Gettin' Ready

So...I finally understand why parents get tired of summer. Whew! I am beyond tired of the laziness of summer vacation. Summer started off well with lots of swimming and playing outside. But, man is it HOT. If we aren't IN the water, it's just too hot to be outside. I have been trying really hard to remember my Habit number 2, but it's hard when I feel all melty and gross. It amazes me that Ella Beth and Landon can run around red-faced, hair sticking to their heads in sweat, and they don't get hot. I start melting just putting my shoes on!

But, even the kiddos are ready for some routine these last couple of weeks. I can't count the number of times Ella Beth has asked to start school, so I thought I'd take advantage of her enthusiasm and get started. So we start Monday - as in before school is supposed to actually start. Am I crazy?!?! Maybe a little, but I am excited. Well, mostly. I have enjoyed sleeping in these last couple of months, and that alarm clock going off at 6:40 is going to come early.


This year we are using A Beka again for reading, spelling, history, science, health. Ella Beth is reading so well, and I truly attribute it to the thoroughness of A Beka's reading program and the "rules" that are taught. If Ella Beth stumbles on a word, I usually only have to remind her of a rule and she can figure out the word. That is success in my book!

We are changing things up a bit for math, and I am so excited. Me, excited about math??? Maybe the heat has gotten to me and I really am going crazy! We are switching to Math-U-See. I truly think that if I had been taught math the was M-U-S teaches it I would have been much better at math. As in, I wouldn't have hated it and dreaded every math class I ever had. ;) M-U-S is very hands on, and the entire program is manipulative based. When all of our curriculum arrived, Ella Beth and Landon wanted a lesson RIGHT THEN because they were so excited about the manipulatives. I sure hope that continues!

Our school room is all set up and organized. The kiddos l-o-v-e all of their new school supplies; so much like their mama in that department! (Note: I got Cra-Z-Art crayons, box of 24, for $0.19 yesterday at Wal-Mart. 19 cents a box!!!! And, remember those composition notebooks that we always had had to have? 40 cents! They will make great sketch journals for our nature walks.)

Scott made these shelves for us about two years ago. I begged him to stack them together, and he finally complied "even though they weren't made to be stacked." They make great storage! And see that huge frame with newborn pictures? I decided to keep this in the school room as a reminder to myself of how fast time goes by. On days when school gets tough and patience gets slim, I hope that looking up at those pictures will remind me that time is fleeting and I need to cherish all of our days - even the tough ones.

This is the "curriculum station" where all of our school supplies and curriculum are organized.

 

Our bulletin board to display charts and the kiddos' great work. The colors are a little bright for my taste, but the kiddos like them. :)

Ella Beth got this nice easel last year for Christmas, and it is the best thing to have! I can write out lessons on the board, Ella Beth and Landon can do work (which they love b/c they get to use the special markers), and we can put a paper roll on top for art work - painting is a HUGE hit around here. :) 

I specifically placed our world map above our easel so that when we have lessons about parts of the world, they can be inspired to paint about different countries and cultures.

Our art supplies are organized all together. We have everything from crayons to ribbons to stamps,  fabric scraps, stationery, paper clips, and more! And I just love the canvas hanging above - makes my heart smile...and it makes me ready to go to the beach. Wait - I'm always ready to go to the beach!

This is our reading corner. I think I will also use the tent/house for puppet shows for a while. It doesn't necessarily belong in the school room, but it's just too cute to part with and there's not really another good place to put it b/c it's pretty big.

And our school table. Same from last year - made by Scott with chairs that belonged to my mama. We may look into getting a new desk sometime this year, but since Ella Beth and Landon will be using the same math manipulatives it makes sense to keep it right now.

And, finally, what has become our family's motto:

I just love it. Everything about it screams "Castleberry Family" and what we are all about. Lots of prayer is going into our new school year. I know there are days when it will be tough, and I know there are going to be many things learned. But most importantly, I know that I will always cherish the time that I have been given to instruct my children and love on them day in and day out.

Hope to share many fun activities this year. We are starting out on Monday and we already have a field trip planned for Wednesday!!! Looking forward to it all!

Lake Fun

Last week, the kiddos and I had the joy of spending quality time with my best friend Meredith and her two littles. Our week was unexpectedly cut a day short with the birth of Meredith's new nephew. We hated to have to head out early, but there could not have been a better reason!

The kiddos had a blast together! Of course there were some moments of not wanting to share, but we quickly fixed those moments with the words, "Who's ready to go swimming??!!!!!" Worked like a charm. ;)

In the morning while the kiddos were waiting for breakfast to be made (homemade biscuits [me] & fried bacon [Mere]), coloring was the activity of choice. Even by the smallest ones. :)

We took Buttercup with us since the kiddos hate to part with him. Landon was not in time-out - this picture just makes me laugh.

Buttercup was a hit with everyone. He is such a good kitty...tolerates just about anything!

Remember those magical words that I mentioned earlier? They always produced smiles. :)

I love this picture! Her puffed out cheeks, in mid-air ready for her cannon ball, and her lack of timidity. Very different from last year.

Splash!

I used one of my mom's rafts and made a slide for the kiddos. HUGE hit. HUGE!!!

 

 

Love this smile! Jackson had such a great time in the water.

Meredith and sweet Natalie lounging in the sun.

 

We had such a wonderful few days at the lake. It was relaxing (well, as relaxing as it can be with 4 very lively children running around!), it was refreshing, and it was just what we all needed! I intended to have a picture taken of all of us - or at least of Meredith and me - but that will just have to wait until next time!

Thank you, Mere, for such a nice time. And thank you, Mama, for hosting us. Looking forward to next time!

Multitudes on Mondays

329. reuniting with old friends

330. sharing stories from Ngaamba

331. hearing others' hearts who long to experience true, unyielding faith

332. God's mercies that are made new every morning

333. today is a new day

334. new school supplies

335. great coupons for Fall clothes

336. cooler evenings for playing outdoors

337. mosquito repellant

338. listening to Ella Beth read books aloud

339. listening to Landon recite his favorite books

340. holding new babies

341. the yummy smell of new babies

342. the sweet sounds that new babies make

343. black and white photographs

1 Chronicles 29:13 "Now, our God, we give you thanks and praise your Glorious name."

Multitudes on Monday

329. fun at the lake

330. riding the golf cart looking for deer

331. finding young bucks, does, and fawns

332. hearing Ella Beth and Landon's excitement

333. sharing smiles with Scott

334. listening to Ella Beth sing

335. hearing Landon trying to sing along

336. Mere coming to the lake again and all of us playing in the sun

337. watching kiddos jump and jump and jump and JUMP off the dock

338. Ella Beth and Landon and Jackson becoming more and more confident in the water

339. long, slow sea doo rides

340. long talks and good laughs

Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful."

Fixing Our Gaze

I have mentioned before that I absolutely love my devotional, Jesus Calling. There are so many mornings when I feel that He is speaking directly to me in what I read - as if He knew the exact day I would read a certain devotion or verse, and He has catered it specifically to my heart.

Today, I really feel that way.

"You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel. If you like what you see in the mirror, you feel a bit more worthy of My Love. When things are going smoothly and your performance seems adequate, you find it easier to believe you are My beloved child. When you feel discouraged, you tend to look inward so you can correct whatever is wrong.
Instead of trying to "fix" yourself, fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul. Rather than using your energy to judge yourself, redirect it to praising Me. Remember that I see you clothed in My righteousness, radiant in My perfect Love."

I had to stop at the very first sentence and stay right there for a few minutes: "You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel." There could never be a more direct statement at me...but I'm going to take a big assumption and say that most women fall into this practice. Is it because we feel judged by others that we judge ourselves so severely? I do believe this is part of it (and shame on us for making each other feel this way!). I also believe that we set such unrealistic standards, and when we fall short - which we are bound to do - we take it out on ourselves. And sometimes we do so harshly.

I love how Sarah Young finished this devotion, "Instead of trying to "fix" yourself, fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul." I just LOVE this. When we fix our gaze on Jesus, we are saying He is greater and we are less (John 3:30). We are not allowing ourselves to consume our thoughts; we are choosing to fix our gaze on Him. We are choosing to be consumed with Him.

I don't know about you, but when I am consumed with Him, He not only consumes my thoughts, but He is there in my actions and my words as well. When I allow my gaze to remain on Jesus, who loves me, everything I do and say and how I feel are all simply better. For when my gaze is on Him, my heart is full of Him. And when my heart is full of such goodness, that goodness is bound to come out of me despite all of my own imperfections. When I think of how this affects me as a wife, as a mother, as a daughter, as a friend - it makes me all the more excited to spend time alone with my Savior. To become closer to Him, more full of Him, that He comes out of me.

My prayer this morning is that we will stop judging ourselves against unrealistic standards (our own or that of others), and that we will simply focus on Jesus. He loves us with a "Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love."* When we fix our gaze on that beautiful truth, His Love is bound to show up and come out in our own lives. And that is exciting!


*http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com/

Fixing Our Gaze

I have mentioned before that I absolutely love my devotional, Jesus Calling. There are so many mornings when I feel that He is speaking directly to me in what I read - as if He knew the exact day I would read a certain devotion or verse, and He has catered it specifically to my heart.

Today, I really feel that way.

   "You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel. If you like what you see in the mirror, you feel a bit more worthy of My Love. When things are going smoothly and your performance seems adequate, you find it easier to believe you are My beloved child. When you feel discouraged, you tend to look inward so you can correct whatever is wrong.
    Instead of trying to "fix" yourself, fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul. Rather than using your energy to judge yourself, redirect it to praising Me. Remember that I see you clothed in My righteousness, radiant in My perfect Love."

I had to stop at the very first sentence and stay right there for a few minutes: "You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel." There could never be a more direct statement at me...but I'm going to take a big assumption and say that most women fall into this practice. Is it because we feel judged by others that we judge ourselves so severely? I do believe this is part of it (and shame on us for making each other feel this way!). I also believe that we set such unrealistic standards, and when we fall short - which we are bound to do - we take it out on ourselves. And sometimes we do so harshly.

I love how Sarah Young finished this devotion, "Instead of trying to "fix" yourself, fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul." I just LOVE this. When we fix our gaze on Jesus, we are saying He is greater and we are less (John 3:30). We are not allowing ourselves to consume our thoughts; we are choosing to fix our gaze on Him. We are choosing to be consumed with Him.

I don't know about you, but when I am consumed with Him, He not only consumes my thoughts, but He is there in my actions and my words as well. When I allow my gaze to remain on Jesus, who loves me, everything I do and say and how I feel are all simply better. For when my gaze is on Him, my heart is full of Him. And when my heart is full of such goodness, that goodness is bound to come out of me despite all of my own imperfections. When I think of how this affects me as a wife, as a mother, as a daughter, as a friend - it makes me all the more excited to spend time alone with my Savior. To become closer to Him, more full of Him, that He comes out of me.

My prayer this morning is that we will stop judging ourselves against unrealistic standards (our own or that of others), and that we will simply focus on Jesus. He loves us with a "Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love."* When we fix our gaze on that beautiful truth, His Love is bound to show up and come out in our own lives. And that is exciting!


*http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com/

Multitudes on Mondays

318. Ella Beth asking, "Mommy, can I wear a dress today?"

319. BOTH kiddos sleeping in late

320. laid back Sundays as a family

321. new adventures

322. walking through a creek

323. walking sticks

324. quiet times with the Lord in the morning

325. breakfast cereals that are healthy and taste good

326. that my children enjoy eating healthy

327. chatting with a friend I haven't seen in 4 months

328. that friend with whom it never seems a day has gone by

Psalm 118:19 "Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD."

Martha, Martha, Martha

Luke 10:38-42 "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha had good intentions. She had the most honorable guest in her home, and she wanted to make things perfect. She wanted her home to be worthy of Jesus' presence. Cleanliness is next to godliness, right? Her focus was on preparing, organizing, and perfecting everything for the evening that welcomed His Presence into her home. She wanted Him to sit in the best seat, to eat the best meal, to have clean napkins, to use a clean bathroom. She had to be busy to make sure He was satisfied.

I am so much like Martha.

I busy myself daily on things that seem important, but I often neglect the most important. I prayed so long for the opportunity to be at home full time with Birdie and Buddy-Ro. Sacrifices have been made (are still being made) to make this happen. But I often spend my days being busy instead of just being with them.

Now, my children aren't as honored guests in our home as Jesus would be, but they are still very honorable. And the time I have with them is fleeting. We have all heard grandparents say, "Enjoy them now because they grow up so fast." I hear that, and I believe that I need to enjoy them, but I allow myself to get caught up in the "doing." 

I know this story in the Bible is related to how we should prioritize our relationship with Jesus above all else, but I can only imagine the mother that Mary would have been. "Mary was so desirous to hear the words of The Lord that she was unconcerned about the situation around her. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to assist her sister in the preparing of the meal, but for her it was that she found to sit and hear the words of The Lord MORE important than busying herself about in the handling of one task after the other." Khandielse

When I compare the priorities of these two sisters - both who had good intentions - I see that one had greater intentions. Mary wanted more to enjoy the moment; to cherish time that she knew she could not get back. She didn't want to miss out on the gifts that Jesus was giving her.

And that's what my children are: gifts.

I feel at times that I can actually hear Jesus whispering to me, "Amber, Amber, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one." My personal relationship with Him is important, but teaching my children about Jesus is equally important. Jesus loves the little children. They are so important to God's heart. The fields are ripe for harvest. Children who are taught about Jesus from an early age, will easily accept Him into their hearts. I don't know about you, but my children learn best from example.

I so easily slip into Martha's shoes...my intentions are good, but what example am I ultimately setting? Is cleaning the kitchen for the second time in a day more important than sitting in the floor doing puzzles? Is folding laundry more important than holding my waking children for five extra minutes in the morning? Is cleaning the bathroom more important than sharing the Truths of God's love through reading their Bible together?

A clean kitchen, folded laundry, a clean bathroom - all are good. But what is better?

My challenge to myself over the next week is to be fully present right where I am. If it's during my quiet time with the Lord, let me be all there. If it is sitting in peace and quiet reflection, let me be all there. And if it is with my children, let me be all there. Let them sense my full presence. And most importantly, let them sense the love of Jesus flowing from my heart straight to theirs. Let them know that I value them as the precious gifts that they are, that they are worth letting other things go. Because it really is true, time goes by so fast and I must make the most of every precious opportunity.

Mary understood this. And I pray that my heart will, too.

Martha, Martha, Martha

Luke 10:38-42 "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha had good intentions. She had the most honorable guest in her home, and she wanted to make things perfect. She wanted her home to be worthy of Jesus' presence. Cleanliness is next to godliness, right? Her focus was on preparing, organizing, and perfecting everything for the evening that welcomed His Presence into her home. She wanted Him to sit in the best seat, to eat the best meal, to have clean napkins, to use a clean bathroom. She had to be busy to make sure He was satisfied.

I am so much like Martha.

I busy myself daily on things that seem important, but I often neglect the most important. I prayed so long for the opportunity to be at home full time with Ella Beth and Landon. Sacrifices have been made (are still being made) to make this happen. But I often spend my days being busy instead of just being with them.

Now, my children aren't as honored guests in our home as Jesus would be, but they are still very honorable. And the time I have with them is fleeting. We have all heard grandparents say, "Enjoy them now because they grow up so fast." I hear that, and I believe that I need to enjoy them, but I allow myself to get caught up in the "doing." 

I know this story in the Bible is related to how we should prioritize our relationship with Jesus above all else, but I can only imagine the mother that Mary would have been. "Mary was so desirous to hear the words of The Lord that she was unconcerned about the situation around her. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to assist her sister in the preparing of the meal, but for her it was that she found to sit and hear the words of The Lord MORE important than busying herself about in the handling of one task after the other." Khandielse

When I compare the priorities of these two sisters - both who had good intentions - I see that one had greater intentions. Mary wanted more to enjoy the moment; to cherish time that she knew she could not get back. She didn't want to miss out on the gifts that Jesus was giving her. 

And that's what my children are: gifts.

I feel at times that I can actually hear Jesus whispering to me, "Amber, Amber, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one." My personal relationship with Him is important, but teaching my children about Jesus is equally important. Jesus loves the little children. They are so important to God's heart. The fields are ripe for harvest. Children who are taught about Jesus from an early age, will easily accept Him into their hearts. I don't know about you, but my children learn best from example. 

I so easily slip into Martha's shoes...my intentions are good, but what example am I ultimately setting? Is cleaning the kitchen for the second time in a day more important than sitting in the floor doing puzzles? Is folding laundry more important than holding my waking children for five extra minutes in the morning? Is cleaning the bathroom more important than sharing the Truths of God's love through reading their Bible together? 

A clean kitchen, folded laundry, a clean bathroom - all are good. But what is better? 

My challenge to myself over the next week is to be fully present right where I am. If it's during my quiet time with the Lord, let me be all there. If it is sitting in peace and quiet reflection, let me be all there. And if it is with my children, let me be all there. Let them sense my full presence. And most importantly, let them sense the love of Jesus flowing from my heart straight to theirs. Let them know that I value them as the precious gifts that they are, that they are worth letting other things go. Because it really is true, time goes by so fast and I must make the most of every precious opportunity. 

Mary understood this. And I pray that my heart will, too. 

Our Garden

Once again, we have a great garden! Of course, I say "we" when it's really Scott who does all of the hard, sweaty work. But, I get to enjoy the fresh produce. That's where "we" comes in. :)

Ella Beth picked a large cucumber

Views from the garden

Landon picked tomatoes

We played with playdoh earlier, can ya tell?!

Left over strawberry containers make the perfect container for fresh produce

Time to pick blueberries

And when that big ol' cucumber doesn't fit inside the container? Improvise. ;)

Thanks for all your hard work, honey. "We" sure do appreciate and enjoy it!

Fighting the need to be busy

Am I the only one who hates to feel left out? I'm not talking about hating to be left off the invitation list (although that could stink!) - I'm talking about the feeling that you are missing something because you aren't involved in everything.

That's where I'm at right now. Sometimes it's hard to balance the desire to be busy - to be involved in LOTS of activities - with the desire to just be simple. I know people who are busy 6 days out of the week with playgroups, lunch dates, parties, activities, etc, and sometimes I feel this need to make my own schedule more packed. That I'm "missing out" if I say "no" to an invite.

But, then I try it - I pack our schedule full and I say "yes" to everything. And for me, it just doesn't work. I feel exhausted, the kiddos feel exhausted, and those two together don't make for the cheeriest combination. ;)

For us, being home and moving at a slower pace works best for us. I know this. Yet, I still allow myself to get caught up in the feeling that I should be busier. That I am somehow missing out on the fun if we are home more than we are away.

I am learning, albeit slowly, that what works for others doesn't have to be what works for me. And while I know this, while I truly understand that what makes our family "tick," it's not always easy to just settle in to our life.

God has really impressed upon my heart lately two verses that are helping me see that (for us) it's not about being busy; it's about trusting Him and following His will for our family at this specific season.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders."

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

I'm not saying that it's not in God's will to be busy. It's just not in God's will for us right now. And I'm having to learn that it's OK.

My fear is that others will view me as "standoffish" or not wanting to hang out and be friendly. I can assure you that is not the case at all. This girl loves to have fun! But, I am having to trust that God is molding me through this season, and that I simply have to trust His guidance and trust that He is calling me to be home more than He is calling me to be busy.

Can anyone else relate to this?