Brand New Kindergartener

My last post was about my new eighth grader.  This one is about my new kindergartener.  Now I turn 40 in July and that's bad enough.  But, to think that I have an eighth grader AND a kindergartener REALLY makes me feel my age a bit!

Mike and I are very proud of Bentley.  He has really grown up a lot these past few months.  Bentley's speech was a little slow in getting started and when it did, we quickly noticed he had real trouble with some of his sounds.  He had a slight lisp and distortion with his "s" sounds at the beginning of words.  When he started getting upset and tearful with correction, I knew he was going to need some speech therapy.  He began classes two afternoons a week one of our local elementary schools back in November of last year.

Bentley loved this class and his teachers!  We saw growth taking place immediately and he was a quick learner.  I would say in a little over a month, he began to self-correct himself on the very sounds he had been having so much trouble with!  In the picture above, he is doing some online work.  That sounds surreal to say a preschooler is doing "online" work, but his speech pathologist told us about this really neat site called Starfall.  Bentley loves to do his work there.   

Starfall is a free public service that teaches children to read with phonics. Their systematic phonics approach, in conjunction with phonemic awareness practice is perfect for preschool and kindergarten aged kids.  The site is full of resources and games to help kids learn their letter sounds and reading skills.

Another area we have noticed growth in Bentley is his imagination.  This boy can come up with fun using just the things he finds around the house.  He is forevermore the entertainer for sure!

He loves firetrucks and says that when he grows up he wants to be a firefighter.  As you can see in the picture above, he put together his own firefighting suit:  hat, goggles (so the smoke wouldn't get in his eyes), swimming goggles ("you know mommy like that thing the real firefighters wear over their mouth"), gloves, and jacket!  All over his pj's!  He even had his dad's old work boots on!

I asked him why he had crayons between his toes and he said, "Cause those are the ones I'll need for this picture I'm coloring.  I won't have to go hunting for them in the color bucket if I just put them here."

On June 3rd, his speech class had a graduation ceremony.  Bentley is the one in the middle of the picture above (plaid shirt/khaki pants).  He was about a head taller than the other kids.  We were so proud of him this night.  The kids were really rambunctious; especially the boys.  They were moving around and leaving the steps and turning around, but Bentley stood still and paid attention to the teachers.  Maybe it was stage fright, but he was really good and set a very good example!

The kids sang several songs showing off the different sounds they had improved in and then each child was called forward to receive their certificate and graduation hats they had made.  Here Bentley is with his speech pathologist, Ms Vicki:

Bentley made several friends during this class, but Dominic was his "bestest" friend:

Bentley gave both Ms Vicki and his assistant teacher Ms Debbie flowers after the ceremony.  He was so sweet.  I had told him to give them their flowers and hug their neck.  When he gave each one their flowers, he told them, "Thank you for being my teacher and helping me talk."

Bentley and Ms Vicki

Bentley and Ms Debbie

The class had been practicing their songs for a few weeks and Bentley was really excited about the "Five Little Hotdogs" song.  He wanted me to record it:

I also recorded them singing "What a miracle am I":

So, at the beginning of August I'll be seeing him off to Kindergarten.  And while it will be a bittersweet day for me, he is excited about going to school.  I know he will do well and I can't wait to see all that God will do through my little man!

One blessed mama,
Jennifer

Brand New Eighth Grader

Yep, that's right!  We have a brand new eighth grader in our home!  Cecily has worked really hard this past year in school and has accomplished a lot both academically and artistically.  One project she was especially excited about was the opportunity to re-design a takeout menu for a local restaurant.  The members of her computer class were given the assignment to take the restaurant's existing menu and give it a new look.  The teacher picked five and sent those to the owners for their final decision.  Cecily and another young man's was chosen.  Here they are at the re-opening of Al Caprese Italian restaurant:

The young man designed the outside of the menu and Cecily the inside.  The local community paper did an article featuring the re-opening of Al Caprese and featured Cecily's work as well.

They were given gift certificates by the owners:

Cecily was also named the Best 2nd Year Pianist in her middle school by her piano teacher.  Here she is being congratulated by her principal:

Prior to the awards ceremony, there was a banquet held in the honor of the students receiving awards.  Cecily and three friends posed for a picture:

From left to right are Darci, Danielle, Cecily and Sara.  Darci and Danielle also go to church with us.  Darci is the sweetest girl and really talented.  She is so good with JennaBeth our two year old.  Danielle was named the school's Most Outstanding Female Artist of the Year.  Sara is a friend Cecily has enjoyed getting to know this year.

Cecily also had several pieces of her personal art work displayed in the school's art show earlier in May:

Cecily painted the cute little raccoon:

Not only did she have these art displays, but her piano recital was also held that evening.  Here she is playing Franz Liszt's Liebestraum (Love Dream):


So, all this plus she completed seventh grade with all A's and a few B's taking advanced academic courses!  Her father and I couldn't be more proud of her and her hard work.  She is growing into a beautiful young woman both inside and out.

Blessings,
Jennifer

 

Dug Down Deep

I don't know much about construction, but one thing I do know is that a good foundation is very important.  There is a story, a parable, in the Bible that speaks to the importance of a solid foundation.  It is found in Luke chapter 6, verses 46-49:

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?  I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.  He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.  When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.  But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation.  The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

Those three words, dug down deep, are what caught the attention of Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor of Covenant Life (part of the Sovereign Grace network of local churches) in Gaithersburg, Maryland and provided the impetus for writing his latest book Dug Down Deep: Building Your Life on Truths That Last.  You can visit Josh's blog by going to joshharris.com.

Waterbrook Multnomah sent me a copy of Dug Down Deep for the purpose of review.

The first seven words of the book ask a very poignant question:  What are you building your life on?  Josh spends the rest of the book, using a mix of narrative from his own journey and sections on theology, fleshing out an answer to that question.  Josh covers the basics of faith - God, scripture, Jesus, the Cross, salvation, sanctification, the Holy Spirit, and the church.  Even though he covers such weighty doctrine, Josh writes in such a way that makes the book an easy read.  He provides scripture references, which allows the reader to search God's word for themselves.  You can read chapter one by going HERE.
 
Dug Down Deep would be a great resource for discipleship with a new believer or for use in small groups/Sunday Schools.  Because the book is readable systematic theology, I would highly recommend it for use with youth groups.  The book includes an in-depth study guide with sections covering each chapter of the book.  You can order the book from Waterbrook Multnomah by going HERE or from Amazon.com by following the link provided below:














You can also rank this review which will help me have better access to more titles to review:

Don't miss out on this one,
Jennifer

Please Stop Laughing at Me

This week brings the end of the school year and I have one happy daughter!  I am so praising the Lord for this past school year.  Cecily had such a difficult sixth grade year and I prayed hard over last Summer that her seventh grade year would be better...and it has been so much better.  She has enjoyed her classes and teachers and has been able to make friends.  Mike and I have watched her grow so much this past school year.  We are truly blessed.  When I can get my tech savvy hubby to help me understand some things about our newly refurbished computer, I hope to share some of Cecily's end of the year accomplishments for which she was recognized through video and pictures.

The middle school years are difficult.  I don't know if I can pinpoint one particular thing that makes them so, but they just seem to be particularly challenging.  I remember the middle school years being the worst I can remember from my own school experience.  Unfortunately, bad experiences don't wait until middle school to surface.  They can happen much earlier.

Such was the case for Cecily.  We were living in the MS Delta during her early elementary years and she had a challenging third grade year.  Not only did we have difficulties with a teacher, but she was bullied by another little girl in her class.  I was a little shocked to see how ugly and hurtful girls can be to one another at such a young age.  I'm not sure what the source of the problem is outside of the sinful heart that we are all born with, but it seems that kids can just be so cruel to their peers.

It was this personal experience with bullying in a school setting involving my own daughter that made me jump at the opportunity to read Jodee Blanco's Please Stop Laughing at Me...One Woman's Inspirational Story.  I was sent a review copy by Thomas Nelson for the purpose of review.

Ms. Blanco's story is heartbreaking to read.  Please Stop Laughing at Me is her memoir and tells of how she was bullied from elementary through high school.  She writes with such raw honesty that there were times I just had to put the book down and walk away from it for a day or two before picking it back up again.  You can visit HERE to read an excerpt from the book and download chapter eight.

It is encouraging to know that Jodee was able to overcome her extreme experiences with being bullied and is now involved on many levels with helping other kids overcome as well.  If you have children in school, it would be well worth your time to visit Ms Blanco's website which can be found at www.jodeeblanco.com.  At her site you can get more information on her speaking schedule as well as her books including the sequel to Please Stop Laughing at Me, Please Stop Laughing at Us:  One Survivor's Extraordinary Quest to Prevent School Bullying.  

Please Stop Laughing at Me includes a reader's guide and an all new section with information on cyberbullying.  You can order the book by following the link provided below:














Blessings on you and your children,
Jennifer

Say Yes!!!

Well, I'm very glad to see the blog is still here!  And very glad to be reviving it this week!  A very crazy month of May (due to a little pesky kidney stone) plus having no computer for several weeks equals one very quiet blog.  I am so very thankful for good doctors and good medicine and a wonderful church family.  I seem to have "lost" my kidney stone according to my urologist and I have a computer again thanks to Mr. Whitehorne.  Lots of life has taken place over the past four weeks and I can't wait to tell you about it.  During this time I've read a stack of pretty good books.  I'm excited to tell you about one of them today!

My daughter and I love to watch TLC's Say Yes to the Dress.  The most fun about watching this show is the transformation that takes place when the girls find that perfect dress for their special day.  They usually go to a back room with a wedding dress consultant, try on the dress and then step out to show family and friends.  You always know when that perfect dress has been found by all the tears that begin to flow!

In her new book The Fitting Room:  Putting On The Character of Christ, Kelly Minter explores God's holy fitting room where you are encouraged to clothe yourself with the virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  The content of Minter's book is based on the following passage from Colossians 3, vs. 12-15:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful."

Minter's writing is down to earth and I so appreciated her genuineness.  What most impressed me about the book was Minter's handling of the subject of justification when writing about being "God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved".  She was able to break down justification into understandable portions without losing the richness of this sometimes misunderstood doctrine.  Minter also handled God's Word with excellence, always establishing context when making her point with the scriptures.

The book includes discussion questions at the end for each chapter.  The Fitting Room would be an excellent choice for small groups, Sunday School classes or a for use in a discipleship relationship with a new believer.  If you are looking for a Summer Bible Study or quiet time aid, then purchase a copy of The Fitting Room and join in with a group of ladies online over at (in)Courage/Bloom Book Club for a study of the book with the author Kelly Minter herself!

This book can be purchased by following the link to Amazon.com bellow:














Thank you B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy of this book!

Go now and get this book and enjoy a makeover like you've never experienced before,
Jennifer

The Rolling Stone

I haven't meant to be MIA in blogland, but the last week and a half have been quite a bit off the radar of "normal" for our family.  This change in schedule has been due to a little 6mm kidney stone that decided to make its appearance painfully known to me last Friday in my right kidney.  I have NEVER experienced such pain in all my life...gall bladder removal and three C-Sections...NOTHING compared to this kind of pain.  I felt like I had a three hundred pound man standing on my back stabbing me with knives.  I endured as much as I could over the weekend and ended up in the emergency room at 1:30 am on last Tuesday morning.  When the triage nurse asked me about my pain using the infamous "pain scale" of 1 to 10, I told her it was an 11.  I wasn't trying to be funny either...the pain was off the charts!!!

After a bag of  I.V. fluids, morphine and antibiotics, I was feeling much better.  I thought I would go home and take my ten little antibiotic pills (to the tune of $200!!!!!) and be feeling better in a couple of days.  Ummmm...NO!  I began spiking fevers up to and over 103.  My highest spiked to 104.4.  I know I sound like I am complaining, but folks I thought I was dying!  Really...I did.  Praise the Lord we have a nurse in our church family who Mike called and she came over right away.  She and Mike got me iced down and in a cool shower and finally after about 2 hours got my fever down to 99.5.

I continued to spike fevers for a couple of days, but not as high as 104.  They seemed to hover around 102 and 101 for some time.  Linda, a.k.a. SuperNurse, took me to her house and took care of me for a couple of days so Mike could at least get some sleep.  I was waking him up during the night in pain and with fever, so me being out of the house helped him get some rest.  He needed it, because he was taking care of the three kids.

So, now I have a consult with a urologist for a possible Lithotripsy to break up the stone.  Another doctor (my third so far) and I am sure more medicine.  We've already spent $200 on the antibiotic and pain meds (that's with insurance coverage!) and I'm sure this doctor may prescribe more in addition to the $100 Uricit-K I have to get filled to help dissolve all the fragments of the stone after the Lithotripsy.  NOT the way we wanted to spend the precious little bit of money we had saved up, but...

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."  Proverbs 16:9

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails."  Proverbs 19:21

 "A man's steps are directed by the LORD.  How then can anyone understand his own way?"  Proverbs 20:24

The Lord has for some time now had me in His classroom teaching me to trust completely in Him and in Him alone.  And here we are again...the Teacher and His student...the Master and His follower...The Great Father and His daughter.  He has been slowly helping me break the ties of this world that would keep me from trusting ONLY Him.  I can't help but trust it is all for some purpose that I can't quite see or understand just yet.

In the meantime, He is taking such great care of our family through our church family.  We had meals brought to us last week and all manner of folks to take care of the kiddos while Mike carts me from doctor's appointment to doctor's appointment.  Thank You seems so little to say, but I'm really at a loss for words in the face of the way our church family loves on us!  It is the next best thing to having my mama here and I mean that!

So, we will see where this road takes us!  I have a feeling somewhere very, very good because He is good ALL THE TIME!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and will bring you back from captivity."  Jeremiah 29:11-14a

All for His glory and my good,
Jennifer

Craving Grace

Tyndale House Publishers sent me a complimentary copy of Craving Grace by Lisa Velthouse for the purpose of review.  To be quite honest, one of the main reasons I was interested in reading this book was because I had found out Ms Velthouse once worked on staff at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan under the leadership of Pastor Rob Bell.  In light of the recent controversy over some of Mr. Bell's teaching, I was curious to read what a former staffer for him would have to say about grace.

I was extremely disappointed in this book.

Ms Velthouse's writing style is confusing at best.  Her tone is very sarcastic.  I understand she was trying to be genuine in conveying her journey to understand God's grace, but the tone of her writing for outweighed anything positive she had to say.  When she finally got around to actually saying anything about God's grace at all, it seemed a bit contrived.

For the majority of the book, Ms Velthouse whines about her former book Saving My First Kiss and how it hurt her dating life.  And in the end, she seems to equate God's grace with the seemingly good things He does for us or gives to us.  She only "gets" God's grace when everything starts going the way she desires for them to be in her life...her financial debts are cancelled,  the perfect job turns up, a guy starts taking interest in her.

The organization of the book itself was confusing for me.  You never knew for sure if you were dealing with present time or three years ago when she began her fast from sweets in an effort to understand God better and what He wanted from her in her life.  She kept flipping back and forth.

If you are interested in reading this book, I would be happy to send you my review copy.  Just leave me a comment with how to contact you and I'll get with you on an address to send it to.

For anyone else who might want to read the book for yourself, you can order by following the link given below:














Blessings,
Jennifer