Happy Memorial Day

I would like to take this time to thank all service men and women who have served or are serving in the military. Thank you for your sacrifice and for the freedom that my family and I enjoy.

We ended up celebrating today with a cookout with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. We set up horseshoes and took a drive out to Melton Hill Dam.

I love patriotic celebrations. I love decorating in red, white and blue. I love fireworks and summer time cookouts with all the trimmings and family gathered together. I'm proud to be an American and want to instill that in our children. I pray that we never forget those who have made this freedom possible.

Happy Memorial Day everyone. May you be blessed today and everyday.

Holiday Plans

So this weekend is Memorial weekend and I'm still not sure what we are going to do. Our family loves traditions and to be honest we really don't have a Memorial Day tradition. This is our first Memorial weekend here in TN, so I'm looking to find out what is cheap and available for a family our size. The kids love parades so we may see if we can find one and we do usually have a cook out.

Anyone familiar with this area have any suggestions? Or maybe you can share with me what some of your plans or traditions are for this holiday weekend. So, what are you up to this weekend?

Peek a Boo

Peek a Boo

There he is!

When we were all packing up to head out to NC our oldest son was watching Joshua for us. Josiah comes into our bedroom to show us Christiana's backpack. I thought he was showing us that she was all packed until I looked more closely at it's contents. Joshua actually loved being in there and didn't even seem to want to get out afterwards. We all thought it was cute and I thought I would share it with you as well.

Could it be...

Yep, two lines mean positive. Number 8 is on the way :)

Push ups, and Flower Boxes - Not Me Monday

As most of you know my family and I were in NC this past week due to the death of my brother-in-law. While at the visitation my three year old son, Matthew, saw a four year old girl speaking to his one year old cousin and quickly informed the little girl that she shouldn't be talking to his cousin. A few moments later we, my sister and I, looked over to see Matthew talking sweetly to the little girl, we figured he must have wanted her attention to himself. A moment later I did NOT look again to see Matthew doing push ups for the little girl in the middle of the floor of the family visitation room. He did NOT draw the attention of most people in the room. My children know how to behave in public places and would NEVER think of doing push ups in public, let alone at a funeral home.

A couple of days later we were staying at my Dad's house. My Dad loves to garden and enjoys planting flower beds. So my Dad and I did NOT look out on the porch and see my wonderful children digging tunnels through his flower box on the front porch. My children did NOT look like deer caught in headlights when we found them. And we did NOT all enjoy a good laugh after my Dad jokingly got onto them and then admitted that that box was empty and no seeds were planted there.

We did enjoy our visit home with family even though the circumstances for our visit were regrettable. We are now glad to be home and ready to get back on track so we can finish out this school year. I would like to thank everyone for your prayers and condolences during this time for my sister and her family. She is doing well and I ask that when she comes to mind that you will continue to lift her up in prayer. Thank you.

In Loving Memory

This post is in loving memory of my brother-in-law, Mark Walker. Mark found out in February that he had cancer, internal melanoma. He passed away Saturday, May 15 around 3 pm. He leaves behind his wife (my sister), Donna and four children, Bethany 18, Brandon 14, Makenzie 8, and Naomi 4 months old. His viewing will be at Ridge Funeral Home in Asheboro, Tuesday from 6-8 pm. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 pm at Amity Hill Baptist in Asheboro.

Mark was the kind of guy that seemed shy and quiet, until you got to know him. He enjoyed laughing and cutting up with you. He loved camping and he and his family would take their camper out quiet often to enjoy camping together. He had a talent at making wooden furniture and could often be found in his workshop building something.

Mark will be greatly missed. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated during this time for his family and friends.

Our Garden

Zucchini

Greenbeans

Lettuce

I am excited to report that my garden is growing nicely. Everything we planted has come up and we are so excited. Since I don't have a nice little raised garden and it's the first year having a garden in this spot, we have weeds to keep up with. As much as my garden veggies have loved all our rain, so have the weeds. Now just to keep up with the weeding. But never fear, there are plenty of us to do weeding and it will be well worth it. We all love gardening and can't wait to harvest our crops. To all of you out there with a garden also, Happy Gardening :)

Learning at an Early Age - Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Just Curious

When I started blogging at the beginning of the year this year my intent was to encourage other families as they raise their families and to answer questions anyone may have for me and my family. I have received comments from some of you about how you have enjoyed some of my posts and how you have started doing things with your family because you read about it here.

I'm just a little curious as to how many people check out my blog and/or my facebook page. If you stop by here to read what we are up to, please let me know by leaving a comment either here on my blog or on my facebook page.

I pray that I may be able to encourage you to seek God's will in your life, help you realize that children are a blessing and that homeschooling is not impossible in a large family. So be sure to let me know by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading them. Be blessed and have a great day.

Joy in Serving

Matthew fell asleep in the ice cream jeep, he had walked with me and covered a lot of ground for a little guy.

Christiana helping sign up kids for VBS

Josiah and Kaitlyn handing out ice cream

Our church VBS ice cream trailer

I'm always looking for opportunities for my children to learn to serve. I want them to be so use to serving others that it is a natural part of who they are and what they do. Our church is signing up kids for our Gigantic Vacation Bible School. We take free ice cream into neighborhoods that we send buses to during the week of VBS and sign up the kids there who are planning to attend. It has been so much fun to be out there meeting kids and signing them up. My younger children ride in the back of the ice cream trailer and help to hand out ice cream to all the kids that come to them while others of us go around signing up kids.

We went for the first time on Saturday and my children loved it so much they were actually asking me to take them again. It blessed my heart that they had fun and were willing to do something that can be difficult to get adults to do. I'm so proud of my children and pray that they will come to love serving in any way that is needed. In the meantime we will be going to help with VBS sign up as much as we can until VBS starts.

What ways can you find to serve and to teach your children to serve with a willing heart?

Thirsty - Not Me Monday

Not Me – Being brutally honest and living to tell about it.

Yesterday, after being out in the sun for four hours helping sign up kids for our Gigantic VBS, we were all quite tired, thirsty and glad to be home. Once we were home everyone got their fill of water and re-hydrated themselves. I did Not assume that since Joshua had been carried on my back in the Ergo that he didn't need much water. And while fixing supper that night I did Not look over and see this...

I definitely did Not grab the camera first instead of removing my son from drinking water from the dog's bowl, I am much more responsible than that. I also would Not even think of posting it in my blog, that would be way too embarrassing. No Not me :)

Our Trip to Fort Sanders

Our group from church minus adults and my little guy

Abraham Lincoln reciting The Gettysburg Address

Confederate soldier showing us his pack

Southern Lady

Union soldier explaining the fort

Yesterday I took our kids to Fort Sanders for a field trip. It was in an open field with a recreated version of the fort. It was a very warm day, but not unbearable. We got the opportunity to listen to a confederate soldier and to approach the fort as they did when the original battle took place. He explained, as we approached, at what point we began taking hits from cannons, then a little closer and we would have had to climb over sharpened twigs and branches then at what point they would have begun tripping over wires and taking fire from the union guns. As we approached the fort we were told that the confederates thought the ditch in front was only three feet deep, only to find out once they got there it was about 6-8 ft. deep. Once they entered the ditch they either had to make an impossible climb up the wall or on up the other side which was about 21-27 ft. high with the union army at the top. It was basically suicide for the confederates. An amazing sight to see in person and to walk through.

We also listened to the union commander and soldiers talk about their part in the battle, and some interesting facts about what they had to eat and how they set up camp as they moved about and so forth. We met a southern lady and she explained the clothing she wore and all the layers and why and showed us a few games from that time period. We listened to another soldier as he told us about ammunition and guns of the time. Then at the end we were led back to the fort where we watched a cannon blast listened to Abraham Lincoln recite the Gettysburg Address. Afterwards we had a picnic lunch then headed home.

It was a great day. I was amazed, later at home as I questioned the kids on what they remembered and what was their favorite part, as to how much they learned and remembered about our trip. Even the little guys remembered quite a bit. I learned a lot too. It was an interesting day for everyone.

If you are interested in learning more about Fort Sanders you can visit their website at www.battleoffortsanders.com. They will be doing a battle reenactment in October of this year, I'm planning to try to go.

I took the kids to the Lenoir City Museum Tuesday as a field trip to help prepare them for todays field trip to Fort Sanders. I found out that before the army headed over to Fort Sanders they had spent some time in Lenoir City and thought it was interesting enough to check it out. The older kids seemed more interested than the younger ones but as you can see from the pic above of Matthew with his book he did find something interesting.

I love taking the kids out to real places that history happened. It just brings it all to life for them. Which is one of the reasons I love homeschooling so much, we can take as many field trips as we want.

So we are excited about Fort Sanders today and I think I'm just as excited as the kids, if not more :)

Helping With Dinner - Wordless

Wordless Wednesday

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Making Time

One of the questions I've been asked when people find out I have seven children is "How do you find time to spend with each of them individually?" Well, I make time in my day. For instance, I spend 30 minutes of one on one time with each child during school hours. Each day I walk for exercise for 30 minutes. Each day a different child gets to go walking with me. I also try to find moments throughout my day to spend a little time with someone; cooking, folding laundry, a quick trip to the store etc.

I love each of my children dearly and love spending time with them individually. Even though we are all one family there are so many wonderful personalities that make up each of us. My children make me laugh and they are fun to be around.

I encourage you to make time in your day to spend with your children individually as well. It will be fun for you and them.

Day at the Zoo

Jim and the boys watching the rhinos

A snake we found on the path (not part of an exhibit)

Our kids feeding the camels

Jim showing the kids bamboo

Friday we went to visit the Knoxville Zoo for the first time since we moved here. It was so much fun. Jim had the day off from work so we all went together. I love the zoo and our kids love it as well. I am a little partial to the NC Zoo since I grew up near the zoo and even worked there one summer, but I just love zoos in general. We went ahead and got an annual pass so we will be able to go anytime we just feel like getting out of the house and doing something. The great thing about the pass is that when I go visit my family in NC we can visit the zoo there because our membership covers admission there as well.

We had a great time here at the Knoxville Zoo. The weather was perfect, there's plenty of shade, a great kids play area, petting zoo and more. Now that we've gone and the kids know we have a pass they are already begging me to take them back as soon as possible. I love that they enjoy going because they are learning and don't even realize it. I see future picnics there as well, since you can take food in to this park. I can't wait myself. I get as excited as the kids about going. We are looking forward to many more days at the zoo this year.

What are some places that you enjoy going and taking your kids?