Week ending 4-26-20

Last Sunday: Kylie combed the little girls' hair fancy. It looked so cute in person. 

I looked up and saw Spencer sweetly reading to his youngest sister who he calls, "Baby" which I also love. He's so good to her. 

Random weight lifting. 

Monday: Helping Tilly with her workbook. She's a natural when it comes to writing letters and numbers. She has no problem tracing and writing them. 

Every time she wrote one she'd put her hand on her cheek, which is so cute. 

A neighbor gave Alexis this bedding so I took a picture to thank/show her we love it. 

Wednesday: Movie party with all 10 kids watching Onward. I left in the middle and donated plasma because I'm not a big movie fan (just short movies like 20 minute episodes) but they had a great time. 

I took this to display a meteorology course I wrote and am selling on teacherspayteachers. 

Spencer teaching Kaitlyn how to do a back tuck. 

Here he's having her practice jumping and bringing her knees up.  

 

I love these blossoms. They remind me of the first spring we moved in because Madalyn took a lot of really good pictures for her photography class. 

Friday: Playing dragons on the tramp.  

Andy wasn't getting along with the other kids so I played with him for a bit and had a lot of fun. We played upwords and he did a lot of pages from a church activity book. I love having one-on-one time with my kids. 

Samuel was so funny sitting at the table eating green beans as if it were popcorn while everyone else had a real dinner. 

When Andy saw me taking pictures of Sam, he wanted to eat green beans and get photographed too.  :)

Movie party--we watched the Brady Bunch--and took this to show the 3 older girls who were at their aunt's house.

Saturday: I took the 3 middle kids hiking and we had a great time.

Thomas tried taking a pano for me of the sky. There was a contrail from one mountain to another all across the whole sky. It was amazing. You can't tell from the pictures, but oh well.

It started between two mountains and stretched over the whole sky and ended on another mountain peak.

First lookout we came to. 

 Kait and Kenna brought their babies and everyone was a good hiker. 

Makenna found a cozy resting spot between two trees. 

I love looking up at the blue sky in the middle of the forest. 

We found several piles of moose hair as well as lots of scat and footprints. We prayed to see a moose but never did. 

We stopped a lot to look at different tracks and budding bushes and interesting pine cones or acorns. It was a great hike. 

Eating lunch. I sent this to Spencer who was babysitting the 3 little kids. The 3 older girls were at their aunt's for the weekend. 

Different kinds of moss. We took this so we could go home and learn about it. 

We ran all the way down the trail back to the van. Thomas and Kaitlyn took off ahead and Makenna and I pretty much ran together, stopping to look at interesting things. 

And stopping to play on fallen logs. :)  

I loved this comfy patch of crushed cones from a tree I can't identify. It's super soft and I could have made a bed there. I love hiking and being out in nature. It fills me up so much. It was even better that I got to share it with 3 easy kiddos.

Talea found Madalyn's ear muffs and modeled them for the camera.

Week ending 4-19-20

Last Sunday: Going for a post Easter dinner walk along my mom's beautiful road. 

I'm so glad I was raised here. 

I loved watching Andy and Tilly take off ahead of us. 

Then a bunch of kids turned around and ran down the hill to my mom who was catching up to us. 

Alexis petting the ponies. 

Monday: Seeing the wild turkeys on my morning walk. 

We spent a good chunk of the Kaitlyn's birthday raking leaves and burning them as well as dead branches and brush. 

I loved using the pole saw and sawing off branches from these fallen trees. 

Sam and Andy were good rakers. 

Then we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. 

We loved looking up at the bright green leaves against the bright blue sky. 

Playing on the 40+ year old swing set still in great shape. 

Kylie helping Kaitlyn make a cake similar to the one she had turning 17. 

Tuesday: Girls hanging out on a bunk bed. 

I went for a long walk with Mom and Lori and saw these beautiful plants we don't know the name of. 

I love the view of the valley down below. 

Lori really liked this one as well: green leaves with some red leaves on the ends of the branch. 

Tilly playing on my swingset again. 

Andy sliding down the slide. Can't get over that blue sky! 

Weeding the strawberry patch. 

Andy was a big help raking leaves and dumping the wheelbarrow. 

Another view of the strawberry patch facing my mom's house. 

Playing Catch Phrase with Lori. 

Wednesday: Talea was the only one up when I was going on a walk so I let her watch pbs on my computer so I could get out by myself. She was adorable sitting on my bed and waving and grinning. 

Seeing a bunch of deer as I walked down the driveway. 

Seeing some hares as we ate breakfast. 

Can you see the hare? 

Pulling out a whole bunch of dying yucca plants that have probably been here for 50+ years and used to bloom so beautifully. 

Spencer and Lori goin' to town digging out those massive roots.

Thursday: On the swingset again. Tilly loved me putting her on the bar.

 I used to love swinging way up there too. 

We burned another big pile of brush and leaves and had hot dogs and s'mores. 

Then I took the 5 youngest kids to see where I went to elementary school. This is the old school still on my school property. Classes would take turns going up to the bell and ringing it. These pictures are just for me to have and remember how it looked since I rarely go there. I loved school and have such fond memories of my cute little school.

The first and second grade classrooms. Those were my favorite years. 

On the left was the office and the right was the cafeteria. 

Me and Lori with Kait, Kenna, and Sam. Andy and Tilly fell asleep in the van.  

The old kindergarten playground got taken down and replaced by a new boring one. 

When we got home I sat on the deck, working on lesson plans while Lori studied. Talea hung out with us and we all watched the lizards crawl up and down the garage. 

This is Talea's house at the fort.  

She had a mossy welcome mat that said "Welcome" in Portuguese. 

Sword fighting.

Ten kids playing in their fort. Wish I'd been able to raise them on land like this with acres to run around in. But at least they have grandparents who do even though we've never lived in the same state as them. 

I can't remember what the girls were talking about but I loved listening to them laugh and talk together. 

I used to forbid violent games but then learned that playing made up games was ok because kids are in charge of the action, how much they can handle, and how it ends. Violent video games are not ok because they get more than is appropriate and can't control very much. 

Kylie chopping wood. 

Spencer chopping. 

Friday: We sadly left California and drove back to Utah. We stopped in Sparks and picked up the free school lunch. Because they only do them twice a week, they gave us enough food for a few days. Kaitlyn took a bunch of pictures to show Lori back in CA. 

It included a sandwich, hot dog, pizza, 6 milks, snacks, a breakfast burrito, cereal, and a lot of fruit. Oh, and a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss! 

A huge heavy bag of food for each child. Perfect for our long car trip! 

And a book for each child! 

The 3 little kids reading outloud and chattering behind me while I read and worked on lesson plans in the seat in front of them. 

Passing the football tree. 

Nathan cut my wheatgrass for me while I was gone. It grows so fast and tasted delicious, especially in a smoothie. 

It looked pretty in the blender with strawberries and mango and banana. 

Saturday: Someone dropped off bags of clothes for us and Alexis had fun trying stuff on. 

Nathan finished the treehouse while we were gone. 

In the evening we celebrated Kaitlyn's birthday again since we hadn't brought any presents to California. She got some tiny magnetic balls from Thomas, a dress from me, and pajamas from Mama. 

Kylie helped her make this delicious brownie, marshmallow, cookie dessert.