Joie learning to crochet

CTG PE/ Chanukah 12-7-2012

I wish I would have taken more pictures of this beautiful day. We are blessed beyond measure being part of Joyful Journey Homeschool group. It's wonderful to bring our children together to learn, interact, and grow as Christians. Both joie and jayden are appreciating this opportunity. The joys of the group and our friends will make leaving Las Vegas again even more difficult. Each time we come back I see how deep our roots have grown in this city. I have been trying to cut off some of the ties to make moving easier, but it's those ties that make life enjoyable.

Fishing and Homeschool

Fishing is definitely part of our 2012-2013 school year.  There are so many things to learn from fishing.   Along with the necessary skills fishing teaches you patience.  It helps you wait in peace and it also teaches you that you don't always win.  How many times have you gone fishing and come home empty handed?
  Joie loves to fish.  Me, too.  I love the stillness in the air and the peace that surrounds fishing.  Here are some photos of us fishing in Texas.

  Yay!  FUN. 

Moon phases

Since we learned that the Jewish calendar is based off the lunar phases I thought I would be fun to learn about those phases with Oreos. The picture is sideways, but I'm sure you get the point.

Civil Wars Days

October 26, 2012

 Our weekend started with a hike near Calico Basin and a brief lesson on how Nevada was involved in the  Civil war(1861-1865).  Nevada was a silver mining territory before the war.  The Government wanted funding for the war, so Nevada became a state even though it didn't have enough people to legally become a state.  Did you know 86% of Nevada is still owned by the US Government?  I didn't.

  After that we headed to Spring Mountain Ranch for Civil War Days with our cousins, Megan and Daniel.  We learned new things, watched the reenactment, held a real musket firearm, pet the horses of the Cavalry, and even got a free bag of caramel popcorn.  Megan learned how and why Nevada was involved in the civil war, so on Monday when she went to school she was the only one in her class that new the answer,  She was very excited about that.  It's fun being one step ahead of the game.  Check out this video.

Topsey, Texas Animal Park

One of our most memorable moments during our Texas trip was the Topsey Wild Animal Park!



Topsey Wild Animal Park is a drive through zoo.  You buy food for the animals before going in. Then drive your own vehicle through the many acres of land and feed the animals.  My family got to enjoy this from the back of Uncle Pete's pickup.  Can I just say, if you haven't been you need to.  It was an experience we will remember forever!  I felt like I was on an African Safari.  Herds of deer and rams running behind the truck to get fed.  Some where to scared to get close, but others ate right from our hands!  Warning- there is a sign that says "Do not feed the animals out of your hand".  We didn't see it until the end.  If you feed the animals out of your hand you are doing it at YOUR OWN risk.  Myself nor the park is responsible if you get bit.

The animal were so close to us and very gentle.
Only a few animals made a little nervous...
   The ostrich.

I thought it was going to peck at my head.  These strange looking creatures can be quite intimidating.

Look at those horns!  Don't make him mad.

 Our favorite most memorable animal was the camel.  He snuck up like a cobra snake weaving its head from side to side until his head was in the back of the truck.  He was on a quest...sniff, sniff...

 He ate all of the food we had left.

Including the paper bag it came in.  Can you see it in the picture above?  It was hilarious! We enjoyed the drive so much that we had to go again.  On the second trip we bought 10 bags of food, hoping to catch another glimpse of our sneaky camel friend.  Unfortunately, we didn't see the camel again but we did some other awesome photos.  Check them out.

A special thank you to Auntie Sheryl for sharing this adventure with us.

 just some pictures of the silly billy goats

I'm telling you, if you haven't done something like this before.  Please do.  It will bring a smile to your face =o)

The Dr. Pepper Museum

While staying in Texas we visited the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, TX

 Joie and Jayden really like Dr. Pepper so I thought it would be neat to learn a bit of it's history.  Did you know it was created by a doctor?  When it first became available it could only be purchased at a pharmacy.  It was medicine.  Pretty tasty medicine, huh.

 Jayden and Joie sniffing out the flavor and Uncle Pete testing his 1937 IQ

 My mother-in-law checking out one of the many displays and Joie posing in the #1 photo-opp spot.

 Don't forget* the best results for Dr.Pepper drink at 10a, 2p, and 4pm.