United For Christ

Nature Hike With Friends!

2011-11-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

Can you see the nest?

Camping

2011-11-22T09:19:00.001-08:00

This was our first family camping trip. Mark has taken the older boys a number of times, but this was the two younger boys first time. We really had a good time.

I have never heard so many coyotes in my life. We started hearing them before the sun had set and in the middle of the night they were having quite a party. It was great!

The next day we explored the ruins of an old fort. The boys loved climbing all over the old buildings.

Nature Journaling

2011-11-17T09:24:00.001-08:00

Red-Eared Turtle

2011-11-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we were on our way home when we found this turtle in the middle of the road. I was going to just move him to the ditch, but a cry went up of bring him home with us. So, I decided we would at least let him visit for a little while. He was very shy. We kept him until Daddy was home from work so that he could see our little friend. Then we drove back to where we found him and let him go.

Nature Club

2011-11-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

Our First Nature Club Meeting- more pictures!

2011-11-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

Happy First Day of Autumn!!

2011-09-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Roses

2011-04-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

April is such a beautiful time of year. It seems like every week there is something new to see on our nature walk. The whole world is blooming with color and the sweet smell of flowers is in the air. This April we were once again amazed by the roses at our local gardens. We have a tradition that each of us gets to pick our favorite rose and have our picture taken next to it. This is just a fun way to get the boys to really look at the roses and admire them for more than two seconds. Also it is interesting for me to watch them choose which is their favorite. A funny thing happened this year because after they had all chosen their rose and had their picture taken they came across some yellow roses that they all decided was their favorite. It is unusual for them to all agree on something so whole-heartedly!

Here they are with their altogether favorite!

A Growing Love for Trees

2011-04-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

Trees are a natural magnet for the boys, because of course they like to climb them! So it makes it easy to point out the different types we have in our area. As they gain a familiarity with a few favorites they begin to take notice of ones that are different.

Here they are admiring the long branches of a live oak.

The boys have always loved a tree with a hole in it. This one had a mushroom growing inside the hole.

This is a pecan tree that is over 200 years old and is still alive despite the fact that you can climb inside its hollow trunk!

Our five year old has been going on nature walks most of his life, but recently he has really taken an interest in trees. I came across a lovely little book about trees in the used bookstore and brought it home little thinking he would latch onto it. Yet he has been requesting it at bedtime and it has caused great interest in the trees around us.

Nothing can replace our actual time spent outdoors, but the right book can certainly enhance it.

Bees In A Mesquite Tree

2011-04-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

NO SCAR

2011-01-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

By Amy Carmichael

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned me against a tree to die, and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?

No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who has nor wound nor scar?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2010-11-22T13:10:00.000-08:00

This is our leaf bunting sewing project from Hearts and Trees Fall Kit.

Autumn

2010-11-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

I think that I have decide Autumn is my favorite season. The temperature is just right and the colors are brilliant. Not to mention we don't have to worry about snakes and insect bites while we are out hiking.

This Fall we did a couple of leaf projects. The first one entailed finding your favorite leaf in the backyard and then painting it into your nature journal. This was fun because we all picked different sorts of leaves and were able to share them with one another.

We also did a Signs of Autumn Observation. We all had our observation sheets and clipboards and headed outside to sketch four different signs of Fall. After our sketches we were to list some of our observations. We found this idea at The Handbook of Nature Study blog.

Our second leaf project we also got from The Handbook of Nature Study Blog. We gathered different types of leaves from our yard and compared them to one another. We talked about the difference between a true leaf and a leaflet, compound leaves, and simple leaves. We also looked at the parts of a leaf and talked about why leaves change color and fall off the tree. After our discussion we color copied our leaves and put the copies into our nature journals. The copies were really impressive. Most all of these ideas come from The Handbook of Nature Study blog, it is filled with ideas and projects. If you haven't already you should check it out!

We have continued to find beautiful leaves throughout the season and added them to our nature shelf. We hope your family is enjoying Autumn as much as we are!

God of Hope

2010-10-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

By Amy Carmichael

Great God of Hope, how green Thy trees,
How calm each several star.

Renew us; make us fresh as these,
Calm as those are.

For what can dim his hope who sees,
Though faintly and afar,

The power that kindles green in trees
And light in star?

Nature Journals- Autumn 2010 OHC #1

2010-10-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Although we haven't posted in ages, we have still been out enjoying nature. I just have had trouble finding time to take pictures and post about it. I think it probably has something to do with keeping up with our almost 2 year old.

This week my mother was here and that freed me up to take some pictures of the boys drawing in their nature journals. This challenge was supposed to be done in our backyard, but since my mom was here we decided to take it to the Japanese Gardens! I only wish my backyard looked like this!

First we walked around (well the boys actually ran and jumped, but I walked). Then we found a great place to sit and draw.

My only instructions were for them to find something beautiful to draw. While the three older boys drew, my mother and the baby fed the fish...and I took pictures!

Once the boys got going, they did multiple drawings.

It is never too soon to start a Nature Journal. We have used many different types of journals. My favorite is a medium sized journal with watercolor paper (above), but we have used all sizes and all kinds of papers. For little ones it is nice to have one with not too many pages, so they don't feel overwhelmed and they quickly have a full book.

I let the journal be truly theirs, meaning I don't try to control it. We have ones with upside down pages and sometimes something like a rocket slips into them, but mostly they are filled with wonderful pictures and great memories.

Saturn

2010-06-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

Even As A Weaned Child

2010-05-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

By Amy Carmichael

And shall I pray Thee change Thy will, my Father,
Until it be according unto mine?
But no, Lord, no, that never shall be; rather,
I pray Thee, blend my human will with Thine.

I pray Thee, hush the hurrying, eager longing;
I pray Thee, soothe the pangs of keen desire;
See in my quiet places wishes thronging;
Forbid them, Lord; purge, though it be with fire.

And work in me to will and do Thy pleasure;
Let all within me, peaceful, reconciled,
Tarry, content my Well-beloved's leisure-
At last, at last, even as a weaned child.

The Heavens Declare God's Glory

2010-03-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were all awed by the moon. We had been hiking around and as we were getting ready to start back to the car we happened to see the moon rising above the trees. It was so beautiful. I tried to get a picture of the boys with it in the background, but it just wouldn't show up properly. It looks really tiny in the above picture when in reality it was huge. Finally we were able to catch a better picture of it hiding behind the branches of an oak tree.

We have been amazed by God's handiwork in the skies. Recently we have been able to look at Saturn through the telescope and it is fascinating to see its rings. With the naked eye it is not very impressive. It appears as a somewhat dim star in the East at about 9:00. Yet with our telescope you can see at least one moon and the rings. It looks to me like a shining round diamond ring with a band made of light. It is beautiful.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Psalm 19:1

Catching Snowflakes

2010-02-26T15:01:00.001-08:00

We have had 3 beautiful snowfalls this winter. During the most recent snowfall, I decided we would try and catch some flakes. We have attempted this before on black construction paper and it was never very impressive. However, this time I happened to have a piece of black fleece that came in one of Amanda's Hearts and Trees Kit. We were blown away by the results! I wish that Iwould have been able to capture some better photos, but this was all I could get.

I guess the fibers on the fleece caused the flakes to last long enough for us to see their shape. We saw dozens of different shapes and each one was amazingly beautiful. Of course we all "know" what snowflakes are supposed to look like, but it was really a wonder filled experience standing in the snow catching flake after flake. We were all very excited. I just wish that I could have gotten better pictures.

In the above picture, look at the bottom left and you will see a flower shaped snowflake!

The above photo is probably our best example.

Once we brought the fleece back inside the heat caused all the flakes to change their form...into ordinary water droplets. Later that evening we read Snowflake Bentley and then looked through a book with his snowflake photos.

"Under the microscope," he wrote in 1931, "I found that every snow crystal is a miracle of God's beauty." (taken from God's World News-Snowflake Bentley article March 2010 edition)

The Great Backyard Bird Count

2010-02-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count! The boys really enjoyed participating in this event last year. Click on the picture to find out more!

Winter Sky and Stars

2010-01-29T12:07:00.000-08:00

We have been studying the sky since early Autumn. In the beginning we didn't even have binoculars. We started off only knowing the Big Dipper, but over the months we have been able to find a number of other constellations and planets.

Once we were able to purchase binoculars we were able to see 4 of Jupiter's moons. This was truly amazing! I couldn't help but think of all the school text books that talk about the very things we were looking at with our eyes! It was strange to realize all this was not just in a book, but it has been out here in the night sky all our lives.

With our binoculars we have been able to see quite a bit. The only difficulty is that ours are heavy, which leads to tired shaky hands. Christmas brought a telescope, much to the delight of the boys. I guess if I really wanted everyone to get in bed on time this was a bad idea! Nevertheless, we have been able to see amazing views of the moon and Orion's nebula.In Texas we do have some cold nights, but as you can see most nights we don't even have to bundle up! This picture is the boys looking at the Nebula on Orion's sword. Our two primary books on finding the constellations and particular stars and planets have been, The Handbook of Nature Study, and Find The Constellations, by HA Rey.

Now when I get up with the baby at 3am, I can't help looking out the window to see Orion and the Great Dog emblazoned across the Southern sky. Now that the winter stars have become so familar, we are anxious to see what Spring and Summer bring.

9 Year old's Journal entry of the Andromeda Galaxy.

7Year old's Journal entry of the Andromeda Galaxy

Seeds

2010-01-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

Our recent Nature Study project happened quite by accident. I tossed some Red Bud seeds into a recycled pudding cup with some soil and in just a few days we had some little green shoots peeping through the soil. It quickly shot up nice and tall and I realized we have an in-house subject for Nature Study.
I rummaged around and found some other small containers and we planted seeds from a pine, oak, and an apple (we already have a baby lemon tree grown from seed.) I arranged them on our school table and then added some books about seeds. It is nice to have something living and growing right before your very eyes. We are hoping that our other seeds will sprout, but until then we have our Red Bud and Lemon to observe. Here is one of our nature journal sketches of the young Red Bud's.

UPDATE: 5-3-10 We were so surprised at how quickly this "red bud" was shooting up. As it continued to grow we realized something was amiss. Not only was it growing unusually fast, but the leaves did not look like the leaves of a red bud. So, we decided to wait and watch. Eventually it budded and bloomed....a pale yellow composite flower! So, we are not sure what happened to our red bud seeds, and where did these come from? One of our pines sprouted and then died, and we still have the lemon tree and an apple tree.

Ambleside Schools International

2010-01-28T08:59:00.001-08:00

For those of you who are inspired by Charlotte Mason, here is an exciting organization that is making a difference in the lives of children and adults. It is Ambleside Schools International. If you have read, When Children Love To Learn, you will definitely want to check out these schools. Their website is very pleasant to look at and you can also sign up for a monthly newsletter that hopefully will be an inspiration to your home school.

Ambleside Schools International

Until The Stars Appear

2010-01-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

by Amy Carmichael

Make us Thy laborers.
Let us not dream of ever looking back;
Let not our knees be feeble, hands be slack;
Oh, make us strong to labor , strong to bear,
From the rising of the morning until the stars appear.

Make us Thy warriors,
On whom Thou canst depend to stand the brunt
Of any perilous charge on any front;
Give to us the skill to handle sword and spear,
From the rising of the morning until the stars appear.

Not far from us, those stars-
Unseen as angels, and yet looking through
The quiet air, the day's transparent blue.
What shall we know, and feel, and see, and hear,
When the sunset colors kindle and evening stars appear?

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases...

2009-12-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

We are having our second snowfall in a week! It is so beautiful and unusual for our part of the country. It is like a blanket of peace upon our house.

The last of the 4 boys came down with the flu today. Our oldest came down with it last Tuesday and we have been steadily working our way through each of them until this morning my 7 year old woke up with fever. It has been exhausting, yet as always God's grace has been ever present to help. It is such a unique time when you have been nursing sick children for a week. I think about the women who have gone before me and sat by sick beds for much longer than what I am doing. I think about their faith and perseverance. I think about my friend Amy who stood by her daughter's side through suffering and death. I am grateful for the example of faithful mothers who care for their children.

A few days before the flu came to our house I was remembering that THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD NEVER CEASES. I kept thinking that phrase over and over and finally looked up the passage in Lamentations 3:21-24,

"But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him."

How did Jeremiah (the author of Lamentations)call this to mind. How did he know that amidst suffering God's love was steadfast? Well, I think he knew it because he knew the law of God. If you read Deuteronomy 5:1-21, right in the midst of the 10 commandments you find where Jeremiah got his hope. The Lord promises to show steadfast love to those who love him, even while he is bringing judgement on those who hate him.

How blessed we are to have the example of those who have gone before us and the word to dwell upon.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.

Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 1

2009-12-29T08:56:00.000-08:00

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

A. That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live unto Him.

His Faithfulness

2009-10-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

By Amy Carmichael

O wind of God, blow through the trees;
O birds of God, come sing your song;
For now I know the joy that frees,
The joy that makes the weakest strong.

The vapors march in shining crowds,
High in the trackless roads of air;
I look, and lo, unto the clouds,
His faithfulness is even there!

Pass foolish fears; the fresh winds blow;
O birds of God, come sing with me.
My God is faithful this I know;
My Father, I have all in Thee.

Introducing...

2009-10-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

The Iron Clad Beetle

Mark's mother found this beetle ,at her house, in the dog food dish. She put him in a jar and brought him to us. Well, the poor little guy looked as though he were dead. There were a couple of times that I thought I saw him moving, but everytime I went to check- there he was laying on his back-- dead. We were planning to add him to our dead insect collection, but at last we found that the little guy was playing a trick on us. He was actually still alive, but anytime we came near he played dead. We were so impressed with his trick that we set him free in our flower bed.

Education is an Atmosphere

2009-09-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I read and loved the book, When Children Love to Learn. It was very inspiring and hopefully as our routine smoothes out I will be able to post some of my thoughts. But for now I thought I would show you some pictures of our learning areas.

Our Learning Atmosphere begins with books!

This is where we keep our nature books and field guides.

Here is where you will find our art supplies and some of our prints.

This is my desk and the red nature table.

This is our butterfly collection.

On my desk, I like to put a print from the art period we will be studying along with a reminder of our nature focus (birds), and I really just like mushrooms so that is on there, too.

This is our work table and the light from the windows caused this picture to not turn out well. We have our timeline as a backdrop and on the table from left to right are the following: Turkey feathers in a gourd vase, shells in blue jars, a picture of mushrooms, a terrarium, our book of months, and finally our pencils, paintbrushes, and erasers.

As I cleaned and arranged I was thinking about the visual aspect of atmosphere. Although there is more to atmosphere than the placement of desks, pictures, and pencils, it is an aspect of atmosphere that is important. A place where the mind is inspired and at peace; a place for both inspiration and contemplation.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T08:23:00.001-07:00

Backyard Science

2009-07-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago, one of the boys came running into the house to let me know that he had spotted a strange caterpillar on the fence. Of course this is an invitation for me to go outside and investigate with him. So I grabbed the camera and off we went. Indeed it was a very fascinating specimen. The black barbs and bright colors made us a little wary of touching it. We looked through our caterpillar book and could not match it with any of the drawings, although one was close. So, we decided to do some searching on google. We found a site with great photos and it had a perfect match to our caterpillar---the Gulf fritillary.

Later in the day he noticed that the caterpillar had assumed its position of hanging upside down and we knew it wouldn't be long until it was a chrysalis. Sure enough, the next morning we found him as a chrysalis. We never cease to be amazed at this transformation! Now we are watching and waiting for the butterfly to hatch!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T13:30:00.001-07:00

Sketch Tuesday-Fences

2009-07-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

Last week was so busy and I forgot to send the boys sketches in for Sketch Tuesday; so I promised to post them here!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

10 Year Anniversary

2009-06-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since we were married! Actually June 5th was our anniversary. I am so grateful for my sweet husband. He has been enormously patient with me! I hope and pray that God gives us many many more years together. My prayer is that we would be united for Christ and glorify the Lord together and exalt His name forever!

This year as we celebrated we not only had a special date for the two of us, but we also had a special celebration with the boys. A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love for one another, but it is also the celebration of the beginning of our family and God's faithfulness to us through the years. Marriage is designed not just for the couple, but for the family. The boys enjoyed having a part in celebrating with us.

Sketch Tuesday

2009-06-30T08:16:00.001-07:00

We have been enjoying our summer break. One of the activities we have been taking part in is Sketch Tuesday, hosted by Harmony Art Mom. This weeks assignment was to do a picture study of the above Monet painting and then sketch the picture or a part of the picture. Here are the boys sketches for this week:

2009-05-13T14:36:00.001-07:00

Here is an example of why 3 year olds really don't need chewing gum!

2009-05-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Doing the Math

2009-04-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

I found this over at Justin Taylor's blog. Pretty interesting!

Looking for Spring

2009-03-23T13:41:00.001-07:00

On the first day of Spring I gave the boys the camera and we went looking for signs of Spring. It was great to get outdoors and hike around. Here are a few things they found.

The post oak with it's new flowers.

A little purple flower growing near the pond.

A white flowering bush

A flowering fruit tree (peach, I think).

And the lovely fire ants we have in Texas!

The cottonwood showing it's flowers-We have been waiting to see whether this tree was female or male. The one in our old neighborhood was male. This one happens to be a female. You can identify them by their flowers.

The beautiful wisteria we found that was climbing on a neighbor's tree.

After all the fun of searching for Spring we decided to attempt to paint spring trees with the aid of this tutorial. It was so much fun and the boys loved the way the branches on the tree looked real. Happy Spring!!

Give Nature Study A Try

2009-03-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

" Out in this, God's beautiful world, there is everything waiting to heal lacerated nerves, to strengthen tired muscles, to please and content the soul that is torn to shreds with duty and care....She (teacher/mother) finds, first of all, companionship with her children; and second, she finds that without planning or going on a far voyage, she has found health and strength."Handbook of Nature Study, page 3

I read this today on the Handbook of Nature Study blog, and thought it perfectly captures what has been my experience with nature study. If you haven't tried nature study with your children or even by yourself, I highly reccomend you give it a try this spring. It is very refreshing.

If you need help getting started the above mentioned blog is a great place to look. A recent post entitled: How To Use The Outdoor Hour Challenges: Fitting The Challenges To Your Family, gives you a picture of what it might look like with preschoolers and elementary students.

WE CONQUER BY HIS SONG

2009-03-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

By Amy Carmichael

We see not yet all things put under Thee.
We see not yet the glory that shall be;
We see not yet, and yet by faith we see;
Alleluia, Alleluia.

We see the shadows gathering for flight,
The powers of dawn dispel the brooding night,
The steadfast march of the triumphant light;
Alleluia.

Be we in East or West, or North or South,
By wells of water or in land of drouth,
Lo, Thou hast put a new song in our mouth;
Alleluia.

Therefore we triumph; therefore we are strong,
Though vision tarry and the night be long;
For lifted up, we conquer by Thy song;
Alleluia.

Nature Study- A Vulture's Nest

2009-03-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

I think that I have posted before about how nature study tends to involve the whole family. Well, today my husband was gathering some old wasp nests, that I had requested, from an abandoned house. All that is left of the house is pretty much just the shell. Anyway, as he was doing this he thought that he saw something in one of the rooms on the floor. He said that he caught a glimpse of something that reminded him of a deer lying on the ground. So he decided to walk around to another window to get a better view. Well, to his surprise it was not a deer, but a vulture sitting on its nest! Immediately the bird flew out the door. After he determined that it wasn't after him; he got a good look at the nest with two large eggs! If you watch closely, right at the beginning of the video, you can see the bird flying out the door. Then at the very end of the video is the nest with eggs. The nest is in a hollowed out place on the floor and the two large eggs are easy to see.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

Outdoor Hour Challenge #45 Squirrels

2009-01-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

We had fun observing this squirrel that often visits our bird feeders. We finally caught him removing the roof to the top feeder. We see him almost everyday out our kitchen window. He likes to retreat to a branch about 15 feet from the ground that sticks out only about 2 feet from the tree. Instead of drawing our squirrel for the nature notebooks, the boys completed a coloring sheet. The boys also loved the videos on Barb's blog. They watched them numerous times and every visitor had to watch them as well! We are very fond of squirrels and enjoy watching them and taking their picture. The two photos below are old, but memorable.

This squirrel has had something happen to his tail. We wondered if maybe he was Squirrel Nutkin, from Beatrix Potter's book by the same name.

This is a very friendly squirrel we encountered at my mother's house. We were able to get very close to him without him being frightened.

2009-01-30T17:05:00.000-08:00

One Month Old

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-28T11:30:00.001-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

Heirs of the Covenant

2009-01-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

Leaving A Legacy Of Faith For The Next Generation

I am reading Heirs of the Covenant, by Susan Hunt and chapter 3 is about the book of the covenant. She begins the chapter with the following:

"The first three questions of The Westminster Shorter Catechism put the issue before us succinctly and clearly:

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?
A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

God's Word tells us what we are to believe and how we are to live. It is our rule because it is God's truth-message to us."

A few weeks ago, as I was flipping through my Bible searching for something, a passage in Judges caught my attention. As I read the narrative I was horrified by the story. It was just awful, but it ended with these words;

"In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."

It is frightening that this is the very thing many Americans believe they should do. They believe they should do what is right in their own eyes. God have mercy on us. May we turn instead to our King, Jesus Christ, and do what He says is right. And by God's grace may we educate our children in the Scripture that they may not be left to themselves and our culture to find what is right and true.

Ministry to our children is a vital ministry. We must utilize the Scripture to teach them God's covenant of grace, it's privileges and responsibilities.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T20:02:00.001-08:00

Glad To Be Back Home

2009-01-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

We are so grateful to have a sweet new baby! The big brothers are loving it! And they have so much more energy than I do. :) We have been home a little over a week now and he seems to have put himself on a schedule. He is eating around every 3 hours and sleeping pretty well at night. He is getting up at night, but usually goes right back to sleep after eating. My mom left today, so this next week will be our first week on our own. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us. Please continue to remember us.

A Few Christmas Pictures

2008-12-27T09:27:00.001-08:00

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! We had a lovely time with family. The top two pictures are from Christmas at Mark's parents house and the bottom three are from Christmas morning at our house. The boys have been quietly playing with their presents ever since.

This is the first Christmas in our 9 years of marriage that we have not had to travel. Although it was a lot less hectic, we did miss seeing all of our friends and family in Oklahoma. Thankfully, some of you will be here next week for the baby's birth.

Gingerbread House

2008-12-18T15:42:00.001-08:00

Outdoor Hour Challenge #42 Moss and Lichen

2008-12-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

Today's weather was just perfect for a nature walk. Recently we have been doing our nature walk's near the house, but today we ventured out to the countryside. We did see some moss, but not very much. The Lichen on the other hand was everywhere.
I think this rock has both the Foliose (leafy) lichen in the top left corner and also the Crustose (crusty) lichen on the rest of the rock.

In this close-up of a fallen branch you can see the reproductive "cups" of the lichen.

Here is a Foliose lichen growing on an oak tree. The underside of the lichen was a dark brown.

We saw plenty of examples of the Foliose lichen and also the Crustose, and then on our way back to the car we came across this Fruiticose (shrubby) lichen. We could easily see the little cups on the end of each branch. If you click on the picture you might be able to see them as well.

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Although we didn't see very much moss we talked about how moss reproduces and looked for spore capsules with our lens. This was very interesting and we want to be sure and keep on the lookout for spore capsules as we come across more moss on our nature walks.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-17T13:33:00.001-08:00

It won't be long...

2008-12-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

We have only two weeks and a few days until we get to meet this sweet baby. I would be grateful for everyones prayers as this will be my 4th c-section. It is such a busy time with Christmas coming. I am hoping that I am not forgetting something. We put the baby bed up last night and that caused some excitement among the brothers. It is hard to believe that it is so close to the birthday!

Outdoor Hour Challenge #41 Flowerless Plants

2008-12-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

The weather has been cold and windy all week. That is until today. We have beautiful weather today and we were all anxious to get outdoors. Early in the week we read the above book and talked about plants that never bloom. In the past we have spent lots of time studying mushrooms and attempting to identify them. I love mushrooms and the boys know it, so anytime they find one they run to tell me about it. Therefore, the book was helpful to get them thinking about other plants that never bloom. So, today I sent them outside to see if they could find a plant that never bloomed and bring it to me.

They were excited and ran out the door as quick as they could. It wasn't too long before they were ringing the doorbell and the above picture is what I saw when I opened the door.

They had found some moss growing next to the house and around some shrubs out front. Above is a close-up of their specimen.

Next, they took me out to show me where they found it and in the process we also found the following moss. I think it is called miniature pine, but I could be mistaken. We will have to look it up.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-03T10:21:00.001-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-26T14:42:00.001-08:00

Outdoor Hour Challenge #40 Weather #2

2008-11-25T14:25:00.000-08:00

This morning we had just a few clouds that we labeled cirrostratus. Although there were only a few clouds in the sky they were unusual clouds.

It looked like when you take an eraser and rub it in a straight line across a blue background, which is what we did to get the same effect on our notebook page.

Then we checked our outdoor weather station to find the temperature, wind speed and direction, and precipitation.

We copied all this information onto the great notebooking page that Barb provided for us. This challenge was specifically a seasonal challenge. Therefore we will be repeating the same exercises each season to compare the differences in the weather. We are already looking forward to the winter challenge and plan to record our findings on a snow day.

This is a rain gauge that the boys just had to have. They reasoned that they could read it from the inside of the house on a rainy day.

Catching Butterflies In November

2008-11-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

Last week we had one very windy day. The boys loved it because it blew up a big pile of leaves, which is always fun.

But the big adventure was catching butterflies. November is not a time of year that I normally think of as prime time for catching butterflies, but the boys caught at least 14. We already knew the names of many of them, but a few we had to look up. The boys drew two of them in their nature journals.

Black Swallowtail

The Dog Face Butterfly, so named because you can see an outline of a poodle near the top of his wings.

Hearts and Trees Fall Kit

2008-11-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

Here the boys are working hard on their tissue paper collage.

The boys loved doing this art project that was included in the Hearts and Trees Fall Kit. We traced leaves, that we had collected, onto our paper with a permanent black pen. Then we pasted on little pieces of a special tissue paper that bleeds. This was an easy project that turned out very beautiful.

Here is the final product!

Outdoor Hour Challenge #39 Weather

2008-11-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

This week there has not been a cloud in the sky! Nevertheless, we have completed weather observations three times this week. We have had beautiful clear skies, with temperatures in the low 70's. It has been a great week to be outdoors.

My oldest son has been very glad to be doing a weather challenge. He has rain gauges of various sizes, thermometers, barometers, and wind gauges that he keeps an eye on. He has learned the cloud names and is working on a photographic book of clouds.

As much as we have studied the weather in the past we found the chapter in, The Handbook of Nature Study, on water forms to be wonderful. We loved the way she used the picture of the invisible cap and the "magic" word cold that causes the invisible hat to come off. Her explainations of condensation and evaporation were very visual and we had fun retelling it.

Here is an example of cumulus clouds we made using Amanda's watercolor technique #6 .

Instead of dropping the alcohol onto the paper, we used our cotton swab to shape clouds.

Our Thankful Tree

2008-11-18T13:56:00.001-08:00

Here is our Thankful Tree. It has been fun adding new leaves each day. It is right by our dining table so we are able to read the leaves and talk about other things we want to add each time we eat. This was very simple to make and such a great way to practice daily gratitude.

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“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Outdoor Hour Challenge #17- Leaf Parts

2008-11-14T18:02:00.000-08:00

This week in our Nature study we focused on leaf parts. Although we did not look at garden flowers we utilized the Outdoor Hour Challenge #17 to study the parts of a leaf. It worked out well that we had participated in Home Depot's Kids Workshop, earlier this month, where the boys each made a leaf press.

The boys really liked watching Barb's tutorial of how to draw a leaf. After viewing the tutorial they were eager to try it out for themselves.

While drawing their leaves we talked about each leaf part and practiced using the proper names.

We were all very satisfied with the end results. Thanks Barb!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

Fun With Feathers

2008-11-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

A Day At The Nature Reserve

2008-11-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

These are some pictures from a day at the Nature Reserve or as our little one keeps saying, "the Nature Journal." We love spending time here, but I must say it is not as easy hiking the trails when you are almost 8 months pregnant.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-05T13:08:00.001-08:00

Watch Party

2008-11-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

Well, it has finally arrived...Election Day. It seems like we have been hearing about the election for years now. The boys have been thoroughly caught up in it all. They have watched the debates, made political cartoons, and questioned family members over who they were voting for. Since early in the race they have been spotting yard signs and reporting on what they have seen. They went with us to the voting place and watched as we voted. It has been a great learning experience.

So, for their enjoyment I decided to have a little watch party for them tonight. We have decorated the house with red and blue signs, flags, and we even ordered some campaign buttons which we received in the mail yesterday. They made copies of the buttons for some of their stuffed animals. This morning as soon as they finished their lessons we went and bought Eagle Webkinz and a blue star balloon for the celebration.

Tonight we are planning to have hotdogs and hamburgers followed by an election night cake. Then we are headed to the courthouse to hear the results of the local elections. After that we will come home and see how the presidential election is coming along.

Happy Reformation Day!

2008-10-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

It was 491 years ago today that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany. Little did he know what would ensue after he did this. The reformation spread throughout Europe in a matter of years and had a profound impact on not only the Church, but the culture as well.

How we celebrate:

Today we celebrated by retelling the story of Martin Luther while eating homemade German pretzels and drinking Root beer. We talked about salvation by grace through faith. I had planned for the boys to do a coloring sheet of Martin Luther, but by the time we finished our eating and talking, I decided to keep those for another day.

Tomorrow we will travel to our former church to celebrate with friends, A Day of Reformation. This day will include all sorts of booths and children's activities pertaining to the time period and the reformers. This will be followed by worship and a lecture on William Tyndale. The event will conclude for the evening with another lecture on Martin Luther.

I will try and post some pictures after the event.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

Autumn Tree Study: Outdoor Hour Challenge #36

2008-10-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

For our tree study we are looking at two trees. First a white oak which is close to home, actually right outside our kitchen window. We have at least one squirrel that frequents its branches, but we have not noticed a nest. We are also looking at a Cottonwood that is on some land that belongs to family. It is not too far away and we are curious to find out whether it is a male or female. So we drove out to take a look at it today. The interesting thing about this Cottonwood is that there is a group of three growing right up together and they are the only ones on the entire property, which is about 80 acres. So we had a talk today about how did these trees get here? I don't have a picture of the Cottonwoods because my camera batteries decided to die.

The following pictures are of trees we have known before our move.

Although, we attempted our Autumn Tree Study today, I think what I realized is that Autumn has not quite arrived where we live. A few trees have started to change their colors, but for the most part everything is still the same. As I looked through some old pictures (like the one above), I realized that the colors don't really come until mid to late November for us. So, I think we are going to redo todays work in about a month. I forget that all those beautiful pictures I see are from much further north.

Just look at the roots on this Pecan tree! It is really amazing and the boys love climbing inside the hollow trunk. This is one of our favorite trees. It is around 200 years old and the inside is hollow, yet the tree is still living. It is located in the Botanic Gardens where we used to live. We really miss all the beautiful trees from the city.
Here is a close up of the inside of the tree where you can see just how big it is. There is room for the whole family.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

Our Very First Pet

2008-10-20T07:44:00.001-07:00

I am sure we will have more picture to post, but for now here is a quick snap of the new pet. He is really cute and has a long navy blue tail. Needless to say the boys are thorougly pleased. They named him "Feathers" after much thought and deliberation.

Water Color Friday

2008-10-20T07:35:00.001-07:00

We try to do a watercolor every Friday and these are the ones from this past Friday. We used a tutorial found at Hearts and Trees. The technique included sprinkling table salt onto your wet paint which gave a nice texture, especially for our sandy beach.

The Evening Entertainment

2008-10-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

Being the mother of four sons I may not have many tea parties, but we sure will have a lot of action!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Nature Collections

2008-10-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

This is a small collection from our last two tree studies. You can see the pinecone with its seeds and the oak leaves with acorns. When we first gathered our pinecones we were having trouble getting the seeds out, but then our three year old showed us if you just throw the cones on the floor all the seeds will spill out! Problem solved, yet very messy!
This is our nature table. It is not as pretty as many that I have seen, but it holds whatever we have brought in from our walks. We have two collection boxes that we found at Hobby Lobby for only $5 each. Also there is a small basket and two trays. In the far back left corner is our bug house. It originally held butterflies, but at present it has 3 pupa that came from our garden. We are curious what is going to emerge.
This picture doesn't quite show up, but it is our three year olds favorite place in the school room. Daily he brings each jar to me and tells me what is inside. We have 4 butterflies, 1 grasshopper, a cicada with its empty shell, and a dragonfly. Some of these we found on the ground and others we found on the grill of the car!
This shelf holds our field guides, some spore prints, feathers found and the box has rocks inside it. This is also the shelf where we keep our nature journals.

Outdoor Hour Challenge # 33 Oaks

2008-10-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

We only found white oaks in our area, but we had saved some leaves from where we previously lived and happened to find this scarlet oak which had very pointy lobes. We spent much of our time discussing the differences between the white oaks and black oaks. Actually, in our field guide instead of black oak and white oak it divided them between red and white oaks designating all the black oak description to the red oak. So in our nature book we made a chart that listed the differences between White Oaks and Black/Red Oaks.
Here are three leaves from the same tree that had the most variation.

These are the acorns from a Post Oak.
Here is an entry from one of our nature journals. We also did a leaf rubbing on the two leaves at the very top of this post and we included it on the page with our chart about the differences between the two groups.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-08T10:01:00.001-07:00

Watercolor

2008-10-03T13:14:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to do this watercolor project for some time and today was the day we finally got around to it. We usually do a watercolor project every Friday, but it is usually done during naptime. This project requires using the blow dryer and that is the reason it has been put off. The blow dryer probably wouldn't wake up the three year old, but just in case we decided to do it before naptime. I found this project on The Crafty Crow.

The 6 Year Old's Flowers

The 8 Year Old's Flowers

You can find the directions by following the above link to The Crafty Crow.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #32 Trees-Pines

2008-09-29T16:40:00.001-07:00

Before going outdoors we read aloud the section on pines and the boys were very interested in the "evil insect" laying its eggs in the "leader" of the pine. They were eager to see whether or not the trees next door (that we were planning to observe) had only the central stem or if it was divided near the top. The easiest way to determine this was to stand right beneath the tree looking up the trunk all the way to the top. We found that one of the trees was divided into two segments near the top. The others had only one central stem all the way up.
Next we gathered up pine cones and fallen needles. The lowest branches were too high for us to gather any green needles. The boys quickly discovered the sheath at the bottom of the three- needled bundles. Our needles measured between 9 and 10 inches. We also noticed that the foliage was toward the end of the branches and on the upper side with the pine cones hanging down. The bark was light and dark gray and it was in scales.
After we got home we examined the cones and even found a seed with its wing. Our cones did have a little spine and the closed cones were very painful to carry. We drew the scale and the seed.
We did both a needle rubbing and a bark rubbing along with our nature journal enty.
This was a very fascinating study and was enjoyed by all! (Special thanks to our kind neighbors for letting us roam their yard gathering up needles and cones.)

Outdoor Hour Challenge #31

2008-09-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

Trees: Introduction

It was probably two years ago that we did our first tree study. We were living in student housing while my husband was in seminary. We went through our small neighborhood gathering leaves to press and identify. I was surprised at how difficult a few of them were to identify. Yet we finally managed to get them all labeled and put into a small book. After this whenever we would take a walk I would quiz the boys on what kinds of trees we passed. Sometimes I would say things like, "Ride your bikes to the sycamore and then stop" or "let's walk to the pecan tree." In this way they memorized some of the more prominent trees that we saw everyday and then when we were away from home they noticed trees that looked different and asked about them.

Once we were away from home and came across the Lace-bark Elm. We didn't know what it was so we named it the tiger bark tree until we could get home to look it up. Now whenever we see it we always remember solving the mystery.
Now we live in a new town and we are looking forward to discovering what trees live in our neighborhood. This week we went out to look at the trees and primarily we talked about the parts of the tree. The boys picked up the names quickly and in turn tested their grandmother to see if she could name the parts.
I think the boys mostly enjoyed climbing the trees and making leaf rubbings in their journals. We also drew a tree and labeled its parts.
Mesquite rubbing

Outdoor Hour Challenge #29

2008-09-18T12:38:00.001-07:00

Sunflower Study

This post is a week late, but our computer was down last week so I am doing a little catching up. The sunflowers were just perfect for our sunflower challenge. We were also delighted to find a lady bug larva crawling around on the ray petals of the above flower.

We were able to see the flower accomplishing its task- due to the fact that they were attracting numerous bees. The bees caused the boys to not want to get too close, but they were able to see the separate flowers that make up the whole sunflower.
They enjoyed pulling back the florets and spying the seeds underneath. This has been a helpful study because we have other composite flowers in our yard and around town that the boys are able to compare with the sunflower.

After finishing our study we did a watercolor of Van Gogh's painting, Sunflowers in a Vase.

Outdoor Hour Challenge #30

2008-09-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

Weeds and Seeds

This week the boys had to go through the yard and flower bed looking for weeds. They each brought a specimen to the house to look at and draw in their nature journals.

We looked to see if they had seeds and talked about the best way to rid our yard and garden of these little plants. We also talked about the types of weeds we like, such as; dandelions.

Fruit-Filled Oatmeal Bars

2008-09-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that I found on There Is No Place Like Home. She has lots of good recipes. Here is the most recent one that I have tried.

Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
2/3 cup brown sugr
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of your favorite jam

In a mixing bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar and baking soda. Cut in butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of the flour mixture. Press remaining flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 pan. Spread with desired jam. Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Cut into bars.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-09-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

Helpful Blogs

2008-09-02T09:19:00.001-07:00

Over the last couple of years I have come across certain blogs that have been a huge help to me in our Homeschool. So, I thought I would pass them on to anyone interested.

Higher Up and Further In, is full of information on the Charlotte Mason method of Homeschooling. She gives sample schedules and answers many questions regarding the How To's.
http://higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com/

The following two blogs are by the same person. They are amazing helps if you are using, The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock, or Drawing With Children by Mona Brooks. If you are not using either of these books you will find plenty of ideas for Nature Walks along with weekly challenges to get outdoors. On the second link you will find art tutorials and weekly assignments for "Sketch Tuesday." I highly recommend both blogs.

http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/

http://harmonyartmom.blogspot.com/

The following blog is full of seasonal ideas and organization plans. She has, for each month, a Plans and Themes page. I find this helpful in thinking about all the possibilities for the month. She also has a "tea and craft" time where she teaches her children about Catholic saints. I am not Catholic, but this is a great idea for teaching Church History or about special Christians with whom you want your children to be familiar.

http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/

Enjoy!

Our School Week

2008-09-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a peak inside our school week.

Term 1

Day 1

Math- This year we are using Developmental Math: Book 8

History- Our Island Story By H E Marshall

Poetry- Walter De la Mare

Nature Walk and Observation

Day 2

Math

Poetry

Burgess Animal Book (this book is written in story form and tells about mammals)

Composer Study- Vivaldi

History Tale- The Little Duke by Charlotte Yonge

Day 3

Math

Poetry

Art Lesson/Nature Journal

Geography-Tree In the Trail by Holling C. Holling

Church History- Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula (this does not happen every week, but about once every 3 weeks)

Day 4

Math

Poetry

Burgess Animal Book

Artist Study- Vincent van Gogh

Day 5

Math

Timeline (this is where we add to our timeline any new events or people we have read about during the week)

Art Lesson- Water Colors

Zoology- Birds

Added to all this my 2nd grader studies Latin and a Bible curriculum with his daddy each week and has a free reading time each afternoon. My Kindergarten student studies Phonics each day and joins his brother for Art, Nature, and Composer Studies.

For the most part we are finished with school by lunch time and the boys have the rest of the day to play and explore. This gives me the time to attend to meals and other homekeeping duties, not to mention my sweet 3 year old!

Vacation Nature Pictures

2008-08-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Vacation Is Over

2008-08-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

More fun with cousins.

Enjoying the train ride.

The vacation is over and we are into our third day of school. In order to take as much time as we need when the new baby arrives (sometime after Christmas) we have started school early this year. So far so good. We have had rain almost everyday which has made the temperature delightful. It has also caused us to be really ready for Autumn.

I am hoping that I will soon have time to post what we are doing this year in our little homeschool. This year I have a second grader and a kindergartener (not to mention their busy 3 year old little brother!)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Gone Fishing

2008-07-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

The Cousins

2008-07-30T13:58:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that the summer is almost over! We have had a summer packed full of family. It has been good having the chance to spend time with family that we don't often see. The boys have absolutely loved their time with "the cousins." Next week we will be spending time with more cousins as we go on vacation together to Colorado!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-09T06:46:00.001-07:00

Honey Glazed Chicken

2008-06-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

This recipe is really easy and kids love it!

2T butter
¼ cup honey
3 T mustard
2 t curry
½ t salt

Melt butter in a 9x13 dish. Add remaining ingredients to butter. Coat chicken and bake. Uncovered. For 45 minutes at 375

THY JOHN

2008-06-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

by Amy Carmichael

As John upon his dear Lord's breast,
So would I lean, so would I rest;
As empty shell in depths of sea,
So would I sink, be filled with Thee.

As water lily in her pool
Through long, hot hours is still and cool,
A thought of peace, so I would be
Thy water-flower, Lord, close by Thee.

As singing bird in high, blue air,
So would I soar, and sing Thee there;
No rain nor stormy wind can be
When all the air is full of Thee.

And so though daily duties crowd,
And dust of earth be like a cloud,
Through noise of words, O Lord, my Rest,
Thy John would lean upon Thy breast.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-06-11T13:51:00.001-07:00