this is what I do...

...when greeted in the morning by half of a mealy peach...

Most of today's ingredients are pictured here (Miss A used up the spinach last night)...

And it all helps us to enjoy the sausage in our eggs that much more!  =)

~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~

In other food news... our teens/tween enjoyed their youth group BBQ on Saturday evening.  The activities of the evening included a dessert contest for the girls and a log-throwing contest for the boys.  Our Cowgirl took her favorite recipe ~ Pumpkin Sheet Cake ~ in the form of cupcakes, made with her very own homegrown pumpkin.  Miss Artist took some yummy-licious ~ Triple Chocolate Cookies.  And Miss Music Box made ~ S'more Cheesecake ~ and WON the competition!  Here's her prize... 

...and what remained today of the delicious stuff...

Here's a nicer picture from Taste of Home...

Do you have any favorite secret ingredients for your own healthy homemade smoothies?  or do you prefer the ranks of a Dessert Queen?

house pictures!

Just a few, but wow ~ digital photos!
(♥ Thanks to my mom for the loan of her camera ♥)

Tim has been making progress on siding...

And getting ready for garage doors by adding some wood to attach their hardware to...
(which required removal of styrofoam and some concrete, so a bit more effort involved)

And here is my bookshelf that I was attempting to "refinish," but gave up for now (because Tim has zero time to help me with a belt sander) and had the Computer Geek help me haul it into the house...

Most of the white paint is gone, but you can see where it actually stuck pretty well.  The shelves used to be red, yellow, and green ~ I could have painted them the new blue, but decided to let them wait with the bookcase.  The brown is the original stained finish that paint does not stick to very well.  Maybe next summer we can haul it back out to the garage and finish the job.  Oh, and I have to find more shelf supports since we lost one in the move and I have additional shelving (still in the form of a four foot board) to add a couple more shelves in the place of stacked boxes  ;-)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Miss Artist decided to cook our supper tonight... dumplings! (like crepes or pancakes with lots of egg, only diced in the skillet to make them bite-sized)  She's on a Vita-mix smoothie kick too... of the spinach-loaded variety  =)

And the Popper was good enough to pose for my first test photo with the 'new' camera  =)  My week's supply of nectarines and peaches are ripening all at once, so we are eating lots of yummy fruit!

the schedule...

...always looks so good on paper.  =)  Anyone know what I mean?!

But here it is anyway, for the sake of giving you the complete picture of what our homeschool day will might not look like... (You might notice that I am not putting times on here! You can count the bullets for yourself.  And then pray for me to be diligent to start our day early enough... and the troops to fall in as ordered)

• Breakfast & Bible with Mom; Kitchen clean-up/Piano practice for Littles Youngers (an 8yo who can put a hot lunch on the table for her dad is not a Little; nor is a 10yo who just purchased his first power tools)
• DVD: Bible Doctrines (Olders); Youngers can do personal devos and practice K4T memory verses-- or get started on Math (not a bad idea)
• Math (this will be interesting with six diff math classes ALL with CD or DVD instruction)
• Science
• English/Language
• Lunch; Kitchen clean-up
• Mom's read-aloud usually pertaining to history; Ancient World History/Government or Econ for DD#1 (this will also be interesting to see if Mom can make the switch back to reading at lunch time instead of breakfast  :o  I am pretty stodgy, ya know ~ the veritable old dog, Conny)
• DVD: Speech (M&W)/Orchestra (T&Th); Youngers have time to read, play outside, or do an art project?; Piano lessons &groceries on Friday?
• DVD: Spanish
• Piano practice for olders/Violin/Viola/Flute; Laundry, Supper prep, House tidy ~ ha ha, Homework, OUTside! for play and chores
• Supper
• Bible with Dad when he's available
• (more Homework)  .... zzzzzzzzzzzzz

(K4T = Kids 4 Truth, which is our Wednesday night program for kids through 6th grade... which means we only have two kids left in the program!)

when sinners say "I Do"

...is the title of the book we studied this summer in our adult Sunday school class.

Today we were blessed to have Dr. Jeff Newman from Faith Baptist Bible College/Theological Seminary in Ankeny join us to share his conclusions of what we might learn from reading the book, When Sinners Say "I Do" by Dave Harvey.  I would love to give you a video link to the entire hour of Sunday school, but I don't have one  :-(  Sooo, I'll just give you a highlight or two (or four).  And if you're up for a study of your own, read Philippians 4:1-9 to find how Paul expressed God's view of (and solutions for) conflict in a relationship.  Marriage is the primary relationship that God uses to mold us into the image of Christ, but all of our relationships ought to be seen from God's perspective. 

Interesting side note that we had testimonies today from one who's been married less than 3 months as well as one who's been married more than 35 years ~ both have learned that our selfish bent is very evident in the marriage relationship!  At least one of Dr. Newman's comments stuck in my brain:  God loves us enough to keep us in a place where we know we NEED Him.  Hmmm...  And here's today's outline:

~ Seeing Our Relationships Through the Lens of God's Word ~ 

~ The Sufficiency of the Word of God for My Relationships ~

• The Lens of God's Holy Character and Works:  Who is God?  What is His character?  How does He work?

Whether we realize it or not, our ideas about life, needs, marriage, romance, conflict, and everything else reveal themselves all the time in our words and deeds, inevitably reflecting our view of God.  (p.20)

• The Lens of God's Description of the Relationship:  What does God say in His Word about this relationship?  What words does He use to describe the other people in my relationships?  How does God define my relationship with this person/these people?

Your spouse was a strategic choice made by a wise and loving God.  Selected by him, for you, from the beginning of the world, your spouse is an essential part of God's rescue mission for your life.  (p.71)

• The Lens of God's Evaluation of the Situation (Facts and Interpretation):  What are the facts in this situation/relationship?  How am I interpreting the facts of this situation/relationship?  How do I see God at work in this relationship glorifying Himself and conforming me to the image of His Son?

The sides in this war are not male versus female, husband versus wife, or controller versus enabler.  It is a clash of desires -- desires of the flesh against desires of the Spirit.  It is trench warfare for supremacy of the human heart.  (p.48)

• The Lens of God's Instructions on My Response:  What responsibilities of personal obedience has God entrusted to me in this relationship?  How do I measure success in this relationship?  (Am I measuring success in relationships on the basis of God's instructions to me, or on the basis of some desired outcome of my obedience?)

Mercy doesn't change the need to speak the truth.  It transforms our motivation from a desire to win battles to a desire to represent Christ.

• Mercy Before the Fact: Practice Kindness

• Mercy When Under Attack: Do Unto Others

• Mercy After the Fact: Cover Sin

(p.82-90)

Quotes in italics are examples from the book, When Sinners Say "I Do," with page numbers listed.  Outline is by Dr. Newman.

Today we looked at Philippians 4 to find answers to the questions listed in each bullet point (I'm not giving you the answers ;-)).  We started looking at Romans 12:9-21 for a similar study ~ which is dealing with an enemy! (not your spouse) and found God is the God of vengeance, so we can trust Him to deal justly with our enemies for us.  Other suggested passages were Romans 13 (authority); 2 Corinthians 4; Philippians 2; James 3.

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.  

Romans 12:21

And, one last plug for FBBC/TS and Dr. Newman ~ You might look into attending a seminary module on Biblical Counseling held each August (you can audit for just $100 plus books), or find a college/seminary class with Dr. Newman as the sole instructor.  Good stuff in the battle against the idols in our hearts.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

~♥~

just a few more things for our school year ~

Miss Music Box is a senior this year ~ amazing!  A young high school senior, but this is supposed to be it!

Thus, I found a formal, comprehensive study of American civil government for her (TruthQuest History addresses much of what's involved in government, but we didn't take time to study how Congress passes legislation, etc...) 
And somehow, I will keep the book-devouring Computer Geek from reading her books before it's his turn with them!  ;-)

Exploring Government by Ray Notgrass "is a one-semester high school course that provides a half-year credit in government. Lessons cover Federal, state, and local government and also contemporary issues in government. Special emphasis is placed on the Biblical basis for government and on the U.S. Constitution."
The course also includes We Hold These Truths, a collection of historic documents, essays, and speeches in American government.

 Good stuff!

While I was at it, I ordered their high school course in economics...

from the Introduction in Exploring Economics:

The course begins with an overview of economic terms and concepts and some of
the more important economic theories. Two units (ten lessons) are devoted to what we call
God’s Economics: what the Bible says about economics, business, and wealth; a survey of
economic ideas in church history; and economic issues that Christians face today. One unit provides a brief survey of the economic history of the United States to put
our present situation in context. Eight units (forty lessons) present economic ideas, terms,
and realities in greater detail. Two units then discuss vital economic issues that confront
America today and show how the ideas presented earlier in the curriculum are related to
these issues.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And.... a couple more items from A Beka Academy (A Beka Book) ...

Bible Doctrines for Today

And Spanish 1...

And for Miss Artist and her viola... Orchestra 1 with the Jaffe Strings.

Does that look like More Than Enough??  =)  We got lots of A Beka extras with Miss A's DVD enrollment, so we'll try to keep the main thing the main thing, and enjoy what we can of the extras!

studying God's creation ~ science

The Popper, the Cattleman, and the Cowgirl will continue this year with another wonderful book from Jeannie Fulbright (and co-author Brooke Ryan, M.D.)...

Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology 

From the book...

Try this:  Go to your kitchen or bathroom counter top and slap it
with your hand - but be careful not to slap it too hard!
Now place a pillow or a cushion on the counter top
and slap it again. Did the cushion help you from feeling the shock of
your hand slapping against the hard counter? ‹ That’s part of
what cartilage does between your bones.

Yes, we own all of her elementary science books in the Young Explorer Series:  Astronomy, Botany, and Zoology (volumes 1-3)

The older three kids will not be using Apologia this year, but instead will use the DVDs and text from A Beka Book (and Academy) for their study of Chemistry.

Well, that was a short post!

English (language) books

As part of their DVD instruction from A Beka Academy, the Popper and the Cattleman will also study some English grammar and spelling...

The Cowgirl will be using this Grammar & Writing from Hake (Saxon Publishers) along with Literature from A Beka Book...

The Computer Geek, Miss Artist, and Miss Music Box will work with A Beka Book for their grammar & composition as well as literature...

(Link to A Beka Book online catalog)

With textbook and DVD instruction from A Beka Academy, the oldest three will also be learning something about public speaking  :-)