Saturday, June 19, 2010

Our "Life-Psalm"



Prior to getting married, Howie and I faced some obstacles.
Our loving Heavenly Father was so gracious to us and kept us by HIS power!
One of the encouragements to our hearts was this Psalm.
We made it our "Life-Psalm" together as a couple.
MANY times throughout our marriage we have turned to it for comfort.
It is such a blessing!
Might it encourage you in the LORD this day!

Psalm 91

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD,
He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers,
and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;
nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;
nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side,
and ten thousand at thy right hand;
but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold
and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge,
even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee,
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over thee,
to keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee up in their hands,
lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder:
the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Because he hath set his love upon me,
therefore will I deliver him:
I will set him on high,
because he hath known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him:
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him, and honour him.

With long life will I satisfy him,
and shew him my salvation.

Holy Bible

Friday, June 18, 2010

I love Mo.


Willems, that is. After returning to school from my 8 week maternity leave this past year, I found myself with 3 weeks left in the school year, and 22 kids absolutely ready for summer--which was, well...wild. I needed learning activities that would be meaningful, engaging, and get the kids excited about learning! That's when Mo and his trusty pigeon came in and made those last three weeks AWESOME! I have done many author studies before, but this one was by far the most excited I have seen my kiddos get! His books and illustrations are hilarious, and the kids loved making their own Pigeon and Elephant and Piggie books. They sat at the writing station working. Thats right. Working! They read independently, using funny voices and reading with expression, and they rolled with laughter as they buddy read the Elephant and Piggie books together! We read, laughed, created, wrote stories, and had a blast those last three weeks. Parents, I highly recommend adding Mo Willems books to your home library. I know we will be reading Mo at our house! Here are just a few of the fun activities we did with our author study...



We made our own pet pigeons!


The kids were inspired to write their own pigeon stories! This one was precious!


We made a graph! Would you let the pigeon drive the bus?


We made a character map of words to describe the pigeon! They surprised me with some of the words they used!

Visit his website for fun games, teacher's guides, and just "Mo" stuff! www.mowillems.com

Idea Notebooks



I think it might be essential that all teachers keep an idea notebook. I will just be going about my day then suddenly come up with an idea for a lesson or cool project. Of course, I have to write it down immediately--because If I don't, I will most definitely forget about it later! I even have a notebook on my bedside table for ideas that come to me in the middle of the night! My problem is, I have about 5 or 6 idea notebooks, so when I go to look for the idea I have written down, I can't remember which notebook I used. I love my notebooks, but there has to be an easier way! Any teachers out there with a good solution?

An example of the craziness inside:



It may look wild to you, but it makes perfect sense to me!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

For Better or For Worse



When we said our vows, did we REALLY

comprehend the solemnity of the promises we made?

On our wedding day we were full of hopes and dreams.

We did not foresee calamity or troubles.

We anticipated only JOY.

And rightly so.

Every marriage ought to begin this way.

With JOY.



We cannot tell how long it will be before trials

or tragedies will enter our lives.

But they will surely come.

The only way we can keep the vows we make is

with the LORD and HIS strength.



We are not to become paralyzed with fear about the

"what if's" and the "worry".



NO.



But we do need to dig deep into the LORD and HIS WORD

to fortify ourselves against those potentially devastating

trials and troubles.



We need to GROW.



If we have a sound view of Who God really is.

AND we have a living and breathing walk with HIM.

AND He is our LORD and SAVIOUR.

HE promises that NOTHING will overtake us

and we will NOT be overcome.

HE will NEVER leave us nor forsake us.

**See Hebrews 13:5b**

It is all about HIM!



How precious to know that we will not be tested

above what we can bear!

**See I Corinthians 10:13**

What a sure foundation that is!

AND the LORD will carry us through those impossible times

as we look to HIM for the strength and grace to do so.





We, like most, have experienced some heartache and trials along the way ~

but we can testify that these things have only made us stronger...

in the LORD and as a couple.

Like the strong winds that force the roots of a tree to grow deep,

the trials of life are useful to fortify us and make us strong

IN THE LORD.



If you are facing troubles and trials right now, do not lose hope!

Our Great God is the God of HOPE!

Look to HIM and seek HIM out...

study HIS WORD and seek HIM in prayer.



The following passages of Scripture have meant so much to us,

especially during the trials we have faced ~



Psalm 91 is the "Life-Psalm" we chose together ~

it is WONDERFUL to meditate on!



Psalm 40 would be a glorious Psalm to pray through.



Proverbs 3:5-7



Isaiah 26:3-4

Isaiah 40:25-31

Isaiah 41:10



Jeremiah 29:11-14a



Romans 8:26-39



Hebrews 12:1-3



How WONDERFUL God's Word is!

May the LORD use it to encourage each of us as we

seek to walk with HIM.



Blessings,

Camille



Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Life in first grade

I started this blog a little for parents, a little for teachers, a little for kids, and a little for myself! I hope to share what everyday life is like in my first grade classroom! Believe me, there is never a dull moment! This will be my third year teaching first grade, and even though I didn't think I could love it more, each year I continue to learn, face new challenges, and have the opportunity to teach amazing kids who become part of my life. I know this is what I was meant to do! I am a first grade teacher--at last!

Brownies for a Crowd

Want a great recipe to take to a BBQ
this summer that will satisfy a crowd?
These brownies are
THE BEST EVER
and they are SO EASY to make!

Y.U.M.M.Y.!


Large Pan Brownies

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oil
(I use 1/2 butter, melted and 1/2 olive oil)
4 eggs
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup chopped nuts
(I omit due to allergies)

Put all ingredients in mixing bowl in order given.
Beat on slow speed until smooth ~ Do not overmix.
Pour batter into greased 9x13 inch pan.
Bake @ 350* F for 30 minutes (no longer).

Cool and Ice.

**You could also skip the icing step and serve warm with ice cream ~
Super yummy option! :)


Icing

Melt 2 squares baking chocolate in double boiler.
(I use 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips instead).
Stir into it 1 cup icing (powdered) sugar,
2 Tbsp butter,
1 beaten egg,
and 1 tsp vanilla

Simmer gently and stir.
I do this for a few minutes to cook the egg.
Cool a little before spreading over the brownies.
**Make sure the brownies are fully cooled first,
or they will become soggy!

Oh. Dear. Me.
Try to share! ;-)

Monday, June 14, 2010

J.O.Y.S. of Summer

The idea and where it began ~
"The Thousand Gifts" post by Ann Voskamp...
Might it inspire you to begin your own journey of thankfulness?

One by one I count and continue to number the blessings.
They truly are "new every morning" and as long as I live and have breath,
there are countless ways to praise HIM.
Everything, after all, is directly from His loving hand.
How wonderful to call Him Father!

563. Spinning girl in summer colours...


564. Helpers in the veggie garden




565. Dirt movers ~ more of my gardening helpers




566. Stuffies at the end of the lower bunk ~ won't always be like this!




567. More stuffies at the end of the top bunk bed ~
don't we sometimes think they will always WANT them there?




568. The "welcome home!" of many voices after a short trip to get groceries

569. The many hands that make the work light

570. The boys learning to be men

571. Beginnings of a veggie garden ~ our first!

572. AND seedlings just showing their green! :)

573. The quiet moments (few and far between)

574. The boy who cautiously enters the room where I nurse
a headache and rubs my arm to help me feel better...sooooo sweet!

575. The crunch of gravel and the stomp of feet as the boys run outside ~
F.R.E.E.D.O.M.!!

576. The music school our children have lessons at ~
in the fall it will be all four in the same half hour!! :)

577. The last portfolio visit of the year! :)

578. Gracious Christian support teacher who
patiently guides and encourages ~
thank you Mrs. M! :)

579. Husband who helps and encourages and researches alongside me ~
how could I do it all without him?

580. Google Earth

581. Swim lessons

582. Teen Camp ~ put on by our church for the church kids

583. Dedicated Youth Leaders...blessings!

584. Grade Appropriate "fun" learning ~
on the computer...the kids think of them as games!

585. Dedicated "kid's" laptop computers in the schoolroom

586. Typer Island ~ Learning to type on the keyboard made fun!

587. Amazing resources...making learning an adventure

588. Good reads and a long summer in which to drink them all in!

589. Long days of summer...refreshing opportunites

590. Beach days with friends

591. Joys of Sun, Sand, and Sea

592. A Bucket and Shovel for the explorations

593. Blow-up row boat

594. Pool noodles

595. Boogie Boards

596. Biking adventures

596. Islands to explore

598. Ferries to take ~ journeys to enjoy

599. Local *free* outdoor pool

600. Waking in the morning to the songs of sweet birds

Many Blessings,
Camille