We had stake conference this weekend. Elder Piper was our visiting seventy! After the adult session Saturday night I went up to talk to him. And he remember or at least recognized who I was. I was surprised. He gave an excellent talk. Saturday night Emma started throwing up so the little girls and I stayed home with her Sunday morning. Kurt loved the priesthood leadership session and has been talking about everything he learned ever since. Understanding doctrine changes behavior.
Kurt and Bill gave me a blessing Sunday night. My 4 am feeding Monday morning was relatively pain free. I wanted to wake the house in rejoicing!! It continues to be better, not fixed but improving. Time will tell if my milk supply will keep up and what the future of our nursing relationship will be.
Monday morning the kids turned in their library reading logs to complete the summer reading program {and cash in all the goodies they earned.} Naturally we had to get our sundaes right away.
That afternoon Austin and I had our Back-2-School mommy date {in my bedroom.}I rented "Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief" on my Kindle. We watched with the snacks he had purchased for us. The second movie just recently came out and since he has been loving the series I wanted to have the Percy Jackson marathon. Unfortunately Kurt didn't make it home in time for us to watch the second one at the theater.
Austin's Summer Summary {age 10}
1. What was your favorite part of this summer? Playing outside with my brothers & sisters
2. What was your favorite book you read? "Son of Neptune."
3. What was your summer hobby? Origami, Drawing and making toggle key chains.
4. What activities did you do this summer? Cub Scout Day Camp and Mind Storm Camp
5. What was your favorite summer of service? Giving $50 to the missionaries
6. What was your favorite "80 days of Summer" bucket list? Austin Day
6. What are you excited about for 5th grade? Making new friends and sugar skulls, Multiplication challenges
Monday morning the kids turned in their library reading logs to complete the summer reading program {and cash in all the goodies they earned.} Naturally we had to get our sundaes right away.
That afternoon Austin and I had our Back-2-School mommy date {in my bedroom.}I rented "Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief" on my Kindle. We watched with the snacks he had purchased for us. The second movie just recently came out and since he has been loving the series I wanted to have the Percy Jackson marathon. Unfortunately Kurt didn't make it home in time for us to watch the second one at the theater.
Austin's Summer Summary {age 10}
1. What was your favorite part of this summer? Playing outside with my brothers & sisters
2. What was your favorite book you read? "Son of Neptune."
3. What was your summer hobby? Origami, Drawing and making toggle key chains.
4. What activities did you do this summer? Cub Scout Day Camp and Mind Storm Camp
5. What was your favorite summer of service? Giving $50 to the missionaries
6. What was your favorite "80 days of Summer" bucket list? Austin Day
6. What are you excited about for 5th grade? Making new friends and sugar skulls, Multiplication challenges
Tuesday morning Emma was puking again. I had Ruth's mommy date set up {babysitting coming to watch the other kids. Because its her first year of school I wanted to go out for her mommy date. Extra special.} The babysitter was still willing but I wanted to waited a few hours to see how Emma
was doing. We left Vale at 1 pm.
First items of business was to get her ready for her back to school fashion show. Shoes at Famous Footwear. Items to make necklace at Michaels. New accessories at Kohls.
After lunch her activity of choice was bowling. We found a bowling alley in Nampa and had a GREAT time. She was SO excited. Ecstatic is probably a more accurate description. I had to tell her a few times to settle down {volume.}We bowled 2 games sharing root beer and fries in between. She was cheering like crazy and always very encouraging. Each time it was my turn she would say, "Make me proud mama!"
No sentimental words today. Not ready to face the reality that is staring at me. As I type this there are only 4 chains left on her "First day of School" countdown.
Ruth's Summer Summary {age 5}
1. What was your favorite part of this summer? taking ballet
2. What was your favorite book you read? "Sophia"
3. What was your favorite summer of service? Pulling weeds
4. What activities did you do this summer? Danced at the fair
5. What was your favorite "80 days of Summer" bucket list item? Drive-In movie watching "The Croods"
5. What are you excited about for Kindergarten? Playing and seeing my classroom
That afternoon Jane's right eye was crazy goopy and then it started to swell shut. It freaked me out. Swelling eyes in infants cannot be a good thing.
I took her and Emma into the doctor Wednesday morning. Emma was still sick unable to keep anything down since Saturday. Emma just had a virus but the week continues to be long and hard for her. She has eaten next to nothing and barely drinks. She is pale and lies around. Praying she will get better soon. Its been over a week.
Jane had pink eye. They prescribled an antibiotics to insert into her eye lids {not my most favorite medicine application method.} At 5 weeks she is weighing 9 pounds. Thankfully the pink eye clearly up quickly.
Immediately after the doctor visit we headed up to McCall for our only family getaway of the summer. Grateful Kurt could see it was important to me and made time to come. As soon as we arrived in McCall we headed to the lake. Within 1.3 minutes all the kids were wet and/or fully submerged.
Watching the kids enjoy their surrounds, and taking in the beauty around me I realized how much I missed summer. The things I love about summer {camping, hiking, bonfires, beaches, swimming and water of all kinds.} Seems like we did very minimal of all of that this year. It was our baby summer. I'm grateful that there are many more OUTDOOR summer ahead of us.
Thursday morning Kurt took the healthy ones for a walk. He loved how they stopped on their own to take a picture. Posers.
First items of business was to get her ready for her back to school fashion show. Shoes at Famous Footwear. Items to make necklace at Michaels. New accessories at Kohls.
After lunch her activity of choice was bowling. We found a bowling alley in Nampa and had a GREAT time. She was SO excited. Ecstatic is probably a more accurate description. I had to tell her a few times to settle down {volume.}We bowled 2 games sharing root beer and fries in between. She was cheering like crazy and always very encouraging. Each time it was my turn she would say, "Make me proud mama!"
No sentimental words today. Not ready to face the reality that is staring at me. As I type this there are only 4 chains left on her "First day of School" countdown.
Ruth's Summer Summary {age 5}
1. What was your favorite part of this summer? taking ballet
2. What was your favorite book you read? "Sophia"
3. What was your favorite summer of service? Pulling weeds
4. What activities did you do this summer? Danced at the fair
5. What was your favorite "80 days of Summer" bucket list item? Drive-In movie watching "The Croods"
5. What are you excited about for Kindergarten? Playing and seeing my classroom
That afternoon Jane's right eye was crazy goopy and then it started to swell shut. It freaked me out. Swelling eyes in infants cannot be a good thing.
I took her and Emma into the doctor Wednesday morning. Emma was still sick unable to keep anything down since Saturday. Emma just had a virus but the week continues to be long and hard for her. She has eaten next to nothing and barely drinks. She is pale and lies around. Praying she will get better soon. Its been over a week.
Jane had pink eye. They prescribled an antibiotics to insert into her eye lids {not my most favorite medicine application method.} At 5 weeks she is weighing 9 pounds. Thankfully the pink eye clearly up quickly.
Immediately after the doctor visit we headed up to McCall for our only family getaway of the summer. Grateful Kurt could see it was important to me and made time to come. As soon as we arrived in McCall we headed to the lake. Within 1.3 minutes all the kids were wet and/or fully submerged.
Thursday morning Kurt took the healthy ones for a walk. He loved how they stopped on their own to take a picture. Posers.
We ate lunch at our McCall favorite The Pancake House, followed by a nap and more lake time.
trying to keep Jane out of the wind and sun.
I took Emma and Jane back to rest while Kurt took the others swumming in the outdoor pool. After dinner Kurt took the boys and Ruth back to the state park to do some hiking. They did the 3 mile Lily Marsh Trail.
We checked out and headed home Friday at noon. That evening was the corn and watermelon feed. Like the pattern we created this week I stayed home with Jane and Emma Lynn.
Saturday Kurt flew out to Nebraska for a 2 day Valley Conference. He left early so he could avoid traveling on Sunday and attend our old ward in Ames {so jealous!} Saturday was also the FIRST day I felt like myself. It was a pain free day with a lot of quality time with my kids. Why can't everyday be like that?
In the morning it was Emma Lynn's Back-2-School mommy date. I turned my bathroom into a salon just for her. Here is her BEFORE picture:
Next she had a gel manicure. I got the kit from Amazon. I love that the gel and shellac polish don't chip and last longer. I think this will be a fun bonding time with my girls. I have plenty of girls that I think it will get its use! ;)
Emma Lynn's Summer Summary {age 8}
1. What was your favorite part of this summer? Being in a play
2. What was your favorite book you read? "Cupcake Diary" series
3. What was your favorite summer of service? Washing the pickup and camper
4. What activities did you do this summer? Girl Scout Camp, Music Theater Camp & Performance, Danced a solo at the fair,
5. What was your favorite "80 days of Summer" bucket list item? Daddy Dearest Restaurant
5. What are you excited about for Third Grade? Excited to see my friends and teachers
And Spencer's mommy date was that afternoon. First we watched a new "Wild Kratts" episode. Then we played a few games of checkers. And finally we designed our OWN game {about Wild Kratts of course!}
Spencer's Summer Summary {age 7}
1. What was your favorite part of this summer? Music Theater Camp
2. What was your favorite book you read? "Cragger's Revenge" {Lego Chima}
3. What was your favorite summer of service? Cleaning the church
4. What activities did you do this summer? Music Theater Camp and performance
5. What was your favorite "80 days of Summer" bucket list item? Mommy Date
5. What are you excited about for Second Grade? Make new friends and see my new teachers
And some baby Jane eye candy:
Saturday Kurt flew out to Nebraska for a 2 day Valley Conference. He left early so he could avoid traveling on Sunday and attend our old ward in Ames {so jealous!} Saturday was also the FIRST day I felt like myself. It was a pain free day with a lot of quality time with my kids. Why can't everyday be like that?
In the morning it was Emma Lynn's Back-2-School mommy date. I turned my bathroom into a salon just for her. Here is her BEFORE picture:
First we cut, dried and straightened her hair.
The AFTER look. Looking and feeling beautiful inside and out.
Emma Lynn's Summer Summary {age 8}
1. What was your favorite part of this summer? Being in a play
2. What was your favorite book you read? "Cupcake Diary" series
3. What was your favorite summer of service? Washing the pickup and camper
4. What activities did you do this summer? Girl Scout Camp, Music Theater Camp & Performance, Danced a solo at the fair,
5. What was your favorite "80 days of Summer" bucket list item? Daddy Dearest Restaurant
5. What are you excited about for Third Grade? Excited to see my friends and teachers
And Spencer's mommy date was that afternoon. First we watched a new "Wild Kratts" episode. Then we played a few games of checkers. And finally we designed our OWN game {about Wild Kratts of course!}
Afterwards we invited all the kids to play with us.
1. What was your favorite part of this summer? Music Theater Camp
2. What was your favorite book you read? "Cragger's Revenge" {Lego Chima}
3. What was your favorite summer of service? Cleaning the church
4. What activities did you do this summer? Music Theater Camp and performance
5. What was your favorite "80 days of Summer" bucket list item? Mommy Date
5. What are you excited about for Second Grade? Make new friends and see my new teachers
And some baby Jane eye candy:
~~~Romans Reflections~~~
- Is dad going to get in this car and come with us to McCall?
- Spencer got eaten alive with mosquitoes. In the middle of the night he was asking if we had any bananas "I learned on fruit ninja that if you rub a banana peel on your mosquito bites it won't itch anymore." He tried it the next day. "That didn't work so well. I give it a C+"
- Kurt often says he will call the "wahhhh"-bulance when someone is crying/whining. Austin said we needed to call "9 wahh wahh."
- Spencer told me: "For my mommy date I just want to hug you."
- "sure" is how Lucy responds to all questions
- be nice for a minute. Be nice for always
- obsessed with shake it up theme song
- Ruth asking question after question about school to her experienced siblings
- princess Sophia show
4 comments:
Reading your blog is like getting a glimpse of heaven. You are such a wonderful mother, and your beautiful family reflects your love and service. I love you. I need to make a list of "things that Rachel does that I want to copy." :) Love you! Glad the nursing seems to be getting better. I also love how you let nothing get you down (not sickness, not tiredness, nothing!)
Glad you, Jane, and Emma are feeling better!! Looks like you had a blast in McCall at the lake. Our summer was pretty housebound as well with Gwendolyn begin born. There's always next year =). Ruth's bowling date sounded very entertaining. =) You are an amazing mother. You do a great job of documenting something about each of your children. Love you.
Elaine says:
I am thrilled you're feeling better. I hope you and Emma and Jane continue to recover. My kids love Wild Krats too Spencer! We should get together and watch it. All the mommy dates sounded fun, you're so good to make one-on-one time with the kids. Glad you could get away to McCall on a family vacation. Sounded relaxing.
"Make me proud mama!" Haha! I loved her toothy grins! And like everyone else said, the individual mommy dates sounded awesome!
I'm so glad you all could have some family time in McCall. Your pictures are great! Especially the ones of the kids buried in the sand along with Spencer's model pose. Haha!
Okay, fine, we'll move to Oregon.
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