First Camping Trip.

This past summer, I got an itch to go camping.

  

As I reflect on my childhood, many of my my dearest, funniest, (and best remembered) memories are from camping.  I didn't go with my mom and dad-they're not the camping sorts-but with my Grandpa and Grandma Garner, and usually a few aunts and uncles and several cousins.  It's been twenty years (eeks), but even now as adults when we get together a camping memory usually weaves itself into the conversation.

I was wanting this for my children.  They should experience camping, and make memories.  They should be surrounded by nature and cook dinner over a fire and sleep on the hard ground (that's important, right?)  

I mentioned my desire to go camping to some good friends of our, Jim and Megan.  Jim takes his kids camping regularly, and it was really him who got the ball rolling.   It went from "I think we should go camping" to "Ok then, here's the link, go make your reservation".

So, we set out to go camping with our friends the first weekend after school started.  Immediately after making the reservation online, fear set it.  What was I doing?  Matt and I have never been camping together.  We have children that are afraid of the dark!  Nathan and Ella slept in the tent one time, two years ago, and they woke up at 6 a.m. because they were frightened by the shadow of a bug.  I suddenly realized all the things that could go wrong!

But, we pressed on...and I'm so thankful we did.

(I should mention that we did have the foresight to choose a state park within 30 minutes from home, we were only going to be gone for about 24 hours, and I had a bail-out plan.)

We loaded up the mini and managed to strategically fit everything.  The kids were a little surprised at how much "stuff" we were taking...sleeping bags, tent, cooler, folding chairs, blankets...it was a little different than an over-nighter at Papa's.

After a quick drive and setting up our tent, we went for a hike.  The weather was near perfect.  Not hot, not cold, not humid, not windy.  Just sunny and nice.  It was fun to go out on trails that I hiked as a girl.  Most of it felt very familiar.

 The first twenty minutes was more like speed hiking...very loud speed hiking.

But once the kids got running and screaming out of their system, we settled to a pace more conducive for nature exploration.  We found many amazing spiderwebs and had several conversations about moss. :)

 I love this group of kids!

 
This is the final stretch of the hike.

This photo is blurry (because I took it while walking), but I thought these two looked sweet.  It turns out Matt picked Evs up because she had to go potty.  Shortly after this, Evelyn got her first peeing in the woods experience...


Nathan found this leaf suspended in a spider web.  Even in person the web was extremely difficult to see, so he had the idea to take this photo.  He's using "the force" to hold the leaf in the air.

Once back to the site, it was time for dinner prep.  We went with a camping staple:hobo dinners!

(meat and veggies wrapped in foil)

While dinner cooked the dads took some kids fishing.  Many of the girls stayed back with me.  They played at a park while I read a book by the fire...total bliss.
(It was also a good call to go camping with older, responsible kids.)

Then it was time to eat.  I'm guessing not every crew would go through the trouble of setting the table while camping, but these are not ordinary girls!

It was great to watch them put such joy and detail into getting the table ready.

Evelyn, who loves most of God's small creatures, was very excited to find a woolly bear!

After dinner, the boys went fishing again and I got to hang out with the girls!

We read some more and talked some girly talk in our jammies.

 

 After a while, they got impatient and started making "smacos".  

Our night ended sitting around the campfire eating s'mores.  Evelyn fell asleep in my arms, and everyone else went to bed, with no issues, at about 10:30.  Spending the day outside makes one tired, which is good because at 34 the ground was a little harder than I remembered it.  It was also forecasted to be chilly during the night (about 48 degrees), but we planned accordingly and even that wasn't a big deal.

We woke up bright and early and made some french toast and coffee over the fire while listening to Rend Collective.  We then did some more exploring and fishing, packed up, and called it a day.  

Everything went so smoothly, it makes me think it couldn't happen so well again.

The first camping trip is under our belts, and we can't wait to go out again next summer!

Schooled.

It's that time of year again.  School is in session!

It's always bittersweet; the sadness of the end of Summer mixed with the excitement of Fall and all the activity it brings with it.  With school not starting until September 8th though, we all definitely felt ready to get into a school routine (well, maybe some were have mixed feelings).

Last Spring we wrestled and prayed about the best school choices, and now we get to see how God is going to use this year, and where He has placed us, for His glory...

So, here is the 2015-2016 Thompson Line-up:

At the Challenge Center at Robert Frost Elementary, is our 3rd grader Nathan.

Nathan is attending the same school as last year, though they are meeting in a new location.  Last year there was also only one section of 2nd graders and this year there are two sections of 3rd grade.  So, his class is filled with a mix of kids from his class last year and new friends.  

(Now there will just be two sections until 6th grade when he goes to middle school).

I love getting boys (or at least my boy) ready for the first day of school.  Nathan threw on a shirt from last year and some shorts he just received from his cousin,  I think they're a size 6 (Nathan's 9).  When I asked him if he wanted to put on something newer or more special (like NOT basketball shorts for just one day, please) he looked at me strangely and said, "nah".

He was feeling a mixture of excited and nervous, but once we got to school I could tell he was ready to go!

His class went in a few minutes earlier than expected so I didn't get a good photo at the school, but here he is heading in for his first day!

I did manage this year to not cry until I got back into the van...success!

Everyone had risen early to bring Nathan to school, but then the girls and I headed right back home again to begin our first school day!

The girls will continue to stay home with me, though how I have two schoolers!

Ella is in the second grade!

Much of our curriculum will remain the same as last year, just bumped up a grade.

This includes:
Reading and Poetry: Heart of Dakota

Math: Singapore 3A

Language Arts: Logic of English D

History, Latin, Science, Art, English, & Math memory work: Classical Conversations

Ella was also super excited to begin her day.  

We didn't get through everything we typically would, but it was a great soft, rolling start.  

And, Adeline is a Kindergartener!

Adeline too was ready to be a "big girl" and get "real school work" to do.  

At home, we'll be focusing primarily on the 3Rs:

Reading: How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and Explode the Code

Writing: Handwriting Without Tears

Math: Saxon Math 1

 Adeline also is enrolled in Classical Conversation and does the same memory work as Ella (sometimes better than anyone else).

Sweet Evelyn is a pre-pre-schooler.

 

Her year is focused on puzzles, books, drawing, playing with babies, and soaking up knowledge like a little sponge.

In addition,  all four kids are enrolled in Bible Study Fellowship.  Nathan and Ella go in the evening with Matt and Addie and Evelyn go in the morning with me.  This year we are studying Revelation.  How awesome that we get to study all together as a family!

Now that we're two weeks in we're developing a routine.  I can't say it's always smooth, we've run the gamut of emotions from joy to total frustration, but it is good and I'm so thankful to be in a position to keep my kids home with me, or not.

Can't wait to see what the rest of this year holds in store!

Ballet Recital!

When it comes to extra-curricular activities for kids, Matt and I have always leaned towards less is more.  Nathan has played baseball in the summer, and we did one-month of gymnastics a couple of years ago, (I'm sure that's super beneficial right?), but that's about it.  So, this year was a first for us.  Ella and Adeline both participated in ballet from September through May.  

They are officially ballerinas!

Ella has always wanted to do ballet.  She loves to be graceful and beautiful and dance around on her tip-toes.  I think I signed up for Addie though.  Addie needed to learn structure, poise, and self-control.  Gymnastics would have worked too, and I still think Addie might be more of a gymnast, but ballet seemed to be a better fit.  The class worked well in our schedule, and both girls LOVED it!

It was fun to watch them learn new things each week, and we all made new friends.  

The year ended with a recital.  It was such a good experience for them to work hard at something and get to perform on stage.

Here they are on the day of their dress rehearsal and photo shoot.  If you want it to be, this can become quite the big deal!

Fortunately the photographer didn't seem to mind a bunch of moms taking free photos!

Their performance and costumes  are Rainbow Fish.

 

This is them with a friend from their class, Shailyn.

 

And here's the entire class, 7 total, getting ready for the group photo with their instructor, Miss Martha.

 

After some quick photos, they got to practice on stage with lights and everything to prepare for the recital.  

It was a little rough...

 

So many costumes!

 

Friday, May 15 was the big day!  The girls were so excited about their performance, I think they invited everyone they knew!  

Each family was given five free tickets.  Since we had an extra ticket, and because my dad knew it was such a big deal to them, he also drove down for the recital.

They didn't allow any photography or video during the recital, so unfortunately I don't have any to share.  It was so fun to watch them on stage though, and they did a great job.  

(We will be receiving a DVD from the studio.  I'm sure we'll only watch that a couple hundred times!)

Here are the ballerinas post recital.  

Matt presented them with a rose afterwards.  They were on cloud 9 with excitement!

Finally, here they are with their teacher Miss Martha.

 

Since then the leotards and ballet slippers have been up in the closet.  It was a positive experience and it would be great to continue on (though of course Matt did add up what it cost: 9 months= monetary commitment!).  So, I'm not sure yet what we'll do next year.  

Now the girls are mentioning they'd like to try soccer...

Memorial Day 2015.

Today we remembered those who have gone to glory before us.

Since we have moved back to South Dakota, we've spent Memorial Day morning at the De Smet Cemetery with the Widmans.  We visit the grave stones of family members, and the American Legion does a short program to honor those who have lost their lives fighting for our country and her freedoms.

I pray my children will have a spirit of reverence and gratitude for those who have laid down their lives to fight for our country. 

It is still so sobering to visit my mom's grave.  

I don't need Memorial Day to honor her...I think of her every day.

Her grave stone is on the left and my grandparents' is on the right.  My dad is very careful  to the area surrounding my mom's headstone.  He's become sort of the grounds keeper planting and fertilizing grass and picking up sticks.  He placed some planters next to the headstone that will stay out there until winter.   He also made a metal heart (that you can't see all of in the photo) with some solar lights, so that it is lit at night time. 

It's beautiful and he does a great job.

I don't know why, but it seems that Memorial Day is always cloudy and cool, often rainy.

This year was no exception.   

I took this photo from the van as we were leaving the cemetery.  Though sunshine would have felt nice, the landscape was a mix of my favorite colors: green, blue, and grey.

God is so glorious.

Last day of School!

 School's out!

Nathan officially finished 2nd grade at the Challenge Center on May 15, 2015!

Let's begin with a look back.

Here's our little guy back in August on the first day of school.  

 

Poor guy was very nervous (and excited) to embark on his first year of public school.

 Here he is on the last day of school.

Not nervous, just excited!

 Some things didn't change:
He's still wearing Star Wars t-shirts &

He still won't just stand and smile nicely!

Overall it was a great year!

Nathan loved being at school (most days).  He impressed Matt and I by getting himself up every morning at 6:45 and completely ready for breakfast by 7:00.  When at home, I had to drag him out of bed at 8:00!

The beginning of school was a big adjustment for all of us.  Like I've said before it was challenging for me to hand Nathan over for so many hours of the day.  I had to grow into this new situation of creating a home that would remain Nathan's main source of love, support, and education, while allowing him to learn and grow away from home.  We had bad days (after school, Nathan was great at school), and there were definitely opportunities for growth and maturity for both Nathan and myself.  

In the end however, God is faithful.  He continues to lead us on this journey and as we seek Him, He provides comfort and direction. 

 

We praise God that Nathan had a great teacher and got to learn with many great classmates.  I wanted a picture of Nathan and Mrs. Ivey on the last day, but Nathan had a case of the last day of school blues and wasn't up for it...I think he's going to miss her!

Once the weather got warmer in the Spring, we were able to hang out after school.  It was great because I got to get to know some of Nathan's classmates and parents better.  One particular boy that stayed to play also had a little sister, so it was perfect!

I took a couple of photos of the girls on the last day of school too (last day of Nathan's school...homeschool is almost finished for the session).

Spinning in a swing...still one of life's simple joys!

 

Here's Nathan with his friend Luke.  I wasn't able to get one of his little sister and the girls.

 

We again give thanks to God for such a great first year of (public) school!

Next year Nathan will continue at the Challenge Center as a third grader.  His school is moving to a permanent location at a new building, so there will still be some newness, but we're looking forward to it!

(especially since it's much closer to our home...yippee!)

It is Well: Meaningful DIY

  I haven't posted about any projects lately, and there are actually a couple that we've completed (somewhat) recently.  Matt has done a larger scale project in the garage to increase our storage (which I'll have to blog about because it's awesome) as well as a few things outside.  

I've done a couple of smaller weekend projects inside the house.

For a long time I've wanted the words "It is Well With My Soul" somewhere in my house.   I love the words to this old hymn.  In fact it was during a church service in March 2001 when the Holy Spirit used this hymn to convict me that it was not well with my soul.  That day I decided to quit living for myself and start living for Jesus.

I want to decorate our home with things that are meaningful, so I was looking for a way to display these words in a way that would hopefully look not bad.  I decided to place them at the bottom of our stairs where they would be seen often.

I don't remember if I searched Pinterest or if a few ideas just showed up on my page.  Anyway there were a couple of different ideas that I particularly liked.

I loved the gold in this first idea.  I also liked that it was three-dimensional and not in another frame since I just hung a bunch of those.

(found here).

I also pinned this version, which is actually the same idea, just executed in a slightly different way.

 

 (found here).

My final design fell somewhere in the middle of these two ideas, but I was definitely more influenced by the first photo.  I loved the gold.

So, I went and bought all the letters at Michaels.  

That sentence was so easy to type, not as easy to do.  This simple step required three trips to Michaels!  I've now learned that Michaels only likes to have about one L and W in stock at a time.  I've also learned that they receive shipments on Tuesdays. So, you may just want to go on Wednesday and do this in one trip. Or if you're feeling extravagant pay the $6 in shipping and order online.

I also purchased some gold acrylic paint.  I went with acrylic because it was cheap.  A bottle was around $1.50 instead of $8 for a bottle of spray paint.  I was after all buying 18 letters at $2.50 a pop.

I was excited about the gold, the letters looked good (I just did a couple to test), but on the wall I wasn't sold.  Since we still have some '80's detailing here and we have gray walls  I decide gold was not the right fit. 

So, I painted them white.  Not as exciting, but clean and simple.

It then took one trip to Target (okay maybe two because I didn't count the letters) for Command strips, and it was time to hang.

I'm open to opinions.  I think it turned out okay, but not as well as I hoped.  Maybe it seems a little off balance to me, like something else need to be with it.  Or maybe "It Is" should be on one line?

 

Maybe it's ironic that it isn't well with me how this turned out?!  

This photo below helps show where it is in relation to the rest of the wall.

 Regardless of how it looks, I still love these words and I'm glad they're up.

  These words help remind me that no matter what circumstances are going on around me, these pains are temporary.  Jesus has paid the price for my sins, and I can experience peace like a river knowing that my eternal fate is sealed.

I couldn't end this post without including the words to this hymn.  

 If you haven't read them, you should.  If you have, read them again!

 

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well with my soul,
     It is well, it is well with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
3. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
6. And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.