On this day in history in 1996

Trevor Douglas Hull entered the world weighing in at 6#'s and was 19" tall. Our first child. Our long awaited one at that. After 2 1/2 years, 2 miscarriages, and 5 months of fertility treatments we finally had one stick :)

I remember being so incredibly happy the day my morning sickness hit because, in my mind, it confirmed that my body was doing what it was supposed to! My pregnancy was great until 21 weeks & the pre-term labor set in. I went on bedrest and he was born 3 weeks early. He was healthy, I was happy to get on my feet again, and daddy and mommy were in love.

Over the years watching him grow I wonder what he'll do with his life when he's an adult. Will he be responsible? Will he be happy? Polite, kind, and most of all love the Lord with all his heart? Praying for his future never stops.

Home schooling him already has been a neat aspect of our relationship. We laugh and get silly. He talks about his feelings more. We're closer and I love it! This is the most relaxed and least anxious I've seen him in YEARS!

God is so good. I'm in awe of how He answers prayer, especially when it's not what you were expecting.

Looking through his baby book for his newborn picture I found my heart welling up inside of me...happy and sad. Sometimes I want those moments back so badly, but watching him grow is such a privilege. His baby book is FULL of my thoughts and pictures of our little family. Seems so long ago, but then again, it doesn't.

Happy Birthday my beautiful boy. I pray God's blessings on your future and that your heart will always be turned toward Him!

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Some fun trivia about this day in history:

1861-Kansas became 34th state of the Union.
1936-U.S.Baseball Hall of Fame elected it's first members which included the Great Bambino, Ty Cobb to mention a couple.
1958-Paul Newman marries Joanne Woodward.
1995 The 49ers become the first team to win 5 Superbowls.

Famous people born on this day:
Oprah, Tom Selleck, Greg Louganis, & Adam Lambert.

The Right Connection

Trevor was just enrolled for science at the Bend Science Station for hands on learning. This was in itself an answer to prayer. I missed the sign up date and the class was full. The only other option was in the late afternoon when Trevor is just finishing his elective class at school. I spoke with the instructor yesterday about our situation, whispered a prayer, and he said he'd see if a student would be willing to move to the afternoon class. Prayer answered...he calls this morning and informed me the switch was made!

The lesson planner and our weekly goals board tell me we're headed in the right direction. I've come up with a program that works for us right now. I've done most of my own research and charted my own path.

I had not yet made contact with a group of homeschool families, although I'd been given a contact through a friend. I decided today was the day to reach out in my feebleness and lack of experience to someone who has been on this road for a long time. Becky is her name. She answered the phone with the sweetest voice. I knew this was going to be good. She was incredibly encouraging and has such a wealth of information to share. The best part, that really blessed my sox off, was at the end she asked me if there was anything I wanted her to pray for. Not only did she bless me, but she taught me a powerful lesson. The impact she had on me was indelible. One that reminds me to be that kind of person to others. Becky doesn't know me, yet she reached out in a way that above all met my need in the deepest, most practical way.

I hung up the phone once again affirmed in this journey. God is good. He delights in my discovery of His blessings all along the way. Today I made the right connection!

A Lesson in Lesson Planning!

"HOW NOT TO START THE WEEK"


I am not big on "Spur-of-the-moment" living. I like to plan. I like to know what is expected of me and what the plan for the day is. I used to think I was the opposite, but I've come to realize if I don't have a plan I am aimless, anxious, and aggravated!

Today was a prime example. We sat down for school and as Trevor is working on one worksheet I am feverishly finding the next one and making a "Plan". I was overwhelmed to say the least. When it was time to work on something I hadn't reviewed ahead of time we both got frustrated because I wasn't clear on what was being asked of him.

Let the tears and feelings of inadequacy flow! And I'm talking the teacher, not the student. Not the best way to start the day.

We muddled through, got some momentum and currently are taking a break after 2 1/2 hours of working on cursive, math, and reading comprehension. History and a multiplication timed test are next.

During the break I wrote out the lesson plan for the week. I feel like I've got my head on straight now! Poor kid. Oh how he needs me to be prepared so he can be successful and feel confident in what he is doing.

"HOW TO START THE WEEK"

It's Tough Being a Woman

I love this title of the Beth Moore Bible Study I've just started. It's all about Esther. I haven't been part of a woman's bible study for 4 years now. My heart strings have been tugged for a few months as God is working on a new season in my life. He impressed upon me that it was time not only to dig into His word with a study, but also to surround myself with Godly women in my community and reach out for new friendships.

The book of Esther teaches us to trust in the promises of God's word even when we can't hear Him or feel His presence. That's faith! That's what I want!

I'm so excited to find out what divine appointments wait for me at every turn of the page!

Reading * Writing * Arithmetic

Back to the basics. I was all over the page last week. I was feeling like I wasn't doing enough on the home school front. This morning it hit me...I'm doing this because we need to back WAY up and re-group.

So, goals were set for the week. Keeping it manageable is key! Mixing in a little fun doesn't hurt. Taking the lead of a fellow home school mom (Thanks Darcy!) we threw in cooking...banana muffins were made. Trevor did all of it while I sat and watched. That's never happened before. Maybe we'll have cooking class more often and he can prep dinner...hmmm there's a thought!

He worked hard today, and it was satisfying to watch him. I know we've made the right decision keeping him home. What a relief!

Monday morning bliss & blues

So I've been able to follow through with getting up by 5:30 during the week for 5 days now. I have to say that I LOVE it!

This morning I had a quiet, fulfilling time in the Word, and got a little bit of office work done. I was a happy girl. Then, I had to wake up the kids. My daughter is a breeze. She loves school, life, being a girl. The oldest boy gets it easy in the morning because the "bell" does not ring around here. The 2nd boy is not a morning person, and really isn't motivated by much. Then there is the 3rd boy. Unpredictable for sure. He has the "Monday morning blues". Woke up in tears. Sobbing tears! I didn't have the patience or time for it. Which breaks my heart now. I didn't get mad, but I wasn't consoling either.

He comes up with the most negative comments. It bothers me. His life isn't good. He doesn't like school. He didn't have any fun this weekend. Ugh! The only thing that ended his downward spiral was my offer to take him to school instead of riding the school bus. Phew! No more tears. He's not happy, but hopefully it was enough to turn his day around.

I get so discouraged at times when I've had such a good morning, and then everyone wakes up. Is that bad? I try to have an open mind to it all. I tell myself God is testing my true nature this way. How will I respond? Will I show grace & love as He shows me every moment of my life?

God has spoken to my heart about this year. The theme is Relationships & Character. More on that later....off to school for the little guy!

Finding Time vs. Making Time

More often than not I find myself in a battle over my time. I'm not the best manager of it either. I'm easily distracted, and find too many irons in the fire with nothing really getting accomplished.

I could make a list of what I'd like to consistently do with my time, but that would be void the minute I wrote it. As I reflect on this past year I can see how God has removed from my life, and given me new direction and desires. I do like change. As long as it doesn't hurt :)

Two things that are always nagging in my mind is my devotional time, and staying caught up with business office work. So, I've finally DECIDED I would get up an hour to and hour and half earlier than I normally do. That means the alarm goes off at 5am and am not allowed to hit the snooze! It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out if I want more time I've got to have more hours in the day.

So far I've done it, and though I hit a wall around 3 it has been a rewarding feeling. The office has been the only thing I've gotten up early for. This afternoon, when Trevor goes to school, I will have an empty, quiet house for devotions.

Like Peter Brady sang, "When it's time to change, you've got to re-arrange!"

Battle of the Wills!

Today was our official first day of homeschooling. The 2 weeks before Christmas break were to get our feet wet.

We started with typing practice and a math game. Those went just fine. Then I broke out the Reading Comprehension workbook. Yikes! In my mind I thought we'd read the story together and then I would help him with the questions at the end. I believe it is important to read out loud and I told him I'd read a paragraph then he would read. Wow! That didn't go as planned. He wouldn't read. Refused. Folded his arms and just sat there. I thought to myself, "Remain calm, he is testing you"!

As I watched the minutes tick by I finally said he'd have to pay back those lost minutes with chores that no one wants to do (i.e. clean up after the dog, scrub toilets..you get the picture). Still nothing! Finally I got up and walked away all the while staying calm, but really not sure how to handle the defiance.

After 10 minutes I told him to put his shoes on and go outside to clean up after the dog. He finally said, "I don't feel comfortable reading out loud"! SHEESH! Really? It took all of that threatening and stuborness to get here?

So, in all my wisdom I said he could read it to himself and answer all the questions by himself unless he asked for help. SUCCESS! He needed a little help but did the reading and the work focused and without a fuss.

O.K., so this was a HUGE learning experience for me today! He doesn't need mommy by his side every moment. I also need to have more confidence in his own abilities. I am such a control freak and I hover too much sometimes.

Tomorrow will have it's troubles of it's own, but I intend to "Keep Calm & Carry On"!