Winter Happenings

The winter is underway and Christmas is almost here!! I have so enjoyed all the fun celebrations....performances, parties, sweets, traditions, and simple slow times.  Joseph's play has been amazing and we are entering the last weekend of performances.  He has become quite the little actor.  Annabelle has her first gymnastics meet.  It was a non- competitive practice meet.  I haven't watched her in so long and it was a delight to watch her, improving so much.  MacKenzie and Sammy are just enjoying a slower winter schedule with all the fun happenings of Christmas.  We have cherished our at home evenings and reading our Advent favorite..."Jotham's Journey!" We are preparing our hearts and minds for a precious celebration and remembrance of what has been and what is to come.



The Biggest tree yet!!!!

It is quite a tree, hung 3 feet longer than the Suburban, fell over twice, and it is still drinking water1

Such fun with friends

It didn't fall over until ALL the decorations were on

Our snazzy little gymnast

Sweet girl

She did the "lip thing" all day....nerves!

Happy times

I really don't love the opening of decoration boxes...anyone with me??



A Star is Born

The advent season is underway and I am trying to enjoy every moment of it!  We have so many exciting things happening, but top on the list is......The Velveteen Rabbit!  For the past several months Joseph has been rehearsing for a big production of this Christmas play at the local theatre. He is definitely a little actor and we are so proud of him.  He has impressed everyone, especially with his lines memorized 2 weeks into rehearsals and mastery of solo songs!!  Opening night is tonight and the play will run for 3 weeks and I thought I would give you a taste, or preview, depending on where you are from. Enjoy!

Birthday. Halloween. Pumpkins. Party. Soccer......FALL!!

 

 Seems that all of our fall activities fall in one week around here.  Sammy turned 7 this week!!!  I cannot believe that my little one is...well...not little!  It has really been a fun week- join us with all of these pics:  



Sammy just does NOT enjoy anything YUCKY



Beautiful girl



The yuckier the better



don't have to really add anything to this pic :)



This year we had a rockstar, mad scientist, baseball card, and a s'more!!!



Happy 7th Birthday to my sweet sweet baby!



Sammy loves stuffed animals, this one I couldn't resist



nothing says it better than that face....I love this boy!!!



Sammy had an awesome "Glow in the dark" party. This was the only picture that came out- kinda.  Glow in the dark putt putt golf in the back yard, glow in the dark balloons, balls, teeth, black lights, and hundreds of glow sticks!



I can't believe I caught this on camera!



battle of brawn



She may be little---but fierce!



A New Perspective

We were recently blessed with these beautiful microscopes, thanks to my Dad!  They have been the highlight of kitchen life!  What fun!!!!  The kids have put everything imaginable under these lenses to have a new perspective.  Isn't it funny what peaks our interest? We have been enthralled by the unusual perspective of looking at things in great detail. I cannot help but view this phenomenon from a life perspective.  While we look through these microscopes, we cannot wait to observe the next item or turn the item over to see the other side.  A bee sat under one of these scopes for 3 days, every passerby taking another interested look! Why? Because it was something we cannot normally see, it is not in our daily vision, it is a new look on an old thing, a new perspective. This fresh look brought excitement to each individual every time we walked in the room. A chance to see something differently, a new look at scripture, a different view of my neighbor, a fresh perspective on our Lord's blessing..life in a new lens. I have recently been sent another package from a dear, long distance friend, a new book to read.  This is a book I have heard so much about, but not being an avid reader and with so little time I tend to not pick up any books. But this one......oh what a treasure it has become!  I am just barely half way through as I slowly soak up the words.  I am already planning on a second read when I am finished because I know I have not captured everything the author wants me to receive! I know several have read it or heard of it so I realize this is old news to many, but if you have not and you would like a fresh look on things, I urge you to pick this one up.  The author is an eloquent and imaginative writer who puts into words what I can only feel. The book you ask: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. A book which is transforming my perspective, I feel that every time I walk in the room I need to turn the bee over again to see the next part.  Join me in reading this book and let me know what you think!

A Bushel and a Peck

I still cannot seem to get my feet under me with schedules this year.  Blogging, as much as I want to let you all know what I am doing, has taken a back seat to everything else.  Hopefully I am back in business and trying desperately to keep on top of this and many other things.  What have we been up to?  I cannot even begin to tell you.  Soccer season with 4 kids has taken a toll on us!  I also tried to embrace my favorite  season of the year as it is slipping away with the scramble of time.  I will be doing more posting here in the next few days- so keep checking back for new pics of our life together.  I also ask that you be patient with me on the design of my blog as I try out new things.  I am not so good at all of this, and most of the time I change something and cannot figure out how to change it back.....someone needs to have a class for me on all of this.  Just when I was getting some things down "Blogspot" changed their interface, and needless to say...I have not caught up!  Any of you seasoned bloggers out there, I could really use a phone call to tutor me on blog design.

One of the sweetest things to living in the Northwest is what we call "The Apple Fairy!" We have dear friends who randomly deliver bushels of apples on our doorstep at unsuspecting moments.  We love this.  With the busy schedules I have not been able to keep up with deliveries.  Some of the boxes I purchased this year did not last so well as usual and we found ourselves overrun with apples this weekend, apples going into soft stages.  So we got out our peeler and made all sorts of apple edibles...apple sauce, apple pies, apple rings, just lotsa apples~!

Trying to capture our autumn moments......

School is starting and we are back in business

Back to school!

Well- besides the fact that we have had major technical difficulties...I have been absent from blogging lately because I feel like I am spending so much time on the computer that to spend more time blogging overwhelms me!!!  I am on the computer constantly right now trying to get ready for school.  I have an 8th grader, 5th grader, 4th grader, and 1st grader...WOW!  We have a very exciting year ahead. For all those homeschoolers I thought I might share what we are doing for school this year:
MacKenzie (8th grade)-
    Science- Apologia Physical Science
    History- Beautiful feet American History
    Latin- Latin For Children
    Math- Math u See Zeta
    Language Arts- enrolled in The Potter School English 1
Joseph (5th grade) and Annabelle (4th grade)-
    Science- REAL Science Odyssey Earth Science
    History- Beautiful Feet and Queen's "Living History of Our World"
    Latin- Latin for Children
    Math- Math  U See- Epsilon and Delta
    Language Arts- Queen's Language Lessons, Writing Strands
Sammy (1st Grade)-Same as above except he will not do Latin and his Language Arts will be various phonics programs
Art, Music, Nature study will all be occurring at various times also.  I have found that The Handbook of Nature Study Blog spot is VERY helpful, and the Harmony Art Mom will be our source of Art curriculum, along with many various blogs from which I steal ideas! Oh and my new favorite that everyone will do- A Child's Geography (wonderful)

This year it has taken me about 3 weeks to get ready for school and order and organize.  I find it such a challenge to be organized, yet I see the necessity to get more and more organized the bigger they grow. I am starting my day at 5:15 now and this year will be our first year of waking children at a specific time to get going for school. No-- they are not starting their day at 5:15---just me! These are big changes for our year.

Hope you enjoy our pics of squeezing the most out of our summer weather:




my kitchen table...no longer a place to eat

camping with friends

trying out new things

an awesome evening of tubing



the fun never ends



camping moments

the most beautiful campground- Lake Wenatchee

Maybe a Christmas pic??

Playing in a glacial lake....I did not partake!

Do you see small children on that island..they made it across and made many discoveries

construction and engineering futures???

Not many of these pics around

Joseph with his bazooka and fort

craziness

Sweet friends

Buddies

The fairy village got bigger and bigger through the weekend