Getting back into the groove!

We finally got started back to school last week. I was hoping to start a little earlier but with a funeral and another trip to Shreveport for Kalysa and I, it just didn't get done. It is really nice to start getting back into the groove of things and back into a routine. We have also started a whole new chapter of our homeschool adventure. In our years of homeschooling we have not participated in many organized activities. There are lots of things we do with another family or two but they have always been just when and what we wanted to do at the time. This year we have added a scheduled weekly class and I am soooooo excited about it.

 

We started band!!!  I played the clarinet all through jr. high, high school and the first year of college and I loved it! I thought that my playing days were over since I obviously was not going to be a professional clarinet player but I always wanted my kids to learn an instrument. Now that my world view has changed I realize I should have continued my playing to honor the Lord. He gave me a talent that I have failed to use for His Glory. I can't wait for my children to play a special at church sometime!

We met with the band directer and he talked with each of the kids and allowed them to try out all the instruments. Kalysa was her usual shy self and refused to participate so she actually is not in the band this year but Kenyon and Keslee tried everything out. Kenyon went to the meeting thinking he only wanted to play the violin but after trying them out he decided he really wanted to play the saxophone. Keslee thought she wanted a flute and that did not change. Kalysa says she wants to play the clarinet so maybe missing out this year will persuade her to speak up and she can join next year. I told the directer how much I loved the clarinet and missed being able to play. He handed one to me and told me to try it out. After 20 years of not playing I actually still remember more than I thought. Then the directer really made my day. He said "You know parents can be in the band too." 

WHAT?!?! I can be in band and relearn my clarinet?!? I AM THERE!!!

So Kenyon, Keslee and I go to band once a week! My friend Mamie has a daughter in band also so Kalysa will stay with Mamie and her other kids in the overflow room for families and work on other school work while we are in practice.

Now my house is filled with music-well.....almost music. I don't think we can really count it as a joyful noise just yet but everyone enjoys practicing. Even the baby wanted in on the leasons☺. Isn't she a cutie!! Remember just over a year ago when I got to witness this cutie enter into this world? Boy, how time flies! They grow up so fast!!

 

This weekend my son had an awesome boy scout function. His troop entered the cardboard boat regatta at a local lake. The boats could be made of only cardboard and duck tape. His boat was the silver bullet. They had races and then all surviving boats got to participate in a demolition derby. There were some VERY creative boat entries.

 
Kenyon's boat survived the race and they even came in 2nd place.

Between races the girls just could not resist taking a little dip in the lake!

We had not planned on swimming so they just went in with their clothes on and came home dripping wet. They didn't seem to mind!

Our boy scout troop had 4 boats and they all survived the races. As you can tell, not everyone was as fortunate!

During the demolition derby  every one's goal was to sink the other's boat. This huge (creative, awesome) crocodile's crew came prepared with secret weapons of water filled buckets. One way to sink a cardboard boat is to fill it with water!

This was another very creative entry. It is Michael Phelps. We all know how awesome Phelps is in a pool but unfortunately he is not so great in a lake!

He had to be dragged to shore in pieces.

His owner even tried CPR but it was no use. Michael did not survive the regatta!

This batmobile was another very creative entry. Batman and his robin made it out and almost made it back to shore before the bottom fell out. I heard them say it took them over 2 months to build this boat. At least they had fun while it lasted.

Kenyon and his crew won the 2nd place ore for their race.

 

 

 
 
These scouts came in 1st in their batboat. Got a little creative with their costumes☺ It was a lot of fun and I think our troop is pretty hooked. This was the first year they entered the regatta but I have a feeling it will not be the last!

Well that is what we have been up to this weekend. What fun or interesting things have been going on in you life? Guess I better be sure everyone has their church clothes picked out and get them all to bed. By the way, Monty is still looking for a job. If you feel so inclined, please pray that the Lord will open the doors to just the right job for him soon. Have a great week!!

 

Just a little update

Wow! It has been a LONG time since I have posted anything here. I don't really have a good reason for that. Life just seems to go along whether we are ready or not. In trying to keep up with most things, I just kinda let my blog sit. I see it is just like the laundry.....still here when I finally get around to it ☺. I will try to give a brief overview of what has been going on here.

Everyone has had their birthdays (except me) this year and I just can't believe it. My baby boy is 14.....FOUR-TEEEEEN! How did that ever happen??? Oh man it just goes so fast. My little baby girls are now 9 and 10. My husband's uncle just passed away this week and we got out some old photo albums for the kids to look at to help them remember the times they were around him. It is just amazing how different, how grown up, they look after just a few years. The new picture at the top of my blog is just an example. It was taken shortly after we started homeschooling, about 5 years ago.

Our school this past year was not ideal. With the whole broken leg thing, it really put a strain on our year. Each of the kids finished up their own math and language but our history and science did not get finished. I was hoping to continue through the summer to get it done but with the kids all having church camp and the natural busyness of summer, it didn't happen like I wanted. I did get to go to the homeschool convention in May and have all or our curriculum for this new school year. I just have to finish going over things to see how much of the start of the new year would be a review of the last year and try to combine what we missed with where we will start. I was hoping to start our year next week but now that we have a funeral to attend and family coming in I think it will have to be later.

The biggest news in our lives right at this moment is Monty's job.....actually his lack of a job right now. He worked in a warehouse for the past 10 years. A few weeks ago the supervisor found some damage on a pole and nobody had reported having an accident with their forklift. Everyone was on break at the time and Monty's forklift was parked closest to the damaged pole so he got suspended for it. They took his statement (that he did not hit anything) and did some sort of investigation while he spent the week at home waiting to hear from them. Yesterday it was decided that they were terminating him. It was not what he was hoping but I know it was God's will. He has been praying about finding a different job for the last few months. I guess the Lord decided that he was not acting as quickly as God had planned so He decided to move things along. The same thing happened when we decided I would stop working and stay home with my children. We had prayed about it and decided it was what God wanted and made plans to do that on our time. Our timeline showed that we could accomplish that goal within 2 years. God's timeline was a little different. Withing weeks of us making our decision the department I worked in was closed. We have seen how God has taken care of us since then and I know He will take care of us now. Although it was a shock to begin with, I am now pretty excited to see just what God has in store.

Well that is a little update for now. I have lots of things I would love to write about and I will try to  keep up a little better on sharing with you how God works!