Check it Out

Hey everyone!!! My son has a blog. http://nocondemnation81.blogspot.com/ Be sure to check it out. He posts everyday and the topics are always from the Word of God. He has some great thoughts, so head on over there and be prepared to be encouraged!!

Advent

Celebrating Advent is a wonderful way to welcome Christmas into your heart and home.

The word Advent means "arrival". Christmas time is a season of preparing for the coming of something......or Someone. It is a time specifically set aside to ready our hearts to receive Christ, the coming King.

As Christmas nears it seems that our days get fuller. Our time is consumed with countless holiday chores, shopping, cooking, entertaining. Before we know it everything begins to run together in a blur. Advent is a way to pause and reflect on the wonderful news that God has given the world a Savior.

An advent wreath is traditionally made of evergreens symbolizing God's eternal love. Four candles - three purple and one pink - are arranged around the wreath. A white candle is placed in the center of the wreath. Each candle represents something and is to be lighted at specific times.

Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Some families gather every night for activities and others just on Sunday. My family gathers every night. We always have a devotion and pray together. Sometimes we sing or make a craft, the possibilities are endless.

Week one - The Candle of Hope. This represents the promise of a Savior. A good passage to read before lighting one purple candle for hope is Isaiah 9:6-7

Week two - The Candle of Peace. This represents the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Micah 5:2 and Luke 2:1-5. Light two purple candles this week for hope and peace.

Week three - The Candle of Joy. This represents the tidings of great joy the angels announced to the shepherds. Luke 2:8-14. Light three purple candles for hope, peace and joy.

Week Four - The Candle of Love. This represents God's love for the world when He gave His only begotten Son. John 3:16 and Luke 2:15-20. Light three purple candles for hope, peace and joy and light the pink candle for love.

Christmas Eve - The White Christmas Candle. This represents Jesus Christ as the Light of the World. Isaiah 9:2 and John 8:12. Light all candles.

So instead of getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. Find a perfect resting place, renew your spirit and transform this year's Christmas celebration into the best ever.

Christmas Traditions

Family traditions are the glue that binds one generation to another. They give kids and parents something to look forward to, as well as something to count on during the hectic holiday season. Here is a collection of some of my families favorite Christmas traditions.

Each year I get Dakota and Bethany a new Christmas ornament. The night we decorate our tree they get to open their ornament gift. They are the first ornaments hung on the tree each year. I try to get something that reflects something in their life. Bethany loves American Girls so for the last few years she has gotten an American Girl ornament. Last year Dakota got a mini guitar ornament and this year I found the cutest duck ornaments made out of metal. I just had to get him five, one to represent each of his 5 pet ducks. When the time comes for my children to move out and start a life of their own I will give them their collection of ornaments so they will have a nice start for their own tree.

We always string popcorn and cranberries for our tree. Our Christmas tree is not complete until we get the last strand on. We string our popcorn while watching a Christmas movie. I do believe that we eat just as much if not more than we string.

On Christmas Eve, my family and my sister's family gather together at mom's for Christmas dinner and presents. We always eat first and then before opening presents we read the Christmas story out of the Bible. This was a tradition that began with my dad. He would sit and we would all listen to him read. He is no longer with us, and my mom now sits in the same chair he did and reads the scriptures to us.

Another tradition that we have is praying on Christmas morning before the kids open their presents. On Christmas morning we gather together for a moment of prayer and thanksgiving before heading to the tree for presents. Jesus is the reason for the season and I want my children to know that it is not the presents, the tinsel, or the tree...but Christ.

Favorite Christmas Movies

For me, the best way to start off the holiday season is by breaking out the Christmas movies. We have quite a collection of them. I thought I would share my favorites. They are in no particular order. I could never pick just one favorite. lol

Miracle on 34th Street

Whether you are watching the 1947 version or the 1994 version, this movie is the only proof you need that Santa really does exist!

Frosty the Snowman

A childhood favorite!!!

Christmas with the Kranks

If you are thinking of skipping Christmas this is the one for you!

A Walton's Homecoming

This is the pilot, the movie that began the series we all love. I will warn you though, there are a few characters that are not the same as the ones in the series.

The Santa Clause

If you are going to watch this one you might as well make it a marathon and watch all the Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen. There are three all together and they are all awesome.



The Christmas Shoes
Grab a box of Kleenex's and enjoy this heartwarming tear jerker!

It's a Wonderful Life

A Classic!!! No holiday is complete without it.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Even after my kids are gone this is one I will still watch every holiday season!

The Nativity Story
This is a great movie on what Christmas is really all about.

The Polar Express

Love it!

A Smokey Mountain Christmas

You've got to look past the poor acting on this one. The songs are wonderful and the thought of spending Christmas in a cabin in the Smokey Mountains makes it worth the watch!

The Grinch

We always watch the old cartoon version and end with this movie. Jim Carrey is always hilarious!

Elf

This is great! A family favorite. We quote sayings from this movie all season!

Almond Bark Cookies

Me and Bethany made cookies today. Actually, they are not cookies, they are crackers. All you need is a box of round crackers, some peanut butter and almond bark. Put some peanut butter between two crackers, dip it in the melted almond bark, lay on wax paper until the almond bark hardens and you have a yummy treat!!

Fall Pictures

In my quest to find the perfect pictures for inside our Christmas cards I made the kids endure a day of posing. Here are a few of our unedited results......

Bethany insisted Daisy be a part of the pictures!

Dakota insisted on having some with his ducks!

I had to throw this one in. Everytime the camera comes out the kids can't resist acting goofy.

A Home School Field Trip

Today I took the kids on a surprise home school field trip. Last night I informed them that I had a fun filled day planned for them. The suspense ate at them and I loved every minute of it. At one point Dakota declared that he had it figured out. He handed me a note card that he had written the following on: For the record, I, Dakota Lynch, have hereby concluded that we will be going to the St. Louis Arch tomorrow. He signed and dated it, for proof that he figured it out. I simply stated "we shall see".

It was home school day at the Magic House. Because of their 30 year anniversary our admission fee was $1.50 per person which is the same as it was in 1979. Me and Bethany had never been to the Magic House before and Dakota had only been once when my dad had taken him years earlier. We really enjoyed, I can't say that we will be going back, for my kids are getting older, and its not a place that we would go on a regular basis. For today though it was a nice outing.

Bethany's favorite thing was the pulley used to pull herself high into the air.

Dakota enjoyed the Lewis and Clark trail and hanging out with his friend Tyler.

After the Magic House we went to the Kirkwood City Park to enjoy our picnic lunch. We enjoyed a nice walk around the lake and the scenery was very beautiful.

We completed our day with a trip to Cold Stone Creamery.

I'm thinking our next field trip might have to be the Saint Louis Arch!

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have posted. What a great summer we had. Now that it is coming to an end I intend on getting back into the swing of things with my blogging.

Our summer officially came to an end last week when we got home from our last camping trip of the year. It may of been the last trip of the year, but it was by far the best. We camped on top of the highest point in Missouri - Taum Sauk Mtn. When I first told Dakota and Bethany my plans of this trip they were doubtful of the fun it would bring (mainly when I told them there would be no shower house or flushable toilets). When we arrived on top of the mountain and began looking for the perfect spot to set up camp I began to have a few doubts myself. We would basically be camping in the woods with no one around. I repeated several times "this is okay" I was more trying to convince myself. The first night was a sleepless one for me. I admit now that I was scared, but of course I would never admit it to the kids then. The one time I fell into a deep sleep I was awakened by Bethany shaking me in fear. A deer had walked right up to the tent and snorted. After Dakota informed us of what it was I managed to get a couple hours of sleep. The next night was also filled with critter fun. As we were playing games in the tent we decided it was time for a snack. We had pulled our cooler up to the door of the tent. I reached in and got our goodies. As we were snacking we decided we needed another soda, I turned around and what to my wondering eyes, was a raccoon standing there opening our cooler. I am sure that my screams are still echoing thru the mountains. The kids also learned that just because there is no "bathroom" hygiene was still an important part of our daily tasks. We had a make shift bathroom and each day we warmed our water, washed our hair and did our other grooming tasks.

We hiked to Mina Sauk falls. It was an amazing hike, looking out over the rolling hills makes me wonder how anyone could ever doubt in God our Creator. Due to the lack of rain the fall was not flowing so we intend to go back during the rainy season. We rock climbed to the bottom of the falls and I do believe climbing back up is where I messed my knee up. There was a few times that I had to stop and pray for strength. lol We also climbed a lookout tower on top of the mountain. It was during this climb that I realized Dakota's fear of heights. Or as we say around here - not so much a fear of heights as a fear of falling and not so much of falling as hitting the ground at enormous rate of speed. It was very windy and he climbed down in half the time as Bethany and I. He claimed that he could just see the possibility of disaster. We took our Bible to the highest point that was marked by a surveyor and we sat in that place and had devotion and prayer. Elephant Rock State Park was another enjoyable spot of our trip. The kids had never been there and we found it very enjoyable. The whole trip was a homeschooling mom's delight! So many educational moments. Dakota and Bethany both have told me that it was the best camping trip ever! We will definitely be going back next year. After a few lessons learned, next time may even be better.

A Country Update

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted. Summertime is a busy time. Alot has been going on and I need to update on my "country living".

I couldn't hold out.....I've been picking the green tomatoes. But, OOOH they are so yummy fried up and smothered with melted velveeta. However, I did wait until I picked my first red tomato. I figured that was my "go". We've been getting a steady supply of ripe ones and by next week I should have plenty to share with family and friends. The cucumbers are in nice supply also, and the zucchini, well any of you that has ever grown zucchini know that you are not in want of it when it starts producing. Our beans came on nicely and are about done producing. This year I canned with a pressure cooker for the first time! My mom was there to walk me through it and it was a cinch! All these years I have been terrifed of pressure cookers. I thought they were a time bomb getting ready to explode. Mom always made us kids leave the room when she canned. It was alot easier than what I expected and I am now hooked. We are already planning on planting more beans for next year! My corn is looking great. Another couple weeks and I expect we will be having corn out of our ears! (pun intended)

The chickens are getting big. Not quite full grown yet but getting close. One thing that has me concerned is the fact that we have TWO roosters. One of our hens was not a hen after all. I talked to a friend that raises chickens and she said it may not matter, to just wait and see. As long as they get along and a pecking order is established it might be okay. But truth be told, I am concerned. I wanted 1 rooster and 4 hens, not 2 roosters and 3 hens. The two roosters are constantly challenging each other and I just want peace in my chicken yard. lol But, for now we will wait....

My duck news is the saddest of all. We lost are female. A raccoon got her. It was so upsetting. I felt like a horrible crime had been committed. I was not prepared for the site we saw the morning we found her. The kids gave her a nice funeral and then we began our pursuit for justice. It took 3 days but we finally caught the little rascal. The first and second night he stole all the food and didn't even throw the trap, the third night we set 3 traps and ran a security camera out there so we could see where we were going wrong. We watched the little booger steal all the food from one trap, but finally we had sweet victory, he was caught. Since then I have put a radio in the chicken house, which is right next to the ducks. I have also learned that raccoons hate dogs and if you put dog hair around they will stay away. Well, we have 2 poodles and when I groom them it is like sheering sheep. So the hair now goes around the duck and chicken house! So far no more signs of racoons.

I have to talk a little bit about Fred our only remaing duck. When we first got the ducks they were not very tame. They would not let us get close despite all of our efforts. Since Ethel died Fred is a new duck. I have spent alot of time with him. Just sitting and singing. When I go to feed or water I sing, when I let him out to free range I sing. I wanted him to get used to my voice. For my voice to be comforting to him. My kids think this is crazy, but it has worked. He now follows me around like a puppy dog. When he backs off I just start singing and he picks up his speed until he is right by my side. He comes up to the garden with me everyday. I even moved his swimming pool up there so he has something to do while I work in the garden. As silly as it sounds, I have fallen in love with this duck. He has stolen my heart.

Before the female duck died we were saving some eggs to incubate. We had nine all together but only 7 of them were fertile. My son wanted an incubator for his birthday so it has been his project, but one that we have all enjoyed. They are set to hatch next weekend and we can't wait. I'm sure there will be a blog post devoted especially for them!!

Little Bit Country

There is something about country living that has always appealed to me. When I was a little girl we would go to the country to visit my grandparents. The food tasted better, the people were friendlier and the scenery was gorgeous. To me there is nothing prettier than to look out across a field and see the big round bales of hay scattered across it. When I was 19 I moved to the country. My first house, as we called it, was a shack in the woods. I had no neighbors, just woods, fields, and cows. As a young new mother I was alone and terrified. It was quite an adjustment. After 2 years we moved into the city limits. Our town had a population of less than 600 people. Everybody knew everybody, you didn't have to worry about locking your doors, and you had to dodge pot holes instead of cars. I am no longer living in that small country town, but that does not mean that I am no longer country. I feel more country now than I did then. Yes, I lock the doors when I leave, I don't know everyone, and I am back to dodging cars, but I am now enjoying some country pleasures that I have always dreamed of.

I have always dreamed of owning chickens. Sounds crazy, I know. I have this vision (maybe it is from watching too many episodes of Little House on the Prairie) of going to feed my chickens in a long calico dress, apron and hat and scattering the feed out and the chickens pecking around me. That dream is coming true for me. I don't have a calico dress but I have the chickens. Yesterday as the kids were swimming I sat down to take some pictures of my beloved flock. As I was sitting there they all flocked around and I thought to myself...life is good.


I had never dreamt of owning ducks, but they have also become part of our country living. They are so much fun to watch. Especially when the female starts "talking" to the male. It looks as if she is "chewing" him out everytime. However, if you listen carefully he is quietly quacking over and over something that sounds like "nag, nag, nag". In the past month we have learned a lot about ducks. We gather an egg a day which brings a joy in itself and we are looking forward to incubating the eggs later this month.



Now you can't be country without having a garden. I will leave the details of my garden out since I have already blogged about it once. But I will add that it is coming along beautifully and I can almost see it grow overnight! I can almost taste that first ripe tomato (if I can leave them on the vine long enough to get ripe). One of my favorite things is fried green tomatoes, topped with melted velveeta cheese! There are already a few green ones on the vine, but I will leave them alone.... for now.

Chocolate Lovers

I am a self professed choco-aholic and not afraid to admit it. In my daily quest for chocolate I have run across the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act. They have FREE chocolate bar Friday!! Every Friday from now till the end of September you can request a coupon for a free cholclate bar. They give away 250,000 coupons each Friday and it is first come first serve. You can choose between Milky Way, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Twix, Dove and M & M's. There is no catch to this, no hidden strings attached, just FREE chocolate. Now who can pass that up!!! Here's the link https://secure.realchocolate.com/ Go for it! You know you want to!!!

25 Random Things About Me

1. Having a child when I was 19 forever changed the course of my life for the better.

2. I cannot stand a dirty streaky mirror. I have to clean it.

3. I have a deformity. I was born with a hammer toe.

4. I homeschool my children and love it.

5. I am addicted to coffee shakes and coffee ice cream.

6. I love to sing and I do it badly!

7. When it comes to talking I have attention deficit disorder. I jump from one topic to the next without warning.

8. When I was pregnant with Bethany I ate fried green tomatoes every day for lunch.

9. I love spending time with my children. They are the joy of my life.

10. I have a bad habit of laughing uncontrollably at the wrong times. Usually at really serious moments.

11. I love to research things that I am interested in.

12. Material possessions are not important to me.

13. I am a master packer. I can fit more things into a small space than most people would think possible.

14. My kids make me laugh and smile every day of my life.

15. I am deathly allergic to wasps.

16. I believe in fairy tales.

17. I was raised in a christian home and taught about Jesus. That is how I want to raise my children.

18. I wish I could play the guitar.

19. I am terrified of snakes and spiders.

20. When my children are grown I would love to go back to school to be a neonatal nurse.

21. For 14 years I lived in a small country town with a population of less than 600 people.

22. I talk to my dog Daisy like she is a human.

23. I am a night owl. I am rarely in bed before 2:00 a.m. Therefore I am NOT a morning person.

24. I was hit by a car when I was 2.

25. If it was not for the grace of God I would not be where I am today and I never want to go a day without thanking him for that.

10 Lessons I have Learned

10. Don't sweat the little things.

9. Walk like a duck, talk like a duck, does not make it a duck.

8. Never pray for patience : )

7. God's timing is better than mine.

6. God still does miracles.

5. Be careful what you say because you may end up eating your words.

4. The things that are truly important in life are not the same things that I once thought.

3. God's will is always best.

2. God can take a bad thing and turn it into a blessing.

1. God is always in control, but you have to let Him.

Memorial Day - a day with double meaning

Memorial day for me marks the beginning of summer. It is a day for families, barbeques, camping, opening your pools and relaxation. But it is so much more than a day of celebration and outings. It is a day set aside to remember the men and woman who lost their lives serving our country.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and it was established in 1868 by Union General John A. Logan to commemorate the dead from the Civil War. It became a federal holiday in 1971.

Whether this day brings a day of refreshment and celebration or a day to mourn and remember, we should all take time to pause and remember the men and women who have died to give us our freedom in this great country!

Summer Vacation!!!

It's finally here! We are officially on summer vacation! We finished the last of our school up on Friday. So what does summer vacation mean for me? Planning the next school year! I have spent my evening going through old curriculum, trying to decide what to sell and what to save, then what to use next year and what I still need to get! I love planning out our school year and going through books. I find it funny that as soon as summer vacation comes, I immediately start planning!!! I am counting down the days to the used curriculum fair, it is my favorite sale of the year. This year we pretty much have everything we need already so I will get to shop at a more leisurely pace! Let's hope I don't impulse buy. I am very bad about that. As I go through my book shelves I see several items that I have bought with good intentions but ended up changing my plan. This year I am determining in my mind not to impulse buy.....but then again there's always that one item that I don't think I can live without!

How does your Garden Grow?

I am so glad that I got my garden tilled and planted before all this rain came. This year I am going bigger than last. I planted corn, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, watermelon, cantelope, lettuce and onions. I am also going to plant some pumpkins a little later in the year. This is the first time I have ever planted eggplant. I have never even tried eggplant, but I want to, so I thought I might as well grow my own. This is also the first year I have ever planted green beans myself. I cannot wait for harvest time! Nothing beats homegrown veggies. There is a certain satisfaction that comes with it. I am watching very carefully for new sprouts. I started some tomatoe plants by seeds this year (indoors). I have not yet planted these in the garden. I am trying a new kind. I had to order the seeds off the internet because they are hard to come by. It is a white tomatoe and they are soposed to have hardly any acid in them. This will be great for me since acid affects my bladder condition. I hope they taste good. If they don't I have planted plenty of the regular kind! If they all make it I will have more tomatoes than I know what to do with, but part of the joy of having a garden is sharing the harvest with friends and family!!! Now if we can just get a little sunshine!!

My favorite places to find free blog backgrounds

One thing I love about having a blog is being able to change the background. I am a lady of change and I love to change my blog look frequently. I have spent hours searching the web for the perfect background. I thought I would share with my followers and fellow bloggers some of my favorites.



1. http://simplyblogitbackgrounds.blogspot.com/ This one is my absolute favorite. They have the cutest backgrounds I have found yet. They also have cute headers to match each background. If you don't find what you are looking for on her site she has a list of links on the side that will take you to other great free background sites!

2. http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/ This is the very first place I found when setting up my blog. They have great backgrounds and are constantly adding more. They also have matching headers and widgets! Highly recommended!!
3. http://delightfuldots.blogspot.com/ I am a big fan of polka dots and daisies and this site has the perfect backgrounds for me!
4. http://hotbliggityblog.com/ More great backgrounds here.
One of the other things I love about all these sites is that they give you step by step instructions on how to put it on your page. Plus it is very simple!!

Horse Lapbook

Bethany finished her horse lapbook this week. We really enjoyed it and learned alot about horses. I would definetly recommend it especially if your child is interested in horses. Bethany decorated the front of it with some stickers that she had. We like tying our lapbooks with a ribbon for an added touch.

Here is Bethany showing of her work!

Here is what the inside looks like! Lots of fold outs and attachments!

During the weeks that we studied horses we also did a study on drawing horses. Here is a picture of the book we used which I would highly recommend. Very easy step by step instructions. We put the pictures that Bethany drew in a book form and attached it to the back of the lapbook.

Spring

One thing I love about spring is the fact that you feel like a bear coming out of a long hibernation. Aside from the beautiful warm weather and the beauty of nature, spring brings the feeling of new beginnings. The warmth of the sun seems to send a burst of energy right through me. Spring cleaning, yard work, planting gardens, so much to do and we get extra daylight to do it in. Spring brings bright colors, flowers, green grass, fresh smelling air, blue skies, singing birds, flip-flops, and long walks. Everyone seems to be in a better mood with smiles on their faces. One of my favorite things is after the grass is cut, sitting on the swing and looking at the fresh cut grass and breathing in all the smells of spring. After a long dreary winter, spring is a life-saver!!!!

Choices

I have been thinking alot lately about the choices I have made in my life. I wonder which specific choice it was that has put me where I am right now. Do you ever wonder, that if you could go back and change just ONE thing about your life, how totally different your life would be? I am not discontent where I am at right now. I know this is where I am soposed to be, this is where God wants me. I know this because God is still moving and working. I am so thankful that God works in spite of myself. Even during those times of my life that I was living without God, God was working in me to prepare me for what was to come. I have made many mistakes in the course of my life, I try to have no regrets. I know that each thing, each choice was either a victory from choosing the right thing or a lesson learned from choosing the wrong. The mistakes I have made have shaped me into who I am today. I am so thankful that God never gave up on me. That his love, mercy and grace reached down to the pit of dispair and sin that I was in and raised me out and set my feet on a firm foundation. Out of all the choices I have made in this life, the best one was to serve God!

Grocery Shopping and Eating Habits

I went grocery shopping today. This is an endeavor that I try to get by with doing only once a month, accept of course for quick runs to get essentials like bread and milk. It seems from month to month that the prices in groceries continue to be on the rise. I am sure I am not the only one feeling the pinch. I have made some changes in the last couple months to try to get more for my money. The number one rule for me is not to go shopping when I am hungry. If I do this I tend to impulse buy alot of junk food. I like to make a monthly menu plan and make a grocery list according to that plan. I also get groceries at Aldis. You can get so much more for your money. My grocery routine is to go to Aldi's first. Dakota can get his monthly hair cut at Great Clips while I am shopping. Then we head to Wal-mart to get whatever other groceries and non-grocery items that we need.

There are alot of good websites and blogs for frugal moms and their are so many coupons that you can print right from your computer. One great site that I found recently is http://www.mommysavers.com/

I am also trying to change are eating habits. I no longer buy sodas, chips, cookies, or candy. In place of these things I buy fruit, juice, yogurt and other healthy snacks. At first this was quite an adjustment for us all. Especially me and Bethany, we both have a big sweet tooth. I had developed poor eating habits and I seen how they were rubbing off on the kids. Now in the evening when the kids want a snack they go for pickles or cheese, or we pop some popcorn. We have even cut back on the microwave popcorn and have now been popping it in olive oil. Very tasty and we like it better. With a little effort we are on our way to being a healthy family!!!!

Think on These Things

My verse for this week is Phillippians 4:8. I have tried to keep this verse with me and have made a concious effort to apply it to my life this week. Each thought I have, I have tried to ask myself "is this honest, just, pure, lovely...." As christians we should strive for this everyday of every week. We must place our minds on those things which are true, pure, holy and righteous. By doing this we can have the peace of God and freedom from worries and anxieties. If we back up and read verse 7 it states "and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." When our minds begin to think on ungodly and worldly things the joy, the nearness and the peace of God are lost and our hearts are no longer guarded. I want the joy of the Lord, and the peace of God. I want ALL of my thoughts to be in subjection to Christ. This takes a continuous surrender to God.

I would like to end with an excerpt from a book that Dakota has been reading. He shared this with me tonight. This is an article written by an atheist:

If I firmly believed, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice
of religion in this life influences destiny in another, then religion would mean
to me everything. I would cast away earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly
cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion
would be my first waking thought and my last image before sleep sank me into
conciousness. I should labor in its cause alone. I would take
thought for the morrow of eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained
for heaven worth a life of suffering. Earthly consequences would never
stay my hand, or seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs, would
occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon eternity
alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or
everlastingly miserable. I would go forth to the world and preach to
it in season and out of season, and my text would be: "what shall it
profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"

Multiplication Lapbook

Here are some pictures of Bethanys multiplication lapbook. I was really pleased with the way it turned out and so was Bethany. We tied a ribbon around it as a final touch!!



All the answers are hidden behind flaps except for the "ones" and the "tens". That way she can drill herself as she practices!!

My favorite is the ice cream cone!

As soon as we completed it Bethany asked me "Do I really get to use it?" LOL