Our day, a sampling.

Our summer days have been varied, but today has been especially nice and a good picture of what we’re up to. We started the day checking on our first attempt at homemade yogurt that I left to set overnight. It worked! We mixed in some homemade strawberry jam we made a couple weeks ago from berries we picked ourselves.

Then we just hung out at home, watching “Bridge to Terabitha” that we rented from the library with a coupon Addy was given for reaching her goal in the summer reading program. It's a great movie and we can't wait to read the book (backwards, I know). Addy said, "That movie changed my whole world." We cancelled our satellite service and get no channels, so the occasional movie is our only TV now.

We hung clothes on the line, which the girls seem to think is fun for some reason. It was nice to be outside in the fresh air. The fact that we can see 32 wind turbines from our yard means we're in a great spot for drying clothes outside. We watered our flowers and let the later rain take care of the vegetable garden.

When Bob got home, he took Dori to return the movie while I helped Addy make caps, scarves and petticoats out of an old bedsheet to transform their Laura Ingalls pioneer costumes into Colonial period costumes. We’re going to see a reading of the Declaration of Independence at a historic courthouse on the 4th and costumes are encouraged. It was Addy's first attempt at using the serger, and I’m sewing the remaining parts of the costumes now.

Bob and the girls went to release some frogs we have been raising for several weeks since they were tadpoles. They walked to a ditch at the end of the road in the rain.

Bob is readying to make a batch of Juustoa squeaky cheese. I brought back milk from the farm. Addy is anxious to have it for our bedtime snack.

Once the costumes are done, I'll take advantage of having the rolled edge plate on the serger to make some cloth napkins. I intend to never buy a package of paper napkins again.

Other than that, we’ve been swimming a lot and just playing outside. We read a lot. It’s so fun to watch my daughter learn to enjoy reading on her own now. We do the summer reading program at the library and Bob gave one of the presentations, about insects. The YMCA gives swimming lessons at the farm as part of a backyard learn-to-swim program, so the girls get free lessons.

Addy is looking forward to taking 4-H projects to the fair. Her Little League tee ball season just wound up and she’s looking forward to August as she says, “I think I’m more of a soccer girl.” Bob and I will coach her team.

I’ve been working on a flyer and gathering ideas to start a homeschool group in our area.