Hogle Zoo

Well we wanted to squeeze the last minutes of summer out and thought that going to the zoo would be a great way to do it. And this is the reason why - to see this cute new baby elephant, Zuri. Maddy had gone earlier in the week with her friend, Olivia, and was so excited for us to see her. She actually just turned a year old.

Not quite as cute.. okay, even downright scary looking. But very unique.

Also very unique.. a red panda. Interestingly, Maddy had just got a stuffed one of these in West Yellowstone. She (and I) thought it was a fox but found out it was one of these. I had never seen one before.

And of course we had to take a picture of this because Maddy has been crazy about turtles over the last couple of years. This one was pretty cool.

It was a great day! Other than Josh having to work and Maddy getting pooped on by a bat, it couldn't have been nicer. I kept thinking to myself how grateful I was that our kids will still do things like this with us. I actually think they even enjoy it. I don't ever want that to go away. Memories are wonderful but nothing like savoring every moment you have together. I continue to remind myself of that so I find more enjoyment in the "doing" than in the "getting it done." On the way home, we stopped at Tony Burgers for lunch, before football practice.

Summer is officially over...

Apron Strings

This is the Apron Strings group- aren't they the cutest girls ever?? Starting with Maddy and going clockwise: Maddy, Lindsee, Olivia, and Megan. They are such a great group of girls, each with totally different personalities that add so much to this group.

It is a group my friend, Sheri, thought up last year. She thought it would be fun to start our own 4H-like group. So each week during the summer, these girls go to one of the four houses and make something. They have got to do so many fun things - like baking bread, making earrings, tulle skirts, headbands, pillows, tie-dye shirts, and lots of fun! I am surrounded by so many talented women and am so thankful for that.

This was the first activity at our house this year. They are making the cutest tulle flip-flops.
It is fun to see how they turn out, each pair a little different.

And here are the finished products... So fun and easy! You know me, I've got to keep it simple.

I always feel so inferior to the other mothers because I don't feel like I am a very creative person. But I think these turned out cute and I know the girls had fun, so that's all that mattered.

Doing things like this make all the time and stressing about ideas worth it, just to see Maddy smile. It is so fun to get to see her with her friends, see the smile on her face and how happy it makes her. And she is always so appreciative. This is our second year of doing it and I am so glad that Sheri thought of it! It really has been a great experience for both me and Maddy.

This is our second activity of the year - pedicures! I kind of cheated on this one because I didn't teach them anything but I thought it would be fun since it was the week before school started.

The finished product...

After, we went to lunch at the Olive Garden and celebrated with all the Moms. It was a great day and a fun way to end the summer!

Summer Bingo

Okay now that June is nearly over, I am trying to get organized before summer passes us by. I know us and if we don't get some things organized and scheduled, we will get in our crazy day-to-day routine and look back wondering where the time went. So... I finally got the family together for Family Home Evening last night to make some fun (and not-so-fun) plans for summer.

Of course, summer should be about lazy days, exploring and using your imagination, sleeping in, adventure, and simply doing nothing at all if you don't want to (at least at certain times.)However, it's also a great time to get caught up on a few projects and chores that you don't usually have your children home to help with. Since they are so busy during the school year, I like to take it easy on them through those weeks but recruit them during the summer for a little extra help. I also believe this teaches them responsibility, hard work, and seeing the fruits of your labor. Plus, it helps our home and family get organized and cleaned and although they would never admit it, I think everyone feels better with a clean, organized home and schedule.

In an effort to make work fun and also to keep my kids as productive as possible on the "slow" days of summer, I am trying "Summer Bingo." Hopefully this will be enough incentive for my kids to have a little fun, while also helping themselves improve and our family. I have made BINGO cards with certain activities printed on each square. Some of the activities are fun and some are actual chores. I tried to think of things that would keep them busy, improve them as a person, and keep them on a daily routine. I also threw a few "service" items in there to show them how fun and rewarding service can be. Hopefully they will catch the spirit of that!

Some of the items are:
Read a book - 30 min./day
Read scriptures
Practice piano
Go on a bike ride; Go running
Go on a walk with Mom
Write in journal; Write a letter
Do an act of kindness; Perform an act of service
Play NICELY w/sibling for 1 hr.
Wash a car
Do an outside activity for at least 1 hour
Work on Faith in God/Duty to God
Etc., etc.

The rules are that they have to get 5 in row, with one space being FREE. Once they have earned five in a row, they receive a ticket that can be redeemed for prizes. The best prize is $5 cash, which they can only earn once per week. Otherwise, my smart little whips would be all over those chores/daily responsibilities which would be great...but I'd go broke! So, I had to "cap" the cash prizes. There are still other fun things they can earn, though, like sleepovers or "late nights" with friends, extra TV/Wii/Playstation 3 time, candy, drinks, etc. Like I said, I hope this is enough to keep their interest up in learning responsibility and keeping daily routines, working on things to improve themselves, and especially finding joy in serving others.

Of course we have plenty of fun things we want to do, too. We discussed those so we can make sure to get them on the calendar and make sure we do things that each member of the family wants to do. Some of the things we have come up with are: Swimming- and lots of it!, Lagoon, Drive-in movies, Moonlight Ride, 4-wheeling, family hikes, camping (kind of scary!), sleep out on trampoline, "Friends" party, movies, & on and on....Some major things we want to accomplish this summer that may not be fun during but will be after are finish the basement and Jake's Eagle project. Those are 2 huge things so we'll see how far we get on those. We may not get them completed but it would sure be nice to get them started. Also, Maddy wants to go to Tuahcan and see a play like we did a couple of years ago. We would just go for a couple of nights, just us girls, to swim, shop, and enjoy the outdoor play in the canyon.

So as you can see, we have alot of great ideas and alot of fun to be had! We haven't nailed down an actual family vacation yet but hopefully we will squeeze one of those in by the end of the year, too. Either way, we are planning on having fun and enjoying every minute!

Summer Fun

I love summer and am SO looking forward to it this year!! The older I get, the more I realize how fast time goes by and especially, how children grow up into teenagers or even worse, they leave the nest. So I want to make sure I take advantage of every moment I have with these kids while they are still young enough to want to be with me. Sadly, I think that could already be fading but they are such good sports to humor me and make me feel like they still enjoy our time together.

I have already witnessed the fading of memories that I never thought I'd forget. I have also watched my children move out of stages that I thought would last forever. I realized that one of my favorite memories with my children was simply watching them swim in a $10 blow-up pool in the backyard or run through the sprinklers. That used to bring such giggles and laughter that it couldn't help but make my days a little brighter and bring a smile to my face. But now, I think my kids have outgrown this and find it a little boring. That's why we have to soak in these moments while we have them and I hope that by recording them here, I can savor each memory with more vivid detail before they fade too far in the past.

Some things I am especially looking forward to (if it every stops raining and being freezing cold, that is):

Staying up late watching movies as a family (especially "Andy's" - we LOVE the Andy Griffith Show at our house, so many wonderful learning lessons), sleeping in, Grilling, dinners outside enjoying the sound of the waterfall, Otter Pops, Ice Cream, Watermelon, Fresh Fruits & Veggies-Yum!, trips to the park, walks, Corn-on-the-Cob (another favorite), de-junking kids' rooms and getting organized, sleeping on the tramp (if we don't get eaten alive by mosquitoes, swimming, and so much more. What a wonderful time of the year to reconnect with family, goals, and enjoy a little reprieve from all the work throughout the year.

So here's to summer and memories yet to be made - Bring it on!