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Thursday, January 8, 2009

School


Monday was back to school for us. We really enjoyed the break and it was hard to accept the date the calendar was showing. But it's back to the books and even though it takes a huge amount of work to homeschool ,I enjoy learning all sorts of interesting facts I had forgotten from my school years. We are in the middle of learning division, studying how words are put together, writing, drawing dinosaurs, reading about the Mayflower and the start of our country and we even have time to learn about the cormorants. Know about them? They are a specific kind of water bird that does not waterproof its feathers. It likes to get its feathers soaked so it will sink down to the bottom of the lake, river, or ocean where it can find lots of fish. This kind of bird can dive much deeper than ducks and geese, because its heavy, waterlogged feathers help it sink. Fascinating! What a wonderful design by God!

The girls have fun during school as well. They color, put puzzles together, and play dolls. Recently, Mia has shown interest in learning how to draw letters so I gave her a box lid with salt and she has been drawing several different letters. Simple idea I had heard from a friend. She loves it.

The best thing about homeschool is that we have the opportunity to teach our children about God all throughout the day and give them a biblical worldview. I would take that over a perfectly clean house any day! I have to remind myself of that when I am folding a load of laundry, listening to Grazzin recite math facts, helping Mia cut paper, and smelling Kaci's messy diaper all at the same time! It is hard work but there is nothing I would rather be doing!

Tonya

Monday, January 5, 2009

lots of love

Kaci loves her big brother. She follows him around. She laughes at everything he does. Grazzin loves her too. He gives her anything she wants. Especially rides in the wagon. And the cutest thing is this: every morning when she wakes up, she goes over to Grazzin's bed and crawls in.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Photos with Mia




Mia wanted to pretend like we were at Picture People! Life with our eldest daughter is quite interesting. The girl never stops and she is still wound up by bedtime. The other two fall asleep right away and Mia usually stays awake for another hour. I tease her and tell her that she is just like the mouse in the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

A couple of days ago, Mia learned about the popcorn button on the microwave. She thought it was so neat. Then yesterday, as we were finishing lunch, she wanted a cookie from the freezer. I gave it to her and then she asked, " Does the microwave have a cookie button?" We just laughed and laughed!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Thoughts on Motherhood

During this Christmas season, while we were having family devotions, we read about Susanna Wesley and her high view of motherhood as she raised 19 children. Here's a short excerpt:

Susanna from the earliest years let her children read their first lessons from the Bible. She mingled the name of Jesus with their ABC's as she drew out their infant minds with discipline and scholarship.

Once while her husband was away, she wrote the following words to him: "I cannot but look upon every soul you leave under my care as a talent committed to me under trust by the great Lord of all the families both of heaven and earth. And if I am unfaithful to Him or you in neglecting to improve these talents, how shall I answer when He shall command me to render an account of my stewardship?"

Her creativity in mothering led her to zealously promote reading and biblical instruction every day along with the simple singing of psalms. Her passion for prayer led her to pray fervently each day for and with the children.

Susanna's desire was to "take more than ordinary care for their souls". We would be wise to do the same!

Tonya


Wednesday, December 31, 2008

One of Those Days

How often have you heard someone say that it has just been "one of those days?" How often have we ourselves said it? And most of the time we are describing a day that did not go the way we wanted it to.
Some years ago as I was reading over the words of one of Wesley's great hymns, Love Divine, All Love Excelling and was struck by the last phrase of the last stanza of the hymn which reads "lost in wonder, love and praise." As I thought about this, I realized that this was not a characteristic of my life and expressed to my wife that being lost in wonder, love and praise was what we should be characterized by.
By God's grace, over these last years God has continued to show me why I should continually be lost in wonder, love and praise. Just recently, I was thinking about the reality of sin. One of those moments where I was struck by the presence of sin in the world and my own life and what the Bible says it deserves and then the overwhelming sense of how much sin I have been forgiven of because of the death of Christ. This was all joined with the fact that I am promised to spend eternity in the presence of this Great Redeemer. I then realized that I was having "one of those days" but in a completely different way. Praise Him!

May these Psalms lead you to many days of being lost in wonder, love and praise!

Psalm 73:25-26 (NASB) "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Psalm 16:18-19 (NASB) "I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely."

Taj

Friday, December 26, 2008

Merry Christmas


Merry Christmas from the Eatons! We are here in MA now and have most of our boxes unpacked. We had a long trip out (over 1,000 miles) and the kids traveled very well. We split the trip up over two days and that was helpful. We like our new home and the kids are adjusting well. The church family has been so kind and we've been able to spend the past week getting to know some of the families more personally. We're looking forward to the exciting things God has for us this year!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Happy Birthday, Emma!

We love you, Emma! Happy 2nd birthday!