In the Storm

sons of thunder academy | reading plans 2015-2016

Our little Sons of Thunder Academy is about to complete their 11th grade year of high school. It has, this life of homeschool, has been a wild ride. A most enjoyable, exciting, frustrating, satisfying, enormously rewarding wild ride. As I mentioned in this post, our plans for John and Jarrod's senior year, is taking a decidedly dramatic turn as they are enrolling in Point University's Dual Enrollment program. That being said, and planned, and enrollment is complete, we are patiently awaiting the beginning of fall classes: Advanced Biology, College Algebra (Algebra IV), and Advanced English Composition, plus Bible at home: Jesus, the One and Only, Believing God, The Beloved Disciple, and Breaking Free (all Beth Moore bible studies).

I realized, and so it seems have the boys, that when we finish The Lord of the Rings trilogy (which has taken us the entire school year to complete (as we are not done yet, but should be finished early May) what would we do about read a louds. For a homeschool that has prided itself on our attention to reading, and more importantly to us, reading aloud - me reading aloud to John and Jarrod - we aren't reading to stop reading aloud.

Through our homeschool years, we have read a bunch of books aloud that have been on those 'classic' reading lists, those must-read lists compiled by libraries, and literary experts, but through my research in compiling a list of possible reading material for their 12th grade year, I have found there are still many classics that we haven't read that seem to find themselves on almost every list of must-reads in high school.

So, I too have compiled a list of 18 books for the Sons of Thunder Academy to read aloud (by me) for their 2015-2016 school year. Actually, we will begin reading when we have completed the Literary Lesson of the Lord of the Rings. The following is the tentative list I have compiled, not in any order of reading:

 The Catcher on the Rye by J.D. Salinger

 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

 All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

The Raven and other Poems by Edgar Allen Poe

Night by Elie Wiesel

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Catch 22 by Joseph Keller

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

The Book Thief by Markus Zusaf

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini

Enders Game by Orson Scott Carol

If we enjoy Night and are intrigued enough we may read the trilogy. If we have time, and all is going well, we may also read more of the Harry Potter books. We might also be able to read The Help, The Diary of Anne Frank, and possibly Maus by Art Spiegelman

Honestly, with me moving to day shift we may have to shift our reading time to dinner, or while they are doing the dishes, but I doubt no one will be complaining.

 

road to eagle | more on john's project

Jeff and I were at dinner the other night reflecting on what Boy Scouts has meant for the boys and more so what the boys have meant to Boy Scouts. The road they've paved has been amazing. They aren't one of those phone in boy scouts but they are present. I don't think a year has gone by that they've received year end attendance awards. They have been there to teach, to train, to lead, to be a positive influence, to learn, and to have fun.

Reminiscing, remembering, thinking about John and Jarrod's commitment brought me to tears. You know, those really good tears that just lift you up because what you are crying about is amazing!

The craftsmanship has been amazing.

road to eagle | john's project

Almost done! John has decided to go ahead and paint his project the color the Hoofs 4 Healing director intends to paint it - gray (with sand thrown in to keep it slip proof). So, while his project would have been done, finished. It is not. But, it is awesome nonetheless.

We picked the boys' plates from Laser Light engraving that reflects what is written above. Hopefully, we'll get the plates secured on each project, John and Jarrod's, sometime this weekend.

Can I just say - awesome job John! The before photo above and the after photo next to it just makes me giddy thinking about it.

52 Gratitudes 2015 | 15

I lost sight of my One Little Word for 2015, but I found it again. I'm ready to THRIVE.

change of attitude.

I have been struggling these last couple of months with a pretty bad attitude. As my husband tells me, "I have control over my responses to situations, comments, change..." You get the picture. While I don't necessarily always do a good job, because just when I adjust my attitude there is another comment that just plain sends me over the edge. In other words, I blew it. Generally, it's that protective mother bear instinct, that, in all honesty, has been coming out fairly regularly lately. Attack my sons - and it isn't pretty.

But, all that said I have found ways to change my attitude even though the situation hasn't necessarily changed, or comments continue that send me over. I've had to use one or all of these activities, and that is what they are, actions. I have to take action.

Here's what I've done:

List my gratitudes. a sure-fire way to transform my attitude of discontentment, that leads to stress, and a poor attitude is to sit down, pull out pen and paper and begin listing things I am grateful for. Because I have a relationship with Christ, and yes, even Christians blow it - often - I always begin with, "Thank you, God for..." When I say those gratitudes out loud or write them down my attitude becomes one of gratitude. It is exceedingly difficult to have an attitude of discontent, or be filled with anxiety or stress when I am, instead, filled with gratefulness.

Study the Word of God. Without a doubt, I cannot study the Word and at the same time feel stressed, have a poor attitude, be discontented, or walk in fear. The Word of God is alive and active and every single word is useful. If I study, engrossed in the Word, I can walk away refreshed and renewed every single time.

Turn negatives to positives. Find the good in the bad. Shift my focus. Sometimes, it only takes one shift of focus to reveal other positives.

Create a new space that is healthy. For me sometimes it is just cleaning up, straightening, organizing, and especially purging one area to turn my focus from stress to joy. Not sure why this is but maybe it is an underlying, or root assistance to discontentment, or joy-buster. It probably has nothing to do with my situation, but taking this action helps tremendously.

Savor the good. I like to make lists. One list I especially love to make is a list of things I love. From specific people to specific things, to activities. It is a wonderful reminder of all the good in my life. A list of things I love, favorite words, favorite books, favorite movies. Making these kinds of lists changes my focus. I can walk away renewed. It's a strange thing how actions such as just making a list of something 'good' can reverse a bad attitude but I usually works.

Random Acts of Kindness. It is one of the best ways to reverse a bad attitude, ungratefulness, stress, frustration, all those negative feelings. Perform, there it is again - act! A random act of kindness. I was in the drive thru the other day and the whole way to the restaurant I was struggling with frustration. When I got to the window to pay and pick up my food, I paid for the vehicle behind me. Frustration was gone. Seriously!!!! Gone. I was giddy with joy!

So, if you are struggling with discontentment, frustration, anger, or a bad attitude. Try one of these actions. 

...and still more recipes.

Served with a salad this flavorful dish is top-notch comfort food.

We love Chicken Parmesan at our house and this Meatball Parmesan, after making it one time is right up their as a favorite dish in our house. The meatballs were divine. And smothered in cheese...it doesn't get any better!

One Pot Andouille Sausage Skillet...One Pot Delish!!!

These easy weeknight dinners are wonderful. This Easy Oven Fajitas isn't only easy but it is just as good as stove top and maybe better because it doesn't need tending to.

Another small group dessert that was a big hit! Oh my goodness, this was good.

That is all I have put together thus far this past weekend. Hoping to make solid ground on more recipes. I am also putting the 4 x 6 photos onto a 12 x 12 photo page (6 recipes each page) to have printed with my next batch of scrapbook pages from Persnickety Prints.

more recipes for the recipe book.

While I absolutely adore my Biscuits and Gravy Casserole I love Pioneer Woman's Cowboy Quiche even more. Bacon, fried onions (I don't caramelize them, but just brown them up good), creamy egg mixture with sage laced through it.

One of those super simple delicious desserts that went over famously by our small group on Sunday evenings, when we meet for Bible study.

This easy chicken bake is downright fabulous. I mean, come on. Mix the ingredients, spread over chicken breasts and bake. Surprisingly, the flavors meld well together.

I found this recipe in a Pampered Chef pamphlet that I modified a bit to accommodate our tastes. What I did keep the same were the garlic and parmesan cheese combined with the butter that crusts up the bread on the outside as the cheese melts inside. Wonderful!

I made this breakfast braid for the Elevate (the K-5 kids) Volunteers at our church. It was a big hit with the volunteers, not so much for Jeff and I. I decided what I didn't like was the hot sausage with the sweet marmalade and apples so next time I make it I'm going to use a sage or plain sausage.

stories from the files | go see it

Oh my, so many scout years ago. John and Jarrod were in their last year of Cub Scouts when Jeff got picked up to work for Choate Construction as a Facilities Manager. But, his job blossomed because of his abilities to be a pinch hitter and he began filling in for superintendents and other many endless jobs. The company was building the library next to the Savannah Mall and I'm not sure whether he'd filled in for this job or not, but, as the den leader for John and Jarrod's Webelos den, he was able to set up a GO SEE IT, words used in Cub Scouts for a field trip, for the Webelos.

They enjoyed their trip to a construction site in progress and what the local library looked like before completion.

 

 

stories from the files | beautiful girl

While I have been going through older photos from a couple of years ago to document life, I have also been going through even older photos so that I can put a power point presentation together for John and Jarrod's up and coming Eagle ceremony. The presentation will run, or loop, mostly, while from the beginning to the end. So...in going through all of those older photos I found these of Ella during John and Jarrod's 13th birthday celebration. While she normally 'poses' for pictures, these actually were more, or should I say, less - posed.

52 Gratitudes 2015 | 14

Two Eagle Scout projects...just about finished...the road to Eagle has been long, hard, but so worth it!