And Now to Sum It All Up....

Okay~ I think I am ready to sum up my last year into one post. Without making you suffer through too much, I will be brief and have lots of pictures :)

This year has been the hardest but most rewarding of my adult life. I have learned several things:

1. It is REALLY hard to get up every morning and have to be somewhere by a certain time WITHOUT yelling at my boys :(

2. I do not do stress very well. I tend to get easily frustrated when I feel like too many people need something from me. I really just shut down and disappointed everyone.

3. I can not give up my housework. I love a clean house, made bed, swept floor, stink less bathroom. Those things are a priority to me and if they aren't done, I am very upset! I can not let go of this.

4. I can teach 2nd grade successfully! Yeah! That is a big one for me. I have never had a "real" outside of the home job. I have always done menial work, part time or temporary jobs. This one was my first job using my college degree. I made it through and had (for the most part) pleased parents and a classroom full of great kids!!

5. Most importantly I have learned that I LOVE MY FAMILY!! They are so important to me and when I felt like I was having to choose between their well being and my job, it was a no brainer to me! I took very little joy in being at work. I missed my home, my boys, my hubby and most importantly my life as a homeschooling homemaker.

And so, with year behind me I can give a huge leap for joy{{LEAP}} and run head long back into my old life with a renewed spirit and great determination!!

I do have to say that the credit for sure does not go to me but to GOD who sustained me when I wanted to give up in November. With much prayer and prodding from the Holy Spirit to fulfill my commitment, I could leave ETCS knowing that I had finished what I started!! That is huge for me!! I love to quit when things get hard! Usually only to find out that the result of the quitting was harder than sticking it out ;)

So now on to end of the school year pictures and some first of the summer ones too!

Field Day at ETCS ~ very hot

Ethan, Christopher and KD

Ethan and Brendon trying to cool off

Isaac attempting to run the relay

No Words

The whole elementary with their ribbons

Ethan's First Violin Recital and video

Okay.. so I need to explain the next couple of pictures. I had booked the Skateplex for our end of the year party with the 1st grade class. Of course the kids were so excited but when we get there, they had forgotten our reservation and no one was there to open it up :( So what do you do with 26 VERY disappointed kids? Take them to the Bingo Hall across the street! Really... that is what our Christian school 1st and 2nd grade class did for the party. A 1st graders grandparents were with us on the field trip and just so happen to own the Bingo Hall. They offered us a room, a big screen TV, bingo cards, dabbers and prizes. The kids had a blast! The grandparents were so generous and it turned a lot of tears into cheers! And don't worry, no money was exchanged!!

Isaac and Christian determined to yell out "BINGO"

Sad face when he didn't win

Happy face when he won a bag of chips!

End of Year Program:

Joshua (Isaac says they are two peas in a pod), Isaac and Katie

Ethan reciting the Americans Creed. This was such beautiful piece. Sadly it holds to principles that have long been forgotten!

Carson, Isaac and Graham. These 3 have talked on the phone everyday since school has been out!!

My sweet class: From left to right
Carson, Kellie,Alison, Ely me, Kami, Hope and
Amy. Jacob is missing but this was my whole group.

Summer fun has begun:

Celebrating one of my favorite people in whole world 40th bday!! We all dressed in black to commemorate her sad day :) It was also a complete surprise!

2nd Annual Food Fight

I didn't get as many pics as Stephanie (click here). I wanted to save my camera from the muck. But again, it was so much fun! Steph always gets me out of my comfort zone; sometimes that's good and sometimes that is not!!!


I want you to notice who is mysteriously missing from this food fight... Ethan decided to be the videographer for this one. Unfortunately his pics are a little to artsy for this update! He is uploading them to his blog though.

Josiah, Isaac and Ben before the food began slinging

Steph, Kim and me after. No one has better friends and neighbors than me!!

So I put the mayonnaise that was rubbed into my hair to good use and left it in for a while. I am serious when I say my hair has NEVER been so silky, smooth. Stinky but smooth ;0)

First swim party of the year

We celebrated Megan's bday with our first swim of the year!

Megan and Isaac
(I went to junior high with her mom. How surreal that now our kids are playing together 22 years later )

Ethan going down the slide without any prodding! How far we have come!

Again... No words

Isaac tried out soccer camp this week. He really like the soccer but hated the heat. Good thing soccer season is in the Fall. We will be signing him up though.

And finally, Ethan is in his first LETU Academic Camp. He is in the Movie Makers class of course. These kids got to write their own movie, act it out, tape it, edit it and present it this week! I can't wait to see it tomorrow!!

Well that's it! Now summer is in full swing and we have a move coming up!! My next post will be house pics. Things go much slower when the inside is getting finished up but it looks beautiful and we are hoping to be done in a few weeks!!