Love the Sun. Love the Snow. Love Homeschooling. *Repost*

**This is a repost, but it accurately reflects life right now today, exactly two years later.  We have covered a lot of life since this first post; I'm glad to have the same joy, peace, and contentment in home schooling.  Sadly, I can't say the snow and sun shown here are the same - but that's why we take pictures, right :-D!**

My chair is covered in fresh beautiful snow again!

I love this view out my "front" door.

Isn't the sun shining through absolutely gorgeous? The picture does not do it justice.

I love that because we homeschool the kids get to take full advantage of the snow and sunshine. Spelling can wait! :) After all, this is the day we spend a lot of hours in the car waiting for each of the kids' activities - so Vince did his spelling between cross country skiing and youth group, while Christine went into gymnastics. We started a new math curriculum a few weeks back - one that Vince finally likes. By his choice he spent over two hours doing math today! I'm so thankful we have the flexibility to do things in a different order and on "weird" time schedules.

Besides that we want the dog worn out so he'll sleep and not bark at night. That is so much easier to accomplish when it's beautiful out. Because of our homeschool schedule, the kids can choose to go out to play when it is days like today. They love it.

Hickory is trying to climb in the hole with Vince. It is so sweet, Vince has his hand on Hickory's paw - is that to hold him back from climbing in front? Christine is building her own fort on the right side; I believe the plan is to meet and go straight back to under the trampoline that is behind the snow pile.

I know today was windy, but thankfully for a couple hours this afternoon the wind did not hit this portion of the driveway. The kids were only going to go out for a half hour, cause it was cold and windy... Two and a half hours later, when it was time to leave they wanted to know why I was calling them in. Couldn't they "pleeeeeease stay out longer"? "Please, can't school wait. We'll do it later, when it gets dark. We promise!" ... AS IF I would call two happy kids in from playing well together, outside, in the fresh snow, with the dog, to do school. I think not! :) When I said it was time to leave for skiing they couldn't believe how much time had gone by.

What a perfectly wonderful day!

2pm

These pictures were taken at 2pm, the lighting is pretty accurate....

This is looking up at the snow falling.

There were tons of big snowflakes/clumps and it was wet snow.

Not the cold, icy, crisp kind of flakes.

I'm so thankful it snowed and didn't rain {at 37* rain made more logical sense}.  The lighting was really weird - as you can see.  It is the kind of lighting that can't decide if it's bright sun reflecting off snow, or if it's overcast. ... or if it was going to blow, swirl blizzard like snow just to all of a sudden stop snowing and have patches of blue sky with sun - above the clouds.  Then back to snowing.  It was beautiful!

Some pictures of today.  This has been a good day - I have been home ALL day.  This is what I have been aching for.  Today it is 55* warmer than last week.  Last week we camped out at -22*, tonight we're at 33* (it actually got up to 37* today!).

I might have figured out some of my focusing problems on my new camera.  It's all in the practice and I just haven't had the time to do that.  It took me 15 pictures to get these two... I will learn it.  Also, I found out my iMac has the right size card reader in the side - so downloading photos shouldn't be a big problem.

{P.S. shhh! have used the iMac ALL day today.   Don't tell it - it has actually stayed working through all my researching, downloading, uploading, and web surfing.}

SPRING! (maybe, but probably not)

Winter...Breakup...Spring...LOTs of snow, back to Winter...

and Spring again.

You gotta love the extremes of spring in Alaska. We get to change our mind frequently. Even though we had one breakup I knew winter wasn't over yet - it was way too early. Back up just over a week ago, this is what was happening out the window.

Big brother teaching little sister to cross country ski - while it "dumped" snow. She wanted to learn so much & he finally obliged - on his own terms, his idea. It has been a nearly every day occurrence ever since.

Totally made this mom's heart proud!

She was giddy excited!

Days of sickness and snow. Then the amaryllis opened it was so pretty! Last week it seemed warm and I really wanted pictures of the red with all the white. So I took the amaryllis outside. (p.s. If you want to continue enjoying the amaryllis inside - I would not recommend doing this. The amaryllis did not recover...sorry, mom)

Today

We are in the midst of Springish' type temps again. The declaration of today - "I went out, the sun hit me and IT WAS WARM!" and the kids are soaking up as many rays as they can (when you're still pretty much covered head to toe). It is just above 40* today.

Notice one is bare toed & the other has boots on. I believe she's making a snowman. The CD player is sitting where the amaryllis was last week. Not sure why the CD player is sitting on a folded blanket, to keep it warm?

Love the Sun. Love the Snow. Love Homeschooling.

My chair is covered in fresh beautiful snow again!

I love this view out my "front" door.

Isn't the sun shining through absolutely gorgeous? The picture does not do it justice.

I love that because we homeschool the kids get to take full advantage of the snow and sunshine. Spelling can wait! :) After all, this is the day we spend a lot of hours in the car waiting for each of the kids' activities - so Vince did his spelling between cross country skiing and youth group, while Christine went into gymnastics. We started a new math curriculum a few weeks back - one that Vince finally likes. By his choice he spent over two hours doing math today! I'm so thankful we have the flexibility to do things in a different order and on "weird" time schedules.

Besides that we want the dog worn out so he'll sleep and not bark at night. That is so much easier to accomplish when it's beautiful out. Because of our homeschool schedule, the kids can choose to go out to play when it is days like today. They love it.

Hickory is trying to climb in the hole with Vince. It is so sweet, Vince has his hand on Hickory's paw - is that to hold him back from climbing in front? Christine is building her own fort on the right side; I believe the plan is to meet and go straight back to under the trampoline that is behind the snow pile.

I know today was windy, but thankfully for a couple hours this afternoon the wind did not hit this portion of the driveway. The kids were only going to go out for a half hour, cause it was cold and windy... Two and a half hours later, when it was time to leave they wanted to know why I was calling them in. Couldn't they "pleeeeeease stay out longer"? "Please, can't school wait. We'll do it later, when it gets dark. We promise!" ... AS IF I would call two happy kids in from playing well together, outside, in the fresh snow, with the dog, to do school. I think not! :) When I said it was time to leave for skiing they couldn't believe how much time had gone by.

What a perfectly wonderful day!

(I got a note from Zach tonight. Things are slowing a bit for him, he has even gotten to go swimming for 20 min. a couple times. He said just remembering swimming made him feel better. He is ready to go home to Jane and the kids; he is there another week yet though. Matt has pictures and more info on his blog.

SNOW!

{imagine wonderful snow

& snowmen picture here}

Our first snowmen of the winter are in the yard.

I have wonderful photos, I can even see them in iPhoto on my computer and I like them. However, when I try to upload them, those particular pictures are not in my choices in iPhoto. The other 15K photos are, but not the 3 I want right now. Why?

Life is full of so many "Why?'s". Life hurts. Life doesn't go the way we think it should - in so many ways. Life can be fun. Life can be easy. But it isn't always. We have no promise of easy or fun - so why do we think we need more? I have had several "Why?" questions in many aspects of life. My life. Other's lives...

Last weekend was our youth group retreat, there was a lot of discussion about

- Why we do or shouldn't do certain things.

- Why we need our faith to be our own.

- Why God has a certain way He wants us to do things.

I have so many petty "why's". Why's like:

• Why was this fall the right time for me to go back to school and start working? (in addition to being a mom and homeschooling.)
• Why not one at a time or slow changes? I used to have so much time. Not so much anymore.
• Why do children nit-pick and argue with each other?
• Why do I have to be so tired?
• Why don't I have the energy to scrap/quilt/tat/read?
• Why don't I just start cutting material for the new quilt I want on my bed?
• Why didn't I just buy another 1/2 yd of the material I bought for making nightgowns?
• Why did I think I wanted to change the pattern of the nightgowns? (besides, because I always change the pattern & I've made that one before)
• Why did I cut the material wrong? (Now I'm 4 inches short & Jo-Ann's doesn't have the material!)
• Why can't I make this Mac do what I want it to?!

These are all so petty in the grand scheme of life. I know that and don't really dwell on these questions, but they are all there in my mind (and so many more) - some I even say. Why? (especially when I know better)

There are also more serious Why's I wonder about:

• Why do parents choose to walk away from their children?
• Why is it so difficult and expensive for good families to adopt children needing loving parents and homes?
• Why do children have to adapt to a different parent taking them for periods of time?
• Why do parents inflict this pain on their children?
• Why do parents have to see their adult children make poor choices?
• Why do adult children have to see their parents make poor choices?
• Why do some single parents have to make the choice to send their child(ren) somewhere they don't feel is safe?
• Why don't we always just do what God planned for us?
• Why don't we remember to fully appreciate what He sent His Son to do for us?

Even though these Why's are more life determining, often we won't ever know the answer. Why? I have to believe all of my Why’s? sound like an awful lot of whine to my Heavenly Father - but He still listens and He hears me. Unlike me, I tell my children (too often lately!), “I can’t hear whine”. I’m so glad my Heavenly Father listens to my “whyne”.

I have a homeschool magazine I got the beginning of September and I am only about half way through. (I told you I haven't had time to read) I have to believe the reason why I haven't read more of this magazine before now is because it wouldn't have meant the same to me. I am going to write out the beginning of a particular article, and a couple phrases from the ending. It is written towards homeschool parents, but is so true for any one - parent, child, adult, single, married - it doesn't matter. Our relationship with Christ is ours alone - not for anyone else, ever. It is our responsibility to make time for this relationship. He is always there.

Life doesn't stop just because you start homeschooling. Sometimes we wish everything else would go away so we could concentrate on the educational tasks before us. Wouldn't it be great if our clothes suddenly never needed to be washed or mended? If meals just appeared on the table? And better yet, wouldn't it be wonderful if no one got sick or had financial struggles or felt sandwiched between caring for two generations of family at once? Then, we tell ourselves, we would have time for planning all those creative lessons and grading all those papers we've assigned.

But that is not how our wise and loving Heavenly Father has designed things. In His wisdom, He custom designs the events of our days to grow us into the image of Christ. How would we learn patience if no one ever did things that frustrated us? How would we learn to trust Him if we never experienced want?

God is the ultimate homeschool teacher. He individualizes a curriculum for each of us, carefully selecting experiences and people that will draw us closer to Him. There are even pop quizzes and big tests along the way.

Unlike our children, we have the option to ignore His assignments or do them in our own way instead of in a way pleasing to Him. His goal is mastery learning; He will take us through a lesson as many times as necessary to help us learn what we need to know.

...

The more times we refuse to learn, the tougher it gets. Rebellion reaps its own reward.

...

God is building a unique life message in each of us, using our experiences, temperament types, and spiritual gifts to advance the kingdom of Christ on earth through us in unique ways. No one else has exactly the same life message to share as you do. God doesn't use cookie-cutters to make us or to design our curriculum. Washburn, M. (Sept/Oct 2009). Homeschooling through difficult times. Home School Enrichment, #41, 48. [I'm guessing I didn’t do the citation right, but this isn't for class :) ... besides, why does it matter? As long as I give credit where credit is due, isn't that good enough?]

We will always have why's in our life. Some we will get the answers to. Many we won't. But when we have Jesus Christ as our personal savior, we have hope. Hope for a new beginning.

But the joy for the Christian homeschooler is in remembering that we get a fresh start with every new day. As the author of Lamentations said, "It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23). Hang onto that promise as you work through the daily challenges of life on earth. (from the same article, page 49)

I am so thankful I have a Heavenly Father who has so perfectly orchestrated my life individually, to work together with others as a whole - for His good purpose. I don’t have to understand why, I just need to rest in Him. He does not fail.

It snowed!

It snowed & it's beautiful! Hopefully it stays? The roads were nasty, slushy, gross tonight - we got about 6 inches, but the forcast is for rain.... I hope not! My ramp was bare wood at 5pm, this was at 10:45pm.