6/7/2021
We have a graduate! Our oldest daughter is done with high school!
We participated in a homeschool graduation ceremony with 9 other graduates. It was a lovely ceremony.
And we hosted an open house as well. We had 10 family members from Wisconsin come down for the weekend to join us.
It was a long and busy weekend, but a lot of fun celebrating!
Congratulations, Bright Eyes!
5/7/2021
We recently had family pictures taken. It had been almost 2 years since our last pictures. That doesn't seem like a long time, unless you have little people who change A LOT in 2 years! :-)
We had these done by a photographer friend from our church. Very talented!
5/6/2021
My oldest daughter. A senior. Class of 2021. A beautiful young lady ready to fly!
These pictures evoke so many memories! We've homeschooled all the way through, so as much as this is her moment, her graduation, it is also my moment. To graduate my first student. To make it from kindergarten through 12th grade is no small thing. One of my favorite parts of homeschooling is learning alongside the kids. All the hours we've read books together and all the discussions generated by those books. I have grown up as I've been teaching them. It's been a beautiful process of education for them and for me too.
There's a special story behind these senior pictures. They were taken last fall as a complete surprise to me during my cancer journey. The kids were in Wisconsin staying with grandparents for the week right after my surgery. Totally unbeknownst to me, they planned this whole thing and surprised me a few weeks later with these beautiful pictures. What a great surprise and a load off my shoulders!
Thank you to all the extended family who were a part of making this happen, including my niece Danielle who was the photographer behind the camera!
3/11/2021
I ventured out this week with all 5 children on a day trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan. For us, this is about a 2 hour drive from home.
Most of our time was spent at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. This was a very well done museum, with over two dozen exhibits. They were very family friendly, even in these days of COVID (encouraging hands-on engagement with many exhibits).
Some of our favorite exhibits included a huge Lego version of historical Grand Rapids...
An actual-size whale skeleton that was suspended overhead...
Also an airplane suspended from the ceiling...
An enormous clock with an open backside to see the internal operations...
Lots of fun opportunities for photos.
The museum is located right along the river that runs through Grand Rapids, providing beautiful backdrops and a chance to take a brief walk during our visit.
Personally it felt like a new season of life. To all go together for a day trip with decent attitudes about riding 4 hours in the van... not bringing a stroller as everyone was able to walk the whole time. There's a newfound freedom in this season that allows us to be able to get out a bit more. It feels good!
Overall a fun day spent in Grand Rapids!
