Summer Break...

 We will be wrapping up our school year this week & that makes everyone happy! We are all in need of a break. While we have had a good school year, it hasn't been a great school year. I take full responsibility for this. I have spent more time online searching for answers to our problems instead of seeking God for answers. I have had it all backwards- all year long! My house has suffered, relationships have suffered, our school has suffered & did I mention my house has suffered?! Clutter is taking over & it is driving me crazy!

  Part of our summer break will include me taking a very much needed computer break! I need to get back to that "simplifying" stuff I mentioned almost two years ago! I want to spend time seeking Him first & then everything else will fall into place. I have purposed in my heart to make our next school year the best yet!

 I am looking forward to just being with my family and giving them the attention they deserve. Life is precious & is too short for me to be spending so much time on the computer! Some moms seem to be able to find the right balance- wife, mother, homemaker, teacher, blogger, etc. For some reason I just can't right now.

 Maybe I will be back, maybe not. The Lord is doing great things in our family & I would love to write about it, but I must seek Him first & find out what it is He wants me to do.

 In the mean time my family will be enjoying our usual summer activities: swimming, canning/preserving, etc. I hope you all have a wonderful summer break as well!

 Take time & enjoy your families! :-)

    ~ Abby 

Collage Friday

I have been wanting to join in on the fun over at Homegrown Learners "Collage Friday" for awhile now but I just haven't taken the time to do it. I decided to make time today! I really want to document more of our school days and life in general & this looks like a fun way to do it. Today's collage actually covers the past couple of weeks (keep in mind I am not the best photographer!).

1, 2 & 3. We have been studying the life cycle of butterflies and actually got to observe it happening. I wish I had pictures to share of the entire process. We started with tiny caterpillars and watched them transform into beautiful butterflies!

4. Our garden is coming along nicely. We are already enjoying the broccoli- yummy!

5. Our current science topic is our garden! The kids have been drawing, measuring & observing the plants each week. We are amazed at how much a plant grows in one week! I can't think of a better way to do science & before long we will be able to eat our science project! :)

6. We spent several days last week with my mom sewing. This is the only picture I made. I wish I would have taken pictures of our actual projects! We transformed some of our old clothes into new items. I am new to sewing and I hope it is something Laney & I can continue to learn & do together.

7. We finally got to try raw cow's milk. It was not as great as I expected. Maybe it take some getting used to? I don't know that we will be trying it again anytime soon. Maybe if the milk came from my own cows I could handle it! This was another learning experience for the kids. Together we skimmed the cream off of the top and turned it into butter. This is just one of many examples of how learning can happen anytime & anywhere!

8. This is one of our butterflies! We had five total and all but this one flew away immediately. This butterfly stayed around for awhile and we were able to observe it for a little longer. Just another example of our awesome Creator at work!

That's our weekly wrap-up!

~ Abby

Our Garden ~ 2013

Who says you can't farm in the city?! Our garden is not huge but it's better than nothing! We are going to make the most of what we have right now instead of just dreaming about "someday."

We have planted broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, green beans, green onions & pumpkins (yes, you read that right- we have a small pumpkin patch- in the city! The kids wanted them & we said "why not!"). I also have herbs planted in pots on our deck. We have planted & now pray that the Lord will give the increase!

I think our "little homestead in the city" is pretty special & today I choose to be thankful for what I do have!

Bloom where you are planted!

~ Abby

p.s. Did I mention we have chickens too?! Pictures coming soon! :) 

The road less traveled...



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   The road less traveled, the straight & narrow way... It has all been ringing in my ears here lately. I have finally realized that my family is truly on the "less traveled" path. I will be honest, this path is not easy and sometimes it gets down right lonely, but it is in those lonely, dark moments that I realize we have Someone with us all of the time!

    The lifestyle we have chosen, well actually the Lord chose it for us, is not popular. Homeschooling is not popular. Being a stay-at-home mom is not popular- in fact it is often looked down upon. The standards we have set for our family are not popular. I could go on and on, but to sum it all up- we simply are not living a popular lifestyle! I guess I have let that bother me for awhile. I have worried what everyone else thinks of me, of us, but I have realized I can't do that. People are going to criticize you and mock you regardless of what you do anyway. I would rather know that I was being criticized for following the Lord than not:

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

~2 Timothy 3:12

   While this road, "the old time way", is not popular it is what we have chosen for our family & it has truly made all of the difference for us!

   I just want to encourage others to cling to the Lord & His ways, regardless of what the "world" thinks. He will bless those who obey Him.

~Abby

p.s. I think my "writer's block" is gone! :)

  

I am weak, but He is strong...

Sometimes life just feels too hard.

 Being a mom is hard.

Being a wife is hard.

Homemaking, homeschooling- it's all hard!

 I am not complaining, just stating the facts. I have found myself overwhelmed and stressed more times than I would like to count over the past few months. Sometimes I just can't keep up & I have to stop and cry out to my Helper.

Last Saturday was no different. It had been a normal day. We spent the day outside, enjoying one of our warmer winter days. It was one of those days that makes you forget about all of the stuff- the messes, the laundry, the cooking- that you still have to do before bedtime. When bedtime rolled around and I was still knee deep in laundry and dishes I could feel myself beginning to lose it. I had already been kind of snappy at the kids and my husband, which always makes me feel like a failure.

Once everyone was in bed I locked myself in the bathroom (as I sometimes do- it's the only place I can get away to) and had a good cry. I told God that I couldn't do it anymore. It was all too hard and I always messed up anyway. After my cry I decided to read my Bible. I just don't feel right going an entire day without opening His Word. I didn't have any particular place in mind, I just opened the Bible. And wouldn't you know- not only did it open to Isaiah 40:31, but it was highlighted so I couldn't miss it! I often highlight in my own Bible but I couldn't find my Bible (and still can't find it- how does a Bible just disappear?!), this was my child's Bible! You can't tell me that wasn't God!

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

I read back a few verses and saw this:

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

Isaiah 40:28-29

After reading those verses I nearly shouted! God was real to me that night, more so than I have felt Him in a long time. I had to run back to the bathroom (I didn't want to wake anyone) and cry and thank Him for sending me exactly what I needed!

I felt like I needed to share this. This is to all the moms who ever feel like they can't go on, we've all been there or will be there one day. Just remember, although we are weak, He- the Creator of the ends of the earth- is strong and He will give us the strength we need!

Keep pressing on!

~ Abby :)

A fresh start...

I love a fresh start. Who doesn't, right? By the time January rolls around I am so ready to change things up and make them better. I've decided if I keep the blog going I will have to just be "me". I can't pretend to be something I'm not just to have lots of readers. I just like to journal our days (it helps hold me accountable) and if someone reads it- great, and if not I'm okay with that! So here we go...

I have made a list of some goals I would like to accomplish this year but rather than share them all now I will just share them as we go. I've tried both yearly and monthly goals, but this year I am taking things a week at a time (and some things even a day at a time).

One thing we are working on now is how we eat. We fell off of the healthy eating wagon back in November. I blame too many family gatherings & my lack of self-control, but never-the-less it affected us all. We  have all agreed we are sick of sweets & junk for awhile. They need to be occasional treats instead of daily treats! In honor of getting back to healthy eating..... I plan on posting our menu plans. I figure sharing our menu will hold me accountable to actually make what's on the list. I am so guilty of planning for healthy snacks & meals, forgetting they require some preparation, and then I end up not making them. No longer! Today is a fresh start, remember?!

Our menu for 1/2- 1/10:

Italian meatball soup w/ crusty french bread- this will feed us at least 2 dinners & 1 lunch

Homemade pizza w/ veggies & fruit (family movie/game night)

Breakfast for Supper- This is a typical Saturday night meal & includes eggs, some kind of bread (biscuits, pancakes, waffles, muffins, etc), and sometimes turkey bacon or sausage.

Creamy tomato soup & grilled cheese

Baked (whole) chicken w/ steamed veggies & rice

Chili or vegetable soup & cornbread

Taco salad w/ chips & salsa, fruit

Leftovers

Our breakfasts include: cereal, toast, eggs, homemade yogurt & granola, muffins, etc.

Lunch consists of: leftovers, sandwiches, snack-y type foods (veggie sticks, fruit, cheese, crackers)

Snacks: fruit, applesauce, yogurt, cheese & crackers, popcorn, homemade granola bars/cookies (healthy versions- of course!)

Time to get in the kitchen & get busy!

~ Abby 

Freedom...

It's hard to believe that we have reached the end of another year. Time seems to fly by much faster the older I get! Like most people, I have been reflecting over the past 12 months. I have found a lot of mistakes, a lot of time wasted, and a lot of living in "bondage." I let a lot of unimportant and unnecessary things steal my joy & my freedom. It's a shame to live this life in bondage, when Jesus came to set us free.

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

I read this post from Sally Clarkson this morning & it was exactly what I needed. If I had to choose one word to describe what I want for my New Year it would be "Freedom." I am purposing in my heart, right now, that I will spend the next year (and the rest of my life) living a life that is full of joy, peace, & love. I want the love of Christ to be clearly evident in my life! I have realized that simply following a list of "rules" won't get the job done. In fact, trying to follow certain rules and ideals just about drove me crazy this past year. Jesus did not give His life for me so that I could walk around feeling depressed and discouraged. He came that I might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10)! 

I'm looking forward to freedom in the New Year. I plan to make the most of things and enjoy everything and everyone He has blessed me with. How about you?

Happy New Year from our family to yours!

~ Abby