Assignment #118 - All You Add Is Love (Purina Dog Chow)

Memory Verse: Psalms 127:3 (New Living Translation)
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Intro: This week we continue with shaking things up a bit. Children are often so pure in what they say. There is no sugar coating it, they just say it as they see it. Their thoughts can make us laugh, touch our hearts and open our eyes.

Assignment: This week are going to do an “Interview With Mom” and post it to your blog. There are a list of questions below to interview your children with. Feel free to add your own questions or remove any question you don’t want to use. You will then ask your children the questions and post the answers that they give you.

WHAT DOES MOM ALWAYS SAY TO YOU?

DD9 - Time to do school.
DD4- Go clean up my room.

WHAT MAKES MOM HAPPY?

DD9 - When we are all as a family playing games.
DD4 - To go have fun and play games with our family.

WHAT MAKES MOM SAD?

DD9 - When mommy and daddy fight.
DD4 - To not listen. (I think she meant when she didn't listen.)

HOW DOES MOM MAKE YOU LAUGH?

DD9 - When you tickle me.
DD4 - Let me think, By playing games

HOW OLD IS MOM?

DD9 - In your 20's.
DD4 - I don't know.


HOW TALL IS MOM?

DD9 - 4 to 5 feet
DD4 - I don't know

WHAT DOES MOM LIKE TO DO?

DD9 - Like to milk your goats
DD4 - Play with us.

WHAT IS MOM’S JOB?

DD9 - Staying home and taking care of me and my sister and making sure daddy has food when he gets home.
DD4 - To clean up the house.

WHAT IS MOM’S FAVORITE FOOD?

DD9 - That stuff you make with lettuce cheese and turkey in it.
DD4 - Eggs

HOW DO YOU KNOW MOM LOVES YOU?

DD9 - Cause she stays home with us.
DD4 - Cause we play games together.

This was so much fun. They didn't answer how I thought they would. I really don't play games with them that much so maybe I need to start playing more games so they feel loved and see that I am happy.

Thanks for this assignment.

Assignment #113 - Finger Lickin’ Good (KFC)

Assignment: Although I am not able to produce miracles, it sometimes feels like I need to when it comes to meal time. There are times when money is tight, groceries are few and I have to feed my family. During the holiday season, you might have so much going on that you need to make a meal quickly with as few ingredients as possible. This week post your favorite recipes that require six (6) ingredients or less. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Six ingredients or less makes this a challenge. I am thinking of some recipes that I consider my staples but I am also counting out the ingredients. I guess I like my spices.

This is an all time favorite. Quick and easy. I am sure most of you have a roast recipe this is what I do.

Chuck Roast
Beef Broth
Garlic Powder
Salt
Onion

Put roast in pan. Add garlic powder, salt, and onion. Add a can of beef broth. Cook until done usually 2 hours.

Paprika Chicken (ate this tonight)

Chicken, cut up
Paprika
garlic powder
salt
butter

Put chicken in dish. Sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Melt the butter. Brush the butter over the chicken. Bake chicken at 350 for about 1 hour. Brush the chicken with the butter about every 15 minutes.

These are my two standby recipes. If I don't know what to cook or with the roast need something I can throw together and then run into town these are the recipes I fall back on.

Enjoy,

Jenni

BFS #104 - Never Leave Home Without It!

Memory Verse: Matthew 28: 20 - Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.


Assignment: In the memory verse Jesus tells us that He will never leave us, not even at the end of the world. He assures us in this verse that He will be with us and that means through everything we go through in life. I thought it would be interesting to write about the things we would never leave home without. For some it might be baby needs, others it might be a gym bag and bottle of water, and for some it might be your Bible and a notepad or small journal, maybe even your son or daughters favorite blankie! I’d like for you to write about something that you would never leave home without.

Let's see, what don't I leave home without. There are a few things. I do not leave home wihtout my purse. When I forget that it always seems like there was something very important in there. Like for instance that will be the time that my van is totally without gas. (This has happened to me.)

This object is in my purse but it is important. I go to the library I lot and if I don't have my library card they will not let me check out a book. Which they all know me by name and some of them even know where I live but if I forget my wallet which has my library card and my license in it they will not let me check out a book. So this is very important.

Other than that that is all I really try to make sure I have. Now my kids on the other hand they pretty much bring our entire house with them whenever we leave. I am always trying to stop them from bringing stuff with us. They like to be prepared when we are going somewhere. They will bring their dolls, dolls clothing, usually some type of bag that this stuff goes in. Once in a while my oldest brings a book to read. They will take all of this to run into town for 10 minutes. So it tends to be a problem.

When it travel with my dh he is a little more prepared than I am. He always makes sure we have drinks for our trip and some type of snack to eat. I try to do this but it is not something I always make sure I have with me.

Have a great week everyone and God Bless.

Jenni

BFS Assignment #103 It keeps going, and going, and going…. (Energizer)

Assignment: How do you keep energized so you can get it all done? bouncy music? treat it like a workout? Do you use a schedule?, a housekeeping binder system? luck of the draw system?.. or is this an area where you need encouragement? Do you need God’s help to keep order and beauty in your dwelling place? Take this week to tell us how You diligently keep going with your housekeeping chores.

In this area I have probably tried everything. Every method seems to work for a while and then something happens that makes me get off track. I always have very good intentions. Currently I am using the when I have a free minute I get it done. I do use a "TO DO LIST", and that does seem to help. There is something satisfying about being able to cross something off of your list. I can be awful with this I will put things down like get up, brush teeth, etc on my list just to cross them off. HEHEHE.

Before summer started I was using a schedule and that was nice but I didn't like that my house was never clean all at the same time and my children seem to make continual messes. I know they still need training in this area and I haven't found the patience or the know how to deal with the messes. I know I love them to be creative but does it have to involve a mess.

The one thing I loved about the schedule is that I seemed to spend a little more time just playing with the kids since I had it scheduled into my day. Right now that doesn't seem to be happening.

Well I guess right now I am just going by the seat of my pants to get my housework done. My house isn't a disaster and we do have clean sheets more than once a year. So maybe I am achieving my goal of being a housewife. I do try to make my husbands work clothes and his dinner a priority. Also before he gets home about one hour before we do try to pick up the house so he walks into a better environment than at work.



I found this verse on a website and it really spoke to me:

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:2-4).

BFS Assignment #102 - Try it, You’ll Like It!

Assignment: This week I want you to do something for someone else. Do you have a neighbor that needs you? Do you know an elderly person or single mom that could use you? What about the homeless? Pack even one single sack lunch and give it to someone in need. Do you know someone in blogland that is struggling right now and could use a note from you about how much you care? Pray about this. Let God put on your heart the perfect thing for you to do for another. Now, here is the kicker…I DO NOT want you to post about what you do. Whatever you choose to do is between you and God. Our rewards are in heaven, not here on earth, Mathew 6:1. I want you to post about how doing this “act” made you feel. Was stepping out of your comfort zone in this area as hard as you thought it might be? Could you see the gratefulness in their eyes? Hear it in their voice? Tell it from their typing? Do you think you might make doing things like this a more regular part of your time? If this is an area that you are already active in, tell us how you feel this has impacted your life.

Memory Verse: Psalms 26:2 NIV Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.


This is not an area of my life I have felt comfortable with. This summer we did a local mission project and that was awesome. It is amazing what you can accomplish with God and a group of like minded people. The person we helped was obviously very touched and she is now going to have a much warmer and safer home for a good Michigan winter.

I know this is different than what the assignment said but I have currently been trying to lay myself down for my husband. He is currently stuggling at work and having a rough time. So, I have been reading Created to be his Helpmeet and that has been a true blessing. I have been trying to think of things to do for him to make his life at home much more relaxing. Like I said this is not an area of my life that I have been very good at. I usually get dinner made and then do the dishes but then I am exhausted. So, lately I have been trying to also make time for his projects that he needs my help with. Yesterday I had a ton of things to get done but I tried to also accomplish some things I knew would bless my hubby. For example the lawn needed to be mowed and we also needed wood moved into the basement. I didn't get that done but I am going to try and get it done so then he can just come home and relax.

Maybe this is off topic but sometimes helping the man right in our lives is very important and I have lacked in this are so that is the area I am working at. I will think of a way I can help someone besides my immediate family. I am thinking I might try to help someone who doesn't even know me. So I need spend sometime in prayer about it

Favorite verse:

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Jeremiah 31:25

Jenni

BFS #101 - Plop, plop, Fizz, fizz; Oh, What a Relief It Is!

Assignment: This would be a good week to tell about your worst struggles with a lifestyle of homeschooling. Tell about something you’ve struggled with and how God’s mercies gave us the strength to get past it. Also, share any curriculum/homeschool methods that have been a relief to you, i.e., a particular Teacher’s Manual or Homeschooling method that’s been easier for your family. Talk about how you felt when the burden was lifted and Oh, What a Relief it is!

Where do I begin. You know I love homeschooling and every single time I think about just letting that bus stop I get a sinking feeling in my gut. So, I know that is not God's will for us. At the same time I still have a lot of struggles when it comes to homeschool. I have struggled with teaching my daughter to read. She is a math kid, it comes very easy to her. Reading on the other hand doesn't. I struggle with not comparing my children to other kids, whether they are in Public school or are homeschooled.

One of my main struggles is maintaining a easy pace schedule. Who said being a stay at home mom would be boring, they are nuts. I have a tendency to get to busy and then my home and my poor husband get neglected so I have really worked at that. I listened to a lot of Cindy Rushton's stuff and that has really helped my to purge some of the stuff that does not need to happen. I can see that this year is going to be easier for us. I eliminated a lot in my schedule, although this particular week is pretty bad. I have had some good weeks so far and it has been wonderful. Side NOte: Last night at my daughters dance class there was a bunch of mom's talking about what their kids were doing this year. NOw remember this is a group of 4 and 5 year olds. They all had them in Soccer (twice a week), dance (once a week), looking into Tae Kwon Do, and still considering Gymnastics. When do those poor babies get to be kids. Sorry about the bunny trail. We have eliminated our kids to one outside activity other than church a week. We were one of those crazy people last year I can't do that again.

Now on the other hand I have struggled with trying not to focus too much on the house and the wife duties I have and not spending time with the kids. Now for this area I could really use some advice. I still don't know how to fit it all in.

The one curriculum that has been a total relief to us is Math-U-See. It makes my life so easy. I just pop in the DVD he teaches the lesson to her and then we go over it together. There is plenty of worksheets for each lesson, so if she needs to do all of them she can or she can just do what she needs to get the concept. Also he continues to review the stuff from the beginning of the year till the end of the year. This way she doesn't forget it.

We are using Queen homeschool this year and so far I like it but it almost seems too simple. We will see how it goes. The unit studies were a little too hard. We are in 3rd grade this year and they wanted her to write a report almost everyday and we were both getting bogged down with it. Other than that the copy work is awesome. They have beautful pictures to look at. I also am enjoying there language arts program.

My theme verse has been

Proverbs 15:18

A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
Prov 15:18 (KJV)]

I need to live by this verse since many times during the day are training oppurtunities and I tend to lean toward the yelling side and I need to just discipline and not yell.

After I have said all this I know that I would not trade one moment with my kids. Yes there are days when I would like to just go to the store by myself to get a break but all in all I enjoy my life my dh and God have given me. When would my kids get to spend the time together that they get now. When would I be able to say we struggled through reading but WE got it, not some teacher or tutor at the school. We are all truely blessed to be able to have this time and get to enjoy this journey with our little ones.

The picture I posted is very old. I need to update the pictures in my computer.

God Bless