"Spring Break" 2015

I didn't really intend for us to have Spring Break, but then I thought... why not?

So last week we played and had fun with friends and went to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Scurry. It was low key, but nice.

Carson riding the dirt bike at the Rairdon's house

Abby and Anni built a tent in the front yard

A sweet moment with the kids on the way to Grandma's

The rain did not phase them. They played outside nearly all day.

This is Carson's lizard, Lettuce, that he caught and brought home.

 The weekend brought illness upon our kids, so that meant taking it easy for a couple days. We got home from Grandma and Grandpa's on Saturday, and the kids and I stayed home from church on Sunday. It was strange not being there, but it was nice to have some time to clean and to finally get some artwork up on the walls.

Finally hung some of our artwork!

We typically spend Sunday night with Aaron's family, but with Carson still being sick, he and I stayed home and had chinese takeout and watched a movie. It was fun having a little at-home mini date with my sweet boy.

Chinese Takeout and a movie for Carson and I

Today everyone is feeling much better, and we are ready to take on our week and get back to our routine. Hopefully I'll be back with more updates soon!

Homeschool Status

When we began this homeschooling journey, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had significant doubt as to whether or not we could pull it off and whether it was truly the right thing for us. But as I sit here eight months into it, I can honestly say that I'm loving it, and the kids are too. They have never once asked to go back to school.

That's not to say we don't have some really rough days here and there... because we do. (And let's be honest, we've always had those, no matter where they were going to school.) But for me, it's been a soul filling, exciting endeavor. I've seen my kids grow and change in the coolest ways. I've gotten to know them better. We have fun together. And I am learning so much. Education is so much more fun and interesting the second time around!

In addition to our regular curriculum, we've had to chance to get out there and do a lot of hands-on learning, which has been amazing. Things just stick so much better when you learn that way, right?

Homeschool Day at Sea World

Dissecting a cow heart with our Greenhouse friends (co-op)

We now have more time with good friends than ever before

And more time to just be together.

In February we took part in Saturday Morning Discovery at Southwest School of Art, and we all loved it! So many new skills learned!

Screenprinting at the SW School of Art (Love-mine, Stars-Carson)

Learning with our Greenhouse Co-Op friends

A trip to the San Antonio Symphony with our Greenhouse peeps

...not to mention the flexibility and freedom we've been given with our schedule and the incredible trips we've been able to take. There is still progress to be made in many areas, and ways that we can all grow, but it's been a great year so far.

Concerts

We've been very fortunate over the past few months to be able to go to several great concerts. I meant to give each one it's own post, but alas... this will have to do.

All Sons & Daughters and Dave Crowder | Floore's Country Store

Our good friends, Nick & Francesca, gave us tickets to go see this great show at Floore's Country Store back in October. I absolutely love All Sons & Daughters, and their show was pure worship--beautiful and heartfelt. Dave Crowder is a man I have long admired for his incredible talent and heart for God. He went all out, and it was so much fun.

All Sons & Daughters

Dave Crowder Band

On a side note, afterwards, we discovered the most delicious taco stand in San Antonio thanks to our friends, Dan, Caleb & Laura. We stayed out 'til like 12:30 eating tacos. Because we're not old yet. (Though I can't even tell you the last time we were out that late!)

Caleb, Laura, Dan, & Aaron. Tacos and Mexican Cokes. Oh, yes.

Pat Green | Gruene Hall

In December, we went with Jason & Natalie to see Pat Green at Gruene Hall--our favorite country guy at an epic venue! We got there early early and the guys waited in line so we could get a good spot while Natalie went across the street so we could sit down to eat dinner and hang out (don't worry, we brought food back to the guys). It was nice. Finally, the doors opened, and we were able to stand in the very front row. Literally about six feet from Pat Green's face. It was really cool. (Also a little unnerving/awkward.) But we had a blast. (You can imagine Aaron and Jason standing front row at a concert.)  I didn't love it nearly as much as the Stubb's show (it seems like he was playing up the dancehall/party guy rather than the family guy we've grown to love), but it was a fun show, nonetheless. Love me some Pat Green!

Pat Green

BFF's  (Why do I look scared?)

Brad Paisley | San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo

A few weeks ago, we went with the church staff to the rodeo and to see Brad Paisley. Our seats were way up top, but we enjoy his music, and he played a good show!

Brad Paisley

San Francisco [Day 3]

Now that I think about it, there wasn't a single day of this mini-vacation that we didn't hit the ground running. Day three's itinerary included the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, and Little Italy.

We started off with a big breakfast at Home Plate upon the recommendation of one of the locals. It was excellent fueled us up for what was to come. We then went to catch a bus that would take us across the Golden Gate to the Marin Headlands. We sat there. And sat there. And finally asked a passing bus driver who informed us that the bus that goes across the bridge only runs on the weekends.

Great.

So we hopped on a different bus that would at least take us to the Golden Gate Bridge. When we arrived, we decided that, hey, let's walk this thing! It's not that long. I mean, we can see the other side. Well, it was quite the trek. 1.7 miles each way, not to mention the hike up to Battery Spencer once we got across. It was beautiful though. And we felt very accomplished once we finally arrived back. 

Golden Gate from the Marin Headlands

Aaron at the Marin Headlands

Golden Gate from Battery Spencer

Kids playing at Battery Spencer--it's like a giant playhouse!

Aaron, Abby, & Carson at the Marin Headlands

Sea lion playing in the water looking down from the bridge

The afternoon led us to Little Italy/North Beach for pizza at Tony's, play time at the park, and a trip to an Italian bakery. This was probably one of the only times where we really just sat with no agenda, and it was nice. Aaron and I sat on a bench at the park and watched the kids play with a sweet dog they met for probably an hour. The view was beautiful and so was the weather. And the kids were in need of some time to run and be loud without us hushing them.

The kids loved playing with the dogs at this park

By the evening, the exhaustion had caught up with Carson, so he and I stayed back a the hotel and watched a movie while Abby and Aaron went souvenir shopping and to Ghiradelli Square.

All in all, I was really amazed and happy with all that we were able to fit into our three days in San Francisco! It is a fun and unique city with so many experiences to offer. This was probably the first "urban" vacation we'd done as a family, but our kids enjoyed it and handled it like rock stars. They were great with public transportation. They really appreciated all the food, architecture, and the people. And I do need to just give a shout out to the people of San Francisco--they were so incredibly friendly. I can't tell you how many times people stopped to help or give advice or to recommend good places to eat--sometimes without us even asking. The people made us feel right at home here, and it made a huge difference. We will definitely be back, San Francisco!

San Francisco [Day 2]

We hit the ground running on day two in San Francisco. We got up early so that we could make it to the Alcatraz ferry by 8:30. Well, at this point, we I didn't really have a very good handle yet on the bus system, which resulted in us (with the assistance of one of may incredibly helpful locals) hopping a different bus and speed-walking/jogging throughout much of San Francisco. But we actually made it with a couple minutes to spare.

Hurrying to the ferry terminal

Alcatraz in the fog

Arriving at Alcatraz

Alcatraz ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip. Not only was it fascinating from a historical point (there was even a guy there who had been a prisoner at Alcatraz back in the day), but the island itself was beautiful with stunning views. If you go to San Francisco, don't miss it.

The kids in the "yard" at Alcatraz.

Our little criminal.

The cell of one of the escapees complete with fake head.

 Once again, gotta get those Junior Ranger badges!

Being sworn in as Junior Rangers at Alcatraz

On the way back from Alcatraz, Aaron and the kids made friends with the ferry captain, and he invited the kids to come up and drive the ferry across San Francisco Bay. This was easily the other favorite for these guys. They were giddy with excitement!

By that point, we'd worked up an appetite, so we headed over to Chinatown to explore and find something good for lunch. Chinatown was an experience--it was like walking into a foreign country. We had lunch at House of Nanking, which we'd highly recommend, visited a fortune cookie factory, and walked the streets. It was great!

Best lunch in Chinatown! Hello, onion cakes and sesame chicken!

Chinatown!

Our 50 cent picture.

The alley where we found the Fortune Cookie Factory. See it? :)

After a couple hours in Chinatown, we headed over to The San Francisco Maritime NHP to tour some of their ships, learn a little history, and (you guessed it) earn some Junior Ranger badges!

Touring an 1800's merchant ship

Junior Rangers!

We then hopped on a streetcar over to the famed Pier 39 to see the sights and the sea lions (mainly the sea lions). It was touristy and hot, but still a fun place to walk through. We rested our aching feet by watching a magic show for a while. The sea lions were fun to see, just lounging around.

Fun at Pier 39

Sea lions at Pier 39

We packed a lot into our day, and when it was done, we all crashed pretty quickly!

Worn out at the end of the day