If I remember the story correctly, a friend gave a mother the gift of a book on the cathedrals of Europe with this inscription:
"To _______, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."
The book pointed out how the craftsmen who built these great edifices usually didn't see them completed in their lifetime.
And there is the story of one craftsman who was carving a bird on top of a beam and was asked why, because no one would see it.
He replied that God would. Wow!
It was almost as if the woman heard God whispering to her, "I see you, ________. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."
"I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder."
"As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right, and one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women."
Have realistic expectations of yourself. Instead of comparing yourself…, recognize your own gifts and talents, your limitations, your specific family circumstances. It's no mistake that your children got you as a parent – it's by God's design!
Recognize spiritual warfare for what it is. The mind is the enemy's battlefield. I had to be reminded to take captive every harsh thought about my children, every selfish thought about my own entitlements in life, every self-pitying thought about being a less-than-perfect homeschool mom. I learned that the enemy really can't take away my joy, but he sure can influence me to give it up! If you are committed to raising warriors for God, your family is a target for battle, and you may want to take inventory of your Ephesians 6 armor.
Recognize the source of true joy. When I am spending time in God's presence, I can choose to be joyful, to speak gently and cheerfully, and to recognize that I am blessed to have this season with my children.
Be encouraged by this today Dear Sister Friends!
Our tour began with a lesson on the life of bees and it was nothing less than fascinating. Mr. Dalton and David did a great job of making it make sense, they only just scratched the surface but left us wanting to know much more!! The Principal and I are always looking for potential revenue producing adventures that might be a good fit for our 'life on the farm days' post retirement......this just may be the bees knees ;-) There appears to be some 'sweet' 
David was kind enough to pose for a photo to show off what every stylish beekeeper is wearing this fall! 
Our tour ended on The Dalton's back patio where Mr. Dalton answered questions and told stories while we were treated to Honey Tea and Cookies which Mrs. Dalton aka 'The Boss' was gracious enough to prepare for us - that is true southern hospitality y'all ;-) 
A sweet man, a beautiful fall day and homemade goodies, us 
The other thing I wanted to let you know about is this great freebie that came to me and I want to pass along to share with you. An 
Growing up in Toronto, I knew very little, it would even be fair to say nothing of coon dogs. When I saw an inconspicuous sign - you know the standard non-descript green and white marker type signs, on the highway on our way home from a previous trip, my curiosity was piqued. I did a little research and when I found out there was a letterbox there, I knew it was only a matter of time before we would make a visit there.
Coon Dog Cemetery grew out of one man's love for his faithful coon dog named Troop. It is truly a unique place with a wonderful story that is rich in area history. While we were there we met a couple with a miniature poodle visiting the area from California (no coon dog cemeteries there either). 
Welcome to the Alabama Fred - where local Christian families spend beautiful Sunday afternoons searching for hidden stuff in grave yards....poor Fred will never be the same - then again he comes from a homeschool household too so it is likely he will understand ;-) When the time comes to send the your visitor back home, the flat is packed up with photos (which can also be emailed if you prefer), goodies from the area - brochures, post cards, magazine, anything of interest and any other kind of fun you wish to include - this part is not necessary - but what kid will not enjoy a little treat from a new friend far away. I am trying to come up with some kind of candy/sweet that says Alabama - no thoughts on that so far - again if you have one please let me know!! 
Yesterday afternoon we spent about an hour making some new flats to prepare to send out - take a look and see if you can guess who made each one. Now all we have to do is get a logbook ready to send with each one and someone to volunteer to exchange with us and we'll be ready for a new flat traveling adventure!!
Of course summer would not be summer without Baseball - we were able to take in a Braves game - it was 
and baseball and dogs.....well that's just like bacon and eggs don't you think ? 
We have recently discovered the world of Flat Traveling - more on that later ;-) This is Flat Dylan, visiting from Westminster, MD helping us out during Herb Harvest here in Alabama. 
You have to know that there were some 
A big portion of our time this summer was spent in the garden - oh how we loved it and the fruits of our labors have been awesome. In this picture 
And of course being 
Every little boy dreams of growing up and becoming President right? Here The Principal, tries out a podium and a beautiful venue for size ;-)
And last but not least - Mama Leisha's Pizza Kitchen is now open for business - I did not take the summer off completely - after many failed attempts and nasty "Friday Night Pizzas" I finally tweaked a recipe to what we are now looking forward to each week - the herbs from our garden put it over the edge. 
That concludes our tour of summer....thanks for hanging in and waiting on us.....please let me know if you are still out there and who knows - maybe I'll get my groove back sooner rather than later.
This year I found myself thinking back to so many moments of our trip to Jamaica where we were married barefoot on the beach and so decided to go with the "Jamaica" theme for showing my sweetheart how much he means to me on this anniversary. The Principal wakes the roosters in the morning so I knew he would be up before me - after he was sleeping sweetly the night before I snuck into our bathroom where I had all the "props" stashed and set the scene for the morning. I gathered together a thank you card that had a wedding picture on the beach, a conch shell with a great story (for another time), a bathing suit wrap and hat I wore, sand and shells from the beach where we were married and our wedding rings. I set it all up in our bathroom by draping the wrap over the counter top and making a display of sorts - this was what he would be greeted with at he started the day - it was a huge hit by the way - he loved it and it set the tone for a wonderful day of romance. We made arrangements for Wonder Boy for the day and after getting him situated, we hit the road to do what we love and do best....letterbox and adventure!! We drove to a town a few hours away where there were several letterboxes that we had not yet found and enjoyed the day hiking and exploring - it was a crisp sunny day and we we had the best time. We decided to fore go the pricey restaurant meal instead deciding on a wonderful gourmet pizza at home while we relaxed by the fire. I made the best pizza I have ever made with authentic Italian type dough purchased from the deli counter at Whole Foods Market, topped with prosciutto and fresh basil and thinly sliced Roma tomatoes - it was divine - and only a fraction of what a dinner out would have cost! After dinner we exchanged small gifts and just hung out and talked in the comfort of our living room, in our comfy clothes without interruption from wait staff or child - it was heavenly.
So with just a little bit of work to finish I am so looking forward to summer vacation - we are going to do some F-U-N stuff at our house this year!! We are going to clean out closets, paint rooms and re-organize our school set up - Wonder Boy is a very blessed child - what a shame there are no siblings to share in the joy!! I really do have big plans to get organized for the year ahead so that we are ready for even greater successes in 2nd Grade. At long last I have my curriculum decisions firmly in place and am ready to go forward - all I have to do is get organized. Oh and work on my book - yes I am working on a book - how's that for accountability posting it on my blog? Stay tuned on that one....once all the painting is done, files are filed, lesson plans prepared and pencils organized and sharpened, oh and I finish my book, I plan to have some quality Mom & Wonder Boy time.