tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73929539141365950572024-03-13T15:45:01.845-05:00Living a Changed Lifeinsights from my Weight Watchers victories and stumblesJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.comBlogger1160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-29841547638874514432022-02-21T09:00:00.025-06:002022-02-21T09:00:00.166-06:00How to Budget for Operation Christmas Child Boxes<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSHbuaJ9TkXn5inusfI2HdGJby4-XDQ_8nCUA2CfpUvinAwtoNFVUOiZO4XuZ0Bdi13SjAbAVj_SSIZ-jfe51bQMvT4nE-neL4hUVPE-PJwA_8GeN_KAV8riD-fn3VJ7OJ5HH8B5tHtPoEgYMU_PGV1AHUewk3GtelMEfeEZNA_lSwnW8wrUeinhAQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSHbuaJ9TkXn5inusfI2HdGJby4-XDQ_8nCUA2CfpUvinAwtoNFVUOiZO4XuZ0Bdi13SjAbAVj_SSIZ-jfe51bQMvT4nE-neL4hUVPE-PJwA_8GeN_KAV8riD-fn3VJ7OJ5HH8B5tHtPoEgYMU_PGV1AHUewk3GtelMEfeEZNA_lSwnW8wrUeinhAQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">For years, we’ve been packing boxes for <a href="https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/" target="_blank">Operation Christmas Child</a>. Seriously, this is one of our favorite Christmas traditions!! Even before Jon and I had kids, we were packing shoeboxes full of presents and sending them to children around the world.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size: large;">This year, National Collection Week is November 14th-21st, 2022.</span></b></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Sometimes when life is busy, I forget to shop ahead of time. This can be hard on our budget, because it means you have to shop for everything necessary for our Operation Christmas Child boxes right before the holidays. Therefore, adding several huge expenses on top of each other during October, November, and December.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Unfortunately, that’s what happened last year, which was challenging. After talking to my husband, we agreed it was important to try and spread this expense out throughout the entire year and try to buy a little bit each month for our Operation Christmas Child boxes. That being said, I was determined to sit down and make a list about what I need to buy each month.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">God really answered my prayers and gave me some great ideas!! Throughout the year, I will shop for supplies and keep them in a big box in my basement. Then, in November when it’s time to pack our boxes, my girls will choose goodies from my stash for their own Operation Christmas Child boxes. Below, I’ve listed some additional ideas about, how to budget for your Operation Christmas Child supplies.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRj9Z51Ou9NJy5h6CZZPdLRuVCF0BEvGvCyNEiv9gyn3GOtRgSTGovqk0L1dxZkyOzsAgPjmqQj3qQE13M6m6bqZRegWc4G5ivpTNoavvhxOL2-RlYECakl7RNnHYanSa4P_GKhr7EJaRZWjmoEFemzl_k9Pu_7kE9cyaCSyoRzwsiEUuqyMkQz_Up=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRj9Z51Ou9NJy5h6CZZPdLRuVCF0BEvGvCyNEiv9gyn3GOtRgSTGovqk0L1dxZkyOzsAgPjmqQj3qQE13M6m6bqZRegWc4G5ivpTNoavvhxOL2-RlYECakl7RNnHYanSa4P_GKhr7EJaRZWjmoEFemzl_k9Pu_7kE9cyaCSyoRzwsiEUuqyMkQz_Up=s320" width="240" /></a></div><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><u><b>How to Budget for Operation Christmas Child Boxes</b></u> </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">1. <b>Decide How Many Boxes You Want to Pack.</b> In order to know how many supplies I need to buy throughout their year, it’s important to know how many boxes we will be packing in November. This year, our plan is to pack 5 boxes, which will let each of my girls have a chance to pack a box. As a result, while I am shopping throughout the year I buy 5 of each item. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">2. <b>Make a List of Supplies You Need.</b> If you <a href="https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/">visit Samaritan’s Purse’s website</a>, they have great age appropriate lists to help you know what to pack in your child’s box. You will need to buy a plastic shoebox, which you can get at Walmart or you can buy boxes from <a href="https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/" target="_blank">Samaritan’s Purse’s website</a>. Typically, I pack the following items in our boxes… toothbrushes, a ball, markers, pens, washcloths, notepad, stickers, a book, a small lego or doll, a brush, hair ties, matchbox cars, socks, bandaids, and chapstick.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">3. <b>Shop From What You Have.</b> Once I have my list, I go through my house and shop from what I have first. This is an important principle I live by and it helps me to use what I have first before buying something new. There are many items that I usually already have on hand, like toothbrushes, pens, markers, and notepads. Whatever I’m able to find, I check it off my list and put it in my big box of supplies in the basement.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">4. <b>Breakup Remaining Items, Decide What to Buy Each Month.</b> After shopping throughout your own house, breakup the remaining items and decide what to buy each month. You can do it by category or what happens to be on sale during different months throughout the year. For example, if I need school supplies I will buy them in July and August when they’re on sale. Also, you don’t have to buy the most expensive supplies either, so be sure to stop by The Dollar Tree or at Goodwill if other stores seem too expensive.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">5. <b>Pack and Donate Your Boxes. </b>After buying all your supplies, you will be ready to pack your individual boxes. You can write notes to your child and even include a picture of yourself or your family!! Don’t forget to pay for the shipping cost for each of your boxes <a href="https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/" target="_blank">online</a> and put the label on the outside of each box. Finally, they’re ready to be donated to an <a href="https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/" target="_blank">Operation Christmas Child Drop Off location</a>!!<br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">6. <b>Save Extra Supplies for Next Year.</b> Last year, I ended up with extra supplies and shoe boxes. I kept them in a big box in my basement and I plan to use them this year. Anything to help me save money or possibly be able to pack more boxes than last year.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">I hope this has been helpful!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-44732658592756958932022-02-15T09:00:00.018-06:002022-02-15T09:00:00.184-06:00Homeschool Planning: Preparing my Upcoming Homeschool Year (Part 1)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMPIcuDHHVruZcNnnYxpLWjakNkq1dz537OwpEFj_pqRlwwDVlIrP861ZmDCYCuDC6CuueE00bCaXnoO65QCcSgBRibiGW637BsSaGnErk3dU0KO1P1jCOKgfNpX5corRGEan0kjndyRF0JeP0IPY9ArLn5KLF1SgUroXcxOg8GHCp0mn91b7Lrg-c=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMPIcuDHHVruZcNnnYxpLWjakNkq1dz537OwpEFj_pqRlwwDVlIrP861ZmDCYCuDC6CuueE00bCaXnoO65QCcSgBRibiGW637BsSaGnErk3dU0KO1P1jCOKgfNpX5corRGEan0kjndyRF0JeP0IPY9ArLn5KLF1SgUroXcxOg8GHCp0mn91b7Lrg-c=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">I’m so excited to be kicking off a two part series called, “Homeschool Planning” and it will have two parts!! Part one, will be all about how I prepare for my upcoming homeschool year, so a more broad type of planning and preparation. Part two, will include a much more detailed look at how I plan out my curriculum for a new school year and break things out for each school week.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Let’s jump right in!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">I’m a homeschooling Mom to five girls. I have a 4th grader, 3rd grader, 1st grader, and twin 3 year olds!! I started teaching my oldest in preschool, which means I’ve been homeschooling for 6 years now. The first few years were the hardest, because I was never homeschooled and had a big learning curve. However, God was faithful to patiently teach me what I needed for each specific year. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Today, I’m going to share the broad ways I begin to prepare for an upcoming school year. I will be sharing about how I pray for our upcoming school year to begin ready to order new curriculum. My favorite!! These aren’t hard and fast rules about what you need to do, but simply my process. I hope you will find this helpful as you begin to prepare for your own upcoming school year.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">5 Ways to Prepare for Your Upcoming Homeschool Year</span></b></u></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">1. <b>Pray for wisdom.</b> I use the <a href="https://shop.valmariepaper.com/collections/journal-collection" target="_blank">Val Marie Paper Prayer Journal</a> to keep track of my monthly prayer requests. I have one section labeled, “Homeschool” so I can have a place to write down prayer requests for a particular month. My main prayer request is wisdom about our curriculum. Seriously, this is so important!! I also pray to have a zeal and excitement for homeschooling. As I pray, I begin to catch a vision for upcoming homeschool. Our lives are far from perfect, but God has been faithful to answer my prayers!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6HndZeDQqXNLEfd9njJfQ-Rxfjxf2ijO4jwyGNZImkUfhc1TZ19qNIHPr7OucFPPm3G2qlR-9BxTVi2lM0idbbbr7pf_5PSu-gXxHKpGOTvUTwMXaT6gHXKhBGaw3FpHUeo-DJR3GXXrNreRX0_YqECR24_btgVSOreeoTL6Va2pB25GldlVzSvPr=s1242" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="1242" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6HndZeDQqXNLEfd9njJfQ-Rxfjxf2ijO4jwyGNZImkUfhc1TZ19qNIHPr7OucFPPm3G2qlR-9BxTVi2lM0idbbbr7pf_5PSu-gXxHKpGOTvUTwMXaT6gHXKhBGaw3FpHUeo-DJR3GXXrNreRX0_YqECR24_btgVSOreeoTL6Va2pB25GldlVzSvPr=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">2. <b>Write down ideas.</b> I use the notes app on my phone to jot down ideas about our upcoming school year. Currently, I have a note called, “2022-2023 Homeschool”, and I created in back in July 2021 after we began our current school year. This note is very helpful to me, because I can write down ideas for next year without having to commit to anything. Additionally, it helps me remember all my ideas and see what things will work for our upcoming school year. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">3. <b>Choose a curriculum.</b> Typically, around January or February, in a very broad sense, I begin to decide on our main curriculum for the upcoming school year. Both, in my mind and in my notes app. Don’t forget, nothing is set in stone and God might lead you to make some changes down the road. However, making these overall curriculum choices early on helps me to have time to go through my own books to use what I have, order new curriculum and books, and buy other supplies before we start our next school year.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">4. <b>Use books you already have.</b> It’s important to go through what I already have and this is a principle I live by in most areas of my life!! Deciding on curriculum early on gives me a chance to go through what I already have to set books and other supplies aside for our upcoming school year. I have a big plastic box full of all my incredible finds sitting in our school room!! Additionally, this process will help you save money!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">5. <b>Order new curriculum.</b> Once I have gone through my own bookshelves, I make a list of the main curriculum and books we will need to order. I also make lists for each of my girls of the individual curriculum each of them will need for the coming year. Again, planning early lets me have time to wait until books or curriculum go on sale to buy them. It also gives me time to order new curriculum, check it out and return it if I don’t like it. Seriously, I love curriculum, so as the boxes of curriculum begin to arrive it feels like Christmas morning to me!! </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">I hope this was helpful!! Please let me know if you have any questions. </span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">In the near future, I will write the next blog post in this series.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-73224864775189980272022-02-07T09:00:00.195-06:002022-02-07T09:00:00.205-06:00My 2022 Mom’s Morning Basket<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRmNp9VwpZblAWZj0XHDX5RBUby405ONFhVmKOz6bm4kY5PC4KH9ynW3nI4qOJeJI1_uNsMi8VFa9nbseZ-FeUQqM78vLjIJ9UoecDeKxQOsXNQjrQ4iLTRLx2CwpQkZYDd99gOIfOEslqJbEABz4AufdnqqP2QS-x8OMyYxQoukAcThLwPFCn140G=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRmNp9VwpZblAWZj0XHDX5RBUby405ONFhVmKOz6bm4kY5PC4KH9ynW3nI4qOJeJI1_uNsMi8VFa9nbseZ-FeUQqM78vLjIJ9UoecDeKxQOsXNQjrQ4iLTRLx2CwpQkZYDd99gOIfOEslqJbEABz4AufdnqqP2QS-x8OMyYxQoukAcThLwPFCn140G=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">A few years ago, I shared all about, “<a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/07/my-moms-morning-basket.html" target="_blank">My Mom’s Morning Basket</a>”. Today, I thought it would be fun to share an updated blog post all about what is currently in my Mom’s morning basket, because somethings are the same and some are new!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">I bought my Mom’s morning basket on sale at Hobby Lobby!! It has sat in the corner of my for almost 2 years!! Depending on the season of my life, my basket will be more full than other times. Every month or so, I try to go through my basket to purge it of unnecessary things, which can easily accumulate in my basket if I’m not careful. Thankfully, I just went through my basket as we kicked off the New Year, so it’s the perfect time to share all about my 2022 Mom’s Morning Basket!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Below, is a list of what’s in my morning basket. I will go through each item and tell you how I use it. If I can find it, I will include a link for each item, so if you’re interested you can learn more about that specific item or buy one for yourself.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfNp9r3MYTgRM-qc-h-UiWXdVeLvo1w-_SlTsLb9OuyEw69Y97FcDZOiEG01KjUQgcUujROwPV4oHGaOawY_FuvTXnHK_nM2kQe0VKLuCfBoFZiNBc8U1XCxN54ooXDDDfcJfcwuUFn7xwi6r3o5MVWGxtAQaM32sWG6u_-LbU3d5PEyPqaygG64Np=s3438" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3438" data-original-width="3438" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfNp9r3MYTgRM-qc-h-UiWXdVeLvo1w-_SlTsLb9OuyEw69Y97FcDZOiEG01KjUQgcUujROwPV4oHGaOawY_FuvTXnHK_nM2kQe0VKLuCfBoFZiNBc8U1XCxN54ooXDDDfcJfcwuUFn7xwi6r3o5MVWGxtAQaM32sWG6u_-LbU3d5PEyPqaygG64Np=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"> <b><u>What’s in My 2022 Mom’s Morning Basket?</u></b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinline-Bible-TruTone-Rotunda-Design/dp/1433570874/ref=sr_1_12?crid=9J3NJMRKAZOH&keywords=esv+thinline+bible&qid=1643907303&sprefix=ESV+thinl%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-12" target="_blank">My ESV Thinline Bible</a> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">I love this Bible!! I bought it on sale at Lifeway in Texas back in April 2013. Thankfully, i</span><span style="font-size: 18.549999237060547px;">t fits in my purse perfectly and not too bulky to bring when I’m traveling. </span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">Even though, many of my girls have drawn in my Bible, I can’t bring myself to use anything else!! My good friend taught me to label those precious scribbles, which I have done and they’re too important to use something else. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">2. <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/goal-planners-and-accessories">2022 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets</a> </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px; text-align: center;">Every year, I purchase the Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets. They’re a goal planner which help me focus on the things that truly matter to me. Each month, I fill out a tending list of things I want to work on that month. My Powersheets live in my Mom’s basket, which make it easier for me to check off tasks as I complete them!!</p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2022/01/my-2022-cultivate-what-matters.html" target="_blank"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><span style="font-size: 18.6px;">Click here for more details about My 2022 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets.</span></a></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">3. <a href="https://shop.wellwateredwomen.com/products/give-me-jesus-journal-2" target="_blank">Give Me Jesus Journal</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For more in depth Bible study, I use the beautiful Give Me Jesus Journal from Well-Watered Women Co. In the Bible study section, there is space to write out your gratitude, scripture, what you’re learning about God, how this changes the way you live, and prayers. There are two additional sections: Jot it Down and Prayers and Praises. If you don’t need the extra sections, they also have a simplified Give Me Jesus Journal that’s just has the Bible study pages. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Greenroom-Spiral-Journal-Turquoise-Stylus/dp/B08BL5M277/ref=sr_1_3?crid=242J3ZZKOI41O&keywords=Green+room+journal&qid=1643910286&sprefix=green+room+journal%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Spiral Lined Journal</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m currently using a pretty journal I got last year for my birthday!! I use this lined journal to write my sermon notes in each week at church. If I have a chance, I also use it to write out prayers to Jesus about what we did on a specific day. Just more of a generic journal.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">5. <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/write-the-word" target="_blank">Cultivate What Matters: Write the Word Cultivate Forgiveness</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Being a Mom of 5 kids, means I don’t always have a lot of time for in depth Bible study. For this reason, I love the Write the Word journals from Cultivate What Matters. I’ve used these for years, because they let me spend as much time with Jesus as I have to give on a specific day. It’s just two pages which includes space to write what I’m grateful for, the Bible verse for that day, what’s on my heart, and my word for the day. I’m currently working through the Cultivate Forgiveness, which has been good!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">6. <a href="https://shop.valmariepaper.com/collections/journal-collection/products/yearly-prayer-journal?variant=40400397172927" target="_blank">Val Marie Paper 2022 Rhythms Prayer Journal</a> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For years, I always wanted something to use to keep track of all the things I want to pray about each day. I was so excited to discover the Val Marie Paper Rhythms Prayer Journal!! God has used this tool to help grow my prayer life so much!! Each month I can write out my prayer requests and easily remember for whom I need to pray.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">7. <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/all/products/action-card-deck-wellness" target="_blank">Cultivate What Matters: Intentional Action Card Deck Wellness</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a new product from Cultivate What Matters!! It’s full of beautiful cards, which prompt me to work on my wellness one small step at a time. So far, I’ve really enjoyed them!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">8. Lots of fun pens, pencils, and goal setting sticker book!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Yoobi-Organizer-Capacity-Interior-Exterior/dp/B07DP8RXCG/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1L28EVBL2IQQP&keywords=yoobi+pencil+case&qid=1643912001&sprefix=Yoobi%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-3" target="_blank">pink Yoobi Pencil Organizer</a> filled with highlights, pens, pencils, and the <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/all/products/goal-setting-sticker-book" target="_blank">Cultivate What Matters: Goal Sticker Book</a>. Personally, it’s more fun to use pretty pens and stickers while I work through my Bible study and other journals. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Now it’s your turn, do you have a Mom’s morning basket? If so, what’s in it?</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-6428180737068840092022-02-03T09:00:00.048-06:002022-02-03T09:00:00.172-06:002022 Word of the Year<p style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="s1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.55px;">“Hope is called the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19) because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.” </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.549999237060547px;">- RC Sproul</span></i></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Last month, I wrote a blog post all about, <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2022/01/my-2022-cultivate-what-matters.html" target="_blank">“My 2022 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets”</a> and I told you my word of the year: HOPE!! Honestly, I’m so excited to share more about this with you all today.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha9V-qiSx4WwYR1XkoVFS3_AojxGIxzxn3C30IPjCpKx66enn7r1VoqZ6NMyhWNeezqPvw4Q3pexd3bJYv_GpnUx6OYQc5Lb8UiNu6Ul_w9s-eTF6iBIm-iAhoYmB92xX9LcNSTnsIMQBFaKQpTffYCHA45MrDdWCclJgYTe3zwajPBs4kv0crbQkn=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha9V-qiSx4WwYR1XkoVFS3_AojxGIxzxn3C30IPjCpKx66enn7r1VoqZ6NMyhWNeezqPvw4Q3pexd3bJYv_GpnUx6OYQc5Lb8UiNu6Ul_w9s-eTF6iBIm-iAhoYmB92xX9LcNSTnsIMQBFaKQpTffYCHA45MrDdWCclJgYTe3zwajPBs4kv0crbQkn=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">Every year, I pray about my word of the year and ask God to show me which word I should focus on in the coming year. God uses lots of different ways to speak to me such as; sermons, His Word, worship songs, and other books I’m reading. This year was no different!!! At the beginning of the process, I had lots of different options for my word of the year. However, over several weeks the Lord kept speaking one main word to me HOPE!!</span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Webster’s definition of hope says, “to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment”.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">One of the first verses God used to reveal the idea of hope to me are 1 Timothy 1:12-17, a few of the verses say…</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><i>“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” </i></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><i>- 1 Timothy 1:15-16</i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">The reason Jesus came to the world was to give hope!! Paul was the “chief sinner” and so am I!! However, God wants to work through my brokenness and redeem the trials in my life. Life is challenging, but Jesus is my HOPE.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Simply put…</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><b>Our struggles + Jesus = HOPE</b></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Additionally, I’ve learned, the biblical Hebrew word for hope, yachal, means “to wait”, wait, hope, patient waiting, longing, so far disappointing but still hoping and waiting. Some of the verses, use this word are Psalm 69:3 and Lamentations 3:24. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><i>“I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.” </i></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><i>- Psalm 69:3</i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px; text-align: center;"><i><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></i></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><i>“The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." </i></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><i>- Lamentations 3:24</i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">During each of my pregnancies, I spent time praying over my precious baby asking God to give me a verse for the new life inside me!! The Lord was faithful to answer my prayers and give me a “life verse” for each of my children. As it turns out, Evelyn’s life verse is Lamentations 3:22-24!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Seriously!! The same verse God showed me regarding hope, is the exact verse God had given to me almost 4 years ago when I was <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2018/10/evelyn-rose-and-zoey-faiths-home-birth.html" target="_blank">pregnant with the twins</a>!! It’s incredible to watch the Lord continue to confirm my word of the year, with another powerful word He has given me in the past. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">This gives me goosebumps!! I’m so thankful to the Lord for answering my prayers.</span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">Now it’s your turn, what’s your word of the year?</span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><div><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></div><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">Book Recommendations:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">“<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unshakable-Hope-Building-Lives-Promises/dp/0718096142/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1JN5HAAH00IEZ&keywords=unshakable+hope+max+lucado&qid=1643836031&sprefix=Unshaka%2Caps%2C114&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Unshakable Hope</a>” by, Max Lucado</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">“<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Dark-Believing-Good-When/dp/0310342953/ref=sr_1_1?crid=IMADWP9USCCU&keywords=hope+in+the+dark+craig+groeschel&qid=1643836067&sprefix=Hope+in+the+%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Hope in the Dark</a>” by, Greg Groeschel</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><i><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">“Notice the word ‘hope” (in Psalm 62:5). The Hebrew term literally means “a cord, as an attachment.’ Every one of us is hanging on to something or someone for security. ... if it’s someone or something other than God alone, you’re hanging on by a thread – the wrong thread.”</span><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.55px; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18.549999237060547px;">- Beth Moore</span></i></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.55px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.55px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-5692495209706611422022-01-10T09:00:00.071-06:002022-01-10T09:00:00.178-06:00My Top 10 Favorite Books of 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn1kX0u_tlkDboLt3y0mXvDjK-VE6kCHjt0_XtxBd8HQFvp8j1x7I4ykTFVQlx11MJKC9-X2Vf9x1yt8lPHk4Wl2_K37MLfnB7Xp1RfxBONxjSu7tG2Rk6J9v5RAFnsiexSBE2s5EQ_10uNNC-u9neZMyaBSYblJqmplHun63tJhdcdqC7IaQlpE7o=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn1kX0u_tlkDboLt3y0mXvDjK-VE6kCHjt0_XtxBd8HQFvp8j1x7I4ykTFVQlx11MJKC9-X2Vf9x1yt8lPHk4Wl2_K37MLfnB7Xp1RfxBONxjSu7tG2Rk6J9v5RAFnsiexSBE2s5EQ_10uNNC-u9neZMyaBSYblJqmplHun63tJhdcdqC7IaQlpE7o=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Back in 2020, I shared a blog post called <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/08/cultivating-love-for-reading.html" target="_blank">“Cultivating a Love for Reading”</a> where I talked about my struggles with reading. You see, I’ve always loved books, but I have never been a good reader. To this day, I’m still a pretty, slow reader. In my previous post, I went on to share about how I’ve never been a good reader, but I decided to try to grow my love of reading through baby steps. It’s taken a lot of practice, but in an answer to my prayers, God is growing my love of reading each day!! I’m so thankful!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjukeKIDXIBIivICZKuPj7I5CQOsHFfnSF8n26kkNLK8xq2kcf8PF6ltWKq_ei89ThWKLfBCK5AgOXfPTflxeQ3OReXMDK8yEsVbi6n6WAxCmaGkYI9MB49kENat4H5nCXYgQyXhlH4nqOj8X4dkxJWnViBzoPLBJiqMHEsKAikzUz89jAC4Q74gDSr=s1522" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1522" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjukeKIDXIBIivICZKuPj7I5CQOsHFfnSF8n26kkNLK8xq2kcf8PF6ltWKq_ei89ThWKLfBCK5AgOXfPTflxeQ3OReXMDK8yEsVbi6n6WAxCmaGkYI9MB49kENat4H5nCXYgQyXhlH4nqOj8X4dkxJWnViBzoPLBJiqMHEsKAikzUz89jAC4Q74gDSr=s320" width="261" /></a></div><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">All that to say, I was so surprised when I checked my <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">GoodReads app</a>, to discover how many books I read last year. A grand total of 377 books!! Just to clarify, my total is so high, because it includes adult fiction and non-fiction books, picture books, school books, and young adult fiction I pre-read for my girls. Most of the adult books, I listened to on audiobook which was helpful, because I could listen to my book while making dinner, walking, or working on a puzzle. As you can see, I used my wireless headphones so much, now they’re broken. Every year, I’ve grown into a more avid reader and I couldn’t be more proud of this accomplishment last year!! </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Honestly, I had the privilege of reading a lot of incredible books last year!! I’ve done my best to narrow this list down to my top 10 favorite books I read in 2021. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">These aren’t in any particular order…</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJVi1fWdzqdNjvRyeIXRgc5AR4os-0MRySEOzdwlbAS7bNEY-16bC6RriWNbOPv3kMlzacYEgPg5uhatElRVIWcZjEs56SMOFvaPu7i6RixTwSBAfL26gU5WdICBA-CJhIocA9VGd9pJwLwmiUm6KA-g94fbb9YTykpT1DHh_-NKUvIJ0ohCsJqRm3=s3438" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3438" data-original-width="3438" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJVi1fWdzqdNjvRyeIXRgc5AR4os-0MRySEOzdwlbAS7bNEY-16bC6RriWNbOPv3kMlzacYEgPg5uhatElRVIWcZjEs56SMOFvaPu7i6RixTwSBAfL26gU5WdICBA-CJhIocA9VGd9pJwLwmiUm6KA-g94fbb9YTykpT1DHh_-NKUvIJ0ohCsJqRm3=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><u><b>My Top 10 Favorite Books of 2021</b></u></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Where-Crawdads-Sing-Delia-Owens/dp/B07PB2W4LQ/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2JGEBKCCQHPHA&keywords=where+the+crawdads+sing&qid=1641401870&sprefix=Where+%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-2" target="_blank">“Where the Crawdads Sing”</a> by, Delia Owens</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nightingale-Novel-Kristin-Hannah/dp/0312577222/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641401911&sr=8-1" target="_blank">“The Nightingale”</a> by, Kristin Hannah</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Well-Watered-Woman-Rooted-Growing-Flourishing/dp/1496445457/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33XGHGXXBUOQ1&keywords=the+well+watered+woman&qid=1641401953&sprefix=The+Well%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-1" target="_blank">“The Well Watered Woman”</a> by Gretchen Saffles</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Risen-Motherhood-Gospel-Everyday-Moments/dp/0736976221/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2QLIHDZ6MQ8TT&keywords=risen+motherhood&qid=1641401987&sprefix=Risen+mot%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-1" target="_blank">“Risen Motherhood”</a> by Emily Jensen</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Call-Wild-Free-Reclaiming-Education/dp/0062916513/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641402021&sr=8-1" target="_blank">“The Call of the Wild and Free”</a> by, Ainsley Arment </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Mr-Knightley-Katherine-Reay/dp/161173973X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641402063&sr=8-1" target="_blank">“Dear Mr. Knightley”</a> by, Katherine Reay</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/0812993012/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641402104&sr=8-1" target="_blank">“Creativity, Inc”</a> by, Ed Catmull</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">8. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310351936/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=e460c62cba66a17ff97c219f4818f5fc&hsa_cr_id=2823690330601&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=43238d3d-df48-4133-8742-d9053cc9144d&pd_rd_w=KUBnt&pd_rd_wg=YgL5R&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_img" target="_blank">“Welcome Home”</a> by, Myquillyn Smith</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">9. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Librarian-Saint-Malo-Mario-Escobar/dp/078523991X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1641402184&sr=1-1" target="_blank">“The Librarian of Saint-Malo”</a> by, Mario Escobar</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">10. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Only-Plane-in-Sky-audiobook/dp/B07QGGSS3S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=V3ECX30N19F6&keywords=the+only+plane+in+the+sky&qid=1641402228&s=books&sprefix=The+only+plane+in%2Cstripbooks%2C99&sr=1-1" target="_blank">“The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11”</a> by, Garrett M. Graff </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">*Bonus Reread* </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Paperback-Box-Books/dp/0545162076/ref=pd_sbs_7/138-7651548-7719652?pd_rd_w=GLu7b&pf_rd_p=0a3ad226-8a77-4898-9a99-63ffeb1aef90&pf_rd_r=RTN1NHZ48ZH9QC16CBFB&pd_rd_r=63d8b8e2-4095-4318-b1e8-fd90406b02cc&pd_rd_wg=w2E6F&pd_rd_i=0545162076&psc=1" target="_blank">“The Harry Potter” series</a> by J.K. Rowling</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">…..</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Finally, I couldn’t resist sharing my favorite reread of last year, which was “The Harry Potter” series by, J.K. Rowling. I listened to the audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale and they were incredible. I had forgotten just how much I love these books. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Now it’s your turn!! What are some of your favorite books you read last year? Have you read any of my favorites? If so, what did you think about them?</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-5443169437794658582022-01-05T09:00:00.001-06:002022-01-05T09:00:00.165-06:00My 2022 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxtL0ByMRs-vOvc6gLyPKDyM9nWJ40YT6DEHHJUSOR-KdLKOeks6-_FSzRyBxmA8Oab2o6hFqykl6Flm6Qkc_eQ21IFE849Ko4Dy2ufO0wwZbja0n1jQmNKXhc_GML8RKLcc4zcsc_9nNiRNazqgLgJXG7PjvZqAZwgJQG9Sr9JYatwM_sgHnCsGcH=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxtL0ByMRs-vOvc6gLyPKDyM9nWJ40YT6DEHHJUSOR-KdLKOeks6-_FSzRyBxmA8Oab2o6hFqykl6Flm6Qkc_eQ21IFE849Ko4Dy2ufO0wwZbja0n1jQmNKXhc_GML8RKLcc4zcsc_9nNiRNazqgLgJXG7PjvZqAZwgJQG9Sr9JYatwM_sgHnCsGcH=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.55px;">For the past 5 years, I’ve used the <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/goal-planners-and-accessories" target="_blank">Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets Intentional Goal Planner</a>. In honor of their 10 year anniversary of Powersheets, the Cultivate What Matters team outdid themselves with some incredible Powersheets cover choices!! I went back an forth between green, teal, natural linen, and blooms. Seriously, it was hard for me to pick just one. As a result, </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.55px;">I chose their anniversary green color, which is in honor of my upcoming 20 year high school reunion!! They’re just so beautiful!! </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">MY WORD OF THE YEAR</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">This year, my word of the year is HOPE!! God has been teaching me so much about this word, I’ve decided to write it all out in more detail in an upcoming blog post coming. Trust me, it will be worth the wait.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhI6WafmqYCc9Be0ss_Izcm47w69lfi_hjDvyEm3ajFxyzZjv8fUpbuc9nHO_sgcWZ1MfRiiA8jLppwUxN6O9BN223TsEuWxNUJsgmlj8tWdJQd2JhgJjo2Eyn0dOcRlbpWudnCYzN9OtHXEldLvj1caeSzgDqrePuyLwiafYFwFhwXkhCIOhXtNSyA=s2666" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhI6WafmqYCc9Be0ss_Izcm47w69lfi_hjDvyEm3ajFxyzZjv8fUpbuc9nHO_sgcWZ1MfRiiA8jLppwUxN6O9BN223TsEuWxNUJsgmlj8tWdJQd2JhgJjo2Eyn0dOcRlbpWudnCYzN9OtHXEldLvj1caeSzgDqrePuyLwiafYFwFhwXkhCIOhXtNSyA=s320" width="180" /></a></div><br /><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">MY 2022 GOALS</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">At this time, these are my goals for the New Year 2022!! Thankfully, Cultivate What Matters gives you the opportunity to work through a refresh every 90 days. As a result, if I find the Lord leading me toward new goals I can adjust accordingly. I’m so thankful these aren’t set in stone!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">1. Spend time with God</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">2. Love Jon well</span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">3. Delight in my girls</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">4. Renew my health</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">5. Cultivate my love of writing</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">6. Recapture the joy in my life</span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">OTHER RESOURCES</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Lara Casey and her team at Cultivate What Matters have a lot of resources to help walk with you as you work to accomplish your goals each year. Lara has even written two books (which I will list below) and she also has a podcast called, <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/pages/podcast" target="_blank">“Cultivating Your Life with Lara Casey”</a>. Finally, I have included a list of helpful, motivating books. I included Lara’s books and a few others that have really encouraged me this year.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Simplified-Life-Tactical-Intentional-Living/dp/0718098307/ref=sr_1_1_nodl?ie=UTF8&qid=1546057263&sr=8-1&keywords=a+simplified+life+emily+ley" target="_blank">“A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living”</a> by, Emily Ley</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cultivate-Grace-Filled-Guide-Growing-Intentional/dp/0718021665/ref=pd_sim_14_1_nodl?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0718021665&pd_rd_r=d0f90393-0b20-11e9-add8-73a0b1357621&pd_rd_w=IEtWc&pd_rd_wg=UFsM0&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=DRHGQTZR5EC3S6KM9P9X&psc=1&refRID=DRHGQTZR5EC3S6KM9P9X" target="_blank">“Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life”</a> by, Lara Casey</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Not-Perfection-Simplicity-Celebrating/dp/0718085221/ref=sr_1_2_nodl?ie=UTF8&qid=1546057263&sr=8-2&keywords=a+simplified+life+emily+ley" target="_blank">“Grace, Not Perfection: Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy”</a> by Emily Ley</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Make-Happen-Surrender-Fear-Purpose/dp/0529101505/ref=sr_1_1_nodl?ie=UTF8&qid=1546057112&sr=8-1&keywords=make+it+happen+by+lara+casey" target="_blank">“Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live On Purpose.”</a> by, Lara Casey</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">PREVIOUS POWERSHEETS BLOG POSTS</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">In the past, I’ve written blog posts about Powersheets. As a result, I included links to posts which have additional information about Powersheets and how I have used them over the years. Click</span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"> links to see previous blog posts about my Powersheets!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2021/01/my-2021-cultivate-what-matters.html" target="_blank">My 2021 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets </a></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/06/my-2020-cultivate-what-matters.html?m=1" target="_blank">My 2020 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/08/leaning-into-jesus.html" target="_blank">Leaning into Jesus</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/07/my-moms-morning-basket.html" target="_blank">My Mom’s Morning Basket</a></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2019/01/cultivate-what-matters-my-2019-goals.html" target="_blank">Cultivate What Matters: My 2019 Goals</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-173872284580158642021-08-19T09:00:00.035-05:002021-08-19T09:00:00.271-05:002021-22 Homeschool Curriculum Choices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_LLggcfxsVE/XxkDjPgSFLI/AAAAAAAAJYU/_H1l9eAk7T4qnsKju7NOajcyay5YBmZ_QCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/423B92F1-8D68-4E84-BC1E-B1A262560C46.png" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_LLggcfxsVE/XxkDjPgSFLI/AAAAAAAAJYU/_H1l9eAk7T4qnsKju7NOajcyay5YBmZ_QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/423B92F1-8D68-4E84-BC1E-B1A262560C46.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">On Monday, July 19, we kicked off our 2021-22 school year. We’ve gotten in the habit of starting school in July and this year wasn’t any different. My husband is training for his new job, so while he was in training we could work on school. As he has breaks, we will be able to take time off as well and enjoy some extra family time. Honestly, this is still one of the main reasons why we homeschool. </span><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Every family is different, but this is what is working best for us right now.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: small;">As you will see below, we made several changes to our curriculum. </span><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: small;">I spend a lot of time praying about our curriculum and I consider it a great responsibility to be my children’s educator. I want to honor the Lord and my children in this calling God has placed on my life. Thankfully, we were able to attend a homeschool conference in June and see a lot of these curriculums in person, before making our final decisions. Below you can find links to the different curriculum we’re using this year.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Without further ado, here are our curriculum choices for our brand new school year.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">…..</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BzeGs4vuIkw/YR226ad5lKI/AAAAAAAAJn4/rVqW8TytkBMbBP4qo_4KjeT_yykleerAACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/84BDD942-9535-49AE-94EE-BF4D878A9417.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BzeGs4vuIkw/YR226ad5lKI/AAAAAAAAJn4/rVqW8TytkBMbBP4qo_4KjeT_yykleerAACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/84BDD942-9535-49AE-94EE-BF4D878A9417.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /></p><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2020-21 Homeschool Curriculum Choices </span></b></div><p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">EVERYONE TOGETHER</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">When it comes to teaching my large family, I try to have as many group subjects as possible. Currently, our family does Family Devotions, Memory Verses, Bible, History, Literature/Read-Alouds, and Science together. We’re not using Sonlight this year and instead God lead us to use Generations curriculum for a lot of our family subjects. Also, we’re using The Good and the Beautiful Geology for one science unit and switching to Generations science.</span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Family Devotions & Memory Verse: Generations The Book of Proverbs devotional and workbook and memorizing Proverbs 1</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Bible: Generations God’s Big Story #2 with student workbook</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">History: Generations The Story of Jesus’s People, with student workbook</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Literature/Read-Alouds: Generations Level 1 Read Alouds, additional read alouds from Sonlight, and picture books</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Science: The Good and the Beautiful Geology and Generations God Made Everything with workbook</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">.....</span></p><p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">4th GRADE: Olivia</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">How can she already be in 4th grade!? She’s a little bookworm and I can’t wait to see how she does this school year. </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Language Arts: The Good and the Beautiful Level 4</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Handwriting: A Reason for Handwriting T</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Vocabulary: Wordly Wise Book 1</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Math: Math-U-See Epsilon and The Good and the Beautiful Musical Multiplication</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Typing: The Good and the Beautiful Typing 2</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Readers: Sonlight Grade 4 Readers</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Other: Victory Drill, Metronome Practice, and Piano Lessons</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">.....</span></p><p><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">3rd GRADE: Sophie</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Sophie’s looking forward to starting 3rd grade. She loves building Legos and I’m excited to see her thrive in school this year.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Language Arts: The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Level 2</span><a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/language-arts/" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; color: #888888; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-decoration: none;"> </a><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Handwriting: A Reason for Handwriting T</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Vocabulary: Wordly Wise Books B & C</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Math: </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Math-U-See Epsilon and The Good and the Beautiful Musical Multiplication</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Typing: The Good and the Beautiful Typing 2</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Readers: Sonlight Grade 3 Readers</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: small;">Other: Victory Drill, Metronome Practice, and Piano Lessons</span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">.....</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">1st GRADE: Matilda</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Last school year, Matilda learned to how to read!! It’s been exciting to watch her take off and become an avid reader.r</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Language Arts:The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Level 1</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Handwriting: The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting Level 1</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Vocabulary: Wordly Wise Book A</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Math: Mat-U-See Beta</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Readers: Sonlight Grade 1 Readers </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Phonics: Explode the Code Level 4, 5, and 6</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">…..<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666;" /></span></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">TODDLER TWINS: Evelyn & Zoey</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Homeschooling with toddler twins is still challenging. I try my best to keep them occupied with a variety of fun activities like puzzles, books, coloring, a cardboard castle, shapes, and so much more! If we don’t complete all of our schoolwork, I wait until the twins nap time to play catch up and get everything else done. Honestly, I could probably do an entire blog post just about this, so let me know if you’re interested.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /></span><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">.....</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">ADDITIONAL INFORMATION</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">For more information, here are the links to the homeschool curriculum we are using this school year.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">- <a href="https://store.generations.org/collections/curriculum" target="_blank">Generations</a></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">- <a href="https://www.sonlight.com/" target="_blank">Sonlight</a></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">- <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/" target="_blank">The Good and the Beautiful</a> </span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">- <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/" target="_blank">Rainbow Resource</a></span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;" /><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">- <a href="https://readaloudrevival.com/picture-books-year/" target="_blank">Read Aloud Revival</a></span></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); color: #666666; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;">Please let me know if you have any other questions about homeschooling.</span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-23070498555994737132021-02-09T11:06:00.000-06:002021-02-09T11:06:01.475-06:00Our New Anniversary Journal<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPc38gn7ojM/YCK_GrC8znI/AAAAAAAAJhI/gffe2s4OadktEEMo6QBz7er-2aoE5URmACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/37A35264-49D3-4498-9C43-AB2872B44665.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPc38gn7ojM/YCK_GrC8znI/AAAAAAAAJhI/gffe2s4OadktEEMo6QBz7er-2aoE5URmACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/37A35264-49D3-4498-9C43-AB2872B44665.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">One of <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2021/01/my-2021-cultivate-what-matters.html" target="_blank">my 2021 goals</a> is to <i>“love Jon well” by investing in my marriage</i>. Honestly, 2020 was one of the most challenging years of our marriage to date. We had to navigate lots of transitions as we moved back to the United States after being in <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2019/08/leaving-hong-kong.html" target="_blank">Hong Kong</a>. On top of that, was added stress of a global pandemic, which made for a very overwhelming year. </span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">By God’s grace and to His glory, on December 17, 2020 we celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary!! I’m so thankful, God continues to hold us together even on the hard days.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">With February being the month of love, I thought it was the perfect time to make this goal a priority in my life. As a result, I’ve been reading some incredible books about marriage. I just finished, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Letter-Life-Creatively-Intentionally/dp/0310353629/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18O2CIX1ZTPYI&dchild=1&keywords=a+love+letter+life&qid=1612890026&sprefix=A+love+%2Caps%2C210&sr=8-1" target="_blank">“A Love Letter Life: Pursue Creatively. Date Intentionally. Love Faithfully.” by, Jeremy and Audrey Roloff</a>. This was such an incredible book with lots of ideas about how to cultivate a healthy marriage. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">As a result, I was really encouraged by their story and decided to follow Jeremy and Audrey Roloff on social media, for continued encouragement in my life. While catching up on Audrey’s most recent posts on Instagram I noticed she had just recently made an announcement about a new project they had been work on. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">To my delight</span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">, I read about their new “Memories of Us” anniversary journal which has just been released by Jeremy and Audrey Roloff. It’s an incredible tool for couples to use, each year as they reflect on the current year of marriage and look ahead to the future. There are 50 anniversary sections, so Lord willing on your 50th wedding anniversary you can share the journal with your family and friends!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pqpD0pCMKJc/YCK_YCLcUXI/AAAAAAAAJhQ/ajobAdmL4sIISWXz6O4BlZ5wSiAjzBLbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/0EA1391F-47A9-425C-A579-99DD5C36D5AF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pqpD0pCMKJc/YCK_YCLcUXI/AAAAAAAAJhQ/ajobAdmL4sIISWXz6O4BlZ5wSiAjzBLbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/0EA1391F-47A9-425C-A579-99DD5C36D5AF.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">I was so excited!! Seriously, this is the marriage tool, I didn’t know I needed in my life!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">I think this anniversary journal will be a great way to invest in our marriage and give us space to remember how God has been at work in our lives. We get to take time to write down how we met, our engagement story, our wedding story, and more!! This year, I ordered this anniversary journal as my Valentine’s Day gift to Jon. </span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">I’m excited to take time to fill this out and continue to work on this each year of our marriage!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">I’m boldly praying by God’s grace, Jon and I will be able to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary together on December 17, 2056 with our loved ones, taking time to recount all the Lord has done in our lives!! </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">If you’re interested and want to check out this journal, I put the link below. This anniversary journal would be a great gift idea for yourself, young married couples, or you could give it as the perfect wedding gift for couples just beginning their marriage journey. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><a href="https://theroloffs.com/products/memories-of-us-an-anniversary-journal">Memories of Us Anniversary Journal</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-52625241132046244222021-02-01T08:30:00.114-06:002021-02-01T08:30:01.552-06:00My Skincare Haul<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZXkgkFmqM0/YBQ8kRy4HgI/AAAAAAAAJgQ/6OuLRJ79AD4Xthe-JKtmu-ps6gFZutQogCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/155CD7A7-9D06-41CE-80A0-7F63ECC8B0D9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZXkgkFmqM0/YBQ8kRy4HgI/AAAAAAAAJgQ/6OuLRJ79AD4Xthe-JKtmu-ps6gFZutQogCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/155CD7A7-9D06-41CE-80A0-7F63ECC8B0D9.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">At the beginning of January, I shared about, <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2021/01/my-2021-cultivate-what-matters.html" target="_blank">“My 2021 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets”</a>. I outlined my goals, word of the year, and more. One of my 2021 goals is to care for myself!! I’m a stay-at-home Mom with 5 young girls, who often take priority over everything else...including myself. This is why I frequently have goals focused on my own self-care, because more often than not it falls to the wayside. I’ve learned, I must be very purposeful about caring for myself each and every day.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">As a result, one of my “mini” goals in 2021, is to cultivate my skincare routine. Honestly, for a while, I’ve felt like it’s time for me to cultivate a good quality skincare routine for myself. I started searching Google, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/jennewsham/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jennewsham/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for great skincare routine ideas. Immediately, I was overwhelmed by all the different choices out there and as a beginner I felt very confused and unsure which routine would be the best for myself.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Feeling too overwhelmed, I put it aside until I was ready to try again. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">In November 2020, to my delight, Angela Braniff released her <a href="https://youtu.be/mwnXTsz1hJs" target="_blank">“Ultimate Skincare Routine”</a> on her Angela Braniff YouTube channel. I watched Angela’s video over and over again, taking notes about her skincare routine. Then I added up the prices for her inexpensive skincare recommendations and unfortunately it was out of my budget. I was so sad, because this is a great skincare routine and once I get into a good skincare routine myself I can work up to these products. However, it would be too much right now for this skincare novice!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Just a few days later, I remembered <a href="https://jamiebgolden.com/" target="_blank">Jamie B Golden</a> (a co-host of The Popcast podcast) has her own skincare routine. How exciting!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bDT9EAckDEM/YBRBYwaoe5I/AAAAAAAAJgw/7ntudmnBDW0U-4Sm3s8_FNJvZSelyq-_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/AAA474A3-B73A-4FD5-A4A8-41E491730DEE.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2017" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bDT9EAckDEM/YBRBYwaoe5I/AAAAAAAAJgw/7ntudmnBDW0U-4Sm3s8_FNJvZSelyq-_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/AAA474A3-B73A-4FD5-A4A8-41E491730DEE.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Right away, I went to Jamie’s website and read her, <a href="https://jamiebgolden.com/?p=486" target="_blank">“10-Step Skincare Routine”</a> blog post. Then, signed up for Jamie’s email so I could receive her free skincare routine printables!! Quickly, I printed off Jamie’ skincare routine and laminated it, so it wouldn’t get ruined anytime soon.</span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;"> Jamie offers “more expensive” and “less expensive” skincare products options too. As I wrote out a list and added up the less expensive options, I was surprised to discover it was right in my budget!! </span><span style="font-size: 18.55px;">What an answer to my prayers!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">Thankfully, it didn’t take long before I was able to find everything on my list. Please look below, for a list of everything I bought!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JzasmdeyO-8/YBRA0K4JCMI/AAAAAAAAJgk/MqB99aiqkUoUlz7oOnqhgvdM3QKBGvZPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/2ECD8509-06E6-4DDA-97F6-1AABDD90B105.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JzasmdeyO-8/YBRA0K4JCMI/AAAAAAAAJgk/MqB99aiqkUoUlz7oOnqhgvdM3QKBGvZPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2ECD8509-06E6-4DDA-97F6-1AABDD90B105.jpeg" /></a></div><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><b><u>My Skincare Haul</u></b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">1. Cerave Hydrating Cleanser </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">2. Cosrx bha blackhead power liquid </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">3. Witch Hazel alcohol free toner</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">4. Cosrx advanced snail 96 mucin power essence</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">5. Loreal Vitamin C Serum</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">6. RoC Retinol Eye Cream deep wrinkle</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">7. CerVe PM facial moisturizer </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">8. Australian Gold botanical tinted</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">9. Palmer’s Cleansing Oil</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">10. Sheet masks</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">.....</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">HELPFUL LINKS</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"><i>Are you looking to cultivate your own skincare routine? </i>Here are some helpful links to allow you to decide which skincare routine will work best for you!!! Below, I’ve listed links to both of the incredible skincare routines I talked about today. </span><span style="font-size: 18.549999237060547px;">Both of these skincare routines are amazing and filled with so much wisdom!! </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">1. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwnXTsz1hJs" target="_blank">Angela’s Ultimate Skincare Routine on YouTube</a></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22.1px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.55px;">2. <a href="https://jamiebgolden.com/?p=486" target="_blank">Jamie B Golden’s 10-Step Skincare Routine</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.6px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-35671144840227588482021-01-25T08:30:00.000-06:002021-01-25T08:30:04.296-06:0020 Valentine’s Day At Home Date Ideas<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZupzYr3Lc4U/X_-rMiQPipI/AAAAAAAAJfg/PF9OwaeYtZomxf8DL8bYda9acVB5ffzqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/2FEE62AD-A7E3-4859-8F41-62EECDB57770.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZupzYr3Lc4U/X_-rMiQPipI/AAAAAAAAJfg/PF9OwaeYtZomxf8DL8bYda9acVB5ffzqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2FEE62AD-A7E3-4859-8F41-62EECDB57770.png" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><i>“I have found the one whom my soul loves.” </i></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><i>- Song of Solomon 3:4</i></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">The truth is, as a result of the Covid-19 global pandemic, most of us are still in some form of lockdown and/or quarantine. However, it doesn’t mean we cannot celebrate Valentine’s Day with our significant other.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Depending on our season of life, our Valentine’s Day always looks a little different than it does in the movies!! As poor college students, we often worked on Valentine’s Day and would celebrate on a different day with our tight budget in mind. As our season changed, we could celebrate Valentine’s Day out together with dinner at our favorite restaurant and a movie in the theater. Kind of feels like a lifetime ago!! Then, when we had our beautiful girls, life changed again and our Valentine’s Day became a family date night with our littles enjoying delicious takeout with us at home. We’re still in the throes of young children, but I’m sure in time our Valentine’s Day traditions will change again. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">With that in mind, I scoured <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/jennewsham/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> for the best date ideas. I </span>included a wide variety of date ideas such as, At Home, On a Budget, Family, and Romantic Date Ideas. I hope they will be helpful to you as you prepare for your own Valentine’s Day celebration!! </p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">For additional date night ideas, please check out my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/jennewsham/love-marriage/" target="_blank">Love and Marriage Pinterest board</a>.</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">20 Valentine’s Day At Home Date Ideas</span></u></b></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>[AT HOME]</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">Fabulous date ideas in the comfort of your own home!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-align: center;"><br /><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">1. <a href="https://bromabakery.com/perfect-indoor-picnic-date-night/" target="_blank">Indoor Romantic Picnic Date</a> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">2. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/spa-night/" target="_blank">Spa Night Date</a> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">3. <a href="https://theeverylastdetail.com/valentines-day-diy-dinner-date-inspiration/" target="_blank">Romantic Backyard Dinner Date</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">4. Write Love Letters Date</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">5. Indoor Camping Date</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;">.....</p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>[ON A BUDGET]</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">Here are some fun date ideas without breaking the bank!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">6. <a href="https://www.plumdeluxe.com/ice-cream-date-night" target="_blank">Ice Cream Tasting Date</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">7. <a href="https://fortmagic.com/valentines-day-fort-ideas/" target="_blank">Build Romantic Valentine’s Fort Date</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">8. Drive-In Date</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">9. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/mission-valentine-love-hunt/" target="_blank">Scavenger Hunt Date</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">10. <a href="https://www.moremomma.com/building-the-perfect-waffle-bar/" target="_blank">Waffle Bar Date</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">.....</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>[FAMILY]</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">Date ideas which are fun for the entire family!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">11. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/dessert-off-date-night/" target="_blank">“Chopped” Date</a> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">12. <a href="https://www.pinkpistachio.com/valentine-breakfast/" target="_blank">Valentine’s Breakfast in Bed Date</a> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">13. Dinner and a Movie Date (Lady & the Tramp)</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">14. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/youve-stolen-a-pizza-my-heart/" target="_blank">Family Pizza Night Date</a> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">15. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/valentines-day-cookie-party/" target="_blank">Valentine’s Cookie Decorating Date</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">.....</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>[ROMANTIC]</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">Incredibly romantic date ideas spoil your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">16. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/fantasy-suite-date-night/" target="_blank">Fantasy Suite Date</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">17. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/go-picasso/" target="_blank">Glow in the Dark Body Paint Bedroom Date</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">18. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/national-dare-day/" target="_blank">Sizzling Truth or Dare</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">19. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/sensual-massage/" target="_blank">Sensual Massage Date</a> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">20. <a href="https://www.thedatingdivas.com/date-ideas-date-night-bingo/" target="_blank">Romantic Bedroom Bingo Date</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">.....</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-41905345835415025512021-01-18T08:30:00.066-06:002021-01-18T08:30:09.871-06:00Quarter 2 Update: Homeschool Year 2020-21<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UiMxFpQTUEs/X_9v6_6eBBI/AAAAAAAAJfE/Lx_ow1b0IyAesn5JIBlBQVQl0RunziNCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/B39402E3-28AF-440A-80F3-3E7BEC763F9F.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UiMxFpQTUEs/X_9v6_6eBBI/AAAAAAAAJfE/Lx_ow1b0IyAesn5JIBlBQVQl0RunziNCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/B39402E3-28AF-440A-80F3-3E7BEC763F9F.png" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Guess what!? Right before our family took a two week Christmas break, my girls completed their second quarter of homeschool!! I can’t believe we’re already halfway through our entire 2020-21 homeschool year. Honestly, I’m so proud of my girls who have worked very hard this school year. Of course there have been struggles along the way, but I admire their hard work and determination to conquer any challenge which has come their way. I’m truly so blessed to be their Mom and their teacher!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Curriculum:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">As far as our curriculum goes, everything is going well!! Last year, I shared our <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/07/2020-21-homeschool-curriculum-choices.html" target="_blank">2020-21 Homeschool Curriculum Choices</a> for our entire family. I’m thrilled to report, we haven’t needed to make any major, mid-year, curriculum changes. I’m very thankful for this, because I’ve been praying for wisdom regarding our curriculum. It’s amazing to see God answer my prayers and help me know what is best for each of my girls right now. I will continue to pray for my girls, so God can direct our homeschool and make curriculum changes as needed.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1xhMTf76MHs/X_91WWobeUI/AAAAAAAAJfU/bqPXkBSae_4k-GN_hy0cz6lCkODQDLYkACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/1EB68204-479F-4415-B99E-DFDCC4B4DCFF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1xhMTf76MHs/X_91WWobeUI/AAAAAAAAJfU/bqPXkBSae_4k-GN_hy0cz6lCkODQDLYkACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/1EB68204-479F-4415-B99E-DFDCC4B4DCFF.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="s1"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">For those who are curious, here’s a quick recap regarding my current curriculum choices...</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">EVERYONE TOGETHER </p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Bible time, Memory Verses, History, and Read-Alouds: <a href="https://www.sonlight.com/KCKR4">Sonlight Core K</a> </p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Write the Word for Kids: <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/products/write-the-word-kids">Cultivate What Matters Write the Word for Kids: Plant Seeds of the Word</a></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Science: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/science-health/" target="_blank">The Good and the Beautiful Meteorology; Kingdoms and Classifications; Botany; and Energy</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">.....</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">3RD GRADE: Olivia</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Language Arts: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/language-arts/">The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Level 3</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Handwriting: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/handwriting/">The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting Level 3</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Vocabulary: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/WW3SET/Wordly-Wise-3000-4th-Edition-Book-3-Set.html?">Wordly Wise Level 3000 Book 3</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Creative Writing: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-creative-writing-notebooks/">The Good and the Beautiful Creative Writing Notebook #1</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Math: <a href="https://store.demmelearning.com/math-u-see/general-math/delta/">Math-U-See Delta</a> and <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-musical-multiplication/">The Good and the Beautiful Musical Multiplication</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Typing: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-curriculum-typing/">The Good and the Beautiful Typing 1</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><a href="https://www.sonlight.com/4RP.html">Readers: Sonlight Grade 4 Readers</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">.....</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">2ND GRADE: Sophie</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Language Arts: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/language-arts/">The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Level 2 </a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Handwriting: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/handwriting/">The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting Level 2</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Vocabulary: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/WW2SET/Wordly-Wise-3000-4th-Edition-Book-2-Set.html?">Wordly Wise Level 3000 Book 2</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Creative Writing: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-creative-writing-notebooks/">The Good and the Beautiful Creative Writing Notebook #1</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Math: <a href="https://store.demmelearning.com/math-u-see/general-math/gamma/">Math-U-See Gamma</a> and <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-musical-multiplication/">The Good and the Beautiful Musical Multiplication</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Typing: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-curriculum-typing/">The Good and the Beautiful Typing 1</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><a href="https://www.sonlight.com/2RP.html">Readers: Sonlight Grade 2 Readers</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">.....</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">KINDERGARTEN: Matilda</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Language Arts: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/hSearch.jhtm?keyword=Sing+spell+read+and+write">Sing Spell Read and Write “Off We Go” and “Raceway Book”</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Handwriting: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/handwriting/">The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting K</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Phonics: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/EC14O2/Explode-the-Code-Books-1-4-no-1-2s-2nd-Edition.html?">Explode the Code 1, 2, 3</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Math: <a href="https://store.demmelearning.com/math-u-see/general-math/alpha/">Math u See Alpha</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Enrichment: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/DEL4BK/Developing-the-Early-Learner-4-Book-Set.html?">Developing the Early Learner 1, 2, 3, 4</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">.....</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">SCIENCE</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Currently, we’ve already completed our first two <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/science-health/" target="_blank">The Good and the Beautiful Science Unit Studies</a>, such as <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-meteorology/" target="_blank">Meteorology</a> and <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-kingdoms-and-classification/" target="_blank">Kingdoms and Classifications</a>. We need to wait until spring to do the <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-botany/" target="_blank">Botany</a> study, in the meantime we’ve last week we started their <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-energy/" target="_blank">Energy</a> Unit Study. Once we’ve completed it, we will wrap up our school year with the Botany study. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFEX3OE0MNo/X_9vuw5ZofI/AAAAAAAAJfA/MWoaaae3tWg09S1IYc5Xs7vvFGGf5qSJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CBFF597F-4A97-4FD7-BE98-55DF5389DB10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFEX3OE0MNo/X_9vuw5ZofI/AAAAAAAAJfA/MWoaaae3tWg09S1IYc5Xs7vvFGGf5qSJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CBFF597F-4A97-4FD7-BE98-55DF5389DB10.jpeg" /></a></div><span class="s1"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">We’ve really enjoyed new Energy Unit Study!! Last week, my husband got home in time to work through some of the energy activities for our new The Good and The Beautiful Energy Unit Study. A few of them included, the exploding bags or bottle (chemical energy), shooting rubber bands (mechanical energy) and also baked Chocolate Chip Bundt Cakes (electrical energy, chemical energy, and heat energy). We all had such a fun time!! I can’t wait to see what other memories are in store for us as we continue to work through this curriculum.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-5791642201195094592021-01-11T09:00:00.003-06:002021-01-11T09:11:01.234-06:00Sophie's Birth Story<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UjR4eHPdGno/X_CvK0BD5CI/AAAAAAAAJeU/iKHBesUZ_TEpWqv5r4J28aIOpQvq6KZpACLcBGAsYHQ/s960/1499453_529050103841_1345200670_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UjR4eHPdGno/X_CvK0BD5CI/AAAAAAAAJeU/iKHBesUZ_TEpWqv5r4J28aIOpQvq6KZpACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/1499453_529050103841_1345200670_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie Joye</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">My sweet Sophie Joye turned 7 last month. As a result, I thought it would be fun to share her birth story with all of you. I hope you enjoy this precious birth story!!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">.....</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sophie’s Birth Story</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Written: Wednesday, February 19, 2014</i></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I get into the details of Sophie’s birth, I would like to make it very clear that the Lord was determined to be glorified in and through this story. At first it was hard for me to see, because certain things didn't go according to my plan. However, slowly and gently, like any good Father would, the Lord shed light on this circumstance and revealed Himself to be faithful every step of the way.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Life’s circumstances were extremely challenging the entire time I was pregnant with Sophie. I’m not going to go into all the details now, but there were extremely difficult things that we faced as a family while I was pregnant. I believe that the Lord gave me Sophie to be a constant source of joy and an ever present reminder that I am never alone.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God knew about all the bad things that we had to face throughout the year of 2013. With all my heart, I believe that Sophie was born to redeem 2013 and to continue to be a reminder of God’s faithfulness to my family. How can I remember it as a bad year when it was the same year that my baby was born?</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sophie’s due date was Tuesday, December 31st, 2013, the very last day of the year. Personally, I loved being pregnant during the Christmas holiday season. The whole point of Christmas is to remember the birth of baby Jesus. Being pregnant during Christmas time, gave me a whole different perspective on the Christmas story and what Mary really went through.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Little did I know, Sophie would be born four days earlier than her due date. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Monday, December 23rd, 2013 ended up being my last doctor’s appointment with Dr. Doerrfeld before I went into labor. Even though everything went well at my doctor’s appointment, Monday was a very stressful day, because I didn’t think Olivia was breathing and almost had to take her to the emergency room. As it turned out she was just too cold and needed to be warmed up, but it really was the last thing that I needed being a really pregnant Mama about ready to give birth.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wednesday, December 25, 2013</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grandad, Grandma, and Auntie Hannah had arrived in Longview, Texas the weekend of Saturday, December 21st, 2013, so while my husband was at work they helped me get everything ready for Christmas. We baked cookies and all kinds of goodies in preparation for Christmas day. We were especially excited to find out that Jon would be home the evening of Christmas day! Our plan was to get everything ready, so that we could have Christmas dinner and open presents with Jon after he got home on Christmas day.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Olivia and I drove out to the airport to go get Jon and bring him home. As soon as Jon arrived it became apparent that he was very sick. He had flu like symptoms. However, he still joined us for Christmas dinner, reading the Nativity story, and opening presents. That night neither of us slept very well, because he was so sick.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thursday, December 26, 2013</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next morning, I woke up and felt sick too! I had diarrhea all morning long. I was not sure if I was going into labor or if I had somehow caught the same flu, Jon still had. We didn’t go anywhere all morning, because we were both so sick. I finally started feeling better by the afternoon and went with Grandma Newsham to go get a few things from the store to help Jon while he was sick with the flu.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep in mind that I had been having Braxton Hicks for weeks. I had also been having all kinds of cramping, but I did not think anything of it. Olivia was two days late and even though I wanted Sophie to come around Christmas time, I was pretty sure that she would be late like Olivia.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Right before bed time, Grandad made Jon a hot toddy, which was supposed to help his fever. It was also supposed to help him sleep through the night. After dinner, Grandad, Grandma Newsham, Auntie Hannah, and Uncle Josh left to go sleep at their own places. Jon and I watched a CSI: New York before we decided to go to bed.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As soon as we tried to go to sleep, Olivia started screaming and part of me thinks that she knew that I was going to go into labor. For whatever reason, she was awake and did not want to go back to sleep. Even though Jon was sick, he went and slept on the floor next to Olivia’s crib in an effort to help her sleep and to let me get some sleep as well.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Friday, December 27th, 2013</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As it turned out, it ended up being a sleepless night for me too! As soon as I laid down, I had period like cramping and my back really hurt. No matter what I did I could not get comfortable. I had noticed that the pain would go away when I was sitting upright, so <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://8"><span style="color: #dca10d;">around 1:30am</span></a> I decided to go sleep in the recliner chair out in the living room.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Almost immediately, I began to notice that I was having contractions. For the next hour or so I tried to sleep and track my contractions to see if they were consistent. As I sat in the chair, they were coming consistently and did not seem to be going away anytime soon. Despite this fact, I felt like this was false labor, so I decided to change positions to see if my contractions would continue to come or stop.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My to-do list kept running through my mind. I decided that just in case I was in labor, I needed to get these things done now before it was too late. I got up out of my chair to get some things done. I cleaned the kitchen, washed the dishes, packed Olivia’s overnight bag, and made sure that my own hospital bag had everything I needed inside. I also began to pull out snacks and drinks that I would need as I labored at home.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The entire time I was up and moving around, I continued to have contractions. I knew that they were getting stronger and coming more and more consistently. Before I sat back down in the recliner, I also made sure, Jon got back in our bed. If I was in labor, he was going to need more sleep to help me through the rest of the day.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By <span style="text-decoration: underline;">4:00am</span>, I had finished my to-do list and decided to begin to track my contractions for the next hour. Over that next hour, my contractions were coming every six minutes and lasting for almost a minute. All throughout the night, I had text Grandma Newsham to let her know that I was having contractions. However, by <span style="text-decoration: underline;">5:00am</span> I knew I needed to have her come over to begin to help me evaluate whether or not I was really in labor.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grandma came over for the next few hours she helped me track my contractions. We were convinced that I was actually in labor. So I called our friends, Michael and Becky, because they were going to watch Olivia while I was in labor and at the hospital. However, I couldn’t get a hold of them.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Olivia woke up <span style="text-decoration: underline;">around 8:00am</span>, I feel like at that point, I went into Mommy mode. My primary focus was not on letting myself relax, but on making sure that Olivia got where she needed to go. So for the next hour or so my labor slowed down a lot. Finally, Becky came over <span style="text-decoration: underline;">around 9:30am</span> to pick up Olivia. I was so emotional that I just started crying, because I knew I wouldn’t see Olivia again until after I had Sophie.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grandma let me try to sleep for an hour and said that by <span style="text-decoration: underline;">11:00am</span> we would start doing things to help get my labor going again. About the same time, Auntie Hannah came over to take pictures while I was in labor. This was the best decision we made all day long! You see Jon was still sick and spent most of the day asleep in bed. Auntie Hannah stepped in and helped me labor when Jon could not.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vch3hWNVtu0/X_Cv_oLD43I/AAAAAAAAJec/ljTg9fivYa43kRmvsZjArJTleyS01a2DQCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/1499691_529049874301_299447431_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vch3hWNVtu0/X_Cv_oLD43I/AAAAAAAAJec/ljTg9fivYa43kRmvsZjArJTleyS01a2DQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/1499691_529049874301_299447431_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy, Mommy, and Grandma on a walk</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After the hour was up, Grandma, Auntie Hannah, Jon, and I went for a walk on campus at LeTourneau University. We walked for over an hour. Thankfully, being up and walking around, helped to get my labor going again. While we walked, I would have to stop and focus on breathing through my contractions.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We went back to the house, where we were going to have lunch. I really wanted a break, so I sat down in the recliner and again my labor stalled. This ended up being the theme of the day. Each and every time I was up and moving around my contractions would start coming every few minutes. However, as soon as I sat down, my contractions would stall. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to my contractions.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With Grandma and Auntie Hannah’s help, I labored all afternoon while Jon slept. My labor was not unbearable and the three of us girls actually had a lot of fun! We laughed as Grandma accidentally told me to swaddle the chair when she actually meant straddle. Auntie Hannah tried to help me with my breathing and when she said the wrong thing, so did I. Afterwards we just giggled like little girls that we just could not seem to get it right.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I never expected that labor could be fun. However, that is exactly how I would describe that afternoon!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By <span style="text-decoration: underline;">5:00pm</span>, my labor had stalled again. My contractions were not coming very often at all and I was convinced that I probably would not have Sophie for another few days. Auntie Hannah suggested that we try waddling. She explained that it was something that Auntie Eva did with her laboring mothers in the Philippines and it was supposed to help get labor going.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Waddling sounded silly and embarrassing, but I tried to have a good attitude anyway. We began to waddle around my little yellow house making up songs as we went, because we felt so silly! </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Waddle, waddle, waddle till the baby’s out!” </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To our delight my contractions began to come back with a vengeance!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grandma called Grandad to let him know that I was in fact in labor and we would probably have this baby tonight. That was such an encouragement to me and made me determined to do whatever was necessary to get Sophie out.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next time I went to the bathroom, I could really begin to feel Sophie’s head, because it was so low! We waited too long to go to the hospital with Olivia and I did not want that to happen again. So, I told Grandma Newsham what I felt and that it was about time to go to the hospital.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdHg6Sw7h9g/X_CwNEMd89I/AAAAAAAAJeg/oob73G_qfnwC-ztDNGPJdVluuAvWHvJfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/1520638_529049934181_1883696256_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdHg6Sw7h9g/X_CwNEMd89I/AAAAAAAAJeg/oob73G_qfnwC-ztDNGPJdVluuAvWHvJfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/1520638_529049934181_1883696256_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really in labor now!!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We needed to get everything together and wait for Grandad to pick us up. So, I sat down in the recliner where again, my labor stalled. Like I had said, it was the theme of the day. However, I am thankful for this, because it gave us time to get to the hospital and get settled before Sophie was born.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Grandad arrived, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">around 8:00pm</span>, Daddy, Auntie Hannah, Grandma, and I all piled into the car and made our way to the hospital.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the hospital we checked in with the woman in the Emergency Room and signed all of the appropriate papers. Uncle Josh ended up showing up at the hospital right about the same time we did, so he got to be there too!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They got me upstairs where I changed into a hospital gown. I answered all of their registration questions and signed all of the necessary forms. They checked me and discovered that I was already at an 8! Finally, they got us into a labor and delivery room which I had not been able to see when I had Olivia. All the while, I was still having contractions pretty frequently. By this time, Jon was up and took Auntie Hannah’s place to help me labor.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Doerrfeld was out of town, so I opted to have the midwife on call named, Mary Beth Smith.This was the best decision I made all day! All throughout my pregnancy I had been going back and forth about a home birth vs. a hospital birth. In the end, God made the decision for me, because my doctor was out of town.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After monitoring Sophie’s heart beat the midwife said that I could get up and walk around for thirty minutes. I got up went to the bathroom and walked around. My contractions were becoming unbearable as they came one right after the other. I did my best to breathe through them, but I was not sure how much more of this I could take!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #dca10d; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://17">At 9:30pm</a></span>, I got back in bed, so that they could monitor Sophie for another thirty minutes. This was the one time, all day that when I laid down my contractions did not stop! I told Grandma I was tired and she said that I could lay in bed <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://18"><span style="color: #dca10d;">until 10:00pm</span></a>, but that then we would get up to move around.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In that thirty minute period I went through transition. My contractions hurt so much as they forced my hips to open up and give way for the baby that was about to be born. I had kept my cool all day and with every contraction I felt like I was going to lose it.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I looked up at the clock which read <span style="text-decoration: underline;">10:00pm</span> and knew that there was no way I could get up and walk around. I hoped that Grandma would not make me get up out of bed, because I was in so much pain!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the very next contraction, my water broke. As soon as my water broke I felt the need to push. I knew that it was just about time for me to have my baby girl. With Jon and Grandma’s help I did my best to not push until the midwife and nurses arrived.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The nurse checked me and I was complete. They sent someone to get the midwife and I could finally try a practice push. As the midwife came in, she threw on her hospital gowns and asked if Jon would like to catch Sophie and cut the cord.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two contractions and three pushes later, Sophie was out! They put my precious baby on my chest, which was a new experience for me, because they didn’t do that with Olivia. I could not believe that my baby girl was finally here.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rQRF8iY6e_Q/X_CwkUnf55I/AAAAAAAAJeo/SB99KZo4zpwLuETcyTz-_FTiXN06EVO3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s960/940833_529049959131_499938125_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rQRF8iY6e_Q/X_CwkUnf55I/AAAAAAAAJeo/SB99KZo4zpwLuETcyTz-_FTiXN06EVO3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/940833_529049959131_499938125_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So excited to meet our baby girl!!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the next hour, they stitched me up, took care of Sophie, and just let us bond with our newest baby girl. There were so many babies born on December 27th, 2013 that they did not have enough room for us in the mother/baby wing of the hospital, so they kept us in labor and delivery.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grandad, Grandma, Uncle Josh, and Auntie Hannah had all been in the waiting room and got to come see Sophie as soon as we were ready. They fell in love with Sophie at first sight!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the next few days Sophie met her big sister Olivia and many other people that love her. We brought Sophie home and since then, each day, we have been learning more about her and how to be a family of four. Sophie brings so much joy to our lives and we are thankful that the Lord has put her in our family!</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We continue to be thankful for the many ways that the Lord has provided for our family and will continue to provide on Sophie’s behalf!</span></p><p style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMuRsp8smYc/X_Cw3AJf_9I/AAAAAAAAJew/KZYl4kDt-wkLjYynjsQiqtwfxGXz4H5RQCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/1525188_529049989071_133145323_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sMuRsp8smYc/X_Cw3AJf_9I/AAAAAAAAJew/KZYl4kDt-wkLjYynjsQiqtwfxGXz4H5RQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/1525188_529049989071_133145323_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie Joye <br />8lbs 2oz; 19 inches long<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div style="border: 0px; color: #404040; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">.....</span></span></div><div style="border: 0px; color: #404040; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">MY OTHER BIRTH STORIES</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I was a kid, my Mom would always share our birth stories with us!! As a result, I really love birth stories. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please click the links below to check out my other birth stories.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #dca10d; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2012/11/olivias-birth-story.html" target="_blank">Olivia’s Birth Story</a> </span></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2021/01/sophies-birth-story.html" target="_blank">Sophie’s Birth Story</a></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #dca10d; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2016/06/matildas-birth-story.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Matilda’s Home Birth Story </span></a></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: #dca10d; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2018/10/evelyn-rose-and-zoey-faiths-home-birth.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Evelyn and Zoey’s Home Birth Story</span></a></span></p><div><br /></div><p></p></span></span></div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-37668738592096060422021-01-04T08:34:00.000-06:002021-01-04T08:34:22.398-06:00My 2021 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u707RYME104/X-_maZm-bII/AAAAAAAAJdI/ODJpC_Bzm2k-qpbjdDQOZibfTrlPf7y4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/7FDF7C19-51A0-47D7-8786-BEF9C6EE7B26.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u707RYME104/X-_maZm-bII/AAAAAAAAJdI/ODJpC_Bzm2k-qpbjdDQOZibfTrlPf7y4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/7FDF7C19-51A0-47D7-8786-BEF9C6EE7B26.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span class="s1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">For several years, I’ve used the <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/goal-planners-and-accessories/products/2021-one-year-dated-powersheets-intentional-goal-planner" target="_blank">Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets Intentional Goal Planner</a>. </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">Unfortunately, as a result of the current global pandemic, I didn’t think I would be able to buy my Powersheets this year. It was agonizing as I went back and forth over whether I needed to getaway new set of Powersheets or not. Finally, after talking with my husband, we decided the Powersheets would be my Christmas present this year!! I was ecstatic and very thankful to be able to get the newest set of Powersheets. They always help me to focus on what matters and cultivate life-long habits, which are important to me.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">If you’re coming off of a crazy year like me and looking for something to bring order in the chaos, be sure to grab a set of Powersheets before they’re gone. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">MY WORD OF THE YEAR</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Part of the Powersheets prep work includes choosing a word of the year. God always uses my word of the year in amazing ways!! Seriously, I was excited to complete the prep work in order to nail down my word for 2021. There were lots of words I wrestled with like remember, harvest, legacy, reclaim, thrive, peace, abundance, and cherish. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">So many good choices!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Part of my own personal process includes, keeping a note in my phone with ideas for my word of the year. As words stick out to me, I write it down and begin to pray about what God has for me during the upcoming year. As I worked through the Powersheets questions for my word of the year, one word began to stand out more than anything else.... FINISH. Finish means to bring to completion. It’s vey fitting for 2021!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">You see, I’m great at starting new things. However, this year I feel God asking me to bring a lot of things to completion. I’m excited to continue to persevere and finish pending projects well.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aA42l6Ewnn8/X-_om4TI-7I/AAAAAAAAJdU/r8_2CqHgQHMnCDt8xY7UEBzOfKVtDPyMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/3DE1F93F-9EE2-4D27-8974-C5C5857DE04E.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aA42l6Ewnn8/X-_om4TI-7I/AAAAAAAAJdU/r8_2CqHgQHMnCDt8xY7UEBzOfKVtDPyMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/3DE1F93F-9EE2-4D27-8974-C5C5857DE04E.png" /></a></div><br /><span class="s1"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><i>“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”</i></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><i>- 2 Timothy 4:7 ESV</i></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">MY 2021 GOALS</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Below, I’ve listed my goals for 2021. It’s nice, because they’re not set in stone and I can reevaluate them after 90 days to determine if these are still the goals I want to focus on throughout the rest of the year. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">1. Cherish my relationship with God.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">2. Invest in my marriage.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">3. Love my girls well.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">4. Care for myself.<br />5. Finish writing my book.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">6. Cultivate my business.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">OTHER RESOURCES</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Lara Casey and her team at Cultivate What Matters have a lot of resources to help walk with you as you work to accomplish your goals each year. Lara has written two books (which I will list below) and she also has a podcast called, <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/pages/podcast-1" target="_blank">“Cultivating Your Life with Lara Casey”</a>. </span>Finally, I have included a list of helpful, motivating books. I included Lara's books and a few others that have really encouraged me this year.</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Simplified-Life-Tactical-Intentional-Living/dp/0718098307/ref=sr_1_1_nodl?ie=UTF8&qid=1546057263&sr=8-1&keywords=a+simplified+life+emily+ley">"A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living"</a> by, Emily Ley</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cultivate-Grace-Filled-Guide-Growing-Intentional/dp/0718021665/ref=pd_sim_14_1_nodl?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0718021665&pd_rd_r=d0f90393-0b20-11e9-add8-73a0b1357621&pd_rd_w=IEtWc&pd_rd_wg=UFsM0&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=DRHGQTZR5EC3S6KM9P9X&psc=1&refRID=DRHGQTZR5EC3S6KM9P9X">“Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life”</a> by, Lara Casey</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Not-Perfection-Simplicity-Celebrating/dp/0718085221/ref=sr_1_2_nodl?ie=UTF8&qid=1546057263&sr=8-2&keywords=a+simplified+life+emily+ley">"Grace, Not Perfection: Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy"</a> by, Emily Ley</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Make-Happen-Surrender-Fear-Purpose/dp/0529101505/ref=sr_1_1_nodl?ie=UTF8&qid=1546057112&sr=8-1&keywords=make+it+happen+by+lara+casey">"Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live On Purpose."</a> by Lara Casey </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">PREVIOUS POWERSHEETS BLOG POSTS</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">In the past, I’ve written blog posts about Powersheets. As a result, I included links to posts which will have additional information about Powersheets and how I have used them over the years. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/06/my-2020-cultivate-what-matters.html?m=1" target="_blank">My 2020 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets </a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/08/leaning-into-jesus.html" target="_blank">Leaning into Jesus</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2019/01/cultivate-what-matters-my-2019-goals.html" target="_blank">Cultivate What Matters: My 2019 Goals </a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-44308779517056149322020-09-29T09:00:00.026-05:002020-09-29T09:00:01.554-05:00US Elections Unit Study<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kl-uHisH1LA/X3KwO-OdnmI/AAAAAAAAJb0/ufZCXPii70YUwgah6g-6IURXYPC8f4bdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/FD6783E7-487C-48C4-8731-3ECF5400F16C.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kl-uHisH1LA/X3KwO-OdnmI/AAAAAAAAJb0/ufZCXPii70YUwgah6g-6IURXYPC8f4bdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/FD6783E7-487C-48C4-8731-3ECF5400F16C.png" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">Back in July, I shared our our </span><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/07/2020-21-homeschool-curriculum-choices.html" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">2020-21 Homeschool Curriculum Choices</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;"> with all of you. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell you about the lap book curriculum we bought to work on with the girls this school year. Oops!! As a result, I’ve decided to share how I intend to use this US Elections Lap Book as a “mini” unity study.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Without further ado, our main curriculum for this mini unit study will be the <a href="https://www.sonlight.com/US30.html">US Elections Lap Book from Sonlight</a>. Lap books are hands-on activities, which give children a fun and creative way to learn about the US Election process. In case you don’t know, Sonlight is a curriculum, whose focus is heavy on books and reading. Several years back, Sonlight debuted a variety of lap books, which pair very well with their curriculums providing more of a well-rounded and balanced teaching for children with a variety of learning styles. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">In total, there are 21 projects for you to finish, so we will be doing these 3 times a week for the next 7 weeks, so we can finish the week after the election. The lap book kit comes with everything you need to complete the lap book project, an instructor booklet, and even the double sided tape. At the beginning of each project, you read an excerpt from the US Elections text booklet and then work on the specific activity.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8YfjVqcAfOk/X3KwdUnnb3I/AAAAAAAAJb4/cS_pS_fQKA4PdDg0qbGS5zkigLDJJFNaACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/A8285B58-4986-4825-9F54-68576915B1BA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8YfjVqcAfOk/X3KwdUnnb3I/AAAAAAAAJb4/cS_pS_fQKA4PdDg0qbGS5zkigLDJJFNaACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/A8285B58-4986-4825-9F54-68576915B1BA.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">My girls had fun working on our first few projects together!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Additionally, there are a lot of ways, I plan to bulk up this lap book curriculum. First, I went on YouTube to find some fun videos for my girls to watch, which will reiterate what I’ve already taught them. So, I searched “elections for kids” into the YouTube search engine and saved some videos for us to watch together like, <a href="https://youtu.be/GrG7zBUDiqQ">“Voting for Kids”</a>.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Another way I want to teach my girls about the election process, is by coming together as a family to watch the presidential debates. I’m not here to just tell my kids who to vote for, but I want to let them learn about the process and foster a love for our country in my girls hearts.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eI9sBUhjaP4/X3KwpceR1SI/AAAAAAAAJcA/y_qOK4OgqTYeEKUZpJP6eOEYKukXHZ2hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/441B2AA3-394D-4C2A-B15B-E87FA278449A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eI9sBUhjaP4/X3KwpceR1SI/AAAAAAAAJcA/y_qOK4OgqTYeEKUZpJP6eOEYKukXHZ2hgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/441B2AA3-394D-4C2A-B15B-E87FA278449A.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Finally, we’re also going to read a book from the Heroes of History series called, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/George-Washington-Patriot-Heroes-History/dp/1883002818/ref=sr_1_2?crid=MT9XHEP6V1Z&dchild=1&keywords=heroes+of+history+george+washington&qid=1601350465&sprefix=Heroes+of+history+gepr%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-2">“George Washington: True Patriot” by Janet & Geoff Benge</a>. My girls had a lot of questions about voting and our country. I thought it would be helpful to start where it all began with our very first president. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">I hope and pray as we work through this unit study, my girls will see the privilege and responsibility placed on each of us as US citizens. We know so many people around the world who have never been given the opportunity to vote. All that being said, I don’t want my girls to ever take our freedoms for granted.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-7625501985591442432020-09-21T09:00:00.045-05:002020-09-21T09:00:05.967-05:007 Things I Learned This Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5R60F82kpK0/X2VyDtJ1nkI/AAAAAAAAJbY/J2XM9GPKgRYD2xxttvHi-utjYwiwVmFCACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/1D3DF160-CABE-43AB-9E15-2EAE45C787AC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5R60F82kpK0/X2VyDtJ1nkI/AAAAAAAAJbY/J2XM9GPKgRYD2xxttvHi-utjYwiwVmFCACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/1D3DF160-CABE-43AB-9E15-2EAE45C787AC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">I’m so excited to take part in “What I Learned” hosted every quarter by, <a href="https://emilypfreeman.com/10-things-i-learned-this-summer/">Emily P Freeman</a>: an author, podcaster, and co-founder of Hope*Writers an online community for writers. Honestly, our summer was busier than I expected with a mini vacation aka our camping trip, starting our new 2020-21 school year, and attending my brother-in-law’s wedding in East Texas. All things considered, it’s been good to reflect over my summer as a new season is just around the corner.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><u><b>7 Things I Learned this Summer</b></u></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>1. Covid-19 has become personal.</b> </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Throughout the summer, this global pandemic has gradually became much more personal, because lots of people I love have had Covid-19. This disease continues to rage with little sign of letting up. As I said, some of my own family and friends have been sick with this virus. It’s been hard to be thousands of miles away feeling helpless watching those I love struggling through the challenges presented as a result of this sickness. It’s just been heartbreaking. As a result, I’ve been on bended knee on their behalf asking for healing and God’s grace to rain down on them during this time. I know God hears each and every one of my prayers and I will continue to lift them up in constant prayer. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2. My Mom came to visit!! </b></div>Before we started our <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/07/2020-21-homeschool-curriculum-choices.html">new 2020-21 homeschool year</a>, my Mom flew to Colorado for a week long visit!! I hadn’t seen my Mom in almost a year and I was so thankful to be able to spend time with her this summer. We played board games, ate delicious food, went shopping, and my Mom even taught the girls how to sew a pillow. They each got to pick their own fabric and Mom helped each of them make their very own small pillow. Even though it was so hot, we had an incredible visit and can’t wait to see you again. We love you to the moon an back Mom!!<p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>3. I’ve been reading lots of books.</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Do you remember my blog post last month? It was called, <a href="livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/08/cultivating-love-for-reading.html">“Cultivating a Love for Reading”</a> where I shared my own reading struggles. It’s been good to see how God is helping me overcome my reading struggles in some amazing ways. One of them being, I’ve read and listened to more books this summer, than any other time in my life!! I’m so thankful with God’s help, I have been able to make reading books a priority this summer. Seriously, if I can do this...anyone can!! All that being said, here are some of my very favorite non-fiction books I read this summer.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Minimalist-Home-Style-Stuff/dp/0310350913/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Cozy+Minimalist+Home&qid=1600481534&sr=8-1">“Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff” by, Myquillyn Smith</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Susie-Legacy-Susannah-Spurgeon-Charles/dp/0802418341/ref=sr_1_1?crid=WYINQ0T0BHTO&dchild=1&keywords=susie+the+life+and+legacy+of+susannah+spurgeon&qid=1600481637&s=books&sprefix=Susie+th%2Caps%2C206&sr=1-1">“Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon“ by, Ray Rhodes Jr</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lazy-Genius-Way-Embrace-Matters/dp/0525653910/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1R66W3CEDK0F6&dchild=1&keywords=the+lazy+genius+way&qid=1600481709&s=books&sprefix=The+lazy%2Cstripbooks%2C189&sr=1-1">“The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done” by, Kendra Adachi</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Educated-Memoir-Tara-Westover/dp/0399590501/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Educated&qid=1600481803&s=books&sr=1-1">“Educated: A Memoir” by, Tara Westover</a></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1">5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Woman-No-Importance-Untold-American-ebook/dp/B07DN155VV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EFPBGFLZH4BA&dchild=1&keywords=a+woman+of+no+importance&qid=1600481862&s=books&sprefix=A+woman%2Cstripbooks%2C188&sr=1-1">“A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II” by, Sonia Purnell </a></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>4. Camping with small kids, meant no one got any sleep.</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"> Back in July, after being in lockdown for several months, we thought it would be fun to take the kids camping for a few days. We all needed a break from being at home non-stop, so camping seemed like a good way to let the kids have a break while still social distancing ourselves from others. Even though we were all in one tent and up at the crack of dawn, it was fun to get away. To my surprise, the girls can’t wait to go camping again next year!!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>5. My twins reached some big milestones!!</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">This summer, my twins turned 2 years old!! Additionally, over the past few months, they have each reached some big milestones. The twins are now in their own big girl bed and they said, “Goodbye” to their pacifiers. It’s been an exciting few months and I am so proud of them. Honestly, it’s been hard on my heart, because I still want to pretend they’re my little babies FOREVER!! Pray I can enjoy each stage of life with them, not wishing us to be too far ahead or behind. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>6. Summer haircuts are the best.</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">After several months of the salons being closed, things have slowly started to open up again in Colorado. As soon as they began to open up again, my sister-in-law, Hannah and I had a fun girls day going out to get out hair done. It’s been so hot here and we were each excited for a little change. My hairdresser was so kind and gave me one of the best haircuts I’ve ever experienced!! It was such a fun way to celebrate the new summer season. </span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b>7. Josh and Katya’s Wedding!</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">As summer began to wind down, we got to go to Josh (my brother-in-law) and Katya’s wedding in Longview, Texas. I was nervous about the current pandemic, but so thankful we were able to go see our family and friends during this time. Of course their were challenges, but at the end of the day we’re praising the Lord for His protection over us as we traveled to and from the wedding. It was a joy to watch all my girls walk down the aisle as flower girls!! We’re thankful to be apart of Josh’s big day and so excited Katya is officially apart of our family.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><i>Now it’s your turn, what have you learned this Summer?</i></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-25183995200442177062020-08-17T08:00:00.089-05:002020-08-17T08:00:00.438-05:00Leaning into Jesus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p6zjyweFGuo/XzVmdMXdkEI/AAAAAAAAJaY/2h5cEf9mVKcTQzuGX3aNo7QwITGGxSICACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/57C504DD-3FF6-4E78-9A1B-18182B28620F.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p6zjyweFGuo/XzVmdMXdkEI/AAAAAAAAJaY/2h5cEf9mVKcTQzuGX3aNo7QwITGGxSICACLcBGAsYHQ/w410-h410/57C504DD-3FF6-4E78-9A1B-18182B28620F.png" width="410" /></a></div><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 17px;">One of the deepest desires of my heart, is to spend my entire life, testifying about all the ways God has brought me from death to life. Recently, I’ve had this overwhelming desire to lean into Jesus and dig deeper into the Lord through prayer, scripture, and other spiritual disciplines. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been spending time reading my Bible and in prayer. However, I want to take our relationship deeper.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">As a result, I’ve been praying through all of the tools I use to foster spiritual growth in my life. Trying to decide if I should replace these items with something else or continue to use what I have in a different way. I also made a list of the disciplines I want to cultivate such as, intentional goal planning, in depth Bible study, prayer, personal journaling, gratitude, and sermon notes.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">Do you long to learn more about the Lord?</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">If so, please look below to check out, “<i>7 Tools to Help You Grow in Christ”</i>, which have helped me to get back into the groove of spending time with Jesus. These tools are helpful to get you started and guaranteed to strengthen your relationship with the Lord. These items are not “required”, so please add them to your religious to do list. Like I said, this is what works for me, so take time to pray and ask the Lord was He wants to cultivate in your life right now.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 20.3px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">7 Tools to Help You Grow in Christ</span></u></b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>1. ESV Bible </b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">(for Bible reading)</b></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">I think it’s hard to learn about Jesus without reading His word. As a result, I have several tools to help me read my Bible throughout the year. My traditional, paper copy is a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Large-Compact-TruTone-Floral-Design/dp/1433545772/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Pink+esv+bible&qid=1597335217&sr=8-2">pink ESV Bible</a>. I got this Bible many years ago. At different points in time, it’s even been written on by my girls. While I study the Bible and take sermon notes, I underline Bible verses which stand out to me. I also write insights in the margins and date it, so I can remember what God taught me through my own study or from a teacher. Slowly but surely, my Bible is being filled up with incredible truths about God. If I ever get another Bible, I’lol probably get a journaling Bible, which will give me even more room to take notes!!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>2. The Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble Bible Reading Plan </b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>(for Bible reading)</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">A new tool I’ve been using this year is, “<a href="http://www.thebiblerecap.com/start">The Bible Recap with Tara-Leigh Cobble Bible Reading Plan</a>” on the YouVersion Bible App on my phone. The Bible Recap follows The Chronological Bible, which has been nice to listen to throughout this year. For further enrichment, I listen to The Bible Recap podcast for more insight and encouragement into the assigned daily Bible reading. I highly recommend this tool, if you’ve always wanted to read through the Bible in one year.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>3. Cultivate What Matters: PowerSheets </b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>(for intentional goal planning)</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">For years, I’ve been using the <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/">Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets Intentional Goal Planner </a>and I get so excited to dive into the prep work to see </span> <span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">what God has in store for me for the upcoming year. The first 50 pages of the book is the prep work where you work through what’s important to you. They help you nail down goals and brainstorm ways to work on them little by little each year. The rest of the book is broken up into months, so each month you can work through your individual to-do lists and action steps you want to take to get you closer to achieving your goal. This year, I’m thankful the Lord helped me to simplify my goals, because the goal pandemic has wrecked all sense of “normal” right now.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>4. “Write the Word Journal” </b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>(to cultivate gratitude, prayer, in depth Bible study)</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">Back in 2018, when we moved to Hong Kong I wanted to get something which would help me get back into my daily Bible reading after our big move, having twins, and being a new Mom of 5 girls!! Honestly, I just needed something to help to keep me accountable. Thankfully, I already used the PowerSheets, because I follow Lara Casey (founder of Cultivate What Matters) on social media and she introduced me to their “<a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/">Write the Word Journals”</a>. During this season of life, these journals were the perfect solution for me. They weren’t daunting Bible studies, but a guided journal which would give me space to write out God’s word, spending time in prayer, writing what I was thankful for each day, and a word for the day to summarize what I had learned. To this day, I still use my Write the Word journal and I’ve even incorporated the kids version into our homeschool curriculum.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>5. Give Me Jesus Journal </b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>(to cultivate gratitude, prayer, in depth Bible study)</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">Based on a friend’s recommendation, I started following <a href="https://www.instagram.com/phyliciamasonheimer/">Phylicia Masonheimer on Instagram</a>. Phylicia’s love for God and His word is contagious. She offering Bible hacks, book recommendations, Biblical teaching on lots of topics, and so much more!! She also talks about the tools she uses while she studies the Bible and one of her favorites is the <a href="https://shop.wellwateredwomen.com/collections/journals">“Give Me Jesus Journal” from Well Watered Women Co</a>. It’s a journal with a variety of prompts to help you dive deeper into your specific passage. Honestly, I haven’t used this journal myself, but I plan to buy one when they restock. Even though I don’t have this journal, I’m excited to apply these principles in my personal study of God’s word. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>6. My Personal Journal </b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>(for journaling and sermon notes)</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">Ever since I was little, I’ve also had a diary or journal which I would take time to write in each day. To this day, I still use a journal for writing and pouring out my heart to the Lord in written prayers. Also, I use my journal for sermon notes. I used to have a separate journal, but I’ve found it’s easier to just keep everything in the same place. Inevitably, I’m going to wondering what the pastor talked about and it’s easier to have everything all together instead of trying to keep track of even more notebooks. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>7. Val Marie Paper Rhythms (Yearly) Prayer Journal </b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><b>(for fostering prayer, written prayers, journaling, and gratitude)</b></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">I have used the Val <a href="https://shop.valmariepaper.com/">Marie Paper Yearly Prayer Journal</a>, recent renamed the “Rhythms” Prayer Journal, for several years. In 2018, the first year I used the prayer journal, I was inconsistent, because I would skip a month here and there. It felt wasteful!! As a result, in 2019, I didn’t order a prayer journal and just tried to use the months which were still blank in my 2018 prayer journal. Honestly, it was hard to navigate 2019 without a yearly prayer journal. I missed having this tool to help me nourish a healthy prayer life. When it came time to pre-order the 2020 yearly prayer journals, I made it a priority to invest in one again and have some extra encouragement. You all know how crazy 2020 has been and I’m so thankful I had this prayer journal to help me to continue to pray even when as chaos raged around us. All that to say, I’ve already pre-ordered my 2021 Rhythms (yearly) Prayer Journal, because I know things are harder without it.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">.....</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Now it’s your turn... </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Please leave me a comment and let me know what are your favorite tools, </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">which help you grow in Christ?</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></p>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-81809881321385127292020-08-10T08:00:00.000-05:002020-08-10T08:00:01.347-05:00August 2020 Homeschool Favorites<div>
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In celebration of our new homeschool year, I decided to share some homeschool favorites with you. Honestly, I haven’t done this in a while, so I have tons of favorites to share with you all. That being said, I’ll share some now and wait to share more in the coming months. The favorites I will share today are ones I use everyday in our homeschool and I’ve found these to be so helpful this year.<br />
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<u><b>Booster Bricks Club</b></u></div>
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All of my girls, love playing with Legos. As a result, this past Christmas we joined the <a href="http://boosterbricks.com/">Booster Bricks Club</a>. There is a new theme each month and we work together as a family to complete the corresponding challenges. You read through the theme-based storybook, which tells you when to complete the specific challenges. There’s even a Facebook page you can join, which gives you a chance to upload pictures of your completed challenges. It may not be a curriculum. However, during the pandemic it has been a fun thing for all of us to work on while we’re cooped up inside. I can see us being apart of this club for many more year to come!!<br />
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<u><b>Homeschool Supplies Caddy</b></u> </div>
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Over the years, I’ve tried lots of things to store my girls school supplies. I’ve tried giving them their own individual pencil boxes, pretty lunch boxes, and individual bags with different supplies, like markers or crayons. Unfortunately, nothing has worked very well, because by the end of the school year my big girls dumped all the crayons and everything they didn’t want into Matilda’s bag. Oh my.
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That being said, I’ve been on the hunt for a better solution for our family. I was so excited when I found this wire caddy at Ikea in Hong Kong. I liked it some much, I even shipped it home. As a result, I’ve been collecting empty jars and containers, which I could use to hold all of the school supplies on a daily basis. This basket lives on my bookshelf and I pull it down whenever we work on school. We use what we need, clean up, and put it away when we’re done. No fighting over markers or who doesn’t want a certain color in their pencil bag. It’s been such a nice addition to our homeschool room this year.<br />
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Currently, I have scissors, rulers, sharpened pencils, crayons, colored pencils, glue, and markers in my supplies caddy.<br />
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<u><b>Musical Multiplication from The Good and the Beautiful </b></u></div>
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My family loves music based curriculum! Which is why I’ve wanted to buy <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-musical-multiplication/">“Musical Multiplication” from The Good and the Beautiful</a> for a while. For that reason, I just had to share this curriculum, because it is so much fun for all of my girls. We got it at the end of our previous school year and have been using it ever since. We started with Olivia and let her work through the first book with corresponding songs. It’s become such a favorite, all my girls want to take turns working through the book and singing the multiplication songs. I highly recommend this curriculum for children struggling to nail down their multiplication factors.<br />
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<b><u>Plum Paper Planner</u></b></div>
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Two years ago, when we lived in Hong Kong, my friend Shelli gave a Homeschool Planner. Honestly, it was the first time I had ever used a homeschool planner. Normally, I just used a weekly planner, which I designed and printed out at home. Each week, I would fill in what we needed to get done for school. Unfortunately, we have the worst luck with printers, so the pre-printed homeschool planner was the perfect solution when I didn’t have a printer.<br />
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All that being said, last year I couldn’t find the same type of planner, my friend had given me. As a result, I scoured the internet for the perfect planner which would work for homeschooling. After watching tons of YouTube videos and reading recommendations, I finally decided to take the plunge and buy my very first <a href="https://www.plumpaper.com/">Plum Paper Planner</a>. I loved it, because I can customize each section as needed and add homeschool sections to the back. It’s been one of my favorite homeschooling tools, so this year I bought another one. The one I got this year is a little bigger, so I have more room to write in my planner each week.<br />
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<b><u>Sonlight Reader Boxes</u></b> </div>
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Once our girls learn to read, we transition from Sing, Spell, Read, and Write to The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts program. In addition, we pair individual The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts curriculum with Sonlight Grade Level Readers. For example, this year Olivia is using The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Level 3 and Sonlight Grade 4 Readers. <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/07/2020-21-homeschool-curriculum-choices.html">Click the link to read more about our 2020-21 Homeschool Curriculum Choices.</a><br />
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As a result, our girls have had stacks of Sonlight Reader books, which they work through each year. In an effort to free up some extra space off of my books shelves, I created Sonlight Reader Boxes for each of my girls. Additionally, I typed up a checklist, so as they read through their books they put a sticker on the chart. Their boxes stay at their spot on our homeschool table, so they can see the progress they’re making each day as they take time to read books out loud. This has been a huge hit with the girls and they’re excited about this fun change to our homeschool room.<br />
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<i>What are some of your homeschool favorites this month!?</i></div>
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-90957562525931278812020-08-03T08:00:00.001-05:002020-08-03T08:00:00.864-05:00Cultivating a Love for Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’ve always loved books!! This isn’t too surprising, because I come from a long line of readers. I’m so grateful for the legacy <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/05/remembering-grandma-vivian.html">my Grandma</a> began which has been passed down to my Mom, me, and now my girls. It’s just wonderful.<br />
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Do you want to know the truth?<br />
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Even though I love books, I haven’t always been a good reader. For a long time, I read slowly, didn’t like reading out loud, and struggled with proper pronunciation of new words. For lack of practice, I read very slowly, because I really had to pay attention in order to comprehend what was taking place in the story. Seriously, if I got called on in Sunday school to the Bible passage, I would become overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. I’m not good at pronouncing all those names in the Bible, so I would pray and ask God to help me not mess up too badly. For that reason, when it was my turn to teach, I would listen to the audio Bible on my phone and learn how to pronounce the names before I needed to teach.<br />
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The struggle was real!<br />
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Additionally, I’ve felt like I never found my niche or specific genre of books which I most loved. Thankfully, in college, my friend Michelle encouraged me to read the Harry Potter series. I took one look at how long those books were, felt intimidated, and said, “No, because I wasn’t a kid anymore, which meant I couldn’t read children’s fiction anymore.” Honestly, I don’t know why I felt this way. Michelle gently explained, just because I was an adult didn’t mean I only had to read adult books. Finding out, I could still read children’s books was a huge paradigm shift for me and suddenly opened up a world of books I never had the opportunity to read when I was a kid.<br />
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My friend, continued to present her case to me about the Harry Potter books and how I would learn about the wizarding world right along with Harry Potter himself. She explained, they were a great read and I should just try the first book and if I didn’t like them I could stop. Michelle was so adamant, she took me down to Powell’s Bookstore and bought me my very own copy of “Harry Potter and the Socerers Stone”.<br />
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Leaving me without any excuses, I finally caved.<br />
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Just as Michelle said, I began to fall in love with the book and its characters!! In no time, I finished the first book and moved on to the next. I was hooked and nothing could stop me now. I was so proud of myself when I finally finished the entire series. To this day, they’re some of my favorite books of all time. Thanks friend for igniting my love of reading, which has never wavered.<br />
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After Harry Potter, I continued to read through lots of children’s and young adult fiction, which I had never read before and you can check out the list of some of my favorites below. I can’t imagine missing out on all of these incredible books!!<br />
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Fast forward to 2020...now I’m a homeschooling Mom and my job is reading out loud to my girls. Truly, only God could help me face my fears and work on being a better reader. I’ve been far from perfect, but I’m thankful for my girls love and grace as I stumble through unfamiliar words. I’m still a work in progress, so a few years ago one of my goals for the year was to cultivating a love for reading. I tried my best to read 3 good books each month. I also compete in a yearly Goodreads Reading Challenge with my hubby. Last year, I read 135 books, which included all the kids book I read to the girls. I was so proud of myself for reaching my goal and I’m praying we can pass on a love of reading to my own girls.<br />
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Normally, I read through a fiction and non-fiction at the same time, because I still feel like I’m still trying to make up for lost time as I continue reading through all kinds of books I never had the chance to read when I was a kid.<br />
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<i>How have you been cultivating a love for reading?</i></div>
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<i>Do you enjoy reading? </i><i>Or do you struggle like me?</i></div>
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For anyone who’s struggling to sit down with an actual book, I encourage you to try listening audio books. Honestly, it took me forever to get used to audiobooks. I starting listening to podcasts, which helped me grow into larger audiobooks. As a busy Mom, this has opened up a world of amazing books, which I wouldn’t have the chance to sit down and read right now. It’s been such a blessing and gives me something to listen to while I clean, make dinner, etc.<br />
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Finally, it’s always easier for me to be excited about a book when it’s been recommended by my family or friends. That being said, if you’re trying to get back into reading, I want to give a list of incredible book recommendations as a place to start reigniting your love for reading.<br />
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<b><u>10 MUST READ BOOKS</u></b> </div>
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1. “The Penderwick Series” by, Jeanne Birdsall</div>
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2. “The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street” by, Karina Yan Glaser </div>
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3. “The Hunger Games Trilogy” by, Suzanne Collins </div>
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4. “Little Women” by, Louisa May Alcott</div>
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5. “The Wild Robot” by, Peter Brown</div>
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6. “The Divergent Series” by, Veronica Roth</div>
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7. “All of a Kind Family” by, Sydney Taylor</div>
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8. “The Giver” by, Lois Lowry</div>
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9. “The Harry Potter series” by, J.K. Rowling</div>
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10. “Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime” by, Janet & Geoff Benge </div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-19721058447797499712020-07-28T08:00:00.000-05:002020-07-28T08:00:06.197-05:00My Mom’s Morning Basket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m so excited to share my Mom’s Morning Basket with you!!<br />
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Several years ago, as apart of our homeschool, I decided to try something new. I got the idea from Ashlee at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/GraceandGrit">‘Grace and Grit’</a> on YouTube. Ashlee is a homeschool Mom and she uses <a href="https://youtu.be/37LoyCRQm3k">‘The Morning Basket‘</a> technique, by <a href="https://bravewriter.com/">Brave Writer</a> aka Julie Bogart, with her homeschool curriculum. I really liked this idea and couldn’t wait to try it out during our 2017-18 school year. Honestly, in our family, it’s been a huge hit and to this day, we still use a morning basket.<br />
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Additionally, back in 2018, I even put a Christmas spin on our typical morning basket. To learn more about it, <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2018/12/blogmas-series-our-christmas-book-basket.html">click the link to read, “Blogmas Series: Our Christmas Book Basket” now</a>.<br />
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This year, I wanted to try something completely new for myself. You see, I always have my Bible, journals, books I’m reading, devotionals, and more floating around the house. There hasn’t been a central location for these items, which means I can’t always find them when I need them. It’s frustrating and takes away from my time with the Lord when I have to search all over the house for my Bible or a pen.<br />
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As a result, I thought it would be nice to buy a basket for myself where I would keep these important items in one central location. I did a quick Google search of “Mom’s Morning Basket” to see if this was even a thing and I was inspired by lots of other articles, which helped me narrow down what books to put into my Mom’s Morning basket. <i>I’ll share more about those details below.</i><br />
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Immediately, I drove to Hobby Lobby, where I found the perfect basket on sale!! Seriously, it was less than $5.00. Thank you Jesus!! I was excited to bring and discover it was the perfect fit for all the books I have right now. Thank you Lord for providing just what I needed during this season.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">What’s In My Mom’s Morning Basket?? </span></u></b></div>
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1.) <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/2020-powersheets/products/2020-six-month-undated-powersheets-intentional-goal-planner">Cultivate What Matters: PowerSheets 2020 </a></div>
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2.) <a href="https://shop.valmariepaper.com/collections/journal-collection/products/yearly-prayer-journal">Val Marie Paper: 2020 Yearly Prayer Journal</a> </div>
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3.) Non—fiction book (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Marriage-What-Designed-Happy/dp/0310337372/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3K6L0AWI2GKLX&dchild=1&keywords=sacred+marriage+by+gary+thomas&qid=1595883323&sprefix=Sacred+ma%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-1">Currently “Sacred Marriage” by, Gary Thomas</a>) </div>
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4.) My personal journal</div>
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5.) My ESV Bible </div>
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6.) Devotional (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Utmost-His-Highest-Paperback/dp/1627078754/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1RXVT75VS7MMM&dchild=1&keywords=my+utmost+for+his+highest&qid=1595883389&sprefix=My+utmost+for%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFDNzlCQ1Q5NUpMRUsmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA1NDk4NjQxVlkzUTczSUY4N1Q3JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0OTI0OTQxSEdHNkNJNDBERTc3JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==">Currently, “My Utmost for His Highest” by, Oswald Chambers</a>) </div>
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7.) <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/write-the-word-2020/products/write-the-word-cultivate-forgiveness">Write the Word journal (Currently, “The Garden”) </a></div>
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8.) My pouch for pens, pencils, and <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/2020-powersheets/products/cultivate-faith-sticker-book">Cultivate Faith Sticker Book</a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">In case you’re wondering, I’ve used PowerSheets for years!! They help me break down my big goals into small baby steps, so I can work on a little each month. I keep this book in my morning basket, so I can easily access my monthly tending list and record my progress on action items. </span><a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/06/my-2020-cultivate-what-matters.html" style="text-align: center;">Click the link to read all about, “My 2020 Cultivate What Matters: PowerSheets”</a><span style="text-align: center;">.</span><br />
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Currently, these are the books I reach for most often and it’s nice to have them all in the same spot. Once, I finish reading my non-fiction book, I will replace it with something else. The same goes for my Write the Word journal. I’m not a huge fan of devotionals, but it’s nice to have one in my basket on busy days when I don’t have a lot of time to sit down and study the word. It’s always an encouragement of my weary soul.<br />
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One more things, during my research about Mom’s morning baskets, many of the ladies said they have a book of poetry in their basket for themselves. I don’t have one yet, but I thought it was a cool idea.<br />
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<i>Now it’s your turn, what’s in your Mom’s Morning basket?</i></div>
<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-23761788147485068792020-07-23T09:00:00.000-05:002020-07-23T09:00:07.532-05:002020-21 Homeschool Curriculum Choices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Monday, July 20, we kicked off our 2020-21 school year. We typically start school sometime in July, because it provides us with some much needed structure and routine. Starting early, also always us the flexibility to take off from school when necessary without worrying about not finishing our required 35 weeks of school. On top of everything else, we’re still supposed to be social distancing, which let us to finish our previous school year more quickly than I anticipated, because extended family couldn’t come into town.<br />
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Every family is different, but this is what is working best for us right now.<br />
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Before I tell you our curriculum choices, I wanted to announce our updated homeschool name. It’s something I have been praying about since last year. Previously we were “The Newsham Academy”, but I wanted something more original that I could use for the theme of our homeschool room. Drumroll please!!<br />
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I’m so excited about our new school name “The Storybrooke Schoolhouse”, because everyone in our family loves books and reading stories together. Even my girls like our new homeschool name, so it is a win, win!! <b>Don’t forget to follow our homeschooling adventures at #thestorybrookeschoolhouse</b><br />
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Without further ado, here are our curriculum choices for our brand new school year.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2020-21 Homeschool Curriculum Choices </span></b></div>
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EVERYONE TOGETHER<br />
When it comes to teaching my large family, I try to have as many group subjects as possible. Currently, our family does Bible, Memory Verses, History, Read-Alouds, Write the Word, and Science together. We’re excited to use Sonlight’s new Core K curriculum, which is a study of American History. Additionally, we’ve switched science curriculums from Exploring Creation to The Good and the Beautiful. The girls can’t wait to dive into our first unit study of Meteorology.<br />
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Bible, Memory Verses, History, and Read-Alouds: <a href="https://www.sonlight.com/KCKR4">Sonlight Core K</a><br />
Write the Word for Kids: <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/products/write-the-word-kids">Cultivate What Matters Write the Word for Kids: Plant Seeds of the Word</a><br />
Science: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/science-health/">The Good and the Beautiful Meteorology; Kingdoms and Classifications; and Botany</a><br />
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3RD GRADE: Olivia<br />
It’s hard to believe my girl is already in 3rd grade. Olivia is an avid reader and you can always find her nose stuck in a book. She just finished reading The Penderwicks series and can’t wait to move onto Ranger’s Apprentice and The Chronicles of Narnia. She has been excited to start her new curriculum and currently her favorite subject of typing, because she gets to work on the computer.
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Language Arts: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/language-arts/">The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Level 3</a><br />
Handwriting: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/handwriting/">The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting Level 3</a><br />
Vocabulary: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/WW3SET/Wordly-Wise-3000-4th-Edition-Book-3-Set.html?">Wordly Wise Level 3000 Book 3</a><br />
Creative Writing: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-creative-writing-notebooks/">The Good and the Beautiful Creative Writing Notebook #1</a><br />
Math: <a href="https://store.demmelearning.com/math-u-see/general-math/delta/">Math-U-See Delta</a> and <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-musical-multiplication/">The Good and the Beautiful Musical Multiplication</a><br />
Typing: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-curriculum-typing/">The Good and the Beautiful Typing 1</a><br />
<a href="https://www.sonlight.com/4RP.html">Readers: Sonlight Grade 4 Readers</a><br />
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2ND GRADE:<br />
Sophie
My precious, Sophie, has such a sweet and gentle spirit. She likes to get her schoolwork work done as quickly as possible, so she can have time to do other things. She enjoys Legos, coloring, painting, reading books, and playing board games like Catan Jr. Whenever I am in the kitchen, she likes to help cook and bake. She’s also very proud of herself, because she taught herself to ride her bike one handed.<br />
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Language Arts: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/language-arts/">The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts Level 2 </a><br />
Handwriting: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/handwriting/">The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting Level 2</a><br />
Vocabulary: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/WW2SET/Wordly-Wise-3000-4th-Edition-Book-2-Set.html?">Wordly Wise Level 3000 Book 2</a><br />
Creative Writing: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-creative-writing-notebooks/">The Good and the Beautiful Creative Writing Notebook #1</a><br />
Math: <a href="https://store.demmelearning.com/math-u-see/general-math/gamma/">Math-U-See Gamma</a> and <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-musical-multiplication/">The Good and the Beautiful Musical Multiplication</a><br />
Typing: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/products/pre-k-8-curriculum-typing/">The Good and the Beautiful Typing 1</a><br />
<a href="https://www.sonlight.com/2RP.html">Readers: Sonlight Grade 2 Readers</a><br />
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KINDERGARTEN: Matilda<br />
Last year, we started Matilda in Pre-Kindergarten and she passed with flying colors. She has learned so much already from being around Olivia and Sophie. She finished reading her very first book, which is such a great achievement for a young learner. She’s excited to start Kindergarten! Additionally, she wants to do everything just like the big girls like complete her own typing lessons and practice The Good and the Beautiful Multiplication Songs just like her sisters.<br />
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Language Arts: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/hSearch.jhtm?keyword=Sing+spell+read+and+write">Sing Spell Read and Write “Off We Go” and “Raceway Book”</a><br />
Handwriting: <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/pre-k-8-curriculum/handwriting/">The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting K</a><br />
Phonics: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/EC14O2/Explode-the-Code-Books-1-4-no-1-2s-2nd-Edition.html?">Explode the Code 1, 2, 3</a><br />
Math: <a href="https://store.demmelearning.com/math-u-see/general-math/alpha/">Math u See Alpha</a><br />
Enrichment: <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/DEL4BK/Developing-the-Early-Learner-4-Book-Set.html?">Developing the Early Learner 1, 2, 3, 4</a><br />
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TWO YEAR OLD TWINS:<br />
Evelyn and Zoey
Homeschooling with toddler twins is hard. I try my best to keep them occupied with a variety of fun activities like puzzles, books, coloring, a cardboard castle, shapes, and so much more! If we don’t complete all of our schoolwork, I wait until the twins nap time to play catch up and get everything else done. Honestly, I could probably do an entire blog post just about this, so let me know if you’re interested.<br />
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION<br />
For more information, here are the links to the homeschool curriculum we are using this school year.<br />
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- <a href="https://www.sonlight.com/">Sonlight</a><br />
- <a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/">The Good and the Beautiful</a><br />
- <a href="https://store.demmelearning.com/">Math-U-See</a><br />
- <a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/">Rainbow Resource</a><br />
- <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/">Cultivate What Matters</a><br />
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Please let me know if you have any other questions about homeschooling.<br />
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-31954616091222583302020-06-15T07:00:00.000-05:002020-06-15T07:00:04.374-05:002019-20 Homeschool Year In Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our <a href="http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2020/02/2019-20-homeschool-curriculum-choices.html">2019-20 Homeschool Year</a> felt as if we spent the entire year, homeschooling in crisis. First, we were living with my brother, then we moved to our new home, and lived under lockdown throughout the global pandemic. Honestly, my goal was to simply get school done. Don’t get me wrong, we did what was required of us. However, I didn’t elaborate or dive deeper into various topics, because we just didn’t have the time or resources. Trust me, it’s not how I expected this year to turn out.<br />
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I’m thankful the Lord allowed my girls the opportunity to work hard and complete our main <a href="https://www.sonlight.com/">Sonlight</a> curriculum sooner than I expected, because everything else was removed from our schedule. It wasn’t ideal, but we made the most out of what we had. For this reason, I’m so excited for our upcoming 2020-21 school year and pray we will have more time for extra projects, crafts, field trips, and more!!<br />
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Below, I’m going to share some of the curriculum we loved, some of my least favorite curriculum, and our current summer plans.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>CURRICULUM WE LOVED</b></span><br />
<b>Sing, Spell, Read & Write.</b> Hands down, one of my very favorite curriculums, is Sing, Spell, Read, & Write!! I’m going through it for my 3rd time and I enjoy teaching it so much. This year, Matilda worked through the Kindergarten program which went through the books “<a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/006404/All-Aboard-Student-Book-Homeschool-Edition.html?">All Aboard</a>” and “<a href="https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/006415/On-Track-Student-Book-Homeschool-Edition.html?">On Track</a>”. There are six readers and more short books which kids get to color themselves. My daughter is so proud of the fact, she has finished reading her very first books by herself. It’s exciting to watch her love of learning and reading blossom before my eyes. I can’t wait for us to continue to use it next year as Matilda continues to learn to read on her own.<br />
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<b>Sonlight</b>. Honestly, working through Sonlight Core C was exactly what I needed this year. There are several reasons why this curriculum was a great fit for us this year. The curriculum is preplanned and comes with a teacher’s guide to help me know what need to be done each day. Also, I was able to order all the books we needed for the entire year. This was very helpful, because even though we moved I already had our books and just brought the with us so we could read no matter what. Finally, it’s a curriculum I have previously used and the familiarity helped me to be able to know what was expected of me and plan accordingly. What a blessing!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>MY LEAST FAVORITE</b></span><br />
From the time I started homeschooling my girls five years ago, I have always used “<a href="https://www.mathusee.com/">Math-U-See</a>” for our Math curriculum. On the flip side, last year I heard a lot of great things about “<a href="https://beastacademy.com/">Beast Academy</a>” and decided to look into it for the girls as a way to work on mental math. We tried out their online program and my oldest daughter loved it. However, when we implemented the books at the beginning of our school year it didn’t go well at all. After a few frustrating weeks we finally switched back to Math-U-See. Maybe in the future we could use their online math program again, but for now we’ve put it on hold for now.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>OUR SUMMER PLANS</b></span><br />
We homeschool year round, so we won’t take much time off for “summer”. Last week, we finished our main Sonlight curriculum. We will still need to finish on math, science, and other review books throughout the rest of June. Then my Mom is coming to visit, so we’re going to take ten days off to spend time with her and start our new 2020-21 school year on July 13.<br />
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Not to mention, to celebrate our new school year, I’m doing a back to school series throughout the entire month of July!! I have some fun things to share with you, including our new 2020-21 curriculum choices. I’m so excited!!<br />
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Now it’s your turn!! Please leave me a comment and let me know:</div>
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<i>What fun activities do you have planned this summer? </i></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-33621535668302693872020-06-08T07:00:00.000-05:002020-06-08T07:00:01.509-05:00My 2020 Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QxlO2imbSEg/Xtm1eigIPsI/AAAAAAAAJXY/qJ2Y3zhAf9YYsOLXsinF3iHfvgEfmu5AgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/B727900E-151F-4915-838E-3EF254B615A3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QxlO2imbSEg/Xtm1eigIPsI/AAAAAAAAJXY/qJ2Y3zhAf9YYsOLXsinF3iHfvgEfmu5AgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/B727900E-151F-4915-838E-3EF254B615A3.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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For several years, I have been using the <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/collections/all/products/2020-one-year-powersheets-intentional-goal-planner">Cultivate What Matters: Powersheets Intentional Goal Planner</a>. At the end of last year, with so much hope and excitement for the new year I ordered my 2020 One-Year Powersheets. I couldn’t wait to dive into the prep work and see what God had in store for me in the first year of this new decade. Back in January 2020, I had every intention to share my new Powersheets with you. Unfortunately, life got away from me and I’ve only just had a chance to write this blog post.<br />
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Maybe you’ve had a crazy year too and desperately need a refresh. If so, you can visit the Cultivate What Matters website and check out their 2020 6-Month Undated Powersheets Intentional Goal Planner. It is the perfect time to grab one of these, because it will help you live out the rest of this insane year with purpose.<br />
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MY WORD OF THE YEAR<br />
Honestly, from the beginning I thought my word of the year should be LOVE, but as I thought through all my options I wanted something more significant and trendy. Why couldn’t my word of the year be something like Shine, Flourish, or Centered!? However, God has other plans for me and quickly began to reiterate His word of the year for me through songs, Bible verses, and more.<br />
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I kept praying and finally decided to embrace what God had in store for my life during 2020, as I landed on the word LOVE. Plan and simple. God wanted my focus to be on love. Loving Him and others. Being loved by Him. To love and be loved.<br />
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<i>“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” </i></div>
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<i> - 1 Corinthians 13:13</i></div>
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MY 2020 GOALS<br />
Also, in case you’re wondering, here are my goals for 2020.<br />
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1. Being loved by God and love for His Word<br />
2. Love and cherish Jon<br />
3. Genuinely love my girls<br />
4. Write my book and share my story<br />
5. Being healthy and teaching my goal weight<br />
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OTHER RESOURCES<br />
Lara Casey and her team at Cultivate What Matters have a lot of resources to help walk with you as you work to accomplish your goals each year. Lara has written two books (which I will list below) and she also has a podcast called, <a href="https://cultivatewhatmatters.com/pages/podcast-1">"Cultivate Your Life with Lara Casey"</a>. I've been listening to this podcast and I appreciate Lara's honesty about how life hasn't always been perfect, but God is making her mess into her message. Her passion is undeniable, so I hope you will check it out!
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HELPFUL BOOKS<br />
Finally, I have included a list of helpful, motivating books. I included Lara's books and a few others that have really encouraged me this year.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Simplified-Life-Tactical-Intentional-Living/dp/0718098307/ref=sr_1_1_nodl?ie=UTF8&qid=1546057263&sr=8-1&keywords=a+simplified+life+emily+ley">"A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living"</a> by, Emily Ley<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cultivate-Grace-Filled-Guide-Growing-Intentional/dp/0718021665/ref=pd_sim_14_1_nodl?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0718021665&pd_rd_r=d0f90393-0b20-11e9-add8-73a0b1357621&pd_rd_w=IEtWc&pd_rd_wg=UFsM0&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=DRHGQTZR5EC3S6KM9P9X&psc=1&refRID=DRHGQTZR5EC3S6KM9P9X">“Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life”</a> by, Lara Casey<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Not-Perfection-Simplicity-Celebrating/dp/0718085221/ref=sr_1_2_nodl?ie=UTF8&qid=1546057263&sr=8-2&keywords=a+simplified+life+emily+ley">"Grace, Not Perfection: Embracing Simplicity, Celebrating Joy"</a> by, Emily Ley<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Make-Happen-Surrender-Fear-Purpose/dp/0529101505/ref=sr_1_1_nodl?ie=UTF8&qid=1546057112&sr=8-1&keywords=make+it+happen+by+lara+casey">"Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live On Purpose."</a> by Lara Casey
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-25167656350512110352020-05-29T07:00:00.000-05:002020-05-29T07:00:08.825-05:0010 Things I Learned This Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m so excited to take part in “What I Learned” hosted every quarter by, <a href="https://emilypfreeman.com/">Emily P Freeman</a>: an author, podcaster, and co-founder of Hope*Writers an online community for writers. I’ve been in lockdown/quarantine since mid-March. As a result, this spring 2020 I want to shift my focus slightly as I process the “10 Things I Learned during Covid-19” instead. I hope you enjoy this special twist and can relate to some of the things I’ve experienced this past quarter.<br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">10 Things I Learned during Covid-19</span></b></u> </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. I love puzzles.</span> </b></div>
It’s true, I love puzzles and I’ve always wanted my own puzzle table. At the end of last year, my dream came true! My brother-in-law, Josh, gave us back an old table of ours which I quickly decided would be the perfect puzzle table in our homeschool room. Now, we’ve been in lockdown since mid-March and we’ve put our puzzle table to good use. To date, we’ve finished 8 quarantine puzzles, which has helped us exercise our patience and perseverance with each and every puzzle. My sister-in-law, Hannah, even helped me finish a 1,000 piece puzzle in just one afternoon. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Laughter is the best medicine.</span></b></div>
Laughter has truly been the best medicine throughout this global crisis. The memes have been hysterical and bring me joy when I don’t feel overwhelmed and like I can’t do this anymore. We’ve also been listening to some hilarious songs, which help me not to feel so alone. Click the links below to check out their music videos now!!<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/xG-z8QVjF6U">“Wash Yo Hands” by, Danny Gokey</a> </div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/pyuaDo1eLEI">“Quarantine Life” by, Matthew West</a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Where is all the toilet paper?</span></b></div>
Honestly, I never thought this would be an issue. However, shortly after the United States lockdowns began, all the the toilet paper started to disappear. There has never been a time in my life when I could not find toilet paper. Yet, this global pandemic has everyone spooked and suddenly all the toilet paper was gone. I prayed over our toilet paper and that it would be enough for all of us until I could find some again. I’m thankful, because the Lord answered my prayers and helped me to find a new package of toilet paper before ours ran out at the house. Praising the Lord for His goodness in our life!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. I’ve been craving comfort foods.</b></span> </div>
Not knowing what groceries would be available at the store, made it hard to meal plan. I tried my best to stick to some simple staples which I had on hand. Overall, I’ve just been craving comfort foods like crazy: chicken pot pie, lasagna, noodles and sauce, Chinese food, and so much more! Not the healthiest foods, but I’ve tried to make do with what I could find.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Our 14 days of self-imposed quarantine was the worst. </b></span></div>
At one point this Spring, our family need to be in a 14 day quarantine and it was so hard. It was the most challenging for the kids, because we stayed home day after day, not going to the store or for our daily walk. I tried my best to have a good attitude, but by day 10, I felt like I was going to go crazy! I was just as moody as the kids and longed for a break. God protected us from the Coronavirus and gave us strength to finish strong. I couldn’t not have done it without Him.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. We’ve finished lots school.</b></span> </div>
We started our 2019-2020 school year later than normal. However, as a result of almost 2 months in quarantine we’re almost done with school. I’m very thankful for my girls hard work, which has allowed us to get so much homeschool done with just 2 weeks left!! Additionally, Hannah, was home a lot and she had fun teaching art to the girls. On top of everything else, I’ve even had time to plan out our curriculum for next year. What an answer to prayer!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Zoom calls with our family has been priceless.</b></span> </div>
It took a while for me to get on the Zoom bandwagon. However, last month Jon’s family decided we should do a Zoom call, so we could all be together. At first it was hard, but once my girls went to bed it was fun to spend time with family and “be together” with one another for a little while without the global pandemic looming overhead. As a result, we enjoyed it so much, we have decided to do lots of Zoom calls over the past few weeks. They’ve been such a blessing!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. So many packages....</b></span> </div>
Haha!! I almost didn’t want to write about this one, but it’s so true. The amount of packages being delivered to our house has grown exponentially since the quarantines began. Anything you can think of...diapers, wipes, school curriculum, necessary components for science projects, and so much more!! Seriously, it’s become such a regular occurrence, my girls will get upset if we don’t have any packages delivered that day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. I miss church.</b></span></div>
We’ve tried our best to participate in online church, but it’s been challenging with the kids. It’s take awhile, but recently I’ve realized just how much I miss church. The gathering of believers, worshiping God, and growing in my love of God through a Pastor’s teaching. I’ve missed this so much and I can’t wait until God’s local church can meet again once this global pandemic has ended.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. God is here!</b></span> </div>
I’m not alone, because God is here. He has been faithful to Be with us each and everyday. I couldn’t do this without Him. He even worked out each and every detail for Jordan and Hannah’s wedding. He blessed them with the most incredible wedding and it was truly a testimony to God and His goodness. No matter what life looks like right now, remember God is with you. You’re not alone, because we’re all struggling to navigate this “new” normal right now.<br />
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<i>Now it’s your turn, what have you learned this Spring?</i></div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-54373241447038685152020-05-26T07:00:00.000-05:002020-05-26T07:00:00.201-05:00Remembering Grandma Vivian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>“The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” </i></div>
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<i>- Isaiah 40:7-8
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This month, my Grandma would have been 92 years old. Honestly, it was hard to celebrate Mother’s Day and remember Grandma’s birthday all in the same week. It doesn’t seem like she’s already been gone for two whole months.<br />
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I miss my Grandma so much.<br />
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Back on March 10, 2020, my Grandma Vivian Bartholomew passed away at age 91. It was such an emotional week, because I had to say goodbye to my Grandma, Covid-19 lockdowns began in the United States, and it was my birthday. What a whirlwind. Thankfully, my Mom called on Sunday night asking if we wanted to say, “Goodbye” to my Grandma and give her my love. I went first and through tears gave my love to my Grandma. It was hard to see her struggling to breathe, but I knew she needed me to show my love to her in her final hours on Earth. Then I brought my phone into the family room, so all of my girls could tell their Great Grandma they loved her and say goodbye too.<br />
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I’m so thankful I was able to see Grandma one last time.<br />
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As a result, of the current Coronavirus pandemic my family hasn’t even had the opportunity to have a funeral service for Grandma. My Mom and her sister, Estelle, are waiting for the current crisis to end before celebrating Grandma’s life.<br />
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One of my favorite memories of my Grandma, happened back when I was in high school. My family traveled to visit my Mom’s Mom (Grandma Vivian Bartholomew) who lived in Springfield, Oregon. While we were in town, we also had the opportunity to spend time with my Mom’s sister and her family.<br />
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One day, I had been at my Aunt Estelle’s house and we were all getting ready to go somewhere together. Maybe the mall? I can’t remember. As we opened the doors to my Grandma’s car, my Aunt Estelle’s dog jumped inside the backseat of Grandma car.<br />
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Oops!!<br />
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My Grandma doesn’t like dogs and was mad he was in her car. She swore and insisted we get the dog out of her car. I was in shock!! I had never heard my Grandma say a bad word. Unfortunately, I was too shocked and dumbfounded to be of much help getting dog out of Grandma’s car.<br />
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Sorry Grandma.
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Even as Alzheimer’s Disease wrecked havoc on her mind, Grandma remained sweet, kind, strong, loving, gentle, and always reading a book. I’m so thankful to Grandma and her love of books. It’s truly a lasting legacy, which is being passed down generation to generation and won’t be easily forgotten. Just like their Great-Grandma, my girls are always reading books. I have so many precious pictures where my Grandma is reading a book or the newspaper to one of my girls.<br />
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Thank you Grandma for loving me and my girls so well. I love you so much and miss you terribly!!<br />
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<a href="https://eugeneregisterguard-or-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=76b882a13">Click here to read my Grandma’s obituary.</a><br />
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7392953914136595057.post-43844264288061888142020-04-28T10:06:00.000-05:002020-04-28T10:06:05.360-05:00God’s Faithfulness in Isolation <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>“ The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” - Psalm 34:18</i></div>
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For the past 14 days, we’ve been in a self imposed quarantine.<br />
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That’s right.<br />
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There was a possibility my family was exposed to Covid-19, so we decided it would be wise to quarantine ourselves for 14 days. Which included staying in our house and not going to the store or anywhere else where we could possibly pass this on to more vulnerable people. The days were so long and began to run together unlike anything else since the social distancing and initial lockdown began in mid-March.<br />
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We’re praising God, because none of got sick and we’re all healthy!! What an answer to prayer!!<br />
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For months, I’ve been nervous and worrying about this global pandemic. However, knowing this threat had reached my house was almost more than I could bare. It was hard for me to sleep, just waiting for the inevitable to take place. Even when I was overwhelmed, God was with us. I’m here to testify to His goodness as He gave me strength for each and every day.<br />
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My poor girls have been stir crazy. For the first ten days, we didn’t do anything except homeschool and other activities inside our home. In the finals days of our self-quarantine, we let the kids ride bikes and play in the driveway while we watched to make sure they stayed at our house. Yesterday, my girls couldn’t wait to ride their bikes all over the neighborhood and burn off all of their pent up energy over the past two weeks!!<br />
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As a result of our isolation, we’ve already finished 7 puzzles in just 6 weeks. Don’t judge us, but some 1,000 piece puzzles we finished in just one day. It’s a nice distraction when there isn’t much else to do.<br />
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This extra time also gave me a chance to plan out upcoming 2020-21 Homeschool Year. Jon even ordered all of our curriculum for next year, which was a huge thing off my To-Do List! Additionally, I’ve been organizing like crazy and trying to make room for all of our new books. I’m so excited about our new school year!!<br />
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As a result, we’ve received tons of packages.<br />
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One day we got excited for the boxes to arrive, we left goodies for the delivery man who has been working hard during this time of crisis. We all yelled, “Thank you” through the screen door. Truly any amount of human interaction was life giving to our weary souls.<br />
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In the final days, I had to go to the store, so I put on my mask and gloves to run to the store. Honestly, I felt silly wearing everything, but I didn’t want to spread germs to anyone else if I could help it. I felt ridiculous in my white mask and black gloves trying my best to not touch my face until I got back in the car and could sanitize my hands first. Life is so strange right now.<br />
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Off and on throughout our self-quarantine, I’ve been scared. However, God was with us. The Bible says, the Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. It was our theme verse over these long days at home. I’m thankful God will continue to be with us until all the worldwide lockdowns come to an end. Life might be crazy right now, but He is still God. He has not changed.<br />
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Praying this encourages you while we all continue to wait for this crisis to pass. <br />
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05892127893025704154noreply@blogger.com0