Finishing Up the School Year

I needed to get those winter pictures down and some newer, warmer pictures up. I am actually procrastinating because we are almost finished with the school year, and now come the quarterly reports, End of Year Narrative, Intent to Homeschool, and the looming instruction plan for next year.  It has been a good school year, and we have had a few breakthroughs.  Mostly the kids love learning, music, and are realizing why they need math.  I am alright doing this another year.  

All three kids performed in the showcase our homeschool group holds, and they did a great job.  We had to have some ice cream as a celebration. 

 Once the snow did melt, and the sun came out, we tried to do as much as we could outside.  With or without the turkey.

 The kids favorite place is a fish fry place next to the lake.  They love filling the lake with rocks.

 Kevin and Rachel had their daddy daughter dance, Rachel looks forward to it all year!  They had a blast, and we are already planning the outfit for next year.

 Noah is the first one of the kids to try baseball, and he is doing well.  The games are a little longer than I would like, but I am impressed at how quickly he is picking this stuff up.  It is great to watch his develop his own talents, grow in reading, and in strength.  He and Rachel are the same size, and soon he is going to be taller than her.  But Rachel still knows how to put the boys in their place.

 Kevin has enjoyed doing Cub Scouts with the boys, and that finished up.  They were able to do camping and the group of boys are really good.  Rachel and I enjoyed our girl time while the boys were away.

We still have one more dance recital to do, and a big end of year picnic with our home school group.  And then Kevin and I are getting away for a few days....just us...no kids...to California.  Kevin has a work thing and I am going with him.  I am excited, a little nervous, but my dad/family is going to watch the kids and I think it will be good for all of us.  Kevin and I haven't gone away like this in like 10 years.  What am I going to do with myself....I am going to enjoy the ocean, get refreshed, and go exploring, and then take on whatever the summer may bring!

Learning

Our Homeschool Co-op starts tomorrow, and I feel like it is the calm before the storm.  The weather has really stopped us from going out too much over the last few weeks, and that is not a bad thing.  We are pushing through with school, so when the weather is nice, we can be right out there enjoying every minute of it.

In the mean time there has been quite the test in health, and the weeks have really jumbled together.  I am amazed that Daniel turns 9 this month, and that we are heading over into spring.  I have learned that my oldest son could be labeled as a highly sensitive child.  That is not a bad thing, it is just causing us to sit back and evaluate how we treat him.  He can be very hard on himself, and we are learning how to teach him about grace.  Kevin and I have really gotten into the grace message over the last year, seeing how it is Jesus's finished work on the cross that makes the difference in life.  That is not us, but Jesus in us, that God sees.  I am reading books by Joseph Prince, Curry Blake, and E.W. Kenyon, really learning about the kingdom of God, and how we are to have authority in Christ here.  I am learning God's love story for me, seeing Him in my everyday mundane life, found an encouraging mentor that will pray with me and challenge me to go deeper with God.  I am wanting to change from a human "doing" to a human "being".  Not there yet, but everyday I am seeing a change.

So thankful for this journey!