I love homeschooling!

I did NOT say it was EASY! :)  I said I LOVE it!

Like today, we had the flexibility to travel with John to Oklahoma City on his trip.  We just did school in the car on the way there.  We had a big adventure!  We were all together for the day and we got to go out to eat for lunch.  We made a great memory!

I also love how our whole family can participate in school together!  We've been studying about China in school lately and reading books together with John about it in the evening.  So, this past weekend, we made a few new Chinese recipes for dinner and the boys crafted some Chinese lanterns to decorate our table.  It wasn't fancy, but it was a great time together (even if the boys didn't like the food - which is funny because they love eating at Chinese restaurants!)  Here's a pic from our dinner...

Even though there are days when I think it's hard to homeschool, I just don't think I will ever look back with regret about the time invested with our kids.  We can't get these days back...  and they are precious days!

Will's Friend - the Trash Truck Driver

Will makes friends everywhere!  One of his latest is the trash truck driver who comes by once a week to get our trash.  For months now, Will has been greeting the guy every time he comes to get our trash.  He started by watching from the window and the driver would wave at him, then he started going to watch from the door, then he started flinging the door open to yell his greetings to the driver.  Now he runs out to say hello and shoot the breeze with him.  Last week Will was playing in the backyard and didn't hear him coming.  I watched the driver look all around for Will and when he didn't see him, he climbed back in the truck and blew the horn.  Now, here comes Will running to say hi.  The driver gets back out of his truck and invites Will to get in the truck and blow the horn himself.  It took a little coaxing, but he did it!  What HUGE fun!

Salvation Army

We took a "huuu-mon-ju-ous" (as Will would say) load to the Salvation Army last weekend.  We are cleaning out as we get ready to move.  It's a good thing I have a "huuu-mon-ju-ous" vehicle because it was packed - even though I'm thinking I should drive a mini-van or something after my two latest fender benders in the last couple of days. Ugh!  The third row seat was out of the way and we filled the back of my Yukon XL all the way to the top.  As soon as we got to the Salvation Army, the boys wanted to hop out and help unload.  The guys working there couldn't believe how helpful they were...  I admit I was a little surprised myself, but I was grateful to see their servant's hearts developing.  What I thought was so cute was how they started talking to the guys who work there...  asking questions about what the Salvation Army does with all the stuff they get and how they help people, etc.  The guys were so great to explain everything to the boys.  And in typical Wasson boy fashion they all had a different perspective:  Josiah was analyzing the business side of things with his entreprenurial thinking and asking specific business-related questions.  Shepard's heart immediately broke for the needy and he wanted to give more.  I think Will was just ready to get to work at the store.  I know I say this all the time, but I love the uniqueness of my boys!!

Wasson Brudders

Will and Shep were putting on a performance this morning!

The sweetest story from yesterday...

Will asked Josiah if he could sit beside him on the couch.  "Sure", Josiah said.

So, Will climbed up and cuddled up next to him, laying his head on Josiah's chest and patting him over and over.  He kept saying, "Josiah, you're my brudder!"  Each time Josiah would give a little smile.  Finally, Will said, "Josiah, I'M one of the Wasson Brudders!  My name is Will!"

I loved how proud he felt to be one of the Wasson Brudders!



Getting Ready to Move

John and I agree... we hope this is our last move...  ever! :)

We're just not huge fans of packing up and moving.  But, really, it's going to be worth it!

So, now we are trying to get our house ready to sell.  Funny the things you will do to improve your home for someone else to enjoy that you wouldn't do for yourself while living there.  We hope to have it on the market in a couple of weeks.

We won't actually move to our new house until sometime in May.  While it's hard to wait, it's good because it gives us a little time to try to sell our house and then pack, etc.  Plus, we have GKS between now and then.  I think it's going to be a BUSY time!

And we dream...  dream of life at Green Gabled Acres!

Green Gabled Acres... here we come!!

Our new house!

Fire at the Wasson House - Round 2

The hero of the night is...  Josiah!  He's the one who noticed that the bricks on the back side of the fireplace were hot...  too hot.  We wondered how they could be so hot - we haven't had another fire in the fireplace since Sunday when the flu caught fire.  John decided to drive over the fire station and ask the firemen about it.  He came home with the firemen in tow...  and only two firetrucks this time. :)  This time it wasn't quite as nerve wracking...  no sirens either.  They came in and within minutes the temperature at the chimney went from 200 to 300 degrees.  The only way to get to the hot spot was to punch a hole through the brick.  And on the other side of the brick was a glowing ball of fire, about the size of a basketball.  From everything they said, it was in a very unusual place and a chimney sweep would not have been able to get to it.  They also said that if we hadn't caught it, the wall next to the chimney likely would have caught fire...  maybe even in the middle of the night.  Scary thoughts! 

Josiah and Shepard had plans to spend the night with Mammie tonight, but they had to cancel because one of Shelley's clients went into labor today.  The boys were so sad about the change of plans - although they handled it well.  After this, I had told Josiah that we can trust the Lord and His timing of events and we can have confidence that He is in control, even if we don't understand the timing.  After the firemen left our house tonight, I wrapped my arms around Josiah and let him know that in His wisdom, God had allowed Josiah to be home with us tonight so that we could be protected from the danger of the fire.  He smiled as he realized how the Lord had used him and I think the Lord made Himself known a little more in Josiah's heart tonight.  Again, we rejoice in the Lord's protection and are grateful for our home.

This time I got pictures. :)

Will visited with the firemen so much while they were at the house, that they ended up inviting him outside to see the truck.  Awesome! 

Josiah enjoyed his chance to sit in the driver's seat of the big fire truck! 

Poor Shep...  he started running fever this evening and he actually slept through almost the whole ordeal.  Even while they were pounding on the bricks, he slept...  right there in the room with us. 

The hole... 

The hero! 



Snow Day/ School Day

Shepard and Will were anxious to get outside and enjoy the snow!  Shepard even woke up early so that he could get outside as soon as possible and play in the snow.  Bike riding in the snow seemed to the be the fave today.

I tried to capture some pictures of our school day...  doesn't this look like a cozy way to do school? 



Fire

It was a flu fire.  No damages and we think we even got all (or most) of the smoke smell out of the house.  It got a little chilly with the doors open and the fans blowing all that frigid snowy air through the house.  (Yes, we actually got our first snow of the winter today!)  But, we found ourselves grateful for a house to live in and grateful that no one was hurt and we made an adventure out of the cold conditions. 

Here's what happened.  The most cozy Sunday afternoon imaginable.  Snow falling outside, beautiful fire in the fireplace, Will down for his nap after playing in the snow, me and Shep making sweet hot coffee drinks and getting snacks ready to watch a movie...  (This is where you hear the record scratch - bbbbeeeerrrrcccchh - and everything changes.)  John had just gone upstairs to work and he was the one who noticed the smell of fire.  He came downstairs and quickly discovered the fire in the chimney - he could see the flames coming out at the top from outside - and now there was smoke building up, not bad, but enough to know there was a problem.  We got coats for the kids and I grabbed Will out of his peaceful slumber and we got the kids outside.  John suggested I get my computer backup - I hadn't even thought of it.  We were rushing around so much.  Our sweet neighbors were out to help in an instant and Ms. Becky took the kids to her house just as the firetrucks were pulling up.  Four of them, to be exact.  There were firemen everywhere!  Anyway, they got the fire out quickly and before any real damage was done.  One of the firemen even apoligized to me for tracking up the floor with muddy footprints.  Really?  I was just thankful to have a floor to clean.  So we all settled back in to our home - feeling grateful to have it and grateful for the Lord's protection and feeling a renewed sense of realizing it's all "temporary" anyway and what really matters are things of eternal consquence.  

And, yep, I confirmed my secret hunches...  I am a disaster in an emergency.  All the best laid plans made during calm moments are suddenly gone, not to be remembered by my little brain.  All I could think about was getting my kids to a safe place - which even in hindsight I know was the most important thing - but I had time to do more and just couldn't think of what to do.  Some people actually think better during a crisis...  I am not one of those people. :)  Well, God must have other uses for me...

We did have a family meeting tonight to make sure the kids know what to do and where to meet in case of fire.  It was a good reminder to talk with the kids about that.  And we all thanked the Lord together for his blessings to us.  I really enjoyed hearing their sweet prayers tonight. 

Fire at the Wasson house this afternoon... Firetrucks and everything! All's clear now. Firemen are gone and we are working on getting the smoke out. And mostly we are feeling grateful for the Lord's protection and that we still have a house and only minimal damage. More later... But we are all fine - praise the Lord!

Wrestlemania

Caught 'em redhanded...  having a blast wrestling!  It's always fun until somebody gets hurt... :)



Look who came to visit us today...

on their way back home to beautiful Nashville.  Thanks for all the sweet cuddles, Caden!  (Josh, I should have made sure you got in the photo, too. :))

I see a budding friendship here...  (Will loved spending time with Caden.)



Christmas Day 2010

It was a slow and relaxing day.  We started the day by finishing the Advent story of Bartholomew while enjoying a glowing fire and eating coffee cake.  We were a little behind on the story so it took awhile to finish reading it.  Then on to the presents...

I just adore these boys!!!!!

I (almost) surprised him with this iPad! 

This is how the boys spent the rest of the afternoon (before going to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner)... putting together Lego sets...



Christmas Eve 2010

Miss Jolene and her brothers visited us on Christmas Eve with a box of special Christmas goodies!  So fun!  Here's Shep wearing one of the new costumes.  Have I told you how much we love Miss Jolene?!?  I think I could just adopt her! :)  I wish I had a picture with her in it from that day... (in real life I forget to get all the pictures I want to have)

Then, we got to spend the evening at Ken and Shelley's and it was a special night!  Here are the highlights...

Everyone is gathered for a Christmas trivia game...

 Ken is reading the kids a Christmas story...

 But first he lets them decorate him for Christmas - they had a lot of fun doing that!

 The kids drew names this year and had fun giving each other gifts...

 I found these two playing on top of the pool table with the train and having a great time!

 I love this picture of Ken and Shelley while she was opening the special gift from Ken. :)



Christmas dinner at Willoughby's

My Grandpa and Lois were able to come to Springdale yesterday, and Josh and Joy and Caden were already there, too, so we got to have an early Christmas dinner at my parent's house.  It was a lot of fun!

Here's my Grandpa (age 95) and Lois...

Here's a pictures of all the cousins (except little adorable Caden who was sleeping)...

I forgot to get a group shot of everyone there. :(  The time flew by too quickly and we stayed late, but it was great to see everyone.

We are officially on Christmas break now!!! School's out! Woohoo!!

Christmas 2010 at GG's

We had a really fun day at GG's today!  She hosts us all every year for a special Christmas celebration and meal with her.  She's a great cook and prepares lots of goodies for us.  (She also just celebrated her 93rd birthday!)  She's amazing!

Here's Shepard sitting with GG...  (notice his cool new watch - he really loves it!)

A group shot (not everyone though...)

All the kids took turns playing their Christmas music at the organ - even the Wasson boys who don't know how to play anything but sweet noise. :)

The kids had a lot of anticipation to see what was in GG's package...

The Boys Toys!!  Check out the sword fighting...  fun!

"Williot's" Epic Battle...

The bigger boys...