The Good News...

 My pantries are getting a really deep cleaning!

The bad news is the reason - mice eating to their nasty little hearts content.

The good news - Kayln found some science videos for the children to watch for school before she left to baby sit.

Yuck, I hate cleaning mice poop!

Well, off to finish.

Slow Cooker Southwest Beef and Pintos

 There is just nothing like a slow cook meal ready to go at 8:31 in the morning...just makes the world seem even better.

 I don’t use the salt pork in this recipe.  And today I used elk instead of beef, which I have done before and it was delicious.  I added some extra garlic since we are sick.  I hope that ya’ll can see or can enlarge the recipe...this was just easier.  

Thank you all for your sweet comments on yesterdays post.  I am so grateful for your “pen” pal friendships!  Have a blessed weekend!

The Question I Dreaded (Hi Amy, Anita and Jodi)

See, I would rather show you this...

...my happy campers...

...not this...

...unorganized garage and laundry..

THIS...

...delightful, helpful daughters...

...not this...

...LOTS of dirty smoky coats.

THIS...

...a serene, peaceful mountain photo...

...not this...

...overflowing LAUNDRY...

This is nice, don’t you think?

But, not this...

...yes, MORE laundry.

I will leave you with a “happy” picture!

I know that you are wondering, what does all this have to do with my title....”The Question I Dreaded."  I’ve been avoiding it, but I did promise that I would answer any “Ask Away...Children’s Education” questions. 


Here’s a hint from these three precious blog friends questions....


Amy said...

Well, honestly- I could use ANY help and don't even know what to ask because - I am THAT lost. LOL But I am going to try it anyway- gotta start somewhere right? Right now, just trying to figure out what I do with the little ones while working with the big ones? How do you manage to get all of the housework done AND the school work? Any tips on that? :) THANKS!

A. Gillispie said...

Yay! Second year homeschooler here, and we haven't found our perfect groove yet. My biggest issue at the moment is how to manage teaching time with my big ones (3rd and 4th grade) with my little ones (3 and going on 5)? It's complicated because I work from home (at least 6-8 hours a day). Not sure how to meet everybody's needs, so if you have any advise, I'm all ears!

Anita

Jodi said...

Shonni -Amazing!! 17 years - you must have begun homeschooling when you were 5! :)
How do you balance everything! :) With the possibility of jumping into HS my middle schooler, I am very nervous - any tips to keep him focused and interested in learning, would be great!! :)

Did you see the common thread?  The question that I have dreaded is “How do I do it all?"
So, as I was thinking about my Home Education Pillars (see here and here for pillars I and II), I knew that Pillar III is Structure!  Amy, Anita and Jodi brought up some very important things to consider in Home Educating our children!  How do we, as home makers and mothers get the house work done and the school work; how do we still give time to our little children and how can we organize their time so that we can home school the older ones; how do we meet the needs of our families and can we balance everything? 
Now, the reason I have dreaded the “How do I do it all question” is that I don’t want anyone to think that I have all the answers  - I don’t.  And each of us is different, with differing strengths and differing weaknesses.  What works for one doesn’t work for another. Believe me, I have tried to “do it” like others because it was working for them, and it didn’t for me, because my personality just couldn’t “do it” that way.  
However, I hope that my many years of mistakes and successes can help each of us find the structure that works for US in our families as we minister to them each day.
So, I promise, I will answer this question, but no kidding, I HAVE GOT to go start some laundry.  So be lookin’ back here tomorrow!

Obedience verses Willfulness-and Flour and Oil

I keep sitting here staring at this computer screen, then down at the baby who is bouncing on my lap, then up at the birds outside the window, then over at the child asking how to say the words in his book. Mercy, no wonder I can't get my thoughts "together".  Oops, I was going to say "At least four babies are upstairs napping", when I heard "someone" jumping overhead...I'll be back in a sec...

I was just sitting down when above darlin' interrupted again..."Mom, some eggs broke". (Meaning he had been out to the chicken coop). I asked him how and how many. "Well, I tripped (pause while he counts on his fingers - oh dear), and only four brokeded".

I really do have something important on my mind...may be I am hesitant because I always struggle with writing well what is on my mind and in my heart. So, here goes.

I see women struggling with different areas of their lives, like ... should we adopt another child, should I give up my job to stay home, should I home school (are just a few)...and the reasons are as different and varied as each lady asking. I have received many questions ranging from respectful questions about how I do it all, to the more thoughtless ones like "what number is that one!" (to which I act stupid and say "Oh, this is our newest precious gift from the LORD, his name is Keshawn, and he is 1 year old, he has been home for 4 months now and he is doing wonderful. He even started walking this week.". 

For heaven's sakes, he is not a number, but a human being!!!! Sorry, side tracked)

I love talking to and encouraging others mothers as they seek to find and walk out God's call for their lives. 

Now, having said that, here is the heart of the matter. I was talking to the children about obedience verses willfulness, and the Bible story that we read today was in I Kings 17:8-16, about the widow who was using the last of her flour and oil to make one cake for herself and her son before they die. At this time there is a drought and no food. Many are dying from hunger.  This is when the prophet Elijah shows up in the story. (Please go read the whole story to refresh your memory). 

"And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.' And she went and did as Elijah said." 

I began talking with the children about this story...how the widow chose to be obedient to the prophet, even though at the time, she could only see the handful of flour and a little oil. Common sense would have said "There isn't enough, there is no way this is going to work." Common sense could have said the prophet was crazy. Out of willfulness and fear, she could have just ignored him, and gone about with her original plan. But then she would have received nothing, especially not the miracle of provision. 

All three of our pregnancies were life threatening. We received more than a few worried and negative comments when we decided to become pregnant with number 3, but we knew the LORD had told US to,  so we did, and it was worse than the other two. However, looking back, I can tell you for sure that God was "pruning" some death from my life. We knew that we were suppose to home school, and at first, again, we received the worried and questioning comments and dealt with the critical ones. But again, home schooling has brought me more blessings and taught me so much, and yes, more pruning has been done...more death cut off. Well, you can imagine what 8 adoptions has brought our way...though now, we are just crazy and irresponsible to some, and to those who love us...well, we might still be a little crazy. And, wow, did some dead things scream going down with this one.

Here's the thing, Steve and I had prayed and felt that we knew what we were suppose to do. But...if you look at it through common sense we shouldn't have done any of it. We really only ever had a "handful of flour and a little oil". So, how were we going to make it work? First, I would have died if we had of had 11 children all at once. They came one at a time, and I grew with each of them. And as we trusted the LORD, they came at just the right time in our lives...the LORD knew!!! And home schooling - well, that's a funny one..I am dyslexic and did horrible in school (I mean, I was a complete "dummy" by all school standards). When we felt that the LORD wanted us to home school, so many of my negative emotions surfaced and I wondered how in the world I was going to teach ANY ONE, when I had been such a failure in school. I figured I could at least get us through 1st and 2nd grade, so we started on a journey that the LORD has used to heal so many of my wounded places. And then He gave me a dyslexic daughter. Oh, the joy of having someone who "get's me". Now my first born is 20, doing excellent in his college and I love home educating our children. It's not easy!!! But, I would never give it up. 

What I want to encourage others with is, you may look down and see only a "handful of flour and a little oil" and you just don't know if you can do what YOU FEEL the LORD has asked you to do. He's not asking you to do what I have done, or what someone else has done...He has an amazing adventure for YOU and He will show the way to you if you seek HIM and not the opinions of the world around you.  Next, as Elijah told the widow, do not fear, go and do it. If you do, you will see His provisions, if you don't, you will really be missing out on things that the LORD has for you. And also, DON'T BE AFRAID of the pruning. It can hurt some, but you really don't want those dead things clinging to you, and the LORD knows just what to do, trust him. The Bible says "...and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:2

One more word of encouragement..."for we walk by faith, not by sight" 2 Cor. 5:7. If we try to walk by what we can see, we will probably experience some form of "blindness".  So walk in the light and walk in faith. 

By the way, there were over 20 eggs broken in my garage...NOT 4! Kalyn cleaned that up for me, and Joeliana's new tea set was shattered, I cleaned that one up. I hope what I wrote is of encouragement to someone...this post was interrupted a lot and I'm not sure if my scattered thoughts every came together. Back up stairs...someone is calling. Loves to you all.

Joy in the Mothering

Prov. 31:27 "She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." 
O.K, I know that some time later in her life, IF Alia finds this picture...well, I hope she has a great sense of humor and laughs, like I do every time I look at it. Kalyn took this picture this past summer on one of our camping trips. Forget about the admonition "Don't play with your food."... "for heaven-sake, don't play with your eating utensils!"

I am busy getting the house cleaned up. We are looking forward to a visit from my parents this weekend. Caresse is hurting, but doing very well. Thank you for your prayers for her. 

I am seeing some habits in our home that I need to work on. I am feeling frustrated that I haven't done a better job dealing with some issues in myself and my children. So, starting next week I am going to focus on one character quality for a week and also some basic family guide lines - you know, like "Don't pick up the chair and throw it at your siblings." (Just kidding, only Aiden is strong enough for this, and I have said it to him, but I probably don't need to make it a "family guide line...LOL). Actually, I'm still trying to figure out the family guide lines...as the four younger ones have become older I need to do more training and less reacting. I'll let you know how that goes...
I have been rehit with an important motherhood truth...."MAN, THIS JOB IS HARD!" So, I am also working on my attitude...I want to ENJOY my children!
What are some ways that ya'll (I am from Texas...) find to enjoy this wonderful job of mothering?

More Room For Boys!!

Our sweet friends, Adeye and her children, came over on Friday to help me paint this pretty little pink room. I was so thankful for the help, especially since painting a large room alone feels a little overwhelming. We pretty much left the 15 children downstairs to play and enjoy each other, while we worked. They were all SOOO good and they had a blast with each other. I know my children will miss them when they move this summer (so will I!!!)
So, why did we need to paint the room? We painted it this pink color 11 years ago when we were waiting excitedly for our new daughter to come home from China. More little babies followed and it has pretty much been the "baby room". However, now, we need to put three little boys in there, and Steve said we HAD to change the color to a more boyish color...LOL. 

So here are the before and afters. 

 

Here is sweet Adeye painting. Kalyn worked hard with us and again, I was so thankful for both of their help.

  

From pink to green...what a change!!!

 

  

And, as you can see, this is a big room!! So we must bring some more babies home!!

 

Snow Beauty

Yes, I made my little beauties stand out in the cold snow so that I could get these "snow beautiful" pictures of my pretty daughters before they went out on their date with their daddy for the "Father/Daughter Dance." (O.K., I worked hard on the grammar of that sentence....)

This is such a special evening for them and Steve loves it as much as his daughters do. He better stay in shape...in a few more years he could be dancing with 5 daughters!

I off to make eggs for supper and cupcakes for Landon's Birthday tomorrow.
Thank you all for your sweet comments about the new family room window treatments!!!

What I Did Today

 When we moved into this house over 15 years ago, I put up these grape vines. They looked really cute then, but it has been a long time and they have lost they grapey luster!

I really haven't had time since child # 3 to do much redecorating, beside keeping the inside of the toilet a nice shiny white, however I got all motivated when I visited The Nest Place and show a quick and easy window treatment.

I begin to look for a fabric that I liked that was on sale (cheep!). I really figured that God would have to place it directly in my path because I just don't have time to shop and don't really like to shop! It makes me feel stressed. 

I had to go to Pier One for a gift and guess what was there, almost in my path...a single Pier One Curtain panel ON SALE...big time!
So I brought that sucker home and began to use various tools...mostly a hot glue gun, scissors and tacks to accomplish an amazing task...amazing because 8 children were running around yelling, screaming, fighting, dancing, eating, laughing; but there was one thing that they WERE not doing...being quiet! 


Do you know how hard it is to be creative in that kind of ruckus? 
 

So, you can see the "fruits" of my labor...I abandoned all attempts at maintaining control of the childhood chaos; good mothering and discipline went out the window; no one had naps, but it was an effective threat; the supper was late and there were no veggies served with it; but I have new "window treatments". What do you think? Honestly?