These Are The Days: Survivor

We did it...we survived our first year of homeschool! I'm no longer the "Newbie". I can't believe how fast it went and how much I enjoyed it. Sure there were days (though not too many) when I thought "Gee, it would be nice to have the day to myself." But those thoughts were always replaced with warm hugs, new discoveries, and awesome memories. I am so grateful for this last year, it was a lot of work but so rewarding! The kids aren't the only ones being educated, I've learned so much this year, it's been an incredible journey.

Our favorite subject by far was history. The boys really loved learning about Egypt and Ancient Rome. I cannot wait to travel there someday. Our next favorite was read aloud time each morning. Reading great classics, all snuggled up on the couch...my heart melts just thinking about it. We mastered many poems by Robert Luis Stevenson and some scripture verses. It's amazing how easy memorization is for kids. They improved their reading and writing skills by leaps and bounds and both have a true love for writing stories and poems. We did some fun art projects and science experiments, and went on some great field trips. With math being our least favorite subject, we still have a few weeks before we finish up. I am determined to make math more fun next year, and focus more on service.

Jaxon and Kade have always been close, but this year they bonded even more. It's nice that Kade no longer has to say his favorite part of the school day is the 5 minutes when he sees Jaxon at lunch recess. The boys also had a lot more time to play with friends, and enjoy being kids.

I've heard the first year is always the hardest, so I'm glad to have it under my belt. With Sophia becoming more independent, it's sure to get easier. I'm very anxious to plan for next year, but for a few weeks I'm enjoying the down time, and the kids are having a blast doing canon balls in the pool.

Here are a few pictures from Havasupai Falls. Thankfully Kimball survived the 10 mile hike out of there and had a great time with the young men. We were very glad to have him home.