What Have We Been Up To??

We've been "busy at home" as the Bible commands these past few weeks.  Spring has fully sprung and never before have I remembered so much green so quickly.  It has been utterly delightful!

What have we been up to?  Well, here's just a taste.  We've been gardening ..... 

And building a fire pit where our swing set used to stand .....

And moving 6 yards (that is 4 truck bed loads full) of bark all around the property ....

And playing Scrabble -- an ongoing game for Isaac and I .....

And doing laundry.  So much laundry.  I can't figure this out actually as I calculated that I do somewhere between 17-20 loads of laundry per week.  Hmmmm ..... this may have something to do with my sensitive nose and my desire for things to smell fresh and clean (including my hubby and children!) .......

And cooking.  Praise God for crock pots!  I estimate that I cook an average of  16-18 meals per week.  At one point I had the boys cooking 2 dinners out of the week but alas! their schedules got so busy so it all falls on me now (with an occasional hand from Isabelle).  Joe's idea of cooking is pouring a bowl of cereal so if we're to have any nutrition whatsoever, it falls on my shoulders!! This is why women of old kept having more and more and more children ......

And homeschooling.  The lessons continue but every week it seems we finish up another subject.  Unlike the public schools (which average finishing 2/3 of a book or curriculum), we finish until the last and final page in nearly all of our subjects.  Our history studies concluded with our feast so our afternoons are far more open for gardening and yard projects as well as free time .....

And classes.  The boys continue with karate.  Isaac will finish up his Spanish I class in May.  Isabelle and Isaac continue with piano until June.  Isabelle will work on violin continually with a month-long break in July.  Life is full but good and slowly winding down for summer fun and activities ....

And training.  We are on week 3 of obedience training school.  We attend a 2 hour class once a week and then Isaac trains for 30-45 minutes every day.  "Little" Snow is growing up and doing a nice job at learning to be a wonderful pet....

And encouraging Josiah as he finishes his final month of high school and his third to last class of college. He spends much of his day staring at a computer screen with a book on his lap but I make him change locations frequently so that at least his blood circulates!  
He's doing a fine job at finishing well .....

And planting flowers.  Lots of flowers!  We are one month away from graduation and our party today.  There is much to do left to prepare but we are enjoying the process .....

And enjoying the full blooms!  Our trees are beautiful with tulips blooming all around.  Isabelle has brought in bouquets every morning and went out early to do her chores because, "The sunrise was just calling me out!"  It has been a beautiful spring!