EKjourney Backup

The school room is cleaned.  Last year's folders are cleaned out.  Sawyer's Freshman transcript is finished.  New curriculum has been ordered.  The new calendar is outlined.  The lesson plan book and the grade book are made.  The library books for the first 3 units in History are reserved (and some picked up already).  And we are ready...sort of. It has been hard going back to school.  I was so incredibly burnt out the first of the year.  I wasn't sure I could keep going for another decade of schooling....or another month.  Covid hit and everything turned upside down in the world...not ours really, but we used the excuse to slow down, finish out the school year with more independent work and take a break from tutoring, and for me, to go outside and garden. I saw some amazing transformations just by being outside and active for several months.  I slept better than I had in years.  My plantar fasciitis nearly went away (as long a...

Sniff sniff, I think when the first born has a birthday and the baby has a birthday, there is a little extra twinge of sadness and nostalgia knowing I am creeping toward the time when my children will be making their way in their own life as an adult...one will pave the way and the other will end the era, just as they did coming into my world as newborns.  Sigh... Can't they just stay little? Just for a few minutes more? This one, with her summer birthday, always seems to get some sort of "crazy" day birthday celebration.  Often on road trips/vacations, visiting friends in Southern Oregon, and today with home church and pool time fun with a group of 25 kids! (My she is pretty...I love the faces of my children such beautiful creatures inside and out.)  Extended family party with pool play and pasta.  What more could a girl want besides more bake-able clay and a gift certificate to Amazon for more legos!

Summer break has come to an end for us.  Phil is back to work and we are attempting to ease ourselves into the new school year.   Our summer was spent entirely on watering systems and continued property clean up.  I think the only "fun" thing we did was garage saling a few times and time spent with friends.  No real adventures or any relaxing.  Honestly, that was hard. I hope the children remember...sleeping outside, time in the pool, hanging out with friends, home church and potlucks, outside movie nights, youth group hang outs, picking cherries...and not days spend weeding, loading the trailer for the dump, mowing, raking up grass piles, etc.. Summer harvest North South Stupid tansy.  We have pulled, mowed, clipped, burned...I think we may have to admit defeat and poison.  We don't have the time to fight 10 acres of tansy every summer. Watering Amy Working on rebuilding up the North boarder garden. Cherry picking Clay poop emojis   The...

We were so busy at the church but in the evenings, the kids played games and enjoyed time together and Michelle and I had down time to visit. This was an especially precious time for Glorielle and her dear friend (and "twin") Rebecca.  Those two girls have such a wonderful time together and adore each other so much.  We know in the future, we will have to make sure that we get them together a few times a year even if it does mean a 4 hour one way drive!  Both girls begged in lieu of birthday gifts, could their gift just be a visit.  How could we say no to that! The packing up at the end was really a mad dash to get out of the church.  It was fast and furious as we had less than an hour and a half to get everything out and the church put back together for their Saturday evening service. We threw everything in the big van and then unloaded at the Johnson's house.  Once I consolidated containers, this was all that was left.  Notice, no flowers!!!  I ...