Merry Christmas

Sunday, December 23rd

Christmas Eve ~ The Nativity

A surprise visit from Santa Claus

Remembering Our Angel

Today marks four years since the passing of our angel Sarah.  We have spent the week reflecting on her life.  Although her time on earth was brief, the love she brought to our family and lessons she taught continue to strengthen and bless us.

This morning I came across this scripture, "Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4)."  As I think about Sarah, these are some lessons she taught me:

Take pleasure in the simple things in life.

Laugh at yourself.

Be quick to recover from a bad mood.

Love unconditionally.

Don't complain about adversity.

When everything seems to be going wrong, bake cookies.

Be compassionate to those who are struggling.  

When you feel sad, sing a song.  

Be a good friend.

Always remember that you are a child of a loving Heavenly Father.    

Earlier today we placed poinsettias on her bench.  The morning fog masked the line between the ground and sky--a reminder that heaven and earth are connected.  Loved ones who have gone before us continue to surround us.  Our physical sight is the only thing that separates us.  This brings comfort and peace to my heart.      

Deck the Halls

Food Art

Meet Maren's "Gourdy"

A fun activity that will keep the kids busy while mom cooks. 

Exhibition Night

Williamsburg Intermediate recently hosted their first annual Exhibition Night.  It was an evening designed for students to perform talents in music, public speaking, and visual arts.  They were asked to select pieces from American figures, prior to the year 1960.  Nathan and Maren researched and discovered many talented artists in American history.  Nathan chose to create a replica of Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Cans.  Maren learned to play a piano arrangement of George Gershwin's Rapsody in Blue.  It was facinating to watch the students present via web cam.  Technology is truly amazing!

Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup Cans

Nathan's replica (created on Adobe Photoshop)

Maren performing "Rhapsody in Blue"

                                            

Celebrating Thanksgiving

Our little Indian Princess sang songs about turkeys and gobbled up a plate of yummy food at her preschool Thanksgiving feast.     

Our Thankful Tree

Directions for making a Thankful Tree  

Count your blessings, write them down on paper leaves

Fill a large vase or container with small rocks

Hang leaves on branches or twigs using ornament hooks

Harold B. Lee, 11th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:

Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail.  This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden.  This is the place of the new Jerusalem.  This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world.  This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple.  This is the favored land in all the world.  Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail.  I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges.

I plead with you not to preach pessimism.  Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world.  This is the favored land.  This is the land of our forefathers.  It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through. (Ye Are the Light of the World 350-51)"

Election Day

It's about our future!

Happy Halloween!

Little Dorothy

Glinda the Good Witch

Wicked Witch of the West

???

 Can you spot Nathan?

Come on...Let's follow the yellow brick road!

The Hobbit

We recently finished reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (such a good book).  Two of our favorite quotes:

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold (as the hobbits do), it would be a merrier world." ~Thorin Oakensheild

"I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you.  If I say he is a Burglar, a Burglar he is, or will be when the time comes.  There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself."  ~Gandalf

The Return of the Monarch

Charlotte spotted a monarch fluttering around our backyard bushes and trees.  Caroline whispered to the butterfly, "Come back, come back."  It circled around us for several minutes allowing us to capture a few pictures.  
   

The monarch migration has begun.  For the next two months we should see an abundance of these beautiful creatures.  They have traveled several miles, most likely from Canada.  They will stop briefly in Texas then continue their journey to Mexico.  

Our Princess Witch

I remember Sarah's excitement over dressing up as a princess witch.  She did not allow fatigue and discomfort to get in the way of a little Halloween fun.  So many memories come flooding back this time of year.  

Schooling at home--an update

Tomorrow we will begin our sixth week of homeschooling.  We are absolutely loving Williamsburg Intermediate!  Nathan and Maren are happy, dedicated students.  They have enjoyed making new friends from all over the U.S.  They've completed several books and are writing more than ever before.  Their classroom projects are meaningful, educational and fun!  Above all, the kids are rediscovering the joy of learning. 

This week Maren finished the book "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen.  She was given the assignment to build a man-made shelter.  We walked through the reserve behind our house and built a hut using branches and leaves.  Maren completed the project by writing a paper on what life would be like if she had to live in the shelter.    

They've conducted a variety of messy science experiments (in the kitchen)!  They are currently  studying the process of food decay.  For thirty days they've been working on a photo documentary comparing organic and processed foods.  Here is a snapshot of cheddar cheese...yuck.  The kids are also reading a fascinating book on food, "Hungry Planet."    

organic

processed

Humanities has opened their minds to many around the world adventures.  They created exposition journals they use to document their discoveries of different countries, cultures, etc.  They are also studying the election process in depth, learning about the electoral college, comparing views of Democrats and Republicans and writing and videotaping their own campaign speeches.

Their Leadership course is inspiring!  They have studied and written papers on exemplary leaders past and present.  They are also researching different kinds of animals and how their characteristics relate to good leadership qualities.  For example, the alligator named RESPA...

Relax, Evaluate, Strategize, Patience, Act

Maren was given the assignment to create a piece of eagle artwork (another animal they have studied).  She had a lot of fun making this patriotic paper collage. 

  

Mathematics is a self-paced program.  They view math workshops, participate in labs, complete daily assignments and weekly assessments.  They also read books about the practicality of math in our lives.  My personal favorite is "The Man Who Counted" by Malba Tahan.

For a math project, Nathan created his very own geodesic dome! 

Happy 4th Birthday, Caroline!

Embarking on a New Journey

This week marks a new beginning for our family.  Starting tomorrow morning at 8:00am we are HOME SCHOOLING!  Many reasons motivated Brian and me to pull Nathan and Maren out of public school.  Essentially, all reasons boil down to one realization:  while public school works for many, we feel compelled to try something different.

I began researching our schooling options early this year.  I counseled with several home schooling mothers, attended a home schooling conference, held a home schooling meeting in my home with several women in our community, and searched to find a custom-made curriculum that would suit the needs of my children.  In my research I came to understand how many resources and options are available for home schooling families.  As a college graduate in education, this was thrilling to me!

Nathan and Maren are enrolled in an online school called Williamsburg Intermediate.  They will attend daily classes online, view and interact with their classmates (face-to-face with teachers and students throughout the world via webcam), work on group projects, take tests, and do all the other things that kids do.  This school is nationally accredited, is held accountable for academic results, administers exams and provides report cards and transcripts.  Williamsburg's classical education approach, methods and philosophies match the educational goals we have for our children.  Here is a sneak peak into their curriculum programs for this school year:

Leadership Program	Humanities Program	STEM Program
Self leadership	Social Studies	Science
Group leadership	Language Arts	Technology
Heroes, Adventures, Gifts, Barriers	Literature	Engineering
Literature/biographies	Art	Math
Creative writing	Memorization	Art
		STEM Classics & Biographies

We feel that Williamsburg Intermediate will provide an excellent, well-rounded education for our children. Nathan and Maren have enrolled in a variety of extracurricular activities to ensure plenty of positive social experiences.  We are looking forward to an exciting school year!  We will keep you posted on the many adventures of schooling at home.

Baby Olympics

Charlotte competing for individual gold on balance beam. 

Our Deacon

On Sunday, our twelve year old Nathan was ordained by his father to the office of a Deacon.  He is excited to be in the Young Men's program.  Nathan has a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and will magnify his priesthood through serving others.  I couldn't be more proud of this fine young man.  He has a kind heart and eagerness to do what is right.  It was a special day, one that I have dreamed about for years.   

Pioneer Day

Today we remember our faithful pioneer ancestors.  Two grandmothers, Eliza Briggs Stratton and Lydia Pons, sacrificed everything they possessed to join the saints in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Eliza, a courageous member of the Martin Handcart Company, endured much tribulation as she crossed the plains with her family.  Eliza tenderly carried her baby sister under her clothing for warmth and protection.  It is believed that without Eliza's care the baby would never have reached Salt Lake alive.

Lydia and her family left their beautiful grape vineyards in Italy and set sail for America to unite with the members of the church.  As they continued their journey from Kansas City, Lydia's father and two brothers died.  Thus, the burden fell to Lydia, who was twelve years old, to drive two yoke of oxen all the way to Utah.            

This afternoon the girls and I made these pioneer dolls.  In loving remembrance we named them Eliza and Lydia. 

Grandpa's Hot Rod

Cousins gather around Grandpa's restored 1929 Model A Ford Roadster.

For style and speed the little girls prefer Grandma's Mustang.