High Mountain Eagle Project: August, September, October 2013

READY. SET. GO. HOMESCHOOL!

Playing roller coaster. These three get along well together.

August 10th - Incredible day at the Washington County fair! My boy entered two photographs in the 4H portion of the fair and won first place for one image and 2nd place for the other image! It doesn't end there! He entered cookies today in the 4H contest, and won first place for those as well! It was so exciting! We were dying!

The two photographs Van Entered. The cookie contest he won was thanks to us not using any white sugar and some ridiculously great pure vanilla!

Overlooking St. George. Van has been wanting to take this picture for a very long time.

What our classroom looks like. Doing some heavy language arts and math this year.

August 24th

Starting out our History/Geography portion of the school at home year with, learning about ancient civilizations. Here is our "Making the Nile River project" where we planted little seeds along our very own Nile River, to make it a fertile place. For anyone interested, here is a great video called The Mystery of the Nile that supplemented our lessons. The Kids LOVED IT!

August 29th

Our new adventure of homeschooling has been wonderful so far. Yes, busy. Yes, somedays difficult. Rewarding? WOW! Absolutely! The amount of quality information we cover in a day is incredible! From Paul Revere and the Boston Tea Party to pronouns to memorizing poems to dictation work to math facts and fractions to french lessons to botany to Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, to making clay pots, clay rattle snakes and drawing cuneiform's. Not to mention some poignant, meaningful conversations with my ten year old boy, when he has a question. Social interactions? Why yes! Between 4H marksmanship, scouts, gymnastics, football, lego robotics, church and friends. I think we have it all covered.

I had to include the incredible double rainbow outside our home the other day, which is a happy coincidence since we are studying the Bible Story of Noah this week for scripture study.

Just to think only 2 years ago I was completely overwhelmed by the idea of homsechooling. If someone would have told me I would be doing all that in one day, I might have killed over. What a wonderful paradigm shift I have experienced as I have learned over time, some wonderful tools (many free), curriculum and resources out there to create a custom fit education for my children and family!

Happy Surprise 11th Birthday Van! He had no idea, until the last minute when Laramie and he were driving back from eating at Burger King. We went to busy Bloomington Park, laid blankets out on an open section of grass. I taught a building paper airplane lesson and then we had a paper airplane contest. This kids loved it. They ate donuts, soda and candy. It was very healthy! HA! We had a blast. Friends and Family there were, My Parents (Art and Gayle Hale), Tobi Suwyn, Korbin and Kwincy (Van's Aunt and cousins). Lauren Bishop and her boys, Gavin, Garret, (Who are two years younger than Van, but he plays with quite a bit) Julian and Bennett. Crystal Carry, her son Aaron (ne of Van's good friends) and her sister and her daughters. Rosina and Greg Simpson and Ellie (Another of Van's Friends) and the rest of their younger daughters.

Korbin, greeting Van, Laramie walking in the background, looking in our car (I drove in) and Arianne trying to get into the fun!

Van our birthday boy! 11 years old on August 18th!

Art and Gayle Hale (Van's Grandparents)

Greg & Rosina Simpson (baby and youngest daughter), Crystal Carry and Aaron Carry with Van

Lauren Bishop and her son Julian

Van and Aaron Talking

Tobi Suwyn, Korbin and Kwincy, Art and Gayle Hale with Van

Laramie Jones, Sharee Jones, Van (front and center, 11 yrs old) Arianne (3yrs) and Liam (1yr) in Laramies Arms.

Facebook post: August 25th for Van's BDay

Had a great time last night at the park last night with a few friends and family for my son's surprise birthday party! I can't believe he is 10! He is growing up to be a wonderful young man.

End of August Yard work for Van!

Laramie's special canned jalapenio's, wonderful scent filled the air at the end of the month!

September 2013

October 2013

Laramie and the kids accompanied me on a photo-shoot up in Pinevalley and then we had dinner with the Kyle and Joellen Wells and their kids up at the Wells cabin. Joellen Wells took these of us (I took the first one) Which is true to our nature! HA HA!

I was very sick October with morning sickness and also very busy with about 8 family sittings, 1 engagement and 1 wedding. However we still managed to get a great deal of Home school done. I also took this fall image at the temple.