Pictures from posts past

Last visit to Thanksgiving Point before our pass expired

Ada painting out summer paint by numbers

Clean crazies

Bowling with the Laurels

Helping out at the hospital with Cristina and new baby Mia

Seth got a little toy glider for his birthday from his primary teacher.  He LOVES it.  He slept with it for several days even.  Too cute.

My dancer practicing the piano.  At 8 I would not have played as well as she does.

Seth and my paint by numbers for the summer

We got our van fixed... Look no extra lights.  That's a rarity.

Watching a movie after siblings go to school

His first day of school, he wanted a selfie with mom.

Tired hero kindergartener.

Link and his brother.

Okay, I'm not sure who did it, but I thought that whoever put the pencil in the goblins hand as a club was genius.  Seth has been leading a game/campaign with our kids and it's absolutely adorable.  They get super excited and animated.

Went out to lunch with my now 16 year old laurel, Zoe.

Evelyn insisted on a tea party.  I was making cookies for my stressed out Laurels to eat during homework and so I made extra for a tea party.

Jacob got his mission call to Atlanta, Georgia.

My parents and Sharon took Evelyn and Ada to tie quilts at the Humanitarian center.  I LOVE how much fun they had serving.  They loved that my grandpa did it 'backwards'.  He learned to tie quilts from his mom, and the lady at the center tried to make him do it another way.

Work party

Last night was Jer's work party at Wardle fields in Bluffdale.  I highly recommend this park. So much to do for all ages.

Soccer season

A new soccer season started on Saturday.  I was ready.  This year, Evelyn and Seth both decided they didn't want to play, but Ada and Sam are still loving it.  Ada's team looks easier than the last two years.  They never had enough players for subs and at the first game there were 2 extra players.  That will be a nice change.  The uniforms are so much nicer this year too. Ada is on a team with 3 others from her last team, so that's nice too.  I love that she loves soccer and is willing to go out and play.  She's a great defender and an amazing goalie.... even if she doesn't think she is.

We made new friends at Ada's game.  There was a family that had just moved there this week.  Our kids are the same ages and the husband works for the church, but in the movie production studio.  It was fun to welcome them to our very hot Utah weather.  They weren't too thrilled about that.

This one spent the two games climbing up the trees and making a tent with the blanket I brought to sit on.

Sam is nervous about this one.  He's playing up this year.... so instead of playing with all 10 year olds, he's playing on a 13 and under team.  Ada and him could have played on a Co-ed team this year, but I think they'll both enjoy a year of personal space.  Sam and Tate are the shortest on the team but they will do great.  The first game, I wouldn't let him do any huge running or kicking because he's still limping from his time on crutches.  He should be good to go next week, but this week he played goalie the whole time.  He did a great job and I think he'll learn to love the challenge of being on an older team.  That's the way Sam always sees things.  He gets it in his head that he's comfortable and competent.... then when he's given the next challenge he hesitates, complains and eventually rises to meet the challenge.   

New School year

So, we started school two weeks ago, but I'm only having time to record it now.  For the first time, I have all 4 kids in the same school.  So far they are loving it.  Ada loves being with her best friends, Frankie, Taevia, Luke and Brenden.  Sam respects his teacher, so he's being kind.  Evelyn just loves being there.  She really likes her reading teacher.  Evelyn is loving her new ballet studio and it does make her feet stronger.  Both her and Ada fall less and Ada doesn't sprain her ankle nearly as much.  All three of the older kids decided that they want to do school clubs this year.  Evelyn signed up for Art.  Ada signed up for yearbook, 6th grade play and art.  Sam and our carpooler, Logan, signed up for chess.  They both wanted to do orchestra, but I need to find out if they can do that one without already knowing an instrument or not.  Sam knows how to read music, so they might let him learn an instrument.

I thought I'd have a rougher time with all of them gone, but I haven't had any hugely down days.... I did cry Seth's second day to school.... but that could have been the medication I was on.  I was put on a non steroid anti inflammatory to try to get my feet to finally stop hurting once and for all.  After three days on it, I noticed that I'd been super emotional about everything and crying.  I looked up side effects and mood shifts were one of the rare side effects.  I stopped taking it and they got me a new one.  So far, the new one has helped my foot and hip not feel like they're burning all the time (I popped my hip out during a Karve class with Ada)…. They make me tired and a little nauseous, but I'm willing to put up with that for a week or two so that I can be DONE with foot pain.  10 years is quite enough. 

While they've been at school, I've been ministering to my ministering sisters, cleaned out my sewing room and mended the mending pile, de-junked the toy room, and done lots of planning for the next few weeks.  I'm officially done teaching fencing.  It's really sad for me, but the kids weren't chomping at the bit to stay and it was a good time to leave.  Ada doesn't really enjoy it.  Sam does, but he'd rather focus on soccer.  Evelyn was a very good beginner, but it's really not a good sport for her or Ada because of their feet.  Seth didn't care one way or the other.  We stopped because of two things.... the coach is pushing us to register the kids in competition fencing.  Currently we've been spending about 4 hours a week fencing, competition would put us up to about 8 hours of practice and a tournament ever other weekend.... which is another 8 hours on those days.  The other reason is that the new club is requiring that we register everyone, including me, yearly as USFA members.... that's a good $500 a year commitment as well as club fees and equipment.  The last owner let the kids fence for free in exchange for me teaching.  This one is willing to let one fence free for me teaching, but it would be $80/kid/month for the other three. Time and money.  So, love you fencing, love you fencing friends, but we're done.  All the kids told me, "We can just have family fencing days mom!"  That's true, we have the equipment, but I need to remember to make that happen.  It's still sad for me. I think I'll like being done once I'm used to the change though.

This kid started Kindergarten a few days after the rest.  He has Frankie's mom as a teacher and couldn't be happier.  I was a little worried about him not being able to sit still during class, but so far he's doing great.  He's my only child that didn't start school already knowing how to read and write.... so it will be an adventure.  He comes home and talks about coloring and playing with the kid next to him.... but he can't remember what the kid's name is.

Finger signing K for Kindergarten

He was happy that Uncle Seth gave him a Link shield for his birthday... He went and found all Sam's Link stuff and has been wearing it everywhere.

This picture says it all

Cancer treatments start and this picture says it all.

Kindergarten ready

So, my favorite comment from Seth this week... My mom was asking him what he wanted her to buy him for school, "Homework to put in my backpack!"