...the long way home...

Want to homeschool? Be warned…

Kent — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:31:09 +0000

What life lessons have you learned the hard way?

Kent — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:18:35 +0000

A life is both a journey and a destination and along that journey we learn, always through experience, sometimes others but often our own. I’ve been recording moments and things of interest of our family for 5 years now and we have learned a lot of lessons along the way: lessons about parenting, marriage, moving, friendships, churching, etc. Some of those lessons came at just a little cost while others have been rather expensive, whether money, time or other resources. And usually it’s the expensive lessons that you learn the best and forget the least. A great example of this is the time I posted a comment on Facebook that someone misunderstood, took offense to, and then decided they were no longer my friend. One comment made, one friend lost. Lesson learned, be careful what, how, and when you post comments on Facebook. Another one would be to not make a joke about having “special brownies” at the church “High Tea” ladies meeting. One joke made, last time I was ever allowed to make an announcement during church. Lesson learned, stick to the script.
Anyway, it just got me thinking, what lessons have you learned the hard way?

2011. The year that was.

Kent — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:22:57 +0000

I’m not one to reflect on the past much but I thought I’d take a few minutes today to look back on the year that was 2011.

Our family played outside a lot this past year. I went snowshoeing once or twice a week last winter and the kids had 5 once-a-week ski lessons at Red Mountain with a bunch of other homeschooling kids. In the spring Angela and I did a weekly mountain bike ride organized through BettyGoHard and Teck. The boys and I rode a few great rides this year including a 35km ride and a 56km ride. I had the chance to get Aisha on dirt in the summer and we rode around town too. I rode lots, yay! We also had opportunity to hike and swim and camp, we even did a couple night hikes complete with flashlights and bears, oh my! All in all it was a great year to be outside.

Schooling this year involved all three children. All three kids primarily used ACE on 2010-11 but this past fall we transitioned the boys to other curriculum while Aisha continued on into Gr1 with ACE. Homeschooling has it’s challenges and rewards. It’s been interesting to be able to talk with the boys about how our faith has long-reaching implications in our everyday lives, for them this means how we view a lot of their school subjects such as literature, social studies, and science. Being wholly responsible for our children’s education has meant that what is “extra” for other kids (ie. Skiing, soccer, biking) is something that we NEED to do in order to fulfill the learning outcomes required for them to be able to complete their schooling, we’re continually learning to be proactive with PE.

Our church life this past year has continued to be fun. We gather with a wonderful group of people who come from a varied church past, but overall are more reformed and conservative than what we’ve known. This has proven to be a blessing to us in that we’ve been encouraged in our faith foundation. We’ve also been challenged to seek the Holy Spirit in new ways (or perhaps to not confine the Holy Spirit to how we think he should move). I’m quite thankful to have had great conversations with our church family whether it’s been at home group or during our sunday potlucks or out hiking together.

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” Hebrews 10:25

This verse has been our un-official motto this year….if we’ve learned anything this year it’s that we need the body (ekklesia), to be integrated in it, to receive and to give.

On the work related end of things I still work at Teck and am a happy camper in the lead refinery, working 4 & 4. Ang is still busy with her store, Delicious Baby & Toddler Boutique, in Rossland.

This year was a surprisingly good year for books, movies, and music. Here are a few of my favorites, but please note that not all these were released in 2011, just that I (we) discovered them this year.

Books that made an impact in our lives this year: The Bible (obvious, but still…), “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan (it will change what you eat), “Erasing Hell” by Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle (a scriptural rebuttal to a universalist view of hell), “The Furious Longing of God” by Brennan Manning (Jesus loves me, but do I really KNOW?), “5 Conversations You must have with your Son” by Vicki Courtney (for any moms who have sons), “Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl” by N.D. Wilson (a colorful romp through God’s crazy glorious world), and a few re-visits to C.S. Lewis classics including “The Chronicles of Narnia”, “The Screwtape Letters” and “Mere Christianity”.

Movies that we’ve enjoyed this year (and are worthy of noting): The Help, Of Gods and Men (bio-pic of a group of monks), Soul Surfer, The Adjustment Bureau, To Save A Life (surprisingly good for a Xian flick), The King’s Speech.
I’m sure there were a few others but I can’t think of them right now.

Music that has been replayed again and again: Gungor (Beautiful Things & Ghosts Upon The Earth), Matt Redman (10,000 Reasons), August Burns Red (Leveler), Blindside (With Shivering Hearts We Wait), The Echoing Green (In Scarlet and Vile), Times of Grace (The Hymn of a Broken Man), and Thrice (Major/Minor).

2011 has had it’s moments, it’s ups and downs, it’s highlights and even a few low lights but remember…

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. I Thes. 5:18

Hope springs eternal….

What Christmas means to me…..

Kent — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:10:25 +0000

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!
For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation
and draped me in a robe of righteousness.
I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit
or a bride with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

If I were younger and single…

Kent — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:45:10 +0000

I just had to share this video featuring some video shot (almost literally) in my backyard. This short segment is a part of a full length film called “All I Can”.

JP Auclair Street Segment (from All.I.Can.) from Sherpas Cinema on Vimeo.

Favorite things: Art with the kids

Kent — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:30:32 +0000

I readily admit to enjoying creating. Any type of creating is fun, particularly music, but any type of creating is enjoyable. I’m not saying I’m good at being creative, simply that I enjoy creating.
One of the pleasures of homeschooling is doing art with my kids….it’s usually not too hard, nor too long (time wise) and not too messy (well…), and usually we all enjoy it and we all get in on it too. Or at least I get it on it too. A few days ago I noticed a great little artsy crafty thingy that I thought would work well as an art project for us to do before Christmas, the whole idea was to buy glass ornaments and then use acrylic paint to decorate them. The craft I saw used children’s fingers painted white to make either snowmen or reindeer on the ornament. This seemed a little juvenile for my kids so I decided to just let them paint what they wanted on the ornaments I gave them. We all had fun creating for a few hours and we managed to stay fairly clean, even Angela’s mom, Judith (AKA “Baba”), got in on the action, creating a snowman portrait of herself with her grandchildren.

Here’s a few pictures for you to enjoy…..

Zat You, Little Drummer Boy?

Kent — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:35:38 +0000

I love christmas music….and I’m a sucker for rock, metal, indie, alternative, punk (pick any non-traditional variety) twists on christmas classics. This year we’ve been listening to DCB’s Oh For Joy as well as Happy Christmas 5 (from last year) and a few other treats. I want to share with everyone a new discovery that has been making the rounds over the last few days. It’s “Little Drummer Boy” by Sean Quigley. Sean recorded all the instruments himself as well as shooting, editing & producing the video (wow, way to go!), he talks about the video on CBC and was featured on CTV. It’s a very well done song and video….hope you like it.

What a season!

Kent — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:07:45 +0000

I have to say it….this year was the best bike season yet. It started with a bang and just seemed to get better. I road alone, with my kids, my wife, and my riding buddies. It was great. I rode up high and down low….on roads, paths and trails, on easy lazy rides,on leg burning climbs, and on screaming fast descents.

I topped it off yesterday with a short rip on a fantastic new trail that is close to home and promises to provide many hours of riding next year.
I am so thankful for the ability to get outside to play.

Do you trust this face?

Kent — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:27:46 +0000

In the thick of things

Kent — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 07:28:32 +0000

We’re back to full home school mode now and it’s been busy, really busy. Not that I’m complaining, just saying that it can get overwhelming some days (and weeks!). Between keeping Aisha on track with her Gr.1 work (she can get a little distracted), and making sure that the boys understand their work and keeping their work corrected in a reasonable time (so they aren’t stuck doing corrections after 5pm), one can find that their day has suddenly been gobbled up and now it’s time to get supper ready before the rumbles get too loud, or to put in as Aisha says, “My tummy is hungry like a camel with no hump” or “My tummy hurts like a shark bite”. Then after you get everything cleaned up and put away, while simultaneously herding the kids off to bed, you find that all your free time on your day off has disappeared in frenzy of vacuuming, math, dishes, lit, and laundry.
Anyway, if you keep checking back here waiting for some deep revelation or a really cool story about some adventure we’ve had, you’ll be sadly disappointed by the mundane fullness of everyday life in our family. Not that I have forgotten, just that I have to go now….it’s time to “turn back the clocks one hour” (goodbye daylight savings time) and I want to take advantage of it.