WOO HOO FOR SUMMER BREAK!

Okay this post is going to be filled with alot! So, stay with me......

The kids are done with school! I can not tell you how happy this makes me! WOO HOO! Tiny A had swim lessons when they got out of school on Thursday so I had Big A go and get them and when they came home Little A and I had a surprise waiting for them.... Cookies and chocolate milk!

They all finished strong. Double A is now graduated from 5th grade. EEEKS! She will be going to middle school next year. So bizarre! This next bit of info is part of mommy bragging rights...

She was awarded outstanding student! This is a big deal. She did not even know it until it was awarded. This was only given to four kids out of 98. So great job, Sweetie!

Double A with her amazing teacher! Big A had her as well and we hope the tradition will continue with our other children. She is a fabulous teacher!

Triple A had a great year as well. We were so lucky to have these teachers. This video is from a little performance that his class did. It is too cute! He will probably hate us for this footage someday. ( Like when M brings it out to show Triple A's girlfriend....Ya, he won't like it...) But to his parents who love and adore him we think it is soooo cute.

Big A, of course, is still being the leader and blazing the trail for his siblings to follow. He is such a great kid and almost a teenager! EEEK! Where did the time go? He had a great year and really showed us and his teachers what he was made of! We are so proud of him!

Our little nephew is one today! He had his party on Saturday... What a cutie! We had a great time. The birthday boy was not real sure about his cake or everyone singing Happy Birthday to him!

mmmmm, yummy cake. Grandma and Tiny A....

Pinata Time!

We also went down to my parents on Sunday. I can not explain how it feels to be home. I love it there more than anywhere! It is so peaceful! M and I were running Monday morning and , of course, I left him in the dust! (Okay, maybe it was the other way around :) ) While I was waiting for him to come back I was just standing there and listening to how quiet it was! I couldn't hear a single car or loud noise. It was a very comforting feeling. What a wonderful way to grow up. Our kids love it there! And No wonder! It is wonderful. They never want to come home. Even Tiny A says " I want to stay at Gamma's and Gandaddy's" . Big stayed for a few more days and we will probably go back in a couple weeks for more. And it is not like we sit around the whole time either. It is a ranch! Sitting down doesn't work. And we still want more and love every minute of it! The kids drive! Yes, drive...... They love it!

Little A feeding Pintata....My old rodeo horse.

These two cute cousins are about 8 months apart. But we joke that they really should have probably been twins. They are identical in so many ways and are the best of friends.

Feeding the baby calf!

Grandma Debbie with 3 of the 18 grandkids!

Grand-daddy with tiny A and Little A.

And A big Happy Birthday to Grandma Debbie! She was 57 yesterday! I couldn't find the camera when we sang happy birthday to her so I don't have a picture from that but this one will do.

Also, I have 3 nephews who have their birthdays today.Happy birthday Jaxson!

Happy Birthdday D!

And Happy birthday Roland!

Are We Done Yet?

Okay, I am starting to feel like a little kid on a long drive when they say, " Are we there yet?"

I am so ready for school to be done. This week is so busy. As was last week. I think they try to cram in as much stuff as they can before school is out. The last couple of days I have left to go and take the kids to school and am not back until 1:30 or 2:00. that gives me about 1 1/2 hours to do everything I need to do before the kids are home. So, needless to say, the house is not as clean as I would like and the laundry is no where near being done! And as for running, Not a single mile this week! Are we done yet? Oh, I don't think Thursday could come fast enough! And most importantly I just want my sweet kids home!

And to top it all off I feel like I am melting! I just checked the thermometer outside and it is 96 in the shade. Crazy! Last week we had snow on the mountains. The weather this year is very strange indeed!

Last night M was the Guest Speaker at Magdalena High's Letterman's

Banquet. He did a great job! It was really a fun evening. But because of finals in the kids classes we had to come home last night. What a late night! :( We are a little tired..okay alot tired. But it was worth the trip. Quick picture before M and I head out to the banquet.

I Never Thought I'd See This!

We have lived in this house going on 7 years. We never had a mouse problem until this winter. We finally found that they were getting in through an old unused vent. We thought we had fixed the problem, until this morning! I could hear something scratching when I was in our bedroom. You could tell it was in the ceiling. I went to tell M that we had another mouse and as I am walking by the laundry room this is what I saw. A mouse was hanging from a vent in the ceiling! Somehow his tail had gotten stuck and in the process of him trying to get himself loose he had unlatched the vent and it too was hanging down. It was quite a sight. He wasn't easy to get out either. I am not quite sure what M ended up doing to get it down but I was gone! Mice just give me the weeby jeebys ( Are those even words?)! Anyway, we now really have the problem fixed. We hope! Liquid nails does wonders! So we are crossing our fingers for NO MORE MICE!

A first for everything!

Okay this post is for Tiny A! You know, Tiny A is #5 in our little family and we have never had this happen. I was ironing shirts in the dining room yesterday and Tiny A wanted marshmallows. Well, we already had a package open so I didn't want her to open the new package. She was complaining and begging to open the new package. then she was quiet. I turned around and she was asleep! Yes, asleep ON the kitchen counter. I really am not a bad mom, I promise. Anyway, that was a first for this family! She has just started her swim lessons and after an hour of swimming(screaming) yesterday she must have been really tired. She did much better today. She only screamed in her teacher's ear for the first 15 minutes. Poor teacher. :( She is so patient! I am posting a video of her swimming at the bottom. Okay it is more like gliding. But for her second day in the water I would say it is pretty good. She was actually enjoying it by the end.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

"Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3)

Can I just brag for a minute? I am so blessed with my little family! They spoiled me so much today! It is unbelievable what they are able to do. M leaves for church meetings very early....so he is not there while we are getting ready for church on Sunday mornings....This morning I heard the kids quietly shut my door and I could hear the kids whispering and doing things in the kitchen. So, I got up and took my shower and got ready for church...When I came out breakfast was completely done. It is tradition that the kids make M and I this special dish they created when it is our birthdays or Mother's day or Father's day... They did a great job. It is a breakfast pie...It has sausage and bacon ( I know, my arteries are clogging just thinking of it. MMMM....it is so good though! :) ) , eggs, hash browns, picante sauce, cheese and (this last part shows how much they really do love me....because the kids hate these....) onions and bell peppers. They mix it all together and put it in a homemade pie crust and pile the cheese on top. Can you just taste it? MMMM.....I absolutely love it! So thank you kiddos! You truly amaze me and I am so privileged to be your momma!

Of course, we had a beautiful day at church. The primary kids sang 4 songs that brought me to tears and then to my surprise the Young Men sang a song to their mothers. Now I was really crying! It is really something to see these tough Young Men who love sports to be up there singing for their mothers. Such a sweet tender gift!

Little A gave her first real talk in primary today. Wow! She is getting so old! It was on families. And besides Tiny A running up to the front of the room crying to be by me, it was really good. I was very proud of her.

When we returned from church I got the family to pose for some pictures. This also shows that they were doing their best to be good on Mother's day because no one complained! They did great! So here are our latest pictures!

Can you believe how old my boys look?

Okay, this one is just too cute, You'll have to agree...

My new favorite picture of my kiddos!

And right now M is making me fajitas with homemade tortillas! And let me tell you, they smell good! I wish I could somehow upload smells onto this so you could all smell what I am smelling.

On this Mother's day I want to acknowledge all of the sweet mothers in my life.....

My sweet mom has always been the most incredible example of strength to me. I don't know if I have yet to meet someone who is capable of doing as much stuff as she is! I love you so much mom! As the kids would say, "You Rock!"

I have an incredible Mother-in-law. How very lucky I am! She raised a wonderful son who has been such an amazing husband and father in our little family. Thank you, thank you! I love you!

My grandmother. Wow! It is hard to put into words this woman! But let me try... Amazing fabulous, Cute, spiritual absolutely wonderful! I love you, Grandma!

I have many aunts, sisters, and friends who set such wonderful examples to me! I love you all! Have a very wonderful Mother's Day! I treasure you!

What would we do without weekends?

I love weekends! And I love them for several reasons. First, my family is with me. I absolutely love being with my children and husband. If I thought my kids didn't need to be at school I would keep them home and teach them here. But I want them to learn to deal with problems of this world at their own level and not throw them out into the world at 18 and have them not knowing how to deal. Second, I get to go to church. I love being at church. I feel renewed and feel like I can now do better in the week to follow. I love learning about and feeling close to my Savior, Jesus Christ. I love partaking of the sacrament every week and renewing my covenants with My Savior. I love watching Big A along with his friends, who are also 12 and 13, pass the sacrament. I know all of these boys well and it is so touching to watch them pass the sacrament with so much reverence. I love those few minutes of quietness as they pass the sacrament around that I can sit and reflect all that He has done for me. To say a quiet prayer and ask for strength to be a good mother. I feel His spirit so much at those tender moments. I love my ward family. What would we do without them? Always there with a handshake, kind words, smile and hug. They are the best! And I love sitting there on the pew at church and looking down the row at my sweet family. It will bring me to tears every time. Then of course, they will get a little restless...maybe elbow their neighbor....take a book from a sister...But I still love it! And I love that they love it! Third, I love getting things done. I love accomplishing things. It is such a good feeling to work as a family and get things done. Some of my favorite memories growing up are working as a family. We would do fence jobs, work on the ranch, brand, work in the yard, make jam....I can think of so many wonderful times as a child. I was very lucky in how I grew up!

This weekend was no exception. It was wonderful. M is insanely busy at work right now. They are in the middle of testing so he is working crazy hours. But he was still able to make it home for our new tradition of Friday movie and pizza night. Triple A brought this idea home from the fabulous Spencer family. Thanks Guys! Anyway it was great. We watched "Nancy Drew." Pretty good...I recommend it! Then Saturday, M had to work through the middle afternoon. But we had already planned to put in our vegetable garden. So the kids and I went to work. We cleared the area, fixed the gate so that it would open so we could get into the area without having to go way around. It was so much fun! Then when M came home we went to rota tilling. Even Big A got in on the action. It sure is handy having older kids now. Yea, our garden is all in. It was a very long day. We were all tired and sore. Shoveling uses muscles you don't use on a daily basis. Ouch! Then today was Stake conference. This is where all of the wards in our stake get together and we hear wonderful talks from our Stake Presidency and others whom were asked to speak. They were wonderful. I left feeling very uplifted. Such sweet testimonies were given. Loved it! Then this afternoon Double A had her piano recital. She did great. I put video on below of her piece. It is so crazy to me. I was never that composed as a 10 year old. In fact, my hair was rarely even brushed. My choice...not my mom's. I was such a Tomboy!

And this evening to finish off our weekend, we had our family long jump contest in the sand box! M is having a little problem with his ego.....Big A is now beating him!:)

I also put a silly video on of TinyA singing "I am A Child of God" I think she gets the first 3 words correct. Check out her outfit. Boots, underwear and a shirt. Nice!!!!!!! Absolute classic! I think I could probably find a picture similar to this of every one of my children. They probably wouldn't appreciate me posting them though. Hope you all had a great weekend!