I love to commemorate the milestones in my children’s lives and so when my kids graduate from high school I like to give them a very special party.

It was only a few days before the party that my son who we were celebrating, accidentally burned our barn down. He was one disheartened young man looking at the destruction caused by the fire. I am so thankful that he wasn’t hurt, nor his sister who was trying to help!

All of our tables and chairs were burnt in the fire and we had to go buy more tables. We rented the chairs. I was prepared with rectangular tablecloths but when replacing the tables, we ended up purchasing more rounds, so I made do with the tablecloths I had by making table runners for the round tables.

What a beautiful evening September 11 was with perfect weather. I had so much fun and it was an honor to have friends and family join us for the celebration. I can hardly believe that my 5th child has graduated from our homeschool!

Justus determined, when I asked him what he would like for food at his graduation, that he wanted Greek gyros. I was a little surprised but was quite intrigued with such an unusual request. Usually it’s American, Italian or Mexican. Anyone else hear me on that?

My son-in-law built me this wonderful buffet server that you can see in the photo above. We get a fair bit of breezes where we live and so having a place for my plates and napkins is so nice! I can never set the tables ahead with plates because the slightest breeze will cause them to go flying.

In the terra cotta pots that you see on the top of the server, I planted some Vinca flowers (They are a great flower that bloom and bloom!) with oregano and basil in the other two pots.

Justus doesn’t really enjoy coffee, so I asked him what special drink he would like. He said, “Arnold Palmer”. I had actually never heard of that but it’s super easy to make. There are recipes online for it but basically it is 1/2 tea and 1/2 lemonade mixed together and served over ice.

A Mezza platter is different Mediterranean appetizers, like a charcuterie board but with a different type of assortment. We had pita chips, feta cheese, red bell pepper, figs, pistachios cucumber slices, radishes, Greek olives, Spanish olives, dried apricots, hummus and a flat bread from Trader Joe’s that I cannot remember its name.

The menu consisted of:

Gyros with Greek Chicken (recipe can be found here)

Tzatziki Sauce

Mediterranean Bean Salad

Herbed Greek Roasted Potatoes with Feta Cheese

The dessert table…

Dessert:

Baklava

Greek Butter Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Justus’ favorite cookie)

Vanilla Ice Cream

After supper it was time to start the program!

My husband said a few words and then we played a little game. It was “How well does Justus know his friends?” We had asked 10 people ahead of time to give a memory of Justus. We then had Wesley come up, along with Justus, to the platform. The idea was to read the memory and then have each of them answer who they thought had submitted the memory. Russell told the boys the names of the 10 friends they could choose from.

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I had thought to play the game a bit different but Russ misunderstood and so we ended up playing it this way. If I was to do it again, I would have the friends not just give any memory but a funny one.

Our pastor said a few inspiring words followed by Audrey, Wesley and Justus…

I actually slipped in a speech too. I knew I would be a nervous wreck and say my speech all wrong if I did it live, so I cheated a little and prerecorded my message. It was such a relief to not have to think about it that evening!

Of course we had to have a slide show. They are a lot of work to put together and I spend days upon days doing it but I’m so glad I’ve persevered once I’m done.

And for the culmination of the evening and the reason we came together…. Justus’ b-i-g moment!

Walking up to the song Pomp and Circumstance we then presented Justus his diploma.

Justus with his younger sister. These two are the only ones still at home so they’re pretty close. I’m really thankful they have each other.

I had to share this picture of our adorable coffee trailer and the sweetest little girl that faithfully served drinks all evening.

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What an absolutely delightful evening we had! There was a happy lighthearted air all around and everybody seemed to have such a good time. That makes me feel so good as a hostess when that happens!

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I only have one more homeschool student and she is in 10th grade. I might have to have a celebration for myself when I’m done, right? It really is a privilege to homeschool and I’m so thankful we have the opportunity.

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Do you homeschool through highschool? Have you found it to be hard or easy?

Of course, there was much preparation with over 200 guests coming. So many willing hands were there to assist.

Vases had to be filled with water

Flowers picked up (Thanks, dad!) and arranged.

And that waterfall! More flowers had to be planted.

The framework for the big screen had to be made and the screen, which measures 10×12, had to be stretched upon it.

It’s a huge screen!

Sketches were made showing how the food would be set up and the placement for the decorations.

Tables had to be set up and covered. (We used the plastic table cover you can purchase at Sam’s.)

And much food had to be prepared.

And the graduate was right in the middle of it, helping when and where she could.

The evening of the graduation coming up next post…

There was some amazing musical talent that night on the piano as well as vocalists. Hal & Melanie Young gave the commencement address and talked to the graduates about “Stepping Up to the Plate” and how they are moving out of childhood and becoming young men and women and what this should look like.

Justus receiving his certificate of completion.

We all stood and gave him quite a cheer when his name was announced! The loudest one in the house I think.

After the ceremony, we all went back to the hotel to a suite we had rented for this night. The hotel had made a mistake and gave us a nicer room than we had paid for. Our bedroom was connected to the hospitality room and so it all worked out very nice!

(taken before the ceremony)

An elevator full arriving…

I was all about easy for this event.

Desserts… and simple ones at that.

Desserts were:

Lemon Bars by Pioneer Woman

Pirouette Cookies by Pepperidge Farm

Rice Krispie Treats

Cupcakes from a cake mix(!) with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Rainbow fruit skewers made with fresh fruit

Apple slices with Salted Caramel

The pirouette cookies had a little piece of red twizzler licorice tied around them to resemble a diploma.

The pennant flags were purchased at Hobby Lobby and we wrote on them with a silver pen the year 2016.

Rainbow fruit skewers and apple slices with salted caramel dip.

It was so special to have this great group of young people come to celebrate Justus’s achievement.

Audrey wanted to make this candy card for Justus, so Serenity helped her put it together. So fun!

It reads:

Congratulations BIG RED on your WHATCHAMACALLIT. You’ve proven you’re not a DUM DUM or an AIR HEAD. You’re a SMARTIE. Your future is up2u. We hope you study hard so you can SKOR a PAYDAY between ZERO & 100,000. Don’t let it slip between your BUTTERFINGER. Avoid thinking you are a LIFE SAVER because sometimes you’re a NERD. TAKE 5 & enjoy your summer. Get ready to work EXTRA hard & CRUNCH some numbers. You can count on us if you ever hit a SOUR PATCH. Always be the SWEET HEART you are . We love you to PIECES.

If you want to make one of these the best place to go shopping, I found, was a convenience market. They carried almost everything whereas Wal-Mart had only a few of the candy bars that could be purchased individually.

Unfortunately, two of my boys weren’t able to join us.

We are the happy parents of this 8th grade graduate!

There were even some great fireworks that night… only because every time the Arizona Diamondbacks play on their home soil, fireworks are always set off after the game. But we enjoyed them from our balcony.

A downtown Phoenix view from our hotel…

And another one now starts his high school journey.

Today I want to tell you about two girls that have started their own Etsy shops and who do high quality work.

First is my daughter, Serenity! She has had an Etsy shop for a few years now, called Roadrunner Stop! She sells pillowcases and children’s aprons. She also has done custom orders in which she’s been asked to make toddler pillowcases, zippered pillowcases and envelope pillowcases. Her quality of work is very professional and I know you would be quite pleased with the product you receive. Custom orders and requests for different fabrics than what is offered on her site are options as well.

You can find her shop, Roadrunner Stop! here.

She has always been very perfectionistic when it comes to her sewing projects. Back in 2012, when she was only 14, she was raising a lamb for her 4-H project. A month before the lamb was to be sold – it died. It started acting strangely and within 3 days it was gone. So since she couldn’t sell a lamb, the club leaders gave her an exception and suggested she make something that could be auctioned off.  So she made 2 aprons and 2 potholders. One for a man and one for a lady.

Everyone was pretty amazed at the quality of work she had produced.

Her aprons and potholders sold for $300.

Now she is 18 and continues to pay attention to detail and quality workmanship.

The second girl I want to tell you about is Allison. Allison is the one I mentioned recently who did some amazing hand lettering at a mutual friend’s wedding. She has just opened up an Etsy shop called Allisons Lettering & Design.

I ordered some mothers day cards from her and I am so pleased with them.

Everything is hand done by her.

The flowers were made using watercolors but the letters I’m not sure of.

So two young ladies who both do quality work. Check out their shops and consider supporting these girls who are have learned skills and are trying their hand at being entrepreneurs.

Rebekah made the invitations and kept on top of all the RSVP’s.

Trisha set the atmosphere with beautiful Christmas music she curated.

She also organized and made a great many of the desserts.

Serenity (on the right) planned the menu and made some of the food including her delicious artisan bread.

Mmmm, simply delicious.

Natalie was in charge of decorations and made many of them herself.

Natalie took a log from her backyard, added greenery and this little bird to it that she picked up at the dollar store.

The pinecones were spray painted.

This is a little manger scene she created using craft sticks and pinon nuts from her backyard.

Another girl organized the gift exchange in which the girls were encouraged to make their own homemade toppers.

The hot drink station was a hit. (organized by yet another CK girl)

Two of our Castle Defenders read the Christmas story and did a tremendous job!

Games were organized by Hannah.

Each of the girls invited their own guests and gave them a gift.

(My girls with their grandma.)

It was a beautiful evening for the girls…

and I am so proud of them and what they put together.

At the recent homeschool conference in Nashville, Tennessee, Sonya Shafer from Simply Charlotte Mason, shared how we can give our kids 5 gifts. She used the acronym TEACH to make her point. Here is some of what she shared. And for free, just for you, I added some of my own thoughts.

T – Teach them the Bible – Teach them the mighty things God has done. Teach them the promises of God are for today, that’s He’s not a God of history but a God of today.  If a child knows God (not just head knowledge) but in his heart, God has promised…

…He will guide you into all truth: John 16:13

Mommy and daddy won’t always be around. Our kids need their own inward teacher (the Holy Spirit).

E – Enjoyable Pastimes – Spend time as a family together doing something that you all enjoy. In today’s world everything is always so busy, busy. It gets harder and harder to spend time together as a family. But we need to make the effort. Spending time together, doing something everyone enjoys strengthens the family unit, instead of “separating and stressing it”.

Give your children what they need to learn new skills – the materials as well as the time to learn it.

A – Academics – Teach them a wide range of subjects. Give them a love for learning by choosing books that will inspire. Lead by example. You be interested in life.

C – Character – Help your children form good habits. Our children’s lives are made up of habits be they good or bad. Help instill good habits which will make life easier for them in the end.

H – Home Skills – This one is self-explanatory. Teach our children the skills they will need to run their own home someday. It will cause less stress for them once they have their own home if they know how to cook, clean, be hospitable, do home maintenance and simple car repairs.

Each of the things listed are gifts we give our children and like Sonya said,

“Small things, constantly done, add up to something great.”  Sonya Shafer

Every time you do any of these things (TEACH), it’s like putting money in the bank. Our children’s lives are enriched and then it always comes back to us like bread upon the water.

Every day that we do any of these things, we are making investments that will pay big dividends.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9

Banff Springs Hotel, Chateau Lake Louise, beautiful hotels but I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in one so nice as the Opryland Hotel. It was absolutely amazing. The setting was fun, beautiful, unique and romantic… but be forewarned, it is very expensive.

We stayed two nights at the Opryland Inn which is located across the street from the hotel but for one night we got to stay at the hotel. We did spend 3 of our days at the hotel because the homeschool conference was located there.   Every time we would leave the conference to go for lunch, we could count on getting lost. We saw plenty of others that were lost, too. There are big wall maps like you would see at the mall, saying “You are here,” with a big star to indicate your location. When you check in to the hotel, you are issued a map and it’s not a bad idea to carry it around because you never know where you’ll end up.

Where, oh where am I?

One day we ended up on the second floor in the wing of some guest rooms looking for a specific elevator. Clearly, we were in the wrong area. As you can see from this sign, there are all kinds of choices… and it’s like this most everywhere.

Thankfully, there was some staff on hand that led us all the way to where we wanted to go as well as another guest who was feeling slightly bewildered, too.

The homeschool conference itself was about half the size of what we have here in Arizona. They told us they had about 1,800 people registered. It’s a Christian conference with the speakers feeling very free to mention God, which they did many times as well as quoting Scripture.

Some of the speakers were Mark Hamby from Lamplighter Publishing…

Israel Wayne (his mother started Homeschool Digest, the longest running homeschool magazine we have in the homeschooling circles), Nancy Campbell, founder of Far Above Rubies (she is the sweetest lady!), Sonya Shafer (from Simply Charlotte Mason), Geoffrey Botkin and so many more. The Benham brothers were even there.

Unfortunately, Dr. Dobson was unable to make it – one of the main reasons we went to the Nashville conference instead of others listed. So, the Benham brothers had to fill in for Dr. Dobson and they did an excellent job keeping us laughing while telling some interesting stories about their baseball career in the minor leagues.

In case you are not familiar with the Benham Brothers, they had a HG TV show but were canned back in 2014 for their beliefs that homosexuality is a sin.

See this short 5 minute intereview to hear their story. It’s pretty amazing that this is happening right here in America where we are supposed to be a religious country.

http://benhambrothers.com/fox-friends-show/

And now, after whetting your appetite to see the Opryland Hotel, I’ll show you some an abundance of pictures.

The Opryland Hotel is the largest non-gambling hotel in the United States with 9 acres of their hotel under roof. They have 16 restaurants, 2,800+ rooms and 3,500 employees.

And because I’m a big foodie I just have to show some of the delicious food we ate while there. We dined at this Mexican Restaurant twice, it was just so good.Mexican food with a gourmet twist.

I had to take a picture of the menu for Serenity since they offered items with goat cheese. She seems to think that goat cheese is an inferior product but instead I can prove that it’s a specialty!

My hubby who planned this trip for me.

A couple of restaurants located in one of the conservatory’s.

They say that in the original conservatory they had 10,000 plants. Of course, it is all climate controlled being kept at about 71-72°F. The humidity is not noticeable either.

Thank you to my thoughtful, giving and loving husband for this time of homeschooling inspiration and refreshing in the most fantastic of settings.

As you can tell, I highly recommend the Opryland Hotel. Even if you are unable to stay overnight, it would be a treat to wander through the conservatories and dine here… in daylight for it’s beauty and relaxed atmosphere and at nighttime for it’s beauty and romantic feel.  And by the way, kids are welcome and you will see plenty of them.

I’ll tell you all about it when I get home.

My husband in the atrium eating supper. It’s so beautiful here!  

November 11, 1918 the Treaty of Versailles was signed at the Palace of Versailles in France ending World War I.

The war ended on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour (11 a.m.).

In honor of the agreement signed, Armistice Day was established and celebrated each year.

Woodrow Wilson, the president during World War I, said this when establishing Armistice Day.

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”

Every year Armistice Day was celebrated until after World War II.  After World War II, it was changed to Veteran’s Day to honor all of those who has served in any war, whether living or dead.

Our fathers’ God to Thee,

Author of liberty,

To Thee we sing

.Long may our land be bright,

With freedom’s holy light,

Protect us by Thy might,

Great God our King.

Thank you to all who have served and are serving.  We salute you.

I really tried to find a bigger navy insignia but this is all I found.

Originally posted in 2012

It was simple. Nothing we adults would think was too amazing nor have thought twice about but for this 11 year old boy it was a moment to remark on and to be delighted about.

How often do we quell the first time discoveries our children have, brush it off as something that’s not really interesting enough or worthy enough of our attention?

I have been guilty too many times

These curious and wondering children.

When did we lose our innocent delight in the simple things?

Do we live lives that are too rushed? Too busy that we are unable to enter into their joys with them?

Or do we stop for that brief moment in time, in that moment of childhood when all is wonder and a source of discovery?

We know what the right choice should be but do we let the urgent take priority over the important? Maybe we’re in the middle of fixing a meal or some other such task and we miss a moment to tie strings of fellowship with our children.

But happily it doesn’t have to end there.

Children are forgiving and will be ready to welcome us into their circle with their next discovery or experience.

All we need is a willing heart and a few of our moments.

Thanks goes to my son, Justus and niece, Abigail for being willing subjects for my post here in Illinois where we are visiting my parents and their grandparents.