Apologia elementary science journals contest

It is the time of year that I start planning and purchasing for next year's schooling. I'm getting really excited and look forward to ordering our new books and materials! I was just reading Kelli's blog at www.thelandofboys.blogspot.com about a new contest to win a notebook journal for Apologia's elementary Botany or Astronomy books!! We have used the Botany book this past year and have loved it. The new notebooks to go with the text books look fantastic!! This contest is over May 29 - so enter right away if you are interested. Here is all the info.

Apologia is now producing notebooking journals that accompany each of the elementary science books. Both Botany and Astronomy are now available.
These journals are beautiful spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won't have to print and keep up with your child's notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders...everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal.

Each of the notebooking journals include:
A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
Review Questions
Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice
Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.
See the sample pages here:


Botany: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=128


and


Astronomy: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=127


Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest: www.jeanniesjournal.com

All the Last Times

At bedtime on Sunday night, I gave Jaden a kiss and put him in his crib to sleep. Just like hundreds of nights before. What I didn't know is this: it was the last time I would ever put my child to bed in a crib!

Granted, he is nearly 3 and a half years old. Our other two children were out of the crib before his age and into big beds by age 3. We knew we really should be getting a big bed for Jaden, but we didn't feel rushed. I had slept in a crib at three years old - I still remember it! But Jaden is already 3 feet 3 inches tall and the crib was starting to get cramped. So when I was walking around the neighborhood yesterday at all the yard sales (it's an annual thing here on Memorial Day) and I spotted the perfect bed for Jaden, we bought it!

Mark went to work taking the crib apart and assembling the new bed in his room. It is a very nice bed - big storage drawers underneath for all his toys, a bookcase headboard. Just right for his little room! But seeing the crib dismantled and ready to be put into storage made me have a strange little lump in my throat. Good-bye crib!!! That piece of furniture and that stage of life has passed for us now.

Then I began to think about all the other things that I unknowingly did for the last time - all those times that passed un-noticed and unaware. All the first things are celebrated and recorded - first smile, first teeth, first steps... But the last things slip away silently and it is not until afterward that we notice they are gone......Like the last time I ever carried Joel in my arms. There was a last time, but who knows when that was? The last time I ever washed his hair... gave him a bath... helped him brush his teeth... wiped his nose...put him on time-out... walked him in a stroller... exchanged Eskimo kisses... buckled his seat belt? All those times have long passed. I never knew when I did any of those things for the last time.

When was the last time that I did all those things for Ivy? Rocked her to sleep... Held her on my hip... Fed her in the high chair... Kissed to make it better... Sprayed "No More Tangles" spray in her hair... Held her hand as we crossed the street... Let her stand on a chair in the kitchen so she could help stir... Played "hide and seek" with her? All those last times have all happened and I didn't know at those times it was the very last time!

One of the advantages of having a baby again after the other children were older is that I've realized more and more how quickly the stages pass. I've learned to treasure those moments along the way, all the "ordinary" times that later are looked at as being so tender and sweet in the memories. I've also experienced the blessings of having older kids and know that I have much to look forward to with Jaden!

Here are some pictures of some of those things that passed by seemingly unnoticed:

Holding Joel in my arms

Changing Joel's diapers on the table

Making Joel laugh with his favorite cow puppet

Joel riding horsey with Daddy

Our little family of four with toddler Joel and baby Ivy

Carrying Ivy in the sling

Mealtimes holding Ivy and Joel in the high chair

Giving Ivy a bath on the table

Ivy wearing an Easter bonnet!

Ivy snuggling up on Daddy's lap

Joel wearing a Cowboy hat and boots

OK - you get the idea! I could add about a hundred more pictures illustrating these things that passed by so quickly, but I'll stop here. Instead of grieving the passing of those things, I will embrace the moments today and look forward to the future memories that we will make!

Our busy month!

For our family, May is the busiest month of the year! I have been so busy that I haven't been able to keep up with this blog very well, although there have been so many, many things I have wanted to write about!

This month included choir concerts, a wonderful Mother-Daughter weekend retreat, Mother's Day with my mom, and my mom's birthday, Track and Field Day, our anniversary, visits from friends, Mark's parents visiting from New York, my Dad and his wife visiting from Arizona, yard sales at our house, several dentist apointments, completing the painting of the kitchen, putting away Jaden's crib and getting him a "Big Boy Bed" and next weekend will be Joel's missions trip to Philadelphia!

These are some pictures from this month.


Jaden loved helping Daddy and Ivy plant the flowers this year!

Ivy and I had lots of fun on the Mother-Daughter retreat! Here she is with some friends in the rowboat. Later, Ivy and I went out on the canoe together. We had beautiful weather and a great time.

We ate s'mores after roasting marshmallows over the fire in the lodge.

We went on a sunrise hike - a very early morning, but it was nice.

My beautiful daughter

Grandma reading stories to Jaden on Mother's Day

Mark cooked lunch for us on Mother's Day. He grilled chicken and made everything to go with it too! Yum!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Jaden loves to help me make pancakes on Saturday mornings! I also wanted to show the kitchen door before it was painted.

Ivy found baby bunnies in the backyard. She kept them for a little while, thinking she and her friends could "adopt" them. They had them up in the clubhouse, fed them milk from an eye dropper and named them all - until I found out about it and insisted they be taken back to their nest and their mama!!!! Thankfully everything worked out well and the mama rabbit was happy to see them again.

Pictures of our completed kitchen! Everything painted, new floor, new ceiling, new tile board, new trim, crown moulding, etc. I love it! Thank you Mark!

My Dad and his wife Ginny from Arizona.
Daddy reading Jaden some Bible stories before bed - on his brand new bed!
Jaden's first time going to sleep in a big boy bed!!!! He told me he thought it was very nice, but he liked his crib better! Silly boy!

Differing perspectives on forgiveness

October 2, 2006 was a beautiful sunny Monday. I remember turning on the radio as I began to prepare lunch that day and heard the report of a stand-off at an Amish school. There are numerous Amish schools in Lancaster County, one less than five minutes from our house. Immediately I turned on the tv for more information. Quickly the news spread that the Amish school in Nickel Mines was the scene of a horrible tragedy after a gunman walked in and shot 10 little Amish girls leaving five dead and five seriously wounded and then killed himself. I gathered my children close to me and we prayed. We felt so very, very sad. Who could have done such an evil thing? Why would anyone want to kill sweet young children? A school shooting in an Amish school was unthinkable before that day.

It wasn't very long until the killer was identified. That brought more shock and more unanswered questions. He was a quiet man with no criminal history, no understood motive beyond the fact that he had bitterness in his heart to God because of the death of his baby girl nine years before. He was from a Christian family, was homeschooled growing up, had a good wife and children. And we shared a connection with his parents that I will not specify here, but it made the news a little bit more personal and tragic.

Perhaps the biggest story in the aftermath of the tragedy was the forgiveness demonstrated by the Amish. Even though the murderer of their children was dead, they forgave him in their hearts, choosing not to hold on to bitterness. They extended kindness and compassion to his family. Many news stories circulated with interviews, telling of acts of kindness, care, reconciliation..... it was truly inspiring and miraculous.

I have been reading the book, Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven Nolt, and David Weaver-Zercher. This book has been very interesting and has given me an even greater understanding of the theology the Amish embrace. I deeply respect and admire the Amish in their reactions to the unthinkable tragedy they suffered. My heart hurts thinking of the pain they experienced and still continue to live through.

Their theology, however, is deeply rooted in trying to gain God's favor through their good deeds, including forgiving others. The Amish believe that if they do not forgive, they will not be forgiven, using the Matthew 6:14-15 ("....For if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.") And the Lord's Prayer includes "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." By forgiving others, they can rest easier knowing that they will be forgiven and perhaps receive eternal life in heaven one day. The thought of not forgiving someone brings terror into their hearts because they believe they would be in danger of hell.

Generally, Protestants hold to a radically different perspective and motivation for forgiveness. We forgive because God forgave us. Not with the uncertain kind of hope that maybe He will forgive us IF we forgive. Rather beacause we have been forgiven, His grace makes it possible for us to forgive others. Our motivation is one of gratitude for the forgiveness we have already received. Ephesians 4:32 and 5:1 instructs us to be "forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." We are to be imitators of God, as His dearly loved children. So forgiveness is an outpouring of the forgiveness and grace we received from God in Christ. It all originates with God! We cannot gain God's favor by our good works, or our forgiveness of others. Without His forgiveness and grace, we were dead in sin, unable to save ourselves. No amount of good deeds could make us right with God! Isaiah 64:6 says, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." We know that we have eternal life, not because of anything we have done, not because of good deeds or forgiving others... but because we have been saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9).

These two different perspectives and motivations for forgiveness have been on my mind for the last two weeks. And God used this in His wonderful wisdom to prepare me for the lesson I was given to substitute teach the fifth and sixth grade girls' Sunday School Class today! I was asked to teach an overview of the books of Titus and Philemon to the class with the emphasis on forgiveness! How appropriate was the timing!

Our anniversary

Today Mark and I celebrate 18 years of marriage! We were so very young - Mark was 22 and I was only 20! Over the years, our love has deepened and grown with the passing of time and so many life experiences together. Our life together has had bumps and surprises, twists and turns, but what a wonderful ride it has been! I am so thankful for our marriage that has only grown sweeter over the years. It is a blessing and joy to be Mark's wife! In honor of the day, I thought I would share some pictures from our wedding day - May 18, 1991 at Faith Bible Church in Sterling, VA.

Running at a very fast pace!

I guess you can tell I've been busy! This has been the longest break in the blog so far! This is the season of the year that our family seems to run at a very fast pace. And speaking of running and fast paces - today was the annual Track and Field Day for Hempfield Homeschoolers! Ivy participated in 7 events - tire run, obstacle course, hurdles, long jump, high jump, softball throw and soccer kick. She had a blast and won a few second and third place ribbons! I was the guide for the 11 year olds so I got to record the times and help with the ribbons. Joel was too old to participate this year so he helped with the 100 yard dash - timed the races. Afterwards, we all enjoyed a picnic lunch and brought some friends of Joel and Ivy home for the rest of the day! They played a long game of Life and ate lots of pizza.