SWEET SUMMER TIME

Our summer has been a busy one!!  I had so many grand plans of all that I would accomplish during this first long break in several years!!  I must admit that my to do list hasn't got many checks on it!  We are all ready to get back to a more normal school schedule...so maybe that is worth a few missing checks on my list! 

The great thing about summer activities is that often the activity may provide one or more of the following: art, nature, science, history, worldview, and physical activity!  And that is music to the home school mom's ear! 

  

We have sipped more than a few glasses of sweet tea over good conversation with friends and family...what could be better than that?   How's your summer been?

For The Beauty of the Earth

I love spring! The boys and I look forward to watching all of the usual visitors to our bird feeders and hope to catch a glimpse of a few new ones as well. I love to take in the fresh air, sunshine, birds, flowers, trees, and nature all around us as we soak up the sunshine on a nature walk. We spotted an eagle on our trek this week!! I wasn't fast enough to snap a picture, though!! We took our sketch pads and chose various things to add to our nature notebooks. I am not an artist by any stretch of the imagination, but I do find it relaxing to at least attempt it. The boys enjoy the activity and I see real progress in their notebooks. Samuel is our artist and he was so encouraging to me as I was drawing a wildflower..."good job, mom"!! How sweet! Of course the boys had to wade the creek and our springer took a swim as well. It was a wonderful way to start our day!

For the Beauty of the Earth

by Folliott S. Pierpoint

For the Beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour, Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flow'r, Sun and moon, and stars of light,

Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild,

Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thy church that evermore Lifteth holy hands above,

Off''ring up on every shore Her pure sacrifice of love,

Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise.