Miscellaneous Musings of a 6X Mom

On Surrender and Renewal

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 20:29:00 +0000

I've been feeling nostalgic the last few days and today I found myself reading my own blog. It's been a while. For those of you who don't know, I got divorced last summer.

My word for the year this year is "surrender". This is a big challenge for a type A over-achieving control freak, but it's also a relief. As believers, we know this as trusting in the sovereignty of God. I love this quote on what it means to surrender.

"Surrender is a beautiful movement in which you gracefully, willingly, languidly fall, only to find midway that you have been gathered into some unimaginable embrace. Surrender is letting go, whether or not you believe the embrace will occur. It's trust to the hundredth power- not sticking to your idea of the outcome, but letting go in the faith that even the absence of an outcome will be the perfect solution." Rich Roll quoting Daphne Rose Kingma in his book Finding Ultra

Roll goes on to say, "Sometimes in life we're lucky enough to receive the precious gift of clarity. I suddenly realized that success wouldn't come if I made today about me. Rather, success would come only to the extent that I could drop my ego and align myself with something higher and more fundamental."

Of course, we know that something "higher" is God and the "fundamental", His Word.

I have to keep reminding myself, in small things, and big, to surrender my hopes, my dreams, my plans for my kids, all of it to God and His perfect will. It's hard to let go, but such relief after I do it. Each and every time.

I was reading the end of Crime and Punishment again and choked up like I always do upon reading Dostoevsky's final words about his unlikely protagonist. The end of the book finds Raskolnikov in a Siberian prison serving a 7 year sentence for manslaughter. He has just taken up his copy of the New Testament for the first time. And while I always cry at the end of this book, as I confess I do at the end of many books, I can't help but think I feel these parting words especially meaningful and appropriate to me in the wake of my divorce.

"He did not know that the new life would not be given him for nothing, that he would have to pay dearly for it, that it would cost him great striving, great suffering. But that is the beginning of a new story- the story of the gradual renewal of a man, the story of his gradual regeneration, of his passing from one world into another, of his initiation into a new unknown life. That might be the subject of a new story, but our present story is ended." Fyodor Dostoevsky in Crime and Punishment

My artistic, indoorsy husband becomes a mighty hunter

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 14:02:00 +0000

My husband is NOT the hunting type. His hobbies include reading, playing the cello, reading, listening to sermons, reading, gardening, and reading. He sometimes dreams of building a model train layout or becoming a goat farmer in New Zealand (that's why it's called "dreaming"). He never even owned a gun til he married into my family. Once, about 14 years ago, a friend of his invited him deer hunting and my husband felt it rude not to accept. He is NOT a morning person and did NOT have a good time freezing his you-know-what off in a deer blind at zero dark thirty. I think he may have gone hunting with another friend 10 or so years ago, again so as not to be rude. This was not his idea of fun, though, until very recently.

Again, it was one of my husband's friends who had been working on him for some time, trying to persuade him that they needed to go hunting. This particular friend has a new smoker and was really interested in getting some meat. Finally, he wore my husband down.

I admit to being irritated when he told me he was going hunting that Saturday. We had a swim meet in a city 2 hrs away and I had been hoping to leave a couple of the little kids with him. And it never crossed my mind that he would actually get anything.

I came home to this...

I think he was on a bit of a hunter's high or maybe he went deer crazy.

My husband said to ask him about his beginner's luck. I did and imagine my surprise when he told me he got two deer and a turkey! What's really funny, or sad, is that he actually went hunting on our land, but it's leased out to a group of guys for the hunting season. One of these hunters graciously served as a guide for my husband and his friend that day and as they were driving out to the blind, told my husband that there had been slim pickins this year and they had hardly gotten anything. Then my husband gets two deer and borrows a different gun to shoot the turkey.

So my husband goes over to his friend's house, or garage actually, and they have what was evidently a meat butchering party.

What happened to my indoorsy, book-loving husband?

Why is the song "Deliverance" ringing in my ears?

Well, at least I didn't have to SEE the dead animals, or the meat for that matter.

It gets better, or worse. To be continued...

More Vanilla Extract!

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:26:00 +0000

I think I gave away at least forty 4 oz bottles of vanilla extract this Christmas and ran out, so I decided to make more.

In order to make homemade vanilla extract, you need vanilla beans and vodka. I ordered Madagascar vanilla beans from Olive Nation at www.olivenation.com. I have a coupon code for 20% off at Olive Nation that expires in 30 days. It's 202012.

I bought 100 proof vodka that is triple distilled, the good stuff. Make sure your vodka is in a glass bottle, not plastic, unless you plan on transferring your vodka bean mixture to another glass receptacle for incubation. I decided on 15 beans per 1 L bottle of vodka this time. You'll find all kinds of bean:vodka ratios out there. Mine was somewhat arbitrary. I bought 60 beans and 4 bottles, so...

Gracie is demonstrating how you split the vanilla bean length-wise, leaving an inch or so at the top. The purpose behind splitting the bean is so the gooey stuff inside (my technical term) more easily leaches into the vodka.

It's important that you incubate your vanilla bean/vodka mixture in a cool dark place. I chose an abandoned cabinet in our televisionless entertainment armoire. No one ever gets in there! The bottles are buried among my old graduate school notebooks and dissertation. I've read that the vanilla extract can be ready within a few weeks or as long as 6 months. The variation probably has to do with the initial concentration of vanilla beans and the desired concentration of extract. You're supposed to invert the bottles every week or so, but I usually forget to do this after the first week. I'm not planning on bottling this new batch of extract for at least 5 months.

The picture above was taken when I bottled my Christmas extract. I designed the label myself. It says, "Not your ordinary plain vanilla extract." Get it?

Everyone I gave my vanilla to seemed truly thrilled to get it. I think people are becoming more aware that what passes for food in the grocery store is largely imitation. This is an easy way to get the real thing!

Oh, and for you latte aficionados, homemade vanilla extract makes wonderful homemade vanilla syrup for flavoring your fancy coffee drinks. Have you seen the additives in those commercial syrups?

I've played around with a few recipes and settled on: 1 c water, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1/4 c white sugar, 2 T homemade vanilla extract. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Let cool and store in fridge. Try it and you'll never go back to the artificial stuff!

Making Almond Extract

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:00:00 +0000

I can't remember if I blogged about making vanilla extract last year, but I'm about to make it again and will take pictures as I go this time. A couple of days ago I got the itch to make almond extract. When I excitedly told my mom what I was doing, she asked the obvious, "What do you do with almond extract?" Let's not get caught up in details, shall we. Making extract is so much fun and "almond" seemed the natural second flavor to venture into, after "vanilla". I've read that almond extract is wonderful in baked goods and frosting. If you have any other ideas, please share.

All you need to make almond extract is vodka and almonds. Pretty simple.

I used 24 almonds for 750 ml vodka. I read 12 almonds for 16 ounces and since 750 ml is more like 24 ounces and I thought a few extra almonds couldn't hurt, I went with 24. Nothing magic about it. I call it Celee-math.

It's better to use vodka in a glass bottle and go with a higher proof. This is 80 proof.

First, blanch almonds by pouring boiling water over them for 30 seconds to 1 minute max. Then you can easily remove the skins. Chop almonds (I did this the old fashioned way), and put them in the vodka. You have to pour off a little of the vodka to make room for the almonds. I poured mine down the sink so as not to repeat the mistake I made last year with my vitamins. Long story.

Incubate in a cool, dark cabinet for 2 months or longer. Strain (I used a paper funnel with built-in strainer at the bottom used for straining paint) then bottle in amber bottles. I like 4 oz bottles. I'll keep you posted on the finished product.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:55:00 +0000

Most of you know we sent our kids to school this year, so I guess this isn't really a homeschool blog anymore. I don't know if I'm coming back to blogging for good, or if I just have lots to share right at the moment. I do want to give a brief update on the kids and then will blog about my recent kitchen projects in future days including making almond milk, almond extract, vanilla extract, Ezekiel bread, venison loin, tahini, hummus, and more.

Our two oldest kids, Kurtis (13) and Gracie (11), went to a local private faith-based prep school this year and are enjoying it and doing well. Kurtis is an 8th grader and Gracie's a 6th grader. I can't tell you what a relief it has been to this homeschool mom of 6 years that I didn't mess up my kids! They are excelling academically and in every way. They both continue to swim and play the piano. Gracie also joined student council and orchestra (she and her dad both recently took up the cello). They continue to bring us joy and make us laugh. Kurtis remarked recently that if he had Thanksgiving to do all over again, he'd eat a lot more pie. Gracie thoughtfully informed me the other day, when I asked her and her sister to pick up their dolls for the 5th time, that it was kind of a long-term game. Earlier today they were messing around on the piano together making beautiful music and I thought what treasured times these are.

Mia (9) and Wyatt (6) went to our local public elementary school for 4th and 1st grades this year. I had really struggled with Mia academically and was worried she'd flunk out. I needn't have worried. She's doing great, though she still prefers climbing trees and playing in the mud to doing homework. Some of her memorable quotes regarding school are, "Mom, I'd love to make better grades, I just don't know how!" and "Mom, you're going to be so proud of my progress report. It looks just like Wyatt's, except for one 89." Of course, Wyatt, the one who doesn't share our gene pool, is the genius of the family!

Lucie (4) and Calvin (2) go to pre-school at a local church two mornings a week and Calvin has a very rigorous therapy schedule with ECI coming into the home for PT, OT, and speech therapy every week and also going to another PT/OT therapist each week. Lucie keeps us all on our toes and Calvin has made great strides this year.

We moved our family of 8 about 2 miles away into a brand new house. What a job! We didn't realize we were hoarders til it came time to go through every drawer, cabinet, and closet. We still haven't moved our garage or attic over. Yesterday my husband took a deer to the old house and hung it in the garage. I'm sure the neighbors were thrilled! Hopefully we'll get it ready to sell soon.

That's what we've been up to. I've really missed all my friends in blogdom and am so happy to have found some of you on facebook! I'm going to be messing around with the blog for a few days so check back.

Twinkle Toes

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Our oldest daughter turned 11 last month. She is artistic, creative, and loves a good project! She is such a help and joy to me. She has been planting flowers in our front flower beds and also put together an attractive pot for our front porch. Yesterday we found out that Twinkle Toes won second place in the entire state of Texas piano composition contest for her age category. (I'm actually surprised someone beat her, her song is that good.) She won a cash prize, but we haven't heard how much, yet. I think she's spent it already : ). And I think her song will be published. We are very proud of Twinkle Toes and thankful to God for giving her this musical gift. We are also thankful to my mom and dad who have paid for all her piano lessons, and my mom even takes her and practices with her! And her piano teacher really worked with her, teaching her how to compose a piece of music- putting the parts together, etc. We are very blessed!

In other news, Twinkle Toes has been wanting to go to school. We told her if she got into the private college preparatory school near our home that we'd let her go. (Her older brother is also going there next year.) She took the Iowa Basic Skills Test as part of the admissions process and I'm happy to report she was above grade level on everything! She is finishing up 5th grade right now, so they were looking to make sure she scored above 5.8 on all subjects. Her language arts score was 6.5, indicating mid-sixth grade level (I absolutely hate teaching LAs and have worried that my kids were lagging behind. This was a huge relief to me.) Her math score was 7.7, so a little beyond mid-seventh grade level, and her reading comprehension score was 9.6! Yeah!!! I didn't mess my kids up by homeschooling them! Seriously, this was such a huge relief to know that my two oldest children, who have been homeschooled 6 and 4 years, respectively, are above grade level on everything! I have enjoyed my time homeschooling them and it wasn't an academically motivated decision, but I am SO GRATEFUL that they are beyond where they need to be.

The Christian Philosophy of Food Giveaway on In a Shoe

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:22:00 +0000

I have not read The Christian Philosophy of Food by Peter Bringe, but I would like to. I'm trying to win it over at In a Shoe and you can enter to win, too. Just go to In a Shoe and follow the rules to enter for a chance to win this interesting sounding book.

You know I've been on a food book binge of late and I think this would be the perfect addition to my food library!

Monk's standardized testing results

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:18:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but one of my biggest fears as a homeschooling mom is whether my kids are on grade level for each subject. I guess the fear isn't THAT great since I never give them standardized tests, but it has been a concern. Monk is going to a private school for 8th grade next year and they gave him a standardized test Tuesday to make sure he's on grade level. I was surprised by the results. Here are some interesting facts I learned.

1. Monk is slow. I guess I knew that since he's often still finishing school at 5 pm or later. He's very bright, but takes his time. He needs to work on his speed before taking the SAT in a few years.

2. I thought Monk was a math genius since he's 2-3 grades ahead in math. He did score one year ahead on the math exam, but the test didn't cover anything beyond arithmetic so the grade level was based on percent accuracy, I suppose. Still, I was happy that his score put him on 9th grade level (he's finishing 7th now). He'll take the Algebra I and II finals before starting next year since he'll be skipping those classes. His grade on each final will go on his transcript as his grade for the respective class. This way he'll be able to skip to Geometry. I'm a little nervous about these exams so we'll be preparing for those in future weeks.

3. Monk and I were both worried about the language arts portion of the exam, mainly because I HATE teaching grammar and have largely neglected it. He did fine, scoring right at 8th grade level.

4. Sonlight has lived up to its promise of making Monk an avid reader. His reading comprehension score was at 12th grade level. They were blown away by this.

This school is happy to have our Monk for next year and I'm so relieved that I didn't mess him up for life by homeschooling him for the last 6 years! I know that homeschooling isn't about academics. I know that our first priorities for homeschooling have to do with wanting to be with our kids, instilling character, fostering close family ties, etc. But I have always been afraid that I was doing them a disservice academically and it feels really good to know they're on track.

Do you test your kids to see if they're on grade level?

The spiritual death, burial, and resurrection of Saul

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:04:00 +0000

The conversion of Saul is spectacular, to be sure. We all know the story of his being blinded by God on the road to Damascus. My conversion was nothing like his, it's quite boring in comparison. I was struck today with how symbolic his conversion is of what happens with all of us when we experience spiritual rebirth.

"Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus." Acts 8:8

This is a fulfillment of what God spoke through the prophets and Jesus reiterated.

"Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the Lord? He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear." Isaiah 42:18-20

"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me?" Jeremiah 5:21 & 22a

Jesus speaking to His disciples: "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that, 'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'" Mark 4:12

As a pharisee and zealous persecutor of the church, Saul was one of many who were blind to God. But God had promised that it would not always be that way. There would come a day when God in His grace would give sight to the blind.

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;" Isaiah 35:5

While Saul became physically blinded on the road to Damascus, his eyes were figuratively opened by God to the truth of the gospel. He "saw Christ" for the first time, but could see nothing else.

What happens next is equally interesting.

"And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank." Acts 8:9 (emphasis mine)

Jesus was in the grave for 3 days. Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days.

In fact, Jesus tells the scribes and pharisees that they are evil in seeking signs from Him and that no sign will be given them, except the sign of Jonah. "For just as Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Mathew 12:40 This shows that Jonah being in the belly of the fish three days, though literal, was also a type of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Interestingly, when God tells Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice to Him on Mount Moriah, it's on the third day that Abraham arrives there and that the Lord provides the ram caught in the thicket. (Genesis 22:4) It was also on the third day after Joseph put his brothers in custody that he gave his brothers back their lives (Genesis 42:18).

The third day was also significant when God met with His people to give them the law.

"On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain." Exodus 19:16-17

After God commissioned Joshua, it was on the third day that He led them into the Promised Land. "Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess." Joshua 1:11

And when Hezekiah lay on his deathbed and prayed to God for healing, it was on the third day that God healed him. "Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake." 2 Kings 20:5-6

And I love this passage in Hosea. "Come, let us return to the Lord; for He has torn us, that He may heal us; He has struck us down, and He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live before Him." Hosea 6:1-2

As a brief recap- Isaac, the son of promise, is granted life on the third day; Joseph gives his brothers, and essentially the future nation of Israel, freedom on the third day; God meets with His people at Mt Moriah on the third day; God delivers His people out of the wilderness and miraculously across the Jordan into the Promised Land on the third day; Jonah is freed from the belly of the great fish on the third day; Hezekiah is healed and Jerusalem saved from Assyria on the third day; and in Hosea God's people will be raised up on the third day.

So it seems that the third day is a salvation motif used over and over again in the Scriptures. I believe that in the Old Testament this is to point us to Christ's ultimate act of salvation when He conquered sin and death in His resurrection on the third day. In the New Testament, like with Saul's conversion, I believe it points back to and serves as a beautiful reminder of the salvation Christ granted for His people on the third day.

While my conversion experience pales in comparison to Saul's, I was blind to Christ until the Father opened my eyes and I was dead in my sins until God made me alive to Him. By grace through faith via a work of the Spirit, all believers share in the resurrection of Christ (Philippians 3:10). Saul's conversion is reminiscent of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and at the same time is a picture of the miraculous conversion of every believer.

New Bikers

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:16:00 +0000

I think both Measle and Twinkle Toes learned to ride bikes over Spring Break, so we're continuing with an established tradition this year. Prince learned to ride without training wheels in about 5 minutes- a new family record! He will be 6 next month, so maybe we're teaching them later and later!

Lucie has been wanting a bike for a while and we couldn't find the starter bike her sisters used. I finally broke down a bought her a new one this morning. Actually, she picked it out- another first. Usually kids get bikes for birthdays, which means they're a surprise. Lucie had a great time picking out her pink princess bike. She's riding like a champ!

Progress for Calvin

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:53:00 +0000

Calvin will be 17 months on Saturday and no, he still isn't walking or talking, at least he isn't saying anything we recognize, yet. But, Calvin is making progress. He's finally getting into everything. He's been fascinated with doors for a long time, but now he's able to open all the cabinet doors and take everything out. Sometimes he even goes in.

I have now seen Calvin pull up to his feet once. Only once. He pulls up to his knees lots and is so proud that he can see over the top of his crib. Can you see the pride?

He even gets his foot in there, but won't pull all the way up. He's starting to babble more and more, which is good. He just laughs at me when I say, "Mama". Sometimes he says, "Da da da da da". And sometimes even, "Bu bu bu bu". I think he's toying with me. He tries to wave now by sticking his arm straight out. Hey, it's progress. Calvin is operating on his own timetable. I'm just going to enjoy each accomplishment. He does.

On turning 39, mid-life crises, and being thankful

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:49:00 +0000

I turned 39 last week. I'm not okay with that, but what are my options, right? I don't feel 39. In fact, I feel better than I did in high school and college (now I only swim 2,000 yards a day which is much easier on the shoulders : ). I had my vision checked last summer and it was better than 20/20. I didn't even know that was possible! Unfortunately, that means I can clearly see all the grey hairs coming in. And then there are the wrinkles. Who came up with "laugh lines"? That's a euphemism if ever I heard one! I promised my husband when we were newly married and 15 years seemed like an eternity that I would start wearing make-up when I turned 40. Now I only have one more year until I have to start wearing make-up unless I can find a loop-hole in our contract. Why didn't I make the deal that I'd start wearing make-up if he took up running or something like that? Then I'd be safe for life! Hindsight.

Anyway, I told my husband that I'm going to have a mid-life crisis. Why should men get to have all the fun? He said I might as well make it a big one, then. I'm thinking. Seriously, I have nothing. Any suggestions?

Then my friend Roan at Joyful Always, Insanity graduate who runs marathons, is a conscientious cook, and has nursed 5 children, found out she has breast cancer and is having a double mastectomy today. Maybe I don't need a mid-life crisis, after all. Maybe I should just be thankful that 39 has only brought me a few wrinkles and grey hairs. Ok, I know I should just be thankful. Please join me in praying for Roan as she has her surgery today.

On homeschool sabbaticals, being home, and keeping busy

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:25:00 +0000

When I asked my husband 4 years ago if I could quit my job and stay home to homeschool our kids, he basically said, "Sure, do what you want." I thought he would respond in a similar manner when I asked him recently if I could take a homeschool sabbatical next year and send the kids to school. I have several reasons I'm wanting to do this, but mainly it has to do with my little ones. When my big kids were little we went to the park and worked puzzles and went to the library and read books. Now that I'm homeschooling the big kids, my little kids have to entertain themselves a lot, and get shushed all day, and don't have nearly as many books read to them (seeing as how I read to the big kids an hour and a half each day!). Calvin is developmentally delayed and I wanted more time to spend with him. I'm painfully aware that these are probably my last children and I want to savor their little years. Anyway, my husband did not respond the way I thought he would. He asked if I was going back to work full-time. I was really surprised by that since we have a 3 and 1 year old. We had a big fight, which we never do, and I wrote him a lengthy email on my value as a mother in addition to the homeschooling bit. You know, paying bills, grocery shopping, and all that other glamorous stuff.

The Littles- Lucie 3 and Calvin 1

So this week I'm home alone with my three youngest children, ages 5, 3, and 1. My parents have taken my big kids skiing and my husband is gone all week, too. We've been to the doctor's office and had two run-ins with the police (Prince Charming dialed 911 and hung-up while I was napping with the sick kids and the next day a neighbor called them to report my parents' garage door had been up for two days!) Yes, we've taken walks and read books, which has been fun. The house is immaculate (I now have proof that it's the big kids who trash the place, not the little ones who usually end up getting blamed for it.) I've also cleaned out my closet, all my bathroom drawers, the kitchen drawers, and now on day three I think I'm ready to go back to work. Just kidding. Sort of. In fact, I now remember that I went back to school/work when my two oldest were 3 and 1. Hmmm. Funny how I'd managed to forget that little bit of information.

Maybe my husband knows me better than I thought. Maybe he wasn't saying I'm lazy, but that I'm just the opposite. Maybe he knew that I'd go stir crazy without more to keep me occupied at home. We have some decisions to make for next year. It's looking like we may send our two oldest to a local private school and homeschool our soon-to-be 1st and 4th graders. While I do have the itch to go back to school again, that will probably pass. And I definitely don't want to go back to work full-time, yet. I've been there and done that and know the stress. So for now the sabbatical's off and homeschooling is on. What do you do when you get the itch for a change?

The Future Cloud

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:58:00 +0000

Have you ever read something in the Bible and thought, "What? Where did that come from?" Then you start checking other translations thinking, surely I would have noticed this if it really is saying what I think it's saying. This is my sixth time in two years to read through the Bible and I read something yesterday that I have somehow managed to miss the previous five times. I know you're just dying to know, so I'll share it with you.

This is in Isaiah chapter 4. The context is the future glorification of Israel. I believe that Christians will share in this as per Romans 11. (Paul must have had Isaiah 4 in mind when he wrote Romans 11 because he uses the same language of branch and remnant to refer to true Israel.)

"Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain." Isaiah 4:5-6

When we were in Kazakhstan about 5 years ago, we heard rumors that the president was planning the construction of a giant dome to cover their climate-challenged capital, Astana (temperatures reach minus 40 in winter). The newly constructed pleasure dome allows for a climate-controlled 1.5 million cubic yard enclosure. It cost over $100 million to construct. Somehow I think there's more to it than this in Isaiah 4. The "cloud by day and fire by night" immediately bring to mind the visible way in which God manifested Himself to Israel in the wilderness as He guided them from place to place.

The cloud also seems to be associated not just with the presence of God, but with the glory of the Lord.

"As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal." Ezekiel 1:4

"Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the house, when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. And the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord." Ezekiel 10:3-4

"[Peter] was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.' When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified." Mathew 17:5-6 on the Transfiguration of Jesus.

"And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight." Acts 1:9 on the Ascension of Jesus.

"Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand.... So He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped." Revelation 14:14, 16 on the future harvest of the earth.

I think I get why God revealed Himself to Israel in a cloud. No one could look on God and live, right? This makes sense. His glory had to be shrouded somewhat. So why will God also reveal Himself to us in the future in a cloud? Won't we behold Him face to face then? Maybe it has less to do with His presence, since we know He is present with us even now in Spirit. Maybe it has to do with the covering aspect of the cloud.

"Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you." Isaiah 44:21-22, emphasis mine.

Atonement is the act of covering our sins. The mercy seat on the ark of the covenant, where God said He would meet with His people, was between the cherubim, just over or "covering" the tablet of the law of God which resided inside the ark. (The law which His people had broken.) So, perhaps as His presence on the mercy seat atoned for or "covered" Israel's sins, the cloud of His presence also covered or blotted out their sins. Maybe this should be the emphasis, not on the form of His presence in the future glorification of His people, but the act of His "covering us" which is what allows for our glorification in the first place.

Isaiah is a difficult book for me. There are the chapters on judgment, the prophecies upon prophecies, once in a while a bit of historical narrative I can understand, then more confusing stuff. But there are some wonderful gems in Isaiah. Redemption is a theme woven throughout the book. We all know and love Isaiah 53 which pictures the coming Christ who would suffer on our behalf. Isaiah 27:19 speaks of the future resurrection. And many other verses sprinkled throughout proclaim His great and everlasting salvation. It seems reasonable to me, though I'm no Bible scholar, to interpret the future cloud that will cover Zion in this redemptive way. Because He will create a cloud to cover us by day (Is. 4:5), and because He has blotted out our transgressions like a cloud (Is. 44:22a), we can return to Him for He has redeemed us (Is. 44:22b). I'll close with my favorite passage in Isaiah.

"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save." Isaiah 46:3-4

Playing Catch-up

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:05:00 +0000

There's an Indigo Girl song that says something about losing one day and a life-time slips away. I feel like that's what's happened to me. I can't even pinpoint the day it all started, but somehow I've ended up behind. Calvin was really sick for over 3 weeks, so maybe it started then. I was out of town 3 days last week which didn't help. I'm not sure how many days behind in 90 day Bible I am now. I think I was 5 or 6 days behind and I think I'm now just 2 or 3 days behind. I hadn't taken any grace days yet, so it's really not that bad. I'm also trying to catch-up on read-aloud with my kids. We're actually ahead in one book, but behind in others (the ones I'm not as crazy about.) My husband suggested I have Monk and Twinkle Toes catch-up without me in one book, which I think is a great idea.

I'm also behind in blogging. There are several posts I'd like to write and I'm hoping to have time this weekend. I also need to catch-up on reading blogs. My blogging has really suffered since I began getting up at 4:30. I guess my main blogging time came during afternoon nap and in the evenings after the kids went to bed. Now I'm either sleeping during those times or trying to get to sleep! I love my morning routine, though, and will not be giving it up. I get started on my Bible reading while sitting in the parking lot of the gym where I swim. Then I swim about 45 minutes. Afterwards I drive through Starbucks where I get a tall vanilla latte (my new drink- it has half the calories and sugar of a grande white mocha, my old drink) and read the Bible a few more minutes while ~~destroying the evidence~~ drinking my drink. Then I come home, shower, make breakfast and get the kids up between 6:15 and 6:30.

I think the main culprit in my getting behind with the kids is running errands during read-aloud time. I've changed the way I shop. I used to go to the grocery store once a week and buy everything we needed. Now I go to Natural Grocers, which is closer to our house, 3 or 4 times a week. I'm not sure why I can't manage to stock-up, but it seems like every other day we need more fruit and vegetables, etc. Spring has also been showing its face around here and the temptation to sneak out for a quick walk has been too strong to resist on several occasions. The kids have been so great about staying on their schedules, I just need to get better about keeping to mine!

What do you do to catch-up when you get behind?

TOS Review of See-N-Spell

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:45:00 +0000

If you're looking for an easy-to-use spelling reference, check out See-N-Spell, a new spelling and vocabulary quick reference guide by the makers of See-N-Read. See-N-Spell helps writers to easily find the correct spelling to over 300 commonly used American English words. See-N-Spell also helps you to easily differentiate homophones by listing them together.

Let me first say what See-N-Spell is not. It's not your typical Spelling curriculum with lists of unrelated words and tests at the end of each section. Rather, See-N-Spell is a handy tool that can make writing so much easier, no matter what Spelling curriculum you're using, if any. I'm one of those people who sits with a dictionary at her elbow. My spelling isn't atrocious, but I read a lot of British detective novels and always manage to muddle the English and American spellings in my mind. I also have a knack for stumbling over words with multiple correct spellings like canceled (or is it cancelled?) and worshiped (or worshipped). Which begs the question of why we have a rule that says we're supposed to double the ending consonant before adding a suffix, when it isn't always followed! The joys of learning English! Anyway, if you don't enjoy thumbing through the dictionary as much as I do, See-N-Spell's 40 page compact reference guide will be a big help to you. The word lists are organized alphabetically by parts of speech followed by a section on homophones for each letter. For instance, if you're having trouble with a word beginning with H, you simply turn to the H page and can see at a glance irregular verbs such as hide/hid/hidden and the different meanings of hangar and hanger. It would be truly embarrassing (included in the commonly misspelled words list, by the way), to write about parking your airplane in its hanger!

I have to say my favorite section is the commonly misspelled words listed alphabetically at the back of the guide. If the word I'm having trouble with is one that others struggle to remember, too, it's faster for me to use See-N-Spell than my dictionary or Google. If the word I'm looking for isn't listed in See-N-Spell, then I just wasted about 15 seconds, not too bad. And while I'm pretty quick with a dictionary, my 10 and 12 year olds save a lot of time using See-N-Spell. The best part is you can purchase See-N-Spell for only $9.99!

Please check out other TOS reviews of See-N-Spell.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of See-N-Spell in exchange for an honest review.

TOS Review of Math Rider

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:22:00 +0000

Are you looking for a fun and intelligent math facts game? Math Rider helps your elementary school children learn their math facts while playing an adventure style game. Noble quests which exemplify positive family values such as caring and honesty, help your kids learn their math facts while having fun. The game's artificial intelligence rehearses the math facts your child needs most at a rate custom tailored for each player. This leads to mastery of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts (0-12) in record time.

Here's a screenshot from a Math Rider quest.

You can purchase Math Rider on sale for $37 (normally $47) only until February 15, 2012. It's an instant download and please be sure to check system requirements. I tried to download this to my PC about 20 times and had problems with Adobe Air which is required for Math Rider to run. I kept getting an error message about a problem with installing Adobe Air on my computer that told me to contact the administrator. I'm not terribly computer savvy, but this is the first time I've encountered this problem. I would make sure you can get Adobe Air successfully installed on your system before purchasing Math Rider. I was really disappointed that I couldn't get this game to work on our computer.

Please check out the other TOS crew reviews of Math Rider.

Disclaimer: I received a link to download Math Rider in exchange for an honest review, but unfortunately I was never able to get it installed on my PC. I got my information about Math Rider from their website and a webinar they conducted for reviewers.

Calvin's in training

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:53:00 +0000

So Calvin is 16 months and not walking. My big girls didn't walk until they were 16 months, but they were really spoiled and carried everywhere. Calvin has lots of floor time and he isn't even close to walking. So, I've got him in training. I make him push his walker every day back and forth across our living room rug and he doesn't like it one bit. I told him, "No pain, no gain".

When he realized it was a photo shoot, he did his best to smile through the pain. I love this kid!

Calvin doesn't talk either and this is unusual for our kids. We usually have uncoordinated kids who talk our arms off from a very early age. He doesn't even say Mama, which makes me sad. Sometimes it looks like he's about to say something, like it's on the tip of his tongue, but he never does. We think Calvin is perfectly wonderful and know that God has a plan for his life. Hopefully we'll be able to look back soon and laugh about how we worried about Calvin's development. I tell you there's going to be a big celebration at this house when Calvin takes his first steps and speaks his first words!

Best Playmates

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:23:00 +0000

Do you have sets of best friends at your house? Our big girls have their share of disagreements, but they're inseparable. That's how it is with Prince (5) and Queen (3). They are the BEST of friends!

Building castles!

Check out my old Star Wars figures! This girl cracks me up!

Lucie loves her brother so much!

My husband took our oldest 3 kids skiing today. After Prince went to school, I was home with just Lucie and Calvin. Lucie and I had a lot of one on one time. We made playdough and cookies and had a great time. I asked Lucie if she wished that she were an only child and she said no. She said she'd miss her kids, as she calls them. I think that's pretty cool.

90 day Bible Challenge- Week 5 Resources and Check-in if you're reading.

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:13:00 +0000

We've covered much of Israel's history this week. It's hard not to miss the forest for the trees sometimes when reading through all the kings of Israel and Judah. I wrote a post a couple of years ago on a woman's influence in the home that I based on observations of the good and bad kings according to whether their mothers were God-fearing or not. Even the history books of the Bible are applicable to us today!

Then this morning I was reading in 1 Chronicles and was reminded again of the rebellion and redemption of Korah. At the time I wrote that post, I didn't realize that Psalm 42 is also a Psalm of the sons of Korah. That is so cool and knowing the backstory definitely helps me appreciate the cry of the Psalmists heart!

What is the Lord showing you as you commit to reading His Word daily?

Don't forget to checkout Ted Cooper's You are Here in the Bible and Amy's daily SOAPs at Momstoolbox.

My new routine and my husband's weight loss

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:17:00 +0000

This has nothing to do with my new routine, except that I've been very sleepy. Aren't they cute? Lucie sleeps in a crib next to her sister's bed, when she isn't in our bed. I'm not sure whose idea this was, but it made for a great photo op.

My new routine has me up at 4:30 so I can swim at 5. This is great for getting an early start on my day, but I'm worthless at the end of the day. I haven't had the energy to blog or even to hang out with my family. They all watched a movie last night and I went to bed early. I'm going to aim for swimming 3-4 times a week, but the funny thing is, even when I do wake up late (6 instead of 4:30) I'm still wanting to go to bed early! And it doesn't matter if I get a nap, I'm still tired out by 10. I guess I have a new bedtime. My new schedule has allowed me to stay on top of laundry, get my 90 day Bible reading done early, and made it easier to start our school days on time, but my "free time" in the evenings has been completely eaten up. I guess that's a good thing, but I've made very little progress on the books I'm reading.

In more exciting news, my husband is losing weight and feeling better than he has in a long time. After reading Why We Get Fat... by Gary Taubes we decided he would go on the new Atkins diet. He loves it because he doesn't feel hungry all the time, he gets to eat real food like meat and eggs and the weight is coming off. Better than that, his blood pressure is in the normal range for his age in the first time since I've known him. Seriously, he had high blood pressure when we married. I'm anxious for him to go to the doctor and get a lipid profile done. I can't wait to see his triglyceride number. I think he's lost 15 pounds so far and it's been about a month.

For those of you who have tried Atkins before, the main difference is you're now allowed unlimited leafy green vegetables from the beginning. Actually, there are lots of veggies he can have, just not starchy ones. My husband is still in the inductive phase and wants to stay there until he loses another 10 lbs or so. The kids and I have been trying to get him to workout. We may wear him down eventually. I have a feeling he's going to come back from this ski trip with the kids wanting to get in shape.

I've been really missing blogging, but I guess I'm in a new phase : )! It probably won't last long.

Night School

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:11:00 +0000

We've had some doctor's appointments lately and my husband and the kids have been talking about going skiing. In order to free up my time to take kids to the doctor and make sure they don't get behind in the event of a last minute day trip with dad, we've been doing some night school. I've loved reading ahead in our Sonlight read-alouds with the kids. There's something so liberating about starting a day of school knowing that you've already accomplished something! This also gives the kids an extra 30-40 minutes in their school day, which they are loving. I'm sure there will be evenings when we don't get all our reading done at night, but I like trying to get a jump on our day and the kids do, too.

Do you do school at night?

My 1.5 Million Dollar pair of new running shoes!

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:46:00 +0000

You know how you can't wait to get outside and break in a new pair of running shoes? I always walk with an extra spring in my step when I'm wearing new running shoes. In fact, when I've struggled to stay consistent with running, investing in a new pair of shoes guarantees I'll get back on track. I'm speaking metaphorically in my title. I did not buy a 1.5 million dollar pair of running shoes. Our local health club just finished remodeling its swimming pools and they are NICE! I haven't been swimming in forever, but now I'm at it at 5 am in the mornings!

I actually woke up ten minutes before my alarm went off this morning at 4:35 am! I pulled into the parking lot at 4:52 am and I was like the 8th car. Who knew there were so many crazy people in Amarillo?!

Actually, I could get used to this. I love getting so much accomplished in the mornings. I had a load of laundry done, my 90 day Bible reading almost finished, breakfast served, I was dressed and had dried and straightened my hair, and family devotions completed by 7:30 am. By 9 I had done the grocery shopping and taken my husbands shirts to the cleaners. The downside is by 1 pm I was toast. As in, people in my family were strongly encouraging me to take a nap. I have never gotten up in the 4s before and can't imagine that this new routine will hold up for long, but who knows. It must be my new phase!

90 Day Bible Challenge- Week 4 Resources and Check-in if you're reading

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:15:00 +0000

Yes, I know it's 2012!

If you started the 90 day Bible challenge on January 1st with me, you should be on day 22 today. We're now 24.4% of the way through the entire Bible!!

I was reminded this week about how David is a type of Christ (Part I: Humble beginnings, anointing, and obedience and Part II: From suffering to exaltation ). I know I sound like a broken record, but it's just so cool to see God's redemptive plan unfold in the pages of the Old Testament.

What is the Lord showing you as you delve into His Word daily? Check-in below if you're reading. I need accountability, too! The only thing more fun than reading the Bible in 90 days is reading it with a friend!

Check out Mom's Toolbox for Ted Cooper's You Are Here in the Bible this week and don't miss Amy's daily SOAPs.

I have a confession to make...

noreply@blogger.com (Celee) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:41:00 +0000

Remember that whole going green phase I went through? Well, it was just that. A phase. Here's what happened with my various endeavors:

Cloth diapers- turns out Calvin is allergic to them. Seriously. His stomach looks way better when I put him in disposable diapers. How sad that it took me 15 months to come to terms with that. And how messed up is it that when I figured it out, it was still hard for me to make the switch.

Junk mail- I paid my $41 to 41pounds.org and months later I'm still getting tons of mail. Let's put it this way. We're on very close terms with our mail carrier who has to hand deliver our mountain of junk mail that comes daily. I'm thinking we're getting more like 250 lbs per year, not 41. I filled out all the forms and have no idea why we're still getting the junk. C'est la vie.

Homemade, environmentally friendly fabric softener- Like this was going to go over well. I tried, I really did. My family revolted. A friend of mine gave my son some clothes recently and he kept inhaling them over and over. I finally asked him what the heck he was doing and he said, "Cole's clothes just smell so good!" My housekeeper also rebelled. I told her no fabric softener and the other day after she left I found a dryer sheet in the dryer. I can't believe she went to the store and bought dryer sheets for my laundry behind my back. Ok, so the baking soda and vinegar recipe didn't exactly smell like spring breeze, whatever that is. Now we're back to the chemical-laden Downy. And everyone is the happier for it.

Ditching paper towels- My husband put his foot down on this one. He said he could maybe put up with the house smelling like vinegar, but he had to have paper towels. I tried just buying one roll for him, but I was too tempted and ended up using his paper towels. Pretty soon I was buying the big econo-size package again.

Now, I realize these were all very small changes; paltry, really. It made me feel good to make healthy changes for our family and for the environment. Like I was contributing somehow to a greater good. But since reading Folks, This Ain't Normal by Joel Salatin, I realize that I had no idea what going green really looks like. And I have to admit, I don't want to go green on the big things. I don't want to live in a bunker built into the side of a hill with a hoophouse instead of a roof. I like having a roof. And while I think it's really neat in theory to heat your home with natural resources on your property, I kind of like having a gas line that comes right into our home and that little thermostat thingy that allows me to adjust the temperature just so. And while a part of me wouldn't mind being "off the grid", I'm just not willing to add a solarium onto the side of my house. (I'm sure the neighbors would just love that!)

What I've discovered about myself is that I'm not green at all. I don't know why this should come as a surprise to me. I drive a gas-guzzling 4wd SUV and I love it. (We were separated for a week once and I can attest that absence really does make the heart grow fonder.) My husband has a motorcycle, but rarely rides it. He also drives a 4wd SUV (though it's more fuel efficient than mine) and our other car is a motorhome. A few years ago my husband came up with a bumper sticker idea while on a road trip. "Prius, tastes like chicken." We like big vehicles. And I drive mine all over town multiple times a day. Swim practice has been a 40 minute round trip for the last few months and I make the drive twice on some days! I'm basically, single-handedly responsible for building big oil.

If you've known me very long, you may have noticed that I go through phases where I obsess about certain things. Right now it's food. You should hear my poor mom explain to me what we're eating and why on Sundays since my little obsession began. I used to just eat it and enjoy. Now I have to know where it came from. And remember my sewing phase? Then there was the soap making, the Insanity workout, and what else? I went through a running phase a few years ago. And my family will never forget my ebay phase. It got so bad that my kids had to start hiding their prized possessions from me. Really getting my doctorate was a phase and so was teaching. Frankly, considering my track record I'm a little surprised I'm still happily married after 14 years! It's probably because my husband is so laid back and lets me do my thing, even when my thing is a little crazy.

So there you have it. The ugly truth. I wanted to go green. I tried to go green, and failed.

I feel much better now.