Last Swim of the Season

 Xavier reading to Eloise.

Earlier this week, my sister came over with her girls for a visit. Because of the hot temperatures ~ we decided to go swimming at the neighbors (remember how I have mentioned before about our *fantastic* neighbors who allow us (and other loved ones) to use their pool all summer?). The water was ice cold (in my opinion) and it took me a bit before I got in. Eloise loved it right away though and got right in with Madelyn!

She giggled and kicked her feet...

This beautiful little lass was there too! She loved watching everyone in the pool and acted as though she really wanted to get in (but once she did...she found it was colder than she liked!)...

My sister and El...

This photo didn't quite go as planned...

 Mama and her girls (I love this picture...I sure wish we could have gotten Dinah to look at me though too!)...

Jaxson...

Madelyn, mid-jump with Xavier and my great-aunt Jo!

Dinah *loves* Aunt TiTi's camera...

Lunch break!

El and great-aunt Jo!

Walking back home after getting some much-needed sunshine and laughter...

It was a beautiful day and we are so thankful we got to spend it together! 
Chris just finished our chicken plucker this morning (and did an amazing job!). So today we hope to start killing our meat chickens. Oh dear...I am *not* looking forward to this process. But I will help however he needs me to! 
Gotta run! I hope you enjoy your Labor Day weekend! Warmly, Katy

Homeschool Organization '13 - '14

Books, paper, pencils, binders, erasers, crayons, folders, notebooks, rulers, more books and labels.....'tis the beginning of another year of home education. Of course, every moment of our lives we are learning new things...but our *book work* focused education has begun again. This is our 6th year and so far, we are already over 2 weeks in.

These shelves are in the schoolroom, but in the summer, it's too hot in there and in the winter, it is just too cold...so we do our schooling in the dining room. Having a schoolroom to store everything is really nice though! :)

Extras...for whenever they may be needed (this year or future years)...

 We are using Easy Peasy for history, science, Bible, reading and art/music. For language arts, math and handwriting we are continuing our use of Christian Light Education workbooks. Madelyn is also learning spanish with their Speedy Spanish curriculum. I have converted their work drawers by downsizing...as they don't have as many workbooks as previous years since much is being done on the computer. So I have things labeled and put away neatly...

My binders (I love binders...have I ever told you that? I wish I had the money to spend on the *really* nice binders from Staples that I love but they are out of my price range when needing more than one, so I'll settle for these!)...

 And just a few photos from previous days happenings...

This boy of mine works hard, plays hard and then sleeps hard...

Jaxson, enjoying being outdoors...

My jewelry maker!

So there you have it! Just a quick post on the start of our 6th year of home educating! Do you have any questions? Anything you want to know about how our day is or how I organize anything? Would you like to see pictures of anything else? Please feel free to let me know and I will be happy to answer as much as I can! :)
Have a great rest of the week!  Warmly, Katy

A Beautiful Birthday!

Saturday arrived with blue skies and sunshine. The temperature was wonderful and it was a gorgeous day! It was a glorious day to spend my birthday! Our community was having a parade in the afternoon and my sister came to town with her family. I was so joy-filled to have them in town to spend time with! My children were in the parade with my parents and Chris (who drive my dad's wrecker, tiltbeds etc. through). 

It is bunches of fun to watch a parade with littles. Dinah was there, in all her cuteness. She happily sat in her stroller, taking it all in!

And Eloise....oh, the Squeezle...she makes me giggle *a lot*! She was gathering candy that was thrown...seeing how much she could hold in each hand without dropping it. She has food allergies and doesn't actually eat any candy but she has a ton of fun gathering it up so she can give it away!

And the band plays on...

Mid-jump...

Some of the things that went through the parade were quite loud...Eloise acted accordingly!

It was so fun watching my children go through the parade on my dad's trucks...

They threw candy and handed out balloons to children (although they ran out of balloons before they reached us ~ they saved one pink balloon for Eloise!)...

Such a smiling sweetie Dinah is! And look closely...somebody is getting teeth!

Following the parade, we all headed to my parents' house for a birthday picnic!

My sweet girl, Madelyn...

My cousin and Dinah...

They crack me up!

Eloise loved carrying around this cement bunny...

My boys....my heart....

Xavier's birthday had been earlier this month and my sister had this extra gift to give him but didn't have it until recently...so she gave it to him last evening. It is perfect for him (that is totally his thought process!)...

I praise God for these people around me. They are gifts...each one. Just sitting here, thinking about each of them...from each of my parents, to my sister and her family, my Aunt Jo, my cousin, my Christopher and my children...can bring tears to my eyes. Tears of gratitude. 
So many walk around today thinking they *deserve* bigger, better, more. We deserve nothing good. Each and every thing we have around us are gifts. Each person, each comfort, each delight...gifts. They are things to be treasured...but *more* than that, they are to draw our eyes to the Gift-Giver. I come to Him, almost daily, with a broken, humble heart at my inadequacies and un-deserved-ness. I praise Jesus for my salvation and for these treasures He has put around me on this earth. His grace confounds me. He is so good. 
Before I depart for the day...someone asked in the comments what I am reading lately. In addition to my reading of the Scriptures, I am continuing in the Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon (a 1500 page book that I am working through). I am also reading through J.C. Ryle's Commentary of the gospels. I am also reading (yes, three books at once.....I just want to *learn* sooo much!) Attitudes of a Transformed Heart by Martha Peace. All three of these books are just excellent! I highly recommend them! 
Thank you for coming by and sharing in a bit of my birthday with me! I hope your weekend was splendid and all things done to the glory of Christ! 
Warmly, Katy

My Latest Project

A quick hello friends!

I have been busy organizing and cleaning our school room today...so I am now just taking a little break and thought I would share with you my latest project! This was my first large crochet project! It's a hexagon market bag! I still have to crochet the handles (which I plan to do in the black yarn...but I have run out and need to get more). Here it is so far though: 

And the other side...

So now I must get back to my organizing and cleaning! 
By the way...thank you all for your well-wishes! I am feeling much better and doing just fine now! Monday morning, though, I stepped on a nail! I had to get a tetanus shot and an antibiotic! Oh dear...there's always something, isn't there? ;) 
Hope your week is going well!  Warmly, Katy

It's all about Jesus Christ being first.... and second and third and fourth and fifth.   What I'm saying is, don't put Jesus first.  Jesus is everything.   He's not just first in the rank, He is everything.  ~Paul Washer

*Days in this Little Life of Mine *

 I am a bit under-the-weather at the moment. More about that later...but for now, I thought I would share some photos of what kinds of things we have been up to lately! There is always something keeping us busy!

We recently had a family movie night where we watched "The Hobbit" (which we have seen a bazillion times already but all love just as much as when we watched it the first time!). Jaxson is a *huge* Lord of the Rings/Hobbit fan and of course, had to get out all of his keepsakes...

 Yes, there are Lord of the Rings Pez people, maps, posters, a Middle Earth blanket and Pillow, the *one* ring and of course, Gollum...

We are really looking forward to the next installment coming out in December! :) There is also an extended version of the first movie that we hope to watch! Madelyn is reading The Hobbit right now and is now understanding why I often say: "That's not in the book"! ;)

We attended the annual church picnic at our Pastor's house. We had such a great time of fellowship with people we love! Lots of food, fellowship, encouragement, laughter, fun and for the guys, football! (That's my Chris in the maroon shirt...)

I love to watch him play...

Once the darkness fell, there were fireworks! The children all sat and watched and enjoyed it all!

At home...I have picked, shucked (with help from my children), blanched, cut and bagged lots of sweet corn from our garden...

Some carrots from our raised beds!

*Then* one day this past week...my sister, Eloise and Dinah all came over for a visit (and my mom joined us too!). It was such a nice time. We don't usually all come together at our house. Eloise wanted to learn to knit, so Madelyn tried to teach her ;)...

She tried on her own...she didn't get far (actually, she just tangled the yarn on the needles) but we'll make a knitter out of her one day! ;)  I love, love, love those sweet curly-q curls on the back of her head!

We all spent time outside swinging, visiting the goats and digging in the garden...

Then we walked over to the basketball court and the boys rode bikes with El...

And then...this guy got braces!!! All he needs are four along his top front teeth...I think he looks so handsome! His teeth are a little sore...but not too bad! :)

Now, after all that family goodness...I will explain how I am sick. Miss Eloise, my sweet, darling niece somehow got RSV (don't worry, she's having breathing treatments and doing just fine!)...and somehow, she shared them with me (although I would rather her share things like ice cream or flowers with me rather than an illness!). It started with a sore throat the other day...I thought it was just from the weather at first. But as time wore on, I got worse ~ like having a cold in the middle of the summer. After finding out El has RSV, I looked up the symptoms for adult RSV and it completely matched up with my ailments. So, I have been staying home and taking it easy for the past couple of days. I have been teaching myself how to do some different crocheting techniques and am working on patches to make a bag (a pattern shared with my by my friend Kelly in MN!)
So, I am learning you have to take the bad with the good and thank God for it all. Although I don't enjoy being sick...it has given me the chance to take some time to just relax. I am hoping by Monday that I have energy enough to get back-to-busy. I missed spin today (although I did go yesterday morning) and I would like to be back to spinning Monday as well. I hate to miss. We'll also get back to our schoolwork as well. I love routine...but I must admit, these past couple days have been what I needed to just breathe. 
Thanks for stopping by! I always love hearing from you!  Warmly, Katy