Here's what's happening at our house

Just in case you were wondering what the current happenings are at our house, I thought I would fill you in. It's just basic life goin' on here for the most part.

Work has been keeping Shawn really busy these days. It seems like he is in meeting after meeting and has a full schedule. I'm thankful he has a job and he enjoys it, too. 

For fun he likes to play baseball with the boys on the weekend, spend time together with all of us going for walks, checking out a nearby town, or just staying home and catching up on 

our "Little House" dvd's. We are also huge American Idol fans, which airs here on Thursdays and Fridays. So don't tell me who has been voted off, because I probably haven't had a chance to see it yet, okay? :-)

We have been leading a small group that started in January and that has been going great. We now have 4 other families that meet with us with a total of 10 adults and 17 kids. We're studying Charles Stanley's, "Protecting Your Family".

We spend most of our time during the week homeschooling. Austin is in 7th grade and will be turning 13 in 10 days! Braaten is in 5th grade, Melanie in 3rd, and the twins, Grant and Cooper are in the 2nd grade. They were painting a picture together above. Homeschooling is a real challenge, but it's extremely rewarding. This is our 6th year and as long as God wants us to do it, we shall press on and appreciate the blessings. I wouldn't trade the time I have with the kids at home for anything. (That's definitely a "You're Gonna Miss This" post topic).

Here's Grant playing the Wii. The kids like to take turns playing either the Wii Fit or Animal Crossing. They just got a new game called, "Cocoto Kart Racing", which looks really difficult to master. 

Like I said, I keep busy with the kids during the week and also try to maintain this home, cook, do laundry...very sloooowly, spend time with friends, & play with the kids. Shawn and I have been trying to get back to a consistent date night. I have been quilting a lot more and love to scrapbook. That's a tougher one for me because it requires such creativity which takes lots of time. 

One of the great things I have enjoyed since I moved is that my groceries are delivered right to my door. It doesn't get any more convenient than that! I never had this type of service in Michigan, but my friend, Susan, from Minnesota has talked about having it there. I put my order in on my computer, book a delivery slot, and then voila'...it's here. 

 

We have had the run of the flu bug around here since some time in January. Thankfully everyone is well now, but 3 out of the 5 kids has had their share of it twice. Austin was feeling pretty badly in this picture, but was still trying to complete his schoolwork. He's been flu-free for several weeks now.

He has been shooting hoops out in the backyard aka back garden since the weather has been warming up. He loves playing a round of golf and taking lessons from his instructor, Steve. 

Baseball is starting up soon which always makes him happy.  

This is when Braaten was sick and she is one of the kids that had it twice.

The girls did a photo shoot recently and thought this would make a nice backdrop...literally!

Melanie is in the front garden. It reminds me that we will be putting in some vegetables soon. Most people start their gardening in March here. Shawn took the boys to the local B & Q, it's like Lowes or Home Depot, and bought seed packets, soil, and planters. Hopefully we'll have a successful year. 

We go for lots and lots of walks.

We're also trying to drink more water.  LOL

Braaten has been decorating the outside like it's her house and has been 

enjoying that. Her friend, Amy, had a blast, too, last Saturday.

Here's Melanie and Megan enjoying their newly decorated "house". 

That's about it for us. Our friends Sarah and Sydney will be visiting in a couple of weeks for 2 weeks. I am so excited about that. She's looking forward to just hanging out, but I think we'll be doing some serious sightseeing. For once, I will finally get to see London. It just hasn't worked out to this point. 

What's happening at your house these days?