Ahhh yes, garden time!

It has been a crazy month...between the wild rainy weather and the illness and passing of two of my grandfathers, I have accomplished very little in the way of schoolwork, or gardening for that matter...we did get some work on the lapbooks (our first ever lapbook).  The girls love them.  Thanks so much to Jolanthe for providing the worksheets...I have lots of creative ideas but no so much time...

We have measured the perimeter of the garden and are going to tear down the old nasty fence and replace that starting this week. We will be mapping out where our seeds will go also.  Then by the end of next week we should be able to start planting...not sure if it is too early yet or not.  Will Should probably do some research before we begin that process.

***for some reason my computer WILL NOT let me download pictures right now...I am going to try doing it from the laptop over the weekend and see if that is more successful.**

The greatest men I have ever known

This past weeks was one of the worst weeks of my life.  I lost both my great grandfather and my grandfather within 3 days of each other.  These men were two of the most influential men in my life.  They were there for me from the very beginning.  Most of my childhood was spent at one of their houses....I was with them more often than I was with my own parents.  Thankfully the story doesn't stop there.  I know that both of them were also my brothers in Christ, I will see them again some day.  That doesn't mean I am not sad and do not miss them terribly, I just know that they have received their promotion (as Alfred would say). 

It is times like these that I am so thankful to be homeschooling.  It is such a relief that we as a family are able to stop worrying about the mundane things of this world and focus on the more important values and lessons that can only be taught in real world situations.

Tomorrow we will begin our normal schedule and get back into the swing of things.  Both the kids and myself could definitely use a schedule again.  And, it is just in time to prepare my neglected garden for pictures and posts on Thursday for the Garden Challenge.  

Focus on Elyse

I love watching Elyse learn new things.  She is so concentrated and focused until that little light bulb goes and and you know...she has got it.  I have gotten to see that a few times the past couple of weeks.  We have been working on reading all year but she has just recently "gotten" that she no longer needs me to read her directions to her...she can sound it out on her own.  And, for a girl that loves independence...it doesn't get any better than that.  

In our grammer book we have been working on our initials...it has occurred to her that her initials spell 'end'...which to her little first grade mind has been the funniest thing ever.  

This coming week we will be focusing more on getting our garden together and probably possibly working on plans to build a chicken coop.  Will definitely be back to post pics of both of these endeavors.

When the Roll Is Called A Thunder

Camdyn loves to sing.  All.the.time.  She sings with us, with Aunt Betty and all by herself.

We have a nightly tradition of singing three songs before she goes to sleep.  She gets to choose the songs, I try to help her some nights.  Some of the songs she sings are just too cute to pass up.
 I love to hear the words that she sings.  Her newest song to sing, "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder"...or as her version "When the Roll is Called A Thunder".  How precious.  The day is going to come when I have to correct those words but until then, I will just sit back and listen to her sing her own version.