Family

Family is so important.

Perfect, no.

Necessary, yes.

During the trip to my grandfather's funeral my girls met some people they had never seen before.

Time and distance had not allowed for this luxury.

They were instant friends.:)

              Amidst the tears at the funeral, this little cutie pie made 
         everyone smile.


                                       Isn't God amazing?

          Distraction was such a welcome guest.  Silliness and laughter 
        reminds us that life goes on.

                     We even snuck in a Girls' Day Out.  Just what the 
             doctor ordered!

          Family, whether by birth or by God's grace, are the ones that 
       pick us up when we feel that we cannot go on any longer.

               I am blessed to have such a loving family, and I consider 
          all of you to be a very special part of it!

                                    There were Nintendo lessons...

                 yummy french toast from Bilbo's (Baggins) restaurant...

            and Ruby came along with her velvet ears to comfort us all.

                Of course, She was always happy to collect any fallen 
          bacon, cereal, salmon, too!

               The trip was not a vacation but it was a reconnection with 
          loved ones.

                                     One of our dear ones has left us,

but I know Baca (my grandfather) will be waiting with open arms when the rest of us are called home.

Visual Latin- TOS Crew review

I took Latin in high school and loved it.  Togas, Latin conventions and derivatives were my cup of tea.  When I was given the opportunity to review Visual Latin I was thrilled!  I was not sure how my girls would feel, though.  Believe it or not, we had FUN.  Yes, I said FUN!  Visual Latin is taught by Dwane Thomas in short, easy lessons with humor.  Imagine that, learning Latin with a bit of giggles to keep children engaged!  Genius.  

     The videos take the pressure off the teacher for a few reasons.  #1- There is no question about pronunciation.  I loved Latin in high school, but that was quite awhile ago!  I remember many of the words, but how to say them?  I'm not so confident in that department.  #2- Dwane Thomas teaches the lesson and you can sit back and enjoy! Then, the worksheet (with answers provided) is completed by the student(s).  The worksheets are completed in sections- A- Grammar, B- Sentences and C- Translation.  Short, sweet and very complete!

    #3- You can learn on the go!  We took Visual Latin with us on a road trip as we did not want to miss a lesson.:)  While we were driving down the road, my girls were learning Latin!  My husband was even intrigued by Dwane's videos!  He started looking at the worksheets and asking questions.  We were all learning! 


    If you would like to try Visual Latin, and I highly recommend it, you can download 4 FREE introductory lessons + 2 regular lessons here!

   Visual Latin I (lessons 1-30 on 3 discs) currently sells for $80 (normally $90) from The Compass Store.  Visual Latin II (lessons 31-40) sells for $30.


   Check out what other TOS Crew members have to say about Visual Latin here.


** I received Visual Latin lessons 1-10 in exchange for my honest review.  No other compensation was received.**

I'm Excited About...

Excited About:


                                 Time to Relax this weekend...

 A Clean(er) Home...

                                                 Crafts Created with a Friend...

                                   a SALE on Adventures in Odyssey here...

                              and this...




Have you marked your calendar yet?

Colorado- Day 6

Kind of left you hanging on the CO trip, didn't I?

I forgot I had one more stash of pics!

More flowers from the Broadmoor...

           View of the pool when you first enter.  It takes your breath
       away.

           My girls were the only children there.  They had the slides 
       all to themselves.:)

                     I never relax.  It's not who I am.  But, I did relax here.

                               If we go again, I am claiming on of these tents.  
                     I will only leave when the pool closes.

                                 

       The Broadmoor has quite a few lovely restaurants.  This is their
      little coffee/quick eat spots. 
      I love how someone sketched the hotel in chalk.  Charming.

            After we left the hotel, we headed for the Rocky Mountain 
        National Park.
        We had to pull over a few times as there were sights to see!

                         Elk!
                At least 12 of them.  They were so kind to stop and let 
                the paparazzi do their thing.:)

                              Further down the road we spotted this big guy!  

                                I wanted so badly to clean off his antlers!  
                      Perhaps it's "the look" for moose.

                               

                             Long hikes. (In my book)  With waterfalls.  You 
                   better give me something to look forward to when
                   sweating is involved.:)

                             

                                   Sweet little baby moose.

                                   Breathtaking views.  Truly.

         
                                Can't wait to go back.


**Gorgeous giveaway in my friend, Victoria's shop!  Beautiful!  Hurry, it ends tonight!  Go here!!**

Scruble Cube review- TOS Crew

My girls were really excited to help me review a Scruble Cube!  If you are not familiar with Scruble Cube, this is how it's described on their website: "Scruble Cube takes some of the best known play patterns of some of the most popular word games and puzzles in history and combines them in a brand new, unique format to create the World's Greatest 3-D Word Game!"   

We brought it with us on our last vacation.  No little pieces to lose and perfect for travel!:)  You turn the cube searching for letters to form words.  Each letter is worth a certain number of points.  You can play alone or with a group, taking turns.  The game is a nice combination of Scrabble and Rubik's Cube.

    The Scruble Cube is a unique toy that combines play with Math Skills, Spelling, Vocabulary Development, Higher Level Thinking Skills, Problem Solving Skills, and more.  The letters are large and easy to see, which is a bonus for someone who needs to get bifocals, like myself!

   One of the things that I liked about The Scruble Cube is that the company's website provides free lesson plans!  Home schoolers love to teach through play. What could be better?  I thought this was a wonderful idea and very helpful.

    My family played with our Scruble Cube for a short amount of time.  It was a bit tricky manipulating the cube and I was a little concerned it would break.  We attempted to challenge each other to see who could score the most points but soon lost interest.  I believe that it may be better suited for teens and adults (their website recommends ages 10+).  It has many wonderful qualities- it was just not for us.

The Scruble Cube is $24.95 and can be purchased here.  It can also be found at Toys R Us and Barnes and Noble.

Read what other TOS Crew reviewers thought here.

*I was given a Scruble Cube and asked for my honest opinion.  All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.*

The Secret of the Missing Locket by Deborah M. Lott

   I love a good mystery and this book is a new favorite! My 8 year old daughter and I read The Secret of the Missing Locket by Deborah M. Lott together and loved it! It has the perfect combination of suspense, action and mystery and the setting is fabulous! Who wouldn't love exploring an old mansion- especially if it held secrets and was possibly haunted! The storyline was very enjoyable. 12 year old April Mathews discovers an old diary written by her great, great grandmother.  The pages reveal an unsolved mystery as well as a tragedy and family secrets. The adventure has begun! Eerie dreams and the time element (will the locket be found in time to?) add to the fun. I would recommend this book for ages 8-12 year olds- both boys and girls (the main character has a sidekick who is a boy). Suspenseful but not scary.  My daughter begged me to read it every night!  I hope Deborah Lott writes more mysteries- soon!


The Secret of the Missing Locket can be found here and here for only 99 cents!  Great book for family story time!


Thanks for letting me review your book, Deborah!:)

I am 16

I am 16.

My Mom is 30.

My grandmother is 60.

Time stands still in my mind.

Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder "Who is this person?"

She has to color her hair and needs bifocals??

(Still need to make that appt.  If you can't read this, you may have to join me!)

(I am on the far left.)

                         Sadly, my grandfather passed away last week.
                 Such a strong and intelligent man.  He was always 
                 very good to me.
                 I wish I could have seen him one last time, but God 
                was ready for him to come home.


                Funeral has the word "fun" in it yet that's the last thing
               they are.
               Amidst the flowers, tears and stories, I found that death
               can bring out the best and the worst in people.
               So many emotions come pouring out.

                      I reconnected with family that I had not see in years.
               We picked up where we had left off, but now we have 
               children and (a bit) of wrinkles.
               We are no longer 16, but that's alright.

                    My grandmother, my Mona Mom, is a kindred spirit.
             Of all the people I know, she is sure to have the most 
             treasures in heaven.
             She is beyond good.  An angel on earth.
             It's hard to start a new life when you are older, but her 
             next chapter is beginning and I believe it will be a good
             one.  
           
                                                                     (I'm on the right.)

         
                                      Life is short.
                          We can't even imagine that when we are 16.
                          Just remember that we are visiting this life.
                          This world is not forever.
                              
                          Make the most of every day.
                          Every minute is a blessing.
                       
                                      (My grandfather on the left and me on the right.)

                         At the funeral, the minister was a bit long winded.
                 He had an important message, though.
                 The most important message of your life.
                                  
                You don't get to heaven by doing good deeds.
                You don't get there by going to church every Sunday.
                You must have a personal relationship with God.
                             
                        Sounds complicated, but it's not!:)
                Say a simple prayer asking him to come into your heart.
                Thank ask him to forgive you of your sins.
                We all sin.  No one is perfect.
                Then, ask God for the comfort of knowing that you will
                join Him in heaven one day.

                         I plan on being there.:)
                 Please email me if you have any questions, dear friends. 
                 We may not meet on this earth, but hopefully one day 
                 we will be rejoicing together in heaven!:)


                             Lori- toosillysisters@cox.net