7 Quick Takes -- Continued Life in Our New Home

1) Peter loves to be outside.

His first words often in the morning are, "I go outside?" And after I tell him yes, he happily clamors out the door.

2) I mowed a path.

Apparently we can mow some of our land, even though it is in CRP. So I have. We now have a bit of a walking trail. The kids ride it on bikes (some -- it's tough!) or I walk it. It's not amazing, as there is no shade, but it makes me happy. I hope to make it longer, all the way to the creek, but it is slow going with our elderly mower.

3) We started putting up a fence.

A friend gifted us with some left-over fence so we decided to put it to good use. Unfortunately it was not quite enough to cover the area we planned. We picked up a bit more to finish, but ran out of time. Still, it's looking good, I think.

4) The storage container/storm shelter is almost ready.

The storage container is now solidly anchored and Gordie has begun welding the door frame for the metal door (seen below, resting against the shipping container). Hopefully he can find some time to finish it up soon.

5) Our pallet porches were giving us splinters.

After some wear and tear, our pallet porches were turning a bit rough. And since we are a barefoot family most of the time, that was causing a problem. But I found some left-over primer and now we have bright, cheery white boards that no longer leave remnants in our poor tootsies.

6) We had a good time at the museum on Tuesday.

I'm not sure if it will amount to anything, but some people filmed my children enjoying various parts of the museum last Tuesday. It was loads of fun for the kids. Then Thea showed us her "friends." I had never seen a vinegaroon before and she even let us hold it!

The vinegaroon, held by Zipporah.

Rebekah is helping Peter hold a baby mouse.

7) In case you missed the announcement on Facebook, we are expecting another in late January 2019. Hooray! 😀

Here Comes the School Work!

Classes for Lawrence Virtual School Middle School students begin next week, so I guess that's when school technically "starts." But I received an e-mail on Wednesday of this week saying it was the first day of school! I promptly e-mailed Rebekah's teacher back, apologizing that Rebekah was volunteering at the museum all day, so she would not be online at all. Her teacher promptly replied that "nothing is happening today." -- Well, why call it the first day of school then?!?! Some things are silly.

Thursday and Friday Rebekah and Samuel had orientation stuff. Lots of presentations on different aspects of virtual school -- everything from how the online platforms work to what the classes would cover. Fortunately Rebekah is a veteran of two years to this, so she has it covered. Samuel was more interested in starting his coursework (which he did) than all the talk. But they both spent much time both days doing schooly things.

As for Jacob and Paul, other than Science, their books have yet to arrive. But they don't seem to mind at all. I told them if they finish their Science by Halloween I will buy them a new board game. -- I know, I'm a great teacher. 😁

Miriam's books are here. She is doing the traditional curriculum from K12 (Jacob ad Paul are doing an optional curriculum called iReady). Miriam's work will be more computer heavy. But I think it will fit her well. We've done a few things and she's enjoyed things thus far.

So without further ado, here's our traditional start of the school year photos.

Summer Birthdays

This happens every year. The end of summer rolls around and I've missed blogging about our summer birthdays, so here they are.

Zipporah - June - 4 yrs

* Zipporah is figuring things out. She loves to comment on EVERYTHING. I can almost see the wheels in her brain spinning.

* She has a sensitive side. She can be shy when we go places she has not been or meets new people. And she absolutely despises strange restrooms and automatic flush toilets.

* Zipporah is very "girly." She likes to wear skirts and dresses. She pays a lot of attention to clothing and shoes.

* She is probably one of my least picky eaters. She still asks for peppers, onions, and tomatoes from my plate (a taste her older siblings seem to have outgrown).

* Zipporah can be incredibly strong willed. And in a battle of stubbornness, you will not beat her. But she can also be kind and compassionate. I never quite know when she will switch from defiant to sweet, but it can happen.

* She loves to color and draw. Her writing skills (pencil grasp and such) are phenomenal.

Dear God, thank you for our spunky Zipporah. Please keep her heart on fire for your will to be done in all things. I ask this in Jesus' name. -Amen.

Rebekah - July - 13 yrs

* Rebekah likes to craft and sew. She is always up for making creative gifts from scratch.

* She is a bookworm and reads books faster than some people breathe. Her favorite series right now is Ranger's Apprentice. And she'd like to travel to Australia and meet the author. But she better hurry, I believe he's in his 70's now!

* Rebekah told she is interested in learning how to fix cars and write code (just like her daddy).

* She loves to collect things, like shells or pretty rocks -- really almost anything. She is currently building a small shed to keep her "pretties" in.

* Rebekah is dependable, loyal, and trustworthy. She always gets the job done. And she is an amazing blessing to our family. 

May God continue to bless you, dear Rebekah, as you grow into a young lady of wisdom and grace. -- Amen.

Jacob - August - 10 yrs

* Jacob is a gentle giant. He does not like conflict, though he does like to be playful. Unfortunately with his size, play often turns rough. But he has a heart of gold.

* He is almost taller than his almost two year older brother (Samuel) and his feet have been bigger than Samuel's for a couple years now.

* Jacob also loves to read. He is content to sit with his books for hours. Which is most entertaining because back when he was learning to read, he told us he didn't want to learn. We told him he would love it once he knew how. He said, fine, he would learn, just to prove us wrong. He actually took back his words about proving us wrong and thanked us for teaching him to read! (Yes, we love to tell this story, you've probably heard it before.)

* He is smart, but not motivated. Mom often has to bribe, bargain, threaten, or take away toys/privileges to get him to complete his schoolwork in a timely manner.

* Jacob still has a thing for turtles. Not sure where that started, but they are an animal he loves, be it stuffed, real, or artwork. Turtles are his jam.

Dear God, thank you for Jacob and his gentle but immense presence in our lives. Please keep him ever close to your heart. -- Amen