Great Things ~ An Update

The LORD has done
Great things!

We stand amazed at
HIS providential care over
our precious Austin (and all of us)
in the past (nearly) two months.

The road ahead is still a long one.
We will not know the full picture for
perhaps another year or more.
But, God is already there.
We have nothing to fear.

All things are possible
with our Great God!

We rest in His perfect plan.
He does all things well.
His ways are always best.

"For with God nothing
shall be impossible."
~ Luke 1:37 ~

Currently ~
Amazing things are happening.
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

We praise HIM for HIS Gracious
and Loving Hand upon us.
We daily marvel at all that HE has done!


Austin gained 15 lbs in 5 weeks.

He went from being bed-ridden (in the hospital)
to being able to walk 45 minutes (or more) non-stop!
His speed and stamina increase
nearly every day.

He has been eating us out of house and home ~
Just like a *typical* teenage boy.
I cannot begin to tell you how
WONDERFUL it is!!

The regular routines of being both
a violin student and teacher have begun again.
School work is being tackled.
Siblings are being teased ~
And they are teasing back. :)


Austin has even been able to take on household
responsibilities once again ~
Currently, he's my vacuum guy. :)

"O magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt HIS Name together."
~ Psalm 34:3 ~

Thank you to each one of you who
has prayed for Austin.
The LORD continues to daily give
His grace and strength.
He does the unseen.
The Amazing.

As this journey continues,
I plan to post updates ~
The LORD willing.

Thank you so much for the
kindness and love shown
to us in so many tangible ways.
We appreciate each one of you!
We are blessed beyond measure.

In HIS Love,
Camille

Faith-Building Stories for Kids

I've been using these

books for devotional times
with Emma.
We read the suggested passage
of Scripture and discuss it.
The stories provide further
opportunity for teaching
and encouragement.

The boys have,
at one time or another,
used them too.

The stories are based on
true events and are
encouraging and uplifting.
They often reveal something
Great about our
Wonderful Saviour.

He truly is Great.


This "Building on the Rock"
series of books would
make a wonderful gift.
It would also be a great
addition to any home library.


Click Here to find them on
Christian Book Distributors.
At the bottom of the page of the link provided,
you will find the books listed individually
for purchase separately.


We are thankful that
they were given to us! :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

**I am not compensated in
any way for this review ~
I share because these books
have been a blessing in our own home.

Homeschool Favourites

Getting Started in home education?  Want some idea of where to begin?
I was asked (via email) by two friends of mine a similar question.
And so, this post was born.

Six years ago, we began our own journey in home education.
The home school world was SO BIG.
And it still is.

We sought to keep things simple.
We tried to refrain from doing everything all at once.
Initially, we thought it was a good idea to stick with the basics.
As time went on on, we were able to add more things to our repertoire.
We also found that some things were not necessary,
and we discontinued them.

It was (and is) a process. :)

"When you Rise Up" is a *must read* for
any Christian homeschool family.
If you are beginning your own homeschool journey,
I would encourage you to prayerfully read this book!

It is SO encouraging!


The LORD is Faithful.  If you belong to Him,
He will guide you.

I found it very encouraging to know that there are many options.
It was also a comfort to realise that I could change from 
one curriculum to another, if necessary.

What a relief!
And what a blessing!

A gracious friend allowed me to copy what she was doing with her children.
She gave me links and suggestions.
As you may (or may not) know,
there are M.A.N.Y. ways to home educate.
No two home school families are carbon copies of each other.
And that is good.  Variety, after all, is the spice of life.

Over the years, I have gathered some of my own favourites.
You will find links to many of them within this post.
If you are just beginning, and you have young ones,
these are a few of the resources we use.


We have been thrilled with our elementary math program.
Professor B Math demystifies many of the concepts
I struggled with as a child.
Click Here to get to the home page of their site.

It, however, does not cover the *extras*
such as measurement, geometry and graphing.
Those aspects of the child's math program would need to be
taught by using supplementary resources.
We have not found this to be a problem at all.

Answers in Genesis seeks to defend the
Biblical account of creation from a scientific stand point.
We have found many of their resources to be such a great
blessing to our family over the years.


Click Here to view the
Biblically sound Science curriculum we
have used for the elementary and
junior high school years in our home.

I *love* this program for spelling ~
It's been such a blessing to know
that the children are kept on track by it.
And they learn to spell! :)

Emma Serl's Language Lessons for the elementary grades
truly are wonderful! We are enjoying them immensely.

Excellence in Writing is a terrific resource for those
who want their children to learn to write well.
It is something that I have turned to for each of our
children along this homeschool journey.
They have a variety of products at a variety of levels.

History lessons are a real pleasure with "The Story of the World"
by Susan Wise Bauer.  Click Here to find the first book of the series.
We all gathered around on the school room couch in the
early days and the children listened as I read.
I have happy memories of that
special time spent learning together.
She does include the legends and stories from various 
cultures from around the world ~ it's always best to be in tune
with what is going into your child's mind.
These books are a pleasure, but, they do require discernment.

If you are interested in reading a little of the
*why* behind our decision to home educate our children,
please Click Here.

And, if you are not just beginning,
and you are happy with what you are using....don't change!
Enjoy the benefits and blessings that come with continuing to use
what is working well for you! :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I am not compensated in any
way for these recommendations.
These products have been used
successfully by us in our home,
and I delight in sharing them with you.

Budding Entrepreneur?

What do you think?
Will anyone hire these two?

Emma created this flyer by herself.
I don't know if Natalie is aware
of what she's been committed to. :)

The flyer says ~
(and I quote)

"Emma and Natalie
at your service!
$2.00 each

Natalie and Emma
will pull your weeds,
plant your flowers,
rake your lawns,
and sweep your driveway.

If you would like us to do this
for you...please call!

We could do this on Monday,
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
We do not work on Sunday.

Thank you."

At that price,
I think I'd be foolish
not to employ them ~
Wouldn't you agree? :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Banana Nut Bread ~ A Classic

Please tell me you
have some yummy ripe,
speckled bananas sitting
on your counter to use...
'cuz I have just the
recipe for you!

It's a Classic.

Growing up,
my Mom would whip up a loaf
or two of this
fabulous banana bread ~
Complete with chocolate chips.

Everything goes better
with chocolate, don't you think?
We certainly thought so ~
It was our motto. :)


Classic Banana Nut Bread
(With Chocolate Chips)

~ Originally written out
from a recipe that my Mom had
written out...long, long ago!
(Tweaked a little, of course) ~

1/3 cup Butter, softened

1/2 cup Sugar
(I use organic and I use less...
perhaps 1/3 cup)

2 Eggs

1 3/4 cups Flour
(I use 1 cup Unbleached All Purpose,
and 3/4 cup Whole Wheat ~ Organic)

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1 cup mashed Bananas

1/2 cup Pecans, chopped

1 cup Chocolate Chips
(If you use Milk Chocolate,
reduce sugar by half)

Cream together butter and sugar.
Add eggs and beat well.
Stir together dry ingredients
with a wire wisk in a medium sized bowl.
Set aside.
Mash bananas, measure,
and set aside.

Add about 1/3 dry ingredients
to mixer and blend.
Add about 1/3 of banana
to mixer and blend.
Continue adding dry and wet
ingredients alternately to mixer
until all used up.

Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.

Scrape into a parchment paper
lined (or well greased) loaf pan.
(Mine is 9 1/2" x 5" x 3")

Bake at 350 degrees F
for about 50 minutes until done.
(It sometimes takes nearly an hour) ~
Test with a toothpick in the centre
of the crack ~ It should come out
relatively clean...not gooey. :)

About that cracked top ~
Apparently it's supposed to be there.
It means you've got banana bread success!
Who knew?

Once it's out of the oven,
Turn out onto a cooling rack.

Cool completely
(if you can wait that long)
before slicing.
It is especially nice warm,
but really, loaves like this are
best left until completely cool
and even until the next day
to fully ripen.

Just be sure to cover
when cool to keep it from drying out.
This loaf freezes well.

While you are at it,
you might want to make two ~
One for now, and one for later.

Enjoy!
Blessings,
Camille

Of Curls, Weddings, and Beginnings

Our niece was married last Friday.
Nearly 21 years ago, she was our flower girl.
Emma was given the privilege
of doing the same for her.

Full circle.
A tradition.

Emma read while I curled her hair.
It took over an hour!
The style had to hold for more than five hours ~
the photos were being taken prior to the ceremony.

Emma was sent off with instructions
not to move her head!
Poor thing. :)

The ceremony was beautiful.
The bride was lovely.
(I haven't had permission to
post photos yet, so I will leave you
to your imagination).

The vows and rings were exchanged.
The documents were signed.
The kiss was given and received. :)

The unity candle was lit.

The couple were introduced as Mr. and Mrs.
And there was joy all around!
As it should be.

Austin and Fraser had the honour of
playing the background music at the reception
as guests found their seats.

Calvin was our photographer.
We forgot to get a family picture.
I am so sad.
But, as I told Emma prior to the big day ~
"It's not all about us!"

And it really isn't.

The bride and groom were sent off in style
under a tunnel of love.
We were so happy to have been able to witness
the beginning of their lives together
as husband and wife.

It's such a joy to witness two young people who
love the LORD as they are united in marriage.
May the LORD be glorified in and through them ~
And may HE bless them abundantly
in the years to come.

Blessings to each of you as well!
With Love,
Camille

**Last three photos in this post courtesy of Calvin ~
Thank you my love! XO

Challenge 10 - Kicking Back

The challenge this time is sponsored by The Stamping Boutique and our theme is 'Kicking Back'.  We want to see all your 'relaxing' ideas.  As a prize we have 3 digis and here's a bit about our sponsor,

I'm Tracey Malnofski, the artist and owner of The Stamping Boutique. My team and I are very happy to sponsor Cards for Men. My store has been open since September 2009.I am currently a stamp artist for UnityStampCo. and I've worked for InStyleStamps, Squigglefly, and TheDigiShack in the past. I'm a professional artist and an active member of the Artist' Guild in my community. I have quite a busy household with a husband, 3 teenagers, 5 mini-dachshunds and an Appaloosa mare. It's noisy, but I love them all. I'm truly blessed.
"The Stamping Boutique" is dedicated to quality products and original artwork. We not only provide wonderful digital images in our store, but also several lines of red rubber images. Our designers are chosen for their character and personality,as well as, their beautiful designs. We work hard to give you our very best. Thank you so much for having us as your sponsor this week." 

The design team were lucky enough to get some images to work with and here's the result:

Shirley

Sandra

Jen

Michelle

I'm sure you'll agree they're very inspiring.  Now it's your turn but first the rules:

1. The card must be for a man/boy.
2. The card must be new for the challenge and follow the theme set.
3. Your post should include a link back to Cards for Men.

The challenge will run from now until midnight on the 20th May 2012.  Leave a link to your card (not just your blog) in the link list below.  If it's not there for some reason, please leave a comment and I'll add you in before the draw.  Good luck!