As the snow piles up and up and up, we start our year.

The new year of 2019 is upon us, and it's off to a nice slow-ish start. We have had a peaceful month of January, catching up on all our requirements and rest after a busy couple of months during the holidays. It's been sweet to let life just sit on simmer a little while, watching the snow fall, and allowing the next responsibilities to acquire a little more before we delve in. Over Christmas, I didn't take official time off from school with the kids, just took days here and there to play, dream, and be  present in the Advent season. Although, for us, first grade is just charm after charm on a beautifully curated bracelet.

I think by the end of the year, we will only look back on it all as lots of really great things, put together. (Don't deceive yourself by thinking it doesn't include any flailing arms, dramatic acts, or tears... it definitely has some of that) I guess, it is something that we are all really enjoying and thoroughly glad we are doing. I didn't doubt that I would enjoy homeschooling the kids. But, I did doubt it would be so fulfilling. I love it! It is so special to see my own child light up with joy when they figure something out! It is a pure treasure when I see them learn something for the first time, or feel successful. Cody knows how to read, and enjoys simple chapter books. It's so fun telling him he has to stop reading and go to bed. Or, "No more of your book until..." whatever it may be. It's fun! And, I'm going to guess and say that one of the most challenging things to teach lately has been cursive/handwriting. He is not impressed with working diligently to make something look exactly a certain way. He does great with it, but tires easily of it. I often catch him working ahead in his math workbook, not because he likes it so much, but because it comes more easily for him, and he likes checking things off his list.  I was just asking our Brother and sister-in-law what they think of the Forest School their little one started this winter in the Denver area. It sounds so fun and I've thought, maybe I'd like to do something like that sometime... and they both said "you're already doing forest school everyday." So, that was a good outlook for me. We really are, I suppose. Our Nature Study portion of our life is so natural and happens without much effort, so we will just carry on with that... maybe adding more friends in as the years pass. But for this winter, it's grand.

I still haven't taken the time to really decide what I'd like our homeschool, our property, and whatever, to be named. I'm an Anne of Green Gables at heart, and can't bear to just call our place by it's address, so it has to have a name. We do have several places on our property named... but the school and our land needs one for itself. Coming Soon! I love doing stuff like that.

-The East Wood
-Ember Falls
-Lorraine's Pond
-Fort Kastenbauer
-The Peeking Trees
-The Creek (not creative!)

Our street is only a road number, but on the map, it's also named Wildwood Rd. So I think we'll go with that.




I'm not much for story telling today, more feeling like I want to get myself caught up. So, I wanted to mention how great it's been having more family time this year! At home, Tim has been flexible with work to do more with us all than we could have dreamed, thank you Self Employment at a young age! We're always saying "These ARE The good ol' days!" And they really are. Life is so fun! And, now we have siblings living closer to home, and some more moving closer someday :) YAY!

Just the day before yesterday, we were together, a bunch of us, and I loved getting to see the little kid cousins playing together. So fun! We love all our family so much, and the ways we get to spend time with each of them differently is a treasure. It's not all rosy or without blemish, but it IS family, and we are grateful. Even when the going gets tough... Thank God for His grace with us!




Now today, I'm taking a few minutes to write, not for anyone, but for myself while the kids have their rest time. That's all. I'm not here for any other reason but for an enjoyable outlet for myself, and I'm glad in this moment I'm here. :) Now I'm off to import some photographs from my friend's newborn baby boy!!! Can't wait to see them and work on those a little bit.

XOXO
Amy

p.s. I spent the weekend going through old things, one of them being my box of old journals. It was so bittersweet remembering my high school years. I LOVED Highschool, but it is crazy how much I love life now. I'm so much richer in the Lord, and have grown so much. For which I am thankful, but I am also so thankful I had a great childhood and high school years. So many fun memories! It made me wish I had a great "diary" name for these blog posts, haha! When I was 10, I wrote "Dear Calleen, " to my diary, and signed off, "Annie" or "Amy Kate" Because those were the names I liked then :)

p.p.s.
Its our zillionth blizzard of the winter, and is 1 degree F today. Lots of snow this year!










Comments

Popular Posts