July Adventures

We have had lots of fun this month hanging on to the last few weeks of summer and trying to outsmart or just escape from the heat.  Here’s some proof with a few things we’ve been doing:

Crawdad fishing in Eagar over the 4th! (Savannah was napping so she missed it…)

  

 

Hiking and going to the beach at San Diego…

 

Yes my mom got in the water…for about 5 seconds…

 

(The older girls were there, they were just in the water so much I forgot to get a picture of them!  I think my mom did though…)

 

We also took the girls to serve in the San Diego temple.

 

 

And back at home we couldn’t miss Chick Fil A’s Cow Appreciation Day where you dress as a cow and get a free meal—we actually went for lunch and dinner—yup, we’re that cheap!  Come on, we have six hungry kids okay!

 

We also have frequented many a dollar movie day at the mall….Of course, every time we go I end up buying something at the mall so don’t know if that has really saved us much money…

And if we get really bored or grumpy from the heat, we can always look at our baby girl and enjoy her sweet smiles.

And school is starting tomorrow!

Caesar Rodney—a Patriot

Here's a story you may or may not know about the signing of our nation's Declaration of Independence. You see, before it was written and signed, the delegates from every state had to vote to write and sign it..make sense? Anyway, here is the great story taken from a wonderful book we have The American Patriot's Almanac:

This is the story of Caesar Rodney, one of Delaware's three signers of the Declaration of Independence. Rodney was a well-to-do planter who served in Delaware's legislature, led protests against the Stamp Act, and organized the Patriot militia before being elected to the Continental Congress. Despite such activity, he was a man of poor health. He suffered from asthma as well as skin cancer that had left his face so disfigured he often hid one side of it behind a green silk scarf. Yet, as John Adam's noted there was "fire, spirit, wit, and humor in his countenance."

Rodney was in Delaware on the evening on July 1, 1776 when he received an urgent message from Philadelphia. Congress was ready to vote on the issue of independence. Of the two other Delaware delegates, one favored and one opposed a break with England, so Rodney's vote would decide which way the colony would go--if he could get there on time.

He rode through the night, in thunder and rain, to cover the 80 miles to Philadelphia. The next day, just as Congress prepared to vote, the delegates heard hoof beats on the cobblestones, and a mud-spattered Rodney strode into the hall, still wearing his spurs, exhausted but ready to brake the tie in his state's delegation by voting for independence.

On July 2, 1776 the Continental Congress made the momentous decision to break free from England. "Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states." Two days late, it adopted the Declaration of Independence.

 

This is Ella, only a few months older than Savannah at the time…crazy how time flies!

 

God bless America, and God bless the men and women who were willing to live their lives in such a way that they had enough courage and integrity to do what needed to be done when it needed to be done. Happy 4th!

34 and 1

So, Savannah and I got a year older recently.  Just a year and a few weeks ago I was pregnant with this little gal—And she is just as sweet and precious as when she was born.  This little gal has such a lovely disposition and a smile to melt hearts.  She has been a huge blessing in our home!

  Here is our family a year ago right before

she was born….

And here I am right before she was born..and there she is!

 

Of course, she does have some other influences working that may sway her to come onto the other side of the fence as far as mischief making goes—we shall see what the future brings…

 

This was one morning when I had gotten her and Conner ready to go to the library—I went to brush my teeth and came out and saw this—Conner had poured ALL her baby cereal all over her highchair and floor—she thought it was fantastic!

She got this bike for her B Day and she loves it!

Loving her cake…

 

One night Savannah was a  little jealous of her cousin Delphine’s full head of hair—we thought this might make her feel better.

 

We love our baby girl!!!

I had a great birthday as well—Got to go out with my wonderful husband on Friday night and then he took me to the zoo on Saturday—and we rode our bikes around.  We’ve done it with the kids before, but I have always wanted to it with him as a date.  We did take some pics—but I think those are on his camera.

I frankly cannot believe I am 34—Shouldn’t I be wiser or more patient or have figured out how to keep my house clean by now?  Could someone please tell me what age this happens—I will really be looking forward to THAT birthday.  Maybe 37? That sounds super mature and grown up so I’m thinking that must be it.  Let’s hope….

Easter and Other Stuff

Looking for baskets after church…

Sunday best—and yes, Angie has braces!  Doesn’t she look so cute a like a little teenager now?

We also went to the Museum of Natural History for their dinosaur egg hunt.  I thought the activity itself was a bit lame—they definitely should have had more eggs for all the kids to find—but the kids had a good time anyway and it was a fun family memory.

 

My beautiful family

 

These are from my nephew Etienne’s birthday party at Makutu’s Island--

Savannah and Delphine—what’s up girlfriend?

 

Here’s Conner and Etienne—except I couldn’t get Etienne to look at me.

 

These are just some random pics—I actually got mad at the older kids for taking this picture and laughing at it—but I have to admit it is pretty funny—sometimes getting in the car is right next to torture for little ones.

I love this of Savannah with her little attitude—which is funny because she is the happy-go-luckiest baby in the world!

 

And I just LOVE this picture—Aunt Becky comes over a lot on Sundays for dinner—and she is always good at entertaining kids and coming up with games—Notice how everyone—even Savannah—has their arms up and is cheering?  Love it!

 

Thoughts

I have no pictures.  I haven’t downloaded them.  So I haven’t posted.  And I was close to letting this blog slowly fade out of existence.  It seems not many are blogging these days?  Is it facebook, because I don’t do facebook. 

Okay, that was sort of an odd, dismal beginning.  However, I wanted to post something because I realized I don’t want this blog to die.  Sometimes my kids or I will get on it and look at pics and video (note to self—need to post some videos) and we really enjoy it.  I also do a photo album on my computer, but this is another fun way to document—and it is a fun way to keep in contact.  So I’m posting something and I will make a concerted effort to post again soon with pictures….and hopefully some of my other friends who have blogs will do the same—I love to see your posts! 

 

Okay, so now I should share something insightful….how about thoughts on teenagers?  I have one and half teenagers ( I don’t know if Sunny will ever really become one and Angie seems like she has been one since the age of six).  They are funny.  They are confusing.  They are sometimes snotty and stubborn.  They have their own testimonies.  They like to make their own choices(grrrrrr).  They are a ginormous help to me.  They are talented and beautiful girls.  Angie plays piano very well and is getting better with her singing—she is learning guitar and she plays soccer and swims.  And she teaches a girl in our neighborhood piano as a service—her idea for a personal progress goal (a church program for young women).  Sunny also plays piano and sings (her and Angie and I like to sing duets and trios at home together).  She is always creating things, and writing—she just got into a writing club with her little friend.  She is a fantastic cross country runner and recently placed 2nd out of all the 6th grade girls in our entire school district.  They amaze me.

This last week I subbed for Jack’s Sunday School class at church (he had to go out of town for work) and I was again amazed at these kids—they are their own people and they are the future of our world.  And they are capable, beautiful, energetic young people—they are also frustrating and crazy and immature, but inside themselves they KNOW WHO THEY ARE.

So, what is my point?  Besides the obvious desire to brag about my wonderful daughters?  Well, I have been asking myself lately what is my role as a mother?  Especially now with these teenagers quickly growing and moving up up in life.  And I think motherhood should be described in one phrase—ENVIRONMENT CREATOR.  My job is to create a proper environment in which my children can grow and develop on their own—safely and surrounded by love.  I need to keep order (somewhat), feed them good food, and only bring things (or allow them to bring things) into our home that are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”  Oh, and I try any way I can to put good things into their minds and hearts—through scriptures, books, music, movies, whatever.  Sometimes at night I will offer to let them listen to a talk or good music as they fall asleep—and of course they take the bate!  Of course, my husband should help with this, but being home the most I do feel more of a responsibility.  And then, as this is happening, I need to let them make their choices WITHIN the environment that I have created.  And hope that as they leave this environment the things that they have learned here will help them to create a wonderful environment of their own.  Because they like to feel empowered—just like I do.  So, yeah, those are my thoughts on teenagers.  It sounds good on paper doesn’t it? Wish me blessings, and good blessings to us all!

Where have we been??????

We sold our house!  And it sold so fast we ended up having to move into a rental house …. because the house we thought we were buying fell through…. and then it ended up working out….so a month later…two weeks before Christmas…we moved in to our new house!

So, yeah, haven’t blogged much…

But, thankfully, we had company coming a week before Christmas so that got our little booties on the move and we got things cleaned up enough for a Christmas Eve party…

 

So here’s a glimpse of our new home…doing what homes do best…filled up with people, food, babies, and lots of noise!

(Sorry, for some reason can’t get pics to rotate.)

This was the “Jingle Bells” number with the little ones.  We do a family Christmas show on Christmas Eve.

And all the cousins got Christmas PJs…

Girls are always ready for another picture!

And then we watched Charlie Brown’s Christmas.  It was SUCH a fun night, a wonderful Christmas, and we are really enjoying our new home.  Of course there is more to do (like there always is), but we are definitely functional now.  So, any locals are welcome to come for a visit.  I will post more pics soon.  Merry Christmas everyone!!!