Happy Year of the Ox!

 

Happy Chinese New Year! 

If you have followed this blog for very long, you know that we celebrate Chinese New Year every year in celebration of Faith's heritage. Usually we have friends (that are more like family) over to celebrate. Over the years they have taught us some things about the holiday. 

One thing they taught us is the tradition of the red banners. During Chinese New Year, almost every home puts banners on their door. No one really knows where this comes from, but everyone knows what it means. The meaning of the banners is to bring blessings on a home and protection against evil spirits. This is amazingly similar to the Jewish Passover festival. 

Something else we leaned that is interesting (though maybe not Chinese New Year specific) is that the Chinese symbol for boat is literally "vessel for 8 people" and the symbol for flood is literally "8 together on earth". This is interesting considering that there were only 8 people that survived the world wide flood of the Bible (Noah, his wife, his 3 sons and their wives).

Chinese New Year will not be the same without a house full of friends, but will be a special day to celebrate Faith and the country that gave us her. 

Happy Chinese New Year 2021!! 

Praise Team

I started singing with the adult choir at our church when I was in the 8th grade. When we moved to Colorado, our church didn't have a choir. It only had a praise team. When we moved to Denton and started attending Denton Bible I really wanted to join the choir. I missed being a part of choir so much! But, it just wasn't a good time for me to join with 4 little kiddos at home - one with medical and emotional needs. I was directing one of the children's choirs - which I LOVE, but I still SO missed adult choir. 

Finally on March 12, 2020, Byron and I both auditioned for the DBC choir. We were ready to start! The next day our church groups started temporarily closing down because of the Coronavirus. For me, this was the saddest part of COVID! I had finally joined the choir and then they stopped meeting. 

In May we did a virtual choir performance. It was stressful to send in a video - the video was just my voice - no music behind it. Then it was blended with the other members to make a full choir.

Ain't No Grave from Denton Bible Media on Vimeo.

 

 

In June, the choir finally started rehearsing again. It was amazing to sit in a room full of choir members and hear all the beautiful harmonies! In July, I finally sang at church with choir - on Freedom Sunday. 

In August I got a phone call inviting me to sing with the Praise Team the following Sunday. This was such a surprise!! I was nervous and so honored to be a part! The first Sunday on praise team we sang a medley of Gospel hymns. It was SO FUN!!

 

Since July choir has been off and on because of COVID-19. We had a small ensemble of 20 sing together for Christmas. I have made new friends and have met some sweet, sweet souls who also love singing for Jesus. It has been so awesome to be part of an adult choir once again. 

The 100th Day of School 2021

Each year we celebrate the 100th Day of School with some fun. 

We start our day with a fun breakfast. 

Then instead of our regular school day we do something fun and different. One year we had a 100 themed day. One year we played board games all day. One year we did STEM challenges. This year I bought a boxed escape room.

It was a lot of fun!! We had to work together to escape the enchanted forest. 

We figured out all of the clues and escaped! 

It is hard to believe that we have already been schooling for over 100 days this year! 

The escape room was a great way to celebrate!

 

Spelling Bee 2021

Our Annual Homeschool Spelling Bee took place on January 14th. 

It was a crazy day! I have organized the event for the past 5 years. This year, I handed the event over to an association member. She ended up getting COVID, so I took over for the evening. 

Faith was the first speller out with the word "Began". 

Mig placed 7th out of 14 and got out on the word "frisbee". 

Selah went 24 rounds and placed 2nd after misspelling "chalet". 

She did an amazing job and was SO excited about taking home a trophy!

Unfortunately, I also came down with COVID and so she is not able to compete at the County Bee this year. 

 Good job little Spellers!!

NYE 2020!

New Year's Eve has become one of our favorite days of the entire year. Every year I look for new and fun Minute to Win It games. We play them as we wait for the clock to strike midnight. 

We always play boys vs. girls and boys always win. 

The point of this game was to take the bags from one side of the room to the other using only your mouth. 

For this one, we opened kisses using only two toothpicks. 

For this one, 6 lifesavers had to be thread through a noodle using only your mouth.

Selah will not eat chocolate after this game. You have to be the first to find the kiss with 12 on the bottom. Any kisses you look at the bottom of, you have to eat before choosing another kiss.

The next game was called dizzy decorators. One person hung an ornament from garland tied on their waste, then spun to their partner who unhung the ornament and then hanged in on the tree.

For this game players had to try to drop candy canes on the garland to hand them. 

The next game was like bobbing for apples, but it was bobbing for ornaments.

Once you got an ornament, you had to hang it on the garland using only your mouth. 

The boys won again, but we all had a great time and were happy to see the end of 2020!!

 

The Red Fedora

Confession time. 

I acted so ugly on Christmas morning. 

I had asked Byron for a fedora. He always gives me what I ask for and usually more. I opened my first gift on Christmas and it was a RED fedora. I had wanted a brown or black one - so that it would match more outfits. I was shocked and so disappointed that the one he bought me was red. When I asked for a fedora for Christmas, he told me that I would never wear it. Well, he was going to be right! I can't pull off a red fedora!! I'll never wear it! I actually asked him if I could possibly return it for a different color. But, wait....there were two more boxes from him. One had a black fedora, one had a brown fedora. One again, he got me what I wanted and more. Tat will teach me to act like spoiled brat!

And guess what else.....

That red fedora is growing on me.