Teachable Tuesdays: Homeschool Curriculum Choices – Part 1

Mister Bull schooling! Don't let this smile fool you...he's really just trying to appease his Momma! Inside he's saying, "Oh please hurry this up! UGH!!!" LOL

Our third official year of homeschooling will begin June 4^th. Our oldest will officially enter the 2^nd grade and we are so excited!!! Actually…I keep telling myself that and avoiding the fact that he’s growing up so fast right before my eyes! It’s just seems crazy that I have an almost 2^nd grader!!

We have had our ups and downs with school. This year we’ve had the most trouble with papers, specifically Math. Nevertheless, we’re sticking with the same curriculum as last year, just adding some supplementals. I did a LOT of research to find a new math curriculum, one that would offer both what he needs and what I believed necessary. But, there isn’t one out there. So…we’re pairing our curricula with manipulatives, games and more hands-on activities to give him what he needs. More on that in a minute.

I am going to give you a break-down of our curriculum choices for our upcoming school year. The links I am providing in no way give me commission or any compensation. It’s merely to give you a reference. I did not necessarily purchase my products from the site I link to. I researched and found the least expensive option and ordered/bought from there. I will explain more about that next week, in part 2 of this series as well as Preschool Curriculum choices for the Middles.

But back to 2^nd grade…here we gooooo!

HISTORY: Mystery of History – we started this in First Grade and are half-way through the first book. We will continue to work through the next 18 weeks of lessons, taking 2 weeks per lesson. There is a lot of information in each lesson and some great activities at the end of each week that we never seem to get to. So we’re going to structure a little differently this year and really take our time.

BIBLE: Apologia’s “WhoAm I? And what am I doing here?” This year we did the first book in the series, so we’ll move on to book two for 2^nd grade. Some of the lessons are a little over his head in terms of wording, but we sit and talk about it and he asks some GREAT questions. So for us it’s a win-win! Teaching A Biblical Worldview through God’s Word!! We did not use any of the additional products this year, but I have purchased the journal for 2^nd grade. I think it has some great thought provoking questions and writing starters. We are not using the coloring book, as my son is not a color-er.

SCIENCE: Apologia’s Exploring Creation Series, “SwimmingCreatures of the Fifth Day”, which my son chose. Yes, it says to do the Zoology 1 book first, unless you have an understanding of Zoological terms. I figure if we don’t know it…we can look it up. He was really interested in this book more than the others and from our experience, he does much better when he’s interested in the subject. I also purchased the Junior Notebooking Journal. The writing, puzzles, questions and activities are just what he needs to supplement the reading work!

HANDWRITING & SPELLING: AReason for Handwriting B and AReason for Spelling Level B – We used book A this year and loved it!!! Or at least I did! My son could care less about writing. I like how it coordinates with our Spelling curricula. I also like how they encourage Scripture memory, spelling and hanwriting skills at the same time! It’s like a triple dose of Bible each week! Another reason I like this series: there is only ONE teacher book for the entire Handwriting series, so I got that last year. YAY!!! And, I can usually find the Spelling guidebook on Amazon fairly cheap.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: ElementaryGreek: Koine for beginners – Some people may say we’re crazy…and most often they’d be right! I actually purchased this last year with prompting from the Hubster. Our plan was to do it together (Mom, Dad and Mister Bull). But we quickly realized it was just a little above his level still. The flash cards were fairly easy for him, but the workbook and reinforcement work was too much. So we decided to table it until this year and try again. I’m both nervous and excited about it and the Hubster is beyond thrilled. He learned Greek in college and is so excited to review it along with us. Yes, it will take us some extra time, but in the long run I think it will be good. Why did we choose Greek? The Hubster believes in order to better understand God’s Word one must be able to read the original Greek language. I don’t guess it matters much…it’s all Greek to me! Haha (I know…poor attempt at a joke!)

MATH: Horizons: Math2 – We used Horizon’s this year as well. There are many things I love about it. The colorful pages keep the children’s attention, it breaks up daily lessons, review of past lessons in the daily work and it just keeps building on previous concepts. What doesn’t work for Mister Bull is that it is ALL paperwork!!!! It’s like pulling teeth to get him to sit and finish the paper!

I looked into several different Math options to see if they’d work for us, but alas…I found nothing. The closest I came was RightStart Math. I love all the manipulatives and hands-on activities, but I just feel he needs the daily paperwork as well. My reasoning: He’s going to have to do it sometime! Algebra is not done on a scale! I know this probably wouldn’t bother most of you, but for Mister Bull, once you set a precedent for something he’ll think  that’s the only way there is to do it. Translation: BIG TIME PROBLEM in the future! So, for now we’re sticking with Horizons. But, I am going to intentionally add some games, flash cards (we’re really bad about doing these right now) and our own manipulatives to reinforce new concepts.

READERS: ABeka Readers for 3rd grade. This is the area we’re ahead in…surprisingly! But, he started reading very early in Kindergarten and has just taken off from there! This year we’re going to do this a little different. The A Beka readers will be our read alouds because he has some new chapter books that he’s really interested in and loves reading! Not to mention the great stack of Hardy Boys books I found at a garage sale this past weekend!!!! SCORE!

So, that’s our curriculum for 2^nd grade! What’s your favorite curricula? Do you use a Core Curriculum and supplementals or a mish-mash of whatever works?

Feel free to share in the comments or leave a link back to your own post!! I love reading all your tips and ideas! I am always open to researching for new curriculum to see if it would work for us! We learn by sharing!! Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,

Annette

Linking up to these parties:

What Joy Is Mine, Far Above Rubies, Teaching What is Good, Raising Mighty Arrows, Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling

Monday Meals: Weekly Meal Plan

 Last week was pretty normal around here. The rain and other weather issues, kept us inside most days, so the kiddos are getting a little antsy. And truth be told…so is momma! Hopefully we’ll have better playing-outside weather this week!

Here is this week’s YUMMY meal plan!

Monday 4/16

Breakfast: Pop-Tarts

            Lunch: Hot Dogs & Grilled Cheese

            Dinner: Homemade Bacon Pizza

Tuesday 4/17

            Breakfast: Cereal

            Lunch: Cheese Quesadillas

            Dinner: Ham Tettrizini, green beans, bread

Wednesday 4/18

            Breakfast: Cereal

            Lunch: Chicken Nuggets

            Dinner: Leftovers

Thursday 4/19

            Breakfast: Pancakes & Bacon

Lunch: Birthday Lunch with Miss Priss!!!

Dinner: Corn Dogs (kids); Pink Lemonade Cupcakes (Small group)

Friday 4/20

            Breakfast: Poptarts

            Lunch: Fishsticks

            Dinner: BBQ Chicken, mashed potatoes, baked squash/zucchini, homemade bread

Saturday 4/21 – Miss Priss’ Party Day!

            Breakfast: Dry Cereal

            Lunch: Cheese Quesadillas

            Dinner: Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese & PARTY!!!!

Sunday 4/122

            Breakfast: Eggs w/ bacon & cheese

            Lunch: Turkey Stroganoff, green beans, homemade bread

Dinner: Homemade Pizza Pockets

NOTE: The lunch menu items usually pertains to my kiddos. I tend to eat leftovers to help purge and clean out the fridge.

Feel free to share your meal ideas here or link up to your own meal plan post!

Blessings,

Annette

Maid for Mondays: Don't blink...

 It goes so fast. One day you’ll blink…and they’ll be in high school. Blink again and they’ll be getting married. Blink again and you’ll have grandchildren. It really does go fast. I never thought it was true, but it is!!

Whether it’s because life is busy and we move at such a fast pace or because we don’t take the time to enjoy them while their young or …you fill in the blank. Whatever it is...that statement is true!

Mister Bull at age 1 (left) and Mister Bull just a few weeks ago at the Zoo.
See how tall he is next to his Daddy?!

My oldest son will be 7 at the end of June and in many ways it seems just like yesterday I was so excited to find out we were pregnant (again, but that’s another post). At times I want him to stay my little one, a momma’s boy all his life. But, I know this too will change.

Several weeks ago, I caught him helping out at home without prompting. He was helping his sister into her high chair for lunch and being so sweet and kind. Then, he turned and helped his brother into his chair. And, if that wasn’t enough…he laid on the floor and played with his youngest sister until I could finish getting lunch together. My heart was filled with JOY as I heard his voice soften and the tone change to sweetness.

But…as with any 6 yr old boy, that was short lived. His brother quickly did something that annoyed him and I then hear, “Bubba! Stop that! Do you want me to take you out of that chair and put you in your room?”

Ummmm….when did he become the parent? Oh wait…he didn’t!! Has this ever happened to you? This was a real wake-up call for me. My kids hear everything I say and watch everything I do!! They want to be me! So, right then and there I vowed to myself to change my ways to allow my kids to be kids for as long as they want!!! Okay…maybe not that long, but definitely longer than 6 years old!

But, in the meantime, I must learn to let my son be a little boy! He won’t be one forever, so I must be careful not to rob him of this time in his life!! I don’t want him to grow up too fast. So, here are some steps and tips I’ve come up with for myself and thought they might be useful for someone else too.

1. SET BOUNDARIES EARLY. You must make them understand you are the parent, not them. You are the one that corrects and disciplines, not them. I suggest doing this very early on, so there is no confusion when they get older. We were not as firm as we should have been with our oldest and now, we’re having to correct that behavior. Believe me…I’d much rather start early than correct it when they’re older!

2. WHO’S IN CHARGE? When implementing your boundaries, it’s also important to teach your kids as they get older who’s in charge and when it’s okay to help. We are working with our 6yr old son on this very thing. He thinks just because he’s so much older than the others that he has a “right” to correct them.

3. DON’T GIVE THEM JOBS. Now, let me briefly explain my point of view here. I want my children to learn that a house does not run by itself. Therefore, we assign chores to our children from an early age. But, our chore assignments are just that…chores. Our kids do not get paid for them for several reasons (which I will probably need to expound on in another post), but the main one being that they are a part of this family and therefore, they have certain (age-appropriate) responsibilities. It’s just how it works in a family. My example to my oldest: I don’t get paid to wash, fold and put away your clothes, to do the dishes or to cook your meals. Why should you get paid to wash the toilet? Now, to thwart any arguments that may be arising in you…we do give rewards for doing their chores. Rewards include and extra treat from the treasure box, earned time on the Wii, extra time alone with Mom and/or Dad, etc.

If you’re wondering what chores our 2 and 3 year olds could possibly do, take a look at this amazing chart I found a few months back!! It’s been a blessing and a life-saver for us! She does a wonderful job of breaking it up by age group.

4. IT’S A FINE LINE. There is a very fine line with this subject. While I can’t allow my son to continue correcting his siblings, I don’t want to squash his sweet and helpful spirit. God has blessed him with that spirit and we need to nurture it, just slowly and healthily. So, we have decided that our oldest is not going to help with his younger siblings unless we’re there to directly supervise. At least for now. And, as he gets older and more mature, we can work on other ways he can help without being the “parent.” But, for now…he’s on the other side of the line and staying there.

It’s my job to be the parent; to guide him and teach him how to be a better person. A God-fearing man. That’s my job!! And if that means I have some extra chores for a while so he can be a kid, then so be it! I’ll take the long hours and lack of sleep for the sake of my kids any day!!

What advice do you have about letting kids be kids? How do/did you teach your kids they are not the parent? Feel free to leave your tips in the comments or link back to a post you’ve written. I love reading other blogs and learning from them! Your kind words of encouragement inspire me!

Blessings,

Annette

Linking up to these great parties today:

The Better Mom, Raising Arrows, The Straightened Path, Far Above Rubies, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home,  Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Our Simple Country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows

Scriptural Sundays: He is the Potter, I am the Clay

If you’ve ever lost a parent, grandparent or loved one at all, you probably understand what I’ve been going through these past 2 ½ months. Learning to live life without someone who’s been there everyday of your life is not fun. In fact, quite frankly it sucks!

And when that person is your parent, I think it’s even more difficult. Now, I know I’ve been married for nearly 9 years now, but I was still a Daddy’s girl. And my mom…she’s my best friend! I have always been close to my parents – with the exception of a few years in there that we’ll just skip over and never talk about again!!

I talk to my mom and grandma everyday. I didn’t talk to my Dad every day, cause…well…guys just don’t do that. But my parents only live 7 houses down from me so he was only a few seconds away if I needed him. I could be at their house literally seconds and see him. Give him a hug. Listen to his laugh.

Oh how I have taken life for granted. All. Of. It.

These past two months have been difficult, to say the least, but as with any trial and situation (good or bad), God has been teaching me and molding me. Again. Just like a potter and his clay. Have you ever watched a potter spin a new creation? I have. In fact, a former professor of mine in college is a potter. And on several different occasions, he was asked to come and demonstrate how to make a pot. But, it wasn’t until I saw a demonstration that I understood what God meant in Jeremiah 18:3-4 “So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.” (ESV) and in Isaiah 64:8 “But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. (ESV, italics mine.)

Watch this video to see a demonstration, before reading the rest of my post. Trust me…it will make MUCH more sense!

So, how does this relate to our lives as Christians? Let’s break it down.

1. Before ever putting the clay on the wheel, the potter does some shaping. Actually, he’s softening the clay so that it will be more pliable and responsive to his hands. Sound familiar? Doesn’t God try to shape us in His hands? Sometimes we may be tossed around a bit, but it’s simply so we’ll become more open and willing to listen and follow Him.

2. Then, the clay is literally thrown on the wheel. Not tossed or placed neatly…thrown…hard. Why? Because he needs a firm foundation for the vessel he’s creating. If it’s not “stuck” down, the spinning wheel will cause it to become lop-sided or even fly away. Once God has completely broken us and we’re pliable, ready to be molded, He starts from the bottom up. He teaches us what it means and how to have a firm foundation.

3. Then the potter starts the wheel spinning and begins by putting some water over the clay for yet…more softening. Doesn’t God do the same with us? After He’s thrown us down to reshape us, he starts out with gentleness and kindness (the water) to begin molding us.

4. Then, he begins molding the shape he envisioned. Occasionally he will put water on his hands to make the clay easier to work with. The potter must keep the clay pliable and easy to work with as he continues to push and pull using his own power to manipulate the clay into what he wants. If it doesn’t cooperate, he will simply pick it up and throw it back down to start over.

How often has God done this with us or maybe someone we know? Sometimes we’re stubborn and God must use his power and might to change us into who HE sees us as. Who He wants us to be. We are his “vessels” and are at the will of him. To be used by Him and for Him. And, if we’re stubborn, God will “throw” us back down only to go through the process again. Only this time…He might be a little harder on us.

5. Once the vessel is completed and exactly what the potter envisioned he then puts it in the kiln to set it. Now I did some reading about this part, so bear with me here. When firing the vessel, the temperature must be monitored very closely. There are many stages in the firing process (read all about them here if you like), but a couple things really stand out for our discussion here.

1. There is a maturation temperature of clay. Each type of clay has its own maturation. Once it’s reached, “the clay will have the desired density and, upon cooling, will have attained a rigidity of structure. Once this happens, the firing is stopped. If it continues and a higher temperature is reached, “the clay will continue to melt and vitrify; it may become molten or quite soft, and warp or change its shape and may become extremely dense, hard and brittle upon cooling.
2. On the other hand, if the clay is underfired, “it may become too porous and soft upon cooling. Heavier clay objects require a more gradual temperature rise than lighter, thin-walled” vessels. (Information from  here.)

So many parallels in this!!!! I’m getting excited…can you tell? But, seriously…the kiln is temperamental, just like we humans can be. If it’s too hot, the vessel will melt and if it’s not hot enough, the vessel will crumble – eventually.

So after God has shaped and molded us into His vision for our lives, he puts us through the fire to “set it” for keeps – permanently. Now, hear me on this…I believe that we, as humans, have free-will. I do not believe our “destiny” is set in stone to the point that we have no choices. I believe we have choices, but I also believe that the Holy Spirit is there to guide us and direct us, so long as we listen. God keeps us in the “fire” to strengthen us to the point of firmness. A firm grasp of God’s love for us that can not easily be broken.

But, if we resist and pull ourselves out of the “fire” too soon…we will be so fragile that we could break at any moment. And then it’s back to the molding stage we go. Because when you glue the broken pieces back together and fill the vessel with water, there will likely be leaks. They may be small, but over time the pressure of the water will continue to expand and eventually it will break…again. And, there’s only so many times you can glue it back together before you need to just start over with a new one.

So…all of this to say…I have been broken, worn down, tired and beaten. But, my God is molding me, reshaping me and putting me through the fire yet again. And by His grace, I will be stronger in my faith, more able to share my beliefs and more willing to follow His will for my life. And I…I am ready!

What has the Lord been teaching you lately? Please share in the comments or feel free to link up to a post that shares your story. We can all learn and be encouraged by each other.

Blessings,

Annette

Linking up to these encouraging parties:

The Better Mom, These Five of Mine Plus Two, Raising Arrows, The Straightened Path, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots At Home, The Imperfect Housewife

Homeschool Happenings: Weekly Review #2

This past Sunday I sat down and outlined the rest of our school year. Now, I basically knew what we were doing and when, but I wanted exact pages written down. Such as, how many pages in Science we read each day or in our Bible curriculum. I usually just guess and stop when it feels right, but I thought…ya know, we’ve only got a few weeks left of school, so I better make sure we’re finished with our current curriculum by then.

Simply…I needed a plan! Now I have one and I am beyond giddy about it. That makes me a nerd, right?! It’s okay…I’m over it!

A few months back, I realized that fighting with my son to do his papers every. single. day. was pointless. He was never going to love them as much as I do. In fact, he was never going to even like them! So, we made a deal…we would switch off doing papers and reading from the texts. That way, he’s not overwhelmed with an hour of reading followed by an hour of pleading with him to do his papers, half an hour crying (me and him) and eventually 20 minutes of paperwork. Now we have this schedule:

Monday, Wednesday & Friday: Reading texts (Science, History, Bible)

Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: Paperwork (Geography, Math, Writing, Spelling)

Through the end of our year in May, we have school on Saturdays because of how much we missed with the passing of my Daddy. Plus, we take off most of December and many Thursdays we take time off to spend with The Hubster (aka Da-Da) on his day off work. When our year starts over in June (we school year-round), we won’t have school on Saturdays.

This week The Hubster was able to spend some quality time with our oldest on a science experiment/project we’ve wanted to do for a while. And boy, oh boy, did they have fun?!  And they still are!!!!

This year we’ve used Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Astronomy for Science and we’ve loved every minute of it! So, this experiment was in the book for an extra assignment related to Jupiter. I’m going to relay it to you all and give some helpful tips/hints we discovered along the way.

You will need:

2 plastic soda pop or water bottles (we read that 1L are best)

1” washer (we found this not to do well & leak quite a bit. See our solution below)

Water-resistant tape (we used duct tape)

Instructions:

1. Fill one bottle 2/3 full of water. (We added a few drops of green & blue food coloring so we could really see the hurricane at work.)
2. Place the washer on top of the mouth opening. If you use this method, make sure the washer has a large enough hole to allow the water to flow easily.
3. Place the other bottle upside-down on top of the washer.
4. Tape the two bottles together very thoroughly. If it leaks, they suggest adding more tape & wrapping it tighter. We found that ours still leaked, but it was considerably less when we added more tape.
5. Turn the two-bottle setup over so that the bottle with water in it is now the upside-down bottle on top.
6. Move the bottles in a circular motion, swirling the water around in the same direction for a moment.
7. Watch your system form a hurricane-shaped funnel down into the bottle below. You can repeat this as often as you like.

NOTE: Some people like to add glitter or even small toys in the bottles so they can watch them swirl around.

Okay, so we followed these instructions to the “t” the first time. It leaked. We added more tape and wrapped it tighter. It still leaked, only less.

This is the original washer. See how small the vortex is?
Make sure your washer has a large enough opening.

Then, The Hubster…havng the “engineer mind” that he does, started searching the internet for tips/options. And he found this! And at a store right up the street from us – WOO HOO!!!! He was nearly giddy with excitement and practically counting down the minutes until he could go get one! Silly man!

Unfortunately, our store ended up not having that exact brand and the one he found ended up costing about 4x as much. However, as my Dad always said, “You get what you pay for.” And this particular brand had TWO experiments in it! One for the hurricane and one for a fountain.

Isn't that a GREAT vortex?!

So…now we have not one, but TWO Science experiments hidden in the pantry out of sight for the Littles. They have been a GREAT source of learning, entertainment and of course, FUN!!

What did you do this week in your homeschooling journey? Feel free to share you favorite experiment, tip, idea or just a word of encouragement for others!!


(I will put up a video soon. But, the one I had, had some loud background noise...imagine that?!)

Blessings,

Annette

I’m linking up to these other GREAT Homeschool Weekly Reviews!

Click on the links to check them out!

HolySpirit Led Homeschooling, Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers, Home Grown Learners, The Gettys “Favorite Resource This Week”

52 Fridays: Week 15 Update

Here goes this week’s report. You can read more about my journey beginning with Week 1. Feel free to join me and Crystal in this journey.

1. DAILY quiet time: Why is it that this is the hardest thing to get done? Am I the only one who feels this way? Making this a first priority is #1 on my list this week. I’ve just got to get up and get it done. Get a new habit going and keep with it – no matter what! I get my emails through biblegateway.com and a women’s devotional through Proverbs 31 devotions. Such great tools – be sure to check them out! 

2. Weekly weight loss: I continue to struggle with finding the time to workout. The Hubster has joined the “cause” and is ready to move to real foods with me. Now that I’m not alone in this, I think we’ll really be able to move forward with this!! 

3. Vintage Remedies 8 weeks to Real Foods: Still working on the  food pantry sheet. We’re in the process of clearing out our pantry to use what we have and transition into “real foods.” I can’t even tell you how excited I am. I’ve heard such great results from those who’ve made the switch. Not only in weight loss, but also in how much better they feel. I can’t wait!!! Real Foods…here I come! 

4. Homeschool Fun: This week has been more organized and therefore, we have more time for FUN!! Read my Homeschool Happenings post today to see more!! 

5. Organization: Not much to report here. I’ve got great ideas, but lack either the funds or the time! Working on new, inexpensive options!! 

6. Staying caught up: This area was not so great this week. I am getting caught back up on laundry, but dishes are another story. In November 2011, I had surgery on my right wrist. All was going well, until this past weekend when it started acting up on me again. At one point I couldn’t even grip a can of pop or door handle. NOT FUN!! So, I’ve had to rely on The Hubster for help. And well…we all know how most men are about dishes or chores in general! LOL But, we’re working on it! 

7. Blog changes: Okay, so things are not going quite as planned. I think I’m going to push this back to May. Look for the changes coming May 2012!!!! The design is being re-vamped and I’ve got such cute blog buttons to share…I can’t wait!!!!

How do you find time to spend with the Lord in prayer?  Feel free to share your tips and ideas in a comment or link back to a post!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a blessed weekend!

Blessings,

Annette

Thursday Thoughts: Finding Peace

Photo courtesy

After months and months of prayer, counsel and discussion you finally make a decision. You feel at peace with it and at peace that God has guided you in this direction. You are excited to share what God has done in your life and ready to move forward. Yet, when you share what's been on your heart and what you believe God has led you to...OPPOSITION!!

Have you ever been there?

It's tough. It's lonely. It's...you fill in the blank. Our families philosophy has changed significantly in the past several years. Some times it's been readily accepted. And other times...not so much.

The Hubster is reading a life-changing book entitled, "Hungry for More of Jesus" by David Wilkerson. He talks about this exact situation and in his words and wisdom, I find comfort and peace.

God knows us! He permits our afflictions, saying, "You are the kind who forgets Me in good times. You neglect Me when all is well. But I love you too much to lose you to the devil. I'll awaken you through affliction, to remind you of how short life is and to make you dependent on Me."

Here are some good arguments to use when the devil tells you godly people don't suffer:

1. Christ suffered in the flesh mightily - and He was perfect.

2. Paul and all our Church fathers suffered great afflictions, yet God loved them dearly and used them mightily.

3. To the godly, suffering is not a sign of God's displeasure but a sign of sonship. Whom He loves, He chastens.

4. Every affliction is intended for my spiritual benefit and growth, and to equip me to sympathize with others in need.

5. My suffering may be grievous and painful. But if I'll accept it, afterward it will bear the fruit of holiness and pure love for God.

-Hungry for More of Jesus, pg. 163

This week has been particularly difficult for me. Not only is it coming up on the 2-month Anniversary of my Daddy's death, there are a lot of changes in store for our family. Some of them scary, some of them hopeful...but ALL of them for God's Glory!

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 

-John 16:33, ESV

Blessings,

Annette

Linking up to these wonderful parties. Be sure and check them out!

Deep Roots at Home, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, The Imperfect Housewife, Our Simple Country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows