When we got to AZ one of my first sight-seeing goals was mission San Xavier del Bac. It has been several years since we have been to a mission site. I believe San Antonio, TX was the last which means it’s been a looooong time.  The morning we drove out to San Xavier was warm and sunny. The mission church exterior is being restored so you will see some tarp on the outside. The inside of the church is ancient and ornate. I love love loved the stenciling over the doorways and on the ceiling (see last pic) and am wondering if I could pull off a bit of same here at the house. Our interior is very mission-esque but we have a heavy texture on the walls. You already know I am going to try this don’t you? ; )

We are reading through several children’s books about the early missionaries. One of the classics is Song of the Swallows which Amazon has for TWO dollars!. My friend Maureen Wittman has  written a unit study to go along with this book. Bless her, she has offered it for free. Some titles that she uses are Never Turn Back: Father Serra’s Mission, and the Dover Missions coloring book. After scouring my bookshelves I found another Leo Politi title, The Mission Bell. It is out of print and NOT two dollars on Amazon so check to see if your library has it.

The 4Real ladies posted this map of CA missions.This link takes you to another free unit on California Missions in art for older students. This one covers Life in a Mission with a printable worksheet. More links: The Missions, CA missions.

Ok we are off to make some mission notebook pages here. Happy Friday. : )