Doesn't Get Much Better...

Since I now have more free time on my hands (well, not really a lot of "free" time, but much more time to spend with my kids since I left my job last week) I really wanted to do more fun activities with them.  So we spent the afternoon swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's house!  There wasn't much of this last summer, so I'm hoping to get quite a bit in this year.  Looks pretty tough, huh??

  

Here's to more fun in the sun!   Hope you are enjoying your summer as well!

Breathing Life Back Into My Blog!

Wow, the last time I posted on this blog was over two years ago!  SO much has happened in those two years!  I will attempt, over the next couple of weeks, to bring this old blog back up to date and fill it in with the major happenings that our family has gone through since then. Lot's of updating to be done on here too (it's a little outdated and boring)!

To start it all off...today was my last day of working for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.  I have worked for them for over a year and a half as a Senior Ad Sales Rep.  I've learned so much and met the most wonderful people. It was a bittersweet day, since I love everyone that I work with, but I'm excited for the new adventure I am about to begin too!  I am starting my own business that I hope to launch sometime next month. 

I am also excited about spending more time with my kiddos!  I still have three out of five that are school aged.  It goes so fast, I need to enjoy this time with them.  They deserve it!

The youngest two...who wouldn't want to spend more time with them?

I am also very excited to be able to devote more time to our homeschooling!  I'm already planning some fun things and projects that I've wanted to do, but have not had time for. 

Most of all, I'm just excited to see what the Lord has in store for our family!  It's a little scary stepping out in faith and trusting that He will provide, but I know that He will!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jer 29:11

My Little Excavator Operator!!

Yesterday, Ana got to be an excavator operator!  My brother is an operator and has his own equipment.  My parents need a rock wall built.  Since we are temporarily living at my parent's house, Ana got to help her uncle move rock (after he dumped it from his dump truck) with the excavator!  She was SO excited!!

HUGE rock!

 

Getting ready to dump the rock

Ana using the controls!

 

This is fun!

All in a day's work!

When I asked Ana if she was going to grow up and be an excavator operator (haha!!), she said in a very adamant tone, "No, silly!  I'm going to be a mom and have 18 babies!"   :-)  Good luck, my sweet girl! 

The next two pictures I just had to include to brag about how nice of a day we had yesterday!  In the 60's and so sunny!  It was heaven! 

Did I mention what a beautiful, spring day we had here???!!!

Gorgeous view!

Happy Spring!

Definitely A Hit!!!

My new Hugg-A-Planet Globe!!

Ana, can you show me where Kazakhstan is?

How about Taiwan?  ~  No sweat, huh?!

 

Abi, what continent does Daddy fly to that has penguins?  Antarctica?  RIGHT!  (yep, we teach them early!  Haha!)

OK, I just had to share this with my home school friends (and friends that don't home school, but have kids!!!).  When Ana and Abi did the photo shoot for Timberdoodle's catalog (if you don't shop from them, you should!  They are the best!!), they each received gift certificates to spend there.  Ana has been pouring over the catalog for weeks to make sure she picks just the right thing out!  After much looking, we decided on a few things for the both of them.  I kept going back to the Hugg-A-Planet Globe.  It was going to put us over our gift certificate amount, but I thought it would be good for both of them, so I spent the extra money on it.

Boy, am I glad I did!!  It has been the best thing we've bought for the kids in quite a while!  Ana loves geography, and she's been playing with this non-stop since we picked it up yesterday. It's different because it's cloth and stuffed like a pillow.  Abi likes throwing herself on it and giggling!

Ana has been showing us all various places on her new globe, such as Kazakhstan (where she was born), Taiwan (where her sister was born), WA state (where we live), WI (where we are moving), Antarctica (where her Daddy flies to part of the year), and the place that takes the cake is Libya (where, in her own words is, "Where all the fighting  is going on right now.  There's a bad guy there."  Hmmmm....better watch how much news I watch!  She's evidently paying attention to more than I thought!)

Anyway, just thought you'd like to know about a very fun, educational "toy" we have discovered!!