Our first "box day"

Although we've been homeschooling since 2006, most of our curriculum has been gathered "bits and pieces", so we've never had the excitement of opening up a box which contained our school year . . . until this year!

The waiting was almost unbearable, so when the box arrived everyone was thrilled!

I had to convince Jaden to stop hugging the box so I could open it and see what was inside!

 Lael was beaming because she knew there were new books inside!

 Even before Jaden and I finished checking to make sure we had all the items on our packing list . . .

 . . . Lael had already found something that caught her eye and was off in another world!

Looks like another exciting, learning-filled year at God Seekers Academy!

(Special thanks to Jaden for his assistance with the photos for this blog post!)

Playing is hard work!

Our little guy plays hard . . . and sometimes he sleeps in very interesting places!

Walking through history . . .

We had a fabulous field trip yesterday to the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival - what a wonderful experience!  Here are a few photos (which don't at all do this event justice) . . . it was literally like a walk through the 18th and 19th century lives of Pennsylvania Germans.

Noah is "strollered" and ready to go!

 All three kids excited about the Festival

 Visiting the blacksmith

 Wheelwrights

 Trying some colonial games

 Noah providing some comic relief :)

 Jaden needed a quick break ;) - loved the rocking chair

 The ice wagon - we saw a picture of it on the festival's website so Jaden wanted me to take a picture for us to have too!

 19th century quilting bee

 Making apple fritters over an open fire (18th century style)

 This gentleman showed us what a soldier might carry with him - fascinating for my seven-year-old especially!

 Threshing grain by hand - no machines here!

 Lael got to help make candles - each row of candles would need to be dipped at least 25 times!

 Jaden enjoyed the view from this stone wall . . .

 . . . so much that he convinced his sister to join him!

 Churning butter

 This churning will yield about 5 pounds of butter!

 Now it's time to do the laundry

 If only they were that quick to do laundry at home! ;)

 Lael had a lesson in making sauerkraut

 Another favorite - seeing the militia fire their muskets

 The Goschenhoppen Festival parade

 Wagon ride - with several of our homeschool friends

 Jaden "warming up" by the fire while waiting for Lael to finish her cornhusk doll

 Lael made a wonderful cornhusk doll - complete with bonnet and apron!

 Jaden got the hang of this game quite quickly :)

We also tasted some yummy treats like apple butter, potato candy, funnel cake, watermelon, corn pie, apple fritters, faschnaughts, apple cider and freshly made peach ice cream!  It was an absolutely marvelous day!