The Arid Dome - a Pictorial Tour

I mentioned somewhat recently that we visited Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, aka the Domes.  You can check out the first Dome here.  

I thought you might enjoy taking a gander at some of the beauties inside.

I mean, a desert isn't exactly the place where you'd think you'd find something pretty.

Grandma, the girls, and I were enthralled with the cacti,

This one was super high!

I found myself enamored with the succulent beauty and 

glorious patterns that we observed.

It was hard to tour the Arid dome, or any of the Domes, slowly.

A full acre of plants we rarely see produced the kid in the candy shop kind of effect on us ~

trotting about from hither and yon, 

exclaiming with glee over each shade,

texture,

and hue.

We willed ourselves to slow down

and savor the intricacies of Arid flora.

What memories we made!

Dominique

Find other pics here:

Dome #1

Dome #3

It's up!

The Blossoms have been asking to put up the Christmas tree, but with the unseasonably warm weather, I just wasn't there.  It didn't feel like the holiday seasons was upon us... until last Wednesday, when the day dawned cold and dreary.  We were off from school and the Rugged Mountain Man was off from work. 

Suddenly, I was ready!

Plus, we spent the morning doing some exploration hiking in the downpour.  It was oddly refreshing but afterward, everyone was anxious for something cozy and relaxing.  We dropped by Walmart to restock our lights and then, we cranked up the Christmas tunes and went at it!

We all love it... including our furry family members!

Not only does Jake love sleeping under the tree just like he always does, but so do our "barn cats."  

I guess I'd be more perturbed if I didn't already have evidence that they are doing what they were hired to do.  

Dominique

Some Fun Fall Fashion

I've seen some great outfits lately and I wanted to pass them along to you.

The classy fashion friend had this outfit on when we bumped into each other at piano lessons the other day.  It was a ray of sunshine in our day to chat and catch up with her and her lovely daughters.  You might recall that the classy fashion friend also has an affinity for vests, which is evident in this outfit.  I particularly admired the pop of color in her pashmina scarf against a backdrop of basic neutrals.

Blossom3 picked out an adorable outfit for church the other day. I was definitely having a "I would SO wear that" moment!  She's been putting her abundance of striped shirts to good use!

Blossom2 was sporting a super fun outfit for Bible Quiz last week.  This bright orange theme fits so well with her sassy, spirited personality!  I must admit, I specifically picked that particular sack pack for her for Christmas last year, knowing how well it would match with her favorite flames Converse.

Way to go ladies!  You're such an inspiration to be well put together!

Dominique

On THE Day

 Sometimes you miss the mark

and sometimes you hit the mark.

Sometimes you fall short of a goal and sometimes you hit the goal.

I usually aim to finish our first social studies unit before Christmas.  Imagine my surprise when I realized we were going to finish our Elections unit on Election Day.  

I believe the shocked emoji would be appropriate here.

I've long been a fan of Homeschool In the Woods' lapbook units.  The Time Travelers and Project Passport series have been some of our most favorite history projects.  

This Election unit did not disappoint!

As you can see, Blossom1 and Blossom1 have graduated out of these history units.  We are a little sad about that, but we've used this time for them to perform in-depth study of the controversial concept of the separation of church and state.  They finished Original Intent by David Barton and are working on composing their thoughts on that book.  We are also utilizing the Constitution Alive series by Wallbuilders.

All in all, it's been a rich and rewarding Civics and Government kind of experience here in the Hollow lately.  

Dominique