The Currier Family

family logistics

2012-02-14T16:08:00.003-05:00

When I was a new mom, people would ask me what I did all day at home. These days, people just don't ask! (They more often comment, "better you than me" or "you are crazy" or "I couldn't handle having my kids home with me all day") Well, it does take a little doin', lots of experimenting to find out what works and what doesn't and a ton of prayer. I still don't have it all down and there are some days when I just want to quit. (I just haven't figured out who to turn my resignation in to!) Anyway, here are some things that, at the moment, are working for us.

Our schedule. And, before you think I am mean for having one let me tell you that when we don't have one, the kids are begging me to make one. It is what keeps me just a tiny bit sane and allows me to accomplish a little bit each day. I am very open minded to how it's "working" and change it as needed. This one has been working pretty well for a couple of months now. (except that early bird is at 7:30- not 7:00)

After early bird each morning we have breakfast and I read a short story at the table. This is the book I am reading now. It's a little young for the older ones but they never complain and I think they might like the excuse to sit a while longer before really starting the day!

This works....in theory. If everyone would remember to use it it would save a lot of dishes! The idea is that they put their cups on the circle with their name on it and use the same cup all day . When they remember it works great! Still working on this one....

Each of the kids have a piece of paper on a wall or door in their room that we use to write back and forth to each other.

We use these a lot for our music time. Alissa, Caleb, Andrew and Leah all have one.

My lifesaver right here. Laundry makes me grumpy. Not right, I know, but my mood tends to be very tied to how behind I am in laundry. This little chart has been working for me since before Christmas and no one has been without clean underwear ever since! We even get to add clean sheets to our life once in a while ;)

Recipes that I use often are put on the side of the fridge. No more valuable minutes of searching before I find the recipe in my stack.

When our day is more ordered and controlled, Matt's day is too! (talk about motivation!)

I love this guy so much!

Occasionally Matt is the one that can make everything click in the mind of a little learner who is overwhelmed.

Brianna is an amazing teacher. She is using her IEW experience to teach Caleb and Andrew how to write chapter summaries on the book I am reading to them before bed.

This is Leah during her toy time. She picked her farm bin to play with today :)

The best way to get the kids to memorize is to write out the info and put it in the bathroom. Honestly it really works!

Even the things that are the MOST important to memorize get memorized in the bathroom :) (This copy is in the dining room but one child learned it when there was a copy in the bathroom)

This is the biggest challenge to a quiet and orderly day. Especially when he is teething! He is getting around using the army crawl. He is pretty quick! We have to make sure the floors are clean at all times.

Just a little peek at how things go in the Currier home. I make so many mistakes and have days where I wish I could take back my bad attitude and harsh words. My "plan" is by no means perfected. I could easily prove that through pictures.... but I will not. I do have my pride! I am always learning and changing things that are clearly not working. I need to work on my meal planning. Cooking and anything food related is a huge stress right now. It is my next project. Then I'll tackle how to keep the kids' rooms clean and after that how to keep the bathroom clean- no easy task with all these boys! One thing at a time....

Above all I am thankful for God's grace. I start each day before the kids get up with time with Him. It is sweet and personal and just what I need to start my day off right. Trust me, I need Him- I couldn't do it alone!

big brother

2012-02-11T22:31:00.002-05:00

I remember wondering when the newness of Leah would wear off

... not yet...

first aid

2012-02-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

Alissa and Caleb are working toward earning their First Aid badge in the Keepers of the Faith program. I got a First Aid manual from the library, found 23 short videos online, some extra reading material and they went on their way. They are all in! They feel that they are now experts and are anxiously awaiting an injury, choking, fainting spell, snake bite or some other similar crisis that they believe they are totally equipped to handle :)
At dinner a couple of nights ago, Leah wanted to get down from the table so she could play "the broken ankle game" with Caleb. It's been fun to watch them practice on each other!

library

2012-02-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

Bri and Cam have been doing school at the library once a week. Here's what they were doing when I picked them up today. It is much quieter there than at home :)

visiting

2012-02-06T23:21:00.004-05:00

It was so nice today to visit with a really sweet family I recently met. Holly goes to school with Cameron and I knew from the moment I met Holly's mom that I would love to be friends with her! It was a real treat because she has boys and girls and all our kids had fun together today. The kids got along so well and that made for some great visiting for the moms :) Now, if only Micah was more cooperative..... Once all those teeth come in and his poor gums get back to normal maybe he'll be a little easier. At least he's cute! (Is it me or does he look a lot like Caleb??)

The big kids took the little kids to the clubhouse to play some ball. They little boys were okay with that as long as they could come back and finish their nerf hoop basketball game. My boys could play basketball in their room ALL DAY LONG and they were thrilled that Holly's brothers were on board with the b-ball thing :)

Brianna and Holly- they are exactly one month apart in age

Miss you-know-who

Caleb and Andrew were thrilled that Benjamin reminded them so much of their cousin Riley. It made them happy and sad all at the same time. Adorable little Bryce is missing from the pictures but he was a great playmate today too!

Cameron and Victoria

What a great day!

leah and cam

2012-02-06T23:07:00.000-05:00

loyalty

2012-02-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

cam scores a goal

2012-01-30T21:39:00.001-05:00

Cameron had another soccer game today. This league is so different than the other ones he has played in. Today we were the only family there from his team watching the game. There is very little excitement and yelling going on since most of the players drive themselves to the game, play and then go home. It is different though with us there, because we bring 8 fans and WE are excited :) It was fun to go to the game today and I am glad we all get to watch Cameron play and cheer him on as much and as loud as we can!

daddy says

2012-01-26T09:11:00.001-05:00

It's not over yet. Sickness has been living in our house since November-ugh! Leah has had a cough for 2 weeks or more. It got gradually worse until I finally took her to the doctor. Asthma makes me nervous and it's no fun sitting up with a little girl in the middle of the night just watching her breathe, making sure she can get enough air. The doctor diagnosed her with bronchitis and possible pneumonia. Poor little thing. :(

The morning after she went to the doctor, when she got up and came downstairs, I asked her how she was feeling. She looked as serious and grown up as can be and said, "Daddy says I'm feeling much better".

I thought about that. A lot. Seems like she really trusts her daddy. Seems like she trusts what he says about her more than she trusts her own assessment of the situation.

A lesson for me? I feel like God was teaching me something through my little girl. Why listen to myself or my own feelings? Why judge my situation on my own? Instead, why don't I trust my Father? What does He say?

I think I know.
So, if you ask me, I will say to you what He says to me.

I am not feeling anxious about anything, because I have presented my requests with prayer and thanksgiving to God
I am feeling like a conqueror through Jesus
I am feeling total peace because He is my peace
I am feeling loved with an everlasting love
I am feeling confident that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it in me

Get the picture? So, instead of assessing my situation based on my feelings, I will trust God's assessment and "feel much better". :)

little cheerleader

2012-01-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

sweet and sour

2012-01-20T11:09:00.000-05:00

God has been helping me in my journey to be content. Our pastor said something in his sermon a couple of weeks ago that has given room for lots of self-examination in my life. He said that good memories from the past can sour the present. I was convicted that I was allowing that to happen in my life. I have so many sweet memories of family and friends in NH and I have allowed those memories to make me sad, homesick and basically discontent. I am working on that!

Today we would have celebrated Devan's 13th birthday. In my time with the Lord this morning, I realized that the opposite of the statement I have been reflecting on can be true as well. Sour memories of the past can sweeten the present. Although God chose to take one of our children, he has blessed us with many more! Matt and I both value life so much more as a result of losing one. Even our babies' cries are appreciated in the light of our "sour" past. Today, I will remember our boy who is in heaven, look forward to the day that we will see him again and be so very grateful for Brianna, Cameron, Alissa, Caleb, Andrew, Leah and Micah. What joy they have brought us! God is truly a good God who "daily loadeth us with benefits". (Psalm 68:19)

prayer requests

2012-01-18T07:17:00.000-05:00

I will be trying to update my prayer request link every Wednesday for those who want to pray specifically for our personal family requests :)

this and that

2012-01-17T22:24:00.000-05:00

Cameron is playing indoor soccer right now and we have been going to his games.

Here is Leah cheering her heart out for the boy in the red socks.

Not quite sure what's going on...just thankful to be with Mom :)

Upward!

Movie night on Alissa's birthday

happy birthday alissa!

2012-01-17T22:08:00.000-05:00

Alissa turned twelve.

She was looking forward to her birthday and had everything planned out. Brianna made her homemade french toast sticks for breakfast. Matt and I took her to Panera for lunch and I made her shepherd's pie for supper-making the mashed potatoes with cream cheese and garlic.

Matt and I had a very special time with her at lunch. She is a really sweet and fun loving girl. She makes all of us laugh with her wittiness and spontaneous sense of humor. What a joy to our family!

(I love this picture of her and Matt!)

She is so good with Micah. She can really make him laugh...it is so cute!

We are thankful beyond words for our sweet Alissa Ashley. Happy 12th birthday Ali!

martha or mary

2012-01-12T08:06:00.000-05:00

I am reading a book right now called Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. I am reading it slowly since, although it is a great and convicting book, it is not the Bible and reading my Bible takes first priority over any book!

The book has caused me to really examine my heart and even my life and priorities as I consider the story of Martha and Mary in the Bible. Luke 10:38-42

³⁸ Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with ^[q]all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; ⁴² but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

I am afraid I am a Martha. I run around like crazy and do, do, do. That's the part that doesn't sound so bad. The bad part is, I get annoyed with people who aren't doing, doing, doing. That's what annoyed Martha too. Jesus had something to say about that though. Although Mary wasn't running around like crazy (like Martha was) she wasn't doing nothing. She was "seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word."
Being a Martha, I know how difficult it is to listen to the Lord's word when I am "distracted with all (my) preparations". Even good preparations- like making food for my family, helping kids with their school work, giving a baby a bath, calling a friend, cooking quinoa for my husband ;) Those things aren't bad, but they need to be second place to quieting myself before Jesus and hearing what He has to say.

I have a Mary friend. Her name is Ruthie. Even though Ruthie is quite a bit younger than me (I was giving her piano lessons when her hair was still in 2 adorable braids!), she has taught me so much. A few months ago, I had a long conversation with her. In the course of that conversation, she told me a particular way that she thought of God. It was a phrase only 3 words long- and maybe she wouldn't even remember saying it. But I can't get it out of my mind. I'm not going to say what it was since it was personal to her, but I can't get it out of my mind. Here is a girl who is intimate with Jesus. She spends time with Him. Not just time that she can check off of a long list of things to do but time sitting at His feet. She knows Him in a way that I WANT TO. I'll never know Him that way if I am constantly distracted by preparations.

I have a Mary daughter too. I am afraid I am unintentionally trying to turn her into a Martha. Alissa reminds me of Ruthie. Sweet, sensitive and one that loves to listen. I want her to continue to be like Mary. I know that is pleasing to God! My prayer is that I will be more like Mary in the Bible. That I will know Jesus like He wants to be known and that I will be an example to my daughters and to those around me of a Mary heart.

upward

2012-01-07T17:07:00.000-05:00

The Upward basketball and cheerleading season started today- lots of excitement!

Here is Coach Bri and cheerleader Alissa.

Assistant Coach Cam had to step it up to Coach today since Coach Matt was away teaching at a Children's Ministry Conference. Cameron was a great encourager and did a super job as coach.

The Celtics (our team obviously!) vs. the Heat.

Micah missed his morning nap so he dozed for a few minutes in my arms.

Leah was a little bored until...

she found that her very best friends were there!! She loves her Phoebe and Ruby girls :)

I didn't get good pictures of the game- I think I need to adjust the setting on my camera for action shots. My absolute favorite part was watching when Caleb and Drew played at the same time. They instinctively knew where the other was and neither of them missed a pass from each other. It was so cool to see them play like that!

Matt had an incredible time at the Children's Ministry Conference he was a part of. I think he said there were close to 100 people there. He came home so encouraged and felt like the day was a huge success. Praise God for that!

one way

2012-01-06T10:17:00.000-05:00

Excuse the papers all over the floor and Leah's just-get-her-hair-out-of-her-face hairdo and enjoy her singing :)

quick visit

2012-01-01T07:35:00.000-05:00

The Chases were headed to Lynchburg to visit Adam's family and they made a quick stop at our house. What a treat for us!

(I don't know why my computer's red eye removal isn't working : / )

christmas day

2011-12-31T18:51:00.000-05:00

Christmas day....

One tradition that has been passed on from my parents is that mom and dad get breakfast in bed on Christmas morning. When Brianna was younger we used to get cereal and toast for breakfast. This year? Bacon, eggs, blueberry muffins, coffee and orange juice made fresh in the juicer! We got the knock on our door at about 7:30- all the kids with our breakfast. Then, after they brought it to us, they took Micah and all went downstairs while we got to eat our breakfast all.by.ourselves!

After breakfast we went downstairs and Matt read the Christmas story.

After opening gifts, we all got ready to go to church. Alissa said that it seemed just "right" that we would go to church on Jesus' birthday.

After church we relaxed and enjoyed the day and each other.

Well, maybe not totally relaxed. Matt and the boys went outside to play football and Drewie came in with this bump on his head. Apparently Matt threw him a long pass and he went running to get it. He should have watched where he wa running because he ran right into a tree! We skyped my family later on in the day and Grandpops and Uncle Adam both asked the all important question: Did he make the catch? Answer: Yes! :)

Happy Birthday Jesus!

christmas eve

2011-12-24T22:20:00.002-05:00

Christmas Eve day.....

Although we didn't get the Patriots game here, we enjoyed watching some football anyway.

After a Christmas Eve service, the kids got to open one gift- pj's!

It's a Wonderful Life

So thankful for our children- they bring us so much joy!

clutter

2011-12-24T13:06:00.002-05:00

I hate clutter. Despise it actually. Well, my own clutter that is. (You can have all the clutter that you want and it won't bother me at all.) Me? I like clean surfaces and open spaces. Mean mother that I am, I took the boys chess trophies off their dressers and put them in their closet- doesn't that sound awful? But they have so stinkin' many (being the brilliant chess minds that they are) that just walking into their room about gave me a panic attack. I mean, those first place trophies are monstrous! Anyway, before I went to bed one night, I went into the boys' room to check on them. As I turned to walk out I noticed that Cameron's dresser top was full of stuff . I made a note to myself that the next morning I would have him clear it all off- find a place for the stuff or throw.it.away. But then- I took a second look. It was like the "clutter" was speaking to me. I looked carefully. Everything told me a little bit about the teenage boy that I love so much. His varsity letter from playing soccer this year, the Chess Life magazine he was studying, the Christmas ornament he got from Aunt Sandy when she was his Sunday School teacher with a picture in it of him when he was 2 years old, the Starbucks mug he got from his CC teacher the last day of the semester, the Snoopy piggy bank he's had forever, A Tale of Two Cities that he had a dreadful time getting through (so we cheated a bit with cliff notes!), the muddy buddies from a good friend of his, his well worn Bible that he uses for sword drills, his wallet, the chain links that he used as a sort of object lesson when he made a presentation in class (and got the best grade), his pocket knife that he got for his tenth birthday, and Leah's clip and elastics that she probably talked him into taking out of her hair when she was playing with him in his room. Almost brought tears to my eyes. Maybe I need to reconsider my position on clutter. Maybe it's not so bad after all.

Sky Angel

2011-12-22T09:58:00.002-05:00

Our family really enjoys Sky Angel. We have had that for our television since the days it required a satellite dish- it has come a long way! Sometimes it is just entertainment for us, but many times it has been a huge source of encouragement or challenge. Some recent examples?

We wanted to watch a Christmas movie the other night as a family and we found The Perfect Gift. Our whole family enjoyed it and it really put our focus where it should be this season- on Jesus.

The kids were in bed one night and Matt and I decided to watch a 15 minute program where we were introduced to Passion to Action. Matt was so challenged by it and the next morning before he and Brianna and Cameron left to help out with a Before School Good News Club, he showed it to them. It is so good to be reminded that life is not all about us and remember that God wants us to be His hands, feet and heart to others who are hurting.

So many kids Christmas specials are all about Santa and gift giving so it was great to find Spunky's First Christmas for Leah where it all points to Jesus.

A real favorite of mine though, is Frank Turek, author of I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Athiest. Last night Matt had to work late. Bri, Cam and I stayed up watching Frank Turek defend our faith. When the show was over, Brianna and Cameron were discussing some of his points and adding their own thoughts. Cam was talking to Brianna about some of his own ideas based on what he had just seen and also what he had been learning in Biology. In the middle of their conversation, he looked at me apologetically and said, "Sorry Mom. Do you know what (he said some word that they were talking about) is? I'm not trying to talk over your head." Well, ummm.... he was ;) Anyway, I think that sort of reinforcement is priceless when it comes to preparation for the real world.

Sometimes when I don't really want Leah just sitting in front of the tv watching a show, I put on the Donut Man or Colby's Clubhouse- both older shows that are basically kids singing praise songs. Can't really go wrong with that!

I exercise in the mornings with Faithful Workouts. A great way to start my day- if I think pain is a great way to start my day :)

There are some great family documentaries with Franklin Springs Family Hour (sometimes a little over the top, but sometimes just fun and informative) and when we all want a good laugh? Tim Hawkins!

When I need help with school? Drive Thru History is there for me!

We don't watch TV during the day but I do put on one of the many Christian radio stations that comes with SkyAngel. Love to hear Christian music played throughout the day!

Maybe watching no TV is a better choice, but since we do watch tv, I am thankful for good things that are helping our family to grow.

advent week 3

2011-12-22T09:09:00.000-05:00

Another sweet celebration!

I love to hear the Christmas story read out of Luke 2 and although I absolutely love my NASB Bible, I prefer Luke 2 in the King James. Something about it.....

don't ya think?

keepin' it real

2011-12-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

Leah is very independent. She also loves dresses and shoes- a very girly girl! Today I got her dressed after her bath and continued to get myself and the other kids ready for church. I was so happy that we were going to be to church early and as I was packing the diaper bag Matt told the kids they could go out to the van. When we got to church (8 minutes early!) Brianna took Leah to her Sunday School class. A couple minutes later Brianna came to me and informed me that Leah had two different shoes on her feet. Ahhhh. How did I overlook that one small detail?? Oh well. If there are any who mistakenly think I have it all together, relax......I don't :)

advent week 2

2011-12-12T15:11:00.001-05:00

early start

2011-12-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

I got Miach all set up on the floor with some toys. He abandoned all his toys so he could study Cameron's chess notes. Guess he's trying to get a head start :)

advent week 1

2011-12-12T14:50:00.000-05:00

This is the first year that we are having an advent celebration each of the four Saturdays before Christmas. Matt decided exactly how it would go.

have a small snack
light the advent candle
read the Scripture for that particular week of Advent
do a simple craft
read a Christmas story

Matt said "simple" so.... simple I got!

The big kids are such great sports. They have no idea how much joy it brings their old mama to see them take a part in this with good attitudes :)

While we were all doing this, Brianna commented that each one's finished product showed a lot about that one's personality. True. Now, look at Cameron and his nice, orderly neat picture. Pay special attention to the innocent look on his face. ("better make this good- mom's taking a picture for the blog")

Why then did he keep working on it after this picture was taken? Take a look. I guess his TRUE personality came out after all :)

so. cute. Leah LOVED doing this!

the joys of boys

2011-12-06T08:35:00.000-05:00

What do all these have in common?
This morning, I was making pita pockets for breakfast. I grabbed my oven mitt and put my hand in it so I could take the pitas out of the oven. I touched the spider. Drew had thought it would be funny to put the plastic spider in my oven mitt and was even more excited that he was around to watch the fun! The pot holder went on the floor and the spider went flying into a 450* oven. And I screamed. Nice. Thanks for the excitement Andrew! One thing though. Watch out ;)

random pictures at the Townsend/Chase home

2011-12-05T16:15:00.000-05:00

Pictures aren't always taken for any particular reason or in any particular order. So, with that being said, here are a few that fit into the no reason- no order category. Just fun :)

Nanny and Lilla

brianna's birthday party

2011-12-05T16:04:00.000-05:00

We were able to have a 16th birthday party for Brianna at The Porch. Rachelle not only is an amazing photographer, but is also a cake decorator! (She pretty much does everything :)

It was so nice for Brianna to be able to see some of her good friends from NH that she hasn't seen in a couple of years. Her NH friends are so super nice!

Some R & R :)

Matt- thanking God for what a special girl Brianna is and praying that she will continue to seek to please God. -and thanking Him for the food too ;)

Leah and cousin Logan

raking leaves

2011-12-05T15:56:00.000-05:00

The weather was unusually mild for a NH November. It was perfect though for raking leaves! Nanny had a lot of help!

kid's club at the porch

2011-12-05T15:44:00.000-05:00

My sister and brother-in-law run an awesome ministry called The Porch. It is a youth center in the middle of town. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they have Kid's Club for elementary age kids. Since the amazing girl that helps with it was not able to be there on the Tuesday after we arrived in NH, Brianna and Cameron helped with it. It was right up their alley!

Aunt Sandy

2011-12-02T13:30:00.000-05:00

Aunt Sandy.

That's who she was to so many people....including me. If you are my friend and I brought you to church, you would see her and she would say "I am Aunt Sandy. I am so glad you're here!" and she would give you a big hug. She was known for her hugs and her love. That's why it wasn't hard at all for me to catch this picture taken last year.

Aunt Sandy is with Jesus now. We went home to NH to see her and it worked out that we were able to see her on Tuesday- the day before she went home. She hugged all of us. I loved her so much and am really going to miss her. We weren't the only ones who drove long distances to say our goodbyes. She loved children so much and invested in their lives. That's why all the children who are grown like me wanted to be near her in the end. I am thankful for her and for how she invested in my life. I want to leave a legacy like she did.

sweet sixteen

2011-11-25T22:35:00.001-05:00

Our first born daughter turned sixteen. On Thanksgiving day. She is such a joy to our family! I love her so much. She is sweet and thoughtful and incredibly intelligent. She's so much fun to be around :)

Brianna requested lemonade pie and Nanny made one for her.

Happy Birthday Brianna!

thanksgiving

2011-11-25T22:22:00.001-05:00

We were blessed to be able to go home at Thanksgiving. I took random pictures throughout the day, but was so busy enjoying my family that I wasn't too concerned about the pictures. :)

Mom started the festivities by putting the turkey in the oven...

Ali made a delicious custard pie. Unfortunately we had a bit of a disaster with the pies and sweet potato biscuits. The pies managed to be salvaged but no such luck with the biscuits.

Mom's famous apple pie!

My super-good-sport nephew who patiently smiled while I took multiple pictures trying to get us both in the frame :)

Twice a year we get this snack. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. The kids were ecstatic.

Reading a Psalm of Thanksgiving.

A great day....

the national gallery of art

2011-11-20T08:15:00.000-05:00

Cameron's CC class went on a field trip to the Natioanl Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Micah and I went too and the whole group rode up in our ~~bus~~ van. We left our house at 8:25am and got home at 10:15pm. Long. day. Especially considering that I held Micah in the sling the whole time we were not driving! I am SORE today! It was a nice day though. They were a great group of kids. I was very impressed.

Cameron has been studying art in class and has an oral presentation due in a couple of weeks so this visit was really helpful. The pictures are in random order :)

Billy, Ben, Holly, Cameron, Sean and Aubrey

The second tour we took- art through the ages.

Rembrandt

Thomas Cole

Van Gogh

Monet

The really cool group of kids :)

Cameron giving my back a quick break

psalm 27

2011-11-16T07:16:00.000-05:00

This is the view outside the boys' window and a verse I am trying to apply to my life.

half-marathon

2011-11-15T09:59:00.001-05:00

Matt worked hard training and preparing to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) Race day finally came and he successfully accomplished it !!

We are all so proud of him :)

soccer banquet

2011-11-15T09:56:00.000-05:00

Cameron had his end-of-year soccer banquet Friday night. It was a great time of fun and celebration of an amazing season of soccer.

2011 CVHAA Patriots

micah

2011-11-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

encouragement

2011-11-11T06:17:00.000-05:00

I was having my Quiet Time this morning when I came across some notes in the back of my Bible that I had taken when I attended a Beth Moore conference a while ago. They really encouraged me so I thought I'd share.

John 1:16-17
"a" truth needs to eclipse "the" truth.
"a" truth does not become "the" truth until it has His word on it.
example:
a truth- I am lonely
the truth- Jesus will never leave me

a truth- I am weary
the truth- Jesus will give me rest. God gives strength to the weary

"The" truth takes "a" truth and turns it into a testimony. I can only NOT handle a truth when I don't couple it with His grace.

I love God's Word!

L and B

2011-11-09T20:11:00.001-05:00

This little girl is a little bucket of sunshine in our home. She is a smart little cookie too and doesn't miss a thing! Here are some of the things I've heard her say recently:

Mom, can I please go in the boys' room? I won't cause stripe (strife)!
Grandpops isn't at his home. He's in Africa. (Said with a sad face- and Grandpops is NOT in Africa!)
I used to be 1 but now I'm 18 and I can go do that. (after I told her it was too dangerous for little kids to do a particular thing)
Here is my problem. I can't have a popsicle because Mom said I can't have a popsicle. That is my problem.
I don't need to hold anyone's hand anymore because I am a big girl now!
Micah, you need to try to get a haircut. (I guess I better watch her with the scissors!)
Daddy, I've been looking for you ALL OVER THE PLACE! (said to Matt as she hugged him when he came in from outside)

And one more thing. Brianna. Here are a couple things she's said that cracked me up!

We were all sitting on the couches watching the last of the Patriots game. The Pats were up by 4 and the Giants had the ball. With less than a minute in the game, Eli Manning threw a touchdown pass. Brianna looked at all of us and yelled out "Control Z"!

AND

"I am an only child- except for my brothers and sisters". Yup. If you know her, you know just what I am talking about ;)

blessings

2011-11-02T18:54:00.001-04:00

I love my family!

Today was my birthday and they made it so special for me! After an amazing breakfast in bed (made by Matt) I thought the day couldn't get any better...but it did :) We all went to Maymont. It was a beautiful day. Leah is still sick, but we thought the vitamin D would do her some good and she wanted to go too.

If you look at this picture closely you'll see the football Cameron is throwing in the air and the little boys at the bottom of the hill ready to catch it.

girls...

boys...

Leah's poor little nose :(

I had such a nice day with my family. I am so blessed!

sickness and slashed tires

2011-11-01T14:59:00.000-04:00

Leah and Caleb are sick today. Sore throats, fever and runny nose. Leah wasn't in her bed at nap time when I went to check on her. Apparently she had woken up crying while I was in my room feeding Micah and so Brianna took her. Bri was sitting on the couch for her Latin class and figured she'd let Leah sit in on it too. Poor little Leah fell right back to sleep.

Caleb on the other couch...

And, last night both of our back tires were slashed. Did I mention that they are brand new tires just put on 2 weeks ago?

micah and mommy

2011-11-01T14:50:00.001-04:00

chess tourney

2011-10-29T19:03:00.000-04:00

Matt took the boys to a chess tournament today. They hadn't been to one since last December! They left the house at 6:30am and as of 7:00pm they are still not home. What a long day! I did get the report though- and these pictures :)

Andrew entered the K-5 division and went 5-0...first place!

Cameron and Caleb both entered the K-12 division and ended up having to play each other. I hate when that happens :/ The result of that game was a draw. (Someone just may have been a little over confident and another someone just might have played a little better than normal..... maybe ;) Cameron and Caleb had no losses and with tie-breaks, Cameron left there with first place trophy and Caleb with second. The fourth trophy is a team trophy. Apparently 2 or more people who go to the same school and are in the same division make up a team. So, Cameron and Caleb were a team and they got the first place trophy.

It was a great day for the Currier brothers!

soccer

2011-10-21T20:23:00.002-04:00

Cameron had a soccer game last week and it was a beautiful evening. The weather was cool and the breeze so nice. It was very refreshing!

This game was against their rivals- the only other homeschool team they play. It was funny to see the parking lot. We were only one of a few 15 passenger vans :)

micah

2011-10-21T20:14:00.002-04:00

Micah will be 7 months tomorrow. He was charming me with his cuteness tonight and I felt the need to snap these pictures :) I'll admit it's hard for me to look at these pictures without trying to wipe the drool off his chin but that's just how it is....

child discipline

2011-10-21T10:15:00.000-04:00

Generally my blog is not a place where I give a lot of my opinion. Which, of course, doesn't mean I don't have a lot of opinions, it just means I don't usually air them on my blog. :) However, I will not hesitate to share something my sister is opinionated about. I am too, I am just not brave enough to do what she did. So, here it is!

CHILD DISCIPLINE

Click and watch if you dare :)

PS-If you must know, I hope she does one on modesty next. I could, but I'm too chicken and it might sound too mean!

apple pie and football

2011-10-16T21:14:00.000-04:00

I love this time of year!

moments

2011-10-15T22:01:00.000-04:00

"This is so rigged" -Andrew while struggling with a math problem

"I can go on the swing cuz I'm a big girl now. See? I have eyebrows!" -Leah at the playground

"How many kids are in our family? Honest Mom, I can't remember!" -Brianna

"Oh Mom that is my favorite thing in the world to do! I LOVE sautéing!" -Alissa when she saw me cutting up peppers to put in a pan with oil in it

"If I score a goal at my game do I have to finish reading Gulliver's Travels?" - Cameron...and of course I said he did NOT have to finish reading it if he scored a goal ;)

"Mom, you'll never guess what Micah just did!" Me: "What?" "You're stuck with it! hahahaha!" -Caleb

"Mom, we are doing something SO educational out on the deck. We are watching a wolf spider eat a beetle!" -Alissa

"Your job can be so thankless, but always remember that I see and appreciate all you do. I love you!" -Matt, when I was cleaning out the juicer

Life: crazy, boring, redundant, exciting, risky, tiring... there are all sorts of adjectives that describe life at any stage. Recently, overwhelming is one that describes mine. Overwhelming because of the amount of things I TRY to squeeze into a 24 hour period. I have been trying though to pay attention to what goes on each day and appreciate each moment and each one who fills my day.
As I slowed my mind down enough to listen to what goes on in our home on a daily basis, I was filled with so much joy. The quotes above are just a tiny fraction of what I heard. I don't want to miss a moment. Life is hard. Life is emotional. Life is uncertain. But life is a gift from God and one that I want to enjoy. And when the hard moments overwhelm me, I think about heaven. All the years that I have on this earth are nothing compared to what I will have in heaven. NOTHING.
Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song that I've heard on the radio a lot lately and I think he hits the nail on the head.

You’re picking up toys on the living room floor

for the 15th time today

Matching up socks and sweeping up lost

Cheerios that got away

You put a baby on your hip and color on your lips

and head out the door

And while I may not know you I bet I know you

Wonder sometimes does it matter at all

Well let me remind you it all matters just as long as you



Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you

Cause He made you to do

Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face

And tell the story of grace

With every move that you make

And every little thing you do

So, I am praying that today and everyday my life will bring a smile to God's face and be a story of His grace.

happy birthday caleb!

2011-10-06T14:35:00.001-04:00

Caleb turned 10 today! It is hard to imagine that he is that old already. When people give me a hard time about how much I baby Micah, I just have to assume they have no idea how fast time goes. It seems like just yesterday I was holding newborn Caleb in my arms. There was something special about that kid from the moment he was born. Maybe it had something to do with the doctor telling Matt and I that there was a knot in his cord and it was a miracle he was alive. Or maybe it just had to do with Caleb. He is one sweet kid! Was then and is now.

At Panera celebrating his birthday with mom and dad (and Micah of course).

All the girls had a part in Caleb's cake. Alissa baked it, Brianna decorated it and Leah put the candles in.

If you are a 10 year old boy in the Currier home, you get a pocket knife for your birthday. Caleb tried to convince us last year that 9 was close enough to 10, but it didn't work. He still had to wait :) Looks like he figured it was worth the wait!

Safety first! Matt showing Caleb how to open and close it carefully and also how to keep it locked when not in use. Oh- included in that lesson was careful instruction on when it was not going to be in use!

Happy Birthday Caleb! You are one loved boy! Keep your sweet spirit, determination and most of all your love for God. You'll be unstoppable!

fruit flies

2011-10-06T14:19:00.001-04:00

Occasionally we have major trouble with fruit flies. We juice a lot and sometimes it's just really hard to get every last bit of juice off the juicer and we end up with swarms of flies! Making a fruit fly trap (say that 10 times fast!) works every time. Alissa made this one.

So, if you ever have fruit fly problems...this is the way to go!

a little late...

2011-10-06T14:16:00.001-04:00

Better late than never! Since Cameron's birthday fell on the day that we left for CYIA, we didn't take him out for a birthday meal. The summer got crazy and well, we just never got around to it. Until Saturday. So here he is, his first time at Panera and celebrating his 14th birthday. And, yes....BOTH those plates are his!

guns and spiders

2011-10-03T21:20:00.001-04:00

We are enjoying reading this book that we borrowed from some friends. Every morning at breakfast we read another chapter. This morning we read the story, "The Shotgun That Wouldn't Fire". It is a true story about a teenage boy in Mexico who was telling a group of people about Jesus. There was an angry man in the crowd who pulled out a gun, aimed at the boy and pulled the trigger. Miraculously, it didn't fire! It ended up that lots of people heard about Jesus and the boy's life was spared.

I read that story at breakfast. Later in the morning, Caleb was folding laundry in the hall way. He noticed a spider right next to his leg and it crawled into the laundry. He called for Matt who looked for it, found it, caught it and discovered that it was a black widow! We actually had already scheduled for pest control to come today and when the man arrived, he confirmed that it WAS a black widow.

Anyway, I thank God not only for the gun that didn't fire but for the spider that didn't bite! That is the second black widow we have found in our house and we are so thankful that no one has been bitten. So thankful that God takes care of His children!

breakfast

2011-10-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

Caleb's breakfast- pancakes, homemade ice cream and strawberies

Drew's breakfast- with maple syrup instead of strawberries

waiting for his breakfast :)

ice cream

2011-10-01T06:55:00.001-04:00

We've been waiting for this day. For a long time. Months ago I got an ice cream maker for $7 at a thrift store. I had already determined that the kids would pass the ice cream making section of their Keepers of the Faith books so I was so excited to find such a good deal.

Then I had to wait because I knew what recipe I wanted to use and it called for maple syrup- which I don't always have on hand (and I like to order it when I place my wheat order since it's cheaper that way). Also, it calls for egg yolks and since they wouldn't be cooked, I wanted to use eggs fresh from a local farm. Well, it all came together today.

Caleb was the most excited. I'm pretty sure he would eat ice cream for every meal every day if he could.

In the machine it went! It took close to an hour, but at the end of that time we had delicious, creamy, somewhat healthy ice cream. The hardest part for the kids was waiting until after supper to have a bowl full. Of course I let them try it as soon as it was done but that was just a tease!

Being Friday, it was time to do some more work on the dioramas. Unfortunately the batteries in the camera died as soon as I took this picture but the project is coming along nicely!

diorama

2011-09-28T16:03:00.001-04:00

Brianna and Cameron are gone every Friday all day. I decided that would be the perfect time for special projects with the other kids. They are each working on a diorama of a colonial American scene. I was really surprised at how much they each loved doing it. I knew Alissa would love it but wasn't too sure about the boys. They can hardly wait for Friday to work on them some more!

I am NOT a perfectionist and not even a good arts and crafts type. I was pretty discouraged at first because I compared what I have them doing to others I saw online. Oh well. My kids are enjoying it and I am able to just have fun with it :)

miscellaneous school

2011-09-28T15:55:00.001-04:00

Andrew starts his morning with Quiet Time and Sword Drills with Matt.

Leah stringing cheerios

Easy Grammar

Math

Latin quiz

Advanced Math

Real Life 101

I threw this picture in just for fun. This was at one of Cameron's game. Leah loves the backpack Auntie Shell got her when we were in NH. Loves it!

more soccer

2011-09-28T15:12:00.001-04:00

Soccer season is well underway. Leah is enjoying the free space and fresh air.

Micah is usually in the sling, but he is getting heavy! I put him in the stroller and he did just fine. :)

Setting boundaries....

Cameron scored his first goal at this game!

school and stuff

2011-09-19T23:11:00.001-04:00

I have been going through some "stuff". Lots of it personal but all of it connecting in some way. Like a plate of spaghetti. I remember when Brianna had her wisdom teeth out, I went to the oral surgeon with her when she had dry socket. I was standing in the office with my teenage daughter who had just had her wisdom teeth out and holding a newborn baby in my arms. It seemed funny to me-both my children but having completely different needs.

I am teaching one child to write in cursive while another is learning to write research papers. One child needs me to feed him every, well hour and a half these last few days while others make their own meals. Some need to be read to and snuggled while others need to be taken out for a latte. One is memorizing helping verbs while another is memorizing Shakespeare.

Boys and girls are so different too. My boys love it when I am up on the latest football stats while the girls want me to talk about a new recipe or know the latest clothing trends.

What about love languages? I know it's not a biblical principle necessarily, but there's a lot to be said about love languages. Physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, gifts, quality time. I'm pretty sure we have people in our family representing all of those. Brianna is the physical touch girl while Alissa is quality time. Caleb and Cameron seem to be acts of service, Andrew and Matt words of affirmation and Leah....gifts! If you know Micah at all you will know that at the moment his love language is physical touch!! I feel very strongly that God wants me to actively love my family and to do that it is important for me to know how they feel loved.

I have been having an inner conflict lately regarding school. I love learning. I am only a highschool graduate, but I take any and every chance I get to learn something new. I like challenges and often try to conquer the difficult concepts in Advanced Math or Biology. I don't have even one day of college education under my belt. (unless you count the day I sat in on Matt's classes when I flew down to visit him in college before we were married!) But I don't feel intimidated by the idea of studying and learning.

So here's the thing. I know there is a lot to know. A lot. I am a teacher. What do I teach my kids? How much do I require them to know? What subjects do I really push and how much? How much is enough?

Brianna and Cameron are doing something this year that is very new to me. It's called Classical Conversations. They have 6 one-hour classes one day a week and are learning based on the classical approach to education. It is all very exciting and amazing to me since I never homeschooled this way before. Their work is extremely challenging and requires a lot of thinking and logic. Cameron participated in his first debate this past week. He dressed up in shirt and tie and came to class prepared to either support or oppose the statement "The National Endowment for the Arts should be abolished." He had put a lot of time into researching the topic. Brianna had to give a speech complete with visual aids with her opinion on if the US would be better run under the Constitution or the Articles of Confederation. They are now taking Latin as their foreign language and are taking Logic and Philosophy along with Honors Chemistry and Biology. Brianna is preparing to take a test that will get her 6 college history credits. Her history book is insane!

Big deal.

I mean, does it matter that they are learning all this stuff? Therein lies my conflict! I want to do a job well done in the education of my kids. I want them to know all they need to know to be successful. I have been so tempted to feel like ALL the kids need to be following this method of schooling. They all need to memorize every country on a world map, be able to identify every major bone in the body, know by heart every preposition-in alphabetical order of course!, read every classic, memorize a time-line... and the list goes on. It's all good. Much of it is important. We need to be responsible in the world we live in to know the things that wiill help us to have a good testimony-we don't want to be ignorant!

BUT ACADEMICS IS NOT WHY I HOMESCHOOL!

Seriously!

Are you going to report me to my county school superintendent?

Academics is important but it is not what is MOST important.

When I feel like I am not doing enough with the kids, I remember. I remember that Matt and I are focusing first on their hearts. Not their brains. They will have plenty of time to get smarter and more knowledgeable. Right now is the time though that major foundations are being lain. I want to help them have a firm foundation in their faith. I want to help them learn self-control, first time obedience, selflesness, serving others, respecting others and respect for authority, how to have joy when things aren't going so well, contentment, patience, leadership, how to pray and how to establish a daily Quiet Time.... I'm going to pick Scripture memory hands down over any other memorization and Bible reading over any other book! That will be my priority.

I still want them to learn geography, and memorizng prepostions might be a good idea. However, I will try to remember that I am not a failure if I choose to work on character development or walk with God more than I work on or push the academics. Sometimes working on that might even really mean demonstrating it. After all, isn't it true that things are more often "caught than taught"?

One more thing. I want our home to be a happy home. I want it to be full of love and lots and lots and lots of laughter. I was in Brianna's room just a little bit ago. Cameron was on her floor working on his math. We laughed so hard we cried! Then Andrew came in and asked if he could tell us a joke. It was so corny that we laughed even harder. I want my kids to remember those times. Life is hard. It will only get harder for them. When they face tough times, it is not their knowledge of Latin or Shakespeare that is going to get them through. It will be their outlook on life and their concept of God and how personal He is to them. HE will be the one to get them through the hard times... and with laughter to boot! (believe me, I know)

Life. My life. It is so complex and has more parts to it than I ever imagined. From diaper rash to wisdom teeth, phonics to Latin, teething to braces, crying because of a boo boo to crying because of a deep hurt. God has given Matt and I so many blessings and each one so special in their own way. I pray that when I feel like a failure, God reminds me of what is really important and gives Matt and I the strength and grace to focus on those things. The true essentials.

soccer

2011-09-16T10:23:00.001-04:00

We thought that since soccer practices began during our time in NH that Cameron wouldn't be able to play soccer for the boys varsity homeschool league. Well, it worked out that he was able to! His first game was yesterday. After watching him play all last season as one of the oldest players on the YMCA soccer team, seeing him play with these highschoolers was much different!

Brianna and Leah hung out during the whole game.

During half time we got out the cooler and ate our supper. I took Micah out of the sling and laid him on the grass here. He loved it!

Looking forward to this soccer season. It is a real treat!

friends

2011-09-16T09:42:00.000-04:00

visiting very close friends.... not enough pictures taken but lots of memories made :)

family

2011-09-16T09:30:00.000-04:00

Micah with his great grandmother :)

Leah and cousin Logan

Micah hanging out on the ottoman

4 generations...

nana and grampy's

2011-09-16T09:24:00.000-04:00

It was so nice to be able to visit with Nana and Grampy while we were in NH. Nana went all out for a birthday celebration for Leah!

new birthday outfit :)

Matt's parents have an apple tree in their yard that was just loaded with apples. Alissa and Leah went out to pick some.

little monkey!

Andrew took this silly picture of Grampy looking through some sort of cat toy

appendicitis

2011-09-16T09:02:00.001-04:00

As we were packing up the cottage to leave Alton Bay, Drewie was starting to feel really bad. I immediately blamed his belly ache on the donuts and icecream his grandparents had given him for breakfast! We went right from the Bay to some friends' house and by the time we got there, Drew couldn't even get out of the van. Matt carried him into the house but he didn't feel any better. Knowing that his brothers and friends were play sword fighting and throwing a football didn't make any difference to him. That's when I thought that maybe something really was wrong. We decided to take him to the hospital. He didn't have a fever when we left but by the time we got half way to the hospital he had one. The nurse at the hospital told me he looked like an "appy". Apparently that is an appendicitis patient. Well, she was right. By the end of the day Andrew had his appendix out. He was so brave! Many people were praying and we know that God gave him courage and grace to get through the surgery.

recovering....

Irene came through while we were at the hospital. Power went out but obviously the hospital had a generator. My sister brought me back to her house after Drew was out of surgery and I saw him and talked to him. Matt stayed with him through the night. My dad brought Micah and I back to the hosptial in the morning. Micah was an angel! (surprise surprise!) Andrew was released Sunday night and made a very quick recovery. :)

football

2011-09-09T23:47:00.000-04:00

The boys (including fathers and uncles) spent a lot of time at this field playing soccer and football.

miscellaneous

2011-09-09T23:45:00.000-04:00

adorable nephew Callen :)

our cottage was the yellow one, the Chase/Townsend/Wampler cottage was the green one. perfect.
(it's gonna be that way in heaven too. we'll all live right.next.door.)

Early Bird!

I wish Chad could have been in the picture. On the last night we were there it was pretty chilly. As a kind of last-hoorah Cameron, Matt and Chad went down to the beach, swam out to the dock, jumped off a bunch of times and then came back to the cottages-without towels to dry off/warm up with! They were FREEZING! Pretty crazy if you ask me!
Lucky for them, our cottage had a gas fireplace. And, being the nice wife and mother that I am, I turned it on as soon as they left to go to the water so it would be nice and toasty when they got back :)
I'm pretty sure that Cameron was shivering in that picture!

school on vacation

2011-09-09T23:33:00.000-04:00

Cameron and Brianna started school the day we left for NH. They only have class one day each week but since they would be missing 2 classes, they had work to do while on vacation.

Brianna's attitude: bring it on!

Cameron's attitude: seriously? I'm on vacation!

the beach

2011-09-09T23:27:00.000-04:00

There were many fun times on the beach, but I only captured a few of them on camera. We had the beach mostly to ourselves the whole week!

Alissa was in the water more than anyone else-even if no one else joined her.

sisters

2011-09-06T15:05:00.000-04:00

canoeing

2011-09-02T08:17:00.003-04:00

just a couple of the many canoe rides that happened that week- the kids loved going out with Matt or Uncle Chad on a canoe!

sleepover

2011-09-02T08:07:00.002-04:00

Living next door to another was just not close enough. The kids wanted a sleepover one night! Here are the boys sleeping on the floor...
...except for Caleb who was running a fever :(

Gotta love cousins!

sunday at the bay

2011-08-23T08:54:00.011-04:00

Sunday morning. Caleb had a breakfast sandwich to start his day off-he was pretty happy about it too!

walking to church... My parents taught us early on that being on vacation wasn't an excuse to not go to church!

I had given Micah a bath Sunday morning and somehow some baby bath got on the lens of my camera so this picture is blurry. I posted it anyway because I loved that we all piled in to the Tabernacle at the Bay and how happy all the kids were to be sitting together at church. Who forgot all their Sunday clothes at home on their bed in Virginia?? Oh- that would be me. Thankfully God looks at our heart- not just at what we are wearing :)

Sis and bro-in-law.

Melanie, Callen, Leah, Micah and I only stayed for part of the service. When the little ones started to get restless we took them out and walked around for the rest of the time.

After lunch we went to the water.

juggling a soccer ball on the dock

Leah is so loving the water. Even when she is shivering and her lips are purple she is not cold she says!

Auntie Shell and Leah

Out for a walk with Callen and Mel

We are all having a great time here together!

happy birthday leah!

2011-08-23T08:33:00.005-04:00

Leah turned 3 on Saturday. She had been looking forward to this day for a LONG time! Nannay and Aunt Shelly made her birthday cake with the sprinkles and lollipop she had requested.
Leah was SO tired the whole time! She hadn't had much sleep the night before since we were traveling.

Finally time for bed! Here she is looking out the window of our cottage.

Sleeping in a big girl bed with her present from Great Grammy

Happy Birthday Leah! We love you so much!

on our way

2011-08-21T21:26:00.002-04:00

We left for NH.....totally pumped! Matt drove the whole way. It took 13 and a half hours....the longest time yet. He was our hero driving us through the night and not complaining even once.

Not even when we were stuck for over an hour on roads like this that were stop and go. He was even the first to notice the rainbow :)

This little guy did really well. We had so many people praying for us and we thank God for answering their prayers.

romans 12:1

2011-08-12T20:17:00.003-04:00

I haven't been blogging much for two reasons. One is- we have a stinky camera that only occasionally has batteries in it. Two- my mind has been in a million different places in a million different ways all with a million different emotions.
Anyway, my mom shared a verse with me a couple of days ago that she wanted me to read out of The Message- which is more a paraphrase than a translation.

Romans 12:1 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.

I love the "sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life" part. Place it before God as an offering. Is it that simple?
Okay. Here You go! I'm ready to be changed from the inside out.

football and playground

2011-08-09T08:24:00.002-04:00

We took the kids to the community area in our development the other night. Matt was going to play football with the boys (except for Cam who was at a friend's house playing ping pong!) and the girls and I were just going to hang out. Matt ended up being quarterback for more kids than just Caleb and Drew! He had a great time.

All of these pictures were taken with my phone so they aren't too clear but the point is made anyway :)

help! brianna is driving!

2011-07-31T17:54:00.002-04:00

Matt took Brianna driving today for the second time. The first time was a very short drive, this one was longer. We all ran out to the car when she pulled back into the driveway and this is what it looked like!

mary slessor

2011-07-23T08:12:00.003-04:00

Leah went to 3 days of a 5-Day Club this summer and heard the missionary story told. Now she just LOVES the missionary story. It is the story of Mary Slessor a missionary to Calabar back in the late 1800's. Leah walks around with the flashcards asking (begging, actually!) someone to tell it to her. If no one can, she tells it herself! Last night, she wanted to take it in her crib with her at bed time. Matt said he saw her in her crib with her dolls all lined up telling them the story. I guess we have a future CYIA-er!

school

2011-07-22T22:40:00.004-04:00

I have to admit it.... I hate the summer in VA. It feels like it lasts forever, it is too hot to go outside, it's about the only time Caleb gets migraines, Matt and the older kids have a crazy schedule with clubs and I feel so cooped up! It reminds me of the feeling I would get in NH around February.
Anticipating my feelings, I decided to do something to help make the time go by faster. We started school! Just with Alissa, Caleb and Andrew. It has been so rewarding to me. Sometimes when I don't HAVE to be doing something, it makes it easier and even funner to do. (like washing someone else's dishes!) So, hopefully this jump start will serve to make the summer go by faster and the school year feel less overwhelming.

I loved seeing this. These 2 get along so well and hardly ever argue or fight about anything. Caleb had a question while I was busy helping Andrew so Ali happily volunteered to help him and he happily accepted her help!

Micah is a little young for the Bumbo but he did hang out here with us for a few minutes.

One more way to help me survive the summer- chocolate! I have been trying to eat healthier and also to get a good amount of coconut oil into my diet. I made these so yummy chocolate chunks by melting coconut oil, cocoa, sucanat and vanilla and pouring it over almonds. I put it in the fridge to harden and then broke it into pieces. Just a small piece when I get a sweet craving satisfies- and makes me happy :)

contenders- archery

2011-07-22T22:31:00.002-04:00

We loved the Keepers at Home and Contenders for the Faith meetings at church so much, we decided to continue it at home. We ordered books for the boys (Alissa already had hers) and are beginning to work our way through them. To earn the badge for archery, the boys had to be able to identify the parts of a bow and arrow. We got a book from the library so the kids could learn them as well as learn other things about archery. They have finished all the requirements except shooting 3 times under adult supervision. They will do that with my dad when we visit NH next. Caleb takes it SO seriously!
Andrew just has fun with it :)

sword drills

2011-07-17T21:17:00.003-04:00

Leah has forever been watching Matt do Sword Drills with the kids. I came into her room the other night when Matt was putting her to bed and saw that he was doing a Sword Drill with her. So I was ready today with the camera. So cute!

Ephesians 6:1

training and team-building

2011-07-13T22:37:00.004-04:00

Brianna seems to be doing well. It is so nice to be able to keep in touch through phone calls and texts. Technology is so amazing! When I was her age I went on a missions trip to New Mexico and Arizona. I was gone for 3 weeks and I remember having to wait my turn to use a pay phone to call my parents. And not even on a daily basis! So I keep reminding myself that it could be much worse. (I'm actually texting with her as I write this!)

Brianna sent me this picture with "Look Mom!" I was NOT amused!

good news across america

2011-07-11T16:53:00.003-04:00

Brianna is in Salt Lake City, Utah! I found this synopsis on the Good News Across America website.

God is using Good News Across America to enable churches to connect with their communities and impact them with the Gospel. Each year thousands of children and families are being reached; lives are being changed, and churches are growing. It’s a God thing and it has happened in Chicago, Little Rock, and Boston in the past.

We are headed to Salt Lake City, July 11-23. We are thrilled to have 30 partnering churches and over 120 CEF workers from around the country coming in to help. We believe that Good News Across America has a great strategy for impacting communities for Christ but we know that without God's blessing all of our efforts will be in vain.

This is the first picture Brianna sent me when she arrived in Utah.

This is where she will be spending the next 12 nights. (that is not Brianna in the picture)

This is the building where they are staying.

This texted picture brought such a smile to my face. My girl!

We are looking forward to seeing what is going to happen in the next 2 weeks and are praying OFTEN for her and for the rest of the team. I am praying too for the churches in Salt Lake that have partnered with CEF. They have the job of following up with every child (and their families) who attend the 5-Day Clubs and will even be trained and go into the public schools in their area to continue the work of sharing the Gospel and discipling those who respond.

Thanks to those of you who are praying with us for Brianna :)

upward basketball camp and 3-Day Club

2011-07-09T21:09:00.005-04:00

This week (Wed-Sat) was Upward Basketball Camp at our church. There were 58 kids in attendance. Brianna, Cameron and another girl made up a team that was able to do a revised 5-Day Club with all the kids. It worked out so great! 8 kids responded to the gospel and 2 kids came forward to say they wanted to be missionaries. It was super encouraging!

Matt coached a team and Cameron was his assistant. It was fun for all :)

pizza pockets

2011-07-09T13:48:00.002-04:00

I have been making these pizza pockets lately. They freeze really well to0 so they are a good thing to make a lot of and put in the freezer. Makes for an easy lunch!

Start with your favorite bread dough recipe. After it rises the first time, take out small pieces of it and form each one a ball.

Use a rolling pin to roll them out like this.

Put sauce and cheese (or whatever pizza-ish things you want to add OR whatever veggie you want to sneak in!) on half of it.

Then fold it in half and seal the edges...

put on a baking sheet and then in the oven....

and there you have it! A super delicious, very cheesy pizza pocket!

I sent them in with my kids to Basketball Camp when they had to bring a lunch. They ate them cold and loved 'em!

keepin' it real

2011-07-01T10:48:00.003-04:00

I was going through some things today as I have been working SO HARD to plan our school year and home keep-it-clean-hopefully-it-will-work-plan. I came across this birthday card one of my sisters gave me a couple of years ago. How true. How very very true.
:)

in case you can't read it, it says....
"I was going to run away and join the circus. But it occured to me that would be redundant."

hahaha

Micah

2011-06-27T19:46:00.003-04:00

Club 1, Day 1

2011-06-27T19:43:00.003-04:00

Matt and Cameron right before they left for a 5-Day Club this morning. Cameron had the awesome privilege of leading a girl to Christ today! Praise the Lord!

all done

2011-06-27T19:38:00.002-04:00

the Greater Richmond team...

Great job guys! Dad and Mom are so proud of you :)

this is where Brianna stayed

and this was Cameron's cabin

swimming

2011-06-26T23:02:00.003-04:00

Everyday last week I was able to take the kids swimming. They loved it!

Micah safely in his seat and in the shade

There was not a kitchen sink where we were staying which made cleaning up from meals a little challenging! I would bring water out to a shallow bin I kept on the front porch and Leah would love to go out with me and "help" me wash dishes.

I really don't know why she felt like she needed to have her life jacket on while doing the dishes this day. Maybe because she was around water? Who knows :)

Leah with her all time favorite person

everyone loved leah

2011-06-26T22:12:00.004-04:00

Every night at 9:15, the kids and I would walk from the mobile we were staying in to the meeting area for Praise and Worship. Sometimes we'd get there a little early and sometimes we'd stay a little late. Leah absolutely loved it! She would wave to anyone who would look at her, say "my name is Leah" if you so much as caught her eye and if you were real lucky, she'd even reach for your hand! The teens were so sweet and this group had so much fun with her one night. During the more upbeat songs I would even catch them all dancing with Leah- so cute!

Henry

Sabrina
Daniel

Justin
Here is a sample of some of the praise and worship.