Marine Corps Nomads

Wordless Wednesday: Our Hero

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:56:00 +0000

In Flanders Field

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:05:00 +0000

Image courteousy of Wikipedia

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

You can read the story behind In Flanders Field here as well as see a copy of the handwritten poem.

Today, I am grateful for veterans young and old. I am grateful for those whose stories remain untold. I am grateful for all those lives that were lost. I am grateful for the freedom that came at such a high cost.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

Word Filled Wednesday

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

This week's WFW is hosted by Lori at All You Have to Give.

Remembering Our Veterans

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Have you thanked a veteran for their service lately? Yesterday, Munchkin and I had the privilege to run into a Korean War veteran. When we thanked him for his service to our country, tears formed in his eyes and a smile filled his face as he said thank you. It's amazing what a simple thank you can do for someone. They need to know that we have not forgotten, and we appreciate the sacrifices they made for our country.

The following video is about the Vietnam War and contains war footage. While it is specifically about the Vietnam War, we are remembering all of our veterans today.

The following video shows many photos from different wars. While the video and song lend itself better to Memorial Day, I still think that it is good to remember all the sacrifices made by veterans.

Our Marine Corps Birthday Celebration

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:26:00 +0000

Today, we celebrate the 234th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. I like to make this a special day for D, so I made him this cake. It's a marble cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting. While it's pretty basic, I think the chocolate embellishments make it a little more special. I melted down chocolate from the after Halloween sales to make the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. I think D is going to really like it.

I had the worst time writing today, so the writing on the cake is less than stellar. My hands were so shaky for some reason. Oh well. ;) It's the thought that counts.

I was able to purchase some steaks at a really good price, so we'll also be surprising D with a steak dinner. Granted, he will be the one grilling, but he won't mind. Now, we just have to wait for him to get home.

Today, I am very thankful for the Marine Corps. It's not always an easy life, but it's the life that is right for our family.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

Thank you!

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:56:00 +0000

The Homeschool Blog Awards voting has begun. I want to thank those who nominated my blogs.

Marine Corps Nomads was nominated for Best Eclectic Homeschooling Blog.
Marine Corps Nomads Recipes was nominated for Best Homemaking or Recipes Blog.

Just being nominated is a real honor as there are so many amazing blogs out there. If you feel lead to vote for my blog(s), I would appreciate it. Voting ends on November 21st. Just click on the image to be taken to the voting page.

Happy 234th Birthday, Marines!

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:12:00 +0000

Please preview before allowing children to watch as there may be objectionable material.

United States Marines represent the best young men and women our Nation has to offer. To be a Marine is to be a member of America’s warrior class — to be one of the few who steps forward with the courage and conviction to face whatever dangers await. Our Nation expects her Marines to be ready when the Nation calls; to leave family and the comforts of home behind; to march into battle and thrive under austerity; and to come home under a victory pennant.

From Al Anbar in the west of Iraq, to Helmand Province in the south of Afghanistan, our Corps of Marines can always expect to be found where the fight is toughest. Such is our history. Today, as we write the final chapter on our victory in Iraq, we will increasingly take the fight to the enemy in Afghanistan and add new pages to our legacy in places called Delaram, Now Zad, and Garmsir. One day, we will return to our naval heritage and patrol the high seas with our Navy brothers. Such is our future.

As we celebrate our Corps’ 234th Birthday, we first pause to reflect and pay tribute to those Marines who have given the last full measure in defense of freedom. We extend our deepest gratitude to our Marine Corps families — the unsung heroes who endure hardship and sacrifice so that we are able to go forward and accomplish any mission. We extend our appreciation to our countrymen who have answered our every need. And we celebrate the magnificent men and women who willingly and selflessly continue to go into harm’s way to protect this great Nation.

To all who have gone before, to those who wear the uniform today, and to the families that give us the strength to forge ahead — I wish you all a heartfelt Happy 234th Birthday!

Semper Fidelis,
James T. Conway
General, U.S. Marine Corps

Jantsen's Gift Review

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Jantsen's Gift

A True Story of Grief, Rescue, and Grace
by Pam Cope, Aimee Molloy

Nine years ago, Pam Cope owned a cozy hair salon in the tiny town of Neosho, Missouri, and her life revolved around her son's baseball games, her daughter's dance lessons, and family trips to places like Disney World. She had never been out of the country, nor had she any desire to travel far from home.

Then, on June 16th, 1999, her life changed forever with the death of her 15-year-old son from an undiagnosed heart ailment.Read the rest of the book description here.

Jantsen's Gift takes us through the grieving process of Pam Cope. She invites us into her heart, her life with no holds barred. As readers, we can feel the raw pain of losing a child and the amazing joy of helping so many others. We see the rarely talked about devastatingly dark side of grief and the bright light of looking beyond the grief and reaching out to others.

This isn't your typical Christian walk with grief book. Pam does have curse words sprinkled throughout the book. She doesn't sugar coat things at all. When talking about the trafficking of kids, she doesn't mince words.

You are there as she walks through the streets of the different countries. You meet the children in desperate need of help. You hear about her sneaking out of the Christian school in Ghana to grab a beer with her friend to relax. You're there as she has a huge blowout with her own daughter, and then you're there as they bond together again.

Pam does a great job of bringing you into her life and helping explain her passion for the children of the world. You will walk away from this book appreciating the things in your life more. You will have a better understanding of some of the horrid things that are happening to children around the world. You will have gone on a huge emotional roller-coaster ride with Pam as she sought true meaning in her life.

Jantsen's Gift is available from Hachette Book Group for $24.99. A reading group guide for this book is also available for free here.

This review is part of the MamaBuzz tour. Hachette Book Group gave me a book for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

Kofa Camping Trip

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:29:00 +0000

On Sunday afternoon, we packed up our gear and headed out to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. We decided that we were going to do a quick overnight camping trip somewhere in Kofa since D had Monday off from work. We had an idea of where we would camp, but we weren't positive until we got there. In Kofa, there are no campgrounds or campsites. You just pull off the road and camp. There is no water, no cell phone service, no bathrooms, nothing. You are in the middle of nowhere.

We put our chairs in the shade of D's truck until the temps cooled down a bit. Then, we moved them over near the fire pit.

Can you see why we chose this spot? Isn't the scenery stunning?

More views of the mountains behind us. I think D's truck fits in quite well in these surroundings. The road to get back here can be pretty crazy. Many scratches on the vehicle are to be expected. Since his truck is meant for that type of thing, we use his truck for our adventures.

After setting up camping, we headed out to do a little exploring before we ate supper. Our "puppy" was so happy to be out and about. He got little cactus stuck on him, but he never had a problem with them getting into his paws. Unfortunately, I had a one that got stuck to the bottom of my boot; before long, it had worked it's way through the sole of the boot and poked me in the foot! How "puppy" managed not to have an issue is beyond me.

Munchkin was thrilled to be able to explore with "puppy" by her side. He kept a close watch on her at all times. You can't see him in the picture because he's a few steps ahead of her in a wash.

After supper, we enjoyed an amazing sunset in front of us and golden hues on the mountains behind us.

Before the sunset, we had collected a few downed branches, but mostly we collected dead, downed cactus. D started up a nice fire in preparation for...

Smores!! We are thrilled that we found gluten free graham crackers. Yum!

Before we left, Munchkin and I climbed to the top of the hill behind us. We wanted to look around one more time.

We looked down, and I snapped this picture of D's truck. It looked so little from up there. You can see the winding road in the background and the path to our campsite.

Today, I am very grateful for this time that we were able to spend together as a family. We enjoyed looking at God's creation -- the stillness in the air -- the breath-taking night sky.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

Mothering Heights Tour

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

mothering heights

A Novel Approach for Christian Mothers

by Keitha Smith and Susan Brereton

This encouraging book uses the charm of timeless literary works and the wisdom of the Bible to reconsider what is seen today as a classic role.

Using selected quotes from novels including Sense and Sensibility, Treasure Island, and Great Expectations, the authors offer encouragement and exhortation to women of all walks of life who struggle and strive to be intentional in their parenting choices. Rather than offering methods and advice on parenting, Brereton and Smith seek to help women make the most out of their motherhood experience by challenging them to:
Find value and purpose in their motherhood role
Discover God’s design for their family
Deepen their personal relationship with God, with their families, and with other moms
Mothering Heights includes questions ideal for use in book discussion groups or women’s ministry settings!

mothering heights is written by mothers for mothers. Even though this book is geared (in my opinion) towards new mothers or mothers of younger children, there are many gems for all mothers inside the cover of this book.

Our job as mothers is too hard and there is too much at stake

to try to be a mother without the power of God in our lives.

Therefore, we have a God-given responsibility

to find out as much as we can about the Lord

and His ways and purposes for our loves.

Each chapter has quotes from a different literary work. For me personally, the quotes didn't really add much value to the book, but others may enjoy the quotes. I appreciated all of the scripture that was included in the book to back up the advice that was given to mothers. A great emphasis was placed on making sure that we were seeking out God's Word for the answers that we need.

Because this book was written with discussion questions at the end of each chapter, it lends itself to a group study. In fact, one chapter is all about how to start a group study. I found myself nodding my head while I read through that chapter as I have been in group settings that had pitfalls due to not following the outlined "keys to success".

Both new and seasoned mothers can use gentle reminders about the importance and value of motherhood. mothering heights gives scriptural based guidance and encouragement in an effort to help mothers achieve all that the Lord has for them in their lives.

About the authors:

Susan Brereton is a former New Zealand resident currently living in England. She is a wife, mother of five children, and an interior designer. For many years, Susan has run a Bible study for mothers of preschool children, and has had a long association with the Navigators and Moms-in-Touch.

Keitha Smith lives in New Zealand with her husband and two children, including one with special needs. With a background in training and education, Keitha leads the women's ministry group at her church and serves on the local school's board of trustees.

Check out Keitha's fictional Mother's Prayer Blog ,The Jonah Tree. Also visit www.MotheringHeights.org.

mothering heights is available online through Judson Press for $12.00. You can view the Table of Contents and Introduction here and a free sample chapter here.

This review is part of the Mama Buzz blog tour. I received a copy of mothering heights from Judson Press to write this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

Forgiveness

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Foras high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

~Psalm 103:11-12

Today, I am grateful for the forgiveness of my Lord and Saviour.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

Failures in Life

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:16:00 +0000

I truly believe that the Lord wanted me to take to heart this compiled list of failures as in the last week I have received it several times via email, and I just read it in the book I am reading. I thought I would share...

Einstein was four years old before he could speak.

Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school and was considered "unpromising".

When Thomas Edison was a youngster, his teacher told me he was too stupid to learn anything. He was counseled to go into a field where he might succeed by virtue of his pleasant personality.

F.W. Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store when he was twenty-one, but his boss would not permit him to wait on customers because he "didn't have enough sense to close a sale."

Michael Jordon was cut from his high school basketball team.

A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he "lack imagination and had no original ideas."

Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade and had to repeat it because he did not complete the tests that were required for promotion.

Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, a major league record.

~author of compilation unknown

Often we learn so much more from our failures in life than we do our successes. In our failures, we learn to depend completely on God. I know that I need to praise the Lord more for my failures. So today, I am thankful for my failures. May I be open to the Lord's teaching and leading during these times.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

Crockpot Cooking

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:46:00 +0000

My new crockpot with various size crocks makes cooking much easier. During the school week (and even on weekends), I enjoy the freedom of being able to toss some ingredients in the crockpot and forget about it until supper time.

The aroma of a hot meal fills the house without me having to spend hours in the kitchen. On days when I'm not feeling well, I'm still able to offer filling hot meals to my family.

The crockpot is also helpful when I, uh, forget to thaw out the meat ahead of time. I can just toss it in the crockpot while still frozen and end up with a delicious meal several hours later. For hot summer days, the crockpot helps keep my kitchen a bit cooler.

Today, I am grateful for my crockpot.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

Foto Friday: Dress Up Challenge

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

We had a great deal of fun with this challenge. You can see our main family picture here. Now for more pictures from our trip back in time...

For more Foto Friday Dress Up Challenge, head on over to Renaissance.

Pleasant Surprise

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:21:00 +0000

This morning, Munchkin and I headed off to the library to return her library books. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to find any new books to check out, so she was a little bummed. While we were out, we decided that we would head over to Sam's Club to see if we could find the gluten free cake mixes that my sister had told me about last night on the phone. (Since we're in a different state, I didn't know if they would have them.) Munchkin loves carrot cake and one of the mixes was for carrot cake. I thought it would be a fun afternoon activity.

As soon as I parked the truck, my phone rang. It was D. He had just finished with his doctor's appointment. I told him that we were at Sam's. After he found out that we just got there, he said that he would join us. (His doctor's appointment was off base not too far from where we were.) Munchkin and I headed in to start our shopping and a few minutes later D joined us.

D is extremely busy at work, so we rarely get to see him during the day. Lately, he's been getting home late as well, so we haven't had very much family time. It was such a fun, pleasant surprise to be able to spend this little bit of time together shopping during the day. Munchkin was happy as could be that her Daddy was there. After we finished picking up some groceries, he walked us back to the truck and then he was off, back to work.

While we never did find those cake mixes, we had a very nice trip to Sam's thanks to Daddy's unexpected arrival. So, today I am very grateful for our pleasant surprise.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

Holiday Preparations

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:43:00 +0000

I love this time of year. Normally, I'm seeing beautiful trees painted in glorious colors. As the air gets cooler, we know it's time to head to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard.

This year is a little different. We're not watching the fall colors. We're not picking pumpkins or apples. Instead, we're watching citrus fruit being harvested. In fact, D brought me home a huge bag of grapefruit just this week. It's all a little odd for someone from the East Coast that is use to regular seasons.

Even though things are different than years past, we are still having fun getting ready for the holidays. In October, we put up our fall decorations. I look for decorations after Halloween to add to our decoration stash. Sometimes, we'll use them right after I purchase them, but other times I'll set them aside for the next year.

Places like JoAnns and Michaels will clearance out the fall decorations at 70% off right after Halloween (sometimes before). They are getting ready for Christmas, so you can get some really great deals. Target and Walmart will start their clearances after Halloween, but not all fall items will be on sale. You just have to keep an eye on things. This is also a great time to stock up on paper plates, napkins, and paper towels as long as you don't mind various patterns.

When November hits, we pull out the Thanksgiving decorations to add to our fall theme decorations. Turkeys join our pumpkins, leaves, and scarecrows. I also start to plan what I want to do for Thanksgiving dinner. I try to prepare as much food as possible ahead of time in order to make Thanksgiving day more relaxing. I make things like pie, sweet potato muffins, and mashed potatoes throughout the month and freeze them until I need them. I also like to take advantage of Thanksgiving sales to stock up on various foods. When possible, I try to purchase an extra turkey or two to put in the freezer for use later.

By the end of November, I try to have pretty much all of my Christmas shopping done. If we're shipping gifts out of town, I try to have them all sent out before December. This year, my Christmas gifts are already nicely wrapped and placed in large boxes away from prying eyes. In the past, when I knew that I would have difficulty remembering what I had purchased, I kept a notebook with names and gifts. If the gifts were already wrapped, I would place a small number on the gift and make note of that number next to the person's name.

After Thanksgiving, we begin decorating for Christmas. It's fun to pull out the boxes as there are always some new items that I picked up on clearance after Christmas last year. We generally begin our holiday baking early and place items in the freezer. This allows us to have a more relaxing holiday. Plus, we are able to just grab goodies from the freezer if we need them for different events or to use as gifts.

For both Thanksgiving and Christmas, we try to do various crafts and activities to help us keep our focus on the real meaning of these holidays -- Giving Thanks and the Ultimate Gift, Jesus.

Doing food preparation ahead of time, purchasing and wrapping gifts early, scoring deals on clearance decorations, and homemade crafts and activities work for us.

Word Filled Wednesday

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:58:00 +0000

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. ~Psalm 127:3

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. ~I Peter 3:7

For more Word Fill Wednesday, head on over to see this week's host, Penny.

I am so grateful for these 2 characters: Munchkin and D. They bring such great joy to my life. Because of them, there is much laughter (and craziness). Being a mom to Munchkin truly is a great reward. D lifts me up and honors me. I am blessed. Today, I am thankful for D and Munchkin.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

Girl Talk Blog Tour

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Girl Talk: Celebrities and Other Extraordinary Women Share Their Secrets

By gigi garner

"Woman are compassionate listeners who seem to know intuitively when to offer advice or merely a hand to hold or a shoulder to lean on. Author Gigi Garner has collected many of these intimate moments and compiled them into one book that offers tips on a variety of subjects for women everywhere.

Contributors include such stars as Naomi Judd, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Shari Belafonte, as well as other women with a wide variety of careers and perspectives. Girl Talk offers the feminine perspective and tips on beauty, health, fashion, career, relationships, and more."

When I was given the opportunity to review Girl Talk, I really didn't know what this book would be about or if it was from a Christian perspective. (I generally try to seek advice from a Christian perspective that is based on Biblical principles.)

The book is filled with both useful and entertaining information. It's fun to hear from women from all different lifestyles. I personally wouldn't have the opportunity to talk to women that work in so many different lines of work, so it was interesting to get a glimpse into their lives and thoughts. This is not what I would call a sit down and read type of book. It's the type of book that you read a little bit here and a little bit there. (It's good for in the bathroom or in the car.)

Topics covered in the book include:

Friend Talk
Career Talk
Clothes Talk
Beauty Talk
Health Talk
Home Talk
Kitchen Talk
Mommy Talk
Pet Talk
Travel Talk

One caveat: not all advice is offered from a Biblical perspective, so I do not agree with everything that is in this book. For most of the advice, it is a non-issue, but I wanted to put that out there. Also, as with any book of this type, not all information/advice will be relevant for every person reading the book. This isn't really the type of book that I would purchase for myself, but I know of other people that would really enjoy it.

You can purchase your copy of Girl Talk from Five Star Publications Inc. for $15.95.

This review is part of the MamaBuzz Tour. I received a free copy of Girl Talk from Five Star Publications for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation, and all opinions are my own.

AVKO Membership Review

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:02:00 +0000

AVKO, a non-profit organization founded by Don McCabe, specializes in teaching dyslexics how to read, write, spell and type. AVKO develops books and materials utilizing the multi-sensory approach (Audio, Visual, Kinesthetic, Oral) that can be used with anyone and by anyone. AVKO materials and methods are all common-sense and effective with those we have worked with: young and old, dyslexic and non-dyslexic.

As a member of the TOS Crew, I was given an opportunity to review the membership site for AVKO. Upon signing on, I tried to wrap my head around the site and the information that was presented. The site was a bit difficult for me to navigate since I didn't really know what I was looking for while there. I believe that this site would probably be best suited for someone that was using the AVKO spelling curriculum. As someone that was unfamiliar with the curriculum, it was difficult for me to find items for us to use.

With membership, you will receive:

a 25% discount on AVKO printed materials
access to ebooks such as The Patterns of English Spelling (All 10 Volumes) with Word Families in Sentence Context, To Teach a Dyslexic , Starting at Square One, The Teaching of Reading and Spelling: a Continuum from Kindergarten through College , The Reading Teacher's List of Over 5,500 Basic Spelling Words
access to Don McCabe's most popular workshop recordings in mp3 format
access to supplemental materials such as games, worksheets, activities (some caution should be used here as not all materials are appropriate for everyone)
and many other resources

With the available freebies, you could create your own spelling program. I believe this membership site would most benefit someone that uses the AVKO spelling program and/or someone that has a dyslexic child. The membership for 1 year costs $25.

AVKO gave me a free membership to do this review.
No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

The American Heritage Education Foundation Review

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:57:00 +0000

The American Heritage Education Foundation is a non-profit educational foundation dedicated to the understanding and teaching of our nation's factual and philosophical heritage to promote constructive citizenship and freedom, unity, progress, and responsibility among our students and citizens.

As a member of the TOS Crew, I received a cd copy of America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty. America's Heritage is meant to assist teacher's in the teaching of our nation's history. Sadly, this knowledge is seriously lacking in many of our nation's citizens. In order to be able to learn from our past, we need to know our past. History really does repeat itself. By knowing our nation's history, we can try to avoid some of the mistakes that have already been made.

The cd includes resources for Elementary, Elementary Spanish, Middle School, and High School. It correlates with NCSS and Core Knowledge national social studies standards. The layout is very easy to follow. You can pick and chose which topics/resources to use, or you can just go through the whole curriculum as is. I like to pick and chose and customize for Munchkin. I liked that I could just look at the table of contents and go directly to the topic that I wanted to cover.

The topics for elementary include:

1776 - Colonial America: American Revolution
1776 - The Declaration of Independence
1776 - A Famous Signature
1762 - George Washington
1762 - U. S. Presidents
1782 - The Great Seal
1789 - Thanksgiving
1792 - The United States Flag
1814 - The Star-Spangled Banner
1864 - The National Motto
1886 - The Statue of Liberty
1892 - The Pledge of Allegiance & Creed
1895 - America the Beautiful
2000 - What is an American?

Because I did not go through all topics for all of the levels, I am unable to tell you if everything lines up with my beliefs/values. From what I did see, I would say that these resources could be used as a supplement to most curriculum. The good news is that this cd is FREE. That's right. You can get a copy of the cd or a download for free. If you would prefer a printed version, you will need to pay $19.50 to help cover the costs of printing and shipping.

The American Heritage Education Foundation gave me a copy
of the cd version of American's Heritage to do this review.
No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

Books, Books, Books

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:03:00 +0000

See that picture to the left? Those are the books that are currently sitting on my desk waiting to be read and reviewed. (These are in addition to my own "to be read" pile.) Isn't that exciting? I am thrilled to be reviewing books. I love to read, and book reviews are a wonderful way to find an excuse to read. I'm also getting the opportunity to read books that I wouldn't have necessarily read or known about on my own. I'm not the only one that is excited about these new book reviews. Munchkin is also excited because she has had the opportunity to find some great new book series thanks to the book reviews.

So, today, I am very thankful for the opportunity to review books. I am grateful for the books that the Lord has allowed me to receive. I am grateful for so many wonderful Christian writers who have listened to the Lord's leading in their lives. I am grateful for clean, fun kids books for Munchkin to read.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

Giving Thanks Turkey Craft

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:39:00 +0000

Since I have decided to be part of the 30 Day of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fun if Munchkin joined in on the fun. I created this workbox activity to allow her to easily participate with me.

Each day, Munchkin will write at least one sentence on a feather about what she is thankful for that day. We will add the feathers to our thankful turkey. By the end of November, she will have a turkey with lots of feathers and a visual way to see all the things that we are thankful for this month.

In case you would like to join us, I'm posting jpg pictures that you are free to use to create your own thankful turkey (just click on image and "save as" to your computer). You can also download the pdf version here. If you do decide to do the craft, I would love to see the finished products at the end of the month. I may even have a way for everyone to link up, so we can see all of the great creations. Let me know if this is something that would interest you.

Our poor turkey is in serious need of some feathers.

We need to get to work with our giving of thanks.

Our turkey will receive one feather for each thankful sentence.

Sometimes when things are tough, it is easy to lose sight of all of the wonderful things that we do have in our lives. Today, I am thankful that I have a computer and printer. I use them so much without really thinking about it, but like would be much more difficult if I didn't have them.

(Click on image about to go to the 30 days of Thanksgiving challenge.)

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day One

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:26:00 +0000

Karla decided that it would be fun to have 30 days of Thanksgiving. I thought this was a great idea and decided to join in on the giving of thanks.

Today, I am thankful for our wonderful Sunday School class. D and I have been blessed as we attend this Marriage without Regrets course.

All Dressed Up...

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:02:00 +0000

After reading the Sarah book series, Munchkin decided that she wanted to be Sarah for the fall festival at church. In her mind, she had an idea of what she thought Sarah's outfit would look like. We looked at a few different patterns and fabrics, and I made her an outfit. I pulled out an old costume that I had made for myself several years ago and transformed it to work for this time period. I added a bonnet to go with Munchkin's bonnet and we were set. We decided to head out to get a fun family picture. I'll be posting more pictures later this week.

Pumpkin Carving

devildogwife97@gmail.com (Devildogwife) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:36:00 +0000

Here are our pumpkin carvings for this year. As has become our usual, I went with a military theme and Munchkin went with an animal theme.

Munchkin is so proud of the fact that she can do a whole pumpkin on her own now. She's eagerly looking forward to the roasted pumpkin seeds that we'll be having thanks to these carvings.