Last writing assignment for the year

They each were to write about what Christmas means to them.
As you can tell, I did not edit what they wrote. Oh, and they each typed their assignment.

Aubree - this is her first real writing assignment. Up until now, she's written sentences with her spelling words.

I like seeing fmymly .
I like helping with the trees.
I like hiring ubawt JESUS cumeing.
I like seging.

Bryce's paragraph about Christmas.

What Cristmas meens to me

We selebrate Jesus’ birthday.
We get together with family and friends.
We praise God at home and at church.
We learn about God and Jesus.
We light the advent reeth.

Why Christmas?

Bryce and Aubree practicing for the Christmas play. (And yes, you do hear the phone ringing at the very end.)

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

If you haven't see this yet, please watch. It's awesome!!
Merry Christmas!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving Day, a poem from a
magazine to share with you.
Blessings of Thanksgiving from our
house to yours.



In my heart today, I bow before Calvary’s cross to give thanks for the…….
Thorns that tore through the brow of the Savior while His
Hands held fast to Roman wood in a beautiful
Anthem of praise to the Father. And now, because of this
Nail-pierced faith, I can understand a little of what the
Knowledge of the Holy means. It is especially now that I am reminded of the
Servant’s total sacrifice, which made it possible to receive His
Grace-delivered forgiveness. His
Incredible act of love gives a
Vivid view of heaven where the King of Kings is still
Interceding for us, so that
Nothing keeps us silent to His voice or disobedient to His call to
Go tell the store of new life in Christ forever.
-Woodrow E. Fletcher

Pictures of Bryce and Aubree

http://www.brettcarverphotography.zenfolio.com/

You can look at the pictures at his website.

He did a great job!!

Volcano

It's more about the cute kiddos than the volcano :)

Bike Riding Aubree

Happy Birthday Aubree!!

Seven years ago Daddy, Mommy and Bryce were blessed by the birth of Aubree Dawn.

And what a blessing she has been to us ALL!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUBREE!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Soccer Girl

What a difference a year makes! I think she kicked the ball more times at the first game of the season than ALL of last season. It was great!! Once when I looked out onto the field, I couldn't find her....she's grown up so much. I got a little teary-eyed.

Go Kicking Cuties!!

Bryce - Boogie Board

It's Gone!!

Check Engine Light??

Well, I get in our trusty van the other day and notice a light stays on. So, I call my wonderful hubby to see what to do. He asks, "Well, what does it say?" I reply, "I have no words, like 'Check Engine', but the picture looks like a fat helicopter." He doesn't quite know what to think about that response. I called the guy who works on our cars and we run by his shop. It was the 'Check Engine' light. So, I have to wonder.....why a picture and not words?? Aren't you supposed to be able to read to get your driver's license? Do pictures take up less room that words?? I just wonder what reasoning there was behind it all. I would have felt a lot better calling hubby and telling him the 'Check Engine' light came on. Last night, hubby did concur the light did 'kind of' look like a fat helicopter...

A Saturday Treat

While out riding her horse, a friend from church came by and asked the kids if they wanted to ride. I could hear Bryce asking questions the whole time!! He loved it.

On the other hand was Aubree.... At first, she said NO! After thinking and watching Bryce, she decided to try. Even then she wasn't so sure.

She is a big horse. I think I'd be scared, too. (But don't tell the kiddos...)

Can you tell she loved it?? Later she told me she remembered she was not supposed to live in fear. Bryce said he was a little scared to begin with, but he wanted to try. I'm so thankful for our friend who thought of the kiddos this morning!!

First Day of School

We have officially accomplished one week of school!!

Bryce is in 4th grade and Aubree is in 1st grade. It's always exciting to start new books. Aubree finally has her own timeline book she wanted to start the day we received our box!!
Bryce is beginning US History and Aubree is starting her World History. Thanks to Aunt Karen, I had last week to get geared up and organized for the coming school year. Most of our curriculum is layed out, but my struggle is how to schedule independent work and work they need me to help. No, I don't have the answer.... Since none of our days are the same we have no set daily schedule. We get done what we can get done. They both have started a typing website and have already made it through several levels. I'm excited to see what God is going to teach us all!!

God's Chisel - The Skit Guys

An awesome 9 minute skit to remind us who we are and to whom we belong. An awesome and humbling way to start the morning.

Fun with Friends

One of Bryce's very good friends celebrated his 8th birthday last week with a sleepover at the lake. The highlight of the event was watching the three Star Wars movies.

Aubree had a first, too. One of her very good friends (the birthday boy's sister) spent the night at our house.

(Their mom took these great pictures before her two oldest kiddos were off and allowed me to borrow them.)

Baseball Pictures

Bryce just finished his second season of baseball. He seemed to show a little more spunk than last year. He ended his season with a great play at second. After the game, he recounted us his thoughts as he got the ball and tagged the base. Too funny!! We did quick phot shoot in the backyard (using the neighbor's corn field as a back drop) before his last game.

Highlights from June

Great Wolf Lodge to celebrate Bryce's (on-time) and Aubree's (early) birthdays. A great family vacation!!

Daddy getting his birthday cards from the kiddos!!

Aubree being 'big sister' to Nathan!!

Also, Aubree had her first sleepover in June. In July, the girls will sleep here!!

Bryce went to day camp at Youth For Christ for a week. He received some awesome Bible teaching. He fixed this pillow case for me since I have the 'biggest pillow.' I have to say it makes my heart melt...

Happy 9th Birthday Bryce

Praying God will continue to grow you and teach you each day!!

Memorial Day Vacation

As a rule, we don't go on vacation during big holidays. That's one perk to homeschooling - we can go during the week and off-peak times. Karen invited us to come with them to the coast. So, this vacation was a surprise to Bryce and Aubree as they finished up school for the year.

At the beginning of this trip, we wondered if we needed to head back home. The trip started with our GPS going from "Poor Satellite Reception" to a black screen. Technology was not our friend on Friday afternoon. Technology redeemed itself in that Target confirmed our GPS was purchased with the last 90 days, so Newman came out of the store with brand new one. By the end of the trip, we were all blessed with the company we were with (Karen's in-laws) and all relaxed.

The bestest sister!! (Aubree took this picture.)

Bryce at the batting cages. Everyone but Aubree hit a round of balls. A first for me!! (And I actually hit few.) Aubree played a few games inside as her treat. It was too hot to do anything else outside.

We had fun play time in the pool. Daddy and Aubree were throwing a beach ball. Karen got a great shot of Aubree's face.

On the way home....stopping to feed the ducks.

Thank you Mr. D and Mrs. Y for a great weekend!!

May Lasts...

Bryce received his God and Me Award from Scouts.

AWANA Awards Night
Aubree finished her first book in Sparks.

Bryce finished his first book in T&T.

Best of all for everyone - we finished school for the year!!

Moses Skit for Demonstration Night

Feeling Protected

We had a terrible thunderstorm last night. I wondered if the kiddos would sleep through it. I knew my answer when I heard Newman say, "Hello, Aubree." She quietly came to my side of the bed and crawled in next to me. I could feel her little body quiver as it thundered and the rain blew against the windows. As soon as the worse part of the storm was over, I told her she needed to go back to her bed so we could all sleep. And she quietly went back to her bedroom.

While we were laying there during the storm, I thought of how protected and safe Aubree felt with me and Newman. I can't honestly say I stayed calm...a couple of times I wondered if we needed to turn on the TV and see how severe the weather was. I was reminded of how God holds us in His hand. He never changes...He's the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. His Word promises us that He will never leave or forsake us. Hold on to that each day!!

Put Me in the (NC) Zoo

Our first family field trip to the NC Zoo!!

"And God made the beasts of the earth...the livestock...everything that creeps on the ground...And God saw that it was good." Gen. 1:25

Worthy is the Lamb

Thank you for the cross, Lord

Thank you for the price You paid

bearing all my sin and shame

in love You came

And gave amazing grace

Thank you for this love, Lord

Thank you for the nail pierced hands

Washed me in your cleansing flow

Now all I know

is Your forgiveness and embrace

Worthy is the Lamb

seated on the throne

Crown You now with many crowns

You reign victorious

High and lifted up

Jesus Son of God

The darling of heaven crucified

Worthy is the Lamb

Worthy is the Lamb

"Worthy is the Lamb" by Hillsong

Who Could Be So Talkative...

When He Is Sick??
BRYCE!!!
Bryce woke up at 12:30am sick. I will spare you ALL the details.
I cannot believe all we discussed in our bathroom meetings. When I'm sick I just want to cry, but he wanted to talk. I heard about all the special powers you can get on his Batman DS game. He talked about a new book on Iwo Jima and wanted to know what a brigade was. He compared his sickness to Narnia - coming and going to the middle world. Who can think like this at 5am? He asked me what I wanted to talk about, so we talked about what faith means. He even wanted to discuss his sickness but I warned that with my weak stomach, he may not want to discuss that! But dehydration, digestion, wonders of where his sickness came from took up a lot of the time. He asked me if Sam got sick like he was, would he and his mom have to go outside to the outhouse (this is a family who lives in foreign country.) Bryce asked to pray - I prayed, then he prayed.
Even though he was tired, I was tired, I felt so sorry for my baby to be sick, I was blessed. I wonder the last time Bryce and I just talked....no school talk, no Scout talk, no AWANA talk, just talked. I hope next time our talk will be under better circumstances

A Little Girl and Her Baby

One day this week, Aubree asked me if she could play with her baby doll. I said sure. Then she asked if she could put the baby under her sweatshirt "like it was in her tummy." Again, I said yes and didn't think anything else about it. A little while later, I noticed she was laying in our bed looking a little tired. I asked her what she was doing and if she was OK. She said the baby had "just come out of her tummy."

Science Fair

Both kiddos participated in this year's Homeschool Science Fair.

Bryce worked on his project over a month. He spent a week typing his information into the computer for his display board. He can talk a mile a minute but it takes him forever to type. I struggle with rushing him, changing his words, and getting frustrated. Thankfully we started soon enough and Daddy reviewed his work.

Aubree decided on her project and I found myself wanting to 'help' her with the right answers. Daddy came to the rescue and they completed her project. She dictated her words for me to type. Then, she cut her pictures and papers to glue on her display board.

Each participant explained their projects to the judges. They both did a good job and I'm learning the areas they need to improve on for next year as well as general conversations (eye contact, saying sir/ma'm, direct answers.) Bryce and Aubree were in the same grade category. For a job well done, the judges awarded them both 2nd place!!

Dubai

What an opportunity Newman and I experienced this past week in Dubai. I could never put it in words!!
We went on a Safari Desert Ride.

Newman did the real 4 wheeling ride and they saw these wild camels.

I love the blue sky.

We walked a very short while in the Dubai Mall.

We saw the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building.)