Learning All the Time

 Jello fossil activity- permineralization and petrification. 

 She's very studious in her sleep

 Jacob continues to invent his own boardgames. 

 Scarlet teaching the littles how to draw bubbles.

We have the best home teacher! He gathered a bunch of supplies and came to teach us about fractional distillation. It was very hands on which was especially fun for the kids. We learned lots of new terminologies which made us feel smart. 

Jacob got to play in a ball hockey tournament with a friend. We were a bit worried about it since he'd never once played ball hockey but then we found out he scored 6 goals in the first game! Our worries quickly dissipated.

Four pianists, one piano. We have a fantastic music teacher! Don't be fooled- this is a small space for four plucky children. There was many a heated moment but we all survived.

Charlie is Twelve

We are so pleased with Charlie's eagerness to become a Deacon at church. He is very diligent about his duties. We are all trying our hardest to be ready for church on time so he can be early enough to pass the sacrament. 

Garden Time

I recognize June by the flowers, now. 

I used to know it by review tests, and restlessness.

Lisa Asher, unschooled teenager, in Growing Without Schooling magazine

Lots of planning this year as we had to start a garden from scratch. I was studying up on seed saving so I hope to try more of that at the end of the season. I also went to my first seed swap. What a joy! I had a marvelous time and learned so much from some of the neatest people.

We started much more seed pots inside than is rational...

 Here was the big dig-up-the-lawn day. Yikes!

This is the view I wake up to. Sigh. Apple blossoms are gorgeous, and the 

hum of the bees is the best part.

 Rhubarb is always one of our favorites. We were sad about not having our usual supply until the kids ran in one day to tell me they discovered we do have a rhubarb patch- 

they found one deep in our woods.

Our duct tape nature bracelet tradition passed all the way down to the sixth child. 

What will we do next year?

The Peace of Wild Things

BY WENDELL BERRy

When despair for the world grows in me
 and I wake in the night at the least sound
 in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
 I go and lie down where the wood drake
 rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
 I come into the peace of wild things
 who do not tax their lives with forethought
 of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
 And I feel above me the day-blind stars
 waiting with their light. For a time
 I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Moments

 Marble football has been a fun family game lately.

 Fun days with our friends.

 This scene seems to be a regular occurrence.

 My best littlest friends. I will always remember this delightful day I spent with these girlies.

Ezra has a collection of stuff he has taken apart- earphones, calculators, toy trains, timers, flashlights, etc. Eventually we found him a bigger box for all the parts and equipped him with a toolbox.

Spring

Hazel was dazzled by our spring celebration this year as you can see. 

 This year Jacob was in charge of the Passover preparations. He did a fine job.

 I put together a fancy General Conference board to change things up this year.

Birthday Klootcheh is the best cake!

She's 8!

 So I asked Scarlet what she wanted for her birthday dinner and she said quiche. 

If you say so...

 Lots of gardening gifts.

 Since this was Scarlet's 8th birthday she was baptized! Gramma Gail came up and the highlight was her playing marbles :)

 Church pals.

 Awesome church teachers!

 So blessed to have such supportive family in our lives.

Scarlet is our family scriptorian. She knows the scriptures stories frontwards and back. She worked hard on her baptism prep class with Tim and I so she felt very prepared for her special day. SO proud of Scarlet!

BOOKS

My projects of late have been studying the digital revolution in regard to raising children, and the healing benefits of bone broth. How is that for variety...

Yes, I barely even eat meat. 

Yes, I boil chicken feet and carcasses and bone marrow bones to make broth and it's disgusting.

Yes, this is quite contradictory.

Yes, you should learn about the lost art of bone broth because after all, 

“Good broth will resurrect the dead.”

~ South American Proverb