May??!!??!!??!!

Seriously? When did that happen?! Good grief, this year is just flying by!

Well, after about a week of being pretty much flattened - off and on - by seasonal migraines, I think I am up and clear for the day. Amazing how a pain in the head can muddle your thinking so well! The weather has been...thick..here. Humidity, rain, WIND, temps in the 80s and then the upper 40s and lower 50s at night. When we do this season shifting I tend to get the headaches. They haven't been quite as bad this year though, so I am thankful.

Next week I go to the BIG home school book fair in Arlington. I have been trying to organize my thoughts for next school year as well as make my list of what we will need. I plan on going early and hitting the used book vendors first! Then I will also get to go to a class taught by Ken Ham! Cool! I haven't heard him speak, in person, since I was in high school but did so enjoy it then and am really looking forward to it again.
I sure would appreciate your prayers on my behalf as I try to get my brain wrapped around the idea of Josh being in high school this fall. EEEKKKK!!! I am also, considering a different approach with language/grammar this year. A little nervous about leaving the familiar but not sure the familiar is still the best route and am finally ready, I think, to try something else.

I will also be taking on Abby's sewing lessons now. Her class will finish this month and then we will need to shuffle the money that has been going for that to another area for awhile. I am excited to do sewing with Abby as we both enjoy it so much! We got a book for beginners with projects to quilt. We plan on one project a month - if the fabric is not too pricey! :) Abby has ideas for Christmas gifts for her siblings with one of the projects so that will be nice, too. Anna has started some embroidery - and is very good at it for a beginner! She will continue that as well as start piano lessons.
Josh is starting guitar - he and I are learning together, thanks to the excellent book Uncle Danny gave me once for my birthday. I've learned all I know with it and it is very good!
Michael wants to continue piano and advance quite a bit this year. His goal is to play his favorite piece that I play, "Jessica's Theme" from Man From Snowy River, for the home school recital next year. Whew! Hope I can keep up!
David played Old MacDonald this year for the recital and decided he liked that and will continue his piano lessons.
Abby wants to start violin.
Anna is getting pretty good at adding. David is improving in his reading. We are all ready to take a short summer break! I plan on getting us started back at it by the first part of July since we will be taking 3 weeks to go to visit family in Colorado and then a quick trip to California for Uncle Danny's wedding. Of course, there will be school along the trip - hopefully, fairly well disguised in order to get some more in and yet still have fun! :) Learning can be fun after all!

Jeff is just finishing up his spring class online and his next class starts this next week. He plans on taking another this summer and then, hopefully, going full-time this fall. He doesn't have too much left but now must get it done before he runs out of the time he has to finish. It would be sad to not make it after all his hard work! Pray with us that God will provide the money to pay for the classes he still needs as well as patience, quiet (during study times :), and endurance for all of us as he will be quite busy this fall.

We still get my nephew 3 days a week. He is getting big and SO funny! He makes us all laugh. He loves playing with the kids and they love having him around. We are so blessed to get to be a part of his life but it sure makes me miss my nieces more, too!

Well, there's an update on us! We hope all of you, our family and friends, are enjoying your year and, in spite of how life is often difficult, taking time to appreciate all that God has blessed us with. We are enjoying more the beauty of the creation He gave us to enjoy and trying to enjoy the bliss of just taking time to slow down and enjoy things more together...even working in the garden! :)

Happy May! :)