Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to school we go!

We've had some big changes here at our home school!

Guitar boy has started an online virtual academy. He is a junior and needed to be challenged more. 

We're 10 days into it and he is enjoying it so far.  He is doing well.  I'm enjoying the accountability.

Survivor boy and Chicklet are doing great. We're moving along in our studies...

Truthquest History is amazing.  We really appreciate the spines that they recommend by Charles Coffin.  Very meaty and thought-provoking books. 

We are definitely having fun with our home school group! 

We go ice skating, roller skating, game playing, park games, etc. 

A fun group!

Another Year, Another Challenge...

My readers (all two of you, lol) might remember I posted a few times last year on my Project 52 for photography.  I had joined up with the My Four Hens Photography Challenge, better know as M4H 52.

I was honored to have 5 or 6 of my pictures chosen for Eye Candy this last year.

Sarah Cornish at M4H has started another challenge for 2013.

Week 1 was Time...

I want to be in charge of these tools, not them in charge of me.

Week 2's theme was Pieces of Me

Surrounded by all the pieces of me...

my kids, my father-in-law's piano, my dad's and mother-in-law's artwork, vintage quilts passed down, my grandmother's afghan,

so many little pieces of me.

Week 3  Daily Routine

Maybe this is still on my Resolutions list...

out to the gym, 5 days a week, rain or shine.

Week 4 - Favorite Color

Well, this is a toss-up. I knew immediately what I wanted to do. I wanted to hang all my pretty sea-foam green and aqua shirts on my clothes line, and have them blowing gently in the breeze. 

Ok... that line is in Colorado and I am not. Right now, anyway. So... I hang my shirts up to dry in the kids bathroom. So that's where I got my shot...

Remember I said this was a toss-up?

Because not only does the color sea-foam and/or turquoise speak to my soul, so do this next group of colors. 

Fiestaware Colors!

I love these colors. So vivid, so refreshing, so energetic!

Me, on a good coffee day!



I just realized how long it's been since I posted!

No bueno!

 

We've been busy, that's all I can say. That's pretty much how we roll around here, lol.

 

 

So... Thanksgiving was wonderful... we had dinner here with Grandma & Uncle Rick.

Missions boy called during dinner, to make it extra special.

Sailor boy was hiking in northwest Pennsylvania that long weekend.

 

We spent Christmas day sledding on Mt. Charleston and had a blast. Sailor boy flew home the 26th at night and we opened our presents after midnight on the 27th, lol! Never done that before ;)

 

We had a great visit with him, and were very sad to see him fly back to school on January 3rd. He has another hectic schedule this semester, plus many important decisions to make in the next few days, weeks, and months.

 

Missions boy is doing well in Cambodia.  There is a team from our church over there right now, lucky ducks! Wish I could have gone, it was expensive! He will be back on US soil on April 1st!  Then home a few weeks after that. I cannot wait to get my hands on that boy and hug him like crazy.

 

Homeschool is going well. There has been a few changes here and there, and more coming up. BUT... all is going well!



Featured Twice.... So Honored!

I am part of a Flickr Group that is participating in a 52 week photography challenge.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge, I feel like my skills as a photographer have definitely grown.  I love to ponder the weekly theme, then visualize the shot, then make it happen.

 

I really like when it all turns out. Makes me feel kinda grown up, lol.

 

Anyway... I have been featured as Eye Candy 2 of the last 3 weeks, WOOHOO!

 

Check it out!

 

http://myfourhensphotography.com/photographers/

 

ID is Mom212345

 

 

 

You can also check out my Flickr Page for this group...

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30415084@N08/

 

 

 

All photos are copywrited by Desertbloom Photography

A week in the life...

What a week it's been!

 

First, the election.

I know God's in control and this is all part of His great plan.

It still saddens me to see our country in such a moral decline.

 

Then... the car caught on fire while McGyver was out of town.

It was an electrical issue and fortunately I was able to keep calm and take care of most of the problem, still called 911 though.

Made pumpkin muffins to thank the firemen/women.

 

McGyver came home immediately after hearing about the car. He was in Colorado working on the Little Blue House. He got home Thursday morning, around 3am.

Friday morning, we woke up and he offered to go get coffee.
He came running back upstairs and said

"we've got a puppy!"

 

Huh?

 

So I threw on my bathrobe & came down to find Miss Ruby giving birth to #2. Then #3. Then #4. Poor little doggie! Then #5!

3 boys and 2 girls.

So sweet!

 

 

Friday, our Ely friends came to visit and spend the night.

The 2 older girls were fighting for the State Championship (soccer) here in the desert.

It was our first cold night of the season, and it wasn't only cold, but windy too.

Brrrr!

 

 

The Middle Child...

This is my middle child.

He is such a treat!

 

He plays guitar - classical, electric, and acoustic. He plays clarinet. He writes very tiny and with very little pressure on the pencil. His artwork is very detailed. His room is a mess. He likes coffee. He is going to be an engineer. He was a preemie. He is going to be very tall. He is getting very handsome. Very, very handsome.

And he is a Momma's boy!

 



Around the House....



 

 

A  game of Risk takes up the day...

quilts everywhere...

cups everywhere...

shoes everywhere...

Little Bear's everywhere...