Well, school began again this week and it went pretty well. I am enjoying the curriculum we're using. Harry wasn't too thrilled about starting school at first, but declared 'it wasn't too bad' by the time we finished up today. Kathy was bursting to start. She is so excited to begin reading and has been asking about it throughout the holidays. We've been working on the sounds in her phonics handbook and today she sounded out and read three words all by herself! She was so proud of herself and so was her mom, of course!
Since we have a 9 month old baby in the house we try to do school when she is sleeping. School usually takes 1 1/2-2 hours unless we decide to do a craft. At about 11am we have our morning time. This is when we do all of the subjects that are combined - Bible, history, memory work, hymn, music, art, science/nature study and poetry. During one of Lilly's afternoon naps we do the other subjects - reading, copywork, literature read aloud, maths and geography. This is usually around 2:30/3pm.
It was a challenging first week. We had someone up from another church to help do some work on the building we are renovating to hold church services in. Most of the day Don was over at the building working. Then Lilly is still cutting teeth - her 7th in 7 weeks! It was interesting doing school, making sure the house was tidy and everyone was fed properly! :)
The biggest success of our first week was nature study. I was determined to do it more regularly this year using The Nature Connection. And so far we have done it 3 times this week! Even before starting the book, the kids found a caterpillar and wanted to keep him. So we drew pictures, took pictures and learned about caring for a caterpillar. We also tried to look up the species and see if we could find out what type of butterfly it would turn into. Then we read some in the book the next day about making a daily record of things we notice in nature throughout the day. The third day Kathy kept asking for her nature journal to draw what she had seen during the day (another caterpillar, a bee and cirrus clouds). It's been loads of fun! I never thought they'd get so excited about journaling!
I can't wait to plan next week!
Friday, August 14, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Time for School
I am pretty excited about this coming school year. Harry will be in Primary 4/2nd grade and Kathy will be in Primary 2/ Kindergarden. I have been looking at the curriculum for a long time. Instead of taking a traditional textbook approach we are using the curriculum from Simply Charlotte Mason along with supplements from Ambleside Online. I found out about the CM method when I had begun pre-K work with Harry. Maybe one of these days I'll take the time to go more into why and how I was drawn to this method.
We are starting with the Ancient Greece course since we did ancient Egypt last year with another book. I was drawn to the Simply Charlotte Mason curriculum because they offer their books as ebooks. Living overseas, I did not want to have to pay for those shipping costs! I love my Kindle and the books work really well. Any books that weren't specifically SCM, and would be better to have in print, I was able to order from amazon uk.
For Language Arts we will continue with copywork, poetry from AO Year 2, and literature selections from SCM and AO. Kathy will begin reading this year using the Abeka phonics books and she'll also start learning cursive.
I was able to find a really fun looking maths curriculum for Harry that is Scottish. Kathy will just do printed worksheets.
While I was homeschooled some when I was younger and even helped teach my younger siblings, the CM method is still new to me and it will be fun to see how it works for us.
The plan is to begin next week and maybe I'll share a little about our homeschool day occasionally.
We are starting with the Ancient Greece course since we did ancient Egypt last year with another book. I was drawn to the Simply Charlotte Mason curriculum because they offer their books as ebooks. Living overseas, I did not want to have to pay for those shipping costs! I love my Kindle and the books work really well. Any books that weren't specifically SCM, and would be better to have in print, I was able to order from amazon uk.
For Language Arts we will continue with copywork, poetry from AO Year 2, and literature selections from SCM and AO. Kathy will begin reading this year using the Abeka phonics books and she'll also start learning cursive.
I was able to find a really fun looking maths curriculum for Harry that is Scottish. Kathy will just do printed worksheets.
While I was homeschooled some when I was younger and even helped teach my younger siblings, the CM method is still new to me and it will be fun to see how it works for us.
The plan is to begin next week and maybe I'll share a little about our homeschool day occasionally.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Ask, and it shall be given
"Ask , and it shall be given you;...For everyone that asketh receiveth;.." Matthew 7:7,8
All my life I have been taught to live by faith. I have often seen this put into practice by my parents. Growing up as a missionary kid I saw the financial struggles we went through. In the midst of it all we always prayed and God would work a miracle. I have often seen this happen in my life since I have been married. God has done things for us that often surprise me and sometimes simply blow me away.
I am going to share a huge blessing we received this year.
This is the year we will be reapplying for our visa to remain in the country. Hard to believe it will be three years this fall!
We had kept a reserve available for the fees we knew would be involved. To our surprise,we found out that as of April there was a new fee added, doubling the amount we would have to pay. The only people we mentioned it to was fellow missionaries here as it came up in conversation(they are constantly changing immigration laws over here), family and our church. We began praying about it, knowing God would somehow provide it.
Then, out of the blue, someone we had met and had known only a few weeks, gave us their car. This person was needing to move out of the country and the only thing keeping him here was trying to sell the car. He knew God wanted him to give it to us to sell and use toward our visa application. Don and I could only sit there with our mouths hanging open! God, again, had met our needs in a way we never imagined! We were able to sell the car a few weeks ago. Since then we have also received many love offerings towards our application.
I am reassured again and again that trusting God to meet our needs, instead of trying to figure it out on our own, is so much better. Let Him have control in every area of your life and watch Him take care of you! He knows us and can care/provide for us much better than we can for ourselves!
All my life I have been taught to live by faith. I have often seen this put into practice by my parents. Growing up as a missionary kid I saw the financial struggles we went through. In the midst of it all we always prayed and God would work a miracle. I have often seen this happen in my life since I have been married. God has done things for us that often surprise me and sometimes simply blow me away.
I am going to share a huge blessing we received this year.
This is the year we will be reapplying for our visa to remain in the country. Hard to believe it will be three years this fall!
We had kept a reserve available for the fees we knew would be involved. To our surprise,we found out that as of April there was a new fee added, doubling the amount we would have to pay. The only people we mentioned it to was fellow missionaries here as it came up in conversation(they are constantly changing immigration laws over here), family and our church. We began praying about it, knowing God would somehow provide it.
Then, out of the blue, someone we had met and had known only a few weeks, gave us their car. This person was needing to move out of the country and the only thing keeping him here was trying to sell the car. He knew God wanted him to give it to us to sell and use toward our visa application. Don and I could only sit there with our mouths hanging open! God, again, had met our needs in a way we never imagined! We were able to sell the car a few weeks ago. Since then we have also received many love offerings towards our application.
I am reassured again and again that trusting God to meet our needs, instead of trying to figure it out on our own, is so much better. Let Him have control in every area of your life and watch Him take care of you! He knows us and can care/provide for us much better than we can for ourselves!
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
New Ministry Opportunities
Another change came at the beginning of this year. We had been meeting in the town hall every Sunday afternoon for a Bible study time. It seemed that God was beginning to lead us in a different direction.We hadn't seen anyone come to our Bible studies for many months, so we began to pray about what God would have us do. Continue with the Bible study group or rent a building and begin holding traditional services?
Right around the corner from where we live there was a laundrette, or as we know it, a drycleaners. It has sat empty for as long as we've been here. Don inquired about it and found the owners were willing to let us rent it at a very reasonable rate. It was not ready for immediate use though. It's seems that God kept it for us. It had been sitting empty since they had purchased it, some years ago. At one time they had plans to make the rooms into an apartment, but they never got around to it.
We have a sign up, and some work has been done. A carpet still needs to be laid, a wall built, a bathroom installed and two doors need to be put up. Hopefully this work will be done by the end of July.
There has been some waiting with plans needing to be approved, etc. We are getting there and looking forward to beginning holding services at Moray Coast Baptist Church.
Don has also been involved in two one-on-one Bibles studies during the week. It will be exciting and interesting to see what God does with these two men he has been meeting with.
We are also holding Bible studies in Inverness (about an hour away) every two weeks with a few families. This is simply an extension of our ministry here. Our ultimate goal and desire is to see a church established here in Lossiemouth.
Right around the corner from where we live there was a laundrette, or as we know it, a drycleaners. It has sat empty for as long as we've been here. Don inquired about it and found the owners were willing to let us rent it at a very reasonable rate. It was not ready for immediate use though. It's seems that God kept it for us. It had been sitting empty since they had purchased it, some years ago. At one time they had plans to make the rooms into an apartment, but they never got around to it.
We have a sign up, and some work has been done. A carpet still needs to be laid, a wall built, a bathroom installed and two doors need to be put up. Hopefully this work will be done by the end of July.
There has been some waiting with plans needing to be approved, etc. We are getting there and looking forward to beginning holding services at Moray Coast Baptist Church.
Don has also been involved in two one-on-one Bibles studies during the week. It will be exciting and interesting to see what God does with these two men he has been meeting with.
We are also holding Bible studies in Inverness (about an hour away) every two weeks with a few families. This is simply an extension of our ministry here. Our ultimate goal and desire is to see a church established here in Lossiemouth.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Delivery in Unfamiliar Territory
One of the biggest changes this past year was our little family of five growing to be a family of six! I enjoyed an uneventful pregnancy. For the most part I saw a midwife, but since I was going to have a repeat c-section I had to see a consultant at the hospital in Elgin, only 10 minutes away.
The planned c-section was set for November 19, 2014. Due to some concerns the doctor decided it would be best to move it up two weeks. This did not go with the plans we had made! My mom was going to arrive on the 14th and be with us for two weeks. Now she would arrive 8 days after Lilly was born.
Who would watch the kids while Don went with me to the hospital? How would he handle three young children on his own for 3-4 days? Why was this happening?
"Neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord." Is 55:8b God's plans are more perfect than ours. There was a family we had become friends with that were able to watch the kids that day. Don did great with the kids. Everyone was ready to have mom back, but they were okay. Home could function without me for a few days. I think God was letting us know that even when things don't go as we plan, His will is perfect and even being many miles away from family and the familiar, we could depend on Him to care for us and provide for us.
And so, little Lillian Joy joined us on November 5, 2014. She weighed 8 lbs 15 oz and was 20 inches long! Delivery went well. My hospital experience was a good one. I was actually very impressed with the care I was given. I was expecting things to be a bit more backward (for whatever reason), but I think it was comparable to my deliveries in the US.
We hadn't found out what we were having, but I had a feeling all along it was a girl. Harry was a little disappointed, but I'd have to say, he is her favorite! She smiles at her sisters, but her face really lights up when Harry is near!
My mom arrived 8 days later and it was a good time for her to come. I was getting to where I wanted to do more. I love my husband, but he's a man and the house needed some extra care. :) I saw things that needed to be done, but I could only do so much. Then my mom arrived and did what moms do. She helped me do some deep cleaning that needed to be done and told me to sit and take it easy.
I loved having her here and showing her around this place we now call home. We really missed having my dad here with her.
Fast forward to today. Lilly turned seven months recently. She is such a big girl. Sleeps about 8-10 hours at night. She's a pretty good girl. Yes, she does have times when she doesn't want to nap and is very crabby. If nothing is bothering her she is content. We love having Lilly as part of our family!
The planned c-section was set for November 19, 2014. Due to some concerns the doctor decided it would be best to move it up two weeks. This did not go with the plans we had made! My mom was going to arrive on the 14th and be with us for two weeks. Now she would arrive 8 days after Lilly was born.
Who would watch the kids while Don went with me to the hospital? How would he handle three young children on his own for 3-4 days? Why was this happening?
"Neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord." Is 55:8b God's plans are more perfect than ours. There was a family we had become friends with that were able to watch the kids that day. Don did great with the kids. Everyone was ready to have mom back, but they were okay. Home could function without me for a few days. I think God was letting us know that even when things don't go as we plan, His will is perfect and even being many miles away from family and the familiar, we could depend on Him to care for us and provide for us.
And so, little Lillian Joy joined us on November 5, 2014. She weighed 8 lbs 15 oz and was 20 inches long! Delivery went well. My hospital experience was a good one. I was actually very impressed with the care I was given. I was expecting things to be a bit more backward (for whatever reason), but I think it was comparable to my deliveries in the US.
We hadn't found out what we were having, but I had a feeling all along it was a girl. Harry was a little disappointed, but I'd have to say, he is her favorite! She smiles at her sisters, but her face really lights up when Harry is near!
My mom arrived 8 days later and it was a good time for her to come. I was getting to where I wanted to do more. I love my husband, but he's a man and the house needed some extra care. :) I saw things that needed to be done, but I could only do so much. Then my mom arrived and did what moms do. She helped me do some deep cleaning that needed to be done and told me to sit and take it easy.
I loved having her here and showing her around this place we now call home. We really missed having my dad here with her.
Fast forward to today. Lilly turned seven months recently. She is such a big girl. Sleeps about 8-10 hours at night. She's a pretty good girl. Yes, she does have times when she doesn't want to nap and is very crabby. If nothing is bothering her she is content. We love having Lilly as part of our family!
Thursday, June 11, 2015
It's been a looonnnggg time! :)
I'm back and going to make a huge attempt to blog at least once a week. Things are beginning to happen around here and life is getting busy. Well, it already has been busy, but I feel like now there are many things to blog about. So many things have happened in the last year! Here's a quick run down:
Lilly joined us two weeks early on November 5, 2014. She a little chunker, even now at 7 months. She loves her brother and sisters!! Harry, though a little disappointed at first, loves her completely. They both get along really well and he was the first one who made her laugh.
We stopped meeting at the town hall this March and are currently renovating a small storefront. The building is right around the corner from our house. We're looking forward to finishing the work and beginning services.
Don is involved in two one-on-one Bible studies. We are also meeting two other families in Inverness every other Sunday. Needless to say he is enjoying having these ministry opportunities!
We are about to finish our second year homeschooling. I will share more about what we're doing this next year. I am really excited about the curriculum we will be using! Kathy has really improved in the last 4 months. Her letters and numbers are not perfect, but they are finally recognisable! I am really proud of what she's done. Harry has done really well this year. He's ready to be finished though! :) Throughout the summer I will try keeping them busy. I would like to keep their math, reading and writing skills fresh. It also works much better and makes the day run smoother (less fighting) if they have some sort of structure.
Summer has slowly begun to arrive here in Scotland. We've had 60-65 degrees, and yes, that's pretty much summer for us! It will get up to 70-75, but not much warmer than that.
We've seen God bless so much and I may share some of His blessings in the next couple of weeks!
Lilly joined us two weeks early on November 5, 2014. She a little chunker, even now at 7 months. She loves her brother and sisters!! Harry, though a little disappointed at first, loves her completely. They both get along really well and he was the first one who made her laugh.
We stopped meeting at the town hall this March and are currently renovating a small storefront. The building is right around the corner from our house. We're looking forward to finishing the work and beginning services.
Don is involved in two one-on-one Bible studies. We are also meeting two other families in Inverness every other Sunday. Needless to say he is enjoying having these ministry opportunities!
We are about to finish our second year homeschooling. I will share more about what we're doing this next year. I am really excited about the curriculum we will be using! Kathy has really improved in the last 4 months. Her letters and numbers are not perfect, but they are finally recognisable! I am really proud of what she's done. Harry has done really well this year. He's ready to be finished though! :) Throughout the summer I will try keeping them busy. I would like to keep their math, reading and writing skills fresh. It also works much better and makes the day run smoother (less fighting) if they have some sort of structure.
Summer has slowly begun to arrive here in Scotland. We've had 60-65 degrees, and yes, that's pretty much summer for us! It will get up to 70-75, but not much warmer than that.
We've seen God bless so much and I may share some of His blessings in the next couple of weeks!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Spring and Summer
We really love living here in Lossiemouth! Our spring and summer has been very busy. In May I took a two week trip back to the States to attend my brother's wedding. Audrey went with me and was finally able to really get to know the grandparents. I loved being back with family and we had a great time! The wedding was beautiful! But I quickly came to realize that I didn't quite belong there anymore. I am perfectly happy where God has put me and Scotland has become my home. Audrey and I skyped with Don and the other two every day and often I would call him on the phone later in the day. We really missed being away from them.
Our summer has been full of visits to the beach (in a secluded area!) to let the kids splash in the water. We've had other families come visit us. Lossie is a tourist spot and such a beautiful place to visit, not to mention live! :) We've also had some visitors to our Sunday Bible studies at the town hall.
We are expecting a new addition to the family this November! The kids are very excited about a new sibling.
Because of this, instead of beginning school next week, we started this week. Our first week has gone very well. Harry is in year 2/grade 1. Kathy is in reception/preschool. Kathy has been asking for weeks to start. Audrey just turned two, is still very active and needs more attention than the others. So, we do school in the afternoon, during nap time. We don't take very long. I'm keeping lessons short and we try to have more hands on things to do, especially for science. We're usually done in 1 1/2-2 hours. I may write more about what we're doing and how it's working for us over the next few weeks.
We just had some bad weather the beginning of this week as a result of hurricane Bertha. The sun was out yesterday and today, so I hope our summer isn't over yet....
Our summer has been full of visits to the beach (in a secluded area!) to let the kids splash in the water. We've had other families come visit us. Lossie is a tourist spot and such a beautiful place to visit, not to mention live! :) We've also had some visitors to our Sunday Bible studies at the town hall.
We are expecting a new addition to the family this November! The kids are very excited about a new sibling.
Because of this, instead of beginning school next week, we started this week. Our first week has gone very well. Harry is in year 2/grade 1. Kathy is in reception/preschool. Kathy has been asking for weeks to start. Audrey just turned two, is still very active and needs more attention than the others. So, we do school in the afternoon, during nap time. We don't take very long. I'm keeping lessons short and we try to have more hands on things to do, especially for science. We're usually done in 1 1/2-2 hours. I may write more about what we're doing and how it's working for us over the next few weeks.
We just had some bad weather the beginning of this week as a result of hurricane Bertha. The sun was out yesterday and today, so I hope our summer isn't over yet....
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