Monthly Book Club - The Green Ember & Owls in the Family

This month we did two books - 

The Green Ember and Owls in the Family

We didn't host this month but helped out by hosting one of the crafts. 

The Green Ember

Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world. 

Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.

The kids made a 'stained glass window' in the book stories are told this way. 

 Owls in the Family

The story is about two Great Horned Owls called Wol and Weeps that were found by Billy, Bruce and Murray. 

When Billy witnesses children throwing stones at Weeps, who is unable to fly, he trades his scout knife for him. 

Wol, who is able to fly, was found after a storm. 

Both Wol and Weeps are given to Bruce before Billy and his family move away to Toronto, Ontario.

I hosted the second craft and they learned to draw an owl using Art Hub online. 

It was very neat to see the different drawings even though they all watched the same step-by-step video. 

How Cute! The decor that was set-up for the party.

Claire, Nephi, and Clairana

Ms. Millie with Cecily

SNACKS!

Our Book Club Babies are getting BIG.
Cabella & Lyla

Book Sale!

Book Sale at the Local Library!

This is an evening I look forward to for months. I get to go stand in line with other crazy book lovers and buy books from the library for dirt cheap.

It is like opening day of hunting season for book lovers.

Afterwards, I got to go out for late night tea with two homeschooling mamas that I just adore.

PS

Did you know you can get kicked out of a coffee shop?

Better yet, did you know that sometimes you can't hear them announce that they are closing so they play the song Closing Time REALLY LOUD...and your girlfriend just says well that is rude, I wonder why the music just got so loud...?!


The next morning is like Christmas for the kids. They get up and dive into all the goodies!

Not pictured my new book cart Levi bought me just in time for the sale! Turn Love.

Our MAGICAL Place.

We had some celebrating we were OVERDUE for so we headed to our favorite spot.

Homeschooling Goals - MET.

Sold Washington House. 

Anniversary of being Sealed in the Temple in 2011.

Great Wolf Lodge.

2 adults with 5 small kids in a water park sounds rather intimidating... but it was SUPER easy and even though Cecily was tiny and didn't get in the water we all still had plenty of time to play and enjoy. 

Dinner at the Lodge

StoryTime with Violet!
Bella really enjoyed it this year - she was mesmerized by the whole animated show. HAHA she can't even turn her head to smile...CHEESE from the Side. 

Shows their personalities so well.
Coraline & Cabella

Wave Pool! 

PRO. Well Almost Clairana I am pretty sure beat him every time.
Dang Long Legged Sister. 

Coraline really had a blast this time. It is so fun watching them enjoy it more and more each time. 

Clairana was amazing on this one - she had people standing around talking about her. 

Cecily hanging out with Mama

Cabella Lou!

Nephi Joe

Waiting on our food - Bella and Mama

Ice Cream after StoryTime

Cheese OK Lets GO! 

Roller Coaster Water Ride! Levi and I took turns going down with the four olders. 

Clairana and Nephi went down with a friend they met. They were so very proud to do it alone. I was proud of myself to let them. I waited impatiently at the bottom. 

Humidity in the water park was just what this little needed. She was so happy the whole time.

Clairana had this great idea for a picture....I love that all my children love the new addition and I don't have to fight any jealousy. 

Clairana & Nephi DID IT!!

They memorized skip counting up to 15x15
They love to challenge everyone - fortunately I taught them so I know mine just as well but they think its amazing they can say them faster than Levi.

This was one of our two main goals for homeschooling this year and we (yes we) did it!

Clairana & Nephi's little friend who is named Caroline and all the girls in her family have C names too! 

Around the House....

Random photo while waiting on dad to get in the truck to leave....

We went to the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra to see the Lollipop Concert - CARNIVAL 2 by Peter White
Grandpa & Grandma Brigham joined us! 
We study the orchestra each year with our Classical Conversations coop and this fits perfectly with our lessons.

Volcanoe Birthday Card Making

Sometimes especially after having a baby I get slightly grouchy and upset with myself about not reading or learning enough. So, I was feeling the February blues about it and decided to stack up my books to show myself what all I have read during the month.

Reading does not always come because of pure pleasure it is a healthy habit I have to work on like exercising.
I always love feeling the accomplishment of learning something new or enjoying a story...sometimes it just takes a little push from myself.

I have five kids I get it when people say I don't have time to read but you really do. You just have to want to .... or make yourself jump in.

Nature Walks

Thankfully, the weather has been cold but not too cold to get out with Cecily in tow. 

Nature Walks to Check Out the Water Levels of the Wildcat Creek

Perfect example - Nephi brought a snowball maker (no snow but just in case) Clairana brought paper to draw for her journal, Coraline a walking stick because walking in the woods is hard and Bella ...well she just was overly excited to get dirty. 

I looked over and I saw this....how sweet! I had to take a picture.
We are so very blessed to be able to enjoy this land everyday. 

Bees!

Levi has been researching bees lately and we finally took the plunge! 

We did not know anything about how amazing these little things were before all our reading....

Thankfully, Levi works with a man that has several hives and has been doing it for years - we get to have daily expert advice. 

Also, Clairana and Nephi will use the bees for their 4-H projects this year. 

2 hives coming soon! Each hive produces 20-60 lbs of honey per year.