the boat

 

Hunter and his Grandpa Don made this boat.  He is so proud of it.  He couldnt wait for one of our weekend adventures to try it out.  We went to one of my favorite places and took it for spin.  He was in heaven.  The rest of us soaked up some sun and enjoyed the cool water on our feet.

peaches

One of our peach trees was very fruitful this year.  We had so many yummy beautiful peaches.  After we ate till we had our fill we froze the rest so they may be enjoyed this winter.

Hunter and I picked all the peaches this year together.  We had such a delightful time.  It is amazing when you are doing some kind of work with your children how they will open up and tell you all about their lives.  I learned many things about school, friends, and things we wants to do.  Hunter is our BUSY son.  He loves to play and work outside.  He is always moving and asking questions.  Hunter is quick to love and forgive.   I love these special one on one moments with each of my children.  I am learning to live in those moments more and forget about all that is going on around me at the time.  

I am {cherishing the simple special moments}

of picking peaches with an incredible little spirit we've been bless with.

stitches

I really can't believe that this is our first time with stitches.  During summer break we had gone to eat pizza at the school.  We were done and leaving when Hunter got up and starting walking and tripped right over Fisher who had bent down for something and he fell and hit his face on the bench.  I saw the whole thing.  It was horrible.  Tons of blood.  Which I don't deal with very well at all.

After about an hour I decided it was bad enough to have him looked at.  So I took him up to Dr. Wright and he decided to put in a couple stitches in hoped it would help it heal right.  Sure enough, it looks just like new!  He was pretty nervous about stitches but did wonderful!  So proud of him!

school has begun once again

and we are loving every minute of it!  The kids enjoyed meeting their teachers Tuesday night and Wednesday was their first day back.  Jeremy and I have had a lot of discussion and prayer about school this year for the kids and what was the best option for our sweet children.  We both feel there are some issues with the school programs, but we feel very impressed that our children need to be there, and learn to be "in the World, but not OF the World".  We are disappointed with programs that were taken away and other things going on, but then it occurred to us that it is OUR responsibility to teach our children all that we want them to learn!  Instead of complaining about what the school isn't, we can provide what is important to us as a family.  So we are creating a home of learning and happiness where they can feel a love of learning for life!   We are having tons of fun doing it too!  Right now we are working on learning all 50 states and their capitals, Jeremy is teaching them Spanish, multiplication to 12's, handwriting, history and geography, science fun, typing,  music composers, and art appreciation, and LOTS of nature study.  The girls each have a book they are working on and Hunter is doing great with his reading skills.  Every Wednesday we work on a "Life Skill" our family wants to learn or we feel in important.  I love it cause learning together in our home makes learning seem a natural way in our daily lives.  It is fun and exciting!  I love the{Charlotte Mason} learning methods.  We believe that kids learn best from the world around them, we just have to help them see those things.  I love to read how other families are learning  and get fun ideas from them.  

This was Wednesday morning and everyone was beaming with excitement!

Loralie has our beloved Mrs. McDougal this year.  She has been excited about it since the last day of school in May.  Mrs. McDougal is our neighbor and we love her so much!

4th Grade

Miss Savanna has Mrs. Peterson.  Her classroom is awesome!  She is such a sweet lady and I have heard such great things about her.  We were so happy Savanna got her!

Kindergarten

Our Mr. Hunter has Mrs. Bryce this year for 1st grade.  Loralie had her and we absolutely loved her!  She is fun and enthusiastic!  Learning is fun in her classroom.  We are excited for another great year with her!

1st Grade

Fisher had to be included in all this craziness.  He will have Mommy as his teacher for the next 3 years!  And boy does she love him!

Carlee has Mrs. Williams this year.  She is new to the 5th grade.  We have heard really great things about her and Carlee is loving her class so far.  When we met her Tuesday Jeremy and I really liked her.  Carlee is super excited about the 5th grade.

5th Grade

This face makes me smile!

at the creek

We were all longing for some peace and tranquility Saturday. It has been a LONG and HOT summer! We drove up the mountain to a small creek and enjoyed the quiet beauty that surrounded us.  Jeremy and I both enjoyed the sand between our toes and the cool creek water.  The kids enjoyed splashing and chasing tadpoles, collecting colorful rocks and building a dam with their daddy.  Graham tasted all the rocks within reach and loved to immerse his hands in the warm course sand time after time.   I love to watch his face as he is exploring his surroundings in each new place we visit.  Children truly enjoy the world around them.  I am so looking forward to the upcoming adventures we have planned with our children. 

Happy Happy Birthday Hunter Dear!

Hunter turned 7 on the 11th of May.  This is one of our months for Birthday.  Hunter had his first friend party.  He invited 4 of his friends and they had a great time.  For some reason I can't find all the pictures from the party.  When I do I will add them.  He is growing up to be a sweet young man.  I can't believe in one short year he will be baptized.  He is our curious question asking child.  He loves to do things with hands and is very creative.  I love watching him blossom into the man he is becoming.  He is sensitive and sweet and loves to give hugs.  We love you Hunter!

Easter

We did so many things this year!  It was so much fun and really stress free for once.  We did a lot of talking about the meaning of Easter.  We dyed eggs, filled up plastic eggs with goodies, did our Saturday Easter egg hunt with a family cookout.  Then Saturday night we did our Easter Cookies and the story.  Then Sunday morning we opened the oven and finished the beautiful story of our Savior.  We gave the kids chocolate bunnies and spent the morning together before church.  We don't do the whole Easter bunny at our house, but we do lots of fun things.  The kids really enjoyed Easter and all that came with it.  I can't believe how fast they are growing up.  Holidays are becoming such a joy with this bunch!  We even had the privilege of witnessing 4 baby chick hatch out.  Their mother had 4 other babies and left these eggs.  So my sweet husband took them under his wing and keep them warm in our dehydrator and hatched them.  Watching the miracle of their entrance was so neat.  The kids loved every minute of it.  From the first little crack to the hole getting bigger and bigger and then the little beak poking out.  It was amazing!  Easter was wonderful this year.  What a blessing my family is to me.

Last Summer Swim Party

We had so much fun this summer going to Grandpa Don's and Grandma Penny's. Grandpa would fill up the pool and the kids would play for a few hours and we would eat something fun. They really looked forward to these times. I have really appreciated my parents for taking the time to do these special things for my kids. They will have so many memories with their grandparents.

A few weeks ago my dad wasn't feeling well. Very tired, hard to get a breath, and look pretty pale. He had been at my house and looked terrible. I tired to get him to go to the doctor, but he wanted to wait a few days. Well, a few days later he came back and looked worse. This was a Friday. He wanted to wait till Monday and not have to go the the ER. Well, he was finally convinced and went up to the ER. After some testing they found out he had a heart attack and ended up flying him to Tucson Heart Hospital. So I called Jeremy and he came home from work, picked up my mom and headed to Tucson. Before we even got their they had put in 2 stints. When the doctor came out they said they had a hard time breaking up the blockage and almost gave up on one valve. But they ended up getting it in. But the others have 50% to 60% blockage and there isn't really much they can do. He went to the doctor last week and met with the surgeon and he told my dad that he can't be doing anything that would make him strain. Lifting things and pulling on things or anything. This could cause a piece to break loose and he would die. They told him he was 99% blocked and had he waited till Monday, he would have died in his sleep over the weekend. He just retired. So this new is really hard for him.

This really opened my eyes to the fact we could loose him. He has a lot of heart damage. Loosing Linda has been very difficult for me. I can't imagine loosing my own parents right now. I am so grateful I live close to them and for our special time together as a family. They love and support Jeremy and I and love my kids so much. Life is so short and this has really made me think what I am doing. Am I getting angry at things or people and wasting my time here? Am I enjoying each day like it could be the last? Am I living each day like I want to return to live with my family and my Father in Heaven? Am I grateful for all I have? Something has changed for me and in me. I am learning to enjoy my kids even if they just destroyed my house. I am learning to love Jeremy depict his imperfections. I have many that he loves me in spite of. Our family has been happier. We have been having more stress free fun. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. But I know too we must build, strengthen, and enjoy our family relationships now to be able to be together later. I am most grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Without we would all be lost. Having the temple here has been one of the greatest blessing in our lives. Jeremy and I are strengthen each time we attend. We find our needed peace within those sacred walls. With 6 small children it is hard to go, but we are richly blessed by the sacrifice. I look forward to our time together there each week. What a blessing families are. And what a blessing we can be together forever!