Insanity and 5k to 10k

Today I finished week 2 of the 5k to 10k program AND day 4 of the Insanity workout.  Yes, I am insane.  My brother, Jeff, is visiting and he brought along is Insanity workout dvds, and is determined to get through the 60 day program while he is here.  I am also determined to finish the 5k to 10k program, so we thought we'd help motivate each other.  What great bonding time we're having, sitting around complaining how sore we both are. Ha!  I'll keep you all posted.

Jeff's Here!!

The day we've been anxiously awaiting has arrived.

Jeff is here!

Autumn and Cody watching Jeff's plane land.

Our airport lets you wait at the gate.

I love this action photo!

Poor Jeff arrived very tired, then learned he still had a 3 hour drive until home!

He's been here since Tuesday, and gotten two good night's sleep, so hopefully he's over the jet lag and can enjoy his next three months here in Australia with us.  We are so thrilled to have him.

Loving Others as Christ Commands

"Jesus saith unto him,

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Matthew 22:37-39

My husband has been preaching on the words of Christ the past few weeks.  This morning he focused on these verses, mainly the second - Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  This afternoon I came across this blog post - How Can We Possibly Love as God Commands.

Is it possible to love as God commands?

"Jesus beheld them, and said unto them,

With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 

Matthew 19:26

So, Christ tells us to love God with all our heart, and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.   This seems like a difficult task.  But a few chapters later He tells us with God all things are possible.

Can we love someone who has hurt us?

Can we love someone who has talked badly about us?

Can we love someone who has physically hurt us?

Can we love someone who has no desire to love back?

Can we love someone who is unlovable?

We're not told to tolerate them, we're told to love them.  From the human perspective, we put our guard up and say, "no way!"   When we are hurt by someone, it's easy to put up the walls of protection to be sure we're not hurt again.  But this isn't what Christ wants us to do.   He wants us to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile.

 "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"  Matthew 5:39-44

We read these red letter words, we know they belong to Christ, but do we obey?  James 1:22 tells us
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only..."  The Lord has been working in my heart regarding this topic.  I pray that He will help me to love those that hurt me, those that are unlovable, those that talk badly about me, and those that have no desire to love back. I am going to chose to love, not just tolerate, but to love as Christ loves, because with God all things are possible.

How about you?  Do you find some people unlovable?  Will you join me in choosing to love them?

After all, God loves us, even when we're unlovable.



Hard Goodbyes

Photo taken in 2009

This is Patrick's grandpa (James), Autumn, Cody, and Tommy (Patrick's cousin's son).  Patrick's grandpa passed away a little over a week ago.  We got the call on Sunday morning as we were getting ready for church. Although grandpa was 90 years old, it's still hard.  Church was hard that morning.  Telling Autumn was hard, which we waited until the next day.  It's hard being so far from home and not being able to be there for your loved ones.  When we said good-bye at the airport, we knew it could be the last time we saw some of our family.  We have some hope that he accepted Christ near the end.  I'm thankful there are no good-byes or tears in Heaven.  

Simple Pennsylvania Dutch Slippery Chicken Pot Pie

Pennsylvania Dutch Slippery Chicken Pot Pie was a regular meal in my home growing up.  We've had it with ham, beef, and chicken.   I recently saw a discussion on facebook where someone asked for the recipe.  I looked it up online and couldn't find much.  So I thought I'd share my simplified version.

Ingredients:

Meat (chicken, beef, or ham)

Broth

Onions

Celery

Carrots

Potatoes

Pasta

Salt and Pepper

• Bring broth to a boil, add onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes.  
• In a separate pan cook chicken until no longer pink, then add to the pot with vegetables.
• Let cook for several hours.
• 20 minutes before serving add noodles.  (My dad always made homemade noodles, and I do as well, but sometimes it gets busy and store bought noodles do the trick.)
• Season well with salt and pepper.  I also add whatever other seasonings that seems to strike my fancy.

The Amazing Trident iPad2 Case {TOS Review}

So far all of the amazing products I have reviewed have been for the kids, so when we were asked to do a review for Trident Case I was thrilled!  I love my iPad2, and although the kids do play with it quite a bit (we have lots of great educational apps on there!), they know it's mama's!   I have all my favourite apps on my iPad and enjoy reading books on my Kindle, browsing Pinterest, or checking Facebook.  Needless to say, the iPad gets quite a bit of use around our house.

We were given the Kraken A.M.S. Case for Apple iPad 2/3/4 in orange to review! 

Installing the case over my iPad was fairly easy, but you do have to make sure everything clasps just right.  It does include a small instruction booklet to help you along.  I was able to assemble it with out the instructions though.  :) 

On the first day of having the new case it got dropped, the child who did that will remain nameless, but he's too cute to be mad at for very long.  The Trident Case feels very solid and durable.  It really is an incredibly sturdy and rugged case. 

I've always had cheap cases on my iPad, and the dents and scratches prove it.  The Kraken A.M.S. case has silicone (a rubbery material) on each of it's corners, every port is covered.  I was a little surprised by the silicone, but when the iPad got dropped, I realized why.  It give it an extra cushion when it hits the floor.  It's a very smart design!  We've used it daily for over a month and the silicone is still in tact.  I was expecting my son to have picked one of them off by now, but they're all still in great shape.

To provide maximum protection the Kraken A.M.S. consists of shock-absorbing silicone inner layer (check out the above photo), covered by a hardened polycarbonate outer-casing, with a built-in screen protector.  This case is military tough and tested!

Check out the features for the Kraken A.M.S. Case for Apple iPad 2/3/4:

Here is the youtube playlist of the Trident Case Tough Test:

Impressed?!  They're amazing!

We've all had that moment (or maybe just me?!) when you drop your phone or tablet and you have that sudden gasp of breath while you push the button to turn it on.  With the Trident case, you no longer have to worry!  I don't panic anymore seeing my son carry my iPad down the stairs.  I trust the Trident Case.  It's great for all ages.

The Kraken A.M.S. Case for Apple iPad 2/3/4  sell for $69.95.  My last case cost me about $30 and was no where near as durable and protective as this case.  I think that's a great price.  I am planning to buy a Trident case for my iPhone as well. 

Trident Case has a case for just about every electronic device out there.  From iPhones, to the Blackberry, to Kindles, to Samsung, and so much more!


The offer free standard shipping in the US and Canada AND the Trident Case is proudly made in the USA !

Oh, and just so you know, you can build your own case!

Social media links for Trident Case:
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/tridentcase
 Instagram – http://instagram.com/tridentcase#
 Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/tridentcase
 Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+tridentcase

 Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/tridentcase

 Vine - https://vine.co/Trident.Case

 YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/TridentCase

How to Donate Your Hair

I remember as a young girl my aunt would grow out her hair and then cut it off and donate it for it to be made into a wig for someone who had cancer.  Almost two years ago, the mom of one of my closest friends died of cancer.  My friend's mom was one of the sweetest ladies I ever met.  She was a nana to many kids, including mine.  Around this time I had already started letting my hair grow, but made the decision to let it grow long enough to have it cut and be able to donate it.

My husband liked it long as well, but recently I was getting tired of it, and mentioned a few times that I wanted to cut it.  Recently he saw a photo of me with shorter hair and said "you ought to get it cut like that again".  Yay!  So, I went in today and  had 25 cm (10in) cut off.  (Please know he wasn't forcing me to keep it long, he just liked it that way, and I like to make my husband happy.) 



Before:

After:

I will be sending it off to Pantene Beautiful Lengths here in Australia.


Here are the requirements:
- Minimum of 20cm
-No dyes, bleaches, or chemicals
-No more than 5% gray


For the cut:
-Clean, shampoo and/or condition your hair
without any styling or hairspray products
-Once hair is fully dry gather hair in ponytail (make sure the elastic is tight),
and cut just above the pony tail.  I would put an elastic in the middle as well,
any hair not in the ponytail will not be included in the donation.

15 Years of Marriage...

Wow, 15 years!  How did that happen so quickly?  As I was reflecting on the past 10 years, I am just in awe of what God has done in our lives.  We were 19 when we got married, and it was the best decision I ever made. 

We've lived in 8 homes, 2 countries, had 3 foster teenage boys, had 2 children, graduated Bible college, owned too many vehicles to count, lost many loved ones, made many lifelong friends, went to Disney World, live on Indian Reservations, been to 5 different countries (USA, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, and Australia), saw the Grand Canyon, left our friends and family behind and moved to the other side of the world, and much more. It's been a whirlwind 15 years, but I can't imagine doing it with anyone else.

I'm so thankful for the man God has given.  He has a heart for the Lord and is one of the most giving people I know.  He works hard to provide for his family.  He supportive and encouraging in my latest endeavours. He's a great dad.  And the list goes on.  I'm thankful for him.  Here's to another wonderful 15 years!



Golden Prairie Press {TOS Review}

We have had the privilege to review Digital Heroes and Heroines of the Past: Amererican History Curriculum from Golden Prairie Press.  This curriculum is written by Amy Peutz, a homeschool graduate and history lover.  I love history and want to share that with my children, so any extra history curriculum we can add I'm all for it! 


Digital Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History Curriculum is a 30 week history curriculum.  Part 1 has 15 section, and each section has 5 lessons. 


Each lesson has a short story for 1st and 2nd graders and a longer story for 3rd -6th graders (my son sat through the longer versions and he's 6).  There are questions at the end along with writing topics.  Some of these questions will require further research, which was fun.  There is also a geography section where the kids can locate and label things on the maps.  We enjoyed the many craft ideas as well.  Each section also has a memory verse, which gets bonus points from me! 


Throughout the lessons they occasionally discuss historical Art.  I love the subtle way they introduce the art and have the kids answer questions about it.


We didn't do any of the skits they recommended, but I'm definitely keeping the book to go through later.  It's not as much fun with just two kids.  :)  


I enjoyed the timeline as well, it just makes so much more sense seeing it all on paper.  Also in the curriculum are recipes, which my daughter loved.  One lesson talked about cocoa beans, and then they gave a recipe for a cocoa drink.  Yum!


One of my kids' favourite stories was in Section 1, Lesson 2 where it told of Leif Eriksson and how he learned about Christ from the Norwegian King Olaf I.  So began the song "Do you want to build a snowman" over and over and over!




Digital Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History Curriculum is designed for grades 1-6, but I would think older grades would enjoy it as well.   The price is $98.99, but don't let the price deter you.  You get quite a bit for your money.  Here is what you get in the curriculum package:

~ Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History Part 1 ebook (my input: 388 pages!)
These are lessons for the first half of the year. You can view the Contents and Introduction here. 

~ Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History Part 2 ebook (my input: 408 pages!)
These are lessons for the second half of the year.

~ Additional Materials Downloads
This CD has supplemental materials. Here you will find printable timelines, instructions and entertaining videos, color artwork, coloring pages, and much more.  This is such a fun bonus!

~ Historical Skits ebook
We didn't use this book, but for larger families it would be great.  You can view the table of contents and sample pages here.

~ Sing Some History CD
Hear some of the songs that are mentioned in the book: All the Pretty Little Horses, Lavender’s Blue, Liberty Song, Chester, Johnny has Gone for a Soldier, Yankee Doodle, Hail Columbia, Tippecanoe and Tyler Too, Oh! Susanna, Missionary Farewell, Henry Clay, Sweet Betsy from Pike, Dixie, Bonny Blue Flag, Battle Hymn of the Republic, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, She’ll be Comin’ ’Round the Mountain, Pop Goes the Weasel, and Uncle Sam’s Rich Enough to Give Us All a Farm. Listen to a sample.

~ Listen to Some U.S. History MP3 CD
This is an audio collection of 20 original speeches, poems, sermons, and documents that are mentioned in the book. Includes: Mayflower Compact, Model of Christian Charity, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, On the Method of Grace, To King George on the Repeal of the Stamp Act, To My Dear and Loving Husband,Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, Bill of Rights, My Escape from Slavery, Inaugural Address, The Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, Excerpt from A Diary from Dixie, Speeches by Red Cloud, The Atlanta Exposition Address, Christian Citizenship, and Sergeant York. Listen to a sample.

Not included in the curriculum, but I'd recommended...

Ten Great Adventurers by Kate Dickinson Sweetser, Edited by Amy Puetz

Ten Girls from History by Kate Dickinson Sweetser, Edited by Amy Puetz
Heroines of the Past: Bible Study by Amy Puetz
Two Little Americans in Spanish California by Frances Margaret Fox
Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott

_______________________________________________________

I really loved this American history curriculum and will keep reading the stories with my children as we have time.  I only wish they weren't digital downloads and were actual books (that's was a lot of ink and paper!).  I'm one of those people who don't own a kindle!  I love real books!  I'd recommend the printed version because it's the same price, but you pay a little extra for shipping.  Check out the online store and see what else Golden Prairie Press has to offer.

You can find Golden Prairie Press on Facebook.
Read what others had to say about the curriculum...

I'm a Couch to 5k Graduate!

Yesterday I completed the Couch to 5k program!!  Woohoo!  I am successfully running 30 minutes without stopping three times a week.  I'm not quite up to a 5k, but I'm close.  Now that I am finished with the C25K, where do I go from here?  As I was debating on just working on my speed and endurance, I saw the there was a 5k to 10k app.  Dare I?!  Well, I downloaded the app and I'm going to give it a try.  Tomorrow I have a free run.  So I'm just going to see how long I can go without stopping, then Saturday start to 5k to 10k.

I just wanted to take a few minutes and answer some of the questions some of you have asked.

Do you run on a treadmill or outside?

I run outside.  When we were in America I had a treadmill, but it was terribly boring for me.  I am finding I have to change up where I run every so often because I get bored of that too.  Plus I hear that it's safer (you don't want people memorizing your path).

How far do you go in 30 minutes?

The C25K program has you always start and end with a 5 minute walk.  I've never calculated how long the walking part is, but in total I am just over 2.5 miles.  I'm pushing to get to that 3.1 mile in the 40 minutes.

Are you losing weight?

Ah, the fun question!  I've only lost a few pounds, but I'm certain I've lost a few inches.  I've noticed some shirts that were tighter are now looser, and some skirts are looser as well.  I know diet plays into this as well.  And for me I wanted to finish the C25K before I went and make drastic changes to my diet.  I have gave up soda for the most part and am only drinking water.

Do you love running yet?

Ha!  Not yet.  But I will say the feeling of accomplishment afterwards is incredible.  Starting out I could barely do the 3 minute jog, and to think I can run 30 minutes without stopping is just a great feeling!

My kids were watching the Muppets last night and I saw this skit.  It's hilarious!



Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge

This weekend we had some friends from Darwin come visit us. This may be the only time they see Katherine, so we decided to do the Nitmiluk Gorge's 2 hour boat ride.  It is a bit expensive, but so worth it!  I would go again in a heartbeat.  It's incredible to think that this is practically in our back yard. 

There are 13 gorges altogether, but you can only see the first few by boat.  In fact we took two boat rides.  The first boat took us to the first gorge, then we got off the boat, walked a little ways and got on another boat and went to the next gorge.  The second boat could only go so far as well, but it was gorgeous.  You can see the next gorge by getting on another boat, but that costs more.  To see all 13 gorges you can take a helicopter ride...maybe someday!

I was kicking myself for forgetting my good camera,

these photos are all taken from my iPhone.

Aboriginal drawings on the rock.

These rocks separated the first and second gorge.

 

We had a great tour guide, who added little funny jokes just to see if we were listening, I think!

Can you see the crocodile along the bank?

It's hard to see, but these trees were filled with bats.

Photos don't really do it justice!

Me and the kids

A rare photo of the two of us

Love Is Hugs

Maestro Classics {TOS Review}

"Music Makes Children Smarter!"

As many of you know, I am part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  I've had the privilege to review some great products for our homeschool.  I love adding extra educational, yet fun things to our regular school day.  We recently had the opportunity to do a review for Maestro Classics.  We were given digital downloads of My Name is Handel: The Story Of Water Music and Casey at the Bat.

Sadly my kids are not that familiar with classical music.  Maestro Classics was a great way to introduce them to some great classical music.  Last December my husband and I went and heard Handel's Messiah performed by the Darwin Symphony Orchestra.  I absolutely loved it.

Total duration - 48:45 minutes.  Geared for ages 5 and up.

In My Name is Handel: The Story Of Water Music, we learned about George Fredric Handel and how he needed to get back into the King's favour.  Throughout the story you will hear some of Handel's music.  I really don't know why I don't listen to this classical music more.  It so beautiful.


The cd shares the music, the story behind the song, the story behind the music, and a few other tracks that we enjoyed.

Total duration - 35 minutes.  Geared for all ages.

I thought Cody would be more interested in Casey at the Bat, but we don't have baseball here in Australia (or at least not to the degree of America), so some of the terms went over his head, such as "single," 'strike," and "struck out".  After listening it to the first time, I explained some basic baseball rules and we listened to it again.  Now I hear him saying things from the poem like "that's ain't my style!".  I love the little story behind the poem.  (This works for history!)  There are many other fun things on the cd.

We were given a fun booklet to go along with each cd.  These had little activities for the kids to do, like dot-to-dot, a copy of the poem, sheet music, a crossword puzzle, and more.


Like my last review, we are enjoying listening to audio stories.  I'm trying to incorporate it into our afternoons.

Check out the educational page that includes curriculum guides, sheet music, home projects (cooking, crafts, etc.), and more!  For homeschoolers there is a special page for you with curriculum guides for each cd and how you can incorporate it into several subjects.

Maestro Classics has a collection of 11 CDs for $186.78:  Peter and the Wolf, The Story of Swan Lake, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, My Name is Handel, Casey at the Bat, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Tortoise and the Hare, Juanita the Spanish Lobster, Carnival of the Animals, Juanita la langosta española and The Soldier's Tale.

We enjoyed listening to these cds.  I do feel they are a bit pricey, especially since I would love all of them, but they are great quality and very well done.  If you are looking to introduce classical music to your children in a fun, easy, enjoyable way, I highly recommend Maestro Classics.

CD's are available for $16.98 and digital downloads are $9.98.
Here are the social media links for Maestro Classics:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaestroClassics
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MaestroClassics
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/maestroclassics/

Afterwhile Crocodile...

Photo from Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Facebook Page

This 3.9  meter saltwater crocodile was caught along the Katherine River.

This photo was taken a few weeks ago at our friend's block along the Katherine River,

not far from Donkey Camp.

A Boy and His Daddy...