Baseball time!

This year is Eliza's first year in tball. There is a lot of chasing the ball and running the bases and that is about it. She is having fun, but there are some very boring moments. She is anxiously awaiting her ballet classes to begin. Tommy is in a higher level of baseball this time around and spends a lot of time in the outfield. He is fast and has an AMAZING arm and is the only boy who can throw from center field to home plate. Still, he is also bored out there with not a lot of action. It has been a bumpy season and I think we are all ready to move on. Guess I do not have pics of Tommy........oops!

Senior Prom

Senior Prom................................the last big hurrah before graduation. The thing to do here in Idaho is go to dances in a group. This Prom group was HUGE. There is a "day date" involved. Then dinner. Then the parents gather somewhere to take pictures of all the lovely couples. Not exactly the way I did Prom :). George had a great time and his date, Emily, was beautiful. Here are a couple of my favorite pics from the evening. I am not a professional photographer by any means and I wish my dad was there to give me pointers. I do think they turned out pretty good though!

The winds of change...........

Elder Marvin J. Ashton said "There is nothing so unchanging, so inevitable as change itself. The things we see, touch, and feel are always changing. Relationships between friends, husband and wife, father and son, brother and sister are all dynamic, changing relationships. There is a constant that allows us to use change for our own good, and that constant is the revealed eternal truths of our Heavenly Father." What comfort the last part of that statement gives me, especially since our home has seen quite a few changes lately, and there is only more to come!

First, I have become a working mother again. I am back working for a local chiropractor, around 37 hours a week. The way this job came into my life is nothing short of an answered prayer and a blessing from a loving Father. I assumed since I prayed for this and needed it, that would make it easy. Um, NOT SO MUCH :)! The adjustments the kids and I have had to make have been difficult and uncomfortable. Tommy and Eliza have felt my absence the most and have had the hardest time accepting this new change, but we are finally finding our rhythm and things are calming down a bit. The dynamics of our home have shifted significantly, but if we can lay hold of the one constant, the reveled eternal truths of our Heavenly Father, we will survive.

Shelby is now the golden age of 16. She has been driving for some time, but her sweet brother arranged for a double date on her birthday. Yes, I just said DATE, wow. He chose a boy she is comfortable and friends with and it was the best first date she could have asked for. She has become my nanny, my right hand helper, and I am so grateful for her cooperation and wholehearted willingness to help out while I am not at home. I am continually amazed at her happy spirit and her ability to adapt, and know who she is, even during times of change.

George is on the brink of some amazing changes. High School graduation is a mere month away and he has received his mission call to the Philippines Manila mission. Today in Stake Conference he was sustained to receive the Melchizedek priesthood and be ordained to the office of an Elder. He will report to the Philippines MTC on August 16th and learn to preach the gospel in the language of Tagalog. He received his Eagle Scout award a couple of months ago, and as much as he prepared and worked for that award, it pales in comparison to the adventure he is about to embark on. We will have another shift in the family and some more adjustments to make that will be uncomfortable and difficult, but comfort will come through the constant of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mike will return home on May 22nd! Hooray!!! It is time for him to be with us for a while, but his coming home always brings about great change. Some wonderful and some not so wonderful :). Having the priesthood back in the home is something I always look forward to, but those who know me well, know relinquishing control is not my strong suit :).

Little Michael will return from his mission to Kennewick Washington on August 13th. Yes, a mere day or so before George is scheduled to leave. He will be living at home again, not sure of what to do with himself or how he fits into the returned missionary world, BAM change! For all of us. I am going to say it again, I will be thankful for the constant of the eternal truths of the gospel to cling on to, as I am sure he will feel the same.

Here are a few snap shots of the family over the last couple of months. Also here is a link to a youtube video of George opening his mission call :), ignore my screaming and irrational shooshing......

Christmas

Christmas expectations can be hard to live up to. We try and keep it very low key around here and focus on the true meaning of Christmas and our Savior. I wanted the kids to experience a little more of the true spirit of giving. Every year we put all our names in a "hat" and each draw one out and that is who we give a gift too. This year I decided we would do handmade gifts for each other. I wanted the family to think of individual personalities and really put some thought, time and effort into the gift. We started off a little rocky, but with a little bit of help from mom, they all pulled it off beautifully! Dylan made a book safe for George. Martha made some jewelry for Shelby. Eliza painted a work of art for Martha. Tommy sewed a small blanket for Eliza's dolls. Mike made Dylan a paracord bracelet with a compass attached to it. Shelby made me a decorative jar light. I made Tommy a velcro dart board. George sewed a Superman pillowcase for Mike. I am proud at the thought that went into the gifts. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they knew each other. My other favorite part of the holiday, aside from my husband being under the same roof as me, was my parents being with us. It was so wonderful to have them here and share the holiday with us. I love living closer to them and my siblings. Since the move to Idaho I have seen ALL of my siblings, and parents, multiple times! I am loving it.

18!!!

18 seems to be some kind of magical age. The first step into the "real" world, so they say. My third child has reached that magical age. I know it was bound to happen, and I feel very cliche when I declare "Time is going way too fast!" But it is. My charming little George is now 18. He wanted to go buy a lottery ticket and a pack of cigarettes to make it official but did not want to part with his hard earned money. When the prophet announced lowering the age to serve a mission my heart leaped, then sank a little. My selfish desires kicked in and I mourned that lost year. Then I was happy that my boy, who has been aching to serve a mission since he was 13, can go serve the Lord even sooner, if possible. I have all the confidence in the world in this young 18 year old son of God. I know he has what it takes to make the prophet, and the Lord, proud of lowering the age limit. I love this young man more than I thought I could. Has it really been almost 10 years since he asked "So..........what do I call you?" I said he could call me anything he wanted, no pressure. He put his little fist to his chin in thought, looking up at the ceiling sideways, and told me, "I think I will call you mom." I hope I have lived up to that name when he has needed me to the most. I love you George!

Cub Scouts

I have not been the best Cub mom there ever was. Tommy is my 4th boy in the program and will be the first to actually finish it. Tonight he received his Wolf award. There was a little ceremony where I got to paint his face. Each line meant something but I can't remember what! We also had a Space Derby. Tommy had a great time fixing up his rocket and his did the best. There were some technical difficulties with the race "track" and there will be a re-run at the Blue and Gold banquet, but we still declare him as the winner :). I am still amazed at how confirmation of the true gospel can be re-affirmed at something as simple and fun as a Cub Scout pack meeting. Here is a link to a very short video of his race.

I love getting pinned :)

Ready to race!

Happy Birthday to my Best Friend!

Today is Mike's 40th birthday. No fanfare, no cake, no birthday banner, no gifts. Just another passing day. He is currently on a ship in the middle east somewhere. He is my eternal companion, my best friend, father to my beautiful children. With each passing year I am more thankful and blessed to have him than the year before. Words cannot express how much I love and adore him. Happy Birthday Mike, wherever you may be! This is just a fun photo of him being an amazing dad, pulling a handcart with Eliza at the Pioneer Celebration :)

And another of him and Tommy

Injury

Shelby sprained her ankle, severely sprained her ankle. After her perseverance to try out for the volleyball team, we are only 3 weeks into the season and she is injured. She was jumping at the net to block and came down with all her weight on the outside of her foot, on her ankle. A trip to urgent care and an x-ray later, we were relieved it was not broken, but severely sprained. Crutches for at least a week and an ankle brace for at least three weeks. She did not cry when the actual injury happened, but the news of no more volleyball unleashed the flow of tears. She worked so hard to be a part of this team and it was devastating to have it come to an end. Of course she will still attend and support and be a part of the team as much as possible, but it will not be the same. It is so hard to watch as life's disappointments dig to the core of your children. There is absolutely nothing I can do to reverse, or make this go away for her. Being the wonderful Shelby that she is, she is upbeat and happy despite hobbling around the house all weekend. No complaints or tears. Being treated like a princess and waited on hand and foot may help with her mood :).

First Day

Today was the day, it finally arrived...................SCHOOL!! For some in the family it was bitter, for others it was very sweet (myself included in the later). Shelby does NOT enjoy early mornings, either does George. You would think they were teenage kids! Tommy slept longer than I thought he would and Dylan was up well before the sun. Eliza woke up singing "It is my first day of kindergarten WAA HOO!" She came downstairs and declared she had slept "perfectly". Big kids head out around 7:40, Tommy at 8:30 riding bikes with his buddy. For Eliza it was an excruciating wait for the clock to hit 12:40, but we made it. It pulled at my heart strings a little more than anticipated watching her walk into the school with her fellow classmates, but I am glad I wasn't the mother who couldn't let go and follow her inside. Dylan is the office assistant for his first period of the day and LOVES it. He is also in Honors Science and is shooting for all A's this year. George signed up to do Freshman link crew and I think he hated every minute of it. In more than half of Shelby's classes she does not know a soul. She is the only Sophomore in a sea of Juniors and Seniors in her Chemistry class. Tommy had a great day reconnecting with last years buddies. Eliza's day, in her words, was "Fantastic! But it went by really fast." Right after school we headed to Shel's volleyball game and Dylan had cross country practice. George had a shift at the DQ at five. After a big first day of school, and an afternoon of running all over, we (okay maybe just me) are all exhausted and ready for bed. Even George humored me and sat for a first day of school picture, not the best lighting indoors at 7:30 am.

PS Totally off topic what is it with me and phones!! This one is less than 2 months old, and yes it was in a case. If I were my own child I would NOT replace another phone for me........goodness!

Reflections

Shelby had her first volleyball game this past week. They did not win, but Shelby played great! The first game is always filled with nerves and anxiety. It is so hard for me to watch my children participate in sports. I am filled with nerves and anxiety! Dylan joined the cross country team and I think those meets will be a little more relaxed for me :). School officially starts on Tuesday and I am enjoying my last few days of calm before the storm. Freshly sharpened pencils and new reams of paper are waiting to be used. New shoes are ready for breaking in and there are new clothes to wear. Excitement is running at a high around here for the year to begin. George is a senior and that is so hard for me to accept. Shelby is a Sophomore and I still can't figure out why that seems SO much older than a Freshman. Dylan is the big man on campus in 8th grade, he has feet larger than mine and a growth track that shows no signs of slowing. Tommy is in third grade and excited to do math. Eliza is in the afternoon session of Kindergarten. It will be interesting to see how she handles waiting all morning before it is time for school. Every one of my children will be off at school this year and I am looking forward to some quiet time during the day. I begin school again September 10th and I know those quiet times will be used wisely......for the most part. Reflecting on all the blessings we have overwhelms me with love and appreciation. I know my family is taken care of and watched over daily and that is such an enormous comfort to me.

CELEBRATE!!

Last year Shelby went to BYU volleyball camp in July and worked her butt off trying out for the volleyball team at Murrieta Mesa High School in California. She was devastated when she did not make the team, she was sure she had done so well. It deflated her entire Freshman year of High School. Fast forward one year and a new school later. She made the decision to try out for volleyball again and leave the hurt behind her. I am so proud of her for putting herself out there again. It was a nerve racking two days but SHE MADE THE SOPHOMORE TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so relieved and happy that this turned out for her. Moving has not been the easiest thing for my baby girl and this has given her hope and happiness to succeed and fit in somewhere here. GO WARRIORS!

Lake Owyhee Oregon

Eliza has been asking to go camping for quite some time. We finally made the plans and picked out a state park in Oregon. It is only about an hour and half from home and they had a tee-pee we could rent to sleep in. George had just gotten home from a scout camp and opted to stay home this time. We were excited for the adventure and the original plan was to stay a couple of days. The road to get there was a little knuckle clenching at times. It is a very remote location with a one lane road most of the way in. There is a beautiful lake surrounded by rocky mountains and plenty of water and exploring to do. We were the only family without a boat, but Thomas being the socialite he is, got to go boating with the campers across the way. We played Frisbee and did a little geocaching, and swam a lot. It was super hot, 103, the day we arrived. The tee-pee turned out to be a hot box so there wasn't a lot of relief from the heat at night. We had a great time but decided to cut the trip short and not endure the heat of the devil another night. Eliza was sad to go but swam up until the very minute it was time to leave. The day I have a boat and an RV with air conditioning I will definitely go back!

The tee-pee was pretty cool

Jimmy's "picture bomb"

Dylan setting up a shot

Even Shelby had fun!

Gorgeous scenery

Eliza was so happy to be there.

Me and my sweet hubby

Playing in the water (ignore my finger!)