Luv'N Lambert Life

Mental Health, Homeschooling, Epilepsy and More

Zondervan: The Beginner’s Bible for Children {Propeller Review}

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Growing up, I greatly enjoyed listening to my Mother read to me from our classic Bible stories book.  It is one of my favorite memories as a child.  As a parent I am always looking for new books to share with my own children and books that share wonderfully written stories from the Bible always top that list.  So when I was approached to review The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories from Zonderkidz, I knew that this book would fit well with our family.
The Beginner’s Bible shares many wonderful stories from different parts of the Bible.  From the story of Noah to Jesus and many more.  These are the timeless classics that have been told to children for centuries, that never tire and are rooted deep in important lessons for all of us.  
The Beginner’s Bible has been around for a while now and is a classic in it’s own right but Zonderkidz has completely changed the original format of the Bible by creating a whole new look.  The pages are crisp and concise, featuring 3D imagery for the new illustrations.  The font is larger for little ones to be able to see better, making it easier for them to read God’s Word.  The pages are now glossy which makes it easier to keep the pages cleaner for years of repeat reading and sharing with  your little one.
The Beginner’s Bible includes 90 stories from the Bible and is written for kids ages 6 and under.  To be honest though, all of my children enjoyed this Bible, including my older kids who read many of the stories to the younger children.  My younger daughter has enjoyed this copy of The Beginner’s Bible the most though, reading it to her little brother and sharing the stories with me as well.  It’s been great for helping her develop her reading skills and we are thrilled to have it added to our family’s library as well.
You can add a copy of The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories from Zondervan to your family library as well for $12.88, available online through Amazon.com. This book also makes a great gift to share with others.  I hope you enjoy The Beginner’s Bible as much as we do in our home!
Graciously, Zonderkidz and Flyby Promotions is giving one copy of The Beginner’s Bible away to one of my lucky readers.  Please leave me a comment below on this post to tell me why you’d like to win a copy of this wonderful Children’s Bible for your home today!  I look forward to hearing from you.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant  per mailing address, per  giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”


This post includes Affiliate Links for the product mentioned above.

2017 Virtual Curriculum Fair: See How We Learn {Homeschooling}

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This year I decided to join in on the 2017 Virtual Curriculum Fair hosted by Susan Anadale @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds. Through this virtual curriculum fair you will be able to learn about each family’s individual homeschooling style from planning to curriculum used to dealing with each family’s personal needs in homeschooling. Everyone homeschools differently and the 2017 Virtual Curriculum Fair helps to bring us all together.

 The first topic for the 2017 Virtual Curriculum Fair is See How We Learn. In our family, we learn in many different ways. Sometimes it can be a struggle to keep up with our day to day lessons due to our family’s health issues but somehow we manage to keep learning. The little kids learn more through playing while the older kids learn through reading books, completing tasks and goals I set for them using independent studies. Somehow it all works.

As a special needs family, each of my children have different learning styles and different goals that we are working to meet throughout our lessons.  We do try to group together as many lessons as possible which makes it less stressful on me as their teacher and mother, and on them as well.  Grouping studies together when we can teaches my children management skills, shows them how to work together, and overall allows us time together as a family, helping to strengthen the bonds of our relationship.

When I started this journey, I wasn’t sure whether homeschooling was going to be a good fit for us or whether we could manage to do this. Now we are 11 years into it and I know that it was God to led us here and it is Him who keeps us trudging on.  The circumstances of our life would have made any other type of school challenging for us as a family but homeschooling allows us the opportunity to learn while still managing to balance life, medical needs and so much more.

 We LOVE homeschooling and we are so glad that we were led to do this. My kids enjoy learning about their interests verses being forced to learn things that have nothing to do with their ideals. We as a family enjoy learning together.  We enjoy being together and being around each other day to day.  This is a life we wouldn’t have been able to obtain without making this choice for our family.

 We look forward to sharing more about our homeschooling journey through the 2017 Virtual Curriculum Fair. We hope to inspire you on this journey as well. Homeschooling has blessed us and we hope it blesses you as well.

You’re also invited to see how my fellow bloggers learn in their homeschools:

The Evolution of Our Homeschool by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
Us-School Because We Are Us, Not Someone Else by Laura @ Four Little Penguins
It’s All About the School by Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays
Setting the Stage- the 2017 Virtual Curriculum Fair! by Lisa N. @ Golden Grasses
New Year, New Goals, New School! by Amanda H @ Hopkins Homeschool
Homeschooling – A Glimpse into How We Do it by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
Spotlight on How We Learn in Our Homeschool by Laura @ Day by Day in Our World
Our Unique Eclectic Homeschool  by Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life
How We Learn on the Go by Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning
Home Education – 10 Ways We Make It Work by Lizzy @ Peaches At Home
Schedules, where would I be without them? by Kim @ Good Sweet Love
Education at Our House by Shecki @ Greatly Blessed
Starting the Day Well by Sarah @ Delivering Grace
Making a Change – Accountability and Responsibility Through Routine by Lori H @ At Home: where life happens
A time to be encouraged is coming.. the Virtual Curriculum Fair by Annette @ A Net in Time
Loving the Moment! by Jen K @ A Peace of Mind
Keeping Our Homeschool Organized by Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool
Homeschool Goal Setting – Looking Forward, Looking Back by Kristen @ Sunrise to Sunset
How We Choose Curriculum by Brittney @ Mom’s Heart
This Is How We Homeschool by Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
How we don’t learn in our homeschool & how I don’t plan {2017 Virtual Homeschool Curriculum Fair} by Meghan @ Quiet in the Chaos
Learning Our Way by Lisa @ McClanahan 7
Limping Along: Our Semi-Eclectic Approach to Homeschooling by Debra @Footprints in the Butter
2017 Virtual Curriculum Fair: See How We Learn by Dana L @ Luv’N Lambert Life

Happy 16th Birthday To My Oldest Son {Thoughts From Me}

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Today my oldest child turns 16.  Let me start by saying this Momma is in NO WAY ready for that.  My sweet BABY is almost a man.  I shudder just to think about it.

I can remember when he was a tiny baby, with brown curls and a cherub grin.  Everyone who saw him thought he was the prettiest baby boy and yes, some even asked if he was a girl.  I didn’t mind.  To me, he was the most beautiful baby ever.

The day he was born, he looked like a tiny little wailing alien.  He loved to be held and his Grandmother and Papa were always toting him around.  He was well-loved by us all.

He was my emergency c-section.  His delivery was a traumatic one.  The doctors almost lost us both.  I remember feeling the pain and feeling myself begin to float as they prepped me for his delivery.  I was put to sleep and when I awoke it was all over.

The first thing I saw of my newborn boy was a photograph.  I wasn’t able to get out of bed and he wasn’t able to come see Mommy for 6 long hours.  His tiny body had suffered so much stress that he had to go into the warmer and be monitored right away.  I remember just being thankful he was alive and well.

The first time I held him, I was in LOVE.  He was the sweetest little thing.  He loved to nuzzle and he refused to sleep alone.  I don’t think he slept one time in his crib.

Isn’t funny how I can remember that period of time like it was yesterday?  Time passes so quickly.  Soon that little baby is going become a man.  Time is too short.

I’ve watched him grow every day.  I chose to homeschool him because I couldn’t bare to pass these moments that God blessed me with to someone else.  Selfishly, I wanted to keep these years all to myself and I am so glad that I have.  These memories will last us both for a lifetime.

This young man who has blessed me these past 16 years is like no other.  I used to wonder why I had a son first and not a daughter but now I know.  He’s been my rock, my supporter, my strength through so many things.  He’s quiet and a true peacemaker.

I honestly could not have made it through these past 16 years without this wonderful young man by my side.  He’s helped me with his sisters, our home, keep up with everything and just been a friend and a loving son to me all the way.  I tell him all the time that one day he’s going to make some girl a wonderful husband.  A lucky one she will be and yes, I plan to let her know that!

So here is to my soon-to-be 16 year old.  May we continue to enjoy the short time we have left together and many years afterwards.  I love you my son – more than you can ever know and I thank God every day for the blessing you have been to my life.

Christmas 2016 {Thoughts From Me}

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This year has been a hard one for many people, us included.  Money is tight.  Hurricane Mathew hit our area hard and caused setbacks as well.  Life has been a struggle.

I wasn’t sure I would be able to give the kids much for Christmas, which is a pretty big deal at our house.  My kids don’t usually get a lot throughout the year, so at Christmas they usually get bigger gifts and things.  This year the money just wasn’t there for us to do that.

I prayed about it.  I felt led to ask online for help, not expecting anything in return.  In doing so, our family was truly blessed by others this year, who saw to it my kids had most of their wishes come true.  It has been a true Christmas miracle.

Everyone received something important for them.  Jack got lots of Dinosaurs, Laycie got a Doc McStuffin’s cart for doctoring her toys, Emma got pencils and art supplies, Win got video games and a new system.  Each of them went shopping and bought gifts for each other and we also baked to give to family this year. 

Even though Christmas began as a struggle, it has ended up being one of our best Christmas’s yet.  I’m very thankful to each of those who helped to make this Christmas happen.  You have shown my family the meaning of true friendship and caring.  God bless you all!

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Who’s Fault Is It Really? {Thoughts From Me}

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Last night I was at home watching a movie with Don and the rest of the family. I am pretty sure it was a Christmas movie, yet I can’t remember the name.  It was the typical man and woman meet and fall in love movie.  Yet, near the end of the movie, there was one statement that really hit home for me.

You see in all my failed relationships, the other person has always pointed the failure towards me, yet I never felt the failure was completely my fault.  The men in my life have always tried to make me feel that I was the problem, that it wasn’t them.  They have told me that I would continue to find the same problems over and over because, well, that problem was me.

Honestly, I was beginning to believe them.  Then Donald came along and he has worked to change my thinking.  Trust me, it’s been really hard for him to do but this movie confirmed what he’s told me since we met.

You see, it was never me that was the problem.  It wasn’t really them that was the problem either.  The real problem was that these guys I was with were never meant for me.  Since they weren’t right for me, our relationships could never work.  It wasn’t anything either of us did, it was simply the wrong person for me to be with.

Now I know that’s easy to see now but it wasn’t so easy to see when I was with them.  And walking away doesn’t make it easy to see when you have been told over and over that you are the problem.  Sometimes it takes a HUGE wake-up call, like hearing it said straight out in a random movie, to make you realize, “Hey, I’m not the problem here!”

We can never be happy with the wrong person.  God created us each to be unique and He created each of us to fit one other unique individual.  That individual is our other half, the love of our life, our soulmate. 

I’m blessed to have truly found mine, to know of his love for me, for my children, for our family and our life together.  Sure things aren’t always perfect because we’ve both been brainwashed by being in the wrong relationship before finding one another and finding our right relationship, but we work hard to heal and love and move forward together.  We are learning to forgive, to depend on each other and to embrace our life as it should be with one another. 

When love is right, it’s just right.  You know it wholeheartedly.  I’m so thankful to have found my love in Don and also to have found this healing piece of truth from something so simple as this.

Until next time…
bluedanasig2

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Fear {Thoughts From Me}

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PTSD is an awful thing.

Fear is crippling.

Last night I was laying in bed, talking with Don and memories flooded back to me.  Emotions that I try to ignore.  Feelings that I don’t want to deal with.

I remember why I’m in therapy.  I remember what brought me there, what I went through, what I try to ignore.

I can’t ignore it. 
Sometimes I can feel his presence towering over me, screaming at me, telling me how much he hated me, how much he wished I was gone.  I can feel his anger, hate, wrath. 

“You’re not good enough… not pretty enough… not what I want.”

He told his girl of the month I wouldn’t work, didn’t clean, didn’t cook.  That’s when he’d tell them about me at all.  Many didn’t even know I lived there and often if they did his story was that I was his roommate or that he let me stay there for the kids.

”This is my house… my car… my land… none of it is yours… nothing here is yours… I will have my son.” 

I lost count of how many times I heard those phrases. 

I still feel his hands on my throat as he picked me up and threw me across the house.  Still feel the fear and terror as he lunged at me.  I still feel the cold metal as I collided with the washer and dryer.

I can hear the door slam as he left, running to his Mother’s house to hide out from what he’d done.  His haven to get away because he knew they’d cover for him and give him a place to stay.  He knew they’d side with him and make this all my fault as they always did.

For six years, I put up with abuse.  I hid it.  I dealt with it because I believed I loved him, that he didn’t mean it, that he wanted me.  I made myself believe that it was my fault.  That I just wasn’t good enough.

It was never my fault.  I did the things I was supposed to.  But no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t save him, couldn’t change him, couldn’t reason with someone who just did not want to help themselves. 

I wake up every day thankful I no longer live that life, thankful that I don’t have to hide any more.  Thankful that I am safe, loved and happy in my new life.  I don’t need to fear anymore. 

But even when you don’t need to fear, the damage is done and you must learn to relive, to heal, to forgive and let go.  You must learn that you didn’t deserve the anger, hurt and pain you were given.  You must learn lessons from your past, from your mistakes and you come to find strength hidden within you that you thought you would never find.

Today, I am stronger.  Tomorrow, I will be even more so.

Until next time…

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