End of the School Year

  

In the blink of an eye, we have completed another school year. On this particular day, we gave awards and celebrated finishing the school year. I am so thankful for the grace of my loving heavenly Father and the blessing He has given in these four precious gifts. In all honesty, the days can be long and draining. I can easily lose perspective and get caught up in the messes, arguing, and complaining . I can easily get focused on the here and now. I can easily forget grace and love and my desperate need for a Savior. I am thankful for the privilege to pour my life in to discipling my children for the short time they are under my watch care. The years are passing by all too quickly. Each day is a gift and I want to remember that on those difficult and challenging days.

Here are some fun memories and pictures from our 2015-2016 homeschool year.

Friends Who Become Family

Every year in May we enjoy hosting college students. This year the 3 weeks that they were here came and went very quickly. We all bonded so quickly with these new friends and it was  hard to see them go. Our kids especially become close with these students and we are so thankful for the sweet influences and conversations that come about as we all spend time together.

 We took our friends to the zoo this year and the experience was amazing!

 I had to take a picture of Nathan doing a typical squatting/waiting position. He has definitely grown up in Asia. :)

 The most unique thing about visiting the zoo was getting to watch a Shetland pony give birth to her baby. I was so thankful to give the kids this live science lesson. What a sweet blessing.

The Warmer Days of May

 May days have been pleasantly warm and we have enjoyed being outside almost everyday. The flowers are in full bloom and friends are multiplying. Rebecca loves to head outside often and play with her new found neighbor friend.

 

 

There are always news friends to be made and the same questions to answer. :) 

"You have 4 children? You watch them all by yourself?"

"How old are you? How old are they?"

"Where are you from? Oh, so in America you can have as many kids as you want?"

"What job does your husband have? How much money does he make?" 

"Your government pays you to have children, right?"

The questions are endless, but the opportunities to have salty conversations are also seemingly endless. We are very thankful for the warmer days of May. 

Travel

 The month of April presented a few opportunities for me to travel with my kids. Emily and I traveled by fast train to a city about 1 1/2 hours from us to begin orthodontic work. We will be traveling once a month to have her teeth checked.

 The kids and I also traveled to a  nearby city to meet Josh and spend a weekend there. It was my first time to travel with the 4 kids by myself and what a sweet reminder it was that they are all getting older and it is possible to travel alone without losing one of them. :)

Praise Father for good travel experiences and His guiding hand as we go about life over here.

Enjoying The Great Outdoors

 In the month of April, many people began to be outside for longer, extended periods of time. I guess, the beauty of the spring time, the changing of the seasons, and the warmer weather just allows for this kind of community. So on this particular day, we had a backyard full of kids and parents enjoying the weather and each other.

 The warmer weather also has meant that the kids have their bikes out and we are playing more outdoors which is refreshing after the long winter months.

 The opportunities to share and talk with people have multiplied as we find ourselves spending more time outside.

 We are so thankful for the natural opportunities to share Father's love as we take our kids out and about. It truly is a gift and an open door that Father uses to start conversations that are seasoned with salt.

I love this picture....most father's here do not play with their children. The care for children is primarily left to the grandparents. We went to a park recently and these boys latched right on to Josh and played with him and our kids all morning long. This picture reminds of how our heavenly Father takes us in. He has become a Father to the fatherless.

He Is Risen

 He is Risen! He is Risen indeed. This Easter was a special one as we gathered with friends to remember and rejoice over the Lord's death and resurrection. We had a wonderful service in our home, lunch, and an egg hunt. 

William's 6th Birthday

 We celebrated Will's 6th birthday with a Lego themed party. This was super easy as we have Legos everywhere. Nathan created the cake piece and the kids all helped with decorations and games.

Will had a few friends over on his actual birthday. I also made cookies and sent them to his local preschool. They sent me a video of him serving each of his friends a cookie. Each of his local friends also made him a piece of artwork as a gift. We are really thankful for his local preschool and the friends he has there.

Will, Happy 6th Birthday! We love you and are so thankful for the gift that you are to our family. You bring laughter to our family. You have a goofy side that we all love. You are also growing in your awareness of Father's love for you. We look forward to seeing you grow in many ways during this next year! We love you son!