Life Happens

I have had many things I want to blog about but have had little extra energy lately. Life is happening in full force at our home, seems there is no time for the extras - even the ones we enjoy. I have been coping with chronic pain since late September and we are all learning how to adapt to life this way.

Overall I am amazed at how well my children have done. They have picked up slack and taken on more jobs around the house to help out. They pray for me each night and are very loving an supportive to me during this time. Serona too has taken on much more even while work ramps up for him. I know I am truly blessed with such a wonderful family. My friends have surrounded me in prayer, encouragement and support. Overall I know I am loved and blessed and that has been one of the positive outcomes of this experience. At times I am tired and weary but mostly I have been encouraged by the support of my loved ones and the faith I have. Someday this will end (I pray) and then I will be able to look back on this time and all the growth that came from it.

still even in the midst of all this life goes on and we somehow manage to do the things we love. My kids are out enjoying the snow as I type, Ciaran on a snowboard, Sirah on the swings and Rhiannon sledding down the hill. We are involved politically of course, somehow we just can't seem to stay away. As we get closer to election day activities will ramp up I am sure. Wonder if you can guess which candidate we are supporting?

Our homeschool cooperative is ramping up. This semester Rhiannon is taking classes in clay and history as well as PE. Ciaran and Sirah continue with Five in a Row, crafts, music and PE. I am teaching two classes once again. I love the opportunity to teach. This semester I am teaching two really fun and enjoyable classes.

The first Rhiannon is taking as well it is a history class for 2nd-4th graders based on the book series "If You Lived..." I have a passion for bringing history alive to young people. This class offers a perfect opportunity to do so as we dive into different time periods. This semester we will look at the time of the knights, the American revolution, the trail of tears, women's suffrage and civil rights. Each week we study one time by learning a bit and experiencing a lot.

My second class is really fun and easy to teach - what a perfect combination! Teen Christian music. The kids pick the music, we listen to the songs, read the lyrics and discuss the music. We are going to talk about different messages in music such as music as worship, praise, dealing with the world, faith strengthening and evangelism. The only boundary I gave was the music must be on a Christian label - any style will go - and we have some hymns, contemporary, rock, rap, hip-hop, pop and punk all in there. Should prove to be interesting!

We are still doing some field trips - though I have to cut back quite a bit as it is more difficult for me to attend them these days. Still just recently the kids had an ice-drilling class where we looked under the ice and checked temperature and played with kicksleds and snow snakes on the ice. Rhiannon went to see a local history museum and learned about Native Americans and archaeological studies. Ciaran and Rhiannon participated in the MIA Art Adventure program where they studied 9 pieces of art over several weeks and then went to see them at the museum and discuss them with the curator. This was a favorite of both kids this year.

So we are still doing lots of interesting things - I just have less time and energy to write about them. I hope to be back up to full speed soon - especially so we can take part in lots of activities for the 2008 election.