Snapshot Saturday!

Here is what I've been working on, today! I decided the kitchen needed a little more farmhouse fresh style, so I re-cased my window in a Craftsman style. It was much easier than I thought it would be. It makes me want to do more windows this way because I just love it. It also makes me think that I could probably replace a window or two if I had a hankering. A little knowledge really is a dangerous thing…

I really wish we could have all worked on it, together!

Photo Friday

It looks like my kids had a lot of fun taking pictures this week, so you are in luck.  :)

I love those smiles!

Math time = fun time!  :)

Hyrum loves Simon and loves his stuff.  If you will notice Hyrum is the one on the play mat, but I love that he wants to be with him.   

I think that getting Simon was an accident for this photo because the photos after this one were just of Hyrum's feet.  Cute feet.  And it was actually in black and white on my phone.  He is getting creative.  

My lips look weird, but I'm not sure why.  Oh well!

I should make sure they 'borrow' my phone more often.  :)

Overdue

I did not mean to come home and fall off the face of the earth, things have just been a whirlwind of stress.  So I shall try to offer a very overdue update.  So many things........

Joe is back at Sunstate working mainly as a designer.  Many things have been discussed for his future there, but we have yet to see them come to fruition.  A month ago he tore his acl while jumping out of a trailer.  He will have to have surgery to replace it.  He has been going to various doctors to please workman's comp, which is a nightmare.  After many arguments, I think they will finally cover it.  He has another appointment Friday and hopefully he will have his surgery scheduled.  He is still EQ president and enjoys it most of the time.  He has had several job interviews, but nothing yet.

I am feeling like a crazy taxi driver most of the time.  Between school, doctors appts, and church, I feel like I am never home.  Things seem to be getting into a routine, but that will surely change.  Still the primary president and loving it.  Our program is coming up and true to Heather fashion, I am breaking all tradition.  Super excited about that.  We are singing the songs, with two narrators reading the scriptures that the church has given in the outline.  Music is the most powerful way the Spirit communicates for me, so I thought it best to use that tool to its fullest.  Totally random, but I am in love with my Blendtec!  We are best friends.  I have only been using it a little over a month and am edging very close to my 150th use.  I am a Blendtec junky!

April started high school (I old...).  She already had a schedule change, because she was moved up to the second jazz band class as their pianist.  Saying she loves it would be an understatement.  She dutifully gets up at 5:20 every morning for seminary and is really enjoying it.  She has also started her own piano studio and is excited for it to grow.

Chloe has had a rough go the last few weeks.  The second day of school her p.o.t.s, (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), flared up with a vengeance.  It took several trips to the e.r. and some research to figure out that is what it was.  She has only completed one full week of school since then.  We have been working with her chiropractor 2-3 times a week, her cardiologist, and physical therapy twice a week.  We are currently going through the many ridiculous steps to get our insurance changed so she can go to a specialist down in Miami.  He is the only one in FL and one of few in the nation.  We are hopeful he can help.  Here are a few links to give you an idea of what she is experiencing.  http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-clinic
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/health/18brody.html?_r=0

Ethan is enjoying school more this year.  He is in an all gifted class and his teacher does a good job with challenging him, not just giving extra work.  He starts soccer this Saturday with his dad as coach and is super excited.  He took a terrifying flip off his bike a week ago and sprained his wrist.  He also scraped nearly everything else.  It still hurts, but he is tired of missing recess, so took the brace off.  true boy.

Collin is loving riding his bike to school everyday.  It is just over a mile.  He loves the social aspect of school and puts up with everything else.  He is definitely not being challenged.  They have to add another teacher, because classes are too big, so I volunteered him to be moved.  He thought this was a great idea.  Hopefully a new teacher will be good for him.  He also starts soccer this week.

David thinks it is way too quiet at home, so we almost always have to have music on.  He loves to do his school books and paint.  I was able to get another membership to our ymca so he can play with other kids everyday.  It is hard, because all of his friends are in pre-k and I chose to keep him home.  So, he doesn't get to play with them now.  He is crazy smart, so keeping him entertained can be a challenge.  In between all our crazy, we are starting to work on reading.  He loves it, but we don't have all the resources I would like for teaching him.  Regardless, he loves saying words and trying to figure out their sounds.

I am sure there is more, but I think I hit the big stuff.  It has been raining everyday for the last two weeks and shows no sign of stopping.  Crazy lot of rain for September.  Miss family tons and trying to maintain sanity.  Love you all.

Photo Friday

Hey, I'm less than 12 hours late!

Simon loves to play on the floor with his new play mat.  And he started rolling all over the place.  But he is happy and Hyrum seems to let him play for the most part.

We got the play mat because Hyrum didn't think that the Bumbo was for Simon.  He uses it for himself and all of his 'friends.'

It will be nice when the two of them can play together!  Well, that is a boring update but no one seems to have hijacked my phone this week.  :)

Photo Friday.

all pictures courtesy of mom :) He looks kinda chubs, but he really isn't. he likes to pretend. He's skinny. Here's David. :) Patrick has more pictures, but I don't know how to get them.

Photo Friday

Jackson, Jaime, and Vida putting a play on for us at the Children's Museum.

After the dirty dash on Saturday.

Splash pad!

Scripture story before bed.

Backyard swings. 

Vida and I working on letters and numbers.

Snapshot Saturday

The boys seemed to have hijacked my phone a few times this week, so I have more pictures to share!

Hyrum playing with animals while we make breakfast.

 I am now the Cub Scout leader in the ward, but the only boys who came this week were mine.  :(  But we had lots of fun anyone!

We did a relay race to pack a bag to go camping.  Jacob forgot to grab a bag while running back and forth.  Oops! 

We then had a fire outside and made s'mores.  Yummy!

It was a little windy, but we managed to not start anything on fire.  

Hyrum was entertaining himself with my phone during a soccer game.  Super cute!

We found some K-nex at good will for $2.  It was missing a few pieces, but Joshua found some other roller coaster plans that we did have the pieces for.  I was quite impressed!

I don't know why but someone took a picture of Simon crying.  He is such a sweetheart  but didn't want to be put down at this moment.  Or he just didn't want his picture taken.  :)

Snapshot Sunday

We have been busy canning again this week, and now with soccer season upon us life is even busier  We made some salsa this weekend!  Yummy!  I didn't think you want to see more pictures of canning, so here is a cute pic of Simon.  I think it is time to move to the crib.

Photo Saturday

At a park "planting seeds."

Excavating at the Dinosaur Museum.

Zoo!

Michelle and Jackson were with us at the Zoo, too!

Date Night: Roof Top Concert Series. We ended up leaving before the music started because
we realized it would be to loud for Ava, but we did walk away with some free stuff!

Pony rides at Thanksgiving Point!

What we are doing right now - watching the BYU game at Justin's work.

River Adventures of Morgan Meltair Mouse and Friends

Hey all!  We wrote the epic tale of our adventures with Morgan Meltair Mouse and his sailing friends on Monday.  Check it out :)