Movin' along

So much stuff going on and no pictures... oops!  We have been busy with friends and family - playdates and park and oil classes.  Rainy day movies, weeding the garden, and mowing the yard (Emma did it by herself for the first time!).  Working hard, hardly working, and everything in between depending on the day.
So, basically just you run of the mill, normal, super fun summer...

I have been thinking a lot about one of my favorite quotes, " Sickness may waste the body, but the true life is the spirit within.  That which thinks and feels and loves and suffers and chooses, aspires and achieves.  The purpose in life is to beautify, ornament, develop that something within.  To develop a more radiant and lovely character is the one true purpose in life." ~David O. McKay

I have been pondering a lot lately on a few things, focusing more on an eternal perspective, the importance of our relationships - and how that is really the most important thing we can and will develop on this earth.  On how regardless of how we feel physically or mentally on any day we need to focus outside of ourselves and making others happy and feel loved.  I feel so very blessed for the opportunity to learn and grow each day.  I love that it is MY choice how a day will go.  I can choose to take a day for granted and laze about and do nothing - and I will reap the consequences of those choices and feel grouchy at the end of the day.  I can choose to spend my days productively, teaching my children, cleaning and beautifying, learning and exploring and growing - and go to bed fulfilled and happy.  I am so incredible thankful for the ability to choose!  I love that, and I love that Father in Heaven gave that to us - so that we can learn for ourselves how important service, hard work, and love for others really are!

Alaska

Say what you will about Sarah Palin's Alaska show... but the kiddos and I were watching episode 3 today and I was just trying the whole way through not to cry!  Her Dad reminded me SOOOO much of mine!  In that particular episode they were hunting Caribou in northern Alaska.  It cracked me up to hear her Dad say some of the exact things mine said to me!  It just made me really excited to go hunting with him again!  Maybe in Alaska.... ;)

The middle

Jonathan and Elise were in charge of Family Home Evening and they gave such a sweet message I had to share it.  Jonathan showed the kids a watermelon and then showed then the end the flower grows on which becomes the plant.  The other end is attached to the vine.  He asked them if the end with the flower looked yummy?  They said,  "NO WAY".  What about the end with the vine? - "NO WAY" again!  Then he asked them about the middle?  They all said that was the best part!

 So then J talked to them all about the middle and enjoying it!  He was referencing THIS TALK which is fantastic.  If you have not read it already you should!!

 Meanwhile, these pictures of Daddy with his youngest gal are so darling to me!  Sure do love them!!!

Temporary times

Ok - right now everything seems sort of temporary.  We are so "in between".  We are almost in things but not quite, we are temporarily putting up things until we can put up the final stuff... someday.... 

That said - here is out temporary kitchen - J took down the cabinets and hung them on other walls, moved the oven and I have this huge awesome kitchen that will be great until I get the real deal someday:)  

 The kids are in love with all the new space!  I am in love with that new pantry!  Finally a place to put all the food so that the kids are not getting into it constantly.  I can't tell how many times I caught them with hands in the pb jar!  Or drinking syrup..... YIKES!

 Here is my hot J tearing down another wall!  This will be the doorway from the playroom to the future mudroom.

 I love how it really connects one side of  the house to the other.  It is all starting to feel REAL!  Sorry the picture is so spotty, my dear husband informs me it is drywall dust in the air!  Bleeech - I was breathing that all in!

Just call me Shirley

Elise found all of my dresses from when I was a little girl, and that is ALL she will wear, regardless of how short they are.  She thinks she is the most darling little thing ever, and of course I agree!  

 We can't help but call her Shirley Temple in most of these since they are so short!  I really need to take pictures of her in others, it is darling!  Though I have to admit we have gotten weird looks a few places we have been!

4th - 2012

We started out the morning of the 4th PERFECTLY!!!  We went to a Flag raising ceremony at the Church and then afterwords there was a big pancake breakfast!  It was great!  Except for the fact it was FREEZING!   If it hadn't been for Aunt Mary and her extra sweaters, Lexi and hers we might have all frozen!  Way to plan ahead Kristi!  Anyhow... this is how I PICTURED the rest of the  day going...

a parade....

The fun layered R,W, and B drinks....

 Treats...

 And more treats...

 A delicious BBQ....

 And an amazing fireworks show

 ALAS.... I married a workaholic;)  Actually I was rather thrilled by the results of our day but we are going to have some SERIOUS making up to do to our kids on the next 4th.  Here is how our 4th went.
Moving the electrical in this wall that used to be the side of the house...

 Moving some more...

 Moving some more.....

 Cleaning out all the cupboards!

 What a teeny kitchen for so many people....

 LOOK at all that stuff from all the cupboards!  I was already exhausted!  We still had a long way to go though!

 Since we didn't go to the parade J let me buy some more plants to replace the ones our dog Hershey had dug up the year before!

 We have 2 each lavender, chocolate mint, orange mint, and stevia.  Poor J, I just keep adding more and more and more plants, I cannot help myself:)

 Here is our garden this year, it is not growing nearly as quickly as it usually does.... NO rain.  We are praying so hard for it!

 The kids spent a lot of time outside today - Elise has found the joy of swing flying!

 Emma spent a few hours reading on the trampoline, though I don't know where she went to in this moment!

 Russ loves to help his Dad!

 Ripping down the wall!  J really likes this part!

 Weird!!!  I can't get over how strange it is that not long ago this was the outside!

 Elise just couldn't stand all the excitement of the 4th...

 Well, there he is - my handsome guy in the new kitchen area!  I will posts ASAP "the rest of the story", or at least as far as we have gotten!  Way to go Jonathan, you are amazing!

Cousins

We have loved having my brother Derek living in town!  He and his awesome wife Bethi and two darling kids make life so fun!  I have gotten to watch the kids a few times since they have been back!  This day Emma really wanted me to take pictures of her helping Maddie walk.  It is so fun to have a baby around.  I love what big helpers the kids all are.  We always joke that I better have twins if I am ever pregnant again so that I will get a chance to hold a baby!  

Diaper free!

After 9 short years, but thousands of diapers... the "baby" is potty trained.  Bittersweet for sure! We are going to live it up this summer though - no buying swim diapers!  Hooray!

9!!!

My baby is 3 and my oldest is 9!  How on earth did the time go so quickly?  For her birthday Emma asked to get her hair chopped!  Our sweet hairdresser she if she could bring these purple sparkly things to put in - so sweet hu?  Emma LOVES her haircut!

 She looks so grown up!

 So sparkly!

 For her birthday Emma got to choose a movie in the morning (we slept on the trampoline the night before so I had gotten no sleep and was in need of a quiet morning) then after her choice of lunch (mac n cheese) we heade to Walmart and Target to use gift cards she had gotten!  She got an MP3 player and some cute new sandals.  We also went to Galaxy for dinner!
Summer birthdays... love them but don't want to make cakes.... We had S'mores for Elise's last week... and for Emma we had root beer floats!  It was so great!  We might have to make this a tradition!

 2 new American Girl story collections.  They are getting a bit young for her... but she loves to read them to her little sisters!

 We are so thankful for this awesome girl in our family!  I don't know what I would do without her!  She is so helpful and loving and sweet!