From a Lamb to Lady Liberty

New Hampshire Unit

Who is Sarah Josepha Hale? Well, she was born in New Hampshire. She was home-schooled by her mother. She grew up and became a school teacher. But, she is famous for writing the nursery rhyme, Mary Had a Little Lamb. We decided to do activities pertaining to that rhyme for our New Hampshire Unit.  The girls & I talked about how Mary in the Bible also had a little lamb. He was actually the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)! 

We enjoy this book because it illustrates a brown Mary. :-)

C. is unscrambling & illustrating the rhyme. 

K. put this puzzle together & did this coloring sheet. 

Fun Fact - The 1st recording ever made was Thomas Edison speaking "Mary Had A Little Lamb" on his phonograph in 1877.

New York Unit

Of course we had to focus on the Statue of Liberty for this unit. 

Five Interesting Facts About Lady Liberty

* She was a gift to the US from the people of France in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution.
* Not only does she serve as a symbol of freedom, the statue also functioned as a lighthouse for 16 years from 1886-1902.
* She is 305 feet which includes the pedestal & foundation (151 feet from the base to the torch).
* Her feet are 25 feet long.
* She weighs appox. 225 tons!

My Creative 7 yr old made this pattern block model of Lady Liberty. 

The girls are working hard on their crowns. A fun craft that only cost me $1.14...Yay! 

We did a "Why is the Statue of Liberty Green?" experiment. The Statue is made of copper.  Before 1982, pennies were also made of copper.  So, to accurately conduct this experiment we used pennies that were made before then. The 3 pennies we chose were from '64, '73, & '77.
  

First: We washed the pennies in soap & water.

Next: We dipped them in salt & vinegar. They became totally clean & shiny. 

Finally, we let them sit outside overnight. They turned grayish-green!

The Conclusion: The Statue of Liberty used to look like copper but because of the high content of salt & moisture in the air the outer layer of the copper reacted and turned her green.

Other Activities - Patriotic Math Graphing & Tally Sheet & Statue of Liberty Coloring Sheet

Books Read - Naming Liberty & Liberty

My Little Ladies

Guest Writer: My Mom

As soon as I read my mom's endearing comment to this post, I just had to repost it.

The 41 year “date”
On June 2, 1973 my husband, Curtis Gilbert, Sr., took my hand and asked me out on a “date”. During that “date” we planned our future, traveled, worked, loved, laughed, danced, cried, argued, honored, shopped, encouraged, complained, disagreed, prayed, worshiped, served, celebrated, shared, dined, gave, entertained, promised, respected, nurtured, courted, and had two beautiful babies. Most importantly, we learned the significance of having Jesus at the center of our lives.

On July 15, 2014, after 41 years of marriage, he brought me home from that “date”. He told me good night in the most caring and loving way possible as he entered the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I miss him deeply, but know that I will see him again.

Sorrowfully Shining the Light

God has been so faithful in blessing my family with joy, hope, and peace as we grieve the loss of my dear father.  Although we are very sorrowful, we are also rejoicing in God's goodness.
As I mentioned in the previous post, my dad fulfilled the purpose that the Lord had for him.
And he would want me to fulfill my ultimate purpose to shine the light of Christ in this very dark world.  Darkness is in Every. Corner. Of. The. World.  My dad is actually the privileged one because he gets to be with the Savior now while the rest of us believers wait for the day when we will be with our God and "he will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither morning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). Until then, I strive to shine the light of Christ in my tiny corner of this fallen world.  As I home educate my children, I desire to more intentionally point them to The Light of the World - Jesus!

North Carolina Unit

Speaking of light in the darkness, our recent North Carolina Unit was focused on lighthouses. The tallest lighthouse in the US is located in NC - the Cape Hatteras Light. We started this unit by discussing John 8:12 and listening to the Seeds Family Worship song based on John 8:12.  By the way, we LOVE the Seeds Family Worship songs!  If you haven't heard of them, check them out! It's definitely not just for kids; my hubby & I enjoy singing these great truths as well.  

We read this nonfictional story of bravery about a teenage girl named Abbie Burgess who tended a lighthouse for a month by herself.  Her father, the head keeper of the lighthouse, was away from the island getting supplies and her mother was very ill at that time. 

Then, Carysse completed this Graphic Organizer about Abbie while Kalia did a Color by Number Lighthouse. 

We culminated our unit by making these lighthouses. Thanks Mom for the red cups! :-) 

Other Books Read - Beacons of Light: Lighthouses & The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

This Little Light of Mine, I'm gonna let it shine! 

The Saddest Day of My Life

July 15, 2014 will forever be etched in my memory because it is the day that follows the dash on my father's gravestone. Two in a half weeks ago, my dad, at the age of 64, went to be with his Savior suddenly following a heart attack.  My heart has a hole in it that is now filled with deep sadness.

I had the privilege to give a reflection at my dad's funeral.  Here's what I said -

As I pondered coming before you to give a reflection about my dear father, I thought I was going to talk about his love for people and how he brought so much life, joy, and laughter to every group that he was with.  But you probably already knew that.

Next, I thought I was going to talk about his love for the elderly who were homebound and how he would joyfully visit them, take communion, and speak God’s Word to them. But you probably already knew that.

Likewise, I thought I was going to talk about his love for gathering with God’s people and how he would delight in being present whenever the doors of the church were open and how he served the church diligently.  But you probably already knew that.  

Then, I thought I was going to talk about his love for caring for his family and how he sacrificially served us in any way that he saw a need. How he countlessly drove 10 hrs to visit my family and joyfully took my disabled son on walks around our neighborhood. But you probably already knew that as well.  

So, what should I say about a godly man, loving husband, caring father, and faithful friend? Nothing other than that my dad was born a sinner like all of us but he put his trust in Jesus & at that point God began a good work in him and saw it to completion.  The morning after I got the news that my dad had passed and was now with Jesus, I read Psalm 138.  

The Psalmist begins by giving thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love and faithfulness. And it ends by saying, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.”  As tears flowed down my face that morning, I gave thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love and faithfulness towards my family through my dad’s life.  And I was overcome with peace and assurance that the Lord fulfilled his purpose for my dad.  On the evening of Tuesday, July 15, I believe that my dad was given the most glorious welcome that he’s ever received as His Savior said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’  

Please pray for my family especially for my mother who lost her beloved husband of 41 years.

My Parents ~ Valentine's Day 2014