Canada Bound

Israel is currently on her way to Thunder Bay, Ontario. JP's dad and stepmom are taking her and her cousin Ava on a trip there just for fun. They are going to visit Fort William, mine for amethysts, and swim in the hotel pool through Sunday, then head home. 

This is Rae's first time out of the country. She is going to Canada before I have even ever been there! She is very excited because she knows that JP's family comes from Canada and has always wanted to see the "homeland." 

The trip coincides wonderfully with a unit study we are doing in our homeschool co-op. We are studying different countries around the world, and Canada is a country we will be covering soon.

It is a six hour trip from here to Thunder Bay with no traffic, and from what we understand, the roads are down to one lane the way they are headed. Please pray for a safe trip for them, with no trouble going across the border or getting back in. 

I can't believe how big my girl is getting!

Field Trips

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the flexibility it provides our family. We get to set our own schedule and adjust it however we want.

I try to keep it to a consistent schedule. Right now, ours look something like this:

7:00 am - kids wake up and eat breakfast

7:30 am - chores

8:15 am - begin school. We do our unit study lesson for the day, which may include Bible, science, history, and social studies, but not necessarily all subjects every day. After that we do math and language arts. 

11:30 am - break for lunch

1:00 pm - Silas goes for a nap, and the girls and I read aloud, practice piano, and take care of other household duties. 

It is nice to have a routine and something predictable for the kids so they know what to expect in a day.

But as a homeschooler, I have the freedom to switch that up whenever and however I want in order to fit in all of the other activities in which we like to participate. Other activities include Bible studies, homeschool co-op, play dates, and even grocery store trips if needed.

This week, we switched up our normal routine in order to take advantage of a couple good deals for homeschoolers in the metro area.

Thursday was homeschool day at the children's museum. We were able to receive four free passes just for being homeschoolers. This is only the second time we've ever gone to the children's museum, and the kids love it there so much.

Today (Friday), we went to the Wapiti Buckskinner Rendezvous, A historical fair of sorts with all sorts of displays and demonstration of early pioneer life. The kids had the opportunity to throw tomahawks, make handmade beeswax candles, Watch a blacksmithing demonstration, learn how to spin yarn, and much more. Unfortunately, they barely participated in any of the activities that they could have, and mostly we just walked around and looked at all of the cool stuff. 

Highlights were watching a Canon getting fired, watching the Blacksmith at work, and tasting maple candy just like we read about Laura Ingalls having in the Little House books we are currently reading.

Also, I tasted buffalo tongue. It tasted like a cross between a pork chop, liver, and hot dog. The kids would not try it.

I got the girls each a "grab bag" that had all sorts of little trinkets in them, from Native American beads to strips of fur, leather and seashells. Silas got a wooden pistol. 

There is no question that homeschooling is challenging. I truly and literally have my kids with me all of the time and take them with me everywhere I go. It is exhausting. And it is beautiful, and wonderful, and precious time spent with the people I love the most. When they remember going on field trips, they will remember me. When they read C-A-T for the first time, it will be with me. It is truly the most wonderful job in the world. 

Rosie is 4!

It has been 9 months since I last updated this blog. I don't meant to neglect it. It's just so much easier to post pictures and news on Facebook. But I'm trying to steer away from that route since Facebook keeps no record of all of our memories, and on the blog, I can look back as with a journal.

There's no cuter way to break back into blogging than by celebrating Rosie's 4th birthday!

She requested a pink horsey cake with a rainbow mane, and you better believe Mama made it happen!

I can't believe it has been four years since I woke our neighbors up at 2 am to see if they could stay with our sleeping girls while we raced to the too-far-away hospital and barely made it in time to welcome Johnye Rose into the world.

No time for an epidural with her -- it was my first (and hopefully my last) natural birth. She continues to be my all-natural wonder girl, radiating joy and life everywhere she goes.

Rosie's smile is infectious. She is my girly-girl, always wearing dresses, necklaces, and sparkly shoes. She brushes her hair 3x/day and asks for lipstick and blush every opportunity she gets. She loves to sing in a very dramatic way, and she write the most beautiful worship songs to Jesus while she plunks on the piano. It's not unusual to catch her singing to herself like this:

Johnye Rose, you are simply amazing. You are so smart (you already write your name and can count higher than any 4-year-old I've ever met!), you love the Lord, you are affectionate and spunky and love to be in the spotlight. You remind me of another little girl from a long time ago. ;)

Keep being you, keep shining, and never let your spark fade away! WE LOVE YOU, ROSIE!!!

Painting

After living in our home for 4 years now -- the longest we've ever lived in one spot -- I'm finally getting around to doing some more painting! We painted the kitchen and living room right after we moved in, but the whole rest of the house has remained a bland, peachish-tan color that I hate would prefer be changed.

First up: the girls' room!

I'm drawing inspiration from these photos for the color scheme:

The girls already have pink bedspreads, dark pink curtains, and white furniture in their room. I love the aqua/teal color combination, and I can't wait to get started!

Suzuki Piano + 2 Quotes

Time to get back to posting for the sake of journaling. Rae and I have been going back to read through old posts lately and laugh at the funny quotes and stories. Such great memories!

Rae started piano lessons this week. We decided to find a Suzuki teacher. The Suzuki method is based on the idea that children learn to speak by listening before they learn to read. In the same way, this approach to music teaches the children to listen and learn by ear first, then introduces reading music a bit later. I'm hoping this way of learning will help my children avoid the crutch of needing music that I have. I struggle to play by ear, and I've always wished I could just sit down at the piano and create music.

At first, Rae was not very excited about piano. She promised me she'd "give it a try," and now she is loving it. She even declared Tuesdays (lesson day) her second favorite day of the week, after Sunday. :)

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Words of wisdom from Rae:

Rae: "Don't fall for that old saying that bigger is always better. It's not always true. Like, a bigger tree house is better, but a bigger sloppy joe is NOT."

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...And in honor of our freezing temps as of late:

Rosie: "It is BOILING cold outside!"

Ruby + Jesus = Forever

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth." 

3 John 1:4

January 5, 2014: The day we discovered that Ruby has given her heart to the Lord! The overwhelming joy that fills my heart -- I can't even put it into words! Tears of thankfulness and happiness are all I can muster! 

It may sound funny to say we "discovered" this. But that's kind of how it happened. 

Our children have always been surrounded by the gospel. From before they were born, we were praying that God would call them to Himself and that they would respond in faith. We have prayed -- and continue to pray -- that their faith would be their own and not just a copycat of what Dad & Mom say and believe. We have prayed -- and continue to pray -- that all of our children would know Him and serve Him their whole lives. 

For Rae, her need for a Savior came at a very young age. You can click here to read about how her guilt for getting out of bed lead to a conversation with JP about our need for forgiveness. As soon as Rae recognized her sin, she wanted to ask for forgiveness on the spot. But Ruby's story is different. 

We've had many conversations with Ruby about Jesus, sin, forgiveness, heaven, hell and eternity. She has always acknowledged her sin and admitted that she needs a Savior. She has always said she loves Jesus and wanted to ask Him into her heart, but then when we'd ask her if she wanted to pray, she would say, "No. Not yet." 

This kind of caught us off-guard the first time! Then it happened again...then again...and again. After each instance, we explained to her that she didn't have to do anything special. Whenever she was ready, she could just quietly ask Jesus to come into her heart. She didn't need to come get us or make an announcement, but we did request that she would just let us know if and when she DID ask Jesus into her heart. She assured us that she would. 

Tonight, we were all hanging out downstairs as a family. Rae was spinning in circles on the piano stool, Rosie was finishing her dinner at the coffee table, and Ruby was hopping back and forth on the couch behind where JP and I were sitting. Rae & Ruby were chatting with each other as I was absorbed in some bookkeeping and JP was absorbed in a show.  Then, JP looked up at me with a puzzled look and said, "Did you hear what Ruby just said?" I shook my head "no," and he asked Ruby to repeat herself. 

"I ask Jesus into my heart all the time," she repeated. 

JP and I looked at each other, puzzled and amused! 

"Ruby, did you ask Jesus into your heart?"

"Yeah, I ask him all the time." 

Amazing! Our 5-year-old had received salvation and hadn't even told us about it?! What a stinker! And apparently not just once, but many times. Ha! 

Ruby has always been our "worry wart," so it didn't really surprise me that she would ask repeatedly, "just to make sure." I used to do the exact same thing. JP pulled out his Bible and showed Ruby some verses about how we can be SURE that our sins are forgiven. He explained to her that one time is all it takes; she didn't need to doubt or worry. Then they prayed together, thanking God for saving Ruby and asking Him to help her always remember that she is forgiven forever. 

PEOPLE, THIS IS HUGE! My Ruby is a Christian! The same God that made the whole universe and walked on water now lives in her heart, not in a shrunken-down, mini-Jesus form, but in His full-blown glorious, powerful, world-changing form! I can't wait to see how God uses her as she walks with Him.

"Know, therefore, that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments." Deuteronomy 7:9

To Ruby: our sweet daughter, we are so happy that you have made this very important decision -- the most important of your whole life! In fact, NOTHING makes us happier. As you grow up and go through life, sometimes it will be hard. You might get frustrated or hurt. You might doubt or be tempted to wander away from the truth. Just keep looking at Jesus -- He is the author and perfecter of your faith. He will bring you through every storm. He will always be right there with you. He forgives every mistake you have made or ever will make. He is the answer to every fear or worry you'll ever have. Always trust Him. Always look to Him. You'll do great with His help. And someday, you'll be in paradise with Him. We love you, Ruby Ann, and we are so proud of you today and always. 

To Jesus: Thank you, Lord, for choosing Ruby as one of your own and drawing her to Yourself. Thank you for your faithfulness to every generation. Please be with Ruby as she walks through life's trials and tests, and may she always remember You in every decision she makes. Help JP and me to be faithful to continue to teach her from your Word, and may she study it on her own when she is old enough to read the words for herself. You are good, and we love You!!! 

A World of Possibilities

In September, I started a new based-from-home career as an independent consultant for Usborne Books & More.  Usborne is a phenomenal, well-established publisher of educational children's books designed to make learning fun!

I first fell in love with Usborne books at the annual homeschool conference we attend. The books are so beautiful and high-quality, fun, engaging, and hands-on that it's hard to NOT buy them all.

I had recently been wanting to start some sort of business that I could work around my home schedule, but all of the typical home-based businesses seemed over-saturated and not what I was looking for. I didn't even know Usborne had a home sales division until I bumped into a booth at the Mille Lacs County fair, but as soon as I figured it out, I knew I wanted in!

Usborne has provided a way for me to contribute to the finances of our family without having to sacrifice my commitment to being a wife and mom. I can do as much or as little as I want with it, and it's flexible enough to fit around my schedule. I was able to pay for all of our Christmas gifts this year using only the money I had earned from Usborne.

As an added bonus, we are stocking up on more amazing, gorgeous books than ever before! Our library is amazing, and I'm getting them all for free or dirt cheap. Every time a new box shows up on the doorstep, it's like Christmas for the kids. They love the books!

If you want to learn more about the books and the company, you can check out my website: http://readwithaudra.com

From there, you can also order books online or contact me about hosting a show or joining Usborne yourself. It has been worth every minute I've invested into it. Free books and real cash? Yes, please. :)

New Year

It has been almost 7 months since I have posted anything to this blog. Life has simply seemed too busy to sit down and write; yet I know that this record of our life is all that I will have to look back on someday. I don't keep a journal. We don't have a ton of home videos. Facebook statuses (where I often announce cute things the kids have said or done) will one day be forever lost.

That's why I really do sincerely hope to keep up with this online journal better as we plunge into a new year with new goals. I can't promise anything, but I can try.

Look at these faces. Look at how much they have grown. 

The second half of 2013 was full -- and I mean FULL -- of fun, hard work, and a lot of changes. I've missed so many opportunities to write down small events, funny things the kids have said, and activities we've done, but here are some highlights:

SEPTEMBER: We started school. Rae is now in first grade. She will be SEVEN years old in one month, which I can hardly believe. She is so smart, learns quickly, and is very tactile in her learning style. She loves anything hands-on, which is why science is her favorite subject. She always wants to try a new science experiment or get involved in some sort of mixing/baking/trying out new things. Her reading has taken off in the last month or so as I stepped away from the curriculum and just started reading fun and educational books with her. She is very helpful around the house and really needs very little from me these days, besides a good snuggle, answers to her questions, and someone to share her ideas with.

Rosie turned three in September, and we were lucky enough to have Micah, Missy and the kids in town  at the time. They came over for the day and we had a great time celebrating and playing outside with our dearly-missed cousins. Micah and Missy are based in Ft. Campbell, KY. Rosie wanted to create her own birthday cake this year, and this is what she came up with. :)

Rosie is the definition of "sugar and spice," combining the sweetest of the sweet with a streak of feisty drama queen. She loves to play dress-up, especially princess, and is amazingly talented in heels.

Later in the month, Ruby turned 5, which means she was allowed her first big birthday party. For the theme, she chose her three favorite things: horses, rainbows and ice cream. We had an amazingly fun day that included a bouncy house, horsey pinata, and real live pony rides thanks to a willing friend.

Ruby is in kindergarden and is doing very well. She is reading now and loves to sound out words just for fun. She is my imaginative girl, always pretending and playing make-believe with her stuffed animals and collection of tiny toys. She loves to sing and tip-toes through life with music in her heart. 

With the start of school came the start of a new activity: homeschool co-op. We had been wanting to join a co-op for some time, but hadn't found one that seemed to fit our needs. So, I decided to just start one myself! I am now director of a group of about 10 homeschool families. We meet twice a month for science, art, and gym. Next semester we are branching out with more class offerings through electives. It has been fun but very challenging for me, as I am not used to this responsibility on top of everything I am doing. The kids love it though, so we push forward! 

 Science activity: making "craters" like meteors

Russian Systema class for gym

Also in September, I launched a new career as a consultant for Usborne Books & More. I'll post more about that in a separate post, but it has been an amazing opportunity us, and I'm having tons of fun with it while simultaneously earning a small income and collecting free homeschool books. 

OCTOBER: In October we celebrated Silas' first birthday without much excitement. He loved his angel food cake with strawberries, though, and his smiles were contagious. 

Silas is such a boy, all grunts and giggles. Although he is less verbal than the girls were at this age, he still has a handful of words (light, hat, daddy, mama, dog, etc.) and can communicate with some sign language. He started walking at 10 months and hasn't slowed down since. He is very good with his hands and loves using tools. He refuses to eat without a fork and loves to hammer anything mommy will allow. By far his favorite thing to do is to hang out with JP in his workshop. We all adore this dimple-cheeked cutie, and he is definitely doted on by his big sisters. 

In October we also went on our annual family hayride with my side of the family. We missed it last year due to the cold and the newborn babies being so small. This year was extra fun -- as the kids get older, the hayrides get better. They had fun jumping off and on the wagon, having hay fights, and hiding in the woods to jump out and "scare" us all. 

Also in October, JP began working for a friend at our church who owns a countertop company. His volume had become so great that he needed someone to install so he could stay in the shop and build the tops. WOW, has this opportunity ever been a blessing! We have never had so much work during such a regularly slow time! JP is thrilled with this job situation and the stress it lifts off of his shoulders. We are thankful that God has provided everything we need -- and then some. 

NOVEMBER: November was busy as we learned how to adjust -- as a family -- to Dad's new work schedule + homeschool + homeschool co-op + book business + AWANA + women's group + 3 dogs + 2 new cats + Dave Ramsey classes + Bible study + family time. 

It hasn't been an easy balance, but the family has been very resilient, and I'm thankful that we seem to be getting into a good groove. 

Did you hear me mention that we got two new cats? Meet Killer (gray) and Claws (black) -- names meant to inspire mouse hunting. They hang out in JP's workshop and distract him keep him company while he does his tinkering. JP never considered himself a cat person, but he is smitten with these kittens. 

DECEMBER: There's no place like home for the holidays, and we had a lovely Christmas spending time with family, both immediate and extended.  This year was a little different, though, because for the first time since we were married 8 years ago, we spent Christmas Day at home together, just us and the kids. It was a special, relaxing day, and we hope to keep that going in years to come. 

Now, here we are in JANUARY, with a brand new year ahead of us. When I look back on 2013, I just have to smile, then weep at God's faithfulness. 2013 is the year when God fixed things that were broken. We saw healing, restoration, provision, and overwhelming grace. I'm confident that 2014 has only more blessings in store. 

Silas - 7 months

Our super boy Silas turned 7 months old a few weeks ago, and since I had missed the 6-month pictures window, I promised Rae I'd get some photos done as soon as possible. It actually worked out nicely because our big man started sitting up on his own, which makes for fun photos.

Not only is he super, but I am super in love with this boy in every way. His smiles and kisses fill me up to the top when I'm feeling empty. His giggles brighten every day. His cry melts my heart. 

At his "6 month" checkup (even though he was technically 7 months old), he weighed in at 18 lbs, 14 oz (44th percentile) and measured 27" (36th percentile). He is thinning out because he is moving so much! This guy has figured out a sort of half crawl / half lunge move that, combined with rolling, gets him from point A to point B faster than you can say, "where'd Silas go?" 

We've already caught him in the dog water bowl, and when he's playing by himself he (seemingly) instinctively grunts and guffaws in his deepest, "manliest" voice, as if to prove to all of his toys that he's the man around here.

Some of his current favorite activities include taking baths (he sits up on his own now, and he loves it), chewing on things he's not supposed to (like shoes or paper), jumping in his johnny-jump-up, swinging at the park, and eating baby food. He's had rice cereal, bananas, sweet potatoes and squash so far. He's not a huge fan of the squash, but he is a big fan of eating in general. 

Silas, you are the most handsome, charming boy I have ever met! Your sloppy kisses and high-pitched squeals bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart. I love watching you grow and discover the big world around you, and I'm so thankful God let me be your Mommy. I love you, little stud!