October 2007
Our oldest son sharing Psalm 1 --
it's so sweet to hear the way he talked back then... they really DO grow up so fast.
Our oldest son sharing Psalm 1 --
it's so sweet to hear the way he talked back then... they really DO grow up so fast.
November 2007
My favorite video-- one of the kiddos all dancing...
our daughter gets nervous when she sees the camera,
but then decides to go on dancing anyway.
My favorite video-- one of the kiddos all dancing...
our daughter gets nervous when she sees the camera,
but then decides to go on dancing anyway.
December 2007
The boys sharing their memorization of the Beatitudes... this one cracks me up!
The boys sharing their memorization of the Beatitudes... this one cracks me up!
I don't always share private things, but I guess I just wanted to share these and remember some precious times "with" you all. Hopefully this will give you a few laughs and a glimpse into our home, and let you share in the joy of our entirely silly and wonderful kiddos.
14 comments:
My goodness, Jess, you have a beautiful voice! And your kiddos are sooo cute!
ha ha ha! the way baxter starts rubbing ethan's ear! lol! (ethan's feet taking up the frame also made me chuckle).
sarah fiodorova x
ps you have a lovely accent!
Adorable. I love it. And I love that you play guitar. I'm a classical musician and have played cello since I was five--don't know how that's gonna help in the future, though. Maybe I should learn some chords on the guitar instead! ;)
Thanks, Serena.
Sarah,
That part always cracks me up too... it's like he suddenly discovers Ethan's ears or something, then he reaches up and touches his own, then starts bending Ethan's again. Little goofball! :) That whole filming "session" was a comedy of errors.
That is precious!!!
Jess,
thank you for sharing a piece of your life! Your children are precious, you are doing a great job with them all! (what is the process that you use to get your children to memorize scripture? and do you use different strategies for each of them?) You are a blessing to me!
~Jamie
Hi Jamie...
Here's a post I wrote that tells about our nightly Bible times...
http://makinghome.blogspot.com/2008/03/family-devotions-play-by-play.html
And here's the section of it that talks about our 'method' of memorization...
Specifically, when we're learning something new, we work on one new phrase every night. We take one phrase, sentence or thought, and repeat it about 10 different times (we do this in different voices to make it fun-- say it in cowboy voice, now in a deep MAN's voice, now in a little bitty lady's voice, now in a child's voice, now in a really happy voice, now VERY LOUD, now very soft, etc.). Then we all say it together (with the rest of the passage if it's adding on to something we've already learned).
With this method, we've learned Psalm 1, Psalm 23, Psalm 121, the Beatitudes, and (now) James 1:1-12 and counting...
It's fun. And now, we've added in robot voice, baby voice, and giant voice. Sometimes we'll even say it like we're crying or like we're laughing or like we're chickens bocking as we go. We make it both fun and memorable... the point is to get it into our heads.
OH- one more thing I do-- if there are logical hand motions for certain parts, then we add those in. For example, in James 1, right now, it uses the word "steadfast" a lot. To help the boys remember what that means, I explained it and we used a flat hand moving in a straight line to indicate the meaning. Now, everytime we say "steadfast", we use that handmotion. For motion words (up, down, rising, falling), we'll use that motion. For sun, we'll hold our hand up in the sky. For walk, we'll do our fingers walking. That sort of thing. It helps the boys-- it may not help everyone.
The amazing thing to us has been how, while we're working on the actual memorization with our older kids, the 2 year old is often sitting there saying the sounds and many of the words right along with us. Every little bit that gets into their minds is something that God might use to teach and instruct and convict and mature them later.
It's not something we're legalistic about, but we do it more nights than not. And sometimes, when I'm just doing dishes or something, I'll call out a passage and we'll all say it together while they play Legos or whatever. We review the old ones fairly often.
Hope this helps!
~Jess
I loved that last clip!!
I sent it to the ladies in my Bible Study as we're going through the Beatitudes right now and I thought they'd get a smile out of it too :)
Those videos are ADORABLE! And more than cute... how precious to hear God's Word coming out of those little mouths :0)
I followed your link on Mommy Life and wanted to thank you. I'm one who would probably just read her 'slam' of GKGW and just move on. Frankly, I have to agree with her in a very small part. Many Ezzo-ites ARE too legalistic.
But far more are not. Thanks for speaking up! We also have used many of the principles in GKGW... just not every detail. The 'bigger picture' is that parents are to be in charge, training their children in the ways of the Lord, not letting the kids set 'flow' for the household. That's not legalistic or controlling, that's Biblical.
And, wait a minute, aren't the parents supposed to be in control?
Anyway, sorry this is off-topic from your post... just 'followed you home' and wanted to say hello and thank you,
Julie
Jess, your video of your boys saying the Beatitudes is just priceless! Oh how precious they are! How wonderful that you are spending time helping them get God's word into their hearts. The verses they learn as a child will be with them all their lives.
I love your blog! My children are 20, 16, and 14 but I still get SO much from your posts! You have a wisdom beyond your years, but then again, we serve a God who is all wise and is willing to share, right?! :)
Thanks again!
Trish
Thanks for sharing this glimse into your lives. I don't think I knew that you played guitar until now--and so well too, I might add. I especially liked the second video of Maranatha and the boys dancing while you played guitar and sang...I guess because in a few months Brinley will be that age, and I can't help but imagine her being up and about, running around and of course, DANCING! Oh, and I couldn't help but notice that lovely Texas drawl of yours...made me a little homesick. Being on the Mississippi I definately hear southern drawls, but they're just not quite the same and a good Texas drawl...LOL.
Jess,
your kids are so cute!
I have a video somewhere of my children dancing to "Blessed be your name", only my husband joined us singing at a very high pitch. Hilarious.
My five year old is memorizing Psalm 1, in German (hubby's German), some of the words are challenging for me!
Keep up the good work.
Ruth
ps. You look a bit like me... dark hair, dark glasses, fair skin...
Hi!
Not sure where I found your blog, but I am so glad I did. I subscribed a week or two ago, I think, and just tonight I realized that I'd read your CBMW-published letter to your daughter a while back. It's wonderful and I'm thankful you shared it with us all!
We are currently in Costa Rica for language school before heading to Ecuador as missionaries and I'm also quite eager to take more time looking over your recipes which don't require ingredients that I won't find or won't want to pay for here! :)
My husband and I have memorized large portions of Scripture (he knows much more than I since he started memorizing before we met and I hadn't!), and hope to teach them to any children with whom God may bless us. It's so encouraging to see your sons doing so well and I'm grateful that you posted your method!
Thanks for taking the time to post such great things!
Aw, so cute! It's always so much fun to look back, and especially to hear how they used to talk. =)
~Kate
"Which Proverbs 14:1 Woman?"
http://proverbs14-1.blogspot.com
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