July 4th

Yup. The fireworks are set for our estimated date of delivery. Some of you were asking - looks like we'll be skipping the Barker family reunion this year to have a baby! I got a bit of praise though, from my step-mother. She said, "Good, you finally picked a month where there are no other family birthdays. You did good." Had I had another September birth, I think she'd boycott! LOL

Well, I've officially passed the 12 week mark; I'm forcing protein and trying not to hurl. Hope I'm out of the woods by Christmas!
-Rhonda

New Blessings

It's official. We're expecting another baby! This one was a bit of a surprise, as I'm still not quite sure how it happened! I'm officially 10 weeks now. I got to see our little one on a sonogram this week and see the heart beat...171 Hmmm. I'd love your prayers as we walk by faith. I'm also pretty sick these days and trying to take it easy.
-Rhon

A day in the life of Anthony

I love the logic of children.

On Thursday, Anthony got the chance to participate in the dissection of a frog. Yup. You heard right- my first grader got to touch a heart and look for a backbone... and it was a bullfrog (the really big ones). On Friday, we called Dad at work to tell him all about it, Anthony tells Dad, "We dissected a boy frog and a girl frog..."(along with many gruesome details).
Nick says, "Was it alive?"
"No, the kindergarteners killed it."

I guess he figured someone had to do the dirty work, and the kindergarteners automatically became suspect. Jo and I had a hearty laugh.

Gazelle Like Intensity!

Continuing our quest in Striving for Financial Peace, Dave Ramsey suggests that we run towards our goal with Gazelle-like intensity. I don't think this was what he had in mind:



I do think he was thinking more along these lines:



Nick

What Caused Our Economic Crisis

This was a real eye opener. Please take a sec to view & share the link with others. People need to be made aware of the truth. It's out there, so let's spread it around!!! Nick

Happy Anniversary!

Ok, so it was yesterday. But it has been the most wonderful ride. Happy 18th Honey! I love ya!

The Homeschool Desk...

Here we are in week 5 of school. At least I think it's week 5. We've been schooling so much that it feels as if that is all we do. It's not really. I will say that we've been in the schoolroom every day working since a week ago Monday. For sure, my boys will learn to write this year.

So at this moment, Jo's taking a General Science test, Nicholas is doing Math, Daniel's reading The Golden Goblet, and Anthony's building a train set....because I'm writing this blog!

It's been a busy month at the Campagna home. I've been teaching now for three weeks. The work is fun but it easily consumes life. So I'm working toward a plan that gives me my life as well as the fulfillment of teaching. Today, I worked out for the first time this week. And since my coffee machine broke, I'm off caffeine at home. That's always good for the waistline- I consume more water. Tonights our 2nd week of Financial Peace Univ. (Dave Ramsey's program), hence the reason I still have no coffee maker. So happiness doesn't come from stuff, and certainly not from coffee, this is nothing new. I just really like it!

Two weeks ago we started participating in a ministry called FOI, Friends of Internationals. We spent Labor Day on the campus of Southern Polytechnical State University with exchange students from all around the world. There are a large number of Chinese students on campus, so we invited four over for dinner. We had a blast. Here's the cool thing. Nicholas took a liking to one of the young men, Rai Zhang (we call him John). We didn't know how to contact him to invite him to dinner, so we asked one of the other students, Li, if he could find him on campus (with a detailed description of his appearance). That eve Li located him at the pool. We got his email and invited him to join us. He came. Then during dinner, he tells us that it's his birthday. He's only been in the country for 4 weeks, and we just happen to get him on his birthday. God totally orchestrated all of that. We put candles in a cheesecake and all sang to him. Since that eve, I've helped one of the students with an assignment, and Nick was interviewed by another for a class project. AND I think a few of the guys are coming over this Friday night to hang with Nick and the boys while Jo and I celebrate her 13th.

God has been real kind to allow us to grow with these students. We're hiking Stone Mountain with a group of Internationals this Saturday. If we can't go to the world, at least, being in American, the World comes here!

I hope you're tuning in. It's great to share life with you.
Signing off for now,
Rhonda

Jo's Baptism

Joanna signed up to be baptized a few weeks ago, and it occurred one week ago on August 24th. In order to be baptized, the pastors' asked that she have an interview. It was a neat experience for her. She got the opportunity to meet with one of the pastors and explain her relationship with Jesus. This was a great exercise. Dad also got to be a part of the process.

Back to School!

Our first full day of school - and Dad was around to help us get up and going. We didn't get started until about 12noon, so the last child finished at 6:30pm. Whew! Today (day 2 of full days) was a little better. We started at 9am and I'm finishing out the day blogging at 2:40pm. We're all a little spent. And I need a nap!

Enjoy the pics.



Grammar

Grammar

Pre-Algebra

How do I spell Asia?

Spelling

Summer for Rhonda

Just in case you were wondering what it looks like over here in the summer. I hide in this room for 6-8 hours most days, working on my classes for next year. Note the Starbucks: coffee in one cup and water in the other.

Here's a quote from William Barclay that keeps me going. It's from Donald Whitney's book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.

"Nothing was ever achieved without discipline; and may an athlete and many a man has been ruined because he abandoned discipline and let himself grow slack. Coleridge is the supreme tragedy of indiscipline. Never did so great a mind produce so little. He left Cambridge University to join the army; but he left the army because, in spite of all his erudition, he could not rub down a horse; he returned to Oxford and left without a degree. He began a paper called The Watchman which lived for ten numbers and then died. It has been said of him: "He lost himself in visions of work to be done, that always remained to be done. Coleridge had every poetic gift but one-the gift of sustained and concentrated effort." In his head and in his mind he had all kinds of books, as he said himself, "completed save for transcription." "I am on the eve," he says, "of sending to the press two octavo volumes." But the books were never composed outside Coleridge's mind, because he would not face the discipline of sitting down to write them out. No one ever reached any eminence, and no one having reached it ever maintained it, without discipline."

-Rhonda

Life at Masters

So here we are, the 70's girls at Masters Academy's end of the year productions. Mrs. Shearod and I are donning our costumes. LOL You know, I can go just about anywhere in that outfit today and no one thinks anything is amiss. I fit right in. This was my mom's outfit that I happened to keep.

We just finished up the Modern Time Period and the school is bursting at the seams. I love teaching and find it easy to jump in with both feet. Next year is Ancient, and I've been busier than ever as I've added to my teaching repertoire. I may be ready to move back to being a homebody after this one!

Family Shots

Our rendition of folk dancing at the Tennessee Welcome Center.

We enjoyed our time in Maryland, visiting GG and the aunts. Thank you Aunt Sue for putting us up. Here are the three sisters. And Jo holding Mei'ling, the dog!


My brother-in-law and sister, Mike and Cheryl at Dover AFB. Mike is taking leave for a few weeks and then heads back to Korea. This was a great time to visit and catch up. All the cousins are below- see the "light" and "dark" features! We had a great time. Thank you Mike and Cheryl.

Anthony's 6th!

What a blast! Anthony turned 6, and we celebrated by having a Jedi Training event. Anthony has become a real adventure seeker. He's Darth Vador below. He's a real fun kid, and the party was worth every bit of work.

Ice cream cake. Yum.

We water bombed the death star (until all the chalk on the ground disappeared). Thank you Jo, Erin and Ana for filling the balloons!

More Cruise Shots!

We're still reliving the trip. Here's some more pics!Charlie's Angels (where'd they learn that?)

My dancin' partner

Looks run in the family!

Amore!

And our pirate in the making.

Schools Out for Summer

It's funny how those words elicit such emotion! So we finished last Friday, but we keep certain things going through the summer- simple things that just keep us fresh. For me, new work begins. I've begun writing my lesson plans for next year at Masters Academy: ANCIENT. I've set some hefty goals for myself so that I can have a month to do projects at home before school begins. (Like working in those beautiful garden boxes my husband built that are currently growing ragweed, small trees, and pumpkins -credit to my children) I'll be teaching seven classes next year, four of them require their own lessons plans, so I'm pretty much glued to my computer and chair. But this is where I thrive. (Not in a computer and chair (lest you be confused), but in teaching). LOL

So Jo's moving up to 8th grade, Daniel- 5th, Nicky- 3rd, and Anthony- 1st. It seems strange to not have a little one running around. Even Anthony seems so grown up. He's determined to keep up, whatever the cost. He began bringing me books and sounding out the words -essentially teaching himself to read. I've been so impressed. I thought I should wait until 1st grade, but he's so willing and quick, that I might just teach him to read before September. We'll see.

It's been raining today, so I'm not tempted to walk away from the computer. I'd better get back to planning. Hence, you can reach me almost instantly via email!

Rhonda

2008 Family Reuinion Cruise Photo

I would post more but I want to bug my DJ buddy, Dave... just a little :)

This photo was taken during our first excursion to Key West. Traveling with the whole family was so much fun, especially when you didn't have to think about meals & activities. It was the best time we have ever had together & I'm looking forward to doing this again with great anticipation.

The Habit of Enjoying Adversity

I was reading the daily devotional from the "My Utmost for His Highest" website yesterday & was struck by what was being shared. As most of you know I have had an ongoing battle with insomnia [almost 4 yrs now] & more recently, intense searing pain which has become an almost constant companion to me. It's reality has touched every part of my life. Perhaps you or someone you know is in a similar place. I hope you find the following excerpt encouraging & challenging.

The only thing that will enable me to enjoy adversity is the acute sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in me. No matter how difficult something may be, I must say, "Lord, I am delighted to obey You in this." Instantly, the Son of God will move to the forefront of my life, and will manifest in my body that which glorifies Him.

You must not debate. The moment you obey the light of God, His Son shines through you in that very adversity; but if you debate with God, you grieve His Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30 ). You must keep yourself in the proper condition to allow the life of the Son of God to be manifested in you, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self-pity. Our circumstances are the means God uses to exhibit just how wonderfully perfect and extraordinarily pure His Son is.

Discovering a new way of manifesting the Son of God should make our heart beat with renewed excitement. It is one thing to choose adversity, and quite another to enter into adversity through the orchestrating of our circumstances by God’s sovereignty. And if God puts you into adversity, He is adequately sufficient to "supply all your need"
(Philippians 4:19).

I was challenged & encouraged by these words. If I am understanding this correctly, God's sovereignty is at the center; the core of my circumstances. How often & how easily I forget that since God is sovereign over everything in my life nothing in my life is a surprise to Him & nothing happens to me that He has not orchestrated. But it remains true, so... how do I respond to that? So often I find myself debating my difficulties with God. Just because I may not like my circumstances does not give me justification to grumble about them. If I take on the attitude that I am not just willing but "delighted" to obey God in my difficulties, what blessing; what joys lay in store for me - that "the Son of God move to the forefront of my life & will manifest in me that which glorifies Him". Wow! Now that's worth dwelling on!

Shine,
Nick

Family Vacation

Gives new meaning to "Family Vacation"

We had a great trip with the Campagna clan. Key West, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and 2 days at Sea. I'll post more pics shortly!
Rhonda

Like Daughter, Like Mother

I know what you're thinking...I'm speaking about myself and my daughter. Well...nope.
Recently, we decided to dog sit, for the mother of our beloved and missed dog, Tuscany. She has an uncanny resemblance. Not only in looks. If you let Shadow off the leash, she has a way of walking just far enough, looking back at you, and then darting off for some fun. We laughed as we considered how much our puppy was like her. So, twice during our time, we had to give her a bath (she likes our pond). And at night, she whines until you let her join you! She's very social.

The highlight for our weekend together, though, was when I heard her whining in the back yard, but couldn't place where she was calling from. I thought maybe she'd gotten hurt, since I couldn't find her. We went on a Shadow hunt, and found her in our storm drain. It was so pathetic. She was under the grate just crying her heart out. All we can figure is that she must have taken an interest in something at the end of the pipe and darted in. But once she got in, she couldn't turn around. So here, you see is how I had to retrieve her! Thanks for the adventure, Phil and Carol.
Rhonda

US Air and Space Museum

A very cold, yet fun cub scout trip. The Hall's and we took the trip to Huntsville, AL to see the US Space and Rocket Center. There was a lot to look at and some neat interactive exhibits. I really enjoyed the IMAX on the Apollo Program.


Here's Daniel in an Apollo control capsule. Can you imagine?






Nicky's playing around in the mock Space Station. They sure do a lot of neat experiments in space.





Joanna's using a simulator to land a space shuttle. No success. She crashed every time!






Jo enjoying Bella.