joy and Micah was so cute. He just sat back and watched it all. Oh yeah! That morning also brought dead fish. The pet store said our aquarium is a death trap. We evidently have an exorbitant amount of chemicals in our water. Kind of scary!!
-The day after Christmas 12 house guests descended upon us. My family came to celebrate Christmas. Crazy, but lots of fun.
-Next day, a new PUPPY!! Yes, I am crazy. When we had to get rid of Rusty my husband said we could get another dog if it fell under this long list of criteria. Not only did it have to meet all of this, but we could not pay a lot for it. Well, he thought I could not meet the challenge, but I did. We have the best little dog now. I will post a picture later.

Now we are just trying to lie low until it all starts up again. In the middle of all of this we have had illnesses, my back has been out, and the regular everyday commitments which do not stop.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T05:33:00.000-08:00

December has flown by and I can not believe it is Christmas Eve. Our children are beside themselves. This is the first year Jack gets it and he is sooo excited. We are looking forward to spending Christmas with Micah. Who, by the way, has taken every ornament off the bottom of the tree. If you are coming over just look at the top. He is just getting into toys that make noises. The other kids are all looking forward to him opening the presents they bought him. I started a few years ago taking the children who were old enough to understand shopping for their siblings. They have a $5 limit, but they love it. I realize not all is lost on their relationships when they seriously ponder over what each one would like. They then talk about it for days. "I can't wait for you to open my present to you!" I think that has become one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

Well, I have not wrapped the first gift and I have to go the the grocery store and the pet store(Zach is getting an aquarium.). So, I need to get busy!!

I pray you are all able to celebrate our Savior's birth with loved ones and that your time together is joyful. May this new year bring wonderful blessings from God upon you and your families. Merry Christmas from the the Etter family!

I Am So Excited

2008-12-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

My favorite movie growing up was The Sound of Music. I know, I am a nerd. Well, our friends called to say they had tickets to hear the Von Trapp family sing with the Philadelphia Pops Orchestra and they wanted to take Bruce and me with the two older children. They have no clue who we are going to see so I am making them watch the movie tonight. Sarah will love it, Isaac will consider it torture. My saving grace will be that our friends think we will get to go backstage and meet them. Isaac will think that is great. We will get them and Maria Von Trapp to autograph our book. I know. What a geek I am! You should have seen me the day I was answering the phones at Veritas Press and someone asked to speak to Marlin. I said he was not available. May I take a message? She says, "It is Maria Von Trapp. He knows how to reach me." You have to understand. I remember being about Sarah's age and singing all of the songs from the movie over and over and over again. I thought I was Julie Andrews.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-12-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

I am sure I am not alone when I say I have been too busy to blog. We leave to visit Bruce's parents next Thursday and then we will be home on Christmas Eve. You know what that means! I have to be ready by Wednesday. Ahh! That takes a week away from my Christmas planning. I hope to finish my shopping by Monday and then we will start the baking and candy making. So this is our list. What is on yours?

Chocolate Covered Cherries
Fudge
Peanut Butter Balls
Molasses Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Blessings of this Past Year

2008-12-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

My husband and I just recently took a trip to Williamsburg. On the way he told me that I needed to calm my high-strung self down!I was shocked. I did not quite see myself as high-strung.(Joke!!:)) He also likes to let me know quite often that I am a glass is half empty type of girl. As I am contemplating this last year,because that has to be done, I decided that we have been given many blessings and I do not want to ever come across as not seeing God's grace and sovereign hand in our lives. He has blessed us beyond measure. Yes, the contested adoption, salmonella accompanied with seizures and a hospital stay, bringing all of the kids home to stay, a major job change,and deciding for me to teach a History class have all brought stress to our lives. But, each of these things have also brought about great blessings.

This adoption has shown us that there is nothing we can really do to protect our children. Yes, there is common sense to keep them safe, but when you have to really come to the place to know that their lives are completely in God's hands, well, that is humbling. It is also humbling when you think that his mother very realistically could have chosen abortion.It has been very rewarding to watch God work in her life.We are thankful for the bond God has given us with her. It has been a great blessing to have our faith strengthened this way. We have also met wonderful and hopefully life long friends.Of course the privilege of being his parents has been the biggest blessing.(When this is all over I will show you his picture. He is so darn cute!)And 2 1/2 weeks in Hawaii was not bad either.

Our decision to home-school again was not taken lightly. When Isaac first started his academic career we did not see traditional school on the horizon. When we were given the opportunity to put him school we jumped on it. I now see it as God's providential way of helping us home-school without guilt or regret. Yes, we all feel those things on a daily basis with our children, but I can honestly say that if a great Classical Christian school were right down the street I would still choose to home-school.Because there is one and we have chosen to home-school. We may change our minds one day, but for this time God has blessed us tremendously by allowing us to all be at home during what has been quite a stressful time.

Bruce's job change came with the need for some adjusting and sacrificing. Life has definitely been different for us. It is always hard to make a job change when you were completely happy with the other job. We have made these adjustments and are all thrilled with the change. To have three meals a day together and his involvement in their schooling has been a huge blessing. We get two comments quite often. "I'll bet it is really hard to have your husband home 24/7." and "How is he REALLY doing not being in a physical classroom.?" I am going to truthfully answer them once and for all. I LOVE having him home. He is my best friend and I do not tire of him being here. Yes, we do have our times of needing to be alone like everyone else, but I have not found it to be anymore often than when he was working out of the home. And, yes, he misses his students, but loves his new job. He does not feel inhibited by teaching online and misses those students when he does not have them again just as he does those in a physical school. We have been blessed with this opportunity.

While my decision to teach does bring a little stress it is also a blessing. I have loved studying our church history and my students are great. They are so smart! They ask theological questions that I did not think about until I was an adult. I love my class!

So, if you are still reading, just know that yes, we have had quite a year, but we love our God, we love each other and we are so happy with what God has done with us and for us. We are excited about the coming year. Who knows what lies ahead? I do know it will be from God and because of that we can rejoice.

2008-12-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

I am always astounded to see the amount of books that come across the desk of my friends at Veritas Press. Everyone wants them to preview a sample in hopes of putting it in the catalog. As you can imagine there are a good number of books that do not even get a second glance. If it looks good it gets a second glance. If it looks really good it gets a chance. We happen to be that chance a lot of times. It is very rare that I take any of it and completely change what I am doing. I usually just use them to supplement what I am already using. Well, I just received a few language books and I am very seriously thinking of replacing the spelling curriculum which we are using. I am loving it. I will let you know.

Animals Have Feelings Too

2008-12-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

So, Sarah decided she had something really serious to tell me. She was so nervous she needed to have her dad help. Bruce says, "Sarah has something to tell you." Sarah says, " Mom, I have decided to become a vegetarian." I ask, "Why?" Sarah, "Animals have feelings too!" She has decided the less meat she eats, the fewer animals that have to be slaughtered. If you have ever met Sarah you would know 'She ain't no bigger than a minute.'(Sorry, my southern side had to come out for a second.)She rarely eats a full serving of anything. I was not sure what to do with this information, but after explaining that I would not make her an extra meal and she had to eat what was served to her when she was a guest in someones home, we decided to ride this wave. She is very serious.

On a side note, we inherited two birds this weekend. One died within 24 hours, the other injured his beak. We are not good pet people. As soon as I came upstairs from hearing Sarah's news I found the dead bird. You can imagine how this went with little Miss. Animals Have Feelings Too. Needless to say, I went out and bought another bird. Just so you know, I hate birds and have sworn I would never own any.

Stop the Judgment

2008-11-30T06:16:00.001-08:00

I have let all of November go by without posting something about November being National Adoption Month. I try to not be over emotional about things, but several things about Micah's adoption have made my husband and I quite passionate about the topic. So much so that we are considering what kind of voice we can have and how we can be an encouragement to others. Whether it be birth mothers, churches, adoption agencies, etc., we are feeling the desire to minister. We have witnessed a family and church who chose to not judge a young girl, but instead they chose to take her in, fully support her, and follow through with support to help her do the right thing. In our 15 or more years of working with teenagers we can honestly say this kind of support and lack of negative judgment accompanied with teaching accountability is rare.As we think through it all, at some point I will blog more about it I am sure. The conclusion we have come to is the church has missed the boat here. They have missed it on many levels, but for this post I want to talk about the division among adoptive families in the church. For those of you who do not adopt you may not even realize this exists. When God calls us to do something we tend to become passionate about it and develop the attitude that everyone should do it. I think we can all see why that would not be good. In the adoption world there is the thought that if you do not adopt a minority child then you really have not done anything special.(Not that we adopt to do something great, but adoptions of minority children get more attention.) There is also this division between those who adopt domestically and those who go international. It is becoming increasingly popular to adopt from other countries and these adoptions are getting a lot of attention. This division was made very clear to me recently when I was talking with a family who is about to adopt from Ethiopia. She asked me if I thought it was better to go domestic or international. I told her I did not think there was a better. We believe God has chosen children for certain families and He leads you down the path you should take and no adoption is more special than the other. I believe it should really be no more special than your biological births either. All children are a miracle sent by God. She went on to say that she had received some flack for going international and I told her I thought that was sad. Well, then she started with how she did not understand why more people would not consider going international. She thinks they find it too difficult to fly to another country and is so easy to just go to your local agency to pick one up. She went on to say that these children in orphanages in other countries are the real orphans. Most of their parents have died and the children in the US have just been given up by irresponsible parents. Yes, this is a true story and all of this was really said. I mean really! Does it really seem like we have had it easy this time? An international adoption where it is all done the second you step on the plane to leave that country is sounding pretty good right now. I sat there in shock and am so upset with myself that I did not say more. So, as I think about all of this during National Adoption Month, I want to encourage us all to stop judging everyone involved. Birth mothers are sinners just like you and me. They need to be loved, held accountable, and supported. Even the birth mother who is irresponsible and has no desire to change chose life for her child and that should be commended. God calls us to take care of the orphans. Children who are not being cared for are orphans whether they are white, black, Hispanic, Hawaiian, American, or any other nationality. They are orphans whether their parents are dead, are irresponsible, or just plain will or can not take care of them. Let's move past all of this judgement and if God calls you to adopt, please have an open mind and let Him lead you.

Micah is Home

2008-11-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Micah is home and in a deep, deep sleep. I believe every nap was interrupted in the hospital so, he is exhausted. He has salmonella. We have no clue where he contracted it. The moral to the story is to wash and double wash your hands. And then spray Lysol on everything the kids touch. I have to go. I am off to but Lysol, bleach, and Purell.

2008-11-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

There has been much to post about, just no time. As I type this I am at the hospital with Micah. On Monday he spiked a temp of 106 and started seizing. We have been here since then trying to determine the cause of the fever. He has been such a trooper. The spinal tap, multiple blood draws, IV stick, and doctors and nurses touching him every few minutes for the last three days have brought about major separation anxiety. He is doing much better, just needs mommy by his side and I am happy to oblige. We still do not have an answer and since his fever spiked again last night, we are here at least another night. Please pray for his healing. i would also like to think this was a one time thing and he will not be one of those children you here about spiking high fevers and having seizures every time they are ill. It was very frightening and I hope it does not happen again. Thank you to all of you who have sent emails and left phone messages. I can not use the lap top in his room. So, I have to wait for Bruce to get here to give me a quick break. I will respond to all of the messages when I get home.

Spiritual Attack

2008-11-11T09:29:00.001-08:00

I have wanted to post for the last week, but could not think of anything nice to say and we all know what our mamma's said about not have anything nice to say. I know you are probably all tired of hearing about our adoption woes and such, but I have been working through some things and need to verbalize. When we first started going through all of this a friend said that she believed adoption was an avenue that Satan used to bring on spiritual attack. I thought it was interesting but did not think much of it.Even a perfect adoption is stressful and tiring. What better time for Satan to attack than when everyone is physically and emotionally exhausted. Add to that the fact that you are reminded everyday during an adoption that as far as the state is concerned you really have no right to your children. We understand the process the courts must go through and not every adoptive family has the best interest of the child at heart. But, if you happen to get a judge who believes every birth parent has a chance, then you are in trouble.It does not matter to that judge that drugs, abuse, etc. are involved. That is when you realize we really do not have a right or a choice and that is scary. We have been told our judge looks out for the best interest of the child. We will see. But, all of that to say, yes, adoption is stressful on a marriage.It can destroy you financially, emotionally, etc. Just as in any other crisis which comes along, it is difficult to keep it all going in the midst of a huge cloud hanging over your head. We are fine. Do not think we are teetering on divorce or anything, but we have to remind ourselves daily to not let all of this break us. It has been a reminder to me to pray more fervently for those I know who are going through a crisis. God can insure you keep the child or heal you of cancer, but if Satan has destroyed your marriage in the mean time, what have you gained?

To Be Continued

2008-11-04T04:07:00.000-08:00

Well, it was continued again. The birth father "did not have time to get an attorney." The judge did hear all of our testimony, the birth mother's and our social worker. He also called a couple of witnesses from the courthouse. I cried out of exhaustion and disappointment. We were all pretty ticked.(I am being nice.)How can you be the cause of all of this, but not have time to get representation? And on top of that, how can it be allowed? I know the judge is giving him his due process to make sure his decision cannot be overturned, but the whole system just stinks. WE have our ducks in a row, birth mother jeopardizes her new job and takes more than a week of after only working a week and a half to be here, and he gets a continuance. I really do not get it. But that is where we are. We do not have another date yet. I will keep you updated. By the way, the birth mother did a terrific job. We were so proud of her!

I Wondered What He Was Going To Do

2008-10-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

Spoken like a man who has made too many false promises.

Barack Obama's senior advisers have drawn up plans to lower expectations for his presidency if he wins next week's election, amid concerns that many of his euphoric supporters are harboring unrealistic hopes of what he can achieve.

If you would like to read it all.

Freedom is Worth the Price

2008-10-31T07:14:00.000-07:00

I can say it, but it does not mean the same. What have I really sacrificed for our nation's freedom? Nothing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

Final Stretch

2008-10-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

Monday is the big court day. Please pray for us this week. We are feeling pretty exhausted and the children have now started to fall ill one by one.It is also the week that quarterly comments are due.This means my husband has to proof almost 900 comments. He is trying to be the strong leader for all of us while dealing with that. I tell myself this will all be over soon and we can do it. But, my body is saying just stay in bed and hide until it is all over. Of course Micah has no idea this is all happening and is being just as delightful as ever. Just pray for our stamina and that the enemy will not make us feel defeated before it all even starts.

It is More Important Than You Think

2008-10-26T15:28:00.000-07:00

I know many people think abortion is not the issue to die on in this election. It's really not going to change, right? Well, you see, in my mind one of the most important decisions a President makes is that of Supreme Court judges. This decision has an affect for generations.I also believe nothing else really matters for our country until we embrace again the meaning of true family values. Economy, the environment, etc. means nothing as long as we continue to laugh in the face of God. People have decided the family unit which God ordained is no longer important. They have decided babies, the lives, which God has created are "punishments". Watch this video and carefully consider who will make the wiser choices about life.

http://johnrabe.blogspot.com/2008/10/first-things-first.html

Check This Out

2008-10-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

You should really check out Amoretti and the Fortnightly Purse. She always has something great to give away. I am loving this coffee crock.

Do Not Forget the Important Issues

2008-10-24T11:57:00.001-07:00

No, I am not Catholic, but I could not have voiced my opinion of the real issues any better.

CatholicVote.com

Posted using ShareThis

The Shack

2008-10-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

I am sure most all of you have heard of the book The Shack. WE have been asked several times for a review, but with all of the reading we are having to do for our teaching and all of the other chaos in our life, we have not had the time to read it. Doug Wilson gave a review on it. I tend to respect his reviews on things like this. You should read it.

Two More Weeks

2008-10-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

We have two more weeks before our court date. We feel hopeful yet,anxious. Please remember us in your prayers. Logically things look well for us. But, as we are all seeing, logic and our government do not seem to mix any longer.

He's Cracking Me Up Again

2008-10-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Sarah says, "Mom, Zachary stuck his tongue out at me!" Zachary says, "No I didn't! I was just stretching my tongue!!"

He Cracks Me Up

2008-10-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

"What animal does chicken come from?" Zach's comment as we ate chicken for dinner one night.

"Daddy, how do you say 'hello' in English?" Zach's question to his father after hearing his siblings practicing Latin chants.

Death and Resurrection

2008-10-10T04:51:00.000-07:00

Great words from Nancy Wilson.

We have to remember that recurring theme of death and resurrection that God loves to weave into His stories. This is why the psalmist can fear no evil in the valley of the shadow of death. This is why we can expect God to work all things for good, even those things that look (from our perspective) hopelessly tangled. Faith is not what we see, but what we don’t see. Faith remembers the Author and Finisher of our faith. Faith looks forward to the resurrection.

Menu For the Week

2008-10-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Here is my menu for the following week. I am getting stuck in a rut. Any ideas??

Thursday Greek Chicken Sandwiches
Friday Sandwiches at our Church Psalm Sing
Saturday Cook-out with friends
Sunday Cherokee Chicken/Roasted Acorn Squash/Green Beans
Monday Shrimp Stir Fry/ Noodles with Peanut Sauce
Tuesday Hamburgers/Salad
Wednesday Maple Glazed Pork Chops/Sweet Potatoes/Green Beans

Good Stewards of Their Minds

2008-10-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

While my husband was praying during our family worship time last night, he prayed that God would help us to be good stewards of our children's minds. I had never thought of it that way and boy does it give me a different perspective of my school day with them. I know that God requires us to not have an attitude of laziness, but to be accountable to make sure I am being a good steward of their mind is giving me something else to think about today.

To Love Your Children

2008-10-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

I came across this article. The author so beautifully puts the words to feelings, beliefs, and emotions that I struggle to voice.

"The encounter with our son’s birth mother left an indelible mark not so much on my memory as on my character. She helped me articulate what it means to be a good parent. A vision of parenting that was buried under many impressions and opinions emerged clearly on the horizon of my consciousness. I ought to love him the way she loved him, for his own sake, not for mine. I must not pervert my love into possession. I can hold onto him only if I let go of him."

Learning to love our children as their birth mothers do would serve us all well. I do realize this is not always the case, but it is more often than we would like to admit.

Please do read the whole thing.

Anticoo

2008-09-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

Chalk this up to another kid story that I just want to remember.

Sarah was looking up her vocabulary words yesterday and comes to me and says, "I do not understand the definition of anticoo." I was thinking "Wow, never heard of that word." I asked her what the dictionary said and when she told me the definition I realized she meant antique. She just knew I was wrong. She even waited until dinner and brought it up to her father (In Sarah's eyes he knows EVERYTHING.) When he told her I was right she decided the English phonetic system is just messed up. I had to agree.

A Child's Perspective

2008-09-28T10:42:00.001-07:00

The other night we had to take Micah to the hospital. He had a really bad cold, fever, was projectile vomiting and struggling to get a good breath. I was concerned about RSV and he seemed to be frightened from having such a hard time breathing. It was late so and I did not want to wait through the night. He is fine. He has a viral infection and after a few days of rest and antibiotics, just in case, he is finally turning the corner. Fast forward to today. I went to church with Isaac and Sarah while Bruce stayed home with the younger three. I have received several phone calls this afternoon from parents of my children's friends. The whole having trouble breathing and projectile vomiting is evidently weighing heavy on Sarah. The story is Micah kept throwing up everything in his body and stopped breathing several times. And you may be wondering how does this rumor spread so quickly. Well, it is Lancaster county and there was a church lunch, which we skipped, and I guess we were the topic of conversation.

Al Mohler on Christians and Adoption

2008-09-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

Despite the situation we have found ourselves in, we are still pro-adoption. And even if the end result is not what we hope for, we would still consider doing it again. We have made some mistakes and would maybe do things differently,and I can not say we would jump right back in, but we still serve a sovereign God. We are in the middle of His plan and He will see us through. I keep telling everyone I really am okay. I am obviously distracted and nervous but I have one thing to hold on to. In the end even if Micah has to be raised in a situation which we believe to be unfit, it is still ordained by God. Micah will still be in the palm of His hands and He will carry us all through this. You see, in the end, I know we will be okay, devastated, but okay. It is this in between time that kills you. I wanted to say all of this as an encouragement to those of you who look at us and say, "That is why I would never adopt or that is why I would never adopt domestically." Those comments hurt us just as much as what we are going through now. We do not look at families who have terminally ill children and say, "That is why I will never have children." God does not gaurantee us time with our biological children. It is really no different. God places children in the homes He chooses, for the allotted time that He chooses. We may raise Micah and see him get married and start his own family, and we may not. But either way it is still God's plan.

Al Mohler had something interesting to say about Christians and adoption.

Memory Work

2008-09-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

With the stress in our life right now there are some things that suffer. One of those things are the extras that happen in a school day. My creative juices are just not flowing right now. My thoughts are too occupied with our court hearing and the thought of possibly having to hand over our son. We are getting in the core things, but things like Art, Science experiments, and memory work are suffering. My husband sat down with me last night and went through lesson plans and really took a load off by giving me the freedom to just cover the basics for the next month. Having his support in that helps my anxiety level. He also came up with what I thought was a great idea and I wanted to share it with those of you who still have children in the grammar stage. He suggested making memory work flashcards and storing them in an over the door pocket shoe holder. He even said I could buy as many flashcards as I could find so I did not have to make them all. He thinks they can do a lot of their memory work on their own this way. I just tell them which cards to pull out and they quiz each other. I am sure this is not a new idea and others are already doing it, but it sounded good to me and I thought I would share.

Need Some Encouragement Today?

2008-09-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Doug and Nancy Wilson have some words I needed to hear today. I thought you may find them helpful and encouraging as well.

Doug says...
Grace deals with sin. Indulgence does not. Law would like to, but cannot. To cover up for its impotence, law in a father can deliver yet another disapproving lecture. And the son concludes that if he is going to be hanged for a thief no matter what he does, he might as well steal something.

Check out the whole thing here.

Nancy says......
Feeling blue? Overwhelmed? Tired? Here’s a little remedy that just might help. Straight out of the Bible too: In all things give thanks.

Check out the whole thing here.

Online Classes

2008-09-20T04:48:00.000-07:00

Most people who have never seen an online class can not wrap their minds around how it works. Now that my son is taking a couple I thought I could go through it from a teacher and student perspective. First, from a teacher. I am loving it. The personalities of these young children are ringing right through their voices. It is so much fun when a 9 year old is so excited about the lesson or the book we are reading that you can hear the laughter in their voices. I have to say I have a great group of kids. They seem to love the subject matter and what 9 to 11 year old is not going to sit on the edge of their seats to wait for their turn to talk on the microphone or type in the chat box. As much as I am enjoying this, it is a lot of work. More work than I was prepared for. This is the first year VP offered classes for this age group. I do not think anyone was prepared. Not only do I have to study and be prepared, I have to create a power point visual for almost every point I am making. I think I will lose them quickly if I do not have something different for them to look at on the screen every few minutes. It is great that it is on line though, because I can bring in anything from the Internet. In that way I feel like my son, at least, is learning more than he would from me if I were not teaching the class. I know from past experience I would not do all of the fun internet research I am doing now and I certainly was not making up all of the games and visuals that he is getting from this class. So, while it is a lot of work, I am having fun and learning a lot. I also keep thinking that if I can get through this year, next year will be a breeze. The work will already be done. Now I just have to remember to back it all up in case my computer crashes. There has been talk of me teaching another class. You all will have to remind me of the word no when it comes time for commitment.:)

From a student perspective. Isaac is loving it. I think he thinks this puts him a little closer to being a teenager. Isaac is also into anything having to do with the computer. I switched him to Math U See this year and he pays much more attention to Steve Demme on the DVD lesson than to me. I have found this to be true for his on line classes as well. A good on line teacher will have constant class interaction to keep their attention. He loves it when they will tell the students who are not talking to just type in the answer. It keeps them busy, helps them practice their typing skills, and lets the teacher know they are getting it. He is always listening to make sure he does not miss his chance to talk or type. If he is having an off day, no problem, the classes are being recorded. We can go back and listen again.It is also another person to be accountable to besides me. He has homework after every class and he knows it has to be done. There are no excuses. It also keeps me on my toes. We can not get behind in Grammar, Latin, or History.

Yes, we are loving it. I kind of feel like we are having the best of both worlds. I love that we are home together and that we are doing most of the teaching. But, I also love that we are getting some help from those who are more specialized in the subject matter than I am. With the number of small children I have and the craziness of our life, it is great to have quality help.

This Week's Menu

2008-09-20T04:29:00.000-07:00

In the name of getting back to routine, I am doing menu planning again. I actually like to menu plan. I like to think that when I get home from the grocery store I do not have to go back for another week because I planned so well. It never works that way, though. It seems no matter how much I buy we ALWAYS run out of milk and bread. I have also started trying to cook and freeze meals. Since I started teaching online, the dinner hour sneaks up on me and we have to order out or have a late dinner. Well, with the thought of all of the legal bills we are acquiring right now, my husband has put a ban on ANY unnecessary spending. Thus, the frozen meals. Every other Friday afternoon I try to put 3 meals in the freezer. I look at what meat is on sale and then find recipes to go with that. So, anyway, here is my menu for the next week. Or until Thursday. That is my shopping day.

Saturday- Pork Chops, Apples,and Sour Kraut in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, green beans.--This is a great fall meal and very Lancastrian. I had never heard of it until we moved here.
Sunday- Barbecued sandwiches (Freezer Meal)
Monday-Marinated Grilled Chicken
Tuesday-Pot Roast
Wednesday-Black Beans and Rice (Freezer Meal)
Thursday- Ham loaf (Freezer Meal) Another Lancastrian dish.

Bed-time Stories

2008-09-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

So, I am teaching an on line history class this year. It is Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation. I am having a lot of fun preparing. It is only two days a week, but the prep has been outrageous. Part of the reason is I have some very bright students. I am getting emails asking theological questions pertaining to that time period that I know I did not think about until I was an adult. I am learning a lot, though. But, that is not what this post is about. We are reading Beowulf in the class. The regular literature and the historical lit are a little much for Isaac(Who is taking the class.). So, I have let him listen to Beowulf on CD. A friend asked how his insomnia was coming. I told her it was better. He was listening to Beowulf in bed and it helped his mind calm down enough to fall asleep. I thought nothing of it, but she laughed at us. The thought of Beowulf being calm enough to put someone to sleep was strange to her. I wonder what she would say if she knew that my husband told stories from the Wanderings of Odysseus as our bed-time stories? I think we might be weird.

Routine

2008-09-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

I am a person who loves routine. The problem I find myself having is that I constantly am thinking, "When this is done we will get back to our routine." I am always wishing away our time for the sake of things getting back to normal. Though I wish we were not in the situation we are in right now, I am feeling the need to get on with life. I think my trouble in doing this is somehow wrapped up in my inability to give all of this stress to God. When I look back over the last several years there is always something. I am coming to the reality that I am wasting mine and my children's lives waiting for things to "return to normal." My oldest is struggling with something right now. It is pretty serious and we are losing a lot of sleep. I am home from church because he was a wake until 2 am with insomnia. He could not shake all of the thoughts going through his head. My prayer for him is that he would see the beauty in the life God has given him, give his anxiety over, and move on. As I prayed this over him in the middle of the night I immediately realized what a horrible example I have been to him. Could his anxiety stem from watching me deal with the stress in our life? So, my prayer for myself is the same as mine for him. I need to realize we live in a fallen world, which means there is always going to be stress and heartache. I need to give mine to God and get back to our "routine" even in the midst of trials. I have to stop waiting for everything to "get back to normal." This is the normal God has given us for now. So, my goal for each day is to seek God's help in not living in fear of what may happen in the next few months, but instead be thankful for what I have that day and continue in our routines.

Giveaway

2008-09-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

There is a great giveaway going on here.I have been wanting a Skirty for Sarah.

Bad News

2008-09-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

I have been avoiding writing this post because I do not know what to say. Our adoption is being contested. For reasons that I can not go into in such a public forum, it is necessary to give this a good fight. We need wisdom and God's guidance. We are trying to make the right choices and not ones based on emotions. We also are praying that everyone involved will see what is best for Micah. Please pray for us as we try to function as a normal family with this cloud hanging over us. We do not have a court date yet, but think it will be in November. I know people set up blogs for things like this to keep friends and family up to date on what is going on. I do not feel comfortable with that. I will more than likely not blog about it other than asking for prayer from time to time. It is just too public. Maybe I am being silly, but I do not think you can be too careful when you are fighting for your child. Thank you for the support you all have already given us.

From the Mouth of Babes

2008-09-02T19:52:00.001-07:00

We are a very open and honest family. Maybe too much so. We are usually pretty forth coming about things our family needs to pray for.(We keep it age appropriate, of course.)So, there is this person who is the thorn in our flesh right now. Things are happening that make it impossible to hide it from the kids. Sarah's prayer today really struck me. She said, "Thank you Jesus for ______. Please help him/her to stop doing _____ so he/she can love you." We have prayed for protection, for God's will, etc. but never that God would change this person. Again, I am wishing for the innocence that my children have.

Zach's First Day

2008-09-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I blog things about my children that I just want to keep on record and remember. I realize you may not see these things as being funny or cute, but you will just have to bare with me. This is one of those times. Just stop reading if you want.

We were waiting a year to start Zach in Kindergarten. He has a November birthday and will not be 5 until then. Well, he started to teach himself his letters. We decided to start even if we had to spread it out over two years. Sarah and Isaac have been doing a few things for the past 2 weeks, but today was the official start of everything. Zach, was so excited. He kept knocking on the bathroom door this morning while I was in the shower. He wanted to know if he had to wait for me or could he just start. Well, after 2 papers he was tired. His 3rd and final color sheet of the day was too much. It was very messy. I told him he could do better. He wanted me to "grade"it. I do not grade any of their papers yet. We just do it until it is correct. I am not sure where he got this. Anyway, I wrote the word messy and put a sad face. I immediately felt guilty and thought he was tired and I should have stopped before that paper. Well, he started laughing. He said that was a really funny looking face and he likes it when I am silly with him at school. I do not think he gets it. He in no way, shape, or form realized that work was not acceptable. Wouldn't it be great to be that naive again?

Another Zach story: At the end of the day his father asked if he felt any smarter after his first day of Kindergarten. His reply, " Nah, it will be a while before she teaches me anything I don't already know."

My Favorite Hymn

2008-08-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

Every time we sing this hymn at church I am in awe as I read the words. This hymn is so beautiful. It is a prayer of St. Patricks's that was made into a hymn. It is long, but I never tire of hearing/singing these powerful words. Today I was especially comforted by vs.5 as I held my sleeping baby in my arms. I have highlighted it.

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Update

2008-08-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give you all a quick update. The birth father has been notified of the hearing and is threatening to contest the adoption. We are trying to lean on the promise of our sovereign God, but I must admit I have to sometimes take one hour at a time. I let my thoughts and anxiety get the best of me. So, you can pray that anxiety does not take over here and that September 4 will bring an end to all of this. Thank you for all of the emails and phone calls. We are very thankful for the support of our Christian family.

The children are doing so well through this. Isaac is a constant source of hugs, Sarah is willing and ready to do any chore thrown her way, Zachary is so quick to say "yes ma'am and is doing such a good job at staying in his bed. Micah is smiling and jumping in his jumper thing and cutting teeth without any symptoms. Jack, on the other hand is reminding us that our children are really not angels. He is a constant source of surprise and laughter(which we really need).Thank you for remembering to pray for them as well.

Blog Break

2008-08-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

I am going to take a blog break. We are about to find out if our adoption is going to be contested. My mind is so preoccupied with it that I really can not think of anything to blog about. We would appreciate your prayers. We have a court date in the beginning of September and we will know more then. I will let you know what happens. Please pray for everyone involved the next few weeks has the potential to be quite stressful for a lot of people.

Not Good Timing

2008-08-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Well, we were all geared up to start school today. Wouldn't ya know? Three of us woke up sick and on top of that my back is out. I can not stand for more than a minute or two and can not stand straight for those minutes. Needless to say, school is not starting today.

Getting Ready

2008-08-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

What do you do around your home school to get everyone excited about starting up again?
It is funny here. Sarah is ready. She never wanted to stop. All I have to say is, "Next Monday we are starting school." and that is enough to make her do flips. Isaac, needs a little more coaxing. He has had fun flipping through all of the new books and is ready to start some of them. I would not use the word excited, though. Today I took them shopping for school supplies and the box of 100 colored pencils was calling his name. He really gets in to new art supplies so he is a little more excited. This is the first year for Zach. He was so funny to watch. I basically have a list of what they need, but let them pick, within reason, what kind of brands and such they get. HE was so excited over the pencils that I was nervous about letting him know he could get crayons, markers, scissors, etc. as well. He was quite overwhelmed and wants to start NOW. They are also excited to set up their desks. We will do that tomorrow. I realize as they get older shiny new supplies will not do the trick, but it is fun to see the excitement now.

Training Hearts

2008-08-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

The focus this year at VP Teacher Training was on the fact that more than anything we should be training the students hearts an how important it is for parents to take this seriously. Whether you are a home school parent or a parent of a child going to school. If you are deciding on a school for your children it is so important to know who will be training and teaching them. Voddie Baucham pointed out that students have approximately 14,000 seat hours of school during their school career. This is true in the home school and the traditional classroom. For home schoolers it is a great wake up call that our schooling is about so much more than book knowledge. As we teach them they are learning more than actual facts. Hopefully, we are teaching them how it all applies to the world around them and how to think of this with a biblical world-view. This is how we spend the majority of the time we have with our children. So, try hard to think of this has you are teaching. It is so easy to get caught up in getting through the lessons. But this is the biggest chunk of time you will have with your children. Be purposeful about how you go about teaching them and remember how you interact with your children during this time may have the biggest influence in molding and shaping who they become. God requires us to not be lazy so this is not an excuse to brush off academics. Training our children to be diligent workers is very important. Just remember that heart training and home schooling can not be separated.

For school teachers, what an awesome responsibility. You are with your students so much more than their parents. Teachers will have the biggest influence in a students life. Positive or negative. This makes it so important to work with the parents. I pointed out my Bible talk that when teaching children the Bible a lot is revealed. I have found it necessary to contact parents about things that come out in teaching Bible lessons simply because the student was not home long enough for the parents to even know there was a struggle going on. Simply put, classroom teachers have a huge responsibility. Remember whether you want to or not you play the largest earthly role in molding and shaping the hearts of your students.

I'm Back

2008-07-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

At least I think I am back. I'm not sure how consistent I will be over the next few weeks, but I'm going to give it a try. Last week was great. VP Teacher Training was a wonderful experience. After getting over my initial terror of talking, I was good for the rest of the time. It is surprising to most people that I was anxious. For those of you who know me, you know I love to talk. I discovered I was not actually afraid of talking, but of being recorded. So, now it is out there and never to be forgotten. That does not bother me for 2 of the seminars, but I not as well pleased with the other. So, if you are listening to one of my talks and are thinking, "What in the world!?!", just ignore it. It'll make more sense next time. If there is a next time....

Anyway, it was a great week. We were able to have dinner with friends and another set of friends stayed with us, so there was lots of catching up. Voddie Baucham was as phenomenal as I thought he would be. The kids had a fun with their cousin and the baby started eating solid foods. All in all it was a fun week. Now I am busy getting our school stuff together. I want to start school the middle of August.

So, that is what we have been up to.

Taking a Break

2008-07-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

Just letting you know I am taking a little blog break. It is just too busy here to put any energy into blogging. After Teacher Training next week I hope to be back.

2008-07-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

I am working on a home-school scheduling post. It should be up today or tomorrow.

Menu For the Week

2008-07-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

This week we will actually be home most nights. WooHoo!

Monday- Chicken Stir Fry and Brown Rice
Tuesday- Pasta with a Marinara Sauce and Salad
Wednesday- BBQ Pork chops Sweet Corn on the Cob and Fresh Cantaloupe
Thursday- Black Beans and Rice and Salad
Friday- Hamburgers and Tomato Salad
Saturday- Marinated London Broil with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms, Roasted Potatoes, Sweet Corn on the Cob, Spinach Salad, and rolls with Honey Butter (We may do a pajama ride for ice cream.)

For Lunch on Sundays we either have left-overs or Subway. For dinner we always have BLT sandwiches or Burgers.

I Am On Fire

2008-07-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

The first day of my 4th grade year I had to go to school with a swollen and itchy face. It was covered in poison ivy. I had forgotten about that until this week.I am having flashbacks and wondering what mean mother would send their child to school that way. Especially on the first day! She says she does not remember it being that bad. I say she was not the one suffering! Well, I am reliving it now. My husband brought poison ivy into the house. He was doing yard work and the poison oils got on his clothes. He proceeded to put them in the laundry. He has one little spot on his arm that went away within a few days. I, am evidently highly allergic. My entire torso is covered. I guess for an allergic person the laundry soap is not enough. So, after an urgent care visit (we are out of town), a steroid shot, 4 doses of Benedryl, and 2 prescription doses of steroids, I am STILL itching and it is spreading. I was told it has to work it's way out of my body. The doctor says I either have to wash everything in bleach or throw out any clothes that I have come in contact with since this happened. I am being quarantined in my own parent's house. They have given me towels and things to use and I am to make sure it does not cross their paths. Anyway, I am out of ideas. Any suggestions?

By the way, my very sympathetic husband wanted to know if this really warranted an urgent care bill. Couldn't I just wait until Monday and see if it goes away? Once again I say, "You are so not the one suffering!!!"

I Am Not Quite As Dumb As He Thinks

2008-06-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering why it takes me so long to get to serious posts which take time and energy, it is because I am busy listening and shaking my head at comments like this:

Zachary: "Sarah, Mom said no to me, but since you are the only princess here and you have a really good puppy dog face, she will probably say yes to you."

or
Zachary again: " I can't do that chore Mommy because it takes a long time and my little hands get really, really tired."

No, only princesses and puppy dog faces do not work. Especially not after over-hearing that. And, you better believe he did that chore. Tired hands and all.

What's on YOur Table This Week?

2008-06-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you know that as soon as I say I am going to start posting menus our life gets all crazy and we are never home? Tonight is pork chops, sweet corn on the cob, and lettuce wedges with blue cheese dressing. Tomorrow is my birthday and I was just informed that Bruce and I will be going to my favorite tapas place.On Wednesday we are heading down to VA to be with my dad and help out a little. We will be gone through the weekend. I think we will take advantage of being in Fredericksburg over the 4th and take in some of the historic sights. So, there you have it for this week.

We Really Are Doing a Good Thing

2008-06-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

I believe home-schooling is a calling. I believe every Christian parent is obligated to train their children with a Christian world-view, but I do not think it has to be done at home. There are things we sacrifice to keep the kids at home and their are things we sacrifice when we send them to school. That said, I have been doing a little research for a project and have been pleased with what I am finding. I know home-schooled children are graduating and doing terrific things, but it is always nice to hear others saying it. It makes me feel not quite so out there. So, if you are like me and like to be encouraged about the choice you have made, read these links.

http://crumbsonmyfloor.com/2008/06/25/just-had-to-post-this-after-my-post-yesterday/

http://classicalmom.blogspot.com/2008/05/homeschool-and-socialization.html

It's a Way of Life #1

2008-06-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

I have decided I am not good at post series because I can never get the time to do one a day. Sorry if this goes on for too many days. I'll try to not have so many days in between, but no promises.

I am going to call my home-schooling posts It's a Way of Life. I really believe that is true, because if you try to separate it from every other parts of your life, you are going to fail somewhere. It is just not possible to live two separate lives and be perfect at both. Actually, you are not going to be perfect anyway, and you will fail at times. Maybe I should say I believe it is difficult to function and be productive if you try to separate it. When someone spends time with us they will detect a certain aroma. It may be stinky or lovely. It does not take very long for others to decide what this aroma is. The aroma could be any thing from chaos, to stringency, or productivity to laziness. As believers, first we must produce an aroma which shows that Christ lives within us. This will be very evident to anyone who spends time in your home. Sometimes you can even just step in the door and tell. This aroma really envelopes everything you do as a family. You can not develop this lovely aroma by having family devotions, praying, loving one another, and then being completely lazy about your home-schooling. I am afraid it all comes as a package. Have you ever had this really good smell going in your home and then there is this nasty diaper or something else awful. It does not matter at that point how many candles you have been burning or pies you have been baking all day. It just really stinks now. Now you have to revamp and work a little to get rid of the nasty smell. It is the same thing with your schooling. You cannot fool everyone by having this great aroma of Christ in your home, but completely nasty one in your schooling. The bad smell always wins over the good one. And it takes a little work to change things around. We all have different ways to achieve a wonderful smell in our homes. I love to burn candles and am pretty much a candle Nazi. I have one or two that I love and really do not use any others. There are others that use spray. Others love to just open their windows and air the place out. That does not work here in the midst of all of the farm land. Anyway, there are so many different ways to achieve a good aroma. Over the next few days let's talk about how we each do that in our homes. If you want to be thinking on that, the next post will be about the scheduling and getting it all in.

Building a Home

2008-06-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

I think this is a great post over at Girl Talk.

Menu For the Week

2008-06-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

I did not forget to post a menu. Bruce is out of town, therefore the kids are looking forward to all of the overly processed kid food they can eat. We will do Sonic one night, pizza one night, chicken nuggets another, and then maybe spaghetti. You see, Dad never wants any of these foods. No, I will not be eating this menu. I think I would be sick for weeks if I did. I will have salads and other more healthy things. It is so funny. I put so much thought and time into cooking healthy meals and they love them. But, nothing excites a child like the prospect of a few days of processed food.

Please Pray

2008-06-24T04:11:00.000-07:00

I am not usually one to ask for prayer on this blog. There are so many things going through my mind right now it is hard for me to rest and be calm. My son has had a difficult year. I am so proud of the progress he has made, but sometimes his hurt just breaks my heart. Please pray for him. On top of everything here, my dad just had double knee replacement. I am trying to decide when to go home with the kids to help. I am not sure how much help I will be with the children, but I feel like I at least need to try. I am feeling emotionally overwhelmed. I would appreciate your prayers.

High Standards

2008-06-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Before we talk about all of the creative ways to homeschool and keep a high standard, we need to establish why a high standard is important. I think everyone would say they desire their children to have a great education. You start out in kindergarten with all of these great expectations and goals then somewhere along the way you lose steam. It is hard and tiring to keep up. We make (by we I mean me)excuses like there are just too many kids, or the heart is more important, or it is better that they learn through everyday life experience. All of these statements are actually true, but it does not give us reason to throw academics out the window. In the last couple of years I have realized this is my life and if I am not careful my children are going to become lazy and think just enough to get by is good. Yes, there are a lot of children, but they each are going to have to live without me one day and need to be trained to work hard to get what they need. Yes, the heart is more important, but teaching a child to be lazy and make excuses is not good for the heart. Yes, everyday experience is great and I believe it is one reason why the majority of home-schooled children are mature beyond their years, but God does not desire that we just sit back in the lazy-boy waiting for the next opportunity to come knocking. The Bible says we are to do ALL things to the glory of God. I am not sure about you, but when I do something to honor God I do not want it to be done half-way. All things means, all things. Yes, this means ministry and such, but it also means handwriting and math, and whatever else you are doing. Now, do not go and think, "Their poor children." I know there is a different standard for every child. Obviously, each child has different gifts and talents. Over time you will find what they are and adjust things accordingly. My son HATES to write. He is very skilled at writing the least amount of words possible. Sometimes, I will let it slide, but over all he needs to do the assignment and stop being lazy about it. My thing with him is there are some things in life that make no rhyme or reason, but you still have to do them. Let's learn now to work through that and just do it, and do it well. It will be much harder later. I believe we can get it all in for each child, we just have to be creative. We sometimes may need to adjust our goals. Sometimes I feel I am reaching for the impossible, but it is better to be stretched a little than to not reach at all. I could say so much more on this topic, but at least you know where I am coming from. You may disagree, and that is okay. I would still like to hear from you.

Voddie Baucham

2008-06-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Veritas Press is having Voddie Baucham come to speak at Teacher Training in July. He will also be speaking that Monday night and it is open to the public for $5. Check out their website for more details. Mr. Baucham is well known to some, not so much to others. I decided to post a couple of YouTube clips so you can become familiar with him. My husband and I had the privilege of having dinner with him and his son a few months ago. He is a great man and is passionate about what he has to say. Our family is certainly excited to witness the work which God is doing through him. You will find my favorite quote in the first clip. In another clip (that I can not find) he makes the Caesar statement after quoting the statistic that 70 to 80% of evangelical children are falling away from the Christian faith by the end of their freshman year in college. I have heard several men say this recently. At first I thought it could be an exaggeration. I am pretty cynical. But, after doing a little research myself, it seems to be true. Very sad, but true.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHAb5Eqk60Q&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nY5ZhnbrPA&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncc_nPiS1Gw&feature=related