A Life Well-Lived

This week in my classes at Grand Canyon, we're talking about observations.  It's fun to read about the different lessons that my students have learned through observing--from learning how to make fried chicken from their grandmas to lessons on life.  The conversation this week reminded me of a lesson I learned from my Dad as a teenager, just ready to head off to college.

One day, I got a call from Bank One, telling me that I was hired.  That was great, except I had never submitted an application or done an interview.  I had no idea that I was even in consideration for the job--or even that they were hiring!  It turns out that my Dad had mentioned my name, and I was hired solely on the basis of his character. (Of course I proved myself, too, later on!)  Amazingly, since I was going off to college, I couldn't work at our local branch, so I was transferred to a branch in Flagstaff with high recommendations--even though I had never worked a day at the bank!

My Dad wasn't a wealthy man.  He didn't have any "standing" in the community.  In fact, he was the assistant manager at the local grocery store.  Everybody knew my dad because of his smile, I think.  He was always smiling or joking with one person or another.  It didn't matter what was going on in his life, my Dad always had something to be thankful for and a kind word for everyone. 

But it wasn't just his good attitude or his kind words that people noticed.  He was also a man of integrity.  Dad always did what he said he would do.  He lived a life worthy of God.  And while the benefits weren't monetary, to my young 18 year old self, getting a job just on the basis of my Dad's character made a huge impression on me.

I hope that one day my kids will be able to say the same about me--that their mom was a person who lived her life with integrity and kindness and always a smile to share.

Karen and Dad

Phil. 1:6:  Have confidence that He who began a good work in you will continue it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Homeschooling Curriculum

Among homeschooling moms, the conversation often begins with the scintillating question:  "What curriculum are you using?"  So, I thought I'd share my wonderful curriculum choices with my reading audience.  ;-)

Last year, we switched from Saxon math to Horizons.  We started with Saxon because we started out with Veritas Press.  They recommend starting K with 1st grade math and so on.  However, Megan hated the boring black and white pages, so I went on a search for new, more colorful curriculum.  We decided on Horizons, mostly because of its Christian emphasis.  Singapore math was a close 2nd.  I'm a little conflicted about the K Horizons because the method of teaching addition is a little strange.  But everything else is good. 

For phonics, I use All About Spelling, which uses flashcards and manipulatives to teach the phonetic spelling of words.  Megan was doing the Veritas Press Phonics Museum for K, which was a lot of fun, but only got through the short vowel sounds and the consonants by the end of the year, but expected her to memorize huge lists of words every week.  She got so frustrated because there was no predictability.  She learned all the phonograms and was reading within 2 weeks with AAS.  I like that it does double duty as a spelling and a phonics text and that it utilizes different learning methods--auditory, visual, and sensory.  I also supplement with Explode the Code.  It's just fun to say.  And it does a great job of getting the kids to practice the skills they're learning in AAS.

This year, we're trying out Shurley English.  In part because the homeschool program we think we might join at some point uses it, in part because it's a well-recommended part of any classical curriculum, and in part because we're still kinda sorta following the Veritas Press model.  I really do like it (Veritas Press & the Phonics Museum), and I would use it again in conjunction with All About Spelling.  :-)

For literature, we're using the reading list from Veritas Press.  I'm pretty happy that I have a lot of the books on the list already (yes, I have good taste.  lol), and we make trips to the library every Sunday, so we'll supplement the rest with free books!  Yay!

Handwriting--we use A Reason for Handwriting.  I just love that they are practicing writing verses every day.  This year, we will be doing a lot more writing.  The kids have been writing a letter a week to a friend, so that is one way we're practicing.  I think book reports will be in order, and I think I remember seeing quite a lot of writing in the Shurley English books, too.  As an comp teacher, I'm always running into the same problem with my students--they freak out so much about grammar and spelling that they can't get their ideas down. So I didn't worry about those things with Megan--just get your ideas down and then edit.  But in her 'real life' writing, which she does a lot of, she doesn't do the editing part.  SO...we need some more practice.  :-)

That's quite a lot already, don't you think?!  But we wouldn't be complete without history and science.  This year, thanks to a wonderful new friend who let me borrow her book, we'll be doing Apologia Astronomy.  The kids spent an hour looking through the book tonight, so I think they'll like it.  Megan wants to try all the experiments.  And Tristan, well, his ears perked up when he heard Science.  Why?  Because his book on Nascar says that you have to be good at math and science to drive a racecar.  Thank you Nascar!  ;-)

I would love to do Story of the World for history, but for now, I think, we're going to continue with the TruthQuest American History we have from last year.  This year will be some catching up, for sure.  After a year of "fast school,"  the kids are going to love (I hope) having time to really have fun learning instead of having to rush through everything.  That's one of the benefits of homeschooling--it adapts to your life! 

Some other things I'd like to throw in--Spanish, cooking, art. Oh!  And Megan begged and begged to learn Latin.  So, we're going to work on that, too.  So, we've got a lot going on this year.  Hopefully we'll keep it together.  Maybe next time I'll share with you how I juggle all I have on my plate.   :-)  And I think something that we tend to forget--the overall goals of homeschooling, at least for our family.

Thanks for listening!

Fall Gardening in New Braunfels

One of the things I have missed most (besides my family and friends, of course!) about Arizona is my garden & fruit trees.  I was so excited to see actual fruit on my trees this year, and we were taken away before getting to taste it!  I even had blackberries ready to ripen on the vine.  God was so good to give us a house here in TX with fruit trees.  Granted, they are two fruits I have never eaten in my life (figs and persimmons), but they are fruit trees, none the less.  (Ok, I have eaten figs--in newtons.  lol) But, I still missed the fun of picking all the ripe tomatoes our of our garden. 

(Don't you love the hat?)  Can you guess what this is?

So, I was really excited to find out that New Braunfels has a second growing season in the fall that lasts through November!  I've heard that we can plant a second crop of tomatoes and zucchini right now, plus plant cold weather crops, like broccoli and lettuce. 

The kids all got to help.

Carrying the big planter to the back yard.  Ryan also made two small ones.

 So, Ryan built planters for me, and yesterday we went and bought soil (to fill the planters), tons of seeds (I left all mine in AZ--oops!), and some seedlings from the Plant Haus.  I planted tomatoes, zucchini, & bell pepper plants.  And from seed, broccoli, celery (a first for me!), sweet peas, lettuce, spinach, carrots, radishes, and green onions.  Plus, I bought a chocolate mint and a thyme plant, and planted chamomile, basil, oregano, dill, and cilantro.  I'm really excited to see what grows!

This is where I planted the sweet peas (two kinds!), lettuce, carrots, radishes, & onions...You can see one of the four fig trees to the right in the picture. 

 Next spring, when the fruit trees arrive, we'll be buying several dwarf varieties that will live in pots for a few years until we have our own house.  Pretty much everything grows here--from apples and pears to citrus.  Even bananas!  How cool is that?! Even in the little things, God is faithful. :-) 

A New Author

So, we have been visiting the library every Sunday after church, which is a great treat for everyone but Ryan who has no idea what to read.  lol  He takes the kids to the kid section, and I go find my books, which just so happen to be color coded!  All the inspirational fiction has a yellow binding, so it's easy to find. 

I started in the B aisle, because I know that Terri Blackstock is in that row.  :-)  And I found a new author--Mary Connealy.  The Lassoed in Texas series tells the story of some brave women of the frontier in Texas.  They are great stories of overcoming hardship, finding the good in life's circumstances, with a bit of romance and danger thrown in.  And, look how cute the covers are! :-)

Whole Wheat Bread

I've decided that a super short post is in order after my super long post the other day!  lol

I made whole wheat bread yesterday--and it turned out really good!

So here's how I did it:

1)  Heat 2 1/2 c milk & 2 T butter to 110 degrees.

2)  Add 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, and a package of yeast.  Wait for yeast to fully dissolve.

3)  Mix in 4 T molasses and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour.

4)  Mix in flour, one cup at a time until dough is ready.

5) Let rise one hour.

6) Punch down, put in bread pans, let rise 1 hour.

7) Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

I think you could probably add in more than 3/4 c whole wheat flour, and I thought about adding in some whole wheat, too.  I combined Tim's basic recipe with a Betty Crocker recipe in my old BC cookbook.  It's yummy! 

Our Moving Story...or Why I Need a Summer Vacation

When the economy went belly-up in AZ, my amazingly talented contractor husband and I decided to switch roles for a while!  I went back to work, after being a stay-at-home mom of three little ones for 4 years, in the Spring of 2009.  Since then, I have taught up to 10 to 11 composition courses a semester for three to four different colleges/universities, while hubby became Mr. Mom.  

To make things more interesting, in April, we decided to move 1000 miles from Camp Verde, AZ (where all my family lives) to New Braunfels, TX (where we know NO ONE) in the hopes of finding work for my husband and getting me back home with my kiddos.  The first hurdle?  Ryan needs a truck.  (Unfortunately, he had traded his truck in for a smaller car with smaller payments in December!)  Deciding to be 'wise,' we buy a 1999 Chevy utility truck we find on Craigslist with our dwindling tax refund and sell Ryan's car for what we owe to my cousin.  We will drive to Texas in two vehicles--Ryan pulling a trailer of our belongings behind his truck, while I follow in my little Corolla with our three kids (ages 3, 5, and 8). 

With no leads on buyers for our home, we decide to rent it.  The people renting the house are wonderful, so we know they will take care of our home.  And they even drop hints that if they like it they might decide to buy it.  Hmmm.  We bend over backwards to make them happy--including agreeing on a June 1st move-in date on May 25th and leaving ALL of our furniture.

With one week's notice, we pack up our house, putting only what we really need in my father-in-law's trailer.  On June 4th, we pack the kids in the car & leave for Texas.  Less than 20 miles out of town, Ryan's engine blows up.  A tow truck and $350 later, we are back at Ryan's parents' house trying to come up with a plan.  The good news--There is a flood in New Braunfels this week and we missed it!


We end up trading in my Corolla for a 2002 Chevy that can pull the trailer and hold all 5 of us. I will be without a vehicle in TX, but at least we'll be there! A week later, June 12, we are on our way again.  About 90 miles later, just outside of Phoenix, we decide to get some gas & snacks before heading across the desert.  Ryan notices that all the tread on all the tires of the trailer is completely gone.  Four new tires later, we are back on the road.  Thankfully we were just minutes away from a tire place, instead of stranded in the middle of the desert! 

We are now 2 hours behind schedule on our 14 hour drive.  About 4 hours from our destination (11pm Texas time), Ryan decides to stop and rest for a few minutes.  So, we pull into a Wal-Mart in Ft. Stockton, TX.  Where we sleep all night.  In the truck.  :-(

Finally, we get to our destination--some friends of Ryan's parents whom we have never met, but who have generously asked us to stay in their casita (a one bedroom, one bathroom guest room) in Bandera, TX.  We arrive Sunday around noon, and, with an appointment with a realtor to scout out rentals on Monday, I know we will be in a house by the end of the week.

Unfortunately, a huge flood in New Braunfels, which we thankfully missed with our vehicle drama, has created a run on the rental market.  Any house or apartment immediately available has been snapped up by the 100 families put out of their homes by the flood.  We stop at house after house, only to have the realtor call, shake her head, and say, "They just got a contract." 

Finally, after about 8 hours of searching with all the kids and no lunch...we pull up in front of a cute house downtown--right where we want to be!  She calls...and the house, which had been under contract until 5 MINUTES ago!, is now available.  We sign papers that afternoon.  The bad news--no house until July 3rd. 

Our New House!

We spend three weeks in a one bedroom, one bathroom guest room with no kitchen, no toys, no books, no transportation.  The good news?  Ryan gets a job!  The bad news--the job requires that he spend money to get tools, that he be gone from 7am to 9pm, and he won't have a paycheck for 3 weeks.  The good news?  We really love the Embrees, and they love us!

Finally, it's July 3rd.  We leave Bandera and head to New Braunfels.  20 miles into the 60 mile trip, Ryan hears a strange noise and looks out his window, only to see a tire bouncing down the road.  Pulling into a parking lot, we find that it, is, indeed, our tire--one of the brand new tires from the trailer has completely separated from the trailer and bounced into someone's car.  Good news--no damage to their vehicle.  Bad news--there is no way to fix the wheel and we are stuck in Boerne, TX, with all of our stuff on the back of a trailer that we can't move. 

What now?  We rent a U-Haul.  After about an hour of confusion,  we finally find one that's open and has a truck--the biggest one they have.  We have to unload the trailer onto the UHaul before we can get on our way.  Fortunately, the 3 weeks we spent with the Embrees made them like us a lot!  Mr. Embree came, with his son & daughter-in-law, to help us load the U-Haul and to haul the empty trailer back to their place.

Finally!  We make it to New Braunfels and our cute little house.  Where we have absolutely no furniture--well, except for the two card tables and 5 chairs I managed to squeeze into the trailer and the three blow up mattresses we bought for the kids to sleep on at the Embree's. 

What happens next is the miracle of Texas hospitality.  One neighbor comes over with 3 camp cots for the kids.  Yay!  Three beds.  (And that means that Ryan & I have blow up mattresses to sleep on!)  And the other neighbor brings us a real, live kitchen table with 5 chairs!  Even better, on Sunday, the real estate agent brings us a full tray of Subway sandwiches to enjoy--that feeds us for 3 days! 

Megan in the kids' room with their cots

July 4th--we spend with our new friends and neighbors watching the fireworks in New Braunfels.  Truly a day of independence and hope for our family. 

Ryan left his first nightmarish job two weeks ago and is now working with one of the finest builders in New Braunfels, TX, and I am, of course, still teaching my online classes.  Still busy, still struggling a bit, but knowing that there is hope, a light at the end of the tunnel.  Through it all, we saw that God was watching out for us.  And we realized that we may not have a bed to sleep on, but we have each other, and that's what counts.  Is it any wonder that my favorite Bible verse has always been Romans 8:28:  "All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose."

So, why do I need a summer vacation?  To celebrate that God is good.  To celebrate my beautiful family.  And to celebrate a new beginning.

A day in New Braunfels

I thought it would be fun to take you with us through a day here in New Braunfels.  :-)  We start out, of course, by liberally spraying everyone with bug spray!  Then, we just start walking!  It's so fun to have so much to do within walking distance.  On this day, we are setting out to the Farmer's Market, where there is live music, lots of fresh produce, & other fun stuff. 

After walking around and making some yummy purchases, including some ground beef, a whole chicken, tomatoes, and bell peppers, we decide to stop for some breakfast burritos and fresh lemonade. 

After stashing our bounty safely at home, we decide to head back to town to check out the Red Rooster, an antique store and restaurant.  After browsing through the store, we head off in search of a snack.  And we find a brand new bakery called Tarts!  We enjoyed our delicious cupcakes, and went back for more the next day for the free grand opening cupcakes.  :-)

Later on, we have an impromptu water party in the backyard with all of the neighbors.  With 6 boys ages 1-10, we had quite a lot of fun.  Megan hid out next door with her friend, Vanessa, playing Monopoly. 

And we round off the day with hotdogs at home--grilled on our itty bitty charcoal grill.