Quote of the Week

"Religious liberty might be supposed to mean that everybody is free to discuss religion. In practice it means that hardly anybody is allowed to mention it." - GK Chesterton - Autobiography, 1937

Greg Laurie Harvest

My daughter went to a friend's house and traveled with her family to the Greg Laurie Crusade last weekend. Some of my in-laws went as well and all of them came back truly blessed. I listened to his messages via his website and you can, too! Hope you are challenged like I was/am.

"My Ethiopian Sisters"

Our friends who are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia have a teen daughter who has a sweet blog that you should visit. She posts ways to help their adoption and to help many orphans.

Hawaii - Part 3

After our helicopter ride in Kauai, we drove around the west side of the island. We were in Waimea around lunchtime and took a risk by stopping at a small roadside place called "The Shrimp Station". My dh loved their shrimp tacos so much we ate them twice in 3 days! After lunch we strolled down the sidewalk and found "JoJo's Shaved Ice" - MY favorite place on the island !
As we drove on out to Polihale Beach we made a wrong turn and ran almost straight into the gate of the Pacific Missile Range. Turning around quickly when signs were everywhere about DANGER MILITARY ONLY, etc. , we were turning pale at the thought of missiles pointed at these poor country tourists who took the wrong turn when we spied two burnt-out vehicles beside the road and figured they must have made the wrong turn before us! After a stress-releiving laugh, we found the "right" road which was really no road at all but a 5-mile series of potholes and washboards, and arrived at the most beautiful beach you can imagine. It is legal to 4-wheel on the beach which is several miles long, very wide and as close to completely deserted as possible. I think on the 5-mile stretch we saw about 6 people! The water there is not safe to swim (very strong and unstable currents straight out into the Pacific) but with a pristine white beach backed by gorgeous towering cliffs, who needs to get in the water?!
On the drive back from Polihale, we stopped at Kauai Coffee Company, tested a few samples, took a stroll beside some of their plants and learned about coffee growing and processing.

On back to the hotel and thus ended one of our perfect days in Kauai.......

VBS

We are having our Vacation Bible School this week and my 8yo and I have already had a "ball" even though it doesn't start until tonight! Yesterday we went and helped decorate. One of the things I really like is meeting more people or getting to know "acquaintances" better because when you are painting, drawing, tacking up stuff or cleaning up spilled glitter you have time to chat and find out more about the people you don't necessarily usually see. Last year's first VBS workday I ended up coloring and painting with a dear, sweet young lady that has become a wonderful friend. We immediately "clicked" with our interests and although she is extremely, extremely musically talented and I am ummmm..... musically challenged!! we found that we both had connections to military academies and then that she was eager to learn about homeschooling and then... well, she's just a real joy in my life. So that's why I like to decorate for VBS - great way to make new (or deepen old) friendships - and have fun, too! BTW - my friend and I are in the "Bed Babies" together this week so I get to spend lots of time with her while we love on babies - including her new one - what more could I want?!!

Hawaii - Part 2

On day 4 we left Oahu and flew about 45 minutes to the island of Kauai. Wow - what a difference! We were immediately greeted at the airport by wild chickens. Yep. Wild chickens everywhere! After picking up our jeep rental, we drove up to our hotel, checked in, walked on the beach and then went out to eat at "The Bull Shed". Pretty good food and great location - the waves were literally splashing up onto the side of the building! The next morning we headed out early for our helicopter tour of the island - Blue Hawaiian Helicopters was by far one of the best decisions we made. The helicopter was very quiet, our pilot very skilled and the scenary is indescribable! The pictures don't do it justice because they just don't show the massive height and depths of the canyons, mountains and hundreds of waterfalls. Kauai is where lots of tv shows and movies have been made (Jurassic Park opening scene, Fantasy Island waterfall, "Gorilla" mountain in George of the Jungle, etc.). Although the helicopter ride was expensive it was worth every penny and I would recommend eating sandwiches in the car and taking the helicopter rather than eating out. There just is no place I've ever been that compares to the beauty of those mountains.
Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. Psalm 36:5-7

Book Report

I just finished 3 books - 2 about Learning Styles and 1 compilation of essays about the educational system by John Taylor Gatto. I had read (OK, confession time, not really read, more like scanned) "The Way They Learn" by Cynthia Tobias a few years ago. This time I read it, along with "Talkers, Watchers and Doers" by Cheri Fuller. Both very worthwhile to challenge me to not only teach to my childrens' learning styles (versus my own) but also good ideas in how to develop their weaknesses. The book by Gatto "A Different Kind of Educator" was great (as always - his books really make me think out of the box!) and an encouragement to make sure that I teach my children to think, not just recite. All three books are really good for anyone who teaches or is any way associated with the teaching of children.

Aprons for Adoption

What a great idea! This lady is making top-quality aprons and donating the money toward the cost of adoption of a child from Korea. Please check it out HERE -
and buy one!!
-F

Hawaii - Part 1

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The above is the Flag flying at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning when we were there......

OK, for those of you asking - here's "Part 1" of how our trip went ("wonderful" is the word!!)
First 4 days were in Honolulu -
Hilton Hawaiian Village is great - beautiful locale, nice beach and ocean, convenient to almost everything, great food and service (although quite pricey)....Glad that was paid by the company!
Pearl Harbor - the one reason (and only one in my opinion!) to go to Oahu. Very moving, just a great honor to stand where so many brave men gave their lives. For me, also a special remembrance of my Dad's service in WWII.
The third night there was free from company activities and it was our 28th Wedding Anniversary so we went to a Hawaiian classic - Ruth's Chris' Steak House!! Ok, Ok, so not so Hawaiian but absolutely the best steak ever on this planet! (Yes, Matt, you were right!!!). We had attended a luau and show the night before so we didn't feel guilty about not being "Hawaiian" for one night!
Chinatown was interesting and a fun way to get in with the "locals" - a nice diversion from the packaged tours. The Royal Pink Palace was nice but the best thing was being with friends and having a really fun time with them that evening.
Overall, IF (and that is capital 'I' capital 'F' because of the killer plane ride!) we ever go back to Hawaii I have no desire to return to Oahu. Granted, we didn't see North Shore but..... well, wait until you hear "Part 2" of our trip - the last 5 days when we were in Kauai! Definitely worth the plane ride!

Father of Mine

I was thinking today about Father's day and thought about how my husband has always felt that his number one responsibility as a Father is to pray for his children, which he faithfully does. He says that by spending time praying for each child he focuses on how to be a better father and rely on the one Perfect Father of all of us. Here's a poem that came to me from a friend that says the same thing but in much better form (BTW, the book this is from is an excellent one and I highly recommend it for every family!)

Father of Mine

Father of mine, some years ago
You showed me the way I ought to go;
You led my feet past the treach’rous sand
By the gentle clasp of your own strong hand.

Father of mine, let me thank you for
The prayers you prayed and the burden you bore.
Like a guiding star thro’ the tempests’ strife,
All your precepts have shone on my path of life.

Father of mine, when the time has passed
And the work of my life is complete at last,
When I step ashore on the glory strand
With a grateful heart I will clasp your hand.

—Sarah K. Marinee

The above poem was selected from:
Poems for Patriarchs: The Verse and Prose of Christian Manhood,
compiled and edited by Doug Phillips.

Birds!

This past year my youngest daughter did Rod & Staff Science. She learned (among many other things) about 10 common birds, their habitats and their nesting habits. As we studied one of the lessons I made the comment that I had never seen a "killdeer". So what do you think we have about a dozen or more of nesting in our fields near the yard this spring? Yep. Killdeer (the right photo). I have loved watching them, listening to them and am amazed at this, another of God's beautiful creations. And now we have a nest of Purple Martins on our front porch and a nest of mourning doves under the eaves of our garden shed so we are just having a blast watching and waiting to see which "babies" emerge first, fly first, and how long they all stick around.

My Dad

As Father's Day gets closer, I am thinking of my late Dad. The one thing that sticks out in my mind the most is the fact that after my Mom passed away Daddy often told me something he had said once in a while when I was younger. During the last few years of his life, he sort of made this his "motto" -
"Every day ask yourself - 'What good have I done for somebody today just for the sake of doing it and not for the sake of getting anything back? ' " At his funeral he wanted the song sung "If I Could Help Somebody". He often read Luke 10:25-37 and reminded his grandchildren of the "Parable of the Good Samaritan". I'm going to try to do better at remembering (and applying) those words in honor of him, and teach them to my children, too.

Graduations

Well, I am now becoming a "professional" High School graduation and graduation party attendee - at least that's the way it seems this week. Anyway, I am writing notes of suggestions for our homeschool support group for next year's graduation based on what went well with each one while it's fresh on my mind. In the meantime, I just need to get the Pomp and Circumstance song out of my head!

Quote of the day

From my 5yo with his eyes wide as saucers:
"Look, Mommy! This plant is having tomatoes!"