Annnnnd on we go. April… Well of course April is Trinity’s birthday – 8 this year! You can read all about her special celebrations HERE. She is growing up so quickly… they all are!

We made if over to the Novaks in April as well. I swear I take more pictures of pets than kids when we are there though. Snoopy the cat is way too much fun to photograph.

I think we would live at the YMCA. I know we BASICALLY did over the summer. (oooh spoilers) I figure if we are to be gifted a membership by Nana and Baba we better make it worth their money! So lots and lots of pool fun over our spring this year.

We are also getting in a lot of together time, often on my bed. Which is just fine. Planning school, crocheting, hanging out together. It is so special. 

Of course we made it to the Home Depot free Saturday. 

And spent some lovely time with Nana and Baba during their time up from Florida.

The big kids even had a field trip to a radio station!

And best of all – fun trip to the zoo with our new homeschool buds!!! You can read all about it HERE

April was a mix of warm and cool weather but with so much fun going on I don’t think anyone minded. 

BEFORE 2017… Go figure! And wow does that sound EVEN WORSE when I say it out loud! Anyway, after December comes January and more winter fun. The end of Karyn’s holiday visit. The continuing of homeschooling and the start of our Chinese New Year unit, because if there is one thing you can count on in OUR curriculum it is that we will somehow cover Chinese New Year. (this year it was a bigger focus on the country CHINA itself even! You can read and find resources for that HERE)

But enough with the generalities… time to get with the specifics. We had our monthly trip to the Home Depot for the craft, of course.

Snow… sort of… the boys complained that this was a disappointing winter with its lack of huge snowfall. Amazing how the whole arctic cold of last winter has been long forgotten.

We had the cousins up from Florida for a bit of a holiday visit. 

And said “see you soon” to Aunty Karyn – if you ask Trinity we should be her very first and most important destination for any and all holidays (and I cannot say I don’t disagree).

Gavin finished a workbook…

And we had all sorts of crafty moments.

PLUS Ken helped us create our large map of China. Nothing is more fun than working together on something we will then showcase in our schoolroom.

We even managed a visit to Aunty Shandai and Uncle Ravyn’s to pet the kitties – well Echo, Ken and I did.

And had the Schwartz family over to play.

OH and swim lessons… cannot forget our amazing instructors at the YMCA. The twins are in swim crew!

January kept us hopping and was full of visitors and fun. I love this reflecting back and reminding myself of how much joy there is in a passing month!

Even with illness off and on all month December was good to us. We had family and friends to enjoy, good food and amazing gifts. I cannot thank everyone enough for being a part of our world, of our story and of our future.

December has always been an important month for us. It is a chance for us to share our thanks to all of you with gifts and letters, phone calls and visits. These fingers worked over time and in all honesty are still working on a few belated gifts. I plan to share pictures of most of the items I have made this season in a later entry.

A sneak peek… some of my starched snowflakes

Of course we did a full Christmas unit only slightly hampered by illness this year. With our usual laundry list of education and entertaining books and links. A couple lapbooks to enter into our binder this year as more notebooking pages than anything and lots and lots of pictures. Most importantly, after not having an Activity Village Advent calendar last year we had one this year! A whole series of train cars! Even Echo had her set done…  larger sized and then hole punched and put into a duotang instead of cut out.

I am so proud of how the kids are managing to work on a balance of working independently and in small groups. We are still finding our stride with noise and close quarters, but I think that will be a continuing battle for as long as we homeschool. Sometimes personalities just clash! Or sing really loudly in the middle of class.

We had TWO concerts in December – our Christmas pageant AND the daycare one for Evan. Evan’s was all songs and very cute.

The choir director even threw a mini party on their last Wednesday practice before Christmas. Trinity was sick so the boys brought her back her very own treat from the party!

We spent a lot of our December with family story time. Emanuel and Trinity worked together to do an illustrated page for each and every story and we all enjoyed revisiting some old favourites and a couple new ones! Gammie sent us a new story that she recorded herself reading – this time Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Echo especially spent TONS of time sitting there listening to the story over and over again.

Don’t forget themed worksheets and stories about the season!

Of course we had Christmas with the Schwartz family and after Christmas Renee even took the twins out sledding. They had a blast with Nathan and Evan on the hill while Ken and I took the others to the dollar store.

We finished off our first set of swimming lessons with all 5 having them. No movement up to the next level for anyone but all 5 have learned new skills and enjoyed it enough to want to be registered in the new sessions that start up again in January. Thank you so much Nana and Baba for being the ones to instigate and continue these. One of the best gifts ever!

Christmas itself was a quieter occasion with the cousins in Florida but I think the kids had a blast and all their wishes seemed to be answered. You can see our Christmas Day HERE.

Christmas Eve Dinner

We even had snow! No where near as much as last year but with that minor disappointment for the kids was paired a lovely lacking of those lengthy freezing cold days we experienced the previous winter as well!

I always enjoy the creativity that comes immediately after Christmas with new presents and new eyes for the old ones.

I have to say now that December feels a distant memory. I am sure that if I HAD been on the ball this entry would go on and on but I have to admit, checking back months later.. thinking about events and people and checking through the pictures has given me a chance to relive a rather amazing month. I think 2015 is going to be a year of counting blessings as I reflect back on each month to share our experiences and joy with the world around us!

 PHOTO OVERFLOW…. HERE.