Uniform Distribution 2009

*sigh* After working two weekends to get the uniforms out we are officially finished. (unofficially however, we have some website updating, loose ends and new sponsorships, to tie up...)

Here is a glimpse of what we accomplished: (I know there are a lot of pictures, I don't expect you to sit through them all, but it may give you an idea of the task :o)


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

A special thanks to Cathy and Shellie who made a special trip to help with the distribution!

My Favorite Little Chef

Seth loves all things food. He would rather have a salad than a hot dog. He loves leftovers...for breakfast!
He likes things spicy. He loves to help in the kitchen.

Yum, Hot and Sour soup!

888 Challenge - Looking Back

I learned why I have never successfully been involved in a book club. I like to choose my own books...at the last minute. Planning them out at the beginning of the year didn't really work for me, though it was within the rules to change your list.

I did read more non-fiction than ever. I do think that was mostly due to planning it out and having different categories (though, as you can see most of my categories are really the same)

I has also put a lot of books on my list that I was planning to read for school...we just haven't gotten there yet. I wasn't thinking about the fact that the new school year didn't start until August and we wouldn't have much time to get into that year's reading

And I didn't even touch the classics list!

My list started out like this:

Non-fiction - Family
1. Power of a Praying Parent by Omartian
2. The Fruit of Her Hands by Wilson
3. You Can't Make Me but I Can be Persuaded by Tobias
4. Peacemaking for Families by Sande
5. The Most Important Place on Earth by Wolgemuth
6. The Heart of Anger by Priolo
7. The Age of Opportunity by Tripp
8. Don't Make Me Count to Three by Plowman

Spiritual Growth
1. Starving Jesus by Gross
2. Quaker Summer by Sampson
3. Get Out of That Pit by Moore
4. Messy Spirituality by Yaconelli
5. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Manning
6. Soul Cravings by McManus
7. Jesus, the One and Only by Moore
8. The Prayer That Changes Everything by Omartian

Classics I Should Have Read a Long Time Ago
1. Pride and Prejudice by Austen
2. The Mysterious Stranger by Twain
3. Farewell to Arms by Hemingway
4. Animal Farm by Orwell
5. 1984 by Orwell
6. The Pearl by Steinbeck
7. The Yearling by Rawlings
8. Tom Sawyer by Twain

Banned Books1. Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Twain
2. Farenheit 451 by Bradbury
3. Bridge to Terebithia by Paterson
4. Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck
5. The Giver by Lowry
6. My Brother Sam is Dead by Collier
7. All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque
8. Mirandy and Brother Wind by McKissack

Newbery Winners
1. Johnny Tremain by Forbes
2. Rifles for Watie by Keith
3. The Slave Dancer by Fox
4. Number the Stars by Lowry
5. Jacob Have I Loved by Paterson
6. The Grey King by Cooper
7. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Taylor
8. Island of the Blue Dolphins by O'Dell

Young Adult Fiction
1.Stormbreaker by Harowitz
2. Daughter of Time by Tey
3. Byzantium by Lawhead
4. Court of the Stone Children by Cameron
5. Blue Ridge Billy by Lenski
6. Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Field
7. Moccasin Trail by McGraw
8. Little Britches by Moody

Historical Fiction
1. Across Five Aprils by Hunt
2. Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom by Paterson
3. Red Badge of Courage by Crane
4. Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Choi
5. Kiss the Dust by Laird
6. Under the Hawthorn Tree by Conlon-McKenna
7. Number the Stars by Lowry
8. Phoenix Rising by Hesse

Childhood Favorites
1. Little House in the Big Woods by Wilder
2. Winnie the Pooh by Milne
3. Alice in Wonderland by Carroll
4. Peter Pan by Barrie
5. Caddie Woodlawn by Brinks
6. Prince Caspian by Lewis
7. Ginger Pye by Estes
8. Runaway Ralph by Cleary

And ended up like this:

** denotes books that cross over into two sections (8 crossovers were allowed.)

Non-fiction - Family
1. Power of a Praying Parent
2. Protecting the Gift
3. You Can't Make Me but I Can be Persuaded
4. Peacemaking for Families
5. The Most Important Place on Earth
6. The Heart of Anger
7. The Age of Opportunity
8. Don't Make Me Count to Three

Spiritual Growth
1.Pagan Christianity
2. Quaker Summer
3. Get Out of That Pit
4. Crazy Love
5. The Ragamuffin Gospel
6. Jim and Casper Go to Church
7. Jesus Without Religion
8. The Shack

Classics I Should Have Read a Long Time Ago
1. Pride and Prejudice
2. The Mysterious Stranger
3. Farewell to Arms
4. Animal Farm
5. 1984
6. The Pearl
7. The Yearling
8. Tom Sawyer

Banned Books1. Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn
2. Farenheit 451
3. Bridge to Terebithia
4. Of Mice and Men
5. **The Giver
6. My Brother Sam is Dead
7. All Quiet on the Western Front
8. Mirandy and Brother Wind

Newbery Winners
1. Amos Fortune, Free Man
2. Matchlock Gun
3. **The Giver
4. On the Banks of Plum Creek
5. **Bridge to Terebithia
6. Witch of Blackbird Pond
7. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
8. Island of the Blue Dolphins

Young Adult Fiction
1. Stormbreaker (read entire series)
2. Twilight (read entire series)
3. Byzantium
4. Court of the Stone Children
5. Blue Ridge Billy
6. Hitty: Her First Hundred Years
7. Moccasin Trail
8. Little Britches

Historical Fiction
1. Shipwrecked!
2. Bells of Freedom
3. Lewis and Clark and Me
4. The Gate in the Wall
5. The Boy in the Alamo
6. Under the Hawthorn Tree
7. Number the Stars
8. Phoenix Rising

Childhood Favorites
1. Little House in the Big Woods
2. Freddy the Detective
3. The Phantom Tollbooth
4. Secret Garden
5. Caddie Woodlawn
6. Prince Caspian
7. Ginger Pye
8. Runaway Ralph

This is just the beginning...

Happy New Year 2009

Nothing like finally getting a picture of the kids the day we take the tree down. I am a true procrastinator...

Happy New Year!