9 days and a life changed...

I wanted to be more faithful to this blog, ARGH! We had recently discovered we were pregnant with Baby 6, and last Tuesday God placed a balm over my heart. I was unusually concerned about this baby, and he shared with me that he was with my baby, even though I hadn't seen this baby or heard his/her heartbeat yet. Shortly after this I started miscarrying my little blessing. Talk about heartbreaking! So, I know where my baby is, and I know this baby is loved! I just can't wait to hold this baby in Heaven...

I have another freebie from Cindy Rushton!! YEA!! Here goes!

It is Spring! Why Not Begin a Science Notebook?by Cindy Rushton
http://www.cindysaffiliates.com/go.php?offer=meramclean&pid=1

Today being inside just tortures me! It is STUNNING outside! Even the little birds are begging us to go outside.

Are you like me, dying from "cabin fever" and ready for spring? This is the perfect time to begin Nature Notebooks! Not only will you have an abundance of treasures awaiting your exploration, but these are perfect days to try something fresh. Ready? Let me help…

Chances are you already have many things that could be included in a Science Notebook around your home. Look for those "goodies" that do not have their own special place and add them to your Science Notebooks. This is the perfect opportunity to develop "a place" for those "goodies" while developing a nice product for displaying all the growing knowledge of nature all while your children are keeping special memorabilia! One of the things that I like about using supplies intended for scrapbooking is that there are so many products that enable us to keep bulky materials safely inside of our notebooks. Not to mention, scrapbooking makes EVERY notebook so much cuter! J And…to imagine that we call this "school!"

Want some ideas of things to include in your notebooks???

· Sketches...Don’t forget to include date, time, place, Latin name, and common name. Oh! Don’t forget to document where you found it.
· Snapshots…Don’t forget to journal about your snapshot!
· Pressed flowers, leaves, feathers, butterflies, etc.
· Glossary of terms studied…
· Artwork… (Nature art, original drawings, coloring pages…)
· Diagrams…
· Poetry…
· Information about discoveries…
· Lists of new findings…
· Handouts from trips…
· Narrations from trips, outings, hikes, nature walks, books read about nature or scientists/naturalists…
· Timeline…Mark your excursions, inventions, famous men and women, so on!
· Instruction Sheets on "How to Care for..." or "How to Collect..." etc.
· Booklets...
· Project data...
· Bible verses...
· Journal entries…
· Details from outings…
· Favorite quotes about nature…
· Reading list…
· Research...
· Reports...
· Essays…
· Science experiment logs…
· Notes from any Science study…

You can add a lot of life to your Science Notebooks with special supplies you find along the way! I have found that the little touches have made our notebooks so much more fun and in the process hooked my children.

Encourage your children to use die-cuts, frames, stencils, shapes, and edgings galore to make their notebooks fun and beautiful! My children now beg each weekend to work on our binders/scrapbooks. We have taken these simple skills into other projects for our Science studies such as creating books or booklets…making cards with pressed flowers, sketches, poetry and Scripture verses…and displaying our collections. The key is to just have fun and enjoy making your notebooks all yours!

Happy Notebooking!
Cindy

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About Cindy Rushton…
Cindy Rushton is the hostess of the Ultimate Homeschool Expo, the very first online homeschool convention. She is recording Preview Chats for the Ultimate Homeschool Convention RIGHT NOW! Join her wonderful guests FREE for the next weeks as they count down to the Ultimate Homeschool Expo (April 28-May 3, 2008--BUT! NEVER ENDING because it is an ONLINE Convention!). Get your ticket NOW and receive her awesome A Quick Start for Notebooking Mini-Set FREE today! Check out all of the details here:
http://www.cindysaffiliates.com/go.php?offer=meramclean&pid=1

Do I have news for you!

Hey!
I just got an email from my friend, Cindy Rushton. She is "pumped" about her upcoming Ultimate Homeschool Expo. Actually, she is so "pumped" that she has just shared a sneak peek into her Membership Site.
You see one of the neat things about the Ultimate Homeschool Expo is that everything is ONLINE. Cindy builds a private, exclusive Membership Site that includes everything from the UHSE in one place--it has audios (from all of the sessions and from the bonus gifts that her speakers give to us), ebooks, complete unit study guides, articles, printable notebooking pages, cookbooks, on and on. I can't believe all of the things that we receive for only $40. It is truly ULTIMATE!
Anyway, back to the reason that I am sharing with you...
Cindy just sent me permission to give you a sampler of one of her free gifts that is included on the Membership Site. I am so excited to give it to you! It is a audio and ebook set that she actually sells on her website, but she is giving away on the Membership Site. Here is the link:
Oops! My Cup is Empty and My Coffee Pot is Broke! Audio Workshop Download With Cindy Rushton
Tired? Weary? Find yourself overwhelmed by the tremendous load of motherhood? Do you consider this one of the most demanding, yet rewarding roles you will ever fill…yet that send shivers down your spine? Join Cindy as she exhorts you in your high calling. This workshop shares Cindy’s heart as she shares about those good days and bad days…sweet memories and rather bitter moments that have made life so precious all along the way. Taking you on a journey back in Scripture to meet Hannah, Cindy will share God’s answers to her heart cry during times she has found her OWN cup empty while “everything” continued to hit all at once!! The biblical insights are sure to draw YOUR heart to your Heavenly Father AND to those you are pouring into. Join us as Cindy ministers encouragement and direction straight from the Word of God to your heart, soul, and mind!
Download by Mp3http://www.cindysdesktop.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/OopsNashvilleMP3.mp3
Isn't that FUN?
You know the saying that a picture captures a thousand words,well...what about a a gift like this??? And, just think...this is only ONE of the awesome gifts included on the Membership Site. There are hundreds more!
Take my word for it, you will WANT a ticket to this event and access to all of the wonderful resources. Grab your ticket here:
http://www.cindysaffiliates.com/go.php?offer=meramclean&pid=1
Sincerely Yours,Mera

I turned around and it was April!

WOWSER! I didn't share my heart for 2 months...I guess things have been happenin' around here...besides snowing! This household has seen my first attempt at coaching a daughter in volleyball. If you've known me since high school, you know there is a special place in my heart for Volleyball. Right up there next to...well, it used to be next to God, but we resolved that issue a LOOONG time ago! LOL!! I would say it went pretty well, considering today was the first soccer practice, and she told me she was really thinking volleyball was more fun!! Ha! Of course, she participated in her sister's practice too (2 hours!) in the cold on a very wet field. All I know is I had a ton of fun, and watched as some of the smallest girls in the league made some huge improvements by the end of the season. Of course, my daughter was probably the smallest girl in the entire league...;)

One of the time consumers of late has been getting a new women's ministry started at our church, Glen Arbor. Girlfriends Unlimited at Glen Arbor promises to be an absolute blast! I can't wait to see how the women in my fellowship respond to these new ideas (not mine, but from Group, Inc.).

Another was getting one of our friends married off! We were very blessed and honored to be able to participate in various ways with this wedding, from making the invitations to Evy, Josiah, Edina, and Chad participating in the ceremony! What a time of rememberance for Chad and I, as it always is to attend someone's wedding.

My family was able to enjoy visits from my mom and my Aunt Marilyn for a weekend, and my father in law on another occasion. It is so fun to have another generation in the house! I watched my 3 year old wrap my aunt around his little finger, bringing book after book to her lap to be read. She held his hand as they walked to the dinner table. Oh, my heart, my heart! My mom's visits are always a joy, but when she's with her sister I can't help but laugh! My sister and I interact in the same patterns they do, and we laugh as my 2 daughters repeat history all over again! Mom's love for my family often makes me cry, and always makes me wish the miles were only city blocks. Chad's dad is such a precious man. His love for the Lord always humbles me, and his desire to see Christians united is life changing. I think he is a big influence on me when it comes to reaching out to the people around me and sharing God's love. I truly enjoy watching him interact with all his grandchildren, he treats them so lovingly.

My baby started walking all on his own this weekend. When did he stop being my baby? He is still round and cuddly, and loves to lay his head on my shoulder -all snuggly soft. I love watching my children grow, but I truly miss their little pudginess when it's gone.

Why does chocolate taste so good?

I marveled at the girl in my class who could save her candy for later. That lonely piece of candy would scream at me from the corner of her desk, and I couldn't believe she wasn't going to eat it right away. Come on! It could get dusty, or knocked off, or ... or ... I don't know, just forgotten! How could she do this? What gene did she have that I didn't?

I marveled at the girl who didn't eat anything, or very much of anything at lunch. She just didn't seem to care about food. HOW CAN YOU NOT CARE ABOUT FOOD?! She was thin, pretty, and the boys loved her. I cared about eating. I was usually starving by lunch, and don't think about cutting in front of me in line! I wasn't as thin as the girl who didn't care about food, but I wasn't fat either. Until now. I still care about food.

I marvel at my husband, who can save his candy and doesn't care about food. Ok, he cares about food a little, but he FORGETS to eat if he's working. Who forgets to eat? I know, I just told you Chad does. Guess who stays thin? Guess who has tons of energy? Guess who can still wear the same clothes as when we were first married? Chad. Sometimes I want to scream. He got the gene and I didn't.

I don't know if my food issues came from having to guard my plate from my family members. (They would steal food off my plate when I weren't looking, simply to be funny. My grandfather could switch plates with you if you weren't careful. He was good.) Maybe my issues come from growing up very poor, and knowing what food stamps were at a very young age, and what getting food pantry food meant. We went through some hard times when I watched my parents worry about where the next meal was going to come from. My food issues could just be my bad habits, or my desire to seek comfort from food instead of God. All I know is I have issues.

My weight is now a problem. I am lethargic, and my back aches from all the pounds it has to support. I get scared when I accidentally see myself in the mirror when I am changing clothes...I try to avoid it as much as possible. I stopped exercising when I started having kids. I just didn't take the time, I thought joining a sports league was selfish, and finding a babysitter all the time was a hassle. After 8 years of this my body needs a new course of action. Heck, it needs any action it can get!

Keeping the theme of resolutions, here's my physical resolution. Get healthy in 2008. I need accountability and a measurable plan of action. I joined the Temple Builders group at church. Pretty much all I do is weigh myself after church and my friend keeps track of everyone's numbers. My sister has done the same. This gives me a measureable record. I am reading Body Clutter by Marla Cilley and LeAnne Eli. This book is helping me to investigate where my eating philosophy comes from. I haven't gotten too far into it, but it seems to help others. I am actively trying to stop eating after 8 pm. I am only having one plate of food at meals. I am getting up from the table when I am done, even if everyone isn't done yet. (I tend to keep eating to have something to do.) I haven't come up with a plan for exercise yet, I think I have too many excuses (finding a babysitter, the expense of a gym membership, have you ever tried to work out with a video with 5 kids and 2 dogs?!).

I am praying for God to show me how I can fit exercise in my life. He always delivers.

Breaking down Resolutions in 2008

I find myself once again enjoying a fresh new calendar. Yes, this is the 24th day of 2008, and no I didn't just buy a new calendar.

I have a calendar fetish. Big empty squares. Clean white pages. Just waiting for my pencil, my pen, my highlighter, my stickers.

Each month's empty pages hold so much potential for

growth...

change...

hope.

Besides the fact that I love to use my calendar for normal stuff like scheduling doctor appointments for 7 humans and 3 pets, Awana theme nights, and Stampin' Up! events, I use my calendar for making menus, cleaning schedules, recording milestones, and to do lists. My calendar is the epicenter for recording the time eaters of my busy, large family.

What the heck does this have to do with resolutions? The obvious answer is January 1 starts the new calendar and the rush to faux-commit (I made this word up, my family calls this Mera-phrasing!) ourselves to changing every weakness into a strength.

But, I am not always obvious. Thoroughly versed in goal setting and not so thoroughly versed in project planning, I am resolving to break down each resolution into manageable, bite sized action steps. Measurable, with a timeframe. Doable.

My biggest and most sweeping resolution for 2008 is to see myself succeed. I define success as meeting and hopefully exceeding my life goals.

Spiritual
Physical
Relational
Emotional
Professional

Yup, I want a better relationship with the Master Planner. He created hope, change and growth. He created me. Heck, He created calendars!! His word says if I draw near to Him, He will draw near to moi, James 4:8, Mera-phrased. I am pretty much clear on how...schedule and do my Bible reading, commit to praying more alone and with others, journaling what He tells me lest I forget (which I will if I don't write it down!), and reaching out to others for the sake of the Gospel - which will always remind you of His Love.

So...how will I sustain this vertical momentum? Ok, I have started meeting with some beautiful women for accountability and reading. We read 10 chapters a week, and I am marking off what I have read (measurable!) to see how much of the Bible I read by the end of the year.

Romans 15:4 says, "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach

us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have

hope." Cool, huh?

I have enlisted Mr. Incredible, aka my hubby, to pray with me for 40 days on a number of things for the people and situations in our lives. We pray every night before we go to bed. YEA!!

I am trying to journal, hence this blog. I will be writing the more personal things ya'll don't care to know in a book at home, but suffice to say you can read most of My Journey '08 right here.

As for sharing the Gospel, I am working on a couple projects that will enable me to be sharing with women in different walks of life. Details aren't solidified, but they will be soon, God willing!

Manageable, measurable, accountable. Success.