A beautiful day

Even when everyone is coughing non-stop, I've wiped noses thirty time, and a million other things are going wrong, it is a beautiful day when you hear "Your girls are legally FREE!" Yes, the babies are OURS. The biological mother was served and she threw the papers back and told the social worker to go away. Not interested? I guess so, and we're so happy!

We were told last week, though it hadn't been verified, that she had gone through drug rehab and was in a work-first program, and it made me nervous. Was she going to attempt to get the twins back? Chad shrugged it off, unconcerned. He was right (as usual, right Charity?) Perhaps it's a win-win situation in that she cleaned up but wants the girls to remain in our home? I'd like to think that is the case.

Either way, we're on cloud nine knowing that in a few short months their names will be changed on the birth certificates and they'll be in our family forever! Praise God! And the social worker told me that 13 months is the youngest she's ever had a baby be legally free.

"I just REALLY don't know...

Prince Caspian

which one is the cutest or sweetest!" T~Bella says this on a daily basis, referring of course to our four fluffballs. She is so excited because one of her grandmas here in WA will be keeping one of them!

Bailey

Skylar

saying good-bye to Angel

Angel is leaving for her new home with her Dad, half-way across the country tomorrow at 4am! In some ways much earlier than expected, and yet later in other ways. When she came to us, we were assured it was only for 60 days. Well it's been 132 days and we were thinking she would go home towards the end of the summer. We are really going to miss her. We spent some of the last week, sick days at home all day, putting pictures of her time here into a scrapbook. I will always look at her pictures in our family album and remember all that God has done in her life and our lives through her! She was so challenging in the beginning and I thought this might be the longest 60 days of our lives. But 4 months+ have flown by and having the opportunity to point her to Christ was an honor.

Angel earned her second belt in Tae Kwon Do last week. She has done so well! In school she has truly made us so proud. She was awarded "Most Improved" for the third trimester. Her teacher, who has had her for two years now, wrote me an email saying that the teachers and staff have all been in awe of how "positively transformed" she was over the last few months. "She has been kind and respectful, actually complimenting her peers and myself. We've been able to enjoy her presence instead of dreading the next day. She is a different person!" It has all been worth it.

We received a phone call last week from a social worker saying she heard that we would be loosing a child on the 24th, and what do you know? She had a 14 year old girl needing a home on the 25th! We had already prayed and I was able to confidently say "No, we're full at six kids." Angel was a special circumstance, and I am sure I heard the Holy Spirit where she was concerned. I'm sure there are many other children we could help, but the Lord knows what we are able to handle and I know He'll call audibly if He needs us again.

On a side note, Aidan and Ethan have been doing Tae Kwon Do for two years now. Not just once a week but Monday, Wednesday and Friday for two years. Ryland did it for one year, from age 4-5. We're trying Soccer out now and hopefully basketball in the Winter.

Halle in the hospital

Poor Halle has asthma. Whenever she gets an upper respiratory virus, her asthma acts up. With this last cold she ran a 103-104 fever for 4 days just like Hope, but then her cough turned to croup and then the cold turned into Bronchiolitis.

I ended up having to take her to Children's hospital and we were there until 3:30 am. We're so thankful for Sharon and Nana to be able to have her help and her home to come back to that late at night. She even had to get up for work the next morning but wouldn't have thought twice about coming down to the hospital and taking Aidan and Hope home with her. Whew, what a night that was.

She is better now, but Chad spent the weekend coughing and feeling weak and miserable. It's June! We should be out camping and fishing! Sigh. It could be so much worse and we're so thankful for the health we do have! And the fact that Mama didn't catch it!

I can't help but think

He's gonna be a good Daddy. ;o)

Ry is holding Skylar in his hood; he asked if he could carry her around like that because she was his baby.

Homeschooling and Government funded programs

Another important decision for our family has been made... Chad and I were praying about whether or not we should participate in the Parent Partnership Program in our town. It didn't sit right with me, knowing there is no such thing as a free lunch, but many of my well-respected friends were involved in it and I thought we might give it a try next year.

Upon researching these "Parents as Teachers Programs", I found that they are essentially a retraining program for US the parents! They want us to think and to act in conformity with the government’s vision for education. It's actually a bit infuriating to think that they're starting out with the program that seems to bridge the gap, enabling parents to work with the government so that we can use that money we're putting into taxes to fund our curriculum and attend free classes. Yes, free swimming, Tae Kwon Do, and the like sound wonderful. They even pay you around $400-$500, per child per school year, enrolled in their program. Thus making it hard to refuse for some hard-working home-schooing familes who do not make much money.

Thankfully, we're able to say no thanks! We're not willing to support these government funded programs, willingly giving them control, and possibly loosing rights in the future, as the government moves toward only allowing "Public School at Home" participants to homeschool. Our local partnership program is launching a pilot program which gives the family all the curriculum at the beggining of the year and requires regular updates and allows the programs teachers control over what you teach in your own home. Is Bible study allowed? Of course not. I believe you even have to sign something that states you will not be using Bible based curriculum as part of your homeschooling.

There is concern that the more the government is able to convince (bribe?) homeschoolers to go along with their programs that eventually we will loose our rights to homeschool as we choose and we will be mandated by the state to participate in one of their public school at home programs. That risk is not worth the (monetary) benefits in our opinion.

I do sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed at the thought of going it alone in our endeavor of upcoming Biology and Alegebra, yet I also am excited to learn these things again, and this time with a love for learning itself. The rescources available now online are amazing. We plan to homeschool using a mixture of Charlotte Mason's style of living books and classical eduction.

"We never learn anything so well as when we ourselves have to teach it. What a blessing it is to have children to teach. And there are many things only a parent can teach his child." ~Laurie at www.TriviumPursuit.com

Amen! Well I hear a sick baby rowsing (Halle). I will post just a little bit more about classical homeschooling (classical=what is of good form and has lasting value), and what I am enjoying learning about Charlotte Mason's theories soon.

Homeschooling Statistics

Another important factor in our decision is that with dilligence and comittement, homeschooling will produce far greater results in my boys education. Homeschooled children in nearly every state score, on the average, score higher on standardized tests.

I am not one for testing and I'm SO happy to be out from under the schools rediculous grading of my sons, and their report cards that attempt to tell me, the parent, how my child is doing. I'll never forget Aidan asking me to read his report card to him as a young 1st grader and how he deflated he looked when I told him he got a 2 (needing improvement) in phonics, and a 1 (are of concern) in fluency. The rest were 3s (meets expectations) but no 4s were awarded. How encouraging is that? It's first grade! Sorry, small tangent, anyway here is info from a couple studies...

In 1997, a study of 5,402 homeschool students from 1,657 families was released. It was entitled, "Strengths of Their Own: Home Schoolers Across America." The study demonstrated that homeschoolers, on the average, out-performed their counterparts in the public schools by 30 to 37 percentile points in all subjects.

A significant finding when analyzing the data for 8th graders was the evidence that homeschoolers who are homeschooled two or more years score substantially higher than students who have been homeschooled one year or less. The new homeschoolers were scoring on the average in the 59th percentile compared to students homeschooled the last two or more years who scored between 86th and 92nd percentile.

This was confirmed in another study by Dr. Lawrence Rudner of 20,760 homeschooled students which found the homeschoolers who have homeschooled all
their school aged years had the highest academic achievement. This was especially apparent in the higher grades Homeschooling Academic Statistics

more on Homeschooling...

According to the Bible, the home is to be the center of all education. Education is the God-ordained function of the family. No one else is given the responsibility to teach children — not the government — not the church — but the parents. It takes a family, not a village, to raise a child.

I am not saying that there is no place for others to help parents in the process. What I am saying is that the work of educating children is what the family is all about. When educational bureaucrats and social psychologists and religious education specialists take over this task, leaving the parents largely in observer status, the family suffers greatly.

Both the parents and the children are cheated out of a huge portion of God’s ordained process for sanctification. (You could write an
entire book on that one subject.) As we continue down this road of separating children from their parents we are tearing apart the sinews of our culture.

Parents and children are hurting badly. We need to teach our children — for our sake. Our children need to be taught by us — for their sake.
The way to destroy the family is to divide the children from the parents. And the way to divide the children from the parents, is to remove from the family its authority in education.

The above is from a family who has been homeschooling for over 20 years; read more at triviumpursuit. I have been inspired by their article Ten Things to do with Your Child Before Age Ten.

I wanted to jot down just a few more thoughts on homeschooling I left out last time. I don't mind that I don't have many readers because this way I'm more inclined to really write what is on my heart and what I am passionate about without fear or predjudice. :o)

What I love about home-schooling is that I can following through on my deep desire to keep my children with me (Tomato Staking) and be a Deuteronomy 6:6 parent.

...these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

That is homeschooling. How can I do that when they are gone for so many hours of the day? Everyday that I put Aidan on the bus, my heart tugged at me, and I pushed the thoughts away, telling myself that was just my not wanting my oldest to grow up. No, that wasn't it. It was the Holy Spirit saying, "Raise your son, guard his heart, and teach him the way he should go." And not just at breakfast before school and after 4pm when he's tired and grumpy from the non-stop stimulus and contradicting authorities.

The way to destroy the family is to divide the children from the parents. And the way to divide the children from the parents, is to remove from the family its authority in education.

Another very important reason for homeschooling which is becoming more and more apparent is the way the that the educational bureaucrats are trying to undermine parental authority by attempting (and far too often succeeding) to prevent parents from passing their values on to their children.

"Education is thus a most powerful ally of Humanism, and every American public school is a school of Humanism. What can the theistic Sunday schools, meeting for an hour a week and teaching only a fraction of the children, do to stem the tide of a five-day program of humanistic teaching?" Charles F. Potter, a leading humanist, wrote in the magazine "Humanist," (1930!).

"I am convinced that the battle for humankind’s future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity. ...The teacher must embody the same selfless dedication as the most rabid fundamentalist preachers, for they will be ministers of another sort, utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit.... The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new — the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism." John Dunphy, wrote in the Humanist Magazine (1983).

Sick baby

Pray for little Hopey. She has had a 103-104 since tues night. We almost took her to the ER last night. She's such a sweet happy girl even when she's shaking from a high fever. Halle is completely fine, walking everywhere, getting into all kinds of mischief while I hold Hope nonstop.

Mountains and Meadows....

Great post Becca!

As the name of our blog indicates, this is about the 'ups and downs' as we make the journey. To reach the summit, we must endure long, steep and difficult climbs. There will be obstacles, dark valleys, unexpected storms, and setbacks of all sorts. In God we find rest in those wonderful meadows we encounter along the way. While tempting, we can't linger in this comfort zone, but catch our breath, recharge, and press on.

I'm reminded of my first hiking memories. I recall that little green army pack and the thin straps eventually 'cutting' into my little 3yr old shoulders. Each step getting harder and harder as I focused on the pain and lost sight of the goal. Complaining began quickly. I just wanted another break.

"Why are we doing this?"

When the break is granted, and the burden (pack) lifted from my shoulders, I feel a sudden surge of energy. I'm almost floating I feel so light. I quickly recharge, refocus, and after a spell, pick up that pack and start hiking. But very quickly the pain comes back. The whining comes back. "Are we there yet?" "Can we stop? "

I look back and ask my dad for help. He's got a pack bigger than mine and my brothers combined. Heck, it probably weighs about as much as both of us combined! He isn't complaining or whining. He offers words of encouragement and motivation. He helps us remember the goal and joy we'll find when we reach our final destination.

It goes on like this for some time. One step in front of the other. Pressing on. But eventually we do make it, despite the pain, complaining, and lack of focus on my part. I see the camping area just ahead and the beautiful lake and yes, trout jumping!!

Its then that I realize something... I see my dad who has been slightly behind Joe and I. He has his hands on the back of our packs lifting them gently. He was there all along for me when I needed him most. Never did I have to endure the burden alone. Were I to rely on my own will, focus, and strength I would have crumpled miles back. But a good father is there for you and wants to help you succeed and wants to push you hard, but never give you more than you can really handle.

My dad was a good father. And our Lord and Savior is such a Father to us as well.

Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Becca, we are on this climb together. And together, with God’s mercy and grace, we’ll reach that summit. And sometimes I’ll need to help carry your pack, and you will need to help me with mine - and always, God will have HIS hands on our burdens ready to gently lift when we need it most. But as I’ve been taught by my dad as well as my Father in heaven, that’s just what good hiking buddies do for each other!

It's not me...

It's Him! That's what I always say when people ask me how we are managing with 7 children and everything else life throws your way. And it has been Him! When I'm told I make 7 kids look easy, or "I can't believe your house is so clean and the kids always clean and dressed so cute." That part is not always so, but for the most part, yes, it's been relatively easy to keep up with the house. Of course my amazing husband who can cook and care for kids at the same time may have something to do with it! But really, even with homeschooling we were doing fine and I felt like God had chosen this way for us, busy, sometimes crazy, but entirely blessed, joyful and peaceful. I love using it as an opportunity to tell people what the Lord has done in our lives and in the lives of our sweet children.

Yet this last two weeks (maybe three?) have been anything but peaceful. Too crazy, too busy, too hard to be joyful. There are always joyful times, but for the most part I've wanted to pull my hair out, cry and even scream. Someone is always fighting, someone else is refusing to nap, waking her twin constantly, another is... Oh, I don't want to focus on the negative but I feel like such a failure recently! My house is a wreck. I need to get more organized and yet I've been scrapbooking instead of cleaning! Because it calms me. It reminds me of all the good memories we make and how it is all worth it.

Today, it did NOT feel worth it. When your children are fighting, when you feel like the day will never end, you get through it because they're yours and that's it. When I feel overwhelmed, I think "why on earth do I have 8 kids!?!" (We had Dylan for the weekend.)

I am weepy, discouraged and sad. Sad that my temper has gotten the best of me too many times the last week. Sad that I am not the kind of mother I want to be. Sad that I haven't gotten up early to have my quiet time in far too long. I am worn out! I can't do it anymore...

But He can.

How do I forget that!? Must I tattoo it to my forehead? I know I can do all things through Christ. Yet somehow I say yes to too much, things that aren't necessary, a couple days a week out on errands, shopping, not spending quality time with each child, and it's a recipe for disaster. I know the enemy of my soul and the 8 souls I live with and care for, is prowling like a lion looking for someone to devour. I've been not on guard! In fact I've been a sitting duck. I have not guarded our family time or my Sabbath.

Add to everything else visits from T~Bella's Dad and Grandma, attending a stressful court date, praying so many times about whether we should fight for T~Bella or not, not stopping to realize that she is in His hands and He will give us a peace about what we should do. I did not rest in that thought, I stressed and worried. I didn't sleep and I woke worrying some more. And if she does leave, and when Angel leaves mid to late summer, do we say no to anymore foster children?

I heard a first hand story once about Christian musician Rich Mullins who was killed in an car accident in '97. After a concert one night, friends told him he looked terrible, tired and worn out. These concerned friends said they were worried about him and would be praying for him. He replied with something along the lines of I want you to worry for me, pray for me, when I'm not looking tired. I'm about my father's business and I'm working hard. I am tired but it's awesome.

That's exactly how I've felt for better part of the last year. Since the Lord gave us Hope and Halle. Why so low now?

Chad and I will be in prayer for our future ministry. Should we stick to 5 for awhile? Focus on Calvary Chapel Monroe (which is going strong and the Lord is blessing~so very exciting!). Should we just look at the fall, getting into a good rhythm with homeschooling from September to December then reconsider in January? I'm not sure and do ask for your prayers, if you've gotten this far. It's mostly just been to sort out my thoughts. He desires to freely give His wisdom, I just need to seek it and take my eyes off of myself and my failures and look to my Lord.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message) Copyright © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

From the mouth of Ryland, age 5

"This is my sweet snail, Mary. I named her Mary because she married Slimy."

"That's why Mom calls me 'Brain', you know." After helping Ethan with a workbook page during homeschooling this morning.

After praying with me last night: "When I hear you talk, I feel like I'm listening to God." Sniff-sniff. I could die happy right then.

"I just had the worst shooting pain in my uchula!" LOL. He was referring to his uvula

"Are you talking to ME!?!"

Our new kittens!

Here they are! In all their sliminess! :) They're just one week old now and their eyes are just beginning to open.
Ethan, Ryland & T~Bella were so patient waiting for the second one to be born...





It was so funny, Ethan came upstairs and got Chad saying "Something weird is coming out of Sharlet's bottom. I pushed it back in. She's on the leather chair downstairs." He carried her upstairs to the box w/blanket we'd had prepared for over two weeks. She was contracting in his arms!

I heard this story second hand because Angel, Aidan and I saw Prince Caspian at the theater then we were getting some groceries before heading home when I heard my phone beep and checked it while we were walking into the store. I heard Chad say "Sharlet is having her kittens right NOW" click. I yelled "Hurry back to the car! Kittens are being BORN!" so we ran back. We missed the first two but saw the second two being born (Bailey the brown one and then Caspian the black one)...













Kitty #1, a boy, our boys named Crick because his tail is bent...


Kitty #2, a girl, we get to KEEP, named Skylar or Shy for sort (she's beautiful and gray, like our Seattle skies)...


Kitty #3, a girl, named Bailey...


Kitty #4, a boy, named Caspian...


Oh one more of our sweet Sky cuddling her mama...




Hmmmmm, I don't have a favorite or anything!





And when they met Hope and Halle. True to their personalities, Hope kept her hands down and just gently kissed them, over and over; Halle just kept laughing and trying to smack her! As a friend of mine said, it looks like she saying "I just want to SQUEEEEZE her!" :)