Learning, part 3

One layer down, my thought life has a lot of progress to make.... I have always struggled with self-doubt, and worry about others opinions. I often bunch ideas off a friend or my hubby, but I realize that in the end I need to Seek the Lord in all these things. I won't make the wrong call if I'm looking to Him for every little choice. But I'm  getting ahead of myself, for each layer is built on the foundation below it.

In my soul is the Holy Spirit, God indwelling, giving direction and wisdom when we ask. I have been blessed to overflowing by His gifts. Last spring I hit bottom, struggling to relate to my husband, and feeling quite bankrupted in emotional energy, I asked a woman in my church to mentor me. While I felt my schedule was packed and one more thing would not fit, I started on the path of discipleship. Until that point my  training in this way had been limited to my mother's input and little bits of wisdom drawn from friends and books. Moments of peace in the Scripture were morsels of hope. But I wasn't making the time. I'd started so many books and not finished them. I started a Bible in a year program, and a blessing counting book with my 1,000 gifts friends. But the discipline wasn't there. With the addition of accountability that all changed. My mentor challenged me, and we began to memorize and read. We took an entire year to savor a book and to memorize passages each week. I shared my worries and, instead of fixing them for me, she took my hand and we carried them to the cross. Oh I have so much to learn, but I have come so far. When I am all tumult inside, I  can choose to process  and doubt, or hit my knees. So many times this year I have poured out the Scriptures in my heart awash with a flood of tears. How different each Scripture is, when framed in the circumstance of my trials.

In the mean time I'm as busy as ever. I completed two Awana T&T books and memorized 200 verses to do so. I've learned so much about my family, my schedule, my heart, but most importantly, my Savior. This foundation pushes up and strengthens my life. In turn I have had small opportunities to pour those words into others. I had felt completely inadequate to disciple another person, until I saw it for what it was. Leading others to Him, being filled with His Word, and being transformed in the process. Like water raining down on a mountain pools up and pours into the pools beyond, each overflowing to the next. The source is not the pool, but the One giving the water.  As my pool flows out I need to be filled again and again.

I am so thankful for the lessons He pours out into my life!

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Learning a lot, part 2

Next layer, personal discipline... As we come along to out last few weeks of our school schedule, I reflect on the fact that we have never been this close to caught up this time of year. I'm sure part of that is due to no longer changing curriculum every 4-6 weeks as we did when we were on the crew. A good bit is due to my sister devoting a hour or two of her mornings to getting school going while I'm down at the PO sorting the village mail. Also, my kids are learning more of the value of independent study, which is one of my favorite by-products of homeschooling. I'm really enjoying our group subjects his year, as we do Apologa Science and America the Beautiful for history. We usually snuggle up on the couch and read together, and on some nicer days, on the trampoline outside.

-update-
We finished school! Friday the 3rd of May, right on schedule for the first time ever. What a great feeling! I had really worried my new job would get in the way, but the discipline of getting going every morning bright and early actually really helped us out. This year I had attempted to leave our sticker charts in lieu of assignment booklets, but everyone complained. The charts went up and a friend from church gave us a LOT of great stickers! It's been a great way to keep track of our progress, and all the stickers are filled in now.

To celebrate school finishing we had an ice cream party at home (due to chicken pox).

One layer down, my thought life has a lot of progress to make....

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Lost in learning...

(written several weeks back and finally posting, that crazy here...)

In the past few weeks I've been learning a lot. Learning so much I haven't had time to share. I am so thankful to the Lord for putting people in my life who grow and stretch me in so many ways. I often have a deep thought (yes, at times) and think to myself, "Wow, I should explore that further in a blog post!" But time gets away from me and the next big lesson wipes me clean. So much is going on around here I rarely get time to sleep, let alone reflect for long. But today is different. I have a sinus infection. :P I'm stuck in a chair wearing a turtleneck, a jacket, and a blanket... and I'm shivering.  I'm coughing like mad and have been drinking LOTS of fluids. That makes this mother of 4 think that the next lesson might be about bladder control. (Sorry, tmi)

So I have a moment to reflect, finally! I didn't realize how short I had been cutting myself until last week. I was doing a crazy diet with my sister, that required me to cut my coffee intake. At 9 pm I found myself passed out sideways across my bed, drooling on my hubby's pillow. Thankfully my kids took that cue and bid me goodnight and went to bed. (Mommies of littles, hang in there, this moment is coming! - not that it happens often.)

So, what am I learning? I'll peel back the onion in the next few posts.  Starting with today:

Dry outer layer: body learning. I'm learning to be more traditional with my foods. I've been making Kombucha for months now, and my kids love when I flavor it with strawberries. I've even been caught handing off SCOBY jars to friends. (Leave a comment if you want to know more). This week a good friend brought me some milk kefir grains, so I spent this afternoon gleaning the wisdom of my younger sister, Mics, as to how I should prepare it. I had a small (given my cold, and the dairy) kefir/coffee shake today and it was really yummy. Further along my traditional foods journey, this winter completely depleted my stockpile of gallons of frozen home made broth (from our own chickens). Every sore throat was soothed and our round of influenza took half as long as the last go-round a few years back. So this morning the edict was issued that the 3 roosters waiting in the barn be butchered, and they are now in the fridge and the bones and such boiling away on my stove for some more healing broth. Tomorrow I intend to drink the entire canning pot if I'm no better than today.

-update- It didn't take the whole pot to get over my cold, so now I have broth in the freezer again. Between that and the salt sinus rinses, I am thrilled to say I beat the sinus infection without antibiotics... for the first time in a long time. I am so happy, since I didn't want to start over on all the pro biotic work I've been doing. Speaking of pro-biotics, I am having a great time with the kefir, and I have figured out how to make a really yummy herbed cheese spread with it. Now everyone is gobbling up pro biotic goodness as a chip dip or spread on crackers. I hope to post a recipe soon.

Next layer, personal discipline...


©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Review: 31 Days to Happiness by David Jeremiah

Thanks to the folks at Booksneeze, I received a copy of  31 Days to Happiness How to Find What Really Matters in Life by David Jeremiah.

In this volume, Dr. Jeremiah examines the Word of God as penned by the wisest man who lived: Solomon. As the Dr. works his way through the book of Ecclesiastes, he divides the readings into 31 chapters for closer examination. Each chapter ranges from 8-14 pages, and begins with a quote or story from current events and draws the parallel with the questions and pondering of Solomon to our present day struggles. Each chapter examines a new topic that fits with each and every part of our lives: from discontentment to financial gain, from careers to governments, from justice to wisdom. Jeremiah intertwines quotes from present day authors with his own observations, and the book reads like his easily relate-able sermons. As he moves through the book of Ecclesiastes from front to back, he never strays from the Scripture to make a private point. The book finds a delicate harmony between the words of Solomon and the crisis of our present times.

I was so excited to receive this book that I quickly recommended it to my book club, and we all read through it together and met over dinner to discuss it. Over pasta and dessert we each talked about what we liked best and what we didn't like. Namely, the title of the book was the biggest dislike. We felt it sounded like a fix-it course or a self-help book, rather than the reflection on life and the wonderful wisdom of Scripture applied. We each found something applicable in the insights and examples given, showing that with "then" and "now" compared, there really is "nothing new under the sun" (Eccl. 1:9).  We found encouragement for this life and gaining an "above the sun" perspective on it. So many of the quotes from the Scripture were well applied, and the quotes from other literature were well documented in the back of the book. I could tell Dr. Jeremiah shares my fondness for C.S. Lewis, and quoted him often.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone. It's not a speed read, but a chapter a day is quite do-able. It would be even better enjoyed, one chapter a week, taking time to ruminate over the concepts. I attempted to use it as a nightly devotional with my kids. My 5th and 6th graders were interested, but my younger ones were not. In the end, it became my own nightly bedside reading.

I hope you get a chance to read this book. If you enjoy the teaching of Dr. David Jeremiah, or if you just need a fresh perspective on life, from the oldest book around, you will enjoy this read.

*I received a free copy of this book ( a $15.99 value) for my review, even so, all opinions are my own. Please see the disclaimer above for more information about my reviews.*

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

WW: Hiking near the Oregon Trail

Fun hiking in January with my brother Chris:

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©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Spring has Sprung!

Happy First Day of Spring! To celebrate I'm sharing all my favorite spring cleaning tips for the farm! Hop over to Homemaking Organized to read it all!

Great tips including:

So get going! And leave a comment there thanking K for hosting us!


©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

WW: Skiing, for the first time as a family!

Favorites from our first family ski trip in January. :)

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©2012-2014 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

In The Presence Of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham with Dean Merrill (Book Review)

I've really enjoyed a book club I've recently joined. We get together once a month and have supper and discuss a book we all read together. Mostly homeschool moms, we take turns picking the books, and the theme for the meal. It's been a huge encouragement to me, and I'm thankful to my friend for hosting it.

We recently read In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham with Dean Merrill. I picked up a copy from PaperbackSwap.com, and while there, got it on audio as well. I struggle with my schedule of work and homeschooling, and the audio book made it possible for me to keep up with the club reading schedule and keep up with my laundry folding at the same time. I LOVE audio books. My son loves his cassette "walk-man" that his grandma gave him. I had to borrow it to listen to this book. What a fun trip to my younger days using a cassette walk-man and headphones again.

The book is written from Gracia's personal perspective, and starts out with a good bit of background on how she and her husband got into missions in the Philippines. I discovered that her husband was in a Bible class with a pastor friend of mine, and their families were all within a short drive (in high plains terms) of where I live, so these were not some far off folks from some far off place.

Gracia tells of how she knew that God placed them there, and processes some of her "what-ifs" early on. The book unfolds day by day through their terrible ordeal as hostages of a terrorist group in the Philippines. Ultimately they spent over a year in captivity, an ordeal which her husband did not survive. But the day to day struggles, inwardly... as they kept their faith and prayed for their fellow captives and captors, and outwardly... as they physically fought the jungle, hunger, and grueling  pace of constant movement, were a testimony to the God they personally knew, who was with them all the way.

My entire book club enjoyed reading it, and we all had a different take-away. Each of our mother-hearts ached for her children losing their dad altogether, and a whole year away from their mom. We each wondered, how would I handle the same thing if I were in her shoes? After I finished reading the book I let both of my older kids (ages 12 and 11) listen to it. It is very intense at times, and there are descriptions of violence, but nothing else of an inappropriate nature is shared. The grief is overwhelming, but the peace of God triumphs. Both of my kids were glad to read it. I wouldn't recommend it for younger children, or children who struggle with fears.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend you get a copy. If you have paperback swap, I'll be re-listing mine, and you can request a free book there just by setting up an account. *I do get referral credits for telling you about my favorite free book swapping service!* Please see my disclaimer above for more about affiliate links.


©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Follow through with your chickens

This week my sis-in-law shared this article [You Absolutely Should Not Get Backyard Chickens] with me. I thought it was pretty well written, and worth sharing with you all.

We've had our flock for about 4 years now, and have had chickens come and go. When I first started, I'd sell off my older flock, to someone who wanted cheap laying hens, fully disclosing they had already laid eggs for 2 years. Then we decided we'd eat the non-layer, like our extra roosters and older hens. We quickly discovered that they were scrawny and tough, compared to the VERY yummy cornish cross meat chickens we raised.

Meat chickens, only about 6 weeks old.

Now we retire chickens systematically by butchering them once their laying slacks off, and putting them in the freezer. When I have a few saved up I fill up the stock pot and make stewed chicken and broth. This winter we all caught influenza A, and we were amazed at how much more quickly we recovered while sipping yummy home made chicken broth! It's always hard to decide when it is time to let an old hen go, but this is really part of the whole process here, and we have to follow through.

2011 Fair, T's favorite chicken.

I recently went out and put leg bands on the hens who were no longer laying well (having gone through about 2 molts), so my hubby would know who to take when he had time to work on it. I had to band all of the green egg layers, including a special fair chicken of my son's. I told Tyler about it so he wouldn't be surprised, and he seemed ok with it. Later he went out to do his chores and came back declaring that he'd removed her band. That hen has achieved pet status. :) Guess we'd better name her.

For the record, my kids name their chickens all the time, but it doesn't stop us from eating them. :) Wyatt named the entire meat flock "Wyatt Junior" once. I'm not sure how to take that! All I know is that my kids are really comfortable with where their food comes from. I've heard Emma coo to a soft fluffy chick... "Ooooh, you're gonna taste so good when you get big!" And I think I've shared here before that once Mayda was wearing a chick all around the house on her shoulder like a parrot. When I asked her why she confided in me that "I feel bad for him; he's a fryer."

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

100%

100%

I struggle so much these days with being 100% "with it." Take this week for example.

Work at the post office: get up early, wake the kids and get them started on their school day with daddy, then head to work to deliver the mail for my little village. With only two hours it is a struggle to get the mail sorted, the crisis dealt with (broken scanner! Eek!),  customers cheerfully greeted and served, and still lock up and get out of the office without going over my alotted number of hours. Reports and paperwork piling up on my desk, but I must clock out and hurry home because the morning is half gone and homeschooling awaits... Trying to give my job my 100% attention while I am in it. As I leave, I wonder, did I really listen to my neighbor lady as she told me about her woes? Should I have lingered a little longer while handing over her mail?

Get home and walk through the door. Greeted immediately with a pile of questions. "Can I do math after recess?" "Did I have to do this assignment?" "Did you notice Wyatt's eyes are red and itchy?"

I try and answer, to switch gears in my head. Looking over Wyatt's eyes, I call and check with the doctor's office. Pinkeye? Probably. Can I bring him in in an hour? Sure.

Sit down and try and get through a history lesson with everyone first. Bake some cabbage burgers so lunch can happen while I'm gone to the Dr. Be 100% here in the homeschool day. Be 100% here in my home life. Assess assignments, thank my hubby and sister for helping out. Find Wyatt's shoes and get off to the Dr.'s office.

Be there with him 100%. Play eye-spy while we wait for the doctor. Try and think of good questions to ask since he's not been in for a check up for a while.

Get the eydrops, get home, eat some late lunch. Phone call from my grandma. She's worried the weather (spring snow storm that day) will affect her dentist appointment tomorrow. Being 100% on the phone with her. Try and be sympathetic to her worries, without being frustrated since I know how hard it was to rearrange my work schedule to get the morning off to go to the dentist. Trying to be 100% focused on her needs. Try!

Off to bake granola at the coffee shop commercial kitchen I use. Be 100% on doing a great job making a great product that you are happy to sell in a local store. Bump into a friend there and take a moment to be 100% with her and appreciate her. As I leave I assess my 100%. Did I make myself enough of a help with the dishes and such to be invited back?

Home for supper and and evening with the kids, being 100% appreciative of my hubby and sister helping me get through a busier than normal day.  (What a blessing it has been that my sis is on spring break!!!) Snuggling the kids on the couch with devotions and prayer time, trying to listen 100% to their simple prayer requests: "that my kitties will do great!" (4 new kittens this week!)

Lord, I have invested my 100% about 1000 times today. Thank you that you keep filling up and filling up so I can pour out over and over. Help me to be 100% a vessel for you. Otherwise I feel so empty, so used up, so poured out and dried up.  Oh to be 100%...
In. Him. 100%

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Our Example

1 Peter 2:21-24 NASB

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who  committed no sin , nor was any deceit found in H is mouth ; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

You were called for this purpose. This.

For what? I asked my son as he was working on memorizing this particular Scripture this week. I asked, what is the "this"? The answer is in the "also". Christ ALSO suffered, you were called to this, to suffer... because He did. For you. 

The example we follow, the perfect one, the one who did nothing to deserve what He suffered. I often think of suffering in the watered down sense that we as western society think of it. Ridicule. Bullying.

How about those 33 souls that are being condemned to die in North Korea... for following his example? Am I willing, listening to this purpose to which I am called? Oh to be found so faithful! Tonight I join the throngs who are praying.

We pray for a miracle.

We pray for their families.

We pray for the hidden church in North Korea.

We pray for the persecuted church.

We pray for the courage to follow the example. His steps.

"...so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Insecurity

*sigh*

Here I am again, Lord.

Babbling on to a friend about all the things I could have said better, or shouldn't have forgotten, or wondering aloud if I was ok (so that they will assure me I am).

Where does this insecurity come from?
Is it a self-centered obsession with being approved?
Is it a desperate desire to be liked?
Is it a sign that I feel very little value?

I just need to. Get. Over. Myself.

Truthfully, I think I cannot see each moment, each conversation, each opportunity dealt with because of the mountain of self in the way. I am analyzing, critiquing, editing, every moment. To please them all, so they will be pleased with me, and I will be pleased with their liking.

2 Corinthians 12:5-11
 On behalf of such a one will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses.
 For if I should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth: but I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me to be, or heareth from me.
 And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch.
 Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
 And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
 Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
 I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing.

Maybe this is my thorn in the flesh, meant for my good: I doubt myself because I fight pride, but truthfully, I should glory in my weaknesses, my failings even. Because these are the things that I turn to Christ and should give Him glory as He meets me there. In my mind I am the last line "I am nothing." Stripped of all my pretenses, my desire to "get it right" is the glory of Christ, who is right all along. Sufficient for my failings. Lover of my soul. What other approval do I need?

1 Samuel 16: 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Lord, forgive my failings! Be glorified in my life! Thank you for keeping me here. Help me to worry less about self doubt, and more about trusting You!

Tyler helping me clean our barn: pretty red paint on the outside... lots of work to do on the inside.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Snapshot and a Scripture: my wish for you

Ephesians 3:14-19
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God.

(Photos from my brother, Chris's, visit in January)

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©2012-2014 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

The Holidays, a great time to start a new job with the Post Office

Still trying to get my feet under me at my new job, I realized this week that I've been there for 4 and a half months. I'm starting to get the hang of my little PO. I'm the postmaster relief so in a sink or swim kind of fashion I find myself working extra hard at figuring things out or finding out who can help me get it right. This week I had one of the other postmasters stop over and show me some procedures that helped me out a LOT. Overall I'm really liking working for the Postal Service. It certainly helps that I love stamps. I have been a stamp collector since I was a kid. It's all I can do not to buy everything that comes across my desk!

It was really fun to get going at Christmas, seeing all the great packages coming and going. For Christmas we held an open house and my stamp collection was the "historical display":

In the process of getting everything ready to display I got to reading a bunch of the old postcards in my collection. My grandma had given me them when I began collecting, years ago, but only now do I understand their sweet notes and the name and places mentioned. It was a fun adventure going through them again. I hope we never give up on the written word. Emails are just so much less of a memory, and I doubt we will ever print them up and put them in an album. Because of this realization I've made a list of all the birthdays of all my nieces and nephews and all of my siblings and our missionaries and their families. I plan to send each one a card, and, or course, I've bought lots of COOL stamps to go on each one.

I even gave stamps as Christmas gifts this year. I can tell this may be getting out of hand. My little PO is now just a 2-hour office (it had been 6 hours a day), and yet the stamp sales are higher than last year. I hope that's not all me. ;)

I can see that I'm sort of meandering here so I think I'll wrap things up as quickly as I can. I am thankful for this week:

• my husband being home from a two week trip
• my kids being healthier
• the weather being milder
• the animals all behaving, as I happily watch my free range chickens outside the window right now
• Sunshine coming through my window
• clean curtains
• good smelling laundry
• charts filling up with stickers
• getting caught up with projects at work
• friends that I get to see more frequently
• Good books, more than I could possibly read any given time
• Almost finished reading through my Bible and its complete entirety, a project which took me almost two and a half years even though I had attempted to do it in one.
• Getting all of our taxes done and discovering that the granola business, the doula business, and a little bit of side construction work... actually all was worthwhile this year
• Being invited to lots of 1st birthday parties for some of my doula babies from the busy spring that I had last year
• Nearly finishing my Awana book, which will be the third book that I have endeavoured to do while the kids are in Awana as well
• Discovering how much we love leeks and going through two bundles of them thanks to Bountiful Baskets, recipes forthcoming.

So. Many. Blessings.

And grace, always, grace.

What to do with our bountiful baskets?

We have been loving participating in the Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op! Each week is something new and different, but always a bountiful portion for our $15 contribution. This weekend's basket included apples, cuties, bananas, pineapples, avocado, tomatoes, potatoes, acorn squash, leeks, carrots, lettuce, spinach, and I also bought a case of blackberries! So, what am I making with all that?

Here's what I'm thinking:

Acorn Squash, roasted with Parmesan cheese
Recipe here.

Potatoes: Dairy Free Ham and Potato Chowder

Recipe Here. 

Blackberries: Muffins!

Recipe here.

Now, does anyone have any ideas what to do with leeks?

-L

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Snapshot and a Scripture: Awana Bible Quiz

2 Timothy 3:14-17

But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.

And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.

That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.



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Scrapbook Saturday, first edition...

I have quite a bit of journaling to catch up on from January. Even thought I wasn't blogging, we weren't sitting around! I'm going to try and write up a few memories every Saturday and catch up on that.

First up: New Years! 

We had a quiet New Years Eve at home since Ben had to work. The kids and I did the same thing as last year. We wrote a bunch of our favorite things to do (and our favorite snacks) on little slips of paper and then sealed them randomly into several envelopes, one for each hour until midnight. You never knew which one was next, or which snack would be coupled with it. For example: right after dinner was board games while eating crackers and cheese. Other snacks included:

lil smokies
chips and sodas
cookies
sparkling grape juice

Some of the activities we enjoyed were: flashlight safari, Just Dance marathon, board games, shooting fireworks (at midnight), skype with the east coast family (during their HUGE New Years party!) and watching a movie. It was a great time, and Ben got home just in time for the fireworks!

Happy New Year 2014!

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Happy Valentines Day!

Jeremiah 31:3 "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

Printable Valentines! Just for you. :)

I recently saw a post on Pinterest showing a bulletin board showing the word "Valentine" in John 3:16. But we noticed it was a shortened version of the verse, so we made a new one... whole verse included, for the front of our valentines. Feel free to print these up for your own valentines! Because nothing says "Love" like the gift of eternal life!

Here's the link to the document, so you can print your own!

John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, 
that a man lay down his life for his friends. 
 Truly, there is no greater gift we can give than the Gospel.


©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Ramblings

I thought that maybe taking a month off from blogging would leave me reloaded with so much more to say, but the opposite is true.

I am refreshed, but I don't feel that burning urge to write about every little thing as I had been. Even so, I also realized how much I appreciate my blog. I appreciate being able to find my favorite memories, recipes, photos, all captioned and organized. I recently sat down and read through Mayda's scrapbook, much of which is just printed up blog posts. I know this is worthwhile. I admit this is work. It's work to write out my thoughts. It's work to chronicle my life. And while I appreciate comments and readers... it's work that's worth doing, for myself. For my family, for my memories, for the health of my mind when I get it all processed out. And you? You all get to watch that unfold. Aren't you lucky? If you're still reading, after such a break. I'm the lucky one. Thanks for sticking around. :)

-L

©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

WW: What does a frozen world look like?

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Snapshot and a Scripture: Ecclesiastes

I'm currently enjoying reading 31 Days to Happiness by David Jeremiah, a 31 day travel through Ecclesiastes. I'll be post my review soon. Of course this morning as I photographed the amazing frost (at -3 degrees) I couldn't help but relive photos I'd taken earlier this year and remember this scripture:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.



and yes. I'm blogging again. ;)


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©2012-2014 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com

Half way through

I'm not gone.

I'm just taking a break. A "breather." A moment to indulge in my family. January has become my "less computer time month". I envy my sweet mom-friend who can get a whole month of no-screens in January.

I'll be back in February. And I'll gladly catch you up on the fun we've been having:
Snow ball fights
Out of Town company
New experiences
Recipes
Scripture!
Birthday celebrations

But right now I'm just enjoying living it. Blogging it will come. -LL

In the mean time, something I enjoyed reading today:

A Letter to Myself:

"I don't know how it will turn out in the end. But I do know that I will wake up tomorrow excited to be my children's mother. Eager to learn and explore with them. At peace with the little world I've created for us all to learn and grow in. It's all helped me become a better person. I think that's been the biggest surprise about this whole thing. That homeschooling isn't only a good thing for kids. It's great for mamas too."


©2012-2013 Loving and Learning on the High Plains. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://www.homeschoolhighplains.blogspot.com