08/31/08

Here is a picture of a planter at my Mom's. I just love the planter. Mom always grows such beautiful flowers. Mine look nothing like this when I try to do plants. As I have said before.... my name does not equal green thumb. lol I just loved the color combinations she chose.



Today was good. In church the Lord brought to me many verses that He really wants me to hear, apparently! :) One is Psalm 46:10 - be still and know that I am God... and also Isaiah 55:8 was mentioned today in my Sunday School as well as in the kid's devotion tonight. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." I am thankful for all of the ways God keeps bringing certain Scripture to us when we need them... and even when we don't think we do.

Tomorrow will be Labor Day and I am going to work on some things I am entering into the fair. We also have to go buy the things we'll need for the kitties because we'll be able to get them on Saturday! :) We went to see them after church this morning and they are so sweet and already seem so good with people. I know it is because they have been well loved and taken care of by our pastor's kids. I am truly excited about bringing them home!! :)

08/30/08

Today we went to Farm Days in Silk Hope, North Carolina... it is a little town near Siler City where we go to the stockyards and have our cheeseburgers. It was a surprise for the kids. I don't like to tell them ahead of time about a lot of things because I just love that element of surprise. :) I took a ton of pictures and won't show them all today, but here are a few. It was a great time, but was it hot and humid!!! It continued to give me a new appreciation for those that work out in that heat all day long.

We saw old tractors, cars, farm machinery, etc. Wesley was beside himself and Mikayla loved it, too, because there were horses there. We stayed there a good five or six hours so we did a lot of walking around and learning. I enjoyed watching the older farmers sit back and talk about how things worked or just watched them work! They had a lumber mill going and it was interesting to see how they took a tree and turned it into pieces of lumber. There were just so many things we saw.... so much that will go away if we don't preserve it. I am thankful for those who choose to preserve it.

Wesley loved every minute of it and didn't want to leave. When we got home he went out to the barns and started "working on a fence." He just came in and told me he wanted to be like Daddy and work hard.... be a "John Deere Man." I am thankful for that.... simple, hard-working and down to earth.

We are going to watch a movie together tonight. I have a few things to work on for school. Enjoy the pictures for today. These are just some interesting parts we saw that I wanted to share at once. Others will come later. :)

The lumber mill was run on steam. They heated the boiler with wood to make the steam.

Here the men are putting the log on the saw area. Let's just say I wouldn't want to get caught in that saw!

This is the other end of the saw area where the wood comes out once it is cut.

Stacked wood that had been cut. It was pine. The sap was glistening in the sun. You can't tell it from the picture... maybe if you clicked on it to see it bigger.

Mikayla tried her some homemade molasses. She really liked it!

Wesley was loving the fresh squeezed apple cider. He was smacking his lips when I took this. lol

Our sweet little "Farm Bureau" kiddos. They got the hats for free when we got into the gate.

08/29/08

This is a picture I took last weekend. Steve had some of his tools propped up by the fence of the garden area and I took the opportunity to capture them. His garden hasn't done as well this year, and I believe it is because he planted it later, but we still enjoyed some of the "fruits of his labor."




Speaking of fruit.... This is the picture I am entering into the fair this year. I took it to be framed last Saturday and they had it done by Thursday!! I am thinking of hanging this on the tile in my kitchen. (I can use one of those hooks that can attach to tile but can also come off later if I want to change it.) I put it up there last night after Steve brought it home for me, and it looks really nice. It adds a lot of color to that part of my kitchen and it will alleviate me having to figure out something to go there all of the time. I am finding I just don't do well "changing" things a lot. Of course, y'all also know how I am about change. lol Anyway, I would love for this to capture a judge's eye this year. Time will tell. :)



Tonight we are going to celebrate Steve's birthday...finally. He wanted seafood... fried flounder! I am going with some shrimp. :) I am learning to eat more fish, but I am just not there in all areas.... lol I think his cake is going to be pretty yummy, too. It is from our favorite bakery and has chocolate butter cream frosting. Can we say YUM???????

Off to celebrate!

08/28/08

A lot of eights in that date today. I am such a poet and don't even know it. I need to stop this rhyme before I do it all of the time. hee hee

We got outside today at school!! Whew.... but it was surely MUGGY. I shall not complain, though... because those poor children needed some Vitamin D from the sun!!!

The pictures from today are from my father in laws place again. I don't know what this plant is but it is beautiful to me. It is delicate and unique.



How many of you have ever felt overwhelmed or that you just didn't think you could go on in whatever task was looming over you? I felt like that at the beginning of school with some things but I am better now. I had to continue to give it all to the Lord and ask Him to help me through some things because I just didn't see how it would work. I can honestly say that the Lord not only showed me a way, but made it so that some things were less stressful. Doesn't mean each day is perfectly perfect, but it means He took care of my worries.

However, I know of someone very close to me right now that is going through a valley of learning something new and feeling quite overwhelmed. I hate to see people go through those valleys, but we all face them. The thing I learned... and am still learning... is that the Lord expects us, wants us, yearns for us to call out to Him in those times. We alone can do nothing but with Him we can do great things. It is so hard to "see" through those trials because you don't know if it will ever end, but the Lord sees the whole picture and He holds us up and carries us each step of the way. What a comfort to know that when I am overwhelmed, He is there. When I am inadequate He is giving me what I need.

I realize I have posted this type of thing a lot, but the Lord laid it on my heart to post about it again as well as put new verses that He showed me tonight while I was doing Wesley and Mikayla's devotions. They spoke to me and I shared them with the person I mentioned above. I don't know if any of you that are reading this today may need these verses, too. When we cry out, He is there.

Psalm 61:1-4
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy (computer in your case)

I will abide in thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert (shelter) of thy wings.

08/27/08

Today is a most wonderful day. :)

Today is my better half's birthday!!


Unfortunately, his birthday always coincides with the beginning of school. That always means that I am never fully prepared for the day. I woke him up at 5:30 this morning letting him know he was one year older. hee hee... Tonight, Mom and Dad came down to stay with the kids since they go to bed so early while we had to go to a meeting. They brought Steve a mini cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to him. He loved it!


We'll celebrate for real this weekend. I know it sometimes stinks for him that his birthday is in the middle of all of the craziness. We do what we can to make his day special. I thank God for the wonderful man I married and that he has had another year with me. I'd be lost without him. :)

Between honeybees and the rain we have been inside for the last three days at school. I am not pulling out my hair yet, but I really would love to get those kids outside tomorrow!! Poor things.... I know it is hard. They have been REALLY good through it all, and for that I am thankful! (We had a swarm of honeybees decide to visit our playground... and not leave. We had to call a bee keeper to come take them home with him. :) )

Off to enjoy some time with Steve and his cake. :)

08/26/08

Here is a hibiscus from my father in law's place. I love the colors. :)

Whew.... let's just say the lazy days of summer are completely gone. They are a distant memory. lol

We went by to see the kittens again today. We have been "watching" them for our Pastor and his family while they took a little trip to the beach. We haven't minded. They are so stinkin' cute and it is so amazing to see how much they have changed in a week. They are majorly playful now so it is going to be lots of fun when we get them home. :)

It has rained off and on today. We are supposed to get some over the next few days. That will be a good thing! I am so thankful for that.

Today in our teacher devotions we talked about the verse that I posted at the beginning of summer: Psalm 46:10a - Be still and know that I am God: Our principal talked about a book she had been reading where the author say the verse like this:

Be still and know that I am God:

Be still and know

Be still

BE

Now that I am back into the rush of life with school I am finding it harder to "be still" again. When I am still, I usually fall asleep! I also find my brain is in a constant state of remembering something that I need to do for my class or for Wesley and Mikayla. It is easy to go through the day and not have time to be still. I hope to do that tonight.... without falling asleep. I pray you will have time to "BE" in front of the Lord and let your mind rest in Him.

08/25/08

This is a "flower" I photographed at my father in laws house. Not sure what it is. :)

Had a wild and busy Monday. I still have homework to finish with the kids and lots of papers to grade tonight so I definitely won't have the ability to be wordy!! :) Hope everyone is having a great day!

08/24/08

Here are a few more pictures of portulaca. :) It is a good thing they are drought resistant!





Here is a conversation that I was a part of today with Wesley and Mikayla. I thought it was quite sweet.

Wesley: Mom, I love you more than anyone in the world....You and Dad.

Me: That is very sweet, Wesley.... I love you and Mikayla very much, too. (inside I am just loving hearing him say this...)

Mikayla: Aren't you forgetting someone, Wesley???

Wesley: (thinks a minute) You should know that I love YOU, Mikayla. That is something that is not needing to be said.

Mikayla: Well, it is important for me to hear so you should say it.

Wesley: I love you, Mikayla.


LOL... they cracked me up. It was a sweet moment that I was thankful to be a part of.

It made me think about having that conversation with the Lord. How many things do we love and make sure we do, but we forget to say we love the Lord? How many times do we fail to do what He asks which shows others how much we love Him? It actually was a bit humbling to me when I thought of it in that way. Oh, that the Lord would forgive me for the times I have failed to show Him my love. He never leaves... it is I that drift away.

08/22/08

Look at the beauty I was able to see this morning. What a glorious sunrise. I would have loved to have seen it come up over the lake. It wouldn't have turned out well, though, because I would have been driving. It didn't last long so I was very glad I was able to capture it. This was taken from my front porch. It was so neat to see "twilight" in the morning.... the in between time of night and a new day. I was thankful for this small gift the Lord gave me (and the kids!) this morning. It reminds me of Lamentations 3:22-23: It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.


See the beautiful cannister below?


This is my sweet Ashes....

Sad, isn't it? We had her cremated because that is the best thing to do nowadays from what Daddy said. Daddy handed this to me the other night. It was all I could do to not cry when I realized it was her.... and the fact that now she is what her name means. I am glad she is "back home...."

We got home this afternoon and did some serious cleaning. I knew we had to do some different things this weekend so I wanted to get that behind us. The kids are spending the night with Mom and Daddy tonight and Steve is having to work all night to get ready for "Lazy Daze" with work so I am all alone. It is nice, but at the same time I miss everyone. I think I am going to go chill out for a bit and watch a "chick flick" that I haven't seen in a while. :)

08/21/08

I have no idea what kind of plant this is, but I took it at my father in laws house. I have always thought they were quite interesting. :)


Oh, goodness... you know how yesterday I talked about how I am so loving my schedule and then have to learn to deal with leaves in the ant line??? Well, I had some leaves in the ant line today when we got home from school. lol It has been one of those afternoons/evenings and I have had to "walk AROUND the leaf".... lol



I saw it today.

I saw why I love to teach.

I saw that look that a child gets in his eyes when he learns something new and "gets it."

It was magical. I felt my heart do a little "pitter patter" when I saw it. I actually saw it on a few faces. It made me see once again why I love what I do.

It was during Bible time today. I am teaching the kids about Creation week. I loved watching their faces as I took a lesson they had heard before and added more information to it to broaden their minds of what God truly did for us when He created the world. I was amazed at some of the questions I got from the kids today. They were deep.... and ones I couldn't fully answer... but it made me see that they just weren't staring at me blankly, but were soaking in those truths. (I even had one child ask me after Bible time who the last Bible character was that lived!!! I had to think on that a minute and said that if he really thought about it, we are all created by God so we are still part of that because the Bible talks about all people being created in His image and we are still doing His work! I don't know if I gave the greatest answer, but it was all I had at short notice. (I truly didn't know what to say about that.... would you???) )

Remember the skink I said Wesley had caught? Well, he took that poor critter to school today and loved on it at each recess. I truly would be amazed if the poor thing lived after he let it go today. Wesley was letting it "bite" his finger and nose to hold on, he was holding it and "cuddling" it, he was just so stinkin' excited over it. I took pictures but Wesley was moving so much they didn't turn out too great. I haven't had time to upload them but if one turns out alright I'll post it. Let's just say the skink was happy when it left him. lol That boy loves critters.

I got a call from one of my friends tonight whose four year old just LOVES her some "Wesalee." She asked me if I was ready for this weekend. I said "Ready for what?" She said her four year old told her today that she and "Wesalee" were getting married this weekend. She asked me if I had bought my dress yet. HA!! We have this running joke between us because this summer Wesley actually figured out how old he would be when the four year old turned 23. He said "So, I could marry her then!???" Now, he is not all about marrying right now because he thinks girls are gross in that respect, but he does love that little girl in an extreme happy friend way. We are definitely not encouraging these things in our children, but we have chuckled many a time and said "What if when they got older it actually became a fact...." Only the Lord knows... and right now, that is how we'll keep it. lol

08/20/08

These are pictures of a crystal parrot I photographed at one of our friend's houses this summer. I found out very quickly just how hard it is to photograph crystal. lol The first two pictures are basically the same... you just see I used a different aperture in them.




Wesley found a skink this afternoon and actually caught it. (a skink is kind of like a lizard, but it isn't because it is a skink.. lol) I told him he could keep it overnight and take it to school tomorrow. You would have thought I had given him a million dollars. His teacher will truly be happy to see that little creature and that will make him happy, too. He and Mikayla are adjusting well to second grade and working hard. I am so thankful.

I began thinking today on how "safe" I feel in my scheduled world. lol I truly live and breathe by my schedule. Now, I have learned that sometimes when a "leaf" falls in my "ant line" I have to take a deep breath and walk AROUND the leaf, but there is just sweet comfort to me to know when, where, how long, etc... I like to be on time as well as get everything fit into a day that I should. I have certain days I wash my clothes (for instance, colored clothing is always Tuesday... unless I forget because it used to be Wednesdays but with church it became a bit stressful...) Make sense? Then, in the mornings I have the kids schedule down pat so that they are up, dressed, eating breakfast, and I am making their lunches all before 6:00. When we get to school they know they read 20 minutes in the morning for their book reading requirement and then 10 minutes every afternoon. Bedtime is also scheduled so that I can get our reading in and devotions before they get to bed. They go to bed quite early since they have to get up at 5:30. There are occasional nights when that doesn't work well, and I handle it alright, but I LOVE our bedtime routines.

I realize it doesn't sound like I have mellowed in this department much from what I used to be like, but I really have. lol BUT.. I will always need, desire a schedule for my life. I even schedule how I clean. I always start in our bathroom and always start with cleaning the mirror on down to how I vacuum the rugs and into our room. I am such a creature of habit. My best friend isn't so much like that and when she helps me clean out sometimes she goes in fifty different directions attacking the cleaning while I am going "WAIT, we haven't started in the bathroom!" LOL!!

So, how many of you have things in your life that make you feel "safe?" What are your comfort zones? I am duct taped into mine. lol

08/19/08

Just a picture today.... not a lot of time to post. Good day, but just have a lot going on tonight. (Papers... lol) Anyway, I took this at Steve's dad's house last time we were there. I just love raindrops on stuff. :)

08/18/08

These pictures are from the volunteer pumpkin vine growing in our front bed. I was amazed at how quickly and fast it grew. The first picture was taken not long after it began growing. I love vines. We were hoping we would have a pumpkin for fall from it, but I believe it is starting to die. It seems many plants that grow from "droppings" do not do as well. It reminds me of what I have recently read in Matthew 13 about the parable of the sower. If you haven't read that in a while, I challenge you to do so.



Our good friends, Sal and Morgan, that live in San Diego just had a wonderful experience yesterday.... they were baptized in the Pacific Ocean! I don't want to steal any of their "thunder" or thoughts, but I do want to say how happy and thankful I am for them that they followed the Lord's leading. :) You can click on Sal's blog and read all about it. :)

Homework began tonight so it has been crazy around here. We aren't quite finished with Wesley's yet so I need to scoot. I also have papers to grade. :) Have a wonderful evening!

08/17/08

I have never shown these eggplant blooms so I thought I'd do so today... as well as the "fruit" they bear. These are from my parent's/brother's garden. Enjoy!




Did you see Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal last night? WOW... that guy is awesome. God gave that man great ability. I was amazed.



This morning Mikayla found one of the moths that had "escaped" from their butterfly netting a week or so ago. (They have one of those carrying case type things where you can watch the caterpillars turn into butterflies/moths.) This one escaped inside the house and he didn't last very long. Mikayla found him dead this morning and it broke her heart. She asked me if the moth went anywhere after it died. We have talked about this before with regards to animals that they do not have a soul, therefore they do not go to "Heaven" because they are not created in the image of God. But, I did tell her that the moth did not die without God knowing all about it. I talked to her about Matthew 10:29-31 which states: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing (a copper coin)? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. I shared with her that if God knows when a sparrow (or a moth!) falls to the ground, how much more does He love us who are made in His image?!!

I also began sharing with her that we all were made by God to praise Him. This was something "new" to her and so a new learning moment began. I began to think of and tell her what Revelation 4:11 says: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. We had a mini sermon of why we are here even before we went to church! I am so thankful for those small teachable moments we can have in our children's lives to continue to point to our great Creator and Sustainer. Many people today live with the thought that they control their own destiny, are their own "boss", but they fail to see that God is the One Who made them who they are. Without God we are nothing! That is humbling to think that God, in all His glory and power, knows all about me and created me for His glory.

08/16/08

I was so glad today was Saturday. lol I did succeed in cleaning a bit last night and finished up today. It is nice to "check that off" my list. I actually was able to get a lot done today. I had to tweek some stuff on the computer for school and then worked on getting out clothes the kids had grown out of for a consignment sale I'll be doing. My best friend and her daughters just left after helping me get the clothes on hangers and tagged. (I just love my best friend.... she is awesome. Her younger daughter is Mikayla's best friend. It is wonderful times when we are all together.)

We also went to see Sampson and Isabelle today. We won't have time after church tomorrow because we're going out to eat with some friends, but I knew we wanted our weekly "fix." I am still "seeing" Ashes around the house and miss her so. The kittens were good for the soul today. They are just the cutest things!!! Our pastor's kids had them out in their yard today trying to get them used to grass and such. They are changing so much and getting bigger. Sampson is harder to figure out because all but one of his brothers look pretty much like him!! lol I took a "gazillion" pics of them today but here are a few of my favorites. Mikayla took a picture of me with them. She actually did a pretty good job. lol We will hopefully get them in three weeks or so. I'm looking forward to having them home.

Isabelle

Sampson

I tried to see more Olympics last night but I fell asleep again. lol I just watched the 41 year old swimmer get her silver medal. I figure if she can do that, then I should be in enough shape to keep jumping around my classroom while teaching my students. lol

OK... I just got a comment on my blog from a "new" person and I was tickled. :) I have to know, just as one of my other blogger friends, how many people just "lurk" but never post. It is always interesting to see who actually reads my blog. It was neat to see how scripture the Lord had me use on one of my posts was used in my "new person's" life as well as four others that she shared with. Isn't it amazing how God's Word multiplies? SO.... I really would love to hear from all of you out there in blogger reading land. Send me a comment. I promise it isn't hard. :)

08/15/08

Front of the Farmall. This is the color of Wesley's Spanish folder at school. lol

The end of the first "week" of school. So much for a summer vacation... it is all null and void now. lol I had high hopes of coming in from school and doing a bit of cleaning, but instead I passed out on the couch after talking to Steve about his day.

Imagine if you will.... a 37 year old teacher jumping around and doing silly things with her students to teach them a concept, when all of a sudden she feels a tightening/pain sensation in her neck. She tries to "work it out" but to no avail. There has been ibuprofen taken, too, but it hasn't fully gone away. Who knows what she has done to herself. I hope tomorrow she will wake up without neck issues... When will this teacher learn she is no longer a "spring chicken?"... Probably never. :)

We have had thunderstorms/rain since 2:00 this afternoon. I haven't paid attention enough to the weather lately to know what was going on, but I didn't think it was going to be like this. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for the rain, but there has been some sharp lightning! In fact, a few minutes ago I saw a lightning bolt hit in our front yard. Talk about make your hair stand on end. I was just thankful it didn't hit the house!

Well, that cleaning is still calling my name. I need to get some done tonight so I can have time to work on things for school tomorrow. Have a blessed day!

08/14/08

Here's another tractor pic. :) Yes, I have a fascination with the steering wheel. lol

Whew... second day. I am pooped. This was a whole day (yesterday was a half day) and it was busy from beginning to end. My poor students had so much information continue to be "thrown" at them. I repeated, repeated and repeated myself to help them understand. I'll probably start giving Steve instructions when he gets home. lol The kids handled it well, though. Some are learning that I really do mean what I say. :)

I realize I counted down that yesterday I had only 179 days to go.... (and today there are only 178...lol) but that doesn't mean a bad thing. I see it as that is the only amount of time that I have these kids in my class to make an impact and to teach them. If you really sit and think about that.... in a person's lifetime, that is nothing. I have so much I want them to learn.... in such a "short" time.

Here are the pics of Mikayla learning to cross-stitch that I have never shown. She hasn't gotten as much accomplished as I had hoped, but I know she is still in the learning stages right now and hasn't gotten the full knack of it. She still has to depend on me to help her know the area she is working on at the moment. Once she can fully count the stitches on her own it will be easier. I had hoped to be further along before I started back to school, but I also forgot to do it with her some days!! She is doing a wonderful job when she gets to it. I am looking forward to seeing it finished. The bottom picture shows how far she has come. (I did some of the stitches to help her because the "ecru" would have been hard for her to see. I didn't mind.... I still love cross-stitching and find it addicting. lol)

wild looking perspective on this shot. lol

You'll have to click on this one to see how much she has done. Just don't pay any attention to me. lol

I have many papers to grade tonight... yes, it has begun again. I didn't see much of the Olympics last night because I fell asleep. We'll see what tonight holds!

08/13/08

Here is another tractor picture. :) I loved getting a different perspective by looking through the steering wheel. I just love tractors. lol

Today was a good first day of school. We only have 179 left!! Woohoo!! lol I had to take the annual "in front of the fireplace" pictures of the kids as well as our annual family picture. I included that on here today. I will enjoy looking back on all of these pictures as they get older.


Truly, I cannot complain about how my students caught on to things today. They did really well and listened carefully. I know each day will get even better.

I saw many of my students from last year today. I was so glad to see them. They will always be special to my heart no matter how old they become.

My brain is a little weary so I'm going to close early tonight. Let's hope I can stay awake to watch more Olympics than I did last night. lol

08/12/08

Well... it is officially back to school time. Tomorrow is the first day of school and I am almost ready. I have a few things yet to finish tonight that involve Wesley and Mikayla's class, but my class is ready.

Here are the annual pictures I take of the kids supplies. They grow every year! lol I always take these for their scrapbooks. I read that somewhere long ago to take a picture of their supplies at the beginning of the years so you can see how much has changed or added.



I worked late trying to finish up my own room today. It felt so nice to look out and see everything fresh and ready. I took a couple of pictures because a few of you asked to see what my room looked like. I also know many of you have had me and your children have been in this very room. :)



As I sit back and think on what I want to accomplish this year I feel overwhelmed at times. Our principal read to us this little "poem" that really gave me what I needed to start a new year. God is always there...I hope it is something that will lift you as it did me.

When you are the neediest,
He is the most sufficient.

When you are completely helpless,
He is the most helpful.

When you feel totally dependent,
He is absolutely dependable.

When you are the weakest,
He is the most able.

When you are the most alone,
He is intimately present.

When you feel you are the least,
He is the greatest.

When you feel the most useless,
He is preparing you.

When it is the darkest,
He is the only Light you need.

When you feel the least secure,
He is your Rock and Fortress.

When you are most humble,
He is most gracious.

When you can't,
HE CAN.

08/11/08

Just pictures of portulaca today. I'll do another tractor pic tomorrow. :) I love the yellow with red here.






Busy, busy, busy at school... and my desk is still a mess! I am hoping to get much more accomplished tomorrow. Let's hope so since the kids make their grand appearance bright and early Wednesday morning. I am just praying for strength!

Mikayla and I had more "girl time" this afternoon because Steve picked Wesley up a little early from Mom's and they went to play nine holes of golf. It was wonderful with just the two of us. We went to get something quick to eat (I had gotten home from school a bit late) and brought it home to have a picnic in the den and watch the movie Enchanted. We love that movie. Of course, my eyelids closed a bit during the movie, but I don't think she noticed. lol

Let me just say that the kids and I are thoroughly enjoying The Chronicles of Narnia!!! We began with book one, which is not in the order C. S. Lewis wrote them, but at the beginning. It is called The Magician's Nephew. The kids are absolutely loving each chapter and beg me to read another one when I finish. I love how they end in a bit of a "cliff-hanger" fashion!! C. S. Lewis' writing style is so descriptive... this is truly the first time I have ever read them. I just didn't get into reading as much when I was little.

Off to work on stuff for school and watch the Olympics. :) GO USA!! :)