Where has summer gone?

As I look at the calender today, and mark on it when we'll be starting school back up, I stopped to ponder, "Where has summer gone?" If my memory serves me correctly, (which it doesn't always) the month of June was filled with rain, rain, and more rain. On top of the rain, we spent the whole month of June driving Courtney back and forth to drivers training. That was fun! (not really) Praise the Lord that that came to an end on July 2nd. 4 weeks long~ Since when does drivers training last a month? I must be getting old. Brad and I celebrated this glorious day by going out to dinner with the money we would have had to spend on gasoline! :-)

We had our first camping trip in May with 6 families. Let me clarify the numbers with you; 12 adults and 27 children. We like to multiply! (ok, so a couple of us brought some extra kids, but only 4 extra!) Three of the moms that were on that trip were 9 months pregnant! So, we now have 30 children within the same group! We are also all homeschooling families. We had such a great time, as well as the kids. We hope to get in at least 2 more trips in before school starts. Isn't that pathetic? Only 3 camping trips through the whole summer? Our family will be taking a family vacation this year if it is the last thing we do! We haven't taken a family vacation together for probably 8 years! I think it's time.

Our spring/summer has included a trip out to CA to visit my side of the family, a camping trip, welcoming 3 new lives into this world, and lots of dinners with friends at our house, or theirs. Brad has been working hard on a play set for the girls. Just about done with that! It has 2 different levels so far! Went with some friends to their cabin on a lake, and had a great time. Took the girls tubing for the first time. They had a blast! I think mom was more scared than they were. We've gotten some school in, but not as much as I would have liked to. Learning multiplication and division has turned into a fun experience all thanks to a tip from a friend, so I hope to have 3 of my 4 knowing multiplication and division backwards and forwards before school starts back up, and really, in a very fun way. Taylor has been my experimental monkey, and so she will now continue her drills with Brooke, and then they will be teaching Ashley! Hurray for a one house school room!

We have also planted a garden! We are all so excited. Learning how to tend to your garden, plant, water (though God has been doing all of the watering!) and picking the weeds. Everything has popped up, and so now the waiting game until it's time to harvest. I have always wanted to plant a garden, and it's been really fun doing so. I just pray that things actually grow, because having a garden is an expensive hobby. Especially if there is no fruit from it! Wouldn't that be a bummer. We planted tomato plants, cabbage, peppers, bell peppers as well as hot peppers for salsa, cilantro, basil, 3 different kinds of beans, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, lettuce, okra & carrots. We'll see what we get! I am sure hoping for a successful turnout!

I have the blessing of being able to stay at home with my children, teaching them the way that they should go, learning life & education together, teaching & learning from one another, keeping the house together, teaching the girls how to clean a home, how to cook meals, how do laundry, how to make grocery lists, and so forth. It truly is a blessing and I have my Lord and Savior and my husband to thank for that. For God providing a job for Brad, and for him to be such a hard worker! We are truly blessed.

Well, I have posted some pictures of our summer so far. I will try to post more sooner than later. I know it's been a while, but sometimes, you just don't have the time. Really people, prioritize! Do I have them in the wrong order? HA HA I don't think so.

Love to you all!