Consumerism gone mad??

Is it just me, or has Christmas just got more and more about "STUFF"???

As we approach this special day, every year seems to become a competition of who can spend the most amount of money on the most amount of stuff for the most amount of people and win!!

When did this happen???

I didn't grow up in a Christian house, so it was never really about Christ, unfortunately, when I was a kid, but we always spent time together, watching various films as a family, and just enjoying each other's company, with good food and a gratefulness for the things we did get!!

Now that I have grown up ( a little....), I want to instill some of the same things in my children; spending time with those you love and a gratefulness for what they have, but also an appreciation for the greatest gift mankind was every given.

A way back to God.

This holiday is not about Stuff. Jesus was given meaningful presents by the Magi, and a small, thoughtful present is the most we have done this year. Instead, our focus will be along the lines of the American Thanksgiving. We give thanks for our family around us, who have thoughtfully given us presents. We are thankful for the special treats and food we can put on our table, and the means to do so. We are thankful for a roof over our heads and heating and lighting. 

But most of all, on Christmas day, Santa falls by the wayside in the presence of the KING of kings and the Lord of lords, our most precious gift, Jesus Christ. 

So there is no mad rush on Christmas Eve in our house, there are no £££££ signs in our children's eyes as they stare at a mountain of useless "STUFF" that will be forgotten by suppertime. There will be fun and laughter, thanksgiving and prayer, and Jesus.

Amen.

Pondering....

I was talking to a lady at the bus stop a couple of days ago, as you do, and she was making a joke about being allergic to children.

She said she didn't like her own kids when they were young, so she was definitely allergic to mine!!

She was trying to be funny, but it really struck me in a sad way. 

That used to be me! 

I hated school holidays, when it meant I had to be home all day with my children. I hated having to find things to occupy them all day long for those long summer months, and would be close to throwing a party when term time appeared on the horizon once more!!

How things have changed. 

It made me so thankful for the revelation that my children are a gift from God. That they are here, and mine to take care of, for such a short period of time. That, although I have bad days, they are to be cherished and appreciated for just being children. For having their own personalities, and quirks. 
Some of our favourite phrases as a family are coined from what the children have said. It is unique. They are unique.

So I am most definitely NOT allergic to children, I love them. And that lady doesn't know what she's missing out on.....

Summer is here!!!

Summer is here!! School is out!!

It's always hard having 1 child at school, with the others homeschooled, but I love it now, when summer comes, as I have all my babies in one place!!!

Little Bud is currently at school, because he has been staying with us and couldn't be home schooled for legal reasons, but now, as it is the summer holidays, the fun begins!!!!

So no more early mornings, dragging him out of bed, no more cutting a day short to go pick him up, and best of all, NO MORE PACKED LUNCHES!!!! Well, not unless its for all of us.....

I have been lacking motivation lately, as I mentioned in the last post, so as we have a full house and no more school to worry about, I feel a summer clean coming on. DH goes back to work tomorrow :( but it means I'm probably a bit more inclined to get stuff done, so we shall see....

The summer days stretch ahead, so what are your plans for these lazy days? Learning? Beach? Road trip? Holiday? 

Sunshine and flowers

I love it when the sun shines!!

Woke up this morning to a beautiful sunny day! Decided that I was going to take my big dog for a long walk today, as she has been teaching the pup lately and he can only go for 20 mins at a time. 

We took a lovely walk through a large cornfield not far from our house, and I don't know why, but being out in the sunshine, with my boys and my Poppy, looking at God's glorious creation, really lifted my spirits today! 




Poppy was pleased to get out for a proper run, and Haribo picked me the most beautiful little bunch of wild flowers, so I feel very spoilt today



I am a very lucky mama!! 

My baby puppy Murphy went out for a walk too, and he really seemed to enjoy it....!


And that reminds me, I may need to vacuum....... :-o (Oh My!!)

Summer Ideas

Summer is on the way, even though the weather needs to catch up, but the first thing most parents think is "what on earth am I going to do with the kids???"

Well, you are not alone. Even if you are a homeschooling family, the vast expanse of summer holidays can be daunting. We also have the added inconvenience of no car, but there are ways to entertain the chicklets on those long lazy summer days.

Obvious activities include getting the paddling pool out on a sunny day, picnics in the back yard, and bubble blowers etc.

A trip to the beach, (which we have the luxury of living close to) or a cinema trip is a nice treat day, and bowling is great for any age group.

Bike rides as a family are a nice memory to make, I remember spending many hours as a kid biking all over the countryside and i would love for my children to have the same. 

Getting the kids involved in gardening, or outside chores, such as sweeping, or mowing the lawn, if they are old enough (currently Haribo's summer job) is a nice way to keep up the good work ethic and can be made fun. The same can be done at the old summer favorite the Barbecue.  Helpers don't have to go near the hot grill, but little ones love to help butter buns with a spoon, or toss the salad, or set the plates out, or hand out napkins! Everything is fun to little ones! 

Bug collecting (and releasing them when done) is also a nice touch, both for pleasure and education, fruit picking, farm visits, outside crafts, long walks, long drinks, long visits, summer has so many possibilities, with just a little preparation and planning.

My aim is to plan one day trip outside the home a week, and fill in the other days as and when the weather or the mood takes us. I found that I need to plan, otherwise the days slip away and we get nothing done!!! 

So a calendar and a list are my essentials for summer, but having said that, there will be lots of lazy, lounging days, because that is what summer is for, after all....

Catch up

Phew!!! A chance to finally sit down and write! 

I haven't been particularly stacked out, but lots of little jobs get in the way!

We have had a hectic few weeks with my sweetie's shifts, and with it being half term in England, my youngest is off. I love having them all with me, and we have had a lovely time, proving that you don't have to have a car or money to have a nice school holiday. 

Yes, you heard me, we are currently sans transport, but we have been here before. 

About 4 yrs ago, our car died and we were without our own transport for about a year, when God blessed us through some friends who were getting rid of their car and gifted it to us!! 

It has lasted us that long, and now this car was going to cost us more to repair than it was worth to sell, so that was that. 

Grocery shopping is a little difficult at times, but with public transport, taxis and great friends, we are doing well, and when the time is right, and we have saved a little money, God will lead us to the right car (minivan, actually) and we will be mobile again. 

Murphy, our pup, is getting huge!!! He had his first run on the field with his mama this morning, and is shattered now. 

I have been doing lots of planning and cooking, but have had some SERIOUS sugar cravings. Need to get a hold on them, and quick, I think I need to purge my house of the few sweet things we have, just to break the cycle. 

I can't believe it's is June tomorrow. 

Hope this sunshine is here to stay......

My Grace is Enough...

So I was talking yesterday about how I was re-thinking school in the Gee house, and I thought I would tell you how we came to take our children out of main stream school and educate them at home.

It was 2 years ago this August, when my eldest girl, Boo, was about to go up to secondary school. We had been watching a US program (I am an American who happened to be trapped in an English born body!!) about a very LARGE family and it mesmerized me. How this Christian family managed to be nice to one another, to help one another AND to be home-schooled had me floored, especially as, at the time, I hated the summer hols as the kids drove me CRAZY! (My Abba Father has done such a work in me!!)

As Boo was headed up to "big" school, I was really concerned at just what they would teach my daughter, as Evolution is taught as fact in UK schools. It was when watching the Big family program that I felt I heard the Lord clearly tell me "that's what I want of you". So began a Moses type dialogue that went something like this...
" Are you kidding, Abba??" 
"Not at all, my darling, I want you to teach your children about me"
"Abba, I go crazy being with them for a half term, let alone full time!!"
"I know, but I can change that"
"I can't do it, Abba!!"
"Then take a look at 2 Corinthians 12:9"

As I looked at that scripture, I found that God wasn't asking me to do it alone, and that he would use my weaknesses to show his Glory through me!

Well, I was learning all about submission, so I approached my sweetheart about it and, as I am a bit of an ideas girl, with little fruition, he was not overly keen at first. As I showed him the curriculum I had found, he warmed up, seeing I really was serious about it, but would only agree to the boys being schooled, as Boo wants to be a doctor, and the curriculum at this point didn't go that far, so I left it with the Lord, if He had said it, then He would have to work on my sweetie's heart to do it. 

So, January 2012, our 2 boys began our home-ed adventure!!!!

It was only a few months later, due to some horrid incidences at school, Boo joined her brothers at Easter. Our youngest has stayed on at school for a while longer.

We have been at this homeschooling lark for 18 months now, and I can categorically say that God has shown himself strong in my weaknesses, that I LOVE being with my kids and that it is the best decision we made as a family, for our family, and although there are bad days, crazy days, days when I want to go lay on my bed, read a good book and ignore the "MUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMM" shouts coming from the table, I love homeschooling my precious gifts from the Lord!!!!

How about you? Is homeschooling something you have considered or have you known all along??? Leave a comment below.

Happy Birthday to Haribo!!

My biggest boy is 12 today!!! 

I can't believe it! He is growing up so fast. My big boy is growing into such a gentleman, he is very considerate, and we are so proud of the young man he is and is becoming, as we are all of our children. 

Our family has some little birthday traditions.

The day before, our close family always text or email each other to say "whose birthday is it tomorrow!!!????" 
Small, but funny, when Nana posts it at 12.05am!! 

The children always know they are going to get a rendition of their birth story too, periodically through the day. "This time x years ago...." is our birthday tradition, and the kids even ask me now, if i'm not quick enough!! 

It's amazing how these little traditions grow with the family, how words get adopted for general use, and how comforting collective memories are. Ask my children what happened when they were born, and they can tell you, even though they cannot remember themselves. 

This is what family is all about! 

Thank you Lord x