Catching up...

I've been busy and havn't posted much lately. So here is a marathon post of what's a been happenen these past few months. Enjoy.

Take me out to the ballgame...
Popo, Dad, Jonah, and Gabe enjoyed the baseball game back in July for Jonah's birthday. They had awesome seats and the Cards won! Everyone had fun and Gabe's drinks were about as big as him. Thanks Grandma and Popo for the great birthday memories.







Creek Walkin'
The kids enjoyed walking in the creek with Nanny and Papa while visiting Liberty back in July. Papa is holding a tadpole. Everyone had a chance to touch it, and remarked at how slimy it was. I watched from above on the bank, and enjoyed a walk on the trail with Joshua. Joshua was making fun of me in the bottom picture of the typical girly head tilt that got an "Awww, that is such a cute picture! from Nanny." Nobody makes me laugh like that man.









Schooltime
School is going great. We are using a new unit studies curriculum called Weaver (www.aop.com). It is based upon bible lessons and we stretch all subjects and field trips around the scripture we study. We have learned so much already this year, and it fits to the way the kids organize new information. They get to take a subject as far as their interest goes, and it often surprises me what they think of on their own.

Extra areas of interest have been sewing for both Jonah and Emma. They have made gifts for friends who are having new babies, and a stuffed kitty for a friend at church, not to mention many projects that they have made patterns for themselves.

Jonah has really taken off in his reading skills. He often picks up biographies and reads to himself. His most recent was about George Washington. It usually sparks interesting play with his siblings as he adds historical facts.

Gabe was quick to set me straight when school started. He sat down proudly with his workbook, but promptly told me, "You know, Mom, that I'm only doing one page each day!" He works hard on that one page, and does his best...but just try to get him to do another!










Climbing trees!
When we were in Haiti this past year, Gabriel didn't enjoy all the new foods we were eating. He would eat excrutiatingly slow and sometimes ask to be fed. It was pretty ridiculous. Jonah could be found daily up in some nearby tree with friends, but Gabriel was too short. The only way to get Gabe to eat was to remind him that God could keep growing him bigger to climb trees if he would do his part and eat lots of good food. When we returned home, it was funny to hear Gabriel still ask if he would grow bigger if he ate his dinner. Last month we worshiped at Creve Couer Park, and Gabe saw the fruits of his labor as he was able to climb the tree higher than ever!




Look out James Bond
A friend gave me two tuxedos that she no longer needs. I had not even asked for them, but she was cleaning house and saw me on the day she was taking stuff to drop off for donation. She asked, do you think you would want these? It just so happens that Uncle Josh is getting married this coming spring. God is so good, and always knows what we need. Now if only Gabe doesn't get too tall before March, it will work fine...as it is only a size 3 and he turns 4 next month.




Cutting Wood
Joshua had an opportunity to cut about 4 cords of wood at someone's property. Jonah went one Saturday to help, but Gabriel was crushed to be told he was too little to help. So later when Joshua returned home, Gabe was right there volunteering any help that would be accepted. He went to the backyard and handed the logs to be unloaded from the trailer to the wood rack. He kept asking his Daddy, "Do you think I could get this one?" And each time he found his strength to haul the log the two feet to the end of the trailer. He was beaming with pride and dripping with sweat when he came inside!




Annie get your guns!
Gabriel has been pretending to shoot big game in our living room all year with a nerf bow and arrow set, and once he got wind of shooting plans - he only asked if it was time to go every half hour! I have a hunch that he will follow his Daddy's footsteps and be out at camp before he is able to actually hunt. It seems to be in his nature, not something needing much encouragement from any of us!

A few weeks ago, Grandpa called and invited Jonah, Gabriel and Daddy to go shooting. It was the first lesson in gun safety and first time shooting for the boys. They went to a range in Silex, and it went very well. Jonah is a good shot (naturally from generations of hunters in the family) and Gabriel did great with Joshua holding hand-over-hand since he wasn't strong enough to hold the gun himself. Um...I'm not going to try to name the guns, shells, or any other detail I would only be pretending to understand. All I know is they were all very proud and happy, and all came back with appendages intact, which makes mama happy!

Since then, Emma has been reading about Annie Oakley and getting some grand ideas of her own! Look out boys, competition is right around the corner!






Lesson Learned
Emma learned this week not to pull things out of other people's mouths! She yanked a rope from Jonah's mouth and pulled out his front tooth! It was pretty funny, and a baby tooth so no real harm done.