The End of Summer

I can't believe summer is almost over.  We are starting school next week.  On Monday I will meet with each kid and talk about goals and expectations for the summer and give them an overview of their curriculum.  On Tuesday we will dive right in.

It has been a wonderful summer.  S. and  N. went to church camp and had a wonderful time and came back with new spiritual things to focus on.  S. has been working 15-20 hours a week.  N. went on a local mission week and had a fantastic time and even let his true goofy self show by break dancing at a concert in the park.  The adults and teens on the trip got a real kick out of seeing this side of the boy they thought was shy and quiet. 

We just got back from a vacation in PA.  Went to the Pittsburgh zoo, Hershey Chocolate World, Gettysburg and Amish Country.  We stayed at a farm bed and breakfast and had a fantastic time.  N. is now convinced he wants to be a farmer.  He was up and talking to the sheep by 6:45 each morning and would stay out in the barnyard until dark.

S. had been more unsure about staying on a farm because she said she was afraid of chickens and didn't like goats.  She ended up loving collecting the eggs and even attempted to milk a goat.  Her favorite thing was the sunset ATV ride that the owner of the farm took us on.

It was a fantastic end to summer and I think we are now ready to dig in to a new, and hopefully wonderful school year.  I have been scheduling things in homeschool tracker all summer.  Sarah is taking a pretty tough load of classes.  Noah is moving on to the next Heart of Dakota guide entitled Resurrection to Reformation. It will include longer reading and more challenging, thought provoking activities.  I am looking forward to seeing his progress this year.