Our Pemberley

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

2010-07-07T13:01:00.000-04:00

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

LDS.org - Friend Article - Music from the Friend

2010-07-07T12:48:00.000-04:00

LDS.org - Friend Article - Music from the Friend

BYUtv - Adventures from the Book of Virtues

2010-06-10T22:13:00.000-04:00

BYUtv - Adventures from the Book of Virtues

BYUtv - Animated Hero Classics

2010-06-10T22:11:00.000-04:00

BYUtv - Animated Hero Classics

Calvin's writing samples, part 2

2010-02-26T11:26:00.002-05:00

The Sphinx
By Calvin

The sphinx are amazing statues. They were imaginary creatures, told about in Ancient Egypt. It has the head of a man, falcon, or a ram and the body of a lion. The famous sphinx is in Giza, Egypt and rises 60 feet above ground level. Its body is one rock. The head, feet, and legs were added on later. Over time, wind and sand have tragically eroded precious parts of it away. Interestingly, it has been buried in sand because of sand storms four times and has had to be dug out each time. These colossal statures are amazing.

(literary elements this paragraph had to have: alliteration, quality adjective, strong verb, very short sentence, -ly sentence opener, -ly word, vocabulary word, prepositional phrase sentence opener, clincher sentence that highlights words from topic sentence)

Calvin's writing samples

2010-02-20T11:09:00.005-05:00

I am using the Institue for Excellence in Writing for Calvin this year as we follow the ancient world. I thought I'd post his samples here.

The Great Flood
By Calvin

The rain poured,
Lightning flashed across the faded sky,
Thunder roared like a train.

Wind howled,
The earth shook,
Men drowned quickly.

Inside the ark Noah sailed
And his family worked,
The animals slept.

Noah stepped off the boat.
His eyes scanned the barren land.

Sumer
By Calvin
Sumer was one of the oldest civilizations ever between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. They were famous for their pyramid-like temples called Ziggurats. Ziggurats had stair-like sides. Each level was smaller than the one below it. The greatest one was in the town of Ur, towering 160 feet above the ground. Each colossal ziggurat was dedicated to non-existing godly junk.

The Oldest Story Known
By Calvin

The oldest fictional story known was written nearly 5,000 years ago on 12 stone tablets. The story takes place in a city called Urek when Gilgamesh was king. The story is filled with mythical gods, creatures and adventures. It also mentions some events from the Bible. For example, a great flood destroyed all but one man. Tragically a corrupt serpent steals eternal life from man. Rapidly, word of this story must have spread through the ancient world. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a fun-to-read Sumerian record. End of story.

Gilgamesh (this was the hardest one he's had to do)
by Calvin

Gilgamesh went on a quest for eternal life. The quest was dangerous; going over quiet, jagged mountain, and scorching, lifeless deserts. He was searching for a powerful plant that would make him immortal. He spied the plant at the bottom of the freezing Euphrates River. So he tied stones to his ankles and jumped in! The current was strong as he reached for the thorny, glowing, radiant plant. He had one chance to grab it. When he came near the plant, he grabbed it and pulled. Finally, it shot up out of the ground, sending him back-flipping through the water! Excitedly he cut the rocks from his ankles and swam for the surface. Success!!!!
On his way home, Gilgamesh stopped to bathe at a cool pond. Suddenly a sly snake slithered up to the plant and gulped it down! Gilgamesh watched in horror. Surprisingly, the snake shed its skin and shiny new scales were underneath. Gilgamesh wailed in despair, for the plant was gone for eternity.
While Gilgamesh was wailing in despair, his friend Enkidu called him. He was back from the afterlife in the form of an eagle. Wow! Enkidu urged Gilgamesh to get on his back, and he soared over Sumer. Presently, they saw houses as big as pine trees and the green, earthly house-gardens. “Here is the secret of eternal life.” Enkidu said. “Because you have strengthened this city, you will live in the hearts of the people forever.”

Pyramids
By Calvin

Pyramids are what Ancient Egypt is known for. One of the pyramids is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The pyramids were tombs for the noble people. It took more than 20 years for 100,000 men to fashion a pyramid. The pyramids were filled with numerous treasures, and the entrance was hidden on the North side. The coffin was underground or inside the pyramid. Tragically, most pyramids were eventually, evilly robbed. What a shame! Pyramids are known around the world.

We'll finish our unit by writing about the Sphinx and then Mummies ... then we can move on through history. We have been on Egypt for toooo long. :)

I did it!

2010-02-19T17:32:00.002-05:00

Okay, I realized I was logged in with the wrong account.

Marsie, my "new" calling is RS Pres. I got it last July and just didn't really touch the blog since then. I'll update FB, but haven't done much with this.

Thanks to Kelly who religiously updates her blog, I decided to think about this one again. :)

When I have time (lol), I'll find some photos to put here...for the two people who check this blog. (grin)

Umm, I can't edit my blog

2010-02-17T21:34:00.001-05:00

So you know, I can't figure out how to edit my blog layout! I obviously have not updated this since last year ... a new church calling took care of THAT free time. :) Sorry about the "outdated look". :)

ThinkGeek :: iMote - Kid Friendly Remote Control

2009-12-23T09:52:00.001-05:00

ThinkGeek :: iMote - Kid Friendly Remote Control

Posted using ShareThis

Apples, apples, apples

2009-07-24T22:02:00.003-04:00

cooking the apples down

no photos of the applesauce...sorry

I thought I had lost these photos...

We ordered a bushel (or was it more?) of apples last year and got right to work canning the mess out of them.

I made appleasuce, applebutter and apple pie filling.

These jars are a lovely sight!

Oh, the good old newspaper

2009-07-24T21:54:00.004-04:00

I don't know why these turned out so blurry.

For a while we were newspaper subscribers - my kids loved getting the newspaper....they loved the comics of course.

It seems Liv loved the business section.

I loved to read about what was going on. It was awesome. We even used the newspaper to launch homeschool discussion - like living history in our classroom.

School's In!

2009-07-24T21:34:00.002-04:00

Waiting for pictures from the camera......

Just thought I'd let you know that school is officially on for our family.
We started this week - it was a great week!!
The weather was so perfect at the beginning that we had windows open and really felt as though the world was "at peace". :) That is until Olivia painted my floors with nail polish. Hmmm.

Still waiting for pictures from the camera.....

What are we using this year for curriculum???
Glad you asked! I'll tell ya....

As a family, we are studying:
Ancient History using the "Living History" books by Dan Hunter as our guide (we are starting at the VERY beginning - heaven - Adam and Eve, etc--in fact, for history today we watched a video on the Garden of Eden and finished with Cain and Able...awesome!).
Apologia Elementary Science (with expectation to heavily edit the creationist beliefs found therein) - Thanks, Sister Gosseling!
Classical Music ("Classical Music for Dummies")
Latin (yes, Latin)
Sequential Spelling (thanks, Christine!) - I have both boys on the same spelling lesson each day. This program is so amazing!! My 6-year old is already spelling words like - disagreeing, beginner, beginning - and it's only been a week!!!

The boys are each using Bob Jones for English (LOVING it so far!)
Calvin is using Singapore math and is already quite good at Order of Operations (thanks, Sarah!) Josh is in Bob Jones math

Of course they still have their reading books from Pathway Readers (thanks, Jolinn!). These books are simply the best. I thought my boys would tire of the stories quickly...I was wrong. They love the books - and so do I. For those who know Lois, you'll appreciate these books more when I tell you that Lois grew up reading these books!!

Since we are studying so much as a family this year, I am able to focus more on the core subjects that each boy has. I am excited about the curriculum I have put together this year - hopefully I won't feel as "sapped" as quickly as I did last year ... planning two curriculum for two different grades was a LOT for me. This year looks good so far.

Pictures.....where are you???

Homeschool: Create-a-Culture

2009-06-02T16:32:00.004-04:00

I got this idea from a bookstore and made it my own . . . I'm a good and cheap copy cat.
Calvin had so much fun with this, I thought I would pass it on as well.

He did a great job creating his own culture of people. I even had him draw a map of his country, he labeled everything (mountains, rivers, lakes, parks, cities, the capital of the country, etc.). I made his color it and include a map legend. I think I might want to make one of these for myself. :)
Create a Culture

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Essays & Theses School Work culture map

I have to say that I made this last year at the beginning of the school year. After hearing President Uchtdorf's Conference message about Creating, I knew I had done something great. (grin).
Here is the Mormon Message about his talk:
(side note: I love to listen to his voice. I imagine my grandmother-a German immagrant-sounded much like this. My dad would obviously remember her voice better than I would. I sure hope she keeps her accent - when I see her again I want to hear it.)

Homeschool: Summer Reading

2009-06-02T16:29:00.003-04:00

I got this idea . . . somewhere . . . and made it my own. I created these little "book marks" for the boys to use.
We take a trip the library, and the boys are expected to find a book on each of these topics. We'll go to the library with these bookmarks in hand and when they find the book they plan to read, they'll stick the bookmark in the book to sort of "check off" their book list.
I plan to hang a string on our wall with mini clothes pins so that each time a book is finished, the boys can pin that book mark to the string (I'll have to come up with a cute title for the string) and they'll get to play the Wii for 30 minutes.
I just thought I would share this idea with those who might be interested...all 1 of you. lol!

Summer Reading Chart

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Essays & Theses School Work reading summer

Homeschool: Russian Soldier Dance

2009-06-01T11:48:00.005-04:00

First of all - what kind of leg muscles do these men have??
Secondly, I am thinking that gravity is different in Russia than it is here in Georgia.

So, this video is not the best quality and the men really do move fast, but some of their "moves" are amazing. Chalk one up for the Russians today.
Calvin is studying Russia today, so we thought we would get a little culture here...

The dance of Russian soldiers @ Yahoo! Video

What a photo!

2009-06-01T00:13:00.002-04:00

This is my stud husband standing on the roof of an apartment building which is on fire. This is just before they "vented" the roof or cut a big hole to let all of the heat and smoke out.

Field Trip: Ruby Falls

2009-05-19T23:37:00.010-04:00

A local homeschool group arranged for a tour of Ruby Falls. It was an awesome study in cave creation - and creation overall. It was fun to think about how many caves are undiscovered . . . but the Lord knows them all.

I took a TON of photos, but am only going to post a few - gotta keep you awake and all.

These are, of course, out of order - this is us playing the alphabet game as we drove.

This is Liv playing "Marco...Pillow". yep, she hid her eyes and started calling, "Marco?" We answer with POLO, but she always resorts to saying Pillow. It is cute.

We'll continue studying about caves by watching a video on caves.

We'll also make our own stalactites and stalagmites: http://home.howstuffworks.com/science-experiments-for-kids13.htm

Homeschool: Owl Pellets

2009-05-19T23:31:00.003-04:00

Our Owl Pellet Project - this finishes up any owl study we will do this year.
We studied them from beginning to . . . end.

2009-05-19T23:27:00.002-04:00

Meet our newest member of the family!
This is Misty. Misty is a Maltepoo (Maltese/Poodle). Misty doesn't shed. Misty's coat is like cashmere.
This is Misty before her grooming.

This is Misty after her grooming!

This is Misty after a bath.

This is Misty with her doting brother Josh (yes, he is her brother). :)

Father/Son Campout

2009-05-19T23:20:00.002-04:00

Our ward's annual Father/Son campout was last weekend.

This is the second campout my boys have been on with daddy. It rained both campouts.

To commemorate the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood, they had a "reading" of it all and Calvin got to "play" Joseph Smith.

The boys enjoyed the fire most of all, I think.

The next morning Greg helped to make breakfast for everyone - it was basically an Egg McMuffin - campstyle. He brought one home . . . not too shabby!

Field Trip: Six Flags

2009-05-19T23:04:00.003-04:00

Six Flags opened up just for homeschoolers. They offered a package deal: admisison, a meal, and a returnvisit ticket for $23. THAT is a steal!
We loved it -
It was overcast
It wasn't too hot or too cold
It wasn't crowded.
We could ride some rides over and over again without a line.
The people there were a great crowd - they were modestly dressed, they were in families, they had clean language, they were polite. The employees were even awesome. A few times as I looked at a map, a park employee would stop and ask if I needed help. How nice is that?

Liv rode this ride about a dozen times. She finally got tired of it! Whew!

Some of these kiddie rides were a bit lame (even for Calvin), but they had fun, anyway.

This was ON THE WAY to Six Flags. Nice!

Calvin earned his Bear!

2009-05-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

Here he is right before "the pinning".

Ohhhhh-Livia!!

2009-05-19T22:19:00.005-04:00

Ohhh, those darn Legos

Ohhh, she is tall enough to reach the door handle and let herself outside - in two of my shoes.

Ohhhh, how sweet.

Ohhh, how "all about me" is she?

Greg was soaking his feet - - she had to put hers in as well...

Poor Calvin had to share the foot bath, too...

Josh had to share his bath . . .

She finally got her own foot bath.

Field Trip: World War 2

2009-05-19T22:11:00.004-04:00

This was a super fun class.
This is a real war helmet. Nice pose, Calv!

The boys made airplanes - complete with "army men"

Calvin shows us what HE does with army men.
Calvin tried on a WW11-style Navy Uniform! His Great-Grandfather was in the Navy. How cool is that?

They ended the day with play with a parachute - to see what a parachute was like.

How cool are these field trips??

Oh, that WWII was the greatest generation ever - I wish I could have lived back then.

Field Trip: The Great Depression

2009-05-19T22:04:00.003-04:00

The boys went on a field trip to learn about the Great Depression.
They made "quilts" (bottom picture), typed on old type writers and ate some yummy cookies.

The Mormon Channel

2009-05-19T13:41:00.002-04:00

http://radio.lds.org/mc/eng/
Our church has a new podcast site. You can download podcasts on different topics.
One is for children (highlighting scripture stories as told by children).
One is Stories from Conference talks.
Another is on the Life of Jesus Christ.
You can download them to your iPod, to Google Reader, and other forms of media.
Check it out.
I am very excited about this - anything to help strengthen our families!

Honey Bees

2009-05-02T20:54:00.001-04:00

We went to a festival recently and bought several different kinds of honey - Tupelo, Wildflower, Raspberry, Gallberry, Locust . . . and more. They are so yummy!! I decided that we would learn how honey was made. Um...I'll never eat honey the same way again.

Isn't it amazing that the Lord created such a creature?

Carrot Cake Jam

2009-05-02T20:30:00.002-04:00

Yes, you read that right.
Carrot Cake Jam.
I bought some today at our "local festival" and it is d-i-v-i-n-e!

I googled the recipe because I don't think that I want to spend another $4 for a jar. I can make my own for that price. :)

For those of you who might be interested in tasting a little bit of heaven, here is the recipe I found. The ingredients are the same ingredients that are on my jar.

CARROT CAKE JAM

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots( I use my food processor any time I can)
about 3 large 1 1/2 cups peeled chopped pears about 2( I have used canned pears, drained)
1 can crushed pineapple 14oz don't drain
3 TBS lemon juice, bottled is fine
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
6 1/2 cups od sugar
1 pk fruit pectin

combine carrots,pears,and pineapple including juice and lemon juice,cinnamon,nutmeg, and cloves in a large pot. bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and boil gently 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. measure out sugar, set aside atir fruit pectin into carrot mixture, return to boil. add sugar, return to a full rolling boil, boil hard 1 minute, stirring occasionally. ladle into hot 1/2 pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 head space. using a rubble spatula remove air bubbles. readjust head space, if needed. wipe jar rim removing stickiness. place 2pc screw on jar.

Homeschool: Projects

2009-05-01T22:31:00.005-04:00

Yes, that is Liv working on learning fractions. lol!

Josh showing his "hornbook". The pilgrim children would put their schoolwork on a wooden board and then cover the paper with a thin layer of a cow's horn (it acted like a plastic). They would tie this hornbook around their necks so they could do their chores while they learned to read.

We talked about how important learning to read is. We compared the Nephites to the Lamanites and their education. There are such stark contrasts to these two civilizations. The Nephites knew the importance of learning to read and write. They knew that they needed to preserve their language. They lived "after the manner of happiness". The Lamanites . . . not so much. We are grateful that we can read. We are grateful that we can read the scriptures in our own homes (the Pilgrims could only read the scriptures in church).

This is our 3-D model of Jamestown

Greg's dad took the boys on a field trip to learn about Native Americans. Our county offers the best homeschool field trips!! Here, Calvin is showing us his clay dish and a cornstalk doll. The boys also made a little game that the Indians used to play. By attending this field trip, Calvin passed off some cub scout electives. Sweet!

Remember our study on simile? I posted our poems and later had Calvin copy some scriptures that used simile. I even found one that mentioned owls! How's that for "coming full circle"?

In science, we studied how sound travels. We made an accordion book about the workings of the ear and then we conducted the most unique experiment. You HAVE to try this! See photos below for a demonstration.
Tie string around a metal hanger.
Wrap the string around your fingers.
Put your fingers into your ears.
Swing the hanger so that it hits a table or some object.
Listen and smile.
It is awesome.
Try it next with a spoon or a spatula.

Calvin read The Call of the Wild (Children's version) and completed a whole project on it. What a fabulous story!! We just fell in love with Buck.
We learned about the geography in the book (California, Washington, Canada, Alaska).
We learned about the Aurora Borealis for science and looked at many, many photos of the beautiful phenomena.
We made our own Aurora Borealis for art using pastels.
Calvin also illustrated some of the pivitol scenes from the story.
We studied the Klondike Gold Rush for history (fabulous story in itself).

My dad came over to help Calv finish it off. My dad used to own a very large Saint Bernard and was able to talk to Calvin about how big dogs are (the main character in the book, Buck, was part Saint Bernard and part Scottish Shepher). My dad also lived in Alaska for a time. I need to ask him just why in the world he decided to live in Alaska. He told us that the Aurora Borealis is jus as beautiful as we see in the photos. I expect to see some photos, Brien!

Calvin had a good time showing Grandpa his "new world".

Now for a new classic . . . what shall we read next??

Oliver Twist? Peter Pan? Arabian Nights? Tom Swayer?

Homeschool: P.E. ... Orange Belts!

2009-05-01T22:24:00.001-04:00

The boys have another P.E. . . . Karate! lol.
They just tested from yellow to orange belts!

Nice face, Calv!

Homeschool: P.E....swimming

2009-05-01T22:16:00.003-04:00

While most kids were sitting in a classroom, we were swimming! A local indoor swimming park hosted a homeschool day and we were able to go! We had a ton of fun. Chalk one up for P.E.! lol.
My mom was able to go with us (last minute request) and helped out with the kids. It was actually a very relaxing day.

Calvin's poor ears were smooshed in those goggles (don't look, Jan!!).

We are in the fabulous whirlpool!

Josh is floating along in the "lazy river".

We all took turns going down the water slide (even my mom went down). It's nice to have things like this so close!

Spring Fun

2009-05-01T22:07:00.002-04:00

We had a stray cat come to visit us for a few days. It turns out that the cat actually lived next door to my mom! It was a "mommy cat" and she really needed to get back to her kittens. What a coincidence! Josh fell in love with the cat and played with it on our front porch.

GO - Kart Time!! Liv had her first time on the Go-Kart. She didn't do too badly!

We let the boys drive for the first time. Before anyone write to tell me what a horrible mom I am to let my boys ride without helmets . . . don't. They barely gained any speed as they rode, though you wouldn't know it looking at the photo below. :)

Liv discovered the faucet as a water fountain. Nice.

Easter Photos

2009-05-01T22:00:00.003-04:00

Calvin carried Liv's basket for her. This was his first year to hide the eggs. He did a good job. In fact, he even hid one so well that we lost it for a few weeks. It didn't help that the egg was a camouflage egg.

Mouse House

2009-04-25T13:43:00.001-04:00

I thought some of you might enjoy this...
Josh built a "mouse house" out of a cardboard box. He furnished it with legos and cotton balls. As he was giving me the tour of the house, he pointed to a small "room" with some of Liv's plastic food stacked up in neat piles.

He said, "That's the food storage room."
HAHA! Even a mouse needs a food storage room. :)

Score one for indirect teaching!

Homeschool: Passover

2009-04-24T22:26:00.003-04:00

I forgot to post about the lessons we learned about Passover and the Plagues of Egypt.
I found a really fun site with "videos" to help teach about these events.
Maybe someone could use these as well?

http://kids4truth.com/chosen/plague.html
http://littlelambsministry.freeservers.com/storytheplagues.htm
http://littlelambsministry.freeservers.com/storythepassover.htm
http://www.jesusandkidz.com/MosesFrees/Page1.htm

Homeschool: The Wizard of Oz Field Trip

2009-04-24T22:14:00.002-04:00

A local homeschooling mom told me about a play in our area put on by other homeschooled children. We were "itching" for a field trip, so off we went. At 10:00 today, we sat down to watch a great play of e Wizard of Oz. I was very impressed. Liv sat so well during the whole thing. I think I was most impressed with that part of it. :)
The cast was made up of youth who participate in the Masters of Fine Arts Academy.
How's that for home schooling? :)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T21:20:00.001-04:00

Homeschool: Owl Moon, Thunder and Tornadoes

2009-04-11T15:40:00.014-04:00

I recently bought a book that helps teachers use Caldecott Medal winner books in the curriculum.

We chose to start with Owl Moon.

What a fabulous book.

For art

We talked about the art in the book (of course) and discussed how the artist made each scene look quiet and very still in the winter snow. We felt as though we were really there.

For science/zoology

We learned about different kinds of owls and found that the Eurasian Eagle Owl has a wingspan of 79 inches, while the Elf owl only has a wing span of 15 inches. We used yarn to measure the different wingspans and labeled each string. Then we hung our findings up on the wall to compare them all.

Eurasian Eagle Owl Elf Owl

We listened to owl calls and tried to imitate them.

For Language Arts

We talked about similes and found a few similes in the book.

Then, we each wrote our own poem about climbing tress and used simile (or something close to it).

To add to our study in simile, we decided to describe the super cell thunderstorm we had last night.

Here is what the boys came up with...

The rain was like tiny hands clapping.

The thunder was like a bear yelling.

The lightning was as bright as the stars.

The rain was like hail hitting the roof.

The thunder was like a dinosaur stomping.

For more science
and to continue with the flow of the day, we learned what causes thunder and lighting. We checked to see where lightening was striking in the US today.

We learned what causes tornadoes

We watched tornado videos.

As a censor note...I muted this because I did not care for the language used. The video is awesome, though.

This video is much better as far as listening pleasure. lol.

This one shows a Hay Devil (gentle whirlwind)

Home School Happenings

2009-04-07T14:02:00.005-04:00

So, I found a fun little game on line for practice in counting change.
http://justkidsgames.com/play.php?MakingChange

Also, the newspaper carried a small headline telling us about the earthquake in Italy yesterday. I decided that we would base some school around that. Here is what we did...

First, we know that we are told...
Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;

79 Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—

So, we will teach

things in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth (science, geology, biology, geography, theory)
history (things which have been),
current events (things which are)
prophecy (things which must come to pass).

We talked about the earthquake in Italy and learned *And there shall be heard of wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places.* (current events/prophecy/geography)

We talked about the seas heaving beyond their bounds and Hurricane Katrina and Tsunamis (history/propehcy)

Then we learned about what causes earthquakes and found a very educational free video here(science, theory, prophecy)

We learned that when the Savior shall come again, the Mount of Olives will cleave (vocaublary word) into halves and that the whole world will feel THAT earthquake (prophecy/geography).

I also found this to be of interest...

In the Book of Zechariah the Mount of Olives is identified as the place from which God will begin to redeem the dead at the end of days. For this reason, Jews have always sought to be buried on the mountain, and from Biblical times to the present day the mountain has been used as a cemetery for the Jews of Jerusalem. There are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount, including those of many famous figures.

Go figure.

Geography ... the white oval is the Mount of Olives

A beautiful Olive tree from the Gethsemane Gardens

Little sisters

2009-04-07T11:08:00.003-04:00

I should actually have titled this YOUNGER sisters (remember, I cant use quotation marks on my keyboard now)....

I am so grateful that Janet is my younger sister. I would give you all link to her blog, but it is private and so the link would do no good. But, if you could see her children, you would know just how cute and wonderful they are ... because of their mother. I am so grateful that Jan had the first girl because she is really teaching me how to doll up my little princess. Jan has a love for fashion and for cuteness from which I can glean.

Thanks, Jan ... keep the ideas coming!

Here are some photos of Olivia and her new piggy tails (imagine quotations marks here).

I also (ummm) put mascara on her light, light eyelashes. Man, does she have some beauties?!

Enjoy!

General Conference

2009-04-07T10:59:00.005-04:00

How many blog postings do we see about our eperience with General Conference? Isnt is awesome that we can instantly record our thoughts about Conference? Technology is great.

Even better is the fact that we can view Conference archives instantly after the broadcast.

For our family...

We made a big bowl of candy and a (long) list of key words to listen for during Conference. Once a key word was said, we took a piece of candy. We also spread blankets and had our own blanket time (I would use quotation marks here, but someone spilled cranberry slush on the keyboard and half of the special keys dont work...not even the apostrophe for the contraction dont). How did it work for us?

We went into sugar shock after the first two addresses. Calvin called it quits after the first talk, and Josh decided he would just stock pile his candy instead of eating it right away.

Piano Help and a Popcorn World

2009-04-01T22:23:00.004-04:00

We can't afford piano lessons for the boys right now, so I borrowed my mom's piano key labels and bought a VERY simple book for the boys to play with. Basically, the book shows big fat black notes with the letter of the corresponding key inside of the note. This book makes playing very easy.
The boys are having a good time.
Calvin has memorized how to play "Silent Night". In fact, he played it for us during FHE this week. While his timing is off, he gets the notes right.
Today we listened to someone sing the song, and Calvin sang along with it . . . this is what I heard from Calvin:
"G, A, G, E.
G, A, G, E.
D, D, B
C, C, G
A, A, C, B, A
G, A, G, E...."

He went through the whole song like that.
Does anyone know music?
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
How do I work with that?

Help?

-----------------------
In other conversation with the boys, here is what we talked about over dinner:

Josh: I wish the whole world was made out of popcorn. I wish everything in it was popcorn.
Me: Even chocolate?
Josh: Well, okay, everything but chocolate.
Me: What about pizza? I sure like pizza.
J: Okay, not pizza.....and not water. But everything else.
Me: Ice Cream?
J: umm, okay NOT food. Food is food and Water is water. But everything else is popcorn.
Me: What about our house?
J: Okay, a house is just a house, but everything else....even cars and our road and if we ever got hungry we could just eat a piece of the road . . . or the seats in our car!
Me: So, are you telling me that I wouldn't have a diamond wedding ring? I would have popcorn on my finger?
J: Oh, No! A diamond is a diamond, of course! (That's my boy)
Me: Would it rain popcorn? Would it snow popcorn?
J: (with a gleam in his eye) Yes! We could make popcorn snowmen!
at this time Calvin chimes in...
Calvin: Nope, can't happen because you said that water is water, remember?
J: (looks confused for a sec) Oh, that's right....man!

(And THAT is what we call the water cycle, people)
Poor Josh - and he had such a good idea, too.

Copied from a Friend's Post

2009-03-31T08:44:00.003-04:00

Nothing like this ever happens to me.
This is too cute not to share.
I got this from a Friend's post.
Thanks, HO!!

HILARIOUS!
An older,tired-looking dog wandered into my yard; I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.
He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head;he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.
An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour.
This continued off and on for several weeks.
Curious I pinned a note to his collar:
"I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap."
The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:
"He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?"

Of all the jobs for me to choose...

2009-03-30T20:59:00.008-04:00

Of all the jobs I COULD have chosen, I chose to be a mother.
I made that choice when I was young. :)
As kids we listened to a wonderful cassette tape (yep, back in the day before CDs) called "I'm a Mormon". On this tape was a song I sang and sang and sang.
Here are the lyrics:

When I grow up, I want to be a mother and have a family:
one little, two little, three little babies of my own.
Of all the jobs for me, I’ll choose no other.
I’ll have a family. four little, five little, six little blessings of my own.
And I will love them all day long
and give them cookies and milk and yellow balloons,
And cuddle them when things go wrong,
and read them stories and sing them pretty tunes.
(Janeen Brady, “I Want to Be a Mother,” in Beloved Songs [1987], 10–13)

It is a lovely song and I want my kids to hear it.
I want my daughter to want to be a mother.
I want my boys to marry girls who want to be mothers.
Being a mom limits any career choice, but it is the most rewarding career I can think of.

Is being a mom easy?
ha - not on your life!

In fact, today I shed many a tear.
President Monson said (talking to young men), "Men, take care not to make women weep, for God counts their tears." I like to think that our tears are counted whether we cry because of a young man (or old man) or because we are frazzled by our children. Elder Wirthlin also said, "the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."

After Greg got home (thankfully he came home early!) I went into the bathroom, turned on the bathroom fan, sat down and cried again. I thought of the quote by Elder George Q. Cannon (1827–1901) found in the February 2009 Ensign:

“The Saints should always remember that God sees not as man sees; that he does not willingly afflict his children, and that if he requires them to endure present privation and trial, it is that they may escape greater tribulations which would otherwise inevitably overtake them. If He deprives them of any present blessing, it is that he may bestow upon them greater and more glorious ones by-and-by."

So I was trying to figure out what greater tribulation I was "escaping" by going through my day today. I was really praying to know how to handle this trial. I was tying to live "Come What May and Love It", but I was tired and I wanted to be done. I felt as though I was literally running in circles to chase Liv and the boys and I thought of Moses who really did run in circles . . . for 40 years! Oh, man - I could NOT do this for 40 years. Thankfully, I don't think I will have to. :)

I was waiting to be "fortified in my distress."

I am not sure if this is exactly what my trial is for, but the I had the thought . . . I am keeping my boys home with me for now to prevent some rough teenage years.

That is a trial I should be glad to experience. lol.

My night didn't suddenly improve. I was exhausted and, in fact, I was ready to cancel Family Home Evening.

That is, until I thought that FHE is a small sacrifice to help build my eternal family.

It is a small sacrifice to show my children how much I really do love them.

It is a small sacrifice to strengthen our family unit.

So . . . we had FHE - and it turned out NOT to be a sacrifice after all. :)

We made a General Conference Day Menu!

We plan to make this a holiday-like celebration.

We voted, and we're having:

Rotisserie Chicken

Rolls

Rice

Veggies

Milkshakes

Brownies

(anyone wanna come over?) :)

Calvin also suggested a snack buffet for time between conference: Ginger snaps, sugar cookies and brownies.

During conference we will play a little game that I found in March's Ensign:

The Sorensens set out a bowl of small treats for each session. Next to the bowl, they place objects that represent key words for that session. Each time the children hear one of those words spoken from the pulpit, they can help themselves to one treat. Sister Sorensen notes: “It’s surprising to see how much young children can and do listen. Their enthusiasm is priceless as you hear them say, ‘Mommy, he said temples!’”

We also played a super fun game called DON'T EAT PETE (Thanks a ton, KB)!

We had such a good time!

I will go to bed sleepy but satisfied that our day ended on a very positive note.

You can get a free DVD Called "Family First" here. It explains how setting one evening a week aside for family activities can strengthen family relationships.

Master Lego Builders

2009-03-29T15:53:00.002-04:00

For a field trip this past week, the boys went to the Lego Store to help build an 8-foot R2-D2!
Greg took them and said it was packed with families and their kids (I guess we weren't the only homeschoolers who took advantage of the early start time).
Each table had different colored blocks and the kids were asked to put together a large "brick" of legos for the final design. A man will come later and assemeble all of the "bricks" into the 8-foot R2.
Below you see the mini-design.

Greg said that the boys were "very into it". They hardly looked up until their block was done.

They even got a Master Lego Builder Certificate. It was cute and a great way to practice those fine motor skills. :)

Blanket Time

2009-03-26T23:54:00.002-04:00

Just an update on blanket time . . . still good.
The boys love to do it with Liv.
Once the blanket is out, she keeps it out.
She will usually only sit for 5 minutes at a time, but it is still 5 minutes of uninterupted time to work the boys. I guess she is leraning self-discipline. :)

Also, along the lines of self-discipline, we are reading "The Call of the Wild" (kid's version), and recently discussed how Buck developed self-discipline. We defined self-discipline and I left wondering if they grasped any of our talk.
Tonight Calvin said, "Mom, if a homeschooled kid knows that he shouldn't play Wii or watch TV in the morning before school starts asks his brother to play with him and that brother doesn't do it, is that self-discipline?"
lol. It took me a minute to understand what he was saying . . . but I realized that he did understand what we had talked about.
Another character-building moment for our family. :)

Homeschool: Our Brain Hats

2009-03-26T23:39:00.005-04:00

First, I thought I would post a picture of our little game of RED ROVER! Yeah! We played Red Rover in our family room one cold evening. It was way too funny.
Okay, so part of our study on the human body, we studied the mind and made our very own "Brain Hats". Please, oh - please don't pay attention to the fact that our brain hats are on . . . BACKWARDS! Ack!
As part of our study, we looked up some scriptures that told us what we should do with our minds.
Here is what we decided to copy down:
"The Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind"
and
"seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith"
There is so much more to study about the mind in the scriptures. It is so much fun. We may have to go back and do this section again and get more insight on the next go around. :)

Postage increase

2009-03-25T20:13:00.002-04:00

I saw this in the paper the other day but forgot to post about it.
In case you haven't heard (which I am sure you already have), postage rates will go up in May.
http://pe.usps.com/PriceChange_May2009/PDF/PriceList/PriceList.pdf
44 cents for first class.

Pinewood Derby!

2009-03-18T21:09:00.002-04:00

Adding some last minute weights with Dad. Good thing we brought the super glue and quarters.

He had a firetruck car!! How cool is that?

He placed 6th place, but won "Best in Show".

Now, on to district we go. :)

As promied to my family - - here are the pinewood derby photos.

The Duggar Family

2009-03-17T23:11:00.003-04:00

Okay, I have to admit that I am fascinated by this family.

Dunno why, but I am.

I am obviously not the only one - these people have a whole TV series about their family.

Anyway, for those of you who don't know about them . . . they are an Arkansas family with 18 children (two sets of twins) and they homeschool each child.

I recently read their book, "20 and Counting".

It was a fast read and I really enjoyed it (I am now the resident expert on this family. ha ha!).

They have some neat ideas that I just might use in my own family of . . . ahem . . . 5. :) A far cry from 20, but it is still a family. lol

One of these ideas is "Blanket Time".

Basically, the mother needed a way to keep her babies/toddlers occupied in one place for a time. Either while she sewed, or worked with older children, or attended a baby shower, etc.
She starts training her children by spreading a blanket on the floor and excitedly calling for the child/ren to come for "blanket time".
She talks about how much fun it will be to have blanket time and really acts enthused.
She has the child sit down and she pulls out a special toy for the child to play with. The toy only comes out during blanket time.
The child is expected to sit on the blanket with the toy. If the child gets up, the mom gently encourages the child back to the blanket.
She starts training the child for 5 minutes at a time. Gradually, she adds more time.
She amazed her friends at a baby shower when her toddler/babies sat on her blanket for half an hour without getting up!

I tried this with Liv today. It was a HUGE success (day one, let's see how day two goes). She loved it. I stayed with her the whole time. It turns out that I even enjoyed blanket time with her. She loved her boundaries of the blanket. Even after the timer went off we stayed on the blanket and sang songs with finger plays (the eensy weensy spider and things like that). She has never seen me do those before and kept asking me to do it again. It was really fun.
Also, while she sat, I scooted a little way from her and looked through some school books. The goal is to teach her SELF-DISCIPLINE while I am working with something else (but still staying close to her).
When I was all done with blanket time, I tried to put the blanket away. She would have nothing to do with it. She wouldn't let me fold the blanket up. She wanted to stay!
She even brought the blanket into the computer room while I checked email.

My special toys?
Welllll, first I used puzzles. She loves them anyway.
Then in the computer room I gave her ...(gulp)... money. Money and a piggy bank. She doesn't put money into her mouth, so I don't worry. She had a ball putting coins into the bank and it kept her on the blanket for about 8 minutes! Yay!

If anyone else tries this, let me know how it works.

Knitting

2009-03-17T22:59:00.003-04:00

This is random and more for my own journaling purposes than anything else:

I learned how to knit last year in an effort to make scarves for the boys.

I didn't learn how to keep my lines straigh, though.

Hence this lopsided start to a scarf.

I promptly decided to buy my scarves rather than make them.

At any rate, I can now say that I am a knitter. lol.

Maybe I'll make a baby blanket for Liv's dolls. :)

Homeschool: Bodies, The Exhibition

2009-03-17T22:48:00.003-04:00

We went to see the Bodies Exhibition last month!
It was really, really neat.
The Cardiovascular exhibit was the most amazing part!
If you get the chance to go, DO!
There were some sections that could be "iff-ey" for kids, but we let our kids see it all. We walked ahead just to be sure it was all okay, though.
We marveled at how awesome the body is.
We talked about things in a very "matter-of-fact" way and it went over nicely.
If you can go, google discount codes. We used the code "SUPERTIX" and got 15% off.
You can't take strollers.
You can't take photos.
But, it was worth the trip.
I learned that the muscles in our hands (the muscles that control our fingers) are actually in our arm. They are connected to our fingers by tendons! If we had those muscles in our hands, our hands would be quite a bit larger than they are! What an awesome design! How can anyone doubt that there is a divine origin on the design of our bodies??

Our Money Management for kids

2009-03-17T22:23:00.006-04:00

I really want my kids to learn money management.

Not just, how to pay tithing, and save the rest - but real "investment, saving, spending" practices.

I have NO idea where I found this idea (I have tried to find the website but cannot), but I tweaked it to serve our family. I thought I would share this idea in case anyone else can benefit from it.

I love it - it works and my Calvin LOVES it. Josh is still a bit young to start, but very soon he will begin.......

We want our children to be self-reliant

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another

Romans 13:8

(hopefully we can teach our kids to stay out of debt)

Here is what we did:

We determined the amount of money Calvin would put towards tithing, savings (wealth), and fun. Some could add "education" to that.

We made some cute and colorful envelope labels for Calvin.

We bought a pencil pouch for extra tithing slips and envelopes (this makes it so much easier to access when we need them).

We have a bakset to hold everything that we need to pay allowance.

Here is what we do:

Each week our children get $2 allowance (they are thrilled with the amount).
We pay them with a dollar bill and a mixture of coins (most often it is 2 quarters and 5 dimes).
I pull out our "allowance basket" (see photo below)
We pay tithing first (10% - math skills!!)
Calvin then figures out how much money he puts into his "Wealth" envelope (30%)
He then makes sure he has the right amount for his "Fun" envelope (60%)
We put the right money into the right envelope.
If we are near Sunday, we will fill out the tithing slip (which is already in our "money basket") and we are ready for church. The boys are learning to fill out the tithing forms by themselves. It is so fun to see them donate to other items on that form. I always ask if there is anything else they would like to donate to and let them decide.
Calvin has set the "Wealth" envelope limit at $10. When he reaches $10 he wants to take it all to the bank. (Uncle Matt will need to teach him a lesson about earning interest. Interest is a great servant but a terrible master).
Josh just puts all but 10% into his wallet. He is a good saver. Calvin . . . not so much. Calvin's "fun" envelope is not as bulky as it could be. lol.
We put the "money basket" away until the boys need their envelopes to go shopping . . . or until next allowance day.

I think I will start incoporating this idea this week:
· Saturday job auctions. Give your children the chance to earn extra cash by doing jobs beyond their expected chores. Award jobs to the lowest bidder as part of a "Saturday Job Auction."

Snow Day

2009-03-03T15:11:00.005-05:00

Georgian's blogs are all abuzz about our ONE snow day here. It was very pretty. These photos are in no order - just cute snapshots of what we played with.
The morning after the snowfall, we played in the backyard for a while again. We somehow forgot about our FRONT yard. There was a whole lotta untouched snow out front. The boys totally went wild out front - it is flat there and much more fun. That black dot in the distance is Josh, by the way. Calvin chose to go "snow diving". He would plop down face down in the snow and just lay there. What a kid.
My camera died after that or I would have more photos of that fun.

I THINK Liv is under there!

G's boots going to his truck.

The beginning of the snow fort - it got bigger.

There's my little girl!!

Josh and his Harry Potter scarf!

Calvin dressed himself. I love the soccer shorts over his pants - nice touch.

Liv anxious to go oustide.

V-Day cookies.

Magazine "Blinders"

2009-02-20T15:37:00.002-05:00

You CAN make a difference!
So, Publix puts magazine blinders on many of their racy magazines in the checkout lines - for which I am very grateful.
Kroger, on the other hand, did not (at least not the Kroger closest to my house). I grew very tired of trying to distract my boys from looking at the magazines as we waited in line. I finally called my Kroger to ask that they place blinders on their mags.
It was quite the process - I didn't give up!
I was first told that Kroger Headquarters has to make that choice. Individual stores cannot.
I called Kroger Headquarters to inquire about the blinders and was told that individual stores can request them from Headquarters.
I called my local store and gave them the information on how to request blinders.
Headquarters calls and says that they will talk to the store for me. Gee, thanks! :) They also ask which magazines I wish to see covered (I wanted to say "Anything that shows cleavage!"), but instead I asked that magazines that boast racy Headlines be covered.

Do you know . . . in about a week my store had BLINDERS on some of the mags??
Do you also know that I got a Thank You card from Kroger for expressing my concern?
Do you further know that Kroger also offered me a gift card for expressing my conern???
I'll give my gift card to someone else - lest anyone think that I am "in it" for freebies. lol.
So, for those of you who shop at the Kroger close to my house - look for the blinders. When you see them, you'll know how they got there!

Anyway, I feel quite accomplished in changing my local Kroger. Now, I think I will call them up and ask that they DO cover the cleavage. Good luck to me.

I hope that anyone who wants to see a change in their neighborhood or community will "just do it." I hope that we are not the type of people who will sit back and "hope that someone else will do it."
One person can make a difference.

One more example: During Calvin's first year in Kindergarten I noticed that his cafeteria was using styrofoam lunch trays. What a huge trash haul!! I put in a LOT of time to do research and at a PTA meeting I again expressed my concern. I even made charts that showed just how much Styrofoam our school system was putting into the trash. ha ha! That chart was even sent to the county!
Do you know that in a matter of weeks our cafeteria was using plastic resuable trays??
Yep, that is ME at work. One person. :)

Survival Parenting vs. Intentional Parenting

2009-02-20T11:32:00.005-05:00

A follow-up on my last post.
I went to bed last night thinking that I was solely a Survival Parent. I was discouraged!
Being a homeschooling mom with a toddler running around . . . being the wife of a firefighter/bishopric man (who isn't home much) . . . being a homemaker/housekeeper/chauffer/cook/counselor and all the rest that comes with being a MOM (I know you can understand) makes being a parent HARD. Parenting doesn't always bring out the best in me. I wish it did.
I went to sleep with thoughts of how I can improve my attitude and my thoughts towards my life at this time in my life. I went to bed feeling overwhelmed - not only am I in charge of a house (big task, anyway), but I am in charge of a HOME. I am in charge of my children . . . not just the day-to-day nose-wiping, diaper changing, meal-cooking stuff. I am in charge of their education, their emotional/physical/and spiritual well-being. Of course Greg is a big part of this as well, but as his attitude is so often on the "up" side, I figured I would focus on me that night. :)
During the course of this morning something happened that gave me a thought . . .
I am not ALWAYS a Survival Parent. There are times (often, there are times) when I am an INTENTIONAL PARENT. Yay! I was able to recall some recent times when parenting was a true joy. When homeschooling was running as smooth as it could be. Where the house was clean and we were working together as a family.
Why, then, was I so consumed with my thoughts last night of being (what I considered) a failure? I am sure Satan was working hard to discourage me. I KNOW he was - my SURVIVAL Parenting moments were simply magnified last night. lol.
I am grateful for the insight I received this morning.

I am reminded of some recent quotes that helped me along today.....
"Every cloud we see doesn't result in rain." Quentin L. Cook
"We each have moments of spiritual power, moments of inspiration and revelation. We must sink them deep into the chambers of our souls. As we do, we prepare our spiritual home storage for moments of personal difficulty" Neil L. Andersen
"This life is not always easy, nor was it meant to be; it is a time of testing and proving" Quentil L. Cook
"The sharp, side-by-side contrast of the sweet and the bitter is essential until the very end of this brief, mortal experience." Neal A. Maxwell

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught-to those who have ever felt discouraged or overwhelmed (all of us):
"What is our Heavenly Father's happiness?
Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father's perfect hapiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate.
The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.
Creation means to bringing into existence something that did not exist before - colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter."

Yep, I am creating a home. I am creating a life for me and for my family. I am creating my own traditions. I can creating memories. I am creating ME as an Intentional Parent (exact plan to follow. ha ha!)

Trials are going to come - tomorrow may be "one of those days" - it is how I respond to those trials that determines what I am creating.

COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT - Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
:)

Functional Family

2009-02-19T21:09:00.003-05:00

We are all bombarded with the "woes" of the Dysfunctinal Family. It is enough to wear a person out and can breed discouragement.
I just read an article in this month's Ensign about just that!
And then I found a free online course through the BYU website.
Check it out. I think I will start the e-course in a few days when I can really focus on what I am reading.
Just thought I would pass it along in case anyone else was interested.

The highlights of the Ensign article are:

In the functional family, parents focus their energy on teaching their children correct principles and allowing them to exercise their agency.
In the functional family, parents intentionally strengthen their families.
In the functional family, relationships are of supreme importance.
In the functional family, parents are active teachers.
In the functional family, parents lead by example.
Finally, in the functional family, parents teach their children faith in our Heavenly Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The e-course:
http://ce.byu.edu/courses/pe/999001072002/public/start.htm

The Ensign Article:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=bd959d9ff732f110VgnVCM100000176f620a____

Also, while I am doing some deep thinking about my family , I thought I would throw this website in. It talks about three different types of parenting:
Survial Parenting - These parents say, “If I can just make it through the child-rearing years, I can get my life back.”
Default Parenting - These parents say, “I don’t want my child to miss out on what all the other kids have.”
Intentional Parenting - These parents say,
“I want to give my child what will be best and most helpful for him.”

Hmmm, which parent am I? KBB, NO comments! lol. There is always room for improvement!

Homeschool: Thomas Edison

2009-02-13T12:00:00.005-05:00

He looks like the cutest little man, doesn't he? :)
His birthday was a few days ago and he would be 162 years old this year!

Homeschool: Text Messaging vs. Morse Code

2009-02-13T11:53:00.003-05:00

Who will win?
We are studying Thomas Edison right now and learned that he was a telegrapher for Western Union. We decided to also learn the Morse Code and found this clip on YouTube.
With all the texting that goes on during church (yuck) I guess we should be grateful that the youth aren't using telegraph machines to send their messages. :)

2009-02-12T23:27:00.004-05:00

This video goes along with the next post - how I discovered that Liv knew how to turn on the faucet.

This is what you get...

2009-02-12T23:07:00.007-05:00

This is what happens when your child can turn the faucet on by herself. :)

This is what happens when you let a little girl dress herself. "Bubba's" hat, "Baby's coat" and a toy car in the hand for good measure. Our little gangsta!

This is what happens to brownies when they are left on the kitchen table and mom walks out of the room.

This is what happens when you have a genius child. ha ha. Just kidding - though it is exciting that she can do this puzzle.

Pretty Tricky

2009-02-12T22:59:00.004-05:00

Poor Liv. This was just too good not to post!

Photo of the day

2009-02-12T22:56:00.002-05:00

The story:

We have the Brady Bunch Season 1 on DVD from Netflix. We watched it tonight before bed.

We watched the first episode . . . the Honeymoon.

Mike and Carol kiss in one of the scenes.

Calvin shields his eyes from the kiss . . . not only HIS eyes - but also Olivia's!

lol.

What a good big brother!!!

Our Homeschool Happenings

2009-02-12T21:58:00.006-05:00

Weight Lifting "Wimpy Kid" style How Calvin likes to do math

How Liv likes to read

How Josh reads to LivHow Josh reads to DadHow Josh reads.

Our Southwest Indian Study ended with our own Indian weavings.

Josh needed a scale for a math project. We didn't have one, so we made one. Cool, huh? Oh, and we discovered that 11 pennies weighs about one ounce.

Mr. Cool.

Our Fun TimeLine. We started with the Premortal Existance, and have run the timeline to the year 2000. We have added figures such as Adam and Eve, the Vikings, Mozart, Christopher Columbus, and Joseph Smith (our most recent addition is the Civil War).

This isn't really homeschool related, but I thought is was too cute to leave in a folder!

I can't remember if I have already posted this, so I'll post it anyway - Last year I had the boys do their math outside while the weather was nice.

Our most recent study for Josh's Heritage Studies was on the Croaton "tree" and the settlement of Roanoke. We hypothesized that the settlers died en route to the Croaton Indians. Josh actually thinks they were eaten by sharks . . . Calvin agrees but thinks that the sharks ate the settlers on the beach! What?!

Josh doing math . . . before he gets hot. The Story . . . Josh sits next to the window, and for some reason he hets "over heated" while doing MATH! Everytime he does math, he starts to "slump" and complains that he is hot. Then off comes the shirt - yep, he takes his shirt off every day. It only happens during math - dunno why.

Happy at the beginning of math.....
starting to slump.....

I'll spare you the "no-shirt" photo.

Calvin thinking hard during an English test.
What a pretty cursive "h".

Calvin's study on the atmosphere:

Visit to the fire station

2009-02-12T20:39:00.015-05:00

A smug Calvin

Just Josh

Liv and Daddy

Wrestling with Rodney

Liv and Daddy

Grandma in the truck

Towards the end of our visit, Greg got a call. He was on the "tiller" truck, and this was the first time we have seen that particular truck go. I don't know who was driving, but you can see how the back driver was being bounced around - I guess they don't mess around with comfort when driving to a call. :)

Dance...or cry....whatever...

2009-02-10T14:57:00.004-05:00

Just a quick post...

2009-02-10T14:53:00.001-05:00

Video quality is shaky, but we had so much fun!

Kid Stuff?!

2009-01-12T16:21:00.002-05:00

A few questions from Calvin's science book. I was quizzing him today and had to rethink the answers myself. Calvin, however, was able to give me the answers without hesitation. I know they studied this last year in school, but I am just amazed at how young these kids are to know this stuff.
Ahem . . .

List the states of matter according to the speeds of their molecules, from fastest to slowest.
In what three states does matter exist?
Are ice, water and steam different substances? Why or why not? (to which Calvin replied, "They are the same substance, they are made up of the same molecules, they are just in different states of matter."

Does anyone else remember learning this stuff in elementary school?

Calvin has decided that wants to be a chemist when he grows up . . . and also an inventor, and also an author, and also a . . . the list keeps getting longer.

Mothers Who Know Video

2009-01-10T21:13:00.001-05:00

I think this is beautifully done.

Christmas Photos

2009-01-02T12:45:00.004-05:00

No explanation necessary.

"CHEEEEESE!"

Putting cookies out for Santa.

Jan, Eric and kids spent the night Christmas Eve. Having extra people in the house makes it look like Santa really loaded our family with goodies. Olivia got the table and Abby got the kitchen. Santa's presents are the gifts in red and white.

Jand and Eric trying their hand at our new Wii (thanks to G's parents!!)

"Come What May, and Love It"

2009-01-02T12:41:00.003-05:00

Wasn't Elder Wirthlin's talk last conference awesome?! So many of us need that reminder and gentle push to enjoy life.
"The way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life."

Here is a quote I read today that reminded me of Elder Wirthlin's talk:
"Regardless of your present age, you are building your life; it will be cheap and shoddy or it will be valuable and beautiful; it will be full of joy and happiness, or it can be full of misery. It all depends upon you and your attitudes, for your altitude, or the height you climb is dependent upon your attitude or your response to situations" (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 161).

I am so grateful to be building my family and my family life. I am creating a home for my family . . . MY home for MY family . . . it's awesome. Homeschooling is, of course, a challenge - but we are making it work and we are loving it.

Google Readers:

2009-01-01T17:30:00.002-05:00

To those who use Reader to view blogs - - you are missing my latest widgets. :)
Actually, my only widgets . . . that I just added.
The church website has a new site for youth . . . A Brand New Year . . . it is really a fun site. I am still getting to know it, but like it so far. It has a "vibrant" look about it - edgy almost, but fun.
Anyway, go to my blog (outside of reader) and see the new song widget I added. :)

Book of Mormon Reader Charts

2009-01-01T11:42:00.002-05:00

I remember seeing some of my cousins use these when I was a kid.
I thought there might be some one else out there who could use them in their families.

Our Family Theme for this year is:
"Scriptures are Fine in 2009"
:)
http://www.sugardoodle.net/Book%20of%20Mormon/BOM%20Reading%20Chart.shtml
http://www.sugardoodle.net/Book%20of%20Mormon/BOMChart.pdf
I think I will use the second one this year.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Christmas Letter

2008-12-11T12:01:00.003-05:00

Our Christmas cards have been sent! Yahoo! I always enjoy sending out our cards and letters. I like to think that those who receive them enjoy our "Season's Greetings". :)
I figured the cost of our cards and stamps this year - yikes! I definately think that I will scale way back next year. It is hard, though, to decide who will be taken off the Christmas list. Well, I have a whole year to decide.
I chose to print our letter here at home instead of making copies. Of course we ran out of toner and don't have the $80 it takes to replace it, so I tried to put letters in the cards addressed to those who don't check our blog. If you get a card without a letter it is because you are of the elite group who get to read our letter on the blog. lol. And, really, if you are keeping up with us through the blog, then the Christmas letter will be nothing new to you. If you didn't get a Christmas card it is because we don't have your address. It is always fun to get regular mail, so send us your address and we can send you a card. :)

So,

Season's Greetings to you!!

Dear Family and Friends,
Yep, it’s that time of year again – Christmas letters and cards are sent, lights are up, cookies are baking, shopping is done and most important of all, we slow down to reflect on the “Reason for the Season”. We are grateful for so many things this year. We are growing together as a family and that is reason enough to celebrate.
We continue to be grateful for Greg’s willingness to work hard for his family. He is still working two jobs (three in the summer when he cuts grass) and is enjoying both. Being a captain, he has decided, is much like being a father to a bunch of boys. His attention is in constant demand at the station, - he doesn’t get much reprieve when he is home, either. J He is still working at the City Recycling Center and was very grateful for the award his facility won this year. The state of Georgia awarded him and the center the “Keep Georgia Beautiful-Waste Reduction” award. It was a very neat deal. Greg is still in the bishopric and while that also takes up much of his time, he is quick to put family first when he needs to. He and Calvin are working their way through the Chronicles of Narnia and have almost completed the series. He is grateful for the time he has with Calvin and their deep discussions of what they have read. Greg is a wonderful dad.
I am grateful for my children and the constant reminder that I am not alone. I continue to be busy, but am being a bit more selective about the activities in which I am engaged. This summer Greg and I decided that we would homeschool the boys this school year. This was not an easy decision to make, but it is working out very well so far. We will take it year by year and see how much longer the Lord would like us to continue this venture of ours. This fall Greg and I coached Josh’s soccer team. That was quite an adventure, and one that we will not likely repeat for some time (at least not until Olivia is older). I am also grateful this year for apples! We ordered a few bushels of apples this fall and went to work canning. We have put up quite a bit of applesauce, apple butter, and apple pie filling. In addition to our usual strawberry and blackberry jellies, we also canned (for the first time) pear preserves with orange zest. Our pantry shelves are very pretty, I must say. J
Calvin is grateful for his extra time spent at home with the family. He is in fourth grade and is loving it. He feels very grown up to have his own fourth grade school books and understands that much is expected of him now that he is a big boy. He continues to enjoy reading books and has written many of his own books. He is also showing us his new-found entrepreneurial skills by constantly developing ideas on how to make money! He played soccer this fall as well and is now in karate with Josh. Calvin also became the very pleased owner of a set of braces this year. Each month he changes the band color to match something that is going on in his life. He is a very bright young man and is always amazing us with his memory and understanding. Many times he becomes my teacher as we discuss things in our day. He is wonderful.
Josh is grateful for his brother and sister. He continues to be a joy to our family. He is also developing a bit of a comedian side to him. He likes to make us smile and laugh and will often ask what he can do to make us smile. He is very genuine and feels a great deal for others. Josh is in first grade, but will soon be finishing a second grade math book. He is also working quickly through his first grade English and amazes us at his quick ability to comprehend what we are teaching him. Josh is a wonderful big brother and is very protective over Olivia. He is quick to offer his babysitting services when I need to get something done around the house, and keeps Olivia laughing and happy. He still has blonde hair, and insists that it will always be blonde – we are the parents of a blonde, a brunette, and a red head.
Olivia is a gem and we are quite certain that she is most grateful for her daddy. She loves to talk to him on the phone and certainly has a lot to say. She learned sign language this year (as her brothers did at her age) and mastered the signs for: milk, juice, water, please, cookie, bath, more, and potty (yes, she tells us when he needs a diaper change). Now that she is talking more, her signs are naturally disappearing. We are sad to see them go as it means that she is growing up more. She is 18 months at the time of this letter, and has truly blessed our family during her short time with us. She has reminded us to slow down and to be more gentle with one another. Her sweet feminine spirit is also showing through in her need to nurture her baby dolls and her family.
We are very grateful this year for prayer. Our theme at the beginning of 2008 was: Prayer is great in 2008. Indeed it is. We love the gospel of Jesus Christ and we love the promise we have to be an eternal family. We are most grateful for the Savior and his gifts to us. We know that He lives and we know that He loves and cares for us.
We wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas season – full of charity and peace.

Homeschool: Our Night in Nigeria

2008-12-11T11:20:00.010-05:00

Calvin studied Nigeria in Geography, so we called upon an expert to round off the unit study.

A man in our ward is from Nigeria, and his family hosted us over for some culture. :) We made our own Nigerian flags and brought them with us. We also learned the children's names in Nigerian. When I round up that information, I will post it as well. :)

First, we saw the wooden bowls used to make their food (no food processors there). CS added Plantains and Yams and then some Palm Oil. Everyone tood turns mashing the food.

This was a very tasty dish - I am anxious to try it here at home. The wife of the family (JS) told us that when her parents were serving their mission in Nigeria, her mom would wake up at 4:00am to hear the women of the village pounding their food in their wooden bowls. They did this early on "Temple days" because the distance to travel to the temple was pretty great, so they made enough food to last them the whole day.

We ate the plantain/yam dish, coconut rice (YUM!), and catfish stew (YUMMMM!). We had tons of fruit as Nigerians eat that a lot. They don't typically have desserts, so we brought some ginger cookies (and fried chicken!). :)

This family even let Calvin try on some traditional clothing. CS put on his wardrobe as well. Doesn't Calvin look cute?

We leared about the soap they used (the big yellow block Calvin is holding is soap)

We saw a raw coconut (I never knew that the coconuts we see in the store is actually the coconut SEED!) Cool, huh? OH, and those things are heavy! In California, they employ young boys to climb trees and knock cocnuts down so they won't hit people on the head when they fall.

These are some very cool carvings that JS's parents brought back with them. They show traditional Nigerian life.

What wonderful people. We had a great time - we even got to see CS do a traditional Nigerian dance. I tried . . . tried being the word of the day. I don't think my hips are made for that kind of dance. :)

Mischief Managed

2008-12-11T11:17:00.002-05:00

Harry Potter fans!!!
I love this shirt - I had it custom made for my little run-around. It is perfect and what is best of all is that not everyone can appreciate it! lol. Only the cool people will know why this shirt is so cool.
Want one for yourself? visit www.daintycouture.etsy.com and send them a message asking about a shirt - long sleeved is available as well.
How cute is that???

Homeschool Days

2008-12-11T11:11:00.003-05:00

Teacher Liv! She watches everything we do and often (as most kids do) will emulate it. I had been teaching Josh to tell time to the nearest 5 minutes and it seems Liv watched me. I found her sitting in my chair holding up the clock for the boys to see. She was "asking them" what the time was. They plated along and she was delighted. It was very cute.

P.E.! We played Marco/Polo with Greg one night. I think Calvin was cheating by standing on the couch - but Greg found him anyway. :)

A lesson in CONstruction....

A Lesson in DEstruction. Liv attacked the school room one day (wait, that's everyday!).

I have more photos to post - - I just have to get them off of the camera. :)

Thanksgiving

2008-12-11T11:05:00.003-05:00

First, the many colors of fall:

These photos are a little late, but here they are:
Handmade turkeys for Art!

I was out of butter as I made the Candied Sweet Potatoes . . . what do I do?? I make my own butter, of course! Isn't it pretty? :)
Our "spread".
Those who know my family can will know whose plate this is!

Now THAT is a nice plate of food!!

Firefighter's wife 2

2008-12-11T10:56:00.002-05:00

I thought I would add another bit to the post below "You know you're a FFs wife if . . . "
Your husband has had "one of those calls" and calls you on the phone at 3am just to hear your voice and asks you to check on the children. Or, if you are too tired to talk, he just wants to listen to you breathe.
**I love those early morning calls.

A Firefighter's Job

2008-12-08T14:17:00.003-05:00

Here is a link of a post I started a while ago but just finished.
http://ourpemberley.blogspot.com/2008/09/firefighters-job.html
Greg has a collection of the fires he has attended - these are just a few.
Acutally, he has a wall at the station dedicated to these photos. He is in "competition" with C shift to see who can get more photos up on their walls.

You Know You're a Firefighter's Wife If . . .

2008-12-08T14:16:00.002-05:00

You Know You're a Firefighter's Wife If:
You know what IFSTA, IAFF, SCBA, WSFTA, and ARFF stand for.
You can tell the difference between a house fire and a woods fire simply by the way they smell.
You know what kind of shift your husband has had simply by smelling his hair when he comes home and wraps his arms around you.
Your Husband's wardrobe looks like this: non-descript bottoms paired with any navy blue shirt/sweatshirt with a fire department logo on it.
You know that it takes an average of 2 washings to get the smell of smoke out of his uniform.
You know the difference between a police siren and a fire siren.
You see your husband tear up when he thinks of 9/11, even though he knew none of the firefighters on scene.
You have a collection of melted fire gear on display at your house - and a story to go with each one of them.
Your kids think the fire station is "Daddy's house".
You know that all of your smoke detectors work.
You know that you always have a team of highly-trained ems professionals at the ready (you know, in case a baby falls down the stairs or something).
You know that it is faster and waaaay better to take the ambulance to the hospital (NEVER go it solo, and actually WAIT in the waiting room!).
Your children can make good use of vaccuum hoses and rubber gloves.
Everybody knows a Firefighter, and will asume that you know them too.
You find it hard to sleep when your Hubby is at work.
You get severly angry when people don't pull over for firetrucks and ambulances.
You get to listen to stories about fires, mva's and in my case, sprinkler systems.
You've had some of the best holiday meals at the fire station.
You've lost all sense of what a "weekend" really is due to your husband's crazy schedule.
Your husband gets to go on field trips & preschool once in a while.
All of the teachers want your husband to "demonstrate" his skills for the class (yeah, right she just wants to see him in his bunker gear).
You feel like the luckiest girl alive when he comes home off shift and sends your heart a-flutter.

2008-12-08T14:04:00.001-05:00

Elder Wirthlin

2008-12-02T20:36:00.002-05:00

SALT LAKE CITY 2 December 2008 Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the oldest living apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died last night, age 91.

Elder Wirthlin had gone to bed at his Salt Lake City home, and died peacefully at about 11:30 pm of causes incident to age. His oldest daughter, Jane Wirthlin Parker, was present. A member of the family had been staying and caring for Elder Wirthlin, whose wife, Elisa Young Rogers Wirthlin, died in 2006.

He had continued to work at his office right up until the Thanksgiving holiday.
~

How many of us have watched him at Conference lately and just wanted to hug him and tell him how much we love him?
It is exciting, though, to think that he is with his wife. I can only imagine the "homecoming" of apostles and prophets. I am sure it is a beautiful thing.

Joshie-isms

2008-12-02T20:31:00.002-05:00

Josh is always keeping us on our toes. He asks the most odd questions. I have started writing them down so we don't forget them. His latest ones are:

"Dad, why do robbers drive green cars?"
??? huh ???

"Mom, what would you do if I jumped off the roof?" I don't remember my reply, but he had a solution to my shock: "What if I landed on a pillow?"

This one still has me laughing (he asked us just last night):
"Dad, could we swallow our lungs if we threw them up?"
?!? what ?!?
Greg replies, "I don't think so. Your lungs are pretty big things and your throat is kind of small . . . I guess if you chewed your lungs up into little pieces you could swallow them."
To which Josh exclaims, "No! If you did that you would die!"
~
As though losing your lungs in a bout of vomit wouldn't kill you first off.

Oh, Josh.

Great quote

2008-11-16T21:32:00.001-05:00

Some men are willing to die for their faith, but they are not willing to fully live for it.

Christ both lived and died for us

President Ezra Taft Benson
1988

Escape Artist

2008-11-02T21:24:00.002-05:00

Okay, so she is not escaping in this photo, but she is trying a juice box for the first time. I thought it was a cute photo.

NOW, my blurry baby is about to escape.
Liv loves her "bab" - anything silky is a "bab". Above happens to be a white slip.

We promptly lowered her mattress to sit on cinder blocks and wood. If only she wasn't so tall.....

FYI - we had her check up last week, and for those who are interested . . . she is in the 98% for height. Yeah!

Weight is only 75%, but I'll take it. lol.

*I heard a first-time-dad talking in the hall at church about his strapping baby boy and was just glowing about the fact that his son was in the 77th percentile of height. Yeahhhhh, I just wasn't feelin' it. No, KBB, I didn't say anything to him. I let him have his moment (just like I do with moms who brag about their big ol' 8lb babies). he he.

*Why do moms talk about their baby's height and weight? ha ha. Really, is it bragging? Is it just a matter of curiosity? I dunno, but we do it.
For those of you who don't have kids but read this anyway - - just wait. You'll be talking about it too - and you'll understand what it means by then as well. :)

Halloween

2008-11-02T21:09:00.003-05:00

Each year we make two trick or treating stops: My mom's and Greg's parents. This year we also threw in a trunk or treating at a local church (not ours, just one down the road).

Trick or treating at Grandma's

Trick or treating at Nana and Grandaddy's

Greg's grandfather came to see the little trick or treaters and gave them money! How's that for some loot?! :)

A pirate, a lady bug (with fairy wings), and a pumpkin

Liv is only three months older than the other two girls, but look how tall she is!

She is just so dang long. :)

Whooo is that glowing pumpkin?

That is Liv's BFF. Isn't she a doll??

Church fall festival with our annual chili cook-off. Greg is such a good daddy to fix his little girl's anntenae. :) By the way, we borrowed Liv's costume from a cute little girl in our ward. That is one way to save money!

Greg and I both dressed up as firefighters (creative, I know). He looks much better in the turnouts than I do so I won't post a photo of me. :) No one will care about this, but see the flashlight on Greg's coat? That was his Christmas present last year. That sucker cost us $70! It is a super halogen, blah blah blah flashlight with a output of 60,000 candles (or something like that). I surprised him with it - what a gift! Anyway, it reportedly cuts through smoke really well - glad to know I am furthering G's safety.

Photo update

2008-11-02T20:44:00.007-05:00

These are out of order, but the just is: misc photos of Olivia.
Photos from Dallin's 4th birthday party a few weeks ago.

Playing in the salt . . . always fun.
Liv pours salt into her cup . . . takes a "sip" . . .

What a pitiful face!

This is Liv's own doing. She is listening to classical music (she requested the headphones and even the CD) and sat down with a National Geographic magazine and thumbed through it for a while.

It is blurry, but hopefully you can see the SUDS in our washing machine!!! All that white stuff . . . suds. Not a good thing. We could literally scoop them out and throw them into the air as fluff. I think that Tide and vinegar is NOT a good combination for washing.

This CUTE personalized bib came from http://www.daintycouture.etsy.com/

I was able to pick out my own fabric and initial. I love it!

(shamelss plug for my sister's shop, I know)

A rare shot of Aunt Mari with Dallin and Abby.

She was the one to bring bread - the moms of the group completely forgot about it.

Aunts ARE good for something. :)

Watch out, Voldemort (nope, I'm not afraid to say his name!). lol. Jan and Eric came down for Dallin's birthday party. Aunt Mari surprised all three nephews with Practice wands of their own. (really, we don't believe in witchcraft, but a true Harry Potter fan would appreciate a little wooden stick to "swish and flick") :)
Nice food on Josh's face - that kid is always sporting his latest meal.

Liv caught RED HANDED after her wall marking incident (see post below).

Liv found a booster seat that we save for Dallin and Abby company. It is the right size for her and has become her little chair.

Make a Child Smile.org

2008-10-27T22:09:00.003-04:00

We are trying to find Service Projects to do with the boys each month.
Our latest is from Make a Child Smile.
http://www.makeachildsmile.org/?gclid=CIbU_9bryJYCFQhdswodR3wVyg
You can send letters to children who are very ill.
My boys wrote to the featured children and wrote down jokes and stories for them. It was really neat to watch my children think of things to write and get excited about sending letters to other children.
Just thought I would pass this along to anyone who might be interested.

the Friend Magazine Online

2008-10-27T22:01:00.002-04:00

Have any of you seen the new website for the Friend Magazine??
I just played with it and it is awesome!!
You know those new songs they offer each month in the Friend? Well, I never know what they sound like becauce my piano skills are not up to par and so I simply skip those pages each month. Well, now the website for the Friend offers that music to listen to! You can even put it on your mp3 player!
They also have Matt & Mandy videos as well as the Scripture Story videos (still images with vocal narrative). They are neat to watch.
When you have time, play around with the site and see what you can come up with.
It is ver exciting to see this type of thing made available online!
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ae20e975d2a2b010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0

Josh and Calvin in the Friend Magazine

2008-10-27T21:45:00.002-04:00

Well, not OUR Josh and Calvin, but there is an article about two friends names Josh and Calvin.
It was so much fun to read! My boys could hardly believe that "they" were in the Friend!
http://www.lds.org/Static%20Files/PDF/Magazines/Friend/English/2008/FR_2008_10_18___02270_000_021.pdf

2008-10-26T20:04:00.001-04:00

Where did I find this? Did this come from someone's blog? If so, thanks for letting me copy - we laughed out loud at some of these.

Wisdom of Larry the cable guy.

**Wisdom of Larry the cable guy.
**1. A day without sunshine is like night.
**2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.
**3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
**4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
**5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.
**6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
**7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
**8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.
**9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
**10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
**11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
**12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
**13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.
**14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?
**15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
**16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.
**17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
**18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
**19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
**20. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
**21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, "What the heck happened?"
**22. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.*

Repost

2008-10-21T08:12:00.002-04:00

I am posting a link to our very first blog post for a quick history of our family.
http://ourpemberley.blogspot.com/2007/10/okay-so-this-is-my-first-blog-post.html

This is mainly for anyone who is just now "finding us" :)

Scottsdale, Arizona??

2008-10-12T11:40:00.004-04:00

So, I have two cousins that posted something on their blogs that got me thinking.
One cousin posted his irks about private blogs - I happen to echo those feelings, by the way. He said that he doesn't like it when his blog is linked in a private blog and he isn't invited to view the private blog. Is that considered blogging world rude? We found that happened to us . . . and I say that is most definitely rude. :)
A curiosity of my own . . . when people list the blogs they follow on their own blog, why do they include the private blogs? Any answers out there?
The other cousin (who labors under the delusion that he is magic - lol) noted the views/hits to his blog. As he is able to "magically" tell where people are visiting from, he asked that those who visited his blog "stand up and be counted". :) He wanted a comment to let him know who they were. I think that is a great idea. Since then, I have commented on the blogs I visit regularly. If I visit a blog, I leave a comment. Isn't that the blogging world polite thing to do? :)
Anyway, I developed magic powers of my own and see that I have visitors from Scottsdale, Arizona - Phoenix, Arizona and Chandler, Arizona (Phoenix and Chandler use Cox Communications). Now, I do believe that I have family in Arizona - - but who are they? Who in the world do I know from Scottsdale (they use the IP Maricopa)? Or, better yet, who knows me? ;)

In a world of Caller ID, we always seem to know who called our home but didn't leave a message. In the world of blogs, we sometimes never know who "visited our home" but didn't leave a message.

Our Olympian

2008-10-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

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Breakdance!

2008-10-09T20:42:00.000-04:00

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Olivia started it!!

2008-09-30T12:53:00.002-04:00

One day Olivia found the dry erase eraser and smashed it onto her face.
She came out looking like a coal miner (now thinking of Rachelle's husband!).
Anyway, Josh being Josh decided that it looked like fun. He "erased" his face - you can see the white lines where his eyes were slammed shut and the folds were.
Then, Calvin being Calvin thought it looked cool but didn't want to erase himself, so Josh held him down and did the deed for him. I, of course, had nothing to do with it - I just stood by and photographed.

I Give Up!

2008-09-30T12:41:00.001-04:00

Do I cry or do I laugh?

2008-09-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

So, I hope heaven looks like this!

A Firefighter's job

2008-09-27T22:14:00.006-04:00

There are oh so many more photos, but this will do for now.

The above is the fire where Greg almost lost Firefighter "Bob".
There is a story behind this photo of "Bob" - those who are interested can inquire through email. :)