Back to School...

Already we have had a crazy week as we get back into the school routine!  I now have two kids in Junior High and two kids in Elementary! Where has the time gone? It just seems like yesterday we were in preschool together! Charissa and Madalyn are attending a new Junior High because of our move. Go Falcons~ I am soo proud of them and for the positive attitude they have about moving into a  new school and making new friends....it isn't always easy....but they are doing it and I am grateful for them! Carson and Anna are also going to a new school. Go Mustangs~ They weren't too happy about leaving their old school but what's fun with their new school is it is the same school their Aunts and Uncle went to. Hey whatever it takes to make it work :) Already they have made friends and like where we are now living!   

Look at that SMILE!!

Madalyn made the Junior High Volleyball Team!! We are all soo proud of her. She started playing last year and went to volleyball camp just last week. She loves it! Tryouts were the first day of school and she wasn't sure she wanted to tryout. They were only taking a few 7th graders so she was concerned she wouldn't make it. But she did it and she made it!!! YIPEE!!  She has grown so much in the last year it has been amazing to watch.

 Way to go Maddy!

Not only have things been crazy moving and getting the kids ready for school, I have been busy busy busy getting ready to go back to school. This time I won't be the student! About a month ago I gaccepted a job teaching for the Davis School District Early Childhood Program.

I am soo excited and soo overwhelmed all at once. I have spent HOURS trying to get things ready for my classes. I will be teaching over 60 children in 4 different classes. Though I have taught preschool before this opportunity brings much more to learn. Some of the children I will be teaching will be those with special needs, which will be a change but hopefully a rewarding experience. I have been in training and am looking forward to working with the great team of Special Ed Teachers, Assistants, and Supervisors. 

This job came as an answer to prayers. Though it will come with its challanges I know it will bless my family....it already has! My children are amazing...because of their independence, self motivation, confidence and respect I am able to go to work almost worry free. They play so well together and take such good care of each other.
I am truly blessed!

School Year 2009-10 Here we come!!!

I Love Power Outages

I could not have planned a better way to spend the last night before school started! Sunday night we had just settled down EARLY to watch a movie as a family. Within minutes of starting the movie the power went out. Luckily we had taken care of all the prep for the next day...so what to do? I have such creative and silly children. Maddy Anna and Carson...went outside and did a "power" dance. Much like a rain dance.

"Power Dance Power Dance .....AHHHH. Power dance power dance ......AHHHH"

 They were having so much fun in the rain, puddles and all!!

While the others played in the rain Charissa chilled in the car to charge our cell phones! What's scary is having her in the drivers seat will happen much quicker than I would like!! Actually I can't wait to have someone help with the errands!!

When they were done playing in the rain and dried off, we all sang songs at the piano. This picture gives you an idea of the ambiance we experienced. It was so touching....I love to hear my children sing, they have beautiful voices. My favorite thing in the world is to play the piano and hear them sing around me, and now its even better to have my daughters play so I can sit back and take it all in!!

It wasn't really this light! But with the flash you can see their beautiful faces!! :)

We went around the house and lit candles in every room, and we all agreed we need to create our own power outage more often!! There is something magical about singing, reading scriptures, praying and falling asleep by candlelight!! I am grateful their power dance didn't work til later!!

FSBO

For Sale By Owner

We had one event this summer which pretty much took up most of our summer and it has finally come to an end. Back in April we put our house up for sale and we finally sold it and have moved into our new home.

Over the last year this was a decision which weighed heavy on my mind. After much prayer and fasting I felt it was the right thing for our family. When we first moved into this home 3 years ago I promised my children we would never move again. OOPS! Go ahead...ask my children how many times we have moved... they are more than willing to tell you! :) Be very careful what you promise....this will be with me for the eternities I'm sure! Anyway, I felt very strongly this was the place my family needed to be in at such a difficult time in our lives. I was right. We have been blessed greatly by the many friends we have made in such a short amount of time. Friendships I am sure will be lifelong. I had so many neighbors and friends who watched out for me and my children. Such great service has been given to us....from mowing my lawn every week, changing that yucky filter, plowing my driveway, men watching out for our safety, leaders loving and supporting us, neighbors playing catch with Carson and Maddy, taking Carson to fathers and sons, wonderful home teachers who became like family to us, my list could go on with all the great memories and experiences we have had living in this home.
So why move? A lot of people ask that and a lot of people like to speculate. The truth is...Well, the house became too much for me. Take note to all the help I needed with that yard :) I needed to simplify my life and place my focus in other areas of our lives instead of investing so much energy and money into this home. An opportunity presented itself and things fell into place. The decision to move just felt right! I have learned a great lesson over the years. When you do the right thing for the right reasons and trust in the Lord, you are blessed. This doesn't neccesarily mean everything goes the way you expect it, but it does mean that peace can come into your life and you are blessed in ways you can't even imagine.

The entire process of selling a home is stressful. I decided to sell the house by myself. I went on faith that it would sell quickly and I waited for that perfect buyer to walk in the door. I remember the day the buyers walked in the door. I knew right away they would be the ones buying our home. My children felt it too. In my experience with real estate, I've learned to take the emotion out of it, yet with this process there was much shared faith and prayers between the buyers and myself. This experience has been another example to me of the Lords hand in our lives. It has also been another lesson in patience! When they walked in my door back in May, little did I know we wouldn't be closing on the house til August. Both of us were tested in patience but felt the Lords tender mercies preparing us along the way.

The day we moved I was left speechless with all the unexpected help I recieved. Several people took time out of their busy Saturdays to help us...thanks to those who know the true meaning of service. You were great examples to me and my children!

I am going to miss this house as well as the neighborhood. I am proud of what we've been able to accomplish with the blank canvas we had and all the hard work it took to get it where it is today. There have been many lessons learned for my family! I am soo proud of my children and their hard work and efforts. It has been an awesome journey. And already our new journey has been filled with blessings.

Joseph Wirthlin said "

"Be Grateful!! Everyday is a new canvas-a new opportunity. Our own beloved Gordon B Hinckley said: "My plea is that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we "accentuate the positive." I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment and endorse virtue and effort."

4th of July Celebrations continued with afternoon water games, swimming and BBQing. Thanks Uncle Matt B. for planning fun games.

   And leave it to the children and the adult kids to end the water games with a water fight!

 Good Times~

 I know I've said this before...but seriously...What the heck? Who the heck let's their children play with buckets in the pool? 

Carson and Anna's mom does..of course!! Notice the sign on the buckets warning about drowning? Awesome Mom! It was actually a learning lesson about how you can breath under water in the buckets. No worries everyone....at least I was supervising it? Right?

Maddy helping Carter to swim. There was plenty of pool time fun!

Every year we play the traditional dice game which was a tradition started by our dear Grandma Eva Mae at our annual 4th of July Breakfast. The kids and the adults love it! Our little Nathan was the luckiest...he kept rolling double after double and filled up his bag the fastest.

We had a really good time this year....even though we missed our missionaries (mom, dad and Nate). We missed Becca and Phil too...they choose to party in Wyoming every 4th!