Road Trip 2012!

We left here 

on Thursday afternoon . . .

headed "home" for a visit

to our beloved mitten!

I thought I'd bring you "up to speed" 

as well as share a little fun from the road--

We came up beside this truck 

 while still in Texas.

 How cool is that?

He loves us, oh yes He does!

We had a bit of a rain delay/downpour yesterday morning in Louisiana--thankfully we were right near the Atchafalaya Welcome Center, so we pulled in and waited it out.  I like to look at the unplanned stop as a God arranged homeschool field trip-- just as I was feeling guilty about not having an atlas {which we'd given to Brady} to keep my littles informed on our whereabouts! Who knew when we woke up yesterday morning that we would learn all about America's Largest River Swamp--The Atchafalaya, and all of its inhabitants!  God did! He even provided a short movie, fun displays, and free hot coffee for the dad! I love that. 

 Brogan gave big sister's belly some

baby love while we waited for the rain to let up.

Soon we were on to blue skies,

 cool bridges

 and a pink house

on . . .

the . . .

move!

 It's not everyday that you see a pink house.

And it's certainly not everyday that you get to 

drive under a pink house

while road tripping through Louisiana.

(Terry, this pinks for you!)

All of the excitement of swamp creatures and pink houses

was more than the littles could take.

 A daytime nap equals road trip joy 

for the mama . . .

and pretty skies

 and fun sights

 make my heart

 happy!

A faithful driver

 and contented 

 passengers

 make for smooth travels.

We spent last night in Montgomery, Alabama and are headed for Columbia, South Carolina today.  My mom will board Amtrak today in south Florida and arrive in Columbia early tomorrow morning.  Once we have grandma we will be homeward bound!

 During our two weeks in Michigan we will celebrate a certain someone's big 5-0 (a hint: I love him a lot, in fact so much so that I married him, a long, long time ago). We will also shower our big girlie (and her amazing little bundle) with some baby shower love. As well as celebrate my mama's birthday, a nephew's engagement, my Taylor girl's graduation . . . and whatever else we feel might need celebrating!  Lest you fear we might do nothing but party, we plan to roll all of this into one big festivity!

For today we will . . .

Blessings from my travelin' nest,

Tina

Back to School . . .and back to blogging!

I'm not sure, if in the four year history of my blog that I've ever abandoned it for so long.  I just haven't had the desire to blog, so I've let it sit . . . with much that I wish I would have blogged, but that's another post (or several) for another day!

Today was the first official day of the 2012-2013 school year at The Winder Academy!  All students were assigned the same homeroom teacher: Mrs. Winder.  (Rumor had it she's pretty nice.  Rumor turned out to be true.  It's my blog and I like me).  

Since Bry isn't able to take leave until the end of August (when we would have been starting school), we're getting a head start before we take two weeks off for our Michigan road trip.  

I ordered new curriculum this year, from Sonlight, and we are very excited about it.  While researching curriculums I began hearing about the "Workbox System" and I have decided to give it a try.  I will tell you that after using this system for the first time today it might just be this unorganized mama's saving grace--and answer to prayer!  Our day went exceptionally well, and we were all still smiling as we finished our last box this afternoon!  Yay us!  

The idea is that each subject/activity has it's own labeled box and the students work through the boxes that the teacher prepares ahead of time (as in the night before), forcing me to be organized.  I read several different blogs about how people have made this idea work for them and then kind of personalized it a bit.  Each drawer has a laminated label attached with velcro, and as the kids finish a subject or activity they move the label from left to right. 

The boxes keep everyone on track and in a glance you can see the day's progress.  It's very motivating--and there are no "when are we gonnnnna beeeeee doooooone" questions (think long drawn out whine)!  Some boxes the kids do independently and several of them we do together.  When you make it through all of your boxes you are done!  I'm sure that it will take some fine tuning, but I'm hopeful that it's going to be a good year!

As I spent some quiet time this morning before school I was so encouraged by the Lord.  To back up a bit, many years ago when my now 20 year old Brady was about halfway through second grade, I was praying about whether or not to homeschool him.  He was incredibly unhappy with his school situation, yet I felt very ill equipped.  It was during this time that I attended a prophetic training conference at our church and was given a prophetic word. I can't remember the exact word now, but it involved a mother deer and a her fawn and the idea that the mother deer remained close to the baby deer at all times,  protecting it, and teaching it everything it needed to know to flourish.  The teenage boy who gave me the word knew nothing of my situation, in fact he was from another church and didn't know me at all.  The word seemed very odd to him as he shared it, but made perfect sense to me--and was the answer I had been waiting for.  My Brady came home and I got my happy boy back, and so much more . . .

All that to say that there are things that the Lord uses to speak to my heart, like birds . . . and nests; and since that day long ago, deer.  So I opened my Jesus Calling book this morning and this is what it said for today, August 6th (my own thoughts are in italics) . . .

"When things seem to be going all wrong (as a homeschooling day can often do), stop and affirm your trust in Me. Calmly bring these matters to Me, and leave them in My capable hands. Then, simply do the next thing. (In other words, Keep calm and Carry on). Stay in touch with me through thankful, trusting prayers, resting in My sovereign control.  Rejoice in Me, I will make your feet like the feet of a deer.  I enable you to walk and make progress upon your high places of trouble, suffering, or responsibility."

I love that! When things go wrong I only need to hand it over to my Heavenly Father and simply do the next thing, remembering to stay in thankful mode, and then rest in Him. And He promises to make my feet stable like the feet of a deer and enable me to make progress upon my high places of responsibility.  

Sweetness.

Homeschooling is a huge responsibility, how comforting it is to know that not only is He walking me through it, but making my feet stable for the long haul! In the words of my sweet friend Bonnie, "He is faithful"!

Thank you Lord for your reassurance.  Thank you for Your guidance every step of the way, as I have prepared for this school year.  Thank you for others who have shared thoughts and ideas that have inspired me.  Thank you for encouraging me, and for reminding me that when the going gets tough I simply need to hand it over to You and "do the next thing".  Thank you for being my Teacher.  And lastly, thank you for the amazing privilege I have been given to teach my children at home.

We are ready!

As for today . . .

all of our tags made it to the right side--

it was a good day!

Blessings from my nest~

Tina

Happy Birthday Sloane!

Today is my new daughter-in-love's 22nd birthday!

I 've only known this sweet girl since March of 2011

but when I saw this picture of my Brady and his Sloane

(taken later that same month) I was pretty sure

he wasn't gonna let her go . . .

and he didn't!

Four months later he proposed . . .

and she said, "Yes"!

And just one month ago in beautiful Oregon . . .

they said, "I do"--

and our family grew in love and sweetness!

I haven't shared about Sloane's bridal shower yet--

it was held just two days before the wedding

so that we could all attend!

What a joy it was to spend time with Sloane's family--

her mom Kathie, dad Tim, and

 younger sisters Skye and Sami.

I can't explain the bond that I quickly felt to this family.  We first met them on our trip to Spokane right after Brady and Sloane started dating--we were blessed to get to hear Sloane's dad, Tim, preach--

 and after church we all shared lunch together.  Little did we know then--or perhaps we did, that fourteen months later we would gather to see our children (and our families) forever joined together!  I suppose when a mom and dad have been praying for their daughter's future husband, and another mom and dad (far, far away) have been praying for their son's future wife, that there are things taking place in the heavenlies that connect us well before we meet!  Anyway, it was good!

I previously shared about how the Lord brought Brady and Sloane together (from our family's view) when I announced their engagement last July.  You can read that "God story" here.  At the shower, Kathie shared their family's side of Brady and Sloane's "God story"and it was just as amazing . . .

She told how the Lord had called them out of Oregon to Spokane, Washington (to pastor a church) . . . about how they'd asked Sloane (now an adult) whether she wanted to stay in Oregon where everything was familiar-- or uproot to Spokane . . . all the while thinking that perhaps this move, in some way, was "for Sloane".  Sloane did make the decision to follow her parents to Spokane, arriving a mere four months after Brady arrived . . . they were called to pastor the church that Bryce and  Brady was attending.

The rest is history!
I still smile thinking about God's orchestration of His grand plan!

After we took turns sharing our stories at the shower we prayed over Sloane--asking the Lord to lead and guide her, and Brady too, as they prepared to begin their journey together.  What a blessing - sharing our hearts, blessing our children, thanking the Lord for the journey ahead . . .

Sloane and her beautiful mom . . .

Sweet "Bride"

 Pretty, pretty, pretty sisters Sloane, Sami and Skye.

We had so much fun celebrating this girl . . .

With a representative from each table Kathie formed a design team (and I got to be on it).  The team was given a roll of wrapping paper, a couple of rolls of toilet tissue, tape, some ribbon, and Sloane-- with the challenge of turning Sloane into a beautiful bride.

I think  . . .

we . . .

 succeeded!

Isn't she beautiful?

Sloane Alaura Winder,

we are thrilled to have you in our family!

Today we celebrate YOU!

Happy Birthday precious girl,

may the Lord bless and keep you as you begin 

a new year following Him!

We love you

daughter-in-love!

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina

Happy Father's Day!

How blessed I am to have grown up with a daddy who modeled unconditional love.  It is a gift I don't take lightly, and one that helps me to understand the depth of my Heavenly Father's love for me!

I grew up secure in the knowledge that I was loved.  My daddy told me I was pretty . . . that I was smart .  . . that I looked good in the color yellow (funny how that sticks with me after all these years).  I can remember him carrying me in from the car, having fallen asleep on a late drive home from my grandma's house . . . my head nestled on his broad shoulder, safe in strong arms. He loved me, and I knew it.  A daddy who loves like that is a priceless treasure.  Thank you, dad.

I am blessed to have a father-in-love who looks out for us and who takes care of the things we need help with --along with my own daddy.  Who gives great bear hugs, and laughs heartily.  He loves his family-- is rough and tough on the outside, but is a total softy when it comes to his heartstrings.  Thank you Bruce, for loving me like your own for all these years.

On this day to honor fathers I am grateful for my true love, who is celebrating his 26th year as a father.

Together we have been young parents, parents of busy school age kids, parents of teens, parents of three teens and a baby, parents of young adults, a high schooler and preschoolers, and now--older and wiser parents of independent young adults and two quickly growing littles.

God has been good to us and has filled our nest to 

overflowing, to include a son-in-love,

 a brand new daughter-in-love . . . 

and a grand-birdie on the way.  Such sweetness.

Bry, I am beyond proud of the "dad standard" that you set a very long time ago.  You have never failed to hold yourself to that high standard.

 It hasn't always been easy (like hardly ever), and many times your job (or more recently, kids on the move) has dictated that you parent from afar, but that has never changed your commitment to our children. I am grateful for the example that you have set for our bigs,

and I am ever thankful for the way you keep up with the littles, even when I know work has exhausted you.  Thank you babe, for running this parenting marathon with me, the uphills and the downhills . . . I love being on your team.

Lastly, Happy Father's Day to my heavenly Father from whom every one of these perfect gifts has come.  What a joy to know that I am forever His child, that He never leaves my side, always has my back, and that He delights in me!  Did you know that I am His favorite one--and so are you?  It's true!  He loves us so.

Thank you Abba Father that when we call on your name you adopt us as sons and daughters.  You choose us, simply because you love us that much. Your love for us is not dependent on what we do or don't do, but it is an unconditional, immeasurable, wrap-Your-strong-arms-around-us-and-never-let-us-go love.  Thank you for being the perfect Father, always.  What a privilege.  


Happy Father's Day!


Blessings from my nest ~

Tina