Visiting with Santa

                                 Here is Angela with Santa

                                   Christopher looking good.

                              And Kirsten with her cheesy grin. What a ham.

Angela is going to public school

This has been a rough and challenging year for Angela. With the birth of Elizabeth to one of Angela's close friends and neighbors moving to Aunt Shanna coming home from her mission. On the first day of November Angela tells me she wants to go back to public school. Mostly because she wants friends and I have on occasion forgoten to mark her lessons. It took awhile for there to be room for her as just until recently the 5th grade classes at Tendoy Elementary were all full. Finally I got a call from the secretary telling me that there is a open spot. Angela was so excited to go pick out a new back pack in preparation for school. I am also looking forward to spending more time with just Kirsten and Elizabeth.

So with this change coming, I ask myself do I regret home schooling my kids? At first I thought yes, but after thinking it through no I don't regret it at all. There are things and lessons that neither I or my kids wouldn't have learned. Since this blog entry is about Angela, I will say I would not have learned how gifted and talented in the area of learning she is. She excels at History, Reading, Science, and Math. She more then often finishes her school work in less then 3 hours. I must also remind myself that she may not have become so accomplished in these subjects had she not been at home doing her lessons with the Idaho Virtual Academy. SO that in and of itself made it all worth it for her during the last 2 1/2 years. There is also a time and place I believe for public school. Kids do need that interaction with other kids their age. Especially when they get into the 6th grade and beyond. I was going to put her back in public school in the 6th grade anyway. So when she came to me expressing interest in returning early I thought it's only a year earlier then planned. Not a big deal. I shall have to say I will miss Angela being here with me at home. Good Luck Angela. I love you more then you will ever know. Go make some friends.

A New Look

Angie and I decided to donate our hair to locks of Love. Trina Rowe was good enough to cut our hair to do so. I had to talk myself into it because I was so used to it being long.

Here I am in my before picture.

Here is Angela's before picture.

Here we are in our after Picture. Ken thinks the shorter hair makes me look slimmer. I just know for Angie this will make it much easier for her to fix in the morning. Sometimes it's nice to change things up a bit don't ya think?