Look what happened!!!

Yesterday we had a small storm that only lasted about 10 minutes. This is what we found outside!
Today this branch fell on the van! The kids were in the carport and it scared them to death!! There was no damage to the van! We did loose quite a bit of shade!!It was sad there was a baby bird in this branch that did not make the fall and the mom was hurt, but stayed with the baby. Unfortunately our cats found her before we could move her.

Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but this is half a tree!!

Frontliners!!

This week I sent my babies to Texas!!! They are on a mission trip with 40 other youth from our church. I am so excited to see what the Lord does in their lives!!! We are so proud of them.

My kids have amazing talents!!

I'm not even sure what to say about this!
Yes, he is sound asleep! Yes, he is on his tip toes!

How do celebrate the end of a vacation?

Surely, there is sword fighting!

And Fireworks!!

Water Babies!

Zoe learned to swim this week. No more floating for her!!
Riley is almost there!
Swimming is our favorite summer activity.
Well, happy hour at sonic is a close second! Usually we combine the 2 activities for the perfect day!!

Tennessee Aquarium

Chillin' with Nemo!
We actually left and Riley did not want to touch the snake. Then he decided he needed to touch the snake and we went back.
You know daddy did this!!
Can you believe Zoe did this!!!

Swimming outside the aquarium is their favorite part!
Penguins!
Over looking the greatest city in the world!
Cuties!
Riley finally touched the sting ray!


This past week we just had 2 kids! It is a very different dynamic to just have two! The older kids were on vacation with their Uma and Granpa Bobby at the beach. They decided they wanted to do all the same things they did last year when Logan, Emma, and Ian were gone. Our first thing was to visit the Tennessee Aquarium!

Dinner and a Movie!

The finished product! One large pepperoni pizza with whole wheat crust! (Well we do have to make 4-6 pizzas to feed our crowd!)
Zoe's favorite part is rolling the dough!
Adding the pepperoni is the best part!
We have a Friday night Pizza and a movie tradition. We make homemade pizza and have our family time. We have been doing this for a few years now and rarely do we miss it. I make the dough then dad takes over to make the pizza. He had become quite the master. Lately he has one or more sous chefs to help.

Ok I need something to do while my pictures download!!

Feel free to skip this!!

In your entire life, have you ever...

gone on a blind date?Yes

skipped school? Yes

watched someone die? Yes

been to Canada? No

been to Mexico? No

been to Florida? No

been on a plane? No

been lost? Yes

been on the opposite side of the country? No

gone to Washington, DC?No

swam in the ocean? Yes

had your booze taken away by the cops? Nope!

lettered in a high school sport? HA HA HA HA

cried yourself to sleep? Yes.

played cops and robbers? Of course...I grew up with boy neighbors!

played dolls? Yep

recently colored with crayons? Yes I love to color!

sang Karaoke? No not really

paid for a meal with coins only? Yes I do it all the time!!

done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Oh yeah!

cheated on an exam? Nope. Well I was required to read the old testament for a class and I read and listened to it at the same time so.... I'll let you decide!

made prank phone calls? Yes! Even called and asked Is your refrigerator running? :)

laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Yes, It was milk gross!

caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes

danced in the rain? Yes.

written a letter to Santa Claus? Yes (even got one back)

been kissed under the mistletoe? Yes!

watched the sunrise with someone you care about? Yes

been arrested? No.

blown bubbles? Yep

gone ice-skating. Yes

had a nickname? Yes the only one I recall is Bobbin!

been to Africa? Nope

eaten cookies for dinner? Of course! may even do it tonight!

been on TV? No, but my husband has

stolen any traffic signs? No, but I really wanted to

been in a car accident? Yes.

What is your....

mother's name?Fannie

favorite drink?Coke (in a can)

birthplace? Alabama

favorite vacation spot? I just like to go!

favorite salad dressing? depends on the mood

favorite pie? Buttermilk

favorite number? 7

favorite movie? Princess Bride

favorite holiday? Christmas

favorite food? too many

favorite day of the week? Saturday if Brad doesn't work

favorite brand of body wash? Ivory

favorite toothpaste? Aqua Fresh Extreme Clean

favorite smell? Honeysuckle

Do you have any...tattoos? Yes

body piercings? Ears ..but I would pierce my nose but Brad thinks it is gross!

Do you drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? a pickup and a van

What do you do to relax? Scrapbook, read or watch a movie

How do you see yourself in 10 years? Oh good grief I will be 45!!

Wanna Play?

ABC Fun

I found this here: http://bethany.preciousinfants.com/
Looked like fun



A)Age- 35
B ) Burger of choice- Homemade with blue cheese!!
C)What kind of car you drive- Ford Aerostar I think, I would have to go look!
D)Dogs name- No dogs...cats named Babette and Betty
E)Essential item you use everyday- The Internet!
F)Favorite TV show- Gilmore Girls
G)Favorite game to play- Dominos, Mancala, Zuma
H)Hometown-_____________, Alabama
I)Instruments you play-Sometimes I turn the radio on all by myself!
J)Favorite Juice- white grape peach
K)Whose butt you would love to kick- whoever invented blue candy!
L)Last restaurant you ate at-Captain Ds
M)Favorite Muppet- Kermit the frog
N)Number of piercings- just my ears.
O)Overnight hospital stays- 5 birthin' babies
P)People you were with today- my husband and the kids and 1st and 2nd grade Sunday School class at church
Q)What you do in your quiet time- Read, but it really is never quiet!
R)Biggest regret-not taking advantage of learning opportunities
S)Status- Very happily married
T)Time you woke up- 7:00 I think
U)What you consider unique- anything artsy
V)Vegetables you love-ALL don't love green pepper, but sometimes you just need them
W)Worst habit- Biting my nails
X)X-rays you have had-I know my teeth, other than that I don' remember!
Y)Yummy food you ate today- Homemade pineapple ice cream!!
Z)Zodiac sign-who cares!

VBS

We are gearing up for VBS this week. Pardon out silence!!
Brad and I will be in charge of games again. We will be tired!!

The Tree House Chronicles

Every good treehouse begins with a hole!!

Our curriculum choices!

We have finished up another year of school!! The kids have done great this year. I am really proud of all their hard work. We were even able to finish up on time with a extra long break through the holidays, while I was caring for my dad. It is now time to plan next year. We are planning to move toward a more year round schedule this year. We like to take some extra time off during December and it seems to work well to school for six weeks and take two off. I have quite a bit planned so far. I still have some decisions to make but, I am waiting for the CSTHEA convention and the Rainbow Resource Catalog. This is what I have so far:

Riley
Kindergarten

• My Fathers World Kindergarten
• Handwriting without Tears
• Reading Made Easy
• Five in a Row
• Singapore Math
  

Zoe
1st grade

• My Fathers World First Grade
• Handwriting without Tears
• Finish Reading Made Easy
• Copywork
  
• Five in a Row
• Singapore Math
• Explode the Code

Ian
3rd grade

• Adventures in My Fathers World
• Singapore Math
• Finish First Language Lessons then Rod and Staff Grammar
  
• Spelling Power
• Copywork
  
• Five in a Row
• Calvary Chapel Bible Pages
• Apologia Science
• Galloping the Globe

Emma and Logan
7th and 8th grade

• Still deciding on Bible
• Teaching Textbooks pre-algebra and Math 7
• Write shop
• Rod and Staff Grammar
• Spelling Power
• Roots and Fruits
• Lightning Literature 8 and 7 from Hewitt
• Dictation
• Mystery of History Finish Vol 1 start Vol 2
• Around the world in 180 days
• Exploring Creation with General Science
• The Fallacy detective

This is core. We will be adding electives at different times.

• Music Recorder with Dad and Guitar for Logan ?Emma
  
• Art -probably an outside class
• Nature Study and Notebooks using The handbook of Nature Study
• PE - Different sports Football for Ian and Soccer for Riley
• Typing ?not sure what to use
• Foreign Language : Spanish using Rosetta Stone and Sign Language using flash cards and Signing Time videos
• Nutrition and Cooking Class

We have been very happy with My Father's World and glad to continue with it this year. Five in a Row is always at the top of the list. The biggest changes we will make this year are math and literature. After many years of trying to stick with Saxon we are moving on. Everyone is excited about Teaching Textbooks!! (well I am not so excited about the price!!) Logan and Emma are also very excited about Lightning Literature. I am very glad they were so open...they both have very specific reading tastes and I was worried they would resist the structure.

Happy Birthday Emma!!

My sweet Big Girl turns 12 today!! I can't believe it!! We are so proud of you Emma!!