Here's what we've been up to!

I know that it's been 2 weeks since I've posted- we have been so insanely busy that there has been little time for creative outlets like blogging!

I shouldn't be surprised that I'm so behind on things like gardening and housework- in the past 4 weeks, we've managed to fit in a confirmation/baptism celebration for Luke and Quinn, Fathers Day, Rodeo Bible Camp, BB camp, 2 Vacation Bible Schools that I've volunteered with, prepared for the County Horse Show, and finished the basement to complete our construction home refinancing. (which we signed today- whew!)  Throw in a few doctors appts, meals and laundry,and a 2 and 3 yo that are into everything, and it's no wonder that my lists just aren't getting completed!!  (And all of you A-type personalities know how that goes!!  An incompleted list is like nails on a chalkboard to people like me...)

Still playing catch-up, so I'll just fill in with pictures of all the fun and work we've been enjoying this month~

Lani, Bri, me, and Quinn at Rodeo Bible Camp

Bri and Dyamond doing barrels at Rodeo Bible Camp

Sonlight VBS in Sioux Falls

Bri running the poles at Turner County Horse Show



                                  

                             Camille riding Brownie in Stock Seat class at County Horse Show

    

Our Saviors VBS in Viborg

                                       

So here's to the calm that comes with completing a busy schedule, reaching some important goals, and coming out on the other side with our sense of humour still intact!



Our two little renegades!  Don't they just look like trouble ?!







Homeschooling when you don't wanna~

May is always a tough month for us when it comes to homeschooling.

 The weather beckons us outside, the spring to-do list is as long as my arm, and we are kinda anxious to be d.o.n.e.

So instead of doing actual science curriculum this time of  year, we just encourage alot of outside time with Mother Nature.

This little bird had fallen in a bucket of water and was shaking from the cold, so the girls rescued it dried it with the blowdryer, and put it in their butterfly house.  It recovered by the next day, and they were able to let it go.  For a whole day, our kitchen sounded like an aviary  :-)

 Camille found this toad while doing chores, so she set up a fish bowel for him and named him Whopper Hopper.  He now resides on the table in our kitchen.

 Camille giving the little ones a lesson about taking care of toads.

We found this huge dragonfly outside- it was already dead, but that makes it easier to look at all it's parts.

We finished a year on Anatomy, Health, and a unit on Our Changing Bodies. Our last unit is on Survival skills, which we plan on doing this summer.  Bri is really excited about this unit, especially since she read The Hunger Games series. ( She also wants to learn archery-go figure!)

Science is one of my favorite subjects, and summer on the farm gives us so many opportunities to learn.  Each day the kids have their livestock chores and they all help with certain garden tasks, so we've got animal science and horticulture covered.

Then there's the dead animals that Axle drags up to the yard that we get to inspect and sometimes take apart-fascinating but smelly.  Makes us feel like paleontologists  :-)

I don't know if our spring science units will help us with the Stanford tests, but it sure seems to inspire our kids to enjoy learning~

  

I wanna be like Gladys Aylward

"A life not lived for others is not a life." Mother Teresa


With May being National Foster Care Month, I wasn't surprised that the topic of our forum at Katelyn's Fund this month was Foster Care.  However, I was surprised when I was asked to be on the panel for that evenings meeting. 

There were 5 of us on the panel, and after introducing ourselves, we launched into our impromptu explanations on how we came to be involved in foster care, what led us to consider it, some interesting experiences we've had, and how we were currently involved in the system.

The stories differed with each situation, however the motivation was very similar- wanting to help out children who needed us.  I was surprised as I listened to each of the other presenters' stories that it occured to me how much foster care is it's own mission, with the foster parents as missionaries, reaching out to the "unreached" population right here in our own home towns. Yes, the cities that these children come from are modern day jungles and we are the David Livingstons of our time- a mild exaggeration maybe?!

Each of the panel members have a strong sense that their faith was an important part of our reason for working with these "orphans", and we use our faith to reach out to these children. The kids that come through our doors to stay with us are taken to church and introduced to Jesus through our actions.  This makes us very much like missionaries.  First, we meet their basic needs, live among them and learn the language, then we begin to address their spiritual needs.

 Just...Like...Missionaries!

Upon this realization, the foster care work that we do is taking on a whole new meaning for me.  It has always been grounded in the belief that the Bible tells us to take care of the orphans. However, this new outlook has me almost giddy (!) with the feeling that I'm rubbing shoulders with some of my heroes; Eric Liddell, Mary Slessor, and of course my favorite- Gladys Aylward. 

I like to use props when giving a speech, so I put together a photo booklet of the kids who have been with us; we have had 18 long term placements, and over 20 respite placements.  We currently only have one little boy with us, but he has begun the transition to moving to a relative placement, so we know we will be again "open" for more kids.  While we have been working on the basement, and it's addition of more bedrooms, I have had a feeling of expectation that I can't quite explain.  As if I'm expecting company, and I need to get my home ready for guests. 

I'm always praying that we will have kids placed with us that we will be able to adopt, but our state is very forgiving of birth parents, so that doesn't happen often. I guess I need to remove my "wants" from the equation and just continue to open up our home to these kids, share our faith with them while they are with us (along with sharing toys, food, and lap time) and pray for each one as they go out into the world.

And add "Missionary" to my resume.   :-)

Here a chick, there a chick...

It's almost spring!!!  And to prove it, baby chicks showed up at our house.

Cheep Cheep.