First things first...

Nickolas is "18"!

Now a young man with a future to grasp and reality to face...

*pictured clockwise beginning w/ the back of blondies head~
Bryson 3
Andrew 6
Mikayla 9 (katie-girl)
Nick 18 ;^)
TJ 14
Joe(y) 22
Travis (friend)
Jenna (Fred's littlest sister)

Jenna made Nick cupcakes for his birthday. They are 3 1/2 months apart in age. Nick is older. *grin*

Nick had gone to the fair all day with friends, but we ended this night with our own version of STOMP (http://www.stomponline.com/show.php)


Dear Husband had to work on some rhythm skills with some of the children first. *smile*

Soon Joe joined in with another rhythm,

and Dad rapped it up with the best beat in town.

The Dad that can break dance is also the dad who has the skills with rhythm... Go Figure!

ON TO SUMMER TOPICS...


Our weather is cloudy with a chance of rain... every day! still.


Bryson needs to wash his "motorcycle".

So Sissy joined him.

Then the event was followed by a "tune-up" for the said motorcycle. This was some serious stuff. I am waiting for his front wheel to fall off...

And for those moments when it does begin to pour outside...



fyi... apparently this is a maze of "lazer beams".

It felt more like a spider web to me.
;^)













The transition has been slower going than I had hoped for, but we are bumping along, getting settled into our place. I suppose it doesn't help when we volunteer/go to VBS for double shifts (a.m. & p.m.) the second week we are back in town. *sheepish grin*

The littles are adapting well to the changes (house, schedules, routines, people, etc). The biggies are comfortably set. Katie, well, she's been a bit more off than I expected. I will be making a mommy/daughter date to clear up some expectations (from her and me). She's been needing a lot more nurturing and attention than usual.
so I whisper to myself
...slow down...embrace...communicate....

funny enough, I've been needing more nurturing and attention than usual, and dear husband is enduring it, but his time is divided amongst so many things right now that I really need to lower my expectations for this season of transition...it's just so much more easier said than done...
so I whisper to myself
...relax...pray...smile...


This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

GRADUATION

~Homeschool Style~

Our
Panoramic
View...

360 degrees
of scenery...

in the Pacific North West...

Including a beautiful view of the Sound, along with some random rain showers...

Followed by our favorite sports stadiums;

Qwest Field
&
Safeco Field

...and as we come around full circle...

...the sun peaks out for a moment.

After all, it is summer, right?





If you haven't guessed yet, this is our view from the Space Needle.


So, what does graduation look like for a student that is homeschooled?

The advantage of homeschooling is that you can personalize not only their education, but create a graduation that truly fits your student's personality.

Nickolas...

our gifted athlete, with a competitive drive within.
Thoughtful,
practical,
with a spark of humor & charm.

He opted out of:

Senior pictures; he prefers THIS picture. It reflects his senior year, his dog, his moments in soccer, his schooling.
Graduation announcements; we even bribed him with the idea that some folks may even send money as a congratulations of a job well done. He preferred not to have the extra attention.
Graduation party; again, not eager for tons of attention, he shrugged this idea off.

So what did we do?

I pondered his relationships with other folks, his interests, his personality...

then came up with a plan of celebration.

3 Surprises:

1) Biggest brother, JOE, along with TJ, took NICK to a concert.
A Christian Rock Concert w/ The Newsboys, The Disciple, & Kutless

2) A senior grad & dad overnighter at the Great Wolf Lodge with Nick's best friend & his dad.

3) A dinner at the Space Needle with us, the parents. We invited Nick's bestest friend from public school (which they were in the same class Kindergarten - 3rd grade). I thought it fitting to have his last "field trip" be with the friend he had his first field trip with. *grin* This is where we handed him his Diploma & his high school transcripts.

We are so very proud of Nick. He has worked diligently, as some things did not come easy. He has been my faithful slow-n-steady learner.

Always respectful;
listening & learning,
absorbing & applying
more knowledge than he lets on.

Congratulations Nickolas,
grasp the future and make it as you wish,
believe in yourself,
and trust God always,

We love you!

Soccer in the North
West.

Little brothers love to watch big brothers play. =)

Little sisters hang in there patiently as big brothers play. =)

Nick is # 5. He's back to playing in the games after 7 weeks off due to a bone injury.

Most times he wins the ball....

and sometimes

... he doesn't. ;^)

l.i.f.e Academy...

Our first quarter is over. It seem to go by so fast! We now get to enjoy 2 weeks off.

I think I am acutely aware of how fast the year is going because I have a senior student. What a wonderful journey it has been. I will post of details at a later date.

First quarter successes:

Field Trips:
Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle Science Center
Fruit picking at a farm in Oregon

Library every Wednesday:
This is working out well. It is a small library, Thank goodness, as I get overwhelmed in big fancy ones with my littles in tow. =) I do have a habitual habit of always having some type of fee; I am pretty proud that I have not lost a book/movie/magazine as of yet. Little guy has ripped one page, but I figure for having 5 kids learning from home, that isn't too bad a track record??

We established our new routine using the Robinson Curriculum along with keeping it organized Workbox style. It is working out well for us. Less chaotic, more focused. I am needing to find more focused time w/ my kindergartener. Preschool-ish activities are going well alongside littlest brother, but dear Andrew, in his offbeat way is skirting around his quality lessons in reading and language skills.

Extra-curricular:
*Katie-girl is doing ballet twice a week. Cool part is that she helps as an assistant in two little tyke ballet classes, and barters her payment for the lessons. She LOVES helping little kids.
Campfire also began. Lucky for us, Aunt Chanelle (my husband's sister) is the camp leader. She is amazing with kids!

*Nick is out (again) with a soccer related injury. Let's see...Hip out of alignment, broken wrist...now it is a bruised bone in the shin. This is not something to play around with, unless one enjoys the thought of a potential broken bone. We are hoping he will be back in play in a few weeks.

*TJ is patiently waiting for dad to take him fishing...soon, very soon....

A Funeral:
My dear Grandpa passed away recently. The funeral was last week-end. It is rather an event of mixed feelings. We know he is with the Good Lord; Halelujah! Yet the heart aches at the loss. The family had a Celebration of Life...which was fantastic...family, food, fun... but it left me pondering at how quickly life goes by, and how we should celebrate daily the gift of life.

Fall Break:
We are headed to Oregon for a week to visit some friends. Daddy has been staying with these friends for several months now. Lucky for us, Daddy gets to take a vacation with us next week to the Coast for a whole week! We are thrilled!

Future posts:
1. We wrapped up our Summer Nature Studies
2. Interesting Garden Adventure

3. Our Curriculum plans for the fall months.
4. A church-less family in a Godly home
5. Victories in personal struggles.
(if I am brave enough to open the door to this topic)
6. Preparing for the holidays~
Embracing the Moments.

Until next time...
May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.
Galations 13:14

*HEADS UP ~
lots of pictures ;^)

S
A
C
R
A
M
E
N
T
O
, CALIFORNIA

A College Showcase Tournament in Davis, Ca. on Nick's 17th birthday. How cool is it to be able to play soccer on your birthday in triple-digit temperatures! 103 was the average.

Those who injure their back in their last play of the game gets to relax back at the hotel in the pool.

As the rest of the guys show off their trick skills...

...yet, we still have to let the coach show them how it is really done.

Ha, Coach Jake does not look as refreshed here at the In and Out Burger...

but
we
are
enjoying
the
air-conditioning,

Ice tea....


...and
good times
with team-mates.

After the games were done, we were able to take a day to explore Old Sacramento...

Joe did not offer us free crab....





~but we did enjoy the opportunity to hang out with our goalkeeper's Grandpa.

...so we swung by a Car Museum...

...where we all found a common interest beyond soccer. =)

All in all, Nick and I had a great time. I am thrilled that Aunt Chanelle and oldest brother Joe could come with us on the trip!



... we did have to kill about 3 hours of time waiting at the airport, where as Nick was getting bored...

....and I was getting worn out. =)

TO BE

OR

NOT TO BE....

...a college student.

The choice to homeschool is an amazing journey. In our home, the children do get to decide. They get the summer to ponder their choice, and once a decision is made, it is a year commitment.

Nick was pulled out of public school the second week into 4th grade, and he never looked back. Now entering his senior year, new choices are coming up quickly. College, Trade School, Military, on-the-job training to name a few. Trying to pin a "what do you wanna do when you grow up" on a young adult is amusing to me....trying to pin down college options for a Christian-conservative-athletic male is not such a laughing matter.

Add in deciding on which colleges to visit;

Encourage student to write college application essays,

introduction letters to the coach of interest of a specific sport,

and to prepare for admission tests, SAT, and ACT tests.

Research scholarship options,
know grant deadline for applications,
and plan college financing;

Start acquiring letters of recommendation for said colleges,
create an on-campus budget,
and complete a housing/mealplan applications when neccessary.

Now, these are the things I do know is part of the process...
Now I need to spend time on discovering the things I don't know!
Suggestions are welcomed! =)

In the meantime,
I refuse to be overwhelmed,
yep,
definitely
refuse
to
be
overwhlemed....

Then I have a faceless disciple whom patiently hangs out with me!

"All men will know that you are my disciple if you love one another" John 13:35

Nick displays an incredible amount of patience when inundated with younger siblings all day.

*He will focus on driving while there is endless chatter of the littles in the back of the van.
*He will quietly finish his chores without a notice of anyone.
*He plugs away at his school work without complaint, even in the midst of commotion.
*He is up (showered, dressed, and ready to go) on Sunday mornings before the rest of us have even opened an eye.
*He is my extra set of hands, eyes, & ears around the home; not as a burden to him, but as doing what is good & right.

I can praise him endlessly, yet he will just roll his eyes (much like his father's humbleness)...so I mostly just smile...
and know he is storing up treasures in heaven.

This is Andrew helping me cook our breakfast style dinner. Let's just say we went through a lot of bread that day. ;^)

Andrew saying GRACE with us.

Father and son moments...

Our Nick is cleaning our bathroom sink pipes out w/ the guidance of a professional pipefitter. One more thing checked off our Home Maintenance 101 class. ;^D