Fit Mommy Friday - Verse Update

Isaiah 43:18-19
Do not call to mind the former things,
Or ponder things of the past.
Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
It will even make a roadway in the wilderness
Rivers in the desert.

Fit Mommy Friday

Checking in! Week 1 - I did GREAT!

Worked out 5 days, did 2 pilates days AND 2 days with weights in addition to a cardio day....and one pilates day I ALSO did weights/cardio workout! WOO HOO!

I ate my 5 fruits and veggies every day, it helped that I made a big ole batch of veggie soup at the beginning of the week, so I had a big ole bowl everyday for lunch...in addition to other things each day.

I chose Tuesday for my no sugar day, wanted to check it off early in the week. To often I have waited to the end, and then accidentally forgot I was not supposed to have sugar, eating it, then losing my challenge opportunity. So, I did good, no sugar day accomplished!

I did not eat after dinner 5 x per week! This is such a good challenge for me and I truly feel so much better when I do this.

And I reflected on my verse each day, it sits in my kitchen window. I will come up with a new one this weekend.

Not a bad start, feeling great! Thanks ladies for making this challenge possible!

PG Key Review

I would love it if my kids could surf around the internet without worry, but that is just not the world we live in. My children do a lot of digital scrapbooking as apart of their homeschooling, as such we find images from the internet to add to their pages. The problem is, I cannot allow them to surf through pictures without supervision. The general rule around here is, I look for a page of images, I scan it and after I let them look through. You never can tell what will pop up under a seemingly innocent search title.

When PG Key arrived for review both myself and my children were excited at the possibility that they would be able to do some hunting around for themselves, and from the reviews I read about this product prior to trying it, it seemed like a very real opportunity! Here is a little snippet from their site:

"Simply plugging PG Key into a child’s or teen’s computer allows parents to follow the advice so often given by law enforcement and parenting experts: 1) Control when and how long the computer is used, 2) Properly setup your system with filters and web site blocking, 3) Create the “over their shoulder” environment that encourages kids to act the same way “on line” as they do in every other part of their life.

Simply put - PG Key does NOT replace parenting with technology - It ENABLES parenting with technology.

PG Key is so easy to install, that any Parent or Grandparent, – no matter how “technically challenged” can plug it in, and within a few seconds have everything they need to apply their parenting skills and strategies, to their kid’s “online” world."

It seemed like something we could really use around our home. And SO simple to use. Sadly, this product did not work for us. There seems to have been some glitch between our computer and their product. However, since I am not able to give an adequate review on the product due to this glitch, I do want to take a moment to highlight their customer service.

Now, this is a good area for me to review, as I highly value good customer service. I feel the customer is the life blood of a retail establishment and as such there should be mutual respect between customer and representative. Let me just say for PG Key, their customer service was impeccable. They did everything they could to help me with this product and have asked me to further help them in working out this glitch so other customers never have to experience it. They were friendly, patient and kind. I am truly sorry this product did not work for us, but I am so glad I can give their customer service team a glowing review. And for informational purposes, when I would first call in I would never tell the rep I was a reviewer of their product, I wanted an unbiased representation of their service. They get an A+ for doing a great job in this area!

So, PG Key can be purchased for just $49.99, total price, no subscription needed. If you would like to try it before you buy it, check out this free trial they offer! You can also head on over the The Old Schoolhouse Magazine if you would like to read more reviews on this much needed product.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. As such I have received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review of this product. I have not received any additional compensation for my review.

10 Week Challenge!

It's not like I don't have enough things on my schedule...I do not suffer from boredom, yet here I sit taking on a challenge with some wonderful ladies. It is a good one and a goal I seem to be constantly working on; health. So, I have to write up my personal goals for a 10 week Fit Mommy Challenge. It begins today and ends December 31. What a great way to start the new year right? Have your "resolutions" checked off already? Love it. So here goes:

I am beginning this challenge in level Two: This level is for those who are already exercising at least 3 times per week on a regular basis. Goals here might include one additional 20-30 min workout each day/week, or incorporating a new exercise or tool (kettle bells, stability ball, bands, dumbbells) into your fitness routine, etc. It should also include some sort of nutritional goal.

1. Exercise 5 days per week, one day with weights and one day pilates, the other three days are cardio (which can be mixed with weights). I have a tendency to want to do all cardio forgetting that the other aspects are just as important. Each day I will exercise a minimum of 30 minutes.
   
2. Eating 5 fruits and veggies 5 days per week. I need a couple of days to not be perfect at it, but I will try. Doing it 5 out of 7 days is a good goal I think.
3. Drinking 8 oz of water a day. Water is my first choice of drink, I just don't always get enough if it is not laid out as a personal goal.
   
4. Lose 8 pounds by the end of this challenge. That would be wonderful!! :)
5. Each week I will have a no sugar day - sugar is in EVERYTHING, and I want to work on not consuming it so often.
6. No eating after dinner 5 days per week. I will brush my teeth after dinner and be done for the day! Nighttime snacking is a serious downfall for me.
7. I want to have a bible verse I can reflect on each week of this challenge. I will post my new verse each week on my blog.

Here is my verse for this week:

Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
1 Chronicles 22:13

I think that is it! So, let the fun begin!! I will be checking in this coming Friday and let you all know how it went!

Siritual Seasons

Recently a fellow brother in Messiah was sharing how he was feeling "spiritually unfit" lately. I thought that was a great way to put it. I know I have those experiences as well, times when I feel very connected spiritually and times when I am feeling rather lost, and unsure of where my connection went. Interestingly, I have been really digging into the principal of the seed from a biblical perspective and thinking a lot about seeds, how they produce like kind, which can be either good or bad. How so much in the world both spiritually and physically is rooted in this very basic principal. When I thought about my friends' comment, that they were not feeling so spiritually fit, the thought popped in my head it is like the seed again, sometimes the seed has grown and is in full bloom, sharing it's God given beauty with the world, then the season changes and the bloom dies off and it returns to seed again, where it is hidden in the earth being nourished by the soil waiting for the seasons to continue so it may again sprout forth through the earth and push up toward the sun, once again coming into bloom. God's cycles are amazing....and there is just so much to learn from there. I would say during those tougher times, when we feel more disconnected, we could possibly be in the part of the cycle where we are in the earth, being nourished by the rich soil....waiting for the season to change. It's not a bad place, it's just a part of the cycle. However, I can't wait to be blooming again though, because when we bloom for Him, it is quite magnificent! Shabbat Shalom.

Sukkot Moments

Last night was a wonderful celebration to end the festival of sukkot. We sat outside, the night could not have been more perfect, beautiful and warm. We enjoyed dinner out in our sukkah, a little singing, a little wine/grape juice (depending on your age in this scenario) and a wonderful time sitting out under the stars remembering God's amazing promises. After a delightful time outside, we moved this little family party inside where we put on some music, some good bumpin' music and had a dance party for about another hour or better! It was a total blast! Finally we were all pooped and ready for some couch time, we closed up the evening with an inspirational movie and some desert. Perfect evening, such fun memories, what a blessing.

Foundlings Review

Let me just start by saying how excited I was to be receiving this book for review. Both of my kids are voracious readers, they bring books on 10 minute errand runs. They always want books with them. The difficult part of that is finding literature that is both quality and appropriate. And today there seems to be a shortage of those qualities to be found in modern books. I loved flipping the book over and finding the words: "No Magic, No Evolution, and No Humanism" printed clearly on the back...."great start" ran through my mind.

Here is a brief synopsis from the website about Foundlings written by Matthew Christian Harding:

Foundlings, book one of The Peleg Chronicles
is Historical Fiction that takes place in the
time period of Peleg, soon after the tower of
Babel dispersion. In its pages we meet
dragons, giants, false priests, the death hunt,
an under-city of the Dwarven Brotherhood,
and many memorable characters.

The story begins with Lord McDougal and his
faithful shield-bearer, Fergus Leatherhead,
departing their lands with giants at their
backs, while before them lie in wait denizens of
the bog-land and forest.

Ever ready to protect and serve others, they
gather in tow an assortment of displaced
adventurers and find themselves embroiled in
a mysterious search for the foundlings:
orphaned Thiery with his companion Horatio
the white wolf, and Suzie who has been
deceitfully retained by the thieves Elvodug and
Flemup.

I decided to have my 15 year old son read this book and here are a few of his opinions:

"It's a good book, well written and kept me interested. The book was set in the time of Peleg, just after the flood of Noah, but there were elements that in actual history were centuries apart. For example they were wearing plate mail and that wasn't invented until the Roman empire. I believe it's better if the technology is time period accurate. But it is still a good book and I would be interested in reading the rest of the series."

My son is all about history, he loves it, reads about it for fun, not just homeschool. So for him, these kinds of details really matter. I would find him enjoying the book but then having moments of frustration at the inaccuracy of the time period and events happening that would never have gone together. He would also mention how the speech of the characters did not align with the time period as well...details, but like he said, it would not stop him from wanting to read more of the series.

From my personal perusal of the book, I found it to be fun and engaging. Personally I felt weaving together the Genesis account with another time period of chivalry and heroism was entertaining. I would recommend this book to my friends and family however I would definitely add in the thoughts my son has shared as well. The best written? Probably not, but overall a fun read. I am thankful for believing authors that are taking time to produce books for our kids to read. I look forward to future releases from this author and publishing company, I want to encourage a publisher working to bring better literature to the world.

In addition to the story in the end of the book there is a section entitled " The Gospel of Jesus Christ". This portion is filled with verses about coming into repentance and a relationship with the Lord. It includes verses on baptism as well. I like that there is no commentary offered in this portion, just a listing of verses. I might suggest, however, that there be guidance to the child reading this to talk to their parents if they have any questions about what is being shared here.


Foundlings is 239 pages long. It can be purchased from the Zoe & Sozo Publishing website for $11.95, the recommended age range for this book is ages 10 and up. Currently, books one and two are available for this series.


Disclaimer: I am a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. As such I have received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review of this product. I have not received any additional compensation for my review.

Salem Ridge Press

I love to get books...buy books, check books out of the library, borrow them from friends, receive them as gifts and especially have them sent to me for review! We just LOVE books in our home. There is one problem, in a world that seems to love vampires, magic and overly mature relationships for young people, finding good quality books can be quite difficult. So, I was very excited about receiving and reading books from Salem Ridge Press.

I had done a little look see over there website to get an idea of what we would be receiving. I was so excited about the prospects! Here is a little snippit from there site:

"Here at Salem Ridge Press we know how challenging it can sometimes be to find wholesome books for your family. Well-written books that teach godly character and high moral values are hard to come by. Many books written during the late 1800's and early 1900's fit this criteria, but it still takes time to search them out and preview their contents. We purchase many old books, often using leads from old catalogs, and carefully evaluate each one, republishing only the best of the best."

These are just the kinds of books we are looking for. And this is one of the books we read, cover to cover when it arrived...



Dearer Than Life, a story of the times of Wycliffe, by Emma Leslie. Wonderful story! The kids and I really enjoyed learning about the life of Dr. Wycliffe and the reality of life under a church that ruled all aspects of life. It gave us such a wonderful understanding of what Dr. Wycliffe and his "poor priests" endured as they tried to spread the truth of God's word to a people who only understood the church to be the final authority on all matters. It was certainly a time of revival.

As much as we learned and enjoyed this book, I would have to add, we did find the language difficult at times. Because of the Old English we would find ourselves lost in the story. However, with that aside, we still understood the overall story and enjoyed the language. One thing that we found very helpful as well, at the bottom of each page is a list of words from Old English and their translation into modern English. This was fun to learn some "old" vocabulary.

In addition to this book we received two books in e-book format:


Sign Above the Door - Story Synopsis
"Young Prince Martiesen is ruler of the land of Goshen in Egypt, where the Hebrews live. Eight plagues have already come upon Egypt and now Martiesen has been forced by Pharaoh to further increase the burden of the Hebrews. Martiesen, however, is in love with the beautiful Hebrew maiden, Elisheba, whom he is forbidden by Egyptian law to marry. As the nation despairs, the other nobles turn to Martiesen for leadership, but before he can decide what to do, Elisheba is kidnapped by the evil Peshala and terrifying darkness falls over the land. An exciting tale woven around the events of the Exodus from the Egyptian perspective!"

The Captives - Story Synopsis
"The Druid priests are as cold and cruel as the forest spirits they claim to represent, and Guntra, the chief of her tribe of Britons, must make a desperate deal with them to protect those she loves. Unaware of Guntra’s struggles, Jugurtha, her son, longs to drive the hated Roman conquerors from the land. When he encounters the Christian Centurion, Marcinius, Jugurtha mocks the idea of a God of love and kindness, but there comes a day when he is in need of love and kindness for himself and his beloved little sister. Will he allow Marcinius to help him? And will the gospel of Jesus Christ ever penetrate the brutal religion of the proud Britons?"

Salem Ridge Press offers a nice line of books, and I would have to say, using this book as an indicator of quality, we will be sure to return for other adventures. What they offer is quite extensive:

• Church History (historical fiction)
  
• American History (historical fiction)
  
• World History (historical fiction)
  
• Adventure Books
• Allegory
• Books for Young Readers

And within these there are many options. You can get many books in hardcover or soft cover, and books range in price from $12.95-$22.95. Their website is also very user friendly, you can search by subject, age range, author or alphabetical. And while you are there, don't forget to check out there "About Us" page, sweet photos of this family and a lovely testimony. This is a family committed to offering excellent literature for our children.

I would highly recommend taking a look at Salem Ridge Press . I know my family will be heading back for more wonderful books on subjects we will be studying in the future.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. As such I have received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review of this product. I have not received any additional compensation for my review.

Our Crazy Cat

A couple of years ago I thought it would be fun to get another cat...it has been about a year since our beloved Critter had passed and I was thinking it would be nice to have a little fur ball around again. I asked Scott about it and he was quick to answer no way. He did not want the clean up of a litter box, clawing of furniture and all the other work that comes with cat ownership. So, with definitive no, I felt it was safe to go ahead and bug him now and then about getting one. To be honest, as much fun as I had in my head to get one, a large part of me also thought about the work of it all. So began my campaign, with the knowledge that the answer was a flat no, it was fun to dream and bug him about having a new pet. (It was a safe way to go...I could have the fun of dreaming but all the while knowing I was not really committing to anything!)

It was December on a Saturday night, we were driving home from services, Scott leans over and asks me a question, which I did not hear clearly, thinking he asked if I wanted to go and grab some food on the way home I said "Sure!". YAY! I don't have to cook!! HA! Well, to my utter surprise we pull up to the pet store! WHAT??!! I didn't say a word. We got out and went in looking at the cats, my brain is flying over the conversation we just had in the car....didn't he say go out to eat? Or did he say let's go get a CAT??!! SERIOUSLY? But he said no!? He can't just change his mind..I was having fun! (I should learn a lesson from things like this....let's all pray that I will, K?)

So, with that, we acquired Shaggy the cat. Easily the funniest cat we have ever owned. This one has some character, and is not shy about showing it. I have often tried to capture video of him playing with the dog, but it seems he always stops when he sees the camera rolling. So, I caught a break...and here it is. For whatever reason, he loves to torture Kayli, one of his favorite things to do. But on the other side of that, he loves her dearly. Whenever he comes in from outside, he gives her bumps and rubs and let's her do a full sniff down on him before he commences cleaning or pestering for food.

Thankfully this cat is fully entertaining, Lord knows we have spent enough on his furry little butt (literally). It's his way of paying his way around here! Oh, and we just plain love him. Enjoy the video!

New Monic Books - Vocabulary Cartoons

A few weeks ago I received notice that one of my upcoming review products was going to be a book called New Monics - I'm not sure I completely understood how you would learn vocabulary through cartoons, but I was anxious to give it a try!

When this book showed up in the mail, it was just a little before dinner time. I had been out running errands, so when we got in the house, I really had things to do, the book was opened and left sitting there until we sat down to dinner. I pulled the book over and started looking through it, I was completely delighted! Shortly after I showed off a couple of pages it was being passed around the table from kids to parents, everyone having a giggle and enjoying the short stories and hilarious cartoons!

That next day I was heading out to visit with some of my homeschool mommy friends and decided to bring this little gem along to see what they thought. Same thing! The book was passed about, giggles here and there and overall rave reviews!

So, I will tell you, I have not often seen a vocabulary book being passed around with laughter, usually it looks something more like reading an obituary. This was a great and most welcome surprise! Vocabulary Cartoons by New Monic Books is very well done! Engaging stories, cartoons that truly give you a giggle and best of all, it works! I gave the book to my 15 year old son to read through the first set of words, about 15 minutes later I sat down with him to go over the review section for those words and HE KNEW THEM ALL! And enjoyed the time he spent learning them. WOW! That is effective in my opinion! So, this little SAT vocabulary prep book delivers what it advertises, "Learn Hundreds of SAT words with easy memory techniques". And the technique is so simple! If you can read a comic strip, you can learn what this book has to teach you!

This 345 page book is designed for jr high and high school students grades 7-12. It is broken up into 29 sections each one learning 10 words. I would highly recommend this book to any student who enjoys a good laugh and I am really looking forward to continued use of this book in our homeschool day. You can find this book and a wide variety more for all age ranges from New Monic Books at http://www.vocabularycartoons.com/home/. This is a great investment at just $12.95, it is a book everyone in the house will enjoy!


Disclaimer: I am a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. As such I have received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review of this product. I have not received any additional compensation for my review.

In His Word Wednesday

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

At the beginning of each school year the kids and I make up a cover sheet for our binders. For them it is either something that they are "in to" at the time, or it could reflect our course of study. For me, I try to put something inspiration, a bit of help on there as a reminder that I can do this whole homeschooling thing and as a reminder that my kids are doing great and flourishing at home. (Secret for all of you who don't know: we homeschool moms have freak out moments where we wonder if we are really just screwing our kids up or if what we are doing is good....our imperfections are all too frequently highlighted when trying to teach our children at home.) So, for this year I chose to put the Shema on the cover of my binder. Having a high school aged son can be a bit overwhelming and I wanted to be reminded daily of what my goal is in our education, God first, worldly education second. The Shema sums that up so beautifully, our reminder of the order of our priorities, loving God and loving others.

I also decided to put the verse from Proverbs on my binder, about raising your child in the way they should go. Great verse, so simple and to the point. As I looked around on the internet, I found some commentary on this verse by Rashi, ancient Jewish commentator, which I also believed summed up beautifully the other side of this verse that is often overlooked. He said: "Train a child: according to what you teach a child and train him in matters, either for good or bad, even when he grows old, he will not turn away from it." What a great reminder, not only am I to be teaching my children the word of God and living by it, but I need to also be watchful about the negative things I may be inadvertently training them in. Ouch. Well said, and such a great reminder for me each day as I set an example to them as not only their teacher but also as their mother who needs this reminder that they are learning even when I am not meaning to teach them.

In His Word Wednesday

This is a re-post from Rabbi Daniel Lapins Blog. You can find his blog here: Rabbi Daniel Lapin

I have always found the connection in Hebrew between words and bees to be quite interesting. There are many implications that can be made from this connection and I really enjoyed how Rabbi Daniel Lapin shared this particular experience. May all of our words be sweet as honey and pleasing to our King!

To Bee or Not to Bee

Have you ever had the experience of blithely saying something and then, as the words left your lips, instantly regretting them and wishing you could take them back? Unless you’ve been obeying a vow of silence for years, I know the answer. We’ve all had intense remorse over something that would have been better unsaid. It just happened again to me.

I appeared on the Glenn Beck television show this past Friday. Among many other questions, he asked how I relate to atheists. On the spot, I referred to atheists as parasites. Needless to say, I instantly knew that what I meant wasn’t going to be what people heard. But with the rapid tempo of television, we were already on the next topic with no opportunity to elaborate or retract.

With one word, I casually insulted who knows how many potential friends who were now gone forever. Men and women who pay their taxes, serve in the military, and support their communities were instantly dismissed as parasites. In retrospect, there are so many true, good and kind words I could have said. Instead, I stung.

In almost every interaction, we each have the opportunity to use words that soothe and sweeten. We can say things that build connections and nurture relationships. By being careless, literally by not caring enough, we can so easily use words that stab and sting.

Hebrew emphasizes this dual nature of words, their ability to sweeten or sting by using one word for both ‘bees’ and ‘word’: DeVaRiM - words and DeVoRiM - bees. In Hebrew Scripture vowels do not appear, so though the words are pronounced slightly differently, they are exactly the same.

In fact, the Hebrew name for the fifth of the Five Books of Moses, Deuteronomy, is actually Words, from its opening verse --“These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel…..”

At the end of Deuternonomy’s first chapter, we find the word DeVaRiM or bees used:

And the Emorites who live in the mountains came out

to confront you and they chased you as bees do…

(Deuteronomy 1:44)

By employing exactly the same word for bees and words, the Lord’s language teaches us that just as bees can both sweeten with their honey and sting with their barbs, so words can do exactly the same thing.

Though I am not excusing my mistake, what was I thinking? I was remembering the following words from the sermon given by Reverend George Docherty in February, 1954.

"This age has thrown up a new kind of man-we call him a ‘secular’. He does not believe in God, not because he is a wicked man but because he is dialectically honest… These men, and many I have known, are fine in character and in their obligations as citizens and good neighbors, quite excellent. But they really are ‘spiritual parasites’ and I mean no term of abuse in this. I’m simply classifying them…These excellent ethical seculars are living upon the accumulated spiritual capital of Judeo-Christian civilization and at the same time, deny the God who revealed the divine principles upon which the ethics of this country grow…"

These words, which persuaded President Eisenhower to add the words “Under God” to America’s Pledge of Allegiance, echoed in my mind, but trying to convey them in a 10 second television sound bite was not a good idea. All I did was hurt people and jeopardize relationships.

Success in both life and business comes from relationships and being careful about words is a vital part of nurturing relationships. It takes deliberate and purposeful practice to monitor the words we use; in this case I failed.

a very late in His Word Wednesday!

So, I know it's not Wednesday, not even close...but I wanted to write this down, more for myself than anything else. This weeks Torah portion is Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8, this portion covers many things that would be wonderful to dig into deeper however as I was reading and going over the Hoshana Rabbah (parsha KiTavo) commentary, something really jumped out at me.

The discussion is on verse 26:11 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.

This whole section is about tithing. Traditionally when we think about tithing it is taught, if you give and sow you will reap blessings. And sadly, I feel that far too often the emphasis is on what WE will receive, rather than on what we can give. Now, when I read this passage about giving joyfully today and looked at the commentary, this is what jumped out to me. "Bringing one's tithes and offering to YHVH is to be a joyful event since it is a reflection of our gratitude to him for abundantly blessing us." This is the reverse of what is traditionally taught about tithing. We are not giving so we can receive but rather we are giving to show our GRATITUDE to Him who blessed us first! WOW! That is RIGHT ON! He did bless us first, anything we give back was not of our own hands, but of His gracious love alone. Deut 10:14 "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it."Anything we give, already belongs to Him to begin with.

So, when you are ready to give an offering to the Lord, do it with rejoicing in your heart, thanking Him for what He has already blessed you with and not thinking about how He will bless you in return, He already has! Amein!

In His Word Wednesday

FINALLY!
Things have been so busy around here I have neglected my posts on Hebraic studies.

So here is the word for today:

		Amen (אמן amen, Strong's #543): World wide this is the most famous of all Hebrew words. But, do we know what it means? This word comes from the root aman [str:539], pronounced ah-mahn, and means to be firmly planted in place such as can be seen Isaiah 22:23 which speaks of a "nail fastened to a secure place." The noun form, amen, pronounced ah-mehn, is used in the Biblical text by persons who are affirming a statement. In other words, they are saying I am firmly agreeing with what has been said. The next time we say amen, let's think about what we are agreeing to.

I believe his last statement is incredibly important. Today we hear this word thrown around like a high five. However when we pronounce it we are confirming whatever is being said as our own faith, and we need to make sure we are in agreement with the statement before we shout out an amen to it. Can I get an amen?? ;0)

A blessed life

What a summer! So, here are a few updates.....


A sweet day, helping our friend Char move. We are truly blessed with an amazing spiritual family...God is good! And now, Char is settled in her new place, I need to get over there soon and see it!

Jordans buddy Peter had his 13th bday at the Museum of Flight, here are a few of us in the group in the elevator with a nifty mirror ceiling, I HAD to take a picture of us! How cool is that??!!

Atira floating in space, what a showoff! ;0)

Jordan checking out the controls....
And the staff at Red Robin sings Happy Birthday to the teen!
Moving along....Atira and her friends had a wonderful time jumping on the trampoline in the liquid sunshine of Seattle! Silly wabbits!
And we cannot forget the River Lot! I don't have many pictures of it because I am usually just enjoying the company and beauty of the day, but I did capture this moment of the girls playing in the sand. Love the river lot, I know my children will grow up having very fond memories of these years and spending time with their friends here. What a blessing the Wilcox family has been to share this with us! ♥

Nothing quite like family memories....beautiful, heartwarming, touching. And isn't it bonding when a niece and her uncle are so close...in looks? (Or incredibly weird....and a bit disturbing?)




Happy 15th Birthday Jordan! What a fun and HOT day! The boys gathered up at our house, loaded up all their ammo and weaponry and headed off to the woods and shot up some amazing targets that Grampa Curt made! A few hours later, they all arrived home, safe and happy having had a wonderful day. I think this was an ideal bday celebration for Jordan. He and his buddy talked long into the night about the adventure, and both of these boys are not big talkers. So, for them to spend, hours chatting...it must have been some kind of day! So, tomorrow is Jordans actual bday, we will be celebrating by taking him out shopping (with his bday money) to pick up some much desired items he has had on his list. He is a thoroughly happy and very spoiled 15 year old young man. Praise God for such an amazing son....we are truly blessed!

TOS Homeschool Planner

ONE STOP SHOP! Calling all Homeschool Mommies! I would love to share with you about the shiny new 2010 TOS Homeschool Planner!

The planners beautiful sleek design will have all of your homeschool mommy friends just oohing and ahhing over it's incredible design, innovative features and ease of use! :)

As homeschool families, we have a LOT on our plate! We are truly super parents in many ways! We plan for many things throughout the day, a homeschool schedule, cleaning routines, chores, meals, shopping etc etc etc. You KNOW the list goes on and on! Wouldn't be wonderful to have a little help for many of these areas, helping you to have a more organized home?

HELP IS ON THE WAY! The 2010 TOS Homeschool Planner has a bit of everything you could imagine and a whole lot more than you probably would have hoped for!


Need a recipe, it's in there, need a form for planning your day, it's in there, need some biblical inspiration, ITS IN THERE! Thank the Lord! Whether you are looking for forms, recipes or just some inspiration for your homeschool day, it is all in there! The incredible number of topics covered by this 614 page planner just boggle the mind! Incredibly creative ideas and completely tuned into a the homeschool family lifestyle. Just what the mommy ordered!

***********************All of this for the low, low price of just $39.00!********************

BUT WAIT! There's more! You will receive your addition of the 2010 planner via PDF Download, so you will be able to hop in and play after your payment is processed! WOW!

Time is running out, school will be starting very soon! Click on our link to head on over to our ordering page where we have a website standing by to take your order and learn about more of the features offered in this amazing product!

Personally, I used the 2009 TOS Planner all last year, and it was a wonderful addition to my homeschool organization. One of my favorite features was being able to get into a form and type the information I wanted into it and print it out all done! My records look so wonderfully neat and organized, makes this homeschool mommy quite happy! :)

I hope you take a moment to check out the 2010 planner, I think you will be quite surprised and happy with the amazing content of this sleek new planner for the upcoming school year! Help keep your brain nice, shiny and bright by getting organized through This Old Schoolhouse and the 2010 Planner.

And the fine print....This posting is done with the intent to sell a product. Now, wasn't that fun and cheezy? ;0)

Math Tutor DVD Series

Math is certainly not my strongest subject. So I am always on the hunt for someone or something to help my children understand and be able to use math concepts better than I can. So, it was quite appropriate that one of my review items was for math and better yet, it is on DVD, which means I can sit back and be a student right along side my children!

I received two DVD's in the mail for review, one is "The Pre-Algebra Tutor Volume 1" (2 DVD's, 5 hours of video) and the second is "The Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor" (3 DVD's, 8 hours of video). *yawn*. Well, that is what went through my mind, especially when I saw that second one. However, I am trying to keep a joyful appearance as I want my children to love math....not tolerate it like I do. Funny thing is, my pre homeschool mommy days, I was a banker and mortgage loan officer! Both careers were completely math oriented! Crazy, huh? Oh, and I would say I do have some mad skills when it comes to percents, such as how much is this super cute top when it is on sale at 30% off? ZING BAM! I have the answer! I don't need a calculator or a lesson on how to do that kind of math....but the stuff my son is getting into? Lord help me.

So, we began our journey into the Math Tutor DVD using the first series, Pre-Algebra Tutor Volume 1. First let me say, couldn't be easier to use, pop it in and choose your lesson, hit play, sit back and relax...literally. He does not want you distracted by taking notes etc, just watch the lesson. The backdrops are simple and not distracting, this all about the math. Simple white board in the background for writing equations and the teacher showing you what is going on.

The lessons progress covering basic topics of pre-algebra, preparing your child for this new language they will be encountering (and for you math challenged parents like myself), giving you some tools when you begin tackling this new phase of math.

For my family this was perfect timing as I am using this as an end of summer review before we get back into a regular schedule. As much as I long to continue some of the basics through summer, I rarely achieve that goal, and not wanting to break my summer routine ;0) we kind of dropped math sometime in June...so, this has been wonderful for refreshing all those lessons we have not visited in some time.



Now, I would like to move this review on to the Texas Instruments TI-83/TI/84 Calculator Tutor DVD set. UGH, that was a mouthful.

Let's get the basics first, this set covers the TI83/84 and plus versions of this calculator. You will receive 3 DVD's in this series including 8 hours of instruction (for one calculator!!??!!) Seriously, your gonna need it.

So, my son and I sat down over french toast and hot cocoa to watch this particular series. Notice, comfort food when approaching what could be a scary topic...also creating "sweet" connections between math and food....don't know if it will work, but it helped me! :) So, we sat back and began this series. I have to say with all of my math insecurities, this series is done very well. I felt like I could follow along with the instructions, even though I had no idea what he was talking about most of the time (in regards to the equations I mean, these, were way over our heads). On the screen you see on the left a computer image of the calculator that he is interacting with and on the right is a computer image of the screen of said calculator. He walks you through step by step, showing you what the buttons do, how to do some equations and even teaching you that it is not the calculator that gets good grades, but the brain working the calculator. The teacher, is warm, friendly and makes the series easy to watch.

So, overall I would say this is an excellent series. My son is ready for the upcoming school year in math having done this review. And I look forward to being able to truly utilize the calculator series when the time comes that my son is in that level of math. These will definitely be staying on our shelves to use as reference, I am thankful I had the opportunity to review these...and that is saying a lot from this math fearing mama!

Great products at a good price - you can find either The Pre-Algebra series or the TI Calculator series at Mathtutordvd.com for just $26.99 plus shipping. Check out their variety of other math DVD series as well, we were very happy with the two made available to us for review.


Disclaimer: I am a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. As such I have received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review of this product. I have not received any additional compensation for my review.

Family Fun

What a week. It has been filled with all kinds of adventure. This picture is a nice highlight of our day. Having Scott's family in town we decided it would be nice to take a day and spend it on beautiful Whidbey Island. Starting with a ride across the ferry, driving up to Coupeville and eating a magnificent lunch at the Knead and Feed which we topped off with an amazing marioberry pie, we landed ourselves at Deception Pass. Those few who are daring decided to walk across the bridge....those of us far less daring decided to wait and pray for them and enjoy the view on solid ground. :)

When we gathered back together we made our way to a beautiful park on the water and hiked up to the top of a huge rock...where you see us gathered for a family photo at the top. The views from up here are quite incredible. A bit of all the beauty of Washington is summed up when looking around from here, mountains, water, inlets and trees. Breathtaking. The day finished off with a crockpot dinner (thank the Lord I had the inspiration for that before we left!), and a fun night spent all together. Whew, it has been quite a week, and the memories we made are so sweet!

Armor of God

Ephesians 6:17 and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The idea of God's word being compared to a sword is not a new revelation: Isaiah 49:2 He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver. I think Revelation 1:16 sheds some interesting light on this passage as well: In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. Hosea 6:5 Therefore I have hewn them in pieces by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And the judgments on you are like the light that goes forth.


Interestingly the mouth and the sword are connected in all these passages. The word "word" here is not logos as it is usually translated in the Greek, but rather rhema (RAYma). What is the difference? It seems from the bit I have studied this that the two words can be used interchangeably. However there also appears to be a subtle distinction....this word, rhema, has within it the idea of the spoken words of God,differing from the written. I have found it interesting that in some bibles the words of Yeshua are highlighted in red....how come in the Tanakh (old testament) God's words are not also highlighted the same way? Can you imagine HOW MUCH of our bibles would be covered in red lettering? From the very beginning all things were being created and are being created by the living words that are uttered from His mouth! Including His word and that includes His Torah! The interconnectedness between God, His Word and His Son are beyond our comprehension. However I love the passage of poetry from John where we are given a glimpse of His majesty: John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. God, His Word and His Son, all shedding light on the darkeness...Genesis 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light; and there was light." Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. When Yeshua returns, He is coming as righteous judge, King and Ruler of this creation, what will He rule and judge by? The living words of God. It is by these same words that we can learn how to wield a righteous sword to discern between those things that are apart of the tree of life and those things that are apart of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And of course I have to close this study with Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edges word, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints nad marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Be bathed in the living waters that are found in His word - the entire book - drink in the Words that were uttered from His mouth in the beginning and be filled with His precious gift of life!
Shalom aleichem! שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם
Peace Be Upon You!