Updates

The past few weeks have been busy here, as usual, and quite present. Alexander tried his first food last week - applesauce. Brianne enjoyed taking pictures of it with my camera and Alexander enjoyed it even more.
We never really stopped doing school all summer, my preferring to keep a routine going, but for the past two weeks we have really been glued to the table. Luckily the kids are doing well with the long routine and I am finding that my feet are quite literally aching at the end of the day. We've been doing a lot of reading, writing, spelling, history, science experiments, and math. Brianne can do a great deal of math indepently and enjoys sitting on the couch. William has also been working on preschool and is working on writing his name, his ABCs and he wants to work on reading so bad.
Bryan has been working none stop on the next big project at the barn. He has been putting in an outdoor riding arena over the past few weeks. we brought in I think 15, truck loads of clay/sand mix to build it up, and 2 truck loads of the ripwrap stone they use on water jetties. Each one of those trucks of stone was 15 tons, and he had to move every since piece by hand into the tractor and then on the wall of the arena where he wanted it. The kids helped him with the little rocks. It looks really good though and he did a great job.
He has also finished 3 of the 6 stalls, and Cassie got to enjoy her first day in her stall last week. She went right in and made herself at home. She really liked the yoke opening at the front so she could put her head out and look around.
It has been a great summer and the kids are really looking forward to the fall. They seem to be looking forward to school, gymnastics starting, and the holidays. I think we talk about Christmas every day. :)