Worksheet Generator

So all you homeschooling moms...I have something for you!

WorksheetWorks.com has many worksheets for your classroom. Sheets you can create include: Math, English, Geography, Puzzles, and Miscellanea. I created cursive writing worksheets for Alexis and Ty. I have a daughter who, when she wants to, has beautiful cursive writing. Lately she has been sloppy and not doing her best...therefore this works beautifully to get her to practice. It's great because you can make them from Bible verses, songs, a note from Mom to child with maybe an "I love you", "you're wonderful" message that they discover while tracing, a poem, etc.! So many choices!!! I love it :)

We LOVE http://www.seedsfamilyworship.net/kids_stuff.php and we are trying to memorize the lot of Courage verses they have supplied in Flash Card form. Here are our samples that I created this morning:





*These are already traced since it's really hard to see when they aren't. :) Alexis' is done until the last few lines just to show you what they look like just as a worksheet. (sorry, I couldn't figure out how to flip the pic!)

Baby Food

After a conversation with the ladies at the park yesterday I was inspired to make something "homemade", and I decided...baby food. You can't really go wrong, right?! Also, my camera battery died so I couldn't take pics, but as soon as it's charged I'll make more and post. :)

*BAKED APPLES

-2 Apples, cored
-A pat of Butter for each
-Cinnamon

*Core your apples, then put your pat of butter in the opening, sprinkle with some cinnamon. Place in a pan (I used a loaf pan) fill with about an inch or two of water. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes until soft (I turned them over half way through cooking).

*Once cooked, slice into chunks and place in a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds, look at the consistency and add a spoon full or two of left over water through the top of processor. Continue until desired consistency is met. Spoon into a muffin tin and place in freezer. Let it freeze overnight until frozen. On a sheet pan, fill with an inch or so of hot water, place muffin tin on it and wait a minute then remove, and turned upside down and they should come out just like ice from an ice cube tray!

**I wrapped each "puck" in plastic wrap, then foil and labeled for the freezer. I hear they last for 1 month. Miss Shelby enjoys eating them frozen to relieve teething pains. The big kids tried them, and asked if I could make more and make them into Popsicles...sounds a little gross, but they assure me it's really good. :)

*CARROTS

-As many Carrots as you want to cook (I used 4 or 5 big ones)

*Wash and remove ends of carrots. Chop into one inch chunks. Place a few inches of water into a stock pot, add a steamer pan/basket over top, turn stove onto high, put a lid on. Once boiling, add carrots to steamer pan/basket. Allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes or until tender.

*Add cooked carrots to food processor. Pulse for a few seconds, look at the consistency and add a spoon full or two of left over water through the top of processor (I think I read that if your baby is under 7 months of age, you SHOULD NOT use the left over water! Something about NITRATES. Use breast milk, or fresh water instead). Continue until desired consistency is met. Spoon into a muffin tin and place in freezer. Let it freeze overnight until frozen. On a sheet pan, fill with an inch or so of hot water, place muffin tin on it and wait a minute then remove, and turned upside down and they should come out just like ice from an ice cube tray!

**I wrapped each "puck" in plastic wrap, then foil and labeled for the freezer. I hear they last for 1 month.

Super simple and super healthy for you wee one!

Father & Son Retreat

I received an email from Vision Forum about their Father & Son Retreat in Winter Park, Colorado and am so excited for this opportunity for Bob & Ty!

www.visionforumministries.org/events/fsr/

Bob & I have been praying about whether or not he should go and we both feel that he should. The only set back is the cost. It's not much cheaper to drive than fly to Colorado, so we can't save the money driving like we thought. So, would you please pray for us to know that this is really God's desire for us, and that He would provide the means to get there? It's something that we feel is very pivotal in Ty's life and Bob's role as a father. What a great opportunity to hear, see, and be involved in something that is purposefully there to make you a better father and give you the tools needed for bringing up children who love and fear the Lord! What an opportunity for Ty to be with other godly young men who are there for the sole purpose of learning about their roles as children of God, and how to live a life pleasing to our Lord! So, please pray that this would work if the Lord is willing. :)

*Maybe you should make a day for a walk or hike with your son. (thanks, Jamie for all the great tips!)

Father's now a days don't realize the role they have as Daddy, is so crucial in the outcome of their children's lives. We are a pleasure centered generation. That pretty much gives dads the pass for no responsibility. As long as they pay the bills and provide a roof, their job is done...or so they think. Can you imagine the greatness that could come from a family who has a dad who purposefully involved in their children's lives? It would be astounding! Instead of the "what's in it for me" mentality, why not try "what can I do for you" as Christ calls us to?!

A Melody

Have you ever stumbled across a melody of pure innocence? Have you ever been taken to a place of solitude and weakness by a melody? A melody that takes you to your knees and you know it's the Lord speaking to your soul? I just wanted to freeze time and enjoy the reverence of the melody to our Creator, our Maker. When you want to weep for no reason other than to cleanse your soul from all your toils and fear...let He who knows you build you and mold you from the weakness that comes from a pure cleansing, from our God.

"So let us not get tired of what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." Galatians 6:9

Money Saving Month!

Today is the first day of March. Bob and I have decided to challenge ourselves to see how much money we can save for the next 31 days. I know that we live pretty frugally right now as it is, but there are also things that we blow money on, i.e. sodas, candy, "I don't feel like cooking, so let's buy something pre-made at the store", food that goes to waste in the fridge, pizza pockets from Amboy Market...you get where I'm going with this right!?

Our plan:
*We each carry with us/in the car a composition book for writing down what we bought, how much, and what we saved. Plus we will save the receipts of our purchases.
*When we "feel" like eating out on a spur of the moment, we will choose to wait and eat at home instead.
*For example: if Bob is driving by the AMPM he will choose not to buy a pizza pocket and Mt. Dew for $4.00, and instead buy a package of crackers and a water for $1.50. He will then write down what he purchased and how much he paid for it, then what he normally would have bought and how much he would have normally spent.
*For example: if Heather is at home and really doesn't feel like cooking and would rather get chicken & jojos from Amboy Market, she will say "NO", and then make something from home. She will write down what she would have paid to buy from A.M. and what it cost her to make dinner at home. Then how much she saved from not making the lazy choice!
*We will cash in every week our "Savings" column and put it into an envelope to then get a grand total for the entire month of "Good Choices" and see how our jaws drop when finding out how much we truly saved!
*Yes, we are going to write how much we saved to eat at home instead of eating in a restaurant. That means we technically spend the money on paper, but don't get the food. Normally we spend around $17.00 at a fast food place, if we don't all order from the dollar menu. That's $68.00 for once a week for one month, or 4xs eating there. WOW! If we just saved that every month, that's $816 a year. It adds up fast doesn't it?
*To be better stewards of our money. God has given us much more than we "need", and we'd like to use it to the best of our ability.

So, to keep me/us accountable I am choosing to document our struggles and successes through out the next month. I know it's silly, but I'm always up for a challenge...especially if it saves me money!

-The bonus in all of this besides what I have listed above? Well, we are curious to how much weight we'd loose by making healthier choices. Bob right now is 238 lbs, Heather is 157 lbs. Bob would like to get to 200 lbs, and Heather at least to 144 lbs (my pre-pregnancy weight). Don't freak out! I know we won't loose this in one months time, but this is our goal weight, however long it takes.

I guarantee you will laugh at our stumbling blocks...can you say "sugar addicts?!"

Raspberry Parfait

We tried this one for breakfast last week, and Loved it! I honestly didn't think that I would, but it was really good. It was a little tart, so if you try it, you might want to use sugared strawberries, and raisins, or something less sour than plain raspberries, and Craisins. You might also want to cut this recipe in half, unless you want extra.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
*1 cup of Crasins
*3 tsp. finely shredded orange peel (set aside)
*6 Tbsp. orange juice
*2 tsp. vanilla
*2 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
*3 Tbsp. raw cane sugar
*2 cups frozen raspberries (fresh when in season)
*2 cups homemade granola (I used the recipe from "Fix, Freeze, Feast" book)
*Honey
*Shredded orange peel (optional)

1. In a small bowl combine Craisins and orange juice. Cover and microwave for 45 seconds; let stand 1 minute to plump Craisins. Stir in vanilla; set aside.
2. In a mixer combine cream cheese and sugar; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in Craisin mixture and the 3 tsp. of orange peel.
3. In 6 tall glasses layer cream cheese mixture, granola, raspberries, and repeat layers. Drizzle with honey and top with additional orange peel.

*I made this big of a recipe so that I could have leftovers. Just put your cream cheese mixture into a sealed container and store in the fridge. It's quick and easy to put together in the morning. We used wine glasses for fun...it looked really pretty, and the kids thought it was a great treat!

Loving Daughters

The Bible tells us this about daughters in Psalm 144:12-13,
“That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: that our garners may be full.”

As corner-stones, polished after the similitude of palace, God desires that our daughters grow up to become strong and beautiful ~ and adorned with all the ornaments belonging to their sex. What are the “ornaments” that the Bible teaches belong to the female sex? Titus 2:4-5 describes them as: soberness, love for family, discretion, purity, excellent housekeeping, goodness, and submission to authority.

That’s a tall order, isn’t it? And the reason that it is so important that our daughters be taught and trained in these areas is because (as the Treasury of David so wisely puts it), “Daughters unite families as corner stones join walls together, and at the same time, they adorn them as polished stones garnishing the structure into which they are builded.”

Daughters are an important part of every family, and it is our duty to teach them how to be a blessing to our families now so that they will understand how to be a blessing to the family they will marry into later on.

Matthew Henry writes, “That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace or temple. By daughters families are united and connected to their mutual strength, as the parts of a building are by the cornerstones; and when they are graceful and beautiful both in body and mind, they are then polished after the similitude of a nice and curious structure. When we see our daughters well established, and stayed with wisdom and discretion, as cornerstones are fastened in the building; when we see them by faith united to Christ, as the chief cornerstone, adorned with the graces of God's Spirit, which are the polishing of that which is naturally rough, and "become women professing godliness"; when we see them purified and consecrated to God as living temples, we think ourselves happy in them.”

So, how are we to go about accomplishing so great a task?

First of all, we must remember that daughters have a great need for love and security.

1. Daughters need to be treated with kindness.

2. Daughters feel loved when we are patient with them.

3. A critical spirit is a destructive thing to a daughter’s spirit ~ it causes her to feel insecure about who she is and what she is able to do.

4. Comparison also causes daughters to feel insecure about themselves. Daughters are in desperate need of acceptance in order to become the polished corner stone of the family that God desires them to be.

5. It’s a mothers job to identify the special needs that her daughter has and help her to overcome or practically accommodate them.

6. Mothers must be careful not attribute motives, nor take offense, lose patience, or take the ridiculous things that daughters do too personally.

7. Mothers must remember that daughters need to be raised in a happy, loving home in order to feel totally secure. No amount of love, compliments or kindness will make up for the fear that is brought into a daughter’s heart by marital strife or divorce.

Secondly, daughters need to be taught to control their emotions.

1. Whining, gossiping and complaining should not be tolerated. Make every effort to train your daughter to be sensible by teaching her how to be thankful, patient and kind as she deals with her every day issues of life.

2. Emotions must be taught to follow and not allowed to lead. The best teacher is example. Make it your goal to be a good example of this so that your daughter can “see” how this is done.

3. Daughters must be taught that they may not use their “hormones” as an excuse for sin!

4. Teach your daughter how to manage her tears. There is a time for tears ~ when they are hurt, when someone they know or see is seriously injured or dies. But crying is not something that should continue on and on ~ they should be short and brief. Even in the case of death of a loved one: there is a time to cry, and there is a time to cease from crying.

5. The same goes for silliness. Giggling and acting giddy is fine at times, but too much of it makes a girl ridiculous.

Thirdly, daughters must be raised to embrace their femininity.

1. Daughters should be taught to be home-centered. They should be encouraged to love working with their hands ~ both in housework and handiwork.

2. Daughters should be encouraged to wear dresses, fix their hair and want to look pretty.

a. However, we must be diligent to encourage them to be MODEST and pretty. The female body is a beautiful creation of God and modesty teaches them that it is a precious thing that must be saved for their future husband (and not the whole world) to enjoy.

b. We also must be careful not to raise our daughters to be too prissy or “primadonas” who only a mother and father is able to tolerate and love :).

3. Daughters must be encouraged to play with toys that will encourage her to home-centered and not bedroom-centered.

4. Daughters must be taught and trained how to respond to the men around them.

a. Daughters have a God given need for male attention. Teach them when they are little how to love and serve Dad, so that Dad will enjoy being around them.

b. Teach your daughter how to respect her Dad and brothers. This is will prepare her to enjoy good success when she is married to her own man later on.

Mothers are the role models for their daughters, and it is important that we realize that we are teaching our daughters every day by the way we live. As Christian mothers, it is vital that we commit ourselves to living as the godly women that we would want our daughters to grow up to become. This is a tall order, but one which is certainly possible as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our loving God.



What a job us mothers have! Wow, I need a lot of strengthening in some areas, and find that there are others that I have done well. I encourage all of you to find the areas that you need to strengthen, and do it! If you are a friend, aunt, uncle, grandma, or grandpa, I encourage you to work in these areas with the little ladies of your life. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and what a blessing it would be for you to share your strengths with that little girl! As mothers we try our best through prayer and practice, but how wonderful it would be to have a little extra help.... :)

Another great article by Mrs. Julie Fink @ Lessons for Ladies

Visit her blog and be blessed by her Bible Studies!