I thought I’d give an update on the homeschool front. We are off to a great year! Jeremy and Ruth learned about states of matter in science.

We had some fun learning about amorphous solids: is it a solid, or is it a liquid? Yes!

We made lava lamps:

and saw the reaction that occurs when certain atoms combine:

We’re also having fun in Geography. The other day, Jeremy made a treasure map for Ruth to follow.

And while some subjects are naturally enjoyable, others are less fun and more work. Ruth has made clear her opinion about handwriting:

The guinea pigs daily help Ruth with her schoolwork. Here, Sugar is coaching her through her English lesson.

The piggy even joined Ruth for breakfast one morning. I have mixed feelings about this.

We learned about Canada in Geography last week. That Jeremy has become pretty good with the pencil, eh?

Derek turned 18 last week. How we got here so quickly, I do not know. What seized my heart for a moment was the realization that this would be his last birthday celebrated at home before leaving for college, wherever that will be.

The celebration began a week before his birthday, as we gathered with cousins for a quintuple birthday party! Three Gieres and two Johaniks were sung to!

Most of the cousins went for a dip in the pool while Derek held down the condo fort.

We ate birthday pancakes on the morning of his birthday; though they had to be eaten quite early due to school and other various demands of the day.

The football game on the Friday after his big day resulted in a win! Early on, the sky put on a spectacular show.

We, the fan club, were happy for the team.

The seniors gathered for a couple pics.

It’s neat to see how they’ve come together over the past four years.

Later that weekend, we had yet another celebration with more family,

with more candles to blow out.

The munchkin fan club looked on.

I love how Derek is maturing in his faith and love for God. He remains teachable, with a compassion for others. I can’t wait to see how God uses him going forward!

My son, if your heart is wise,
My own heart also will be glad;
And my inmost being will rejoice
When your lips speak what is right. (Proverbs 23:15-16)

Friday nights this fall are spent watching two football games. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that this guy is already playing high school football.

He plays some defense

and starts on offense at the position that is becoming the Johanik trademark: center.

Jim is enjoying the opportunity to coach Peter.

(Although it’s not the first time he’s coached Peter)

If that pic doesn’t remind me how quickly time is passing, considering the fact that my second-born is a senior in high school surely does.

The varsity team makes a grand entrance during each home game, with Derek carrying the maroon flag.

After singing the national anthem,

Derek and his fellow captain, Ben, pray together.

Then he proceeds to pour out every bit of strength and grit he has onto the field.

Saturday was game day at USAFA. Some of us participated in the squadron tailgate before the game, while my dad picked up the boys at the airport.

We caught up with Jake’s good friend Michael and his parents.

We also caught the football team walking into the stadium behind the marching band.

Jim, Derek, and Peter took off from Chicago bright and early Saturday morning, just ahead of a major storm system. We were very grateful they had an early flight! It was a sweet reunion when they arrived.

After the game, we all went out to an authentic German restaurant.

So authentic, there was a woman serenading tables with her accordion.

After church and lunch on Sunday, we left for home. We drove through several storm cells which made for an adventurous ride!

As usual, it was a bittersweet departure.

While Tiffany and I enjoyed some time at Starbucks, everyone else went to a WWII museum at Peterson Air Force Base. They loved it!

They went inside planes

and saw lots of other stuff (I wasn’t there, so I’m going by the pictures my mom sent!).

When we returned to the hotel, some of us swam,

and then ate Chick-Fil-A at the hotel lobby…

while livestreaming the WA football game. We were thoroughly impressed with the livestream! They do an excellent job with both the video and the commentary.

Here’s what was going on at home:

There was an hour and a half long lightning delay, which put a major dent in the amount of sleep Jim, Derek and Peter were to get that night before taking off for Colorado in the early morning.

Peter dressed for the varsity game and eventually went in as center. Here they are after the game (with Coach Johanik).

Dave and Judi not only were there until the very (late) end, but they also arrived at our house in the wee hours of the morning to drive the boys to the airport! Talk about dedication!

It’s hard to believe we just returned home from our third Parents’ Weekend at USAFA! Where has the time gone?

This year was a test of logistics: Jeremy, Ruth, my parents and I embarked on the 15.5 hour drive before the sun rose on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, Jim, Derek, and Peter stayed back for the WA football game Friday night and flew out to CO on Saturday.

My dad and I tag teamed the drive, while my mom kept us all fed and the van clean.

Friday morning, Jake’s fan club sat in the grandstands waiting for the parade to begin.

One of my favorite things about Jake attending USAFA is getting to see fly-bys! The F-16s flew overhead to mark the beginning of the parade.

When Jake marched in, Grandma waved to him from across the parade field.

Once the parade was over, we joined the multitude of parents to find our cadets. Once again, I am grateful for Jake’s stature.

It was nice to have Tiffany join us!

Ruth snagged Jake’s hat as soon as she could.

We hung out in Jake’s new room in the new squad in the new building.

See everyone sitting on the beds? I reminisced over two years ago when even leaning on the beds was strictly verboten. Ruth and Jeremy had fun trying on all of Jake’s uniforms.

While Jeremy was more of a goofball, putting hats on backwards and such,

Ruth really got into character.

But her goofball brother was never far from the picture.

We enjoyed touring the library. Jeremy got some studying done in one of the comfy chair pods.

My dad found the archive section and declared he would like to spend the rest of the weekend right there.

And Jake couldn’t resist giving an upper level math lesson on the white board.

Later, we joined the new squad for a cookout lunch.

The paper maché globes finally dried, so Jeremy and Ruth got right to painting them. Can you tell whose is whose?

I found it quite amusing that their personalities were evident even in a project like this. Because Ruth was carefree in how she applied the paper maché to the balloon, her globe was full of holes and very topographical. She said the whole globe was the Rocky Mountains.

Although we’re studying chemistry and physics this year in science, Jeremy couldn’t resist getting out the microscope after we killed a bee in the house.

The bee’s leg kept twitching, which Jeremy thought was ‘freaky’, so the observation didn’t last long.

For our most recent science project, we made lava lamps with oil, water, and Alka Seltzer.

I wasn’t sure if the bottle would explode so we promptly took the project outside. It did not explode, and we enjoyed watching the reaction!