That's My Boys

This is for the grandmothers, and since it has pictures of the boy it gets a bigger picture! This weekend was Family Weekend at Lubbock Christian University.  The girls and I were up at 4:45am to hit the road and get out of town before heavy traffic.  We made it into Lubbock right after chapel at 10:30.

Caleb was already done with classes for the day; he has Greek and Hermenuetics on Fridays but they are early morning classes.  We were able to take him out for lunch and spend the day together. This evening the drama department at the school presented the musical 'Into the Woods' and did a fabulous job!  There are a few tag lines in the performance that the 'truth is up to you' which I fundamentally disagree with because there are absolutes that God has established.  Many people spend their lives trying to justify their behavior rather than accepting that it is not in accordance to God's laws.  I wish as a Christian college they could have changed this mis-information, but there may have been contractual issue with they play write that the 'bad writing' couldn't be altered. But I digress! 

We had a great visit with the boys and enjoyed catching up on the last seven weeks.   I love seeing Caleb and Richard as young men taking on life and responsibilities.  Richard was setting up the movies in the dorms for the evening and Caleb was tutoring two kids in Algebra while we were there. They are successfully navigating classes, laundry, jobs, club life, student leadership, etc., it's just so fun to watch!  

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 4

Blessed Friendships

This was a day of celebration, after all, it's not every day that a girl turns 19!  Tonight we joined Ms. Kathy and the Baileys to celebrate Hannah's birthday.  It was really warm to be able to be included, as moms, with the girls celebration. 

Of course there was cake and presents but there was also lots of laughter.  We watched the newest Jane Austen movie, Love & Friendship based on her book Lady Susan.  Which I highly recommend, it's very clever and witty! 

The girls also watched an episode of Full House with the volume muted and filled in the dialog for the characters, which was laugh out loud, side splitting comedy. It was a wonderful evening celebrating Hannah's special day.  

Hannah is one of those rare friends who is good at everything she does and so incredibly humble.  She is hard working and diligent, kind-hearted to all, and incredibly gracious, even to those who aren't so honorable to her.  It is a friendship that Gracie and Abigail are so fortunate to have! 

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.  Ephesians 4:29

Be Prepared to Give an Answer

Our PEACH friends headed to the Plano Courthouse tonight to support one of our home schooled friends.  But not to worry there are no felons among us!  Abigail's sweet friend Mikayla has joined Plano Teen Court.

Teen court is a volunteer program that allows juvenile, 13-18 years old, Class C misdemeanor offenders to pay for their citation by completing community service hours. 

Defendants' cases are presented to a jury of their peers. Volunteer teen attorneys will represent the defendant. Teen jurors assign community service hours according to the discipline grid. Upon successful completion, the case is dismissed. 

MiKayla has volunteered in past years as a juror but this year she began serving as an attorney. We were able to watch her give opening and closing remarks while defending her client who was charged with exceeding the speed limit in a school zone.  The jury of peers was lenient on the community service hours given to her client, no doubt because of her excellent defense! 

And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 

Acts 19:33 

Making Time for Training

Abigail got in a little more softball this week by picking up with another team, the Texas Elite.  They are a 16U team who were playing in a tournament this weekend in Arlington.  Abigail and her friend Sarah offered a little pitching and catching support for the team.  

The teams for in two games before the rain finally won out.  The girls seemed content to hold out at a local Whatburger hoping for the best, but the rain never let up. 

He trains my hands for war,

    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

2 Samuel 22:35

Choose This Day

In addition to the Sixth Floor Museum's permanent exhibit, which tells the story of President Kennedy’s assassination and its impact, they have 2 special temporary exhibits.  Our PEACH homeshoolers headed to the museum to tour the museum with special emphasis on the two special exhibits.  

The first special exhibit is: A Time For Greatness: The 1960 Kennedy Campaign.  It’s a special election year exhibit about one of the closest elections in U.S. history, Kennedy’s victory over Richard Nixon in 1960. It's an in-depth look at what is often considered to be the first modern day presidential campaign—noted for being the first election to feature a televised debate, the first to include all 50 states and the first to elect a president born in the 20th century.

There is also a look at campaigning wives and how potential first ladies impacted their husbands run for president.  The museum offers educators guides for the classroom.  It was a great addition to our election curriculum as we move closer to the November election.  You can tell the girls enjoyed their visit, it won't be long until they are old enough to vote! 

Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.  Exodus 18:21

'Arty On Girls

It was another fun Teen Homeschool Workshop at the Dallas Museum of Art. Today was Larger than Life with a look at Swiss artist Nicolas Party transformation of the DMA’s Concourse with a bright and almost Seussical mural. 

In this workshop, the teen looked at artists who create larger-than-life artwork. In the classroom Abigail, Katrina and other teens created large-scale drawings working with oil paint sticks.  

I love that the DMA lets the youth explore different mediums and venues.  The oil paint sticks, like cray pas are one of my favorites for out door scenery. 

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10

Firm Foundations

Time for another Teen Bible Study with our PEACH group. They had another big turnout for our Answers in Genesis DVD study.  

My girl tried not to take pictures during the Bible Study so I don't have good group shots.  But these are fun pics from after the study.  

The kids also celebrated Kayla's 16th birthday tonight with cookie brownies for all! 

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Oh, Snap!

Time for the yearbook staff to meet up and dole out assignments!  Yes, home schoolers have yearbooks, in our case PEACH our homeschooling group represents about 250+ families. 

PEACH offers so many programs for our families and each group is represented in our yearbook.  Great gatherings like:

70+ field trips each school year

American Heritage Girls

Bi-Monthly Meetings

Classical Book Club

End of the School Year Picnic

Girl Scouts

Homecoming Dance

Jr. / Sr. Club (16-19 yr olds) 

Jr. Toastmaster Club

Mom Heart Group (Sally Clarkson Books)

Mom’s Night Out

Monthly meetings

Park Pals

Prom

Recital

Running Club

Science Fair

Spelling Bee

Technology Club

Teen Bible Study (Answers in Genesis DVD study)

Teen Pizza 

Trail Life 

Yearbook Club

There will also be special family pages, and the youth will layout the yearbook and be responsible for selling advertising.  Tonight the kids got their assigned pages and discussed advertising.  

I'm sure it comes as a shock that my girl is interested in photography and page layout comes as a huge shock, not! She's loved the publishing and digital imaging classes she's taken, so this is right up here alley! Plus, hanging out with sweet friends is an added bonus!  

The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.  

Proverbs 10:7

Kyodai Panther Ball

So you send the boy to college for a higher education, so you know  he's busy studying and spending time in the library.  Or he could be with his club, Kyodai, playing Panther Ball.  

What's Panther Ball?  Well, the Panther is the mascot for Kyodai and what this really means is that they are playing a version of ultimate Frisbee with a dead squid.  

A few things I did not know until after I called him today: 1) you buy dead squids at the Asian food market; 2) Squid have orange blood!   

The guys went out a bought half a dozen squid for the afternoon's activities.  It was a recruiting event for the club with the new Freshman. It sounded like they all had a good time.  Caleb said he wore gross clothes because they smell so bad after the game.  He pitched his jeans and shirts.  Good to hear our college dollars are being well spent! 

“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea”  Genesis 1:26

Brotherly Love

Caleb called to check in today and some where in the conversation with the girls he mentioned that he was out of brownies.  He said he generally leaves his dorm room propped open a little with a bowl of the girls home baked goodness to share.  

His R.A. put in a request for chocolate chip cookies.  The girls filled Caleb's box with plenty of snacks and fun.  They topped it off with several dozen cookies. 

The girls decorated the box with "You're 1 Tough Cookie!"  Somewhere in the process of baking the cookies, Abigail managed to burn her arm on a cookie sheet.  On her card to Caleb she wrote, "Hey Cookie Monster! I hope your cookies don't taste like my burning flesh!"  I'm sure it'll make him laugh. 

Prepare food in the summer so that you may gathers provisions in the harvest. Proverbs 6:8