My Week in Review/Weekly Wrap-up/THMJ- March 20/27

I didn't post a wrap-up last week.  :-)  Here is what I put together for last week:

Here we are at the end of another week.  It was the 4th week in Lent and our "Kind Words Cross" is getting filled up.

We had a snowstorm on the first day of spring!  Yegads!

Kiddo #3 became a full member of the Church.  Here are some photos from his Confirmation.  We were very proud to see him stand up and proclaim his belief in the Lord.  My parents hosted a wonderful party for our family and friends.

And, here is this week's:

On Sunday, after church, we planted our seeds.  We are SO ready for spring, summer and our vegetable garden!  Here are photos of Dad and the kids getting the seeds all planted.

Much to our surprise, only 3 days later, we have sprouts.  LOTS of them!  Gotta love how hubby put the plastic over the pots to create a greenhouse effect.  As I am typing this on Thursday, we have cucumbers that our about 3 inches tall (and this is only 4 days after the seeds were planted!!).  We had to transplant them into bigger containers (the pic on the right).  There are also tomatoes and others that have gotten pretty big, too.  I cannot get over it.  I have never seen seeds not only sprout in just a couple of days, but within a week to be inches tall!  :-)

Friday was the last day of homeschool bowling for the season.  The bowling alley had some treats and drinks for them to celebrate.  They had a great time.

And they all did very well!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.  God bless!

If you post about your week, please join me for My Week in Review and link yours up!

Linking up today with:  My Week in Review,  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, Show-Off Friday, Learn and Link and It's a Wrap, Friendship Friday and Friday Connection and Family Fun Friday and T.G.I.F. Linky Party and Let's Homeschool High School and This Week and Collage Friday

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My Week in Review/Weekly Wrap-up/THMJ- 2/27

Another COLD week has gone by here in PA.  It is actually colder here than in Anchorage!

Last Friday, the kiddos again had their homeschool bowling league and continued to do really well! Kiddo #4 bowls with her beloved Pigie (as seen below)  :-)

They also worked on their Iditarod Trail Mail project.  Do you participate in it?  Your child's project, along with their photo, if you include it, will be carried by a musher on the trail!  Isn't that cool?  We will be tracking our musher and look forward to receiving our project back signed by him/her along with their standing in the race, time, etc.  Below is the picture that was on our project page.  I received notification today that our project was received.  The race is on March 7th and we can't wait!

Kiddos 1 and 2 had their online classes and Kiddos 3 and 4 learned about percents.

We had some fun family game night games and more snow

and one of the best things about homeschooling is that a Kiddo can decide he wants to bbq some dogs or that she wants to make a beautiful cake (I will do my best to get her recipe typed up for next week's Try a New Recipe Tuesday)

On Thursday, we attended the 2nd half of the herb program.  Remember last week when they made their own herb baskets?

Well, today was amazing.  The kids all made an entire meal-- from appetizers to a main course and then got to sit down and enjoy their fare.  They made two different types of dip (one to be served with carrots and one with crackers), salsa, chicken soup, lemon chicken, roasted cauliflower and herbed pita crips.  Oh, yes, and lemon mint tea.  Wow.  They chopped every herb, tomato and pepper.  They stirred and chopped and diced.  What an incredible program.  They had so much fun and learned quite a bit.  I am looking forward to even more programs there.

And, as Lent progresses, our Kind Words Cross is getting more lillies and we have decided to make our own Lenten candles.  Advent has candles, so the Kiddos thought that we could light a candle for every week of Lent.  I like the idea.  :-)

My posts this week:

TOS Review: IndoctriNation

Try a New Recipe Tuesday- February 24

When a friend is terminally ill...

and be sure to stop back soon to link up the post about your week at My Week in Review

Linking up today with:  My Week in Review,  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, Show-Off Friday, Learn and Link and It's a Wrap, Friendship Friday and Friday Connection and Family Fun Friday and T.G.I.F. Linky Party and Let's Homeschool High School and This Week and Collage Friday

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5 Days of Observing Lent- Day 4

If you haven't already visited my Lenten Linkup, please feel free to come on over.  It will be open for linkups until next Thursday, Holy Thursday.  There have been dozens of beautiful, thoughtful, inspiring and spiritual posts.  I will feature some here today and tomorrow.  But, even with me sharing some of them, it is not even touching the surface.  Come on over and see for yourself.

Here are some of the most viewed posts in the linkup so far (I will share even more tomorrow, so be sure to come back!)  :-)

The Kind Words Cross from Home to 4 Kiddos

Sacrifice Jar from Home to 4 Kiddos

Teaching Kids about Ash Wednesday from the Hoggatt Homeschool

Lenten Crafts and Books from Campfires and Cleats

Special Books and Activities from Home to 4 Kiddos

Why a Failing Lent Really Isn't from Campfires and Cleats

Walking To Calvary from Adventures with Jude

Two Ways for Children to Participate in Stations of the Cross

Menu for Every Day of Great Lent from Stuffed Veggies

Lenten Finger Puppets from Do Small Things with Love

Lent, a journey and keeping it real from Love, Laughter, Friendship and Faith

Here are the previous days in the series:

Day 3- Lenten Crafts

Day 2- Lenten Books for Children

Day 1- Introduction to the Series

Here are 8 of my friends who are also participating in this 5-day series and what they are blogging about.  To see more of the wonderful participants and what they shared, click on the graphic below!  :-) There are 63 of us in all!  :-)

Brittney @ Mom's Heart ~ Relaxed Homeschooling
Lisa @ A Rup Life ~ Our Favorite Books
Melissa @ Life Off the Paved Road ~ Fit From Home
Michelle @ Faith, Family, and Fridays ~ Clearing Out the Clutter
Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy ~ Educational Apps
Jenni @ Conversaving ~ Homeschool Cooperatives
Tawnee @ Adventures in Homeschooling ~ Spring Schooling
Crystal @ Crystal Starr Blog ~ Christ Centered Character Training

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5 Days of Observing Lent- Day 3

Lent is such a special time-- one to reflect, pray and change yourself for the better in preparation for Easter. Christ fasted in the desert for 40 days, so we strive to fast from sin and give of ourselves to others.

We have made some very special crafts during Lent that help the kiddos remember what the season is truly about.  Here are some of our favorites.

This craft, found from Oriental Trading, is about the Stations of the Cross, the journey of Christ from His condemnation to death to His Crucifixion.  You feel like you are walking with him to Calvary.

Click here to read all about it and see more photos

Another craft, also from Oriental Trading, that is helpful to kids to keep track of the days in Lent and commemorate the important days during Holy Week is this Lenten Calendar.  You can read more about it here.

This Holy Week Wreath(yep, from Oriental Trading again!) has been one of our all time favorites.  It depicts Holy Week and each important day and what took place that week.  My daughter still asks to do this every year.  You can see more photos and read about it here.

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Here is the link to Day 2, which was about some wonderful books your family can read during Lent.

Here is Day 1, the introduction to my series.

Stay tuned tomorrow and Friday, for highlights from my Lenten linkup, with some amazing Lenten ideas from my readers.  :-)

Here are 8 of my friends who are also participating in this 5-day series and what they are blogging about.  To see more of the wonderful participants and what they shared, click on the graphic below!  :-) There are 63 of us in all!  :-)

Brittney @ Mom's Heart ~ Relaxed Homeschooling
Lisa @ A Rup Life ~ Our Favorite Books
Melissa @ Life Off the Paved Road ~ Fit From Home
Michelle @ Faith, Family, and Fridays ~ Clearing Out the Clutter
Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy ~ Educational Apps
Jenni @ Conversaving ~ Homeschool Cooperatives
Tawnee @ Adventures in Homeschooling ~ Spring Schooling
Crystal @ Crystal Starr Blog ~ Christ Centered Character Training

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5 Days of Observing Lent- Day 2

(affiliate links included)

Easter, when we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, is preceded by Lent, a season of self-examination, fasting and penance in preparation for Easter Day.  The 40 days of Lent are based on two Biblical accounts: the 40 years of wilderness wandering by the Israelites and our Lord's 40 days in the wilderness.

The three traditional pillars of Lenten observance are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  Jesus Himself fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.  In the Acts of the Apostles we find how the disciples of the Lord, after the foundation of the Church, applied themselves to fasting.  In their Epistles, also, they recommended it to the faithful.  Jesus was the perfect example of prayer, and He asked us to give to the least of His brothers.  Thus, the prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Although we continue our regular studies during Lent, I try to change our focus, by doing special Lenten activities, crafts (you will see some tomorrow in Day 3) and reading some wonderful books to prepare ourselves for the Easter season.  It truly puts you in the right mind.  Some of the books we are enjoying this Lent are:

Benjamin's Box is a lovely story of a young boy who witnesses first hand the last several days of Jesus' life and collects bits and pieces for his "Treasure Box."  Those items come to represent different aspects of the Passion and Resurrection.  We will be doing our Resurrection eggs again soon.  :-)

A Family Journey with Jesus through Lent provides a format for family prayer for each day of Lent.  Hebrew children from Capernaum, Nazareth, Cana and Jerusalem narrate the stories in a way that makes Jesus' parables, miracles, and teachings come alive.  At the end of each Gospel scene, Jesus speaks to the children reading the book and lovingly explains the significance of the story they just read.  We enjoy this year after year!

The Parable of the Lily is an amazing story of grace and forgiveness and the true meaning of Easter.  A child realizes these things through the gift of a bulb and some dirt that she had discarded because she wanted a "better" gift.  You will be so touched by reading this sweet story.

The Very First Easter is a Gold-Medallion Award winning book.  Not only are the illustrations absolutely stunning, but the text so very meaningful. . Difficult questions are asked by a child to his parents and they are answered in a way that brings the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ come alive.  The young man prefers stories that are real, not fiction, and hears of the most important story of all.  When you look at these illustrations, you feel that you have stepped back into time during Holy Week in Jerusalem.



You can click here to see yesterday's post, the introduction to this series.

Here are 8 of my friends who are also participating in this 5-day series and what they are blogging about.  To see more of the wonderful participants and what they shared, click on the graphic below!  :-) There are 63 of us in all!  :-)

Brittney @ Mom's Heart ~ Relaxed Homeschooling
Lisa @ A Rup Life ~ Our Favorite Books
Melissa @ Life Off the Paved Road ~ Fit From Home
Michelle @ Faith, Family, and Fridays ~ Clearing Out the Clutter
Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy ~ Educational Apps
Jenni @ Conversaving ~ Homeschool Cooperatives
Tawnee @ Adventures in Homeschooling ~ Spring Schooling
Crystal @ Crystal Starr Blog ~ Christ Centered Character Training

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Home to 4 Kiddos by Email and get our posts sent right to your inbox!

Homeschool Mother's Journal/Weekly Wrap-Up- March 21/22

Another week gone by and it is FINALLY Spring!  :-)

Last Friday, the boys continued their .22 rifle class with 4-H.  They are doing GREAT.  I'm very proud of them.

On Saturday, it was more classroom time and driving practice with their 4-H tractor class. (these were taken on my phone, so the quality isn't as good as the other pics)

Sunday was cleanup day in the yard.

While they took care of that, Kiddo #4 and I made Chocolate Chip Cookies.  They all enjoyed them when they came in.  :-)

In addition to our schoolwork this week, we made homemade pretzels (recipe and more photos to come in a couple of days!).

We have tended to our seeds (we already have some sprouts!)

 and shook our heads in disbelief when it even snowed on St. Patrick's Day.

On Tuesday evening, at a Lenten prayer service at our church, Kiddo #4 signed a hymn with 2 other young ladies.  They did a wonderful job.  They learned the sign language so quickly (only a few rehearsals) and were so reverent!  :-)

We also have been doing a family project-- putting our many photos into photo albums.  There are many from the days of film developing that we are enjoying going through (as they were all so little) as well as more recent digital ones that we are printing out. It is like reading and writing chapters in our family history.  We also like to make cute or informative captions and include clip art, maps and other mementos in the albums.

There were also some fun science experiments this week.

Our Lent is going well.  We are working on adding Easter lilies to our Kind Words Cross.  We attend Stations of the Cross at our church each Friday afternoon and we have been doing special readings and activities to mark the true meaning of the season.  I saw that Kiddo #4 has made her own little calendar of special deeds, acts of charity, prayers, sacrifices and activities that she has planned to do each day this Lent. It impressed me beyond measure that this child would take that upon herself and obviously give it so much careful thought and planning. There is no boasting.  Her brothers don't even know about it.  She keeps her "plans" in a folder in her desk.  I just happened to glance over while she was working on it.  Very sweet and very special, indeed. (can you tell I am a very proud Mama?)  :-)



My posts this week:
Peanut Butter Bread (this was SO good, especially with the cinnamon sugar topping!)
Try a New Recipe Tuesday


Hope you had a wonderful week!

Don't forget, if you have a Lenten post of any kind, please come and share it with my Lenten linkup. There are dozens of posts already shared.  How wonderful that we can read and be inspired and get some great ideas for our own families.  :-)

Linking up today with:  Homeschool Mother's Journal, Weekly Wrap-Up, Show-Off Friday, Learn and Link and It's a Wrap, Friendship Friday and Friday Connection and Family Fun Friday and T.G.I.F. Linky Party and Let's Homeschool High School and This Week

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What are you doing this Lenten season?

Come share what you are doing this Lent with your family.  This is my own linkup with no strings attached. No mandatory follows or "likes."  Our focus in Lent should be on Our Lord, and I am looking forward to seeing all that you will share below.

I am linking up below my Kinds Words Cross, my Sacrifice Jar and some Special Books and other activities I have done in past years.  Over the next 40 days, I will be sure to share more.  This linkup will be open THROUGHOUT Lent, so please come back to visit and share!  :-)

An InLinkz Link-up

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