Happy in Montana

We are back at home after being gone for most of August! It is nice to settle into our little house, and our own routine. We began homeschool after Labor Day, and I am having so much fun with it! I know the girls are too! Here’s a picture of them on the first day of school: I get so much done on school days; I guess it’s because we have so much to pack in, I have to be organized! We are having a blast exploring the Bible, geography, math, reading, art, Spanish, cooking, and taking breaks to turn up the music, dance or do a little yoga stretch. We get our morning chores, breakfast, and ready for the day done before 10 a.m., at which time school begins. (We have been a few minutes tardy before, but it’s always because mom’s not ready; not Ella or Tessa!) We homeschool for about an hour before everyone needs a snack. We sit down to learn some more, then break for lunch and naptime.

Other than school and kids, we are also involved in church activities, and hope to begin participation in 4H next month. We also plan a field trip for local homeschoolers once per month until the end of the year. Weekends have been filled with canning peaches, more peaches, applesauce, and apple pie filling. We harvested the apples from our own back yard and put up over 5 gallons of canned goods to enjoy all winter. Here's how we used every square inch of surface area in our little kitchen:

Last week, we demolished the house next door which will be a vacant lot until we save money to build a garage there. On the first day of demolition, we had a bunch of homeschool friends over to watch the process, and then we did worksheets related. Here's one last picture of the house:

It is a busy, busy time in our lives, but with every prayer I am thankful that I couldn’t be happier—I love my family, and I love spending time with them!! MORE photos to be posted at http://www.happyinmontana.myphotoalbum.com/ !