Food Pantry Service

Minnie's Food Bank in Plano - 2011

300 cans we collected for God's
Food Pantry in 2007

Abigail, Caleb & Jon measuring
out beans for distribution.

Yesterday I was talking to friends about our service in area food banks. In 2007 another home school mom invited us to serve with her family at God’s Food Pantry in Plano, TX. It was so touching and fulfilling to help, words cannot describe. Since that time we’ve been back to God’s Food Pantry in Plano lots of times, along with Brother Bill’s Grocery Store in Dallas, Cornerstone Baptist Church Kitchen in South Dallas, Little Elm Food Bank and more recently at Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano.

Sissy stocking shelves.

If you have younger children I would suggest the two food banks in Plano. I would be uncomfortable taking young children who have never served to one of the food banks in Dallas for their first service.

Caleb stcoking shelves.

There is just something amazing and eye opening about caring and sorting and packing boxes of food for those in need. There is something about seeing the truly grateful faces of the recipients. Additionally it is beneficial for the children to see the rusted, dented cans; the yucky beets ; lima beans; and even expired cans that some give as their offering. That ‘do unto others’ really speaks out. The kids get first hand how a family might be looking forward to their box of food for the week, only to get banged up beets and lima beans.

The work usually includes lots of carrying cases of canned foods, checking expiration dates, marking thru expiration dates, sorting cans on shelves, packing boxes, carrying boxes to recipients cars even unloading trucks. I promise you, four and half hours working in the food bank is way more work than any fifty minute boot camp class, and has longer lasting results!

If you are not in this area, rest assured there is a food bank where you live, check out, find a time when you can serve.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,I was a stranger and you invited me in,
Matthew 25:34-36

Constitution Day 2011

Our homeschooling friends from church.

Ms. Belinda Teaching

Each year we get together with home schooling families from church to celebrate Constitution Day. This year Constitution Day, September 17th, fell on a Saturday so we held our class on the following Monday. Ms. Belinda is our Constitution Queen, and she presented great material from Constituting America.

Ms. Belinda wrapping Richard in laws.

It's not an easy group to teach, with ages from pre-school to high school, great creativity is required to capture everyone’s attention. Following her class the kids broke up into groups with various assignments. The younger kids had color pages and games, the oldest kids were given reports.

Hannah, Roy & Blake's report

Abigail's group included James, Ryan and Lydia and they were to prepare an infomercial to 'Get the Vote Out' for the Constitution. It was sponsored by Ryan's wig shop!

Caleb as Peter Muhlenberg

Many of the kids dressed up for the event, my kids wore their Glenn Beck founders Faith, Hope and Charity shirts. You can see Abigail's maroon shirt peeking out of her Julia (Stockton) Rush dress. Caleb wore his Harry Potter dress robe over his clothes to represent Peter Muhlenberg and other members of the Black Robe Regiment. The Black Robed Regiment was the name that the British placed on the courageous and patriotic American clergy during the Founding Era (a backhanded reference to the black robes they wore).

he to whom it belongs shall come and

the obedience of the nations shall be his.

Genesis 49:10

Homeschool Chapel

Abigail reciting her memory work.

Hooray, Chapel has begun for this school year!  We meet together once a month and various ministers from the area deliver the message.  This year Chapel will be focusing on the Fruits of the Spirit and of course the first message was 'Love'.  Pastor Bruce White of The Journey Church delivered a great message to the kids.  Caleb led the the music portion which included leading aCapella singing of 'Jesus Loves Me' and 'God is So Good.'  It was really great, it may have been the first time some had participated in aCapella worship. 

Caleb leading singing.

In the recitation portion Abigail quoted one of our memory verses, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 

Pastor Bruce (seated)

I tried to be discreet in taking the kids photos during Chapel, but instead I just got blurry photos!  One mom came up to Caleb after Chapel and thanked him for taking the lead because her son volunteered to help with Chapel after seeing Caleb!  

Across Five Aprils

September's Book Club

Our homeschool group offers a Classical Book Club for 6th through 12th grade. The kids meet every other month to discuss books of excellence while learning Biblical discernment in reading literature.This month they read Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt set in the Civil War era. Jethro Creighton, the main character, was Ms. Hunt's real grandfather. He told her the stories, and she incorporated them into Across Five Aprils. Great study guides for this book are available online.

Irene Hunt's book

Teach them to your children
and to their children after them.
Deuteronmy 4:9

Genghis Khan: The Exhibit

The kids at the entrance of the Genghis Khan Exhibit.

Buddha God of War
Giled Bronze

Trebuchet,
Mongolian Siege Machine



Princess Giant Mummy

Gold alloy bracelet



Genghis Grill

Chicken, Veggies & Rice



Our PEACH Kids

Preparing our children to be the next world conqueror, we took a few of our home school children to the Irving Arts Center, to tour the Genghis Khan: The Exhibition. It is the largest collection of Khan Artifacts to leave Mongolia.

In preparation for the visit the kids and I watched several Genghis Khan History channel videos; completed the study guides; we watched Genghis Khan cartoons, I even found YouTube videos of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (with Genghis Khan); and to round out their Khan repertoire we YouTubed a little Star Trek: the Wrath of Khan!

The tour took approximately 2 hours to view the more than 12,000 square feet of exhibit space. More than 200 artifacts including gold jewelry, weaponry, silk robes, currency, tomb treasures and more are displayed alongside video-screens, hands-on activity stations and role-playing kiosks following the life of a poor, illiterate child as he becomes one of the world’s greatest conquerors and leaves a lasting imprint on modern-day culture.

John Wayne is
Genghis Khan

If you feel that you can't get enough Genghis Khan, then I would suggest one more resource, 'The Conqueror'. This is the 1956 epic movie starring none other than John Wayne as Genghis Khan. It is a movie that even Netflix doesn't carry. We found it on eBay.


One of the interesting things we learned was that Genghis Khan's real name was Temujin. We did a little digging to make sure we were pronouncing it correctly. Someone in our house pointed out that his real name rhymed with 'SlimJim' thus we can now pronouce TimJin. Homeschooling, gotta' love it!
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in all things we are
more than conquerors
through him who loved us.

Romans 8:37

Ordinary Lives

Jon reading Oliver Twist

This is more just a special post for my babies. A lot of times I'll post to encourage other homeschooling moms, or to keep my out-of-state family up to date on our busy lives, but this one is 'just a day' in our lives. Family traditions are important and sometimes not by plan or schedule we develop habits that become family traditions. This is a quick snap shot of one of those moments. In the evening before bed time, Jon reads to the kids. Sometimes were just hanging out in the living room, or in the girls’ room or even sitting on the veranda. Currently we're reading Oliver Twist, and this photo is taken from my perspective. This is how I see Jon as a Dad. He's kind and gentle, reading to his babies, and the littlest one climbed up on his lap.

Frankie is 26, Caleb is now 14 and Abigail is 10 and when Jon asks, 'Who wants to read with Dad?' they all stop the computer games, DS games, etc., to hear him read. This is repeated again in the mornings because the last thing before he walks out the door for work is he reads the Bible to us.

Neither event is formal or carries any ceremony, we all 'plop' down around him wherever he is and listen. Sometimes the dog snores through the event, someone always has to stop to run to the bathroom, but it's that safe spot in our day.

teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Deuteronomy 4:9

Dolphin Tale



Frankie, Caleb & Abigail
outside the theater.

“Dolphin Tale” is inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin and the compassionate strangers who banded together to save her life.

The movie begins with a young dolphin caught up in crab trap that severely damages her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter. But her fight for survival has just begun.

The story is very heart warming and encouraging. This is a movie I can’t say enough good things about. It is heartwarming and spotlights the best in human nature.

The movie actually doesn’t hit theaters until September 23rd, but homeschoolers in select cities were invited by the Homeschool Movie Club to view the premier. We were even provided with curriculum written by one of Apologia’s writers.

It was odd to be wanded upon entering the theater like you would be at an airport. Additionally they searched all purses, and during the movie security guards stood facing the audience to make sue no one video taped or took still photos of the movie.
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As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him
Psalm 103:13

The Ice



Frankie, Caleb & Abigail

Frankie & Abigail

Abigail & Jon

Jon & Caleb

One of the Terry families sweet gift to Sissy for her birthday were passes to The Ice, which is the skating rink at our local mall. Frankie thoroughly enjoys roller skating, ice skating, and bowling. All are things she grew up doing with our youth group in Owasso! They are all events that she excels in and can always 'beat' the little kids!
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We went as a family to The Ice today and she had the best time! All of us enjoy skating but Frankie is by far the best skater in the family! My superstar skated round and round for three hours, smiling all the way!

.‘I will forget my complaint, 

I will change my expression, and smile,’
Job 9:27

Home Depot Day: White Board

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The first Saturday in the month means it must be Home Depot Day. Most of the kids that attend the kids workshop are younger, however, Frankie enjoys the simple crafts and painting. She and I work together, I don't think we've built anything yet with a wood screw that we didn't split the wood, but that's ok, that's why their is a painting station. Today the girls built mini white boards that they can leave notes on!

She Manages Her House

We have quite a few trees in our yard, most require trimming several times a year. Despite the heat today was the day that needed to happen. While the children completed their school work I got out the ladder and supplies. I then proceed to skim and clean the pool. When they came outside Abigail wanted to be the one up fifteen feet in the tree. So with that request she climbed the tree, Frankie and Caleb held the ladder and I. . . um, . . .I supervised from the pool! I rationed to the kids that even the Proverbs 31 woman had servants!