I used to be creative teacher...

One year I taught a high school American History Unit Study...it included lots of subjects...History, Literature, Government, Speech...could have been more. It was a couple of years ago. I used to have these really creative ideas...when you have a class full you can really branch out and do some fun hands on things. We had a Civil War Ball at Christmas time that year. It was actually "hot" enough outside that we moved our dancing to the driveway for more room...We had a delivery that day from UPS and he said he had never been "back in time" to the Civil War on a delivery run before...so I guess we looked authentic enough, but I am sure, to the "real" Civil War folks we weren't quite as up to snuff as they are, but hey! we had lots of fun!

                                Here are my students dancing on the very warm December day.

                                 Even with all the living room furniture removed, dancing in the house with hoop skirts was a tight fit...so it was wonderful that the temperatures were HOT so that we could go outside.

                                            Here's me and my boy. Aren't we precious?

Here's a group shot of a few of the students...Several folks from the community wondered what was going on at our house when they saw the confederate flag flying! LOL

This is Cassidy and her mom and sis. They do the "real" dressing up and the "real" dance steps...so she taught us all about it...Great grade she received for her willingness to teach us how.

                                            Zach thought that adding his brother's wooden sword would "make" his outfit!

                                                Zach with his friend Tyler, there's always some time for fun...Can you believe these 2 friends have graduated High School are off to college in just a few weeks?

                                We had lots of fun that day. I hope to teach a hands on class like this when Karlie gets to 11th grade. She's doing 8th grade American History now...we are doing some fun stuff; we are using several high school level lapbooks from hands of a child. for American History. But we need a crowd of home educated folks to pull off something like a civil war ball! I miss teaching the "Big Kids" I mean high schoolers! Many of these photos were taken by one of my student's parents .

Karlie

My Karlie will be 15 years old this year! WOW! Where has the time gone? For this baby girl, I prayed that she would be sweet, beautiful and that she would never have an overweight issue like her mom. HAHA ...God heard me..She is all those things as well as being quite petite. So petite that as a child the doctors had her go through every test known to man to see why she was not growing as they so desired. After all tests came back as normal...and after GOD reassured me during my worries...with the scripture verse, "Martha, Martha, the Lord answered," you are worried about many things, but only one thing is needed." Luke 10:41 When God calls your name when you're begging for assurance it kind of gets your attention...It got mine and I stopped my worrying!

                                      Zach and Karile...She was smaller than a cabbage patch doll and she wore preemie clothes for a long time. In this photo Zach is age 3...He was off the growth chart on the top in and she was under the growth chart!

                                                     Karlie and Karl at Acteens Recognition Service 2010

                                                   Zach age 17; Karlie age 14; and Shek age 8
                                                           Easter Sunday morning 2010

                                     Karlie loves flashy colors and clothes...This is her new zebra room with hot pink furniture and lime green walls.

                                 A photo of Karlie after her first day at NCCA~~an accredited school for home- educated  students. She is taking Earth Science and 8th Grade American History there. She is super excited.

Karlie is a beautiful girl. She is a  peacemaker, she hates strife, she is tender hearted, quite, funny and spunky! She loves the Lord, friends and family. I love my Karlie girl. I am so glad God blessed me with her!

Shek

The name is Shek not Shrek, Chief, Chet, Sheck, or Shiek! It's only 4 letters and really should not be all that difficult to pronounce, but since it's different people call my baby boy everything...he just grins and takes it and then rolls his eyes when no one is looking. He was named after Karl's grandaddy Shelby better known as "Shek". We thought  it was a cute and "hip" name so we thought why not?

We wanted his name to have a good meaning since the other children's names have good meanings...and we take that name meaning business seriously...so one day while standing in the middle of the Christian book store I found a baby name book...I looked up Shek, it was not there, but Shekinah was. Hmmm, I thought to my then pregnant self...Shekinah means dwelling place of God...as in Shekinah glory. Cool, we'll name him Shek after his great grand dad, and his name is a derivative of Shekinah. That works...then within a few months, the movie SHREK comes out. A movie about an ogre. WHAT? We said to ourselves...well, this movie will come and go and everyone will forget about it and they won't call our boy Shrek instead of Shek...they will get it. I think we are up to move 3 or 4 of Shrek now! LOL After a while I just bought Shek a Shrek cap, it was green and had little horns and a Shrek face...if you can't beat um join um and our first year of homeschooling Zach and Karlie both had a Shrek lunch box. At baby dedication, the pastor mentioned to the whole congregation, I bet you are wondering why they named their baby after an ogre! HA...then he went on to explain the "Biblical meaning" behind his name.. My  Shek has been called a lot of 'names' ...but mostly people are getting it right these days...

Here's my boy with his Pirate look...we had just eaten at the Pirate House in Savannah and this was part of the kids's menu-- a take home pirate look!

Shek likes boats, cars, firetrucks, airplanes...etc. He knows all the firetrucks in our area by their number and which firehouse they belong too...pretty impressive. He loves Nascar and Jeff Gordon. We have never really been into Nascar, but this child is paving the way for it. He has a Jeff Gordon room, complete with a Jeff Gordon life size stand up poster. I am glad that Jeff Gordon is a Christian racer and good role model. He and his dad went to their first nascar race last year...

Shek loves his brother and sister. They get a long most of the time, but sometimes things can get hairy.

                                               Shek talks to his best friend on the phone daily.
                                            
                                           Shek loves to ride his bike and loves making wheelies!

SHEK..my third born..all boy child...remember you pronounce that SH like SHHH(like the librarian says to make you hush); e Like Eh and K like kkkkk (cat)...it's easy! 

Sunday Snapshot: Field TRIP!!!

 We started school last Monday. The kids were not thrilled about starting back, while all their friends have 2 more weeks of summer. We had a good first week and since Dad was off this past Friday, he suggested a field trip...we rarely take field trips so we all jumped at the chance. We enjoyed some time in Chattanooga TN. We had so much fun that we kept thinking that Friday was Saturday and that the next day would be church!  It was great realizing that we had a whole extra day of weekend!

                                                      We ate ribs at Sticky Fingers! YUM!

We were all full, but Karlie had noticed the cupcake shop and had to try one...So the kids split a chocolate overload cupcake and Mom and Dad had a Key LIME cupcake...Awesome!!

                              We then walked to the river and the kids waded in the water near the aquarium.

                                                     Karlie enjoyed the cool water on her feet too.

                                                             Karl and the kiddos.

                                      Shek loved these waterfall stairs near the waterfront. A great way to cool off on a   day when the temps were in the three digits! Chattanooga TN...a great field trip...Can we go again?

Zach~~Musical Summer

It's been a busy year for Zach gearing up for his cd release and AtlantaFest.

Zach had a pre-cd release at JourneyPointe Church, where he helps lead worship on Sundays, and the big cd release at Southern Crescent where he led youth worship on Wednesdays. Many of his Salem friends made it to the pre-cd release at JourneyPointe and a few made it to the SCBC release. All in all it was a fantastic experience.

Here's Zach with the Band and some Salem youth that he grew up with at Salem Baptist Church. He said it meant a lot to him that all his old church friends came out to support him at the pre-cd release!

The guys performed well at AtlantaFest. I thought it was the best performance yet...yeah yeah, I know I am his momma, but I know what I am talking about too. LOL

Here's Zach singin' and sweatin' at the CD release party on June 4th.

Here is the guys singing Sparrow at AtlantaFest!

There's my boy...Praisin' and lovin' the Lord!

This summer he even sold his beloved old 1960 truck that we've had since he was in 1st grade...so that he could buy a band trailer. This is the truck that he worked/bartered for 2 summers cutting grass for a mechanic so that he could get the transmission and stuff worked on...he did all this before he was really old enough for even his driver's permit...The truck has been a "hobby" truck not really realistic to drive all over atlanta in, but a precious truck indeed. So with heavy heart and misty eyes, he cleaned her up shined her white wall tires, that he saved and paid for, along with the new mirrors, and the headliner and drove her to the road...she sold in a matter of a few days...and he was able to buy a new trailer...

                                                                     Zach's old truck!

                                                                    Zach's new trailer!

There's my oldest boy...about to start Atlanta Christian College in the fall majoring in Music/ Worship Leading. He and his band have a trailer and will travel...Check them out. Zach's Band

Back to school..SN checklist...and so on!

Here's a photo of my kids at the Vicksburg Battlefields Memorial...I lived in Mississippi till I was 22 years old and I don't think I had ever visited this very historical-educational place. Karl, on the other hand, had been many times on school field trips...I was in elementary school in Natchez...I never remember having a field trip...ever! It was very hot when we went through Vicksburg...on our way to my cousin's wedding in LA...Karl and I knew it was now or never so we stopped and checked the place out...Shek loved it...Zach was "whatever"...and Karlie she could have done without it...but hey...it's history!

School started this Monday for us. Karlie stretched out in the floor and cried because she DID NOT want to start back already. It's not been so bad...we are easing back in to the flow. We did not want to say goodbye to summer.

On the adoption front, we have been fingerprinted for our CIS approval...although Honey received a notice that her fingerprints did not take and we have to go back at 8am on August 2 (this is the very first day of school for Karlie at NCC)...

The Adoption agency had us fill out a SN checklist so that we could possibly be matched with a child on the last shared list. Nothing happened...I have been looking on the Yahoo groups page at different children waiting for mommas and poppas...

I am so ready to be done with the adoption paperwork...I am tired of the hoops..but I know My God has a plan and it's not for calamity...Jer.29:11-14...I know that all things work together for good ...Romans 8:28...I know God has something good up His sleeve...He has never failed me yet...He is blessing us 'a comin' and a goin'!

Blezzings!
Martha

Walking Buddies

Walking Buddies! Everyone needs a walking buddy. My friend Melissa and I have been walking together at least 4 times a week for over a year and a half. We are exercising accountability partners. In the photo above I look goofy with my eyes  shut, but that's the only photo I have of just us. This photo was taken during a Youth Choir Mission Trip last Summer 2009. We were in Chicago...and when this was taken we were probably super tired...we didn't have to schedule walking on this trip because we walked everywhere...and that was an added bonus.

 Walking is good for you. When you walk with a friend you get to talk and share and the "exercising" part is just icing on the cake. Walking is good for the body and soul.




We also have another friend,Carrie Ann, who we walk with when her schedule permits. Last year, I even did the Peachtree with her. Didn't do it this year...bummer... and this year the t-shirt was cuter than last years...LOL Here's a photo of us before receiving our peachtree shirts

July 4, 2009!

Here's a photo of Kim and me. She is the one who got me started walking and dare I say jogging a little several years ago. She works your hiney off if when you walk with her. I miss walking with KIM! She's like a trainer...LOL












It's great having walking buddies. Currently, we are waking up early and are outside walking over 4 miles at 5:30am. Now, that's dedication. So if you don't have an exercising accountability partner...get one...You don't have to look far, just snag your best friends!

                                       Me and my bffs: CarrieAnn, and Melissa at a Christmas Tea

Wild Olive tees ...get your verse on...

I love Wild Olive Tees. I especially like the new ones just out. I have added their button to my blog, but of course I don't know if I have added it in the correct place. I need a blogger for dummies book or something...I am still learning this whole thing. I have facebook figured out...now if I could just get this blog thing figured out. LOL

Karlie is wearing the "shine" tee shirt and I am wearing the "Beloved" tee shirt...I could sure use some more of their shirts...I need a wardrobe intervention....and I know I could look cute and witness at the same time in their designs...


Hey! and I finally figured out how to add the Wild Olive button to my sidebar...I might master this blog thing after all...