Avery's 14th Birthday

On Avery's 14th birthday the girls made him peanut butter cupcakes all by themselves.  It's kind-of their special way of making an edible present.  

Avery attended school on his birthday and brought doughnuts for his classmates.  He also attended basketball practice instead of opting for a dinner on the town, knowing he had a fun-filled birthday weekend ahead of him, including hunting  and tickets to Hamilton.  Even though it was a full day he went to bed quite satisfied with all he had accomplished on his special day.

I love this boy.

Here are some things I want to remember about Avery as he transitions from 13 to 14. 

1.  Change is in the air.  You are unsure if you want to join us at a pumpkin patch this year.  "Do teenagers go to pumpkin patches," is a thought that has crossed your mind. I might just shed a tear. 

2.  Hunting is something you enjoy.  A couple of years ago the thought of killing an innocent creature made you sad.  Now you see things differently.  Hunting is a way for you to enjoy nature.

3.  Skiing might just be on your mind 24-7.

4.  This year at CC you will be participating in debate.  Recently, researching different debate topics has been an enlightening endeavor.  You now understand an educated opinion can only be formed when you thoroughly understand both sides of an issue.  It's a light bulb moment for yourself. 

5.  You still want me to give you a hug and kiss before bed.  Additionally, you share frustrations, thoughts, happy moments, or whatever is on your mind before I leave the room.  You have done this since you were very young.

6.  You truly enjoy reading.  However, you still prefer to do all your reading before bed and end up staying up late...past 11:00, which is too late.  I image you will always read late at night, it's  your innate tendency.

7.  You have no interest in clothing or fashion. You dislike wearing jeans and prefer pants with elastic around the waist.  Being comfortable is your thing.  It's kind-of an issue when you need to wear jeans and almost refuse to put them on.               

8.  You miss Colorado Springs and Nebraska hasn't grown on you in the least.

9.  Driving is just around the corner and lucky for you, you have an Oma and Opa who let you drive on the farm.  You love it.

10.  Your sisters and you have a special bond.  I hope you guys always remain tight and remember to look out for Aggie. Not all sibling have what you guys have.   

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Shane's Birthday

The kids and I made ice cream for Shane's birthday before the boys dashed off to the farm for some dove hunting.  The kids also made Shane some special presents and although our little celebration was short the festivities are not over yet.  We have Hamilton on Sunday and this time we get to take Avery and Amelia.  We are stoked for round two!

Husker Game for Avery's Birthday

Recently, we attended an evening Husker game for Avery's birthday.  Papa scored us some box seating.  Thank you Papa!  The kids didn't get to bed until after midnight but had a great time.  They thoroughly enjoyed the game atmosphere.

Old School Date Night - Alan Jackson

Our Alan Jackson tickets, purchased for Shane's birthday, were rescheduled for this past September.  I'm not a country music fan, but the music did bring back good memories.  Shane enjoyed the concert, but left feeling a little old; it's time to upgrade musical tastes.

Back to School Feast - Make Your Own Pizza

School rolled around just about as quickly as summer went away.  I find our little back to school feast helps us celebrate the beginning of school instead of dreading its return.  The kids requested we celebrate with 'make your own pizza night', again.  Consequently, I have 'make your own pizza night' down to a science. 

Our family theme for this year is....

If you don't give anything 

don't expect anything.

Success is not coming to you

you must come to it.

-Marva Collins

First Day of School

This year all the kids are attending CC classes one day a week and homeschooling the rest of the week.  Thus far I am pleased with our CC adventure.  Additionally, I am teaching Audrey's Foundation Class and am enjoying being back in a classroom setting.  

Avery - 8th grade attending Challenge I, Geometry & Latin 2 are online with Wilson Hill Academy, piano, basketball, soccer

Amelia - 7th grade attending Challenge A, piano, volleyball, basketball

Audrey - 4th grade attending Foundations/Essentials, piano, volleyball, basketball

Aggie - attends CC childcare 1 day a week

Road Trip: South Dakota: Part 6 w/Mimi: Mount Rushmore, Needles Highway, Custer State Park

This was certainly a memorable trip for the kids!  In fact, Audrey wrote a presentation for CC on her trip.  Check it out below.  

Have you ever wanted to go glamping, make a stop at an intriguing place called Wall Drug, ride horses in the great outdoors, visit Mt. Rushmore, and see, climb, and hike the Badlands? Well I recently did all of those things on my trip to South Dakoda. Today I am going to tell you about my trip and highlight my favorite parts of our three days in South Dakota.

On our first day we visited the dry Badlands.  The Badlands were formed by deposition and erosion. People usually think of the Badlands as very desolate, but you will find grasslands, shrubs, cactuses, a few scattered junipers, and mountain goats. The Badlands have steep slopes, lots of rocks, and deep valleys. Because of the formations, terrain, and unique characteristics this was an awesome place to explore and climb.

On our second day we visited Wall Drug and went glamping.  One of my favorite stops, Wall Drug, had free water, a splash pad, an ice cream parlor, and trinkets galore.  We also went glamping, which is glamourous camping.  Glamping was super enjoyable because we stayed in a safari style tent with comfortable beds and a full bath, slept surrounded by trees, mountains, and a river, ate gourmet food, feasted on nighttime smores, and played games in the evening.  Glamping was a memorable highlight that I can’t wait to do again.

On our third day we rode horses, visited Mount Rushmore, and saw buffalo.  My favorite activity, riding horses, was fun because on our horse-riding tour I journeyed through trees and mountains on a horse named “String Bean”.  While visiting, Mt. Rushmore, I learned the president’s faces were carved with exploding dynamite.  Something I will never forget while driving through Custer State Park was seeing the large, wild, free roaming buffalo, thunder across the road.

 So, if you have ever wanted to visit South Dakota I encourage you to do so. You might just see the Badlands, Wall Drug, go horseback riding, visit Mt. Rushmore, see buffalo, and go glamping. I had a blast at this road trip and most enjoyed riding on String Bean.