We've had a really dry summer and fall.  So when the rain came we were very happy to see it.  I don't recall which day it rained but I had these pictures ready to blog.

Matthew and Eli decided that they wanted to go play in it, so they went and played football.  When the rain started it was actually large pieces of hail.  But as you can see they had a blast!

Well, this is a sad day for our household, after four years of splashing and playing in our pool it finally broke.  It looks like a seam gave way, I think I'm actually going to cry.  We got it at a yard sale for a fantastic price and have loved it every since.  We'd spend all our warm summer days swimming.  Kenan said God has a time for everything and I do believe that, but I hate admitting it some times, and I hate to even question why the pool, it brought such joy for us.  It looks like we'll be playing board games, taking more walks, and maybe getting out some school projects to fill our summer days.  Any suggestions?????

Outside of our normal school activities we had rain today.  I was also a little under the weather since I started a new medicine.  So anyway, when I got up from my little nap it was still raining and I looked around for the children.  They have always been so good to me when I take naps, like mice.  I found Matthew in his hunting hat, a CHURCH shirt 1/2 way unbuttoned, a play gun on his side and playing outside in the rain.  I found out later that he was playing Indiana Jones.  I found Eli doing her new hobbie of scrapbooking, and Zachary was doing his favorite thing and was reading.  I was glad to see them being productive and not wasting their time.  Our homeschooling is really paying off and it's moments like these that make me proud.  Zachary was up bring and early the other morning and Kenan gave him the morning off from doing Math, which totally surpised me.  So he was engulfed in yet another book.

All winter our oldest, (13) has been growing his hair.  So needless to say a hair cut was way overdue in mommy's eye's.  Being 13 is hard and you want to start developing your own personality and ideas.  So when he asked us to let it grow we said sure.  Well summer is making his head pretty hot, so he asked for a hair cut.  I'm blessed in the fact that daddy can use the clippers better then mommy.  So here's a before and after shot, we think that we cut off about 3 in. or more.

Daddy had a moment with the children that I just had to share.  We try really, really hard to teach team work in our family.  Daddy cuts trees down on the side and we pay the kids to help with the clean up.  Each weekend (when the weather is nice) we do stuff outside.  Since daddy works all day the weekend is our family time, unless mommy has a show.  So when it came time to sell the dog kennel we had to first take it down.  So bright and early Saturday morning, Kenan had all the children out helping him tear it down.  Not all families work well together, and we sure have our moments, but I was happy to see everyone working well this particular day.

Wow, I had so much fun at a local Christian ROCK Concet last night.  Our church went to Winter Jam, Christian artists included: Mandisa, New Song, Skillet, Mercy Me, Barlow Girl, and Tony Nolan was the speaker.  If you have not heard of any of those bands, some of there songs are playing on my playlist below.  We got home around 11:30 p.m. and I told the kids that I'd have to talk to daddy about that 6:00 A.M. math lesson.  So we got to sleep in today and it sure was nice.  We started school around 11:00 or so, and finished up around 4:00.  Check out the pictures below.

Waiting before the concert!

Getting excited about the next artist!

This is one of Skillet's songs, they had fire shooting off the stage, it was so cool!

We just got done seeing skillet!

Barlow Girl

I felt like a teenager again!!!

One tired Rocker!

Our other little Rocker was trying to Sleep,  I don't know how, this music was so loud.

I took so many more pictures, but they did not turn out very well, but the memories were priceless.  While Mercy Me was singing their signature song "I can only Imagine" I witnessed a group of people worshipping in sign language, it was so awesome!  I was so blessed.  My friends after the show were laughing at the way I was headbanging with the kids (my neck still hurts).  They were amazed that I knew the words to the songs, some thought it to be just noise.  Christians can have fun!!!!

Well, we finished Eli's room just in time for her birthday.  As now that I have my camera I can show you how it turned out.  Is this fun or what!!  I'll post more when I get the boys room done.

Well, I've not blogged in several days for the simple fact that my daughter turned 12 this past weekend.  I spent all of last week painting her room.  She helped get the rolling done and I did all the poka dots.  We did a light pink base with hot pink poka dots  She loves it, and so do I! 

We also did another week of Geography lessons.  I'm happy to say two outta three are getting the hang of this.  I spent a day with them doing one state together.  I realized that I was expecting them to have top quality papers and I thought (it really get's me in trouble) that I had explained it all.  So now, they all have an understanding of what I expect.  I'm trying to teach them to read something and get it summarized before they forget what they just read.  It has it's moments, however, I know once they get to college they will appreciate what I taught them. 

This will be our last week of Geography, we'll take a break next week and do some fun stuff.  I've been working on a list of what I want to teach over the summer as well as next year.  I would really like a break this summer but I'm scared to start up the year with problems.  I know of several that do little things, life related teaching all summer.  We always plan a camping trip and that is full of life lessons.