Mema's

We spent a week in Florida during the last week of August. (I will post on that later) One of those days we spent with Mema. The older two kids spent the night (it was the first time for Lukas to spend the night with Mema) and then the rest of us went over for lunch and a greater part of the day the next day. We spent time looking through a photo album and learning more about our ancestry. We had a great time and hopefully didn't wear Mema out. You can click on the picture for more pictures at Mema's.

Summer

I will attempt to recap our summer in brief. In June, I visited the Grand Canyon with the young people. Lance stayed home with the kids as I wasn't sure I wanted to have them too close to the canyon. We had fun, but I did not get very many pictures. In July I went to CA for a training on the book of Luke for one week (also by myself) and had a great time. In August I went to Lakeside (up north) for the Summer School of Truth with the young people, once again by myself. Lance had a lot of quality time with the kids this summer.

Lukas and Samuel tested for and received their yellow belts. They are now in the "Black Belt Club" and have new blue uniforms. They are learning more advanced kicks and to use nunchucks.
Launa is growing up so much. She won't stop talking for a minute. She loves to tell stories, most of which are not true or even believable. Drue was gone for the summer to FL and since she has returned has read so many books I cannot even keep track.

Now everyone has begun school. Lance has started online classes with the community college and will be earning his RN. This semester he is taking Biology, Algebra, English 101 and Psychology. We haven't seen much of him since he started. He comes out for meals and occassionaly to stretch. It has been 14 years since he graduated high school and he has no college experience.

Drue started sixth grade with Abeka Academy. She has DVDs that include instruction from teachers at Abeka Academy in FL and then does all her work here at home. It is working out great for her and especially for me. Keep reading and you'll see why.

Lukas started third grade and is still with the AZ Virtual Academy. The majority of his work is online, but directed solely by me. He will begin to work independently in fourth grade.

Samuel has begun kindergarten. He is too young for AZVA and too readt to wait another year. He has started reading and does basic math. He loves "school".

Launa is learning to be quiet while everyone else is doing school. She shows no interest in learning (school or to be quiet). So she gets to play with her babies all day in her room.

I am balancing my time between all four students and trying to keep Launa calm for the sake of the others.

Our Baby is 3!!!

Click on the picture to see all the pics from yesterday.

Launa turned three yesterday. She is very happy to be three. We went to lunch with Papa and dinner at the Lisi's. (The same couple that came over for Sam's birthday.) When we arrived at the Lisi's we were surprised by seeing Cassia (Drue's friend) and her sister Hannah. Our kids had way more fun because they were there.

Launa was most excited about her cake. She had told Sara Lisi that she wanted a chocolate cake with flowers. She talked about it all day. She was very happy with the way it turned out and it tasted delicious.

She spent some of her birthday. She boughta baby doll, stroller, dress and her own brush. She also got the pony that was on her cake.

Sedona

Click on the picture for more pictures in Sedona.

We took the kids to Sedona a few days before Drue left for the summer. We went on a hike that had been suggested to us. It was beautiful and very shaded. We hiked in the morning to avoid the heat. By the time we left around 11am, it was warming up a lot. The kids enjoyed taking off their shoes and walking in the creek. The water was so cold it hurt my feet and gave me a headache. I walked along the dry rocks while they braved the water. None of them thought it was too cold.

We also spent a lot of time at the pool. Samuel was practicing swimming underwater and did a wonderful job. Lukas learned to swim underwater without holding his nose.

On our way home, we decided to go to the caves where there are heiroglyphs. They were closed. We then went into Cottonwood's Visitor Station and found out that there is Ft. in Verde Valley. Ft. Verde. The kids (and I) were surprised at what the fort looked like. Not at all like the forts we are used to seeing. We had just been to St. Augustine. The ranger was great and gave the kids a lot of info. She then gave them papers to complete that would allow them to become "Jr. Rangers". This made the tour a lot more educational. We learned so many things. After completing the paper, they were sworn in and received buttons and a map of AZ with space for buttons from all the National Parks. Now the kids want to visit all the parks and collect the buttons. We will try to hit as many has we can. It may take us a few years.

Lukas

Lukas is taking Tae Kwon Do. He earned his white belt and last week these two stripes. The stripes are for kicking. He really enjoys it and is doing a great job.
Lukas and Daniel skating in their hockey gear. These boys will be taking hockey lessons starting in July.
Lukas and Anna. Anna just moved here from Florida. She just turned eight and towers over Lukas. They really enjoy each other. We took the kids to Sedona for a hike. I will post more of those pictures in another post.

Drue turned 11!

Around here, you have to cook your own Birthday Lunch.
Trying a little while cooking. Notice how she dropped it in to keep her fingers clean. Cassia and Drue and their masterpiece.
Ice Skating birthday cake.
Drue and Cassia on ice!

We took Drue and Cassia (her friend) to ice skate for Drue's birthday (May 23rd). After all, it was Friday and we would have been there anyway. Drue bought a pair of figure skates with help from her Papa. She will have them sized and molded to her feet after the summer. She will then start figure skating lessons. She is very excited.

St. Augustine

While in Florida we visited the oldest city in America. The kids had a lot of fun. They especially enjoyed the "shooting of the guns". It was a very windy day and almost cold at times. We had told them that we would take them to the beach afterward. We did, but it was way cold. That didn't stop the older "kids". Drue, Lukas, Lance and Dad all braved the water. Mom and I didn't get past our feet. We then discovered a water area by the playground which was more fun for the little ones. I didn't get any pictures at the beach. You can click on the picture of the kids and see all (the few) pictures I took while in St. Augustine. My mom may have more. (hint, hint)

Ice Skating

More Pictures Click Below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23659001@N05/sets/72157605092888035/

I took the older kids ice skating on Friday with some of Lukas's friends. They had so much fun and did great. Drue only fell once and has now decided that she wants to take lessons and skate more. Lukas fell a lot but still had a great time. I did not skate because falling even once is not fun. I have been a few times and just cannot get the hang of it.

I took some "action" pictures (so they are blurry) and you can see them by clicking above. Lance brought Sam and Launa when we were finishing up. Launa went out for a little skate. She had fun for a few minutes and then decided she was done. We did not have the right size skates for Sam so they hurt when he put them on the he never made it to the ice. Maybe some other time.

I'm Back

Trying to get a family picture. This turned out alright, but we did give in and go to the mall to have them professionally done. I am still waiting for them to email me all of those photos. They turned out great.
The kids while I was trying to set up the camera.




Ok, I have been gone for a while. We took a 3 week trip to FL, DC and them home. We made many stops along the way. We have also been very busy around here.

We took the kids out of school and are now homeschooling again. It just didn't work out for our family. But, we tried.

I will be posting as I get a few moments. They will not be in order, but they will be on here. For instance, the science fair was last weekend. I am just posting as I get the pictures uploaded and ready for viewing. Maybe I could let you know where they come in the sequence of our life. If I can remember.

Sheri

Science Fair

Here are more pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23659001@N05/sets/72157605092403547/

Drue and Lukas participated in a Home School Science Fair at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix.

Lukas did his project on what seeds need and Drue did hers about color and heat. She went to the dealership and measured the temp. on different colored cars to see if there was a difference. She didn't think there would be, so it made for a good learning project.

They had a good time at the fair but it proved to be too long for them. At the end of the day they let us go into the Planitarium. We had never been in before. That was probably the highlight of our day.

Grandma's Visit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23659001@N05/sets/72157603885438966/

My mom came to visit in Jan. We took her to Prescott to the snow, used her as a babysitter and just hung out. Her goal was to spend some special time with each of the kids. She watched Launa for me while I cooked lunch at the kids' school. I brought Sam home early that day to spend time with her. They played in the game room and then discovered the Dairy Queen next door. Later that night Grandma thought she should spend some time with Drue and Lukas. Guess where they went.....Dairy Queen. The kids though that was so funny, that Grandma went to DQ twice in one day. I won't give away her secrets, but she may have eaten both times too! All the kids truly enjoyed their special time with Grandma.
One night they brought out the Wiggles Game and played. Drue had to walk like a camel, that is what she is doing on the floor. The kids had such a fun time. They love playing games and it is even more fun with Grandma.
And Launa even pooped on the potty for Grandma. Something she stopped doing for us a few months ago. And she has been going back on the potty since then. Not really what I thought she would get out of her time with Gma, but glad she did.
The younger two are ready for me to go back to the airport and get Grandma again. Sometimes they think she just hangs out there waiting for us to pick her up!!!

The ducks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23659001@N05/sets/72157603888878361/

We took the kids to the park to play and release some energy. We went to see the ducks and watched someone feed them. These are just a few pictures of us watching the ducks. On Friday, Sam, Launa and I read some books about ducks and then they and Daddy went to the park before picking up the other kids and fed the ducks. I have yet to get a report on how that went, but I am sure they had fun.
Next time we go, I will take some pics.

Sledding in Prescott

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23659001@N05/sets/72157603885339644/

Click this link and you can see the pictures from our trip. If you click "view as slideshow" you can see them better.

Grandma came to visit in January and we took a trip to Prescott to see the snow. I have too many pictures to post here so I am trying this Flickr thing. I just set it up tonight and need more practice. Hopefully, this works well enough.

First Day of "Real" School

This is how they laid out their clothes each night, until I stepped on them in the middle of the night and now they have to fold them in piles.
First day of school. It's not that we leave that early in the morning. I think it was a rainy day and that is why it is still dark. Doesn't Sam look so happy to be going to school. Launa was going to the gym with me. Walking to the car. Lance is going to the gym too, I guess. He doesn't normally dress like that. I am not in the pictures due to puffy eyes. Yes, I cried like a baby. But the night before so that the kids would not have to witness that. I held it together while dropping them off at school as not to embarrass them. I was just glad I was able to take Launa home with me.

The older two are loving it. Lukas was put in first grade because of his age even though he was in second grade while homeschooling. I am hoping that his teacher will begin to bump him up as she sees that he is capable. His class is a combined first through third. Drue is in fifth grade in a combined fourth through sixth grade class. She has already been on one field trip and has two more scheduled this month. I go with her, without her permission and against her will, to keep track of her friends and classmates. She doesn't appreciate it now, but one day she will. She doesn't believe me when I tell her that. Oh well, she's only ten and I am still going on every field trip that they allow me to go on. It is my duty as a mother. I tell her that too!

Update

WOW!!! It has been a while. Let me give you the short version update and then get to some blogs with some photos of those kids.

Nov. 2007--we decide we are moving to California to attend FTTA. We sell everything in our house and prepare to move into an apartment in CA. Put our house up for rent because the housing market is so bad we cannot sell it.
Dec. 2007--2 weeks before moving to CA. After further consideration with the leading ones at FTTA we agree that it would be best for us to wait until the kids are a little older to attend. They have had mothers with young ones try to attend and it did not work.
Dec. 2007--end of the month. We move into an apartment in Peoria (about 20 min. from where we were living) as someone is already planning on moving into our house and we wanted to move closer into town anyway.
Jan. 2008--the kids start real school. They were excited about attending school in CA and really bummed that they would not be able to since we weren't moving. We found a Montessori school very close by and enrolled the older three. (pictures to follow)
Feb. 2008--our first drop-out. Samuel has had enough school. Since he is still young (and the school costs money) we allow him to drop out and start teaching him at home. He is a lot happier, meaning we all are alot happier.
Now, here we are. In a two bedroom apartment (2nd floor) in Peoria and readjusting to a new life.
In a nut shell....now on to some more interesting blogs with pics.

9 YEARS

Don't really know what to say...we just celebrated nine years of marriage with Lukas and an ice cream cake!!! I didn't get any pictures of the cake before we ate it all, but it was great!!!

7 Years Old!!!

My Lukie is seven years old.Having cupcakes with Papa.


At Cracker Barrel with Papa.
Showing his muscles.
Not letting his brother show him up! This is the way Sammie shows his muscles. Sometimes I think he is going to pop. What you cannot see in the picture is how red his face is getting.

Making cupcakes.
Helping make cupcakes.
Even the little ones get to help.

Lukas celebrated his seventh birthday on Tuesday, Dec. 11th. We made cupcakes and then met Papa for lunch at the Cracker Barrel. He then came by and had some cupcakes. He then went golfing with Papa and his cousin Nickolas. He had a great day.

Guitar Recital

Drue has been taking guitar lessons for a few months. A great friend of ours told her that if she got a guitar, she would teach her to play. We went out and bought her a guitar from Wal-Mart for her birthday. It works well but is not the best sounding (the last two strings make more of a twang sound). You see, we didn't want to invest a whole lot of money in case she didn't really like it. I remember taking piano lessons!!!

She and another girl from the virtual academy take lessons together. Her teacher decided to have a recital for the girls. It was so sweet. They took turns playing songs with the teacher singing and then played one all together at the end. They both did a wonderful job. After the recital, she asked if she could get a nicer guitar. After all her hard work, and a conversation with her dad, he has decided to purchase her a nicer guitar. Now I am researching and looking for a nice one, not too expensive, not too big--and have no idea what I am doing.

I have a video, but it is taking forever to upload. I will try again another time. I don't really have time to wait right now.

Rail Road Park

On the front of the train with Daniel.
Such a cute picture I just couldn't pass it up! She was actually disobeying me by sneaking into the front of the train.
In the cattle car.

A friend and I took our kids to the rail road park in Scottsdale. They had a great time. The weather was a little warm. It was in the upper 90's I believe. They played for hours on the playground and then we rode the train. The younger kids (all but Drue) rode in the cattle car. When we first took off a little boy sitting with his mom yelled at me and said, "Your little girl is crying." That mom looked in the car and saw that Lukas was holding her and trying to calm her. She eventually settled down. She ended up enjoying the train ride. We will try and go back when the weather is cooler.

Individual Photos

Drue 10
Lukas 6
Samuel 3
Launa 2
All 4! Three participating.

We went the railroad park and attempted to get some pictures of the kids. I think the sun was too bright. We will try again when the sun isn't so bright.