A look back at 2010

Is it over already??? Man!! This year flew too quickly!! My baby has grown too fast, where did his sweet, precious first year go?
Looking back I am amazed at how much we've crammed into twelve months! I started this year with a new focus at teaching my children at home. I'm in awe of my Master's Hands in all that was accomplished within our lives, home and homeschooling. How wonderfully we have all grown this year, all thanks to our Heavenly Father's works in and through us, this most certainly could not be done without His grace, mercy and leading in our hearts.
I'm going to start with the new things we did this past year.
We planted a garden and got some good rewards!!

I love seeing their little hands harvesting the rewards of hard daily work!

Kenneth and I took our first vacation away from the kids. We went on a cruise to the Bahamas!!

We road on a glass-bottomed boat and saw fish on the reef.

We went para-sailing for the first time it was AMAZING!!

I can't wait to do that again!

In our home most everything is still the same. Kenneth is still in school and making A's, he's awesome what can I say? It's been very hard not having him here in the evenings. I've had to let things go when I didn't want to. I've learned lessons on grace and humility. Kenneth learned how to somehow stretch his days where somehow he gets time with the boys and me! I don't know how he does it. I'm not going to sugar coat anything, its hard. The days that Ken is in school make for very LONG days, I'm usually exhausted and all used up. My prayer for my boys is that if they marry while still in college, that they wait until they are finished before having children.

Now with what we are learning in our homeschool. I'll start with my baby.

Denton has gone from an infant to a very funny toddler. He runs to keep up with his brothers. He says so many words and is now repeating new words and animal sounds. He loves to wrestle his brothers, he loves to provoke them! He is our best little eater and is addicted to his bottle. This amazes us because none of the other boys ever took to the bottle. He loves to play in the bath and shower and if we're not careful even the toilet!!

Evan is learning to write his name, he can verbally spell it! He is our storyteller, he comes up with the most wacky stories!! He loves to play with play doe, practice cutting on the lines and tracing lines and letters. He has become very good at playing with legos and builds great cars and planes. Its amazing how much the little ones learn from the older ones.

Now to what Clayton has learned this fall, as I've already shared what he learned in the spring. He was getting bored with printing so now we are working on cursive!! He has such wonderful penmanship!! He is doing good in math and will be starting on a 3rd grade math book soon!!
He has memorized countless history, grammar and science facts. He is currently working on a new reading program, I have him read 1 easier book out loud to me (this is to help him build his reading skills such as pausing at the end of sentences, and fluency). In the evenings if time allows he reads from a chapter book that is more challenging. Once he reads 15 books we do a special date or movie night!! I'm so very proud of him!!

Thank you for letting me share this year with you. We are looking foreword to the coming year as we will be welcoming a new Leck in the summer!!

Denton's first year....

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY BABY!!!

Your name means "happy home" and what sweet joy and happiness you have brought to all of us!



They say each year seems to go by quicker than the last. This first year of baby Denton's life has gone too quickly. We chose to have him at home with a midwife and that was an amazing experience. At 8lbs and 2oz. 21" long he was wonderfully made and already so sweet.

Your brothers were so excited to meet you and none of us knew what joy we had instore for the year to come!!

At one month old you gave me your best smile and I happened to catch it on camera!!

Your first Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Three and four months old

Five and six months old

Seven and eight months old

nine and ten months old

Eleven months.......

taking his first steps.

Now you are twelve months old, a whole year!! You babble and say some recognizable names. You love to be outside on the deck or in the swing. You are a very happy, sweet and smart boy.

I loved making your birthday cake, it is the same one I made for your brothers.

You loved eating your cake!

Baby Denton~

You are so wonderfully blessed to have two brothers that adore you. You are growing so fast!! I know that God has great plans for you! God has sent angels before you to keep and guard you on the way and to lead you to the destiny He has prepared for you. You are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advance for you to do.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." ~ Ephesians 2:10

I love you sweet baby and I 'm thankful everyday that I get to watch you grow.

Evan is 4!!

This year Evan kept saying that Thomas (as in Thomas the Tank Engine) was going to be at his birthday. In actuality he was correct, Thomas was going to be at our Train Museum the weekend of his birthday. So we decided to plan on visiting Thomas the day of his birthday.

If you have not been to this event before it is really is something to do especially if you have small boys. It is free to enter you can watch a live magic show, watch a live puppet show, get pictures with Thomas and Sir Topham Hat. They have putt-putt, a train car you can go in to look at an electric set, bounce on inflatables, get fun temporary tattoos and play with several train sets. If you want to pay to ride Thomas you can, we have a few times, but did not this year.

About lunchtime we headed home to get ready for the party!! I made a train cake and set up several games for the backyard. Kenneth cook brats on the grill and we had all the fixings to go with it!!

Once our friends and family arrived the fun began!! The kids all ate out on the deck, then they were off to play on the swing set. Once I had eaten I started the kids on some games. We played a "sling shot" game with marshmallows, spoons and plastic cups. It was harder than I thought, but they still loved it!

Next it was time for cake and presents!! Then to play stick the #1 on Thomas (like pin the tale on the donkey). The last game of the night was a mess!! Think of a snowball fight except instead of snow you throw giant marshmallows.

This year marked a first for our Evan as well.

He became a big brother!! He has taken this job seriously and loves his Denton.

Mighty Evan,

Happy Birthday !!! What a joy you can be!! You have a way with your thoughts and imagination. You are so funny sometimes. You have brought us so much laughter! You have also taught us alot about patience and endurance these four years of your life.

I pray that you will yield yourself to our heavenly Father's plans for your life. You can do all things through Christ because He willyour strength. I pray that you will flourish like a stately tree. I thank God for helping you to bring forth good fruit. I pray that you will be rooted and grounded in love. May you bear godly fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

"I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...that Christ

may dwell in your hearts through faith;

that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able...to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ~ Ephesians 3:14,17,19

Sleeplessness and a Healthy Dose of Honesty

It's amazing how sleep is almost as exciting as a planned vacation. It is currently 2:46 a.m. and here I am. No, I'm not up with a sick child or a teething baby, everyone in this house is sleeping away. You may wonder why I'm not asleep and the answer is complicated.

First, I think it might be the iced coffee I had at 5 this evening (that was a duh!). Second, I feel a little detached. We are in the process of planning much needed vacation, sort of a second honeymoon. Kenneth and I just celebrated 9 years of marriage. In the process I've been thinking about nothing else than this impending trip. Instead of interacting, I've been mentally absent. In being mentally absent, I've been short tempered. (How dare my little ones interrupt my magazine reading, don't they know that I need to know the fashions so I don't look like a worn out mommy?) Our middle child is one that daily, sometimes hourly, interrupts a pleasant thought or moment with his.....Evanness. I really don't know any other word. I know he's not a "bad kid" or "overly hyper" or any other label we tend to put on our kids. He is loud, ornery, smart, silly and three going on four. But he is totally draining. Having a baby under one year of age doesn't seem to help either.

So, here I am trying to get a grasp on myself before I can leave my babies behind and enjoy my husband without mommy guilt. So, I do what any other mother (I know) would do. I get out my trusty parenting books, prayer books and Bible and try to dig out of the emotional and spiritual rut (those two go hand and hand for me).

I pull out Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas and turn to the chapter titled Walking on the Wild Side of Parenting: The Gift of Extremely Demanding Children. The chapter begins with Psalm 127:3-5, but quickly that children-as-a-blessing is not the only biblical truth, that in some instances children can also feel like a curse.

Ok, let me stop right here and add that I do not feel like my children are a curse, at least 90% of the time. If I stop and really think about it those times are mostly influenced by spiritual dryness, hormonal shifts, and feeling under appreciated. Usually two of these are tied together.

Now back to the book, Thomas then goes on to say that because of our free will given by God, two Christian parents can raise a wayward child simply because of the childs will. This is both refreshing and disturbing to me. I want to raise boys into wonderful men, who don't have to feel the need to go their own way. I want them to desire God's way. The truth is I know they will at times go their way, they may even stay wayward. Thomas then goes on to say

Godly, children are a trementous blessing: this is a precoius biblical truth. But

scripture is honest, and we should be as well. Wayward children can, at the

very least, feel like a fierce curse. The bible couldn't be more clear that

wayward children will pay for their treachery. (Prov. 30:17)

The wayward child wounds a parent in two ways. First, the child wounds the

mother by despising her, cheating her, robbing her or even hitting her. But then,

almost inexplicably, he tears his mother's heart in two when she grieves over her

profligate child's misfortune as he inevitably marches toward his own ruin.

How sobering to face the vulnerability that someone could make our lives absolutely miserable-and yet we would lay down our lives on their behalf withoug thinking about it.

There's no getting around the fact that parenting occasionally can suck you dry. It will

take you beyond your own strenght until you want to weep from weariness, but then you

watch, amazed that you still get up and give some more.

All of this leading up where he says that even if you have a great day with one child another will feel jealous or resentful. In my house this is constant, at three there are some things that Evan can do to feel "big", but its not what he wants to do. If big brother has recieved praise for accompling some task before he has decided to start the one I asked of him, Evan then decides its not worth doing. That is only one issue.

And it's really no single issue that drags us down or send us over the edge. We blanch at the ever-present wight of al the issues put together-day in, day our, morning, noon and night. Parenting can surely be an exhausting profession, but it's also a complex calling-one that can have a profound impact on our spiritual development.

We need to use the most wearisome aspects of parenting as the occasion for thanking God

for putting up with us. Only the most forgetful and the most blind among us can act arrogantly before God, as though he had giben us a heavier burden than we had given him.

Sacred parenting reminds us that no matter how difficult a child may be, we still play in the

minor leagues compared to God's great sacrifice.

"This brother, as troublesome as he may be, nevertheless teahes you patience, kindness,

and compassion; that is why we need him here. No one else can teach you the lessons

he teaches."

So now I feel inspired again. I know I will be extra tired once the boys are ready to start the day but for me to have been encouraged and to pass this on to whoever reads this post is worth it. This is what my blogs are for, so I can go back re-read my thoughts and inspirations and remember my mission and calling. I will end with this verse that is taped to my bathroom wall; "Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season you will reap if you do not lose heart." Galations 6:9

Whew!!! Now What?

We have finished our Classical year so now what?? For those of you who wonder what Classical is you can visit www.ClassicalConversations.com. I say we have finished our Classical year because we never finish "schooling". After this past year I have realized that focusing on our math and writing during the summer and winter breaks would really help to take the pressure off of squeezing it in. Quality is much more achievable when we can take the time to really savor and digest the information that I am teaching and the boys are absorbing.

I have really enjoyed watching Clayton this past year grow and meet new friends. To see him push himself and to watch as something he struggled with finally clicks. What a blessing this time in my life is!!!

I would like to review our Classical year, I hope you enjoy!!

In our group during Christmas activities.

Working on a Science Presentation for group

Evan tracing letters with his fingers in corn starch

All the boys in Clayton's group did a Lego creation and took pictures, however we never submitted this one.

Clayton cutting out a weather chart for a week

Evan having some "quiet time" with the listening library

Playtime with daddy is always a must!!

Using their imaginations to build houses out of cardboard and blankets

Evan working on his hand eye coordination by tracing lines

Outside time is great to grow strong bodies and minds

Beautiful

"Watch me momma" Evan doing a trick

Making yummy treats for Easter!!

My handsome guys

At the Zoo with some classmates

Denton was thrilled by the lorakeets!

Earth Day we picked up trash with Nanny and Pappaw

Closing Day at group with support of the Grandparents

Closing Day Clayton's class memorised the 10 Commandments, 7 wonders of the ancient world, the Kush and the Berbers, the Anasazi Indians and the Mexican Revolution

TIME TO ENJOY THE SUMMERTIME!!!