God Is In Control

If God gives us just what we need, then doesn't He give us just enough for our homeschooling ideas? I see what others are teaching their children and I see different curriculum suggestions, but this year I want to give my all to what God has provided me with. My own brain! What I see good and pure for my children, and what I see they need to learn, I'm going to precede as God's direction.

I'm going to team teach this year with James and Laura Beth. We are going to meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One Mother's focus will be our Bible class which we will start with. We will pray and sing before her class starts.

My focus will be American Literature, with a goal to instill the love of reading. Our third Mother will focus on American History, she will also have a list of books for our students to read, and many essay requirements for our five students.

At home, James and Laura Beth will do their Mathematics and Spanish every morning. This year I'm using for the first time the Rosetta Stone. I still need to look that over and see how this will work for us.

Science will be with a home class taught by a Mother who loves Biology and Anatomy. This class will be on Fridays. Leaving our Mondays and Wednesdays free for field trips etc.

As for sports; James, will be playing football for Calvary Chapel Private School for the fall and his winter sport will be rugby. Laura Beth my daughter, will be in AYSO soccer. (she has played since she was five, her Daddy played for Liverpool, England, allowing his daughter to try soccer at a young age but she hasn't wanted to stop!)

One more week of preparing and organizing my home before my school year begins. I picked up an old favorite book of mine. "More Hours In My Day" by Emilie Barnes to organize my cleaning habits again. I will miss gardening almost everyday, at the same time I'm looking forward to home teaching and being on a schedule again.

My prayer is for my husband to keep healthy and for me to have good meals for him when he comes home from work each day and for my children's safety with sports and my own brain to be used for God to teach all my children for His glory.

I must bloom in my own body for my Creator!
QB

American Literature

I am organizing my home school/team teaching for American Literature. I chose twenty books for my team teaching group with James and Laura Beth to read. It will be approximately two books a month. I divided each book into categories of fiction, classic, biography, mystery, comedy, poetry, fairy tales, and religious. My goal is to see my children enjoy reading and to journal their reflections, thus giving coherence to one's thoughts. The use of a reading journal also promotes good writing skills. Here is my list of books for American Literature school year 2007-2008:

Just David by E.H. Proter
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
Dr. Jenner and the speckled Monster
The Crown of Fire by William C. Newsom
A Girl of the Limberlost by G. Stratton Porter
Little Britches by Ralph Moody
The Birds' Christmas Carol by K.D. Wiggin
Crocodile on the Sand Bank by Elizabeth Peters
Shadow Children (Boxed Set)
Joel a boy of Gailee by A.F. Johnston
The Hidden Hand by Mrs. Eden Southworth
A Little Servant by Grace Livingston Hill
Penrod by Booth Tarkington
Hidden Rainbow by Carol
Scout by Piet Prins
The Master Key by L. Frank Baum
George Washington Carver (Sower Series)
Mark of the Lion Volumes 1-3 by F.Rivers

As for Vocabulary Words: They will find the words as they read through the material. Then, define or identify the words according to the way they are used in the text. It is especially important to note the part of speech that the word plays in the sentence.

Projects: Each will design their own project along the lines of his own interests. Since I will be teaching three other students along with Laura Beth and James, it will be fun to present these projects in front of an audience even if it is their Dads and siblings. We will have a pot luck dinner and present our projects.

I know I will bloom for the Lord in this class of five students, talking about good books and sharing their collected thoughts inspired by American Authors.

QB

Union Station

We took a train ride with our visitors from Gibraltar. Our destination Olvera Street, and China Town. John and I sat separate from our friends because the train was full of summer travelers. We enjoyed a cookie and coffee while holding hands and looking out the window, for our one hour train ride. We arrived in Los Angeles, at the Union Station, which is just opposite of our destination Olvera Street.

The Union Station was built in 1939 and is known as the "Last of the Great Railway Stations" built in the United States. I was amazed at the architecture of the building, with Art Deco Lights and travertine marble mixed with terra cotta tiles. I felt like I was in a film and I tried to pretend there was a film going on. The station originally served the Santa Fe Railway, Southern Pacific and the Union Pacific.

We traveled with our son James, and our nephew Tyler, along with our friends Tim and Carla, and their two sons. All of us had a great time being together seeing Mexican Dancers and exploring and shopping, on a hot summer's day. I purchased a leather purse from Olvera Street, for $6.00, and in China Town, I purchased a China Hat, (cone shaped) for my back yard gardening for $2.00.

Today, our friends left Southern California. We gave our hugs and good byes this morning. Fun memories will be remembered, and we were grateful to have spent time together after being apart for sixteen years!

Bloom for the Lord,
QB

Gibraltar

Gibraltar, a Rock island with more than a thousand years of history. The majestic Rock, faces the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, is a wonderful place that offers a unique blend of heritage and culture. The Rock Apes are perhaps the best of Gibraltar's attractions.

We have friends visiting us for two weeks from Gibraltar. Our friends, Tim and Carla and their two sons are a a unique blend as well. Tim is from England, and his beautiful Spanish wife Carla, born and raised in Gibraltar. They have two sons, Nicholas, 15 years old and Christopher, 14 years old. My son James, 15 years old has been a good host, giving the boys his room and showing them around our neighborhood. My daughter Laura Beth, has graciously given up her room for Tim and Carla. They are comfortable and happy to be in the United States of America.

For their holiday they came to see the Spanish history here in California, while visiting and exploring the Missions up and down the coast of California. They are currently visiting the San Juan Capistrano Mission.

Tim and my husband John are having a nice time reminiscing and talking about the history of Gibraltar. "The Great Siege Tunnels" Excavated by the British army, these tunnels form part of the most impressive defence system anywhere. Interesting story about the Great Siege of 1779-83. They can go all night talking about World War II Tunnels as well. My husband loves to talk about history, he is full of information.

One day I will write about my John's collection of impressive soldiers of all different wars from all around the world. These little tiny soldiers make up most of our office room.

Tomorrow, I want to share about the extraordinary species of trees in Gibraltar.
Bloom where you are planted.
QB

My Back Garden

There really had to blessings in this life and my day bed outside and veranda are it! Here is where my husband and I will read our books and have coffee together. My back garden is big for Southern California. When I am out in our garden I feel a constant state of JOY. God desires to give good gifts to His children and my garden is one of them.

Here's my cat Shadow being lazy in my back garden. She has been in our family for twelve years. We have another kitty, her name is Cat and we have a dog named Louie. Shadow just stays up under the awning relaxed while Louie our dog whines to get at her. She is so funny up there with her legs hanging down.

Bloom where you are planted. I'm going to plant myself right on my day bed outside, and read "Deception" by Randy Alcorn

QB

LOVE-IN-A-MIST

Love-in-a-Mist is a hardy annual with very fine, threadlike foliage and charming 1.5-inch flowers at the end of each branch. An excellent cut flower it also forms interesting horned seed capsules, which are beautiful in dried arrangements. Comes into bloom very quickly.

I'm going to plant these seeds my husband brought home for me. Tomorrow, I will plant them in good soil for my garden to have love in the mist. I love my husband and I love the name of these pretty flowers.

As I said before I am new to the blog world, so please stand by, I'm going to try and see if I can get a picture from the Internet. Yeah, I did it!

Bloom for the Lord,

QB

WCWC`

My daughter Laura Beth is at the West Coast World Views Conference in Santa Cruz this week. It's a conference for high school/college Christians who are eager to deepen their faith. Laura Beth text messaged me today saying she is having a good time just maybe a little sleep deprived. This was the first time she traveled alone on an airplane up to San Jose. She was picked up by Molly Wagner, Pastor Wagner's daughter. She stayed with them one night and then she went on to stay at the University of Santa Cruz. I am anxious to hear all about her time meeting new friends and how the speakers were. She did say on one of her messages Abshire was her favorite speaker. Thank you Carmen for posting the WCWC on your blog. My precious daughter is there!

The mission of the WCWC is:

"That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ-from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:14-16).

New to the Blogging World

I am new to the blogging world, this is how it all began; last October 2006, I was looking for some good books to purchase for my fourteen year old at the time to read. Looking on Vision Forum's site, I linked to Buried Treasure Books and I have been hooked ever since. I didn't purchase any books, I just read and read for myself, what a wonderful ministry!

Now I'm trying to blog for myself, this may take me awhile to learn the new technical tricks but I'm ready to tackle my new adventure. I want to journal what I'm doing in the garden and to share my thoughts. I do not have a digital camera, but another new blogger friend, Brenda at Coffee Tea Books and Me said she uses her disposable camera and puts her pictures on CD. I just dropped off two cameras at Walmart they will be ready on Sunday. I can't wait to try and show you pictures of my garden and home.

Cactaceae

A few days ago my husband came home with an Epiphyllum from a friend at the office.
I planted it in my shaded area in my garden. Epiphyllum means "upon the leaf" in Greek. There are 19 species of epiphytic plants in the cactus family. These are native to Central America. The stems are broad and flat. The flowers are large white to red. The fruit is edible very similar to the pitaya fruit. Epiphyllums are very popular house plants. Kingdom: Plantae, Family: Cactaceae. An easily cultivated, fast growing epiphyte, needs compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture in the summer. Should not be kept under 12 degrees Celsius or 53 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Can be grown in semi shad or full sun. Extra light in the early spring will stimulate budding flowers in late spring or early summer. I will post a picture when I get my film developed.