And they're back!

One week after school started, the kids had their first day off for Labor Day.  I generally am not ready for a day off so soon in the school year, but it was great this year, since we actually had company come to visit us!  Ben's brother and family recently moved three hours away from us, and they were able to make the trip over.

Since our neighbor across the street hosts a huge Labor Day street party on Sunday each year, and feels bad that our kids don't go on the water slide bounce houses he owns and sets up for everyone to use, he often gives us one to use personally on another day.  This year, he let us use it the whole weekend!  Our kids had it set up and going from about 9 am Saturday morning to about 8 that night, and again on Monday for the same time.  It was great to have Devan's family here to share it with us!

Benson thought he wanted to try it, but once he actually went out, he changed his mind.  He came back inside to do some cooking, instead.

 On Sunday we went to church (where the topic I happened to teach in Primary was about keeping the Sabbath Day holy) and napped and played games, and Ben and Devan pulled out some instruments and played some good music for us.  Our kids stared wistfully out the window for a bit at the party in front of our house, but the thought of the bounce house waiting in the back yard helped.  In past years, we would go eat dinner at the party and visit with neighbors, but it has grown huge and loud, and the adults are often drinking (a lot), so we decided not to this year.

Monday was another beautiful, hot day.  We had a yummy lunch outside and made great use of the bounce house.  We had a fire in the firepit, which we realized after it was lit that it was not a great idea since it was so hot, but we just had to roast some marshmallows.  We also roasted our skin--everyone got sunburns, and my kids all had skinned knees and elbows and broken toenails from sliding down the slide for two solid days.

Benson and his cousin Naaman are only two months apart, and they had a lot of fun together.  Naaman has a particular love for the song, "Let it Go" from Frozen.  He takes his mom's phone, turns on the song, and sings and does the actions for the whole thing, just like in the movie.  He and Benson would dance around the house to the song, over and over.  We had to give them some time to watch the whole movie together.

It was so great to have them here.  We're hoping to get to see a lot more of them!

And they're off!

About a month ago, school started again.  (Hooray!)  Ben was out of town for a business trip.  (Boo.)  Everyone was so excited, though, that they were up and ready without much trouble.  (Hooray!)  Even Benson woke up with everyone.  (Boo.)

My babies are growing up.  (Hooray and boo!)

Gracie is in 4th, Scott's in 8th, Tessa's in Kindergarten, Emma's in 6th, and Caytie is in 2nd.  Gracie, Caytie, and Tessa are at the same elementary school, and Emma's at the intermediate school, and Scott is at the junior high (though he and Emma ride the same bus). 

Tessa was a little unsure about riding the bus, but I knew that she would be in good hands with her sisters, so with a little convincing, she was willing.  Her smile shows she was ready for a great first day in Kindergarten!

Benson and I spent the day preparing for our new adventure: Preschool!  We got the house clean, lessons ready, supplies out, and the camera ready (though I forgot to use it) for our first day on Tuesday, and then waited for our kids to come home.  Everyone had a great day!

(Tessa did ask after school the second day if we could go to the zoo the next day.  I told her that she would be going to school.  She asked about the next day.  I said no, and said she'd be going to school every day until Saturday.  She said, "What?  I thought we only had to go one time or something."  I thought that being my fifth child she would know that, but I guess I still have to explain some things.)

S'more summer

Did we (finally remember to) get free Slurpees on 7-11?  Oh, yes, we did!  And yes, Benson insisted on wearing those socks.

WELL--I didn't do a big family theme with projects this summer.  I had one in mind, and got some things printed off, but I just never got it together enough to start.  Maybe next summer...  We were, however, able to fill our summer with smaller, less coordinated activities.  I've already blogged about several (camps, cooking class, vacation, etc.), but there were a couple more I wanted to mention.

*We went to Six Flags!  My friend Esther has season passes, and it was "Bring a Friend Free" week, and we were the lucky friends!  Ben and her husband had to work, but Ben worked from home so he watched Benson and Tessa, while the rest of us had a great, hot day at the park.  Her kids are a bit more...adventurous than mine, so they kindly compromised and went on the mid-level scary rides that were freaking my kids out.  Well, Caytie was willing to try anything.  There was one ride that Scott and Emma didn't want to go on, because it had two upside down loops, but Gracie and Caytie did.  As we walked up to it, someone asked Caytie if she was scared.  She said, "Nope--I'm here to have FUN!"  So we did.

*Our ward at church split.  Actually, the two wards in our city became three.  We're part of the middle group with people from both wards.  Since our Bishop stayed with our ward, those of us still in the ward kept our callings.  So--I'm still the Primary President.  We went from 160 kids on the rolls of kids 11 and under (average attendance was about 110 for Primary and about 25 for Nursery) to about 90 on the rolls, with about 70 attending Primary and about 12 in Nursery.  The other ward had similar numbers.  While it's sad to not be with everyone anymore, and a challenge to re-staff the Primary, especially with people I haven't had a chance to meet yet, the change was really needed, and brought me some relief.  I anticipate more relief when we finally get everyone called.

*I played on my ward's women's volleyball team again.  It's one of my favorite summer activities.  We didn't do well, but we had fun!

*I picked up a booklet from Michael's (the craft store).  They were hosting a summer art class that looked really fun.  Since I couldn't afford to have all my kids attend the class, I took the booklet that outlined all the activities they would be doing (with pictures!) and about once a week, we did one of them together.  I really should take pictures of some of their work.  Different kids got into different projects, and they had a good time trying out different art mediums and papers.  Even Benson would sit down with us and insist on participating.

*I prepared for preschool!  I decided that I would put my school training to use formally, and after finding there was interest, I offered to teach a preschool class twice a week from 9 to 12 at my home.  I spent time this summer getting supplies together, making the schedule, deciding curriculum, exploring licensing, and so on.  Since our family car is now 15 years old, we are anticipating a need to replace it soon, and tuition from this class will help greatly with that cause!  I'm sure I'll be writing more about it again.

*I helped five kids and their families with their baptisms (three baptism programs, with two kids in June, one in July, and two in August).  At the beginning of the year, we had 23 kids scheduled to be baptized.  It is a joy to be involved in that--I always call it one of the perks of being in Primary--but that is a lot of kids and a lot of visits and organization!  Now, with the ward split, I have only one more baptism scheduled for the rest of the year.  It hardly seems that could be true!

Well, that's enough for now.  Last night was the first night the air conditioner didn't have to kick on, so it seems the summer is winding down.  Be prepared--back to school posts will be coming!

UTAH 2014: End

Sunday--after church, we were able to visit with my brother Carl and his wife Jennie at their new home.  It's so cute.  Evie woke up from her nap just before we had to go.  She's so cute!  My girls loved all their little girl cousins!  They're all so cute!!

 We returned to Ben's parent's home for one more family dinner, and night of games, and an attempt at sleeping on the trampoline for about 10 grandkids, which is 9 too many trying to sleep on a trampoline at one time.  The first group came in about 11, the rest followed about 11:30, and the rain started at about 11:45.

Monday was a morning at the mall to get a few last minute trinkets, and then lunch at BYU with Grandpa.  The rest of the day was cousin time, while we packed everything up to leave in the morning.

Tuesday started too early, and saying goodbye to everyone is never fun, but we were happy to be headed to our home sweet home.  Security was again pretty quick, except that our dangerous Tessa was flagged for a bomb search, so we had to wait for that.  She was so nervous to be checked that the man did Ben instead.  Good man.  We participated in the miracle of flight two times.  The layover in Denver wasn't too bad, minus a bad attitude from one daughter and a spilled drink in the middle of the corridor, and the feeling that every single person was watching us, counting us, and commenting to someone else about us.  I think that maybe the BYU gear we were all wearing might have helped start that.  But we'd go through it all again, because it was all part of our amazing Utah summer adventure!

When can we go again?

PS--when we left, there were reports of hail storms.  Our neighbor's truck had just been ruined by hail the previous month.  So, when we were choosing parking spots for our car, we chose one under a tree, hoping for protection from the storm.  Apparently this tree is the home to about a trillion birds.

Ugg!  Be grateful pictures don't come with smells......

 We immediately took the car to a car wash and went through twice.  That night it rained, and we left it out to soak.  After internet searches, I learned that dryer sheets work well to scrub the junk off, so I spent about an hour doing that the next morning, and then Ben took it to a car wash and went through three more times.  There are still remnants on the roof, and there they will remain.

The end.

UTAH 2014: Falls

Saturday's plan: climb up to Stewart Falls with all available family members.

Gracie--on the way!

The walk was so pretty.  It was a challenge for the littles and tiring for all and hot and crowded and there were stinging nettles and we should have borrowed a carrier for Benson but we didn't and had to carry him the whole way up and down the rocks, BUT--it was worth it.

See?

 (That's Ben.)

We ate lunch with the cool mist from the falls blowing on us.  Gracie was the first to go under the falls, and Scott and Ben were also up for the challenge.  After a hour or so, we took the less scenic and less challenging (we're told) way back to Sundance (though Ben nearly fell off the edge of the trail while holding Benson, and Tessa was sure her legs were about to fall off, and we got separated from our other 4 kids who went with their cool and fast Uncle Matt and Aunt Gina, because they promised orange soda, and we thought we were on the wrong trail, but we all made it back, safe and sound).  Tessa caught a butterfly on a stick, and, by the way, who is that teenager with us??  He's getting older faster.)

We had to soak our shoes and our feet when we got back.  It was one of those things where the memory of it will be much better than the actual event, so...here's to the memories!