Tea Party

Ava Mae was so excited when we found this brand new tea set at a local thrift store.
She could not wait to get home and have a tea party! A great way to spend a cold afternoon.

Multitudes on Mondays {11 - 25}

I am just loving every page of Ann Voskamp's book ... loving these words - God is always good and I am always loved. Even on days when things are not going well I am working hard on finding the gifts God has given me right where I am.

11. a break in our school day for errands and a fun stop along the way

12. cupcakes

13. listening to Devin and Lexi talking at bedtime and the laughter from Lexi's bedroom

14. the smell of pasta, sauce and garlic bread from the kitchen

15. our golden retriever's smile

16. Ava Mae's hair in ringlets

17. rain coats and umbrellas

18. sleeping in on a grey rainy morning

19. sunshine

20. paper dolls

21. long conversation with a good friend

22. sweet kids I am teaching in my history class

23. 69 degrees on a winter day - lots of playtime outside

24. Valentine heart candies in glass jars

25. a fun dinner out with my sister

Art and Crafting ...

My Mom's birthday is tomorrow and though we had purchased her a gift online and had it delivered to her we still wanted to send cards and in my girls' case, paintings too.

I love both prima flowers and buttons and used both on the card I created for my Mom. I also got to play around with my new tag die from Papertrey.
Lexi's painting was entitled "God's Angel".
Ava Mae is my abstract painter ... she named this painting "Valley of the Sun".

Multitudes on Mondays {1 - 10}

My journey begins ... chronicling my one thousand gifts -

1. A Monday holiday with my husband at home.
2. Warm sunlight streaming through our sliding glass door on a cold morning - warming our kitchen.
3. Sweet note from my daughter, Lexi.
4. The smell of warm brownies baking in the oven.
5. Field Trips!
6. Chick-Fil-A after our field trip - conversations with good friends.
7. A clear answer from God on an issue my husband and I had both been praying about for the last week.
8. A husband who values our family time over a new job offer paying more money.
9. An amazing worship service yesterday at church which spoke to my heart.
10. Lexi's and my new bible study with dear friends - Secret Keeper Girls.

End of the Week {Ramblings}

With Snowpocalypse 2011 behind us it was back to normal for us this week ...

We are getting back into our normal groove with school after the holidays ... much less grumbling this week and it was so nice to have a field trip - especially one that pertains to what we have been studying!

Lexi had her first pottery class on Wednesday and absolutely loved it. I knew she would - she has been playing around with her small pottery wheel she received for Christmas. Plus, she has still not stopped talking about the artist's studio we visited in Asheville last Spring where several potter's were throwing clay.

Today all three kids headed back to Timothy.

This semester our course load looks like this:

Devin
Exploring Creation with Astronomy
KNEX with Simple Machines
Guitar
Georgia State History
Speed and Agility Training

Lexi
Exploring Creation with Astronomy
Paint Like a Renaissance Artist Part 2
Inventions
Georgia State History
Irish Dance

Ava Mae
Kindergarten (3.5 hour block)
PE

The exciting news is that I am teaching this semester at Timothy - Georgia State History. I love the curriculum I am using and have some fun things planned.

In other news, this past Monday I received an exciting package in the mail ... a new pair of BearPaw boots. I had won them in a giveaway and I think I have been wearing them non-stop ever since. They are so comfy and warm ... exactly what I needed!

Also, this week I received my copy of "One Thousand Gifts" Ann Voskamp's new book. All I can say is amazing! Her words are just what I needed to hear. My blog is named "Joy in the Everyday" and I need to start taking notice of that "joy" in every small detail. Our God is so good and though he can give us the big stuff we need - finding true joy is seeing all God is in the small stuff. We don't need a bigger house, a fancier car, a big vacation or a bucket list to find joy in God - he is right here every day! He is in the smell of a pan of brownies baking in the oven, warm sunlight streaming through our sliding doors at the kitchen table on a cold morning, in our big fluffy grey cat's purr. Every week I will be posting my list of gifts ... all the way until I reach 1,000! I hope some of you will join me on this journey. Head on over to Ann's blog to read more about her.

January Field Trip

This month our field trip was right in line with what we are studying in science, astronomy. We had a wonderful speaker (a former science teacher) who taught the kids all about the sun.

If we were to dissect the sun and take a look at its layers this is what it would be composed of ...
Sometimes I feel I am learning just as much as the kids when we study subjects like this. Devin and Lexi each got a chance to make up a layer of the sun. Devin was able to play the part of a radiator - representing the radiative layer. Lexi was the hula hooping girl - representing the convective zone.

Afterward, we joined a bunch of our friends at Chick-Fil-A, my children's fast food restaurant of choice after any field trip. I look forward to these lunches almost as much as my kids ... so nice to hang out with other homeschool moms and chat for an hour or two.
And, as always, when it is time to go home there are tears ... (couldn't help but include this adorable photograph of my friend's "too cute for words" daughter)

Ice Skating Fun

Lexi had so much fun at the ice skating party she attended yesterday ... she can not wait to go back and, now, Ava Mae wants in on the fun. I am thinking this would be a great activity during the heat of the summer!