Year 1 of Wind Dixie School

Our first year of school is done! It has been the absolute best year, it was more than I ever imagined. Yes, there were many days I didn't want to get out of bed and on top of all housework and editing of pictures...do her schooling! But it really became a habit and she just knew how our morning would roll each day.  

Last day of school-minus 4 teeth:) 

My mom and I took the kids to Bender's Apple Orchard. They had so much fun picking their own apples and learning about the different kinds of apples and how they each taste. 

We brought our apples home and made a homemade apples crisp and our first freezer crock pot applesauce...both turned out amazing and we will definitely be doing it again!

 We celebrated Dr. Suess's birthday! The boys enjoyed being Thing 1 and Thing 2:) 

Tenlee dressed up all crazy to celebrate the day and made "green eggs and ham"

 S-A-M...this word gave us so many tears and fights. She could not for the longest time figure out how to blend these letters together. I never thought she would grasp it and then one day it just came so easy to her. Now we laugh together when I ask her to spell Sam. She always tells me that was her first word to learn to spell. 

Every week she had to blend together a full page

 of words and she always looked forward to it. 

 This was the worst part of school at the very beginning. She would pout and throw a fit every morning when I told her to get her school stuff ready. After threatening, praying and more praying she stopped with the pouting and did great. There were a few times that she whined but other than that she was great!

 We prayed after every school day and I loved hearing her pray for specific things each day:) 

  We went to Papa Bills tree farm and Tenlee, Kooper and Grandpa drove the 4-wheeler around and collected all kinds of different leafs for her leaf book she made. Grandpa knew each kind and taught her all kinds of things about the trees in his woods. 

 Our amazing co-op group! We met a few times a month and did classes at each others houses and then did one field trip a month. The kids have not only learned so much, but they had a blast and have become best friends. (Just like their mommas) 

 Apple Cider Mill

Roberts Farm

Gingerbread Festival

DeBrands Chocolates

Learning about bugs:) 

We had a really long day and she was so tired...but way more tired than I thought. She went in after supper to finish up a school project and we went in about 10 minutes later and she was sound asleep on her school work. The picture is so blurry but I am so glad I captured this:) 

Her first book to read all by herself!

Her end of the year project that tied into her last few lessons was a butterfly project. She received 5 caterpillars in the mail and than about 20 days later she released 5 beautiful butterflies. 

One of my favorite parts of doing school at home. We finished up our last few weeks of school outside and the kids loved it! It made the day go so much smoother being able enjoy the sun and warm air. 

At the beginning of the school year I was nervous, excited and just worried that we were making the wrong decision. And now after completing our first year I am still nervous, excited and still worried about this huge decision to continue. But we have seen so many amazing benefits and opportunities and we love being able to teach our daughter a Christ centered curriculum. But as we said at the beginning of the year...this is a year to year decision:)