The past two days have been a blur. We've been working on math projects, reading a ton, etc. Yesterday Wes felt bad from his bee sting~he'd taken Benadryl the night before and it was still making him groggy. Plus, his had was really swollen and itchy. So, we did a lot of reading and curled up on the sofas and watched some documentary on Thomas Jefferson and a science show on space probes. It was kind of overcast and a bit rainy so it was a perfect day for that. Sometimes I think those things are cop-out learning but then find the kids bringing up things they've thought about days, weeks, or months later that pertain to the show. I used to try to make a complete lesson plan for everything we watched like that, but now am trying to see what THEY come up with and think about~it's lots of fun to see how differently the kids process things, how different their passions are.

Today we had family pictures made for our church directory, and got some nice pictures for our parents and Tom's sister for Christmas. It feels good to have that done, except for buying some nice frames for them!!

I'm in the midst of trying to make some decisions about where God wants me to direct my talents right now. I have many dreams for my home, family, and church ministries and don't know where to channel my energy. I can't wait to see which adventures God's getting ready to lead me on!

Yesterday's workout: Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown, Level 1
Today's Workout: Firm Express Total Body Shaping(am); Karen Voight Yoga Focus (pm) And, of course, walking that crazy mutt a mile or more each morning!

Today was one of those days of the good, the bad and the funny.

The good: we are totally blessed by a woman in the church who has adopted Maddie and her friend Sarah as granddaughters. Today she took them shopping at the Old Navy and Gap outlet and bought them clothing for the fall. I can't even begin to describe the number of things she's done for my daughter. The biggest blessing is for Maddie to have someone else to look to for adult conversation and love, besides her mom~especially since her two grandmothers don't live near us.

The bad: Wes got stung by a yellow jacket. There was a nest outside and he stirred it up, getting stung on his knuckle. He has a mild allergic reaction that causes him to swell around the site of the sting and feel itchy. I need to give him a Benadryl and see how loopy he gets, too funny. He's trying to milk it for everything, saying it's his writing hand so he needs to lie around tomorrow instead of doing anything with books, papers or pens!

The funny: I got to participate in a skit at church that my husband wrote. It was a fun way to help the congregation understand what it means to be witnesses of Christ in the world, and how vital that is to our calling as Christians.

Thanks, God, for the people you place in our lives to be the hands and feet of Christ. Help me, help us all, to go out and preach the gospel with our lives...and if necessary to use words. (Loosely translated from one of my husband's benedictions).

Today's Workout: Karen Voight Yoga Focus. 30 minutes of seated and lying yogaish stretching. Aaahhhhh.......

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that my kids don't know that they're only supposed to "learn" in "school" during certain hours, and certain days of the week. Learning is becoming as natural as breathing, and I just love seeing this more and more as the years go by and we settle into learning at home.

Today Tyler had money burning a hole in his pocket to spend and where did he want to go? Barnes and Noble! My kids can stay there for hours, looking at books, reading them, and making dream lists of future things to learn and do.

But before I get into all of that, I have to relay a funny story. Tyler told me that if I'd take him to BN this morning, he would get up early and walk the dog with me. So, we slept in a little and about 8:30 started out to walk Rocky. Now keep in mind he weighs 60 plus pounds and is part Dalmatian. Well, on our walk, we noticed our small cat, Pickles (about 8 pounds, dripping wet) following us down the road. The road is very busy and he wouldn't go back home. My common sense told me to take him home and then continue the walk but to be lazy, I suggested we carry him and take a shorter walk. Well, Rocky got into a barking match with the one dog in the neighborhood he doesn't like (the dog bit him once, lol) and it scared Pickles who ran into a neighbor's back yard. Well, we found him and hauled him out. Then I told Tyler to walk Rocky and I'd carry Pickles, who was nervous and digging claws into Ty's arm. Rocky never lunges, etc on his lead. Until today, when he saw the same dog he dislikes again. He threw Ty to the ground and came out of his harness AND his collar!!! Somehow Tyler got Pickles and I got Rocky back into his lead and collar and we finished the walk. If you're wondering what happened to the other dog, Rocky ran at him, barking furiously, cornered him on his porch, and the two characters spent time sniffing one another's nether regions. DOGS!!!!!

The rest of the day was spent playing Mah Jong, which Tyler purchased with his money, doing laundry, running errands, fixing meals, cooking for tomorrow's church potluck, and generally hanging around the house reading books. And listening to the kids tell their Dad and I all the neat things they've learned in the last week!

Thank you God that your creation is so great that there is no end to all we can learn. May we NEVER forget that learning about you must be our number one priority, or nothing else makes sense. When we forget to put you first, we are like Rocky~we have big mouths that are used to show off to other "dogs." But what we end up being is all bark and no bite.

Today's workout: This is the start of my recovery week. I get to do some lighter, rejuvenating workouts now, yea!
20 Minutes of Athletic Cardio, from Cardio For Beginners with Petra Kolber
20 Minutes of Yoga from Yoga for Everyone with Hemalayyaa

I love, love, love Fridays. My husband is off work~sort of, today he went in to the office for a bit. I also get some time off on Friday mornings. I got up early and walked Rocky and then ate breakfast alone and ran errands. It doesn't sound that exciting but to a mom with kids at home all the time it can be pure therapy!

The kids spent time working on some tough spelling assignments, that were also fun, and writing. I love reading what they write as it gives me a wonderful insight into their minds.

Tom and I went to lunch together and worked through the next month on our calendar~can you believe it's almost September????? We are planning a "Not Back To School" camp out with the kids for a couple of days next month, it should be really fun.

Now that the chores are done, we're all relaxing a bit before going to a Home school Pool Party. The kids are looking forward to cooling off and catching up with some of their buddies that they've not seen much over the summer. I'm looking forward to a night off from dishes!!! And, some good conversation with other believers.

No matter what the day holds, there are always things to look forward to, times of relaxation, rest, adventure, and joy with the Father. May all of these be yours in abundance this weekend.

Today's Workout:
The Firm Wave Speed Slimming Sculpt
Now I'm on a mini rest rotation before my cardio-intensive month kicks in next Wednesday.

What I'm reading: The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson)
Re-reading the original Twilight

Today has been a golden day, thus my choice of colors, lol. When I got up this morning my youngest, Ty, got up with me and we walked the dog together for about a mile and a half. Well, he actually skateboarded part of the time and walked with me part of the time. Rocky loved having two people to hang with him and pet him!

The kids and I then spent time on some math and science projects. We ended up watching a documentary we'd DVR'd from the History Channel on Icelandic volcanoes and it was really interesting. We had some good discussions on volcanoes and plate tectonics. And, after I finished my workout, the A/C man was here telling me he'd gotten the unit completely fixed so it should work now, yippee!

The neatest thing is that the kids have been helping me around the house without being asked. Wes deep cleaned his room, Ty cleaned out the car and fed the animals without being asked, and Maddie is deep cleaning her room as we speak.

Since Wes spent that time this afternoon doing that, he asked if I'd run him to Long John Silver's to get an Ice Flow, which is a frozen lemonade type drink. He had a coupon for a free one. Maddie stayed here cleaning but when I ordered an Ice Flow for Tyler, they gave me two by accident and told me to keep it~so my Mary Maddie got one too. She said it will help her power through the rest of her cleaning!!

I love when God gives you little gifts like that. The kids are kids, not perfect, fallen much like me. But days like this when I get glimpses that they are maturing can keep me going during those times when they seem to be going backwards. Kind of like a free treat from a local restaurant can make your whole day. The simple things, still miracles, always gifts of grace from a God who loves to give. May we always be looking for them throughout our day!!

Today's Workout: Firm Wave Rock it Off Cardio Express (repeating cardio twice) followed by abs and stretch; Firm Wave Express Abs

What I'm reading: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5, The Last Olympian. This is the last one in the series, then I'll have to find something else to get absorbed in.

Today is my husband Tom's 49th birthday. It's unbelievable as he has red hair, freckles, and looks about 30! He takes it all in stride but it's amazing to me that we've been married nearly 16 years and have known one another 18ish~time really does fly when you get to live with the one person who you know is exactly what you needed~a gift from God for sure!!

So, what did he want to do for his birthday? Go to a conference on dynamic worship. Yawn, I generally avoid conferences but this one was fun. We sang a lot, worshipped, and had a great time.

While we were at the conference, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law took the kids to the Booth Western Art Museum and they had a GREAT time. They had a Civil War gallery, Presidents gallery, etc. Plus, it had some great interactive things for the kids to do. The highlight of the kids' day was when someone from a local cable station asked the kids to look at some exhibits and be taped for a local commercial. They then were given 6 free tickets to the Tellus Science Museum, which is has dinos, astronomy exhibits, etc. They thought that was the coolest thing ever.

After a nice dinner and some cake with the kids and Tom's mom and sister, we headed home. The children were full of stories of things they'd seen and I knew that this had been a good trip for them. Sometimes our days begin and you have no idea of the "serendipities" that God has waiting for you~like the chance to be in a commercial!! Or, smaller but greater still, the chance to slow down, close your eyes, and lift your voice with others singing, "Jesus we are here...for you." Those moments are just priceless.

Don't you just love those days when you hit a home run? Last night I had to run to the library with Wes and Maddie, my oldest two while my husband took Ty to Scouts. While I was picking up a book on hold (Mathematics, A Human Endeavor by Harold Jacobs, which is fabulous) I saw a book I had to check out for Tyler. It was comics about Greek Mythology, two of his favorite things. He LOVED reading it and has already finished.

Today we played around with math a lot. The kids worked in their respective texts and books and then we used the Jacobs book. We were graphing the paths that billiard balls would take when hit at 45 degree angles to see where the ball would end, varying the length and width of the table. We made some really neat discoveries through doing all of this. We also spent time reading and doing some math and science work in the computer. Tyler continues to love writing his book, which I "think" is modeled after adventure stories like Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Our air conditioning has been acting up and wouldn't you know the guy showed up when I was in the middle of exercise? After showing him the controls and unit, I was able to continue~and the good news is that I think it was an inexpensive fix. We then ran out and got the boys' haircuts before rushing back to pick up the pizza for dinner~thank goodness for pizza night (and a really good Caesar Salad and green beans I threw together to go with it).

One of the best parts of my day was walking Rocky, our large mixed breed part-Dalmatian, part who-knows-what dog. When I went outdoors it was 65 degrees! It's been 77 for the low overnight for so long that it was so cool and wonderful. And I also had time to sip a cup of coffee alone and spend time reading my Bible and being with the Father.

It may seem like just an ordinary day, but we laughed a lot, learned a lot, loved a lot, and got to know one another and the Father better. Thanks, God, for the ordinary moments in our lives.

Today's workout: The Firm Dangerous Curves Ahead with Alison McClain-Davis. This one uses a sculpting loop to work the lower body and abs that reminds me a bit of the standing sequences in Brazil Butt Lift's High and Tight. Nice workout to cross train with and the high impact cardio is fun, fun, fun!

Today was all about history. We studied information on the disappearance of the English colony at Roanoke and watched a documentary on it. The kids looked up information and each came up with their own particular "pet" theory, and why they thought that was the most likely. Then Maddie and Wes studied piracy and murder surrounding the settlement of our country, particularly in Florida. Tyler is studying Story of The World, Volume 2, and we looked at the issue of slavery in South and Central America.

What I didn't remember, and found so sad, is that African people were quick to sell each other to make money. Nothing is new under the sun, as Solomon said, and we've always had struggles with the economy, weather....and getting along with one another. Greed has led to so many of the most painful parts of our past.

That's why history is important. It has always been, and always will be, HIS story~because in the midst of the darkness his Light shines through, and people who follow Christ become true beacons of hope and change.

Tyler continues to be interested in math games, Maddie in her art and piano, and Wes is developing an interest in Astronomy. Tyler is reading the Percy Jackson series too and is working on writing his own book!

Today's workout:
The Firm Transfirm Your Trouble Zones~what fun using a 5 pound kettlebell for a change!!

What I"m reading now: Percy Jackson book 4, The Battle of the Labyrinth.

Today was worship! I absolutely love the Sunday routine. There is something different about Sunday. I sleep in a bit, take the dog on a shorter walk, and let the kids have something fun and with zero nutritional value for breakfast, like a Poptart. (At my age, doing that would wreck my stomach, the perils of geting older!)

I love going to Sunday School and discussing Biblical and current issues with others who love Jesus. I love walking into worship, never sure who will be there that day (except my husband Tom, the pastor) or in what way God will show up~'cuz he ALWAYS does.

After church we went to lunch as a family and tried to play a game at the table that Tom knew, reaffirming again that my reflexes are slow! Finally, I had a quick nap and spent a lot of time reading before exercising.

What do you do to relax? Do you ever relax? How do you allow God to enter into your life and help you recharge? Tonight I need to look at the coming week for homeschooling and spend some time just asking the Father for extra input into things. In a world that tells me to move faster and do more, I realize that God's priorities are vastly different. And today, I'm choosing his, how about you?

Today's Workout:
Firm Calorie Killer, using my new Wave toy!

Today my Tom and the boys are still camping and skiing. Maddie, my daughter, has a chance to eat out with friends and go to a museum. So, what did I decide to do with that delicious time alone? Clean my 10 year old son's room. Ugh, that was a task long overdue! For some reason cleaning windowsills and baseboards are not high on his list and he has no idea why I insist it be done every so often. So, I spent an hour and a half doing laundry, cleaning his room deeply, rearranging, etc.

After that was done I decided to reward myself....with a workout! I got on the Firm Wave and Rocked it Out with Alison. I really like the workout~intervals of cardio and weight training incorporating core and balance throughout.

Somehow, I always enjoy my reading time after I've tackled a large task like that. And believe me, I'm not Martha Stewart~I should have lableled the blog the trials and tribulations of the domestically challenged. Yet thorugh it all, I felt God's pleasure. I wasn't doing anything amazing, or intellectually challenging. But I was serving, moving, living. And God was there.

Today's workout:
Firm Wave, Rock it Off
Firm Wave, Ride the Wave Tutorial

What I'm reading:
Percy Jackson and The Titan's Curse

Serendipities?

Serendipity: An unsought, unintended, and/or unexpected discovery and/or learning experience that happens by accident and sagacity.

That's pretty good~except that: 1) I believe in The Father God, not accidents; and 2)sagacity is a fancy word, that pretty much means applied wisdom~I think.

So here is where I put down my thoughts. This and that, the daily events of my life, all of which are grist for God's mills to make me more like his Son.

You'll find a lot of talk about homeschooling, exercise, reading, and the Kentucky Wildcats during basketball season. Things about my kids, and husband and our church (we're a pastor's family). Most of all, I hope you'll find that just like you, I'm an ordinary person with an extraordinary Creator, who is active in my life.

Come by often, dialogue, leave a message, or just read. And above all, I pray that my musings will be a catalyst to discover your own God-ordained serendipities.

Today's workout: 40 minute yoga with Kristen McGee in Body By Bethenny