27 Years

Tomorrow marks our 27th wedding anniversary.  Yesterday was Stevens birthday.  We didn't get to celebrate either one, really.

I worked yesterday evening, he worked all day.  Tomorrow, I leave for four days for a gymnastics meet.

It usually is this way.  AT least for the last 10 years or so.

Each year we have had soccer tournaments or trips on our anniversary/his birthday week.  It took us two years to celebrate our 25th anniversary!

But, we do it.

We make a point to celebrate in some way.  It isn't the cruise, the elaborate trips anywhere, or expensive jewelry; which are all ok.  They just aren't us or where we are right now.

We are fairly simple people.  I say fairly because we are fairly complicated as well!

We choose to love every day.

I met Steven when I was 16 and I have never looked back.  I knew pretty quickly that he was the one I wanted.  Thankfully, he wanted me too!

I can not believe that it is 27 years into our marriage and I am looking forward to the next 27!  I pray that we will continue to choose each other when it gets tough and that we will continue to show our children and grand-children how to love and be loved.   How to follow Jesus in our marriage.

27 years.  In this day and age that seems like an insurmountable feat; but it isn't.  Don't listen to anyone that says it is.

A Life Worth Living

What does that phrase mean?  What does it mean to you?  What does it mean to me?

What should it mean to all of us?

I am not sure.  I know what I think it should mean and I know what the world tells me it should mean.  But, really...what does it mean?

A Life Worth Living has so many meanings and variations of meanings that the possibilities are endless and mind-blowing.  To ponder all of them would take a life-time and would render the thinker useless to anything else.

So, how do we find the answer?

Jesus.  Simple? yes.  Easy? Absolutely not.

Jesus tells us how to live a life worth living and yet we think it isn't enough.  We think there has to be some world-renown acclaim to make our lives important.  Or that we have to think of some great invention, business, etc. that saves the world as we know it for our lives to matter.

Yes, those are important and we need them but is everyone called to that?  I sure hope not.  I can't figure out how to keep the kitchen clean let alone create never before inventions for the benefit of the world.

What I CAN do is this.  Figure out who God made me to be-my interests, strengths, weaknesses, gifts, talents, desires, dislikes, prejudices, opinions, and hold them to the Light of Gods' Word.  If they stand up to what He deems right, then move ahead.  If not, change them, get rid of them, ignore them.

I can also see each moment in my day as a way to live a life worth living.  That person at Wal-Mart that is annoying me by being everywhere I want to be but slower?  See them for a person that God loves and smile at them.  Compliment their hair or clothes.  Pray for them earnestly.

I can use my time at my job to impact people in small ways.  You never know when a kind word or smile will matter to someone.  If you see a person having a bad day/hard time, listen to the Spirit for a word to say to them. Or just hug them!  God will show you when to speak to someone if you will listen.

I can see my children as gifts instead of burdens.  I can give them the Word of God that shows them Who they are and how God sees them.  Then, they can go out into the world and do that for other people.

I can chose to love my husband daily.

I can see the blessing of having a house and food because not everyone has those things.

I can choose to see the need around me and purpose to do something about it.  It may be a small thing in the eyes of the world but to that person it means the world.

I can love fiercely even when it hurts.

I can see my own short-comings and know that even though they exist God will use me because He loves me and sees something good in me.

I can CHOOSE to live a life worth living.  Every day.

A Life Worth Living is a life that was spent loving, seeing people, choosing love, choosing life, being in the moment, following God, encouraging others, blessing others, being blessed by others, and realizing the short-ness of this life.

We have but a moment on this earth, let's use it to Live a Life Worth Living.

A Sappy Post

My love.  He has been mine for 30 years.  I can hardly believe it.  We met when I was 16 years old and I am so glad God brought him to me.

We will be married for 27 years this year.  Some days it seems like it has only been 5 years and other days it feels like a life-time (do you know what I mean?)  There are days that I can not stand him and he me.  We are human and fight.  But we also choose love and to stay together every day.





















He is my person.

He will always be my person.

No one else.

More than proud

This has been a year already!  I already posted about Beth's engagement...well, she is married now!  B and K were married on Feb 22nd and it was beautiful.  Pictures will be coming.

What I want to talk about today is Naomi.  She has been doing gymnastics for a few years now.  She has been competing for just two years.  She started out last year in Xcel Gold and moved up to Platinum this year.

Last year she did very well and ended up being Beam State Champ!  She qualified for Regionals in Galveston.  We went and she was so excited to compete.  God had other plans, though.  During the bars warm-up she lost her grip and did some roll or something(I did not see it bc I was coaching another girl) and landed on her head/neck.  By the time I got over there she was surrounded by people telling her not to move and the paramedics were coming.  She could move all of her limbs but they were worried about a break.

Beth and I watched as they put a cervical collar on her and then back-boarded her.  That is not something I ever want to see again.  We rode by ambulance to the hospital and tried not to think of the worst.

Once at the hospital we waited for more than 4 hours and never saw a doctor.  In hindsight I wish I would have been more with it and requested a doctor.  She had morphine, an mri, and more videos made of her antics than we can post.  She is quite funny on pain meds!  After waiting for another hour they released us.  No pain meds, no instructions, no nothing.

Again, I wish I would have been more aware and calm.  But I wasn't.

After the fall she did go back to the gym a few days later and slowly started training again.  She worked her way up to a kind of normal routine in a few weeks.  However, the pain never went away.  She was in constant pain.  She also dealt with constant fear on the bars.

When she moved up levels she moved up in skills as well.  (of course!) Unfortunately being afraid of the bars did not help the situation.  Her first meet of the season we all almost had a panic attack.  Okay, not almost.  We did.  She was shaking the whole time and Beth and I were crying and trying not to run and get her off of the bars.  She did it though.  She got up there and did a routine.  It wasn't good and the score was low but she did it.

She did it at every meet, for the entire season.  She conquered her fear every single meet and got up on those bars and did the skill she fell on.  Every.single.meet.

She also improved her performance and scores at every single meet.

Finally at our State Meet she had one last chance to improve on her routines and qualify for Regionals.

Ya'll, that was the best bar routine I have seen from her!  She did all of her skills, she connected them, and she got her START VALUE.  Meaning that the judges gave her credit for all the skills and she did them good enough that they gave her credit for ALL of them!  That hasn't happened all season.

I could not be more proud of her perseverance and determination.  She has worked so hard to overcome her fears and she is doing it every single practice.

What a great way to end the season!

A Sweet Voice

My sister was here for the weekend and she got dd4 to do some really cute things with her voice. Thought I would share!



***Edited to add that I found this in the draft folder!  I can not believe how small Naomi was!!

How did I miss this...??

I am not sure how I even consider myself a blogger.  I just can't seem to keep it up in the last few years.  Lots of things are note worthy I can't seem to find the time or want to, to document them!

This one, however, is one that should have been documented.

On July 11, 2018 Kaelin asked Bethany to marry him!  We knew it was coming and had seen the ring(it was at our house!) and actually kept it a secret for way too long.  Keaelin took her to the spot where he first told her he loved her and got down on one knee.

We are thrilled and are in the knee-deep process of planning a wedding.  As of today, we have 55 days until February 22, 2019 and Beth will be a Terrell no more.

I am a little sad but a lot happy.  I can not wait to watch their marriage grow and to see what God does in their lives.

 

**All photos courtesy of the amazing Raylee Jo over at https://rayleejophotography.com/  If you are in the area, check her out.  We adore her!!

Heartbreak and Peace

This past summer was a season of transition for our family, yet again.  It was a season of tears and prayers and questions.  If I am being honest, those things are still happening and probably will for years to come.

This summer with counsel from our pastor and a counselor, we decided that it would be best for everyone if Bug went back to her grandpa's permanently.  There were issues that I will not go into publicly for her sake; but, needless to say they were big enough issues for us to take this step.  We did not step into this decision lightly or gladly but with heartbreak and confusion.

We love that little girl as our own.  She IS ours.  We are just not the right place for her to be right now.  She has needs we can not satisfy.  It broke us as individuals and as a family to come to this realization but we are discovering Peace through it all.  God has shown up for us as He has for her and we are healing.

We will never fully heal from this, and rightly so.  There will forever be a hole in our heart that only Bug can fill.  For now, we will have to rest in the assurance that Jesus loves her so much more than we ever could and that His plans for her are far above what we could imagine.

Prayers for our family and for Bug and Grandpa would always be appreciated.

Following God is not easy.  It is not painless.  It is not for the faint of heart.  But, He is faithful to walk with us as we strive to follow His lead and to cry with us over the hurts of this world.

What do you do...

What do you do when the thing you thought was God's will turns out to be the seemingly wrong thing?  How is it possible that a good thing turns out to be bad?  What do you do?

I don't know.  I have no answers, only questions.

I can only pray and beg God to give us clear answers.

Until then, we trust and pray.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  Prov. 3:5-6

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."  1 John 4:16

"The Lord is near to all who call to Him, to all who call on Him in truth."  Psalm 145:18

At the moment there are no words for where we are; we are in the darkness waiting on the Lord.  Our hearts are heavy and breaking and we are trusting that He will carry us to the next step.  He will light our path but that may only be a step at a time.

And that is enough.  He is enough.

A Valuable Resource for you!

As a homeschooler I am always looking for ways to get my kids more engaged in their education.  I love finding resources that help me help them.  I have one such resource for you today.

Education.com
Is an educational website that offers service to families and schools.  They have two options for you:
Basic/Free access is available or you can become  member and pay $9.99/month for their Premium service.

Spend some time on their website and find all that they offer.

Who doesn't love a fun worksheet to enforce what our kids are learning?  There is not better way for kids to learn than when they are having fun.  Education.com is here to help.  You can sign up and download worksheets to your hearts content!  That isn't all they offer, though.  Really, you should check them out!

Curious?  Here is a sample from their website:

Let's practice our spelling words as we stroll down the river in our boat. Hang on tight as we head on over to Education.com for spelling resources, games, and printables like this!
https://www.education.com/resources/spelling

Here are some worksheet types to choose from:

• Maze
• Matching list of words with images
• Word search
• Crossword puzzle
• Word scramble
• Subtraction
• Division
• Multiplication

And we have a variety of themes to choose from, including crawlies, a school-themed template and seasonal themes.

You can see an example below.

Here is a FREE worksheet for you!

Follow this link to download a FREE word search from Education.com!  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sFwApmBhznWTWx27ar1OgRA6nASAy8KZ/view?usp=sharing

Here is the Answer Key as well!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F6ljJK0v7J2fgE5dHGfGECOGNu-z3YDI/view?usp=sharing

How is that for cool?  You should go and check out Education.com and see if they are a good fit for your family or school.

Next Year...

Now that soccer is over(more on that later) I am looking toward next year and what each girl will do for classes.  Yes, it is only May but for my mind I need to get it organized and set before summer so I can enjoy some downtime!

So, before my schedule changes and I am working pretty much every day I am planning.

Of course I am going to use my Ultimate Homeschool Planner again.  I adore this planner.  It has everything I need and I will be so sad when I can't use it anymore.  You can buy it here.

The girls will be using a planner we found at Mardel's that we just bought here.  Hannah had this one last year and loved it so much Naomi wanted one as well!

Now that our planners are chosen I can move on to the curriculum for each girl.  We are of course sticking with Tapestry of Grace.  This year we are using Year 2.  I have loved this curriculum so much and we have all learned things I never knew growing up.  You should look into it if you are looking for History, Literature, Bible, Writing, Art,  Geography, Government, and Worldview.  Yes, it covers all of that!

For Math, Hannah will be taking College Algebra-I have gone as far with her as my mind will stretch!  Naomi will be doing Math U See Algebra 1.

Science we will be sticking with Apologia.  I haven't found anything we love as much as theirs.  Hannah will be doing Physics and Naomi will move into Physical Science.  I am so glad we found Apologia at the beginning of our homeschool journey!

Hannah will have a semester of Economics for Everybody from Compass Classroom.   While Naomi will be doing Visual Latin.

Naomi will be doing her last year of Growing with Grammar.  This is a solid program that is giving them a great base for understanding English.  

At the moment, that is all I have.  I have more shopping to do for the little extras but at least I have a plan!  Next year Hannah will be a Junior and Naomi will be an 8th grader.

The plan for Bug is to stay in public school for now.  We don't know how long we keep her in public school because I can't see having her in middle school but that is for a different day.  For now, she is loving school and learning so much more than just math and reading.

Now, we just have to finish up this year!!

Family

Our family is growing.  Our girls are maturing into women who love God and others and we couldn't be more proud of them all. Beth and Sarah are wonderful adults and it is fun to be friends with them and watch as God directs them.  We are so completely blessed with all of our girls and  we can't believe that God was so good to us.

 Beth and Sarah have made their choices in guys and we love them both.   I can't begin to say enough that praying for your child's spouse while they are growing is invaluable.  God has their path laid out and it is our job to direct them toward Him at every turn.  We don't always succeed in leading them well but we try and we keep trying every day.  

God is good all the time.  All the time God is good.

Homeschool Help

As a homeschooler I am always looking for ways to make this journey easier and better.  If I can find a tool that will help me teach and help my kids learn and they love it; all the better!

Virtual Homeschool Group is just that thing.

Virtual Homeschool Group is an online community that puts together classes for just about every subject and grade.  You can take Live classes or enroll for At Your Own Pace classes that have been recorded.  These classes teach, grade, and record those grades for you.  It is awesome ya'll.

And the best part?  It is FREE!

you heard me right.  This is a community helping the homeschool community.  You can of course donate to help the website with upgrades and the cost of keeping a website running but it is not necessary.  If you do donate then you are put into a pool for live classes that gives you first dibs on the life classes.  With our schedules live classes are not usually an option but we donate anyway.

The girls have take their Apologia Sciences through VHSG every year and they are an amazing help.
You should really check them out!

I am not receiving anything for this post.  I truly believe in this website and love how it has helped our homeschool and wanted to share!

Loneliness

I watched the news this morning run an episode on loneliness.  As I watched I realized that they could have been interviewing me.  In an age of social connections, we are at an all-time high of being lonely.  We live lives online and only show the perfect and happy side but all the while we are slowly dying inside.  It is a slow decay, a torturously slow process that approaches moment by moment sneaking up on us so that one day we look back and we are engulfed.

I am by nature an introvert.  I do not seek out crowds and parties; they drain me.  However, I have learned over the years to be an extrovert because that is what people expect and like.  No one wants an introvert to hang out with, they want the laughing and joking life of the party.  That is not me.  Not really.  I can do it and I can fake out the best of them but I don't like it.  I need solace, books, quiet, and family close to me...at home...with no other people around to be happy.  That is who I am.

Who the world sees me as is a happy, laughing, joking, silly, life of the party girl who likes being in crowds and thrives off of the lime light.

It is exhausting.

Not many people know that I am an introvert.  Fewer still believe me.

"I am what people see me to be
It's not who I am but what they see"

I wrote that in high school because even then people wanted an out going girl to hang out with instead of the shy, quiet girl I was.

What effect does this have on a person you ask?  It makes us lonely. Friendships are hard when you can't be yourself.  It is also hard to hold onto friendships when you can't connect they way you want or you don't actually want to be around people.  Not because you don't like them but because it is draining to be 'on' all the time.

Friendships require putting yourself out there...staying out there...

That is so hard.

So, I am lonely in a world full of people.  I have friends but I don't see them.  I can blame it on schedules, time, etc. but the truth is I am just plain lonely and scared.

I don't know how to foster friendships like everyone else.  I see people doing things together, laughing and having fun and I want that.  I just don't know how to go about it.  Or how to keep doing it.  Especially when I just want to be at home!

Life is hard sometimes.  I want friends and relationships but I just don't know how to make and keep those deep connections without giving myself up.

In a world of social media how can we be so lonely?

Voices

We all have voices that we listen to.  They can be our parents, friends, relatives, or even strangers.  We can hear their words and forget them or we can hear them, take them into our hearts and then they become the voices in our heads.  The voices that talk to us in a continuous stream every day.  

The voices that play in my head are all the negatives ones I have heard over the years. Right or wrong, they are the voices I hear.

Words like slob, ugly, loser, unqualified, disorganized, fat, mean, petty, cold-hearted, hypocritical, and so many more.

I can pretend that those words don’t affect me and I can bolster my courage and pretend that I don’t care what others think of me; but the truth is I do care. Each and every word-unkind or kind, is remembered and played thousands of times in my head every day.

I take them into my heart and they become part of me, of who I am. Those labels become my identity. They change me in small ways that forever alters what I see when I look at myself. And when I think about who I am. Words have the power of life and death.

Words don’t even need to be spoken. It can come in the form of gossip and non-confrontational behavior. If someone has a problem with me or something I have done but doesn’t even respect me enough to talk to me about it-what does that say? That I am not worth talking to and working out the situation. That voice is on a constant loop. This is an almost constant occurrence in my life. People would rather talk about me and the problem to others rather than me. I am too irrational to have a conversation with. I am too opinionated and talk too much. Yeah, I have heard all of it.

I hear it in my head every day. When situations pop up, the voices chime in and let me know exactly what others have said. It never ends. It is crippling at times. The fear of failure is so great that I would rather do nothing and see no one so that I wouldn’t disappoint or upset anyone.

I have to fight these voices every day.  Sometimes every moment.  They lie.  The feed my doubt and my fear until it is a living, breathing thing.  But fear is a liar.  Doubt is a trap that has sticky sides so you can't get out and an easy chair in it so you don't want to.  It is easier to stay in the fear and doubt than to fight your way out.

But fight you must.  

Knowing what God says about you is a must.  He is the author of your life and only He can tell you who you are and who He created you to be.  He is the Light and the Hand reaching into the darkness.  He is also the Friend that sits with you while you cry giving Comfort and Strength to go on.  

Every day the battle wages and every day we must fight.

That's What I Get

I just thought I would do a better job of blogging!  I guess I had no idea how busy I was about to become after my last post.

Naomi has had a great competitive gymnastics season.  She placed at every meet in at least one event and I believe she placed in the All Arounds each time as well.  She competed at State in March and placed on every event except for Vault-she was close to placing though!  She took FIRST on Beam at State!!  She also took 2nd All Around at State and qualified for Regionals in Galveston, Tx.  We are so proud and can't wait to see her growth over the coming years.

I have had some job changes this winter.  I started at Wichita Gymnastics doing classes and the Silver team and then in December/January I started training to coach the Gold and up teams.  So, I have been working every day of the week at the gym.  Plus, doing meets for both sets of teams.  It has been exhausting but I truly love it.  That scheduled changed a little when soccer started...it got busier!

Soccer started in February with Conditioning in the afternoons.  So, I would go to work right after Conditioning or come from work straight to Conditioning.  It was crazy but it worked.  Then we started our season and the Training times had to change.  So, then I would go to work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after two hours of soccer training and once games started it changed again!  With games going I wasn't able to work as much but would try to go to work after games.  I am beat.  We only have three more weeks of soccer and I am sad and glad. lol  For work, I have been able to cut back on my hours and I am not coaching the Silver girls anymore-I am sad because I love them but I am glad to have some of my time back.  For now, anyway!

On the home front, life is moving along.  Sarah went to Thailand for 10 days with our church and loved every minute of it. Beth got a new job at Cocoa Dolce and adores it.  Hannah is driving everywhere and has three jobs, she is a starter for our High School team.  Naomi is in the off season for gymnastics but is a starter for Jr. High soccer and a part-time starter on our High School team.  Phoenix is still loving public school and thriving.  Steven is still amazing and supportive and crushing his job.  I seriously wouldn't survive without him.

I am looking forward to a trip to Al Fong's coaches training this weekend, a soccer tournament in Springfield, Mo, our trip to Galveston, another trip to Texas for a gymnastics conference, vacation, and probably more that I can't remember at the moment!

For now, I have to check my calendar to make sure I am not missing an event!

First Gymnastics Meet

Naomi had her first gymnastics meet last weekend!  She was so nervous and the last month before the meet she spent freaked out and couldn't throw her double back handspring.  She threw it last month and had a bad fall and lost it.  She wanted that and her back walkover on beam for this meet...

She got them both!  She worked hard and really focused in practices and it paid off.  We are so proud of her.  She placed on every event and got 3rd All Around!!  Her team took home 1st place!

We can't wait to watch her the rest of this season!

Kutlass Alpha/Omega Review

I have new music for you!  I am so excited to share this CD with you.  I wasn't sure what to think when a Kutless album was coming but I am so thrilled to have this CD.  

Alpha/Omega is a wonderful Praise & Worship album that will surely become a staple in your music collection.  We had this album playing while we were making dinner and every song that came up, we were excited to hear it and it became our favorite.  I am not sure I can pick a favorite; I love them all that much. 

You need to listen to this album and buy it.  

About Kutless:

Since signing to BEC Recordings in 2001, Kutless has transformed from a new rock band to a staple artist in the industry that has multi-format, top-charting hits, sold millions of records and more than eight million streams. Launched by original members Jon Micah Sumrall (lead vocals) and guitarist James Mead, the band formed first as a modern rock/worship band at Warner Pacific College in Portland in 2000. Kutless has two RIAA Gold-selling albums for Strong Tower and Live from Portland. The band has had 12 No. 1 radio singles across all formats including their major hits "Strong Tower,” "What Faith Can Do" and "Carry Me To The Cross.”

After more than 15 years together and reaching fans around the world, Kutless continues to be focused on sharing the Gospel with a younger generation that is searching for answers.

“We really believe that music can make a difference in people’s lives,” shares Jon Micah Sumrall. “Music is an incredibly powerful tool that can break down walls and allow us to communicate a message of hope to people who may not listen otherwise. We are still recording and performing because we really do believe it makes a difference. We hear stories all the time from people who share with us how a concert or a song has radically impacted their life, and it’s these types of testimonies that keep us going year after year.”

In 2012, Kutless formed EOTA Ministries (End of The Age) to expand their evangelistic outreach around the globe. EOTA is the non-profit arm that aids Kutless in hosting large, free outreach concerts and events. In 2015, they partnered with other organizations to bring concerts to Kiev, Ukraine and other cities for six events - the largest of their kind in that country. The next year, Kutless returned to 11 cities in Ukraine as well as in Belarus, a communist country, where more than 100,000 heard the Gospel and over 40,000 commitments to Christ.

With their upcoming album ALPHA / OMEGA, Kutless has created a collection of rock and worship songs of both original and cover tracks that are true to who the band has been for the last 17 years. They wanted to create a project that would engage the Christian community and have the greatest impact. The songs are true to who the band is at their core - rock and worship. ALPHA / OMEGA features a new version of “Strong Tower” as well as the debut radio single “King of My Heart.”

#KutlessAO & #FlyBy

Social Corner:

Landing page to buy/stream the record: http://smarturl.it/kutles

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2eNsXwlLvo

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.  

The Grey Wolves Series-Review

Okay, I am going to do a review for a series of books that Bethany and I love.  We have read the entire series many times-more than I want to admit at the moment.  We got hooked on them and just couldn't stop reading.  I actually re-read them at least twice a year!  No, I am not kidding.  The characters become my friends and I just have to be a part of their lives.  I NEED to know what will happen to them!  Plus, I just love the characters.

The first book in the series is Prince of Wolves.

Jacque Pierce was just an ordinary 17 year old girl getting ready to start her senior year in high school in Coldspring, Texas. When a mysterious foreign exchange student from Romania moves in across the street, Jacque and her two best friends, Sally and Jen, don’t realize the last two weeks of their summer was going to get a lot more interesting. From the moment Jacque sets eyes on Fane she feels an instant connection, a pull like a moth to a flame. Little does she know that the flame she is drawn to is actually a Canis Lupus, werewolf, and she just happens to be his mate; the other half of his soul. The problem is Fane is not the only wolf in Coldspring, Texas. Just as Fane and Jacque are getting to know each other, another wolf steps out to try and claim Jacque as his mate. Fane will now have to fight for the right to complete the mating bond, something that is his right by birth but is being denied him by a crazed Alpha. Will the love Fane has for Jacque be enough to give him the strength to defeat his enemy, will Jacque accept that she is Fane’s mate and complete the bond between them?

My take:  The writing is a little like a self-published author(at first), by that I mean there are some spelling errors and grammatical errors.  However, I don't find them to be too distracting and the character development more than makes up for any lack of writing style.  (Hannah-my literary student snubs her nose at these books because they are not Jane Austen or J.R.R. Tolkien!)  The story line is captivating and the main characters are full of life.  I would so be their friend in real life. Many times while reading this series I found myself laughing out loud, cheering, or crying at what is happening.  I truly fell in love with the characters and will be so incredibly sad when the series is finished...it can never be finished.  I'm just sayin'.

The next book in the series is Blood Rites, it continues the story flawlessly and advances the plot to the point of racing through the book to get to the next one! The story continues all the way through book 10!!  Then she takes a side-step and branches out some of the characters and created The Gypsy Healer series.  This is also a series that I just love and can't seem to stay away from.  The latest installment I made myself read it slowly just so it wouldn't end too quickly!

They are all worth the read.  Oh, did I mention that they are CLEAN?  Meaning no sex, no major language(a few 'minor' cuss words), books that I let my teens read and don't worry about it.  That is big y'all.  

You can visit her website Here  You can also buy all of her books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers.  You can also find her other book series-Elfin, Dream so Dark, The Vikings Chosen.

I encourage you to check them all out.  You just may find a new favorite author!!

**Disclaimer: I did NOT receive any books in compensation for this review.  I bought them all on my own-because I love them-and the opinions are my own.  Even if I had received any books for review, I would give an honest review and my opinions would still be my own.

Curriculum 2017-2018

I don't think I have posted for quite a while about the curriculum we are using.  With two having graduated, I find that life was slowing down quite a bit in the homeschooling department.  With Bug added back in, it is a bit busier!

This year we have Hannah in 10th grade, Naomi in 7th grade, and But in 2nd grade.  We haven't really changed curriculum much in the last few years because we found what really works for each one and we are sticking with it! 

Hannah-10th:

Tapestry of Grace Year 1-History, Literature, Bible, Writing

Apologia Marine Biology

Math U See Pre-Calc

SOS Kansas History

Dave Ramsey Personal Finance

Economics for Everybody (2nd Semester)

Fallacy Detective (2nd Semester)

Naomi-7th:

Tapestry of Grace Year 1-History, Literature, Bible, Writing, Arts/Crafts

Apologia General Science

Math U See Pre-Algebra

Growing with Grammar 7

Bug-2nd:

Time4Learning-Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies

various workbooks for each subject and lots of play time, learning to play on her own, and working on setting up chores and being responsible

I think that is it.  But, who knows we may add more or change something mid-year!  That is the beauty of homeschooling-you can change what isn't working.  

A New Job!

I started coaching gymnastics at the Y just about a year ago in September.  I loved it.  I loved being back in the gym(again) and I loved the kids.  I quickly added hours to my schedule and started helping with pre-team and then eventually team.  I was busy, as evidenced by several posts lamenting that fact!  I was really happy, though.  The kids were wonderful and I heard back that they were enjoying gymnastics.  

But then changes started happening.  I won't go into details but there were things happening that I couldn't support. And I kind of got in trouble for speaking out about something in a staff meeting.  Trust me, it needed to be said and I was the only real adult in the room.  

Anyway...since these changes were coming, I sought out other employment.  I found out that a local gym was hiring and it was a gym that I competed against when I was young.  I took Naomi over to try it out-I wasn't leaving her in a gym that I didn't agree with policies and procedures.  She loved it but was wary about switching gyms.

I talked with the manager and she told me that night that I had a job if I wanted it.  I did!  I gave my notice at the Y and told my classes that I wasn't going to be teaching there any longer.  Several families asked where I was going and decided to follow me.  Of course, I told them that they were welcome to come to the other gym but there were great coaches staying where they were.  They came anyway.  And then I heard that more coaches quit and girls I recognized showed up at the gym I was now at.

Naomi transferred over and quickly started moving up levels.  At the Y they told her she was at a lower level than this new gym and she was clearly ahead of what they indicated.  It took some time for Naomi to get fully comfortable at the new gym but she is loving it now and she has moved up to the Gold Excel team!

We start our competition season in a few weeks and I will be traveling with the Silver team  I am so excited to see the girls compete and improve throughout the season.  

I don't have as many hours at the new gym and it is working perfectly with our new addition to the family.  God has taken care of us and His blessing keep showing up when we least expect them.