How Did We Forget So Quickly?

People who haven't been reading this web log until now but did get our Christmas card with this website address attached, welcome! I am realizing that we forgot to cover several important items from our year in our letter. We really didn't say much of anything, in fact.

So if we haven't talked to you since our letter last Christmas, yes, we are very much still homeschooling, now in our second full year, with Jason (10) in 5th grade, and Emily (6) in 2nd grade, using the thorough K12 curriculum developed by Dr. William Bennett, former Secretary of Education.

Just so you know, in May this year I had Lasik surgery on both eyes and now seem to have better than 20/20 vision. No more contacts (popping out of my eyes due to dryness or not), no more glasses, no more saline solution, no more squinting at the clock in the night. I am extremely thankful to David for this fabulous birthday present. It's just that it seems so natural and perfect that I forget about it most of the time. This transformation was definitely a milestone for me.

In July, we spent a week in the Tuscan countryside of Italy with my mom & brothers & their families (13 of us in all) to celebrate my mom's special decade birthday. That was a very special and unusual trip we were blessed to be on. We had the pleasure of visiting Il Duomo & Michelangelo's David statue in Florence and the Colosseum & Vatican in Rome.

Additionally, in August a huge first for our whole family was for Jason (while he was still nine years old) to go off to wilderness camp in Colorado for two whole weeks on his own, not knowing a soul there. He had a super-duper time camping, hiking, riding horses, playing capture the flag on horseback, rafting, practicing archery, digging in fossil beds, rock-climbing, and playing in a 4-story treehouse.

There. Those are the major things so far that have come to mind (thanks, Julie) since we sent off our Christmas cards without them. I'm sure more will surface. Until then, enjoy some Handel's Messiah by the crackling fire with warm cider...