I wanted to jot down a couple cool experiences we've had relating to the temple lately. In 2020 I made a personal goal to attend the temple at least once a month for the whole year. I crushed it for the first three months, and then all the temples in the world shut down. And because I've already received my own endowment and been sealed to Nate, I haven't been able to attend since. I think it has been good for me to have this period where the temples have not been available to me, so that I can really tell the difference that being able to attend makes in my life. As a mom of young kids, I've frequently thought of it as a sacrifice to take what time I have alone and spend it at the temple. Now I'm recognizing that the blessings outweigh the sacrifice. I look forward with earnestness to the day that I can go back! It has been thrilling to watch our hometown temple continue to rise despite the worldwide closures. A few weeks ago the youth from church had an activity w...

December brought fun, challenges, and a nice long break to our homeschool group. We took off the same days that Addison's school did, and it was much needed. We went to a chilly outdoor dramatic retelling of Dickens's A Christmas Carol . Donated our Turkey Trot money to the United Way. Leah crushed some tricky pentomino puzzles. Bryn threw the party of the year for her fish. Very impressive coloring by Asa. The kids helped me make ornaments for my Primary class. Emmie loves glitter. We learned about the circulatory system. The way the veins and arteries enter and exit the heart is truly incredible. We made labeled playdoh models of brains. Made a working model of the digestive system. Eww. https://youtu.be/NGW62kMmk-8 Teamed up with some neighbors to take some Christmas cheer to a rest home. Had a fancy tea party with the neighbors to compliment our study of England. Leah made some pop-up cards. Stained glass art by Asa. These guys are always looking for creative ways to occupy...

First off, look at this gorgeous group of children: Here's a sampler of our homeschool learning in November. I had to hide numbers all over the classroom for one of Asa's math lessons. This was a favorite hiding spot. As part of our geology unit, we melted bits of crayon together to learn about metamorphic rocks. Learning about weathering. Asa conquered one of his less-favorite activities: tangrams. P.E. Bonus footage: Nate's laundry day work-from-home uniform. We recently heard that he'll be home at least until the end of March. Selling eggs in math. I personally read the book Room on the Broom  to Emmie at least 50 times. A visit to the Natural History Museum. Emmie passing some time with Tommy. Ask Asa sometime what 1,000 minus 999 is. He thinks it's neat. We got a little snow and Leah made "ice cream cones." Popsicles on a snowy day. Brrr! We practiced writing thank you notes. The girls made some impressive creations in their tech classes. https://yout...