New Post, New Blog

If you are a regular follower (I know there are a few:))   Go here: http://www.tailspinfarm.blogspot.com/ and become a follower or change your link address on your blog.  I will be blogging there all the time now.

Go Here!!!

Go to http://www.tailspinfarm.blogspot.com/ to see pictures and about my day at Maple Valley Off-grid Farm.

Maple Valley Farm

I am SO excited!!! Today 2 friends and I are going to Maple Valley off-grid farm to meet Homemaker Ang and her family!!!  We are taking 2 classes and having lunch on the farm.  If you want to check out her amazing site go here http://eclecticculturefarm.blogspot.com/  I am taking my camera and plan on taking lots of pictures!  More to come on this amazing experience~~

American Heritage Festival

Well, we went to the festival and spent 2 days there, but did not sell a single thing! We had fun though and there were alot of neat things to do for the kids. Here is a picture of our booth.

I Love Science!!!

That title seems weird coming from someone who did not enjoy school, especially science. I didn't hate it like math (which is a whole other post) but, in the last 8years of homeschooling (Yes, this Mom who really disliked school, LOVES homeschooling!!!) I have gone through ALOT of curriculum. I have switched over on all of it except science. We have done Apologia since the beginning and I have always been happy with it. I have learned so much along with the kids too. This year we jumped into the new Anatomy for the elementary kids. We just finished the first chapter and I think this one is the best yet! I went ahead this year and purchased the notebooking journals (we have always done the journaling, just with our own binders) and they are wonderful. The kids did the "jello cell" this morning and it turned out so neat and it reinforces what they learned by putting all the parts(candy)of the cell(jello)together. I would HIGHLY recommend any of the Apologia sciences to any homeschool parent out there, but be prepared to enjoy science like you may have never done before!



Jello Cell


B and J putting cell parts together

Back To Reality

How is it that time sees to pass so quickly these days? I can't believe it has almost been a month since my last post! We had a wonderful vacation and very relaxing. I will get some pictures posted this weekend. We started school 2 weeks ago and have had a great start so far. Four of the kids have joined our local Homeschool music group and three of them had their auditions this morning. They did a great job and I was so proud of them. This will be a huge commitment for our family with practice time and concerts, but I have come to find out that all five of our kids are very gifted in music and that is something that I can't teach here at home, but I can find an outlet for it! I have decided to step out of my comfort zone and will be doing craft show type event in two week at a local Nature Center. They are having a "Heritage Festival" and the girls and I decided to take some of our fiber, yarn and items that I have made and see if there is any interest in the angora market. I have wanted to get the word out about my business for awhile but in all honesty have just been chicken to do it. I think this venue will be great though since it is a heritage festival and a lot of what I do is with my spinning wheel. They are also having re-enactments which the girls and I love anyway so we will have a great time there I am sure.

I can't believe it has been nine years since 9/11. I can remember that day vividly as if it were yesterday. Our youngest was only two months old when it happened and now he is so grown up (being that he is 9 and all, LOL) I remember it was a BEAUTIFUL day here, and I wanted to go pick up our kids at school, but they were all on lock-down so I couldn't anyway. I am sure that all the people that lost loved ones that day also have such strong memories as the rest of us.

End of Summer

Cam and Kayla patiently waiting


Josh shooting last fall


Nolan and Cam playing at 4-H


Bekah at rabbit show

Kayla won a Rosette for her Style Revue dress

I keep trying to figure out where the time goes! We are getting ready to leave for our annual one week vacation to the Upper Peninsula. This week is much loved by all of us because there really are no plans set in stone, unless you count sitting by the fire at 7a.m. watching the sunrise, or sitting by the fire at 11p.m. and watching the stars.

I am always amazed every year at the stars. We live in the country but we are just a few miles from a small town and about 20 miles from Lansing. So we see stars, but not like we do up there. It is amazing. The whole sky is spotted and you can see clusters of stars and planets.

I am really proud of the garden/canning that we have done so far this year. I hope to come home to it still producing. I haven't totaled all my cans and frozen stuff yet, but it is a lot. All the kids have been helping this year, which made a huge difference for me. Even the girls are getting in on the canning bit!

These are some various pictures from the last few weeks, although I think the archery one is from last fall!

We had a great 4-H, Kayla and Nolan came home with Rosettes, and Nolan and Cameron also got one for their band performance, Bekah got a "best of breed male" for her rabbit. We got numerous "A" and also some "B" ribbons this year.