Shall we say Ballet and Tap?

Alice in Wonderland was the name of the spring Dance recital that Gwendalin did Ballet and Tap in.  She was a beautiful dancer...as you can see from the pictures.  It was a little long for the parents (Travis and I and mom and dad) to sit through, but she was thrilled to be performing so we were glad she could do it!  She is a little beauty!

Tyler Graduates!

Preschool graduation at Ms. Amber's house was quite a success.  They marched down the stairs in their little caps and performed a small program with some sign language, some songs  and some memorized pieces.  Tyler presented his "When I grow up I want to be a Palentologist...." drawing....it was adorable!  We played for a little bit after and had some cake and ice cream!   Way to go Tyler you learned so much this year including how to write your first and last name!  You are so excited for kindergarten and you're going to be GREAT!

Finished Entry

Mom rearranged her furniture and didn't need her entry table anymore.  So, she took it upon her sweet self to paint it black and gave it to me (since I had told her I was looking for one for my entry).  Doesn't it look so good?!!! I love it!

Delightful Dallie Boy!

I went running the other day and took Dallin with me in the jogger. Towards the end of the "run" he wanted to run too....or explore rather, so I got a few pictures of him exploring - I absolutely LOVE where I live...it is so quiet and so pretty.

 Here he is totally tuckered out on the drive home from my sister's house.  He was supposed to be in his seatbelt!

I also got a few pictures of his genius methods to try to get the key from above the door in the bathroom.  When his methods didn't pan out and the bucket slipped- he was very upset and he was even more upset when he saw that I took a picutre of him crying!  He is definitely a problem solver.

Fun Bonding!

There was a giant dirt hill at one of Hunter's recent soccer games.  The kids had a blast going up and sliding down.  If I just had a large mountain of dirt I think they would be endlessly entertained in my backyard! :) 

Gwendalin got a new mattress from my mom and dad - so her old one has become a source of much fun while upstairs.  I captured a few moments of fun the other night.

A recorder concert!

In 4th grade you learn how to play the recorder.  You would think it would be horrible to listen to, but actually the teacher plays some instrumental music underneath the recorders and it sounds pretty good.   We got to go and watch Hunter perform his mad recorder skills right before school got out!  He's a cute kid!

A 4th Grade Field Trip

There was only one field trip this year for Hunter and he begged me to go.  I think there were 36 kids in the class and there were 14 parents or something like that - who went on this field trip.  It was fun to spend the freezing cold day with him. :)  He got to learn about Idaho History : pan for gold, civil war march, Idaho animals, etc.  It was a fun day - even though it was so cold. The only down side was that he didn't get to do the dancing station with the girl he likes because somone else had already asked her (Elly) - but she assured him that she would've rather danced with him. :)

T

Some things you just can't "fix"

I look around me and wonder if the chaos that I feel on a daily basis was something my mother felt as she raised us.  Life is busy, yes, and I think life was busy for my mom when I grew up too, as well as my mother in law- while they were raising their children, but I don't know if there was as much "chaos" in the world as there is now.  I have had this conversation with my mom recently and she feels the same way - it has gotten seemingly crazier and far more severe problems arise around you with the people you love and the places in which you find yourself.  I don't know when the Savior will come again, but I do know that the more chaos there is the more I find myself wondering if I should start praying for Him to come back and literally "stop the madness" because I can't fix any of it....and it's affecting people around me and watching them suffer is so hard when you can't just "fix" it.  It's not just with the world around me - it's the world around my kids....they are exposed to so many more things than I ever thought about when I was their ages and I don't like it one bit, but at the same time I know how very strong spirited they are and I know they can be an influence for good around their friends and their peers.  I have conversations about gospel topics with my kids on a regular basis....they are good kids with good intentions and good hearts. I can only hope I do a good enough job that they remain strong for the duration of their lifetime....They are little now so when they make mistakes I can put them on their beds or in time out and we can talk about it....I don't know if it will remain that way as they grow older - if they will still consider me wise?  helpful? a go to person?  That's so scary with the gammat of CRAP that is available out there I want them to come to me first to confide in my to ask my help and opinions.  I don't want them to suffer from mistakes that could be avoided....I don't want them to hurt.  But inevitably I know they will - Heavenly Father knew we would and He let us come and learn....How vast your experiences become as you age and as you raise children.  Outlooks are so much different as parents than they are when you are just the child....I guess this is just the time that you pray for guidance and mercy for those suffering around you, since "fixing" isn't possible.