August '14

Aug 10 Sun- We had the Leaders' kick-off Fireside, so that the adults all know what to do next Sunday. I got to meet all the ward dance chair people and prep them on everything I'd been told so far and invite them to the dance workshop coming this Saturday. I'm so glad I made it home in time for this.

Aug 11 Mon- I officially backed out of the history coop I had thought of joining just for Rachel. I had just been too uneasy about it, and when I talked to Tyler we both decided it wasn't right. Relief to finally a decision made and a plan to follow. We took the car into shop. Kids weren't ready for Violin lessons yet tonight...

Aug 12 Tues-Science project. We boiled purple cabbage and drained the juice into a pop bottle which was blue, turned green, we added vinegar, it turned red, we added baking soda, back to blue. Crazy. Chemical reactions are awesome. We are loving our new Apologia books. They teach us all about the history of famous scientists as well as their discoveries and give projects for us to do. So great. The car was done getting fixed...$Ouch.

Aug 13 Wed-The girls finally got to have their put-off orthodontist appointment, and we had a car to drive in that was frosty cool. The teeth are hurting and they wanted mashed potatoes...so of course I made the most delicious mashed potatoes ever. The only problem was I ate some too, just a bit licking off the spoon a time or two...or three, and my stomach bloated up like I was 6 months pregnant! The girls were amazed. Now they understand why I eat the way I do...and they understand the story I tell about a friend at a Christmas party (where of course ham and potatoes was served) who actually asked if I was pregnant out of nowhere. It gets that bad.

A special visitor came. Sister Gannon, or Hunter, as we can call her now.

Aug 16 Sat- The dance workshop for the temple celebration was long, but fun. I was so happy to see so many from our ward committees attend. That will make my job a lot easier. I was exhausted after 4 1/2 hours of dancing. We had such sweet little busy beavers at home doing chores so that when we came home the house was clean and beautiful. What great kids!

Week 3
Aug 17 Sun- We had the Temple Celebration Kick-off Fireside for the Youth to get their pictures and measurements taken and fill out permission slips and talent surveys. Too bad the A/C went out in the building. It was pretty steamy, but very exciting. We are so excited and grateful for the new Phoenix Temple!

Aug 18 Mon- Sister Tait called me to say she hasn't been sleeping at nights for thinking about if she has done all the temple work she needs to for her family. We scheduled for her to come Wednesday and take a look. We got very serious about doing our work-outs again on Mon, Wed, Fri. We forged on with violin lessons and Mike gave Sarah some pointers for her audition. Guess what the advice was-to relax! Ha.

Aug 19 Tues-We drove Sarah out to Mesa for her Symphony audition. Last year she was in Division 4 and really hopes to move up to 3 this year. After stressing over the audition for days, she came out and said, "I can't believe that's what I've been stressing about. It was nothing, just playing my song." I hope she remembers for next time.

Aug 20 Wed- Sister Tait came over to do family history work. When I picked her up she was in a dress ready to go to the temple! I love her enthusiasm and willingness to get right to work. I explained we had some computer work to do first to figure out who exactly has been keeping her awake. We found many. She has a very active brother-in-law who died this year who I think has been teaching her family, and boy are they ready.

Aug 21 Thurs- Sarah is enjoying her BYU Independent Study English class. She has been writing poems and reading some of my old poems. She already finished the first of 8 sections. Adam is chugging away in math finishing his first half of first grade. We've also made a reading goal and have a pizza party planned for when we finish it. This was inspired by the library's reading plan that included junky toy rewards and I'm tired of those coming into my home every year. Pizza Party it is!

Aug 22 Friday-Adam played with his toys and sat as a willing audience as Rachel and I danced in the living room preparing for the next morning's teaching session. Sarah and Tyler went on a Daddy daughter date to the temple to do Sister Tait's baptisms. We wonder if she is sleeping well yet...
Aug 23 Saturday- The  temple celebration dance practice went well, was fun, and very well attended. Rachel had ballet class at Hannah's after, I had a baby shower to throw, Sarah had a baby shower to babysit for so the Mom could enjoy it with only the new baby. Tyler had a long Bishop's interview and we did chores at home. In the evening we relaxed together with a game and bedtime.

Week 4
Monday Sarah got the Metropolitan Youth Symphony audition results. She moved up to Division 3. We showed the kids humanitarian aid movies from the lds.org website to improve gratitude and lessen wants. Rachel started her second week of babysitting Easton while his mom does the afternoon school pick-up. She loves independently walking to and from her little job and getting all her work done so she'll be ready in time. One of her favorite parts is that Easton always seems to need a diaper change. She loves changing diapers!


Tues- I had special time with Adam making my closet and bathroom into "house" for each of us. We pretended we had been picked up in our huts and thrown in a storm and landed next to each other as neighbors. We had to share food and supplies with each other and make do in our after-storm life. I think family night affected the theme of this game.

Aug 27 Wed- Adam showed me his Christmas list has shrunk from 4 items to 1.  Adam and Rachel had a playdate with Ethan and Benton. They played cars and had smoothies.

Sarah was babysitting her "Wednesday Triplets" while their mom has a class. This was her first of what will be every week until December. I got some visiting teaching in, and Sarah played human fooseball at Young Women/Men's combined activity

Aug 28 Thursday- We babysat 2 adorable kids, Darcy and Kellen, so their Mom could get a filling. We swam in the afternoon with the Burninghams. Our neighbor Lisa happened to be there too. After my friend Lisa started asking questions about homeschooling and joked, "homeschool like mormons on a commune?" I said, "I actually am Mormon." She couldn't believe it. Later on we talked about kids being entitled and I told her about the lds.org videos we watched at family night. She asked me to email links to her so she could show her kids and started asking questions about if we are Christians and I told her all about the Apostasy, Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. She said, "It's fascinating." She believes in God, nothing more.

Aug 29 Friday- We got to babysit the 2 adorable kids again because their poor Mom didn't need a filling, she needed a root canal! Friday night Sarah babysat for Kaylee and Quinnee so their parents could catch a movie. Tyler and Adam went to Brian McLelland's football game at Fairfax High School. Rachel and I went shopping for a few things she needed. We all met back up between 9:30-10 at night for a little bedtime snack and recount of all our fun.

Aug 30 Saturday- Another Saturday morning dance teaching session for me. Rachel's ballet class was cancelled because Hannah was sick. She is itching to try out her new ballet shoes! She tested them out in the church gym while we waited for people to arrive. Adam and I played hot and cold with his Star Wars guys while Rachel spun to her heart's content. We showered up quickly and headed to the temple with Brett Wescott and Rochelle Tait to do her ancestors Initiatories. We got back just in time for the baptism of Genevieve Ene's boyfriend Edgar. It was a very nice baptism. We relaxed at last and watched Enchanted with two giant bowls of popcorn. We had to cancel our Labor Day weekend trip to Aunt Luise's but a stay-cation on Monday will be nice, and we still get to go in a few weeks!