Our third teenager!

My baby is a teenager today. Since my kids are close together in age, it seems I'll have about 23 years of having kids in the house (2008-2031). That means 17 of those 23 years have already passed. If Oliver hadn't repeated fourth grade, I'd only have five years left. I want to savor the moments over the next six years! In Pennsylvania children aren't supposed to sit in the front of a vehicle until they are at least thirteen years old. Ian refuses to sit in the front. Nadia has been sitting in the front for a couple of years, but she didn't start doing that when she was thirteen. Oliver has been SO excited about being able to sit in the front. The photos in this post were taken yesterday. Since he is going to be wearing a bathing suit most of the time today, I had him wear his birthday t-shirt one day early. The rainbow on our first hike was an added bonus for the photo! 

Because he's turning thirteen in Hawaii, he's not having a birthday party this year. However, he asked to go parasailing for the first time on his birthday. He and his siblings are doing that this evening. He received most of his birthday gifts two months before his birthday. Pop Pop got him a bicycle. We got him rollerblades, a book, and Minecraft bedding and drapes for his bedroom. His bedroom has had a jungle theme for the last almost 13 years. At some point Nadia and Ian had changed the theme of their bedrooms. Ian's has been Mario for several years whereas his was vehicles when he was really young. We also gave him $13 which he used toward the purchase of a larger skateboard. He hasn't used the skateboard much, but he already read the book and has already logged many miles on those rollerblades. I made him wait until last week to open his gift from Aunt Yvonne. I figured he should open at least one gift closer to his actual birthday. He loves the set of 200 dominos she gave him for domino toppling and such. A birthday tradition in our family is to have donuts from Dunkin'. This morning we're going to stop at Liliha Bakery for their famous Coco Puffs (pastry not cereal). 

In many ways Oliver hasn't changed in the last year. He still wraps the same blanket around him throughout the day, even in the summer! He still loves to try new foods, especially seafood. He's already had shrimp and mahi mahi on this trip, and he wants to eat a lot more seafood over the next 12 days. He is still very generous, and he gives the best hugs. 

Here are some ways he's changed over the last year:

1. His favorite way to use his screentime turns the last few months has been to play with the Oculus. He's definitely used it far more than anyone else in the house has ever used it over the years we've owned it.

2. He now wears a ring all the time even though Paul is not a fan.

3. He's been attending the first service with Paul and I, and then he helps out in a kids' class for 4-year-olds and Kindergarteners during the second service. Multiple times Paul and I have had adults come to use and tell us what a big help he is.

4. He started regularly attending Bible quizzing practices on Wednesdays from 4:30-6:00, but we didn't feel he had put in enough effort to compete at Nationals. He did participate in other practice quizzes. We've already started working with him on memorizing verses from I and II Corinthians. I'm hopeful that next year he will compete with one of our church's teams at Nationals.

5. Oliver loves the fact that he has passed Nadia out in height. If the height charts are accurate, he will eventually pass out Ian, Paul, and I by several inches. Time will tell!

6. He got a new pair of glasses, and he wears them almost all the time. He chose an "aviator" style because of having seen the Mission Impossible movies.

7. He rarely asks me for help when he's doing his math lessons on Teaching Textbooks. This is a big change. He still doesn't have all his multiplication facts memorized. This summer he started getting a head start on his seventh-grade math. He completed more than 20 lessons plus some quizzes during the summer. 

8. He likes to buy fireworks with his own money.

9. Sometimes he stays up until 10:00 pm. 

10. He has now spent time in all 50 states! We visited the last three while he was twelve years old - Alaska, Louisiana, and Hawaii.

11. He took art and chorus at Meadowbrook Christian School for the first time in his life. He sang in the choir in two school programs (December and May), and he participated in a musical (Wizard of Oz) for the first time. 

12. Although he doesn't have a phone yet, he learned that he can use the Echo dot to call his friend Xandir. Some days this summer he has talked for hours with Xandir.

13. He's started playing with James, who is a friend from church who lives within walking distance of our home. He also has been spending more time with Ian, particularly while Nadia was working at Camp Susque.

Thankful Thursday

1. On Friday afternoon Paul rented scaffolding for finishing painting in our foyer. This was nerve wracking for both of us to put it mildly, but thankfully he wasn't injured while he painted on Saturday and Sunday. There was a very tiny section near the top of the steps that he couldn't reach even when we had the scaffolding on the stairs, but he should be able to reach that part with just a ladder. He was also able to clean the chandelier and one side of the window while he was up there. If we ever move to another home, I don't want to live in another house that has this high of a ceiling. I love the new paint color. The part Paul painted hadn't been painted in 26 years. We had originally planned to hire a painter due to the difficulty, but we saved a lot of money by doing it ourselves. Paul returned the scaffolding on Monday morning. 

2. Last Friday I decided not to walk for 3 hours during the boys' Stronghold camp as I had the previous four days. Instead, I bought some clothing for myself and Nadia at Salvation Army (2 skirts and 2 pairs of shorts for less than $11 total) and had my first pedicure in more than a year. The boys enjoyed the camp last week. The last day (Friday) they stayed an extra hour. Afterwards, I treated them to a trip to Rita's. Yum! 

3. The boys enjoyed swimming at a pool party hosted by our church on Saturday night.

4. Last Friday evening the tickets to tour Ford Island (at Pearl Harbor) on August 8 became available at 9:00 pm. I logged in a little before 9:00 pm and tried to buy five reservations (only $1 each) right when they became available. I wasn't the first person to click "purchase" as some were already gone, but thankfully I was able to get 5 of the 40 reservations available for that day. They were gone in minutes. Paul would have been devastated if I hadn't been able to get them. Thank you, Lord! I am going to attempt a similar feat on Monday at 1:00pm when I will attempt to get reservations for Hanauma Bay. If I'm unsuccessful it won't be as devastating as there are many places to snorkel but only one USS Oklahoma and USS Utah. 

5. Shopping for bathing suits isn't exactly my favorite activity. Although I was never one to spend a lot of time in shopping malls, I definitely prefer trying shoes/clothes on before buying them. I know in some places shopping malls still exist, but they have become a thing of the past in our area. I had planned to try to buy a bathing suit at Kohl's prior to our merengue lesson last Friday night, but Paul was so exhausted from setting up the scaffolding, he just wanted to stay home last Friday night. On Sunday I decided to order a bathing suit on Amazon. I was thrilled to discover I had chosen the right size and liked it, especially since it only cost a little over $20. I'll be wearing a bathing suit more than usual while we're in Hawaii, so I'm thankful I have one I like and isn't one I inherited from my mom after she passed in 2016. 

All the counselors for girls' camp

6. I *think* our first vacation in 2026 will be to Europe in May. I can't plan that trip yet because I'm waiting to find a good airfare deal. We think our other trip in 2026 will be to the northeast part of Canada in August 2026. I can start planning that trip because we will be driving our own vehicle to get there. I am not going to be making any reservations for lodging or activities anytime soon, but I have begun to flesh out an itinerary. I like to do it well in advance and then revise and tweak it. I sometimes feel like it's a massive jigsaw puzzle as certain places are only open certain days of the week. I have us visiting some National Park sites in New York on the way up to Canada and some others in Massachusetts on the way back home that I hadn't been able to include in previous trips to that area due to the dates they were closed (or in the case of JFK the whole site was closed for renovations the last time we were in MA). I have a tentative initial itinerary (places to eat and places to spend the night are generally TBD) that is for 11 nights/ 12 days. Two days are in the US, one day each in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and 4 days each in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. When I was growing up, we went on several vacations in Canada. I had expected to like Prince Edward Island the best due to my strong affection for Anne of Green Gables, but my favorite province was actually Nova Scotia. I've never been to Newfoundland. It was tempting to exclude Newfoundland again due to the time and expense involved in taking a ferry to get there from Nova Scotia, but it looks like there are some amazing sights to see in Newfoundland, and we doubt we'll be in that area again in the future, so Paul and I decided to include Newfoundland. So far, the kids have only been in Ontario, but I'm hoping over the next few years that we can visit all the other provinces. I doubt Nadia will visit all of them, but I do think she can join us to visit these four provinces. I enjoy learning more about different places through all the research I do prior to planning a vacation. Did you know that the only place on earth where you can walk on the earth's mantle is in Gros Morne Park in Newfoundland? The Bay of Fundy has the highest tidal range in the world. We're planning to visit Hopewell Rocks, and Oliver is hoping it will work out for us to go on a tidal bore rafting trip in Nova Scotia at high tide. If this trip does happen, I'm planning to buy a photo map of the provinces of Canada that I can hang on the wall and fill like I have done for the states of the US over the last several years. Since there are only ten provinces in Canada, the kids will have been in half of them after this trip since they've already been to Ontario. 

7. It's been very hot over the last week. I'm thankful for air conditioning, and I'm thankful it's not as hot today as Paul and I have only been walking Milo once a day lately due to the heat.

8. Even though the warehouse isn't air conditioned (it was 90 degrees inside while we were there), we didn't let that stop the three of us from volunteering at Experience Missions yesterday morning. We were packing kits for Voice of the Martyrs. Thankful for an opportunity to serve. 

9. Our separation from Nadia is *almost* done! I will be picking her up on Saturday evening. I'm looking forward to talking to her later today. I haven't talked to her in eight days. I'm thankful she's been able to work at a Christian camp this summer. 

10. The mirror cover is going to be replaced on our van at 1:00 today. Thankful!

11. On Monday night Oliver asked to go on a date with Paul to Bonanza. We hadn't eaten there since December 2022. Monday is family night, which means the adult and children's prices are reduced a little, and Oliver will only qualify for the kids' rate for a few more days as he turns 13 next week. They enjoyed their meal. Oliver is the most proactive of our three kids when it comes to requesting to have a date with one of us. 

Thankful Thursday

1. Our new refrigerator was delivered on Tuesday morning! 

2. I got to talk on the phone with Nadia for a little over 30 minutes yesterday afternoon!

3. I had an appointment more than a month ago for an oil change, inspection, and tire rotation. The shop went out of business, and the other shops in that chain weren't able to do inspections for more than a month. I went elsewhere for the oil change prior to our trip to Indiana, but I was finally able to get the inspection done on July 22, and they didn't charge me anything for the tire rotation, which was the reason I didn't get that done in conjunction with the oil change last month. The insurance has been dragging their feet as far as approving the replacement of the cover for the driver's side mirror that was cracked by the deer in March, but they finally approved that this week. 

4. The boys have been involved in a Stronghold (foam sword fighting) class from 9-12 this week. It's their third year to participate. The camp only costs $10 per kid! Since it's been held at a location that is a little over 30 minutes from our home, I've been walking during the camp. I've been walking over 10 miles a day this week! I also have talked on the phone with some friends and family while I've been walking. Tomorrow I'm hoping to treat myself to my first pedicure in more than a year. 

5. Oliver and I had a date on Saturday afternoon. I took him to see a performance of the musical Annie. The director was the same pastor who directed the performances of Sound of Music that I was in.

6. I had my annual mammogram on July 9, and they called me yesterday to tell me the results were normal.

Thankful Thursday

 1. Paul and I had our first merengue lesson on July 11. So far, we prefer salsa, but maybe the next three lessons will change our opinion. 

2. Ian and Oliver came home on Saturday!!! They had a good week at camp, and I am very grateful to have them back at home. We saw Nadia for a few minutes before we left, and we talked to her on the phone a little on Monday. I loved hearing all the boys sing (very boisterously) "Victory in Jesus" at the closing ceremony of camp on Saturday morning. 

3. The Seiberts picked Cooper up on Saturday evening. I'm so glad we can swap dog sitting services. I would estimate the dogs spend about 3 months a year together (some of that at our house and some at theirs). 

4. I received a lot of positive feedback after I taught a lesson on Titus on Sunday morning. 

5. Ian enjoyed participating in the youth group's talent show on Wednesday night. 

6. The boys and I were able to help at Experience Missions this morning. One of the projects we were working on was packing aid for moms/newborn babies in Zambia.

7. We've lived in this house for seventeen years, and we've never had the house pressure washed. One side in particular was needing to be washed. The house was pressure washed today. Given how much it costs I don't want to do it frequently, but I have a feeling it's the first time it's been done on this house, and the house is 26 years old. The exterior of our house looks much better now!

8. Last Friday we discovered that the ice cream in our freezer was melting, which led to the discovery that both sides of the refrigerator were not at the correct temperatures despite the fact they were set to the correct temperatures. On Saturday Paul began to try several different things to see if he could fix it. Once he figured out at least one of the problems, we decided it was better to just get a new refrigerator because there was no guarantee replacing one part would be sufficient. The refrigerator is nine years old, and it seems the average lifespan for one is 10-15 years. In light of that, it seemed it wasn't worth it to put significant money into one that was 9 years old. Thankfully, we have a freezer in the basement, so we were able to move everything that had been in the freezer side of our refrigerator downstairs. The trickier part was keeping what had been in the refrigerator side chilled. We moved some things to the freezer side. I did research on Saturday and chose a freezer from Lowe's. I paid for two-day delivery. On Sunday night we were told they would deliver it between 1-5pm on Monday. At 2:11 on Monday I got a text saying we were their next stop. We unplugged the refrigerator, emptied it, and put Milo in the crate as instructed. Two hours later I called to ask where they were and was told that I had requested the delivery be rescheduled. What?!?!? After several phone calls with the delivery service and also with Lowe's, I found out that the soonest they could deliver it now was Wednesday. Given I had paid extra for two-day delivery and that I had narrowed my search to those available for delivery on Monday, I cancelled my order. I also wasn't wanting to give my business to Lowe's if the delivery service they use was going to outright lie to me. On Tuesday I called a local (small business) appliance store. I selected another refrigerator. It was supposed to be delivered tomorrow, but he called me this evening to say that the delivery truck was missing three items, and my refrigerator was one of them. Now it's scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday. Wow this has been an ordeal. Thankfully, a family member has generously offered to pay for our new refrigerator, which was unexpected and greatly appreciated as aside from a tax refund from the IRS, we haven't had any income for 9 months. I'm also thankful that our refrigerator is partially working. We have our milk in the section that's supposed to be the freezer. I'm hoping that it will continue to at least partially work until our new one comes, and hopefully there won't be any more delays. Patience is a virtue, right? 

9. The last several days we've been playing games together. The four of us played monopoly three times (I won twice, and Oliver won once). The boys and I have also played Quiddler, Connect Four, Milles Borne, and Backgammon multiple times. Ian and Paul played chess. 

10. Today is my sister's 49th birthday. We typically go many months without touching base, so it was nice to chat with her today for about 30 minutes. 

Thankful Thursday

1. As our country celebrated its 249th birthday last week, I'm thankful that I'm an American. We were together as a family of five on July 4th with one extra dog (Cooper). We had corn on the cob, hot dogs, baked beans, hamburgers, etc., played Skyjo, and watched a movie together. Oliver used some of the fireworks he had recently purchased. We were not celebrating the "big bill" that Trump signed that day (and we certainly don't want to use the adjective "beautiful" to describe it), but we are very grateful for the freedoms we have as citizens of the USA. 

2. I have received some text messages from Nadia while she's at Camp Susque. I am looking forward to picking up the three boys on Saturday morning. I sent Ian and Oliver each one email a day for the last five days. The staff print out the emails and deliver them to the campers at lunch. I'm thankful the camp posts pictures that they've taken of the kids so I have gotten some small glimpses into what they've been doing this week.

3. I enjoyed teaching a lesson on Titus 1 on Sunday. I am looking forward to teaching on Titus 2-3 in three days.

4. While the kids have been away Paul and I have enjoyed having time for just the two of us. We played Scrabble, watched 6 episodes of The Testament, etc. I also have had the time for some lengthy phone conversations with Tab, my dad, and Joyce. 

5. Yesterday I was able to help at Experience Missions for a few hours. We were working on preparing supplies for babies in Zambia. 

6. Last year my mammogram cost me $300. I was pleasantly surprised that my mammogram yesterday "only" cost $200 because I had it in a mobile unit. Given most things have gone UP in price a lot over the last few years, I'm always thrilled when something comes down in price. 

7. I was able to make our reservations for the Diamond Head trail today. I have to wait until July 25 to make our reservations for Ford Island and until August 4 for Hanauma Bay. Hopefully I will also have success with those. 

8. It wasn't beastly hot or humid when I mowed the lawn early this morning. PTL! 

9. I get a haircut about three times a year on average, and it was nice to take care of that today while Paul was away helping his dad and the kids were all at camp. 

10. I found another legal thriller author whose books I enjoy - Rick Acker.

11. I sanded, primed, and painted two more doorframes in the upstairs hallway this week. Progress.

12. We haven't received any bills related to the plastic shield that was damaged under the van we rented. Since it's been more than six weeks since we returned the vehicle, I'm hoping that means we're not going to receive any bills. That would be wonderful. 

New school year

 In Pennsylvania, the school year for homeschooling is from July 1- June 30. Looking back at the last school year, we listened to 87 audiobooks together (some of those I read aloud).  During the first few days of July, we finished our first two audiobooks for the 2025-26 school year - Lines of Courage by Jennifer Nielsen and Urchin of the Riding Stars by M.I. McAllister. During sixth grade Oliver read 25 books and listened to 4 audiobooks independently. During eleventh grade Nadia read 12 books and listened to 3 audiobooks independently. Ian read 9 books during ninth grade. We went on 38 field trips. The vast majority of those were during our vacations. The number of Junior Ranger badges earned varied by child, but the maximum anyone earned this past school year was 13. During this current school year I think almost all of our field trips will be during our vacations in Hawaii and Europe and also in conjunction with our trip to South Carolina for Bible quizzing next summer. I think the kids could each earn 11 more Junior Ranger badges during this school year. 

Nadia is beginning her 13th year of homeschooling. She'll only be earning three high school credits with me this year. She's registered to take two theology classes, Developmental Psychology, Astronomy, and Earth Science through Liberty University (13 credits total). I'm planning to register her to take College Algebra through Arizona State University. She plans to learn to parallel park and get her driver's license in September. Nadia is employed by Warrior Run Petcare as well as Camp Susque. She works at the kennel year-round but primarily works at the camp in the summer although she does plan to work there some weekends in October and December. 

I submitted the form to register Ian to take his first college classes this fall. If all goes as planned, he'll be taking Speech and a Bible class this fall, and I plan to have him take Old Testament and a Humanities class in the spring through Cedarville (12 credits total). He takes a 45-minute piano lesson each week and is working on playing Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C# by memory at the next recital. Ian will take the PSAT for the first time this fall.

Math - Math 7 (Teaching Textbooks) for Oliver, Advanced Mathematics (Saxon) for Ian, and College Algebra (ASU) for Nadia, Life of Fred: Trigonometry for Nadia and Ian, and Pre-Algebra 0 with Physics for Oliver (Life of Fred)

Science - Physics for Ian and Nadia (experiments will be done during our co-op on Tuesdays) and Physical Science for Oliver

Art - all three are taking an art class that meets twice a week at Meadowbrook

Drama - Nadia and Ian plan to audition to be in The Little Mermaid. Oliver wants to work backstage. We will also be doing drama in our co-op this fall.

Social Studies - We've gone through a four-year history program that went from Creation to the present twice. Instead of studying history this year, we are doing one semester of government and another of economics. The kids will also finish the second half of Dave Ramsey's Personal Finance class on Tuesdays during co-op.

English - This is the first year that I won't have any kids using a spelling or handwriting curriculum. Most of the writing assignments this school year will be related to our study of government. Ian and Nadia will be reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. They will also complete a literature guide for one of our audiobooks (Born Again by Charles Colson). Nadia will also read Jane Eyre while Ian reads A Tale of Two Cities. Oliver is going to read six books from The Chronicles of Narnia, The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum, and Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan. Oliver will be working through level 4 of Fix It Grammar.

Bible - All three will be memorizing verses from 1 and 2 Corinthians this year. Bible is the one subject I haven't finished as far as lesson plans.

Thankful Thursday

 

1. Then van repair took longer than expected due to them waiting for parts, but it was finally completed on June 9. Unfortunately, they didn't fix the crack in the rearview mirror that the deer caused, so we're waiting to hear if the insurance will pay for that. I'm grateful to have my van back and thankful it no longer looks awful.

2. The kids enjoyed the cast party on June 6, and Paul and I really enjoyed four weeks of salsa lessons, which began on June 6. Next up will be merengue lessons! Neither of us had learned salsa before, and we both enjoyed it.

3. We saw the musical Into the Woods on June 7. We liked the first half far more than the second half. We had never seen that musical before. It's on the list of one of our least favorites. 

4. Ian and Oliver enjoyed attending Isaiah's graduation party on June 8. Nadia enjoyed working at Camp Susque/attending counselor orientation from June 8-21. She's looking forward to returning on July 4 to work there for four more weeks.

5. Ian picked his song for the next piano recital. He took MANY months to choose last year. I'm thankful it's not a last-minute selection this time around. He's doing a piece by Rachmaninoff.

6. Four of us saw The Play that Goes Wrong on June 12. Now THAT was a very, very funny play. Paul said it was one of his most favorite plays he's ever seen. 

7. Paul and I enjoyed attending a 50th anniversary party for a couple in our Sunday School class on June 14.

8. Paul's dad spent some time with us on Father's Day.

9. The boys and I were volunteers for our church's VBS the week of June 17.

10. The kids did very well at the Bible quizzing competition in Indiana, and Paul and I were able to have dinner with Kay and Allen while we were out there.

11. I'm very thankful I've been able to be Nadia's mom for the past 17 years!

12. It seems highly probable that Ian will be attending Cedarville University as a residential student starting in the fall of 2028. This week I registered him to take two classes through dual enrollment this fall. We spent about 4 hours at Cedarville on June 26.

13. Yvonne said that most of her family would like to join us at Great Wolf Lodge in December to celebrate Ian's birthday! I booked two rooms that together can accommodate 14 people for one night in December through a homeschool group. 

14. We've been watching Season 5 of The Chosen on Prime. We don't usually have Prime, but it was worth it to us to pay for one month so we could watch those eight episodes.

15. Similarly, I paid (with a 50% discount) for one month of the Angel app so that we could watch The Last Rodeo, Rule Breakers, and King of Kings. 

16. The boys and I were able to help spread the word about Operation Christmas Child through a 4th of July parade in Lewisburg on June 28. 

17. Cheri came over for dinner on Tuesday night. 

18. I was able to help at Experience Missions yesterday. I've also been preparing to teach Sunday School the next two weeks. 

19. Milo was able to stay with some of the Seiberts while we were in Indiana. Today Cooper is coming over here to spend a little over a week with us. This swapping of dog sitting is working beautifully!

20. I've continued to make progress with sanding, priming, and painting the wooden trim (baseboards and around the windows/doors). We have also made progress in painting walls in the foyer and upstairs hallway.

21. Nadia only goes to the doctor once a year - for her physical. I declined the vision/hearing screening as that costs an additional $50. Thankfully, we don't have to pay for their vaccines. She got the meningitis vaccine on Monday. 

22. A friend told me where Nadia can take College Algebra online at a very reasonable price. Thanks, Jen!

23. We've been enjoying the delicious foods we usually only have in the summer - corn on the cob, peaches, cherries, honeydew, watermelon, etc. I made two fruit pizzas last Saturday - one for our family and the other for our Sunday School class. Yum! The kids and I picked blueberries at a farm very close to our home on Tuesday so that I could serve blueberry crisp for dessert when Cheri came over. 

Bible Quizzing Finals

Nadia joined our church's Bible quizzing team in December 2019. The meets with our churches were naturally cancelled in 2020. The first time she attended Nationals was in 2021 in Oklahoma. Ian joined the team in the fall of 2021, and his first Nationals was in South Carolina in 2022. Paul, Oliver, and I have attended the Nationals in New York last year and this week in Indiana. We're hoping that all three kids will participate next year when they quiz on 1 and 2 Corinthians in South Carolina. This year they studied Luke, which has the most verses of any book in the New Testament (1,151). I and II Corinthians have 694 verses put together. Next year will be Nadia's last year, which means she won't be quizzing when presumably Ian and Oliver will be studying John (2026-27).

Nadia had her best year of quizzing. In 2022 and 2023 she was on the team that won the B division. Last year her team placed 4th in the A division. She was the captain of her team last year and this year. This year after the preliminary competitions on Monday and Tuesday, her team was ranked as the 3rd seed in the A division. They beat the 2nd placed seed during the finals, which meant their schedule was adjusted so that they would play in the championship round against the first seed. However, in between those two matches they lost to Milton C (the 4th seed) whom they had beaten in the preliminary rounds. In the finals today, Milton A (Ian's team) was undefeated, and the other three teams in the A division all ended up with the same record. The tie breaker is the score on the writtens, and North Rome had the better score with their writtens. So, Nadia's team ended up in 3rd place. Nadia has never placed in the top ten in either writtens or individuals. This year she was tied for 10th place in the writtens with Xandir, and she was tied for 9th place with Lucy in the individuals. They recognized 10 students in the individuals and 11 in the writtens. She and Xandir were the only two with a tied score in the writtens, but there were four ties in the individuals. We are very proud of how well she did! 

Ian was on the team that won the B division in 2022 and 2023. He was on the team that won the A division in 2024 and 2025. Last year and this year his team was undefeated at the Nationals. Last year he finished in 8th place for both the individuals and writtens. This year he finished in 7th place in the individual competition and 9th in the written competition. 

Ian and Nadia rode out to Indiana in the church's bus on Sunday. Oliver rode with Paul and I in our van. Oliver, Paul, and I have stayed in an Airbnb that is within walking distance of IWU. Nadia and Ian have stayed in the dorm. Last year Oliver, Paul, and I only ate one meal on campus. Because I served as an official this year, my meals were free. We opted to buy a meal pass for Paul and Oliver this time. Oliver did spend some time playing games and hanging out with the kids in the dorm prior to bedtime. I was a scorekeeper in one room. The only time I was able to attend a match in which I wasn't an official was the championship match. Paul bounced around between the rooms so he could see Nadia and Ian's matches. On Monday night Paul and I didn't eat dinner on campus because we drove about one hour south to spend about 3 hours with Kay and Allen. They are in their late 80s and had moved from Pennsylvania to Indiana last fall. It was a delight to see them. Tuesday was Nadia's birthday, and the team went out for ice cream. If it were up to me, I would have chosen to drive to Ohio this evening so that we wouldn't be in the car for as many hours tomorrow, but the kids wanted to spend the night with their friends even if it means we have to leave by 6:30 tomorrow morning so that we can arrive at Cedarville in time for Ian's college visit. It's been VERY hot while we've been out here, but the university and the Airbnb have air conditioning. I'm very thankful the kids can participate in the Bible quizzing program. They have made wonderful friends through this, and more importantly have spent many, many hours studying and memorizing God's Word. I hope that they put what they've studied into practice because that's FAR more important than doing well at a quizzing competition. 

Seventeen Years Old!

I have a frame for each of my children that has spaces for a total of 19 pictures of them from birth through age eighteen. I used one of Nadia's prom pictures for her seventeen-year-old picture, which means there is now only one empty spot in her frame. Time has just flown by. With her spending six weeks at camp this summer and presumably doing the same next summer, we have less than a year of her living at home with us before she starts living in Lynchburg, Virginia. Honestly, it's very bittersweet. I want our kids to be independent and fly from the nest. I don't want them to be part of the growing epidemic of young adults who are unemployed, not in school, and still living with their parents. However, I'm really going to miss her! Since she's already earned 34 credits through GCU and LU, she technically could have received her high school diploma from the state of Pennsylvania last month, but she is looking forward to her last year of doing a high school musical, last year of co-op, last year of Bible quizzing, etc. She's kind of a high school senior and a college sophomore at the same time, ha ha! The tuition is much cheaper as a dual enrollment student so that was another reason not to have her skip the twelfth grade. The subjects I still want her to complete for me during her senior year include physics, 12th grade English, one semester of economics, and one semester of government. 

She had her birthday celebration early to accommodate the schedules of her friends. Since she's in Indiana for Bible quizzing nationals on her actual birthday, we are treating she and her teammates to ice cream at Ivanhoes this evening. She received her birthday gifts early from her friends, Pop Pop, and Uncle Al and Aunt Millie. I brought one gift for her to open today (a book). Our other two gifts to her for her birthday are some money and a laptop that she can hopefully use for the next four years (until she graduates from college). She already knows that her main birthday gift next year when she turns eighteen will be a new cell phone, and her main Christmas gift will be a roundtrip ticket to visit Rachel in Chicago in the spring. I don't usually plan gifts this far in advance, but knowing she will be headed to college in about 14 months has made gift planning easier. 

Seventeen ways Nadia has changed over the last six months:

1. She has really been into baking and cooking! I'm thrilled to have those experiences with her, and I think the experience is helpful for the day in the future when she's on her own.

2. She visited Louisiana, which was her 49th state! She hadn't been looking forward to the state. She kept comparing it with Kansas (which is one of the lowest on her list), but after we were there, she decided it wasn't anything like Kansas, ha ha.

3. She completed three more courses through Liberty worth a total of 7 credits.

4. She's been working more hours at Warrior Run Petcare. Her boss is extremely kind. She gave Nadia a box of chocolates on Valentine's Day and an Easter basket filled with various goodies on Good Friday. She's also been accepting of Nadia taking weeks off for vacations and working at Camp Susque. Nadia has been making great progress toward saving money for her first car, which she plans to buy around the time she graduates from Liberty. Paul and I said we'd match whatever she saves towards that first car (within a certain limit of course).

5. She hasn't been driving nearly as much the last six months as she did the previous six months. She needs to learn how to parallel park, and then she plans to get her license this fall. She delayed doing it because we told our kids they have to pay for their car insurance.

All of the summer staff at Camp

6. She took the SAT. She was pleased with her reading/writing score but not her math score. She's going to need to take College Algebra before she takes Calculus at Liberty due to her math SAT score.

7. She attended her first prom. She went with a group of friends from our co-op. They plan to attend again next year. I thought she looked stunning in her purple gown! I love some of the pictures I took that night.

8. She is spending a total of six weeks at Camp Susque this summer. The week of June 8 was for counselor orientation. She'll be serving as a staff member (cooking, cleaning, etc.) for 1.5 weeks and serving as a counselor for 3.5 weeks from June 15-21 and July 5- August 2. The pictures in this post are from her time at Camp Susque earlier this month.

9. She and Ian have been in the habit lately of going on walks together 1-2 times a day. They often share a pair of earbuds and listen to the same music when they're in the van together or walking. Some of Nadia's newest favorite artists are Josiah Queen, Forrest Frank, and Joseph O'Brien. She hasn't heard any of those in person yet.

10. She and Ian have also been in the habit lately of watching VeggieTales together once a day. I'm not the only one who is going to miss Nadia when she goes away to college. Ian is also really going to miss her.

11. She earned a 4.0 in her homeschool classes as a junior, which was a first for her. 

12. She used to absolutely hate reading books on an electronic device. She vastly preferred reading a physical book. Recently she got multiple library cards and has been using them to check out audiobooks and also books that can be read on a Kindle app on her phone. 

13. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then Nadia shouldn't need to see a doctor because the last couple of months she's gotten in the habit of eating at least one apple a day. 

14. Of the five of us, Nadia is the most likely person to skip breakfast. Lately, if she eats breakfast her preference has been to have a Cinnamon Toast Crunch bar. 

15. For many years her favorite ice cream flavor was chocolate chip cookie dough. Her current favorite is peanut butter ice cream with Oreos mixed into it.

16. She has been officially accepted as a residential student at Liberty University for the fall 2026 semester! Woohoo! 

17. She doesn't have bangs, but when she got her haircut this spring, she had the stylist cut some of the hair around her face much shorter than the rest. 

Thankful Thursday

1. Our spring session of our co-op came to an end on May 6. We ended the day eating lunch in our town's park and most of the kids playing a game of Whiffleball. 

2. My grandpa paid for my bachelor's and master's degrees. I paid for half of my doctorate, and the school where I was principal paid for the other half. Paul and I paid for Nadia's college tuition for the last two years, but the trust (consisting of money from my grandpa) has paid for her tuition at Liberty for the upcoming school year. 

3. We finished our school year on May 8. Some homeschoolers do their schooling year-round. I understand the benefits of going that route, but we enjoy having the summer off. Nadia finished her government class through Liberty on May 9. She earned another A. 

4. The kids had a good practice quiz in Indiana on May 9-10.

5. Paul and I enjoyed spending time with Andrew, Brendan, Jenna, and Toby at Jenna's graduation on May 10.

6. We enjoyed hearing the kids sing at the spring program on May 13. Paul's dad also attended. We also brought home some of their artwork that was on display that night. 

7. It was a blessing to be able to stay at my sister's house in Maryland on May 13 and again on May 28. The first time one of their neighbors gave us a ride to the airport early the next morning. The second time Joe picked us up and then we were able to enjoy some time with Yvonne's family. 

8. Milo was well taken care of by the Seiberts while we were away. 

9. We were all healthy during our trip. Almost everything went smoothly. We were able to visit new places, see different animals, try different foods, etc. It never rained during the trip. 

10. Nadia has been able to work almost every day since we've been back from vacation. 

11. The boys enjoyed spending the night at Xandir's house on May 31.

12. Nadia and four of her friends enjoyed painting pottery and spending time at our house to celebrate Nadia's 17th birthday.

13. Oliver is enjoying the early birthday present (new bike) that he received from Paul's dad. 

14. We enjoyed spending time with Jenna and Toby on Sunday. They only live 90 minutes from us. We shared a meal, played games, and did an engagement photo shoot. They have asked me to be their wedding photographer for their wedding in February. I took a little less than 100 photos of them at a park near our home, and I sent them about 50 photos. 

15. A deer ran into the van at the end of March. The van has been at the shop since Monday morning. We're supposed to be able to pick it back up tomorrow. I am very grateful as I haven't enjoyed driving in a dented van. 

16. The Schrecks plus one niece and nephew came over for dinner at our house on Monday night. 

17. Tomorrow night Paul and I are beginning a ballroom dancing class in salsa and merengue! The kids are looking forward to a Wizard of Oz cast party that's happening tomorrow night. 

18. Paul had begun spackling/sanding in the living room the week of April 14. He had to take a break while we were on vacation, but he finished on May 30. We started painting the room on May 30 and finished it in the morning on May 31. I think it looks great! My sister said it makes the room look larger. Paul's dad doesn't usually make comments about the house, but he gave positive feedback on that room when he was here last Saturday. The changes in the room included new paint color (orange to grey), baseboards and windows went from stained wood to painted white, from miniblinds to curtains, and one chair (that was hardly ever used) was replaced with a plant. 

19. Nadia continues to help me with almost all the cooking and baking. Some things she does on her own, and some things we have been making together. 

20. Yesterday I ordered a gallon of paint from Lowe's. I had no idea that they would do a same day delivery for free. In addition to saving me a trip there, I used a Capital One browser extension that had a $40 rebate so the gallon of paint will end up costing me a little over $10 after that rebate. I chose a beige color for the foyer and upstairs hallway. From the time I ordered it until it was delivered was less than two hours, not that I needed it that quickly, but that service is impressive!

21. Submitting Nadia's preliminary high school transcript to Liberty was far more complicated that necessary. I had to submit a letter from Meadowbrook stating they would not be issuing her a transcript for art, drama, or chorus because she's a homeschooler. I also had to request that LU send LU transcripts two different times within the last month. Seriously?!? Anyhow, they are finally satisfied that we have submitted everything necessary for them to make an enrollment decision. Considering she has a 4.0 at LU at the moment, I can't imagine why they wouldn't accept her. 

22. It won't work out for us to use our six free passes at Montage Mountain water park later this month. Thankfully, a family involved in our co-op is planning to use them. Their daughter who is Ian's age, has never been to a water park before so I'm happy they can make use of them.