As promised, here is the first-of-the-new-school-year update! Homeschool has and continues to be such a blessing to us and this year we were also blessed to be able to purchase some fun, new school materials. Vince is technically in 8th grade, although he will be doing a physics class with our homeschool co-op and is already halfway through Algebra. Dylan is entering the 3rd grade and consequently received the right to move up from Explode the Code workbooks to an official BJU Spelling workbook. Faith is officially 1st grade and learning at an amazing rate. Gabie follows in PreK and likes to make his own pace in life! 
In the picture above, you'll see my favorite homeschool curriculum addition to our new year: The Prairie Primer. This unit study curriculum is based on the Little House on the Prairie books. Each month, we read one of the books (in chronological order) and do activities each day based on what the chapter discussed. For example, when Pa encounters a black bear in the woods, we learn about bears and their habitat. Recently, we read about Ma making butter. Even though we've made it a few times before, we weren't about to miss another opportunity to do it again. (Notice Gabie in the picture with his piece of fresh bread and butter--He wasn't about to put it down for anything!) (You can visit our homeschooling website for video directions on making your own butter.)
Of course, since we had fresh butter, it was only right to make pancakes for lunch to have fresh butter on!
Here's Gabie enjoying one of his new school materials: a Thomas the Train puzzle. When we first bought this puzzle, Gabie couldn't do it at all. He would get frustrated and we thought none of the pieces would make it longer than a couple of days without being destroyed. Within 6 days, however, he was doing it all by himself. We think the only reason he kept trying every day, all day long was because of his love for Thomas the Train!
Before we started our new year, I made sure to get us nice and organized. I usually try and organize throughout the year, but I think I'll make sure to save some for the beginning of each school year. It was a really fun way to get the kids motivated for a new school year. As unbelievable as it is, the kids loved doing it! (I wouldn't make any bets about one or two of them being disorganized adults though, but I won't name names!) They each got one of these cool new bins for their own things and it really made the house look much better! 
The kids still like the pick-a-piece-of-carpet method for school. In our first year of homeschooling, I had considered getting school desks. I'm glad I didn't! Homeschooling is not like public school, even when it comes to where they sit. Our kids pick a spot in the house and start. If they feel like laying in their beds, that's where they go. If it's nice outside, we do it outdoors. The only rule I have about that is that all handwriting must be done at the kitchen table. Gabie gets in on it by getting some paper and a pen and saying "I'm doing my schoolwork." He would scribble little pictures all day long if I let him.
I like the following picture because it shows how the kids have to learn to do their schoolwork without being distracted by their surroundings! As you can see from Dylan's reaction, he's pretty much got it mastered!
Even though it's not their handwriting, here's Faith doing her phonics and Dylan doing his math at the kitchen table. If I'm in the kitchen making something or cleaning up, I ask them to do it in there so that I can help them at the same time. 
Well, there you have it. I can't even put into words what homeschooling has meant to our family. I love spending time with the kids and seeing them learn and grow, not just academically but spiritually and in their relationships with each other. I pray God will make it possible for us to do it for many more years!
Another year and our Faith has just grown more and more beautiful, inside and out! We celebrated her sixth birthday with lots of free (or mostly free) fun. When asked to choose the activity for her birthday (bowling, fishing, or a trip to the zoo), she chose the zoo. Well, we ended up doing all three! Her birthday was on a Sunday and the night before on Saturday, we had a peaceful trip to the lake for fishing. On Sunday, she chose her meals: peanut butter pancakes for breakfast, egg salad sandwiches for lunch (which worked out great for a picnic lunch at the zoo), spaghetti for dinner, 
And Gabie (with Daddy's help):
Dylan:
Vince:
And a picture Vince snapped of me bowling (the little stinker!):
