G'Day Mate!

We spent the past couple weeks learning about Australia! The kids had lots of fun learning about the different animals there and hearing how the people talk with an accent.

Lovebug and Peanut learned about the letter Y (which means we are almost done!!!)

 The kids love our Great Animal Search book and had fun looking at the Australian pages.

 We had fun trying to make some koala shaped treats with peanut butter and powdered sugar, but it turned out to be a little harder than I thought it would be.

 You can kinda see a resemblance with a koala bear, right? Good thing they tasted yummy no matter what they looked like.

 For our Australian feast we made some Damper bread and a meat pie.

 I forgot to take a before picture, but here is what was left of the tasty pie!

Next we are off to Antarctica for 2 weeks and then we are done for the summer! (Can you tell I'm excited for a break?) :)



Blessings,

Russia! (And a Yummy Apple Pie Recipe!)

We had lots of fun learning about Russia the past few weeks.  And the weather has been so nice that we have even been doing lots of our work and reading outside!  The kids think it is so much more fun to do it that way! :)

We looked at some examples of Russian Faberge eggs and the kids had fun decorating some of their own.

We also learned about the tundra since a huge chunk of Russia is tundra and near the north pole.  We learned about how different animals survive in the cold.  We did one experiment to see how two layers (of fur for the animals, gloves for us) kept us warmer in ice water than no protection.

For our Russian feast, we made blini (crepes) to celebrate Maslinitsa, the end of winter and beginning of spring.

And what better way to do that than eat it outside!

We also had a lot of fun making Russian apple pie for dessert.  It was so easy and yummy!

Here is the recipe if you would like to try it:

Ingredients:
4 apples
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp butter

Directions:
Peel the apples, cut into small pieces, and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, and flour.  Grease a pie dish with the butter and fill the dish with apples.  Pour the egg mixture over the apples.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until apples are golden brown.

Enjoy!

Blessings,

Gone South {Review}

I recently read Gone South by Meg Moseley.  I enjoyed it and found the story interesting and different. 

From the back cover:

Leaving frosty Michigan for the Deep South was never a blip in the simple plans Tish McComb imagined for her life, dreams of marriage and family that were dashed five years earlier in a tragic accident. Now an opportunity to buy her great-great-great-grandparents’ Civil War era home beckons Tish to Noble, Alabama, a Southern town in every sense of the word. She wonders if God has given her a new dream— the old house filled with friends, her vintage percolator bubbling on the sideboard.

When Tish discovers that McCombs aren’t welcome in town, she feels like a Yankee behind enemy lines. Only local antiques dealer George Zorbas seems willing to give her a chance. What’s a lonely outcast to do but take in Noble’s resident prodigal, Melanie Hamilton, and hope that the two can find some much needed acceptance in each other.

Problem is, old habits die hard, and Mel is quite set in her destructive ways. With Melanie blocked from going home, Tish must try to manage her incorrigible houseguest as she attempts to prove her own worth in a town that seems to have forgotten that every sinner needs God-given mercy, love and forgiveness.

I thought it was a great story about forgiveness and giving second chances.  Meg Moseley does a very nice job writing about the characters and drawing you into their lives.  While I enjoyed reading it, I did find some of it a little unbelievable.  I'm not sure a whole town would hold a grudge against a family for a hundred years. Or that Tish would be turned down for jobs simply because of who she chose for a roommate. I also expected a little more at the end from Mel.  She never really seemed to change but in the end her brother suddenly had a change of heart about her and accepted her into his home. It just felt a little rushed and unresolved.  Overall, I enjoyed it, but it was not a stay-up-late-to-keep-reading kind of book.  Gone South will be available on 5/31/13.

I received this book for free for review from Waterbrook Multnomah.

Blessings,

Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in my Stomach and I Think I'm Gonna Throw Up {Review and Giveaway!}

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to think about this book, Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in my Stomach and I Think I'm Gonna Throw Up, when I first received it.  It seemed a little...I don't know...cheesy?  But after reading it, it turns out to be a cute kids story.  The kids enjoyed reading it with me too.  They thought it was funny and loved the bright, colorful illustrations.  It has some great lessons about trusting and obeying God, even when we don't want to.  In the back there is a "Parent Connection" page that adds scriptures and questions to really help your kids understand and apply this to their lives.

From the publisher:

Oh sure, we'll all heard the story of Jonah and the Whale a hundred times. But have we heard it from the perspective of the whale who experienced that history-making event?

Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I'm Gonna Throw Up! imagines how that great sea creature from the incident might tell his side of the story, helping kids ages 4 to 8 discover a creative way of learning about that guy who was supposed to go to Ninevah.

The "Parent Connection" feature will help moms and dads take the story further with scripture references and tips on how to talk with their children about what really happened. There's even a free online app to make this bright retelling even more animated and interactive.

 

Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah in my Stomach and I Think I'm Gonna Throw Up by Troy Schmidt will be available May 1, 2013 from B & H Publishing Group.  For more info, check out their Facebook page also.

Now for the giveaway!  Flyby Promotions has generously offered a copy to one of my readers!  To be entered, just leave me a comment below telling my your favorite Bible story.  Please also leave a way for me to contact you if you win!  This giveaway will end on May 13, 2013 at noon and I will pick a winner using random.org.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Blessings,

Japan

The past two weeks, we have been studying Japan.  The kids loved trying out different kinds of Japanese art and we read some really interesting stories about the Japanese too.

 Cherry trees are very important in Japan, so we blew paint on a paper for the trunk and branches and then dotted it with pink to make cherry trees.

  Origami is also a big thing to do in Japan and we spent many hours learning to fold different animals and other things.  I think this was the kids' favorite part, because they begged to make more everyday!

 We tried out some Japanese food like rice crackers and rice candy.

 We enjoyed a meal of ramen noodles, which the kids LOVED!  But I couldn't convince any of them to give sushi a try!

 Last weekend the kids also participated in the youth fair.  Buddy learned all about rodeos and Sweetie did some country crafts and horticulture.  They had tons of fun and even came home with some ribbons.  Buddy did the best in one of the rodeo divisions and one of Sweetie's crafts was picked as being in the top 3!

 I can't believe we only have 6 weeks of school left this year!  Next we are off to Russia for a visit and then we only have Australia and Antarctica left!

Blessings,