Sunday, July 26, 2015
Week Twenty-Seven
On Monday, we woke up and went downtown for a while to explore downtown Steamboat Springs. Afterwards, we came back to the house, we decided to play a game of "beanboozled." We would have a group of people line up in front of the room and we would distribute the same color beans to them. For example, we handed out black jelly beans and some people got licorice flavored ones, while others got beans that tasted like skunk spray. It was soooo fun! I have to say that skunk spray and rotten egg were the worst tasting, IMO. The kids totally got into the game and everyone but my dad and Rob decided to participate.
On Tuesday, we went to a hot springs. It was really beautiful and it was kept natural and not built into a pool like some of them are. It was my first time swimming in a hot springs and I was completely amazed by how warm the water can get. There were a couple of places were you could feel the water right as it was coming out and it was extremely hot. It was really fun because there was one pool that was ice cold. It was really cool to get yourself acclimated to the cold water and then swim over to the warm water.
On Wednesday, we went to a family fun center. It was really small, but the kids loved that they had mini golf, a bounce house, panning for rocks, and these crazy fun water balls. Several of us, including my three kids, took turns walking on water in these clear balls. It was so much harder than it looked and it was hilarious to watch others try it. I got super claustrophobic after a while in the ball, and I started asking the later to get me out. Poor Hunter had been in his ball longer and he was running out of air himself, but I kind of started panicking :( and I had to get out! It started raining after a while, so we finished up and went home for more swimming at the house.
On Thursday, we visited Fish Creek Falls. We climbed in and played a bit in the water. We also saw the movie, "Inside Out." It was so cute and I think that everyone, adults and kids alike, enjoyed it.
We spent lots of time that week swimming, playing beanbag toss and horseshoes, riding bikes, taking walks, playing baseball, football, and basketball, etc. I really love these vacation weeks with my family. This time, we all had our own rooms and bathrooms. The kids all shared a room with lots of bunk beds in it. My mom always finds great places for us to stay.
The kids especially loved that my dad did treasure hunts every day again. He likes to do these when we go on vacation as a family. Every morning, they would find a clue somewhere. They would follow a series of clues to find a treasure box with a prize or treat in it. So fun!
On Friday, we headed out early to drive back to Arizona. I was a long day of driving, but we stopped for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We also stopped at Four Corners because Brooklen really wanted to see it. We bought the girls a bracelet and a necklace as a souvenir and we got Brooklen a magnet and a postcard. We got back to Arizona at about 10:30 at night.
On Saturday, we spent some time swimming in the pool. I think that Rob, the kids, and I were all in the pool by 8:30am. We spent about 4 or 5 hours outside swimming. Later in the day, the boys went to Top Golf and the girls went to the Gilbert Mall to go to Claire's. We also stopped by Kenzie and Ryan's house to see their renovations. Their house is really beautiful; they have excellent taste and Ryan does really great work. Afterwards, we met the boys at Backyard Taco. Boy have I missed good mexican food! It was so yummy! After dinner, we went home and rode horses for a bit down the street (the pasture was still wet from irrigation).
On Sunday, we left at about 9:00am to go see my Grandpa in Tucson. I drove in Ethan's car with the boys and Rob and Hunter took the girls in my mom's car. It was great to see my Grandpa and also to spend some more time with my brothers. We met my grandpa at his house and chatted a bit and them we went to a sport's bar for lunch. The food was excellent and we had a great time talking with my grandpa. Rob was especially so good at creating conversation. After lunch, we headed back to Gilbert. Later that evening, we had dinner with my family.
On Tuesday, we went to a hot springs. It was really beautiful and it was kept natural and not built into a pool like some of them are. It was my first time swimming in a hot springs and I was completely amazed by how warm the water can get. There were a couple of places were you could feel the water right as it was coming out and it was extremely hot. It was really fun because there was one pool that was ice cold. It was really cool to get yourself acclimated to the cold water and then swim over to the warm water.
On Wednesday, we went to a family fun center. It was really small, but the kids loved that they had mini golf, a bounce house, panning for rocks, and these crazy fun water balls. Several of us, including my three kids, took turns walking on water in these clear balls. It was so much harder than it looked and it was hilarious to watch others try it. I got super claustrophobic after a while in the ball, and I started asking the later to get me out. Poor Hunter had been in his ball longer and he was running out of air himself, but I kind of started panicking :( and I had to get out! It started raining after a while, so we finished up and went home for more swimming at the house.
On Thursday, we visited Fish Creek Falls. We climbed in and played a bit in the water. We also saw the movie, "Inside Out." It was so cute and I think that everyone, adults and kids alike, enjoyed it.
We spent lots of time that week swimming, playing beanbag toss and horseshoes, riding bikes, taking walks, playing baseball, football, and basketball, etc. I really love these vacation weeks with my family. This time, we all had our own rooms and bathrooms. The kids all shared a room with lots of bunk beds in it. My mom always finds great places for us to stay.
The kids especially loved that my dad did treasure hunts every day again. He likes to do these when we go on vacation as a family. Every morning, they would find a clue somewhere. They would follow a series of clues to find a treasure box with a prize or treat in it. So fun!
On Friday, we headed out early to drive back to Arizona. I was a long day of driving, but we stopped for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We also stopped at Four Corners because Brooklen really wanted to see it. We bought the girls a bracelet and a necklace as a souvenir and we got Brooklen a magnet and a postcard. We got back to Arizona at about 10:30 at night.
On Saturday, we spent some time swimming in the pool. I think that Rob, the kids, and I were all in the pool by 8:30am. We spent about 4 or 5 hours outside swimming. Later in the day, the boys went to Top Golf and the girls went to the Gilbert Mall to go to Claire's. We also stopped by Kenzie and Ryan's house to see their renovations. Their house is really beautiful; they have excellent taste and Ryan does really great work. Afterwards, we met the boys at Backyard Taco. Boy have I missed good mexican food! It was so yummy! After dinner, we went home and rode horses for a bit down the street (the pasture was still wet from irrigation).
On Sunday, we left at about 9:00am to go see my Grandpa in Tucson. I drove in Ethan's car with the boys and Rob and Hunter took the girls in my mom's car. It was great to see my Grandpa and also to spend some more time with my brothers. We met my grandpa at his house and chatted a bit and them we went to a sport's bar for lunch. The food was excellent and we had a great time talking with my grandpa. Rob was especially so good at creating conversation. After lunch, we headed back to Gilbert. Later that evening, we had dinner with my family.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Week Twenty-Six
After a LONG night of almost no sleep at our house in Canton (we all slept on ONE air mattress with TWO blankets), we woke up early to leave for the airport. Our good friend, Gina Moss, came by the house and drove us to the Detroit airport. The flight was pretty uneventful. The kids are all so good at flying. This was Kaiton's first flight, which is crazy, since the rest of our kids flew when they were only a few months old.
We arrived in Utah at about noon. It was over 100 degrees in Utah. We sat around for a while, and then we headed over to the pool. They had a cute little slide that the girls warmed up to and eventually came to love. Kaiton spent most of the time walking around the pool and Brooklen swam laps with Rob. We had a great time. After the pool, we headed back to Rob's parents' house for a family dinner. Stacy and Dave came with their cute one-week old baby, and Matt, Mike, and Jennifer were there too. Amanda was sick, so Melissa didn't bring her family over. We also got to see Rob's grandma and his aunt. Rob tried to pick up his grandpa from the hospice center, but he was too tired to come for dinner. I think Rob was pretty shocked at how poor his grandpa's condition was.
On Tuesday, we went to the Hogle Zoo. Melissa and her kids came, as well as Matt and his kids. It was hot, but the kids had a blast. Rob's parent have a membership, so the kids were especially excited to ride the train and the carousel. They cooled off in the splash pad and we watched the bird show. Kaiton liked the animals, but he was afraid of all of the dinosaurs they had put up throughout the zoo. After we got home from the zoo, Rob took the kids swimming while Kaiton napped. Around 5pm, we headed down to Pleasant Grove to see Teryn and Rob. We were able to see their brand new house (it is huge and amazing) and then they took us to Blue Lemon to eat. They paid for everything, included the dessert that I offered to buy. It always amazes me how gracious and kind they are to us. We really appreciate them. Hadley and Hurley hit it off and within minutes at the house, they had run off to play together. After dinner, we had to hurry back to Salt Lake. Rob played in a softball game on the team that Jennifer organized. The kids had fun playing and watching Rob play. Afterwards, we headed to the cabin. We arrived at about midnight.
On Wednesday morning, we ate breakfast and then we headed to Whitney to go fishing. Rob and Hurley fished in the canoe and the rest of us rode in the fishing boat. After a couple of hours, Kaiton was bored, and so they let me off with him. We sat around and played in the dirt and water for a couple of hours. Later, Zaya decided she was done fishing, so she and Annette joined Kaiton and I. We played for another hour or two. Finally, at about 5 or 6, the others decided to come ashore. Hurley had caught like 15 fish (she only kept a few). Brooklen caught the second most at like 7, and I think Zaya caught 2 or 3. We went back to the cabin and cooked up the fish. It was so delicious!
The next day, we had breakfast and then packed up all of our stuff. It was Hurley's birthday, so I brought streamers and she woke up to a birthday chair. We gave her gift, which was an ipod shuffle. She was so excited and we currently LOVE to watch her listen and sing along to the songs that I put on the shuffle. Brooklen got Hurley a bunch of decorative duct tape from the dollar store and Zaya got her a paper doll. We stopped to fish (without boats) on the way home, but didn't catch much. Hurley decided to keep one fish. While we were fishing, Kaiton threw up. He ended up having a fever for several more days, but he never threw up again. We also stopped at a waterfall. Hurley had a blast playing in the water. She and I took off our shoes and walked all through it. At the end of playing, she was soaked, but so happy! I love the zest for life that that little girl has. Next, we stopped in Evanston for lunch. The food at the burger place was awesome. They served their burgers on brioche buns and Brooklen fell in love with onion rings there.
We got home Thursday afternoon. We took the kids swimming again and then we went back to Rob's parent's house for dinner. We stopped on our way home to pick up a birthday cake for Hurley from Smiths. After dinner, we sang to her and had cake and ice cream. I think she felt special having her birthday celebrated with such a big group.
On Friday morning, we woke up early and packed up. Rob went downtown and rented a minivan and we began our drive to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The kids were stoked that the van that we rented had 2 tvs in it. We reminded them that we will NEVER own a mini van :)
We arrived in Colorado on Friday night. We checked out the house, got settled, and my parents ran to pick up dinner at Jimmy Johns. After dinner, we swam in the indoor pool.
Saturday was the fourth of July. We headed out early to the parade downtown. We ended up at the end of the parade route, however, so the everyone was out of candy. The kids were a little bummed, but we tried to help them not notice. After the parade, we found a party downtown and got some free hot dogs. Then, we went and watched a ski jump competition. We went home for a few hours to play and later, we headed out to dinner at a really great restaurant. Most everyone got really cool burgers; I got a delicious salad. After dinner, we went to the rodeo. I have been telling Rob for years that I want to take my kids to a rodeo, so I'm glad we finally got the chance too. During the rodeo, the kids got to do a calf scramble and a ram scramble. I think they liked the rodeo, but it was a bit long. At the end, we stayed in our seats to watch fireworks.
On Sunday, we woke up and went to church. The ward building was in the neighborhood, so we all walked together. In the afternoon, we tried to go to a waterfall, but it was super busy and there wasn't any parking. Instead, we ended up eating lunch at a really cool park. It started raining, but we toughed it out for a while. Later that evening, my mom made a delicious dinner and we played outside.
We arrived in Utah at about noon. It was over 100 degrees in Utah. We sat around for a while, and then we headed over to the pool. They had a cute little slide that the girls warmed up to and eventually came to love. Kaiton spent most of the time walking around the pool and Brooklen swam laps with Rob. We had a great time. After the pool, we headed back to Rob's parents' house for a family dinner. Stacy and Dave came with their cute one-week old baby, and Matt, Mike, and Jennifer were there too. Amanda was sick, so Melissa didn't bring her family over. We also got to see Rob's grandma and his aunt. Rob tried to pick up his grandpa from the hospice center, but he was too tired to come for dinner. I think Rob was pretty shocked at how poor his grandpa's condition was.
On Wednesday morning, we ate breakfast and then we headed to Whitney to go fishing. Rob and Hurley fished in the canoe and the rest of us rode in the fishing boat. After a couple of hours, Kaiton was bored, and so they let me off with him. We sat around and played in the dirt and water for a couple of hours. Later, Zaya decided she was done fishing, so she and Annette joined Kaiton and I. We played for another hour or two. Finally, at about 5 or 6, the others decided to come ashore. Hurley had caught like 15 fish (she only kept a few). Brooklen caught the second most at like 7, and I think Zaya caught 2 or 3. We went back to the cabin and cooked up the fish. It was so delicious!
The next day, we had breakfast and then packed up all of our stuff. It was Hurley's birthday, so I brought streamers and she woke up to a birthday chair. We gave her gift, which was an ipod shuffle. She was so excited and we currently LOVE to watch her listen and sing along to the songs that I put on the shuffle. Brooklen got Hurley a bunch of decorative duct tape from the dollar store and Zaya got her a paper doll. We stopped to fish (without boats) on the way home, but didn't catch much. Hurley decided to keep one fish. While we were fishing, Kaiton threw up. He ended up having a fever for several more days, but he never threw up again. We also stopped at a waterfall. Hurley had a blast playing in the water. She and I took off our shoes and walked all through it. At the end of playing, she was soaked, but so happy! I love the zest for life that that little girl has. Next, we stopped in Evanston for lunch. The food at the burger place was awesome. They served their burgers on brioche buns and Brooklen fell in love with onion rings there.
We got home Thursday afternoon. We took the kids swimming again and then we went back to Rob's parent's house for dinner. We stopped on our way home to pick up a birthday cake for Hurley from Smiths. After dinner, we sang to her and had cake and ice cream. I think she felt special having her birthday celebrated with such a big group.
On Friday morning, we woke up early and packed up. Rob went downtown and rented a minivan and we began our drive to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The kids were stoked that the van that we rented had 2 tvs in it. We reminded them that we will NEVER own a mini van :)
We arrived in Colorado on Friday night. We checked out the house, got settled, and my parents ran to pick up dinner at Jimmy Johns. After dinner, we swam in the indoor pool.
Saturday was the fourth of July. We headed out early to the parade downtown. We ended up at the end of the parade route, however, so the everyone was out of candy. The kids were a little bummed, but we tried to help them not notice. After the parade, we found a party downtown and got some free hot dogs. Then, we went and watched a ski jump competition. We went home for a few hours to play and later, we headed out to dinner at a really great restaurant. Most everyone got really cool burgers; I got a delicious salad. After dinner, we went to the rodeo. I have been telling Rob for years that I want to take my kids to a rodeo, so I'm glad we finally got the chance too. During the rodeo, the kids got to do a calf scramble and a ram scramble. I think they liked the rodeo, but it was a bit long. At the end, we stayed in our seats to watch fireworks.
On Sunday, we woke up and went to church. The ward building was in the neighborhood, so we all walked together. In the afternoon, we tried to go to a waterfall, but it was super busy and there wasn't any parking. Instead, we ended up eating lunch at a really cool park. It started raining, but we toughed it out for a while. Later that evening, my mom made a delicious dinner and we played outside.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Week Twenty-Five
The kids were able to go to Vacation Bible School at Calvary Baptist this week. It worked perfectly for me because I was working hard to get things ready for our trip out west and it gave me some time to do that. They went from 9:30-noon everyday. My kids really love going to these events; they play games, learn songs, and make crafts. I love these events because they are free and they expose my kids to other faiths. Zaya and Hurley really enjoyed learning new songs. One of their songs was about keeping your eyes and ears away from unclean things. I asked Hurley about the song and what it meant and she told me that they had taught her that if she is in a bad situation, she should try to leave; if she can't leave, she should plug her ears!
At the end of the week, the church had a family picnic. They provided lunch and showed pictures from the entire week.
On Friday, all of the kids had friends over. Brooklen had his friend Ethan come over, Hurley had Laila over, and Zaya had Jack come play. We made snowcones and they all played great. Later that evening, Rob took Brooklen golfing and I took the girls and Kaiton to Dow Gardens to explore. We had such a wonderful time.
On Saturday, we met the McFarlanes at the temple. Rob and I did a session and they did sealings. On the way home, we stopped at Birch Run to get Brooklen some clothes at Under Armour. Brooklen and Rob spent quite a bit of time shopping for him. I helped watch the girls and Kaiton and I also helped Hurley pick out some Under Armour headbands.
On Sunday, we went to church. Afterwards, we hung out a bit and then we bathed and dressed the kids in pajamas and headed down to Canton. We spend the night in our house down there because our flight was early Monday morning. We were able to say our goodbyes to the house, since we just sold it and it should close in a few weeks. I filmed a video of Rob and the kids putting a time capsule in the secret compartment of the deck that Rob and Brooklen built. Brooklen was pretty emotional about having to say goodbye to the house. I though I would be more emotional about saying goodbye because we brought three of our babies home to that house. But, the house is not in amazing condition anymore, so, strangely, I didn't feel too sad to say goodbye to it.
On Friday, all of the kids had friends over. Brooklen had his friend Ethan come over, Hurley had Laila over, and Zaya had Jack come play. We made snowcones and they all played great. Later that evening, Rob took Brooklen golfing and I took the girls and Kaiton to Dow Gardens to explore. We had such a wonderful time.
On Saturday, we met the McFarlanes at the temple. Rob and I did a session and they did sealings. On the way home, we stopped at Birch Run to get Brooklen some clothes at Under Armour. Brooklen and Rob spent quite a bit of time shopping for him. I helped watch the girls and Kaiton and I also helped Hurley pick out some Under Armour headbands.
On Sunday, we went to church. Afterwards, we hung out a bit and then we bathed and dressed the kids in pajamas and headed down to Canton. We spend the night in our house down there because our flight was early Monday morning. We were able to say our goodbyes to the house, since we just sold it and it should close in a few weeks. I filmed a video of Rob and the kids putting a time capsule in the secret compartment of the deck that Rob and Brooklen built. Brooklen was pretty emotional about having to say goodbye to the house. I though I would be more emotional about saying goodbye because we brought three of our babies home to that house. But, the house is not in amazing condition anymore, so, strangely, I didn't feel too sad to say goodbye to it.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Week Twenty-Four
This past week was our first full week of summer. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the week went for us. I am so glad to have my kids home with me in the summer. On Monday, we woke up and the kids started their summer routine, which consisted of piano practicing, an exercise routine, chores, homework, scripture reading, and reading. The kids are really motivated to complete their chart and, for the most part, their worked really well on their own and with each other. It is defintely a lot of work for me to go through this routine with them, and to clean up and do my own chores and responsibilities. But . . . I know that all of these things are so good for my kids. After their routine, we headed off to run several errands. We decided to build Rob a workbench for the garage for Father's Day, so we also picked up all of the supplies for this. When we were done with errands, we went home and I worked with them on the workbench and then the kids played with the Nymans. Rob had to work let with board responsibilities, so we had an easy dinner of grilled hot dogs.
On Tuesday, we hurried to get out morning responsibilities done and then we headed off to Dow Gardens for our gardening class. The kids played a bit after the class and we brought lunch and ate there. After the class, we
On Tuesday night, Rob had to work late again. We were able to spend some extra time working on the workbench because of this.
On Wednesday morning, we went to Plymouth Park for the library's summer reading kick-off. They did such a fantastic job. Their theme was super heroes and they even let the kids make and decorate their own capes. After we finished at the park, we rushed Hurley to gymnastics. There was a lot of construction going on on Wackerly, so we ended up staying. Her class is now 2 hours, so it was a really long time to stay, but I was glad I got to watch her. She is doing so amazing. Zaya was sad she had to watch, she told me she wanted to go downstairs and do gymnastics too.
On Thursday, we worked on the workbench, played, and at night, I went to get my hair done.
Today was Father's Day. I helped the kids make Rob breakfast and they took it to him in bed. Brooklen and Hurley filled out some questionnaires about Rob and the kids also gave him a Detroit Tigers shirt. We had the workbench all set up and Rob almost didn't even notice it when we left for church. We were pulling out of the driveway and he noticed. I think he liked it; the kids (and I) were proud of our work. For dinner, we grilled steak skewers and made a fruit salad and some corn. We made peanut butter cup ice cream for dessert.
I wanted to take a moment and record how grateful I am to have a husband who is an excellent father. Rob really loves our kids and he always makes time for them. They are the most important things to him and I am grateful that he is always there for them. I also appreciate how amazing of a teacher he is. He spends a lot of time trying to make them better and he is very good at teaching them. I love him and I was so excited to celebrate him today.
On Tuesday, we hurried to get out morning responsibilities done and then we headed off to Dow Gardens for our gardening class. The kids played a bit after the class and we brought lunch and ate there. After the class, we
On Tuesday night, Rob had to work late again. We were able to spend some extra time working on the workbench because of this.
On Wednesday morning, we went to Plymouth Park for the library's summer reading kick-off. They did such a fantastic job. Their theme was super heroes and they even let the kids make and decorate their own capes. After we finished at the park, we rushed Hurley to gymnastics. There was a lot of construction going on on Wackerly, so we ended up staying. Her class is now 2 hours, so it was a really long time to stay, but I was glad I got to watch her. She is doing so amazing. Zaya was sad she had to watch, she told me she wanted to go downstairs and do gymnastics too.
On Thursday, we worked on the workbench, played, and at night, I went to get my hair done.
Today was Father's Day. I helped the kids make Rob breakfast and they took it to him in bed. Brooklen and Hurley filled out some questionnaires about Rob and the kids also gave him a Detroit Tigers shirt. We had the workbench all set up and Rob almost didn't even notice it when we left for church. We were pulling out of the driveway and he noticed. I think he liked it; the kids (and I) were proud of our work. For dinner, we grilled steak skewers and made a fruit salad and some corn. We made peanut butter cup ice cream for dessert.
I wanted to take a moment and record how grateful I am to have a husband who is an excellent father. Rob really loves our kids and he always makes time for them. They are the most important things to him and I am grateful that he is always there for them. I also appreciate how amazing of a teacher he is. He spends a lot of time trying to make them better and he is very good at teaching them. I love him and I was so excited to celebrate him today.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Week Twenty-Three
School is out! In can't believe that I officially have a 1st grader and a 3RD GRADER! Crazy! This year went by so fast. Time goes by way to fast when you have little kids.
The kid's last day of school was on Wednesday, so that made for a pretty crazy week. On Monday, the kids had field day at school, so we stopped by and watched them for a bit. The weather was warm and perfect! After that, we headed over to Zaya's last gymnastics class. She is going to take the summer off. I'm really proud of all her development this past year. She has developed physically AND she has developed so much emotionally. She has become such a good listener. I remember her first few weeks in gymnastics were rough because she had such a hard time focusing, listening, and understanding. Now, she takes those classes like a pro!
On Tuesday, I went in and helped for Hurley's class party. The teachers planned the party. They had a Hawaiian theme. I helped the kids make volcanos out of clay. It was a really fun activity, and super simple for the kids. That evening, Brooklen had his last baseball game of the season. I'll miss going to his games; it has been a really great season.
On Wednesday, I got a babysitter for a while so that I could go to Brooklen's class party. I picked both of the kids up and they said goodbye to their teachers and friends. Both of the kids had male teachers this year and they have both had really great experiences. I consider us so blessed to have had such amazing teachers for our children. I am so grateful for everyone at the school who is a part of their educational experience. I am so lucky to have such great support.
After school, we took Hurley to gymnastics. Later, we went to Rob's softball game. It was fun to watch him and even more fun to watch Brooklen. He was so in to the game!
On Thursday, we went to Dow Garden's in the morning for our first gardening class. Rob took the day off of work, so afterwards, we headed out to Bay City State Park for a beach day. It was a bit cold and windy, but we still had lots of fun. The kids played in the water, collected seashells, made sandcastles and collected teeny, tiny frogs (there were a TON of them).
On Friday, we went to the library and signed the kids up for the summer reading program. We were supposed to go camping at the Kepler's property at night, but we got a ton of rain in the morning and they had to close the access road. Rob brought home a movie and we made s'mores over our portable s'more machine.
On Saturday, we worked out in the morning. We were supposed to go to the Nyman's cottage for the day, but that also got canceled because of rain. We spent some time playing outside instead. We played a fun game of baseball and later, when the Nyman's got home, the kids played with their kids.
Today our home teacher came. I can't remember what he asked Zaya, but it was something to the effect of "do you want to be with your family forever?" She was very matter of fact and adament as she answered. She kept saying, "I do want to be with them forever, but I do want to leave to go to school and gymnastics." She was so cute, she kept repeating that over and over again to make sure that we completely understood her!
The kid's last day of school was on Wednesday, so that made for a pretty crazy week. On Monday, the kids had field day at school, so we stopped by and watched them for a bit. The weather was warm and perfect! After that, we headed over to Zaya's last gymnastics class. She is going to take the summer off. I'm really proud of all her development this past year. She has developed physically AND she has developed so much emotionally. She has become such a good listener. I remember her first few weeks in gymnastics were rough because she had such a hard time focusing, listening, and understanding. Now, she takes those classes like a pro!
On Tuesday, I went in and helped for Hurley's class party. The teachers planned the party. They had a Hawaiian theme. I helped the kids make volcanos out of clay. It was a really fun activity, and super simple for the kids. That evening, Brooklen had his last baseball game of the season. I'll miss going to his games; it has been a really great season.
On Wednesday, I got a babysitter for a while so that I could go to Brooklen's class party. I picked both of the kids up and they said goodbye to their teachers and friends. Both of the kids had male teachers this year and they have both had really great experiences. I consider us so blessed to have had such amazing teachers for our children. I am so grateful for everyone at the school who is a part of their educational experience. I am so lucky to have such great support.
After school, we took Hurley to gymnastics. Later, we went to Rob's softball game. It was fun to watch him and even more fun to watch Brooklen. He was so in to the game!
On Thursday, we went to Dow Garden's in the morning for our first gardening class. Rob took the day off of work, so afterwards, we headed out to Bay City State Park for a beach day. It was a bit cold and windy, but we still had lots of fun. The kids played in the water, collected seashells, made sandcastles and collected teeny, tiny frogs (there were a TON of them).
On Friday, we went to the library and signed the kids up for the summer reading program. We were supposed to go camping at the Kepler's property at night, but we got a ton of rain in the morning and they had to close the access road. Rob brought home a movie and we made s'mores over our portable s'more machine.
On Saturday, we worked out in the morning. We were supposed to go to the Nyman's cottage for the day, but that also got canceled because of rain. We spent some time playing outside instead. We played a fun game of baseball and later, when the Nyman's got home, the kids played with their kids.
Today our home teacher came. I can't remember what he asked Zaya, but it was something to the effect of "do you want to be with your family forever?" She was very matter of fact and adament as she answered. She kept saying, "I do want to be with them forever, but I do want to leave to go to school and gymnastics." She was so cute, she kept repeating that over and over again to make sure that we completely understood her!
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Week Twenty-Two
The big event from this week is that Zaya had her 4th birthday! I can not even believe that Zaya is already four. She has such a sweet, special spirit. Below, is a letter to her on her 4th birthday.
Dear Zaya,
You are my sweet, spunky, always happy, little girl. Like with you is such a joy. You rarely complain, are always up for anything, and you LOVE to help out around the house. I love that you love to be near me, even if it means helping make dinner or folding laundry. I have to admit, in the beginning of the school year, I was worried to have you home without Hurley. This year has been such a blessing for me, however. I feel like we have developed a strong bond; I can't imagine not spending my days with you.
At four, you have the strongest imagination. You love to play by yourself and you can easily create an afternoon of fun out of toys and simple materials around the house. Often, during my piano lessons, you choose to play instead of watch tv. I hear you creating a store of a picnic, or a party and it makes my heart want to burst.
Your favorite tv show is "Peppa the Pig". Your second choice would probably be "Paw Patrol." Your favorite activities are playing with friends and gymnastics (you are always on your head). You also like roller skating, bike riding, and baseball. You love to help me cook, and you are always thrilled to play with your big sister.
Your best friend is Jack. You and Jack could spend all day, every day together and not get sick of each other. I feel like you two are "kindred spirits;" you like to call him your "boyfriend." You also love to play with Nev, Kate and Amelia, and Sienna. You also love your big neighbor friend, Jenna. You are definitely a social little girl. You crave spending time with friends.
Your favorite foods are red bell peppers, tomatoes, pizza, and peanut butter and nutella sandwiches. You always want cereal for breakfast. You are a healthy eater, but you never want to eat much when dinner time comes around.
Zaya, I can already tell that you are going to be something great someday. You are very bright and so loving. I am so proud to call you my daughter and I can't wait to savor another year at home with you!
Love, Mom
We had a family party for Zaya on her actual birthday. She wanted a homemade chocolate cake. We invited the Nymans over to enjoy cake with us. On Friday, she had her friend party. It was really low key. We had 6 friends over and they played outside. I fed them lunch and we had Minnie Mouse cupcakes and opened presents.
Today, as we were on a family walk, I said to Zaya, "Brooklen is going to start hockey in a few months." She said, "Duh!" haha
Later, I said, "Hurry, Brooklen is going to beat us home." She said, "oh dear!" What a funny girl!!!!
On another note, today was Stake Conference. Our ward choir had to sing. I was nervous to lead the music in front of everyone. We sang, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." We had performed it before and it is a beautiful arrangement. Of course, my ward is so talented and the choir sounded amazing. I was so proud to lead them.
Dear Zaya,
You are my sweet, spunky, always happy, little girl. Like with you is such a joy. You rarely complain, are always up for anything, and you LOVE to help out around the house. I love that you love to be near me, even if it means helping make dinner or folding laundry. I have to admit, in the beginning of the school year, I was worried to have you home without Hurley. This year has been such a blessing for me, however. I feel like we have developed a strong bond; I can't imagine not spending my days with you.
At four, you have the strongest imagination. You love to play by yourself and you can easily create an afternoon of fun out of toys and simple materials around the house. Often, during my piano lessons, you choose to play instead of watch tv. I hear you creating a store of a picnic, or a party and it makes my heart want to burst.
Your favorite tv show is "Peppa the Pig". Your second choice would probably be "Paw Patrol." Your favorite activities are playing with friends and gymnastics (you are always on your head). You also like roller skating, bike riding, and baseball. You love to help me cook, and you are always thrilled to play with your big sister.
Your best friend is Jack. You and Jack could spend all day, every day together and not get sick of each other. I feel like you two are "kindred spirits;" you like to call him your "boyfriend." You also love to play with Nev, Kate and Amelia, and Sienna. You also love your big neighbor friend, Jenna. You are definitely a social little girl. You crave spending time with friends.
Your favorite foods are red bell peppers, tomatoes, pizza, and peanut butter and nutella sandwiches. You always want cereal for breakfast. You are a healthy eater, but you never want to eat much when dinner time comes around.
Zaya, I can already tell that you are going to be something great someday. You are very bright and so loving. I am so proud to call you my daughter and I can't wait to savor another year at home with you!
Love, Mom
We had a family party for Zaya on her actual birthday. She wanted a homemade chocolate cake. We invited the Nymans over to enjoy cake with us. On Friday, she had her friend party. It was really low key. We had 6 friends over and they played outside. I fed them lunch and we had Minnie Mouse cupcakes and opened presents.
Today, as we were on a family walk, I said to Zaya, "Brooklen is going to start hockey in a few months." She said, "Duh!" haha
Later, I said, "Hurry, Brooklen is going to beat us home." She said, "oh dear!" What a funny girl!!!!
On another note, today was Stake Conference. Our ward choir had to sing. I was nervous to lead the music in front of everyone. We sang, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." We had performed it before and it is a beautiful arrangement. Of course, my ward is so talented and the choir sounded amazing. I was so proud to lead them.
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