Happy in Montana: descriptive

huckleberries ~ hours of picking, gems of beauty!

mmm, huckleberry pie

So, Ella... she is a verbal communicator. She often approaches me and begins to describe something that just happened with so much detail, I can hardly take it all in. She chatters and chatters with such exuberance and vivid detail, and just when I think it's over (because dinner is coming out of the oven and the baby is crying and the phone is ringing), she will continue on to describing the next part in the play-by-play of this experience, which she seems to wish for me to experience with as much feeling as she did. I have tried to get better at listening to every word. It just dawned on me that she is reporting. This is Ella's report. To have her write a book report, or write a story, or handwrite a Bible verse takes pleading, nagging and sometimes some threatening. But this oral report is her report. And I'm ok with that.

Ella has been making Aunt Sandy's chocolate chip cookie recipe lately.
I don't mind {the sugar}, because she is practicing in the kitchen.
Daddy doesn't mind, because he enjoys a tall glass of milk with a cookie after work!

We are in full on black fly season, swatting dozens per day. Yesterday Aaron said, "Oh mom, that's a cheese fly" I replied, "A cheese fly?" He said, confidently, "yeah, if cheese comes out when you kill a fly, then it is a cheese fly". Ugh. So there you have it; description from my 3 year old boy.

Aaron, after our jaunt at Rebecca Farm.
This was after I said, "go ahead and get your face painted, as long as its not your whole face".
(I wasn't there to supervise)
Then I decided a little boy tiger is one of the cutest scenes on earth!

I am loving this school year so far. A few days in, and we are making great strides. I love to spend lifetime with my children, and I love to watch them learn. I count it a great privilege to live life alongside of them. This week, Ella has spelling/vocab words like 'gaudy' and 'elate'. What could be cooler than that? The girls are hand stitching a colonial American paper flag together, because "Prudence", the pilgrim girl we are reading about, did so. We are memorizing scripture together, so we can remind each other frequently. We are learning American Sign Language while singing praise and worship songs. We are learning Spanish as a family. We are cooking in the kitchen together, and keeping this house a running with routines. We are going to the library and art class, and planning combined lessons with our homeschool friends. We have 3 girls who have "lifted off" with reading, and are doing some super fun preschool activities for Aaron.

Yesterday I delegated Tessa's spelling pre-test to Ella when I had to attend to something else. Then Tessa voluntarily helped Jaci learn how to read the word "know" in the car. (This is the Tessa who, with tears of frustration, told me she didn't need to know how to read 1 year ago!) Ella is spending time with the puppy, training her to obedience. Recess consists of walking with the dogs, jumping on the trampoline, or speeding around on bikes. We are reading "Little Women" together at bedtime, which elaborate vocabulary adds to the adults' knowledge in this house! I am so thankful to have time for all of this. All of the above would be considered "extracurricular" if they were in public school, and I am certain we wouldn't have time for most of it.

Jaci 'n' a mud pie

Do we have a perfect schedule? no. Is it all peaches 'n' cream? No. Is it easy? not at all. But this year, more than ever, I am "seeking the kingdom first" and asking The Lord to fill in for my insufficiency. I have promised to put my best foot forward, but have learned many times over this is not enough. This week, I have very tangibly felt the ways in which HE is filling in the gaps for me. It is AMAZING to rest in Him. Thank you Lord for making all things possible ~ for holding up my arms when they are weak, and for being our everything.