Bear Lake Camping Trip!!!

Well, we made it! We survived our little camping trip all in one piece!!  Here are some things we'll never forget!

• The girls wanting to bring 8 dolls....each.  They brought 2 each.  And all 3 brought all the Pokemon cards.  Good grief.
• Addie telling me she wanted to go potty in the woods....really bad. 
• The kids wanting to get the fire going and keep it going the WHOLE time.
• Their facination with the hachet my dad brought.  Chop, chop, chop! So glad there were no injuries.
• Hot dogs for breakfast.....and marshmellows.  Hey, the kids wanted to!
• Running out of smores ingredients that first night.  Wow!
• Audrey crying all night the 1st night.
• Noah crying all night the 2nd night.
• Playing "Ghost in the Graveyard"
• Hearing my dad tell the same spooky stories he told me when I was a kid.  Yep, they are still scary!
• Taking a very wrong turn trying to get to the Minnetonka Caves.  We had a nice "drive" in the woods on the worst dirt road EVER!  Hilarious.
• Bear Lake for 2 days!  Bliss! LOVED that! $5 a day??  Oh, ya!!
• Getting stuck in the sand trying to go home the 1st day on the beach was kinda stressful.  But, we made it and then we saw someone else getting stuck so Will, my dad, and Seth went and helped them.  LOVE seeing my boys jump at the chance to help someone else.
• Getting the best raspberry shakes not once, BUT twice!!  YUMMM!
• Watching Casey sit in my dad's van the ENTIRE time when we were at camp was beyond funny.  He is NOT a camper.  Poor doggie!
• The amount of dirt under all our fingernails was a sight to see.  Our campsite was gorgeous but super dusty!!  I am still hosing things off.....

LoVe this picture of Will and his babies.  It was for sure kinda challenging to camp with two little ones, but we did it!

Addie chopping wood for the fire.....AGAIN!  So funny!!  They loved that hachet!

In the cave!  It was 40 degrees in there and it felt sooooo good!  My dad stayed behind with the dogs and little Noah who was napping when we left.

A river near our campsite.  Audrey wanted to walk over to see it constantly.  So, I took here there.  A lot!

Noah had fun crawling around at the beach at Bear Lake.  It was perfect for him since at our campsite he couldn't crawl there!  We stayed there for hours both days.

I love this picture of my cuties playing in the sand.

Audrey had so much fun!!

Someone had started this sandcastle, so they worked on it some more.

Keeping the fire going.  I didn't get many pictures of my Seth....probably because he never sits still!  He RAN around the entire time.  So fun!

Noah chillin' in his bed at camp.  This was a lifesaver to have since he isn't walking yet!  He looked this happy the whole time except for the 2nd night when he cried....all night... :(

Sweet baby Audrey was the cutest camper EVER!  She had a blast!

It was fun, but tiring.  We bonded and made memories which is what we set out to do.  We are so glad we went and want to go again before the summer is over.  I gotta get all that laundry done first though.  I've done 3 loads so far.....35 more to go!  :)

Noah turns 1!

 How did it happen??? My baby boy turned ONE today!!! It has been such a blessing to have him in our home.  He is such an easy-going little guy and he has brought even more laughter to our lives.  He is crawling and pulling himself up to things, so I guess that means he'll be walking soon.  I am not gonna push him.....he can stay my baby as long as he likes.  But, he tries his hardest to keep up with the other kids, especially Miss Audrey, so I am sure he'll be walking soon.

 Seth is helping him open his big present from Grandpa, Grandma and Aunt Lindsay....

Oh, he LOVES it!  He sat on it pushing the buttons and clapping his chubby little hands!

 I love how Big Brother Seth pushed him on it up and down the hall over and over.  What a good brother he is.

I made him a chocolate cake; nothing fancy this year. (We are going camping tomorrow and golly, I ran outta time.)  He dug right in and got down to business.  But, we give him tasty things like this all the time and he doesn't mind gettin a little messy.

All in all, it was a great day!  We love you, Nanny!  You are our special sweet boy! OXOXOX!

"Big Time Rush"...

All the kids have been big fans of the group BTR from The Disney Channel where they have their own show and perform their songs.  They are the cutest boys and are very talented!  So, we were totally excited in March, when we learned they were coming to SLC.  We decided Seth and Addie might be a little too young to fully appreciate going to a concert.....sooooo, just Sasha went. I helped her make a shirt to wear that night with all their names on it.  James is her favorite.....hence the hearts!

Daddy held down the crazy fort so Sasha and I could go dance and scream our guts out!

I just wanna say I was so worried I would lose the tickets.  Good grief I bought them in March!  I kept them in a folder near the computer and checked there often to make sure they were still there! 

It was my first outdoor concert, and Sasha's first concert EVER!  It was super hot until the sun went down.  We cooled down with a $4.00 bottle of water!  Yes, it was painful for me to fork over that much money!  LOL!

Sasha is such a sweet girl and said she didn't want anything but I could tell she did.  She had eyed some pins for $10 with their pictures on them and said she wanted that.  But, when we got to the souvenir store, I could tell she would rather have a program.  So, I got it for her.  She got tears in her eyes when I bought it.  She is such a grateful girl and I love her to pieces.

Here they are:  James, Logan, Carlos and Kendall!  Sasha is kinda timid and doesn't like to call attention to herself but I explained to her that screaming, cheering, dancing, whistling, fist-pumping and the like is completely normal and kinda expected at concerts!  She started out kinda unsure if she would let loose, but I wore her down!  I got hoarse for screaming and cheering!  Hilarious!  There were screaming girls all over the place and it just made me giggle and scream right along with them.  These boys are just awesome!  They lyrics are appropriate as are their outfits and dance moves.  I am very impressed with them and hope they keep performing for at least a few more years.

The grand finale of the night was discovering Will's car would not start after the concert.  To make it even MORE exciting, my dang cell phone was dead.  I found myself getting panicked as I worried how in the world would we get home??!!  I didn't want Sasha to worry, and I didn't want this snag to ruin the fun of the concert.  The words of a favorite talk came to mind...."Our laughter created cherished memories...."  (Elder Worthlin, "Come What May and Love it").  So when I wanted to get angry and cry, I turned to Sasha and told her with a smile on my face, "I'm going to make some new friends!!".  Off I went to find someone who would let me use their cell phone.....I had to try two different people, but I found some great ladies and their cute girls who were so helpful.  She let me charge my phone in her car and gave us some water to drink.  Sasha made friends with their girls and they hung out and oohed and ahhhed over the program and the pictures of the cute BTR boys.  We laughed over our little snag and they said they were surprised I was able to laugh about it.  They'd be "mad as heck".  Again, I was grateful for the words of sweet Elder Worthlin.  Words I don't always heed.

Will turns his cell phone off at night so I knew I probably wouldn't get him to pick up when my phone had enough juice to call.  I was correct.  Sooooo, I called my dear sweet friend that has already done so much for me over the years, hoping she could go to my house and get Will to come rescue us.  I was soooooo relieved when she answered the phone on the 2nd ring.  She dropped everything, went to my house, gave the bad news to Will that his car had broken down (AGAIN), and then sat with my sleeping babies while he drove clear out to Magna to get us.  I know, I know.  I am blessed to have people like that around me.  I could have called about 6 other people in our neighborhood; we truly are surrounded by the best people ever.

We have had a few "snags" lately.  Car troubles.  Flooding bedrooms and toilets.  Car troubles....oh wait I already said that.  Waiting forever for settlements to hit.  Grrrrrr! Soooooo dang stressful!  Blah!!  Anyway, we both have felt very drained, hopeless, and exhausted.  Mortality can be very tiring, can't it??!!  But, I can truly say and I feel so blessed.  I feel so blessed to have friends who will lighten my burden at 1am and not make me feel bad I had to call on them and keep them out so late.  I feel so blessed to have 5 kids that are everything to me.  Things may not go the way I want but, our laughter IS creating precious memories.  I love my husband more than I did 13 years ago when we got married.  My life is good.  It is not without snags, but it is good.

We are getting ready to go camping, so I am quite certain there will be a good story to tell................

Dear Sasha:

Dear Sasha:

You need to get better SUPER fast! 

The week you have been waiting for all summer

is HERE!

Your horsebacking riding activity with the

homeschoolers youth group is WEDNESDAY!

I want to see you ride that horse!  It's been your dream!!

The "Big Time Rush" concert we bought

tickets for in April is WEDNESDAY night!

I want to go to dinner with you and scream

along with the other tweens at the concert.

(These boys ARE super cute and super talented, though!)

AND our camping extravaganza is THIS weekend.
Not to mention, Noah is turning 1 on Saturday
and you make the best cakes for our
birthday's.  The party won't as fun without YOU.

You have waited all summer for this week.

I love you.......I hate it when you are sick.

Love,

Mom

Question #2

What is my favorite and least-favorite part of homeschooling? 

Hmmmm, that is a good question.  I have many things I love about homeschooling, but I'd have to say I love how it has changed me as a person, and as a parent.  To undertake the task of homeschooling your kids is very daunting.  I worry all the time that I am not doing it well, or right, or that I am doing a disservice to my kids.  BUT, changing the way my kids are educated, is very, very liberating.  Knowing that I can do this, that I AM doing this feels wonderful.  I grew up as the peace keeper in my family, and I learned to not make waves.  To go with the flow.  If things aren't going the way I want, oh well.  Don't go against the grain.  Don't do things that everyone else isn't doing.  I am still like this, but by making the choice to homeschool, I have learned there is something I can do if I am not happy.  I CAN take charge and change things the way I want them, and it's ok.  The sky really is the limit and I feel like there isn't anything I can't do or try.........within reason, of course.  It has given me so much vision and courage and I am grateful for that.

What don't I like??

Hmmmmm, another good question.  I would have to say I don't like that some people do watch us as homeschoolers.  To make sure we are doing it right, as if there was a right way anyway.  I have had encounters with people who do mean well, but feel it is their duty to tell me my child isn't measuring up.  That is very hard to take and I have shed a tear or two over it.  But, as time goes on I am learning to take it with a grain of salt....

It is also hard sometimes to feel out of the loop.  Conversations about tracks, school parties, teachers, and so on that I am present for, but unable to join in on can feel lonely sometimes.  But, I realize I am in the minority and converstaions like these are going to happen with me around, so I better just smile and add a comment if I have one.

I love it when my non-homeschooling chums ask me how school is going and I in turn make an effort to show support to their decision to have their kids attend public school.  I have many good friends who I love dearly and who support me and my homeschooling ways!  :)

Question #1

Why do I homeschool?
For me, it was never something I planned on doing.  In, fact we had some friends when Will was in graduate school that said they planned on homeschooling their kids and we both remember thinking that was strange.

My oldest attended public school in North Ogden and kindergarten was great!  Wonderful teacher!  We LOVED her!  She let me come in weekly and help the kids with reading.  I loved that!  I had done a preschool co-op with Sasha and enjoyed that very much.  1st grade was a bit challenging for me.  Sasha was gone all day and I had no idea, for the most part what she had done all day.  She never told me much!  Her teacher was not as willing to have parents help in class; she just wanted us to come and do the parties.  Not what I had in mind.  I was unhappy with the way things were that year and actually concidered homeschooling at that point, but I didn't know anyone who did, so she finished out the school year.

Then we moved to where we are now and she began 2nd grade; year-round and I was not keen on that.  Her teacher told me pretty early on in the year that she was behind in math and reading; something I had not been told before.  Yet, she offered no suggestions for me nor told me HER game plan to help my daughter.  Homeschool came back to my mind again.  I felt frustrated and angry that my daughter was away from me all day, needed help, and the only time I had with her at night, and I needed to have her study all night.  Not what I had in mind.....I had met two homeschooling families in my neighborhood and I yearned to do what they were doing.

During this time, we also were struggling to add to our family.  We could not seem to get a baby here healthy and strong.  It was a hard time for us all. I realized that three kids might be it for us.  I might not be able to have any more.  Did I really want to send them to public school when there was another option out there??  After several months of pondering, praying and talking about it, we pulled Sasha out of the 2nd grade in October. 

I love that homeschooling allow the freedom to study what you want, how you want and when you want.  The sky is the limit.  I love that my children are here with me, and with eachother.  My hope that our family unit will be strong and happy throughout the rest of our lives.

I want my children to reach their full potential and I will do my best to mentor them and help them, whether we are homeschooling or not.  For now, homeschooling is right for us and we are gearing up for a new school year.  Boo-yah!

Ask me anything....

A couple of my friends have done this on their blog, so I thought, "Why not!  I'll play, too!".  So, ask me a question and I'll answer it..............  :)

Beatin' the HEAT!!

Noah is demonstrating how to keep cool in 100 degree summer heat:

He recommends wearing next to nothing and sitting on the slip-n-slide....

 You can also squeeze a balloon for added entertainment.  Just don't pop it.

Scream and squeal and just go crazy.  He also recommends not letting your diaper soak up too much water.  Exploding diapers are kind of a bummer.

A Birthday, Some Raspberries and a Newly Retired Grandpa!

 Will celebrated a birthday this week!  He spent the day with Seth at the Scout Day Camp, melting in the heat and helping all those cute boys shoot arrows, BB guns, and other awesome activites!  When he got home we had some friends over for cake, ice cream! I really wanted to do something for him on HIS day, so having people over from the neighborhood was perfect.  We have both talked about how as a parent, you give and give and sometimes you can feel a little drained!  So, I wanted HIS day to be wonderful.  I think it was.  I made like 4 different cakes, so that right there was enough to make ME happy!  YUMMY!

 The kids helped me decorate and I decided I am going to laminate these letters so I can use them again and again.  I want to make all the kids' names to put up when it's their special day.  I didn't get pictures of all our decorating, but it was pretty amazing!  We had balloons hanging from the ceiling fan....Addie was in the decorating ZONE!

 Our strawberries didn't do too well this year, I don't know why, BUT our raspberries have been giving us tons!  We eat them all day long and wake up to more ripe and ready to eat in the morning!  It has been so fun to have fruit and veggies in our backyard, growing like crazy in this hot summer heat.  Now, I want a greenhouse so I can grow food all winter.....

My cute dad was able to retire a few months early and he has already started the first of many projects (I hope) for me!  I bought some grapes the other day and he said he'd make something for them to grow up\on.  I am so excited!  He came over during the week and did this, which was great since he usually only was able to come over on Saturday because of work..We look forward to him coming over more often and he also would like to help me with schooling the kids.  I'll take any help I can get!!  Happy Retirement, Dad!

Speaking of school.....I am still pondering our year and what changes I need to make.  The method of unschooling is very interesting to me, but I do feel like I would need to tweek it to fit our family.  It is really important to me that my kids study what THEY love and that I am more of a mentor than teacher.  "Inspire not require".  But, they do need to do the basics each day. 

We have done a subject of the day: history on Monday, geography of Tuesday, and so on. I am thinking about sticking to that concept again, but tweek it a bit.  Let them choose what they study on that day, as long as it is the subject we are doing.  I would need to sit down with them and have them decide what they want to study, so I could have the books, and resources available to them to study.  Lap books, and other projects ready to go for them. So much to think about and do......

Have you had your PI Time today??

Homeschoolers have many reasons why they homeschool.  They vary from family to family.  It is always good to ponder your reasons why, and make goals to improve!  One of my reasons is to help my kids learn to study what interests THEM.  I want them to have a say, at least some of the time.  I LOVE the excited feeling you get when you are interested in something and can't wait to find out more about it.  I feel like I didn't gain this excitement for learning while I was growing up and in the public school system.  It wasn't really encouraged, I don't know why.  I still remember the day I watched the movie "Titanic" and suddenly I was very intertested to learn all I could about that ship and it's fateful voyage.  I went to the library and found some books about it and enjoyed learning about something because I WANTED to, not because I HAD to.   There will be things we HAVE to learn about, whether we want to or not, but knowing how to study what you love and learning your whole life is important to me and our homeschooling.

 I decided I needed to focus on this in our homeschool more than I have in years past and will be having them each take time each day to read about what interests them.  We will call it "PI Time", or "Personal Interest Time".  I am thinking it will be from 15-30 minutes a day.  They can do it together or on their own.  It can be about whatever interests them.....but it does need to have some educational value.  I can see them wanting to "learn" about Pokemon cards for their PI Time.  They can learn about where they started or who started them. I would be ok with that!  I am hoping to join them as much as the two little ones in the family allow me to.  I am a firm believer that you should model what you want your kids to do, not just tell them to do it, as much as you can.  Over dinner we can take turns telling what we learned in PI Time that day.  I am excited to impliment this into our day........

So, what interests YOU?  Mummies? Diamonds?  The ocean? Photography? Art? Musicians?  There is so much out there and the library is right down the street!  See ya there.....