Thursday, November 10, 2016

Remembering

After voting on Tuesday morning I was driving into town for a meeting when I saw what looked like a rainbow, in November, in Alaska. I didn't think it could be, but it was. A rainbow. In November. In Alaska. 
I was shocked, I was amazed. Then I rejoiced and I praised God who sent a reminder that He NEVER leaves us and He keeps His promises.
What started out as a dreary day ended up quite a good day because I had a reminder of what is important, what is real and what is true and what is just.

One thing this election year yielded was an interest in what is going on in Our Country by my teens. They actually seemed more interested in the results than the adults in the house on Tuesday night. Our oldest Blessing also voted for the first time, what is up with that? Time moves on, quite quickly I do say. I didn't even take his picture at our polling place.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Expectations, we all have them. Benjamin has expectations that are very different from mine. 
Benjamin asked to build things using cardboard this school year. Things like the Eiffel Tower. My expectations include lots of tedious work, measuring, cutting, gluing, painting; this means projects may not even get started because I may never begin due to expectations.  Benjamin just wants some cardboard and scotch tape. I'm learning to go with his expectations. 

This week we are "rowing" The Giraffe That Walked to Paris. Benjamin is enjoying the blank hardback book we are filling with information we are learning from the books we are reading. 
He plans on selling copies of his book in his Lego store when he is grown up. 

Then he asked to build something so we went with the Egyptian pyramids. 



My expectation was that this would take a long time. No it did not. In just a few minutes he had cut out the sides and they were glued down. A little scotch tape and he is happy and has moved on to Legos or other such fun thing. 



Benjamin is learning geography, history, art appreciation, language arts and much more and Mom is learning to go with the flow, let go and let a seven year old's expectations become mine because his expectations are pretty easy. 


Wednesday, September 7, 2016

September Equals Fall



My view today. I took the day off and sat on the couch all day. 

My husband went on a sheep hunt.


His hunting partner got his first sheep. 


Their view from the hunt.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Five in a Row-- The Rag Coat

Five in a Row has long been a favorite of mine. Last year we did other things but this year I am bringing it back and we are working on The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills today. We read this book last year and did a couple of activities but today we finish it up. 
I cry every single time I read this book. 

We have the map out and we are labeling states in the Appalachian mountains. We are also learning about forgiveness, grief, wisdom and kindness. 



Wednesday, August 24, 2016

North Pole Fitness and Nature Trails

What does home education look like around our place these days? Well, we are down to three students. We have slowly started working back into our studies around here. I really should name our little home academy. 
Monday was the official day of daily school. The girls have started about 80% of their school and Benjamin is at 90. I am waiting for one more box for him. 

I am working on schedules for meetings, classes and Eisabeth has a two afternoon a week job and I have accepted a very part time job with our homeschool program as a K4 person. 

Today Benjamin asked if we could do the fitness trail in our little town of North Pole. So we did. This trail system has five stations in which one can stop and do various warm-ups, exercises and cool downs. Pretty neat. 

The oh so necessary selfie

Mom as the caboose with the crew up ahead

Beaver Springs Slough

I thought I smelled those highbush cranberries. 




I just learned yesterday that North Pole has this little nature trail. Where have I been???

After the outing we returned home to hit the books. Once I completed my teaching tasks I was out in the garden to harvest more green beans. 


Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Friday, July 22, 2016

We Are Camping

Valdez, Alaska was our destination on this July weekend. We made it and it is raining. We knew the forecast was calling for rain so we came prepared. We have a slide in camper so my husband put up a tarp awning. 

Our view

One of the best camping things we have ever bought is this Coleman camp stove. 
My husband has sung its praises for quite some time. Tonight I am cooking chicken enchiladas for the crew after they fish for a while.  



Thursday, July 14, 2016

Things Never Go As Planned

Things never go as planned... 
and that's okay. Actually, that is life. 

When I looked ahead to summer I thought of all of the cleaning, organizing, books I planned on reading, swing setting while Benjamin played in the yard, chair sitting while Benjamin played at the lake, gardening, etc. You get picture. My summer book list has only one book marked off, and that is okay. I can read in the winter. 

I also haven't done much swing setting or lake sitting until this week because the weather and/or schedule haven't agreed with each other. This week has been a scorcher. The airport recorded 100 degrees yesterday. Now that is crazy hot! 
We went to Benjamin's friend's soccer game tonight, yes we chose a hot night for soccer watching. At 7:15 the temperature was 91 degrees. 

Benjamin loved his time at the lake. 

Even though I have not accomplished everything on my summer expectation list much as been done and we have had some relaxing days at home as well. 

We have a few salmon in the freezer, the man will have to go again to get us set for the winter. 


Tuesday when we went to the lake I got a little too much sun. Since I am avoiding all sunscreen today I had to use a hat, clothing and an umbrella to protect the parts that were over exposed on Tuesday. 


Even though things have not happened to my expectations the summer has been a good one and most days are productive days. 

Thursday, July 7, 2016

A Book

My high school English teacher wrote a book. How exciting is that??? Here is the link of you are inclined to read the book and leave a review. 

My review: I was interested in the book because it is historical fiction based on a relative of the author. The book doesn't present everything in pretty little packages with a happily ever after ending. The book just tells the story of a life and the struggles that life brought during the time the main character lived. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HQCEYXI/ref=sxl1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467881335&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65

No affiliate link here just the link to the book. 


Woah, What Happened???


I liked the list method of posting so here we go again: 
1) I did not take any pictures of my week in and out of the ER, doctor's offices and the hospital outpatient waiting room and maybe I should have. 

2) We saw a urologist on Monday and on Tuesday morning my husband went in for  laparoscopic surgery. 

3) Wednesday I took Benjamin and a friend to $1 summer movie at the theater to see Peanuts. I am cheap like that.  Yes, the day after surgery. This was Benjamin's first every movie theater experience. He loved it. 

3) $3 admission cost and way too much for icees and popcorn. I did not partake of the movie theater snack bar offerings. 

4) Benjamin contracted pink eye two days later. When the kids get pink eye my eyes itch for days. Then they never itch again until I am in the presence of someone with pink eye. Same with lice. 

5) Rain, we had lots over the weekend. 

6) Chickweed, my enemy. We fight daily. 

7) A window in my van shattered and is no more. Tomorrow I go see about getting it replaced. For now it is duck tape and cardboard to the rescue. 

8) This girl turned sixteen. Sigh.


9) Chocolate zucchini THM cupcakes. Then for the 4th of July we made Strawberry Trifle. This whole THM lifestyle is soooo depriving 😂😂😂🎂🎂🎂. 



10) An island, we have finally found all of the pieces to complete the island I wanted. Guess how much we have spent so far?? $0. Yep, total recycle center finds. I will paint the base and strip and stain the top and that will be our only money in this project. I may have had to wait for my husband to scope out the correct parts over the last few months but I will have the island I want. The base is super sturdy and well built. The thing is on casters, which was a huge priority because I wanted a moveable island so Benjamin can play basketball here. Looking forward to many morning breakfasts, group meal preps, friends around the island, school lessons done here and so much more. 

Goodbye from the Last Frontier, the home of the midnight sun. 







Sunday, June 26, 2016

When Life is Well, Life

One thing that really concerns me is the setting up for disappointment of the younger generations.

Things I know: 
1) When one works for something one appreciates it more
2) Life isn't all rainbows and unicorns
3) Expectations are just that, expectations
4) Everyone should live through the Ramen noodles and other such college survival foods, it just seems like a right of passage and makes home cooked meals just divine
5) Every marriage can benefit from a cheap apartment/ugly couch beginning, seriously it is all an upgrade from those humble beginnings
6) Life is about everyday, down and dirty living NOT the big events or planned family outings 
7) Sometimes you spend your anniversary at the ER because that is real life (my husband has kidney stones and boy is that painful) 
8) I can be thankful and even happy in the not so fun days because we were together on our anniversary and kidney stones may be extremely painful but they are a much better ER diagnosis than we could have received. 
9) How can we be married for twenty-three years?? I cannot be much older than that myself. 

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Class of 2016

And we have our first graduate. 

He played baseball the day of his graduation party and it happened to be senior day as well. 



I had my husband talk during graduation, I would have cried and it would not have been pretty. 



Instead I was able to laugh at something Benjamin said during the diploma presentation. 


Of course there was food: pork, chicken and side dishes, 


and desserts

I didn't get too many pictures during the party because I was busy enjoying good conversation. 





Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Looking Back is a Very Good Thing

Tonight I had a few minutes to do something so I decided to work on school shelves. I am very glad I did. You see, the negative self talk keeps telling me that I shoulda, coulda woulda been a better home education Mom. I shoulda, coulda, woulda pushed more and required more and bought better curriculum or even allowed my kids to have less curriculum and more time to explore interests and abilities. Oh, those shoulda, coulda, wouldas. My son met and in some cases exceeded the requirements for the state of Alaska to graduate high school. He is prepared for whatever path the Lord has for him. I am prepared to watch him travel that path. 


See this folder? It contains his 8th grade writing assignments. I feel as though I have been a writing failure and that we didn't do enough writing. Guess what?? He did do more writing than I thought because I forgot what we had used and when. What a blessing that long left on the shelf folder has been to me tonight. I am thankful and I blessed. 

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Why Our Teens Do Not Have A Curfew



Yes, you read that title correctly. Our teens have no curfew. Life for us just does not fit inside of a box and curfews just create a boxing in of sorts. 
Curfews seem to create a sense of being out just to be out until curfew. Make sense? 

Our approach is to assess each outing as it comes. If our teens are out at a friend's house for a game night then they are probably going to get a later time to be home than a set curfew would allow. 

Our teens attended a movie with friends, on a school night even, they ended up going to a 10:00ish movie due to schedules and such. We agreed to the later time and they went to the movie.  We survived and so did they. 

Just this past weekend the teens stayed in town after the Sunday evening service to wait for one of their friends to arrive home from college. That late night trip to the airport will be a long held memory for all involved. But, they didn't just stay in town, they were at the home of a friend playing games and apparently eating cereal. 

I dare say parenting isn't about a to do checklist. Every day is different, every child is different. 

I personally am not a fan of teens just going out with no plan or place to be because it is Friday night. I lean more toward going about life with a purpose or plan. We are also blessed with great families to host the group our teens spend time with. Even if that plan is just game night with friends, it is a plan. 

Saturday, May 7, 2016

State Conference, Mom Weekend, Ravi Zacharias

A friend organized a trip to the state homeschool conference in Anchorage. All I had to do was pack and bring money, ya can't beat that. 

We realized it must be summer because road construction has begun on our Alaska highways. 

We happened upon a tiny house on display so we toured and took a selfie. 

Trips to Anchorage mean eating in restaurants we do not have in Fairbanks. How about Texas Roadhouse with anAlaskan  twist? Great service by the way. 




I left with two to go cups, one water and one tea. 


Anchorage has a great homeschool store with exceptional service. Love Chickabiddy Books! 



After closing down the store we went back to the hotel to research what we needed because we were going back the next day to complete our shopping. 


We hung around for the Sunday not going service at a church in Anchorage because Ravi Zacharias was speaking there. I am so glad we did. 


Then we loaded all of our stuff into the car and headed home. Looks like we did some shopping while there. ☺️

We saw Denali on the way home(right under the cloud). I also bought a selfie stick which came in handy for Denali pictures. 


I had no idea how much I needed this trip until I was on this trip. I was in great need of Mom refreshment.