Thankful Thursday

1. We enjoyed our long anticipated visit to Bonanza on Monday night. On Mondays children get the buffet plus a drink for $1.99 each, and they also had a balloon artist making things for the kids for free. Nadia asked for a horse, Ian wanted a dog, and Oliver requested a bee.

2. On Sunday we enjoyed our last swim at our pool for the year.

3. On Saturday the kids enjoyed building a whiteboard at Home Depot. We have used them during spelling while we homeschool.

4. They also enjoyed playing the Taiko drums and learning some Japanese words at the Children's Museum on Saturday.

5. I'm thankful for our neighbors. At one point on Monday afternoon there were seven kids out riding bikes (three were mine). There is very little traffic on the two roads that are adjacent to our house which is great for the kids.

6. Our apple tree had a very small harvest this year because of a late frost in the spring. I did enjoy using the fruit picker, and I was thankful it was such an easy task this year due to the small amount of fruit. A neighbor also let me dump the inedible apples into their field which was greatly appreciated.

7. The other apple tree is now totally gone. YAHOO! Paul used the chainsaw to cut the stump into smaller pieces, and I got them into the minivan and disposed of them.

8. My parents 47th anniversary was on Tuesday. I am very thankful for their marriage.

9. Ian's soccer game for September 17 was rescheduled for the 19th, which means he'll only miss one game during our vacation. As of this point the other two will miss two games.

10. I signed up for an inductive Bible study at church (by Precept Ministries) on Hosea. We had our first session this Tuesday night. We will meet for 2 hours every other week. I haven't been in a Bible study for 18 months so I am very excited about this. I have done a few studies by Kay Arthur in the past, but it has been awhile.

11. Nadia and Ian are making progress at the piano. I took a video yesterday of Nadia playing a song she has been working on lately. I also took a video of the kids singing a song by Hillary Scott. They've been singing the chorus in the van when they hear it on the radio.

12. The homeschool gym class resumed on Friday. The kids enjoyed playing kickball and wiffleball outdoors, and I enjoyed chatting with another mom while Oliver played in the indoor playland. Next year all three of them will be in the gym class together, which means I could do something like run during their class!

13. I ran 4.5 miles on Sunday evening. It had been awhile since I ran a route from our house. I ran even slower than usual, but if I get back in the habit of running 3 times a week I should be able to get my pace at least back to what it was before. My plan is to run on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the soccer field during their practice and on Sundays while Paul watches the kids. Hopefully I will lose some weight in the process.