BFS Assignment #107 - When There is No Tomorrow.....

Memory Verse: Ecclesiastes 1:13-14
I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Assignment: We only have today. Should God take you today, have you accomplished everything that you wanted to, needed to. Have you said all the things that needed to be said? Let’s have no regrets, let’s make sure we get to those things, so that when we’re standing before the Lord, the only thing we need to do is to worship him.. and not regret not getting to that thing on our to do list.

Honestly, I try to live without regrets. Does that mean I get everything done that I want to get done? Nope. Does it mean I get all those things that I feel God wants me to get done? Well, unfortunately, nope. However, I do try to focus more on what I feel God is saying to me. I make sure to listen for God's whispers. I pray for strength to carry out what I am called to do. Is it always easy? Um...no! I cannot accomplish these things in my own strength.


The one thing that I feel could ever be a regret for me is wondering if I could have done more to reach out to others. I have many unsaved family members and I often wonder if I have been the witness God wants? I don't know. Have I missed an opportunity along the way? I bet I have. However, I do pray that God provides many more opportunities for me to plant seeds. If I continue to seek His face and follow His lead then this will not be a regret for me. :)

Look...up in the sky.....

No, it's not superman! Last week was a great week for some serious kite flying. :)

And here is the resident expert kite flying girl. She has been waiting for months for the perfect weather and we did not just have one such day last week....but two!!!


And just look at that kite fly!!!

UH OH!!!

Looks like the dreaded kite eating tree has struck again. Every yard has at least one of these beasts.

Have no fear!! Remember we have the expert kite flying girl on the other end of that string!!

YEAH!!! THE KITE GIRL DID IT AND MY LITTLE PONY KITE FLIES ONCE AGAIN!!

Let's watch her in action! :)

She takes her work seriously!!

road trip....

So last Friday was one of those days. Mike decided to take off work and spend some time with us. I love those days!! There is something about taking a break on a normal workday and leaving it all behind. Skipping school and housework is thrilling. Yeah, it doesn't take much to thrill me. However, if you had a big mountain of laundry in front of you and some dirty toilets to scrub and last night's dishes piled in the sink and I said to you...."skip it and let's go for a drive." I'm betting you would be in the car before I finished the sentence!! ;o) Go ahead, admit it!! Ok, so the house wasn't that bad....but it is still exciting to be given permission to just put it aside and enjoy something else for a change.

What did we do? Well, we jumped in the car and headed northwest. We were on a mini-road trip. About an hour and a few minutes later we stopped for lunch. (my calzone was delish and the best part was no dishes to clean up afterward) The scenery was just so pretty. Kid #4 couldn't stop commenting about it and she decided then and there that when she grew up she was moving to this town. Pretty fall colors were everywhere and there were hills and valleys all around us. After a little exploring we found a pumpkin patch. Not just a little pumpkin patch. This one had a corn maze, baby farm animals, hay rides and crafts. It was a perfect fall day!! It refreshed me just enough to not mind facing the housework on Saturday. :) Here are a few shots from the day:

She is getting so tall!!

During the corn maze adventure we grabbed some dried corn to feed the goats. They were most appreciative!!

This little guy seemed to prefer chewing his cage. I think he wanted to come home with us.

Here we are in the middle of the corn maze.

Which way to go....

Ta da....she actually found the exit first. It took us a little over 20 minutes to make our way out. The lady said someone earlier in the day was lost for over an hour in the maze!

After we got out of the corn maze we looked back toward the farm...

...and waited for the hay ride to pick us up again! :)

Just a random farm shot....

and now

a random animal shot....

Betcha can't do that!!

Home School Memoirs #10 - 10 Timely Facts

THEME
...this is our 10th Homeschool Memoirs so this week it’s going to be about 10 timely facts about you! Write 10 interesting, crazy, weird, fun facts about you! Include facts about you as a woman, a wife, a mommy, a homeschooler, a homekeeper, a taxi-driver, a cook, etc .

1. In high school I took every home economics class that I could possibly take! I love cooking and creating yummy dishes. There is a downside to that, though....I often come up with a stunning dinner, but forget exactly what I did!! hehe

2. I was an "A" student that really didn't learn that much. I found it easy to retain what was needed for a test and then I would let that information leave my brain! (that's part of why I love homeschooling!!)

3. I have 4 children here on earth and 2 in heaven. My children range from 9 years old to 25 years old.

4. I first heard of homeschooling in 1983 and was fascinated by the thought. It took me until 1993 to actually bring the kids home to learn. I have never regretted that decision!

5. I grew up wanting to be a doctor. It wasn't until I was in my teens when I realized my desire to be a mommy that stayed home with her children was much stronger. So, I changed my career choice to becoming a nurse. God had other plans. I was married and had child #1 before I could finish nursing school. :)

6. I used to hate driving anywhere I was unfamiliar with the roads. I am better at that now, but still avoid the big cities!

7. My love language is gifts. They don't have to be big or expensive. Just getting a gift speaks volumes of love to me....you took the time during your day to think of me.

8. I love to laugh and my 9 year old daughter has a wonderful sense of humor. We can get so silly and laugh so hard we can barely stand up.....a bit embarrassing when we are out somewhere, but that almost makes it funnier!

9. People think I am organized...and I laugh about that!! Perhaps, I am a bit more organized then some, but seriously I cannot consider myself organized. ;)

10. I can't stand emptying the dishwasher. (not sure why, it isn't really hard) I did a happy dance the day I realized my daughter could take over that job!!! Really!

Oh, that was fun!! Now, I'm going to go read everyone else's list. :)

BFS #106 - Have It Your Way....

Memory Verse: Isaiah 40: 1- Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Assignment: Tell us all about how your have “your” relaxing time, more especially how during the cooler months you take time to curl up with your favorite movie, book, Bible study, and what your favorite warm drink would be.

A few years ago we removed our fireplace! Yep, that's right. We tore it down, hauled it out, patched some holes and called it a day. I miss that fireplace. I love watching fires burn, hearing the crackling sounds and feeling the warm, toasty heat as I sit close by. However, I do not miss what it does to my nose and eyes!LOL So, we wound up remodeling and the fireplace was kicked out of the house. I tell you that just so you know I HAD a fireplace once. I know how relaxing that can be.

However, now I just have to relax in other ways. :) There are days....often on a Saturday, sometimes even on a weekday.....where I find myself taking a "me" day. You have to have some of that special "me" time every once in a while to charge your batteries. I know when it is a MUST! In fact, everyone around me probably knows it is needed!! hehe So, what do I do for my relaxing time?

First off, a nice hot bath or shower is a good idea. One where I can actually shave my legs, deep condition my hair and give myself a facial. Ahhh...that is sounding so good to me, right now! ;o)

After I dry off and put on some comfy clothes, I love to light some candles around the house. They are so soothing. (Probably deep down reminds me of the fireplace!!)

Then, I like to curl up on the couch with my soft, snuggly blankie. It's especially good if I am sitting by windows and can see outside. It's even better if there is a good pot of soup or a stew cooking in the kitchen or perhaps a nice big pan of lasagna baking in the oven. This helps warm up the house and turns the "house" into a "home".

Reading would be my relaxing activity of choice. Although, I can go for a TV marathon, if the right show or movie happens to be playing. Sometimes watching old tv shows that take you back to when you were little are just the thing needed to unwind and relax the brain. Or, for me, even watching "True Lies" for the twentieth time is soothing.

Hot Chocolate or Hot Tea is a must have if I am truly trying to relax. Funny thing is, though, as much as I love it I have to then have something cold to drink. I am not sure why...but after every cup of hot beverage I have to follow it up with an ice cold drink. I am sure somewhere out there someone else has that same quirk. Someone....somewhere..... Anyone??

Make it a point to give yourself a little downtime. It's like a little hug to yourself. :)

I've shared this cozy spot before, but it's a perfect example of what I love! (a spot by the window with lots of warm, fuzzy blankies) :o)

Join the FUN!!

Did you know there is 65 days until Christmas?!?!?

Smoochiefrog is hosting a Christmas Ornament Exchange! I don't know about you, but I love Christmas and I love getting surprises in the mail. So, this sounds like a perfect thing for me!! If you want to learn more about this exchange just go visit her blog. You can comment there and email her your information. This sounds like so much fun and I hope you will consider joining in, cuz I think the more the merrier. Then we can all post pictures of our new ornaments. Who knows....maybe I will be sending you an ornament!! :)

Cleaning Ninja....

That's right, a cleaning ninja. I am convinced every family needs one. It's a "must have" in my book. I have had one for several years now and am amazed at how much this cleaning ninja can handle. It seems no job is too small or too big. What a load has been lifted from this tired momma's shoulders.



Housework could take hours before and it seemed that as I was working on one thing there would be several little mysterious invisible people behind me working on taking it apart. Ever experience that?? Sure you have!!! Those little "not me's" that live in everyone's house can be so destructive. They come out often and on some days they seem to be just a bit more hyper then other days. Regardless...they make messes, (lots of messes) and leave things strewn about the room. They can take apart anything organized in seconds flat. In fact, I think they smell organization and it makes them crazy!! Amazing creatures....but nothing compared to a cleaning ninja.



No siree, Bob....(who's Bob?).... a cleaning ninja is priceless. Dirt on the floor? Not a problem! Dirty clothes thrown across the room? Not a problem! Dust piled thick on all horizontal surfaces...down low and up high? Not a problem! Stale, stinky dog air? Not a problem! Need a closet organized? Not a problem!



Oh, I betcha wanna see mine by now!! You are probably wondering just where you can go get yourself one of these babies. Mine happens to be a 1999 model and yes, I have pictures. :o) Ready?? You are going to be so jealous. You are going to put one on your Christmas Wish List!!

A cleaning ninja is also......CUTE!!!

Why I love other homeschooler's blogs....

Over the past few months I have really enjoyed visiting blogs written by homeschool moms. It's a great way to see what someone else is using and what they think of it. Also, to see what ideas that they come up with to enhance learning or just to have fun. I have gathered many yummy sounding recipes, read reviews on books, bookmarked links for games and other educational sites, and had the pleasure of seeing pictures of many cool projects. The projects! Ahhh, that's the best part. It's what kid #4 thrives on and it's what her mommy struggles with on a daily basis. I've never been sure where she got her creative streak from, but this child of mine passed me in the craft and idea dept. a few years ago and she's only 9! ;o)

So, while I was reading about favorite study spots, I came across The Cornings at Home. The writing assignment for that day had been to share your favorite study spot. Well, their kitchen table looks like a perfect spot to visit, study, eat, share, etc. I instantly fell in love. (as much as you can fall in love with a piece of furniture, that is!) Then I looked on at the beautiful family of young ladies all working on a fall project. I thought to myself, "Hey, I can handle that one!!" Meanwhile kid #4 was already out back gathering fall materials!! She does not have a "slowdown" bone in her body.

I looked up from the computer thinking maybe kid #4 would like to do a fall project art piece and saw her outside already collecting for it!!

Then we went to the park around the corner to find more goodies.

Some pictures of her stash!!

Arranging and rearranging nature on a paper.

It's mid-October and too hot to work outside! So we brought the project inside.

Here's the finished project. Kid #4 had fun. Her mommy? Well, I managed to get away with only one huge blister from hot glue! Don't laugh, that's improvement!! ;)

Homeschool Memoirs #9: The _______ Family

Each family has something special about them… we’re all unique in that way! LOL! I know my family is like no one you’ll ever meet and I’m sure you all can say the same thing! Sometimes God has a sense of humour when creating families, but he has a plan in everything. Isn’t comforting to know we were designed with purpose?

This week’s theme is about your family. Don’t worry. I’m not going to make you write a long essay about all the great things your family does. Just something little diddy that I know everyone will have fun with!

Watch the youtube video below and then take this song and add your own words, about your family. The end of the first three lines should rhyme. Can’t wait to see what you come up with!

You can find the youtube video HERE to see what sparked this assignment. :) If you want you can check HERE for a list of links to everyone's Homeschool Family Version!

Our Version:

We have three boys and a girl

The backyard is full of squirrels

We gave this homeschool a whirl

The Kohout Family

School was hectic with three boys

They would wrestle and make noise

Just a girl now and her toys
The Kohout Family

We learn while in our jammies

We love to visit grammy

The teacher's name is Tammy

The Kohout Family

(Sweet)

(Neat)

(Stinky Feet)

We're learning about the stars

All the planets, even Mars

We collect gross things in jars

The Kohout Family

We're studying the countries

Then we walk around the trees

We stop and watch bumble bees

The Kohout Family

Play dates and field trips, galore

Always looking to learn more

Our day is never a snore

The Kohout Family

BFS Assignment #105 - M'm M'm Good

Memory Verse: Psalms 13:6 NIV I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me.

Intro: M’m M’m Good (Campbell’s Soup)The fall is such a wonderful time of year. The beautiful foliage and cool, crisp morning air is such a wonderful change from the hot summer. I also love the M’m M’m good smell of fall cooking and baking. The wonderful fall veggies, fruits and Thanksgiving foods.

Assignment: Post your favorite fall recipe/recipes to share. I love trying new recipes, do you? It can be baking, main dishes, veggies, dessert or anything else you can think of. There are no limits. Mmmmmm..I can’t wait to take a look at some of those recipes.

Ok, first I will share a previous post from yesterday that has not one, but TWO soup recipes. Now, what says FALL like soup does?? Click right HERE.

Now for another fall favorite....

Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken:

1 frying chicken, cut up

2 tbsp melted butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 package of dry Italian (good seasons) dressing mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

1-8 oz brick of cream cheese, cut up in cubes

1/2 C chicken broth

1 large onion

crushed garlic to taste

Brush chicken with butter and sprinkle with the dry Italian dressing mix (I did two layers in my crockpot to make sure that the Italian seasoning got on all the chicken and not just those pieces on top.) Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. About 45 minutes before done, brown the onion in the butter and then add the cream cheese, soup, and chicken broth to the saucepan. Add the crushed garlic and stir all ingredients until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce mixture over chicken in crockpot and cook an additional 30-45 minutes. Remove chicken to platter and stir sauce before putting in gravy boat.

Now...if you ever read a recipe I post on my blog you will most likely notice that I follow it up with comments on what I did!! hehe I have a hard time following a recipe. I think what I do makes it better, but you decide for yourself. Do not be afraid to experiment and make the recipe fit your family.

Ok, first off, I use 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts. Then when I am making the sauce I use the broth that has already gathered in the crockpot. If that does not measure out to be enough, then I will add some additional chicken broth. But in my mind, why add even more broth and water down the sauce. That flavor is just right in the broth that is already in the crockpot. Works wonderfully! I also spoil my family and quickly cut the cooked chicken breast up before I pour the sauce over it. The kids LOVE this recipe. We serve it all over noodles and Parmesan is put on the table for those that want it.

Preview Alert: The following picture is just the beginning of a fun project! Stay tuned for details.

~Tightwad Tuesday~

hosted by Canada Girl

Thanks to KymPossible, I discovered a fun way to share some frugal tips! I love sharing ideas and information with our blogs, so this was a Make Me Smile moment. (we all know it is about making us smile, right?)

Kym shared that she saved money by saving the leftover coffee and making iced coffee drinks which saves a couple of dollars each drink! What a great thought. I know we often throw old yucky coffee down the drain, but if I thought about it I would have put it to use before it got old and yucky.

Now, I have a recipe to make my own mocha frappucinos and I will share that. Then I will share a thought I have about making it even more of a frugal idea. ;o)

Makes 2 "Grande" Drinks

COFFEE

3/4 cup double-strength coffee, cold

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup low-fat milk

2 cups ice

Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker: That should be 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup of coffee. Chill before using. To make drink, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses, and serve with a straw.

MOCHA For this version, add 3 tablespoons Hershey's chocolate syrup to the original recipe and prepare as described. Top each glass with whipped cream, if desired.

Ok, now here are my thoughts on this. I don't drink plain coffee and don't have a coffee habit that causes me to crash in the morning if I don't give my body a shot of caffeine. I just like the fru-fru drinks once in a while, but their price hinders me from enjoying them. Now, my son that still lives at home and my husband love coffee and drink it often. They like strong coffee. So, instead of me making a pot of double strength coffee when I want to make a batch of these fru fru drinks, I bet I could just use their leftovers. (this is a big 'duh moment here for me!!)

I would suggest mixing the sugar in with the coffee while it is still warm and then adding the milk right into a pitcher that you put in the fridge. (that's what I was doing with the special pot I was making on weekends for me to enjoy my mochas) I am guessing that it will still be strong enough for me to enjoy the taste, esp. since I am not going for the caffeine rush. I'm going to try it this week....and who knows....I just may get to have a daily mocha! (they are soooooo expensive in the stores!)

Oh, and one more recipe for you. I like this better then Hershey's Syrup and it goes perfectly in your mocha frap! Not to mention it has no yucky ingredients that you can't pronounce.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup from Lynette

1/2 cup cocoa, packed

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon butter

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix the cocoa and water with a whisk; add sugar and dissolve. Over medium-high heat bring mixture to a boil and continue soft boil about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add salt, vanilla and butter. Stir to combine then let sit until cool. Store in refrigerator. This makes thin, but delicious syrup.

Soups On Review

The weather has been getting cooler and cooler and I decided to start our new Soup Sunday Family Night. The kids had been asking when we would start back up and I announced October 12th! Wouldn't you know the day was fairly warm? GRRRR..... I even had to flip the air conditioner on because the soups were making the house too hot. Oh well! We were together, we talked, we played, we ate soup. Who am I to complain about the temperature? I am still hoping for some good soup weather on the upcoming Sundays, though!!

So, what was on the menu? I made a potato soup and Pasta E Fagioli. We had a salad similar to the kind Olive Garden serves with the black olives and pepperoncini. I gave the choice of Ranch Dressing or an Italian dressing. We also had a huge loaf of french bread. I just sliced it and heated it to get it all warm and just ever so lightly toasted. We had 9 people for dinner.

I'll give the recipe and then comment below. First up....

Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli (copied from CDKitchen)

3 teaspoons Oil

2 pounds Ground beef

12 ounces Onion; chopped

14 ounces Carrots; slivered

14 ounces Celery; diced

48 ounces Tomatoes; canned, diced

2 cups cooked Red Kidney beans

2 cups cooked White kidney beans

88 ounces Beef stock

3 teaspoons Oregano

2 1/2 teaspoons Pepper

5 teaspoons Parsley; (fresh chopped)

1 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

48 ounces Spaghetti sauce

8 ounces dry pasta Shell macaroni; or other pasta

Preparation: Sauté beef in oil in large 10-qt. pot until beef starts to brown. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and add to the pot. Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, spaghetti sauce, and noodles. Add chopped parsley. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Makes 9 qts. of soup! **Just cut the recipe in 1/2 for smaller family needs!

I made the full 9 quarts of soup! I heard many positive comments about it and several went back for just a little more. ;) I was able to freeze a good amount for another soup Sunday in the future. (probably sometime in December when life gets crazy, but I'll make one other pot of soup fresh for that dinner) One thing to note...I cooked the pasta separate and had everyone just add a scoop to their soup bowls. My reasons? Well, I read that the pasta gets too mushy cooked in the soup for so long...plus if you want to freeze it or eat leftovers, the pasta gets even mushier. So, I just put a little butter on the shells to keep them from getting all sticky and popped them into a food storage bag for the leftovers. When I thaw out the soup I froze, I will make a fresh pot of pasta. :)

Next....

Jane's Potato Soup (from "Cooking with Paula Deen", January/February 2008)

1 (30 ounce) bag frozen hash-brown potatoes

3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Garnish: minced green onion...(we also added Real Bacon Bits)

In a 6 quart electric slow cooker, combine potatoes, broth, soup, onion and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese; cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until combined. Garnish with green onion (and bacon bits), if desired.

This one was really good!! It's also the one I ate. I didn't have room for the other soup, though...so I will eat that one tonight for dinner. There were positive comments all around the table, although a few remember another potato soup that I made that had lots of cheese and they thought that one was better. (however....I have no clue what soup that was and don't think I have a recipe anymore....ever do that??) Even still, they said they enjoyed this one, too. I used the shredded hash browns for this soup. I also, microwaved the cream cheese a bit to get it really soft. Then I added a ladle full of hot soup to the bowl with the soft cream cheese and mixed it well. Then I added that to the crockpot. It helped to get the cream cheese throughout the soup without it all getting lumpy. Basically, it saved me some work even though it was work in itself. This is definitely an easy, peasy soup that is worth making again for a group. I can see myself throwing this together for a ladies' dinner. Hmmm, think I will have to have a "girl's night" at my house, now!! :)

More Fall Reading...

I am getting so many good books that are OFF my Fall Reading List. It's like one good book leads to another and then another. It all started with a catalog that made it's way into my kitchen. I sat down one day and glanced over the books they were selling. Then I looked them up online and decided to get a few from the library. While I was looking one up, I would stumble on another book. Ah, well....the list is still my Wish to Read this Fall list and I will probably manage it. However, I am going to add quite a few more to my actual "read" list.

Books I just finished:

Beginnings by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Beth Quinn is struggling to find a place to belong in the Old Order Mennonite Community of Sommerfeld, Kansas. When she starts a business designing stained glass windows, two men-one a Mennonite, the other not-begin to vie for her attention. Andrew Braun, a member of the Sommerfeld fellowship, is dedicated to family and faith. Sean McCauley, the son of a successful businessman, may only be interested in Beth's talents. Will Beth look to her heavenly Father to fill the emptiness within, or will her desperate quest for love shatter more than one heart?

Well, can I just say that I loved this book. It is actually the second book in a trilogy, but my library did not have the first book. The third book in on hold and I am next in line to get it. So, hopefully I will have it in a week or two.

The Tender Years by Janette Oke

Author Oke continues the story of Marty and Clark from her "Love Comes Softly" series with this book focusing on their granddaughter Virginia. Just entering her teen years, Virginia is finding life in her household a bit stifling. Although she dearly loves her family, she is anxious to grow up and often finds the family rules and religious beliefs are getting in the way of her fun. When Virginia becomes friends with a lively, outgoing girl named Jenny, she suddenly finds herself questioning her need to obey her parents when she could be enjoying herself with her friends. Unfortunately, Jenny's headstrong behavior soon has tragic consequences.

Ok...can I say, I love this one, too!! Hehe. It is rare that I don't just love a book, so forgive me! I honestly had never read any books by Janette Oke, but I had seen some of the Love Comes Softly movies from Netflix. They were really good. I didn't realize when I read The Tender Years that Marty and Clark were the very same Marty and Clark from the movies. It's been a while since I saw the movie! Now, I am looking forward to reading more of this series....but I will wait until I get some more of my reading list under my belt!

There is something about reading a good book. I wind up stuck in my book and stay up later then I should on most nights. Then during the day while I am doing my routine stuff, I will sometimes think about the book and look forward to some down time when I can pick it up again. Then, comes the end....the last page. I read it and feel satisfied and sad all at the same time. It's hard to have a smile and a frown on your face at the same time...but that is what I often feel like. Ever feel that way???

Hope everyone is in the middle of a good book! If not, get thee to the library!!!

What's new in school....

A while back I posted a bunch of pictures of our school projects. Kid#4 loved seeing them on my blog and sharing them with others. I was thinking it would be a good time to share some new pictures. So, let's take a look.

Here is a picture of a bookmark she made. It says Matthew. We are studying the book of Matthew this year.

Here is the flip side of that bookmark. She just got creative on this side. We covered it in clear contact paper and we keep it in her bible marking our place. What a great project it was to start off our study.

Her passport is finally done. I wound up sending it to a friend's house so that it could be sewn together. I don't have a sewing machine. The whole cover is wrapped in clear contact paper and it's pretty sturdy.

I'm not sure why it's blurry, but we have entered Mexico. Have I said lately just how much I love this curriculum??

Here's her cover page for her Astronomy notebook. Daddy works at NASA, so she has quite the collection of NASA stickers.

Just a page done on the sun. This curriculum is another favorite of mine. The best part is that she loves working on her pages.

All you ever wanted to know about Sun Spots can be found here. Did you know that this year has had the most days in a long time where the sun had NO visible Sun Spots. That usually means our temps are going to become cooler then average.

Now we are back to our History Notebook. She created this lovely front page using pictures from National Geographic. This year we are exploring countries and cultures.


Here is shot of one of the pages she has worked on the past few weeks. Having the notebook sure makes homeschool reviews a snap!

This Spa Science Kit has been a lot of fun. She made fizzy bath balls. They have peppermint essential oils in them and also dried rose petals. :)

Here she is showing me that this is her last one and she promised it to her 22 year old brother. Let's not tell him that I told you that. wink, wink!

Lastly, here is a picture of what she did in art this week. It's done with a heavy type of foil(heavier then the aluminum foil you buy in the grocery store) and she made the design herself. This project was a winner in her eyes and we have it hanging in our family room.