Summer fun

This summer has been interesting so far. 

We started our summer with dentist visits. 4 of the 5 kids had cavities. For some reason, Taylors were the worst…

We’ve had friends in and out all summer, and i LOVE it! One is even “adopted,” and loves reminding us about it.

Taylor has pretty much just chilled. We tried to get the lawnmower functional, but nothing has made it work. We changed the oil, we changed and replaced the gas, we cleaned the air filter, we changed the spark plug, we cleaned out the undercarriage. Sad to say, the yard is toast…

Elizabeth spent a week in june at girls camp. She says she has fun, and i think she did. She had fun figuring out gifts for secret sister. And she actually found some really cute things. The next weekend she spent with a newer friend, and they had a blast!

This week, they are both on Trek. Sure hope they are surviving the 90+ temps we are dealing with this week. 

Shannon and Ashley have made a new friend. Her mother is a manager at the arctic circle they built next door. This new friend has been so good for these girls. She’s my new “daughter”!

Michael has struggled. I have a hard time remembering that my other kids were running around town finding new friends at his age. Considering that one of his friends lives 2 miles down the highway , i might be more justified than i feel some days. 

Me, i was asked to be a scout leader shortly after we moved in. The middle of june, we did day camp. I was a little worried, we haven’t had a great track record getting many of our boys to show up to activities. But, we ended up with most of our boys going. It was actually a lot of fun. And the boys had a blast. Other than that, i work.

Aside from me, i guess there’s a lot going on…

it's great to be 8!

this has been quite the weekend!

shannon turned 8 on thursday. 

friday, i spent cleaning the house as best i could. it was quite the job too! i ended up filling both the garbage can and the recycling can clear to the top! as well as 3 bags for donations.

stephanie showed up around 6:30, just in time for dinner.

dad's plane got in at 11:15p. and it made for a long night.

saturday, shaun baptised shannon. she was absolutely beautiful!

afterwards, everyone came back to the house for lunch. fried chicken and sides. my grandfather, and step-grandfather used my piano as a table. and they sat there and talked for quite awhile.

pumpkin patch

i wanted to do something a little more interactive with the kids for halloween. especially now that we are not homeschooling. so, i found a local pumpkin patch.

for a small amount, we were able to get 8 large pumpkins, and about 20 mini ones.
on top of that, they had a "train" the kids could ride, and the turkey was wandering about.

 ashley thought the turkey was the coolest thing in the world! she got to pet it!

i replaced my styrofoam pumpkins with the mini ones. they had much more weight to them, and i didn't have to worry about them flying away!

halloween requests

this year, i decided to be a teal pumpkin house. with shannon being super sensitive to red food dye, and a few nephews on shauns side of the family that have other problems, i wanted to show my support for a community that frequently gets overlooked at the holidays.
i got a few styrofoam pumpkins at the dollar store, and some teal spray paint. as far as what we were giving out for trick-or-treating, i got a bunch of pencils, and some little erasers, and halloween tattoos (which i almost never do), bouncy balls, and little fun things like that.

taylor, wants to be a wizard.
elizabeth wants to be mal from descendents. (?!)
shannon wants to be a witch
ashley wants to be a cat
michael wants to be spiderman

health updates

taylor has complained about his knee for awhile now. then, one day he came from school in KC, and informed me that he had fallen down the stairs on the bleachers, and his knee was worse.

doctor visit number 4 since we've been back (all of 10 days).
amazingly, this kid now weighs in at 104 lbs!
as for the diagnosis, osgood schlater disease. which shaun also had as a pre/teen. sadly, there's nothing that can really be done. when the pain gets really bad, we give him meds, but we have also starting taping it (watch a video here, on how).

shannon just needed a well-check, so we got that taken care of as well.
she weighs 62 lbs, and is 52 inches tall!

i had more xrays taken, they also came back normal.

thankfully, no one else caught the strep that elizabeth had.

SCHOOL!!

today, i got the kids into school.

i did most of the legwork before we even came back, so it was fairly simple and painless.

the little girls took the most time. there had been a misunderstanding, and there was a bunch of additional paperwork to do. it took me about 45 minutes to get that all done, and the girls to their classes.

elizabeth and taylor were both 10 minute events. they had previously been in the district, so it was just updating info, and getting schedules printed off.

by 9:20a, it was just me and michael

conference response

shannon, age 7, responding to a comment from conference, "i was born into a lovely family!"

transfers

today, i went onto the school website in idaho to see what i could find that might help me get the kids into school easier when we get back.

everything i needed to do, was right there. shannon and ashley were so simple to get registered. i filled out the online forms, sent in pictures of the documents, and that was it.

taylor and elizabeth are going to have to be done when we get there. as they have previously attended in the school district, it's really just a matter of updating the information, and getting schedules printed.

if only everything could be this easy!

surprise!

what a pleasant surprise.

mom and dad were "helping" a ward member get to the airport today. it was a coverup. my sister came for a short visit!

friday, mom, steph, and i, went and got pedicures. oh, the warm water, and foot massage!
then, stephanie took the kids to a local shop, called potter's haven. they have ceramic items that you can paint, or glaze.

the small dog on the left is one elizabeth painted for shaun.

the penguin is elizabeths.

the brown cat is michaels.

the pale cat is ashleys.

the hedgehog is stephanies.

shannon did the football...

i did the bear. it's a blue patchwork.

taylor did the blue racecar in front.

never fails

it never ceases to amaze me that we can never go on a trip without at least one child getting sick.

tuesday we woke up, and both michael and shannon were complaining of tummy aches. before we could even leave the rest stop, both of them had thrown up. we got things ready to go, and made sure they both had bags to use if necessary.

michael didn't make it to the bag until the 4th or 5th time.

6 hours later, michael was coming out the other end! we stopped at least twice so that i wouldn't have an absolute mess in the car that would have made the rest of us sick.

we'd been at my parents for about 2 hours, and shannon barfed all over grandmas bedroom floor.

i am praying that the return trip is much quieter.

ickies

oh my word! everyone has had this nasty summer cold!! it's a sinus infection, but it first shows in the eyes. then it drops down into the chest and you develop a cough.

shannon caught it first. then ashley, then michael, then taylor, then me, then michael again! wouldn't you know that i caught it just as i needed to focus on getting ready for our trip to missouri! i was down for 3 full days!

thankfully we are all better now.

Chalk

Conversation between dad and children. 

Dad, "Alright, everyone who plays with the chalk, raise your hand."

Every child raises hand. 

Dad, "That's funny, Kronk (suburban) raised his hand. Should Kronk be playing with the chalk? Do you know what happens when Kronk plays with the chalk?"

Shannon, age 7, tentatively replies, "He breaks them?"

Dad, "He actually crushes them. They turn into dust, and are ruined. He's sitting on one now."

Ashley, age 6, "Get it out!"

Dad, "I don't want to lose my fingers! Stop letting Kronk play with the chalk. Put it away when you're done."

update

i've been trying to recover, and that means that some things haven't been getting done.

for example, today we did school for the first time since before thanksgiving.

my gratitude posts have slipped.

i'm doing better, and getting better every day, though!

overall, january was a good month. we became very close to another homeschooling family in the area. we unintentionally spent nearly 4 days and nights with them (partly due to weather, and partly due to distance. they live 20 minutes north, and at 3am, driving that home has not been desirable). however, everyone had a grand time, and we continue to spend time together.
taylor turned 12 the first part of the month, and was ordained a deacon and received the aaronic priesthood. (unfortunately, my family was not able to make it out.) we had a small birthday party for him, and he got some awesome books (that's all i can recall about his gifts...).
michael turned 4 just yesterday. a small party is planned for him this coming sunday (i can't believe he's that old!!).

the snow has continued to fall. the piles to the side of my driveway are about 5 feet high. the kids have a blast playing in the snow, and turning the piles into slides.
shannon complains all the time that snow keeps getting into her boots. i told her that's what happens when you walk through the snow.

life continues on.

christmas

breakfast has been made and eaten.

presents have been unwrapped.

games are being played!

everything was loved!

taylor got:
a quilt top (only cause i ran out of time to get it all finished. should have started a month ago.)
an art kit
a jacket that zips all the way up to include a "mask"
a couple of books: one about dragons (i think)
a nano bot track
some pokemon cards
a sleeveless jacket from grandma brady
socks from aunt brianne

elizabeth got:
kinetic sand
facial washing stuff (burts bees!)
an art kit
some new bras
a couple of books: spiderwicks illustrated guide book
disney scene it game
socks from aunt brianne
jacket from grandma brady
raggedy anne doll

shannon got:
an i spy game
new gloves and a hat
new sunday shoes: silver sparkly ones
a couple of books: big coloring book, one about louis braille
princess lego set
raggedy anne doll
a sweater from grandma brady
socks from aunt brianne

ashley got:
6 princess puzzles
an art kit
2 new long dresses fro church
a couple books: big coloring book, a benjy book
bunchems: velcro puff balls
socks from aunt brianne
raggedy ann doll
gloves from aunt candice
a sweater from grandma brady

michael got:
an art kit
gloves and a hat
a new church outfit
couple books: paw patrol coloring book, puff the magic dragon
a v-tech learning game
raggedy andy doll
socks from aunt brianne
gloves from aunt candice
a shirt from grandma brady

shaun got:
portable usb charger: his phone is always dying on him
a book about rembrant
a bumblebee papercraft
a robotech model kit
a shirt from grandma brady

nadia got:
a storybook to color
2 new skirts
2 new shirts
a shirt from grandma brady
a new quilt book
a new wallet

family gifts:
jenga quake
raggedy anne book
science resources for school
book about bodies for school
monopoly
life

it seems like a lot, but it's much more manageable than the last few years!

magic

while i was browsing through one of the few facebook groups i belong to, i came across a post from a mom looking for advice. she has an 8-year-old girl, whose older siblings have killed the magic of santa for her. (my heart aches for that). the mother still has a small child, and was wondering if there was anything she could do that might bring that magic back.

it reminded me of a conversation i had to have with elizabeth about a month ago.
i can no longer remember how it started, but it ended with her in tears.

there is no santa, mom and dad do it all.
there is no easter bunny, that is also mom and dad.
the tooth fairy is also made up.

last year, we had to tell her that mom and dad help santa get things, cause he's so busy, and anything we can do to help makes it that much easier for him.
this year, i had to tell shannon that same story.

it always makes me sad when they reach the age that the magic starts to crack. and even more when the magic dies.

however, my kids have been really good about keeping the magic alive for the rest.

gratitude

today i'm grateful...

1. for adoptive grandmas.

2. for a copier/printer.

3. specifically, for my beautiful daughter who was born 7-years ago today!

halloween 2015

we only barely managed to get costumes together this year. and only because some great friends helped out.

taylor pulled out last year's power ranger costume, and it still fit.
elizabeth had a friend lend her a dress, and another friend lent her a hat, and she ended up as one of the cutest witches i've ever seen!
shannon pulled out elizabeth's costume from last year, and went as a princess.
ashley had a friend lend her a dress (that was temporarily altered. an adult small does not fit a 5 year old.), and shaun turned his fedora into a witch hat.
michael started as a pumpkin, and ended as super hero mix. batman shirt, captain america shield, belt, and arm band. he also had a cape. i call him my super michael.

i refused to take the kids out to play until my house was semi clean. so we got a later start than we normally would have.

we headed up to the art lab for their halloween carnival, and the chance to see nana. we let the kids play the games for about 20 minutes, and then got some pictures. during the pictures, elizabeth threw up. thankfully, not on the floor, or anyone. she was able to make it to the bathroom where she spit it into the toilet. we promptly packed up and started home. only to have kronk give out on us. we ended up running with the hazards on, and maxed the power out at about 25 mph. when we got off the highway to come into town, he stopped and wouldn't start again. a kind lady stopped an towed us to the gas station, where shaun put some gas in, and she then followed us home to make sure we got there.

looks like we are "grounded," and i won't be able to make my grocery run monday morning...

yellowstone trip

we left wednesday afternoon. on the way, we had to stop 3 times for potty breaks (we only live an hour and a half away. this should not have been a problem).
after we got into the park, and on the way to our campground, we saw some elk!
that night, was the last ranger education night. it was about wolves.
it rained a little that night, and the elk in the meadow called out ALL NIGHT LONG!
turns out, we forgot a jacket for me, and socks for michael. i put my socks on him, and brianne let me borrow her hoodie (she'd brought 2).

thursday, we had to go back into west yellowstone for groceries. stephanie also got a sweatshirt for ashley, as she forgot hers, and was wearing one of elizabeths. on the way out of the park, we saw some buffalo.
the first place we went in the park was old faithful (all the kids told me it was "incredible"). it teased us for about 15 minutes before actually going off.

next on the list was excelsior springs.

there are hidden items in this picture. this is the "bank" of excelsior spring. a fedora, a ball cap, and a scarf are down there.

this is an island in the middle of excelsior spring...

hm, some people obviously can't read.

i think this was firehole lake drive.

i'm standing at the back of the car. those are buffalo across the road.

the paint pots

in all, we walked more than 6 miles that day!
it rained all night long, and taylor got leaked on (i think the tent has a few issues. either that, or the people that put it up did something wrong).

friday
stephanie had really wanted to see the paint pots. the ones we saw an thursday were not the ones either of us remembered. these didn't look very familiar either...but as it had been 16 years since we'd been there...i wasn't all that surprised.

brianne and i thought this pool looked so inviting! 5 minutes later it was a boiling mess!

steamboat. this is the largest geyser in the world, i think.

*note*(when using a restroom, please make sure to lock the door behind you) i went to take michael to the bathroom at steamboat, and walked in on a guy. the port-a-potties had locks. i don't know why he didn't use it!

(i got smart and started taking pictures of the places we were at.)

we decided the way it got this name was because it's a big tease.

it's hard to see, but this cave is almost emerald green.

we ran into our camp neighbors at steamboat. the kids all had fun running around together.

i wanted to see the falls. unfortunately, we only made it to the lower yellowstone falls. i had also wanted to go to artist point, and inspiration point for shaun. maybe next time.

there's a reason the kids complained about the red rock hike.

     

this bus turns into a huge snow cat during the winter. but i love the name...

 alphabet trees

cold and rainy back at camp. EVEN more rain, and elk calls. we walked more than 7 miles this day.

how many can you fit in a double sleeping bag? there are 5 of us.

 
 some pictures i took for shaun.