* We went under contract on our house!! We close in 3 weeks if all goes well with the Inspection and Appraisal - and at this point in time, we are so very thankful for how things are turning out!
* Dad had Monday off for Labor Day! We emailed with Seth, Prayed about what offer to accept on the house and Ben mowed the lawn
* Scouts (for Nathan), Activity Days (for the girls) and a Mutual Activity of Ultimate Frisbee for Ben
* Back in July, we bough a 12 person tent on the Billings Classifieds and we've been wanting to go camping all summer! We finally decided to do a Backyard Campout. Mom and the kids set up the tent and then when dad got home from Gillette, he got us a fire going in the fire pit and we made S'mores and roasted hotdogs. We then snuggled down in our sleeping bags/blankets in the tent and mom read part of the Percy Jackson book and then we all went to sleep. Honestly, the kids seemed to have done OK - but mom and dad were SUPER SORE the next morning and decided we needed an air mattress before doing that again!! On the positive, the tent was really roomy and made it nice for everyone to be in there together.
* Girls had their Irish Dance Class
* Ben got hired on at McDonalds. He won't start for a couple of week tho - since we can't find his Social Security Card and so we had to apply for a replacement (which takes about 10 days to arrive). As soon as he has it in hand, he can start.
* We started BACK TO SCHOOL!
In Our Homeschool This Week...
* Ben spent 50+ hours this week dedicated to his writing. He had a goal to finish it and HE DID!! I've never seen him write so diligently! He talked mom into going out to a "Celebratory Lunch" at the Pizza Ranch and she couldn't refuse so Friday they all headed into Billings to celebrate!
* While Ben was working on his book, the rest of us filled up the week with:
- Math Games (Count Down, Number Sequence, UNO and Monopoly)
- Math and Magic read aloud and corresponding problems
- Independent Reading (up to 1 hour a day) for the girls
- Family Read Aloud (The Happy Hollisters, The Candy Shop Wars and Percy Jackson)
- Scriptures (Lexi listened to 26 chapters of the Book of Mormon and finished 1st Nephi. Nathan starts his lessons each morning by reading a few verses in the Book of Mormon and Aubrie has a goal to finish 1st Nephi by October. Ben also has been dedicated and has read his scriptures each morning before starting to write)
- Ben attended Seminary each morning this week (and was even on time at 6:20am!)
- Daily Enrichments: We focused on the 3rd Article of Faith and the Atonement. Each of the kids memorized it and then we had some really incredibly spiritual discussions about the Atonement! Ben even gave the lesson one day on the importance of Seminary.
- We did several art projects (the girls loved this! and I was super thrilled that Nathan participated as well as he did and even seemed to enjoy himself! He's been so reluctant to do Art/Drawing in the past and so this was a breakthrough!)
- We practiced our handwriting by writing letters to Seth. Nathan also spent time each day practicing his letter formations and doing copywork
- Aubrie did an Indoor (Selfie) Scavenger hunt which was really fun and then I taught her how to make a collage in one of the photo apps
- Nathan read over 100 minutes this week (independently!) We've been really tackling his reading lessons and using the All About Reading curriculum (developed to help Dyslexic students learn to read)
- During down time, mom listened to several Speakers at the "Not Back to School" Homeschool Convention. It's been really inspiring and given me some really great ideas to implement!
- Read and discussed the book - The Hiding Game - which is the true story of Varian Fry and Danny Benedite, who selflessly hid and smuggled over 4,000 refuges out of Nazi occupied France! The book follows a family that took refuge from the German soldiers in a villa in the South of France (owned by Fry and Benedite). There was also a part in the book where it describes the family spending their Sunday evening playing a game called Cadavre Exquis - where a piece of paper is folded like a fan, and each person draws a part on the fold without seeing the drawings of the others and then when the paper is unfolded, wonderful and silly mixed-up creatures emerged. This inspired us so much that we decided to do this ourselves! We did several rounds of it and had lots of fun and laughter with it! We also learned how they would sneak messages to others inside of tubes of toothpaste! Fascinating! It truly was an inspirational story and we could totally see Heavenly Fathers hand in many of the instances!
Seth Spotlight...
* Another week of working hard - even went into a new area that he hadn't worked in yet
* Been working with the mom of a little boy they baptized a few weeks back and he's been enjoying that
* Accidentally broke one of the church windows while playing Chair Soccer with the other Missionaries on PDay -oops! He said he was able to head down to a local hardware store and bought parts for $2 and it's good as new!
Spiritually Speaking...
We all got our "Back to School" Blessings from dad today! Mom and Ben's are included below and the rest will follow once they are transcribed from the voice memo :)
Sister Shandalyce Fae Vogt, by the Authority and Power of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, which I hold, I lay my hands upon your head and give unto a blessing at this time as you guide our children forward throughout this school year.
I bless you with the ability to educate, nurture and cultivate these children - not only these children, but your older 2 boys, too. You will have inspiration to guide them throughout this coming year and even though they are men - they need their mom and they need your guidance and your inspiration. As you listen to the Spirit, you will know how to reach them and how to talk to them. Know that they will never stop relying and depending on you - for that is your role as Matriarch and Mother to these children.
Know that you'll be blessed with inspiration this year. The Lord will give you impressions that you will not be able to deny that will lead you in continually fine tuning the curriculum and finding those ways that will reach the children and teach them.
Know that Father in Heaven realizes what a task this is and is so grateful that you are willing to do this to keep the children unspotted and unblemished from this world. Know that as you put Father in Heaven first, the windows of Heaven will be opened unto you for inspiration and that you'll be able to have a good spirit here [in the home] and the children will feel it and feel love and that they will be open to gaining knowledge.
This blessing I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Benjamin Noah Vogt, by the Power and Authority of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, which I hold and bear, I lay my hands upon your head and give unto a Father's Blessing at this time. Ben, I bless you with mental acuity this year that your mind will be focused and sharpened. That you'll have the ability to concentrate on the tasks at hand. As you focus, that intensity and that sharpness will enable you to pierce through whatever obstacles that might lay in your path when it comes to gaining that knowledge.
Concepts will be opened to you and you will be able to retain them IF you focus. Part of that focus comes from preparation -preparing yourself Spiritually before preparing yourself temporally by putting the Lord first, paying attention in Seminary and paying attention in your own daily study of the scriptures and in your seeking of the Lord and His guidance and wisdom as you pray.
You have been given many blessings and many promises in the past - do not forget those! Remember those promises you've been given from Bishop Goss, from August and your father. Know that those still are in effect IF you will do your part. I bless you with the ability to gain this knowledge and to focus. I bless you with the ability to have happiness. This blessing I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
* The following is what dad said to Ben as they embraced: "You've got to just aim and focus and these things are going to be opened up to you and you're going to pierce through those mental obstacles that you have from some of your learning struggles."
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