I love playing "School" with the kids.

 I love doing homeschool in our home- home. It's just a better set up.  Now I got Gretchen and Jack on the band wagon too.

 Here's our routine. I prefer to do school the first part of the day.  So after breakfast the kids get a bit of play time while I clean up. then we start school with the pledge of Allegiance, Scripture reading, Practice Article of Faith, going over the calendar briefly and reviewing our signs and introducing the new "sign of the day".  I thought sign language would help jog Oscars communicating side of the brain.  Then after that, Ginger has ten minutes of journal time and then goes on with the rest of her assignments while the other two rascals work on worksheets.
Then they get a recess time, snack bowl time and back at it.  It's fun.  Now I just need a bell and a whistle!  ;)

I just got this poster today and put it up in the school room.  I love it! Joseph Smith is my Hero!

It's good to be back.

 The weather is warmer here! hurray. Our kids have been enjoying having their other cousins over to play (they live just across the street)  and the other neighborhood kids.

 This is Matty. Such a cute little girl.  They made rice krispie treats with dino bite cereal. (I almost never use plain ol rice krispies)

 Then Holly and Greg came to visit. This is Hollys hedgehog, Daisy. Funny little creature.

 I'm a fan of the Smithsonian kits. So this time we got a Volcano. This was fun! I think I might have been more excited than the kids. hahaha

 The first eruption just wasn't exciting enough so the guys did some surgery.

 Now that's what we were hoping for! hahah  Some mentos and diet pepsi did the trick.

 We let it "erupt" a few more times...till the weather turned south and we all had to go inside.

 we added red food coloring to the soda for special effects.  :)

ps. holly is due in august and found out the gender of her baby!! we are so excited. She is having a Girl!

visiting family on way home

 It took us about a week to drive home.  We got to stop and see Glen's brothers family in Twin Falls. The kids loved seeing their cousins again.

 So I got a picture of me and Liz but somehow not of Glen and his brother  :(  darn it.

 Then we went and saw Glen's sister and her so so cute little baby Asia.

Nauvoo and Carthage

 I loved our visit to Nauvoo.  There is so much history I just didn't know about. I need to go back when the kids are older so I can pick up on all that I missed.

 So I didn't know that the mormons were hated and feared for economical and political reasons.
I'm horrible at re-telling stories so I'm not going to even try. It's all in my head but when I try to form it into words, I somehow get things mixed up into a jumbled mess.  sorry, you'll just have to look up the history yourself.

 we got to go on a covered wagon ride (it was freezing) while the sister missionairies told us stories.

 Carthage was also very neat and eye opening to me.  Oscar is holding a replica of the keys to the jail.

 pictured above is the door to the downstairs jail room.

 This is the upstairs jail room.

 amazingly, the original door is still there!  this is the hole created by the shot that was fired at Joseph sending him out the window from the second floor.

 pictured above is where the prophet fell beside the well.

The jail was a home to the jailer and his family. This was where they were keep people awaiting their court date.

I have gained a better appreciation for Joseph and Emma Smith along with the rest of the pioneers from visiting these places. It is just amazing what they sacrificed and accomplished in their lifetime. They dedicated their lives to the work of the Lord.
These visits have sparked my interest in church history more than ever! I want to know more and more and more.  I love that I can talk with the kids about the scriptures and then say, "remember when we were there?"  like in palmayra in the sacred grove.

Just not enough time...

I was excited to learn that there was a family in our small ward that also homeschooled. Addy, the oldest is Gingers age and now they are penpals. Quin is Jacks age and those two played so well together. It's a shame we had to leave when we did. It's funny how much I have in common with Abby, their mom. I so enjoyed the little time we did have together.

This Oscar and Abby's youngest  ( forgot her name...you'll have to remind me Abby  :) )