Almost time to begin school

Next week at this exact time, instead of sitting on my computer typing up a long and over due blog post; I will be starting home school with my kids for the first time! I ordered my curriculum "My Fathers World," which going over i'm pretty excited about. Last year I did a lot of pre-school stuff with them, so sitting down and doing "school" work wont seem so crazy. I am definitely a little nervous, which i'm assuming all parents are the first year they teach, and maybe even at the beginning of every year after! ( I think I will be anyways!) 

Although I read a couple wonderful books by Karen DeBeus called "Simply Home school" and "Called Home: finding Joy in letting God lead your Home school." Where one puts home schooling in perspective and why I want to home school, the other helps you to simplify homeschooling before you even beginning.

I want to be the one to teach my kids, not only their ABC's, how to use a scissor, but also about God, why we are here, what He has done for us, and how important He is. I love the idea of Home schooling, I know not every day will go as wonderfully as I imagine, but I know God will be with me every step of the way.

Matthew 6:33King James Version (KJV)

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Pictures of our home school room:

Birthday ideas!

Charles turns four next month, and my poor little boys hasn't had a birthday party yet! I know he is still young and I don't think he realized he hasn't had one, but recently we have gone to a lot of his little friends birthdays! So, now he realizes he hasn't had one! Ha, so now Charlie's favorite past time is playing "birthday party!" The other day he took a shoe box put books in it and topped it with the tissue that used to be in the shoe. Then he goes mom today is my birthday day, take a picture of me as I open my gift! So I take a picture, afterwards he goes yahoo its my birthday Thank you for the great gift! :)

I thought it was just a phase, then I overheard him tell his Grandma on the phone, are you coming to my birthday day grandma! Anytime I tell him about someone coming over or that we are going somewhere he thinks it must be because its his birthday day! So needless to say this year I am finally giving him a well deserved birthday, and I think he will be old enough to enjoy it!

Now I just need to decide the theme. At first I thought miniature golf party in the back yard, but I think I may do construction theme. Put a sandbox out back and put construction vehicles in it. I think he might enjoy that better then miniature golf, and save that for later.

Charles opening his "gift"

Charles excitedly showing me what he got in his gift.

Random pictures of Sophia and Charles

They are taking a drive in the "car" that Charles made!

Potty training for real?

I hope so! I know I have tried multiple times to potty train Sophia! I think my husband had a wonderful solution for our delima! We have always attempted to potty train her and make her go from diaper to basically underwear! I think we both ended getting frustrated with that method. So I bought pull-ups after David brought up the idea.

Sophia seems to be catching on slowly, sometimes she goes to the bathroom just after she goes; like this morning she pooped then went to bathroom but did pee on the potty! So I count that as a success! Where before I would have been frustrated that her underwear was dirty and some pee would have probably ended up on my floor, and since I have mostly carpet all through my house I would have gotten frustrated and thrown her back in a diaper while I cleaned up the mess without having to worry if it would happen again.

 I think she likes that if she goes in her "underwear" it doesn't go everywhere. I also thinks she likes that she can actually pull off her pull up all by herself and pull it back up. I call them her underwear and she is very proud to wear underwear like her brother Charlie! :) I did buy her "real" underwear but for now I am satisfied with her attempting to use the toilet and using her pull-ups. I think Sophia is headed in the right direction! Now I just need to have more patients and keep encouraging her! She loves when your excited about something she does, and peeing gives her claps and cheers and she gets a big ol sweet smile!

Here are a couple pictures of her sweet smiles enjoy!

Website, photo shoots, and family visit!

First off I have my website for my photography business up and running. raphotographywilliamsaz.com
Which is exciting and makes me a little nervous too! :) I have had a few family photo shoots so far that have been fun and a joy which makes me less nervous! So I will post the pictures then go on to tell you about my exciting weekend coming up!

Meet the Millers:

Meet the Gordon's:

This weekend My family is coming to visit! It will be the first time anyone on my side of the family will see our new house; that we have been in for over a year now. It will be fun, Especially since everyone is getting older and married ect ect, so getting everyone out to Arizona at the same time, besides my eldest sister Stephanie, is pretty amazing in itself! So I will have plenty of photos I am sure next week to show all the fun we had!

Family Fun Photo Shoot

Charles had so much fun playing with the football with his daddy!

Sophia Joy did not want to smile at all! She had her phase of liking pictures, but having a MOM who sometimes takes too many photos; I think she has lost her FUN for pictures!

Charles on the other hand LOVES his picture taken! He is always saying CHEESE! 

Random pictures of me and David, we took a few, although our little camera hog Charles kept trying to come in and get in the picture!

We had them walk down this path, the first time Charles ran so fast and dragged Sophia behind him! The next time we told Charles to walk not run and then Sophia drug him! It was pretty hilarious, this was when we told Charles it was OK to run so he caught up with her!

Same photo just Black and White

Charles throwing his football in the air.

Family Photo! Same Photo closer up is a few pictures below!

I love the pictures of the families holding hands walking down a road together!

Same place, random photo of us.

David and Me again! I actually had to photoshop Charlies head out of this photo! :)

Quick shot of Mommy and Sophia while the boys were playing football behind us! Nice to have a tripod and a remote control to snap the photo! (again no smile from Sophs!)

Here is a good smile from both Sophia and Charles! Jumping, clapping ect made her happy!

We just happened to have her little picnic basket and baby in the car! She thought she was bringing her baby on a picnic! She gave her kisses. Which I got a picture of but was at a bad angle so I didn't post that one! She is such a good mommy to her babies!

Again our little miss Mom!

This picture Charles isn't smiling all that big, because he had just thrown a rock at mommy and he got in trouble. 

Daddy and Son Photos! They are both so Photogenic! 

FOOTBALL TIME!

Closer Family Photo!

random mom and dad photo

Our Sweet Little Sophia Joy! I love this photo, just wish she would have smiled! That's okay though, she still looks adorable!

Another holding hand photo, they had so much fun running around during our family photo shoot! It was more like an hour of playing with some photos to go along with it to remember all we had done!

Delaney Binsley WIlliams