Runner's Camp 2013

We have been having a fantastic summer! Our school year ended the week before Runner's Camp and we have been busy ever since! We are so blessed with our church's ministry of Runner's Camp! This is our second year going to the North Wake Runner's Camp. Runner's Camp is similar to a vacation bible school with small group bible study and devotions and music. However, they spend the week learning track and field events too. This year all 3 boys were old enough to attend the Runner's Camp. Rosalie went to the mini-camp. I volunteered for the hospitality staff. The picture above is from the first day of Runner's Camp as the 3 boys were headed to be with their age group.

The last event of each day was gathering as a large group to sing songs written by our very talented worship leader, Daniel Creswell. (pictured below) Daniel led the children in singing songs that were very intentional about presenting the gospel of Christ. 

Aaron is with the light blue group. 

Martin is with the orange group. 

Each team works on a cheer for the week. This is Martin's group of 11 year old boys doing their cheer!

The next two pictures are of Aaron playing the gorilla/man/gun game that they play every year at Runner's Camp. So.Much.Fun!

At the end of the week, the runner's participate in a track meet. Aaron ran the 400 and the 800 and won 2nd place in both events.

Jonathan ran the hurdles, 100 meter, and 200 meter. Martin ran the 400, 100, and hurdles. It was a wonderful week and we are already excited for the 2014 Runner's Camp.

Trip to Virginia

We were able to go to Virginia early in June and we had a great time! We spent most of the days at my sister's pool!

Jonathan decided that he would swim. And he did. It took me the first almost 6 years of his life to convince him that arm floaties would keep him from sinking. He finally believed me last summer. This year, he decided to take them off and swim, and sure enough he was swimming within 10 seconds. It's so much easier to just wait until Jonathan decides something than to try and convince him!

He may be stubborn, strong willed, and a hot mess sometimes ... but I sure do love this little guy!

Perfection in capturing this little girl's personality. 

We also spent a day at Busch Gardens

The weather was perfect, the lines were fairly short! It was a fantastic day!

The children had so much fun!

We rode pretty much everything that could be ridden! Rosalie rode the roller coaster (for children) and she said, "That was the best roller coaster I have ever ridden!" Too funny, since it was the only one she'd ever ridden! The second time she rode it, she said, "That was even better the second time!"

Martin is my roller coaster loving child! There is not a roller coaster that he will not ride. He was very excited that he was tall enough to ride all of them! I rode them all with him too! We had a blast. I was quite fearful of the one that had a drop that was at 90 degree angle. But I suffered through it, and he thought it was amazing!

Aaron was big enough to ride some of the roller coasters and he loved the ones he could ride. It was so much fun riding those rides with my children!! Mom and Dad came with us as well as my sister and her family! It was a great day!

Spring Band Concert

Martin performed with the beginning band at the Spring Band Concert in May. I was incredibly impressed with the amazing performance that the beginning band gave! At the beginning of the school year the children had hardly even held their instrument before and by the end they were playing some very impressive music! I love Capital Christian Homeschool Bands! The instructors are outstanding musicians and educators. I am so thankful that homeschooled children have opportunities such as this one!  Martin had a great year and is looking forward to being a member of the Concert Band next school year!

At this concert, the Concert Choir made their debut performance. I began teaching the Concert Choir in February. I am excited to say that it was a wonderful experience. I am so thankful to be working with the CCHBands as their Choral Director. After many years of not teaching and conducting choral groups, I am so excited to be doing it again! When we started in February, the organization was running it as a pilot program to see if it would be successful. I am happy to say that I will be teaching it again this coming school year. 

Strawberry Picking

So let's be real! Why do you think the children really like to go strawberry picking? 

The ice cream, of course!

And how cool is it that we let them have ice cream in the morning? My Mom and Dad were in town, so we all went strawberry picking together!

We actually did get around to strawberry picking ... eventually!

End of the 2012-2013 school year

This was definitely my most challenging school year, but somehow we managed to make it. I suppose it was hard on me trying to juggle Kindergarten, 3rd grade, and 5th grade while also trying to keep Rosalie busy. We also added a few things into our schedule this past year that kept us busy. All three boys were tested this year and are doing incredibly well academically. They are all testing above grade level in most areas.  Aaron finished the 3rd grade!

Jonathan finished Kindergarten! He loves math and he loves listening to me read to him. He does not love reading, but is doing very well with reading too.

Rosalie has learned to write all of the letters and also knows all the sounds the letters make. She is an eager learner and wants to be doing school with the big boys. I am doing everything I can to hold her off a little longer, but she will probably be doing a little bit this coming year along with Jonathan. Mostly, I she will be listening to me read and continuing to do some writing. She really enjoys learning how to write and has excellent fine motor skills.

Martin finished 5th grade!!! I have a middle schooler! It's so hard to believe that I am done with the elementary years with him! He had an outstanding year and I am so pleased with how independent he has become with his work. We had to juggle schedules and distractions but he worked it all out and finished well! He is a hard worker and I am thankful for that! His math skills have drastically improved this year. He went from barely testing on grade level last school year to testing a grade level ahead this year. His reading and writing skills are a couple years ahead of grade level. He's really doing well! His favorite subjects are History and Science.