It's the 6th month...otherwise known as Elul.

First of all...how do you even say it?!  Eeelul?  Eloool?  sigh...Good thing we are going to start learning Hebrew this year...

Soooo what's so great about THIS month?  Well, it's the last month of the Jewish year....next month we start over in our Torah portions, back at the very beginning of the Bible.  The 6th month is a month of looking back over the year and making wrongs right, and extending forgiveness to those who have hurt us, whether it was intentional or not.  What a perfectly good way to start the new year, eh?  Starting with a clean slate...starting at B'resheet, the beginning.  This is the first year we have observed the Feasts of Yahweh.  And so far, I have not remembered to blow my shofar every morning when I wake up this month.  It's something I'd like to remember, simply so that I'm reminded to think about the past years and people that I've hurt.  It's kind of like wearing tzitzits...just to remind us of how Yahweh has commanded us to live.  Because I love Him, I want with all my heart to obey Him and I'm overwhelmed sometimes at the grace He extends as I seek Him and learn how He wants me to live and honor Him...I often feel like a little toddler learning to walk...very unsteady and lacking balance at times, and then sometimes being able to run wildly until I hit a wall...sigh.



What have you been up to this month in preparation of the Feast of Trumpets?

Time to think about school again...already!!?

Yup...what a weird year!  this summer has been blissfully cool to me and while I enjoy the coolness of Aug. (that seems very odd to write as Aug. is usually our HOT month!) I am starting to feel the cooling of the air and feel a long Autumn coming upon us.  This is my favorite season of all...the crunch of the leaves, the smells of dried out plants/trees.  I feel very content during the Fall season.  I think too it is because we are more structured once we start up bookwork again.  We actually have a schedule and it's not just "do what you want" days...lol 

And so,  I've been having fun the last couple of weeks and buying our curriculum for the year...here is what it looks like so far!

We will be doing Teaching Textbooks 4 for math this year.
For language arts we are sticking with School of Tomorrow using their English and Word Building paces.
For the rest of learning this year we will be using the Prairie Primer and reading through The Little House on the Prairie series and learning all about homesteading and how to do things without all the modern conveniences!  I think I will have fun with this one!

We will also be learning Hebrew this year as well. Using this program, Silas and I will be learning to read Hebrew together and Shyla will join us as we learn to speak Hebrew.  I love how the language sounds...like music...sigh...

AND because we are in a small town we won't be doing Awana this year, but I found this awesome program that will take it's place, it's called the Keeper's Club.  Which will also tie in very nicely with the Prairie Primer because it encourages learning skills like archery and knot tying instead of just being entertained with games! lol  It also encourages lots of Bible memory as well.  I'm all for that!

I *think* that's all I have lined up for the year...oh yeah, Silas will also be doing handbells and PE class this year!  Not to mention all the field trips!  But I don't know what those field trips are yet...lol  I'll blog about them as they happen! lol

That's about it for now...I'm not thinking about schooly school again until it's time to start planning our weeks...and so until after the long weekend, I will simply wait for all my curriculum to show up and then we have fun!!!

Moved and Settling....

Wow, we're all moved into our new place and trying to sort through and unpack the boxes....which is going rather slow because my little independent one yr old is acting out a bit by going from one room to the next being a whirlwind tornado leaving a disaster in a matter of seconds!  Seriously, I now understand why there are "mommy's helpers" for hire!!! 



The move went well, we hired movers, but they could only take about 3/4 of our stuff...sigh.  We do a better job packing a truck full, but then we're not as careful as they were and pack it pretty tight.  So the move ended up dragging from Sunday all through Friday....Friday being the day we did the walk thru and left the keys on the Stove and forgot our expensive milk in the fridge...sigh.



 Friday is also the day that while I was sweeping out the garage, Jamie and the kids made a final dump run before loading up the last tiny bit of outdoor things to be moved.  While at the dump, Jamie lost his footing and fell out of the back of the truck and landed on his head and right shoulder.  He tore a ligament in his shoulder and broke his left thumb!  So his right arm is supposed to be in a cast and his left thumb, wrist and forearm are in a cast with pins holding his thumb together...right now he's in tons of pain and is hopped up on Tylenol 3's with caffeine and codeine...oy....and yet extra strength ibuprofen works better for him.  Weird...lol



Today is a somewhat "normal" day.  We are trying to find a routine even though we are still in unpacking mode.  The kids and I need some semblance of normal.  A schedule of some sort so we know what is happening with our day, this will eliminate a lot of meltdowns and unmet expectations.



That's the update for today.  Check out my other blog for an update on my thoughts about birthdays!

Birthdays...to do or not to do?

So I've been thinking lots and lots about birthdays this year...wondering about the history of them.  I can't find any positive mention of them in Scripture...just a few very negative mentions of birthdays where those in leadership had people killed in honor of their birthdays ....  check out this link about birthdays and tell me what you think?  I don't think we'll be going nuts on birthdays anymore, but we will still certainly honor the birthday person on their day....just not with gifts or cake and candles!!