The Summer Begins

Yesterday was a half day and the last day of school. After coming home and running around for a couple of hours Jessie, Mark, Abbie and I ended up playing a game of Settlers while Spencer finally took his nap. It was a great game and Jessie creamed us. She had a road that was 14 sticks long and the entire wood supply. It was really fun and I'm glad Jessie won because she never seems to be ahead in that game.

Last night after Ken read another chapter of Summer of the Monkeys to the kids he proofed Spencer's scrapbook for me. Yep, you heard right! I'm done!!!!! (Except for the few misspellings I need to correct.) So check out the slide show in the sidebar - second button down makes it full screen.

While Ken proofed I started another round of painting. It was the fun part -- putting on the grass. And it turned out great!

So today is the first official day of summer vacation and my kids were up at 6:00 this morning! We can barely drag Jessie out of bed at 7:30 most school mornings. So can you guess what they were doing at this unearthly hour? Jessie was teaching Mark his multiplication facts! My kids make me laugh.

Spencer, Spencer, Spencer

While the other kids had a sleepover at Grandma's house, Ken and Spencer and I went to take a few pictures of the mountains and then he and Ken played a game of Stratego before bed. At the BBQ for Memorial Day Spencer wanted to go out and play, but the rain had made the day a little chilly. No fear -- grandma saved the day! Spencer borrowed her jacket and ran on out. Stephanie went to join him.
" Take a picture of me with my eyes closed!" Spencer told Steph.
Daddy was outside too; putting together soaker hose for Grandma's garden.
This morning after my presidency meeting Felicity stayed to play. We made all sorts of funny potato heads before she had to go home.

Yellow is my Favorite

On Saturday was started our big painting project. Too bad that big projects usually start with cleaning up a mess. It took us most of the day to get the old wall paper border off Mark's room and off the bottom of the kitchen walls. Thank you Scott and Steph SO much for letting us use your steamer or we would still be in there picking at wall paper with our finger nails. We started painting Monday morning. Do you love the yellow! It's about the color of dandelions, but not too goldish. It will be the backdrop for the jungle animals I'll be trying to paint this week.
Mark and Abbie were so excited to help with the painting and surprisingly enough we had no catastrophes! The funny part of the story was that Mark has been sleeping with Jessie the last few nights (and loving it) since his bed is out in the middle of the room with no rails, and the first night Spencer fell asleep in our bed and then we put him on the girl's floor so he also wouldn't roll out of bed. That lasted until 4:00 in the morning when he woke up screaming for Ken. He wouldn't go back to sleep until we put him in his bed. Luckily he has stayed put. What a stubborn boy.

School Programs

Mark's school program was on Friday. They had a jungle theme. Mark had a part to say. Grandma and Ken came to watch with Spencer, Abbie and I. I was feeling like such a good parent -- I left the house 15 minutes before it started for the 2 minute ride to the school. The cafeteria was still 1/3 full when I got there! Crazy!
Mark with his teacher, Mrs. Carlson.
Jessie's school program was today. They sang; they danced; they signed. And yes, I was early to this one too and the cafeteria was even more full. I think you have to come and help serve lunch to sit on the front row.
Jessie with her teacher, Miss Johnson.

Uncle Mark's Day

I just wanted to wish my incredibly talented and kind brother a most wonderful birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!

It's Raining, It's Pouring!

This morning as the kids left for school it started to rain. And it surprised me by continuing to rain and rain and rain. In Utah that doesn't happen! It rains here for 35 minutes if you're lucky and then maybe again for a few minutes a couple of hours later, but today was a TREAT! It rained for three hours -- it reminded me of home.

I think maybe I'm a little weird, but you already knew that. I love rainy days because to me it feels like a day to bake cookies and light candles and just relax. So today Spencer and I made 4 pie crusts. And Abbie helped me make two batches of pumpkin pie filling. Our house smelled delicious and the kids couldn't wait to try the pie. When they finally came out of the oven we read a ton of library books to give them time to cool because every minute or two I was asked if they were cool enough to eat.

Everything outside was beautiful! I love water drops on the plants and the water marks on the wooden fences.
The chickens didn't seem to be enjoying the rain as much as I was.
For lunch Spencer, Abbie and I had pumpkin pie, of course!
This is my bleeding heart from Aunt DeAnn.

The water leaking out of the gutter making puddles in the flower beds.

Boy were we excited to have pie.

This is the kids rock collection by our back door since they are not normally allowed to bring rocks inside the house.
I hope Ken doesn't regret leaving his work shoes outside today!

Well that finished off our lunch and our afternoon. After lunch Abbie and Spencer both took a nap until Jessie and Mark came home from school and I got to work on Spencer's scrapbook. I'm almost done with October - that means only 2 months of the year left.

Spencer's Scrapbook

Hey - check out Spencer's scrapbook slide show in the sidebar. Tonight I uploaded the pages for his first birthday. That means I've finish a whole year of his life! I'm so excited! My new goal is to finish through the end of the year in the next two weeks. Wish me luck!

Spirit Week at School

Today kicks off spirit week at school - crazy hair day. There wasn't much we could do to Mark unless he wanted to have a crazy hair month, but Jessie is excited to show off her tri-pony tails.

Normal from the front.

Silly in the back.

The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden

We got the last of our garden plants on Monday. A few tomatoes and peppers and a bunch of flowers for the front flower beds. Then all I got planted was the flowers in the front (after 1 1/2 hours of weeding). So Thursday we spent the morning in the backyard. Abbie and Spencer were super helpers. They especially loved to water and I'm surprised not more got wet. Abbie held all the stakes for me so I could stake down the tomato cages and the hose we strung through them. She thought they were great candy canes and discovered she could hang them around the neck of her shirt and not have to hold them.

This week each of the third grade classes took a turn having each of the kids set up a store for the rest of the third grade to spend their "good bucks" they've been earning. Jessie' class was the last to go. Jessie decided to do a bean bag toss for her shop. If you could make it in one of the tupperware she had spread out on the floor you got to pick a magnet. Spencer, Abbie and I rode our bikes over to school to take a picture of her display before the kids got started, because no parents were allowed to be around when the shopping began. Jessie was so pleased; she made $104 dollars and still had 6 magnets left over from the 31 we sent with her. Everyone seemed to have a great time.
Tomorrow is our 2nd Primary Activity of the year. We are doing a FHE -- or a Primary Church Mid-Morning (PCM). We will be acting out the Parable of the Good Samaritan for our lesson, playing a bean bag game in the gym, making these secret service flowers and having treats of course.

Stamp Day Preview

Here is a sneak at the cards for this week's Stamp Day (except for the two ice cream cones and the blue daises flowers on the left - they were from last month). The little "love" card is a 3x3 wedding card with stitching around it. The blue and pink bird cards could also have a message that reads "happy bird-day to you." I'm also trying to get together a graduation card; I guess that will be a surprise card. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

Mother's Day

The kids all helped make wrapping paper for my new pressure cooker! (Thank you to the RS mini-classes.) The paper was beautiful and so personal. That along with pretty pictures from the kids, and banana nut muffins that Ken made for breakfast the morning was great.

Dinner and dessert was at Ken's parents home and it was so beautiful outside we ate in the backyard. Besides a little spilled water we did great.
Grandma with a "From my Grandkids" memoir book. She's already got papers to fill the first few pages.
Grandma Jennie with Megan and Mark.

MTC Moment

After running around to get David's last few things: a pillow, a towel and laundry bag. We packed a picnic lunch and took off to the park. It had rained for about five minutes a little before we got there and that really cooled the day down. The kids got a little chilly and Mark and Jessie went to finish their sandwiches in the car.

At the MTC David had to take his luggage to a special place and the kids played in the pine trees while we waited for him to return.
This is outside the MTC.

The new missionaries go through one door and get their name tag and a card with their MTC address on it. I got to put David's name tag on for him.
The little orange dot means you're the new one. I guess after a few days tradition says you move it to the back or inside of your name tag and see how long you can keep it there. Ken's name tag from the MTC still has its sticker on it.
Silly Spencer gave David a kiss on the cheek and then closed his eyes for the picture.
Jessie was the most sad when it came time for David to leave so we all had ice cream cones on the front step for something special. After ice cream all the kids helped put peat moss over the grass seed we put down to try and fill in the dirt we had to dig up to put in the sprinklers. The kids were all awesome helpers even when it started pouring rain they stayed outside to finish the job. After changing clothes and warming back up Ken, Mark, Abbie and I played a great game of Settlers of Catan and had popcorn. Everyone is now in bed and Ken just finished reading some of our night-time chapter book. Right now we are reading Kneeknock Rise by Natalie Babbitt. Everyone is really enjoying it.