The Apple Farm

One of our favorite places to visit in the fall is the apple farm.  We were able to go for the very first time last week. It was a cool, crisp autumn day.  We met my mom and all of the cousins plus a super cool Auntie.  Grandma packed our lunch.  It was wonderful.

The corn bin is everyone's favorite spot.

Abbie was completely buried.

Lily and Sydney got buried with Abbie.  They were all giggles.

My baby girl

Silly

A little piggy

Another little piggy

The chicks are fun to hold.  The cows are fun to feed.  The apples are delicious to eat.

Fall is here!

God's Mountain Camp

6 cousins, 1 Papa, 1 Grandmaw (that's how they say it in Missouri you know), 1 Mama and 1 Auntie all together for five days in one of the best places on earth.  We played games, explored, and hiked.

The kids collected eggs from Miss Jessi's chickens.

Abbie and the chicken named 'Breakfast' 

We had a bonfire, roasted marshmallows, climbed a huge dirt pile and got super dirty.

We made awesome new friends and reconnected with some wonderful old friends. My mom beat us in every game of Phase 10 and I still can't lose graciously : )  So Jessi taught us a new game and my mom still won.  Lily beat everyone in every game of Go-Fish.  The kids played for hours on the playground.  We learned how to cook in the camp kitchen and saw how far God can stretch food.

We did school outside and enjoyed the beauty of God's creation.

Sydney, Abbie and Lily

Aunt Mary taught the Preschool Class - Elle and Iz

Abbie loves to catch critters.  She caught a beautiful butterfly, a caterpillar, several toads and a sneaky tree frog who was in the woman's bathroom.

Abbie's Tree Frog

The kids got to help Miss Jessi get ready for the upcoming fall festival.  They counted out candy for 'Guessing Jars'.  Miss Jessi had unending patience with the kids.  She even let them eat Skittl.es before breakfast.  She makes everything fun.  We love her.

Miss Jessi, Sydney and Charlie

We were surrounded by many humble and caring people who love Jesus and continually seek to do His will.  It is a place unlike any other place that you will ever visit.  We love it there.  We feel at home.  It was awesome.

Geography and Potty Training

OK I'm just gonna keep it real here. Four days into the school year and I am seriously questioning my sanity.  I know I said I love the start of school but today was pure craziness.  This morning everyone was squirrelly and whiny.  I felt like we were all stuck in mud.  One thing after another came up to frustrate me and to thwart our progress.  I was frustrated and I wanted to quit. I seriously had the fleeting thought "If I just drive to the school and drop Sydney my kids off will they be able to figure out which bus to get on to make it home?"  I'm joking.  Really I am.  But in the midst of the madness the temptation to give up was really there.

Then came the icing on the cake of my bad day.  I ran upstairs to get ready to leave and I hear, "Mama, Ellie went potty on my geography worksheet."

Are you kidding me?  How does that actually happen? The details are silly and not really very important.  The situation was just funny enough to make me laugh and to help me to relax.  Life is short.  Kids will be frustrating some days.  Home schooling can be tough.  But God is so good and the reward for following Him is oh so sweet.

School is back!

La-la-la! School is back!

I love summertime.  But I love the start of the school year even more.  I love school supplies and schedules,  structure and productivity. I love being with my girls.  I love learning.  I love the crisp fall air.  I love the gift of home schooling. I love it, I love it, I love it!

Abbie - 3rd grade

Lily Lu - 1st grade

Sydney - Kindergarten

Ellie - preschooler and resident interrupter :)  

Our first class picture of the year

I love how different home school 1st day of school clothes are from public school.  For the pictures, I had Sydney take off her favorite red Fan.cy Nan.cy ballet slippers, Lily removed her cape and Abbie took off her red VBS trucker hat.  After the pictures I thought, "Why?"  We don't fit into any molds around here.  We are who we are.  Next year the shoes, capes and hats will stay on.

How Do I Start?

So how do I start?  Where do I start? I've wanted to start a blog for awhile but the thought of figuring it all out is, well, intimidating.  I don't understand all the lingo or all of the 'rules'.  But how will I learn if I never try?


Yesterday I came across a post from the Pioneer Woman.  She said to blog about whatever you would talk to your sister about.  And not to blog about anything that you would not to talk to your sister about.  That struck a chord in me.  That is doable.


I don't know exactly everything I will write about.  But I know I want to write about the things I love.  I want to be real and I want to be vulnerable.  I know I will stumble and everyone won't like everything that I write.  But I will find my voice and I pray that God will be glorified in it all.


Katie