Annual Christmas at Stan Hywet Visit - 2018!!

Greetings Friends!

Please join us again this year for our Christmas at Stan Hywet!!!  We will be enjoying their "Deck the Hall" festive evening celebration.  Several years ago we attended and it was amazing, looking forward to visiting again :)

DATE:  Tuesday, December 18, 2018

TIME:  4:30PM

COST:  Students $5.25; Adults $13.50  ---(Children 5 & under are free.  College students with a valid student ID qualify for the youth rate)   

** We are excited as our church will be singing Christmas carols in the Music Room!!!

*  The estate is illuminated inside and out with over ONE MILLION lights.

*  Self-guided tours of the Manor House included in ticket price.

*  The Manor House is decorated and inspired by the theme of Winter Wonderland. 

*  DAZZLE is a fantastic outdoor light show choreographed to three songs and Gingerbread Land.

*  Playgarden is "dressed up" for Christmas.

*  Freshly baked gingerbread cookies, warm pretzels, cocoa, hot cider, etc available for purchase in the Courtyard.

*  Christmas tree lighting at 5:30PM


Payment is made in advance and due November 26, 2018.  I will email our address for payment by check.  Please note Stan Hywet does not offer refunds for "Deck the Hall".  If your family would like to join us, please contact Kim at DecadentChocolate@gmail.com with the number of adults and children attending.  Thank you!!!  

Praying you and your family have a Blessed Thanksgiving and that your hearts are prepared for the true meaning of Christmas!!

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14

Parents Magazine Article & Interview

Greetings Friends!

Just thought I would share the October issue of Parents Magazine?  They had an article on alternative schooling methods, including homeschooling!  It was a surprise when I was contacted to share our reasons and methods of homeschooling :)  We were one of several families interviewed.  I was so blessed and excited to share our family's input!  My interview was an hour long which was really FUN and I did not realize how much information I had to share until I got off the phone and looked at the time that had passed!!!  If you would like to read what Parents' Magazine wrote, I have included the link to the article, pages 18-19.  You should be able to access by clicking  http://www.mirabelsmagazinecentral.com/digitaledition/index.html?id=5481c34f-a4ef-4780-af94-b4aace89ec73.

I pray this article and the information included is a blessing to you and to families interested in homeschooling their children.  Praying your year is going well and that JOY fills your home(school)!!!

Joyfully,

Kim

Cleveland Museum of Art Exhibit

Greetings Friends!

Please join us for the Valois Tapestries exhibit!!!  This is a wonderful opportunity extended to our group to tour this special exhibit for FREE!!  This special exhibit comes all the way from Italy and the Uffizi Galleries!!!

DATE:  Tuesday, November 27, 2018

TIME:  10:15AM - 11:15AM

LOCATION:  Cleveland Museum of Art

The Museum is now asking for donations, this is what they shared:

Suggested Donation- While we are committed to keeping tours free, we appreciate and encourage schools and classrooms who are able to make a field trip donation to support program sustainability. Scheduling and administrative tasks, staffing and training program facilitators, space and materials for field trip programs generally breaks down to a minimum of $5 per student. Whether 25 cents or five dollars per student, any donation you share contributes to ensuring equitable learning opportunities for all.

If your family would like to join us, please email Kim at DecadentChocolate@gmail.com to be registered.  Space is limited...specific details will be emailed to those registered.  Thank you and blessed to serve your family :)

"There were hangings of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones."  Esther 1:6

Science of Agriculture

Greetings Friends!

You are invited to join us or the Science of Agriculture Day at OARDC in Wooster!!

DATE:  Tuesday, October 16, 2018

TIME:  9:15AM - 2PM?

ADDRESS:  1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH 44691


These are the workshops I have requested, if not some or all of these there are others that are wonderful as well!!

Session 1 - 10:00am  Burst into the world of rocks and minerals

Session 2 - 10:35am  Developing Egg-cellence!!

Session 3 - 11:10am  Erosion: Do you dig it?

Session 4 - 11:45am  Go the Distance with Agriculture

Lunch - 12:20pm  Bring your own lunches (they will not be provided)

Session 5 - 12:55pm  One cell, two cells, three cells, four

Session 6 - 1:30pm  Fun in the Sun: Using Real-Time Data to Relate Solar Energy Production to the Sun’s Location

This is open to 5th - 12th graders.  To register your family, please email me at DecadentChocolate@gmail.com with the grades of your students.  Once I receive confirmation from OARDC, I will send out the final details.  Thank you!!!

"Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so."  Genesis 1:29-30

In Remembrance - Never Forget!

Every year on September 11th, our community comes together to honor those who died in the 9-11 attacks in 2001.  The sidewalks of Tallmadge Circle Park are lines with 2,976 candles.  One for each life remembered:

• 343 RED candles for fire department personnel
• 60 BLUE candles for police personnel
• 55 GREEN candles for military personnel
• 2,518 WHITE candles for civilians

It is hard to imagine almost 3,000 lives!  Every year our family, heads out to be apart of the community setting out and lighting the candles for each life that was taken too soon.  It is a blessing to help and serve in the community.  There is a service as well to commemorate the day.  

Seeing all the candles lit in the evening is a very sobering memory of the day the attacks took place.

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?   You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.   So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

If you have an opportunity to visit, it truly is amazing to see!  We will be praying, "Dear Jesus, even though this happened many years ago, for many of us we can still recall, like it was just yesterday, some more so than others.  We lift up the families that were deeply affected with pain and sorrow, by the outcomes of this tragic day.  May you continue to provide comfort and healing to all the families of the victims. Amen!

"A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ..."  Psalm 23:1-6

Special Needs - Your children are Indispensable!!!

Greetings Friends!

If you or someone you know has children with Special Needs you may want to share this with them:

• Indispensable- our CVC Special Needs Ministry will be leading a study called Friendships by Ability Ministries for teens and adults with special needs on Sunday mornings at 9:30 and 11:00 and Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30. Please contact Jenni Wolfenbarger, our Special Needs Coordinator at jwolfenbarger@cvconline.org for more information or if you are interested in a caregiver study. --- Beginning September 19, 2018

Our church, Cuyahoga Valley Church believes that everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made and has options for families with Special Needs.  There is a whole wing at CVC that is devoted to those with Special Needs including a sensory room and includes:

Available special needs rooms:

• Inclusion with peers in an age-appropriate classroom
• Sensory Room
• LifeGroups for teens and adults

Each February Cuyahoga Valley Church also hosts Tim Tebow's "Night to Shine" event for those 14 years to 100+ and their caregivers :)  It is such an amazing event...guests chose their dresses and suits, have hair and makeup done and then enjoy a prom filled with fabulous activities as dancing, karaoke, limo rides and a scrumptious sit-down meal!  Did I mention is it FREE, registration is required.

"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[a] you did it to me.’" Matthew 25:40  So what does this Bible verse mean?  Does it mean some are counted more valuable than others?  No, "least of these" can be translated to "however humble".  That sisters and brothers of Jesus are those who are more vulnerable, such as the sick, the poor, mentally and physically disabled, and socially, psychologically or economically disadvantaged.

Please feel free to pass this information along.  God bless you and your family!!!

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb."  Psalm 139:13

The Transition Begins Another Year Ecole à la Maison!

Greetings Friends!

Praying you are well and had a fantastic and exciting summer building memories as a family together!  Each summer I have great intentions of keeping up with this or continuing with that.  Well, like most years it does not happen.  We did keep up with piano lessons and reading.  But the love of music and reading are so important, right?  Music is awesome for the brain and reading carries us through life and takes us places we cannot go.  Sadly, math did not make the cut and to my dismay neither did French.  Only so much time and it is just as important to build memories.  French is such a beautiful language and I still dream of one day visiting France - ooh la la!!!  It will be fun to see what we still remember.
If you are that Mom that can school during the summer kudos to you!  Honestly, I am just as happy as the kids when school ends and summer begins.  A break let's us reflect, refresh and reload.  It lets this momma get a little creative in the garden, in the kitchen, catching up with friends, caring for aging parents, in the country on our forever home, etc.  Ideas are always flowing but time, etc are limited.

The kids enjoyed a couple of camps with our church and birthday celebrations!!  Now we look forward to another year as all of you do as well.  Laying out our expectations and aspirations for the year and instilling excitement into the kids to gear up for a great and FUN year!!!  We as Moms and Dads are shaping our little people and not so little people into becoming responsible and ambitious adults.  How amazing to see the future unfold for these precious children.

As a homeschool Mom, I need to take time to enjoy each day and the moments with them as the kids grow in their studies, remembering that each student learns differently and at their own pace.  How humbling!!!  Today, I was reminded at a funeral to not take things too seriously and that kids will accomplish things in their own time.  The funeral was for a relative on my husband's side and a father of a rock star.  It was neat to see someone of fanfare as a person like any of us....losing my Mom a year and a half ago our situations were most different.  One could tell this was a close knit family, chit chatting it up..... knowing the family background this was most impressive to witness.  I have such admiration for families who are able to remain close in today's world of social media and families broken up across the state and country.  So learning that, said rock star has been married for decades to his wife and now has a student in college; his wife is an accomplished fashion designer who immigrated from another country!  The sky is the limit with nurturing, we encourage the kids in whatever they enjoy, one of ours enjoys crafting with cardboard, tape, glue, etc....yes, our house can be found in a mess and there have been times of clean up in unexpected places, but that is what learning is made of, getting messy.  We do not see the mind at work, but learning is happening at every turn of a corner or page ;)

Being a homeschool Mom knowing that our students have the hand of God on them and can do anything their heart's desire is such a relief!  It makes me think and give thanks and praise to you, Father God.  We just need to have faith and trust Him to lead us and them and not to worry because He is in control and His ways are always best!

Well, I have rambled on longer than I planned.  Just want to encourage us to keep going and to cultivate a real love for learning, along with going into the school year with little stress is so important!  It is such a joy that we are called and have the freedom and ability to homeschool and be called their Mom and teacher, shepherding and transforming their little hearts, minds and bodies.

Gradually we shift into the school year so we are not in culture shock with the weather still being beautiful.  Looking forward to seeing you in the homeschool circuit soon!!  May God Bless you, your family and your school year :)  If you need prayer, please contact me....it would be a blessing to pray with you and for you!

Joyfully, Kim

"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,

 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding"  Proverbs 2:1-2

2018 SPORTS CAMP - Freeee!!!

Greetings Friends!

Praying you and your family have been enjoying your summer break!!! 

We are excited for this year's Sports Camp held at Cuyahoga Valley Church.  This past Sunday we had our cookout fundraiser to earn money so the camp may be free for the kiddos!!!  Our family served and it was a blessing.  The weather cooperated and there seemed to be a wonderful turnout during the time we were there :)

This year's Sports Camp has a few changes....Volleyball was added and the Art Camp has a different focus, more on art skills and one discipline for the week, such as sewing, canvas painting, watercolor painting and drawing!!  Art Camp has a modest material fee of $5.

Also, this year our oldest will begin serving and is really excited!!!  Love seeing the JOY in them with their servant hearts, it really makes a mama's heart leap for JOY :)

For the Moms and Dads we still have the MOM CAMP during the AM and PM sessions and DAD CAMP for the PM session!!!

This is the link to register:  https://cvconline.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/333/responses/new

Hope you will join us, we're looking forward to seeing our friends :) 

Have a blessed and safe Independence Day!


Kim

" Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."  Ephesians 6:4

Cleveland Museum of Art Tour #2 - American Art History!!!

Greetings Friends!

We will be visiting the Cleveland Museum of Art for another wonderful docent-led tour.  Our family enjoys this gem of Cleveland and the museum is one of the top in the nation, what a blessing!!  Please join us a tour of American Art and History.  We will be seeing and learning about our country's history and art that went along with it.

DATE:  Wednesday, April 25, 2018

TIME:  10AM

Space is limited.  If your family would like to join us, please RSVP to Kim at DecadentChocolate@gmail.com.  Please include if you are interested in Tour #1 or Tour #2.  Thank you and we look forward to seeing Y-O-U!!

"He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer."  Exodus 35:35

Desks

Greetings Homeschool Friends!

We are selling two wooden desks.  They are in excellent shape, made of real wood and can accommodate adults!!  There is a shelf below the seat to stow books away.

Dimensions:

Width:  20 "
Depth:  25"
Height:  32" from floor to top of chair; 
27" from floor to top of desk
17" from floor to seat

Seat:  16 1/2" x 17"

Writing surface 12" x 11"

Asking price $20 each or both for $35!!

Any questions, please contact Kim at DecadentChocolate@gmail.com.  Thank you!!

"They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you."  Ezekiel 27:5-6