Oktoberfest 2012!

Written by Rachel, October 9, 2012

In my life this week…
Last weekend I did not write my weekly post but I did enjoy the annual Oktoberfest!  We were busy with our small town's largest event of the year, feasting on yummy foods, visiting with friends, shopping in the craft area, and just having a grand time now that October is here!  Saturday, my daughter walked and danced in the parade for her first time and my mom, grandma, and both of my sisters and their families gathered together to watch the parade go by.  It was about a two hour spectacle of floats, performers, local high school bands and cheerleaders, gymnasts, and plenty of politicians rallying for the upcoming elections.  My favorite thing about the parade was seeing my daughter's beaming face as she spotted her whole family waving to her!  Priceless!

Getting ready for the big parade!

B is toward the back of the photo, looking right at the camera

Sand art!

In our homeschool this week…

We are now working through Week 5 of Cycle 1 in our Classical Conversations homeschool community.  The kids are writing about the Exodus as we also began reading "Tirzah", a historical fictional book about an Israelite girl who journeys away from Egypt during the Exodus.  I love it when we have these connections!  The children have worked hard at practicing their memory work and English grammar charts, and vocabulary words, too.  Our rewards system in the Essentials class that I am tutoring is motivating my own children and several others to work hard at their language arts skills and I can already see benefits from it.  We enjoyed a fun Latin & Science Club meeting on Friday afternoon and the beautiful weather permitted us to do most of our lessons outside and then the children enjoyed some play time while the moms talked!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Bright Solutions is a fantastic website with all kinds of resources about dyslexia and related challenges.  If you suspect dyslexia in you or your child, please check out this website!

My favorite thing this week was…

Another favorite thing about this week was how well our kids handled our family presentation  at CC last Monday.  They have matured since last year and they were both able to speak to the large crowd of our CC community and seemed calm and confident!  I can see the maturation from last year in this area.

I am reading ...
I am reading aloud "Tirzah" to the children and I am enjoying good discussion with friends through our GMG Colossians Bible study.  I wrote a post this week from my quiet time reflections on our Colossians study called "Colossians 2:6-7 A Picture of a Tree".

I am working on...

Getting things organized and packed for a fun trip coming up in a few days. 

I am grateful for... 

This week I am especially thankful for my health and well-being.  I am also thankful for my husband and his dedication to serving others  with compassion in his work.  I am also grateful that he completed one of his board examinations today and will not have to worry about that one again for about 10 years!

I am praying for...

A good friend named Jane whom I have known for most of my life.  She was just diagnosed with a serious colon cancer and had surgery on Monday.  My poor hubby had to be the one to bear this horrible news to her and her family.  After that, he prayed with them when he did not know what else to say.  I am praying for comfort, strength, and peace for Jane and her family as she recovers from the surgery and they meet with doctors to decide on how to proceed with her medical care and treatment options.  Please keep Jane in your prayers!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Happy Oktoberfest everyone!

Hop on over to the Hip Homeschool Hop, The Homeschool Mother's Journal, Collage Friday,  and Weekly Wrap-up.  Have a great week!
Rachel