Afraid of snakes? Ring snakes are fun and harmless!

We frequently have these tiny little dark colored snakes around. Their heads are no bigger than your pinky finger nail. Typically they are about 4-7 inches full grown in length. They have red or yellow bellies with a colored ring around their neck. They are non venomous and enjoy weaving in and out of your fingers. This particular evening, we were coming up from the playgroup and i found him in our garage. We had our 5 children and were watching my friends four kids while we were on a date. We texted this next picture to them on the date.

Of course we had the lap top sitting right there and i was reading to them all about the habits of the ring snake, its features, what it would eat, and how big it gets when its full grown. My husband says to me," Do you ever stop schooling?" The truth is its a 24/7 thing that's why we don't have to fit it all in during 8 to 2 becuase we take every opportunity in a fun way to learn!!! Happy learning!

Boxey the Turtle

On a torentially raining school day, the kids couldn't focus and where dying to go out in the rain. Out TJ went to examine the damage the rain was having on the creek from the fast flowing water. Along the sidelines of the creek, he found a turtle floating and picked it up. Box turtles are not good swimmers and are not meant to be floating down the creek. TJ rescued the turtle and brought it up to the house. He was feeling like quite the hero since Daddy really laid on the accolades for it! We used this as an opportunity to learn all about box turtles. We researched it on the internet. Then we took pictures of it and compared its marking to what we found on the computer. We identified its natural habitat, what it eats, and more. Also we found out what it would need if we decided to keep it as a pet inside. I found some research sheets on the computer and printed them out for the kids to fill out and keep in their notebooks. We followed all the instructions on care for a box turtle but boxey only lived for two days. He was bubbling at the mouth the whole time. We made the assumption that he probably had gotten water logged and drowned in his own shell. All three kids documented the experience.

Homeschooling Beach Style!

My friend, Keri and her 4 children, plus myself and 4 of my children stayed at my parents condo for 5 days together. We both homeschool so it made it nice to trade off who taught sometimes. We really hoped to "dive in" to studying the tide, life along the shore, and tidepool creatures.

We spent alot of time beach combing and collecting. Our last night, we cleaned all the specimens and collected and use the book Tideland Treasures which written just about Hilton Head island. We had a blast. The kids drew what we laid out and examined each thing thoroughly. The labeled there drawings in their Nature Notebooks to keep.

Praying for Signs! The day the Fire Truck came down our street

The other day a BIG decision was posed to me to pray about. "Pray about it for 24 hours and then we'll talk," my husband said. Wow. I hate to wait 5 minutes to have to talk about something when something is on my mind!!! 24 hours , are you crazy? Well, nothing happens that fast and God can show you alot in 24 hours if you wait, watch, and listen.

On this particular afternoon, my kids, our company and I had just walked into the front yard to play when the fire truck came down in to our culdesac and stopped in front of our house. They jumped off and started messing with the hydrant. They repainted it a very shiny silver and tightened the bolts. They gave each one of my children a shiny red hat and invited them to climb into the truck. We took some great pictures with the firemen and some on the truck.

After the truck pulled away, one of our friends said to me. "Did you catch that? The Holy Fire of God. Did you see the number on the side of the truck? IT was a number 7. The number of completion. What is the likelihood that that truck would have come down your street while you were out here right after the conversation that we all just had?"Wow. Has God tried to speak to you through the simple things lately, and you missed them because they seemed too simple? Wow. I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Forgiven- Do your family members know they are forgiven?

We are in Hilton Head for a few days. Its always a treat to come to this tropical paradise. Since we homeschool, its just a change of scenary for us. We continue to school in the morning and then play from lunch on, sometimes earlier. But here we go bike riding and to the beach. Yippee! this trip my parents joined the kids and I at the Simons (my parents) condo that they rent out in South Beach, Sea Pines.
My mother had been asking to take a walk with me alone with out any of the kids. I knew she must have something on her mind to talk to me about. Well once we got out there, it all spilled out. She was worried that was something between us. Even more so she wanted to know if i had any unforgiven towards her still. She cried and shared my heart with her. What a joy to be able to say, " I have forgiven you a long time ago. I have no hard feeling and have nothing been you and I." We shared for another 45 minutes about things in our relationship in the past but I reiiterated that none of that mattered and that God has carried us through it all for the better. We can't keep looking back and how we should have done things different. Only how are we goign to move forward tomorrow.
I shared that from my experienced i have chosen to do things differently in my life and with my children but that is not a reflection of my past. I saw what I felt needed to be different and have made changes but not in an angry way. We all try to make decisions based on knowledge and experience.
We need to constantly build up one another verbally!! Complement each other. Thank each other. And ask forgiven when you recognize you have wronged another. When you step on someone's toes and they tell you, don't defend yourself, just say "I'm sorry will you forgive me?"

The children are watching, what are they seeing?

A new struggle- Calling out to the Lord

I have never struggled with weight in my life! I have always eaten what i wanted when I wanted to. I have been through healthy wave and junk waves but it never really mattered. I have been pregnant 6 times and every time except this time I have dropped back to a relatively small size. This time I lost weight (after the birth of our fifth child) and gained almost all of it back in a matter of months. I am still nursing but I can't fit most of my clothes that I could even fit last spring! I have been wearing my trendy maternity clothes again. Anyway, its time to start caring and working at this. This is a struggle I am unfamiliar with. Have you had a struggle you knew you couldn't handle on your own easily? I actually have enjoyed the eating! I am on day three of exercise and day two of healthy eating. But its different than in the past. I can't give up this time when it gets too hard. I feel yucky and depressed and not me. This is not me and I will not allow myself to stay where I have gotten myself too. I even bought two larger sized shirts on our date this past Wednesday. I would have bought a skirt too if I found one I liked in my size. But I didn't. I have larger shorts pinned tighter to stay on. I am staying home and exercising. I know if you saw me you would think this is rediculous but everyone knows who they need to be and I feel like I have allowed myself to get to a slovenly state (no exercise and careless eating consuming beverages of high caloric count with no benefit). I feel like the glutton that is spoken of in the Bible.
I went to the Lord this morning and He lead me straight to 2 Kings 5. I read the whole thing. Naaman had leoprosy. He wanted to Lord to heal him. He went to the prophet of God, Elisha, and thought he would preform a miracle for him. Elisha led him to be healed but not the way Naaman expected. At first Naaman refused to do what Elisha asked because it didn't seem as Naaman envised (been there??). When he got over his angry, he decided to follow what Elisha the prophet told him to do, and he was healed. Naaman was so greatful that he wanted to give him something. Elisha wanted nothing from him. Just give God his heart and all the glory.
In my situation, I have Leprosy. I have a spare tire I have never had to deal with. It is my personal leoprosy, no one elses. But God is dealing with me in it. Can you relate? I am no longer the cute tiny one that could wear everything and anything looked good on (that's what others used to say to me). I am a 37 year old mom of 5 that is 12-15 overweight on a small frame and its uncomfortable.
Yes God loves me and sees me as Beautiful but for the first time I am having to receive that in a way I have never had before! Can you relate?

Listening to....

What are you listening to...?
Yesterday I started my day listening to myself. Was that intentional
? I don't know. But I do know that God woke me at 3 AM and I prayed for minute, sat up and contemplated getting up and then laid back down to sleep. The day seem to go rather well for the most part until later in the day. Now looking back, we didn't really have breakfast until 11:30 (so I served bacon, scrambled eggs and cheese, and pancakes for lunch) and then we didn't have dinner until 5:30. But it was a healthy heavy lunch right over a Bible study. We had a great school morning and a great cleaning afternoon. Its just that all Hell broke lose around 6 and it got way out of hand. Now were we in sync with God. Noo! Looking back there was underlying back biting bewtween the kids all day. They were probably starving! For the most part they were helpful, attention and obedient yet TJ couldn't remember what he learned when daddy asked him about the day and Hannah skipped dinner becuase she didn't like what we were having. And becuase I was so busy cleaning and eating on the run I didn't notice until she was losing it! So....was I listening to His small voice prompting me? Did I get up and have timewith Him alone before the rest of the family got up? Did I plan and make breakfast for the family before they got up and then made sure everyone had a good breakfast before they started their day (and I expecting them to act right)? Not yesterday .
This morning He woke me again at 3AM. Did I listen and rise? By golly, yes. I rose. I made the coffee. I started the laundry and cleaned up the hall way. I have started putting away the laundry and organized the boys closet. I sent 10 emails to friends I have neglected to contact for awhile. I made a fresh batch of banana bread muffins with a peanut butter swirl and oreo crumbs on top sitting in the pan waiting to go in the oven. I am about to go read the message for today and start my day with HIM. After yesterdays craziness, I would be crazy not to. Does the Word tell us to do this but we think we can make it on our own accord. Ask Him to order your steps today. I am.
Be blessed!