Family Time

I am the second of five children. Growing up, we always got along well, even when there were ten or twelve years difference in age. Due to life situations, we are only able to get the entire family together every 2-4 years. This time around, it was 4 years.

So the month of June into early July, when my brother and his family were in the United States, were very full of as many gatherings as possible, each including at least most of us, culminating in a final gathering that held every single one, plus the addition of one of my Dad's brothers.

There were probably a thousand photos taken between all of us, but I'll spare you and only share a few of my favorites. Photos taken in a park while celebrating a 4th birthday, at a Mama and Daughter date for tea, at a Sisters-only night out, and finally all of us gathered here at our homestead.

1 Grandpa + 1 Grandma + 5 Siblings + 5 Spouses + 4 Nieces + 8 Nephews (with 1 more on the way)

= Lots of Love (and maybe sometimes a bit too much Crazy)

June

So full, so sweet, so busy I've barely been able to breathe. So you get lots of photos and that's all.

O is for Old Glory CHART CORRECTION

Here I am again with a chart correction, this time for the "O is for Old Glory" design.

I neglected to put symbols at the top of the shield for the stars. You can leave them un-stitched if you want, but on the model I used the same "white" as I used for the eagle's head and stripes at the bottom of the shield.

A note about the "white" used. It is charted for "Caramel Corn", but it has been pointed out that some batches of that color are quite "tan". A good substitute if you want a brighter "white" would be to use The Gentle Art's "Parchment" in place of the "Caramel Corn".

Last Day of School

I can't even begin to tell you just how much we have loved our new school this past year. Having the ability to manage my kids' education homeschool-style while still being able to attend elective classes on campus with excellent teachers and a laid-back environment. All 100% what I have been looking for since my oldest enrolled in Kindergarten.

It has been such a breath of fresh air for all of us. It was a little difficult in the beginning, for the kids, making new friends and learning a new way of doing school. But even back in the very first days, while missing their old friends, they adamantly reinforced the fact that they were glad to not be going to their old school anymore.

On the last day of our school year, the entire school (K-12) were invited to a joint field trip at a local amusement park. It was great to see kids of all ages interacting and having fun, dodging rain showers, laughing, eating together, making memories. And the fact that we got to do it together as a whole family made it even better.