The 1300's -- The Age of Despair

 We are joining our friends the Mattson's and the Brame's for history and math.  They are back in the Medieval time period, so it's giving us an opportunity to go over what we learned last year's memory work.  I'm thrilled that they remember many of the sentences.  Even Liam was able to sing the chant that went along with the time period we are learning about.

 During the Hundred Years war, Joan of Arc and King Charles the Seventh, led the

 french to defeat England in the Battle of Orleans.  During the

 late 1340's rat carrying the plague killed one out of three Europeans.

 The Black Plague, death,  the Hundred Years War, The Battle of Agincourt... what a wonderful way to get started in our new change of history learning....but, Jen and Christine had a great idea they got from The Story of the World book--a hunt for rats and fleas.  They took Easter eggs (to represent the rats) and filled them with chocolate chips (to represent the fleas), then let the kids run and get as many as possible.

 They are looking pretty happy with their extermination efforts.  Or maybe it was the prospect of eating chocolate!

For lunch  we ate currant buns, lenten soup (no meat in honor of lent) and salad.  We learned that they had just begun to start eating this during this time period.

Enjoying a delicious meal and time with friends...this new change to our routine will be a good one!

Book Group--The Jungle Book

A few days ago, we gathered to discuss, create collages and fruit kabobs based on  The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.  Our family only got through the first two chapters of the book by listening to them on Librivox.com.   We didn't get it done because I miss judged our time and we also read the book

 "The Worst Best School Year Ever". by Barbara Robinson.  We've had a decline in enthusiasm for read aloud and I wanted to read a book that would really spark their interest.  We've read Robinson's book 

 Worst  Best Christmas Pagent Ever" and they all loved it...so I thought the school year one would

 be just as good...and it was. ...however, that took much of our time and thus we weren't prepared for

 The Jungle Book.  No matter, they still had fun and learned some of the things that Disney didn't include in their rendition.  We learned that Rudyard Kipling probably used many happenings in his life as the basis of this story...showing the importance of learning about authorship and how it applies to learning about literature.

Organizing events into a chronological order from the story.

We talked about the flowers, fruits and animals that are found in the jungle.  

Everyone enjoyed creating a collage of jungle animals.

Mmmm, I think I would be in heaven with all the yummy fruits and nuts that are abundant in the jungle climate areas.  Seeing how we pay quite a bit for macadamia nuts, papaya, and the such,  it made me wonder how much  they pay for fruit grown here..like apples, pears and peaches.  Well Christine, who served her mission in Venezuela, craved an apple once and paid $2.00 for one red delicious apple...that was over 20 years ago.

A massive towering fruit kabob.....delish!

Scriptural Ponderings

I teach the 14-17 year old youth at church for Sunday School.  
I've enjoyed reading and learning more about the words of the prophets as it correlates to the lessons I'm teaching...here are some of my favorite quotes from the church's Institute Manual, plus a few of my thoughts from personal scripture study.

• Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles taught that adversity can help stimulate
necessary growth in our lives:
“May I share some suggestions with you who face
the testing that a wise Heavenly Father determines is
needed even when you are living a worthy, righteous
life and are obedient to His commandments.
“Just when all seems to be going right, challenges
often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously.

When those trials are not consequences of your
disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you
are prepared to grow more (see Proverbs 3:11–12). He
therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth,
understanding, and compassion which polish you for
your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you
are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of
stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and
pain” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 18; or Ensign,
Nov. 1995, 16–17).

• Intense heat refines metal and removes impurities.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles observed that affliction can likewise refine and
purify each of us: “Most of us experience some measure
of what the scriptures call ‘the furnace of affliction’
(Isaiah 48:10; 1 Nephi 20:10). Some are submerged in
service to a disadvantaged family member. Others suffer
the death of a loved one or the loss or postponement of
 a righteous goal like marriage or childbearing.
Still others struggle with personal impairments or
with feelings of rejection, inadequacy, or depression.
Through the justice and mercy of a loving Father in
Heaven, the refinement and sanctification possible
through such experiences can help us achieve what
God desires us to become” (in Conference Report, Oct.
2000, 43; or Ensign, Nov. 2000, 33–34).

 
2 Nephi 2:11–14. “There Is an Opposition in
All Things”
• President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles, explained that opposition
helps us grow stronger: “Life will not be free from
challenges, some of them bitter and hard to bear. We
may wish to be spared all the trials of life, but that
would be contrary to the great plan of happiness,
‘for it must needs be, that there is an opposition in
all things’ (2 Nephi 2:11). This testing is the source of
our strength” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2004, 81; or
Ensign, May 2004, 80).

• President Ezra Taft Benson explained that opposition
provides choice:
“The Book of Mormon teaches that ‘it must needs
be, that there is an opposition in all things’ (2 Nephi
2:11)—and so there is. Opposition provides choices,
and choices bring consequences—good or bad.
“The Book of Mormon explains that men ‘are free
to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great
Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death,
according to the captivity and power of the devil’
(2 Nephi 2:27).

“God loves us; the devil hates us. God wants us to
have a fulness of joy as He has. The devil wants us to
be miserable as he is. God gives us commandments
to bless us. The devil would have us break these
commandments to curse us.
“Daily, constantly, we choose by our desires, our
thoughts, and our actions whether we want to be
blessed or cursed, happy or miserable” (in Conference
Report, Apr. 1988, 5; or Ensign, May 1988, 6).

• Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles commented on how opposition
relates to happiness: “Indeed, without the existence of
choices, without our freedom to choose and without
opposition, there would be no real existence. This is
so much like Lehi’s metaphor of how, in the absence
of agency and opposites, things would have resulted
in a meaningless, undifferentiated ‘compound in one’
(2 Nephi 2:11). In such a situation the earth would
actually have ‘no purpose in the end of its creation’
(2 Nephi 2:12). It is a fact that we can neither grow
spiritually nor thereby be truly happy unless and until
we make wise use of our moral agency” (One More
Strain of Praise [1999], 80).

2 Nephi 5:11, 13. “We Did Prosper Exceedingly”
• In 2 Nephi 5:11, 13 Nephi told of his people’s
success in raising their flocks, herds, and crops. Often
we associate prosperity with tangible blessings, such as
wealth or the material things of the world. President
Heber J. Grant (1856–1945)
taught about what true
prosperity is: “When I say
prosperity I am not
thinking of it in terms of
dollars and cents alone. . . .
What I count as real
prosperity . . . is the
growth in a knowledge of
God, and in a testimony,
and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our
families to do the same. That is prosperity of the truest
kind” (Gospel Standards, comp. G. Homer Durham
[1941], 58; also cited by James E. Faust, in Conference
Report, Oct. 1998, 74; or Ensign, Nov. 1998, 59).
• Speaking about how paying tithing brings true
prosperity, President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the
First Presidency quoted from an experience shared by
Sister Yaeko Seki:“My family and I were spending a day at the Japan
Alps National Park. . . . I was pregnant with our fourth
child and was feeling rather tired, so I lay down under
the trees. . . . I began thinking about our financial
problems. My heart became overwhelmed, and I burst
into tears. ‘Lord, we are full-tithe payers. We have
sacrificed so much. When will the windows of heaven
open unto us and our burdens be lightened?’
“I prayed with all my heart. Then I turned to watch
my husband and children playing and laughing
together. . . . Suddenly, the Spirit testified to me that
my blessings were abundant and that my family was
the greatest blessing Heavenly Father could give me”
(in Conference Report, Oct. 1998, 74; or Ensign, Nov.
1998, 59).

2 Nephi 5:10–18, 26–27. “After the Manner of
Happiness”
• The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that there is a
path that leads to happiness: “Happiness is the object
and design of our existence; and will be the end
thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this
path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and
keeping all the commandments of God” (History of the
Church, 134–35).
• President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) taught
similarly about happiness: “The Lord wants us to be
happy. Nephi said a great thing: ‘And . . . we lived after
the manner of happiness.’ (2 Ne. 5:27.) What a
wonderful thing. I want my
children to be happy. I
want them to do well. I
want them to live well and
live rightly, properly; and,
in the same way, except
that my Father in Heaven’s
love reaches beyond any
power of love that I have. I
think He wants His sons
and daughters to be happy. Happiness comes of
righteousness. ‘Wickedness never was happiness.’
(Alma 41:10.) Sin never was happiness. Selfishness
never was happiness. Greed never was happiness.
Happiness lies in living the principles of the gospel of
Jesus Christ”


President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles, wrote of the difficulty
encountered by many readers of the Book of Mormon:
“Most [readers] readily understand the narrative of the
Book of Mormon.
“Then, just as you settle in to move comfortably along,
you will meet a barrier. . . . Interspersed in the narrative,
are chapters reciting the prophecies of the Old
Testament prophet Isaiah. They loom as a barrier, like
a roadblock or a checkpoint beyond which the casual
reader, one with idle curiosity, generally will not go.
“You, too, may be tempted to stop there, but do not
do it! Do not stop reading! Move forward through
those difficult-to-understand chapters of Old Testament
prophecy, even if you understand very little of it.
Move on, if all you do is skim and merely glean an
impression here and there. Move on, if all you do
is look at the words” (in Conference Report, Apr.
1986, 76; or Ensign, May 1986, 61).

As I've been reading from 2 Nephi where he quotes heavily from the writings of Isaiah, I've wanted to quit...this one really helps me push forward.
One day, while in the car with Connor, as we were discussing his great dislike for his CC class I was reading (after our discussion and I sat with him as he finished some Latin homework), in 2 Nephi 15:1-2   1 ^aAnd then will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved, touching his ^bvineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill.

  2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest ^avine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

....I thought why did he put a wine-press in the vineyard?  Well, he intended to have sweet grapes to make wine with...and to make wine a press is needed--pressure, is needed for the juice to come out.  This could be liken unto trials for us.  We need to endure the pressure (and pain) of trials to make us become as he wants us to be.  I'm not sure if this is what is intended by the scripture, but I feel it's the message I was suppose to convey with Connor...."Hey, dear son, you're going through pain and sorrow in this trial of school work (not understanding why he has to learn what he's asked to learn (mostly in the method he's asked to learn it and the tutor's mannerisms)   But, the Lord needs you to be great and greatness will take pain and pressure and perseverance, just as a wine-press crushes grapes to make wine....hey, the Lord wants you to be sweet juice!!"  That brought a smile  (and no more tears :-)   I sure do love that amazing boy.  I'm glad I had that spiritual moment with him...of course he claims he got nothing from our discussion.

 For the past few weeks I've been pondering and discussing with Barry and a friend the first two quotes above, on the purpose of trials and opposition in our life. I really like these as they have brought me great comfort, not that life is particularly hard...but it does come in moments, as it does for everyone.  

Dear Winter,

Dear Winter,
     We know that you are here-- the calendar says so, however, we just have not seen you around very much.  We have felt your cold touch from time to time, indeed, we have shivered often these past few months, however,  we've  missed the way you beautifully replenish the land with moisture through snow!  We're so glad that you've finally come out of hiding and graced our lives with this silent beauty.  Through this snow, you've shown your power too, by taking down power lines and giving us the chance to once more, be grateful for electricity and remind us of your force.
     My children were especially excited to see you....they have been asking for your snow to come for the past few months.  They thoroughly enjoyed the wonderland atmosphere you showered upon us. 
Although it was Sunday, I couldn't keep them inside, they just had to dance among you're resplendent   beauty...while I enjoyed watching them from my warm chair and blanket, as I read a book.
     Slipping and sliding down the slopes with friends, were most definitely the way we spent the next day.  I didn't know how much I needed a break from our regular routine.  How could we  pass up the opportunity to play ....(while, we mom's enjoyed time talking together, and planning for next year.) Many thank yous to the Sun also, as the kids had fun playing all day long and didn't get too cold, indeed, they got sun kissed looks upon their faces  ( I didn't think to bring sunscreen.)


     Thank you dear wonderful winter for coming and let us enjoy your snowy frigid cold hand just one time this year....but now we've had our fill and would like it very much if you'd let Spring come out...I want to play in the dirt!! 


PS.  Even Connor, as he was getting into the car to head home from our day of playing in the snow, said, "That was fun, but now I'm ready for spring to come!"

The Bean Jar is Full, Once Again!

This kids have done it again....they filled the bean jar!  Another school celebration was in order.  This time we created our own milkshakes.  The kids got to pick from a variety of fill-ins to make it quite yummy.

Good job on all that wonderful learning going on in your heads!

True Love

Yep, my sweetheart still loves me...flowers, chocolate cheesecake, and time alone--just him and me-- shopping for eggs on the last day of a really great sale. (It was this last act of kindness that really tells me how very much he loves me!...because I know he hates to grocery shop.)  We ate the cheesecake in the car while it was raining, just the two of us talking and enjoying one another without interruption....hmmm, I could get use to that!

 The kids and I enjoyed a fun homeschool valentines party.  The kids shared homemade valentines, ate lots of goodies, and played games with our friends.

 One of the mom's sponsors a "guess the number" type game of three different types of candies.  Delaney guessed the jar of M&M's the closest...she guessed 1000 ....the actual amount was 985....and was is the correct past intransitive verb...because they were downed quite quickly.  She graciously shared with her siblings...so all they all had a sugar rush!

 Playing chess...Connor's favorite board game. pictured with Jared, Noah, Daxton, and Keegan.

 Cailin and her friends playing Blokus....Clarissa, Cailin , Beryl, Celia.

 What a cutie!

Science Rules!

Jared and Connor get together every Tuesday evening (while Jared's sister is taking dance class) and use this book, Totally Irresponsible Science Projects, for some scientific fun!!

Here they are having fun with colloids...and lots of purple food dye.  A colloid is the 4th state of of matter, that is neither a solid nor a liquid. although it has characteristics of of both. The colloid that they created comes from the tiny particles of cornstarch that have remained suspended in the water.  Colloids move strangely, displaying a property known as isotropy. This means that the mixture remains like a fluid until agitated. At that point it behaves like a solid.

Plus, this concoction makes a huge mess, so what's not to love!!

Even the girls enjoyed playing with he colloid too.

 The Rubber Chicken Bone...for this experiment they submersed a chicken leg bone in a jar of vinegar.

The scientific explanation-- We're told drinking milk (and other dairy and high calcium products) will give us lots of calcium to help build our bones.  in fact, calcium doesn't just build the bones: it keeps them rigid.  And it does the same with chicken bones.  Vinegar is a mild acid, but it is still strong enough (given time) to dissolve the calcium (which is a base) in the chicken bone.  After a few days, it's done it's job and you've go your real-life rubber chicken bone!

To quote Connor   "SCIENCE RULES!!!"

Thank You Aunt Cheri and Uncle Nate

Bowling, what a perfect family gift!

Thanks so much Aunt Cheri and Uncle Nate, we had lots of fun!!

For Christmas this year, Cheri and Nate had us for our family gift exchange.  They gave us a gift card to the local bowling alley for a bit of family fun and adventure!

We had a great time bowling and we even have more $$$'s on the card for another afternoon of fun.  (We went during home school bowling time for a cheaper rate.)

Letter of the Week--N for Nutrition

These two love to make "Lunchable", they have had maybe one store bought one before, but they love the idea of it and want to make homemade ones often.  Here is their lunch/snack (lunch eaten really late one day) following the food pyramid.

While reading Delaney's math book, Life of Fred- Butterflies, we came accross the protagonist of the story learning a lesson about nutrition.  A few weeks earlier, while browsing through the shelves of the library I found a new set of book, each one on the different parts of the food pyramid at Delaney's reading level. I thought, they would be fun to use sometime, but at the time I didn't want to start a random mini-unit study on nutrition...just hold that thought till later.  Later came, we had great discussion about the importance of eating the right foods, exercise and the Word of Wisdom.   "N" became the letter of the week for Liam.

We pulled in some work with rulers and how to measure while creating theire own pyramids

They found pictures from magazines for each of the groups....it was quite easy to find

 the fats/sweets group they discovered.

We picked up a few cookbooks to look through and find some tasty treats.

Here is Liam with his nutrition wreathe.

Now Delaney is inspired to learn how to cook.  She has the goal to make a loaf of bread and bake a cake all by herself with out my help! A nutritious cake, of course :)