gaze upon the Beauty

silva

Samuel and I have been learning Latin this year as part of our dive into classical education. It has been a highlight of my day to share something new with my smart 8 year old. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to mind drilling the flash cards with me.

One of my favorite words we've memorized is the word silva meaning woods or forest. Our home in Michigan has plenty of silva between the house and small canal which leads to Sandy Bottom Lake. It's beautiful here and someday I'm going to come up with a wonderful Latin name for our home incorporating silva. 

For now, though, I'm enjoying our first year here observing how the silva changes with each season. Today, it has a fresh layer of snow on every branch big and small. The kids explore; tracking deer, building forts, watching for owls and even ice skating on the frozen water! Driving around the area with several small lakes to see, I feel downright Canadian looking at the ice fishing huts and cleared off hockey rinks.

It's a new world, but I love it. 

   

Our family... now

Fall in Michigan is simply GORGEOUS, so we've been enjoying drives around the area, gasping at the glory of autumn flora. As this season usually calls to mind, I'm aware of how fast a year goes. Wasn't it just the other day we were moving in to the house at Sandy Creek Dr. and the trees were bursting with spring green leaves? Now the same are releasing their heavy boughs of red and orange down into heapfuls on the driveway. The seasons changed, and so too our lives. I thought I should take a few minutes to catch up where we are all at in the blog.

Daddy and Mommy (formally known as Scott and Hannah)

Life is starting to settle for us here in Michigan.

We are thankful for the presence in our home of a wonderful Grami passing down wisdom and love.

We are grateful for a church at Brighton Assembly of God where friendships are developing that support and encourage, where the Word is preached and taught, and where God's Spirit is strong and moving.

Also, I've been blessed to find an educational oppertunity with Classical Conversations in Brighton [www.classicalconversations.com];  I am tutoring a class, and the kids and I both are learning oh so much. 

As for the hubby, Scott is happy to be well-employed as Director of Engineering at Beaver Aerospace, at a time when such things are not taken for granted by anyone in any field, and though it is challenging to say the least, God has made a way for him and given him favor.

We know and rely daily on the Lord; experiencing his grace and doing our best to give His love to each other and our new neighbors. 

Samuel

Since the move in April, our oldest has tried his abilities in the sports of basketball and soccer, discovered a passion for snakes and raptors, grown in responsibility around the house, and continues to be my LEGO maniac. He is excited about discovering the world around him (especially his own woods behind our home) in ever increasing detail. And as this school year begins to lengthen, I'm very proud of the way he is embracing the new challenges I've set (can we say writing assignments). 

Lucian

Our second born, always tenacious, child is coming in to his own. For all his young life, he's hidden a bit in Samuel's shadow, but we've been thrilled to see him boldly set out to make friends at our new church and school situations. He has a confidence in his abilities on the soccer field, school memorization (a big deal in our curriculum right now) and also... with spiders. Ahem, yes, he continues his love and fasinaction with all insects. Just keep them outside please! A gift for teaching is also starting to come to the foreground with him. He eagerly helps his younger siblings (or any child) he sees needing assistance, with a patience and sweetness that amazes me. 

Allegra

 

She's the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead, etc. Well, it's really a scab from another adventure with her brothers! She's a combination of tom-boy and pretty pretty princess that always surprises me. Allegra has already decided at the ripe age of 5, that her occupation both currently and in the future is one of artist, and I believe her. Hours are dedicated to paper folding, painting, cutting, and designing... purses, birds, houses, cards, in dimensional paper masterpieces (okay, I'm a little biased) And she has begun ballet this year, which you know makes me smile ;).

Philip

The big Pre-schooler! Mom and Philip are doing up Pre-K downstairs like nobody's business. Right now, Mom is in Washington with my sister's family, and Philip said to me, "Grami and I are friends, we do school at the school table. I miss her." That about sums it up. It's so special to see the two of them establish a connection and relationship. He is one smart little cookie too and Mom is developing his skills in an awesome way! Three is a great age. 

Elizabeth

 

My baby girl, Ebee, is growing, growing, growing. It is hard to believe she'll be one year at Thanksgiving. Ah! That's hard on me a little, but she is growing sweeter with each new syllable uttered and stronger with each step taken (still holding on to the couch), and smarter with every toy discovered. I can't complain about losing my beautiful baby, when I'm gaining yet another fascinating and fun toddler.

This mother heart is full.

 

Back to Blogging!

Hello all! You probably thought I had given up blogging for good, but no. I just didn't have a source from which to write. My Macbook baby HD crashed for the second time since 2006. What to do?! I waited for a month debating whether to spend the cash on a new computer or not, feeling kinda sick about it. And then... my Mother blessed me! She sent me her laptop, transferring all of her stuff to her desktop Mac. Thanks, Mom! This blog is dedicated to you ;).

So, what's been going on for the last month? Well, quite a bit of course, as I'm sure happened to most of you transitioning from summer to autumn activities. I've grown bigger and bigger, or rather Elizabeth has, and am now in the third trimester of pregnancy. This is great... and uncomfortable.

However, my mind can't dwell too long on whining because September has also brought a new school year. Once again, I'm counting my blessings that I have the freedom to home educate. It's going so well so far (now in our third week).

At first, I was nervous with an almost two year old on my hands, but we've found a groove and they've all seemed to have gained quite a bit of new knowledge already. There is nothing more rewarding than the light of understanding brighten a child's face, whether it's about how an animal communicates in Science or reading a book with chapters for the first time. I love teaching. 

Okay, as for the rest of our adventures, I'll just let some fun pictures speak  for me. 

last day of the school year

We have officially finished our Kindergarten and 1st Grade year of school! It was a wonderful 36 weeks filled with reading, math, experiments, geography exploration and much more. Both the boys favorite subject was science, so that's how we ended on Friday. Here's a little movie from that experience, plus some photos from the rest of the day.

  

Marking deserts of the world on our dry erase map. This has been an awesome tool for learning. Lately, we've been studying "Wild Places" : deserts, jungles and mountains and putting them on our map. Kids vs. Wild!

The results of our red cabbage test. And here's Samuel testing out more acidic liquids... like vingegar for pickling!

School time is fun, but here's to a great summer and a healthy break!

(Not to mention shopping for next year's books - one of my favorite summer activities :)

Michiganders now!

This summer, we are going to do our best at becoming Michiganders. I grew up a Missourian, then met Scott as an Iowan, danced as an Alabamian, was engaged as an Idahoan, was a newlywed Hoosier (or Indianan), became a mom as a Floridian, and a lately enjoyed being an Illinoisan. Whew! But now we are taking on a new state, and what better way to start than with our capital city of Lansing?

So, on our way to visit friends in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend, we paused for a few hours and went to the Michigan seat of government. (never mind that our license plate still reads 'Illinois')

First stop for lunch in Lansing... our fav, Jimmy Johns downtown.

Then to see the capital!

It reminded me of somewhere Alice might go in Wonderland; black and white tile floors, colorful walls and stately architecture with a bit of whimsy flung in.

Allegra especially loved this view, so I got down on her level to observe... it was SO much more beautiful than the adult perspective. She kept saying, "Look, Mommy, look! The stars are up there."

The new Michiganders!

 

 

trees

We have some lovely trees in our yard here, and I'm enjoying many aspects of them: flowers, shade, homes for squirrels and birds, and the nature study available right outside our door. At our last home we had to cut down three old trees and with them lost this variety of joys, so each day when I wake to the chorus of birds around our home singing in the branches, I smile. 

As I've been observing our small canopy budding, flowering, growing green and vibrant, I can't help pulling out the camera. Here are a few of my favorite trees I've captured in the past few weeks. 

 

The Magnolia

 

The Backyard Oak

One day we enjoyed watching this funny little squirrel build his drey between a divide in the trunk of the tree. It's not the most beautiful tree in our yard, but lots of animals enjoy it. 

 

The Shady Maple

The week we studied pollination in science, this wonderful tree gave us a beautiful live example. From our upstairs window we could watch the busy bees going from flower to flower. The boys were so excited and definitely "got it". 

first buds

life revealed!

full and shady

 

The Sweet Crab Apple

(pictured first above)

This is our climbing, white flowering, crisp apple summer tree. It was the boy's first consolation when we moved, and it was also the cause of our first major expense when Allegra shot about twenty apples down the exhaust pipe for our furnace (what is the cider like smell?) But I love it. In a very simple way, it has helped make this rental house our home.

 

The Sugar Maple

Not the most spectacular tree in the bunch, but I like it because it is one of dozens of Sugar Maples that line our street. They were the first out in spring with their yellow green flowers and lifted everyone's spirits after a long cold winter. 

 

Tree Study

We've been incorporating these wonderful trees into science as much as possible. Each of the boys picked a tree to draw and observe. Samuel chose the maple and Lucian, the apple tree. 

 

I think that I shall never see,

A poem lovely as a tree.

- Joyce Kilmer

 

 

tour of space anyone?

As promised, here is our tour of the Solar System!

                      

Also, today we finished our studies of Space with a styrofoam model:

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

back again

Hello! I know, I know... where have I been? I've been crazy good, busy and sick. Sick in a good way though, pregnant sick! Most of you have probably heard this bit of news via facebook, family or friends, and it's true. Number 5 lil' Borchers is due to arrive Thanksgiving day! We're thrilled (especially now that I've gotten over the shock and self-centered "but my life!" part). Of course, we would love a little girl this time around, just to make a classic Yatzee full-house, but either way a new blessing he or she shall be. 

Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to the last month. Enjoy!

a little art work from my design class

A great visit from our friends, the Muchowicz Family - along with a visit to the Henry Ford Museum together...

We've also been up to some fun studies in Space (or at least about Space).

here we are making a paper solar system for the boy's ceiling. I will post a video of a tour to the universe soon. 

The MARS experiment: mix sand and bits of steel wool in large disposable lasagne dish and add water. Wait till it rusts, and voila! you have a MARS planet scape.

And finally, some silly and sweet shots of my little people. 

Allegra says, "Mommy, I want Lucian because he is my bestest of friends." 

 

 

Gallon Guy

The last science project of the year was the best one so far: GALLON GUY! One sheet of paper represents one gallon, cut in fourths - quart, cut in eighths - pints, cut in sixteenths - cups. It was a hoot, and the boys may have taken their first step in helping me cook... as I measured ingredients that night they were quite interested.

   

School Room

House tour entry #3: the school room.

Must have: schedule.                                       Time line entries. 

The books.