My wonderful friend and husband

 Ryan is such a wonderful husband, friend and father.  I am so grateful to have his help in my life.  He doesn’t just provide money, he provides laughter, piggy back and horse rides, dinners when I’m nauseous, sewn skirts for our eldest who hates pants, foot rubs, help with laundry, priesthood blessings, the assurance that he is making righteous and honorable decisions. I love him so much more than when we were first married, and that love just keeps growing.

 These are all photos with Jacob because he’s the baby and Ryan is a super helper with the babies.

Expecting #7

I am 13 weeks pregnant with our 7th baby. It has been a nauseating ride, but I’m starting to feel a little bit better, just nauseous after meals. I am hoping that when I have my next ultrasound they find that the sub chorionic hematoma has healed up. I’ve tried to take things easy — the Dr. asked me to rest more and not exercise, but having 6 kids only allows for a modified amount of that.

I still love homeschooling even with that. I think they learn so much at home, and there are fun projects we can do here that would be too expensive on a larger level. We are going to grow our own mushrooms to learn about fungi.

 Garden harvesting is one of the girls favorite things to do. They have learned about plants, weeds, hard work and satisfaction for effort more by getting their little hands dirty. These potatoes they harvested from three potato plants.

Why do we second guess ourselves?

Often I feel myself doubting whether what I am doing with school is enough. I even went and checked out a charter school last week with the idea of putting the girls in it. But as I sat there trying to visualize my children there, I just didn’t feel good about it.

Several things I like about homeschooling that a school setting cannot offer:

1. Time to play. I feel like children learn best when they are having a good time. My girls usually get through all their daily schoolwork by noon, which means they have three hours still to play. Last week Esther found an owl pellet outside and dissected it with some sticks and put together and organized the bones of a vole. She was so interested. Do you think she’ll remember that more than if I’d sat her down with a book? You bet! I can’t count the number of times the children have directed the biology aspect by bugs, plants and animals they see while they are playing outside! The school I checked out has 2 fifteen minute recesses. That’s not enough time to absorb learning by play.

2. Religious instruction. Amy and I had a wonderful conversation last week about learning to follow the Spirit and how God can help protect us. Children’s questions don’t just crop up between 3-7:30. I am grateful that I can be the one who answers my children’s soul searching questions. We have a morning devotional after breakfast. This week we are memorizing 1Tim. 4:12.

3. I like watching my children learn. I love being there for those “a ha” moments. I like being able to cater the learning to their own pace, slowing where necessary and speeding up when necessary.

4. I like having a broader curriculum. Our animals, farm experience, travel the world dinners, documentaries, etc are teaching more broadly than what I saw offered at school.

Sleepy girls, fun, butterfly chrysalis

2 Kitty cats

Summertime

 Amy finds a dragonfly

 Jacob enjoys the sunrise

 Amy enjoys the pirate tree

 Jacob learns to walk

 A rainbow in our house

Lily and Monta paint at summer fest.

Zoo park

 I took the kids to the local zoo. They had a great time.

 Lily with a lamb named Lily.