A more discipline life

I was sorting through some papers the other day and found our goal sheets that each of us made at the beginning of the year. They were simple list of things, limited to four things, we wanted to do this year. The boys had things like go to the zoo, learn all of the letters:), things like that. Mine said 1. Go to Atlanta 2. Start a couples Bible study. 3. Write a children's devotion 4. Manage a financial budget. Well the year is almost gone and even though I've helped my boys complete their tasks.....I only completed one of mine. We went on vacation to Atlanta this year. So much fun! The boys really enjoyed the aquarium. Anyway, the point is I am really bad about having goals, starting them head on and than never finishing them. When I started reading this book I began to fell empowered again. Than overwhelmed. Than mad at myself for having so many things I can think of that need to be completed.

Well, than I decided no matter how long my list is if I do one thing at a time consistently.....I WILL finish what I started! Crystal Paine gives so much helpful advice and adds Bible verses all through the book. Plus, there is an added bonus! Wonderful other women to help hold me accountable and share with each other. So, if you have a project that has been nagging at you for a long time (or several like me) join us at 21 Day of Self Discipline Challenge!

Today is Day 1. Like I said before there are a lot of things I would like to complete. The things on the above list, exercise, house projects......but what I thought a good place to begin would be with the above list. Who knows maybe I'll even finish it before the year is over!

So, here I go! Today I decided my Major project will be to start a couples Bible study. I'm sort of cheating on this considering my husband is helping me. This will be a joint effort:) We have divided up the project in 21 small goals for each day and at the end we will be starting our study with a group of people! So excited!! Also, part of the assignment for today was to complete a tiny project. I cleaned out my mail:) My husband was happy to see a clean box, with no junk mail!

It's feels so good to be working towards something and actually see the light at the end of the tunnel!

31 Days and the special day

Well, I think it's obvious that blogging every day is not for me. Let alone blogging about one subject for 31 days. You live and learn!

Speaking of living and learning.....

Eleven years ago today our firstborn son was born. The term for his birth is stillborn. I have never understood this term. I know it simply means born without life. The thing is, Todd, our son, has touched so many lives it's hard to think of him as stillborn. He was far from still. God used that little life to touch us in way that I would not have chosen, but will be forever blessed by.

Have you ever thrown a pebble into a lake? Todd's life quickly disappeared, but he certainly has impacted our life forever. I pray that God will use me to impact lives like that.

31 Days of Technology in the Home

Day 7 and 8....Shopping and Planning.

Who doesn't like shopping?! Well, I guess there are some people out there who are not fond of this pastime. But, how about you relieve some of that stress by shopping online?

With birthdays and Christmas coming up I've been pretty busy shopping. I purchased an Ipod case for my oldest son's birthday on ebay. I also got a Minecraft skin to go with it! Found that on Etsy. I was so excited when I purchased my first Christmas gift. I chose two of the Scentsy Buddies for my youngest and my niece. They are adorable stuffed animals, complete with scent pak!  I plan on doing some shopping there later also;) My boys also enjoyed getting into the action by circling all the books they wanted in my Usborne catalog. Here's the website to my business, Story Snacks. I could spend all day looking at these wonderful books! I plan on doing some shopping on ThinkGeek and another website I just recently found is EverBuying. Everbuying has tons of things at a great price! Lots of great items for stocking stuffers too!

So, what about you? I would love to hear what your favorite sites are for shopping!

What about planning? Any homeschoolers out there use a specific planner? I am using My Well Planned Day. Absolutely love this!! It has everything you would need to plan your day. From menus to lesson plans, you just plan and add it to your calendar. They will also have an app out soon!! How awesome is that?

Well, now it's your turn. Shop online? Plan online? Share away:)

Day 6: Keeping in touch

There are many ways to use technology to help people keep in touch with their loved ones. It has been so neat to be able to see my kiddos and talk with them when I happen to be miles away! I was on a mission trip  in Guatemala and was able to Skype my family:) Don't get me wrong, I still love receiving letters in the mail and encourage my boys to write, but there is just something extra special in being able to see your loved one's face. Not to mention, it takes a letter longer to get to a person than clicking on a few keys to light up a screen. The weekend is a great time to test this one out! So, grab your computer and start Skyping! Other options are FaceTime, Google Talk, and many more! Have a great weekend with your family:)

My precious family:

Day 5: Taming the Tech Monster

I know this is suppose to be 31 Days on Technology in the Home, but what's the old saying, 'to much of a good thing is a bad thing?' Seriously though, we try to limit the time our boys, and yes ourselves, spend on the electronics. I don't know about you, but I love my little munchkins. I want to spend time with them, quality and quantity! Not to mention, I want them to have healthy habits. I desire for them to have strong relationships, to spend more time with people rather than the t.v.

Stepping off soap box now. There are ways, fun ways, to help tame that Tech Monster. One thing that we do is celebrate Screen Free week.  This is April 30th through May 6th. We put a sign on the t.v., computer, etc. that said SCREEN FREE WEEK! We played games, went outside, did crafts and pretty much did just a lot of fun things together.

We also have a special currency in our home. Emoney! I keep track of all the chores done, good attitudes displayed, extra chores completed, loving attitudes showed toward siblings...you get the picture. Than at the end of the day, Emoney is rewarded to each child according to the "bucks" earned that day. They have the choice to use all of their Emoney in one day (within an already allotted time) or saving it for another day. This has worked well for us and has helped us keep their time under wraps. The one thing that proved to be a problem was keeping track of all of it. So, I found this solution:

Media Minutes Free printable! I love the way this lady keeps the Tech Monster under control in her house! And for all you free printable loving people out there, here's another one. Screentime Chart

What about you? Do you have any helpful hints for taming the Tech Monster? I would love to hear some ideas on this!

Day 4: Ipods and Ipads

My two older boys saved up their own money to buy Ipods! It took them awhile, but they were so excited when the time come to purchase their Ipod. We choose to purchase one for our youngest and are glad we did. These have come in so handy for long road trips or waiting for appointments, etc. I must say, a protective case would be a must! The blue one(with a face) in the above picture I can't suggest though. My son has trouble playing on it without the interchangeable pieces coming out.

I also have an Ipad, which I love! Yes, I am not a techie and also have been known to say I did not even want a smart phone, but I've had to eat my words.

So, today I will be sharing our favorite Apps for Ipod and Ipads!

Free Ipad/Ipod Apps for kids:
Nook
Demibooks Storytime
Lego
Lego Creationary 
Pocket Pond
BrainPOP
PBS for kids
Crayola we bought the stylist that goes with this to unlock more art work.
Fruit Ninja

Paid Ipad/Ipod Apps for kids:
Scribblenauts
Little Things
Fancy Pants
Minecraft I think this one is the most we've spent on an app.
ABC's of God also one of my favorites:)

Apps for mommy:
Adobe Photo Shop
Packing cost 2.99 This app is been a time savor for me. All the list and reminders for things needed for vacations/trips.
Nike Training
Bump
Pinterest of course:)
Shazam
MapQuest
One Thousand Gifts
Facebook

So, if you have an Ipod/Iphone/Ipad have fun checking out all the apps. Most importantly' have fun with your kiddos! Play these with them and talk to them about the games or what they are learning. What are your favorite apps? I would love to hear about any new apps that are kid/parent approved.

Day 3: Internet-linked Books

     This is my favorite! I absolutely love to read. Unfortunately, my boys are not as excited about reading as I am. But, I found a solution that not only helps my boys get excited about reading, but helps us bond over a good book. Internet-linked books! Usborne has wonderful books of all kinds. (Yes, I'm an independent consultant for Usborne:)) The Internet-linked books that Usborne provides have been an asset to our home school here at Ark Academy. It adds so much to our curriculum! Our favorite right now is the Reference Collection. We are currently studying about ancient times in our history. Just yesterday we found links that took us to maps of Israel, videos about the temple of King Solomon and pictures to download. I love books. My boys love technology. These books have been the answer to "linking" the two together! 

Something else that has served as a special way for my little techies and me to bond is to celebrate their interests. For instance, today is National Techies Day! We did not even know that this holiday existed until we were doing our calendar time and came across it here. We have had so much fun today taking "tech breaks" throughout the day to celebrate. Plus, we plan to make cards for our favorite techies. Just a simple thank you to let them know that we appreciate the work that they do for us. (They plan on making a big one for their daddy!) 

My favorite techies:

What are some things that you do to "link" with your children?

I forgot to include the link to all of the blogs participating in the 31 Days challenge. Nester has tons! You will not have any problem finding one that you like. Day 2: Youtube

We like to use YouTube in our home. Although, before I go any further let me just say the we have set rules about viewing anything on the internet without mom and/or dad present. There are lots of parent controls out there to put on your devices. I came across this blog that I found very informative! That being said, I have created a list on my YouTube account called Learning. This has all sorts of videos specifically to help what they are learning(I homeschool) We have found some pretty cool videos! Here's the current favorite. Conjunction Junction In the above picture my Puppy Love is watching a video that sings the story Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. It's super cute! The song and the little boy;) There are also tons of songs, of course. We have found lots of videos to go with our favorite praise songs, such as GoFish. So, in short I think YouTube is a great tool to use for the family, with supervision. It has certainly been a useful tool for us!

I am joining in the 31 Days Blog hop! There are sooo many things I could think of to share, subjects that are really "me" so to speak. But, my boys, and hubby, are very much techies! Technology has been a huge issue with the boys. They want to either play on the Xbox or Ipod, etc. Just take your pick! Don't get me wrong I love my Ipad and Iphone, but sometimes they can be a bit of a time taker. I do NOT want technology to rule in my home, I want to be able to use the technology in a positive way for my family. So, for the next 31 days I will be sharing ways that we use technology in our home. I will also share our favorite tools, games, etc. and ways to tame the Tech Monster when it gets out of control. Looking forward to it!

Kansas and Hello Mornings!

Pictures of our Kansas mission trip: Our team

Bear and his first pocketknife.

Bear, helping me lead worship:)

On another note, I am so excited about the Hello Mornings fall challenge! This has really ministered to me throughout the summer. I was part of a Facebook group, it was a great way to hold each other accountable to set aside a morning quiet time. I also love the way we were able to encourage each other and I looked forward to "checking in" each morning. Wow! Using the words, "looking forward to" and "morning" in one sentence is a new one for me! I recently started a Pinterst board (yes I'm a Pinterest addict)amysark pinterest to help me keep all of my morning inspirations in one place. Everything from printable Bible verses to post in my mom cave to helpful tips and reading material. Hello Mornings also has a Pinterest page, which is where I go to pin a lot of mine;) (hello mornings pinterest ) Setting a time aside in the morning has been very hard for me to do and remaining consistent is even harder! But, it has also been very rewarding. I have noticed a huge deference from the times I have my Bible study in the morning to the times I have it in the afternoon. One difference is, when I have it in the morning there are less distractions. Most of the time my boys are still sleeping, no one calls, it's quiet and peaceful. I am more focused and I feel prepared spiritually and physically for the day. When I have my Bible study in the afternoon, it's not as quiet, people call or visit, and I would love to just take a nap or catch up on something else. I fell unprepared or worn out. I am having a Bible study to just get it done. This may not be the case for others, but for me, even though I am NOT a morning person, it just works out better when I start the day with God. So, visit this website for more info on Hello Mornings Challenge: (hello mornings challenge) I will leave you with the Bible verse that has been on my heart a lot this summer:

Kansas VBS

Well, maybe I should give up blogging. There is so much that has hapened since I blogged last I would have to have several blog entires just to get caught up. But, I just will write a condensed version. School is over!! Summer started!!! The boys did well, but we are going back to homeschooling next year! We are very excited about this:) My baby turned 4 this past weekend and I'm on a mission trip with my oldest this very moment! We are in Kansas, doing a VBS with some pretty precious children! I gotta say so far it has been amazing! Hot, but amazing:) Sunday, we worshiped here at the church, True Life Church, great preaching and singing, but missed my GLab family bunches!!! Than after we had lunch we decorated the church and prepared for a Rockin' Jam Camp! We ended the day with the kids cooling off in the pool and the adults(moms anyway) chilling by the poolside. Today was even better!!! We started VBS and it was so neat to watch everyone fill their roles so perfectly yet still work in unity as a team. Bear stepped way out of his comfort and helped me and another leader with worship. He did so well with the motions and helped so much! I was so proud of him!! The other leader's son did the sound for worship and was awesome:) her daughter helped as well with puppets, which the children loved! One of the kids on the team even wrote a skit for each day to go along with the Bible story. I know this post is kinda all over the place, but my feelings and thoughts are going quicker than my mind can process into words. I would love to post some pictures of the trip, but I can't seem to figure out how to do that from my Ipad. So, I will try to post some pictures tomorrow. I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to go on this trip with my son!