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.

Nephi's Presentation

Weekly, the kids at Classical Conversations do a presentation of their choice to learn the skills of presenting/leading. 

This week Nephi did a poem he had memorized with cut outs he made to go along with it. 

I guess on the 2nd round he had Liberty (another girl in the class) hold the cut outs he was just practicing in this one. I was not in the class when he did it so the director nicely sent this to me. 

Clouds

White sheep, white sheep,

On a blue hill,

You all stand still.
When the wind stops,

You walk away slow.
When the wind blows,

Where do you go?

White sheep, white sheep,

Classical Conversations Valentine's Day

We made little LOVE BUG hats for the nursery kids. 

Coraline looks so tall in this picture - She will move up to the next CC class next Fall and I am sure she will love it.

Bella will stay another year in the CC nursery or I may find someone to keep her and Cecily on Wednesdays at home while I go with the older three. 

Nephi's Class - learning about Michelangelo