Wednesday, July 31, 2013

School's in Session

 
 
We start school in July so we can take off time when it's more convenient for us. This year, Mrs. Jennifer invited us to visit her sunflower patch for pictures and I thought they made the perfect backdrop for back to school pictures.

 
The 2013-2014 Cornerstone Academy Class


Liberty Kate {14 months} very, very preschool ;-)

 
Mary Claire {2 . 5 years} the class clown


Henry {4 years} K-4
 
 
Ben {6 years} 1st grade
 
 
Griffin {8 years} 3rd grade
 

Ty {almost 11 years} 5th grade


Madisyn {12 . 5 years} 7th grade AKA Jr. High!
 
This marks our 8th official {numbers of years I've been filing with the state} year homeschooling. Homeschooling for 8 years seemed so far away when I first sat down with that Saxon Phonics book. I was telling Kent last night that Ben had a book to read to him. He asked what the title was. I replied, Zip. He said, I think I've read that before. LOL Fourth time through and at least four more times to go.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Kenneth Witcher, Sr.

The last few weeks have been very difficult week for our family. Kent's dad, Kenneth, passed away. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in late March and was never strong enough to undergo any type of treatment. We knew that he was not doing well but we never expected him to be gone so soon.


Kenneth was a wonderful father-in-law but he was an awesome Papaw. From the moment we told him of a positive pregnancy test, he excitedly awaited the arrival of his first grandchild.

 
He took grandkids everywhere with him. If one of them was around, they'd head to the coffee shop, the hardware store or just go for a drive.
 

A coveted "job" was to ride around with Papaw during an auction. The kids were excited when Daddy and Unc got their auctioneer's licenses because that meant Papaw didn't have the spend the whole day selling!


Papaw and Nana always let the kids be involved in projects they were doing. Madisyn was about 2 when Nana made her a nail apron and the three of them converted a new sound truck. In the past year the kids helped build shelves and organize the shop, spread mulch, build a fence and numerous other smaller projects.

 

Papaw instilled a love of horses in all of his grandchildren but particularly Madisyn. Her favorite activity was to go to Papaw's house and do anything with a horse.


At charity auctions, Kenneth could barely sell an item without a helper. It's a wonder he made it through the first 50+ years of his life without the help of one of the kids! When Papaw was around his "little ducks" weren't far behind.


At his funeral, Uncle Jackie likened Kenneth to the Good Samaritan. I honestly had never really put it together but that is a perfect description of Kenneth. He was always helping someone and doing for others. He never turned down the opportunity to conduct a charity auction or feed someone a meal.

 
Kenneth Witcher, a lifelong resident of Wynne, Arkansas, went to be with his heavenly Father, Sunday, July 14, 2013, at the age of sixty-four. He was born on September 17, 1948, to Charles “Sonny” and Lillian Baty Witcher. He married Miss Vicki Lawrence on July 18, 1970.

He was a 1966 Graduate of Wynne High School, Broadway College of Real Estate, and Reisch Auction College. In 1972, he started Witcher Auctions, a professional full-time auction service, which is now carried on by his sons. He was one of the first licensed auctioneers in Arkansas, receiving License No. 46 in 1993, and was also a licensed Real Estate agent. He served on the Wynne School Board from 1992-2002, and served three terms as Cross County Judge, from 2005-2010.

Kenneth conducted hundreds of charity auctions including the Wynne Lions Club auction (nearly forty years); Fair Oaks Fire Department, Cross County Arts Council, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and numerous other school, civic club and hardship benefits. He never turned down an opportunity to help someone in need, or to benefit his community. He was a “giver” in the truest sense of the word.

He devoted his life to his God, his family and his country. Since his retirement, his greatest joy was spending time with his grandchildren, tending his horses, bush-hogging on his tractor, and piddling in his barn (oh, and watching cattle auctions on RFDTV while he rested).

Mr. Witcher was preceded in death by his father, and one sister: Barbara Tucker.

Kenneth is survived by his wife of forty-three years: Vicki Witcher of the home, Mother: Lillian Witcher of Wynne, Arkansas, two sons: Kenneth “Kent” Witcher, Jr. and his wife Stacy of Wynne, Arkansas, Kirk Witcher, of Wynne, Arkansas, one brother: Phillip Witcher and wife Vicki, of Wynne, Arkansas, one sister: Betty Atkins and husband Glen of Jacksonville, Arkansas, 8 grandchildren: Madisyn, Tyler, Griffin, Ben, Henry, Mary Claire and Liberty Kate, and one more on the way.

Monday, July 22, 2013

BBQ and Guns

 

On the Fourth of July we were invited to our friends, The Tims, home for a BBQ celebration.


Don did a great job on the BBQ and Ribs and we all had a great time fellowshipping. The Mashburns also joined us so there was plenty of fellowshipping to go around.



The kids found the water guns and had a great time soaking one another.

 
It didn't take long before the power of the water hose was discovered and true soaking began.


Meanwhile the adults and littlest stayed safely under the carport where all forms of water shooting devices were banned. :-)



The men can complain all they want about the women gabbing a little too much but it was the males of the families that kept going and going and . .  .

Addy and Ava were such good little girls. They stayed far away from the water and played on the driveway with sidewalk chalk and bubbles.


Madisyn grew tired of the shooting games and joined us on the carport.


Mary Claire still hasn't realized that she is not a big kid. LOL She got a little more than she bargained for when she left the safety of the carport for the backyard.


Friday, July 19, 2013

Here We Go 'Round the Blueberry Bush


This summer, I learned of a u-pick blueberry patch. We had some friends that visited so I decided to take the kids.


The first time we went it was just the kids and Mommy. We picked about a gallon in around 30 minutes. Once we got home we realized we didn't get near enough.


The patch was well manicured and the nice thing about blueberry bushes is that everyone could pick at their level.


Madisyn proved to be one of our best pickers, followed closely by Henry. He may not have braun but he was like the little engine that could. He complained the least and just kept on picking.


Even Liberty had a good time hanging out and enjoying the fresh air.


What anyone lacked in enthusiasm with picking, they more than made up for when it came to eating.


The next day when Daddy went back we picked another 5 gallons. He gave the kids an incentive and told them that the first person to fill their bag would be rewarded with a $5 bill. Madisyn won the contes,t but once again Henry was a very close second.


We brought the blueberries home and washed them all. We froze about a gallon, dehydrated 4 gallons and made muffins and various deserts with the other gallon. Now we just need to find another type of fruit to u-pick.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Hanging at the Palace


With the warm weather we were searching for an indoor activity. Each summer the Pink Palace offers free 3-month memberships. I managed to loose mine but thankfully Tuesday afternoons are also free.


We started the day off with a picnic lunch and then headed to the museum. We were so glad our friends the Tims joined us. We began with the dinosaurs.


Since the last time we were there a new animatronic T-Rex has been added. My boys really liked him. The little girls, not so much.


In order to escape all the evolutionary and old earth content that is contrary to God's Word, we headed up stairs. We were disappointed that the circus wasn't running but we enjoyed visiting Piggly Wiggly.

A grocery store where the kids can only go one direction might be a good plan even today.


Two men were present at the Civil War display. They had guns and uniforms the kids could handle and touch. The best part of any museum is touching things.



Naptime had long since passed, so we decided it was time to go. We headed outside to get a few pictures.


This was the first picture I snapped and the number of kids looking went down from there! 9 out of 12 isn't bad!

Friday, July 12, 2013

A Splishin' and A Splashin'


Last month we decided to tag along on an auction trip with Daddy.


We stayed at a motel with a pool and had a great time in the water.


There was lots of jumping,


rail hugging,

 splashing,

 and spraying!

We discovered that Mary Claire LOVES to swim. That girl is a little fish. We put her in her floatie and she kicked herself all over the pool. She even cried when it was time to get out!