Friday, November 20, 2009
My students did not want to participate. They
said it sounded boring. They said it was too expensive.
But then they got there.
Student Satesmanship Institute is a program here in Michigan where young people learn about a Biblical worldview in the context of a Mock Legislature. Our school joined another local Christian school and an association of homeschoolers to participate.
My students changed their minds. "You were right--I loved it and I want to do it again" another said "I am glad you made us do this".
Good stuff.
said it sounded boring. They said it was too expensive.
But then they got there.
Student Satesmanship Institute is a program here in Michigan where young people learn about a Biblical worldview in the context of a Mock Legislature. Our school joined another local Christian school and an association of homeschoolers to participate.
My students changed their minds. "You were right--I loved it and I want to do it again" another said "I am glad you made us do this".
Good stuff.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Cheryl & I went to a celegration of 25 years of service for a friend of ours--and we were so close to where I grew up, I could not help but take a quick tour of the old places.
The first picture is one of the farms where my grandparents lived. Amish now live there and they have vastly increased the house and farm buildings. Grandpa would be pleased that horses once again till the soil.
The old gray barn was on the farm where my dad grew up and were we lived while raising pigs. The house burned down and is no longer the same. Part of the farm is worked by Amish now.
This house was almost unrecognizable. Dad built the basement for it and we lived here for several years as "the basement house" The upper part has been finished and an addition added to the front. The trees in the front are an improvement, and the neighborhood is pretty crowded now--the place is no longer on the edge of farm land. Many memories.....
This is where Mom was raised. The barn has mostly collapsed, and all the out buildings are gone. A garage sits on what used to be the circle drive, and vynal siding is on the house--but otherwise, it looks much the same--with even more massive maple trees growing where they have long been.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
6:15 AM August 31, Dan was at the hospital for an X-ray, then immediately to a different building for a lithotripsy to break up a 1mm kidney stone. By 11:00 he was at school for the first day of teacher in-service meetings (2 hours late), then worked at school until 4:00. 80oz. of liquids consumed during the day after the proceedure. No sign of any kidney stone bits, only a little tenderness in his back. Today begins early again, more liquids, and (hopefully) another comfortable day. Lots of details to be accomplished in preparation for classes a week from today. We are looking forward to another great year. Cheryl will have 17 students in her 2nd grade class. Her "mallet finger" injury seems to be doing OK--much more comfortable with the splint on the back of the hand.
Labels: UPDATE
Friday, August 21, 2009
Here are a few scenes from our celebration of Evans 1st birthday.
Cheryl injured her finger in a sort of freak accident. There is no pain, but she will need to wear a splint for up to eight weeks, and there is a slight possibility she will need surgery. It is called "mallet finger" and is a torn ligament. 
HEY! Does anyone want some free straw?
A week after it was palnted, the grass is up sufficiently to rake off the straw--and at least from a distance, the lawn looks green!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Today was the day for seeding the yard where we put new top soil. Aaron arrived in time to help spread the straw over the seed as a deterrent to birds who would like to eat the seeds, and as a mulch to help keep the soil moist. Aaron is an excellent straw spreader! Now we water and wait for the seeds to sprout.
A visit to the Creation Museum would be a great opportunity for anyone who wishes to find out more about the Biblical account of Creation. It is located in Petersburg, KY just over the river from Cincinnati. 
It is a 70,000-square foot "walk through Bible history." You can check it out http://www.creationmuseum.org/
We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. It is worth the trip!
Thanks to Steve & Faye for the guest passes!
Friday, July 31, 2009
A PILE OF WORK!!
We decided that if we put some dirt around the foundation of the house, that we might get less water in the basement when it rains. But how much is enough?
Well we bought a 10 yard truck full--that's 14 tons! And half that amount would have been enough. Half a truck load would have been only $30 less--but I did not think about the amount of work the extra 5 yards (or more) would cost.
So now we are filling in low spots and thin topsoil areas of the lawn.It is "fill dirt" but is really close to good top soil. It has a few roots, rocks and the occasional suprise (like a golf ball)--and a fair amount of clay, which is just what we needed for the foundation project. So we are happy with the soil. it is just that there will be more work than intended!
