August Update

Our hot tub plumbing leak has been fixed, and now we have 15 holes in our family and living room walls to show for it (we had to redirect the leaking hot water line from our foundation by adding a whole new line from our water heater to our kitchen sink through our walls and ceiling).

Hold onto your hats, we start school tomorrow!  Josh (above) starts Kindergarten (he's so excited!), and Sarah will be a second grader. This our third year of home instruction, and we will continue to school 3 days per week at home, and 2 days per week at our local charter school (we call those days our "workshop" days).  It's such a great balance for us, and we love love love our school.  I'm glad for the schooling break, especially so I can hang out with Zac and Rachel and really focus on them those two days.  

My toughest part?  Workshop mornings, when we have to get everyone (all 4 kids) up and at 'em and out the door waaaay too early by my clock.  We are not morning people, and tend to have way too much fun in the evenings as a family.  Thus, mornings are a bear.  Thankfully the devoted Mr. Garland (who faithfully wakes up hours before I even stir, I have no idea how) helps me out by getting the older kids dressed and fed, while I feed Rachel and prepare sack lunches.  At least that's the plan for now.  Then we'll head out to pick up our carpool (3 boys this year... we'll fill up our 8 passenger swagger wagon, the reason why we swapped vans earlier this summer), drop off school kids, and then the younger kids and I head to the gym. Good times.

Sarah has an ear infection.  Swimmer's ear.  Right now.  No fun.

Josh and Sarah take a day hike with friends this summer.

Bring on the new school year... charge!!!