"Train up a child..."

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6

Two weekends ago, Tim and Mason went to Vicenza, Italy for a Father/Son Retreat.  Tim used this special time away with Mason to help equip him for the difficult and sometimes confusing pre-teen to teen years that are quickly approaching.  (Where does time go????)  Tim and Mason were able to discuss key issues that face pre-teens and teens...and talk about what God has to say in His Word about them.  It was a time to talk about growing up and all the changes that young people are faced with.  Well, lest you think this was a time of just talk and no play...there was plenty of that too!  What a memorable weekend the two "guys" had bonding and hanging out!  We pray that this amazing time that Mason had with his Dad, will set the tone for a relationship based on godly priciples, communication, and trust as we head into these teen years.

The beautiful Vicenza countryside!

Mason's new Mt. bike...his b'day present.

Oops...someone took a wrong turn!!!

The pizza here is AMAZING!

Vicenza

Goofballs!

Mmmm....

Bowling!

This was prior to the crash going DOWN the mountain...lots of road rash, an ER visit, bandages, and a great story to tell!

I Don't Know How to Read, I'm Homeschooled!

That is not just a cute title to this blog post...one of my children actually said that to a doctor.  And trust me, I didn't think it was cute at the time.  It IS funny now and yes he CAN read.  Anyway, the boys really do like homeschooling and I love having them home each day.  Really.  Some days go smoother than others but most days are fun and I think my kids may actually be learning too!  Here are some "homeschool pictures" and a video of a project Mason did.  The project was voluntary and not part of our curriculum.  He actually did the project on his own one afternoon during rest time.  Even his teacher was impressed! :0)

                                             cross section of the Earth

                                                 We erupted a volcano!

                                           the boys in our school room

                                                     solar powered fan

...Ditty Bounding...

Here is Mac "ditty bounding!" In one of the Pixar Short Films, there is a jackalope and a sheep that bounce around singing a funny song.  A line in the song is-- "...bound, bound, bound, and rebound..."  One of our boys (who will remain nameless) thought the lyrics were- "...bound, bound, bound, ditty-bound..."  SO cute!  It became a family joke and every time someone hopped or bounced, we would joke that they were "ditty bounding!"  When Mac got this Jumperoo thing it just seemed logical to call it the "Ditty Bounder."  He gets asked often if he wants to "ditty bound."  And as you can see...He LOVES to!