For My Copybook

For them, power and more power was a drug, and in their addiction, they would scale any fence, climb any wall, to obtain their fix. ~ Jon Rappoport (Infowars.com)

In The Time That You Gave Me

Praying for you, Joey

For My Copybook

Charlie Sloane says he's going to go into politics and be a member of Parliament, but Mrs. Lynde says he'll never succeed at that, because the Sloanes are all honest people, and it's only rascals that get on in politics nowadays.  ~Anne of Green Gables

Good one!

Kids!

Wanted to share a current pic of my kids! This is our third oldest's (Chelsey) wedding.

Don't mind our boy on the front right. He had obviously met his photo quota earlier in the day.

Remember, you are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are the everlasting arms!

Thank you, Elisabeth.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/joyindestructible/2015/06/15/elisabeth-elliot-her-life-and-influence-1926-2015/

Elisabeth Elliot 1926-2015

Love is Now the Stardust of Yesterday...

The music of the years gone by,

Sometimes I wonder why I spend

The lonely night dreaming of a song

The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
Now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song
~Stardust (Parish/Carmichael)

We still love our Goodfellas*** dinner!  It is just spaghetti  with sausage, peppers and onions.  Although we (dh and I) don't watch the movie (anymore) there is just something about this meal and the songs that take me back to our younger, more carefree days and remind me of my Italian family.

***Not endorsing the movie!

Fun with Homemade Lalaloopsy Houses

We decided to make our own houses for Lalaloopsy dolls.  Oat boxes make perfect houses!

Thank you to http://myfroggystuff.blogspot.com/ for the treehouse idea!

Down Memory Lane - Saying Goodbye to Five in a Row

Well the Five in a Row books are moving to another shelf now. It looks like this part of our learning journey has come to an end. I'm sure we will review a book or two though, but I decided to start taking some pictures of some of the books, so I had to write how I felt about this part of our homeschooling journey.

I never thought sitting together on the couch could have taken us on such adventures. We traveled around the world: France, Italy, China, England, Russia, Spain, to name a few. We enjoyed all types of settings: deserts, mountains, rivers, backwoods, large cities, the seaside, the sea floor, and many others.


Besides learning history, science, language arts, and other subjects, we spent time with some unforgettable characters. We met the old, lonely, young, quirky, inquisitive, timid, happy, adventurous, eccentric, generous, daring, brave, selfless, down to earth, dreamers, and more. Some characters we met were supportive grandparents, loving moms and dads- including parents who used their savings to buy their son a camera to fulfill a dream, characters who overcame fears, and some unlikely heroes. We learned lessons from kids who got themselves into trouble, as well as a a not so likeable character that went by the well-deserved nickname of Old Sneep (don't want to be called that around here of course). We read about special friendships- like Boris (whose heart was as soft as butter) and Max, or Maximovich.

We learned some great new words - onomatopoeia, alliteration, bubeleh, samovar, ragamuffin, etc.

There are many wonderful quotes and phrases to remember, a favorite is Mrs. Katz and her phrase "such a person" when speaking of those she loves.

We were inspired to go owling -- which the story says requires hope--the kind of hope that flies on silent wings under a shining Owl Moon.

We were inspired to have a pizza party, a Snowflake Bentley party, and a Peter Rabbit tea. We were curious to learn more about Beatrix Potter and collect mosses and preserve lichen. We made our own Roxaboxen. We had a Night of the Moonjellies party, not just to celebrate the book, but to make a memory. I knew that summer night would probably be one of the last times we would have all eight of our kids together- bittersweet for sure.

Then, there were those couple of books that were almost too difficult to finish, because they were tear jerkers. I think The Rag Coat was the hardest one. Then there were a couple of books that I was not able
to buy- but one day...

I will sum up this post with advice that I will take and try to remind my kids-- to do something to make the world a more beautiful place (Miss Rumphius)  and  from Clown of God, "If you give happiness to people, you will give glory to God as well.

The journey isn't over, it is just changing.

I hope I carry this in my heart forever.

Scroll down for more pictures...

Five in a Row in Pictures

Five in a Row in Pictures

Five in a Row in PIctures

Five in a Row in Pictures

Five in a Row in Pictures

Big Green Pocketbook - Before Five in a Row