Pioneer Project Final Week Four

We wrapped up our Pioneer unit study this week. This has been a fun unit study for all of us. Joe has especially learned alot from all we've studied and done.

This week we had a pioneer themed Muffin Tin Monday, complete with an edible covered wagon and homemade butter in a baby food jar. The kids loved their muffin tins and all that was in them, and they thoroughly enjoyed making the butter the previous day. *For recipes on the edible wagon and baby food jar butter, join me for Simply Made Sunday-In the Kitchen With Mom, tomorrow. To read all about Simply Made Sunday (with hopes that you'll participate after reading:-)!), click *here*.




We studied shadow clocks and talked a little about how this method of telling time is different from our modern day clocks that tell time for us.

We watched more Little House, of course:-), and finished reading some library books about pioneers and the Oregon Trail. We also read some books about our religious heritage that pertain to the pioneers and their journey to the Salt Lake Valley. Our children's church magazine, The Friend, is all about pioneers this month so we read stories and did the activities in this magazine too. The kids enjoyed each of them and so did I!

It's been lots of fun doing a unit study the last couple of months. However, we will not be doing a unit study for the months of August-October. I need a little extra time to prepare for the baby and then get adjusted after he is here. I do have extra crafts planned out though and will post those as we complete them along with a "how to". I know there will be some time after the baby when I can't post as often, so I've been working on some informative "how to" posts to fill these gaps:-). Don't worry I won't go MIA!!

Jesse

I had my last regularly scheduled ultrasound appointment today with my OB. Everything is looking super for me and Jesse. His kidneys have both formed well, urine and bowel functions were present and appeared healthy, he was taking "breaths" and he is already head down. I'd had a feeling he was head down for a few weeks now because of where his hiccups feel like they are coming from. His weight is a bit lighter at this point than Joe's or Jack's. His is more in line with what Hanna's was at 33 weeks. It was so fun and sweet to see him and hear his heartbeat and know that all looks healthy. I continue to pray each day that Jesse and his delivery will be healthy and routine and that we will both be able to come home very soon and have no prolonged stay in the hospital. I'll be honest, if I was a bit more brave I would love to deliver in a birthing center instead of the hospital. I am not a fan of the hospital stay or the nurse's handling my babies. I keep them with me the whole time we are there and it is very hard for me to relax and rest while we are in the hospital. I already feel the anxiety of it all setting in and ask for your prayers that I will be able to stay as short as possible, that we will both be healthy and that I will somehow be able to relax and enjoy this special time.

Hanna and Joe are both very excited about Jesse's time drawing near. I am so relieved to hear Joe express excitement this time. He wasn't excited at all about Jack's coming home and was hands off with him for a very long time--never mean, but not excited or involved either. He has nothing but sweet and happy things to say about Jesse. He talks about holding him and checking on him for us since his room will be right next to Jesse's. This is a blessing--Joe is "my boy" and I hope he will feel this way after Jesse is actually here. I am sure I can expect jealousy from Jack temporarily, but he is so young and I'm not at all worried about it--he will adjust and I'm sure it will be a fairly quick adjustment too. Hanna is, of course, very, very excited!! She wants to stay with me the whole time at the hospital:-)--so sweet! I wish my whole family could--I'd love it!! This should be an option!! Lots ahead for us. I am both nervous and excited and I can't wait to meet my sweet Jesse.

Dan Nicholas Park

We went to Dan Nicholas Park this past Saturday. We wanted to go on a day trip and do something fun with the kids and decided on Dan Nicholas because we had so much fun here a couple of months ago. We had just as much fun this time! This park is filled with such a variety of family activities! The only thing we didn't do this time was the paddle boats. Jack wasn't old enough to ride on them so we opted not to do them at all. I took lots of pictures while we were there. Here are some of my favorites from the day.

This was Jack's first time on a merry-go-round and he LOVED it. He laughed, bounced and smiled the entire time. It was so much fun watching his excitement. He is at such a fun age--discovering so many new things!

Here is a picture of me with all the kids on the merry-go-round.

Hanna and Joe had fun with the chickens again.

Here's a really funny one of the kids--check out the "expression of excitement" on Jack's face. As you can see, this was one of the highlights of the day for him:-)!

Of course, Jamie and the kids had the most fun "mining for rocks"! This was truly their highlight and they all had fun with this. Jack and I just watched and part of the time he had fun playing with a little pile of sand and gems we put on the bench in front of him. Jack has been making this hilarious face lately--I managed to capture it in one of the pictures I took--it is priceless!! He was really tired by the end of this as you can see by the look on his face:-). He was such a good sport the whole day. It was really, really hot! Despite the heat we had a great time. Everyone was happy and it was just a fun family day together. I got lots more pictures too, but you'll have to wait for those on my homeschool blog later this week:-). We finished our day off with a very yummy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory--my pic:-)! I can't wait for our next day trip--the Science Museum in Augusta. We hope to get a few more day trips and one long weekend trip in before Jesse is here and we have to slow down for just a bit. I love being able to do so many fun things with our family and am thankful for every memory we make together.

Summer Reading Logs and Medals

Ever since Hanna was 3 years old I have had her participate in our local county library Summer Reading Program. Joe also began participating in it when he was 2. I've never quite figured out what the kids love so much about this program, but they do, and they anticipate getting their rewards and medals upon completion as soon as they sign up!

They have both had enough books recorded in their logs for a couple of weeks to get their medals, but wanted to keep recording until they could earn all of their "extra stars" as well. They reached this point Tuesday and after lunch we headed to the library so they could receive their medals. Can you tell by their grins below how excited they were to get them:-)?! I am glad they both have such a love for reading anytime, and not just when being rewarded, but they do look cute with their medals and big smiles:-)!

Feeding Ducks at the Pond

We went to the pond this evening to feed the ducks. Hanna and Joe have been asking often to go back since we last went a few weeks ago. It was enjoyable for all of us and it wasn't too hot either which was soooooooo nice!! I took quite a few pictures while we were there.

I was so shocked when I saw this picture of me and Jack. It was like looking at my dad, my grandmother (my dad's mom) and my aunt (my dad's sister) all rolled into one, instead of at myself! Man, have I gotten alot of freckles the last couple of years and I see some wrinkles too:-). I seem to freckle more with each pregnancy.

Here's one of me with Hanna, Joe and Jack. Please excuse the fact that I have on no make-up and look like I haven't slept in days:-). Comes with the territory these days:-)!! Not complaining though--I'm loving and treasuring each moment of my ever increasingly busy life!!

Here are a couple of Jamie and Jack that I liked.

Lastly, here are a few of Hanna and Joe.

Day Trip to the Beach

We went on another day trip to the beach Wednesday. It was so much fun! Our best time at the beach so far this summer for sure! We chose to go on a weekday hoping to miss the weekend crowd and it worked--much less crowded than on the weekends making it more enjoyable for everyone.

The kids had fun, digging, playing in the waves and Hanna played around quite a bit on her boogie board. Jamie dug a huge pit for the kids this time. The sad thing is I didn't even get a picture of it. It took him (with some help from Hanna and Joe) a couple of hours to build it and by the time it was completed I'd finished my picture taking and didn't want to drag the camera back out into the wind and sand. Hopefully I'll get one next time. The kids played in the pit the rest of our time at the beach.

Jack was so funny this trip. He really had fun in the water--becoming fearless by the time we left. At first, he was apprehensive and just sat and looked at the water. Next, he ventured out into the water just a bit playing and splashing. He moved on to going out with Jamie, holding his hand and having fun with him. After this, he moved on to running full force into the water, refusing to hold anyone's hand until a wave knocked him completely under and we pulled him back up. Get this--he loved it--he was holding his breath when he'd go under (and he didn't barely go under, he went all the way under on his back) and when we would pull him up he'd start laughing. It was so funny--he had a blast!!

It was a great beach trip. So much fun we've already got another planned and can't wait to go!! I love being so close to the beach that we can go just for the day. Most of all though, I treasure the fun times and special memories we make as a family each time we go. Here are a few pictures from our day trip.

31 Weeks Pregnant!!

I haven't posted a picture of myself pregnant in about two months. I had Jamie take one of me this morning, here it is....I can't believe I only have NINE weeks left. This pregnancy has flown!! It's unbelievable to me how fast time is flying these days. We still have much to do for the arrival of baby Jesse:-). We are pushing along to get things done and in order before he comes. I pray so many times each day that my body will remain healthy for the rest of this pregnancy, delivery and postpartum--that my little guy will be healthy and all will be routine with our hospital stay too. That we will be able to come home to our family and begin this new phase together all happy and healthy. That the demands of being a busy homeschool mom of 4 will be manageable for me. If you will remember these things in your prayers too, it would be so greatly appreciated! Heavenly Father blesses our family each day with so much and I try to remember to thank Him for my blessings often!!

Say I Love You With Flowers

Today I was finishing up getting supper ready and Hanna and Joe had been outside playing. They came in holding this sweet bouquet of flowers tied up with a pretty white ribbon. It was one of those moments you feel so appreciated, so loved and so grateful and blessed to be a mom and to have such sweet children who love you.

Joe had this tiny little clover in his sweet hands that he wanted me to include in the bouquet. So cute! I love being a mom and I love my children with all my heart!

My Sweet, Crafty Kids:-)

I got a couple of sweet pictures of Jack yesterday and today while we were just playing at home. I noticed from these pictures that he is looking less babyish to me and more toddler like. He is so handsome and my sweet, little cuddle bug!!

Yesterday Hanna and Joe were holed up in her room for quite some time. They've been doing this lately. It's cute. They have been playing so well together. They are literally shadows to each other the last month and a half and I am loving this! It's so nice to see a true sibling bond forming between them and see them helping one another out and becoming such great friends. This is what I've been waiting to see from my children and it is very rewarding and heartwarming.

Here is what they were working on while in Hanna's room. Hanna found these doll cutouts in a drawer and had the two of them make them into little "mini me's". They did a good job:-).

We've had a busy but fun week so far and it's only Tuesday:-).

My First Sewing Project

I am actually learning a new skill so I thought I'd post about it since this is my homeschool blog and it's all about learning:-).

I love to browse the Etsy shops (too much) and I always bookmark any cute things I see that I may want to buy at a later date. Well, I saw these adorable crayon wallets and bookmarked them. I decided though to try and make one myself. OK, I can barely sew on a button, so I knew this would not be an easy task for me. I've never used a sewing machine either. However, my daughter has a sewing machine and my mom has slowly been teaching her how to use it along with the basics of sewing over the last year.

I decided to ask my mom if she would teach me 1) how to use the machine and 2) how to sew these wallets. She lovingly agreed and I spent some time this weekend learning and having lots of fun in the process.

Below are some pictures of my first project. It turned out super cute (I think). This first wallet is for Joe. I made it mainly for eating out--lots of time we dine out at places that don't provide anything for kids and this looked like a cute and perfect solution to occupy time while we wait on our food. Even though it isn't for home, I showed it to Joe. He was excited to have it and tried it out briefly. He loves it:-). I have several other sewing projects I plan to try out over the next couple of months.

Thanks Mom! I had so much fun and appreciate your time and patience in helping me learn something new!

Our not so very patriotic 4th of July weekend....

....yes, this was 4th of July weekend. Yes, we filled our week with lots of 4th of July learning and crafts--and I mean lots!! But, we did not have a very patriotic 4th of July weekend. Oh well, we made up for it with all we learned about it and did for it throughout the week in school:-). What we did do this weekend was....

Jamie worked only half a day Friday, but don't think we played the rest of the day. I wish:-). He and my dad made several trips to Lowe's getting materials for Hanna's new room. By the time they finished it was dinner time. I ran out to meet my mom to do some shopping. For what I won't say--something we are working on that I will post about if the outcome is good:-). I have such high hopes for our projects we are doing this month, so keep your fingers crossed for me and hopefully you'll see the fruits of our labors soon. Jamie and I decided to have an in home date night. We pulled out our fondue pot and made a very delicious cheese fondue and dipped breads, fruits and veggies way too long, translating to we ate way too much! But it sure tasted good!

Saturday Jamie and my dad started working on Hanna's room pretty early and worked on it all day long, till after supper time. They got so much done though. It looks so different and is going to look super when it's all done. Hanna is so excited about it. She kept going downstairs to just look in and admire the new sheetrock:-). Today they got up insulation and sheetrock on three walls. They, of course, ran into a few unexpected problems--isn't that how it usually goes?! What is left is a bit of sheetrock because a couple of walls that are concrete are not going to be sheetrocked, just painted. We have some really cute plans in store for her room. You'll see them as we do them. It is going to look so good and so girly! Her room right now is super cute and girly too, but it's so fun to do a girls room:-).

I'll include a picture of the room from the beginning up to now:

While Jamie and my dad worked on the room I took the kids over to my parent's house to play in the sprinklers some. They had fun with the slip'n'slide, sprinklers and sandbox and all the other stuff to play with there. I got lots of good pictures while they played. Hanna pushed Jack on the slip'n'slide for probably an hour! He (and she) both had lots of fun doing this and it was so sweet to watch.

This afternoon Hanna, Joe and myself made some really cool rainbow cookies. They were so fun to make. The kids thought they were really neat. I'll post the recipe and how to's for these later this week on my homeschool blog--we made them because Joe's letter this week is "Rr" and we are doing rainbows as part of our theme. Jack stayed at my mom's to nap since Hanna's new room is next to Jack's and it sounded like a construction site down there. Here's a picture of the rainbow cookies:

We went back to mom's for dinner and to get Jack. Tonight Jamie, Hanna and myself had our Saturday fun night. Honestly, we didn't do much, we are all pretty tired. Hanna and I just watched tv and enjoyed some cookies and chocolate dipped coconut macaroons I made:-). Recipe on Tuesday--these are delicious--if you like macaroons, you've got to check back Tuesday and get this recipe to try. Super easy and so very yummy!!

That about wraps it up, doesn't sound like much, but it was packed and I'm beat:-). I can't wait to work on my project with mom tomorrow! I hope I am able to do this!! Details later, unless I bomb it!

The Last Couple of Months

I just wanted to share some of my thoughts over these last couple of months. It seems that I don't post on our family blog as often as I used to these days. I have to make it a priority to do so from here on out. It's not that I don't think about it, it's just that homeschool is honestly consuming pretty much all of me right now. What free time I do have is spent trying my best to juggle laundry, cleaning, meal prep, errand running, cleaning and caring for my little ones. Not to mention I am absolutely physically exhausted most of the day:-). I know once I get completely used to this new journey our family has chosen--and I say that purposely because we have chosen to homeschool and are 100% in love and at peace with this choice for our family--but once I am used to all of the extra planning and "to do's" that go along with homeschool I know it will all be second nature to me.

I am scared and excited about the birth of Jesse. When I think about holding him, meeting him, snuggling him and watching him grow I am so excited! But, when I think about all that is going to be on my plate and trying to learn to balance it all after he is here with us--all that I do now plus two babies to care for!! I am pretty overwhelmed. Not to worry though, I'll figure it out. The scarier thing is that I don't want this to be my last pregnancy or baby. At this point, even right now at this very moment as I type this being 7 months pregnant, exhausted, often very moody:) and sometimes overwhelmed I cannot imagine and don't even want to try to imagine not being pregnant again. I was watching Jack run around at my parent's house this evening--running around on his little tip-toes and I thought, "I do not want this phase to end." I have really watched Joe mature greatly the last few months. He is still my little "cling-on" in a big way--right now he won't even stay without me long enough for me to run errands unless it is with Jamie. (The sad thing about this is I actually find it heartwarming and flattering!) Anyway, even though he is still very emotionally attached, he has matured so much in his ablitly to communicate and conversate. He is really growing in these areas. He is looking so much more boyish too. Hanna talks about shaving and such these days--lets hold off a bit, Hanna:-), not so fast:-)! My point is, I can't imagine this being the end of my baby days after Jesse.

As tiring as this phase of life is some days, emotionally and physically, and I know it's about to get even crazier--I love where I am right now! I love being "stuck", as lots of others say too often, in my home every single day of my life with my precious children! I love everything I do for them and see it all (on the good days at least:-) ) as I am "blessed" to do....not I "have" to do. My family are my best friends and I love them more than I could ever begin to write or even say to them. I don't always do my best at showing it through my actions. I'd like to hope we all feel this way sometimes....but I hope they know how important they are to me, I try to tell them very often.

I could go on and on and on tonight but I need to go to bed. Most of the action is over at my homeschool blog these days. Make sure and read all that we are doing, we are having a blast!! Right now though, I am going to go get sweet Jack out of his crib to do his nightly a.m. diaper change (or we will find him soaked--crib sheets too--from a much too full, leaky diaper each morning!) change his diaper, snuggle him for a minute and then "tuck" him back in and get some sleep myself before morning comes much too quick!

We've had a busy weekend. I had intended on posting about it, pictures and all tonight, but Hanna stayed up late for our Saturday night fun night with her and I just didn't get to it. I will tomorrow! Got some good pictures of the kids today playing at mom's and dad's.

As I often do lately, I find myself feeling so very thankful for my husband and children tonight. I am just so truly blessed and I owe so much thanks to my Heavenly Father for blessing me every day with so much more than I feel I deserve! I hope that through my daily actions He knows how thankful I am for my blessings! And that when I do fall short, which is often, He knows how very sorry I am and the true intentions of my heart. My family is my forever and I owe that to Him too.