Whose Shoes are These?: August 2014

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Cannon Gets Baptized

He was so ready to get baptized that he almost cannon-balled into the pool.
Pure, whole-hearted excitment at its best!

Friday, August 29, 2014

First Days of School

Big backpacks, and combed hair, and nervous stomachs all signify the start of a new year!!

They actually ring the bell in the tower to start school each day!

Flip top desks in the old 3 room school house.

And this is what I love the most. The book that the kids will be actually using in school this year. Tucked right next to the speller and the math book. It just is so right!

They raise the flag each day, and the students are responsible to take it down when school is over, and not let it touch the ground.

*Someone* is still adjusting to the early morning wake up call....

Nolan started at the farm too! He's just a little bit excited!!!

It has to have been a good day when you come up covered in this much dirt...

...and then promptly zonk out on the couch!

So proud of these kids. They've had big changes this past year, and they've rolled with it. New adventures await!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

There was a little earthquake the other night.
It was centered in Napa, but it woke us up here with some serious rolling of the house.
I jumped out of bed and ran into the girls room to get them up and out of bed.
Rich stumbled out of bed, hunched over like an old man and shuffled to get the boys.
No joke.
(He says it was rolling so bad that he couldn't get his balance.)
I say....whatever.

Needless to say, we got less sleep then we intended.
We sat out on the couch, and Elissa and I texted eachother to share about how we each had reacted to the quake. They had layed in bed, listening to the pool water splash out, versus my crazy adrenaline fueled rampage in the house to collect children and dogs.
I got the important info via facebook (because we all know that is more accurate then the news...)

And we rounded out the eve with the kids all sleeping on the floor in our room in case we had to run out of the house quickly.

{I am thinking I should REALLY get that earthquake kit done.....}

Friday, August 15, 2014

Gettin' Ready for School

This year things are going to be a little different for the kids.
Because of Nolan's November birthday, he has an extra year for me to try to fill before school starts. The other kids all went to Bethel Childrens Center, but I think that I want to wait another year for him to do that.
So instead, he will be attending "The Farm" for school.
He's really excited! There is a giant tire swing hanging from a huge oak tree, and a "leg-breaker" teetor-toter, and hay bales to jump off of, trees to pick the fruit of, chickens, bunnies, cats and the dog Piper to play with. It's dirty, it's messy, and he loves it!
(The other kids are super jealous that they didn't get to go too!)

As for the other three, they will be heading out to a new school this year as well.
We feel burdened to try to give the kids a christian education, and we were given an awesome scholarship to attend Pleasant Hill Christian, so we are taking the opportunity. Its going to be a hard change for them. They don't know anyone. The school is 25 minutes from our house so there will be no community feel in our neighborhood with other students. Their cousins are not going to be with them. But Rich and I are trully trusting in the Lord that He will bless them in this time.
We have been working there, getting to know the teachers and trying to make the change as easy as possible for them. I am able to offer help in ways that I couldn't at the other school, and I do enjoy that.

So now that school is almost here, I am getting ready for it once again. I'm stockpilling frozen sandwhiches, getting school supplies together, washing backpacks, cleaning old lunch boxes, and focusing on the little time that we have left this summer before they are all gone again.