AHG- Service, Leadership, Friendship

I hope that one day, when the girls read this blog, they will ignore my bad spelling (disguised as typos), and even worse grammar, and that they will smile and remember all of the wonderful opportunities and fun times they had growing up.  

Once again, we had a really great experience at a recent AHG Service Day.  September 20th was the American Heritage Girl's National Day of Service.  The charter church for our troop runs a food pantry that is open to the public twice a month.  So, we decided that the food pantry would be an appropriate place to serve.

 The girls were given paper bags and asked to collect non-perishable food about 10 days prior to the service day.  I will be honest and say that we did not go collect canned goods.  They day I set aside to do that, it was raining all day.  So, we just scoured our own pantry.

 The girls earned 3.5 hours of service by working at the food pantry.  They started off by emptying bags and sorting the cans into the correct boxes.

 Then they worked in the "shopping" area, where people who are in need pass by and pick up a certain number of items at each section.  It was fun to see the girls take pride in their displays!

 Nicole said to me "Mommy, I had no idea that there were so many people who were hungry!"  She couldn't believe that this many people needed help receiving food.  I think she felt very rewarded by the day.

 The girls worked really hard throughout the morning.  I never heard one complaint (from mine or any other girls).  They were given a variety of other jobs such as bagging candy (for the children who come through), sorting clothes, making bags of beans, carrying bags, etc.

The girls have asked if we can go back and serve again.  They really loved the ministry.

I enjoyed listening to the members of the church who run the pantry interact with the people who came. They constantly invited them to church.  You could see that many of them knew the stories of those who came, asked about family, prayed for the people, and worked not just to fill their physical need, but their spiritual need as well.

American Heritage Girls has been a fun organization to be involved with.  I am thankful for the reminder to serve others, and the values it is instilling in our daughters.  Besides opportunities for service, AHG also offers girls opportunities to be leaders, to share devotions and testimonies, to participate in proper flag ceremonies, and so on.  

Hannah got to be in her first official flag ceremony earlier this week.  Nicole got to hold the AHG flag and Hannah was the AHG Flag guard.

Nicole also was given the opportunity to share a devotion.  I was so proud of her.  She stood on a stage, in front of at least 100 people, used a microphone and shared about her experience at the food pantry.  Then she quoted a large portion of Mathew 25 as a way to share with the girls how we obey God when we help and serve the poor.  Yeah, I cried.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecTLYGUJ4bc

I found out that their unit is working on their needlework and also the Bible Basics badge.  I don't know anything about needlework, so I think it is really cool that they are learning about it. 

One last word about AHG....yesterday, both girls were extremely upset because "They never get to spend time with just each other and have fun, the way the used to".  I guess they don't notice that they are homeschooled and are with each other constantly, but that's besides the points.  I offered the suggestion that they pick an AHG badge to do together.  One they both would be interested in.   They can spend time working on it together, build memories, have fun, and use as little help from mommy as possible.  

Part of their set design

Making their puppets

They took me up on it!  All day yesterday they worked on their Puppetry badge.  They had a great time using a hot glue gun, designing puppets, planning and then performing a puppet show.  

This was their little stage

The big scary giant

Nicole chose the optional activity of learning about sound effects.  Hannah is holding up a tornado (purple sticks), Nicole was making a tornado sound by mixing small beans in a container.  She was snapping sticks and pulling on duct tape to make thunder.  It was cute, and made her think "out of the box"

So, one more feather in the hat of AHG....a way for sister to bond with one another.  I have heard the next badge they want to do with each other is Cake Decorating :)

A Time For Everything

October of 2011 began a time of change for our family moving on from what used to be AVI, the successful A/V business that his father started and they labored together to build, only to be destroyed in months by a new owner (it's sad....and that's all I've got to say).  The decision at the time to move to the Tampa area was not all that difficult because of what was going on where he was working.  Jeremy was offered a very similar job in an established company.  Due to a non-compete clause in his contract, we had to move away, and this was a wonderful option.  So, we moved.  It was a God thing. Truly.  Our house, which had been on the market for 10 months and over 60 showings and no offers, all of a sudden got two offers the next day.  Within a couple of months, our family was living in an area where we did not know a single person, or a even a single road.  It was actually quite exciting.

We have truly enjoyed living in the Tampa area.  We all enjoyed a period of rest at the beginning where we had no obligations or expectations from anyone.  I spent my days either at home with my children or exploring the surrounding area.  Sometimes it was lonely, but we were determined to make it work.  Jeremy's biggest fight was probably adjusting to the traffic of a big city.  Although we live on the outskirts, almost in the country, he had to drive into the city, with commutes that could easily become 2 hours if there was an accident or bad weather.

The kids and I got involved in various organizations and classes.  We were introduced to American Heritage Girls, a scouting organization that was  almost 18 years old but I had never heard about.  We jumped into a CC Community, and later helped to start and establish another group.  We took day trips and explored museums, state parks, zoos, Busch Gardens, and occasionally wound up on "the wrong side of the tracks".  We made wonderful, sweet, Godly, and encouraging friends.  It has truly been a blessing!

However, deep in my husband's heart has been a longing to start and run his own business.  It was something we occasionally talked about, and he talked with some friends about, but nothing that had a name or meat to the conversations.

Until this summer.  The conversations came up again.  However, the attitude, the ideas, the opportunity were all different.  The conversations went beyond just a thought or a dream and into planning, strategy, and excitement.  Within a few weeks, we knew this was the right time to embark on a new adventure.

Next month, on the three year anniversary of his decision to leave his old company, Jeremy and his good friend Aaron will officially begin a new journey together.  Syngergy CTS (Custom Technology Solutions) will officially be open for business in Naples.  We are so excited!

Jeremy and Aaron have known each other for close to 10 years.  They have lived life together, worked together, participated in studies with one another, and prayed for and with each other.  They are Godly men who have grown into amazing men, fathers, husbands, and providers.  Each offers skills that will compliment the other.  Their expertise in high end audio, video, lighting, shades, security, home integration, and IT will be driving factor behind their new business.  Best of all....they love Jesus!  Both of them.  They have spent much time praying for this business, and I know they will be praying over their jobs and seeking opportunities to shine the Light of Christ to their customers, contractors and future employees.

In less than a week, our house will finally be on the market, and praying for a fast sell.  After months of God ordained warranty repair work, our house is now in amazing condition and ready for a new family.  We will miss living here.  I will miss our wonderful neighbors (seriously....they are amazing!).  I will miss the view out of the back yard, the birds, the alligators, the turtles, the deer, the sandhill crane, but probably not the occasional bear ;)  I know my children will miss the cul-de-sac and the pool.

We will miss our wonderful Classical Conversations Community, our encouraging American Heritage Girls Troop, our educational science class at Crystal Springs, the quick and easy day trips to Gainsville, the springs, and Orlando.  We will miss our church....oh, our sweet church.  Yes, we will miss a lot about Tampa.  We have truly enjoyed living here.

However, there is much to look forward to as well.  We will be close to my family again.  I know the kids are excited to see Yaya, Papa, and Uncle Justin more often.  We will rekindle friendships from the past.  I can not wait for date nights at the pier.  I can feel the cool evening breeze and imagine sitting and talking with the love of my life while listening to the waves lap the boards and drinking a hot chocolate.  I will be better about taking the children to the beach, no longer complaining about the drive or the sand.  Never mind, I'll still complain about the sand :)  I am excited to explore the Naples/Ft. Myers area the way we explored the Tampa area.  Although I have lived there  almost my entire life, I don't think I know all of the nooks and crannies and jewels of SW Florida.  I want to find them!  I am sure we will join a CC group there, and who knows....maybe we'll help start an AHG troop, or find a great science class down there.

Most of all though, we will get to continue on an amazing journey with Jeremy.  I once told Jeremy that I would move to Antarctica if that is where he felt like we needed to be.  Thankfully, he chose Naples instead ;)  I am excited to be on this journey with him.

So, what now?

This has become an added part of my life.  Boxes, boxes, and more boxes.

We are working hard to de-clutter and clean, which also means preliminary packing, for our house pictures in a few days.  Then, life continue as normal as possible for a little while.  We will continue to serve in the areas we have worked.  I will continue to be the director of our CC Community, and Lord willing, a mom from within our community would step up and take over my position.  God has that completely under control.  I trust Him fully.  I will continue to serve as Vice-Coordinator in our AHG troop.  When we leave, there is someone who will step into that space as well.  Our assigned service at church is coming to a close, but we will be available as subs until we move.  Jeremy will continue to work here, while also taking occasional trips down south to finish the set up process.

Until God moves us completely, we will continue to serve where we have been set.  We are excited for the future, but we are still fully engaged in the present as well.  Life is a beautiful journey, and I'm happy to be on it with my family :)

Week in Review

We have settled into somewhat of a school time routine around here with Classical Conversations and American Heritage Girls in full swing.

Two Tenderhearts this year!

My first meeting with my "official" polo uniform, representing as the Vice- Coordinator

Our troop is meeting along with Trail Life USA, a Christian scouting troop for boys

Life is pretty normal, sort of.  Except for the craziness that is also taking place as well, but alas that is for another time.

Flag Ceremony for AHG.  Nicole is a flag guard on the left.

We were simply thrilled to begin our monthly sciences out at Crystal Springs Preserve.

Beautiful!

It is the most beautiful classroom I have ever had the pleasure of attending.

The children love Ms. Sonya whose sheer love for all things nature and animals is easily passed on to the children.

Touching the top of an aquifer

She looks for creepy crawly things, like this grasshopper for instance, and tells the children that legend says "If you kiss a grasshopper, you will have good luck for a year".  Who wants to pucker up?

Our friend, kissing a grasshopper

As the complete opposite of me, she loves snakes and has a desire to share that love with others.

Mimicry- one is a (fake) poisonous Coral Snake, the other is a Honduran milk snake

I, on the other hand, hate snakes and will kill them (well, I will call on someone else to kill them for me), particularly when I find them crawling down my stairs in the middle of night.

This poor little red rat snake would have been just fine outside....he made a bad decision.

For the most part though, this is what our school day looks like.

We spend a lot of time around a table together.

Sometimes it is the kitchen table, other times it is the school room table.

We do memory work, copy work, math, reading, Bible, etc.

Our friend, Claire, did memory work with us one day this week

I was crazy impressed with the beginnings of this map drawing by Nicole.  This is why we trace maps so much, so that one day she can draw them free hand.  Her proportions were off, and she got discouraged.

The children are always looking for opportunities to do something besides school work.  So, when they found out that the chocolate chip cookie originated in Massachusetts, we had to celebrate.  Nicole was 100% in charge of this baking frenzie.

Ha!  all three of them have a great expression!

She divided jobs amongst her siblings, watched over them, handed out safety warnings, and completely a delicious batch of cookies.

I think she has lost control!

I found this squishy human body at The Learning Express Store and thought it might be a nice addition to our human body studies.  Apparently, the kids thought it was a good idea too.

We haven't even gone in depth yet, but they really enjoyed taking him apart and putting him back together.

They named him "Patient", since he is patient with them...and he is also a patient.

Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks

Last weekend, we spent part of the day visiting the famous Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks.  This was a "must see" that everyone talks about.  However, most of the time people talk about it, they say how fun it is to "just wander up and down the street, looking in the little shops" and then eating some Greek food for dinner.  That should have been my first red flag.

Did I not learn that our family does not enjoy just "walking up and down the streets looking in little shops" from our recent Disney visit.  We don't.  It's just not our thing.

I have a hard time enjoying a day, when I know everyone else is miserable.

See...they look like they are having fun, right? hahaha

In their defense, it was hot...really, really hot.  There were lots of people, the shops were tiny, crowded, old, and well...just not our thing.  We did it though...because that is what people tell us to do (rolling my eyes right now)  We walked in and out of shops.  Touched over prices sponges, melted in the sweltering heat, and listened to whiny voices and for the sake of fun and the experience.

Ok, it wasn't all THAT bad....but parts of it seemed to be.

So, we started our little trip at "Sponge-O-Rama", with a free viewing of a film made in the 60s or 70s in a run down room (literally with holes in the walls), and a TV that desperately needs to be replaced.  Then, we walked through a not so great little museum with some creepy displays (including one with a dead lizard in it.  I bet it died 3 years ago).

We ended in their little Sponge Factory store, where I am pretty sure I was lied to.  I know for a fact all of those sponges didn't come from the Gulf, even though they told me it did.

However...there were some really cool, HUGE sponges that were over $100!!!

Eventually we found our way into the Sponge Diver's Supply store, which is a legit store with a real family of Sponge divers.  They were even on Dirty Jobs (it was a pretty pathetic episode, that clearly almost didn't even make it into the rotation...funny, a little informative, and then more humor).  However, we recognized the guy in the shop when we saw him in the store.  I wish I would have bought a sponge from him.

This is their boat, hanging their sponges out to dry.

We decided to splurge and go on a 2 hour "Dolphin Watching and Island" cruise because someone gave Jeremy a "Thank you" gift card for installing a TV.  We were not able to all sit together on the boat.

A boat filled with sponges

Do they look thrilled?

As expected, Nathan started to fall asleep almost as soon as the boat started to move.  Poor guy, he just can't help himself :)

So, I grabbed him and let him take a little nap before we reached the Island.

The island was not impressive, however the kids had fun trying to find shells, and hoped to find a Sand Dollar.  I think Red Tide was moving in because I saw some dead fish, which made me want to just get back on the boat and go.

Clearly, I was having attitude problems.
But, the kids, really did have fun.  We didn't see any dolphins though.

We ended the day, not by eating Greek food, but by ordering pizza and picking it up on the way home.

I don't know.  The Sponge Docks were kind of a bust for us.  Maybe we missed something.  Maybe we went at the wrong time (summer is not suggested, it was SO hot!).  Or maybe, we are just not the type of people who like to wander in and out of shops.

Joan of Arc- Lego Movie Style

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that my children love learning.  I realize they could possibly love learning even if they went to a public or private school, but I really think that our mentality of "you are always learning" helps.  Last year, one of our CC history sentences mentioned Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years War.  We read a few books about her and the time period, and I moved on.  

Nicole, however, didn't.  

Apparently, she had been thinking of Joan for quite some time.  Early this summer, she decided to put together a Lego movie about lady of France.  She spent hours weeding through her legos looking for ways to design a battle, a palace, and even Joan being burned at the stake.  

She then spent time thinking about a script, hand writing it, then typing it on the computer.  She spent hours building and re-building her set.  Finally, she had to wait until her friend Katrina could come over and make the movie with her.  

Nicole wanted her friend there, and Katrina had some great humor to add to the story.

 They spent 6 hours last Saturday taking almost 400 pictures of their lego set, each with pieces moving just a tiny bit at a time.

 Little sister, Hannah, wanted to be helpful, so she made a really yummy, and healthy snack.

If you know anything about Nicole or Katrina, you know that they also love being outside, exploring, and bugs.  So, of course, there were a few "5 minute Lizard Breaks" in there as well :)

I am so proud of these girls, and especially Nicole.  This was all on her own initiative.  She poured her time, energy, and mind into this, and I think it turned out wonderfully!