As Munchkin travels through her homeschooling journey, we constantly find ourselves needing to adjust her subjects and schooling style. Often, these adjustments lead to changes in our homeschool area(s) and homeschool book/supply organization. Recently, we found that our previous setup was no longer working for us. We weren’t really utilizing the separate space as we have started schooling in the living room rather than upstairs. Munchkin was keeping her supplies in a basket, but this looked cluttered and took up too much space. It was also hard to keep the books looking nice when they were being stored in the basket. I knew it was time for an update.

I decided that I wanted to move the cubby system that D had built for me downstairs, but it wouldn’t look all that great because I had never gotten around to painting the mdf cubbies. So, I set aside some time to do lots of painting. (Since I had several cubbies that had never been painted, I wanted to try to get it all done at once. Less clean-up is always a plus in my book.) Once painted, we did some rearranging of the various cubbies and bookcases to create our new homeschool storage space. (Pictured above: dvd storage cases that look like books. It allows me to consolidate the dvds, so they don’t take up as much space. Plus, these storage cases look nice on the shelf.)

Along the wall, we now have cubbies/bookcases. The first bookcase contains all of our most used resources as well as our homeschool curriculum. (My teacher’s guides are in the next bookcase which also houses cookbooks and home economics resources.) The bookcase at the furthest end contains baskets which hold various electronics, gaming items, exercise things… And no, these bookcases do not house all of our books – not even close. lol! It’s just a way to keep all of the most used, currently used books within easy reach.

Because I didn’t want paperwork to get lost or start to get out of control (you know that happens all too easily), I used a wooden tray that I had for all of the paperwork (to do, to be graded, graded…). Once Munchkin has looked over the graded paperwork, it will be filed. Periodically, I go through and sort through the paperwork to decide what to keep and what to do toss. With regular moves, I can not hang on to everything she does. For now, this system is working for us. I love how organized everything feels, and it makes sense for our current space.

Updating Our Homeschool Space is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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Free America The Beautiful Pass – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for active duty military.

You must purchase the pass in person and show a military id or DD Form 1173. If the military member is deployed, immediate family members are able to take advantage of the offer. Good for 1 year after the date of purchase – pass expires the last day of the month. The pass covers entrance to Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service sites that charge entrance fees, and standard amenity fees at Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation sites.

As you know, we love visiting our National Parks which means we’ll definitely be taking advantage of this offer. The pass is normally $80, so this is a great deal.

Free National Park Pass for Military Members is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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Playing and talking shortly before the goodbyes started.

Many people will walk in and out of your life,
but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
~author unknown~

Munchkin enjoyed spending some quality time with her friend on Friday before they said their goodbyes. It was an extremely tear filled goodbye, and it broke this mama’s heart to see the girls hurting so much. Daddy and I took it upon ourselves to side track Munchkin by having a family movie night. Unfortunately, when we headed out to grab the movie and snacks, I ended up missing my opportunity to say goodbye to my friend. **sigh** Thankfully, the internet and cell phones make it easier to stay in touch.

Our weekend consisted of us keeping Munchkin’s mind of her sadness. We even allowed her to get an upgraded cell phone that has the option to send text messages. This was a huge step for me as it means that my baby is truly growing up. Yes, she has a cell phone previously, but we had the text feature blocked. She’s proven herself responsible with the inexpensive cell phone, so we decided that she could upgrade to something with a keyboard to make texting a bit easier. Thankfully, they were having a special, so we didn’t have to pay out of pocket for the phone. (I dislike contracts, but it ended up being a good way to go.)

First time at the pool for the season.

It’s going to take some time to get over not having our friends living right next door. It’s weird seeing the house empty and not hearing the kids playing. While it’s only been a couple of days, they are already missed. Soon, new neighbors will move in next door – neighbors with 2 little boys. That’s going to be a drastic change. We don’t know who will be moving in on the other side of us. Guess we’ll find out soon enough. The turn-over here is usually fairly quick.

I think as we get older and Munchkin gets older our desire to settle down gets a bit stronger. From what I can tell, this is true for many military families. Don’t get me wrong. I still enjoy the many different places we get to live, the adventures we get to experience, and the people we get to meet. It’s just that, with the passing of time, that enjoyment gets tempered with the need to put down roots. One day… yes, one day… we’ll get to start our homestead and look back fondly at the different individuals who have left footprints in our hearts.

Footprints in Your Heart is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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What’s so exciting?

We enjoy shopping at our local Sam’s Club store because we’re able to get some great products in bulk sizes at affordable prices. I know not everyone likes buying in bulk because storing things can be an issue. Cheerios understands this concern, so they changed their club packaging. The new 2 box Cheerios contains two individual boxes, making them easier to store and easier to pour!

Other benefits include…

• Reducing the amount of air in each individual bag which means that these enhanced containers fit 10% more cereal than before and use less packaging
• Reducing packaging material by over 200,000 lbs, means saving 1,000 trees and taking 130 Cheerios trucks of the road, decreasing CO2 emissions

So, not only are you getting more bang for your buck with these new easier to store and pour packages, but you’re also being more environmentally friendly in the process.

Are you a big Cheerios fan? You can enter to win your own 2 box Cheerios prize pack (4 boxes total) and/or head over to your local club store to purchase. Rafflecopter giveaway is open to US residents and ends 5/30. Winner will be announced on this post.

2 box Cheerios Rafflecopter giveaway

Cheerios® cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Super Sized Cheerios Giveaway is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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Munchkin and Her Best Friend

It’s turned into a huge school zone around our house. Munchkin is working on her classwork. I’m working on my photography classwork. Daddy is working on his military classwork. It’s weird having all of us working on different classes, but it’s also a wee bit funny to see us all trying to focus on the task at hand. With Munchkin’s best friend and her family moving this week, staying focused has been much more difficult. She wants to spend as much time with her as possible before they say goodbye on Friday. For this reason, I gave her today off from school. They were both up early and ready to play.

Paleontologists of the Future?

One of their new favorite things to do is act like they are paleontologists. They bury dinosaurs in the ground for each other and then excavate them. After they’ve been excavated, they need to be carefully cleaned. Really, I totally enjoy the fact that Munchkin is 13 and her friend is 14, yet, they love to play these types of things together. The Lord knew what he was doing when He brought these two together. Sometimes, A’s brother and sister also join in on the fun which makes for lots of laughter and an occasional argument or two. lol!

A sad, sad day...

The neighbors on the other side of us moved earlier this week, so it’s apparent that moving season is starting. Over the next couple of months, we’ll see a huge turn over in our neighborhood as quite a few families will be gone by the end of July. New families will come in and the entire dynamics of the neighborhood will once again change. Munchkin has decided that she wants to move as it would be easier than staying after her dear friend leaves. We thought that would be happening – a fresh start in a new location, but alas, that is not to be at this point in time. Instead, we’ll carry on here and pray that the Lord brings another friend into Munchkin’s life and/or that He gives her the peace and comfort that she needs as all these various changes take place in her life.

Trying to Stay Focused is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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Disciplines of a Godly Young Man

Book Description:

Point blank, this is a punchy, no-holds-barred book for young men. Laying out the challenge to be disciplined, godly, and sold-out for Jesus, the authors talk about purity in your thought-life, cultural pressure, and perseverance as a Christian. Let father and son Kent and Carey Hughes help you live a life of integrity and become the man God is calling you to be.

My Thoughts:

I need to preface this review with the following disclaimer. I don’t have a son, so my approach to this book was more from the viewpoint of a mom with a daughter who will one day be looking for a godly husband. My husband and I pray that the Lord will protect and guide the young man who will one day be our son-in-law. Many of the habits that are learned now will guide his actions in the future.

The 16 topics covered in this book include:

1. Discipline is Everything!
2. Discipline for Godliness
3. Discipline of Purity
4. Discipline of Friendship
5. Discipline of Mind, I: Refusal
6. Discipline of Mind, II: Filling
7. Discipline of Devotion
8. Discipline of Prayer
9. Discipline of Tongue
10. Discipline of Work
11. Discipline of Perseverance
12. Discipline of Church
13. Discipline of Giving
14. Discipline of Witness
15. Discipline of Ministry
16. Grace of Discipline

Each chapter addresses a specific area of discipline while continually tying the various disciplines together. The chapters conclude with Food for Thought questions and an application/response section where individuals can apply the concepts they learned from the chapter.

I like that this book doesn’t take a soft approach to tough issues. It addresses the issues head-on in a practical way. It encourages young men to start their prayer/devotional life on a smaller scale and work up to something bigger as a way to set themselves up for success rather than failure.

This is the type of book that I’d love for a future son-in-law to read. If the Biblical principles/guidance talked upon within the pages of the book were followed, he would be a godly man who would know the dangers and pitfalls of this world. It would equip him with tools to use to help him overcome temptations, to battle the evils of the world and the evils that come from within. We need more godly men in this world. We need leaders who follow Biblical principles in our homes, in our churches, in our workplaces… Embracing the Biblical truths at a young age will lay a strong foundation for the future.

About the Authors:

R. KENT HUGHES (DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is senior pastor emeritus of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. He has authored numerous books for Crossway, including Disciplines of a Godly Man, and is the series editor and a contributor to the popular Preaching the Word series. Hughes now lives in Washington state with his wife, Barbara, and is the father of four and grandfather of an ever-increasing number of grandchildren.

CAREY HUGHES (MTh, Moore College, Sydney) is senior pastor of Christ the Redeemer Church in Spokane, Washington, and former Junior High director at College Church in Wheaton.

Book Details:

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Books (January 11, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433526026
• ISBN-13: 978-1433526022
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches

I received a copy of this book as a member of the Crossway Homeschool Book Review Program to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Disciplines of a Godly Young Man is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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The Stargazer’s Guide to the Night Sky

Book Description:

Explore the night sky, identify stars, constellations, and even planets. Stargaze with a telescope, binoculars, or even your naked eye.  Allow Dr. Jason Lisle, a research scientist with a masters and PhD in astrophysics, to guide you in examining the beauty of God’s Creation.

Lisle designed Stargazer’s Guide to the Night Sky for everyone from young students to amateur astronomers. In it you will:

• Learn the best ways and optimal times to observe planets and stars
• Discover how to choose the best telescope for you
• Find 150 stunning, full-color star-charts and other easy to use illustrations for success

“How do phases of the moon work?  When will the next solar eclipse take place?  What is that bright star setting in the west?  How do I find Saturn?  What sorts of objects can be seen with binoculars?”  These questions and many more are easily answered with the helpful tips and basic understanding of astronomy presented in this book.

Create or expand the hobby of stargazing; an outdoor, educational hobby to enjoy with friends or family. Regardless of your circumstances and the economy, you will always be able to marvel at the beauty of our night sky.

My Thoughts:

The Stargazer’s Guide to the Night Sky is an in-depth look into astronomy. It digs into not only celestial bodies and where they are located in the sky, but also into how the human eye works, what telescopes are best and why, how to track celestial bodies, and much, much more. I was seriously blown away by the depth of the information covered in this book. It will be a great resource for the casual observer to those serious about astronomy. It’s in-depth enough that you could create a homeschool curriculum around this book.

While there are many aspects of this book that are rather technical, it does give you a great deal of practical information. The charts and diagrams are numerous and helpful. The beautiful full-color images make you want to get out there and start gazing at the stars.

The book is broken down into 12 chapters:

• Motions in the Sky – Basic
• Motions in the Sky – Advanced
• Understanding the Eye
• Astronomy with the Unaided Eye
• Celestial Events
• Telescope Basics
• Telescope Observing Sessions
• The Moon and the Sun
• The Planets
• Star Classification and Telescope Viewing
• Deep Sky Objects
• Astrophotography

The book concludes with a brief message from Dr. Lisle where he explains that, unlike many of his other books, this is not an apologetics book. He is extremely passionate about astronomy, and this passion shines through in this book. It’s not always an easy read as there is a good bit of technical information included in each chapter, but it’s worth it to get a better understanding of the universe around us. As I previously stated, this really would make a wonderful core book for an astronomy class. If you want to add in some apologetics, you can add in Dr. Lisle’s other astronomy book, Taking Back Astronomy.

I admit that due to my photography hobby the chapter on astrophotography was one of my favorite chapters. It was fun to see a chapter like that included to round out the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book even when some of the information was more in-depth than I personally needed for my interest level.

About the Author:

Dr. Jason Lisle is a research scientist, speaker, and planetarium director for Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum. He holds bachelor of science degrees in physics and astronomy from Ohio Wesleyan University, as well as a master’s and PhD in Astro-physics from the University of Colorado in Boulder. As a creation scientist Dr. Lisle effectively communicates  a broad range of topics from in-depth presentations of distant starlight, Einstein’s relativity, and problems with the big bang to topics from astronomy and general science to apologetics and dinosaurs. Dr. Lisle has authored a number of books which include: Taking Back Astronomy, The Ultimate Proof of Creation, Old-Earth Creationism on Trial, and his brand new title releasing in April 2012 The Stargazer’s Guide to the Night Sky.

Book Details:

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group (March 23, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890516413
• ISBN-13: 978-0890516416
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches

I received a copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing/Master Books to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Stargazer’s Guide to the Night Sky is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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Your Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Book Description:

This guide book uniquely celebrates the biblical history revealed within the landscapes of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Within 188 pages you will find travel tips, maps, details on the vast forests, grasslands, geysers, trails, flowers, hiking trails, wildlife and more, vibrantly portrayed in the hundreds of full color photos. Whether you are planning a visit to these parks or desire to study the majesty of God’s amazing creation, this book will give you an incredible perspective.

About the Authors:

Dennis Bokovoy followed his childhood interests in geology and fossils, earning his Master of Science degree in geology from Montana State University. His 30 years as an educator include 15 years as an Adjunct Professor of Geology. Dennis and his wife, Yvonne, live in Hood River, Oregon. He is part of a field team co-authoring road guides from a creation perspective including Yellowstone National Park and the John Day area of central Oregon. In addition, Bokovoy is a tour leader for Creation Encounter Ministries.

John Hergenrather was graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography. Today he is Vice President of the Design Science Association, a Portland, Oregon-based creation science group. For 15 years he has been part of a creation geology research team which co-authored road guides from a creation perspective. John and his wife, Rhea, live in Hood River, Oregon. Besides researching and writing creation guidebooks to the National Parks, John conducts field trips through Creation Encounter Ministries.

Michael Oard earned his master’s degree in atmospheric science in 1973 from the University of Washington. He was a meteorologist with the National Weather Service beginning in 1973 and lead forecaster in Great Falls, Montana from 1981 to 2001.

Tom Vail took a vacation in 1980 that would prove to be a turning point in my life – a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. Two years later, I left the corporate world behind and became a career rafting guide, leading trips through the Grand Canyon ever since. I have also worked as a part-time guide for the Grand Canyon National Park Service, and am a past-elected member of the board of directors for Grand Canyon River Guides.

My time in the Canyon not only led to a career I love, but also brought about a spiritual change in my life. In 1994, Paula, a passenger on a trip shared Christ with me. A few months later, I received Christ as my Lord and Savior and Paula is now my wife. In 1997, the concept of Canyon Ministries was born and we ran our first Christ-centered rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. Since then, we have shared the Canyon from a Biblical perspective with hundreds of people. We have been selected by both Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research, as well as several other organizations, to provide charter services for their Grand Canyon tours and research trips.

Book Details:

Hardcover: 188 pages
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group; Spi edition (March 23, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0890516405
ISBN-13: 978-0890516409

My Thoughts:

Your Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks is another wonderful guide book in the True North Series. We’ve been blessed to be able to use both of the other books in this series, Your Guide to the Grand Canyon and Your Guide to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, while at the actual parks. They were both excellent, well-written books that helped us get the most out of the parks. We look forward to using this latest guide at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in the future.

The hardback, spiral-bound guide is broken down into eleven main sections:

• About This True North Guide
• Perspective
• How to See Yellowstone and Grand Teton
• What Evidence Will You See?
• Examine Yellowstone Carefully
• Examine Grand Teton Carefully
• Understanding the Parks
• Geology
• Fossils
• Ecology
• History

One of our favorite parts of the book are the sections on examining the parks carefully. It’s in this section that readers/visitors are taken on a stop-by-stop tour of the park. Readers are given suggestions on what to see based upon how many days they will be at the park(s). The introduction to the park also features a map of the park, but it does strongly suggest you make sure you pick up the most recent information at the parks. At each stop, readers can learn important information as well as look at the fold-out page which shows the various things to see a that particular stop in their tour. Each stop has a question for the reader to really help them dig deeper into what they are seeing/experiencing/reading.

The guide book is packed with information about the parks. It features beautiful full-color (when possible) images. (Some images are historical images, so they are in black and white.) The guide concludes with an additional resource list for further study as well as a glossary. The guide is written from a Biblical worldview, and it takes time to compare and contrast the Biblical worldview with the evolutionary world view. The side-by-side comparison helps readers to see the complete picture and make informed decisions.

I look forward to seeing what guide will be published next as we have thoroughly enjoyed this series.

I received a copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing/Master Books to help facilitate the writing of a frank and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Your Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
~Psalm 8~

The Work of Your Fingers is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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Munchkin doing the 1st oil change on her truck.

Daddy believes very strongly that Munchkin needs to know how to do regular vehicle maintenance. Today, he decided it was time for Munchkin to learn to do a complete oil change on her truck. It’s the first oil change since getting the truck. One thing that we’ve found since Munchkin purchased the project truck is that regular maintenance was obviously not a top priority for previous owners. Daddy plans on changing that fact as he wants Munchkin to learn how to take pride in maintaining her own vehicle. Part of that process is getting to know her vehicle by reading the vehicle maintenance manual. (She’s outside reading how to complete the oil change per Daddy’s instructions.)

Outer Windshield Area Rust Damage

Munchkin has no issue getting dirty, but it appears that oily/greasy is a different issue. Daddy informed her that her hands were suppose to get oily. She kindly informed Daddy that she was going to wash her hands. I just had to laugh as the two of them are like two peas in a pod which often  leads to bickering while they work on different projects. I stay out of it other than taking pictures of the project. You see, my main job during the restoration of this truck is to take pictures of the process from beginning to the end.

Inner Windshield Area Rust Damage

Today’s pictures (other than those of the oil change) were rather depressing as there is a good bit of body work that needs to be done to the front of the cab. The more they take apart the vehicle and do sanding, the more issues show up. It’s just the nature of an older project truck. The truck is solid, but the cab has some major rust issues. Munchkin used birthday money to purchase some new parts to address some of the issues. Once this work is done, we’ll be able to get back to focusing on the interior work more before tackling the rest of the truck. That means that I need to get to work on reupholstering the seats in her truck. That’s my other job – making the seats look nice using the colors Munchkin chose – maize and blue. We’re all looking forward to the interior getting finished. There is something rewarding about having at least one job complete.

Learning How to do an Oil Change is a post from: Marine Corps Nomads

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