Here are some of the layouts I worked on this week. I use Photoshop Elements to create these and then print them as photobooks when I’m done.
Template: Chelle’s Creations Lay It On There (retired)
Making Memories…
A Peek at our Week: December 5-9
This was our last week of “full school” before our Christmas break. We will have some fun learning next week, but not the full structure we normally have.
Rose: Resurrection to Reformation Unit 18
Confession: This is not a picture from this week! Because Rose is more and more independent (which I LOVE!) and her sisters are not she often wanders to different rooms or outside when the weather is nice to get her work done. She likes to study in quiet which is hard to do with two younger sisters in need of their mommy’s help with school! Anyway, this is from a couple of weeks ago but I’m going to make a better effort after the New Year to make sure I get more pictures of her.
She still loves this guide so much and I’m excited to be half-way through now! We were always “ahead” with her in the guides until I started having some health issues in 2012. Then we slowed down for both our sakes and now she’s tracking to finish the last high school guide in 12th grade. I’d actually like to keep moving through the summer and see if we can get a little ahead. I’m not trying to rush her, but she can handle it and I would like for the girls to finish the HOD guides by 11th grade. We’ll see how it goes.
Grace: Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory Unit 26
This week we talked about the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge of Allegiance which she practiced saying to our American flag we have in the room. We never do this so she thought it was quite funny! She does know the pledge because of AWANA so she just thought it was silly to recite in our classroom. She enjoyed learning about the national anthem and we listened to an Adventures in Odyssey through the Odyssey Adventure club about the story behind the writing of that poem.
She was sad we will be taking a break from her guide for a little bit, but she understands we need a break. As we edge closer to Bigger Hearts for His Glory I’m praying she still enjoys school as much. That is a wonderful, wonderful guide, but it is a big jump in work-load and my older two struggled a bit to adjust. I’m hoping she dives right in with gusto as her sisters did. The easiest part will be her sisters will be in the older guides and not need me as much so I can focus in on Grace more.
Beth: Preparing Hearts for His Glory Unit 35
Just one more unit and we will be done with my favorite guide so far in the series! Although I know Bethe loves this guide, especially Grandpa’s Box, she is incredibly excited to move up into the next guide! She is tracking way ahead and will be starting Creation to Christ as a 4th grader. I would be happy to let her slow down, but she does everything well and loves it so much. This does give us wiggle room as we think ahead to junior high and high school. This also puts her on the track I want her older sister to get to. All three of my girls are studious and eager. I’m so grateful we homeschool because I think they may be bored in a traditional classroom at times.
In this picture Beth is working on her writing with Writing Strands. This is absolutely the best writing program I have found and I am recommending it to everyone I know! I’ve reviewed many writing programs and while all have their good points, this one is simple and solid without taking extensive amounts of time. I’m so excited as we continue through this curriculum!
Over the weekend…
Over the weekend we went to a drive-through nativity at a friend’s church. It was a lot of fun and we were especially excited to see our friends in the performance! I have researched more this year to find fun things to experience with the girls this season. This was definitely a highlight.
I hope you are all enjoying the season as we prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth!
The Miracle in Music City: A NetGalley Review
This sweet series about the Glimmer Girls is fast becoming a favorite around our house! The trio of siblings are relatable and sweet in our home full of girls! Natalie Grant has a fun writing voice that engages preteen girls in a fun way.
The girls travel with their musician mother all around the world. In this novel they travel to an American city and look for adventure. Their mother wants them to learn how to make a difference in the world even at a young age and they all become involved with a charity auction.
Young girls will find this title to be witty and fun, full of life and enjoyable to read. The girls feel like real girls of today and in no way pretentious or too perfect. Their fun adventures will keep the young lady in your life engaged all while knowing she is reading something that will encourage her in her faith.
Disclaimer: I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I as not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
My First Knitting Book: A NetGalley Review
Rose is 11 and loves to try new things! She was very excited to try out this new title, My First Knitting Book. I would highly encourage obtaining a hard copy of this book rather than the e-book version. Sometimes the formatting was a little off and in the case of a crafting type book I have found a hard-copy to be much preferred.
My daughter enjoyed searching through the projects, but unfortunately I am not a knitter. She struggled to really be able to complete anything because I am not skilled in this area. I think this book would be ideal for someone who is learning to knit alongside an experienced knitter.
The pictures are beautiful and colorful, engaging the reader quickly, especially young readers! There are lots of step-by-step instructions which I think are probably very good, but because I do not have the experience to help they were not all clear to my daughter.
If you are looking for a good first-knitting book and you have someone to walk alongside you during the process I think this is still an excellent choice.
Disclaimer: I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I as not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
The Berenstain Bears Christmas Fun Sticker and Activity Book: A BookLook Blogger Review
Grace is a huge fan of the Berenstain Bears! She was so very excited the evening I gave this to her. She immediately ran upstairs, put on her Christmas night gown and found a Santa hat to wear. She dove right in and it didn’t take long for her sisters to want to help her! She was very sweet about sharing and they all colored together some.
This is a fun book for her age (7) because it includes more than just coloring. The activities are age appropriate for all elementary ages, especially if they are already fans of the series. Word searches, mazes, crosswords, and even some math and world puzzles accompany the stickers and coloring. This little book is full of vibrant colors and is inviting for children of all ages!
We found that standard colored pencils work the best for coloring. Crayons didn’t really adhere to the paper and markers tended to smear easily. Nice quality colored pencils worked very well as the color both adhered and did not smear around the paper.
The best part about this sweet book that while there are many Christmas traditions represented, the main focus is definitely on celebrating Christ’s birth. This isn’t always the norm for kids Christmas books. If you have a little one in your life who already loves this series this is the perfect gift for them! If you have a little one in your life who has never read any of these books, this is the perfect way to introduce them to these lovable characters!
Disclaimer: I received this novel from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
All is Bright: A Tyndale Blog Network Review
As the Advent season begins our family looks for ways to focus on the Savior. We have a variety of family things which we do, but for the past couple of years I have tried to make sure I have my own alone time to focus on the reason for celebrating the season.
This unique Advent devotional is providing a very unique way to focus my heart on Christ. Through daily reading and devotional the reader is drawn to focus on Emmanuel, God with us. Our world is so very busy and caught up in activity it is becoming a necessity to Be Still. Our household is quite busy with three little girls homeschooling and my in-home business, not to mention our church activities and other extra curriculars. Be Still time is at a premium, it is something I must plan to have or it is neglected.
Adult coloring books are all the rage now and my daughters absolutely love them. I had been given a few, but did not find them to be all that relaxing. When I began using this as a devotional I found it to be very relaxing as I meditated on God the Father and His Son, the Savior of our world. There was more purpose in the coloring I suppose.Each coloring page is accompanied by Scripture and a short devotional. I like to play instrumental Christmas music while I am coloring.
Christmas is a wonderful time for family and togetherness. The temptation to fill every moment with experiences and lively fun is quite tempting, but do not forget have time for stillness and reflection or you will possibly miss out on all God has for you this season.
Disclaimer: I received a paperback copy of All is Bright from Tyndale Publishers as part of the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation.
The One Year Praying Through the Bible for Your Kids: A Tyndale Blog Network Review
I review a lot of devotionals and Bible studies through the various review networks I partner with. I usually find myself writing that there is not enough Scripture used or that the devotionals are too light and fluffy. I am pleased to say this is not one of those devotionals!
I have been using this book for my own personal time with God. It is dated, but
it can easily be picked up mid-year. Each day lists several portions of Scripture to read out of your own Bible each day. Passages from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs are included for every day. I absolutely love this because you get a little bit from each area of Scripture and when you are reading through the entire Bible some of the chapters and books, although absolutely inspired by God and therefore needed, are more difficult to read. This balance of New and Old Testament with the Psalms and Proverbs provides a nice mix, especially if you have not read extensive amounts of Scripture previously.
Every day a few verses from one of the listed passages is expounded upon through a devotional by Nancy Guthrie. A suggested prayer starter is given at the bottom of each devotion, often with places to insert your own child’s name. There is a wide breadth of topics covered within these pages which teach us how to better pray for our children according to God’s Word. I found it to be both encouraging and at times convicting, which is another sign of a good devotional. The author does not shy away from confronting issues within the readers heart about their own parenting. In fact, some of the prayers are even directed towards us, the parents!
This would be a great gift or any Christian parent, especially as we all have goals to do better in the coming year in various areas. This is a wonderful guide to learn how to pray through the Bible for our most precious gifts from God no matter what their ages!
Disclaimer: I received a paperback copy of The One Year Praying Through the Bible for Your Kids from Tyndale Publishers as part of the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and did not receive any other compensation.
A Loyal Heart: A BookLook Blogger Review
Shelley Shepard Gray is an author I discovered first through BookLook. I very much enjoyed her previous historical novel series. She is also known for writing Amish fiction which isn’t my preferred genre. I was excited to have the opportunity to review another book from this author.
The setting is post-Civil War, reconstruction era Texas. This was a very dark time for the nation. Lincoln has been assassinated and the war-torn South struggled to recover economically and emotionally. The tone of the novel solidly conveys these difficult times from the perspective of a young widow and an officer committed to following through with a promise made to her husband.
This novel did have a slower pace at the beginning, but I think this plays into the emotion of the characters. I appreciated that I really got to know the hero and heroine before the story-line developed too much. There is much to be said for character development which is often sorely lacking in modern novels. The story evolves in a believable way and I like many of the secondary characters just as much as the main protagonists.
Overall this novel was a solid story which feels like a deeper read than much of today’s modern literature. I look forward to the author’s next novel with great anticipation.
Disclaimer: I received this novel from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
The Captain Takes a Wife: A BookLook Blogger Review
The Captain Takes a Wife is an interesting novel about a soldier-turned preacher and a young woman in trouble.The story opens with the hero being thrown into a situation where he must rescue the heroine. He is encouraged by trusted friends to jump right in with faith into an odd relationship with a complete stranger. (I’m being cryptic a bit because I don’t want to spoil the story for you!) Through a chain of unexpected events which happen to be captured by a reporter, his life is changed forever in a matter of just a few hours.
I was honestly not very captured by the story-line. The premise felt awkward and unbelievable. Yes, I know fiction often has aspects which are far from reality which is part of its charm, but in this case it did not seem to fit well and comfortably. In this case I believe part of the problem was the readers did not have the opportunity to really learn about the character of the hero or heroine before a very dramatic change in their circumstance occurred. This led to my feeling it was an unrealistic storyline.
I also felt the character development was sorely lacking. While the characters did change and grow in some regard, it felt forced. This is a wholesome novel and also a light read so it would potentially make for a good change from your ordinary fictional fare, but overall I was disappointed in the story-line and it did not keep my attention very well.
Disclaimer: I received this novel from BookLook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Memory making!
It’s been a while since I posted the scrapbooking pages I’ve been working on. I’m sooooo excited to be on Libby Pritchett’s creative team! These first two layouts are from her newest kits! I’m working on our 2016 book, a book for my husband’s 40th birthday back in August, and a few pages from 2009 because yes, I am behind. It’s nice to have several projects going. I don’t get bored this way!
by Libby Pritchett and Erica Zane
by Libby Pritchett & Melissa Bennett
by Libby Pritchett
by Traci Reed
&
by Connie Prince
Berry Berry Blue
By Chelle’s Creations
(retired)
In the Backyard
By Chelle’s Creations
(retired)
In the Backyard
By Chelle’s Creations
(retired)
Put a Ring on It
By Chelle’s Creations
(retired)
gracefilledwriter.com 