Grades: Who Needs 'Em?

See these two kids? I love 'em to pieces and yet they can frustrate me to pieces too. As their mom I feel responsible to make sure they are doing well in school. I also would like them to take responsibility for doing their very best. I cannot prompt them every day. They've got to own it.

So I back off and hope for the best and pray for them to do their best. Then the new grading system comes along and has thrown me (and other parents)for a loop. So I check their grades on line and I cannot decipher how they are progressing, but encourage them to hand in missed assignments and follow up with their teachers as to how they are supposed to finish their Learning Targets to complete the Power Standards.

Report cards come home and I see F's and I's. "Face palm. Head shake." I'm so frustrated. Now I have to take away privileges and begin close monitoring. I pray that my kids will have a desire in their hearts to be responsible not only in school, but with chores at home.

I know that grades don't define my children, but school is a way to help them show what they've got and find for themselves how well they can do when they apply themselves and be proud and thank God for an education and opportunities.

They did have better grades in math than in the past so I'm so thankful we've made progress there. They each had at least one "A" and 2 "B's" so I am pleased about this. Feel free to give ideas and advice on how to encourage my kids and how I can cope with where they are in their lives right now.

I am giving this over to God because He has it all in control and I need to let go and let Him do His mighty work in their lives.

Where Have I Been All Year?

Well this is last February. My kids went to a Winter Ball at a church nearby. It was decorated in the Narnia theme and it was awesome. It's almost time for them to go again and I haven't even posted pictures from last year. I'll post a few for ya. Enjoy!

We found H's dress at a thrift store for $14.00. I thought it was pretty. She did have to wear a shrug because it was a haulter dress and she wasn't comfortable showing so much of her back.

Here they are ready to go to their very first Winter Dance.

H invited a friend. They had a lot of fun.

Two of J's friends. The one on the right is Nan's (Mom's The Word) youngest. Aren't they dapper? They are in front of the coat closet that leads to Narnia.

I went into Narnia for a few minutes to take pictures. This is the way back into the coat closet from the Narnia side. Clever, wasn't it!

A glimpse of Narnia and I had to let my kids have fun without me at their first dance.

I wish I could experience every first in their lives, but time is past for me to be at every single first in their lives. They are in high school now and I don't homeschool them anymore so that settles it. I'll take every opportunity to experience any firsts that I can though. Some day there may be grandkids to experience firsts with :)

Blessings In 2012

Here we are after almost a year of not posting anything I thought I might drop you all a line and a picture.We've had a fun and difficult year, but the Lord has brought us to this day and we're stronger in it.



We visited Seattle with our friends one day in December as we have been doing for several years now. It's so fun to go there at Christmas time. This year it was a beautiful, sunny and even warm day. We were carrying our coats and scarves and hats most of the time instead of wearing them.



At the end of the day we saw this beautiful sunset on Commencement Bay





In closing I'll wish you all a Happy New Year and do enjoy God's blessings for you in 2012

My Testimony Part III

Back in August of 2009 I started writing my salvation story. Some readers were asking about the rest of my story. The things that have happened since my salvation. This morning I finally remembered that I haven't posted that yet and it's been a long time.


In short review I was in the Navy & married when I became a Christian in September of 1988. My Husband left me in the Philippines and I had several months without my husband or my navy buddies I had made there before I left for the USA. I made it home to Washington for Christmas of 1989. I had a couple more weeks to finish with the Navy and then I was a civilian again.

I lived with my parents and my sister. Yes, the two of us now in our 30's were living with mom & pop again. It took me a while to find a permanent job and I had a few before I found the one I loved. I dove into helping lead the middle school youth group at the church I grew up in, I went to church and Sunday School and Bible studies. I took a two year course called the Bethel Bible Series.

My sister got married and her husband & her started a church. I started going to their Bible Study and church too. My job as an Activity Assistant at a local care facility for the elderly was going well. I finally moved into my own apartment.

I met a guy named Gary at the Bible Study. He was a long time friend of my BIL. I wasn't interested in him or his brother. He thought I had kids from a previous marriage because my sister and I talked about our nephews alot so he wasn't interested in me.

To shorten the story we started dating in March of 1993 and were married exactly a year later. I moved to the house he had lived in (30 miles from me) and we began going to a church right by our house. We were loved and cared for by this small congregation for 9 years.

We attended Bible Studies together and Gary ran the sound system for the church. We got pregnant right away because I was already 36 by this time. We had a bouncing baby boy on July 1, 1995. I quite my job and stayed home with baby. Twenty months later we had a bouncing baby girl.

The nest was complete. This was our dream. Two kids, first a boy then a girl. I began teaching toddler Sunday School. Gary worked a lot of overtime and changed jobs because he just wasn't getting much time with his family.

I still tried to get to Bible Studies as often as possible, but it was difficult to go out at night with two little ones (my husband worked swing shift). Having to go get the babysitter, pay the babysitter, take the babysitter home again was wearing me out.

We began homeschooling our son after one year of pre-school. We homeschooled for nine years. During those years I wanted a Bible Study to go to so bad. We were attending a Homeschool co-op at a church across town. I was looking at a bulletin board there and saw that they had a Thursday morning women's Bible Study with child care. I attended this Bible Study for 2 or 3 years and the homeschool co-op as well.

I believe the years spent in Bible Study kept me going with the family and homeschooling. I was somewhat stressed out and turning to God and studying His Word has kept me focused and able to help raise our kids to know Him.

One morning I was up early to pray and read the Bible. I felt strongly that I needed to lay prostrate before the Lord. This wasn't something I did. I usually would kneel and lean on a chair, but this day I layed down on my stomach and stretched my arms out to the sides and said, "What is it, Lord?" I waited and the only thing that entered my mind was, "Feed my sheep." I said, "Feed my sheep?"

I thought and prayed about it for a bit and realized it was a confirmation for me to continue Homeschooling and teaching Sunday School. I have been doing so ever since. We have also been a part of Awana for about 11 years now.

During the summer when my Bible Study group didn't meet I attended a Bible Study at the church where we attended Awana. I realized I needed to spend more time with the Lord and began getting up at 5:30am every day. I joined a prayer group on Sunday evenings and my prayer life took off from there. I began to really hear God giving me clear direction on things and made some difficult decisions about how I spent my spare time. I gave up something that took a lot of my time. It was hard to let God have control of all things in my life. It still is.

Our family realized that our sweet little church was getting smaller & smaller & there wasn't much future for our kids in the children's program there. We began attending the church where we attended Awana and transferred over in 2004. Gary joined the sound team there & I began helping in Children's Sunday School and we attended Adult Sunday School classes and Bible Studies.

The thread that weaves throughout my time as a Christian is staying accountable to others in Bible Study groups and Sunday School classes. This has encouraged me to stay in God's Word and be in prayer every day.

To be honest I have been struggling the past couple years. I've been finding it difficult to get up early and read the Bible & pray. I have been teaching Sunday School and leading an Awana group and not attending any Bible Study group or Sunday School. It is obvious that I am a sponge that is running dry and I need a good soaking in God's Word daily to get me back on track.

It is not right to be teaching and not filling myself. I know that my walk is going off the path and I need to find that time with God and get back on the path. I can't even believe I've gone so long without a serious daily quiet time with God. God hasn't moved, but I have and it's time for me to get movin' back to Him.

What's next? you might be asking. It has to be my move toward God. Could you pray for me to set aside the time for God. I know there's no excuse, I just have to step in the right direction.

My Testimony sounds like it ended in sudden death or something, but it hasn't ended. I am on a journey with God and sometimes we make wrong choices when we don't consult God and do what He has clearly told us to do.

I am not going to lose my salvation or faith. God isn't finished with me yet. I will pray and ask God for forgiveness and keep moving forward. God says in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." I still have hope and faith and God's plan for my life. OH HAPPY DAY!!

Christmas Fun 2010

We rode the carousel in Seattle. Weeeee!

We visited the Gingerbread house display. Such creativity & the CANDY!!

Horse and Buggie ride in the rain. Poor driver was out there in the rain. Poor horse was soooo wet. Thank you Mr. Horse & driver for pulling our buggie so nicely through the streets of Seattle in the rain.

Merry Christmas to all & God bless you in the New Year!!

Merry Christmas 2010

"Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
Matthew 2:2

Northwest Trek July 2010

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted. I loaded these pics a long time ago and didn't finish. So here it is, our trip to Northwest Trek with my daughter's friend and his family.

My daughter is in blue and my son is to her left. H's friend from school is on her right with his sister and his mom is in front.

We stayed most of the day and rode the tram to see the range & forest animals and toured the rest on foot. There are some interesting wild animals, not like zoo animals. Many are injured and cannot fly or protect themselves in the wild so they live at NW Trek now. It is nice that we can visit them there.

Heading for the line to board the Tram.

These animals don't seem to mind getting close to the Tram at all so we got some good pictures.











Enjoying some lollipops!!

Our first attempt at a group photo. LOL!!





See Mr. Bear over there?

Mr. Centipede or whatever he was.



In the wolf's den spying on the wolves in their habitat.

The pelts are so soft.





This bird was so cool. It had a leash and was tethered to a long line. The guy set her in the tree and she flew to him for a snack.

Here's the same guy with a Beaver. He showed us how the Beaver washed his tummy and how he swam by giving signals. He said that these animals are not taught tricks. They only teach them signals to get them to do the things they would normally do in the wild. Like the guy rubbed his tummy to get the Beaver to clean his own tummy for us to see. It was so cute!

What a great time we had, walking and talking and seeing wildlife, the beauty of God's creation.

Have a good weekend. BYE!!