Thank You!

Though I don't blog for awards (it's all about relationships), awards are fun to receive. It's doubly fun when the awards arrive from readers with cute graphics. ::snort::

Kristine at Mama Archer's Blog - gave me this award. I've not been able track down much about this one...but I know she gave it to her top 5 commenters. I can't get THAT widget to work on my blog...but I like the idea. Your comments are such a vital part of blogging and so I'll follow Kristine's lead and mention those who comment quite a lot. Hmmm....it appears that many who comment frequently are also owners of blogs I love.... ::snort:: SOoooooo...

Yvonne and Becca sent this affirmation along. Don't you love the graphic? I would think I could list 10 -15 blogs here.

Here are my picks:

Seriously, if I comment on your blog with any regularity (like once a week or every other week), you can assume I love your blog...Feel free to grab the logo. ::snort:: Should I list your names? You KNOW who you are! I DO love your blogs.

I KNOW that this will probably go through the SHS group, so I'm going to try to pick some blogs that aren't SHS to make it easier for my SHS friends to pick their awardees. LOL

Michelle from Dei Gratia inspires me with her honesty about her family's adoption adventures. Michelle has been a military spouse mentor for me, as well as a homeschool inspiration.

Kristine - Mama Archer - often has thought provoking posts...and she's newly moved to the land of our heart! LOL

Amy from The Word from the Herd - is one of the very first of my blog readers to find me in REAL LIFE and INTRODUCE herself...at SPEECH THERAPY. She thought she recognized me from somewhere. ::snort::

Melinda is a fellow PWOC enthusiast, military spouse and obsessive blogger. She blogs at There's No Place Like Home.

Heather has two blogs that I love....one is her photoblog and the other is Heather's Home....sneaky aren't I? Two for one. ::snort:: Heather, feel free to use the graphic wherever you'd like.

Linda of the MacDonald Clan has darling children and wonderful photos.

OK, I should stop and post or this will wait another week. I deliberately did NOT list SHS readers....but if you've not been tagged within a week come back and grab it under the first paragraph clause. LOL

And here are the rules:
1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate your favorite blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated

©2008 D.R.G.

Jared or The Power of a Vision

This post will brag on Jared. He's gone at World View Academy for a week and will not see it for a bit of time. Therefore, he won't be embarassed.

I overheard a conversation today at chapel.

To Arielle, "You'll be a teenager soon."

Mike replied, "Not in OUR HOME!"

At which point I jumped in to save the day and clear up confusion as to what we were planning for poor Arielle's future. I explained that in our home we have "young adults" and not "teenagers". I realize many feel that this is simply a matter of semantics (like using the term kid/child). It is more for us. By consciously calling our 13-19 year olds "young adults" we keep before us our goal to raise YOUNG ADULTS....and we remind ourselves that they should be taking on more adult freedoms along with their extra responsibities.

By voicing to our children that we "don't have teenagers in our home", we communicate with them our vision of what they will act like, who they are maturing into, who they are IN THIS VERY SEASON....They are YOUNG ADULTS. Visions/expectations are powerful. My expectations will influence my communications and responses with my young adults. My children and young adults will live up to my communicated expectations for them. Do not be deceived.....verbally or non-verbally your vision/expectations are communicated.

What does this have to do with Jared? Jared was the typical 11-13 yo. However, at about 13 he really began to mature...to grow into the leadership potential we had seen, to stop wanting the privileges of adulthood without the responsibilities, to begin taking the initiative to lead and help at home and elsewhere. It's been fun to watch.

We'll miss Jared this week while he is at camp. We are praying he has a safe, fun, beneficial time at World View.

Yesterday he sucessfully tested for Master Sgt. in the Civil Air Patrol.

Last weekend the local CAP went to Midland to help out with an air show. Jared was allowed to lead one of the "flights". This was a big step in leadership for him.

I love this time of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Yes, there are a few rough months along the way. We TELL our children that we are on their side, that they will most likely have to learn to deal with raging hormones and that we'll love them through it all. LOL It seems that girls deal with hormones by becoming "a bit" moody and must learn to deal with emotions in a godly way. Our young men have all gone through a time where they seemed to become aggressive and have anger surges....which I chalk up to hormones....and they've had to learn how to deal with this in a godly fashion....but honestly.....these years are wonderful years.....

People used to tell me, "Just wait unitl they are all teens - you'll regret having so many." That's been proven false in our home. We've had up to four young adults in our home at a time. They've all been huge blessings as they matured. If you are looking for some encouragement on raising young adults, I recommend reading this free article, Myth of the Teenager, and "Age of Opportunity" by Paul David Tripp. Of course, I probably don't agree with all the thoughts shared in either...but the Myth of the Teenager, helped to set our vision for the "teen years" when Bre was just 8 years old.

Today, a tribute to the youngest adult in our family. You make us proud, you make our family life much easier by sharing our family vision, by embracing our vision for this season of your life.

For more Super Size Saturday entries click here.

©2008 D.R.G.

Misc Glimpses....

A few photos of things I "meant" to blog about but haven't gotten around too...all from last week....

NOTHING says "new year" as well as a new box of crayons

I purchased berries from a farm in OR.....YES....yummy blueberries...I would have purchased more but I don't have room in the freezer. I got a box of blueberries, boysenberries and strawberries. I highly recomend Bithell Farms from Boring, OR.


Stacia smiled and said, "I'm such a GOOD Mommy - like you, Mom!" Ahhh.....


Jousting - school time


I haven't a clue - some plan of Mikes.....


May as well go with it.


©2008 D.R.G.

Is it Friday????

PAC meeting today.

Gym.

Table School.

House of Faith.

Piano Lessons.

Civil Air Patrol.

Final Prep to mail The Leper King to Operation First Novel.

©2008 D.R.G.

Operation First Novel

Jamin has kept quite an ambitious writing schedule the past 6 months. He has written every night after work until midnight or 2 a.m. He's gotten up early and worked on editing etc. He's done this while keeping up with his other school assignments.

It all comes down to this: his novel is on it's way to Operation First Novel. Jamin would, of course, love to win or place as a finalist. We'd love that for him. Jamin has paid for his membership in Christian Writer's Guild, for he and Mike to attend Writing for the Soul conference last Feb, and has recently paid for college credits he is taking through Taylor University. I'd love for this little novel to make him some $$$$.

The Leper King, Cover letter, backup and SASpostcard


I decided that Jamin should have the fun of actually mailing the novel, so we stopped on our way home from dropping Jared off at Civil Air Patrol.



It's Off...now we WAIT and PRAY a bit longer.

©2008 D.R.G.

Besides School?????

Monday - Mom's Night Out. Deja had a panel in to discuss how to live on a budget, or live cheaply....something of the sort. I found it fun and interesting. I loved that the ladies on the panel were not ladies that I've heard a lot from in the past. I'm excited that next month one of our "homeschool warhorses" is going to share how her son started a business at 11 and hired his 8 year old brother....how the "teen" years can be far more than we "expect". I think it will be a cool night...but it's a month away.

Tuesday - PWOC. We finished up our study on Kinsman Redeemer. Our growth is holding steady and it's a fun group.

Wednesday - Our field trip (see below). Mike and the kids bought me a MP3 player on Mother's Day.....which I received this week. I'm now trying to figure out how to get music and lectures transferred to it.

That's about it......I'm operating at about 60-75% normal energy level. I think I'll sleep the next afternoon I can snatch and see if that will help. ::snort:: I've begun to wonder if I have mono.
©2008 D.R.G.

STOP THE PRESSES....SENATOR GOING TO DC TO WORK?

I had thought we were finding our stride. Unfortunately, I believe our stride this year is going to resemble an attempt to sprint through sludge and quick sand. ::snort:: This
may have something to do with the bug I'm fighting.....who knows? Maybe I'll be full of energy in a week or so.

Today, Arielle, Nolan and I headed over to our local Newspaper office. Our homeschool support group had hoped to have enough children for one tour group. We ended up with enough children for four groups. LOL Here are a few shots. I was totally AMAZED at how this field trip has changed from the "ole days" when *I* was in elementary school. No type setting (and really looking at a room of computers is a bit boring), one small room to contain old articles and photos as most are now archived on (again) the big computers, not a lot of reporters running in an out (beause news feeds and computers mean we need fewer real reporters)....but some things never change. The printing room is still impressive. ::snort::

I had a fun discussion with another mom (hi, Yvonne), on one of my more passionate homeschool topics - old fashioned homeschooling. Poor Yvonne has READ my thoughts and wanted to hear MORE. ::snort:: I met a homeschool dad from the early 80's and it was fun to remember.....how far the movement has come!

Anyway - a few photos:

Explaining how to find old photos

Testing their hands at "throwing papers"



Big rolls of newsprint
The Printing Press






This was REALLY interesting...a pallet of papers in prep for Sunday...

Arielle finally got to be FIRST to read the Sunday Comics

We found it interesting to see pallets with sales flyers for the next 3 weeks.... (Keep your eye on JC Penneys).

We headed home and worked on some history. I fell asleep. I'm simply no good in the afternoon. I need to do the read alouds EARLY and save hands on activities for the afternoon.

Arielle did story hour with the little ones.

We continued our discussion of the process of electing a President. (Deja, we need to talk.)

I cut out several more booklets to speed up the process for Zander. He's interested in his knight and voting books...but he has a limited amount of time each day that his hiney can be in contact with a chair....so I figure I can help by doing much of the cutting.

I listened to Sean Hannity while I cut...and heard that Sen. McCain is going back to DC to ....WORK....go figure. ::snort:: OK....this does interest us as we are studying "campaigns" and um....is he really abdicating the campaign....for how long? A weekend? A week? A month? Will this cause him to gain or loose momentum? Will they turn my gal Sarah loose on the trail? All questions of grand interest for those of us doing a unit study on elections. Have I mentioned the LAST TIME our family did a unit study on elections was 2000? You know - the year we didn't know the results for several weeks and I had told the kids they could stay up until the President was announced. ::snort:: I wonder if we've jinxed this orderly election cycle by determining it was time to do another unit study on elections?

Hmmm...we were all prepared to watch a debate on Friday - appealed to those studying elections AND to those studying formal debate.....I wonder.....Seriously, I need to go do some online news reading as I can't imagine what it means that Sen McCain is "suspending his campaign"....I mean really.....how long? Until the economy is "fixed"? I'm intriqued.

©2008 D.R.G.