August Was...

...lots of swimming in our local parks.  The only pictures I took are below, simply because lugging towels and beach toys and lunches across sand is enough work in itself, and toting a camera to worry about was just one too many responsibilities for the day!  While Selah and Judah were in swim classes, Hannah & Isaiah would hang out in the water and sand...
 

August was also attending a couple Vacation Bible Schools (since we missed our own).  The first several days Hannah cried her eyes out after we dropped off the oldest three.  It was the first time in her memory for her siblings to leave her for the whole morning!  She spent countless hours bonding with 'Kee-Kee' (as she calls our kitty).  Here they are below with Hannah fast asleep, and soon after I captured the shot the kitten was also sleeping soundly.  And what did I do with all those free mornings?  Set up school!

I always think I'm going to take some cute shots of our first day of school.  And it has yet to happen.  Ah, well, we had a first day and many more that followed.  We began mid-August to provide extra time off for after the baby is born.  So far this year has run even smoother than last year.  Hannah is older and can concentrate longer on play and coloring and not pestering teacher and students.  Selah is older and more capable of completing independent work on her own.  The boys' programs work well for teaching simultaneously, and many of their subjects are shared.  Not saying we don't have difficult or discouraging days, but thankful God provides the needed grace, stength and enjoyment to keep us going.

August was a special visit from my brother and his family.  A future post to follow.

August was filling student backpacks at a local mission...

Judah came down with strept throat, so we couldn't all go as a family, but we found some other willing volunteers to add to the mix...

Every pencil case needs some erasers...

Daniel counting the filled packs...

Posing in the room with Aunt Rebecca and PILES of backpacks ready to be passed to needy students...

Picture outside with Aunty Ada...

August was putting 'Kee-kee' to sleep with Hannah's pillow & blankets?

August was also our 4th and final wedding of the summer- more pics in another post...

August also had plenty of enjoyable days to spend at the park with friends (more pics in a coming post)...

August was our annual BBQ at the Bethel Ranch ministry, but the rest of the photos will need to wait for still another post...

And August was the beginning of our celebrations of the Biblical Old Testament feast days.  This year in Bible and history Selah is studying the Old Testament and Creation through the Greeks.  Below we are preparing for the feast of Shabbat (the Israelite Sabbath).  Judah is 'helping' me knead the dough to prepare the Challah (Sabbath bread).  Sticky stuff...

Here's the table set with our finest...

The Challah, a braided loaf for the Sabbath feast...

Traditional chicken soup...

The kids giggled their way through all the rituals and blessings, but overall, celebrating the feast in a similar way Jesus would have celebrated the Shabbat dinner was memorable.  In September we also celebrated Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Feast of Booths).  Now we have a break for awhile until Passover next Spring.

One last picture from August... Grandma giggling with our girls...