Making Miles and Memories

     Well, I didn't make the July blog post, but it is still officially August, so I made this month's at least!!  July was a really busy month for the Lipskoch family!  Between summer school prep, family get-togethers, and cross-country road trips, there wasn't much time for blogging! 

     We managed to pull off another road trip for two weeks in the middle of July.  It had been three years since our last trip out West to see Daddy's family, so we decided it was about time to pull out the suitcases and get packed up.  And it takes a lot of suitcases for 6 people to take a two week road trip!!  But finally we got it all together and got on the road!

     One of the main purposes of the road trip was to visit family we don't get to see very often.  The kids enjoyed spending lots of fun time with cousins they don't get to see very often.  Good times were had by all!

    Travel is an important thing for you to do with your kids, as much as you are able.  There is so much of the world to see, and you'll never see it if you never leave your own back yard.  Observation, planning, flexibility, and confidence are just a few of the things kids develop when they are exposed to new places and things.  Not to mention the sense of reality it brings when they can compare their experience to the things they may learn about in school.  Those covered wagon journeys don't seem so far removed when you driven across the country for a thousand miles!  "Big" takes on a whole new meaning when you stand under the shadow of a mountain.  "Wild" seems a whole lot more real when you're looking at the claw marks of a bear in a tree on a trail you are on!   And prairie dogs are really cute up close and personal!

     We ate sandwiches on paper towels as we drove down the interstate.  Daddy and First Born stopped in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere to see the Milky Way.  Middle Biscuit and Stitch taught Little Sister to play 21 in the back seat.  I got flattened pennies where ever we could find them.  (The best souveniers!)  Miles were traveled, memories were made, and that was the whole point.  It wasn't a resort Disney vacation.  We didn't stay in five star hotels with pools and wi-fi.  (We didn't even have cell signal most of the time!)  But I hope they remember it as one of their best times.  We know we don't have much time left with all of them together.  Soon enough we won't be able to coordinate everyone's schedules to take the time to go somewhere together.  But until then, we'll keep traveling and talking and laughing and arguing and being a family.  Because that's what's important.  :)

   

Our Grand Adventure -- Part One!

     Well, we made it back from our trip!  For those of you who may not know, our family took a 20 day, 8,000+ mile road trip on a tour of the western part of the US. We drove the whole way in our new-to-us 15 passenger van.  Four kids, 8,000 miles, and no DVD player!  It's a miracle they survived! (They did get to play the occasional game of "Angry Birds" however.)

     We saw so much of the beautiful country God has blessed us with!  From the tops of the Rocky Mountains to the flat of the Great Plains there was so much to see.  I was amazed at how many different things there are to see in our country alone.  You could take a road trip every summer and not be able to see everything!  I will post a few of the many pics that we took so you can enjoy a mini "slide-show" of our trip!

The kids looking out the top of the St. Louis Arch.

Antelope.  Even Little Sister got good at spotting these!

One of the main animals to see on our checklist was a moose.  No male, but we saw this female early in our trip.

SNOW! In summer!!

We saw many bison in Yellowstone.  There were even a few babies!

Black bear in Yellowstone

Photo op at the mud pits!

Baby elk.  Cute!

We were so excited to be able to see a grizzly bear!  Or as Little Sister called them "grizz-el-ly bears"!

These colored pools at Yellowstone are my favorite things to see.  This is one is called Morning Glory Pool.

      Well, that was only part one of our trip!  This blog will have to be in two parts, I think.  Stay tuned for part two!  :)
 

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

     For most of us, at some point in our life, we had a teacher ask us to write an essay on what we did over the summer when we got back to school.  (Side note: for some reason, essays are called "themes" now.  Why this had to change is a mystery to me.)  Well, I thought since the first week of school is behind me, I would write my essay about how I spent my summer.  Hope I get a good grade... :)

     We started off the summer with a couple of daunting tasks that we wanted to get accomplished before school started back again.  These included adding more light fixtures to the main Learning Center, and also painting the offices.  I thought the lights would be complicated, and that the paint would be the easy part.  Was I ever wrong...
 
     Let's just say that painting over old oil-based paint is more daunting than you would expect.  I was happily painting away and thought I was making good progress until I picked up one of the dry pieces and realized that the new paint was basically just sitting on top of the old paint...it wasn't sticking to the pieces at all.  This was cause for some alarm for me, because I know what happens when you put a kid in front of chipped paint.  It's like a magnet for picking fingers.  Well, we did a little research (probably should have done it first, but come on, it's painting, how hard can it be?) and found out that the type of paint used to paint the offices originally was oil based paint specifically meant to repel dirt, damage, and other things.  This would seem to include any new coats of paint that you may want to apply.  We finally found that if we used soap, water, and a ScotchBrite sponge before we tried to paint, then the new coat would adhere better.  So, after we made this discovery things went much more smoothly.

    It was out goal to get most of those two jobs done before we took our family vacation.  We were able to do that, and so we headed out of town for a week to do a few fun things together as a family.  We like to use our fun times to also learn things, so our trip itinerary included a trip to Stone Mountain, Georgia and the Atlanta Aquarium and a visit to some family as well.

Stone Mt.

The boys at the top of the mountain. 

     For those of you unfamiliar with it, Stone Mountain is just outside Atlanta, Georgia.  It is composed of granite, and has a large picture of three Confederate leaders carved into its side.  It was very interesting to learn how they made the carving, and also for the boys to learn about the War Between the States, and the history of the area.  The boys, their aunt, and I rode the sky bucket to the top of the mountain, and then hiked back down.  It was an impressive view, and it was especially interesting to watch as a thunderstorm rolled in from the distance.

     The kids like the aquarium the most.  All of our kids really enjoy going and seeing animals, and learning about all the different kinds of creatures God put on Earth for us to enjoy.  We knew this would be the highlight of their trip, so we planned to spend the whole day there.   Some of their most favorite things to see were the penguins (we love us some penguins in this house!), the whale sharks, and the dolphin show.  It was a long day, but the definitely a fun one!  

Ready for our day at the aquarium!

Whale shark swimming overhead.

Fascinated.

In the bubble!

PENGUINS!

Our newest penguin fan!

The cutest penguin...

     In addition to seeing these fun places, we also got to visit Daddy's sister in Georgia and brother in Indiana.  First-Born had a big milestone this summer: spending a whole week away from us!  He spent a fun week with his cousins in Indiana.  He fished, played, fished, rowed in the boat, fished, went to the fair, and fished.  He was so excited about the several bass he caught with his cousin.  I think he would have happily spent two weeks!

     Too soon it was back home again, and back to work for Mommy and Daddy!  Lots of paperwork to do, computer programs to learn to use, and school things to get organized.  Let's just say, I didn't know if it would all get done!!  But the Lord is our Help, and with His Help, we were all ready to go on Orientation Night.  We had a great summer, but it was time to get settled back into a routine.

     Thanks for checking back in with us, and I hope you all enjoyed your summer fun too!  I will end this how every student ends their summer vacation essay: "...and that's how I spent my summer vacation."  THE END  :)

Summer Update!

   Well, once again the time has flown by since my last blog post!  I know--you'd think now that it was summer and  I was a SAHM, I would have plenty of time to sit down and do a little blogging...I'm such a slacker!  *eyeroll  But, as I have explained to several people, being "out of school" does not mean that there is no work to do there!  This summer's projects include learning and utilizing a new computer based records system for school paperwork, painting and restructuring the school desks, closing up last school year and opening up this school year, and don't forget the general cleaning out and sorting through that has to happen in the meantime.  Needless to say, we are still putting in a "few" hours over at school.
 
     And let's not forget the home front.  We have decided that this summer would be the time to potty train Little Sister.  And for those of you who have been through that particular fun time, you know what that entails.  We are slowly seeing progress though...I think...  Also, I have started a little side venture of something that I have always been interested in.  A missionary acquaintance of ours is in the process of writing several commentaries on some books of the Bible, and I am his editor.  I am excited about doing this job as editing has always been something I have been interested in.  Plus, I just didn't think I had enough going on in my life...haha!

     Even though we are busy, we have tried to take time to have some family fun this summer.  In fact, the reason I have a little extra time today to sit down and blog is because I am "only" doing laundry and packing to leave for a vacation.  We plan to visit family, see an aquarium and a state park, and (gulp) leave First-Born to stay for a week with his cousins in Indiana.  This will be his first time spending time so far away from home.  Kinda like summer camp, but with people we actually know.  This will be a big change for him, but also for Middle Biscuit, who will have to be the big brother for a week!

    We have done a few fun things already this summer.  A couple of weeks ago, we wanted to go on an "adventure," so we took the kids to a local creek to play for a while.  They had a great time, and are already asking when we can go again!

    One of the highlights of our summer is the Fourth of July.  Besides our country's celebrations, this is the time that my mom's family (who are mostly local to us here) has chosen to have our family reunion.  We always enjoy getting together with family to have good food, lots of fun, and plenty of time to visit.  Not everyone can make it every year as we grow as a family, and we miss those who can't be there.  Family seems to become more and more important as my kids get older.  I want them to have memories of people who have contributed so much to their upbringing.  I want them to know a family that honors God even when we get together for fun.  Family who have stayed faithful even when times have been hard.  This is the important thing that I want for my kids.  To know that it is not just Mommy and Daddy who believe this way, but that they come from a family who makes it their highest priority to honor God with their lives.  

     I hope to make a post about our vacation when we get back.  Maybe I will even get it done and posted before Christmas--haha!  Thanks for reading my musings, and I hope you have a great rest of the summer!  :)

It's Fall Ya'll!

     My favorite season is here!  Cooler days, fire in the fireplace, colorful leaves--I love lots of things about fall. One of my favorite traditions of fall is coming up as well...the annual Ladies Retreat I attempt to attend every year.  It is such a time of spiritual refreshment, even though is a packed schedule!  I always come away renewed and revived and ready to tackle the craziness of life again.  I would encourage you, if you ever have an opportunity to attend a conference, retreat, seminar, etc. that you try your best to go at least once.  There is something about being away from the daily schedules and demands that really allows you to focus on hearing what the Lord may have for you to learn.

    We have been as busy as usual around here!  School has successfully completed the first quarter of the year.  We have had some "growing pains", but the Lord has seen us through them.  The boys are doing well so far this year.  I have been reminded this year especially that school really begins at home and learning should be a part of every day.  The littlest things can be "teaching moments."  Take advantage of them as they arise through the day--count things with your littles; talk about words and what they mean with your middles; give your big guys real-life applications of math skills they are learning.  Your kid's teachers will thank you!  Mommies and Daddies are the first (and best!) teachers their kiddos have--jump in there and share!

  One of the things I like best about fall is the great photo-ops that arise!  I was able to get some cute pics of the kiddos on a recent field trip to a local farm.  Yay for pumpkin pics!

*Sigh...they're getting so big!  I think these pics really capture their different personalities pretty well.  Not always easy to do!







































  Little Sister started crawling last week.  The big brothers are discovering a mobile baby is quite dangerous to their life of ease!  Lego creations are now in grave danger!  Here's one that had to be rescued several times--a port with several ships.  They spent a lot of time on this one!  (We do our best creating in jammies!)

 

  Because of Little Sister's new found mobility, we have had to make several adjustments to our family schedule.  She is no longer content to hang out in her carrier or stroller, so school was getting to be a little more of a challenge for Mommy and Little Sister.  So, Mommy gets to stay home with Little Sister, and she gets to have the run of the house practicing her new found skills!  She is much happier, and so is Mommy, who always had some amount of "mom guilt" for bringing her to school every day anyway!  There will still be the random day we both go, but for now I am content to remain "behind the scenes" and tackle the paperwork aspects.  Added benefit: more time to handle house stuff that had been let go simply because there were not enough hours in the day!  So, maybe, just maybe, that means more time to blog as well!  I've been working on several drafts of things I just haven't had time to polish up and publish.  Fingers crossed...

    Well, hope you enjoyed this quick catch-up, and I hope to spend more time on here in the future!  Enjoy the fall season...I know I will!  :)

Our Summer Wrap-up!

     *Cough, cough.  That's me-blowing the dust off the blog site to update ya'll about what's happening around here.  Remember the last post...the one where I said that I would probably be able to post more often in the summer, because we wouldn't be as busy?   Well, obviously I was a little too optimistic!  And since we start school in a week (!!), I figured I'd better write something...  Hmmm...I wonder if Blogspot kicks you off for lack of posting...

     Anyway, like I said, we have had a busy summer.  Still working at school, (those projects that never seemed to get wrapped up), tackling house chores that had been neglected, and family "together-times" kept us moving all the time. 

     We were able to sneak in a weekend trip to the beach! Daddy had promised the boys a trip to the beach, and we are blessed to have family that lives in Pensacola, so it was fun to visit with them and fulfill our "obligation" to visit the ocean.  Although, I have to say, the beach gets less and less fun with lots of littles in tow!  And a thunderstorm doesn't help matters any!  But the kiddos had fun, and got to spend some "boy" time with their cousin who has 5 sisters, and was glad to go with us to the beach!  Here are a couple of pics from the trip:

Love the wind! 

Finally at the beach!

     We also had our annual Fourth of July family reunion.  This is a great time of fun and fellowship with my extended family on my mom's side.  We were missing a few people this year.  As we grow up and get busier lives, it gets much harder to get everyone together in one place!  But we always enjoy getting together, and one of our favorite things to do is watch the fireworks at the end of the day.

Mommy and Baby Girl getting ready to watch fireworks--she loved them!

One of our favorite parts of the reunion is the singing time!

Baby Girl and her great-grandma, Nana!

Middle Biscuit & Stitch challenging a big cousin to a game of checkers!

       The boys have had a lot of time this summer to work on various Lego projects.  We have seen a myriad of different landscapes, vehicles, and buildings pass through the household.  Here are just a couple that we've seen:

Front and back view of a six story hospital, complete with helicopter landing pad and ambulance bay on the bottom floor.  (A very eclectic clientele: green army man and LGM from Toy Story, a very ill Captain America, and several people who seem to be suffering from "block-head-itis.")




Middle Biscuit's really big mini-figure.  He made three of these, one representing himself and both brothers.



















   Baby Girl turned six months old a few days ago, so I thought I'd wrap this post up with a few of the pictures from her 6-month, "Pretty in Pink" impromptu photo shoot.  Hope they make you smile, and I hope to share with you again soon! :) 

Such a big girl!

Blue jeans and bare toes!

Sweet lady!

Happy girl!  (Mommy's favorite!)