Happy 4th Birthday Princess EE!

Over the past 4 years God has transformed this...

...into this!

EE is our precious princess! When she requested a Cinderella ball for her 4th birthday, I knew it was the perfect party idea for her. She has been in love with the Cinderella story for quite some time now. As we started planning, she had most of the good ideas. I just listened and put them into action. EE told me, "Daddy is my prince, and at my party I'm going to marry him, and we are going to dance." Technically, she didn't marry her daddy, but he did commit to be her prince and take care of her until God sent her the man of her dreams.

For the special occasion I knew she needed a special dress. When I was a senior in high school my Grandmother made me a dress to wear. It was special for a lot of reasons- my Grandma made it, I went to the prom with her Daddy, and I was the prom queen that night. This is a picture of me with her dad.

A special lady I know sized that dress down for EE. She did a fantastic job. Here is my little princess all dressed up for the Cinderella ball. (She borrowed the tiara I wore at my wedding for her princess crown!)

She was absolutely adorable! So much so that she had two body guards...

 I'm sure she won't have to worry about any thing...she has the best prince- Dad!

At the party the little girls dressed up and made crowns. They were given wands and necklaces. The little boys also made crowns and were given swords. Then "Cinderella" danced with the prince.

They even went on a carriage ride.

While they were on the ride, her Daddy gave her a special gift.

When she returned we sang "Happy Birthday." Every one enjoyed cake, and all the other lil' princesses and princes when on carriage rides.

We had a fun time at the ball. Some of her friends from the party are pictured with her below.

We are blessed beyond measure with the gift of parenthood. We enjoyed making our princess feel special for the day. She is truly a special girl, but not because she was dressed all fancy. She's special because God made her, and for that we are grateful!

School 2013...2nd 6 weeks of F-U-N

This post is actually slightly behind...we are almost finished with the 3rd six weeks of school. We have been busy learning about all sorts of fun things. I have included a few pictures that capture some of my favorite days during this cycle.

 CJ and EE are holding a glass soda bottle with a yeast mixture in it. The gases from the yeast mixture inflated the balloon. They LOVED this experiment!

When we learned about some of the pioneers of America, we studied how they made everything they ate- even butter. We made some to try ourselves. It was DELICIOUS!

CJ made this paper indian canoe. He even decorated it with his own indian drawings.

BA made a canoe too. They were quite proud of this project.
 

This is BA's first attempt at kneading the dough to make homemade bread. It doubled as a history and science project- history with learning how people used to make their bread and science concerning yeast and how it's gases make things rise.

 CJ having a great time kneading :)

BA and CJ...proud homemade bread bakers!

 While studying the letter 'A' we made homemade applesauce. It was quite the hit!

 

 We made a model of the solar system. It is now hanging in the boy's bedroom!

Outside school is the best! Here we are on the back porch. Pretty cool 'T,' right?!

Braden is finishing up some seat work in US history. They love learning outside! If only the weather would stay just right for it.

Our dear friend Ms. Phyllis showed the kindergarteners how to make a homemade apple pie when we were studying the letter 'A.'

As you can see from the picture it was very tasty!


I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of our favorite moments from school. Being able to do school at home is such a joy to me. It isn't always easy, and sometimes isn't always picture worthy, but it's a blessing to my heart to have my babies with me everyday. Teaching them has taught me one big lesson...every day I realize how much I don't know. I'm learning right along beside them. Perhaps that is what makes it so fun!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Pastor Appreciation Month

The month of October is Pastor Appreciation Month. In case you didn't already know, I sure do love my pastor! I am thankful that when we were in high school God brought the two of us together. We had no idea what roads lie ahead, but we were certain we wanted to travel them together. Over the past 10 years we have grown from just the two of us to a total of seven of us. God has blessed our marriage, and he has blessed the ministry he has called us to. My cup runneth over! We are blessed beyond description. There are many things I hope to instill in the lives of our children, but the biggest one is how to love and how to show that love. Today I lead the children to surprise their daddy with a Pastor's Appreciation surprise.

We did a little decorating and we took a few pictures. Then we headed off to the store to get a few paper goods and buy lunch. This is what we decided on.

In the paper goods/ party isle my children had the bright idea to buy some silly spray and a confetti blaster...well, I thought that sounded fun (especially since I wasn't the one going to be sprayed/blasted). Here is what followed.

If you haven't celebrated pastor appreciation month, I encourage you to do so. Being a pastor is a blessed calling, but it is also a very busy and never ending calling. I am so thankful my husband is a pastor.  I am thankful for the way he diligently serves the Lord. It is a blessing to me, his wife,  but also to his children. Happy Pastor's Appreciation Month!

Wordless Wednesday

School 2013...1st 6 Weeks

The first day of school brought eager smiles and wondering minds at our house. It is hard to believe, but the first six weeks have already passed. (In fact, I am about two weeks behind in this post...but it is here!) I have taken a few pictures along the way to share some of the fun things we are learning about.

Each day features a "book basket" reading time. Each grade level has a red basket full of library books they have selected for silent reading. Some of the books are related to the topics being discussed in school, and some of the books are just selections that interested them. The goal of this time is just to continue to foster the joy of reading while providing daily practice.

BA is in 2nd grade, and the history for the year is a brief overview of US history. He has a patriotic treat we made.

After each child could recite the pledge of allegiance on their own, they earned this special glow stick flag.

One of the field trips we took was to a local history museum. They had all sorts of fascinating displays, including this life size Indian and ship, which is made to give children an idea of what Spanish explorers might have used when coming to the "New World."

 CJ is showing off his "S" he made.

 This is a window poster BA made by using wax paper, alphabet letters, and crayon shavings. This year in 2nd grade he is learning the names of Jesus.

 EE was delighted to show the 4 basic moon phases with her Oreo cookies. School + Dessert = a winning combination.

 We also took a field trip to the local fire department. The fireman on duty was very kind. He showed us around the firehouse and even let the children climb in one of the fire trucks.

Our two oldest love science. This is a picture of one of the experiments we did involving fresh water, salt water, and an egg. Do you know if salt will make the egg float??? Ask one of them!

They LOVED the Indian tent Ben made for them.

Our two mandolinists....Ben is teaching them the basics as part of their music class.

We even took a trip to watch our favorite football team. The mascot- a Seminole Indian- gets dressed for gameday while fans watch. All of his wardrobe is authentic Indian clothing. The children really enjoyed this field trip!

BA and CJ enjoyed reading Squanto. We copied the same war paint pattern Squanto had in the book on their faces.


We hope you enjoyed some of the activities we did in school for the first six weeks...I'll try to update again after the next six weeks pass. Let the learning continue :)