Happiness

Flashback when Declan was six months old. Such a cutie!! I thought that I had been blogging for 10 years this year, but I looked through my posts and saw only until 2007. Then I remembered- I had another blog (? on address) that I used to blog at. And so, it has been 10 years since I've started blogging! Ahh!!! Crazy! I read some of my old posts and I was so funny! I think I've gotten older and more serious. :(  It was so great to hear the stories of when Ethan and Jonah and Elizabeth and Asher were all little and running around the house. I miss those days. Elizabeth turns 14 on Saturday! Fourteen! A miamaid! The only thing she wants for her birthday is her iphone's screen to be fixed, she loves to spend time with her friends and she is still a joy to have around! I am so thankful to have Declan around the house and hear how he calls Black Widow Spiders Black Windows. Today we went to Harmons for our weekly grocery shopping (a little more expensive but I try to ...

My account on blogger was blocked on my computer and now it no longer is! Yay! I can now blog from my desktop instead of my phone.  For Labor Day, we hiked up Battle Creek Falls. It was great weather- even chilly in the shade! Declan happily rode in the backpack on the way up and we let him walk most of the way down. He loved finding small rocks and throwing them into the waterfall and the river. Ethan and Jonah hiked along, trying to go off the trail, which we wouldn't let them do. They've done a lot of hikes for scouts so they are pretty good at it.  Update on Josh's job: He is still working for his brother Aaron and is finishing up a project for him. There is a job opening with the LDS Church that I feel is a dream job, but we'll keep applying for jobs that come our way!

"Gratitude can turn Common Days into Thanksgivings" I read this quote today and it really hit home to me. You know how things can just touch you- like a quote on a Pinterest board (I have a "Happy" board and an "Inspirational board) or someone saying something just right. So, I want to count the things I am thankful for: -A new pool very close by and a neighborhood swim party tonight. -Declan taking a good nap today. -The Fall and cooler weather. -Pumpkins and Apples and everything Autumn. -Getting to stay at home with my two year old boy. -Having one of my old students befriend me on facebook. -Finding an awesome Maxi skirt. -Having one of my old piano students start teaching piano themselves. ***Awesome! -Signing up the boys for Cross Country. -Teaching piano lessons this Fall. -Holding one of my twin nephews. Life is Good. Oh, so good! Go and do something you enjoy! I'm going to fold laundry (which I actually do enjoy!). 

I like Nie Nie's short but sweet blog posts each day. She writes them at the end of the day so she can tell about what happened that day. Sort of like a snapshot journal. I'm going to pretend that right now is last night and write about yesterday: Jonah came home from Cross Country Practice (ok, I actually picked him up but he got home either way) telling a story how one of his running mates caught a snake in the creek and carried it all the way home, then put it in his lunch box to take to his Mom. 12 year old boys! I sure wouldn't like to see a live snake when I opened up a lunch box!

Well, the kids are all back to school! Except Declan. Who now wants to go to "Mommy School". We do it a few times a week for 10-15 minutes at a time. A craft, a short lesson, a snack. Today we are learning about rocks- and using a kit with sand and gems we got from my Grandpa. He's such a big kid- he even stopped using his binky yesterday! *I told him he was a big boy and handed him a sippy cup full of water instead of the binky and he was fine with it. We'll see how he does at nap time today!  The boys have had a hard time adjusting from 6th to 7th grade but they will get it! I start teaching piano lessons next week so hopefully we'll be in a routine by then! Back to school we are!

            Panning for gold! I've been wanting to see my Grandpa in Shoup, Idaho ever since my Grandma passed away a year and a half ago. I lived with him for a year when I was six and my kids- all except Elizabeth- hadn't been up to Shoup to see it. My Grandpa owns an old, abandoned Gold Mine near the Snake River in Northern Idaho. He takes pictures of white water rafters for a living (still shooting his camera from his truck at the age of 90). He used to give tours of the mine and still does to Boy Scouts. His home is an hour away from the nearest town (church, schools, stores). We made the drive up last week and were so glad we did!  Shoup is beautiful- the weather was hot but it was nice to cool off in the mine. We planned for gold and went hiking across the river (and saw a rattlesnake). We shot potato guns and bb guns and had a weenie roast.  We stayed in a cute bed and breakfast my Grandpa's friend owns which was nice since my Grandpa has ...

Summer went by way too fast! Ethan and Jonah started Seventh Grade today. It was their first time riding a bus and they were nervous- well, nervous about the whole Jr High thing and having eight classes and eight teachers (four one day and for another). I have to admit it's a little intimidating to even me! I didn't have A and B days growing up. Elizabeth will go on Monday and they will all go on Tuesday. They get two first day breakfasts and after school treats. Lucky kids!