* lots and lots of RAIN! This is a very good thing though since our state has been suffering with many fires! Our air has been so smoky and hazy for weeks and so the rain was a blessing to help the firefighters put the fires put out! We also got quite chilly (with one of the days only getting to the 40's for the high temperature for the day!)
* Tender Mercy of Ben being able to get into a Therapist so quickly! We feel like this will be such a great help for Ben as this is the same Therapist that the church sends the Montana Missionaries too when they're struggling with anxiety and depression. Ben came out of his first session feeling so good and he loved it! For now, he will be having a session every other week. Ben has also mentioned that he feels like his medication is beginning to work and giving him the upper hand in dealing with his thoughts. We'll just continue praying that he can keep feeling better and learn some helpful coping mechanisms and strategies to aid him as he goes throughout life!
* Took a lasagna dinner to a friend in need
* Ben started working at McDonalds and had his Orientation this week
* Mom's been trying to get her Drivers License converted to a Montana one for a year now! You have to make an appointment to do this and the DMV is typically booked about 3 months out. She has had to reschedule twice and so FINALLY it was the day of her appointment and once she arrived, realized she had forgotten her Birth Certificate and Social Security Card! She could have cried for how bad she felt! Needless to say - she is still driving with a North Dakota License!
* Dad's Birthday!!! We love him so much and hope he felt special on his day!!
In Our Homeschool This Week...
* Daily reading and writing lessons with Nathan
* Personal reading and Family Read Alouds for everyone
* Daily Enrichments (we discussed why it's important to have daily scripture study, Faith, our Testimonies and how gossip is not of God)
* Ben worked on editing his novel
* Irish Dancing, Scouts and Activity Days
* Nathan designed a flag for his scout troop
* Aubrie and Lexi did daily crafts, painting, art and drawing! Aubrie has also decided she wants to host monthly art contests online for kids for we are currently in the works of setting up a blogsite for her to do this! She's thinking of calling her site: "Hosted By Aubrie" which I think is super cute! Lexi was inspired by this and wants to host monthly craft contests for kids - so we'll see where that all leads us!
* People/Things we studied this week:
- Corrie ten Boom and her efforts of hiding the Jews from the Germans
- Thales, the ancient Greek Mathematician
- Joan of Arc
- The Chunnel - a tunnel BENEATH the English Channel between France and Great Britian! Isn't that crazy!
- "Bullet" Bob Feller, who grew up to become one of the fastest pitchers of all time!
- Thunder/Lightening; how they're created and what causes them
- Alexander Hamilton (Mom is especially intrigued and is reading some additional books on her own)
- Maria Sibylla Merian, a Scientific Illustrator and Entomologist that was born in Germany in 1647
- Mary Anning, a fossil collector and Paleontologist born in 1799 in England. At the young age of 12, she discovered the first complete Ichthyosaur skeleton. She also went on to discover 2 skeletons of Plesiosaurs and discovered the very first Pterosaur skeleton! Wowie!
* We went on a Nature walk and took in the beauty all around us! I had the kids observe things so that when we got home we could sketch something that stood out to us on our walk
* Daily Seminary class for Ben. Both of the regular teachers were going to be gone on Wednesday and so they were having the Missionaries teach. One of the teachers also asked if I'd be willing to sit in the back of the class to make sure things went smoothly - so I got to go in and observe Seminary :)
* We are trying to study 1 new Nation each week and this weeks focus was on IRAQ. Since we have an awesome teacher/dad that lived there - who better than him to teach the kids about it! He has such a gift for teaching and the kids and I really learned alot! We learned about the geography, the culture, the weather, their food, their government and then dad also shared some stories of when he was there.
Seth Spotlight...
* His sweet companion (Elder Garcia) stayed up a bit later than him on Wednesday night and made Seth a special "Congrats on 1 year" card! It was waiting on his desk when he woke up on Thursday :)
* Gave the Message at their District Meeting. He gave it on Charity for the people in their areas
* Used the phone as a light for going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and it ended up in the toilet! RIP phone!
* Hopes he can continue touching the lives of people there in Nicaragua for the next year
* Happened to be by a scale and decided to weigh... he's lost 50 pounds!
* Was able to go up to a spot that overlooks his city of San Ramon
Spiritually Speaking...
Getting to the last of the "Back to School" Father's Blessings. Here are Aubrie's and Lexi's
Alexa Fae Vogt, by the authority and power of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood which I hold and bear, I lay my hands upon your head to give you blessing - a Father's Blessing for this academic school year.
Lexi you've been given a love of life, joy, and happiness - use that to brighten the days of others and keep them happy in times of sorrow. You've been given a sweet disposition. Your Father in Heaven knows that you will be a blessing to your family and to those around you that you associate with.
Continue to search out after those things that interest you! Continue to Create! To make crafts, to cultivate your art, to continue to work with your cooking and baking! Devour books so that you will gain knowledge and a continued love for reading and a continued love of learning! Know that this knowledge will be stuff that you will retain for this life and into the next life. You'll be able to use it and be able to help others with it.
Know that your Father in Heaven loves you so much and is so grateful for the good daughter you are. Always put him first in your life and you'll be blessed and you'll be happy. This blessing I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Aubrie Annabelle Vogt, by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood which I hold, I lay my hands upon your head and give you a Fathers Blessing at the start of this school year for you.
Aubrie, you have been given a gift - which is a love for learning, a curiosity and a quest for knowledge! This gift is one that you should cultivate and continue to nurture as you learn more of the ways of the gospel and the ways of the world in science, mathematics, reading, crafts and arts.
You've been given a gift that new skills come quickly for you. You'll be able to use knowledge that you gain to help others. You'll be a force for them and a help for them when they struggle.
Be diligent with your scripture reading and diligent with your prayers and know that Father in Heaven will bless you. I bless you that you'll be able to gain and retain more knowledge and that your culinary arts will also grow. Know that Father in Heaven is mindful of you and mindful of the great blessing you are to your family with your willingness to always serve. This is a a great attribute and it's one that your Savrior had.
Your Father in Heaven loves you very much. This blessing I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Also we had our Primary Program today at church and it went really well! The kids all worked hard and you could really feel the Spirit in the room! Also, over the past several weeks and even today - I did not feel worried or anxious about it at all! Even when I woke up this morning to find out teachers and kids wouldn't be there - I just felt everything would be OK and not to worry about it! I know that has been a definite tender mercy and a way Heavenly Fathers hand has been present in my life.
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