One Room School House - A fun Homeschooling Day!

(I didn't take any pics, but this one sums it up LOL!)

Today we went to the Main's for a school day. We had all 9 kiddos in the classroom for bible, songs and the pledge. We then split up our crew by grades and napped the babies.

Debbi took, Daniel (4th grade), and Noah and Josh (2nd Grade) in her class room.

I took, Graham and Rachel (kindergarten) and Braxtyn and Micah (pre-school) to the kitchen table.

We had so much fun! The kids really had a great time interacting with each other and the competition was a good element for them that they aren't used too.

This will be a twice a month co-op for the kids. This is one of the reasons I love home schooling!

Break through with Graham this week! Handwriting without tears is such an awesome curriculum for him. He is building letters and drawing them AND recalling them for the first time! Yeah!

Payson Rodeo

I just thought my blog posting should match everyone else.. Last weekend I headed up to the Payson rodeo for four performances and one parade. It was a marathon weekend on so many levels.
1. I felt like I had run a marathon when I got back, I could barely move. From riding as fast and hard as we possibly could around the arena, to holding the huge flags up with my arm as I rode as fast and hard as I could, to carrying water buckets and large flakes of hay across the rodeo grounds...I had a workout. And whatever I didn't work off, I sweated of..95degree and humidity is not very nice.
2. Our schedule was from sunrise to about midnight each day, due to Parade, 2 rodeo performances and a rodeo dance all in one day and the other two days included driving.
3. The torrential downpour that tried to wash the rodeo away and thanks to good ol' rodeo rules..a rodeo is NEVER canceled. So we enjoyed playing in the mud for two days!

Why??? Might you ask, do I do this to myself?
I LOVE IT!
I love the horses, the riding, the crowds, the camaraderie, and it's my way of hitting the gym!
My entire family came up Friday night and Graham and Zane did some mutton bustin, they were awesome! Another belt buckle for Graham! That kids gonna have more than me!
He is a boy after my own heart:)

Trying to get through this week without Daniel, no fun. I'm taking the kids camping with our church but I'm dreading doing all the packing on my own. Noah was so cute this morning, I told him I was getting up at 6:30 am to clean out stalls and clean out the camp trailer. So he of course woke up and quietly joined me to help. He such a thoughtful boy.

I shaved the boys heads! Their long hair was driving me crazy and it was so hot, they look much younger and I love seeing there beautiful eyes. They like it too, they don't have to fix it in the mornings.

An Unexpected Visitor

Yesterday, as Daniel went out to feed the animals, there was an older lady in a small, old, white truck sitting outside our driveway. As Daniel approached, she waved and said she loved our sign. She had been driving by tryng to figure out what "Suchawee" meant. When it dawned on her, she just loved it and wanted to see who lived at the "Suchawee Ranch". She emerged from her little truck, a small, but hardy women in her 80's wearing an old house dress, raggedy tennis shoes and using cane. Daniel invited her to feed with him and she quickly agreed. We spent the morning with Jaque, she has lived in New River for 40 years in a house her husband built. With no central heating or air! She has 4 children, all grown of course and now lives alone except for her renter who is a 60 year old, Vietnam vet who is prone to violent behavior. She talks about his episodes as a part of his hurting world and how they work together to work through it. She and I had a lot in common, we are both Arizona natives and my grandparents and her parent's homesteaded here. We both love to garden and ride horses. When she looked at Daniel and I she said, you love the Lord, I can see it in your eyes. It wasn't a questions it was a statement. She was such a joy and she kept saying that now she had something to look forward too.

I wonder at what point life; that moves so quickly and seems so important, then begins to slow and somehow we learn that those huge important things, are just part of the journey. She seemed to understand that, and was happily just living one moment at a time with no real plans except for what God had for her that day. And she found us. It was an important part of our journey of just living for the day that God put in front of us. And yesterday, it was to be home and bless a sweet woman named Jaque.

Life

I'm finding it hard as of late to throw out my usual casual greeting of "hello how are you?" for fear that they may throw it back my way... "I'm good" hmm.. does it count as lying if you answer a casual greeting with an untruthful answer? I don't know, I don't have the energy to answer a casual greeting let alone give the actual answer.

Theme song for the week... One of my favorite bands in high school and I still fondly think upon them...It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine...fine...

(It's time I had some time alone)

Ok, a little dramatic since the song speaks of the literal end of the world, but when yours comes to a crashing halt , you may feel a bit dramatic as well. You can let me know... But hopefully yours will stay intact, although I have to say its not as bad as I thought. So you might want to try it because there is a certain amount of clarity when all you cling too is pulled from your sweating fingers. I shouldn't say ALL I cling too, thankfully God has spared me some, if not all that is truly important ... Try and keep up, all I'm saying is that when presented with a choice to lose it or leave it and God asks you to do just that, its just easier to leave it. Don't look back Lot's wife...just turn and head the other way.

So as my hands are now open but still a little slick from the sweat, I can begin to grasp what life can look like when your living daily. Like really, Daily...not sure what will happen tomorrow. I'm not very good at it, I think I've lost a few pounds ( not complaining), but its not pleasant.

It is not the end it is the beginning and as beginnings go, this one is like day 8, after creation. No real printed directions.

I keep hearing things like it will get better, God has great things for you..honestly He has already given us great and miraculous things, I'm just waiting for the "rescued out of Egypt Israelite" mentality to shake out of me and open my eyes to the daily quail and manna that I have.

So, if I don't answer with "good" just smile and wave or even look the other way and walk quickly away.

Working Mama and Mr. Mom

Don't get me wrong, working mother's of the world...it would be impossible to go to work everyday and get everything done...but today was so nice to leave Daniel with the kids and head into the office to accomplish some tasks and have some grown up girl time with Kristie Snell. I made important phone calls..I filed important papers..I went to the bank in my dress up clothes...I added up numbers and transferred titles...yah, I was smart today. Not that playing interference, wiping bottoms, making food, grocery shopping and folding laundry doesn't require some thinking, but I had fun playing office girl. Not something I want to trade for, but today was especially fun because after work I got to eat lunch by myself and go see a movie with my mom.
Daniel took the kids to Prescott with their cousins and Papa and Sweetie.

I miss them though...I can't wait for tomorrow when I get to wipe their noses, tell them to do their chores and feed them lunch..it will be fun being mommy again.

BTW - saw Inception and it was awesome! One of my favorites this year.

Zane and Graham

Not even dressed yet and out catching wildlife!

Zane informed the bunny had brown eyes like him

Zane and Graham are best buddies, they are pretty much their own club and no one really gets in when those two hang. We had Zane over to spend the night recently, I lOVE that kid! Graham and Zane are very special boys, they have a tendency to quietly disappear and come back with amazing stories and adventures, usually it has something to do with animals, mud, slingshots, arrows, sharp objects, forts, you get the drift... well the other day was no excpetions as they walked up with a live wild cotton tail rabbit in their arms! They just happened to be in my garden when the dogs got in, and saved the rabbit from being eaten. hmmm.. sounds suspicious. But I was pretty impressed with their catch!

Mermaid cake

You can not have an under the sea mermaid swim party, without a mermaid cake! I searched the internet for the perfect cake and came across this beauty at www.familyfun.com. She is two cake mixes and about three cans of frosting. I am normally pretty particular about making homemade cakes and frosting but when this challenge came about, the gloves came off and I had to let Betty Crocker handle that part. It took me about 3 1/2 hours to complete but it was well worth Braxtyn's reaction.