OUCH!!!

On Saturday, Kristi was having fun playing on our swing set in the backyard. I was reading in the dining room and could see her through the French doors. I remember thinking, "That girl is going to hurt herself!" A minute later, her glasses were bent and twisted and scrapes covered one side of her face. She had been lying on the swing, face down, with her arms holding on behind her, swinging. She lost her balance and her head fell to the ground, scraping along the dirt. Because her hands were behind her, she couldn't catch herself. She cried for a while. I told her that when I was a little girl (about six years old), I hurt myself and had a scab on my face just like her. I don't think it made her feel any better.

Youth Conference

Mike, Cari and Trevon went to the Hurricane Stake Youth Conference (Thursday through Saturday). The theme of the conference was HANDS (Heavens Army Nearby Doing Service). They woke early on Thursday and met at the church building (with 250 youth from our Stake) at 6am. After a fireside (President Bramall speaking), they loaded five buses and headed to Cove Fort. A church historical site, Cove Fort is encircled by a 20 foot high brick wall, and was the point between St. George and Salt Lake City. Early settlers used it to stock up on needed supplies and find refuge from Indians. After Cove Fort, they had a fireside with speaker John Bytheway. Then, they went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house.



After that, In Salt Lake City, they checked into Olympic Village and ate dinner before going to another fireside at Temple Square with Brother and Sister McConkie. Each ward had their own evening devotional with their Bishop before going to bed.

On Friday, the youth went to three different temples to do baptisms for the dead. Mike and Trevon went to the Bountiful Temple. Cari went to the Salt Lake Temple. This was the service part of their trip.



Others in the group delivered books and toys that were previously collected for humanitarian service. They all returned to Olympic Village for lunch and then went ice skating. It was Cari and Trevon's first time (check out the videos)!





After dinner that night there was a dance for all the youth, including another Stake from Salt Lake City. The kids met some interesting people and were glad to be "Hurricanites!" The next morning, they Hiked Ensign Peak and overlooked the Salt Lake Valley as they listened to yet another speaker (Jody Rich).




Then, they went to a chapel for a testimony meeting before having lunch and heading home. They were kept very busy the whole time they were on this trip. Mike said he could have used more sleep. Cari and Trevon's favorite part was going to the temple open house. Temples are such beautiful places, and the Spirit of the Lord resides there. Mike's favorite part was Ensign Peak and learning about its history and importance. They arrived home around 7PM, each having had a great time, and spiritually fed.

Father's Day

This morning I woke Mike up at 7AM with breakfast in bed. He usually gets up early so I had to make sure I beat him to it! I made him blueberry waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon and slushy orange juice. Elise saw the juice and said, "My favorite...I haven't had that shake in years!"



We gathered in the living room and presented our "super dad" with some gifts. He got a new dress shirt and tie, a sport shirt and lots of love letters!



At church, each of the men were given a lei of candy, made by a Polynesian family in our ward. Each was a creation in itself! They were amazing! The men were also served pie and ice cream. Mike ate cherry, blackberry and apple. He wanted pecan, but someone else got it before him!


After church, Mike and I called our dads and then had a steak dinner. Mike cooked them on the grill, while Trevon made mashed potatoes inside. We also had a green salad and some corn. We gathered together for a "family council" and discussed donating some money to a construction project that includes renovations to the area where our girls attend camp each year(on Kolob). We decided on an amount to give (as a family), and then each of our children committed to sacrificing money of their own, for an individual contribution as well. It was hard for them to give up some of their money, but we discussed sacrificing to help with a worthy and needed project. We let them choose the amount they would give, and were very pleased when our five oldest children agreed to help. To end our day, Sadie and Kristi made brownies. A sweet treat, for the sweetest man around - their dad!

Fun with Cousins

My brother Aaron and his family visited with us for the night, Friday, on their way down to Mesa, AZ. They live in northern Utah and enjoy taking a "rest stop" at our house whenever they are headed to Arizona. We are so glad they always think of us and stop to visit. It is good to spend time with family. The kids especially enjoyed playing with each other. We ate taco salads and spent the evening visiting in the backyard (and taking pictures, of course)! It was a fun evening. They will be back again next week, when they head back home.




"Look at my "organic" green grape earrings. They're quite original and beautiful . . .wouldn't you say?"

Grandpa's Pond

The boys went fishing, six miles from home, for something to do. Cari dropped them off, and a couple of hours later (after Corban's 18 month check up & shots), I picked them up. They had a great time. Trevon helped Cameron refine his casting skills. Cameron caught three Rainbow Trout. As I drove them home, they talked about how much fun they had had, saying they wanted to return many times throughout the summer. I'm glad they had some quality time together, enjoying this common interest.

"In Tune" with Mother Nature

It was a week of camping for our family. Cari and Sadie attended girl's camp with the Hurricane Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was Cari's fifth year of girl's camp, and Sadie's second. They camped on Kolob mountain, about an hour away from home. They both had a great time.
Mike stayed one night, as a priesthood holder, and he took these pictures of our girls. Before coming home, he did some fishing at a nearby reservoir. He loves the outdoors. Notice, the flowers on the mountain were beautiful.





The theme for girl's camp this year was "In Tune." The girls sang, worked on crafts, hiked, participated in skits, slept in tents and used "stinky" latrines. One of the things they made were bumblebee watches.



At the end of the week, each girl received an "award." Cari was awarded "Junk Food Junkie" because she brought a 6 pound bag of Gummy Bears with her to camp. Sadie was awarded the "Afro Head" award. During their skit, Sadie wore a big black wig. She also experimented with her hair styles throughout the week. They both said that their favorite part of camp was the testimony meeting around the fire on Friday night. Cari liked it because a mouse ran by the fire, in the center of the circle, causing her leader to jump into her chair. Sadie liked hearing everyone's testimony.




Trevon was also camping from Wednesday through Saturday. He backpacked over Pine Valley Mountain, a total of 35 miles. He hiked to the highest point, being 10,364 feet in elevation. On Saturday, it snowed and then rained on him. His favorite part of the trip was the food. He said it was good and in excessive amounts.

BEFORE THE HIKE

AFTER THE HIKE





At home Kristi was my big helper. She earned $5 for all of her help. The little kids kept busy with the usual activities: playing outside on bikes, swings and in the sandbox. They also had fun when it was time to clean up! It was great having everyone return home on Saturday. Corban didn't want to let go of Cari!

In the Summertime . . .

What do YOU do in the summertime? Do you take a break from work and go on vacation or camping? Those are givens for us! What do you do in between vacations, with seven kids hanging around? Every year at the beginning of "summer vacation," I tell myself that I am going to devote time to helping my kids improve their academics. All too often though, the summer ends as quickly as it began, and school is here again! NOT THIS TIME!!! This summer, I have come up with a plan! We still have fun, regularly going to parks, playing games, swimming, visiting the library and going to computer lab. Cari and Trevon attend "band camp" every weekday morning as well. However, I have set aside "study time" this year, and so far it has worked out beautifully!!! Every morning at about 10AM, I call the kids together. Cari, Trevon and Sadie are each assigned a younger child to help. Cameron and Elise work on basic reading, writing and arithmetic. I have worksheets that they do. Corban gets read to. Kristi works on her own, or with me, memorizing math facts. This summer, more than anything, I want Kristi to learn her math facts so that she will be confident and prepared for fifth grade. I love 10 o'clock at our house. I love it because my kids are working with and serving one another. I love the sound of that work. It is wonderful to see. I've been surprised that they have each been willing to participate in this "study time," summertime activity! I guess my tone of voice was the right one to begin with; or they recognize that it is a good thing. I know when school returns, all to soon, that we will be better prepared for it and thankful for the time we have spent together learning.