Hello again. . .

Well, if anyone out there is still sticking with my few and far between posts, I am finally taking a minute to update you on our lives. . .

School is in full swing here, and the children are all doing quite well. They aren't always enthused to "do school," but it gets done nonetheless and they are actually learning something! Wendy is learning to read, and giggles with delight when she masters another story in her Dick and Jane book. Ericka is doing 6th/7th grade work and has just finished a unit on the Revolution. Shane has been learning shapes and numbers, and trying his best to get the hang of counting. He's great up to 4, then thinks 1 comes next again. He'll catch on eventually! Shannah is conquering her arch-nemesis, math, and is quite good at map skills. Creativity is Eliza's strong point, and she takes any opportunity to decorate her schoolwork.

We are in the midst of our fall birthday flurry, with 5 of the children celebrating in 8 weeks and all turning even numbers. After Wendy and Linnea's birthdays in early November, the children will be 11, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2. I can't believe my "baby" is already going to be two!!! What's next, college????? She is learning to sleep in a big bed, and the queen bed she sleeps in practically swallows her whole. It's so sweet to see her tiny body curled up in the middle of that big bed.

The biggest development here is the building of our kennel. We are putting up a 16x16 kennel building with 12 ft chain link runs outside. I think our Papillons will be quite comfortable in there new home! The mastiffs will have their own "room" too, complete with an enormous dog door so they can come and go as they please. They have run of the yard, and are proving to be quite the protectors. Larry is doing a marvelous job on the construction, and soon I will get some pics up here so you can see his progress.

I am blessed (maybe) to have a husband who is totally into politics and a daughter (the eldest) who is equally enthralled. Therefore, we can't drive anywhere without counting and comparing the number of Obama signs vs. the McCain. We also have to watch every news snippet ever made that pertains to the election, and I am amazed at just how much there is to see on our 4 network channels!! Suffice to say, I will be relieved when the election is over and we can go back to business as usual. *grin*

Blessings to you all. . .