Good Post on Homeschooling, er, Parenting actually

My (Renee) Dad ran across a wonderful article on parenting, specifically homeschooling, but any parent could pan for gold in this excellent post. It's long, but please take the time to read it.

Here is an excerpt that rang within my own spirit:

Typically, when we belittle others who don't measure up to our standards, we will also imagine others are judging us. Consequently, we will find ourselves frequently being defensive. We assume that others will think lowly of us for some perceived inadequacy, so we offer unsolicited explanations and clarifications for us or our children. For example, let's say we walked past a TV at Sears and saw something of interest - when we tell others what we saw, we are careful to clarify that we saw it at Sears and weren't watching a TV at home. If we live under fear of judgment, not only will we tend to be on the defensive, but whenever we are in a public setting where our children might be "watched," we will put pressure on them.

Please read the whole thing, it's good!

We have a bird bath!

Thanks DirecTV!

Trip to Washington State

At the end of August we had the blessing of being able to spend five days with my (Joel's) extended family in Washington State. My Grandparents, Uncle, Aunt and her husband and three of my cousins, live either at or nearby a Free Methodist Camp called Warm Beach Camp in the Peugeot Sound north of Seattle. It was my grandparent's sixtieth anniversary. My parents drove down from Alberta with my sister JoAnne and her three boys: Kaleb (nearly four), and identical twins Caius and Lucas (2). Unfortunately her husband Shane wasn't able to come. My brother Jeff and his wife Mandy also drove down from British Colombia.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE TRIP

Hudson tries on his West Coast shades.

Rachel talks with Nana about how people will look like 'dots' from the airplane.

FAMILY

Grandma Ann meets Hudson for the first time.

Cousin Caleb. All the cousins had a blast together.

Lucas and Caius. Or Caius and Lucas.

Great Grandma Ann with Rachel Ann.

My parents with Hudson.

We stayed at the campground at Warm Beach. We had all 138 sites to ourselves, which was great with seven little kids running around. And one Daddy running around!

The twins get a ride in my uncle Jack's tricycle. Jack has been on Maintenance staff at Warm Beach for 26 years now. It was really good to see him.

It'd been a couple years since we'd seen Jeff and Mandy. Here we were stopping to meet some of the camp's horses and enjoy the abundant blackberries.

For once we were not out-numbered by kids!

Sitting around the campfire with my Grandparents.

Mini-golf with my cousin Tim.

THE BEACH

We spent an afternoon on the beach on the south end of Camano Island where my grandparents used to live. It wasn't open ocean (we had Whidby Island and the Olympic Pennisula between us yet), but we got to smell the ocean, find clam and crab shells and see the tide come in.

WILDLIFE

Prior to the trip I had built the kids' excitement for seeing the native west coast slug.

And we were not disappointed.

Well, Renee was.

SUMMARY

Hudson's thoughts on flying after 3 1/2 hours.

All in all, the kids did very well with all the driving, catching shuttles, flying, more driving, and camping (in a very nice camper , thank God and Aunt Margie). God gave us much grace in it all. We may not travel again for a long time, but it was worth it. To spend time with my family and see my Grandma and my Grandpa who had had a stroke since I'd seen him last. I actually had a hard time not crying as we said goodbye and walked away. He for one I look forward to standing with in heaven in a lineage of faith, praising Jesus together.