Harvest Time at James & Connie's

It was so much fun to go to my sister Connie's and join them all shelling peas and picking corn. The only minor setback was when Summer stood in a fireant bed. We rubbed a fresh cut onion on her bites and she was fine in no time. An onion works great to get the poison out or at least spread it out. Last time I got stung by a bee I used one and it made it much better. There are ants in our yard, but they are often hidden, since our yard is a forest. This was a valuable learning experience for Summer.

Departure Day - 6-week Program

This was a bittersweet day for us. We were so happy that everyone had a good time and a safe time and a time of learning and growing, but we were also sad that we didn't know when we would see these boys again. We'll miss you YoungJu, Heesang, Jiung and Andy.

School Tour, 1st Soccer Practice

Here are just a few shots of the school tour the kids took. Heesang, Jiung, YoungJu and Andy had saw it on their last day here.

After One Week of School

After 5 days of school, this is how Daniel and David looked on the way home. And soccer practice had not even started yet!

Sleeping Positions

I have seen numerous sleeping positions, but what do you call this one? This really is the way I found one of our boys one morning. Can you guess who it is? I'm sure his parents know.

The Stone Mountain Laser Show

We went to the Stone Mountain Laser Show and as we got 5 miles from the park when it began to rain. Then, as we got into the park it began to pour! It was our only chance for the whole summer group to see the laser show, so we were afraid it would be rained out. All kinds of people were leaving the parking lot as we were entering it. They had not prepared for rain. We found a really close parking spot and decided to have our friend chicken dinner there in the van. We prayed and asked God if He was willing, to take away the rain. Sure enough, no sooner had we finished our meal when the rain stopped. Right after finished our meal, we headed to the laser show grassy area and the show started just as we entered the clearing. We were very thankful to see the show. To me, the view of the sky opening up and the clouds going away was just as good as the laser show.

Trampoline Fun

Just had to share these pictures of us getting crazy on the trampoline.

The First Day of School

August 12th: It was Daniel's very first day of school in America. Does he look nervous? This was taken at the end of the day as they were going out to car pool. All I had was my cell phone, but I always like to take "first day of school" photos.

Managing Chores

Friends of ours have an awesome family of 5 boys and their mom was generous enough to share their method for keeping up with her kids' chores. It was quite good. After seeing that, I felt inspired to share our system as well.

Our family is quite unique. Since hosting international students is what we do, we have students come and go, so our family members are ever changing. So we needed a system that could be changed at a glance, so to speak. Most of our kids are over aged 10, so our system is more geared to the upper elementary/middle schoolers. We give an allowance based on work actually done to the best of their ability. They don't get partial credit for work half-done. They also get bonuses for things like A's on tests, and especially good attitudes, etc. The flip side is they get fined, too. Breaking house rules and doing things like putting socks in the laundry turned inside out can get them a fine of usually a quarter. The fines go into a jar and the money is used for charity.

In the past, we had trouble breaking their bills and making change, but we solved that problem by purchasing a cash box. We used to print a customized chore chart page for each child. That wasn't too bad, but this time I consolodated everything onto one chart. They just circle the chores they did and at the end of the day, get one of our initials. At the end of the week, they tally up their earnings and we check their math and give them their allowance. To teach tithing and saving, we often use ABC learning banks, which make it easy.

Teaching kids a work ethic and how to manage money is a full-time job. It never seems to end. I'm thankful for the tools to make the job easier, and the kids who are so helpful around the house. But most of all, a wife who feels the same way I do about teaching kids to be responsible. There is such a harmony when each member of the family is a team player and we all enjoy the fruits of each other's labor.

A Shopping Day

When you are in a country for the first time, one thing you'll want to do is take lots of shopping trips. It's a great way to explore and observe a new culture. Here are some shots of one of the shopping days our summer group had.

Hannah & Summer

These days Hannah and Summer are growing like weeds. As you can see, Summer is taking an interest in her personal hygene (that's an electric toothbrush head she has in her mouth), and Hannah takes pleasure in helping out around the house.

YoungJu's Birthday Party

It's hard to believe it, but YoungJu turned 13! We threw a party for him and lots of his friends from 2 years ago came to see him.

Cycling at Cochran Shoals Chattahoochee River Park

Everyone was quite confident on bicycles as we rode in the park.

Jason's Departure

The day came for Jason to go home. We miss him already.

Group Photo

Here we are all together posing for a photo.