Best of 2020 | Homeschool

 Homeschooling is awesome!  I've been especially thankful for it during the Covid pandemic.  Our school year started the first week of September.  I can't believe I have a 5th, 3rd, and 1st grader!  After Labor Day we resumed our Arbores Homeschool community day on Tuesdays.  We definitely had a memorable first day of co-op, as the fires and smoke in Oregon spread to the Willamette Valley.   We were also fortunate to  have our neighbors join the co-op, with Kellie being Tessa's primary teacher.   And we've been continually blessed to meet in-person every week with the exception of a couple of community days we had to do via Zoom.  This year our historical focus is the Middle Ages.  

Lorelai has since moved to Idaho with her family.  We miss her!

Drawing vikings in art.

Morning gathering via Zoom.

McKinley and Piper do a joint "presentation" on the Wingfeather Saga. 

Christmas party during community day, complete with secret Santa gift exchange and pajamas!

The toddlers/babies watch Donut Man while the moms clean up.

Valentine's Day party where they exchanged homemade valentines with their classmates.

Finally some snow in Newberg

 Each winter we're pretty lucky if we get some snow (at home) that actually sticks around!  This winter, Valentine's weekend to be exact, we were blessed with one inch of snow and a whole lotta ice underneath it.   It's amazing how much fun my kiddos had with one inch of snow!  They built a snow fort, went sledding down our street, and constructed a snowman.

Best of 2020 | Holidays

 The Fourth of July has always been one of my favorite holidays to photograph my crew! There's just something about seeing my kiddos in red, white & blue and waving flags that makes my heart flutter.  These railroad tracks make the perfect backdrop to remember July 4, 2020!

Dressing the girls for Halloween was so fun!  They had never heard of or seen a poodle skirt before, so I had a blast helping them create their 1950's looks.  It was pretty special for me to have Piper & McKinley wear my old poodle skirts that my mother had made for her and I many years ago.   Our neighbor, Lisa, also had the yellow poodle skirt that she had made years ago, and it fit Tessa perfectly!  I think the highlight for the girls, though, was wearing some lipstick and blush!  There was no question that Landon was going to be a fireman for Halloween.  He was/is obsessed! Thank goodness (again) for generous neighbors who loaned us his costume!