Moose Time

In June we were surprised with Momma Moose and her two little ones.

They were so cute!  Life was new and everything was green.  Peaceful and perfect.

Here we are six months later, our big friends are back eating the neighbors trees.  Here is one of the babies.  (The sibling is in the back.)

The babies are growing big!

Bison boy was thrilled to see the moose!  He just sat and watched...and watched...watched!

and still watching...for about an hour!

Moose family eating the local trees! So fun!  Momma moose is on the left! 

Mom Moose keeping her eye on Bison.

Bison trying to get a better view!

I hope everyone is having a good Christmas season!  I pray we can all remember the meaning of this time of year.  To remember that our Lord Jesus was brought into this world for us.  For us to have a chance to know and believe in Him.  He saved us!  He loved us!  He gave His life for us!

Merry CHRISTmas to you all!

Woke up to the SNOW

Well, here it is!  Woke up to the big snow load!  Not sure exactly how much came down while we were sleeping, warm and comfy in our beds.  However, it's a big amount!

Bison loves it.  He loves us to throw his Frisbee so he can dive into the deep snow to get it! 

The chickens this morning had a hard time accepting the fact that there is all this white stuff around!  They didn't even want to come out of their coop.  They may just stay inside where its warm and plenty of food to eat!

My husband had to make a run to town.  All the neighbors are snow plowing and even towing each other out of sticky situations.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

Can you see how the snow is higher than our front porch steps?

This is plain stupidity!  You think we needed to put our "summer" patio furniture away?  Oooops!  Better start digging!

I do say a prayer for all of us in this situation!  Please be safe.  May God protect you during this time of year.  God Bless

Sing to the Lord

After Thanksgiving Thank Yous

We had a good Thanksgiving day.  Just us four, together, relaxing.  Well, I suppose my other family members were relaxing, while I prepared a great T-Day dinner.  It was fantastic.  The food was filling and delicious.  Another year has passed and we are so thankful for the life we have.  Thankful for my husbands job.  My children.  Our home.  Our cars.  So thankful for our families and friends!  God has blessed us completely.  

Thank you Lord for all you have given us.  Without you and your love we would not be where we are today.  Nor the people we have become.  You are our guide and light and we love you so much!

I am even thankful for our funny chickens.  Though, they have slowed in their egg laying!  However, all the eggs these ladies have given is a blessing!  (except for the middle chicken you see here, she is NOT a good layer.  I think her egg maker isn't working, hee)

The ladies were enjoying the Thanksgiving morning!  I think they were thankful that they are NOT turkeys!!!

 Wait...don't run...I didn't mean to call you a turkey!  COME BACK!!!

  

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  I hope your Thanksgiving last night will not stop there.  I pray that we will take our thank yous and keep them going all year long.  To remember why we are here on earth.  That in all we do we can be thankful.  

God Bless

Heart of Dakota Curriculum

11-12-12  I wanted to share our little snow we had from just last Monday.  It's still amazes me how fast our weather changes.  Of course, our snow has melted now.  Which I am sort of thankful for, because I know we will have lots of snow soon and it will last for months!  It is so beautiful though!

I wanted to share a little about my 4th graders new curriculum.  It was a bold and scary decision to just cut her out of the old curriculum during the school year and start something super brand new!  I love the way this curriculum is laid out.  It takes you through every step.  We chose Heart of Dakota, Creation to Christ, because I thought it would be a little more challenging for my daughter.  I love that it starts with the beginning of time!  What better way to learn about history than in Genesis?  Right from the beginning!  We wouldn't have "history" if it were not from our God!  So I think this was a perfect way to go!

As you can see here, this is Day 4 of our first Unit.  There are four days to complete during the week and the 5th day you can move on to Unit 2, or finish up from Unit 1.  That is what we did, because we had a few bumps in the road this week.  So having that extra day (ours was Friday) was so perfect.  You can see that it takes you through each lesson.  There are two pages from "Reading about History", then on the second page it walks you through Geography or Bible Study, Math, Language Art, Poetry, and Science.

My daughter LOVES art.  So I was so happy to see that the poetry incorporates lots of art!  Here is her first painting (plus my older daughter was happy to do this with us!) to a Robert Frost poem!  I think she did so well!  Yeah for Art!

Here she is working on her Student pages that go along with the program!  They are beautiful thick pages that take you through each Unit!  After the year is over she will have a notebook full of memories of the things she learned!  What a great way to reinforce learning!  The most wonderful part I have noticed, is that she hasn't complained once.  We were struggling with our other program.  She would get so frustrated with writing and math.  She wasn't truly learning all of the history (actually I was adding in my own things to history, so she would learn more).  Math was our biggest hurdle and I have to say I feel so confident that this "hurdle" in math will be overcome!  Heart of Dakota doesn't have their own math, but has great suggestions that they will provide the supplies for.  However, we decided to go our own route and Teaching Textbooks is the way we are going.  So far it has been a great choice for her.  Because it started with the basics that she already knows, I may have to move her ahead.  However, yesterday she did two lessons on her own and she said she learned new things she hasn't yet!  The HUGE thing about that is, for her to do two lessons on her own is AMAZING!  So happpyyy!

My oldest daughter, who's in 8th grade is doing well with her curriculum.  She is doing what my youngest was doing (Idaho Virtual Academy...K12 ).  It seems to work well for her.  She is taking two high school classes and she has two live teachers that work with her.  I still wish that K12 was a little more "meaty" in their curriculum.  However, if she is liking it, we will keep her there.  I am praying though that maybe next year a change will come for her.  I love a biblical perspective on schooling and I would like to have that for my oldest as well.  I know God will lead us to the right place.  I know His Will will be done.

October Catch Up

Wanted to catch up on some photos that I haven't been able to post on this blog for so long.  The October photo Catch Up started with my man having a birthday!  Happy Birthday my love!

We went on a huge hike!  Bison loved it!  I this he was in dog heaven!

Our view was gorgeous!

I even think the girls had a blast!

I even felt like the Elves in the Lord of the Rings walking through here! (Yes, sometimes I live in a fantasy world!)

My daughter said that the trees were coming to life and their tree hands were stretching out of the ground!  Spooky!

We did our annual Halloween candy night!  So much fun.  We had our friends over for some homemade chicken noodle soup and Tricked or Treated all night long.

Oh, first we carved our pumpkins...then had our Trick or Treat night!  I loved my daughters pumpkin!

My youngest girl was able to dress up twice.  Two nights before Halloween she was a made scientist!  It was the best quick costume ever!  She had a Halloween party for her Girl Scouts and this is what she came up with! 

 Today we started our new school curriculum for my youngest girl!  We are doing Heart of Dakota Creation to Christ!  I am very excited and after today's lessons I believe my daughter is just as excited!  It all went so smooth and we learned so much.  I can't wait to dig deeper into this curriculum.  YEAH!!!!  Thank you Lord!

Getting Caught Up

Well, I have finally figured out how to get back onto my blog.  It was a bunch of confusing issues and I believe I may have issues in the future!  I pray not, but you never know with these google accounts!

Lots has happened since the last blog I have posted.  I will not get into every detail, but look forwards to continuing with my blogging in the future. 

Schooling has been occupying most of my days, so I hope to blog about once a week.  One thing new that is happening is, I have decided to change my daughters school curriculum completely!  I am so scared, however, looking at our new books and layout I am totally excited!  This will be something completely different than what we are used to and I look forward at seeing how my 4th grader learns and grows these coming months!  I pray God will guide us and who knows where this new curriculum will take us!  I hope to share more of this journey with you in the months to come!

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:2

County Fair

A little over a two weeks ago we had our county fair!  We love the fair.  We especially LOVE the goats!  They are my favorite.  I love everything about the goats.  If I could I would have goats.  This years goats were so friendly!  I love the crazy voices they have too!  They make us laugh!  I think we went three days in a row to just see the goats.  (also, animals love my husband...I think deep down he is Dr. Doolittle!)

Even goats with no ears!  This is a little LaMancha, a good dairy goat.  They are so nice, gentle and sweet!

We are so happy to say that our sweet daughter won a first place in sewing a drawstring bag!  You can't see it in the photo very well, but her hands are to the right of her blue ribbon!!!!  YEAH!  Good job honey!

We also love seeing the smelly cows!  If you have never had a cow lick you, I highly suggest it.  I know...it is so nasty!  However, those tongues are strong and extremely rough!  You have to experience it, you just have too.  Dig down deep and let one lick you!  Go for it!

Also, Llamas!  I could have shown you the Llamas heads (maybe next time), "but" for some reason I just loved their backsides!  They are such unusual creatures!

Here is a wonderful, sweet, Toggenburg dairy goat!  Her name is Precious!  She was too, so nice and loved to be pet.

Here is a sweet bunny!  LOVE those ears!

Even had dressed up goats.  Here's another LaMancha!  So cute!

You can't forget the awesome chickens!  Here is a wise ol' rooster! He looked like he knew it all and was king of his domain!  LOVE HIM!

There were the pigs also, which I didn't have my camera the day we saw them.  Also the sheep, which were also so sweet.  I think I could live in the barn.  Maybe that is why I have 6 chickens, 2 cats and a dog!  LOVE animals.  

Well, I hope that this weekend and next week is filled with Gods love for you.  Remember who you are and all He has done for you.  Remember His blessings and the gifts He has given.  

God Bless

Catching Up - Anniversary

It has been so long, again, since I have been able to blog.  However, I feel that it's alright to be away from this computer.  This blog is to share my husbands and mine time on our 15th anniversary.  We decided to drive to Canada.  Our good friends were kind to take our kids for the day and we were able to just drive and "be".  It was so much fun and we even took our boy, Bison.  (here is Bison running in the woods at a "potty" stop for him)

After having a delicious lunch at a German style restaurant in Canada we took a long drive around and headed back to the USA!  Montana here we come.

Here's Bison and I with a view of Koocanusa Lake.  So gorgeous that day.

15 years of marriage and many more to come!  Bison is down by our legs, can you see him?  So thankful to be married to this man.  He truly is my best friend and soul mate.  I love him more every day!

The two men.  I LOVE THEM!

Libby, Montana dam.  So pretty!

This was taken at the border.  Just a small little monument for the USA. 

So, we traveled from Idaho, to Canada, to Montana and back to Idaho!  It was a long fun drive and I hope we can do something like that again soon.  Just to hang out with your best friend all day is the best!

(We also started school last Monday.  Already 5 days into school and I am praying that this year goes smooth!)