Life in Pictures

Since returning from our vacation and getting back into the normal routine of life, the kids jumped back into Science using the TopScience Corn and Beans Science Project. I absolutely love the TopScience experiments. They are so very well organized and planned out in such a way that my work is minimal and the kid's learning is maximized. The Corn & Beans Experiment project expands five weeks that include the children developing a science journal and continues through the plant growth process. Every day of school the children document the growth process in their handmade journals, they measure seed mass as it changes, and diagram plant parts and the process of photosynthesis. We've enjoyed watching simple corn and pinto beans break open through a little nurture and care, blossoming from seedlings into a full grown plant. They grow really fast! 

 

Speaking of growing things, here's my little bean who has also been growing like a bean. He's coming into a place of wanting to do what his big sisters do. When they do schoolwork, he likes to sit at the table and have school too. 

 

 



Don't be impressed. When he's not trying to be a big kid, he does a very good job of getting into any and everything he can find to be entertained until its time for nap time.

 

On a food-note, here's a throw back recipe, Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin. I dusted off this recipe from my blog and wowed my family's taste buds. If you're in the mood for the other white meat, be sure to try this one out.

 



 

Nothing

I've been reminded the past two days in my daily devotional, Jesus Calling, that nothing can ever separate us from God.

If someone meditating on the truth that nothing can separate them from God isn't quite sure what all the nothing is, they can just turn to Romans 8:31-39. There's a complete list of all the catastrophes in life that you just might think could pry you out of God's Hands.

How about,

Tribulation? No.

Distress? Ugh Uh.

Persecution? Forget it.

Famine? Never.

Nakedness? Of Course not.

Danger? Negative.

Sword? Under no circumstances.

What an encouraging truth that no matter what life circumstance you find yourself in, nothing can ever separate you from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8) and He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5).

May you be encouraged today that there is not one plunder in this world that could ever get between

you and God.

Peace in Where God Leads Me

Source

I love that making our house a home is my full-time job.

 

The only words that I can seem to find that describe the fulfillment that my heart experiences every day that I get up to educate my children, prepare meals, clean up spilled messes, fold and put away baskets of laundry, and greet my working man after his work day is, peace. 

I realize that this job description isn’t a popular one in today’s society, but it is one that has brought me satisfaction beyond any single day in the office.

The pay stinks and there isn’t much notoriety that comes with the position, but I have peace in knowing that it was God who led me to this place. I did not arrive here as a result of my selfish desires for notoriety or fame. It was simple obedience to God’s call.

 

Where He leads me, I will follow. 

YUM

I just love the Pioneer Woman. I was looking for an apple-something recipe that I could try with my KitchenAid Mixer and happened upon a recipe for this yummy goodness...

It's an apple cake baked in a cast iron pan. How cool is that? I just happen to have a cast iron pan that was given to me as a gift and this dessert was so much fun making in it.

Here's what it looks like before I flipped it over.

YUM

Try it for yourself here

Topping off the Trip

Our trip would not have been complete without a bit of gazing at the Waimea Canyon.

Also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific...

 

Take note of the Rooster...they are everywhere on Kauai!

 

 

 

It also wouldn't have been a complete vacation without an educational moment! After our Waimea Canyon visit, we took a little field trip to Fort Elizabeth, one of three Russian Forts on the island that was used as a trading post in the Pacific. The Fort was constructed in the 1800s as a result of an alliance between an Hawaiian High Chief and a Russian-American Company. The fort was later dismantled and today all that remains is the exterior wall of the Fort.

 

 

Fort Entryway

 

Fort Interior

One of the most interesting facts about the Hawaiian islands that intrigues me is the island of Niihau, also known as the The Forbidden Isle. We were able to get a glimpse of the island off the coast of the west shores of Kauai. This island is privately owned by the Robinson Family.

 

 

Wild at Heart

The trip wouldn't have been a vacation without a book to read, but I didn't pack one for the trip. I was happy with glee when we checked into our resort and caught a glimpse of the little library by the pool.

I grabbed this one.

This read went a long way at describing the heart of a man. It gave me an appreciation for the natural tendencies of a man's heart for adventure, seeking after the thrill of a victory, and the desire to be his wife's champion, rescuer, and protector. The author makes the reader comfortable with the notion of a "man's man". Yes, men can have a soft side that is comfortable with showing emotions, but God created men with a distinct difference from a woman and every man should live in this place of being himself.

I was encouraged through this book to appreciate what makes my husband the man that he is. An outdoorsman, a lover of sports, and a valiant protector and provider for his family.

The next time that I'm tempted to whine while the hubby heads for another round of basketball or to head up a tree to hunt out another deer, I'll consider the wildness within his heart and be at peace that its this God given difference in him that makes him the man that has courageously stolen my heart, protects my family, and seeks to honor the God that created him just the way he is. Considering all this, I wouldn't change a thing about him.

Underwater Livin'

You know my girls could have been born with webbed feet given how much they love being in the water. What's interesting about it all is that when my oldest was five or six, no matter what I did, I couldn't get her to get her face wet let alone put her head under water.

 

Let's just say she's come a long way beyond getting her face wet.

 

I enjoy the natural beauty of the water and the calming effect that waves have as they roll into shore.  On our first trip to Kauai I became a fan of snorkeling and each time that we return I'm always willing to give it a try to see if I can see a few underwater creatures. This time around I took our GoPro Camera with me to capture a few shots.

 

Yellowfin Surgeon Fish

 

Saddle Wrasse

 

Sergeant Majors