Eighteen years ago this week I came home from a semester in Jerusalem.  Kerri, you are right-it is almost 20 years-and that makes us officially old.  This time of year is always tender to be me because of the time I spent in Jerusalem.  I can hardly get through Christmas carols or talking about my experiences there without getting too emotional.  It did truly change my life.  My faith today is in large measure due to my time there.  And this morning I was reminded of a night I shared with my friends while staying on the shores of Galilee.  I wrote the experience in my journal and I felt like I needed to share it here.  Not sure why.  Maybe this is for you, Kerri, and for all the other girls that night! 

Nov. 20, 1997

“After dinner a group sat around in a our room and talked.  We talked about life and love and Jerusalem.  We talked about our favorite things about Jerusalem-the funny moments, the sad ones.  The moments we’ll never forget.  What sparked the conversation was a letter Jen Browning got from her cousin who was here 10 years ago.  She read it to us as we sat together and it was such a special moment.  Her cousin said that she’d just gone to her 10 year reunion for Jerusalem and it was just like they’d never left.  They were still one big family she said.  She then told of her feelings for Jerusalem-how it had changed her life-how it was home to her-how she thinks of it every day.  It was wonderful to hear her thoughts-to hear her express her love for Jerusalem.  She is now a mother and closed her letter as she was “going Christmas shopping.” As we all sat in our room we knew that would us us in 10 years.  We’ll look back with fond, vivid memories of this wonderful place and experience.  We were all a bit teary eyed as Jen finished reading that letter.  It was like we’d taken a time machine forward while her cousin had taken one back.  It’s so sad to think that it’s almost over, we don’t want it to ever end! We’re kind of in a time warp here.  Our regular lives almost stand still.  To think that we have to go back to the real world soon is scary and sad.  But at the same time it’s exciting. 

We spent the next two hours straight talking about our favorite times or scariest times, our sad moments and our happy ones.  Our most spiritual moments, our favorite field trips, our favorite teachers and their quirky personalities-we laughed and cried- it was the best!!  To sit around with all my friends here-there was at least 10 of us-and bond like that… those are the most precious moments in life I think.  At least most precious to me.  They’re conversations and laughter and tears that I want to just bottle up so I can listen to them later and re-live them.  I was reading in Jesus the Christ later and I found a quote that fit my feelings exactly.  “Mere pleasure is at best fleeting; happiness is abiding, for in the recollection thereof is joy renewed.” That makes me so happy to know that I will be able to look back on my experiences here and by reliving them I will experience the joy I’ve felt all over!  Our happiest moments we can relive and feel joy again!

Then later we went for a walk along the water and happened along Cam Pederson playing his guitar.  We sat down and listened to him sing and play as we looked at Galilee before us and the stars above us.  He sang his Jerusalem, City of Peace song.  It describes our experience here perfectly and all were in tears again.  What a wonderful moment in time-again.  One I would just love to capture.  These moments are so vivid in my mind now and I don’t ever want them to fade.”

Across the ocean are my deepest emotions and memories that will never cease.

We just finished up fall term in our homeschool co-op where I taught a class about ancient Egypt.  I had an absolute blast and I’m pretty sure the kids did too. 

The Queen of Egypt showed up on the first day of class and taught every lesson.  She brought a kid size sarcophagus with her.

On the day we learned about mummies, the kiddos mummified one of their stuffed animals.

They also got to mummify each other.  Then they were laid to rest in the sarcophagus.

This is Levi doing the mummifying.

Each child could write to the Queen of Egypt in Hieroglyphics to earn a treat.  I had several that took the challenge, but one actually sent me a letter in the mail and it said, “Dear Queen of Egypt, What are you going to give me?”.  Well, that little stinker got a letter back (in hieroglyphics, of course) that said, “You’ll have to wait and see.” 

The kids made Egyptian murals to document their learning.

We made pyramids out of sugar cubes. 

I let Liberty make one at home and after a few hours I could already see erosion happening…..

We call this “Saliva Erosion” for those who want the technical term.

I love our co-op!  And I love teaching.  So glad I get the opportunity.  One of the moms in our co-op even blogged about me on her blog!
http://www.mentorofleaders.com/ancient-egypt-comes-to-life/

Next term we’ll be learning about Ancient Greece.  I’m still trying to decide who I’ll be.  Helen of Troy or Venus?  Or maybe Athena!  

I know it’s almost Thanksgiving, but it’s never too late to see cute little kiddos dressed up in their Halloween costumes, right???

First up is Ariel.

Then a Clone Trooper- I mean a Shock Trooper.

Then the Pirate

This costume was born on Talk Like  Pirate Day at Krispy Kreme.  It got us a dozen doughnuts for free so he figured it might work with candy too.

Reagan was a Ranger from the book series Ranger’s Apprentice.  His costume has quite the back story.  About five days before Halloween he tells me that he wants to dress up to hand out candy at the door (because I won’t let them trick or treat after 12).  I said ok, but you are paying for the costume yourself.  The day before Halloween he tells me, “Mom, I HAVE to go today to get the stuff for my costume.”  Well, “today” was not possible and since he lucked out and Halloween was on a Saturday this year he had all day to get what he needed.  He led me to believe he only needed a few things so on Halloween I took the boy shopping.  On the way to Goodwill I found out that the “few things” on his list were really about twenty things.   He also informed me that he needed to make a cloak.  With a hood.  “No sweat, Mom, I can totally make it myself in less than four hours even though I don’t know how to use a sewing machine, have no fabric or pattern and don’t know the first thing about making clothing.”  He also informed me that he was planning to climb on the roof and drop the candy down from the roof into the trick or treater’s bags.  You can imagine how that idea went over.  And you can imagine his reaction to my reaction to that idea. 

After three two hours of searching he still had not gotten all the pieces.  Though I will say his boots were a real find.  Perfect, in fact.  He finally managed to get some fabric and brought it home 1.5 hours before it was time for trick or treating and begged me to help him.  We did our best, but the hood was beyond our skill and time constraints.  He was disappointed, but such is life when you spring something like that on mom at the last minute.  Ironically enough, I spent more time getting the non-trick or treater in my house ready than the three who actually went door knocking.  Next year guess who’s going to say no unless it’s at least two weeks ahead of time.  He did end up taking his siblings around the neighborhood, though, so his costume did get some mileage.  And, he fulfilled his Aunt Alli’s dying wish.  Here is her email response at seeing him dressed as a Ranger:

“Oh my gosh! This is the proudest moment of my aunt hood.  Did Reagan really decide to be a ranger, with a cloak and everything?  Did he wear an oak leaf?  My life has met its meaning, my nephew read a series I have been dying to have him read for ages and he loves the books so much he dresses up as a character for Halloween.  Seriously it just can’t get any greater then this, I should die now. “

With our Wesel cousins, Hewey, Dewey and Lewey. 

Good times!

Yes, I know it’s almost Thanksgiving, but it’s never too late to see cute little kiddos and their pumpkins from Halloween, right?

Cade’s plan, drawn free hand.

Two things: 1. I’d smile like that too if I didn’t have to clean out the goopy gunk in the pumpkin.  2. Yup, pretty much nothin on top of  Rock’s head.  Sometimes I’m glad I’m short.   

Can you say, “Hallmark Card”?

We love Fall and the beautiful leaves afire in our back yard. 

The kids start raking them up as soon as the first few fall even if there are only five on the ground!  So once we finally have enough to jump in, mom has to get involved, which I did last week.

Love the airborne shots

Love fall!  Love this face!

That date is significant for most people over 35 because it was the date that Marty McFly/Michael J. Fox went to the “future” in Back to the Future II.  In honor of Reagan’s 13th birthday which happens to be on that same day, we watched the first two movies in the series with the older boys.  We stayed up ON A SCHOOL NIGHT and watched both movies back to back. 

The boys loved them and I was reminded of three things;  1. How good the first movie really is 2. The days when Michael J. Fox was my teenage heartthrob, and 3.  Just how old that makes me.  But really, the fact that I now officially have a teenager is better proof of my age.

Reagan has made some friends at school, so we had them over for a party a few days later.  It made my heart so happy to hear him downstairs laughing and goofing off with friends again.  It has taken a long time for him to find his place here, but I think he’s finally getting there.

Reagan continues to love his new school.  He is really thriving.  They are much more hands on at this school and so he is really enjoying it.  Here is a project he did for his social studies class:

Rather than making them write a paper about the person they were studying, his teacher let them get creative.  Reagan made this rhino out of legos as part of his presentation on the first zooligist.

I went to his parent-teacher conferences last week and was thrilled to hear all of his teachers rave about him.  He’s a good student and a leader in his classes.  The teachers all love his insatiable curiosity.  They told me that he thinks on a higher plane than his peers.  He thinks deeply about things and pushes himself to do better.  His writing teacher said while she is trying to get the other kids to even use commas, Reagan is asking how to improve his sentence structure, word choice and really improve his craft.  I was a bit nervous about sending him to school full time and this school in particular, but listening to those teachers tell me about the one on one experiences they are having with my son as they work to help him learn at his level showed me that we made the right choice.  This is a good fit for him and our family and I’m so glad! 

Keep up the good work, Bud!  We love you.

Time for the annual pumpkin patch post.  We have found a great farm with lots of free things for the kids to do, lots of beautiful pumpkins to pick and the yummiest fresh doughnuts and hot chocolate.  Our tradition just got better!

The Corn Box

The Toys

Hay bail slide (Levi and Cade)

The Pumpkin Patch

Since this boy turned 13 the day before this I thought it would be good to do a little compare and contrast…..

Extreme cuteness age 2 or 3

Five year olds are just hams.  At least mine are.

Levi spent the entire time running around like an antelope all over the pumpkin patch.  He rarely stopped long enough for me to get a picture.

 
Hayride back.  I think Libby looks like my cousin Emily at the same age in this picture-anyone else agree? 

Time to take em home!  She wanted a ride in the pink wheel barrow.

The next day we did our 2nd  favorite October tradition with Alli!

Stay tuned for Reagan’s birthday, leaf jumping and Halloween!

Liberty and Levi and I had our first free week the end of September.  That’s when we put “book” learning aside  and explore the outdoors or bake or whatever they want to do.  I let them choose what we do that week.  This time we went to the zoo, went fishing, read Harry Potter for2 hours straight one day, watched the red moon one night… you get the idea.

The Zoo:

Levi’s favorite animal is still the fox.

This guy actually roared!  I’ve never heard one roar in person.  It was pretty cool! 

One of my biggest pet peeves is when zoos or other places like it make you walk through the gift store to get in or out of the zoo.  Our zoo just made a new gift shop and I now have to walk my kids through the valley of the shadow of want just to get out of the zoo.  Liberty made a bee line for the big pink wall.  In my opinion, the only good thing about this new exit to the zoo is this hilarious picture.

We also visited the beautiful rose garden by the zoo and I got this awesome picture. 

Roses are one of those creations that prove to me there is a God.  They are so intricate and perfect. 

Fishing Trip:

Levi has been begging to do this for weeks.  He fished for about 1/2 an hour before his hook got stuck in a tree across the river and had to be broken off just to save the pole. 
Fishing Rule Number 1: Don’t be over zealous in your casting. Fishing Rule Number 2: Always bring extra hooks in case you break rule number 1.  

Stopped at the Library on the way home…

The Red Moon:

Yeah, that’s how pathetic my camera is.  Sigh. 

We also decorated for Halloween; put the bat cave back up.

Levi’s friends said we had “the coolest house ever!”

We had a new patio put in this summer!  It took forever and I am convinced all contractors are difficult to work with, but it is done and here are the results.

Before:

I didn’t get a good picture before they started hacking into it, but if you look to the right of the door up against the house you can kind of see how the patio was cracking and flipping up into the siding.  The whole patio was cracking and sinking towards the house.  We didn’t want water in the basement so we HAD to get a new basement. 

The boys thought the demolition was awesome….

Even the neighbors wanted to watch men using sledgehammers. 

Pouring day.  They showed up at 5:30 in the morning so the heat wouldn’t dry it too fast.  The neighbors weren’t happy.
Sorry for the bad pictures quality.

The lower section will have comfy furniture on it next year when we can afford it.  And a fire pit too!  

Right about the time this was finished, the flies got bad, so we are looking forward to next year when we can use it the whole summer!