My First Tag

I feel so loved! I've been blog tagged for the first time! Thanks to my friend Holland at www.morethanicanbare.blogspot.com.

So I think the rule for this tag is that I need to post the sixth picture of our sixth album and tell the story behind it. So here goes.



In January of 2007,we decided to put hardwood flooring in our hall,living room and kitchen. We ordered the wood online and picked it up at the freight station. At that time,Nathan was about 13 months old and was just learning to walk. This picture was the night before the installers were to come.

Have a great day!

Leat

Swimming Lessons

The boys had swimming lessons last week and loved them! Enjoy some pictures of all they learned!

Summer's Here

I know summer doesn't "officially" start til the 20th or 21st of June, but to us summer is here.

School is done.

Garage sale is done.

The garden is fully planted and both plants and weeds are thriving and growing. We are starting our attack on the weeds. The garden will look picture perfect for a few days. Then no doubt we'll get a ton of rain,it will be to muddy to work,and the weeds will sneak back in. But we enjoy it.

The boys are all in swim lessons this week. This is Nathan's first year. They all can't wait to go each day.

Weekends are spent camping either in the back yard or at the lake.

Yes, summer is here.

Leat

It's Time

It's time for our second biannual garage sale! This Thursday,Friday,and Saturday. Come one come all! Buy our stuff! Please!!!

It will actually be a pretty good sale,if you judge the stacks and stacks and stacks I've made in our basement,just waiting for me to price and haul out to the big garage.

We've got a huge selection of toys. (most of the play room actually)

We've got clothes.

We've got shoes.

We've got books.

We've got magazines.

We've got baby furniture. Toddler bed,play pen,booster chair, and potty chair.

And don't forget the requisite garage sale goodies, half working electronics!

But wait! There's more! Two tents,one sleeping bag, and the freebe box of this and that small stuff.

As an added bonus, the boys will be selling homemade chocolate chip cookies and lemonade.

See ya bright and early Thursday morning!

Leat

Another Great Weekend!

We had another wonderful weekend of camping. Bri and the older boys set up camp Thursday evening while Nathan and I went to the grocery store. We slept in the tent that night. Bri left for work Friday morning from the lake. After the boys woke up,we came home and cooked all morning getting food ready for the weekend. We went back about 2.

Friday night we had taco salad for dinner and then the neighbor campers invited the boys over to make s'mores.



Saturday morning I made a breakfast casserole in the dutch oven over the campfire. We spent the day swimming and reading. Lunch was a sub sandwich. Right before naps for the younger boys, Caleb lost his first tooth!



Saturday night I cooked our caribbean chicken in the dutch oven and baked potatoes over the fire. We also had tossed salad. Sunday morning we had coffee cake,hard boiled eggs and bananas for breakfast. Sunday we had another day of swimming,reading,and just hanging out. Lunch was roasting hot dogs over the fire. The neighbor kids came over and joined us for a hot dog as well. Dinner was hamburgers and baked beans.

As you can tell, I tried to cook as much as possible over the fire. I love camp fire and dutch oven cooking! Thankfully the boys love tending a fire,especially Luke and Caleb.



Have a great week!
Leat

New Curriculum

Isaiah 55:8

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways,saith the Lord.

Usually by March I have the next years school books lined up and ordered. This year I just didn't get around to it.

A few weeks ago I went ahead and made my list for what each boy will need, what web sites to order from,what we already have to be passed down,etc. Still didn't order anything.

On Friday I called a friend that I hadn't talked to for a while. During the conversation,she mentioned a Home schooler's used book sale the next day. I mentioned it to Bri, thinking we might find a couple things and not have to order and pay shipping. He thought that sounded great.

Saturday morning we get ready to go. Stop by the bank and get some cash. On the way to the sale, Bri asks me to try and get as much as possible,even though it might not be exactly what's on my list. GULP! We have used the same curriculum company since starting Luke in Kindergarten. We branched out a little this past year by having him do science on the computer,but generally I stick to the familiar.

He drops me off at the sale and takes the boys to a local park. I walk in the doors and am totally overwhelmed! I walk around a bit to get a feel, then jump in. Out of my list I got two things. Everything else is all new(to us) companies, but I got EVERYTHING for all three boys for next year.

Most exciting of all is what we spent. Ordering everything,I had about $400+ shipping budgeted. Getting everything at the sale, I spent $110. No shipping,no sales tax!


Needless to say it will be an interesting year learning new formats for different subjects. But, that's one of the things we love about homeschooling, the ability to be flexible.

Now I can see why I wasn't in the mood in March, why even after having my list for over a month we didn't order. God knew I would call Dana, God knew about the sale, God Knew!

Leat

Free Chocolate Friday

Hi all,

A friend from the Taste of Home Forums posted this link to the Mars web site. Each Friday you can register to be one of 250,000 people to get a coupon for free chocolate. Here is the link.

https://secure.realchocolate.com/

The only catch is you have to wait 6 weeks to get your coupon in the mail. But hey, free chocolate is free chocolate!

Leat