Project 366: Week 39

I have not been taking pictures as frequently.  I pull out the camera when I see something I want to capture, but not just to get a picture.  Maybe I'll do better soon, but the motivation has left me!  This is for the week of September 25 - October 1.

Sunday: I did not take any pictures on the Lord's Day.  I am thankful for a day where we can have a change of pace and learn more about God.

Monday: We had friends over for dinner.  Jeff served on two an aircraft carriers!  Kyle was completely fascinated by his stories and pictures.  I am thankful for good friends who can share their experiences with us.  (I've know Jeff since I was in 5th grade and his children were babies!)

Tuesday:  I didn't take a picture on Tuesday.  This picture is from Thursday.  The Junior Chemistry class made a periodic table from sugar cookies!  It was a more difficult project than it probably should have been, but the results were tasty nonetheless!  I am thankful for Michelle teaching Chemistry to the kids and doing all the experiments and projects to go along with it.

Wednesday:  I bought Kyle a VCR from Goodwill for him to take apart.  He loved figuring out how to take the case off.  Then he took some springs off and watched to see if it would work.  He couldn't get too much further, but he enjoyed the process.  I am thankful for Kyle's desire to learn and explore.  I am not sure how to further that desire, but I try where I can.

Thursday: I teach two critical thinking classes at the co-op at our church.  I love the material and I try to make the class exciting for all the kids.  We play games and try to solve problems!  Kyle is playing with a geoboard.  I am thankful for the opportunity to teach some of the kids from our church.

Friday:We got pool noodles to turn them into swords!  Patrick loves carrying one around and hitting the ground.  I call him my little warrior!  I am thankful for the kids' imagination and creativity in their play.

Saturday: Kyle tried to make a sling out of duck tape, but it didn't work very well.  We looked online and found several tutorials on how to make a sling from paracord.  We bought the paracord, and Kyle made a jig and then wove his very own sling.  He practiced with it and decided he needed a bigger cup in it, so later he modified the jig and made another sling!  I am thankful for Kyle's desire to work hard at what he wants!

Project 366: Week 38

September 18 - September 24

Sunday:  The Lord's Day is sweet!  I even captured a picture of the wonderful fudge my little boy enjoyed in celebration of the Lord's day.  I am thankful for the day of rest our Lord gives us each week!

Monday:  Talk like a Pirate Day!  Avalyn and Kyle dressed like pirates and each got a dozen donuts from Krispy Kreme to share with our family!  I am thankful for the kids' enthusiam and desire to be a little goof for a good cause. :)

Tuesday: I got to work on Mercy's quilt again!  One of these days, I am going to finish the quilting.  I am excited about this quilt and seeing it completed!  I am thankful for the opportunity to make such special things for my family.

Wednesday:  Mr. Turtle loves carrying candy for all the little kids.  He loves hiding and waiting quietly for the kids to find him.  He loves the joy the kids have when they quietly find him and try to get his candy without their siblings seeing them.  I am thankful for this fun little game of hide and seek the kids and I enjoy!

Thursday:  Patrick tried to climb at the church's playground.  He did a good job, but got upset as soon as he saw his mama!  I am thankful to get to witness my children growing and learning new things.

Friday: Megan and I got together to sew a little bit on Friday afternoon.  We managed to finish this small quilt top!  I love making baby quilts because they go so quickly.  I am thankful to share this hobby with my sister.  It makes it so much more fun to get to sew with someone!

Saturday: At the last minute, our favorite friends invited us to spend a day at the lake.  We took advantage of the opportunity and had a great time!  Mercy got to ride in the tube for the first time and she absolutely LOVED it!  I am so grateful to God for giving us such good friends that even through the many moves and long distances, we are still friends and enjoy our precious time together.

Project 366: Week 37

September 11 - September 17

Sunday: Sunrise through the rain beyond the pier.  What a beautiful morning!  I love looking for the rain!  I am thankful for God's handiwork.  He could have made the whole world a monotone, but he paints with a million colors!

Monday: Sophia reading to Mercy while they wait to go to the beach.  I am thankful for the ability to read.

Tuesday:  What an awesome experience: to see the Blue Angels!  They were spectacular!  I am thankful for the opportunity to enjoy such an amazing performance.

Wednesday:  I am thankful for the Lord's allowing us this time to witness his creation in different areas!  What a wonderful sunset!

Thursday:  We took the kids back to the Naval Aviation Museum.  We enjoyed some of the displays on Aircraft Carriers and took the guided tour.  The tour was paused for a ceremony to honor veterans who served on the first intentionally build aircraft carrier.  What a special thing to witness! I am thankful for my children's love of learning.  They would have gladly spend another full day at the museum over going to the beach!

Friday: We rented stand up paddle boards.  Adrian and Megan took a couple of the kids out on the boards.  Avalyn and PaigeEE actually managed to stand up on the boards for a good bit of time!  I am thankful to have gotten to try something new!  The paddle boards were a lot of fun, though they provided quite the workout!

Saturday: (Taken on Friday evening) We never managed to take a family picture on the beach, so Friday evening, we took several pictures from the balcony of our condo.  The kids especially love the goof pictures!  I am so thankful to get to spend our vacation with my parents.  It is a joy to get to spend this time together.

Project 366: Week 36

September 4 - 10

Sunday: I didn't take a picture on Sunday, but this is from Saturday.  Patrick was playing with a ball almost as big as he is.  He loved throwing it and ten running after it.  I am thankful for soft balls!  This little guy loves to throw anything that is remotely round, so I am thankful for round objects that wouldn't break my windows! :)

Monday: I made some of Emeril's Beef Stroganoff!  It is so tasty, and it freezes well, so made enough of it to take on vacation. I am grateful that we have such variety in our food supply!  Imagine life with only one or two choices of food.  Many people in the world can't even imagine what we have.  God is good!

Tuesday: Patrick LOVES to help with the salad spinner.  Any time it comes out, he makes it known that he wants to help!  (This picture was taken on Monday.)  I am thankful for children who love to help even from an early age.

Wednesday: We gave the kids chex mud buddies for dessert.  Patrick loved it and made a glorious mess!  I am thankful for sweet treats to share with my children. 

Thursday: Even though it is a class day, it was very busy and I didn't get a picture.  I was running errands and children to and from the church all day in preparation for vacation. (This picture is of the binding for my Dr. Seuss Quilt that I took on Monday.)  I am grateful for Dr. Seuss and his wit!  I just love his books and really should read them more often to my kids.

Friday: Again, I didn't get a picture because of all the prep for vacation.  This picture was taken on Saturday while we were moving things up to our room.  I don't think the focus is write, but I love Patrick's smile!  Sometimes, seeing that little smile is enough to look past all the screaming fussing and crying.  The sun comes out even for a moment and gives me hope that we will move past the fussing.  I am thankful for this smile!  I need it!

Saturday: We took a quick walk on the beach after unpacking and dinner.  Even with all the seaweed in the water, it was still beautiful! I am thankful for vacation!  I am thankful to get a change of scenery and a chance to enjoy a different pace to our days. 

Project 366: Week 35

Since I am so far behind on these posts, I don't really remember what was happening this week other than school and preparing for vacation.  This post is for the week of August 28 - September 3.

Sunday: I missed Sunday, but I took this picture on Monday.  I changed our thermostat's batteries to find that we must not have ever changed them before!  I have never seen these before.  I am thankful for air conditioning, especially here in the south, summer would be difficult without it!

Monday: The kids have been enjoying the cherry tomatoes from our garden.  They put one in each cheek and then squeeze them to pop them.  I am thankful for being able to grow food even if we couldn't grow enough  to feed our family!

Tuesday: Keira got a new coloring book and has been very meticulous in her coloring!  She has done a stunning job!  I am thankful for Keira's carefulness and neatness.  I love watching her color!

Wednesday:  I must have missed my picture for Wednesday.  This was taken on Tuesday of my blocks for my t-shirt quilt.  I look forward to finishing it! I am thankful for a fun new project, one that I have thought about doing for many years.

Thursday: Our second week of classes, and this is what the oldest art class worked on.  They made different color paper.  I really love the greens!  I am so grateful for the teachers who take time to teach my children every week.

Friday:  Megan asked if I wanted to take Avalyn to the Georgia Gun Club to let her and Clayton shoot a couple of guns.  Avalyn had never shot a gun before, but she really like shooting the rifle the best.  I am thankful for my sister and her generosity. I enjoy her company and I thankful to God for her.

Saturday: The kids enjoyed playing outside.  Sophia made some great bubbles! I am thankful for bubbles and how much they entertain my children!

Project 366: Week 34

It has been so long since I posted and since I took these pictures, I don't remember what happened the week of August 21 - 27.  From my pictures, I only took two pictures this week!  Oh, well.  We started classes at the school, so it must have been a busy week.

Thursday:  The first day of classes for 4 kids.  This is Sophia's first year taking classes and she is really excited about it.  Mercy loves school days even though she only gets to play in the nursery.  I am thankful for the classes offered at our church and the teachers who offer their time and knowledge to help my children learn more!

Saturday:  Adrian made the kids eggs in toast.  The kids got to choose what cut out they wanted.  They really loved it! I am thankful for Adrian preparing Saturday morning breakfasts for the kids!

Project 366: Week 33

So this was a bad week for pictures!  I didn't even take my first picture for this week until Thursday, though I did take several different types of pictures on Saturday.  This post is for the week of August 14 - 20, but will be extra short.

Tuesday:  Taken of Saturday, this is Avalyn's water kefir!  Look at all those bubbles!  I am thankful that Avalyn is excited to help take care of our kitchen experiments!

Wednesday:  Taken on Saturday, this could be any day this week.  The kids, and especially Keira, have taken to making things from duct tape.  Check out Keira's set up!  I am thankful for duct tape and the amazing things that it can do!  I am also thankful that it is cheap and that the kids haven't gotten permanently stuck to my carpet! :)

Thursday:  I finished working on my niece's tshirt quilt.  Her grandmother had made it for her.  She had never made a quilt before, so even though she did many things right, there were some problems with it.  Madison gave it to me to fix.  It took me much to long to get to it, but I finally got it all back into good shape!  I am pleased with how it turned out, and it gives me a strong desire to make my own from concert shirts that I collected in high school and college.  I am thankful for the opportunity to work on this quilt.  As I work on quilts (especially ones for others) I take the time to pray for them and I am glad to have the extended time (and reminder) to pray for my niece.

Friday:  Adrian brought home flowers a couple of days earlier, but not being really interested in taking pictures, it took me several days to get to photographing them.  I love yellow!  I am thankful for the variety in this world and so much beauty that God created.

Saturday:  Keira begs to put Patrick down for quiet time.  She loves to sing to him.  But the only problem is, he weighs about half as much as she does!  I love seeing her carry that chunk!  I made her stop so I could take a couple of pictures.  I am thankful for Keira and her love for her brother.  She is often caring and very thoughtful of his needs.

Project 366: Week 32

Our second week of school went well.  We have a schedule down and things are moving along.  Though the blog, and pictures, aren't a high priority, I am still trying!  This post is for the week of August 7 - 13.

Sunday: Against all odds, I took a couple of pictures on the Lord's Day!  I really wanted to make a pound cake, so I miniature lemon pound cakes for Pot Luck.  I am thankful for the ability to make interesting food and the ability taste wonderful food!

Monday:  The kids have been enjoying making things with duct tapes.  Avalyn made this "wallet" with an 'A' on it.  I am thankful for the kids' creativity and desire to create from anything.

Tuesday:  Keira's Birthday!  She is officially 10 years old.  I love how the sun makes her hair shine in this picture!  There are so many things to be thankful for, but for simplicities' sake, I will just thank God for Keira's life and the joy she brings to us.

Wednesday: We got a much anticipated package in the mail!  We funded our first Kickstarter for the second book in a series that my kids are thoroughly enjoying.  I must admit that I am really enjoying the series as well.  We broke into the box and sat down to read "just one chapter" though that never happens!  I am thankful for the enjoyment of books and sharing good books with my children. 

Thursday:  Thursday has traditionally been our pool day.  I have not really been interested in going to the pool much this year since Patrick hates the water, and I don't like it much myself.  But I went with the family and took pictures.  Mercy was really brave and ventured to jump into the pool several times!  I am thankful for Mercy's adventurous and independent spirit!

Friday: We watched Keira's favorite movie, TinTin.  Mercy didn't like the dramatic scenes and kept saying, "Bad idea, Snowy, bad idea."

Saturday:  Both Keira and Mercy have been using a balance bike recently and have gotten really good at it!  Adrian put pedals back on Keira's bike, and she took off!  I am thankful for her ability to learn and desire to master a bike, though she was scared of it for a long time.

Project 366: Week 31

July 31 - August 6


Sunday:  Though I did not take this picture on Sunday, this was the scene in my dining room on the Lord's Day when we had guests over!  We were still in the middle of rearranging, and had not gotten the bookshelves anchored to the wall until late Saturday night.  But the exciting news is that we now have two extra bookshelves in what will become our homeschool room.  I am thankful for books and the ability to read and learn and to own books!

Monday: We started school!  Sophia started Math U See Alpha.  She is really excited to be doing "real" school. 

Tuesday: After we finished our school work for the day, the kids build a blanket fort in the family room.  They gave me a guided tour in which I got slightly claustrophobic!   I am thankful for such simple joys and pleasures that we get from building and creating. 

Wednesday:  I missed taking a picture on Wednesday.  This was from  Tuesday when I took a bit more time to play with the contrast study.  These three blocks are the last I made.  I ran out of steam.  I planned to make a couple of more with these same fabrics, but I already made several more than what was suggested for the challenge.  I am thankful for pretty fabric and being able to make things with it.

Thursday: I found the way Adrian left his tea bag interesting.  Just the curve of the string and the label set apart from the upright bag.  I am thankful for small pleasures and evening rituals.  (Though mine is usually a glass of wine!)

Friday: Avalyn played with Dash again, but she had trouble with Patrick taking Dash and running away with him!  I am thankful for Avalyn's interest in learning while she plays and I am thankful for my crazy Patrick who loves causing trouble.

Saturday: I tried bottling my kombucha is a growler, and it worked marvelously!  I got a nice fizzy drink.  But then the other growler exploded in the pantry all over every exposed surface, and that ended that.  I went back to non-fizzy kombucha.  I am thankful for science in the kitchen and tasty results!