Business as Usual

                                                     My Grandma... isn't she beautiful?

                                                      Grandma & her sister "aunt Ruthie"

                                                Miss Priss finally caught her a baby kitten

Noah @ the Art Museum

        Alzheimers sucks.. just so you know. I'm caring for my Aunt Ruthie this weekend who has the disease and to see the change in her in just a month and what it does to her mind makes me sad. It so makes me cling even tighter to the hope we have in Christ and a new body (and MIND) in heaven one day! However, it's beautiful up here at the farm and I get to spend some time with my Grandmother who I see infrequently. So, as usual, God is good. 

Laurel is adjusting finally to her school. She's made some friends and I think that has helped. I emailed her teacher and told her some of the trouble we were having at home with her since school started (ie.. major meltdowns, tantrums etc.) and  she told me that in the classroom she was doing great. However, she did still have trouble connecting with the teacher but that seems to be resolving. Also, she had her second audiology test on Friday and it showed we could actually turn her Implant down a bit (she'd been complaining it was too loud). She tested fabulously PRAISE GOD!! Her Speech and Language scores also went up from January. She is finally in the "average" albeit "low average" range for her age group! Her articulation scores went from a 66 (moderately delayed) to and 85 (low average) in 6 months. God God God!!!

Noah is doing great with his schoolwork. However, being 1 month into homeschooling I am finally able to see his learning style & my teaching style. The curriculum I have (explode the code-phonics, Singapore Math, Handwriting without Tears) are working good with him. I also supplement Science (we've done Magnetism, and Water so far) and History (right now George Washington). However, I see that because my time is so limited I NEED a Total Curriculum for him. One that has everything together, spelled out and prepared. I love to teach, it has nothing to do with that but the preparation and tracking down of materials is too time consuming at the point I'm at right now. I suspected this would be the case as I am also the one who prepares the curriculum for our church Sunday School and LOVED the new total curriculum that I found. I am probably going to go with "My Father's World" this year with Noah. It incorporates all subjects and all with Biblical principles. I am a firm believer in "seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you." I think the most important thing we can do is teach our children the principles of God along with things they need to know to learn, grown and participate in the world around them. So, this is what we'll try. The great thing about Homeschooling is that if this learning style doesn't work, there are a million more I can try!! We'll hit the right balance!
 

So Much in my Head....

ZIPLINING FOR MY BIRTHDAY!

Nothing like the love of a Grandmother

Aunt Janie & Duncan

                        Hannes

                 Boy, born March 2011
                Congenital heart defect
Hannes can walk with assistance, plays with toys. He is standing in this picture, leaning against the wall. Look at those big eyes!
$157.50 is available towards the cost of my adoption!
Donations are tax deductible.
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         Brenton 15H



1dl0e-15
Boy, born March 2011
Eyes of Gray
Blond hair
The nature of calm
Cleft lip and palate
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Sydney 9HA


1pnux-9
Sydney was born in May 2009. She is a carrier of Hepatitis C (HCV) antibodies. She lives in a specialized children’s home for children with unpopular diagnoses. She was rejected by her birthmother at the time of birth. She does not have any siblings. Her character is described as being ‘calm’. Additional photos available.
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Izabella 36F


r25d-36
The girl was born in June 2012
Gray eyes
Dark hair
The character is calm



Oh! So much in going on in my head these days! This is a random post with bits and pieces but that is just where I am these days. Noah is doing fabulous in his homeschool. Laurel still doesn't want to go to her preschool but has made friends and comes home & tells me everyday what she did so I think she's doing fine... just doesn't want to leave Mama which I totally get.
I posted some more pics from our Ziplining Adventure Mike got me for my birthday. It was a blast! Can't wait until the kids are old enough to go with us.
   We went to see my Aunt Janie this past weekend. She's my mom's sister & is fighting cancer. She loved seeing the babies and we had a nice visit. We just found out a dear lady in our church named Charlene has a very serious cancer. Struggling watching these ladies suffer but I know God is good ALL the time and my prayer is that He be glorified. Praying for healing for both!
        As you can see I've got some pictures up of NEW ReecesRainbow.org babies that have just become available for adoption. Be still my heart!! We totally would love to adopt again. It's such a shame that money stands in the way for so many people to be able to adopt these precious babies. We know though if it is the Lord's will it can happen. We saw it with Laurel and are still seeing it in how he provided the way for her Cochlear Implant. Pray for these little ones. Go to www.reecesrainbow.org & put some money in their account to help a family who wants to adopt them (it's tax deductable!!).  I'll take all of them thank you very much!

FUN TIMES!

Chillin having some lunch under the tent

Watching the back of the Ocracoke Ferry

First time being buried in the sand..... and Mike's sense of humor :)

Muscle Man Noah- Notice the "hair" on his chest



Wishing for a fish



Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

The babies with their Nana & Poppy

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Climbing the 247 stairs to the top of the lighthouse

Zipline for my birthday present!!! AWESOME!

We've had some busy weeks with school starting and teaching a new Teen class at church  but we've taken some time out to have some fun. Last week for my birthday, Mike took me to Zipquest Waterfall & Treetop Adventure. It was so much fun. Once you start on the first platform, you don't come down out of the trees for 2 1/2 hrs.! You get to cross a waterfall on a rope bridge & go down 8 ziplines.  We felt totally safe & the guides were fantastic. Highly recommended!!

This past weekend  we took a few days to go down to the Outer Banks. We took the ferry to Ocracoke Island (where Mike & I got engaged yrs. ago) and played on the beach most of the day. The kids had a blast playing putt putt, eating ice cream & going to the lighthouse & aquarium. Thanks Nana & Poppy! Great memories were made.

We'd appreciate your prayers this week as we continue school. Noah seems to be adjusting & learning great but Laurel is struggling a bit. She's regressed in some behaviors & not wanting to go. When I pick her up however, she says she's had a good time. She does like her new therapist who will be doing her speech therapy twice a week while in school so that's a good sign. Thanks!

Firsts....and a WW II B17 Bomber

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!



The most important part of the backpack...... the design of course :)



First day of Dove Season (they got 2!)

You have to get up really early in the morning to get the doves! He's a little sleepy.

Noah, Mike & Carroll after Noah's first ride in an airplane!!!

John & Carrolls Daddy, Mr. Fred, waiting for a ride on the Memphis Belle

Noah, Mike & Carroll up in the air!

So, where to start? Thursday was Laurel's first day of her blended preschool. While she is in preschool, Noah & I go to a library & do his Kindergarten work. They both did fantastic. Noah LOVES science, math & reading. He really struggles in Handwriting however. I've got a great curriculum (Handwriting without Tears) that I hope will help him. Thurs. we got through 2 days worth of science & math (he kept wanting to do more) but only half of what I had planned with the writing. Not going to stress him with this b/c I want him to love to write so we'll go @ his pace.
When I picked Laurel up from preschool her first words were "I had fun Mommy!" I thought that was pretty nice for a first day. However, Tuesday starts the day when all of the kids will be there. This past week was just the hearing impaired kids so we'll see how she does. She made me laugh b/c she told me she kept her shoes on all day. I said that's fine "why?" She said... "Mrs. Lynn doesn't have a behind the door". Note: when my kids take their shoes off at home, they put their shoes in a bucket "behind the door" :) That made me smile.
Next up, Dove Season. Noah was so excited to "shoot some dove" with Daddy. He woke up Friday morning and said "Laurel, only 1 more sleep and we get to kill some dove!" Now before you think that is horrible, the rule is at our house: you kill it, you eat it and he did!
And finally, the Memphis Belle. We heard the Memphis Belle WWII bomber (the one they used in the movie) was coming to our area. Then we found out Mr.Fred, John & Carroll's dad had booked a seat on it. So, we got out there in time to watch him fly in the Co Pilot's seat. It was the neatest thing! Then, we saw that they were offerering plane rides in the small planes for only $25. Mike & Noah decided to go up with Carroll. The pilot heard Mike used to fly and let him take off and fly the whole time! Needless to say it was a great day!