These are a few of my favorite things ... Homeschool Hop #9

~a great back massage~

~finding a great deal~

~free stuff~

~a clean house~

~a great yard sale~

~relaxing in a swimming pool~

~the smell of fresh lilacs in old mason jars~

~apple blossoms~

~falling asleep on freshly washed satin sheets~

~baby clothes~

~looking out the window of an airplane~

~taking pictures~

~a great Sandra Bullock movie~

~being pregnant~

~hearing the words I Love You~

What are YOUR favorite things?

Join us on the Home School Blog Hop hosted by Kylie at Our World Wideclassroom.

Homeschool Hop #6-10 Random Questions

I have been participating in a blog hop at Our Worldwide Classroom, and it is a lot of fun! You should join us :). This week isnt too hard. Just 10 random questions and my random answers.

1. What time is it right now? 10:19 pm

2. What are you wearing? Jeans and a sweater, and my new purple Converse tennies :)

3. What is your mood? Content

4. What is one thing your children learned today? That you cant open candy in the check out isle.

5. What did you (or are having) for dinner? Pizza

6. What's one book you are currently reading? The Bible

7. What behaviour (in people) is the most common but also the rudest? When checkout cashiers act like you (the customer) are an inconvinence. I dont know if its the most common, just something I notice sometimes that really bothers me.
8. What can you see out of your nearest window right now? Darkness

9. What are you currently praying for? Wisdom & Patience

10. What is your favourite hot beverage? I dont like hot beverages in general, but I do like the extra chocolate Hot Chocolate from Quik Trip. We dont have them where I live now, though.

Homeschool Hop #5-Our Style

This is week five of a very fun blog hop that I have been participating in. The Homeschool Blog Hop is hosted by Kylie at Our Worldwide Classroom. Each week, she asks a different question about our homeschool adventure. This week, it's about our style.

Our Style? Oh I am supposed to have one of those? Hmm, okay. Well, actually I dont really have one {yet}. My kids are young enough and we are new enough to homeschooling that we are still trying out what works for us. I am also researching many options for when I feel that a curriculum might be necessary in the later grades.

For now, I guess I would call us 'Internet Eclectic.' We get our materials from wonderful friends who have passed on their used homeschool supplies, from yard sales and thrift stores and book sales, and from the internet.

I heard about Maria Montessori before I had children from a wonderful family friend who was going through a training school in BC, Canada at the time. I was so interested that I looked into the training myself, but never pursued it due to finances and time. I love Maria's ideals of following the child, and of hands on learning. That said, I have never been trained in the Montessori way, so the knowledge I have I have gleaned from other Montessori moms on the web.

I also love the ideals of Charlotte Mason. Her choice of using living books and hands on nature studies are both things I try to incorporate in our schooling. We currently live on a farm, not far from a waterfall and river. We have a pond, a thicket, a bunch of fields, and soon a garden not far from our house. Goodness, we even have caves. I want to take advatage of these resources for my children to learn from.

I have gotten so many ideas and encoragement from 1+1+1=1, My Montessori Journey, and Homeschool Share. The resources I have gotten from each of these websites and the moms who post on them have given me the material I needed and because of that, the encouragement I needed to let me know that YES I can do this!

I am really looking forward to reading everyone elses posts, because as a newbie I am trying to learn anything I can to make this journey the best I can for my children.

God Bless!

Homeschool Hop #4-Hop!!

Have you been wanting to get in on the Homeschool Hop fun at Our Worldwide Classroom? This week is your week! No questions to ask, just a simple post of the McLinking instructions and code here and then add your name and start hoping! Its a great way to check out a ton of great homeschool blogs all at one time.

And while you are hoping, check out awesome new St. Patrick's Day printables Kylie at Our Worldwide Classroom has made!!

Homeschool Hop #3-Why?

This is the 3rd week of the getting to know you blog hop going on at Our Worldwide Classroom. It has been great fun meeting others around the blog world while at the same time, letting you know a little bit more about me.

The question this week is Why? Specifically, why we home school. As Kylie at Our Worldwide Classroom points out, this is one of if not THE #1 question asked of home school families. We have only been homeschooling for about a year and a half, and our oldest is still only 4 (3 by school district standards since her birthday is late) so I have just started to hear this question. I am happy to have the chance to 'perfect' my answer before it starts coming en mass.

The short answer is: Because we truly feel that God is calling us to do so. I feel He has put people in our lives at just the right time to encourage us in our home school adventure, and has continued to provide the strength and resources as well.

If you want the full story, keep reading :)

I should tell you that, prior to having children 4 years ago, I would have told you that homeschooling was for weird people, even though my own cousins where home schooled and not weird. Even 3 years ago would have have told you that, even though I no longer thought homeschooling was weird, I would not be homeschooling my children.

Fast forward to the summer of 2008. Up until this time I had been working full-time outside of the home while being a mommy of 2. This was difficult, to say the least, especially since I felt strongly that I should be at home with my children. But, we finally found ourselves in a financial situation that would make it possible for me to stay home. The last day at my job was in September of 2008.

While we were deciding if the time had come for me to be a SAHM, Mustang was offered the opportunity to go to preschool for free. She has a slight speech delay where she substitutes consonants in various words (which makes teaching phonics very interesting). She had been receiving speech therapy one day a week and they had referred her to the local school district since her therapy ended when she turned 3. She 'qualified' to receive a free preschool education at the local school district, 3 hours a day, 5 days a week.

If I had chosen to continue working, we would have sent Mustang to school and life would be very different. But, I thought, "I am leaving my job to spend MORE time with my children, not to send them off to school." I also knew that she was too young for school and we would think about it for the next year.

About that time, my husband heard a series of radio shows by Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberties, about education and the benefits of homeschooling. My husband heard, from someone he respected, about how home schooled students often score higher on standardized tests, and about how many ulterior motives the public schools, specifically the NEA, has for 'educating' our children.

In addition to this, I, too was starting to feel called to teach Mustang at home and started reading anything I could get my hands on about how and why I should do so. And to top it all off, my brother had just married a sweet, creative, totally normal, home schooled young lady.

So that's the LOOONG version of how we started to explore the idea of schooling our kids at home. But the reason we have continued to home school and intend to do so in the future, is that it is so much FUN! I love being there to see Mustang learn to read words and I love seeing how many letters that Charger can already say. I am amazed at their interest in learning and love trying to find things to encourage that love.

I heard on 19 Kids and Counting (I think it was 17 Kids and Counting at the time) from Gil & Kelly Bates a GREAT reasoning for homeschooling. They said that if you grow a plant from a seedling, you will keep it inside and protected until it is strong enough to plant outside in the ground. If you put it outside when it is ready, it will be able to weather any storm that comes its way.

We do not home school our kids because of the big, bad, evil, school system (though the more I learn about it the more I am glad we chose a different route). We home school so that we can provide our kids with a personalized education, tailored to their learning style and motivations. I pray that we will also be able to teach them about the Lord and to have a heart for His people.

And that is the reason we home school. Are you considering homeschooling? Check out the links below to hear why others have chosen home education for their children. God Bless!

Homeschool Hop #2-My Family

This the second week of the getting to know you blog hop on Our Worldwide Classroom. All about my family. I am sure you feel like you already know us a bit, but I will try to come up with some new stuff.



I met my hubby in the fall of 1997 when I went off to college. I had intended to get my degree in Elementary Education, but ended up getting my MRS degree. We started dating in 1998 and married the fall of 2000.

Since he graduated in 1999, my husband had been employed as an accountant. But, this fall he changed paths. His father was diagnosed with Parkinson's about 2 years ago. He is doing pretty well with the medications that have been prescribed for him, but that could change at anytime. This opened the door for my husband to return to his childhood town and begin farming his father's land.

My husband is the most amazing man in the world. Of course I am partial, but he has such a strong, steady spirit. He loves the Lord and is a great Godly example for our family. He often takes time to play with and cuddle the kids, making sure they know he cares about them. He is also a big help to me. He changes diapers, lets me sleep in on Saturdays, and can make a mean batch of muffins (often on Saturdays while I am sleeping). He is most certainly the love of my life.

Mustang was born in September of 2005. She is the typical first born of a first born lol! She is stubborn, opinionated, and very strong willed. She is also extremely helpful and great at taking charge to get something done. She is not a good listener but catches on very fast, even when I dont realize it. She has 6 babies all named Mustang, after herself. Mustang 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6. She has a Build A Bear named Mary, because she wears a flower girl outfit. Mary is always marrying other animals in the house. Mustang has informed me that someday she is going to be the mommy of 3 kids and they will all live in her room. Hmm.

Charger was born in November of 2007. He got his nickname from my dad, and it is very accurate. He is FAST. He loves to climb. He loves to explore, discover, and is very creative about where he explores and discovers. Last month, he covered an entire outlet with soap. Last week he sprayed Frebreeze on the floor until it was so wet I fell flat on my tush when I went to take the Frebreeze from him. Charger has a contagious smile and hugs everyone. He loves to cuddle and is often found in our bed in the middle of the night. He loves to go up to his little sister and say 'Cute Cute.' I have heard it said that there is a special bond between a mommy and her son, and I now know what they are talking about. He was my miracle baby. He was the baby following Noah True, my angel. Charger tried to arrive over 2 months early, but only succeeded in coming 5 weeks early. He was born completely healthy, just little. The Lord restored my joy when He sent Charger.

Mini Cooper is my little sweetie. She was born in August of 2009. Just like Charger, she came a little early. With my other two children, I had to go back to work in the office shortly after their births. This is my first baby I have had the opportunity to be a stay at home mom. I am still breastfeeding, which is amazing to me since I had to supplement with Mustang. We co-sleep and I use cloth diapers for her. She is very aware of her surroundings and extremely verbal. I love to cuddle with her. All she has to do is smile and she brightens my whole day.

I hope you enjoyed my little glimpse into the greatest gifts the Lord has given to me. They are the reason that I get up everyday, and my daily prayer is that I can be a Godly, loving, wife and mommy to them.

Homeschool Hop #1-All About Me

I dont like to talk about myself very much. Dont get me wrong, I love to talk. I love to talk about my kids, my husband, my house, my job (when I had one), my car, the weather, the news, religion...you get the point. But, I do not like to talk about myself. Yet, this is the first part of the Homeschool Blog Hop at Our Worldwide Classroom, so I am going to try my best.

I was born in the state of Washington, but moved when I was 6 months old to a tiny town between Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. When I was 5 we moved to the states where I have been ever since. I am the oldest of 4 children, and in typical first born fashion, I like to be in charge and in control.

My father is a minister. Being a Pastor's child brought with it some challenges, but I was very blessed to be taught the Word of God from a young age and to grow up in a Christian household. I accepted the Lord at the age of 5, and have been so thankful to have His love, mercy and guidance in my life.

I attended college with the intent of getting my degree in Elementary Education, but got my MRS degree instead. The love of my life and I have been married for 9 1/2 years, by the grace of God. I worked in banking until the fall of 2008 when I finally got to be a stay at home mom. It was VERY hard to work and have two children in daycare and I am so extremely thankful that God has provided a way for me to care for my own children at home.

Before children, I had a lot of hobbies :). I love to sing, act, and perform. I enjoy swimming and used to be a lifeguard and swim team coach. I used to spend a lot of time frequenting cemeteries and libraries while researching my family genealogy, and I really hope to get back to my research as my children grow.

I love to travel, though I dont often get the chance. Following my senior year of High School, I went on a missions trip to Ghana in Western Africa. I went through the MIT division of AWANA clubs International. I love AWANA and went through Sparks all the way to Varsity. I won my Citation Award (for those who know what that is!).

Now days you can find me spending my free time blogging (my new love) or shopping for a great deal. I love yard sales, thrift stores, clearance racks, and coupons. I love watching shows about children, my favorite is 19 Kids and Counting (the Duggars). And, I not so secretly would love to have 19 children, though I do not biologically see that happening.

I started home schooling Mustang when I left my job to stay home. I used to think that Home schoolers were, in fact, weird and un socialized...until I met some Home schoolers. My husband and I felt that the Lord is calling us to home school our children at this time. I am so glad that He did, because I am enjoying it so much!

I am also supposed to include a picture of myself.  That was a bit tough to find, but since I did I went ahead and changed my profile picture as well.  So here it is, dont laugh :)

Well, I think that's me in a nutshell.  I hope that I didnt bore you too much, and that you found something that we might have in common.  I am very much looking forward to reading the posts from everyone else.  God Bless!