"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.

I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty,

believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."

~ Louisa Mae Alcott

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com
"Sunny Daisies" by Sarah Horsfall

Supper Menus
July 13th-18th

Monday
chicken tenders, tator tots, shells and cheese, green beans
Tuesday
soft tacos, refried beans, spanish rice
Wednesday
left overs
Thursday
spaghetti, tossed salad
Friday
out for supper
Saturday
homemade pizza

Peanut Butter Cookies
2 1/2 dozen

½ cup butter
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 ¼ cups flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda

Combine butters, sugars, and egg. Combine dry ingredients; add and mix well. Roll dough into balls. Place balls on cookie sheets and press fork marks onto cookies. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes on cookie sheets and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Serve with cold milk and enjoy!

Kind hearts are the gardens

Kind thoughts are the roots,

Kind words are the flowers,

Kind deeds are the fruits.

Take care of the gardens,

And keep them from the weeds.

Fill, fill them with flowers,

Kind words and kind deeds.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Summer Garden" by Anne Pratt

The Water Horse

First "crop" of okra from the garden! :-)

A Sense of Peace

When passing through the heat and fire,

Three things sustain my mind and heart;

Though still I may not understand,

A sense of peace they do impart.

Beyond all else, I must believe

That what my Father up above

Allows to come into my life

Is based on His unchanging love.

Then this, too, I must remember,

That nothing e'er escapes God's eye.

He is aware of everything.

He even knows before I cry.

And then this, too, I must believe

Down deep within my troubled soul,

That nothings in this universe

Is ever out of God's control.

~Eugene L. Clark

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"The Peaceful Village" by Henry John Yeend King

Testing 1, 2, 3 :-)

Since we began home schooling,

I have administered standardized tests

to the children after each school year.

After the first year, we tested in May. But, in years since, we have tested mid-summer ~ and, found it to be much nicer that way. In May, the children and teacher are a little weary. Taking a good, long month of "summer" first, seems to make everyone a little more fresher and ready for a week of testing. :-)

I have used the Iowa Test of Basic Skills for the past four years. I had to register to be a test administer and then I just simply order the testing materials each year. I use Bob Jones University Press for testing supplies.

After the testing is complete, I mail all of the materials back to Bob Jones where the tests are scored and ranked against students across the country. The results that are returned to me show the children's strengths and weaknesses and also how they are comparing nationally to other students.

It usually takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours each day over 3 to 4 days to complete the testing.

And when we are all done, it's fun to do something special at the end of the week! :-)

Supper Menus
July 6th-11th

Monday
steaks and peppers on the grill, baked potatoes, lettuce and tomato salad, french bread
Tuesday
tacos, refried beans, spanish rice, ice cream sundaes
Wednesday
crispy chicken tenders and gravy, french fries, fried okra, baked beans, big daddy biscuits
Thursday
out for supper
Friday
hamburgers, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad
Saturday
breakfast for supper - bacon, potatoes o'brian, pancakes, juice

Happy 4th of July!

My country,' tis of thee,

sweet land of liberty,

of thee I sing;

land where my fathers died,

land of the pilgrims' pride,

from every mountainside

let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,

land of the noble free,

thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,

thy woods and templed hills;

my heart with rapture thrills,

like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,

and ring from all the trees

sweet freedom's song;

let mortal tongues awake;

let all that breathe partake;

let rocks their silence break,

the sound prolong.

Our fathers' God, to thee,

author of liberty,

to thee we sing;

long may our land be bright

with freedom's holy light;

protect us by thy might,

great God, our King.

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"The Glorious 4th"