We didn't change clothes after church on Sunday, thinking we were just going to DRIVE up a path to see cemeteries that are open to traffic only twice a year....BUT we had to walk! So I took off my shoes and walked

barefoot - even over this footbridge! I'm laughing here, but I was just beginning! I was scared. But I did it! Grandpa got up close to this gristmill. Somehow, the water of the stream turned a wheel that ground grain the mountain folk brought to this site.

The Lord God Made Them All

From confident waterfalls to demure trillium, the Lord God made them all....

A Saturday Walk in the Park

It was a beautifulmorning...so we took our walking sticks and the easy trail. Wildlife and wildflowers met us as we strolled along. Be sure to click on the pictures to see them up closer and personal!

Uncle Dave's in North Carolina

A view of the house and a look down the street. Always beautiful mountains-everywhere you look!

Soccer in Eureka

I can't wait to see if the video I took on my cell phone will work on the blog! Until then, here is Coach Josh with three of his stars. Can you tell which one is Carson?"

With our Eureka Kids and Grandkids!

We went to Mika's for coffee, a scone, and a game of Uno before school.

Grandparents' Day

Grandparent's Day! Caden in his computer lab and with his Grandpa Roth. We were very proud of Caden! He was thoughtful to us, well-behaved in his classroom, and participated in song and poetry with great enthusiasm.

Makes sense to Grandma!

A few things I am learning: (from a blog of a homeschooler - lots of sense here!)

~ Create a vacuum. if you are constantly rushing to fill time and space with activities/crafts/outings your children will never be bored. boredom is nothing to be feared; it can be a wonderful catalyst for children to discover their own interests and drives. if mom is always providing direction they may avoid boredom, but they may also lose out on the wonderful adventure of developing passions. creating a vacuum takes determination however; be prepared to ignore whining about television and video games, etc. my kids know that complaining earns you extra work, which is also a great way to discover what you really wish you could be doing!

~ Wait. don't rush out and buy a bunch of stuff. let your kids nibble on a lot of ideas. a child that shows an interest in painting can start out with books from the library and a simple paint and brush set. if the idea takes hold, buy better supplies then. but let your children lead the way.

~ Raise the bar. include the finer things in your daily life. every once in awhile turn on classical music in the car. read challenging books. watch a classic movie once a month. these things are loved and appreciated for a reason. take the time to develop an understanding of them.

~ Don't indulge laziness. routines are important. being a natural learner doesn't mean that we live with no constraints. it means we are diligently pursuing learning without compartmentalization. yes, our days look different than traditional school days, but we still work hard. in our home, mornings are set aside for books and papers and afternoons for exploration, work and creating.

~ Say yes. as often as you can. let them go off on a tangent about japanese internment, the life of the barn owl, germ warfare. if they discover they like to work best in a textbook, let them go for it. be their cheerleader.

~ Lastly, and most importantly, give up control. don't micromanage. let the Lord have the control and listen to His promptings. so many times i have been anxious and worried about an issue only to have the Lord tell me to wait quietly; then i watch in amazement as He provides perfectly and effectively. there is a reason the scripture urges us to wait on the Lord. it is because He is already in the act of supplying our needs.

Look at the Boys from Kansas!

WOW! Look how these guys are growing up!

I walked the path you see in the distance with Aunt Suzie this morning. The sun is shining SO beautifully and - except for being sadly out-of-shape - I enjoyed the walk.
Grandpa worked in the yard while I was gone. Yesterday I did a lot - transplanted some hosta & sedum in a new flower bed we made behind the garage. You can see some pictures of it on lifeandgodliness.

While jogging through blogs this evening,
I came across this self-description:
"Just a child of God
trying to keep a clear path in the living room
in case Jesus comes to the front door."
I smiled as I realized that's a pretty good description of ME!
I'm sure all my adult children recognize me
by this description, too.
Love you guys!

My Prayer for You and Yours

My travels in BlogLand have acquainted me with an educational concept that I can only WISH I had known when I was raising my three wonderful children! Charlotte Mason's name keeps popping up in Home Schooling posts. Everything I read re. her makes sense!

Her focus and deliberate activity was on bringing up children by training and nurturing them. The most important training would be in the Scriptures and teaching them to know and love God.

We AND our children are inspired by relationships. These relationships can be formed by the people we know, the books we read, the places we go, the things we do. We are not inspired to grow as a persons by studying for that multiple-choice test.

Charlotte believed that each day your child should have the following:

~Something or someone to love

~Something to do

~Something to think about

I pray daily for each of you--our fine children, and for the eight grandchildren of ours that you are building into! They are your most lasting legacy! And ours! And HIS!

It's good to see you - John, Ross & Emma!

"If you do stuff, stuff gets done."

31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Children

► Salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” Isaiah 45:8, II Timothy 2:10

► Growth in Grace “I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” II Peter 3:18

► Love “Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.” Galatians 5:25, Ephesians 5:2

► Honesty & Integrity “May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection.” Psalm 25:21

► Self Control “Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do.” I Thessalonians 5:6

► Love for God's Word “May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb.” Psalm 19:10

► Justice “God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.” Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8

► Mercy “May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful.”
Luke 6:36

► Respect (for Self, Others & Authority) “Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands.”
I Peter 2:17

► Biblical Self-Esteem “Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:10

► Faithfulness “Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablets of their hearts.”
Proverbs 3:3

► Courage “May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.” Deuteronomy 31:6

► Purity “Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions.” Psalm 51:10

► Kindness “Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” I Thessalonians 5:15

► Generosity “Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.”
I Timothy 6:18-19

► Peace-Loving “Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.” Romans 14:19

► Joy
“May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”
I Thessalonians 1:6

► Perseverance
“Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them.”
Hebrews 12:1

► Humility
“God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.”
Titus 3:2

► Compassion “Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion.” Colossians 3:12

► Responsibility “Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 6:5

► Contentment “Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength.” Philippians 4:12-13

► Faith “I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them.” Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40

► A Servant's Heart “God, please help my children develop servants’ hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men.”
Ephesians 6:7

► Hope “May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

► Willingness & Ability to Work “Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their hearts, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23

► Passion of God “Lord, please instill in my children a soul that ‘followeth hard after Thee’ (Psalm 63:8), one that clings passionately to you.”

► Self-Discipline “Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” Proverbs 1:3

► Prayfulness “Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayfulness, that they may learn to pray on all occasions – allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede – with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Ephesians 6:18

► Gratitude “Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God, the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 2:7

► A Heart for Missions “Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see Your Glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:3