Sunset
This evening I took my Mum to centennial Park at the waterfront in downtown Ft. Myers. We watched and took pictures as the sun sank "into" the Caloosahatchee River. We returned back to our apartment where I dropped my Mum off and picked Grace up. As we drove down route 41 it dawned on me that my mother is in the sunset of her life. She doesn't walk as quickly and she sleeps more and she appreciates being waited on by her grandchildren. It is our pleasure to care for her as she had cared for each of us in the past.
I pray that the Lord will allow her, when the time comes to go gently and quietly in a clear sky and calm waters.

Happy New Year
Has it really been since last year (2004) that I have posted? Yes. So much has happened since I posted. Grace had another practice tournament. We all participated this time. Dan enjoyed judging and sitting in on some debate. Being able to discuss important matters and look at ideas from both sides of the table is such a great skill to acquire as a young person.

We have also been participating in 4-H working on a study of Marine biology. This past week we went out among the islands of Captiva and Colossa on a boat where we got to see dolphins up close. Some of our friends had not been out there since Hurricane Charley. They were amazed at the loss of trees and the ability to see homes that you usually were coved by Florida scrub exposed. Dan and I could not grasp what it was they were experiencing. The trees that were still standing a majority of them were permenantly bowing. Seeing the dolphins playing in the water was a good disctraction from all the distruction that took place this past summer.

The big Florida sky has really captured my attention as well.

Yesterday (Dec 7th), Grace competed in a Lincoln-Douglas debate practice tournament. Lincoln Douglas is a one on one debate and the students are debating values. This year's resolution is "The restriction of civil rights for the sake of national security is justified." Each debater is to prepare to argue both an affirmative and negative case.
It was a family affair:
Grace did great for her first time debating
Katie video taped a number of rounds
Michael was a timer
I was a judge
Dan was sleeping after working 3 nights (7pm-7am) in a row.

Grace is a member of the southwest FL "Fusion" Speech and Debate Club and has been welcomed in by the wonderful group of young people.
One of the benefits of participating in speech and debate is to become a more effective communicator. In 2 Timothy chapter 2 it states, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." What a wonderful training ground for our children.
Of course, I am now completing this post 2 weeks after the fact but it is an important post. I will keep you posted about other tournaments and happenings within this group. CM

Floridian Christmas and random thoughts
This is our second Floridian Christmas without my sister-in-law, Kelly. For a number of years we had talked about going to Florida for Christmas. Well, Kel if you are reading I am 2 up on you now and I miss you. We have had a wonderful week of getting together with friends and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It has been a great week. Our little Christmas at home happened a little earlier than we expected as Dan managed to get out of work at 4 instead of 730pm today. All of us were very grateful.
Random
"Pounding" My friend Chelo was given her daughter-in-law a "pounding" for her new home. I said, "A POUNDING?! Are you going to beat her up? I am confused. Chelo laughed so hard. A pounding is when you usually give a new bride a lb. of this and a lb. of that.....flour, sugar, butter, bananas, oranges, carrots, potatoes, etc.

There was something else but it has randomly left my memory bank. Good night one and all. May peace, joy and love fill your hearts.

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." St. Augustine
Grace found this quote through my favorite puzzle in the Boston Herald. (Cryptoquote: letters which represent other letters and you have to figure it out.) My Mum sent Grace all the Heralds from the Yankees/RedSox ACLS series and the World series. This week is RedSox week in Ft. Myers. Dan and Grace did go down to City of Palms Park but did not have 3 or 4 hours to kill that day to wait in line for tickets or a picture with the World Champion Trophy.
Please don't take this quote the wrong way. We are fairly new pilgrims and we were settlers for many years. Now as we journey on we are in a way dependent upon the settlers of whatever community we find ourselves. In Virginia, The Coons, the Merkles, and Ms. Emily Smith; in Tilghman Md. The Cummings, in Florida, The Dalis', McGuires, Wheatherheads, Southwicks have blessed us and met our needs as travelers.
Our journey from Virginia was uneventful and for that we are grateful. To all the settlers who welcome us pilgrims we can not thank you enough for your gracious hospitality and friendship.

Packing is nearly done
We will leave VA Beach some time tomorrow - head south to the sunshine state. Gave thanks with our friends Emily, Lee and their other invited guests, broke bread and remembered our Lord Jesus together.
Later, under a moonlit sky I strolled down to the beach, it was windy probably close to 40 degrees, deserted and breathtaking in the moonlight. The ocean roared and I bid farewell to a place I have enjoyed and feel the nearness of my Creator. Signing off....until next time.

Those who Travel tend to travel more
This past Friday my children and I traveled to Washington DC about a 3 1/2 hour drive from VA Beach 8 days before moving back to southwest Florida. Some may think I am crazy and perhaps I am but making the trip was worth it. Our destination the National Museum of American history http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/ for The Price of Freedom Americans at war exhibit. War is a part of our life, not one that many of us like but this is a reality that I hope never becomes a TV show. Our military history is significant and worth learning about the conflicts, the impacts and of course, the cost.
This was a very sobering display of military history. There were not a lot of children. (at the entrance there was an advisory concerning the graphics of some displays) It was pretty quiet as so many were reflecting and taking things into their hearts and minds. I was moved on a number of occasions.

Our country was birthed through the pains of war. The first part of the exhibit had a combination of film, statutes and actual muskets among other things for the Battle of Lexington. I believe the film was from the Lexington Concord reenactments which I had been to as a kid with my Dad and siblings. (I grew up in the neighboring city of Woburn) Michael was fixed upon this scene intently and I intently upon him from a short distance. Our boy has talked about serving in the military. Some may think we ought to discourage him but I want Michael to be able to follow his heart and his Lord. I was praying that he would see the high cost that so many pay to serve in such a way.

Shortly after entering the Civil War section there is a circular exhibit with a great big picture of Lincoln (if you would like to see our pictures online send me an email and I will send you a link) and next to it his Gettysburg address. (Grace has always loved our 16th president, if you want to know anything about Lincoln ask her) Grace read it aloud to me at my request. Those powerful words say to me, there are some things worth fighting for and dying for...... it was a most tremendous loss of life but those veterans were honored.

Katie brought me to the Medal of Honor exhibit. "Mum," she said, "there has only ever been one woman to receive the medal of honor." We read about Dr. Mary Edwards Walker who during the Civil War was a nurse and surgeon. Her Medal was rescinded but she refused to give it back. It was however reinstated in 1977.

Vietnam, the war that I still don't understand brought me to tears. I have a friend back in Marlborough who is still suffering from his tour of duty over 30 years ago. Some of the photos showed me why the pain runs deep and wounds have a hard time healing. There were items that were selected from thousands of personal affects that have been left at The Wall of the Vietnam Memorial over the years. The most moving part of this was the video of a nurse who rescued an abandoned Vietnamese baby girl who ended up being adopted by an American couple and were recently reunited. The nurse has a classic Boston accent and it made me miss home and she also had a heart (haht) of gold. She remarked that this little girl was one of the good things that came out of one of the most horrendous wars.

Each major conflicted that the USA has been involved in was shown in this exhibit. Steel columns from the 17th floor of the World Trade Center from 9/11, a laptop, ID tags and a cell phone from an embedded newsman from NBC who road with a crew in Iraqi Freedom. Nothing was omitted. There is a time for war and a time for peace. There are different reasons for wars. The war on terror that we are in now is not easy to define or understand. The question is are we justified?
Signing off from VA Beach. The next time I write will probably be either on the road or from FL.

Remaining Teachable
Dan and I had a rare day of going to a museum with just Michael. Today's visit was to Naticus, The Naval and Maritime Museum in Norfolk VA. It was a fun educational day for us all. The traveling exhibit right now is Playing with Time. One of the features was how things grow over time. When Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980 nearly 200 miles of the surrounding landscape was changed forever. In the exhibit they show 9 years of growth in a high speed 42 second film. "The first plants to emerge from the ruins were the pioneers. These plants can grow under harsh conditions. They set the stage for other plants by providing shade, containing moisture and converting raw material into nutrients." Initially, I thought about those radical homeschoolers who started in the late 70's and early 80's. They really set the stage for the rest of us. Opening the way for us to choose a better way of life for our family (if you know me than you know how bias I am :-). The thought of this is still ruminating in my thoughts.

Following up on the Home Education theme. Another exhibit demonstrated to us one of the ways our brain works. We have what is called persistence of vision. "Our brains are really good at filling in any gaps." The experiment to test this persistence of vision actually shows how the brain fills in the gaps through our vision. It was fascinating. Of course my brain thought of the parents who are educating their children at home who are worried about leaving gaps in their children's education. If our brain can fill the gaps for our vision by design, don't you trust that the Lord will fill in the gaps that may be in our children's education? I am trusting in Him!!

Lastly, the three of us went to an interactive presentation where we got to be a part of a design team for building battleship X. We had to vote on certain aspects of the design of the ship. Michael took a thoughtful approach to the matter. He is a very logical thinker. To say the least he was a slightly astonished by the other kids in the room who are probably his age who were fooling around, voting joinly with their friends (when it was suppose to be an anonymous vote), and just not respecting the process. These group of kids were not very respectful and Michael notices.
To our delight Michael was thrilled to have his Mum and Dad all to himself. Exploring, learning, laughing and having sweet fellowship together. We pray that God will fill in the gaps where we falter in our parenting. Yes, we are very aware of our need for God's grace in this area of our lives. Thanks for letting me continue to cherish this day with our youngest who is in the later half of his 12th year of life and on the verge of entering the teen years.

May my heart and mind remain teachable. CM

Still Rockin' On
Steve Tyler singing the National Athem for the Boston Red Sox. He is still rockin' on and I believe he may even be old enough to be my father, if not him at least Mick Jagger is. Well, last night I found myself rockin' on at The NorVa (www.norva.com) with Grace. It was suppose to be with K too but she got sick so it was just Grace and me. Headlining for the evening Switchfoot. The band from San Diego CA who rock with meaning. The bands who opened for them definitely had lead singers who were Steve Tyler wannabe's. We tolerated them.

The NorVa has a 1500 person capacity, the majority of which is a dance floor that allows the kids to pack in like sardines. Grace wanted to be a sardine and I did not. We split up. Grace found some fellow Switchfoot lovers simply by being packed in, actually it was the kids who we sold our extra ticket to - go figure. I was glad that I gave them a deal which simply means I made my money back. I was not out to make money off a teenager. I went upstairs where they had tables and barstools where the majority of parent-loving-teenagers were hanging out. There were 2 ladies sitting at a table with 2 extra barstools. I said May I join you? They said sure. Kim and Sharon were wonderful company and they were there with their kids aka sardines.
As some of you know I already saw Switchfoot this year in West Palm Beach. I had no desire to go but I wanted K to be able to go with her sister. It just didn't work out that way. The Lord helped me to adjust my attitude and both Grace and I had a good time. Switchfoot needs our prayers. They have made a place for themselves in this world now let's pray that the world does not make a place in them, that these guys would maintain their integrity and stick to their message. Life is hard, and in their own words, "in a world full of bitter pain and bitter doubt, I was trying so hard to fit in til I found out - I don't belong here - it is The Beautiful Letdown" They ask the hard questions, "are you who you want to be?" "What's it gonna take to slow us down, to let the silence spin us around?" Their declarations of hope, "We want more than this world has to offer." "I want more than just okay." "Life is more than hundred dollar bills." "Life is more than money. Time was never money." "One world....one salvation"
Experiencing life along side my kids but mostly experiencing life. CM
Part II
After I initially put up this post I started talking to Grace about what was going on upstairs. There were moms resting their heads in their hands, others yawning and one of my compadres noting that it was after her bed time and Switchfoot had not even come on yet. We laughed about back in the day bc (before children) when 10 pm was early, the night was still young. The great thing is that there are other parents out there that want to be there for their children.

Another great thing was Grace being sure of who she is in Christ. I know that she was bummed about K not being able to go but it didn't stop her from going. It was OK that it was the 2 of us and it was OK that we both split up. We made friends for a night of enjoyment. What a testimony of forgetting about ourselves and just being in the moment. God is so good, growing us up in the places we wouldn't think of planting ourselves.

Less Boxes, more maps
Didn't I just empty these boxes? It seems that way our time here in VA is drawing to a close and today I started packing. We will definitely have less boxes this time, as the pruning process continues in our lives. Traveling can be an art form and it is really a much more with less. Learning to live with less things is a good lesson for us.

For right now we are heading back to FL which actually doesn't require more maps at this time since we are returning to where we were last winter. More maps will be needed once we leave FL for a destination yet unknown. We have somewhat of a welcoming committee of friends and relatives who will make us feel at home once we arrive. Florida has become somewhat a home away from home. Hopefully we will get some more visitors in FL this year.

Maybe I will get another box packed before the evening is over. CM

Someone is always watching us
Grace and I just returned from a Communicators for Christ (CFC) in Indiana. CFC has 2 websites www.commforchrist.com and www.communicatorsforchrist.com check them out. This trip was to prepare and inspire Grace for being a part of a speech and debate club in FL. Mission accomplished and much more.
CFC says you must communicate well and that you can. All of us communicate something. As Christians we have a beautiful message to communicate and we want to be able to do it effectively. No matter where we go, no matter what we are doing or saying someone is watching us. When we identify ourselves as Christians someone is watching to see what message we are sending. Let's be willing to grow in our communication skills as witnesses of the Living God.
.....much more. This past week with Grace was a building block in our future friendship. ( Dan and I do see ourselves becoming friends with our children as they grow and mature. ) Our time together was precious. Having an extended time with just one of my children is a rare thing and we made the most of it.
We walked into a crowd of friends we had yet to meet. More than friends, these people are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Grace and I were welcomed and accepted. It was fun being from MA via VA Beach and meeting people from California, Louisiana and Michigan on the border of KY and IN on the IN side. There is a quality about these people that I want for my children. The Lord is continuing to prepare and equip us as we continue to journey on the pilgrim highway.

Always holding on to Hope
Last night I showed my age and I couldn't stand to stay up and watch the Yankees Red Sox game. I think I retired sometime in the 8th inning. In the 4th inning Michael said "Mom this game is going to go into extra innings." At some point I awoke to the sound of 2 of my 3 children cheering. I thought RedSox did something right....I resisted the temptation to get up and find out what was happening.
Why did I go to bed? I am tired of heartache....I can't take it anymore. 2003 ouch, 1986 wince, 1975 so close.......the heartaches before that are probably before my time or at a time that I was too little to care. The temptation to want to read Stephen King's Novel Faithful is great. Is it even out yet?
I don't think I have lost my grit (Hearty New Englandah that I am). Fiercely, we hold on to hope in most situations. The Spirit of RedSox Nation is one of perseverance and determination. These are good qualities. We press on.....sometimes we forget to be gracious. The thing is to be firm and unrelenting while minding your manners, while caring for others, and remembering that Yankees' fans are people too. One of my favorite people in the whole world is a Yankees' fan(my beautiful redheaded daughter). We can be fans of different teams without being rude. In our home we are The Mullaneys first and family is first. This is a great lesson that hopefully will carry into other areas in my children's lives. When we find ourselves in circumstances with our backs up against the wall we still hold on to hope because we know the One who holds the future.
Life is a lot like being a RedSox fan. There are ups and downs but you keep your chin up. You don't give up. We never stop reaching to be the best. This is how life is to be lived. If you get knocked down, you don't just lie there, you get back up. You look ahead, forgetting what is behind, we press on to the goal. For the Sox that is the World championship, for us as warriors of the Most High, King of Kings it is life lived to the fullest knowing one day we will be with Him. That being said, I will now rise to the challenge of watching game 5 to the very end.

Recollection
Sometimes we need to be reminded about where it is we are going. Life is a journey and none of us really know where it will lead. There are bends and twists down the road that we don’t see but the One who leads sees the beginning from the end. We can trust the One we follow. I don’t recall if I shared this on my blog.
The Lord gave us two messages from the scripture. The first is from Psalm 84.

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

The other is from Jeremiah 35
"We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.'
17 "Therefore, this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.' “18 Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.' 19 Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.' "

At times we do not understand why we are doing what we are doing but we do believe we were called for a time to be traveling. This is an act of obedience. It is both exciting and knee-knocking. Living in different places, not owning any property but in a sense always having a place to rest our heads. Some have even ventured to say that the world is our oyster.
I needed to remember where my strength comes from and whose word it is to obey. Thanks for reading. CM from VA Beach

Knock a little louder with presidential authority
Today we were true participants in the political process. We went door to door with some literature to inform voters of where President Bush and Sen. Kerry on National Defense, Taxes and Health Care. The front of the hand out said "Virginia is Bush Country." Dan and I believe that our President is the man to support to continue to lead our country. Dan admires Mr. Bush's character and his values. I agree with the President on the fact that if we want to remain the freest nation in the world then we need to maintain our sovereignty as a nation. His opponent on the other hand wants to be buddy buddy with everyone around the world. It is one thing to have allies but quite another to trade our security for a world-wide likeable reputation.

It is a good feeling learning and doing with our children as more Americans ought to do. Yes, we are voting with our absentee ballots. There is definitely work involved. Anyone who may be making their decision based on a movie or sound bites may want to check out their facts at www.factcheck.org Those of you who are voting I hope you will make an informed decision as we elect the next President of the United States, the highest office of this land.

Leisure
In the child rearing years there is not a lot of time for leisure but I believe it is healthy for us to make the time for it at least on a semi-regular basis. Noah Webster 1828 dictionary gives this for its second definition of "leisure" "convenience of time."
Golf is considered to be a leisure activity. Yesterday, Dan and I took the time to participate in a golf tournament to benefit Patrick Henry College (www.phc.edu) located in Northern Virginia. It is a school started by Michael Farris one of the modern-day defenders of home education. We had an opportunity to support an institution that could be a part of our future or at least the future of one of our children.
The day however was not all leisurely because we decided to make it a one day thing (we missed it by about 5 hrs. Our day started at 5 am and ended right before midnight.) We drove to the northern part of the state west of DC where both the school and the golf club are located. It was worth it. We had a gorgeous day!! Not a cloud in the sky and about 73 degrees out. We were paired with a couple of hackers so we didn't place as far as a score went but we did enjoy playing, being together, being outdoors. (I also beat out 11 other ladies for the longest drive contest - I guess I still maintain that competitive spirit in some arenas)
It was how we decided to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary(which was last Friday). I am just way to young to be married that long, which is what I will probably be saying for my 20th, 25th and even my 30th God-willing. From VB. Signing off.

Time marches on
We haven't been too busy and I guess that is probably why I haven't blogged much lately. I am back to equipping kids, enjoying the beach, meeting up with people and praying for our Floridan friends and relatives.
This past weekend. Grace and I went to a party at a friend's beach house. I was the oldest and Grace was the youngest the rest were in their mid 20's and most of them are law students. We were a part of the earlier quiter crowd (everyone stop laughing now). The party was really starting to wind up just as we were leaving. It was good to be there with Grace and meet some of our friend Emily's friends.
Grace also had a date with her dad. They went to hear Tom Brokaw speak at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. Grace would have loved to have Uncle Paul Dalis along with them.

I am currently reading out loud Prince Caspian book 4 of the Chronicles of Narnia to Michael. I read the whole set out loud a number of years ago. Michael has been reading them to himself but he asked if I would read this story aloud, gladly I am. The girls ease drop on occasion but don't tell anyone. We invited them to join us but they declined.

Usually we memorize some scripture together but this time we decided to memorize the Prayer of St. Francis of Assi. Since writing it helps us to learn I had the kids write it in their journals and I thought that I would type it here.
Lord, make me a channel of thy peace!
That where there is hatred, I may bring love
That where there is wrong, I may bring the
spirit of forgiveness
That where there is discord, I may bring
harmony
That where there is error, I may bring truth
That where there is doubt, I may bring faith
That where there is despair, I may bring hope
That where there is shadows, I may bring light
That where there is sadness, I may bring joy.
Lord, grant that I may seek rather
To comfort than to be comforted
To understand, than to be understood
To love, than to be loved.
For
It is by self-forgetting that one finds.
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.
It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life.

Letting another Home Educator speak for me
(As published in The Washington Times earlier this month)

The Washington Times
September 3, 2004
Washington Times Op-ed — Deregulation Places Trust In Parents
by J. Michael SmithHSLDA President
Every four years, we elect a president. Education is an issue the candidates must address because it affects so many people. With about 50 million children of compulsory attendance age (generally between the ages of 6 and 16 or 18, depending on the state), this represents a very large percentage of the population that is interested in kindergarten-through-12th-grade education.
At least 85 percent of all school-age children are being educated in public schools. Not only are parents interested in seeing that their children receive quality education, but all citizens have a vested interest in education.
One of the major reasons that education has received so much attention in past elections and in this election is because a significant percentage of our children are receiving less-than-high-quality educations, resulting in functional illiteracy.
This is happening despite the fact that the government is spending more money on education than ever before. When federal and state dollars are combined, public schools are receiving, on average, $9,000 per child annually, according to the Heritage Foundation. Many citizens are beginning to say that more money is not the answer.
As academic performance of public schools continues to spiral down, a segment of the education population has been producing high academic performance - the homeschool movement.
For more than 20 years, homeschooled children who have taken standardized achievement tests have scored 20 to 30 percentile points above the national average. Last month, ACT Inc., which produces the ACT college entrance exam, released figures showing that the average homeschooler scored 22.6, compared with the national average of 20.9.
This is happening without any government support. Homeschool parents have said "no" to government schools, believing that they can do a better job themselves. So far, the results indicate clearly that they can.
Despite this success, some, generally in the public school establishment, still are calling for more regulation of home education. This stems from the skepticism that parents could be successful when they haven't been professionally trained. In other words, they are not certified by the state.
Homeschoolers respond that not one scientific survey supports the need for teacher certification for someone to be able teach children, especially in a tutorial setting. There is no evidence to support the assumption that obtaining a teaching certificate guarantees teaching success.
Virtually all teachers in public schools must be certified. Yet the overall academic results of public schools in America are unsatisfactory by objective standards.
Another reason advanced for more regulation of home educators is their lack of accountability. Those seeking regulation would argue that homeschool programs need to abide by a specific day and hour calendar, submit to curriculum approval, show that teachers have some minimum educational requirement and undergo measurable evaluations on a regular basis.
The Home School Legal Defense Association has resisted these efforts because we know that the success of home education is the ability to individualize education. In other words, the homeschool parent can take an education program and mold it to his or her child. This is in the child's best interest. On the other hand, the child in the classroom must be molded to the education program being offered.
You cannot compare the results of an education received in a tutorial setting with those of classroom learning. This is what is meant by the slogan we hear many times from homeschoolers: "Don't take the classroom into your homeschool program."
This slogan is powerful. It simply means that you have the freedom to explore all kinds of creative ways to teach your child. Governmental attempts to standardize home education will destroy the genius behind home education and will detrimentally affect the academic achievement of home educators.
In addition, home educators can demonstrate that it is not necessary to regulate them. Every state has a different way of addressing homeschooling. Some states, such as New York and Pennsylvania, overly regulate home education. Others, such as Idaho, Texas, Illinois and Indiana, don't even require homeschooling parents to initiate contact with the state.
According to research done by the National Home Education Research Institute with thousands of homeschool students across the nation in both low and high regulation states, there is no appreciable difference in the results of nationally standardized achievement tests between those categories of students.
What this proves is that you can trust homeschooling parents to provide a quality education that meets the individual needs of their children. The next logical step is to deregulate homeschooling in states such as New York and Pennsylvania to save taxpayer dollars spent on bureaucrats' interaction with home educators.
Deregulation continues to be one of our goals at HSLDA. We know you can trust homeschool parents to do an outstanding job of educating their children without the "help" of the government.

After reading quietly for the last 45 minutes to themselves Katie and Michael are going out for some much needed P.E. I have had a few of interesting conversations recently about educating children at home. I need to remember that our experience at home in Massachusetts and on the road since March of 2003 is our experience and no one can really refute it.

Each family is unique and each family has decisions to make about each child. Some families operate in the same way some school systems operate - this is how we do things each child is treated the same, each is given equal opportunities to the resources available. Some people try to live life that way. They need to have everything be equal, fair and right and they do that with absolutely no regard to the individual. Each of our children are fashion as a one of a kind. Dan and I are doing our best to be students of these young people who are each wiggling out of childhood into young adulthood. Some decisions are not easy to make but we are doing our best to seek wisdom and counsel. Laws and justice require more than just knowledge to execute effectively they also requires wisdom in order for a balanced judgment to occur.
So there you have it from the Beach.

Ivan the Terrible
As many of you know we had the wonderful experience of living in Southwest, Florida this past winter. We have both family and friends there. Please pray for all the Floridians and that Ivan will be reduced before it reaches Florida.
When you get to know and love people these disasters aren't just some news story, they become more personal.

Rock n Roll 1/2 marathon
Lenoure Mullaney due to an injury was unable to run the 1/2 marathon this year but she was able to bring a friend, Sharon to compete and be her cheerleader. Today, Sharon ran the RnR 1/2 marathon in VA Beach. We were so happy for her that she finished, strong and that we were here to be her host and provide comforting hospitality. It is a pure 1/2 13.1 miles. It was a good day for running, slightly overcast and not too hot. (see www.rnrhalf.com for more info) This was a case of everyone who crossed the finish line is a winner. It also made me think of the proverb, "finishing is better than starting." Hopefully, my kids were thinking of that too.

Sharon is a very interesting woman who was born to American parents, raised by them in the UK, has gone to school in Switzerland and in DC and lived on a kabotz in Israel in her early 20's. This is part of my children's education as we meet new people and they share their experiences with us.
Lenoure is Dan's oldest niece and is also a person who has had international experiences. She lived in Togo (a west African country) as a peacecorp volunteer for 2 years. In high school and college Lenoure lived in France. Currently, she is living in the DC area.
Since, we were in the presence of world travelers we played a game of Geo Bee Challenge by National Geographic. Grace won, Lenoure and Sharon held there own. I am so glad they came to visit us this weekend. Our time spent with these ladies has enriched our lives. We couldn't seem to bring the world to us so we are going to the world and making wonderful discoveries in Our Father's World.