The Reynolds Nation

It's official....we are on holiday! And it feels so good! Two weeks off for Christmas break and I am so ready for it. No Ancient Greece, no spelling tests, no phonics, no reading, no writing, no science experiments....it s so nice. Every kids needs a break, well I think it s more important that every homeschooling mom needs a break even more. So glad to have my days free and clear...with no planned agenda! Have a few things left to buy for Christmas, but that's it. After a marathon of a couple of weeks we are in hibernation mode.

Daddy was taking the kids home the other day and he had to stop for gas...somewhere in between there he got candy for all of them. Here is the sweetest of boys eating away with the biggest grin on his face. Mama wasn't there to regulate the intake! Fun times!

I can say so much about my William! He requires the most work...he is the loudest...most demanding...talks the most....jumps the highest...find the sticks the fastest...and tries to get around the rules the most. He really strives to stay one step ahead of you. But he wouldn't be William without all that. He has been that way since the very beginning. But he is starting to change a bit...no he hasn't slowed down one bit, but he is maturing and growing up. He will now sit down and do lessons with me. He is actually starting to color in the lines and he loves you to read to him. A year ago I couldn't get him to sit still long enough to read one book. He is 100% boy!!! The best part about him is that he is my most sensitive child and you have to be so careful how you talk to him. So, here is a picture of him yesterday that my friend took when he was in class making his craft. He loves class time at church and enjoys every minute of it...he is a favorite of many of t...

It's really early on Sunday morning. I woke up at 5:45 and I knew that my sleep time was over. I am now downstairs in a dark house enjoying the peace and quiet. It doesn't happen a lot around here, that's for sure. The sun should be rising soon, that's when I will sneak back upstairs and hop in the shower. Before the kids ever knew that I was here...hehehe! Sundays are great days around here. We worship corporately in the morning with our church family and then we spend the rest of the day together. I am posting a picture of the kids from a few weeks ago when Matt cut down one of our trees. The kids were moving large pieces of wood and transported lots of leaves in their buckets. If you have read the news lately you will have heard about most Americans having a Vitamin D deficiency. Because they are never outside and spend too much time in front of the television. Not here at the Reynolds Nation...it's a must that my kids act like lunatics outside every day...unless...

Bryn went to her Christmas party, hosted by the Junior Youth leaders. It is a fun night because the kids get to dress up in formal clothes and they are served a nice dinner. Bryn, looked so beautiful...and made Matt and I tear up a bit. It seems like yesterday Bryn was two, walking around with her cabbage patch doll with all those curls on her head. Now, she is tall, curvy and looking very mature. So, here are a few photos from last night. Matt and I had a great time as chaperone's (when did we get old enough to be chaperone's???)! Here is your future!!! What a great group of kids...who love God and a believe that they have a destiny in Him!!!!

We have had some crazy busy weeks the past few weeks...and they are not ending until after Christmas. But we did take some time off this past week to take Bryn away for her "Purity Weekend." Matt and I believe that we should take our children away and have a time to talk about the different aspects of life they should be approaching. This weekend was not to just talk about sex, but about modesty, abstinence, self-esteem, dress, peer pressure...etc! The best thing is to get out of your normal environment. It makes it more special and easier to talk because you are not distracted by normal every day responsibilities. We took Bryn to a condo on the beach which we rented from a friend. It was awesome to talk to her and realize that she knew nothing about sex. Even at almost 13, she was still very innocent. What an awesome testimony. Even in today's world our children do not have tainted by the worlds view and all of it's inaccuracies about sex. We focused on G...

I had to post a picture of our tree. It went up last night...after much anticipation from the kids. We told them last weekend, that we will decorate on Thursday (it was our only free night), and they were holding us to it. They were so excited all day...waiting for daddy to get home and get all of our decorations out. So, here it is in all of it's splendor...our favorite part is just sitting around in the room, with the lights off...enjoying the time together. Last night, Esther sang a song she wrote and Judah gave us his rendition of Silent Night. It was so sweet. So, here goes the swing of the Christmas season...with a renewed focus on the meaning of Christmas this year!!! The original Santa Baby!!!!

Well, it finally happened! It has occurred three other times here at our house..and now once more. Matt and I bought this Barney doll 12 years ago....Barney was all the rage and our little Bryn just loved him. I still remember her hugging the television screen and kissing it when he said goodbye. So, over the years we have continued to watch Barney, but not in the same capacity as back then. But the Barney doll continued to move down to each child. He slept in Caleb's bed, Esther's bed, and William's bed. As each child grew up, the Barney doll naturally went on to the next child. But William tried to keep him a bit longer...he wasn't willing to give him up! We tried to talk him into it...Judah tried to snatch him out of the bed...but William would just not budge. He wasn't willing to give him up....Until a few weeks ago...we had the official transition. William wasn't overly eager, but we talked to him about getting bigger and that it was time for Bar...