Turning the Pages: 2019

1. A Painted House (John Grisham)
2. Upshift (Chad Albury)
3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)*
4. Dracula (Bram Stoker)
5. Jesus of Arabia: Christ Through Middle Eastern Eyes (Andrew Thompson)
6. Everybody Always (Bob Goff)*
7. The Storyteller's Secret: A Novel (Sejal Badani)
8. Educated: A Memoir (Tara Westover)*
9. Daily Painting (Carol ____)
10. Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women (Geraldine Brooks)
11. Green Leaf in Drought (Isabel Kuhn)*
12. Hawaii (James Michener)
13. Beneath a Scarlet Sky (Mark Sullivan)
14. Once Gone (Blake Pierce)
15. The Forgotten Hours (Katrin Schumann)
16. The Mask Collectors (Ruvanee Pietersz Vilhauer)
17. Where the Forest Meets the Stars (Glendy Vander)
18. One For Sorrow (Sarah A. Denzel)
19.Cold-Case Christianity (J. Warner Wallace)
20. The Culture Map: Decoding How People Think, Lead, and Get Things Done Across Cultures (Erin Meyer)

(missing part of my list for late spring, but began the list again in July)

21. The Invisible Man (Wells)

22. The Strange Case of Jekyll & Hyde (Stevenson)

23. Bombshell (Hutchings)

24. The Fault in Our Stars (Green)

25. The Birds (du Maurier)

26. The Secrets of Lost Stones (Payne)

27. This is Where You Belong: Finding Home Wherever You Are (Warni)

28. Carnegie's Maid (Benedict)

29. The Next Right Thing (Freeman)

30. The Dressmaker's Gift (Valpy)

31. The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies (Fagone)

32. Sail (Patterson and Roughan)

33. The Cuckoo's Calling (Rowling)

34. Beneath a Scarlet Sky (Sullivan)

35. Along the Broken Bay (Solomon)

36. Rituals of the Dead (Alderson)

37. Odds On (Lange/Crichton)

38. Pretty Little Girls (Ruff)

39. The Housewife Assassin: Killer Christmas Tips (Brown)

A New Year

Am I allowed to be glad that 2018 is done? My theme for 2018 was prayerfully selected before the year began, but I had no idea the pain that would come with "Let go." As we began the year, we suspected we would be moving, and we even knew we were likely going to Saudi Arabia, so I naively thought I was preparing myself to

• let go of stuff as we prepared for a big move, 
• let go of responsibilities I had with scouts and extracurricular activities, 
• let go of junk mail and email, and
• let go of unhealthy relationships. 

I did all that, and it may have been easier since I was being intentional about letting go, but...it broke my heart to

• let go of Allen as he worked out of town a LOT beginning in January,
• let go of our kitty who died when we were out of town in March,
• let go of stuff when our home flooded in June,
• let go of Dad when he died in July,
• let go of Ben when he went to school (not homeschool) in August,
• let go of so much of how I recently defined ME as I resigned from a very active teaching role with homeschooling, scout roles, church roles, teaching speech and debate, and serving on the scholarship committee by the end of September,
• let go of Mom, family, and friends when we left Texas and moved to Saudi in October,
• let go of homeschooling when the kids began school in November,
• let go of small traditions when I couldn't find recipe ingredients or gifts for the kids in December.

I really want to say I hated 2018, but I can't.
I did a lot of necessary purging.
I grew.
God showed up over and over and over again in big ways, even through the deep pain and sorrow.
My faith grew.
Between Dad's cancer and our move taunting me, I spoke words of love that I had always held back.
We came on a big adventure as a family.
It was a good year, but it was definitely the most PAINFUL year I've ever had.


Today the new year is fresh. I want to pick up the journaling that I quit... I think around spring of 2016 when Shadow died and I had all four kids at home for school.

My theme for 2019 is LEARN. As we are still getting our feet on the ground here in Saudi, there is so my I WANT to learn, I know there is so much I NEED to learn, and I am certain there is a lot I have no idea that I will learn, but I'm open. I love to learn and I almost always have a running list of things I want to learn, but my list is always longer than the time I make available. Some of the things on my wish list include

• finding a Bible study that I can wholeheartedly dive deeply into,
• learning conversational Arabic,
• understanding the culture on camp and off, 
• figuring out how to invest well,
• enrolling in a few art classes...and maybe some fitness classes,
• learning to confidently get around town on my own and without a car,
• reading classic literature that I never made time for,
• begin mastering family travel planning,
• researching travel books to create a 10-year travel wish list,
• figuring out how to keep my home clean enough (and having wisdom to know what "enough" is) that I can easily welcome friends and newcomers any time,
• experimenting to find a few go-to recipes that I can make for get-togethers,
• reflecting on my thoughts and emotions as I process things I've kept compartmentalized,
• understanding how to be a mom-from-afar when Will goes away to school in the fall,

... my list is so much long than that, but those are the main categories. I know we will have challenges, but I pray that I can welcome them with a spirit of joy and learn from them. I pray that I can learn to use my time and energy well, that I can focus when I need (or want) to, that I can prioritize but learn to be flexible.

Now to go spend some of today in the pile of library books!

Turning the Pages: 2018

January
1. Princess Sultana's Daughters (Jean Sasson) NF
2. The Dante Collection: A Genevieve Lenard Novel (Estelle Ryan) F
3. Princess Sultana's Circle (Jean Sasson) NF
4. American Chick in Saudi Arabia (Jean Sasson) NF
5. Speaking of Jesus: The Art of Not Evangelism (Carl Medearis) NF
6. Princess: More Tears to Cry (Jean Sasson) NF
7. Daughter of the Mountain (Louise Rankin) with Ben and Maddie F
8. William Carey: Obliged to Go (Janet and Geoff Benge) with Ben and Maddie NF
9. All the Small Poems (Valerie Worth) with Ben and Maddie P
10. The Hiding Place (Corrie Ten Boom) NF
11. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) F

February
12. The Color Purple (Alice Walker) F
13. Shadow Spinner (Susan Fletcher ) with Ben and Maddie F
14. Going for Kona (Pamela Fagan Hutchins) F

March
15. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons (Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy)

16. Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters (Lesley M.M. Blume)

17. Hell's Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunnes, Butcher of Men (Harold Schechter) NF
18. Living Water in the Desert (Rebecca Davis) with Ben and Maddie NF
19. Private India (James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi) F

April
20. A Long Walk to Water (Linda Sue Park) with Ben and Maddie, NF
21. The Brethren (John Grisham) F
22. The Black Book (James Patterson and David Ellis) F

May
23. Beat the Story Drum, Pum-Pum (Ashley Bryan) with Ben and Maddie, F

24. Mary Slessor: Forward into Calabar (Janet Benge) with Ben and Maddie NF

25. Journey to Jo'burg: A South African Story (Beverley Naidoo) with Ben and Maddie F

26. Eastern Hemisphere with Ben and Maddie NF
27. Cross the Line (James Patterson) F
28. Woman of God (James Patterson and Maxine Paetro) F
29. The Light of the Fireflies (Paul Pen and Simon Bruni) F

June
30. The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Neil Gaiman) F
31. Radical Reminssion: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds (Kelly A. Turner) NF
32. Woman to Woman (Joy Loewen) NF

July
33. Assets Cubed (Anthony Humpage) NF
34. Entrusted (David York and Andrew Howell) NF

August
35. Invisible (James Patterson and David Ellis) F
36. You Have More Than You Think (David and Tom Gardner) NF

September
37. Living Trusts for Everyone (Ronald Sharp) NF
38. Humble Roots (Hannah Anderson) NF


October
39. Teff Love: Adventures in Vegan Ethiopian Cooking (Kittee Berns) NF
40. Invisible (James PAtterson and David Ellis) F

November
41. Ten Women (Marcella Serra) F
42. One-Dish Vegan: More than 150 Soul-Satisfying Recipes for Easy and Delicious One-Bowl and One-Plate Dinners (Robin Robertson) NF
43. A Taste of Arabia: Recipes and Customs from Arabia and Beyond (Jessie Kirkness Parker)
44. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession (Allison Hoover Bartlett) NF

December
45. Swimsuit (James Petterson and Maxine Paetro) F
46. Cross Country (James Patterson) F
47. Eyewitness Travel: Top 10 London (Roger Williams) NF
48. Insight Guides England NF
49. The Asian Vegan Kitchen: Authentic and Appetizing Dishes from a Continent of Rich Flavors (Hema Parekh) NK
50. An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair (Faith E. Gorsky) NF

Turning The Pages: 2017

January

1. Thomas Jefferson Education (Oliver DeMille)

2. Thomas Jefferson Education For Teens and Every Adult Who Wants to Change the World (Oliver DeMille)

3. Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations (Alex Harris and Brett Harris)

4. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Mildred D. Taylor) - with BMJ

5. Almost 12 (Kenneth N. Taylor) - with BMJ 

February

6. King of the Mound: My Summer With Satchel Paige (Wes Tooke) - with BMJ

7. Number the Stars (Lois Lowry)

8. The River (Gary Paulsen) - with WBMJ

9. The View From Saturday (E.L.Konigsburg) - with WBMJ

10. The Winged Watchman (Hilda Van Stockum) - with BMJ

11. 15th Affair (James Patterson and Maxine Paetro)

12. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll)

13. Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems - with BMJ

March

14. Out of the Dust (Karen Hesse) - with W

15. Miracles on Maple Hill (Virginia Sorensen) - with BMJ

16. The Second Mrs. Giaconda (E.L. Konisburg)

17. W is for Wasted (Sue Grafton)

18. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) - with W

19. The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (Bette Bao Lord) - with BMJ

April

20. General Butterfingers (Catharine Bowman Smith) - with BMJ

21. X (Sue Grafton)

22. The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had (Susan Wise Bauer)

23. Lights in a Dark Place (Rebecca Davis) - with BMJ

24.  Henri Matisse: Drawing with Scissors: Masterpieces from the Late Years

25.  The Children’s Book of American History – with BMJ

26.  In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson – with BMJ

27.  Every Soul a Star (Wendy Mass) – with BMJ

28.  Belay On (Boy Scouts of America)

May

29.  The Landmark History of the American People: From Charleston to the Moon, Volume II (Daniel and Ruth Boorstin) – with BMJ

30.  In Search of the Source (Neil Anderson & Hyatt Moore) – with BMJ

31.  The World Wars (Paul Dowswell and Ruth Brocklehurst) – with BMJ

32.  I Will Always Write Back (Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda) - with W

33.  The Summertime Survival Guide for Parents (Rebecca Kochenderfer)

34.  Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Harriett Beecher Stowe, audiobook)

35.  The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)

36.  Rescue the Captors (Russell Stendal)

37.  The Scent of Water (Elizabeth Goudge)

June

38.  The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Thorton Wilder)

39.  The Island of Dr. Libris (Chris Grabenstein, audiobook with WBMJ)

40.  Brian’s Return (Gary Paulsen, audiobook with WBMJ)

41.  Summer of the Gypsy Moths (Sara Pennypacker)

July

42.  The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins, audiobook)

August

43.  Mere Christianity (C. S. Lewis, with friends)

44.  Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Grace Lin) – with BMJ

September

45.  Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze (Elizabeth Foreman Lewis) – with BMJ

46.  Hudson Taylor: God’s Adventurer (Phyllis Thompson) – with BM

47.  The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun (Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway)

October

48.  The Master Puppeteer (Katherine Paterson) – with BM

November

49.  I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade (Diane Wilson) – with B&M

50.  Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? A Fast, Clear, and Fun Explanation of the Economics You Need for Success in Your Career, Business, and Investments (Richard J. Maybury and Jane A. Williams)– with WBMJ

51.  Breaking Stalin's Nose (Eugene Yelchin) - with BM

52. The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in Vietnam (Quang Huynh and Vo-Dinh Mai) - with BM
53. Rickshaw Girl (Mitali Perkins and Jamie Hogan) - with BM
54. Teresa of Calcutta (D. Jeanene Watson and Louis H. Rock) - with BM

December 55. Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart (Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada) - with BMJ 
56. The Art Forger (BA Shapiro)
57. A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens) - with WBMJ
58. Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia (Jean Sasson)

Twelve Months

It has been twelve months since I last posted a family story. I did keep my reading list updated, but, overall, I've not blogged in a year.

I've been busy. 

I've been distracted. 

I've been overwhelmed. 

I've been avoiding writing.

Though we started the 2015-16 school year homeschooling only Will and Ben, we brought Maddie home in January, and Jon in the middle of February. Every time I thought about blogging, I was overwhelmed with all the unfinished tasks at home...

Shadow died a bit more than a year ago, and every time I sat down to consider blogging, I was overwhelmed with sadness... 

Will and I went to Uganda a year ago, and every time I considered blogging, I was overwhelmed with how many stories I had not written...

It was not just the mission trip tales, but the homeschool stories, the nature-outside-our-window happenings, the end-of-the-school-year ceremonies, the summer vacation and summer camp narratives, the early morning adventures, the beginning-of-the-school-year pictures and the yarn that just kept going and going, but in a tangled ball. I was too frustrated to try to work through it.

And every time I tried to write, my dog's photo smiled at me...and I cried. 

Now that it's been a year of yearning to get the stories written, I'm just jumping right in -- the last year of words is gone, and I'm not going to dwell on it. Instead, I am choosing to start with NOW.

What does NOW look like for us?

I am still overwhelmed with the unfinished home tasks...

I am still often overwhelmed with sadness without our loving furry family...

I am still overwhelmed that some really great stories are unwritten...

All four kids have been home schooling this year -- Will is in 7th grade, Jon is in 5th, and Ben and Maddie are in 4th. They go to Venture classes on Tuesdays, so I get a day "off," and they go for a couple hours on Wednesday afternoon. It has been a school year of ups and downs and learning to navigate uncharted waters (for us): growth spurts and the onset of pubescent attitude; curriculum that worked for some kids, but not all of them; figuring out how to empower our child with learning differences; finding the rhythms that work for our family. 

Our family is still very involved in scouting. Allen is leading the Trail Life unit that Ben and Jon are in; Will is back in Trail Life with his buddies. Maddie is an Explorer with American Heritage Girls, and I am in a new role mentoring our troop board and four other troops. Both groups still meet weekly at the same time, and both have at least one activity per month on a weekend.

Ben, Jon, and Maddie are taking music lessons. Though Ben played guitar last semester, he switched to drums in January. Jon is also playing drums, and Maddie is playing ukelele. Will focused on speech this school year, and has spent many hours researching apologetics for competition. This competition season is over, but he is already working on next year's. 

In our spare time, Allen and the kids play lots of games -- a few video games on the weekends, but lots of board games after dinner throughout the week. I've been painting (as a Christmas gift, Allen enrolled me in an online weekly art class). The kids and I read -- a lot! We read for school, but we all really like to read in our spare time, too.  All the kids spend a lot of time outside and with neighborhood friends. 

We have one not-cuddly cat, Pickles, about 16.5 years old, who has really enjoyed being the only pet. I have many times during the week when I wish we had a cuddly kitty or dog, but then I realize how much easier it is without the extra messes to clean up. The reasonable side of me tries hard to convince the other side that one cat is enough... but I still really miss what I had with Shadow, Ramses, and Tico...

Now...

I am writing about life again, but I will be okay with the times when living it is more of a priority than recording it.

Turning the Pages: 2016

Books read with any of my kids
Non-fiction

January
1. Daughter of Earth and Water: A Biography of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Noel Gerson)
2. The Forgotten Girls (Alexa Steele)
3. 12th of Never (James Patterson and Maxine Paetro)
4. For the Love (Jen Hatmaker) - with book club
5. The Advocate (Teresa Burrell)

February
6. Unlucky 13 (James Patterson and Maxine Paetro)
7. Reluctant Writer (ebook)
8. Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (Jean Lee Latham)
9. Lewis & Clark Expedition (Richard Neuberger)
10. Helping Without Hurting in Short-term Missions (Stave Corbett and Brian Fikkert)

March
11. Justin Morgan Had a Horse (Margeurite Henry)
12. Calico Bush (Rachel Field)
13. Bones Never Lie (Kathy Reichs)

April
14. Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma (Janet and Geoff Benge)
15. A Child's Introduction to Poetry (Michael Driscoll)
16. Peace Child (Don Richardson)
17. The Journeyman (Elizabeth Yates)
18. Fervent (Priscilla Shirer)

May
19. The Bean Trees (Barbara Kingsolver)
20. Cut to the Bone (Jefferson Bass)

June
21. Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics (Chris Grabenstein, audiobook)
22. Hatchet (Gary Paulsen, audiobook)
23. Theodore Boone: The Scandal (John Grisham, audiobook)
24. The Broker (John Grisham)

July
25. The Witnesses (James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
26. The Inquisitor's Key (Jefferson Bass)
27. Mistress (James Patterson and David Ellis)
28. A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Shakespeare, audiobook)

August
29. Back Fire (Catherine Coulter)
30. Split Second (Catherine Coulter)
31. The Great Turkey Walk (Kathleen Karr)
32. William Wilberforce: God's Politician (John Holzmann)
33. Angel Experiment (James Patterson, audiobook)

September
34. Bombshell (Catherine Coulter)
35. Across Five Aprils (Irene Hunt)
36. Confessions of a Murder Suspect (James Patterson and Maxine Paetro)
37. Leading like Jesus (Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges)

October
38. Caddie Woodlawn (Carol Ryrie Brink)
39. The Best Yes (Lysa TerKeurst)
40. The Everything Parents Guide to Children with Dyslexia (Abigail Marshall)

November
41. The Great Wheel (Robert Lawson)
42. The Last Woman Standing: A Novel (Thelma Adams)
43. The Watcher (Jo Robertson)

December
44. Little Britches (Ralph Moody)
45. Played to Death (BV Lawson)
46. The Woman in Cabin 10 (Ruth Ware)
47. Cross Country (James Patterson)
48. Do You See What I See?: Exploring the Christmas of Every Day (Ross Parsley)
49. Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart (Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Earekson Tada)

Traveling to Uganda

8/11/16 - You wouldn't believe how hard it has been to find time to write...and the struggle with guilt and frustration I've had the last five-and-a-half months as I know the writing isn't happening. I'll miss it, and YES, I already regret not journaling closer to when we actually traveled, but it is what it is. Mostly, we have just photos now as the details are so fuzzy. I do still want to share our memories -- photos and crumbs from my mind...

Will and I went to Uganda on a shoe distribution trip for Parental Care Ministries. While we were gone, Ben, Maddie, and Jon stayed with Gramma and Granddad. Allen's cousin's daughter was doing a Flat Stanley project (taking photos of Stanley at different places in the US.) We took Stanley with us and got a few pictures for her, too.

Allen was able to take the day off work and he was one of two who drove our team to Houston. From Houston, we flew to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Entebbe. We stayed overnight in Entebbe, then took the PCM bus to Mbarara.

The only time I remember being stressed on the trip was the first evening we were in Mbarara. I had already seen a giant pile of shoes -- I am talking about 2000 pair of shoes, no boxes, piled high against a wall. Know this: my four kids each have two pair of shoes and I get frustrated seeing those 16 shoes unmatched and piled in the closet. Can you imagine how much my heart raced to see almost four THOUSAND black shoes unmatched and piled?!?!

I was told the PCM staff HAD started matching and packaging them, so I was quite thankful! When we arrived at the garage where the shoes were stored, they were paired and bagged -- about 30-60 pair per bag. What stressed me out was that we had no way of knowing what sizes we had, and I knew we needed to sort them out again to see what we had. The stressful part for me was that our whole team was looking to me for answers about what to do, but I didn't want the Ugandans upset to see us UNdoing everything I know they spent days doing. Lori (our team leader) asked me what we needed to do first and I replied we needed to pray. I asked for a few moments to think, and I think she saw the tears fighting to stay in and she pulled me aside to pray with me (without the group). We got the shoes sorted and got to know each other a bitter better in the process. After several hours of sorting, we counted and recorded all the numbers, then headed back to the hotel for dinner around 9:30pm.

Shadow gone

Today was a sad, sad day for our family. Our sweet Shadow has been quite a picky eater the last several weeks, and I kept trying to find the food that he would eat enough of to fill out his bony body. But, ... yesterday he didn't eat anything at all... and he had a lot of trouble balancing. Allen was out of town the last two days and I told him Shadow wasn't doing well. Last night, I had to carry him to get outside, and even that didn't work. I put his cozy bed in the bathroom with a bunch of waterproof mats under him, and I checked on him several times through the night.

This morning, I put his bed in the sunbeam where he loves to sleep while we were all around him doing our school day and cuddling our 16-year old pup. Around lunchtime, his heart started racing, so I held him and we eventually called Allen. Shadow got to hear all six of us tell him how much we loved him, and I held him until he breathed his last breath; the younger kids and I wailed and Will went to his room to be alone.

When the kitties passed a year ago, I was really worried about how the kids would react...how I would do without my Shadow, named so because he followed me everywhere. When I decided in November to go to Uganda at the end of March, I had a feeling that IF Shadow was still alive when I left, he might die of loneliness while I was gone. All along, I've been sadly hoping that wouldn't happen, but our old dog was aging fast. My heart hurts a lot now, but I am really glad he was not alone when he left. I don't know if we will ever get another dog again, but Shadow sure was an awesome dog!

I adopted the gently, leggy pound puppy in June 2000 -- the summer we lived in a non-air-conditioned home in Canyon. Allen spent the weeks at an internship in Albuquerque, and I didn't like being alone in the house with the windows open at night. I tried convincing Allen I needed a dog; he tried convincing me I needed an air-conditioner. By September, we had an AC, too. When I was pregnant with Will, in June 2003, Shadow fell from a third-story window at our home in Kansas. I raced to him and saw him trying to run with floppy legs, and I was afraid the vet would want to put him to sleep. Turns out, he just needed legs of steel -- after a couple surgeries, and daily, then weekly, vet visits our gentle pooch had legs that were almost as good as new (until it was really cold outside.) Shadow loved playing in the snow! Even when his legs were sensitive to the cold, he would chase snow balls and use his nose as a shovel, throw the snow in the air, and try to catch it in his mouth. Shadow was so sweet with the kids -- first with Will, then with Maddie, Ben, and Jon. I remember his confusion when he greeted Maddie...but then heard Ben in another crib. He ran to Ben's crib and saw a baby, but then bounced back to see her in my arms. The poor dog was nearly dizzy with the back-and-forth questions when Jon finally got home, too. When I was away having dinner with friends, Shadow waited for me next to the front door. When I was up later than normal -- watching a movie, crafting, visiting -- he would stare at me because HE was ready for bed, but I wasn't in my room yet. He would sometimes sigh impatiently until I walked him to his bed and he would lie on his pillow next to my bed. But when I'd leave the room, he would follow me...again. I love that silly dog so much and he will really be missed.

End of a Season

With a loud buzz that season ended.
The final score - 44 to 23 with Tyler Heat winning.
Will played two quarters of the last game, tried for four baskets (all ALmost scored), and assisted on many successful scores. It was his best game yet and he ended on a proud note.

Will started playing basketball at a series of skills and drills workshops in October and he decided we should sign him up for the local home school basketball team when they had registration in November. It was a crazy four and a half months with practice four hours a week and one or two games on some weeks, but we were surrounded by other Christian home schooling families and coaches and kids who were kind and encouraging. Overall, it was a great experience for Will and for the rest of us, too. Below are some pictures I snapped with my phone just to prove I was paying attention to the games ;)

Cutting Onions

Sermon Doodles

I really DO listen to Brother Ray's Sunday sermons, but I sometimes have to ask Allen to tell me what words go in the blanks if I didn't look up at the screen at the right time. Somehow, when I doodle, I can clear my mind of grocery lists, menus, task lists, and more and just draw...and listen.

Backseat Costumes

Today, at Venture, was Star Wars day. I snapped this picture after school as we waited in the car for Will to get out. Two little Leias and Hans Solo.

Sweet News

Fundraiser garners $32K for Parental Care Ministries Children in Uganda
Published on Monday, 1 February 2016
Tyler Morning Telegraph

A fundraiser that included two Tyler Great American Cookie Co. stores raised more than $25,000 to provide shoes and socks for orphaned and needy children in Southwest Uganda.

Dough Rollers, which owns 17 cookie, pretzel and coffee stores in Texas - including the two Great American Cookie Co. stores in Broadway Square Mall - had the “Give Shoes. Give Joy.” fundraiser in December.

We were facing the official photographer, but I don't want to pay for that photo. This one was taken by Jon. Photo above includes donors, PCM staff, and some of us going on the shoe trip in March.

Froggie First Aid

After watching Will's sewing lessons, Ben brought down a stuffed frog that needed to be mended. He learned to thread the needle, tie a knot in the thread, then he gave his loved froggie some first-aid.

Texas Flag

One of Will's assignments for Texas history was to make one of the six flags of Texas. It could have been a poster or painting or drawing, but Will insisted I teach him to sew so that he could make a fabric flag. I convinced him to re-create the current flag since is has straight lines that would be the simplest to learn to sew.

We shopped for some simple red, blue, and white fabric, I taught him how to cut the fabric, press the fabric, pin the seams, sew straight(ish) seams, use iron-on adhesive, and zig-zag stitch around the Lone Star. After making the top, put a back on and did some simple quilting to finish his Lone Star flag.

Can you tell from the smile how happy he was with his project?

Making Breakfast

How to Make a Delicious, Sunday Morning Breakfast

by Will Kaiser

        Delicious and nutritious, a Sunday morning breakfast is easy to make. First, get two fresh eggs, crack them, discard the shells, and whisk them in a small bowl. 

Pouring the creamy mixture into a hot, greased pan, listen to the sizzle. Then, put two slices of soft wheat bread in a toaster and push down the switch. 

When the eggs are done, garnish them with salt and freshly ground pepper, and put them on a clean, spotless plate. Butter the golden, brown toast and put some fruity jam, a delicious topping, on the bread. Steamy and aromatic, enjoy this flavorful brunch with some strong, black coffee.

The Best Year: Out with the old, In with the new

I found a fill-in-the-blank worksheet online that helps us summarize the best of 2015 and set goals for 2016. I didn't require anyone to fill it out, but I thought it might be fun (for some). The responses were fun to discuss and I thought they'd make a great end-of-the-year blog post.

Ben's answers (I hope think he ignored the numbers)

• 3 Things I'm grateful for: Mom, Dad, Jon, Maddie, Will
  
• 3 Places I want to go: Hawiie [sic]
• 1 Thing I want to get better at: biking, pottery, piano
• 3 New things I want to try: acrobatics

Will's answers

• 2 Favorite memories: Rock climbing and Florida
• 
• 3 Things I'm grateful for: food and games
• 1 Hard lesson I learned: don't put a fork in the microwave
• 3 Places I want to go:  Boston, Seattle, and Gotham
• 1 Thing I want to get better at: Everything

Maddie's answers

• 2 Favorite memories: Swimming with dolphins and Indianapolis (for AHG convention)
  
• 3 Things I'm grateful for: Family, Jesus, and Santa
• 1 Hard lesson I learned: Alerbra [sic - algebra]
• 1 Thing I did this year I'm proud of: swimming in over 15-feet of water
• 3 Places I want to go: Colorado, Washington, DC, and Mt. Rushmore
• 1 Thing I want to get better at: Painting pictures
• 2 Ways I can help others: Cook and serve
• 2 Things I am looking forward to: Kids Camp and school
• 3 New things I want to try: Make a basket, make soap, and read 100 books

Jon's answers

• 2 Favorite memories: Florida trip, Six Flags, rock climbing, and camping
  
• 3 Things I'm grateful for: God, Jesus, family
• 1 Hard lesson I learned: Not to wrestle with Will
• 1 Thing I did this year I'm proud of: Praising God
• 3 Places I want to go: To a rocket museum, Colorado, New Mexico (Angelfire)
• 1 Thing I want to get better at: Helping others
• 2 Ways I can help others: Doing chores and being together
• 2 Things I am looking forward to: Going to use my 4th grade [National] park pass and getting an iPad
• 3 New things I want to try: Figure out my Ozobot, play basketball, and doing ALL the chores

Allen's answers

• 2 Favorite memories: Easter weekend camping and reunion weekend
  
• 3 Things I'm grateful for: Family, friends, and faith
• 1 Hard lesson I learned: Don't assume people know how to manage others
• 1 Thing I did this year I'm proud of: The growth our family has made in our ability to be a team
• 3 Places I want to go: Southern Utah, Banff, and BGGCon (a board gaming convention)
• 1 Thing I want to get better at: Understanding others
• 2 Ways I can help others: Spend more time with them and hug my family more
• 2 Things I am looking forward to: Camping in the spring and vacation with family
• 3 New things I want to try: Pecan pie from scratch, model painting, and come home on time consistently

Sarah's answers (maybe Ben counts as well as I do...?)

• 2 Favorite memories: Hosting PCM choir concert at our church, camping with family at Easter, and 20th year class reunion weekend
  
• 3 Things I'm grateful for: Jesus, Allen, our kids, our pets
• 1 Hard lesson I learned: I need more margins in our calendar
• 3 Places I want to go: Uganda, Paris and Swiss Alps, Banff and US National parks
• 1 Thing I want to get better at: Painting and teaching
• 2 Ways I can help others: PATIENCE
• 2 Things I am looking forward to: Uganda trip and time away with Allen

Turning the Pages: 2015

I feel like I have NOT read much this year, but when I look at the list I've been building as I finish a book, it seems I'm reading about as much as I normally do. My 2016 resolution may need to be to finish the tall pile of UNfinished books. When I am surrounded by lots of great books, I seem to love to start all of them :)

The green books are nonfiction. I read several books with Will and Ben as I was homeschooling them this fall.

January
1. Red Mist (Patricia Cornwell)
2. Essential Oils for Beginners (Lisa Johnson)
3. Bone Bed (Patricia Cornwell)
4. Dust (Patricia Cornwell)

February
5. Carved in Bone (Jefferson Bass)
6. Pictures of Hollis Woods (Patricia Reilly Giff)
7. Flesh and Bone (Jefferson Bass)
8. American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S.Military History (Chris Kyle and Scott McEwan)
9. Olive Kitteridge (Elizabeth Strout)

March
10. Hands Free Mama (Rachel Macy Stafford)
11. Six Years (Harlan Coben)
12. Let. It. Go.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith (Karen Ehman
13. Nick of Time (Ted Bell)

April
14. Visioneering: God's Blueprint for Developing and Maintaining Vision (Andy Stanley)
15. The Bible (after a 3-year book-by-book study)
16. The Unquenchable Worshipper (Matt Redman)

May
17. Mary, Mary (James Patterson)
18. The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ (James Bryan Smith) - new book club
19. The Whole-Brain Child (Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson)

June
20. The Nesting Place: It Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful (Myquillan Smith)
21. The Housewife Assassin's Handbook (Josie Brown)
22. A Severe Mercy (Shelden Vanauken) - book club
23. Tutti Fruity (Mike Faricy)

July
24. Amelia's Story: A Childhood Lost (D.G. Torrens)
25. Caught (Harlan Coben)
26. All Roads Lead Home (Diane Greenwood Muir)
27. Polly's First Christmas (Diane Greenwood Muir)

28. A Big Life in a Small Town (Diane Greenwood Muir)
29. Treasure Uncovered (Diane Greenwood Muir)
30. Gone (James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge)
31. Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World (Richard Rhodes)
32. Murder is Family Business (Heather Haven)

August
33. Organizing the Disorganized Child: Simple Strategies to Succeed in School (Martin L. Kutscher and Marcella Moran)
34. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (Marie Kondo)
35. Murder in the Library (Steve Demaree)
36. That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Success in School and Life (Ana Homayoun)
37. Habitudes: Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes (Tim Elmore)
38. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
39. The Hidden Life: Revelations from a Holy Journey (Kitty Crenshaw and Catherine Snapp) - book club

September
40. Pedro's Journal: A Voyage with Christopher Columbus (Pam Conrad) - with Ben
41. A Lion to Guard Us (Clyde Robert Bulla) - with Ben
42. The Heretic's Daughter (Kathleen Kent)
43. Walk the World's Rim (Betty Baker) - with Ben

October
44. Pocahontas and the Strangers (Clyde Robert Bulla) - with Ben
45. The Sign of the Beaver (Elizabeth George Speare) - with Ben
46. Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans (John Holzmann) - with Ben
47. The Rest of God...Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath (Mark Buchanan)
48. Bones Never Lie (Kathy Reichs)

November
49. Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims (Clyde Robert Bulla) - with Ben
50. Teaching from Rest: A Homeschoolers Guide to Unshakable Peace (Sarah Mackenzie)
51. The Courage of Sarah Noble (Alice Dagliesh) - with Ben
52. Dead in the Water (Jack Patterson)
53. The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth George Speare) - with Ben
54. The Matchlock Gun (Walter D. Edmonds) - with Ben
55. You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity (Francis Chan and Lisa Chan)

December
56. Johnny Tremain (Esther Forbes) - with Will and Ben
57. In Between (Jenny B. Jones)
58. Murder at the Book Fair (Steve Demaree)
59. Only Time Will Tell (Jeffrey Archer)
60. Murder at Breakfast (Steve Demaree)

Merry Christmas

I still love having Christmas in our own home. This year, the decorations were not as elaborate as I've been worn out by our too-busy lifestyle. We did have just enough out to make it feel like a holiday, though. Randy and Shelley were here before breakfast began, and our day started with lots of yummy food -- asparagus and ham casserole, fruit, cinnamon monkey bread, coffee, mmmmm....

Like we have done the last many years, the six of us trade names and get each other gifts.
Will got Maddie a MP4 player for her music.
Maddie got Jon a chess and checkers set and a Lego Superman light.
Jon got Allen a Machi Koro game expansion.
Allen got Will Dr. Who bobbleheads.
Ben got me a birdhouse and made me a painted plate at school.
I got Ben origami sea creatures and paper airplane books and origami paper.

Normally we do a big lunch on Christmas, but this year Santa brought us tickets to see Star Wars at Studio Movie Grill, and we ended up eating a late lunch during the show. By the time we got home around 5, we weren't hungry for dinner, either. I think I may really like this movie and meal option as a way to celebrate future Christmases if there are any good movie options. It was wonderful to not cook and clean all day! Randy and Shelley headed out after the show -- and YES, we really liked the movie!