Serenity in the Suburbs: December 2009

December 31, 2009

TTAT ~ The Student Becomes the Teacher

"Got teens? You lucky dogs.

Spend time with them; enjoy them; listen to them; and love them.

They are the most incredible people, these emerging adults,

and they can become the best friends you'll ever have."

~Diana Waring, Reaping the Harvest. The Bounty of Abundant-Life Homeschooling~

Happy New Year's Eve!!!

It's been an insanely busy last couple of days...I've pretty much been absent from bloggy-land until now! On Monday and Tuesday, Bryan (my 17-almost-18-year-old) was teaching his very first class! He is helping two good friends of ours and his brother to start up their own knife-sharpening businesses, and he held a two-day training course for the guys. It was "controlled chaos" down in our basement "school," but a lot of fun.

There were two father-son duos, plus brother Nathan, so 3 new sharpeners were "birthed," in all. Bryan taught the new skill on day one, and they had all brought knives and garden tools from their own homes to learn on. I made a lasagna dinner for everyone (they all live between 1.5 and 2.5 hours from us), and we had a wonderful time of fellowship. That was NOT the "controlled chaos" day!

Day two was where it got crazy! I had emailed our small church and asked everyone who wanted free knife sharpening to bring us everything they had that had a blade so the newly minted sharpeners could keep practicing, honing their skills and, mostly, building up speed so they could handle the fast pace of the farmers market setting. The church came through,

(this is just a small portion of what was donated for the apprentices)

and we set up the basement with our farmers market booth, complete with invoices, receipt booklet, cashbox, claim tickets, the works! Because on day 2, the wives/mothers/sisters got involved doing what I do for Bryan at the markets...they learned how to "work the check in desk!" I got to be a pretend customer, and they all had to do the intake and the check out procedures, paperwork, and other things I threw at them, like hadnling a crabby customer, dealing with impatient customers when there were 5 orders ahead of theirs, and wait times were high, customers who'd lost their claim tickets, would-be thiefs who had found a claim ticket on the ground and wanted to pick up "their" expensive knife set, etc.

The gals would do a "check in" of one set of church member's knives, then put it on the "sharpener's table" behind them...Bryan then took it back to the big table where the apprenticed sharpeners were, and they'd all work on that bin of blades until all were sharpened to their and Bryan's satisfaction, and then it would come up to the girls again so they could clean the blades and put protective sheaths on them.

Bryan's "school" ran for about 8 hours each day. The guys took "Wii" breaks now and then, and a pizza party to culminate the day.

I think it was a great growing experience for Bryan; he knows he's a good sharpener, and takes pride in doing a good job. Now, he knows the joy of passing along something you're good at to someone who is eager to learn. I asked him how he enjoyed teaching..."it's alright, it's harder than I thought it would be, they don't always listen!"

Oh, I could have given him a long litany of the times he had failed to listen to me over the years...but I just smiled! I think he'd already figured it out for himself! He is marching onward and upward to adulthood...and I am LOVING this time of life as a mom!

Join Us Each Thursday! Here's How:

Simply write a positive post about something (or things) that your homeschooling teenager has done which impressed you this week. Keep it focused on good/encouraging/growth-maturity-related things you've observed about them; lessons they've learned, or that you've learned through them.
Link back to me (Lori @ Plans4You) in your post somewhere, so your readers will know where to go to join Thursday TAT. If you'd like the link-button to put on your blog and/or at the top of your post, you can get it HERE.
Sign the Mister Linky below.
Be sure to leave me a comment, and then visit the other participant's blogs!

December 26, 2009

WWU ~ Christmas Week

To join the fun, visit Carol's blog at Three Little Ladies , and link us all to your post! Be sure to leave a comment here so I can visit your blog, too!

Merry Christmas! We've had a whirlwind of weather here, beginning with a lovely little snowfall 2 days before Christmas, then rain which turned to ice the morning of the 24th, coating everything and making it dangerous to walk outside, which then turned to more rain as the temps went up, washing away and melting the ice, followed by cold, gusty strong winds with snow, and Christmas night into this morning, big, fat snowflakes accumulating to about 3 inches! Here's the view out my window this morning:

Now, a quick trip through our homeschool week, ending with our Christmas...

Foreign Language: Nathan enjoyed some attempted conversation in German with my mom (his "Oma"), who was born and raised in Germany. She was actually born in what is now Poland, but before WW2, it was Germany. They had to flee the Russian Army in WW2, taking just one suitcase and wearing as many coats and hats as they could put on and still move. Everything else had to be left behind. She and her parents fled to Berlin...and then they had to leave there, as well, at the end of the war because the communist Russian army was coming to occupy there, too...so they headed to Dusseldorf area. Oma said she remembers the American army, which had occupied Berlin initially, letting the citizenry know when they'd be leaving, and warning them all to get out. She said she remembers seeing the Americans leaving in their tanks and Jeeps, and the Russian army coming in on horsedrawn wagons and carts...

Bryan would answer my questions in the best "Spanglish" (Spanish + English when you don't know the Spanish word) that he could muster...it was fun!

Farm Work: None this week...Bryan will be back at Kline Creek Farm next week, Lord willing! He has another cold virus now.

Social Studies: The boys finished their American Government class!!! What a relief! Next semester brings on Economics. Since they are both taking "English Composition 101" at the community college next semester, it is a relief that Government, with it's weekly essay papers, is over.

Science: Chemistry is on break now for another week and a half. Ahhhh...

Math: There hasn't been any math done this week...until today! Nathan gets back to the last book in the Algebra 2 series (should take him a month or two to complete it), and bryan begins Geometry today. We want him to finish it in one year, and then he can GRADUATE!!! Wow, I cannot believe this is so close to being real!

Bible: Our whole family is studying Scripture with Cindy Zeigler's materials, and we are almost at the end of our Biblical Survey (also known as the "Kingdom Study"). We are hot and heavy into the book of Hebrews, and are learning about the 5 warnings that God has given to Christians in this book.

We are, since the Zeiglers took what used to be (10 years ago) a one year Survey of the Bible and condensed it down to 17 weeks, moving rapidly through Hebrews in this study. Next semester, we have our next study's materials here and ready to go...a 16 week study of just the book of Hebrews. Whoa, this is going to be good! So for now, we're getting a quick introduction to the "jist" of the book.

Music: This reminds me to have Bryan practice piano! He's not feeling so well, so he probably won't think of it. A little "Dayquil" to the rescue, and I think he might find 15 minutes!

Homekeeping/Family: Christmas Eve was spent at my mom and dad's, and we picked up Kev's mom and brought her along. We had a gift exchange, dinner, and then went to Christmas Eve service with them at their church.

Our church is what I describe as a "house church that got too big for the house," so we rentspace at a beautiful century-old chapel on the grounds of our local living history museum.

It is just lovely...but we only have it on Sundays. Since Christmas Eve and Christmas were on other days this year, we don't have a service to go to. My parents attend a local Lutheran congregation, and we like to go with them for their beautiful Christmas Eve candlelight service. It was a wonderful time of worship in prayer, hymn, and communion.

Christmas morning I got up early (I liked having the extra time!), turned on the Christmas tree lights, started a fire in the fireplace, brewed coffee and mixed up the scrambled egg ingredients, so everything was all prepped and ready. The nice thing about having older kids is that they come down and you get to enjoy a quiet, leisurely breakfast BEFORE opening presents! Once we were happily full, we settled into our gift exchange. Nathan will be joining Bryan in the knife-sharpening business, so he get a Tormek T-7...that was the big gift of the year! Bryan's "biggie" was an Aussie drover's oilskin coat...he got an oilskin hat from my parents to go with it. This isn't Bryan, but a catalog picture:

A classic Australian sheep-rancher's coat (or any rancher...it's a Drover/Aussie Cowboy coat). Also happens to be "period-correct" for Kline Creek Farm's 1890's costuming. Now he'll be warm and DRY when he needs to be out working in the cold rains of winter/spring. Lambing happens at Kline Creek from January through March, so the guys need to have good warm coats! (The mama ewes and lambs are, of course, in the sheep barns!)

Since Kevin and the boys and I all like different kinds of coffee, we got ourselves one of those Keurig coffee makers, the one where you get the little "K-cups" and each one brews one cup of coffee. It's pretty neat, and we've been sampling the different brews that came in the sample pack with the machine.

So now we settle in for the walk into 2010. God knows what He will allow this new year to bring, and nothing...NOTHING...will happen that isn't exactly in line with His plan. We believe that Christ will be returning soon. And so, rather than focusing on all the evil that is happening in this world, and the changes that are happening in our nation, we keep looking up, anxiously awaiting his Glorious appearing! The battle is in the heavenly places, is being "mirrored" here on earth, and we know who will be victorious! Praise God!

May God Bless you this coming week! Let me know you were here, and be sure to visit Carol at Three Little Ladies!

December 24, 2009

TTAT ~ We're Done!

Merry Christmas Eve! I have just a quick post, going up in the evening, but we've been with my parents all day. Illinois has seen a lovely snowfall earlier this week...and my sons BEGGED me to let them shovel the driveway!!! At first I had to say "no," because the reason they wanted to shovel the driveway was because they were wanting to do anything besides finishing writing their final paper for American Government! I had to keep saying, "no, no snow shoveling until those papers are done...then you can celebrate the end of Government class!

Needless to say, they finished...IT'S OVER!!! No more American Gov't class!!! And then they got to "celebrate:"

Boy, I wish I could bottle this!!!

They've completed the work required of them for this semester, and we are all really happy! There will be schoolwork over the Christmas break, but only the stuff that they are wanting to either get ahead in or, for Nathan, that will help him to CLEP test an English course in May, so it's by their own choice to do it. This was a very tough semester, demanding. Good job, guys!!!

Join Us Each Thursday! Here's How:

Simply write a positive post about something (or things) that your homeschooling teenager has done which impressed you this week. Keep it focused on good/encouraging/growth-maturity-related things you've observed about them; lessons they've learned, or that you've learned through them.
Link back to me (Lori @ Plans4You) in your post somewhere, so your readers will know where to go to join Thursday TAT. If you'd like the link-button to put on your blog and/or at the top of your post, you can get it HERE.
Sign the Mister Linky below.
Be sure to leave me a comment, and then visit the other participant's blogs!

December 22, 2009

Joyous Christmas Wishes!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

I want to share three video clips which I located on YouTube...the first two are from a Public Television show that I have seen many Decembers over, titled, "Rick Steve's Christmas in Europe." These two clips share my favorite parts of the show. I love the peacefulness, the simplicity, and the picture of the family generations coming together. I hope you enjoy it, too!

The 3rd clip is of the WWI Christmas Eve Miracle. It was the celebration of the FIRST coming of Christ that brought peace into the middle of the bloodiest battlefield...oh, Lord JESUS, what peace your SECOND coming to earth will bring about..."even so, come, Lord Jesus."

(*Note: in case the videos don't want to run here on this blog entry page, I've included a direct link to their YouTube home, as well! I recommend watching in High Def, with the viewer expanded to full screen!)

Rick Steve's Christmas in Europe ~ Part 9

Rick Steve's Christmas in Europe ~ Part 10

Christmas 1914

May God bless you and your families as you focus on the beauty of God's plan for His children, and all that "Emmanuel" means to you.~Lori

TWT: Rose Geranium Sugar (A Lovely Gift!)

(To Participate in Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, write your post, visit the Blessed With Grace blog, and add it to the list!)

UPDATED & ADDED TO ON TUESDAY 12/22 @ 11:00AM CST!

A friend of mine was sharing a bit about making sugars, and I immediately thought of something that I'd made years ago, but haven't in a long time. That's Rose Geranium sugar. Scented sugar is a beautiful gift to put in a jar and give to anyone who bakes, or likes sugar in their tea! It smells like...well...like what I hope some of Heaven will smell like, cuz it's just lovely!

Of course, you'll need a Rose Geranium plant...as with any edible herbs, NO pesticides/chemicals allowed! This is an herb-type, so Northern Climates, it's a potted houseplant for us!

Pluck off a bunch of leaves (you'll use about 8 to 10 small leaves or 4 or 5 medium leaves in a cup of sugar) and let them dry out (they'll turn a yellow-color). Pour a little of your granulated sugar in a glass canning jar, then layer the dried leaves with the sugar. Close up tight. It'll take a few weeks for the fragrance to begin to really permeate the sugar, 6 weeks for it to be real good! (So if it's a gift, maybe attach a note saying to start using on the first day of spring, or something!) It is delicious in ice tea and lemonade, too. On cereal... oatmeal... raspberries...in cake recipes...in whipped cream...mmmmmmmmmmmm! A quick Google search for "Rose Geranium recipes" will yield lots of old-fashioned, romantic-sounding yummies! As you begin to use it, I like to give the jar a shake (once there's some room for the sugar to move!) to distribute the fragrance. The dried leaves, if you don't take them out, WILL break up into pieces in there. Not a problem in baking, but you could do a quick sifting before you put it in a drink, unless you don't mind a leaf or two! (I don't bother if it's going in hot tea, but in cold drinks, I don't care for leaf pieces!)
You could make a pretty colored sugar using Mary's recipe, then add the leaves to it.

Some online scented-sugar recipes say to put fresh leaves, layered with sugar. You CAN do this, but the sugar won't just "clump a little," it'll be like a brick that you have to practically hit with a hammer! If you want Rose Geranium Sugar in a hurry for baking, you can take fresh leaves, remove stems, and then process with the granulated sugar in the food processor. Make as much sugar as the recipe calls for, then use it right away. The moisture in the leaves will make it clump if you just leave it without using it.

Here are some other wonderful Rose Geranium recipes I found:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/herbs/msg0414594630038.html

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Real Chai Tea...From Scratch!

This recipe comes from my friend, Rittu, who grew up in India. The first time she made it, I asked her what smelled sooooo good in her kitchen, and she said "it's chai tea...would you like a cup?" No thanks, I said. I don't really care for chai tea. She just smiled. "Have a cup of mine, I'll bet you'll like it." Not wanting to be rude, I agreed to try it, but didn't think I'd like it any better than the mixes I'd purchased before.

Ha ha! Oh, did I eat my words! Actually, I drank my words! That was some fantastic tea!!! That was a couple of years ago, and during a weekend getaway trip to Wisconsin with Rittu, her husband, and their 2 kids, I finally paid attention as she made her nightly brew, and now enjoy making it here at my home. I've had a few bloggy friends discussing chai, and offered to share the recipe (as best as I can...Rittu doesn't really measure).

Rittu's Indian Chai Tea

Purchase/Have on hand: Cardomom pods, Fennel seeds, honey, black tea, milk (I use 2%).

The Process:

***First, put some water in your kettle and start it to boiling. You may want to add a bit of boiling water to your chai mix if you're losing too much in steam in the beginning! This is EXTRA water, it's not the water you put in the pan to start.***

Now, on with making Chai:

I'm using my almost 2 qt. pot here, and have added 4 cups of water. In it, place 5 or 6 cardomom pods which you have cracked to expose the small, black seeds. (Sometimes they crack with finger pressure, but often times I have to use my kitchen scissors to get them to break.)

Also add whole fennel seeds...I don't count them, just add a couple/few big pinches...this is about 2 pinches in my palm, I ended up adding one more pinch to the pot:

Bring the water with pods and seeds to a boil, and let it boil until the water gets "nice and green" (that's Rittu's husband, Wendall's, instruction!). I let it boil about 5 minutes. I will add some boiling H2O from the kettle if I feel I'm losing too much water in steam. The key from here on out is to KEEP IT BOILING! Here's a "before" and "after" of the water, to see the color:

It will be nice and fragrant now! Keep it boiling, and add 1 teaspoon fresh honey per cup/mug that you're making...I added 4 teaspoons honey (you could use sugar...but honey is better and healthier!).

Stir it in, KEEP IT BOILING! Let it boil about 3 minutes to really "cook" the honey flavor in.

Next, add BLACK TEA. You can use decaf black tea if you don't want the "perkies." I use 2 bags...be sure to cut off the paper tags before putting it in the water!

Keep it boiling for about 3 minutes...

Now, add milk (I use 2%), just to get it about the color of a caramel:

Let it return to a boil, and keep it boiling for a few minutes until the milk scalds (I call it that "brownish sticky stuff on the side of the pan").

The rest of this, in pictures, should be self-explanatory:

*NOTE: Pre-warmed serving tea pot...this is special, BE fussy!!!

Keeping warm under the tea cozy...

One thing I want to try for fun some day is to make this with my favorite black tea blend, Earl Grey tea. I think the bergamot, which reminds me of orange, would be out of this world in Chai!

The only photo I didn't take was of me enjoying this delightful, fresh, homemade tea! But I'd love a picture of you making it posted on your blog...please let me know when you do it, so I can visit and see!

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December 21, 2009

WWU with Three Little Ladies

To join the fun, visit Carol's blog at Three Little Ladies , and link us all to your post! Be sure to leave a comment here so I can visit your blog, too!

Foreign Language: Nathan is done with German for the semester, but is enrolled in "Beginning German Level 2" at the college for next semester. He's finishing up all the "loose ends" this week, before Christmas, so I'm letting him take a break from reviewing for now. He does enjoy just randomly speaking German to me throughout the day, so that's good! Keeps it fun, but keeps it in the brain!

Bryan had a Spanish lesson today with my dear friend (it was her family who were over last night so late...we were all tired today!). It was supposed to be the last one, but he's about one page away from taking the test and finishing the chapter/unit, so we decided to go again on Wednesday. Much better than stopping so close to the end and then waiting 3 weeks! He's doing very well. Wish I knew Spanish, I could try and talk to him! dh took it in high school, but can't remember a word of it.

Farm Work: Nothing this week! Off til January 2nd!

Sharpening Business: Bryan is going to be teaching his brother to sharpen over the Christmas break, as well as two men and their teen sons from church. We ordered all the sharpening machines, and they're lined up on a huge long table in our basement. It'll be a two day class, with day 2 primarily sharpening every knife we can get our hands on, so they build up speed and efficiency...absolutely needed for the market environment! It gets pretty fast and furious out there when there are 100 knives lined up to be sharpened! We sent out an email to our church asking for their knives...hopefully we'll get enough, each "student" needs to sharpen 75 to 100!!! Bryan's learning how to teach sharpening with this event, so these are his "guinea pigs!" (They know it, we're all good friends, LOL!) So this one's free; in the future, he can grow his sharpening business, potentially, by adding teaching sharpening as another way to earn extra income. I'm so proud of him! As a sheep farmer, every bit of extra income he can make is going to be VERY needed!

Social Studies: Both guys completed the final American Government exam on today (Monday)! YAY!!! This was a BIG hurdle, these tests are not easy...50 short answer questions. (Pain in the neck to grade, too, but they sure learn their stuff!) Somehow Bryan forgot to take one of the quizzes (can you tell how not on top of things I was here???), from way back in unit 8 (that's 8 out of 15), so he has to review and take that quiz. Quizzes are pretty easy, 15 multiple choice Q's, and he said that unit was an easy one, so I'm keeping my hopes high. He has 2 more Government papers to finish, and Nathan has one more. THEN...and only then...it is OVER. I can't wait, and they'd better get it done by the 23rd! I'm not excited about grading papers and writing course summaries on Christmas Eve! I don't want to take this into the New Year, I really want my school work wrapped up before Christmas, so I can have a little break, too.

Science: Chemistry is on semester break until January 5th. Yahoo!

Math...we are taking just a week off here so they can work full time to finish up Government. Once that's accomplished, Bryan will begin Geometry immediately, and Nathan will continue Algebra 2, which he's a couple months away from finishing.

Bible: We continue to head toward the end of the Biblical Survey study. Last Wednesday, the boys and dh went to their "Men's Mentoring" group, which meets once a month (it's the men and older sons from our church who get together). The topic was on "Knowing when it's time to get married." It was a packed house, the most attendance of the entire year!

Music: We miss practicing with the choir, but are looking forward to our next musical adventure, which we'll begin preparing for in a few weeks...I'll update then. Bryan's piano lessons are on break until the new year, but he keeps practicing. Nathan is still teaching himself guitar.

Homekeeping: I got the Springerle baked, and the lebkuchen, too. I'll post those recipes and photos on Tuesday (the 22nd), Lord willing, over at my HomeSTEADblogger place, "Serenity in the Suburbs."

May God Bless you this coming week! Let me know you were here, and be sure to visit Carol at Three Little Ladies!

December 17, 2009

TTAT ~ Choir Warriors

How funny...to be able to add what I found to what I originally thought I'd post about! What a hoot!

On Sunday, the boys and I joined the Jr. High through college-age friends in our small church's "Young Adult Choir" for the Christmas Hymn and choral music ministry to a local nursing home. Our audience was in a room where they were having a special turkey dinner...most of them were being fed, they looked to me like a group of folks struggling with the after-effects of stroke. Some had a family member with them, others were attended by aides. After we sang for them, we spent some time visiting with them, and they were pretty verbal, which was nice! They were all quite appreciative of the music we shared, and were most complimentary to the young people.

You should have seen these terrific kids, all decked out in their Christmas finery! Pretty dresses, handsome suits and Christmas ties, smart slacks and sweaters...one elderly lady asked me if they sang together just this one time, or did they do it more than once a year? I told her that we were blessed to hear them sing many times throughout the year, on numerous occasions, both at church and just for social get togethers, for fun. She said, "it's so good to see teenagers do something besides hang out on street corners and be in gangs!" (This is Chicagoland, afterall...) I laughed, and assured her that these were really wonderful kids! It is a blessing to be around such a vibrant group of young adults!

Fast forward to Tuesday...I was clearing out my cell phone's "missed call" record, and other junk on it, and I got to checking the old photos that are on it. I hardly ever use my phone's camera, and have never done anything with the few pics that are on it. But I found these that were taken in early November on a day when these same wonderful, angelic-looking young men from the choir were decked out in a different kind of "finery" for a fierce day of playing "Airsoft wars"...my boys are the two on the left, one standing, one kneeling:

I wonder what that lady from the nursing home would have thought if she had seen them racing around on ATV's at Mach 2 with their hair on fire, Airsoft guns (semiautomatics!) slung over their shoulders as they headed out to the abandoned barn to pretend they were commandos...

It reminded me, too, of this scene I put in a previous post (hit your "back" button to come back here after you've watched it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8LmPF9B5EY&feature=player_embedded

(This was my sons with their friends practicing for our Reformation Day party, decked out in their newly purchased camo-wear!)

I just had to laugh! Ah yes, boys will be boys...and then they'll put on their suits and ties and minister to "the least of these" around them, singing the praises of their Heavenly Father and their Coming King. I do love my teenage sons!

Join Us Each Thursday! Here's How:

Simply write a positive post about something (or things) that your homeschooling teenager has done which impressed you this week. Keep it focused on good/encouraging/growth-maturity-related things you've observed about them; lessons they've learned, or that you've learned through them.
Link back to me (Lori @ Plans4You) in your post somewhere, so your readers will know where to go to join Thursday TAT. If you'd like the link-button to put on your blog and/or at the top of your post, you can get it HERE.
Sign the Mister Linky below.
Be sure to leave me a comment, and then visit the other participant's blogs!

December 12, 2009

Weekly Wrapup with Three Little Ladies

To join the fun, visit Carol's blog at Three Little Ladies , and link us all to your post! Be sure to leave a comment here so I can visit your blog, too!

Foreign Language: This week saw the end of Nathan's German class at the college...HOORAY! He completed the oral portion of the final exam on Monday, and this Monday (the 14th) he will take the written portion, and that will be the end of it! He feels pretty good going into it at this point, but is in his room studying as I type this Saturday evening. Bryan is being tutored in Spanish by my dear friend, Christine, and loves it. Christine is fun, a great teacher, and the mother of 4 GREAT sons who happen to be some of Bryan's favorite buddies. Not a bad setup! All the guys speak Spanish (or are learning it), so there is lots of laughter going on alongside the learning.

Farm Work: Bryan is over his flu bug, other than an occasional lingering cough, and put in 12 hours of volunteer work this past week at Kline Creek Farm, 8 hours of it on Friday in the 20 below zero wind chills. He was comfortable enough, he said, as we got him a set of "under Armor" long underwear, plus winter boot socks, and arctic-lined Carhartt bib overalls and the blanket-lined Barn/Chore coat which is the accepted "period costuming" for the 1890's that he interprets at the farm for visitors. Guess he'll be ready for the ice-harvesting in January/February! In addition to the usual chores, he and his supervisor spent most of the day in the barns (to get out of the wind), grinding corn (1890's style, in a hand-cranked grinder...VERY aerobic, definately keeps them warm!) and mixing feed. He took a long, hot shower when he got home, and slept very well that night!

After dropping Bryan off that morning, Nathan and I had a delightful breakfast together at Cracker Barrel. We buy Nathan's sugar-free maple syrup there...it is the BEST tasting sugar-free we've found, and believe me, we've tried just about all of them! We buy 6 bottles at a time (he LOVES pancakes for breakfast), and it lasts a long time. When we run out, finally, we treat ourselves to breakfast there since we're going to the Cracker Barrel store to buy syrup :-)

Social Studies: Both guys have completed all but the final chapter in American Government, and are REALLY looking forward to finishing the course next Friday, then they study over the weekend for the final exam on Monday the 21st. They will switch to Economics for next semester.

Science: Chemistry will finish for the semester with a test on the 18th. Math...well, we know better now than to "finish" math for a semester...math NEVER stops. Period! Both of the boys are wanting to "fast-track" through their remaining math studies...Bryan with geometry (he's skipping Algebra 2), so he can finish and perhaps graduate in december 2010; Nathan with Algebra 2 (he's in the last module now) so he can try to finish it in February, then complete the year of geometry by the end of this summer...he wants to be in calculus either at home or at the community college next fall. Yeesh!

Bible: Our whole family is studying Scripture with Cindy Zeigler's materials, and we are almost at the end of our Biblical Survey (also known as the "Kingdom Study"). What an awesome blessing. I know I've written about this study before, but it is just jaw-dropping, how MUCH is packed in Scripture, and how, once you've thoroughly studied TOT, and then go into TNT and learn exactly what "The New Man" and "Living Stones" are, and what "the Church" really is, TNT just "unfolds" TOT. It has been such a growth experience to finally take the boys through this study. PTL! I can't recommend this one highly enough, especially in these end times.

Music: Since the boys and I were sharing that cold/flu bug last week, we were not able to sing with the choir at church last Sunday, but we WILL be singing at the nursing home tomorrow. We have been having a GREAT time this afternoon and evening practicing here! I am soooooo glad they "invited" me to sing with them! What a blessing this new activity has been in our lives! God is so wonderful to bring music back into our home, even if we're not very good at it, it is such a pleasure. Bryan loves taking piano lessions, and Nathan is teaching himself to play the guitar which has been sitting idle for the last 3 years. Thank you, Heavenly Father!

Homekeeping: I was able, along with my dh and ds's, to put about 7 large bags of give-aways out on the porch for Amvets to pick up on Monday. I also took 2 boxes of craft supplies (from my 4-H club leader days) to church, and I spread the word amongst the kids...they all descended upon the boxes, and most of it was snapped up! It was packed in so tight, I don't think they found it all, so I am re-packing it (more organized, this time) and taking it to church again. There is a lot of craft felt, much in red and green, and I would think they might be able to make some neat things out of it! What I can't give a way at church, I will offer to a local day care center, or pre school, or something. After that's exhausted, the garbage can will have to be next. It is SO good to be able to see space again on the basement shelves! We have all this stuff in bins, so we don't tend to be aware of it. But much of it is unusable here anymore, so better to give to someone who will be blessed by it.

I still desire to make some special German cookies this coming week that I never got around to this past week as planned; Christmas will likely be fairly quiet this year, no big family "to-do's" coming up! I like that! :-)

May God Bless you this coming week! Let me know you were here, and be sure to visit Carol at Three Little Ladies!