Life with Me and My 5

Blessings of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:07:00 +0000

(Excuse the pictures. I cannot get them in the correct places, and I need to move away from the computer.)

If truth be told, I am ready to shove 2009 out the door. It has been a difficult year. So many things on so many levels have happened. But, I hate to just put it behind me and only think negative thoughts as I do it. There have been many blessings and I want to remember them.

-We were able to have many celebrations this year to take our minds off of "other things."

- We finalized an adoption!!

-Bruce and I enjoyed a beautiful trip to Hawaii. God has given us a love for the people of this island. It is humbling when we realize our son's story is identical to a large percentage of other children there and God chose to remove him from it. We pray daily for the people of this outwardly beautiful "paradise." It is a blessing to think his and his mothers lives were spared. Now we just pray about how we can do more.

- The summer was difficult for a lot of personal family related issues. Vacations and family outings were out on hold. We were happy to start school because it was a great distraction. BUT, the fall brought a wonderful vacation for our family. It was one of the best we have had and a much need time of rest and reconnection.

-We had great fun with cousins!

- While our Christmas was full of sickness and hospital/doctor visits, it was a quiet time for just us. We usually do a lot of travelling. We missed our extended family, but enjoyed our time of quietness.(I do not have pictures uploaded yet.)

-God has taught us a lot this year. I believe we fight a never ending battle to put complete faith in Him. But, every year we have strived and succeeded a little more (I hope) than the year before. He has taught us to love one another and hold tight to those we love. This year has brought many challenges for different relationships, but God has been faithful to reveal Himself and point Bruce and I to one another. For that, I am grateful. I pray this next year is one with a little less chaos. But, if not, we are ready for it. We know the God we serve and that He gives a peace like no other.

Where is the Community

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:54:00 +0000

There has been talk recently in the blog world about distance education. Obviously, I have an opinion on this. There are many arguments being given as to why distance learning is not a good thing. I am only going to take on one in this post. It is said that distance learning does not promote community. I have a real problem with this argument. My question is this, when did the church cease to be the community? At what point did the school become the community? It has become a problem in the church today that if you do not attend the church school, or the school which the church supports, you loose fellowship. If you spend a few minutes reading home-schooling blogs, you will find this is happening frequently. The story goes something like this, “We started home-schooling and now we do not have any friends.” Or, "We do not have children to send to the school, so we fill left out." I can easily see how this happens. I do not believe it is intentional. But, because the school has become the hub, if you are not part of it, then you are left out in many cases. My own family has been guilty of this. Being involved in a school takes a lot of time and work. You spend so much time with all of the school activities, homework, volunteering, sports games, etc. that there is nothing left to then be a part of another community. If we could turn this around and go back to a time when the church was the hub, I believe we would have a different take on distance education and home-schooling in general.

Early in our marriage my husband decided to go to seminary. We packed up and left our community to do this full-time. Very quickly he was going to school full-time, working nights and Saturdays, and studying whenever he could. I was working full-time as well. We literally only saw one another on Sundays. I was in bed when he came home at midnight and he was in bed when I left at 6:30 the next morning. We were lonely and dirt poor. We ran out of money after about 2 years and things were just not good. We had to leave and go back to our community. Fast forward a few years. He really wanted to get this degree from seminary. He found there was a reputable school which offered distance education. He was able to get recordings of what the school considered their best, stay in our COMMUNITY, and keep his job to support the family. I guess when I look at our story (and our story is very common) I have a hard time understanding how leaving your church community and putting emotional and financial stress on your family is better than doing it the other way just because it is “distance education”.

I do feel the need to make a disclaimer here. There are churches that do this well. They understand that the church is the community and they work hard at it. Also, physically going to a school is a good thing. It is just not always practical and writing it off just because it does not give you “community” well, is just silly.

I think I will have to make this into a series. I have so much more to say.

I Will Be Back

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:00:00 +0000

I just wanted to check in for the 1 or 2 people who may actually still check this blog. I will be back to blogging soon. In the midst of all of our Advent and Christmas celebrating we have had sickness, a hospital stay for Micah, and now a diagnosis of mono. We are praying that does not now go through all of the kids. So, while a take a breath and try to protect myself from mono, I am taking a bit of a blogging break. I will hopefully be back in a week or so.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and blessed New Year!

Advent Surprise

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:12:00 +0000

WE have yet to do our Advent surprise today. Yes, it has been one of those days. But, if we ever get to it, we will be reading a book... The Story of St. Nicholas.

Advent Celebrations

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Our Advent celebrations have not stopped. We have just had a busy few days and I have had no time to post. In the last few days we have eaten Christmas candy, sang Christmas carols, had gingerbread men for snack, and watched Christmas movies.

Our family devotions have been centered around the fact that God did not have to send His Son into this wicked and evil world. We have been stressing to our children that we should live every second in humble gratitude for the great gift which has been bestowed upon us...eternal life.

Day 4 Advent

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:27:00 +0000

Eat a Nickelodeon themed candy cane.

Advent Day 3

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Read the book Clopper the Christmas Donkey and watch a Christmas movie before bed. (We will watch many Christmas movies this season.)

Advent Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:31:00 +0000

Perform in a Christmas concert at a local nursing home and Christmas tree Peeps for dessert.

Advent Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:50:00 +0000

The note says:

We will begin eating on our Christmas dinnerware tonight. There will be a gift at your seat.

The gift will be a Christmas placemat. Hopefully it will protect my Christmas tablecloth. I do not want to have to wash it everyday!!

So It All Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:40:00 +0000

I love this time of year. I love the hustle and bustle. I love the decorations. I just love everything about Christmas. A few years ago I started to feel like we just did not celebrate it enough. I started to think that in a reaction to the American commercialism we kind of down played the celebration of the incarnation of our Savior. We have always stressed the real meaning of Christmas to our children, but it was almost like if we participated too much in Christmassy things, then we were falling into the trap. After reading a few of Nancy Wilson's posts on celebrating the Advent Season, we have come to believe that this Season should be celebrated with gusto. Our Sabbath dinners are a little more special. At each dinner we light our Advent candle for that week and the weeks before, we eat on our Christmas dinnerware, and the kids get a small gift. The gift will be something to help them celebrate the season. It may be a Christmas movie or book or something else like that. Starting on December 1, they open the door to whichever day we are on in our Advent box. They will find a note which tells them they are going to do something to celebrate that day. It may be as simple as color a Christmas picture or going to the movies to see whatever Christmas movie is out. During this whole month (from Thanksgiving to Christmas) our family devotions will center around Christ's birth and our gratitude to the wonderful sovereign God that we serve. So, that is what our Advent Season looks like. What special traditions does your family have?

I Need to Vent

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:03:00 +0000

I love him. I really do. He makes me want to scream and run to hide! But, I love him. Who is this child? It would be Jackson. Let's see, yesterday he colored all over the picture window with crayon. (He was assisted by Micah.) He went on to take a Sharpie to the back door. (Thankfully my perfect daughter saw it and cleaned it before it dried.) When I asked what his dad was going to say he responded, " Well, maybe he just shouldn't look at the window." Today he "forgot" he did not have a diaper on and relieved himself all over a pile of papers on the floor in Sarah's room. Mind you, he has been potted trained and has not worn a diaper for about 6 months. Okay, now I have vented and I REALLY do love him!

She is Growing Up

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:51:00 +0000

I have been spending a lot of time in prayer lately seeking wisdom on my relationship with my wonderful daughter. Our relationship is not suffering, but she is maturing. This little girl who we thought we would never have is getting older and every bit of my being hates it. She is often right by my side ready to help in any way. She has been keeping my kitchen spotless because "It gets on hers nerves to see anything on the counters." Her violin playing has changed from the squeaks of a young player to smooth sound of a beautiful song. I took her to an open rehearsal at the symphony last week. She sat memorized at watching their fingers and could not believe that the conductor was telling them to do it again because he did not think they did very well. She came home that night and practiced for over an hour. I love her work ethic. Nothing is too difficult to give it a try. And she will do anything her parents ask of her without complaining. I know I am making her sound perfect, but some days in the midst of my boys being boys, she seems that way. She does have her days and her faults. The frustration of all of the testosterone brings her to tears sometimes. I think back to the years of infertility and miscarriages, the doctor's appointment that was meant to schedule the D&C for the baby who had not survived, the Christian doctor who said, "let's do one more sonogram to make sure." I will never forget the tears in his eyes when he said, "I see a heartbeat this time!" I love my daughter and I hate that it looks as is there will not be a sister for her. I hate that she is growing. But, I love the beautiful person God has created her to be and I also love that she has a deep love for Him and unusual understanding of Him. And, I love that she loves me!

Life With Micah

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:09:00 +0000

It is so hard to believe that just a few short months ago we were wondering if we were going to get to keep Micah. From the time we adopted Isaac, we knew we wanted to adopt again. We did not mean to wait so long, but it was just never the right time. We always thought we would hold out for a girl. With the boy gene being so prevalent and all, we suspected that was the only way Sarah would get a sister. This adoption just kind of happened. When we agreed to what we believed was a no brainer adoption we had no clue what we were in for. It is a good thing we cannot see the future, we would have probably never done it! God keeps us blissfully ignorant for a reason. He needed someone to fight for this child. I was blessed to be able to be in Hawaii for his birth and even spent a lot of time in the hospital with him. The laws that forced us to stay in Hawaii for 2 weeks(Not that I had to be forced in the middle of the winter!)were such a blessing. It allowed us to spend a lot of unexpected time with the birth mother and we bonded in a way that no one expected. Micah was the perfect baby. Keep his belly full and his bottom clean, and he is happy. He has a very high pain tolerance. He rarely cries when he is hurt. This is good and bad. He has been banged up pretty bad, but we never knew what happened because he did not cry. He has a great smile. He is almost always smiling. Well, except when he is screaming to the top of lungs because he is mad at his siblings or the dog. He is staring to talk and loves to give kisses. If anyone ever questions the attachment of adopted children, look no further. He is so attached. He trembles sometimes when he thinks I am going to leave him or a stranger walks into our home. He is a fun kid. We love him so much. I cannot even think about what would have happened if we had had to turn him over to the state. People question the way we did this. Some say we were crazy to do a private adoption. Maybe so. But, maybe it takes crazy people to fight for these little guys who don't have a voice.

Life With Isaac

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:23:00 +0000

November is national adoption month. I honor of that I would like to write a little about my two beautiful adopted boys.

I do not even remember what it was like before Isaac came to live with us. It seems like life for us started the day we walked into Bethany Christian Services to meet this little 1 yr old, about to turn 2. He was beautiful and his smile was contagious. It still is. He had no clue who we were or how his life was about to change. In a months time he had gone from his mother and through 2 foster homes. We played with him in what would be their small "lobby" I guess. We were with social workers and his foster mother and her children. One of us would play while the other went back to be interviewed. Within a few days we went to visit at the foster home. And then we took him for the day the next Saturday. The foster mother had been training him to call me Mommy Julie to transition since he already had a "Mommy." He called me Mommy the whole day and screamed and kicked and cried when we had to leave him that day. It was the hardest thing I think I have ever done. He was MY child, but it was not legal yet so, we could not keep him over night. I had to leave him knowing he needed me. It was great that he was already bonding, but awful to leave him. The agency pushed everything through to not prolong this for him and he was in our home a week later. He was full of energy. He was like one big ball of impulsiveness just waiting to get into the next thing. He has continued with that impulsiveness. While that makes his life difficult, it is also the thing that brings us laughter and makes life exciting. He is a sensitive young man. I believe this sensitivity makes him hurt more, but it also makes him love more.(Well, except for maybe his brother.:)) I was talking with a friend recently. She made the comment that we really do not make differences between our adopted and biological children. She spends A LOT of time with us. She would know.:) I told her as crazy as it sounds, I forget he is adopted. He is just our child. We just love him!

This has become so long. I will share about Micah tomorrow.

He is Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:01:00 +0000

Zachary has been reading a few words for a bit now. But, yesterday we came to the page in the curriculum that presents the child a certificate for the words they can read. Bruce was taking a 5 minute break from teaching, so the entire family gathered around for him to read the words. He was so excited, grinning from ear to ear. I wish I had taken a picture. Bruce proceeded to take him downstairs and read the certificate to his class of students waiting for him to start teaching. When I start to get overwhelmed sometimes, it is always such a joy to have days like this. I really would not have wanted anyone else to take that moment away from me and share it with my son. I love being the one to see the light bulb go off and experience these exciting times with my children.

The time change and the crisp fall air always put me in the mood for two things. My electric blanket and heavier, warmer meals/soups. Here is our menu for the week.

Monday-Shephard's Pie
Tuesday-Vegetable Beef Soup and Bread
Wednesday-Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Asparagus
Thursday- Leftovers and Loaded Baked Potatoes
Friday-Dinner with friends
Saturday-Sabbath Dinner-London Broil and something else

What is on your menu?

Great Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:10:00 +0000

Bruce is sick and decided not to go to church today. I was very tempted not to go as well. Our kids will finally let us sleep in a little and that sounded heavenly this morning. Well, my oldest had other plans for me. He comes running into the room,"We are going to be late for church, Mom!" Thus started the little devil and angel debate in my head. To go or not to go... The angel won out and we went. Isaac has not always loved church, and I am thrilled to get this reaction from him. So, off we went. Our Sunday School class has been going through TIm Keller's book The Reason for God. We were reminded that when God calls us, through His Word, to do things which are culturally difficult to do, it is to strengthen our relationship with Him. When He tells me to submit to my husband, it really has nothing to do with my husband, but everything to do with my relationship with God, and in turn my relationship with my husband. I am struggling with a few things lately that I just cannot let go of. This was a great reminder for me this morning. I know what to do. It may not make sense to me, but it does to God.

What are You Up To?

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:20:00 +0000

So, we are finishing our first quarter. It seems like we have not done much, but when I sit down to remember it all, well, I guess we have been busy.

We are fully into the swing of homeschooling now. I think I finally have a system for Isaac. HE is working into being more independent. He takes four online classes. HE LOVES them. The teachers are great. They definitely offer him more than I could with all of the little ones running around.They teach him, he gets a homework list, I work through that with him if he needs me to, I check his work, and he then turns in what is due. He has had to write 2 papers and is working on his 3rd for his writing class. He has created a travel brochure enticing families the New Switzerland for Literature class and he has reconstructed the Matthew for History. I tend to put projects off for the older ones because of all I have to do with the little ones. Thankfully, has to turn things in for a grade, by a certain time. He is taking piano lessons and in a choir class. The choir teacher puts on an incredible musical every year. This year it is Pirates of Penzance. Isaac is going to be a policeman. My goal for Isaac over the next few weeks is to help him become more organized.

Sarah, is my self learner. I work with her and teach her everyday, but most of the time she has it figured out before I am done. She LOVES to read and could read all day. We have done a few Literature projects and she helped her brother with his ship since they are studying the same history. She spends a lot of her time writing a book and designing clothes. She is actually pretty good, if I may say so myself.She is very into the violin. She takes private lessons and this year has been blessed with the opportunity to be in an orchestra class. She is loving it. Her goal when she picked up the violin a few years ago was to play in a symphony. She has not lost that dream. So, she loves the orchestra class. She takes the same choir class as Isaac. My goal for Sarah over this next quarter is to beef up her projects.

Zachary is loving Kindergarten. We are working on a pumpkin lap book right now. I found this great company that sells everything you need all put together in a kit. I do not have to do anything. They even make your copies and and fold your folder for you. They are a bit costly, but I saw them at a homeschool convention and they had boxes of clearance kits for 50 to 75% off. He is learning to read quickly and his favorite subject is math. He also loves the fun co-op we go to. He takes violin, but sports continue to be his thing. In his free time you will most likely find him skateboarding or shooting hoops. My goals for him are to do more hands on activities.

As a family we have done a few local field trips and read fun books and made some fun and educational meals. We are spending a few days Thanksgiving week at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg. We will tour Jamestown as well. They just studied Jamestown so that should be fun. Also, the co-op we are in does a feast for each time period represented. The families who are studying the time plan the feast, but everyone brings food. Since we are studying Explorers to 1815, we are planning a traditional Thanksgiving Feast. It should be fun. The kids will bring projects that they have done to present to the group and they can also take a minute to recite anything they are working on.

That is a quick glance at our first quarter. What have you guys been up to?

Convicted Once Again

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:48:00 +0000

Okay not convicted that way! We are doing a couples study at church. Once again I was reminded of my legacy. I forget from time to time that a legacy can be good or bad. It was pointed out to me that everyone has a legacy. It may be good or even bad, but there is one left. I have been told this many times, but a reminder is always nice.

What a Week

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:32:00 +0000

Wow! I need a week to recover from this past week. We had decided to take the week off and only work on projects. That was great because we had company through Tuesday. This allowed the kids to be more relaxed with their schooling while the guests were here. What we did not count on was me getting sick. Last Sunday I woke up with a killer headache, chills and hives on my head and face. By Monday my face was swollen and the hives moved to my torso. Sarah told me I looked like I had the opposite of beauty sleep! When I said I was going to the doctor, Isaac was beyond humiliated that I would go out in public. Anyway, the hives and fever worked their way through my body and now I am well. But, after spending those days in bed, well, you know what happens when mom gets sick. Therefore, we could not start projects until yesterday. One is going great, the other...let's just say we have to think of another project. Now we are headed out of town. Oh yeah and we had church pictures yesterday! I will not even attempt to tell how that went. I am just glad it will not happen again for a very long time!

Wow!!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:40:00 +0000

So, the value of the Nobel Peace Prize was knocked down a few notches today. Do not get me wrong. There have been plenty of people who have received the award that I thought,"huh?" But, for the most part you could always see that there was some thought put into the process. After today, I am not so sure. When I discovered he would have had to of been nominated only 11 days into his presidency to get the award, I went from scratching my head to just plain shaking it in horror, awe, and maybe even a little fear.

Another Reason I Love Homeschooling

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:15:00 +0000

I am constantly asked how do I classically home school so many kids. First, I feel like I fail everyday, Second, it's hard. Third, we have long days. But, there are a few things I have found that make things easier. I realized very quickly that I could not get it all in without short cuts. My favorite short cut is having the mindset of killing two birds with one stone. One of the things I do along those lines is buy children picture books which coincide with what the older kids are learning. I am going to read to the little ones, right? Why not read quality books that also break it down a little more for the ones who are reading the real thing. So, I was thrilled this morning when I heard Jack(3) say, "Hey Isaac, did you know Beowulf killed Grendel. He took his arm off. But, then the dragon killed Beowulf. That is sad. Bad Dragon!!" Then a whole Beowulf conversation began amongst the children and of course it was followed by a reenactment which quickly spiraled out of control. I will pretend that did not happen and save you the details.:)As I am typing this I hear him saying, "Sarah I HAVE to tell you about Grendel. He is a very bad boy." Anyway, when these things happen, for just a minute, I stop feeling like a failure and believe that we are accomplishing something.

Week's Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:20:00 +0000

I trying to get back into bogging. I realize I may have little to no readers any longer and what I write may be incredibly boring, but I enjoy going back and reading about our life. I forget how much fun my kids are and the things God has delivered us from. I have found the blog to be very uplifting that way. So, in the name of getting back into the swing of blogging, I am going to start with posting our weekly menus again. Here goes:

Monday- Ham Loaf, Buttered Noodles, Creamed Peas (Very Lancastrian of us, I know)
Tuesday- Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Gravy, Rice, Left Over Creamed Peas
Wednesday- Sweet and Sour Pot Roast, Potatoes, Asparagus
Thursday- Beef Burritos, Spanish Rice, Corn, Salad
Friday- Date Night-Left overs for the kids

Making TIme for Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:43:00 +0000

5 weeks into school and I am feeling blah. The older my kids get, the harder it is to be fun. Isaac's work is serious stuff and it takes us all day to get it done. In between working with him there is Sarah. She can be done by 1 or so. Then there is Zachary. He is LOVING Kindergarten, but I am feeling bad for him. With helping the older ones and getting them to their activities, I feel like their is no time for "fun" with Zach. So, I am taking my own advice and revamping. Yesterday at church, a friend told me that she was feeling the same thing. A couple of weeks ago she did nothing but Math and fun stuff with her kids. So, I am making a new goal. Actually 2 new goals, 1. Do at least 1 fun thing a week with Zachary and Jack (even if it has to happen at night or on the weekend) 2. Take a week off every quarter to do nothing but projects and enrichment things. We do a lot of projects in the summer and we do a lot of family field trips. We almost always build our vacations around something educational. So, I guess things are not that bad, I am just hating that things have to be different for the little guys than it was for the older ones. I guess if I were looking at this in a "the glass is half full" kind of way, I would see the joy in the older kids reading to the little ones, the fun Zachary and Jackson have playing all of the educational games together while I am working with the older two, the fact that the little ones pick up so much from the older ones that I can teach them in half the time as I did the older two, and just imagine the incredible education Micah will get when he is the only one I have to work with.:)

One of Those Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Julie) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:27:00 +0000

I have had one of those weeks. We all have them. It is one of those times that you question everything you are doing and wonder if it is really the right thing. After being close to tears on Wednesday, my husband, ever so politely, reminded me to take the advice I give people all the time. In one of the homeschooling talks I give, I tell mothers that their days are only going to be as good as they make them. When we are lazy as their teachers, more then likely our days are going to be pretty nasty. I know this and I think that is why I get so frustrated. I just get upset with myself and then take it out on them. I started the week sick and then just could not get my groove on. The fact that my two oldest are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum on what works for them does not help. I can put one on auto-pilot and get through days like this. The other, not so much. Things quickly deteriorate with this child when I cannot devote major time to watching this child's back and making sure things are getting done. So, how did the week end? It ended with me revamping and starting over. I have to remind myself everyday that tomorrow is a new day and I have chance to reclaim our homeschool. But, man, am I glad it is FRIDAY!!