my blessed life

Taking a little blog break this week and spending some much-needed quantity and quality time with my family!  See you all in a few days:) ***** Don't miss a thing here at My Blessed Life! Subscribe, Follow, & "Like" today!

I can't believe how fast this year has gone by!  Looking back over it all, it has been a really great year with lots of positive strides and so much learning.  I'm really proud of what my kiddos have accomplished this year.  It's amazing to think that they have completed 2nd and 4th grades and we're now beginning our 6th year of homeschooling (well, longer than that if you count preschool, right?).  Fifth and Third grades, here we come! I was looking over my post from the beginning of the year about our curriculum for this year and seeing what had stuck/changed/been modified.  That's always interesting to do!  And it turns out that we stuck fairly close to the plan with just a few changes. In our Biblical  studies, we ended up not using God's Great Covenant this year.  I still love it and I haven't ruled it out for the future, but the format just wasn't working for us this year.  So we continued with reading through The Bible Story...

We're all very happy to see summertime around here!!  Yes, I know that technically the first day of summer isn't until June 21st, but we all know that summer really begins when school is finished, right? ;)   So with our school work being wrapped up I thought it would be fun to celebrate with a festive summer banner (I've been just dying to hang a cute banner on my freshly painted fireplace !).   I headed over to my  Pinterest  boards (such fun, right?!) to see what inspiration I could find.  And, sure enough, Pinterest didn't let me down--I found the perfect summer banner for us (there were lots to choose from, mind you).   What do you think?  I love the way it turned out!  It makes me smile whenever I look at it:) Now we're busy working on our 2013 Summer Bucket List ( you can see last year's here ).... What fun things do you do to celebrate the arrival of summer? ***** Don't miss a thing here at...

I am feeling brokenhearted today for the beautiful people of Oklahoma, but I know my heartbreak is nothing compared to what they are feeling. I am so thankful that our many family and friends there are okay ...but so many there are not okay.  Their lives will never be the same. Please pray for Oklahoma.

It felt good to get back into my cooking groove a little bit last week.  It was still a very busy week around here though and I was only three for three with the meals on the plan, but you've gotta be flexible though, right?! ;)  So I've got a rollover or two to this week, but that's okay.  Just makes this week's planning easier. Also, last week I got a chance to go to my favorite store for "deals".  We live in an area where there is a large Amish and Mennonite community and they have some wonderful bulk food stores around here.  I love shopping at them!!  And there is one that has a combination bulk foods and (what I call) "dented can" store.  One half of their store is filled with (majorly) discounted grocery store items that have been slightly damaged (dented cans, smashed boxes, or simply discontinued or clearanced items).  I find the most amazing buys there!!  I like to go once a month or so to sort of stock up on things like cereal...

We made it!!   Today was our last day of the 2012-2013 school year!!  Whoo hoo!!  Can you tell I'm excited for our summer break?  Just a little bit ....heehee In our homeschool this week... Mr. B has really been finished all week long and has just been doing some reading each day.  The Princess had math to wrap up this week though and has finally completed it today--thank God!!  He has helped us through this year of math, that's for sure!   We are still finishing our history book (Story of the World, volume III) and will continue reading that through the summer until we complete it.  I also plan to have the kiddos do some math activities once or twice a week just to keep them fresh.   Some homeschool advice I have is... Please take a summer break for your own sanity's sake!  Even if it's only a short summer break, I think it's just as important for moms to be refreshed as well as the kiddos have a break.  Su...

...Nancy at There Is Grace !!  Congratulations on winning a signed copy of A Cry From Egypt .  I hope your family enjoys it as much as ours did. All others, thank you for entering the giveaway!  If you are interested, you can still purchase a copy of A Cry From Egypt here . ***** Don't miss a thing here at My Blessed Life! Subscribe, Follow, & "Like" today!

Ever on the lookout for a great new book, I was intrigued by the subtitle of this book: Unexpected Love, God's Heart Revealed in Jesus' Conversations With Women .  In a world that didn't (and doesn't) offer equality for women, Jesus always did--and does.  So I was curious to read this closer look at what this author had to say about this. "God has revealed all we need to know about him in his Word.   We need to make it our business to find out what that is.   When we know of his power, his goodness, his wisdom,  his patience, and his justice, we have a reason to put our trust in him.   And we will not be disappointed when our trust is based on truth." Julie Zine Coleman takes an in-depth look at nine different women in the Bible and their encounters with Christ.  Each chapter shares the relevant Scripture passage and then the author elaborates on the scenario, taking into account the culture and setting and takes us on a little fic...

Okay, so it's been nearly a month since I posted my menus here ....and pretty much a month since I actually wrote any out.  These past few weeks have been so.incredibly.busy.  I am actually very tired of grabbing food on-the-go.  So this week, I am being extra-disciplined and making my menus ...and making a much-needed run to the grocery store! Monday:  Navy Beans and Cornbread Tuesday:  Gnocchi and Cheese with veggies Wednesday:   Egg Rolls (for me); Sandwiches (for the kiddos) Thursday:  Not-Your-Typical Goulash with garlic bread Friday:   Homemade Pizza (maybe on the grill!) Saturday:   Grilled Tuna Melts This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

0626.  handmade cards 0627.  hugs than nearly squeeze the breath out of me 0628.  sloppy, wet kiddo kisses on my face 0629.  early morning snuggles 0630.  laughing with my sister; realizing our laugh sounds identical; laughing harder 0631.  "breaking bread" with my whole family (there's something special about eating with someone) 0632.  celebrating Mothers Day with my own sweet mama~so blessed to have her close by 0633.  flowers and chocolates 0635.  being "spoiled" by awesome hubby This post is linked to Multitudes on Mondays at A Holy Experience . ***** Don't miss a thing here at My Blessed Life! Subscribe, Follow, and   "Like" !

This past week we participated in our second-ever science fair.  It was a lot of fun!  And I could really see growth in the kiddos in their understanding of how to do their projects since  the last time we participated in a science fair .  This is partly due to time and largely due to the great co-op class they participated in this past quarter.  In that class the teacher-mom spent six weeks teaching them about the scientific method and helping each class do a group project using that method.  It was a lot of fun and I even learned a lot.   Mr. B really wanted to make a volcano erupt for his project.  Now this project didn't really follow the scientific method, but his age group (1st & 2nd grades) was allowed to simply enter an exhibition project if they wanted to since they were the youngest participants.   He and Vince worked together to make a volcano out of spray foam (after the try with homemade play dough failed--to...

If you're like me, I am always on the lookout for great books for my children to read.  Our home is filled with books, but I don't want them to be just any books and I'm picky about what I buy (and what I allow them to check out from the library). A few months ago I had the opportunity to review a pre-release of a book by a young new author.  I read A Cry From Egypt   (published by Raising Real Men )   with my children (ages 10 and almost-8) and they loved it!  It was definitely a hit with our family.   Click here to read my review of this book . This book has just officially been released and you can now  purchase this book immediately for $12.50 by going directly to the website .  When you order from the website you'll also receive a free mp3 copy of Hope Auer's popular workshop,  How to Write Your Own Book--A Homeschooler's Journey to Becoming an Author . However, I have been given the opportunity to give away a signed copy ! ...

Looking for a delicious, yet quick breakfast idea?  Here's a great one!  These whip up and bake very quickly.   French Breakfast Puffs 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp. salt 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 3 tbsp. butter, melted ***** In a medium bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.  In a separate bowl combine the egg, milk, and butter; add this to the dry mixture and  stir until just moistened.   Line a muffin tin with baking papers (or lightly grease the pan); fill the the cups 2/3 full of  the batter.  Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.   While these are in the oven, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl and  have the remaining 3 tbsp. melted butter in a small bowl as well.  ...

During these oh-so-extra-busy weeks that life is throwing me right now I want to pause and take the time to remember the many gifts I've been given.  I don't want to take them for granted or forget about them.  So again I count my gifts... 611.  the random tender hug from my son 612.  my sweet daughter saying "I love you, Mom" out of the blue on a crazy day 613.  having my family close by to help invest in the lives of my children 614.  an impromptu lunch with friends 615.  hazelnut creamer in my coffee 616.  a lazy, rainy morning 617.  watching my kiddos develop their own ideas for their own science projects and succeed 618.  my God, who is infinitely patient with me 619.  having so many good books waiting to be read 620.  looking forward to the gift of summer, right around the corner 621.  the privilege of teaching little ones about the Word of God 622.  unexpected blessings from...

Another week of 2013 is gone~each weekend when I write this post I am reminded of just how quickly this year is going!  I so want to savor the moments, and yet I feel like they are passing in a blur. In my life these past few weeks... I have been very busy helping my husband finish up pages for our homeschool group's yearbook.  We took that project on this year and it's been a very big bite to chew.  I'm excited about how the book has come together though! We've had lots going on at our church: a weekend leadership conference, a yard sale, ladies night out, and tons and tons of planning for upcoming events.  It's exciting!  But it's also a bit exhausting--I pray for supernatural strength a lot:) In our homeschool these past few weeks... Let me be honest, we have had a few very rough days--not consecutive, thank goodness.  We are all ready for summer break around here ...especially me!  But we are SO close--about 10 more days now and subje...

With the beginning of May also comes enrollment in summer reading programs .  I don't know about your kiddos, but mine really love those reading incentives--thankfully they also love to read just for the fun of it, but prizes never hurt, right? So I wanted to pass these ideas along for you and your kiddos.  The following are the ones I've found so far for this summer. Your local library~always check there!  Our local library not only has a reading program with prizes, they also have a few fun events {animals shows, etc.} planned, too. Barnes and Noble's Imagination's Destination Pottery Barn Kid's Summer Reading Challenge Chuck E. Cheese~reward your kids with free tokens for reading (and many other things, too) Scholastic's Summer Challenge And you never know, there may be other programs local to where you live, so always do a search to see if there are. Plus, you can also create your very own reading program for your home.  We have one!  For...

And just like that ...April is gone and May is here!   Life has been a true whirlwind around here lately and I can hardly believe how quickly time is going by.   Spring has finally sprung in our neck of the woods: our irises are in bloom, the grass is green, and the temperatures are lovely.   And this mama is so ready for summer break!  Even more than the kids, I think...ha!  We're so close to the end of our school year though, it's almost here. So, Happy May Day to you!  I'll see you tomorrow:) ***** Don't miss a thing here at My Blessed Life!   Subscribe, Follow, and Like !!