That's right!  I'm resisting.  I'm making absolutely NO New Year's Resolutions!  None!  I won't hear of it!  For goodness' sakes, we all know they'll be broken by January 10th anyway! :P

Since I've not blogged since July I can honestly say life has CHANGED around here!

First off.... We moved to the country!  I also haven't had internet since the first week of October.  That was a life altering experience, let me tell you!  We're now plopped down on an acreage in Iowa, and loving this new found freedom.  Thanks in generous part to my husband, we're also no longer testing the children and have found a supervising teacher instead for our family.  This is a good fit for us. While we are fairly rigorous academically, I have always wanted to have the freedom to truly allow so much more interest based education for each individual child rather than just a nibble here and there.

We've had SEVERAL new additions to our family in the past few weeks.... two rat terriers, 26 (now 25 thanks to said rat terriers) laying hens, three rabbits, a cat, and we visited a goat farm this past week!  Since July, Abigail has turned 2, we've moved past the terrible three's (Timothy turned 4 last week), our six year old is 7, and the four year old is about to turn 5 on Sunday!   And after reading the last couple of posts about trying out a completely laid out curriculum, I can tell you it failed miserably.

Sonlight was NOT for us.   It turns out that while I was quite sure I wanted someone else to lay out all of my lesson plans, that I'm actually too much of a homeschool control freak to stick to someone else's schedule.  And so we're back to our classically eclection hodge podge that has worked so well for us for the past eight years.

DH is now much closer to work and we're enjoying having him home so much more.  And he's been so VERY busy since we've moved to the farm.  Building, chopping, sawing, repairing, and more!  It seems that as we see the end of one project, another takes its' place.  But it's a pleasant busy-ness.  I got to play Lumber Jill yesterday, hauling wood to the truck as DH cut it.  

I've not made a batch of soap since we've moved here and I'm itching to get to it.  Our first two goats will be here in February and honestly, I'm a bit tempted to not make any until I have fresh goatmilk.  But we've decided on a doeling (for Christian's 4H project) and a bred doe and so we'll have to wait until she's had her little ones for fresh milk!  I'm feeling so terribly impatient for it all.  The boys just ran for lumber so we can work on the laying hen building.  They're getting their own little Egg Shack, aren't they spoiled? 

I know!  I know!  Where are the pictures?  Sorry!  DSL will be hooked up on Tuesday and we'll chat then...  I can't dream of uploading photos on dial-up.  Yipes! I had completely forgotten how painfully slow that can be.  But, I promise, I have a ton for you all....  Lots of "HandMade" mamas to applaud for Christmas gifts, pictures of chickens, a few of bunnies and puppies, and lots of Baby Sarah who is growing so very fast! 

Stay tuned.... this next year is going to be a doozy!

Blessings,

Kelly