Labor Day and Other What-Not

 Matt teaching an art lesson

Memaw & Pepaw came out for a quick Labor Day visit. We launched our rocket, and the kids flew a kite for the first time.

 The babies are hot...

 Our new piano...Morgan starts lessons this week.

1st Day of School (Kindergarten & 1st grade)

It's finally here. The first day of school! The schedule I planned has been hovering over my head for weeks, so I am really happy to get it off the ground today. The kids were excited, everything went smoothly...why can't it be this easy all year? Morgan is studying Math, Bible, handwriting, grammar, spelling, history, science, literature, and art (on Fridays) for 1st grade. For kindergarten, Emma is doing math, Bible, phonics, handwriting, art, and listening in on history & science with Morgan.

After breakfast & devotions, we start our day with a walk.

Morgan working on math

Emma's first math lesson

"preschool time" with Viola Marie

Daddy is teaching grammar & spelling

Summer Catch-up

Just need to do a quick catch up post to get the blog back on track before the school year. This summer has been nuts!

 Our fig tree produced buckets & buckets of figs this year.

 The Goodman family stopped by to visit in July.

 A quick trip to Abilene in August- Morgan has had a bath and Memaw is singing the "freezing song".

 The reason for our visit: Candace & her kids passing through Texas on their way to Paris.

 We replaced our van last weekend while on a trip to Austin (it has been almost 2.5 months since we were rear-ended in the Mazda).

 The kids are super excited about the new van.

Emma helping me out the kitchen recently.

Purple Belt

After almost 7 years of jiu jitsu, Matt was finally awarded his long-overdue purple belt a couple of weeks ago. And he got a beating to go with it!

Busy Summer

Ok, this summer if flying past! Right after we got back from Cloudcroft, we had Alexia's wedding. Morgan & Emma were flower girl & ring bearer. They had an amazing time, especially on the dance floor. After that, we adopted two kittens from the animal shelter. The kids named them Timmy & Goody Tiptoes. They are both very sweet, and their arrival is pretty much the most exciting thing ever. Except for Baby V...she's scared of them! Then, the kids started swim lessons this week. They have both improved a lot since last year. Emma is working hard on the back float and front glide. Morgan is learning freestyle and the back glide (prep for backstroke).

Morgan with Timmy

Emma with Goody

Freestyle

Back glide

Back float

Emma's characteristic no-hold-barred leap

Cloudcroft Vacation

 Our little cabin was perfect...kids had their own area upstairs. Fun for them; for us it confirmed that we never want a two story house.

 The famous tunnel that we drove through everyday on the way to various locations.

 We drove WAY out in to the mountains to see this mountain stream waterfall. The kids liked wading in the water, though it was freezing.

 The source of the stream....

 

White Sands

 With Smokey at the cherry festival in High Rolls

  

 Giant pistachio at one of the pistachio ranches near Alamagordo.

Posing beneath a pistachio tree.

 In the town square at Mesilla (historic Las Cruces).

Inside a restaurant that was once the governor's mansion in Mesilla.

 We ate dinner on our porch every night...perfect weather, no wind

 

Valley of Fire

Three Rivers Petroglyphs

Saying Goodbye