End-of-Summer {field} Trips

Our summer is about to officially wrap up~can't believe fall is almost here! August has been crazy busy so far, but these last couple of weeks are (hopefully) going to be a little slower.

We had two short trips back-to-back at the beginning of this month ...which made me realize more than ever that my son is just not a very good traveler. But we survived. And even had some fun in the meantime ;)

Our first trip was to Indianapolis for a ministers conference. I didn't attend much of the conference, but I did get to hang out in a cozy hotel room downtown with my kiddos, eating some delicious pizza, and watching lots of the Food Network (a guilty hotel splurge since we don't have cable).

The kids and I also did a bit of walking around downtown while Vince was at the conference. Indy has a lovely downtown and I always enjoy visiting there!

So then we came home for a couple of days and turned around and headed back to the Cincinnati area. One of my childhood friends who lives in Alaska was in the lower 48 visiting family and friends, so we made plans to meet for the day at the Creation Museum. It was so much fun to see her! We haven't seen each other in person since before either of us was married. It was fun introducing our kids, too. We have daughters who are just 6 months apart in age and sons who are just 2 months apart in age.

Of course, we loved our visit to the Creation Museum--it was our 4th visit (if you count the debate) and they have awesome new exhibits every time we go! If you haven't been before, I highly recommend it. Oh--and this year all kids are {free}!

While in the Cincinnati area we were able to stay with some dear family friends who live nearby~Jack & Joy. And they were a true joy to stay with! Jack is one amazing cook and I think we gained 10 lbs while there...ha!

It seems like most everyone has started back to school or homeschool by now. We will be starting on September 2nd--the day after Labor Day is our tradition. We have already begun the school year's activities with our local homeschool group though and are enjoying that. I'm glad that I've still got a couple of weeks to get organized for school!

The Making of an Egyptian Death Mask

We are learning all about the ancient world this year with Story of the World I and loving it! We've been learning a lot about Egypt, of course, which is completely fascinating. Most recently we have studied the New Kingdom of Egypt, which includes the story of King Tut. So we decided making an Egyptian death mask in the style of King Tut's would be a fun project. First since it was too cold at the time to paper mache in the garage (it probably would have frozen instead of dried-ha) and it was too messy to do it in the house, we decided to pick up a couple of cheap craft masks at Hobby Lobby. Next we cut out cardboard shapes to complete the shape of the death mask, attaching them with hot glue. Vince even put a little detail on the *beard* with the hot glue per The Princess' request. Then the kiddos started to paint them with this metallic gold tempera paint. It worked okay for the cardboard, but would not coat the plastic of the mask. We thought maybe a second coat ...

Arkansas' Crimson Clover

One of my favorite things about Spring is the crimson clover that grows along the highways and interstates here in Arkansas. I say Arkansas because this is where I first grew to love it. We actually saw some in Mississippi on our way here and I saw it in our town in Alabama for the first time this year. But it spreads like that, each year it grows and looks even more beautiful. I'm not sure who decided to plant it in the medians of the interstates , but it was genius! It seeds itself and just comes back more lush the next year. I always want to take pictures, but of course it's almost always in the median of a very busy interstate~which is a little dangerous for photography. However, the other day I found the perfect patch of it on the side of a not-too-busy highway, so Vince obliged me and pulled over:) Isn't it beautiful? I just had to share it with you...

One Way I Refresh During the Summer as a Homeschool Mom

As our homeschool takes some time off this summer, my mind almost never stops thinking of and planning ahead for the upcoming school year. This is probably because I'm Type A and an obsessive planner...lol Whatever the reason, I do enjoy this season of planning. But I also need to be refreshed as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling can be incredibly exhausting and all-consuming. It's not easy and it's a lot of responsibility. And I take that very seriously when I am researching curriculum and planning toward the next school year. So also taking some time to rejuvenate and refocus myself is very important. How do I do this? Each summer I take some time to read something inspiring and motivating that speaks to me as a homeschool mom. Some of my fave reads from past years--that I have nearby on my shelf and refer to often--are Educating the Wholehearted Child, The Well-Trained Mind, The Charlotte Mason Companion, A T...

my blessed life

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