My Baby is Walking!

She's almost there! Yesterday I would turn around and see Elise walking across the room. Just to be sure I would take a second glance, and YEP...she's for sure going for it. My baby is growing up!

Here's a video that Sheldon made of highlight moments of Elise learning to walk!

Happy First Birthday Elise Ann

My baby turned ONE on May 2nd! I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone. Way too fast for me!






It's been a blast going through all the baby stages again. I think I've enjoyed it even more this time around. Elise's BIG smiles and precious baby kisses, waving and saying bye bye when we leave, and her sweet voiced protests of "all done" when I'm feeding her something she doesn't like, are just a couple of the priceless moments that make being a parent fun.

Just thought I would post a few photos of Elise's first year:

Birth

3 months

6 months

Love from Brother Braden

9 months

Sister Ashlyn loves to play with Elise.

11 months

Looking forward to watching her grow and change in this next year ahead.

More Pictures!

It's fun to be naked

Ashlyn and Braden meeting their new cousin Lotti Jane Nalos. Congratulations Byron and Maria!

Elise hanging out around the house.


Our annual trip to the Woodland tulip fields.



Easter egg hunting at Papa N and Nana J's house.



This is what happens when you put a super cool necklace in an Easter egg, only to have it found by your grandson rather than one of your granddaughters.

He wore it around the house for two days with no shirt on.

We're Still Here...

It's been a long time...
Here's a quick photo summary
of what we've been up to lately!

Everyone likes to get in on playing wild with Daddy!

Enjoying a game together.

Relaxing weekend...I've got myself captured by a good book...

and have lots of company on the couch!

Learning to roller skate at a birthday party!

Sweet, smiley Elise

Braden's lego pinball machine invention. Just part of his daily routine.
There will be a newly designed machine tomorrow!

Sisters....Elise loves the attention!

Animated Ashlyn!

Play hard and CRASH!

More to come!

Are you Sure School Ain't Fun?

So Studious!

First Grade! Preschool! I've been having a blast homeschooling again this year! There is so much flexibility in our schedule, and so many options for learning, all which is very exciting for this teacher-minded mommy!

This year we are using Sonlight curriculum for some of our subjects, which is a literature based program. It's so fun because we learn by reading many different genres of books. I also add my own personal touch to fit our family and schedule.

Braden is learning so much this year in 1st grade! He's reading to us, writing his own stories, and able to add and subtract some pretty big numbers.

Start the day off right with green eggs and ham.

We're also reading several classic children's books, learning about our World's history and geography, studying different cultures, learning Bible stories and memorizing verses, and reading some very encouraging stories about missionaries around the world. We've studied the animals living on each continent, are learning about our human body, and when I'm really ambitious, the kids love to do science experiments!

AND, the year is only half over....we've got a whole lot more in store! I must admit that I'm learning quite a bit too (extra bonus)!

Reading

Science Explosion!

Science video clips: Experiments and Journaling

Both children have liked taking swimming lessons at our community center, and have recently started taking piano lessons from their Nana JJ, who is a very talented pianist and teacher!

Piano Practice Time...Elise wants to play too!

This semester Braden has also been attending Home Choice Academy, which are classes offered for homeschool families through the public school. He attends a 1st/2nd grade blended classroom for reading, writing, and math two mornings per week. In addition, he takes a science experiment class and a simple machines lego class one afternoon a week. Homechoice Academy has a been a nice supplement to what we are doing at home!

Ready for his 1st day of School at Home Choice Academy

I'm thankful for the opportunity to homeschool and for many friends that also do so. Support from others, and mostly my passion for teaching help make it possible for me to keep it up!
Of course, it's a definitely A LOT of work and some days I feel like I'm just trying to "catch up" on life, but it's worth all the effort and I wouldn't trade it for anything different!

Merry Christmas

"For there is born to you this day...a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11.

Because of this simple truth we have reason to CELEBRATE Christmas! We are so thankful for Jesus who saves us from our sin and gives us abundant life now, and eternal life to come!

This season has snuck up on me quickly, and we were not able to pull off a Christmas picture in time to send one out in the mail so HERE IT IS: our family picture and a blog post about each of us. If you're interested in what we've been up this year, please enjoy browsing through our blog.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Love, Sheldon, Jamie, Braden, Ashlyn & Elise

Braden Vaughan

Braden just turned 7 this month and is in first grade.

As I think back over the past year I realize that Braden has grown up so much. He mastered how to ride a bike, lost 4 teeth, learned to swim without a lifejacket, and advanced leaps and bounds academically. His favorite activity is creating lego candy machines! Everyday there is a newly designed machine for us to see. And of course, the salesman side of him is always trying to market the use of his machines as they require coins to work (check out the machine blog post).

Besides building machines, some of his favorite things to do are imagine and play with Ashlyn, entertain Elise, create new recipes and try them out, and hang out with people. He's still Mr. Social, energetic, often quite silly, and just as enthusiastic about life as ever!

Some activities he enjoys are Sunday School, Awana (where he's memorized several Bible verses), swimming lessons, and his Friday School classes that he is a part of through our homeschool Co-op.

Decked out in his Awana Vest.

He's such a joy to be around, and a very thoughtful, loving boy. I thank God for the blessing of Braden.