Merrry Christmas 2018

Merry Christmas

from 

Our family 

to 

Yours!

Journey to Bethlehem

Our Coop had our first ever Drama!

A beautiful Christmas story, and our younger students worked very hard!!

My little angels!

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan: A TOS Crew Review

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan

Spending time with God is one of our privileges!  We have been enjoying a new tool to guide us in our quiet times - it's called Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women from Zondervan.  This beautiful, hardcover devotional is designed for young women, ages 13-18, but I found it spoke directly to my heart as well!

Written by Lindsay A. Franklin, this lovely book contains 365 short devotionals, one for every day of the year.   Each day begins with a scripture passage, in NIV version, followed by a short devotion.  The devotions are specifically written to encourage young women in their identity, and purpose as Christians.  Each page includes a small space to write/journal your thoughts in as well.

This books highlights Scripture and sixty women of  the Bible.  The Bible has a high value on women, and this devotional focuses on the unique challenges and blessings of being female.  

The focus is truly on bringing the Bible's wisdom and guidance into our daughters (and our) daily lives.  The author does a wonderful job of relating the scripture to our modern lives and the challenges facing our girls in today's world.

The devotional starts at the beginning, with readings that follow along the narrative of the Bible.  I like that!  Each day's devotional becomes part of the big picture story.  

Here's a few examples of the lessons:

• Day 9 - "you are not defined by your mistakes..."  God saw Eve as the complete person she was.  

• Day 16 - "Sometimes we HAVE to stand out... " Just as Noah and his family did before the flood.

• Day 31 - "Rejection hurts."  God was not finished with Hagar, and he's not finished with us.

Great lessons, and the chance for God to speak to our girls - does it get any better?

And, of course - the book itself is truly beautiful!  With floral patterns on each page, and a space to write/journal in, it would make an excellent gift.  It has a pretty ribbon bookmark to hold your page, a nice feminine touch.  Not to mention, it's the perfect size for a stocking stuffer!

I decided to leave this beautiful book on our coffee table and see who would pick it up first...  My teenage daughters (yes, both of them) noticed it right away and picked it up.  They have been reading it ever since.  

 I have also been enjoying this devotional, for myself!  Many of the messages have felt perfectly appropriate in my life, messages like being careful with words, forgiveness, and making sound choices.  Timeless wisdom.

I think this would make an excellent tool for starting conversations with our daughters as well.  The devotions are well written, and introduce many relevant topics.

You will definitely want this one!

Find Zondervan on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zondervan/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zondervan
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKUDMeYSjLvcsSw2JR-fmvg
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/zondervanp/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zondervan/

Hashtags: #hsreviews #devotions #DevotionsForYoungWomen #Beloved #books #reading #bookstagram #christianity #faith

See what other members of the Crew thought here

Elf Louise

One of our favorite December activities is wrapping presents for Elf Louise - a San Antonio ministry for underprivileged families.

Our Honor Society (and extra Coop friends) spent a few hours picking out presents and wrapping them.

We specialize in the BIG families, and we pray over every package!

 It's a very impressive stack of presents - it will take hundreds more Santa volunteers to deliver them!

Turkey Contest 2018

Our Annual - Bentz Bunch Turkey Coloring Contest!

The competition is fierce!  We decide the winner by a Facebook vote.

  And the winner.... "FREDDIE TURKURY"

 Happy Thanksgiving - from our family, to yours!

Gratitude Pumpkins

My literature girls at Coop love a fun craft...

With our Thanksgiving break about to begin, I found these adorable "Gratitude Pumpkin" templates.  They are super simple to make, and I had everything I needed!  Paper and pipe cleaners...


Print the handy template, cut it out, and write the things you are thankful for on each strip.

Put the strips together by punching a hole in each side, and using a green pipe cleaner to secure them together.  Really, it's that simple!

They were super easy to make, and a great reminder of what we're thankful for!

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Lord behold our family here assembled.

We thank the for this place in which we dwell.

For the peace accorded us this day.

For the hope with which we expect tomorrow.

For the help, the work, the food.

And the bright skied that make our lives delightful.

For our friends in all parts of the earth and our friendly helpers.

Let peace abounding our small company.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Family Weekend 2018

The gang's back together!  Family weekend at UMHB!!

Luke was covered in siblings...

Mom... the selfie Queen!

Sam couldn't escape them either...

We celebrated Luke's birthday (partially).  I miss having them all together!  

Master Kitz The Starry Night from Kidzaw.com: A TOS Crew Review

Master Kitz The Starry Night from Kidzaw.com

We love learning about artists and creating.  The Master Kitz The Starry Night from Kidzaw.com contains everything you need to create your very own masterpiece!  We couldn't wait to get started...

Everything you need to create your very own "Starry Night" and learn about  Vincent Van Gogh comes included in the Master Kitz Starry Night :

• Reusable Artist’s Tool Box
• Three Custom Paint Colors
• Custom Van Gogh Paint Roller
• Five Artist Quality Oil Pastels
• Two Pieces Deluxe Art Paper – 16″ x 20″
• Composition Stencil
• Sponge Roller
• Star Mask Sticker Sheet
• Van Gogh Learning Materials
• Easy-to-follow Instructions

Best yet, there are enough supplies to create 2 masterpieces!  You can also check out demonstration videos, PDF instructions and many other great Kitz on their website: Kidzaw.com.  These would make excellent Christmas gifts.

My art loving daughters could barely wait to get started.  The instructions are printed on a nice poster, with information about Vincent Van Gogh included.  

The directions are very easy to follow, it's designed for ages 5 and up.  My testers are in 4th and 5th grade, so it was easy for them to work independently.

First, you use the star stickers on your 16 x 20 heavy paper, don't worry, you can peel them off to use again! After you have placed your stars, you use the fun textured paint roller to cover your paper with paint.  One of the things we liked best - the tools are so easy to use, and really give you a great look.

The next step involved laying down a reusable plastic stencil and using another roller to create the black image over the blue sky and stars.  This step was a bit tricky for my testers to do alone, and we found that taping the stencil down with painters tape helped us keep it in one place.  

After that, my testers moved to the oil pastels to create their "stars".  All along the way, we got the chance to discuss Vincent Van Gogh and his techniques, as well as, experiencing different art mediums like paint and oil pastels.  It truly is a great art lesson, all in one handy box!

My testers loved how their pictures were turning out!  

For the final step, they added details to their masterpieces with the oil pastels.  This is where each of them got to personalize their paintings.  They are so impressed!  The entire project took us a couple o hours, including paint drying time.  It was easy to complete, and didn't leave a big mess.  Along the way, we learned some new facts about Van Gogh.  Great project!

These kitz are very well done!  I think they would make a great gift - they have many different paintings and artists to choose from (and sculpting kitz too!) They would be excellent for coop class as well.

We can't wait to do more creating!

Find Kidzaw.com on Social Media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kidzaw-160167827376266/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidzaw
Pinterest:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kidzaw123?blend=1&ob=5


Hashtags:
#hsreviews #art #homeschoolart #masterkitz

See what other members of the Crew thought here