Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Bid accepted! New HOME!

Put a bid on a house...and it was accepted!


Keeping my friends in the loop----we put a bid on a house today, and would appreciate prayers for the Lord's will to reign!  Here are a few pictures of this woodsy spot---can't you guys see me there?  Walking around on the woods and puttering in a garden here?  Around the house are some nice spots that get full sun, and would work for us to build garden spots.


So, get this---the owner of the "Spruce" house has tenants in there until they graduate, next month, and then they all move out.  So, even if we had started looking for houses 6 months ago, this house wouldn't have been available then!  Doesn't God have the best timing!  Then since it has been on the market for 60 days; which in this area is forever; the owner didn't try to increase our low bid; he just accepted our offer!!!!!!!!  That is amazing in itself!!!!!  I prayed that if this was the right house the Lord would work it out since the asking price was way too much!  Luckily the owner drives from Detroit to Spruce every weekend to mow, and knew the damage his new tenants have done to his house and wasn't under the false impression that it was in good shape...that had to help too!

I truly woke up this morning being SO thankful to the Lord.  I don't know if I've told you, but I've moved moved moved my whole life---eighth grade I went to THREE schools!  I knew the Brownsburg house wasn't my "permanent home", it wasn't the right environment for me--no yard, no trees, no woods, few feathered friends.....  For once in my life, I will actually have the opportunity to be somewhere where I can thrive and feel settled.  I could go on and on, but this is really a major replanting the Lord is doing for me, taking me out of a pot and soil that does not fit me, and putting me in a bigger pot, with all the right ingredients for me to find peace and be able to praise Him more.

I'm so thankful.  


Going DOWN the trail path!
I don't know why there are metal poles along the sides of the path- maybe they had an electrical fence going a few years ago?  I'll have to try and get them up if they are still there when we move in.


Going back UP the trail path!
It is so nice that there is already a nice big looped trail for me to walk.

Even though we live on a dirt road, our drive way is all paved.  Don't you love how I am already saying "our!"

I think we are the highest point around...


This use to be a horse farm, and the horses had a wide run, that I would love to use for *my* run! Ha!  Isn't it great to see a kid outside, in the woods, enjoying nature!  I love this picture.

This picture shows how the house is up on a hill, surrounded by trees on all sides. 



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Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Meijer Sculpture Garden ATLAS MOTH April 27 & 28,2015

Meijer Sculpture Garden 
ATLAS MOTH 
April 27 & 28,2015


We made it to the butterfly exhibit twice this week!  When we went on Monday, I couldn't find my camera before we left--but went anyway.  As soon as we got there---there was the ever-allusive ATLAS MOTH!  We have tried to go at differing times to see it, but they didn't start hatching until the past 7 days.  So, we went again on Tuesday to make sure we could see it again, and get pictures of it (especially for Chelle).  Here are a few pictures, mostly of the Atlas Moth!




Can you see the EIGHT brown coccoons on the shelf? Those are the cocoons for the Atlas Moth!  Such huge cocoons!  Apparently the moth has "cocoons" and butterflies have chrysalis'.  So many kids would walk by the Atlas Moth and say that it was fake!





My friend, Chelle, was kind enough to find some super interesting video's and links about the Atlas moth that totally blew me away.  Dd and I watched them and liked them so much we kept backing up to see things over again (that good!), and here is the link to her blog with the extra information, in case you or your children are interested: http://www.last-in-line.info/2015/04/atlas-moth.html





A White Morpho Butterfly landed on the ankles of the woman standing next to me--so I took the picture!  It is really fun how the butterflies will often land on the people visiting the exhibit!



There you go!  We FINALLY got to see the Atlas Moth!  I was beyond excited!!!!!!!




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Saturday, April 25, 2015

Grand Haven Beach April 25, 2015

Grand Haven Beach 
April 25, 2015






Lots of Ladybugs on the beach today.

After going to 4-5 Open Houses today (and not seeing anything great) around Grand Haven, we stopped by the beach to walk on the sand and enjoy ourselves for a few minutes before heading back to our apartment.  It was kind of chilly and dreary, but the view was still quite nice.
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Ancients Core G Week 10 "D" April 20-24, 2015

Ancients Core G 
Week 10 "D" 
April 20-24, 2015
34th week on Core G



It has been a very cold week here; it snowed off and on a few times this week!  We didn't have any showings at our house since we were there last Saturday.  We sure could use more prayers regarding our house selling.  All three of us having been off and on not feeling well this week, and our motivation has been very low.  We all made it through this week, with no excelling on any of our parts!  I guess we all have some weeks that are sub-par. The one different thing about this week was that we did go look at two houses on Thursday evening, and one of them (the one that Dd really loved) already  has two offers on it!  The housing market in Michigan is beyond hot; it is pretty crazy...I'm wishing some of this sense of urgency could pass down to our house in Indiana!

Another difficulty with this week was that one of our adult snails was died (Opis) when we returned from our visit.  Perhaps only having one snail might mean we won't have any more baby snails...at least for a while!

We had the tenants above us (in our apartment building) move out and enjoyed two weeks of quiet; which came to an end yesterday as new people moved in.  They seem to be similar to our last tenants that are very active all day...still waiting to see if they will also be loud all night like our last people.  I am definitely getting the "building character" feeling in my life right now.  These are our third tenants up there so far!  

I have to laugh at the doctor appointment I had this week---my doctor prescribed a Physical Therapist for me to try to "teach me to relax" and help with my neck/shoulders/ and TMJ...well, this poor lady was actually chuckling at me, and how she had "already used up her miracles for the week".  She showed me two neck stretches and let me know that is all she knows to do to help migraines.  She literally was laughing at the suggestion that she might know more than that.  You'd think we were asking her to start a fire with two ice cubes!  No future appointments with her!  It was a really disappointing situation--ugh, and double ugh!

I think that wraps up our summary from our week---cold, snowy, and rather ill-feeling week.  Plus, our poor dog, Sophie, also felt really under the weather too!  This is her third week on rice, and a little dog food mixed in.  At least our kitty was fairly healthy this week!

We did not get to all the things I planned on getting accomplished this week; but we didn't lose ground, so I guess that is okay...well, it was the best we could do considering our lack of motivation after having last week off!  Now to our lessons:

Bible:
We finally finished up our reading portions from Ezekiel.  I wanted to read a good amount of the book before moving on to Daniel.  The VP card had us only reading "Survey of the Bible", but I wanted a more in-depth study.  Good or bad, I don't know, poor Dd really didn't enjoy Ezekiel very much, but suffered through for me.  I started a new book to help this week's bible study be more enticing---we started How to Stay Christian In High School---and found it interesting.  I think Dd liked it (so far) more than I am.  The author is placing Jesus' mother, Mary, in modern times for us to identify how difficult it must have been for her to be pregnant, while a teenager.  But, there are moments when I feel like a line might be being crossed in their creative freedom.  So, the jury is still out on how I feel about this book.  This is what we did for our bible this week:


Product Details
Product Details

Believer's Bible Commentary   [BELIEVERS BIBLE COMMENTARY -SS] [Hardcover]

Mar 31, 1995
by MacDonald, W.(Author) ; MacDonald, William(Author); Farstad, Arthur L.(Editor)
Read the Bible and Believer's Bible Commentary:

Ezekiel: 34, 36, 46, 47, 48


John 3:1-10

1 John 3:1-10New International Version (NIV)

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not lovetheir brother and sister.


Matthew 7: 24-29

Matthew 7:24-29English Standard Version (ESV)

Build Your House on the Rock

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”


Psalm of the Week:
Psalm 140

Psalm 140 King James Version (KJV)

140 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;
Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.
I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, OLord.
God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

What the Bible Is All About: NIV Bible Handbook, Revised and Updated
What The Bible Is All About (chapter on Ezekiel finished up)
pg 302-304

NEW:
Product Details
How To Stay Christian In High School by Steve Gerali
pg 1-50


History:
(I had planned SOTW Ch. 32, but we didn't get to it, instead we focused on Augustus Caesar's World instead....this book is taking longer than I imagined it would...and still have a good ways to go!)
Augustus Caesar's World by G. Foster
pg 108-224 
(This book is very, very interesting...and very worth reading; although it isn't a fast read.)

Tools of the Ancient Romans
pg. 73-104


Prima Latina:
Lesson 8 completed
For the past few weeks we have been using homemade index cards to test our knowledge of each week's list of latin words, and *I* think this is working out well for us.  I was having us re-watch the video for each lesson over and over each week, but this way (with the index cards) we can review the words and not force my Dd to re-watch the program she doesn't like.  I write down the word and then underneath that I write how it sounds so we are sure to get the pronunciation correct.



Image 1
Word Up! The Vocab Game
(from the people who made Visualize Latin, check out Compass Classroom's website)

Chelle had mentioned this dvd on her blog:http://www.last-in-line.info/
and I have to say my Dd REALLY liked it a lot!  Very cool!  Check it out if you are interested--her is Cathy Duffy's review:
http://cathyduffyreviews.com/spelling-vocabulary/WordUp.htm





Fallacy Detective
ch. 14 


Current Events: Mon-Fri
http://www.cnn.com/studentnews


Science 1:
 The World of Chemistry by John Hudson Tiner
Ch. 6 Search for Order (and quiz)
This week was discussed how the Periodic Table came to be...fun!
Product Details
I also got Dd this book for her birthday, which we looked at this week:
Product Details



Science 2:
Apologia: Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology 
pg: 132-152
and notes




Language Arts:

Easy Grammar, Plus:
131-141

Writing With Skill:
Week 12 completed


Product Details
Punctuation: The Write Stuff!
pg. 22-31





All About Spelling 7:
Step 2--in process, we got a late start on our spelling this week!


IEW Fix-It Frog Prince:
Week 32

Thank You Cards:
SIX cards mailed out!

Typing:
Nitro Type



Math:
Math U See: Pre-Algebra
Week 27 completed


Audio:
Product Details

EMMA by Jane Austen
ahhh---so much fun, fun, fun!  The narrator is doing a wonderful job with Ms. Bates! (Prunella Scales)
we have heard disc 7,8, and 9 this week!


LEGO week! every day this week!

Busy Hands:
Tuesday Dd made a wonderful dinner, Mediterranean chicken breasts baked with olive oil, spices, and cheese; then a side-dish of wheat spaghetti with peas (olive oil not tomato base); and baked beans

Wednesday Dd made a strawberry dessert--cored strawberries with a lemon, cinnamon, whipped topping--she made a big plateful of them, but I didn't think to take a picture until we had eaten all but these last two!  So good!

Friday Dd made brownies

crafts:
Heather "L" gave Dd some cool kits to make things---and she worked for days on making this really neat "decorated journal"--she made two 

and she made two beautiful flowers and sewed on the leaves and pin so I can wear them!  I'll have to get pictures of these soon...keep posted!













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