Looking back at 2011

I will remember 2011 as the year that:

• I forgot how to blog. :p
• We paid off our mortgage.  We got a 30 year, 50K loan in April 2004 and paid it off in October 2011.  God blessed us with a foreclosed, four bedroom house north of Pittsburgh where it's difficult to find a small three-bedroom for 100K.  The house needed some work when we first bought it (and we're not done fixing it up!), but with the help of family and church friends, we were able to move in two months after purchasing it. 
• I got serious about homeschooling.  We've been teaching the boys at home since birth, really.  I had been working with Isaiah informally for the past two years.  But starting in September, we have had school every weekday, starting at approximately the same time (give or take an hour... haha!), and cover all the major subjects.  I have realized that if you want to be confronted with every one of your flaws and shortcomings on a daily basis, then become a homeschooling mom.  I struggle with patience.  Plus, Isaiah's and my personalities are very similar, which makes us sometimes have a hard time working together.  However, we're improving as the school year goes along and finding our groove. 
• I read through the whole bible for the first time.  Thanks to bible reading schedules provided to our church by one of our church members, I was able to stay on track and finish on December 27.    Reading large quantities of scripture helped me understand the timeline of Israel's history more than I have before.  I feel now that bible reading is an essential part of my day.  Consistency and self-discipline are areas I stuggle with, so I'm thankful to God for leading me through the bible this year and helping me stick with it. 

Surprise!

Last week, we were surprised with a visit from my sister and her family who were headed home from a wedding and decided to swing by our house for a few days. 

My boys just love that little man!

Hi! I'm one!

Family photo! (minus Dan... Someone has to work around here! Lol!)

Silly one

Gotta love coolmath-games.com :)

No Josiah!!!  Hahaha!

Soergels with AWANA

Hayride up to the pumpkin field

AWANA friends

Don't you just love fall?

Decisions, decisions...

Making dinner

 The boys were proud of themselves for making dinner on their own. 

The finished product. 

Color

Until we studied color last week, I had forgotten how fascinating colors are.  The boys made color wheels, mixing their own secondary colors.  They loved mixing a little more blue or a little more yellow until they got the exact green they wanted.  My lesson plans also included introducing pastels, but we did not get to do that.  Dan said, "That's ok, we're a bold color family anyway."  Haha!  We will fit in pastels this week. 



Color wheels



Celophane in primary colors clung to the doors.  The boys enjoyed combining two blues and one yellow, or two yellows and one red to make varying shades of secondaries.  Then they looked through their colors at the blue (or whatever color!) world outside.