tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57261552458895705412011-11-27T21:12:42.336-07:00This blog shares my passion for marriage, motherhood, homeschooling, gardening, cooking and baking, theology, politics, creation science, apologetics, and evangelism.beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.comBlogger671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-16755467332712588872011-11-27T21:12:00.000-07:002011-11-27T21:12:42.358-07:00

Our family is transitioning from public school to homeschool over Christmas break.  We have homeschooled before, but for the last year and a half, we've enjoyed the great teachers and staff at our local public elementary school.  However, in spite of the positives, these past 3 semesters have helped solidify my desire to homeschool again.  So, here are the list of things I will not miss about

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-4659430570923250172011-10-27T10:46:00.000-06:002011-10-27T10:46:03.262-06:00

We eat a lot of tacos, enchiladas, and other Mexican style dishes at our house.  Mostly because everyone in the family gobbles it up without any complaints.  I get a lot of taco seasoning for cheap, as there are often Taco Bell or Ortega coupons that deduct most of the cost.  However, if those coupons should stop becoming available, I think I will try the recipe at this Smashed Peas and Carrots

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-75000301765094143732011-08-31T16:15:00.000-06:002011-08-31T16:15:20.656-06:00

So I didn't stay in my budget, but there are a few pros: - This is the first time I have actually tracked my grocery spending for a whole month. - Some of what I bought with my budget went to charity. - Some of what I bought I am still going to be using a few days into September. - Paying attention to what I spend has helped me recognize where I can improve. - I did come pretty close to my

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-1861043947589137092011-08-24T08:07:00.001-06:002011-08-26T08:50:44.746-06:00

Yeah, back to the store again after 4 days.  Call it poor planning, busyness, or whatever.  I needed some ingredients to round out a couple meals based on what I want to use up in my freezer.  This time I got everything for the rest of the month, and probably a few days into September.  I also got a few impulse buys.  I saved a lousy $5.15 in coupons today.  Didn't have the time to search for

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-21786370150999539112011-08-20T07:53:00.000-06:002011-08-26T08:07:00.473-06:00

Back to the store again for more food.  Not bad, going 8 days between grocery trips.  I saved $10.50 in coupons.  My receipt also informs me that I saved $23.27 with club card savings.  Truthfully, I don't put much importance on that, because it just means some items I bought were on sale from the store's normally overly-jacked-up prices.  I probably would have saved even more if I had time to

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-21278984566908033112011-08-15T21:09:00.000-06:002011-08-15T21:09:20.635-06:00

I just have to rave about the E-mealz menu plan!  A few months ago I finally subscribed to it for 6 months after trying out the sample menus and discovering that their recipes were not only good, but also very simple to make!  My family (husband and three small girls) almost always likes every part of the meal.  The ingredients are often basic - not the ones that are hard to guess what part of

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-21961798482594544882011-08-12T20:47:00.017-06:002011-08-15T20:55:24.088-06:00

Finally got to the commissary for all the stuff we were running out of, plus all my groceries for 7 E-mealz, and a bunch of deals I wanted to get with my coupons. Total for today:  $157.73 Total from 8/10 to get a giant jug of OJ:  $5.94 Total for August so far:  $240.24 By the way, I saved $38.57 in coupons with this trip.  I expect I can get more than a week out of what I bought today, which

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-5702362067066030462011-08-06T11:32:00.000-06:002011-08-06T11:32:56.318-06:00

Sent my husband on a quick trip to Safeway for a few staples and salad ingredients to take to a friend's house.  It's been a busy week, but not having to cook dinner M-F helped a lot.  Planning a big shopping trip for Tuesday to get all of what we need for a week's worth of groceries. Today's expense: $9.34 Total August expense: $76.57

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-84453978682950834622011-08-02T14:37:00.000-06:002011-08-02T14:37:47.308-06:00

Spent $61.27 at WalMart today on groceries, children's vitamins and paper towels.  We had run out of some staples, so the trip was a necessary stop on our way home from a playdate at the park.  I did save $14.62 in coupons today.  Two were for free items (one Herbal Essence product, one Pantene product) that I had mailed to me from those companies' promotions, either on Facebook or elsewhere

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-36314448238047756912011-08-02T14:28:00.000-06:002011-08-02T14:28:47.890-06:00

There are lots of ways to organize coupons that I've seen.  When I first started, I clipped every single coupon and organized it in a zippered, 3-ring binder, filled with empty baseball card holders.  Keeping up with it all was a full-time job, and not worth the effort.  Half or more of the coupons never were used, so my time clipping and organizing them was wasted.  Here is what works for me in

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-31773249648415525492011-08-01T12:32:00.001-06:002011-08-02T08:14:49.981-06:00

So it's August 1st, and I am beginning to track our spending to see if we actually spend $400 or less on groceries. I am going to have an easy first week, because our church is having VBS, I'm volunteering, and therefore I am elgible for free dinner for my whole family!  I don't consider this cheating on my budget.  I consider it a reward for my time in volunteering.  Actually, getting involved

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-90661378965185669872011-08-01T10:11:00.006-06:002011-08-02T14:29:32.323-06:00

In order to use coupons, you obviously have to have coupons.  Well, there are dozens of ways to seek out the coupons you most want and need. First of all, since many of the suggestions in this post involve signing up for a free membership to a website, I am going to recommend that you get yourself a "junk e-mail" account.  Get a free e-mail from Hotmail, Juno, Netzero, or something else that is

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-61378838314816620622011-07-30T09:41:00.001-06:002011-07-30T09:45:48.508-06:00

In my last post on couponing resources, I mentioned how couponing has come a long way in the 12 years since I started.  One of those ways is by the availability of online coupon databases!  There are people out there who apparently sit down and input all the available coupons, from Sunday newspaper inserts, online printables, and other sources, into a searchable format for your free use! First,

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-82468420169637147812011-07-29T13:14:00.003-06:002011-07-30T09:43:50.511-06:00

I have been couponing a long time - about 12 years.  In that time, I've learned a lot, and a lot has improved.  I'm not an extreme couponer, though, and I don't want to be.  My goal is to buy what my family will use, and some extra for my church's food pantry.  Any more than that takes up more storage than I care to take up, and also takes too much time out of my week to plan for/shop for.  That

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-84637240745448205262011-07-28T07:28:00.003-06:002011-07-28T07:38:50.405-06:00

Before I launch into a month of tracking how much I spend on a month's worth of groceries, I am getting a head-start now at cooking from my pantry.  Yesterday, I took inventory of what I have in our pantry, freezer and fridge, and typed all the ingredients into supercook.com.  I love that website!  Once all my ingredients are on the list, it searches recipes all over the internet and tells me all

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-79640274066607305402011-07-27T20:13:00.001-06:002011-07-27T20:48:00.186-06:00

    One morning, awhile back, we had a visit from a rep from a company that delivers various meats, vegetables, and other foods to your home.  They claim that they are much more affordable for the average American family than shopping at the grocery stores, and of course, they claim their quality is much better.  I don't doubt their quality.  It appears (from the samples he gave us for our time)

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-72862022553794639882011-07-23T15:12:00.001-06:002011-07-27T21:45:32.655-06:00

This summer, our family has been on three long trips.  The first trip was a family vacation to Southwest Colorado to explore parts we hadn't seen yet.  The other two trips involved catching up with our family and friends at our respective hometowns.  We knew this was going to cost a lot of bucks, between gas, hotels, and food.  So we did what we could to reduce our food cost by eating from

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-82389409617032015912011-06-27T21:25:00.000-06:002011-06-27T21:25:50.683-06:00

I'm working through a book called "Holy Conversation" by Richard Peace.  In the 2nd chapter, it challenges me to briefly tell a story about how God first came alive for me. I remember attending a week of Christian camp in the Summer between 8th and 9th grade.  There, through the testimonies of the camp leaders and counselors of how God had changed their lives, God first came alive for me. 

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-62081628251713027272011-06-12T15:57:00.003-06:002011-07-27T21:46:04.204-06:00

Now that my soldier is home and my children are out of school, it's time to explore Colorado!  So we took a week to leisurely go to some parts of our state that we hadn't been yet. Sunday afternoon, May 29, we set off going South on I-25 past Pueblo.  Our first discovery was a "point of interest" sign I encouraged Derek to follow to see what was so interesting.  It WAS interesting, but we

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-47571178912411302992010-04-26T11:18:00.000-06:002010-04-26T11:18:16.335-06:00

It's been cold several nights this past week!  So for my square foot garden, I've been tucking my plants in at night with a nice warm blanket.  I'm most concerned about my strawberries, as it's not good weather for them.  Everything else can probably survive the cold.  I'm not seeing any sprouts of carrots, lettuce or spinach though.  If nothing comes up in the next couple weeks, I will replant.

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-51899704363201894592010-04-19T11:15:00.000-06:002010-04-19T11:15:32.472-06:00

For kindergarten and first grade, I have taught using various resources, compiled by me, using guidelines for each grade's suggested scope and sequence, and been rather eclectic with my homeschooling.  This year, however, I am using a pre-planned packaged curriculum from Sonlight.  I was hoping that having everything scheduled and planned for me would save me time and the stress of wondering if

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-25267371417653531912010-04-19T11:00:00.002-06:002010-04-19T11:05:10.806-06:00

I've made a few changes this week with my square foot garden.  I bought some strawberry plants and broccoli plants and put them in.  You can put 4 strawberry plants in a square foot, and one broccoli.  The other three broccoli plants are in my conventional garden plot on the North end of my backyard (picture 2).  You also see some 1/2" PVC pipes that I've criss-crossed, and connected at the cross

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-16369348619132455022010-04-12T09:04:00.001-06:002010-04-12T09:05:35.115-06:00

This year I finally have a chance to try square foot gardening!  A couple of friends of mine did them last Summer, and I really didn't have the yard for it.  We've since moved, and have the yard, the resources, and the time to give it a try ourselves!  I checked out the book "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholemew from the library.  I also found this website http://

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-65530861090537170862009-12-15T13:18:00.009-07:002011-07-28T16:47:47.417-06:00

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-89526233147060197212009-10-07T17:03:00.019-06:002011-07-28T17:16:34.358-06:00

Score one for supermom who pulled off the 6 year-old's birthday party, and a good time was had by all.     We had to have something that was easy enough for me to handle without my husband's help, and fun enough for M and her friends.  So her science party accomplished that.  She had a funfetti cake with sprinkles (which she applied herself), and we found these candles that spelled out "Happy

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-23563293601577684622009-09-20T10:00:00.000-06:002011-07-27T20:04:22.009-06:00

    So I talked to my husband who is doing training with his soldiers in the field on base.  It was about 6 p.m.  He said they were rolling out for night fire exercises, and that he expected it wouldn't take long, and they'd get to actually have some decent sleep that night.  After the call, I finished our normal evening routine, and everyone went to bed.     About 12:30 a.m., I was awakened by

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-43608472977354774532009-09-05T20:19:00.003-06:002011-07-27T20:24:15.893-06:00

As many of you know, I am teaching my oldest daughter 2nd grade this year.  I have learned a lot in the first 3 weeks of school! Did you know that a Viking explorer, Leif Ericson, was probably the first European to discover North America about 1000 AD?   This is 500 years before Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492.  I had heard of Lief before, but didn't remember or know who he was.  There is

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-2203844496248996212009-09-05T15:43:00.000-06:002009-09-05T15:43:42.870-06:00

Last Spring semester, a friend and I led a group of ladies through this wonderful Bible study on marriage, "Enhancing Your Marriage" by Judy Rossi.  It takes 12 weeks of 5 days/week of work to get through the study, and I recommend doing it with a group, to help you stay motivated to keep at it.  If you have ever done an in-depth study such as one by Beth Moore, or "Experiencing God", you will

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-19027909362542118032009-07-01T08:27:00.007-06:002011-07-27T20:30:34.306-06:00

     After 20 days of traveling in OH, WV, and IL to visit friends and family, we have arrived at our new duty station.  We thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, and several friends.  Our youngest kept wondering when we were actually going to get to Colorado.  When we finally did, and told her so, she didn't believe us.     It's a relief to finally be here,

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-14896775862306426352009-05-28T20:32:00.005-06:002011-07-27T20:36:29.731-06:00

So 13 days from now, we fly off Oahu as we move to our next military assignment.  So much has had to be done in preparation.  Sorting, purging, organizing, packing, notifying, planning, confirming.  Feels like juggling.  Fortunately I don't have to do it all myself.  After 15 months without my husband home, and now having had him home for 3 months, it's so nice to have someone else to talk

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-34683321218766980462009-05-14T07:04:00.004-06:002009-05-14T07:31:31.579-06:00

Recently I had a chance to hear Bill & Pam Farrel speak on their book, "Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti". I had heard of the book before, and was amused by the title, but never had picked it up to read. I have been exposed to so many great Christian books on marriage, and figured it would be more of the same. I was wrong!From their presentation, I gained several practical

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-22772412277235798282009-05-10T20:48:00.001-06:002011-07-27T20:52:47.310-06:00

We are planning ahead to buy a house in Colorado Springs!  It's not the first house we will own, but the last house we owned was pre-military, and we thought we were going to live there a lot longer than 3 years!  Well, we didn't.  We sold it using the methods found in the book, "How to Sell Your Home in 5 Days" and made a profit from the sale.  It was a situation blessed by God in many ways,

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-82786472518846285342009-05-09T20:54:00.001-06:002011-07-27T21:04:33.425-06:00

We're enjoying a lovely day in Hawaii today.  We notice it because the last month or two have been wet, cold, cloudy or voggy.  Vog is the haze that comes from the volcano on the Big Island, and many of us have allergic reactions to it.  Without the breeze that usually comes with the tradewinds, the Vog had built up and hung stagnant over our islands for a few days. One month from tomorrow,

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-2974664463418275302009-02-28T21:08:00.001-07:002011-07-27T21:16:09.344-06:00

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-81558092816530281162009-01-04T18:45:00.003-07:002009-01-04T18:59:48.391-07:00

My last post about the Old Fashioned Education had several resources from Project Gutenberg which can be found at www.gutenberg.org. This is a fascinating project that is ongoing to make public domain works available in digital format for people around the world. They even have works in many different languages.Along the same lines is bartleby.com. Here you can find online books and reference

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-61519307319048200292009-01-02T23:03:00.002-07:002009-01-02T23:38:23.918-07:00

I'm so excited to share this first post of 2009. I've come across this resource before, but am only now understanding its value. The website is http://oldfashionededucation.com/ and there, you can find links to all kinds of free online teaching resources and books. Many of them are public domain educational textbooks, written in a time when Christianity was the prevailing worldview in

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-80317980547458396202008-12-23T21:24:00.004-07:002011-07-27T21:27:24.091-06:00

This bouquet came today.  It's almost as big as my husband is.  Not really.  The vase is huge, and this thing is really heavy.  I was telling my oldest, who acted as my photographer, "Take the picture quick!"

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-43817760936299218712008-12-16T21:27:00.000-07:002011-07-27T21:38:19.140-06:00

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-64805391382720863252008-12-11T22:07:00.003-07:002008-12-11T22:18:44.753-07:00

On a paper or in a book, the margin is the blank space. It's good for lots of things. Jotting notes down, punching holes for a 3-ring binder, giving our eyes a boundary before the edge of the page. In the book titled "Margin" by Dr. Richard Swenson, he encourages us to put margin in our lives. For most of us, our schedules are overbooked, our money is overspent, our bodies are exhausted, and

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-71924039732008881102008-11-08T21:41:00.000-07:002011-07-27T21:44:31.013-06:00

We had a great trip to Maui this week. We had to get up really early to meet the Hawaii Superferry at the dock in Honolulu at 5 a.m. on Monday, November 3rd.  We had our car packed with all the supplies for our 5-day, 4-night stay, and drove it right onto the ferry.  The passenger deck was large, comfortable, and had a small play area for kids.  We had a great view of the sunrise as we pulled

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-58397457929582920442008-09-12T21:22:00.005-06:002011-07-28T17:21:04.762-06:00

    Why is it that when you put our three girls together, the result is chaos?  They feed off each others' antics, whether they're playing well together or getting on each others' nerves.  This leads to escalating decibels of noise pollution, and sensory overload for me.  That is why they were put to bed at 7 p.m. tonight.  Aaah.  That was two hours ago.  They went right to sleep.  I went right

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-70821654248058993082008-08-29T16:32:00.003-06:002008-08-29T16:43:20.281-06:00

As a mother of 3 small children, I find myself spending the majority of my days cooking and cleaning. I've come to the conclusion that if I didn't have to feed my children, I would have a lot more time to do other things! It's the daily grind of meals, snacks, dishes, cleaning up crumbs, wiping off faces and washing hands, laundering bibs and soiled clothing and kitchen towels, putting clean

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-90115617527983878802008-08-12T14:09:00.003-06:002008-08-12T14:16:15.582-06:00

I just finished reading this excellent resource for wives. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is married, newly or seasoned. Not only is it well-researched and well-presented information, but it's dealing with topics that other marriage resources I've encountered don't cover. Shaunti Feldhahn has explained with real quotes from real husbands, and with real examples why men are the way

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-2645305709586656442008-08-02T19:48:00.000-06:002008-08-02T19:48:24.385-06:00

Thanks to a recommendation by a friend, and through discovery in a catalog, I have found three cookbooks which are worth taking a look at if you, like me, have trouble getting someone in your family to eat enough veggies or fruits!"The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals" by Missy Chase Lapine is the first one. The premise is that you create purees of

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-72433681281863404212008-08-01T19:34:00.003-06:002008-08-01T19:53:52.675-06:00

I subscribe to World magazine, which I enjoy because it provides a Christian perspective on current events around the world. In the July 26/August 2 issue, there is an article that caught my attention about the internet and it's affect on our minds. It's called "Fleeting Thoughts: How the internet is eating my brain" by Janie Cheaney. Here's the link to the article.http://www.worldmag.com/

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-64561778123296610102008-07-13T18:09:00.002-06:002008-07-13T18:17:26.106-06:00

When I discovered this series, I knew it was perfect for my daughter who loves to draw. Each lesson has step-by-step demonstrations on how to draw a picture as well as a sentence that the student can copy as handwriting practice. The pictures are really cute. My daughter pours over these when she's in the mood, and makes pretty decent reproductions. I've seen the skills she's learned from

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-28350490969240556202008-07-09T00:01:00.004-06:002008-07-09T00:23:34.317-06:00

So far, I have resisted buying a pre-packaged curriculum. Maybe it's because I like to go against the mainstream, or because I like having control of what I teach and how I teach it. So, in my search for resources to tailor my daughter's schooling to fit she and I, I discovered Design-A-Study books. Kathryn Stout, the Christian author of these books, is a former school teacher who home

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-49690328909643209652008-07-07T02:23:00.004-06:002008-07-07T02:31:38.970-06:00

This is my best resource for homeschooling! I use it constantly. It shows a scope and sequence for all grades K-12, and includes explanations of objectives, as well as resources such as library books, websites, and other curriculum aids that are helpful for teaching each objective. I used it for Kindergarten and now am using it for 1st grade. It's called Home Learning Year by Year, by Rebecca

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-29792119158221583452008-06-08T23:46:00.005-06:002008-06-09T00:26:08.869-06:00

Since late March, God has been leading me to view my relationship with Him in this way - He is there to walk with me through every moment throughout my day to guide my choices, my attitudes, and my goals. I feel a lot is at stake each day as I strive to raise our three girls in a way that pleases God, and points them to their own lives that I trust will serve Him as well. Parenting is such a

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-35106510690825483062008-06-04T10:13:00.003-06:002008-06-04T10:36:40.796-06:00

This is a book that I have used successfully with my oldest, and am now beginning with my middle child. Using the introduction of sounds, rather than beginning with the names of the letters, this approach gradually teaches the child to sound out the words by putting together the sounds he/she has learned. There are verbal games that teach rhyming, saying the words slowly (as in sounding things

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-71840074167075331412008-06-04T00:23:00.008-06:002008-06-14T18:29:00.958-06:00

From the time our firstborn was 7 months old, we began working with her to teach her a little sign language. You've probably heard the wisdom in this - that babies can learn simple hand signals before their verbal development allows them to form words. Therefore, if they can communicate with signs, it reduces the fussing and screaming that results from their frustration on not being understood.

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-14172310344981756292008-06-03T01:14:00.003-06:002008-06-03T01:30:06.227-06:00

My favorite resource from this publishing company, started by sisters who were teachers and found that music was a great tool for teaching children, is their Scripture memory song CDs. Titled "Scripture Memory Songs" and "Growing in God's Word", both contain great songs that are kid-friendly, fun to learn, and not the annoying style of music most children's music tends to be. These CDs make

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-86470881630084134942008-06-01T18:59:00.003-06:002008-06-01T19:16:33.557-06:00

In this post, I again take the risk of boring many who may have heard of this resource years ago. However, I still find it a valuable resource, and know that it continues to make an impact in the marriages of people around me.In The Power of a Praying Wife, Stormie Omartian has written 30 chapters, each covering a topic for prayer that a wife can pray for concerning her husband. There are a few

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-55243012077983893532008-05-30T12:44:00.004-06:002008-05-30T12:57:57.258-06:00

If you're homeschooling preschool through 3rd grade or so, or are looking for summer projects or worksheets, check out enchantedlearning.com . I use it for printable worksheets for every subject from phonics, to math, to geography, to art, and a few others. You can print many pages for free without a membership. I recommend the membership if you see you'll use it a lot. With the $20/year fee

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-30667214772043757262008-05-24T20:26:00.001-06:002011-07-28T17:27:49.967-06:00

It's been nearly 2 years since we came to our first duty station here, and became a military family.  Hawaii aside, I wouldn't trade this experience for most anything.  I remember the first week we were here, living in the hotel on post, and the whole 25th Infantry Division had a "Division Run" for PT.  I remember hearing them begin to parade by, calling out their cadences, running with

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-83294361768745661922008-05-22T11:18:00.004-06:002008-05-22T11:24:39.990-06:00

No, I'm not talking about the card game, but a Christian music group I've recently discovered that has made several great albums for kids. Self-described as "Great music for kids that won't drive parents bonkers", they've put out 5 albums that do just that. We own two of them, "Snazzy" and "Snooze". My girls love listening to them in the car. It's music we can have fun with, dance to, and

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-70481156462134962342008-05-19T13:13:00.006-06:002008-05-19T13:35:52.063-06:00

If you're familiar with this book, you might think, "Hasn't everyone heard about this book or at least the concepts presented in it?" I'm sometimes surprised by people who haven't heard of it. Personally I think the concepts Gary Chapman identifies and describes in his book are revolutionary in relating to anyone. He identifies five primary love languages that each person has - some may have

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-86004824958813935502008-05-19T00:24:00.004-06:002008-05-19T01:03:37.797-06:00

Only last year I discovered this unique resource called "Wise Words for Moms" by Ginger Plowman. I was searching for Biblical principles to apply to training our children. My search ended when I spent $4 on this tool.The size and format of a calender, Wise Words for Moms is perfect to hang on a wall, bulletin board or refrigerator. You'll find 21 categories of wrong behavior or attitudes,

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-88860212184914407932008-05-04T15:24:00.008-06:002008-05-05T01:18:18.970-06:00

I can't say enough about about this book by Jill Savage. I wish I could give a copy to every mother. For the past 4 1/2 months, I've been leading a class of young moms through this book.In our society, being a stay-at-home mom is often looked at as the choice of a woman who isn't smart enough or good enough to work a paid job; or it's viewed as an interruption to pursuing a career or pursuing

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-80813161021196490582008-05-04T15:01:00.005-06:002008-05-05T01:17:44.351-06:00

Recently, the chaplain preaching the Sunday sermon challenged us to pursue the full life that God intends for us by finding out our God-given purpose, pursuing that one thing with single-minded focus and with passion, and by doing it with persistence. It came as no surprise to me, after praying about it for awhile, that my purpose is to be a wife and a mother. More specifically, I believe my

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-89819858437596771042008-04-25T17:28:00.003-06:002011-07-28T17:36:27.099-06:00

If anyone would like some light reading (sense sarcasm here), check out this article on a topic which currently has me fascinated. http://www.icr.org/research/index/researchp_jb_runawaysubduction/ It's a theory by creationists as to what happened when God caused the flood of Genesis.  I first read about it in a book called "Something From Nothing" by Kurt P. Wise and Sheila A. Richardson,

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-36768278019736330902008-04-05T21:52:00.002-06:002011-07-28T17:47:07.229-06:00

. . . Wish it was Sunday.  I usually get to really relax on Sunday afternoons. Today I've been sorting, cleaning, cooking, and shuttling.  M is at a birthday party for a friend, playing on one of those inflatable water slides.  J, not to be left out, is playing in the little kid pool in the backyard.  A joined her at first, but got too cold.  So she's scattering things around the house that

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-41269605242745953222008-04-02T20:50:00.000-06:002011-07-28T17:51:33.678-06:00

The title is in reference to my children.  I came home from choir practice tonight, and there they were, snuggled in their bean bag chairs in front of the cartoon channel, with sippy cups in their mouths, and lap blankets on.  The sitter said they had previously been actively playing outside, so they weren't completely couch potatoes yet. Lately, my activist nature has been surging, wanting

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-60063685950672761332007-09-15T20:48:00.000-06:002011-07-28T18:18:22.788-06:00

So I went out to get the mail this afternoon, and the free newspaper, the Hawaii Army Weekly, was rolled up in a rubber band sitting by my front door.  I shook out any bugs that might be in it, brought it in, and unrolled it onto the coffee table.  Then I saw I was right there on the front page!  Well, the Sept. 11 service I played for was covered by one of the reporters who was camera happy

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-64115432045341014842007-09-07T18:16:00.001-06:002011-07-28T18:17:07.816-06:00

So my daughter has people in her Kindergarten class from Samoa, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, (I know, all tropical islands).  It's very diverse.  I have friends from South Africa, Australia, and all over the US of course.  Sure is a different place than Illinois!  Anyone want to come for some Pupus and then get a plate lunch?  Or, we could go to McDonald's and have one of their Taro pies.  We could

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-67876236378945739402007-08-02T18:20:00.001-06:002011-07-28T18:21:45.753-06:00

We didn't stick our feet in the Atlantic Ocean at the end of June when we landed in Delaware after our flight from Honolulu, but we could have.  Now we're in San Francisco, CA, and preparing to fly home.  We have driven across the country, visiting 17 states (D actually logged 18 by including TX), and five of those were first times for me.  I'd never been to DE, WY, UT, NV, CA.  Every

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5726155245889570541.post-77305375990562784372007-03-25T18:24:00.003-06:002011-07-28T18:31:35.973-06:00

Recently, my husband did a marriage conference, in which he used some DVDs by a guy named Mark Gungor.  He has a ministry called "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage".  Now, the DVD's themselves are worth purchasing if you're married, and sharing with all your married friends.  They're funny, Christian, and have a unique perspective on understanding your spouse and how to make your marriage

beckyjamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02674282593046458428noreply@blogger.com0