Faith Stretching - Part 3

Well, the answer was no. Another door, window, crack in the wall, whatever it was closed.  Read part 2 here. Honestly, we are pretty disappointed. This really did seem like such a good thing for us. That's where faith and trust and hope come in even when I feel very crummy. Pressed but not crushed...perplexed, but not driven to despair. Perplexed. Yes, that about sums up the way I feel about my life right now.

Somewhere behind the clouds the sun is still shining, right?
Sometimes, though, it is hard to keep hope alive.
I feeling pretty bummed today, fighting back the tears of yet another disappointment. Two significant doors closed in two weeks.  On second thought....so much for fighting back the tears...

God is still good...even when the answer is no....and I don't understand why it couldn't have been yes.

(Not) Back to School Bootcamp

I received my parcel of home schooling goodies last week, which is always really exciting for everyone. I was so, so pleased to see Elianna grab the first reader (First Steps, which is the first of three Pathway readers for Grade 1), open it up, and READ it. She even took it to bed with her to read at night. I was kind of shocked, actually. I knew that reading had started to click with her, and we had been slowly working through the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons book. However, I was unsure of how much of it was really sinking in until this past week. It is a huge relief for me to see her starting to enjoy reading and getting better. My approach to phonics/reading for this year (Grade 1) is to not push her too hard since she has already mastered the phonics basics. Instead of ordering Grade 2 phonics/spelling/language arts, I stuck with Grade 1 choices that would really emphasize what she has already learned and build her confidence. As far as education goes, reading is one of the most important things to really master, in my opinion, and I want her to not just "get by" but develop exceptional reading skills and a love for reading.

Oh yes, back to the title of this post...

Though I am a bit perfectionist, I'm not very organized. I'm not very neat. I'm not terribly structured, either. I have horrendous penmanship. It is chicken-scratch to the extreme. All this to say, I need to create some structure in my life. Elianna is now in Grade 1...so things are getting serious this year...haha.

(Not) back to school boot camp will consist of the following:

A Blessings Chart (rewards for good behaviour)
If/Then Chart (for consistent discipline)
Some sort of chore chart
Some sort of routine in place for school

I plan to create and then implement the Blessings chart and If/Then chart for the first week, chores and intensive chore training the second week, and then back to school after that. I hope to ease the kids into this all and get this in place before we officially start school. Of course, "life" might get in the way of my plans. Regardless, I will at least try.

Faith Stretching - Part 2

Remember this post where I was praying for a very specific mountain to move?  Well, we finally received our answer. The Lord said no. Was it hard? Sort of, but not really. In some ways, "no's" can be easier than yes's as they are usually more obvious answers. We had a great talk with our kids about how sometimes God answers our prayers with a no, and that we need to trust Him because He knows what is best for us. You know how the saying goes, "When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window."

The same day the door was closed, a surprising window opened. At least, it's open for now. We were surprised. I actually get kind of embarrassed talking about our life these days, because, quite frankly, there is a lot of drama. I really need to journal everything because it would be so cool to look back some day and perhaps see glimpses of God's leading. God's timing regarding some things is incredible.  So, we pray again. We pray again for a different, yet very specific mountain to move. This time, there are a few mountains that we would like to see move. Pray for wisdom and clear answers. Friends, I thought that what we were praying for a few months ago would be the perfect "yes" answer in my finite mind. That answer was a clear no. Now, there is a possibility for something we never even considered before, and it could potentially be the most perfect and unexpected answer. Really. It could be that perfect. Yet, God might say no again. But maybe, maybe, this time He will say yes. So, we will pray in faith.

Friends, the Lord is good even when the answer is no. 

The Lord is good, though our failings and falterings are many...though "nothing good dwells inside me, that is in my sinful nature."

The Lord is good.

His mercies are new every morning.

Great is His faithfulness.

Even when the answer is no.


P.S. If you feel led, we would appreciate your prayers for us regarding this new "mountain".

Slow Down, Summer

It hit me today how quickly summer is flying by. The fact that the first snowfall could be only 8 short weeks away is freaking me out a little. I'm trying to not dwell on it and enjoy the days as they come, taking full advantage of the beautiful weather whenever possible.

I finally got my act together and filled out the paperwork for registering for the home schooling year, which I will mail out tomorrow. I also ordered all my Grade 1 material today, which will be shipped out tomorrow and arrive in the next week or so. I am a bit nervous about the upcoming year as I am still kind of a bird-brain, all-over-the-place, undisciplined, exhausted "mess" most days. I really, really hope Brielle gets her sleep act together soon, but I'm not holding my breath...

This gal loves animals of all sorts. Kitties & puppies are favourites, of course. Today, she showed me a sticker and asked me if it was a narwhal. A nar  - what?! Sure enough, it was. Then, we proceeded to watch a youtube video about narwhals. What...um....interesting creatures those things are. She can rattle off facts about animals like no one's business. Tonight while we were reading a story about animals, there was a picture of a flamingo. She told me that pink flamingos have pink feathers because they eat plankton and "allergy" (she meant algae. haha.) I didn't really believe her (though I didn't tell her that), so I just googled it now. Sure enough, she's right. I think she learns most of this stuff from Wild Kratts, but her ability to retain all the information is incredible...and scary.

And this crazy boy loves 4-wheelers. Oh, does he ever love 4-wheelers. And boats. He cracks me up, and it's honestly so hard to stay on top of disciplining him because he's such a comedian. Today, he and Elianna were arguing over what to name their toy dog they were playing with. Elianna wanted to call it Lasagna, but Nate insisted that no, it's name was BIZ-zonya!).

What can I say...the baby stage is over. Makes me sad, in a way. She is a toddler. That is becoming more and more evident every day. It's fun seeing her personality come out. She can be such a tease sometimes. Poor girl is still struggling with tummy issues at night most nights.

I pray that summer is long this year. Normally I am wishing summer away for the cool days of my favourite season, Fall. Not this year. Time is flying by far too quickly. I wish it would slow down, but time waits for no one.

Menu Plan

I'm feeling kind of uninspired with regard to meals these days. For the next month, I'm going to do my best to use what I have in the freezer, garden, and pantry and see if I can cut our grocery bill down a bit. This next month or two are going to be extremely busy with harvest coming up. I got really behind on the housework and laundry over the long weekend, so I'm hoping to take a break from the internet to get things back in order around here and then start on preserving the garden things that need to be dealt with (chokecherries, for example).

Monday: visiting family

Tuesday: Moroccan Chicken & Lentil Soup

Wednesday: Pizza, Veggies & Dip

Thursday: leftovers

Friday:  Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Something simple (pancakes, grilled cheese, etc.)

When My Hair Got the Chop Suey

I finally chopped my hair off. I also got blonde highlights. I am planning on adding some more highlights as the contrast between my dark hair and the really light highlights is a little much for my personal taste, and I do want to go blonde. I had considered dying my whole head blonde, but the hairdresser thought we should just do highlights and keep adding more later to get more blonde. Less maintenance. Overall, I love it. Perhaps my favourite haircut ever! My only regret is not chopping it off sooner. I am pretty sure my hair will never be this long again. 

Before: K, why did someone not tell me that I was growing 2 horse tails out of my head?? Seriously, that was the first thing I thought when I saw this picture. I didn't even realize my hair had gotten this long...oy.

 After: Haven't had my hair straight in years. Yes, years. I also love this haircut when I leave it in its natural wavy state, too. I had a picture of that, but I accidentally deleted it. It's super low-maintenance. I'm really loving it. This hair feels so much more "me."

On another note, here is my latest favourite running song. I also think it would make a good funeral song. A good running and good funeral song. A definite winner. Sorry to be morbid. I just love the lyrics so much. It is not my story. It is His story.

Menu Plan Monday

First of all, it's RAINING! Praise the Lord! We got a bit of rain today and yesterday, which is very, very good.

I haven't been doing much menu planning lately (and I've still survived! I'm shocked!), but I thought I'd try it again this week.

Monday: Sweet & Tangy BBQ Chicken Coleslaw Wraps

Tuesday: Tuna Macaroni Casserole, Veggies

Wednesday: Grilled Salmon, Roasted Potatoes, Veggies

Thursday: Spaghetti in a Tomato & Pesto Cream Sauce, Salad

Friday: Homemade Pizza, Veggies & Dip, Caesar Salad

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Cheesy Rice & Beans with Guacamole, Salsa, and Tortilla Chips

Alternate Meal: Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, fruit, eggs, bacon)

Well, finishing this just made my heart smile...I might have to get back into my menu planning groove!