Thankful Thursday

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

It is Thursday already! I missed last week's Thankful Thursday so I am glad to be back this week!!

Today, I am thankful for day 2 of my hubby's new job! Whoo hoo!! We are now are a family with a full time working husband again. Praising God over and over again for His amazing provisions during this 11 months!

I am soooo thankful for the weekend Mark and I had at the FPEA Homeschool Convention. We sat in on some wonderful lectures. With that, today I am thankful for freedom in the United States to homeschool. I was a little concerned to see that an overall theme among the speakers is that the homeschool movement is heading towards dangerous territory as far as freedom. One speaker explained that as we stay below 5%, we are off the radar so to speak. However, once we cross that 5% and as the homeschool movement begins to grow we are sure to face opposition. The key is to grow FAST - up to about 15% - then we are too much of a force to be squashed. Today, however, we are free and for that I am sooo thankful! Mark and I enjoyed our time alone at the convention hotel - it was relaxing. I am grateful for the new books I bought for school as well!

We have so much fun in our homeschool adventure. I am thankful for another successful year (this is at the kid's Promotion ceremony).

I am thankful my friend Paula made it home safely from her mission trip to Africa. She posted some amazing pictures on Facebook! I cannot wait to hear more about her trip.

I am thankful for the great softball season our kids had! Here is Caleb serving as catcher! He loved playing catcher (it was more the outfit than the position). Our homeschool group is awesome because it can offer sports like this for the kids to play in.

Thankful for freedom again - this time the right to bare arms! Mark brought home this air pellet gun yesterday. He "says" it is to handle the snake problem we have been having lately. I tried to explain to him that by the time I run into the house to get the gun and load it - the snake will be gone! We all know the snakes are an excuse! Last night Mark and the kids set up an old phone book on a large piece of plywood and practiced shooting. Caleb - all boy - couldn't wait for his turn. I am thankful that I have such an amazing husband who loves to spend time with the kids and teach them. They want to go out to Mark's brother's house and do some more practice. The gun is a little loud for a deed restricted neighborhood.

I am thankful our Bible Bee materials came on Tuesday! Delena is so happy to be participating. She got some neat memorization cards, a Bible Bee Bible and the whole family is working through an inductive study on Colossians! They sent Delena a student study and then Mark and I a parent study. We are supposed to get together once a week for devotion time (what they call family bonfires). They have some wonderful ideas that will be so fun to implement as a family.

And finally, today I am thankful my new school room is completed!! This used to be Caleb's bedroom. It didn't work to well as a bedroom (because it is actually a den) so we have been doing major room changes. Mark laid the wood floors. He also brought me home a Mac ( so excited to get to play with a Mac! But don't get too excited....it was an older one that his old work was going to throw away so no telling how long it will last). Yesterday he brought home the rug, it was a clearance special at Lowes for $39! Now I am excited to start school again!

This is the view from the hallway looking through the double french doors into the school room.

Another view in the room at the two bookcases and the corner computer station - its a MAC!

What are you thankful for? Join in at Iris' blog here.