Friday, January 13, 2012
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Goodbye 2011!
So far 2012 is going very well. Matthew, Philip and I welcomed the New Year by watching the ball drop on TV. Braewyn almost made it but fell asleep at 11:45pm! We enjoyed New Year's Day with our church family at church that morning, lunch with our next door neighbors, and then a leisurely family afternoon. The Brooks Academy began our Spring Semester bright and early on Monday, January 2nd. The kids and I are reading through the Bible via summary overviews which I read from My Father's World teacher's manual, Philip reads a similiar passage from his Bible Reader, and then he writes a summary sentence with an illustration in his Bible Notebook. Philip is almost done with the 1st grade level of Math U See and still excels despite saying he dislikes math! Reading / phonics are also in our My Father's World curriculum, and he is also signed up for the Pizza Hut "Book It!" program. If he reads 20 books each month, he earns a free personal pizza!
Science is new this semester as I just changed to a curriculum published by Answers in Genesis. We'll be studying "The World of Animals" as we learn of the many different types of animals which God created: "the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind” (Genesis 1:24). Philip and Braewyn continue doing a few pages of their Building Thinking Skills workbooks and we're going to begin basic Spanish (we're talking picture flashcards!). All that with field trips and play dates should make for an educational and fun spring! I thank the Lord that Juliet is a wonderful napper still as she's asleep most days from 10am until noon. How things go once she no longer naps is a question mark. Cross that bridge when we get there!
Anyhow, before I get totally caught up in 2012, wanted to post some wonderful Christmas pics my friend Suzanne took of the kids. I used a few to make my photo books and calendars for family presents. Here are a lot more great ones and funny outtakes too!
Juliet and her friend Pate, who is Suzanne's son. They are buddies from baby Sunday School.
The kids with my friend and neighbor Greta. She came over to watch Pate while Suzanne photographed. She loves these four kids bunches and we love her! And here's where it goes crazy...
The bench photoshoot was unraveling,
Philip's doing his thing,
Juliet began grabbing the scenery at Greta's house,
and Philip says, "Are we done YET??" Yes, thank you sweeties! And a BIG thank you to Suzanne for taking such great photos!
Science is new this semester as I just changed to a curriculum published by Answers in Genesis. We'll be studying "The World of Animals" as we learn of the many different types of animals which God created: "the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind” (Genesis 1:24). Philip and Braewyn continue doing a few pages of their Building Thinking Skills workbooks and we're going to begin basic Spanish (we're talking picture flashcards!). All that with field trips and play dates should make for an educational and fun spring! I thank the Lord that Juliet is a wonderful napper still as she's asleep most days from 10am until noon. How things go once she no longer naps is a question mark. Cross that bridge when we get there!
Anyhow, before I get totally caught up in 2012, wanted to post some wonderful Christmas pics my friend Suzanne took of the kids. I used a few to make my photo books and calendars for family presents. Here are a lot more great ones and funny outtakes too!
Monday, January 02, 2012
Once Upon A Time
Matthew said a few of his coworkers had begun watching a new tv show called "Once Upon A Time" and really liked it. ABC aired a marathon of the show's first 5 episodes today which he recorded. I wasn't sure about it but said I'd watch the first episode with him. When it ended, I said, "Let's watch the next episode."
The general premise is the Evil Witch is so mad at Snow White and Prince Charming (everyone really) that she puts a curse on all of fairy tale land sending them all to a place where there are no happy endings. However there is an enchanted tree which can hold one person who will escape the curse. Snow White gives birth to her first born child and Prince Charming places the baby into the tree just before the curse takes place. The person who escapes the curse is the only one who can break it. The place they are all sent is Storybrooke, Maine. It's a small town where they all now live but do not know of their former fairy tale lives. The show jumps between Storybrooke and flashbacks from fairy tale land. It is written by the same team that wrote "Lost" and I am already hooked. It's my new favorite show. That said, it's still just a tv show.
However, there is another story, a true story. There is an evil wizard and a mighty king. There is a baby who was sent to break a curse. There are people living their lives without knowing their true purpose. There are others who understand that one day we will no longer live here but arrive where we truly belong. This story is called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The mighty king is the One True God. He created the heavens and the earth. He knows the needs of each person on earth and can meet every one of them. The evil wizard is Satan. He is a former angel of God who chose his own way and is now banished from heaven, roaming the earth looking for those he may destroy. The baby is Jesus, both the Son of God and God Himself (I know, it's confusing). He left all the splendors of heaven to come to earth as a poor, helpless baby. He lived a sinless life and sacrificed Himself to break the curse and provide a way for sinful man to enter heaven. There are two kinds of people: those who know Jesus as Lord and Savior and are no longer under the curse, and those who do not know Him and are still under the curse of sin.
After watching "Once Upon A Time", I wanted to get on Facebook and tell everyone to watch it. Then God brought these thoughts to my mind. His story (and truly all of history is His Story!) is so much more powerful, amazing, awe-inspriring and TRUTHFUL than something created in Hollywood. If you want to watch "Once Upon A Time", I will say it's a really good show, but if you want to experience a more joyful, satisfying, real life, get to know Jesus. He loves you more than you could know.
The general premise is the Evil Witch is so mad at Snow White and Prince Charming (everyone really) that she puts a curse on all of fairy tale land sending them all to a place where there are no happy endings. However there is an enchanted tree which can hold one person who will escape the curse. Snow White gives birth to her first born child and Prince Charming places the baby into the tree just before the curse takes place. The person who escapes the curse is the only one who can break it. The place they are all sent is Storybrooke, Maine. It's a small town where they all now live but do not know of their former fairy tale lives. The show jumps between Storybrooke and flashbacks from fairy tale land. It is written by the same team that wrote "Lost" and I am already hooked. It's my new favorite show. That said, it's still just a tv show.
However, there is another story, a true story. There is an evil wizard and a mighty king. There is a baby who was sent to break a curse. There are people living their lives without knowing their true purpose. There are others who understand that one day we will no longer live here but arrive where we truly belong. This story is called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The mighty king is the One True God. He created the heavens and the earth. He knows the needs of each person on earth and can meet every one of them. The evil wizard is Satan. He is a former angel of God who chose his own way and is now banished from heaven, roaming the earth looking for those he may destroy. The baby is Jesus, both the Son of God and God Himself (I know, it's confusing). He left all the splendors of heaven to come to earth as a poor, helpless baby. He lived a sinless life and sacrificed Himself to break the curse and provide a way for sinful man to enter heaven. There are two kinds of people: those who know Jesus as Lord and Savior and are no longer under the curse, and those who do not know Him and are still under the curse of sin.
After watching "Once Upon A Time", I wanted to get on Facebook and tell everyone to watch it. Then God brought these thoughts to my mind. His story (and truly all of history is His Story!) is so much more powerful, amazing, awe-inspriring and TRUTHFUL than something created in Hollywood. If you want to watch "Once Upon A Time", I will say it's a really good show, but if you want to experience a more joyful, satisfying, real life, get to know Jesus. He loves you more than you could know.
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