School Started.....

..... Therefore, no blogging. 

We're finishing up our 6th week (yay! I feel so ahead of the game this year!). I got to attend a local day conference (Schole Sisters Retreat) for homeschooling moms last Saturday. It was a big encouragement. 

I have days where I feel on top of it ~ like the kids are learning so much, and we're getting to everything we need to get to. And I have many days where I feel like this is all going to crash. The retreat and discussion and podcasts and books are all helpful in teaching me that we'll never "arrive." Educating, learning ~ these need to continually happen and in fresh ways. If I ever "arrived" it would be stale, not life-giving. 

But I do feel like this is starting out as a good year. Elizabeth is a junior. One more year at home with us! Jonathan will start high school next year. 

And the app is out! We released several weeks ago. We've gotten lots of feedback from users; I've given lots of feedback. :-) I'm loving it. The kids can check off their own work as they do it. It all turns green when the week's work is done. Progress bars show the week's progress as you go. Lots of opportunities to show progress! It makes one feel good. 

On to some random pictures that I'm going to post for posterity and family photo album purposes:

All of them together. 

Hiding because it's early morning and they don't feel ready for pictures. But they were all together on the couch and so I had to take a pic regardless. 

Elizabeth (I did her hair!) dressed up 50's style for a homeschool dance she went to with Adelynn and family. 

Alec is a kid that grew up next to my parents in Washington. He's in San Antonio at Lackland Air Force Base. His parents came down to visit him, so we all got together for lunch and some swimming at their hotel pool. He meets up with us at church and lunch and such. It's been fun to get to know them.

This sweet little girl loves to water my plants, clean the van (with wet wipes or whatever she can find), straighten up the art area in the garage..... 

Crazies.

Alec is taking a picture of the kids at Whataburger.

Visiting the "nice" mall. 

It has a Lego store and Disney store and Apple store. So I guess it is pretty nice.

Harrison is such a goof! 

Liz wouldn't let me post her goofy mall pics. Just picture her walking around knitting. The girl does have a knack for knitting. She's been doing paid projects for a knitting store in Maine. She's super good at it. 

The kids did this on their own! Photo booth pictures. So sweet!