We've moved. Okay, scare over. My blog has moved to a wordpress address as it's a bit less cumbersome for me to use. Here's the address:

www.cherisserendipities.wordpress

"See" you there and Happy 2014.

We are done with school until January 6. Officially, that is. We are still reading, looking into things of interest, cooking, writing, studying the Bible, etc. Things that we love to do daily that all constitute learning. 

Wes finished a year long Anatomy course in semester and will be moving on to Physics. The others are pretty much keeping on their same path of studies.  God has definitely been good to us.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours (in case I continue on my current path of not writing much). ;)

We had such a nice Thanksgiving. On the actual day, Wes had a meal with Alexis' family; Tom and Tyler made the trip to Columbia, SC, to see some relatives; Maddie and I hung out all day cooking for Friday and reading books. It was cold, cold so it was lovely to be home.  Yesterday I made a nice meal for us and can say I survived cooking my first entire Thanksgiving meal and it was a success. I especially loved cooking the turkey breast in the clay baker~very moist~AND knowing we'll have turkey for leftovers for a few days.

Today the guys are working at the church and Maddie and I are running a few errands. Then we're going to watch some football. I pray all of you had a wonderful, blessed holiday. Next week we're back at it with our regular school routines.

My little elves could stand it no longer and are putting up the tree. It's overcast and 39 degrees so it feels like December~actually that's more like January weather here.  I got to go out and have lunch today with my honey too. And, we're going to stay home and enjoy Thanksgiving as a family this year. I feel completely and utterly blessed.

I want to do whatever tasks the Lord gives me with an all-out passion from him. I want to do them well (not perfectly, but well). I hope my kids get this desire from me and our homeschooling years as well.

This little guy tells that story oh so well. So thanks, Mom~for the lessons and the great picture.

The peaking of our leaves has come and gone.  The days are shorter and cooler.  When I walk Tucker, the leaves crunch under my feet and the air is crisp. Yes, it's November.

We celebrated Maddie's 16th birthday on November 3. She was sick. I was sick. But, we made the best of it for sure. Wes and Alexis rented a silly animated movie and we curled up on the sofa and laughed. We played Apples to Apples.  We just enjoyed being a family. Isn't that what celebrations are really all about?

This week we're doing a fun unit study on Thanksgiving/Pilgrim's/Mayflower Compact, etc. Each child is doing work at their level and reading, writing, etc.  They are also doing math. That's shaping up to be a fun week since it's always nice to have a change of pace. Next week we're off all week and will go to the library and get lots of books to read. Maddie is reading a series now, Tyler two series, and Wes a series. I'm reading what they finish and say is really good. I love Young Adult literature!

Here are some pictures of my Maddie. She's certainly changed, hmm?  Sorry the first is fuzzy. It's a picture of a picture, taken with my cell phone!

I have much to be grateful for today. We had a good week of school; Wes' foot is feeling GREAT; Tyler, Wes, and Tom had a good overnight visit to Atlanta to see scarecrows at the Botanical Gardens; Maddie and I had a wonderful girls night alone.  I have heat in my house (and with the temps dropping to 30 tonight (weird weather) I need it!), food on my table, blue skies, laughter, and pets to make me laugh. It's all the little blessings that add up to making me smile with gratitude~when I focus my gaze upward.

I am feeling quite blessed today. Tyler got a package in the mail from Amazon.com.  It was a 7th grade Test Prep book and he was actually excited to get it out and begin working in it! ;)

Tomorrow Wes has his last game for football. It's an away game but he's still going with the team to watch and be supportive. Then Saturday he's going to Six Flags with his friend, Alexis. I've stated my opinion about walking around all day on his foot but he assures me he'll either wear his boot or have it heavily wrapped. Sometimes I wish I could strap him down to a chair. Although, he has been doing his school work with it propped up.  

Maddie had piano, Tom had a Business After Hours event, and Tyler has been selling popcorn for Scouts. So far it looks like he's the top seller. That's largely in part to his dad who has taken him all over the place. :) :)

I've started a new Bible study with some women at church called Stronger, by Angela Thomas. There is a simple but profound quote I wanted to share with you all today:  "God is always with me. His strength is ever-present, in every place, for every circumstance I face."  May you soak this in, enjoy his presence, and be blessed.

P.S. This is just to put a smile on your face!

Oh, goodness.  I've not blogged in a month. I've been thinking what to say and then, at the end of the day, just don't feel like being on the computer.  

In the last month we have:
Seen my mom have another birthday
Celebrated my folks' 50th Anniversary with a trip to Tennessee
Seen Wes continue to play football and score his first touchdown
Seen Wes have a season ending injury(hairline fracture in his foot)
Watched the leaves begin to change
Experienced cooler nights and days 
Worked together on school projects
Laughed together
Cried together (Maddie and I, of course~we're girls)
Enjoyed watching college football
Seen the kids attend the local high school Homecoming dance
Sent Tyler on 2 Scout Camp outs
Watched Tyler complete his Tenderfoot requirements and advance in Scout ranks

Among other things!  

So, today, I leave you with this thought from Max Lucado, and pray God has blessed your life in ways you never even imagined!

P.S.  A little Homecoming picture of Wes and Alexis. :)

I always have good intentions about getting on here each day and then....

Tyler went on a cool camp out last weekend. They did lots of team building things like climbing walls, walking on ropes, etc. After the official event was over they even played paintball. They also got to sleep in tree houses that had hammocks in them. A good time was had by all.

Wes had another game and they lost...again. This team was also from SC and had won LAST year's 8 man national championship. They only allowed one other team to score on them all year and Wes' team got a touchdown.  Wes had a great punt return and some good tackles as well.

Maddie left on Friday after the game to go work at a camp in Florida with my SIL/BIL. The camp is for children who have cancer and their families. If you want to serve Jesus, I'd say the beach is a good place. ;)  She's texted me several times and seems to be having fun. She's flying back to Atlanta on Friday (all alone so pray for her and for mom!) so she'll be home to attend the White County Homecoming Dance on Saturday. With some youth group girls who invited her to go with them. (Wes is also going with his friend, Alexis).

Today I had to run errands, have my yearly physical (she said I'll live) and then took Wes to practice. Tonight Tyler has a scout Court of Honor. I'm looking forward to tomorrow being a bit more low key!!

And finally, another cool picture from my favorite French Bulldog, Peanut. I just love that girl. She's as pretty as she is smart.

Wes had a great game in Warner Robbins on Saturday. They did lose, BUT the team scored their first touchdown. Wes had a great block that let the QB score. Wes was a happy boy. And, all the rest of the games are a bit closer and are all on Saturday night so that's a relief.

Today we started out with a notice that I can pick out Maddie's geometry teachers' guides from the post office tomorrow. Yay, I can finally stop doing all the work with her. It's great for me to do that, to some extent, but it will free up more time for work with Ty and Wes. Ty has finished his second book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe so we'll be starting work using The Magician's Nephew this week.

I went to the store today, dropped Wes off at practice, and have dinner in the oven. I need to go over a bit of work with Maddie from her Anne of Green Gables unit study and then will relax. I used to feel like I should be doing something all the time but now see the necessity of and joy in relaxing to read, etc. And then today, I saw this from my great philosopher friend, Peanut (French Bulldog belonging to my favorite online workout instructor, Jessica Smith).  You tell them, Peanut!  

I sometimes have people who wonder what in the world we do in homeschool. And if I tell them, it doesn't always seem like "real school."  Well, it's not. That doesn't mean, however, that learning isn't occurring.

I thought I'd share a few things that Ty was studying this week as they pop into my mind. It's by no means exhaustive~just some things I remember off the top of my head.

Aerodynamics of bees
How to make time-elapsed shots with a camera and how to calculate the time necessary for a certain number of minutes of footage.
The properties of the light
Refraction, Reflection, and Absorption of said light
How the eye works in the light process and how sight works in general
Scripture study of resurrection
How to compare and contrast two different story lines
Metric measurements
How to calculate sales tax, take inventory, re-order stock, and calculate profit and loss(he's operating a pretend book store this year as part of his math program)
Architecture 
Writing descriptive sentences
Typing practice
The history of knights in Medieval England
The code of ethics of knights compared to a biblical worldview
Writing a modern day code of ethics using the above info gathered
Art work using pencils, Lego's, and other medium
Studying Fractals in nature and a bit of the history of fractals
Reading literature for fun
Emailing a pen pal
Studying the different types of verb tenses (something he chose to do on his own by finding a grammar book)
Vocabulary building with about 25 different words defined and used in sentences

Again, not exhaustive, just off the top of my head. Oh, and having critical thinking and discussion lessons with mom at the end of each Narnia chapter of study.

I'm discovering that learning is something that goes on all the time. It's fun, an adventure, a challenge, and impossible to stop. God made us to be creative and enjoy the journey of discovering more and more about him and this world so we can know him and make him known to others. My children help me to do that every single day. And for all of that, and most of all for who God is, I will praise him forever.

Okay, funny story of the day. One I get to tell on myself. We don't have the first teacher's guide for Maddie's geometry book so I've been doing all the problems to provide answers for her. Late last week I decided the heck with that and found the answer guides/teacher's guides as a set for $20 on eBay. Then I noticed that the answers to all the odd numbered exercises are in the back of her student book.  LOL, I have only needed to do the even exercises. That said, they often don't give the answers to the C group of exercises, which are the hardest ones. So, the teacher's book will be nice to have with all the great tips for learning/teaching AND ALL the answers. :)

This weekend was a lot of fun. The kids spent time with friends, we watched football, and just hung around. Their friends spent some time here and they spent time at friends' homes. All in all, we all enjoyed the long weekend.

Wes is back to football practice today but has picked up a head cold. I'd appreciate prayers for it to leave quickly before his game on Saturday.

The kids are all at Youth Group.  I just finished grading Tyler's papers, printing out his math work for tomorrow, and going over Maddie's geometry lesson and work for tomorrow. I get to walk the dog and then relax for the evening. The house is quiet and once again I am grateful to God for another day where we learned, grew, and did life together.

Oh, some fun pictures from my SIL Leslie's 50th Birthday Bash at the end of July.

Wow, what a weekend. Wes' team played football Friday night against a team from SC that won an 8 man national championship tourney two years in a row.  You can probably guess the results of THAT one. Saturday my Sister in law and Brother in law came up and went hiking with my husband and kids for Tom's birthday. I didn't go because I had a Ladies' Dinner for the women of the church. That was a blast. Yesterday we celebrated Tom's birthday with church, yummy Key Lime Pie bars, and dinner out for just the two of us. I now need another day off to recover from our weekend!

The good news is that we have a bye week in football.  Wes even got the day off of practice so he and Maddie went to see Alexis, their friend, play softball.  Ty has scouts and I will take a nice, long walk with Tucker while they are all gone. We've not had rain since Friday night.  To put things in "twitter speak" I am feeling #blessed #grateful.

You know how much I love my girl Jessica Smith, who does all the incredible free workouts on YouTube. She posted this picture of her dog Peanut today. Peanut turned 3 last week but is wise beyond her years. So, I leave you with this thought for the day:

Praying you will find time to reflect on God's blessings this day.

Maddie's Anne of Green Gables Unit Study package finally came yesterday. Yikes, it will be a lot of work.They really demand a lot of high school students. And Maddie?  She is totally....excited. She is looking forward to really pushing herself academically and has been having a ball. She has already done two or three days worth of work, plus her Algebra, Geometry, and German. She is in her element.

Yesterday she and Wes went to a church member's home and worked clearing weeds, moving dirt, etc. They enjoy doing it and the lady always pays them, which is a plus.

On the weather front, it POURED all a.m. and then the sun came out. Glory be, will wonders never cease???

I really need to make blogging more of a priority. So many things happen during our days that this is a good place to record them and see God at work in our lives.

Last weekend Wes had his first football game. The other team had been playing for 8 years and was much bigger than the guys on Wes' team but they had a good time. Wes did have one great catch and a run for about 35 yards, which was their longest gain. Most of the rest of the time he spent getting slammed by big boys. ;)

Saturday we spent time at a swanky resort here in town~kind of a time share community. The weather wasn't nice at all. It was cold and rainy but we still went swimming in the indoor pool, played miniature golf, etc. It was for local pastoral families and hosted by a man in our area. So kind and such a nice treat!

Sunday the kids had youth most of the day and Tom had meetings all day. That meant mom got time to hang out at home alone with full control of the remote. A rare treat.  I watched an Agatha Christie movie and relaxed a bit with the cats. :D

Today I went to the dentist and my new crown actually fit. I'm so glad I don't have to go back in two weeks...again.

The kids are enjoying their school work and making progress. Wes is studying Anatomy and Physiology as his science this year and likes that as his friend Alexis is taking that course too.  He also has literature and composition, Algebra II, German, US History, and is doing some geography and astronomy as well. Maddie is studying Geometry, World History, Biology, and German, and is doing her literature, composition, some art and science with her Unit Study. Ty is having a blast running a "bookstore" to practice math skills, along with his regular load of work and unit study.

Funny story. Ty had to make homemade modeling clay and sculpt one of the creatures the White Witch turned into a statue in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.  And the funny thing is that has been his hardest assignment!  He has had the devil of the time getting that giant to stay together but it's finally taking shape.

God is good, isn't he?  And I continue to praise him, even though the weather has been extremely gray and overcast since last Thursday. When the sun finally comes out again and you hear screaming all over the US from a crazy woman in Georgia, you'll know it's me. :)

Crazy busy weekend here!  Wes and Tom worked at a church work day all morning on Saturday. Tom and I got up early to hit Walmart before the work day to get a new printer during Georgia's tax free days sale. Wes' friend, Alexis, spent part of Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon with us too.

Yesterday Wes had football, Maddie went to the movie with a friend, and Alexis came over for dinner. Tonight Wes, Maddie, and another youth are at Alexis' softball game while Tom and Ty are working in the carport and back yard. It brings back memories of when I was in high school, running around with my friends and having fun. It also reminds me of the days when I had three children under the age of 5 and never had a moment to myself. Those days have flown by so fast and sometimes I miss them so much it feels like a physical ache.

But, God is good. I'm getting to see my children grow, spread wings, and become young men and women of God. That is certainly something worth celebrating.

This week I'm trying to take the time to think about and celebrate the fact that God is everything I will ever need. HE IS.  If you remember nothing else that I ramble about here, I pray you remember that.

Today I walked a mile and a half with Leslie Sansone and did a weight workout with Jessica Smith. Then I got the kids up to do chores while I showered. After that, Tyler and I went over the work he had to finish today and Mary Madison and I did a Geometry lesson together. I then took time to study my Bible and pray for a bit. 

When that was done, we were hungry for lunch and all wandered in there, making what seemed yummy at the time. Tyler teased me about my green smoothie while Wes declared it tasted like a dark chocolate shake, but with a bit less sugar. (It had mocha flavored almond milk, chocolate protein powder, chia seeds, a cup of frozen blueberries, and a cup and a half of spinach leaves).  

I went to my room to read and feel asleep. :o  It was only for about 15 minutes but I will confess it happens to me a lot. It's the price I pay for getting up early to exercise!  Then I went over lessons that the kids turned in I walked with Wes to get a hair cut.

Now all of this may seem a bit boring but I'm sometimes asked what a typical homeschool day looks like in our house so I thought I'd talk about today. You'll notice I didn't do much checking of Wes' work. He works online and we discuss things at the beginning, middle, and end of the week and he is pretty darn independent.  He did come and ask for my help with a couple of his Algebra 2 problems yesterday, and often breaks off to share some tidbit he's learning from a lesson that he finds interesting.  He's also my first kid up each morning and I never have to remind him to do his chores. The other two wait until I wake them, with Ty being the hardest to get going!  They both generally need 30 minutes of fun reading upon rising before they're ready to eat, do chores, talk, and start school. That's fine as it gives me time to check in with buddies on social media such as Facebook and Video Fitness, eat breakfast, and shower.

So, you've gotten a fascinating look at a day in the McElroy household. It's in the daily things that we do together, however, that memories are made. I wouldn't change a thing. :)

Just sharing today's workout.  It's perfect for beginners and/or those wanting to move just a bit and get a great stretch to work out the kinks.

Okay, back to the McElroy house. Maddie and I had fun working on her Geometry. She also went to work at the Thrift Store for a bit. Wes did a lot of work before going to football (in the gym, as it's raining). Ty is about half way through his The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe Unit Study work. Maddie and Tyler also made some chocolate chip cookies and watched a bit of a a documentary on architecture.  All in all, it was a nice day.