Great coop today!

Smile Margaret!



The group 2 girls!

Ryan looks a bit like a crayfish himself!

This is a shot of our lunch today! With 50 kids it takes a lot of planning and work to get lunch set up. Karen and I have been the "lunch ladies" for the past 3 weeks! Whew! We are worn out.

John's class with Mrs. Tammy and the big whale!

This was a neat experiment. They stuck their hand in a plain ziploc and in a ziploc full of shortening. The hand in the shortening ziploc did not feel cold. Both ziplocs were in ice water.

This demonstrated how whale blubber keeps a whale warm.

Our coop today was incrustaceanously fun! The older group dissected a crayfish. It was cool - here are some pics. Thanks Mrs. Yonea and Mrs. Rachelle for all your hard work.

Mrs. Yonea is carefully explaining the process of dissection.



EWWWWWWW!



Anna is lovin' this!

Mrs. Rachelle is a pro!



Concentration!









Mrs. Rachelle and her friend the crayfish. All is fair in love and science!

Ben's group has been learning some fun things as well. They painted a lighthouse today.

Thank you Mrs. Kim and Mrs. Tina!

Ben gave a great report on Massachusetts!

Claire's Group made lighthouses today and shell picture frames. They are learning a lot as well.

Thank you Mrs. Lori and Mrs. Michelle!

More pics of cooking

Anna Beth's reaction to the brown bread --- EWWW! It tastes like sweet feed!!

It was barely edible. Scott, of course, was the most fond of the stuff out of all of us.

Here is a pic of the bread cooking.

Voila! The finished product!!

Bon Apetit!

This is a neat book we have been getting some of our recipes from.

Happy Cooking!

Pictures of Cooking our way through Boston

Today we studied Massachusetts. We cooked Boston Baked Beans in honor of "Beantown" and learned how the Puritans would not cook on Sunday, so they started their beans on Saturday night and slow cooked them all night long to have on Sunday after church. I too have been convicted of really concentrating more on our Dear Lord on Sunday than I previously have been doing. I have decided not to even turn on the computer and really spend the day after church quietly resting or visiting with friends. Really to make the Lord's Day a special , not an ordinary day. Not out of strict legalism, but to honor the gracious Savior of my soul. How needy I am of a day, to stop the normal hustle and bustle and quietly reflect and think on Him and His goodness and kindness to such a one as I.

Claire Bear stirring the Boston Beans. They turned out to be quite yummy!

The Boston brown bread was a little tricky. We mixed it up and poured it into a coffee can to steam on top of the stove for 2 hours. I hope it is edible!!!

We all had fun mixing up the Boston brown bread. It had molasses, soured milk, raisins, walnuts, rye flour and cornmeal.

Here is the bread ready to steam!

Ben is busy with a report on Massachusetts and Anna is doing one comparing and contrasting the Puritans and the Pilgrims.

We are going to watch Moby Dick in a bit. The study of whaling has been interesting and we really enjoyed the book, Carry on Mr. Bowditch.

This week in school

We are having a great time with our new KONOS unit about the states and regions. We have been studying the New England states this week and have learned quite a bit about the lovely states that make up this region. Who knew Maine grew 99% of the country's blueberries!!

Anyway, the kids have picked out recipes from the region and so far we have enjoyed eating our way through New England.

Coop is going well. We have 50 students this time and so far so good. I saw one group had brought in a real lobster today!! The older students are going to dissect a crayfish next week.
John has really enjoyed his group. They listen to stories and do crafts and of course play.
I have been struggling lately to find time to spend with him. School with my other three takes up so much time!!!
I am recovering from a root canal on Wed. It has been far more painful than I realized!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Jerry and Dad and John John

There are 4 siblings, but only three of us could make it today.

Jerry, Cathy , and Amy

My precious Daddy turned 79 today! My children and I and my sister and her friend Jim and brother Jerry and his son Joseph were all in Booneville to celebrate the big day. Mom had cooked a feast as usual and we had a great time listening to Dad's stories and visiting with each other. Here are a few pics. And Joseph my nephew made a BIG announcement today - he and his sweet girlfriend Lauren are getting married this fall. We are all excited. We have not had a wedding in the family for about 10 years!

Anna embroidered a hanky for Pa Pa. It was her first attempt at embroidery.

Here are some of the grands!!

Ben, Joseph, Anna, John and Claire

Mom and Dad

Getting our goats!!!

BAAAAD NANNIES!!!!!



On Saturday, Scott took most of the kids and Laura Kate Park and headed off to meet the Killoughs at the goat sale in Pontotoc. Well, I had my suspicions, and sure enough, they returned with not one but two GOATS! Their names have changed quite a bit. Lucy and Ethel, Granny and Pearl, Martha and Pepper, but I think we finally settled on Martha Washington and Betsy Ross. Well, Betsy looks like she may be popping out some kids real soon!!! ANYWAY, as goats are prone to do, ours have escaped numerous times. When we returned from Keepers and Contenders last night, they had vanished. Scott was not too concerned. He said they just lay down and sleep at night and they would not be roaming all over creation. Well, after he left this morning, I called him and he said the goats were still not home. (still not very concerned) He said they would probably wander home. Well when I went outside, I heard some dogs down the street barking loudly, so we loaded up to see if the goats were down there and sure enough there they were in our neighbor's front yard!!!!! I called Scott to come home at once and Claire, Ben and I tried to catch them. We caught the old goat, but the one great with kids escaped our grasp - time and time again. (the whole time there was this car at the church parking lot with a young looking guy in it, seems like he COULD have offered to help us) I was in my PJS and houseshoes!! I am quite sure he had a good laugh! Anyway, we tied up the old goat to a bush and waited for hubby to arrive . I caught some things on camera, but Scott's goat herding was priceless. He says he is for sure injured after it and it was a sight to watch!!! They finally were roped and Ben , Claire and Scott walked them home on the rope leashes.










The goats definitely got our goats. And come next goat sale, I think we will be on the other end of the sale - getting rid of Martha and Betsy!





Just another day on the farm :)

I'm What?!?!

She was 35 years old. Her three children were pretty much independent. She had been working on her degree slowly but surely over the past several years and she had finally finished and was working at a pretty decent job. Sure, having 2 teenagers and a 10 year old was a lot of work, but they were in school most of the day, and she could now work and maybe she could help put them all through college. The test just could NOT be accurate - her, pregnant?!?! But yes, it was true, another baby on the way. This is not part of my plan, she must have thought. But, as she did then and as she does now every day, she opened her heart and her home to this child, and I am sure glad she did! I know it must have not seemed logical and surely not easy, but she had the courage to do what was right. I am sure working 9 hour days, coming home to cook a full supper, wash clothes, keep the house spotless, help with homework , be a wife, must have seemed like all she could possibly do, but she chose to add ANOTHER child to the mix, and I am sure glad she did! Yes, this story is a part of my precious mother's life, a part that must have happened about 42 years ago when she found out about me. Thank you dear Mother for opening up your home to a child when it didn't seem the easiest thing to do!! I love you!

School starts!

I am thankful to have day 1 almost behind us. Ben is still writing a thank you note to Granny for his handwriting for the day. I am truly thankful to be able to school our children at home. The precious times of discussing God's Word and other eternal issues are priceless!! Anna has been getting joy out of her Bible readings in the morning and I am so thankful to God for drawing her near. I was convicted mightily in my quiet time this morning about some issues in my life and I, too, am thankful for a Heavenly Father that does not leave me as I am, but gently instructs me in the way I should go. I am humbled by the thought that the Great Creator and Ruler of the Universe has time to teach me through His word!! To God be the Glory for His Son, through which we can come to the mercy seat and have communion with God.
I hope all of you have a wonderful week,
Amy

New Year happenings

New Year's Eve was spent with the May family. We had so much good food to eat and we enjoyed visiting with the Mays, Opie and Pam Hurst and boys, Robert and Gena Vail and Ms. Katherine Walden. Claire and Gabriella and Anna and Danielle especially had a good time. We brought the new year in with fireworks! John had been almost constantly asking all day when were we going to shoot them - he really enjoyed them this year. I did not take pics but maybe Cireese will send me some. Amy especially enjoyed all the hugs and kisses from the Mays 2 year old AnnaCale!!! She is so precious.

We rested a good bit on New Year's Day and took down our Christmas decorations. It is not near as fun to take all that down as it is getting it out and decorating!
Yesterday we did some shopping (Corner Shoe Store has most of their shoes 1/2 price) The signs say buy one get one free, but if you only buy one it is 1/2 off. We got some good deals.
Scott worked outside almost all day - it was a perfect day for him. He worked on the fence and put up a zip line in the woods for the kids. I suppose before long we will hear MAAA MAAA sounds coming from the pasture.
Last night we had the Lee family over. Allen was a young man I tutored a couple of years ago and he brought his wife, children and his parents up from Aberdeen for supper. We had a good time and it was nice to meet his family. His parents have 12 children and they are Mennonites.
We talked alot about the Lord and our fellowship was sweet.