more summer fun in AUGUST

At the beginning of the summer, Matt and I decided

to be intentional about 1 family fun activity a week ...

knowing that summer would pass us by if we weren't intentional.

So in June...

family water battle/homemade popsicles 

and  Keystone Safari.

In July ...

 a Seawolves baseball game,

small fireworks and sparklers at home,

ALIVE music festival,

day at Presque Isle beach,

and a week at Miracle Mountain Ranch.

To finish out the summer, in August ...

yard game day (including newly learned pickleball),

archery course, 

canoeing at Presque Isle in the bay and lagoon

and putt-putt golf/ice cream!

I'm so thankful we did this!  Our summer was full, but great!

We got a lot of work done around here, preserved much food, and had fun!

Here are just some of the elderberries we foraged and froze.

We gathered SO MANY elderberries ...we have plenty for our

winter tonic, made some jelly, and had enough for 2 pies.

Elderberry pie is one of Matt's gramma's favorites!

We got to make her one and celebrate her birthday early

with her before she headed back to Florida! 

(that makes my heart happy)

Spending afternoons playing cards with

Gramma was a summer highlight too!

We decided we needed a barn cat to help with

unwanted guests like chipmunks and mice.

So ...we adopted 2 female kittens whom

Grace named Agatha and Charlotte.

And our chickens started laying eggs!

Grace gets SO EXCITED to find the eggs!

Matt's school is having a delayed and wonky start

to the new school year because of renovations not

being done on time, but...

the kids started back on August 29th.

Nathan is in 11th grade and continuing

taking online classes through PA Virtual.

Grace is in 9th grade and

has joined Nathan at PA Virtual

and doing classes online.

Even though my role has shifted from leading their education

with homeschooling to walking beside them as a helper

with online school, I'm finding I'm still needed as a 

vital part of their education.  So our plan is for me to continue 

being at home as homemaker and learning coach.

BE BLESSED!