Magic Moments

Tom and I left our children for 2 (yes TWO!) nights! We have never left Sage and I think we've only left Aiden once or twice so this was a big deal! I had 2 (yes TWO!) nights of uninterrupted sleep, we had 6 peaceful meals, we drove to Ames with no one whining in the backseat, stayed at a hotel without children, did some shopping, went out to eat, and generally enjoyed each other and remembered that we are real people and not just parents. Although we do love Ames, we probably would have picked a more exciting place to go, but we've been traveling frequently to Iowa so Tom can have treatments on his swollen disk in his neck which is healing nicely! The boys had FUN with Pappy and Marme and although Sage was glad to be home, he stands by the window frequently and calls out for his Pappy and Marme. Tom and I are so blessed have parents who love our children. It's GOOD to leave our kids every now and again when they get to spend time with people who love them so much! ...

Sometimes (all the time) it stinks when Tom works around or even on Holidays. It leaves the boys and I to have guilty fun by ourselves while Daddy is away. But sometimes Tom's long hours almost seem worth it when he has a week off in mid September. It's so nice to have Tom all to ourselves for awhile. Wednesday and Thursday Tom watched one or both of the boys while I was here or there, at work, or out with one of the boys. Today was Fun Friday and we finally went to Stillwater. I can't believe it's taken me this long to visit. This sweet little town is just the kind of quaint place that I love. We started the morning at the most endearing place: Teddy Bear Park . SO CUTE! The perfect place for littles. The park is adorable, small, kept both boys entertained with age appropriate playgrounds, and is completely fenced in. I guess I'm a full fledged nerdy mom seeing that I have specific park requirements and preferences. After the park we had lunch at Leo's ...

After moving Aiden didn't want to continue gymnastics because he had his mind set on Soccer. So, after a round or two of swimming lessons we are taking a break to get a taste of being on a Soccer team. Tonight was his second practice/game and after a rough start the first week, the second week was top notch. Aiden is getting more comfortable and confident in his Soccer shoes so-to-speak and putting his skills to use. He dribbled the ball down the length of the field a few times, played a good defense, and would have scored a goal had a kid from the other team not body slammed the ball. Aiden came home and said, "Mama! That kid was NOT supposed to use his hands to play soccer!" The team is made up of four to six year olds so they are all beginners on the learning curve. Needless to say, we are eating, sleeping, breathing Soccer around here. Aiden wears his jersey constantly but I insisted that it get washed tonight. He game home a dirty, sweaty, stinky boy! He must have pl...

  This man is my everything. The best Daddy. The best husband. My best friend. I found myself wondering who is to thank for this man and when I added them up the list was long! I'm thankful for Tom's sister who prayed for a 5th child in her family. I'm thankful for Tom's mother who happily and lovingly carried this baby and loved him and raised him well even though he might have been a surprise. I'm thankful for the countless people who prayed for Tom as a baby when he had a brain tumor. I'm thankful for God....who formed a little baby in his mother's womb, who gave him life, and who saved it by a miracle!  I'm thankful for Tom's dad, who was his little boys defender, who went against doctors, who tirelessly did his own research to find a correct diagnosis and cure for his sweet little baby. And yes! I'm thankful to the doctor that finally knew what was wrong with Tom and put him on the road to health. God knew I would need this man. God kn...

Soccer Jersey. Science activity. Dirt. Magnifying glass. Friday. Homeschooling. Love. 20130905(165407) from Jenny on Vimeo . This is what Sage is learning. Tom says they need to start young. :)

 It's that time of year again! We went to one of our favorite places today and Pappy and Marme got to come with us for their first EVER trip to an Apple Orchard. We had a blast showing them our orchard and all that comes with it....apple picking, pony rides, the cow train, the river, apple donuts, lunch at the deli, and petting the animals.  The day was MUCH too hot for my liking, but we still came home with a hefty load of Zestar! apples. YUM!   Quite possibly one of my favorite pictures. And this is my favorite too! My sweet Minnesota Grown babies!

Praise be to Charlotte Mason and her educational philosophies. I'm feeling very appreciative of her influence in education and of the fact that our curriculum has absorbed her literature rich and exploration based principles. On Fridays our school time looks different from our other days in that there is almost no classroom time on Fridays. On Friday our job is to spend time outside exploring and doing any outside science activities that corresponded to our weekly lessons. If you have little boys then you quickly learn what a blessing and necessity this is. Plus, exploring nature and appreciating God's creation is something that should be part of everyone's learning or daytime routine anyway. Last night every book was put on the shelf until Monday (except for the Science book that Aiden so dearly loves) in anticipation for today's field trip. We are lucky enough to have a beautiful nature center just miles from our house that offers plenty of places to explore and many ...