Sorting thru the Toys

Yesterday we spent the day cleaning and sorting the toy room.

Do you like our nice mess?

By the afternoon, we sorted through 7 toyboxes and threw away a box and a half of garbage, and have 3 bins set aside for the yard sale we hope to have soon.

 

Daddy made a wonderful dinner of grilled hamburgers, grapes, chips and a watermelon drink. 

We spent the night watching "The Richest Cat in the World", "Winnie the Pooh", and "Chip 'n Dale".

It's been nice to spend time with the kids.

Dodge Ball

My kids love to play dodge ball on the tramp.

That way they all get a turn to jump.

 

Sometimes life is like dodge ball.

We try to dodge the unpleasant things in life, but balls are coming on all sides and we just can't dodge them.

But if we try to catch them or deal with the unpleasant things, then we get to stay on the trampoline a little longer and enjoy the pleasant things while dealing with the unpleasant ones.

 

Shopping got done along with some cleaning and some laundry.

These summer days have been nice so far.

I'm sure it will get old by August, but for now, I love having my kids home and the relaxed time we have.

Hiking Day to Massey's Cave

It was the perfect day to hike to Massey's cave.

The kids loved the sunny skies and nice, cool breeze.

We had fun exploring this relatively large cave.

When we turned out all the flashlights, we couldn't see our hands in front of our faces.

 

We hiked around on some of the nearby trails.

 

Joyanne was our little "tree hugger".

 

 

We had a nice picnic lunch of Peanut Butter and Honey or Jelly Sandwiches.

After our hike through the cave, we found a shady spot to sit and read for a little while.

Then we found another trail that took us to a little river, so a little more hiking we went.

 

The day was fun and rather tiring.

Relaxing to a little Netflix movie was a nice way to end the day.

Summer Days

School is out for my kids and today was the first day it felt like it.

We enjoyed waking up when we felt like it, enjoying a yummy German Pancake breakfast, and not having any real time constraints.

 

We love the library at our house, and we are excited to participate in the Summer Reading Program.

We all piled into the car and scavenged around to find the best books.

In the heat of the day, it was nice to relax and read.

 

Daddy took the four oldest kids to McCoy Flats and they rode their bikes a bit.

They had fun with their Dad, like always.

 

Since the day was so nice, Daddy pulled out the hair cutting kit and got to work with the boys.

 

They look pretty handsome now with their short, summer hairdos.

Happy Memorial Day!

What a great day to remember those beloved ones who have passed on and spend time with those beloved ones who are with us.

We made fun memories today visiting the graves and spending time with extended family,

Happy Memorial Day!!!

Far Away

My eyes are so tired they are ready to drop.

I miss Daddy so much being away visiting my Mom and other family.

It has been a great weekend reflecting on family and looking at family photo albums.

I still miss my sister, Ann, so much.

Sunday's are the hardest because that is the calm time I have to think and reflect.

I hope to find peace at some point and not feel such a hole in my heart like I do now.

Talking with my Mom has been so helpful.

 

I enjoyed being at my Mom's ward.

My boys sang with the primary in Relief Society about the priesthood.

Hiram and Noah are such good boys.

They fight and have their squabbles with each other like all good brothers do, but they love each other and they try to be good.

Last Day of School

I got a picture of the boys on their way to the last day of school.

Grant wanted to be in the picture too.

It won't be long before he is off to school.

 

All the kids seemed to enjoy their last day of school for this year.

They watched movies, played games, had assemblies and were able to come home early today.

 

Now summer begins!

Hooray!!!

Talent Show

Joyanne was in her middle school talent show.

She played her own piano arrangement of "Let It Go" while her friend, Rebecca, sang.

They did such a good job.

Joyanne didn't even make one mistake.

I love seeing my girl use her talents in such a good way.

 

We had our scout pack meeting.

Noah and Hiram had fun participating in the games and activities.

 

I really enjoy being a den leader.

Seeing the boys succeed and earn their badges is so rewarding.



Last Day of Preschool

Today was the last day of my preschool.

I loved teaching Hunter and Channa.

Today we partied with bounce house, legos, and electric train set.

 

Tonight we went to the Rec Center and had fun on the climbing wall and playing Ping Pong. 

 

Joyanne helped Grant climb up the wall.

Yay for little Grant!!! 

Family Foto

We got our family photos this last Friday, thanks to my friend, April Gailey.

Her photography is April Gailey Photography.

She is on facebook and is great.

She worked well with the kids, especially with our little Grant.

We probably won't get pictures again for another 5 years so these ones meant a lot to us.

 

I love my family and am grateful to catch the happy moments we have together.

Families are Forever!

My Hiram

Hiram was excited because we let him take the Ipad to school after warning him to be very careful with it.

I told him he could take some pictures with it, but this is the only one he took.

 

This is the last week of school for my kids.

Exciting summer time ahead.

We can't wait to visit family lots.

Sunday Funday

Kids had fun dressing up in costumes and parading around.

 

Sneaky Grant went outside and here's where we found him. 

Early Birthday Party

Since Hiram's Birthday is in the summer, we decided to throw him a friend birthday party before school got out so he could celebrate with his friends.

We made cupcakes and cake, had the bounce house going, and hung decorations up.

 

Out of the 9 friends Hiram invited, only 1 friend came.

Chandler has recently become a good friend of Hiram's.

They had fun playing on the bounce house and playing "Mario Kart" on the Wii.

Some of the other games we planned wouldn't work for just 2 people.

We made the most of the situation.

So happy unBirthday, Hiram!

P.S.  Look at the yummy breakfast we had this morning.

 

Hiram and Noah Time

Hiram enjoyed having me show up to his "Author's Tea".

He was able to read an autobiography of what the kids in their class wrote about each other.

Noah play "Jim Bridger" in his Utah History play.

He did a great job.

His face lit up when he saw his dad walk in the room to watch him in the middle of his working.

 

Noah made such a handsome character and he had his lines memorized so well, along with the others too. 

I was grateful I could be there for my kids today to watch them and see all they learned in their classes this year.

Friends and Scouting

Each of my 4 oldest kids had a friend over to play with today.

They had fun running all around, doing all sorts of crazy, exciting things.

Two of the friends were excited for the Shepard's Pie I made for dinner.

One of the friends had NEVER had Shepard's Pie before.

We eat it quite often and like it.

I mean, it's yummy, ground meat, mashed potatoes, and cheese layered together to make a succulent dish. ;)

 

 

Tonight I went to Scout Roundtable.

Usually I feel like it's a waste of time, but tonight was the BEST one I've ever attended.

They talked about the leadership positions in scouting, and how a scouting program runs best with good leaders.

When I addressed my concern of not having good leaders, they gave awesome advice about turning to the bishopric and primary leaders to support and help out more.

I was inspired to work harder, pray more, and remember that I'm doing this for those boys!



Extended Sick Time

It was nice to wake up this morning with no one throwing up or racing to the bathroom.

Some of us were still recovering a bit, but we could get on with our day and our lives.

Daddy had fun playing "Battleship" with Joyanne tonight . . .

And of course, he won!

But the sickness hasn't left completely yet.

Daddy went to bed with a troubled stomach and has been in the bathroom quite frequently.

James complains of a tummy ache and his whole body hurting, but we're not sure if it's just seeking attention or not, so we are watching him.

 

Some day we'll all feel well, but in the meantime, I guess we make the most of all the down time.

Misery Loves Company

So it was Hiram and my turn to be sick today.

At least we had each other to keep us company.

This morning we got a little bored, with our tummies hurting, and so we worked on scout stuff.

Hiram earned 2 silver arrows, this morning, with all the electives he did. :)

 

This little puppy kept me company all day.

It was nice to spend a day with Mira, who just wants to love and be loved. 

 

It was like Mother's Day all over again for me, except this time, I was sick.

Daddy cooked the meals and cared for the kids.

He had a little buddy following him around most of the day.

Grant sure enjoyed getting out with Daddy, especially going to the library.