What We Have Been Up To

Since I last posted summer has finished up.  It flew by this year I swear!!  I have some photos to upload of some of the things we did this summer, I am going to share the start of our school year instead.  I have brought the kids back home for the beginning of this year.  I had thought I would homeschool them all year long, but after some more thought on the matter I am only keeping them home until the start of the new year. 

 Why go to that trouble you may wonder?  Because I am going to my hometown for an extended stay during the holidays.  My kids would have needed to miss 7 weeks of school, which if you have kids in the school system you know doesn't fly.  So besides using this opportunity to help my girl get some math facts mastered and letting my boys be boys we are just enjoying this little break.  

Tripp (K)

Keegan(3)

Avery(5)

I love the idea of homeschooling.  I KNOW it works.  In my head it is awesome.  In my reality it just really doesn't fit.  My husband has a job that requires him to work away, a lot. I am left to hold down the fort.  Some can do it with ease it seems but when I try I feel like I lose a little of myself.  Then I spend sleepless nights beating myself up over my lack of abilities.  Which I know are lies, but things my brain tells itself none the less.  

So here's to hoping the next 4 months go by with ease and as little complications as necessary!

Back to PA

We are currently back in PA. We are busy doing a lot of nothing. Which I find perfect. However some of us are turning into butterfly hunters.

He is super serious and does it for hours.

We are meeting new cousins.  This is my new nephew Owen.  I got to meet him a few minutes after he was born.  But we left the next morning for home.  So this is the first quality time we have spent with him.

My girl is in heaven!!!!

I am minus a kid cause he is off on a traditional bow festival adventure with his Pappy.  I envision him running through the northern mountains of Pennsylvania with mud streaks on his face and bare chested.

Weekend

Friday night started with a date night with my boys.  My girl was at a sleep over.  After watching half of the Avengers Tripp decides he doesn't feel well.  I spend the rest of the movie in the car with him reading my Kindle.

We head home and in our neighborhood we get pulled over for rolling through the ONLY stop sign in our gigantic loop.  Thankfully he saw the two sleeping boys in the back and just said try to stop the whole way next time ;)

Saturday morning was spent at soccer with Keegan.  He has decided he hates the sport.  Thankful it was our last day of it.  Looking into tennis for him. 

 Then I spent the rest of the day putting in my veggies.  I am so proud of this picture.  If you could have seen the insane mess this area had been you would understand the work I put in. On my own.  A great sense of accomplishment to say the least.

The weekend ended with Tripp in the drainage ditch on his big wheel.  Obviously the big wheel won. Praise God it wasn't the other eye that has had surgery.  Gods mercy is great!

In Season

My favorite 5 year old and I went picking for strawberries today.  We do it every year.  Can't resist the sugary goodness of freezer jam and strawberry shortcake.

 Signs of freedom flying over head.  Makes it hard to hear at times, but we never get tired of looking at them!

 He's not the tallest 5 year old, but in my humble opinion he sure is the cutest!

And every day we come home this little guy is waiting at the garage door.  I pick him up and move him back to the rain spout area.  I'm getting use to seeing him.

Christmas Card

I am dabbling more and more into photography. I love taking pictures. I have since I can remember. I have a nice camera, a very nice camera, thanks to my Mr. I have started taking workshops and doing online tutorials. I am starting to shoot in manual. I am still learning.

Today after the kids got home from school we set out to take our Christmas card photos. We loaded up and went down the road about a mile. These are some out takes from the shoot. My kids don't always want to cooperate with me.....

Loving 4

Soon he will be 5....like in 22 days. Boy have I enjoyed my little buddy at 4. Sad that they are all growing up! Too fast.....

This Past Week

My little guy had to have surgery again on his eye. I hope this is the last time for this problem. We still anticipate plastic surgery in the future to fix the tissue damage that has been caused from the scaring.

In his "banana" suit waiting for surgery

On the ride home. It was a tough wake up this time around.

Later that evening.