Art, Bible & Spanish Class

This week's art project was on the family crest.  The kids really enjoyed finding out where their last name originated.  They got to choose their colors, symbols, etc. to represent their family crest. 

Example: A deer represents one who will not fight unless provoked  (Click on highlighted words for sites to do this project.)

 

I incorporate a missionary from whatever country we are studying.  This week, the kids were the missionaries.  I gave them a tract for them to pass out.  I also challenged them to pass out at least 10 more.  I want these kids to have a burden for lost souls.  The easiest way to witness to someone is to give them a tract.  

Bible class.  Each week, the kids draw out the lesson using stick figures to remind them of what the lesson was about.  Then they use the pictures to do a timeline of the order that they happened.  It is a very interesting class.

Gabbie is sooo adorable.  I could just eat her up.  She is reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear in Spanish.

Josefina ~ American Girl Doll Club

This month, is dedicated to Josefina. As a New Mexican girl growing up in 1824, Josefina is trying to preserve what is precious after her mother’s passing.

The girls were given a Hispanic name for the day.  They played a game where they had to find the English word for the Spanish word.

Lots of Josefina books, Hispanic foods, traditions, etc. books.

Craft Time: The girls made a ribbon wand & decorated a hair clip.

Many of the girls dressed up in traditional Hispanic costumes.

Dancing with the wands.

Yum, Hispanic food.

Hanging With Friends

We went on a field trip to the Star Lab at our state museum.  We didn't get to take pictures.  The kids enjoyed it, but what they enjoyed most was spending time with their friends.  We went to a park afterwards.  This little contraption was a big hit.

Addie & Will spinning.

Addie, Thomas, Will & Collin

We had a great time with some new & old friends: Stephen, Will, Faith, John Michael, Zachary, Carlie, Collin & Gary

Tweet Tweet

We bird sat our friend's parakeets for 3 weeks when they went on vacation.  The kids had a great time.  They soon started wanting their own birds.  I had no intention on buying birds for them.  Well, when our friends came back, as "payment", they wanted to buy us birds.  Yes, birds ~ not 1, not 2, but 3 birds.

We met them at the "bird store" & they got to pick out their birds.

John Michael, Zachary, Stephen, Faith, Will & Collin looking at the birds to pick out just the right bird.

 Home Tweet Home.

Our birds ~ (Will's) Sunset, (Faith's) Sky, (Collins) Snow Ball

Homeschool Day at The Movies

After seeing the previews for Dolphin Tale, we could not wait to watch it.  We do not see very many movies in the theater, so this was a real treat. We met 2 other families there.  (only one is pictured with us below.)

 (See the dolphin in Will's hand?  His name has now been changed to Winter.) 

We fell in love with Winter, the dolphin.  Dolphins have always been one of my favorite animals.  I'm sure that we will be reminded of this wonderful movie every time we see a dolphin from hear on out. 

It is an awesome cast ~ one of my favorites, Harry Connick, Jr. stared in it.  We have played his CDs in our home since way before the kids were born. The kids never really knew what he looked like, so when they found out that "Dr. Clay" (HC, Jr.) was the guy that we've been listening to all these years, they were so excited.

Dolphin Tale was based on a true story.  When they said that Hazel, one of the main characters, was homeschooled, our little group lifted up a few cheers. :-o

We found out that September 23rd was Homeschool Day for Dolphin Tale.  I asked the lady behind the ticket counter if she knew why it was homeschool day, but she didn't.  After we got home, I found out why. (taken from http://sbees.blogspot.com/)  Please read below.  I don't know this young gentleman, but I am so proud of what he is trying to do.  I pray that he will meet his goal.  It will not only benefit homeschoolers, but every family in America as well.

"Nathan's responsibility is to try to get 150,000 homeschoolers to the opening of Dolphin Tale, a movie coming out September 23. If this many attend the opening across the country, then Warner Brothers has promised to invest its money in producing more g-rated, family conservative films. Through this project, the executives were given a presentation of the gospel to help them understand the "mind-set" of Christians across the nation.

Nathan and his team prayed about a plan to reach families and help mobilize them as a group so that there would be a conservative voice in hollywood... and God gave them the idea to mobilize the homeschool community. The idea behind this is that homosexuals are just 3% of the population in the United States, and yet they banded together and put such an influential force into Hollywood, that they have homosexuals in every area of influence of the media productions in Hollywood.

Nathan's team discovered that Homeschoolers also make up 3%. They thought, "If we can get homeschoolers out to a movie, to show that they are a market to contend with, maybe Warner Brothers will pay attention and allow us to be a formidable, strong group that could influence the content of what is produced in Hollywood. Warner Brothers agreed to put money behind this idea and came up with this movie - Dolphin Tale - to see if there is really an active market amongst families in America.

...The Film Dolphin Tale is a heartwarming, true story based on a book. The producer actually went to a homeschool support group in California to find the actors. Homeschooling is presented in a very positive light in the movie.

A Homeschool Curriculum has been produced by Apologia to go along with this movie. It has been viewed and endorsed by many homeschoolers."

American Girl Club

Ahhh, at last.  Faith had been asking me almost every day, for a month,  when we were going to the American Girl club.  The day finally came.  With great excitement, she put on her pjs that matched her Life of Faith doll, "Violet's" {Faith renamed the doll Laura Ingalls} pjs  (well it was the doll's undergarments that looked like Faith's "Laura Ingall's nightgown). We bought Faith this doll for her 1st Christmas.  It is the Christian version of American Girl.  I was very sad to hear that they discontinued their line.

I had made Faith's "Laura Ingall's" nightgown & cap a few years back.  I made her dolls hat at the last minute.  

The girls were given lip gloss & eye shadow as a party favor.  Faith was so excited & had fun putting it on.  

The girls getting ready to watch Kit. 

 

Kit Kitridge: An American Girl was a great movie. 

We talked the boys into coming with us. (There were a few other brothers there too.)  Thankfully, we had watched Nims Island a few months back.  The girl from that movie played Kit in this movie.  This movie has adventure and has boys in the movie.  So they were not to upset to come & watch.   The food was also helpful to entice the boys to come along.  We liked it so much that we checked it out from the library before leaving.

American Girl Club Pajama Party

Lego Club

For the last few years, we didn't do clubs with our support group, because I knew we would be going to much with 3 kids in 3 different clubs.  Well this year, I decided that we would try it.  So I joined in with my friend, Karen to start a Lego Club. (Our 3rd club. 1-Chess, 2- American Girl & 3- Lego).  At our support group's kick - off, we had 64 kids sign up.  Holy Cow ~ Karen & I went into panic mode.  Where in the world were we going to have this club?  Were would we find a place that would hold that many kids (on top of their siblings and mamas.)?  Thankfully, one of our parks has a wonderful picnic area that is free to reserve.

On club day, we had about half of the kids that signed up.  (36 kids)  The kids had a great time.  For the 1st part of the club, they had to make transportation vehicles.  The 2nd part of the club, they could make whatever they wanted.  They had to show both items that they made to the club and tell about it.

:Ethan building:

Ethan, Collin & Will

These kids had some awesome Lego pieces.

Karen talking to the kids.  Faith & Jacob (right) playing with new friends.

Fun Day

Yesterday, we had our 2nd day of homeschool co-op.  Didn't get many pictures, but we had a great time.

We "traveled" to Hawaii for art.  We enjoyed Hawaiian music while the kids were drawing tropical animals on fabric with chalk. Art class was very busy & I wasn't able to get pictures of the kids doing their art projects, but I got their final projects.  We have some very talented children.

 Our Hawaiian Missionary: Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer
(Most of the info. below was taken from the above site.)

We are going to talk about a missionary that was homeschooled.  Her name is Bethany Hamilton.  She was saved at the age of 5.

Bethany Hamilton she was born into a family of surfers on February 8, 1990, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Bethany began surfing at a young age. At the age of eight, Bethany entered her first surf competition. 

At the age of thirteen, on October 31, 2003, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing off Kauai’s North Shore. The attack left Bethany with a severed left arm. After losing over 60% of her blood, and making it through several surgeries without infection, Bethany was on her way to recovery with an unbelievably positive attitude. Lifeguards and doctors believe her strong water sense and faith in God helped get her through the traumatic ordeal.

Miraculously, just one month after the attack, Bethany returned to the water to continue pursuing her goal to become a professional surfer.

She chose to use this horrible experience to glorify the Lord.  This gave her a chance to tell the world about her Savior. 

She was just an ordinary girl with an extraordinary testimony.  Just like God used Bethany, He can use you.  The whole world may never know your name, but by telling one person at time, you too can use your life experiences to tell others about Jesus.  We may have bad things happen to us, but you can choose how you will handle it.  Bethany could have gotten angry at God, but she chose to use this to glorify Him.

******************

Earth Science

Demo of an Asteroid landing.

After co-op, we went to a friend's house to swim.  It was so good to catch up with them.  We haven't seen them since May.

A Bouquet of Newly Sharpened Pencils

Thanks Holly for the picture.  You know you've watched (and talked about) a movie way to many times when one of your friends sends you a picture of one of the famous quotes of your favorite movie.....
You've Got Mail.

Loooovvvveeee iiiiiittttttttt!!!  Ahh, to get one in real life.

 

"I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." 

From This Moment On

Today, I had the honor of videoing my friend's wedding.  I am so happy for them.

My three angels.

 

Faith wanted to take a picture of  Mrs. Zelle & me at the wedding. 

Me, Bruce, Trish & Zelle.  Trish made such a beautiful bride.

 

Faith catches the bouquet.

Faith, Trish & Bruce's grandson.

Faith was so excited about catching the bouquet.  I wish that I would have gotten a picture of her face when she found out that she got to keep it.  When she called Daddy, she told him that they were playing a game called catch the bouquet. (How precious)

Bruce proposed to Trish in Charleston.  We have some really talented friends at church that can build anything.  They made the food table look like the bridge in Charleston.  Will & I both loved it.

 

All Skate & Nature's Playground

Our homeschool co-op met at the skating rink for our end of the summer celebration.  (Yes, I know that summer goes until Sept., but our co-op starts in just 1 1/2 weeks.)

Will doing a great job skating.

My kids were to only ones that had been skating.  The other kids did a super job learning to skate.

Audrey & Addy 

Jacob & Faith both did a great job skating.

Cayman & a new friend, Gray, that will be joining our co-op.

Cheyenne skating like a pro.

Collin did a great job skating.  This is the only picture I could get of him, because we were skating together most of the time.

Whit did a great job.  I haven't mastered taking pictures of moving objects with my new camera yet.

After going skating, we went to the park.  The kids found the woods & had more fun building a fort then playing on the playground.  (Some of our gang had to leave before we took this pic.)  This was the 102 degree day & we couldn't stay long.

2 of our precious babies in our co-op. They are growing up so fast.