Collage Friday - Taking Time To See Beauty (and a LEGO Update)
Friday, May 3, 2013 at 5:00AM
"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."
This is one of my favorite quotes. To know that it is from Anne Frank is even more amazing. How could she find beauty in her circumstances?
In the past year there have been some not so beautiful things I have witnessed: a friend's husband with Stage 4 Melanoma, a friend from church hit by a drunk driver - he's paralyzed now, the death of a wonderful woman I knew from Ovarian Cancer, a homeschooling dad of two gone because of cancer.
Perhaps it's my age, or maybe these events, but I'm trying to seize every moment and see the BEAUTY around me.
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This week was all about that.
I think it started Monday evening when my son and I were in the front yard. He was watching a rabbit at the top of our driveway, and as he approached the rabbit, two other rabbits bounded out from behind him (scaring us to death!) and ran across the lawn. Grant and I laughed so hard!
Or maybe it was Saturday night as we were eating dinner (our bird feeder is right outside the breakfast room window) and spotted an Eastern Towhee for the first time ever at our feeders. The kids stopped, went to the window seat and just watched the bird. My husband, who isn't usually home when we spot birds during the day, was delighted by their inquisitiveness and wonder.
While throwing the ball in our yard this week we heard two Barred Owls calling to each other in our woods. It does my heart such good that my children stop to enjoy these things. It brings them happiness, and in such a busy world this seems like a small wonder.
What I'm Reading
I took time sunny times outside for myself this week and began reading Desperate - a book I'd heard so much about and finally ordered. I'm so glad I bought it. I have been reading through the book, watching the videos at the end of each chapter, and journaling along the way.
You must read this book.
Our family is learning to SLOW DOWN and appreciate the beauty in our world.
I am so thankful, because I know that life can often be short.
I want my children to receive my full attention, free of stress and meaningless activities. I want them to mature into adults who can appreciate beauty and raise their own children in a similar manner.
This is the best way I know to pass on the Godly values I hold so dear.
While we did a lot this week, our favorite thing was preparing for and attending the Georgia Renaissance Festival. We went with my friend, Jeni (The Blog Maven) and her adorable children. It was a day of fun, beauty, and learning
Learning at The Renaissance Festival
There were so many things to see and do at The Renaissance Festival. We were greeted at the gate by Henry VIII and Anne Bolyn, along with ladies in waiting and other members of court.
We watched a glass blowing demonstration (very cool!), a woman spinning yarn, and got to drum a bit, too.
All of the workers at the festival spoke in authentic voices, greeted us with "M'Lord and M'Lady" and made the experience so enjoyable.
The relationships made with our friends made the day wonderful.
I had met Jeni online last summer (after using her featured pins on Pinterest in your sidebar tutorial) and she was gracious and generous with her knowledge of blogging and design. We met again at The BEECH Retreat (now Story Social Media) in Florida, where I enjoyed a class she gave about effective blog design.
She lives a couple of hours from me and we said we would have to meet to do something with our kids.
Our children got along well, and it felt like we had known them for much longer than just a day. I know we will get together again!
Renaissance Notebooking
We received a study guide from the Renaissance Festival. I read through it with the kids (most of it was a review, since we spent the bulk of the year in this period of history in The Story of the World.)
As I read through this guide, I had the kids notebook as a review. I created pages in The Notebooking Publisher Web App (oh, how I LOVE this!!) at Notebooking Pages.com.
I also added pre-made pages from The Renaissance (also from Notebooking Pages).
I know I sound like a big commercial, but we use Notebooking Pages on a DAILY BASIS in our homeschool. It's the best money you can spend it you want to notebook across all subjects.
And, if you are unfamiliar with Notebooking, you can get the eBook, Notebooking Success, to explain it to you!
We had pages about Customs & Mannerisms, Food, Clothing, Greetings, Sports, Games, and more.
Archery
Anna has been asking me about archery and getting a bow and arrows for a long time (ever since we studied Robin Hood last year!).
Her dream came true at The Renaissance Festival. She got a very nice bow and two training arrows, along with a set of instructions.
I don't think she's come inside very much since we got home!
I was able to order Teaching Archery to Kids and also get a couple of targets. I think this will provide hours of fun and learning for both kids.
LEGO Update
There was (of course) lots of LEGO learning going on here. Some was just free play (using the pieces from the LEGO StoryStarter set), but we did break into something new this week.
The LEGO Education® Energy Add-On pack is wonderful! We learned about hydro, solar, and wind energy. Grant build a basic car and we talked about potential and kinetic energy. I will be sharing more about this in the coming weeks. Needless to say, very cool, and VERY educational! It comes with complete lesson plans.
LEGO provided our science for the week, and it was meaningful and interesting.
Blog News
This week on the blog there is a free unit study about Tchaikovsky, along with a giveaway of The Story of Swan Lake from Maestro Classics.
I am also very excited to share iBlog with you - this book is a comprehensive resource for bloggers, with over 300 pages of information about all topics involved with blogging. The chapter I authored is "Growing Community Through Your Blog".
I do hope you can purchase and enjoy this resource!
How was your week?
Did you take time to appreciate the beauty around you?
I hope you link up your weekly photo collage post! Please remember to include photo collages. Also, link back to this post or include the Collage Friday button (in my sidebar) in your post. Once you have signed the linky, please visit others on the list to gain ideas and offer encouragement. I love the Collage Friday community! (I reserve the right to delete any links that don't comply with the guidelines.)
Happy weekend!
Reader Comments (16)
The next town over hosts the Ren Festival every year from late August until sometime in Sept. We LOVE IT! The kids have only been 1 time (a lot of hilly walking and complaining). They loved the Joust when we did take them. I love the crafting and the fact that they all stay in character all the time!
Looks like a nice week you all had. Glad you are all learning to "slow down" a bit! 8) Living it and loving it! Funny how the Lord knows when to slow you down....looking back at my February departure from FB and other SM, seems he had some stuff in store for me as it was!
Enjoy your weekend and HUZZAH!
I love the top photo and the quote! A great week of fun and learning, my boys have taken archery and enjoyed it greatly. I ordered Desperate but haven't started it yet, I'm looking forward to it. Have a great weekend!!
What a wonderful week! I love the Lego bowling alley. I will show that to my son when he wakes up. You do so many wonderful things.
Blessings, Dawn
Oh what fun. I always enjoy seeing what y'all do!! Field trips, LEGO learning, archery and more. And you are right - there's so much beauty, so much to be thankful for. Thanks for hosting us all Mary!
The Renaissance fair's are so much fun! We used to have an annual fair nearby but the locals complained about the mess and traffic so they stopped doing it. Very disappointing. We loved it. My husband even built one of these things that the jousters use to practice with for the kids to use while riding their bikes! I can't remember what it's called but they would come at the target with their lances (baseball bats or sticks). If they didn't get out of the way fast enough an empty detergent bottle would swing around and pop them on the back!
The Renaissance Festival looks amazing!! How cool for Anna about the archery. My girls want bows and arrows, but we haven't found the right ones yet.
Love all the LEGO learning :)
Have a beautiful weekend, Mary!!
I love the Lego bowling alley.
Once again, thanks for the blog share and for letting me include mine! betty jo
That looks like a top-notch Rennaissance Festival. I've never been to one--but now I want to go!
We love EVERY.SINGLE thing about Ren Faires. Seriously if I could survive I would love to follow them around and have some sort of little booth. I love all the resources you used to tie in with your trip there. That is HSing at its finest to me. Love the archery pictures! And you always have the coolest LEGO resources. I know that Grant just learns so much from them!
I am SO excited about winning the NBpages membership. If someone had told me I could get one free resource of anything it would have been that. So fun to 'party' with you. Thank you as always for this awesome Friday linkup! Happy weekend.
Isn't it awesome to see new birds?! We saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak for the first time - you'd think it was Christmas in our kitchen! The Renaissance festival looks fun. We've never been; and that's a shame because it's close to us! Better plan to go before it gets too hot again. My oldest daughter loves her bow and arrow, so glad your daughter got one at the festival. I remember taking archery in middle school and was pretty good at it! Thanks for sharing your week. Have a blessed weekend!
The Ren Faire looks so fun - and I love the Lego bowling alley! I am going to Amazaon to add Desperate to my wish list. :)
Oh, how I feel like I know you even better now that I have been following you on Instagram for a bit! SO many of the thoughts you have conveyed in this post I TOTALLY got from the pics you posted this week- and I feel the exact same way! Taking time to smell the roses...or listening to the baby birds chirp...so important on this homeschooling journey...
Thank you for opening with that lovely quote, Mary. I was having a tricky day on Thursday, and then I took the dog for a walk in the woods while the children were in their French class. I made a conscious choice to look around me and enjoy the natural beauty and the effect on my mood was profound!
Thanks for the Lego inspiration, too - more Lego learning has been on my list for so long, it must make it to the top soon!
Lucinda
Fun post!
We were also at the Ren Fest on student day and it was awesome. I was wondering if you could tell me where your friend's kids got the crowns. Did they come from Ren fest or did they bring them along? I was hunting for one just like that for my daughter while we were there and couldnt find one. We are going back at some point when Dad can come along and Id like to find one then. If you happen to know which booth was selling them I would be grateful.
My son was also begging for the archery sets, they looked really nice but he is only 6 and I wasnt sure he was ready yet. Looks like fun though.
If I do nothing else for my girls, I hope that I teach them to see the beauty of God's creation around them and to find joy in each day. So glad you found beauty in the everyday this week:)
The girls and I just started taking archery lessons! Molly's interest in archery started with Robin Hood too:) We've always wanted to go to a Renaissance festival! It looks like you had a great time.
And I had to show the girls the lego bowling alley when I saw it on Instagram:) They love making things like that!