Change of Plans

Yesterday we were all geared up and ready to go spend the day at Sea World, but alas the weather would not cooperate . Rain, rain, and more rain! So instead we headed to the Orlando Science Center and spent the day there. It was fun, so here are a few ( o.k. a lot ) of pics.

The Human body... This was really geared at preschoolers but what's more fun than being goofy in the "little kid" section?    

For some reason I get the idea she doesn't want to go in. Heehee! 

Lights, Lasers, Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy

3D Penguin Movie

Made of all edible ingredients, egg, sugar, royal icing- Amazing!

Visiting the Wildlife

A Mata Mata Turtle

Look Mom, the fish eat broccoli! 

A great way to explain the "sink hole" phenomenon that has been so interesting to my kids as of late 

 Just a frog, but I had to take a picture, it's Cuban like me. 

Inside a bee

Real bee's

"If You Can Imagine It" section

Time to go home..... and with no souvenir, so sad. No worries, he quickly recovered.  

I think it was a great way to spend a rainy day.

We Are All Called to Play a Different Part

For a long time I felt a little guilty that our day didn't match most peoples. While I don't think we should all be the same, it is hard to see things that are "good" in the lives of others that we know, and not compare on some level. But I feel like lately it had been steeling some of my joy.

Most nights I am up at least twice, checking  blood sugar on my little one( a type 1 diabetic). On a bad night when blood sugar is too high or too low, I could be up every hour or two. This has been our life for the last 4 years now. While I am not  complaining, it certainly has affected our life  and how things run greatly. Most noticeably,  the fact that our family gets up in the morning significantly later than most. While it's not really a problem per say since we home school, I still have guilt over it. Sure I make jokes about it with my friends, they all know I run on a different clock,  but it's still hard not to compare. Seeing all those moms up and at'em at 7:00 in the morning, sending their kids off to school, making breakfast, or other homeschoolers going on early morning field trips,or even those whose day is done at 12:00 noon. Tough stuff. I beat myself up a little and think I should be able to be awake at 7:00 a.m. chipper and going strong.

I could think of a million other examples, things I see that are " good"  in the lives of others, women who are missionaries, women who sew, women who have careers and homes, women who are going back to school, women who have spotless homes, women who do so many good things. But then I look at my kids, and I think about who they are and who they will want to be. I think about the fact that God has given me these 3  beautiful children to mold and guide according to his word, and I think no, no I do not want to follow anyone else's version of "good". We have all been called to play a different part. Sure, I could push my self to get out of bed at 7:00 in the morning, but would I still be able to guide them and follow God's will for our lives if I was just "playing the part" vs living the part I was meant to play? Would they see joy and grace?  I don't think so......

So I guess my  question to you is this  "What is your part?" "Who is in your home right now, who will they grow up to be, what snapshots are they putting away in their memory banks?"

If you don't have small children in your home, I think the question remains " What is your part?"

Are you being true to it, your family, or to God?


 I decided to try a little activity with the kids at the beginning of this school year. Although at that time, I didn't realize how all of it would unfold later, but here is what we did and what we found out.

I simply asked each child, what are your favorite subjects and what goals do you have for the year and why?

K, age 10:
My favorite subjects are: History, Latin, Science, and Grammar
My goal this year is to learn a foreign language and more about history but specifically medieval times and the Hebrews. "When I grow up  I would like to be an archaeologist and/or teacher."

This year she got a subscription to "Dig Magazine" The archaeology magazine for kids.  

A, age 9:

My favorite Subjects are : Grammar, Math, and Science.
"My goal is to have better handwriting and be ahead on science and math so that I can be a great baker and author when I grow up."

This year's subscription to "American Girl" magazine. Lots of info on baking, parties, and girly stuff 

L, Age 7

My favorite subjects are: Science, Math, and reading.
My goal is to speak more clearly, learn to play the piano, the guitar, and do wood crafting.
"When I grow up I would like to be a Mechanic, Artist, or Baker, but I think I might also want to be a dentist because I can brush my teeth as good as anyone else"

Well, this is a picture of him carving his spelling words into a bar of soap, I don't know, can we say it ties in to learning how to do wood crafts/ carving?  Ya, I don't think so, but it was fun. This years magazine subscription is "National Geographic Kids"

Each child different, called to play a different part, but each beautiful none the less. Each special and unique, so why is it that as adults we have such a hard time seeing it in our selves?  

I think this verse says it beautifully, Ephesians 2:10;  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

What good works were you prepared for? Why would you ever want to be something else?  

Camp Kulaqua 60 Year Anniversary

We went away this weekend to Camp Kulaqua (pronounced cool-aqua). It was their 60th Anniversary and because my husband use to work their as a teenager we attended for free. When my husband told me, I was not very thrilled to be honest. I have never been camping, nor was it ever on any list of things to do, so I was a bit hesitant. My only knowledge of camping came from one of my all time favorite movies,  the 1961 version of  "the Parent Trap" starring Hayley Mills. Enough said .......

Turns out we had our own little chalet and it was not so bad. In fact it was more like "glamping" which is way more my speed!

So, on with the pictures of our 3 day  2 night excursion!


Pit stop! Halfway there we made a quick stop and wouldn't you know it, a cute little stand. Raw Local Honey.

You know I bought honey.......... o.k. two... two bottles of honey. I got the one with the honeycomb inside just because it was fun, and also a gallberry, which I had never tried before but it it is good.  

Welcome to Camp Kulaqua!

Phew, it is going to be o.k......this is nice!

Our chalet

Inside, all of the amenities, kitchenette, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, fully furnished  

That is my Keurig...don't judge. You know how some people carry garden gnomes with them when I travel, well this is kinda the same thing.

Exploring Camp

  

Big Dan is really cool! He has been alive since before Christ!

I liked the sign, it gave you significant events in the history of Dan's "life"

Really interesting, the boys and girls cabins all have Native American names and Portraits.  Boy Natives on the boy cabins, girl Natives on the girl cabins

This was the end of day one, really very beautiful. I wish the camera could have captured it better.  

Day two, of course started with visiting the horses

A little walk after the horses

The Camp Kulaqua Zoo. Zoo's make me sad but we went, and I took pictures, and the kids enjoyed it

This snake, I actually let my kids get near this thing while he was out of his cage at the snake "meet and greet". Do not let this picture deceive you, it's HUGE!

Isn't he cute?!

Look at that face, doesn't he look smart!

Beautiful! If I had to be a bird, I would want to be a peacock

After the zoo we walked around a little more and went by the "Prayer Place"

It was so very beautiful and peaceful inside. It reminded me of a dear friends wedding years ago in a small church.

Tapestry on the wall

A stream of sunlight coming in through the window and lighting the wood floors

This was the outdoor church

Lucas could not resist getting on stage

For dinner the camp held a banquet and set up the room to look like the camp would have in the 50's and 60's

Deer in a field that evening

Hayride to the bonfire!

Bonfire destination. Covered wagons encircled the bonfire area and the kids played inside the wagons. S'mores and apple cider  included. Believe it or not I had my first s'more only about a year ago.

We got back around 11:00 in the evening, a quick bath and off to bed. 

Day three!

In the wave pool!

Going down the big slide

Down the lazy river

Then off to ride the horses

Lucas on "Shenandoah"

Aly on "Amigo/Socks"

Katie on "Tabby/ Tabitha"

I should mention that I rode my first horse today. Of course when they found out that  I had never ridden a horse they pulled out "Pearl" apparently the slowest horse of the century. She was good most of the ride, in fact I had to coax her along most of the time; that is until the over pass where the two kids in front of me started their horses into a gallop and my horse followed suit. I really thought I was going to die, but in the end all was well.

Camp Kulaqua was a blast and the kids are already begging to go back. If you are ever in the mood to go camping/glamping I highly recommend Camp Kulaqua, it was way "cool"!