18 1/2

1. What is your favorite color? pink

2. What is your favorite toy? books

3. What is your favorite fruit? pomegranates

4. What is your favorite tv show? percy jackson

5. What is your favorite movie? pride and prejudice 

6. What is your favorite thing to wear? pjs

7. What is your favorite animal? LUCY

8. What is your favorite song? origami

9. What is your favorite book? heartless

10. Who is your best friend? teresa and kevin

11. What is your favorite snack? lava cake

12. What is your favorite drink? iced coffee

13. What is your favorite breakfast? french toast

14. What is your favorite lunch? any kind of ramen

15. What is your favorite dinner? chicken alfredo

16. What is your favorite game? uno

17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? swimming

18. What is your favorite holiday? CHRISTMAS

19. What do you sleep with at night? hippopotamus 

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? a princess

18

 Happy 18th to our

Baker

Beauty lover

Walking partner

Parthenon loving

Gabby

Letting Go

 This week is one of big change.

Our second born is off to do exciting things.

As a home school mama, I’ve had the joy and privilege to be there for almost every first, but, like her sister before her, this is where we get to step back.  This phase is hers to own.  And I’m sure she’s ready!

We can’t wait to see all the ways she learns and grows.  We’ll be here, cheering her on!

Praying for wisdom, friendship, joy, and peace.

Class of ‘25

 I seem to have blinked, and we went from this

To this:

We joined together with a gaggle of other homeschoolers to have a ceremony together—front row, closest end.

A quick reception afterwards

Got to see her boss out at an event on the way from lunch

Next stop…college!

17 1/2

1. What is your favorite color? Pink

2. What is your favorite toy? Elephant stuffie

3. What is your favorite fruit? Raspberries

4. What is your favorite tv show? Percy Jackson

5. What is your favorite movie? PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

6. What is your favorite thing to wear? Sweats

7. What is your favorite animal? Panda

8. What is your favorite song? “Lovesick”

9. What is your favorite book? Heartless

10. Who is your best friend? Lucy <3

11. What is your favorite snack? Cake cookies

12. What is your favorite drink? Coffee

13. What is your favorite breakfast? French toast

14. What is your favorite lunch? Pad Thai 

15. What is your favorite dinner? SKETTI

16. What is your favorite game? Spicy UNO

17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? Fire

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas 

19. What do you sleep with at night? Lucy & plushies

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Rich

16 1/2

1. What is your favorite color? Pink

2. What is your favorite toy? Claw clip

3. What is your favorite fruit? Cherries

4. What is your favorite tv show? Percy Jackson

5. What is your favorite movie? Pride & Prejudice (2005)

6. What is your favorite thing to wear? Hoodie

7. What is your favorite animal? Panda

8. What is your favorite song? Never Gonna Give You Up

9. What is your favorite book? Heartless

10. Who is your best friend? Lucy

11. What is your favorite snack? Ramen

12. What is your favorite drink? Ramen Juice

13. What is your favorite breakfast? Waffles

14. What is your favorite lunch? Ramen

15. What is your favorite dinner? Fancy Ramen

16. What is your favorite game? Spicy Uno

17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? Eating popsicles and creepily watching passing cars

18. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween

19. What do you sleep with at night? Rhinoceros, the elephant

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Rich

Gabby’s Stars & Stripes

We celebrated Gabby’s Stars & Stripes Award just over a week ago. We had people from both our current church and our previous one, as well as friends from three troops (our old, new, and even one we met at camp), and my parents came down from Kentucky.

Some of her memories—her Tenderheart vest was made into a bag many years ago, her letter from Patti Garibay, congratulating her, photos, and SWAPS

Katie issued the challenge, and some dear friends and leaders spoke.  They shared sweet memories and funny ones too—staying up chatting at camp, the fellow at the Space and Rocket center in the scuba tank who was teasing the girls, and all of her accomplishments, from badges to hours serving.

Gabby had the opportunity to thank those who have taught her and supported her over the past ten years

Her siblings had the honor to support her too

And these two are forever silly together

Congratulations Gabriella!!

Since her project was to help an organization that is all about getting books into children’s hands her reception was storybook themed:

Cake—chocolate base cake with vanilla book cake

Left to right: True Love Kiss (Hershey’s kisses), Fairy Godmother’s Wands (pretzel sticks), Just Right popcorn (sweet on the left, salty on the right, and mixed ‘just right’ in the middle, Snow White’s Apple (fruit tray), Three Little Pigs in a blanket, Story Book Cake, The Little Mermaid’s Water (salt removed), and punch

16

 

Happy 16th to our Gabriella!!

She has an infectious laugh.

She’s become a good driver—unfortunately her Mama didn’t realize how far out they schedule the tests, so she can’t get her license today.  So sorry!!!

She’s completed a great Stars & Stripes project—serving an organization in Nashville called Book’Em.

She’s conquering her first college class, with Lucy’s help!

She’s fun and creative.

She loves sweatshirts.

And of course, she still loves to read, everywhere, all the time.

Hope 16 is great!!

15 1/2

1. What is your favorite color? Green

2. What is your favorite toy? Slinkies

3. What is your favorite fruit? Raspberries 

4. What is your favorite tv show? Phineas & Ferb

5. What is your favorite movie? Beauty and the Beast animated

6. What is your favorite thing to wear? Sweatshirts

7. What is your favorite animal? Pandas

8. What is your favorite song? Never Going to Guve You Up

9. What is your favorite book? Stepsister

10. Who is your best friend? Grace

11. What is your favorite snack? Hot Tamales

12. What is your favorite drink? Milk

13. What is your favorite breakfast? Cinnamon Rolls

14. What is your favorite lunch? Ramen (not cooked men)

15. What is your favorite dinner? Spaghetti with marinara sauce

16. What is your favorite game? Spicy Uno

17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? Hide under the truck and scare the children 

18. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween

19. What do you sleep with at night? Stuffed elephant

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Secretary

Gabby’s Short Story

Gabby was among a group of winners of a short story writing contest from Blimey Cow.  The fellows even sent her some feedback on her writing, which we both appreciated.

Here is her entry:

The Sock

Once upon a time, there was a man. He had a pair of socks, and they were his favorite thing in the world. He took good care of them and kept them clean. They were yellow, his favorite color! late one night he took his socks off and put them in the wash. through the night, he ran them through the dryer. The next morning, he opened up the dryer, and there was only one sock! So that day, he had to wear his shoes, with no socks. Gross. The shoes were orange, but they were no good without the yellow socks to set them off.

How could he go running with only one sock? relax in front of the tv? How could he even keep his feet warm? the sock, the sock, where had it gone? But what could he do? he couldn't take it, he had a plan! He would wear one sock, switching it from one foot to the other, every fifteen minutes. He grabbed his one yellow sock, and pulled it onto his foot, then went for his orange shoes.

But, what was that, at the end of his sock? it didn't seem to be just his right foot? Would it be his cat’s hairball? that wouldn't have been the first time that happened. he reached into the sock and pulled out...his other sock! He joyfully pulled on both his socks and lived in sock peace forever.

15

Funny

Sarcastic

Kind

Wise

Has her own sense of style

Caring

Marches to her own drummer

Permitted?! 😉

Happiest of 15th years to you Gabriella!

14 1/2

1. What is your favorite color? Green

2. What is your favorite toy? Books
3. What is your favorite fruit? Raspberries
4. What is your favorite tv show? Phineas and Ferb
5. What is your favorite movie? Encanto, but really The Percy Jackson Musical
6. What is your favorite thing to wear? leggings
7. What is your favorite animal? panda
8. What is your favorite song? "We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
9. What is your favorite book? Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse
10. Who is your best friend? Lucy
11. What is your favorite snack? Chocolate
12. What is your favorite drink? Cream soda
13. What is your favorite breakfast? Chocolate chip pancakes
14. What is your favorite lunch? Ramen
15. What is your favorite dinner? Lasagna
16. What is your favorite game? Exploding Kittens
17. What is your favorite thing to play outside? Read
18. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween—I like dressing up and getting candy
19. What do you sleep with at night? A pillow
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Nap; teacher 

Fourteen

Running a bit behind due to poor weather for pictures and then a camping trip.

Our Gabriella is fourteen!

She has a great sense of humor.

She enjoys being outside.

She’s beautiful, inside and out.

She’s fun to surprise—I got her tickets for a musical she wanted to see.

She has her own sense of style.

Happy Birthday to our pumpkin!!