A Quiet Life

One Last Visit to the Beach

2011-07-28T23:52:00.004-05:00

Ahhh, the beach. I LOVE pretty much every thing about it. We recently made the trek down to Orange Beach to bask in the beauty and peace of the amazing Gulf of Mexico. How I will miss this!

I will add more pictures when I am not moving across the country in 3 -yes THREE- days. For now, these will have to do along with the update that the packers have our house in boxes, the movers come tomorrow, I think I am going to survive,and we are so very thankful for the friends who have been such bright spots in this busy time!

Colorado!

2011-06-22T11:19:00.002-05:00

We are heading to Colorado. Not to visit. We are moving. It is still hard to believe.

Grayson's job is moving, so we are moving.

We will be sad to say goodbye to all the good friends here, but Colorado Springs will be closer to my family, so I am very happy about that!

We should know more soon as far as a time frame, but most likely by August 1st for sure.

We are extremely grateful to have a job in this economy- especially a good one that Grayson loves.

More Life...

2011-06-14T11:42:00.001-05:00

Fun day at the park

We have a knight who lives at our house. He protects us from fire breathing dragons.
He wears pajamas.
Mary,Mary

4 year old Jude showing off his new haircut.

A self portrait by photobug girl.

Stylin' Jack in the hat Kate gave him for his 11th Bday.

Catching up on sweet Curtis

2011-06-12T17:12:00.001-05:00

4 Months old. Taken after Kate's Christmas Piano recital
Curt and I spent 2 weeks in North Dakota visiting family in February. Even with borrowed warm clothes the cold was a shock to this 'Bama boy.

Doing his nightly pushups! 4.5 months

5.5 months. Soaking up the sun!

Mary and Jude have such fun with their baby brother. I hope they are always this happy to play with him!

My Baby Sister

2011-06-12T05:54:00.004-05:00

My youngest of 5 sisters, the baby of the family is growing up. Being 19 years younger than me, she was not much older than my own firstborn. It has been a blessing to be able to watch her grow into a lovely young lady even though it makes me feel OLD.

I am proud that she is making wise choices for her life and making good use of her "single years".

2 years ago, she was part of a mission trip to China that gave her (or increased ) a passion for orphans. In a few weeks, she will be going on another mission trip with YWAM. I am excited for her. A little jealous and slightly nervous, but mostly excited. :-) You can read about her upcoming trip here. Good job Karmen! We are proud of you and excited to see how the Lord will work through you in this new adventure!

Life

2011-06-12T04:42:00.004-05:00

Curtis Long

2011-04-05T10:20:00.001-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul - Audiobooks, MP3, M4B, iPhone Apps, Free Downloads!

2011-03-02T02:37:00.000-06:00

I love Christianaudio.com. They have a great selection of audio books and they give away a free audio book each month. This month it is one of my favorites. Check it out!
Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul - Audiobooks, MP3, M4B, iPhone Apps, Free Downloads!

Homeschooling Links

2011-01-13T06:58:00.006-06:00

I was exposed to Charlotte Mason's ideas for teaching our children before I ever had kids. I loved them and implemented several aspects early on but didn't embrace them fully and practically until this past year. It has been a wonderful change! I want to share some of my favorite links here in case any of you are interested.

This site is so helpful because Linda Fay lays out exactly how she implements the methods as well as the reasons. Her posts are short and to the point. I loved that as I felt I learned much very quickly.

Ambleside Online is an amazing site, full of FREE resources including a FREE curriculum plan for all grades. This is what we are using this year. They have all Charlotte Mason's writings on here as well so you can read what she advised. She has much to say about all areas involving kids young and old.

There are many good sites, but I will stick to these so as not to overwhelm. But since a Charlotte Mason Education is largely about (one of my MOST favorite things ) BOOKS, I will add this link for a lovely, well organized booklist. Enjoy!

Happy 4 Month Old Boy

2010-12-07T15:55:00.003-06:00

The kids captured this in the car. So cute!

The Whole Life of a Christian

2010-12-02T22:20:00.005-06:00

The whole life of a Christian should be nothing but praises and thanks to God;

we should neither eat nor sleep, but eat to God and sleep to God

and work to God and talk to God.

Do all to his glory and praise.

Richard Sibbes 1577-1635

photography by Kate Long

Life

2010-11-12T08:22:00.001-06:00

Jack spends as much time as possible in the woods behind our fence. He has always been our explorer/ wanderer.

Kate is a tree hugger too :-)

Taken from my phone so not the best quality.

A new trick. Mary is pretty proud of this.

Kate got a new camera. She spends a good portion of her day taking pictures.

Another very common site around here.

I Love Him So!

2010-11-11T19:54:00.000-06:00

3 Months Old

2010-11-11T08:40:00.006-06:00

Hard to believe it has been 3 months. Such a fun stage. Smiling, laughing, reaching for things, staring at his hands. I love it!

Jude at 3 months. It has been fun to compare the pictures. This is the first time I have had 2 babies of the same sex in a row. Matching outfits here we come!

Growing, Growing.....

2010-10-30T09:14:00.004-05:00

Mary took this picture on my phone camera. I love it! He was around 8 weeks.

Another favorite! He has become a sweet, content baby lately. He was a bit fussy his first month or so. It is so sweet to watch him kick and kick, smile so brightly, and laugh out loud! I just love to watch him grow and change, even while it makes me sad to see my newborn disappear.

Reading Preparation

2010-10-19T11:35:00.000-05:00

3 year old Jude loves to "read" Kate's books. Some have a few pictures in them, but very few, so it is interesting that he will study them for quite some time. Another reader on the way!!

Jack wants to be sure you notice the "feline" lurking in the background.

A Lovely Quote

2010-10-12T20:41:00.000-05:00

To live content with small means;

to seek elegance rather than luxury,

and refinement rather than fashion;

to be worthy, not respectable,

and wealthy, not rich;

to study hard, think quietly,

talk gently, act frankly;

to listen to stars and birds,

to babes and sages, with open heart;

to bear all cheerfully,

do all bravely,

await occasions, hurry never.

In a word,

to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,

grow up through the common.

This is to be my symphony.

William Henry Channing
1810-1884

Milestones

2010-10-12T11:43:00.000-05:00

My sweet girl is growing up. She had been wiggling and jiggling this little tooth for weeks. What excitement when it finally came out! I'll post another soon of her in her current state of minus 4 teeth!

Catching Up

2010-10-11T22:06:00.007-05:00

Sweet baby boy at 6 weeks old. He is a marvelous sleeper at night, but not such a great napper. More of a cat napper. Ugg. But we are working on it! At least I am well rested to deal with it, right?!

He was 12 # 14 oz at 6 weeks. Just starting to smile in response to us. It has been hard to capture in pictures though. So sweet!

Is this one of the biggest swaddled babies you have ever seen? I tell you, he loves it! It still amazes me every time I watch his response to swaddling him when he is starting to fuss and want to sleep. You can just watch him relax. So sweet. Thought I better take a picture of him in the Moses basket for the last time! Growing like crazy.

7 weeks

8 weeks

Just to prove that he does smile :-) 6 weeks old

Growing , Growing...

2010-10-11T21:19:00.001-05:00

Curtis at 4 weeks

Ah, Baby.

2010-09-15T18:20:00.000-05:00

Three weeks old

The First Few Weeks

2010-09-14T21:53:00.002-05:00

2 days old

3 days old

Mr. Serious

Weighing him on a postage scale. Had to improvise! 11 days old 8# 8 oz

2 weeks old

So sweet!

Working towards a smile

3 weeks old and 10 pounds!

I have been blessed to have my Mom come to each of my births. Her visit is always a highlight as it helps pass those last restless days before baby arrives as well as helping me survive the first few days with a new baby. I was so excited to have Mom here for nearly 3 weeks this time. Yay! Curtis is my Mom's 26th Grandchild, so she is an old pro at this. Grandchild number 27 arrived a month after Curtis, so Mom was off to attend another birth!

Welcoming the New Addition

2010-09-14T18:56:00.010-05:00

Bringing sweet baby home

Oh how we love him!

"For this child we prayed......"

2010-08-20T11:43:00.008-05:00

Our sweet baby boy joined our family on August 6th.

Curtis David 7# 8 oz 21 inches. A perfectly lovely little son! Notice Grayson getting a first peak.
He was born via C-Sec and that went as well as it possibly could. Grayson & I are so very thankful for a smooth birth and oh, so happy to have little Curtis here in our arms!

What a blessing from God!

More of Sweet Curtis

2010-08-20T11:00:00.003-05:00

Curtis complaining to his Dad about this crazy new world.

Showing us what he thinks!

Poor baby wondering what happened to his peaceful world!

Love at First Sight

2010-08-20T10:59:00.002-05:00

Getting to meet for the first time!

There is nothing quite like hearing that first cry from your baby.

Unless it is seeing their face,
or kissing their little cheek,

or holding them close,
or watching them calm as they hear your voice.

Ahhh!! What blessing.

The Family Meets the Newest Member.

2010-08-20T10:53:00.005-05:00

The older brothers and sisters were thrilled to meet their baby brother!
Grandma Mary with her 27th Grandchild. Yes, 27.

South Dakota

2010-08-10T07:36:00.000-05:00

While in South Dakota for the funeral, we got snowed in. Jude had not yet seen snow. He has now!

The wall of snow outside on the deck. Can you believe it?

Kate and her cousin Bryanna. So nice to reconnect!

My handsome son with Aunt Dona. It was lovely to see her again.

More of my handsome son all dressed up.

Christmas in Houston

2010-08-08T07:40:00.000-05:00

38 Weeks

2010-08-05T21:14:00.005-05:00

Not sure why this is so tiny. I will try adjust it later. Tomorrow is the big day! We meet our newest addition early in the morning, Lord willing. We are so excited! I better head to bed. Wonder if I will be able to sleep.

Kate's Birthday

2010-08-05T07:15:00.006-05:00

Can't believe that I have a teenager now! Yikes, Kate turned 13 in February. We are so happy to have been able to have her in our lives for these past 13 years and look forward to many more!

It was about time we got Miss Long Legs a grownup bike, though it was entertaining to see her knees touch her elbows as she rode her old kids bike!

Various Pictures.....

2010-08-03T06:58:00.003-05:00

Kate and friends posing for pictures after the Mobile Homeschool Choir Concert.
Jude's 3rd Birthday.

Jude showing off his drum sticks as he poses with his Daddy.

My two little darling cows! We dressed up for "Cow Appreciation Day" at Chick-Fil-A to get free meals. No one else wanted to be in the picture, but trust me, even I dressed up! Was it worth it? Oh Yes!

Birthday breakfast at Panara Bread with my wonderful husband.

We Will Not Forget the Works of the Lord!

2010-08-01T05:58:00.002-05:00

"We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.
He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God"
Psalm 78:5-7

I was reading Psalm 78 and was struck by this verse. Actually, the whole chapter.

It is about the children of Israel and how the Lord did one amazing thing after another for them and yet they kept on sinning. The verse above commands us to tell of the Lord's mighty deeds so that our children will not forget. The rest of the Psalm shows how much WE need to remember!

I so want my children and those around me to see that I hope in God and to know how worthy of our hope He is! One of the ways I am trying to improve on, is in telling and remembering -writing it down. I thought I would share one of the many, many, oh so many, ways that the Lord has been good to us.

It was 1 year ago today, Aug 1st ,2009. 11:32 am. I received a text from my sister, Bekah in ND . "Kiaran hit in head bad pray!" Those 6 word struck me with instant panic. I startled the kids with my gasp and "Oh No!" before I realized that I should not panic until I know the story. I called Bekah who quickly relayed what we knew so far. My 5 yr old nephew had been hit in the head with a golf club by another child. It had fractured the skull and he was on his way by ambulance to Bismark. They were trying to locate Joey, his Dad, who as away at a fishing tournament. My dad had helped get Kiaran to the hospital and reported that he could see right into his skull.

Fears confirmed.

Thousands of miles away my little nephew - just a few months older than my Mary- was in an ambulance. Thousand of miles away, my little sister was going through this hard thing. I can hardly believe that Laura is old enough to have kids. I was 12 when she was born and I remember carrying her around as a baby. She is just too young to go through this, I think.

The rest of the day I waited anxiously,nervously, for the update texts.

"Kiaran arrived at hospital and is still alert and doing well" 3:19 pm

"Kiaran does need surgery but will wait until am. Protective sheath that surrounds the brain

was entered" 4:48 PM

"Broke through the dura mater" 6:09 pm

"They are doing surgery now keep praying" 7:12 pm

"Don't know why they moved the surgery. It is really serious. Fragments in the brain and dura entered. He is still stable and ok" 7:15 pm

"Out of surgery 5 metal plates removed bone fragments from brain and repaired dura all went really well" 11:08 pm

What a nerve wracking day. It is HARD to live so far from family. But the Lord was a very present help as He has promised to be. Many people were praying and we could feel it. Now, 1 year later, Kiaran is fine. He was able to leave the hospital with in a few days. He was suppose to be careful for 6 months - no rough play, sports etc. That he made it through those months with no further injury seems like another miracle to me since I know well what a 5 yr old boy is like!

God was merciful. Not just in giving us the outcome we prayed for, but in giving peace in the midst. He is always good and would have been regardless of the outcome, but Oh how thankful we are for His great mercy and loving kindness!

"The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes!" Psalm 118:23

(I could not get my pictures to post properly, so I will put them in a separate post.)

2010-08-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

Kiaran's 5th Birthday just a few weeks prior to accident.

A few days after surgury

New Favorite Places to Visit on the Web.

2010-07-29T17:10:00.000-05:00

One of my new favorite websites for great and healthy recipes is Passionate Homemaking. We made the carmel popcorn and were much impressed. Nice to find tasty treats without refined sugar. I have also tried and LOVED the Lentils with Cheese and several of the muffins. All very yummy. Check it out!

Another place for healthy recipes that look yummy (have not tried any yet) is The Nourishing Gourmet. I am seeing MANY recipes that I want to try out soon!

For homeschooling ideas / methods, I have been much impressed by this site. Great wisdom!

One of these days, I will update my blog and add these to the side bar. Someday.....

Great Source for Christian Biographies.

2010-07-16T04:23:00.004-05:00

You must check out these wonderful biographies by John Piper. These are mostly of missionaries. You can listen or read them online for free! George Mueller and John G. Paton are my current favorites. I think it is extremely beneficial to us and to our children to learn from these amazing men of God who have gone before us. Let us not miss out on the wisdom to be gained from these and other biographies!

Kate's Independence Day Cake - YUM!

2010-07-11T08:58:00.000-05:00

Kate has a tradition of making this lovely and yummy cake for our Independence Day celebration. YUMMY!

34 Weeks

2010-07-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

A Boy and Mud.

2010-07-08T20:40:00.003-05:00

Jude came to me this morning and asked " Can I go outside and get dirty, PLEASE! I just LOVE getting dirty!"

Kate's First Piano Recital

2010-07-01T13:26:00.003-05:00

We were so proud watching Kate do a lovely job at her piano recital. She has been taking lessons now for about a year and LOVES it. We are so happy to see and hear her progress!

Pictures from Easter Sunday

2010-06-30T11:11:00.003-05:00

We spent Easter Sunday in Houston with family. This was the first holiday since my father-in-law passed away, so it was nice to be together.

Father's Day

2010-06-23T22:52:00.004-05:00

I am going to repost this post from a previous Father's Day. It still sums up the feelings I have for my Dad very well. Picture is of Dad and his whole clan. All nine of us!

An Inspiring Podcast.

2010-06-10T05:19:00.007-05:00

I recently listened to this podcast of Diana Waring interviewing Catherine Levinson . Very helpful and encouraging.

28 Weeks

2010-06-07T18:09:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to My Wonderful Mother.

2010-05-05T01:24:00.005-05:00

I can't remember a time in my life when my Mom wasn't one of my favorite people - if not my favorite person - to spend time with. I was blessed with some very good friends that I loved hanging out with, but when I came home, there was no disappointment. I had Mom. What a blessing it was to have a Mom who was the things a Mom should be -a source of wisdom and a understanding guide through a crazy world. But also was a friend. Fun to be with, fun to talk with. I have countless memories of late night runs to the store for a snack, long discussions about the deep issues of life, road trips long and short, scouring used bookstores for treasures of our favorite kind -books! The list goes on.

As I get older, now with daughters of my own, it strikes me that this can't have always been easy. Or maybe I am way more selfish with my time. Whatever the case, I am always encouraged to try to be the type of Mom I had. And everyonce in a while, I catch myself acting like her and I smile.

Happy Announcement

2010-04-14T09:02:00.006-05:00

There were bright spots in the past few months to be sure. The brightest one being the news that baby # 5 is on the way! I have always wanted at least 5 children, so I feel extremely blessed. Especially now that the 1st trimester is over. That was not so fun. We found out that baby Long is a boy so Jack and Jude are cheering loudly. He should make his grand appearance in early August.

Is it just me, or is he adorable already?

A Quiet Life

2010-04-13T04:14:00.008-05:00

I have always loved 1 Thessalonians 4:11

"and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, "

It has always called to my heart reminding me of my calling.

A few years ago, our pastor preached a sermon on this passage that brought even more conviction that this was a key need in my life. A quiet life.

Thus the name of my blog.

Now with 4 children how can life be quiet? The are around me all day long. Less than 2000 square feet housing 6 people equals a bit of noise. No, life for me at this stage is far from quiet in a literal sense, but is my heart quiet before the Lord? Am I making it my ambition to focus on the things that the Lord has given me to do - today- or am I running to and fro -literally or figuratively?

Am I minding my own business, so that I have something to offer others, or am I constantly burned out, stressed out? And what of minding my own business? Am I doing the things that the Father has given me to do, the things most important for me at this season of my life, or am I busy doing the things I think are a priority?

What does a quiet life look like? I am still pondering this, but I do know a few things for sure. It is a life of contentment. Being content in the provision of the One who knows my needs before I do. Confident that the God of providence knows all things and does all things well. Nothing that comes into my life takes Him by surprise or baffles Him. Oh to learn to always rest in this knowledge and to let it quiet my heart and my life!

The 4 and a half months since my last post have tested this area of my life yet again. My last post asked for prayer for my father-in-law, Curt. We had just discovered that he had cancer and the prognoses was not good. For the next 2.5 months, we prayed. We cried. We made lots of 8 hr trips to visit him in the hospital. We hoped. God is very good, but life is also very hard and this was the hardest thing we had faced. Where is my quiet heart that can help me survive all the craziness around me? Too often I lost sight of the only one who can bring peace in the midst of a storm. Yet there he was, comforting, bringing calm, giving strength.

February 7th brought the end of Curt's life here on earth. A very sad time for us all even while we rejoiced that he was free of pain and with the Lord. The 2 months since have been hard but we see the sun peeking out behind the clouds. We rest in God's goodness and thank him for his comfort.

Prayer Request

2009-11-25T23:50:00.002-06:00

I have so much to catch up on with this blog and no time to do it, but wanted to take a minute to ask for prayers for my father-in-law, Curt Long. He is in the hospital in Orlando,Fl right now. It is a very serious situation that you can read more about here. Please pray. We serve a mighty God!

Orphan Sunday

2009-11-04T22:40:00.009-06:00

Here is a great video that my sister, Karmen, made to share with her church about her mission trip to an orphanage in China. This Sunday is Orphan Sunday, so it is a great time to be reminded of the great need all around the world.

I LOVE This Song.

2009-10-18T13:38:00.006-05:00

This song by Leeland has really ministered to me lately. Seems to sum up perfectly my hearts cry lately. " MORE OF YOU, LESS OF ME" That is what I need.

Holy Spirit Have Your Way

by Leeland

Long after the tears fall I'm still your child

I put down my defenses and lay down my pride

Love and forgiveness flow in deep and wide

So I run to you and surrender all!

As I lay down my life

And pick up my cross

What a joy it is to give my life away to you

All that I need, All that I seek

Is You here with me

Holy Spirit have Your way in me!

In times of trouble, though trials may come

The rock of ages is standing strong

I'm fighting battles, but the war is won

So I'll run to you and surrender all

As I lay down my life

And pick up my cross

What a joy it is to give my life away to you

All that I need, All that I seek

Is You here with me

Holy Spirit have Your way in me!

More of You and less of me, God

More of You and less of me,God

More of You overflowing.

The Piano

2009-09-25T15:27:00.002-05:00

We are so excited to have a piano now. Especially Kate! She has been taking piano lessons formally since March of this year, though she has been getting them here and there whenever possible from Grandma Linda. It is lovely to hear these sounds fill our home.

Don't Mess With This Tough Dude!

2009-09-07T17:52:00.003-05:00

The Consequences of Feminism

2009-09-03T22:08:00.003-05:00

I am really enjoying Voddie Baucham lately as you can tell.

Picture Study Week 3

2009-09-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

I love this picture by Pieter de Hooch called "The Pantry". The artist lived from 1629-1683, so I find it this colorful floor fascinating! Would you think that they would have a floor like this back then? We enjoyed studying this picture. So much to see!

Cat Fever!

2009-08-29T08:53:00.001-05:00

A new cat, Martin, was added to our clan a few weeks ago. He is a brave little fellow who stands up to Dixie and is just so adorable.

He is Jack's cat, but don't tell Mary. She thinks he is hers. She told me that he should be her cat since he has blue eyes like her. Hmmm. I guess she has noticed all the comments on her "beautiful blue eyes"
I think I'm ready to switch my affections from dogs to cats (outdoor) I know, I know. My "dog snob" family is gasping in horror, but it's true. They are just so easy. And they earn their keep!

Kate was bitten by cat fever last year when tiny Sox was dropped off in our driveway. He has turned out to be one of the nicest cats I have ever been around. No attitude. No snootiness. He tolerates the kids and kills dreadful little rodents. I am a fan!
We'll see if Jack will be persuaded

Now, how could you resist this?

When I say, they tolorate the kids, that is no small feat!

How cute is this little guy?

Picture Study Week 2

2009-08-28T08:21:00.002-05:00

This week we studied Jean-Francois Millet and his painting "Feeding Her Birds" Another jewel. Check out the link to read about this artist. He was a good choice for us to study right now because he lived in France from 1814-1875 which fits right into the era we are studying. He was a poor man living in difficult ,to say the least, times. He was not given much recognition by his contemporaries, but if you click on the link on his name, you will doubtless recognize at least a few of his works. I remember that we had "The Gleaners" in our home growing up and I always loved it. Another favorite is "The Angelus " Check out the link. I think that you, too, will enjoy getting a glimpse of life through the eyes of this , simple, God-fearing man.

Watermelon On A Hot Summer Day...

2009-08-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

...one of our favorite things....

The kids had made a "fort' of sorts using a tarp to cover the slide. Watermelon was the perfect end to this playtime.

Princess Mary Sings the Presidents Song

2009-08-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

Great Link - Voddie Baucham on Family Life

2009-08-25T21:59:00.004-05:00

Many of you are probably already familiar with Family Life. They have a great line up of guests right now, one of whom , is one of my favorites, Voddie Baucham. Check out this link to listen to this series for yourself. Anyone with daughters, listen up! You need to hear this.

Who is This Handsome Fellow?

2009-08-25T20:49:00.002-05:00

My handsome little man with his new glasses. He said he liked them because he looked like a scientist or a really smart guy. Not sure that will be the look he will be going for in a few years, but for now they are just what he is looking for!

More Maps, Not So Yummy.

2009-08-25T20:46:00.000-05:00

Week 1 in Tapestry of Grace we learned many new geography terms. Lots of them. They suggested that the students make a map of an imaginary land that has all the many landforms. Archipelago, isthmus, penninsula, on and on. This project made map study great fun!

Jacks is not fully painted yet

Kate finished hers. They are pretty cool. I think we will be doing more of these.

A Yummy Way to Learn about Geography

2009-08-25T06:07:00.001-05:00

One of our first crafts with Tapestry of Grace was a salt map to show all the various landforms that they were studying. Next we did a cookie dough map. That was a big hit with all the kids. It was suppose to be of the US and show the major landforms. Don't think that was accomplished, but it was fun and yummy! I will post a picture of the salt maps soon.

Mary the Reader, Revisited.

2009-08-24T10:54:00.000-05:00

Mary is doing well with here reading and enjoying her new books from Grandma Mary.

Great Resource for Free and Low Cost Audio Books

2009-08-23T20:47:00.002-05:00

We love books.

We love reading them.

We love listening to them.

And that is a good thing because with Tapestry of Grace, you read A LOT. We are covering the 19th Century this year and that is a lot of ground to cover in one year if you are like me who doesn't want to miss anything. So many fun things to learn about in this time period.

With so many books to read, it is great when I can find one of them available in audio form. So I was thrilled to find a new site for unabridged audio books - many for free. Check it out! It is well organized and so helpful for homeschooling if you, like us, enjoy supplementing your reading with audio books.

Kate's New Venture

2009-08-17T21:14:00.002-05:00

You all know that Kate has had a blog for a while now, but I wanted to let you all know of her latest project. She is "Co-Editor" of "Girls of Grace Gazette" Be sure to check it out! She and a friend from church started it just this past month. I think they did a great job! Be sure to pass it on to any young ladies you know!

Bat Kids

2009-08-17T20:48:00.001-05:00

One of Mary and Jude's favorite things to pretend lately is that they are bats. Not sure what that is all about, but here they are. Could be that Jack is rubbing off on them. He asked me the other day if he could have a bat for his next pet.

....hmmm lets me think about it......NO.

Fun Memory Work

2009-08-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

We are studying the Constitution right now, so I was excited to find a song to help the kids memorize the Preamble. Good old School House Rock.

Couldn't resist adding this video of Barney Fife trying his hand at reciting the Preamble to the Constitution.

Tapestry of Grace

2009-08-15T21:40:00.006-05:00

We started school this week. Yeah! We were anxious to start a new curriculum. The last 2 years, we have done Sonlight and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our schooling method has always a mix of Classical and Charlotte Mason and very much literature based. Sonlight was perfect in many ways. The only problem (or at least, the main one) was that it was getting difficult to teach two different cores and eventually, I would need to add a 3rd.

So, I started looking more closely at Tapestry of Grace . It allows you to teach all the different ages of kids using the same teachers guide. So Kate in 7/8th grade, Jack in 4th/5th and Mary who is just starting out will all be studying the 19th Century (We are doing year 3) having the same - or very similar focus-but reading books at their own level. It is a brilliant system really. I think Marcia Sommerville (the creator) is quite the genius. History, literature, geography, writing, church history / worldview are woven together along with the time period we are studying. High school adds in government and philosophy.

We are really loving it! This week we are studying Napoleon, the French Revolution and John Adams. It has been fascinating. Maybe I'm weird though. I LOVE History!

I am adding a link for free webinars by Marcia Sommerville. I highly recommend them for anyone - not just a Tapestry user. Enjoy!

"Christian Courtesy" by F.B Meyer

2009-08-12T20:10:00.001-05:00

"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous."-- 1Pe 3:8.

IT WOULD be a marvel to find in any community under heaven a complete embodiment of the injunctions contained in this and the following verses. Yet nothing less than this is the Christian ideal, and it would be well if, without waiting for others, each one would adopt these precepts as the binding rule and regulation of daily life. This would be our worthiest contribution to the convincing of the world, and to the coming of the Kingdom of our Lord. Does not the Apostle's use of the word "finally" teach us that all Christian doctrine is intended to lead up to and inaugurate that life of love, the bold outlines of which are sketched in these words?
The general principle. "Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another." This oneness of mind does not demand the monotony of similarity, but unity in variety. We shall never be of one mind in the sense of all holding the same opinions; but we may be all of one mind when, beneath diversities of opinion, expression, and view, we are animated by a common devotion to Christ.
Note the specific applications.
Love as brethren. Love is not identical with like. Providence does not ask us whom we would like to be our brethren, that is settled for us, but we are bidden to love them, irrespective of our natural predilections and tastes. Love does not necessarily originate in the emotions, but in the will; it consists not in feeling, but in doing; not in sentiment, but in action; not in soft words, but in unselfish deeds.
Be pitiful Oh, for the compassion of our blessed Lord! How often it breaks out in the Gospel narrative to the weak and erring, to the hungry crowds, and to the afflicted who sought His help!
Be courteous. Be ready to take the least comfortable seat, or to let others sit while you stand. Let the manners of your Heavenly Father's Court be always evident in your daily life, so that the world may learn that Christianity produces not simply the heroism of a great occasion, but the minute courtesies of daily living.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T02:52:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year...

2009-08-08T09:00:00.004-05:00

Time to start a new school year!

We are so excited to start a new curriculum this year called Tapestry of Grace. We are all looking forward to it. I will be posting more about it soon.

For years we have to incorporate "Picture Study" into our schooling, but have been pretty hit and miss. Hopefully, we will be more consistent this year.

Here is one of the pictures we have been studying. It is called "Country School" by Homor Winslow.
Our picture study is pretty basic. I put the print of choice up on fridge (I have many 4x5 cards of fine art that I use) We look at it throughout week.

I ask them questions to test observation skills. "What kind of room is in this picture?" "What can we tell about the weather from this picture?" etc.

The kids are ALWAYS way more observant than I am. We are going to start studying the artist briefly. I am working on a worksheet of sorts that I will use that will go a little deeper. It has been fun even for Mary (4.5)

The basic idea is to grow in appreciation of and exposure to fine art as well as observation skills.

Try it out yourself!

Cowabunga !

2009-08-06T20:15:00.002-05:00

Jude learned a new phrase this week. We were doing LOTS of swimming and Grayson taught him to say this as he jumped into the water.

What may seem defeat to us may be victory to him

2009-08-01T14:20:00.000-05:00

Taken from Morning and Evening by C.H. Spurgeon

The night also is thine. Psalms 74:16

Yes, Lord, you do not abdicate your throne when the sun goes down, nor do you leave the world all through these long wintry nights to be the prey of evil; your eyes watch us as the stars, and your arms surround us as the zodiac belts the sky. The dews of kindly sleep and all the influences of the moon are in your hand, and the alarms and solemnities of night are equally with you. This is very sweet to me when watching through the midnight hours, or tossing to and fro in anguish. There are precious fruits put forth by the moon as well as by the sun: may my Lord make me to be a favoured partaker in them.

The night of affliction is as much under the arrangement and control of the Lord of Love as the bright summer days when all is bliss. Jesus is in the tempest. His love wraps the night about itself as a mantle, but to the eye of faith the sable robe is scarce a disguise. From the first watch of the night even unto the break of day the eternal Watcher observes his saints, and overrules the shades and dews of midnight for his people’s highest good. We believe in no rival deities of good and evil contending for the mastery, but we hear the voice of Jehovah saying, “I create light and I create darkness; I, the Lord, do all these things.”

Gloomy seasons of religious indifference and social sin are not exempted from the divine purpose. When the altars of truth are defiled, and the ways of God forsaken, the Lord’s servants weep with bitter sorrow, but they may not despair, for the darkest eras are governed by the Lord, and shall come to their end at his bidding. What may seem defeat to us may be victory to him.

“Though enwrapt in gloomy night,
We perceive no ray of light;
Since the Lord himself is here,
‘Tis not meet that we should fear.”

Sons Of Korah Psalm 51

2009-07-29T11:05:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite Psalms sung by one of my favorite new groups.

Mother Owl's Rhymes

2009-07-24T15:25:00.003-05:00

I ran across this wonderful poem on one of my new favorite homeschool blogs. It is from a delightful book "Mother Owl's Rhymes" (Kate Perkinson Howard ©1911). Google it and you will find the entire book online. It is full of helpful poems for learning.

Geography
By Kate Perkinson Howard
A desert is a barren land,
A dreary waste of dry, hot sand,
An oasis is a fertile spot,
Surrounded by the desert hot.
A cape is just a point of land
Into the water projecting,
An isthmus, a narrow neck of land
Two larger bodies connecting.
An island is a piece of land
With water all around it,
We use an "S" in spelling it,
Although we never sound it.
Now, I ll tell you something else
You didn t know a spell ago,
A group of islands in the sea
Is called an archipelago.
The earth has not been cut in two,
And yet we often hear,
The eastern half and western half,
Each called a hemisphere.
The western half, or continent
Is called the Occident ;
The eastern half or old world,
Is called the orient

There's a Rainbow Somewhere .....

2009-07-22T08:39:00.001-05:00

We were blessed with this lovely site a few weeks ago. A full rainbow. Don't see that everyday.

Nashville Visit

2009-07-21T19:20:00.001-05:00

We always love going along with Grayson on work trips. His trip to GMA in Nashville is especially fun since it means 5 days at a wonderful hotel and the opportunity to see family. Pools, buffet breakfasts, hotels, the kids think that is as good as it gets! Adding the word FREE in front of all those things is what I call wonderful!!

Kate and I had fun walking around downtown Nashville. So fun to see the sites while getting good exercise walking all those hills.

Lots to see in downtown Nashville.

This year, I took advantage of Grandpa & Grandma and left the kids with them some of the time. Quiet time, wow! Now that is what I call a vacation!

Mary had a wonderful time with her cousins, Lillian and Julia.

It was especially fun to go to the zoo!

More on Two Year Old Jude....

2009-07-20T20:35:00.012-05:00

Now that he is 2, Jude definitely seems
to have left babyhood behind him.
Sad.

Course, how could I be sad looking at that sweet smile.
So fun to see him grow and develop more and more into a little man.

Full of funny expressions and definite ideas.

His favorite expressions lately are:
"Let me try " "Good job, Mom" "Try it again!"

"The water is fun and all, but who can resist fruit snacks!"

Jude is all boy. Sand and dirt are some of his best friends!

The look of guilt and fear.
Fear that his fun is about to end.
Mean Ol Mom will probably make him quite digging up that lovely dirt patch,
probably put his diaper back on.
Maybe even take a bath! It's so unfair!

You can tell he was oh so excited to be interrupted!

Jude showing off his glare. Boy does he loves to be silly!

Jude the Two Year Old

2009-06-18T20:52:00.001-05:00

I can't believe that my baby boy is 2 years old! Wow!

He is such fun. Always trying to ,make us laugh. Such a joy to hear him chattering on and on. His new phrase lately is "Hmm. Let's see" and "What'd you say?"

I have many more pictures that I want to add of Jude, but I am going to go ahead and post these before another month goes by! Ahh computer troubles....

We are so thankful for this little man. What a little man he is! What a blessing to watch his personality develop.

A Slow, Creeping Friend

2009-06-03T17:17:00.004-05:00

The kids were so excited when Kate found a turtle in our front yard. A fun nature study for the day!

Jude Loves Chili

2009-06-02T14:45:00.000-05:00

Not sure how much Chili made it to the tummy!

Memorial Day Sundaes

2009-06-02T02:59:00.001-05:00

We had hoped to do something extra special over Memorial Day weekend, but the weather did not cooperate. Rain, rain, rain. Oh well. We enjoyed sundaes and some fun family time indoors.The extra child is Kate's friend, Morgan. Now if we just had 4 more kids, it would be like mealtime for me growing up!

Princess Mary

2009-06-01T14:03:00.005-05:00

Mary was invited to a "Princess Birthday Party" this past Saturday. They were to dress up as a princess and come escorted by Daddy. She had a great time! It kind of snuck up on me as many things seem too (!!) so her princess duds are not the most "princessy" of outfits. Coudn't find what I was looking for at the store, so had to go digging through the dress up box. Oh well. She had fun and she looked pretty.

Mary's First Demonstration

2009-04-28T07:03:00.002-05:00

Mary at the local "Anti Tax Tea Party". They had signs and she was happy to help out!

Jack the Animal Expert

2009-04-11T07:03:00.004-05:00

I found this video from last year of Jack with one of his critters!

Little Slugger

2009-04-10T06:01:00.005-05:00

Jude's biggest interest has always been obvious. From the time he was 4 or 5 months old, he has been completely fascinated with balls and throwing. As soon as he was able to scoot around on the floor, he would spend much time "throwing" them across the room. Really, it was more like swatting at it. He would give his ball or any similar toy a swat and off it would go. He would go after it and repeat. Over and over. This exact method changed with his abilities, but the interest has remained.

Here he is 9 months

Now, at nearly 2. Imitating big brother.

Recognize These Folks??

2009-03-30T16:10:00.002-05:00

Mary The Singer

2009-03-30T15:30:00.007-05:00

Mary loves to sing. She sings all the time. Here is her latest song. We had to do it in 3 parts to be able to download it onto the blog.

Catching up...

2009-03-30T07:49:00.002-05:00

I have been a slacker when it comes to blogging lately, for sure. Nothing new really, I guess. ;-)

Thought I would catch up a bit on the past couple months.

Grayson and Kate enjoyed attending a "Father Daughter Banquet" in February. She looked so pretty! It was a great experience for them both.

My firstborn turned 12 in February also. Wow! Hard to believe she is 12. Can it be 12 years already? What a joy she has been from day one. It is exciting - if a bit sad- to watch her grow into a lovely, sweet young lady.

Jude is getting so much better at communicating. Be it talking or just getting his point across. It is fun to hear his new words each day!

Mary continues to her obsession with reading and spelling words. She continually asks how to spell various words and is usually good at figuring it out when I prompt her to sound it out. She brought me some of her more difficult flashcards to read. The first word was "sock" (not difficult, but I had not taught her very much about blends yet) I told her they were too hard and she said "No, Mommy, they are not. Remember "ck" says "K". That is not hard" I had mentioned that when we encountered a word containing that blend, but I just didn't expect her to get it so easily and remember. Here is a video of her reading.

Jude does not want to be left out, so he is learning his letters too. :-)

Jack has been waiting for a long time for a brother to play all the rough and tough boy games that Kate and Mary are not so wild about. Jude is getting closer! Jack will be a great teacher.

Jack the football player.

Boy, have we been enjoying the beautiful spring weather! The cool evenings are all too short lived here!

Flashback Friday

2009-03-20T13:12:00.005-05:00

I decided to copy my sister and start "Flashback Friday". It has been fun to take a peak back into her not so distant past. September 2005, Grayson was offered a free cruise on the Music Boat. We took Mary since she was only 8 months old. She was a wonderful baby and no trouble.
If you have not been a Music Boat Cruise, I highly recommend! We had a wonderful time. I'm ready for another cruise!

Did I mention that President Bush joined us on the cruise?

Snorkeling is definitely one of my favorite things to do in all the world. So relaxing! So peaceful!

Cozemel was lovely at night.

Mary was a little trooper! Se was so content in her stroller. Being a social creature, she would make silly faces at whoever looked her way and try to get attention. Otherwise she just looked around and enjoyed the sites.

We had HOURS to kill in the Miami airport and poor little Mary was beginning to show signs of weariness. Good thing there is no picture of me! I was sick and miserable and eventually ended up in a hospital in Chicago with what would later be diagnosed as dehydration. Crazy end to a lovely trip!

How Deep the Father's Love

2009-02-24T19:12:00.003-06:00

I thought I would share this lovely song that Amber just passed on to me and the story behind it. What rich truth!

Mary the Reader

2009-02-19T10:40:00.005-06:00

Mary is obsessed with letters lately. She is constantly wanting to write or try to spell or read. It has been fun to watch the learning process. Here she is sounding out a few words.

Just a few pictures from this past Fall .......

2009-02-11T13:22:00.014-06:00

Jack turned 9 this year! He is really growing up! So nice to watch him grow. He sure is becoming more and more like like his Daddy!

The kids had fun carving pumpkins. Jude really got into it!

Yes, he is a bit ornry.

My bright eyed girl!

This is my favorite picture of Mary.

Kate had a great time at the "Reformation Night" put on by a local church. It was a fun night and very educational. Here she is with a friend, Megan, from church.
Matching sisters!

The kids have already gotten so much use out of the tramp already. Definitely a good use of our money!

Powerful Video on the Potential of an Unborn Baby!

2009-01-30T20:21:00.002-06:00

See How the Wii is Affecting Mary and Jude

2009-01-28T12:48:00.003-06:00

Mary and Jude have been mimicing the boxing from the Wii. They don't actually hit eachother. :-) It is pretty cute.

The Long Ride Back Home

2009-01-27T19:38:00.008-06:00

We stayed in Houston on our way home. The kids (well, not just the kids) love hotels, so it is always a great treat to stay in one. We had a great time!

The kids LOVE elevators and this one was especially nice being glass. Great view!

Seeing swans in a hotel was quite a treat as well as the breakfast buffet and "reception" in the evening with free snacks and drinks. The "Shirley Temple" was a big hit with Kate and Jack. And of course, swimming is always a hit.

Jack trying out the bearded look!

Jude is getting very brave with pools now and kept me on edge watching him. He wanted to jump right in.

What good memories we made. Nice way to break up the trip.

And more...

2009-01-27T10:46:00.007-06:00

Priya, Lillian and Mary spent a good portion of their day playing "Princess". They were so cute!

My little man, Jude. He is looking so grownup!

Princess Priya

Grandpa and Grandma watched the kids for us one night so we could go out for some amazing Mexican food! Yummy! Greg, Grayson & Grady were with us, but not in the picture.

"The Brothers"

I love this picture of Julia

All the grandchildren. Looks like we need a few more boys!

Lillian and Mary, so sweet.

Our Trip to Texas

2009-01-24T08:31:00.007-06:00

This Year, it did not work out to get together with the whole Long family until the New Year. We made the Long trip to south ( and I mean way south) TX. Kate took pictures while driving of 2 of the states we passed through. Mississippi was the only one she missed. We had not been to Grady & Paris' house before, so that was fun. their home is lovely and their company is even better! Greg & Janna and Grandpa & Grandma also made it down, so we had a full house for a few days. It was great.

Right through the heart of Houston

The kids loved playing at the park, going on a walk with Grandma, and lots of cousin time

Jack was happy to play some football with his uncles.

Mary and Lillian

Kate and Priya

Jack and Julia

It's funny to see how Jude loves big dogs, being used to Dixie, but is nervous of little ones. He was very happy to make friends with Uncle John's dog. (Paris'Uncle)

Is that Aslan?

Priya

Julia

Ahh, twighlight walks with family. Does it get any better?

Christmas 08

2008-12-27T19:40:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. Grayson's parents were here with us.

Sisters

Jack with one of his gifts.

My girl is getting so grownup!

Here is the Christmas table, minus a few dishes. Kate made the turkey again this year and it was wonderful.

Jude is ready and waiting!

So is Grandpa

It is just so hard to patient with all those good smells in the air!

Grayson documenting the day

A Glimpse into our Life.....

2008-12-27T19:32:00.003-06:00