Summer break came and went.  We still hear the buzzing of summer insects outdoors, but we are buzzing in our home with information and creativity.  We enjoyed a full summer.  We went on a few short trips and one longer vacation.  We moved once and had spent many days outdoors at the park.  It was indeed busy.  We have now began and completed our first two weeks of this year's schooling adventure.  We are using My Father's World curriculum.  We are doing the Exploring Countries and Cultures unit.  It is so nice.  It goes along with my heart for teaching and gives us a good structure to follow too.  We have been blessed and challenged.  My children are enjoying school so much this year!  I think they are a bit surprised at the level of enjoyment that it is bringing us.  They love their nature walks, which involved tree bark rubbings with crayon and leaf drawings last week.  They enjoy their nature journals immensly.  Because they are boys, they don't favor any writing, but even that has improved so much from last year....including their attitude!!  We are using Right Start Math this year and are enjoying that as well.  The children love it because every day feels like we are playing games, but we are learning so much...and I mean WE.  I have learned so much from doing this math curriculum.  It is a little involved for me, but that is what it means to homeschool.  I also need to have a good understanding of what they are learning, and Abeka was not providing that for me.  Last year with Abeka was choking the "life" out of our homeschool.  I wanted to quit...but know better.....and began to pray for God to intervene and show us what He had for us this year.  He provided our curriculum...free from a lady at the convention we went to....is that not an answer to prayer?  Yes it is, and we are loving our time together.  The challenge  this provides us is as we read through a book called, Window on the World, we are reading about other religions, cultures, and countries. It brings about many questions, and a deep sadness for those who do not know God. Maybe we have lived in our own bubble too long, or they really did not know others lived so differently than we do, but we have had so many discussions lately about those who do not love God, followed by such a sad silence.  We are praying for those people and countries, and this is a good challenge for us...one God layed out for our family.  One last thought...we have been praying for a year now about going to Bible school as a family, and we will hear tomorrow whether that door is opened to us.  We wait in prayerful anticipation.  God's will be done!  Will blog again soon....Melissa