I just want to let everyone know that my ankle is much better! If I step wrong it is still a bit sore and the bruise is still there. I'm very glad I waited to see if it got better before I went to the doctor.

We just finished a weekend of respite for the girls-I remember why it wasn't a good fit for them to remain here long term It was hard! We were going to have a baby for respite next week but her grandma was able to work out some time off and is going to come and care for her-total bummer we were looking forward to having her. There are two other little ones that need 2 weeks of respite that we are considering. And we are still praying for the right fit to come along for our adoption journey. We are at such peace-I finally understand what "a peace that surpasses all understanding" means! YAY! Even though we are anxious to get moving, we know God is at work and we are fine with waiting.

I am waiting on a final approval for Luke's virtual school for the upcoming year. We have reached the point in our journey, that yes, dare I say it, he is smarter than me! LOL No one had better breath a word of this posting to that kid or I will never live it down! He is about 6 months from being able to start a pre-algebra class, and I am clueless. I have found some fabulous programs, but they would still require me to help him. I wish it wasn't a public school program, but it is free, and Eric and I both think it was a God thing. I have been researching online academy's and they are all at least $700 and up. He's still home with me, I am still the primary person he will turn to for help and we have a tutor at our disposal when it comes to the math program. I was hoping to get him into the Insight School, which was started by my old high school, but they don't have a middle school program. Eric was reading the paper during lunch and saw an ad for Kaplan Academy through the Stevenson/Carson school district, which is only a little over an hour and a half from here, and they had a Middle School program. I called them up, got the info and registered! My plan is for him to take math, science, grammar and composition and computer fundamentals. With me he will be doing world history, logic, and he is choosing to continue doing astronomy with his brothers since we are enjoying it so much.

Here's the run down on what the little boys are doing this year:

It is mostly based on a book called The Well Trained Mind by Susan and Jessie Wise Bauer. A lot of it is very similar to what we have been doing-the Charlotte Mason philosophy-but it's a bit more intense and drill based. But the boys really enjoy doing flash cards so we are going to give it a whirl.  Math: Math U See- Alpha and Beta  Language Arts:  Shurley English book 1 Science: Apologia Astronomy  History: we are still finishing up Volume 1 of Story of the World  The Ancient World, and we are parked in the Greeks right now    Geography: Holling C. Holling's Paddle to the Sea which is the Great Lakes region with various games about the US thrown in- Nick will continue in Reading Reflex for phonics   Logic: Mindbenders beginners book 1 and 2 and Luke will be doing Think A Grams and a lot of period based historical fiction.  Eric is still reading through the Little House series and alternating that with some cool books his sister gave us called The River Boat Adventures. This helps the boys get a good "history" overview for when we dig in deep the year after next and some geography since we will be in the "Mississippi River" Region with our next Holling Book.

This became a VERY long update! And please keep praying for us to find the perfect house. We are down to crunch time with know final move out date. I think the Lord has something exciting in store for us!

Be Blessed

natalie and co.