Grateful

photo credit: Taylor Radovich

The days are long. The responsibilities are many. The weight feels heavy. But we do not live like those without hope. There isn't any one thing going on- no single problem that I can point to and tell you THIS. It's a lot of little things (that are not all bad): our firstborn turning 13, working more days so Josh can get his seminary work done and do his WGM Uganda HR duties, baking, hosting, praying, parenting, marriage... your list goes on like mine.

I'm already in melancholy advent mode- feeling the weight of the world as we wait with longing for the day when He sets all things right. And Advent is just around the corner, but first Thanksgiving!



So I'm writing a different list:

photo credit: Taylor Radovich

8012. linking arms with a fellow warrior and letting her cover me in prayer
8013. Your daughters raising hands and voices in prayer and surrender
8014. Women getting set FREE!
8015. friends here.
8016. middle schooler getting saved!
8017. pumpkin spice VIA from a friend
8018. Waiting Songs by Rain for Roots
8019. cinnamon bun day
8020. Josh and Caleb off on a guys adventure day for his 13th
8021. singing in a choir again. it's been too long
8022. stories of Your faithfulness
8023. the perfect playlist for the ride home from retreat
8024. a miracle happening before our eyes- voice in the mic after three weeks without a voice!
8025. the smell of the girls freshly washed hair
8026. Boy Meets World with our boys
8027. homemade ricotta cheese
8028. teenage girls sitting around a table discussing how to shift perspective on mundane days
8029. the radical change that happens when I shift from "I have to..." to "I get to..." it's all privilege.

photo credit: Taylor Radovich
the team for Journey Together Retreat

Homework Station

Everything they need to do homework, right near the dining table.

It's back to school season!  And we are all ready for the homework challenge.  In Grades 1 and 2 they should only have 20 minutes of homework, and so it's not too tough to knock it out after school.

We are new to the homework scene, and so I had to decide when it was going to work best for our family.  I wanted the boys to be able to come home and unpack (physically and emotionally), but I also didn't want homework hanging over our head all day, or into breakfast the next morning. So the routine that works best for us is:

1. Eat a popsicle and chat about the day. {read more about that tradition}
2. Do homework
3. Free to play or watch one show.  

It works for us, because I can greet them at the end of a long, hot day with a sweet, icy popsicle and hear about their day "it was good".  And then we get the homework out of the way.  Once the homework is packed back into the backpack, they are free until bed time!  And that makes us all happy!

How do you handle homework?  What tricks work for your family?