Words by Aly...

So, we were watching a movie the other night and Aly started fidgeting. She is like me...she has a hard time sitting still and watching a movie ...just watching a movie...nothing else. I end up flipping through a magazine or suring the internet or knitting or something else. Anyway...she ended up with a piece of paper and her colored pencils. She was busy writing something...doing something. After the movie was over, I asked her what she had been writing. I do hope you can see the following picture...it is a bit light, but it is hilarious. The picture examples at the bottom are the best!!!!
I thought she wasn't paying attention to the movie, but these words were all in the movie...so I guess she really was paying attention.
Enjoy~

~In HIS Mighty Grip

Oh yes she did!!!!

This past Saturday we piled in the van and headed to Jacksonville for a day of shopping and fun!! We had such a great day. Loaded up on Fall/winter stuff for the girls, hit the craft store for some goodies and then...it happened...Lili got her ears pierced!!!! She had been waffling as to whether or not she really wanted to go through with it. She finally decided and so we did it quick before she changed her mind again!!! It was funny, the ladies asked me if I would rather she do both ears at the same time or one at at time. I said "You must do both at once or only one will get done!!!!"

So, without further adieu...here she is!!!!!

In His Mighty Grip~

What did YOU do in school today?

We are studying the book of 1John. Actually I am using the book of 1 John to help the Noodles to learn HOW to study God's word. We are taking it verse by verse...reading, meditating, discussing, memorizing, praying, and copying the words of life onto paper.

I love to watch them copy from the Bible. Well, Lili is still a little reluctant, but it will come. The words will soon begin to seep in and she will start to swim instead of trudge. She is so funny...she doesn't mind working on the memorization of scripture, but when I ask her to recite a verse to me and goes into meltdown mode. Once she calms down and decides to do it...the words flow out of her like honey. She has amazing skills of memorization just like her big sister, but she doesn't think she does so she fights me tooth and nail. Then once she recites it, she couldn't be more proud of her self. She is one hard headed little coconut. I always had trouble getting her to pray in the morning before school. She always said, "I don't know what to say" Oh no...wait...she didn't SAY it she screamed it at the top of her lungs. Ahhhhhhh ... the drama of it all. So I began praying and having her just repeat after me. I figured I would give her the words for a while til she found her own words and her own footing. Well, low and behold...she is beginning to find her footing!!!! This morning I asked Aly if she wanted to lead in our prayer time or if she wanted me to. Lili jumped in and asked if SHE could lead us. ~Thank you God for giving her the words to thank you and the words to seek you!!!~

Aly is full of questions and gets frustrated if she can't understand it right away. She has yet to learn that most of her questions will be answered by that Still Small Voice in her inmost being.

Getting her to be still long enough to listen for that voice of God in her is difficult at best, but she is slowly getting there. For one who grasps concepts so very easily...this one is hanging her up. Now she tackles memorization like a woman on a serious mission!!!! She loves to tackle whole chapters and large passages of scripture. Her dear friend gave her such a sweet compliment last week at Co-op. She said how much she appreciated Aly because she always had a verse of scripture for someone to make them feel better. My heart just melted. It thrills me to know that she is letting the truths of God flow back out and is able to be a blessing!!!

Today was a bit slower paced in our little school room. After we did our bible study, and worked on our Memory Box we decided to do a little Cartography. We are studying Geography by learning to draw the world. We started out by learning about the Great Circles ( Equator, Arctic circle, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and the Antarctic Circle) and the Prime Meridian. After they could correctly place those on the paper we added the" Continental Blobs." We weren't worried about drawing them correctly yet...just putting them in the right PLACE on the paper. They had worked on that for a few weeks and once they got it down, we moved on to one continent. They decided to start with Australia. So, today I gave them gridded paper, a map of Australia on the same size paper, the colored pencils and off we went. I pulled up some Vivaldi Four Seasons on the laptop...

Some homemade Chocolate Chip cookies...

About 45 minutes later we had some pretty good maps of Australia to look at!! We had such a grand time together...drawing our maps...learning about God's world. Homeschooling is such a grand privilege!!!!!

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deut 6:6-7

...and one last picture

A girl and her puppy dog. Bailey loves to help with Astronomy!!!! Oh yes she does!!!

For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line,

line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

Isaiah 28:10

In His Mighty Grip...

Smiles...

So...here are a few of the amazing smiles that I am FORCED to look at and admire each and every day of my life. Am I blessed or what??

Not sure if she was cold or just posing...but I love that smile either way!

                                                No...it's not snowing in Florida...the girls are enjoying running through the falling pear blossoms.

Here is the princess hiding under the bleachers at a track meet for Aly and her GA group from church. She had more fun running from one end to the other...ALL DAY!!!

...but when she broke out from under the bleachers...boy did she break out!!!

Why...she looks positively Chinese in this picture!!!!  Make no mistake...she is All American!!!

                                                     This child loves to have more fun than just about anyone I know..she does EVERYTHING with extra gusto...smiling and crying!!!

 Wearing her Great Grandfather's beret with love. So beautiful!!

Field Day with our Homeschool Co-op. Everyone else was having fun playing games and such together...what was Lili doing???  Manning the water spigot and having the time of her life getting SOAKED!!! She had a BLAST!!!!!

Easter Sunday...Aly's Baptismal day. I'll post more pictures of that later.

I love that little smirk she does...she does it all the time and it makes me smile!!!
                                                                           

                                                                                                       My sunshine!                                            

My oh my...look how they are growing

I hope you have wonderful dreams in your princess gowns that Daddy bought you!!!!  You look so beautiful!!!!

We have a recognition night each year at our homeschool co-op. Lili was so excited!! She received a certificate of completion from Kindergarten and also a certificate of completion for the Presidental Physical Fitness program.  This was also BEFORE she got into the blue cake!! :-)

Aly with her certificate of completion from Second Grade and her certificate of completion for the Presidental Physical Fitness program.

And this would be AFTER she got into the blue cake!!!! I think she enjoyed this part of the evening the most!!!!

I don't know how she sits like this...she sits this way at the school table and in the kitchen at the table.  She is usually hanging off of the edge of the stool by her toes. Aly does it too...it must be a Chinese thing!!!

So precious...even without her teeth!!! LOL

Um...this is Bailey (our dog) and Lili. Technically they are not smiling, but they definately are sleeping...okay, so this makes ME smile!!!!  Can you see the dog? I mean seriously...can you see how she is twisted??? She is a nut!!!

My beautiful little 1st grader!!! We were getting ready to go to Co-op and she asked me to take her picture. She had to twist my arm...really hard. I finally gave in and took about 20 along with a video.

     

 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.   Isaiah 43:5  

In HIS Mighty Grip~

                                                          

Brace yourself...it's catch up time!!!

Alrighty then...let's get to it!!!  I have a lot of pics to show...hope you enjoy this installment.

It was handwork day in school back in May. This is Lili learning to do a running stitch. I think she sewed on a button as well. Good job baby!!

Aly working hard on her latch hook rug thingy. It took her awhile to get the hang of it, but once she got it...she got it!!

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might..." Ecl 9:10

 I love this...Lili was trying to get away from David and the water hose, but Aly was there to make sure she got good and wet!! They had such fun that afternoon. The pool wasn't open yet and this was the first day that it was warm enough to play in the water hose.  Sisters...I am so thankful that they have each other...God was so gracious to bless them with that gift!!

Too beautiful...just too beautiful!!! We came across that beret in the cedar chest...it belonged to MY grandfather. He wore them all the time in the winter. Well, Lili has fallen in love with them and they look SO beautiful on her! My Papa would be so happy that his Great grandbaby wears them!!

Lili and Gabriella on a Co-op trip back in the spring. We spent the afternoon on the Sightseeing boat all up and down the Bayfront in St. Augustine. Such fun!!!

Co-op field day at the park.This was back in April I think.  My poor baby...she gets so very hot and just sweats BUCKETS!  It is a challenge to keep her well hydrated during the summer months. But she sure has fun in the process!!!

My funny little bunny...the girls have more fun with their imaginations and their Legos!!!!  Here is Lili roasting a Lego marshmallow over her Lego fire!!!! I half expected an edible Smore to come out of the whole ordeal!!

Aly loves to make muffins!!! Every chance she gets!!!!

The girls with Aunt Babs at the Easter Egg hunt at church.  I'm not too sure about those faces they are making...but they sure did have a good time. They are both probably having a total sugar high!!!!!

David came to homeschool Co-op and taught a macrame class. You go Daddy Man!!

I am so proud of my babies!! Lili had begun to read as of the spring, but Aly spent so much time with her this summer honning her mad skills!!!!  Boy did she do well. She is now my second crazy reading gal...they are both totally insatiable!!!  

Lili performing in her Spring musical for Kids Praise at church. So precious!!!!!

Here we are at Aly's awards dinner for her GA's group at church. Lili had been as good as she was going to be and this is what we were left with. LOL I about died when I looked and saw her sitting like this!!! My little Monkey girl~

You GO GIRL!!!! She got a medal for Bible memorization!!!!  

Okay...so that it is for this installment of "How the Wok Sizzles" Tune in tomorrow for more of the last year in the life of the Wild Noodles!!!!!

In HIS Mighty Grip~

Shelley