Oregon Gardens


We want our children to have a well balanced life of adventure and appreciation of home.  We strive to make our family and sibling relationships top priority!  We focus on unity and togetherness, keeping our children loving, learning, and growing together.  It isn't always easy but the fruit of family love and seeing my children as one another's best friends are sweet indeed!

Homeschooling, while offering flexibility, is also something that needs to be continuous, organized, and routined.  It takes time, it takes devotion.  We school 4 days a week, at home, leaving one day (plus the weekend) for flexibility, catch up, and adventure.

Spontaneity is hard for a family of 5 young children.  Just getting in the car entails:  diaper checks, potty time, filled water bottles, shoes and socks, sweatshirts packed, diaper bags, snacks if we are gone close to lunchtime, camera, stroller, combed hair, 5 little ones strapped into carseats...you get the picture.  This of course is after breakfast and clean up!  It takes me 15 minutes minimum from opening the front door to pulling out of the driveway.  If we are going to be gone for the day, it takes an hour and a half to pack up and get lunches ready.  By the time we are all in the car and heading out, I am so ready to have praise music loud and clear on the speakers LOL!

Homeschooling Day at the Oregon Gardens was one such spontaneous adventure.  I saw something about it posted on facebook and decided to make it happen.  It was crazy for a good hour as we finished up breakfast, got everyone ready, packed up what we needed, and headed out.  There were several moments when I just about canceled because I wasn't sure trying to get us in the car was worth it!!  The children had a good time and the gardens were beautiful so it ended up being a mostly lovely outing!


Yummy camera bag. 

 A lesson on "perspective" drawing with oil pastels.

"Resting" if only for the picture!

Lots of water features. 

Trying out the fire hose.   

The pot people wearing snorkeling gear. 

The Hobbit hole. 

Lunch time. 

This is sweet, a few moments before he was grabbing her leg and whacking her with the garbage bag.   

Pirouettes and Bazookas, this about sums up the gender differences LOL! 
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