More School and...Puppy on Loan!

We sent in our Primary Program submissions at the beginning of October and any time we get dressy, it's a good excuse to do hair! 

The kids are all required to read 20 minutes a day and also do a service.  Sam often combines the two and it is a huge service and good for my heart when he chooses to read to and serve Annie.

We've been learning about what life looked like in the Middle Ages, so we took a picture of what life looks like in our school day with the spare bed against the wall and all.  Annie has been our class pet more often now, sitting semi-quietly sucking on raisins.  School is so fun and we are so grateful we live now and not then!

Grandma and Grandpa Anderson have decided to be dog breeders and this girl, Belle is their first Golden Retriever.  We brought her home with us after Conference Camp so we could enjoy her cuteness for a bit longer.

It has been fun to run out to the back to run around with Belle during school breaks.  School starts later and goes longer now that we have her in the yard.  :)

Walk around the park.

We made individual coat of arms today while we learned about Knights!  

 

Conference Camp

 

 

After taking a year off, we were back at Conference Camp!  We stayed at Rex Weston's place on the Ponderosa, so it was private and out of they way.  It was so nice!  The kids had a good grove of trees to play in. We didn't have a TV this year, but we had cell reception and were able to listen to nearly all of conference.

Sunday was Savannah's second birthday!  We took her for a swing in the hammock to celebrate.

Jace, Sam and Wade were almost constantly on the go.  They explored the beaver ponds, built forts and swung in hammocks all day.  

Life at Home

I sent Annie out with an apron on so she could eat some tomatoes from the garden.  When she came back she said, "I got somefing for you!"

We have been having a good time in school.  We switch one day a week and have the Finley kids over for some learning fun.  This lesson was on community helpers and Eleanor and Wade built a community while Annie and John drove cars around one.

Dad has always been good at making up games.  This one is brand new!  He calls it Avatar Dodge.  It's a combo of dodgeball and basketball.  Each team has a bucket and there is a middle line.  If you hit an opponent, they are out on the sidelines until their teammate makes a basket or gets someone else out.  Lots of fun!

 

At Lonetree for the Deer Hunt

This year, Dad had a muzzle loader hunt around Flaming Gorge at the end of September.  We all went with him as far as Lonetree and spent the week hanging out at Grandpa and Grandma Anderson's house.  We did our school each morning and spent the afternoons playing.  We spent time at Jake and Brittany's house above the ranch, and took a few trips down to the ranch to dig potatoes and move some cows.

For science we made some wind socks and it was the perfect day to do so!  They blew like crazy in the tree and the kids really had fun designing them.  

Addy got to come join us for a couple of days while her family was out and about at ball games.  The kids had lots of fun together.  Here they are ready to head down to the ranch to get some cows out of the ranch back into their own field. 

 "I'll stay here and make sure that the horses stay in their kennel."

Lucy had some learning moments on Blue Lu and she rode Abe and Freckles as well.  When we arrived we learned that Flicka has now died and all the grandkids are sad about that.  She was the most reliable horse and is so missed!

Grandpa taught Lucy how to through an axe.

Jake picked up two new kittens so they could take care of the mice and chipmunks around his house.  They named them Streaker and Tomi.  The reason I took this picture, however, was not for cute kittens.  Lucy is wearing my shoes.  She lost hers for several hours and was quite distraught, but finally decided to wear mine and this is the lacing solution she came up with.  :)

Grandpa showed up with a load of sand.  The boys built a city and enjoyed the pile for hours.  They also took turns persistently moving it by shovelfuls to some low spots in the driveway.  

Blessings

This Sunday was our first back at our own ward in 6 months.  Of course we got all done up to go out in public and it was the perfect opportunity for photos.    

Lucy is 9--very nearly 10.  She is responsible, creative, imaginative and bossy.  She takes charge of every situation and is working on being a leader by including others more!  She is SO helpful!  She knows where everything is and can help me with just about every errand I ask of her.  She plays with Annie--her puppy Bo, and seems to never tire of it.  Lu loves reading and is so good at staying focused on her homeschooling.  She basically teaches herself.

Wade is a jolly fellow.  His eyes sparkle when he smiles and he has a lot of love to share.  So much sometimes that he ends up rubbing his face or hands on peoples' heads to feel their softness.  What a hoot!  He makes everything more fun.  He is very loud--second only to our three year old neighbor John according to some members of our family.  He just has a loud speaking voice and a huge zest for life.  He is working on checking every item off his chore chart each day.  He improves daily with his ability to focus, and his determination is endearing.  He walks from task to task muttering exact instructions that I give.  If he doesn't, he often comes back to ask what it was he was supposed to be doing.  He LOVES school and wants to do as many workbook pages as possible each day.  His reading is improving quickly and he is currently reading books like Go, Dog, Go and Green Eggs and Ham quite well.  He's 5 and nearly a half.

Sam is one handsome kid.  He is an explorer and expert level hiker.  He loves to be outside just to see what he can find.  He currently LOVES hunting frogs at Lonetree and catching minnows in a #10 can.  He gets all the siblings excited about it and soon they are up to their waists in the pond.  He is torn this week between the option to hunt with Dad, or to stay in Lonetree for the week where he may explore some more!  He is an excellent mathematician.  We hope that he will have the multiplication and division facts memorized at the end of this second grade year.  He is working on focus while reading and not skipping words.  Reading aloud (well) is truly a skill!  He enjoys art and spends lots of time and effort on his artwork at school.  He is seven now, and will be eight in just about six weeks!

Annie is a ball of fun.  She loves to play in the newly finished basement while we start school upstairs.  She plays Diego, or Little People, or Farm or Littlest Pets and can be entertained for quite a while.  This is truly a blessing for me and I think she quite enjoys her independent playtime.  When she has had enough of that she will join us in the school room and become our pet, Bo.  She LOVES to be Bo.  I think it may be the raisins she gets as snack, or maybe the fun doggy bed she gets under the desk.  She recently turned three and continues to just be a joy.  She really loves snacks, reading, dancing/taking laps around the living room to Disney music, playing anything with siblings, and watching our family favorite TV show, Avatar.  She follows the story really well and is highly entertained.  She is working on going to the bathroom without asking me to join her every time.

Oh, what beautiful children I have been blessed with.  I read a book to them tonight--about Big Bird and what he wanted to be when he grew up.  We discussed what they might want to do.  Whatever they choose, I am so excited to see it play out.  I think these little ones are going to do big things and I am looking forward to watching them choose their paths.  I have been feeling grateful for the opportunity to homeschool and for getting to watch these kiddos learn and grow.  It is happening so fast!

 

Labor Day Weekend in Lonetree

On Labor Day, Grandpa took us to the ranch to dig up potatoes.  We had some for dinner and got to take some home as well.  Lucy drove the four-wheeler and the kids all loved riding.  Earlier that day, Lucy and I went with Grandpa and Brittany to round up cows at Birch Creek.  It turned out to be a fairly easy job and we enjoyed it!

Earlier in the weekend, we had been staying at Lonetree while Dad went on a pack trip near Yellowstone with Jake, Monte, Steph, Porter and Grandpa.  Lucy was entertained with Flicka--the only horse left behind.  

We had lots of fun hanging out with Orin and Weston.  I found that everyone was well entertained in the side yard.  There was a lot of minnow catching, frog hunting and skeeter nabbing.  And of course we did a lot of swinging and merry go rounding and picnicking.  

We visited Brittany at her new house and made and ate yummy food together.  We even watched The Swiss Family Robinson, and THAT was a big highlight!  We attended church at Grandma's ward, and visited at Grandma Lynne's house afterward.  She gave the kids cookies, and Lucy was sad to miss because it was fast Sunday.  We made cream puffs after dinner and that made up for it.

 

Annie is loving tomatoes!  Lucky that we have so many.

Sam has been real excited about catching bugs--any bug he can.  Below is a picture he took of his roly-poly home.  

Snappy dressers has been a hit around our house.  It's a card game where each card has one thing in common with every other card.  There are eight or so different games to be played with this one deck and the kids are highly entertained.  We have mostly been playing a game where you memorize your five cards then flip them upside down.  From memory you have to choose which of your cards will match best with one flipped over in the middle.  It's challenging and fun!

We have been enjoying lots of friend time!  Luckily we have neighbors (Finleys) that are our besties.  The kids play house, indians, orphans, town, school, etc in the back yard and have fun for hours at a time.