Florida Fun!

Here is a "snapshot" of our 9 day vacation/family reunion in Florida. We had so much fun and did so many new things. Hope you enjoy the pics :)

Our little bubby up in the storage bin... :) ....we couldn't resist!

One day at the bay at our campground Max decided he needed to experience climbing for coconuts. Thanks to his very tall cousin, he succeeded! He seriously could have been born on an island - he's a natural :)

This was our first time meeting our new cousin, Iranzi. What a cutie pie he was. He was an orphan in Rwanda and now lives with our Aunt and Uncle as their new baby boy. Can't wait to see him in 2 more years!

One of the days we went on an airboat ride in the Everglades. It was really fun - went out to the middle, had a picnic dinner and watched the sun set, then rode back in the dark and froze our tails off!!

My birthday happened to fall over the vacation....this was my best birthday ever! I never get sun and warm water in December!! We spent the day splashing around and soaking up the rays!

We rented 2 person kayaks and a canoe and went out exploring Manatee Bay. We saw 2 dolphins, 5ft long iguanas, and many different birds.

Here are 2 huge iguanas facing off on a limb above our heads!!

Here are Max and Mitch taking a fishing trip with Cousin Dave out in the bay. Mitch caught a little one, but threw it back. Both of them got to steer the boat and loved it.

On the way home, back in our car after 12 hours of travel time....worn out kiddos!

There are so many more pics...but, a blog can only go so far :) Grateful for family who loves us and for times of rest. And mostly for the One above who made it all possible.

No Stress Chess

Ever wished you knew how to play chess? Or thought it was way too complicated to learn? Or maybe it was only for those "right brained people" out there? Well, I have found a game that is for you! It's called No Stress Chess and it has taught my 6, 8, and 10 yr old and my husband all to play chess in the last week! They now don't need the No Stress Chess board, but can play "real" chess just like a pro. And yesterday at Thanksgiving Dinner they even taught Grandma to play - something she thought was impossible :)

We picked it up at Barnes and Noble, but I'm sure you can find it anywhere. I would highly recommend this game for the entire family! Not only is it fun, yes, actually fun, but it is so great for developing that right side of the brain....for those of us that are challenged in that area :) (I am talking specifically about myself here!!)

My Little Sketchers...And I'm Not Talking About Shoes...

Part of our curriculum calls for weekly nature hikes and a sketch pad. This was our first official week of home school so we ventured out to CJD Gardens, not far from our home. They have an amazing dahlia field full of every color bloom you can imagine. So, we took our blanket, snacks and sketch books and the children all chose their flower and went sketching. The pictures were so cute, I just couldn't help but post...though I am a biased mommy.

Ruby, 5

Kayla, 10

Max, 8

Mitch, 6

Grateful for every opportunity to do something new with my children.

Meet Christina; Friend, Mom, Author

When Christina asked me to be a part of her blog tour of course I jumped at the chance....then I thought, "Oh no! there will be so many writers or aspiring writers that will probably cringe at my writing skills!" So, I will apologize at the beginning and pray you will graciously overlook any faux pas that may show up.

With that said, I'm excited to introduce you to my wonderful friend and debuting author, Christina Berry! I have known Christina now for over 10 years and our daughters and sons have been close friends as well. Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, releases from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!

Well, Christina I really want to give the readers a sneak peak into your life as a mom. I know that is such a priority for you and I'm sure so many people wonder how you do it all. So, here goes.

What are your favorite things about being a mom?

Seeing my bad qualities play out in their mimicking. Oh, wait, that's my LEAST favorite! I love when they spontaneously recognize something that could only come from God. I love watching them be kind to each other. As the older ones have grown (my oldest is 10), I enjoy watching them try new things and become closer to who God is making them to be.

I also like that I have the authority to make them brush my hair or give me a back rub. hehe

What is the biggest thing God has taught you regarding motherhood?

That I have no control. I've been learning this for the last six years. As a type A, I want the house in perfect order, the children dressed nicely, activities well-planned out and timely, etc ... Following the call to write had already caused me to compromise on some of those issues, but my recent divorce was what really cemented this realization.

Not that I've experienced this, but when their dad picks them up for a visit, it feels like they are going off to college or something. They are entering an unknown environment where they are responsible for making responsible, moral decisions all on their own. The first time they were gone, I was struck particularly by the fact that they are their own people, separate from me. After carrying them for months, nursing them, nurturing them ... they exist apart from me.

And while I have no control over what happens with them during those times, God has His hand on them. What a relief to be able to put them securely in His protection and not worry or fret. That's been a HUGE learning experience for me.

How has being a mom prepared you to write?

I can multitask! Moms can balance the checkbook, schedule dance class, supervise room cleanup, and cook an excellent dinner at the same time. A writer has to be able to keep track of characters, focus on the ultimate goal even when it seems like such little progress is being made, market, blog, network, and somehow prime the creative pump.

If you had any advice for a mom (with children in the house) who wanted to begin writing, what would it be?

Make sure you know it's what God wants you to do. When the house is falling apart, the kids are begging for some playtime, the fridge is empty, and the car is out of gas ... the only thing that will keep you writing is the assurance that you have been called to it by God.

Set firm boundaries around your work time, but also set firm boundaries around your family time. They definitely come first. Which doesn't mean you cater to them during writing time, but they need to know the writing is for the betterment of your family--whether that be from income or just having a more satisfied, fulfilled mom.

I know one writer who sets the timer for 15 minutes. If her preschoolers leave her alone for that long, she will stop and play a game with them. Then she resets the timer and they do it over again.

One more just for fun question....How many days total have you had bed rest between both your children??!

Andrea's labor lasted all of three hours from first contraction to delivery in the "oh she's a young mom and isn't really in labor 6 1/2 weeks early" side exam room with no doctor present, so no bed rest there.

Joshua's grand total was 62 days! We're talking flat on the back, even for eating. Only occasional quick showers allowed. Talk about heartburn! And he was still born 7 1/2 weeks early.Obviously, I'm not highly skilled at the pregnancy thing! Birthing a book is a lot easier. :)
Thanks, Christina, so much for answering all those questions! I know someone will have been inspired either in their journey in motherhood or their careers are writers. Here are a few more details regarding Christina's work and a peek into the book...make sure get yours soon! They are now available to order at your local book store or at http://www.amazon.com/

Her work has also appeared in The Secret Place, The Oregonian, and Daily Devotions for Writers. ( And here are all the places you can find Christina...)

http://www.ashberrylane.net/ http://www.authorchristinaberry.blogspot.com/ http://www.ashberrylane.net/

You can also sign up for her infrequent, humorous newsletter at www.ashberrylane.net/update.aspx

Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise . . . if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, discover dark secrets. What will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?

Be sure to check out Patricia Woodside's blog at http://readinnwritin.blogspot.com/ tomorrow to learn more crazy facts about my friend...and don't forget to leave your comments...for every comment you leave on this tour your name will be entered into a drawing and 10 blessed winners will receive a copy of The Familiar Stranger! There will be a total of 20 books given away during the entire tour so don't miss a day and leave a comment for your chance to win!!

Farmstead Days at Champoeg Park

Today our family went to Champoeg Park, just outside of Newberg, for their Farmstead Days. Three hours of FUN and learning for only $3 (parking pass)....you can't beat that price for 6 people :)

The children got to experience many hands on tools, techniques and trades. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what it involves.

Here Max is experiencing some blacksmithing techniques. He's learning how to make nails!

Here Tad and Mitch are learning how to thresh wheat with their hands...then we all learned how they really used to harvest the wheat :)

On the grounds is a beautiful garden and I had never seen these before...I learned they were called "Love Lies Bleeding" flowers. They are gorgeous, though after learning their names, it seemed such a sad flower to gaze at.

Some of our friends got to come with us and here is Kayla with her friend Mia, sporting their 1800's clothing. 

Today we were grateful for sunshine during the 3 hours that we were there! 

Delight-Directed Study

As we've spent the last year homeschooling and are heading into our 2nd year, we have been trying to find a delight-directed study for each of our children. What is delight-directed? Simply finding your child's natural passion for something and helping guide them into more specific study of that particular love. Why would we want to do this? I think God puts in each of us gifts that are unique to our personalities....though sometimes they go undiscovered. Our job as parents is to help them find that gift, that passion and then guide them and help them grow in that area. 

You may be thinking that your child doesn't have a passion for anything, or maybe they have a passion for everything. If you are vigilant it's only a matter of time before you will see certain qualities that keep cropping up in your child's life. Then to help foster this passion it will undoubtedly take your sacrifice of time, patience, money, space in your house. But, as we've seen other families do this with their now adult children we are convinced that the sacrifice is worth the blessing. 

To put this in practical terms here is what we are doing with our oldest daughter at the time. She is 10 and has a love for taking photographs. Not only does she have a love for it, she has such an artistic eye for it. We started out by giving her our older digital cameras - she had 2 of them. She took them everywhere with her. She would take hundreds of pictures and then love to show them ALL to us :) Now, I must admit my own camera has been abdicated from my possession most of the time. And her next question is, "mom, how much so the BIG cameras cost? Yunno, the ones that hang around your neck and weigh a lot?" 

We have found some photography books for her to study and are trying to find a photography class or a photographer that she could spend some time with and learn from. We are talking to her about how she can use this skill in her future and how she can bless others with it; how it's a gift from God.

We are still working on our younger children and are excited to see what their passions will be as they get older and how we can help them grow into the gifts they have been given. 

Here are a few of Kayla's pictures she's captured of flowers from our property. These are a few of my favorites that look like they could be on the front of a card...of course I'm the mom and am a little biased :) 

Grateful for others who have gone before me in this journey called parenting and have given me a vision for cultivating our children's gifts. 

Ape Caves Adventures

Yesterday we went to Ape Caves for an adventure. If you've never been there and you are ok with complete dark and not afraid of being down in an underground tunnel for an hour and a half in 45 degree temperatures, then this is for you!! 

Of course we went down the "difficult" tunnel and we loved it! We only had to talk one of our children (identity cannot be revealed) out of 2 small panic attacks, but other than that it was so much fun! 

God's power is so amazing and we are so grateful to be able to witness some of the truly unique pieces of nature that He has made for us to enjoy. 

Getting ready to head down into the tunnel. Everyone had head lamps and warm clothes.

One of the many little caves off of the tunnel that the children found and explored as we made our way through.

Oops! Forgot to turn this pic! Here's little Ruby climbing her way up....she won the "climber of the day award"!! She was amazing climbing up sometimes very high and dangerous rocks with NO fear! 

Here we are at the end of the tunnel. We made it!! Our feet were tired and sore from walking on rough lava rocks for such a long time and we were glad to see light at the end of the tunnel!

On our way back down the mountain (1.5 mile hike) we found some more little caves and tunnels to explore.