Big Update on Us

We had a very nice summer filled with swim lessons, swim team and even a trip to Michigan. Bry swam on the swim team and learned a lot about self discipline and improving his strokes. DJ learned to swim this summer and Elle only wants to be in the water if she has a firm grip on a trusted parent. We enjoyed the water so much in these 110+ degree temps!

It's still very much summer as far as weather goes, but our school year is in full swing. We began on August 10 and the kids are learning all kinds of new and exciting things. It is so amazingly fun to watch them learn new things and enjoy learning. Our curriculum's slogan is "The Way You Wish You Were Taught- Guaranteed". That's a lofty claim, but I would agree with them.

Bryant continues to thrive in Science, Math and reading. He also does well in grammar and writing but doesn't enjoy them as much. He has been studying the noteworthy life of William Wilberborce and got to watch the movie "Amazing Grace" as a compliment to his studies. He says he wants to be a scientist when he grows up and I can understand why. He even reads his science books in his spare time. For part of his History, we are reading "Moccasin Trail" together and he is reading "Freedom Train" by himself. He has already finished "Sing Down the Moon" and "Thomas Alva Edison". Sonlight curriculum is excellent at putting great character building books into the hands of young children. I love that. I also am excited that Bry enjoys reading so much. He is so much fun and has such a great sense of humor. Hard to believe he's already 9 1/2!

DJ began Kindergarten this year. She has learned about the how the earth revolves around the sun as well as the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. She is learning about seasons, days of the week and months of the year. In Math, she is adding and beginning to learn about telling time. We are reading "The Boxcar Children" together and she reads small readers with sentences like, "Pat bats" and "The cat sat" by herself. She is learning blending sounds such as "Sh", "Sp", "Dr", etc. She is a quick learner and loves anything that is creative and colorful (much like herself).

Elle does a lot of listening. I have a feeling she'll be shortly behind DJ because she mimics us a lot. She is by far the most unpredictable of our 3. She is shy and she is bold. She is serious and she is silly. She is tender and she can be mean. She keeps me guessing continually. She is quite a little girl with a big personality. She is doing well with potty training and is rewarded with stickers each time she goes on the toilet. When she fills up her sheet, she gets to pick out of the prize box. She loves this and it keeps her returning to the potty and keeps Mommy happy.

As for us, Cal is working a lot and even in the high temps, he really loves his job. Jaime still works for her mom one night a week and hopes to have a busy photography season in the Fall. Overall, sometimes we're too busy to see straight but we are blessed beyond measure and we are thankful.

Jaime and the kids recently spend several days at the Grand Canyon, visiting good friends and enjoying the cooler weather. On our way home, we went fishing with the grandparents which was a lot of fun and included many laughs. Here are some pictures from our trip:

We rode the shuttle out to the West Rim with some good friends:
















Fishing at Kiabab Lake with Momo and Papa: