Happy Independence Day!

On July 5, 2018July 5, 2018 By EricaGIn celebrations, faith, family, gratitude, simplicity, summer2 Comments

Summer is undeniably here! We have been in the midst of a heatwave that has left us feeling a bit wilted. Despite the high temperatures (for our climate), yesterday was a picture-perfect fourth of July. The sky was as blue as could be. The water on the river glistened in the sun. The corn on the cob was sweet and crisp. Can I brag about my peach pies?

Just a good, good day.

I must confess that the news and all the junk coming across my Facebook feed (more about that later) have put a damper on my patriotism. It’s hard to feel the warm ‘n fuzzies when things are kind of a mess in our nation. However, those feelings do not erase the gratitude I have as I live in a place where I am free to speak, free to worship, free to pursue any dream I can imagine. Now, I just pray that we can make those freedoms available to every American. Let’s make that happen, okay?

In the mean time, I’m going to rest in my gratitude and the joy I feel in living here with a family I love, a job I enjoy, and a faith that sustains me. Even while I experience fear and concern and sometimes disbelief, I can cling to God’s sovereignty and know my hope is secure. I can look to the men and women who have worked and died to build and protect our nation, and their sacrifice is not lost on me.

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Days like yesterday affirm that the world is beautiful, that my family is a gift. I haven’t been posting here at all. I want you to know that nothing bad has happened. My days are often filled with too much GOOD, allowing little time for editing photos and typing blog posts. But as I flipped through my photos this morning, I felt the familiar urge to share here. I got excited! I remembered how much joy Warm as Pie has given me over the years. I thought about the factors that pull me away from this space and evaluated how I can make my way back. So many times, I’ve returned with a good dose of enthusiasm and dropped a basket of promises in your laps–promises I failed to keep.

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So today, I’m just going to say “Thank You” and “Happy Independence Day!” I hope to see you very soon.

~*Erica*~

Summer School

On June 16, 2015June 16, 2015 By EricaGIn family, summer6 Comments

Summer school is in session! We wrapped up our regular school year on June 5, and we took last week off completely. We had long, lazy mornings. We made pancakes. We went swimming. Basically, we had a little stay-cation, and yesterday, we got back to work–summer style.

(I saw the idea of the summer school bucket on a homeschooling blog, and now I can’t find the post! So…if this looks familiar to you, please share the name of the blog in the comments. I certainly want to give credit for this cute idea.)

In our summer school bucket, I included a new pencil for each student, a bunch of fun erasers from the Dollar Tree, a new notebook for each student, some math flash cards, and a new set of double-tipped markers. I had the bucket and the summer school sign on the dining room table when everyone woke up. It helped set the tone for our day and hopefully our whole summer.

For my little preschooler, I made this “Summer Fun Book.” I’ve been collecting links on Pinterest for a few weeks, and I printed coloring pages and activities for Charlotte to enjoy while her brothers do their summer school lessons.

All of this makes me think of The Sound of Music. Maybe you’ll remember the scene, too. The housekeeper tells Maria, “The Von Traap children don’t play. They march.” Well, don’t worry! We aren’t missing the joys of summer. Our summer school is going to take 1 to 1.5 hours per morning, Monday through Thursday, and we have some projects (and books!) in progress for the afternoons. We have a lot of fun things planned for the season. I think I’ll do another post about our Summer Bucket List. There is much fun to be had!

On July 12, 2010July 12, 2010 By EricaGIn summerLeave a comment

Last week was fun and very full. We had cool things going on almost every day. Monday, our family of four joined my parents at the zoo. Despite the 90 degree weather, we had a wonderful time. We followed up that adventure with a picnic in the park. A gourmet picnic, I might add. My mom made one of those big sandwiches on a big round loaf of marble rye. Gorgeous! She brought fruit salad and a yummy sweet potato salad that was delicious and so pretty.

On Tuesday, we met some friends for a play date at the library and lunch at a picnic table outside. That afternoon we drove to my in-laws. We had dinner with them, and we all enjoyed their wonderful pool. That evening my mom-in-law, her sister, and I went blueberry picking. We picked and picked from the abundant crop. Some branches were so full of beautiful fruit that I don’t know how they didn’t buckle. The farm was so quiet. The hot day simmered down to a balmy evening. Long after the sun was down but the evening sky still glowed, we continued filling our buckets.

On Wednesday, we joined our friends (a family that we’ve come to know through preschool) at a great park about 30 minutes from here. The park has an “exhibit farm” where you can visit the animals. I’ve never seen such interesting breeds of chickens. After the farm, we went to another section of the park that has fun sprinklers. My older boy adored that part of our trip.

Thursday was a nice quiet day at home. We did some housework. And Friday was our monthly La Leche League meeting. For the first time ever, I went without a little one by my side. My goodness, it seems that our little family is entering a new era (at least for now). Saturday was “Relay for Life,” an event that is close to my heart.

Wishing you weeks full of summer fun!