Michaela Graduated!

Here is Michaela and some of her friends from school.

Michaela graduated from elementary school today. Next year she goes to middle school. She is excited! As I sat there today, it sunk in that Michaela's days as a "little kid" are officially gone. She isn't going to elementary school anymore; she is a "big kid", a "tween". It was sort of sad, but exciting as well. I love the person she is turning out to be. She is a good girl, and brings a lot of light to our family. I know she will do well in middle school.

Thats what you call straight A's, all year long. She also earned the President's Award for Academic Excellence, which means in addition to other things, she had good attendance, scored advanced on her ISATS, and has a 3.5 GPA or above. Hers is above, people.

Congratulations, Michaela, we love you!!!!!!!!!!

Play hard, crash hard.

Nostalgia

The other day, an ice cream truck came through our neighborhood. I was so excited! I hadn't seen one since I was a kid in Nebraska. It instantly brought back a surge of memories; I could see our street, me and my friends grasping fistfuls of coins while we hopped barefoot on the hot tar-patched roads and tried to make our decision.

Prices have gone up a little since I was a kid.

Seriously though, I almost cried at the site of my own kids in front of the ice cream truck. I was so thrilled to see them get to experience something that was a part of my childhood. To be able to pass along my memories along with my money to give them a nice summer memory-in-the-making of their own.

The Prophet said to plant a garden...

So thats what I did!

I planted today, from seed. Don't tell me if its too late; I will find that out on my own.
We tilled last week, but have been too busy to plant, today was the first chance we had. I would take a picture, but its really not pretty; my gardens wouldn't win any awards for neatness or organization. Buy hey, the food grows and we eat it, thats what counts, right? I can't wait for fresh carrots, onions, zucchini, beets, radishes, lettuce, and whatever else I just planted. I left no room for my tomatoes, so they will go into pots this year.
I would love to can some of my produce, but have never learned how. Maybe my mom can come over and show me! She's canned lots of stuff. I only tried once, and made homemade applesauce that smelled wonderful only to have it turn all black and gross on the top in the jars. Ew.

So anyway, I am tired and rambeling, I have been sick and don't think I am totally recovered. But I planted my garden!

Preschool Graduation

We have had such a fun preschool year. This is the whole group, all five moms and kids plus a few younger siblings. For our end of the year "field trip" and graduation, we went to the zoo and had a picnic lunch at the park. The kids really enjoyed themselves. I kept telling Jason what a nice day it had been.

At the zoo, the peacocks walk around freely, and make a lot of noise. Corrine seemed to like it; when one would make its peacock noise, she would make it right back. It sounded pretty realistic, too!

Here is the girls in the group. Such cuties. They have gotten to be good friends.

We were given a show!

The lunch was yummy; everyone brought something to share.


Ava graduated! Yeah!

Ava absolutely loved preschool; she asked me everyday if she had school that day. She learned so much about sharing and being respectful, and hopefully she learned some about not throwing fits! (Still working on that one.)

Here are some of Ava's favorite things she did at preschool :

Coloring.

Snack.

Reading books.

Writing her letters.

Cutting with scissors.

Making crafts.

Recess.

Thanks to all the moms-I am looking forward to next year!

Spirit Week at school

This past week was a fun week at school. Every day there was a different theme, and the kids were encouraged to dress up accordingly. Our girls love these things, and were enthusiastic about every day.

One day was crazy hair day, a favorite. Payden had a cup in her hair, complete with straws.

Michaela had a flower pot hair do.


Another day was hippie day, another one the girls love.

Yet another day was 80's day, my favorite. Payden left for school before we remembered, but I got to do Michaela! Oh, what I would have given to have had some of my old leg warmers. And the girls don't wear colored bobby socks that you layer, so that was out too. I gave her the biggest hoop earings I could find, and she wore a skirt, leggins and a belt around the shirt. She thought that was really weird. The most fun for me was her hair; I couldn't quite achieve with her bangs what I used to with mine, but it was still fun.

They also had a school color day, and a sport day for which they wore their softball uniforms.

My little princess

A beautitul day, a gorgeous tree, and a sweet girl make some nice pictures.

This pose is all her, attitude included.

Mother's Day

Due to Jason's graduation, I didn't think much about Mother's day this year. (Sorry mom.) But Jason didn't, and he and the kids made it a great day.

Because we have church at 12:30, I was able to be treated to breakfast in bed. I had come out of the room to rescue the screaming baby and feed her, only to be shoed back to bed by my daughters "go back to be mom!"
They and their dad made me a yummy breakfast of a smoothie and ham and egg muffin sandwhiches. Yummy. And to be able to eat it in bed, alone, with a book was heavenly.
The girls also brought me the things they had made for me in school, I always love those. I am reminded each mother's day how lucky I am to have 4 happy, healthy girls, how lucky I am to be able to work so little and stay home with them, what a blessing it is to hold the title mother.
When I was younger, I never thought I would want this many children. My number was always two. But the experience of motherhood is so much more than I thought it would be, so amazing in so many ways that I would have felt cheated if I only had two.

Later in the day, we had our mothers over for dinner and gave them gifts.

Thank you mom, for having me and PJ and for all you sacrificed for us. Thank you for the wonderful mother you are today and grandmother you are to my girls.

Thank you Marlene for raising my husband. He is a exceptional man who honors his preisthood and loves his family, and he wouldn't be who he is today without you.

My hope and prayer for my girls is that they will desire to become mothers, and find it as fulfilling and delightful as I do.

My little ghostie

Corrine somehow pulled her blankie up over her head and couldn't get out. She looked like she was pretending to be a ghost. She was just sitting there, motionless, softly whining for someone to release her. One of those moments when my childrens innocense breaks my heart and takes my breath away.

Jason's big day!

This past Saturday, Jason graduated with his degree in Mechanical Engineering. We went to his ceremony at 10:00am, my mom, me and the 4 girls. The baby was sick, so I spent the majority of the time walking up and down the ramp with her. She had puked the night before, so I was paticularly worried when someone sat right in front of me; I didn't know how far she might launch if she did it again. Luckily, no puking happened. But I wasn't going to miss my hubby's big day!

After the ceremony, we had dinner at our neighborhood park in his honor. I cooked a TON of food; we will be eating sloppy joe's for a while. Good thing they tasted good! We enjoyed having friends and family together for the celebration.

The ceremony was long, as usual, but worth it to hear Jason's name being read and see him accepting his degree. I know he is an example for our girls; they were too young to remember my graduations. In fact, both girls wanted to put on his cap and gown and hold his diploma. I am so proud of him. It was a long 8 years filled with too little sleep and too much to do. I look forward to him sleeping more than 5 hours a night and getting to do some of the things he wants to do, like golfing (thanks to his gift from me!), sleep in, making furniture, and biking on his new bike! (Thanks to Mom H. and Dad L. !) He is a very motiviated, compassionate, loyal, tolerant and loving man and I am blessed beyond belief to be able to have him as my eternal companion.

I love you honey! Congratulations.

And the fun begins....

Grooooosssssssss

I was stealthly hiding hubby's graduation present when I heard a familiar bowl clanking around on the floor upstairs. I tear up the stairs to intercede, but alas, I was too late.

My beloved baby had wet cat food for lunch.

It was in her mouth, she had a foot in the bowl, and had a fistful of the smelly squishy stuff that I had to pry out.

She appeared to really enjoy it.

This is not the first child to attempt this.

It still grosses me out.

Want to know the sad part? I actually paused for a moment, wondering if I should take a picture of her with cat food in hand and smeared on her mouth, just for my blogging friends.

Oh, knock it off. Obviously, there is no picture with this post, so I didn't do it. I got the cat food off of her hand and dug it out of her mouth as quick as possible.
After only a small pause for the value of grossing you all out as well.

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jason has at long last (after 8 years!) accomplished a much desired goal; finished school! He is getting his Bachelors in Mechanichal Engineering this Saturday. We are so excited; no more super early mornings, late nights, night classes, homework, paying for tuition and books, stress, stress, stress. HES DONE!

We are having a barbeque dinner on Saturday at 5:00. If you know us and know where we live, call us and I will give you the details. We want everyone we know to join us in the celebration!

Whew. What are we going to do with ourselves now? I'm sure we will figure it out...more vacations, lazy Saturdays......

Now we are both finished; three degrees between the two of us. I am sure we won't be thinking about school for a long time, that is until I get the itch to get my doctorate.....

CONGRATULATIONS JASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little ears...

Today at lunch:


Me: (in reference to a yummy brownie) It's good stuff, Maynard.

Ava: Heeeeey, you just called me a nerd!

Hear me out

I apologize.


My playlist was bugging me, so I assume it was bugging other people, as well.


Don't get me wrong; I love all those songs previously on my playlist. Just that they had to be listned to in the right mood, and usually along with the rest of the cd.


I realized something was wrong with listening to some of those songs, paticularly the Depeche Mode, Cure, or Aerosmith songs, when looking at warm fuzzy pictures of my family.


It just didn't gel.


I would go to my blog, and most often turn the sound down or pause my playlist. It was just irritating. (So I figure many of you might have been irritated as well.)




So the offending-not-right-for-looking-at-pictures-of-family-songs have been replaced with (I hope) more appropriate ones.


I will listen to the other ones when the right mood strikes and not subject any of you (or myself) with the inproper use of annoying music.