Sunday Reflections: A Week Without Dad

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Life at the Strauss House...

So this week Jason went to his first Circe Apprenticeship retreat. I enjoyed receiving texts throughout the week of quotes that inspired him as he learned more about teaching classically. My favorite insight was:

"Try and avoid giving students an answer to a question they haven't asked yet."

While he was away, we celebrated Will's 15th birthday, rested, went for a lot of walks, and geared up for school to start. The end of the summer has arrived, but I'm excited to get back to a regular routine!

Where I'm reading in the Bible...

I've continued to soak in 1 John this week as I prepare for school to start back. I got stuck thinking about the word "manifest" as in:

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9

Webster's dictionary defines it as: 1. Plain, open, clearly visible to the eye or obvious to the understanding; apparent; not obscure or difficult to be seen or understood. From the testimony, the truth we conceive to be manifest.

I love the idea that God intends His love to be clearly visible and easy to understand.

What books we're reading...

As a family: We love reading aloud, and in the summer it's mostly looked like listening to audio books in the car. Right now we're listening to:

The Magician's Nephew - we all agreed that it is one of our favorites...but how do you pick a favorite in the Narnia series?

Jason: Even though he was away on a retreat, he still had time to catch some audio books in the car on the way there.

Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - still reading ahead for Challenge A
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis - for fun

Betsy: I worked on making time for reading this week. I might need to find time other than right before I go to sleep to read...super challenging to keep my eyes open once I find the comfort of my bed. But I did read a little:

The Odyssey (three whole chapters!)
The Wizard of Oz - it was an abridged version, but the illustrations were amazing, and I had a little girl snuggling by my side which made it even better!

Will: I got him some micron pens to mark his books up with. He's been having fun thinking as he reads!

Finished up Sign of the Beaver
And began Call of the Wild

Grace:

Cinderellis and the Glass Hill - fav story to listen to as she goes to bed
Five Little Peppers Midway

Ellen:

The Wizard of Oz - loved it...ready to read again
The Fairy's Mistake

Nana:

The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow - always reading for me!
All the Blue of Heaven by Virginia Carmichael

Steps towards a healthier lifestyle...

I've made it to 10,000 steps every day this week. Surprisingly, I've found that even though I have a full life, there is always time to walk. It's one of those lies I've believed about my health. And now that I'm walking, I have more energy and everything I do has gotten a touch easier. I've got a couple of friends walking with me, so it's fun to have accountability in walking. When my husband got home, I took him on one of my trails and he's sore today! Good to be back moving.

Some of my favorite THM dinners this week were:

Enchiladas - for Will's birthday dinner, then enjoyed the left overs for the rest of the week
Low Carb Mac 'n Cheese for Grownups - just added some ground beef...took me back to hamburger helper days, but so much better!

This week's highlights...

I played chess on the wall with my son. It was a close game, or at least I'm telling myself that!

I got to spend some precious one-on-one time with my youngest. At lunch we argued about ketchup vs. gravy to dip chicken strips in. We are on opposite sides of that argument!

We went shopping for science supplies for Challenge 1 and then played with books at Barnes 'n Noble. She found a kit to make head flower wreaths with that she wanted to buy, but we didn't. When she got home, she made her own in the front yard.