• In my life this week…we have spent a lot of  time visiting with friends and watching NBA basketball finals (My son was loving the Thunder!  He was quite sad with the outcome).

• In our home school this week…we spent time daily reading our Bible, taking notes, and discussing our reading (though we forgot to discuss a couple of days and didn't read on Monday morning).  We read several books together that were very overdue to the library.  I wanted to read as many as I could before paying a ton of late fines.  The boys spent a lot of time on Mine Craft as well.  Since I haven't been on it myself, I am not exactly sure what they are learning there (a little about using primary resources to make things, I think).  I know I spent some time looking up words that the kids didn't know as well.  We also learned some character lessons about patience in finding lost things (my keys at the grocery store), worthwhile ways to spend our days (They each made a list.), why the I pod touch can be a problem.

• I am inspired by…my husband's diligence in weeding the garden and his patience with my weariness this week.

• Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…  Allen and Charlie's friend, Nicki, came over and helped pull weeds Monday morning.  Our good friends, the Morris family, came over Monday afternoon for a long overdue visit.  So glad we got together and refreshed our friendship!  Tuesday we were blessed to have a newlywed couple over for dinner and conversation.  We also spent time with the cub scouts at the drive in Friday night (We saw Brave.) Other highlights include: Tang Soo Do, Mom's Prayer Group, and playing at the park on Thursday morning with friends. Today Charlie's friend, Sammy, is here for the afternoon.  Ben has spent a lot of time online with his friend, Zane.  Later today we are meeting for swimming, worship, and discussion time with our small group.

• My favorite thing this week was…being with friends and walking at night with Jeff.

• What’s working/not working for us… Walking in the evening with Jeff is working great for me because he helps me keep at it and it is so nice for us to get out of the house and talk.  Not working so great for me is getting up and going to bed at irregular times.  I have been tired and frustrated a lot more this week.  Also not working is the amount of screen time used in the family this week.  I have been trying to let the kids monitor themselves but their 3 to 4 hours is too much for me.  I miss my kids.

• Things I’m working on… finding a balance between trusting the kids to make good choices for their daily activities and giving them boundaries that don't take away that trust.

• I’m reading…The book of Isaiah.  I just finished The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma which is a very interesting story of a girls reading journey with her father throughout her years of elementary, middle, and high school.  I would recommend it to any parent who wants to build a strong foundation in literacy while forming a special bond with their child.  Each chapter is a short portion of their relationship during what they call "The Streak" (The dad read to his daughter every night before midnight for at least 10 minutes until she graduated from college.)  Being well written and interesting as it spoke to many different stages of adult life as well as childhood, it was often difficult to put down.

• I’m cooking…basic foods as much as possible.  So, I am still cooking as little as possible.  It's just too hot to add more heat in the house.  This week I made fried chicken with no breading fried only in butter with a little salt and pepper on it, pan fried steak, chili.... wait, I guess I've been heating up the kitchen quite a bit.  I guess since we don't eat much bread the meat has to get cooked somehow.  We have had taco salad, tuna salad (tuna with mayo and mustard mixed in), scrambled eggs, egg casserole, muffin cake, porridge, and even frozen burritos. 

• I’m grateful for…patience from family and God, mercy, forgiveness, hugs, kisses, friends, air conditioning, and a home.

• I'm looking forward to... my children's performances at the end of music camp this week, White River Youth Camp starting next Sunday, visiting with more friends this week!

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

• In my life this week…I have been blessed with the return of my precious children.  They were gone for 10 days from home. 

• In our homeschool this week…we read each morning from Matthew, Romans, and Isaiah.  We shared together out loud what we read about and what stood out to us after writing in our spirals.  We also started a daily math review and began listening to "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" on audiobook.

• I am inspired by…my children's determination to do what they set their minds to do.  Two of them are trying to save money to buy an Ipod Touch.  Pulling weeds at .10 per minute and finding things to sell have consumed a good amount of their time this week.

• Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…most of our family next week.  We will head to OKC to spend a bit of time with my brother and his family before he moves to Seattle.  Then the boys will head over to Foss Lake for a campout with the rest of the Rader men. 

• My favorite thing this week was…discussing God's word with my children each morning. 

• What’s working/not working for us…letting our hurt feelings hurt others (talking about my family of five here, especially myself).  When we get hurt we try to make others hurt as well until they apologize or change their ways.  We end up pointing out all the bad in them thinking we might change them.  It never makes things better to dwell on our hurt feelings or make the other person feel bad too.   Although it can help to apologize and talk things out.    It also feels better to know we are doing the right thing (loving others) even when we have been hurt.  I can't make someone else change but I can love them anyway or choose to stay mad/ hurt until they change (which may be never).

• Things I’m working on…knitted wash cloths.  Grandma has requested some new ones and I am happy to work on them.  It is very relaxing for me to knit.

• I’m reading…The book of Isaiah, The Knitting Sutra, and The Reading Promise

• I’m cooking…as little as possible since I have been sick with a cold for 9 days.  Thanks to my hubby for the cooking and cleaning he has done!

• I’m grateful for…the blessing of God's peace in following his ways.

• I’m praying for…reconciliation of family members: that hurt feelings will not allow them to show their love for each other and that forgiveness and mercy will flow much stronger than disappointment.