Wow! I just found out about a great blog. Barb has put together a weekly challenge called the outdoor hour challenge. It is all about nature study using my favorite resource....The handbook of nature study by Anna Comstock. Check out this blog if you and your kids are interested in participating! http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/
We will be trying to keep up with the challenges.....we have needed to give our nature studies a boost and this is just the thing!! We are out this morning to check out the leaves in our woods!!

I just started creating for Emma Moore who designs beautiful digi kits...she sells at Faithsisters. So I have been busy doing some digi layouts for her and at the same time trying to get Caleb's baby album done..... here is what I have been busy with.....

I really like the way the layout about Christopher and Elaina came out.....I've been wanting to do a layout about the amzing relationship they have together. What blessing to me to see my children loving one another as God intended us to do!!

And Yes I have been reading The Heart of Wisdom book and I am almost done....I have some more notes to post on it and hopefully I will get to that later! Hubby is off the next three days so between house projects and taking the kids fishing I hope to get some scrapping in!!!

Well I have been floundering over how to go about making the Bible the center of our homeschool.You would think after homeschooling for over 11 years I would have this down by now. Ha!Ha! Think again!! We have tried many curriculum's over the years and lately have just been doing our own thing. This time of year I always seem to reevaluate our goals and priorities and seek Gods wisdom in what direction we should be going with our learning.
I have looked at Robin Sampson's site http://www.heartofwisdom.com/about.html and at her books from time to time but never bought any of it. Well, now I have felt led to study her Heart Of Wisdom book. I have decided to post my notes and thoughts to the blog and maybe others going along on the same journey would join in and chat about the book as well.
I really feel God is going to use this book to give me a clear vision again for our homeschool and I am very excited about that!!
Today was rainy and I actually made it up to chapter 5....

CHAPTER 1
Robyn tells of her exodus out of public school and into homeschooling...she parallels the Israelites journey out of Egypt and into the wilderness.
Most important is to keep God the center of homeschooling.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and alive. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit; joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

When we find academics slowing our pursuit of God and His righteousness this should be a sign that we are on the wrong track. We need to return to making God and His word the center of our homeschool.

Spending more time in Gods word myself is most important!!! This will help me stay directed towards Gods will for my hs.

CHAPTER 2
Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Phil. 4:6-7

I love this verse!!! I so need my heart to be guarded!!! This chapter really showed me that if I am fearful or worried....that is not of God!!!! That is of this world and I need to get back with God...give it to Him and get that peace!!!
Isaiah 55:8-11......I need to learn Gods ways......not my ways
God has called me and He will equip me with all I need.

CHAPTER 3
How do I view God??? My focus really matters am I focusing on obstacles and fears or Gods promises and power....

The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished. Numbers 14:18

God disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness Hebrews 12:10

Jeremiah 17 7-8 says if I trust I will be blessed. What does it mean to fear the Lord? Fear that is joined with love and hope.....what does that look like?
To us fear is negative but in the Hebrew language it meant many things.....dread,reverence,respect, and strong awe.
The fear of God should motivate us to do His will.
We also need to wait on God..... this is a hard one!!! In our society waiting is not something any of us wants to do!! But we will miss the blessing and miss Gods whisper if we do not wait on Him!
Wait means..silence....expectation....hope.....watch....observe....serve.....minister

Wait silent before God, our expectation in Him!!!

Isaiah 40:31 says we will have renewed strength, the ability to mount up on wings like eagles, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint...what promises I have in this!! So often I do grow weary and then I realize that it is because I am trying to do something in my own strength.....when I turn to God my burden is always lifted!!

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go

What a powerful reminder.....can someone please tattoo that on my eyeballs!!
So we need to keep our eyes on Jesus...He has a plan for my family and it won't look like your plan either! My eyes need to be on Him not on others around me!
Well I have to say I am really enjoying this study and I can see it adjusting my focus already.
Hopefully tomorrow I can get to reading some more......

Well so much for posting more regularly!!! Ha! Ha! It has been over a month since my last post so I guess I need to bring this blog up to date.
Spring is finally here in NE Pa!! We are enjoying the warmer air and the sunshine when it comes out!! And yes we are enjoying the bugs too!!
Last weekend was National Scrapbook Day and it was so much fun to participate in 2 online crops...one at Faithsisters and the other at Shakerbox...I even won a couple of prizes!! and got 9 layouts done. i am focusing on Calebs baby album...I want to get his first year finished before he turns 2....we'll see...
I just finished digi in deep over at Jessica's site.....what a great class! All of her classes are great! I learned so much!
And I have to toot my horn because I am going to be published over at Scrapbook News and Review!!! Yes a digi layout I did got chosen to be in their faith perspective column and I am so excited!!! I was also layout of the day and layout of the week over at Shakerbox a couple weeks ago! It is so neat that other people enjoy my layouts!
We have been busy planning our summer and what the children will be doing....we learn year round but at this time of the year I do some thinking about what we need to focus on and what we have accomplished. God has been so good to us as always and we have Him to thank for all we have done and will do.
My older 2 will continue to volunteer at GAIT the therapeutic riding stable. They have been there one year now and have learned so much! They both love it! Claire can not wait to be old enough to join in too!
We will do lots of kayaking here on our lake and also on the Delaware river as well....even 4 year old Christopher can handle the smaller kayak with my help!
We are also starting a garden....hopefully! Well I think that just about updates you on our adventures.....I am going to try to post once a week.....don't hold me to it!! Enjoy the pictures of my most recent layouts..there is a special one for My Mom.....enjoy!!!!

Well, I have not posted in almost a month...so much for keeping the blog updated! But things have been happening and so I will update now and hopefully be able to post at least once a week.

February was so busy and we had a great visit with my brother and his son Zach. They spent the weekend with us and all the kids got to go snow tubing! So much fun! The next week I would have been 9 weeks along with this pregnancy but God had other plans and we lost the baby........I was pretty upset even though I have miscarried 2 other times years ago. My first thought was...oh No I'm getting old and there will be no more babies......but God got a hold of me and reminded me that He was in control.....At the same time my back was getting worse and it got to the point where I could not get out of bed for 3 days due to the pain! So I had to let friends and family do everything for me......a very humbling experience for me as I like to be in control and do for others not the other way around! I ended up going to an accupuncturist and it has helped so much........no more pain.

The whole family has also been sick at least three different times in the past month...even Brian had a bronchial infection and he never gets sick.

So here we are ready for spring and staying healthy and being outdoors! I have not scrapped much, but this week started my digi in deep class at Jessica Spragues site.......I love her classes! So far I have 2 layouts done and a mini album on quotes........so much fun!!

This past week has been a bit crazy. The whole crew even Dad got the flu bug really bad so since last Thursday someone has been really sick. I am the only one that has not gotten it. On top of that we had a call about Garrett's lyme test and it came back positive, so yesterday we went to the doctor and he is on antibiotics for 3 weeks. I am praying this cures it.
I have been really tired lately............now I know why! We are expecting blessing #8 in October! We are so excited but have not told the kids yet...this weekend we will let them know!!
Most exciting is that this will be our first homebirth!! I have wanted to do a homebirth but Brian was never comfortable with it....now he is!! So in the midst of all this crazyness God has chosen to bless us greatly!!! I have been busy with my CT work for faithsisters.......I will post the layouts as soon as the challenges are announced on the site. I also started working on a chipboard album for my friends 40th b-day party. I will post it when I finish!!
Today is playgroup and we are off to a beautiful dairy farm to milk the cows and buy raw milk! Yummy!!