Last Year

 What a year we had…

Nate played Airsoft with his Trail Life troop

 

The kids and I refinished some furniture for the new house

We got our septic system installed

Officially celebrated Katie’s graduation

A beautiful day for a trip to the zoo

An Underwater AHG Daddy Daughter Dance: two mermaids, a shark, and a jellyfish

These two hung a bat box

We placed flags in the area of a church for a military funeral

We conquered gravel piles

They went spelunking

We went to breakfast

We celebrated Easter

The four of us went to the area AHG Spring Camporee

Nate went backpacking

I found this man looking not suspicious at all when I was at the grocery store one

Gabby went to prom with some friends

We made our first ever stop at Buckee’s

On our way to the Gulf Coast

These guys baked cookies for the summer research students at the university

Katie went back to camp as a photographer for the summer

These gals went to see the new Little Mermaid movie

Nate helped fix the broken driver’s seat in our truck

Ellie became a communing member of our church

I got to help add sand to the area around our new propane tank

We moved (mostly)

Finally

Then three of us took off for summer camp

Ellie and I got a flat and had to change a tire

 

I turned over the key of our old house

Nate started piano lessons in a new spot

We worked

And worked

And Gabby finished her Stars & Stripes project for Book’em

We got some new furniture

Ellie and I made green tomato relish

 

I made a quick trip to Dauphin Island for a mom’s homeschool lab course

Gabby finished Driver’s Ed.

Ellie made a first aid kit

Katie started practicing her new skills at home

 

Halloween

General shenanigans

 

We got to visit Katie at school.

Ellie took gymnastics classes

We explored our new hometown 

And enjoyed the fair here

Miss Gabby received her official Stars & Stripes Award in the mail

We celebrated my mom’s birthday when she came to Nashville—a facial with Katie and Ellie and I took her to lunch at Puffy Muffin

We stopped by the grand opening of the town’s new coffee shop.

These gals joined a new AHG troop

Gabby drove off on her own for the very first time.

We decorated for Christmas 

 

Nate had a Christmas piano recital

Ellie helped make Christmas cookies

I took Nate out for gelato waffles

Gabby had a friend visit from Virginia

Our new church hosted a gingerbread house decorating night

And that’s a wrap!

Friday Funny

When I was picking out a 2024 calendar:

Wait…we change he calendar every year.  They always look the same. -Ellie

Geography

One of the things I have never had a super strong grasp of is world geography.  Nate has had an interest in it for several years, so before he needed to start being concerned with high school level classes, I decided we’d dedicate this year’s history/social studies to regular geography study.

We’ve sung songs, made mnemonics, and learned a good bit of geography.

So often the path of learning isn’t clear, so this was awesome to compare…August (prior to any instruction in geography) to December (completely from memory).  They are not perfect, but oh my how much they have learned!!

So proud of these two!

Cake Season 2023

This year’s cake round up:

Elliana

*****

Katherine

*****

Gabriella 

*****

Nathaniel

*****

Bonus:

Mine

14

This fellow has grown so much this year that I can’t measure him myself anymore.

 

Our only boy

Works hard

Tree climber

Is good big brother

Is always working hard in Trail Life—he most recently taught Fire Safety and Fire Building at a multi troop event, on his way to the Ridgeline Award.  Looking forward to celebrating once he’s gone through his Board of Review.

He has a servant heart—baking for a new mama here—but he’s often the first to jump in if he sees something needs to be done.

And he is so fun—Indiana Jones to trick-or-treat with Ellie this Halloween so she didn’t have to go alone.

Happy 14th!!!

Friday Funny

 As Justin was playing guitar:

That sounds like a pickle tastes!

- Gabby