I'm Raising Her Right

Lily was so excited to take me outside today to show me what she had created on the back porch all by herself.

That's my girl!!!!

Homework!

After school is seriously not my favorite time of day. It seems that is when the bedlam really begins. Snacks, stories of the day, all the kids back together...and homework. Hunter is at that blessed age where I pretty much hand him a snack, he downs it, and then off he goes to do his homework on his own. I give it a cursory glance when he's finished, and in the mean time I start dinner, vacuum, chase Sophie, whatever needs to be done. Lily, on the other hand, is a different story. She has started bringing home her once a week homework- get it on Thursday and return it the following Wednesday. It's so enriching...(not!) Maybe for a kid whose parents don't pay any attention to them whatsoever. Furthermore, I have become convinced that the homework is conceived of by some pencil pushing workbook writing ding dong who has never had children. Our assigment today was to walk around the house finding everything we could with a number on it. Seriously?!? I want her to take her homework seriously, so I kept my mouth shut and didn't cut her off as we wandered the house. But do you have any idea how long it can take when you tell a five year-old to find every number in the house??? Every electronic appliance, every remote control, phone, calendar, food package, shampoo bottle, medicine box, magazine, book, UPC code, CD case, clock, measuring cup, piece of mail...you get the idea. I thought it would never end. Needless to say, we'll be having dinner late tonight. You gotta love homework.

Rise and Shout!!

The Cougars are out, and they are awesome! I hope you all are loving this season so far as much as I am. Bronco Mendenhall was on the Jim Rome Show this week, and gave what I think was a great interview. You can listen to it here. Enjoy!

i couldn't resist!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

OK, so I admit it. My kids are counting the days until HSM 3 comes out. (It's 37, in case you're wondering.) Hunter even asked me if I would let him camp out for tickets on a school night. (Yeah right!) So when I saw this JibJab, I knew it had to be done. Enjoy, my little HSM fanatics! And if you haven't gotten on the bandwagon yet, (Nikki and Jenn!!), there's still time to borrow our DVDs before October 24th arrives!

(Make sure to pause the player at the bottom and turn up your sound before pressing play!)

Lily's Salon and Photos

It's a full service establishment offering a new 'do and pictures to go with it. Says the owner: "You're going to look so pretty, you're probably hardly going to recognize yourself." Thanks Lil!!

(Can you tell this picture was taken at the end of a VERY long day?)

Help Yourself!

About 9:00 this morning I finally got around to making myself some breakfast. I parked Sophie at the kitchen table watching "Curious George" so I could make my toast, and I grabbed a yogurt from the fridge in the garage. I got my toast made, then went to sit down and I couldn't find the yogurt. I thought I has lost it!

I looked everywhere, and finally realized that Soph had helped herself to my long awaited breakfast. She poked a hole right through the foil, and was eating one fingerfull at a time. I hope she enjoyed it!

A Real Cub Scout

I can't believe that we have a real Cub Scout in our house! But doesn't he look grown up and handsome? Yes, I cried when he left for his first den meeting. Lucky for him, I was not the one that took him to the church that night! So far, he is having a lot of fun! Bless those poor, dear Cub Scout leaders!!

Smarter Already

Lily has now been a kindergartener for three full weeks, and she already knows it all. We were sitting in the car today waiting for Hunter to come out of school when this conversation occurred:

Lily: Mom, did you see that boy running down the sidewalk?
Me: (thinking, of course he's running, it's Friday afternoon...) Yes
Lily: You shouldn't run on the sidewalk. If you have to run you should do it in the grass.
Me: Really, why?
Lily: (exasperated with my obvious stupidity) MOM, because if you fall the grass is a lot softer than the sidewalk.
Me: You're right about that
Lily: Plus mom, you know it's called a sidewalk and not a siderun

Wow, if only I were as smart as Lily.

Hunter's Special Day

Hunter was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on August 30th, his eighth birthday. Every time I look at the pictures, I think of a song that I learned as a kid:

"This is my day, my baptism day.

Jesus was baptized the very same way.

Maybe I'm little and maybe I'm young,

And maybe my learning has only begun,

But Heavenly Father, I'm doing my best,

Just lead me and guide me, and I'll do the rest."

In some ways, he really did look young to me that day. The last eight years leading to this milestone have flown by so very quickly. And in some ways, he looked so grown up to me that day. He was so excited. We had his birthday party the might before so that it wouldn't detract from the importance of his baptism day.

This is just a little piece of the journal entry that I wrote the day after the service. I don't know why, but I feel compelled to share it.

He really did seem little and young to me yesterday, but so handsome and wondeful. Ty and I gave him new scriptures yesterday morning as a baptism day gift, and he treasured them. It made my heart swell to see him so excited about that blue leather quad. He took them to the church for the service, and wouldn't let them out of his sight. He took such good care of them. He was so excited to be baptized, and he was ready. My favorite moment of the morning was watching him with Tyler in the font. The water was sparkling, and Tyler's face looked so peaceful and strong and righteous as he recited the baptismal prayer. And then Hunter went under the water and it was done! After he changed into his dry clothes and came to sit with me I asked him how he felt. He beamed at me and said "Happy!". I was happy too.

My two handsome men. Hunter was baptized and confirmed by his dad.

On the steps at the church. Eight years ago we stood on these same steps for a family picture when Hunter was blessed.

We were blessed to have many people at the baptism that are important in Hunter's life. Thanks to Mandi for getting all the family pictures.

Nana and Papa Whitmill

Nana and Papa Monson

Great Grandma Klaversma

Chris, Nikki, Jake, Brayden, and Logan

Travis, Allison, Shane, Jace, and Brett

Tom, Jenn, Tori, Lizzie, and Owen

Mandi, Marlee, and Makenna

Hunter-Man, we are so very proud of you! Thank you for setting the example for your two little sisters, and for being such a good friend at church and at school. We know that you are on the right track, just keep holding to that iron rod. We love you!!

Eight is Great!!!

I can hardly believe it, my "baby boy" is eight! I am finally getting around to posting these pictures. We celebrated his birthday on the 29th of August, the night before the real thing. It was so much fun to have a houseful for this special birthday celebration.I love the look on his face in this picture. He had just opened the life size vinyl "poster" of Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (below) that Nana and Papa Monson brought for him.

Lookin' good in his new Cub Scout gear

The alligator cake! I was pretty proud of it, especially for someone as "cake retarded" as me. Special thanks to Nana Monson and Allie for their help!