Updates from Amy

Hello everyone,

Where to start. I haven't blogged in so long. We are having such a great time, I rarely have time to stop and tell about it. Here are some updates.

Homeschooling-- It is going well, some days are hard, but we are adjusting. The kids have been working hard on a biology unit studying mammals, birds, food webs, biomes etc. We had a nice presentation to Grandma Eilert. The following is a list of what each child did for those that care.

Lydia- sang Puff the Magic Dragon and showed Grandma throughout her visit that she knows all her shapes, colors, numbers, alphabets, and can count in Afrikaans up to ten.

Ezekiel- read a book to Grandma called "More Pants", hilarious. Ezekiel is doing well with his reading and his math. He especially likes "take away problems" (subtraction) which he does with his counting blocks

Luke- gave a great oral report on hippos. Both he and Sarah had done a wonderful art project to go with their reports. Super school kids!!!

Sarah- gave an oral report on ostriches and Amelia Earhart. Sarah continues to be the one who keeps us organized and on task. I appreciate her so much.

Nathanael- did an impressive power point on Leopards, he's becoming quite computer savvy.

Hailey- performed a new piece on her violin that she has learned all on her own. Quite impressive.

Hailey and Nathanael also enjoyed a "book club" with their Grandma on Dickens' "Great Expectations." How fun to hear the insights of a veteran English teacher, it was great.

Activities update

Since our trip to the Garden Route, we have enjoyed some great times. I took 25 young single adults camping for two nights. It was amazing. Many of them have never been camping, and we got to see some big animals, also a first for many. It was fun playing outdoor Martha Stewart, cooking and organzing for 30 people. I was tired, but they seemed to love it. Here are some pics..

Lydia turned three!!! We had a fun family party, and she's so cute, I thought I better post some picutres.

We have an amazing day in Soweto to tell you about, but I will let Hailey do that later. I am still enjoying playing the organ at church, although it is not easy. I am also directing the choir, which I love. We just performed in church yesterday. They did so well. We sang, "Master the Tempest is Raging." They sounded beautiful. There are 30 people in the choir, only about 4 of them read music, but they have natural ears and great voices. It was very fun.

We are leaving now on a 2 1/2 week trip. We will spend a week in the Drakensburg Mountains, a few days in Durbin, and a week on the Wild Coast. We will blog it when we get back. Take care.