field trip : sticky syrup

One (of the many) things I LOVE about homeschooling is field trips. We went to the Sugar Grove in Central IL. a couple of weeks ago for the Maple Syrup Tapping field trip and it was amazing. We went with a bunch of our friends from the Classical Conversations family we are a part of.  The kids LOVED it ...despite the cold and wet....did I mention cold???

One of the most amazing parts for me though is seeing that the kids remember, truly remember parts of what they heard. Bobo came up to me last week saying he found a tree that was cut down that was 18 years old. I asked him how he knew and he said, I counted the rings to the heart of the tree. SO, I went out to check and sure enough he was right. 

I just feel blessed!

The 3 oldest ones left the field trip happy, filled with joy after seeing friends and sticky from syrup. 

doesn't this just look so inviting! If it had been warm - I would have sat there forever!

What I love is leaving feeling refreshed for another day, challenged to meet with my Creator in everything and living the Normal realizing that is where the blessings lie.

Finding Spring

Warm, gorgeous weather in March...in Illinois...unheard of and unusual!

So since we have had this summer in March we had to go find spring.  I wanted the kids to find it. Nothing technical or crazy, but truly find spring. Which meant we were going for a hike to the nature preserve.

I really believe on this particular day God wanted to see things we wouldn't expect.  We were so blessed...we found snails, a tiny snake happened to slither across our path (and no one freaked out...including me), the brightest and greenest moss everywhere, smaller than a dime wild flowers but with a magnifying glass the details were incredible. I was honestly just hoping for a bud on a tree and maybe a flower or two - oh did HE surpass our expectations completely.

Then what we heard...awe! - Woodpeckers knocking on every tree they could - I LOVE this sound, the moan of frogs from the swampy pond, the song of the birds as if they were praising God that Spring was found! And the smell of sweet onion grass and just that spring smell. We even managed to see deer prints hard in the mud as they had run through a couple days earlier when it was soft.

Then Tank found the tree. A massive tree that was unique looking.  He looked up with his little 3 year old eyes and said, "look Momma, it looks like God's hand....I think He is holding us." And it hit me like a ton of bricks...we found spring today because our Creator made it for us. And this same Creator that cares about the tiniest detail of the littlest wildflower, the amazing pattern on the shell of a snail, the way a snake slithers in the grass...this same Creator holds us and how much more He cares for us...enough to make Spring not hard to find on the Summer-of-a-day in March.

I am convinced, through the eyes of a child, things are clear. And so, as Arae so poetically told me, "Mom, the reason God talks about faith like a child and how we should have faith like a child is because Children believe."

"I am the Vine"

Bobo graciously packed a snack for all of us without me even knowing it.

The Tree - not sure exactly where Tank was looking but still so amazing he saw what he did.

He didn't want to leave this spot.

I couldn't capture it quite fast enough...his little head was just out - maybe it is the fact that little fingers were picking it up.

Chewing  - monkey see monkey do or in our case, Bitty See Bobo Do

Long time no post

I had so many good intentions to post during this fall, but LIFE has happened in full force.
School started, Wedding season insanity has and is happening, and then, of course,  like every momma - a lot of this, that and the other.
But I am trying to get back into the grove of blog posting once again  - so I thought I would do a fall recap instead of a bunch of posts to try and catch up - I am gonna do it with one fell swoop.

We started school the end of August and it is going great! We are homeschooling again, but this year is quite a bit different than last year. Not only am I homeschooling another child this year, but we are doing something called Classical Conversations and LOVE it! I needed something different than last year - something to keep me on track especially having two little students, but also something that would help my work load & photography.  Did I say I LOVE CC (classical conversations)? I LOVE it! My kids LOVE it and it is going so well. Don't get me wrong - it is a challenge and we definitely have some rough days, but it is a good challenge and my two little students are just little sponges - (even Tank is learning)

We have done some pretty great field trips too!
This one was to Tanner's Orchard! (We had to miss out on the Rader Family Farms Field Trip because of sickness, but have spent lots of time there this fall too.

Arae and Bitty

Tank and Kobo - my typical boys!

I will be doing a Homeschool Post soon on all of our curriculum now that we are well underway - I wanted to wait to see what we love, like and those "not -  so - much" things. So that is coming soon.

Someone asked me about how my husband and I met - that will come one of these days too. Since I think my last post dealt with 9/11 - I mentioned without it, I may not have met my hubby - so I will be working on that.

Wedding Season - AHHH! I love being a photographer and I feel it is a gift from God in so many ways (I will bore you those details for now), but this fall has been insane. Not only shooting weddings, but all of the portrait work, commercial work, newborn session etc.  I have an amazing husband who finds me time by helping out a ton around the house and with kiddos at night.  So some how I am staying on top of things and clients are waiting too terribly long.  Right now I am editing 2 weddings, 2 engagement sessions, & a boat load of portrait work - that will change to 3 weddings in a couple of days - I know, you don't feel bad for me, it is my own choosing. God some how has gifted me a few extra hours a day I think :)

My baby Sis had her baby - sweet Collyns Marie made her appearance this fall - here are a few pictures of this precious one...My girls and I had a little road trip to go visit her when she was 5 days old! I cherish that time there - kinda cool to have been able to do that since she was there with my when I had my first.
 My older brother and his wife also had TWINS (#5 and #6)  - I am sad to say I don't have any pictures of these two adorable bundles - but that will change over Thanksgiving and then I will have lots!! Layla and Annalise made their appearance just about a week before Collyns. All babies and Mommas are doing fabulously well!

Charlie & Collyns

"I have daddy wrapped around my finger!!"

My sweet baby turned 1...really truly - I had her a year ago and I cannot believe it. When you are pregnant it feels like time is standing still, then when that little one arrives it is like someone pushes fast forward.  I will post her 1 year pics once I get around to taking them.

Until then...here is one moments after she made her appearance. ohhh - what an amazing day this was!

Lastly, I had to post a few from a Styled Shoot I did last week with some amazing ladies here in IL - It was a dream of mine for some time and we did it!

Until next time! Blessings