Sweet Success!

We are excited to say that on September 16th, Buhl Academy completed our 1st Quarter (9weeks) of school!  Our whole family celebrated at Krispy Kreme for breakfast on Saturday the 17th. 

 I'm very proud of my girls for working so hard this Quarter!

For every "A" on your Report Card, you receive a free donut from Krispy Kreme (up to a maximum of 6 per child).  

What sweet success! 

Our 2nd Quarter of school is well underway.  Please remember to pray for Buhl Academy.  Our desire is for our children to receive a good Biblical worldview education, but most of all that our children grow up to love and serve the LORD. Pray that through Homeschooling we will glorify Him in all we say and do!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the LORD as a reward.  It is the LORD Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24

Homemade Laundry Detergent

About a week and a half ago, the kids and I were reading a couple of chapters from the book American Pioneers and Patriots as part of our History/Geography lesson.  It has been a wonderful book so far. 

We were studying the English Pioneers and learning how everything they have was homemade.  My older girls were just amazed and fascinated with how the young girls and their mothers had to make their own soap.  I had been meaning to try out the Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe that my friend, Tracy Grooms, gave me.  When a couple of us got together recently, she demonstrated how easy it was, so I thought it would be a great Homeschool project for Buhl Academy, especially since it fit right in with what we were learning!  I took some pictures so we could share it with you.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Ingredients:
4 cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha bar soap
1cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (found at Kroger...not baking soda or Arm and Hammer detergent: must be sodium carbonate!)
1/2 cup Borax
5 gallon bucket with lid

Step 1:  Grate bar of soap.

 Step 2:  Fill saucepan with 4 cups hot tap water:

Step 3:  Add soap shavings to saucepan.

Step 4:  Stir continually over med/low heat until all soap shavings have melted.

Step 5:  Fill a 5-gallon bucket half full with hot tap water.

Step 6:  Add melted soap, washing soda, and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved.

Step 7:  Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.

Step 8:  Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry detergent dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake bottle before each use.
*This stuff gets really jelly like. Stir it in the 5-gallon bucket before you add it to your manageable dispenser and make sure you shake the bottle before each use.

**Option: you can add 10-15 drops of essential oil, like lavender, rosemary, etc. per 2 gallons. Add oil only once soap has cooled next day.

For Top Load machines: use 5/8 cup per load (approx. 180 loads)

For HE and Front load machines: use 1/4 cup per load (approx. 640 loads)

Hope you enjoy!

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

Sweet Land of Liberty

Our family went to visit my parents in Stephens City, VA on May 13th, and the next day we took a Field Trip to Washington D.C.  We have been studying American History at Buhl Academy, so Lily and Maddy were so excited to see all of the things they've been reading and learning about! 

The kids loved the Metro Station and ride:

 Squishing in a seat with Grandpa!:

Lily and Maddy wanted to see the White House first, so we headed that way as soon as we got off of the Metro.  On the way we saw the Treasury:

Here is Maddy trying to get a peek at the White House through the fence:

 Here are my Buhl Academy girls!:

The White House from the front:

 The White House from the back:

 Here is my sweet Maddy Faith who is almost finished with her Kindergarten year!:

 And here is my Lily Marie who is almost finished with her Second Grade year!:

The girls couldn't believe how tall the Washington Monument was in real life!:

 Lily and Maddy have become so much closer since they've been home together for school and I praise God for that! 

While at the Monument, we could see the Lincoln Memorial in the distance:

 It started raining after we saw the Monument, so we headed over to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. 

The girls got to use a printing press from the 1800s:

The girls enjoyed The First Ladies exhibit with all the pretty dresses, shoes and purses!

We got to see the red, sparkly shoes from the Wizard of Oz:

The girls loved this huge, gold, sparkly Star-Spangled Banner:

We weren't allowed to take pictures of the real flag, but it was so amazing seeing it in person!  After we were finished with the Smithsonian, it had stopped raining, so we headed back outside to go see some more sights.  Parker enjoyed the Field Trip too!

Jonathan was excited to finally see the World War II Memorial.  

Lily found our state of Tennessee!:

Jonathan and his Lily:

The World War II Memorial was beautiful:

My Dad thought it would be funny for me to "hold" the Washington Monument!:

Then it was on to my favorite part of Washington D.C., the Lincoln Memorial!  Maddy has really been fascinated with Abraham Lincoln, which makes me so happy because he is one of my very favorite Presidents!  He was such a godly man.  We read this about Abraham Lincoln while studying him:  Lincoln biographer William E. Barton wrote that Mr. Lincoln “read the Bible, honored it, quoted it freely, and it became so much a part of him as visibly and permanently to give shape to his literary style and to his habits of thought.”

I loved watching the kids running up all of the steps!:

Our sweeties in front of the Lincoln Memorial!:

Our last stop was the Korean War Memorial:

We spent 8 hours touring Washington D.C. and Parker Buddy was worn out! 

We were so blessed to be able to take this special Field Trip to Washington D.C. to enhance what we've been studying at Buhl Academy.  We are enjoying homeschooling so much and thank God for allowing our family to do it.  To Him be the glory!

“The Almighty has his own purposes.” - Abraham Lincoln

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:11-14