Ready or Not

I feel a long post coming on!   I have some news to share.    We are entering into yet another new experience in our family.  Our decision to adopt was the first major life change (one in which we are still in the midst of) and we are just about to enter another area of "new territory".    We have decided to try homeschooling.    This choice is a long time coming and something I have wrestled with for quite a while.    It finally got to the point where I was tired of thinking about it, and knew I had to just do it.  Over the summer I went on what you might call a "homeschool odyssey" to explore options, find out if it would really benefit the boys, discover if it was feasible with my schedule,  and if I had the endurance to see it through.  I felt a tug to homeschool in part, based on experiences at the radio station.  From exceptional youths we come in contact with, to guests we interview touting the the benefits of homeschooling, there is a lot of compelling evidence for it's strengths.   

 The good thing about homeschooling is that it has grown exponentially and there are a myriad of options available.  For me that was a good thing... and a bad thing.  It was daunting to sift through all of it.  It involved me taking the entire summer and reading books about different curricula and styles,  and talking to other homeschool moms.   After all of that, we still opted for traditional school.   I just couldn't pull the trigger.   I was petrified that I would crash and burn and my children would be complete failures because of me.  That is a lot of pressure!  Lol.  Anyway, we loved their school so in the end it was kind of a "if it's not broke, don't fix it" type thing.    Still, once school started, it seemed to come back up frequently.  Gabe has wanted to be homeschooled from the word go, and we even have childcare covered and all the logistics mapped out.  Plus, at some point in the next 9 months or so (God willing) we will be in Poland for 6 weeks.  That would be incredibly tough for the boys to play catch-up.   So, in a nutshell, that is my heart and how we came to the decision.
I could probably write a book because there is so much more to share, but that is the nut of it.     I am going forth with the understanding that I might fail, become completely overwhelmed, or realize homeschooling is not the best fit for the boys.   But you know what?   I am not afraid!   I NEVER thought I would be a homeschooling mom, but the more I read, the more the fears fell away.     After finally stepping out in faith, I feel exhilarated and determined.    If it doesn't work, we have the blessing of putting them back into a school that is already amazing.  It it succeeds, it means my children will have reached their highest potential in an environment where they were able to soar in every way .  Either way, my children will know that I am not afraid to try and take a chance on something we believe in.        We will start soon.  I will be posting updates along the way.   Ready or not, homeschooling here we come!

BFF's

Here is Garrett with his best buddy Xander.  Just thought I would share.  This one is a keeper!

The Gift of 3 a.m.

I am not a morning person.   In school, my mom dreaded waking me up and it was a constant battle (sorry mom).   God has a sense of humor though, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that for roughly the past 12 years I have had to work an early morning shift!   My feet have hit the floor at 3:00am through morning sickness,  a newborn giving me little to no sleep, head colds and days where I just want to throw the alarm out the window and cuddle in warm covers for a FULL 8 hours.   Oddly enough though,  I have come to appreciate the blessing of 3am.  There is something really nice about being up when it feels like the rest of the world is still sleeping (or at least North America).:)  Our street is quiet and peaceful, I can pray and appreciate the moon cycles, and the roads are empty.
This week I discovered a new way to get up, and it has made the dawn even more delightful.   I always have our radio station (95.5 The Fish) programmed to go off with my alarm.  This Tuesday it happened to be Mercy Me "Word of God,  Speak".  There I was, my brain still in twilight mode, listening to the lyrics: 
"Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness".     What a gift.   To feel my heart softly beating and sensing the Lord's grace and love as I greeted the new day.    I have now programmed my iPod so that I hear that song every morning .  I can't think of a better way to wake up!   Click here for the song.



Speaking of music, today we were happy to welcome the guys from Echoing Angels to the morning show.  They performed in studio and that is always a highlight.    You can see the video here.
Speaking of prayer, I ran across some creative ways to enrich your prayer life.  Click here.  Great ideas!

Superheroes are Moral Heroes

 

This photo cracks me up.  It just needs a good caption.   The boys put on their regular clothes over their costumes so they would be in "disguise"  until help was needed.   I had to smile at Garrett's getup..thinking no one would would suspect he was dressed as a superhero under his outfit.  Ha ha (the torch hair is a bit suspicious)!:)

Heroes are forever being imitated in our house;   from the light saber-wielding Jedi's, to cowboys and gladiators.   If there is trouble, the G-gang will be there with a suitable weapon and courage to match!:)   I love it.  It offers such a fertile ground to talk about what makes a REAL hero.   Our favorite scripture is Ephesians 6:  10-18 (the Armor of God)  which has been such a foundational verse in our home.  I often rave about the books Armor of God and "Will, God's Mighty Warrior".  They are both such excellent teaching tools that have prompted some wonderful conversations.   Being a hero means protecting the weak, standing up for what's right, and being a moral and just leader.   God willing, the boys will interiorize that.   I ran across something today was a nice building block in terms of the moral aspect.  It's "10 Tips for Raising Moral Children".  Excellent to read, live by, and pass along!  Click here for the tips. 

Canning Chicken?

Here's a new one I haven't seen before.   Christy, at Thrifty and Thriving posted a piece about canning chicken.   Good idea, although I can't say it looks as appealing as freezer jam.:)
The freezing/storing suggestions are good, and now I am on a kick to find some fresh chicken like this.  We like Sam's club (hormone free), Trader Joe's and Dumas Meats in Hartville.  You can never have too much chicken (just ask the Chik-fil-A cow)!:)  Click here for the canned chicken post.

It's Greek...er Polish, to Me

Cheshch!  That is "hello" in Polish.   I am trying to practice as we take on the monumental task of learning Polish as a family.  With the adoption process moving forward, this is the next step!  Our dossier is complete and 5 months of paperwork is behind us, and since we will be in Poland for 6 weeks (eventually), we need to prepare.    My brain has a difficult time with this language in particular.  I know some French, a little Spanish, and I can pick up a fair amount in Italian.  Polish however has been a brain buster for me. 

Anyone want to take a shot at this?: Przepraszam, gdzie jest toaleta?
That means: Where is the toilet, please?

Here's another one: "I would like to order a wake-up call for 6:00" .
Translation to Polish: " (a)bym zamowic budzenie na godzin´ szosta."

Say whaa?!  Lol.   I guess the good thing, is that we will be in the same boat as a family, and hopefully we can learn and practice together.  We have ordered level 1 of Rosetta Stone- Polish.  I have always wondered if it worked...I guess we'll find out!
 
In the meantime, I've been spending time on websites like Live Mocha,  where they offer free lessons.   My brain is tired and my eyes are sleepy (or in other words: Chce mi si´ spaç. Jestem Êpiàcy (Êpiàca)).  Can copy/paste that...just don't ask me to say it. :)

What Love Really Means

Posting this for a friend.   I love you for YOU



"LORD, your love reaches to heavens; your fidelity, to the clouds.   Your justice is like the highest mountains; your judgments,  like the mighty deep;  all living creatures you sustain, LORD.    How precious is your love, O God! W e take refuge in the shadow of your wings"    Psalms 36:  6-8

Pumpkins and Pogo

Autumn temps are here in Ohio!   The colder weather has prompted us to turn on our heat, bake some cozy comfort foods, and even hit the hay a bit earlier.  I guess it's the changing of the seasons, but my energy level has been super low and I just want to sleep and hibernate.   I still have several items on my "to do" list for the season, including transferring all of  summer clothes to the storage bins, and changing out my closet with the sweaters and winter wear.  I also need to get the  fall decor up from the basement and get the pumpkins, hay bales, mums, and harvest wreath on the front step.      Hopefully I can get it done next weekend!    I did discover another new recipe today for our family dinner. 
Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake:

Fresh out of the oven.  This is a side dish.  We had a roast for the main course.

Click here for the recipe. 

After dinner, Gabe hopped on his pogo stick in an attempt to beat his current jump record.   He is at 653 jumps (and Jim counted every single hop)!:)     Gabe and Grant both get endless entertainment from the Pogo Stick, and it's been great fun to see them compete.  
Gabe takes this very serious.


He's got his game face on.  Go Gabe!