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Thursday, January 31, 2008

Baby Nic is here.......

welcome baby boy


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Nicholas Ashton
Born January 28, 2008
7 lbs 8 oz



I just got home tonight and Im very tired after spending 4 days in the hospital. Brittany went in on Monday to be induced and ended up having an emergency c-section due to a prolasped cord. Baby and Mom are now doing well, considering the trauma that happened before the birth of Nic. I thank God for his mercy and grace. I want to thank everyone for their prayers.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Wont be blogging for a few days....

Well it's Sunday and no baby....soooo, Brittany is scheduled to be induced tommorow morning. We have to be at the hospital at 5 am, and they will start the induction then. We are asking that you would pray everything will go smoothe, no complications with her or the baby and that the delivery would be quick with no c-sections. I will try to keep you updated .

Thursday, January 24, 2008

No baby yet....

Just checking in , Brittany hasn't had the baby yet, but she is having contractions. She has a dr appointment tommorow with the OB, we are praying he will be in the right postion, and she will have a quick and safe delivery. Pray also that we will get the right nurses, the ones there are not really friendly. I will keep you posted....

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Taking some time off....

We spent most of the day in the hospital with my oldest daughter, and Brittany is due today. So I need to take a few days off from blogging and the computer. We are reading the Little House Books and my older kids we're commenting how they remember reading those books so they all came in the living room and listened as I read them to the little guy's....I guess you never get too old to be read to?



God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.

Charles Spurgeon

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Beautiful Day Today....

Ohh boy, was it cold yesterday. I had to get my eyes examined due to dd-11 sat on my glasses a while back and broke my glasses...so I have to get a stronger prescription this time. He could'nt believe how my eyes got worse in 18 mos time? I think its from looking at this computer screen too much...My dr's sons live in north GA where we used to live, he told me they we're getting lotts of snow. ::sniff:: ::sniff:: I miss the mountains so much....

I plan this week to let the children if time permits to draw some of the beautiful birds that have been out since turning cold. They are so beautiful, so I will be letting them get their sketch books out tomorow as we take a nature walk ( while dd-20 gets some walking in too, hoping Nicholas will come soon!!!

It's going to be 26* tonight, I thought we would have some snow flurries last night, it was so cold out and sleeting. We took a walk through our neighborhood mall so dd-20 could get some walking done. Praying for a safe and healthy delivery of grandson #2.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Baby News......

baby

Today Brittany had her OB appt, she is now 1 cm dialated. So we will be doing a lott of walking, evening primrose oil and red rasberry tea and hopefully little Nicholas will be here soon. We are excited!!! This will be our second grandson in 1 year. YIPPEE....I thought my kids we're fun....Isaac my grandson is hilarious, Im going to post his newest video soon.

We got a lott of schoolwork done this week, I started a new book with Noah who is dyslexic. The book is called, The Dyslexic Workbook....at first I did't like it but it makes a lott of sense after using it a few days and beats paying $400 for a reading program. Sometimes I think if we would just pray and trust the leading of the Holy Spirit we would save a lott of money and aggravation. I always pray before I buy curriculum and every time the Lord is so gracious in helping me to buy the right things for my children.

I have on my list this week to buy new Bibles for the children, I have been working on all of us taking our Bibles out while reading our lessons and this Michalea (autistic) has began reading her Bible before going to bed, I sit down by her while she reads to me...the Lord has really been speaking to me about this for sometime. Also we will be learning the books of the Bible, I copied some really neat little cards off the net that tells a little about each Book of the Bible.

I believe teaching your children the word while their young, even if they don't understand is important, God's word does not return void. Even though some of my older children aren't living for the Lord right now, they still remember God's word and stories and people I read about when they we're younger. Even though Ive been homeschooling 20 years the Lord is still teaching me new things about his word.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Children

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If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less.
I'd do less correcting, and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I'd run through more fields, and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging, and less tugging.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd teach less about the love of power.
And more about the power of love.

Diane Loomans

Monday, January 14, 2008

Be-Attitudes for Mother's

I read this today and wanted to share it!!!
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Be-Attitudes for Mothers

Blessed are the Mothers who love God, for their children shall
not be ignorant of their Creator and His plans concerning them.

Blessed are the Mothers who love the word of God, for their
children shall know of the way, the truth and the life.

Blessed are the Mothers who love the house of God, for their
children shall enter there and sit with them in the presence of God.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to pray, for their children
shall feel the power of prayer and many shall find salvation.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to give to the cause of Christ,
for their children shall become supporters of the Kingdom of God.

Blessed are the Mothers who love the family altar, for they
shall have their reward in this world and in the world to come.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to speak kind words to their
neighbor's children, for thereby they shall win
other boys and girls besides their own to Jesus Christ.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to be companions to their
children, for they shall be called understanding Mothers.

Blessed are the Mothers who love to fight life's battles
bravely with a strong and steadfast faith in God, for their
children shall know where to find strength in time of need.

Blessed are the Mothers who, when they are old and gray,
can look back upon memory's wall with no regret and can say,
"I brought my children up in the fear of the Lord."
Theirs are the mansions in glory.


(Author unknown)

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Tired Today

What started as a routine OB appt ended up being an all day stay at a hospital over an hour away from home....dd-20 (preggo) and I went to her 9:30 appt, by the time it was over they had both of us freaking out....they ran tests for anemia, then we we're sent to the hospital ASAP to get an EKG for a erratic heartbeat on dd. We went to outpatient then they didn't like the looks of the EKG so they called the OB dr who never sees dd, and he tells them to take us to the ER, when we got there it was going to be a 3-4 hour wait. By then dd and I both we're really worried, so the Lord worked it out so that they called her OB dr back and got the right one this time, they sent us straight to labor and delivery. We spent the entire day there and didn't get home until after midnight.

We have to follow up with an specialist this week, they got her heart rate down by giving her potassium. She is just plain pooped today as ol' Mom is too!!! She is almost 39 weeks so I will be glad when baby dumpling gets here. On the other note, hubby is at the hospital right now with oldest dd-24 she is really sick with an URI (upper respiratory infection) of some kind. Im praying she will be okay.

I took advantage of finishing the book Ive been reading a couple of days now, I know BAM ( Books a million) has a lott of Charlotte Mason books there so I plan to buy A Charlotte Mason Education and Another Charlotte Mason Education. I will have almost all her books for my collection. Im going to be changing things around this week with the children's curriculum and adding some new things. Have a blessed week!!!

Charlotte Mason

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I have been reading, A Charlotte Mason Education and wanted to share this...

The Children's motto is "I am, I can, I ought, I will." Charlotte Mason chose this in 1891, She says every child can say "I am" because they are a child of God, a gift to their parents. " I can" stands for having the power God has given to us to do a thing. "I ought" has to do with duty. "I will" is different from I want. It is the child's decision to what is right.

The motto for the parents/educators is "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life."

Monday, January 7, 2008

What a weekend!!! :0)

What a weekend we had, dgs-10mos got the pink eye and then by Friday evening dd-20 ( preggo) got the pink eye too, then dd-24 ( grandson's mom) got deathly ill Saturday and we spent the day today at the dr office, she has an upper respiratory infection and today was supposed to be her first day back at college after winter break but she has to stay home until Wed. My dgs-10 mos is better but dd-20 is so miserable, she still has red eyes, and a major sinus and ear infection and she is due anytime now.

I just finished reading, "Easy Homeschooling Companion" & " For the Family's Sake", now I'm reading, "For the Children's Sake", then I plan to re-read The Original Homeschooling Series by CM. I feel I need to get refreshed, I need to be more structured with my time, homeschooling and my children. I feel your children don't need to spend time in front of the PS2, tv, they need time for reading , taking walks , talking and sharing, and spending time with their family.

Give lott's of hugs, treat each day as if it we're your last....

Friday, January 4, 2008

Checking in...

Well it's really cold here, icicles on the windows. It's not like north GA where we used to live but it's cold here. I finished reading, " Easy Homeschooling Companion" and I liked it so much I ordered it from BAM ( Books a million) What a wonderful book! It really opened my eyes to a lott of things like, give your children credit even when they don't do well, but give them approval for trying. It's not about acheivement, its about trying. I have a dyslexic son, and Phonics and Spelling are torture for him, he never gets words spelled right, but I put that happy face on his paper- Just because- He tried so hard.....
God is the same way, we try so hard and we blow it....I do!!! And he picks me up and wipes me off, and tells me, "Get Up and Try Again". And I blow it again, and he keeps picking me up. We have to be the same way with our children, as Charlotte Mason says, Children are a special gift from the Lord. We have to treat them as precious gifts, even when they blow it, don't do things as we want, disobey. We just have to pick them up, wipe them off , Hug them and tell them it's going to be okay....

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Time.....

I have been reading this book for the past week, "Easy Homeschooling Companion" by Lorraine Curry, and "For the Family's Sake" by Susan Shaeffer Macauley. The Lord has been laying on my heart the past 2 weeks about "TIME"...what am I doing with it? I will be posting once a day, but out of obedience to the Lord I will be spending my time wisely, but I wanted to leave a thought with you from the book, Easy Homeschooling Companion".

A Child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame ( Prov 29:15)

* Do you say, "Just a minute," to a child wanting your attention?
* Do the minutes run into many more than just one?
* Do you have a passion for something besides your children? In other words, is there a hobby, work or other interest that holds you more than your children do?
* Do you have a quiet child, perhaps one that everyone else speaks for, that you haven't bothered to take aside and get to know? This child is being left to himself.
* Do your children soend many hours in their rooms, alone. without interaction from you or their father?
* Is your child being " Left to himself" as he spends hours in school or preschool?

Be the mother your children need. You do not have to "do it all", Neither a spotless home nor a perfect school is required. Focus on the priorities: God first, family next, personal interests last. Put time with God first in yor day, then breakfast, then school or child time.
After your duties, personal activities come next, or- on some days-not at all. However, a mom who puts "first things first" will usually have extra time for self and interests.

Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Gal 6:7)

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

History of New Year's

Auld Lang Syne, pronounced AWLD lang SYN, is the title of a traditional song of friendship in the English-speaking world. The words mean old long since, or days gone by, in Scottish dialect. The famous Scottish poet Robert Burns is usually given credit for the words of the song, but he probably based them on a folk song. The melody is a version of an old Scottish tune. "Auld Lang Syne" is a traditional New Year's Eve song in the United States.
What do the words Auld Lang Syne mean?

New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year. People in almost every country celebrate this day as a holiday. The celebrations are both festive and serious. Many people make New Year's resolutions to break bad habits or to start good ones. Some think about how they have lived during the past year and look forward to the next 12 months. Early customs: Many ancient peoples started the year at harvesttime. They performed rituals to do away with the past and purify themselves for the new year. For example, some people put out the fires they were using and started new ones.

In early times, the ancient Romans gave each other New Year's gifts of branches from sacred trees. In later years, they gave gold-covered nuts or coins imprinted with pictures of Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. January was named after Janus, who had two faces--one looking forward and the other looking backward. The Romans also brought gifts to the emperor. The emperors eventually began to demand such gifts. But the Christian church outlawed this custom and certain other pagan New Year's practices in A.D. 567.
The ancient Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, which symbolized productiveness. The Celtic priests of what is now England gave the people branches of mistletoe, which was considered sacred.

The Celts took over many New Year's customs from the Romans, who invaded the British Isles in A.D. 43. By the 1200's, English rulers had revived the Roman custom of asking their subjects for New Year's presents. Common presents included jewelry and gold. Queen Elizabeth I acquired a large collection of richly embroidered and jeweled gloves through this custom. English husbands gave their wives money on New Year's Day to buy pins and other articles. This custom disappeared in the 1800's. However, the term pin money still means small amounts of spending money.
Many American colonists in New England celebrated the new year by firing guns into the air and shouting. They also visited taverns and houses to ask for drinks. Other colonists attended church services. Some people held open house, welcoming all visitors and feeding them generously.

Another old custom involved using the Bible to predict what would happen in the new year. People chose a passage of the Bible at random. They then applied the passage to the coming months of the new year.
Modern customs on New Year's Day include visiting friends and relatives; giving gifts; attending religious services; and making noise with guns, horns, bells, and other devices. Children in Belgium write their parents New Year's messages on decorated paper. The children read the messages to their families on New Year's Day. The Chinese New Year begins between January 21 and February 19. The celebration lasts four days. On the last night, people dress as dragons to frighten and delight the children. In Japan, many people worship on New Year's Day.

In the United States, many people go to New Year's Eve parties. Crowds gather in Times Square in New York City, on State Street in Chicago, and in other public places. At midnight, bells ring, sirens sound, firecrackers explode, and everyone shouts, "Happy New Year!" People also drink a toast to the new year and sing "Auld Lang Syne"

On New Year's Day, many people in the United States visit relatives, attend religious services, or watch football games on television. Some people attend parades, such as the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., and the Mummers' Parade in Philadelphia.

The date of New Year's. The early Roman calendar used March 1
as New Year's Day. Later, the ancient Romans made January 1
the beginning of the year.

During the Middle Ages, most European countries used March 25, a Christian holiday called Annunciation Day, to start the year. By 1600, many Western nations had adopted a revised calendar called the Gregorian calendar. This calendar, the one used today, restored January 1 as New Year's Day. Great Britain and its colonies in America adopted it in 1752.

Many people celebrate the new year on dates established by their religion. For example, the Jewish New Year, a solemn occasion called Rosh Ha-Shanah, is observed during September or early October. Hindus in different parts of India celebrate the new year on various dates. Muslims use a calendar that has 354 days in most years. As a result, the Muslim New Year falls on different dates from year to year on the Gregorian calendar.