Early September

Written by Rachel, September 18, 2013

In my life this week…
I am going to try writing these weekly updates again, because they help me "get the ball rolling" and help me to put my thoughts into words.  I just work better with some structure.  The first few weeks of the school year have been so busy I have not been posting much of anything and my initial purpose in writing this blog was to create a journal of our home school adventures!

Tuesday, September 17, marked 20 years since my Daddy passed away.  I always think of him when the cool, but sunny weather rolls around in September.  We miss him greatly, but have the hope of joining him in the presence of Jesus, someday.  Here is the post that I wrote about it, A Tribute to my Dad:  Twenty Years.

In our homeschool this week…

We are working on Week 3 of Classical Conversations, Cycle 2.  We read about the Crusades today, studied Latin verb endings in the Imperfect tense, reviewed some European geography, and are working on memorizing the first three verses of Ephesians 6:1.  In Essentials we are just beginning to parse and diagram sentences again, along with lots of memory work with our English Grammar charts.  The children are both writing stories this week and they are coming up with some crazy variations of "The Fox and the Crow" that are turning out to be fun to write and read! :)

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
My dyslexic son LOVES to read on his iPod.  He definitely prefers it to a real, paper book.  I prefer the "real" books, so I don't always understand the appeal of reading a book on a screen.  Maybe this article is part of the explanation!  The article is entitled E-readers May Help Dyslexics Read More Easily, by Linda Carroll, and I saw it shared on Facebook today.  The article gives some great reasons that support the use of e-readers for dyslexic readers.

My favorite thing this week was… 
...my new iPhone 5s!  My husband REALLY wanted me to get up early and drive to the store about 30 minutes away where we could stand in line for a brand new iPhone.  I am glad he convinced me to do it -  I'm loving the new camera!  It's outstanding.

I am reading ...
The Story, which is a narrative version of the Bible.  I am actually leading a new Bible study group during our church-wide study of this book.  Some people in the group are just getting to know each other, but we have already had some good discussions about Creation, Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob.  I just enjoy the book of Genesis because it is chock full of the history of God's people.

I am grateful for... 

My family.  No two families are alike and no family is perfect!  However, while thinking about my Dad and celebrating my grandmother's 91st birthday this week, I am thankful for a family that has always cared about me.  I have been blessed with really good parents and grandparents, sisters, aunts and uncles, and cousins, and my awesome husband and his wonderful family, many of whom know and love the Lord!

I am praying for...

A friend, Barb, who suffered a massive stroke last weekend.  Always cheerful, happy, and ready to laugh, our friend Barb is in the Neuro. ICU right now and we pray for a miraculous healing for her and her family.

Hop on over to the Hip Homeschool Hop, The Homeschool Mother's Journal, Collage Friday,  and Weekly Wrap-up.  Have a great week!
Rachel