A Big Bible Lesson

We start our school day after breakfast together on the couch.

Bibles in hand we are working thru readings in the Old Testament. I like that we simply follow a schedule to read thru the Bible. We started in Genesis a year ago in January of '08. I'd not realized it's been a whole year.

We've just read of Samuel & King Saul, then David & Goliath. Finally, David became King. That took us to "2 Samuel 11:1-17, 26-27 Bathsheba". I knw this was new ground...

We read the passage and then reviewed the 10 commandments (remember the hand motions? hold each finger up for these!):

• 1- One God
• 2- Scissors to cut out the idols
• 3- Trace a W, do not take God's name in vain
• 4- Dad, Mom, the girls go to church, remembe the Sabbath
• 5- Salute, honor mom & dad, *first command w/ a promise
• 6- Make a gun toward other 5, do not kill
• 7- This married couple does not mix with the world, no adultery
• 8- With 2 fingers cut off for stealing as some countries, do not steal
• 9- Nine standing up, one lying down, do not lie
• 10- Hand of "gimme gimme", do not covet, toys, barbies, forts, ect...

The girls clearly knew and stated King David broke #6 Do not Kill & #7 No Adultery.

We talked about the commandments God gave. Oh, that our boundaries would fall in pleasant places. God called his actions "evil." Now all David's days would be shaded by this sin. The sword will not depart from his family... all because of this. Trouble is coming...

I told the girls that these days are the years to learn obedience... so all their lives are not impacted by their sin. Today we have bad DAYS because of disobedience and attitudes. Now it is just a day... Oh that we'd learn these lessons now... so the impact is not every day, their whole lives!!

Today we read as Nathan confronted David 2 Samuel 12. I love David's response... v13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."

I'm praying for my girls to recognize their sin. So often they see me as the reason for their discipline. They see straight past their part... the whole reason for their trouble. I'm praying for their eyes to be opened....

There was such grief today with David's son dying. I know their thoughts go to Kyle, the baby we lost. I tried to turn their focus to see the impact of David's sin.

Over and over I've thought and said... sin will keep you from the Bible... or the Bible will keep you from sin. This reminder I pray keeps my feet from sin!! That MY boundaries fall in pleasant places... may God give peace to my family... and my we choose to stay in His blessings.

Oh that God would remind us over & over & over!! Never forget!!! Learning! ss

Walking

We are officially walking!!

Maple needs to walk daily! Ruff! We've been reminded by Cesar Milan to walk!!! Also, I need to walk daily! The girls get to walk daily!!! Off we go...

Yesterday we braved the cold at 27°!!! We bundled! The girls used their scarves over their faces. I turned up my turtle neck to cover my face!!! Maple inspired the girls to walk. I was on a mission to swing by my neighbors!!! We made a short block and headed home for some hot cider!!

Today we walked after school! It is lovely 50° afternoon filled with golden sunshine! I wanted to walk 2 rounds but Ladybugs legs gave out! Hmf! It is just perfect out to walk!!

With a good week of walking... I hope to make it a habit! Next, farther and faster!!! Or next, just glad to walk!!! Grace!! ss

11 more months...

Howdy all ya'll,
Well it has been an exciting month since last I wrote.

I have shipped my first ever silos that I completed from beginning to end. Both silos shipped in two pieces. The last two pieces were to get to Homer City, Pennsylvania last Thursday. On Thursday evening around 4:20pm I got the call that started with "Hey Kerry I needed to let you know a little bit of bad news!" I figured how bad can it be? It runs more than $15,000 to ship each section because of the size and the weight so I am sure they have good insurance right. The largest section is 14 feet in diameter and was 71 feet long so it is big, the lower section is not as long but has all the high dollar equipment inside it. Evidently they were 5 miles from their final destination when a dump truck drove past the 70' section and side swiped it denting my brand new silo. Each shipment I have done on this project that needed to be someplace actually had a delay or a hiccup in it. I had to go to the shooting range to unload a couple of hundred rounds that day, not because I was angry I had already planned to do that.

The girls have had their first basketball games and those have been interesting. They like to play and it is cool to watch them as they gain a better understanding of the game. Take a look at the attached photos of the girls in their basketball outfits and there is one in there of Megan taking a shot after stealing the ball from her opponent.

The girls decided that since they did not get the opportunity to meet their baby brother before he went to heaven they needed to adopt a brother. Our church was advertising to adopt a college student so the girls decided that they would do that. We went to the luncheon and our oldest selected the gent that she thought would make a good brother. He was quite receptive of being adopted so we adopted him and have corresponded via facebook already so we can hook up. As we were leaving the luncheon the girls asked when he would be moving into our home and changing his name. Our oldest said that if he gets married would they get to be a part of the wedding? I guess we did not explain enough that to adopt a student is not the same as an adoption.

Remember to pray for those who are leading our country as they are in a hard spot. Pray that they would exhibit integrity.

I am not really that much of a football fan but they decided to move the SuperBowl to my birthday this year so if you want to send me an extra gift that would be fine too... I could really use a restocking of 9mm and 380 rounds to replace the couple of hundred rounds I used to help my mood the other day. :) First time reloads are fine too.

Only 11 more months till Christmas...

Remember the reason for the season.

Kerry S.

I want to adopt a brother

All week the girls have pondered adopting a brother....

Sunday was the adopt a college student luncheon. Lovebug surveyed the crowd and found a guy who "looked like a good big brother!" I pulled her pointing hand down.

Soon Hubbie made his way across to meet him. Stephan is a senior at LT. He laughed at the girls. We made plans for an up an coming lunch and a FB contact.

Heading home the girls wondered when he's moving in?? He'll have a new last name!?! ...and so much more to explain!! They are thrilled to have a brother!!!

Grace! ss

Spanish Week Uno

Spanish Week 1 Assignments:

Sonidos Iniciales - movie - Letter sounds & words
Alphabet - movie - I'm unsure about including Ladybug here because she an emergent reader
Palabras de uso Frecuente - a - Word list
Spanish Ditty - Question words & a little ditty
Numbers - Learn 15 numbers and you can count to 100!!!
Uno - movie - Let's play a game!!

Here's a start to our first week of formal Spanish. I've got a clear starting point and concrete direction. Yea!!! I've placed movies on my pod for easy access. I made the movies during our first Spanish lesson. Tonight I made vocabulary cards to add 2 words a day.

For our vocabulary... I'm adding Spanish songs from De Colores and Other Latin American Folksongs for Children. We have the book and CD. The girls enjoy the songs and we need to learn what they say!!! Thus the cards I made!!! Also, we'll start kitchen words from Play and Learn Spanish. This is an excellent starting book for us with lots of home/about activities. We'll learn the vocabulary for breakfast and work our way to the breakfast conversation.

Uno... I want to plan Uno all in Spanish. I've gotten a start in our lesson's movie. Now to practice!!!

That's the plan!!! We have a week and half before our next lesson with Mrs. Edna. She is just wonderful. Her goal is to teach me, so I can teach the girls!!! I have mucho to learn!!!

Grace!! ss

Devo Detour

Each night before bed we all gather together to read the Bible. I'm glad the habit is in place!! Each of us holds our Bibles. Daddy's is so worn he need a new one... Lovebug enjoys a great Illustrated Bible. Ladybug often reads a line. We are walking our way through Acts.

This week we were on the heals of Paul proclaiming his story in Acts 26.... We'd stopped the night before to relish this reading the following night....

That's when we hit a speed bump. Fussing. Grumping. Tired girls. They each were too out of sorts to even listen to this passage of blinding light...

So we detoured... Hubbie & I picked up various verses we've traveled over.

Then we read in Proverbs 6 ...

16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Oh! God's word is so clear. We know all about haughty eyes. We are so known by those frown faces and anger eyes.... we are yet talking of this passage... tonight it was about dissension among brothers.... the mark was hit yet again...

God truly speaks to us from His living word. Grace! ss

Starting with Ambleside Online

I'm thrilled to find a neighbor who both homeschools with kidos close ages to my girls and bonus... she is starting out on Ambleside!! AO!!! http://www.amblesideonline.org/

This is a blog to help new AOers.... it has good info & links....
http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cheps/ao-start.html

This is an AWESOME look at the AObooks.... it lists places to find each book new, used, public domain & audio.. with some prices... it is awesome!!!! Just looking at this site reminds me how much I like it... it can be a slow load... lots of pics....
http://www.accesstotheclassics.com/lists/Ambleside_ALL.html


Here's the AO Booklist by author... all like 11 years :)
http://www.amblesideonline.org/BooklistAuthor.shtml

I've mention lots of links on buying books... here's a start at it...

Here's a great place to trade books you don't need for credits for books you want.... PBS...
http://www.paperbackswap.com/ Tell them I sent ya... with my email.... you can also make a want list with them....

Books & Coffee in town is another way to trade out books... I've brought a stack to them before to see what store credit they'd give me... ones they don't take I can set up w/ PBS. I like this option because you can clear bookshelf space!!!

Used books... I use lots of sites... I try to buy most of my books used... there some I've not found... I try to buy books at least 2 years out and I focus on the scheduled books we'll be in for a term.... other books I can borrow from the library or inner library loan... or a good friend like Kathy!!

Here's a smattering of sites... I've bookmarked all these and use them in the hunt & pricing... finding used & new..

http://www.fetchbook.info/
http://www.betterworld.com/
http://www.alibris.com/
http://www.addall.com/
http://www.half.ebay.com/
http://www.abebooks.com/

Ebay... I do buy book there too.... I set up searches to be notified when books are posted....
I use a snip company so I can set my price and not worry about the auction... It will bid on the item to my top price... and if I get it great... and if not... it was more that I wanted to spend....

http://www.ezsniper.com/ it is another one if you use... please reference my email...

Here is an Amazon listing of AO books...
Judy Elliott has 60 Listmania lists at Amazon. You can find the beginning of the list here: http://tinyurl.com/5pmazx
Once you view the first page, just look for the 'next' button at the top or bottom of the page.

There are oodles and oodles of pages of AO lists with Judy....

These groups collect the public domain texts and break them up by term & week...

Year 1 Notebook Group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AO_Year01_Notebook/

Year 2 Notebook Group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AO_Year02_Notebook/

That's a start anyway!!! :) Grace! ss

The LORD is my shepherd
Psalm 23:1

Broken Needle Hats

When I broke my pretty new wooden needles... my socks sat idle with only a yucky green showing...

Alas, I had to knit something.... and I started by NOT reading the pattern for a possum hat... I picked up some fun yarn and started in the middle of the pattern... I knitted just he crown of the hat!! Rip out!

Actually, I ripped out that first hat like... six times!! (Ok, ok, I am a perfectionist....) The yarn was twisted, so rip it out... it's too big, rip out.... hmmmm... guage it.... and finally I knitted a hat I'm happy with! Then I remade my first hat!!!

The girls like the hats so that makes me happy!

Also my lovely mum sent me new needles and the yarn I liked and could not decide on!!! I guess she could not decide either because where I got none... she got both!!!

I'm back to socks.. and wondering about a scarf to match those hats!!! Alas, the remaining yarn is not enough...

Knitting!!! God knits too!!!

Grace & Mercy! ss

Hungry!

Am I really hungry? How long does it take to get hungry?

That's what I'm pondering!! I'm realizing I need far less food than I'm eating!! So... I'm trying to wait for hunger... real hunger... stomach growls and wait 20 minutes and real hunger comes back!! Grrrr... then eat just a little... and wait to get hungry again.

Over the weekend was not the ideal time to wait for hunger!! My first wait takes days. Hubbie was not thrilled with my not making meals.. but I'm truly not hungry. It also help to stay out of the kitchen away from nibbles....

I've learned it is very easy to throw my hunger off.... a cup of tea with a bit of sugar covered all hunger for hours.

So! I'm eating a little breakfast.... 1/2 banana & 1/2 avocado with oj today... I'm waiting to be really hungry!! Gum helps the wait :)

Grace! ss