Keepin' Busy

Here's what's keeping us busy ... homeschool and extracurriculars already! Last week we attended the 4H Fun Day in Deer Lodge. Ella's 3 classes were no bake treats (she's dipping a pretzel in chocolate below),

Rocketry (after decorating her rocket it was propelled by an air compressor)

and a Lewis and Clark demonstration from a guy who actually did the expedition a few years ago. The little sisters tagged along, and we all think 4H is going to be a bunch of fun for years to come!

This week, Jaci continues to potty train while we homeschool in the mornings. She hasn't had any great success to boast about, but her interest level is very high, so we're giving that some attention until the new baby arrives. We are also busy in the evenings, and glad to be healthy to be able to do it all... Monday night: Bible Study; Tuesday Night: Kids Club Wednesday night: Ella's choir. Thursday morning will find us at the Anaconda Fire House for a field trip with several other homeschooling families. And it's already time to line up a November field trip! Keeping busy makes the days go fast while daddy is gone-- he is working in Vancover this week.

Oh and baby #4 (sorry, no photo available) seems to be growing healthily. S/He is active, measuring on time, and keeping us in suspense about WHO it is and whether it will be a 2009 or 2010 baby!

10 years ago...

This week marks 10 years since my friend Angel went to heaven. I miss him still. And over the last 10 years, God has been so good to me! I have often been able to see the purpose of walking through that sorrow, and the many ways it has changed me, changed my course, changed my heart, helped me let go of this life. The love of God, through a good friend named Angel touched me a decade ago, and still reaches out to more people than I can imagine. Angel and his dad were both good men, the type you'd want to hang out with. They were honest and they loved God and talked very openly about the truth written in scripture. But the only really good one is God himself, who made Angel and Lucho something different than they would have been by nature. Praise Him!

Part of me really wants to see Angel, to hug him one more time, to say the words I never got to say, to respond to every letter he wrote. But ALL of me is glad that Jesus is preparing a place for me and every believer. This old earth isn't a suitable long-term dwelling place for any of us, anyway. "Yo estoy seguro que tu vas a regresar y por eso yo te voy a esperar" "I'm sure that you're going to return, and that's why I'm waiting for you". Jesus is coming, people get ready! When he returns he will be accompanied by the dead in Christ! Wow. I'm glad that soon, around the throne, day and night we'll all be worshipping the Lamb, and our focus will be him -- no more sorrow, no more pain! Thank you God for your awesome promises, for the undeserved gift of salvation, and for believers who are the light of the world for you!

"Fue lindo el corto tiempo que pasamos juntos y te agradesco por hacerme entender que no es lo que uno se piensa si no lo que dios dispone." "It was so nice the short time we were together and I thank you for making me understand that it's not what we think, but whatever God wills."

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/ !

Announcement

Please excuse Jaci's short appearance and exit-- she is just too busy to stay still!

Our first blog post

Hey, Anna here. Since we just got the bill for our other photo website, I decided to try something free instead. So here I am on blogger. I won't be uploading as many photos as I did to the other site, just selecting my favorites, to update you on our lives.

Jaci is teething, walking and getting into everything. Tessa cracked her collar bone on Monday, so life is complicated by remembering to never pick her up under her shoulders. Yes, we have already forgotten many times. Ella is thriving in summer weather, but she seems to fit in and jive with whatever the weather, whatever the activitiy. Next week she will be in Vacation Bible School, and I'm curious to see if she learns more than the 2 weeks of swimming lessons that are behind us. It would be really hard to learn less than at swimming. I actually have pictures (not on purpose; in the background) of a lifeguard eating a Cup of Noodles, and the 'teacher' with a sucker in her mouth -- 'nuff said.

I absolutely love to write. As often as I can, I open a Word document and type out something cute the girls have said, or what they measure in at. With 3 kids underfoot, homeschooling and the other demands of life, I'm getting behind on photo and written documentation. I'm pretty sure there's not enough time to live life and write about it too. But if I do ... will somebody take all my postings from blogspot and make them into a book for my kids to read later?

The following picture is my girls today with Coy at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch in Deer Lodge. I love how it shows the hot summer sun on their faces and Jaci's little dimple under her right eye, which I can hardly ever catch on camera. They are 5, 3, and 1; Coy is almost 10 months!

I love this photo of Ella and Tessa intently working on a craft at the kids' booth...

Tessa did NOT want to show the camera her sling, so this is the best I got. As kids heal so quickly, she'll be back to normal in a jiffy.