school begins

we started school today. hurray! like last year, i am grateful for God's grace in a good day and a new beginning. we didn't totally quit this summer because baby o and the move forced us to take a long spring break instead. it felt good today, though, to fall into a new rhythm and to see the kids excited to begin. mar and g were so excited, they woke up about an hour before miles and were done with a lot before our family comedian stumbled out of his room.


 sometimes it feels like my life and the work of raising children and educating them is so small and insignificant and comfortable. i get to watch peaceful hummingbirds from my porch while others catch ebola , and friends prepare to return to at war Ukraine. i'm reading bonhoffer's biography right now and it has been such a challenge for me to wrap my mind around...the sheer evil and astounding courage. i am so grateful that yesterday an entire hour of church was dedicated to discussing how to further God's kingdom in and through our homes. as our pastor prays, i have been asking God to make our children dangerous for the Kingdom. would they grow and mature and walk with God that they may be part of His redemptive plan in this broken world of pushing back the darkness. i pray also that i would be content, would Jesus push back the darkness of my own ungratefulness for my life sometimes. let me be faithful here and now so that when the time is necessary, we might be courageous and be willing to do the uncomfortable and unsafe. and would all the work of our hands and mind be as unto Christ.

here are some pictures of day number one...may this be a year marked with joy and all of us growing in grace.

she finally finished math 1 last week.  when i told her she had 4 days off until 2nd grade started, she cheered. 

on our porch we see these lovelies every day.  i want to notice these little gifts.

my favorite porch view though:)

been trying to plan this year.  i'm such a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants mama, but trying to do a little better.

look what our hardworking daddy came home from work with!

school is hilarious

school is terrifying

we are so rich with books.  do we realize how privileged we are?!

our corner o' learning

miles' first handwriting lesson

thanks holly for the super map!

what we are reading together first right now.  some of these will change when our co-op starts

babysitting

trying to grow them in responsibility...trying our our old chore-charts with a to-do list.  marit is insanely motivated by checking things off.  we'll see...

absolute silliness.  owen is the sweetest baby in the world, but the spittiest of all too.  he is basically always wet, but rarely sad