othello tunnels

one of the biggest reasons why we homeschool is so that we have an opportunity to explore and experience life with these lovely people.  we are each others community, each others teachers, friends and strength.  we get to travel life together, we are able to speak into each others lives and walk hardships together.  we pray together, laugh together and weep together.  we help teach these kids through our own love for each other and through the words of Jesus.

as so, we teach and explore, we engage in experiential learning, we become wilderness explorers.  we spent a month or so doing nature scavenger hunts, hikes, journals, and west coast animal reports.  the final leg of this unit was a trip to othello tunnels where we used our senses to discover the world around us and our legs to carry us through it.  our noses were cold and our fingers were froze, but we do it because we love it, we love to teach our kids and watch them find Jesus in all that is around them.

this is them, our "my class" crew.  i kinda love them all, all eleven kids with two more on the way and three mamas.

science world

...with our nana.  we kinda love this place with our hands busy and our minds active.  i love watching the girls eyes as they look around and explore, as they soak in information and investigate.  and so we brought nana with us on our excursion.  i have discovered that i don't really engage in the activities around me at science world [unless it is in the shadow room] but instead i find great joy in watching the girls.  watching them run from place to place, exploring, moving, and learning.

[leaf bug and stick bug]

making memories and spending time together, it fills my heart.

a september sunday

having found a new hike while out with a dear friend, i was anxious to return with my family.  and on a sunday in september we did.  we drove the cruiser to the base of mt. winchester, and i am pretty sure that was scotts favorite part, driving up steep slopes, along the rocky terrian.  we exit the truck and look up, we can see the flag on the top of the mountain and i show the girls where we are headed.  shorts and backpacks, snacks and the promise of gum at the top, we encountered snow, rocky slopes, switchbacks, and the feeling of our first family summit.  it was amazing.

[getting ready to head out...and then we found snow]

[nothing like a little alpine meadow to stroll through]

[mt. larabee in the background]

[summit excitement]

[our first family summit photo]

[heading down, maybe more majestic then the views going up]

while climbing down i asked each girl on their own what their favorite part was, that is my need to debrief every experience coming out.  each one answered with an excited, "the gum mom, the gum is the best part."  awesome.  i did catch scott whispering in their ears on a switchback that their mama was so proud of them, and i was.  it was a blessing to share some of my favorite moments with my family, to share a part of my heart with them that they don't often get to be apart of.  there is no one other that i would rather do this with.  it was a moment i will not soon forget.  our first peak together.  i wait, not so patiently for our next one.

location:  baker wilderness area
mountain: mt. winchester
total length: 4.2 miles round trip
elevation gain/loss: +1,300 ft
summit elevation: 6,521 ft