Indian Echo Caverns

We decided to take a tour of Indian Echo Caverns today. We had planned to take a day trip to the beach with our oldest and youngest daughters but the weather wasn't cooperating so we needed to find an indoor activity. We  pass by this cavern often during the week and it has been on our bucket list since we moved (4 years ago!) It was an interesting tour and the guide was friendly and fun (even with her goofy scripted jokes).  On the down side, you were quickly pushed through the rooms of the cavern in order for the other groups to go through the area.  I do wish we would have had a little more time to slow down and look at all of the amazing formations.  I would suggest if at all possible to go another day rather than a Saturday, I am sure it is not as busy during the week. Also, go to the Visit Hershey Harrisburg website to request a travel guide. The guide has a coupon for Indian Echo and many other local activities/restaurants.

Read here about the history of the cave and how it was founded. Also, read here for additional information about William Wilson the Pennsylvania Hermit.

Here are a few pictures of the Cave

Indian Eco Caverns is a limestone cave. The temperature inside the cavern is 52 degrees year round. Take a jacket/sweatshirt along in the summer or take off your coat to warm up in the winter! 

If you are interested in getting a few shots while you are there, hang in the back of the crowd.

Watch your head while walking through the caverns... well, I didn't have any trouble at all for a short girl : )

Some of the formations start to resemble familiar objects such as this one that is known as an "Ear of Indian Corn"

Always look up! 

Love, Love, Love these ladies! 

Just a little silliness...

well...

actually a lot of silliness! 

Encouraging Gifts, Talents, Passions and Abilities

I have memories of our now 13-year-old daughter as a toddler trying to plant every seed she could find or come across in our yard. She could  barely talk and was digging holes planting seeds.  She seemed to have a spot (or two)  cleared out in the flowerbed waiting and watching for something to spring up. I had no idea at the time this interest would continue to grow and the Lord would develop in her a deep passion for self-sustaining farming and homesteading. I am thankful we allowed those holes to be dug. Two moves later it really doesn't matter one bit that it wasn't a perfectly maintained flowerbed however it does matter that her passion was nurtured and encouraged. 

I recall having the kids pull weeds as a disciplinary activity when they were younger. It always seemed to work for Logan; you would clearly see his misery with each and every second that passed.  (There were great Biblical lessons to tie into our talks after the activity was complete) I attempted this activity once and only once for Maddy. I sent her out to weed the beds and she enjoyed every single second and even asked to stay longer when her time was up. It gave me insight into her unique passion, not to mention the understanding that this wasn't a successful technique for discipline. 

Now at 13 years old she is constantly learning and sharing her passion with others. I wasn't thrilled when we decided to rent a plot of land at the community garden three years ago. I thought I was sacrificing time I didn't have but little did I know how The Lord would use the dirt, weeds and harvest to teach us some valuable lessons.  Maddy's interest exploded and her passion was shared with many others and us over the past few years. We added an additional plot of land each year and now have 3 plots, a 30x90 area now.  I am thankful  the Lord gave her (and all of our children) passions beyond our own interests as parents.  We continue to learn many things through our children's gifts/talents/passions and we have the privilege of encouraging, affirming and praying they will use everything to advance the gospel.  

1st big harvest in the garden (last week)  

It brings me so much joy to listen to the sweet conversations between these two at the garden. I have overheard them talking as they pull weeds sharing their dreams with one another. 

We enlisted Billy's help this week picking beans and peas! We picked over 8 pounds of beans!  Many hours are spent in the garden weeding since we don't use chemicals on the plants. Madelyn saves many of her seeds and almost everything is organic, heirloom and Non-GMO. 

This tough time of the season is when you can look around at the other plots and see who has given up because of the weeds or lack of time.

This is the second harvest. Can you imagine how much all this organic produce would be at the grocery store?!

The work continues after harvesting. We spent several hours' together washing, drying, snapping, shelling, blanching, freezing, cutting and storing the produce. So many great conversations were had and Madelyn works diligently with so much joy and contentment. Also, I am thankful that our work helps tremendously with our grocery budget and they enjoy sharing the harvest with others.

Little by little our picky eater is attempting to try new food as she helps in the garden. 

Stay tuned our harvesting season has just begun! 

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10 

In the comments below please share some of your childrens' gifts, talents, passions and abilities and how you are encouraging them to use them to serve others.

Peek and see

Here is another peek at our school week! Allowing others to look into our day brings quite a bit of vulnerability to any mama who teaches their children at home.  Many people have strong opinions on how and where children receive an education. I tend to want to tuck my head and do as the Lord is leading our family with confidence and not engage in conversations that would attempt to deter my thoughts and heart with what we know is right for each of our children. I am surprised each and every week I receive phone calls, facebook messages, emails and face to face questions about how we approach school. We always said we would make an individual decision for each of our children with how we approach their education ever since Breanna, our oldest, was a baby. We said if we felt it was best to homeschool we would be willing but I really didn't think it would ever happen. But it did. Various and different reasons each for Maddy and Logan led us to keep them home for the past year and a half (perhaps another post for another day).  We started homeschooling Maddy mid year during 6th grade and Logan started his 5th grade year. Breanna graduated from public school and Olivia attends a public school. I am not anti-public school nor wish to participate in conversations that declare an overall statement that everyone should homeschool or conversations on the other side of the pendulum that no one should homeschool. Sweeping statements of only one way to approach kids that are uniquely different cause me to cringe. We will continue to seek the Lord and be willing to do what we think is best for each of our children. 

So here is a peek behind the scenes.

Madelyn creates her own projects and she will work on them during the day in between her scheduled studies (History, Science, Spelling, Literature, Civics, Grammar, Handwriting, Math, Health & more!) She enjoys learning, is passionate, innovative and has many dreams and ideas. She likes to create PowerPoint presentations as an avenue to teach others what she is learning. We have sat through various presentations over the past few years and we have learned so much in the process. She is currently working on a PowerPoint about GMO's. (Genetically Modified Organism's)

I love the picture of Maddy above, the way it captures her focus, determination and a little of her personality. Logan shot that photo. He has a growing interest in photography, videography and journalism. He recently set up his own YouTube Channel.  We were reluctant to allow him to have this avenue but I am thankful we did because it has fueled his interest and creativity.  You can check out his Channel here

Logan spotted a new bird at the feeder this week so he ran outside to capture a picture. As many of you know they participate in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Click here for the link (for kids and adults). All kids are different right? I decided at the beginning of the year I wanted this to be a consistent activity that they participated in during the week. Not all kids show an interest in what you might get excited about...at first. It's a challenge that keeps me intrigued and studying how each of our children learn. Madelyn will sit by the window and wait for the birds to come to the feeder . She will study the bird with a large bird poster and field manual. She might have a notepad beside her so she can do further research on that particular bird's migration pattern or other detailed information. Logan wasn't opposed to the project but not thrilled at first. It was a challenge for me to see how to bridge the gap with his interests and how he learns. So, I handed him my camera.  He knows, I don't hand my camera to just anyone so his time of birdwatching and recording data is special. I had to chuckle this week when he was taking a picture and he said, "Look at this picture of this chickadee thingy." This weekly activity has allowed them time to slow down, observe, record data while participating with people all over United States.

Every week or so we make a quick trip to the library. Madelyn is just as predictable as Logan when we get there. She will quickly grab a couple fiction books and then race over to the garden/nutrition/fiber section. Logan knows the exact book he is going to get before he walks into the Library. He has laser focus and will not deter from his mission. He will search the computer for the location of the book, pick up the book and  be ready to go within a couple of minutes.  This was the first time that Logan has gone to the library and was content to sit patiently while waiting for Madelyn to browse through the books. He wasn't anxious to get on to the next thing or grumbling and complaining about how long it was taking. He sat down, put his feet up and relaxed. He didn't even notice me taking this picture. It was just one of those moments that I wanted to etch into my memory so I could recall it when I need to remind him to exhibit self control in the future.  

I gave both the kids a rubric and set a date for a book report of their choice. Logan read three books in two days! This is a huge step as I recall the first part of the year he was so concerned about how much time he had to read or had left to read that he was not enjoying the actual book. I just watched him and thanked God several times for allowing me to see progress.

 A few people ask me about our Math Curriculum. This year we used Teaching Textbooks. The kids have enjoyed the program. This is the only subject they do on the computer and it is a CD program. The program keeps a log of their grades as they complete lessons/lectures. If you purchase this curriculum for Math you can use the ID number for 4 or 5 times.  We were not sure if you could buy this used but you can! Just make sure you ask how many times the ID has been used. Billy's parents purchased Madelyn's Math curriculum and we borrowed Logan's from a friend. We purchased the textbook/workbook with Madelyn's and I must tell you it is not necessary to spend the additional money for it. We haven't opened the books at all. The books duplicate the exact lecture that is displayed on the screen. There are additional "helps" but both our kids have been extremely successful with this program.

Olivia was out of school for President's Day so we took a field trip to the Whitaker Center. 

Hands on demonstration about air. It's always fun to watch one of your siblings being included in the demonstration! 

The Whitaker Center is a great place for hands on learning. If you have a family membership the IMAX documentary films are discounted $2 per ticket. We didn't see a film on this trip due to it being a holiday they were only showing the movie Frozen...uhhh no, thank you. We hope to go back soon to see the Jerusalem Documentary. 

Could anyone not smile while doing a Grammar lesson with a bunny hanging out under their legs?

There are times that chores need to be completed before, during or after the school day. It is part of being a family and builds character. 

Then some Physical Education looks like this! I should have ventured up the hill as he met up with some buddies but it was really cold.

I signed the kids up for a Science class at Messiah College's Oaks Museum

We enjoyed this activity and it was nice to see both kids participate and eager to talk one on one with  the adults to gather additional information about what they were teaching. The kids did further research the following day and wrote a report on something new they learned at the Museum. There are a few additional classes that are being offered click here for the topics/dates. 

Saturday we had another snow storm, so why did I post a picture of Saturday when we are peeking into our school day? It seems that learning is just a way of life and doesn't have to occur only between certain hours. Madelyn will go outside to play but she decided to work on her garden while it was snowing. She spent hours playing in the soil. She wasn't in any hurry to get the job done and move on to something else, she sat quietly and placed the seeds in each pod carefully and stopped to research about the plants to see what would be good companion plants. It has been a very cold winter and many people are ready for it to be over, but not everyone. Logan as you can see is one happy fella during the wintertime. He enjoys each and every snowfall and is eager to spend time at Ski Roundtop snowboarding. He has made a couple videos of his adventures so be sure to check them out here

We have some exciting things planned for the rest of this week...stay tuned!  

Special Day for our boy

 Lunch with my boy for his Birthday. The cakepops were a HIT! The kids were so excited and it made it extra special for Logan to see his classmates excited for his birtday. Logan unashamedly hugged and tucked his arm around my back while we ate lunch together. I love how tender and affectionate he is.

 

 

I couldn't pull my phone out fast enough as the kids spontaneously sang Happy Birthday.

 

Okay, not my typical cake baking for birthdays but I go with the request they give me and this year Logan wanted a cake with Reese Cups  and chocolate all over the top so that's what he got. In between the layers of cake is a layer of Reese's cups and homemade peanut butter frosting, covered with dark chocolate ganache on the top. Ohh my word how many calories can you put in one cake!!!!

 

 Whoo hooo! RGIII Jersey!
 

 AND the magic kit that he has wanted for a while. We have been entertained for the past few days as he is learning to work some of the illusions.
 

 

This is a face of "I am special" He was so appreciative as he thanked us several times for the gifts and making the cake just the way he wanted it. God has big plans for this boy that is growing into a young man. He is 100% boy and the most tender, compassionate, protective boy I know.

 

We love you

 LoMo, Ltrain, Lo, Carolina



Maddy finding her place at the Farm Show 2013

Maddy was very busy at the farm show this year. It is so fun to watch her in this environment, this is an area that Maddy has a passion for. From the time that she could pick up a pencil she would draw animals. When she started reading she gravitated to animal and science books. She researches and develops PowerPoint presentations in her spare time about animals. In her world there is no other TV channel than Animal Planet. She is a little entrepreneur, always working. She is the neighborhood pet sitter and fills her calendar with her "jobs."

 

 

Maddy with her show bunny. This is Almond, she is a Chocolate colored Polish Rabbit.  She might be having babies in the near future. Let her (us)  know if you would like to purchase one in the future. Maddy is working on her plan now for her 4-H project...and she came up with the name for her little rabbitry "Madelyn's Urban bunnies"

 

 Lori's daughter Julie helping Maddy with her showmanship skills.

 

Lori, Maddy's 4-H leader giving her a walk through of all the different breeds of rabbits at the Farm Show.

 

Here is Maddy a couple days later teaching Nana and Papa about the different breeds at the Farm Show, while including other people in the conversation as they walked around the cages.

 

She volunteered to sell programs at the information desk one day. She was hustling some programs and would yell " Get your programs for $1, $1 programs support 4-H" Who can turn down a passionate little girl selling programs? Not many people actually, she went through a ton of them and people were giving her donations without taking a program just because they liked her enthusiasm.

 

 



Several days Maddy worked in the rabbit area. 

 

So we took a break and grabbed some healthy food like fried mozzarella cubes, milkshakes and fries. We stopped by this area near the food court it was the veterinarian department for Penn State. Maddy talked with Ms.Deborah  a Veterinarian. They spent at least 45 minutes talking eye ball to eye ball after they looked at the x-rays. Maddy was very engaged and asked great questions.  They talked about foal and rabbit reproduction among other topics.

 

  

Here, Maddy is giving her PowerPoint presentation on rabbits. She worked on this over Christmas break just for fun so it was neat for her to be able to present it in a large crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

She made a Jeopardy game at the end of her presentation. She asked volunteers to come up on stage and answer her questions.  Everyone was rewarded with candy. 

 

We had a blast at the farm show. One day we were there for over 12 hours and when I told Maddy it was time to go she said "It's time to go already" she had no idea how much time had passed.

We were sad to see it end!

Maddy has a rabbit show coming up Feb 2nd...so be on the lookout for pictures!