I think I may have just found my niche...with this blog that is. Sorry about all the chopped up posts I finally figured out how to post more than one picture ona post. Promise it will get better :)
Dawn

Our Study on Japan....

Sam tasting Green Tea




Everyone :)

Our Japan food!

Cookie dough+carrot cookie cutter+Green & Orange icing=

CARROT COOKIES

I think this says it all....MESSES=MEMORIES!!!





Sam making Carrot cookies as we end

his Carrot lapbook.

Sam's "C is for Carrot Seed" Lapbook....

Pictures of our school days this year....

Sam doing his C Lapbook.

Stop on over at my friends Ami's blog for some great ideas for preschoolers including "Read to me ABC's" http://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog

This has been such a lifesaver for us and I am so surprised how much my little guy learns! (and we make many memories along the way!)

One of the many projects I did this summer was make a craft/sewing table out of this....

keep coming back to see the finished product in my posts on decorating!!

As the cool wind blows, I am reminded of the coming winter. And the little toes in our home that will be getting cold. So we pulled out the box of slippers and soon found many were too small or just plan wore out. Here is one determined boy who wants to fit into his favorite slippers. Needless to say new slippers will be soon added to our family :)

Field Trips

This summer we took a field trip to the bowling alley. This was my children's first time. My youngest Sam was so exciteed to get "bowling shoes" I just love this picture!

"Sometimes the little things are big things in the eyes of a child."

It has been such a long while since I had the time to sit and catch you up. Our year has been full of many new things. The kids have been doing lots of school, we have been adjusting to a new church family, and I have been starting up my own home business. I hope you can sit back and relax, grab a cup of tea or a piece of pie and join me as I share what God is doing here in our home. School pictures first then I will introduce you to "Simply Rustic". By the way if you are a mother and can't sit down for longer than 5 minutes I will totally understand :) take your time and don't hesitate to look back.
Blessings,
Dawn

She is now a Japanesse Princess

Mayumi's mom brought Sarah her very own kimono from japan!!! WOW
Thank you Jeanie :)

One of the most wonderful things my daughter did this summer was meet a new friend...

Mayumi and her sister Sophie. They live in Japan. And now she and I (as her teacher) are learning lots about Japan. I love this picture :)

Sarah and Sam and the RED hunt is finished!

Last year we continued to do this with a few more colors,

such a neat way to get the older kids involved and

help them learn their colors & shapes :)

I love this book! A yardsale find this

summer and has so many neat

pages of colors for

young preschoolers !!!!

Red...Red...Everywhere!

Sarah and Sam going on Color hunt throughout

the house....color of the week...RED!!!!!!!!!

As we tried out some creative ways to spell out words I gave Adam some toothpicks....The first word he sounded out and wanted to spell?....His favorite buddy Jake :)

Sarah and Adam both working on the alphabet noodles :)

Sarah this last year practiced her writing and reading skills, she was picking out words from a tub of alphabet noodles (which I got for $.50) Another workbox :)

He is soo proud! :)

Sam learned his colors so fast by doing lots of hands on sorting in his workboxes and by using "Preschool Activities in a Bag" I got from a preschool swap. (This was also in the "Five Little monkey study")

"Buddy-Up"

This year as we introduced our new workbox system I made "Buddy-Up" boxes, ones that they did with a buddy...here is Sarah helping Sam with his colors

Then he got to play doctor to his stuffed monkeys...

Sam and his Monkeys!

(I still have not figured out how to put 2 pictures on one post...)

Samuel, our youngest begin his hands on journey in FIAR this year...he LOVED starting the workbox system and making Lapbooks...here he is finding monkeys in beans as we rowed..."Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed"...Oh I had him use twizzers to pick the monkeys up :)

"A Year In Review"

Welcome to: In the Shadow of the Cross Academy!!!

It has been a long struggle to get this Blog updated with our school activities and so to help me play catch up I am going to post a bunch of pictures and school posts we have done over the past year...alot to take in I know....but I still have so much I want to share with you and this would help me cross more than one thing off my month long list :)!!!

Enjoy your journey into our home :)

A New Year...A New Word

This year I have made only a few resolutions...like have a friend of mine teach me how to knit, get our fence up, and maybe find a good used sewing machine so I can start making Sarah dresses and add sewing to our school days. But the one I am working on daily is "Gentleness". A friend of mine decided to pick one word/character quality to work one each year and I thought that was such a really good idea.I teach my kids a new quality every month in schol why not let the Lord be my teacher and school with them....so I choose gentleness.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Ephesians 4:29
This verse spoke to me as I was teaching it to my children. How often do I correct with a tone that would tear them down instead of building them up in discipline? Do I take time to stop and listen to them, or even stop what I am doing and bend down eye-to-eye when I am correcting them? I want them to be careful in how they help encourage eachother to do what is right, instead of always telling me who is doing wrong. Am I so quick to jump when there has been a rule broken, that I am when they are doing what is right? God has shown me it isn't just the words I choose, but the way I say things, the expressions on my face and even if I am looking at them that can show gentleness. I would encourage you if you do not have a New year's resolution or would like one that can draw you closer to the Lord pray about a fruit of the spirit, or character quality you would like to add in your heart. Here are a few steps I am taking to help me in this area:
Step 1: I am letting those close to me know so they could help me and pray for me when I am struggling..and yes that even includes my children & husband!
Step 2: I am finding a verse a month to hang up throughout the house to memorize along the line of Gentleness.
Step 3: I am also hanging up anything that the Lord speaks to me about in various areas of my home to keep me on track.

Goodluck this year and may you grow closer and closer to the Lord everyday!!

Dawn

1 Corinthians 2:9

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind conceived...what God has prepared for those who love Him."

~This is only a touch of God's creation...a picture to ponder the wonderous works of The Hand of God

(in our backyard)

This world is temporary...one day we will exchange our mounds of snow for streets of gold!!!!!!!!!

"A Snow Angel"

It is a simple thing, one that probably every child has done, and yet every time it seems like you are covered in magic. A simple snow angel. One clothed in pure white and surrounded by chill. Every one forms the body of one of our children and leaves them with the feeling of winter magic as they turn around and see it for the first time.

I wonder, will heaven be like that. Will we be in awe at the sight of an angel for the first time? Will we feel the Holy Spirit as it fills us with the presence of the Lord Almighty? I can't wait! Untill then I will enjoy making angels here on earth, and look up into the heavens, praising God for His creation.

Simply in Awe!!!

Dawn

All of our Ice ornaments ready to go outside! :)

Sarah's favorite food to add to our nature ornaments was purple Kale....it does look very healthy :)

Sam's favorite was the apples....he was so excited, and told daddy as soon as he saw him "we are feeding the animals outside daddy!" I just love this age!!!

Adam's favorite thing to put in there was popcorn....he loved how they slowly got wet and fell to the bottom...

"Feeding the Birds"

As a homeschool project we decided to make Ice ornamaents for our willow tree...filled with bunches of yummy stuff for the birds and critters the kids love watching. We just filled our shallow tuberware containers and muffin tins with water, added bits and pieces of food, and thick twine to hang with. Then I set them outside and let them freeze! I saw this done once with acrons, and wintery items found outside but I thought a lesson on how to feed God's creation in winter would be neat. (and a good way to clean out my produce that was almost going bad :)!) They loved it and can't wait to hang them up on the tree out front tomorrow.