Kindergarten!

It has arrived! My little girl started Kindergarten today! We have chosen the homeschool approach for our family this year and hopefully there will be more to blog about that later. For now, here are some of those "first day of school" photos inside the doors of our very own Giddens' Academy. Come on in! No hall pass needed!

As you can see, Nathan will be riding right along with us as much as he can. We are all very excited about this! Conveniently, Luke's naptime will fall right during school time...for now.

We did take a couple of much needed breaks. They decided snack time should be held laying down on the floor. They are so cool.

And finally....RECESS!!!

The scoop...

Just for wondering minds, we will be using the Kindergarten "My Father's World" cirriculum this year which includes, math, Bible, science, art, literature, reading, and creative thinking. Tory will also be teaching them an additional something once a week...should be educational for us all! :) But, I have to say the thing Abigail is most looking forward to is her "co-op school". She is WAY excited about her co-op. We have joined a homeschool group call "Home for His Glory", in which we will be able to participate in field trips as well as their co-op. We will go on Thursdays and she will be taking World Geography, Fantastic Fall, Ballet, and Math Games. She is very, very excited about this. Nathan will also get to be in the preschool group and have structured learning and play times and Luke should have a structured time in the toddler class. We are pumped!

Thanks for checking out our 1st day and we hope to post more as we go along.

raisin' 'em up

With a growing family, one is often asked, "How do you do it all", or "how are you going to do it all". Well, Friends, here is a beautiful picture I captured this morning. We have not perfected this but it was my first glance at seeing the three Giddens' chillins' in joint task. Actually, Luke just likes to be right in the middle of whatever Abigail and Nathan are doing, but you get the point.

So, this is how it is, I don't do it all. I learned very early from very wise women that it is good for a mother to teach her children how to be self-sufficient. Besides teaching my children of Christ, teaching them to be self-sufficient may be one of the most important things they need to learn from me. One day we will want them to get a job, mom can't go...we will hope for them a college education, mom can't go... and Lord willing, we want our boys to protect and provide for their own families and our girls to be helpers to their husbands and carers of their home and children, and no, mom and dad won't be moving in with them. So it all starts now. And with God's grace and strength, I will teach them all I know how, I will pray for them daily, and they will know that Mom loves them by it.

Our first day in the "Children's ministry" at church this past Sunday brought this monster into our home. It has quickly become the family sweet treat for the week.

And I wonder why he is not interested in the veggies anymore. ;)

We've practiced, and practiced, and practiced...

and he got it! This past weekend my boy finally walked. We have spent many and many evenings over the past 4 months trying to get this boy to walk. He would take a few step here and there, but totally against his will. But this weekend he did it, so effortlessly, and with so much excitement. We were all so giddy, even Abigail and Nathan were just laughing out loud. Each of us knows how much we have worked and oh how our hearts filled with joy at this moment! Yay, Pookey!

Look how proud he is!

Whew!!

We thought that once we got back from Texas that things would slow down a bit. That has not been the case. Busy, but an oh so good kind of busy. I went through my camera to get some pics and thought I would share a little bit of our life happenings over the past few weeks. I just love my family! (Sorry that this has to be such a long post but I guess that is just what happens when you get behind.) Enjoy!

This guy came to visit. Met him in the shed one night on my way to get the ladder. He won't be visiting anymore. But I do thank him for helping me get the shed reorganized. That picture on the top right is Tory tormenting him. I don't know why that is necessary for a guy to do before he makes the kill, but it is.

We have also had several visitors. Nana came for about a week and it was such a special treat! Thanks for lovin' on my kiddos so much. We miss you, Nana.

We had a special visit from our good ole' friends, The Willems, as well. So good to see that family again. Note that the girls made sure they made the most of their time with much pampering.

We also made a very quick trip to Frankfort last week to get state seals and authentication for the dossier.

A completed work. Well, at least as complete as we will ever see it. And just a quick update, the dossier received its seals and final authentication in D.C. last week and is currently on its way to Ethiopia! We are on the list! Now we just wait.

And last but not least, A CHALKBOARD WALL!! I have been waiting for this for months! These final pictures also represent the tons of painting Tory and I have done over the last week as well as our prep for homeschool beginning in just a few short weeks. Abigail is going to be in Kindergarten!! More to come on that and hopefully more pics of the completed school "area" when it is finished.

Thanks for stickin' with us!

Lynn's Paradise Cafe: Super-hero style

Yet another fun outing with the Marshman's, and for BREAKFAST this time! We love our sweet friends! Check out some more of our morning here.