Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Summer Break On Its Way

I would like to think we are planning our summer break fun but I think summer activities are planning us instead. I'm looking forward to it and hope we can do some good.

We are planning a reading challenge to keep the kids, well all of us, reading during the summer. Our prize is a family day at Boondock's.  Ron purchased a year pass to Hogle Zoo. Got a sneak peak of the zoo on a 3rd grade fieldtrip recently and I'm excited for the 2012 season already. They are building a polar bear exhibit that will be quite amazing. I will have two kids in the Kaysville 4th of July parade (one in the Davis marching band and one for KJH cheerleaders) pretty excited and 3 family members in the Wizard of Oz annual 4th of July play. My brother lives close to Pineview beach in Huntsville, we will do small hikes, boating, wave runners courtesy of his girlfriend and lots of fun activities on the beach. My mom will be in town during the summer and also my daughter Christina will be around. So happy about that.

I plan on having the girls sew their own aprons, sew pants into shorts and make homemade bread. Cameron has been invited to attend Utah Boys State on a scholarship. Cameron/Brandon/Jonathon and maybe Ron will all get to go river rafting for their Venture Adventure. The girls both have Young Women Camp. Dallon has Cub Day Camp. Dallon and Kaydon get to have swimming lessons, yeah! Swimming every Monday at a neighbor's house. Love her for sharing her pool with us. She is awesome. Ron is planning a Kings Peak adventure with the older boys, party for the rest of us. Ha. We will have family vacation at the Grand Canyon/Zion's National. I'm excited to do some backyard camping with a fire pit.

The best part of summer break is I have the kids cook the meals. Breakfast and dinners will be made by each having a turn. I will continue to make Ron's meals. This gives my kids experience in the kitchen, helps them be independent.

The kids will also update their individual scrapbooks, We have been putting everything in the front pocket of their books, now it's time to everything out of the pocket and scrapbook it in . Some take more time than others, more creative, but they are all helping with this project. I'm having them go through all the pics we have on the computer and choose which ones they want for their own book. I get to scrapbook all the vacation pics.


I'm hoping to do a service project every week, keeping an eye on what we can do to be good citizens in the neighborhood. To make someone happy, to have good feelings in helping where we can.

I'm hoping it will be a fun summer break, one that doesn't go by so fast like last year's. One that will allow us to slow down and enjoy it and hopefully we will have some summer weather to go with it, nothing to hot, workable. So who's ready for summer?

I know I am but before that I still have field day activities to do, 3rd grade water party, 6th grade graduation. My sweetie Samantha is moving on to the big leagues of Junior High next year, the land of Drama queens :) , poor girl, I'm hoping she makes it through without to much damage done. But until then, ready, set, summer break!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Teachers

I have been excited about summer coming up, however, I also have been dreading it. I was sitting, listening to my young son's "Spring Sing" put on by the first graders. They were going month to month and singing the things they had learned. They had made it to July which celebrates my favorite holiday. As they were singing those patriotic songs I couldn't help but feel teary-eyed and pride, I love those songs. I know first hand that Kaydon's teacher had put the majority of it together. I volunteer on Fridays in her class and see how wonderful she is, teaching through song. They would sing those patriotic songs while I was there and I always feel the same way. So grateful to have a teacher who feels these songs are important . While sitting there listening I had sad feelings of missing this awesome teacher and for the first time ever in all my volunteering wasn't looking forward to the end of it. I love the teachers I work with right now, I love the things I get to do, how I feel when I'm done. 

Even as an adult teachers are still teaching me, just by watching them teach and they truly do mother the kids they teach. I felt like Mrs. Robinson (Kaydon's teacher) really loved each of her students. Later on in the year she found out I had eight children through a show n' tell, she kept thinking of me as a Saint because there wasn't a week I missed, seriously I had the exact thoughts of her.  Mrs. Furse was so friendly and would talk to me forever if we could and just loved Dallon, she was always praising Dallon about something to me and of course who doesn't want to hear good things about their child. Just keep feeding my ego. She used him for everything as an example for the rest of the kids. The kids really looked up to him too, not to mention Dallon loved the attention. She has helped him be the leader he was meant to be and I think that will carry through. I was glad I got to work with her, she is way awesome. But it will be sad when it ends. We build these friendships and then they seem to end when school ends. No more close associations with them.

I think school teachers are still to this day an inspiration to me and are still affecting me with their wisdom and kindness. Teachers are like mothers, they reach us, and teach us like no one can, without really expecting anything in return. Teachers are to be cherished and deserve our gratitude. Granted their are some teachers not worth mentioning and we are glad they are gone from our lives forever. But, there those few teachers that touch our lives for good and we never forget them.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Therapy Sessions

I thought since I have a lot of build up tension and thoughts running through my mind, it would be good to have therapy sessions. Don't worry, I don't plan on spilling it all out on here, some wouldn't be able to handle it. But, I thought, people go to therapists for all types of things to get their mind cleared and to have someone actually here them and hear it out without any strings attached. So, I think I'm going to start "therapy sessions" at home with Ron. See if he can't help me and I him. I think it's good for spouses to be able to do this in the first place but sometimes we need to plan these little sessions just so we can speak what's on our mind without everyone getting upset. The one must play the role of therapist and that's all, can give good feedback and advice, but can't comment on the others words. Let's see how this goes, first of all I have to talk him into becoming my therapists.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Mother's Day Gift

Ron took me to J & J's to buy my garden and some tools for Mother's Day. I've been itching to get my garden planted, Ron thought it was the right time to do it, so, I was busy digging about and getting it planned after getting the plants. I'm excited for this year, I'm trying some new things.

This year I've planted:
cucumbers
tomatoes
bell peppers (red, green and yellow)
pumpkin (our ward is having a pumpkin growing contest and they gave us seeds
cabbage (the state is having a contest for each child to grow one, lucky for me)
turnips
carrots
onions
garlic
yellow squash
eggplant (not about to pay $3.99 each when I can grow them, I hope)
lettuce (ice-berg)
zucchini
and peas

Wow! You type it out and it sounds like a lot and  I guess that it is. Grateful to have an area to have a garden.
I'm also starting an herb garden in pots, so far I have cilantro. With the $20 Mother's Day gift from Brandon I plan on getting basil and oregano and some other herbs once I find out what they have. It's going to be great unless some natural disaster comes and destroys it, too much rain, sudden snow, etc.



My daughters also surprised me with little boxes of homemade chocolate turtles and a sewn rice bag that you can use as a heating pad. It works pretty good. They made those in Mutual. Danielle came home early from church to decorate the inside of the house and make no bake cookies. She is sweet.

Ron did the dishes all that day and even made the Family Home Evening treat-Congo Bars. So, I did minimum in the kitchen yesterday, always a bonus.

My Dallon had made at school, a hand soap that had a cute saying inside the bottle:

I love my mom! grateful hands, clean hands, kind  hands, loving hands, strong  hands, teaching hands, giving hands, willing hands, gentle hands, caring hands, happy hands, working hands, helping hands.

He says they actually did  put the saying in there themselves and filled it up with hand soap.

Kaydon made a picture frame with his smiling face as a picture, that came with a cute picture of me and a sweet note.  My pride and joys. My kids are the greatest!



Thursday, May 5, 2011

My Rock

I'm so grateful for prayer. I find when no one else cares or is listening, I know He is. He is the one I can turn to when it seems everyone else has turned away. It's during these times, He brings me hope and comfort, that tomorrow is a better day. He is my one sure foundation, my rock, my salvation. Without Him, I would be lost.

It's my job to be there for everyone, to make sure everyone is taking care of. It's my duty to cook, plan, clean, do laundry, take kids around to varies activities, listen, care, teach, love, discipline, etc. Sometimes moms/wives need to be taken care of too, sometimes we can get a little burned out and we need a short break and for me it doesn't take much to put me back in place, it's nice when others don't make me feel guilty for taking breaks.  But, I need to keep my first knowledge of knowing that I am cared for, that someone will spend time with me and listen to me. I've had it all along. I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who understands his daughter and when thoughts of Him come to my mind, when I'm calling for Him, I can feel Him and He is there.
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