Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Eva and I's adventure with Blake and Clara
Monday, September 26, 2016
General Women's Meeting 9/16
Aubrie was not interested in attending at all. And she did go anyway after much coercion. I did mention to her that we should just be where we are supposed to be re: meetings of the church. And its really true. It's taken a lot of years of doing that for me to just be there. And even know sometimes I just go out of duty. It was a great meeting though. Some highlights from my notes:
The greatest form of charity can be withholding judgement
When I have done all I can, than leave it or them alone and ALLOW healing.
We fail to teach our Youth and our Children the pure doctrine of the gospel sometimes because we are afraid to offend them or because it could be really awkward. Be Bold. Be straightforward. Use common sense.
Invite, persuade and teach--but DO NOT compel or force.
Fourth floor--Last Door--Harriet Uchtdorf. Keep seeking. Have Faith. Don't give up.
Just because I don't hear something, doesn't mean there isn't something to hear (believe).
The greatest form of charity can be withholding judgement
When I have done all I can, than leave it or them alone and ALLOW healing.
We fail to teach our Youth and our Children the pure doctrine of the gospel sometimes because we are afraid to offend them or because it could be really awkward. Be Bold. Be straightforward. Use common sense.
Invite, persuade and teach--but DO NOT compel or force.
Fourth floor--Last Door--Harriet Uchtdorf. Keep seeking. Have Faith. Don't give up.
Just because I don't hear something, doesn't mean there isn't something to hear (believe).
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Hans Nieevard
Today I attended the funeral of Hans Nievaard. What a great man and a great example of how to live life. I could not help but feel like I really need to do better in all of my interactions with my family and with my neighbors and with my coworkers at work. He always treated you like you were the most important person in the room at that time. I will never forget how he was the first person to come up to our family when we first moved here to Salt Lake City to shake our hands with his wonderful smile and to help us feel welcome. He was the one who helped prepare for Robbie's baptism and always was the one every week to shake our hands and look into our eyes to see how we were doing.
There was one story told that was shared that was really really near. One of his friends took him to the hospital for cancer treatments and on the way home they stopped to get a shake and randomly passed by a street and Hans told his friend to pull over and turn the car off. He then said, "This was the house where I grew up and this spot where we are parked right now is exactly where I proposed to my wife." What an awesome tender mercy to be able to have that experience randomly the day before passing away!
In his closing remarks, Bishop Cooper shared the experience that each of us had in the bishopric to take the sacrament to Hans the Sunday before he passed away. We had mentioned to him that there would be a ward fast on behalf of those in the ward who are struggling. He said, "well, I cannot eat anyway so tell me some names of people that need help so I can remember them in the fast." Even in his miserable state going through chemotherapy, he was still thinking about other people.
What a privilege it was to know this great man even for just a few short years.
Mosiah 2:41
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Another found draft from 10/16: Snapshot 5.0
Let's start with Clara this time....
She just has turned in to this little girl. And its equal parts sad and adorable. She makes really fun commentary all the time and sings full songs (today at lunch she was singing "shut up and dance with me at the top of her lungs. In her crib this morning I didn't get her for like 30 minutes while I finished my lesson for sunday school and she was singing to a tune I think she just made up "mom! dad! Come and get me out my crib!" over and over.
She likes most foods we have eaten regularly but she is not willing to try new foods very often. What will usually help is when she sees the other kids oohing and aahhhing over something. She still kind of takes naps--pretty regularly she doesn't fall asleep but will read, talk, sing and play with her babies the entire two hours.
Clara is such a social girl. She really isn't alone very often which is probably part of it. She loves to be with the other kids, she will follow them anywhere and everywhere. She has started to really play with them too, especially Blake (like where she is fun for them to play with).
Everyone always points out how happy she is--and sometimes I wonder if its just her personality to be so pleasant or if its a combination of that and the fact that she is constantly being loved and told how cute and wonderful she is. (probably a good lesson for how we should treat the other kids:))
Blake just started kindergarten 2 weeks ago and he just kind of went in the first day and hasn't ever said anything since unless I ask him and then he always has something exciting that happened to him at school. I have noticed he cries easier the last few weeks and I don't know if that is from school or if he's just more exhausted everyday. He seems like he's already made some friends--they seem to so easily at this age and they've had so many fun things they've done--adventures in the woods, friends come into visit, baby goats in their little courtyard, building fairy houses, playing house and cars, learning new songs and rhythms. His teachers Mrs. Jo and Mrs. Brooke seems really quick minded both of them and Mrs. Jo raised 12 kids so she is very aware and doesn't miss a beat. Blake and our neighbor Parker (he's a year and a half younger) always are asking to play with each other. Sometimes they get into a little bit of mischief--like peeing outside in the dirt pile all the time-- but they really do get along so well.
This morning when I went to wake up Blake for church he was lying face down on the mattress and without missing a beat, he reached his arm up and put it around my neck and pulled me down next to me and snuggled right in. I was so sad to not be able to just stay there and forget about going to church. I just love our snuggly little brown eyed boy.
Hallie learned how to knit and crochet at school this last month and she somehow convinced one of her classmates to buy her a fancy crochet hook (or maybe she traded her for some yarn) and she is usually seen carrying yarn and a hook around. And really anything else that is creating is her greatest love. We cleaned out under her bed for Saturday chore yesterday so I can attest to the piles of notebooks and containers of crayons and paints and cardboard with duct tape that is a part of Hallie's life. She just oozes with creativity. When she's telling stories her expressions are funny, when she's embarassed she makes this wide eyed blank stare, and when she laughs its with her whole body. She's just a lot of fun. And also such a pleasant soul. Today she is wearing jean shorts, and I love Michigan shirt and Robbie's blue suspenders and she just rocks it!
Robbie is good at creating opportunities for himself. He and Spencer started LaMo lawn service this summer and they've been very responsible with it and have done a good job. From my perspective its seems like they've done well every time they've mowed so that their clients want them to come back and mow. Theyre most consistent lawns are the Bullocks and the Jensens and they mowed the Wilsons for about a month and they've had other one off times to mow. They've probably each earned close to $150 this summer. Good chance to manage money and have some extra spending that really helps them to want to earn more because they love the freedom of it. Robbie somehow found this coupon calendar yesterday and discovered coupons for a bacon burger BOGO and then a FRY BOGO and he and Spencer asked to go to bike to Woody's once they were done mowing yesterday and use some of the money to one of them buy the burger and the other the fry and then share. I'm glad for them to have the chance to do stuff like that. Ryan and I kind of got roped in to being Robbie's coaches for his soccer team (the coach was not there most of the time and when he was, he wasn't really). I left both practice and his game feeling giddy and then last night on our date at dinner Ryan and I spent most of the time talking positions and good drills. They played so much better this week and really did such a great job and I think a big part of that was just watching the boys at practice and seeing where their instincts are (defensively or offensively) and then putting them in certain positions. And then we talked and drilled alot with passing so it opens the field more. And at the game, Ryan subbed and had the top of the field and I stayed back and coached midfield and fullbacks and they just really seemed to gel finally. It was so fun!
Aubrie is officially in junior high this year. Even though she is still at the "elementary school", they treat teh 6-8 grade students totally different and they have a different schedule and expectations, etc. I hope she just thrives this year and makes some good friends again. I have felt sad for her to not have Olivia from NH to be her best friend and she has Kaiya and other pretty good friends but it definitely has not been quite the same. I know she misses it. She handles it pretty well though. She started in YW a few weeks ago, and the leaders and girls came into Primary and the Primary kids sang goodbye to her and the YW sang hello to her and brought her back into YW with them. She was definitely ready. It will be a good experience to be a small fish in a big pond again. It's definitely humbling. Kelsey Nichols and I (and a man named Doug) are coaching Aub's soccer team. But mostly Kelsey is just amazing! She is an incredible coach. She has played since she was 5-6 and shes my same age and she's never stopped playing. She plays on two teams right now. So she just has always been in the thick of it and still has her own coach. It makes her such an effective coach. And she is so kind that they girls respond well to her. I hope she coaches Aubrie for years. The team has done SO much better in just a few weeks of games and practices. She pulled Aubrie aside to work on her passing and I am glad for her to have those chances to improve. Today I told Aubrie I was making french toast for lunch and she comes over and says "what can I help you with mom" and she proceeded to cut up strawberries, clean out the dishwasher, set the table and then even helped do the dishes after with only minimal complaining. She is SO helpful. She really is. She gives Ryan and I a run for our money and there has been WAY TOO MUCH yelling around here the last few months. But despite all that, Aubrie (although she'd never say it outloud) IS learning and applying things she learns at church and she is so good to the core. She is such a responsible girl!
She just has turned in to this little girl. And its equal parts sad and adorable. She makes really fun commentary all the time and sings full songs (today at lunch she was singing "shut up and dance with me at the top of her lungs. In her crib this morning I didn't get her for like 30 minutes while I finished my lesson for sunday school and she was singing to a tune I think she just made up "mom! dad! Come and get me out my crib!" over and over.
She likes most foods we have eaten regularly but she is not willing to try new foods very often. What will usually help is when she sees the other kids oohing and aahhhing over something. She still kind of takes naps--pretty regularly she doesn't fall asleep but will read, talk, sing and play with her babies the entire two hours.
Clara is such a social girl. She really isn't alone very often which is probably part of it. She loves to be with the other kids, she will follow them anywhere and everywhere. She has started to really play with them too, especially Blake (like where she is fun for them to play with).
Everyone always points out how happy she is--and sometimes I wonder if its just her personality to be so pleasant or if its a combination of that and the fact that she is constantly being loved and told how cute and wonderful she is. (probably a good lesson for how we should treat the other kids:))
Blake just started kindergarten 2 weeks ago and he just kind of went in the first day and hasn't ever said anything since unless I ask him and then he always has something exciting that happened to him at school. I have noticed he cries easier the last few weeks and I don't know if that is from school or if he's just more exhausted everyday. He seems like he's already made some friends--they seem to so easily at this age and they've had so many fun things they've done--adventures in the woods, friends come into visit, baby goats in their little courtyard, building fairy houses, playing house and cars, learning new songs and rhythms. His teachers Mrs. Jo and Mrs. Brooke seems really quick minded both of them and Mrs. Jo raised 12 kids so she is very aware and doesn't miss a beat. Blake and our neighbor Parker (he's a year and a half younger) always are asking to play with each other. Sometimes they get into a little bit of mischief--like peeing outside in the dirt pile all the time-- but they really do get along so well.
This morning when I went to wake up Blake for church he was lying face down on the mattress and without missing a beat, he reached his arm up and put it around my neck and pulled me down next to me and snuggled right in. I was so sad to not be able to just stay there and forget about going to church. I just love our snuggly little brown eyed boy.
Hallie learned how to knit and crochet at school this last month and she somehow convinced one of her classmates to buy her a fancy crochet hook (or maybe she traded her for some yarn) and she is usually seen carrying yarn and a hook around. And really anything else that is creating is her greatest love. We cleaned out under her bed for Saturday chore yesterday so I can attest to the piles of notebooks and containers of crayons and paints and cardboard with duct tape that is a part of Hallie's life. She just oozes with creativity. When she's telling stories her expressions are funny, when she's embarassed she makes this wide eyed blank stare, and when she laughs its with her whole body. She's just a lot of fun. And also such a pleasant soul. Today she is wearing jean shorts, and I love Michigan shirt and Robbie's blue suspenders and she just rocks it!
Robbie is good at creating opportunities for himself. He and Spencer started LaMo lawn service this summer and they've been very responsible with it and have done a good job. From my perspective its seems like they've done well every time they've mowed so that their clients want them to come back and mow. Theyre most consistent lawns are the Bullocks and the Jensens and they mowed the Wilsons for about a month and they've had other one off times to mow. They've probably each earned close to $150 this summer. Good chance to manage money and have some extra spending that really helps them to want to earn more because they love the freedom of it. Robbie somehow found this coupon calendar yesterday and discovered coupons for a bacon burger BOGO and then a FRY BOGO and he and Spencer asked to go to bike to Woody's once they were done mowing yesterday and use some of the money to one of them buy the burger and the other the fry and then share. I'm glad for them to have the chance to do stuff like that. Ryan and I kind of got roped in to being Robbie's coaches for his soccer team (the coach was not there most of the time and when he was, he wasn't really). I left both practice and his game feeling giddy and then last night on our date at dinner Ryan and I spent most of the time talking positions and good drills. They played so much better this week and really did such a great job and I think a big part of that was just watching the boys at practice and seeing where their instincts are (defensively or offensively) and then putting them in certain positions. And then we talked and drilled alot with passing so it opens the field more. And at the game, Ryan subbed and had the top of the field and I stayed back and coached midfield and fullbacks and they just really seemed to gel finally. It was so fun!
Aubrie is officially in junior high this year. Even though she is still at the "elementary school", they treat teh 6-8 grade students totally different and they have a different schedule and expectations, etc. I hope she just thrives this year and makes some good friends again. I have felt sad for her to not have Olivia from NH to be her best friend and she has Kaiya and other pretty good friends but it definitely has not been quite the same. I know she misses it. She handles it pretty well though. She started in YW a few weeks ago, and the leaders and girls came into Primary and the Primary kids sang goodbye to her and the YW sang hello to her and brought her back into YW with them. She was definitely ready. It will be a good experience to be a small fish in a big pond again. It's definitely humbling. Kelsey Nichols and I (and a man named Doug) are coaching Aub's soccer team. But mostly Kelsey is just amazing! She is an incredible coach. She has played since she was 5-6 and shes my same age and she's never stopped playing. She plays on two teams right now. So she just has always been in the thick of it and still has her own coach. It makes her such an effective coach. And she is so kind that they girls respond well to her. I hope she coaches Aubrie for years. The team has done SO much better in just a few weeks of games and practices. She pulled Aubrie aside to work on her passing and I am glad for her to have those chances to improve. Today I told Aubrie I was making french toast for lunch and she comes over and says "what can I help you with mom" and she proceeded to cut up strawberries, clean out the dishwasher, set the table and then even helped do the dishes after with only minimal complaining. She is SO helpful. She really is. She gives Ryan and I a run for our money and there has been WAY TOO MUCH yelling around here the last few months. But despite all that, Aubrie (although she'd never say it outloud) IS learning and applying things she learns at church and she is so good to the core. She is such a responsible girl!
Snapshot 5.0
Let's start with Clara this time....
She just has turned in to this little girl. And its equal parts sad and adorable. She makes really fun commentary all the time and sings full songs (today at lunch she was singing "shut up and dance with me at the top of her lungs. In her crib this morning I didn't get her for like 30 minutes while I finished my lesson for sunday school and she was singing to a tune I think she just made up "mom! dad! Come and get me out my crib!" over and over.
She likes most foods we have eaten regularly but she is not willing to try new foods very often. What will usually help is when she sees the other kids oohing and aahhhing over something. She still kind of takes naps--pretty regularly she doesn't fall asleep but will read, talk, sing and play with her babies the entire two hours.
Clara is such a social girl. She really isn't alone very often which is probably part of it. She loves to be with the other kids, she will follow them anywhere and everywhere. She has started to really play with them too, especially Blake (like where she is fun for them to play with).
Everyone always points out how happy she is--and sometimes I wonder if its just her personality to be so pleasant or if its a combination of that and the fact that she is constantly being loved and told how cute and wonderful she is. (probably a good lesson for how we should treat the other kids:))
Blake just started kindergarten 2 weeks ago and he just kind of went in the first day and hasn't ever said anything since unless I ask him and then he always has something exciting that happened to him at school. I have noticed he cries easier the last few weeks and I don't know if that is from school or if he's just more exhausted everyday. He seems like he's already made some friends--they seem to so easily at this age and they've had so many fun things they've done--adventures in the woods, friends come into visit, baby goats in their little courtyard, building fairy houses, playing house and cars, learning new songs and rhythms. His teachers Mrs. Jo and Mrs. Brooke seems really quick minded both of them and Mrs. Jo raised 12 kids so she is very aware and doesn't miss a beat. Blake and our neighbor Parker (he's a year and a half younger) always are asking to play with each other. Sometimes they get into a little bit of mischief--like peeing outside in the dirt pile all the time-- but they really do get along so well.
This morning when I went to wake up Blake for church he was lying face down on the mattress and without missing a beat, he reached his arm up and put it around my neck and pulled me down next to me and snuggled right in. I was so sad to not be able to just stay there and forget about going to church. I just love our snuggly little brown eyed boy.
Hallie learned how to knit and crochet at school this last month and she somehow convinced one of her classmates to buy her a fancy crochet hook (or maybe she traded her for some yarn) and she is usually seen carrying yarn and a hook around. And really anything else that is creating is her greatest love. We cleaned out under her bed for Saturday chore yesterday so I can attest to the piles of notebooks and containers of crayons and paints and cardboard with duct tape that is a part of Hallie's life. She just oozes with creativity. When she's telling stories her expressions are funny, when she's embarassed she makes this wide eyed blank stare, and when she laughs its with her whole body. She's just a lot of fun. And also such a pleasant soul. Today she is wearing jean shorts, and I love Michigan shirt and Robbie's blue suspenders and she just rocks it!
Robbie is good at creating opportunities for himself. He and Spencer started LaMo lawn service this summer and they've been very responsible with it and have done a good job. From my perspective its seems like they've done well every time they've mowed so that their clients want them to come back and mow. Theyre most consistent lawns are the Bullocks and the Jensens and they mowed the Wilsons for about a month and they've had other one off times to mow. They've probably each earned close to $150 this summer. Good chance to manage money and have some extra spending that really helps them to want to earn more because they love the freedom of it. Robbie somehow found this coupon calendar yesterday and discovered coupons for a bacon burger BOGO and then a FRY BOGO and he and Spencer asked to go to bike to Woody's once they were done mowing yesterday and use some of the money to one of them buy the burger and the other the fry and then share. I'm glad for them to have the chance to do stuff like that. Ryan and I kind of got roped in to being Robbie's coaches for his soccer team (the coach was not there most of the time and when he was, he wasn't really). I left both practice and his game feeling giddy and then last night on our date at dinner Ryan and I spent most of the time talking positions and good drills. They played so much better this week and really did such a great job and I think a big part of that was just watching the boys at practice and seeing where their instincts are (defensively or offensively) and then putting them in certain positions. And then we talked and drilled alot with passing so it opens the field more. And at the game, Ryan subbed and had the top of the field and I stayed back and coached midfield and fullbacks and they just really seemed to gel finally. It was so fun!
Aubrie is officially in junior high this year. Even though she is still at the "elementary school", they treat teh 6-8 grade students totally different and they have a different schedule and expectations, etc. I hope she just thrives this year and makes some good friends again. I have felt sad for her to not have Olivia from NH to be her best friend and she has Kaiya and other pretty good friends but it definitely has not been quite the same. I know she misses it. She handles it pretty well though. She started in YW a few weeks ago, and the leaders and girls came into Primary and the Primary kids sang goodbye to her and the YW sang hello to her and brought her back into YW with them. She was definitely ready. It will be a good experience to be a small fish in a big pond again. It's definitely humbling. Kelsey Nichols and I (and a man named Doug) are coaching Aub's soccer team. But mostly Kelsey is just amazing! She is an incredible coach. She has played since she was 5-6 and shes my same age and she's never stopped playing. She plays on two teams right now. So she just has always been in the thick of it and still has her own coach. It makes her such an effective coach. And she is so kind that they girls respond well to her. I hope she coaches Aubrie for years. The team has done SO much better in just a few weeks of games and practices. She pulled Aubrie aside to work on her passing and I am glad for her to have those chances to improve. Today I told Aubrie I was making french toast for lunch and she comes over and says "what can I help you with mom" and she proceeded to cut up strawberries, clean out the dishwasher, set the table and then even helped do the dishes after with only minimal complaining. She is SO helpful. She really is. She gives Ryan and I a run for our money and there has been WAY TOO MUCH yelling around here the last few months. But despite all that, Aubrie (although she'd never say it outloud) IS learning and applying things she learns at church and she is so good to the core. She is such a responsible girl!
She just has turned in to this little girl. And its equal parts sad and adorable. She makes really fun commentary all the time and sings full songs (today at lunch she was singing "shut up and dance with me at the top of her lungs. In her crib this morning I didn't get her for like 30 minutes while I finished my lesson for sunday school and she was singing to a tune I think she just made up "mom! dad! Come and get me out my crib!" over and over.
She likes most foods we have eaten regularly but she is not willing to try new foods very often. What will usually help is when she sees the other kids oohing and aahhhing over something. She still kind of takes naps--pretty regularly she doesn't fall asleep but will read, talk, sing and play with her babies the entire two hours.
Clara is such a social girl. She really isn't alone very often which is probably part of it. She loves to be with the other kids, she will follow them anywhere and everywhere. She has started to really play with them too, especially Blake (like where she is fun for them to play with).
Everyone always points out how happy she is--and sometimes I wonder if its just her personality to be so pleasant or if its a combination of that and the fact that she is constantly being loved and told how cute and wonderful she is. (probably a good lesson for how we should treat the other kids:))
Blake just started kindergarten 2 weeks ago and he just kind of went in the first day and hasn't ever said anything since unless I ask him and then he always has something exciting that happened to him at school. I have noticed he cries easier the last few weeks and I don't know if that is from school or if he's just more exhausted everyday. He seems like he's already made some friends--they seem to so easily at this age and they've had so many fun things they've done--adventures in the woods, friends come into visit, baby goats in their little courtyard, building fairy houses, playing house and cars, learning new songs and rhythms. His teachers Mrs. Jo and Mrs. Brooke seems really quick minded both of them and Mrs. Jo raised 12 kids so she is very aware and doesn't miss a beat. Blake and our neighbor Parker (he's a year and a half younger) always are asking to play with each other. Sometimes they get into a little bit of mischief--like peeing outside in the dirt pile all the time-- but they really do get along so well.
This morning when I went to wake up Blake for church he was lying face down on the mattress and without missing a beat, he reached his arm up and put it around my neck and pulled me down next to me and snuggled right in. I was so sad to not be able to just stay there and forget about going to church. I just love our snuggly little brown eyed boy.
Hallie learned how to knit and crochet at school this last month and she somehow convinced one of her classmates to buy her a fancy crochet hook (or maybe she traded her for some yarn) and she is usually seen carrying yarn and a hook around. And really anything else that is creating is her greatest love. We cleaned out under her bed for Saturday chore yesterday so I can attest to the piles of notebooks and containers of crayons and paints and cardboard with duct tape that is a part of Hallie's life. She just oozes with creativity. When she's telling stories her expressions are funny, when she's embarassed she makes this wide eyed blank stare, and when she laughs its with her whole body. She's just a lot of fun. And also such a pleasant soul. Today she is wearing jean shorts, and I love Michigan shirt and Robbie's blue suspenders and she just rocks it!
Robbie is good at creating opportunities for himself. He and Spencer started LaMo lawn service this summer and they've been very responsible with it and have done a good job. From my perspective its seems like they've done well every time they've mowed so that their clients want them to come back and mow. Theyre most consistent lawns are the Bullocks and the Jensens and they mowed the Wilsons for about a month and they've had other one off times to mow. They've probably each earned close to $150 this summer. Good chance to manage money and have some extra spending that really helps them to want to earn more because they love the freedom of it. Robbie somehow found this coupon calendar yesterday and discovered coupons for a bacon burger BOGO and then a FRY BOGO and he and Spencer asked to go to bike to Woody's once they were done mowing yesterday and use some of the money to one of them buy the burger and the other the fry and then share. I'm glad for them to have the chance to do stuff like that. Ryan and I kind of got roped in to being Robbie's coaches for his soccer team (the coach was not there most of the time and when he was, he wasn't really). I left both practice and his game feeling giddy and then last night on our date at dinner Ryan and I spent most of the time talking positions and good drills. They played so much better this week and really did such a great job and I think a big part of that was just watching the boys at practice and seeing where their instincts are (defensively or offensively) and then putting them in certain positions. And then we talked and drilled alot with passing so it opens the field more. And at the game, Ryan subbed and had the top of the field and I stayed back and coached midfield and fullbacks and they just really seemed to gel finally. It was so fun!
Aubrie is officially in junior high this year. Even though she is still at the "elementary school", they treat teh 6-8 grade students totally different and they have a different schedule and expectations, etc. I hope she just thrives this year and makes some good friends again. I have felt sad for her to not have Olivia from NH to be her best friend and she has Kaiya and other pretty good friends but it definitely has not been quite the same. I know she misses it. She handles it pretty well though. She started in YW a few weeks ago, and the leaders and girls came into Primary and the Primary kids sang goodbye to her and the YW sang hello to her and brought her back into YW with them. She was definitely ready. It will be a good experience to be a small fish in a big pond again. It's definitely humbling. Kelsey Nichols and I (and a man named Doug) are coaching Aub's soccer team. But mostly Kelsey is just amazing! She is an incredible coach. She has played since she was 5-6 and shes my same age and she's never stopped playing. She plays on two teams right now. So she just has always been in the thick of it and still has her own coach. It makes her such an effective coach. And she is so kind that they girls respond well to her. I hope she coaches Aubrie for years. The team has done SO much better in just a few weeks of games and practices. She pulled Aubrie aside to work on her passing and I am glad for her to have those chances to improve. Today I told Aubrie I was making french toast for lunch and she comes over and says "what can I help you with mom" and she proceeded to cut up strawberries, clean out the dishwasher, set the table and then even helped do the dishes after with only minimal complaining. She is SO helpful. She really is. She gives Ryan and I a run for our money and there has been WAY TOO MUCH yelling around here the last few months. But despite all that, Aubrie (although she'd never say it outloud) IS learning and applying things she learns at church and she is so good to the core. She is such a responsible girl!
We have not done this near enough this summer...but I love hiking as a family. It has never been my favorite thing to do, I would probably choose to experience nature in a more fast paced way (bike, four wheeler or something) but I LOVE the time to just "be away" and that we are together where its beautiful and peaceful. This was a hike up Lamb's Canyon we did awhile back. I've noticed if Ryan and I tell stories about when we were kids or just are talking together they rarely complain, but once they are left to just think about getting to a destination--the complaining comes out. On this hike, Blake wore his Keens for the first time (yikes) and he was developing huge blisters--so every quarter mile we would pull huge leaves off the trees and stuff them all around in his shoes. It worked pretty well. On the last 1/2 mile I just put my socks on him. I think it was a lesson learned because he unfortunately hasn't touched the shoes since.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Blake and his class went on an adventure last week into the woods to try and find wildlife and fairies. And this week they had a partner and they each made a Fairyhouse.
Last year in school we studied about the castes in ancient India. Robbie learned all about it in school again today. His teacher, Mr. Mack assigned each of them to be in one of the castes--Robbie is one of the servants. And tomorrow they have to act as if they were really one of those castes during the school day tomorrow. He said one of the priests could even ask one of the untouchables for their snack and they had to give it up. I love their school! 
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Back at it....
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| The kids started school at Wasatch Waldorf Charter this year. We've had so many meetings and lead up to the year starting. We were all just like "start already!". There are so many neat things about the school: the lunches, that all kids play string instruments, Spanish, lots of handwork, Eurethmy, LOTS of physical play and oral learning. I hope its as good as I've heard. They seem to like it a lot so far. Aubrie: 7th with Mr. Morris Robbie: 5th with Mr. Mack Hallie: 3rd with Mrs. Emily (Cox) Blake: Kindergarten with Mrs. Jo and Mrs. Brooke |
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| Mrs. Brooke leading the class in for Blake's very first time at a school. He was a champ! |
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| 2016 Kicks. (we've been taking this picture for years now) |
And some other beauties from this summer I found today....
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| Thanksgiving Point gardens for end of school |
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
The week of birthdays
Robbie's 10th birthday (Ryan has a bunch of pictures I'll have him add) We did a sports themed birthday party and he invited 10 kids over. We did it early since Jordans would be in town and Jack and Bricky could come. They played Lightening, did relays, played flag football and then whiffle ball. We had pizza and sides and then cake and IC.
For his birthday he got new skater shoes he's wanted for a year, some batting gloves, lots of legos to add to his collection, and a date to go get IC with Aubrie (from her)
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| Only sad part of the night--Robbie got beaned in the head :) |
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| My birthday was so much fun. We did our stake fun run(2.5 miles) and my request was to all run together with no complaining. It was so much fun. And I could actually run it. Then we biked 6 miles to and from Sharon's cafe for breakfast--which was delish. There was a car show next door that we HAD to check out. We spent the afternoon at the stake fun day with lots of activities. |
Aubrie's 12th birthday. We spent the day hanging out with friends and used our free passes to Cowabunga Bay (Kaiya and Zaya went with us) and then had dinner, games and cake and IC cream at our house afterward. Aubrie got a survival kit, an overnight trip to Manti to do bapstisms with mom and dad, a playmobil set, lots of notebooks, and an itunes gift card
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| Bedtime stories...every night with Clara...sometimes the other kids jump in |
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| I wanted to remember how the kids (girls especially) open up Itunes on the computer and search for songs they know and dance...pretty much every day. Robbie or Aubrie is usually the DJ. they made up a dance to "Timber" for the Jensen reunion too. |
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| Post nap snack |
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| Hallie is always creating. I mean always. she has so many projects under her bed, around her bed, all over the craft table, etc. Here she made a fan out of popsicle sticks and paper and a nail. |
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| We did two FHE dollar movie nights this summer--zootopia and jungle book and loved them both. |
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| I snapped a pic of Aubrie's 12 year old survival kit for her birthday before I wrapped it. |
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