Wednesday, August 29, 2012

2012-2013 Curriculum!


Last week we started school...2nd grade....WHAT 2ND GRADE already!?!?!? I cannot believe how fast my little man is growing up!

Smile on his face for the 1st day of school {last monday} This boy loves to learn!!!


Here is a small over view of SOME of this years curriculum! There will be a larger more in-depth post with my thoughts of each book and why we selected what we selected coming soon! :) Until then here are some of the books and the links to where you can find out more and order!!


Explode the Code’s child-drawn illustrations and easy, repetitive exercises provide a friendly learning experience. Progressively building up a store of phonics recognition, pronunciation and reading skills, your students will soon be on their way to acquiring beginning to intermediate reading skills. Explode the Code’s phonics workbooks contain exercises that guide students through matching, reading, spelling, writing, copying, and more. Easy, fun and proven, Explode the Code is a favorite with moms and kids!


The Story of the World is an award-winning resource for families looking for a history curriculum they can fall in love with. Told in the straightforward, engaging style that has become Susan Wise Bauer's trademark, this four-volume set covers the sweep of human history from ancient times until the present. Africa, China, Europe, the Americas — find out what happened all around the world in long-ago times. This read-aloud series is designed for parents and teachers to share with elementary school children. Enjoy it together and introduce your child to the marvelous story of the the world's civilizations.





Who is Fred?
Answer #1
In one of the Life of Fred books, Fred Gauss was born on the western slopes of the Siberian mountains. By the end of the final book, he is six years old.
In his everyday life he first encounters the need for each new part of mathematics, and then comes the mathematics.
Never again will students have to ask their perennial question: “When are we ever gonna use this stuff?”
Answer #2
Stan Schmidt, the author of the Life of Fred series, became a full-time high school teacher the month he turned 22.
In his first semester of teaching, Stan drew Fred on the blackboard.
It was just a brief appearance: Fred was going fishing.
Then Fred appeared in other examples, and soon became a regular part of the classroom experience. One student in metal shop made a Fred Gauss belt buckle and gave it to Stan.
When Stan switched to college teaching, Fred came along with him. Fred's biography continued to develop.
After eleven years of college teaching, Stan "retired himself" to an A-frame on six acres in the woods outside of Santa Rosa, California—waiting to find out what God wanted him to do next.
Eighteen years later, now living in Reno, he began writing the Life of Fred series. Two hours each day, starting at 4 a.m., Stan and Fred work on the next book. To be more accurate it should be pointed out that technically, Stan is a co-author since Fred is very much involved. It takes a rambunctious, full of energy at four o'clock in the morning child to get the day rolling that early!







The reason we study math is so we can apply what we learn in everyday situations. The students learn their math facts, rules, and formulas, and are able to use this knowledge in real life applications. The study of math is much more than committing a list of facts to memory. It includes memorization, but it also encompasses learning the concepts that are critical to problem solving.


 Patterns of Nature consists of 30 lessons bound in an illustrated workbook. Science, at this level, mainly involves identification. Such subjects as seasons, seeds, wildflowers, weeds, trees, mammals, insects, songbirds, and the celestial bodies are introduced on the child's level.





In addition we will also be involved in Soccer, Martial Arts, & Music Lessons...Plus there are some awesome field trips in the works!!

Smiles,
Britni

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Encourage Me!

Enough said....

Abraham & Britni Photography!

SO, what's been going on lately...I know have been totally MIA! Well there is a good reason for that! When my husband and I married over a decade ago, I knew his passion was photography, but we weren't sure if it was the Lord's will for us to start a business...so we prayed...and prayed...and prayed...for 8 years. Then in the fall of 2009 my husband was hired {totally out of the blue...not looking for it} to shoot a beautiful garden wedding. After the family received the photos they were so pleased that they really pushed of us to start a business. In January of 2010 "Wood Photography" was born. From Jan. 2010 - Jan. 2012 - Wood Photography consisted of Abe as the Photographer and me as the office manager.

Sometime toward the end of 2011 Abe said just in chatting "Wouldn't it be awesome if we could shoot together?" I loved that idea and told him that I had been dreaming of that for YEARS...so we prayed. In Feb. of this year the Lord opened the doors!! We were so excited! There was a time when we thought " Ok Lord, do you want us to go into business?" and now we can barely keep with the demand of Weddings, Maternity, Families, and Seniors! We have given this business 100% to God and we have been totally blessed. We have met the greatest people!

In June we shot our VERY first wedding together...IT WAS AMAZING! It was so cool to see my husband is a totally different way! He told me that that was probably the most relaxed that he has ever been at a wedding! From that one wedding we have been scheduling weddings well into 2013! Last week we did a Senior session almost ever day!

I am so proud to announced that we are now Abraham and Britni Photography {New web address soon}

Why am I sharing this? Because I want everyone to know that if you have a dream fight for it, but also bring it before the Lord! If it is God's will it WILL happen...maybe not in a week or in 5 years or in a decade..but it will!

Please visit our Website {Still being worked on} Abraham & Britni
Pssst. A little side note, the start up song {I don't want this night to end} Basically tells the story of a date we had very early on in our relationship! We got very VERY lost and I was singing every single song!

Please visit us on Facebook too! Abraham & Britni

Free e-Cookbooks!!

FREE e-Cookbook: Dessert Done Quick {40 Easy Recipes}

Right now Amazon is offering "Deserts Done Quick"  e-cookbook for FREE!

Get the app for FREE on Amazon!
(Read it on your Kindle, Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Windows Phone 7, or your PC & Mac)

Prices change often, so if it’s still Free… the price will still be listed as $0.00.

FREE e-Cookbook: Weight Watcher Whiz Luscious Chocolate Points Plus Recipes
Right now Amazon is offering "Weight Watcher Whiz Luscious Chocolate Points Plus Recipes Cookbook"  e-cookbook for FREE!

Get the app for FREE on Amazon!
(Read it on your Kindle, Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Windows Phone 7, or your PC & Mac)

Prices change often, so if it’s still Free… the price will still be listed as $0.00.



FREE e-Cookbook: Healthy Soup Recipes

Right now Amazon is offering "Healthy Soup Recipes"  e-cookbook for FREE!
Get the app for FREE on Amazon!
(Read it on your Kindle, Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Windows Phone 7, or your PC & Mac)

Prices change often, so if it’s still Free… the price will still be listed as $0.00.

FREE Kids e-Book: Pleasing To The Lord



Yay! For the Kiddos FREE Kids e-Book: "Pleasing To The Lord"

Get the app for FREE on Amazon!
(Read it on your Kindle, Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Windows Phone 7, or your PC & Mac)

Prices change often, so if it’s still Free… the price will still be listed as $0.00.

FREE Kids e-Book: Einstein The Lazy Kitty



For the Kiddos - Right now Amazon is offering "Einstein The Lazy Kitty"  e-book for FREE!

Get the app for FREE on Amazon!
(Read it on your Kindle, Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Windows Phone 7, or your PC & Mac)

Prices change often, so if it’s still Free… the price will still be listed as $0.00

Monday, August 20, 2012

Book Review - Grant: Savior of the Union



Grant Savior of the Union By Mitchell Yockelson
There are many books in The General Series. Each one is special to me due to historical importance, being the big fan of history, and a direct decedent of Grand I was thrilled to get this book!! Mitchell Yockelson digs deep into this man and his personal life as well as a decorated career.The writer takes you on a journey from his early days to his milatary career all the way to the white house and his final days.Anyone who loves history will enjoy this book and any Civil War fans will also enjoy this fine piece of writing. I recommend this book to anyone who loves history! I think this book would make a great christmas or birthday gift for anyone who truly enjoys history! Since we homeschool and this book {as well as others from the series} will be used in our curriculum!!

I received a copy of GRANT: SAVIOR OF THE UNION by Mitchell Yockelson, from Thomas Nelson/ BookSneeze. It is part of The Generals, a series about powerful Christian leaders. 

Monday, June 4, 2012

What is a Trader?

Two weeks ago at Church our pastor played a video for the church.  The video came from the RightNow Ministries website.


The RightNow Ministries Mission:
{Taken from RightNow Ministries}


Why we do it.
Are you buying into these lies that have invaded the church?      
1. I am God. We may not say that out loud, but everywhere we look in culture we’re told that we are the center of the universe.
2. I am not called by God to do ministry. We are tempted to think that you have to be a preacher or a singer to be used by God.
3. Worship only happens on Sunday. This lie prevents us from seeing Monday as an opportunity to worship God and impact His Kingdom. This divide between the Sacred and the Secular creates a compartmentalized life.
When we live out these lies it destroys our ability to fulfill the mission God has for us. And the consequences of these lies are apparent in our everyday lives.  One major consequence is that we are conditioned and trained to be consumers. The American Dream has been hijacked. What used to be about freedom of worship, opportunity and potential has been distorted to me, me, me and more, more, more.
As consumers we are tempted to outsource everything in life; we pay people to cook our meals, take care of our lawns and change our oil. Culturally we are trained to pay others to do the things we don’t know how to do, or don’t feel like we should have to do.  This self-centered, me-focused consumerism has even crept into the church and turned church members into customers who believe the church exists to serve me and my family.
Therefore, it seems only natural that I should also treat my faith like an outsourced activity.
How many people put their money into an offering plate with the thought that “I’ve done my part, now it’s up to the “professional Christians”—the church staff—to take care of the rest”? I “pay” them to explain the Bible, to organize programs for my kids, to run evangelism and outreach projects to reach non-believers, or to do whatever other services we think the church should provide.
This approach to Christianity has created an attitude that it’s okay to outsource my Christianity. In this approach, very little sacrifice or service is required.
At RightNow, we are not okay with this.  We can’t be complacent.

OUR MISSION
We are on a mission to help people trade in the pursuit of the American Dream for a world that desperately needs Christ.

STRATEGIES
To carry out this mission we focus on these three  strategies:
INSPIRE CHURCH LEADERS to intentionally help people become traders with their time, skills and money.
TRANSFORM SMALL GROUPS from simply focusing on education and care to actively launching traders into the community.
COACHING INDIVIDUALS through the discovery process of living as a trader in their home, neighborhood and business.



INITIATIVES
There are various initiatives throughout our ministry that support these strategies as we ultimately seek to carry out our mission.
RightNow Training – online training for ministry leaders.
RightNow Media– unlimited instant access to Bible study videos over the Internet for your entire church. 
RightNow Conference – for leaders who still believe that the mission of the church matters. 
Work As Worship – God created us to work and to worship. 
Bluefish TV– creating videos to help you teach. 


ESSENTIALS
Everyone on our team has a part to play in our mission. Therefore, it’s essential that we assemble a group of people who are passionate about our mission.
Our team members are committed to these RightNow essentials:
 We love … THE church - In our neighborhoods, at the office and around the world, the mission of the church matters.
 We love … authentic stories - Real-life stories have the power to inspire and validate what God is doing.
 We love … immediate action - Christianity is a verb. To wait is a sin.
 We love … hard work - God is glorified when we use our God-given passions and skills with excellence.
 We love … our families - There will always be more work to do, but not at the expense of family and friends.

Book Review: From Blah to Awe by Jenna Lucado Bishop



Jenna Lucado Bishop {Max Lucado's lovely daughter} writes from Blah to Awe! with a deep passion for God and a passion for young girls. Jenna takes whatever teen girl is feeling and going through: from bulling to sex to drugs and actually talks about it in a way that teen girls can identify. Jenna reveals what most won't say. She shows you how to get  back into a love for God that motivates you with very practical ideas.

Each chapter ends with thought provoking questions that get right to the core of your heart. There are suggested prayers to get your focus back to where it should be. This book is filled with practical advice, raw truth stories, and journaling prompts and Scripture references to support the points she is making, securing girls in a foundational message from God's word.

This book is written in such a way that a teenage girl will feel engaged and not want to put it down. I would highly recommend this book to Father's and Mother's and Grandparents of teenage girls especially ones who have gone through something deeply painful in their young lives. I would have loved to have this book 15 years ago. I truly believe that it would have been such a help! 

*Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Have you ever felt bored with God?
Everyone, especially teenagers, struggles with being bored with God from time to time. Sometimes church services and Bible reading don't seem that exciting, and it's easy to get busy and not make time to pray . . . but when this happens, we are missing out!
Jenna Lucado Bishop shares her testimony and others' stories to see what a radical, living relationship with God looks like. But this book is not just based on feelings. The Bible gives steps that will help girls hunger and thirst for more of God.
This book will not only offer girls a fresh perspective, but it will also help them do a little soul-searching and discover where they are in their own lives. Plus, it will let them in on the world's greatest secret-that the Creator of the Universe loves and cherishes them deeply and that a fulfilling relationship with Him is the most exciting they will ever have.


Product Details
  • File Size: 1991 KB
  • Print Length: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 7, 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B005ENBBPQ

I love this!