From the Garden...

We are enjoying all the outside time we can get before the brutal summer heat kicks in.

(My sweet-girl helper)

We have some new flowers popping up, like these Bachelor Buttons...

(They are so fun!)

These flowers are tiny but the plant is HUGE.  We had to transplant them because they were taking over our garden box and I'm not sure if they will survive but we shall see.  

(Love this handsome guy!)

Single Stem Sunflowers taller than the boys!!!

The heat may take out my sweet peas soon so I will enjoy them while I can.

(So many colors!)

Strawberries...yum!  And blueberries coming soon!

(He is so diligent checking on these strawberries.)

And that's all from the Garden!

Padres game and night of faith

We never turn down a chance to see the Padres play!

And this time, the game was the bonus!

We got to participate in Night of Faith at the ballpark.

Following the game, players on both sides came out and shared about something in their life that's more important than baseball...Jesus!  

It was an encouragement for us all.  

And Matthew West played his music which also encouraged our hearts to follow after Christ.

My favorite Padre fans!!

And we almost won too :-(  

Homeschool Homestretch

It's cliche to say that time flies, but another school year is almost over and I can hardly believe how fast it's gone.  

Just a month and a half left!

What an amazing year of growth

for my children and for me.

Academically and spiritually we have very much enjoyed coming into our own as a homeschooling family.   

(Starting to READ and doing some super big kid math.  Confession... I video tape every book he reads aloud from his reader.  His voice...I die.)

(And little brother does so well with his letters and sounds because he wants to read too!)  

We have continued to see that opportunities to learn are all around us!

(Could that smile be bigger?!?)

One of my favorite additions to our school year has been our brown journal (no fancy name for them)

Each child has their own and we add to it regardless of subject.

This wasn't a place for worksheets or reports but for things that came from their own hands and head and heart.  

Special diagrams or illustrations

Scripture copywork or outside experiments

Pictures of an instrument we studied or a narration of a sweet story we read together.  

I treasure these brown journals. 

(Some of Judson's journal pages)  

(Ava's journal)  

Already getting reflective over here as I feel summer break coming on.  

So thankful for the gift of educating my babies at home.  

From the Garden...Cosmos

I've almost completed my rookie year of growing flowers.

Here's an amazing secret I've learned...

Cosmos

That's it

Water them...or don't

Put them in full sun...or partial shade

Plant them in fall...or summer

I am very much enjoying these low maintenance flowers.  

Dreamy!

7 Years Home

One of the first things we noticed about you when we met you was your smile. 

And that smile lights up our home and our hearts every day.  

Your story is a testimony of God's sovereignty and his love. 

His ways are truly higher than our ways.

You are a most precious daughter and friend.

We love you Ava!

Happy Gotcha Home Day!

He is Risen!

Jesus is alive and we are set free!  

It was a beautiful day celebrating alongside so many that we love.

(Didn't get a picture till the very end of a very long day.  But we got one.)

We love our sweet church so much.  It was a beautiful time to celebrate Christ together!

 

(Thanks James and Brodie for sharing God's word with us each week!) 

And next we shared a lunch with family and I took zero pictures :-( 

(My sweeties helped harvest some sweet peas for table centerpieces)

We had more than enough to fill all the tables.  Buying flowers and arranging them is always something I enjoy about hosting.  But this was far more rewarding, to grow and use our own.

Happy Easter 2017

"In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade."

- 1 Peter 1:3-4

My animal guy

Ah, this boy is the sweetest.

 

This past year it's become obvious that we have an animal lover on our hands.

He just comes alive around them

Reminds me of a certain sister of mine...

Thatcher loves his puppies

He loves his chicks 

Which makes caring for these pets much more enjoyable for his non animal loving Mama.

(I do love them...just not that special kind of animal person love)

Thatch, our puppies and chickens are lucky to have you!  

Always ready with a smile, sweet words, and lots of cuddles.