Back to blogging (hopefully)

I'm trying this from my phone so hopefully it works.

We're having a great summer. One of our favorite things so far is reading as you can see from the picture (if it works). Anyway, here's hoping!

The School Year Comes to an End

I really can't believe that the school year is already over. I now have a 7th grader, a 5th grader and a 2nd grader. The time has gone so fast! I am proud of the hard work the kids put in this year. Becky ended up getting honor roll, and Emily got every award possible except perfect attendance, which she wants to try for next year. Kaleb's teacher loved having him in class and was impressed with his reading and math skills. We are all looking forward to this summer break, and our trip to Utah. I can't wait to see everyone!

This morning I sat down with the kids and we each made a list of the things we want to do this summer. Hopefully we can find the time to do half the things we want to but here's a revised list:

beach

biking to the beach

camping

all the kids want to take turns cooking dinner (yay!)

quilting

crafting

scrapbooking

babysitting

de-cluttering and having a yardsale (hoping that motivates all of us to get rid of stuff)

swimming

reading

wii games

playing games

and Emily wants to work and earn money for 5th grade camp next year

Add to this list Monday-Friday chores and it's going to be a fun, busy summer.

Memorial Day

We had a great Memorial Day. It was beautiful and clear. We slept in, then took the sail boat out on the ocean. The wind was very strong and the waves were extremely choppy. Even with a dramamine, my stomach was not liking the ride. The kids also were not feeling so great, so we headed back to the harbor, and enjoyed a couple of hours on the beach. It was crowded, but still peaceful. I love the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. We ended the day with a bbq with our great friends, the Chatfields. They are moving to Utah next week, so we're trying to take advantage of the time we have left with them here. Nice weather, great friends, and a fun day.

It's been a long, long time

I have actually tried to blog several times since September, but my pictures will not upload from the laptop. So Blake got a new computer from work. By new, I definitely mean new to us, and it does not have near enough memory for the pictures we take. So we're kind of in limbo with pictures and blogging, but I had such a great experience on Friday that I had to share.

I am a substitute teacher. It is not always easy, but it can be very rewarding. On Friday morning, one of the girls in the 3rd grade class I was teaching in told me her dad was coming home on the 22nd. I asked her if he had been away for a while and she showed me on the calendar that he had been away since November. He is in the airforce, and she was so excited for him to come home. In the afternoon we were watching a science video when in walks her Mom with a video camera, her little sister, and her dad!! She ran into his arms and he picked her up and gave her the biggest hug. Such a sweet moment. I had tears in my eyes as I welcomed him home. I am so thankful for the military families and the huge sacrifices they make for us. It was a blessing to be a part of that experience on Friday.

Coping with loss

This week Kaleb's fish died. He wasn't all that attached, considering he and the girls forgot to pick up the fish for three days after our recent trip to Utah, but it was still hard. He cried a little, and we cuddled and talked about it.

It wasn't half an hour later though that he came over to me and said, "Now I don't have to clean out the fish bowl anymore, right?" Way to look on the positive side Kaleb!

Homemaking in action

I've found some great deals lately on furnishings. I can't remember if I already posted about our free chairs and couch. I got the coffee table and end tables at Ikea for $40 total, and the black vases at a yardsale for $5, and we now have a nice sitting area.

Last week I found the table I've been wanting. It's square, and can seat up to 8 (although it just came with 6 chairs). Speaking of the chairs, they were gross. They had white fabric, and lots of stains, and had to go. My friend, Rachel, came over and helped me to recover them. We had ripped all the fabric off before I thought to take a before picture, so I just placed the fabric back on. You get the idea of how gross the chairs were, right?

After a trip to the fabric store, using the staple gun and some scotch guard application we ended up with this:

I love how they turned out, and I'm so glad Rachel knew what she was doing and could help me along. It was super easy!

So, here's the view from our front door. We now have plenty of room for sitting and eating, so please come visit soon!

Quick, fun trip to Utah

We had a fun, quick trip to Utah the weekend after Labor Day. Here are the kids all "sleeping" in the same hotel bed. We won't be able to do this for much longer!

After Blake and Kaleb headed to Lake Powell with the Torgersen guys, the girls and I went camping with my mom, and Kirsten, and thankfully we convinced Pauline to come with us. We had a great time at this park for lunch in Huntington.

Our campsite was right on the reservoir. Emily jumped right in for a swim. Bex needed a little more convincing, but she also enjoyed the freezing water.

The girls really enjoyed squishing the mud between their toes.

My Dad helped Emily with his kayak. She did great, and never tipped it over.

Me and Pauline enjoying the down time of camping. Loved it!!

Bex found some fishing line and a hook, and went fishing. I think next time she goes on the sailboat, she's going to have something else to do.

We cheered on Shaunalei and Erik as they ran a marathon. Ken, Brent, and Gayle were already done by the time we arrived. It made me tired just driving the 26.2 miles. I can't imagine running that far!

Here's the last picture I took before my batteries died. The pytroglyphs were amazing!

After the marathon, we headed to Springville for a Turner reunion. They did a great job planning the first Turner olympics, including javelin throwing, disc throwing, volleyball, and my favorite: syncronized swimming. Everyone participated, and it was tons of fun. Blake and Kaleb also had a great time in Lake Powell, but thought it was not a long enough trip. I have to agree. Blake said that despite getting sick with terrible allergies. I'm so glad we were able to spend time with family and friends!!