YNAB 3 - You Need A Budget!

I learned horrible money habits from my parents. These habits have carried over into my marriage and are definitely affecting our quality of life. Overspending. Check bouncing. Short at the end of the month. The list goes on.
It is not about how much money you make, it is how you use it. Are you using your money wisely? Are you budgeting for different categories? Making a plan for how money will be spent in advance is the best way.
YNAB (You Need A Budget) - version 3 - is going to be released shortly. It works on an envelope system which is very smart. But even better is the fact that it teaches you how to live a month behind, money-wise. How does that work? Well basically you spend the money the month after you receive it. So if you have a variable income it is a huge help as you know exactly how much money you have to work with. It is also awesome as you don't have to match up bills to paychecks. You have all the money at the beginning of the month so as bills come in you can pay them immediately. No forgetting them and ending up being burned with late fees. And if you don't have a month's money set aside it helps you work up to that gradually.

I love YNAB and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to take better control of their money.

Here is a link if you are interested in checking it out: You Need A Budget

We are ready to travel the world!

We made some changes to our curriculum this year. We have used My Father's World in the past, but took a break from it last year. After much prayer and thought we are going back to MFW and using their Exploring Countries and Cultures program.

We are going to travel around the world while studying true stories of missionaries with "Hero Tales" and the "Christian Heroes" series. The book "Window on the World" will help us learn about many different people groups and how there is a HUGE need for Bible translation. Every week we will take out tons of books from the library relating to whatever the current topic is. The boys spend time each day taking books from the "book basket" and reading, skimming or just looking at the pictures. We then come together and discuss what they have learned.

There will be weekly memory verses and daily reading from the book of Matthew.

This year the major emphasis is on geography and we will use lots of atlas', maps and globes as well as fiction stories of children living all around the Earth.

Our science this year focuses on different habitats (desert, rain forest, grasslands, polar etc). We are using "The Usborne Living World Encyclopedia" and "Wild Places". We read through a section, do an experiment and then the boys choose something to draw in their science notebook. Zachary dictates 2 or 3 sentences about it and Matthew writes his own. We will also be doing a weekly nature walk. The boys bring a clipboard with white paper on it. They try to find something that interests them and then use colored pencils to draw it. At home we look it up in the encyclopedia to find out more information.

We are actually fitting in art and music using "Global Art" and "Wee Sing Around the World".

I am hoping to purchase Rosetta Stone in the spring as I want both of the boys (and myself) to begin Spanish.

For Math we are continuing in Christian Light Education. Love it!

Here are a couple of pictures from today:
The boys each got their notebooks ready. They each needed two 3 ring binders. Lots to learn this year!

They each filled out a passport application and a "check" for $20.00. I pretended to be the passport officer and took their applications. Next week I will give each of the a passport I made. As we "travel" from country to country we will fill in and stamp their passport. They are so excited!

Matthew, in 3rd grade, chose to trace and color then write about a bat. For the record - I don't correct his spelling when he is working on these types of projects. I take note of the words he mis-spells and add them to his spelling lesson. If I interrupt to spell words it breaks his concentration on the topic he is working on.

Zachary, in 1st grade, dictates his sentences to me. I try to write them down word for word. I traced the gecko for him, but am going to encourage him to do his own tracing from now on as it is good practice for his fine-motor skills.

I invite you to come back often and travel with us. It should be quite an adventure!!

Hmmmm

Well... I am seriously thinking about blogging again.

I am excited about the coming school year and want to share the things we do.

:-) Maybe I'll start again!

Here, but not HERE

I don't want people to think I dropped off the the Earth. :-) I am still here. I'm just not here, as in here on Blogger... As I am sure you can tell since my last post was 3 months age.

Anyway, blogging is just not a priority for me right now. Photography, on the other hand, is. I have always enjoyed photography and intend to start taking some classes to increase my skill.

I will not delete this blog - who knows, I may want to start up again someday.

God bless ~

Suzanne

Matthew gets baptized!

Today was an amazing day. At our church's Easter celebration Matthew participated in a believer's Baptism. He actually asked the Lord into his heart just over a year ago, but he needed time to understand what it really means to be a Christian and mature in his own faith.

Matthew has such a heart for the Lord and I can't wait to see what He does with his life!

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When Matthew was baptized as a baby he was given a cross by his Uncle Jay and Auntie Jen. We tucked it away for safety, but we knew that this was the perfect time to give it back to Matthew. He was so excited to receive it!

My sweet boy and me. Love you Matthew!

Matthew right before he is baptized.

Pastor Billy prays before the baptisms. Fourteen people were baptized today! God is amazing!

Pastor Billy - "Do you acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior and intend to follow Him all of your life?"

Matthew - "Yes! I do!"

Bob was able to assist in baptizing Matthew which was so special.

A new creation in Christ!!

Matthew praying after his baptism. We are SO proud of him and how mature he is in his love for the Lord!

Bob and Matthew - all wet, but very happy!

The four of us.

Journeying for Jeremiah

The four of us (with Tara making bunny ears in the background!)

Brennan, Matthew, Jonathan and Ben

Matthew with a snow trooper and a scout trooper.

Zach with an Imperial guard and Boba Fett

The kids all loved R2D2

Zach most of all!

Jeremiah is the son of our friends Tara and John. He has been diagnosed with autism. We actually have other friends as well who have kids with autism. As such, it made sense to get involved in this walk-a-thon.

We had a wonderful time "Journeying for Jeremiah" with friends and raising funds for autism research. The weather was absolutely beautiful - though a bit windy!

I am pretty sure the kids felt that the best part of the day was the Star Wars characters who showed up and posed for lots of photos.

Thinking on the Truth

This blog will be many things and I am sure I will post about many different topics. My family, homeschooling, the crazy cats we love, friends etc... But one thing I am going to strive to do is to always Think On The Truth. What truth you might ask? God's truth.
Here is the verse that I am trying to live my life by:

Finally, brothers (and sisters!), whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

In the past I have failed miserably at doing this. And I am sure that I will fail again. The one thing I am going to do differently this time is I am going to try much harder to stay connected to the Lord. When I do things on my own power I usually end up crashing and burning. OK, maybe not usually - always! What an emotional mess my life has been! I am so grateful for the love of a husband (who has LIMITLESS patience), friends who know the Lord and don't want to give up on me, and for an awesome church body that is really a family now.

In today's sermon (from Pastor Billy Hires of Terrace Palms Community Church) I learned of the importance of "abiding in the Word". What does that mean to abide in the Word?
Well the opposite of abiding in the Lord is relying on myself.
I need to cling to, depend upon and live in Christ alone!
I need to spend time in the Word EVERY SINGLE DAY; not just on Sunday mornings. God's Word needs to find a home in me.

I need to stay connected to the Vine - without that connection I will wither and die.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." John 15:1-6

Lord - I pray that I will abide in You! Create in me a burning hunger to know You better through Your Word! Make everything else unsatisfactory Lord! I know in my heart that You have been pruning and working on me and though it is painful at times I AM glad that You love me enough to do it. Don't give up on me Lord!