With all this talk about planning for the year I thought I would put up a quick post about the most important part to my homeschool planning.

Prayer,

this is the single most important aspect to my decisions for our learning path. Going to God and seeking His plan for each of my children is the only way I will succeed in this homeschooling adventure. These are His children and only He knows the paths they will go on......I need His daily input into these plans so that I can equip them to carry them out. Yes that is what I am doing through homeschooling....

Equipping my children to carry out Gods plan for their lives

That is my job. And if I am not in constant prayer before, during and after I make these plans

the road will be hard

I will be striving in my own strength

I will fail

For without His guidance and strength I can do nothing.

The worlds view of what should be taught is very different then Gods view. Don't let the voices in this world turn you from the goals God has given you for your children. We are walking a narrow path and we need to keep our eyes on the only one that can guide us.

Some things that I revisit every year.......

Ann Voscamps post on Holistic Homeschooling a must read! This is how we plan our day.

My daily time with the Lord.....rising early and spending time being filled so I can pour it out later on my children

Our day begins with devotions.....this year we are using Character Sketches Volume 1
Scripture memory and prayer

Our favorite time......learning about HIStory.....yes because it all is His story! This year my older girls are using Exploring America
and my younger crowd is using the Truthquest Guides for American History.

Read alouds are one of our favorite times and both of these history programs are literature rich!

We are going to try out My access for writing this year. It's an online writing program.

These are a few of the things that will make up our day. The kids are all using different math programs and maybe I'll post about that another day. I really just wanted to share about that most important part of bringing all your plans before God.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

The road will still not be easy but I can be assured that when God is in control of my plans the outcome will be better. We will be following His plan and that can only bring blessings.

be blessed as you plan and pray for your new learning year!

We love file folder games! There are loads of places online to find ideas and directions for games that you make and keep in a file folder. My children have used the ones we have made for years and they hold up really well. They are great for making learning fun! And cost is a minimum!

Shanna Clark over at Intergritas Academy is offering a new selection of file folder games that she has made! I was lucky enough to get a couple to download and try out so I could write a reivew.

I already had the file folders. So all I did was print out the downloads that she sent to me, cut them out and then I laminated them. I always laminate mine for extra duability! I also put library pockets on the back to hold the game pieces, you could also use a ziploc baggie.

The games we made are the Don't be late game, matching the digital time with the clock. Name that state game for looking at the picture of the state and naming it and also the option to name the capitol as well. And a letter matching game for matching the upper and lowercase letters.


So, as soon as they were made the kids were grabbing them to play with. My 5 year old was especially enjoying the letter match game!


One great thing about these games is that they can be done independently with minimal help from you! The layout and colors of the games are great! And they seem to be a big hit over here. So if you are interested in a way to get some fast and easy file folder games onto your shelf go check out Integritas Academy. If you sign up for the email list you get a free file folder game!

blessings

Sketch 16 is up over at CPCM! Head on over and check it out and don't forget to link us up so we can see what you come up with!
Here it is


And you can download the template here

And this is my take on the sketch for the week! Hope you enjoy! I used a fun kit from lliella designs! It's called BSDAY! That cutie in the picture is my Caleb who has turned into a fish this summer! He loves the water!

I took some pictures of my file crate system and what the folders look like. I think this will really help in having a place to put things I find that I want to have the kids do....ideas, websites, links. Filed trips and that type of stuff now have a home! My lesson plans for that week will also be in here and any copying that I need to do for the kids.

And these pictures show my four boys workboxes. Like I said we are making this work for our family and after reading Sue Patricks book and browsing many blogs of people using the system this is what I think will work best for us. I bought the carts at Staples. They do have wheels but I did not put them on so they could slide under a table easily. They each have 6 drawers which will be more than enough for us.
The idea behind the system is the child can work independently as all of his assignments are laid out for him in the drawers. If it is something I need to help them with the drawer will have a card showing that they need Mom. When their drawers are empty and all the numbers are on their schedule strip they are done.
I think having a big family makes kids become independent learners earlier anyway but this will help me to be more organized and make sure each child does not have to wait for me if I am working with another sibling.
My 3 older boys wanted star wars themed boxes and my youngest wanted in on the fun too and so his boxes are Thomas the tank Engine. My youngest will have his drawers filled with the preschool activities bags we have filled. These are a great thing to have and so easy to put together. All my boys have enjoyed them.
I would love to share my workbox numbers with you and so you can download them at the links. I made them from a site called disneyclips.com and it is strictly a not for profit site. You will need to download and unzip these to your computer.

Schedule Strip download no picture just 3 strips of boxes that the numbers fit in. I cut these and hang them on a ring

All the boys wanted different characters so that resulted in 3 different number sets!


Star Wars Numbers download


Star Wars Numbers download

Star Wars Numbers download

Thomas the Tank Engine Numbers download



Next I will be working on my older girls and their system. They will be using file folders and tabs instead of these drawers. Hope that I explained that well if you have any question please leave a comment!

Be Blessed!!

A post on homeschooling and planning is long overdue.....I am always excited this time of year as the kids and I look forward to what God would have us learning for the upcoming year. We are pretty relaxed schedule wise....we keep to routines much better. Using loose blocks of time to try to get things done.

Now our homeschooling is so intertwined with real life I wish we did not have to have any routines...but with a big family that would be chaos.....
And remember our God is a God of peace and order and so our homes should try to achieve that as well. At least our goal should be that.....even if we don't always achieve it!! ; )

Over the next few days I will be sharing our planning process as I am in the thick of it right now. We have vacation coming up and then I want to be able to fall back into our routines when we return. We do learn year round but the summer is much more laid back. We like to keep up with math and reading through the summer months.....and the kids all have their notebooks filled with topics that interest them and those studies never end.

I have decided to try workboxes to give my younger guys more independaece this year. You can check out the ideas behind them here at Sue Patricks site.
It seems the system is the talk of all homeschoolers right now! We are adapting it to fit our large family with not so much space. I plan on posting pictures and explaining the ways we will be using this system for my younger guys and my high school girls. I am pretty excited at getting started and so are the kids...believe it or not!!

I also wanted to set up my files a little better. I have always liked Dawns crate file system and so decided to set one up for myself. Instead of explaining it all here go over to Dawns and read the post to learn more. Basically there is one folder for each week of the year. So it is a weekly planning system....which I love and have always done. On the front of each folder I stapled a sheet for that week....a to do list, plans for that week, dinner menus......whatever I want to remember for that week. Dawn just put a lined piece of paper but of course I went into photoshop and created my weekly list sheet which I will gladly share with you if you would like it. I put some flowers on it and just made it mine....I am going to see how I use it and I might end up tweaking it a little.

Here is the download link for my weekly file folder sheet that is pictured above. If you have any questions on it just ask.

I'll be back soon with pictures and a detailed account of how we are going to be using the workboxes in our home.

Blessings!

Take a moment to watch......how can you not believe.....

Yes, it is Friday again already and time for another sketch over at Triple the Sketch! I actually ended up doing a 2 page layout for this one.....very simple and clean...yeah...honestly I was really struggling with this one and had no inspiration at all and so kept it really simple. But I like how it turned out in the end.
I have been busy creating all week and have lots to share.....hopefully I'll get pics posted tonite sometime!
So come over to TTS and play with the sketch! Can't wait to see what you come up with!

We need to be Jesus! And following His 2 most important commandments....Love one another and love your neighbor as yourself...

Kelly over at Generation Cedar posted a very thought provoking piece on her blog today.....

"I have been thinking of some fundamental truths to the Christian life. Truths that are being squelched. Truths that need to be resurrected and relived among believers. Truths that would turn this world upside down for Jesus if we could get it. At least that’s my opinion

To draw people to God, we must be like Him. We must look like Him, talk like Him, act like Him and think like Him. Jesus did. He was “about His Father’s business” in every part of his life. So in order to accomplish that, we must know what God is like.

God is a God of order, beauty, grace, humility, faithfulness and creativity. How do those traits affect our living? Have we grossly underestimated the power of being “image-bearers” in our daily lives?"

Please visit Kellys blog Generation Cedar to read the rest of this.... and may we all reflect the image of our heavenly father to a world that so desperately needs it....

be blessed

Good morning! Sketch 15 over at Christian Paper crafts is up! I had a lot of fun with this one and did a 2 page layout of our river trip that we took yesterday! Talk about keeping up!



Here is the download of the template for you to play with

Download here

And here are my pages



Please head over and leave us a link in the CPCM thread so we can see waht you create!
And if you download my sketch please come back and show me what you create!
Happy Scrapping

We are live this morning with sketch 65 over at TTS! And guess what? sketch 65 is one that I made up and I am also giving you the digi template for it right here!
Down Load Here

I love making templates and I have been doing so for myself. But now I am getting to share some with you! Please let me know if you have any trouble with the download or the template...I am new to this!
Here is what I created with my template!

Please leave me a note or link back with your creations if you use my template! I would love to see them! And check over at TTS to see what our design team did with it!
Happy Scrappin!

I have been invited to host the sketch challenges over at the Christian Paper Craft Magazine Forums! I am so excited and hope that you will pop over to join in! Every Tuesday I will post the sketch and best of all I am posting the digital template for you to download as well!!
These sketches can be used for layouts, cards or any project you would like to use them on....turn them, embellish them and really make them yours! I love sketches...they really help to get my pages going sometimes! If you make something with one of my templates please send a link! I would love to see it!

Here is this weeks sketch! And you can download it here!


Here is what I did with the sketch. I took an american crafts 6x6 mini album and altered it. I have been wanting to make a mini album of our trip to creation in 2005 (yes I am that far behind!) And this will be perfect for that!!

So come on over to the Christian Paper Craft Forum and play along with this weeks sketch!!

Sketch 64 is live over at TTS. I made a card using clear cardstock......it looks a little fuzzy in the pic...it's really sharp in real life!
Head on over and check out the great eye candy!!
Happy Scrappin!!

Since setting up my library of memories system it is very easy for me to look through pics I have not scrapped yet and see what I feel like scrapping...fast and easy!!
I know it's July but I really felt like doing a Christmas layout and ended up with my pics from 2004. the pic is a little hazy...sorry. I chose not to use traditional Christmas colors but some vintage looking blues and greens and dark brown. I like how this turned out.....


Look for the newest sketch at TTS up tomorrow!!

Be Blesssed!

I have quoted Voddie Bauchman before and I will do it again....his post on Christians and public schools is right on!
Thanks to Kellie at Generation Cedar for the heads up on this!

he said

“Jesus made it quite clear when he said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30 ESV) I am amazed at how many Christians refuse to acknowledge this fact as it relates to the government school system. Our education is either based on biblical truth, or some other truth. There is no such thing as neutrality in this regard. All education is religious in nature. Since it is illegal for students in our government schools to be taught from a Christian perspective, then it follows that they must be taught from a non (or anti) Christian perspective….

According to the common refrain, “It doesn’t matter what educational choice you make… you just have to pray about it and do what the Lord leads your family to do.” However, I must confess I find this this concept disturbing on a number of fronts. First, this kind of thinking denies the sufficiency of Scripture. The Bible speaks either directly, or principally to every aspect of life. There are no grey areas. Sure, there are things that are difficult to discern, but education is not one of them.” -Voddie Baucham

read the whole article here Top 5 reasons not to send your kids to public school

I am still clicking away and trying to keep up with my project 365. I decided to not do a digi album but I got this little album at Target and altered it for all my pics....now to print out the pics I have so far and get them in the album....maybe today? I like this idea a lot better, and it should be faster and easier to keep up!



This was my creation for sketch 62 over at TTS. Last week was sketch #63 and we got to play with pink persimmon stamps to help celebrate their anniversary!
This is the layout I did....it was so much fun!



The design team then made cards for Pink Persimmon to thank them for all the great stamps they sent us to play with. They really spoiled us!! Check out TTS for all the great eye candy!




Hope everyone has a scrappin weekend! And Happy 4th of July to all!!

So today I had time to fool around a little with the blog.....time for a new look! I have been busy scrappin.....but not posting much to the blog. Sorry about that! I've also been doing some organizing and will show you how I am storing my buttons now. I picked up this spice rack at target.....but I think it looks much cuter like this...don't you!?!

I am loving having my buttons all sorted by color.....it is so much easier!!
I also just found out about a site called Scripture Scrappers lots of wonderful christian ladies over there using their talents to glorify God. I just posted this project for the word of the week which was think and used Phil 4:8.

I will frame it for the wall..... or maybe it will end up in my Etsy store which I hope to open soon!!
Yes, just another project on my list of to dos!!

Have a blessed weekend!