Well, here it is July 15th and i have not been doing well at all on my blogging since June began! During the "school year" I generally made time for an update each week, but summer crashed on me and I have just been a slacker. Guess it is time to make up for that, so grab a drink and sit in a comfy spot if you desire to read this for it shall be quite longgggggg.......
I love my kids so dearly, and like sand grains, their childhoods are running through my fingers. So I have been blogging less and living more. And that is as it should be. I admit i miss the days when schooling took only 3 hours and we could go to many field trips and play playdough or painting all afternoon but those days truly are just about over. This autumn I will have a 9th grader, a 7th grader, a 4th/5th grader, a 3rd grader and a first grader. Sure, the littler ones still love to paint and play and such, but life is changing for the older ones. Toys are no more of a draw. Friends and activities are. We have spent our summer basically as planned. We have been swimming as often as possible, playing and bike riding, drawing, playing on computer, catching up on movies and eating popcorn late into the nights, inviting friends over, filming movies, going to camp and VBS, visiting with neighbors and other fun stuff...including some dance camp.
As for the kids, Jacob is really getting masterful at filming and has started doing some av things for VBS, and he has grown in maturity of money and helpfulness. He is a great kid with his priorities straight and he is easy to trust for he has a strong sense of doing what is right no matter the cost to himself or his feelings. He has some fabulous friends and his closest are A, D, D and E. No other letters shall be given to betray the people, but those who know him can guess easily. He has been taking ballet this summer and is toying with the idea of taking it in fall, though theater is his true dance love. He is ready to start high school.
Emily has grown up a lot this year. She has become more of a little lady and is very modest and quiet, and she loves her privacy, reading, Dr. Who, Harry Potter, and clothes. Oh, and emailing her friends from church camp. She has really blossomed and is so sweet and trustworthy. She knows how to make the right choices and lets her beliefs be known when things arise. I love that about her. She also, like Jacob, speaks extensively to me about her thoughts and feelings and hopes and dreams. it is a wonderful thing to have such close relationships with my kids.
ELizabeth is growing too. She has truly grown larger and stronger this year. Her dancing has really ramped up and she is a moving muscle! Boy, is that girl talented. And she has in turn had a jump in her academics due to all her movement in dancing! It really affects learning when you are active and musical and artistic. She is singing and working with kids and making friends and swimming....she is a real treat. She has made great strides in her schooling and that is such a blessing! For a girl who leans and processes differently, she is doing fabulously! I can't tell you how proud I am of her. Oh, and did I tell you she is a loving girl? Always hugging and being sweet. She is our entertainer and tenderhearted kid.
Jordan is quiet and yet oh so loud. He is really into bow hunting and guns as always. He is smart a s a whip in academics, though somewhat lazy....hmmm. If only he could build lego all day he would be happy, but I'd have to throw in a good amount of bike riding too. He is an outdoors guy and also a loner. But he is also great with his friends. This is his first time to go to camp and I hope he makes some good friends. He is quite sweet and loving, but still needs to get that temper under better control at times. Progress is coming along nicely though. He is such a darling.
Kimberly has gotten her temper under much better control this summer. She is a lover of ballet and biking and swimming. Practically a little fish! She loves schoolwork and puzzles and artwork. Her reading is really coming along and she is currently halfway through her first grade work. She is going to be 6 in just about 3 weeks. That I cannot believe. She is such a sweet girl and loves her family. She's truly a joy! As are all the kids.
As for me and Clay, well, he has been travelling a lot more this year, but it has been ok. We had to use a lot of savings this year on some major expenses including insulation for the attic, braces, flooring (yes it was a need-the old was a safety hazard), another laptop, and a new used car for Clay. School costs more for high school, too. So we will be trying to recover that savings over the next couple of years. But at least the school stuff passes down the the younger ones. We are just amazed at how quickly time passes as we get older. But we are still doing well in health and life in general. We have now been married for 21 years. So that is officially half our lives--exactly.
So, one camp is done and the other starts in 2 days. This will be Clay's first time to stay for a week with kids, alone. i will have two with me at camp. I am looking forward to it. Big kids are quite enjoyable. VBS was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it more than i have in years. Probably because of the ages of my own children. I LOVE taking my son to filming locations and watching them all work. I love swimming with them and going on bike rides with them. But mostly i have loved getting to take exercise walks in the neighborhood each evening and often in the mornings too. This is often accompanied by neighbors, and that is just joyful. I love how the kids interact with our neighbors and ask to go visit with them, and they in turn are interested in our kids. I love life in small town suburbia. (Yes, I admit it. i am not a country girl and I don't want to be. There. I said it. AND I am not adventurous and do not care about travel. Whew. Admissions over.)
We took three weeks off school in June and the last week of July will be our final school week until August 20th. Mostly, i think. Anyway, the start date for us will be the 20th. That is also going to be our co-op registration week. I am always looking forward to that, but I know that is on the downhill slope for us. Kim already said that when she is older she doesn't want to go to co-op anymore. Dance will start in that same week and life will be more confined to home and to a schedule. But that is ok. All seasons of life have their good times and not so good times, but good is what we choose to see in our days and happiness is our own choice. I look forward to what the future holds because it is like a surprise gift. Watching your family grow and discover things is just as exciting in older kids as in young kids. So here we go.....
I totally plan to get back to regular blogging as we begin our "school year". But for now, that should be enough. My major goals for self are to be a living example of the gospel but to not be judgemental while trying to lead people to the truth of God's word. I am a seed planter for Him. And I have been entrusted to raise my own children to make an impact on the future for His glory. Also, i have to take care of myself without spending an inordinate amount of time on "me". After all, i am special too and I have people who rely on me and I really want to be there for them and be my best for them. Not just my family. My friends, both past present and future, and my extended family and church family and neighbors.
Well, I warned you it would be long and laborious. Hopefully it wasn't too boring and dull, though. And since it is Sunday, I want to utilize the day of rest for, well, resting a bit. Blessings to all who might read this!
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