Graduation June 2010

Patiently waiting to become an official 3rd grader! Yippee! love her.

( blogger always turns my photos, picassas does not but you can only post 4 with picassa. )

These are the hairbows from Grammys funeral. They are so cute up close. They have black bird feathers in them.

Ab heading to Ice-Cream social. I was way to exhausted to go. Girls cried but I had so much going on that week w/both classes and work and vacation the next week. So READY for summer break at this point.

Principal of Elementary. Ab is good friends w/her granddaughter. Same class. Funny, Principal lives across main road from us and we never knew until we set up play date for girls. So fun.

I tried to post pic w/least amount of students for privacy as possible but also enough to keep context:)

They get certificates and awards. Plus they talk about their particular Christ-like characteristics. I love it!

SEARCH!

In 2ND grade Abbey was excepted into a school program named S.E.A.R.C.H.
Seeking Excellence and Reaching Challenging Heights.

Interestingly enough Abbey made it into the program on her math scores. They tested her at the end of 1st grade. At this point she read on a 6Th/7Th grade level. For accuracy, speed and comprehension. We had to really pray about it, it costs extra on top of tuition. In the end we realized the sacrifice on our part was worth her getting the education that meets her potential. Aaaah, parenting:)

Only 2 girls in her class made it. The other little girl has become a good friend to Abbey. The fun part is each quarter they study different subjects. She is with kids all the way up to 6th grade. Every Thursday, she is pulled from class to attends Search. This particular quarter was Animal Kingdoms, or something to that affect. They each were able to adopt an animal and name it. I think they gave the zoo a donation and each kid gets a certificate of adoption.
These are her school colors, blue and yellow.

Sadly, I still had 2 kids at home, 1 half day. Plus I began working every Wed. at our church. They take field trips each 1/4. I was heartbroken and torn. I sent her alone. Que Sobs!!! She loaded the bus all alone as a second grader. The smallest on bus and sat with the teacher. I missed out. Here she is tagging along with a friend. She tells me now, how hard that was for her. I can't be everywhere at once. Sometimes I just can't find a sitter.
Some of the field trips you can bring siblings. If you pay and drive separate. Anyhow. . .


I want to post her first SEARCH assignment from this year. SHE DESIGNED and PRODUCED SOMETHING.

Easter ~10

I already posted some last year about Easter but I wanted to share our early morning hunt.

Yes, we follow trails of candy to a present. It was a tradition in my family so we carried it on. We have to be awake super early due to the starting time of Sunrise Service, 6:45. Then our church serves a breakfast meal, we eat as a congregation. After that we have Easter Service.

This year was especially fun because we had family in from out of town. See Hudson. Mainly though because I was in charge of the Childrens Story Time. I told a short story and handed out seedlings for them to plant. I LOVED IT. I love kids and I love God.

Ab will pose serious if we follow up with a humorous shot. What we do in order to at least get 1 great photo out of our kids, event after event, year after year. I get it.

Bible Study!

For some reason I thought we began Bible Study in the summer '10 but I have it in my folder from Spring.

I always looked forward to the day when I could teach my girls how to study God's Word. I began with teaching then the Inductive Method. I bought this huge white board for our playroom. Which we now refer to as our library, due to the accumulation of books and teaching tools. Here are the girls bright and early one morning ready with excitement to begin.

(Em sleeps later than the rest of us, hence her Jammie's. Alas, at this point I had not finished our wall gallery)

The study was over Em's head . Although she has an uncanny memorization ability. She rattled off the Greek words and meanings faster than Ab and I. She picked them up just by listening.

We looked at James 1:2. The Greek word for trials is "peirasmos" ( pi-ras-mos)= to put to the test.

"A trial is a hard time that God allows to happen to us for our good. Ex. If one of your friends is mean to you, that would be a trial. God could use that trial to help you remember to be kind to others." ~An Excerpt~pg. 10

We also learned the word for persevere is "hupomeno" ( hoop-om-en-o)= to stay, to remain under load or pressure.

Our first Bible Study book together as a family was written By Kay Ar*thur and Janna Ard*nt.

It is an Inductive Bible Study Series for Kids. "Discover 4 Yourself"

We worked through the book: "Boy, Have I Got Problems!"

A Study on James.

(Since then Ab has completed 1 &1/books more. -Due also to a program at church. Another post-. She absolutely loves them. I would highly recommend them for this age through grade 5. I am praying studying/reading God's Word becomes a way of life for them. In which starting younger, like anything else, subjects grow along with them. So that when they are young adults the disciplines are not new to them. I can attest- she lays in bed at night or early morning with her notebook and color pencils, all on her own now. No prodding from me. I love it!!)

Valentines Day~ 2010

Ab's favorite holiday always has been V-day. I think it has to do with all of the pink. She thoroughly enjoys making homemade cards for all of the kids in class. This year she had the assignment of packing a special lurch for a secret person. They each drew a name and the teacher gave the kids the other students "wish list". Ab drew this little girl. You can see in the photo the bag we decorated for her. We put a few special non-edible treats in as well.

I rushed over to Ab's room where they were eating today, just in time to see her give her gift away. I have to divide my time and energy between Ab and Ems parties now. I chose to help in Ems room this time. I busted though threw the halls, past the wild sugar crazed kids, with seconds to spare.

Love you Abs,
You are my special Valentine:)

So her!

One day after school, when I was packing all of us for our trip to Texas, I was exhausted. I came upstairs to our landing and found this by my desk.
SO SWEET! I had to share with you. My kids do have chores but this particular day folding the towels must not have been on her list:)

CHurch Christmas Program~ 09

Ab had her first solo, ever!!! Not a good photo, all I have besides videos.