Picking Up the Pieces--Postscript Added

There has been so much destruction this week.  So very many lives have been lost.  We are so saddened by the reports of homes that are no more and courageous fathers who die while literally lying across their children to protect them.

And we are so very grateful to our wonderful heavenly Father who saw fit to protect our daughter, son-in-law and their young family.  We rejoice that yesterday, instead of picking out caskets for  three little children, my daughter was cheerfully picking out paint colors for their small rental home.  Instead of weeping over lost possessions, she was preparing to move what they salvaged into a much smaller home.  Instead of being bitter over losing a large home, she is thankful for a smaller home that will be easier to clean and it will be easier to keep up with her small children.  Instead of being saddened by the loss of a large yard, she was excited about the small fenced in yard where her little boys can play without her worrying about where they are.

Yes, they will have hard times ahead.  There is the loss of a home that lots of sweat and money have been poured into...  We are extremely thankful for the small group of believers they worship with who have come together to save the contents of their home, have worked to prepare the rental property and have helped in so many ways.  We are also thankful for James' parents who have been keeping the grandsons every day, providing shelter for the whole family, feeding and caring for them, and we are also very thankful for the care from James' home church that has offered much help as well.

What a blessing to see God's people reaching out to help others in need!  Sadly, there are many others who need help and there are many, many times that God's people DON'T fill those needs due to ignorance or indifference.  Where ever you are today, what ever you are doing, find someone who needs some help and fill that need.  Food, shelter, clothing, money, prayers all are much needed at this time.  I do have a challenge for you.....It is so very easy to say to someone that you will pray for them and I don't mean to make light of prayer at all, however....put some muscle behind that prayer and actually do something to be a blessing.  Meet a need in any way you can!!  Words come easily.  Actions are an investment into those lives who are hurting.    Lord, make me a blessing to someone today!


________________________________________________________________________________


P.S.  Please, do not think this is a plea for help for my daughter and her family!!  They are so tremendously blessed and their immediate needs are being met.  They have food, clothing, shelter, help preparing a new home, help in clearing out the damage home and lots of aunts and uncles to help with the babysitting.  Most of their possessions that were worth keeping have been salvaged.  They do know how blessed they are and are extremely grateful.   But, even if you don't live in an area that has been ravaged by these storms there are so many needs in your own communities....You can meet a need if you just look around.

My Daughter's House--After the Tornado

Tuesday was my daughter's 27th birthday.  Lauren and her young family live in a small town.  Her husband surprised her with an overnight birthday trip to Memphis.  They took their 6 month old daughter with them on Tuesday and left the two older boys with the other grandparents in a near-by town.  While they were in Memphis, instead of their planned activities,  they had to stay in the hotel room as tornado sirens were constantly going off.  At about 3 A.M. on Wednesday morning they started receiving calls and texts inquiring as to their safety from friends and neighbors who didn't know that they were not at home.  They were told that a tornado had hit in their small community.  As the weather was still bad, they stayed put.

As the morning progressed, more and more phone calls came in and my son-in-law made some calls himself.  They were eventually told that their home had been hit.  They then left Memphis and  headed home to see how bad the damage was.   As they headed home they received more calls and texts from friends and family who were at their home trying to protect the contents.  They were told to prepare themselves for the worst.  Each time I talked with Lauren she became more emotional.  So very hard!!

Jeff and the older children then decided to make the trip down to see how they could help.  When Lauren arrived home she called me.  She said, "Mom, I can't believe what I am seeing!"  I am told she did a good job of keeping the tears in throughout the busy day.  When they arrived most of the furniture had been removed from the house.  Lauren didn't know that much of their belongs were fine and that friends had taken all they could to a warehouse where it was safe and sound.

As the day went on she found out that the laundry that she had done and left sitting in the den folded in five laundry baskets was still there and still dry.  Puzzles in the play room were still intact.  The three year old's mattress had been lifted off the frame by the tornado.  A beam was in the crib where the two year old sleeps.  The roof and ceiling of the part of the house where the children's bedrooms are was completely gone.

These are pictures that Devin took of Lauren and James' home.  How grateful to God we are that they were not at home.  If they had been at home, this would have been a day of sorrow as we most likely would have been preparing for one or more funerals.  The Lord truly was watching out for them.

Lauren and James' home

Part of the yard

Master bedroom...ceiling is sagging, but it is still there.

to the left was an enclosed garage...not enclosed any more...to the right was the laundry room

garage to the left, laundry room to the right

play fort is still standing

this is the guest room...with a view of the sky!

The boys' room

the kids bathroom

the baby's room

the office (the front entrance)

the kitchen (all the new appliances were able to be removed!)

the dining area

the den--roof and ceiling remained so their belongings in here were ok!

downed trees

more outside damage

the outside storage building where Lauren's Christmas things are stored

I am sure today they will continue cleaning and preparing the rental property they will be moving into and then going through their belongings to see what remains.  Friends took bedding and clothing to wash and fold for them and I am sure they will have many offers of help for the other work.  Please continue to pray for them as they work to put their lives back together.

Quick! Prayer Requested!

Just checking in with a quick post while we still have electricity.  The weather forecast for today is stormy, indeed.   A very high probability of tornados were predicted in our area last night, but I am thankful to say that we didn't even lose power.    As always, when these storms hit, I become more and more aware of how unprepared we are to live without power.  Jeff has ordered a weather radio for us as we don't have cable or satellite TV and when the rains come our internet satellite generally goes out.

I just had a phone call as I was writing this from Lauren, our oldest daughter.  She and James, along with their six month old baby, went to Memphis yesterday for an overnight trip.  Apparently, a tornado hit in their small town.  She just called again to let me know that they have been notified by neighbors that the roof of their home is gone and so is the garage.  We are so very grateful that they were not at home!  If they had been at home, Lauren would have been at home alone with the children as James is a highway patrolman and is always called out during bad weather.  The little boys were staying overnight with James' parents and are fine.  Please pray for them as they travel back home to check on the damage and to gather what they can.  James does have some other homes that he rents out and two of them are empty so they can move in immediately.  Lauren, so like me, is mainly worried about her Christmas ornaments that we started collecting when she was just a few months old.

Please pray for their continued safety and peace.....Grateful for the Mercies God has shown and praying that they will be able to salvage some things from their home.

Visiting With the Amish

Don't forget to look here to find out who won The Homestead Blessings DVDs!!


Saturday we decided to visit the local Amish community with some friends.  It is always intriguing to see how they live and now that we know one of the Amish women (our milk connection) we can visit together.  The men and children were visiting the shops of the husband and father-in-law.  There they make leather goods and weave baskets.  I hope to be able to purchase a few baskets in the future.  They are beautifully made and seem to be very sturdy.

While we were visiting on the porch I noticed a large, round stove and asked about it.  It was huge!  Our friend quickly explained that it was a water bath canner.  The bottom part is where a wood fire is built.  The top is a huge vat that can hold 33 quart jars with pint jars sitting on top.  There is a small drain to empty the water when the canning is done.  Our Amish friend said she was able to do 100 jars of applesauce in one day last fall!  Now, that's productive!

I also noticed some a very heavy duty gutter system on the outbuildings which all ran into a HUGE tank.  I'm talking huge as in maybe 1000 gallons or more!  Huge!!  And there were several smaller ones as well.  I'm sure they use that water for the animals, garden, washing and more.  I wonder if they use it for drinking and cooking and if so, do they have a way to filter it?  Do they have a British Berkfield sitting on the kitchen counter?  Hmmm...

She also showed us her butter churn that her grandfather made for her.  It is a frame that holds a gallon jar of cream.  There is a special lid for the jar that has small paddles extending off a post that fits into the jar.  The jar is locked into place and then is rotated end-over-end when the crank is turned.  I'm sure it takes a lot longer to make butter that way than in my Bosch, but it was still very handy.

After making our purchases, we headed down the road to another home where the man of the house makes outdoor furniture.  Adirondack chairs, porch swings, gliders, picnic tables of all shapes and sizes, children's furniture and more were added to our wish list.  Jeff said next time we will bring the trailer and load up!!  An 8 foot picnic table was just $115.  It was extremely sturdy and very heavy!!  The Adirondack chairs were only $50 and again, very heavy.

I have to tell you that my friend, Becky, goes out to buy from the Amish 4 times a week from one particular woman. This Amish mother has 7 children 13 and under and recently had a miscarriage.  We were able to send some baked goods for them and Becky sent a lot of food.  Later the Amish friend sent us all a loaf of her homemade bread.   She told Becky that she didn't realize that when she started coming out there that she would soon be her friend!  You can definitely reach across the cultural barrier to share God's love with others.  We have learned so much from this connection and feel blessed to see a little bit into how the Amish live.

homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

April 25-May 1

Don't miss the announcement of the winner of  The Homestead Blessings DVDs here!


Monday
Breakfast-biscuits, ham, eggs and fried grits
Lunch-potato soup or veggie soup
Dinner-leftovers from Sunday

To do-make bread, make mozzarella cheese and butter and can pinto beans

Tuesday
Breakfast-toast,. granola, yogurt
Lunch-popcorn, fruit, bread with choice butter, jam, peanut butter or cheese spread
Dinner-beef fajitas, refried beans, chips and salsa

To do-mix up applesauce muffins, make butter

Wednesday
Breakfast-applesauce muffins and bacon
Lunch-pizza rolls
Dinner-leftovers

To do-make yogurt, mix up pancake batter

Thursday
Breakfast-pancakes and sausage
Lunch-popcorn, fruit, grilled cheese sandwiches
Dinner-lentil rice casserole, bread, salad

To do-mix up baked oatmeal, make mozzarella cheese, make butter

Friday
Breakfast-baked oatmeal with blueberries
Lunch-bean burritos
Dinner-pizza, salad and dessert

Saturday
Breakfast-biscuits, bacon, eggs, grits
Lunch-refrigerator cleanout!!
Dinner-grilled pork loin, polenta, grilled vegetables

To do:  Make food for church, make butter

Sunday
Breakfast-cinnamon rolls
Lunch-at church
Dinner-crockpot roast with veggies

Winner of the Homestead Blessings DVDs

If you didn't win this giveaway, please stop by the AFA Store and purchase your own set there.  Remember to use my password for 10% off your order at the AFA Store.  Use password ANITA64 at the checkout to get your 10% discount. 

Drumroll, please!! .......

I used the number generator at random.org to choose a winner.  The winner of The Homestead Blessings DVDs is commenter 39, mamaof4.    Mamaof4, please email me as soon as possible at jeffandanita@wildblue.net with your mailing address so we can get these amazing DVDs to you.

Thanks to all of you for participating in this giveaway.  It was fun meeting many of you for the first time.  I will be posting more giveaways in the future, so please make yourself at home and stop by frequently.

Preparedness Challenge #6

The week of April 17-23 we:

-got two more free food storage buckets

-bought 8 pounds of lentils

-canned 32 pints of milk

-bought 4 pounds of black beans

-bought 2 pounds of garbanzo beans

-dried enough strawberries to fill on pint jar...this is a learning process.  Next time I will do thicker pieces than recommended.

-bought 50 pounds of sweet onions which I hope to start dehydrating much of in the next few weeks

-bought 50 pounds of red potatoes which I hope to start dehydrating much of in the next few weeks

(I buy this amount several times a year from a local produce stand.  Just a few weeks ago they cost $12.  Yesterday I paid $18.50!!  But they still had bell peppers and cucumbers 3 for a $1)

-added 12 pounds of kamut and 6 pounds of spelt to buckets

-planted four types of squashes

-tilled up three more small garden spots

Reminder!

Just wanted to remind you all to register for The Homestead Blessings DVD giveaway here!  If you missed it, I have three DVDs in The Homestead Blessings Collection to share:  gardening, herbs and canning.  To enter you must leave a comment before midnight, Friday, April 22!  Please feel free to spread the word!  Please don't comment on this post.  Go to the linked post to comment!

Learning Adventures with Dad

Don't forget The Homestead Blessings DVD giveaway here!!

Jeff recently took Aaron, Kaelan and Jackson on an overnight camping trip at the state part just a mile from our house.   The boys and Jeff have been camping several times with former Contenders for the Faith group, but Kaelan has missed out on those adventures and has only gone a couple of times. 

Kaelan made a list of all the items that they would need to take plus a shopping list of foods for her dad to purchase.  The day of the camping trip found them hustling to gather up sleeping bags, pillows, tackle and rods for fishing, filling jugs with water, loading the tents and many other needed items.  With the exception of hooking the boat to the truck and shopping for the groceries, they did most of the planning and the work.   Planning, packing, organizing, building fires, cooking, boating and fishing....all great learning activities.

I thought I would let Jackson tell you about their camping adventures today.  Jackson used the pictures to tell me what happened.

In this picture, I (Jackson) was chopping wood for the fire.  

I was still chopping wood when I saw Dad come up to take a picture.

So I stopped and smiled for him!

Aaron and Kaelan were boating.

I was fishing with a stick because my pole wasn't ready yet.  It was tangled and Dad had to untangle it.

Kaelan and Aaron love boating.

I am drinking coffee.  (not a every day thing, I assure you!)

I was still drinking coffee.

Aaron and Kaelan are cooking breakfast.  

Dad took a picture of Aaron cooking breakfast.

Aaron is flipping the pancake on Kaelan's plate.

I am drinking coffee because I like coffee.

I Can and You Can, Too!

Don't forget the Homestead Blessings Giveaway HERE!



My friend Becky from down- the -road has been such a blessing to me.  A few times a week she brings fresh milk to my house.  She and I are learning how to make cheeses and other milk products.  We both love homemaking activities and are having fun with food storage as well.

Recently we decided we needed to start canning some of this abundance of milk we are getting.  I got a new pressure canner a couple of weeks ago and was eager to get started, but as I have never used a pressure canner I was a bit intimidated.  Becky has used a pressure canner, so she agreed to come down and help me get started.  Actually, I basically helped her! In about three hours we canned 32 pints of milk.  I think next time it won't take as long as I know a little bit more about how to do it.  We had a hard time trying to get the lid on the pressure canner....until Becky decided to read the directions!

Now we are thinking about having t-shirts made with "I Can Can" on the front and "Can You Can?" on the back!  Yes, I think we were a little tired after we finished.  Our husbands (who work for the same ministry) had just arrived home and we were a little excited about our milking adventures of the day and silliness kicked in.  But, really, I now realize it is simple and am eager to start canning some turkey, chicken and beef broth that is taking up valuable space in my freezer.  I definitely need more canning jars!

P.S.  Some have asked for the details, so here is the link to instructions.

http://gnowfglins.com

Homestead Blessings Giveaway--Three DVDs!!

I have told you all several times how my family has been greatly inspired by the West Ladies in the Homestead Blessing DVDs.  I've given away one of the DVDs before, but now I have three DVDs to share with you: gardening, herbs and canning.  I have learned so much about gardening, herbs and canning  from the wholesome and engaging instruction of Vicki West and her three daughters, Jasmine, CeCe and Hannah.  Their down-home personalities will have you wanting to invite them over for tea or wanting to jump into the car to head to their homestead outside of Leeper's Fork, TN for some one-on-one teaching sessions.

The gardening DVD covers making and using compost, raised bed, container and lasagna gardening as well as a nifty no-soil plan for growing potatoes.  Did you know that basil LIKES to be planted by tomatoes?  I didn't either, until the West ladies shared that little tid-bit of information with me.  What are some natural ways to deter bugs from your garden produce?  Watch this DVD and you will find out!

The herb DVD had me searching out apple mint in order to make some of that delicious tea that the West Girls made so easily.  And yes, I found some!  The West Ladies show you how to grow, preserve and cook with the herbs.  We started growing several of our own herbs after being inspired by this DVD: parsley, cilantro, oregano, sage, thyme, chives, apple mint, spearmint, peppermint and more now grace our table...straight from our own garden.  Oh, and basil...we can't forget the basil!!

The canning DVD made we want my own outdoor kitchen.  I have caught the canning bug and last year I probably canned about 100 jars of assorted jams and jellies!  I don't think I will need any this year!  I recently received a pressure canner and am looking forward to canning much of our garden produce this summer.  In fact, this afternoon a friend and I are going to start canning some of that abundance of milk we have been receiving!  I am so excited to get started!

As I said before, the West Ladies have really given us a vision as to what we could do with our little homestead and we are constantly striving to get our place in order.  I would love to have our home garden be as productive and inviting as the West Ladies.  You can tell they work hard and enjoy what they do.

If you would like to win this set of 3 DVDs please click on one of the many links in the post and watch a short clip of any of the three DVDs.  Then, leave a comment telling me which clip you watched.  That's it!

If you would like even more chances to win do one or all of the following leaving me a separate comment for each action. That gives you five chances to win!

-Become a follower of Busy Hands Busy Minds

-"Like" Busy Hands Busy Minds on Facebook (look in my side bar)

-Share this post on FB

-Write about the giveaway on your own blog

And just in case  you don't win these three Homestead Blessings DVDs or you want to see more of the West Ladies, you can get 10% off your order at the AFA Store.  Really, you get 10% off your order of any item from the AFA Store!  All you have to do is type in this coupon code at checkout:  ANITA64.  Now, ready,  get set, go!!  Deadline to register is Friday, April 22.  I will announce the winner on Monday, April 25!


Linking up today at Homestead Revival.

raisinghomemakers.com

 

http://gnowfglins.com

Menu Plan for April 18-24

There was one meal that we didn't eat from the menu last week, so we will have it this week.

Monday-
     Breakfast-baked oatmeal or granola
     Lunch-grill cheese, slice apples and carrot sticks
     Dinner-leftovers from Sunday, roasted pork loin with veggies

Tuesday
     Breakfast-blueberry buttermilk muffins, eggs, sausage and grits
     Lunch-popcorn, bread with butter and jam or yogurt cheese spread, apples and grapes
     Dinner-beef enchiladas, Army rice, chips and salsa with green salad from the GARDEN!!

Wednesday
     Breakfast-pancakes with strawberry sauce
     Lunch-chicken wraps with salad, popcorn and fruit
     Dinner-chicken and vegetable soup

Thursday
     Breakfast-muffins and yogurt smoothie, granola or grits
     Lunch-tuna fish or grilled cheese sandwiches with leftover soup
     Dinner-meatball stroganoff over rice with broccoli

Friday
     Breakfast-pancakes and sausage
     Lunch-leftovers
     Dinner-homemade pizza and dessert

Saturday
     Breakfast-biscuits, bacon, eggs and grits
     Lunch--snacks
     Dinner-lasagna, spaghetti, salad and bread

Sunday
     Breakfast-cinnamon rolls
     Dinner-ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, rolls, dessert
     Supper-snacks

Preparedness Challenge #5

homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

This has been one of those weeks when I am especially thankful that the Lord has led us to a lifestyle of storing away food and essentials for a time of need.  My hard-working husband found out that one of his major clients for his home business will be needing him less in the next few months resulting in a loss of income of a sizable amount.  This also happened in the early fall.  My husband also has a full-time job, so we will be fine.  It just means that we need to be more careful and watch our expenses more closely than normal.

I really didn't think that I would be able to put away much this week as I had a limited budget which needed to include a checkup for my two little boys at the allergist.    However, the Lord blessed us with some great clearance buys and reduced meat sales.  I found great joy in being able to walk through the grocery store to pick up a few things and be able to pass by so many items that we have stocked up on.  And not having to buy anything at all from the dairy section was definitely a great feeling.

So this last week we:
-made up a large batch of a simple bar soap to use in making laundry detergent
-collected four more FREE food grade buckets
-found many needed kitchen items on clearance at a local Kroger:
          -7-12 pack wide mouth canning jar lids
          -4 packs of pectin
          -4-4 packs of half pint Ball jars
          -16 white flour sacks (large)
          -6 dish towels
          -12 dish rags
           -3-5 packs of 8 ounce plastic freezer containers that are just perfect for butter
-inventoried children's clothing and made lists of a few needed items for them and me....and bought them on sale or clearance
-planned a new garden area
-tilled up a new bed that will be planted with echinacea and calendula
-as chocolate prices were predicted to be rising I bought a couple more tins of powdered cocoa and another large bag of chocolate chips....we can't have too much chocolate!!
-stocked up on some reduced priced ground beef
-transplanted some tomatoes and peppers to the raised beds
-made pizzas with a batch of homemade mozzarella...It takes time to develop a good recipe or technique.  We will keep trying.
-added several more pounds of butter to the freezer
-added another jug of olive oil to storage
-added another bag of brown sugar

Isn't God good?  Proverbs 21:20  There is desirable treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it.  

Things we learned this week:
-we must start turnips, cabbage and broccoli no later than February.  In Mississippi we go from cold weather to hot weather in just a few days.  We have already had days where the temperature has been close to 90.  These cold weather plants started in March didn't have a chance.  We'll try again with them in the fall.

-The front of our property has much richer soil than back.  So, we are going to be planting some of our medicinal flowers and herbs in the front and have a 15 x 30 foot space to the side for some vegetables.  We have spent all the money we can on "boughten" dirt and need to use our own soil and compost that we have been making for the last couple of years.  We have almost 9 acres, but most of our land is wooded so we will plant where we can!

That's about it for this week!  What have you been doing to stock up at your house?

Anatomy from a Creationist Point of View

Some of my husband's co-workers have let him know that I have been remiss in sharing with my readers the wonderful work that is going on with The American Family Association and The Homeschool Channel. The men and women in the production department have been working extremely hard creating some wonderful resources that will be a tremendous asset to your family and to your homeschool.

One of these great resources that has recently been released is The Body of Evidence, an 8 DVD series on human anatomy taught by Dr. David Minton of Answers in Genesis.  Dr. Minton taught for years at one of the chief medical schools in the mid-west and gives lectures across the country relating to anatomy from a creationist point of view.   This series was filmed locally in conjunction with Answers in Genesis.  My husband put in long hours getting this work out and my son worked on the set during filming.  One of our sweet young friends "stars" as one of Dr. Menton's students.

This series comes with a hefty study guide.  Paired up with Master Books' Body by Design by Alan L. Gillen and Princeton Review's Anatomy Coloring Workbook  by I. Edward Alcamo, Ph. D., this would be a great anatomy course for your high school student.  It also would be great for you to watch as you teach your younger children about God's most amazing creation....the human body.

You can view a trailer of this series at the above link and if you order The Body of Evidence
or any of the other fabulous resources available from the AFA Store   use this code ANITA64 in the coupon code at the checkout  to receive 10% off of your order.  Really!!  You get 10% of your order!  Great for you and great for The Homeschool Channel.  I will be putting a permanent link up in my sidebar so you can easily get the code if you need it.  And please, share this information with your friends!  I will be doing some reviews of items at the AFA store in the future and can't wait to share some great resources with you.  I know you will love them!

Naturally--Vinegar

I recently posted about cleaning my bathroom using vinegar and baking soda, but thought I would share some other ideas for using vinegar around the home.  White distilled vinegar kills most germs, bacteria and mold.  The strong smell of vinegar slowly evaporates as it dries, so you don't have lingering fumes.

-I keep a spray bottle of vinegar that I use to clean mirrors, windows and glass.  Simply spray and wipe with a lint free cloth.

-I add about 1/4 cup of vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser in my washing machine.  It softens the clothes, cuts grease and reduces static during the winter.

-I add a cup or so to my mop bucket.  Water and vinegar do a fine job, but sometimes when the floor is exceptionally dirty I add a few drops of dishwashing liquid as well.

-I mix half vinegar and half olive oil in a pint size jar.  I shake it up well and dampen a dust cloth with it to clean and dust my wood furniture.  The vinegar cleans and the olive oil moisturizes the wood.

-I dump half a cup of baking soda down each kitchen drain and pour about 1-2 cups of vinegar in to clear and freshen my kitchen drain pipes.  I have never had a clogged drain....even with pouring grease down the drain.

-You can use straight vinegar to clean the greasy tops of the refrigerator and stove vent.

-I also use my spray bottle of vinegar and a dry cleaning rag to clean  fingerprints and smudges from my stainless appliances.

-I pour in a couple of cups of vinegar in my coffee maker reservoir and run it.  You would be surprised at what comes out of there!  I do this two or three times until nothing comes out except hot vinegar.  Then I dump baking soda in my kitchen drains and pour the vinegar in...Saving vinegar!  I then run clean water through the coffee maker to rinse out the vinegar.

I know that there are many more uses for white vinegar than I have posted.   What are some ways you use white vinegar around your home?  I would love to hear!

Favorite Homeschooling Resources

Don't forget to register for The Homestead Blessings DVDs here.

I thought I would do a little series discussing some of our favorite  resources that have blessed us through the 23 years of our homeschool journey.    Today's post will cover resources for homeschooling that cross all ages.

American Dictionary of the English Language

This dictionary was written in 1828 by Noah Webster and is the first American dictionary.  Why would we choose to own such an old dictionary?  The definitions of so much of our vocabulary has changed and it is important that we understand the meanings of the words as they were used when our Founding Fathers wrote up the documents that rule our lives today.    I also highly recommend reading a biography of Noah Webster.

Moody Science Classics DVDs

This is a huge series of science DVDs that were produced many years ago, but are still very interesting to all my children.  Science topics are discussed in a way that even young children can learn and all topics are taught within a distinctly Christian worldview.   Even my youngest children will watch these DVDs very intently.

Drive Thru History Series

We absolutely love this series of engaging historical DVDs.  Dave Stott loves history and presents the facts in a way that is amusing, but really helps cement the facts in our memories.   Filmed on locations throughout the world, we have especially enjoyed the series on American history.

Polished Cornerstones, Plants Grown Up and For Instructions in Righteousness from Doorposts have long been favorites in our home for instilling scripture and Godly character into our children.  We haven't been as diligent in using these resources in the last few years, but I am looking forward to using Polished Cornerstones with Kaelan starting next year as a major part of her junior and senior high curriculum.  For Instructions in Righteous needs a good dusting off and should be put to use as I try to instill Godly character in the little boys.  These really are terrific resources!!

KONOS  will always be my first love when it comes to curriculum for my children.  Written by two homeschooling moms way back when modern homeschooling was still in its infancy, KONOS was what God led us to in our early days of homeschooling.  This curriculum has helped us create so many wonderful family memories as we have learned together as a family.  It has become more difficult for me to incorporate as my children's ages are so very wide spread, but I am planning on starting the little boys in KONOS this fall.  We have missed the fun activities and the character training that is so much a part of the KONOS curriculum.

I'll continue this series each week sharing more about our favorite resources for high school, elementary and the preschool years.    If you have any questions about a particular resource, please leave me a comment and I will get back to you asap!


 

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