July Week 1

July 1...wanted to put this on here cause I don't have many candid moments of me and the boys and I sure love my time with them!!

 Calvin and I spent some quality time together while Jordan napped.  He wanted to make sprinkle cookies so we did :).

 I had to go outside for a minute and Calvin came with me...he called for my attention and I was "too busy" to give it...but I immediately corrected myself and decided sitting on the ground smashing flower petals with him was more important :).

Thursday we went to the Temple and I got some sweet pics of my sweet boys!

I am not the greatest at it, but I sure try to enjoy my time with them!

  

Friday we went to Freestone park...always a favorite place to go!

There were 3 baby ducks there!  SOOO cute!

Other Highlights of the week:

On Friday we took Lyle some Ice Cream after lunch at his job.

Lyle and I are also trying to make date night more of a habit so I got a babysitter and took Lyle on a scavenger hunt at the mall!

He got me a pretzel and he got and orange julius, then we got some Subway cookies to take home...eeek...but SOOO good!

5 Minute Life Lessons

Five-Minute Lessons on Life Skills

Alan and Tere Weir

Each week before our family home evening lesson, we have a five-minute lesson called our “practical moment.” These lessons are designed to teach our children basic living skills. Here are some of the topics we have covered.

Social Skills

• Telephone etiquette.
• How to act when a parent is on the telephone.
• How to make a friend.
• How to greet people.
• Mealtime manners.
• How to be a good host or hostess when a friend comes to play.
• How to resolve a dispute.
• Concert behavior, which we discuss before attending a play, ballet, or concert.
• Conquering peer pressure. We role-played the following situations:

  • • 
    How to respond when asked to watch an inappropriate movie.
  • • 
    What to do if offered tobacco, alcohol, or drugs.
  • • 
    What to say if someone wants to copy schoolwork.
  • • 
    How to be friends with someone who is not popular.
• How to write a thank-you note.

Dating skills, including restaurant etiquette, making small talk, and ideas for getting home on time.

Safety

• How to deal with strangers.
• When to say “No!”
• What to do in cases of abuse.
• Agreeing on a family password to be used whenever someone says they are representing your parents.
• Safety at the swimming pool.

Reverence

• Appropriate behavior when visiting the temple or temple grounds or our ward meetinghouse.
• Sacrament meeting behavior.
• How to make fasting more meaningful and more effective.
• Words to use when praying.

Organizational Skills

• Goal setting: what a goal is and how to achieve it.
• Time management skills, such as doing homework more effectively or sticking to a task until it is done.
• How to organize a drawer or closet.
• Homemaking tasks, such as cleaning off a counter, sorting laundry, scrubbing the bathtub, or ironing a shirt.
• How to budget and use a checkbook.
• How to call a store or other professional place and ask for information.
• Skills for living away from home.

Citizenship

• Why we vote and how to do it.
• Respect for our earth.
• How to be a good neighbor.
• Respect for others’ property.
• Respect for law and others in authority.

We keep our moments simple and short, and we’ve seen our children grow in confidence as they’ve learned how to function in the world.—Alan and Tere Weir, Kaysville, Utah

Faith over Fear

I'm Heading in to the belly of the beast...please let me come out alive...

Our downfall always begins with fear...when we are afraid to disappoint someone...we most likely will (we must go forth with courage, and faith...doing the right things for the right reasons!)

Trying to find the moments to cherish

I have lost sight.
I am crumbling.
I can not find my footing.

Calvin has probably been trying to reach out...but I don't get it...I don't understand it...I don't know how to see him and love him.
Lately he has been telling me
 he hates me
all the time, and
"I'll punch you in the face"

He has been lying SOOO much and I simply do not know what to do.
I broke down today, and Calvin yells at me,
"You know what you should do Mom?  You shouldn't have married Lyle!"
(Me: "What does that have to do with it?")
"Because I want a different Mom!  When I get married, I am going to pick a GOOD Mom!"

Mom of the year award...I feel great

Shout Out to Dad!

Ever since Calvin was born, I have made it a point to make sure our kids always think he is Superdad, and that Lyle feels like Superdad!

I talk him up, always check out Awesome Dad books at the library, point out all that he does for our family, and whenever something needs to be fixed or rescued...I always say "I bet Dad could do that."

I want our children to think the world of him.

I want them to know he works hard for them/us!

I want them to know I love him and think the world of him.

I try to only talk UP towards him and about him.

I slip once in a while...but I always apologize and make sure the boys know that it was not right of me to do that.

Lyle...you da bomb...and we love you...and I hope you know how much effort I put into making sure the kids know how AWESOME you are!

Popsicle Jokes

We eat A LOT of popsicles in the summer!

This morning the boys were enjoying popsicles outside, and as always had me read their joke.

I actually likes this one:

If seagulls fly over the sea,

what flies over the bay?

:)

June Week 4 (21-27)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY To the BEST Daddy ever! 

Seriously Lyle...my mind is flooded with memories and traits and reasons of what I love about you and all I am grateful for in you!

You notice that you missed out on time with your dad, and so I see you trying to spend time with our kids.  That is a big deal.  It means so much to us and will always be remembered and cherished!

You go to work every day for us, and we know what a huge sacrifice that is! Thank you!

You bath them, and teach them new awesome things, you let them follow you around, and jump on you and wrestle with you.

You jump on the tramp with them, and take them fishing, and swimming, and on special dates, and to Circle K to get soda's.

You like to go shopping as a family...whatever it may be, I am  just so grateful that you enjoy being with us! Truly, it is noticed,you are SOOO loved and appreciated!

For Father's Day I made Lyle a rib dinner (1st ever) with baked beans, sweet potatoes, and rolls.  Mmmm it was so good.

And the night before I had made Sheppard's Pie (none of us like it but it is his favorite).

The boys picked out a Super Mario Brother's shirt for him and we got him 2 pairs of shorts, a new cooler, and $150 for a new ladder and scaffolding.

Took Calvin to the Chiropractor to see if we can help him not pee the bed.

Emily, Ben, and Lucy Nicoll came over and we made cookies and cards for their primary teachers. 

 We played in the sprinkler while the cookies baked.

The boys were sleeping and I thought this was too cute!

 Lyle made our taco run for taco Tuesday's!

 We have been playing lots of games lately...the boys are really getting into it lately.

 Calvin's first adjustment from Keith Lavender

I cut Nicole Quimtino's hair (Wednesday June 24th)!  Eeek...I forgot to take the after pic :)...but it was a fun cut!

 We went to Kid's Club at Superstition Springs Mall today.
We got Panda for lunch. Then rode the merry go round.  Sweetest boys.