School is underway here.....   we started on the 12th.   

Our plan was to start on the 11th.   The morning of the 11th we woke and after doing our chores and breakfast Alyssa went out to check her miniature horse, Sugar.      A few minutes later she came running in screaming "Sugar is down, Daddy... I can't get her up, she is down!"       Needless to say........   school was postponed.   She sat with Sugar.... for hours.  We prayed and cried.....  held each other.   Prayed some more.    Around 7pm  Sugar died.   We think it was feed related.   Alyssa misses her so very much.    

   This was the day we got Sugar....    such a cutie... we miss her!

Ace & Sugar ~  we miss them! 

                     Sugar & Alyssa

So we started on the 12th.   Our Heart of Dakota came on Wednesday (13th) and we started it on Thursday.   I love it.   I am using it for the boys.   Alyssa wants to listen when we read the devotional and the story time.    It has everything laid out.   I just check the boxes as we finish.    I would really like to do this with Alyssa but I already have all her stuff for this year.  

We start in different shifts here.  That has always worked for us.   Dakota is the first to start....  he is 10th, works on his own so he is up and going while it is quiet.  Alyssa starts next around 9-9:30am.   I usually start with the boys around 10am.  We do come together for pledges and prayer.  Alyssa & the boys have reading time together and devotional.  The boys usually finish around 12-1pm.   We break for lunch and then Alyssa will finish shortly after lunch. Dakota usually by 3pm.  Alyssa and I read aloud A Child's Geography by Ann Voskamp. 

It is not a strictly enforced schedule......    we own it .... it doesn't own us.   If we need to change it up, or if we are up late watching the Olympics.... LOL then we may finish later in the day.   That is the JOY of home schooling! 

Some times we even stop to look at minnows!

Even doing school at the pond....

So are you enjoying your school year?  What are you using?  I appreciate the comments.   It helps to know I am not talking to just cyberspace!  

as always .... make memories!  Teena

Now I'm beginning to understand why they called that one show on Style "Whos wedding is it anyway?" It seems as if the entire family here has jumped into "MASSIVE WEDDING PLANNING" mode, especially the mothers around here! Theres still a huge laundry list of things that need to be done...

X-All of the bridesmaid dresses need to be sewed properly and hemmed and so on and so forth. (Overall, four dresses!)

X-The brides' dress needs minor adjustments made to it

X-The cake needs decorated and assembled.

X-The programs need printed.

X-Camera cards need cleaned off and batteries charged.

X-My hair and my mothers' hair needs a test run.

X-My mom and my sister need their hair fixed up

X-I need to iron out the piano peice for the wedding (Argh!)

X-Limo contract needs to be signed.

X-Over 20 Songs need downloaded for the reception.

And most of these things need to be done by THURSDAY! And let me tell you, people, Cassandra and Chris's cake is no rinky dinky little cake! It's a massive four tier cake and two sattelite cakes! Oh boy... The drama ensues! Not to mention, the bridesmaids and I are still trying to plan a little get together for my sister (The bride). Sheesh! Lord willing, everything will go according to plan...

     I went to the Jonas Brothers concert last night! It was AMAZING!!!! It was an outdoor concert and we were sitting out on a huge lawn. My friend and her friend were at the concert and my dad and I sat with them. My friend,her friend,and I were screaming,singing along to all the songs,and having so much fun! I thought we weren't going to be able to see that well,but we actually could very well. The stage was so cool and the Jonas Brothers were just absolutely amazing. Joe and Nick were doing flips on stage and stuff.My dad even admitted it was cool! There was an unbelievab;e amount of people there and we didn't get back until 1:00 in the morning! It was worth it,trust me. I am so glad I got those tickets for my birthday!

     A cool thing was that on your way walking from where you park and to where the stage is and everything, you walk by the Jonas Brothers tour bus. I got to sign my name on the tour bus!!!! That was so cool! It was funny because these girls were looking at the door on the bus and they were touching the handel and were like,"They touched this door!!!" It was funny.

     Sadly I don't have any good pictures to put on here because they won't let you bring cameras in. I h ad my camera on my cell phone,but it didn't take very good pictures because I don't have zoom on my phone.That's okay.

     So,yeah. That was pretty much the best night of my life! Well,I'll write again soon! Bye

     Hey! I'm so sorry I haven't written in so long! I just looked on here and it says I haven't written in a whole month! Well,I guess I'll have a lot to talk about then. I've just been very busy with school stating and everything. I'll try to write more often,though.

     So,Championships. It was pretty good,I guess. I wasn't too happy with my times, but I had a lot of fun hanging out with my friends. I even got to race one of my friends and she beat me! But it wasn't even by a full second. She beat me in the 50 backstroke and she ended up getting second and I got third. In my 50 breaststroke,I got 41. which is okay,but I was aiming for 40. I did get 40,though! It was my split in the medley,though,that I got 40 seconds. I messed up on my turn in the individual breaststroke and that pretty much gained the whole extra second. I ended up getting fifth over all which is okay,but still. I know I could've done better. My relays did VERY good,though,and we got one second place medal and I think one third place! I was very happy about that.

     Then,on August 2 was the swim banquet. There were two awards for each age group. One was the MVS award which was most valuable swimmer in the age group and the other was the Coach's award which was like the coaches favorite swimmer or whatever. I got the coaches award!!!! I am very happy about that. The banquet was so fun because I got to hang out with my friends which was cool and we played some cool games. We played a game of sharks and minnows which lasted a whole hour! Yeah,it was long,but it was a lot of fun.

     So,yeah. Now swimming has been over for a while and I miss it so much! It starts again on September 15. Too long! I can wait,though. I'm going to try really hard this year to make it to zones. I have a much better chance this year because I'm the oldest in my age group and my times have gotten closer to the zone times. My 200 free time is still 15 seconds away,but I might be able to do it! You never know. I might even try to get zones in 50 back. I'm only 3 seconds away. My friend on the summer team is going to be on my fall team and shes the one who beat me in the 50 back at champs. I'll have some competition then! Maybe that will make me work harder and go faster!

     Guess where I'm going tomorrow? The Jonas Brothers concert!!!!! I'm SO excited! My poor dad has to take me though. Oh,well. He'll have to get over it! The cool thing is,is that one of my friends is going to the concert too. I'll call her on her cell phone and we're going to try to find each other at the concert and we can maybe sit with her and her family. That would be so cool! I can't wait!

     Well,I'll write again soon! Bye

So I'll make this quick... We've been preparing for my sisters' wedding the past few weeks... From August 3rd-9th I was in Charlotte, NC, for National Fine Arts... Sonshinefest was July 20th, we ahd a fun time, until it downpoured, ha! My mom made a cake for someones wedding... I had to help serve spaghetti at the Fine Arts auction... And of course, there was my sisters' bridal shower. My friend of many years graduated in June (Yeah I'm going kind of backwards here...), we enjoyed yucky weather for the fourth, we had our patriotic festival, and there was also the Fine Arts coffeehouse... and of course our very first homeschool co-op social. So, yep, inbetween were sleepovers with my gal friends, swimming and lots of tanning. :)

Full summer! I wish I had time to post photos and even videos of all the madness, but I'll get to it when I have more time for the computer.

Umm... Tomorrow is my birthdayyy. :)

Zoe was born this past week.  She needs our prayers.   Zoe's family lives in the town we go to church in.   Please pray for Zoe.   Please take the time to go to the site and read, pray & comment.  

http://babysimpson.wordpress.com     

It was four years ago this month that my life crossed with a little boy.... a sweet little boy who was in desperate need of our prayers.   LUKE.     Through these past four years he has touched our lives in so many ways.   We have never met face to face.   Luke lives on one side of the United States and we live on the another.  But our lives have touched.    Luke's mom and I have talked on the phone, sent snail mail, gifts , encouraged one another and prayed for one another.     I love you, LUKE!   You can read about Luke at

www.howsluke.blogspot.com  

Please visit Zoe's website,  let her life touch yours........ lift her up to Jesus....

Yes.......  that is what I am feeling.  Not sure why.  Trying to get our *school room*  organized.   That is normal... I usually do this.   Just not sure what is going through my mind.  

I just feel unraveled.   Weary, tired.   My husband says "taxed."   Feeling like I can not get it together.   I know I can not *get it all done.*    That is not what I am talking about ... this is different.  

For years (as you know) I have walked this journey of homeschooling.  This year though....   I will have a Kindergarten-er, first grader, fifth grader & a tenth grader.    I have not schooled four since Michael was a senior back in 2002-2003.    Six years ago.....  I am six years older....    I want things more laid out. Is that because I am tired?   Pre-menopause?    I have never had two this close...  is that the *panic* I am feeling?  

With the Heart of Dakota  that I will use for the boys... everything is laid out. I just look at it and do it.   It shocks me to think this is the path I am going to take.   Now I am thinking....   "why don't I do this with Alyssa too?"   I just can't figure it out?  

We have used different Math programs (BJU or Abeka mostly) and we always use Abeka phonics.   I try to stick with one reading program and this one seems to work for us.   But then we use a hodgepodge of things....  like Ann Voskamp's  Explore His World & Explore the Holy Land.    We have used Mystery of History, biographies and all kinds of things.  

Maybe I just need to write out my plans for Alyssa for the whole year?  What I want her to accomplish, what books to be read and so forth?  Do you do that? 

So.... why am I feeling this way?   Panic....  uncertainty.   UGH